Chapter 46: Family means chaos and love

"Ahhh! It's good to be back home!" Gold announced and stretched after getting down from his mantine. Hearing his words, Lack-2, still engulfed in a sleepy haze, perked up. It was a sight to see, a whole group of people soaring into Pallet Town in the middle of the afternoon but if anyone cared, they didn't show it. Besides, this town had a famous Professor residing in it so perhaps they were visitors? The bedraggled group were thankful that none came to investigate; they were in no mood to answer to people.

"Home?" the younger Unovian quizzed whilst the older one stifled a yawn. Next to him, Black irritably rubbed at the dark shadows ringing his eyes.

"Yeah home," Gold replied and unlocked the front door at Red's impatient insistence, "I used to live with senior Red when I first joined the Organization...Heh, good times."

No, Lack-2 reassured himself as they trooped into the house, he was not feeling jealous.

The interior came as an unpleasant surprise as the owner of said house stood in the middle of the lounge and gaped. There were clothes and magazines strewn all over the dirty carpet and on the couches. The male's eye twitched on spying mouldy dishes and plates in the sink and he scrambled to the fridge to find half eaten food steadily rotting away. Green sighed and after removing a bundle of washed and unwashed clothing from a sofa, he gratefully sat and grabbed something to cover himself with. Hopefully Blue was too preoccupied to notice what he wore. The rest of the motely group milled about, peering at corners and commenting on how their senior Red was an untidy slob. Blue vanished upstairs with Whi-2 in her arms, no doubt to put the girl into a bed. After giving the place a customary glance, everyone congregated downstairs in the living room and found a place to sit, whether they hung off the couches, crashed on the floor or sat on someone else's lap.

"I guess this is a new record..." Green drawled, "I've yet to see your house this filthy."

"...Gold..." Red's voice was guttural and the adolescent scooted further in the pale blue settee trying to bury himself in between his student, Silver and Crystal. "I told you a hundred times to keep my house clean! How do you even live in this mess? This is disgusting! I offered this house because it stood empty and we needed a place quickly, do you think anyone would want to stay in this sty? Get to work and start cleaning...I'll help as well. The rest of you, make yourselves at home."

The older male got up wearily and the amber eyed trainer squeezed himself out of the tiny space he occupied, throwing an irritated Crys a smile, he began to tidy the place up. First he gathered the numerous articles of clothing littering the floor. Several trainers had to shift out of the way as the Johto native dug out sweaters and even underwear from the crevices of the couches. Throwing them an apologetic grin, he barrelled upstairs and Red came down with a vacuum cleaner. He switched it on and began to work; the others all beheld him silently and lifted their feet as he cleaned the grey carpet. A patch of dark grey snared his attention and he scrubbed the area and cursed when it failed to lighten. When his student came down to stuff something in the washing machine, the ex-champion harshly queried him on the stain and Gold sheepishly answered that he spilled his favourite soda one day whilst watching television. Veins pulsing in anger, the raven haired male bit down on his lips and swept the vacuum hose with renewed vigour and violence. From the kitchen, the clatter of plates and dishes could be heard along with the sound of water being poured into a sink. Even though Diamond wanted to help, one look at his enraged leader told him otherwise. Everyone else sat in strained silence, akin to unwelcome guests. Eventually, Green stood up and broke the gloomy spell.

"I'm going home," he secured the black coat around him, "I'll return this to you tomorrow and as much as I would like to stay here, I want to spend time with Grandpa and Daisy as well. This is a good opportunity to catch up on family news and matters."

"I...Would also like to leave as well." Yellow scrambled up and Red switched off the cleaning device in order to hear her better. "I want to go home."

"Really? I understand my place is dirty but you don't have to run away like that!" the crimson eyed male pouted and scratched the back of his head, "wait just a minute, I'll get this house spotlessly clean" he was about to resume his deep cleaning when the blonde shook her head.

