The SILVER Team (PLOT)

"I'm sure," Blue began, giving Red some insight into the other man's mind. There was no hesitation there, not like the prior answer had been. Was that better? Did that bode well? He wasn't completely sure, but he found himself daring to hope. "You're not a burden, Red-I don't think of you as one. Even if you're not familiar with other places, that doesn't matter. You can still leave with me."

The simple invitation, with its equally simple dismissal of Red's anxieties, was another blow to his conviction and resolve. Blue was saying, right there, that no, he didn't have to die here. This didn't have to be his tomb, shared with the memories of the man he used to be. This wasn't the end. It didn't have to be. But in the face of all that hope, that offered helping hand, Red felt himself still tethered to the bleak shadows of his mind.

Dying here, finally succumbing to the numbness and agony, was, in his perspective, a penance. The only token he could offer to balance the scales against the monstrosities he had committed at the Plateau. To offer the only thing left in his possession with even the slightest amount of worth to the memory of those much, much better than himself. If he denied them that now, would they ever forgive him? Would leaving with Blue to pursue some sort of happiness further insult them and what he did to them? His debt... how would he ever be able to repay it without staying here?

Blinking, Red found that there were suddenly tears on his cheeks and quickly wiped them away. While he wasn't currently all that cold, he knew better than to have outright water on his very skin. He struggled to control his breathing and emotions, painfully aware that this would be the upteenth time he'd broken down in Blue's company, and swallowed before making a verbal reply. "I'll... keep it in mind." His voice wavered, betraying his turmoil, but kept himself turned from Blue.  It wasn't a concrete answer either way, but... at the moment, it was the best he could do. "...Thank you."

"I'll... keep it in mind," Red said to him, though his voice was anything except confident. "...Thank you."

It was probably his mind playing tricks, but Blue could have swore the night air felt a little colder. He'd really tried to show Red he meant every word he said, that the other man could travel with him, that he wasn't any kind of burden. Had Blue fucked up somehow? Had his words come across as fake? Anxiety brought a hundred different answers, and none of them were positive. Red wasn't even looking at him anymore-his answer had been vague, and Blue couldn't tell which direction it would go. Did he mean yes or no? To his building frustration, he had no real way of knowing, nor could Blue decide on whether he was overreacting or not. Great job, Blue, panicking over like seven words.

Still... sitting here and slowly freaking out over Red's answer wouldn't help make him feel any better about any of it. That, and he didn't think pushing the other man for further details would be a great idea, either. Weird as it was to think of Red as being fragile, well... in a way that's exactly what he was. He'd seen before what could happen when Red reached his limits, and this exchange had probably been tiring enough for both of them. It would probably be best to save it for morning, or whenever Red felt well enough to breach the subject again. With any luck, that'd be before they reached the summit. If Red's answer was no, then honestly, Blue would rather hear it sooner than later. It'd give him more time to think on what the hell he'd do.

"You're welcome, Red." Just speaking those words almost made Blue cringe-why couldn't he have thought of more to say? Something helpful for once, maybe. But if Red needed time to think on his answer, then he could at least give him that. Better to give him space than try and force the conversation to drag out.

"You're welcome, Red."

Red let out a small sigh of relief as Blue simply let the conversation go. He wasn't sure how he would have been able to keep talking, keep trudging through that conversation without completely revealing his plans for when he reached the summit. Why it was so important he stay. But he didn't have to. Blue had mercifully spared him.

Leaning back into Blue's warmth, mindful to keep the pokemon beside them warm, Red closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. The next part of the climb was often the hardest and they'd need their strength for it to make it in one day. He let his head loll and rest on Blue's shoulder, their height difference actually making it a rather comfortable pillow. With another sigh, this one born of exhaustion instead of relief, Red settled a little more into Blue. Hopefully, he could turn his mind off long enough to pass out. "...Goodnight, Blue."

(Time skip next round.)

As much as he hated his simple words, they at least did the trick of letting their conversation trail off into silence. Without the need to answer Red or think on their future keeping him alert, Blue found that his earlier drowsiness was morphing into outright exhaustion. The warmth from the other three being near him only made his eyes feel heavier; Blue doubted he would be able to stay awake for very long. That was good, though-scaling a mountain wasn't some leisurely stroll, and Blue wanted all the rest he could get for the next stretch of their journey. That, and being asleep meant, for a little while, he could be away from his anxiety-ridden thoughts over what would happen if he and Red went their separate ways.

Soon enough, Red laid his head down on Blue's shoulder, which wasn't as uncomfortable and somewhat painful as he expected it to be. Blue obviously couldn't know if his own shoulder was an agreeable place to rest one's head, but if it helped Red sleep, he didn't mind. They both needed some rest. Some time without having to dwell on their uncertain futures.

"...Goodnight, Blue."

"Good night, Red," he answered before finally closing his eyes.

Red awoke gently; something he had not anticipated. He didn't feel particularly rested, but he didn't recall any nightmares. That was definitely a plus. He was warm, more than normal, and the shoulder under his head was only slightly uncomfortable. He roused a bit, blinking away the sleep in his eyes and mind and had to quickly remind himself that there was a little bat in his jacket.

Taking in a long breath of crisp clear mountain air, he turned his eyes to the soft grey light pouring in nearby. Little flecks of snow floated about to silently land on a gradually widening pile of the stuff. The blizzard had stopped, it seemed, for the moment. It was a rare window of opportunity to get to the summit.

With some regret, Red rose completely and gently nudged Blue's arm as he stood. "Come on; the storm's quiet for now. We need to get going."

When Blue opened his eyes again, the first thought in his mind was that his shoulder was lighter than it'd been before. That, and someone was nudging his arm... it couldn't actually be morning already, right? He could have sworn he'd just fallen asleep not too long ago. The fact Artorias was no longer lying right next to him made things even more confusing.

"Come on; the storm's quiet for now. We need to get going."

Oh. Right. They still had a summit to reach, didn't they, which meant it really was morning. His thoughts from last night were slowly coming back, which included their conversation from last night, but... that could wait until later. Even if Blue wasn't exactly well-rested, it was good enough that he could process what was going on, and didn't feel too sluggish. He'd need to be alert while they traveled, and that meant he couldn't dwell too much on what had happened yesterday.

As he got up from his now-former spot and prepared to leave, Blue spared a glance towards the edge of the alcove, and what Red told him about the storm calming down rang true-this light snow was nothing compared to last night's blizzard. That was a lucky break, even if it might only be temporary; now they just had to hope the weather wouldn't worsen during their trek towards the summit.

As they made the quick preparations to leave, it didn't slip by Red that everyone was completely silent. Even the rambunctious little bat kept himself quiet, apparently already aware of the gravity of their trek. Red generally loved the silence over noise, especially in his home, but now, he wasn't completely sure. It wasn't like the others to be... well, so like himself. However, he certainly wasn't up for changing that. While it was a little unnerving, he needed to focus on the climb. Weather permitting, they'd get to the top today.

And there... there, he'd have to give Blue his answer.

Once ready, he led the way outside, his small feet sinking through the fluffy snow. Not terribly deep, but it would hinder them at the higher altitudes. Still, it wouldn't be impossible. With the sky a grey blanket over the world and the snow consuming the ground, it was a task to remember that there was something else out there other than his monochromatic sanctuary. Such isolation would help him with the task at hand. As much as he wanted to sit and soak in his beautiful home, there was still his responsibility on the peak.

One step in front of the other. That's all that mattered at this point.

---

As expected, the trip had taken them the majority of the day. Red, focused on making as good time as he could while the weather was generously stagnant, didn't speak a single word. But hours later, after they passed the last marker for the trail, they came upon the old familiar archway that led into his den. The door he'd fashioned and erected himself was still in place, the door still shut. At least nothing had marched its way back in. A good sign.

As he reached for the handle, it occurred to him that, of all the places in this mountain, whoever cleaned it free of Infected would likely have hunkered down here, where there were already supplies and fortifications against the weather. His hand paused as it hovered over the door handle, unsure whether it needed to go to the pistol at his hip. Should he draw his weapon? Surely there was nothing to lose and everything to gain if he did. Still, why was he hesitating?

Get a hold of yourself, Red, it's a fucking door.

Shaking his head free of the conflicts, he simply opened the door and stepped inside. There was a snaking tunnel of about fifty feet, with many twists and turns, before the tunnel would open into a decent sized cavern. That was where he'd finally have to decide-- a thought that caused his heart to race, as he still hadn't settled on a choice despite hours to think. Out of habit, he stomped out the snow from his boots and moved forward a few steps before stopping completely, eyes wide with alarm. There, in the middle of the tunnel, was an open can of beans, its contents long gone and its edges scorched by what he could only guess was fire.

He held up a finger to Blue behind him, then bent and picked it up to examine the can more closely. Sure, it was the same brand he stockpiled, but he was never one to leave trash so close to the entrance. With a look to Blue, he pressed a finger to his own lips, signaling silence, and placed the can to the side. A swift motion brought his rifle to his hands, and with it, his body instinctively postured itself for stealth. There was an intruder here, after all.

