Within the darkness and quietude, Steelix travelled through the ground before it started squirming which caused the scientists and guards watching the Pokemon to be concerned.
"What is happening to the Steelix?"
"Unsure! However it's giving wonderful results with the experiment of changing its properties."
One of the scientists said before he and the guards felt an intense earthquake, seeing the Pokemon arriving in a huge room before they locked the room. "We'll need to contain the Pokemon. It's good that we have amazing results from its battles and extended to its new ability and powers does not have any negative effects on its life expectancy."
They watched as the Pokemon roared, killing the unfortunate people within the room before it slams its tail on the glass, the scientists snickering. "Dumb snake didn't learn last time that the glass are impervious and impenetrable! Try as you might! Nothing will wor-"
The wall immediately started breaking when its tail turned to steel, one of the scientists learning something when he sees part of its tail having glowing cracks on it as they started panicking. They all ran away in fear, some of them taking out Pokemon to shield them from the iron snake's attacks until it shot a blast that defeated their Pokemon before it opened its mouth and bit a chunk of the platform they're on as everyone went to the teleporter.
"Oh God! No-" Everyone could only watch as Steelix then shot another Dragon Pulse which burnt them before it thrashed around, its roars turning to chokes as it started coughing. Suddenly, its mouth lit aflame before it vomit a blast of fire, the flames started swirling around before it hit the ground, revealing Red and Vulpix who are covered in a veil of fire.
"Nice one, Vulpix!" Red panted, patting Vulpix who giggled before going into his shirt. Looking up, he saw Steelix rise itself from the ground then unleashing a roar that nearly blew Red away until two hands came out of his shadow and held him down. "Thanks Dusclops!"
'I'm doing my simple duty! But my my. That is quite the tandrum.'
"Yeah! It's unusually powerful for a Steelix!" Red said before he saw it coming towards him. "You think you can throw me to it with Shadow Punch?"
'A simple request. Prepare yourself!' Dusclops answered before it launched Red into the air with its move, the teen dodging a strike from the iron serpent before he made Vulpix use Flame Burst. He was about to continue until Beedrill came out of its capsule and bring him up into the sky, the teen confused by this until a barrage of air blades pass him. Before they could get a look at their attacker, Red then noticed a blue tail coming towards him that sent them to the ground. "What the?"
He clutched his head in pain and looked up, his eyes widened as he saw Steelix, a Pidgeot and a Gyarados in front of him, the three of them starting to glow as Gyarados hovered over them.
'Oh boy. This won't be easy.' Red gritted his teeth as he faced off against the three Pokemon before he released Poli and Vulpix on his shoulder while Beedrill hitched on his back with String Shot. As the Bug type took flight, he dodged a Brutal Swing from Gyarados before flying over a Dragon Pulse from Steelix and then retaliated with Bubble Beam but the move did nothing, much to his confusion.
"Huh? Shouldn't Steelix be weak to Water-" Red was cut off when Pidgeot nearly hit him with its wing, a blast coming from it which split the ground underneath him in half before he made Beedrill fly away from the bird. "Avoid its wings."
'Got it, boss.' Beedrill nodded as Poli hit Pidgeot with Ice Beam, freezing its wings until the ice melted, much to his confusion when he made Vulpix conjure a shield to protect them from the bird's Heat Wave along with an Iron Tail from Steelix.
"We need to pick up speed, their attacks are becoming too unbearable. String Shot." He said, Beedrill using its String Shot to boost its speed as they avoid the moves from their attackers and able to quickly retaliate, this tactic working for a while until they got hit by a Heat Wave which was barely stopped by Poli's Ice Beam. Desperately holding his own while fighting the three behemoth, Red used Vulpix to repel their attacks until he got hit by an Air Slash, the move cutting up wounds on him and his Pokemon before he was hit by a Brutal Swing from Gyarados, the teen giving his Beedrill a Poison Gem which made its Poison Jab able to knock away. He then quickly took his chance, making Vulpix use Confuse Ray to confuse the blue serpent until he saw something from his peripheral vision.
"Oh no." He muttered, noticing Pidgeot speeding towards him with Brave Bird, making Vulpix slow it down with Extrasensory for them to dodge the attack only for it to use Air Slash to cut the string connecting Beedrill and Red, making him fall. "Crap crap crap!"
Seeing the two serpents coming towards him, Red thought quickly as he saw Beedrill going against Pidgeot before he commanded Vulpix and Poli. "Ice Beam on Gyarados and Flame Burst on Steelix!"
Both Pokemon shot their respective moves, hurting their opponents and the shockwave propelling himself towards Beedrill as he yell to the Pokemon. "Throw me to Pidgeot!"
Not wasting time, Beedrill shoots the String Shot around her trainer before spinning around and throwing him towards Pidgeot who tries to attack before it stopped glowing, much to its confusion.
