Chapter 25: Red 2
"Hey, Red! Look at what Gramps showed me!"
"I don't get you, Red. Why do you always have to be so stupid?"
"From now on, we go our separate ways. Trainers grow better alone anyway. And I'll be the better one, just watch!"
The voices clamored in the darkness before fading like the images. Caught off guard from dreaming, the boy could not block the lingering traces of melancholy that clung to his sleep-hazed brain. He regulated his breathing the way he always had, staring at the cave walls in front for a point of reference. Before long, he was in control.
"Red? You all right?" a familiar voice spoke, its tone concerned.
He nodded, brain rapidly adjusting to his new state of wakefulness. It was strange, it reasoned. Strange for somebody who had known the boy for a few short days to be so concerned, right? Or was it normal?
So far, in Red's experience, there were Pokémon, adults, and children. Pokémon were beautiful creatures capable of both power and kindness. They always listened, and could convey through touch and gentle sounds what human beings could not.
Adult humans were kind as well, but in different ways. They smiled at him, but their eyes lacked true warmth. It made sense. He was just a shadow. Blue was the one who had light.
Human children ignored him; he was a ghost in their midst. The world was full of bright spots of light, but he had none. Had he possessed one and lost it, or had he been born defective?
And Catch's behavior was so strange. In his whole life, there were only four humans besides her that stood out. Four that did not fit the mold.
His mother, who smiled at him with true warmth and always held her arms open with a hug. Professor Oak had once called her a nadeshiko, which he later explained meant the "perfect woman."
But Red knew otherwise. Behind the perfect woman's perfect smiles and perfect cooking was a completely different person. There were nights he would hear painful wails from the same voice that tucked him to bed and kissed him goodnight. He got used to hearing the quiet hum and buzz from the television, and whenever he tiptoed downstairs for the bathroom his mother was in one of two positions: perched on a chair and staring straight at the screen with bloodshot eyes, or collapsed over the table.
He had never confronted her, afraid to break the delicate balance that had been established as long as he could remember. How long had they performed this pantomime? How many days of quietly setting down his unfinished plate of food and fleeing the house when the familiar blankness stole over her eyes? How many days of coming back to a sunny, smiling woman who gently scolded him to finish eating? They had been dancing this way for so long that Red almost convinced himself the fake perfection was real. Perhaps it had always been like this. He had never questioned his home life before meeting Blue.
Blue…he was the second person that noticed him. They had known each other for as long as they could remember, and although Red's memories were fuzzy at that point, he was sure that they had gotten along well, before…
Daisy was the third person. Mature and poised, she was the older sister he could go to for comfort when his mother was having a mood or when Blue was being particularly bratty. She never took sides in their arguments. She was the mediator, the judge, untouchable and at the same time so warm and comforting. He had once silently promised to marry her and take care of her like she had for him, but the promise and the crush had died with the passing of years and the coming of common sense.
Professor Oak was the last person to see him. Unlike Blue, the man seemed to understand him on a deeper level and he could honestly say that he was the person he got along the most with, a role model and a father figure. The man had taught him how to fish, gave him a voice through sign language, and, most importantly, had introduced him to Pokémon.
It was shortly after Red became Pokémon-obsessed that things changed for the worse. Blue took it upon himself to mock Red's obsession until his grandfather scolded him in the worst lecture Red had ever had the misfortune of hearing. After that day, Blue was…different. He declared himself Red's eternal rival and went at the books vigorously. His taunts lacked the casual warmth they had held before, and when he sneered, his eyes were cold.
Red still did not understand what he had done wrong. Perhaps he never would.
With the loss of his best friend, Red worked harder than ever to learn about Pokémon. The boy spent all his time outside, observing Pokémon and how they behaved. He brought home strays and injured Pokémon to the Professor, monitored their progress, and recognized them on sight the few times he met them again in the wild.
Sometimes he played with them. Unlike other Pokémon, they never attacked him.
They never suddenly decided to stop being friends either.
