Rain.

Never-ending droplets descended from the sky while the roars of thunder and the flashes of lightning travelled throughout the clouds, coating the route in water and leaving some trees uprooted due to the strong winds. Everyone in the Pokemon Center could only watch as the storm last for days, showing no signs of subsiding, Leaf being one of them as she sat by the window, resting her face on her palm while tracing her finger along the glass, drawing anything that came to her mind. Meanwhile, her Buneary was having a race with Meowth, stomping angrily when she lost against the cream colored feline. 'Damn it. Why are you so fast?'

The cat simply smirked when she voiced her answer. 'Stretches, head-pats and plenty of sleep.'

'So unfair! Then there's that new move that you're learning now, do you need any more speed?!'

'Yes.' Meowth answered simply. 'I like being versatile. Keeps people guessing. Being a one trick pony sucks.'

The bunny cursed under her breath while sitting with Roselia and Vulpix who were resting by the window.

"Waste of my damn weekend." Misty grumbled, scrolling through her phone to see any latest news with the weather while Lorelei was able to sit down with the rest of them, escaping her fans by putting on a hoodie. Seeing the crowd give up from their search for her made a sigh of relief leave her mouth before she gazed at the two females at the table. "Good morning, ladies."

"There is nothing good about this morning. The damn rain is still out there and it got worse." Misty ranted while she rubs her temples to calm herself before drinking her coffee, gaining a chuckle from the older woman. Leaf hummed, nodding while she watched the rain with a bored expression before she laid her head on the table, Swablu landing on her head in hopes of make her feel better.

"You alright, Leaf?" Lorelei asked, a worried look in her face that Misty slightly shares. The brunette sighed while swirling her straw in her drink before answering. "Yeah. I'm just restless. I wanna get oout. Kick butt, you know. Adventuring."

"You're not the only one." Misty said, impatiently tapping her foot on the ground before turning to Lorelei. "Is this the reason that you were here?"

"That is correct. There're some weird weather patterns around the region….well a lot more than usual and it's been getting the Elite Four's attention so they let me take a look at this location." The red head explained, adjusting her glasses before taking out one of her Pokeballs. "I already let out Diane to double check the area for me. If anything happens, she'll return to her ball and alert me."

"Wait, Diane's your Jynx, right?" Misty asked, getting a nod from the woman before she looks around the Center before turning to Leaf. "Where's your boy toy, Lulu?"

This got a blush on Leaf's face before she glares at Misty and starts drinking her beverage. "S-shut it, carrot top! I don't know. He was in the battle area training on that new move Meowth wanted to learn the last I checked."

"Which was half an hour ago." Misty said with a smirk. The brunette looked at her with her hand clenched in a fist. "You do know that I can knock you out in two punches."

"Yep. Still not gonna stop me." The three girls continued their conversation, Lorelei able to change the topic before things got out of hand.

Meanwhile in another room, Red looked outside his room window in wonder, observing the lightning flashing throughout the dark clouds. He then noticed the storm becoming more ferocious around a certain area, much to his confusion. "Hmm, odd."

Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Red got up, put on a raincoat and exited through the back of the Pokemon Center while everyone was having lunch. Treading through the storm, Poliwag came out of its ball, enjoying the weather which made the teen smile. Their path was then stopped by a river, the trainer being able to make out a building at the other side that seems to be glowing eerily.

'T-that's kinda scary.' Poliwag stammered, a bit taken back by the building as another lightning struck it, making it glow slightly and earning a yelp from the tadpole. Watching the sight, Red took out a ball and released Milotic, who was surprised by the rain until she turned to Red. 'Where are we? Better question: why are we in the rain? Are we training in the rain today?'

"I want to see what's going on with that building out there." He answered, pointing at the building while readjusting his clothes before jumping on the serpent's back, his mind in complete wonder as he sees a bolt of lightning hit the building. "The storm is worse there and the bolts of lightning has been gathering around like it's a lightning rod or something."

'I think this is a bad idea.' The Water type shared her thoughts while looking at her trainer with a worried expression. Understanding what she meant but still unable to calm his nagging curiosity, the teen patted Milotic's head before informing her that he will only check the building and will leave once things get dangerous which made his Pokemon look at him with raised eyebrows for a second before the serpent carried him across the ocean. 'Let's hope you don't because if you do, no one will save you from my wrath if you try something stupid.'

"Something stupid?" Red repeated.