"Thanks, Dusclops. Also, Pidgeot. Don't take it personal." Red said before he collided into the bird, punching it in the gut before kicking himself off it and releasing Luxio who hit the Flying type with Discharge, paralyzing it before slamming it to the floor with Night Slash. Returning Luxio, he quickly throws a couple Smoke Balls at his foes then making Poli use Hypnosis on Gyarados, smiling as he saw the serpent fall asleep. 'Alright, good.'
Seeing Steelix approaching him, Vulpix shot a group of fireballs which failed to stop it before Beedrill took them out of the way. After dodging a few more of Steelix's attacks, Red landed on its head then hopping off, turning to it with Vulpix on his arm. "Flame Burst and keep shooting it!"
The golden fox then shot it repeatedly with Flame Burst as he descends down the iron snake's body until it slammed him into the ceiling, knocking the wind out of him. As he was falling, he saw Steelix coming towards him with its mouth open before it hit them with a Dragon Pulse.
"Vulpix…Will-O-Wisp." He could barely mutter, the Fire type unleashed a barrage of fireballs that caused the steel snake to recoil in pain before using Hex that made it explode in flames, Beedrill sticking him to the wall as he tried to recover from his wounds.
"Man, it's good that their uniform is heatproof and strong as heck!" Red commented as he coated his hands and feet with silk while he looks at Steelix. "Dusclops, again! To the left!"
He made Dusclops to give him a jumping boost with Shadow Punch towards the iron snake, dodging a bite as he went behind it, seeing it getting affected by its burn. "Alright, let's try again. The next one should take it down. Charge a Flame Burst, Vulpix."
Watching Steelix roars of pain, Red thought about his options as he sees the flames in Vulpix's mouth getting bigger. He then noticed a change to its speed when it rushes towards them, making Vulpix shoot a blast which it quickly dodge before he turned to Poli. "Poli."
The tadpole turns to his trainer who takes a deep breath as he checked through his bag. "I'm going to need your help. Are you able to use Low Kick on him?"
'I-I don't think I can. What if I'm not strong enough?' Poli asked, Red smiling and patting it on the head as Steelix get hit by Pidgeot on the floor as Beedrill held them down with String Shot before the iron snake rip away from the silk. "Oh, trust me. I know. You are much more powerful than you give yourself credit for. Plus…"
Red took a gem which he gave to Poli as he gestured Beedrill and Dusclops to him, making the two of them create a catapult using the bee's silk and the ghost's hands. "…you can go beyond your limits. Can't ya, Poli?"
Putting Poliwag in the catapult, Red pulled back the catapult, aiming at the bottom section of Steelix before he petted Poliwag. "Are you ready?"
'Y-yeah…'
"Are you sure?" Poli put on a confident look before nodding which made Red smile as he let go. "Knock him out!"
Suddenly, Poliwag catapults towards the iron snake at a blistering speed as it outstretches its foot, the gem it is holding starting to glow as its foot turned to orange. It then crashed into Steelix's tail, the force knocking the giant off balance before Red quickly returned the tadpole, telling it that it did a good job as he looked up at Steelix's falling form.
'Alright, now to take you down for good.' Red pointed towards its mouth, Vulpix hopping onto his arm and aiming at Steelix. As Steelix's face was right in front of him, he then snapped his finger, making his command then. "Now!"
Vulpix opened its mouth and shot the attack, the flames almost looking like a laser beam as it hit Steelix, creating a furnace of fire. Watching the display of power, Red then let out an exhale when he saw the serpent falling to the floor in the fire. "Finally...it's down..."
After a while of watching the fires danced, the water sprinklers then activated due to the large flames which made his eyes widened in horror as he ran to stop them until he was attacked by Gyarados, barely dodging its attack before he noticed Pidgeot coming towards him.
"Oh no!" Red muttered, seeing Steelix getting up before using Earthquake. The move destroyed the area, Red had to dodge rocks falling from the ceiling before he made Dusclops use Disable to stop the powerful move.
"Ok. I need to be careful! Let's go, Beedrill!" He and Beedrill then started flying, dodging debris while they darted around the area as he made a makeshift crossbow that reminds him of his slingshot, the teen using this to disrupt Pidgeot and Gyarados by shooting Smoke balls which blinded them.
"Alright! Now for you! Beedrill! The sprinklers." Red commanded, Beedrill shot at the water sprinklers with String Shot then using Vulpix to destroy them. Seeing Gyarados attack them, he used Shadow Punch to clash with its Brutal Swing before the serpent opted with Bounce, Dusclops pushing his trainer out of the way and taking the move then retaliating with Payback which knocked it into the air. Seeing this, Red took aim at Pidgeot who use Heat Wave, putting a Fire Gem on Vulpix and let it use Flame Burst along with using Extrasensory that reflected the attack back, hitting Pidgeot and Steelix.
