Chapter 48: Fissured bonds, fissured hearts
Dawn
Johto
Mahogany Town
Cyrus wearily opened his eyes when the weak, warm sunlight filtered through the dilapidated roof and spread across his body. The room he and Charon stayed in was musty and wet. Grey and olive tinted mold grew on the damp walls and slimy green moss carpeted the floor. One corner of the chamber was cordoned off and this place remained marginally dry. Two beds were placed on opposite ends with a small cupboard and a television. The TV did not provide entertainment nor could he use it to watch the news, instead, every single day at precisely two in the afternoon, it would switch on of its own accord and he would lour at Blue's sardonic smile and curse himself. Lately Green started making an appearance and the spiky haired brunette fared no better. All they wanted to know was how the making of the red chain came along. If Cyrus' spine got glued together from exertion, it was his problem not theirs. Running a hand through matted hair, he glanced next to him to see Charon waking up, the older man fumbled around for his spectacles before finding them and putting them on. He took a deep breath and wheezed when the unpleasant smell of damp hit his nose. Staying in such disgusting conditions did not befit a scientist such as him.
"Sir...I suggest we break out of here and tip the police off..." Charon eyed his filthy coat disturbingly and flung it back on the bed. His commander had already got off the thin mattress and rotated his arms and legs to lessen the aching. A few joints popped and the Galactic leader stared at the opposite, mold encrusted wall.
"We can't..." he muttered, his dry voice barely carrying over, "the police will believe us but in the end, it won't save us from going to prison. It's where we belong after all." Hands laced behind his back, he walked out of the broken down chamber and down the twisting, barely recognizable corridors. His boots echoed mutely on the dried mud caking the floor and after a series of turns he came across a room. The only part of the once glorious base that remained fully intact. The sheer ice coating the surface steadily begun melting but it was still there, wrapping the room in an icy grip. Blue thawed out the entrance and Cyrus opened the door and shivered when a blast of glacial air hit him. Shrunken irises swept the room. It was hospital white, with metallic machines and three pedestals situated in the middle of the room. Leaving the door open, he strode inside and peered into the glass topped devices. Uxie, Mesprit and Azelf were too tired and drained to spare him a heated glare. They lay limp, their white fur stained a dirty, rusty brown as blood steadily dripped in fine droplets and collected in a plate. Nodding, the man's spacesuit-esque uniform crinkled as he surveyed the rest of the room. Everything still functioned in an orderly manner. The din of humming machines grated his ears and after throwing one last look, Cyrus exited the chamber and locked the door securely. He went back to the dingy room he and Charon shared. Fortunately, the criminals imprisoning them were kind enough to supply them with non-perishable food. Crouching in one corner, he sifted through several packages and lastly tore open a packet of salty biscuits and forced them down.
The sunlight crept across the carpet of moss and threw the dismal environment around him into sharp relief. Cyrus found himself thinking about Jupiter and his other underlings, he wondered if they were doing well and the contemplation amused him. Somewhere, on the outskirts of the abandoned building, he heard the sound of an object rebounding from the barrier surrounding them. A sigh left his withered lips, those police officers would never learn...The encasement was fashioned with strength in mind and he doubted whether a legendary pokemon would be able to break in. Mewtwo, one of the ultimate psychic monsters used this very same arrangement to keep intruders out when he fought with the Organization almost three years back. When Pearl, Dia and Platina were discussing the topic, he listened to them intently and grudgingly, respect bloomed in his chest.
Respect for those brats be damned. They made his life a miserable mess.
Outside police prowled around the ramshackle building and glared at any unsuspecting persons who veered too close. Claire the dragon tamer, stalked around the invisible barrier with her dragonair and the pale blue serpent's neck jewel pulsed with an intense electric blue light. The energy signatures of the barricade reached epic proportions and every time someone touched it, the surface shimmered, scattering multiple ripples across. There was no sign of the creatures who maintained the marvelous blockade and this served to irritate the police members further. Whipping around, Claire spied Falkner nodding and speaking into his poke-gear, the vice chief snapped the device shut and stretched out his arm. Instantaneously, a large bird plummeted down from the sky and gracefully curled its talons around his limb. It had a bug dangling from its beak.
