Purpose

People say life is full of ups and downs. For Red, he was surely at the so-called "down" part of his life. The "down" was low, low enough for him to give out a minute long sigh.

There was a war that he would join no matter what, and he was told that he was part of some weird deck. And he can use the powers of the Pokémon types.

Arceus must have played an awful joke on him. Especially the matter about the war.

All he wanted to do was to travel around Johto, collect the badges, fill up his pokédex pages and go to the next one. Such a normal and simple desire, and yet fate played a cruel note upon him, dragging him back to the place he wanted to avoid the most. He was not granted peace by society.

He was incredibly reluctant to go back to that place of commotion and people. Plus, all his efforts to stay low would go down the drain, and he would definitely experience hellish interviews and questions that the public would bombard him.

Minutes ago, his Xtransceiver had beeped twice, informing him of a voice message that was sent to his inbox. And as expected, an exceedingly authoritative voice spoke, "Trainer Red, we require your assistance, please come to the Indigo Plateau on the 30th of July, at 1900."

The day after tomorrow. Evening.

Someone, please wake him up from this nightmare.

Walking a few more steps forward, Red and Pikachu spotted the tall archway that served as the entrance to Goldenrod City. Pikachu started fidgeting around restlessly, while his trainer had a warm glow on his cheeks, the two excited about entering a new place, worries put aside.

The metropolis sucked away the breaths of the newcomers, who awed and gasped at the spectacular scenery of skyscrapers, colorful streets, and the sheer populace. Lights blinked at the duo, the lavishing sunlight reflecting off the glassy surfaces of the self-important buildings. All walks of life dominated the concrete ground, swarms of human beings and Pokemon buzzing left and right at different walking paces. There were foreigners among the crowd, strange Pokemon mingling in between, and even odd cosplayers that strutted around, which made Red felt at ease since his appearance would not be regarded as suspicious is such a liberal place.

Looking up, there was a giant satellite dish that moved at snail's pace, a long train track that stretched eastward endlessly, and massive metal giants that towered over everyone. A single building stood out from this cosmopolitan forest, with a flat orange roof, glossy orange tinted windows and colorful banners that demanded the attention of many. It even had a giant signboard saying "Goldenrod Department Store". This place does live up to the name of "A Happening Big City" and was truly the center of Johto's economy and telecommunications, which was very much similar to Celadon in both size and population.

Amidst this bustling cosmopolitan city, Red had an idea where he wanted to go next. He thought of healing Bayleef up first at the nearby Pokecenter, but after witnessing the appalling queue outside the small building, he waved away the choice. Then, he headed straight to the Department Store.

Red and Pikachu then went off to buy supplies that he did not manage to procure back in Violet City and adding that a sale was going on, they got everything at insanely cheap prices. After packing everything into his backpack, it became several kilograms heavier, but nevertheless, Red was satisfied.

The first section the two came by on the third floor was the Medicine Box, which sold many pricey permanent stat-enhancing products. Checking his wallet, Red exchanged glances with Pikachu, and after much discussion, he decided to buy some for the team, adding more weight to his backpack. The second section of the floor was a Pokemon Snack Corner, in which Pikachu's eyes lit up voraciously, a trail of saliva creeping down his chin.

And of course, Red could only be at the mercy of the electric mouse and attend to his desires.

The fourth floor exhibited a wide range of female fashion and kids clothing, the duo gasping in wonder at the sight of the vivid selection of colors. There was also an area that sold protective gear of all sorts, and even useful gadgets that aid trainers. After viewing the many products out of curiosity, the duo headed up to the last floor.

The two journeyed through the shelves and racks of clothing displayed, slipping past people who were neither aware of his identity, nor bothering to know. Red then tottered off, with a grin on his face, as he enjoyed the luxury of moving around so freely. Finally, they ended up in an area that had three whole lines of capes and cloaks that was devoid of people, since most customers would not even think of purchasing such finery.