"Are you sure you're all right?"
Red turned to look at his traveling companion expressionlessly, not showing his surprise that he had been caught daydreaming. If he put up a blank enough face, perhaps…
Perhaps her eyes will slide over the wall I have built, and move on.
"Red, are you having nightmares? I mean…it would make sense, what with us being in a flapping mountain and all that. Not that you're the type to get nightmares, but still…"
There was something about her babble. It filled the silence and lightened the heavy atmosphere that took him over at times, times when he felt the pinch of longing for past years.
Not that she did not have her own problems. Her bright smiles were the same as his mother's. And as with his mother, he never pried.
But unlike his mother, who turned cold and fragile like black ice when her moods overtook her, Catch erupted into fits of rage or pain that smoldered into embers when finished.
Like Blue.
He gazed into the distance hollowly. Perhaps it is true that darkness brings out the worst in us. I must not blame Blue for his own decisions, nor should I judge Catch for her similarities to him.
"Red?"
Just like Blue: they both never stop asking questions.
Catch peered at him in concern. Why is she so concerned?
Red shook his head. I'm fine, he signed. That night, beneath the glow of the natural lighting, he had started her on sign language. She was a quicker study with that than she had been with Pokémon battling, and already knew a few words and phrases. I'm fine had been one of them.
"All right…" she trailed off, but her voice returned. "Red?"
He cocked his head, a universal human signal for confusion or attentiveness. Both meanings could work in this scenario.
"I-I was wondering…w-what were you originally planning for this journey? You know, what were your goals…before…?"
The answer rose to mind immediately. He would travel the region with his Pokémon, perhaps find a few adventures on the way, but eventually challenge the Elite Four to become the Champion, and later become the best he could be. That had not changed, even with a traveling companion.
"I'm sure it was and still is to become the League Champion," Catch's wry voice pierced the air. "Though it's probably also to journey with your Pokémon friends."
Red smiled to himself. Was he that predictable? Then again, that was the dream of most ambitious trainers. It was indeed no surprise that Catch reached the conclusion she had.
"So you don't regret me being here? A tagalong?" the girl's quiet voice brought him back to earth, though he had to strain to hear it.
Red shook his head. No, he signed. Of course not.
At first he had been a little annoyed, though he had not shown it. Here was a complete stranger intruding on his special journey, the journey most eleven-year-olds dreamed of.
But there was something familiar about her. He could not quite grasp why, but he knew if he traveled with her more, he could find the answers.
Plus, being with her opened his eyes to how other human beings thought. Humans that were not his mother or the Oak family. And, over time, her presence had become less of a nuisance and more of a comfort.
It gave him hope that perhaps, perhaps he could also make new, human friends as well. Not just Pokémon ones.
Catch had a natural charm with strangers, her voice pleasantly covering for his silence, till they eased up and gazed at both children with equal warmth.
It was the same thing Blue used to do. His voice had been more pompous, his arrogance more pronounced, but it was still, essentially, the same.
He could not stop all the comparisons he was making, and that circled back to his fears.
No, don't leave me don't leave again—
Darkness is also said to bring out one's worst fears.
But Blue had said that a true man never let fear stand in his way.
Right. I'll ask Catch in the morning, he decided. I'll do for her what I never did for Blue. I'll confront her.
The next morning, they ate breakfast (Red grudgingly opening another food package), and he ended up giving most of it to Pikachu, much to Catch's annoyance. She pursed her lips and said nothing, however.
Red was not sure if he would rather have her scolding or steadfastly ignoring him instead.
He had also noted a war going on between his traveling companion and his Pokémon. The boy was not sure how it started, but it certainly had not ended anytime soon.
Today, it had begun with Pikachu sniping bites of food from Catch's meal. At this rate, Pikachu would need more exercise to burn off all the extra calories he was accumulating. Catch, apparently thinking the same, took back a package that Red had given his Pokémon, and offered it to the boy.
He shook his head. Red had learned by now the wisdom of staying neutral in her various "fights."
