Chapter 26:

Exodus

Silver stopped and turned slightly at the sound of thunder rumbling through the base. His grip on the backpack half-slung over his shoulders loosened slightly.

If they don't get those giant holes the attack left in the base fixed, then we're going to have a massive flooding problem.

He dropped the backpack onto the bed in front of him.

Should I really do this?

Can I?

Silver shook his head.

Imagine the power, the velvet voice whispered in his mind. The strength you can achieve here. You can claim all of it on your own. One simple act.

Silver looked over to the desk, where his grandfather's falchion rested, glistening in the lamp's light.

One strike, and no one will ever question you again. No one will call you weak.

Silver shook his head, trying to drown out the voice. He scratched his neck, stopping when his hand got caught on the small, aging, unique Pokéball that hung from the necklace he'd forgotten he'd been wearing.

Where are we going? The memory of his own voice echoed.

Silver pulled the 'ball out from under his shirt to look at it.

The memory of the response whispered in his mind.

"Anywhere but here," he repeated it aloud. "Anywhere… but here."

Silver closed his eyes, exhaling deeply through his nose.

Opening his eyes, he opened the backpack and began to shove the few possessions he couldn't part from and various essentials into it.

I can't stay here.

Silver tossed one of his Pokéballs up slightly, and a burst of red light issued from it, materializing into the shape of his Scyther.

"Red," Silver acknowledged his mute companion. Silver grabbed his sword's scabbard, strapping it to his back and sheathing the blade in it, before throwing the backpack on over it. "We're leaving."

The Scyther nodded once.

They both jumped at the sound of the door opening. Silver groaned inwardly at the sight of the familiar silhouette in the doorframe.

"What do you want?" He snarled.

"Giovanni mentioned that you stormed out of the security booth like a vicious murderer after a target," she said in a low voice. "I decided to check that you weren't killing half the Team."

"It's after midnight," Silver raised a brow. "You're still awake."

"So are you."

Wow. My comebacks are thrilling tonight.

"What are you doing?" Domino walked around Silver in a circle. "Why do you have that… back… pack…?"

Because I'm technically committing treason, Silver scowled. As much I'd love to see your reaction to that, I also don't enjoy the idea of you trying to carry out the punishment for such on the spot.

I'm rather fond of being… not dead.

"I've been given a mission," Silver thought up of a lie as fast as he could. "Giovanni seems to be of the mindset that keeping me around here isn't a good idea and…." His mind raced and his hand twitched. "There's a rather sensitive issue that came up that needs to be handled swiftly and delicately. He's sending me alone, before anyone can even notice I'm gone."

So get the hell out.

It was Domino's turn to raise a brow.

"Really?" She scoffed. "That the best you can do? That was… pathetic." She continued to circle Silver like a Murkrow, ignoring the apparently annoyed Red. "What are you really up to? You look like some kid who's ru—" Her voice cut off.

Shit.

Why did she have to be so damn… calculating?

"You're running away!" She breathed. "After all of… after… you're…!" Her voice got louder with each word.

"Hush!" Silver raised his hands defensively. "You'll wake the entire base."

One strike, the velvet voice whispered, and she'll be silenced.

"You're… Silver, this is mutiny!" Domino reached for her belt.

Her dagger.

Silver reached for the handle of his falchion. For several tense moments, the two teenagers stared at each other, poised to act, to strike at each other. Red silently walked around behind Domino, every muscle in the Scyther's body tensed and ready to act.

I would still be hurt, Silver knew. She's been trained since childhood to fight. To kill. I can't count on getting out of here alive by my own strength alone, or even Red's. I need something to break her concentration.

But, what? What would shock her so much that….

Oh, shit. No.

"Take me with you," the words broke Silver's concentration.

Had she really…?

"What."

"If we both leave, there are… there are loopholes we can exploit," she explained. "It can be reasoned as something other than mutiny. I wouldn't have to kill you. Giovanni wouldn't have to send Agents after you. You'd be free, then."

"No." Silver shook his head. "You know that's not true. I'd be your prisoner, no matter what word you use to pretty it up." I have to think of some other way to make her unable to attack or follow me without killing her. Other than…. "I'll only be free if I make a clean, total break, and I never look back."

