Dream 4: Verbal War Zone

"DANTE!"

I'm going to die, I realized.

I was going to plunge into the river below. With a boy gone mad. His hands around my throat. Choking me of precious oxygen. Drowning me as vengeance for his dead Mankey.

How ironic, I thought, a small smile tugging at my lips. After all these deaths, I end up dead at the hands of one of their trainers. At least Wildfire can't kill me. This boy gets that honor instead. Is it even an honor? I doubt it…

My back hit the water, pain racing up my spine from the impact. Then I was instantly underwater, forced downward by the weight of the Jr. Trainer above me. As if realizing where he was—where I was—his grip on my throat tightened. Air bubbles escaped from my mouth, seeping through my clenched teeth.

I couldn't hold out, can't hold out, for much longer. I had very little air before I fell into the river. Now I had next to none. The Jr. Trainer was probably running out but he likely didn't care. All he cared about was killing me, avenging his Mankey, stopping me from winning…whatever I happened to be winning.

I wasn't really sure what he meant anymore. At first it was about the battle. What is was now, I wasn't sure. I probably didn't want to know.

At this rate, I'd probably never know. I'd be dead. Suffocated. Drowned in a river after killing an entire bridge full of trainer Pokemon.

This is what you deserve, a small voice in the back of my mind whispered. After all of those deaths, you deserve this punishment. You killed all of those innocent Pokemon.

But it wasn't me, I argued. It was all Wildfire. And Gale, too. They killed those Pokemon, not me.

You could've stopped it, the voice whispered. You could've released them, maybe even fought them. They have weaknesses. You have their weaknesses.

Weaknesses? What…? I didn't understand. The oxygen to my brain was cut off by the hands around my throat, crushing my windpipe.

Wildfire is a Fire-type. Gale is a Flying-type, the voice reminded, sounding gentle. You have a Water-type and an Electric-type with you.

Rocket…and Zapper, I thought hazily. So what?

Rocket can defeat Wildfire. Zapper can defeat Gale. It wouldn't be that hard for them, the voice whispered temptingly.

They'd die, I argued. Wildfire and Gale would kill them. I don't want them to die. I've seen enough death. No more…

Then end it, the voice hissed. They've killed. Kill them.

Kill them? Wildfire and Gale? My thoughts were too jumbled up to comprehend what the voice was telling me to do.

In order to defeat a killer, sometimes you have to use their own practices against them, the voice whispered. Kill them. Kill Wildfire and Gale. Then you'll be free!

Me? Free? I thought.

My vision was going black. My lungs were screaming for air. Surely the Jr. Trainer must be suffocating, too. Maybe he didn't care if he killed himself. Just as long as I was dead.

I guess he was getting his wish. I was suffocating. Drowning. Dying.

The voice was fading into nothing now. I could barely see the Jr. Trainer above me. I couldn't register his grip on my neck anymore. Had he let go of me at last? Or was I too numb from the cold water to notice it anymore?

My ears were buzzing, but I could barely make out a noise. It was probably supposed to be loud, but the water had deafened it. I barely even heard it.

I saw something, just barely beyond the darkening form of the Jr. Trainer. My eyes were slipping closed, but I swore that the tiny figure was getting closer. Only…it wasn't so tiny after all.

It was glowing. No, growing! It was tiny, but now it was huge. And it was approaching us at a quick pace.

It was upon us in seconds, its massive shadow looming over us. The Jr. Trainer was yanked away, along with his crushing hands—apparently still around my throat, as I discovered when my neck jerked briefly when he was torn away. Then the figure was grabbing me too, something sharp tearing into the front of my shirt. I felt claws tear into my chest, drawing blood.

The figure promptly shot for the surface, dragging me and the Jr. Trainer—gripped in its other clawed hand/foot/whatever appendage it had—behind it. Two huge sails pumped alongside its body, swiftly pulling it closer and closer to the surface. My lungs were screaming. My vision blackened almost completely. My mind went blank.

This is it, I realized. I'm dead.

Those were my last thoughts before I was lost in darkness…

.o.o.o.o.