Rage swelled in his soul. Who would dare taint his sanctuary, this solemn monument to his family and friends? Eating his food, littering his home-- the fury grew as he continued down the tunnel and more and more trash littered the ground. He was careful to not disturb any of it, as much as he wanted to. The bastard that had squatted in his home would definitely hear their approach. Still, Red continued on, his mind set on blasting the unknown intruder to hell, and he paused as the cavern's entrance finally came into view, its archway lit by dim firelight. Someone was definitely in there. With a glance back to Blue, Red rounded the corner, raised his rifle and.... froze.

There wasn't much change in his living area, other than all of the blankets everyone shared being compiled into one large, fluffy pallet. The fire was safely contained in the fire pit at the center of the room, illuminating the various trinkets and knickknacks Red and his family had come to love. A map of Kanto was in bad shape, but still somehow hanging from one of the walls. The old tent he'd used for travel and what marked his own personal room was still pitched, its door unzipped and open. And there, laying on the pallet, was a small yellow figure Red had thought long, long gone.

The rifle lowered and Red felt the color drain from his face. Tears welled up in his eyes as he stared, unbelieving, at the sleeping form of his best friend, safe in their home's warm glow.

"...Pika...?"

Immediately, those ears perked and twitched, his tail raised a bit and he turned. It was him. By some miracle Red wasn't altogether sure was reality, it was Pika. Out of the hordes of Pikachu he'd seen over the years, he knew, even against the fire's light, this was him. Everything suddenly clicked into place. The bone pit, the empty tunnels.

It hadn't been an intruder. It hadn't been Lance or even Blaine. It was Pika. He'd come home... and protected it.

Red suddenly found himself on his knees, vision blurred by tears and the rifle now on the floor and out of his limp grip. There was only a small moment where he wondered whether or not Pika even wanted to see him-- after all, the last time they'd been together, Red had slaughtered his teammates and brothers. But that fear was immediately dispelled as Pika propelled himself forward, already weeping himself, and tackled Red.

"You're home!" Pika cried, his voice muffled by Red's body. "You're actually here-- I knew you'd come back. I knew you'd come back!"

The entirety of their trek was thankfully spared any harsh weather, but it was also spent in silence. Blue wanted to say something more than once as the hours stretched on, he just... didn't. Artorias kept quiet too, though that wasn't any sort of surprise; he and Red both had that tendency to not say much. Speaking of Red-maybe it would have been smart to bring up their conversation from last night, but every time Blue reflected for even a few seconds on the answer he didn't want to hear, his stomach twisted itself into unpleasant knots. So instead, he kept his mouth shut and stewed in his own thoughts.

Late in the day, they reached the door that led to Red's old sanctuary. Blue wasn't sure what he felt upon seeing it-apprehension, maybe? Being this close to their destination meant that it wouldn't be long before they would be forced to bring up everything they'd talked about yesterday, which in turn meant Red's answer to his offer wasn't far off. Blue spent hours trying to avoid thinking about that, and now here they were, almost to the point where "not thinking about it" wouldn't be an option. Anyone would be anxious over something like that. Right? Him wanting to be anywhere except in this cave couldn't be unusual.

As they entered the tunnel, that unease only seemed to weigh heavier. For a fleeting moment, Blue wondered if the feeling would continue to worsen the more distance they covered-but all that became meaningless background noise when he and Red both caught sight of the object lying right there in sight, as though it'd been carelessly tossed aside. A can. An empty one. In any other context, it might've been an innocent, harmless sight, but Red hadn't been back here until this very minute. He also wasn't the type to throw shit around his own home, and that can looked charred-so who the hell had done this? Had it been emptied recently?

A thousand questions ran through his head, but Blue still stopped at Red's signal, waited and watched without speaking as the other man inspected the empty can. Maybe Blue was being paranoid, and this thing was only a remnant of when Red had last been on the mountain. He's human, after all, everyone leaves things lying about sometimes. That overly-optimistic thought, however, was quickly quashed when Red puts a finger to his lips; Blue immediately knew to not say a word, because if Red wanted him to be silent, that meant they weren't alone in here; giving away their location by talking would be monumentally stupid.

They made their way quietly done the rest of the tunnel, Artorias staying at Blue's side. Whoever was living here had left a fuckton of garbage everywhere, which Blue narrowed his eyes at; if even he was pissed seeing trash strewn about, then Red must be losing his damn mind. Seeing his old home messed up by a trespasser... though that begged the question: who, or what, could possibly be here? Was it the one who'd created that bone pit they'd seen before? That seemed the most likely answer, Blue thought as he followed silently after Red; clearing out a mountain of undead only to leave it didn't make any sense. That, however, only made him think of what might happen should this intruder decide to attack. Blue had stopped Red from using his guns before, but if worst came to worst, he couldn't deny that rifle might just be what would save their asses.

They went through the tunnel and finally, almost into the cavern itself; Blue stood behind Red and therefore had less view of what was ahead, but he could still see the firelight; there was no doubt now, someone other than them was here. Red gave him a single look before going ahead, and when Blue followed, the first thing he realized was that the man wasn't doing anything. He hadn't expected Red to immediately start shooting, but not even saying anything to the person or Pokemon that'd taken over his haven? A quick look at the room revealed a collection of Red's old belongings, nothing too out of the ordinary and certainly nothing that would stop the other in his tracks.

There was something laying there on a bed of blankets, though, that caught his eye. It was... it was a Pikachu. A Pikachu? What could Red possibly be thinking right now? If there were right words for this situation, Blue had no idea what they could be. He'd seen plenty of Pikachu in his travels, but to have one of the little Electric-types here, at Mount Silver, looking as if he'd always lived here...? No. It couldn't be.

"...Pika...?"

No way. No fucking way.

Red would never mistake another Pikachu for his own. Blue knew that. Just like how Blue could always tell Artorias apart from other Umbreon-like how he knew it was his Umbreon when he found him in Viridian Forest-Red knew this was his Pikachu. Which meant no matter how much his mind tried to deny it, this was really Pika, the same Pikachu Blue had thought dead throughout their entire journey. Pika-alive, well, in his old home, looking right at his old trainer. The shock of it all left him frozen, too; he didn't move even when Red fell to his knees, and his only comprehensible thought was what the hell is Pika going to do?

As soon as that question crossed his mind, though, Pika practically threw himself into Red's arms. "You're home! You're actually here-- I knew you'd come back. I knew you'd come back!"

Hearing Pika speak only short-circuited his thoughts further; even Artorias looked visibly stunned. Pika was alive. Pika was here. And the sheer magnitude of that one fact left Blue unable to say anything that would interrupt the reunion between trainer and Pokemon.

Everything shattered.

Red clung so desperately to Pika, his cracking sobs echoing in the cavern, he lost sight of everything else. Nothing else was with them. Not the dozens of cans of beans, not Blue or Artorias, not the fact that the sole reason he'd come up here had been to die. All that was in his mind was the familiar smell of the mouse's charged fur, the little happy squeaks of joy, the way his little nails dug into his clothes. All things he thought were forever lost were now overwhelming his senses. And he embraced it wholeheartedly.

It took a moment for Red to realize that Pika was actually speaking to him-- it sounded weird hearing his old friend's voice through the comm. "Oh my sweet God above, Red, listen! You have to get out of here; they're going to be back soon, and if they see or smell you, they'll hunt you down!" The words tried to cut into his elation, but for a while they simply bounced off. He looked down at his frantic Pikachu, who was continuously looking back to the door that opened to the peak, and Red dumbfoundedly followed his gaze.

"...'They'?" Red slowly echoed, still obviously not getting it. "Who--"

Pika's face grew pained, but he knew his trainer needed to know. He'd find out soon one way or another, after all. "Charlie and Vee. They survived, Red, and... well... they're not..." How did he tell his best friend that his family loathed him? "They won't be so happy to... to see you..." Oh, Red. Did he even hear what Pika was saying? He'd never seen the man so worn, so... broken... Was he hearing anything at all? Was he in shock? Hell, would that really be so surprising? Pika quickly tapped Red's arm for a reaction, anything, to show that Red's mind was still functioning. It was not.

His eyes trailed to find Blue and Artorias awkwardly to the side and his long ears perked.

"Artorias? Blue...? Why-- nevermind, please, get Red out of here before they show back up. I'm going to have a hard enough time getting his scent out--"

"'Leave'?" Red snapped out of the small stupor he'd found himself in the wake of all the shock. First Pika was alive and now two more of his team were still alive?! "I can't leave, I have to see-- Ow!" Red rubbed his arm, where Pika had just shocked him. One of the very few things he did not miss.

The little mouse snapped his fingers in Red's face, determined to get through to his trainer. "Hey! It wasn't a suggestion! Red, I love you, and I always will, but what happened at Indigo Plateau was... the most horrifying thing I've ever witnessed. And though I forgive you and know that you couldn't have done that of your own free will, Charlie and Vee do not agree. Please. They. Will. Kill. You. Get out. Please! They're due back any minute!"

"But--"

Exasperated, Pika shocked him again and turned to Blue, not minding the yelp of pain. "Please! Get him away from here!"

