Disclaimer: I do not own nor am I affiliated with Pokémon or any of its parent companies. I am merely a humble storyteller. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this journey with me.

Note: I am English, so some of the wording, spellings, and expressions will be those commonly used in England.

Chapter Sixty-Two: Water War!

"One-two. One-two. One-two."

Jumping jacks are all right, aren't they? They are fun and they are good exercise too, both of which were useful for a Trainer and his Pokémon.

"Keep going, guys," Red said, huffing and puffing along with his Pokémon. "Just twenty more."

No complaints from his team as they persevered with the workout, all except Clefairy, that is. Considering the Cinnabar Gym Leader used Fire-types, it made sense to leave her out of the battle on account of her moves only hitting them not very effectively.

Charmeleon, Pikachu, and Cubone copied Red perfectly, although the bone-wielder started to flag; Beedrill did remarkably well considering she did not really use her legs that much; Snorlax jumped around awkwardly, the soft sand cushioning her landings, preventing the inevitable tremors that would have accompanied her 'jumping jacks'; and Lo tried its best.

"And… done," Red said, letting his arms drop to his sides.

His Pokémon followed suit and they sat in the sand, breathing heavily.

"We did good today," Red told them. "Your fitness is great, and your moves are getting stronger. That next Badge is ours for the taking."

He plopped himself on the sand, a quiet stretch of beach away from other people, a designated training spot as it were, he the only Trainer there at that moment. He shut his eyes, the waves crashing against the shore and the cries of wild Pokémon and the blowing wind a natural symphony that he could simply have laid down and slept to, an aural delight that relaxed him after another intense training session. And judging by how his party were now resting, they appreciated it too.

Yes, they had such a fulfilling, worthwhile day today, so all they needed to do was unwind and they could start again tomorrow. The Cinnabar Gym Leader would not know what hit him. With Cubone's STAB super effective moves and Pikachu's Splishy Splash, they could make short work of his Fire-types (if the information of the Cinnabar brochure he picked up at the Pokémon Centre was true).

Yet, if only he had a Water-type, then it would be a far easier battle, wouldn't it? Oh, how many Water-types had he missed out on? Magikarp, Psyduck, Seaking, Slowbro, even that darn Gyarados that had tried to kill him three times. Three times! Who had ever heard of a wild Pokémon with a vendetta? Well, probably a lot of people since the world is huge, but Red had most certainly not!

First by the ocean in Vermilion, then along the river on Route Ten, and even past the bridge he caught Snorlax. Honestly, it made him not want to go near a large body of water again…

Oh. Oh no.

Red jumped, startling all his Pokémon except Snorlax, who had fallen fast asleep. There was something in the sea. Mercifully, it was not the blood-thirsty sea serpent. It was but a mere Tentacool.

It stared at him.

"Oh, just a Tentacool," Red said, his heart slowing down to its more regular beating rate. "Don't worry, guys, just go back to relaxing. I was just getting nervous in case that Gyarados showed up again."

His Pokémon heeded his words and went back to resting, although they kept their ears and one eye open (apart from Snorlax, of course).

Red studied the Tentacool, who drifted on the waves, not close enough to the land to be washed up on shore, and the more he did, the more he began to ponder. A Tentacool could battle on land, right, even if for a little while? He swore he had seen one used in a tournament on television, and it balanced itself on its tentacles quite comfortably, even being quite the speedy rascal. It was a Water-type too. Could he…

Oh. Red rubbed his eyes and blinked. There was another one. Oh, and another one too. And like the first, they all stared at him, red crystals on their heads shining in the sunlight.

Red inched towards the water, the gentle ebbing tide washing away the sand off his bare feet. There were just so many of them.

A Tentacool would be decent capture for Red, wouldn't it? He certainly thought so, and even Misty used one in their battle, so why shouldn't he?

It was settled.

He was going to add a Tentacool to his team.

Come hell or high water.

