Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Zafar ❯ Chapter 3

Hai, hai… another chapter

Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright law, and taking it is plagiaism1 enough said.

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokémon talks!
(Suddenly realized, like an idiot, that in book 3, Red saved Yellow from a giant Dratini! Okay, I'm thinking too much…)

Chapter 3

 

“So what's the problem?”

“All the grass and bug pokemon in Mount Moon are dying… and he doesn't know why, so he sent me to investigate.”

Lance tensed. “Dying?”

Red nodded. “They just… I think they're starving to death. But there are plenty of nutrients in the mountains, aren't there?”

“Yes…”

“Something's wrong.” Red spoke again, as they landed. “I can… I guess I can feel it or something…”

Lance turned golden eyes upon Red. “You're right.”

“Can you feel it as well?”

“No, but the Viridian Power I have can alert me to these things… I sense potential dangers…”

“I see.”

“Shall we?” Red nodded, as they walked into Mount Moon, searching…

 

They soon found a large cavern ringed with Oddish and Paras. A sole Bellossem kept watch over them, but…

Lance touched the earth with a hand, frowning. “It's not the industrial pollution caused by the Cerulean and Celadon factories…”

“What?”

“You didn't know? Yellow didn't tell you… the entire area between Cerulean and Celadon is a desolate wasteland thanks to pollution… all the factories dump their waste here, and the pokemon's food sources are dying. But these are plants…”

“Lance, watch out!”

The Dragon Master brought up his cape to shield himself, and watched as a Cubone dashed by.

Cubone were not indigenous to this region…

Why were they here?

 

As Red's Poliwrath dispatched the Cubone, several of the Oddish began to give off heartrending shrieks.

“Ice Burn!” Lance gasped.

“What?”

“Ice Burn! It happens when grass pokemon starve! They - watch!” As Red watched, the Oddish began to twitch and shudder, before finally, its body fell over limply, smoking…

The Champion shuddered. What… how horrible…

As the other Oddish began to undergo the same mechanism, the Bellossem woke and hurriedly used Sunny Day to try and stave off the damage, but it was too late…

Red clung to Lance, closing his eyes, trying to close his ears against the noise… the heartrending shrieks of a pokemon that normally talked little…

Lance put his hands over Red's ears and watched as the last of the Oddish died. The others waddled over and began to devour the corpses. After all, nutrition was nutrition in any form, even if limited…

He steered Red out of the chamber, but not before the Champion caught a glimpse of the carnage within…

Red was shaky and red-eyed with unshed tears, but he allowed Lance to lead him out of the sight… * Gods… will I never forget that sight? Those poor pokemon… *

“Why…”

 

“It's not their fault, Red. They're only trying to survive. And the dead won't complain.”

“That's not what I meant! Why are the grass pokemon dying?”

“It's not only the grass pokemon, Red.”

“What?”

“Do you know, how they said, that I used a dragon army to attack the cities of Kanto?”

“Yes… there were a few witnesses…”

“Red, where can you catch dragon pokemon?”

“You can't.” The trainer responded automatically, not even bothering to consult his pokédex. “They're extinct-.” He froze, staring at Lance. “They're…!”

“Mm. You caught your own dragons in the Safari Zone bare months before the last wild dragons were captured or killed.”

“But-but why would people kill dragon pokemon?”

“Because,” Lance said simply, “They're too powerful. The government is afraid of their power. They are equal to the legendary birds, and so…”

“So…”

“Do you remember what the witness from Cinnabar said?”

“The witness from Cinnabar said that the dragons were all white-eyed… like they were blind or something… what does that mean?”

“What do you think it means?”

“You can't control wild dragon pokemon, can you?”

“The evidence is all there. You just have to put the pieces together.”

Click.

Click.

 

“No!”

“Why not? Agatha was there…”

“But-but!” Oh Mew, they hadn't really… had they?

Lance wouldn't…

No…

It wasn't his fault, he'd been controlled, but… but…

 

“No!”

“Denying the truth changes nothing, Red…”

“It's not your fault!”

“Did I say it was?”

“How… how did you do it?”

“I'm a Dragon Master by right. The dead spirits were more than happy to help… it was their revenge…”

“Lance, didn't it hurt you? I've heard that channeling always has a price. What price did you pay?”

“I can't remember.” He lied effortlessly. “I have gaps in my memory… the implants suppressed some of my memories and altered others…”

“I see….”

 

“First things first, though.” Lance spoke. “The Cubones are driving the Oddish out. They mine the soil for all the nutrients and starve the grass pokemon.”

“You think that's why the Oddish are dying?”

“Mm. The Cubones normally live deep in the caves, but now that the acid rain has leeched all food sources from the dirt, they wander to the shallow areas and fight the Oddish to live… and the Oddish die…”

“Horrible…” Red whispered. “Isn't there anything we can do?”

“What could we? We could capture all the Cubones - would that help?”

“No, it wouldn't…”

 

I feel so hopeless…

Red closed his eyes and let him cry for the poor pokemon…

 

End Chapter

Completed 6/23/05

Shoyko: You darkfic authoress, you!

Pika-chan: Yes, that's Phantomness…