"Silver."

"One person already died for this. For three years, I let that sacrifice be in vain. Not. One. More. Day." His hand tightened its grip on his sword's handle behind his head. "I will do this, or I will die trying. And not without a fight."

C'mon! Give me an idea. Any idea! Anything but—!

"Silver, I can't just let you go. They'll kill me, too, if I do."

This is really my only option, isn't it? God, I wish I could think of anything else.

There's another way, the velvet voice reminded him.

No, I'm not a murderer. I just….

I hate myself for this already.

"You know I can't let you—!"

Forgive me, Silver sighed, before releasing his sword to grab Domino's shoulder, cutting off her rant already. Taking a step to close the distance between them, Silver reluctantly leaned down slightly and pressed his lips against hers.

He broke the contact almost immediately; fortunately the brief touch had been enough to break all semblance of though in Domino's mind.

Silver took a few tentative steps backwards. When she didn't break her thousand-yard stare to return to reality, he gave Red a nod, and they both slipped out of the room and began running down the hall.

Silver glanced over at Red for a brief second, noticing the odd glare the Scyther was giving him.

"You don't think I enjoyed that, do you?" Silver scoffed. "Trust me, it was either that, or kill her. I figured murder is a slightly more heinous choice. I will certainly be rinsing my mouth out with an entire bottle of mouthwash the first chance I get. Even mud would be preferable."

The Scyther exchanged a glance with him again as they dashed through several sharp turns.

"Enough people are dead because of me," Silver muttered. "I may feel dirty for… doing that, but… at least I'm not a murderer. Sometimes, you have to take the lesser evil."

They turned a corner, not realizing until too late that another small group was trying to occupy the same space in the hallway. They collided, knocking each other over, and Silver hit the ground face first with a solid whock!

Silver shook his head, recovering quickly, and accepting Red's help back onto his feet.

Who was…? Silver half-turned to see who he'd run into.

He sighed.

Those idiots.

"Hey!" Jessie yelled out, turned away and unable to see her apparent assailant. "What's the big idea smacking into people like that!"

"Uh, Jessie?" James said nervously, giving Silver an awkward, innocent smile. "I think you shouldn't overreact."

"Overreact?" Jessie turned to snap at her partner. "It's called common decency to watch where you're going! Who's the moron who—?" She turned to face Silver, her rage instantly dissipating into shock.

"What?" Meowth asked, lifting himself from where he'd hit the ground to see what was going on. "Who…? Li'l Boss!" He recognized Silver.

"Uh…" Jessie leapt to her feet again, before grabbing James and thrusting him in front of her as a human shield. "It was his fault. He wasn't paying attention again! Uh, he was… uh…!"

"Jessie!" James said through a clenched, nervous grin, his hands raised defensively.

Pathetic idiots, Silver shook his head. Bumbling fools. How did they become Rockets in the first place?

Oh. Right. Silver remembered.

Either way, they don't really belong here. They…

Silver snapped his eyes open.

That's perfect. That will help so many of us, and in so many ways.

"It's fine," Silver muttered. "I was…" he didn't make eye contact. "I was, uh, looking for you anyway."

"Oh?" Jessie peeked out around James's shoulder. "What do you want? Sir?" She added as an afterthought.

"You're fired."

"What." Meowth stared at him.

"Your skills are being criminally underused here," Silver lied. "I know someone who could use your help, somewhere where you can be useful and successful and such. Just… outside of the Team."

"Where?" James asked.

"What?" Meowth added.

"Who?" Jessie demanded.

Silver said something in a low voice, answering two of the three questions just loud enough for them to hear.

"What?" Three voices spoke in unison.

"How… how do ya know…?" Meowth stammered.

"Ask when you get there," Silver said dryly. "It's… quite the story. I suggest leaving now, while I can provide you a distraction as cover."

The trio exchanged glances, unsure of what to say or do. Or think.

"Or," Silver decided to give them a mental push, reaching for his sword, "I could just kill you."

Another exchange of glances passed between the three, before they took off down the hallway, heading in the opposite direction.