The water certainly did become high for a curtain of it rose from the ocean and when it fell away, a familiar face appeared, roaring and glaring at Red.

Red screamed and leapt backwards. "Oh, come on! You've got to be freaking kidding me! Why, Gyarados, why?"

Gyarados snarled and launched a purple ball of fire at Red, which failed to burn him as a metallic beam of light intercepted it. Another Dragon Rage was blocked by Shock Wave.

"Darn it!" Red said, blinking away the rushing sand. "We'll just have to defeat you once and for all, Gyarados. Pikachu, Shock –"

Red's abdomen exploded in anguish as highspeed jets of water struck him in the stomach, propelling him metres away, the sand making for a forgivable landing spot.

"Oof," Red said, Charmeleon rushing to his side and helping him up. "Was that the Tentacool?"

It was indeed the Tentacool, but what reason had they attacked Red for? He had done nothing to bring forth their ire, had he? He ducked behind Snorlax to avoid more Water Guns, the moves not even tickling the lazy Pokémon who went on sleeping. Well, he had encountered more Tentacool than he would have cared to on his way to the Seafoam Islands and even had Pikachu give them a shock, but they surely could not have been from the same group. Nevertheless, the way they stared daggers at him made him believe that, yes, he had stoked a desire for revenge in yet more Water-type Pokémon.

Now, the easiest thing in the world would have been to leave the beach, but while the Tentacool would not have been able to pursue him very far, he still had an irate Gyarados on his tail. It would be able to head onto the island and cause untold mayhem and destruction in its bid to finally finish Red off.

He would battle all of them.

The Tentacool were first up.

Shock Wave decimated great numbers of the Tentacool, Thunder Wave and Flash Cannon pushed them back, Beedrill blocked the Poison-type assaults and dished out Fury Attacks in return, and Charmeleon and Cubone assailed them from the shore. Snorlax stayed in her little dream world.

They were making short work of the Jellyfish Pokémon, and that may have also been in part due to an unexpected helper in the form of a certain rage-filled sea serpent.

Whether it was because it wanted to claim Red's life for itself or it felt the Tentacool were simply in its way, no one could say, but the Gyarados let out a piercing screech and rolled its immense tail, knocking away half a dozen Tentacool at once. It hissed as more Tentacool swam forward and launched a barrage of Poison Stings at it and offered them back a Dragon Rage that sent them retreating.

Tentacool after Tentacool were tossed aside, some flung into the distance, others floating unconscious, doing damage to Red's team and the Gyarados but failing to stand up to their might. Soon, there were only a few left capable of battling.

"Good work, guys," Red said. "But be careful; when the last Tentacool is knocked out, Gyarados is going to come for us."

The last Tentacool finally fell. Easier and faster than expected, but they did it.

And now, it was time for the last duel against the Gyarados.

That would sound nice, wouldn't it?

A pity that was not how it went.

As the Gyarados loomed over Red and his Pokémon with its fangs bared, a wave of purple poison washed over it, almost knocking it onto its side.

A new Pokémon had arrived!

It drifted to the shore and stood itself upon dozens of grey tentacles, towering over Red and his party. It shared a similar appearance with Tentacool, a blue body with three red crystals on its head, two appendages that looked like a cross between a beak and an arachnid's leg, one behind it and the other just under its eyes, eyes that stuck out sharply from its black lower body.

Tentacruel, a Water and Poison-type Pokémon, and the evolved form of Tentacool. Their tentacles are normally kept short. On hunts, they are extended to ensnare and immobilise prey.

Red braced himself for another enemy, for a foe that exuded fury at having its friends and family decimated in battle.

The Tentacruel struck out one of its tentacles.

Red prepared to duck, but he didn't need to.

The Gyarados roared as it took a stinging slap to the face.

It felt the brunt of another Sludge Wave.

