-three years later, late at night outside Viridian City-
Something was off. Pikachu could tell too. I had Green in my arms. He'd been asleep for awhile. We were both bathed in the moonlight showing through the window. Pikachu was perched on the window sill, eyes glaring at the dark Viridian Forest beside Green's house. Green moaned in his slumber as I gently left him in bed. "Pika," my little pokemon wispered as I studied the view from the window beside him.
We would often see flashes of electricity emit from the forest at night. Viridian forest was known for the many wild pikachu that lived within it. Tonight, however, the forest was silent. No sparks or flashes were observed through the dark trees. It was eerie without the usual activity.
We observed the silent night before an earth shaking crunch startled us from our own minds. A large oak tree collapsed from the center of the dark forest. Its large boughs and branches forcefully snapped all that fell beneath it. The window rattled in response. Green, still asleep, snored a little less heavily.
I quickly found a pair of pants and sprinted towards the forest with Pikachu running closely behind me. Suddenly, large bolts of lightening shot towards the sky from where the tree had fallen. I recognized an electricity of such a power that could not be summoned by a wild pikachu. I ran faster into the trees.
Each flash of lightening would illuminate the trunks of the trees in a quick flash. I finally found its source within a small grove and open patch of sky. The moon illuminated two trainers locked in a fierce battle. The body of another lay motionless nearest to me.
"Pika!" Recognizing the body, Pikachu rushed to the man. It was Brock. Beside him his Onix lay fainted against a broken tree. Onix must have knocked it down with his powerful body. Upon further investigation, it was clear that Brock had just been knocked unconscious by a broken branch that lay beside him. Blood trickled down the side of his face.
"Leaf!" I yelled. I noticed she was battling a familiar figure. His dark slick hair sat atop his old crouching body. His Persian had been knocked down causing him to release an Electabuz from a pokeball. My gut clenched remembering the last time I saw him.
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A few days after the incident with Team Rocket, Leaf found me before I could leave Viridian City. She explained her relationship with the crime boss.
"Giovanni is my father. He married my mother who, like him, was born into wealth and prosperity. After recognizing his criminal connections and the risk at which he put his family's safety. She planned to divorce claiming much of his property as her own. She took me with her to Sinnoh to live the rest of our lives in peace. Instead he hired his men to find us and kill my mother as she slept.
I was returned to Giovanni and was repetitively abused and molested. In response to my mother's betrayal, he took my innocence at only four years of age. Understanding the man he was lead me to leave and thrive in the forest before finding my home with you and Green. I had taken Lulu, a wild pokemon I befriended in Sinnoh, with me. Because of my chaotic home-life, she provided me with the love and meaning I needed to go on." She paused, "Well, before for I met you and Green," she added with a sad smile. "Since we ran away I had struggled to find a way to punish him for what he took away from me, both my innocence and my mother. That's why I urged you and Green to raid the hideout with me. I planned to battle my father and kill him."
"Firstly, you must hate me for seeking the death of another human and you must really hate me for risking your safety and having you suffer as I had. I'm so sorry, but now he has hurt you and managed to act another sin against me." she paused, tears forming in blue eyes. Eyes that now reminded me of terror. "I'm so sorry," she repeated.
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I remembered her confession to me. We had never talked about the subject since, but from her battle, I could tell she wouldn't hesitate to kill Giovanni. I was certain of it. I needed to stop her. Bringing a man's death would be too great of a burden for her. She carried enough burdens already.
Lulu continued to summon large bolts of lightening that would rain down from the clouds. Thunder would cast a bright glow on our surroundings for a few seconds after the lightening appeared. Being electric type himself, Electabuzz only conducted the volts through his body and reflect attacks back to the Luxray.
"Care to discontinue right now, Leaf?" Giovanni laughed sarcastically and with venom, "It's been a long time since we've seen each other. We could catch up."
"Thunderwave!" Leaf cried out in a reply. More electric current surrounded the battle causing my hairs to stand on end. Dodging another attack, Electabuzz received an inaudible command from Giovanni and lept towards his opposing trainer.
Instead of Lulu, Electabuzz shot his powerful thundershock towards Leaf's unsuspecting body. Despite Lulu's best attempts to take the blast, Leaf collapsed from the powerful pokemon's assault. I rushed to her side. Her wounds were incredible. At first I thought the worst. It wasn't until I felt her faint heartbeat that I remembered to breath. My sigh of releaf gre into a growl of anger.
