Pokémon Crimson Gold
Chapter 50: What if
After a Gym battle which ended in failure due to his disobedient Gyarados, Ethan finally decided it was best for everyone if he just released the Red Gyarados back to the Lake of Rage where he and Brandon once found it.
"It's for the best Bayleef. Trust me, I'll just have to catch a Pokémon that does like to battle, let's go." Ethan told his starter as they head off.
The more optimistic Bayleef however disagreed, feeling Gyarados would maybe come to if Ethan just tried a little harder.
"Bay Bay!" She said trying to explain it to Ethan.
"I wish Bayleef, I really do." Ethan sighed as he took a seat near a tree. "But it's too late now."
Ethan thought about everything that had happened since he had caught Gyarados, from meeting the Pokémon Champion to learning his father would be returning from Hoenn.
"So much has happened recently, I just... want things to go back to how they were, you know," Ethan said petting Bayleef who was resting her head on his lap.
"Bay Bay?" She said in a wonderous tone.
"You know, how things were, before Team Rocket, before my Dad, before..." Ethan said stumbling on his words. "I probably sound spoiled right now, not everyone can just have a journey... just know, you guys are really what makes it worth it for me."
"Bay!" Bayleef smiled licking Ethan on the cheek.
"Hello, Ethan!" Said a familiar voice to the right of Ethan.
Ethan turned to see Morgan, the niece of Pryce who had been the referee for their battle.
"Oh, hi!" Ethan said getting up to greet her. "What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to thank you, for giving my Uncle a challenge, seeing you battle gave me ideas on how to maybe beat him, if I'm lucky." Morgan said.
"Yeah, but in the end I lost, Gyarados wouldn't listen to a word I said..." Ethan murmured.
"Well... maybe but, you can always just try and get Gyarados to like you more, can't you?" Morgan asked.
"Maybe, but not with Gyarados." Ethan said shaking his head.
"W-what do you mean?" Morgan asked.
"I released Gyarados just now, it hates me, and I won't force it to like me." Ethan admitted.
"But you never know Ethan... that Gyarados is special, and it doesn't take the brightest person in the word to tell that. It's one of a kind, there has to be enough time for you to go and get it back!" Morgan insisted.
"I know, but what if I don't want Gyarados." Ethan said, surprising Bayleef.
"I don't know you very well Ethan, but even I can tell when you're lying." Morgan replied. "I'm going to go back and train, but I really think you should think about, or else you'll always beat yourself up about it and ask yourself what if."
Morgan turned back and left, but what she said had stayed with Ethan.
"What if..." Ethan muttered.
….
Gyarados had swam off in the lake of rage by its lonesome after being released by Ethan, not so long earlier it had faced and lost to Pryce's Mamoswine and was still heavily damaged after the battle as it wasn't sent to a Pokémon Center.
Gyarados pulled up near to the shore of the lake and took in the sight of Mahagony from afar.
It thought back to Ethan's kindness and pondered over its past decisions... to be frank this Gyarados never had good encounters with humans. From being forced to evolve by the radio waves of Team Rocket from endless battles with Trainers in search of its rarity, it never trusted humans. It had assumed Ethan was the same... but then Ethan released it.
Gyarados laid its head on the shore of the ocean and tried to sleep on it but it was then from afar it noticed another Pokémon, a yellow-round bodied Pokémon.
The Pokémon was known as Electabuzz and it began surging with electricity menacingly.
"Wrahhh!" Gyarados roared at the electric type, trying to scare it away so it wouldn't try and do battle with it. Suddenly from behind a tree came a Team Rocket member, he had dark brown hair and crimson red eyes, his Team Rocket uniform appeared to be tattered.
"Hmph, a Gyarados that large, and it already appears to be weakened, someone did our job for us." Said the man, licking his lips.
Gyarados pulled its head up and let out an almighty battle cry, trying to warn the man and the Pokémon to back off, but the Team Rocket simply laughed.
"Hey everyone, we have food!" Said the man, calling out to behind the trees.
Suddenly about nine other Team Rocket members came all with Pokéball's in hands eying down the Red Gyarados.