Pikachu retaliated Catch's action by taking most of her food, events had escalated, and the meal ended with nobody knowing exactly which package had belonged to which owner originally. Red did not eat much at all. Pikachu, on the other hand, was as round as a ball, while Catch's stomach was growling. We'll both have to eat a large lunch later to make up for this, he thought.
"You've won this battle, little rat," Catch grumbled to herself while stomping the ground like a Rhydon. "But I'll win the war…" she cackled to herself and started muttering battle plans.
Red rolled his eyes at her and turned his head away to smile. She is such a child sometimes… He ignored the part of him that told him that he was a child as well. He was far more mature than that girl would ever be.
The war had not ended there, however. Catch got her revenge when she tripped the mouse, Pikachu rejoined with a Zubat, she screeched and swatted it back, and Red walked ahead of them the whole time with Ivysaur and half of his companion's team. Granola and Cream Puff hung back to join in the prank war, taking opposite sides and causing chaos whenever they could, while Mock fretted to and fro in a vain attempt to stop the bedlam.
Each person or Pokémon has his or her own way of bonding, he supposed.
Yes, the boy could get used to this.
ooo
Red ran alongside Ivysaur, monitoring the progress of the short battle. Capturing the Ekans with a Poké Ball, he leaned back against a nearby tree. It was a hot day for training.
Red had completely forgotten about asking Catch whether she would leave or not, but she had answered his question all by herself.
She would.
And her words… "I just think that it's best for the both of us to grow separately as trainers."
Just like Blue. He had said something similar.
"From now on, we go our separate ways."
He gritted his teeth, and pounded his fists against the tree's trunk mindlessly, eyes clenched shut from unbridled emotion.
Why…?
But nobody answered the silent plea, and he let out a breath, looking up at the branches helplessly. He mused idly over the images his senses relayed. It was the height of summer, so the tree was thick with foliage. The air, heavy with humidity from the nearby stream, was heating up with the advent of noon. The gentle thrum of lazy Pokémon was interrupted, however, by the cries of his team.
Their voices are hoarse, his ears told him, and he nodded to himself. Time for a break.
Red decided to have lunch right where they were. There was no need to return to the Pokémon Center yet and face that girl and that look.
I'm sorry, but this is how it has to be.
No. Not just yet.
Sipping from his bottle of ice (a neat trick that Catch had shown him to keep it cold on hot days) he looked over his team, mind brimming with analyses.
The boy had heard once that Pokémon food could have a substantial impact on performance. If that were the case, then it would behoove him to learn how to make his own.
Catch had warned him that Ivysaur would be lazier now that he evolved, and would be practically sedentary if he evolved again. While that was a valid concern, Red figured he would simply have to make up for it with his other Pokémon. Ivysaur was inclined more for power than speed anyway.
Speaking of evolution, would he evolve Pikachu? The electric mouse was finally starting to obey him, but had shown no inclination to change form. Gaining the Pokémon's cooperation had been an uphill climb, and they still had some rough patches, but Red knew that it would all be worth it in the end.
The trainer rubbed said Pokémon's cheeks after finishing his drink. Catch had told him that Pikachu liked to have their cheeks massaged, afterward muttering about "I suppose the anime's good for something." While he had never seen that particular anime (and he could not deny the educational interest), Red took her word for it. The information seemed valid, since Pikachu was quite content and relaxed after each session.
Ivysaur was watching the Teachy TV while this was going on. Red had seen all the episodes; found he did not need them, and promptly forgot about the appliance Mr. Dull had given him. However, the seed Pokémon seemed to enjoy it for whatever reason.
"Heh. He's becoming a real couch potato," Catch had commented. "Well, he's part-plant anyway, so it makes sense."
The voice faded in the breeze, and Red sighed, arching his neck back to stare at the leaves above. No matter how many times he tried to busy his mind with other matters, everything always returned to her. And Blue.
"Pika-chu?" his newly massaged Pokémon hopped up close into his face. Are you okay?
