The Rainbow Gang
Chapter 2 - Alliances
By Mega Raichu

Blastoise's massive fist slammed down on the table in front of him. The glass of water in front of his guest rattled and shook, but did not fall over.

"Why that sonuva…" Blastoise started. "How could he refuse an alliance with me!?"

"I never said he would refuse, I only said that he 'might' refuse." Raichu said.

Blastoise sat back in his chair. Raichu observed the large tortoises visage as Blastoise went into a moment of deep thought, obviously weighing the mouse's words in his head. After a few moments, Blastoise looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

"In the old days, you guys wouldn't have hesitated to ally with us." Blastoise said.

"The old days are over now, at least in his mind." Raichu said.

"It isn't right! Alliances are the entire basis for our foundation of power!" Blastoise said, his voice booming through the room.

A sound of scuttling feet and hushed voices was heard near the door.

"Eaves droppers." Raichu said.

"Let them. There's nothing that will be said in here that I won't tell them anyway." Blastoise said.

"Just be careful old friend. He's been in a weird mood for the past few weeks. Not even I can predict what he's gonna do." Raichu said.

"Alright. But what can I do if he doesn't accept my offer?" Blastoise said.

"Two things. One, at the least, get him to pledge friendship. Two, join the Rainbow gang." Raichu said.

"The latter is totally out of the question." Blastoise said.

"Which is exactly what has been bothering him." Raichu said.

"This whole thing about one society for all pokémon is a completely idiotic idea." Blastoise said.

"While I'm inclined to agree, this is my brother we're talking about." Raichu said.

"Blood runs thicker than water, is that it then?" Blastoise asked.

"Sorry, but that's how it is. Whatever he decides, I'm going to back him one hundred percent." Raichu said.

"So be it. I'll do what I can." Blastoise said.

Raichu made it back to the Rainbow Gang before Pikachu even knew he was gone.

 

From out of nowhere, Pikachu found himself in a dark void. He could not move any muscle in his body. He strained to see, but nothing could be made out in the inky blackness that surrounded him.

"Pikachu." A voice resounded in his head.

Pikachu tried to answer but his voice was stuck in his throat.

"Pikachu." The voice said again. "I can hear your thoughts. Think your words to me."

"Who… who are you?" Pikachu thought.

"I am who I appear to be." The voice responded.

"I don't understand." Pikachu replied.

"There is no need for you to understand. I simply am. And I have decided to take refuge in the back of your mind. Know that I will be there, but you have no need to tell anyone of my occupation of you." The voice said.

"Wait! No! This is my mind! My body!" Pikachu thought.

"And I will be here. When I need to speak with you, I will call upon you as I have done now." The voice said.

"Who the hell are you!?" Pikachu shouted.

There was an eerie silence as Pikachu noticed his brother and a few of the other council members of his gang staring back at him. Then it hit him. He was sitting in a meeting, discussing his strategy that he was to use in his meeting with Blastoise.

"Pikachu. Are you alright?" Raichu finally asked.

"Uh. Sorry. I'm fine. Let's stop here for now and reconvene later." Pikachu said.

Pikachu's left cheek felt cold. He put a paw to it and found that he had been drooling. The others left the room, with a few of them mumbling to themselves. Raichu stayed behind.

"What the hell was that all about?" Raichu asked.

"Nothing." Pikachu said.

"I wouldn't call that little outburst 'nothing'. You were looking pretty spaced out there. Where the hell were you?" Raichu asked.

"I wasn't anywhere." Pikachu asked.

"Well you sure as hell weren't at the meeting!" Raichu shouted.

"Brother, look. This isn't any of your concern." Pikachu said. "It's my problem, I'll deal with it."

"If something's wrong, you need to tell me." Raichu said.

"The only thing I need to tell you is that everything is under control." Pikachu said.

Raichu stood in total disbelief. He saw the glazed over look in his brothers eyes. He knew that his brother was in a totally different world during that meeting. And now he says he's got it under control? Raichu couldn't believe it. And he wouldn't believe it either.

"Fine. Have it your way." Raichu said. "Just try and stay on THIS planet when you go to talk with Blastoise."

Pikachu didn't respond. He merely turned and walked away.

"Something tells me that this is bad. Very bad." Raichu whispered to himself.


The large tortoise looked down at his guest with an unhappy look. The rejection of his offer had not hurt as much as he had expected though.

