It had been two weeks since Red had started training his squad, and he was rather impressed with their abilities. He stood to the side watching as they sparred with each other. Gary was very talented with a sword, he was very sure of his own abilities and with good reason. Red figured that with his swordsmanship and his powerful Arcanine, the brunette boy could really hold his own against the enemy. He watched as Gary took a swing at Leaf which she easily ducked under. While she wasn't nearly as strong as Gary or Drew, Leaf made up for it with speed and defense. Not to mention she had been working on her arsenal of poisons, with which she could drop even the biggest of opponents.
Red then turned his attention to the other two. May was completely lacking in sword skills. While she could probably hold her own in a fight that didn't involve weapons, she would easily be cut down by someone with a sword. However, this didn't mean she was a weak link. She would actually prove to be a strong asset to the squad. She had deadly accuracy with her bow, and those with talented archery skills were hard to come by. Not to mention she and her Blaziken were in perfect sync, they battled together flawlessly. Although, she still needed to have at least some up close combat skills, which is why Drew was teaching her. He was attempting to show May a proper stance when holding a sword, but somehow it ended up with them arguing. Which brought Drew to Red's mind. The green haired teen was skilled at just about everything. While Drew's swordsmanship wasn't quite as good as his own, Red had to admit that he was good. If the teen hadn't still been healing from his injury when they fought on the mountain, Red was sure that Drew would've put up much more of a fight. But it wasn't just his skills with a sword, Drew was also good in Pokemon battles. He and his Flygon were just as good, if not better, than May and her Blaziken. He also showed talents in herbs, though he wasn't as skilled as Leaf, he appeared to have quite the knowledge of plants. He even had some skills in archery, while not as well as May, he knew his way around a bow. Red couldn't figure out just where Drew had come from. He possessed talents that were far beyond what he would gain just from an academy. No, it was obvious that the teen had prior training.
Intent on getting answers, Red headed toward the two. He rolled his eyes at May's poor stance and went directly behind her. Using his foot he pushed her feet further apart. He then reached around her and moved her hands so they were holding the sword properly. A blush made it's way onto her face as she felt his breath on her ear.
"This is a proper stance," He told her in a silky voice. "Now practice your swings."
"O-Okay..." She muttered as she swung her sword back and forth.
Red turned his gaze to Drew to find him glaring at him. He almost wanted to smirk to himself. He wondered if Drew even realized his own obvious attraction to May.
"Let's talk," Red said to him as he ignored the angry glare.
A questioning look crossed Drew's features for a split second before his gaze turned cold as he sheathed his sword and he shoved his hands into his pockets.
"All right," He said coolly as he started walking away from May.
She was confused as she watched them walk away, both looking incredibly tense.
After he felt they were at a far enough distance that the others couldn't over hear them, Red turned to stare intently at Drew.
"You never did answer where you're from." He said simply.
Drew raised an eyebrow as he tried to figure where he was going with that statement. "I never really thought it was an important detail." He replied.
"I was just curious," Red said as he looked off to the others, who were trying to make it look like they were training, but were more focused on trying to figure out what the two of them were doing. He didn't think Drew was going to say anything until he finally spoke up.
"LaRousse City," Drew muttered. Red turned his gaze back to the teen next to him. He tried to figure out just what was going through Drew's mind, but found him incredibly hard to read. Well now his intelligence made sense. LaRousse was known as the city of the future. It seemed as though all the kids from there ended up being famous for something, whether it was art, science, sword fighting, or Pokemon battling, LaRousse was the place to look for the child prodigies of the world.
"LaRousse huh? That's a pretty advanced city. Were you born there?" A look crossed Drew's features from the question, but Red was unable to determine what kind of emotion it was.
"No," He answered quickly.
Red raised an eyebrow at that. Drew was definitely hiding something. He wasn't sure what it was, but there was something in his past that Drew didn't want to talk about.
"Are we done here?" Drew asked is if he was itching to get away from the man next to him.
