Chapter 76: Invisible chains give rise to the freedom of illusion
Few weeks later
Ransei
Valora
"...So these are the famous Valora Castle gates." Gold craned his neck in awe at the decorative blast doors. "Wow, it's as thick as you said Warlord Motonari." Standing next to him, Green tried to keep his jaw from dropping to the ground. A set of stone steps led to an immensely fortified gate and beyond the securely shut entrance, thick pipes and metal elements snaked up an escarpment and underneath a castle situated on top of a hill. Valora castle rose majestically, dwarfing its steel lined walls and metallic fortifications. Turrets, painted in camouflaging colors dotted the militarist province and added to the strict atmosphere choking the region. Behind the impenetrable doors, Motonari and his procession of retainers, Green, Gold and some of Greenleaf's respected advisors, stood under umbrellas held up by servants. Whilst they waited for the blast doors to open, Gold chatted amiably with the olive haired Warlord much to everyone's chagrin. Oak wished for the monkey to be quiet as he could not hear himself think. "I wonder how much metal and stone they used in order to make this?" the breeder queried and a young advisor informed him that the bluish metal lining the top part of the gate had been hammered from cast off aggron shells and the steel coated fins of long dead empoleon. The Johto native pulled a disgusted face and resumed staring at the doors, any moment they will open up and then they will finally have access to the fortress. "Seriously..." Gold prattled on, "you'd need a bazooka to dent this thing."
"Bazooka?"
"It is the informal term for a rocket launcher my Lord." Green droned a reply, "I don't suppose Ransei uses manufactured weaponry? Most of the things around here are made from pokemon cast offs, in the other regions, the owners usually bury the molted fragments and scientists use them for research, but we do not make any mass weaponry with it." Motonari nonchalantly shrugged at his words and corrected his position. The servants behind him snapped to attention and shielded their Warlord from the heat of the sun.
Somewhere, a cannon resounded and the blast doors vibrated. Gold muffled a yelp as a mini-earthquake seized the entrance. The heavy doors grinded open and two guards, their steelix shifting away from the entrance, welcomed the procession. Greenleaf's Warlord ignored the warm welcomes and spared a listless glance at Valora's retainers as they hailed him and his guests. Obscuring the lower part of his face, he strode forward, the end of his shimmering green cloak floating an inch above the metal plated ground. The olive haired man came to a stop before a beautiful woman clad in armor. She bowed to him and once again, welcomed him to Valora.
"I find it offensive that Warlord Ieyasu himself did not appear to greet me." Motonari arrogantly stated, the woman flushed at his statement and apologized. "I understand he has his hands full with attending to his commoner prisoner, however, it will be greatly appreciated if he maintained good ties with Greenleaf. Food does not fall out from the sky after all." Brushing past the female retainer, he pompously followed another escort down a winding path. Green marched after him and Gold purposely lagged behind, his eyes lingering on the shapely form of the armor clad lady. She offered him a fleeting smile and gestured to an elevator situated at the end of the pathway. The ebony haired man snapped his head back before entering the metallic box and in a blatant disregard of Platina's teachings, winked at her. Instead of whipping her sword out and charging after him whilst uttering a war cry, the female, inky hair held up in a high ponytail, blushed coquettishly and waved him away. Giddy with pleasure, Gold walked inside the lavish elevator and came face to face with a frowning retainer. Throwing the disgruntled young man a haughty look, he reclined in a couch and waited for the lift to take them up. The doors hissed shut and surprisingly, they were made of transparent glass. As the cube ascended, the breeder saw Valora unfold before him like a map. Clusters of houses and buildings crowded together some distance from the palace and all around, the environment seemed devoid of plant life. Cogs and wheels, metal cranes and platforms made up the province known as Valora. Impressive towers of chrome and glass dotted the skyline, some of them spewed pale smoke. The lift stopped, the doors opened, Gold stepped out and inhaled sharply on seeing Valora castle.