Red and his Pokémon backed away, looking from one fearsome Water-type to the other, mouths agape, eyes as wide as dinner plates. Were they seeing this? Were they honest to goodness witnessing two mighty rulers of the ocean clash?

Yes, they were.

The Gyarados blasted the Tentacruel with a forceful Hydro Pump and stung its tentacles with a follow-up Dragon Rage.

The Tentacruel responded with its own Hydro Pump and got the Gyarados between the eyes with a Poison Sting.

Red could not take his eyes off the struggle between the two aquatic foes, even though common sense was telling him to run away and not look back, to leave the warring duo to their own devices. The Gyarados' determination to track Red all over Kanto had led it to this moment, to the point where it inadvertently assisted him against the Tentacool and got itself into a fight with a Tentacruel, a foe that saw it as its enemy, not Red. Red could not help but feel a little guilty.

The Gyarados roared as dark shadows formed under its eyes, and it roared even louder as it glowed the same malevolent purple as the Tentacruel's eyes, its body twisting in untold agony.

"What!" Red said. "That move! Pokédex, what is it!"

That technique is Hex, a Ghost-type move. Its power doubles when the foe is suffering a status condition.

"Poor Gyarados," Red said. "Hex and the poison are going to hurt it like heck."

The Gyarados tried to retaliate with a few Bites and Dragon Rages, connecting a couple times, but taking much more punishment back from the Tentacruel, a couple weak Poison Stings here and a debilitating Hex there.

It was too much for the Gyarados. It collapsed on the beach, eyes unfocused, tongue lolling out its mouth, body rising and falling with each painful breath it took.

As much as it put Red through, he sympathised with it, and he could only hope its beating at the hands of the Tentacruel would discourage it from continuing its pursuit of him. Hopefully, he would never encounter the Gyarados again.

He and his team made their way to leave.

They could only take a few steps, however, when a roar of agony rattled their bones.

On the beach, the Tentacruel had wrapped its many tentacles around the Gyarados and was squeezing it and raining Poison Stings down on it.

For a few seconds, Red froze. What on earth was that Tentacruel doing? It had won the battle, hadn't it? It could leave and perhaps boast to the Tentacool of its victory. Why was it continuing to attack the Gyarados? What was the point of this brutal beatdown? Was it because Gyarados was naturally seen as stronger and it wanted to prove a point? Did it truly resent the fact its kin were thrown around like ragdolls? Or did it possess a malicious streak that could only be satiated by the complete and utter subjugation and humiliation of its foe? Either way, Red nor his team were having any of it and rushed back to the ocean's edge.

"Charmeleon, Dragon Breath!" he ordered.

A stream of purplish-blue air forced the Tentacruel away from the Gyarados, and it waved its tentacles in the air, as though demanding to know the gall in which Red and his Pokémon had to interrupt its punishment of the Gyarados.

"Leave Gyarados alone," Red said. "You've won. You don't need to keep beating on it. Just go back into the sea."

The Tentacruel waved its tentacles all the more furiously, thumping them in the water and on the sand.

"It's not Gyarados' fault," Red argued. "It was trying to fight me, and the Tentacool got in the way because, well, they were trying to attack me." He grimaced. "If they didn't keep trying to sink me on the ocean, then we wouldn't have needed to beat them before, and you wouldn't even need to be here, Tentacruel."

The Tentacruel's eyes bore holes through Red, and only Beedrill's Fury Attack saved him from being left as an imprint in the sand from its many tentacles.

"Yeah, that's right, we're your opponents," Red said, eyes stinging from the sand cloud spawned. "Take us on if you dare. Charmeleon, Clefairy, Cubone, Lo, long range attacks. Pikachu, Beedrill, close range. But not too powerful, okay? I don't want it to get really, really hurt. Just keep it away from me while you can."

Whatever was Red talking about? None of his Pokémon appeared to know either, but they did as they were asked, hitting Tentacruel with not very powerful moves as their Trainer rushed over to the Gyarados. He knelt before the sea serpent and pulled a variety of Berries from his pocket. The Gyarados growled.