Falkner eyed his pokemon and wearily closed his eyes. "Any sign of suspicious people Pidgeot?" he queried and the bird took a moment to swallow its writhing morsel and squawked in return. It pecked its trainer affectionately on the head and unfolded its huge wings. With another cry, pidgeot launched into the air and began circling the area from above. The flying type gym leader shook his head when the dragon tamer enquired...no suspicious personnel around and the top of the pyramidal construction is as sturdy as its base. An insistent wriggling at his belt alerted the cyan haired man to his pokeball and before he could even reach up to release the impatient beast inside it, the capsule ruptured at the seams and emitted a flash bang. When the area cleared Claire inhaled sharply. Standing before her was a sword of justice. The regal stag-esque beast radiated an aura of power and authority. Lowering its golden horns to the ground, it pawed the dust and shot off like a bullet. Falkner's calm visage betrayed nothing as he beheld his pokemon slam jagged horns into the barrier. A shower of sparks and a bang rang out but when Cobalion retreated, its effort was for naught...The encasement remained undamaged save for a thin white wisp of smoke.
"What on earth WAS that?" Gold sputtered and next to him Red and Green sported horrified expressions. The acting professor pulled out a Pokedex from his person and peered into it.
"Cobalion...presumed leader of the four swords of justice...It's a...A legendary pokemon." The brunette's voice failed and the other members huddled around him with puzzled looks. Legendary pokemon could not be commanded so freely by humans, nor did those ancient creatures associate with mankind.
"Are you sure?" Yellow asked, the group pressed themselves down into the soil and kept still as a pidgeot screamed overhead. This morning, Red abruptly decided that his team would be leaving in the evening and at his announcement the rest of the members lost their appetite. To cheer up the gloomy mood, the adolescent suggested on taking a trip to Johto and trying to salvage memories from their base. With nothing to do, the team welcomed the distraction and set off immediately. On arriving at Eruteak city, they were informed of intense police activity in Mahogany Town. Wary of the officers, the criminals traversed the hills ringing the town and hid themselves in a valley quite a distance from their base. Even from here, one did not need a pair of binoculars to see the way the uniformed officials roamed. Black batons and metal cuffs clinked together and arcanine strained on their leashes. Sentret and furret darted here and there, keeping a watch for intruders and relaying information. In the sky, Red picked out the form of a large predatory bird and knew if the avian spotted them, their little excursion would be over. "Legendary pokemon don't really like humans do they...or maybe they are like Suicune, Entei and Raikou? Those legendary beasts are okay in human company aren't they?" The blonde raised her head up to see if anyone confirmed her theory. Green scowled furiously through his binoculars and he began to speak after everyone turned to him.
"This is different...the legendary beasts were revived from the dead by Ho-oh and it is speculated that they were once normal pokemon. They serve as a remainder of humanity's selfish actions and I'm sure they won't hesitate to leave if their trainer is being unreasonable. These swords of justice on the other hand are different. They were created to maintain order...Ah, that's it. They catch criminals and if teaming up with humans prove to be effective; those monsters will be willing to work together. I read that they can communicate with each other via telepathy."
"Those beasts sound really intelligent."
"Yeah, unlike you Red." Green quipped in an effort to get his best friend to interact with him.
"...Do we have to go down?" Lack-2 feebly queried, pichu peered from beneath his shirt and the child appeared to be positively sick. "I don't wanna go...Gold..."
"We are going...Think of it as an adventure." His crimson eyed leader commented and grinned.
"Only you will think of it as an adventure!" Lack-2 spat, a complete turnover from his previously pathetic expression, "I don't want to go there, the police..." he moaned and looked at the town, "besides, most of you disguised yourself! It's not fair!"