Standing in front of the gilded gate of the palace, a man mountain, along with his bejeweled aggron, boomed a hearty greeting and Motonari shut the fan in the palm of his hand. Gold gawked at Ieyasu and received a jab for his slovenly manners. Next to the muscular man, another female hid in his shadow and bit by bit, the Johto trainer shifted from his original position in an effort to peek at her. Green and Motonari can handle that hulking mass of muscle. An adolescent, clothed in pale pink, glowered at him before disappearing altogether. The golden eyed man blinked in confusion and looked around before receiving another blow to his gut. Motoharu hissed at him to behave and he fixed his attention back to the long, royal spat the two Warlord's conducted. Motonari dwarfed in comparison to Ieyasu and the latter, like all of his retainers, wore pleats of armor that enhanced his muscular figure. Aggron lazily shuffled away from the quibbling duo and Gold wanted to follow him. At long last, Valora's Warlord stepped to the side and after articulating a booming, polite laugh, he clapped Motonari on his back and ushered him in. The green haired man almost tripped over due to the force of the blow, but nonetheless, he gracefully straightened up and strode into the interior of the metallic castle. Gold stopped slouching and saw Green's jade irises briefly flicker around. Their mission starts now.
Some weeks back, mid-morning
Greenleaf
Palace interior
Gold, battered, bruised and poisoned; lay in a metal bunk bed and opened his eyes to see Sapphire perched at the end of his mattress. The girl swung her legs back and forth in the air and her cheeks puffed up with indignation. On seeing her senior stir, her azure eyes widened, she jumped down from the bed and thrust her face close to his. The breeder grimaced on seeing her fangs poke out from her top lip and after pinching his cheek, she settled back on a chair. Saph, dressed in a formal kimono, neglected to comb her hair and instead, arranged an ornate hair piece atop her messy brown locks. He sensed her agitation, today, all of the Dex Criminals, save for himself and Green, would be escorted back to Sinnoh. Platina's chaperons are due to arrive in the evening and by night, they will be scattered. The ache of loneliness clenched Gold's heart, since the vanishings of Black and N, Red and Lack-2, he felt hollow and useless. Thinking of his traitorous student either made his blood boil or it sent him tethering to the edge of despair. Right now, he fuelled his emotions and directed them to the mission at hand, namely, to retrieve his former commander from the bowels of a military fortress. Motonari, who proved to be far more useful than any other person Gold came across, conducted strategy meetings in the infirmary much to the nurse's annoyance. Every evening, the Warlord and Green showed up, the servants set up a projector and Motonari and his strategist laid out plans for infiltrating Valora Castle. The breeder suspected that the olive haired Lord secretly enjoyed doing this, over the course of several days, Gold, despite his injuries, hammered the blueprints of Valora Castle into his head. Apparently, the guards of Valora detained Red in a distinctive jail cell reserved only for the elite; and his pokemon were confiscated from him and stored in a special container in a safe room. A considerable distance separated the safe room and jail cell and Green agreed that they must first secure the ex-champion's prized pokemon before attempting to break him out.
An irritated huff brought him out of his musings and he smiled at Sapphire who angrily brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face. "What's up?" he asked in an effort to lighten her mood.
"...This is unfair!" Sapphire heatedly declared and sprung up from her chair. "I want to see senior Red too! How dare that olive haired creep throw us out like this...After all Platina did in order to get us in." Calmly, Gold pointed out that Motonari did them a huge favor by offering to take them to Valora and even going as far as to supplying them with insider information, thus it is best not to encroach on his grace. "I know! I just! Ugh, I feel so frustrated. Why can't I help you guys? I don't want to go back to Sinnoh and leave you two alone." Uttering a terse sigh, she collapsed on her chair and smoothed out her kimono. "I want to stay here and help." The Hoenn native dismally muttered and hung her head in defeat.
Her actions brought a small chuckle to his lips and she frowned at him. "And how are you going to stay here?" The gold eyed trainer questioned, "Do you want me to hide you in my room?" he joked, "oh hey! That's a great idea...no it's not, I'm just joking. Joking Saph!" Gold furiously backpedaled when he spied the dark look on her face. Sapphire brought her fist down, angled her face the other way and crossed her arms over her chest. Meanwhile, the older male wiped droplets of cold sweat off his forehead and settled back on his bed. "Don't worry, in a few days I'll be back to full health and soon, we will come home with senior Red in a tow. Gimme a smile will you? Pretty gals like you shouldn't scowl so much." For a moment, her scowl deepened before she smoothed her expression and grinned sadly. "Much better, now get outta here, if the nurse comes back and sees you, she's gonna give me an injection as a punishment." Silently, his co-worker got up and neatly placed the chair near the foot of his bed. At times like these, Saph lost all her wild edge and she meekly straightened the crumpled sheets on Gold's bed. The room, heavy with the stench of disinfectant mingling with the sharp tint of medicines, unnerved her. It reminded her of the hospital she went to when her mother fell sick and more recently, when she visited a paralyzed Norman along with Ruby. "Tell the rest back at base not to worry; we'll be home before you know it!" Her senior's words grew fainter as he hollered after her retreating form. "And give Crys a hug for meeee!" Gold screeched as she shut the sliding door softly behind her.