"It's not because your house is unclean...I haven't been to my place in a very long time senior Red and I'm sure my uncle is worried about me." In her arms, Chuchu squeaked, "I'll come by tomorrow, I promise." The two made their way out and Red went back to cleaning. Blue watched him with a pitied expression and curled up, exhaustion claimed her and she contemplated on taking a well-deserved rest. The woman closed her eyes and leaned back, chocolate hair cascading over her face and headrest. Seeing the initial tension dissipate, Lack-2 sprung up and declared that he was going out to explore. Before he set a foot outside, Gold came rushing out of the kitchen, wearing an apron and holding a sponge, his hands and chest were full of soap suds, atop his head, ambipom clutched a plate and cleaned it, swiping a soggy sponge and showering its trainer with dirty water. He gave Lack-2 a lecture right there and stressed the importance of not straying too far. The boy shrugged nonchalantly and left. Inside, Diamond began to help his senior; the boy began packing things away when he came across a comic book. Work forgotten, he roped Pearl with him and the duo started reading. Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald fell asleep on top of each other. The underdeveloped boy was unceremoniously sandwiched in between his seniors. Slowly, the remainder of the teams got up and ventured around, helping in their own ways or simply sifting through things. Silver could not quell his pickpocket tendencies when he came across a gym badge. He gleefully pocketed it not realising how Platina eyed him with obvious distaste.

The house was a small double story. The bottom housed a kitchen and lounge and the top floor had two bedrooms and a bathroom. The two bedrooms were vastly different. One sported white curtains, a somewhat neatly made bed and shelves of trophies and accolades. The walls were plastered with pictures of friends and posters of several gyms and their leaders. A little board was also put up to note down strategies and one could see untidy scribbles and maps roughly made in a red marker. A wooden table held a few books and even more pictures. The other room was a complete contrast, the door and walls were decorated with loud posters of famous idols and females. The bed was a complete mess, a saffron quilt half hung off the mattress. Stuffed pokemon dolls littered the floor and bed and if examined carefully, the bedstead had several claw and scratch markings. Gold's room was always dark as the adolescent neglected to draw the curtains, his large wardrobe spilled out with clothes and equipment. The kitchen downstairs was tiled in a pleasant shade of coral and here the coal haired trainer worked, scrubbing the steel surfaces clean. He threw the last of the inedible food in a garbage bag and hauled it outside. A sense of nostalgia overtook him. It would be nice to spend a few days at home watching television and goofing off with friends. The smile on his face wavered a bit, exhaling; he returned inside and surveyed the house.

Maybe he should forget about everything for a moment. Sleep sounded nice.

Yes, it sounded very nice.

Discarding the apron on the floor (Red would not be pleased.) Gold went to the middle of the lounge and knocked himself off. He didn't care if he lay on the floor.

His mentor gave the carpet a deep cleaning anyway

Afternoon

Johto

Goldenrod city

If this was supposed to be a grand meeting, it sure didn't look like one. The other superintendents all eyeballed him from a bank of screens on the far side of the spacious room and the cyan haired deputy felt like he was the only occupant in the chamber. Claire, Misty, Blaine and Sabrina sat next to him in throne-esque chairs. If the superiors were going to give him a pep talk, they could've all whaled on him in a video call conference; there was no need to embarrass him in front of everyone. Falkner felt his pride crumble as the first person, a brown haired male spoke. Looker's superior officer happened to be one of the best, if not, the most ruthless member of the International police force.

"I failed..." The voice issuing from the monitor held scant remorse and bird type gym leader wanted to bury himself into his hard seat. Even though the superintendent claimed responsibility, the tone of voice suggested that it was anyone's problem but his. "How is Looker? Clunked out and in hospital I take it? Hmm, perhaps I should visit him but thanks to someone..." incensed irises shifted to Anabel, "I'm stuck with work I'm not supposed to do. I'm leaving this meeting, I already got all the information I nee-"

"Wait." Anabel commanded, "maybe you should switch your line of work. I mean we understand that the Dex-criminals need to be brought to justice..."

