Chapter 20: Red 1
Red watched Catch train in silence. He was always silent, but right now, inside, he was smiling.
The girl had improved a little during the training. Not to the extent of amazement, but at least she was finally figuring out the basics and getting a grasp on it. It was…heartwarming, to see her working diligently to improve. Especially considering the fact that she did not even want to fight.
Red gazed heavenward, brows furrowing. It was…saddening, in a way. He himself loved battle, the joy, the thrill, and the pure triumph that flooded him after a win. He took to it like a fish to water, and it seemed to be one of the few things he was actually good at.
He had never been graced with social skills, unlike Blue. Blue, who had always been more charismatic, richer, smarter, and got more attention from girls. Red had always just been, well, Red. There, in the background. Nobody ever noticed him except his mother, Professor Oak, and Blue himself. Maybe his teacher counted too, but she had always paid more attention to Blue.
Catch had noticed him, though. She had looked into his eyes and saw him. He could tell. The way her eyes narrowed, the way her lips pursed, the tightening of her stance. Body language gave so much away…he always wondered why people did not notice it as much.
Red knew why he could, though. When learning sign language, one had to be observant and pay attention to minute details. And body language was an effective tool to use for people that didn't know sign language. They unconsciously recognized it and reacted in turn.
He shook his head. He had gotten lost in thought again. It was easy, when one could not speak, to get wrapped up in musings. But dangerous. Especially in battle.
His eyes flicked around the clearing, satisfied that there were no trainers to fight. He loved battle, thrived off it even, so he was always on the alert for prospective trainers. He wondered if his eyes flashed red when he did so. He would not be surprised.
They alighted on Catch, and acknowledged her as little threat before the rest of his mind caught up. No. Catch is a friend, not a foe. He frowned to himself, the word strange to the head. When was the last time he had a friend? And when had he seen her as that?
She was an easy person to like, though, smiling and gentle toward strangers and him. But then again, she was also mentally unstable. He frowned somewhat. There was something about her…he could not put his finger on it, but he doubted she was that way naturally. The lost, sad cast to her eyes told him that this must be a situational occurrence, but he had yet to decipher the whole truth. She was a mystery to be solved, but he had decided to leave her alone. She would tell him if she felt like it, and that was the way it was.
Unlike Blue, Red was not naturally nosy. He kept to himself, and never pried, nor was pried by in return except for those who knew him well. It made him wonder…if they were…friends, then should he pry? He had yet to figure out all the nuances of society. There were so many, and he was naturally disadvantaged to deal with them all…
But were they friends? Earlier today, Catch had expected him to leave. He had not expected that himself, but she seemed to be under the notion that she would hold him back. While it was true from his observations that the girl tended to go at a slower pace than he did, she was far from the obstacle she seemed to think herself. In fact, her presence was…surprisingly welcome. She was a bit loud and bossy at times, but her heart was in the right place and she loved Pokémon. That was the main thing. He did not think that he would be able to tolerate traveling with somebody that did not like Pokémon.
No, she was not an obstacle, he knew, and he was ashamed that she had even believed that. Had his body language suggested such feelings? Well, he knew he was not the best of communicators…
So was she a friend? He was not sure.
He had stood there in shock after she had run off, and evaluated her destination. Probably not too far, as she still had to challenge the Gym. But, he had considered, it might be better to leave her alone for now. Blue had once told him that people liked to be left alone to cry. And she looked like she was about to cry.
His mother had said comfort was the best medicine for tears. But Red failed at consolation, finding it too awkward. He had never needed to support others. His mother had always made sure to cry when she thought him asleep, and he had never confronted her on that.
Blue had once called him a robot with no emotion. Maybe he was right…it felt like all his emotions had frozen long ago. Or was it the fact that he had a naturally expressionless face? That was not his fault, but the fault of genetics. Even his mother had her cold, distant moments.
Which was why Catch was so fascinating…she was a spark of fire, like Blue, while Red's fire only emerged in battle.
Speaking of battle…would it be wise for Catch to battle another trainer at this point? It would be most ideal to go against somebody other than himself, as she needed to gain experience with other battling styles and gain money. He did not begrudge her the debt, but it would be convenient to have a greater amount of funds at hand.
He woke out of his self-imposed reverie and put his full attention to watching the training.
Red was an expert in multitasking, so while he had been thinking, he had also been observing. Mock was gaining in his aim, though the boy noticed that the turtle had a small blind spot in the front…common in those with eyes more off to the side, though his were not as separated as say, a Rattata's would be. There was really no way to cure it, but it would be best if Catch were aware of it.
He tilted his head, and looked at Pikachu. The mouse nodded, reading his expression as easily as Red did his Pokémon's. The next time the two took a break, Pikachu would inform Mock of his blind spot.
His gaze slid to the next pair. Colby and Olive. It was impressive how the rat took advantage of his greater intelligence to benefit himself, though in a straight fight, it would be harder to pull off. Colby's main tactic should be hit-and-run, he concluded. Olive worked best in a fair fight, however.
