Pokemon Volt Yellow

by Blu Rose

Just about everyone in Kanto knows who Red Ketchum is: one of the youngest Champions of the Indigo League who defeated a criminal organization. But before that, he was an outcast from Pallet Town with a freaky Pikachu who went on a journey to be like any normal kid, but instead found trouble every other day. [COMPLETED!]

21. Chapter 21 - The Final Stretch

The Pokemon League Challenge ends with this chapter! But that doesn't mean this is the final chapter. Fufufu...!

Disclaimer: Blu Rose doesn't own the Pokémon series. Only this story.

X-X-X

After meeting the boss of Team Rocket, Giovanni, for what I hoped was the last time, I became involved in yet another media blowup. The news that Team Rocket had a hideout in the Viridian Gym, that the trainers in it were all dangerous and wanted criminals, and that the gym leader was also the Rocket leader, naturally cast a bad light on the Pokémon League. The people in charge of assigning gym leaders claimed that they had no idea of Giovanni's double life as a crime boss, but considering that Team Rocket had ties with people in Silph and had bought off policemen in the past, everyone was skeptical that the League was entirely innocent.

With no gym leader to take over, no one in Kanto would be able to challenge the Pokémon League after the truth was revealed. Apparently, not just anyone can become a gym trainer, so it would take a long time before they found someone to replace Giovanni as the Viridian Gym's new leader. Meaning that I was fortunate to have found the Earth Badge when I did—otherwise, I would have to wait months for a chance to challenge the Elite Four.

But even bigger relief came in the form of knowing that Blue was okay. The Viridian Gym guide had said it himself. Blue defeated Giovanni, got the Earth Badge, and just left. A part of me doubted he went through the gauntlet that I did, especially considering that man's grudge against me in particular, but knowing that Blue was alive and well almost made up for the fact that he still hadn't called home in weeks. Was he off training, preparing to take on the Elite Four? Most likely.

Then there was the subject of Mewtwo and Mew. I had told Professor Oak about them, and of course, one of the very first things he did was to lament about how fortunate I was to encounter two different versions of an incredibly rare Pokémon. He asked for a description of Mewtwo in particular, to add to the Pokédex in the future. But after his excitement over a newly discovered creature had been created, we actually discussed the two in a more serious way.

"So you think the Mew you saw was the same clone that Dr. Fuji let go? And that Mewtwo was an attempt to reproduce the same effect as his experiment and improve on it? And this all took place at the Pokémon Mansion on Cinnabar Island…" Professor Oak sighed and covered a hand over his eyes. He had been sitting behind his desk in his lab when I first found him.

"I'm…sorry about your son, professor." I wasn't sure what I felt sorry for. For his son aiding and abetting criminals, possibly willingly? For helping to twist Mewtwo into some weapon of destruction? For him dying as a possible result of his actions? I certainly didn't want to be mad at him. I would rather believe that he did everything he did to Mewtwo unwittingly, or even with what he considered good intentions. Anything but seeing Blue and Daisy's dad as a criminal.

Professor Oak uncovered his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "You know, my son always tried to do something that would get himself noticed as anything but my son. That's probably what made him accept that job offer in the first place. Experimenting on a clone of Mew…" He sighed. "And look where it got him. Look what it did."

"I'm sure he didn't mean for Mewtwo to turn out the way he did," I insisted.

"I…would like to think so, too." We both fell silent for a few seconds. But then the professor spoke up, "Please don't tell Blue or Daisy about this, Red. It would probably break their hearts to learn what he had been involved in…" He then snorted. "But who am I kidding? If they learn of Mewtwo's connection to the Pokémon Mansion, they'll figure it out right away. They're such sharp kids. "

"Um…look on the bright side," I said, trying to cheer the professor up. "Blue's okay, at least. He got a gym badge from the Viridian Gym just a few days ago. Which proves him not calling home for so long is just Blue being his usual, inconsiderate self."

"That is a comfort to know, albeit a small one." Professor Oak closed his eyes for a minute, as if he was thinking of something. Then he opened them and smiled. "Ah, but enough about my family! You've got all eight of your gym badges already, haven't you? It means that you're now able to challenge the Pokémon League!" I nodded shyly, trying my best to hide my smile and failing at it. "Are you going to stick around town and train for a couple of days, or at you going to just call the trek through Victory Road training?"

"Mom hasn't seen me in a long while, so she wants me stay for a few more days. I need to train, anyway. The Elite Four is sure to be no joke. You can look over Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur in the meanwhile, if you want."

The professor suddenly looked as giddy as a child receiving a present. "Of course I do! I can't wait to see what they can do and make all sorts of comparisons…!"

Listening to Professor Oak ramble about his studies, however, wasn't enough to help me forget about Mewtwo. He was angry and eager to lash out with violence. I remembered seeing him get a nosebleed while fighting Mew, and wondered if there was possibly something wrong with him. What harm could he wind up doing to some poor person or Pokémon who crossed his path? Or what harm could happen to him while he was out there if there really was something wrong with him? I felt that it was my responsibility to help Mewtwo, if possible.

"So, would you like to see a live comparison of the might between your Blastoise and a typical Blastoise?"

"Yes, I would!" I said, pushing the thought of Mewtwo to the back of my mind. For now, hopefully, life would get back to normal. And I could focus on what I set out on my journey for: becoming the champion of the Indigo League.

X-X-X

Chapter 21: The Final Stretch

After spending three days at home training up in preparation for the Elite Four, I left Pallet Town with Pikachu and five brown paper bags of lunch made by my mother—four being for Snorlax. After going west of Viridian City, we got through the reception gate to the Pokémon League after showing all eight of my badges. Then, after a long trek along Route 23, we traveled through Victory Road, the supposed home of Moltres…although I never got to see even a glimpse of it. Or maybe I didn't notice it. I admit that my mind was entirely on the Pokémon League and the battles that awaited me, only snapping out of it when I was challenged by some eager person also on their way there. A gauntlet of four powerful trainers who would test how well I prepared and trained my Pokémon. So my thoughts were all plans on how to approach this situation and that when they weren't concerned with the wellbeing of myself and my Pokémon.

When we reached the end of Victory Road and stepped back out into the sunlight, the grandeur of the Indigo Plateau stood before us: a large, almost intimidating-looking building, the path leading up to it decorated with fancy archways, Pokémon statues, and flower bushes. The sight of it took my breath away, and I would've stood there for minutes if Pikachu hadn't snapped me back to attention and made me keep going forward.