Blue and Artorias were, understandably, left to the side in the midst of the tearful reunion between Red and Pika. He was still so stunned by the revelation of the Electric-type's survival that he couldn't think of a single thing to say or do; he hadn't been prepared for this at all. What would he have said to them, anyways? "Good to see you again, Pika, glad you're not dead"? No, it was better to not intrude on such an emotional moment. Judging by Artorias' silence, he felt the same way, and was no doubt just as dumbfounded as Blue was. But while the Pikachu had been obviously happy to see his trainer alive and well, that excited voice soon gave way to a tone of unexpected panic as Pika attempted to get his trainer's attention.

"Oh my sweet God above, Red, listen! You have to get out of here; they're going to be back soon, and if they see or smell you, they'll hunt you down!"

What the hell-they? Who was they and why the fuck would they be trying to hunt Red down? The Pikachu's fear seemed to latch onto him, and Blue began to look in the same direction as Pika, as though he'd catch a glimpse of whoever it was the mouse was trying to warn them about. He had no idea who they could be; the only other Pokemon they'd encountered this entire time before now was Mikhail, who had been uncharacteristically quiet the entire time. His mind went back to how clear the tunnels had been; that could have easily been Pika's sole doing, but what if he wasn't alone? Again, Blue was left stumped by exactly who the Pikachu could possibly be with, and why the hell he'd tolerate Pokemon who were threats to his own, clearly still-beloved trainer.

Red echoed the same sentiment he'd been thinking, "...'They'? Who--"

"Charlie and Vee. They survived, Red, and... well... they're not..."

If Blue had been getting over his earlier shock, this knocked him right back into the realm of utter disbelief. Charlie and Vee too, not just Pika-? The entire time they'd been making their way through this mountain, Blue had thought all of Red's Pokemon dead, killed by their trainer, yet now Pika was here, and he was telling them he wasn't the only survivor. That was... goddamn, Blue couldn't describe what that was. Not once had he ever anticipated this happening. If even he was completely blindsided by all this, then what could Red be feeling knowing not one, but three of his old friends still lived? A part of him didn't want to think about it, especially when he'd never experienced the same kind of loss Red had.

"They won't be so happy to... to see you..."

Blue didn't need to be told by anyone else here what "they won't be so happy to see you" really meant. At that moment, all he felt was a growing sense of trepidation; they'd spent so long trying to get here, yet Blue wanted nothing more than for him, Artorias, and Red to go right back to the way they came from. Back down the mountain, where they knew things were safe. He knew Red wouldn't go without a fight, not when he'd just reunited with Pika, but Blue was not willing to take the Pikachu's warnings lightly. Not when it could mean Red would be attacked-maybe even killed-by his own Pokemon. Before he could voice his idea, though, Pika finally took notice of him and Artorias.

"Artorias? Blue...? Why-- nevermind, please, get Red out of here before they show back up. I'm going to have a hard enough time getting his scent out--"

It was then that Red finally snapped back to reality. "'Leave'? I can't leave, I have to see-- Ow!"

"Hey! It wasn't a suggestion! Red, I love you, and I always will, but what happened at Indigo Plateau was... the most horrifying thing I've ever witnessed. And though I forgive you and know that you couldn't have done that of your own free will, Charlie and Vee do not agree. Please. They. Will. Kill. You. Get out. Please! They're due back any minute!"

"But--"

Pika wasn't having any of his trainer's protests, and even though it was a necessary thing to do, Blue instinctively winced at Red's pained cry. The Pikachu turned to him and Artorias next, the desperation in his voice palpable. "Please! Get him away from here!"

Blue did not need to be told twice. "Red, you know Pika wouldn't be trying to get you out of here if you weren't in actual danger," he said, trying to stay collected even as the very real, very terrifying possibility of Charlie and Vee hunting down their own trainer loomed over them. Those two-they were powerful enough in the old days, god knew what they'd be capable of when they were hellbent on murder. He did not want to drag Red away from his own Pokemon and his own home, but if that was what it took to keep him from possibly getting himself killed... Blue didn't bother to keep the urgency out of his tone. Any other time, he might have been less blunt, but that was a luxury they did not have. "He's trying to keep you alive-so we're leaving, now."

Pika was asking him to leave? LEAVE? He'd just spent days climbing this fucking mountain after being away for literal years. Years. He couldn't leave. Couldn't. "Red, you know Pika wouldn't be trying to get you out of here if you weren't in actual danger," Blue began in a shaky voice. "He's trying to keep you alive-so we're leaving, now."

He couldn't look at Blue-- his eyes were involuntarily locked on his should-be-dead best friend. "...I can't..." Even with the threat of a bloodthirsty Charizard and Espeon after him, he couldn't leave. He couldn't leave that face. Couldn't tear his eyes away. But as Pika was about to try and shock more sense into Red -spoiler, it wouldn't work- a sound outside made the tiny electric mouse freeze in fear. His eyes went to the backdoor, leading to the peak, and Red was compelled to follow his gaze. It sounded like wings.

Because this was their home, there was no knock. Charlie and Vee simply walked in, both Pokemon shaking off a layer of snow. In the moment they laid eyes on each other, there was perfect silence. Even outside, the unpredictable weather had stayed rather calm, soft powder floating innocently in to their warm sanctuary. Red spied his sins-- cauterized wounds on Charlie and Vee's stomach and throat respectfully. The mental image of them burning their wounds closed spilled into his mind and he felt himself fall further into guilt. Seeing Pika had given him hope, but... no. He deserved to die.

They were obviously shocked, but Vee was always the quicker to react. Without warning, Red's rifle snapped into a thousand pieces with a blast of psychic power, causing Red to fall backward in shock. "Guys, please," Pika begged, putting himself between his comrades and his trainer. "We don't have to fight. We really don't-- we can... we can work through this."

"You're absolutely right," Charlie snarled. his massive fangs bared with tongues of flame licking hungrily behind them. Were they always that big? God, they were bigger than his fingers... "You can get the fuck out of the way and let us rip him apart."

//Blue, Artorias,// Vee began in their minds, his own physical voice having been robbed from him. //Leave. We have no quarrel with you.//

"...I can't..."

Blue had known words wouldn’t work, not when Pika was here and certainly not after everything he had seen from Red on their journey to this point, but he still felt a flash of panic. If Red couldn’t move of his own volition, that left only one choice. He didn’t want to do it, but if the only other alternative was leaving Red here to be slaughtered, then he’d drag the man down the damn mountain personally. Blue moved towards him, intent on moving the shellshocked man away from danger, and as he did, there was a distinctive sound from outside. He knew what it was; it froze him where he stood. For a second, the only thing Blue could hear was his own quickened heartbeat as he looked towards the same door that everyone else had.

The two he’d thought dead ever since Red had given up the truth now stood before them; in a way, the light snow made them look almost ethereal. Ghosts returning from the grave to the flesh. Unlike Pika, however, Charlie and Vee had not escaped physically unharmed. Their scars were plain to see, glaring from their places on a stomach and throat with skin twisted where the wounds burnt closed years ago. It didn’t take more than a few seconds for him to realize the implications there. Even though Blue already heard Red’s confession, seeing it firsthand made it all so much more fucked up, a reality he’d only known secondhand finally becoming tangible. No description his mind supplied did it any sort of justice. He was an intruder in this scenario, unable to fully understand.

The fragile silence between Pokemon and former trainer stretched on, until-

Out of nowhere Red‘s rifle broke apart into pieces in his hands, knocking him back. Blue didn’t even think before moving in-between him and the other two, same as Pika. That was Vee, who else? They really meant it, then-they were going to kill Red. Of course they would, though the thought sickened him; it made sense when they’d almost been murdered first, had seen their friends murdered. He felt a familiar brush of fur against him as Artorias went to his side, his one anchor in this situation.

"Guys, please. We don't have to fight. We really don't-- we can... we can work through this," Pika pleaded, and god Blue wished it could have ended with that. But the other two had no interest. Charlie looked at Red with such loathing and rage Blue knew he would never be convinced. Not when the target of that festering hatred was right in front of him.

"You're absolutely right. You can get the fuck out of the way and let us rip him apart."

//Blue, Artorias,// Vee echoed in his head (because Red’s bullet must have destroyed his vocal cords, came the intrusive thought), //Leave. We have no quarrel with you.//

Another impulsive thought surfaced-fuck that. As if he’d ever accept such a thing, quarrel or not. Blue knew the ugly truth of what Red had done, and the aftermath of it was right in front of his face now. If he’d meant to turn away, it would have already happened. He would have walked out that door-or never climbed this mountain in the first place. But no, Blue was still there, and he would not abandon Red. Even if that was what Red wanted him to do, he refused.

”No way in hell am I leaving Red to die,” Blue retorted. Artorias said nothing himself, but his bared teeth and raised fur was all the mutual agreement they needed.

Red was immobilized by the entire situation. Charlie and Vee vocalizing their murderous intent for him, Pika desperately trying to quell the flames -both metaphorical and literal- and Blue and Artorias blocking the former's way to him. He could barely register that they had actually made it out alive... but there they were all the same. Ugly, misshapen scars marked his sins and Red couldn't pull his eyes from them. He could only sit, helpless, wide-eyed and shaking. They were alive and they wanted to kill him. There was still a pistol at his side, knives, other means to protect himself, but he couldn't move. No. He... he couldn't raise a weapon to them again. Never again. Never again could he...

