Oh, hello there~
Just a chapter…here…uh, sorry…
And to those whose reviews I can't reply:
Crazy Girl: Thank you so much! G-great character development? Wow blush* thank you, I thought people would be confused by that part especially…
Pff: I don't know who you are, but I like you! Thanks!:D
Guest: Yes, yes, okay, thank you so much! OwO
Qistiko: And here it is…the next chapter –which I hope is up to your standard *wink-
…
35th Poke: A Start
He woke up to shouts being volleyed back and forth all around him and his head hurt. Pulling his body from the comfortable bedding below him, he blinked, adjusting his blurry sight to focus on where he was. The shouts didn't stop and he groaned, annoyed by the unwanted disturbance. Then there was a face staring at him with knitted eyebrows. A man. With shadowed brown eyes and a frown as if he also was processing the sight of his sleepy face.
"Are you awake, Red?" the face spoke gruffly. Red nodded, his brain yet to catch up with whatever was going on around him. He just wanted to forget about everything and sleep, that's what he remembered and he sleepily told the man before him. He was replied with an even more furrowed eyebrows and a low growl that suspiciously sounded like one of those words that his mother would punish him if he dared to utter that. The man put a hand on his shoulder before shaking him lightly, hesitantly as if afraid that he would break him, "No, please stay awake," the plea in his voice was quite clear so he kept his eyes open, "…we need you as Mew's chosen, you have an obligation to see through and now is the perfect time to prove yourself"
The last sentence hit him like a freight train and his mind finally turned to process what had happened. Green is missing, his Pikachu –no, not Green's replacement- had left with a bizarre pokemon who wanted him to save the world through means he had yet to understand, and a strange man named Lance was blocking his way to finish what he was supposed to do. Red abruptly snapped his head up, glaring at the man with blazing red eyes, "Where is this?" he demanded in a growl. Though what came out of his mouth was more likely a hoarse, I'm-just-awake growl, he didn't care. Lance certainly did not either as the man simply gave him a warning glare, "Somewhere outside Fuchsia City," Red took a sharp breath, "…we don't want you anywhere near Viridian-"
"Why would you take me away from Viridian!" he yelled, desperation lacing his voice, "…it's the last gym leader, the last hurdle before I could gain access to Mewtwo and fulfill the order Mew-"
"Do you even know who you're talking about?" Lance snapped.
Red flinched, calm down, calm down, calm down, his conscience murmured, his head stumbled on words that he wanted to spout yet choked at them in his throat. Who is he talking about? The last gym leader? Mew? Himself? His mind was too muddled to think clearly. Where's Green when he needed him? He curled into himself, shaking in fear and reclusiveness. He's afraid. So afraid. He's alone. Alone, by himself to face all of this. Not even Mew stayed…not even the Pikachu he thought would connect him to Green. They all left, they all disappear.
"Red, head's up!" an order; firm and rigid, forcing him to look up shakily, "If you don't snap out of this stupid breakdown, I will personally see to it that you'll be stripped of your right to be Mew's partner. For now, I'll leave you two alone" uttered Lance, his voice dripping with disappointment and venom. Red didn't care though, this was not his responsibility anymore-
"Oh, dear…I'd never thought that this is what he meant…"
Two red eyes widened considerably as his lips parted to spell the word that came so naturally to his mouth. In shame.
"Professor?"
…
"Is he awake?" was the first sentence that greeted him as he walked out of the emergency tent they decided to build upon seeing the boy's condition. Lance shrugged, "I would say yes, but seeing how he's faring…" he trailed off, grimacing. "That bad?" a gruff voice echoed the question he did not want to hear and Lance threw a glare toward the speaker. "Why are you two here? Who's holding the front?" he asked, gesturing toward where the 'front' is with a slight tilt of his head. They both had the same exhausted smile as they began explaining that they were fighting in turns, to avoid exhausting every single gym leaders who had come to help.
"Koga and Sabrina are holding the fort, Brock is heading here as we speak, his business with some sort of fossil is done," Misty chided, "…and Erika is handling most of the healing so far, we came back for more supplies…"
Lance nodded to acknowledge the report, "I'm joining them, just call me if the professor is finished 'fixing' that child"
"Fixing? Wasn't he just exhausted?"
Once more, the grimace appeared on the dragon tamer and he shook his head, "No, it wasn't exhaustion…" he turned to glance at the tent briefly, "…I suggest avoiding the tent they occupied for now…."
With that last sentence and a flutter of his cape, he went forth to the front where the two legendary birds seemingly undefeatable form wreak havoc.
…
His order was clear: find Red and deliver this package that Brock had prepared for the trainer. Additional note: as fast as your legs can take. And he would do just that if only those black uniformed guards would stop staring at him like predators evaluating prey. It would take them one single order to search him and they would find the package he had stowed inside his inner pocket. Not the most safest place, but hey, at least it was safe from naked eyes.