"Beedrill, put me down!" Red commanded, the bee putting him on the floor as he shot a Smoke Ball at Gyarados. "Hold off Gyarados for a while! I'll take on Steelix and Pidgeot!"
'Ok.' Beedrill said before she fought against Gyarados while Red held his own against Pidgeot and Steelix as he tried to dart around the room. During the fight, Beedrill traded blows with the sea serpent until she landed a strong blow that knocked it back, Gyarados immediately getting up only to hunch over in pain as she had a sick expression. "Alright, good. It's poisoned."
Using Vulpix and Luxio to knock away Steelix and Pidgeot, Red noticing Gyarados increase in strength despite it looking sick, veins appearing on its skin. "Oh boy..."
'It has Guts!' Beedrill shouted before they saw Gyarados glow intensely, wreaking havoc as it headed towards Red. Seeing the behemoth coming to him, Red called Beedrill to him while dodging Pidgeot's attacks, leading his two flying enemies towards each other until he suddenly noticed Steelix shot a Dragon Pulse at him, the teen getting knocked to the wall.
"Ouch. What the-" Another one went towards him only to be stopped by Dusclops who was knocked to the wall. Quickly returning the Ghost type, the teen then made Beedrill shot String Shot into the iron snake's eyes before he made Vulpix use Confuse Ray which made Gyarados and Pidgeot fighting each other. Getting rid of the silk covering its eyes, Steelix sped towards the teen who smiled as he threw up two Pokeballs into the air over. "Night Slash and Brick Break!"
As the iron snake was about to open its mouth, the two capsules opened and released Clefairy and Luxio who slammed their attacks into Steelix, sending it to the ground and shutting its mouth which caused the mouth to glow before it exploded, Red barely dodging the shockwave. "Luxio! Clef!
After the explosion subsided and the smoke cleared, Red smiled when he saw his Pokemon running towards him covered in bruises.
"Nice job, guys!" He petted his Pokemon before he noticed Pidgeot coming towards him with Brave Bird, making Luxio use Discharge as it came close until it received a hit from Clefairy that launched it into a wall. Before he could continue, his Pokemon were slammed into the ground by a Brutal Swing, him seeing Gyarados until he got hit by an Iron Tail, making him spit out blood as he gestured Vulpix towards the two serpents.
"Vulpix…Confuse Ray." He spat, the fox using the move on the three Pokemon which made them fight each other as he recalled Luxio and Clefairy who took a lot of damage from Gyarados' assault. Watching the bout between the two serpents, he instinctively blocked an attack from Pidgeot before hitting the bird with a Discharge, the teen then noticing the Pokemon glowing intensely until the bird unleashed a blast of wind, the power of the move confusing the teen. "What the? I don't remember Pidgeot having this ability."
Bracing himself against the gust and telling Luxio to use Charge, he then noticed Pidgeot unleashing a huge tornado, Red could not get a chance to defend himself when Gyarados slammed them into the group with Bounce, the group laying on the ground as the serpent flew into the air as Red struggled to get up and return his Pokemon. They could not get the chance to recover when Steelix use Dragon Pulse that combined with Pidgeot's attack, the blast hitting the teen and his Pokemon and sending them through the wall, destroying almost everything in its path before a huge explosion followed afterwards. As the attack subsided, debris fell around the place as Red struggled to stand, clutching his stomach as he moved around. 'I think I broke a rib there.'
"Guys…guys!" Red called for his Pokemon only to see them fainted and covered in blood and scars, tending to their wounds before returning them. Wandering the place for a while, he felt pain coursing through his body as he felt some peace within the silence.
"At least I get to take a rest." He said, about to sit down but was caught off guard when Steelix attacked, jumping out of the way as he had to block against the debris it created from rotating its body.
"So it's you again?" Red mumbled as the snake faced against him, the teen feeling something squirming in his back before Vulpix came out of his shirt. "Vulpix?!"
'Hyello.'
"I'm so glad you're ok." Red smiled before the fox shot a Flame Burst at the Steelix then used Hex which made it light ablaze as he ran away from the snake. Before he could jump over some debris, he made Vulpix's Flame Burst clash with Steelix's Dragon Pulse but was immediately overpowered by the blast as it send him flying into the wall, the teen able to protect Vulpix as he started to cough blood.
'Red! Are you ok? Vulpix is a strong girl! She can endure its attacks!' Vulpix pleaded as she saw her trainer panting and coughing on the floor. Red smiled, putting a hand on her head as he wiped the blood from his face. "It's ok. We're going to be…ok. Get ready to aim, Vulpix."
Turning to their serpentine opponent, Red threw away his beret and pulled back his hair before he ran to the wall, tapping his shadow which made Dusclops to the wall when a blast hit the place that he used to be. Seeing the snake coming towards him again, Red outstretched his hand as Vulpix readied itself.