"Dante! Dante, please wake up! Dante!"

Huh?

I felt heavy, like my body was made of lead. It took a while for my brain to reboot, recalling my name and who I was. Then came my personal life. My family. My friends. Going to college. Getting roomed with my best friend, Jerry. The exams. The game I got from Jerry.

The game!

Then I remembered all the horrible stuff that had happened to me. Prof. Oak's warning. Rook's apparent death. Wildfire and Gale joining my party. The life-like dreams. The deaths of other trainers' Pokemon. The cuts on my cheek that Wildfire gave me. Wildfire stealing new Pokemon from trainers. The killings of the Team Rocket grunts. The Super Nerd (and his underwear). Jessie and James. The Nugget Bridge killings. The Jr. Trainer and his Mankey. Me being attacked by the Jr. Trainer. Falling into the river. The shadow that tried to rescue us. Suffocation. Drowning.

I'm not dead.

I realized this right away. If I was dead, I wouldn't be hearing Dune calling my name. Smelling the scents of the river and the burnt sections of Nugget Bridge. Tasting blood and ash and disgusting river water in my mouth.

Most of all, I wouldn't be seeing my team around me.

The moment I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the sight of my team gathered around me. Rocket was the closest, eyes shining with joyful tears when I opened my eyes and coughed up that disgusting water. Dune was jumping for joy. Zapper simply smirked, commenting on how 'awesome' I was for surviving a near-drowning. To see such concern from my team brought tears to my eyes. These were my friends…

"Back off, lizard-breath, before I send you into the river myself!"

That voice! How could I forget? I had four friends, not three! How could I miss him of all Pokemon?

Slowly sitting up, I smiled shakily as I lifted my gaze to see my brave little Spearow. From the sound of it, he was fighting with Wildfire. That was odd. He usually fought with Gale, saving his glaring for the Charmeleon. What suddenly changed?

I realized what it was when I finally laid eyes on him.

Talon wasn't a tiny Spearow anymore. He was a massive Fearow. He had evolved! But when? How? Why?

He had his back to me, wings flared outward. He stood before Wildfire, towering over the Fire-type easily with his elongated neck. The Charmeleon stood his ground, glaring with his teeth bared angrily. Gale stood off to the side, feathers puffed to make himself look bigger.

Unfortunately, neither of them had anything on Talon. Not this time. Maybe never again (until Wildfire evolved again, at least).

"Move it, bird. He deserves what's coming to him." Wildfire snarled. "He tried to kill my chance at getting to the top."

"What happened to finding yourself a new trainer if Dante died, eh? Or do you like Dante now?" Talon snapped.

"He's gotten me this far. It would be too much work, going back to square one again." Wildfire replied. "Besides, that kid cheated. You're not supposed to attack another trainer."

"But you can kill another trainer's Pokemon?" Talon shot back, eyes narrowed hatefully. "Your logic has a couple dozen screws lose, lizard-breath! Forget it! I'm not letting you kill another kid! Not this time!"

"This time?" Wildfire repeated, confused.

"I believe he means the boy in Viridian Forest, Wildfire." Gale reminded, keeping his glaring gaze upon the Fearow.

"Oh, him. I forgot about him." Wildfire shrugged. "Who cares? It was just one kid. What's another?"

"Another is more blood on Dante's hands! And on ours, for that matter!" Talon shouted, feathers puffing in rage. "I was just a Spearow back then. I couldn't do anything to stop you. But now who can't do anything, eh? Not so tough when you're not the biggest anymore, aren't you?"

I was scared. I wanted to tell Talon to stop, to knock it off before Wildfire got really mad. Wildfire killed other trainers' Pokemon. What would stop him from killing my Pokemon, too?

Fortunately, Wildfire didn't attack. He simply crossed his arms, snorted, and turned away. "Like that matters. All I care about is getting to the top. If that means getting more blood on your hands, that's fine with me. You want to save that kid so bad? Fine, you can. I don't care anymore."

And just like that, it was over. The Charmeleon walked away, not even giving us a second glance. After a moment, Gale followed after him. The confrontation was over. Talon had won…for now.

