Black
"Haah... haah... haah..."
Heavy panting echoed within the tight space, the lone teenager hanging on for dear life as he cowered in a corner. His eyes could not see anything after the dust went into them, and neither could he hear anything, nor feel anything. There was just a blast of fire from somewhere and before he knew it, the ceiling came crashing down.
His eyes had witnessed the rocks that came toppling down, and blood started pushing through his veins and arteries in loud explosions, his phobia reacting to the impending danger. The very fear that originated from that day came back to haunt him once more, and soon his world went into hyperdrive, colors swirling and sloshing in his wet eyes of panic. He screamed in short breaths, his body numbed and trembling from the shock and quickly he curled up in a defensive position. Most of his senses went shut, leaving him blind, deaf and unfeeling for some time.
Meanwhile, he could not sense anything from his surroundings, not knowing whether he was dead or alive. But he knew one thing, that he was certainly trapped in here. He sobbed and buried his face under his knees, terror consuming the trainer.
Eternity might have passed, until two familiar voices came inside his head, a glimmer of hope lighting up within this frightening oblivion. Instinctively, he reached out for it, as the two voices cried out things like "get a hold of yourself" and "wake up". He heard his name and with the will to survive and desire to get out of this hellish claustrophobia, Red opened his eyes.
Everything was blurry, painful even, from the bits of dust that slipped into his eyes. He blinked multiple times and got rid of the particles, his ear hearing things again. His breathing remained fast even after he found Pikachu and Espeon staring at him with exceedingly paranoid expressions. The two pokemon were all he could see, so he was still not yet aware of his surroundings.
Red! Are you hurt anywhere? Both of them yelled in unison, their voices ringing inside his brain.
Still panting, he feebly shook his head in reply. His buddies heaved a sigh of relief and got away from his field of vision. Red looked up and noticed that they were safe in a large space. Unfortunately, there were no apparent exits and only a few rays of sunlight pierced through the gaps in the bouldery ceiling. Finally, when he stared ahead, his jaw dropped open. He rubbed his eyes and blinked, taking another look at whatever was before him. After regaining his cool, Red could not help but wonder if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
They were small, thin and flat, their bodies consisting of a single eye with appendages of a variety of circles and lines, their shapes similar to letters. These all-black beings jumped and hovered around, their big fat eyes gazing at him excitedly. One of them even volunteered to be caught by him, allowing his Pokedex to get information about this pokemon.
The device beeped and flashed a name and the following sentences: This pokemon is shaped like ancient text characters. Although research is ongoing, it is a mystery as to which came first, the ancient writings or the various Unown.
"... Unown..." muttered the trainer as he gave a suspicious glance at the giddy swarm. They got more enthusiastic after he read out their name, just like kids eager to get candy. Perplexed at their large numbers, he felt inclined to scoot away.
These guys saved your life. said Pikachu, who nudged his trainer a few times.
"..Ah..., Thank you..." He said awkwardly while nodding slightly. The Unown were practically flying into the air after he spoke, all of them elated for unknown reasons.
Red, Espeon said some guy went to-
Pikachu, not now, I'll talk about it after we reach the next town.
Not understanding what they were talking about, Red shrugged it off. Returning to the current situation, he supposed he could spare some time to study the Unown until they get out of here, although the trainer could feel an irritated glare from a certain yellow mouse. Sighing, Red glanced at Espeon and asked her to use telepathy on these mysterious pokemon.
It's no use, I tried, but they can't speak. Espeon replied. Slightly discouraged, the trainer tried to interact with these irrational pokemon with much interest. The Unown could levitate, do basic movements at rather slow speeds, blink, twist their bodies, and nothing more than that. As if they were an accidental creation that ended up as a living being.
He remembered that the tour guide had distributed a piece of paper to aid them in reading hieroglyphs, and probably he was referring to these little ones.
"... I guess we are leaving now... thanks for saving my life..." he said and stood up.
Red, Pikachu, and Espeon then bid their farewells to the Unown. The psychic type glowed purple and quickly teleported the gang out of the ruins. And without them knowing, all the Unown disappeared from the collapsed structure without a trace.
The road to Azalea Town was long, for the team had to cross Route 32, where they received a Miracle Seed, caught Mareep, Wooper, and Hoppip. He and Pikachu then navigated around Union Cave, where he was ambushed countless times by insistent mountain climbers and pokéfans, who coerced him to battle with them. In the end, he made off with some money. They then passed by Slowpoke Well, and found a signboard with these words: Please do not hunt for Slowpoke Tails!