"So if you won't ally with us… then what?" Blastoise finally asked.

"I want…" Pikachu started.

"I know what you want, and it just isn't possible!" Blastoise said.

"It is possible. If only you would listen." Pikachu said.

Blastoise turned towards a window.

"Why can't things be like in the old days of the gangs?" Blastoise asked quietly.

"Those days are over now." Pikachu said. "If we're going to make it these days we have to work together. It's the best way to avoid another huge conflict."

"Huge conflict?" Blastoise asked.

"Don't tell me you've already forgotten Rapidash and Mewtwo!?" Pikachu asked.

The voice in the back of Pikachu's mind chuckled.

"Stay out of this, voice." Pikachu thought.

"This is getting good." The voice said.

"Of course I haven't forgotten. MY gang was one of the biggest players in that war!" Blastoise said.

"The best way to avoid another one is for all of us to come together and work as a whole. All this separation will lead to conflicts of power and territory! It's unethical, it's never-ending, it's…" Pikachu started.

"It's the way it's always been. It's tradition. You can't break tradition." Blastoise said.

"My father said that once." Pikachu whispered.

The voice chuckled again.

"Quiet you." Pikachu thought.

"Just throwing in my two cents." The voice responded.

"Then can we at least make some sort of agreement? We can have some sort of friendship pact." Blastoise said.

"That's fine. For now." Pikachu said. "But my biggest concern is to avoid another Rapidash incident."

"They're both dead, her and Mewtwo. No one will ever repeat what they did." Blastoise said.

"Famous last words." The voice said.

"My thoughts exactly." Pikachu thought back.

Pikachu turned and walked towards the door and stopped one pace from it and looked back to Blastoise.

"We can have this little pact of yours. But it doesn't mean I'll support you in major battles. I'm going to remain neutral once things heat up." Pikachu said.

"Who says things will heat up?" Blastoise asked.

"They always do." Pikachu said.

He opened the door and walked through. Blastoise shook his head.

"This isn't good." He said to himself. "Raichu was right. He really has changed."

The large tortoise sat down and began to ponder his next move.


Pikachu entered the building in a partial rage. He knew someone had to have tipped Blastoise off that he was going to reject his offer. And the only one who knew was a certain raichu he happened to know.

"Raichu!" Pikachu shouted.

"Uncle Pikachu!" A small voice squealed.

A small pichu ran towards him with arms spread to give Pikachu a hug. Pikachu managed a smile and lifted the young pichu up into the air as they embraced. The young pichu squealed with glee as Pikachu swung him around in a circle. Pikachu then let the overjoyed youngster back to the ground.

"Where's your dad?" Pikachu asked in a lighter tone than before.

"Over there." The young pichu pointed towards an open door.

Pikachu looked towards the door, then back down to his nephew.

"Okay. You go play. I gotta talk to your dad." Pikachu said, giving the youngster a slight nudge.

The pichu ran off to play as Pikachu approached the room. He found Raichu having a conversation with Jolteon. Pikachu coughed when he entered. Jolteon looked and saw the expression on Pikachu's face and suddenly remembered he had somewhere else to be. Jolteon scampered out of the room. Once the room was vacated except for the two brothers, Pikachu closed the door.

"So how'd it go?" Raichu asked.

"You tell me." Pikachu asked.

"This should be good." The voice said.

"Keep quiet." Pikachu thought sternly.

"Want to tell me why you went to Blastoise before me?" Pikachu asked.

"What are you talking about?" Raichu asked.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about! You went to Blastoise to prepare him for me rejecting his 'offer'!" Pikachu shouted, on the edge of losing his temper.

"Hold on. I did that so he wouldn't freak out when…" Raichu started.

"Freak out!? Why should he freak out!?" Pikachu shouted.

"Because they were an old friend to us! And all you're gonna do is completely blow them off!" Raichu shouted back.

"I don't believe this! You went behind MY back! If you weren't my brother I'd…" Pikachu started.

"You'd what?" Raichu asked, standing up.

"You know good and well I can defeat even you brother." Pikachu said. "You beat our older brother, and I can beat you now. You've been training me for just that."

Suddenly from behind them, a hearty laughter is heard.

"Ha ha ha ha! I can't believe what I'm hearing!" The voice from behind them said.

The two brothers looked towards the door, and in the doorway stood an old, but very familiar looking pokémon.

"B… Big brother raichu?" Pikachu asked.

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