Red smiled at his Pokémon. Pikachu had also shown an interest in sign language during the Mt. Moon lesson, and had the intelligence to keep up, despite obvious setbacks.
I'm fine, he signed automatically. It was a little troublesome to be surrounded by nosy people.
The Pokémon shook its head in disbelief. "Pika!" No you're not! Tell me what's wrong! From a fusion of body language, sign language, one-sided verbalization, and their familiarity with each other, Red could understand Pikachu perfectly and vice versa.
I'm just…thinking.
And thus started a war of obstinacy between the two. Red hedged and formed vague answers while Pikachu showed a remarkable resemblance to a Tauros. Eventually the Pokémon managed to pry a response out of Red that was more than a nothing or it doesn't matter.
I'm just wondering…about goodbyes. Mother, Blue, Daisy, Professor Oak, even Catch…I'm always saying goodbye to them for the sake of my training, my journey. I always thought that being a trainer is what I wanted, but…sometimes I wonder if the price is too high.
Red had never shared this information with anyone. That day, long ago, when he had first declared his dream to become the League Champion, he had been so confident, so full of ambition. What would the others say if he started doubting himself now? What kind of future champ got homesick? He was already eleven, the age when all children were old enough to travel alone on Pokémon journeys, and mature beyond that. I've grown so much; I cannot allow myself to be weak now…
Pikachu's eyes softened, and he climbed down from his former position on Red's lap to lie beside him.
The two of them stared at the clouds for a while, Red's agitated emotions gradually settling in the face of the peerless summer day. He relaxed in the lazy drift of the clouds, the gentle wisp of the breeze over the sweet-smelling grass, the burbling song of the stream, the drowsy gossip of wild Pokémon…
"Pikachu." You know, Red. You're not alone in this.
Red turned to look at his Pokémon, surprised at the sudden continuation of the conversation. He had thought it died off.
I also have my doubts and my regrets. Do you know I had a family back in the forest?
The boy looked down. No, he had not. And he had not thought of it either. Why did he not think of it?
Yeah. Mother and father. I miss them and I'm sure they miss me. But I decided to journey with you anyway.
Red gazed at the Pokémon curiously, his self-harangue cut off. Why?
Because you have something I haven't seen in any other trainer. Potential.
Pikachu hopped up into a standing position, glaring at his chosen trainer. Potential to be great. But the first thing you have to learn about potential and what comes with it is that others will leave you. Face it. You cast a long shadow, and not many people can tolerate standing in one. Whether out of jealousy or because they want to grow themselves…
The Pokémon turned its back on Red, ears drooping. People like us will always be lonely… Pikachu turned around, eyes blazing. But that's why we have to stick together! Stand tall and remember: whichever road you take, we'll walk it with you.
He's right, Ivysaur joined in, television forgotten. Don't forget Red. As your Pokémon and your friends, no matter what, we're here for you.
Red nodded, and if his eyes were particularly misty, it was only because the air was rather muggy. He stooped down to hug both of his friends briefly but firmly. He was not the most expressive of boys, but that one action was enough to convey the sincerity of his heart. Thank you.
And when they continued training, Red's depression lifted. He felt stronger than ever, and ready to face his new friend. He would miss her, but he had his other friends to support him.
ooo
"Red…I was born…on planet Earth. There are no Pokémon there, only animals."
Thus started the most ridiculous tale the boy had ever heard.
And yet, he could not help but believe it.
Red knew body language. Living on the outskirts of life's social circles had allowed him to observe the nuances and structures of normal human behavior.
So from the very first day he had known this odd girl, he knew there was something…off about her. Her gestures, her phrases, her confusion at very ordinary things, all bespoke foreigner.
And, if body language was universal, she was not lying either.
Then she mentioned the professor.
What? So Professor Oak's involved too? How? Why?
An alarm went off in his head. There was something…strange about this. He listened to his instincts, and they were screaming at him right now.