"Are you implying that someone else can do a better job with than me?" A cold voice hissed and in the bottom left monitor Lt. Surge grinned, he sensed the unfolding of a dramatic drama, "unlike you people, I prefer to do my own work. Don't you dare tell me what to do!" Saying this the screen went blank and the rest stared, shifting uneasily. The room was stark, lit by harsh fluorescent lights. In the middle, a meeting table held several laptops and important papers. One side of the room lacked a wall, instead a giant screen, split into four took up the space. The Goldenrod conference room boasted no ornaments or decorations. A navy blue carpet muffled the sounds of anyone who walked upon it. Clair's whip rested on the ash coloured marble surface of the table and she beheld the screens uninterestedly. The leading officers were engaged in a conversation that didn't matter to her, opposite the blue haired lady, Misty listened with rapt attention, her hands involuntarily clenched into fists. Blaine functioned as the scribe, he meticulously noted down every word exchanged by the officers and Sabrina absorbed everything with closed eyes.

"Speaking of the psychic gym leader..."

"I can't do it." She cracked open an eyelid and responded.

"But I haven't said anything..." Cynthia coolly countered from the other side of the world. Behind her, garchomp busied itself with breakfast, the land shark wolfed down a platter of berries at an astonishing speed.

"You want me to break the barrier surrounding the white cube in the Dex-criminals abandoned base is it?" The psychic blew a strand of mauve hair, "I analysed it already and-"

"You can't do it?"

"No, I can't. I'm sorry. It is of the same type as the one we found in Kanto two years back. They are using a completely different algorithm to fashion their barriers, it is similar to the one mewtwo uses."

"There is something important in there, keep a lookout for any suspicious people entering or leaving the base. That is all I have to say." Cynthia leaned back in her comfortable chair and ended the call. It was futile and deep down she knew if those people wanted to stay out of sight, they will do so. Nonetheless, her duty demanded her to inform and that is what she did. Back into the room in Goldenrod, the chief of police sighed and gave her partner a sorry look. Surge had also left the conversation and the other personnel surrounding him were getting up and leaving. As the doors clicked shut, she imparted a smile.

"Don't worry about it Falkner." she soothed, "they are a tough bunch. You can take comfort in the fact that you forced them to flee and destroy their place. They are out of their home territory. We will put them in their place before long." The cyan haired deputy said nothing. Nodding slowly, he accepted his defeat.

"I'll do my best from now onwards...Next time...I'll have to rely on the Swords of Justice for help." Dangling from his belt, a pokeball wriggled. A quadrupled stag-esque creature with cobalt fur stirred. It lifted its head, slashing the darkness with two yellow horns. Falkner looked down and gently tapped the ball and it stopped shaking.

"Seems like you have much work to do Cobalion." he added and allowed himself a tiny smile.

Late-afternoon

Pallet Town

Red's house

"There's a foot is in my face and it stinks!" Red growled and Lack-2 lifted his head to see someone's white sleeved arm curling around his torso and one of his legs resting on Red's chest, his foot lay inches away from the leader's nose and the ebony haired man seemed highly unappreciative of the gesture

"I'm sorry commander but I can't move properly." The boy didn't even try wriggling, "senior N's arm is around my waist and I think...Black's upper body is resting on my legs...And my arms are trapped underneath Diamond and Gold." From the pile of bodies lying heaped on the grey carpet, an arm rose from the tangle and pushed his leg away from Red's nose.

"Gold, I swear if your hand brushes against me one more time...I'll end you." Silver rasped, his voice thick with sleep.

"Dude...I can't just let my mentor suffer can I? And get your head off my chest! I'd rather have Crystal here with me!" Silver tried sliding downwards but instead came face to face with Ruby. Why the fashionista decided to add to the dog pile was a question only he could answer. Didn't Ruby dislike getting into dirty situations? What was he doing on the floor of the living room then? Somewhere to Red's left, Diamond moaned and turned, upsetting Pearl and further crushing Lack-2's arm. The boy snuggled up to his commander who, instead of shoving him away, gently smiled and ruffled his hair. In the midst, Gold began shifting, trying to extract himself from the mess of bodies. His efforts were rewarded when Pearl, who jerked in his sleep, rammed an elbow in a place where it shouldn't be rammed. The amber eyed trainer curled up in pain and groaned, his foot ended up on Silver's head. Another gasp of pain left his mouth when the red head slammed a hand on his chest.

"Gimme a break will you..." he wheezed, "I am the one who decided to sleep here so who the heck thought it was a great idea to use me as a mattress?"

