Trapped in the Darkness – Chapter 24
A Pokemon Fanfiction
I hope you enjoy the next chapter!
Pearl: The author owns absolutely nothing!
~000~
Red wanted to yell. It seemed like only seconds ago that he was running from a giant fireball: now he was running from an impending blowout! He tried to swear quietly under his breath but it was a lot louder than he wanted to be, and he heard a brash laugh from Green in front of him.
"What's a matter, Red?" Green called back at him, smiling wide but in obvious discomfort. "You feeling tired already?"
Red was about to retort a comeback but an explosion from behind the group shook the building, throwing Red and a few others forward. He crashed into Green's back and sent the two into a pile on the ground, Green grunting when they hit the floor.
They heard Pearl's shrill shout that he was going to be a millionaire if everyone kept falling like they were now, but when Red blinked past the shock from the explosion he saw Pearl struggling to get up himself with help from Diamond. Red got up quickly, looping his arms around Green from behind to pull him off the floor when his rival didn't get up right away.
"Are you alright?" Red asked quickly near Green's ear so the others wouldn't hear him. Green nodded, his breathing heavy as he shakily pulled Red's arms off from around him so he could stand on his own.
"Peachy," he said, grinning slightly, but he started coughing roughly into his elbow.
"Come on!" White screamed, starting to run ahead. "We can't stay here or else were going to be blown to bits!"
Red glared stiffly at the girl, a firm grip around Green's arm. Green nodded weakly, trying to find his breath from his coughing fit. He shook Red's hold off. "She's right!" he said. "We have to get out of here."
The group gathered their wits and took off again, trying to back track through the entire castle that they got through before. They wove in and out of hallways and passageways, trying to regain their footing when a certain part of the building exploded.
Red could feel his head clouding in exhaustion but he could still notice factors that weren't working out in the group's favor. They were all thin, meager meals and little water were the only things they were given in the cell. Sapphire was being carried on Ruby's back, even her cheaply made splint keeping her ankle from flopping about could stop her from passing out from the pain. And Green's breathing was erratic and uneven, his face flushed as he ran slower and slower.
Something was seriously wrong. Red just hoped they could get out of the entire building before anything worse happened or Green's condition seemed to deteriorate even further.
A small flutter of hope filled Red when his surroundings seemed to become familiar. The corridors they ran through were the same ones they sped through before they had reached their Pokemon. He realized, for them, this was going to be the final sprint.
The final moments before they were free at last.
Summoning the last of his strength deep in the pit of his being, he forced himself to speed up even further as the group passed the dungeon entrance. He felt like his bad shoulder was going to pop out again but he didn't care. His heart pounded in his ears and his muscles screamed in overexertion but he just didn't care and he kept running until he felt he would sprout wings and fly away from this place and its horrible memories.
He couldn't tell when, but suddenly he was running over grass and ran was pelting his skin and plastering his bangs to his forehead. A crash of thunder and a peal of lightning were heard and seen, and then a voice cried out over the mixed booms of thunder and explosions.
"No, N! You're not!"
Red stopped abruptly, whipping himself around when Black's outraged shout was heard. N was faced back towards the castle, which was a safe distance away, and Black had a firm grip around the taller boy's wrist and showed no sign of giving up and letting go.
"There are still Pokemon in there, Black!" N pleaded, his green eyes large and fearful. He looked much younger now, like a terrified child who was afraid of a storm. "I have to go help them, they're trapped in there and can't get out by themselves!"
Black shook his head, his mocha eyes angry but his fear was clear as day. "I'm not letting you leave again! If you can't get them out in time you'll-"
"I know that!" N shouted, cutting off his friend before he had time to finish. He covered his mouth, almost ashamed at his outburst before he tried again, his voice softer. "Please, Black. I can't let them die."
Black shook his head frantically. "I'm not letting you die!"
The group was silent, N looking at White helplessly. N then looked down, struggling with a battle inside himself before he took a deep breath.
"Black."
The brunette looked up slowly, his dark eyes hard. His facade was slipping.
N smiled. "You know how much I love you."
Cracks formed on Black's mask. He clenched his teeth, but nodded slowly as his lip quivered. N sighed, moving closer to pull the boy into a hug.
"And you know I'd never leave you forever."
Shards of the blank face started falling off, Black covered his face with his hands so no one else could see. N kissed the top of his head. His last sentence was whispered.
"But I have to do this."
He let go, taking off before Black even had time to comprehend what N had just said. He screamed, taking a step forward to start running towards the former Plasma King but White quickly wrapped her arms around his chest and pulled him back.
"N, you asshole come back!"
Red could feel each scream and shout pierce into his brain with each insult and beg with increasing volume until he was drowned out by another clap of thunder. Red turned to Green to see how he was, but his rival wasn't doing to well.
Green's knees were shaking as he struggled to stay upright, still sucking in breaths that Red couldn't hear over the sound of the rain and Black's shouts. Red blinked, about to ask his friend if he was alright or not. Thunder roared and Green knees buckled, sending him to the ground.