”No way in hell am I leaving Red to die,” Blue defiantly snapped at Vee, and Red somehow managed to pry his gaze away from his long lost pokemon to stare at Blue's defenseless back. No... No, no. Blue wasn't trying to fight them, was he? He wasn't... Charlie and Vee knew Blue's pokemon and strategies-- they'd beaten those same pokemon over and over for a decade. And now they were full of fury and vengeance. This was going to be a bloodbath--

The Espeon bristled at Blue's words, and it seemed a private word to Charlie was the only thing that kept him in line. //You know what he did to us?// Vee began in a wary voice, one full of quite rage and caution. //He shot us. All of us. Like Magikarp in a barrel. Three of us didn't make it. He took my voice. He barely missed Charlie's vitals. You would defend him? You'd defend a creature that massacres his own pokemon?//

"If you say yes, you're a traitor to your own pokemon too," Charlie added, his open maw drooling liquid fire. "Just step aside and let us have him. We won't ask again."

"Charlie, Vee, you can't--"

Pika's plea was cut off almost immediately as the massive fire dragon opened his mouth further and roared. The sound was deafening, causing everyone in the humble hovel to flinch and shirk away. It was only sheer self-control that it wasn't accompanied by the flamethrower that so desperately wanted to get out. "I don't want to fucking hear it, Pika!" the Charizard snapped, fangs millimeters from the rodent's face. "Maybe it's less of an issue for you because he never actually shot you, but for the rest of us, it matters a bit more!"

"You honestly think Red wanted to do that?!" the little mouse erupted back, sparks shooting from his cheeks. This obviously was a long-worn argument between the two, but Vee remained steady as he watched his former trainer. They locked eyes, and Red felt his heart beating faster. What... what was Vee thinking...? "Sure, it makes total sense for him to raise us all up to just randomly shoot us one day! Talk to him and find out what happened! He wouldn't just do that!"

"You're right, this discussion should go out to everyone. We'll listen to him, right after we listen to Squirt, Saur, and Snor make their fucking points!"

There was no warning. No change in Vee's face as Pika and Charlie argued. No, the Espeon simply stared deep into Red's eyes and the latter felt compelled to stay still as he did so. He was petrified. Horrified. Overjoyed. He hadn't killed them all... He hadn't killed them all...

As the thought resonated in his weary mind, the soldier suddenly felt himself leave the ground. A small gasp of surprise left him, but no other sound as his Espeon effortlessly held him aloft. Telekinesis was easy for the species overall, but a specimen like Vee could do it in his sleep. Red dangled just over Blue's head, silent in shock, as a tiny little flailing bat was pulled from beneath Red's battered uniform. //Starting over, are we?// was the innocent question as Mikhail screeched and flapped his little wings. //Who is this?

Though the little bat opened his mouth to reply, he was suddenly silenced by Vee's power. The only thing that could be heard from him was a soft choking noise. Terrified that another pokemon was about to be killed because of him, Red's eyes widened and everything came together. Of course... they were the ones keeping the mountain safe. They were the ones that made the bone pit. Because of him, they were now used to slaughtering their fellow pokemon by the score... they wouldn't stop at the tiny bat.

"...Mikhail," the soldier softly replied. "Uninfected. Found him... on the way up."

This time Blue didn’t get the luxury of being treated as a bystander unconnected to what was happening. Vee spoke with new venom in his projected voice, a nerve clearly struck; he took no pride in that, no satisfaction in refusing to reverse course. The two endured something Blue wouldn’t dare wish on anyone. He understood their anger and hatred-but letting them kill Red because of it? Never. He’d die himself, first.

//You know what he did to us?//

He knew too well. The memory of learning the truth would linger forever.

//He shot us. All of us. Like Magikarp in a barrel. Three of us didn't make it. He took my voice. He barely missed Charlie's vitals. You would defend him? You'd defend a creature that massacres his own pokemon?//

”If you say yes, you're a traitor to your own pokemon too," Charlie snarled before Blue could get a word out, "Just step aside and let us have him. We won't ask again."

This was it-no more hesitation, then. He tried not to look at the scars that marked what Red had done; no matter how much he believed it was the right thing, Blue was siding with their attempted murderer still. He would have to live with that, for Red’s sake. Add it to the list of everything else Blue already lived with.

”Call me whatever the hell you want. I’m not leaving him,” Blue asserted for the second and last time, his mind already made up long before they reached this summit.

Pika tried to reason with them once again. "Charlie, Vee, you can't--"

And at that Charlie roared: a horrible blast of pure, unfiltered anger that made Blue shrink back by instinct, his whole body demanding without thinking that he get the hell away from the pissed off Charizard. Even Artorias ducked his head, eyes clenched shut from the pain his sensitive ears brought upon him. Both of them were familiar with how intimidating Charlie could be, but witnessing him on the brink of outright murderous was another thing entirely. Blue wasn’t above admitting to himself one thing: despite his resolve, this was fucking terrifying.

”I don't want to fucking hear it, Pika! Maybe it's less of an issue for you because he never actually shot you, but for the rest of us, it matters a bit more!"

”You honestly think Red wanted to do that?!" Pika retorted, ”Sure, it makes total sense for him to raise us all up to just randomly shoot us one day! Talk to him and find out what happened! He wouldn't just do that!"

"You're right, this discussion should go out to everyone. We'll listen to him, right after we listen to Squirt, Saur, and Snor make their fucking points!"

Artorias heard the screaming match well enough, but its contents held little of his attention. He knew any argument would fall on unwilling ears, so he held his tongue and ignored his still-ringing ears. Instead, he focused on the furious Pokemon themselves. Charlie and Vee; for years they and their friends had bested him and his own, outmaneuvered every strategy thrown their way. Red’s team had always been an unstoppable storm. Though there were only two of them now, Artorias remembered enough battles of days past to know that wouldn’t guarantee anything. They were perfectly prepared to kill, now, nothing holding them back. In this area and with the added caveat of defending Red, the pair could easily-

His hasty thoughts stopped at a sudden halt; it wasn’t anything he heard over the shouting Pokemon, but a shift in movement. Artorias realized far too late that Vee had said nothing the entire time Charlie and Pika fought verbally, had not even moved; he did, however, see Red lifted into the air as though he weighed nothing. As the man was held directly over Blue-who quickly turned his attention away from the argument-a familiar little shape was dragged away from him and into the open.

Artorias almost gasped aloud as the little bat began to screech only to be silenced, choking on whatever words he may have said to Vee’s question. It was grotesque to witness the two in the air, like some kind of nightmarish puppet show. Damn it, how could he have been so careless as to what the Espeon was planning-of course Vee would utilize telekinesis, why wouldn’t he?

"...Mikhail," came Red’s voice, quiet, vulnerable even. "Uninfected. Found him... on the way up."

A furious growl was building in his throat, reverberating in his ribs and pounding heart. Artorias could not look upon this wretched sight any longer. His tail lashed the more he heard those tiny, struggling noises from the helpless Mikhail; he turned his full red gaze upon Vee, a sickening mix of anger and cold fear driving him forward. It stole any sort of thought he may have had for his words.

”He is a child,” Artorias added forcefully, ”Is this part of your vengeance? Harming a child?”

Truthfully, whatever the answer was, it didn’t matter to him. He had no faith in talking either one down; he would attack the second it was necessary. ”Release them-now!”

”He is a child,” the Umbreon snapped at him through gritted teeth. ”Is this part of your vengeance? Harming a child?”

Truthfully, whatever the answer was, it didn’t matter to him. He had no faith in talking either one down; he would attack the second it was necessary. ”Release them-now!”

Vee had never been an emotional pokemon. Once evolution claimed him, the bright bubbly Eevee he once was became a regal, stoic Espeon. There were moments where he would allow himself some indulgences, but once that purple pelt found his hide, Vee was calm, collected, and notoriously difficult to read. Only Red and Vee's other teammates, specifically Charlie, could tell what the enigmatic cat was thinking most of the time. Thus, as he held his former trainer and this new little child aloft with his power, it would be impossible to know what was going through his head. A cold stare went to Artorias. So many times, he'd faced the Umbreon personally. His twin-ended tail lazily tapped from side to side as he simply stared at his old rival, the Espeon's ears twitching ever so slightly without moving any other muscle. The air was tense between them before Vee finally blinked.

//Of course not,// came the neutral reply. //He has no fault in this. He is a simple child of the mountain. We have no quarrel with him.// However, the Noibat remained aloft, along with Red himself, just dangling like a ragdoll on strings. //I just find it amusing that our old trainer has come here, of all places, to form a new team.//

Charlie snarled and turned his massive head toward the dangling human. "What, is that little pipsqueak my replacement?!" the massive dragon roared, his wings flaring even in the confined space of their old home. "Gotta build a good, balanced team, right? Gotta get you a pair of fucking wings, right?! I'm tired of this!" He swung his head back down to Pika, who had backed away and put himself between his old teammates and Blue and Artorias. The flame on his tail blazed with his righteous anger, and for a moment, Pika wasn't sure if his two teammates were about to blatantly open fire. Especially since the dragon seemed to prepare himself for something.

//Alleyoop,// was the only warning they got.

