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-Five: Pallet Breather
Sea Skim was awesome, but Pikachu liked it a lot more than Red did, so much so that when they had to leave Cinnabar and travel north the rodent opted to use his Secret Technique to travel there, instead of hitching a ride on Gyarados as his Trainer did.
Red was happy to simply ride on Gyarados without needing to constantly keep his balance. He watched Water-type Pokémon swim by them and people fishing on random platforms and rocks. The water was silky-smooth and the clouds were fluffy, like the wings of a Swablu. It was warm too, that wonderful temperature that encouraged you to doze off, but not so hot that it becomes uncomfortable.
It was tempting to fall asleep, simply allow Gyarados to take him to their destination without his prompting, but he could not. He was much too excited. His next stop was Pallet.
He did not tell his mum he was stopping by on his previous call, for why would he not want to surprise her, and eagerly awaited the look on her face when he showed up at the front door.
After wandering down the familiar Pallet streets, the town as quiet and sleepy as it always was, he finally arrived at his house. Now, he could have easily entered, but he did not want to scare his mother, so he did the polite yet awkward thing of knocking.
No one answered.
Red knocked again.
His mother still did not answer the door.
She did not answer the door for a very good reason, as Red discovered upon using the spare key under the doormat and making a quick yet thorough search of the house: she was not home.
Where could she be? Perhaps she was at the market? Or maybe she was visiting the neighbours? Yes, it was quite possible it was something as innocent as that, although the threat of Giovanni and Team Rocket did set off some internal alarm bells.
Should he wait for his mother? Or maybe he could have a stroll around Pallet and hope to run into her? Red opted for the latter.
Taking a walk around Pallet was far preferable to staying inside the house, although a siesta in his old bed did appeal to him. He enjoyed reacquainting himself with schoolmates, who marvelled at his Pikachu and his Badges, enquiring as to how Blue and Leaf were coming along on their respective journeys. He even had a short albeit pleasant conversation with the grownups who had watched he, Leaf, and Blue run around the town from the time they could walk, telling him how proud his mother was of him. They also told him where she was: at Professor Oak's Lab.
With a hearty thanks, Red and Pikachu sped off down the rural road.
o~o~o~o~o
"Red!" his mother squealed, pulling him into that special hug only a loved one could give. "I wasn't expecting this! I'm so happy!"
Normally Red would have pulled away in embarrassment. But this time he hugged her back, as tightly as she did him. "I missed you, mum."
She let him go, keeping her hands on his shoulders, a beam on her face. "I've missed you too. So, so much. Oh, have you been eating? You haven't been ill, have you? Have you been wearing clean underwear?"
"Mum," Red half moaned, cheeks crimson.
His mother was not the only person at Professor Oak's Lab. There was the man himself, who shook Red's hand and clasped him on the back, Daisy Oak, who swept Red into a hug of her own, and Mr. and Mrs. Green, who were pleased as punch to see him as well, although Red knew their excitement would have been immense had it been Leaf who dropped in instead.
"He's so cute," Red's mother said, cuddling Pikachu, rubbing her cheek to his. "Cute and cuddly. Are you planning on evolving him?"
Pikachu's eyes widened in abject horror.
"No," Red said, suppressing a chuckle at Pikachu's reaction. "He wants to stay as he is." His jaw twitched as he remembered why, and he bit back the insults he desired to fire at Giovanni. But his mother did not need to know about Lavender or Celadon.
"Good," his mother said, tickling Pikachu under his chin. "I like Raichu, but I can't carry one like I can a Pikachu."
Pikachu sighed in relief and nuzzled the woman's bosom.
"Pikachu here wouldn't evolve even if you forced him to touch a Thunder Stone," Professor Oak said. "It's more than just making contact with an Evolution Stone; a Pokémon must also possess the will and desire to go to the next level. Since Pikachu doesn't want to evolve, he can hold a hundred Thunder Stones and remain as he is."
"Seriously?" Red said. "That helps a lot. I've been wondering what the heck I would do if I found a Thunder Stone. I mean, I wouldn't want Pikachu to accidentally touch one and evolve. That's one less worry we've got to deal with." He furrowed his brow. "I wonder if Clefairy will refuse one of my Moon Stones."
"Oh, Clefairy!" Red's mother gushed. "Please bring her out. No, bring all your Pokémon out. Can he do that, professor?" she asked, turning to him.
Professor Oak raised his eyebrow in an amused fashion. "I assume you are including the others in Red's Pokémon Box, is that right?"
"Yes."
"Well, he can." Professor Oak gestured to his guests. "Follow me."