"Shut up," Red said softly. "This is your fault, you know. Look where your stubbornness got you. But I'm going to help you, okay? Look," he held up a pink Berry and two blue ones, "we've got a Pecha and Oran Berry here. We'll get rid of the poison and give you just enough energy to get away from here. Hey, maybe when you recover you can take that Tentacruel on in a rematch, eh?" He chuckled. "Anyway, bolt this down and get out of here."

Somewhere within the Gyarados' dark pupils, beneath the pain and rage and exhaustion, was a twinkle of incredulity. Red tossed the Berries down the Gyarados' gullet…

… and was rewarded with a whiplike whack to his ribs.

The agony was so great that for a split second he could not make a sound, only suck in air through his teeth. A pair of eyes glared at him, the Water-type Pokémon looming over him, hissing as it raised its tentacle.

Tentacle? Yes, that is right. It was the Tentacruel that struck him. In his efforts to not permanently cripple it, his Pokémons' moves merely chipped away at its health, not doing enough to fully distract it from Red's efforts to save the Gyarados.

His Pokémons' cries filled the air as they raced to reach him, but something even louder drowned them out, a hellish roar shriller and angrier than anything that came before.

The Gyarados slithered up to the Tentacruel and stole its attention once more, not even flinching as the oversized jellyfish riddled it with Poison Stings.

The Gyarados' eyes glowed red.

It roared louder.

Its body shook with an incredible amount of strain, with power that threatened to overwhelm it. It flung the Tentacruel skywards and, as the struggling creature wriggled its tentacles pathetically, the Gyarados walloped it with its tail over the horizon. The Tentacool, who had rejoined the land of the living, swam after their evolution in a panicked state.

Over? So quickly?

No, things could never be that easy, could they?

The Gyarados slammed its tail repeatedly, its energy radiating from it like a furnace. Harder and harder it bashed the land and the sea, bringing up sand and spray, until it arched over and brought its head hard into a rock pile, shattering it into stone shards.

Then it did it again.

"Gyarados?" Red called to it, allowing himself to be led away by Charmeleon and Beedrill as the sea serpent smashed its entire body into anything it could. "Gyarados!"

If the Gyarados could hear him, it gave no indication it could, continuing its self-flagellation, worsening wounds the Oran Berries barely made a dent in healing.

"It's…" Red said, watching in awe and pity at the horrid theatrics he was bearing witness to. "It's confused. How? A Supersonic from a random Tentacool? Pokédex, help me out here."

That technique is Thrash, a Normal-type move. It is an incredibly powerful technique that requires a lot of energy from the user to perform, leaving them confused from the fatigue it induces.

"I've never heard of it," Red muttered. "Haven't seen it used at all on TV." He flinched as the Gyarados headbutted another rock.

He had to do something before the Gyarados made itself even worse, didn't he? Confusion never lasted long, but if it kept this up then the Gyarados would find itself in an extremely bad state within the next few seconds! Travelling around Kanto, fuelled by hate, taking on an army of Tentacool, suffering at the tentacles of the Tentacruel, all that would be enough to leave it horribly weakened as it was, but harming itself was a step too far!

There was only one thing he could think to do.

He produced a Poké Ball from his rucksack and tossed it towards the Gyarados.

The Gyarados disappeared into it.

One shake.

Two shakes.

Three shakes.

No shakes.

o~o~o~o~o

"Your Pokémon are all fully healed," the doctor told Red, handing him Pikachu and five Poké Balls over the counter.

"And, um, how is Gyarados?" Red asked.

"Gyarados will be fine," the doctor replied. "Just give her some food and a good night's rest and she'll be good to go." She smiled at Red. "Hopefully she'll not end up in that same state again. You said it was a Tentacruel?"

"And a whole bunch of Tentacool too."