"Now!"
Steelix was stopped by a force before it then immediately got shot repeatedly by Flame Burst, the fire turning the area in a red hue before Red made Vulpix stop. Watching the flames in front of him, his eyes widened when he saw Steelix barely able to move before he tries to throw a Pokeball at it which failed. Seeing the capsule fall to the ground and crushed by the snake, Red then stepped back as he pointed at the snake with a slight melancholic look on his face.
"Good riddance…Hex." He uttered before Vulpix's eyes glowed, the embers around Steelix exploding, Red blocking his Pokemon eyes and ears from hearing the Pokemon roars of pain. After a while, he saw the snake fell to the floor, clasping his hands and bowed before he headed off. As he made his way through the tunnels, Red noticed when Gyarados was flying towards him as it destroyed everything in its path with Brutal Swing until its eyes landed on him.
"Uh oh!" The teen muttered, running away from the serpent as it wreaked havoc, barely able to hold his own against the serpent with Dusclops. Its mouth then started to glow, Red dashing away from it as he tried to stop it with Vulpix and Dusclops' attacks only to fail, much to his dismay.
"Dusclops, can you use Disable?" Red asked as he tried to run away, racking his brain for any options only to receive a grim answer. 'Not…at all. I'm…quite exhausted.'
Red then desperately checked his bag only to see that he is out of items to escape as he had to fend off against the debris thanks to Dusclops until he noticed a hole, jumping towards it. 'Almost there.'
Before he could get to the hole, the Water type then fired a Hyper Beam that quickly travelling towards Red who had to watch as the attack pierced through the place as it destroyed everything in its path. Seeing the attack missed him, he finally went into the hole, returning Vulpix into its ball before he saw the blast get bigger and cover the entire place.
"O-"
As the laser pierced the clouds, Erika, Sabrina, Talia and Giovanni could feel the tremor as the man squinted his eyes in anger when seeing the attack coming from the red light district. "That's at the hideout."
Erika and Sabrina ignored the explosion, using the opportunity to reflect an attack from Talia's Weezing to knock it out, taking out some of the Team Rocket grunts that came out of the limousine in the process.
"You think everything is ok over there, Brina?" Erika asked in worry as she took out Nidoking with her Leafeon's Weather Ball, getting her response in the form of Sabrina smirking while she lifted one of the grunts with her telekinesis. "For the most part, yes. Just…some buildings didn't make it, Erika."
"C'mon." Erika groaned before Sabrina threw the grunts in a pile on the street then floating into the air along with her Pokemon. The moment she did this, Talia smirked as she took out another Pokeball before Giovanni stopped her.
"As expected of Sabrina, your psychic prowess is remarkable. You have even gotten more skilled at using them now. And to congratulate you…" He quickly pressed a button on a device that emitted a wave of energy through the area which gave Sabrina a headache as she struggled to keep afloat. Giovanni smiled as the esper descend, her Pokemon able to catch her as she clutched her head. "My powers. What's happening? My head feels like it's gonna rip out of my head."
Erika quickly ran to her and rubbed some ointment on her head, letting her smell some herbs to calm her migraine before she turned to Giovanni. "What did you do?"
"Oh? I just used this wonderful contraption to…make things fair. We can't have our minds getting read now. A neat little solution for our little esper." The man said while playing with the device before he took out an Ultra Ball. Getting up, Sabrina noticed a whip on the floor, taking it up as the two gym leaders braced themselves against the man.
"Don't take any offense to this, Sabrina. You know that I have to take precautions. And out of respect for our previous relationship, I should give respect your talents." He then threw the capsule into the air as he saw the two about to attack him. "You know what to do."
The capsule exploded into flames, stopping the gym leaders' attacks which surprised Erika and Sabrina. Within the furnace, a Kangaskhan emerged from the fire, standing tall against its two opponents as its hands burst into flames.
"Alright, let me show you a world of pain."
Destruction.
That was all left after Gyarados' Hyper Beam.
Debris scattered around the place. Coughing from the smoke created from the blast, Red looked up to see a silhouette in front of him, his widened in surprise when he noticing that it's Leaf and her Watortle as the shield started to dissipate. "Leaf…what are you doing here? Are you ok? We need to get out of here."
"Why? Wasn't it only the Steelix that we were fighting?" The brunette turned and asked before searching for injuries on Red.
"I thought so too but we have two more huge problems. Probably more but honestly, I don't want to find out." He answered before they turn to Gyarados who is getting exhausted. Slightly able to get up, the teen fell on Leaf as he tried to regain his balance before they both felt a gust of wind, seeing Pidgeot hovering above Gyarados as it glared down at them.
"I guess running isn't an option anymore." Leaf joked while Red just sighed, trying to regain his balance as the two stood beside each other and readied themselves. The two of them looked at their options as the boy scratched his head in frustration. "And most of our Pokemon are out as of the moment. Woopie."