He led them all through the laboratory, where his colleagues and assistants were hard at work, and out into a garden, that was actually land that expanded for miles and miles and miles and even more miles and a few more miles on that, complete with mountains in the distance, looming over everything like ancient golems of yore.
"You see, Red," Professor Oak said. "The Pokémon Box is a recent invention, and if you did not have it, your surplus party members would be sent to me, here, and you would need to contact me to exchange them out. In other words, this is your Pokémons' second home, a base if you will, meaning you can have them all out of their Poké Balls here."
"I keep all my Pokémon here," Daisy added. "Look there's my Chansey." She ran off to give her Pokémon a peck on the cheek, who let her Trainer hold her warm egg in return.
"Whoa," Red gasped. "So, I can let everyone out at once you say?"
"Absolutely. Do you want to?"
"Yes!" Red and his mother said simultaneously.
Having his eight Pokémon out at once was a dream to behold. It was surreal, yet it made Red feel complete that everyone was together at the same time. His Pokémon studied their new surroundings, perhaps a little lost, all except Charmeleon who looked around with nostalgia, Snorlax waddled over to the nearest tree and started scoffing down all the Berries, sharing a few with Beedrill who hovered over to one of its branches, the essence of Weedle and Kakuna that had once lived there potent; Gyarados slithered to a pond, startling the Poliwag and Goldeen and Psyduck as she laid temporary claim over it; Clefairy took hold of Lo and Cubone's hands, trying to get them to dance with her, and then tried to get Pikachu to join in, receiving a resounding silence in response. After admiring his old home, Charmeleon took his place by his Trainer's side, growling contentedly as Red's mother caressed the top of his head.
"You've gotten so big, haven't you, Charmeleon?" she cooed. "It's hard to judge when I only ever see you on the video screen. Oh, where did that Charmander Red brought home go?"
"Outstanding," Professor Oak said, scrutinising the eight Pokémon. "You've been raising them well. Has the Pokédex been helpful in that regard, then?"
"It sure has," Red confirmed. "It tells me a lot of stuff I would've never known, like the types of food my Pokémon like. Man, things would have been a lot harder without it."
Professor Oak nodded proudly. "Good, good, I am glad to hear it, and a colleague of mine in Hoenn will be glad to hear it too. He's already sent out his own assistants, one of whom is his own child funnily enough. Anyhow, I am majorly impressed with the three of you. Yes, even you, Red. Neither Blue nor Leaf have captured a Charmeleon, Clefairy, or a Gyarados yet between them. And I don't think I have to mention Meltan, do I?"
"Not even Leaf has them?" Red said.
"Not yet anyway," Professor Oak said. "Still, she is doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to captures." He turned to the Greens. "As I was saying before, you should be proud of her."
"We are, professor," Mrs. Green said. "She's always been like this – you give her a task and she'll always try her best to see it through to the end."
"It's either determination or stubbornness," Mr. Green said. He peered slyly at his wife. "I wonder whose side of the family she gets it from?"
"Hey," Mrs. Green said with a casual shrug, "it made my father one of the greatest Trainers the world has ever seen. Which is… what he wanted me and my brother to be." She grimaced. "And his grandchildren. Oh well, as long as Leaf's happy."
o~o~o~o~o
Leaf was happy. And why wouldn't she be? She had done it. She actually done had it.
She caught a Dratini.
It was not a fluke. She had waited by the river for hours since the crack of dawn, even sending out a cavalry of Water-types to inspect everything underneath its surface until it showed itself. Dratini.
It was longer than she expected, a serpent with blue scales and a white underbody, that was six feet long from the tip of its tail to the top of its head. It had a round snout, three-pronged fins on the side of its head, and a white bump on its forehead, where a horn would grow if Leaf's Pokédex was to be believed.
Eevee easily subdued it with Freezy Frost. It proved to be exceptionally useful; being an Ice-type technique, it did more than enough damage to leave Dratini vulnerable to a Great Ball, while, to add insult to injury to the poor Dragon-type, it negated the Defence drop its Leer inflicted upon Eevee.
What a run Leaf was on! She had delved into Rock Tunnel, coming back out with a Machop, Cubone, Onix, Graveler, and Golbat. She appreciated the latter two because it meant she did not need to evolve the Geodude and Zubat she had acquired at Mt. Moon.
An enjoyable time there before… them.
Leaf shook her head. No, she had to keep them out of her mind. Heading back to the Pokémon Centre for rest and relaxation would do her wonders. She had worked hard these past few days after all.
But what rest could she get when in the Centre there came the whispers of something happening in Saffron.
"Lots of suspicious people my cousin told me," one stranger said.
"I heard it's Team Rocket," another whispered.
Leaf's jaw stiffened. Eevee bared her teeth.