Red would have climbed into the well to explore until he was rudely interrupted by a sudden downpour. Without further ado, he headed for Azalea Town, all thoughts about the well forgotten. Red then took shelter in the Pokemon Center's entrance, the rain has no sign of stopping. Thankfully, his cloak kept him rather dry, while his shoes got damp. Pikachu was less fortunate, for his fur got drenched and became heavy from the excess water. After he removed his cloak, he tried to squeeze it dry, until he noticed Pikachu opening his mouth.
The mouse sneezed, his body shivering, prompting the trainer to gather Pikachu into his arms and seek shelter inside the Pokemon Center. He walked straight towards the reception counter where Nurse Joy stood.
"Good Evening! Welcome to our Pokemon Center. We can heal your pokemon to perfect health." she greeted. There were scarce people within the building, with only an old man sitting near the magazine shelves, a lady and a little boy waiting at the seating area. After forcing Pikachu to return to his pokéball, he placed his whole team into a tray with six holes and passed it to Nurse Joy.
"We'll tend to your pokémon, please wait there for ten to fifteen minutes," said Nurse Joy as she extended her hand in the direction of the seats. Red nodded and proceeded to sit at the last row, away from the three people. He blankly stared into space, before he decided to zip open his backpack to take out his precious red cap. So far, he had not really worn his cap, since it would be weird wearing a cap and a hooded cloak at the same time. But it felt strange to not have the accessory on his head.
His fingers grasped the cap by the bill and with a sigh, he placed it onto his messy black hair. He adjusted it slightly and leaned onto the chair with a satisfied grin. Red closed his eyes, while minutes passed by mundanely.
"Mister, are you Red?"
Red jolted in surprise, his eyes flashing open, hands fumbling to take off his cap and hide it behind his back. He found himself looking into the big brown eyes of the little boy that had sat three rows ahead of him. The child wore a red-white cap with a black bill, a pokéball symbol imprinted on the canvas material. His hair that covered his neck was long and untamed, with bunches of hair sticking out of his head. Despite it being children clothes, Red could see that this boy was a foreigner since the fashion was clearly more hip and modern.
The lady, presumably the boy's mother, looked young with her feminine clothes and hair that was styled with a ponytail and a headband. She was standing behind her son while looking at him with much curiosity. Giving an awkward smile, he shook his head in denial while thinking of ways to get himself out of this situation.
"But your eyes are so pretty like him!" the boy shouted as he pointed at Red's nose bridge. Red shook his head vehemently once again.
"But, but..." the boy tried to argue, but fell silent after a while. For a moment there, Red thought that he was safe, until an old voice crackled, "Shrimp, that person is Red." The latter turned to see whoever had spoken, slightly vexed that someone else had butted in. It was the old man that sat near the magazine corner, his face covered by a newspaper. Exhaling out, Red emphasized once by shaking his head again.
"You are definitely him, I can recognize that face even after five years." the old man did not relent, and finally he folded the newspaper up, showing his wizened face. Red let out a gasp when he gazed upon the familiar elderly man.
"... Viridian City... That Old Man!" he said as he stood up, astonished to find an acquaintance in Johto. He remembered the Old Man's stubbornness back when he just set out in Kanto, who had grumpily demanded his coffee before he agreed to clear the path for him to go to the next town. In return, he had taught Red how to catch pokémon.
"Hoho, shocked you didn't I, kiddo?" The Old Man laughed, amused at his reaction. The lady, on the other hand, understood the situation and started observing calmly.
"... Why are you here?" Red asked.
"Why am I here, you say? How about you tell me why are you here? After disappearing for so long, you end up here!" The Old Man chuckled.
"... I have reasons..." Red sighed, tired of answering the same thing over and over again.
"Fine, I won't pressure you, anyways, to answer your question, I just came to visit my old friend! You should visit his workshop later, I can put in a word for you so that Kurt can give you a discount!" he said and chortled. A few seconds of silence was then broken by a short whimper. Red faltered and peered down, sweat dropping when he saw the red and crinkled face of the boy who was biting his lower lip to hold his tears in.
His mother gasped and patted her boy on the head as she coaxed him softly. She then looked at the possible Champion Red and gave an embarrassed look.
"Sorry for his behavior, we're from Unova and started holidaying in Johto a day ago, so he's still a little jumpy. Come, Hilbert, no crying anymore." the mother consoled as she squatted down next to the boy called Hilbert. Rubbing his eyes roughly with his sleeve, the boy stared up at Red once more with hopeful eyes.
"Are you Red?" Hilbert cried out in an indignant tone. Red froze after the question was shot towards him again, and finally giving up on hiding his identity, he nodded jadedly.
"Cool! Can I be like you?" The boy perked up, his brown eyes twinkling so brightly, a toothy smile replacing his pouting.
Red found a wry smile on his lips. It amused him how in the past he was like to boy, aspiring to be like Lance, to be a Champion.
Removing Hilbert's cap, Red then pointed at the black pokéball design on the accessory.
