The stray wind blade cut into the small boy's chest.

Hendrik screamed one sharp cry before falling unconscious.

The people who had been watching thought it would be interesting to see the first battle between the two pokemon, but they were now gobsmacked.

Meanwhile, Pidgey crowed victoriously and flew circles around the field. He was feeling great, after all, he had won his battle in one hit!

"Shit, what have I done."

A large tanned man commanded his Meowth.

"Meowth, don't let him run."

He then turned to look somewhere before yelling.

"There's an emergency, I need everyone over here!"

.

Being surrounded by so many people and pokemon, Jared was feeling nervous.

Many people were lamenting. In a small city like this, everyone knew everyone, and Jared was an outsider. If something goes wrong, people will assume the stranger was at fault, and Jared knew this.

By this time even Hendriks Spearow had stopped struggling, and just lay there silently.

"Look what that bastard has done to Hendrik, and his pokemon, what should we do with him?"

"Yeah, there's no way a gust can do that"

"I say we get justice for Hendrik right here."

Pidgey meanwhile had found something was wrong and was hovering above with wary eyes. He would still fight!.

.

"Let me through"

While the farmers were deciding what to do, an aged voice spoke louder.

"Move aside!"

However, her voice was drowned out by the din.

Seeing her voice having no effect, she immediately threw a pokeball.

Upon being released the pokemon hissed like thunderclaps, quieting the crowd for a moment as they reeled back from the large stone snake.

The white-robed old woman then stepped through a gap and checked Hendrik where he had been struck. Seeing dark blood oozing out, from two holes, one through the entry, and one through the exit, she ground her teeth.

"He's breathing in more than he's breathing out, there's no saving him."

Standing up, she motioned to Jared's side as her voice flared.

"You all know who I am, how about you leave this to me?"

"This really was an accident... I told him... I told him..."

Suddenly the four-meter-tall Arbok hissed viciously, so Jared shut his mouth.

Ignoring Jared's pleas, she addressed the crowd. "I know you are upset, but it is not our place to decide this boy's fate."

A bald man frowned, "But I saw the whole thing, that man disguised the attack as a simple gust. He did this intentionally. It is clear as day"

But the old woman was unperturbed.

"Do you not trust my Pewter clan to seek justice for you?"

"But he..."

He was cut off.

"If you try to kill this boy now, it will not be justice. You will also become fugitives. Is that what you want?"

Her curt words seemed to dampen the crowd's white-hot anger, as some of them started crying instead.

A man holding Hendrik's limp arm was staring into Jared's eyes with pure hatred.

Turning to him, the old woman's voice soothed.

"Are you his relative?"

He spoke without averting his eyes. "I'm his older brother... my fathers in the field."

"Ok, take him home for now. When he breaths his last, don't bury him before my return. I'm going to take this young man away now."

As the families and friends were coming to terms with recent events, Jared was held by the arm and led away under the watch of the massive Onix.

However, before she got far, some parting words were given.

"You better seek justice for me Yannick, or everyone here will become a 'fugitive.'"

Seeing the man's hateful eyes, Jared felt a jolt of pain. He had been in a similar situation in the execution room, but this was different. He was innocent then, but right now he actually was a murderer.

.

As Jared was brought away, he couldn't help but plead, "It was an accident, it really was. I didn't know that would happen."

He then reasoned, "You know Richard? He was the one who told me that a pokemon can't be easily killed. It really was just a normal gust, and that kid swore that he wouldn't be hurt by standing so close. I'm telling the truth!"

However, the greyed-haired woman didn't speak and continued to pull him away, but her eyes were not focused on the road, but rather on the Pidgey circling overhead.

An hour later, Jared found himself before the Pewter Gym gates.

As he walked past, the gates felt more and more like a maw. It was like a gaping mouth threatening to swallow him whole. Would this be the last time he saw the sun?

Going straight to reception, she walked to the front of the line. Nobody even considered complaining, the stone giant left no room for negotiation.

"I am Yannick, an inner member of the Pewter Gym, and I require Brinock Harrison's judgment.

.

One of the two receptionists immediately ran off without requiring an explanation.