"I don't get it," the first person said. "Apparently kids kicked Team Rocket out of Celadon, so maybe they're building a base in Saffron? I don't know. My cousin also told me they've been skulking around Silph Co."
"Do you think it's them, then?"
"If it is, then I'm worried. A friend of mine, Mitsuharu, got his Voltorb taken by them. If they've got plans at Silph Co. then we could be in for a heck of trouble."
Leaf rushed out the Centre, simultaneously calling Fearow out from the Pokémon Box. Without a second thought or even an ounce of common sense, she soared to Saffron City.
o~o~o~o~o
Clefairy jumped up and down, waving her arms excitedly.
"Are you sure, Clefairy?" Red asked. "Because you can't turn back into a Clefairy. Unless a special spray to devolve you exists or something like that."
Clefairy tried to tug the Moon Stone out of Red's hands.
"Fine, fine," Red said, lifting it out of the fairy's reach. "Looks like you've got your mind set on it. Hey mum, do you want to do it?"
"Evolve your Clefairy?" his mother said. Her face broke into a warm smile. "I would love to."
She took the glowing rock from Red and held it out to Clefairy. "Okay, Clefairy, just touch it and will your evolution forward."
Clefairy reached out and gently placed a claw onto the Moon Stone and at once her body shone, almost as if she was using Flash. She gleamed so brightly the humans had to shield their gaze, yet they were still able to make out the changes in Clefairy's silhouette as her height doubled.
Then it was over, and what stood before everyone was a new Pokémon, a Pokémon that stared at its hands as it took a couple of tentative steps in its new form.
This new being was pink and vaguely star-shaped like a Clefairy and had wings like one too, albeit larger and of a darker shade of pink. Its ears were longer, its tail was thicker, and it had lost the dark pink ovals that its pre-evolution had on its cheeks.
Clefable, a Fairy-type Pokémon, and the evolved form of Clefairy. They appear to be very protective of their own world. It is a kind of fairy, rarely seen by people.
"How do you feel, Clefable?" Red asked, a hush descending over everyone as they took in the sight, let the mystique of a rare Pokémon wash over them.
Clefable frowned and then glared at Red with such hatred that she seemed to burn holes through him. It frightened him, and he backed away. But she stomped forward, clenching a fist, about to pummel him…
No, none of that happened. This is Clefairy, no Clefable we are talking about. She simply giggled and gasped, settling into her new form immediately. She bounded about everywhere, staying in the air a little longer than one would expect, as if she was floating. She giggled harder, and the humans all laughed as well. The Pokémon did too and offered Clefable congratulations, although Snorlax went straight to sleep after patting her on the head, Gyarados was visibly cringing at all the syrupy sweetness, and Pikachu was shaking his head, as though saying 'You'll never catch me dead doing that – one evolution is more than enough in my life'.
"That was amazing," Red's mother said dreamily, watching as Clefable took Lo's and Cubone's hands and swung them around, quicker than she had ever done before, oblivious to her newly acquired strength. "Thank you for letting us enjoy this, honey."
"No problem, mum," Red said, giving her a hug and squeezing her extra hard upon remembering the pain Cubone had gone through, was still going through, would go through for the rest of his life.
Her eyes were on Cubone too, and she freed him from Clefable's inadvertently aggressive play, who, unperturbed, grabbed Pikachu instead. If the humans could understand the Pokémon language, Pikachu's shouts would have made them blush.
"You're so young," Red's mother whispered, rocking the dizzy Cubone. "And you've already been through so much. But don't worry, I've raised Red right, and he'll raise you right too. Your mother is so proud of you. Trust me, I know."
Cubone stared up at her through his skull helmet, eyes misty. He found her fingers and squeezed them. Red's mother placed him back on the grass and he sat beside Charmeleon, watching the antics unfolding before them, of Pikachu and Lo trying to escape Clefable's crazy clutches despite almost losing themselves to hysterics at the situation's absurdity.
Professor Oak chuckled yet could not hide the sombre feeling that was welling up inside himself. Red's mother, Leaf's parents, they were still here. He gazed at Daisy, who was laughing at the clowning with the others, resting herself against Chansey, and he thought of Blue, remembering his grandson as he was before everything changed in the Oak family. His heart hurt as it always did when he thought of them. That was love, wasn't it? He loved his grandchildren so much it was agony to think about how things could have been different. Not for the first time did he wish he possessed one of the Legendary Pokémon that was said to enable anyone to go back in time.
But that would never happen, as much as he wished it.
Instead, he settled on watching the comedy, which now involved Pikachu and Lo playfully chasing Clefable around the field, spurred on by Charmeleon, Cubone, and a Beedrill who had descended from her tree.