The little bat was flung down toward the Umbreon, smashing the poor creature into the other Eeveelution's face. Mikhail gave a loud yelp of pain and collapsed to the craggy ground with a thud. But at the same time, Red was catapulted toward the dragon, who caught his former trainer in his jaws.

The armor Red wore tried to stay vigilant against the power of those jaws. The specially woven fibers and plastic creaked and groaned under Charlie's crushing grip. He had caught Red by the torso, his left shoulder and most of his chest and stomach engulfed in the massive maw. The soldier quickly found there was no way to breathe, even if the teeth didn't penetrate his armor just yet. Only one arm was free, but instead of try and free himself, Red stayed still, only grunting in pain as he gently stroked Charlie's face.

"I never thought... I'd see you again..." were the soft words, but such a gentle response prompted only more rage. How dare he. How DARE he say things like that! He shot them! He killed them! After years and years of saying they were family, of saying they were all each other had, he betrayed them! He turned his back and his gun on them all and now they were fucking alone in this new horrific world. He didn't get to talk like that. He didn't get to talk like there was still love there. There never could have been! He lied to them! HE LIED!!

Pika tried charging at them. He couldn't use his electricity, so he would have to use other methods-- but as he dashed to save his trainer, he found himself tossed in a different direction. Landing hard on the bed he'd been sleeping in not half an hour ago, Pika let out a growl of desperation. Dammit! He couldn't get close to Charlie if Vee was still up... He looked to the Umbreon and nodded to him. "Artorias!" was the only word he got out before a sickening crack sounded and the scent of fresh blood filled the room.

Charlie, tears in his eyes, swung their trainer around like he was nothing but a limp Buneary. Horror struck the small electric rodent as he found he could only watch. With a massive swing of his head, the pseudo dragon tossed their trainer effortlessly into the door to the peak, smashing it open, where Red landed on the snow. "RED!" Pika cried, moving much faster than Vee this time, or Charlie.

The little Pikachu stood next to his trainer half-buried on his wounded side in the snow, his breathing haggard and struggling. There were noises -wrong, wet, loud noises- coming from him as he tried to breathe. His eyes fluttered as they stared out at the sky, his body twitched hard as he attempted and failed to move. Already, Pika feared he'd been too slow, too stupid to have saved his trainer. There was a chance he and Blue could take his teammates down, but... then he'd lose everyone. Tears welled in the poor rodent's eyes and he looked around for something -anything- that could help him.

"B... Bag..." was the singular word the soldier managed to speak, blood pooling and melting the snow under his mouth. The word didn't make sense, but maybe there were healing potions in his bag! Yeah, that was it! Looking back at the door, Pika saw that there was a window of time to utilize-- Charlie slamming Red through the door made it stuck on the hinge, and the hole Red made wasn't large enough for the dragon.

"He LIED to us, Pika!" Charlie roared as he slowly broke through the reinforced door. "He told us he loved us and then he LIED!"

Ignoring the dragon's hateful cries, Pika began tugging on the ripped bag still somehow attached to his trainer's shoulders. He needed to find what Red had in here that would help... A lot of ammo. No, that wouldn't-- wait. Pika paused as he pulled out a familiar ball. It was Snor's, he knew-- there was a little crude "Z" carved into it. Red... Red had kept their pokeballs... even after all this time? He turned back to the thrashing dragon and his ears perked. Of course! Return them!

Pika moved more frantically, trying to find the two he needed. He just needed a little more time...!

Vee stared back at Artorias as if the Umbreon never said a word; it was a familiar sight from their many past battles, yet not a welcome one. It’d be an exercise in futility to try and pry any understanding of the Espeon. He glared back at that detached wall of composed neutrality, yet neither moved to attack. It was difficult to hold back from doing so. Artorias’ claws dug into the stone beneath him as Red and Mikhail continued to be held above-had it not been for the Espeon finally deigning to speak, he might not have been able to keep from cutting through the strings of tension himself.

//Of course not. He has no fault in this. He is a simple child of the mountain. We have no quarrel with him.// The Umbreon could only give a sharp, short hiss at that. What a useless sentiment. //I just find it amusing that our old trainer has come here, of all places, to form a new team.//

”Don’t play these games with me,” Artorias warned, yet his words soon drowned under the sheer volume of Charlie’s wrath.

”What, is that little pipsqueak my replacement?! Gotta build a good, balanced team, right? Gotta get you a pair of fucking wings, right?! I'm tired of this!"

Artorias braced for an attack from the Charizard first, his eyes taking in the massive wingspan and the raging fire that all shouted danger. His words were a clear enough threat, and it was what the Umbreon paid attention to.

Listening to that instinct was a mistake.

//Alleyoop.//

And with one little word, the Umbreon found himself in a fresh world of hurt. Mikhail may have been small, but the sheer force of Vee’s psychic power did not care; when the bat’s form cracked against Artorias’ face, his vision went blurry with splashes of disorienting color. Everything became a daze in an instant. His cry of pain mixed with Mikhail’s own; the Noibat fell to the cold stone as Artorias stumbled back, trying to shake the spots out of his view. Blood dripped from his face, both from his nose and his teeth, one of which felt cracked.

It hurt-but pain be damned, he could take hits. He had to endure this for everyone’s sake. Artorias lifted his badly aching head, his first thought being that of Mikhail. The Noibat had collapsed, but- yes, thank whatever legends were out there, he was still breathing. No fault in this, was that what Vee said? Artorias’ teeth bared themselves once more.


As everything unfolded, Blue hardly had to time to process. First it was the white hot anger at both his Umbreon and an innocent kid being hurt, fuck-then came the cold, sinking dread of being unable to stop Vee from throwing Red straight towards Charlie. Seeing him be caught in those merciless fangs. His first unthinking instinct screamed get the fuck over there; Vee put a stop to that quickly. Frustration gave way to sharp, sudden pain as Blue was flung away and hit the hard floor. It was a goddamn miracle nothing broke.

He tried to recover quickly, push past the protest of his body to get back on his feet. Red needed him desperately, damn it! Needed Artorias-Blue saw his Umbreon leap into the fray and for a moment there was the barest hint of relief colored with waves of urgency. His direction towards Artorias came too little, too late, and far too disarrayed. The sight of Red in the jaws of his violently enraged Charizard kept rattling in Blue’s skull.

He heard it after Pika’s shout. There was a terrible, ugly sound; a crack so sharp it made his teeth hurt. Blue’s breath caught then, as if the whole world ceased to turn for a single awful moment. A moment that shattered as Charlie threw Red away like he was repulsive, unwanted garbage. Blue couldn’t even see him anymore, nor catch a glimpse of what exact damage the Charizard had done. But there was blood, that much was obvious. Charlie had fucking hurt him. He had to have hurt Red badly and now he was out there, tossed aside, that sound-

(Some numb part of him dully noted that Pika dashed after his trainer without hesitation.)

Blue had to get out there.

His mind snapped back into a narrow, yet consuming focus. Vee would not let him pass. Vee had to fucking get out of the way then-and after him, Charlie. Blue had to get to Red. Artorias was fighting the Espeon, and using his typing to its full advantage, but the Umbreon had already taken a hit before this. He needed another on his side-offense, especially. There was no hesitation as Blue brought out another of their team, his Arcanine bursting forth into the fray. If Laurentius had a reaction to seeing old rivals attacking his teammates, his trainer hardly noticed.

”Artorias, heal up-both of you, keep him pinned!” Blue internally begged for this to be enough. He had no idea what Pika was doing, what had happened to Red- but Blue couldn’t let him die. If the man died because of his own incompetence, then... he heard the screaming rage of Charlie over the sound of his own desperation. The Charizard had to be trying to reach Red again, kill him.

If he hadn’t already.

The next Pokeball was easily chosen. His Rhydon was released, and if Blue had been distracted before with Laurentius, it was far worse this time. His voice tore from him without care, directing Tarkus to use Stone Edge. In that short span of time, his mind pulsed with one thought: stop that Charizard now. ”You stay the fuck away from Red!”

The sounds of battle seemed distant now, even if they were only a few yards away. He could hear Charlie roaring, Blue shouting beneath it... He didn't want them to fight... He didn't want the precious few people he loved and cared for to fight... to try and kill each other... A small whimper was all the soldier could muster, his unfocused gaze stuck on a particular unremarkable point in the grey sky above him as Pika hurriedly searched through his bag nearby.

Red's crumpled form lay where it landed moments ago, twisted and resting on the uneven snow to be sort of on his side. There'd been a strange snap in his shoulder as he'd landed on it, but at least it wasn't what was hurting. No, the sharp shards of his ruined armor were stabbing into him, the massive puncture wounds in his other shoulder and middle throbbing. The warmth from his spilled blood was so quickly stolen away by the cold's gentle kisses, leaving him actually cold for the first time in... a long, long time.

With that chill sinking into his awareness and frame, Red's mind was caught in a strange torrent of being paralyzed with the epiphany that not only was one of his old team members still alive, but it was Pika himself, and even Vee and Charlie, as well as the fact that most of that number was trying to kill him, and of course at the realization that one of them might have just succeeded. Each breath he pulled in hurt in a way the soldier had never experienced before-- was it a broken rib? Several? His shoulder hurt... so badly... and each attempt to even roll himself onto his back sent a sharp, excruciating pain through his small frame powerful enough to temporarily white out his vision. This... this was bad...