That's when I saw him, just a short distance away. The Jr. Trainer that had tried to kill me. He was on his hands and knees, gasping for breath. His eyes had been locked on the two arguing Pokemon, never once looking away. When the verbal fight was over, his gaze turned to me.

I expected hatred, maybe even a thirst for vengeance. This kid had lost his Mankey thanks to me. He might've even lost his life just now had Talon not stepped in. I was ready for whatever he had to throw at me.

"I'm sorry."

I didn't expect that. An apology. The pitiful look he sent me. Why?

"You can't talk, right?"

What? How did he…?

"You were crying. I realized it when your Fearow saved us. You were crying the whole time."

So he did notice. But what does that matter? His Mankey, and all of those other Pokemon, are still dead.

"If you don't like it, why just stand there? Fight back! I know you can!"

If it was that easy, I would. I did try, back in Viridian Forest. It didn't work. Wildfire was a Charmander then. What damage could he do now as a Charmeleon? I didn't want to think about it.

"If you don't like it, do something about it! Fight!"

I pointed to the cuts on my cheek. I tried. I failed. There was no point, especially not now.

"You can't just stand there and do nothing! Fight back! You have to try, even if it kills you!"

Then what? If I die, Wildfire and Gale will just find another poor kid to "take them to the top". At least this way, I'm the only one they're tormenting.

"You can't just give up! So many Pokemon are dying. How can you just stand there and not care?"

You think I don't care? Of course I do. I just can't do anything about it. I've tried. It doesn't work. Wildfire and Gale always win, one way or another. There's no point to even trying.

"You can win. You're human. They're Pokemon. Your Wartortle… It can beat that Charmeleon. And your Pikachu! It can roast that Pidgeotto! You can still win!"

And if I lose? My Pokemon will suffer for it. They could be killed. Then what? I'll be left all alone with Wildfire and Gale. How can I save anyone like that, huh?

"You've got to try! Please! You have to!"

The Jr. Trainer's words brought up that voice I heard, back when I was drowning.

You could've stopped it. You could've released them, maybe even fought them. They have weaknesses. You have their weaknesses. Wildfire is a Fire-type. Gale is a Flying-type. You have a Water-type and an Electric-type with you. Rocket can defeat Wildfire. Zapper can defeat Gale. It wouldn't be that hard for them.

It had said the exact same thing. I could possibly win. I did have their weaknesses. But what if I lost? Rocket and Zapper could die for it. I didn't want them to die.

Then end it. They've killed. Kill them. In order to defeat a killer, sometimes you have to use their own practices against them. Kill them. Kill Wildfire and Gale. Then you'll be free!

And end up becoming like them? No. I'm not a killer. I won't become a killer, not even to get rid of Wildfire and Gale. I'd be no better than them then. I won't do it. I won't kill, not now, not ever.

I looked at the Jr. Trainer to find him hunched over, sobbing as he hugged himself. He was still muttering the same words over and over again. "You have to, you have to, you have to…"

I'm sorry, I thought, feeling tears fall down my cheeks anew. I'm sorry. I wish I could do something. Maybe I will, one day. Just not now. Not yet. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me.

"Hey, are we going or what? We still have to get that prize for beating these losers."

I looked up and glared at Wildfire. The Charmeleon was keeping his distance from the crying Jr. Trainer, tail lashing about with impatience. Gale was nearby him, not even paying attention to us. He was staring at the tall grass growing just across the water from us.

I slowly staggered to my feet, movements sluggish from my near-drowning. I felt a bit sick but, beyond that, I felt well enough to keep going. I'd have to. Wildfire probably wouldn't want anymore delays in his "quest to get to the top".

Stupid glitch Charmeleon, I thought.

"You okay, Dante?" Talon asked, looking at me with concern.

I could only nod thanks to in-game character muteness. Dune, Zapper, and Rocket stayed close to me as we began to head for the exit of the bridge. Standing in the way was, naturally, another trainer. Only it wasn't a trainer.

It was a Team Rocket grunt. I held back the urge to vomit. I knew what would happen now.