You know what she's talking about…find…
Catch continued, describing the first dimension travellers and how she was chosen to replace their presence here, how she needed to complete the Pokédex somehow to finish a "loop," and the mysterious ripples that had been appearing every so often.
And that was when the alarm changed into a full-blown headache-inducing clamor.
There was something there...but every time he grasped for it, the thought backed away, only to return like the waves at the shores of Pallet.
Pallet…what…?
He eventually decided to leave that particular thought alone, instead focusing on Catch's other words.
"That's why…I have to complete the Pokédex. I need it finished to go home."
His mind froze. The words had been walled out while he was busy with his headache, but now they slipped in through the cracks and sank in. Other world…
She has a home to return to…she'll never return…but she must be missing it as well…like Pikachu and I miss ours.
I won't hold her back.
He nodded to himself, pushing back his curiosity about the other world. Both of them had their own dreams, and far be it from him to interfere with hers. No, he would continue his journey with his Pokémon friends. She would collect every single Pokémon, and then leave Red forever.
Fortunately, he had not known Catch for very long. Six days was not nearly enough time to get truly involved. The girl seemed to be the type to get attached to others easily, but Red was not that way at all.
He was going to be the strongest trainer ever. And strong trainers did not let things like attachments to other people get in the way.
That was what Blue told him the day he cut off all ties.
And whether it was true or not, Red held onto it.
Because if it was a lie, then for what reason had Red walked alone all these years?
He was a strong trainer. A future champion. He would get over this.
Red gripped those words like an iron chain and did not let go.
But with all the force he was exerting to hold onto said chain, his attention was split for the rest of the day.
Pikachu scolded him on that and left him during Misty's battle with the parting words: I won't fight for a trainer whose heart isn't all there.
He knew his Pokémon was trying to help him, but it stung just the same, and was all he needed to regain most of his focus.
There was still a small corner of his mind reserved for strength and I'll get over this, but for the most part his attention was back on the battle.
He had made a few rookie mistakes, but in the end, he had won.
While accepting his Gym Badge, he frowned internally. I'll have to train myself even harder to make up for my blunders today.
He would accept nothing less from himself. Perfection was unnecessary, but trying one's hardest was.
And I did not try my best during this battle, he mused. Pikachu knew that, and that was why he didn't fight today.
He would have to break free from these shackles (don't leave me) that held him back (I hate goodbyes).
At least he had his Pokémon. He was not sure if he could do it without them.
Red watched Catch face the Gym Leader with hard eyes. The results of this battle would determine her new status. Whether she was a loser or a winner. Rookie or rival material.
Her former status of "friend" had been merely temporary after all.
"Go, Staryu!" Misty shouted, sea green eyes determined.
So she has multiple Pokémon that she has trained.
Most people became Gym Leaders for one of three reasons. One: inheritance. Taking over a Gym from a family member, usually older. These people were known as weaker Gym Leaders because of their inexperience or complacence.
The second reason was out of genuine desire for leadership. They had worked hard for their position and took the job seriously. Lieutenant Surge, Gym Leader of Vermillion, was one such trainer.
The third and last reason was either fame or brilliance. Some people were just that strong. Red had been disappointed that the Viridian City Gym was locked shut because its Leader was rumored to fall under the last category. The title of "Gym Leader" was just another accolade to add to the list of his many accomplishments.
Misty may have inherited her Gym, but she took the job seriously, and even had the foresight to train multiple Pokémon to use in rotation. Red approved.
Catch held up her wrist to look over her Poké Ball bracelet, before she apparently made a decision. "Granola, go!"
Red's keen eyes analyzed the bird Pokémon. She had looked fierce enough as a Pidgey, gentlest of all Kanto birds, but as a Pidgeotto she was positively ferocious.
Misty looked taken aback. Granola was noticeably larger than the average Pidgeotto, and Red nodded when her eyes narrowed. So she could tell…
Granola is an alpha. Alpha Pokémon are notoriously hard to train.
