A/N; Well, as this is my first Fic on here I figure it's only right to introduce myself. -cues thunder and sinister black clouds- I am the great and powerful Madness Always, here to fill the world with Yaoi goodness and promote Boys Love wherever I go! -shoos clouds away and hushes thunder-
Now that the introductions are over, I won't take up much more of your time. Just bear in mind that I would love some constructive critisism in the reviews (no flames though), and that I need a Beta for this fic and others I will be working on in the future (check my Profile for Details and PM me if interested). Also, though this will be a Red/Green Romance, they are not going to just be all fluffy and lovey- this is marked as Angst for a reason :D
Now, onto the story!
Story Summary;
Following the storyline of the Manga, Pokemon Adventures, but told through the eyes of the protagonist, Red, who sets out on his journey to catch all the worlds pokemon and be the best Pokemon Trainer there is. But when an old friend turned Rival appears to shake up his world, he'll have to find a way to deal with Greens strange behavior, all while trying to reach his goal and thwart the plans of a terrible organization that wishes to enslave Pokemon in order to take over the world. Will Red and Green, along with the help of the strange girl, Blue, be able stop this growing evil, or will the tension and rising emotions break them along the way? Green/Red Green/Blue
Chapter One, Vs Mew
"Dang it! It bounced off it's face again!"
"Let me try now!" shouts her brother, but he's quickly silenced.
"Be quiet! I'm gonna catch this pokemon and make it my pet!"
I watch as she throws the ball for what has to be the fourth time now, and once more it simply bounces of the Nidorinos face. He glares back at her, but he must be of a docile nature, because he hasn't attacked, and doesn't seem about to.
"Why does it keep bouncing off!?" yells the girl in frustration before looking back to her brother and his friend for an answer.
They can only shrug in response though, and I know that if I don't say something now, this poor Nidorino is going to have one hell of a headache before the day is over.
"That's not how you catch a pokemon!" I call as I step off the path I'd been watching them from and head toward them."If you wanna catch a pokemon, you have to weaken it first, then throw the pokeball- watch carefully now!"
They don't question me, because they know that I am probably Pallets best Trainer, and step back behind me to give me room. In a flash of pale, red light I release my pokemon, a large, blue skinned water type with massive gloved fists and a spiral on it's stomach.
"Poliwhirl, water gun!" I shout, and he responds accordingly, shooting a powerful stream of water at the poison type. I watch it try and hold it's ground, claws sunk into the earth, but the power of the attack is too much, and he's pushed back roughly.
"Whoa, it looks dizzy!" Yells the girls brother.
I can't help but glance back at them. If there's one thing I love, it's the look on a kids face when they are interacting with a Pokemon. To me, learning about, playing with, and training Pokemon is the best life there is to have, and that's why I became a Trainer, and I can tell that these kids will grow up to hold the same passion toward the creatures. It's not really surprising. Though not everybody in Pallet is a Trainer, just about everyone here has something to do with Pokemon, be they for protection, pets, or workers.
"Now, all you've got to do is throw the pokeball." I say, and pull an empty ball from my waist. Testing the weight in my palm for just a moment, I quickly throw it before the stunned Pokemon has a chance to recover, and in a flash of pale red light, it's swallowed up by the ball, which wriggles for a moment before flying back up into my hand.
With a triumphant grin I hold it out for them to see. Though the bottom is white and solid, the top of the ball is red and transparent, and inside you can see the Nidorino, shrunken down to fit inside it.
"That's so cool!" exclaims the girl.
"Yeah!" agrees her brother. "Awesome, Red!"
I can't help but grin a bit- everyone in Pallet Town knows me, and if they don't, they should- after all, I am the best Trainer in these parts! There isn't a pokemon around Pallet, or another Trainer for that matter, that I haven't battled and bested, but even though I've seen a lot, I know there are still many more to discover, and I am going to catch them all!
To be the best, that's my goal...
"Hey Red, do you know Professor Oak?" asks the brothers friend, and I'm tempted to frown.
"That old Man that lives at the edge of Town?" I ask as we begin down the path toward Town. "What about him?"
"Well.." replies the boy as I eye him, " he's supposed to be a pokemon expert. Maybe he could help us catch some Pokemon."
"Oh please," I scoff, looking away as if he's not serious. "You don't need that old nut to teach you anything- you've got me!"
"Yeah, but word has it that he taught his Grandson to be the best trainer ever..." replied the girl, and I can't help but frown, because I know that nuts grandson, and there's no way he's that good of a Trainer- no way he better than me.
"Oh! I heard about him too!" replied her brother, and for a second I'm annoyed by the look of excitement that flashes through his eyes. "He's been away training over seas, but now he's back!"
"I don't care who he is!" I finally say, eyes closed so that they don't glimpse the irritation in them. They were too young anyways, to know that that boy and I had once known each other, that we were once...
"He better hope he doesn't cross my path, because he won't stand a chance if he does!"
It only takes a few minutes after this to reach the crossroads in the path, and we pause here, because they will have to go one way while I go the other.
"Yeah, your right Red!" says the girl with a smile at last, and her brother follows suit eagerly enough.
