The Adventures of Red

Chapter 2

Red trudged north out of Pallet Town. He'd completely worm himself out trying to catch Blue who had ran ahead. "Darn it..." Red muttered. "He always was better than me in PE..." He clenched his fists. "...and everything else too... Well, not this time! I'll be a better Pokemon trainer than him, and then he'll respect me!" He smiled a bit at this thought as he passed the sign that said 'Route 1: Pallet Town-Viridian City.' It was fitting that he started his journey on such an appropriately numbered route.

He paused when he saw a bird rustling in the tall grass ahead. "Hmm... it looks like a Pidgey..." He smirked. "Let's see the look on Blue's face when I catch a wild Pokemon before him!" He threw the Pokeball containing Bulbasaur, releasing it. "Go, Bulbasaur!"

The bird noticed the Bulbasaur and did a strange thing. Wild Pidgies were known to fly away at the first chance of danger, but this one rushed at the attacking Pokemon. Red quickly figured out why. What he'd thought was a Pidgey was actually a Spearow! It was an easy mistake. They were both similar in size and appearance, but Spearows were known to be a lot more violent. "Bulbasaur, tackle it!" Red yelled. The Bulbasaur obeyed and ran headfirst at the Spearow and tackled it. If the Spearow hadn't violently been rushing at the Bulbasaur, it most likely would have avoided it. It didn't avoid it, though, so the Bulbasaur brought it to the ground and pinned it. "Great, Bulbasaur, now hold it there for me!" Red reached into his backpack and pulled out one of the empty Pokeballs. "You're mine now, Spearow!" He yelled as he prepared to throw it.

Suddenly, another Pokeball flew through the air and struck the Spearow. It opened and the Spearow was sucked in. It shook as the Spearow tried to escape, but it soon stopped as the creature gave up. "What?" Red gasped. "Who threw that?"

"Hahaha!" Laughed Blue as he popped out from behind a tree and picked up the Pokeball containing the Spearow. "Thanks for helping me catch my first Pokemon, Red." He smirked. "Oh, wait, did you want that one?" He asked in mock concern.

"You knew that I wanted it!" Red yelled angrily.

"Whatever." Blue said, apparently bored. "Smell ya later!" With that, he left Red alone and angry.

"I'll make him regret that!" Red said. "...some day." He added pathetically as he started walking again. "Bulbasaur, return." To pass the time, Red took out his Pokedex and began reading up on abilities his Bulbasaur would eventually learn. "Let's see here, 'Vine Whip,' 'Poison-powder,' 'Leech Seed...' Cool! It says he should know that one already!" Up ahead, he spotted a sign that said. 'Welcome to Viridian City.' "Wow, I made it already!"

Red had been to Viridian City before with his mother, but never like this. Red was at a complete loss at what to do next. Now that he'd reached Viridian, he didn't know what to do next. As he aimlessly wandered, he found a Pokemon Center. Pokemon Centers were used to heal your Pokemon if they were injured in battle. His Bulbasaur wasn't hurt, so he decided not to go in. A poster on the building caught his eye, though. "What's this? 'Visit the Mt. Moon exhibit in Pewter City: Info on the rare Clefairy and even extinct Pokemon!' I bet I could use that exhibit to help Professor Oak with his Pokedex!" Red pulled a map of Kanto out of his backpack and found that Pewter City was north of Viridian City. "Perfect! All I have to do is go through that forest and I'll be there!"

Once he reached the entrance to the forest, though, Red was a little more nervous. It was a foreboding looking forest, and all Red had to protect himself was a single Pokemon... He shook the fear off. "No, I trust my Bulbasaur! I'll be fine."

