Disclaimer: I don't own pokémon. Okay? Good.
Thanks for all the support and feedback first of all. I really appreciate it you guys so keep it up.
As I said before there will be no anime or manga interventions in this story. So no Ash or Paul or anything. I don't even keep up with the anime anymore…
I appreciate all the suggestions but…how do I put this? I want something more original. The Ralts line has been overdone in fan fiction, not that there's anything wrong with the family or those particular stories. Same with Lucario and Riolu. I don't hate those pokémon but lately they've been in the "Use in Bulk" box on the site. I don't feel as though Red needs a pseudo-legendary (i.e. Tyranitar, Garchomp, Dragonite, etc.) because his team frankly doesn't need them. I'm sorry for all of this and I know I seem like a total ass but that's how I feel about Red's team. And yes I realize Espeon was on his team for variety's sake but to me personally it just didn't fit right. In my eyes the Eevee line will always belong to Green.
Irritated. He felt irritated after that gym battle. Not because Brock whined or that the match had hit a nerve with him. No the leader was happy for the trainer and the battle was more interesting than troublesome.
It was the attention that got to Red.
Red had immediately fled the Pewter Gym after the battle. The audience members were clambering and reaching out to entrap him in a sea or hugs, requests, and flashes. Pushing the double steel doors away he was thankful that the outside was much more vacant than before. Not caring which way he ran he bolted into the emptiest street he found. The noise behind him signaled the confusion and disappointment of his new fans. Red sighed in relief as he kept running, Pikachu hanging on and watching for anyone trying to ambush them with photography or wishes.
Soon the pair found a large hotel down the street and away from the ruckus that was downtown. Large, gray, and plain, it was the perfect place to lay low until they could leave for the next gym.
"Pika pi. Pikachu pika." Red nodded in agreement with his starter. Looking around and seeing no one noticing him he walked in. Inside the hotel he made a combeeline right for the ATM next to the front desk. Looking around he saw that the staff and guests hadn't batted an eye at him…yet. Grinning at his fortune he typed in his information and prayed that the system still recognized him. Four years is quite a while to be idle with your bank account in Kanto especially with the amount of Poke Dollars he had. Luckily time doesn't erase everything and a few minutes later Red was strolling towards the front desk with a few thousand Poke Dollars in his backpack.
Booking a room wasn't a hassle as Red thought it would've been. The hotel apparently had trainer suites which were large suites essentially with enough room for large pokémon to be let out in. The floor could withstand massive amounts of weight and provided free Poke Food each day from a dispenser in the suite. A significant improvement from the rooms of old. Grabbing his key Red moved for the elevator.
Opening the door Pikachu gave a happy cry as he jumped on the large couch, snuggling with one of the soft cushions. Red smirked as he marveled at the suite. It was certainly large and spacious. The living room he was in was like his old family room with a large T.V, couch, and table set by the windows. Touring the place he found a large and fancy bathroom, a fairly big kitchen, two bedrooms, and a large empty one that he suspected was just for trainers to release their pokémon into for fresh air.
Well regular trainers that is. No way would his pokémon stay in some cramped room. The cavern in Mount Silver was more open than that room.
Red quickly chose a bedroom, meaning he walked into the first one he saw, and plopped his backpack down. He took out a Full Restore his mom bought for him and walked back to the living room. Once there he sat down next to Pikachu and brought out his pokéballs. Three bursts of light later and the three Kanto starters stood at attention next to the couch. Red softly rubbed Snorlax's pokéball, sorry that he couldn't release the normal-type into the room.
The pokémon, once noticing that they were in living quarters, dropped their fighting stances and visibly relaxed. Venusaur dropped down near one of the large windows and began to soak up the warm sunlight, happy that Red was beginning to live in warmer climates. He growled blissfully as his flower opened up and glow a ruby hue as it gathered sunlight. Charizard sat down next to the couch and gave a glance at Red and Pikachu. Two nods later and the fire-type closed his eyes and began to slumber, warmed by the early evening son. Blastoise hobbled over to Red slowly and the trainer stood up with the Full Restore. He gently sprayed Blastoise's bruises on his underbelly. Blastoise nodded in appreciation before massaging the bruise that Rampardos gave him and relaxed as he felt the sunlight and spray's effects.
Red threw the empty spray away before motioning for his team to stay put. Everyone nodded except for Venusaur who had long fallen asleep. He went back to the bedroom and fished out a fresh white T-shirt and plaid boxers and headed for the shower.
