Intuition

Red wandered through the familiar city, his view seemingly eclipsed by the gym. Blue was standing outside, giving another press interview, they dispersed not too soon after Red arrived in the city.

"Come on in!"

"Let me get this straight, you've got the gym...already?"

"Yeah, and?" Blue questioned.

"You left only a couple of hours ago."

"There was nobody willing to take it on. I walked in, saw it was empty, and I do mean empty. Nothing here, stripped bare. I had a look around, saw nobody was taking care of it and I rang the Pewter Mail up. They came down and you just saw them interview me."

"So...you're officially a gym leader now?"

"Yeah, I guess I am. Don't look so glum Red."

Red brushed his feet on the wooden floor, "I'm happy for you, seriously." He smiled another genuine smile.

"What are you going to do with your free time then? You gonna take on all fights, all battles? Destroy the rest to be the best and all that?"

Red gave a throaty laugh, "Oh yeah. Anyone, any time or place."

Blue returned a laugh, "Gramps phoned ahead, saying you were heading to Cerulean Cave, is that right?"

"Sure. I don't know what I'll find there."

Holding his finger up, Blue began to ramble, "When I became Champion, they told me a little about it. A powerful Pokémon lives in the cave, as in, more powerful than anything any bastard has ever seen! If anyone even took it on and won, they'd be a Master for sur-"

Red interrupted, "How do you know they weren't telling lies? The Elite Four wouldn't know barring Lance I guess. He seems to be top dog. It could just be a tale to tell people."

"Look Red, Lance knows a lot about Pokémon and besides, he's obviously too frightened to go in himself. Some creature is in there."

Red sighed and looked at his watch. "I better get on with it then."

"You sound so bored! If I had this chance I'd seize it with an iron fist."

"Gary, I told you that you'd be a better Champion."

Blue grinned, "I'm here now, plus it feels right."

Red nodded and headed out of the gym, grabbing his Pidgeot from the PC, Nurse Joy grabbed his attention, the Chansey stood next to her smiling, busily clapping away to itself.

"Red? Red is that you? My, you've grown haven't you."

"I've been away a while haven't I?" He gave her his show smile, his television smile, the half smile that made other people think he was content.

"Nearly eighteen years old and still growing! You're turning out the handsome young man, just like your father."

Red flinched slightly, trying to stop the flip his stomach made when he heard that.

"Oh I'm so sorry. I...I always forget..." She apologised.

Red motioned his hand, pretending to brush it off, "No...don't worry, really. It's fine. I only came to get Pidgeot anyway."

"How's your mother?" The pink haired nurse asked, polite as ever.

"She's fine, worried about me as usual," he gave a small chuckle, "I'm visiting her more now though, no need for world adventures now."

Nurse Joy nodded and held her hands clasped together below her waist. Red gave a half hearted wave and released Pidgeot.

"Pidgeot..." Red started, "You think you could fly me to Cerulean?"

The Pidgeot groomed it's breast, picking at it and giving an evil eye to his trainer.

"Pidge...I know it's been a while but c'mon. We can have a fun flight!"

Red's Pidgeot relaxed and stood back, opening it's wings far out. Red never tired of seeing that. Pidgeot's massive wingspan almost covered the front of the Pokémon Centre from view. Red got on his bird's back, it took off into the air, onlookers marvelling at the creature spiralling foot after foot upwards. Levelling out, Red pulled out his journal as he waited for Cerulean to come into view, continuing from his last entry.

I'm on Pidgeot's back now, he's so fast it takes my breath away. It's funny that I always forget how quick he moves, he was the second Pokémon I caught, as a Pidgey that is. I'm heading to Cerulean now, the view below is magnificent, rivers blend into the land seamlessly. Nurse Joy of Viridian brought up that one subject, I felt shocked she brought my dad into the conversation. I can't remember the last time anybody but my mother brought him up. That particular Nurse Joy is a friend of the family, she visits when she can, she's kind but a little too friendly. They're all like that though, the Joy's. Having a lot of clones isn't always the best way to solve your problems. Not that the government cared back then and where are they now? Exactly, dead by their own hand. It's the same with the police officers, the Jenny's, all of them cloned from one woman who was particularly effective. After the war they couldn't just kill them so I guess putting them to use monitoring the reborn population is one thing, right?