"I felt really tired Gold, seeing you peacefully sleeping on the floor made me aware of my own fatigue so I decided to join you. Mind you I was not sleeping on you." Red's genial voice floated to his ears.

"Senior Red's tummy is very warm." Diamond garbled unhelpfully.

"Ah...I didn't mean you...I meant everyone else." The Johto native's tone turned sinister, "GO sleep on the couches or somewhere. Anywhere but ON ME!" Everyone tried shifting to make more space, hushed whispers arose from the group as they tried to move out of each other's way.

"I can't feel my legs..." N droned weakly and spread one arm over Pearl.

"For Reshiram's sake..." Black, who awoke partially slurred, "SHUT UP!" The cinnamon haired teenager balled himself up and refused to move even when N pushed him. Ruby stirred and rolled away, Silver and Gold followed the teenager to the edge of the carpet.

"Stop following me!" the red head spat when his best friend sported a diabolical smirk.

"Oh come on Silver...You're really...warm!" The black haired adolescent crooned and tried to wrap his arms around the pale faced trainer. Silver shot up and Ruby, blood red irises smouldering with anger kicked Gold in the stomach.

"...Let me sleep." The Hoenn native hissed and promptly shut his eyes.

Shunned by his best friend, Gold rolled himself back to the pile. Lack-2 had carefully untangled himself from the limbs and legs and he crawled over the other bodies. The older pervert grinned widely and eventually came to a stop next to his lackey.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah…till senior Red's holler woke me up." Something clicked in the young Unovian's mind, "where's Pibo?" he whirled around and saw a lump moving underneath his teacher's shirt. Out popped a cute little face and Lack-2 heaved a sigh. Red, who had several people lying on his legs and chest, cautiously wormed himself out of Black's grasp, N's head, Pearl's body and Emerald's legs. Next came the daunting task of pulling his arms out of Diamond's and Gold's clutches. He managed to get the chubby boy comfortable on the floor but his student on the other hand refused to move. The devil was awake and chatting to the Unova kid and if he was aware of his head resting on Red's arm, he made no signs to move. The arm got steadily numb and Execution's commander waited patiently for another five minutes before deciding to wake everyone up with a nasty shock.

Literally of course.

Upstairs, the females sprung up from their sleeping positions when a collective shriek permeated the house. Quickly pushing her bangs behind her ears, Blue raced downstairs and almost stumbled over when she saw her male comrades had all been electrocuted. In the middle sat Red, on the floor with a wide grin whilst the others around him wore disgruntled visages. Most of them sported halos as their hair fanned around their heads. Despite simpering, Red also sported smoking clothes. Pika would never let an opportunity go to waste.

"I'm going to pretend this never happened...and I'm going back upstairs...so please let us ladies sleep comfortably okay boys?" Several gulps could be heard as Blue smiled akin to a demonic angel. The boys nodded and promised to keep quiet. "Good...Reeedddd." Her mood did a one-eighty and she threw her arms around a positively terrified companion, "I'm hungry...make something to eat! You can't expect me to function on an empty stomach do you?"

"Of course not." He replied and smoothly removed Blue's arms from around his shoulders, in the background, Gold and Silver paled whilst Lack-2 watched with a perverse grin. "I'll get the rest to help out. So sleep well, we won't bother you." Blue drew away and sashayed upstairs. In the lounge, the males sat on the floor and couches and began planning a menu.

"That reminds me..." Black had Musha fixed on his head, "I'm really hungry as well."

"Aren't we all?" Red followed Diamond out of the kitchen with a pot in his hands. "Sit tight people...I'm making dinner."

"Great!" Gold breathed, enveloped himself in the couch and switched the television on. "Get ready to eat tomorrow morning. My beloved teacher can't even boil milk."

"WHAT?!"

The next morning

Kanto

Viridian City

Yellow woke up and stared at herself. The house was very silent unlike the base, since it lacked Pearl and his early morning hyperactive screeching. And she didn't have to hurry and dress up lest someone calls her, or even worse, Gold and his student barge in unannounced. Crystal had a habit of stationing herself in front of her door and it proved to a correct decision. The blonde took her time, shuffling around and feeling the cold wood underneath her feet. Her house was situated on the outskirts of the town, near the forest and was thus shaded by trees and had a brook running nearby. Quiet and out of place. Shambling around, she changed out of her pale nightgown into a belted tunic dress and wondered what to do with her hair. Pulling the long strands into a bun, she completed her simple outfit with a pair of ankle boots. Coming down the stairs of her humble home, Yellow saw a middle aged man sitting at the table in the kitchen, he read the morning newspaper with a stalk of grass clamped between his lips. A bowl, spoon and a box of cereal were neatly arranged before her.

