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Professor Juniper was waiting for the trainer Professor Oak had mentioned. She had to admit, her curiosity was peaked when Professor Oak had told her the trainer would be travelling by Charizard instead of airplane. Juniper could tell, from how Prof. Oak spoke of him, that the old man had great respect for this trainer. She wondered what kind of trainer could make even the old professor become reverent. She still doubted the trainer would arrive in Unova by the end of the day but the professor had insisted the trainer would arrive.
She absentmindedly glanced at the empty sky and let out a sigh. Before she could decide to go back inside, something caught her attention.
A Pokémon was flying towards her at great speed. Narrowing her eyes to get a better look, she noticed it was a Charizard. There was a rider on the dragon-like Pokémon's back. This must be the trainer Professor Oak had mentioned. She waited patiently as Charizard approached and then landed.
Juniper let out a small gasp as she finally saw the trainer. The trainer wasn't another ten year old, he was a young man. It made more sense now that Prof. Oak would respect this young man. She inspected him. He was quite handsome. His black hair was being blown gently by the wind and his red eyes seemed to be glowing underneath his hat. She silently cursed Professor Oak for not telling her it would be a young man instead of a boy. Most of Juniper's time was spent researching Pokémon but that didn't mean she couldn't act like a woman around an attractive man.
"Are you Professor Juniper?" asked the trainer while his red eyes studied her.
Juniper was suddenly aware of what she was wearing. She really should put more effort in looking presentable. "Yes, and I'm assuming you're the trainer Professor Oak mentioned?"
He nodded, "I'm Red."
"Well then, please follow me back to my lab. I need to finalize a few things before you can begin your journey in Unova."
He nodded again and followed Juniper. He sighed inwardly as he noticed Juniper sneaking glances in his direction as they walked. Maybe he gained another fan girl he thought with exasperation. He still wondered what made him appealing to women.
Quick A/N
How's it going so far? You liking the story? I'd just like to say that Red still has fan girls, even though he's been absent from society for the past... six years?
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"Okay, that's it," said Professor Juniper. She stopped her typing and handed Red a Pokédex.
Red pocketed his new Pokédex. "Thanks Professor."
Juniper nodded at him while smiling charmingly. From her short interaction with Red, she deduced that he was a man that appreciated the concept of brevity. His answers were short and to the point, bordering on rude.
"Are you sure you don't want a Unova starter Pokémon?" asked Juniper. She had offered one to him originally but it didn't hurt to try again. She had enough Pokémon that she could always spare one for a good home.
Red shook his head.
"Well, if you're sure, then I guess that's fine." Juniper just wanted the day to be over. "Why not rest for a day or two first? You don't have to start your journey immediately."
"Thank you for your hospitality professor but I would really like to be going now," Red told her. He wanted to see what kinds of Pokémon and challenges Unova had to offer.
"Okay, but please just call me Juniper from now on and if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask me." Juniper sighed at Red's business-like attitude. He was so different from all the other prospective trainers that came through her research center for their starter Pokémon. But then again, Red didn't need a starter Pokémon and he had already been on a journey before.
Red nodded, as if he wished to thank her but didn't want to say the words, and walked away.
Juniper watched Red's back as he exited her lab and rubbed her temples.
"He's way too stiff," Juniper muttered and turned to her job. Red was not her type for sure. That man was cold as ice. She wondered what kind of woman could get his attention but shook her head; there was no point in even thinking about it.
(Skip)
Red stared at Nimbasa City impassively as he absentmindedly returned Charizard back into its pokéball. It had been several weeks since Red first arrived in Unova. So far, he liked what he saw. The trainers he had challenged were full of surprises. Battling against Unova Pokémon had been more fascinating than he had predicted. Of course, he had still beaten every one of them easily but their strategies had new flavors. Therefore, he made the decision to add some Unova Pokémon to his team. After intense and brutal training, Red was completely satisfied with his Pokémon. They had grown beyond his expectations in such a short time. Now, they could hold their own against even Pikachu for a decent amount of time.
