Betrayal, War, Redemption, a pokemon fanfic Ch.12

Ch.12: Captured

       A week has passed since the second escape of Ash Ketchum, convicted murderer and criminal. The entire Kanto region was in uproar, searching high and low for the convict. Yet, all searches turned up nothing. Ash had traveled the entire region during his exile and knew it like the back of his hand. He had found many safe havens across the region where he could hide and remain safe from prying eyes, places where not even his former friends would know of.

But that didn't stop them. The five betrayers, save one, had sworn an oath to find the Demon, their former companion, and kill him before he killed them. Though Ash had given his word that he would not kill them, they wouldn't believe, save Misty. Only she knew that Ash would keep his word, for he had done the same promise to her.

But the other four let their fear get the better of them. Against the wishes of family and friends, the five ventured out, the fifth going reluctuantly. They went, searching for the Demon, preparing to complete an oath formed from hatred, anger, and paranoia.

After a week of searching, the hunters had found the prey.



    Panting, Ash was running at the northern edge of Viridian Forest. He had been on a mission for the Order, given directly to him by the Grand Master himself. He had succeeded in his mission, which was to destroy a secret laboratory nestled deep underneath the forest, which was performing some grotesque experiment with Pokemon. That was when his betrayers had found him.

Since then, he was fleeing, using the darkness of the shadows in the forest to his advantage; because of his dark attire, he blended in perfectly with the dark environment. But such trickery didn't stop his former friends, who were zealous in their oath to kill him.

He hid in the bushes, hearing the cries of his betrayers. He could sense their Auras; four were flaring with emotions of paranoia, extreme fear, and unfathomable hatred. The fifth he knew belonged to Misty; only hers was flaring with feelings of support and fear, but not paranoia. She isn't a part of this, he realized, so then why is she here?

"Where is it?" he heard the voice of Max speak out. "Tell me, Noctowl, where's the Demon?" A hooting sound replied. So Max was using a Noctowl to locate him. Ash was worried. Noctowl could find anything with their Foresight ability, no matter how well concealed they were. He would just have to avoid its gaze.

"Keep using Foresight!" Max said. "Sweep the whole forest!"
"Careful, Max!" the voice of Dawn spoke. "What if we provoke him?" she fearfully squeaked.
"Then all the better!" he retorted. "I'm going to enjoy killing that demonic soul!"

Fool. Ash thought. The boy had let his anger overtake him completely. He was becoming the thing Ash had avoided: a heartless, soulless being. All because of his hatred at the being who had done nothing.

"Anything?" Misty called out, standing slightly askance from the others. May replied, "No, nothing! How well can he hide?"
"I don't know, May, and it's what I'm afraid of." answered Brock, the fear evident in his voice.

Ash was behind them now, carefully going around. Soon, he would circle back south, so long as he didn't do any mistake-
A twig snapped, Ash having crunched it. Damn!

"Behind us, Noctowl!" yelled Max. Before Ash had any time to react, Noctowl blasted its Foresight straight at him. He was exposed.
"There it is!" Max said with relish. Ash didn't hesitate; he bolted south. "Mightyena, get it!" yelled Max. "Tear its legs off!"

The dog Pokemon charged after him. But Ash was the faster runner and he knew the forest very well. Very soon, the trail was lost again, and the betrayers had to resume their search from scratch.

Ash was hiding in a secluded glade, well hidden from prying eyes by bushes and pillars of trees and foliage. He looked behind him. Not far to the southeast was Viridian City; the forest went around it in a crescent style; at the very end of the eastern part was Gary's residence. He knew he had to get there, as it had the only place where he could hide with surety of safety: the vault, which contained the crystal and that would only open with his DNA.

He reached out, feeling the Auras of the betrayers; they were heading northwest, away from him. He could move. Slowly but gradually, he began the long trek to Viridian City and the eastern side.

For a long half hour he ran, arriving at the western outskirts of the city. Here he would turn north and then go above the city, keeping himself to the shadows. Viridian City police were on high alert and constantly patrolling the city and the outskirts.

He kept going, and felt a presence enter his mind. It was Gary, soon followed by the others.

Ash! You all right? he desperately asked.
Ash replied, Yeah, I'm fine, brother. But I'm being hunted by the betrayers. They came very close to getting me.

Where are they? It was Drew talking this time. He answered. Last I felt them, they were going northwest, away from me.
You need any help? That was Molly's thoughts reaching out to him.