"Please come back safe." The female trainer paused before the closed doors and mumbled. She waited a bit more and after seeing the nurse approach, quietly slipped away.
Elsewhere, Platina stared into a body length mirror as a few servants, along with White, adjusted a heavily decorated kimono around her body. Every time she caught a glimpse of herself, the pale noble noticed her lips tremble. Thus, she kept her eyes downcast and let the maids fuss over her. They combed her hair, argued amongst themselves on what do with it and eventually settled for arranging it into a bun. An hour later, the maids left and Platina sat motionlessly on the carpeted floor. She raised her face to the mirror and blinked, this couldn't be her. A sapphire encrusted hair piece nestled in her hair whilst a pale blue kimono, patterned with falling snowflakes, wrapped elegantly around her body. The metallic blue sash around her waist bore the seal of Nixtorm's royal family, the very same one stamped on the collar of Mitsuhide's sleeveless jackets. The servants done her make-up, her cheeks gained a natural flush and her eyes were lined to make them look bigger. The noble hardly recognized herself anymore and she stood up and gravitated towards the door in an effort to escape from the image reflected on the looking glass. Her reflection terrified her and it brought on a wave of nausea. Taking a deep breath, Berlitz slid open the paper screen door and folded her arms back into her bell shaped sleeves. When she turned around, she came face to face with a grinning Hanbei. The adolescent, his scarf loosely wrapped around his neck, gestured at the gardens. Having nothing better to do, she followed him down a cobblestoned path and they ended up at the little wooden bridge spanning over the magikarp pond.
The mid-afternoon sun shone mercilessly and Platina tried not to blush when the advisor openly gazed at her. Perverse it may seem, however this type of behavior was typical of male nobles...Gold actually had something in common with them after all, the noble inwardly snorted and the contemplation brought a small smile to her face. Hanbei moved closer to her and quite suddenly, he was so close, she felt warmth emanate from him. Shrinking away from him, she covered the lower part of her face her kimono sleeve and added: "My Lord, it will be in your best interest to return back to the Castle...I am sure Warlord Motonari is looking for y-"
"Stay with me." Hanbei cut in her words and demanded. "Come with me to Ignis. I promise I will be good to you. Do not leave for Nixtorm Platina...Please come with me." He reached out his hand and gently pushed her sleeve aside. Slowly, he traced his fingers along her cheek and closed his other arm around her in an embrace. "I have never felt so strongly for someone before...I suffer from an incurable disease and I know I will not live for long...But I promise, I will be good to you. It is my dream to see my Warlord unite all of Ransei underneath a single banner." He spoke tenderly, devoid of the frigid edge most nobles used when communicating with each other. Platina heard his heart hammer crazily in his chest and the more he talked, the faster it beat. "When Lord Hideyoshi becomes the supreme overlord, I shall retire and spend the rest of my days alone with you..." He grasped her tighter. "You have your duties...But if you come with me, I will keep you safe. Although you won't be a region's reigning empress...The very least, I want to make you happy. You do not seem very elated to be leaving for Nixtorm and I want to be the source of your happiness. So please, forget about re-instating your ties with Mitsuhide and flee to Ignis with me." The young strategist pulled the jeweled comb set into her hair and watched the bun unravel, Platina's luxurious, ink-black hair hung till her waist and he reverently tangled his fingers in her locks.
Happiness...
Right now, Platina would trade anything for happiness.
She remained deadly quiet in his desperate embrace and amidst the thumping of his heart, she heard him wheeze. Some minutes later, his grip slackened and she delicately stepped out of his arms. "...I cannot go with you." An imperceptible flinch marred his face and he moved a few paces backwards. "Please understand that I have a duty to uphold, and Lord Mitsuhide will not appreciate it if I run away to another province. Your offer is very tempting Lord Hanbei..." she whispered and watched as he turned his face away from her. "And you out of all people should now that duty and honor comes before anything else. Once again, you have my deepest gratitude for helping me and my friends during our stay in Greenleaf. I will never forget your kindness."
