Chapter 81: Plummeting to the point of no return
Afternoon
Sinnoh
Dex Criminal's base
Yellow did not tell anyone about Charon.
When she first discovered him, fear paralyzed her to the spot. The older scientist held his breath and studied her with an inquisitive gaze. Palms sweating and desperately swallowing the prickle of warm tears pooling at the edges of her eyes, the young blonde scrutinized the prisoner. The terror in his eyes softened to curiosity and perhaps a mild hint of amusement? Yellow did not know. At long last, the old man broke the enthralled silence by urging her to leave. His voice, cracked and aged, told her to quickly evacuate the room and to never, ever come back. Nodding reflexively, the Kanto native stumbled out of the chamber in a dazed stupor, as she neared the middle of the corridor and saw Crystal come up, all her frightened emotions spilled out of her. Yellow bawled and allowed the older woman to soothe her.
However, she kept on visiting the imprisoned old man.
Charon entertained his lone audience with stories. The girl's hazel irises shone with wonder when he related the marvels of science to her. In the distortion world, he glimpsed many spectacular and heart breaking things. Situated on an outcrop, both he and Cyrus bore witness to the creation of a new world. Unfortunately, the piece of rock they drifted on, flew further and further away from the organized chaos conducted by the legendary creatures. A swarm of Unown flooded the reverse world and made vision difficult, the pocket dimension kept on expanding into a fathomless depth and Charon floated deeper to the edge of the cosmos. To his astonishment, the dimensional pocket blew up to resemble a miniature space. In the distance, he rivetedly beheld the mythical creatures toil endlessly. The beasts fought ceaselessly, each war sent shockwaves rippling across the dimension and scattering the Unown to far off places. Dissatisfied with merely watching from afar, Cyrus, against his better judgment, decided to move in closer for a better look. Numerous warnings from the leader's only aide fell to deaf ears and the moment the cyan haired individual ventured forth, he vaporized. Not an atom remained of Cyrus. Dumbfounded, Charon's wide eyes swiveled to the side to see a cyclone of Unown churning angrily near the spot where Cyrus evaporated, the flat beasts quivered with rage and swept the area with a wave of psychic energy, memory manipulating wavelengths designed to cause confusion and amnesia. In an instant, the scientist fled from the area and let his rocky platform carry him to Arceus knows where. During this time, Charon suffered miserably. The outcrop he floated on contained a few berry bushes and a pool of healing sap, alas; these two items were not enough to nourish the human body.
His ticket to the outside world arrived when the legendary creatures snapped. Due to the influence of Unown, who exerted some sort of hidden power over the divine beasts, the mythical monsters dutifully completed their tasks and sought for a way out of the dimensional egg. The fastest solution was provided by none other than the eon duo. Representing the ideals of sacrifice, protection and duality, Latios, in an attempt to get his sister out of the bizarre universe, literally slashed open the fabric of the world. Seeing their rightful home, the unspoken order amongst the legendries cracked and they all raced for a bid to freedom. The Poke-world they were supposed to protect; buckled under the immense energy signatures given off by the rouge legendries. Nonetheless, the situation remedied somewhat and an unspoken rule emerged amongst them. The next time some low life human attempts to capture them...Those two legged abominations shall be promptly executed on the spot.
No questions and consultations necessary.
Little Yellow clapped her hands and cheered when Charon told her that the legendary creatures were finally free and back to the place they belonged. Each day, when the base quieted down and the Johto natives gathered in the meeting chamber to conduct private discussions, the Kanto child sneaked up to the second corridor and slipped into the prisoner's room. As for the other brats, Yellow informed him that Gold forced Red to take a nap; the amber eyed man carried the nine year old boy around till the child fell asleep and drooled on his clothes. Blue was also coerced into sleep, or, she joined Ruby into designing new outfits. As for Green, the boy adapted a strict training regimen and this caused him to tire out before lunch. The moment he ate his fill, he passed out, snoring softly on the couch in Strategy's common room. Seizing the window of opportunity presented to her, Yellow climbed out of Crystal's bed and snuck upstairs where she sat on the floor and listened to Charon's stories with stars gallivanting in her hazel irises. The older scientist loved the attention and before long, brewed a plan for escaping his horrid confinement; the stench emanating from his polluted cell did little to deter Yellow and when he casually dropped hints of how painful it was to be hunched in one place, the young girl herself spouted the very words he'd been yearning to hear for a very long time. A bit more than two years to be specific.