He had explained himself to the normal guard, the usual guard that is stationed in Viridian post, before a few people in horrendous black uniform shoved the guy aside and started crowding around him in what supposed to be threatening. Well, yes, he did feel threatened, very much so.
One of the black uniform guy was approaching him with light steps, shoulder hunched forward and both hands shoved deep inside his pants pocket, his head turned upward and tilted to one side. If he tried to be intimidating, yes, it worked, though it's not because of his pose. He smiled nervously when the guard shoved his face at his private space and snorted, "What d'ya want in Viridian?" he could smell mint, which should be calming, "…city's closed off, boss said no entry 'cept for name's on the list" thankfully, the man leant backward, allowing some space for him to breathe free.
"I'm here on an…errand…" he spoke carefully, "…there's someone I need to meet here and-"
"Goods to give?" he gulped when he heard the audible lick of lips the guard just made. He shook his head vehemently, "Me-message, it's just a message to, uh, give…" he eyed the plain guy to the side, one of the not-uniformed-people who had warned him before. If only he had heeded that warning and left…
"For who?" another guard chided in. His eyes quickly flicked to the guy in panic. This isn't good for his heart, "…A trainer, I was supposed to meet…" he muttered. Technically, he wasn't lying; he is supposed to meet Red here in Viridian and gave him the package. Brock told him that much. Yet Viridian was blocked off for some odd reason and these guards are going to rob him if a miracle doesn't happen.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T GO IN?"
A female voice echoed loud and clear throughout the place. It was so sudden that everyone instantly focused their sight into the new additional companion in the scene. A girl was fixated on a staring contest with one of the uniformed guard –the one who guards the entrance to the forest, he noticed- and she seemed more pissed off than a Mankey. She poked the guard's rib, shoving him with a single finger, "Listen here, you dumbass," he could see the guard's small, frightened nod, "…I'm here to find my friend and nobody in this world, not even you and your boss can stop me!"
"What do we have here?" he was released –thank heavens above- and the hunched guard was walking toward the girl who merely replied with angry glare, "…li'l girl, ya don't know who ya messin' wid, shoulda gone home while ya can"
"Are you the leader then?" the girl cut in, her attention now shifted to the hunched guard, "…great, let me in or I'll break through with or without your permission"
The hunched guard guffawed at this exclamation, "Got more guts than glasses over here, eh?" much like before, he shoved his face into the girl's private space and grinned toothily, "…what can ya do? Bite me?" the girl's eyes were stern and determined. The blue glinted under the light when the corner of her lips quirked up to form a malicious smirk, "You know, now that you mention that, I might as well…" she opened her mouth in a wide grin, showing clean rows of white teeth.
He could've sworn that the guard flinched in slight fear before he recovered himself with a crease on his forehead, "Too much confidence could lead ya to yer downfall, ya know?" he's not smiling anymore. The girl merely giggled –cutely, he might add- and shoved a finger right on the tip of the guard's nose, "That goes both way~"
…
"You mean Red is here?" the rock gym leader exclaimed in disbelief.
"How can you forget that he wasn't supposed to be in Viridian!?" asked Surge in frustration.
"Isn't Viridian where we should be headed off to as well- or had the plan changed and none of you remember to notify me of this change?"
This time, nobody spoke up.
The change had been on short notice and no one had been able to contact Brock easily since they were so preoccupied by the two legendaries. With furrowed eyebrows, Brock let out a frustrated sigh, "How do you propose as a way to contact that delivery man?" Surge was about to open his mouth when the usually closed eyes of the rock gym leader opened a fraction, "…without any of the Rockets knowing of it?" he added icily, an uncharacteristic action for the kind gym leader to show.
"I can contact Blaine…" was what Misty said after a few beats of silence, "…he's in Viridian, he might find him…"
Brock huffed, "Alright, I hope this does not ruin the professor's order…that pokemon needed to be in Red's hands as fast as possible"
….
"I…" Red started, the word choked in his throat. I failed, he had wanted to say. He failed in everything. He couldn't find Green, he couldn't defeat Giovanni, he would fail to be a good partner for Mew, and he would…He trembled, arms wrapping around himself as sniffles started to form at the back of his throat. What an utter mess…
"Can I tell you a story, Red?" the professor's voice chimed softly. Red looked up, clearly startled and confused by the question. The professor looked expectant and the boy averted his eyes away. Eventually, Red gave one tiny nodded that could've not been noticed if the professor hadn't paid him his full attention. With an anticlimactic cough to his fist, the professor began.