I will. I need to hide myself in the vault, Gary. You and the others head for the house. I'll meet you there. he said. The others understood and complied.

Ash continued going. He soon arrived to within two miles of Gary's house. Very soon, he would be safe.

That one thought of eventual safety nearly killed him, for out of nowhere, a flurry of spikes came to within an inch of his head. He instinctively dodged at the last second.

"Again, Forretress! Fire your spikes!" Brock's voice called out. Ash looked to his left; there they were, the betrayers. He had come that close to being impaled by Forretress's sharp spikes.
How did they get here so fast? he wondered. That's when he saw a Togetic. Misty's Togetic.

It teleported them here, following my residual energy. he surmised. So she is helping them! He turned to look at her; Misty was there, but still slightly at the side. And from what he saw, she looked like she was in pain, and it wasn't her own. He was confused.

But he was given no time to process that, for Forretress had fired a second set of spikes at him. Again he dodged and kept going east.

"You think your friend's gonna help you, Demon!?" yelled Max after him. "You're dead! And I'll make sure you stay dead this time!"

He kept going until he tripped and fell down a small drop. He turned and surveyed his surroundings. He had fallen into a small ditch, though the drop was so steep he couldn't climb his way out. He kept going, but the ditch was leading south, away from Gary's house. He would have to clear the ditch and veer east again. It kept going for some distance but finally the ditch ended. Unfortunately, it ended in a high cliff face that enclosed Ash. And there was no way he could climb in time, not to mention he had none of his Pokemon at hand, for the mission he had previously undertaken required he put away his Pokemon.

Worst-case scenario. Trapped. Cornered. No chance of escape. At the mercy of the hunters. It was certainly the situation Ash did not want to be in.

Footsteps sounded behind and above. No way out. he thought. The only thing he could do now was try one last attempt at convincing them of his innocence. It was a futile shot, but what choice did he have?

Slowly, he turned and looked up. There they were, the betrayers. Surrounding him, their Pokemon out and at the ready. He looked at each one of the betrayers.
Max, with that righteous look of vindication and hatred. Brock, with an expression of surety in what he was about to do. May, with equally zealous belief in the "rightness" of her act, and Dawn, the only one with true fear and disgust at what she was about to do.

The only one who stood away was Misty. Though she looked as hateful as any of them, her face was a mask of pain. Pain from what? Ash couldn't tell.

"It's time." said Brock. "Time we wiped out your existence from this earth, Ketchum."
He turned back to address him. "Fools. All of you fools." He said. "You really are the biggest fools in the world."

"Shut up!" yelled Max. "Don't talk anymore! All your words are lies! I'll be glad to present Maximus with your head once I'm through with you!"

Ash laughed, a cold laugh. "You idolize that snake? You're lower than I thought, boy. And I see you've finally let your anger take full control of you."
"Don't speak to my brother, murderer." May said threateningly. Ash just lowered his head.

"So this is what it's come down to." Ash said slowly. "Five betrayers, whom I considered to be best friends, about to kill a man who committed nothing wrong. How does it feel like? How does it feel to be committing the ultimate sin of killing? And with an added bonus, the killing of a person who remains innocent?"

"Shut up!" yelled Max again. "Don't say another word! You're not even privileged to talk! I'm going to sleep well after I do this."
Are you? asked Ash in his mind. The boy yelled again, and this time, he shouted for an attack.

So that's it then. he thought. I'm going to die. He had no options left. The only thing left to do was accept his fate. And he did.

He waited for the call, for the first attack to hit him. His hatred for them would live on, and would haunt them forever. But now, Ash awaited death.

He waited. He waited.
It never came.

The next thing Ash heard was the sound of guns cocked and ready to fire. After that, he heard a very shocked Max. "Who are you!? What're you doing!?"
Curious, Ash opened his eyes. What he saw both shocked and relieved him.

There were nine figures, cloaked in the same crimson robes and hoods that Misty had seen before. Two were down with Ash, protecting him. Another was standing beside Misty, preventing her from doing anything stupid. A fourth and fifth were standing behind everyone, arms outstretched and bathed in psychic energy, controlling the Pokemon's actions. The remaining four were standing behind or beside May, Dawn, Max, and Brock.

They were aiming Beretta M9 pistols at the four. Directly at their heads. And they were cocked, ready to fire with the push of a trigger.