He reflected on how he had spent his time before reaching Nimbasa City. Red knew he at least had to gain some badges to enter the Pokémon World Tournament and quickly decided to challenge the gym leaders. It was good practice for him to experience even stronger trainers. Before reaching Nimbasa City, he had already achieved the Trio Badge from Striaton, the Basic Badge from Nacrene, the Insect Badge from Castelia, the Quake Badge from Driftveil, the Freeze Badge from Icirrus, the Jet Badge from Mistralto, the Wave Badge from Humilau, and the Legend Badge from Opelucid. He already had his eight required badges but decided that Elesa's Bolt Badge would be good practice for his Pikachu.
From all the gym leaders he had battled, the one that had provided the most entertaining battle was Drayden, Opelucid City's dragon type gym leader. He was looking forward to battling him again in the Pokémon World Tournament. Provided Drayden got far enough. Skyla's Jet Badge had been his most irritating win. Sky Battles were poor substitutions for the fun and challenge of a real gym match. He had wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but had decided not to. People would wonder who he was and how he dared to challenge a gym leader like Skyla. Red wasn't quite ready to reveal his identity. He only hoped to see her at the PWT so she would be forced to battle another trainer.
After reflecting on his previous battles, Red entered the city, searching for the gym. Nimbasa City was lively, full of attractions and street vendors. It looked like a fair was taking place and the entire city had left their houses to come and participate. By following the crowd, he found the gym easily. As he neared his destination, he noticed the crowd was composed mainly of teenage girls who were all wearing the same basic outfit; black leggings with a yellow top. To Red, it looked like an elongated gumdrop shape was cut out of the front of the shirt and then held together by black strips of fabric. He shook his head. What those people were wearing wasn't important. He maneuvered through to crowd to reach the entrance.
After a jolting roller coaster car ride into the gym, the first thing he saw was a glamorous stage. It seemed that Elesa had turned the battlefield into one big stage and their battle would be treated like a show. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. A Pokémon gym challenge was serious, not some spectacle. Still, he realized that it was a wise move to make an appointment like Drayden had suggested. Elesa must have a schedule if she was entertaining such large crowds, in her gym no less. He suddenly realized that a fashion show was taking place on the battlefield/stage. It looked like Elesa was just wrapping up and as the cheers died down, she disappeared behind the curtain. Red had leaned against the gym entrance and wondered what Elesa's battle strategy would be. He had spent the time thinking of moves and possible counter-moves the Electric-type specialist gym leader would use.
Elesa appeared back on the stage. "Thank you all for coming today!" Elesa shouted to the crowds, "I have one more surprise for you all!"
The crowd went crazy. They began to speculate what Elesa's surprise was. Red stared at the ground, the gym leader enjoyed being the center of attention. She was the completely opposite of Red.
"Today, there will be a challenger to the Nimbasa gym! I hope you can all stay to see the fight," beamed Elesa. She flashed her smile and winked to the crazily cheering crowd.
A light illuminated Red's figure.
"Challenger, please come to the stage," beckoned Elesa.
Red sighed and walked onto the stage.
Elesa faced the crowd, "Let me introduce you all to today's challenger, Red!"
Red's eye twitched from the attention. He was beginning to grow uncomfortable.
"Welcome to the stage, Red!"
Red just nodded and took out a poké ball which made Elesa smiled.
"Wow, you seem impatient!" Elesa said, "The flame in you burns brightly!"
Red narrowed his eyes, recognizing the jab at his name.
"Now, let's express ourselves and our true passions on this stage!" At these words, a referee entered the stage. "The Nimbasa gym battle is about to begin. This will be a three on three battle which will end when one side's three Pokémon are unable to battle. Only the challenger is permitted to make substitutions."
"Zebstrika, the bright light is on you!" Elesa threw her poké ball onto the field and summoned her first Pokémon.
Red studied the Pokémon, and decided who he should choose. Without a word, he threw his poké ball to the field and revealed, "Pikachu!"
"Wow, a Pikachu!" Elesa was excited to battle such a rare find, "What a lovely Pokémon! This is only the second time I've meet a trainer who had a Pikachu"
Red raised his eyebrow at her comment. He didn't know there was another trainer in Unova with a Pikachu. For now, he put the information away in his mind. During a gym battle, he couldn't afford to be distracted.