"It must at least be five hundred pounds!" Said one of the members to the man in the center.
"That could feed us for the next two weeks!" Said another.
Hearing them talk about eating itself made Gyarados furious, he opened his mouth and began charging his Dragon Breath attack.
"Oh no you don't!" Said the main man in the middle. "Electabuzz, Thunderbolt!"
The Electabuzz charged and blasted the Gyarados with a golden yellow bolt of lightning dealing Super effective damage to the already damaged Gyarados.
Weakened by the Thunderbolt the Gyarados lost the energy to use Dragon Breath, it was still conscious, albeit it just barely.
"Now, everyone!" The Team Rocket man yelled to his comrades. "Let us finish this battle together!"
The other Team Rocket members agreed and all brang out electric type Pokémon, such as Elekids, Magnetons, Magnemites, Pichu and more.
Seeing itself surrounded by so many electric types made the Red Gyarados fear for the worst, for its life. As not just a water type but also a flying type Gyarados was four times weak to electric type moves. And to top off all that it was also injured.
The electric type Pokémon all zapped Gyarados with intense electric type moves, the last thing Gyarados saw before blacking out was the smiles of the Team Rocket members who defeated it.
….
From afar, Ethan and Bayleef noticed a huge smoke cloud which could be seen even from a whole mile away.
"That's in the direction of Gyarados!" Ethan realized.
"Bay!" Bayleef agreed.
"Let's go!" Ethan yelled.
Ethan and Bayleef ran to Brandon's house and knocked on the door loudly. Earlier Brandon didn't answer but he needed him now more than ever.
"Brandon! Please, open up!" Ethan pleaded. "I need you know more than ever!"
"Bay Bay!" Bayleef yelled.
After a minute or two the door finally opened and out came Brandon who had bags over his eyes.
"W-what is it Ethan?" He asked. "You're interrupting my nap."
"This is serious, I'm afraid Gyarados may be in trouble, you've got to help me!" Ethan blurted out.
"Really, Gyarados is in danger!?" Said the alarmed Brandon. "What happened?"
"Well, I had to release Gyarados and then-" Ethan didn't even get to finish his sentence before Brandon interrupted him.
"What do you mean you released Gyarados!?" He yelled. "Didn't you remember how rare I told you it was, what the hell is the matter with you!?"
"It was for Gyarados's own good! Gyarados hates having a Trainer, what else was I supposed to do!?" Ethan explained.
"Still that Gyarados is one in a million, people would kill to get their hands on it. Under no circumstance would I ever release it!" Brandon claimed.
"Well, I guess that's the difference between you and me as Trainers." Ethan barked at him.
"You know what, just forget it. Why is in Gyarados in dander now?" Brandon finally asked.
"Shortly after I released it I saw a giant explosion coming in from the direction that Gyarados head off in." Ethan said.
"Wait, so you expect me to believe Gyarados is in danger just because of a hunch of yours?" Brandon said.
"Please! It may not be a hunch, Gyarados could be in serious harm, right now its weakened and in no state to battle from a match we just had." Ethan tried to explain.
"Bayleef Bayleef!" Bayleef begged the water master.
Brandon turned his face away and shook his head. "Sorry Ethan. But you're on your own, it's your Gyarados, your problems."
"But-" Ethan didn't even get to finish his sentence before Brandom slammed the door on his face, surprising Ethan and Bayleef.
"I guess we really do know the difference between him and I as Trainers then..." Ethan muttered to his starter. "Come on Bayleef, you and I is all we need."
"Bay!" Bayleef said as she followed behind Ethan.
Ethan and Bayleef followed in the direction of the smoke and about an hour and a half Ethan made it to the area, he hid behind a tree and observed an open area with about nine Team Rocket members.
Team Rocket, I guessed as much! Ethan thought.
The members were huddling between the Red Gyarados who was tied up by rope connected to wooden spears and held over a fire, they were slowly lowering it to burn it.
Gyarados was fully awake and let out a loud shriek, making Ethan cover his ears. The Team Rocket members did the same.