Hanbei focused his gaze on the wrinkling surface of the water. The magikarp splashed without a care in the world and the cries grated on his ears, the sweet aroma infused in the gardens tickled the back of his throat and he breathed shallowly in order to dissipate his cough. Sunbeams danced on the water, sending ripples of multicolored light scattering across its shimmering surface. He was alone with Platina and by all means, he wanted to feel happy, however, every time he tried to grasp the feeling, it slipped by through his fingers. Like fine grains of sand. He observed his life draining away from him. Instead of spending his time in depression, he opted for doing his best for his Warlord and trying to find someone he could spend his idle time with. Most female companions interested themselves in gossip and the ones who remotely sparked his interest, did not want to give their time to a man who'd only live for a few years longer. Platinum Berlitz, a strange half noble who dropped into his life carrying a baggage full of lies, did not seem to mind his short lifespan...Unfortunately, she was on her way to get married to an elite noble in Nixtorm and the only thing he could do was watch and feel miserable about himself. "Mitsuhide is a traitor..." He finally divulged, "On the surface, the alliance between Nixtorm and Dragnor seems unbreakable, but their relationship is shaky at best. Nixtorm's Warlord is not satisfied with the way Lord Nobunaga is attempting to conquer Ransei and in the near future, Mitsuhide shall betray him. Nixtorm and the entirety of Ransei will be plunged into a war and Ignis will initiate the massacre. Knowing this...You still want to leave?" Out of the corner of his eye, he beheld her standing stiffly next to him. She looked like a doll; a porcelain, precious doll.
"No. It is not my choice to go. If I had a choice...I would have returned back to Sinnoh, in the comfort of my mansion and in the warmth and care of my family and friends." Platina let a giggle escape when Hanbei asked if he was an option. "...Maybe...If Diamond and Pearl approved of you." On the water, she spied the reflection scrunch up his face in confusion and disbelief. "I signed a contract and I have to uphold it at all costs. And if Nixtorm and Ransei erupt into a war...There is nothing I can do but accept it."
There is nothing we can do but go along the flow of fate.
In the distance, a bell tolled, signaling lunch time. A flock of birds, startled by the noise, exploded from the gardens and blotted the sky with their wings. After they left, the junior warlord kept on staring at the sky. Arms folded behind his head, he lazily observed huge white puffs drifting across the vast blue canopy. Sadness did not have a time and place, grey clouds and pouring rain did not signify misery and pain. A perfectly wonderful day and he drowned in the intensity of his own emotions. Platina excused herself, she picked up the sapphire encrusted comb he threw aside and with dainty steps, made her way back to the palace, no doubt to fix her hair. He told himself that a snowflake like her will not be able to survive in the harsh conditions of Ignis, a place of fire and heat. She would melt. The strange, shifting customs of Ignis might startle her, the people of Ignis were ignoble and walked around with a head and heart full of passion, in contrast, she would suit Nixtorm better. The mountainous region of frost and cold; the inhabitants' possessed natural grace and an unrelenting resolve.
Raichu flashed into existence next to him. The rodent hopped off its tail, tugged on his clothes and squeaked. "Let us leave for Ignis Raichu..." Hanbei droned emotionlessly and looked around the garden hedge for a spot he could easily jump over. "I shall send Warlord Motonari an apology letter for my untimely disappearance...Help me jump over the gates." And saying that, the junior warlord sprung over the tall gates and vanished into the villages lining the outskirts of Greenleaf castle.
