Chapter 86: White corruption

Dawn

Dragnor

Palace Dungeons

Bone white beams seeped through the dank cracks of the moldy wall and threw splatters of sunlight on the moss encrusted floor. Through the rusting bars, Red observed the weak light of dawn grow stronger and the cellar like chill of the prison, softened into a damp warmth. The dungeon reeked of mildew and the stench tickled his nose, forcing several sneezes out of him. In other cages, he observed his team mates, lying on crude wooden beds and shivering under filthy blankets. A bell tolled in the distant part of the castle, the peals resounded in his ears and at once, the cloying vestiges of sleep vanished. He heard the whoosh of leathery wings and witnessed a bulky, orange dragon squeeze itself out of an open window situated high up in the tower. Despite dragonite appearing much friendlier than its other, deadlier looking dragon counterparts, the peach furred wrym almost bit Blue's head off when the guards ushered them back to their cells. Normally, the brown haired commander lashed back instead of cowering, but, unstable to the enormous amount of grief she harbored, coupled with the bottled up hatred for Red and Green, she screeched frighteningly and whipped around, burying her trembling body in Red's arms. Their spiky haired best friend, wrath bursting forth akin to a geyser, grabbed a discarded stone plinth and bashed it over the dragon's head. He spat a command at it and to everyone's astonishment; dragonite meekly shuffled backwards and never bothered them again. Gold insistently queried about the meeting and the web of lies the top trio fed him, did not appease the trainer. Silver eyed Red scornfully. The ebony haired male sighed and grinned assuredly, he told them the nobles came to an agreement and sooner or later they would all be free.

Blue cried harder at his statement. Her sniffs prompted Silver to emerge to the forefront of his cell and demand who made his sister cry. Awkwardly patting her head, Red untangled himself from her vise grasp and retreated to his cell. The gates clicked automatically shut. Deaf to her brother's worried questions; Blue mindlessly curled up in a corner of her cell and wept herself to sleep.

In the light of dawn, Green stirred in the adjacent cell. Red waited for a good few minutes before attempting to hold a conversation. He was not grateful for Green offering his life in exchange for the Dex Criminals to go free. Far from it, quiet fury simmered deep in Red's heart. His best friend did not earn this, at most, the jade eyed male could spend his life in jail or some sort of oppressive civil service; he certainly did not deserve to die.

He did not deserve to die and leave Red's legacy as a damned murderer.

The ex-champion snorted. What did he care anyway? If whatever Ranmaru told him was true, then he became a murderer quite some time ago. Children disappearing from the forests of Sinnoh and ending up as phantump? To his horror, Red found no sympathy echoing in the depths of his soul. His mind did not niggle at the thought and his conscious offered nothing at all. It remained painfully blank. The blood eyed man tried to entice some sort of regret into his being, unfortunately, his feelings offered nothing.

Nothing at all.

No regret for his actions. To him, his criminal doings did not warrant lamentation nor an apology.

Nothing...

His soul stared back like an empty, hollow abyss.

And his lack of reaction, shocked him senseless.

Red giggled, his chortles increasing in volume. He stuffed a scarred knuckle in his mouth and gasped.

"Green..." he finally screwed up the courage to speak. "I think...I think I'm going insane."

"I know Red." His best friend replied without missing a heartbeat. Instead of shame, anger flared in the fighter's chest.

"I'm not joking Green!" Red hissed desperately, wishing for the brown haired man to admonish him, at least it might exhort some scintilla of humility back into his emotionless being."

Oak exhaled and stared at the ceiling. Previously, he heard Red laugh softly. A cruel snicker reveling in hopelessness. The cold titter lacked humor and it sounded so unlike his best friend, it made Green jolt. Since he woke up from a restless sleep, the professor tried to meditate in order to soothe his frazzled nerves. On the other hand, Red displayed a calmness unsuited to the coal haired man. "I'm not joking either..." Oak let another breath loose. After they returned from Ransei, Red seemed a bit more different, his reckless actions were even more foolhardy than usual. Yesterday, the man did not bat an eyelid and outright offered his life to the nobles like it was goods for bartering. Surge almost slit his throat into two and yet he refused to divulge the secret location of their base. Green wondered what the Dex Criminals meant to Red, "you have been unstable ever since Gold and I rescued you from Ransei...I think the manas dunking procedure along with our experiences of being de-aged into children...Unhinged you." Strategy's leader spoke in a tone only reserved for Daisy and his grandfather. Thinking about his grandpa sped up his heart for all the wrong reasons. He spared a moment to gaze upon the sleeping form of Yellow. Usually the sight of her; lips parted, corn silk locks tumbling messily and her face, as serene as an angel; calmed him and brought a tiny smile to his mouth, however, today, it only served to widen the gulf between his rationality. "It's okay Red; everything is going to be fine." Green tenderly murmured and heard the male shift.

