Pokémon Red Version: Team Building!
Red wandered into Viridian City. Which was a misnomer; the only reason the measly collection of buildings north of Pallet Town was called a city was because it had a gym. A gym that was closed, no less.
Red sighed as he wandered back south to the centre of town. Charmander had grown another level on the way to Viridian City, and Red had been eager to check out the gym to test his strength.
Red shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and whistled tunelessly. On the way down, he read a sign that said: Pokémon School! Red doubted that there was anything the school could teach him that he didn't already know about Pokémon, but he decided to check it out, anyway.
It couldn't hurt, right?
Green stood inside the Pokémon School, chatting animatedly with one of the students when the door opened. Green turned her head slightly to see Red come in. Green's heart stopped, like it did every time she saw Red. It's not fair, she thought. Why did I have to fall in love with the one idiot too stupid to realize it?
The student she had been talking with noticed Green's sudden lack of interest in the conversation and followed her gaze to the door. Seeing Red standing there looking around, the student smirked.
"See you later Green," the student said, smirking. "And good luck." Green just nodded.
"Red!" she shouted. "Red, over here!" Red looked around the room, saw her, and ambled over.
"Hi Green," he said. "What are you doing here?"
"Brushing up on my Pokémon skills," she said, tugging on her skirt. Suddenly, she felt nervous. "You?"
"Just checking the place out," Red said. "The gym is closed and the way into Viridian Forest is blocked."
"On yeah, that drunk guy," Green said, curling her nose up.
"What? His granddaughter said he just needed coffee," Red said.
Green looked at her friend askance. "Red, how did you make it to eleven years old by being so naïve?" she demanded.
"I'm not naïve," Red protested. "I know everything there is to know about Pokémon!"
"And nothing else," Green countered. "Red, the old dude is passed out in the middle of the road. How do you think he got there?"
"A late night of Pokémon battles?" Red guessed. Green clapped her hand to her face.
"You're a dork," she said.
Red clearly had no answer to that because he quickly changed the subject. "Did you know that the gym is closed?" he said.
"Yeah, you mentioned that," Green said. "I guess that means the first gym we have to face is Pewter City's, right?"
"Yeah, Brock. The rock type gym leader," Red said.
"Well, that'll be easy," Green said. Then she frowned. "For me and Blue, anyway. How are you going to do with Charmander?"
"I'll be fine," Red assured her. "Brock's Pokémon are Onyx and Geodude, and his gym team is only around levels ten to twelve. That means they won't have any Rock-type moves, and their Special stat is worthless. Even with their resistance to Fire they won't last long."
"I hope you're right," Green said skeptically.
"The Gym leader I'm worried about is Misty," Red said. "She's got a Staryu and Starmie!"
"Yeah, I can see how that would be a problem for you," Green said. "Me and Bulbasaur will take care of her easily, though!"
"I wouldn't bet on it," Red cautioned her. "Starmie is one of the most powerful Pokémon out there, with great stats and a fantastic movepool. Even with Bulbasaur's resistance to Water-type moves, you could end up taking a lot of damage."
"Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine," Green said. "Thanks for the warning. I guess I better train Bulbasaur then. And catch some new Pokémon to help round out the team!"
"That's a good idea," Red said. "I'm going to head to the Poké Mart to get some Poké Balls. You want to come with?"
Green's heart did a tribal jungle beat in her chest. "Sure," she said, smiling.
Red and Green walked into the Poké Mart. Green had told some stupid joke and was currently laughing her head off. Her laugh was infectious, her smile even more so. Red felt better just being beside Green; her laughter made it seem like nothing could ever go wrong.
"Hey! Are you from Pallet Town?" the shopkeeper asked as soon as Red and Green walked through the door.
"Who? Us?" Red asked.
"Um, yeah," Green answered. "We're both from Pallet Town."
"Great! Professor Oak's order just came in, can you take it to him?" the shopkeeper said. Red walked up to the counter and grabbed the package. He and Green stared at for a moment.