"Bout time you guys showed up!" Ash said, relieved he was still alive. The figure beside Misty spoke. "Looks like we came barely in time. Another second and you'd have been dead."

"Don't remind me." he replied. He looked up. All four betrayers were in complete shock. "Who are these guys, Demon? Your friends?" said Max, mocking him as he looked down at Ash with hatred, the fact that a pistol was aimed at his head not worrying him.

"And yours." Ash replied. May looked confused. "What do you mean?" she demanded. He smiled. "You've known them for a long time, and like Gary," he gestured to the figure next to Misty, "they too knew of my innocence and helped me all these long years. It's time you met your friends."

"And your boyfriends........and girlfriend." he said to May, Dawn, and Brock, who suddenly stared at the ones aiming the pistols, hoping against hope that he was wrong.

"Show them." Ash said. All nine proceeded to lower their hoods and remove their masks. When they did, all save Misty stared in open-mouthed horror.
There, to Misty's left, was Gary Oak. Down below with Ash were Molly Hale and Ritchie. Keeping the Pokemon under their psychic control was Sakura and Sabrina.

And aiming the pistols at the betrayers' heads were the last four they would expect: Paul, May and Dawn's boyfriends, Drew and Kenny, and Brock's girlfriend, who was aiming the pistol at her own boyfriend. Suzy.

"DREW!? KENNY!? PAUL!? SUZY!?" All four screamed at the same time, in complete shock that their spouses and friends had betrayed them.

"Sorry, Brock," Suzy said, "but we can't let you do this. We can't let you kill the last hope for the world."
"How could you?" he shouted back. "I trusted you! I loved you! And all this time you've been on his side!?"

"All of us have, Brock." Molly answered for him. "Just like you and the others should've been there for Ash when he needed you the most. Traitor."
"Traitor." Gary said. So did the others. "Traitor, traitor, traitor......."

"STOP!" yelled Max, enraged beyond reason at the betrayal of his closest friends and mentors. "It's you who betrayed us! By siding with that thing down there!" He shakily pointed an accusing finger down at Ash. They ignored his tirade.

"Call back your Pokemon." Drew ordered. "Now."
"We won't hesitate to harm you." Kenny added, and the look in his eyes told Dawn he meant it. "You'd....really shoot me?" she asked in horror. He nodded, though she caught regret in his eyes. "I would, Dee-Dee, all to protect Ash."

Seeing that there was no other choice, all four relented and called back their Pokemon, though they did it with great anger and reluctance. All the Pokemon were recalled.
"Bind their wrists." Gary ordered. Sakura and Sabrina proceeded to tie everyone's wrists with steel wire, but Gary stopped them before they did it to Misty. "Except Misty." he said. "She's no threat." he added, having confiscated her Pokemon.

"What shall we do with them?" asked Sakura. Ash answered. "We're taking them to the Elite Four residence. It's time they were revealed the whole truth. They'd better be ready for it." He looked down at the four bound betrayers, three of whom were looking at their lovebirds with frothing hatred.

"Why, Drew?" demanded May. "How could you do this to me?" Drew kneeled down and stared her in the eye. "Because I have to, for the greater good. I always knew Ash was innocent, and I never stopped believing in it. That's why I'm here, to save Ash and to help him. Unlike you, who betrayed him."
"So all the love you've shown me, it was all a lie? You really didn't love me?" she said, angry. "Yes and no. I really did, and still do, love you, May. But I have a higher calling, and that's to save the world along with Ash."

"From what?" Dawn asked, equally angry. "From a war." her boyfriend answered. "A war that's going to devastate the world as we know it."

"You lie!" roared Max, who now hated them all with a vengeance. "You all lie! I hate you! HATE YOU ALL!"
"It's fine." replied Paul, who was standing guard. "Hate us all you like. The truth's going to vindicate our reasons for betraying you, and make you all see the scale of your betrayal."

Suddenly, the leaves rustled. "Guys, we're not alone." said Sabrina. "I sense multiple minds, and they all have malice in them."
"Defensive formation." ordered Ash. "Protect the prisoners. They can't die." The others obeyed, professionally aiming their pistols all around them, forming a circle around the prisoners.