If anyone finds this after I die or otherwise then I guess you already know about the war, if not, I have time to kill so here's some background. Kanto, the country I live in, used to be part of this much larger country but I forget the name. That country gets in trouble, a war breaks out across the world and millions upon billions die. Throughout, prototype weapons are used and tested, one weapon changed the local wildlife and now we use them every day for tasks as they are now smarter, stronger but also a lot of them stayed wild and protective. I wasn't even old enough to remember when Professor Oak started using old military storage devices to capture these creatures but when he did, he started a revolution and everybody began to use them to help rebuild and so on. I was two years old when the war ended, my father died when I was only three days old.

Cerulean City shone under Pidgeot, the lakes and pools that were scattered about sparkled when the light hit them. The lush gardens of green stood out amongst the light sand covering pavement and concrete. Cerulean really was a summer city.

Hovering a couple of feet from the path, Red jumped off Pidgeot and let him roam the skies for a little while before having him return to the Pokéball. Red watched the citizens go about their business, the bike shop still selling their cycles at an inflated one million credits, the Mart and Pokémon Centre bustled with activity. As he walked forward he couldn't stop himself from staring at the gym. The young woman who mesmerised him from first glance within.

"Misty..." he mouthed to himself before stepping towards the place she resided.

Standing inside, battles commenced, he could overhear everybody due to the acoustics.

'Growlithe go!'

'Take them out Weepinbell!'

'Goldeen come back!'

The guide stood, playing on his Poké Gear. His scruffy black beard covered his neck, square glasses balanced on his nose, he was fixated with the device. Red approached the man people nicknamed 'Jim Gai'. He didn't look up to talk to Red but he noticed him.

"Yo Champ in making...the gym leader here is Misty...she uses water type Pokémon..."

"I am the Champ." Red stated.

Seemingly griped, his eyes drifted upward and his mild annoyance turned to shock and an open mouthed smile.

"Yo! CHAMP!" Oddly, 'Jim Gai' hugged Red, the latter not knowing how to react.

"It has been WAY too long champ! How are you bud?"

"Y'know. I'm all right."

"Never one of many words! I guess I did all the talking eh? You come to see Mist?"

Red gave an awkward smile and looked at his battered shoes, "Aheh, yeah."

"It's all good here baby! She's young, hot and an awesome trainer. Go give her my number, yeah?" He winked but Red wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

"Sure..."

"Oh yeah! Talk to you when you come back man." 'Jim Gai' fixed his gaze on the Poké Gear, tapping away at it.

The battles raged around Red, he tried to glimpse as much as he could as he walked forward, he paid little attention to where he was going. Having a small heart attack, he tried to avoid falling into the water, balancing on the edge of the pool as unwanted attention turned his way. The gym guide ran up and pulled on his backpack, eventually saving him from a watery embarrassment, not that that stopped some amused giggling. Misty walked over to the man currently sat down, his hat the same colour as his name.

"Are you...Red?" she asked. His stomach did a flip again.

"Oh...hi Misty...erm...sorry about that...we were just going..."

"Don't be silly!" She replied gleefully, her beaming smile making him stand and stare, "I haven't seen you in forever! Come on, let's go to the café in town and have a chat." Misty's smile continued, and he followed her, staring at her red locks, the side ponytail thing that confused him still there, she walked gracefully out of the gym, turning at the last possible moment to address him.

"Erm...gym guy...?"

"Yes?" Jim Gai replied eagerly, his desperation for attention not yet fulfilled.

"I'm going for a coffee with my friend here, it's been a while so...do you mind giving us some time?" Her forthcoming nature impressed Red as did her insistence that Jim Gai looked after the gym. However, he didn't seem to catch on that she was politely telling him to go away.

