"Who are you? Well, it's plain to see that you're a trainer… My name's Blue. I was once the Champion, although it was for only a short time… That meddling Red did me in… Anyway, what do you want?"~Blue, Cinnabar Island.
We, Red
Chapter One
The Boy named Blue
Disclaimer : I do not own Pokemon.
indeed
a champion he was
but
for an hour only
The heavily reinforced doors split apart, and we crossed over from reality and into the world of science. Hundreds of machines and high-tech equipment, alongside aides in sterile white coats.
But all of that did not register in our minds as the professor dragged my slightly shifty form behind him. No, my eyes were focused on the brown haired boy staring at me with striking cerulean eyes, a smile hinting at the corner of his lips.
He was perhaps the best and only friend I ever had, and the most challenging rival one could ever ask for. Always a step ahead, he led me on a wild chase throughout Kanto, which ended many months later up there at the very top of Indigo plateau in the Champion's battlefield.
You may know him as Gary Oak, the easy going Viridian Gym Leader, but I knew him as Blue; the prodigal grandson, the perfect Trainer, the mighty Champion.
Other than me, and the Elite Four during Lance's undefeated reign, I doubt anyone truly ever witnessed the beast that was Champion Blue.
Gold? Don't make me laugh. He'd be stuck there in the grass, grinding for months more if Gary unleashed his mountain eating Tyranitar and the rest of his true monsters.
But the Gary Oak inside the lab back then in that moment was not that experienced Trainer; he did not sigh as much, nor did he have that smile which did not quite reach the eyes.
No, back then he was Blue the whiny kid; Blue, the boy who wanted to step out of Samuel Oak's shadow. Blue, the boy who was my friend.
Perhaps the cunning old professor already knew that I'd try to go AWOL. Because right there, on a table, were three pokeballs containing three pokemon nearly every child in Kanto knew by heart.
The starter trio; Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur.
My head felt like it would split apart, the hushed streams of all our excited thoughts straining our brain to its limits. But thankfully, this was no major dilemma. I already knew what I'd pick. Like we'd ever pass over the opportunity to get a fire-breathing dragon.
With shaky hands, I grabbed the right pokeball, contemplating the Charmander stored within it. Blue smirked and picked the Squirtle. While the professor fussed over Gary for the last time, we turned our attention to other pursuits- namely exploring the bigass lab.
I was a hurricane, dancing in the wind while knocking over things which probably were more expensive than my house. After some more random poking at the books and specimens locked up and accidentally feeling up a pretty female aide, I was able to navigate my way out.
But I was stopped again. This time, by Blue.
"Wait, Red. Let's check out our pokemon," he begun. "Come on, I'll take you on!"
And we had the first true battle of our lives right there in the lab, much to the chagrin of the professor and his nerdy minions.
"Argo, tackle from the left," commanded Gary. His Squirtle slid to the left before rapidly nearing our Charmander like a raging Taros.
"A-ab-bby," I begun, pronouncing Charmander's name with a little difficulty. Abby had a grin on her face as her burning tail swung lazily in apprehension of the incoming Squirtle.
Despite being fire and later, part-flying types, the Charmander evolutionary line have draconian roots. Untamable spirit, raw power and regenerative characteristics of Charizards are one of the most visible influences of their passive-Dragon genes.
Abby was a born and bred predator, and it showed at how easily she outmaneuvered Argo at my barely stuttered out order. As soon as I gave the word, Abby sidestepped the slightly stubby Squirtle before nailing it in the face with a scratch from her claws.
And she didn't relent. Continuous scratches from her claws and the occasional bite wore down Squirtle, and it wailed in pain before attempting to retreat. Sighing, Blue withdrew his pokemon into its ball, knowing that his loss was inevitable.
Don't get me wrong, Squirtles are powerful, but that's only after they learn to shoot pressurized water from inside its body. A Blastoise can punch holes through steel types with the torrents of water shot through its canons.
But as Squirtle was young, still perhaps at the end of infancy, it had a disadvantage against my Charmander, who was a natural fighter. I won that battle due to her- not because of my own skills. This, would become evident in my defeat at Blue's hands during my original trip to Viridian city.
"I guess I need to make my pokemon battle some more to toughen it up. Gramps, Red," said Blue, while giving us a lazy wave. " Smell ya later!"
Bastard. He got a head start on us right there, and we never really could catch up to him after that. I wasn't the first eleven-year old champion; it was Blue- though no one seems to remember that anymore. Always ahead of me, blitzing through Gyms left while leaving little scribbles on the sign-boards to mock us.
It took me nearly half an hour more to stumble out of the lab; my limbs were in disarray due to all our excitement. We were free; there was nothing to stop us. Mother was drunk and sleeping off a hangover, while Oak had given us the go-ahead.
Thus, we continued towards Route one, and screamed in triumph as our foot touched the dewy green grass.
Freedom. It felt good.
But the hurdles on my chaotic path hadn't even begun. Here, in Route one, I would eventually meet the first pokemon I captured on my own. A wild, feral rodent who ruled these grasslands with his iron teeth. One of our most trusted companions, one whom I would loose in Celadon, the city of sin.
His identity, you ask?
Jay Leno, the Rattata.
i/we hate rodents,
but Jay Leno was no mere pest,
A king amongst rats he was.
Author's notes
Thanks a lot to SuperSaiyanTeemo, Guest, Meowth, and Ame no Kagaseo for reviewing the last chapter! :)
Blue, the Champion who no one remembers. Tragic really.
Yeah, I'll try to follow every major event and pokemon in the TPP series, like Bloody Sunday, False prophet Flareon and all that hype. But minor changes might be present.
Fire Red/Leaf Green will be followed. I want Sevii Islands in my tale and a 'dramatic' meeting between Red and Rocket Executive Archer; and eventually, the appearance of Blue's "mountain eating Tyranitar," as Red puts it.
"When Ethan Gold stood before Red, he was but a man. For only men, could slay gods"- you should be able to guess this, if you're a heavy fan of Lamora. 'The Game of Champions' has so far blown me apart, glued me back together, only to blow me away once more.
ABBBBBBK ( or Abby, is Red's starter Charmander. Alongside Jay Leno, it was unfortunately released, due to the machinations of False-Prophet Flareon.
JVLNOOO or Jay Leno, is a Rattata caught by Red in Route one. It was released alongside Abby, as mentioned above.
Smell ya later, is Blue/Gary Oak's signature catch-phrase.
"Mountain eating" refers to Champion Blue's level 72 pseudo legendary Tyranitar. Tyranitar eats rocks and yes, probably mountains.
Reviews are welcome. They serve as red-bull for the writing machines known as "authors", I hear.