"Keeping secrets can hurt those around you," Red told him.
This statement irritated Drew. Who was he to tell others that when he had his own secrets? "Tch. You're one to talk." He retorted back instantly.
Now he peaked Red's curiosity. "I'm not sure I know what you mean," He said calmly.
Drew rolled his eyes at the man. "The day we met you on that mountain, you looked surprised when you saw Gary. Care to explain why?" He looked carefully for any change in Red's expression, but couldn't find a reaction. Was he just seeing things that day on the mountain? No, Drew knew what he saw, and he was going to get answers from his squad leader.
"You really are more perceptive than the others." Red finally spoke with a hint of amusement.
The two stared intently at each other. Both filled with curiosity of the other's secrets. Red was growing even more amused with the green haired teen glaring up at him. It was almost like looking at a younger version of himself, skilled, smart, and incredibly distrusting.
"How about we make a deal?" Red offered. Drew's eyebrows arched, an indication that Red had peaked his interest. "A Pokemon battle. Loser spills the beans."
Drew's brows furrowed as he contemplated the offer. This was a good chance to learn things about his suspicious squad leader. Not to mention, learning the man's battle tactics would also be beneficial. But then there was the possibility of him losing. Were Red's secrets worth the risk of exposing his own that he had worked so hard to keep hidden? Of course he knew that he was a good battler, there was the fact that Red had to be even better. Even still, this was his chance to get answers to the questions that had been plaguing his mind since he met the man. Red could have answers to things even Gary didn't know about. It was his job as Gary's best friend to get those answers.
"Fine." He said after a long pause.
A smirk slid across Red's face as Drew pulled his crystal from around his neck, his expression was extremely serious. Red instantly copied his expression as he realized just how serious he was. Drew usually always had an air of over confidence about him, but this time was different. There was no smirk or smart remarks, just a look of pure determination. This was certainly going to be interesting. The others instantly stopped what they were doing when they saw Drew pull out his crystal. Were they gong to have a battle? In the time that they'd spent with him, Red still had yet to show them his partner Pokemon. The three teens eagerly made their way over to their friend and squad leader.
May could only guess what kind of partner Pokemon Red had. He was such a powerful fighter, his Pokemon must be just as impressive. Perhaps a mighty Salamence, or maybe a fierce Tyranitar? She watched in anticipation as Red reached into his shirt and pulled out a crystal of his own. As his crystal was pulled out she thought she saw a another crystal, but it was quickly hidden behind his shirt. Of course she had to be seeing things, people only had one life time Pokemon partner. It was rare indeed to find someone that could bond with more than that. Yet, she couldn't ignore the feeling that she didn't imagine it.
The two took their positions on the field standing opposite each other. Drew held up his crystal, never taking his eyes off of his opponent.
"Flygon, release!" At Drew's call, his Flygon emerged from the crystal in a flash of light. He spread his wings out wide, happy to get some fresh air.
"A Flygon huh? It's actually rather fitting of you. He even matches your bizarre hair color." Red commented nonchalantly.
Drew just growled in annoyance. With a small chuckle to himself Red held up his own crystal. He didn't need to call out for his Pokemon to know to make an appearance. In a flash of light, a Pikachu appeared from the crystal. The others were surprised to say the least. With how skilled their leader was, they were expecting his Pokemon to be just as intimidating as he was. A puny Pikachu was the last thing they were expecting.
A small chuckle was heard from Gary on the sidelines. All he could think was how Flygon was going to completely destroy that tiny rodent. It reminded him of Ash and his own Pikachu that could never face up to Gary's Arcanine. It was about time Red was finally going to get shown up. He half wished he was the one that would get to humiliate him in a battle.
His moment of laughter was cut short when he was hit by an electric shock. The small Pikachu was glaring in his direction with cheeks sparking, clearly he wasn't amused by Gary's giggles.
"Sorry about that. He has a short temper." Red apologized for his Pokemon as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Don't be. Sometimes I wish someone would shock him more often." Leaf said with a sigh as she looked down at the shocked boy next to her. Now it was May's turn to chuckle.