"Damn, too loud, Electabuzz hit Gyarados with Thunderbolt!" The leader said, following his order his Electabuzz zapped Gyarados at full power. Gyarados screamed in pain as it had no energy to fight back.
"They're going to try and eat it." Ethan said quietly to Bayleef.
"Bay!" Bayleef said, about ready to strike them down from afar with her Magical Leaf but Ethan put his hand before her.
"No Bayleef, you're also damaged from the match. I can't risk you battling right now." Ethan told her.
"Bay Bay!" She said insisting.
"I'm sorry, but please just stay and watch here, and if anything happens maybe then use Magical Leaf, got it?" Ethan asked his starter.
"B-Bay..." Bayleef said sadly nodding her head.
"Sorry girl, well, here I go!" Ethan said as he walked into the open. "Hey assholes, that Gyarados isn't for eating!"
Gyarados's eyes lit up in surprise upon seeing Ethan. It hadn't expected Ethan to come back and return to save itself. Electabuzz stopped zapping Gyarados and turned to see Ethan.
The nine Team Rocket members all turned to Ethan, they stopped lowering Gyarados into the fire and began to laugh.
"What's this, a little kid thinks he can just come in here and insult us!?" One member said.
"Maybe he's suicidal?" One girl suggested.
"Or insane, either way he's dead!" Another member said.
The leader with the brown hair and red eyes signaled them to stop talking and took two steps closer to Ethan.
"What business do you have with us?" The man asked Ethan.
"You heard me, I'm not just sit here and let any of you guys eat it. That's not happening!" Ethan stated.
"Well then, it seems were having a problem here. Me and my boys here are hungry, and that Gyarados can feed us for a long time, and here you are, telling us to just let it go." He explained.
"You guys... you Team Rocket are all the same, I'll battle every single one of you if I have to!" Ethan announced.
The Team Rocket members all pulled out their Pokéballs, but the leader once again told them to back off.
"He's mine, how about it kid, just a one on one between the both of us, my Electabuzz is eager to battle right now!" The man said.
"Electabuzz!" Electabuzz yelled.
"Fine by me, but if I win you guys will release Gyarados!" Ethan enforced.
"He really is crazy!" One member said who was watching before the leader hushed him.
"Before we begin allow me to introduce myself, I am Hunter, you called us Team Rocket, but we really aren't. More like ex Team Rocket." He said as he ripped the R off his clothes.
"I don't care, all that matters to me is saving Gyarados." Ethan said.
"Heh, Electabuzz, stand by for my battle." Hunter told his Pokémon.
"Electa!" Electabuzz said forming a battle stance.
"Ampharos, I choose you!" Ethan yelled as he threw his Pokéball.
"Ampharo!" Ampharos cried upon being released. Electabuzz glared at Ampharos and Ampharos returned its gaze back at it.
"Ampharos, we have to save Gyarados, all right?" Ethan told his Pokémon.
"Amphar, Ampharos!" Ampharos agreed, making Ethan smile.
"Oh, I see, this will be a battle of electric types then?" Hunter said to Ethan.
"That's the idea, now let's do this! Ampharos, Thunder Shock!" Ethan yelled.
Ampharos surged with electricity before blasting it off at the smug Electabuzz.
"Weak, show it a real electric move, Thunderbolt!" Hunter commanded.
Electabuzz listened and fired back at Ampharos, a much larger, much faster electric move, it broke through Ampharos's attack and blasted him kicking up smoke.
"Ampharos no!" Ethan screamed.
Once the smoke cleared Ampharos got back up, even with the reduced damage from the fact they were the same type, he had still taken damage, Thunderbolt was quite strong.
"Am... Amphar!" He bellowed.
"Now Electabuzz, Focus Punch!" Hunter ordered. Electabuzz took a second to focus as his fist glowed with a white aura.
"That's not good, Ampharos, bash it back with Fire Punch!" Ethan yelled.
"Ampharo!" Ampharos yelled as he charged his fist with flames.
Electabuzz ran fourth at Ampharos and threw a quick Focus Punch at Ampharos, Ampharos duck down and dodged the hit, it was so powerful it sent back a powerful shockwave Ampharos just barely dodged.
