The next few days were spent picking fights and abusing his Vs Seeker. Red found the irony hilarious; before he'd loathed the unspoken code of conduct between pokemon trainers: locking eyes with another trainer meant being subjected to a pokemon battle (granted, he was weaker and inexperienced back then). He'd purposefully walk with his head down or avoid going into areas where trainers were frequently found, opting to fight wild pokemon in their territory instead. Now he realized that trainers would avoid his gaze or ignore him altogether. And with good reason; the Pokemon Center was nowhere nearby. It was much easier to avoid battling in the first place. Still, trainers registered under the Vs Seeker were obligated by law to participate in battles as long as they were fit to do so. Also, a "fine" (a minimum of $300.00) would have to be given to the winner of the battle. So when Red locked eyes with a raven haired girl, he could hardly stifle his laughter at her loud, exasperated sigh and rather impressive eye roll. Clad in a white fitted shirt with a green bow around the collar, a green and black plaid skirt reaching her mid thighs, black stockings and ballet flats, she looked like one of the stuck up snobs he often saw hanging out around town, the ones that only associated with their own "kind". Red recognized the insignia on her shirt pocket; Articuno Private. It was one of those prestigious schools you only heard of, never saw. She pulled her shoulder length black hair into a ponytail, folded her arms and tilted her chin up at Red indignantly, narrowing her blue eyes at him. Red looked at her, slightly amused but expectant.
"You know, I'm not really in the position to have a battle. I'm not in the mood either". Red's mirth dissipated and he scowled internally. This chick had an attitude. Red pulled out a Pokeball, pushed its button and felt the device expand in his hand.
"That's not my concern. This is what comes with registration into the VS. Seeker." He looked at said device. It flashed its blue light excitedly as if to corroborate his point. "It says you're quite fit to battle." She huffed as she planted one hand on her hip and flung the other up and outwards, letting it drop to her thigh with an audible slap.
"I just came out here to relax! I have exams and…" Red's thrown pokeball interrupted her irritated response and his charmander materialized from a large ball of red light, roaring and raring for a fight. Upon its freedom from the confines of its spherical cage, it tilted its head upwards and sent a jet of fire into the sky, the heat emanating from its showy entrance almost unbearable. Although Red was extremely impressed and proud at his starter's power and eagerness to battle, he was relieved when the display of bravado came to an end. Red noted that his charmander was a bit on the aggressive side; it was often hard at the beginning to stop it from attacking after the battle had ceased due to either his command or the challenging pokemon fainting. At first, this worried him to the point of considering trading it to another trainer, but then he began to channel its aggression into more precise attacks and combination techniques. As a result, his charmander had an array of dexterous manoeuvres that gained both it and its trainer admiration and praise. The wight also began to mellow out and Red theorized that this was the result of the amount of energy expended to execute its personalized battle moves (he was adamant about daily training for the overly energetic creature). He had every right to be utterly grateful for this transformation. A pokemon's death at the hands of another trainer was rewarded a hefty compensation fine plus the offending trainer's license being revoked for a minimum of four years, more if the death was found to be intentional. In addition, the pokemon of the offending trainer would be confiscated, doomed to be the property of the government for unknown purposes henceforth.
The young lady chewed her bottom lip, clearly annoyed. Red was becoming agitated himself. This was the procedure to all VS. Seeker holders. If you didn't want to battle others mandatorily, head to the nearest Pokemon Center and unregister. It was that simple. While Red was irritated, he knew he couldn't force her into battling. He took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. He noticed that her expression softened somewhat as she regarded him. Red frowned.
"What?" he almost snapped but he managed to reign himself. His charmander mimicked his impatience making restless, meaningless movements a little distance away at his feet. This spoilt brat was getting on his nerves. Not only would he have to look for another trainer to spar with in order to gain experience, but the girl exhibited a demeanour that was very similar to his…"friend". She walked towards him tentatively, neatly sidestepping away from Red's very annoyed charmander and picking up her pace when she passed the disgruntled beast. Its head trailed her motions, never ceasing to glare at the person denying it a well anticipated fight. She then faced its trainer who mirrored its expression, and leaned forward a bit causing Red to recoil a little.