'You have a tendency of being a walking danger magnet. Add that with your putting others above yourself and that's a bad mix. I can't tell if that's a good thing or bad thing but it's a thing. Anyways, only investigating. If something gets out of hand, leave. Got it?'

Red shuddered upon hearing that, nodding and wondering about what Leaf would do if she found out that he left the Pokemon Center to check a building which would be better off be labeled as a safe hazard. Reaching his destination, he disembarked his Pokemon before returning it, making his way to the front of the infrastructure until something caught his peripheral vision.

"A...power plant..." Red reads the signpost. He then treaded on, going past the broken down doors before he took off his raincoat.

"This place is quiet." He said before putting on rubber gloves to avoid being shock by the equipment or walls. "Way too quiet."

Red then entered the building, barely hearing a few sparks in the background while he starts traversing the place. After a few minutes of exploring and finding some Thunder Stones along with some items, his Pokeballs started vibrating, releasing both Luxio and Meowth who looked around. They both looked at Red before the lynx asked the question that they both wanted to know. 'Where are we, Red?'

'Yeah...this isn't the Center.' Meowth said, observing the place before she hears something, taking a few steps back. 'What's that noise?'

"Noise?" Both trainer and starter repeated in confusion which the Normal type responded with a nod before continuing. 'Yeah. Like someone's boiling something and…lightning?'

'Lightning, huh?' Red then continued ahead stealthily with his Pokemon following until they came across something that made the three of them stop in utter shock. In front of them were several individuals, most of the men were standing on guard while the ones in the middle were dressed in armored suits and lab coats, looking like they are making some concoction with a machine. The teen's eyes then widened when they land on one of the guards' uniform, seeing an insignia that he knows all too well. "Team Rocket…"

The teen was barely able to calm himself down until his heart sank after witnessing what they are inspecting. Before the men was a large, glowing yellow bird that was sleeping on a pile of metal near the generator.

"Zapdos..."

"Yo, pops! How long til ya finish?" One of the grunts said as he leans over one of the scientists' shoulder to look at their work, much to the elder's annoyance. The scientist grumbled before he gently pushed off the grunt, Red moving closer to them while taking out his Pokegear to record the conversation.

"That is Doctor to you, youth." The man corrected, typing on his laptop while one of the other grunts in a rubber suit gently take a feather from the bird before carefully putting it in a glass case. "Remember we're trying to create the perfect weapon. It's not something that can be done so easily. You should be lucky we're making this much progress"

'Perfect weapon, huh.' Red thought, slowly sneaking closer to take a picture of the machine. He then snapped a picture, a loud click sound echoing through the building, putting the men on alert.

"Darn it." The raven haired teen cursing silently, forgetting to put the Pokegear on silent.

"The hell was that?"

"Probably a wild Pokemon. Let's leave it be."

"Hmm, doesn't hurt to look. Fred, check out what that is!"

One of the men nodded before he went to inspect the source with his hand clenched on a Pokeball and the other clenched on his bat. As he searches the area and gets further from the group, he turned to a corner only to come face to face with a fist, knocking him out instantly. After taking all the loot from the man and tying him up, the teen returned, hearing something that made him turn on back his recording.

"Sooner and later, the Kanto region-no, the whole world will bow before our power. And these feathers will be the key to doing so." The man said, his chuckles echoing throughout the building which made Red frown when he tries to get closer which did not go unnoticed by one of the guard's Pokemon who alerted its trainer, leading him towards the youth. Noticing the people coming towards him, Red dashes away into the the darkness before securing another takedown which made a plan come up to his head. He then continued trapping and knocking out various grunts, some of them entangled by Beedrill's String Shot.

"So none of the grunts are in on the plan. Likely to prevent them from leaking information." Red said silently while climbing to a higher vantage point, seeing two machines, one holding various feathers from Zapdos and the other having various multicolored liquids. He gripped his slingshot in anger when he saw one of the grunts hooking up cords to Zapdos, the cords lighting up, sapping energy from the legendary Pokemon. 'Wait. Aren't I doing the thing that Milotic told me not to do?'

'Wonder what this weapon that he's talking about.' Luxio said, raising an eyebrow and snapping Red out of his thoughts. None of them could respond when one of the grunts pressed a switch, causing an increase in the energy sapped from the Pokemon, a loud scream echoing through the building. The men smirked as the yellow bird shrieked in pain as it tries letting out electricity in retaliation but it ended in failure as it was absorbed into his suit, much to Red's surprise.