"It's awful...Both the police and those criminals don't know how to hold back." Yellow nodded as the man spoke, he put his paper away and watched her pour a quantity of milk in the bowl, next went in sugar and finally the cereal. Amiable silence settled and after swallowing the first spoon, she muttered.

"Hmm...It's a mess."

"Anyway, enough about that! How are you doing Yellow? Still following the man of your dreams?" Fondly messing up her hair with a large hand, the man gruffly asked and chuckled at his own joke. Across him, Yellow stopped eating and blushed. She scooted away from the fisherman and smiled back.

"I'm doing fine uncle...Geez did you have to bring that up? I'm not chasing anyone I'm helping a researcher with his work." Part truth, part lie and it made her feel a tad bit better about her existence. "I hoped to spend the afternoon fishing with you if you don't mind, in the evening I have to go to Pallet Town." The man nodded at her words.

"Sure you can come with me, just like old times huh?" Another guffaw followed his sentence and Yellow found herself beaming, "aren't you going to invite your friends? Perhaps the red eyed young man who stole your heart? Or the spiky haired brooding brunette who trained you? Which one?" Choking on her breakfast, the blonde washed her morsel down with more milk from the pitcher and tried to send her laughing uncle a heated glare. The effect dissipated as the older man guffawed at her expense. He got up and flashed her a sunny grin and Yellow's mild indignation dissolved, she couldn't stay mad at her family figure. When she was a tiny child, with no parents and wondering around the vast jungle of the Viridian Forest, this man found her and took her in. He graciously raised her and on more than one occasion, Yellow found herself wishing that she could call him father instead.

"Daydreaming again huh girl? Be sure to bring your fishing rod when you come. I have to pop into Cerulean city to deliver the local catch. Be seeing you in the afternoon!" He left, slamming the door and it echoed in the hollow room. Yellow berated herself, she had gotten used to the extravagance at their base and her home seemed tiny and crude in return. Nevertheless it was her house and the pleasant woody, earthy smells of Viridian forest would be more precious than anything else in the world. Washing the dirty dishes left in the sink, she grabbed her fishing rod and set out. Warm sunlight coupled with a fresh breeze greeted her and humming a little ditty, she ventured in the forest. The sunbeams thinned and gave way to shade; overhead the forest canopy shook with the local pokemon who peered inquisitively at her from behind foliage. Birds and insects chirped and buzzed, snakes slithered back and forth on branches. Swinging her arms childishly by her side, the young woman traversed over roots and came to a dappled clearing. A turquoise lake shimmered in the middle and here she suddenly froze as a recent memory drifted to her mind. The picture in Green's pocket. Her leader was not the sentimental type, sure he could have a photo of him and his childhood friends but why her? They didn't even meet till he was past his teenage years and even then; he showed bland scorn at her obvious weakness. Straightening out her fishing rod, the Viridian native cast it into the sparkling pool of water and sat down on the lush green grass. She thought of Red, the person who kindly helped her out of a sticky situation (being pursued by a dragonite was scary)and the adolescent's acts left a lasting impression on her. She fell in love with him.

But she was not sure anymore.

There was a time when simply hearing Red's name would send her heart into a tumble, now even his presence elicited no emotions from her. Feeling ta tug on her line, she got up and reeled in a moderately sized magikarp. Placing the flailing fish in a bucket of water, she cast it again.

The wind picked up a bit, and she smelled berries, earth and fragrant leaves.

Senior Red likes someone else.

The realization hit her hard and as much as she tried to vehemently deny the truth... reality slapped her hard in her face. Gone was the once kind and confident teenager she met in the forest. In his place was the same person, smiling the same, beautiful smile however the honesty and simplicity of it didn't quite reach his eyes. They seldom lit up with genuine mirth and the brilliant red irises were murky. She knew people changed and despite the fact, she still loved him...the feeling dimmed out when it became apparent that his heart belonged to someone else.