Red wondered if Catch were aware of all this. It was so difficult, sometimes, to figure out what she knew and what she did not. She seemed very knowledgeable at times. Other times he wondered how she expected to fight with her appalling lack of skill. Red never thought that she would not realize all this herself. Was he just more inclined to battling than her?
The flyers, well, they were improving also, though the sharp learning curve had started to ease. Their speedy improvement had mainly been a result of their inexperience, but they had the capacity for agility already. Now, they would learn at a normal pace, though he observed that Granola was a naturally skilled flyer. In Red's opinion, she was one of Catch's better…catches, her skill making up for her difficult personality.
This was also a good experience for Pikachu and Ivysaur. Pikachu had to learn that speed would not save him from everything, and he was lucky it was only bubbles he was dealing with. Ivysaur's dexterity and speed with his vines would improve as well. Vine Whip was a useful move overall…
Analysis finished, he turned to Catch and approached her. She was leaning against a tree, muttering different strategies under her breath. Her eyes flicked up to observe him cautiously.
He masked the confusion he felt at her wariness. What did she think he would do? Or say? He started to write. I think you should inform Mock that he has a blind spot directly in front of him. It gets smaller as the distance increases, but he might not be aware of it in general. Also, Colby is suited for hit-and-run combat, and you should reserve Olive for direct fighting. Granola is very agile, but Butter keeps up as well. I suggest you try battling another trainer before the day is done. He finished with a glance up at the painted sky.
Catch's face paled, before she chuckled lightly. "Oh, you think I'm ready?" Interesting. Why was she so nervous about this? Should she not be excited? Then again, she was not him. Or Blue. Or anybody but herself. She was an anomaly, different from the norm, as this world was filled with those who loved to battle.
He turned to his Pokémon, who had stopped and stared at him curiously, and then nodded, relaying the message to the others. He offered a hand to Catch, who took it, and lifted her up, musing briefly on how his mother had drilled manners into him.
Red knew that Route 3 had a few trainers, as he had seen them, but been stopped by a boy because of his lack of Badges. When they arrived, the boy was not there anymore. Red noted a girl with sharp eyes that challenged him to battle. At the sight of her, Catch had paled further. Interesting. Was the sight of even one trainer enough to make her want to run away? But no, she had never had such reactions around other trainers. Perhaps it's because this would be her first trainer battle besides Brock? But no, that was still odd, since Brock was far more intimidating than this girl.
It was his policy to accept battles, and this had not changed, but he was not the one who needed the training at the moment. He resolved to finish the fight as soon as possible.
The girl only had a couple of Pidgey, which Pikachu easily decimated. He snorted internally: This was hardly a fair fight. Pikachu had leveled up, learning Quick Attack in the bargain. Red decided it would replace Growl.
With Pokémon, one had to accept that in order for an attack to be useful at all, they had to specialize their move pool. Four was the optimal number. Therefore, Pikachu would slowly stop using Growl to focus on Quick Attack.
Red accepted the money she gave, ignoring the bed of compliments she heaped on him. His focus shifted to Catch, who was looking strangely…bitter. He wondered why. It was too bad, because although his observation skills were spot-on, when it came to analyzing the contents he was more often wrong than right.
Red had always understood Pokémon more than humans.
He motioned over to a boy with a net, implying that Catch should battle him. Still wearing that bitter look he disliked, the girl approached the boy and started to fight.
As she went up against a Caterpie, a Weedle, and another Caterpie, Red noted with approval that she had labeled her Poké Balls with stickers, and that she had a Poké Ball bracelet. He frowned: where did she get the money to buy that?
Catch also seemed to be concentrating solely on Mock. While it was true that Mock would fight, Brock would also have use of his Geodude, making another Pokémon necessary if she did not want the turtle to be exhausted. Either Butter or Olive would be fine, though Red preferred Olive, if only for the fact that she did not have the disadvantage against rock-type moves. Even if Brock had only used one rock-type move against him, it was a powerful one. Then there was the Mankey's trump card…
It was strange, the rules Brock had used against Catch earlier this morning. Usually, trainers were completely unlimited in their Pokémon choice, but it was most likely because Brock did not have full use of his Pokémon.
Red gave her his advice afterward, ignoring the way the other trainers stared at his use of a notebook to write. Sometimes, humans could be irritating. He generally preferred the company of Pokémon to other human beings. His mother, Professor Oak, Blue, and Catch were rare exceptions.
Catch then fought using Olive against a boy gushing over shorts. She excelled against his Rattata, but struggled against his Ekans, eventually overpowering the Pokémon.
Red noticed that Catch had slowly started to gain confidence, which was good. She would need it.
They returned to the Pokémon Center tired but happy. Red hoped that they would be able to battle Brock tomorrow and leave by noon. They had stayed too long, and who knew how long Mt. Moon would take them?
The next morning, when they arrived at the Gym, Red encouraged her silently with a nod, and watched her step up to face Brock.