"A boy once told me that he would become a strong trainer, the strongest in the entire world," he recited, drawing words deep from his memory, "…I remember the fire in his eyes as he exclaimed that sentence, confidence and arrogance exuded from his tiny form…" there was a fond smile on the professor's face and Red mimicked it with his own tiny smile. He could clearly picture a young Green pointing at the sky and declared that in front of his grandfather.
"I asked him what would he do once he obtained that title, what would he do with all the power that he has?" a pause and an inquiry glance, "…what do you think was his answer, Red?" Red flinched.
He looked at the blanket draped over his lap, "I don't know…"
A hand stroke his head gently –Where's his hat? He just noticed- and the professor replied, "You're absolutely right"
Red blinked.
The professor nodded, "The future is an uncertainty, Red, 'I don't know' might be a stupid answer, naïve even, as if you have no purpose after you achieve your goal…" Red bit his lower lip, pearly white against pale pink, "…but people changes. The world changes, it moves without stopping and so are the people in it" he curled his fist, grimacing at his own thought.
"But I don't change…" he said in hushed voice.
"You don't?" there's that secret smile in the professor's lips.
Red shook his head.
An amused hum, "But you're here now, the quiet boy from Pallet is here, chosen by the legendary after overcoming every obstacles thrown his way," the older man dictated, "…why would you think that you haven't changed?"
"Because I just don't!" Red snapped, whipping his head down in frustration. Compliments. Compliments, all those compliments thrown his way like cheap candies. He didn't need them. Green should be the one hogging every single compliment that had ever been addressed to him. He would be happy staying by Green's side, knowing that the brunet will always come back to him if only to prove himself as the stronger of the two.
There was silence afterward, the professor looked quite stunned by his previous exclamation. Red merely stayed shut, regretting that he had shouted at the good professor and was contemplating on apologizing when the old man let out a defeated sigh, "No one can see whether they have changed or not except for those who stayed by their side," he stood up, his fingers laced behind his back, "…tell me, do you think Green had changed?" the professor did not turn his head and Red couldn't judge what kind of face the older man was making.
"No" he replied abruptly.
Chuckling, the professor finally turned to face him, an amused smile adorning his wrinkled lips, "I've known Green ever since he was a baby, you know," reminiscence filled his voice and Red could see the melancholic gaze in those dark eyes, "…and believe me, he had never stopped talking about himself and what he wanted to become until he met another boy in Pallet town…"
Red's eyes widened.
With soft steps, the professor padded toward the tent's entrance, his hand pushed the cover gently to let a ray of light into the poorly lit tent, "We'll be waiting for you outside…" and with a swish of thick thread, the professor disappeared, leaving Red once again with his thought in the dark.
…
I've been waiting for you…
Oh, finally! Hey, you can turn that off now, we don't need it.
What do you mean we don't need it, it's dark in h-
Such mundane thing to do, such is human and their fussy nature
You always said that even though you've said you'd give them a chance.
One chance is all. I am not as generous as you thought.
I have news though….
Speak of the news first, I do not need a sudden demand after a choice has been made.
The last gym leader is Giovanni
What?
What?
Why are you surprised too?
Because someone decided to withhold that important bits from everyone's involved with this mission-
That is an obstacle that I didn't expect. Thoughtful hum, Nonetheless, I expect the human can overcome that? Surely, you didn't choose a helpless human who can't defeat that blasted leader?
But he would need my he-
You are not to leave this place until I could come into a conclusion.
Wha-
You are the human representative, correct? Then we shall talk. If you have enough wits then I will acknowledge you and conclude that humanity truly worth saving.
And if I don't?
You know the rest…
Well, good luck Green!, I'll be right here~
A sigh, Let's get this over with then…
….
"I know you'll come through, Red"
He didn't know what he had come through and why they sounded happy to see him. Red gazed at the people who had gathered to surround him in a subtle crowding way. Thankfully, they were sparse enough that he didn't feel suffocated. He met the professor's gaze, took out Vyi's pokeball as encouragement –he thought he could feel the warmth emanating from the device- and finally spoke, "What did the boy say after they met, professor?"
The professor was startled at first before a gentle smile pulled at his lips,
"'I want to defeat Red and prove it to him that I am the strongest!'" there's a touch of mischievousness as the old man added not without a teasing wink, "…fully quoted word to word"
Red accepted the word and met each of their expectant gaze, "Alright…" he took a shaky, but determined breath, "…I will not make it easy for him though…"
…
That moment when you realized that one of the character gets more complex than what you've intended in the original draft…
*Red, you are one complicated motherducker to write…
And yes, you are correct to assume that he put up a front. Dependency does not resolved that quickly and usually, they have this front that they put up when they know they couldn't depend on that one special person. Think about…Adrian Andrews from Phoenix Wright.