They were stunned by this, even Max. Why would their "friends" protect them? And more importantly, why would the Demon protect them?
"There!" yelled Sabrina, pointing directly in front of her. Drew aimed and fired one shot. He was rewarded a second later by the gurgling sound of someone choking in their own blood. From the dense bush out came a tall individual, clad in a battle uniform of black with gray stripes. He wore no insignia save a stylized red "T" with the end tip shaped like a downward-pointing sword.

But what shocked the betrayers was that he was packing some serious heat: an FN Minimi light machine gun, of all things.

"Who is that?" asked Misty, shocked at this man's death and his appearance. Ash answered for her. "Team Thanatos. They're here. Go, brothers and sisters. Search and kill." he said, and the others started moving together, guns outward. Ash stayed behind to protect the ones who betrayed him.

"What are you doing?" Max demanded, unwilling to believe the Demon would guard them. "Protecting you." he answered. Max laughed loudly at that, a mirthless laugh. "Yeah, right! You're only telling us that so we can gain your trust!"

"Quiet." he said, keeping watch. Max wouldn't. "No, I won't! I see through your lies! And I know you manipulated our friends to believe you! I'll make sure you-"

Any further words were interrupted by the sound of automatic gunfire, close range. All stopped to listen to the sound. "What was that?" asked Misty.

"Assault rifles." Ash replied. "Not ours. TAR-21s. Standard-issue for Thanatos soldiers." he continued. The others stared at him. "How do you know this?" asked Dawn.

"Because I've fought these bastards for three years. All of us have." May stared at him incredulously. "All of us?"

"Me, Molly, Drew, Kenny, Suzy, and the others." he answered. "We've been fighting a secret war with Thanatos." He turned to look them directly in the eye. "You thought you knew them. You didn't. You have no idea what they've been through."

"What are you talking about?" growled Max, still seething in anger. His answer was another man in the same black and gray combat uniform of the previous stumble out into the open, left hand clutching a gunshot wound in his chest. He wielded a TAR-21 assault rifle in his right and fired wildly with it until it was empty.

From the bushes emerged Drew, looking sweaty but otherwise unharmed. May saw he had several bruises. "Drew?" she asked. He didn't answer, his attention focused solely on the wounded soldier. The soldier charged at him. Drew merely lifted his pistol and fired two shots, one at the heart, another in the head. The soldier immediately collapsed, dead before he hit the ground.

May was beside herself. She stared in complete shock at her boyfriend. He had just shot and killed another being, and he didn't even show regret for it!

"What did you do!?" she screamed. He turned to look at his girlfriend. "You just shot and killed a man! How could you!?" Drew showed no emotion, but he stated the facts. "It was justified, May. He was going to kill me. It was either me or him."

Another scuffle sounded nearby. From the bushes emerged Kenny and another black-garbed soldier. This soldier was wielding a small short blade of carbon steel. It resembled a mix of K-BAR knife and the Greek xiphos short sword. He held it one-handed, tip extended outward, in a crouching stance. Kenny had discarded his pistol, for it had run out of bullets. He was wary, ready to make his move.

Dawn shouted, "Kenny, get away! He's gonna kill you!" But her boyfriend didn't listen; he stood his ground. "Do something!" Dawn screamed to Ash. He turned and shook his head. "No, I'd only get in the way. Trust in your boyfriend. Of all my friends, he is the best in hand-to-hand combat."

Dawn didn't understand. Kenny knows how to fight? She just stared at the action, tears streaming from her eyes.

Then from the bushes another fight came out. A brute of a man was fighting with Suzy, Brock's girlfriend. Brock also shouted at her to get away, but like Kenny, she stood her ground.

That interruption made the other soldier careless. Believing Kenny's attention distracted, he lunged forward for a killing blow. Kenny anticipated the move and leaped over him in a perfect acrobatic display, which Dawn recognized as being part of a Pokemon Coordinator's training style. He been using Coordinator moves to fight? she thought.

That threw the soldier off-guard, but he quickly reacted. Meanwhile, the other brute and Suzy were fighting hand-to-hand, employing numerous techniques which Brock recognized as belonging to the martial art of kung fu. He just looked at his girlfriend, amazed at the seamless moves she performed. There was no doubt in his mind that Suzy was a master-level martial arts fighter.

And then, something amazing happened. "What?" said Max, mouth gaping in shock at what he just witnessed. So did the others.

Kenny had landed behind the swordsman and suddenly water formed around him. Kenny then charged straight at the swordsman, knocking him to the ground and disarming him.