We entered the building and found the entrance to be something like a Pokémon Center. There were a few counters with healing machines behind them, but only a single nurse was standing duty. In a corner was another counter with a sign promoting a sale on various Pokémon battle-related goods. An escalator led upstairs to what I assumed were rooms for trainers who had traveled far and wanted to rest before challenging the Elite Four. And at the very end of the room was a pair of fancy-looking double doors, guarded by a pair of men dressed in uniforms.

"Pikachu," I said, bringing Pikachu's attention on me. I looked down at him, unable to hide how nervous I felt. "This is it. We're going to challenge the Elite Four. Once we go through those doors, we won't be able to go back to the Pokémon Center unless we win it all…or we lose. Whatever the result…I know you'll all do your best, and I'm glad we got to travel together." Pikachu snapped at me and pointed, as if saying that we were going to win. "Sorry. That's the sort of thing I should leave for after we win, right?"

After healing my Pokémon and stocking up on items to use between matches, I approached the men standing guard at the doors and confirmed that I was here to challenge the Elite Four. Without a word, they stepped aside and opened the doors at the same time. Almost immediately, I was hit by a blast of cold air and shivered. For a brief moment, I thought the apathetic-looking guards were chuckling about my reaction. Taking a few more seconds to steel my nerves, I began to walk down the hallway with Pikachu to the first member of the Elite Four.

At the end of the hallway was a room. In the middle was a battlefield, surrounded by what seemed to be frozen water, and standing in the middle of the battlefield was a red-haired woman wearing glasses and clothes that didn't fit with the temperature of the environment. When we approached her on the battlefield, she introduced herself before I could. "Welcome to the Pokémon League! I am Lorelei, first of the Elite Four! As you can probably guess, my specialty are Ice type Pokémon! And who, may I ask, are you, little boy?"

I gulped, trying not to shiver and stutter out my response, "I'm Red Ketchum. I've come to challenge you."

Lorelei smirked as she adjusted her glasses, then she gave me a look as if she were sizing me up. "You're quite young to be challenging the Elite Four, Red. That's got me curious about your skill as a trainer." She took out a Poké Ball, her eyes still focused on me. "But no matter how skilled you and your Pokémon are, you'll be at ourr mercy when you're frozen solid! If you're ready, then let's go!" We took our positions on opposite ends of the battlefield. The first Pokémon she sent out was a Dewgong, which clapped its flippers together as it barked. In response, I sent out Pikachu, who seemed best equipped to handle a Water type who also used Ice type moves. "Putting your faith in a Pikachu? Risky. Dewgong, use Aurora Beam!" The horn on her Dewgong's head began to shine with a rainbow of colors before firing a beam of energy at Pikachu. The attack hit, sending Pikachu sliding backwards, but he was still okay to fight. "Now, Blizzard!"

"Use Quick Attack!" As the Dewgong blew out an extremely cold wind, Pikachu ran out of the way and zigzagged towards the Sea Lion Pokémon before tackling into it. "Thunderbolt!"

"Take Down!" Before Pikachu could attack, the Dewgong slid itself back before sliding forward headfirst. It rammed into Pikachu and sent him sliding backwards, but during that time, he unleashed a bolt of electricity that zapped the Dewgong. The attack along with the recoil from Take Down seemed to help to tire it out. "Rest." At Lorelei's command, her Dewgong laid down on the battlefield and fell asleep. The visible injuries that had been caused by Pikachu's attacks slowly faded away as it healed itself.

But falling asleep also meant that it would be a sitting duck. "Use Thunder!" Pikachu charged up a large amount of power before unleashing a big thunderbolt. When the thunderbolt hit the Dewgong, it woke up immediately, howling with pain. When the attack was finished, it was still conscious, but definitely on its last legs.

"Rest."

"Quick Attack!" Before the Dewgong could fall asleep and heal once more, Pikachu dashed forward and rammed into it. The simple attack had been enough to knock out the Dewgong and cause it to fall over.

Lorelei returned her unconscious Dewgong with a small smile on her face. "Impressive. Perhaps you've actually got some talent. Let's see how you handle this one!" She said as she held up a Poké Ball and sent out her second Pokémon…

X-X-X

I winced as I watched Charizard take another hit from the Thunder Punch of Bruno's Hitmonchan. It would figure that the Hitmonchan of a Fighting type specialist would know more than Fighting-type moves. It wasn't exactly an attack that did a lot of damage to him, but it still looked pretty brutal to see the Hitmonchan's glove-like hand smash against Charizard's snout.

"Your Charizard is impressive, taking a punch from my Hitmonchan and staying conscious," said the Fighting type specialist in question. Everything about Bruno reminded me of the martial artists at the dojo in Saffron City, except for the fact that he didn't wear a gi or a headband, so his bushy black hair was unrestrained and his muscles were free for the world to see. According to him, he literally trained with his Pokémon in hand-to-hand combat. "Perhaps that's a sign that we need to change things up. Agility!" Bruno's Hitmonchan began hopping from foot to foot as it jabbed the air, its punching speed increasing with every punch. "Now, Comet Punch!" The Hitmonchan quickly closed the distance between itself and Charizard and unleashed a flurry of punches on him so fast that its hands looked like blurs.

"Get up into the air!" I shouted. It took a while for Charizard to pull away from the Hitmonchan's punches so he could fly up towards the ceiling.

"You aren't the first who thought they could evade that way. Uppercut!" Bruno's Hitmonchan crouched before jumping high up into the air with a fist up in the air, spinning as it did. Its uppercut connected with Charizard's snout. "Now grab it!" The Hitmonchan then hooked an arm around Charizard's neck. "Mega Punch!'

"Flamethrower!" Charizard took a hard punch to the face that disoriented him a bit. But he quickly recovered in time to breathe a stream of fire into the Hitmonchan's face. That was enough to get the Punching Pokémon to let go of him. "Seismic Toss!" Before Bruno's Hitmonchan could fall to the ground, Charizard grabbed its shoulders and began to spin around in midair. After a while, he threw it down to the floor, but after lying still for a few seconds, the Hitmonchan got back on its feet.

"Keep going! Mega Uppercut!" Bruno shouted.

"Twister!" As the Hitmonchan jumped up into the air, Charizard flapped his wings and created a twister. The Hitmonchan got caught in the pull of it and was tossed about, getting scratched by blades of wind. "Now, Fire Blast!" Flames built up in the back of Charizard's mouth before he spat a large fireball down at the Hitmonchan. The fireball soon expanded, becoming the familiar five-pronged symbol before it hit the Punching Pokémon, engulfing it in fire. When the twister dispersed and the fire faded away, the Hitmonchan fell to the floor badly burnt and unconscious. "Charizard, way to go!" I cheered as Bruno returned his unconscious Pokémon.