"Say...Mr. Charon," Yellow fiddled with her ruffled dress, "you don't like it her do you?" he nodded and smiled somberly, "so...I was thinking...Maybe I can help you out of here." The girl beamed with the radiance of an angel and his heart melted. A few stray tears escaped from beneath his glasses and on seeing this, Yellow gasped and frantically searched the room for a tissue or a handkerchief, finding none, she awkwardly wiped the man's tears by herself and grinned shyly. Charon thanked her profusely but warned her that the risk was too great; and if her caretaker, Crystal, found out, the indigo haired woman will show no mercy. The blonde nodded, seemingly aware of the dangers. "I understand...But, I don't like to see you suffer!" her mellow voice bled with anguish. "I promise Mr. Charon, I'll find a way to free you, so don't worry. I won't tell anyone else!" Renewed with newfound determination, she skipped away from him and he caught a few tones of her joyful humming. Charon shook his head in disbelief and wrung his chained wrists; the girl did not know what she got herself into.
Night
Dex Criminal's base
Second chamber
It was during their bonding hour did Yellow notice a bunch of keys dangling from Gold's belt. She owed her discovery partly to Red. Tired of bothering Green and forbidden to explore the base, the ebony haired youngster crashed out on the carpet and busied himself with a coloring book whilst the Johto native watched with an amiable smile blooming on his face. Next to him, Silver filed Blue's nails whilst Crystal meandered over to the Sinnoh natives and watched as Pearl instructed Diamond on frosting techniques. Having nothing to do, Yellow put down her picture book, dodged the quarrelling Hoenn trio and joined Red on the carpet. He flashed her a huge grin, heaved a stationary set between them and picked up a crayon, adding orange color to a majestic picture of charizard. On top of the picture however, he scrawled some very derogatory remarks about Green and if Gold noticed it, he never commented. Yawning heartily, the amber eyed trainer leaned back on Silver and as he did so, his shirt crumpled up with the movements and she caught a glimpse of metal looped on his belt. On closer inspection, she observed a ring of keys and metal edged cards. Flushing, she focused on coloring the picture with Red and her hands trembled. When Silver declared bonding hour to be over, Crystal first escorted White and Whi-2 up to their rooms before picking Yellow up. Instead of meekly following her older sister figure back to the bedroom, the girl mustered up courage and asked if she could spend some more time playing with Red. And odd gleam of amusement passed Crystal's eyes and she readily agreed.
The door to Gold's bedroom slid open and Red stood there with an ear to ear grin on his face. Upon entering, the boy zoomed off to his collection of toys and she edged inside the room and frowned, Gold was missing. Her best friend informed her that the breeder stepped out to change. Nodding, she bounced over to help him assimilate a pokemon with colored blocks when the glint of metal ensnared her attention.
For all his mischief, Red was surprisingly a good boy.
Sitting on a low cabinet, the ring of keys lay temptingly out of reach, perhaps if she could drag a chair over and climb it, she would be able take the keys down. Sputtering an excuse to her black haired comrade, she went about on her own devices and the child champion merely gave her a disinterested glance before resuming the building of his venusaur model. Climbing on the stool with a little bit of difficulty, she hooked her chubby digits through the key ring and dragged it towards her. Flushed, sweating and nervous, she turned around to see Red pinning her with an accusatory stare.
"Put that back." His tone pulsed threateningly. "Gold said I should never touch those keys. And you shouldn't either." Getting up from his position, he lumbered towards her and Yellow resisted the urge to squeak in fear. Maybe the choice to rescue Charon had not been such a good idea after all. Rigidly standing in front of her, the blood eyed child resolutely stared and crossed his skinny arms over an equally skinny chest. "Put them down or else he's gonna scold me." Red pouted.
"Green said I should get these keys..." Yellow finally whined, "He said it will help us get out of here." For a moment, the young girl witnessed the male's pupils shrink. Of course he won't believe you! Her inner thoughts scolded. Certainly, he is not that dumb.
The Kanto boy tilted his head in confusion. "That prick?" he finally questioned and the blonde swore she could see his cognitive gears whirring. "Well...then I suppose you could take it." He pumped a fist. "Yeah, take it, don't worry," he whispered conspiratorially, "I won't tell big brother Gold."
How dumb!
Yellow simply stared, unable to believe her good fortune. Her cheeks tinted pink at the unexpected turn of events. Stuffing the ring of keys in one of her pockets, she was about to jump down from the stool when the door whirred open. In walked Gold, a towel around his neck and on seeing Yellow, he paused, flashed her a smile and then asked her the reason for her visit. She grinned in return and hopped down the stool. Before the blonde stuttered a response, Red tugged at the breeder's hand and exuberantly dragged him deeper in the room in order to show off the half-finished venusaur model. The child gave Yellow a thumbs up and she discreetly exited the room.