And she happened to be a member of the police force on top of that.

After their fight, Red stopped his impromptu visits and spent his time glued to the television instead. If she came to deliver documents, he'd grunt, flash her a gentle smile and his eyes would waver back to the screen. Granted the man had nothing better to do, Green forbade him to set a foot outside lest his shenanigans get him caught. Since Execution handled most of the outdoor work and jobs, his underlings were seldom around in the base. Yellow watched him turn into a partial zombie as he ignored everyone and whiled his time away inside his room. He neglected most of them and shook himself out of his circumstances only when Blue asked him to stop the disaster in Hoenn. Then he became somewhat normal again, smiling and laughing and talking with everyone else. Unfortunately the special feeling Yellow harboured for him vanished. Red was kind to everyone, he'd put his neck on the chopping block for anyone.

Not just for her.

Ironically, the thought brought a smile to her face. He was a complete contrast to Green. Cunning and shrewd, the pseudo professor didn't trust easily and if he grew close to you, you best be someone special. When she asked Professor Oak to help her find a teacher, the old man, instead of sending Red, sent his grandson instead. Moody and temperamental, Yellow quivered when he came in, dressed in a brown travelling cloak and sliding down the back of his equally arrogant charizard. To her surprise, Green had untold patience as he silently trained her and put up with her numerous blunders. He comforted her when she cried. Her rattata evolved into raticate and she thought her pokemon had died and another creature took its place. She was scared of sending her partners in battle but he explained that if she kept them holed up in capsules, they would never grow. In the end of it all, she came to take a fierce liking to the brunette and in turn he warmed up to her. Frankly, she ended up being one of the few people he was unconditionally kind to.

She wondered why.

He would often help her in things she didn't understand and always kept an eye out for her. Her group members never teased...they couldn't, Green would kill them if they as much uttered a wrong peep. He hardly smiled and when something angered him...Which was often, his face turned into a mask. If he was livid, he'd utter a string of curses under his breath and swamp himself with work. The sight of texts and books calmed him down. Green was rational and displayed very little emotion.

So, when he did smile, eyes crinkling ever so slightly and pearly white teeth peeking out from his lips, she found him very human and handsome.

Eh?

Wearing a short sleeved chequered shirt, a spiky haired brunette sneezed violently and scowled. His sister looked at from across the table with concern marring her fine features.

"Are you getting a cold Green?"

"Red is probably saying some nasty things behind my back..." he mumbled, "no not Red...that pesky woman." His face mellowed out and he stared at his reflection swirling inside a teacup. The family sat together in the warm rays of the late afternoon sun. Strategy's commander welcomed a lazy afternoon spent with his sister and didn't account for the grinning man sitting next to her. Bill, famous for being the one to lay down the principles of transporting pokemon digitally...And also his sister's husband. Green thought she'd choose someone much better looking, after all, his sister was very beautiful. Long, light brown hair, the same jade eyes as his own and a pleasing voice to match. Yep, he missed his sister's presence very much. When he and Red were younger, his best friend and rival tried hitting on her...And he almost broke the sable haired teenager's teeth. Needless to say, the three of them were now in good harmony.

"You look a bit overworked..." Daisy added and Samuel coughed exaggeratedly.

"He has other...Nonsensical projects which are more important to him than his health." The older Oak answered and Green put his head down...His sister always fussed about him and he didn't like to make her worry.

The family sat on the patio outside their moderately sized home. Pallet Town was famous for its untainted air and Green gulped in a lungful of it. The conversation around the round table flitted to other topics and briefly he wondered if he should drag Red over for extra company, he knew Daisy would appreciate it. Her voice flowed melodiously and he found himself smiling and joining in the conversation. The tension in his body began to dissipate and he relaxed allowing himself to let his guard down and forget about the Dex-criminals for a while. Stuffing another frosted fancy cake in his mouth, he nodded at Bill's dry jokes and reached out for a biscuit situated on the far side of the table when Oak spoke up:

"Did Sycamore from Kalos contact you?"