"That's good, but it isn't over yet!" Bruno bellowed before he sent out his third Pokémon…

X-X-X

Snorlax became covered in poisonous-looking dark sludge that had been spat up by Agatha's Arbok. But, to my surprise and relief, he seemed unaffected by the attack. And of course, when things went positively for me, the old woman on the other side of the battlefield stamped her cane on the floor and complained.

"What sort of nonsense is this? It should've been poisoned!" Agatha, the third member of the Elite Four, was said to be a specialist of Ghost type Pokémon, but she also had a Golbat and an Arbok with her. She also seemed to know Professor Oak, although her sour tone when describing him as a bookworm more concerned with studying Pokémon than battling with them suggested she didn't like him. "Use Screech!" Agatha's Arbok opened its mouth and gave an ear-piercing shriek. Snorlax winced at the sound and covered his ears. "Now wrap around its head and bite it!" The Arbok quickly slithered towards Snorlax, climbed up his body, and wrapped around his head. The Cobra Pokémon hissed before chomping on Snorlax's head. Snorlax stumbled about, trying to pull it off.

"Mega Punch!" Snorlax raised a paw and it began to glow pale white. He then punched the coiled up Arbok, causing it to cry out in pain and unwrap itself. "Now grab it and Body Slam it!" Pulling the Arbok off of himself, Snorlax gripped it as tightly as he could.

"Spray acid in its face!" Twisting its body around in Snorlax's hold so it could properly see him, the Arbok spat a bright orange liquid into his face. It stopped him for a few seconds, but it didn't get the large Pokémon to let the Arbok go. In fact, he held it even tighter before jumping forward and landing on his belly, squashing the Arbok beneath him. Snorlax got up, wiping the acid off of his face before looking down at his opponent. The snake Pokémon laid down on the floor, dazed and in no shape to continue fighting. "Feh! You're an awfully lucky boy," Agatha spat as she returned her Arbok into its Poké Ball. "But the child's play ends here!" She exclaimed with another tap of her cane as she held out the Poké Ball containing her last Pokémon. "Just don't cry!" She said before sending it out…

X-X-X

"Dragonite, Thunder!" Lance shouted as he raised an arm in the air. He was the last member of the Elite Four, and a master of Dragon type Pokémon and dragon-like Pokémon such as Gyarados and Aerodactyl. And now, he was on his last Pokémon: a powerful Dragonite. Said Dragonite, which had been flying above the battlefield, gave a bellow as electricity crackled around its body. It released a large lightning bolt that was unfortunately accurate enough to strike Lapras, making him scream with pain.

"Lapras, hang in there!" I exclaimed as Lapras seemed ready to fall over. He shook his head as if to clear up his mind, then he narrowed his eyes and got a determined look on his face. "Use Ice Beam!" From his horn, Lapras fired a beam of crackling cold energy with a loud cry. The Dragonite raised its arms to block the attack, but when it made contact, its entire body quickly became covered in ice and it fell to the floor of the battlefield. Even the impact of its landing wasn't enough to break the ice it had been trapped in. "You managed to freeze it…!" I gasped. The chance of an attack freezing a Pokémon was far less than that of an attack causing a burn or paralysis.

"What a way to lose!" Lance complained as he returned the frozen Dragonite back into its ball. "It's gonna take a while for his ego to heal from that one." The redheaded Dragon master stared at me with a stern expression for a few seconds before smiling. "I can't believe my dragons lost to you, Red! Though I guess I shouldn't have underestimated you, knowing what you've managed to accomplish. Now you're the champion of the Pokémon League!" I couldn't stop myself from smiling as Pikachu and Lapras cheered. "Or you would have been if someone else hadn't claimed the title earlier today." I suddenly felt deflated. Pikachu gave an angry shout that I'm sure could pass off as a curse. "If you want to truly complete the Pokémon League challenge…" Lance threw an arm out, causing the cape he wore to flutter dramatically behind him as he pointed at a staircase leading further up into the building, "then you' have one more trainer to overcome: the champion!"

"The champion…!" I whispered to myself as I clenched my fists. I looked at Lance with an apathetic expression and asked, "Can I stick around here and heal up my Pokémon for a little while?"

"Do what you want," the dragon tamer said as he headed towards a door off to the side. "I have to go and heal my own Pokémon."

Once Lance had left us alone, I began to heal Lapras and Pikachu first. "I had wanted to become the champion before anyone else could claim the title…but it seems like someone beat me to it." I sighed as I sprayed a bottle of Full Restore on Lapras's wounds. Pikachu pouted and shook his head as he said something. "Oh, don't get me wrong. It's not like I'm not going to try and at least get into the hall of fame, but…with the position open and no actual replacements for the last champion lined up, it was said that the first person to defeat the Elite Four was going to become the champion of the Indigo League." I sprayed some Full Restore on Pikachu as well. "This is probably for the best, anyway. If being the champion means getting the same treatment I've been getting for helping to end Team Rocket, I think I'd be happier with simply being in the hall of fame." I returned Lapras into his ball and prepared to heal another member of my team. "Well, I suppose one upside is that I've managed to get here before Blue…"

X-X-X

After healing up my Pokémon, I left the room where I had challenged Lance and followed the long red carpet up the stairs to a set of double doors leading into the room where the newest league champion awaited. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. Pikachu, who stood beside me, was doing the same thing. We looked at each other and nodded in agreement before I pushed open the doors and we stepped inside. We continued along the red carpet, past the rows of Pokémon statues, up to the battlefield at the end of the room. But we were only a few feet away when we got to see the champion in their entirety.

"Well, well! Look who it is! To think that you're my first conquest as the Pokémon League champion, Red!" It was Blue. Blue was the one standing in the middle of the battlefield, smirking at me in his usual cocky manner. Blue was the champion. It was such a surprise that I found I couldn't speak. Even Pikachu seemed to have been silenced in awe of this surprising news. "What's the matter? So impressed that you can't think of what to say?"

Pikachu had been the first to speak. He gave a loud and shocked cry as he pointed up at Blue. He went on to rant for a little while before he stopped to breathe. Then I found it in me to speak up, "Your sister and grandfather have been worried sick about you. Why didn't you at least call to tell them that you were okay?"

Blue snorted as he folded his arms across his chest. "What? So they could scold me?"

"They thought something bad had happened to you. So did I."

"I didn't need anything to stop me on the road to becoming the Pokémon League champion! Not my family! Not Team Rocket! And sure as heck not you!" Blue began to point a thumb against his chest. "I've looked all over for powerful Pokémon and assembled teams that that can beat any type of Pokémon! And now, here I am! The Pokémon League Champion! Compared to you playing the crime fighter, I'm a bigger fish!"