Drew stared intently at the Pikachu standing across from him. He had a bad feeling about what he got himself into. Red looked so calm, like he had no care in the world. He didn't even seemed phased that he had a serious type disadvantage. Of course that Pikachu had to be strong, Clair wouldn't have made him a squad leader if he didn't have a capable Pokemon. He figured he had better make the first move before that Pikachu showed off it's abilities first.
"Flygon, flamethrower!" He ordered. Of course he knew his attack wouldn't hit, but he wanted to see just what Red could do.
A hint of a smile made its way onto Red's features. Drew was playing it safe and attacking from afar, smart and yet pointless. He didn't even have to tell his Pokemon to move, the small Pikachu easily evaded the attack with amazing agility. After watching Ash battle with his Pikachu, Drew was aware that Pikachu were fast, but this Pikachu's speed was unreal. The small mouse Pokemon moved out of the way of the flamethrower so fast that Drew almost missed it.
"Double team," Red said in a smooth voice.
In an instant the Pikachu was across the field and its many clones were circling Flygon. Drew knew how to counter that attack, Ash had tried it so many times, it was almost laughable now.
"Use earthquake!" Drew shouted out quickly. Flygon slammed into the ground causing the field to break apart as rocks shot up out of the ground. However, instead of the attack stopping the Pikachu's speed like he planned, Pikachu used a rock to jump up and land on Flygon's back. It certainly wasn't what Drew was expecting to happen. Red and his Pikachu were so in sync, Red didn't even have to say anything out loud for Pikachu to make a move. And now Pikachu was exactly where Red wanted him to be.
"Iron Tail!" Before Flygon could react, Pikachu's tail started glowing and he slammed it into Flygon's back. The dragon Pokemon let out a cry as he was smashed into the ground. Pikachu landed gracefully back on the ground as Flygon started to pick himself up.
Drew was completely astounded by the raw power of the Pikachu. Flygon looked like he had taken some serious damage and it was only one attack. He couldn't help but feel annoyed, he wasn't sure if it was at himself, or his Pokemon.
"Flygon get off the ground!" Drew ordered. Flygon instantly flew up and away from the powerful yellow Pokemon.
"Thunder bolt," Red commanded.
Pikachu charged up his electricity and shot it toward Flygon in an attempt to knock him out of the sky. However, Flygon easily maneuvered around the attack. Pikachu shot continuous thunder bolts, but Flygon was too quick in the air.
"Flamethrower!" Drew tried again.
Flygon shot the attack straight toward the Pikachu, but instead of dodging the attack like Drew thought he would, the mouse Pokemon used thunder bolt again. The powerful electric attack surged around the flame and hit Flygon's right wing. The blow stunned his wing and he fell awkwardly to the ground below. Pikachu was unable to avoid the flamethrower and was hit directly by the attack, sending him rolling back a ways, before standing up having only taken minor damage. Flygon too stood back up and shook off his wing, the electric attack didn't manage to do much, but the fall seemed to have effected him.
Drew's jaw clenched as he tried to think of some strategy against the small mouse, but couldn't seem to come up with a plan. If speed wasn't bad enough, his power was just as deadly. It was obvious that Red spent a lot of time training his Pikachu. They were on a whole different level than Drew and his Flygon.
"Iron Tail again," Red told his Pokemon, not bothering to give Drew a chance to recollect himself.
Pikachu's tail glowed as he charged toward Flygon.
"Quick, use sandstorm!" Drew managed to call out. Flygon flapped his wings and launched a powerful stream of sand toward the on coming Pikachu. He managed to catch the electric type off guard and the small Pokemon stopped in his tracks as he was engulfed in a tornado of sand.
"I didn't think you'd be able to make such a quick come back. Not bad." Red commented.
"I don't need praise from you," Drew retorted as his fists clenched at his sides.
