Red had always known that he was different from his peers; when the other boys on an internet forum he frequented would start to talk about girls, women, and babes, he'd excuse himself to study more about the Pokemon, fascinating and majestic creatures with powers far beyond humans'.
His mother had been glad about this peculiarity at first, since it meant that Red had not tried to sneak off at night to meet with 'harlots and wenches', as she would put it. Years passed by, however, and her mother had begun to suspect that his son was not into the opposite gender at all. She had been preparing herself for the moment when her only son would come out; she even composed a speech filled with tolerance and unconditional maternal love that would surely lead to the mother and son embracing each other with teary eyes.
Alas, it was never meant to be.
Red was a very peculiar boy. In his tender age of 9, a full year before his own Pokemon adventure, he found that his interest Pokemon was not, in fact, simply fueled by interest of academic nature; he also found something more intriguing, more basic, in the creatures. He found them exciting, in the most unusual way. He'd find himself entranced by certain Pokemon, how their body moved with a wild elegance; how their skin, fur, or feather glistened with sweat as they hunted or grazed; how the scent of their musk and sweat tingled his very essence.
His first experiment was with Pokemon had by Professor Oak, the local Pokemon researcher whose reputation was well-known throughout the regions. Oak had unofficially taken him as his assistant, for Red had regularly visited and impressed the Professor with his questions and inquiries.
That day, the Pokemon Professor had been examining a Pokemon sent to him from his Hoennese colleague. It had been previously unseen in the region of Kanto and Oak had wanted to let it acclimatize itself to Kanto and therefore let it freed from the Pokeball and confine it to a caged area behind his laboratory.
Red was choking the chicken they would have for dinner, as his mother had taught him that the more painful the death, the more delicious the meat should taste. But before he could make the head pop off, his mother went in and told him that Professor Oak called for him. The Professor sometimes asked him to run some errands or do some services that Red should not tell anyone about, so Red let the lucky chicken go to die in his mother's hands instead.
Professor Oak was waiting in front of his laboratory with his aides – official assistants – and the whole group was looking uncharacteristically anxious. As soon as he saw Red approaching, Professor Oak stepped forward and shook the boy's hand.
"Ah, Red, am I glad you are here. There's an emergency— you don't need to worry about it, I assure you. But we need to leave now. The lab is securely locked, but we need someone to watch over the new Pokemon we have."
"New Pokemon?"
"Yes, it is from Hoenn. It's not in a Pokeball because we want to see how it reacts to the environment around here. We have prepared enough food and water, so you just need to watch it, document any unusual behavior, and you can call Nurse Jenny from the next town if anything should get it."
But Red was barely listening as he glowered with joy and excitement. A new Pokemon! From Hoenn! He hardly knew anything as inter-regional communications was still rare and notoriously expensive.
"I believe we can trust you?" Professor Oak's voice brought him back to reality.
"Of course, Professor! Leave it to me!"
"Very well then. We're leaving Swablu in your hands. We'll be back as soon as possible."
Professor Oak handed the cage key over to Red. Red stayed just long enough to wave goodbye as the Professor and his aides left, flying on the back of Pidgeots and Fearows.
His steps were light but joyful as he approached the caged area. Usually, it was bustling with common Flying Pokemon – the rarest Pokemon he'd seen there was a Scyther. That was why he hadn't noticed that there was a…Swablu…in there. But with the other Pokemon back in their Pokeballs, the usually bustling cage was silent.
Red unlocked the cage's door, stepped in, and locked it again. The lush canopy of medium-height trees casted shadows over the many birdbath and feeders. Just as he was looking around for the new Pokemon, he heard the most beautiful chirp he'd ever heard.
Lo and behold, sitting on the small fountain in a corner, there was a bird Pokemon, its round and supple body as blue as clear sky; its wings covered in clouds of white, fluffy feather that looked irresistibly fluffy; two prominent feathers protruded from its head, their ample sized made a very certain part of Red hot and bothered; and its two eyes, black beads of naivete and innocence that looked curiously at Red.
Something awakened in Red. It made his heart beat twice as fast as before and there was an onslaught of butterflies in his stomach. He had never been this fascinated by a Rattata or a Caterpie before. Not even by a Charmander, with its tail, thick at the base and unbelievably hot at the tip.
He slowly walked towards the Swablu, entranced. His brain was making him doubt himself – what if the Swablu didn't like him? And more importantly, was it alright to contact with the bird?
But his heart pushed through. What Professor Oak didn't know wouldn't hurt him, surely.
He stopped just a few inches before the bird. Now that he was face-to-face with his god(dess?), he felt that his mouth was dry.
"H-Hi. I'm Red. Nice to meet you," he stammered. He blushed and felt like turning away and run all the way to Celadon.
But the Swablu just tilted its head and chirped. Red could believe neither his luck nor his eyes. It was definitely a good sign that he hadn't taken a Wing Attack to the face.
"Uh, I heard you are new here. Can we be friends?"
The blue and rotund goodness chirped once again and took off, its fluffy wings flapping elegantly as it flew a short distance and landed on Red's right shoulder. His heart leaped in joy. Swablu also felt something special! Even the weight, that was nearly too heavy for the scrawny 9-year-old kid, became barely noticeable.
Red turned his head to see his new friend's face. It was the most beautiful face he had ever seen.
Then, suddenly and without a warning, the Swablu moved its head slightly and pecked his lips gently. Red gasped.
"Do…do you want me to kiss you?"
He received another peck.
Red had never kissed before. He had been curious, yes, but despite the multiple chances of kissing the stray Pokemon who wandered too far into Pallet Town, he had never felt that it would have been right. But this was different. It felt so easy, so natural, and so right.
He put his right hand on top of Swablu's head, gently caressing it. He moved his lips closer until they met Swablu's hard beak. The bird opened its beak and Red, without hesitation, pushed his tongue inside. The inside of Swablu's mouth was hot and wet and its lips felt slender as it interlocked with Red's. He continued to explore the walls of Swablue's beak and mouth, feeling both the pulsating flesh of its mouth and the slightly colder and hard beak.
Red was lost in pleasure. He didn't notice the saliva dripping off his and Swablu's mouth onto his shoulder as he closed his eyes and embraced the bird even longer, not wanting it to end.
"Cloyster, use Icicle Spear!"
Red's brain barely had time to register the sharp pain piercing his chest before another sharp icicle went through the nape of his neck and cut a part of his brain. The Swablu cried in surprise and flew high and perched on a treetop just below the cage's ceiling.
Unnoticed by Red, one of Professor Oak's aide was sent back even before they reached their destination, as the Professor changed his mind and thought that he could manage even with one less man on his side.
The aide was shocked to see the boy violating the specimen. Not only did he find it disgusting, but more importantly, it was a breach of the Professor's trust in him. They had been studiously keeping the environment, food, and water carefully managed and sterile yet the abnormal boy just carelessly made inappropriate contact and possibly put the reputation of Professor Oak and the whole Kanto region in danger.
"Cloyster, return."
The aide sent the ice Pokemon back to its Pokeball. He put it back on the Pokeball-carrier-belt around his waist and pulled out another one.
"Go, Ditto."
An amorphous pink blob came out near the lifeless body.
"Use transform."
Ditto grew and shaped itself into the figure of the dead boy. He looked perfectly like the 9-year-old boy. Even his mother wouldn't notice any difference. Hopefully.
For now, he would have to dispose the body somehow – probably take it to Cinnabar and drop it into the volcano – and let his Ditto take Red's place. He might not be able to hide the truth forever, but he would wait until Professor Oak return and report the situation. With his intellect and connections, there should be a way. The world would never have to learn. It was for the greater good.