"Lack-2 pipe down." Black admonished, "if you talk so loud, the bird above us will pick up your screeching. And if I recall correctly, you were the one who refused to be disguised."
"I don't want my hair up in a ponytail...And I'm sure lipstick won't suit me." Behind him Crystal and Gold chuckled and Yellow giggled as well, soon he could hear snickers from the rest of his team mates and his expression darkened. "I'm staying here!" He stomped his foot on the ground, crossed his arms over his chest and looked away with a hmph.
"Sometimes...I forget you are still a brat. Hey Crys, help me out will ya" The brown haired boy jumped as his mentor sprayed dye in his hair. Crystal lathered something cold and sticky and in moments his fluffy locks turned stiff. A mirror was thrust into his face and stared at his reflection.
"I look like...a blonde you..." He stared at Gold who grinned. The amber eyed male styled Lack-2's hair in a fashion similar to his own and took great pleasure in the way the boy blushed. Patting his stiffened hair one more time, the copper eyed child took in the rest of his companions. Red, Black and Gold were dressed in oversized hoodies as they were the most conspicuous. Green and Pearl switched hair colors and clothing styles and when Oak arrived wearing a striped polo neck, the males in his department rolled on the floor howling with laughter. The females on the other hand, all lined up and stared at him. White even took a picture and the leader huffed in mild annoyance. N vehemently declined dying his hair and thus had to tuck the mane of acid green locks under his shirt. A black knee-length trench coat, slacks and boots were forced on him and the older Unovians stared. Dark colors did not suit the pale adolescent; nonetheless, it did a good job of covering him up. As for Red and the others, Diamond mildly pointed out that even if they looked different, the three of them were well associated with the Pokemon league and as soon as their partners came out in the open, the police can merely cross reference them and find out their identities. Pearl stood agape at his friend's sudden flash of insight whilst Green smiled and clapped. At least someone in the rowdy group thought before acting.
"You look like a cute potato Diamond..." Crystal giggled and the boy frowned.
"I'm not edi-ble." he added and smacked his cheeks. Dia piled on so much clothing in his person, it looked like he was going to brave the snowcapped peaks of Mount Coronet.
"So...How do we go about entering our base? Bypassing the barrier is easy since Blue done it before, but she was alone. We are in a large group and therefore more visible to the police. I'm pretty sure having a war with them is not an option...Even though I want to tangle with them..." Several members noticed how Red flexed his fingers involuntarily and Green opened his mouth to reply when a robotic voice stole his thunder.
"Create a distraction." Black chanted, "I'll set Reshiram free and the unexpected event will confuse them. Most likely, they will have to leave their posts and come over here. To make things extra complicated, I'll ask him to attack that bird." The brown haired teenager pulled Musha off his head, "when we are safely inside the base, I'll ask Reshiram to return to me. Deal?"
"Cool...Let's get started." Saph threw a fist pump in the air and Black dug out the pure white stone from his back pack. For a full five minutes, nothing happened and the two groups stood around the sphere cradled in Black's hands and regarded it with a mixture of impatience, awe and apathy. N reached out and placed his palm against the smooth, cold surface and in blinding flare of light, the snow white dragon materialized and nuzzled affectionately against its trainer. Pidgeot's keen eyes picked up a huge creamy something and with a screech it dove down, its head plumage trailing a red blur in the sky. Reshiram, too preoccupied with Black, sharply angled its head upwards when the bird dipped too close and fired a stream of cobalt flames. Tumbling elegantly, the avian let loose a cascade of brown feathers with the aim of slowing its opponent down. The dragon roared and the humans scattered, their forms running down the hills. Wings heaving, Reshiram shot up in the sky and pidgeot followed it, the predatory bird extended its talons, the razor sharp appendages glinted in sunlight.