"Let the battle began!" the referee yelled.
Elesa had prepared for Red to go first, but to her surprise, he did not. It wasn't often that she had the first move. Elesa studied Red in earnest. She thought he was just a newbie trainer but she realized now that he wasn't. Noticing Red's calculating gaze, she smiled. He wasn't like Ash. This would be a fun battle.
"Zebstrika, show him your glow, quick attack!" Elesa ordered, trying to get a raise on Red.
Red was almost caught off guard as Zebstrika rushed towards Pikachu with amazing speed. Fortunately, years of battle experience allowed him to react, "Dodge Pikachu!
The yellow mouse dodged in the coming attack by jumping to the side.
"Fast," remarked Red.
Elesa smiled, "Why, thank you, did Zebstrika's fantastic speed leave you dizzy? My beloved Pokémon will certainly make your head spin!"
The crowd cheered for their gym leader.
"Pikachu use agility and then double team!" ordered Red. Pikachu ran towards Zebstrika and began to glow white. Multiple Pikachu's sprang out from its body and started to circle the zebra-like Pokémon, causing it to become dizzy.
"Zebstrika, stay calm!" Elesa shouted. She knew what Red was trying to do. "Discharge and hit them all."
"Low sweep iron tail."
Pikachu's tail turned into shiny metal and turning on its paw, it spun on the ground.
"Jump Zebstrika!" Elesa reacted immediately and her Pokémon was able to quickly evade Pikachu's attack and move away from danger Zebstrika released its discharge but didn't hit anything.
Not wasting any time, the two trainers shouted out their next moves.
"Zebstrika, use flame charge!"
"Pikachu, thunder!"
Elesa's Zebstrika stomped on the battlefield, building up friction. It's body burst into flames and charged towards Pikachu. Pikachu jumped up and released a devastating Thunder attack that connected directly with Zebstrika. Dust plumes rose from the ground and obstructed Elesa's view of Zebstrika.
"Pikachu, continue your Thunder while using Iron Tail." Red wanted to take advantage of Elesa's lack of vision and hurriedly launched an attack. He knew Zebstrika was still standing. Pikachu would have signaled otherwise if the battle had ended.
The dust cleared before Pikachu's Iron Tail hit. Zebstrika's flame charge was still struggling against Pikachu's bolt of lightning. Red's eyes widened slightly. Elesa's Zebstrika was still going, even though it looked exhausted. Pikachu's thunder had been sufficient for a knock out during another battle with a different Zebstrika. He wondered whether the flames acted as a buffer that negated the effectiveness of his attack. His thought track stopped when Pikachu's Iron Tail hit Zebstrika on the head. The Thunderbolt Pokémon was instantly knocked out.
It was Elesa's turn to be surprised. Red had commanded his Pikachu to use Thunder and Iron Tail at the same time. Any normal trainer wouldn't have been able to pull it off but Red's Pikachu made it look like it was nothing. She mentally applauded Red's move and made a note of it. One day, she would have to train her Pokémon to use moves simultaneously.
Red and Elesa both sighed in disappointment (Red because he thought the battle had gone too quickly and Elesa because she had lost) and waited for the referee to call the match. For the first time, both trainers noticed that the crowd was silent. They looked around and saw shocked faces surrounding them. The battle had been over so quickly but both Pokémon had pulled off stunningly fast speeds and powerful attacks. This was the first time they had seen a trainer of that caliber in Elesa's stadium.
"Uhh… Zebstrika is unable to battle, Pikachu is the winner!" stuttered the referee after she finally regained her speech. The crowd shouted out encouragement to Elesa.
Elesa turned her attention to Red and smiled, "You and your Pokémon... are shining brilliantly. This is the first time I've ever had such a battle. You've certainly dazzled me with your glow!"
Red merely nodded at her as Pikachu bounded onto his shoulder happily. Elesa pouted at Red's reaction, or lack thereof.
"Return Zebstrika, you finished with grace." As she recalled Zebstrika back into its poké ball, she realized her hand was wet with sweat. Their first battle wasn't what Elesa had expected. It was almost like she had battled another gym leader or even a champion (haha, dramatic irony). She grabbed her next poké ball tightly and felt a rushing sensation she hadn't felt for a long time.