Twenty minutes later, she returned with Bannock Harrison instead. The bright-eyed ex-gym leader.

"Brinock is dealing with urgent matters, and I have his authority until he returns. What is this about?"

Before the eyes of the crowd, she directly spoke about what she saw.

.

After hearing the last word, Bannock thought for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"Follow me."

Nodding, Yannick pulled Jared by the arm, and after five minutes, the three people were standing in a lavish room.

"Everyone out."

The elder then spoke while sitting down on a chair-like throne.

"What is your opinion on this matter Yannick?"

She narrowed her eyes and looked at Jared with displeasure. "This outsider has killed young Yannick. I saw it myself, as well as several others. If we don't punish this outsider, we will lose the faith of all the farming families in the western fields. They might even spread this news and cause a greater stirr."

"Yannick, you have done well all these years, but sometimes you can't see things clearly. The times are changing, and the days of superstition and vengeance are things that I will no longer tolerate. I will see for myself whether or not this boy has done wrong."

Jared felt some hope for the first time.

"Before that, I want to tell you something... I actually know this boy. He was taken in by Richard Harrison recently. I even looked into him and found that..."

He then explained what he learned about how Jared was brought to the secret lab, and later brought to Pewter City.

Yannick rubbed her chin ponderously. "So, you're saying..."

"Yes, I am certain. He is beyond weak. His body has not been tempered at all. "

Lowering his hand, he suddenly revealed a Pokeball.

Bannock chucked it to produce a massive six-foot-tall dinosaur-looking thing, and it was covered head to toe in rocks.

"Young man, I have something I would like to see... it would help prove your innocence."

His eyes then turned to the pokemon in question, "I would like your pidgey to attack my pokemon with gust, but don't invoke.

Nodding nervously, Jared kept his voice steady to assure his agitated pokemon, "Go ahead, it's okay."

With all his might, Pidgey charged up the wind element into his wings, and with one more swing, sent the wind blades hurting into the Golem.

Without bothering to dodge, the rock pokemon took all the attacks without blinking his eyes.

Golem then began releasing sounds akin to rubbing stones.

"GOO--OOL -EEM"

Bannock's smile widened, "He says the pidgey is nothing special... so that leaves..."

"There's no way that is a regular wild pidgey, I saw the gust myself." Yannick couldn't help but say.

"Well, let's see why don't we?"

Turning to Jared, Bannock's encouraged, "Have your pidgey use gust with everything he's got. Envoke the words this time."

"I... I can't use its full power, I don't know what will happen."

Yannick snarled.

"You aren't in a position to argue, do it or I don't mind feeding you to Onix"

Seeing the gaping maw of the massive stone snake, Jared gulped.

"Pidgey, use gust... full strength."

After saying those words, Jared Gritted his teeth and prepared to endure the pain with everything he had.

Meanwhile, Pidgey was gathering massive amounts of elemental wind energy in his wings.

With one swoosh, the three dozen tiny blades of wind shot forth.

Unphased, Golem just sat there and yawned, clearly not expecting much.

However, when the first blade landed, Golem's eyes went wide!

Bracing for the rest, Golem shielded his eyes with stout arms.

Still smiling, Bannock then chuckled upon seeing Golem's response.

"How was it?"

Golem seemed shocked.

"Goo--oooleemm -m ogolem"

Meanwhile, Jared couldn't help but fall to his knees as the sharp pain tried to force him unconscious.

"I think I am beginning to see the picture of what transpired. I don't think this young man had intended to harm anyone."

"Is that what golem told you?"

"No, but he said the attack was comparable to a Control Stage Pidgeotto using gust. Do you know what this means? He's remarkably talented at elemental amplification."

Yannick's expression began to fall, but she was unresigned.

"Bannock... "

But Bannock waved her off.

"This was a tragedy, but I don't want to see another one..." Then Bannock sighed," It's clear as day the boy didn't know his own strength. I'm sure you will be able to figure out some solution, dismissed"

Yannick left the room with a defeated expression. Meanwhile, the stone snake glared at Jared angrily. His stone tongue going in and out.

"Come on... Onyx..."

Slithering away like thunder, the creature was soon out the wide doorway.