"Excuse me, could you step aside?" a deep and rather muffled voice spoke from behind him. Surprised by the sudden intrusion, Red and Pikachu both yelped at the same time and they scooted off to the side in a heartbeat.

Behind them stood a tall man that wore a strangely familiar cape. Half of his face was obscured by a wide hat that appeared out of place with the rest of his outfit. The moment Red and Pikachu turned their heads around, they gasped in surprise, while the man brushed past them as his hands impatiently shuffled through the capes.

"... You're Lance... Right?"

"Oh yes, I am-," The man began, before he cried out loud, flustered. "I mean, no! I'm not! My name is.. er... Lancelot! Different man!"

Red only sighed.

"Who are you?"

"...Red."

The man inched closer, his eyes finally meeting the red eyes of the teenager.

"R-R-R-R…!" stuttered the man.

"Shhhhhhh!" Both Red and Pikachu hissed, fingers to their lips.

"It's you. It's really you." He exclaimed while blinking his eyes multiple times, his brows furrowing down.

Glancing at the small clump of cloth within the man's arm, Red smirked and teased, "… Buying capes again?"

"Uh, no, this is.. Fine, yes." The man replied with much annoyance. "Wait for me here, I'll pay for these first."

Grabbing yet another black cape, he dashed off to the cashier. The trainer and his Pikachu could not help but let out a stifled laugh. Then the two sat down on a nearby cushion and waited. Ten minutes passed by uselessly, and finally, the same caped man walked over to the duo with a rather tired expression.

"Sorry for the wait," Lance said with a smile. "Shall we go to a café? My treat."

Red surveyed the interior of the café that was furnished beautifully: rosewood tables and chair, wooden walls with gold patterns, quaint lamps providing dimming lighting that set an elegant atmosphere. Lance, as usual, had good tastes.

Flipping open the menu, he studied the sumptuous looking pictures of pies and cakes.

"Choose whatever you like," Lance said.

In the end, Red picked the red velvet cake, while Pikachu favored an extra large Pokémon Cupcake.

While waiting for their orders to arrive, the two people chatted idly.

"Care to tell me where have you been?"

".. Same to you..."

Lance leaned back on his chair, his arms propping up on the table, fingers interlacing. He looked as confident as ever, not a trace of self-doubt within his gaze, eyebrows furrowed down, a pleasant smile on his lips.

"I went around Sinnoh."

Widening his eyes in response to the short answer, Red blinked, before he narrated about his time on Mount Silver.

"You've grown," Lance said with a satisfied nod. "I suppose I look the same as ever?"

Red just gave a small smile.

"Well, shall we cease our chat? Our orders are here."

A young waitress, dressed in classic black and white, walked over to the customers, her left hand skillfully balancing a tray with tarts and cake on it. After she set the plates onto the table, she politely said, "Enjoy." and left.

"Have you tried coffee?" Lance muttered as he swiveled his own cup of cappuccino, the pretty leaf design slowly dissolving into the drink. Red shook his head while Pikachu was chomping on his cupcake like a ravenous predator, his whole face creamed with icing.

The Dragon Master chuckled before he raised his hand to make another order.

Two minutes later, a cup of piping hot latte was served, causing Red to feel surprised and embarrassed. Thanking Lance, Red proceeded to take a little sip of the drink.

"..It's good," whispered Red, who was grateful for the chance to savor such a flavorful taste. Many of his early teenage years were spent on Mt Silver, so he felt strangely mature after drinking coffee for the first time.

All of a sudden, loud ringing of a jazzy melody broke the conversation, and Lance hurriedly excused himself to answer the call on his Pokegear. When he returned, he apologized for the wait, and said, "Sorry, it was my cousin."

"...Your cousin..?"

"Clair. Gym Leader of Blackthorn. I believe you've met her before."

A stunning lady with light blue hair, eyes, clothes and most importantly, a black cape similar to Lance's, it did not take twice for Red to remember who she was. A nod of the head and Lance smiled.

"She brings news. The League Conference was finally brought to an end."