There were two pokemon tangling with each other in the sky. One happened to be a beautiful white dragon and Claire couldn't help but lower her whip in admiration. Instinctively she gave chase, her cape fluttering out behind her as she mounted on dragonair and commanded the serpentine creature to move. Falkner, also disturbed by the proceedings, felt conflicted, if Reshiram appeared, then it means that those Dex-criminals were also here. Perhaps this was a distraction measure to force them away from their abandoned base. This suspicious thought took root in his mind. Unfortunately, the vast white pokemon blew blue fire and charred the landscape below. Uttering a terse command to Cobalion, who simply stood still and watched, both master and beast hurried to the site. The only people left guarding the barrier shook their heads and glanced at each other sheepishly. One of them jumped when an arc of lightning arced across the morning sky.
"Those...Criminals won't come here right?" A rookie officer quizzed with a trembling voice as a shadow blurred past the edge of his vision.
"Be on guard..." his senior intoned and closed his eyes against a violent gust of wind. Those two airborne beasts fought some miles away but the intensity of their moves reached all the way here. Heat seared the surface of his skin.
Mid-morning
Mahogany Town
Abandoned base
The sound of heavy breaths issued from a group of people who collapsed on the boundary of a dilapidated building. Diamond wheezed and Pearl had to rub his back. Emerald pulled strands of hair away from his sweaty face. No doubt this had been the longest and most intense run of their lives as they parkoured over rough terrain and eventually stampeded down to town. Thank Lugia the streets were partially deserted or else the law breakers would've been smacking into a lot of people. Crystal, White and Yellow slumped against the barrier and the latter roughly pulled her long hair into a messy bun. Those wearing hoods threw the coverings off and gulped air, chest rising and falling in a rapid manner.
"H-how do we...Get... in?" a voice rasped and Green held up a hand. He couldn't speak yet. Tension hung thick in the air, they were fully exposed and if some local policeman decided to give this area a sweep, their adventure would be over before it started. N mopped sweat from his brow and his slate grey eyes shifted calculatedly. Saph joined him in keeping an eye out for movement.
"Red, hand me your Pika." A lump wriggled underneath the black haired commander's jacket and the rodent popped out and jumped over to Green's shoulder. "Good, Pika, use double team, try making only one copy of yourself." Nodding, the electric mouse focused and managed to make a faded out version of himself. The duplicate twisted and distorted and when Saph tried poking it, her hand went right through and the image dissipated. Throwing the abashed girl an evil glare, the monster made another one and stood patiently before the jade eyed male. "Excellent, send you copy through the barrier and make contact with my Golduck, ask him to come here, we need to enter." The copy nodded, hopped over to the barrier and to the surprise of everyone present, it phased perfectly through the barricade and streaked out of sight. Every one held their breath when a shadow of a human fell on the far end. Gold clutched Lack-2 closer to him and the young boy buried himself in an effort to become invisible. Crystal began quivering and Yellow put an arm on her shoulder to calm her down.
The silhouette on the pavement grew larger and came closer. White bit down on her lip and Rald squeezed himself next to Crys, he pulled Saph with him and huddled. Red got up from his slouching position on the floor and Green hissed at him to lay low. The ex-champion ignored him and instead pulled off his hood.
"Are you insane Red?" The professor asked and tried to keep his hitching voice even. They could see the uniformed man already, steadily making his way across the corner. "Sit down, with-"
A pause descended on them as the two oldest males realized that Red left his pokemon studded belt at home. The commander patted his empty waist and looked up at Green, his visage morphing from deadly serious to comically clueless.
"Oh...I...It's your fault! You insisted on leaving them at home!"
"Senior...The man...is coming over" Yellow whispered whilst Green suffered a poke to his chest and gritted his teeth. Red flailed on hearing this news and Pika hopped on its master's head, its cheeks sparking with electricity.
"Let's take him down." Red's blood tinted eyes took on an obstinate gleam and his best friend breathed out slowly.
"Are you daft?" he growled, "what are you going to do?" Punch him with your hands and fists?"