"Congrats, kid! Looks like you beat everyone on Nugget Bridge!" he announced, smirking. He held out a glittering chunk of gold. "Here's your prize, a Nugget!"

I accepted the Nugget without argument.

"You know, you're really strong. Plus, I saw what you did there. You know…" The grunt looked around, as if checking to see if anyone was close by. There was no one. He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Killing those kids' Pokemon. They're right, aren't they? You lost control, too."

I stayed silent. I already knew what he would ask.

"Well, so did we at Team Rocket. Since you did too, I've got a question for you. How about you join us?" he asked. "With all of us working together, overthrowing the league won't be too hard. Neither will ruling the world. With our boss leading us and our Pokemon killing all of the competition, we'll be unstoppable! So what do you say, kid? Want to join?"

My answer was obvious. I shook my head, taking a step back. I wasn't about to join Team Rocket. I had enough problems with Wildfire and Gale. I wasn't about to add more trouble to that.

The grunt frowned, disappointed. "Well, that sucks. You'd have been a great member to have on our side." He sighed and shrugged before fixing me with a nasty glare. "Oh well. If you can't recruit them, destroy them. Sorry, kid, but your training days are over! Ekans, Zubat, it's time to fight!"

I stepped back again, letting Dune and Zapper fight them. Dune's combo of Slash plus a handful of Scratches easily took out the Ekans, allowing Zapper's Thundershock to tear the Zubat from the sky. It was Gale who stepped up to finish the fight with a powerful Gust.

"N-No! Th-This isn't s-supposed to h-happen!" the grunt cried, terrified.

Ekans and Zubat were quick to turn on their trainer. I looked away when they leaped, covering my eyes to spare myself the sight of the grunt being brutally murdered by his Pokemon. I could only hear the grunt's screams, the Ekans' hissing, and the Zubat's angry screeches. It was over within minutes.

"Ugh…" Dune had his paws over his mouth, eyes watering. "Why? Why do they do that?"

"'Cause they're sick!" Zapper growled. "And twisted! And evil!"

"Babies," Wildfire snorted. "Getting all worked up over one weak guy's death. Pathetic!"

"Wildfire," Gale said pointedly.

"What?" the Charmeleon hissed, rounding on the Pidgeotto. "Are you suddenly siding with them now, Gale?"

"Never," the Flying-type said, frowning. "I'm just asking if you've…noticed."

"Noticed?" Wildfire suddenly froze. "Oh, yeah. That. Yeah, I noticed. We'll deal with it later."

"Just checking," Gale said.

"Good," Wildfire snorted. "I don't need any sissies coming to the top with me. Understood?"

"Crystal clear," Gale replied with a smirk.

Noticed? I wondered. Noticed what? Is there something I missed?

We left the bridge behind us in order to explore the grass nearby it. Naturally, there was a trainer there. It was another Jr. Trainer. I shuddered in fear, recalling how the last Jr. Trainer had tried to drown me.

"I saw what you did on the bridge, you killer! You should've just died!" he barked, enraged tears shining in his eyes.

Yeah, maybe I should've. But I didn't, so I have to keep going. I'm sorry, I thought.

The Jr. Trainer had a Rattata and an Ekans. I found myself sighing in relief upon seeing no Mankey. I didn't want a repeat of the last one. I wondered briefly if Xena, my own Mankey (not found in Red version but caught on Route 22 due to the many glitches of this game), would be that determined in a fight.

Don't think about it, I mentally scolded myself. What're the chances you'll ever use her, anyway? Especially with Wildfire and Gale taking up two spots on my team. Stupid glitch Pokemon…

Zapper and Dune jumped into the fight, using a combo of Thundershock (from Zapper) and Slash (from Dune) to knock both Pokemon down to low health. They were quick to back off, allowing Wildfire to step forward. The Rattata and the Ekans were burnt to a crisp with Ember, leaving only ash and charcoal corpses behind.

"Rattata! Ekans! No!" the Jr. Trainer wailed, falling to his knees beside their charred remains. "Why…? Why would you do this? What have we done to deserve such cruelty?"