The doctor grimaced. "Well, like I said, all she needs to do is rest. Anyway," she bowed to Red, "I hope to see you again."

Instead of going to their room, Red and Pikachu left the Pokémon Centre and strolled through Cinnabar's main street, lit up but not as garishly as Celadon was at night. People and Pokémon were jostling about, going out for meals, having walks, even having battles. The black sky was clear and moonless, the stars sparkling like glitter, except they were not needless and annoying. A cool breeze brushed Red's face, bringing with it the taste of the ocean.

Soon, they came to the beach, the same part of it where they had their playful encounter. The sea was beautiful with the stars reflecting off it, but it also seemed far more foreboding too, as if even touching one's toe to the water would summon a beast that would drag one to the bottom of the ocean.

Red stared at the Poké Ball far longer than he needed to.

He pressed the button.

The Gyarados appeared, eyes shifting before focusing on Red and Pikachu. Pikachu's cheeks crackled, but the Gyarados did not attack, despite an expression of annoyance adorning her draconian face. Perhaps she was still woozy from treatment?

"I'm releasing you," Red said. He held out the Poké Ball to her, revealing it in the yellow glow of a nearby streetlight. "I captured you with this because you were hurting yourself too much. But you're okay now, you can go on doing whatever it is you want to do." Red mulled over what he just said. "Without trying to constantly kill us, I mean," he added.

The Gyarados growled, beholding him with a stern gaze.

"Seriously, stop hunting us, okay?" Red said, almost wearily. "You've been doing it since we were in Vermilion. Anyway, I'll deactivate the Poké Ball and cancel the capture, and we can go our separate ways. We've got tough battles coming up to be ready for."

The Gyarados lowered her head and peered at Red. She had stopped growling.

"So," Red said, chucking the Ball from one hand to the other, "we'll be seeing you, then, Gyarados. I'll just get it done and I can get Snorlax back out of the –"

A roar, so thunderous, so sharp, knocked Red onto his behind. Pikachu's yellow fur became luminous, but before he could send a Shock Wave the Gyarados' way, Red stopped him.

The sea serpent did not attack. She did not launch a Hydro Pump or a Dragon Rage towards him. As a matter of fact, she did not even look annoyed anymore. In fact, she appeared more accepting than anything. Did she want to…

"Do you want to come along with us?" Red asked. "Really?"

Her eyes bored into Red's with an answer that did not need to be said out loud to be understood. She laid herself across the beach and shut her eyes, face a foot from Red.

Nervously, Red reached out his hand. To him, it might have taken hours for his fingers to touch her, so much was his trepidation, his fear that she was tricking him, about to scoff him down in one gulp. But she did not, and Red rubbed her scaly head, just behind her crest.

Pikachu would have raised an eyebrow if he had one but copied his Trainer and caressed their former enemy.

"How about that, then?" Red said. He smiled at the colossal Water-type. "Welcome to the team, Gyarados."

o~o~o~o~o

Professor Oak had never had a stroke before, but he was certain he was having one now for how could this be real? It was unfathomable, it was mindboggling, it was bewildering!

However, it was real. The Pokédex did not lie.

A Mew sighting was an extraordinary event, capturing a Meltan or a Mythical of any kind was unheard of in living memory, and now… and now… this!

Articuno. Zapdos. Moltres.

Red. Leaf. Blue.

Was it a divine prank or was it a cosmic miracle? Were these children special or was this the start of something extraordinary? Had the world reached a new era where creatures of myth and legend were choosing people to reveal themselves to or was it the act of humans, their incredible technological growth giving these mighty beasts less places to hide? Or maybe it was both? Maybe they went hand in hand?

Professor Oak sat back into his chair and gazed up at the screen, revelling at the data that had bloomed across it, his gaze hovering over Moltres a second longer than the other two.

He could not help but feel this harkened a strange but exciting new era in the world of Pokémon.