Around the same time:
A circle of pale moonlight lay on the spongy grey carpet; Silver groaned and rubbed his eyes. The soft orange glow thrown by the bedside lamp did not make his reading experience any easier. Standing with her face pressed against the frigid glass, Blue looked up to the sky and saw a wide crack in the flawless heavens. She wished for a telescope, the extra magnification will enable her to see inside the tear. As of now, she could only pick out silhouettes floating aimlessly in a blackish-blue haze. Beyond the boundaries of the rip, the sky stretched out seamlessly with stars scattered across the great canopy. Occasionally, she glimpsed heavy clouds dotting the horizon and when the clouds came, they brought with them the glacial winds. Pressing her eyes shut, she brought her hands together and knelt, the spherical window lacked a windowsill so she could not put her elbows on it, nonetheless, she pressed her palms together and murmured to herself. On the bed, the red head's breath hitched. For some unfathomable reason, Blue started praying a few nights back, every evening, before bed time, she would take time off to gape at the sky before pressing her hands together and murmuring a prayer. What she wished for, he never asked, but the image of his devilish sister praying made him uncomfortable on many different levels. Sighing and running a hand through his hair, he waited for her to finish and run to his arms. Instead, the blue eyed girl completed her prayers, turned around and sat down on the cold ground. Feeling fatigue overcome him, Silver suppressed his yawns and joined her on the floor, at once, she clambered on his lap and hugged him. Her tiny body radiated warmth and compassion.
"So...What did you wish for?" The thief asked and ran his gnarled fingers through his sibling's shock of chocolate brown locks.
Blue did not reply straight away. "I wished for the two of us to never seperate," she whispered and buried her face in his chest, "and for those scary birds to stay far from you. I know I'm not your real sister...But...I don't want to leave you." Her voice quaked and he quietly, firmly assured her that they will stay siblings forever. Hearing this, his sister let out a relived giggle and poked him in the ribs. "You should eat more..." Blue broke off and he picked out a ponderous frown etched on her face. "I know! When I'm a little older, I'll learn how to cook and then I'll make all your meals." She declared passionately and Silver smiled at her, "then you won't look sick all the time. You have really good friends you know, they don't criticize you for looking like that." She lapsed into silence and he resumed in stroking her hair, the luminous hands of the clock hanging on the wall pointed past midnight, and Blue was still up, guess he won't be a polished parent like Gold, who somehow managed to clock out his little terror at almost the exact hour each night. The golden eyed man even put up with Green when the latter threw tantrums. Unfortunately for him, the spiky haired child rewarded the breeder's good intentions by pummeling his small fists in the older man's face. Eventually, Gold would toss Green over to Crystal and the boy immediately piped down when she gave him a stern stare. "Do you have someone you like?" Blue abruptly broke his train of though and he gawped, his mouth a perfect oval.
Silver blinked and blushed, grateful for the dark surroundings covering up his embarrassment. "No." he replied.
"...Why not?" Blue shrilled, all vestiges of sleep gone, "I'm sure there is someone you like!" she insisted and grabbed him by his shirt. "Aren't you going to get married? Won't I have a sister in law? I want a sister in law!" Surprisingly, she sounded similarly like her older self and he wondered if the deity monsters perhaps played some cruel joke on him. "Spit it out! You have the hots for someone don't you? Who is it? Crys?"
Crys? Why did she use that name? Bewildered and wishing for the erratic thumping of his heart to stop, he beheld his sister clutch her head and scream. Worried, he pulled her back into his embrace and rocked comfortingly. By now, she sobbed and complained of a head splitting pain. Right on cue, the other Kanto natives erupted in a simultaneous cry. Grabbing a pair of headphones off his bedstead and clamping them on his sister's ears, he played a lullaby and she quieted down for a bit. Red's wailing stopped a few minutes later followed by Green's, who no doubt marched to Crystal's bedroom and demanded to stay for the night. Blue curled up and she too, fell asleep. Heart rate returning to normal, he eased the device off her ears and carefully placed her in bed. Switching the lamp off, he threw his arm over the miniscule form of his heavily breathing sister and lulled himself to sleep.
Next day, mid-morning
Sinnoh
Base of Mt Coronet
The bunch of keys looked heavy and Charon refused to believe his eyes. Hands, slick with sweat and trembling violently, Yellow meticulously fitted one key after another in the rusting padlock. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, the adults gathered together to argue about some topic and the children were left to their own devices. Unanimously, Red and Green delved into a fight, Blue slunk away to sift through the rooms and Yellow tiptoed upstairs and entered the forbidden area. Upon seeing the hunched man, her spirits soared and she assured him of his escape. The old scientist suppressed the overflowing hope shining in his eyes and wondered how the little child would feel if none of the keys fit. To his astonishment, one key smoothly clicked in place and with great fervor, the blonde turned it. The key did a half a rotation and then...