"Yes Grandfather," Green's voice gained an animated edge, "he invited me to go to Kalos in a month's time, says he there is some new research he wants me to see. Mega evolution it is called," his eyes lighted up and Daisy giggled.

"Are you going?"

"Why Yes...Why shouldn't I go? It's an opportunity of a lifetime."

His sister smiled and clapped her hands and he sensed the conversation would go in a direction he was not particularly fond of. Grabbing the teacup, he gulped the scalding liquid down, alas; he was too late to avoid her question.

"So...When are you going to settle down Green? Is there someone you have in mind?"

He spat out his tea and alongside him, his grandfather comically suffered from an anaphylactic shock. The older man choked and wheezed.

"Wh-where did that question come from all of a sudden?" he hoarsely asked, "and I'll settle down when the time comes." He pushed his chair back and slowly got up, glancing at his watch in the process. "I'm going over to Red's house, I'll spend the evening there and return at night."

"Speaking of Red..." Green halted and half turned, "I haven't seen him in such a long time."

"He's nothing to look at" the younger Oak shrugged, "he's doing well...He...retired from the league actually. Uh, I really have to go I'm running late. See you later Sis and be sure to visit again." He made a quick escape and hopped over the railings setting a bee line for the house opposite the street. Frankly it he found it strange that it wasn't blown up yet. With so many people living under one roof, brawls, quarrels and tempers are bound to run wild. Hands deep inside his pockets, he crossed the cobblestoned street and stood before the door. Uttering a greeting, he stepped inside.

Evening

Kanto

She stared at herself in the mirror and back to the smiling man standing behind her. Yellow subconsciously pulled the short dress to cover her knees.

"Um...This was really unnecessary uncle...I'm just going to meet some friends. Thank you very much for the dress, it's really wonderful...but it's not something I'd normally wear."

"Nonsense!" the fisherman heartily clapped her on her back and the poor woman stumbled forward, "you look great...I wanted to give you a gift but you hardly come home...At least let me spoil you."

"I'm sorry." The blonde combed her hair and decided to leave it loose, she grabbed a lace beret and fixed it atop her locks, "I'll try and come home more often." The duo made their way downwards and the older man smiled at her with a mixture of emotions.

"You are growing up..." he stated softly as she stepped out of the door. "I understand you are busy with much work, but be sure to visit this old man once in a while okay? Go on now, you'll be late if you linger any longer" a mischievous grin spread across his lips, "and be sure to introduce me to your special friend okay?" Yellow blushed, waved her hands wildly in the air and disappeared into the gloom. Inside the house, the man trudged back to the well-worn couch in the living room and plopped down with a sigh. Gone were the days when he could come home to the smell of delicious cooking and a heartfelt greeting. He felt genuinely happy that his pseudo child had started to become independent but deep down, his heart rebelled. Yellow was a very timid child, she preferred to play with the pokemon in the forest rather than children her age. Her parents passed away when she was still a toddler and thus she developed social awkwardness. Thanks to her friends, she regained her confidence and slowly matured into a capable young lady. He liked the fire in her hazel eyes. The fisherman stared at the blank television for a while, eventually he got up and wearily made his way upstairs and into his bedroom. He had a feeling...That Yellow might not be coming home.

The sun dipped below the horizon and Yellow hesitated before the door. She could hear some sort of commotion inside and it made her stomach turn. Also the clothes she wore...Blue and the others would never stop making fun of her. Once again, she pulled the cream material to cover her knees. Now would be a good time to turn around and hightail back home, but the problem engulfing their organization could not be ignored. The sooner a solution could be found, the better. Taking a deep breath and smoothing the creases out she politely knocked and entered.

"HOLY MEW GREEN, THE PAN IS ON FIRE!" Red shrieked and clutched his hair. The person in question had his face and body beading with sweat as he held out a pan covered in flames. When he came inside the house a few hours ago, he beheld the male trainers sprawled on the floor and on the brink of starvation. Why his best friend refused Dia's help was a question no one could answer. Thus, he barged into the kitchen to see Red wrestling with an onion. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Green decided to help. He refused to put on an apron and instead went to fire up the stoves and heat up the pan. The results ended up a disaster. It seemed Oak was even worse than Red. The professor couldn't even warm up a pan. Blue appeared and howled in laughter. Deflating, he looked around and wondered what to do. The metallic utensil began to get uncomfortably hot in his hands and the skin on his palms reddened. Behind him, a flash of light and a roar announced the entrance of Blasty...Its trainer had an evil glint in her eye.