Red pinched the bridge of his nose before he adjusted his gloves, Leaf doing the same as they shared a nod and bumped fists. "Just like the time at Rock Tunnel?"
"Just like Rock Tunnel." Red answered before he released Luxio and made it use Charge then turning to Leaf. "Release Roselia and let it use Growth."
"Hell yeah! Let's do-Protect!" They were shielded against their opponents' attacks before Luxio retaliated with Discharge which repelled them back then taking out Clef who used Metronome that changed to Psychic as it slams both Pokemon into each other.
"Seriously? What's with these behemoths? If Pidgeot was this strong, why does everyone regard it as useless?" Leaf said as the two of them withstood another attack from the bird which knocked out her Misdreavus. "Man, this is gonna be annoying."
"Yep. Welcome to my world." Red said as he made Poli create an ice sculpture to hide themselves before he thought about their options, telling Luxio to use Charge in the process.
"Hey Red…" He turned to Leaf who gave him a frightening smirk as she scooted over to him. "Hehe! I got an idea. Now hear me out."
Sending out Nida beside Red's Clefairy, she explained the plan to Red who started shuddering in surprise as she did an evil laugh. "You're…devious."
"Thank you, sweetie." Leaf said, giving Red a kiss on his cheek before Buneary and her dashed towards the two Pokemon, Pidgeot going above her as she fought against Gyarados who's Brutal Swing clashed with Buneary's Jump Kick, the serpent's strength outmatching her own Pokemon as she tried to distract it only to fail. "C'mon, Buneary! Hold on!"
Before she could have been squished by the attack, the serpent was hit by a Thunderbolt while a hand came out of the ground and brought her back to Red whose shadow returned to normal. "Thanks, Red. I'm gonna try again!"
Red, on the other hand, took a deep breath before he gave her his Team Rocket shirt which surprised the brunette as she look at him, seeing him put Vulpix on his shoulder. "Leaf, I'm going to cover you but if you're in danger. I don't care what you think, I'm stepping in."
"I wouldn't have it any other way, darling. Time to smoke these guys." Leaf grinned, Beedrill hovering over her when she tried again to get close, Gyarados about to attack her but was stopped by Zori's Extrasensory, the girl then releasing Swablu who used Dragon Pulse on the ceiling which lit the rocks aflame as they all fell onto the Water-type. "We will need you to keep out for flying rocks."
She then noticed Pidgeot speeding towards her with Brave Bird only to be knocked aside by a Flame Burst which made it miss the brunette, making her smile proudly. "Thank you, darling."
"You can thank me later. How are you two?" Red fired another Flame Burst at the bird before turning to Roselia and Luxio who are glowing intensely. 'Almost…there.'
Red nodded before turning to Dusclops who stopped Gyarados, allowing Leaf to hit it with Thunder Punch from Buneary and a Snarl from Zorua.
"Alright, go crazy Buneary!" She smiled as Buneary relentlessly pummeled the water serpent before it spun around and knock its face to the ground only to get hit by Nida and Wartortle that sent it to the wall.
"Bullseye!" Leaf said before her starter shielded them from a barrage of Air Slash. The bird then started to glow intensely before creating a massive tornado only for it to be cancelled out by Swablu until it blasted it towards Red. "Heads up, Red!"
"Got it!" Red answered before he commanded Clef to jump to the ceiling and punch it to the ground with Brick Break. Pidgeot then tried to get up only to look up and see a grinning Meowth as she unsheathed her claws. 'I'm gonna enjoy this a lot.'
While Meowth relentlessly attacked the bird, Leaf fended off against Gyarados, using Nida and Buneary to clash with its attacks along with until Red gestured her to come to him, the girl nodded while she drew the serpent near Pidgeot before using Zori to create a substitute that the two attacked as she ran away from the carnage.
"Did you miss me?" She said, jumping onto him before she turned around to Roselia as both her and Red made their commands.
"Selia, Giga Drain and Poison Sting now!"
"Luxio, Discharge!"
The two Pokemon then made their move, Roselia quickly putting her hands in the ground which made large vines erupted that bind Gyarados and Pidgeot together then slamming them to the floor, much to Leaf's joy. As the two behemoths struggle against their hold, they then recognize a flash of lightning, seeing Luxio who has a huge lightning orb forming its mouth, the two Pokemon trying to move until the vines grew purple spikes that stabbed them causing them to cry in pain. "Sorry, we're going to need you to sit down."
"Now Luxio!"
Luxio shot a blast of electricity that hit the two Pokemon, the lightning burst throughout the room, Wartortle having to protect everyone from the shockwave. "Hold on, Wartortle! You can do it!"
The place immediately got enveloped by a flash of light, the electricity destroying everything as the two teens can only witness the display of power from Luxio. After the attack subsided, Red ran to Luxio before he looked ahead, seeing Gyarados and Pidgeot unconscious, much to the two teens' relief as they shared a high-five.