Weak coughs accompanied by blood racked him, overpowering him, leaving Red helpless and half buried in the snow. Pika tried his hardest not to listen to his poor maimed trainer, tried not to look at the poor haggard man, crimson pooling around him like a macabre halo. It had been years since they'd seen each other and then five minutes after their reunion... No, no. The little Pikachu couldn't focus on the fact that each rattling breath from his trainer was harmonized with a tiny, pitiful whimper of pain. Deft little hands rummaged through the worn pack for the pokeballs they needed. Where were they?! It was so hard to find more of the little capsules when they were minimized and there was an entire army's worth of ammo--!

In the meantime, Charlie and Vee were pressed. At least, the Espeon was in trying to defend himself from two pokemon at once, one of which was immune to a large swath of his most devastating attacks. The psychic cat's back arced, his bifurcated tail puffed and lashed as his two opponents boxed him in. But unlike them, the Espeon didn't snarl, didn't growl. He couldn't, thanks to his wretched -and likely now dying- trainer. A hollow hiss escaped his mouth, but he kept their orders in his mind: Blue merely told them to heal up and keep him pinned. So Artorias wasn't going to attack. The Arcanine was the only one that could pose a threat this round...

However, the Espeon's focus was diverted as Blue called out an order to his Rhydon that had very quickly appeared. Ears perked, understanding the threat to his teammate who was too obsessed with getting through the ruined door to finish Red off, he was too late to react as the order for a Stone Edge was given. No! //Charlie! Move!// he cried, but it was too late. The dragon's back had been facing the Rhydon, and there wasn't a lot of turning room right by the door. There was no hope of dodging it. The attack landed, and sent Charlie through the tattered remnants of the door to land in the snow.

Pika had only a moment to react, pulling the open bag with him as he jumped out of the dragon's way onto a nearby perch. A pained groan sounded as the Charizard lifted his head out of the pile of snow that had accrued around him, since he'd basically bulldozed through it, but it was obvious from the already forming bruise on his back that he was severely injured. A quadruple weakness would do that. He looked like he could barely stand...

But the dragon's arrival had caused some of the snow to shift further out around them. More specifically, it covered Red almost completely and pushed his broken body a little toward the edge. Incapable of moving on his own, there was only a small whimper of protest in response. Pika's heart stuttered as the mound of white, black, and red shifted a little more as Charlie struggled to get back up. Oh no... No, no, no...! The massive dragon could cause the snow to shift enough to let Red slip off the edge without even trying...!

Panicked, Pika began to dump the ammo out in handfulls. The bullets didn't matter. The little cleaning trinkets and other unrecognizable things didn't matter. Saur's ball, no. Snor's ball again-- no! Finally, the little rodent found one of his prizes in Charlie's ball and held it in his tiny hands awkwardly. He'd seen Red use them millions of times... but had no idea how to actually use the returning mechanism. Unable to puzzle it out quickly enough, Pika simply threw the idea of doing it himself to the winds and popped the tiny ball in his mouth, diving down and rushing to Blue's side. Hopping over his fallen teammate, skidding through the door and hopping onto the other trainer's chest and shoving the old, weathered pokeball into the man's hand.

"It's Charlie's!" Pika cried, desperate to end this fight quickly. "You can return him and lock the ball! Hurry, Red's slipping--!"

As he turned to jump off of Blue and back onto the stone, Pika caught the infuriated gaze of his other teammate, Vee. The Espeon was rarely emotional, even before the world ended and their family was destroyed, but now all the Pikachu could see in the psychic type was unmitigated fury. In an instant, the cat began to glow and soon the entire room was flooded in a blinding light, and a force pushed Pika and the others away from Vee himself. Dazzling gleam. Taking the window of opportunity the roomwide attack granted, the Espeon bolted under the Arcanine's legs and darted for the door. He wasn't the only one that heard that their old trainer was slipping in the snow.

In the tight space of the cavern’s exit, there was no room for Charlie to avoid the Stone Edge thrown his way. Tarkus’ powerful attack struck true; the impact of a Rock-type move against the Charizard not only broke down the door with his body, it threw Charlie straight into the snow outside too. For a terrifying second, Blue realized he’d sent the pissed off Pokemon right where Red was-maybe accidentally crushed him-and only felt the slightest sting of relief when the Charizard did not immediately stand back up. He had to be down for the fight after that. As ridiculously strong as Red’s team was, even Charlie couldn’t endure the devastating weakness his typing held against Stone Edge. Neither satisfaction nor reassurance flooded his mind; Vee remained a threat, and Red was dying. Blue prolonged the worst from happening, he hoped anyway, but he needed to get to the man before he bled to death. Or before Charlie could pick himself up out of the snow, and finish the job. The sound of the Charizard’s teeth breaking through Red’s armor still rang in his ears. Between that and the sharp metallic scent of blood, it was nearly impossible to think, but he still knew Vee would try to prevent him from leaving. If Artorias and Laurentius attacked together instead of the former tanking hits, they could keep him occupied long enough to reach Red. It had to work. Blue refused to imagine otherwise.

Turning to call out another direction to his Pokemon, Blue missed the sight of Pika running back inside. Only when he felt the weight of the Pikachu on him did he snap to attention; his words died, and a spike of confusion broke through the consistent storm of panic when the mouse insistently shoved something into his hand. A Pokeball? Out of everything Blue might expect from Pika, that was not one of them. Time had clearly left its mark on the thing, and in a hazy moment separate from what was happening around him, Blue wondered why Pika left his trainer’s side to give him this. He wouldn’t have done so for anything unimportant; could it be-? Sudden shock jolted through him at his next thought. Had the Pikachu brought him one of his teammates’ Pokeballs?  

"It's Charlie's!" Pika’s words were enough to draw a harsh breath from him. For once, his guess was correct. "You can return him and lock the ball! Hurry, Red's slipping--!"

He was what? Blue felt himself go pale at the bombshell the Pikachu dropped on him. Red was slipping into death or off the fucking mountain? It didn’t matter; both held the same conclusion. The door to the outside was completely open now, but he still couldn’t risk not making it in time. Thinking quickly, Blue shouted for his Arcanine’s help; ExtremeSpeed could get him to Red if the man was falling, and Laurentius would be able to grab him. It’d probably hurt like hell, but that was a necessary evil. Moving Red away from the edge of the peak was all that mattered. He was ready to run after when, without warning, his vision became overwhelmed with a brilliant, painful light. His eyes forced themself shut, and on instinct Blue threw his arm up in front of his face, as if somehow such a pointless gesture would help. Blue almost screamed in desperate frustration when the move pushed him back-not now, things were too dire for him to be stuck now! Vee was doing everything in his power to keep them from saving Red, and if Blue wasn’t so preoccupied, he might’ve acknowledged the depths of sorrow he had for these circumstances. Once, Red and his Pokemon had been like family… now here they were, with two of them going to such lengths to end his life.

No, Blue couldn’t think of that right now. His eyes once again open, he looked past the color splotches and saw something that left him cold with sheer dread. Vee managed to slip away from Laurentius; the Espeon was gunning right for the door. It was plain what his intentions were. Shit, he must have heard what Pika said. Artorias, having taken a super-effective hit, was still recovering; Tarkus with his poor special defense hadn’t endured the move any better. That left Blue with Laurentius. Though stunned by Dazzling Gleam, it’d still only done half damage to him, and with his heart going haywire in his chest Blue could think of no other options.

”Laurentius! Don’t let him reach Red!” With a vicious snarl, his Arcanine took off, ExtremeSpeed turning his form into that of a blur. Finally unhindered, Blue wasted no time running towards the door himself. He hated to leave his wounded partners behind, but it was now or never. His hand still firmly gripped Charlie’s Pokeball; he hadn’t forgotten what Pika wanted him to do. Both Charlie and Vee needed to be stopped. At Blue’s side, he heard the racing pawsteps of his Umbreon; he should have expected it. Wounded or not, Artorias would be with him to the bitter end. Putting his trust in his Pokemon-and Pika, too, though he would always be Red’s-Blue ran as fast as he could to save the Pikachu’s trainer. Out in the bitter cold of Mt. Silver’s peak, Charlie was still struggling to pick himself up out of the snow; not letting him have any further opportunity to cause harm, accidental or otherwise, Blue held up his ball and returned the Fire-type to it in a flash of ever-familiar red light. With the Pokeball locked down, that was one of the two taken care of.

”Laurentius! Don’t let him reach Red!”

Vee had forgotten just how much of a problem some of Blue's pokemon had been in the past. While the Espeon enjoyed the knowledge of his own prowess and how easily he could dispatch enemies, Blue's team had been their rivals for decades. Killing mindless hordes that were already half decayed and had little to no strategy had been his job for several years now, however, and it had been some time since he'd fought a legitimate threat. So as Blue cried out to his Arcanine, Vee had no time to react-- especially since it was such a fast move.