Red stared at his hands; he sported faint scars over his knuckles from when he gnawed on them at Ransei. Manas dunking...his companion had a valid point. Sleep came with a plateful of unwanted nightmares. He might as well strangle Green by himself and spare Oak from the humiliation of a public execution. "You wanna die?" The fighter growled, "Then get over here so I can put an end to your misery...Seriously, what were you thinking Green? At least, I deserved my punishment...You-" Red's voice cracked and he inhaled to maintain his composure. "You deserve better. You don't...Please don't make me into a killer. I've done horrible things...But the thought...the action of sending you to your grave. Arceus Green...Do you hate me that much?" The ex-champion grunted in frustration and the emerald eyed male pictured his comrade stewing in troubled emotions.

Closing his eyes, the professor waited till the angry grunts mellowed. "There was a time I hated you...Perhaps hate is a too strong word, I envied you, wanted to be better than you and I acted like the whole world was my playground. Hmm...Guess I paid the price for that one in the end. I am still bitter for not becoming the champion of Kanto, but, after you achieved your goal, there remained nothing for you. I just hopped on to a new profession. No, I am not envious of you any longer; I respect you Red, believe it or not and because you are my best friend, I do not want you to do this alone. Besides, I voluntarily participated in the activities and therefore have every right to be punished just as you are." Green swallowed and let his eyes drift to the wads of dirt packed between the stones plastering the floor. "Look Red...I am frightened as hell, I don't want to die and like you said, it is a way to atone for my sins. Don't make this any more difficult than it is. I made my decision and I shall carry it out whether you approve of it or not."

"You have people waiting for you! What about professor Oak? Yellow? Dais-" Red snapped and quieted when Gold stirred. "Hey Gold!" The red eyed man's falsely cheerful voice prompted the breeder to stare suspiciously at him. "Great day isn't it?" The golden eyed man grumbled and sat up straight, his raven hair sticking up in ungainly angles. "Anyway, get ready to get outta here because I hear the guards coming." Sure enough, Green spied the warden marching towards them with a ridiculously large ring of keys hanging on his belt. When he opened the heavy, slime slicked grille marking the entrance to the dungeons, the dragonite roared a greeting and the noise enticed the rest of the Dex Criminals to wake up and rub their eyes. Wordlessly, the sentinels marched to the individual cells and pulled the confounded prisoners out, some of them protested against the rough treatment and when one of the guards reached for Blue, she slapped him hard over his cloth obscured face. Lazuline irises gleaming with the touch of madness they glimpsed last night, the female kicked her captor out of the jail and snapped the bars shut.

Constellate's commander eyed the outraged sentry and spat at him: "I'll go with my best friends, try to take me out of here and I'll rake your face into ribbons." Swirling around, she stalked back to the back of her cell and resolutely sat down.

Bewildered, Yellow looked back as the armed men escorted her and the rest of the Dex Holders out of the grimy dungeons. Only the commanders were left behind in the festering area and she tried to make sense of the drastic turn of events. In a span of one night, they went from treasonous felons to free people and this fact chewed on her mind like acid. Obviously the top trio pulled strings; however, what they did remained a mystery to the rest of the members. Blue was unhappy and the blonde had yet to see her cry this much. The normally beautiful female's face puffed up and her eyes were red and bloodshot. She often sniffed and her hair plastered to her face when she neglected to comb the lusterless strands away. Red's smile appeared taut around the edges of his mouth, his crimson eyes, full of soundless contemplation, darted about guiltily. As for Green, he seemed to have the fire of his life snuffed out. His expression remained blank like a wall and try as she might; the emerald eyed man offered no reason as to why he suddenly looked like a victim of an execution. Surprisingly, Green did nothing to hide his dark emotions and he let them run rampant. Pearl and Rald never joked and his tumultuous visage weighed like a pregnant cloud in Yellow's chest.

Ready to burst or explode.

Wanting to give up and shrivel to nothingness.

