AN: Hey there. So this is the second chapter. I'd like a review, or a PM just to point out something I can change. Anyway, enjoy.
Chapter 2 – Bloom
"Charmander"
With one single word the tension in the room seemed to loosen exponentially. The girl sighed, a single breath signifying all her relief that she would get her Pokémon, no, thee Pokémon of her choice. Blue grinned widely, as he had been scared he would be left with such an ungainly Pokémon after the other two had picked.
"Well," professor Oak said, clearing his throat after the moment's silence, "Red, just so that you do realise, you have chosen the most difficult Pokémon to raise. You are aware of this correct?"
Red nodded. He knew.
"I can't alter your choice, but I can offer advice. The Fire Pokémon, charmander, requires extreme patience to raise. Until such time as you have raised him sufficiently, you will struggle to win battles with him, but persist, for the end result is a versatile, ruthless killing specialist, loyal to a fault to the trainer who raised it to be what it will become. Good luck."
Red grinned slightly: he was ready.
The professor now turned to the young lady at his side. "Leaf, my dear, it is, I believe, your opportunity to select a Pokémon. With marks like yours, I hardly feel it necessary to give you advice, but I will regardless. Now choose."
Leaf turned to her peers. "See you on the flip side," she said, smiling at them, "I choose bulbasaur."
"I see. An apt choice, considering your bubbly personality. Plant type Pokémon are full of energy and never cease to amaze -". Whatever else he was going to say was muffled as a large, bulbous yellow Pokémon enveloped him. The three teens stifled giggles, as it was a common occurrence at this lab. The professor's Pokémon were zealously affectionate towards him, and would often show such affection. Some were just slightly more affectionate than others.
After a few moments of watching the antics of the professor, Red walked forwards and tickled the victreebel between the eyes. With a sneeze, it released the professor and fell on the floor looking thoroughly confused. The now-slick professor proceeded to give the three young adults a glare that would have shamed Koga's arbok into examining its training methods.
"Ahem. Now, Blue, as you are the only one left, allow me to give you some advice. Leaf, I will not give you any more advice at present, as Vee is proud of her type," he said, his face softening slightly when looking at the befuddled victreebel, "So, squirtle. A slightly more difficult Pokémon to raise, as it requires a large amount of care, being a water type Pokémon: it needs to be kept moist, as dry skin reduces its ability as a combative Pokémon to defend you and win battles. Raise it with care; I expect nothing less as my grandson.
"Now, go out and explore the world. Red, can I speak to you a minute? Also, I suggest you two stick around town for a few days, I'm expecting a package soon with a few vital parts for my newest project which you three will be field trialling," having said his piece, he turned to leave.
"Hold up gramps! Red and I have to battle first, and I won't leave you alone until then. So battle now talk later, got it?" Blue sneered.
Professor Oak sighed at his grandson's arrogance and impatience. "Fine. I will referee."
"This will, due to you both only having one Pokémon, be a one-on-one Pokémon battle. Non-lethal attacks only please, Red as the one who was challenged, you have the first move. Battle begin," Samuel said.
"Charmander, bare your spirit for the world to see,"
"Squirtle, crush the runt,"
The two Pokémon emerged and turned to look at their trainers, to see who they would live out their lives with, both momentarily ignoring the summons to battle from their trainers.
Charmander saw a tall, dusky-haired young man with a lithe build before him, with some form of ridiculous appendage on his head that covered his hair and cast his eyes in shadow. He caught a fleeting glimpse of the eyes staring back at him, kind eyes, but eyes that concealed a power so immense that the small lizard could do naught but shiver. Will-power and determination was in this man's soul; he would be a good trainer for charmander. The lizard turned back to face his opponent.
Meanwhile, squirtle had turned to the brown-haired teen facing Red. He saw a drive to be the best, a hunger to succeed, but also fear; of what, he knew not. He saw spite and jealousy, but underlying all of that an unwavering loyalty that was displayed through his hazelnut-hewed eyes. The tiny turtle knew that although their relationship might never be close, that this trainer would never abandon him. He nodded. He would fight for this man.