"Hehe! Worked out like a charm. Now sit down like a good bird, won't ya?" The grunt said before he stabbed Zapdos' wing, making it scream aloud. Red noticed blood dripping from his wings onto the floor before he had enough, getting a small ball firecracker which he commanded Luxio to light up. The teen took aim then fired at the machine, the result being an explosion that knocked back his enemies away from Zapdos and destroying their equipment, much to the anger of one of the scientists.

"Oh no. Oh nonono. All our progress…" The scientist said in disbelief, coughing smoke before he ran towards the machines, seeing everything damaged which made his body twitch in anger before he sees Red's location through the reflection of one of the metal parts.

"Capture the juvenile!" He yelled, pointing at the teen who gasped in surprise before running away. Hearing that, the rest of the Team Rocket grunts, Red leading them into traps and knocking them out with shots to the head. One of the men were about to send out a Pokemon only to be rewarded with a stone hitting his wrist which caused him to recoil in pain before he was knocked into the wall by a Spark from Luxio, this action making the scientist angrier. "In fact, just exterminate him!"

At that command, the men started getting more aggressive, much to Red's dismay as he found himself on the defensive end of the tussle, barely able to dodge most of the attacks that his enemies sent his way. While the fighting ensues, the group of scientists collected as much data as they could, trying to gather their results only to come as failure when a grunt was rocketed towards them, knocking over their experiments before a ball of sludge hit the glass and feathers, dissolving them completely.

Angered by the destruction of the feathers and their analysis, the scientist took out a Pokeball, throwing out Zebstrika who immediately absorbs all the electricity from Luxio's attacks, rendering them useless. "Like the saying goes: if you want to achieve something, do it yourself."

'Not how it goes but I ain't complaining.' Red heard Meowth while she slashed a Sandslash before he shot various rocks at the grunts, some of them stunned by the projectiles before he orders Luxio to use Spark only for the electricity to be sapped by Zebstrika who starts glowing with energy, electricity crackling from its body around the building. Realizing what is about to happen, Red starts to take up Mewoth and run away, sweat falling from his face.

"Obliterate them, Zebstrika!" The scientist shouted at the top of his lungs, his Pokemon following his orders as it starts glowing intensely. Red's face paled when he saw the Pokemon's body started crackling with energy, some of the bolts hitting the machinery. It was about to release the energy, the manic grin on the scientist making everyone scared of what he is going to do. "Thunderbolt!"

Suddenly, it let out a light that blinded everyone until it immediately faded, much to the scientist confusion. When Red looks at the Pokemon, what he saw made his heart drop when he saw a silhouette behind the scientist, unbeknownst to the man himself. Seeing its eyes made everyone feel an intense pressure, some of their Pokemon instinctively back away from the legendary bird or going back to their Pokeballs while it starts spreading its wings which started glittering. 'Oh no…'

Zapdos let out a blast of electricity which electrocuted the old man, his screams echoing through the abandoned building while the pole lodged in its wing suddenly flew out, falling to the ground. Everyone could only watch in horror as the corpse burn to a crisp before flopping on the ground, smoke emanating from it.

"H-holy shit!" One of the grunts said when the Pokemon started lifting itself in the air, lightning surrounding its body which made the metal around it start to levitate in the air. Red and his Pokemon slowly back away while one of the grunts started laughing, walking up to Zapdos. 'Wha-'

"What are you doing? Do you not see it roasted one of our lead scientists?! It's a motherfucking legendary!" One of his teammates whispered to him before he smirks and throw an Ultra Ball in the air. "Even if it's a legendary, it's still a damn Pokemon!"

The man then threw the capsule in the air, everyone watching in anticipation while Red slowly started backing up, his heart beating too fast to hear anything around him as he looks at Zapdos in fear. Before the ball could get near the Electric type, the device was vaporized instantly, leaving only specs of burnt metal, making the man smile reduce to an expression of shock before Red hears the Pokemon say one word.

'Begone.'

In a flash. A blink. A single heartbeat, lightning burst through the air, causing the metallic objects around them to come to life, the bird's eyes glowing intensely. Before the man could move, the pole that he used previously plunging into his stomach, making him slightly step away before he looks at it in shock.

"Wha-" The man could not say anything before his body was punctured by the rest of the metal, everyone watching in horror at the sight before the body flopped on the ground, time seemingly stop as everyone tried to process the events that occurred before a voice cut through the silence.

"Oh fuck!"