"I don't care, Blue," I answered flatly as Pikachu growled. "If you wanna be more famous than me, fine. If you need that to feel better, go ahead."

"Are you making fun of me?! A second-rate, second place trainer like you?!"

I narrowed my eyes and took a step forward. "I'm not second-rate or second place! We're not little kids anymore! You can't boss me around and throw a tantrum whenever I do something better or get more attention somehow!"

"You are, and you always will be! The fact that I became the champion before you did proves it!"

"It doesn't make you unbeatable!" I shouted as I pointed a finger at him. "I'll show you I'm your equal, if not better!"

Blue sneered as we took our places on opposite ends of the battlefield. "As if! I'm now one of the most—no, I'm the most powerful trainer in the world!" He took out a Poké Ball and sent out his Jolteon.

"Pikachu! Go get 'em!" I growled as I pointed at the other Electric type. With a nod, Pikachu ran onto the field. "Use Swift!"

"Pin Missile!" As Pikachu swung his tail and sent a barrage of stars flying at Jolteon, Jolteon's fur bristled and fired dozens of sharp, pin-thin hairs into the air. When the stars hit Jolteon, the pins fell and showered down onto Pikachu, who was unable to dodge. "Quick Attack and Double Kick!" Jolteon dashed forward and charged into Pikachu, then he turned around to kick Pikachu high up into the air.

"Slam!" Before Pikachu could hit the floor, he struck Jolteon with his tail and jumped off of his head in order to land safely. "Swift again!"

"Dig underground!" The Lightning Pokémon managed to dig a hole on his side of the battlefield before he could be hit by the stars that Pikachu fired at him.

"Speed up with Agility," I commanded as I kept an eye on the ground. Pikachu ran about the battlefield, picking up speed as he did. After a while, the ground beneath Pikachu broke apart and Jolteon jumped out of the ground, ramming into his stomach from underneath. Pikachu was sent rolling aside as Jolteon landed on his feet.

"Bite 'em!" Jolteon bared his teeth and ran at Pikachu.

"Use Slam!" Pikachu jumped to his feet and smacked Jolteon in the face with his tail. "Now, Swift!" With another swing of his tail, he fired a ray of stars up in Jolteon's face. After that, Jolteon bit down on Pikachu's tail and tossed him aside.

"Pin Missile!" Another barrage of pins was fired at Pikachu and he was unable to dodge the attack. "Finish it with Quick Attack!"

"Use Quick Attack, too!"

The two Electric type Pokémon began to dart around the battlefield, ramming into each other. It lasted for a minute before both Pikachu and Jolteon rammed into each other headfirst and suddenly collapsed on the floor, unable to keep going. I returned Pikachu to his ball, mumbling my thanks to him for trying so hard. I noticed that Blue was smirking as he returned Jolteon to his Poké Ball and took out another one.

"I'm surprised you started off with Jolteon," I commented.

"Good trainers start off with their weakest Pokémon and build up to their strongest!" Blue insisted.

"So…you're calling Jolteon weak?"

"Well, it's not like he's useless. He tested the waters, and he even managed to knock out that rat of yours! Now I can send out this next Pokémon without any worries!" In a flash of light, a Gyarados appeared on Blue's side of the battlefield. It sat coiled up like a snake and opened its mouth to growl at me.

"In that case…!" I sent out Lapras, who cried out in fear once he laid eyes on Blue's Gyarados.

"A Lapras, huh? You've got the best luck to capture such rare Pokémon, but it looks like a wimp!"

"Looks can be deceiving."

Blue snorted before pointing a finger at Lapras. "Gyarados, Thunder!" The Gyarados uncoiled and began to roar as electricity crackled around it. A ball of electricity formed in the back of its mouth, and when it roared, several large bolts of electricity were fired at Lapras. But luckily, the chaotic attack missed him, only striking the ground in front of him.

"Sing!" Lapras sang in a sorrowful tone. The Gyarados's angry-looking eyes slowly drooped until they completely closed and it fell over, fast asleep. "Thunderbolt!" Electricity then crackled around his horn before a bolt of lightning raced forward and struck the sleeping Gyarados. But the shock of the attack seemed to cause it to wake up and regain its typical terrifying expression.

"That's more like it! Hit it with a Hyper Beam!"

"Ice Beam!"

Gold-colored energy began to form into the back of the Gyarados's mouth and cold energy crackled around Lapras's horn. Blue's Pokémon was the first to launch an attack and succeeded in blasting back the smaller Pokémon with the force of its Hyper Beam. But despite how powerful the attack was, Lapras remained conscious and fired a beam of cold energy into his opponents' face, covering it with a thin layer of frost in the process. The Gyarados hadn't even tried to dodge because its last attack had tired it out so much.

"While it's exhausted, use Thunderbolt again!" Once more, Lapras fired a bolt of electricity that hit the Gyarados dead on. The Atrocious Pokémon gave on last roar before fainting and falling over, the impact causing the floor to shake.

Blue seemed frustrated as he called back his unconscious Gyarados. "Don't let this get to your head, you faulty trainer!"

"This faulty trainer's already managed to beat two of your Pokémon," I spoke in a monotone voice.

"A double-KO doesn't count as your victory! And I'm about to even the score right now!" Blue exclaimed as he sent out his next Pokémon. Like an idiot, I had been expecting Blue to be using the same team he had when we last met, even though I had made some new additions to mine in that time. So when he sent out an Aerodactyl…I was a little surprised for several reasons. "Make a twister!" The Aerodactyl screeched before it began to flap its wings rapidly. The winds generated from its flapping came together to form a large twister with Lapras in the center. Its wind was powerful enough to pick him up and spin him around while cutting into him at the same time. When the wind dispersed, Lapras dropped to the floor. It was either the attack or the fall that knocked him out, but regardless of the cause, the Transport Pokémon was in no shape to fight anymore. "How do you like that? Aerodactyl managed to learn that from Pidgeot!"

"So I see…" I said as I returned Lapras to his ball. "So I guess it took Pidgeot's place, huh?"

"He does better work than Pidgeot. Certain kinds of Pokémon are just better than others. That's one of the first things you learn about Pokémon training, you second-rate trainer!" Blue said with a smirk as he folded his arms across his chest.

"And all Pokémon can be trained to overcome their weaknesses if their trainer is willing to take the time. That's another thing about Pokémon training, you first-rate jerk," I said with a straight face. Blue's response was just to laugh in a taunting manner. Without saying another word, I sent out Charizard.