He glanced to his right without moving his head. Like Pikachu. The electric mouse had quickly learned that Red was left-handed, so he had taken to residing on his right shoulder. He would not be surprised if this unruly mouse were also an alpha.
Many species of Pokémon were social creatures. It was generally known that if one were to train a social Pokémon, the recommended type would be omega.
Omega Pokémon were the bottom-rung Pokémon, the lowest in the social hierarchy for whatever reason. Because of this, they were the most obedient to trainers, and would more likely do whatever the trainer asked out of a desire to please the "standing alpha."
Pokémon teams were not only about working together. They were also about hierarchy. At least for social Pokémon. The trainer was the "alpha" alpha, and there was also a Pokémon universally acknowledged as the alpha among the team. Sometimes there would be a beta, and often there would be an omega.
The reason Pokémon teams generally worked so well despite the troubles involved with capturing and training a new member was that the newcomer was often an omega. Unless abnormally strong, the other Pokémon would quickly establish this hierarchy to the new recruit, and said recruit would be unusually obedient to the trainer in an attempt to "curry favor" with the alpha. By the time the Pokémon would be comfortable enough in the hierarchy to act out, it would already have established a rapport with the other Pokémon and its trainer, so disciplinary problems were rare.
Because of this, new trainers were often recommended to capture weak, omega-social Pokémon before moving on to stronger, more confident, and loner Pokémon. Solitary Pokémon were particularly troublesome for trainers, since they were unused to following someone else's orders.
But Red believed that life could work without a hierarchy. Teams did not need to have rankings. Each and every member was equally valuable. He had relayed as much to Catch as well.
And that was why Catch's team, which consisted of a pacifist Wartortle, a loner Rattata, an alpha Pidgeotto, an eccentric Mankey, a naturally solitary Jigglypuff, and an undersized Nidorina managed to work as well as it did. It was also why Red's team of two alphas had little to no problems performing.
However, in the light of his new knowledge about Catch's background, Red was surprised at her progress. He had spent his whole life surrounded by Pokémon. How had Catch become so knowledgeable and caring of Pokémon if she did not come from the same world?
She accepted them almost immediately as partners. Do animals have similar statuses there as well?
There were still so many mysteries about Catch, that other world, and about humans in general that Red had yet to discover, if he ever would. If only he could communicate with and understand people like he could Pokémon, life would be so much easier.
"Granola, Plan A, but be careful!" Catch yelled.
Going on the offensive, then? Red mused. With Granola, that strategy could be brutally effective.
The bird nodded sharply at her trainer, and flew down at the Staryu like a bullet.
She must have leveled up a few times since evolving, Red noted. He had worried about the bird adjusting to her new size and wingspan, but it appeared that she had learned to accommodate her new shape nicely.
Pidgeotto, with their larger bodies and broader wings, were more predatory than their smaller cousins, but this came with a few downsides. They were better suited as gliders than flappers, and preferred to float from on high in search of prey. However, their strength had increased, so each flap was more powerful than a Pidgey's. New Pidgeotto would be unused to this different method of flying, but after adjusting to it their speed would rival, if not surpass, their previous form. Pidgeot were the fastest of all, achieving speeds of Mach 2 after enough acceleration.
Granola dive-bombed the Staryu before it could react, sending it flying into the water. Misty and Catch stood at opposite ends of the Gym on dry land, but most of the battling space was comprised of water.
"Staryu, Water Pulse!" the Gym Leader shouted.
The star-shaped Pokémon nodded, letting loose familiar rings of water.
Red noted Catch grumbling to herself, but the girl did not order anything.
That was one thing they had worked on. If one did not shout out orders, then one was unpredictable. But one had to be confident that one's Pokémon would follow through and go with the battle plan.
Catch was putting a lot of faith in Granola to execute this strategy during a Gym battle.
And the bird knew it too. Red could tell with one look that the Pokémon would work its hardest in this battle.
If you have trust in your Pokémon, then they will uphold that trust, Red had told Catch during one of their breaks. It was…warming to see that the girl had paid attention.