A rough shove brought her back from her musings and she focused on climbing the stairs. After the damp chill of the prisoner's block, the warm and airy sunlight beaming through the cracks, heated up her body with a pleasant tingle. Her prison issued, sleeveless kimono was filthy and she briefly wondered where the guards lead them. Silently, the retainers hailed to a stop before a set of double sliding doors. The ornate decorations on the doors diffused the aura of an important room. However, when the screen doors slid open, all she saw was a vast, stark space partitioned with elaborate silk screens. The armored men pushed her and all the others through and uttered curt commands.

"Get dressed." The guard's gravelly voice grated on her ears, "And quickly. You have a trial to attend."

Trial?

"Excuse me!" Gold hollered and shouldered his way to the front. Instead of waiting for him to finish speaking, the helmeted man, pinprick black eyes glinting sadistically, tried to shut the paper screen door on him. "Oi! What about the commanders? Shouldn't they come up here as well? Whose trial is this anyway?" His questions went unanswered and fluidly, one of the retainers unsheathed a silver sword and pointed the sharp tip at the breeder. Startled, he raised his hands in submission and lurched backwards. Yellow could not help but see the dirt encrusted under his long fingernails and she checked her own. The sight disgusted her.

"No questions convict. Just do as you are told." Smoothly sheathing his sword into the lacquered scabbard, the warden rotated and slunk out of the room. Gold breathed deeply, his bare chest heaving up and down. Running a hand through matted hair, he jerked his head to the individual booths and implored the rest to get dressed. Navigating through the room, Yellow peered into one stall and let loose an involuntary gasp. Her clothes sat in a neat little pile on top of a wooden platform. A wave of nausea washed over her and with trembling hands, she picked up the amulet given to her by her foster father. Scenes of legendary creatures and battles mocked her from three sides as she slowly changed back into her old clothes. The tunic fit snugly but the material felt alien. Again, her thoughts veered to Green and the commanders, were they the ones for whom the trial will be held? It made no sense. The blonde snatched her hat from the platform and absentmindedly inspected it. When Pearl emerged from his corner with a confused shout, she discarded the hat, pulled her hair from the ponytail and let it flow loose on her shoulders. Creeping out warily from their booths, the members gave each other fleeting, shaky grins and smoothed out their new clothes. Crystal kept pulling on her short shorts but for once, Gold was too preoccupied with himself to deliver a perverse compliment.

At the exact moment, the doors sailed open and a retinue of armored guards patiently waited for them. They resembled characters out of a historical fiction movie and the shiny pieces of armor creaked with each movement they made. Boxing the members in, the whole entourage traversed over expanses of polished wood. Pillars wreathed in gold blurred past, brackets shimmering with flames exuded a heady scent as the team headed up several flights of stairs. The surroundings became brighter, sunnier with each floor and Yellow found the situation to be quite ironic. Her chest hurt and her eyes prickled.

She wanted Green next to her.

The courtroom doors opened and Yellow's mouth fell open in shock. A mass of people shoved from within and next to her, Ruby inhaled loudly. From the sea of faces, she spied her fisherman uncle, his mien mirrored so much anguish and pain, she wanted the wooden floor to open up and swallow her. They know. Her mind offered. Whatever negotiations Red, Green and Blue did, it ultimately led to this. Mechanically putting one boot clad foot in front of the other; she strode inside the aeriform chamber and lowered her eyes to the floor. Her uncle said nothing. He did not need to. His pained emotions oozed out of him and painted Yellow's colorful world into dead shades of sable and grey. Gripping the jeweled pendant around her neck, the Kanto native shakily slipped the necklace off and held it to her uncle.

In another part of the room, Ruby's scarlet eyes rested to a spot slightly to the right of his aghast mother and grim faced father. His palms sweated, he fidgeted with his hat and his heart hammered so loudly, blood roared in his ears. Out of the corner of his vision, he observed Sapphire standing solemnly before her father. Birch lacked his stained, off-white lab coat and a form fitting suit contained his bulk. The Hoenn professor closed the gap between him and his child and hugged his wayward daughter. Saph buried her face in her chest and wept, no doubt spilling apologies and promising to be more honest from now on. Feeling sick to his core, the fashionista spared a fleeting glance at his parents. His mother's lips were pressed into a firm line and he noticed wrinkles near her eyes. The observation unnerved him, of course everyone grew old...But his mother always remained young and beautiful to him. Norman himself was no slacker in the appearance department, but he too, sported fine folds near his eyes. A simple apology won't suffice. Ruby thought and wondered if he would ever have a proper place next to his dad whom he once worshipped as a hero.