Fear filled the room when everyone ran away, Red followed avoiding some of the metal structures that Zapdos threw in their direction, some of them grazing him which made him hiss in pain. Seeing one of the grunts who has blue hair sending out a Hariyama and Shiftry at him, he thought quickly, making Beedrill hit the Shiftry with Twineedle then attacking both Pokemon with Venoshock before Luxio tackles them with Spark, sending them and some of the others along with their trainers into a wall. Suddenly, a wall of ice blocked his way, Vulpix popping out of its ball and quickly melting the ice. Red then saw the grunts going around the corner through the wall of ice, some of them limping before he sprinted towards the entrance.

Knowing that the teen is coming and Zapdos might use the place to get out and give chase, the blue haired grunt have a smile on his face before he turns to his Pokemon.

"Destroy the entrance!" The blue haired guard yelled at his Hariyama who immediately obeyed, destroying the doors and breaking the walls, causing rubble to fall and block the entrance. As soon as Red turned the corner, he was greeted with rubble, a sign that his escape route is destroyed. "This ain't good."

Before the teen could do anything, he had to jump sideways, dodging a metal pole that plunged into the wall. He could barely turn as he sees an electrical blast fired, Luxio barely able to intercept the attack. Trying to absorb the electricity, the lynx was quickly overpowered by the attack, sending him into Red and rocketing the both of them to the wall. Meowth leaped towards the bird, using all its speed to hit it but missed before it was slammed to the ground by its beak. It nearly got hit by a bolt of lightning but was saved by Luxio who caught her before returning to their trainer who is hiding behind a bunch of machinery.

'Is she alright?' The Electric type said, keeping a lookout for Zapdos, getting a nod from the teen. The cat sprung up before glaring at the bird, gritting her teeth. 'This means war. Let's go, Lux!'

Luxio sighed before it glanced at Red who readied his slingshot and tying his raincoat around his waist. They all share a nod before the two felines made a dash towards the legendary, the Pokemon about to attack but was interfered when it was hit in the face by Red which gained its attention. "Can we talk please?"

Meowth and Luxio stood on standby as the legendary Pokemon looked down at Red, the anger in its eyes could eviscerate him if looks could kill.

'You should have thought about that before you decided to attack me. Now die!' Zapdos said, the electricity around its body focused on its beak before it shot a ball of condensed lightning, Luxio barely able to intercept the attack before it overpowered him and Red, knocking both of them across the room, hitting multiple machinery before falling on the ground, the impact knocking the wind out of him.

'We could have just go here and just come up with nothing but nooo, we had to just come across a legendary.' Meowth scoffed, jumping between walls and platform before leaping towards Zapdos, it's body glowing white and its eyes turning to slits. Struggling to stand, the teen could see Meowth trying to land another hit only for it to miss, getting hit by an electrical ball which send it rocketing in the air, about to hit the wall only to be saved by its trainer who returned it. Zapdos was about to let out another blast before Red decided to speak again. "We're not here to fight and I'm not with those people you saw before."

'Hmm, it seems that you understand our speech. Too bad. You have stated your piece when you pierce my wing.' The bird stated before shooting bolts of lightning that the teen took cover against, the attack vaporizing the shelter that he was taking refuge under, its voice echoing everywhere. 'Understanding us do not mean that you have free reign over our kind and our wellbeing! And it sure doesn't damn mean that you can use us for your sick experiments!'

Discharging another blast, Red was unable to dodge the attack only for the attack to be stopped by Luxio who held his ground while struggling to stop the attack.

"Luxio, stop this! You don't need to go this far!" His shouts have fallen on deaf ears when the blue lynx continued to endure the blast before it made a single step towards the legenday, much to its surprise. Slowly walking closer, Red noticed that the electrical molecules in the air is being absorbed by Luxio. 'Is that Charge? No way, it looks different and…stronger?'

He then stepped back, using the opportunity to secure a shot on the bird, distracting it before Luxio releases a blast of lightning, the shockwave sending everything near it to the wall. The entire building lit up from the attack, making Red shield his eyes before he flew back from the force of the blast. After the attack subsided, Red found himself groaning and feeling pain from his head, rubbing it to feel blood from the area. Barely able to stand up, he looked up to see Luxio panting, making him smile that the lynx is alright until a voice went through the air, making him sweat.

'Not everyday I see a Pokemon able to block my attack twice.' Seeing the legendary, his body froze until he saw its gaze on Luxio, making him sprint towards the Pokemon. 'But in the end, it's worthless…just like the life of your trainer.'