Nothing.
It jammed.
Charon breathed raggedly, his hot breath fogging his glasses. "Child...leave this place and take the keys back, they might be searching for them. Please, just stop. This is nonsense, if you get caught, they will forbid you from visiting me again." Taking off his glasses, he used his dirty sleeve to wipe them, "go little girl, leave me alone, nothing good will come if you help an old man like me. Those adults you stay with, they will be very angry with you. They might not even give you dinner." Shaking her head firmly, Yellow listened for sounds emanating from the bottom floor and petrified. The meeting broke up and she heard Gold's distinctive shriek as he wrestled the brawling boys apart. A sense of urgency crept into her actions and she fumbled with the key. Summoning all her strength, she forced the mechanism to turn, alas, it resolutely refused to budge. Wiping her palms on her skirt, she peered around the room for something. Spying a pair of dirty, rubber gloves lying abandoned on a rickety chair; she slipped the gloves over her hands and tried to turn the key again. Bit by bit, the metal ground forward and she heard little clicks echoing from deep within the delicate contrivances of the lock. Click. The key snapped and did a full circle, the curved bar popped out and Charon was set free. The older man shook, terror seizing hold of his clouded eyes, reverently, he pushed the gate open, stepped outside his cell and gulped in a breath of fresh, untainted air. Away from the fetid damp of his jail, the room appeared less dreary and he crouched down to Yellow to thank her. Not caring if he smelt like mold, she threw her little arms around him and stiffened.
A cold, razor edged plate pressed against the soft skin of her throat.
Yellow looked up, all the life drained from her when Charon held a metal card against her neck.
"Why?"
Her question never went answered because in the next minute, he roughly carried her and squeezed the weapon deeper into her flesh. A volley of tears cascaded down her cheeks as he carried her downwards and navigated through the maze. She dared not to scream or gasp. The door whirred open and the entirety of the base's inhabitants mirrored her shock. Crystal's jaw dropped open and she gasped audibly. In response, Gold clutched both boys closer to him and instinctively, Silver picked Blue up and forced her to look away. Shaking like a tree battered by a hurricane, Yellow tried to reach for Crystal who froze in her spot. Charon grasped the blonde tighter and growled threateningly.
"Leave the child...Or I swear you will have more than broken bones to contend with." Crystal recovered and hissed furiously, the scientist saw a storm brewing in the clear depths of her lazuline irises. "I am warning you. I will split your skull open if you harm a hair on Yellow's head." She clenched her fists and glared menacingly. Charon quivered, these people scared him senseless, to assert his position, he clamped the metal card down on Yellow's throat and saw the older woman falter. Red, the little sniveling brat, clutched Gold's shirt with all his might and beheld the scene with mute horror. Charon wanted to run over and slit the brat's throat. It's all his fault, him and that scientist standing in Gold's shadow. If those two and that pesky woman did not exist, he'd be a free man by now. Beads of sweat dotted on his balding head and ran down his face.
"My demands are simple." He rasped and his hostage cried louder still. "You people will let me leave this base and I will not harm her." Silver opened his mouth to fire a few words of his own and the former Team Galactic member simpered. "Do you not see the position you are in? I understand that a single one of you is more than capable enough to topple me, however, what about sweet little Yellow?" His tone turned abrasive, "harm me, thwart me and this child will not live to see the light of day again. Now it's my turn to warn you..." Unhesitatingly, he marched forward and the Dex Criminal's parted to allow him through. "Open the door." Charon commanded, Crystal moved and he stopped her, "no, not you young lady, I want that boy to open the door." Ruby, his blood tinted irises smoldering, sauntered over and swiped his keycard on the electronic lock. "Good. None of you are to follow me. If you do..." He let the threat hang and spun around to leave. At the same time, Yellow screamed for Crystal, begging the older female to help her. The capturer ambled forward till Silver grabbed her and held her back. She thrashed and screeched at him to let go. White ran forward to restrain her whilst Green, for perhaps the first time since he de-aged to a child, sniffled in public and looped his arms around Gold's waist. Yellow's piteous cries bounced off the white painted walls till darkness closed over Charon and his rapidly retreating form.
"Crystal...Crystal please help me!" Her cries for help were muffled by the distance.