Looking around he found the bathroom to be much more elaborate than the old ones a few years back. For one the toilet had all these buttons on it and bulky. The shower nozzle had multiple settings from "Jet" to "Drizzle" and the sink looked more like a giant funnel than a bowl.
So much had changed and he was so behind.
Setting his clothes on top of the towel rack he quickly relieved himself. But looking around the toilet he couldn't find where the flush switch or button was. Shrugging he pressed them randomly. Some did nothing while others turned on gauges, heated the seat, or just beeped obnoxiously. One particular one activated a pipe in the bowl and it sprayed a jet of warm water up into the air. Red nicely avoided it and made a mental note to avoid both the new puddle and the button. Finally he pressed the top most button and flushed the toilet.
Thank Arceus he could still live in this new world.
The shower was thankfully much more cooperative and Red was happily scrubbing the sweat and dust off his body. Eyeing the hotel toiletries, Red shampooed his hair and began to think about the day's events. It was night time now and looking back Red was surprised at how slow time seemed. Only this morning was he in Pallet getting ready and now he was in Pewter with his first badge right after eating lunch. And now he was more or less hiding in a hotel to escape his revived fans and fanatics.
He let out a heavy sigh of frustration and relief as he exited the restroom now clothed in his sleeping attire. He spied that it was nearly ten from the bathroom clock and immediately thought of his mom's quick quip before he left. The Kanto Nightly news was about to start and no doubt word of his fight and return would reach it.
Red shrugged. It couldn't hurt to see what they would talk about.
As he entered the living room his team was fast asleep in various positions. Red didn't bother waking them up as he knew everyone felt his presence walking in and would wake up when they felt like it. The lone exception was Pikachu who instantly stood up and waved for Red to come over to him on the couch. Red obliged his starter and lazily sat while grabbing the remote for the large T.V. Luckily T.V remote technology hadn't radically changed like toilet technology and Red easily navigated to the Kanto News channel.
"…And ladies and gentlemen at home viewing tonight I bid you a good evening and welcome you all to Kanto Nightly at ten. I'm Valley Kina and joining me is the Indigo Elite Four coordinator and Indigo Tournament director Rickman Aldeer. Good evening Rickman how are you?"
"I'm well Valley and it's always a pleasure to be here with you."
"So I'm getting word that you have a special announcement to Kanto tonight Rickman."
"Yes that's right Valley and this was brought up to me very recently in fact…"
Red smirked. Here we go again.
"Oh I knew that kid would get on the news in no time." Julie mused as she sat on her living room couch with Oak next to her. Julie insisted on the professor in joining her for dinner and to watch the news in which the man was honored if not confused. He half expected Julie just needed the company after Red's quick departure but in turned out that she only wanted to show her son off to him. "Didn't I tell you he kept promises?"
Oak scratched his head. "I suppose Julie but Red being Red he would get on the news no matter what." Oak continued to watch the very plain and rather dry Valley talk to the much more charismatic and but tense Rickman. The man was dressed in casual attire with jeans, sandals, and a white and red plaid shirt. His short black hair complemented the smooth vibe he exerted. "Can't believe his return sparked such a response from the Indigo League though."
Julie chuckled. "I can. He's my little Charmander alright."
As the broadcast started and progressed the three wouldn't be the only ones watching. Across the entirety of Kanto almost everyone on the grid watched the news.
"…So are you telling me that The Red has returned Rickman?" Valley asked incredulously.
"Indeed I am Valley. This is no joke or prank." Rickman assured. "We have dozens of eye witnesses in Pewter City and Brock, the Pewter Gym Leader himself, testifying to have seen and in Brock's case battle Red."
Valley looked stunned as well as the rest of the T.V crew behind them doing their daily activities. Most stopped and stared as Rickman unveiled his discovery and listened with open ears. They weren't alone though as all of Kanto practically did the same thing.
"Oh Arceus. That pest is back? Talk about a stage worthy reappearance. He spends one day in Pewter and already is the talk of the night news. And after four years of being totally off the grid too."
The fussing and jokes stopped as realization set in.
"Wait he stopped in Pewter and battled Brock. He no doubt defeated him but why battle Brock of all people? Red would just go straight for…oh wait he's was gone during the Indigo League's changes. That means he can't even go for the Elite Four yet even if he ignored the tournament regulations, meaning that…"
And realization hit hard.
"He's coming for me next!"
Retirement couldn't come any quicker. Now the gym under its current leader would have its most grueling battle before the new generation could take over.
At least retirement wouldn't be so boring now.