"One way to put down those flames and give you a thorough wash!" She cackled and declared.

"Blue, please wait!" Red and Green simultaneously shouted together and after a pressurised torrent of water doused them and flooded the kitchen, the raven haired man moaned: "My kitchen..." and sunk to the floor. At this point, Yellow walked into the area and Green subconsciously dropped the pan with a clang and tried to make himself look presentable. Which was difficult considering that he now resembled a drowned human. His shirt stuck to his form and the spiky mane sagged with water.

"Into the living room..." Red got up and squeezed water out of his shirt, "everyone's going without dinner tonight." he poisonously mumbled. In a few minutes, the rest of the Dex-criminals organized themselves around their respective leaders and a meeting began in full sway.

"So...we were struck with a disaster." Blue commented and folded her arms.

"I wonder how they found out...It was a precise, well organized attack." Red contemplated.

"I'm getting wet just by being next to you..." Gold complained, "by the way senior Yellow...You look lovely. Wanna go on a date?" he tried to wink, instead Crystal and Pearl punched him in the face and behind them, Green glared at him with the force of a hundred demons.

"...Forgive me..."

"Our best strategy is to split up into three and separate." Platina broke into the babbling with firm insistence, "if we congregate, it makes us more visible and prone to getting attac-"

"No way!" Black shot up and clenched his fist, " I don't want to be separated from anyone." The atmosphere grew heavy with tension and any moment, an all-out brawl threatened to break out.

"Sit down Black" His leader commanded, "and as much as it hurts me to say it...Platina is right. We should split up and lay low. Hey, not like we're going to be separated forever right?" There were hesitant murmurs of agreement. "So...Who's going where?"

Blue flipped her hair back, "My team will be going to Sinnoh, Platina has arranged for a base in the resort area. If you don't mind, we will be leaving by tomorrow morning. And if you are wondering, yes, Platina has discussed this plan before with us and we agreed."

"I see." Green nodded, "it's...Plausible. The rest of us will leave a day or two later. It will arouse less suspicion. We...Will go to Hoenn...the base in Mount Coronet is out of the way and a perfect place to hide."

"Undella for us..." Red chirped.

"The ship...right?" Execution's members all nodded. A subdued mood hung in the air as friends looked at each other and wondered how it will feel like to be torn away. Diamond squeezed himself into the settee, his azure irises unhappy. He will be separated from his best friend again. Shouts of protests and counter arguments flew over his head as the rest of the organization tried to reason with one another. Pulling out his Pokedex, he stared at it forlornly.

"The morning sound..." he muttered to himself, "I...Won't be able to hear it anymore...Right?"

A/N: A bit of a breather chapter and some background info on Yellow. Green can't cook and the three departments are splitting. A heartfelt thanks to those who read and reviewed. At Silver: Heh! I knew the cake would lure you back! Jk :P As usual, your reviews crack me right up. The criminals are in a dire state so it makes sense to grab important stuff and scram. At Eevee: My anniversary? Thank you for remembering it :) Since I never remember those things. N couldn't run off because he promised not to betray them (and Red or Green might end him) Green unwittingly charming Yellow? Already done (with help from Blue) so look forward to that. I spend a lot of time planning the chapters and frankly, I write in a daze, I don't stop until I'm done with a chapter before reviewing it. I'm happy that this chapter turned out to yours and everyone's liking (your comment on JK. Rowling made my head shoot up in the clouds) :D At Jack54311: Hugh is making an appearance in chapter 51. Well, their current set up is a temporary solution, look forward to how they solve the problem. At AceTrainerLeaf: You were hyperventilating? No worries, I was hyperventilating too whilst writing it. Ahahaha, you flatter me, I simply write what comes to my mind and the freezing room thing just popped in my head like that. I find that playing games helps me in writing action scenes or even watching movies with a lot of action in it.

Once again, much gratitude and virtual cake and cookies to everyone supporting!