"That was an Aqua Jet move!" said Max, out of his stupor. "How did-?" Any further questions were stopped as Suzy put some distance between herself and the brute she was fighting. The brute charged forward, while Suzy stayed where she was. "Suzy!" shouted Brock. "What are you doing? Get away!" Suzy turned and smiled at Brock; at the same time, her eyes started to glow bright orange. "Relax, Brock. I got this." she replied.

Her eyes still glowing, Suzy cupped her hands together, and searing heat emanated from her palms. The next moment, Suzy extended her hands outward; tongues of flame sprang forth from them, enveloping the brute in a fire vortex. He screamed in pain as his body was burned. A second later, he fell, dead.

Brock stared in shock. "Suzy?" She looked at him again. "Was that......a Fire Spin?" Suzy nodded and gestured at him to look at Kenny. He did; Kenny had the swordsman cornered, and in a spectacular and deadly display, he whirled around in a dance, arms outstretched. Going straight for the swordsman, Kenny slashed his arms across the foe's chest. Everyone stared in shock as they Kenny's hands puncture through skin, flesh, and bone, leaving perfect slashes across the man's torso. The man fell down and died.

"Kenny?" asked Dawn, staring at her boyfriend in shock. He turned and smiled. "Sorry you had to see that, Dawn." he apologized. Max couldn't control himself anymore.

"WHAT'S GOING ON!?" he demanded. "NOT ONLY ARE YOU HELPING THE DEMON, BUT YOU CAN PERFORM POKEMON ATTACKS, TOO!?" The two nodded. "How? Why?" asked Misty, equally dumbfounded. Ash answered for them. "All in good time. Your questions will be answered."

A multitude of rustles sounded ahead of them. The others came out. "All enemies dispatched, fallen brother." said Gary, a purple ball of energy floating freely above his right hand. It was a Shadow Ball.

"They were easy to beat." Molly Hale came next; Misty stared in shock as her fingernails were longer and sharpened into talons. Slowly, they shrank back to their normal size. "What happened to you?" she asked. Molly just smiled. "Sorry. I just used Fury Swipes."

Incredulous, Misty and the others looked at the rest. Sabrina and Sakura they could understand, for both had psychic abilities. But the others all exhibited attacks which only Pokemon could do.

Ritchie's hands crackled with contained electricity, Paul's hands were filled with small orifices where white, sharp pins lay ready to be unleashed, and Drew's arms were glowing bright yellow, as if they were collecting solar energy.

"Electric attacks, Pin Missile, and Solar Beam!?" said Max, recognizing each of those moves. "What's the hell's going on?"

A rustle of leaves from above made Ash turn around. "Later." he said. Crackling electricity played around his right hand. Without hesitation, he thrust his arm out; a bolt of lightning stretched from it and struck whoever was up there. A second later, a body fell. It was another black-garbed soldier, a smoking hole going clear across his chest. Ash's Thunderbolt attack, which it clearly was, had been powerful enough to literally punch through the man's chest and leave a massive cavity in its wake.

Misty and the other betrayers stared in shock at what he had just done, while his friends all gave murmurs of approval.

"Not bad, brother." said Gary. "Perfect direction of that Thunderbolt." Ash turned and smiled. "Let's get going. To the Elite Four-" suddenly Gary tackled him down just as a small dart zipped right where Ash once was.

Ash turned and saw something he feared: capture drones. Two small robots, hovering on small duct-fans and loaded with dematerialization darts, small devices that when in contact with any matter, would dematerialize it, store it, and send it back to the drones.

Ash and Gary were lucky, but the others weren't. Given no time to react, every one of Ash's friends and comrades was hit with a dart. The betrayers were also hit. Both stared in helplessness as they saw their friends and ex-friends' bodies turn white and dissolve into their constituent molecules, the molecules being sucked into the darts. Done, the darts flew back to the drones, who collected them and flew off, Gary and Ash having effectively hidden from their sensors. They just stared as the drones flew south, down to the southernmost quadrant of Viridian City.

"They're captured." Ash said. "All of them."

"I know." replied Gary. "Now we have to rescue them. Let's go." Gary called out his Kadabra, who teleported them to locations unknown. But they would return with help, for they wouldn't let their friends, or even their betrayers, in the hands of Thanatos.

The die is cast.

END Ch. 12