Trapped in the Darkness – Chapter Ten

A Pokemon Fanfiction

YOU GUYS.

I JUST-

I CAN'T-

OVER TEN REVIEWS IN TWO DAYS? YOU GUYS, I LOVE YOU. I WAS CRYING TEARS OF JOY WHEN I SAW THAT.

Seriously, you guys made my day. And I've really been needing some cheering up, because my week had been sucking besides for you guys.

Please enjoy this next chapter, it's all for you!

~000~

"You're so pathetically useless. You can't even be bent by my will. I really don't want to, but I've decided to get rid of you, you know? I'm simply tired of this game, my friend. All this time I could have been toying with Gold or that insufferable excuse of a son, but instead I've been wasting it with you."

The syringe had been plunged into Green's side before he had time to react, the victim making a choking noise as his knees gave out from under him. He fell on his face, his ability to move his arms and legs removed from him as the needle was.

"That is undiluted venom from a Beedrill queen. It can kill a man before he has time to even scream. I really am apologetic about this whole situation, Green. You would have made a fine Rocket."

Even as the man spoke, his voice was fading in and out of audibility. The boy coughed once, but even that exerted a large amount of energy from him. His breathing was getting shallower with each breath he took, and his eyelids began to grow heavy.

"I really will enjoy my time with Red, though. He seems like such a fun toy to play with."

Green tried moving as anger bubbled in his chest, but his whole body felt submerged underwater. With one final breath, his head went under but he couldn't fight it. He could only let the current of the water take him wherever he was meant to be.

"I'm sorry, Red."

~000~

Green awoke to whispering voices. Tuning them out, he tried to grasp where he was as he fought off the dark blanket of unconsciousness.

Wherever he was, it was warm and completely familiar, even though he couldn't put his finger on the location exactly because his mind was still fuzzy from sleep. He was wrapped in soft sheets, and they smelled like they had been done recently, the scent of fresh linen comforting.

A question pulled Green into the conversation.

"Is he gonna be okay, Grandpa?"

This voice was mostly calm, but there a panicked sharpness in it. The person sounded female.

"I'm sure he'll be okay, my dear. He's a tough one, especially with that much venom in his system. He even had traces of other substances in his blood."

This voice was much older and sounded tired. There was a slight twinge of uncertainty hidden under the roughness in his voice, and it was obvious that the female caught it but was trying to ignore it.

"What happened to him?"

There was a slight pause before the older man answered. "I'm sure Green can tell us that himself when he awakes."

Green groaned before fluttering his eyes open slowly, rubbing them childishly. He let out a startled cry as he was swept up into a hug by the female.

"Mother of Arceus, Green, you had me so freaked!" she chided, putting her hands on either sides of his face. The girl was in her mid-twenties, and she chin-length auburn hair that was held back by a green headband. Her eyes were a brilliant neon green that shone even in her exhaustion.

"Daisy?" Green croaked, his voice coarse. Beside his sister stood an elder man, his eyes growing softer as he saw Green awake. "Gramps? What the-"

"Where have you been?" Daisy shrieked. "Weeks upon weeks without a phone call, and suddenly you appear half-dead in front of your gym! Half-dead, Green!"

Green cringed at his older sister's outburst, burrowing down farther in the pillows that were behind his head. Professor Oak patted Daisy's shoulder, trying to calm her down so she wouldn't dismember the younger boy before her.

"Careful, dear. He's still injured," Oak said calmly. He turned to Green as Daisy began to sob. "You were barely breathing, Green. It didn't take me very long to notice the puncture wound in your side. I did a few tests and you were extremely lucky you had been in that incident with the Bedrill hive when you were younger. You wouldn't have been so lucky if you didn't have an immunity to the venom. What were you doing?"

Green pulled the covers over his head as he thought.

There was a needle. And friends. And a lost Pidgeot. And Red.

Green shot up from the bed, taking a sharp intake of breath before throwing himself into a coughing fit. "Red," he struggled to say, throwing off the sheets. "Red's in trouble."

He tried standing up, but instant dizziness caused him to fall back onto the bed. He held his head in his hands as Daisy started yelling again.

"What do you mean he's in trouble? Who did this to you? Tell me Green!"

Green didn't respond. He only looked down at the floor of his room, studying the carpet like it was at utmost importance. This only added to his sibling's wrath.

"Green, answer me this instant!"

"I don't want to tell you." Green seemed to know this statement would set her aflame brighter in this situation, but he didn't cringe away as she exploded.

"What!"

Green looked up at her, his jade eyes darkened. "I don't want to put you at risk of..." he trailed off, clenching his teeth. He paused before he continued. "Look, I have to go find Red. He is in extreme danger right now! He could alrea-"

A quick slap was dealt across Green's face and he was cut off. He looked back at his sister, a expression of mild surprise on his face as he held his cheek. He was greeted with Daisy's red face, tears in her eyes. He instantly looked down at the floor again to avoid his elder sibling's gaze.

"I can't believe you. You suddenly stopped coming for lunch that one day and I shrugged it off because you've done that before, but..." Daisy began. He words were barbed and dangerous, her voice thick with oncoming tears. "I wait here for weeks from any sort of phone call, and all of the sudden there's a frantic call from Misty that she finds you in front of your gym...!" She paused as she took a moment to regain her composure before she continued onward. "You were almost dead and I start panicking. Grandpa showed up and he and I were worried sick!"