"I see your freaky Pokémon have gotten even more freakish since last time," said Blue. "Aerodactyl, Supersonic!" The Aerodactyl shrieked in a loud, high-pitched voice. The sound had been bad enough to cause Charizard to hold his head in pain. When the screeching stopped, he continued clutching his head and seemed disoriented as he swayed back and forth. "Now, use Wing Attack!" With another shriek, the Aerodactyl swooped down and struck Charizard in the throat with one of its wings, knocking him down in the process.

"Get up there and use Seismic Toss!" Fortunately, Charizard made sense of what I had said. After getting on his feet and snarling, he took to the air and grabbed hold of one of the Aerodactyl's feet. Before it could kick him off, Charizard then began to swing the Fossil Pokémon around in midair. "Throw it up against the ceiling!" After a few more spins, Charizard threw the Aerodactyl up to the ceiling, the impact not even causing a crack in it. As it began to fall, I shouted, "Use Dragon Rage!"

"Ha! Hyper Beam!" As blue flames built up in Charizard's mouth, the Aerodactyl recovered in midair and flew over his head. It opened its mouth and fired a large, golden-colored beam of energy down at Charizard, the force of which completely overtook the flames of his Dragon Rage and sent him flying down to the floor. Blue's Aerodactyl slowly descended until it landed a few feet away from Charizard, too exhausted from its last attack to fight back for a little while. "Darn it! I was hoping that would be able to knock it out!"

Charizard got to his feet, growling. He still seemed to be in a bit of a daze. "Trap it using Fire Spin!" Flames built up in the back of Charizard's mouth as he swayed back and forth. He fired a stream of spiraling flame that sped towards the Aerodactyl and flew right over its head, hitting the wall behind Blue instead. "Shoot! Try again!" Because of Aerodactyl's typing, only so many of Charizard's attacks could cause serious damage.

"Use Sky Attack!" Blue's Aerodactyl began to glow with a harsh light that resembled fire. Charizard breathed out another stream of spiraling flame, but this time, the attack hit and trapped the Aerodactyl in a pillar of fire. But seconds later, it burst through the pillar, flying towards Charizard, the aura surrounding it now resembling a great flaming bird. It rammed into Charizard, sending him flying backwards, but he recovered in midair. "Now, grab it with Bite!" With a screech, the Aerodactyl flew towards Charizard, opening its mouth wide in preparation.

"Grab it and use Seismic Toss!" After the Aerodactyl came close enough, Charizard moved to the side to avoid being bitten and grabbed one of the Fossil Pokémon's wings before spinning around a few times and slamming it into the floor. Then, without my command, he breathed out a stream of something that I could only describe as purplish-pink gas, because it didn't move in the way that fire did. But when the attack made contact, I could've confused it with fire because of the way it crackled and left scorch marks on Blue's Pokémon.

"What the heck kind of move was that?! Don't go whipping out strange attacks on me!" Blue complained. Then he switched his attention from me to his Pokémon. "Hey! Get up already! It couldn't have hurt that much!" Aerodactyl made a pitiful-sounding screech as it got back on its feet slowly. It had given Charizard enough time to fly a safe distance away from any possible close-ranged attacks. "That's more like it! Now, show 'em what makes you special!" The Aerodactyl screeched and began to glow with a bright purple energy that came off of it in wisps. The wisps then changed into rocks that were suddenly launched in Charizard's direction. He only managed to dodge a few before he was struck in the gut by one and unable to avoid the rest of the barrage.

"Typical. He complains about my Pokémon using strange moves and then has his do that…" I muttered. The attack seemed to have hurt Charizard quite a bit, though not enough to knock him out, so it may have been a Rock type move.

"Do it again, Aerodactyl!" The Aerodactyl screeched again, but as its body began to glow with the same energy, it suddenly flinched and stopped its attack. "What're you doin'?! Now's not the time to slack off! Hm?" Blue arched an eyebrow and stared at his Aerodactyl for a few seconds before exclaiming, "What the—?! When did you get paralyzed?!"

"Paralyzed?" Could it have been that last attack of Charizard's that paralyzed it? "Charizard, use…that attack you just used!" With a confused noise, Charizard took a deep breath before breathing out more of that purplish substance. The attack hit the paralyzed Aerodactyl, burning it up even more.

"Snap out of it and attack already!" Aerodactyl attempted to attack again and became paralyzed once more. "For the love of…!"

"Finish it with Seismic Toss!" Charizard charged forward, grabbed the Aerodactyl by the snout, spun around, and finally threw it down to the floor. After a few seconds on the ground, the Fossil Pokémon didn't move, but it twitched and screeched to show that it was still conscious.

"C'mon! Get up!" Blue commanded, ignoring his Pokémon's injuries. Obediently, the Aerodactyl got back up, but it soon collapsed again. "Stop acting like a wimp and knock out that overgrown lizard!"

I stared in silence for a few seconds before giving my opinion. "It's unable to keep fighting."

But Blue wasn't having it. "Shut up! Mind your own Pokémon!" As he said this, his Aerodactyl got back onto its feet.

"Fine. Charizard, knock it out with a gentle blow." Charizard grunted in confusion before looking at the exhausted Aerodactyl. He raised his clawed hand and slashed it across the face, knocking the Fossil Pokémon down. "Well, that's as gentle as you can get, I suppose." Blue returned the Aerodactyl to its Poké Ball, muttering under his breath. "So, do you have any regrets about replacing Pidgeot?"

"It's none of your business what Pokémon I deem worthy of being on my team."

"Is that right? So the very first Pokémon you caught yourself is unworthy?"

Blue folded his arms across his chest. "Some Pokémon are just inferior to others. That's one of the first things you learn about Pokémon training."

"And some Pokémon can overcome their weaknesses if their trainers are dedicated. That's another thing about Pokémon training," I spoke sternly.

"Well, just like you, some people can't become any better than they are. Lemme show ya!" Blue shouted as he sent out his next Pokémon. It took me a while to realize that it was a Machamp because of its appearance: its skin was gray; its hands, which had sharpened nails at the end of them, were black; the protrusions on its head resembled a set of three short horns; and it seemed to have a set of large scars on its chest that resembled claw marks.

"Blue… Is this one of the Pokémon that used to be experimented on by Team Rocket?" I asked as I took in the Machmp's intimidating appearance.

"Some nerd traded it to me as a Machoke in exchange for a Haunter I had. It turned out to be more useful than I thought."

"So which of your Pokémon did you replace with it?"

Blue's cocky expression shifted to one of annoyance. "Will you shut up about that?! Machamp, Mega Punch!"

"Grab it as soon as it attacks and use Seismic Toss!"