"... Oh." Red replied flatly.

"The higher-ups have summoned both you and me to go back to the League."

"... Oh." A wilful answer. Lance noticed nothing of the sombreness behind the word.

"Well, it seems that she caught wind of something rather intriguing. Apparently, four Gym Leaders are coming to Goldenrod as we speak."

"...Mmm..." Red's spoon scraped against the plate, the teenager trying to distract himself.

"And their purpose is to fight you."

Pikachu let out a surprised "Pika" and perked up his ears to listen to the two humans. Red folded his lips in, the spoon digging at the plate harder and harder.

"Knowing you, you probably don't want to fight in the war. Now there's four of them that are coming to drag you back. So are you going to fight? Or run away again?"

The spoon clattered against the plate, and Red's eyes stared at the man, who was having a stern gaze, his chin resting on his interlocked fingers.

"I..." He began.

"I just want to stay low." Lance cut in, completing his answer. Red said nothing, his fingers smoothing over the handle of the spoon.

"You're hesitating." The Dragon Master sighed. "Reluctant. Was the fame during your reign too much? Was that why you disappeared? To Mt Silver?"

"... Maybe."

"So what are you going to do? Are you going to face it, or completely give up on getting the badges?"

"..."

"You disappoint me, Red. You're weak, so much weaker than before."

"W..What?"

"Let's see, I think I've got a chance to win against you."

Pikachu protested angrily with a series of squeaks. The electric type hated being underestimated.

"You are weak. This is a fact."

"... No," Red said with a firm tone.

Taking out a napkin, Lance softly dabbed his mouth, before he stood up. He walked to the counter, took out a wad of cash, and then headed to the door. Turning to Red, he displayed no emotions on his strict face, and instead called out,

"Follow me."

His cape drifted in and out, appeared and disappeared as he bravely moved through the current of people. He was bumping into the shoulders of many, but he cared little of it. Meanwhile, Red and Pikachu struggled to follow his figure, their eyes trying to fish Lance out of the masses. Their various attempts to halt the man were fruitless since the noise had effectively muted their cries. Nevertheless, both trainer and Pokemon did their best to keep up as they passed by countless identical looking buildings that caused them to wonder if they were moving in circles.

Lance finally brought them to a building that was fairly large, with a pink and white spotted roof design, pink outer walls with light purple triangular patterns at the top edges. Potted lilies in different shades of pink were planted on the sides of the entrance, glittery and cutesy decorations were hanged around the frosted glass windows, and the Jigglypuff shaped door that was once again an unbearable hot pink. A bland yellow and squarish symbol stood out from all the pink notoriously, and the Pokemon League golden symbol showed off in an even more alarming manner.

"... The... Gym?" Red whispered, not comprehending Lance's intentions of being here.

"Shall we enter?" Lance smiled before he lightly pushed open the Jigglypuff door and walked into the building casually. Red, on the other hand, faltered for seconds, before Pikachu nudged him in the cheek.

"... I know, I know."

The interior was dark, except for a bright light at the right corner at the very end of the space. There was no Gym Guide, no trainers and only Lance stood before him.

"Come along now, we don't have all day," Lance called out impatiently. "They're waiting."

"... Who?" Red asked, but received silence from the Dragon Master.

Following after, footsteps traveled towards them, and four heads popped out from the light.

"Who's there?" A gruff voice shouted fiercely, and the lights of the Gym were switched on, blinding both Red and Pikachu, the two shielding their eyes on impulse. Red looked forward cautiously and found two males and two females staring at Lance. One of the males was half naked, his round stomach protruding out and he had long sideburns that circled around his cheeks, while the other was a blonde that looked aloof and strangely calm, almost ghostly.

For the females, one of them had brown hair that reached her waist and wore a simple dress that showed off her demurity. The other girl had outrageous pink hair that was styled into short bangs and pigtails, and she wore a sporty outfit.

The chubby man ambled towards Lance and single-handedly grabbed him by the collar of the cape, raising the grown man high up into the air.