Red shouted, rushing as fast as his heavy limbs could carry him over to help his friend off the ground. The red light of a Pokeball discharged and soon Green's Eevee was pawing at her trainer's face to try and wake him up, but Green was out cold. He was feverish, his skin hot to the touch and Red felt his heart jump into his throat and he choked. He held Green closer, resting Green's head on his shoulder when thunder continued to battle Black's screams.
He could hear people calling out in the distance, but it wasn't until they were close that he recognized them. The other Kanto and Johto leaders and ex-Champions ran across the field until they were rejoined with the small group of stunned trainers.
"What's wrong with Green?" Erika asked, putting a hand on Red's shoulder as she inspected the Viridian Gym Leader closely. Red didn't know how to answer so he didn't speak and Erika's worry increased. "You don't know?" Red didn't respond because all he knew was for the first time in a long time he felt like crying.
"What on earth are you yelling about, Black? Where's N?" Alder shushed. Black panted as he blinked away tears and held back sobs, pointing out towards the castle in the distance. The older man took a sharp intake of breath, looking back out. "He's still inside?"
"No," White struggled to get out as Black still fussed to get out of her hold. "He went back to save some trapped Pokemon."
"But the ten minutes is almost up!" Wallace stated angrily. It was too late.
In a final, and almost beautiful explosion, the eyesore of a castle detonated. The heat from the explosion hit the group like a wall, the entire piece of architecture being engulfed in an eruption of flames.
There was no sign of the former Plasma King anywhere.
Black froze before his entire body became limp and he slipped out of White's hold, falling to his knees onto the ground. The tears he had tried to hold back spilled over and ran down his cheeks but he was silent. White fell to her knees beside him, watching the explosion with horror.
"No," White whispered. Her blue eyes shifted to Black to see if he was alright, but Black wasn't watching the explosion. His eyes were unfocused, like he was looking at something far away past the large ball of flames in the distance.
"I'm so stupid," he whispered almost silently. "You're so stupid. . ."
"Guys, we have a big problem!"
The group turned to the voice, only to see Cynthia tending to Green, extremely worried for the gym leader. "There's something very wrong with Green! He needs immediate treatment, but we're in the middle of nowhere!"
Diamond looked completely crushed when he dug through his bag and found nothing that could help. "I can't do anything for him without proper equipment!" Everyone grew silent as they tried thinking about what they could do.
The cry of a Pidgeot broke everyone out of their silence. Green's missing Pokemon had been found. It circled the place where it's trainer sat before it went into a nosedive. All of the trainers broke away from Green except for Red when the Pigeot landed, rearing back and showing off its terrifying wingspan in an attempt to scare off anyone it didn't know.
Green's Eevee had a different plan. She jumped in front of Green and Red, bristling out her fur so she appeared to be twice her size. The Pidgeot recognized her immediately and backed down the littlest bit, confused at the bothered little Evolution Pokemon.
Red kept Green close, blinking when he got an idea as he stared at the rogue Pokemon as it argued with the Eevee. He cleared his throat and Green's two Pokemon stopped their arguing and turned their attention to the boy.
"I need your help," he said, his quiet voice hushed as he addressed the bird Pokmeon. "We need to go home. To see the Professor. Please, there isn't much time."
The Pidgeot tucked in its wings, tilting its head to the side in a worried look as it gazed at its trainer. It seemed to agree, and Red smiled in relief.
He took a deep breath. "Listen," Red said, raising his voice so it rose above the storm and the fire in the distance. It was unusual that he spoke so loud: his voice was rough and it cracked at the effort so he had to clear his throat. "Green needs to see his grandfather. He can help us all out, I promise. But you'll need to trust me and do what I ask. Please."
Silver sighed, crossing his arms across his chest. Red's eyes flickered over to him. Silver turned his gunmetal eyes over to the boy, frowning contemptibly.
"Why do you think we'd say no to you?"
Red blinked, before he smiled. "We need to move quickly, then. Follow me. We'll be doing some flying so you'll need something that can fly."
"Got it!" Gold said, excited. He turned the rest of the group, faltering when he saw Black hugging his knees to his chest. His shoulders were shaking and White and Alder were trying to comfort him but it didn't seem to be working. Gold sighed, but tried his best to look excited again. "You heard the man, get ready!"
Red stood up, holding Green up as the other trainers busied themselves with their own Pokemon, moving over to the Pidgeot so the two could use it to get out of the field.
"Red."
Red turned to the voice to find Lance addressing him. Lance pointed towards the fire from the former castle. "We are going to stay here and put out that fire. We'll meet you all in Pallet town." Red nodded and Lance went to assist the others with the fire.
Home.
Red's stomach leapt at the thought of going home for the first time in a long time. He heard Green mumble something unintelligibly in his delirium and Red sighed.
"You know, I think I know what you wanted to tell me," Red said quietly. He thought of N and Black's quick and final exchange and Pearl's final moments in the cell before he was kicked out before he grimaced. He looked back to Green before he kissed the boy's temple and he looked back towards the sky. The rain was falling lighter.
"Please don't die, Green. I need to hear you say it."
~000~
Shit.