Blue's Machamp ran towards Charizard, who had ground his feet in the floor and held his arms out in front of him, with its arms poised to throw punches. But when it was almost within punching range, Blue shouted, "Psych!" and that somehow was the signal for the Machamp to suddenly disappear and reappear behind Charizard, where it landed a punch to the back of his head. "Now grab it and show it a real Seismic Toss!" Blue hadn't even finished his sentence when the Machamp grabbed hold of Charizard's horns with one pair of arms and grabbed his arms with the other pair. It then spun around with him in its grasp before releasing him, sending Charizard flying into a wall. Charizard fell to the ground, groaning and in no shape to keep fighting.

I sighed before calling back Charizard. "You did your best. Way to go." I sent out Venusaur next since both Blastoise and Snorlax were weak against Fighting type moves. Professor Oak said that while he was still capable of using Poison type attacks, he didn't seem to have the poisonous qualities he had in his last two forms, so he wouldn't exactly be resilient against any Fighting type moves that Machamp would throw at him, but it was better than nothing. "Venusaur, Poison Gas!" Venusaur roared as the large flower shook and released a cloud of purple gas that surrounded Blue's Machamp. "Now Leech Seed!"

"Fire Blast!" Blue shouted. His Machamp reared its head back for a few seconds as it closed its mouth, ignoring the seeds that landed on its torso and wrapped around its lower pair of arms. With a roar, the Superpower Pokémon breathed out a large ball of fire that expanded into a five-pronged symbol. Unable to move quickly enough to dodge, Venusaur could only take the attack. He cried out in pain, but it didn't seem to do terrible damage. It made sense, considering Machamp was a Pokémon more suited for physical attacks and this particular one was probably not a Fire type. "Now, get it with a Headbutt!" The Machamp easily broke free of the stamina-leeching vines, although they still hung off of its body. It then charged into Venusaur headfirst, headbutting him.

"Sweep it off its feet with Vine Whip!" Several vines snaked out from underneath Venusaur's leaves and slammed against the Machamp's ankles, making it fall over. "Now grab it and toss it in the air!" The same vines wrapped around the Machamp's and with ease, Venusaur threw the Fighting type up above him. "Petal Dance!" Then he unleashed a barrage of flower petals up in the air that, upon hitting the Machamp, exploded and showered petals over the battlefield.

"Give 'em the sledgehammer!" In midair, the Machamp cupped the hands of its upper arms together before it fell towards Venusaur. With a downward swing, it struck Venusaur in the back before jumping off and landing several feet away. "Now hit it with a sneak attack!" Just like before, the Superpower Pokémon ran towards Venusaur, but disappeared when it had gotten close enough and reappeared beside him to land a jab.

Venusaur retaliated by blasting the Machamp with another flurry of flower petals, forcing it away from him. "Keep it up! You're wearing it down!" All I could do was cheer since the Petal Dance would go on for a while. With a roar, Venusaur unleashed a final petal barrage.

"Fire Blast!" But the Machamp spat out a fireball that burned away the petals on its way to Venusaur. The fireball expanded into a five-pronged symbol that exploded upon hitting Venusaur. "Now give 'em a Mega Punch!" Blue's Pokémon quickly dashed forward and used Mega Punch to strike Venusaur across the face. "Low Kick!" Then it kicked his forelegs out from underneath him, causing Venusaur to fall. "Now finish it with a barrage!" Almost immediately, the Machamp began to use all of its hands to deliver a flurry of punches too fast for me to count. The final blow managed to be enough to send Venusaur skidding back a few feet. "How was that?!"

"Venusaur! Are you okay?" Venusaur got up, looking a tad disoriented and beaten up, but still conscious. As I was about to give another command, Venusaur stomped a foot as the flower on his back began to shudder. The flower suddenly spat out a glob thick, golden liquid that covered the Machamp. After a few seconds, the substance began to glow and Blue's Machamp cried out in pain. Venusaur also began to glow with a faint golden light before the visible bruises on his body faded away. "You, too, huh?"

"Darn it, Machamp! Get up!" Blue snapped as his Machamp fell to its knees, wearing a pained expression. Whatever Venusaur did, it was painful enough to cause the Superpower Pokémon to falter. I noticed the vines that grew from the Leech Seed still hanging off of its body and the look of sickness on its face. Blue's Machamp may have been a fine physical specimen of a Pokémon, but no one could endure having their stamina constantly drained while taking blows. The Machamp stood upright, but it was obviously on its last legs. "Alright, I've had enough! Give it a 1000-hit combo!" Despite being severely injured, the Machamp dashed forward.

"Stop it with Perfume!" A thick cloud with a sweet scent wafted out from Venusaur's flower and gathered up in between him and the charging Machamp. As expected, it tried to dash through on its way to punching Venusaur, but when it came out on the other side, the Superpower Pokémon was in a blissful daze, causing it to stop in its tracks. "Now, use that attack once more!" Again, a glob of golden liquid was shot out of Venusaur's flower and hit the Machamp's chest with enough force to make it fall back. It didn't seem capable of fighting anymore, either because it was exhausted, unconscious, or content with lying on the floor.

"This…is…ridiculous!" Blue snapped as he returned the Machamp into its ball. "I'm really starting to lose my patience with you!"

"Just admit that I'm as good of a trainer as you are," I continued insisting.

"You're not as good as I am! At best, you'll always be #2! So just accept it!"

"You're the one who isn't accepting anything!"

Blue said nothing more as he sent out his fifth Pokémon. It was a Rhydon, but like Blue's Machamp, it looked different from a typical member of its species. Its thick, gray hide didn't look like it was made from a rock-like substance, but scales like those of Charizard. Its horn didn't resemble a drill, but still looked sharp and dangerous, and its tail ended with a bladed tip. Obviously another Pokémon that had been experimented on. I would've asked where Blue got it from, but I knew from the expression on his face that he refused to continue talking.

"Rhydon, dig underground!" Using a combination of its hands and horn, the Rhydon dug a hole and burrowed under the arena. "Surface with Horn Attack!" Seconds after the command was given, the horned Pokémon burst out from the ground beneath Venusaur. Throwing back its head, the scaly Pokémon tossed Venusaur behind it. He landed on his stomach, but the attack obviously did some damage. "Now, use Flamethrower!" While still in the hole, Blue's Rhydon breathed out a stream of fire that covered Venusaur in flames.

"Relax! Heal yourself with that attack!"

"Not a chance! Underground now!"

Before Venusaur could cover it in more of that golden nectar, the Rhydon disappeared underground once more. I sucked my teeth in annoyance. There was no way Venusaur could move quickly enough to avoid an attack, and his means of healing himself were. I was forced to wait until the horned Pokemon emerged once more beneath Venusaur to toss him aside, this time bothering to use its arms. "Pull it out with Vine Whip!" While still on the ground, vines snaked out from underneath the flower and raced towards the Rhydon, wrapping around its head before pulling it out of the ground. "Now, use Razor Leaf!" A flurry of leaves were then sent flying at the Rhydon from beneath Venusaur's foliage. The attack hit, but Blue's Pokémon didn't make it flinch or cry out in pain like I was expecting it to.

