Red lined up with the other contestants, waiting for the bike race to begin. That prize money of 10,000 units was quite appealing to him, and if a bicycle race was they way to get it, then Red was all in.
Once the race started, Red noticed that he was falling behind. His bike simply wouldn't go quick enough, and Red thought that borrowing a bike from the Director hadn't been such a good idea...
A some cyclists were stuck at a bridge, afraid of the Tentacruel at the bottom. "Hey!" Red yelled at a swimmer. "That isn't fair! Tentacruel should be in the water! Its a risk to everyone!"
"Sure its fair!" The swimmer said. "Haven't you ever raced in the Tri-Pokémon race before? You can use Pokémon, and fight wild ones along the course! And for obstacles like this, your allowed to use your own Pokémon!"
Red sent out Poliwrath. "In that case, Ice Beam! Make a bridge!" Red went across the improvised support, and left the others in the dust.
After a shortcut through a forest, and a unfortunate run-in with a Beedrill nest, Red was in third place. However, the two trainers ahead were stuck at a gigantic black mass blocking the path.
"What's going on?" Red asked. The bug catcher groaned. "We tied...for nothing! We'll never get past this thing!"
How did a boulder get out here? Wait! That's a...that's a Snorlax! They can sleep nearly forever, nothing wakes them up! Then...I'll have to capture it!
Poliwrath tried to attack it, but no force seemed to be able to awaken it. It was simply to deep in its slumber. Red scratched his head. "The only thing that will wake up a Snorlax...is food! I have some Beedrill honey on me, so..." Red slathered Bulbasaur down, reassuring it that there was nothing to fear.
The Snorlax noticed the sweet smell, and lurched up. Red quickly got on his bicycle, and the Snorlax began to give chase, as Red pedaled furiously.
Red crashed into the finish line, the Snorlax finally becoming tired enough to end its chase.
Later...
"I can't believe it..." Red groaned. "The 10,000 units in prize money..."
"EVERY CENT had to be used to fill up this stupid Snorlax!"
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Up north, in Lavender Town...
Red walked the streets, trying to find a place to get out of the pouring rain. The entire population of the town, though, seemed to be hostile to him, and each other.
"Dang, is this Lavender Town, or 'Leave-em-there' Town?" Red huffed. "Heh, bad pun..."
"Not very trusting people, are they?" Red jumped startled by the sudden appearance of a old man with his cane. "Hello, sir, what are you doing in this place?" The old man stopped over a small mound of dirt. "I am just paying my respects...he lived to a ripe old age, my Pokémon, but he returned to dust from whence he came. It is natural, death. The Original One had made everything beautiful, in its own time..."
Red solemnly looked at the grave, and bowed in meditation. "Thank you," The old man said. "Are you also fond of Pokémon? Come! Have something warm to drink at my house!"
The house of Mr. Fuji was small, albeit comfortable. In fact, there seemed to be a silent menace over the entire town, one that Mr. Fuji knew far to well.
"For many years, this town was said to be a gathering place for the judgement of souls, and from here they would descend into the depths, or rose to the third heaven. To honor this distinction, the townspeople erected a great tower, which you can see out the window." Red was shocked. "So, y'mean, that building is a cemetery of sorts? But if its the cemetery, then why don't you build your memorial there?"
"Because no one dares venture near the tower! Whenever we risk it...they appear!"
"They?" Red asked. "Who are they?" Mr. Fuji closed the windows, and crossed himself. "The ghosts..."
Red started laughing after his initial confusion. "Ghosts?! Hahahaha! Ghost's aren't real! After you die, your not coming back!"
Mr. Fuji gave Red a stern look. "Just because souls are not permitted to return, it does not mean that they cannot respond to a call! That building has been the site of many horrors...great, yes, but terrible. You saw the fear in the peoples eyes! They have become so frightened of the onryo, that they have forgotten how to trust one another! They will not even make eye contact with strangers! You may chose to believe in it...or not."
Mr. Fuji looked at a picture of him and his late Doduo, along with another boy in the picture. Red looked at the third unknown person, and saw that it was...Blue.