"…Excuse me Rickman but I'm getting word that the crew down by Pewter City has Brock on live currently. Shall we listen to what he has to say?" Valley stupidly asked.
Rickman half scoffed. "Well get him on. I want to hear all about the battle those two had. Arceus only knows how powerful Red has gotten over the years."
Valley put his fingers on his earpiece. "Well folks we now go to our correspondent in Pewter City Alan Delk who is with the city's Gym Leader Brock."
Now the T.V crew was watching the screen showing the blond and excited Alan giving the summary of what had happened in the gym only hours ago and the always serious looking Brock.
"…So tell me Brock just how badly did Red defeat you, uh I mean how uh intense the battle was for you two amazing trainers?" Alan pried as Brock gave him a stern stare. Alan silently gulped as Brock kept his gaze. The dark skinned trainer finally relented after a few tense seconds and gave a small grin to the clearly ecstatic Red fanboy.
"It was pretty intense Alan. Red single-handedly defeated my best team with one pokémon…"
So the former champion has returned, undoubtedly to start his journey anew.
"…His blastoise by itself took down my strongest pokémon."
"But Brock of course a Blastoise has the type advantage against your type specialty. Surely you knew the odds were stacked against you against such a powerful water-type."
"That may be true Alan but Red hardly used water attacks against my team. He commanded his blastoise to use mainly fighting and even normal attacks. He didn't need the type advantage."
"Normal attacks? Please explain…"
And he has grown much stronger in his absence. Even stronger than when he defeated the Johto League.
"…Wow you heard it here viewers at home. The legendary Red and his Blastoise took down a rampaging Rhyperior with a single Skull Bash. It must have quite the hard head to pull that off." Alan quipped though Brock only gave a small nod.
He'll come here soon. Red has always been predictable. His agenda most likely stretches over to the farthest corners of our world, beyond Kanto.
Red was so predictable, so the unpredictable must happen.
His timing is perfect. But now preparations must be made before he arrives. Hopefully both him and Kiyo have grown past their cold demeanors.
"After all they taught me to."
"Well there you have it folks live confirmation that Red is indeed back in Kanto and already hard at work battling." Valley announced as he shifts his attention back to Rickman who was rubbing his chin in thought. "Your thoughts about this startling revelation?"
"Well it's not startling after I just announced it minutes earlier but to answer your question Valley I can't help but notice that Red has made his return in the middle of May." Rickman pointed out. Taking his All-Gear out he reached the calendar setting and furrowed his brow. "This means that he has little over a month to collect seven more badges in order to participate in the Indigo Tournament."
A collection of gasps resonated throughout the newsroom. Such a feat was unheard of in Kanto's history. In fact the fastest run to collect all eight badges in one region regardless of that trainer's level was only six months. Not even the greatest of the great could claim to be that talented and fast.
"Well Rickman ordinarily I would call such a task impossible but with Red here it just might be possible." Valley uttered. Rickman gave a murmur of an agreement. The room grew silent as the prospect of the legendary trainer breaking another record set in. Some couldn't fathom Red being so talented and his pokémon so powerful as to accomplish that.
Others weren't so swayed.
"Heh, looks like he's back and isn't wasting time."
"Question is whether he can actually make it to the tournament in time. Not even the most talented kids in recent years can make such time."
"This is no ordinary child. He bested all of us at the age of eleven and considered us only a meager challenge. We all know the extent of this child's strength and know that he wasn't just sleeping those four years away."
"Well should we be prepared for the fight of our lives soon?"
All eyes fell upon the silent figure in the room. Soft brown eyes gazed back at them accompanied with a mirthful smile.
"Get to training. Red's coming arriving at our front gates in a month. And we don't want to disappoint him."
Everyone was about to leave before one question sprung up.
"What about the other regions and Elite Fours? Should we tell them?"
"Nah, they'll find out soon enough. Red wouldn't want the entire world getting ready to fight him so soon."
"…So do we know the whereabouts of Red this moment Alan?"
"Trust me Valley if we did the screams of his fans will alert you where he is no matter where you are in Kanto. But to answer your question the boy has disappeared from public view and currently it is uncertain where he is exactly. Some say he's moved on to Cerulean City, others say he's camping out the night near Mount Moon, and a few speculate he's still in Pewter City."
Valley chuckled. "Well I hope the city isn't in mass chaos. The former champion has quite the fanatic fan base from what I've heard."
Both newscasters laughed at the truth. Red wasn't so amused though. Turning off the T.V his mind reeled back to the information that Rickman just announced. A month was all he had. A month to collect the remaining badges.