"Whew! I thought we're toast." Leaf let out a sigh before she slid to the ground and panted. "I don't think I can move anymore."
"Well, we're ok. And that's all that matter."
Red was about to move until he felt tremors, looking around to see the place starting to cave in before turning to Leaf. "I think it's time to leave. This place don't look like it's gonna last much longer."
"I hope you're able to last longer, sweetie." She made a comment which made Red sigh in exhaustion and palmed his face. "Good to see you're able to make jokes."
Leaf smiled before she saw Red crouching in front of her and gesture her to come on his back. "Let's go."
Hopping on his back and wrapping her arms around him lovingly, the two made their way out of the place, their Pokemon following behind them. "Finally, I can go home. I need a good break from this."
"I just want to sleep."
Immediately, the underground hideout started shaking, the two losing their balance as the place is starting to cave in.
"What's happening?! Should this be happening so soon?"
"I don't know! Let's go."
Rocks started falling, Leaf was about to say a command until she noticed the ground starting to glow beneath them. "Protect!"
It then immediately exploded, the teens saved by Wartortle and Luxio before they look up, their eyes widened upon seeing their attacker. Out of the ground came Steelix, its melted and cracked skin falling apart as the snake roared with a distorted voice.
"What the?"
"Look at its skin! Ew!"
Its body glowed intensely, the Pokemon launching a powerful Dragon Pulse that broke the shield, knocking them into a wall until another blast followed which Red making their Pokemon try to stop the attack only to be overpowered them until he redirected its move. Seeing the cracks on the iron snake's skin getting bigger, the Pokemon roared before it started squirming.
"I don't like the look of that." Leaf muttered in disbelief as they both ran away from the creature. After a while of being chased, Leaf then noticed the metallic pieces of its body bursting off which made her very worried. "I really don't like the look of that."
Steelix then stopped, its body started to slow before it suddenly detonated, Red seeing this before he grabbed Leaf and then jumped into a hole. The explosion shook the city, reaching to Sabrina and Erika who felt the tremor along with Giovanni as their Pokemon continued their bout.
"I would like to continue this but there is something that I must get." Giovanni said with a frown as he repelled back his attackers, about to leave until a Haunter appeared in front of him and attacked him only to be stopped by his Nidoqueen that popped out of its ball. "You're making this very annoying."
"I intend to." Sabrina smirked when her Espeon stop an attack from his Kangaskhan only for Leafeon to smack it in the face. The man simply smirked as he made a gesture to Talia who nodded and stepped back as he faced against the two gym leaders, everyone unaware of a shadow dashing into an alley as Giovanni continued. "Alright. Show me your mettle!"
"Ughhh…" Leaf groaned, feeling pain coursing through her body as she touched her arm. "Ow! What…the hell happened? My arm feels like it's broken…"
She then felt something dripping on her, touching it to see that it is blood. "What the?"
As she looked up, her face turn to horror when her eyes laid on Red on top of her, noticing a huge boulder on his back along with blood coming from his mouth and head as he weakly smiled at her. "You…ok?"
"Red!" Leaf gasped as she saw him struggled to stay still before she heard sounds of the rubble shaking behind him. She then look around the area, seeing nothing but ruin as she tried to move herself only to feel a slight pain on her left arm.
"I'm ok. But you…you're hurt…" She said, looking around for something to push away the boulder behind him until she noticed a metal pole beside her, about to touch it only to feel a red liquid on her hand which made her confused. "Blood?"
Following the direction of the pole, her eyes once again widened in horror when she noticed a pole piercing through the side of Red's neck, her right hand shaking before she saw Red's smile, noticing his face getting pale. "It's ok...I'm ok."
"Ok my ass! Your neck…" He then started to strain, the rubble over him pushing him down to Leaf as he tried his best to hold the rock in place. Successfully able to lift one of her arms, she tried to find any way to escape only to realize that they're buried in rubble.
"We're stuck…" Leaf said, frantically thinking about her choices as she checked her Pokemon.
"All of my Pokemon have fainted…even yours, Red…" She said, checking through their items only for there to be no Revive which increased her worry as she racked her brain for any chance to escape. "How are we gonna get out of here? Are we gon-"
"We're… going…to get through this…" Red said silently, gritting his teeth.
"What?"
"We're…going to get through this…" Red said more defiantly, flickering in and out of consciousness. He felt the sting on his neck at every movement he made, his back feeling like it's about to break as every injury that he was inflicted came to life and sent pain through his body. Ignoring the pain, he kept himself steady to prevent him and Leaf from being crushed. 'There's so much more to live for. We need to…'
"Live. You…need to live. We're both…gonna get…through this…we got through worse…right…" Red said, his vision fuzzy as he looked around until he remembered something. "…I'm…gonna need you…to get out of here…and informed the police…Dusclops has…one last Shadow Sneak…in him but he can…take one person."