Seeing Red's shock, Mr. Fuji asked what his disbelief was directed at. "I'm on a mission to fill this Pokedex with information on every Pokémon in Kanto...and my rival on that quest is Blue!" Red said. "Where is he?!"
"He passed through town just before I lost my Doduo...just like you, he laughed when I told him about the ghosts. He ran off to the tower to discredit our foolishness. That was two weeks ago! He still hasn't come back. But...in recent times, no one who enters that tower ever comes back."
Red left Mr. Fuji and headed to the tower. So, Blue is missing. The guy's personality could use some improvement, but as a trainer, he's the real thing! He wouldn't go down easily. So what could put him out of action for too weeks...? Could it possibly be, that the tower is really haunted?
"Well, I'm not running away from a challenge that he took on! I'll find out the truth behind those 'ghosts'!"
Red opened the doors to the tower, and saw that the halls were completely covered in gravestones. A faint, abnormal mist hovered all around the room, like a unwelcome infestation. Even a drop of water startled Red, as he went into the depths.
A Psyduck appeared at the end of the hall, and Red thought it was a wild Pokémon. More started to appear around him, and Red sent out Bulbasaur.
The Psyduck started to smoke, and then it turned into a rotting skeleton.
"A ghost! Razor Leaf!" The leaves hit the ghosts, but to no effect. "Bulbasaur! Sleep Powder!" Again, the ghosts didn't even slow down. "Ah! Nothing has any effect! Run for it!"
Bulbasaur smashed into a ghost as it ran, and it immediately crumbled. "Its just a empty shell? What's controlling it?"
The wights stopped following Red, and stayed in the deep fog. "Hey! That fog...that purple haze is what's controlling these zombies!"
A burst of fire came from within the mist, and Red was nearly scorched. Red looked at the source, and he saw a shadowy figure that was none other than Blue.
"Blue! You're okay! I never thought I'd be glad to say that...now lets-" Blue had Charmeleon launch another fire attack, and Red realized that something was not right. Blue was being controlled by the mist, somehow.
As Bulbasaur fought Charmelon, Red thought through his strategy. "There's only one Pokémon I know who can take over bodies like this...Gastly! That's what we have to take down! Bulbasaur, attack Gastly!"
Bulbasaur attacked the black shape in the smoke, but the Razor Leaves went through it. Blue raised his arm to signal Charmelon to attack, but he faltered away.
Gastly was being sucked into Bulbasaurs's bulb, making its curse lift. "You thought that plant on its back could only spew things out?" Red gloated. "You haven't seen nothing yet!"
Bulbasaur completely absorbed Gastly, and then launched it out of its mouth and through the wall. Red ran over to Blue, who was still groaning on the ground. "Blue! Snap out of it! We have to get out of this tower, something is really wrong-"
"Quiet!" Blue yelled, back to his obnoxious self. "You have my gratitude for today, but now that that's over with, I'm going to show that fool that he can't put a spell on me!" Blue ran up the stairs to the upper floors, as Red trailed after him.
Amid much arguing, Red stepped in some strange black film. "Blue, what is this stuff?" The mass reared up, as if triggered by his voice, and would have drowned him if Blue hadn't had Charmelon drag him to the side.
"Watch it! That's a Poison-types venom! Pay attention, or you'll end up as yogurt!"
A cold laugher rang through the floor. A man dressed in a completely black ninja getup came out of the shadows, and scowled when he saw Red.
"You...the brat who ruined my carefully laid plans at Mt. Moon! We, Team Rocket, could have put the Moon Stone to far better use then you did. I am one of Team Rocket's Elite Triad...Ninja Koga! And I will avenge my defeat!"
"As if Team Rocket had a elite anything..." Red grumbled. Koga levitated around the room, somehow. "Wouldn't you think that a group of 'evildoers' could build a base without all these annoying interruptions? This tower is perfect for us! The simple townsfolk blame everything on ghosts."
Blue had Charmelon throw a stream of flames at Koga, but he simply vanished. "It's just a projection!" Blue yelled. "Follow me, if you want to live!" A gigantic Arbok slithered into the room, so Red was inclined to takes Blue's advice.