"Pikachu, lets finish this!" I commanded but it was too late. The powerful Luxray continued the battle without her trainer, a feat never before witnessed. With no commands, Luxray emitted powerful blows causing the Electabuzz to faint with only two attacks. Lulu wasn't finished, however. As Electabuzz did with Leaf, Lulu turned her attacks to the evil man who had brought Leaf down. With a deadly blow, Lulu attacked Giovanni with a powerful thunderfang attack. Her sharp jaws connected to Giovanni's unsuspecting neck releasing a powerful current of electricity. He fell to the forest floor, no longer living.
"Lulu! NO!" I screamed. Brock who had been stirring from his unconsciousness had witnessed Lulu's unspeakable act. Despite this, he, with all energy he had left, crawled to Leaf's side to assess her own injuries.
I saw Giovanni's blue eyes opened wide towards the full moon. Checking his pulse, I confirmed that Lulu's attack dealt a fatal blow. "Fuck, what did you do?" I whispered approaching the angry pokemon. She panted heavily. Her red eyes, still wearing the same determination she showed in battle, studied Giovanni's lifeless form. It was as if she were completely aware of the sin she had committed though she did not appear to show remorse. I gently pet her head before she returned to her trainer who had been receiving Brock's attention.
"Leaf, Leaf!" Brock whispered in harsh sobs. He held the injured trainer closely to his chest. "She's really hurt. We need to take her to a hospital."
"Fuck," I muttered. We couldn't do that. Even though Leaf was not responsible, Lulu had performed the most unacceptable act for a pokemon. The law was not forgiving to pokemon who went rouge and attacked trainers, especially if their attacks caused death. Even if the victim was Giovanni, Leaf could be imprisoned and Lulu sent to death. "Pikachu," I ordered, "go wake up Green. Get his ass over here."
He faithfully complied and rushed towards the direction of Green's house. I rushed to Leaf and Brock and studied both of their injuries. Blood trickled from Brock's forehead, flowing past his eyes. Leaf, still unconscious, had suffered serious burns because of electric shock. A large portion of her auburn hair had been singed and the image of a lightening bolt scared most of her body beginning at the crook of her neck. Eerily, it had been the same area as the fatal injury to Giovanni's neck. Both father and daughter carried distinct lightening scars that enveloped them like large spiderwebs throughout both faces and torsos. Leaf would never fully heal from this.
"It'll be okay," I assured Brock. Lulu lay beside Leaf and solemnly nuzzled her face, hoping for a response. She whined when Leaf remained quiet.
Green and Pikachu arrived after about ten minutes. Upon seeing him, still disheveled from sleep, I called out, "It was Giovanni. He had his Elctrabuzz hurt Leaf. Lulu finished the battle herself."
Green frowned, he assessed the crime scene with grave expression. Then he observed her wounds. "She'll be alright but it will take a few weeks before she's completely healed. These scars will be serious." He looked again at the battlefield, first at the toppled tree, then the fainted pokemon, then he asked, "Is that Giovanni?" pointing to the crime boss's lifeless body.
"Lulu killed him."
His eyes grew wide now understanding the seriousness of what had just occurred. "No."
"It was after Leaf was attacked. She continued to battle without commands. She went after Giovanni after she was victorious over his own pokemon."
"Shit, Red. Shit." Green spoke in disbelief.
"What do we do?" I asked. We couldn't leave the crime scene in such a way. The toppled tree, our foot prints in the soil, the entire area had been reshaped from our presence. Our fingerprints were everywhere. This is why I called Green for help. He always kept his cool in intense situations.
"Brock," Green ordered, "Can you carry Leaf on your back? If so, take her back to my house and let her rest in her bedroom. I have fresh pecha berries in the fridge. Once she wakes up feed her one every two hours."
Brock nodded, "what will you do?"
"Red and I are going to stay and clean up a bit. Don't worry."
Brock gave another nod and, despite his own injuries, carried Leaf back to Green's house. Lulu followed them and allowed both trainers to ride her large lion-like body. Green and I immediately started to erase our presence from the area. Each footprint was brushed away and each stone returned to its original spot. Finally, we approached Giovanni's body and his two fainted pokemon. The pokemon, in a few hours, would wake up and most likely inform others of their trainer's location. Green decided it would be best just to leave his body on the forest floor.
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I'm not very good at organizing this story. I hope I didn't screw up the timeline too much.