"Leave Luxio out of this! We're not here to fight! Let's just ta-" Red paused, feeling a sting on his cheek, looking to his side to a piece of metal stuck into the wall before feeling something wet sliding down his face, touching it to see blood on his fingers. When he lifted his gaze, the next sight that he saw made his heart fall and horror struck his body. He saw Luxio under a pile of metal poles, two of its feet bent unnaturally as blood ran down its blue fur.

"Luxio!" He screamed, running towards the Electric type before he was hit with several metal objects, slamming him into the wall and then to the floor. Barely able to push off a metal pole and feeling a warm liquid went down his face, Red slowly got up, angered when his eyes landed on Luxio, seeing it in purring weakly. He then gritted his teeth in anger, looking at Zapdos hovering over him, lightning emitting from its wings as it looks down at him in disgust. 'Pitiful.'

"Pitiful for what, huh? Trying to survive? Not being able to explain myself? Everytime it's like this." Red said, shrugging off another metal object as he climbs closer to his Pokemon. "I don't give a damn what you want to do with me. Just…leave my Pokemon out of this."

Zapdos looked at the teen in surprise, clearly not expecting a reaction like that. It then laughs, the electricity from it blasting everywhere but this did not scare Red as he went closer to his starter, taking out his Pokeball before something else got his attention.

'Very well. I shall grant you your wish.' The teen watched in alert, moving back as the legendary got closer, hitting it in the face with his slingshot which made it chuckle. He could not react quickly enough when it touched him with its wing before he hears one last word. 'Suffer.'

Pain.

That was all he felt at that moment. Tears spilling from his eyes and drool falling from his mouth as his body twitch from the shocks from the contact. His skin started to burn from the attack which made him have to lean on the wall. Blood leaked from his nose and his eyes bloodshot while he struggles against the pain, trying to take out a Pokeball which failed when it fell from him and hit a metal pole. His screams filling the air as electricity circulate through his body, the teen able to see the legendary about to do the same with Luxio but failed when Red was able to return it, much to Zapdos' chagrin. 'For a human, you have a very high pain tolerance. However…'

It smiled when it comes back in front of the teen, lightning crackling from its body as it charges another blast. 'Begone.'

The attack did not came, much to Red's confusion. He opened his eyes and blinked but he was still at the same place, still in pain and still twitching from the electrical shock he had received before which was odd. "What on earth?"

Looking up, his questions were answered when he saw Zapdos having a dizzy expression on its face, its posture being wobbly as it suddenly charges the wall, colliding it. He then sees Vulpix in a battle stance, glowing menacingly before it shuffles through the Pokeballs on his waist. The Electric type was about to attack again but it was hit by multiple blasts of ice that came from the dark which stopped the legendary in place, turning to see two eyes before Zapdos was slammed into the floor. 'I'll hold it. Go!'

The fox then was able to touch one of the Great Ball, releasing Milotic who gasped in shock at seeing her trainer at her trainer before Vulpix shook her out of it. 'We need to get away qwick!'

'Damn it, Red! What did I tell you not to do?!' The cream colored serpent yelled before she picked him up, breaking through the wall with a Water Pulse which alerted the legendary.

The Electric and Flying type followed her, hot on her tail as it send multiple bolts of lightning, Milotic barely able to dodge the attacks. One of the attacks hit her, making her fall to the ground while the legendary created another orb. Thinking fast, Red shot an Ultra Ball from his slingshot, hitting it on the head which made it glow. They all watched as the Pokemon get enveloped into the ball before the capsule fell to the floor.

"…R…run…" The raven haired teen could barely breathe out but it was enough to knock Milotic out of her stupor. She then grabbed him and returned Vulpix before taking him to the water and swimming away, enough to be a considerable distance when Zapdos broke out of the Ultra ball, snapping the device in half and breaking it. Enraged, the yellow bird send a wave of lightning, the attack dispersing and hitting everywhere, turning the area into a wall of smoke which gave Milotic the opportunity to go deeper into the water, getting out of its attacker's sight, relief washing over when it saw Zapdos flying away. It then got out of the ocean, going up stream and making its way towards the Pokemon Center.


Blue was not having a good day.

In fact, since the SS. Anne tournament, he has not been the same. He started training harder, catching more Pokemon and sorting out his team to only have the best of the best. To never lose. Pushing himself and his Pokemon to the limit, not wavering, not resting and having to care or hold himself back for anyone despite the thought shooting a pang of guilt in his chest. He trained nonstop, his goal of being the best on his mind, repeating like a mantra. Only awarding the Pokemon that have shown the result of their training, releasing the ones that are not performing as they should back to the wild, calling them useless and worthless. Only winners deserve rewards, the strong overpower the weak. Survival to the fittest. Failure was not an option, it never was the option and it will not happen again.

