Chapter 27

The Pokemon stored in cages were far worse off for wares than the Bulbasaur he had grown up with. Selven's community of fellow Bulbasaur were always happy, blissfully unaware of their destiny to be butchered while the creatures here were just dour. The Venusaur couldn't find a single happy expression on any of them as he, Cinder and Hurzer were the only ones this far below deck.

In the dark, dimly lit rooms below deck of the SS Anne were many captured Pokemon. Their holding chambers were not regular cages but transparent cubes with small latches for doors that had strong locks. One could see inside just as the Pokemon held within the glass-like cubes could see them. The cubes were as tall as maybe three feet high and five feet wide. Within each one were various Pokemon, none of which were past the first stage in their evolution. Some of them had wounds or bruises. It took Selven a second to figure out why but then he understood.

The stronger ones have untreated wounds so they're too weak to escape. He realized. Those too weak to bust out were not purposefully weakened.

Selven stepped closer to get a better look at the Pokemon held captive to find himself face to face with a transparent chamber that held a group of Oddish. Many of their leaves had been chopped off and they had bruises on their body. Just as the Venusuar stepped a little bit too close, Selven found the surface was cool to the touch of his face. At first he thought it was somewhat odd until remembering that cold temperatures weakened Grass-types like him.

It's chilled just enough to keep them from getting to their full strength. Selven understood. Being on the inside of it is the equivalent of being constantly hit by an Ice-type move.

He then looked around to see that a group of Charmander inside were held within a chamber that had condensation on it, indicating there was some amount of moisture both in and outside the chamber. Other cages held Water-types like Poliwag and Slowpoke, those inside appearing just as depressed at their miserable condition. Many species were held inside these various, transparent chambers that those inside would occasionally try and hit to find it did nothing. Selven couldn't stand the sight of it.

This is worse than how us Bulbasaur were treated. The Venusaur thought. At least in the days we were allotted to live we were given a happy life. We were fed grass and able to roam the fields of Cerulean City. It was nothing like this.

Selven began to feel selfish.

To think that I was complaining about how us Bulbasaur were treated as cattle…He thought in anger. When Pokemon existed in conditions like this. It was downright ungrateful of me to claim to be so bad off when Pokemon existed in conditions like this. Is this the purpose I can use to justify my survival? The reason that I can say I was meant to survive while the other Bulbasaur didn't? Is…is this the way I can say I was meant to live and change the world?

He then looked around to find that the dozens of captured Pokemon were not the only cargo stored below. Boxes of Pokeballs, both empty and holding Pokemon, could be seen as well as those carrying spray medicine. Selven sighed, wondering what they were all used for once they would be unboarded.

"I can't believe I found Blue of all people on board this ship," Cinder said, his tail flame flickering from red to blue. It was as bright a source of light as the overhanging electric bulbs. "And didn't even get the chance to end his life. I mean…what kind of luck is that to see him and not even kill him?"

"You could have gotten us killed," Hurzer stated. "You think murdering that human wouldn't have grave consequences? You would have been executed. It's a good thing the captain stepped in or…or your survival would have been jeopardized."

"I don't care about my survival," Cinder stated. "If it means ridding this world of the evil that tainted the sweetest boy in the world…then by all means I'd sacrifice more than just my life."

"You really are a fool, aren't you?" Hurzer asked. "You domesticated Pokemon have it so easy that you take life for granted that you don't understand that just living is a miracle itself! You've never had to drag yourself bleeding through the woods after your parents left you, hoping you'd scrounge up some meat and grass to gnaw on. Spoiled brat."

"And you brainless wilds were so caught up in survival and scrounging up scraps that you never realized your life wasn't worth living," Cinder said. "I may not like the fact my parents were captured by humans but I would have preferred to live the rest of my life with Red than I would anywhere else. At least…until his classmates destroyed his innocence. Blue especially."

"Tell me," Hurzer said. "You keep rambling on about how bad Red had it and how it destroyed him. But the way I see it…Red's still alive. The other humans with him didn't kill him or seem to deprive food from him. In fact…they seemed to toughen him up. Why is that so bad?"

"Because you wouldn't understand," Cinder said. "You wouldn't know anything about friendship. About love. You…you don't seem to understand anything at all. I've met other Pokemon from the wild and they're not as…as brainless as you. I don't understand how you can live without feeling any emotions."

"Because emotions are something I never really had," Hurzer answered. "They just don't factor into your existence where I come from. Why feel sad when you have food? And besides…you keep going on and on about how good this friendship thing is. You rant on about it so much I just don't know how good it is? So tell me…what's it like to experience something that makes you not only want something more than survival but a willingness to sacrifice that survival?"