Red smiled to himself despite Drew's rude response. He certainly was a stubborn kid. The smile on Red's face only seemed to irritate him more. Red was just playing with him. Was he really so inferior to the man before him?
"Flygon, use dragon tail!" With Drew's command the dragon Pokemon surged toward the tornado of sand and swung his powerful tail. The attack cut through the tornado causing it to disappear, but also reveal that Pikachu was no longer inside.
Everyone's, except Red's, eyes were wide in surprise.
"Where did he go?" May asked as they all searched around for the missing Pokemon.
"Use quick attack," Red suddenly commanded. At his command, Pikachu appeared from underneath the sand and charged toward Flygon.
"Smart, he used the sand from the sandstorm to hide until the prime time to attack. Red really knows what he's doing." Gary commented with narrow eyes. He had really underestimated that Pikachu. And now, Drew was going to get creamed.
In an instant Pikachu slammed into Flygon, causing him to cry out from the force of the attack. However, Pikachu didn't stop at one attack. As soon as he landed on the other side of Flygon, he turned around and attacked again and again. He was moving with such speed it looked like Flygon was just being attacked by a yellow blur.
Drew could do nothing but watch in disbelief as his Flygon was repeatedly thrown around by the Pikachu's continuous quick attacks. It was that point that Drew knew he was no match for Red.
"That's enough," He said quietly with his head bowed.
Red stared intently at the teen before he signaled for his Pikachu to stop attacking. When the attacks stopped, Flygon fell to the ground in a heap. Drew instantly ran to his side and bent down to place a hand on his partner's head.
"I'm sorry." He managed to say in a shaking voice as he looked over his friend and saw just how much damage had been done.
Flygon managed to let out a reassuring cry to tell Drew it wasn't his fault.
"Return Flygon to your crystal. They have healing properties, and after a day or so in there, he'll be fine." Red said as he walked over to Drew.
Without a word, and with his head hung low, Drew lifted up his crystal and returned his Pokemon.
"I look forward to our conversation later." Red said to him quietly. "We'll call it a day now." He then added as he looked to the others.
Drew closed his eyes as he slowly stood up with a sigh. He almost had to laugh to himself at how easily he got played. Red seemed to know just the right things to say to get on his nerves. Of course, Red lured him into a battle that he knew Drew had no chance of winning.
"Drew," A small voice called to him. "Are you okay?"
He turned around to find May standing behind him, a look of concern on her face. There was something about the way she looked at him that made him want to just tell her everything. He wanted to spill all the secrets that had been weighing on his heart since he was a child. However, he knew that he couldn't.
"Of course I am. It was just a battle," He said with a flip of his hair.
May knew him well enough that she could see through his charade.
"You sure took it pretty seriously." She prodded.
He sent a glance in her direction that she couldn't quite read. However, she could tell she hit a nerve.
"Stop looking into nonexistent things," He said with a calm smile as he closed his eyes nonchalantly and walked away with his hands in his pockets.
She stared intently at his back as he walked away. Something was off about him.
As soon as Drew was clear of the training room he let out a sigh. Just what was he going to tell Red? He knew he couldn't get out of telling his squad leader what he wanted to know, but he wondered just how much detail he could leave out. One thing was for sure, he was going to avoid the man for as long as possible.
Ah Drew, what secrets do you hold? ;) I'd like to give a million apologies for how long it took me to update. I guess life got a little too hectic. I promise I'll try to stay on top of it, but who knows... On the plus side, the next chapter is pretty much done and should be up next week. So you can look forward to that? Thanks a ton for your patience and to everyone that has stuck around.
Son of the Herobrine: No, Red doesn't have a full team. It's pretty much one Pokemon a person. (Spoiler) Maaaaybe two, hint hint if you caught that May noticed a little something something. But there won't be anyone with a full team of Pokemon in this story.
Guest: Ah a kiss would be great wouldn't it? But I don't think they're quite ready for that yet.
WickedySplit: Yup still writing this story, ever so slowly... I'm glad you like it though, thanks for your review :)