"You know, I was serious about me not wanting to battle anyone today because of exam stress." Her voice was less hostile now.
"The rules state-" Red began angrily.
"I know what the rules say," she interjected smoothly. "But are you gonna go by the book all the time?" She undid her ponytail and tossed her dark hair back, giving Red a smug look as she did so. She folded her arms and scrutinized him haughtily, sizing him up. "That's so boring." She taunted. Red felt his solar plexus bubble heat at the base of his lungs. This. Bitch. He inhaled sharply.
"Look if you don't wan-"
"I know you're serious about gaining experience." She interrupted his dismissal of her and continued. "You've been on this stretch four times this morning already." This statement diffused his annoyance and embarrassment blossomed in its stead. He blushed. He hadn't noticed some people were paying attention to him. He must have looked like a raving madman, stalking up and down the same road for most of the morning. He was jolted out of his self-conscious mental chatter when she startled him slightly by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll tell you what." She said softly as she invaded his personal space further. "You forget this whole owing you a battle because of the VS. Seeker thing and I'll show you a way to gain experience. It's even more fun and rewarding than boring old battling." Red raised an eyebrow. He'd been contemplating leaving her there in favour of spending his time searching for someone else to challenge but he was intrigued. Another way to train a pokemon? What other way was there? Did she mean grooming it for a contest? That was unlikely. She was clearly referring to battling. It sounded impossible. His curiosity was inflamed. He threw his pokeball at his charmander. The beast let out a bark of surprise as the device opened and it was swathed in red light, disappearing within the red and white device's bounds. He turned to her.
"Alright then, fine. How do you gain experience without battling?" He enquired. He tried to give an air of nonchalance but his eagerness seeped through the act. She looked surprised at first then started giggling. Red tilted his head slightly to the side and knit his eyebrows together, confused.
"You…don't really go out much…do you?" she teased. He didn't understand what she meant. She took him by the hand and led him into a nearby forested area, guiding him in its depths until the sunlight dimmed, its rays peeking through the leaf canopy of tall trees; the silence was interrupted sporadically by the soft, curt buzzes of Ladyba. She then looked at Red, stretching and cracking her fingers.
"Alright." She announced, as she approached him. "Let's begin."
Red learned two things that he was completely unaware of. The first?
He was, apparently, more attractive than he gave himself credit for.
He dug his nails into the rough bark of the tree he was pressed against, hissing slightly from the pain as he felt his nails bend backwards. His eyes rolled back behind fluttering eyelashes and he bit his lip to prevent him from moaning too loud. His face was contorted with effort as he looked down at head full of onyx hair bobbing back and forth at his crotch furiously. His hand found its way to it, digits caressing the dark locks and becoming entangled within them. With a lusty hum, the head's owner took more of him into her mouth, her soft moist lips moving to and fro along his shaft, her tongue guiding his tip further into the moist cavern. His body went up on his toes when he felt the opening of her gullet clamp gently onto the tip of his shaft and he gripped the already abused tree bark beneath his fingers even harder to keep from making sounds that would embarrass him, his teeth embedded into the flesh of his lower lip, his face scrunched up with the sweet, agonising struggle of keeping silent (Where the fuck is her gag reflex?! Holy shit!). She released him with a slightly choked gasp, a thin long string of saliva connecting her mouth with his throbbing head. He looked down at her to see her smiling deviously up at him, continuing to stimulate him with her hand. He was panting.
"Enjoying yourself?" She asked seductively. Red nodded hastily.
"Yes, very much, uh…um" Red stammered. Wait a minute. What's this chick's name? She laughed.
"Giselle. My name's Giselle." She supplied as if reading his mind. Red let out a terse bray of laughter that betrayed his amusement and nervousness at the whole scenario.
"Red's mine." He reciprocated her self-introduction. She slowed down her handjob gradually and then stopped altogether, looking to her left thoughtfully.
"Red, huh." She mused quietly. Red was about to enquire about the significance of his name to her when she resumed her lewd ministrations. She leered up at him and smirked.