Cinder just sighed.

"It's wonderful," he groaned. "Beyond words. It's not something anyone could explain to someone who's never experienced it. In the same way that a Pokemon captured within a Pokeball learns a language that was indecipherable to them before…the same with love. Something about not feeling alone…is enough to risk everything…including life itself."

The Nidoking shook his head.

"You're right," he admitted. "I just don't get it. And probably never will."

"And for that reason I don't care whether you live or die," the Charizard admitted. "Because you were never alive to begin with. I can't understand someone with no desire to do anything except exist."

"And I can't understand anyone who would so readily sacrifice their existence," Hurzer said. "The only thing they had in this world. You are so naive to think that-"

"I want to free these Pokemon," Selven said.

The other two Pokemon turned toward him. Each had a shocked look on their faces. Cinder and Hurzer each looked concerned at his suggestion.

"Pardon?" Cinder asked.

"What?!" Hurzer shouted.

"I mean it," the Venusaur stated. "I've made up my mind to free these Pokmeon and I'm going to do it. You have three options: either assist me, do nothing or try and stop me."

"I think I've reached my limit of you guys' stupidity," Hurzer stated.

The Charizard looked at him with a very mixed expression. It was clear that he felt sympathy for both Selven and the trapped Pokemon but Cinder also looked reluctant to do so. He shook his head, his tail flame lessening in intensity and becoming more red than blue.

"Selven," he said. "I-I would…I would love to. Really…I would…but I just don't know if I can bring myself to do it."

"But you freed me!" Selven shouted. "You even admitted you goaded Red into it! Why can't you do the same for these-?!"

"Because the chance of it failing is infinitely higher!" Cinder barked.

The Venusaur recoiled at Cinder's harsh words, feeling both offended and angered at the Charizard's callousness.

"We were able to take you because no one was looking," the Charizard explained. "You were one of the many Bulbasaur out there and the one closest to the fence. The ranch hands probably didn't even know you were gone. This…this is different. We're on a boat…surrounded by trainers who already have their Pokemon out. If we tried we'd be destroyed in seconds."

"I don't know about that," Selven said. "We all have a signature move so we're plenty strong. Not to mention most of our opponents' Pokemon are not fully evolved. We could overpower the shipmates and take control…freeing these Pokemon once we land this vessel."

"Just my luck," Hurzer said. "I get the chance to evolve to a Nidoking and just so happen run into the most suicidal nitwits this side of the continent."

"And you think that'll go off without a hitch?!" Cinder shouted. "Who's to say no one else has a signature move?! Or is as strong?! Even if we're fully evolved…the sheer number of trainers there are-?!"

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"You hypocrite!" Selven yelled. "You keep going on and on about how bad Red is for not jumping headlong into a suicidal cause that would hurt him! And now that we're in the unique position to do so you won't take the opportunity?! What kind of monster are you?!"

"A monster that is willing to pick the battles he knows he can win and ignore the ones he can't," Cinder said. "Red could have freed those Geodude back in Mt. Moon due to Brock's Pokemon being weakened and the gym leader being distracted. You admit we couldn't save every Bulbasaur from the farm you came from. And Red didn't have to throw us into battle against gym leaders. But this…this is disastrous. This would get us killed. This would get Red killed. It would…it wouldn't free any of them. It would just-"

"Just what?" Selven said. "Just might work? Everything you do takes a risk. This is no exception. And you were going to risk those same things when you decided to kill Blue!"

"That's different," Cinder said.

"How?!" Selven shouted. "How is it any different at all?! Because it's a petty grudge you have rather than doing the right thing?! Whatever Blue did to Red…Red's decisions were his own. Blue didn't force Red to do anything."

"Blue is responsible for everything that has happened!" Cinder shouted. "Everything from Kurer's death to the death of the Pokemon he had before Red caught you to his harsh mentality when it comes to training…it's all because Blue bullied Red so badly and made him feel completely worthless…it's all Blue's fault."

His tail flame turned bright blue for a second.

"I should have killed Blue a long time ago," the Charizard said. "Not just for what he did to Red but…but the kind of person Blue is. Someone who catches Pokemon for the sole sake of advancing his military career. People like him…they're the scum of the Earth that end up ruling it because they're willing to do anything to do so."

"And now we can undo that very evil if you'd just take a risk and help me!" Selven said. "I'm going to do it whether you want me to or not so decide now if you're going to stand by and force me to do it on my own, free them with me…or kill me before I can upset the natural order."

