Chapter 7

Give Me A Reason

Skarmory flew the three trainers and Gold's mother to Mahogany Town. Once there, Gold showed his mother to his house.

"This is really small," Gold said, "but it's just like our house. You should go downstairs."

Gold's mother went downstairs, sitting down on a couch.

"I can sleep here on this couch," Gold's mother told him.

"I'll buy you a bed, once I'm finished taking care of this," Gold said.

"It's really okay," Gold's mother said.

"I have the money, though," Gold said.

"Okay, you just take care," Gold's mother said. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Mom," Gold said.

After Gold and his mother hugged and his mother gave him a kiss, Gold left with the two girls to fly to Olivine City.

"Now let's go get Silver out of this," Gold said.

Skarmory took off, taking the three to Olivine City. When they arrived there, they found news crews filming reports on the murder of Super Nerd.

"Olivine City trainer Silver is being charged with first-degree murder," a reporter said.

"Hey, hold on," Gold said.

"Who are you?" the reporter said.

"I'm Silver's… friend, I guess," Gold said reluctantly.

"What do you have to say about your friend?" the reporter asked.

"He's a rough guy, but I can't see him committing a crime like this," Gold said. "Haven't you taken into consideration that he could have been framed?"

"I'm just a reporter, giving the facts," the reporter said.

"Talking to these reporters isn't going to help," Whitney said. "We have to go visit the police."

Gold, Whitney and Jasmine went to the police station, finding Officer Jenny standing near a bunch of other police officers.

"It's you again," Officer Jenny said to Jasmine. "What are you here for now?"

"We want to know why you've put Silver in jail," Whitney said.

"Maybe because he was caught with a bloody knife in his backpack," Officer Jenny said.

"Isn't he innocent until proven guilty?" Gold asked.

"Technically, but do you want a murderer free to walk the streets?" Officer Jenny asked.

"No, but that's what's going on right now," Whitney said.

"What is with you people?" Officer Jenny asked. "You may have helped me stop Team Rocket, but you don't know anything about law. You can't just say someone's not guilty because you think they aren't; you need evidence."

"Stop Team Rocket?" Gold asked.

"I was reassigned from Saffron City to here," Officer Jenny said.

"Seems like Team Rocket is on the loose again," Whitney said. "Lt. Surge and Blaine both are free after getting off in that court case."

Officer Jenny looked angrily at Whitney. "Again, you don't know anything about law. There was not enough evidence to convict them. They didn't get off; they were rightfully freed."

"Do you have the knife?" Gold asked.

"The knife has been examined," Officer Jenny said. "We could find no fingerprints on it. Your friend Silver must have been wearing gloves."

Jasmine started to sob quietly. Whitney became angrier at Officer Jenny. "What is the reason you want to incriminate Jasmine's boyfriend?" Whitney asked. "There has to be some reason. Are you being paid?"

"That's not it, and now you're just sounding foolish," Officer Jenny said. "Now go away, because you're not making any headway."

"We want a trial for Silver," Whitney said.

"Silver will go on trial for the murder of Super Nerd one week from today," Officer Jenny said. "That will be his only chance at freedom."

The three left the police station, with Jasmine in tears, and the other two angry.

"I don't believe it," Gold said. "Silver may be my rival, but he's also my friend. I can't imagine him committing this crime."

"Neither can I," said Whitney. "We've got to find some sort of evidence that proves his innocence."

"I'm pretty tired," Gold said. "It's getting late, too. Can we go somewhere to rest?"

"You can come to my house… there are places for you to sleep there," Jasmine said.

Gold and Whitney followed Jasmine to her house. As Jasmine was preparing to show Gold a place to sleep, Whitney turned on the television.

"Silver will stand trial next week for the murder of Super Nerd," a reporter was saying.

"Thank you for that report," the news anchor said. "And now, we have breaking news in from Mahogany Town."

"Mahogany Town? Gold, look at this!" Whitney said.

"Apparently Mahogany Town has come under attack," the news anchor said. "Look at these images from Mahogany Town, as bombs began to blast all around Mahogany Town just minutes ago."

Gold, Whitney and Jasmine looked at the screen in utter shock as they saw Mahogany Town on fire, with buildings destroyed and smoke rising in the air.

"There's my gym!" Gold said. "It was bombed!"

"Gold…" Whitney said. "Look at the right of the picture."

Gold looked at the screen in horror, seeing his house completely destroyed.

"I sure hope my mom is all right," he said.

"We have spotted a hot air balloon in the shape of a Meowth floating high above Mahogany Town," the news anchor said.

"Unbelievable," Whitney said.

"We will give you more information when we are able to get it, but right now, the images speak for themselves," the news anchor said.

The three trainers were in utter shock. None of them even knew what to do. Should they go to Mahogany Town and find out if Gold's mother was okay, or would that be too risky?

"I've got to go to Mahogany Town," Gold said.

"You're going to get killed!" Whitney said. "That Team Rocket member found out you lived there, and he decided to bomb the place from the hot air balloon! They could still be there, from all we know!"

Gold stared at the ground in silence. "You were right, Whitney," he said. "My mother should have gone to Goldenrod City, not Mahogany Town."

Jasmine looked thoughtful. "My Skarmory can fly high enough that we could get onto that hot air balloon, if it's still there, and we could take out whoever's on it."

"We have to do that!" Gold said. "Let's go now!"

"Out of the fire and into the frying pan," Whitney said, as the three trainers went outside to get on Jasmine's Skarmory.