"I wonder what Grandpa ordered?" Green said.
"Beats me," Red said. "I guess I had better take it back to him."
"I'll go with you," Green said.
"Only one of us has to go," Red pointed out.
"I know," Green said, tugging at the edge of her skirt again. "But I want to go with you. Unless you don't want me to?" she added, glaring at Red.
"No! No, I want you to!" Red protested.
"Good!" Green said. "Then let's get a move on." She grabbed Red by the hand and pulled him out of the store. The shopkeeper, observing all this, chuckled.
Red and Green returned to the lab to find Professor Oak there waiting.
"Red! Green!" the professor said as the two walked into view. "How are you? And how are my old Pokémon doing?"
"We're doing great, Grandpa!" Green said. Red nodded.
"Excellent," Professor Oak said. "Well they certainly seem to like you. What is it you have there, Red?" Red gave him the package.
"Ah, the custom Poké Ball I ordered!" Oak said. "Excellent Red, thank you."
Just then, Blue popped up from behind Red and Green. "What is it, Gramps? Why did you call me here?" he demanded.
"Ah good, you're all here," Oak said. "I have something to show you." He went over to the lab bench on the western side of the lab and grabbed three red items, each about the size and shape of a paperback novel. Oak handed one of each to the three kids.
"This is my invention, the Pokédex!" Oak said. "It collects data on Pokémon you've seen or captured. To travel the world and see all the Pokémon! It was my dream. But I'm too old. Now it's your turn."
Red stared at the red case for a moment. A way to collect information on all Pokémon? And store it for easy access? No way!
"All right Grandpa! We will do our best!" Green said, snapping off a military salute.
"Yeah," Blue said. "I know! I'll go get a Town Map from Daisy! I'll tell her not to give you one, Red! Ha ha!" With that, he sped out of the lab.
"Blue you butthead! Wait up!" Green said, chasing after him. Oak sighed.
"Their parents didn't have this much energy," he said.
Red slipped the Pokédex onto his belt. "Thank you, Professor," he said.
"You're welcome, Red," Professor Oak said. "Now go out there and become a Pokémon master!"
Daisy Oak sat reading at her kitchen table when the door opened. She turned to see Red walk through.
"Hi Red!" she said. "What's up?"
"Hi, Daisy," Red said. "Um, can I borrow a Town Map? I need it to help your grandfather on an errand…"
"Grandpa asked you to run an errand for him?" Daisy asked. At Red's confirming nod, she snorted. "Gee, that's lazy of him," she said. "Here. This will help." Daisy pulled out a map from a stack of papers on the table and handed it to Red.
"Thank you, Daisy," Red said, placing the folded up map in his backpack.
"No problem!" she said. "Just remember to say goodbye to your mother for me. And don't let Blue get you down. He's just protective of Green."
"Why?" Red asked. "Green can handle herself."
Because she's madly in love with you, you little twit, Daisy thought, and you're too dumb to see it. What she said was:
"You'll find out soon enough. Good luck, Red!"
Red thanked her again and walked out the door.
Red said goodbye to his Mom, walked back to the Poké Mart in Viridian City and purchased some Poké Balls. He even got a Potion from a wandering salesman along Route 1.
Now it was time to catch some Pokémon. Red wandered in the tall grass for hours before coming across a Rattata.
"Go! Charmander!" Red shouted, tossing the red and white Poké Ball containing the Fire lizard in front of him. The orange bipedal lizard with a flaming tail popped out.
Opposite him, watching warily, was a purple and white rat with a curled tail and red eyes. Rattata was not a dangerous Pokémon on its own, but Red knew that it was much faster than Charmander. He would have to be careful here.
"Charmander! Use Scratch!" Red called out. The orange lizard obeyed without hesitation, jumping in close to slash at Rattata with its claws.
The purple rat was too fast however and got in a Tackle before Charmander could close the distance. The exchange left both Pokémon injured.