Meanwhile, Red wasn't sure coming to Nimbasa City was worth it. His battle with Elesa hadn't been nearly as enjoyable as his battle with Drayden. It just wasn't enough to get him excited. He wanted a trainer with strong Pokémon and a solid strategy. Elesa wasn't a bad trainer and her Pokémon were certainly not weak, his victory was just too easy. He needed something to make him serious about winning.
"Go, Emolga! The bright light is on you!" Elesa threw her poké ball onto the field. A flying mouse-like bat Pokémon appeared.
Red hesitated slightly. His next Pokémon would make it look like he had an unfair size advantage. Still, this was the perfect chance to test Elesa and allow his next Pokémon to have a battle. "Go, Tyranitar."
Tyranitar looked like a large dinosaur with green spikes coming out of its back and head. It roared at Emolga, making the small creature stare at it warily. The crowd yelled angrily, knowing Emolga might be at a disadvantage. They wanted their gym leader to win. Red had first encountered his Tyranitar when it was only a tiny Larvitar. He had trained it at Mt. Silver until it evolved into its final stage.
Elesa realized it would be a difficult battle for her. Even though Emolga certainly had the speed advantage, one hit from Tyranitar would most like be enough to end the battle. Elesa suddenly realized something. The first battle was between Pikachu and Zebstrika, both of which were electric type Pokémon so neither had an advantage. Therefore, trainer skill had played a huge part in the battle, as well as Pokémon strength. The second battle would be between Emolga and Tyranitar. Even though Emolga's electric attacks would do some damage, Tyranitar's rock attacks would be super effective against Emolga. Emolga's flying type attacks would only cause minimal damage. What puzzled Elesa was that Tyranitar had the type advantage against her Zebstrika but Red had chosen to use a Pikachu against another electric type. Most trainers would've opted for the type advantage. Red seemed to raise the difficulty level for himself. It wouldn't surprise her if his last Pokémon was a water type. It only made Elesa wonder whether or not she had seen Red's true abilities as a trainer. She squashed her thoughts immediately, she needed to attack first or she would be at an even greater disadvantage.
"Emolga dear, use attract won't you?" Elesa sang out as she winked at Red. To her irritation, Red didn't seemed affect by her flirtations. Normally, male trainers at least blushed or stammered. Red's face remained stolid.
"Emol-emolga!" Emolga winked and hearts began to circle around her body and they headed towards Tyranitar.
"Scary Face," ordered Red.
Elesa couldn't help but make a remark as Scary Face neutralized Attract, "Just like you. Scary but charming."
Red raised an eyebrow at her comment but didn't reply. "Hyper Beam."
She hadn't expected Red to use such a powerful attack so soon. Nevertheless, she composed herself, "Emolga, use Acrobatics to dodge."
Tyranitar's Hyper Beam missed Emolga as she began to bob around Tyranitar at great speeds.
"Just because your Tyranitar is an awful brute of a Pokémon, it won't scare us!" Elesa seemed defiant while Emolga just flew crazily through the air. "Let's see how you'll hit my Emolga."
Red knew what Elesa meant. Emolga's small size made it difficult for Tyranitar to hit it. Still, he had a plan. "Sandstorm."
Tyranitar commanded a large Sandstorm and let it spread through-out the field. Emolga was finding it hard to continue maneuvering through the air. Elesa smirked, what a rookie move, "Emolga. Discharge."
Emolga's electricity coursed through Tyranitar's Sandstorm. The attack was unavoidable and Tyranitar was hit. Sandstorm stopped and Tyranitar was disorientated. Elesa didn't waste any time. "Now, use Electro Ball!" A ball of electricity was formed between Emolga's wings and shot at Tyranitar.
It's the perfect attack move against Tyranitar, thought Red. Electro Balls inflicts more damage the faster the user is compared to the target. Elesa's nimble Emolga had the distinct advantage against Red's clunky Tyranitar.
Red ordered, "Stone Edge," before the attack could hit. The Electro Ball hit Stone Edge and rocks flew all over the place. Tyranitar's armor shielded it from the worst of the impact.