"Nice to meet you, Red!" She chirped. He moaned loudly when the warm, moist recesses of her mouth found its way back over his love muscle. His fingers re-fused with their imprints on the tree bark, eyes baring their sclerae and teeth re-joining into their mold on his bottom lip left prior during the first bout of the tumultuous, blissful session. He gripped harder when he felt his tip push past the soft palate of her mouth and gave a sharp gasp of pleasure when it tensed and relaxed around his head. His mouth remained open as he looked down at her and saw to his amazement that she'd actually managed to swallow all of him. He felt himself twitch when she gently cupped his balls and let out a moan when she stretched out her tongue, touching its tip them. She released then swallowed him again, her movements becoming more rapid as she caressed his thighs, squeezing them at intervals. Her extraction from his member was announced with a soft 'pop'; when Red opened his eyes (he hadn't noticed when he'd closed them) and looked down at her, she was sitting in casual seiza, studying him with a mischievous smile.
Women were not as prudish as they were made out to be. That was the second thing Red learned.
She stood up and peeled her underwear to her ankles, stepping out of them gracefully. Eye contact was made and Red understood.
He was beaming down at his pokedex, positively pleased at the progress he'd made. Within the week, his team had levelled up and learned new moves. The battles were a lot shorter; only one team member was required to pulverize his opponents' six. By the time Red reached Vermillion City, his pokemon had learned new moves and had evolved. After stocking up on potions and the like, Red walked leisurely around the City, taking in his surroundings. Though the it was rather small, it's buildings and houses were impressive; each one boasted modernity and environmental consciousness. Red observed that on every construction, a solar panel was perched on its roof and recycle bins punctuated the end of every driveway. The streets were spotless; so much so that Red briefly speculated that they were being scrubbed with soap and water daily. A soft but continuous whirring sound answered his pondering. Red turned to see a minivan, equipped with two spinning circular brushes at its front, cruising leisurely down road. A street sweeper. Red grinned at it, eliciting some curious stares from some people passing by. He couldn't help it. It was the first time he'd seen such a thing. He walked around, carefully drinking in the vicinity. At least he tried to. If he was being honest with himself, he was actually trying to forget what he'd seen in Cerulean City. Flashes of the unpleasant memory plagued his waking hours and it took nearly all of his mental strength to will them away. His stay at Cerulean was bittersweet; he'd gotten laid but he also saw something he'd never forget.
He desperately wanted to.
To say Cerulean city was beautiful would be an understatement. Wide, proud sidewalks flanked the smooth dirt roads and numerous people, all perched atop expensive looking bikes traversed to and fro. The air was crisp and clean; the numerous trees and foliage tastefully scattered throughout probably had something to do with that. As he'd walked through the streets, he'd noticed that there were a lot of flower shops and confectionery stores sprinkled strategically around the area; each one was within range of the other. He'd found this to be curious but didn't pay any it any mind as he continued placidly past a wooden bridge that arched above a sparkling river. Strolling idly, he'd reached a dead end. A white picket fence framed the edge of the city and beyond it a large expanse of water stretched further than his eyes could see, glittering seductively in the warm sunlight. Red took in the scenery for a few minutes before deciding to leave. As he made his way back to the innermost part of the city, he heard a soft thump. His neck swivelled to the direction of the sound. A small house, named "Sea Cottage" sat to his right. He noted that its door was slightly ajar and was suddenly agog at the prospect of discovering the source of the noise. While his hand was hovering over the doorknob, he felt like he was being stared at and whirled around. Two couples were boring holes into him, staring at him as though he was a shiny of a superlatively rare pokemon. He raised an eyebrow.
"What?" The audacity of the question would've floored him if his burning curiosity hadn't been so blinding; he was the one entering someone's house without permission after all. His mother had often lamented that he could be obnoxiously bold. The couple to his furthest right huddled closer to each other. The woman looked up at her lover, and he, with a nervous glance at her, addressed Red.