"Chuck, hang on!" Whitney yelled. "That's Lance!"

Chuck's face paled as he carefully released his grip on the man before he hurriedly apologized for his rash actions.

"What brings you here, Lance?" Morty asked.

Lance merely pulled Red over, throwing the boy's hood off. Red gasped, surprised that his cover was so abruptly thrown away.

All four Gym Leaders stared at him, at his strange red eyes and black hair. Realizing who he was, Morty, Whitney, and Jasmine gaped at him, the three of them stunned beyond words.

"Who's that?" Chuck asked, earning jaw drops from the three younger Gym Leaders.

"Huh? Can't you see?" Morty exclaimed in disbelief.

"Harumph... No."

"That's Red."

Chuck's muscles stiffened, and his breath cut short.

"No way! Tell me you're kidding!" hissed Chuck.

"Do I look like I am?"

"You always look like you do!"

"Well, sorry for being born with such a face," Morty replied irritably. "But that's really Red. You can go ask him if you don't believe me."

Chuck then took tentative glances at Red, the latter trying hard to avoid eye contact. When his doubts were ascertained, Chuck went forward and his chubby hands grabbed onto Red's slender ones.

"It's really you! Nice to meet you! The name's Chuck!" Red grimaced slightly since the Fighting-type Gym Leader's iron grip had the potency to break a finger or two. Then Morty came in between them, allowing Red to tear away from Chuck. The blonde studied the younger trainer for a while before he smirked and said, "The name's Morty. The brown haired lady there is Jasmine, and the annoying pink haired brat is Whitney, the Gym Leader of the Goldenrod gym."

"I'm not annoying!"

"So? Are you here to battle us? The four of us would happily oblige." Morty continued, disregarding Whitney's protests.

"... N-n-"

"Yes, he is." Lance interrupted.

"Wahahaha! Then let's start! Right now!" Chuck announced heartily.

"No, wait! I want his autograph first!" Whitney jumped in, her hands thrusting out pen and paper.

"Annoying as ever." Morty murmured between teeth.

"Shut up, you Blondie!"

"Pink hair!"

"Natural perm!"

"... Um..." Jasmine called out, but her soft voice made no impact on the two Leaders.

"Morty, you stupid stupid stupid!" fumed Whitney

"Is your insult vocabulary limited to just "stupid"? Oh, right, you're stupid."

"I'm not!"

"The two of you, enough! There are visitors here!" Chuck shouted, sticking his arm out to stop their petty argument. Morty then begrudgingly skipped away from Whitney, while the Goldenrod City Gym Leader was still full of fight. It was when Jasmine pulled her away did she finally calm down.

"Are they always like this?" Lance asked Jasmine, who let out a stifled yelp at the sight of the Dragon Master. She shuffled further away from him, and gave a nod of the head.

"Funny. They were more friendly to each other in the past."

"... Stuff happened.." Jasmine admitted.

"Okay! Champion Red, ignore those youngsters. Shall we fight?" Chuck turned back to the red-eyed teenager, eyes full of enthusiasm.

"No! I want to fight first!" Whitney raised her hand, her mind had already forgotten the animosity she was aiming towards Morty.

"Nuh uh, you're after me," Morty said.

The three Leaders bickered, all wanting to attain the first spot to battle Red, while Lance, Jasmine, Red, and Pikachu were left forgotten.

"... I don't want to..." Red muttered.

"Pardon?" Lance asked.

"... I don't want to fight..." Red swallowed. "I don't... want to join the war..."

"Neither do I."

Red turned his head to look at the man in surprise.

"I want to go on with my life and do whatever I want. Just let the rest do the job, while I relax and enjoy the peace. But if I do that, I'll be betraying many things."

"My family, my friends, the Gym Leaders, my home. They are all things I want to protect. Don't you have yours too?"

"..."

"You know, if a weakling tries his best to protect something that is precious to him, he is a strong person. But if a strong person doesn't put effort to do the same thing, then he is a-"

"A weakling..."

