AN: This story was originally called "An Impossible Love: A Red and Leaf Story" but is now called "A Boy and His Leaf"
The inspiration from the story comes from BBC's Doctor Who, mainly from the Doctor's adventures with River Song. While in the beginning both will share very striking similarities, this story will eventually branch off on its own around the fifth or sixth chapter. So come along for the ride!
A Boy and His Leaf
Chapter 1
Sleep Powder
"The Pokémon battle between the Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town and the Pewter City Gym Leader Brock will now begin!" The referee called out.
Brock and the trainer walked out into the stadium and took their places ready to battle. Brock sported his typical dark grey jacket with a green t-shirt under it and long, brown khaki pants. The challenger had on a comfortable red jacket with blue jeans, a yellow backpack, and a signature red baseball cap.
Brock took a Poké Ball from his waist and smiled at the challenger. This was his third win in a row today with just his Geodude alone and he didn't plan on losing to this kid. "Can you break my rock hard defenses?" he taunted as he threw the Poké Ball and called out his first Pokémon, which was a Geodude.
The challenger looked up at Brock and smirked. "Oh I bet you I can!" he held his Poké Ball up in the air and watched as it shined from the lights of the gym. He lowered the ball slowly and pointed it at the Geodude and with a confident leer, said "You're going down! Go, Bulbasaur!"
Bulbasaur appeared on the battle field, fiercely staring down Geodude and itching to get the battle started.
Brock folded his arms and grinned at the sight of the obvious Grass-type weakness the Bulbasaur presented towards his Geodude. "I'll let you have the first move!"
The challenger, surprised that the Gym Leader would let him have the first move, went along with it. "All right, Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"
The little Seed Pokémon yelled and sent out long vines that darted towards its opponent.
"Geodude, quick, use Iron Defense!"
Right before the challenger's eyes, Geodude's body turned into sheer iron and raised its defense. As the vines whipped viciously on now the iron-solid Pokémon, it was obvious that they weren't doing much damage at all.
"What?!" the challenger yelled in shock and confusion.
Brock laughed at the boy. "Come on, did you really think I was just going to let some kid waltz in here with a Bulbasaur and expect to one-shot all of my Pokémon?"
The challenger groaned in growing frustration as he saw his Pokémon's best move doing virtually nothing to the Geodude and all the while its defense was rising. Bulbasaur called its vines back and gritted his teeth also with frustration. Geodude's skin faded back to normal, pure-solid rock and it seemed to be enjoying the major defense increase.
"Here we go, use Mega Punch!" Brock yelled.
Geodude leapt and lunged at Bulbasaur, swinging its big and heavy fist at him. The punch sent Bulbasaur flying across the battle field and the challenger was left watching helplessly as his only Pokémon flew through the air. He ran over to him and sprayed a Potion bottle on him. He looked back up at Brock, pulled his shirt over his nose and whispered something in his Pokémon's ear. Oddly enough, Bulbasaur started rolling around in a strange, blue powder that wafted from its bulb.
Immediately, Bulbasaur got up and rushed back in front of Geodude and began growling ferociously, similar to what an angry dog would do.
"Scare tactics won't help you now! Geodude, go in for another Mega Punch!" Brock yelled.
Geodude leapt at Bulbasaur again and raised its huge fist. Just when it was ready to punch its opponent square in the face, it suddenly looked groggy and tired. Right before their eyes, the Geodude fell fast asleep on the battle field.
"What?!" Brock yelled in confusion. "What in the world is going- Wait…? You covered your nose… That blue powder Bulbasaur rolled in… That was Sleep Powder!"
Red grinned and pointed at Geodude. "Quick, Bulbasaur, hit it with Vine Whip before it wakes up!"
Bulbasaur called out its vines again and began whipping the Geodude like no tomorrow with them. After a long whipping session, Geodude rolled over from its slumber awake but defeated.