"I'll keep watch, don't you worry baby!"

"Please don't call me that." Misty opened the door, holding it for Red, the young man followed her to the café where she held the door open again for him.

They sat down, she ordered two coffees, and they sat in silence until they were rested on the table. Red didn't know if he should say something to break the silence but he didn't know what to say. The drinks arrived and Misty thanked the waitress, her turquoise eyes digging deep into Red as the cup eclipsed the lower half of her face.

"I need my coffee before I can talk," she said a slight laugh protruding from her, "Why did you come and visit me, Champ?"

Red sighed, sipping at the cup he had been given, "I just...I wanted to see you I guess."

He realised how that sounded and quickly, and breathlessly regrouped his thoughts, "Y'know, seeing as I was visiting the town and it'd been so long and there is so much to see outside of the gym but I guess there is nothing more to see outside of seeing you and the gym what with all the Pokémon an-"

Red's rambling was cut off by Misty placing a soft index finger to her mouth, she then started to speak, "I don't think I've ever heard you talk so much, 'Red'...why do they give you such stupid titles What was wrong with your old name? Not that you ever told me it."

"Yeah, the whole codename thing gave me a colour for a name, how fantastic is that?"

Misty smiled, "I don't know, it matches your hat."

Red relaxed and she continued, "You don't have to be nervous around me you know. I'm not the bitch I make myself out to be. That's a persona, a front."

"I...I guess it's been a while since I really talked to anyone other than my family."

She cocked her head to a side, "This might seem weird coming from a stranger but if you like, you can always talk to me."

"Okay," he grinned, taking his hat off and placing it on down on the soft cushion resting on the sofa he sat on. Misty was opposite him, he couldn't make her out, was she flirting with him or just being friendly?

"I'm heading into Cerulean Cave. You have any tips for me?" He asked.

"I wouldn't know," she replied honestly, "I know everything about Cerulean except what is in that cave."

Red held his hands together, "I'll go in then, people keep telling me there's a Pokémon in there like no other."

"There are Pokémon everywhere though, what's so special about this one? Is it rare? Is it a myth or what?"

He shrugged at her questions, drinking some more coffee and running his hand through his shaggy dark hair, "I just want to find if anything is in there, beat it, capture it, whatever and go home."

Misty shot him a look of pending disappointment, "You're Champion now. You can't back down from your destiny."

"I don't believe in destiny. I believe in choice. I chose to be a trainer, I chose to take on the gym leaders, I chose to take on the Elite Four and I chose to go home and give it up. I've done the 'journey,' the rite of passag-" He stopped himself, he wasn't used to giving way to his emotions. He wasn't a cold person by any means, just withdrawn when it came to talking about himself.

Misty reached her hand out and put it on his, she smiled earnestly, "Let's pay for the coffee before we have any deep conversations." She winked at him afterwards.

It was the wink that got him before and it got him again there, the flutter of those dark lashes that drew him in. He had properly talked to her once but he felt a connection with her. Red didn't let it get to him though.

"I'll pay." He exclaimed.

"No way mister," Misty replied, pulling out a sea shell shaped purse.

"I insist."

"Red," she started, "If there's anything that frustrates me, it's a man that doesn't do what he's told."

He backed down, hands raised, he felt guilty but she paid, they walked out of the shop together and he put his hands firmly in his pockets indicating that he needed to get on with his 'duty'. Misty put her hands on her hips, waiting for him to say goodbye. He felt himself fumbling with his keys, muttering a small 'see ya' before she gave him a big hug. A friendly hug. She left him with more questions than he knew what to do with or had time to answer. Pulling out his journal again, he walked back into the café, ordering a larger coffee than before, the sofa he had sat on and the sofa Misty had sat on were both left untouched by anybody else's presence. Parking himself in the same seat, Red added a mere sentence to the day's events.

Cerulean really is a beautiful place. The girl who owns the gym is something much more.


A.N. As always, thanks for any and all support. Red is going to Cerulean Cave next.

- a random reader: I think it's safe to say, yes!