"Pokémon Endless Journey - Volume 1: Red, Green, Blue and Yellow - The First Legend"

Chapter 12 – Gambling Problems:

While waiting for his Pokémon to be fully healed, Red stared at the Gym Badges he possessed, recalling the request Erika asked him just a few dozens of minutes before.

"Could you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"You see, recently, here in Celadon City, men in black belonging to Team Rocket have been causing a disturbance. Apparently they've built a secret underground base underneath the Game Corner. I would go there myself, but I'm not allowed to leave my position as the Gym Leader."

"…I'll do it."

"Oh, thank you very much!"

"They're starting to piss me off…" Red whispered to himself, just as the noise arrived, holding a small tray with his three Poké Balls.

"Here you go, sir."

"Thank you." Saving the badges and the Poké Balls, Red exited the Poké Center and made his way to the Game Corner. Of course, resisting the desire to go to the slots and possibly buy a rare Pokémon, he was quick to approach the poster by the corner, out of everybody's eye, and found a secret door right behind it. Climbing down the stairs, he was almost immediately spotted by grunts.

"What the-?! What is a kid doing here?!"

"I'm here to kick your ass!" Red proclaimed. Though he realized maybe it wasn't the best idea.

"Zubat! Drowzee!"

"Oddish! Weepinbell!"

"Grimer! Koffing!"

"Uh-oh…" Red stepped back as he took out his Pokémon. "Ivysaur, Beedrill, Pikachu!"

The three Pokémon glared at the six opponents.

"Char-MELEON!" A stream of flames burnt up a Gloom of an enemy Grunt, driving him away.

"For an organization focused on stealing Pokémon, one would think they would have more kinds of Pokémon besides Normal, Poison and Ground types." Green noted, his Charmeleon agreeing with a nod. "Hey, Blue, are you done in there?"

"I'm doing this as fast as I can, just keep guarding the door."

Behind Green was a door that led to a lab-like room, where Blue explored in search for a very specific specimen. Of course, with the help of Green, she and her Wartortle drove all of the people inside away in order to explore the computer, which according to some rumors, possessed a golden secret.

"…Here it is…" Figuring out how to use the computer, she made a Pokémon materialize itself inside a glass-like capsule. It was Porygon, the Virtual Pokémon. "You're going to make me soooo much money." Collecting the specific Poké Ball for it, she withdrew Porygon into the Poké Ball and analyzed some of the files. "Is the coding for it also around here? … Hmm? Evolution?"

"What are these?" After Red cleared his way through the grunts, Red found a room where multiple telescopic-like objects, all labeled 'Silph Scope'. "Hmm?" Reading the instruction booklet, his eyes widened. "This… is exactly what we need!" Saving a few copies for himself, he exited the room, coming across Green after a short while. "Uh? Green?!"

"Red? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same."

"I asked you first."

"The Gym Leader Erika asked me to check this place out because of Team Rocket. I'm trying to drive them away. Your turn."

"Hmph." Leaning against the nearby wall, he exposed the door. "Blue heard about a rumor that said Team Rocket is studying an artificial Pokémon of sorts, and she wanted to take it for herself so she could get a reward or something like that. I'm just here as a guard." Closing his eyes after giving his explanation, something slammed against his face all of a sudden.

"I'm back!" Blue cheerfully warned, becoming confused upon seeing the scenery. "Red? Where's Green?"

"Umm…" Sweating bullets, Red pointed at the space between the door and the wall. Blue gave a peek and pulled the door back, revealing Green with a red face and a popping vein.

"Oh. Sorry."

"Blue, I swear to Arceus, I'm going to-"

An adult male voice interrupted the conversation. "Whatever you're going to say, I believe it should wait."

Red, Green and Blue turned, somewhat afraid of the deep and scary voice. Upon looking, they found a man, rather old, probably in his late 30s or early 40s. Short dark brown hair, black simple eyes, and wearing a simple yet eloquent and formal uniform, black with white underneath, and the letter 'R' imprinted in red on the left side of his chest.

A grunt approached. "B-Boss, we got this under control."

"Lower class grunts are being beaten by twelve year olds. 'Under control' seems to be the last thing you can say to describe this situation."

"Boss? You're… Team Rocket's boss?"

"Right you are. I don't know if it was pure coincidence or destiny the fact that I just so happened to come today for a quick inspection, but it seems that it was only fortunate for such." Dropping a Poké Ball, it opened, letting out a large Pokémon.

"Rhy-horn…"

"That one is huge!" Red noted, as Green checked the Pokédex.

'Rhyhorn, the Spikes Pokémon. Strong, but not too bright, this Pokémon can shatter even a skyscraper with its charging tackles. Its massive bones are 1000 times harder than human bones. It can easily knock a trailer flying.'

"Char…!" Charmeleon felt somewhat intimidated, but Green knew how to turn the odds their favor.

"Pidgeot, Nidorino, to the battlefield!"

"Let's do this! Ivysaur, Beedrill, Pikachu!"

"Wartortle, Butterfree, Nidorina, follow suit!"

Nine Pokémon against one.