"Come here son..." Norman, wheelchair bound and restricted, held out his arms and Ruby inhaled sharply. When last did his father show such a loving gesture? Skeptical, the adolescent refused to budge from his position and merely scrutinized his father's fathomless expression. "Just so you know...I am not a gym leader anymore. Although it might be selfish, I did what I had to in order to get you out. I'm sorry that I can't say the same for the rest of your friends." A shudder raced down Ruby's spine. Norman...Not a gym leader anymore? "So...Come here so I can take a good look at you." The ebony haired adolescent found himself staring down at his father. Norman hugged him and whispered the words Ruby so desperately wanted to hear for the last few years of his life.

Welcome home son.

"Diamond...I am very disappointed in you." Diamond's mother sternly glared at her son who shamefully stared at the floor. He lost weight, the woman noted and it broke her heart when the International Police called her up in the middle of the night to inform her that Diamond was not injured in an accident whilst catching pokemon, quite contrary to what she believed, his brain damage transpired after he took a skull shattering bash from an illegal, experimental pokemon known as Black Mewtwo. For the next few hours, she sat and cried quietly to herself, contemplating what his deceased father might have said if they found out their sweet little Dia turned out to the scheming, proxy commander of the Dex Criminals. She refused to believe it, but here he stood, head bowed and mumbling apologies under his breath. His close cropped hair tangled together from dirt and stood in upright spikes. Diamond's irises, brimming with hope and emotion, now crystalized over with a guarded expression. Mistrustful and conniving. She hardly recognized her sweet son anymore. Next to her, her blonde friend glared at his son. Unlike Diamond who had the decency to cower in shame, Pearl eyed his father dead in the eye and refused to flinch. Both flame tinted eyes burned intensely.

"Why Pearl?" Palmer eventually sighed and angled his face away from his son. The blonde boy trained his gaze downwards and balled his hands. "I know I was not...The best example of a father but, you had Diamond and his mother who looked after you...What?" He asked and gestured to himself and his companion, "did we do to deserve this? What did your mother do to deserve this?" Palmer's last words dropped into a hoarse whisper and Diamond's mother heard the imperceptible crack in his tones.

"We regret nothing." Pearl forcefully answered; Diamond looked up and nodded in agreement.

"Yes..." Dia slowly articulated and piloted his attention to the far end of the room where the three commanders were situated between their executioners. "We regret nothing...If you are at not grateful for how...For what those three are doing in order to save our lives...then I have nothing to say." He pointed to the trio and shook his head. Tears welled up in his irises. "We did nothing wrong...All he wanted...was a place where everyone was treated fairly."

And look where it got us.

Palmer switched his attention to Diamond, the child failed to meet his eyes. "You are missing the point son..." he gently bent to the boy's level. "Take a clean, unprejudiced look at the hazardous nature of your actions. Contemplate on them and then tell me who is the unfair one here." Dia clenched his teeth; he did not need reminding of what they did. Of course they did bad things; however, he refused to acknowledge it.

For the greater good. His mind placated him.

Gold, Silver and Emerald, who for some reason, latched on to the breeder; huddled in one corner and meekly watched the pained interactions between children and their parents. "Che...Glad to know my mother is not around so I could let her down like this." The breeder muttered and the red head pretended not to hear the hurt in his vacillating voice. Silver's eyes inexplicably glued onto Crystal who quivered underneath her mother's well deserved wrath whilst Rald's jade irises oscillated between the indigo haired female, Ruby, Sapphire and his commander at the far end of the room. When they first entered, Silver's gaze was ensnared by the overwhelming number of people milling haphazardly in the chamber. His best friend however, glanced at the end of the courtroom and Gold's knees almost gave way as he spied his mentor and the two commanders standing on an elevated wooden stage at the back of the courtroom. Silver held up his friend and the breeder gaped at the sight. Shaking his head and articulating an incensed grunt, the ebony haired male tore his gaze away from the scene and settled for watching the other exchanges instead. "Think your pops got a letter in prison as well?" The breeder questioned and shoved his hands in the pockets of his cargo pants.

"...Heck if I care." Silver tucked his chin in his collar and rotated away from Gold. "Even if he did get it, thank Ho-oh he's not here."