Ampharos swung his fist back and punched the Electabuzz straight in the face which caused an explosion upon impact sending Electabuzz crashing down to the ground before Hunter.
"Electa... buzz..." It moaned as it got up.
"Keep it up Ampharos, you're rocking it!" Ethan told his Pokémon, who simply stood there with his arms crossed waiting for Electabuzz to recover.
"Electabuzz, use Screech!" Commanded Hunter.
Electabuzz leaped at Ampharos and let out a loud screech, causing Ampharos and Ethan to cover their ears.
"So loud!" Ethan mumbled.
Electabuzz jumped in front of Ampharos and wagged its finger, making Ampharos take a step back.
"Use Brick Break!" Hunter ordered. Electabuzz swiftly raised its arm over Ampharos and hit it in the neck with a heavy chop to the neck.
"Am... pharos..." Ampharos cried out in pain.
"Ampharos, can you get up!?" Ethan asked concerned for his Pokémon's wellbeing.
The poor electric type slowly stood back up in front of Electabuzz, panting heavily.
Watching while still hung over the fire, seeing Ethan and Ampharos's drive to save it made Gyarados shed a single tear to which no one had noticed, not even itself.
Ampharos stood and got in Electabuzz's face, making Electabuzz laugh.
"Now, use a close range Confuse Ray Ampharos!" Ethan yelled.
"C-Confuse Ray!? Don't let it hit you Electabuzz!" Hunter yelled.
Upon hearing his Trainer's words Electabuzz jumped back while kicking Ampharos in his gut, disrupting it from the Confuse Ray.
"Let us end this, now use Thunderbolt!" Hunter demanded.
"Electaaabuzz!" Electabuzz shrieked as it fired a large lightning-fast blast as Ampharos.
"Ampharos, Thunder Shock back!" Ethan yelled, Ampharos listened and blasted back at the bolt of lightning with another Thunder Shock.
"That move again!" Hunter scoffed. "Can't you see it is useless in the presence of my Electabuzz?"
The Thunderbolt once again began to overpower Ampharos's Thunder Shock attack, Ampharos was on his knees as he could no longer try and push back the attack.
"Ampharos, you have this!" Ethan told his struggling Pokémon. "I believe in you, just push!"
From hearing Ethan's words, Ampharos surged with even more electricity now, suddenly bursting through Electabuzz's Thunderbolt and blasting the Pokémon.
"Electabuzzz!" It screamed while being zapped before falling to the ground fainting.
"That was!?" Hunter said in awe.
Ampharos began to pant even more after exerting that much energy, but it had blasted Electabuzz back with a move that wasn't Thunder Shock.
"Alright Ampharos, you've learned Thunderbolt!" Ethan celebrated.
Ampharos turned around and smiled at Ethan, excited to have learned a new move.
"Damnit... this can't be." Hunter cursed as he returned his Electabuzz.
"He actually... beat the boss!?"
"He must be a monster!"
"This is insane, outrageous!"
Ethan paid the other's no mind, he simply glared back at Hunter triumphantly.
"I win, and as we agreed, if I win, you'll leave Gyarados alone!" Ethan reminded him.
Hunter laughed maniacally before alerting his subordinates. "Everyone, prepare your Pokémon!"
The Team Rocket members all pulled out Pokéballs of their own, releasing Electric type Pokémon.
"I knew it, no way a Team Rocket member would agree to an honorable battle, you guys really are just liars and killers!" Ethan yelled.
"You won't be alive for much longer for it to matter! Team Rocket, attack!" Hunter yelled as the other electric type Pokémon charged with electric type moves.
Ampharos formed a battle stance surging with electricity of its own and Bayleef leapt from the trees, back-to-back with Ampharos, both trying to protect Ethan.
"Amphar!" Ampharos shrieked at the Team Rocket members.
"Bayleef Bay!" Bayleef barked back.
Gyarados roared at the members trying to get them to stop their attack, but no one batted it an eye.
"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" They heard a voice call out. It was then when a water blast smashed into all the electric type Pokémon attackers, short circuiting them rendering them too weak to battle.
"Blastoise!?" Ethan said in confusion turning to see Brandon, who stood by his Blastoise.