Still, he had to wonder, just how was Blue doing?
o~o~o~o~o
Blue kept to the shadows, heart thumping against his ribcage. The sounds of running footsteps grew louder before becoming quieter until they disappeared.
Blue slid down the wall, sucking in air through his teeth, nursing the stitch that caused him discomfort. Meowth hissed, claws unsheathed, eyes gleaming murderously.
"We're fine, Meowth," Blue said, pacifying the feline with a hand on his head. "I guess we've got to lay low for a little bit."
Oh, that did not sound good, did it? What sort of situation was Blue in?
He was in Saffron, ready to earn his final Gym Badge. As a matter of fact, he was on his way there when he spotted a fellow in black hounding someone. Considering it was in no way an inconvenience to him, Blue got involved and Meowth made light work of his two Drowzee, the perfect tests for his new Night Slash.
However, maybe intervening was not the smartest idea? Well, considering he was currently fleeing, it would appear that statement was true. Maybe if it had been some random thug, then Blue could have gone about his day. As luck would have it, that goon was a Team Rocket Grunt, and by putting one to the sword he had attracted the presence of more.
More than Blue could battle by himself.
Not that he did not try.
Unfortunately, in this case quantity trumped quality, and Blue was forced to hightail it out of there, putting on an extra spurt of speed when the Grunts called out his name. The words 'Mt. Moon' and 'Pokémon Tower' also emanated from the chasing crowd.
Blue glared at the weathered wall. Those darn Rockets! Did they not realise who he was? Well, they did, which is why they were chasing him, but semantics aside he was an Oak, the future Kanto League Champion! How dare they believe they could make him scurry away like a Rattata! Oh, how he desired to track them down and make them pay for their insolence!
But he had to be smart. They knew him due to his involvement in their previous plans, and they had researched him. They knew of Daisy and of his connection to Professor Oak.
It was easy to simply walk away, wasn't it? Simply allow the authorities to stop them, right? But if the authorities had a handle of the situation, Team Rocket would not have been as prominent as they already were. He should at least investigate the Rocket infestation suddenly plaguing Saffron. He needed the city's Badge after all. Yet, his grandfather and sister…
No, he would just not get caught. He would avoid everyone and everything, even the Pokémon Centre that would no doubt have a few Rocket eyes on it. And if a Rocket or two did find him and decided to confront him, gone from the safety of numbers, well…
He and his Pokémon would show them their might.
Blue rose from his hidey-hole and crept out into the now empty street, Saffron's citizens hunkering in their homes, Meowth keeping close to him like a shadow.
o~o~o~o~o
For the second time, Red left Pallet, giving his mother a kiss and a hug goodbye, stocked up with the supplies she had gifted him. But unlike the first time, he was not filled with the same sense of adventure. Well, he was, but he was also filled with a sense of consternation brought on by a Kanto Radio News report. It was brief, as they did not have a lot of information (or so they claimed) and they seemed vague, but Red was able to read between the lines: Team Rocket were at it again.
Red could only stare at his cereal, his appetite gone, going over everything he had experienced with those criminals. Now they were terrorising Saffron City.
A voice was screaming out at him to go there, just forget the Viridian Gym for now and head to Saffron. Another voice tried to shout the other down, asking Red to think about his mother, about the harm that could befall her should he stick his nose in where no child should. It was a very sound argument.
However, the first one bellowed back, louder and louder until the second voice was drowned out, and Red agreed. He would rely on Professor Oak to protect his mother, and he would fly to Saffron and confront the scourge that proudly wore that dastardly red 'R' on their chests.
Over the phone, Professor Oak agreed to look after Red's mother, whilst warning him to be careful. Red was thankful he did not act like any other adult in the world and demand he not go risking his life against the syndicate. Whether it was faith or something else, Red appreciated the old scientist all the same.
On the outskirts of Pallet, Red took a deep breath, staring into the beautiful blue sky, a vision that belied the danger that was awaiting him halfway across Kanto.
"We've got to fly like the wind, Pikachu," Red said. "We've got to get there super-fast, faster than we've ever gone."
Pikachu clenched his tiny fists, nodding his head animatedly.
"Team Rocket can't make us live in fear," Red continued. "They can't threaten us and keep us from doing the right thing. I mean, I'm not even sure this is the right thing, but we're doing it anyway. For you and Eevee, for Lo and his family, for Cubone and his mother, for everyone they've hurt, we've got to do it." He cracked his knuckles. "And we'll pay back Giovanni too."
Full for determination, Red and Pikachu zipped off into the sky aboard the Sky Dasher, bidding goodbye to the mundane serenity of his hometown.