"You practice martial arts don't you? Give him a flying kick or something; Saph will lend you a hand." The disguised blonde's face took on a dusky hue due to anger and at the very same moment, his golduck quacked and a piece of the barrier folded outwards. Grabbing his comrade's arm, the motely band rushed in just as the man passed by the spot. He stood still for a while and looked at the broken down construction standing behind the invisible screen. Was it his imagination? He definitely heard human voices. Shrugging, the officer continued on his rounds and behind a cracked pillar, the Dex criminals heaved a collective breath of relief. Red roughly wrenched his arm out of Green's grip and peered around. Somewhere, a slashed drain pipe gurgled out a quantity of muddy water and it pooled near their feet giving off a foul stench. Nodding to each other, the group cautiously made their way past cracked cement flooring and into the main part of the building. Blackened pillars and grey rooms greeted them. The steel lined corridors sported rust, fungi and dents. Underneath their feet, the ground baked into an uneven slab of earth. An object, half submerged in the dirt glinted and Emerald got down on his hands and knees and began digging with his bare hands. After much scraping, he retrieved his prize, a tiny golden egg of sorts. Gold crouched down and gingerly took it; he examined it from all angles before declaring the object as his. A grim realization hit them...they were standing in the passageway leading to Execution's dormitories. Alas the hallway was damaged beyond recognition. At the far end Black went to knock on a locked door and felt surprised when the room refused to open. Execution's common room, perhaps, the interior would still be intact.
Wishful thinking.
Strategy broke off and followed their commander down a set of twisted corridors. Droplets of water leaked down from overhead pipes as they waded through pokemon carcasses intermingled with plaster, bricks and metal. Modern weaponry such as guns lay discarded next to empty bullet casings. The walls were coated with a thick layer of stinking mold and where there was plaster, it peeled off in great square sheets. Their environment looked like someone decided wash it with grey cinder. Grey. Everywhere grey, brown and black. Dreary, the place had no life. Sucked dry and lifeless. Green led them to the dorm rooms and his department came alive. They split apart and rushed into their respective rooms trying to salvage mementos and things dear to their hearts. Pushing aside ripped up couches, crumpled table lamps and splintered tables, they sifted through rubbish, corroded metal, dirt, blood and he heard muted shouts of glee whenever one of his underlings managed to pick out a personal possession. Over to Execution's side, N shambled around aimlessly, he didn't have many things to begin with and decided that whatever disappeared, it happened for a good reason. Stuffing his hands deep inside his coat pocket, his slate irises picked out a photo which Black haphazardly tossed out of the way. Lowering himself to the floor, the former king delicately picked up the image and uttered a silent gasp.
He really didn't know why he kept the picture. It showed him donned in a royal white robe with a gleaming crown placed on his head. On one side stood his nurses who also doubled as sisters and on the other Ghetsis, his mouth curled in a smirk. N stared dazedly at the image for a few more moments before he started to rip it. A jagged tear separated him, Concordia and Anthea from his smirking foster father. He crumpled Ghetsis' picture and pocketed the rest.
Reshiram descended from the sky with a show of exquisite arrogance. One huge claw clamped around pidgeot's limp, bloodied form. The flame dragon hovered a few meters in the air and eyed the two occupants currently gaping at him. A male and female both sporting shades of cerulean hair. Next to the male, an interesting specimen gauged him with measured eyes. It impatiently waved its head around, cutting the air with thick, spiraled horns. The dragon had no intention of tangling with the stag-esque creature. It had done its duty and now had to return. If Master Black needed him again, he might appear; waking up from an enforced slumber surely had its demerits. Mercilessly dropping the bird to the dry ground below, the dragon dissolved amidst a shower of light.
Evening
Kanto
Pallet Town
The door to the bathroom opened and steam curled out in wispy trails. Red stepped out with a towel around his neck and blinked when a camera flash went off in his face.
"...Saph...I can't believe you just did that."