Blindsided by the Extremespeed, the Espeon cried out in pain as he was mercilessly flung into the snowy outside, landing several feet away from his fallen teammate after bouncing off the poor Charizard's back. Vee didn't face the fire-type often in their many bouts over the years; he certainly could pack a punch nowadays, couldn't he? Would that he had a working voice box, a menacing growl would have been rumbling in his chest. Instead, a strange hollow push of air came instead as the Espeon rose back up, shaking his head free of the snow. Oh, his side hurt badly where the attack connected, but he wasn't about to let the fire dog get the upper hand here. But as he rose back up, Charlie's form disappeared into nothing but red light, the snow that had already begun to pile onto his form falling innocently to the ground.

The Espeon's eyes widened in shock and mild horror as Blue's form came into view, holding the ball that now imprisoned his wounded comrade. How?! How had--?! The cat's eyes searched for the form of his old trainer but found nothing. Had he already slipped off? Good. But that wasn't the important issue at the moment. Pika had delivered the ball to Blue, but... where had he gotten it in the first place? Why would the man have kept their pokeballs after all this time and the atrocities he committed? He wanted to attack, he wanted to shove Blue away and all his fucking pokemon, to shake some fucking sense into Pika's round little head, but with himself so outnumbered now and already well on his way to being knocked out by the damned Arcanine, the Espeon took a step back toward the peak where his trainer would watch the world below.

The little Pikachu hopped down, taking a defensive stance beside Laurentius and in front of Blue himself. While he wanted to immediately go to Red's side or supply Blue with Vee's ball, Pika knew well that once he made that move, Vee was fast and quick-witted enough to shove the obstacles right off the cliffs with his powers. So, for now, they just... had to talk him down. Hopefully, there wouldn't be more fighting out here; the snow was too unstable and someone -probably Red- could plummet to their deaths.

"Vee, please!" Pika cried over the winds that were starting to pick up. "We don't have to do this. Fighting each other-- it's... you know how stupid it is! You told us that yourself! Please. I know you're angry and you have every right to be, but..." The small mouse glanced back to Blue before studying the irate Espeon with a desperate look. "We don't... we don't know everything..."

There was an intense beat of silence between them that settled. The psychic cat's eyes went from Pika, to Launrentius, to Blue, and then to a small speck of crimson. The blood spray was barely visible, and could have been from either Red or Charlie. His large ears caught the sound of weakened, whimpered breathing, but only just... A suspiciously shaped mound of snow was nearby... Was that--?

//Where did you get Charlie's ball?// The question was posed to Pika, since he knew the little rat had handed it off to Blue. //Is only his here or are everyone's stowed away somewhere?//

Pika's expression deepened, and his stance relaxed just a little. "...Vee, he brought them," the mouse answered in a gentler voice. This was progress, at least. Charlie might not have allowed this kind of interaction; he'd just want to fight until he couldn't anymore. Like... what happened. So... perhaps this was the best way forward? "Red brought them with him. And... it's everyone's. I-I saw Saur's and Snor's... I'm sure ours are here too."

The Espeon's tail lashed as he silently considered Pika's words, and then his eyes settled on Blue and his evolutionary cousin at his side. Vee had never had any sort of animosity toward either of them; most of the anger had been on their side in the first place during those formative years. //And what about you?// he asked of the pair, still eyeing the Arcanine and the strange mound that was probably definitely his sputtering, bleeding trainer. The scent of blood was dampened by the snow and cold, but now it was getting to a point where even those obstacles didn't stop the scent from reaching him. //Why are you even here? What are either of you doing here? There was nothing here for you. Did he know we were alive? Why does he still have our pokeballs?//

"Vee--"

//I want them to answer!// was the bellow that echoed throughout their space; a pulse of power shifted the snow in a wave, the falling flakes diverted away from the powerful pokemon. Pika was effectively silenced by his words and the display, ears back. But as another beat of quiet passed between them, the Espeon focused on Blue and his pokemon.

//...Answer me.// Vee reiterated, tail lashing behind him. //Tell me why either of you bothered to journey up to this peak. What were you doing? What... would the point have been to even come here in the first place?//

Blue didn’t waste a second after returning Charlie; his gaze quickly swept across the snow, trying to find where Red landed before. Despair dug into his chest with knife-sharp pain as he failed to do so. There was so much snow, could he have been buried? Or had he indirectly killed Red in trying to stop Charlie? That final thought burned white hot. With Vee still standing, there was no opportunity to search closer; if Blue had that chance, he would already be doing so. Even if it meant digging through this freezing nightmare with his bare hands like some wild animal, Blue didn’t care. Every second that passed only inched his partner closer to death. The repetitive, and terrible, reminder beat through his head without end. Seeing Pika, he knew the Electric-type too had to be agonizingly aware of how little time remained to them.

"Vee, please! We don't have to do this. Fighting each other-- it's... you know how stupid it is! You told us that yourself! Please. I know you're angry and you have every right to be, but..." Blue didn’t miss how Pika looked back at him. "We don't... we don't know everything..."

The moment after could’ve contained entire years inside of it. Pika was right-none of them knew the full story, not really. But would that matter to someone who suffered betrayal and a close brush with death? Blue waited with held breath as Vee did nothing except look back at his enemies; the Psychic-type never needed a lot of time to act. In an instant, if he wanted, Red could throw Red off of this mountain. Hell, he could very likely do so to everyone here. Blue wasn’t so proud as to deny the fear he felt at that idea. It was a very long way down… but more importantly, he trembled at the thought of losing yet more people he cared about. Would Pika’s attempt at diplomacy really work? Vee had been pissed off enough to throw Red right into the jaws of an equally enraged Charizard. Pika knew the Espeon better than he ever could, but that didn’t suggest he’d be willing to back down. Even in this frigid place, Blue felt cold sweat break onto his skin as the tension built to a breaking point. No direct fighting was happening, but that didn’t put a stop to the adrenaline coursing in his veins.

//Where did you get Charlie's ball? Is only his here or are everyone's stowed away somewhere?//

The tension in his body failed to drain from him at all, but still, thank fucking god Vee was talking to one of them. The very act of Charlie being returned must’ve thrown him off, if Blue had to guess why. It’d been a very long time since they’d gone into their Pokeballs. After so many years alone, the idea of it ever happening again probably faded away. It was only conjecture, but he couldn’t see any other reason.

"...Vee, he brought them," Pika explained, his tone soft, "Red brought them with him. And... it's everyone's. I-I saw Saur's and Snor's... I'm sure ours are here too."

Because he’d loved those Pokemon more than anything, Blue thought, though he knew better than to voice the sentiment. He’d never forget the night Red told him of what happened. The deaths of his team broke him; while Blue couldn’t feel the pain himself, he’d witnessed how deep it’d burrowed into Red’s very soul. Of course he’d kept their Pokeballs. As Vee’s eyes met his, he wondered how to convey to the Espeon that truth-and if he should bother to try at all. To Vee, he was only an unrelated bystander. That, and how do you explain such things to a Pokemon with an old bullet wound in his throat? Their very conversation was a reminder of that trauma. Blue all too suddenly felt inadequate; he’d never been good with words, and now his words might be the difference between life and death.

//And what about you?// Vee said to both Blue and Artorias, //Why are you even here? What are either of you doing here? There was nothing here for you. Did he know we were alive? Why does he still have our pokeballs?//

When Pika attempted to answer, Vee responded only with a clear display of anger and force… and yet, there was still something underneath it. Blue couldn’t say for sure, but a part of him wondered if, in some small way, Vee was faltering. Not that he was able to explain how. Still, the Psychic-type’s shout cleared the immediate doubts from Blue’s mind. Yes, he was bad with words, but dammit, he had to try. Artorias never took his eyes away from Vee, but his tail still brushed protectively against his trainer as the two became the center of the Espeon’s attention.

//...Answer me. Tell me why either of you bothered to journey up to this peak. What were you doing? What... would the point have been to even come here in the first place?//

”When I first came here… it wasn’t to climb this far,” Blue admits, his voice steady even with the intense gaze of Vee upon him, ”And I never expected to see Red here, either, not anymore. But when I found him… I learned the truth of what happened that same night, you know. I couldn’t remember a time I’d ever seen him without his Pokemon. It felt wrong, like it wasn’t really Red I was looking at. And when he told me what he did-I didn’t take it very well. I thought he was a monster. I even said as much. I’d heard about people being forced to kill their Pokemon, but I never thought Red would. He loved his team… I just couldn’t imagine.”

Blue never meant to say so much, but the words spill from him without caring for his wishes. Only in context did any of his experiences make sense, at least to him. All of the time spent here at Mt. Silver-likely for the last time-flooded into his mind. A lot of it blended into mundane periods of time, but Blue would never let go of the events that defined the climb. The first night, finding Mikhail, the awkward but sweet beginning of their new relationship, that first moment when they saw Pika by the fire in the cavern, all of it and more sped through the forefront of his thoughts.

”But I’ve seen the way he hates himself for what happened. I know how it sounds, but it’s there, and I don’t know if it’ll ever leave him. We’ve known each other for years and I’ve never seen him break down the way he did that day. He had a fucking gun in his mouth.” As if that particular memory could ever be forgotten. His voice became softer in light of that awful moment. ”I know what it’s like to hurt the ones you care about. I’ve turned my back on those I was meant to protect before, I’ve run from doing the right thing-I couldn’t leave him here to face those demons alone. It’s not the same thing, but still.”