The doors opened before them and four superintendents streamed inside the crowded room with a patrol of guards flanking them. The crowds scattered to the seating areas and Rald spied Whi-2's mother furiously dragging her child to the second floor. White crossed her arms and broke into an argument with her parents. Upon spying Lack-2, the blonde heard Gold hiss and cuss terribly under his breath. The older trainer growled like an animal and tried to shove himself through the procession of guards. Silver muttered a few choice expletives under his breath and held the coal haired trainer back. Grabbing his best friend's arm, the level headed red head seated his friend in the wooden bench and the police called for order. Soon after the hubbub died down, the Lords of the alliance sailed in. Their presence drew a deafening silence. The very air held its breath and for an instant, time slowed down.

Late afternoon

Dragnor

Courtroom

"Please Green!" Blue pleaded and clasped his hands. "Please make Red change his mind!" She inhaled rapidly and blinked in an effort to stop her emotional dam from bursting and flooding her cheeks with a waterfall of new tears. "Even if he listens to no one, he will yield to you. Just...say something to him! Make him change his MIND!" Her spiky haired comrade simply pressed his eyelids shut. She discerned an arcane fear churning in his eyes and it drove them both crazy. "Green..." she shook him lightly and a defeated grunt escaped his lips. "Talk to him."

Her pleas fell on deaf ears.

Letting Green go, Blue hugged herself, tremors racked through her body.

How could Red do this to her?

Now standing on the platform, she watched him grin at Lack-2; the boy faltered for a moment, angled his face downwards and continued to march forward. He assumed his place at the front pew. The young superintendent sat ramrod straight and she glowered at him, willing his form to spontaneously burst into flames. Whatever silver of fear Red instilled in that child, it did its job and her mouth curled wolfishly upwards on seeing the brat's russet tinted eyes dart about nervously. Moments later, Nobunaga lead the judging Warlords into the room and instantaneously, Blue felt like a coffin lid closed over her. The chamber's sounds sucked into a hollow and she gritted her teeth on detecting a thin, winning smile on Lord Nobunaga's sneering face.

May Giratina smite that pompous Warlord and damn his soul in eternal agony. Hate welled up in Blue's body and Dragnor's emperor sent her another perverse smile as he climbed on the podium behind them and seated his royal behind in an exquisitely gilded throne of black glass and gold. She bit down the urge to scream curses at him. Perhaps sensing her bitter emotions, the two bisharp stabbed their gazes into her and she shut her eyes to blot out their bloodthirsty faces from view. A hush of frightened voices erupted from the crowd in front of them and she knew the parents would hold their children close to them and weep. Thank goodness she wiped all traces of herself from the records. According to her profile, she was an orphan.

Orphan...Red had no parents, she only knew that his parents died in the Kanto Civil war and the authorities deposited him in an orphanage in Viridian City. From there Red bounced from the orphanage and foster homes till Professor Oak provided him a permanent home. Then he went on a journey and miraculously shot up to the rank of Pokemon Champion. What happened during the times he jumped from one establishment to another? She pondered and told herself she will never find out.

Teasing Green and Red over silly things won't happen anymore.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I won't tease you two ever again so please...Change...Your mind!"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"The trail shall convene now." Nobunaga's well accentuated voice sliced in her musings and brought the present into sharp relief. Red unfurled from his slouched position when Lord Ieyasu's booming voice read out the sins they committed one by one:

Kidnapping of children and forcing them to participate in the activities of the Dex Criminals against their will. Way down below, Lack-2 nodded knowingly.

Stealing of precious artifacts from various museums and highly secured places around the world; and selling them off to the black market.

Using the aforementioned precious artifacts to summon and capture legendary pokemon in illegally manufactured master balls.

Also, using the time, space and griseous orbs to summon the creation titans.

Attempting to steal the Azure Flute.

Here, the Warlord paused, a wave of angry voices erupted from the viewer's gallery. The nobles of Ransei twittered excitedly whilst the guardians eyed their children disbelievingly. Ruby, sandwiched between his parents, heard his mother stifle a sob whilst Norman's arm went rigid. The adolescent drew himself in, trying to keep himself small and insignificant.

"Silence." Nobunaga whispered and the room turned into a quiet graveyard.

Acquiring the DNA of a pseudo mythical pokemon known as Mewtwo and fashioning a clone out of it. Genetically engineering the cloned Mewtwo into a pure dark type. The creature ultimately caused a disaster in Kanto.

Mass destruction of public and private property during their thieving quests. Injuring and outright murdering civil officers when the need calls for it. On hearing this, Yellow shivered when she remembered the officer in the helicopter. Her fisherman uncle pressed his scarred palm over her trembling hands, but he did not look at her.