"That…went better than I'd have expected," Silver muttered.

He felt something poke him lightly on the arm. Silver turned to face Red. The Scyther was giving him yet another glare.

"Oh, relax," Silver told him as they took off running again. "If they make it, they'll be better off. In any case, they're bound to be obnoxious in their escape, and they'll leave any Grunts or Agents after us too confused as to who to chase after. It could work out quite well for all of us."

Silver glanced over at Red. The Scyther narrowed his eyes at his trainer, a small grin just barely visible on his face.

"Oh, shut up," Silver scoffed. "So it's personal. I don't have much to be sentimental about like this, and… I am technically in charge of them, after all. Just… shut up and keep running."

The rest of the mad dash to the elevator was surprisingly uneventful and lacking in any other contact. Silver glanced around in suspicion as they slid to a halt in front of the elevator doors. Satisfied that there wasn't an execution squad hot on their heels—yet—Silver and Red wordlessly entered the elevator, catching their breath as it slowly brought them to the surface.

The first thing Silver noticed as the doors opened again was that nearly all of the rusting warehouse that had concealed that particular entrance had been ripped down and apart in the assault earlier than day. The second thing he noticed was that it was pouring down rain.

Silver took a tentative step out of the elevator, finding himself almost instantly soaked by the downpour.

"Wonderful," he grumbled. "Glad I grabbed a waterproof pack." He glanced at Scyther. "C'mon, Red. Let's go before she sounds the alarm."

They took a few quick steps forward into the mud, before a four-legged shadow materialized in the rain in front of them.

A Persian, Silver recognized it as it yowled angrily at him. Red leapt in front of his trainer, raising one scythe threateningly at the cat Pokémon.

A loud thump vibrating through the ground alerted them to the approach of an Aggron to their left. Red lifted his other scythe in his direction, determined to not let anyone or anything past him.

Silver reached for his belt, grabbing Venom's 'ball with a deep breath.

Knew it wouldn't be easy. Looks like there'll be a fight, after all.

"Horrid night for a stroll, isn't it?" A deep voice broke through the sound of the rain, making Silver turn sharply around, eyes wide.

Silver recovered nearly instantly, his eyes narrowing with a scowl at the tall man standing near a pile of rubble behind him.

"Hello, Giovanni," Silver acknowledged his father with a snarl.

"May I ask what has possessed you to brave such an atrocious storm?" Giovanni pressed the question again.

"No, you may not," Silver said in a low tone. "Now, call off your overgrown gargoyle."

Giovanni chuckled at his son's attempt at a threat.

"So, you are running away."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Honestly, I'm surprised it took this long."

"What?"

"You have always had the same fire as your mother," Giovanni said calmly. "Looking back, it's rather odd that it took what it did for her to leave the Team."

"Yeah." Silver drew his sword. "It's rather fortunate I take after the mother I've never known."

"I did that for your own good." Giovanni turned to face Silver properly.

"You're full of it," Silver snarled. "You did it for yourself. Everything you've ever done has been for you. You had a family, a life away from this hell, you threw it away, and for what? Power? Money? Glory? Do you enjoy have the blood of the innocent on your hands, leading a horde of mindless, immoral, murderous scum?"

"You think I chose to be this?"

"You don't just become a monster because someone conned you into it!" Silver snapped. "Not when you already had peace. Not when you can just walk away." Silver twirled his sword with his right hand, sending Venom out of his Moon Ball with his left. The Nidorino scratched at the ground, roaring at the Aggron while his trainer continued. "You pretend you're the great philanthropist responsible for so many of the luxuries and comforts and advancements our people enjoy today, when in truth, you're the one selling their souls to a devil as old as evil itself. A devil you brought into your own house!" Silver yelled. "You didn't even bother to protect me from that bastard. Your son, and even I wasn't worth your time if it didn't have something in it for you. I have never been anything but a means to an end for you, a way to secure your position of power, your title, your legacy, your dynasty. You wouldn't even let me choose my own friends.