"But Red I-" Leaf pleaded but she was cut off by Red who started coughing. "Trust me…if I could save the two of us, I would…but I…I can't move…right now. I'll try…my best…to hold on…I'll wait for you."
Leaf could not believe it, her eyes swelling in tears as she watched Red's expression as it slowly lose color. She raised her hand to his face, seeing him losing light from his eyes as he slowly tapped his shadow, his Dusclops weakly coming from it as it grabbed Leaf who sobbed before she gave Red a final smile. "Alright...promise me you won't die…"
"Sure...Dus…clops…"
That was the last thing Leaf could hear before descending into Dusclops' shadow, it moving throughout the hideout as Red watched with a smile, his body slowly succumbing to the pain as the boulder started to push him down further.
'You can do this, Red. You have to.'
He tried his best as he mustered the last bit of strength in his body, ignoring the pain around him as he started to yell, using all his might to prevent the rock from crushing him as his eyes starts glowing.
'You have so many questions. You have a second chance. Leaf and everyone else…they're alive. Just…stay alive…jus…'
Meanwhile, Leaf felt the night wind when she found herself in an alleyway, seeing a fainted Dusclops who she patted with a smile before she kissed it on the forehead. "Thank you…"
She quickly got up and ran out, seeing multiple vehicles in the distance before she ran into the road, throwing her hand into the air as a car came to her. As the car stopped in front of her, Leaf braced herself for the officers to attack her until she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Miss Leaf! Oh, thank goodness you're ok. The chief was worried sick!"
They were about to escort her to the car until the girl stopped them and turned to the alleyway. "You…you got to help us…we need help…my friend…Red's stuck…he's in the rubble…please…"
One of the officers released a Noctowl that looked into the ground before it turned to its trainer, glowing until he nodded and explained to the rest of the police. The officers looked at each other uneasily and got to work in digging into the ground as one of them scratched their head with a worried look. "We need to be careful with this…one wrong move and we could kill the kid…so hold on."
Leaf looked to the ground as he called the paramedics, the man escorting her to the car to sit down as she looked to the night sky. "Why did this have to happen?"
"Kangaskhan, Flamethrower!"
The Pokemon roared as its shot beams of fire from its hands, Espeon stopping them and creating a miniature sun while Leafeon charged a huge fireball in its mouth before vanishing.
"Hmm…" Giovanni looked around until his eyes laid on the ground which Nidoqueen was about to attack until both it and Kangaskhan were slammed into each other, Espeon shooting the massive fireball to them, much to the man's dismay as he made two snaps of his finger. "Now!"
Kangaskhan quickly pushes back the move while Nidoqueen's arms starts leaking sludge until the ground underneath them gives way, Leafeon coming out to attack only to get hit by the Sludge Wave from Nidoqueen as it then douses the fireball with its attack.
"Wow! He already took care of the huge fireball." Erika gasped in surprise while Sabrina sneered. "Yeah. That's what make him dangerous. He tests and trains Pokemon to their absolute limits, knowing them inside and out."
Erika smiled hugely before she lifted a finger. "Let's see how he deals with a surprise attack…"
As soon as she started napping, her Leafeon quickly went on the offensive as it summoned fiery vines from the ground and trapping both its opponents before its tail extended into the hole it came from. Before anyone could do anything, the Grass-type jumped into the air, its tail carrying a huge fireball before it then slammed the projectile into its foes. Binding their opponents with Giga Drain, Leafeon waited as Espeon followed up with Swift until Giovanni snapped his fingers.
"Nidoqueen, destroy the vines." Nidoqueen obeyed, destroying the vines by spinning himself into a drill which allowed it to free both itself and Kangaskhan who grabbed Leafeon by the tail then lighting it ablaze, much to Sabrina's dismay as she cracked her whip.
"Espeon, use Swift to stop Kangaskhan." The Psychic type quickly shot a barrage of stars which clashed with Nidoqueen's Sludge Wave before the blue monster hardens the sludge into a ball then flinging it towards the purple cat. "Defend!"
Espeon quickly stops the attack before dismantling the attack and turning it back to a liquid as it reflected the attack to Kangaskhan who used Earthquake to create a crater to stop it only for Leafeon to wrap its tail around it and using Giga Drain, much to Talia's surprise.
"How is she still fighting? Isn't she asleep?" Talia said as she watched Erika making gestures in her sleep as both her and Sabrina's combos are working in sync as Leafeon threw Kangaskhan into Nidoqueen before Espeon send them in the sludge filled crater then detonating it with Psychic.
Giovanni, on the other hand, grinned as his Pokemon got up, ignoring the wounds on their bodies as he saw his opponents' Pokemon who are also covered in bruises. "Impressive. There is a reason why Erika is considered the hardest gym leader of the first four. Her use of the environment is amazing but this right here is it. Her ability to 'Sleep Command'."