Tampering with the distortion world by sending the captured legendary creatures into Giratina's reverse realm.

Another ripple of gasps echoed from the audience. Blue watched their facial expressions. Some viewed them with a mixture of awe, reverence and mild contempt. Others gazed at them with distilled loathing.

Currently, an inter-dimensional scar hung over the peak of Mount Coronet in Sinnoh. The rip is maintained by a ring of psychic and dark type pokemon issued from Ransei. People cannot go close to it and due to this problem, there has been no studies conducted on the rift in the sky.

Due to the unstable legendary pokemon, it is estimated that the micro damages done by the Dex Criminals shall take more than five years to fully heal.

"Do you have any last requests?" Ieyasu rolled up the lengthy scroll and Red rotated to eye the Warlord. A fatherly tingle persisted in the man's slate grey irises and the criminal lynchpin felt a rush of unease. "Your verdict has already been decided...Any last requests boy?"

Boy...Red inwardly snorted. What did Ieyasu think of him? "First release Blue and let her go down there." A troop of guards rushed on the stage and guided her downwards. She immediately strode towards Silver who enveloped his quaking sister in a hug and sat her down next to him. Relief bloomed on his gaunt face and he gripped her hands with all the strength he could muster. Red smiled gently at her and she shook her head in disbelief. "Secondly, my pokemon must have the freedom to decide their futures. Once I am gone, you shall release them so they may choose new partners and do whatever they wish. Swear it upon Arceus." Red's voice gained a commanding lilt and Nobunaga frowned, teeth grinding over each other in quiet fury. Ieyasu and the others slowly dipped their heads in unanimous agreement. "Thirdly...Uh...I guess that's it." Valora's Warlord turned to Green who stood petrified.

"The same as Red..." His voice vibrated. "And all this...I did it of my own accord. Don't you dare slander my grandfather's name." The tone of the brunette's words changed and attained an icy edge. "My grandfather is an honest person and he has absolutely nothing do with us."

"You must be relieved he is not here...Right?" Mitsuhide looked at Green with the slightest trace of sympathy dancing in his inkwell irises. Green did not reply, instead, he cast his emerald eyes to the floor of the wooden stage and arrogantly turned his back on the panel of judges. Red did the same and the Warlord of Nixtorm sighed. He leaned back and glimpsed Ieyasu's face contorting with pity.

The sound of rustling silk pervaded the otherwise still room and Nobunaga got up. He made a good show of suppressing the glee on his face. Banging the gavel downwards, he announced:

"Execute them."

And not for the first time in his life, Red felt his life drain away and fill up with indescribable fear.

Execute them

A sharp, electric throb went through Lack-2's body and he involuntarily jumped up from his hard, wooden seat and focused his surprised gaze on Nobunaga's smoldering form. "We-" his voice cracked and he sucked in a deep breath to calm his jittery nerves. An enraged howl from the back alerted the brown haired boy to the presence of Gold and suddenly the view of the courtroom tilted and spun in dizzying circles. "We did not agree to this!" The Police officer yelled and clenched his hands into fists. "Release them at once and take the entirety of the Dex Criminals to justice! You agreed to do this in the last meeting." Lack-2 shouted breathlessly and yet, Dragnor's Warlord grinned enigmatically. Her initial shock broken, Anabel tartly enquired as to why the nobles of Ransei broke a treaty and Mitsuhide's frosty reply chilled them to the bone:

"The leaders proposed an offer we could not refuse." The pale man's lips twitched in slight annoyance. "Our decision rests with Lord Nobunaga; he struck a deal with the Kanto authorities over this matter. Please do not concern yourself." Anabel continued to argue whilst Lack-2 plucked up the courage to look at his former employer. Red studied him curiously and the corners of the convict's began to lift in a feral, sadistic smile. Stomach churning, the russet eyed youth averted his eyes quickly. Did the coal haired man finally lose it? Green outright appeared terrified of his surroundings and the events playing out before him. A sheen of sweat covered his chest and his glassy, jade irises flickered uncertainly. A hush of noises rose from the crowd and the officer picked up angry mutterings and curses. Anabel and Nobunaga waged a verbal war but from the noises his chief made, she might lose stunningly. Helpless, the Unovian glanced at Surge who remained oddly quiet through the entire exchange. The blonde stared at Red and haltingly, Lack-2 followed his gaze. Red gaped at Green and his scarlet eyes misted over. Slowly, understanding dawned on the brown haired youth and Surge shook his head and ran a finger over his throat.