He marched into the forest and almost instantly it got darker. "Geez, this place it pretty creepy..." He said, but stuck to the path. "I need to stop worrying, lots of trainers go through this forest all the time!" He halted when he saw a Pidgey on the path up ahead. "A Pidgey!" He looked around to make sure Blue wasn't anywhere around, and then threw a Pokeball, and Bulbasaur appeared. The Pidgey saw it, and started to fly off. "Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!" Red yelled, and the Bulbasaur shot some seeds out of the bulb on its back. They struck the Pidgey and immediately sprouted into tiny plants growing from the Pokemon itself. Red called back Bulbasaur and ran under it as it flew and slowly began to sing through the air. "It's weakening! Perfect!" After a time, the Pidgey landed, unable to fly any longer and collapsed on the ground. The plants had drained it of its energy to move. "This time I'll catch one!" Red yelled, and threw an empty Pokeball at it. The Pidgey was unable to fight back and was sucked into the Pokeball. Red smiled as he picked it up. "Yes! I caught a Pidgey!"

"Stop shouting!" Whispered a voice. "You're scaring the bugs!"

Red turned around and saw a young boy with a large net. "What are you doing?"

"I collect bug Pokemon!" The boy explained. "And all your yelling scared them off!

"They're just bugs." Red said offhandedly. "Why don't you try to catch stronger ones? Like a Pidgey or a Ratatta?"

That got the boy mad. "You think bugs are weak, huh? Let's see what you've got!" He threw a Pokeball. "Go, Weedle!" Out of the Pokeball came what appeared to be a centipede with a large spike on its forehead.

Red looked at the Pokedex. It explained Weedle as "A larval Pokemon that protects itself with a large poisonous spine on its head." Red wanted to try out his new Pidgey, but he knew it was still weak from being captured. "Go get 'em, Bulbasaur! Squash that bug!"

"Not a chance!" The bug-catcher yelled. "Weedle, use String Shot!" Out of the Weedle's mouth came a silk-like substance that instantly entangled Bulbasaur. "Now Weedle, use Poison Sting!" The Weedle rushed at Bulbasaur and struck it with its large barb.

However, while the barb broke the skin, the Bulbasaur didn't seem that hurt. Red checked the Pokedex, and noticed for the first time that Bulbasaur was a grass and poison type! The poison didn't affect it! "Bulbasaur, now's your chance! Use Leech Seed!" Although the Bulbasaur had trouble moving, it was able to send the seeds onto the Weedle due to its close proximity. The plants glowed, and the Weedle lost consciousness.

"Good try, Weedle! Come back!" The bug catcher said as he withdrew the Weedle. "Go, Butterfree!" A large purple butterfly appeared. "Your Bulbasaur may be immune to poison, but how about sleeping? Butterfree, use Sleep Powder!" The Butterfree flapped its wings and a green powder came off of them. As the Bulbasaur breathed them in, it fell into a deep sleep.

"No! Bulbasaur, wake up!" Red pleaded, but it just kept snoozing as the Butterfree tackled it repeatedly. "I've got no choice! Bulbasaur, return! Go, Pidgey!" The worn out Pidgey appeared from the Pokeball, slightly rested. "You can do it, Pidgey! Peck that Butterfree!" The Pidgey obeyed and struck the Butterfree with its beak. The Butterfree had soft skin and the Pidgey's hard beak was able to easily cut through it. It was apparrent that Butterfrees were meant for more strategic battling than pure strength.

"Butterfree!" The bug-catcher shouted. "Use Poison-Powder!"

"Pidgey, use Quick Attack!" Red yelled. Although the Pidgey was tired, it put on a burst of energy and quickly struck the Butterfree before it could release the poisonous spores. The Butterfree fainted, and the Pidgey fell down; tired, but still awake.

"No!" The boy yelled. "I lost! I guess you still think bugs are weak, huh?" He asked dejectedly.

"Actually, no." Red said. "I see now that while they aren't the strongest physically, with the right strategy, they can definitely be a threat. You were right." The boy smiled and withdrew his Butterfree. "Hey, do you know where Pewter City is?"

"Yeah, it's just about a 15 minute walk in that direction." The boy pointed down a path.

"Thanks." Red said and turned to his worn out Pidgey. "You did great, Pidgey. We'll get you healed soon." With that, he put the Pidgey in its Pokeball and set off towards Pewter City with new knowledge on strategy.

Make sure to review! Next Chapter: Pewter City!