Red smirked. A challenge to break the records once again. He'll take it.
But not uninformed and ignorant about all these new previously undiscovered pokémon that Red had never seen before. The report had reminded him about that Rhyperior and all those other new pokémon Brock had used. And those moves too that made even slow rock-types a force to be reckoned with. All those new moves and pokémon just waiting for him, it was so exciting.
Checking the time Red figured there was no better time than the present to start reviewing. Taking out his All-Gear he played with the gizmo until he reached the Internet and pokédex feature. He scrolled through the preset list of pokémon in the device and marveled at how many pokémon now existed. Over six hundred pokémon have their own files and the moves…oh the moves that have been discovered.
Red grinned. Time to get reacquainted with reality again. This time at his own brisk pace.
As the rays of dawn hit the hotel Red and his team immediately perked up. Extreme training had taught them all to wake up early due to the unexpected dangers of Mount Silver. But after surveying the still room the pokémon went back to sleep though visibly more tense in case of any trouble were to occur. Pikachu was the exception who jumped on Red's head, mewing as his trainer was stirring.
Red rubbed the sleep and grime from his eyes and stretched. He had hardly slept, no napped, after his reviewing of new pokémon and moves. He had studied up until four and took a small nap until dawn arose. No sensible trainer would ever force themselves to such lengths but to Red it was nothing. After waking up each night to hordes of golbat and onix sleep deprivation was just a nuisance now.
But the information he learned last night was staggering. Moves that he couldn't even fathom and pokémon of all shapes and sizes; the prospect of traveling was much more appealing now.
Traveling…The next gym was in Cerulean City and the Cascade Badge. But how to get there? He can always fly there with Charizard. But Red needed to train his pokémon again. He had to instill the moves and techniques he had learned last night into them or else he might just…
No. Red shook his head. Never think about that. Don't even allude to that terrible notion.
But…
Red looked out the hotel window, careful to not wake up Venusaur. Past the city lay Mount Moon and its labyrinth of tunnels. Memories of his first passing flashed in his head and he shuddered at how unpleasant it was. His first encounter with Team Rocket, that crazy fossil guy, the claustrophobic caverns…
And the zubat, oh Arceus the zubat.
No. None of that this time. Besides the pokémon there are weak and the trainers even more pathetic. No, he'd rather fly past all of that.
"Pika pikachu!" Red shook his head and looked at Pikachu. The electric-type was pointing at his current state of dress and disgruntled features and fussing about it. Red chuckled. Leave it to Pikachu to point his appearance out. A quick trip to the bathroom and a change of clothes got him back to normal. Walking out to the living room with his backpack in tow he found his team ready to go and Pikachu jumping on his shoulder. Red recalled them and quickly made his way to the hotel lobby.
"…So did you see the news last night?"
Red froze. Tired murmurs were echoing throughout the lobby. Receptionists and early guests were strewn about the lobby. Some were talking and others quietly going about their business.
"Yeah, to think we missed out on Red battling Brock." A lady at the front desk said. Her coworkers whispered agreements as they typed or wrote away.
"Where do you think he is?"
"Probably heading east and south already breaking the record books again." One of them joked.
"Hah, I know he's talented but no one is that good."
Red quietly made his way to the side of the front desk. His hand instinctively reached his cap and he took it off as to not give himself away. His clothes looked normal enough…
But he had to mask his face. That and his cap were the two things that made him stood out as Red the Champion and not some emotionless trainer. His lip quivered for a moment before Red forced it into a grin. It looked fake from a mile away but at this hour and towards people he didn't know and won't meet again it didn't matter. As for his cap Red took it off and put it by his side. Looking to his shoulder he found Pikachu had vanished. Red smirked. Such a smart pokémon.
"Oh hello sir." One of the workers stopped gossiping and turned to Red. "Are you here to turn in?"
"…" Red shook his head. He gave the man his room key and lazily stretched his arms to his sides, giving the impression he was tired and not in a talking mood.
"Tired huh?" Worker asked as he typed in his computer and shuffling Red's card key. "I bet. After that news report last night half of Kanto must still be in shock."
"…Yeah…" Red barely whispered. Luckily the other people around them were still busy speculating on about him to notice he was right there. Each second felt like minutes as Red waited for the man to finish.
When the man finally finished Red gave him a quick nod before walking as fast as he could out the doors. His cap was still in his hands and he covered it as best he could and as gingerly as possible. Some idle guests glanced at him but took no note.