Few weeks later, afternoon
Ransei
Valora
Following their entry to Valora Castle, Gold gawped at the juxtaposition of traditional and futuristic styles of the palace vestibule. Pillars of metal, inlaid with beams of polished wood, held up a ceiling decorated with huge chandeliers. Paper lanterns and metal brackets stood side by side. And he spied silken tapestries standing next to sculptures of metal. The palace baffled him and he briefly turned his attention at Ieyasu. The man sported a war helmet with a sword spanning upwards in the middle, the golden eyed trainer wondered how much the head gear weighed? Surely Valora's Warlord had difficulty wearing it? Motonari wore a simple, charcoal felt hat with a crest etched in the middle. The two warlords sat on a raised platform and conducted pleasantries whilst sharing drinks. Gold and Green sat right at the end, when the procession got up, the duo would slip and fumble their way to the third floor of the castle. From there, they had to locate the storage room and retrieve Red's pokemon. The ex-champion rested in a difficult to reach area since the dungeons were hidden in a secret corridor running adjacent to the top floor of the castle and the the cells could only be reached via a series of unfrequented corridors arising from the basement of the castle...Or by somehow gaining access to the hidden door which led directly to the prison. On the dais, Motonari said something and pointed to them and Gold lowered his head out of respect. One of Valora's armor wearing escorts walked forward and the ebony haired man heard the distinct clash of metal. The guard crouched down respectfully next to him and offered both him and Green a tour of the palace.
Gold wanted to fly over and plant a kiss on Motonari's cheek.
Seriously, he had yet to meet a man as resourceful as Greenleaf's Warlord.
The duo unfolded themselves from their cushions on the floor and bowed to the Lords sitting in the heart of the foyer. Both Ieyasu and Motonari dismissed them with a wave and the two criminals fell in step behind their guide. The Valora native summoned a partner and the other male assumed his place behind Gold. One marching in front and one at the back, the breeder eyed them, the entire region operated with mechanical precision and accuracy and deep within the domicile, his ears picked up the whine of machinery. Servants hurried about and they plastered their heads to the floor upon seeing them. When they walked down a few corridors and the babble of hushed human voices faded away altogether, Green raised his hand and brought it down viciously at the back of an escort's neck. The guard walking in front of them crumpled soundlessly to the ground whilst the one behind them opened his mouth in wordless shock. Before he could run away and alert the rest of the castle guards, Green brought out a sword hidden in the folds of his kimono and smashed the pommel of it into the individual's solar plexus. Like the previous one, he too fainted noiselessly and lay as a heap of metal in the middle of the wooden tiled passage.
"Strip them, strip yourself and wear their clothes." Green commanded and got to work without sparing Gold a glance. "We have to disguise ourselves. Warlord Motonari is leaving when night falls and if we are unlucky, Ieyasu might find out that we are still inside here. They will search for two outsiders wearing emerald robes. It is best to knock out the people around us and wear their uniforms.
Reluctantly, the Johto native squatted next to the unconscious guardsman and removed his helmet. "...So we have to make our way like this to the top huh? Apparently, all the workers inside the castle are assigned to ranks based on superiority and service...And they have different threads to distinguish them. How will we know who is who?" The golden eyed man untied the metallic blue sash wrapped around his victim's waist and pulled off his clothes. "More importantly...Are we gonna change right here? In the corridor? I need some privacy dude; I can't just change in front of a guy!"
"Relax Gold; you are nothing to look at." Green smirked and slipped inside the still warm uniform. The subordinate glowered at him and gaped akin to a feebas.
"I'm everything to look at!" The ebony haired male asserted. "Ask Crys..." he mumbled underneath his breath and watched as Oak effortlessly dressed himself. The commander picked up the discarded helmet and strapped it on his head. "Can't believe a straight-laced guy like you outta all people is the first one who's gonna see me naked." Gold moaned and Strategy's leader regretted his jibe. "I have a question." The Johto trainer finished up his disguise and tried not to look at his superior.
"What is it? And if you are going to ask something stupid, save it, I'm in no mood to talk."
Making sure his black bangs poked out from underneath the simple headgear, Gold saluted and stood to attention. "I assure you it is very important." Hearing this, Green's hard countenance softened and he nodded at the younger male to continue. "Does Crystal have a crush on you or something? 'Cause all she talks about is you and Silver! It's always commander Green this and Green that! You two have some…thing...I'm sorry. I'M SORRY!" Gold screeched and without further ado, dived for Green's boot clad legs and hung on them for dear life. "Arceus please spare me!" He pleaded. "I'm never gonna do anything bad for the rest of my life."