"So you're back," his voice boomed. "Well, I don't know how much you'll have improved in a day, but I'm willing to test it!"
And with that, they started.
When he sent his Geodude out, Catch sent out Mock. Brock raised a brow in surprise, but the girl just smiled.
Red approved. Good. It looked like she had done some thinking before entering, and chose strategy over nostalgia. Then he frowned. Still, this might have repercussions…Mock is very sensitive for a Pokémon, and might start to think she lacks confidence in him.
"Mock, use Bubble!" the girl cried.
The turtle easily kept pace with the slow Geodude, knocking him out easily. But that was only the warm-up. Now the real challenge would begin.
"Go, Onix!" Brock shouted, and the behemoth from before appeared.
Catch froze in place for a second before recovering, and then sent out Olive.
Brock frowned immediately, sensing her strategy. Unfortunately for him, Mankey were one of the most effective Pokémon to use against his Onix, as their speed was high enough to keep up and their attack was pretty good for being a base evolution. And then there was their ace in the hole.
"Olive, Low Kick!"
"Onix, go underground!"
The rock snake narrowly avoided the attack and dove into the ground. Instead of panicking like she had before, Catch merely waited. The snake could not wait forever. Red approved when she realized another way to detect him: vibrations, and called out to her Mankey to sense for them. It was fifty-fifty whether the Onix would attack before Olive could react, or whether Olive would be able to move in time.
Unfortunately, the Onix was faster. Red stared, taking in the trajectory of the Mankey's flight, her heavy landing, and the rock snake rearing above, ready to strike. If it attacked again, the match would be over. Butter was a risk being part flying, and who knew if Catch would be able to direct her in battle calmly enough to win?
Catch seemed to freeze again at that moment like she had before, with Mock. Red watched her face. Would she panic and lose all reason again?
She shook her head and gritted her teeth, eyes taking on the familiar fire. Fire he had seen in someone else's eyes.
"Olive, move!"
Her voice shook the Mankey out of its frightened stupor, and the Pokémon rushed out of the way at the last second, a hairsbreadth away from forming a Mankey-shaped crater in the ground.
"Low Kick, Olive!" Catch's voice rose in confidence, swelling out in a shout.
"Kiii!" the Pokémon cried, and with a powerful burst of energy, kicked the Onix's side, forcing it to crash into the ground and cause the building to shake.
"Grrrroaaaal!" the snake roared, and rose slowly. Red could tell in a glance that one more move like that would finish it off. Both of them were one blow away from collapse.
"Onix, Tackle!" Brock shouted, sweating now. He knew that he was done for if this move did not work.
Catch straightened herself, eyes sharpening. She muttered a few words under her breath Red did not hear, and then yelled, "Now! Side-on Low Kick!"
"Mankey!" the Pokémon jumped out of the way, and tripped the charging snake. Being both large and heavy, it could not turn in time to avoid the move, and plummeted to the earth once more. An enormous dust cloud surrounded the fighters, and when it cleared, Olive was still standing, though obviously frightened at how close she came to being crushed.
"That was a risky move…" Brock grunted, and Catch's face paled, glancing at Olive and then back to Brock. "Still, taking risks is part of Pokémon battling, and it worked. I'm proud to have fought against you."
"Likewise," Catch nodded, "You are definitely worthy of the title of Gym Leader."
"And you are worthy of the title of trainer," Brock smiled. "What's your name?"
"Catch," the girl beamed.
"Well then, Catch, I'm proud to present to you…the official Pokémon League Boulder Badge!"
Red watched her receive it, and nodded to himself. It looked like she had improved.
"So, did you help her?"
The boy turned, and looked at the man who had spoken. The unobtrusive suit.
"She couldn't have improved so fast without your help. But is that wise?" the man voiced what he himself had wondered. "After all, you're raising her up to be a rival, even if she's nowhere near your level now."
Red blinked. He's right…so far I've been putting it off by the thought that she's still weak…but if I keep helping her, will I gain two rivals, then?
He smiled, slowly, and something in his expression must have frightened the other man, as he backed up. If I cannot even handle two rivals, I'll never be able to become the League Champion. After all…
He glanced at the two Rhydon statues. They represented so much hope to trainers everywhere. It is my dream!
Red turned away, his earlier determination replaced with pain. Ugh!
He had to make it out of the Gym first. Leaving the building, he slid to the ground, eyes fluttering before curtaining the glimpse of raven hair and angry eyes that flashed red.
More character profiles.
Catch M. Hall: txs*io/mzR
Red: txs*io/VMQ
Blue Oak: txs*io/RMQ
Thank you to SmileRen, Totodileawesomeness, kenegi, Searching for Enadi, RandomCitizen, Lord Cow-Cow, Gembell, TammyHybrid21, nostalgicCyanide, and colbub for reviewing! :D
As you can see by the chapter title, there WILL be more Red chapters. At least one more, though I don't know when it will arise. Next chapter for sure is from Catch's POV.