They waited for five minutes before Crystal thundered down the corridor with Sapphire, White and Diamond at her heels. Gold watched them go, regretting that he could not join them. Green disappeared off to his bedroom and Silver escorted Blue and Whi-2 upstairs. Emerald waited at the entrance of the second chamber, whilst Ruby slouched in one corner. Spying the raven haired adolescent, the breeder sauntered over to him and gently dropped Red near the Hoenn native. "Take care of him for a while, I have business to attend to, he is a bit hyper-active so don't let him out of your sight." Ruby nodded solemnly and straightened up when Crystal strode back in with a weeping Yellow in her arms. Ignoring all the questions directed at her, she climbed the stairs and locked herself in her room. Running a hand through his hair, Gold sighed wearily and grinned comfortingly at Red. "Don't worry kiddo, an accident that's all. Now, you be a good kid and play with big brother Ruby alright? I need to do some work." Red meekly nodded and the room emptied out save for the two ebony haired males. For a while, the kid champion contemplated in profound silence, his crimson eyes drilling holes into the opposite wall. Deciding such a serious facade did not belong to a kid; Ruby called out to him and offered to comb the boy's disheveled locks. When Red sat in front of him, the fashionista extracted a comb from the pocket of his jeans and groomed him.
"We can't let that bad man get away." The former leader shifted on the carpeted floor and Ruby swallowed a groan, "We should find him and hand him over to the police." Red looked up, "Why...Aren't we doing that?" Pushing up his glasses, the Hoenn native answered that Charon was out of the base and it'd be a hassle to go after him. "Hassle?" Red exploded and jumped up. "He...He just threatened to hurt Yellow and you don't want to go after him?" His eyes belied disbelief and a vein beat in Ruby's skull, the brat sounded very much like Norman and his etched in stone ideals. "Look...I'm going to go after that bad man and hand him over to the police."
"Spare me the theatrics Red." Ruby drawled, "you don't have any...Pokemon...With- HOW IN Kyogre's name did you get those?!" The young boy extracted two capsules from his jeans pocket. Inside the glass domes, a venusaur grinned and a poliwrath flexed its arms. "Didn't Gold confiscate your pokemon? They are ultra-leveled beasts you stupid brat, put them back! They won't listen to you." The older male's hand instinctively reached for his own pokeballs. Red juggled the two balls in the air before catching them and stuffing them in his pocket.
"They will listen to me." The child's words contained an air of solemnity. "I conditioned them to follow my orders at all costs. It's all in the confidence, if you show them that you can command them, the pocket monsters will obey you unconditionally." Red secured his cap firmly on his head and shot a distressed glance to the door. "I have to do this; it's the champion's responsibility to maintain peace in a region. The champion is a hero to the people and since I am aiming to be a champion myself, I should start by doing whatever I can." Ruby simply gnashed his teeth, child Red plucked his conscious and he chuckled sardonically at the irony of the situation. He warned the black haired child of the apparent dangers of venturing outside, but the boy vehemently stuck to his ideals. Finally, the Hoenn native mentioned Gold and as expected, the Kanto native stopped and fumbled with his shirt. "...It's not gonna take long...I mean, the old geezer can't run very far right? I'll just catch him with Poli and drop him off to the local police station. Uhm...Maybe they can commend me for civil service." With a diabolical grin on his face, the boy hurtled off in the direction of the entrance. Ruby let his suppressed groan surface and he rubbed his temples. He had to go after Red, if anything happened to the fighter:
Gold will kill him.
The golden eyed man was obsessed with his little charge to the point where discussions were held about him. Silver worried about his best friend's mental state should the ex-champion one day blow up to his original age and proceed to forget about his falsely crafted childhood with Gold.
"We might have to make offerings to him." Silver joked whilst Crystal's face morphed into horror.
Shaking his head and muttering a string of expletives under his breath, Ruby scrawled a note and left it in the middle of the room; hopefully a member would see it and understand that the former Execution's commander decided it will be a walk in the park to catch Charon. Running down the twisted hallways, he impatiently waited for the shutter to open and stepped outside to receive a face full of warm sunshine. Due to the melting snow, the ground became an unpleasant mixture of slush and mud and the fashionista eyed his sneakers and bemoaned their fate. On the ground, he spied a dozen set of foot prints and picked the smallest set. Clenching his fists, he took a tentative step forward and heard Sapphire taunting him in his head. Shutting her voice out, Ruby carelessly threw himself forward and ran down the slope.