"He is prepared to die...In order for the others to go free." The electric type gym leader rumbled and this time Lack-2 wanted to vault over to the nearest toilet and empty the contents of his stomach into a basin. Anabel, fuchsia hair disheveled and red faced from arguing, stalked back to her seat and unprofessionally plopped herself down next to Cynthia and Falkner. Her jaw was taut with anger and indignation. Commotion broke out at the back of the courtroom and a swell of infuriated voices bounced back and forth on the oak paneled walls. A troop of guards rushed to intercept the disturbance and on the stage, preparations were made to execute Green. Surge observed the spectacle blandly; no worry, disgust or pity swirled in his electric blue eyes. The burly man simply grunted, rested his chin on a fist and watched. Appalled and not wanting to witness a gruesome beheading, Lack-2 focused his gaze elsewhere but the spectacle before him drew his attention akin to a magnet. Two masked soldiers forced Green to kneel and tied his hands behind his back. By now, the Strategy commander resembled a corpse. White with fear, his screwed his eyes shut when the bisharp veered closer to him with outstretched arms. The look of tangible triumph on Nobunaga's face disgusted the Unovian officer and slyly grinning, the Warlord leaned forward to get a better view.

Bisharp placed a polished blade-hand on the back of Green's neck and the man inhaled loud enough for Lack-2 to taste his fear. The brown haired superintendent vacated his chair for the second time and swallowed rapidly to keep his mouth from becoming bitter with bile. "Can't watch..." He hoarsely muttered to Anabel. "I'm going to patrol the isle." Thrusting his hands in his coat pockets, he turned around and marched to the entrance.

The double doors flew open and an old man stumbled in.

"Green… Green!" Professor Oak shoved himself through the throng of soldiers trying to stop him and stomped forward.

"Grand...father?" The brunet questioned disbelievingly and blinked, a few tears fell from his eyes. "What are you doing...Here?" Senior Oak at gave him a fleeting glance before stopping and looking back. The aged man's eyes widened and Green noted his grandpa's hands tremble. Ignoring his grandson's queries, he moved to the panel of judges and to the younger Oak's horror, knelt in front of the Warlords. Nobunaga beheld the elder professor like an interesting specimen that was not worth his time. Wrath flared in Green's chest as his grandfather begged for his life.

"Please...Let my Green go. I know he has committed outrageous sins, but...He is a good boy." Samuel Oak beseeched. "I will do anything to secure his freedom. My influence stretches far. I promised to his parents that I would take care of him. Please excuse him from this punish-"

"DON'T BEG!" Green screeched from the elevated stage and his wrist chains rattled, Samuel Oak picked his head up from the floor and turned around to face his grandchild, the older man's eyes were wide with fear and agony. "Grandfather...Do not beg for my life. This is my choice. You repeatedly warned me that my actions were not proper. Please Grandpa...You don't deserve a grandchild like me. Let me atone for my sins." The spiky haired male managed a shaky smile and a great weight lifted off his chest. "I don't want you to see me beheaded...So leave. And tell Daisy...tell her I love her." Oak's tone dipped. "And I love you too Grandfather."

'You will pay for this, both of you, and you will pay dearly.'

Mute with shock and pain, Yellow watched a retinue of guards escort the quaking Samuel Oak out of the courtroom, the man vibrated violently and cast longing glances at his grandson who remained stubbornly resolute. The next event happened so fast, Yellow failed to process it. A gleaming blade sliced through the air and with it, she witnessed blood spurt upwards and rain down on the tiles. Nausea overcame her. A headless body fell forward. And Green became no more. Her vision blurred and she pitched forward. The floor rushed up invitingly and she succumbed to nothingness. Next to her, the fisherman Uncle caught Yellow's limp body and hugged the unconscious female next to him. From behind him, a sob fraught with sorrow escaped a brown haired woman's lips.

Red watched the cleaners wipe the blood dirt stain on the floor.

I am sorry Blue.

They collected his best friend's lifeless body.

The vacuous expression on the corpse's face, did not suit Green.

I am sorry Green.

Why did you do this to me?