Red was confused at why they were running down the stairs. "Blue! The corpses are down here! We can't head right back to them!" Blue ignored Red and had Charmelon use Reflect, making the snake smash into the shield. "Not a bad defense, but not even that can stop Arbok's acid!" Koga's voice said. Arbok doused the screen with acid, and Charmelon appeared to dissolve.
But...Arbok had been cut in half by Charmelon, who was completely unharmed. Where the melted Pokémon lay was just another wight. "WHAT?! My Arbok only melted one of my draugr? Useless spy glass! I won't forget this...little worms!" Koga screamed, and then his presence was gone.
"A trainer would have easily seen the trick I pulled...if he had been here..." Blue said. "We need to go...I haven't seen sunlight in far too long."
A few days later...
Mr. Fuji oversaw the construction of a new graveyard around the tower, as he discussed the recent events with Red.
"Thank you. For this, our town will have life again! And my little one will have a proper place, for eternity."
Red laughed. "Forever is a long time. Why do you think so?"
Mr. Fuji tapped his cane. "I do not know what will happen. I have seen, in this way, the heavy burden the One had laid upon all of his children. The Original One has set eternity in the hearts of men, although they cannot fathom it, or determine what He has done from beginning to end. I know everything that the One does will endure forever, although our works pass away. He does this so that all will revere him."
"Thanks Mr. Fuji, but I can't talk philosophy very well! You can thank me...but Blue is the one who actually defeated the enemy, so he's the one you should thank!" Red pointed to Blue, who was a speck in the distance, walking out of town.
"Alright!" Red said to his Pokémon. "Let's go...to the southern towns!"
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Red was fighting wild Pokémon, when Bulbasaur began to shake.
It was enveloped by a flash of light, and it was now in a new, larger form. The Pokedex said that it had evolved into a Ivysaur, and Red was thrilled that it had changed into a new form.
"OOOH! That was awesome!" Red looked behind him to the sound of the feminine voice to see a red-haired girl in a black dress. "Congratulations to both of you!" She bubbled. "You must be such a good Pokémon trainer! It was so thrilling to watch you in action!"
Red blushed. "Well, I do my best..." The girl sighed. "Its to bad though...if only you had more...items! Special devices to make your Pokémon stronger!" She presented a armful of items from her bag, and started to describe their properties.
"I-I'm sure they're g-great," Red stammered. "But..." She gave him puppy-dog eyes. "Y-you...don't want my items?"
Red finally caved and agreed. "Great!" She said. "That will be 1000 units..."
Later...
"Wow! She really liked me! I could tell!" Red said, as he carried a load of items. "And she's my age! Got her own business, too. Must be really grown up!"
Pikachu saw a wild Pinsir, and nudged Red to get his attention. "Perfect!" He said. "Now my chance to use my new items! Pikachu, eat this HP gummy!" Pikachu did, but was then rammed into by the Pinsir.
"Hold on!" Red yelled. "You need more items..." He threw on his entire pile, until Pikachu resembled a overdressed costume doll. Still, the Pinsir threw Pikachu away.
"Something tells me I got ripped off!"
Celadon City Pokémon Center...
After getting Pikachu a Full Restore, Red received a video call from Professor Oak. "Hello, Red! I see that you have evolved Bulbasaur into a Ivysaur! What a accomplishment! And Blue's Charmander is a Charmelon...only Squirtle's left. The last of the three Pokémon that my research has been focused on...but enough about that, heh..."
"Wait," Red said. "A third one? Doesn't that mean there's a third person with a Pokedex?" Oak shook his head. "Well...actually, it was stolen a while ago, before I met you!"
Red roamed the streets, fuming. Stolen Pokémon...fake items...Team Rocket...what is with all these villains in the world? When I was a younger kid, you never saw this stuff! It's like something...changed. The balance between good and evil shifted...somehow. Well, I'm never going to get ripped off ever-
Red saw the girl that had cheated him, selling items to another group of unsuspecting 'customers.' "I was hoping I would run into you again!" Red shouted. "Come here!" The girl ran away, regretting her repeat buyer.
The thief threw a Poke Ball into a canal, and jumped onto a turtle-like Pokémon before she started to float away. "Bye-bye! Glad I met you!"