Spying a hunched figure donned in a dirty white lab coat, Red yelled triumphantly and gave chase through a copse of trees. The man peeked backwards, distilled terror flaring in his eyes as he turned and ran. The boy accelerated, churning up mud in his wake and uncaring if he slipped. His brand new shirt had mud splatters all over it and the Kanto boy wiped dirt off his cheeks. Zigzagging through the dark forest, Charon stumbled and his breath came in ragged gasps, he did not have a pokemon to fend for him and the woods were alive with wild, hostile creatures. Damn brat! The elder scientist cursed and risked a glance backwards only to receive more bad news. Behind kid Red and sitting pompously on the shoulders of a rapidly hurtling swampert, another pale faced youth smirked at him. The water beast's cavernous mouth dipped open and Charon saw a gurgle of muddy water gushing out of the monster's maw. His foot caught on a dead branch and suddenly the world tilted sideways. A geyser of brownish water erupted past his face, washed down the sides of the mountain and Charon fell, rolling over and over whilst the world spun in dizzying rotations around him. At the top of the hill, Red and Ruby halted, watching the prisoner tumble down the slope with mild satisfaction stamped on their faces. When Charon stopped, a poliwrath exploded in his face and smashed a fist in his chest. By the time the two males ambled down the hill, the old man's body was a patchwork of purplish bruises.
Binding Charon's bruised wrists together; Red straightened up and admired his handiwork with a beaming smile. Ruby stared at his slender fingers; the dirt underneath his manicured nails mocked him. Facing the boy, he suggested that they drag the convict back to base, alas, the brat had other plans and cheekily announced that the rouge scientist should be handed over to the Police. "Police!" Ruby gripped his hat and almost yanked it off his head due to sheer frustration. "Look Red, the police aren't fond of us. Let's go back home NOW!" His plea fell on deaf ears; the boy slogged through more mud and dragged Charon behind him.
Afternoon
Sinnoh
Hearthome City
A buzz of activity erupted in the foyer of the police station as a mud caked kid dragged in a haggard looking man. Behind the duo, another well-dressed adolescent slunk in and pulled his furry hat low over his eyes. The receptionist balked for a moment and the child hiked up with his prize in a tow. Pointing to the old man, the black haired boy launched into a full assault about the man being a cruel scientist who was formerly part of Team Galactic. Apparently this Charon had been held prisoner for quite some time before escaping the facility by taking a friend of his hostage. Through his rambling narration, punctuated heavily with battle strategies, the policeman noted how the adolescent shifted uncomfortably. Nodding when the boy demanded that he listen with utmost intention, he checked the police database in order to confirm the ebony haired kid's information. To his surprise, the intelligence provided by the boy seemed accurate. Next to the file of Charon however, another file caught his eyes. Opening it on a whim, the receptionist froze and zoomed in on Red's face.
Pictures of a wanted ex-champion filled up the monitor. The mug shots were taken at different times and via various methods. One showed him wearing a mask, his face concealed from view. Another was taken at night, the image blurry and difficult to define. The clearest picture of the criminal happened to the shot taken at Ransei. Instead of looking apologetic, he grinned in the camera, revealing an animalistic desire to be free. The rambling boy in front of him appeared very much like a younger version of the criminal...Confused and yet sure of his intuitions, the man asked the boy his name.
He abruptly stopped in his narration and grinned. "My name is-"
"His name is not important; please list us as anonymous witnesses." The older youth cut in. "I'd like you to hurry up, this child's older brother will throw a fit if he doesn't get home on time." The police man nodded and arrested Charon. Dumping the older man to a lesser ranked officer; he asked for a moment and went inside. Around this time, Ruby noticed Red become fidgety; the Kanto native wrung his t-shirt, scratched his head and peered around the brightly lit room. "Anything wrong?" The Hoenn native enquired, "Don't fret; we'll be back home before lo-"
"I think I did something really stupid." Red hissed to himself. "What in Ho-oh's name was I thinking? Waltzing into a police station like this?" He looked up and the fashionista noticed a change in his eyes. They were heavy and clouded. "Ruby, we are leaving and no, I'm not waiting for that police man to come back." The boy strode forcefully to the sliding glass doors, his clipped stride portrayed urgency. When the doors slid apart, a shout from the back prompted both of them to barrel out of the domicile.
"Arrest them!" The chief officer bellowed. "That kid is the most wanted man by the International Police. Get him." A horde of police erupted out of the doors and smoothly drew their weapons. Red, in his quest to put as much distance as possible between himself and the platoon of bloodthirsty police at his heels, tripped over his untied laces and crashed face first into the concrete pavement. Without wasting a moment, the swarm of blue clothed men immediately fell on him akin to a flock of mandibuzz. Ruby fought against his priority to escape and doubled back, charging at the men with a screech befitting Sapphire. He hoped the noise would drive the police away, instead, one of them shot a dart at him, the gleaming needle sunk into his shoulder and he reached up to take it out. However, his fingers numbed, the world spun and he dropped to the floor like a boulder.