"Exactly."

"... That's why... you said I am... a weakling."

"If you want to grow stronger," Lance said. "Battle them."

"... What? How does that... help?"

"Who knows? You may discover it yourself. Sometimes, you just need a stimulus to work things out."

Lance flashed a knowing look towards the trainer and the Pikachu on his shoulder. The electric mouse was now discharging bits of electricity, clearly excited.

".. Fine by me," Red replied with a grin.

"Hah..." he let out a sigh. The pure white towel covered his eyes as his head faced the ceiling. His hair was damp and became spiky from the water that dripped down his neck. His whole team had freshened themselves up and were relaxing after a nice hot bath.

Lance had offered them a one night stay in one of the most expensive suites in the city, and their rooms were adjacent to one another. They took this chance to enjoy the luxury and had their two days of dirty clothes washed and dried.

Just in one day, so many things have happened. The Major Arcana. The war. The Gym Battles.

For the Gym Battles, it was decided that all of them would use three pokemon respectively, in consideration of Red's small team.

Tomorrow would be one tough day. The days after too.

The teenager removed his sleeveless gloves and stared at the null sign imprinted on the back of his palm.

Null.

Zero.

Just what are the Major Arcana?

He had no idea. He needs to talk to someone, anyone.

Celebi had mentioned that to find the others, he just had to identify them via a tattoo of their respective numbers.

Suddenly, the number "V" flashed across his mind, and he remembered a certain having the particular tattoo. On the nape.

Lyra.

"..."

Red plucked off the towel off his face and breathed in exasperation. He was not really familiar with her, and thus his options were narrowed down to Green Oak.

"... The Magician..."

He dragged himself to his backpack and dug through his belongings, finally taking out his Xtransceiver. Holding the watch by the band, his finger swiped across the screen, arriving at his contact list. Soon, his watch emitted the standard in-call buzzing. He waited until Green's face appeared on the screen. His head bobbed up and down, and he was probably walking.

"Yo!"

"... Hi."

"What's with that glum face? And here I thought that you missed me."

"... I don't."

"How cold of you. Well, never mind that. What's the matter?"

"... Just a question..."

"Hmm?"

"Are... you the Magician...?"

"Yes. Gramps told me about you yesterday. The Fool, right?"

"... Uh... Yeah."

"By the way, where are you right now?"

"Goldenrod... Listen..."

Red then described everything that had happened. The plates of Arceus, the six cards that would be assembled next week and lastly, Brutus and his mysterious boss.

"That's a lot of stuff."

"... You mean.. trouble."

"Haha. Anyways, you said six of the cards would be assembled, is that right?"

"Yeah.."

"Then, we have half of them. I just met another card."

"... Lyra?"

"What? Who is that? I meant Ethan. He's the Chariot."

"... I see... Lyra is Ethan's childhood friend... She's Number V."

"Oh my Arceus, are you serious?"

"... Serious."

"Hey, that's four of us! Number V, that's the Hierophant."

"Yep.."

"Still as unenthusiastic as ever. And about this Brutus, tell me more about him."

"... A dangerous man."

"Yeah, I know that. He tried to kill you, threatened some Apricorn ball Smith to make the Steal Ball. Any other leads on him?"

"No.."

"Have you told anyone else?"

"No.."

"Okay, good. Keep it a secret from the League people, including Gramps. We've got enough trouble brewing about."

"... Yeah."

"You had better come back and help us fight in the war."

"..."

"You're a strong trainer. Plus you have the legendary pokemon."

"... I released them.."

"Oh, so you released- wait for what?! You released them?"

"... No I mean, I didn't, but they aren't with me... now..."

"Goddamn! How dense could you get? Releasing them?"

"I... I'll go find them."

"We'll go find them. I'm coming along."

"... Suit yourself."

"Ah. I've got to go."

"Okay,"

"Good luck for tomorrow."

Red pursed his lips.

"... Yeah,"