Poliwrath couldn't catch her, so Red decided to improvise. He threw a Poke Ball, and it caught a gust of wind, landing in the water.
A tremor shook the area, and the girl nearly fell of her Pokémon as she was washed ashore. "Okay, who dumped a truck into-a Snorlax?!"
Red caught up to her, and she put on some crocodile tears. "I'm so, so sorry! I didn't do it for the money...I just...really wanted to see you again!" She hugged Red, causing him to start sweating.
"Can you ever forgive me for playing such a mean trick? I just wasn't thinking straight, I mean...I've been so bad...and I'm about to get worse!"
She pushed Red away, and had Wartortle attack him with a stream of water. Instead of being pushed away, Red ducked and jumped onto Snorlax's arm.
"Didn't think I'd see that coming? You should be more careful when trying to outsmart and trainer with two Gym Badges! Mega Punch!"
The thief fell down and hit her head, knocking her out.
Later...
Red had rested the girl beside a tree, assuming that she would wake up soon. Taking his money from her purse, Red saw the name 'Green' embroidered on it's side.
"Huh...Green. Now, time to collect this Wartortle's data...stay safe, now!"
Even later...
"AAAAAAAARGH!"
Red franticly searched every article of clothing that he had, but the Gym Badges were still gone.
"She took them...Green took them!"
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Red checked a map of the Celadon area. "She couldn't have gotten far...it was only yesterday!"
Some trainers dressed in the uniforms of Team Rocket wandered around, and Red eavesdropped on their conversation.
"It always seems like we're just about to get her, but whenever we close in, all we hear is, Green as just here, but she's gone now!"
So, Team Rocket was looking for her too. Maybe, in that case...
Red waited until one of the grunts left the other, had Poliwrath knock the lone grunt out, and disguised himself. The grunt had a map to the main hideout, so that was the next place to look.
Unit C, the one that Red had snuck into, was sent down to a laboratory in a abandoned arcade building. Many Pokémon were being experimented on, but one, giant, catlike creature was literally being formed inside a tank.
A scientist was talking with Ken, the head grunt for C-Unit. "As you can see, we are creating Mewtwo from the Mew cell you recovered. Unfortunately, that single cell lacks the genetic data to create a complete body. The only way to finish it would be to capture and bring in the original Mew."
Ken slammed his fist on a table. "That's why we want the girl! She stole this bloody disk, and we need its capabilities to find Mew!"
All of a sudden I don't completely hate Green...but what's this 'Mew' they keep talking about? Red's stream of consciousness was interrupted by a alarm blaring, signaling that Green had been sighted at Point 16 East.
The grunts had surrounded her, and were ready to fight. "All this fuss to catch one little girl? You boys must have run out of evil deeds to do on your bucket list!"
Ken and the other grunts sent out their Pokémon. "Save the witticisms. You know what we want!" Green held up the disk. "This little thing? I could give it to you...except that I want to catch that cute little Mew for myself!" Green tossed the disk into the mouth of Wartortle, and Ken flinched, believing that it could be damaged.
"Machamp, go! But spare the disk!" Wartortle dodged, and another grunt's Hitmonlee also attacked. The blow from Machamp and Hitmonlee both missed, and hit each other.
"Ha! You have to be careful when trying to outsmart a trainer with two Gym Badges!" Red was furious. Her earrings...they're my badges! She stole my line too...
Ken sent out another Pokémon. "I'm to old for this nonsense. This Pokémon...has a very interesting attack! This Tauros was once the leader of the Safari Zone, and can control Pokémon with its tail movements! Attack!"
The Machamp and Hitmonlee, under Tauros's command, knocked out Wartortle with unexpected agility. The disk came flying out of its mouth, and Ken caught it. "Its ours! Finish off this brat! Tauros, charge!" Green quickly switched out her Pokémon, and sent out a purple blob.
Tauros hit the blob, and would have impaled Green if Red hadn't knocked her out of the way. Both Tauros and the blob fell over a cliff, and Ken focused his attention on Red.
"Hey! Who are you? Why did you aid a active threat?!" Green grabbed Red's arm. "I hate to break it to you boys, but this naughtily little grunt...is my sweetheart in disguise!" Green ripped of the uniform, revealing Red's normal trainer clothes.
