Ash Ketchum: Unleashed

Chapter 20- The Castle of Darkness

'Sir, we have located a castle in the middle of Galar. Shall we attack?'
'Castle? Please be specific. What castle? And why does it require bombing?'
'Enemy jets exist here, sir. We have at least three squadrons patrolling the skies. There is another contigent below. We have tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery, mobile rocket projectors and SAMs on the ground. Gunships also around. They have not spotted us, sir. What are we to do?'
'Do not attack. I repeat, do not attack. You do not have back- up. Land in a nearby airforce base. We will send contigents to the location. What are the co- ordinates?'
After Steven shut down the phone, he turned to the others.
'We will need to amass a massive army and airforce. Now, because we have to attack.'
Ash, Cynthia, Diantha, Serena, Bonnie, Brock, Misty, Paul and Professor Oak, as well as Leon and Kukui, looked similarly urgent.
Well, except Paul.
'We will definitely collect an army, Steven. After we have established... a few things. For instance, how nuclear weapons passed off into the Enemy hands. How, in the Battles that involved aircraft carriers and cost us the life of Admiral Drake, they knew where the attack would come. How, when we transferred the atom bombs, on three bombers, the enemies came to know.'
'What do you mean, Paul?' Ash asked. 'What are you going at?'
Paul looked at them before speaking: 'One could have been chance. Two could have coincidence. But three, ' his eyes flashed, 'has to be enemy action. ' He resoundingly declared: 'There is a traitor among us. '
A hush. Then Misty spoke.
'Paul, you cannot mean that!' She looked indignant- 'We are all trustworthy here: not just me, everyone has been known, at least by someone else, for years!' She huffed: 'This is a trusted Council. '
'There is no Council here. '
'Of course there is. '
'Prove it, Misty. Professor Oak works in the lab, you receive supplies, Steven takes updates, Diantha works like a general, Brock takes care of Pokémon. We have rarely met for the last nine months of war! That was fifteen months after the war, that we had our last fucking. Meeting!'
'Mind your language. ' Professor Oak dryly said. 'PAUL, do not-!'
'Professor, this is a...'
'Still, I believe in ethics, Paul. And I believe, especially when talking about a traitor... you should be careful. '
'So... who is the traitor?' Diantha asked urgently.
'Someone who has been among us, yet we do not see hiding in plain sight...' Paul spoke with a triumphant air.
'For God's grace, who is it?' Cynthia asked anxiously.
PAUL smiled insolently.
'It is...'