"See ya tomorrow!" they call, and I wave back before stalking off on my own down the other trail, pulling my Poliwhirls ball from my belt and staring down at the Pokemon within. I've had him for as long as I can remember, since he was just a little Poliwag, and of all the Pokemon I've made friends with, our bond is the best. Heck, he even saved my life once, when I was just a little kid. I'd fallen into a river and was too small to swim, so Poli evolved in order to save me. Ever since then, we'd been an unstoppable force, our friendship for one another always coming through in the end as enough.
Still, I'm bothered by what the siblings friend said. What if he is coming back, and what if he is stronger than me?
"Old Professor Oak, eh?" I toy with the notion for a minute, but completely forget what I'm doing after I walk right into another person.
"Get out of the way you little maggot!" he growls, and the glare he gives me is enough to make me keep my mouth shut, even when there's perhaps a dozen curses just begging to slip off my tongue. Besides, the guys twice my size, and he doesn't look like the type to fight fair.
It's when I look up and beyond him, that I realize he's not alone. At least half a dozen others are with him, and they all sport the same black uniform and hats. Before I can mutter a half assed apology though, they're continuing down the road, and I'm left as confused as ever.
"Where'd they come from?" I wonder aloud.
I know everyone in Pallet Town- it's a generally small place after all- and strange things don't usually happen here. Actually, it's kind of tedious. If you dont go out looking for something to do, it sure as hell isn't going to come to you. No, Pallets to peaceful for that. Aside from the occasional wild Pokemon causing trouble, this was a pretty boring place unless you spiced it up yourself.
Well, this looks like a good opportunity to add some of that spice.
I quickly duck off the path and into the trees, careful to keep quiet, but moving quickly enough that I dont lose them as they move around the bend. It's only after a few minutes of careful and quiet navigating that I manage to find a place where I can observe them better from, and when I do, I'm both surprised and enthralled. All of them have a white belt around thier waists, and on them are...
"Pokeballs!" I whisper aloud, but quickly quiet myself, because I can hear them speaking, and am suddenly voraciously curious.
"We know it's somewhere in this area! Look everywhere- the Phantom Pokemon has to be around here somewhere!" yells one of them, and a group disappears off the path on the other side of the road.
"The rest of you, into the Western Forest- cut everything down if you have to, but find that Pokemon!"
They come and go so quick that I'm left sitting in the grass alone, left to let thier words sink in. They were no doubt looking for something strange and unique, something nobody else had. And I want it. Nothing like a Phantom Pokemon has ever shown up in Pallet before, and the chance to master something like that is just too tempting.
"That Pokemon is mine!" I say with a confident smirk, and then turn to the west and start running. I know I'll find what I'm looking for, in the Western Forest.
Western Forest
It's dark, here, but it always was. The canopy overhead is so thick that light only comes down in thin beams through the smallest of gaps, dappling the mossy floor with ripples of light. I can hear pokemon everywhere; buzzing, chirping, squeaking, and when I slow my footsteps and move carefully, I can catch glimpses of them when I round a corner or step onto a new path.
In my arms is a mountain of pokeballs, freshly bought from the Mart on my way here. I'm happy to say that I haven't seen a single one of those men in uniforms, and so I'm confident that I'll find what I'm looking for long before they do- besides, I know this place, and if anyone can find the best haunts for a Phantom Pokemon, it's me.
And it's when I am exploring the 9th of these secluded haunts, that I hear it. It's too muffled to make out exactly what it is, but when I peer out from behind one of the larger shrubs, I spot them, and drop my pokeballs.
They are down in a gully of sorts, about twenty feet or so below me; a person, and the Phantom Pokemon.
The person is generally overlooked in the first few moments, and my eyes only see only the pink Pokemon floating in the air, just out of his reach. It's feline like in structure, but in more of a two legged stance, like a mouse might take to sniff at something beyond it's reach on all fours. Its surrounded by a vivid glow of pink, and has an almost curious look on it's face as it watches the other boy.
"Damn, someone beat me to it!" I growl to myself, because I know this is it- I've never seen anything like it before.
The boy has his back to me, but when he shifts his stance I glimpse something in front of him, and one again that familiar excitement bubbles up in my chest.
'He's got a Pokemon, that must mean he's a Trainer!'
I was hoping that maybe he was just some person who happened to come across it, but if he actually had a Pokemon, my chances of catching the Phantom Pokemon had just gone down.
"Charmander, go! Flamethrower!" he commands, and the bi-pedal lizard leaps forward, a string of searing flames shooting toward the other pokemon.
Even though it's not me battling, I can't help but get caught up in it. The stream of fire is so thick that I'm sure that it will swallow up the other pokemon, but when the flames finally come into contact with the pink aura, there's a flash of light and an explosion, and a current of electricity sets the air crackling.
When my eyes finally are able to focus again, I can see that most of the clearing is singed and charred, but I also see that the Charmander has managed to get in rather close to it's strange glowing opponent, and I can't help but lean forward in anticipation over the lip of the ridge.