Cinder glared at him for a moment before his expression softened. His expression was so mixed with so many different feelings there was no way that one could know what the Charizard was thinking. Cinder kept going back and forth between glaring and almost wanting to cry.

The only thing that could be said for sure about his mental state was that Cinder was in a very vulnerable place right now. It was obvious that he agreed with Selven and wished to help but his fears of what would happen to him and Red were making him very reluctant to do so. And then footsteps could be heard behind them.

"Y'all talking about a mutiny?" Blue asked. "Are you all getting crazy or something?"

The boy that was walking down the stairs that led from above. Behind him was an Alakazam and a Raticate that crawled and walked down behind him. His expression was just as arrogant as ever.

All eyes were on Blue. Selven looked on stoically at the young man with Cinder angry again. His tail flame began to turn bright blue in hatred while Hurzer looked perfectly afraid. Blue stood beside a crate of spray medicine and smiled.

"So," Blue said. "You want to get this mutiny started or what?"

"Come again?" Hurzer asked.

"What?!" Selven and Cinder exclaimed.

"You heard me," Blue replied. "Just as I heard you. Selven, is it?"

The Venusaur glared at the trainer, feeling adrenaline blast through him. He was terrified at the thought of Blue finding out, the consequences for his actions just now beginning to run through his mind. The idea of facing a trainer who had secured wins in gym battles was terrifying to him. Cinder stepped closer to Blue, his tail flame continuing to burn blue before the trainer wagged his finger.

"Uh-uh-uh," he said. "Don't get too close. This time…I have back up."

The Charizard eyed the Alakazam, the Psychic-type's stoic gaze not changing for a second. Cinder backed away for a moment, growling at the Pokemon that was even taller than he was. He extended his wings a little, attempting to look bigger.

"One of the strongest Pokemon in all of Kanto," Blue said. "And said to be the greatest Psychic-type in the world. I don't think you want to fight me without Red giving you some kind of strategy to win."

"What do you want?" Cinder asked.

"Just what I said," Blue answered. "I want to help you in your takeover of this ship. I'd be happy to lend my support in freeing these Pokemon and beating back the trainers stationed aboard."

"R-Really?" Selven asked.

"Don't!" Cinder roared. "Blue doesn't care a bit about freeing these Pokemon! He just wants to have the chance of killing us! He knows if we fight these trainers we'll be doomed."

"But why?" the Venusaur asked as he turned to the Charizard. "Why go out of his way to make this proposal rather than just tell the captain or somebody? If Blue just wanted to get us in trouble…why risk telling us?"

"I don't know!" Cinder screamed without taking his eyes off Blue. The boy's arrogant smirk wouldn't be wiped off, even in the face of such intense pressure. "But I do know that you could never trust that shifty-eyed troublemaker! Ever since he was a kid…Blue has always had it in for Red. Red is the son of one of the strongest Pokemon trainers in the world and for that reason Blue has always been jealous and willing to sabotage his success. When Blue began to ascend the level of power in his training, Red would always be the first person he'd show off to and try and make feel inferior. It's what turned Red into the kind of person he is today."

"Sure is," Blue said. "I hate Red in more ways than you could fathom. Imagine…someone being born with prestige and power just for the sake of their heritage. They themselves were given expectations and attention without them having to earn it themselves. Feel bad for Red all you want but he was born with ability and the trust of people just because he was Lance's son. Some of us are born with talent and being special while others have to earn it."

"So you admit it?" Cinder asked. "Sheer jealousy. How pathetic."

"You can call it that," Blue said before averting his gaze to Selven. "So…you going to help me or not?"

The Venusaur gave a reluctant expression to Blue, trying desperately hard not to appear too enamored with the opportunity.

"So you just happened to walk in here and decided to do this?" Selven asked. "Was this just a spur of the moment thing or did you also want to free the Pokemon here? And why should I believe you want to help us if you hate Red so much?"

"Because I hate him so much is why you should trust me," Blue said. "I don't want anyone to take him down except me. No one will lay a finger on Red until I defeat him. I honestly was glad he took the gym challenge once he left Pallet and managed to survive. He got further along than I thought he would, taking down Misty in less than a year of starting his journey. Impressive for a runt of a trainer like him. But besides…I hate the Kanto government just as much as I hate Red. So I'd love to sabotage their shipment before it reaches who knows where."

"That still isn't a very strong argument," Selven said. "I-I still don't know if I can trust you."