"Flamethrower! Gust! Double Kick!"

"Razor Leaf! Twineedle! Iron Tail!"

"Water Gun! Psybeam! Crunch!"

A stream of fire, razor sharp leaves, water jets: made nothing. A gust of wind, stabs from two spears, a beam of psychic waves: did no damage. Two kicks, a slam of an iron-hard tail, a bite with grinding teeth: useless.

"Chip Away."

"RHYHORN!" A reddish aura surrounded his body and he thrashed around, violently flailing about and causing damage to every Pokémon present.

The situation seemed grim. "We have to get out of here."

"But how?"

"Withdraw your Pokémon!" Blue commanded, as she withdrew hers. Red and Green trusted her judgement, withdrawing their respective Pokémon as well. "Rhyhorn, go!"

"What?"

Giovanni was somewhat astonished, just like Green and Red when Blue sent in a Rhyhorn of her own.

"When did you get one?!"

"No time to talk, let's go!" Blue and the two other boys backtracked their way to the entrance. "Rhyhorn, join us later, ok?!"

Exiting the Game Corner running, the three breathed heavily. "So… Rhyhorn?"

"That was my Ditto." Suddenly, a pink blob exited the ventilation system they happened to be close to them. "See?"

"Oh. The Imposter Ability."

"Yup. But if I hadn't said Rhyhorn, Giovanni would've seen through the disguise.

"Shouldn't we, well, get out?" Red wondered, afraid of Team Rocket possibly chasing them.

"What? You think they're just going to dart out of their hideout in front of everyone?"

"…Point taken." Green noted, as Ditto was withdrawn.

"Well, my mission was success anyway." Blue pointed out, as she waved a Poké Ball and three different disks. "Right here is Porygon. Two of these disks make it evolve, and the other has the coding necessary for its creation and development."

"What are you going to do with it?" Red wondered, as he placed his hands behind his head.

"I'm going to make a fortune, that's what." Blue admitted, as she marched towards the Poké Center. Shrugging at each other, Red and Green decided to do the same.

After healing her Pokémon, Blue waited for Red and Green to come back, as she gazed at the disk with Porygon's coding, she felt observed. As if something watched her closely.

"…Team Rocket?" she whispered to herself. Turning her head to the side, the corner of her eye found her observer. "Uh?"

"H-Hi…" A little girl, apparently rather shy, with eyes that matched her pinkish-red hair, styled with a pig tail on its left side, reaching her shoulder, tied up by a yellow hair band. She was hugged tightly to an Abra, which she used to hide half of her face behind.

"…A kid?"

"I-I'm 9 years old! My name is Mira! Would you like to be friends with me!?"

Blue stared at the girl who blushed so intensely that she looked like a Tomato Berry. Of course, Blue couldn't contain her giggles. "You don't have many friends, do you?"

"…Is it that obvious?"

"You're so nervous that your knees are shaking." Blue pointed out, making the girl blush even further.

"…My parents keep travelling around, so I can't stay in places for very long."

"…" Blue's expression changed from amused to surprised. Mira's composure was something she had seen once before. She had seen it in herself. "That Abra…"

"He's my only friend. My father gave it to me so I wouldn't always be alone…"

"…I'd love to be your friend, but I'm in the middle of a journey."

"A journey?" Mira looked at Blue, rather astonished.

"Yup. With two friends. So I'm not staying here for long. But I'll be your friend whenever we cross paths again. Maybe when you're older, you'll have your own journey and your own friends."

"Y-You really think so?"

"I do. In fact…" Blue handed Mira a Poké Ball.

"Eh?"

"Open it."

"…" Mira pressed the button and Porygon popped out of the Ball, somewhat confused.

"That's a Porygon."

"A Porygon…? B-But I my parents said I shouldn't take presents from strangers…"

"My name is Blue. Now we're friends." Blue placed a hand on Mira's shoulder. "You and Porygon will be great friends."

Surprised at first, Mira began smiling, the pink tinge reappearing once again, and tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, I have to go. My friends are waiting for me."

"Alright. Good luck!"

"Same!"

Blue dashed out of the Poké Center, following Red and Green, as Mira waved goodbye.

"You gave away the Porygon? What about the money?"

"The coding is enough to get the money."

"But why to that girl?"

"I guess I felt sorry for her. Not to mention…" she looked back, winking at the nine year old in the distance. "…she kinda reminds me of myself a little bit."

Pokémon of the Day:

Rhyhorn - Rhyhorn's brain is very small, giving it a one-track mind. When it runs, it forgets why it started and continues until it falls asleep. However, it may recall the reason upon demolishing something. Rhyhorn runs in a straight line due to its short legs making it inept at turning. It does not care if obstacles get in the way, merely smashing through them or sending them flying. Sometimes it may feel pain the day after a collision. Rhyhorn lives in rough terrain.

Porygon - Porygon has two signature moves at its disposal. It can change type into one of its own moves with Conversion or to resist the last move that hit it with Conversion 2. It is also capable of changing its appearance using Sharpen, which is a former signature move. Because it is man-made, it is generally found in computers or in labs and other buildings where people work.