You did nothing. Neither did I. Regardless, we're all suffering now, I thought.

I walked away from him and into the surrounding tall grass, keeping a wary eye on the Jr. Trainer. I didn't want him to pull the same stunt that the Jr. Trainer on the bridge did. He didn't move, though. He simply sat there, hands covering his face as he cried. His small body shook with heavy sobs.

The only Pokemon in the grass that I hadn't caught yet was Abra. I already had a Caterpie (Blue exclusive), Weedle, Oddish, and Bellsprout (another Blue exclusive) that were stolen from their trainers. Metapod (another Blue exclusive) and Kakuna were counted as Caterpie and Weedle since it would be easy to evolve them (not that I'd likely get the chance to). I also had a Pidgey (now a Pidgeotto) in the form of Gale. A quick glance northward informed me of the absence of the guy from Yellow that gives you a Charmander.

Good! I thought. Not like I'd want another one. The one I've got is bad enough as it is.

Speaking of Yellow, were there any exclusive Pokemon that I might find here? Man, it had been so long since I played that game! I couldn't even remember!

Well, the only way to find out is to search, I decided.

I ran through the grass for quite a while, hunting around for Abra and anything new. I saw a ton of Weedle, Caterpie, Metapod, and Kakuna. Pidgey appeared nearly as often. Bellsprout and Oddish popped up every once in a while. During my hunt, I took the time to level Dune up so he was as strong as everyone else (except Wildfire and Gale). It was during this time that I found something new.

It was a lone Pidgeotto. I practically froze upon coming across it. I hadn't seen one in the wild since the one in Viridian Forest! You couldn't find it here in Red, so it had to be a Yellow exclusive. Too bad I already had one…

"Oh man! Not again…" I heard Zapper whimper behind me.

"What's the matter, Zapper?" Dune asked, concerned.

"Yeah, what's the matter? Scared of it?" Wildfire taunted.

"Knock it off, Wildfire!" Rocket warned, stepping between them. "Leave him alone. He's got good reason to be scared. You nearly let him die because of one of those!"

"So? He's still alive," Wildfire reminded, frowning.

"No thanks to us! He would've died otherwise, lizard-breath!" Talon screeched, not hesitating to jump into the fight. "We saved him while you stood by and watched! You didn't even try to help! Because of that, Emperor and Empress chose to leave the team in favor of the PC! You let all of that happen!"

"So? They were weak, anyway," the Charmeleon shrugged, unaffected by the accusations.

I chose to sneak off during their arguments, already knowing there was nothing I could do to stop it. I couldn't speak due to in-game character muteness. Trying to physically fight was basically suicide. There was nothing I could do. I was only a human, after all.

That's when I found it. Lying in the grass, snoozing the day away, was a ball of purple fluff with a pair of big red eyes and two antennae sprouting from the top of its round body. Its stubby hands and feet were tucked close to its body. It was a Venonat, which could only be found in Yellow.

Lucky me, I thought, pulling a Poke Ball from my bag.

Since it was asleep, I decided to catch it right off the bat. With a gentle toss, the red and white sphere bounced off of its fluffy form and snapped open. The Venonat was sucked into it instantly, falling to the ground. I nearly cried aloud in joy when it clicked, signaling a successful capture. Scooping up the ball, I already had a name for it.

I think I'll call you Nate, little guy, I thought with a smile.

The grass in front of me suddenly started rustling. I scrambled backward a bit, instantly afraid. It could be anything in there. Maybe even another Pidgeotto! I'd seen the damage those things could do to someone (that someone being Zapper).

Nothing came out of the grass. I could only see a pair of eyes, glowing a bright blue color. The owner of those eyes didn't come any closer. It simply sat there, watching me.

"So…you must be the one. You're Dante, right?"

Huh? I looked around, confused. I could've sworn that I heard a female voice just now.

"Oh… You can't talk right now, huh? That's a shame. You definitely seem like an interesting kid."

That voice… I thought. Could it be a psychic? But the only Psychic-types here are…Abra!

The voice giggled slightly. "My, you're clever, aren't you? I wish I could chat more with you. Until next time, I guess."