"Even if I planned on mutinying with you before you even decided to?" Blue asked.

"What?" Selven asked. "How did-?"

Blue pointed to the Alakazam behind him. It was then that the Venusaur understood. He felt intimidated at the sight of the Psychic-type's strange abilities.

"Psychic-types can read minds," the trainer explained. "The range at which they can vary from Pokemon to Pokemon but while they're not attacking or using their Psychic power for anything else it can be quite a long way. Alakazam has the ability to know the thoughts of possibly anyone on this ship when not doing anything else. And I specifically wanted him to read your mind."

There was a collective gasp from Red's Pokemon.

"Wh-What?" the Venusaur asked. "Why me?"

"Because of the broadcast gym battle," Blue said. "You don't think I keep tabs on Red's exploits? I've watched both gym battles he's fought in and always found what you said to Misty odd."

Selven was trying to remember what he said to the gym leader during the gym battle, not much coming to mind. Most of what he remembered was how desperate he was to defeat her Starmie and how hopeless he felt when being hammered by her Gyarados. Then Selven recalled what he said as soon as Red threw him into battle.

"I told Misty how unfair it was that us Bulbasaur were killed to be eaten," he answered.

"Right," Blue said. "Most people didn't care but it felt strange to me that Red would let you know that. When I came on this ship to find Red I thought that it would be a good idea to see if his Venusaur still had any animosity towards humans that could be exploited. I asked my Alakazam to read your thoughts from afar and…well, it was better than I expected."

Selven felt incredibly nervous, quivering while he began to sweat. He'd never been so nervous. This wasn't just the fear of death hovering over him but something worse. Selven felt like he had been played, like his emotions were now just the strings being used to toy with him. He felt like Blue's puppet.

"Let's say I agree with you and rebel," he said. "What do you get out of it?"

"A way to get back at the Kanto government," Blue said. "And a chance to fight Red one on one to finally cement my dominance not over him but his family's legacy. I wasn't planning on mutinying before I saw Red was here but figured I might as well give it a go. Until we free these Pokemon and defeat every trainer on board you have my loyalty."

Selven glared, failing to not look nervous.

"You said you'd be willing to free these Pokemon even if no one helped you," Blue said. "And I can say for a fact that I would be your biggest threat. And here your biggest threat is going to help you instead."

"No!" Cinder shouted. "We can't trust you! We-!"

"And how will the Kanto government not get word of this?" Selven asked. "Humans have communication on every electronic that's there's. As soon as we attack…we'll get caught."

"Selven!" Cinder shouted at him.

"Leave that to my Alakazam," Blue answered. "He can interfere with electronics within this boat's range. I'll just say the word and all communications will be shut off. So…what do you say?"

"I say…" Selven said. "Jam all communications now and we have a deal."

"You are so stupid," Cinder said. "Do you have any idea-?"

"Alakazam," Blue said. "Do it with Psywave."

The Psychic-type clicked its two spoons together a few times to release an invisible pulse that Selven could feel rippling through the air. It caused Cinder's tail flame to waver and Selven's petals and leaves on his back to rustle. The vibrations didn't hurt but certainly made him feel weird, like he was floating for a second before they ceased.

"Done," Blue said. "Now we have barely a moment to lose before the trainers above start noticing."

He then turned to face his Alakazam.

"Now issue an order to Blastoise and Pidgeot to get rid of every Pokemon around them," Blue ordered. "Spare only Red's Butterfree."

"I can't believe we're doing this," Cinder said. "I-I-"

"Cinder!" Selven said. "You always complain about Red not jumping in to save everyone he can! You're doing the same thing!"

The Charizard shook with nervousness.

"I know," he said. "But…this is dangerous. I don't know if we can defeat all these trainers. And even if we can't…I still don't trust Blue for a second."

"I think this is stupid," Hurzer said. "Why should I do this at all?"

"Because once we get started you're going to have to pick a side in the battle!" Selven shouted. "And since your Red's Pokemon, that'll make you in danger of being held culpable just by association! They don't treat Pokemon as humans, just extensions of their trainer's free will."

The Nidoking groaned, shaking his head in frustration. Blue then turned to the cubes the Pokemon were held inside. He shook his head at the Pokemon inside.

"How easy will it be to free them?" Selven asked.

"These PokeCubes are strong," Blue said. "Strong enough conventional weapons can't shatter them. But most first stage Pokemon can break through them. These guys aren't old at all. So you guys should be able to break through these holdings easily."

Selven nodded, growing a vine from the base of his flower stem and whipping at the PokeCube nearest to him.