She grinned cheekily and twirled, holding up her in phone triumph. "Well...I'm a bit sorry to see your upright bangs go, but let's face it...You look much better this way!" The teenager was already dressed for travel, her body clad in an orange tent dress which flattered her figure. Her leader sighed and touched his hair, back in the afternoon; he decided to pay Cyrus a visit and dragged an unwilling Green along with him. When the duo entered, the brunette expertly sidestepped to avoid a gnarling dark pokemon. Weavile, incensed and steel tipped claws glinting wickedly, turned its attention to Red, its body launched up and tried to swipe the human's head cleanly off. Instead of doing so, the ice type managed to shave off Red's upright bangs and part of his hair. It also landed a scar across the cheek and here Pika swore vengeance. The rodent tore through the hoodie and squeaked furiously, assaulting the dark type with a flurry of electric attacks. Snarling, the two beasts attacked each other, biting, scratching and engulfing the preserved chamber in a storm of electricity, shadows and ice. Pika dodged and slammed an iron tail in weavile's face. The dark type blitzed forward and added new scars to the one's decorating the rodent's body. Back and forth the two danced before the match ended with a volt tackle. Searing the ice pokemon with a final thunderbolt, the electric mouse scampered back to its trainer and gently licked the blood trickling down Red's face. Its partner scratched him affectionately under the chin and Pika dove out of sight.
"Yellow...Do I look good?" The blonde paused and flushed scarlet at his question. Of course you look good, her mind supplied.
"Um...Yes you do! You look... great senior Red!" Saying this she dashed out in full speed and tucked her flaming face in the scarf around her neck.
"Did I just hear a hint of reluctance in her voice?" Gold swaggered forth with his pool cue strung across his shoulders, "and Saph, you're only saying that 'cause senior Red looks a bit like prissy boy with his hair chopped off."
"No I don't!" She hissed and raised a fist to punch him, to her and Red's surprise; he managed to block it with a diabolical smirk spreading across his face. The wild trainer gave up and whirled around, her glossy hair swished perfectly and she stalked off to the lounge.
A hive of activity greeted her in the lounge as the male trainers packed and argued. Pearl kept on stripping the several layers of clothing which Diamond insisted on wearing. In the end, the youngster ended up wearing a pair of denims; one of Pearl's stylish shirts and his companion yanked his hat off and stuffed it in a backpack. Diamond had a knack of wearing mufflers no matter how hot it got and at his best friend's insistence, he only wound a small bandanna around his neck. Off to the corner, Black and N comforted White. At the last moment, the chocolate haired teenager started crying and her friend hugged her. N stood awkwardly a tiny blush dusting his cheeks. He wanted to hug White too but could not muster up courage.
"Everyone good to go?" Execution's commander's voice reverberated through the room. White sniffed and hung on Black tighter.
"Prez..." His normally strident voice sounded small. "Don't worry...You can call me in the middle of the night if you want to." He stupidly scratched the back of his head and glanced at the ceiling.
"Of course I won't do that...You need your sleep." The female gave him a weak smile and wiped her tears. "Have a safe trip and don't do anything rash."
Crystal and Gold stood a few paces away from each other and Lack-2 slinked away to give his teacher some private time. To anyone who paid attention, they would've noticed that there some awkwardness between them and this bewildered the amber eyed trainer. Ever since Silver left a few days ago, Crys changed from her normally kind and mellow mood to someone who looked perpetually tired and strained. She stopped lecturing him on his bad habits and her kicks and sunny smiles came infrequently. He wondered what happened, if she felt lonely, he would be more than happy to cheer her up and keep her company. For the first time in his life, the Johto native didn't know what to say, normally words poured out of him like water gushing from a faucet, now he racked his brains for something memorable and unperverted. After an internal debate and struggle, he mutely reached up and brushed his fingers across her cheek.
She flinched. An indiscernible tremor running through her body.