"Even she was assigned to me," Silver choked. "A soldier, a genetic experiment, a weapon, that's what she was to you. A tool to make sure I played by the rules of your sick little game." Silver breathed heavily for a few moments. "And when she suddenly wasn't just my bodyguard, my handler, she wasn't good enough for you. You let her murderer walk free, let him almost kill me without so much as a threat in his direction! Me! Your goddamn son!"

"You think I didn't send every assassin I could after that bastard?" Giovanni finally snapped. "If you believe nothing else I've ever said, believe that if…when I finally get my hands on that monster, Hell will be too pleasant for what he's put you through."

"You're right," Silver glowered. "I don't believe a word you've ever said. Family has never meant a damn thing to you!"

Silver lunged at his father, the sudden violence taking the larger man by surprise. Silver grabbed him by the collar of his suit's pressed shirt, the force of the momentum, multiplied by Giovanni's shock at his son's actions, caused the teen to knock him down to the ground, mud and rainwater splashing from the force. The blade of Silver's sword rested against Giovanni's throat.

The Aggron and Persian moved towards their trainer, but were instantly threatened by Venom and Red.

"Call them off," Silver growled.

With a slight hand motion, Giovanni gave them a silent order to stand down. Confused, they obeyed instantly.

"So," Giovanni said softly. "This is how it's going to end, then?"

One swift motion, the velvet voice murmured in Silver's mind. Just a brief flick of the wrist, and he'll pay for all the lives he's destroyed. For leaving your mother. For dragging you into this hell with him.

Just. One….

"No."

Silver shook his head.

"You've turned me into a lot of horrible things," he told his father, "and I'm not proud of a single moment of it. But no matter how much you've done, no matter how soulless you are, no matter how pathetic, no matter how much of a bully and a con you are, no matter how many lives you've destroyed, how many innocents you've murdered, no matter how much you deserve to die," Silver glared right into his eyes, "I'm not like you.

"I won't kill my own father."

Giovanni stared at him, as if unable to comprehend the words Silver has just said.

Silver didn't seem to notice the change in the man's expression, instead releasing him and standing back up. Sheathing his sword once more, Silver looked up to see the elevator open up again to reveal a squad of Rockets.

Time to go.

"C'mon!" Silver barked to his Pokémon, as he turned and made a mad dash away from them. Away from there.

Away from it all.

Red and Venom were close behind, but the shouts and cries revealed without having to give a single glance back that the Rockets weren't too far off themselves. They ran the across the length of the slight valley, before sliding down the muddy mountainside at the edge. Through the heavy curtain of rain, Silver saw the figures of two humans walking along the bottom of the mountain.

A patrol, Silver realized.

"Red!" Silver barked to the Scyther beside him. "The moment they're in range, I need you to hit them with—!"

A sharp yelp cut Silver's order off, and the teen turned in time to see one of the two Rockets strike the other on the back of the head. The attacked Rocket collapsed to the mud.

What… hell? Silver had trouble stringing even a fraction of a thought together.

Silver stumbled forward slightly when he finally reached the end of his descent. He approached the still-standing Rocket. He raised a hand to block some the rain, finally being able to identify the figure in front of him as—

"Mondo?" Silver breathed. "What the hell? What…? What did you just do?"

"What I should have done a long time ago," Mondo muttered, barely audible over the rain.

"I… I don't…"

"You are running away, aren't you? Or is there some other reason there's an angry mob chasing you?"

The others, Silver remembered, glancing back to see his pursuers reluctantly mimicking his slide down the mountain. I've got to go!

"I—!"

"Run!" Mondo told him. "I'll hold them off, I'll… I'll cover you, lie if I have to. I'll make sure they lose you, keep them off your trail. I'll help you get away any way I can. Just go!"

Silver gaped at him, trying to piece things together.

"Come with me," he muttered. "I could use someone trustworthy out there and… you don't belong here."

"Whether I belong here, or not, I can't." Mondo shook his head. "I still have too much of a mess to clean up here, in the Team. Too much I've done that I still need to atone for."

"Wha…what do you…?"

"Go! Run. Save yourself. That's what she died for, three years ago. Because I failed you. Run, and find peace for your soul, and for hers. I will not fail you again."