Suddenly, Red did not want to die. He struggled against the bonds encircling his wrists and wished for venusaur or Pika to burst into the building and overthrow this outrageously unfair trial. What if the police detained the remainder of the Dex Criminals after he died? Who would stop them? Red suspected the nobles of Ransei had a hidden agenda of their own. He didn't care if they decided to destroy the world or plunge Ransei into a civil war, he only cared about the well-being of his team. The rope cut raw welts into his skin and he grunted in protest when the royal troops approached him. Nobunaga's face split into a barely contained smile and Red spat a curse at him. The grin faded and the Warlord's ebony irises held a savage gleam of victory. Digging his heels into the wooden stage as the masked men dragged him to the front, the Kanto native choked on the ball of silk stuffed in his mouth. The coppery stench of spilled blood and the sharp tint of disinfectant hovered in the air like an oppressive coffin lid. Green's execution went cleanly and in one corner, the bisharp impassively wiped its bloodied blade hand with a snow white silk cloth. The bright red stains swam like a hallucination in front of Red's eyes. It brought up images he tried in vain to bury, his best friend looked serene in the final moments of death, but the quantity of blood spilled on the floor implied Green spent the last few seconds of his life in an undeserved suffering. A sea of faces swayed in front of the raven haired man. The flames spilling from overhead chandeliers grew harsher, the room became claustrophobic and despite his heart beating like a tribal war drum, the area around Red sharpened to a high definition clarity.

I am going to die. His mind simply stated and the drumbeats of his heart pounded louder still.

Leather and metal hand guards pushed the ex-champion's head downwards and the man refused to give in. He heard the panel of judges snarling; and along with it came a fleeting sting of success. The aristocrats summoned more retainers to force the convict into a bowed position but Red did not relent. He fought back, growling and rasping. The viewing gallery chittered and at long last, a cold slice of metal perched at his nape. The bisharp rested its sword hand in a delicate balance, not strongly enough to radiate a fiery pain, but oppressive enough to drain the fight out of Red. The felon stilled and the retainers warily drew away. Instead of training his gaze to the floor, the fighter obstinately raised his face and the twin bisharp accommodated their stances for the human's benefit. Cold metal slid into Red's skin and the icy silver of steel descended like a bolt of fire into the bone of his nape. When the execution started, it became apparent that something went wrong, unlike Green's clean beheading, the moment the blade bit into flesh, a gush of blood sprang up and splayed on the executioner's face. Unrelenting, the dark type sawed downwards, grinding metal through bone. With a final slice, the adolescent's head was completely severed from his body. More blood poured, a crimson fountain varnishing pure white tiles. Hastily the cleaners arrived; they covered the corpse with a cloth and stuffed the head inside a bag.

A tear rolled down the beheaded man's cheek.

The execution was over.

In the wooden pews, Gold barely registered the organized chaos whirling around him. Blue's wails echoed from a distant space. Parents grabbed their children's arms and tried to get up from the seats. A hollow numbness glued him to his chair and he wondered why everyone got up and made for the exit. Police patrolled the isles and commanded the audience to sit down in robotic tones. Through the gaps of people, the amber eyed man caught a pale faced teenager striding up and down; the male's hands were thrust deep into the pockets of the jacket he wore.

Gold felt himself getting up, the noble retainers glanced at him worriedly.

Arms outstretched, he shoved the royal sentinels aside and lunged for Lack-2 who snapped his head up at the last moment.

"Murderer!" Gold shrieked and wound his cold, stiff fingers around the officer's throat.

A/N: And for all those who were waiting for the Gold vs. Lack-2 showdown, it's coming in the next chapter. Or is it? Red and Green are dead. Samuel Oak's sudden appearance stemmed from a review by Eevee (I hope you are still reading :D ) Writing these last few chapters was so difficult but thanks to all the readers and reviewers, I made it this far. Virtual chocolate cake to you all and heartfelt gratitude for sticking with this story.

But don't stop now; there are still a few more chapters left.

At HeyYouYaYou: Heh, I guess I left you…speechless (get it? Lame one, I'm sorry). At Silver: Since the story is (technically) over, I can say this, I had an alternative timeline where Lack-2 pulls strings in order to bust Red out of Ransei. Blue and Green go to rescue their best friend and the three of them debate whether to take the brat or not. They end up taking him and he functions as a double agent. Red and Green end up with life sentences and they are detained in Ransei. Nobunaga wants them dead and out of the way. At AceTrainerLeaf: Everything okay in the end? Eh, I'm sorry to shatter your expectations but there is an epilogue you can look forward to :D At Jack54311: I really, really wanted to include Platina but I didn't find an opening where I can squeeze her in. She'll be devastated but there is the tiny consolation that Diamond and Pearl are alright.