The turtle turned back to the lizard, both sizing up the other Pokémon. Charmander grinned, awaiting the fight with anticipation. The turtle smirked: he was facing a fire type, what could go wrong?
Oak stepped between the two new trainers. "Begin"
"Squirtle, tackle him!" Blue shouted.
"Charmander, wait until squirtle's close, then dodge, but spin your tail in so he gets a face full of flames. Then get in close and scratch him. Claws out enough to hurt, not enough to maim," Red said in a low tone, but fast paced as the blue turtle was moving much faster than regular stereotypes let on.
Charmander nodded, then followed the instructions to the letter. The blue Pokémon cried out at the unexpected mouthful of fiery tail, followed by an intense pain on its exposed arms. It whipped its tail at the opposing reptilian, catching its leg and tripping it up slightly. In the second that the charmander's defence was down, the chelonian launched a vicious counter-attack, connecting with the charmander's midriff and eliciting an expulsion of air from the flaming lizard.
The charmander turned to the tiny turtle Pokémon and unorthodoxly attacked: it balled its hand and punched the turtle, a perfect right hook to the nose, knocking the turtle out cold. This exchange had happened in the space of a few seconds, so the trainers had been unable to react: they were not yet prepared for the sheer speed and ferocity of a Pokémon battle.
"Squirtle, you gotta get up! You can't let that runt steamroll you," Blue cried, after getting over his shock at the power display, "Come on, how can I have picked the wrong Pokémon? It's strong against your Pokémon."
"Blue! You of all people should know that type advantage isn't everything," the professor reprimanded him, "Pokémon have the same intelligence as humans, most of them at any rate. As such, showing them the slightest bit of compassion will make them fight all the harder, not for you, but alongside you."
Blue mumbled something inaudible to the professor, but he did catch "stupid old man". Samuel Oak sighed; his grandson was too arrogant, and it was going to cost him one day.
Red, meanwhile, had spoken to his charmander. Though he wasn't talkative by nature, he found it easy to open up to Pokémon: they couldn't talk back anyway, not really.
"That was great charmander, truly excellent. Slightly unconventional, but you thought on your feet. I'm proud to be your trainer," he told the lacertian, while secretly wondering if its tail ever got burnt by the flame that it produced; he had a short attention span.
The fiery lizard replied with a low, crooning sound, ecstatic over its trainer's words of praise. It was tired, but it felt stronger: the experience from battling a type he was weak against was significant, and he would use that experience well in the future.
"Return," Red said, returning charmander to its ball. Blue did likewise with his squirtle.
"Not bad chump, but I'll train my Pokémon to get stronger, battling it to toughen it up. Red, Gramps, Leaf, I'm gonna go; smell ya later!" he said, walking out the lab door, his cockiness already reasserting itself.
Professor Oak sighed.
"That boy has potential, but he has a long way to go still. Red, come talk to me. Leaf, I'll call you when the package is here. Perhaps you could train around Pallet… actually, why don't you travel with Red here? That way you both have company while training," said Oak, slightly too enthusiastically. He turned to Red again.
"Red, you know my contact at the Pokémart in Viridian. Please, I need you to fetch the package I was telling you three about. I am asking you because you are, after all, still one of my research aides," he said with a smirk.
Red nodded.
"Sure," he said. He turned to Leaf, "I'm ready to leave, do you need some time or…" he faltered, as Leaf held up a backpack.
"Whenever you're ready," she said.
He nodded again.
"See you soon professor," he said, heading out the door, Leaf on his heels. He was ready to officially begin his journey; his journey to become the very best, like no one ever was.
AN: So that's it for this chapter. Please review/PM/somehow let me know how to improve my writing style. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Red Redeemer.