Invisible by Marvech93

Chapter 34: No way out

Hello, all! Here's the new chapter.

Warning: Violence and very dark subject matter

Chapter 34: No way out

After his disturbing last conversation with Blue, Red simply walked out of the hospital in a trance-like state. Without him even making the conscious decision, he headed back in the direction of his hometown, his feet moving by themselves without him realizing any of what he was doing. He could see and hear everything about the world around him but none of it was registered by his brain. He was completely detached from his surroundings. He didn't even acknowledge the fact that his worn sneakers took him on route 1. There could have been a rare legendary pokémon walking right next to him; he wouldn't have noticed.

His every thought was occupied by the terrible, terrible thing his friend had told him on his last visit at the hospital. He walked without thinking, on autopilot like a mindless robot, along the fresh grass. So many questions, thoughts, and insecurities were spinning in a chaotic whirlpool in his head.

Blue asked him, with unquestionable seriousness, to kill him; to put an end to his suffering and it was no coincidence why the ex-gym leader had chosen to word his request the way he did.

Red had reminisced about that nearly forgotten memory of Blue and himself playing in the forest as kids and finding that injured ratatta. That had been Red's first real time being confronted with the concept of death and even though the scene itself had become vague and faded in his memory, that moment, after which he had lost a part of his childhood innocence, had left a deep, lasting effect on him. He remembered that Blue had understood what was going on way before he did. Looking back as an adult, the former champion knew now, that it had been because his former rival had been acquainted with death several years before he was. He knew what it meant to be gone and never come back. He also understood that dying meant that the suffering of the small pokémon would come to an end. That was why it had been much easier for him to kill the ratatta.

"It's hurt. We should help it," Red said, empathic to the little being's suffering.

Blue looked down at the pokémon, which by now had stopped moving and closed its eyes, panting heavily, with a grave expression. He saw the blood drip out of its wound and even at his young age, he knew that the creature's life was nearing its end.

"There's nothing we can do, Red. It's hurt. It's suffering. We should put it out of its misery." The red-capped boy looked up, confused, at his rival, not quite sur what he meant. Blue was uncharacteristically serious, his hazel eyes never leaving the bleeding animal. "It's in pain. If we kill it, its suffering will end."

Realization dawned on Red and he immediately got scared and frankly, outraged by what Blue was suggesting. "No way! We can't kill a pokémon!" he protested.

"We have to, Red," Blue persisted. "If we don't, it's gonna keep suffering for who knows how long. We're doing it a favor, at this point."

Red felt tears slowly fill his eyes, refusing to harm the poor little animal. He didn't understand his rival. He was eerily calm in this situation like he had seen it happen before. The blonde boy looked around and picked up a rock roughly the size of an apple and held it up to Red's face.

"We'll do this together," he said, then felt the need to reiterate: "We're putting it out of its misery."

Eyes filled with sadness, Red grasped the rock with Blue still holding it and the latter raised up both their hands high above the ratatta's agonizing form. As soon as he felt Blue bring the rock they were both holding down, he closed his eyes, not wanting to see the macabre spectacle. He heard an unpleasant crunching noise and then total silence. Red felt Blue take his hand off the rock and stand up.