Shaken by the sudden surge of emotion, Red breathed in, glancing at the Rhydon statues. Don't forget…
For now, the battle was most important.
Granola flapped this way and that to evade the rings of water, but could not dodge them all, crying out in pain when one hit her. The bird retaliated with a few flaps of her wings, each flap stacking on top of the previous ones to create a powerful gust of wind that blew the Water Pulse right back at the Staryu.
"Oh, Staryu!" Misty cried, eyes watering. Growling, she glared up at Granola. "Staryu, go underwater!"
The Staryu made a few warbling sounds before diving underwater and out of sight.
Red remembered what the professor had told him about the Pidgey line. "As a Pidgey evolves, its eyesight becomes stronger, and they also start being able to see through water."
Isn't that the same thing, though? the boy had asked.
"No it is not," the professor shook his head. "You could compare Fearow and Pidgeot. Fearow prey mainly on land Pokémon such as Rattata, while Pidgeot prefer water-types like Magikarp. Both have developed keen eyesight suited for their feeding behavior. Fearow can spot miniscule movements right away, which suits their tendency to prey on land Pokémon whose every movement stands out against their still surroundings. But Pidgeot cannot spot such movements as easily as their long-beaked cousins. Their eyes are instead specialized to see through water. Pidgeotto senses are not as developed as their final evolution, but they can still see through clear water to a certain extent."
However, such facts were not widely known outside of academic circles and bird trainers who specialized in these Pokémon. Red doubted that Catch or Misty knew such things.
Normally, this would not affect the battle, what with the trainers controlling the movements of their Pokémon. In this case, though…
"Staryu, use Tackle!" Misty shouted.
The star-shaped Pokémon leapt out of the water…and straight into the bird's claws.
"Reee!" the Pidgeotto let out a high-pitched screech.
"Granola, aim for the jewel in the center or it will recover!" Catch ordered.
The bird nodded and flipped around to stab her beak into the red core, but Misty's shout of "attack, Staryu!" interrupted her movement.
The star shape Pokémon quickly freed itself and dove back into the water.
Red nodded to himself. Catch should have specified from the beginning where she wanted her Pokémon to target. Though it risked the enemy knowing what to protect, a smart trainer could take advantage of that to change the target, and catch the opponent off guard. Those brief seconds taken to specify where to attack only allowed the Staryu to escape.
And now Misty knew that Granola could see through water.
"Recover, Staryu!"
The Pokémon glowed yellow and bright orbs of light surrounded it, washing over the star-shaped body and leaving behind a healthy, unblemished Staryu.
"Grr, Granola, don't forget the plan!"
"Geoow!" the bird affirmed, and flapped her wings frantically, calling up a mini-tornado that swept through the room.
"Oh no, Staryu!"
The tornado lifted the star Pokémon and the chlorinated water of the pool, creating a cyclone of water that slammed into the Gym wall with devastating force. The Staryu itself collapsed against the wall, red core blinking like a flashing emergency light.
"Now, Granola, finish it off!" Catch yelled.
The Pidgeotto nodded and dove down from her height, her streamlined body helping her acceleration…straight into the jewel of the Pokémon.
With a loud crack, Misty's Staryu fainted, and the first battle was over.
Yes. It's a Red chapter. You're welcome. ;)
One thing I love about writing Red is that I get to insert SO MUCH Pokémon lore and knowledge. Catch is still discovering new things about it, but Red's pretty in the know. I love going into detail about things so Red chapters are nice for that.
Character profile time. :)
Catch M. Hall: txs*io/nzR
Red: txs*io/TMQ
Thank you so very much to SmileRen, Lord Cow-Cow, Fallen Vanguard, Frozen-Night-Mist, Mel's Merleawe, nostalgicCyanide, Lone Panda, TammyHybrid21, Searching For Enadi, Gembell, 1412 karasu, ZombieSlayers, Totodileawesomeness, brica, Imagination12, and Guest(101!) for reviewing! :D