"Brock's Geodude is no longer able to battle! The challenger wins the first round!" the referee officially called out.
Brock returned his Geodude and looked up into the fiery red eyes of his challenger and growled. "Well, it seems you've managed to come this far and break my rock hard defenses… No one's made me use my special weapon at all today. Now meet the end of your first gym challenge; go, Onix!" Brock threw his Poké Ball out onto the field and out came a huge, vicious-looking rock snake that looked like it could eat Bulbasaur in under a second.
The boy jumped back a little, slightly overwhelmed at the giant snake's size, but still confident nonetheless. He ran over and sprayed another Potion on Bulbasaur, fully restoring its health.
"I bet that thing isn't too fast! Bulbasaur, run around and use Vine Whip so it won't catch you!"
Bulbasaur darted from side to side unleashing its long vines and whipping at the large, Rock Snake Pokémon. Onix roared with each vicious whip of Bulbasaur's vines. Somehow without warning, Onix managed to smack Bulbasaur with its large tail fairly fast and fairly easily. Bulbasaur flew off to the side, but quickly got back up.
"Hang on a second, a Pokémon of that size being able to hit Bulbasaur that fast? That's impossible!"
Brock lowered his head and darkly chuckled. He put his hands in his pockets and looked back up at the challenger. "You see, this Onix is special; its ability is Weak Armor. The more hits it takes, the more its Defense drops, but the more its Speed raises!"
The challenger stepped back, shocked that such an ability even existed, let alone on a behemoth like Onix. Now it just wasn't a powerful monster, it was a fast and powerful monster.
"Now, use Bind attack!" Brock commanded.
The Onix quickly swooped down and around Bulbasaur and caught it, wrapping and clenching it in its rock hard body. It started squeezing harder and harder as time passed and Bulbasaur's cries of agony grew louder and louder.
Suddenly, Onix's grip on Bulbasaur grew weaker and weaker until it without any warning fell over fast asleep.
"What?!" everyone in the gym said as they watched the big behemoth sleeping like a baby.
"Oh! Bulbasaur must still have some spores from the Sleep Powder on him!" Red laughed. "Hurry, use Vine Whip!"
Bulbasaur quickly called out its vines and whipped the Onix repeatedly until it rolled over from its slumber defeated. Brock's jaw was left on the ground, shocked, as he returned his Onix and sighed.
"Well, I can't win every day" he said in an effort to cheer himself up.
"Onix is unable to battle! That means the Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town is the winner!"
Bulbasaur ran back to his trainer's arms and they both cheered, ecstatic and elated by their victory. Brock walked over and shook the boy's hand.
"Congratulations, um, what's your name again?"
The boy tipped his hat and smiled. "The name's Red" he said.
"Well congratulations, Red! You've earned the Boulderbadge!" Brock said as he took out a badge from his pocket and pinned it onto Red's jacket. "You know something? You're pretty clever. Also, you're deserving of this." Brock handed him a weird-looking CD.
Red took a look at it for a few seconds. "What is this, music?"
"No," Brock laughed. "That's called a Technical Machine, TM for short. That's TM number thirty-nine, it contains Rock Tomb. It's a Rock-type move that has a chance of lowering the speed of the opponent."
"Wow, thanks!" Red said as he slipped the TM into his pocket.
It fell quiet in the gym and a faint beeping sound could be heard. Red took his Pokédex from his pocket and the beeping grew louder. He opened it up and saw that the screen said "RECEIVED 1 NEW MESSAGE." He thought it weird because he had no clue that his Pokédex could even receive messages. His finger slid across the screen to open the message and he read it aloud.
"Hello, darling. Come to the Pewter City Museum, quick! Xoxo"
"Who was that?" Brock asked curiously, nudging Red's shoulder.
"I actually have no clue…" Red said.
"She sure does sound like she knows who you are!" Brock teased. "Come on, let's go to the museum to meet this secret admirer of yours."