Silver stared at him for a moment, before giving Mondo a sharp nod. He turned and ran as fast as he could into the forest.

Silver lunged over fallen logs, and around trees, Red and Venom close behind and often right beside him in their mad dash to freedom. Silver was thankful for the cover of the trees, giving him a slight respite from the rain, but the benefit to his sight was almost completely taken away again by the dark blurs of the forest swirling around him as he tore through it.

Suddenly, one of the trees fell and cut him off, causing Silver to slid to a halt and slip in the mud, falling onto his backside. A pair of eyes above him revealed that the tree had not fallen from a force of nature.

"End of the line, kid," Archer glared down at him from atop the fallen trunk.

Wordlessly, Red expressed his disagreement with a Wing Attack across the Elite's face. Archer was knocked back off of the log onto the ground.

Red helped Silver back onto his feet.

A Houndoom leapt from where Archer had disappeared, lunging straight for Silver. Before the attack could connect, however, Venom struck the Houndoom with a Mud-Slap, knocking the Fire Pokémon down with a pained yelp.

"Well, well, well," Ariana materialized from the darkness to Silver's left. "Looks like we've got ourselves a traitor."

This is never going to end! Silver glared at her.

"Arbok!" Ariana barked. "Grab the punk with a Wrap!"

"Chaaaaaabok!" The Poison-type snake sprung out of the shadows from beside the Elite at Silver.

A brown blur hit the Arbok just in time, knocking it aside.

"What the hell!" Ariana stepped back in surprise.

The Shiny Mightyena! Silver recognized his savoir. What…where did he come from?

Why?

The Mightyena turned back to look at Silver.

Silver! A powerful, yet familiar voice echoed in his mind. Run! They will not follow!

Silver stared as the Mightyena began to glow in a blinding light and transform. After a moment, it was gone, a blue, Shiny Mew in its place, also sporting a tuft of brown hair.

"I promise!" It spoke in perfect English, its brown eyes starting to glow with the purple energy of a Psychic attack.

Silver continued to gape for a split second, before giving a sharp nod and running off once more.

Mid-dash, Silver grabbed Venom's Pokéball off of his belt, recalling the Nidorino. The rest of his desperate sprint through the forest was uneventful, aside from sounds of the battle behind him. Just when he thought his legs couldn't carry him another step, the forest suddenly ended, allowing the full force of the rain's torrent to fall upon him once more. Slowing down, his knees shaking with every step, Silver stopped when he heard, not the sound of wet grass and mud beneath his feet, but the hollow thud of wood.

Silver blinked into the night, realizing after a moment where he was.

The pier. I made it to the gulf. I just… if I can cross that… then… then they won't be able to follow me anymore. They'll… definitely lose my scent; they won't… be able… to… track… me.

He looked out into the stretch of water before him. The waves in the gulf churned, visible even in the dark of the storm, raging in a dark warning.

"I can't swim that," Silver told Red. "I…I can barely swim at all."

Red grabbed Silver's jacket sleeve in his mouth, tugging his trainer to approach him.

"What are you—?" Silver started, before the Scyther similarly grabbed the front of his jacket and forcefully dragged the human teen onto his back. "Are you going to try to carry me across that?"

In response, Red started to dash towards the end of the pier, bringing Silver along for the ride.

"Can you swim?" Silver yelled.

Red leapt off of the end of the wooden pier.

He's gonna have to! Silver prayed, slamming his eyes shut.

They hit the water with a loud splash, the wave roaring and raging all around them in the building storm. Despite the difficulty to even staying afloat, the Scyther trudged on, using his scythes in a crude combination of a doggie-paddle and an oaring motion to gradually cut his way across the gulf.

Silver kept his eyes shut, forcing his stomach to remain steady through the lunging and the choppy jerks back and forth, up and down. After what seemed like an eternity, though, it came to an abrupt stop.

"Wha?" Silver tried to form a coherent thought.

Red stumbled forward onto the muddy bank for a few feet, finally out of the water, before collapsing to the ground, electing to keep dragging them forward by pulling himself along with his scythes.

After a few minutes, even this slow manner of movement proved to be too much for the exhausted Scyther, and he yielded to the pull of the mud beneath him.