"Are you here with someone?" he enquired politely. Red shook his head. The man smiled at him, his lady matching his expression. "It would be ideal if you came here with someone. This is a rather popular dating spot. Cerulean City Gym Leader Misty has high hopes for this place." Through his periphery, he could see the couple standing slightly off to his left observing him with something akin to pity. The amount of flower shops and confectionary stores made perfect sense to him now; this city was apparently one of romance.
"Misty really does regard this place as the perfect dating spot". The man's girlfriend spoke. "You don't experience this spot to the fullest unless you're here with someone special." At these words, the couple locked eyes with each other and the man pulled her closer, brushing her blond hair away from her face as he did so. They blushed. Red fought the urge to roll his eyes. Misty's a romantic? Huh. Didn't seem so when I was fuc-
"I won't be here long", Red assured them curtly and entered the house not really caring whether they'd heard his response or not. The place was…a mess to put it simply. The floor could hardly be seen; books of varying thickness were littered across it. A computer filmed with dust beeped serenely from its place on a nearby table; a pair of green pants and a lab coat thrown carelessly over the back a chair that stood in front of the dimly lit screen kept its company. What really stood out were the two towers stationed in the middle of the room. They were so tall they looked as though they were jammed against the ceiling. As Red inspected it further, he saw that they were connected to each other via a few large, thick wires. The towers were wide and tall enough for a person to stand in and a glass door enclosed each of the cylindrical contraptions. Red began to wonder about its purpose when he heard a thump and a groan coming from the recesses of the house. A door was situated further into the back of the room. For a moment, he froze, contemplating on whether he should investigate or not. His inquisitiveness was quicker on the ball, moving his feet toward the door. Another groan, a gasp. He was trespassing. He wasn't minding his own business. Hell, he didn't even know whose house he was in. But as these facts screamed at him to rethink his actions, his hand closed around the doorknob. There was a slapping noise and a hiss. A muffled screech. Red paused a little then opened the door.
A middle aged man with dirty blond hair stood in the middle of the rather small room, his hair messy and clothes dishevelled. There were bloodstains on his lab coat and fresh drops of blood dappled the white tiled floor. His face shone with sweat, crimson in his effort to tame the "woman" he was fighting with. The man had her (it?) on her hands and knees, yanking her head back by her long purple and white hair. He'd managed to hold one hand behind her back causing her arch backwards towards him. She squealed and flailed her free arm in front of her in a futile attempt to get away. Red's brain struggled to identify exactly what the "woman" was. Her body was covered in deep purple fur, glossy and free of tangles as though it was well groomed. She had a furry underside; her breasts, neck and stomach were covered with white fur that continued its pattern past her crotch, adorning her inner thighs and the inside of her lower legs, stopping abruptly at her ankles. Her feet were unusually large, fanned out at bulbous toes (a total of three on either foot), each equipped with its own long, sharp, discoloured nail. A purple tail extended from her coccyx, its white end curled into a neat spiral. Her face was covered in a thin layer of white fur and a pair of whiskers grew out of the right side of it, near the corner of her mouth. In her efforts for freedom, she twisted her head to face Red, her eyes glowed yellow as the light reflected on them and snarled, revealing very long, yellowed, sharp teeth Oh God she's looking at me! It's looking at me! What is that thing?! Oh God, Oh-
"What the fuck are you doing in here?!" The man hollered at him. Red acknowledged that he was being yelled at but he couldn't tear his eyes from the wight that hissed threateningly at him.
"I…I…" Red stuttered. Grabbing a fistful of amethyst hair and tugging it roughly, the man stretched across the room and banged the door shut. There were the sounds of scuffling, a glass breaking, loud screeching, an even louder thump. Then silence. Red backed away from the door slowly, tripping over one of the many wires that took residence on the floor and fell unceremoniously on his backside. He hastily got up to prepare to make a beeline for the exit when the door of the room which contents had scared him shitless flew open and the man emerged, slamming it shut behind him. He crossed the room in long angry strides, grabbed Red roughly by the collar with both hands and brought their faces so close together, their noses almost touched. His eyes were bloodshot, and his scent was the potent fusion of stale alcohol and sweat. Red crinkled his nose involuntarily and squirmed when the man spoke.