"Kick it up a notch! Fire Blast!" Blue's Rhydon roared and breathed out a large ball of fire that expanded into a five-pronged symbol. Venusaur took the attack head on and became consumed in flames. As the flames faded away, it seemed like he had managed to endure the attack. But after a few seconds, his legs buckled and he collapsed, giving a pitiful moan.

I returned Venusaur to his ball. "Thank you. You really came through." I put it away and was about to grab Blastoise's ball when I changed my mind. I found myself sending out Snorlax instead. To my relief, he was wide awake and ready to battle.

"A Snorlax? Geez, do you wanna be eaten out of house and home?" Blue joked. "Rhydon, knock it over with Earthquake!" His Rhydon raised a foot and stomped on the floor, causing it to shake violently. Snorlax was hit by a shockwave, but he remained standing. When the attack was over, Snorlax drummed his stomach, as if trying to taunt Blue's Pokémon.

"Snorlax, use Surf!" Snorlax jumped up as high as he could, and when he landed, he created a large wave that raced towards the Rhydon. The force of the attack was enough to push the horned Pokémon back. "Mega Punch!" As fast as he could—without the promise of food—Snorlax ran towards the Rhydon with a raised paw that glowed bright white.

"Slash!" When Snorlax was close enough, the Rhydon raked its claws along his belly. He was unfazed by the attack, though, and managed to punch it in the head with enough force to send it tumbling over to the sidelines. "Get up! Don't let some fatty beat you up!"

"Interesting… It didn't take that Mega Punch well, so did it lose its Rock typing for something else?" I mumbled to myself as Snorlax scratched his stomach. "If so, that's good for us. Snorlax! Mega Kick!"

"No! Use Fire Blast!"

Snorlax ran towards the Rhydon just as it was getting back on its feet. The horned Pokémon took a breathed and spat out another fireball that transformed into a five-pronged symbol just as Snorlax performed a flying kick. Snorlax flew through the flames, getting burned in the process, before he landed a kick in the Rhydon's face that was strong enough to send it flying back into a wall. After it fell to the floor, the Rhydon groaned and twitched before it stopped doing both.

I wondered which of his Pokémon Blue had replaced with that Rhydon, where he got it from, and how long he actually trained it for. As he returned it into its Poké Ball, Blue looked frustrated and on the brink of screaming curses. "You're down to your last Pokémon. Now will you admit that I'm no longer your inferior?"

Blue suddenly looked up at me with a dark look in his eyes, his hands and teeth clenched in anger. "Shut up, you loser! You've done it now! The best has been saved for last!" He sent out his Alakazam—at last, a familiar face. "Use your telekinesis to hold it in midair!" The Alakazam held out one of its spoons and it bent forward at a 90 degree angle. Suddenly, Snorlax rose up from the floor due to an unseen force. "Psychic!" Then he got hit by an unseen force of psychic energy that pushed him back a bit. "Again!"

"Snorlax, Hyper Beam!" After another psychic attack hit him, Snorlax opened his mouth wide. After a few seconds, he roared and fired a beam of golden energy at Blue's Alakazam.

"Teleport!" But before the attack could hit, the Alakazam disappeared in the blink of an eye and reappeared behind Snorlax. Blue almost got hit by the stray Hyper Beam, but he didn't seem concerned about his wellbeing at this point. "Attack it again!" The Alakazam's eyes suddenly gained a sharp look before it shouted, its spoons bending forward once more. Snorlax was hit by a powerful burst of psychic energy that had been enough to make him fall on the floor on his back.

"Use Surf!" I waited for a reaction until I heard the sound of loud snoring. Apparently, Snorlax had fallen asleep. It may have been because he was too weak to keep fighting or because he was just lazy, but unless he woke up, he was out of the battle. I sighed and returned Snorlax to his ball, ignoring the insulting laughter coming out of Blue's mouth before I sent out Blastoise.

"This troublesome thing again… Alakazam, hold it in place and start hitting it with Psychic!" Just like Snorlax, Blastoise was lifted off of the floor.

"Use Hydro Pump!" The cannon on Blastoise's back extended before firing a stream of water at the Alakazam.

"Teleport!" Once again, the Psi Pokémon vanished, evading the attack, and appeared on another side of the battlefield, where it unleashed a burst of psychic energy that hit Blastoise. Of course, the attack did no good—Psychic type attacks weren't very effective against Blastoise. Blue should've remembered that from the times that we battled. So I found it strange that his strategy was simply to rely on Alakazam's psychic power and nothing else. Enduring the attacks wouldn't be difficult for Blastoise to do, but the issue was Alakazam constantly dodging.

"Blastoise, try Ice Beam!" A beam of cold, crackling energy was fired from the Shellfish Pokémon's cannon. Once again, the Alakazam dodged by teleporting. "It can only dodge for so long! Keep firing at it and you're sure to hit it!" Blastoise gave a positive-sounding shout before his cannon cocked, ignoring the impact of another Psychic attack. After a few seconds, a steel ball roughly the size of a basketball was fired out of the cannon, followed by another shot. I watched as Blastoise fired steel balls in various directions, trying to hit the Alakazam as it teleported all over the battlefield. Eventually, it began to look like Blastoise was just firing in random places and he happened to luck out, a steel ball hitting the Alakazam in the face just as it appeared in a spot. The force of that sudden surprise had been enough to make the Psychic type fall over. At the same time, Blastoise was freed from the psychic hold and allowed to stand on the floor again.

"NO! Get up! GET UP!" Blue shouted as his Pokémon held onto its head. "Use Recover!"

"Don't give it a chance! Ice Beam!" As Blue's Alakazam began to glow, its injury slowly healing, Blastoise fired a beam of cold energy that hit the Psychic type Pokémon dead on. The glowing ceased as its body became covered in a thin layer of frost. "Hydro Pump!"

"Teleport!" Blue's Alakazam was unable to dodge the large blast of water that had been shot at it. Still lying down, Blastoise's attack washed it across the floor. "Do something! Use Psychic!"

"Finish it off!" Blastoise roared as he fired a large ball of water up into the air. It quickly fell and landed on top of Blue's Alakazam, causing an explosion of water.

"Alakazam, recover!" No response. Blue's Pokémon was sprawled out on the floor, obviously unconscious. "You can't lose! You're my strongest Pokémon! So get up already!"