"Once again, dodge using Acrobatics," Elesa said as Emolga maneuvered around, evading the rock.
"Use Hyper Beam!" Red shouted and his Pokémon shot a beam of pure energy straight at the Sky Squirrel Pokémon.
"Fly downwards!" Elesa yelled urgently, which Emolga obeyed as the Pokémon narrowly evaded the Hyper Beam. Tyranitar recharged as Emolga dodged the last of the flying rocks.
"Stone Edge," Red ordered as soon as he saw Emolga land.
"Acrobatics to dodge, then Discharge!" Elesa ordered, as she felt a cold sweat appeared on her forehead. Red had almost cornered her with this attack.
Once again, Emolga narrowly evaded Tyranitar. She immediately unleashed Discharge and the Armor Pokémon took it head on. This was still too close for Elesa's taste. Red could have ended it easily.
"Shake it off. Mean Look." Red said calmly and Tyranitar flashed a Mean Look, making Emolga discontinue her attack. Discharge had still done its damage though. Before Red could order his next attack, Elesa shouted, "
"Close the stage with Volt Switch Emolga!"
"Hyper Beam," ordered Red immediately.
Volt Switch crashed into Hyper Beam and was easily overpowered. Emolga was blasted into the wall behind Elesa, leaving a small crater. Tyranitar looked unharmed by the last attack.
Red allowed himself a small smile while the referee called out the results. "Emolga is unable to battle! The winner is Red."
"Excellent Emolga, you put on a spectacular show!" Elesa beamed at her unconscious Pokémon as she returned her back into the poké ball. "You shine brilliantly Red, it almost made me blind," Elesa told him, "However, it is time for me to show you my next Pokémon's glow. I'm sure it'll make your head spin!"
The crowd cheered. They knew Elesa was going to battle with that Pokémon.
"A properly dramatic victory requires a dash of danger and a pinch of peril," Elesa said and threw a poké ball, "It's time for my electric queen, the bright light is on you... Tynamo!"
An eel-like Pokémon appeared on the field.
Red wasn't usually someone to judge a Pokémon by appearance but it seemed unfair for such a small thing like Tynamo to fight against Tyranitar. Red felt like a bully. He knew he should never underestimate a gym leader's last Pokémon. Tyranitar had accumulated enough damage that Red didn't want to make it battle again. However, he did want to see Tynamo's power before pitting a fresh Pokémon against it.
"Tyranitar, be alert," Red simply ordered.
Elesa smirked, "Tynamo, use tackle!" If any of her Pokémon could win a battle for her, it would be Tynamo.
In the blink of an eye, Tynamo had charged forward and crashed into Tyranitar. The larger Pokémon was blasted out of the field and into the wall. Red was speechless.
"What's the matter Red?" chuckled Elesa while she smiled innocently. Red finally knew how she felt when she first witnessed Pikachu's speed. She always enjoyed the variety of shocked expressions trainers gave if they were lucky enough to battle Tynamo. "Am I just too dazzling for you?"
Without saying a word, Red returned Tyranitar back to its Poké ball. He hoped this would be a fun battle for him. The Nimbasa Gym had at least allowed him a decent battle. He should at least thank her for that. He removed another Poké ball from his belt. "I certainly hope you're ready. This will be this Pokémon's first debut."
Elesa looked up with surprise, this was the first time Red had addressed her directly.
"I hope you stand a chance."
"I'm ready for whatever you throw into the field (haha get it, word play!)." Elesa smirked. She was confident her Tynamo could defeat at least one more of Red's Pokémon.
Red tossed his Poké ball onto the field. "I would appreciate if you assisted me."
Elesa was right. He hadn't seen Red's true abilities as a trainer. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she saw his Pokémon. The crowd fell silent in surprise. Elesa only had time to say one word before a bright light engulfed the field:
"Impossible."
A/N
Hey guys, I wasn't sure if I wanted to start with something completely new just yet so just enjoy this edited version of Fateion's "Champion Return." Please subscribe and review? I would really appreciate it :) Also tell me what you wanna see in the story. Next two chapters probably coming soon since most of it's just the original story edited.