"Who are you!?" Hunter asked.
"I'm the guy whose about to kick all your asses!" Brandon announced, intimidating the Team Rocket members who were returning their defeated Pokémon.
"Err... I hate saying this but we lost." Hunter said taking two steps back. "We need to go now!"
The Team Rocket members all ran off into the distance not wanting to be attacked by the powerful Blastoise.
"You came back Brandon!?" Ethan said in awe.
"I'm sorry Ethan. Maybe I was a little bitter that you released Gyarados, I wasn't thinking straight. And more than that, I was an asshole... again, sorry." Brandon apologized.
"Blastoise..." Blastoise said also apologizing.
"It's alright I already forgot, all that matters now is that Gyarados is free!" Ethan said turning his attention to the Gyarados, the fire beneath it was already put out due to the Hydro Pump.
Gyarados turned its head away from Ethan, not wanting him to see its tears.
"Anyways, let's free it." Brandon suggested.
"Yeah!" Ethan agreed.
After about twenty minutes they finally managed to release the huge Gyarados from its rope, it came down still incredibly injured.
"You're finally free now Gyarados!" Ethan said cheerfully.
"Bay!" Bayleef agreed.
Gyarados nodded its head before trying to head back to the water, but that was when Brandon stepped in.
"Now to catch it!" He said pulling out a Pokéball. Gyarados stopped in place in shock.
"What!?" Ethan reacted. "Gyarados was just released, what are you saying!?"
"It's too rare to just be released, and you don't want it anymore, well I do, so I'm catching it!" Brandon said, surprising Ethan.
"Gyarados doesn't want to be caught, it wants to be free! You can't just try and catch it!" Ethan yelled back at Brandon, Gyarados behind him confirmed it was true.
"And what if I disagree with that Ethan, I'm not as kind as you, so what will you do then" Brandon asked, his Blastoise glaring down at Ethan, Bayleef and Ampharos.
"Then I'll have to stop you." Ethan said, staring down Brandon.
Bayleef formed a battle stance, and Ampharos started lighting up with lightning.
Brandom simply smiled and instead returned Blastoise to its Pokéball. "Very well then... since you're so concerned over Gyarados's wellbeing I'll leave it alone."
"Really, thanks Brandon." Ethan said sighing in relief, he put his arm around Bayleef and Ampharos signaling them to simmer down.
"I'll be heading out now, Ethan. Again, sorry for earlier, come back to me if you need anything else!" Brandon said as he walked off.
"Whew, thought that'd maybe have to get violent." Ethan said rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyways, good job today Bayleef, and especially you Ampharos, you've really become a powerhouse, you're not that same lonely Mareep I found all the way back in the forest outside of Violet City."
Ampharos smiled as Ethan pet him behind his ears. Ethan afterwards returned Ampharos to his Pokéball.
"And Gyarados." Ethan said turning to the shiny Pokémon. "Go and be free, they won't harm you anymore!"
Gyarados instead of turning back and leaving went and gave Ethan a big lick, getting his whole body, which made Ethan chuckle.
"What's the matter Gyarados, weren't you going to go!?" Ethan asked the Pokémon.
Gyarados shook its head, Ethan realized what it meant.
Ethan raised the Great Ball from his bag. "You know, someone told me not so long ago that I'd be continuously asking myself what if I hadn't come back, and that's the best advice I could have heard... are you sure you want to come with me Gyarados. You don't have to if that's your way of thanking me, I wouldn't want to take away your happiness."
Gyarados nodded his head and lowered it so Ethan could reach it. Bayleef was happy at the sight of the two getting along.
"Thank you, boy." Ethan said petting the Pokémon's head. "You... are a boy, right?"
Gyarados nodded his head raising it, making Ethan smile.
"Well alright then, let's get you to a Pokémon Center. Gyarados return!" Ethan said as he withdrew his Gyarados.
"Well, let's get going Bayleef!" Ethan said to his starter.
"Bay!" She happily agreed.
And now Gyarados finally likes Ethan! So, no more disobedience in the middle of battle, Gyarados will now be a happy member of Ethan's party.