So when his journey lead him to Lavender Town where he encountered Team Rocket grunt, he could not hold back the smirk that slowly appeared on his face. There were nothing special to him, just a group who was lucky that they had their debut before he became a trainer. He did not understand why everyone was afraid of them. They were small fries, nothing but stepping stones in his path of greatness. He will best them and so he did, defeating every grunt that came his way ruthlessly, feeling pride in his power but making no comment while bulldozing through them. They were just nuisances, just names to put on the wall of victories. There were nothing compared to his power. He is once again undefeated.

Defeating all the grunts, he came across another grunt who was looking and scouting for any police officers. Blue smirked as he was about to about secure another victory, taking everyone down by himself without breaking a sweat.

But the moment the man turned around, everything went wrong. All that training he did came to naught at that moment, this person in front of him who called himself a high ranking officer stood with aborted expression across from him as he beat his Pokemon into submission not an ounce of care shown on his face. Blue realize he never stood a chance against this man, a thought that sicken him to his core but despite this, he was able to hold his own, barely putting the battle to a tie. He looked at his Raticate who is beaten and bloodied on the ground, its limbs broken as its opponent watch it struggle to breathe, balling his fists and twitching in anger.

"I expected more of a fight but this...this is just disappointing." The man said, readying his other capsule, seeing the teen's anger and confusion. "Oh! This isn't my strongest team, not even close. This team is my weakest. And you've struggled this much against them."

"Your…weakest team?" Blue said in disbelief, looking at the Team Rocket officer before he receives a nod. Seeing the man's response, the spiky haired teenager looked to the ground, trying his best to process the new information given to him. "To think that you're a descendant of the Oak family tree...just worthless..."

"You're pitiful. Simply. Pitiful." He said, releasing a sigh before he throws the Pokeball, releasing a Weavile. Blue could not believe it, all his training and he could not hold his own against this man's weakest team. All his blood, sweat and tears, all those sleepless nights, all his calculations and work.

Only to lose in the most pathetic way.

Blinded by anger, Blue kicked the Raticate, an action that surprised the man who heard the teen yell. "What the fuck are you doing, you damn Pokemon?! We almost fucking had him! I trained you to be strong, not gurgle on the fucking ground!"

Blue continued kicking, his breathing becoming incoherent as his yells starts echoing through the area. "I don't have room for weaklings on my team! Only the strongest! You're such a damn disgrace! I should have released you when I had the chance! Such a damn waste of a slot on my team!"

Recognizing what he had been doing, Blue felt regret but it was drowned by the disappointment that he felt for the Pokemon and his anger from the battle he lost. He then punched the wall, barely able to ignore the pain from the impact, rearing for another until he was interrupted by a chuckle.

"I like your spirit, kid. You understand the meaning of strength. Only the strong will survive by taking out the weak." The man said, returning his Weavile, much to Blue's surprise. He was knocked out of his thoughts when he heard the man continue. "That is exactly what Team Rocket is all about. That little 'Pokemon bond' bullshit that your grandfather spewed for years does nothing. Power and strength however, that's all that matters."

Surprise was an understatement for how Blue's feeling right now. He believed that Pokemon are simply tools and that the trainer made the Pokemon and without the trainer, Pokemon are nothing. And he proved it. No one in his class could hold up to him. Not Yellow. Not Devin. Not even his sister and father were blown away by his adept skills in handling strong Pokemon. He was the one with the talent and no one else could scale up to him.

He was the strongest. He was always right. Until that tournament, he constantly keep hearing one name. One that everyone said was even a stronger opponent than him.

Red Fires.

The boy whose ideology even the teachers in school found ridiculous. Red was always his grandfather's favorite because Red sees Pokemon as friends. Red always argued that he doesn't believe that a Pokemon strength lies in their genetics and every Pokemon is strong in their own way. He could not believe it. Evolution is the only way to make Pokemon stronger. What about having a bleeding heart make a Pokemon stronger? What made Red so special? He beat Red multiple times without even trying and even in school, most of the teacher's calling him a lost cause. So why? Why was he strong? Could it be that because he was with Leaf?

Blue looked in the floor, completing agreeing with the man despite him being a member of a terrorist group. His hands gripped the ground, bunching up soil as he tries to squeeze it with all his might before something snapped him out of his trance.