"Face it, Blue: I've won," I said as Blastoise cheered. "Just accept it. It's not the end of the world just because you lost."

"I… It can't be…! I refuse to believe that you beat me!" Before I could scold Blue for being childish, something popped out of one of the Poké Bals that he hung from his waist. It was Jolteon—now conscious, but still beaten up pretty badly. He looked at Blastoise and growled, electricity crackling around his body. "Jolteon? What the heck do you think you're doing?"

"I guess he wasn't knocked out like I thought," I said. Just then, Pikachu popped out of his Poké Ball in a similar state and stood in front of me. "Pikachu?! You—!" Pikachu interrupted me, his calm tone being the total opposite of the furious look in his eyes. He pointed over at Blue and Jolteon, and I understood what he was trying to say. "Alright… Blastoise, come back." Ignoring Blastoise's sound of surprise as I returned him to his ball, Pikachu walked onto the battlefield.

"…Fine. If you wanna go down in a blaze of glory, knock yourself out!" Blue pointed forward. "Hit it with Quick Attack!"

"Quick Attack!"

At the same time, Pikachu and Jolteon dashed towards each other and rammed their heads together. But unlike at the beginning of the battle, they did it over and over again, the only change being what part of the battlefield they decided to clash upon. With a cry, Pikachu's body began to crackle with electricity before he became enveloped in a golden glow and he crashed into Blue's Jolteon one last time. The force of his tackle had been enough to cause Joleteon to roll back over to Blue's feet. Jolteon's growls quickly became whimpers of pain as Pikachu stood on his hind legs and cheered weakly.

I gave a sigh and adjusted my hat before walking over to Pikachu. He gave me a weak smile and I couldn't help smiling back as I scooped him up into my arms. "You did really good, Pikachu. You really are my ace." I looked at Blue, who was staring down at Jolteon with a blank expression. I approached him cautiously, unsure how he would react to his loss.

"…Why?" Blue mumbled as he returned Jolteon to his ball. "Why did I lose? I made no mistakes. I caught strong Pokémon. Raised them to be the strongest. And I lost. To a second-rate trainer like you."

"Poppycock! There is nothing second-rate about him!" A familiar voice exclaimed. I turned around to see, of all people, Blue's sister Daisy standing behind me. And behind her was Professor Oak. "Grow up, Blue! Just because you lost, it doesn't give you the right to be a sore loser and insult Red!"

I stared at the Oaks in confusion. "What…are you two doing here?" I asked slowly.

"We received a call that Blue became the Pokémon League Champion, so we rushed over to congratulate him," the professor explained. "But we came just in time to see that climactic ending!" He looked down at Pikachu before continuing, "You've come a long way since you left Pallet Town with Pikachu. You've grown not only as a trainer, but as a person as well." Professor Oak then looked at Blue, who was busy glaring at the ground. "I was hoping the same would happen to you, Blue. But somewhere along the line, you became obsessed with being the center of attention. You forgot to treat your Pokémon with love and trust, so they stopped being your partners—your friends and became a means to an end. But despite all of that, Jolteon was still willing to fight for you to the bitter end. Until you can learn to reciprocate those feelings and learn that your victories are not solely yours, you will never be a truly great trainer, let alone a Pokémon League Champion!"

I expected Blue to talk back to his grandfather, or to shout or scream. But instead, he ran out of the room, seemingly on the brink of tears. Daisy glanced at the professor before chasing after her brother, leaving me and Pikachu alone with Professor Oak. "That was…quite harsh, wasn't it?" I asked him.

The professor cleared his throat. "Maybe. But it had to be done. That boy shattered his bond with his Pokémon for the sake of being considered special by others."

"He cared for them once, though."

"I know."

"…It's my fault," I mumbled, looking down at Pikachu, whom I just noticed had fallen asleep in my arms. "Blue started changing his attitude because of my meddling with Team Rocket and getting famous for it."

"Don't blame yourself. If it's anyone's fault, it's my own. As his grandfather…" Professor Oak trailed off and stared in the direction that Blue had run off in. He then looked at me, smiling in a way that seemed a bit forced. "Anyway, you've beaten the Pokémon League! That means you get to be entered into the Hall of Fame! Follow me." I walked behind the professor through some doors near the battlefield, into a large room that had various pictures decorating the walls. They were all photos of people with at least six Pokémon. "These are the trainers who managed to defeat the Indigo League and become Pokémon League Champions—and their Pokémon as well. And here," the professor gestured over to an advanced-looking computer at the far end of the room, "is the device that makes it all official."

"…How do you know all of this?"

"What? You didn't think I dedicated my life to solely studying Pokémon, did you? Now, let's get you all into the Hall of Fame!"

I said nothing as I approached the computer. I noticed the tray beneath its keyboard with six sphere-shaped indentations, just right for Poké Balls. One by one, I placed the Poké Balls in the tray, returning Pikachu to his ball and placing it last. Professor Oak pressed a button, and I watched as on the screen above the keyboard, images and information about my Pokémon popped up one at a time. And finally, I saw the digitized picture of myself on my trainer ID. That screen managed to make me forget about possibly crushing Blue's dreams and helped push the thought of Mewtwo to the back of my mind. For now, I wanted to bask in the glory of the victory that me and my friends had managed to achieve.

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Lapras: Water/Ice type; level 63

Snorlax: Normal type; level 65

Blastoise: Water/Steel type; level 66

Venusaur: Grass/Fairy type; level 66

Charizard: Fire/Dragon type; level 66

Pikachu: Electric type; Level 68

Pokédex: Pokémon Seen: 147; Pokémon Owned: 18.

Congratulations, League Champion Red!

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Notes!

Though Rhydon appears on Blue's team in both the original and the remakes when he's the Champion, it isn't it Yellow (and strangely replaced by Sandslash). Machamp and Aerodactyl do not appear on Blue's Team in the Gen 1 games and their remakes, but do for HGSS (Machamp only), BW2, and SM.

Not said in the story, but Blue's Machamp is Fighting/Dark while his Rhydon is Ground/Dragon.

Dewgong learns Blizzard via TM. Dragonite learns Thunder via TM. Gyarados learns Thunder and Fire Blast via TM. Lapras learns Thunderbolt via TM. Aerodactyl learns Twister via Move Tutor and Sky Attack via TM. Charizard learns Dragon Breath via TM. Machamp learns Fire Blast via TM, and Headbutt and Mega Punch by TM and Move Tutor. Rhydon learns Fire Blast and Dig via TM, and Seismic Toss via TM and Move Tutor. Blastoise learns Ice Beam via TM, and via Move Tutor in Crystal only.

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Remember to review for Blu and Pikachu...and Mew, too.