TSSSEEEEEEW!

A burst of red light shot from Silver's belt, and the form of a Totodile materialized next to them.

"Totototototototototototototo !" Fang gurgled happily for a moment, before noticing his trainer and his friend both lying in the mud, barely conscious. "Totototo toto dile?"

"Fang…" Silver moaned, reaching towards the little Totodile. "Fang… go… find… go find… help."

Fang tilted his head slightly, nudging Silver's face with his snout.

"You're… you're a good boy, Fang," Silver said softly, gingerly placing his outstretched hand on the little Water Pokémon's head. "You're a good boy. Go find help."

Fang gave a confused gurgle, before reluctantly turning and running off into the new forest before him.

Silver felt the darkness of the night swirl around him, and finally surrendered to his exhaustion.

In the shade of sleep, Silver found refuge in the gaze of the eyes he knew he would never truly see again.

Silver.

"I did it," he told her. "I'm finally free."

Yes. Yes, you are.

Silver took a step towards her, reaching out with a smile.

Before he could reach her, however, her body split in two, exploding into a wave of blood that surged towards him.

No!

The powerful, metallic current pulled him away, the dark red color engulfing every one of his senses.

NO!

"Hey!" A teenage boy in a too-large dark green hooded rain poncho yelled over to his companion. "Over here! He's over here!"

Red forced himself back into the waking world, hearing a strange voice approaching his trainer. The Scyther glared up at the green-haired boy standing above him, placing a single scythe protectively over Silver's unconscious form.

"It's all right, buddy," the boy chuckled. "You're safe now. We won't hurt him. Let us help."

"Did he swim across the gulf?" Another teenage boy in a similar, red poncho approached, shouting through the roar of the rain. A Swampert followed close behind. "In this weather? No wonder he's passed out! He's lucky he's not dead!"

"We'll worry about the how and why later!" The first teen shouted back. "For now, let's have Vlad carry him back to camp and get him dried by the fire! Before he catches his death out here!"

"That theory's been disproven!" The second one retorted.

"Just do it!"

"All right! You heard the man, Vlad!" He turned to the Swampert. "Take him! And hurry!"

The Swampert gently scooped the soaked, muddy, limp form of Silver in his arms, before turning and sprinting with him straight back into the woods.

The teen in the red poncho carefully picked up Red.

"You did good, buddy," the teen told him, "I'm sure. Wherever you're running from, you're safe here. Now, leave the rest to us."

Still caught in his nightmare sea of blood, Silver reached out desperately, trying to find anything to stop the current from dragging him under. Eventually, his frantic hands caught onto the solid form of dirt, somewhere in the churning reds. Using this grip to steady himself, he forced his head to remain above the surface, and saw that he had grabbed onto a small chunk of a tall, dirt river bank, though the sheer height of it resembled more of the sheer cliff of a mountainside.

He saw the handle of his grandfather's sword, his sword, protruding out from the dirt wall a few feet above him. Fighting the contradictions of the surging current of the blood river, Silver reached up and grabbed it with one hand. Using its surprisingly stable location as a brace, Silver started to pull himself up out of the river below.

Above him, he saw two figures standing at the edge of the dirt cliff, laughing and talking to each other.

Silver yelled up to them, but no matter how he shouted, pleaded or cursed, they did not seem to notice that he even existed. Instead, they just continued in their solitary, indistinguishable conversation.

Silver spat a bitter curse, before he noticed two more figures approach. Unlike the first pair of shadows, Silver could identify these: two Pokémon, a Pikachu and a Dragonite.

Pikachu.

Dragonite.

Silver suddenly understood.

They weren't just ignoring his plight.

They had helped cause it.

Silver narrowed his eyes, baring his teeth and gripping onto the sword's handle with both hands. He locked his glare onto the Pikachu, and onto the shape of the trainer whose shoulder it now sat upon.

You stole everything from me!

…

…

A/N: Hey, this chapter is under 5000 words! Weird. I expected it to be massively long.

As always, feel free to drop me any questions. (Yes, Silver's messed up. Getting that out of the way.)