"Here's a gift." The man said, putting down an Ultra Ball on the ground before walking away, his lasts words striking a chord in Blue's heart. "If you want to have more power, you know where to come."

As the man left, Blue gazed at the capsule, seeing the gleam that it reflected under the moonlight. He then took up the capsule, pressing the release button to see a Pokemon that he never expected, a smirk coming across his face before he returns Raticate and walked back to the Pokemon Center.

"Time to test a theory…and settle a score."


"Red!" A voice echoed through the rain, followed by footsteps mushing the mud before another cry tear through the downpour. "Red!"

Leaf ran through the rain with Lorelei and Misty, a worried expression on the brunette's face as Buneary stays atop her head while Swablu is in the air searching.

"Where the hell did he go? Does he not know that we're in a thunderstorm? Emphasis on the thunder and storm." Misty said, trying to hold onto her rain coat through the strong winds before thunder roared, summoning a yelp from the orange haired girl.

"I don't know but I did not like the message that Diane gave me. I just hope that he was just taking a walk in the rain with his Pokemon." Lorelei speculated, wiping the water from her glasses. They both saw Leaf release Nidorina, sending the Poison type to search. "I don't think so. Red never goes out in a weather like this unless he notices something or if he's running away from something. Man, he's so secretive about things, it's hard to know what's going on in that mind of his."

The three then hear Nidorina calling them, running to it before spotting Milotic along the shore, releasing a sigh upon noticing them. When they reach the Water type, the brunette's eyes widened upon seeing a wounded Red on its back, running to him in worry. "What the hell? What happened?"

They then took Red to the Pokemon Center, leaving him to Nurse Joy who took him and his Pokemon in the ER room, leaving the girls outside. Leaf paced around the hallway, her worry increasing which each step.

"Stop acting like a worried wife. He's gonna be fine." Misty said, scrolling through her phone while Lorelei looks at the door with a worried expression. Leaf stopped then looked at the ER sign to see that it is still glowing meaning, earning a click of her teeth. "I'll be alright once he wakes up. Why do I have to deal with this?"

"Because you like him and want to get into his pants." Leaf glared at Misty before sighing and continued pacing, ignoring the giggles of Lorelei. "I forgot how it was to be a teenager. To be young and in love."

"Lorelei…you're just 21. Stop acting like you're old." The orange haired gym leader rebutted which the woman scratched her cheek nervously. The trio continued along with their conversation, Leaf able to calm down until the red light turned off, getting their attention. The doctor came out of the room with a clipboard before he jumped when Leaf was in front of his face. "Is he alright?"

"Not to worry, he's ok. He's sleeping. However, he will need to take it easy for a while, the wounds he suffered is like he got hit three times by lightning and not the good kind." The doctor said to the trio with a serious expression, making Misty and Leaf relieved before Lorelei asked a question that they were all thinking. "What happened, sir? Those bruises were extreme even for the classic Electric type attack from a Pokemon. You have any thoughts?"

"His body has suffered a slight concussion but nothing that a few days of rest won't fix." The man explained while looking through his clipboard before he looks at them. "It's possible that he may have found himself at the abandoned Power Plant south from here. Injuries like these come from trainers that explore that building however this is the first time that the wounds were this...intense."

"W-what do you mean?" Leaf said, slightly worried. The doctor continued explaining before he looked into the room to check back on Red. "The boy is experiencing slight seizures from it so there will be times when he gets a bit…jumpy."

"Jumpy?"

"Yes, we have given him medicine for this so it will be gone within a couple days but please keep an eye on him and make sure he gets his rest. And don't put him near any Electric types please." The doctor said before walking away, about to turn the corner before he remembered something. "You can visit him now. Just make sure not to make him overexert himself."


Red opened his eyes to see a room of white lifting his head only to be feeling an ache which made him go back to his initial position. He was about to ask a question but was stopped when he hears a voice. "Red Fires..."

"Uh oh." He twitched before slowly turning to see Leaf's smile, it being forced and the grip she had on the bed would make Red think she could throw him and it out of the window. "Where were you?"

"Umm…" He said, accidentally releasing a chuckle which made things worse. He could have sworn he saw a vein appear on her forehead. Ah, there it is. And that makes the face of rage for Leaf complete. Fear gripped Red, making him sweat profusely while she hovered over him. "Red…"

She then slowly placed her hands on his shoulders before she then harshly shook him, lecturing him. "What on earth were you thinking?! Going out at the Power Plant like that! You could have at least take me with you!"