"How much did you see?" He interrogated. Red stared at him with wide eyes.
"Enough." Was his trembled response. The man loosened his grip and regarded Red warily as Red straightened his T-Shirt. They stared at each other for a few seconds, the thick silence unbearably awkward. The man glared weakly at him.
"There's something called knocking, kid. Maybe you should try it more often." Red reckoned that his face resembled his namesake at this moment. He really was in the wrong. He bit his lip. The man placed one of his hands on his hip and ran the other through his hair. He let out a sigh and dragged his hand from his hair over his forehead and placed it over his mouth. He looked utterly frustrated, nervous even.
"You know what you did is called breaking and entering, right?" He posed the question calmly, but his tone was clearly scolding.
"Your front door was unlocked", Red defended.
"Don't get smart with me, kid."
"Sorry." With arms akimbo, the man stared at the ground for a little while and looked up at Red. He walked over to his computer and picked up the lab coat that was hanging haphazardly off the back of the chair. He quickly scanned its pockets and pulled out a wallet. He then opened a draw in the computer desk and pulled out an envelope. Striding over to Red with both items in his hand, he looked at Red, paused a little, then spoke.
"What's your name, kid?" He asked softly.
"Red", Red answered hesitantly. The man nodded.
"Red, huh? That's a nice name." Red remained silent. He had no idea what to expect from a man who'd gone from volatile to gentle in the span of about two minutes but he was prepping for the worst. It was axiomatic that Red had stumbled across something he was not supposed to see, let alone know about. The man suddenly flipped open his wallet, causing Red to flinch a little, taking out a few hundred dollar bills. He paused, thought a bit, then took out more money, putting the wallet in his pocket. He then held up the envelope and waved it in Red's face. Red watched in rapt attention.
"This is a ticket to the S.S. Anne. As a scientist, researcher, I get these little perks now and then." The S.S. Anne was the best known cruise ship in the world. The founder of Silph Co's great grandfather designed it and its creation was a great part of Vermillion City's history. Only people with enormous political power and some of the social elite had access to its interior. Red took the envelope and scrutinized it. The Silph family's crest sat proudly in the centre of the envelope's seal. He ogled the piece of paper in his hand; it wasn't fake. A heavy hand plopped down on his right shoulder and he looked up at the worn out scientist/researcher in front of him. The man gently pressed the money to Red's chest, looked him in the eyes and nodded. Red took the money hesitantly.
"What day is it today, kid?" He enquired.
"March 8th, 200V" Red replied. The researcher nodded and looked away a bit, mumbling something about things working out. He put his attention back on Red.
"Alright. Today's Tuesday, then. Thursday at 6pm, the S.S. Anne will be having a little party and cruise. You can go in my place. I'm not really one for fancy dos so…uh…yeah." He chuckled uncomfortably. Red continued to stare at him, his face a mixture of fear and suspicion. The man squeezed both of Red's shoulders suddenly, bringing them face to face once more and Red almost forgot his apprehension due to his host's horrible body odor.
"You. Didn't. See. Anything. Understand?" His voice was low but there was venom oozing from his threat and every word seeping through his clenched teeth felt as though it was chipping away at Red's lifespan.
"I understand." Red's voice quivered. With a sharp nod of his head and two gentle slaps on each of his shoulders, the man released him.
"Good. Name's Bill, by the way." He said with a smile. His face then immediately became menacing. "Now get the fuck out of my house."
Red stuffed his bribes into his pockets as he heeded Bill's command, the faint sound of wailing following him from the back of his abode. He closed the entrance and ran-walked away from the house, evoking some curious stares from some lovestruck couples as he hurried away.
What the fuck did I see? What the hell was that thing? Red questioned himself as he strolled down the clean streets of Vermillion City. Although he was grateful for the once in a lifetime opportunity to ride in a luxury cruiseship and extra funds to accommodate travelling and other expenses, Red felt that it would never be enough for the mental scarring that took place and he kicked himself for its self-infliction. His fretful musing came to an abrupt halt when his right shoulder collided into something solid and spun him around a full 180 degrees.