Red took stock. Charmander had obviously done more damage to Rattata than the other way around, which was a good thing. But Charmander was slower than Rattata, which left the lizard vulnerable. Fortunately, Red didn't need to battle Rattata for long.
"Charmander! Scratch!" Red called out.
Charmander obliged, wading into Rattata. This time, Rattata went with a Tail Whip instead. Charmander connected, knocking Rattata's health down even more. This was the chance Red had been waiting for.
Reaching into his backpack, Red pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it at the Rattata. His aim was perfect. The ball hit Rattata square on, causing the ball to open and close around Rattata. Rattata struggled for a moment or two, but eventually settled down. Red walked over and collected the Poké Ball. He grinned.
"We did it, Charmander," he said. "We caught our first Pokémon."
Charmander tilted his head quizzically at his trainer. Red laughed and petted Charmander on the head before returning the lizard to its Poké Ball.
Today was a good day.
After a short walk back to his mother's house in Pallet Town, Red was back on the trail again. Along Route 1 he caught a Pidgey. Now he had gone into the tall grass of Route 22, seeking more dangerous Pokémon.
Like the level six Spearow right in front of him. Spearow was the same level as Charmander, and a good four levels higher than either Rattata or Pidgey. That could make things difficult.
"Go! Charmander!" Red shouted, lobbying a Poké Ball. Out of the red and white orb sprang Charmander, eager for battle.
The two combatants eyed each other warily. Spearow hopped from one foot to the other. Charmander slowly waved its tail.
Red bit his lip. It was now or never. "Charmander! Use Growl!" he called out.
Spearow darted in with a Peck, hitting Charmander before the lizard could react. Charmander Growled harshly, lowering Spearow's attack stat.
The battle continued like that for another four turns, each Pokémon trading blows. Finally, Red and Charmander were able to batter Spearow done to where Red could catch it.
"Yes!" Red said, pumping his arm in the air as the Poké Ball snapped shut on the bird Pokémon. "Good job, Charmander!"
Charmander preened at the praise. Red laughed and petted his Pokémon.
"Come on, buddy," Red said. "Let's get you and Spearow all healed up."
"Go! Charmander!" Red shouted. He and Charmander were facing down a Nidoran . The small purple monster, with its large ears, spines down its back and a horn protruding out of its head, was an intimidating looking creature. Red wasn't worried though. He and Charmander had built a good rhythm of capturing Pokémon.
"Charmander, use Scratch…"
"… now!" Red called out. After having captured Nidoran , Red now faced its female counterpart.
Nidoran was smaller than the male, white and without the protruding horn in the middle of its head. Red knew better than to underestimate it though. Nidoran of either gender was a tough customer.
Nidoran countered Charmander's Scratch with a Tackle of its own. Neither attack connected.
"Okay, Charmander," Red said. "Let's try that again. Scratch!"
Later that night, Red set up camp with the help of his Pokémon. It was his first night away from home, and he was a little nervous.
Setting up the camp went down without a hitch, however. Charmander gathered firewood and lit the fire. Rattata helped set up the tent by holding the lines with his teeth while Red hammered the stakes into place. Pidgey and Spearow got into a mock fight. The two Nidorans curled up beside each other and went to sleep.
After he and Rattata set up the tent, Red cooked dinner. He had learned how from his mother, and his first time was… all right. Nothing to write home about, but nothing that would make him or his Pokémon sick either. Red was disappointed, but he couldn't afford to throw out the food and try again. So instead he ate, sharing his dinner with his team.
"Eat up guys," Red said, placing servings in six different bowls and setting the bowls down. The Pokémon gobbled the food up. Red watched, amused at how the different personalities of the Pokémon revealed themselves in how they ate. Charmander scooped up the food with his hands like a human, chewing on them happily. Spearow picked apart the food and threw it on the ground before eating, pretending that it was hunting. Pidgey pecked at the food while Rattata inhaled it. Nidoran chewed his food daintly while the other Nidoran went at it like there was no tomorrow. Red laughed and ate his own food.