"You can't be like me." He said evenly, a solemn look in his gaze. "I'm Red, and you're Hilbert, was it?"
The boy nodded enthusiastically.
"Be like the black on your cap," Red smiled. "Be the color that surpasses all."
Red then ruffled the boy's hair and pushed the cap into the boy's chest.
The young child handled his own cap carefully, his fingers tracing the black pokeball with a new fascination. He looked up but realized that the former Champion had left to retrieve his pokemon.
"Thank you for waiting, your pokemon are fit and healthy!" Nurse Joy announced with a thrilled expression. The pink-haired female had just found out who the individual was, so it was no wonder that she looked so bubbly. Red picked the six pokéballs, released Pikachu, and kept the rest.
He then glanced out of the window, wondering if he could leave. However, the sky was still painted by a sea of mist and grey, torrents of water spilling out from the puffy clouds. Checking the time, it was well approaching night, and the team had to grab dinner or else a certain stomach will start whining again. He thought he should ask Nurse Joy for directions to the nearest eatery and if there were any inns in Azalea.
"If you like to, there are spare rooms for travelers to stay in, and the cost is a lot cheaper than inns." Nurse Joy suggested. As a wandering trainer, this was basic knowledge to Red, but the big problem was that...
"Do register into the system if you decided to do so!" she reminded, pushing a small digital tablet across the counter, her face expecting Red to type in his full name and contact number.
Hell no.
He rejected the idea of inputting his name into the flat device and was careful enough to know that registering could spell trouble for him. Seeing that the trainer was adamant in getting his information, Nurse Joy stopped trying to convince him and provided him basic directions. Red thanked her, said goodbye to the other three people and left for the exit.
"Bye Red!" Hilbert called out while stretching out his whole arm high up and waved with all his might. The former Champion's back vanished soon after and the little boy was having an excitable feeling within his chest. He was suddenly lifted off the ground by his mother, who carried him all the way the the front row seats and resumed their wait for his sister.
"She's taking far too long!"
"You can't blame your sister, she did get a stomachache."
Hilbert squirmed on his seat, dangled his legs before him, his hands still not letting go his cap. He pulled and poked the cap, giggling as he remembered those words.
Be the color that surpasses all.
"Hehe.." he laughed himself silly, until the sound of light footsteps made him look up, just to see his twin sister Hilda. The little girl tottered over, her complexion sickish from the constant pain in her digestive organ. Her long wavy hair framed her round face, eyes aquamarine like their mother, and could have looked cute had not the grimace on her face ruined the image.
"It still hurts." She complained.
"That's what you get for eating too much cake." said their mother.
"Grrr..." Hilda groaned, as she climbed onto the seat next her brother, hinting to her mother to spare her a few moments of respite before they return to the hotel.
"Mommy, I've decided!"
"Yes, Hilbert?"
"My nickname will be Black!"
"What that supposed to mean? Trying to act cool?" His sister teased, before another sharp pain struck her stomach, causing her to frown.
"Sis, your nickname will be White!" Hilbert chirped, and Hilda would have retort back, but the queasy feeling in her abdomen made her hurled out of her seat. She moaned and headed off to the toilet soon after.
"I guess I should buy antacids from the mart later." chuckled the mother, as she ruffled her son's hair endearingly. "That's a nice nickname, Black."
"Yeah!" the child cheered, then he pulled his cap down onto his messy hair with a grin.
The rain isn't letting down. Bayleef muttered as he glanced at the rest of his teammates, who were eating their takeaway food. His trainer, on the other hand, had forgone dinner, saying that he was lacking appetite. They managed to brave through the downpour and arrived at an inn before the lightning struck, and were now sitting cozily on the wooden floorboards, all showered and dried. Chewing on his lettuce, he noticed Espeon lost in thought, the feline not really touching her food.
Espeon-senpai, what's wrong? Bayleef asked, earning a shout from Pikachu.
Hey! Is this preferential treatment I'm seeing? I want to be called senpai too! cried the mouse.
Uh, okay, Pikachu-senpai. he replied.
Mmm, say it again.
Pikachu-senpai.
Yes, yes, say it again.
Pikachu-senpai...
Ah yes! That sounded so melodious to my ears! You passed!
After one and a half day of traveling with these guys, the newbie could somehow summarize their personailities. First was Charizard, who was hyper and enthusiastic about everything, and had a queer sense of curiosity. A rather clumsy pokemon, he could set fire to things unknowingly. From what he heard from Espeon, one of their past teammates, Blastoise, had to clean up his mess every time. He was easy-going, and seemed reliable and cool, albeit rarely.
Espeon was more of the older sister figure of the party and behaved to be pretty over-protective. She usually mediates arguments between Pikachu and Charizard and was calm and decisive. Other than these characteristics, Bayleef could not observe any other things from this mysterious psychic type.