”I could say I climbed here for some other reason-the pit we found below, maybe, anything, but that’d be wrong. I just wanted to make sure Red wasn’t alone. A part of me must have known if he returned here without anyone else, he wouldn’t have come back down. He would have stayed here with his self-hatred and his regrets, and then… I didn’t want that to happen. I care about him. The mountain was never my home, but it was his. He needed someone there. That’s why I’m here.”

”But nobody thought we would find you three here,” he says, glancing not only at Vee but at both the old Pokeball in his hand and Pika as well, ”He never knew you were alive. These Pokeballs weren’t kept for that reason.”

The only one who knew the exact truth was buried and dying in the snow, but Blue held certainty in what he felt earlier. Red would never stop loving his Pokemon, ever. Even the spiral of his self-hatred and violence had surely been fueled by guilt and loss. He loved his Pokemon, those deceased, and the ones on this mountain. Blue knew, and always would. His voice was finally exhausted from the cold air; his head hurt like hell now, but he pushed the pain aside. All he could hope was that Vee found something in his words. Something good enough to convince him to stop fighting. Blue didn’t want to fight any longer himself; it wasn’t only for Red’s sake, either, though that remained his main priority. He hated to be forced to hurt Pokemon that had already suffered so intensely. It all had to stop.

Artorias lightly stepped forward, his body language signaling his lack of intent to attack, or otherwise act as a threat. ”There was something here,” he spoke, his tone as quiet as it always was, ”There are memories here. Not as deep as your own, but I remember the mountain. I can still recall what it was like when all of you were in this place.”

”As we traveled upwards, I thought the peak would be a finality. A farewell to the Pokemon I once knew. I never believed I would see any of you again, yet here you stand.” Though he now stood still, Artorias’ eyes did not look away from his counterpart. ”Please, Vee… let us end this fighting. Pika was right. There’s nothing to be gained from it.”

”When I first came here… it wasn’t to climb this far,” the other trainer admitted with a hesitant voice. Vee wasn't sure if it added to the man's candor or if it came off overeager. Still, the Espeon was content to hear him out. ”And I never expected to see Red here, either, not anymore. But when I found him… I learned the truth of what happened that same night, you know. I couldn’t remember a time I’d ever seen him without his Pokemon. It felt wrong, like it wasn’t really Red I was looking at. And when he told me what he did-I didn’t take it very well. I thought he was a monster. I even said as much. I’d heard about people being forced to kill their Pokemon, but I never thought Red would. He loved his team… I just couldn’t imagine.”

Yes, Vee had held a very similar opinion once. Before that horrific night, he would have sworn up and down with the utmost confidence that Red would never commit such atrocities on any pokemon, much less the team that had been at his side for so, so very long. The psychic's bifurcated tail swished almost lazily as its owner contemplated the words thus far, finding cynicism and doubt pouring back into his soul. Long had those emotions been there, but for the moment, they were guarding him against the pain hope could bring.

Still, Vee did not interrupt Blue. ”But I’ve seen the way he hates himself for what happened. I know how it sounds, but it’s there, and I don’t know if it’ll ever leave him. We’ve known each other for years and I’ve never seen him break down the way he did that day. He had a fucking gun in his mouth.”

The only sign that the Espeon was still listening was that his ears twitched at that particular detail. Red had shot at them so freely, Vee never considered that there would have been any kind of guilt or remorse on his side. The latter bullets, the ones aimed at himself and Charlie and Pika, had been less decisive, yes-- but after so many years with nothing but hate and spite poisoning his memories, Vee had assumed those shots were made out of the need for more suffering, more malice. Was Red truly so... penitent?”I know what it’s like to hurt the ones you care about. I’ve turned my back on those I was meant to protect before, I’ve run from doing the right thing-I couldn’t leave him here to face those demons alone. It’s not the same thing, but still.”

For a second, Vee's eyes strayed to the mound of snow that was slowly adopting several crimson spots. Still, he refrained from speaking. Blue certainly looked like he wasn't done pleading with him, and the Espeon was very much still interested in what the man had to say.

Funny, calling him a man... Vee mused to himself as he truly observed Blue for the first time in years. The last time he laid eyes on the trainer, he was still little more than a tall boy. Though, it seemed Blue had come into his own in the long absence from each others' presence.

”I could say I climbed here for some other reason-the pit we found below, maybe, anything, but that’d be wrong. I just wanted to make sure Red wasn’t alone. A part of me must have known if he returned here without anyone else, he wouldn’t have come back down. He would have stayed here with his self-hatred and his regrets, and then… I didn’t want that to happen. I care about him. The mountain was never my home, but it was his. He needed someone there. That’s why I’m here.” Vee's eyes narrowed. Since when had Blue cared for Red at all?

”But nobody thought we would find you three here,” Blue continued, glancing about at not just Vee himself and Pika, who was still close to his battle ready stance, but at the old poke ball in his hand. ”He never knew you were alive. These Pokeballs weren’t kept for that reason.”

Another tail flick, another long beat of silence. The Espeon didn't seem to emote anything at all, and only moved his eyes to regard his evolutionary cousin as he approached. The Umbreon had long been his own rival, like their trainers, and thus the psychic couldn't help the thrill of anticipation that slinked up his spine. But Artorias didn't seem interested in continuing the battle.

”There was something here,” the Umbreon added, his voice soft and calm as it usually was. ”There are memories here. Not as deep as your own, but I remember the mountain. I can still recall what it was like when all of you were in this place.”

Vee willed the memories of their visits when accompanied with Daisy in those cheerful days away, wanting to focus instead on what the other pokemon had to say rather than nostalgia drown his rationale. ”As we traveled upwards, I thought the peak would be a finality. A farewell to the Pokemon I once knew. I never believed I would see any of you again, yet here you stand.” The two Eeveelutions locked gazes, the intensity of their focus seeming to still the world around them. ”Please, Vee… let us end this fighting. Pika was right. There’s nothing to be gained from it.”

Oh, Vee was quite sure Charlie would eagerly disagree with such a statement. Still, it was not up to the Charizard at the moment-- Blue had seen to that. Well, Blue and Pika. The Espeon tore his eyes away from Artorias to stare at his teammate for a moment, narrowed gaze still there. The gentle mountain breeze was the only sound around them, causing the flakes glittering about them to dance upon it. Pika swallowed, his own expression full of anxiety and desperation. Yes, the little rodent had always worn his feelings on his sleeve, much as Charlie did. And, back in the day, Red himself. After another moment, the Espeon's large eyes moved to Blue, then to Artorias again, and then to the bleeding mound of snow. It seemed to be forever that the psychic contemplated his situation and whether or not he would condemn his trainer to death, but finally, he turned back to the others and spoke with a calm conviction.

//...In order to truly judge his actions, I will need to hear Red's testimony myself. We will see then how he made the decision to slaughter us all, and why he came back with all of our poke balls.// It was then another wave of psychic power, this one much gentler and almost warm, removed the snow from his trainer, revealing his precarious location near the cliff's edge. However, instead of leave him there, the limp body rose, Vee's power rippling around him as the Espeon carefully transported the still whimpering Red to Blue's feet.

//Indigo Plateau is close by. Should you hurry, the doctors there will be able to heal him. Should you hurry.//

With a look to the forgotten bag nearby, Vee plucked a pokeball from its depths; the psychic could find his own if he focused. He stared at Pika a moment, then closed his eyes. The ball dropped on his head and the Espeon was returned back into his ball.

Pika retrieved both the ball and the bag, dragging them both to Red's side. "Arceus above...!" the Pikachu whimpered, the state of his trainer bringing tears down his frosted fur. He wanted to try and pull the hard armored shell off of Red's torso, but it was so splintered... There was no telling whether or not moving it would cause shards to pierce deeper into the poor man. Red himself was... shaking. Shivering. Blood was already painting his camo and the snow was trying very hard to turn it to ice. He turned to Blue, panicked and desperate.

"We have to go! Now! Can your Pidgeot carry you both? I-I'll even get in my ball if it makes a difference. Please! He's dying!"

It was hard, clinging to consciousness when your life was leaking out of you and the cold was so very, very persistent. It hurt so much to keep breathing, even in tiny gasps. But Red was at the very last, stubborn. Even in the haze of bloodloss, all he could think of was that he'd failed in his orders. He'd failed in killing all of his team; half were still alive. He hadn't killed them all. He hadn't. They hated him. They wanted to kill him.

But they were alive. And that was all that mattered.

The conversation filtered in and out, especially as more and more snow fell upon his form. He could hear Pika... then Vee.... then... Blue... Not that Red could comprehend what they were saying; it was taking all the mental prowess he currently possessed to just pick out who was speaking. But finally, at long last, the snow shifted off of him... and he was... floating?

Before he could understand what was happening, he was on the snow again. The cold had penetrated him in a way it never had before. Maybe it was because there was always Charlie's warmth nearby, or how Pika somehow always blocked the chill while riding around on his shoulder. But now it was taking him, inch by inch. He couldn't feel his fingers anymore, his feet were hard to move. Everything else hurt...

A wet, terrible cough tore through him, more blood spurting from his mouth and onto the snow. He wanted to say something as Pika panicked, but found his lungs filled with nothing but blood and ice.