There was nothing like camping with your Pokémon.
The next day, Red was studying the town map. He was on Route 22, and to the west was Route 23, home to the Pokémon League. Red knew that he'd need eight badges to actually get into the League, but he still wanted to check it out. So Red packed up his campsite and went west.
Before he got even half-way through Route 22, however, he ran into Blue.
"Hey Red!" Blue called out. "What are you doing here? I bet you don't even have one badge yet!"
"And you do?" Red asked.
Blue ignored the question. "I know! I'll see just how strong your Pokémon have gotten!" he said. "Go! Pidgey!"
Red sighed. "Charmander! I choose you!" he shouted, tossing the red and white ball. Out popped the orange lizard, tail waving in excitement.
Red and his team trained all the day before and for the few hours before they met Blue, so Charmander was level eight in his own right. That still gave the level nine Pidgey Blue had an advantage. Red would have to be careful here, and hope Blue didn't abuse Sand Attack.
"Charmander, Growl!" Red said.
"Pidgey, Gust!" Blue countered. Pidgey was slower than Charmander, and its attack was much less powerful than it should have been. Red knew he couldn't rely on that holding true forever and pressed his attack.
"Charmander, Scratch!" Red shouted. Charmander rushed in, arms swinging.
"Pidgey, Sand Attack!" Blue countered. Red cursed. Sand Attack was, in Red's opinion, one of the most powerful moves a Pokémon had. Even hitting the opposing Pokémon once with Sand Attack once was enough to cause problems. If you did it again and again, you could shut the enemy Pokémon down completely. Case in point, Charmander missed with its attack.
"Charmander, come back!" Red said, summoning his Pokémon back into its Poké Ball. "Go, Rattata!" he shouted, throwing out another Poké Ball. The purple rat popped out of the ball, sniffing the air.
"Pidgey, Gust!" Blue shouted. Red breathed a sigh of relief. He had gambled that Blue would switch back to an offensive strategy after hitting Charmander with Sand Attack, and he was right. Rattata got buffeted by the winds a bit, but that was all right. For Rattata was now level seven, and he had an ace up his sleeve.
"Rattata, Quick Attack!" Red shouted. The purple rat lunged forward to slam into the small bird. Blue panicked and shouted: "Pidgey, Gust!" The two Pokémon traded blows for another couple of turns, but Rattata emerged triumphant.
"Go, Squirtle!" Blue shouted after recalling his fainted Pidgey. The blue turtle popped out of its Poké Ball, eager for a fight.
Red considered his own Pokémon. Squirtle was level nine, making it a danger to Charmander. Rattata had won his fight with Pidgey, but he was battered and bruised. It was time to switch.
"Rattata, return! Spearow, it's your turn!" Red shouted. The angry brown bird leapt out of its Poké Ball, glaring at Squirtle.
"Squirtle! Bubble!" Blue shouted.
"Spearow! Use Peck!" Red commanded. Squirtle shot a series of bubbles out of its mouth. To Red's relief, the bubbles missed. To Blue's dismay, Spearow's Peck did not.
The two Pokémon exchanged blows for another four turns before Blue's Squirtle fell. Blue recalled the Pokémon with a sour expression on his face.
"Maybe you are strong enough to face Brock after all," Blue said as he shoved Red out of his way while heading back towards Viridian City and the Pokémon Center. Red watched him leave before turning back towards the Pokémon League. He cinched up his bag tighter and walked on.
After this, the next stop would be Viridian Forest and Pewter City.
END CHAPTER
Author's Note:
Okay, that took longer than it should have. This chapter took longer than it should have and was a pain in the ass to come together. But it did, and I hope you all enjoy it!
Pokémon owned by Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures.
If you enjoyed this chapter, please support me on ( joshstoodley) or by my original fiction on Amazon.
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