"...The next time such drivel comes out of your mouth...I'll end you and Red won't be able to stop me." Gold clung tighter to Green's legs and chanted several prayers under his breath. The older male sported a visage so hostile; the breeder swore it might kill anything in the professor's line of sight. Death glare...It might make a critical pokemon move. An attack guaranteeing an instant death to the opposition. "And one other warning Gold..." Green hissed lowly under his breath. "When we find Red, we will most likely pose as his guards. Do not. And I repeat: do not, under any circumstances, look at him or give any indication that we came to rescue him. Red is placed under heavy surveillance; he has cameras installed inside his jail cell. He should not know it's us, if he gets a hint of our identities, then all of this is for naught. Do. You. Understand?" The man nodded vigorously. "Good...Now peel yourself off the floor and follow me. And no talking whatsoever! You have your pokemon in apricorn balls right? Keep them hidden in the pockets, if anyone sees them, it will alert them to imposters."
They must be blessed with Victini's luck, Gold pondered. The duo discarded their old clothes in one of the several inconspicuous metal cabinets lining some corridors and marched off purposefully to the top floors of the castle. Posing as high ranking guards, they sailed their way to the third floor with minimal difficulty. No one questioned them and very few servants had the authority to boss them around. The only problem happened to be the weight of their garb. Within a few minutes of pompous marching, Gold began to sweat behind the heavy breastplate he wore. He kept his expression neutral, even when beautiful females coyly lowered their eyes on seeing them pass. And with each step, the plates of armor clinked together and the felt like a walking piece of machinery. Similarly to Greenleaf castle, pokemon scurried about freely inside the palace. Young aron, bodies embedded with semi-precious stones, hurried after their masters whilst balancing trays of metal atop their flat heads. In a restricted part of the castle, he spied several lairon gnawing through a giant cog wheel. Steelix helped construction workers reach high areas whilst a two jawed mawile (...Did those exist?) crunched concrete and other wastes beneath finger sized teeth. A foreman stood next to a metagross and magnezone and conducted the entire process. Electricity flowed from the magnet area pokemon whilst the psychic elevated platforms and telepathically assembled together pipes and boards to build a scaffolding where needed. Green hiked up to the band of builders and they directed him to an alternative path to the private area of the third floor. Stiffly thanking them, he strode up to the elevators at the end of the area and rode it upwards.
The duo spilled in a passageway heavy with the scent of sandalwood incense. Gold breathed it in; the scent reminded him of home...back when his mother was still alive. Marching down another set of unfamiliar corridors, he came face to face with a female servant so gorgeous; it was a sin for her to be a servant. The amber eyed trainer could not resist staring at her and whilst doing so, ran into an alcove and toppled over a bonsai tree. Reflexes kicking in, he quickly rescued the potted tree before it crashed to the ground, placed it back on the plinth it rested on and stood rigid when Green whirled around to face him. The girl giggled and approached them.
"My lords..." she bowed and Gold sighed in delight, "you are not allowed in here." she timidly stated and Green flatly reported that they had business with the commoner convict's pokemon. Lord Ieyasu's orders. "Oh! Please forgive me," she beseeched and the amber eyed trainer almost nodded before Green's death glare stopped him in his tracks. "It is also Warlord Ieyasu's orders that no guards come up here. If you absolutely need something, please assign one of the servants to get it for you. I have to run an errand for my lady or else I would have assisted you. Please forgive me." She dipped her head once more before fluidly moving away with a bisharp at her heels. Oak growled under his breath and back tracked. Posting Gold near the elevators, he lured two male servants to come with him and together, the impersonators knocked the unsuspecting servants out and like before, stole their garb. This time, Green frowned at his hair which stood up in stiff, fashionable spikes. What a waste of gel if he had to wash it all off now. Grabbing the comatose slave's pail of dirty water, he grimaced at the brownish slop and located a balcony. To Gold's utter astonishment, the man dumped the water on his head and irritably shook his hair free of stray droplets. Till date, the breeder had yet to see Green without his hair immaculately set into trademark spikes and when he reappeared, he let loose a guffaw on seeing his superior. Grabbing a cleaning towel, Oak turned it over to the less grubby side and wiped himself with it.