Something was stomping up the hill behind the two, and then Tauros emerged, far angrier then before. "You thought a little drop would stop Tauros? I'll scrape up your Pokémon later...for experimentation! Are you ready to give up?"
Tauros flicked it's tail, but instead of the Pokémon attacking Red and Green, the Pokémon easily turned on their trainers. The Rocket grunts were running all about, being beaten by their own fighters.
Green sent out a Jigglypuff, and had Red grab on. As they flew away, Red saw the Tauros morphing into the pink blob that Green had sent out earlier. "Hey! That Tauros...was that thing all along?"
"Yep!" Green said. "That's my Ditto! It can change into any Pokémon there is!" Green called back her Pokémon, and flew down to the Celadon City.
"So, Green, that disk...you don't seem to unhappy about losing it. Why is that?" Green giggled at held up a identical disk. "Because I made a copy! Those Rocket goons have the fake disk. And this one is going to help me capture the cutest little Pokémon of all...Mew!"
Green had Ditto transform into Mew. Red instantly remembered it as the phantom Pokémon he had lost to in the West Wood. "Happy? Now, Ditto, fool Team Rocket into thinking that they found Mew!" Mew, or Ditto, flew off to the group of Rocket grunts around the arcade, and they started chasing after it.
"Heh...eventually they'll notice its not real..." Green pulled out a pair of exotic goggles from her bag. "This is my own invention, called a Silph Scope. It will allow me to find Mew due to it emitting a certain kind of brainwave. Using the real disk to key Mew's phytic patterns, I can zero in on Mew's actual location. Speaking, we have activity in the southeast!"
Later...
Green was looking for mew in a gigantic field, while Red told her about the creature he saw in Team Rocket's hideout, Mewtwo. "They want to create a monster Pokémon with Mew genes! Why are you looking for it, again?"
"Isn't it obvious? For money! M-o-n-e-y!" Red jumped. "Whaaaat?!"
"Listen sweetie, do you know how may Pokémon there are? From the southern horn of Roria to the northern wastes of Sinnoh, there are over 800 Pokémon! But Mew...it's a new deal! Imagine how much collectors would be willing to pay for it!"
Red crossed his arms. "Unbelievable! A bunch of evildoers are trying to create a bio-weapon...and you want to sell it as a pet?!" Green wasn't listening, and was looking at some kind of energy blur on her Silph Scope.
"Hey! That wind...something is disturbing the atmosphere with psychokinesis! Look!" Green pointed to none other then Mew.
'Well? Your a trainer, aren't you sweetie? Go and catch that thing!" Red sent out his Pokémon, and with the help of Green, managed to corner Mew between Hydro Pumps and lasso it with Vine Whip.
Red was about to throw a Great Ball when a chunk of ice nearly flattened him. Red saw that Ken was perched on a cliffside with his Jynx, holding a defeated Ditto.
"A Ditto, eh?! Jynx, Psybeam!" Mew was dragged in its tether to Ken, and Red threw himself in front of Green. "I'll keep Ken busy! You take Mew and get out of here! If Mew gets into their hands...the bio-weapon will be finished!"
Ken had Jynx fight with Poliwrath, but the Pokmon was frozen. Ken had Jynz use Psywave, preventing Red and Green from moving.
Taking out a Poke Ball, Ken laughed in his victory. He only managed to process Mew's glow before it was too late.
Ken and Jynx were hit by a psychic attack, and immediately dropped, unconscious. Mew gave Red and Green and curious look, and flew into the distance.
"At least Team Rocket didn't capture it...sorry you didn't capture it, Green." Green looked like she was about to cry, covering her face. "Mm...mm...mm..."
"...Mwa-ha-ha!" Green showed Red a small camera built into her Silph Scope. "At lease I'll make a few bucks off the first ever photos of the 'Phantom Pokémon!' Toodle-oo! I'm off to the papers!"
Red watched her fly away on Jigglypuff. "She got away...again!" Red was about to sulf off, until he felt a shape in his pocket. He took out a piece of paper with both of his gym badges attached to it.
"Well, what do you know?" Red chuckled, and headed back to Celadon City.