When he came to, he saw Red peering at him concernedly. Ruby pushed himself up and fought down the urge to vomit. The ex-leader drew away and the Hoenn native gawked at him. Red grew again, this time, his stature was one of a teenager, the teen shrugged helplessly and crouched in one corner. From the look in his eyes, he knew exactly what went on and even if his body remained fully undeveloped, the man regained his memories. "Sorry...I'm so sorry for dragging you in this mess." A string of apologies fell from the ebony haired youth's mouth. "I'm not really sure what my child-self thought...In any case...Lt. Surge is on his way to interrogate us. Just our luck huh?" A dry bark of laughter forced itself out of his through and Ruby shook his head. The cell squeezed around them, narrow and stark. A bare bulb washed the room in a light that was more dim than bright. Thick bars covered up the only exit and a set of heavy cuffs adorned both their wrists. Ruby's hat was confiscated and a surge of boiling anger erupted in his chest. Opposite him, Red shivered in tattered clothing, his shirt barely covered anything and his full length jeans now served as a pair of nasty, ripped shorts. "Whatever they do or say...Do not give them any information understand Ruby?" The Hoenn native nodded slowly. "Good...I hope they make this quick. The anticipation is going to kill me if the interrogation doesn't." Getting up, the fighter paced the length of the cramped cells and his wrist bindings rattled with each step.
Lt. Surge arrived a bit too early for Ruby's tastes.
Combat boots thundering down the corridor, the adolescent quaked when the blonde soldier appeared. The fashionista swallowed bile, stood up from the bed he sat on and almost crumpled back to the floor as his strength failed him. Two guns were strapped on the belt of the superintendent's camouflage trousers and he pulled his wrap around glasses off to reveal a set of electric blue irises peering disgustedly at him. Red, unlike Ruby, did not tremble in the slightest and when the lieutenant stepped inside the cage and banged the door shut, the criminal advanced forward with an emotionless visage. "Lucky for you, I happened to be in the area for a meeting...Must be fate huh?" The officer drawled, marched to the bed and crashed down comfortably on the thin mattress. Biting down a squeak of fear, the Hoenn native bolted to the other side of the cell and shivered in the corner. "This process is off the record, Cynthia, bless her royal lady heart, forked the interrogation over to me." Surge extracted an intricately designed switchblade knife from the pocket of his pants and the blade flicked outwards, glinting in the meager light filtering through the cell. "A memento...From my time during the war." He whispered, his voice managing to raise goose bumps on Ruby's icy skin. "Let me get on thing straight kiddos, I'm fighting for my cause and I will not allow anything to deter me. It's almost night, I have to get back to Kanto pronto and reset my damn traps and I'd like this interrogation to go smoothly. Okay?" Red glared at the soldier, his lips pressed into a thin, resolute line. "Haha!" guffawed the International police agent, "you think I'll patiently wait and torture you for information kid? You think I have time to waste on the likes of you? Wrong, If you do not spill what I want, I'll slit your throat right here. No use for vocal cords if you aren't gonna use them when they are needed the most and it provides plenty of motivation for you to spill the beans, right chic kid?" The blonde's sharp gaze zeroed in on Ruby who dumbly nodded. "Good, let's get started then."
Like an arbok poised to strike, Lt. Surge jumped up from the bed with his mammoth of a fist outstretched. Silently, the younger male watched as Red's head slammed against the wall of the cell. The dull thud echoed everywhere. Pressing the sharp edge of the knife against his throat, the officer snarled a series of questions and Red refused to answer. With each new question fired, the corners of the convict's mouth lifted in an iniquitous grin which sent Ruby questioning his senior's sanity. When the fighter failed on answering any questions, he received a sharp slap on his cheek. The unearthly howl of pain bursting from his lips sent another tingle of fear racing down the youngster's spine. A soft mumble escaped Ruby's lips and this did not go unnoticed by the soldier. The blonde whipped back, speared him with a cerulean gaze before grasping Red's bangs once more. He moved to the side and male fashionista stared at the battered teenager as he spat up blood.
"Try me..." Red rasped, "We are not telling you anything."
"I suppose not." Surge agreed, "Instead...I'll use a different tactic. I've heard..." he paused and wrenched Red's head backwards and the teenager exhaled painfully, "that you are extremely loyal to each other. Commander of the Execution faction eh? Tell me brat" his attention swerved back to a trembling Ruby, "which faction do you belong to?"
"Constellate." The adolescent answered unhesitatingly and the ex-champion's eyes narrowed in displeasure.
"RUBY!" The blood eyed teen tugged himself out of the interrogator's grasp and the accused jumped in fright. "I told you not to say anything!" Surge wrapped a hand around Red's throat and cut of further speech. Without warning, he drew the blade in a shallow cut and the constellate member whimpered.