"Pfft...Ahahahahaha! Mew, I can't believe you just did that!" The breeder spent precious moments laughing at his acting commander whilst the latter smoldered and dried his hair. "...Hahahaha, you look absolutely ridiculous in your cleaning uniform. Come on, a frilly apron? Wait till senior Blue sees this...Ahahaha!" Banging on the floor, Gold curled up and clutched his stomach. Mortified, Green picked up his broom, grimy cloth, metal bucket and leaned on the opposite end of the spacious corridor. Gold's snorts reverberated around the hall and he waited for the man to stop wheezing and regain his breath. Half an hour later, a still snickering man slouched next to Green and the trainer smoothed his apron out and frowned. Strategy's commander looked even better with his hair in a soppy mess. Most of the gelled spikes sagged over his forehead and he parted them to frame his eyes. Some stubborn ones still stuck up at the back and refused to lie down. "Tsk...You make a pretty handsome servant." the amber eyed trainer pouted and swept his own hair back. Wordlessly, Green pushed himself off the wall and slinked back to the third, private floor. This time, the sparse servants posted on the eerily quiet corridor merely acknowledged them with a tiny nod before resuming their task of polishing and cleaning the unfrequented passageway. The criminals confidently strode in the storage room and once the doors slid apart, the walked into the artificially chilled chamber and a transparent casket ensnared their attention instantaneously. In it laid six pokeballs and Gold, devoid of word or warning, scampered up a step ladder and retrieved it.
The box did not open up easily, in a desperate attempt they smashed it open and examined the pokeballs. Each of Red's pokemon was lulled into a comatose sleep. The premier balls barely gave the two men a glimpse of the slumbering pokemon, the dome of the ball, an opaque white, served to hinder their vision and they only saw the inert, breathing forms of the monsters. Pocketing them, they retraced their steps, knocked out two guards manning the entrance to the top most floor and took their places. A siren rang in the castle and the two stiffened. All the guards rushed to them and moved past them to the elevator. "It is an emergency sir!" One of the warriors kindly informed them. "Warlord Motonari is leaving and we have to escort him outside of the castle. All the lower ranking members are summoned and we will return shortly. Please continue doing your duty." Saying this, he sped away and Oak blinked...Nobles kicked up such a fuss...Just because Motonari left, the whole security system is being amassed to send him off." Other higher ranking guards patrolled the area and he spied a man wearing an electric blue sash prowling around the rice paper doors. Those must be hiding the secret entrance, the Kanto native though and grinned savagely, the moment he did so, the warden briskly marched towards them.
Green felt the blood drain from his face.
"Greetings my good lord." Gold bowed, his body performing a perfect ninety degree angle. "I must say your wife is looking splendid today." Green's eye twitched, nonetheless, he too, threw himself in a perfect bow.
"Neophyte..." The senior officer bumped Gold's helmet lightly. "Firstly, you will not score any points by flattering my wife...She is beautiful, I am glad you noticed. Secondly, the only way you will get a promotion, is by doing your duty honorably understand?" The Johto native replied in affirmative. "Good, now raise your head up so I can memorize your face. Depending on your work, you will either be heavily rewarded...Or punished." Green paled again but next to him, his co-worker straightened up unhesitatingly and pushed his face eagerly into the commander's personal space. Instead of smacking Gold's head off his shoulders, the man laughed heartily and affectionately clapped the golden eyed trainer on his shoulder. "Promising young man...I hope you rise to glory." The warden briefly checked his watch and announced. "Time for a guard change...You two," he pointed at his new favorite pupil and Green, "get inside the secret corridor and guard the convict till midnight. We are short of man power at the moment so I have no choice but to use you. Be warned, the convict is mentally unstable due to his manas dunking experience. He will spout a lot of nonsense so do not pay him any heed." The duo bowed and made their way to the end of the passage. Gold's heart beat rapidly. At long last...
He could see Red again.
Did the ex-champion change? He pondered, maybe he lost weight...According to the warden, Red was mentally unstable...Heh, might be a ploy to keep the guards at bay. Gold silently sneered to himself. His mentor could be cunning sometimes. The paper doors slid open.
"One mareep...Two mareep...Three mareep...Four mareep..." The Kanto and Johto natives stopped dead in their tracks. Opposite them, two weary guards made their way down the steel lined passage and the doors clicked shut. "Ten mareep, thirteen mareep...Ah no...My bad. Ten mareep, eleven mareep...Twelve mareep...Thirteen mareep." A disembodied voice issued forth from one of the cells. It sounded akin to the whisper of the dead. A tone so hoarse and cracked, the owner surely had no water to drink for the last several days. Gold blindly stepped forward and Green glared at him furiously. Cowering at the stringent stare, the amber eyed trainer straightened his shoulders and marched forward, his head hanging low. "Twenty mareep...Twenty one...Twenty two mareep." The voice, so devoid of life and passion could not belong to his mentor. It couldn't! Something hot pricked his eyes and he positioned himself directly in front of the thick bars separating him and the crimson eyed man. His back faced the cell and he stared at a featureless wall. "I can't fall asleep..." Red complained from deep within the gloomy prison. "And I've been counting mareep since the evening."