Last but not least, the incomprehensible electric mouse, Pikachu. He gets grumpy, sarcastic, stubborn and hungry all at the same time. His appetite and actions baffle him, and for some depressing reason, Bayleef could find not another positive trait other than his friendliness. But the grass type knew that time will tell, and slowly, he will learn more about his teammates.
As for his trainer, Bayleef felt honored to be part of his team. He knew Red was some big-shot trainer, but to what extent, he wasn't sure. Red did not like to talk to humans but seemed perfectly alright with talking to pokemon. He wanders around areas with tall grasses a lot and was unexpectedly dense. No wonder Espeon was protective over him.
He was new to the team and appreciates their efforts to include him. But sometimes, he still fears that he did not fit in.
Anyways, back to the situation at hand.
Espeon gave a disapproving expression towards Pikachu's absurdity before she sighed and then addressed to the whole party.
Guys, I have something important to say.
Oh yeah, you mentioned that someone-
At the Ruins of Alph, someone had instigated the explosion. It was by no means, a natural occurence.
Hey! Let me finish my sentence! Pikachu protested.
Who was it? Charizard asked, his face suddenly stern. Pikachu got annoyed and started grumbling about disrespect. Red, who was leaning his back against the bed post, petted the mouse's furry head before he focused on the conversation.
That man wore a mask, a white colored mask that concealed half of his face. No one came except for him after the collapse, so I guess that he had actually cordoned off the area, so no one can come to help us. The masked person said he worked for someone else, so I believe whoever is behind this isn't someone to joke with.
"... Is it Giovanni?" Red muttered, a sullen look on his face.
No. That masked man simply said his name was Brutus and mentioned that his master liked to play games.
Games? Like UNO? Pikachu joked and laughed along with Bayleef, the two pokemon were still oblivious to the severity of the matter.
This is serious, Pikachu. If this instigator likes to play games involving lives, plus the fact that he has the means to blast an ancient protected ruin like nobody's business, he is one dangerous enemy.
Pikachu went dead silent, as an unprecedented frown formed on his face. One look at that frown, Bayleef was convinced that something bad was going to happen.
And he is targeting Red. Charizard growled, his canines looking tenacious.
Plus, we have no idea who our enemy is. said Pikachu grimly.
Isn't that very bad? Bayleef murmured, feeling shaky and scared. Everyone's spirits went down instantly, and the storm seemed to reflect their emotions as the rain came down heavier than ever, smacking the window glass mercilessly.
"...Let's stop thinking about it... and go to sleep." Red finally broke the silence, a warm smile on his face as he slowly picked up the empty takeaway boxes, as if he did not think much of the matter.
But Red! This is your life we're talking about! Pikachu objected. His trainer continued clearing the trash while he spoke.
"... Worrying over it now won't bring us anywhere, will it? Plus, I trust that.. you guys will be there for me."
The four pokemon stared at their trainer, who stood up and went to throw away the rubbish. They found themselves exchanging glances and blushing from Red's acknowledgment. Then, heeding his instructions, the whole team had an early light out.
"Bugsy! Where are you!?" Bugcatcher Tomomichi called out. Being a default adviser to the Azalea Town Gym Leader involved finding and catching the shorty. It was already night time, but the seventeen-year-old was still cooping inside his arena studying books about bug pokemon. Within the grassy setting of the arena, it was often hard to find Bugsy among the tall grass and bushes.
"Scyth! Scyth!" A familiar cry made Tomomichi spot a purple head bobbing in between the plants. The Gym Leader's Scyther was waving its forearms hurriedly, beckoning him to come over.
As expected, Bugsy was sitting cross-legged, a huge book on his lap where realistic drawings of bugs were illustrated in its yellow pages. The Gym Leader himself was already nodding in his sleep, his eyes all shut for the night. Tomomichi noticed a small book next to the teenager, entitled "How to grow taller".
The adviser glanced back at his Gym Leader and smiled. Bugsy was small for his age and could be mistaken as a twelve-year-old kid. Adding his girly face and almost shoulder-length purple hair, he appeared feminine and was also mistaken to be a female at times. He had it tough playing his role as a Gym Leader and was constantly trying to improve himself.
"I guess I can't leave this kid alone can I?" Tomomichi sighed as he bent down to piggyback the sleeping teen. Remembering the Gym Leader had been busy throughout the day battling challengers as well as preparing for the League Conference, Bugsy indeed deserved a good rest. Today's challengers had been normal, most losing, a few winning.
"Tomorrow's another day full of challengers, isn't it? Gym Leader?" said Tomomichi, before he shouted in shock when Bugsy started drooling onto his shoulder.