Wait! What do yo—

My thoughts were cut off when I was suddenly lifted into the air by an invisible force. Then I was right behind my team, where I had been minutes ago when their arguing had started. I was dropped back on the ground again. When I looked around, I could see no signs of an Abra.

Where is it? It has to be here somewhere, I thought, frowning.

"Dante, are you okay?"

Rocket's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up at the Wartortle, since I had fallen flat on my back when I had been dropped (the drop had only been less than a foot). All of my Pokemon were staring at me, even Wildfire and Gale.

I put on a reassuring smile. It seemed to calm Rocket, Zapper, Dune, and Talon down. Maybe if I had been paying more attention to the other two, I would've noticed. I would've seen it.

Wildfire and Gale shared a suspicious look. The grass just behind them rustled. Both Pokemon glanced at it and shared a smile. The rustling stopped at once.

Out of the grass stared a pair of eyes, glowing a bright blue color…

.o.o.o.o.

PARTY

Rocket, Wartortle, male, Level 21, Tackle, Tail Whip, Bubble, Water Gun, received in Pallet Town

Wildfire, Charmeleon, male, Level 23, Growl, Scratch, Ember, Leer, caught on Route 1 **GLITCH**

Talon, Fearow, male, Level 21, Peck, Growl, Leer, Fury Attack, caught on Route 22

Gale, Pidgeotto, male, Level 23, Gust, Sand-Attack, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, caught on Route 22 **GLITCH**

Zapper, Pikachu, male, Level 21, Thundershock, Quick Attack, Thunder Wave, Slam, caught in Viridian Forest

Dune, Sandshrew, male, Level 21, Scratch, Sand-Attack, Slash, caught on Route 3 **GLITCH**

PC POCKET

Ratso, Rattata, male, Level 3, Tackle, Tail Whip, caught on Route 22

Xena, Mankey, female, Level 5, Scratch, Leer, caught on Route 22 **GLITCH**

Wiggles, Caterpie, female, Level 6, Tackle, String Shot, caught in Viridian Forest **STOLEN**

Sting, Weedle, male, Level 6, Poison Sting, String Shot, caught in Viridian Forest **STOLEN**

Emperor, Nidoran male, Level 12, Leer, Tackle, Horn Attack, caught on Route 22

Empress, Nidoran female, Level 12, Growl, Tackle, Scratch, caught on Route 22

Crag, Onix, male, Level 14, Tackle, Screech, Bide, Bind, caught in Pewter City **STOLEN**

Scaly, Ekans, male, Level 11, Wrap, Leer, Poison Sting, caught on Route 3 **STOLEN**

Candy, Jigglypuff, female, Level 14, Sing, Pound, Disable, caught on Route 3 **STOLEN**

Whiskers, Magikarp, female, Level 5, Splash, received on Route 4

Pixie, Clefairy, female, Level 14, Pound, Growl, Sing, caught in Mt. Moon **STOLEN**

Rocky, Geodude, male, Level 7, Tackle, caught in Mt. Moon

Batty, Zubat, female, Level 12, Leech Life, Supersonic, caught in Mt. Moon

Fern, Oddish, female, Level 11, Absorb, caught in Mt. Moon **STOLEN**

Trapper, Bellsprout, male, Level 11, Vine Whip, Growth, caught in Mt. Moon **STOLEN**

Magnet, Magnemite, no gender, Level 11, Tackle, caught in Mt. Moon **STOLEN**

Grenade, Voltorb, no gender, Level 11, Tackle, Screech, caught in Mt. Moon **STOLEN**

Shroom, Paras, female, Level 10, Scratch, caught in Mt. Moon

Slimy, Grimer, male, Pound, Disable, male, Level 12, caught in Mt. Moon **STOLEN**

Smoky, Koffing, male, Tackle, Smog, Level 12, caught in Mt. Moon **STOLEN**

Kabuto **STILL IN FOSSIL**

Omanyte **STILL IN FOSSIL**

Nate, Venonat, male, Tackle, Disable, Supersonic, Level 15, caught on Route 24 **GLITCH**