This isn't happening.
"Open your eyes brat," Lt. Surge's penetrating tone dropped again to a ghostly murmur. "One of your commander's lives is hanging in your hands. If you don't tell me what I need to know, I'll cut him again. Don't test my patience; I made a living by killing other people." His pale hand soaked with warm blood gushing out of the wound on Red's throat. "I want to know where the rest of you are situated." He paused. "Each and every one of your friends...Reveal their locations to me..." To impress upon his threat, he pressed the knife against the wound and the convict moaned in pain.
"Don't...Ruby...It's not worth it." The ex-leader gurgled.
Another cut sent Red wailing with pain. And Ruby shuddered.
I'm sorry...Sorry...Sorry sorry.
He thought of Sapphire and Emerald.
Please forgive me for what I am about to do.
"Cough up brat." Surge urged. "Like I told you...I don't have all night."
"...We...Are all in one place." The Hoenn native began, his voice vacillating with each word.
"Ruby!"
"Sinnoh." The ebony haired male quietly confessed. "We are all situated in mainland Sinnoh. You will find my friends in a fortified structure situated at the base of Mt. Coronet." The moment he revealed the location, a cascade of tears streamed down his face and his chest compressed. He wanted to gasp for air. The guilt of selling out his friends fogged his mind and dampened all other senses. At the edge of his blurry vision, he blearily watched Lt. Surge let go of Red who mindlessly slid to the floor. The teen's glassy visage screwed up into a mixture of self-loathing and confusion. An expression Ruby was familiar with. The blonde soldier marched towards him, his shoes sounding like hammers on the cement flooring. Suddenly, the Hoenn native did not care anymore. If the interrogator decided to kill him, it would provide welcome relief. Instead of plunging the switchblade into his chest, the superintendent simply placed his blood tinted hand on Ruby's head and patted him on a job well done.
"Well done kid." He boomed. "Your father will be very proud of you."
Father...
And Ruby buried his face in his hands and cried. His anguished wails bounced unheard in the cell's walls.
A/N: And the kid Kanto natives are back to their old selves…somewhat. Red is still Red, smiling in Lt. Surge's face even when he's almost dying. Poor Ruby. Much thanks to all those who read and reviewed; and don't forget to drop a line of what you think. Virtual chocolate milkshake to all.
At AceTrainerLeaf: I actually wrote this piece as a lighthearted chapter but now that you mentioned it…yeah, I impressed myself, with their backgrounds and all :) I have a (dark) pokemon crossover in the works…In the meantime, look forward to Blaec Iustise's sequel (of sorts). At Guest: You know, with all the ideas you have, why not start writing? I really like the little story snippets you post as reviews and sometimes, I wish I could read full chapters; I know I could do with more kid Kantonians and the others fussing over them. Both Red and Green were spoiled as children, but in different ways (at least I think so). As for Green sleeping next to Crystal, it actually has less to do with Yellow and more with seeing Crys as a dependable person (unlike the rest) maybe she reminds him of Daisy? Or Mom? Gold dotes on all the little babies so he is the one buying the toys, clothing and food. Lol, Yellow did choose a princess story, but in this point in time, her rapidash riding knight is Red, not Green. I think the poke-gear only allows for texting and communication, hence the cellphone to watch movies and like. According to the Manga, Gold is a natural at taking care of kids (and pokemon babies) because he grew up with a house full of baby pokemon. I tease Mindy a lot :P Gold would rather take an opportunity to get under Green's skin than lecture him, Crys would be the one telling the professor to mind his manners.
At Jack54311: Smell you later. Ugh. Whenever Green from the games said that, I resisted the urge to hurl my gaming device at the wall, I hated him, he is obnoxious. My brother used to swear at his sprite (pretty funny considering he hardly curses). Red and Green's friendship was built on grudging respect. At Guest: Sycamore…handsome? Oh. Hahaha, for me, it was a gathering of intellectuals. I'd actually want a jacket like Green's but in black. I turned them into five year olds because at that point, children learn the most, they perceive their surroundings and can make decisions for themselves. Any younger and there would be no fights, no snarling Green or smart mouthed Red. If they were older, the Johto Dex-holders would pummel them into submission if the kids decide to do something naughty. At Silver: I'm already writing a (sequel-ish) story for Blaec Iustise. Eh, you flatter me, but thank you for your kind compliments, I'll definitely read your stories :) I like the twists you put in them. At Guest: Green is quite formal so I can see him dancing with someone. For some reason I think he can dance pretty well, those fancy dances (waltz, tango?). I hate mornings, but your message made me smile. It's really cloudy and humid here and it makes it difficult for me to breath. Still, I'm surviving ;)