He didn't notice, too absorbed in curling his fingers around her inky blue strands of hair. Crystal closed her eyes, breathed out and then punched him lightly on his forehead. Startled out of his rapturous state, he jumped a few paces back to see her smiling widely at him. In response, the corners of his mouth lifted in a placid grin.
"I won't do anything naughty." Gold quickly added when his senses told him that his friend had a lecture on the way. Crys chuckled and the laughter echoed pleasantly in his ears.
"Of course you will...You can't fool me." The amber eyed male laced his hands behind his head and turned around to check the proceedings of his team members, everyone busied themselves with zipping up their sacks and trolley cases. Red tossed his house key to Green and execution became taut. Time to say goodbye. He rotated again to see blue eyed capturer stubbornly wiping a few tears away. Why was she crying? He pondered. For as long as he knew her, Crystal never cried, not when she temporarily lost her ability to capture pokemon nor when the poor girl drifted alone on a raft in the middle of a tempestuous sea. Her face remained defiant, challenging any obstacle coming her way. He was bewildered and anxiety churned deep within his stomach. The conflicted feelings all melted away when she hugged him once again and gave a little push towards his waiting companions.
And they left, similar to Constellation, amongst waving hands and falsely cheery smiles and shouts.
The next morning
Kanto
Oak's house
"Green!" a delicate voice chimed from downstairs and the brunette sluggishly forced himself upright in his bed. By all means, Green Oak was not a morning person despite what everyone thought. He hated mornings with a passion and this morning, his mood took a turn downwards. On hearing Daisy's voice (how long did she plan on staying here?) he threw off the covers and reached out for a shirt to cover himself with. Wearing it whilst battling with sleep, it eventually dawned on him that he'd forgotten to give back his friend's shirt. The two of them parted on a cheerful facade for the sake of the rest of the members, his childhood companion had gotten good at fooling people and it scared the daylights out of him. Wasn't the pesky woman supposed to be the trickster? Who gave him the right to act all happy and normal when the only thing Red wanted to do is explode and go on a rampage? It has been long since the ebony haired male lost his temper. When they were young, Green took great pleasure in riling him up and thus their relationship could be defined as a perpetual competition. They always competed, for glory, for fame...For the title of Pokemon Champion and at the last stage, he, the esteemed Oak tasted defeat.
Fortunately they became bosom buddies after that.
If Green could describe the emotion he felt when he hung around Red, he would've said grateful. He was grateful for both Blue and Red; they anchored him to the realm of reality and offered a companionship which he would otherwise shun. The brunette grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth whilst his two friends had to struggle, wade through life. He became thankful for the experiences they taught him and even if he never showed it, he cared too much of what they thought of him.
Several hours later, he meandered over to his comrade's house and watched as Pearl had a difficult time deciding what to wear. Eventually (maybe to mock him?) the blonde put on a striped polo neck and his leader smiled wryly. He glanced at the shiny new watch encircled around his wrist and sent an internal thanks to Daisy for her present. White looked splendid in a skirt and blouse and Crystal sported shorts and a shirt. His department crowded in the living room but one problem surfaced: Yellow was running late.
"Green is going to scold meeee!" Unceremoniously pulling her luggage carrier behind her, the blonde woman clutched her hat and ran. At one point, the wheels of the case got stuck behind a particularly thick and sturdy tree root and Yellow huffed, puffed and used her strength to drag her carrier over. Brushing herself free of dirt, she continued careering and dared not to check the time on her cellphone. She woke up early today knowing that they would be leaving for Hoenn, alas when she came down to say farewell, her adopted uncle hugged her and started bawling his eyes out. Being more on the emotional side, Yellow sat with him in the lounge, on the well-worn couch and cried as well uttering her gratitude to the male for looking after her unconditionally. She didn't want to leave but knew it would be impossible to catch up to her department later.
"Why am I so happy and sad to see you grow up?" the elderly man sniffed, "and we always cry like this before you leave huh...Man I'm turning into a sentimental old coot!" Saying this he guffawed and patted the blonde on her back.