Gold rubbed his eyes and clenched his jaw.
In the depths of his cell, Red listlessly observed two guards take up their posts. These two people were stiff...And he watched their taut shoulders and inflexible postures. Must be fresh guards...the former commander concluded and got off his bunk bed. In the process, he pulled a muscle and bit down a pained growl. Limping to bars, he tapped the shorter one on the shoulder and simpered on seeing the individual jump. "One mareep...Two mareep...Three- let's count together and help me sleep officer...Be nice." He snidely voiced, "I can't see the sky you know...In these four walls, night and day means nothing to me and this is messing up my circa...sirca? My circadian cycle? Damn...where's Green when I need him?" Gold stiffened on hearing his mentor mention them and on the opposite side, said male petrified into a statue. "Whatever...when's my next interrogation?" Red rasped, "do me a favor and inject me with something please...I really need to sleep!" In the span of five minutes, the ex-champion articulated more nonsense than Gold ever heard in his life. The raven haired man babbled about mareep and miltank, he spoke briefly about wars and then went on a rant about circadian rhythms. Red clamped a hand down on his shoulder and Gold felt how fragile his former mentor's fingers became.
He eased the tension from his body.
And turned around.
"Go...Gold?" Red gasped and his face split into a full smile. "Ho-oh...is that really you?" Pale hands snapped through the spaces of the bars and touched on his face. "I'm not dreaming or hallucinating am I?" The breeder, too choked up with emotion, simply nodded and dolorously gazed at his mentor. Red's hair grew into long matted strands and stuck together on his head, his cheeks sunk and an ugly stubble outlined his once shapely jaw. The man's long, cracked fingernails scratched at Gold's cheeks but he didn't care. And he reeked.
Execution's previous commander and the pride of the Kanto Indigo League, now resembled a terminally ill patient. His ribs poked out beneath a pale white robe, a sash barely held the filthy article of clothing to his emaciated body.
"Hey commander..." Gold sniffed, a small, genuine smile wound up on his lips and heard Green swallow audibly. "Hope you don't have anyone monitoring you...Because we came here to take you back home."
A/N: And the duo finally meet Red, who is understandably not okay. As for Gold, what would Green do without him? Heh. Much thanks to Sagerlaf for following and favoriting, hope this fic keeps you entertained. Virtual chocolate milkshake to all and don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you think.
At Eevee: I didn't know SAD existed either, till Mindy wished me on Valentine's morning. Little sisters these days. As you can see, having Gold around is a bonus, he can flirt his way out of danger. I…am actually nothing like Yellow, but Thank you very much for your kind compliments :D (Now if Mindy would do the same…) But you gotta feel sorry for Gold, poor guy has to do back breaking work whilst his friends are treated like royalty. Check the next chapter out to see how the gang back at the base are doing, and your little scenario nailed the characters *thumbs up* I liked it. Yes, Hanbei suffers from tuberculosis and he is based on a real life strategist who died young. At HeyYouYaYou: Sadly, the bromance between Motonari and Green ended, but here is some more with Green and Gold :D At Silver: You know, sometimes I impress myself, and I only realize it after I read the reviews. But honestly, the Pokemon Conquest plots were interesting. At Guest: Poor Motonari, you bet he won't be half as willing if he actually found out who Green and the others really are. Misty…heh, better if you find out. And you are amazing as well :)
At Jack54311: Why not budding romance? Lol. About Nobunaga, you got everything right except the country, Nobunaga united Japan and he was hailed as a hero before he turned into a dictator. Nobunaga is the big baddie of Pokemon Conquest. At AceTrainerLeaf: You know sometimes when a person favors you and the close friends of said person may grow jealous? I was trying to invoke the same thing. Basically, Motonari is okay with Green, but the advisors are not. They are suspicious of the new comer who pretended to be a noble. And who knows what this 'Green' may be up to?