It leaps up into the air, prepared to let loose another jet of fire, and-
"Charmander, that's enough- return!"
I can't believe my eyes or my ears. The Phantom pokemon is right there in front of him, and he calls his pokemon back? Doesn't he realize that he'll never have another chance like this again?
As his Pokemon disappears into it's ball, I can't help but feel my blood start to boil. What kind of fool is he, to just overlook such a gem of a Pokemon?
I can't help it, and without even considering my actions, I'm storming down the slope, twigs snapping and leaves rustling- a true menace to the undergrowth around me- and step out into the clearing they are in. By the time I find myself in the small gully, both of them have thier eyes on me, but it's only the boy I see right now.
"What do you think your doing?!" I yell as I square off before him. "You could have had that thing!"
I'm annoyed, and that's probably why I don't recognize what it is it, but he's looking at me with a strange tone to his gaze, and under it I suddenly feel like I'm being picked apart and put back together again. It's unnerving how intense that shock of green is, and for a moment I feel a wave of nostalgia wash over me, and have to look away from the russet haired stranger.
"Fine, if you won't do it, I will!" I growl, reaching for the ball at my hip containing Poli, and hastily fling it out into the clearing. "Water gun!"
It's a powerful torrent, stronger than the one he'd let loose on the Nidorino, and I know he can feel my irritation. Faster than I can expect though, a ball of pink light shoots out to intercept the move, and Poli is blasted back and knocked unconscious.
Then, moving so quickly he's nothing more but a stream of pink light, it's gone, disappearing into the trees, and I'm left to fall to my knees next to my fainted Pokemon.
It all happened so quickly...
"Poliwhirl.." I call as I pull him into my arms. "Are you alright? Wake up!"
For a moment I'm flat out scared, because Poliwhirl doesn't respond, and it's been so long since we've been defeated that it's unnerving to see him so still. A moment goes by, and he finally twitches, and I'm flooded with relief, even though his eyes don't open. And then there's a voice from off to the side.
"Didn't you see it when I was battling it?" comes the voice of the brunette, and his tone is too even, as if he's forcing it to remain unreadable, and I shift my gaze over to him. He's not looking at me, but at some spot on the ground behind me, green eyes clouded with thought.
"I knew it was superior to my strength right from the start- that's why I made Charmander stop it's attacks." he continues, and I know right away that he's only explaining his motives to point out what I'd done wrong, to establish my lack of skill, and in that moment I hate him. I hate him for for being right, for knowing more than me, for pointing it out just for the sake of rubbing it in, and when he finally turns toward me to catch my eye, he doesn't hold back the venom in his words.
"Always know your limitations. If you don't, your only beating yourself."
I want to say something, to yell and snap at him, but he's already turning away to leave, and what would I say anyways? He's right on some level- I saw how his Charmanders attack was deflected like it was nothing, and still I fought. Poliwhirls defeat was because of me- I'd only beaten myself.
"I really lost." I mumble, as if to make it true, but by now there's nobody around to hear it. The nameless boy is gone, Poliwhirl is still out cold, and the Phantom Pokemon is nowhere in sight.
I don't have my privacy for long though.
Not five minutes after the boy and Pokemon leave, the strange men in the Black Uniforms show up. They stream out from the trees on the other side of the gully- the side that isn't charred from the flames of the battle. They pause as they see me, but because I don't so much as raise my head to glance at them, they seem to ignore me for the moment.
"Looks like there was a fire here not too long ago" one of them calls from somewhere to my left.
"Do you think the Phantom Pokemon had anything to do with it?" say another from somewhere else.
"It's hard to say, but it's possible..."
"Hey!" shouts another, and somewhere in the back of my mind I place him as the one I'd bumped into.
"It's that maggot from earlier!"
I hear the footsteps approaching me in the grass, but they are cut short by a command from another man farther up the ridge.
"Forget him, Mew could still be in the area! We have to find it!"
And then they're gone, and I'm left to return my Pokemon to it's ball before making the long trek back to town- and with nothing but a bruised ego to show for it.
The sun is setting by the time the Town falls into site.
Though Poliwhirl is tucked safely in his Pokeball, there's nothing to shield me from the sudden uncertainty that looms over me. I'd been so confident, so proud, but it's clear now that I'm not as great as I thought. And that boy, no matter what I do I can't get is words and that cold look out of my head.
It's when Professor Oaks Lab is looming before me that I know I've made my choice. That boy had known after a single attack that he wasn't enough, and if I could still make a mistake like that, then I still had a lot to learn, and the only one capable of teaching me was Oak.
"Everyone's told me he's just a mean old man, but the only place I can go for good advice, is here..." I say, as if to reassure myself, and before I can think twice on it, I push the buzzer to the front door.
A/N; Well, that's the first Chapter. They will get longer and better, and please forgive me if I accidentally switched from present tense to past- I haven't done a Fic in this style before, so it may take me another Chapter or Two to get used to it. Anyways, I CRAVE reviews so please don't with-hold them from me!
The next Chapter will be up soon, and I will be updating regularly every Thursday- the more reviews I get, the faster I will get them up :D