Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Kenboushou ❯ Chapter 5

*Kicks writer's block*

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Chapter 5

 

“Do you hate me?” Red asked.

Lance looked up from his tea with a surprised expression. “No.”

“I know you're always polite to me, but I keep feeling a… distance. But it's not just you. It's everyone here - Karen, Will…everyone except Bruno. What have I done to make the Elite hate me?”

“Well, some of your proposals were juvenile and irritating, but that was all.”

Red nodded. He was so lucky he had figured out the password to his computer and found his diary. It had been very informative, but…

But it didn't fit!

 

According to his diary, this… rivalry he had going on with Lance was just a cover-up, but unfortunately, as he had no memories, he had no idea what he was covering up! He sighed.

Lance continued to sip his tea with a placid expression.

“I wish…”

“Wishing is for fools and children.” Lance got up, setting the cup and saucer down with an abrupt clatter. “If you wish to speak to me about anything of importance, you will find me in my office.”

Red sighed.

 

He was beginning to lose track of time. He had spent two weeks at Indigo Plateau, and after he had put the proposal on hold, he found living there to be actually rather pleasant. None of the stuck-up trainers who came to challenge the Elite Four ever made it past Lorelei and there was a wonderful pool and a well-stocked library. He spent most of his time in the latter, but played in the former.

Reading his notes on meetings they had held before had been surprisingly informative and funny. There were little quips on funny things, though he did wonder why the line MDI kept appearing randomly.

He was about to find out.

 

They were having lunch in the cafeteria when a squad of armed men burst in. there were perhaps twelve of them.

“All right. Drop your poke balls on the floor and hands up in the air.”

“I think not.” Lance spoke. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“You're in no position to be talking! Shut up or we'll fire!”

Lance raised an eyebrow, and before Red could blink, he moved. His form blurred as the men fired, but Red saw the bullets ricochet off a clear shield. Seconds later, one man was left standing with Lance pressing a bloody dagger to his throat.

“Tell me who you are, and I may let you live…” The Dragon Master purred.

The man choked. “W-We're from the POP…”

“Ahh… the notable `Protect the Pokemon' Organization that bombed Ecruteak City… Tell me… did you ever wonder, why the Elite never had to deal with hostage situations or assassination attempts? Surely you were not naïve enough to believe you were the first to consider such a thing?”

The man choked.

Lance grinned. “It's too late. Because. We. Are. Elite.”

With that, he slit the man's throat and dropped the body to the ground with a thump.

 

“Good work.” Agatha congratulated. “I am glad my Ghost Shield held up.”

Lance smirked. “Yes. You took out the rest, Lorelei?”

Lorelei stroked her Jynx's long hair with a proud smile. In a row before her lay six little figures, ice dolls, with X marks in lipstick across their throats, and indeed, when one glanced at the corpses, six of them had rings of ice slicing into their windpipes.

At least strangulation was a quick death.

Lance flicked the blood off his blade and licked his fingers, tucking the knife back into the holster on his arm after wiping the blade dry on his cloak.

Red could not stain what was already pitch-black…

Bruno cracked his knuckles. He had broken the kneecaps of the two closest and then snapped their necks, while the three remaining….

Two of them had needles buried in their faces, and the last had been pinned to the wall with a dagger through each wrist and had bled to death quickly.

Agatha hummed as she recovered the weapons and handed them to Lance.

 

Red shuddered.

“You did well.” Lance nodded. “Well, Agatha? What do the ghosts say?”

“Nothing of import. They are only cannon fodder.”

“As I suspected.” Turning to Red, he offered a hand. “Are you all right, my dear Champion?”

“I-I'm fine.” Red stammered, still stunned.

The Elite Four were powerful! Deadly, but… a small part of him wished he could have helped too.

Why had he just sat there, frozen?

Was he a coward?

He hoped not!

 

Red trembled, but he took Lance's hand just the same. The Dragon Master sighed mentally.

Well, it was time to take Red to bed and cuddle him a bit…

He brought Red to his room, tucked him into bed despite his feeble protests, and brought him back hot chocolate laced with cinnamon and nutmeg and topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

Red blinked. That was the way he loved hot chocolate. How had Lance known?

He could ponder it later. For now, he finished the hot chocolate, feeling sleep beginning to gather behind his eyes.

The best way to deal with shock was to not think about it, right?

It was safer to be here at the Plateau. He did not have to think about Yellow and Orange. Maybe it was unfair to them, but…

He hadn't even…

Why….

But Lorelei still had her ice voodoo dolls, so…

Had the Elite Four managed to brainwash everyone? If so, why was he the only one that remembered?

He wanted to know!

 

Lance let Red sleep, as he got to work evaluating. A little more gentleness, and Red would crack, for he was not used to being lonely. And here, there was no Yellow…

A wistful smile flickered in his eyes for a moment, and then he left the room.

Sweet Dreams…

 

End Chapter

Completed 7/17/06

Yep, the Elite Four are creepy! ^^ And I just realized that… I replaced the Johto Elite with the Kanto Elite in this chapter! EEK! Oops…. Blame Red's fuzzy state? Is it a dream? Is it a reality? Even the Author doesn't know!

… There is an explanation for this in the next chapter, or the last one, I can't remember which. But the Elite Four work on a rotating schedule, switching off each month - except Lance and Bruno never leave. Oh well…