"I'll miss you uncle...I really will. Please don't worry about me...Oh, I know, I'll send you souvenirs all the way from Hoenn!" He tried to feel positive on spotting the watery, yet determined gleam in her eye, all he felt however, was trepidation and crushing loneliness. Hoenn...His fragile little Yellow would be going all the way to Hoenn. Wiping the stray tears, he reached deep inside his battered coat and extracted an object. Something shiny and gold pressed into her palm and when the adolescent scrutinized it, she gaped reveredly at the golden medallion lying in her tiny hands. In the middle, a beautifully polished stone reflected light at all angles.
"Belonged to my wife...Before the war claimed her. I vowed never to give it away but I think it'll look prettier around your neck than mine. Take care of it will you." Yellow hiccupped and slipped the amulet around her neck.
"I will! I really will..." she sobbed and refused to let go. After several reminders that her superior will not be pleased at her late coming, the young woman let out another anguished gasp, grabbed her hat from a nearby stand and rushed off so quickly she left dust in her wake. The old fisherman merely stood on the threshold of their home and laughed, silent tears streaming down his face. In a matter of moments, the miniscule blur of mauve clothing and a straw hat disappeared over the horizon and the man, drained of energy pulled himself back in the house and plopped into bed.
He did not feel like working today.
Strategy stepped out in the midday sun and their leader locked the door with an audible click. When Yellow finally burst into the house, she looked like she'd been chased by a wild dragon. Out of courtesy for the senior member, the rest agreed to allow her to rest for a while before departing. Half an hour later, the group trooped out to a fresh breeze and warm sun. Just as the department head bolted the door, an ear pleasing voice rang out from behind the posse and one by one everyone turned to stare and smile at the young lady who stood before them with two boxes in her arms. She looked pretty and when Green greeted his sister using a tone people were unaccustomed to hearing (did his vocal cords have the range to sound this gentle?) Emerald almost suffered from a coma. Even stranger was the fact that Daisy reached up to her taller brother and ruffled his meticulously styled locks. The rest of the team held their breath and took a collective step backwards...This wasn't their leader...This person is an imposter because no way in Giratina's unholy land of hell would the stoic brunette allow anyone to handle him like that. Moreover, when Pearl and White peered through binoculars...the duo found him blushing akin to a child given his favorite sweets.
"Ahahaha...I forgot how cute you looked when you blush..." Daisy lowered her hand and thrust the two boxes in her arms over to her brother. "Going to Hoenn and thereafter Kalos are you?" he nodded in affirmative, "Good, I made lunch for you and Red but it seems like he left early. Enjoy it and share the lunch with your friends okay?" Daisy peeked past her sibling and genially waved to the band of people hovering in the shadows. "And be sure to call Grandpa and me often...And don't over work yourself you hear me...I worry about you Green, I seriously do." The older female's face crinkled with concern and Green felt rotten, she had no idea of his criminal activities and he preferred it that way. "Come home to visit..."
"I will. And I love you too Daisy." He hastily added, his sister would not let him leave unless he declared his attachment to her. Suffering an adorably bone crushing hug, he dragged himself over to his petrified subordinates and tried to appear normal. "Let's go..." he intoned and tried not to look at the video camera in Emerald's stubby hands. His reputation was ruined.
"Everyone act normal" Pearl stage whispered as they followed behind the red-faced brunette. The department leader twitched on hearing the subdued words but said nothing. At this rate, they might miss the train.
A/N: Ah, sibling relationships…now I really miss my brother and all the chocolates he used to buy me. Anyway, the departments have all split apart and gone their separate ways. And no theories or questions? Tsk, don't be shy to leave a review people. At Jack54311: IDK what happened to me when I wrote the instant Blue crush episode…I must've been dreaming or something but in the end, I decided to leave it as such. A mega evolution battle…look forward to that. Much thanks to all the readers and virtual chocolates to all! Constructive criticism is highly valued and appreciated.