Green's expression looked sad, and it looked as if he was looking at something at a distance. He kept his hand on his cheek as he looked up, his eyes extremely unfocused. "I'm sorry, Daisy," he said quietly. "But I can't tell you what happened."

Daisy clenched her teeth and stomped out of the room, Green not responding. The Pokemon Professor, who was watching the entire time, simply sighed before hitting Green upside the head.

Green yelped, holding the back of his head as his eyes darted over to meet his grandfather. "Ouch, Gramps! For Mew's sake, what was that for?" He was silenced by the look he was given, sinking down from where he sat on the mattress.

"Girls are sensitive, Green. You can't do that to them," Oak said, crossing his arms. Green frowned, narrowing his eyes at his grandfather for a second as the famous professor looked away, returning them to the floor with an annoyed look on his face as Professor Oak looked back over his shoulder. "I want you to tell me everything that happened, Green. Every miniscule detail should be included."

Green looked back up, an obvious expression of rebellion clear in his eyes and he didn't show any sign to show he was going to say anything. Oak narrowed his eyes and raised is hand again, and Green's eyes widened.

"Alright, alright!" he said quickly, waving his hand around in front of him in a surrendering gesture, looking quite comical as his one knee was pulled up to protect his chest. Oak let his hand fall back at his side as he took a seat on the bed next to his grandson.

Green swallowed and sat normally, folding his hands tightly on his lap as he tried to begin, staring forcibly at the green carpet in the middle of his room. "Team Rocket has regrouped."

Oak didn't look surprised. "Is that all?"

Green shook his head quickly. "No, no. They've enlisted the help of other teams to help with their dirty work. There's Team Aqua, Magma, Galactic, and Plasma." He counted the names on his fingers, holding up his hand to present the number to his grandfather without looking up.

Oak made a worried humming sound, and Green looked over questioningly at his elder relative to see him deep in thought. Oak glanced over after a second, waving his hand to motion for Green to continue. "Oh don't mind me, son. Juniper, Rowan, and Birch have told me about those. Continue."

Green, skeptical, raised an eyebrow before looking back at the floor. "Well, they captured all of us. Not just me and Red, but the other Champions from the other regions and a few others, like Ruby Birch and Rowan's assistant Diamond. They were planning to, er, mold us in their image, I guess. They wanted to forcibly do it by methods of pain but I stepped in before anyone else could get hurt." Green made a face after pausing before pursing his lips. "Well, I couldn't help Pearl getting hurt. I really didn't want that to happen. And Silver getting those nightmares either. Well, at least-"

Oak slapped a hand over Green's mouth to make him stop talking, and Green responded with a startled expression. Oak had his other hand pinching the bridge of his nose, obvious irritation showing on his face even as he tried to mask it. "So what you're telling me, Green, is that you personally acted through... oh I don't know, either stupidity or bravery, and acted as a human shield for everyone else being held? Don't say anything, just nod."

Green nodded uncertainly, his eyebrows furrowed as his grandfather made a point of adding the word "stupidity" into the conversation. Oak sighed, but released Green's mouth as he held his head in his hands. Green tilted his head in confusion. "What's up, Gramps? Aren't you proud?"

Oak sighed again before straightening his frame. He returned his expression of irritation for one of exhaustion. "I really thought you had dropped the whole "do-anything-to-make-grandpa-proud" thing after you became the new Viridian gym leader. I am proud, son. But I don't want to see you cause harm to yourself for people who I know can handle it."

Green narrowed his eyes in thought as he looked at the ground when they all heard a Pokemon's cry from outside. Green jumped in his seat when his Pidgeot burst in from outside his room, its feathers ruffled and disheveled.

"Pidgeot?" Green asked, and the bird Pokemon turned its head quite quickly at the sound. It gazed steadily at its trainer for a second before swooping over at its trainer, Green crying out in surprise for the second time that day.

The bird was chirping happily, nuzzling its trainer's cheek. Green was underneath the feathered Pokemon, flailing as he tried to calm his Pidgeot. After a few seconds of incomprehensible chatter, the Pidgeot was standing in front of its trainer as he struggled to sit up.

Oak helped the boy up and Green spat out a few feathers, letting them float to the floor. He pet the bird Pokemon gently. "See, Gramps? This was the only Pokemon who got out. I need to go and help them all escape!" Green looked back over a his grandfather, determination clear in his eyes as he stood up. The duo of Pokemon and trainer looked fierce, like they could take out anything that came their way.

"No," Oak said. Green slouched, disappointment flooding his features. Then anger following.

"Why not?" he demanded. He had his hands balled into fists, his teeth clenched. "I know where they are! If you'd only let me-"

Green convulsed as he threw himself into another coughing fit, and Professor Oak helped him to the bed to sit down, the Pidgeot chirping concernedly behind them. "That's why, Green. We can't take risks, especially when you're like this. I don't want you going anywhere. Please get some rest."

"But-"

"No buts, Green," the Pokemon professor said sternly. He sighed. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Oak left the room, the Pideot hopping up on the bed and curling up beside its trainer affectionately. Green's jaw was still clenched tightly, and he petted his Pokemon softly as he thought.

"Don't worry Red," Green muttered. "I'm going to come and find you whether he wants me to or not."

~000~