She continued scolding him while Misty and Lorelei watched the scene in amusement. They all continued with their conversation before Misty asked the question that everyone wanted to know. "Well, let's address the bandaged elephant in the room. Red. What were you doing at the abandoned Power Plant?"

Red looked down before taking up his Pokegear, typing on it before he send it to them, a beep coming up on Leaf's own before the three of them gasped by the message.

"You…saw Zapdos and encountered Team Rocket?" Lorelei questioned in disbelief, now understanding the reason for the wounds that he has been inflicted. Leaf looked at him in frustration and worry when she heard this, knowing that he went against them.

"God damn it, No Face! What did I tell you about trying to be a hero?" Misty grabbed him by the collar but was stopped when Leaf held her back. "Do you know how important your life is? You can only have one. If you lose it, there's no coming back so…"

Misty then noticed everyone is looking at her in worry before she turned around and walk out of the room but not before saying something. "…just don't waste it."

"Why was Zapdos even there?" Leaf said, everyone wondered until Lorelei spoke up. "Well, the legendary birds although powerful, have times when they roost. They usually do it in different locations but they have their favorites. Moltres has the Victory Road and Mt. Ember, Articuno has Mt. Silver and Seafoam Islands."

"Seriously?!" They all look at Misty who came back with four cans of soda in her arms before she threw one to Leaf and Lorelei and then laying the third on Red's head, drinking the last one herself. "Does Zapdos even perch here?"

"Not sure but with Red here like this and Diane's message, it's a possibility. It could explain the storm as well." She said before hearing another text from the injured teen, Leaf reading the message. "He said yes. It was sleeping and Team Rocket was making experiments on it."

"Experiments?" The redhead asked, a worried expression on her face before she shakily asked another question that popped in her mind. "Why?"

Red then looked down, pressing some things on his Pokegear before showing it to them, motioning for them to play it. When they played it, the room was silent while they listened to the recording, Leaf and Misty gasping while Lorelei's expression hardened upon the new information provided to her. After the recording was finished, they wore shocked expressions before one of them spoke.

"T-they're trying to weaponize the power of the legendaries…" Leaf uttered, leaning back in her chair and putting a hand on her forehead. She heard stories about Zapdos and its incredible power, able to create thunderstorms that can cover the region if it wanted. She could not imagine that power in someone's fingertips, worse people like Team Rocket. She then released a shaky sigh, wiping the sweat forming on her forehead. "…that's like a nightmare."

"You think? We saw first hand how powerful Team Rocket is on their own and now they want to add fucking legendaries in their arsenal. If they have that, they'll be basically unstoppable." Misty said, gripping on the soda can. Meanwhile Lorelei was writing something in a notebook before turning to Red. "May I get those recordings please, Red?"

Red lifted an eyebrow before sending them to her, the woman humming in gratitude before she walks out. "I'm going to make a call. I'll be back shortly."

When she left, silence filled the room, Red leaning back to bed before he felt a hand holding his own which caught him by surprise. He turned to see Leaf looking at him after she put down her Pokegear. "You need to remember that you're not alone in this, Red. I'm here with you."

"You won't be lucky next time, No Face. Remember next time that people are willing to help you." Misty said before grabbing his Pokegear and pushing a couple buttons and then throwing it back to him. "Remember that you have friends to help. Understand?"

Red's eyes widened upon hearing that word, barely able to process the information but was interrupted when Misty raised her voice. "Understand?!"

Red dumbly nodded, still caught aback by what she said. He then watched the two girls speak to each other, Leaf sending the recording to her father for investigation and Misty planning to speak with the other gym leaders on how to get ready and effectively deal with Team Rocket. Looking at his Pokegear and seeing it one contact more before switching gaze to the night sky, he could only smile while Vulpix jumped on his lap, him patting it.

'Well, some things won't change but...' He thought, a somber expressiong on his face before getting himself comfortable. 'What was the weapon that Team Rocket wanted to build?'

Chapter done and accounted for. Hope you like my introduction to Zapdos, I always liked Daffy Duck(That's what I named my Zapdos). Well, things are changing and like this chapter, a storm is coming. There is gonna be some shit going on. I hope you guys are gonna love what I am going to write for this arc because Lavender Town is one of my favorite towns in the Kanto Region but like everything Kantonian, it doesn't have much done to it apart from the Let's Go games. I'm gonna enjoy writing this arc and I have many ideas for the next couple of chapters. Hope you guys will enjoy this arc and thanks for your reviews on this. I will be back, Enigma out!