Red gave a relieved gasp as he exited the hotel. Searching the area, he found a small alleyway and ducked into it. It was small, dark, and most importantly empty.
"Pi pika." Red didn't bother giving Pikachu a glance or response as the electric rodent jumped on his shoulder. He was just glad that Pikachu found a way out of there by himself and found him. He placed his cap back on its rightful alter and grabbed Charizard's pokéball from his belt. A flash of white light later and the large fire-type emerged.
Charizard growled a bit at the duo and looked towards Pikachu. Pikachu gave a nod and motioned towards Red. Red took his All-Gear out and like last time used the Map feature and showed Charizard Cerulean City. Charizard gave a small roar and laid flat on the ground. Red jumped on his back and Charizard took off into the sky and headed east in a large orange and blue blur.
Two hours later and the trio had made it to the outskirts of Cerulean City near the entrance to Mount Moon. A quick nod of thanks later and Charizard was returned and Red and Pikachu casually made their way towards the city.
The city had grown much like Pewter though there weren't any large skyscrapers or business buildings. Like a mix of the old Cerulean and Pallet Town the city was filled with large and small houses, condos, and stores. But it being the city that housed the Water-type gym of Kanto and next to a large waterway the city had a distinct aqua vibe. Large fountains dotted the plazas and streets and water pokémon designs were everywhere…though Red was sketchy on which water types they were. Some were fish pokémon he had never seen before, others large blue and white ones, and some were just plain strange looking.
So much had changed; it was like the motto of his new journey now.
Red paused before he moved the main streets and ways of the city. He didn't want swarms of people try to grab him and yell at him. But looking out into the building infested city the gym was nowhere in sight. Red had a small mental map of the place but after so many years could the layout of the city still be the same?
No matter. A gym wouldn't be too hard to spot. Each gym usually had their badge in front somewhere all Red had to do was to find a large water drop.
Pikachu gave small sparks from his cheek and gave the city a determined look. Red didn't care but he knew what was up with Pikachu. The first time he came through here he destroyed the Cerulean Gym with Pikachu single-handedly. The type advantage was ridiculous. Thundershocks and Quick Attacks were all it took to take down the leader's staryu and starmie.
Red grinned. Hopefully the girl now had some better pokémon. She was so bitter and frustrated after the battle too. Maybe it was the unfair advantage he had, maybe because he just grabbed the badge and TM she gave him and just ran out, or maybe because she was just a mean sore loser. She did call him some names after the battle after all.
The grin became a slight frown. That was the old him, the one who would run away from people and keep to himself. It worked before because he was just nobody but now he was a superstar, a prodigy who is recognized by pretty much everyone. He remembered the kids from yesterday and how he choked while trying to just say a simple phrase to them.
He can't stay so silent forever. He had to talk to people sooner or later and he can't sound like an idiot or a loser-
Loser! Red narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. Unacceptable, losing doesn't describe him or his pokémon. He never quits or loses or backs off from a fight or challenge. That terrible word and all its synonyms should never even be uttered in front of him.
He had to change; he would never be a failure, never a disgrace to his mom or pokémon. Over a decade and a half of near pure silence had to end starting now.
That sounds almost like…a challenge.
Red huffed as he quickly sprinted from dark alleys to dark alleys. He would accept it of course. But who to start practicing talking to? Maybe that Gym Leader girl. Yes she would suffice for now.
But what was her name? Musty? Minky? Melody? Red searched his memories but nothing came up. He was sure he heard it once before but just disregarded it. Brock was easy to remember because of his serious disposition and stature. He reminded Red of himself, just not as talented or strong. The other Leaders were forgetful too, except that calm psychic girl and that weird bald old man. And of course there was him, but Red was sure he was long gone by now.
Melanie? Moonie? Ugh, he'd remember eventually. All that mattered now was getting to the gym. Hopefully he'll remember once he gets there, otherwise his practice might end up even more awkward than he'd want it to be.
Hopefully this will suffice for now. Sorry there's not much here, but I have bigger priorities to worry about right now, i.e. college. Can you guess who will have bigger roles in the future and what Red has in store for him? I gave plenty of hints in this chapter.
Also if anyone wants they can PM me with OC trainers with a six-pokémon team. I'll use them for tournaments and special encounters and such throughout the story. When you PM me give the trainer's name, appearance, personality, and anything special you might want to give them. As for pokémon teams no legendaries, limit on one pseudo-legendary (though I hope you guys will try to not use any for varieties' sake), and possibly one of them can be special in some way, you decide.
Thanks for reading. Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome. And thank you Nauran for beta reading.