"Sleep Command?" Talia asked with a brow raised.
"Indeed. I will let you know that another time. Are you able to find the item?" He said as his Nidoqueen got smacked around by Leafeon before blasting away with Weather Ball into a wall.
"Still searching. Wait, I found it!" Giovanni smiled at that before he saw Erika waking up, commanding her Pokemon to hit Nidoqueen in the gut with Dig before it positioned its tail to the Poison type's stomach, its tail transforming into a massive blade of light that blasted the Pokemon into a building which made the man frown. "Solar Blade…"
"Can't you just use normal moves? Like Leaf Blade?" Sabrina commented, Erika giggling before she commanded another move. "But that wouldn't be fun."
Sabrina groaned in annoyance before she cracked her whip which made Espeon burst into a flash of light, blinding everyone as Giovanni snapped his fingers that made his Nidoqueen stopped its opponent's attack with Sludge Wave. Not missing a beat, it then hurled the projectiles to Kangaskhan who punched them towards it foes, much to the gym leader's surprise.
"Oh my!"
"Talk about Starfall. Espeon!" Sabrina cracked her whip, Espeon shielding them against their opponent's attack until Kangaskhan appeared in front of them, surprising them before it grabbed Leafeon and spun around. The two gym leaders were about to use another Pokemon until they recognized they're not working, having to move out of the way as it came towards them as Erika shot it with a bow with yellow powder which weakened it. Seeing this, Sabrina made Espeon use Psychic until Nidoqueen hit it with Shadow Claw until Kangaskhan threw Leafeon into Espeon, the impact making them return to their capsules.
"Oh no!" The gym leaders said in unison before noticing both Nidoqueen and Kangaskhan lunging to them until they were taken out by a Shadow Ball that sent the Poison type into the kangaroo until they both got knocked out by a Sucker Punch, much to everyone's surprise.
"A Haunter should not have that much physical power." Giovanni stated in disbelief as he recognized the ghost increase in pain, looking at his remote to see it is still active. 'It's not Sabrina then who could it be?'
"U-um sir!" He turned to Talia, hearing her tablet beeping before seeing another energy signature on the screen. "That looks to be the source of that power. Even my Gengar's being affected. I've never seen her this fast."
Sabrina was also surprised by the phantom's strength, turning to the hideout with a grim look. "Red, please stay strong."
Hearing Sabrina, Giovanni slowly turned to them in disbelief before a huge smile came to his face as he started to chuckle. "Talia…get that source as well."
"Yes sir."
'So you were here, Red.' Giovanni smiled as Talia made a command to her Gengar before he snaps his fingers, his Pokemon started glowing as they got up, much to Erika's surprise. "Aren't they supposed to be fainted?"
"That's impossible!"
The two women releasing their Pokemon to fight off Kangaskhan and Nidoqueen as they continued their battle, Talia smiling as her Gengar got close to the point as she took out some Revives. 'Time to plan our escape.'
'Hold on…hold on, Red…'
Red's eyes glowed intensely as darkness flowed from his body, struggling against the boulder that is slowly starting to crush him before he noticed a huge shadow coming to him. 'Oh, Dusclops! You're back.'
As he smiled, the shadow stopped which confused him, revealing a Cheshire grin that surprised him as he tried to move. 'I need to run away.'
He could not do anything as he was devoured by the ghost as it speedily travel through the underground of the city which did not go unnoticed by Noctowl who chased the shadow, much to its trainer's concern. "What's going on? Noctowl, where are you going?"
"We need to follow it!" One of the officers said as they ran to the car and following them. As they went through the city, Leaf felt extremely anxious as she started shaking. 'I don't like this…I don't like this at all…'
She started fidgeting before she took a deep breath, seeing Dusclops in the seat beside her before she put on a more confident expression. 'We'll get through this. That's what you said, right?'
Feeling a little better, she smiled as she checked through her team only for the car to stop, an explosion happening afterwards as she looked through the window. Before she could look around, she then saw a fireball coming to the vehicle before she took out Dusclops and jumped out of the vehicle, her along with the rest of the officers seeing the vehicle on fire. "What the hell?"
"Woah, it's Erika and Sabrina!"
Leaf turned to see an intense battle between Erika, Sabrina and Giovanni as his Kangaskhan and Nidoqueen stand over a beaten Leafeon while Espeon is heavily bruised and panting. The officers was about to attack before his Pokemon immediately took down the group, Leaf being the only one that is not knocked out.
"That's the leader of Team Rocket. He looks intimidating. His face…he looks like Red did on that Ghost Tower." She said, her body starting to shake as she saw the man look at her with a smile on his face. "Hello there, Ms. Leaf. Please give my regards to the commissioner please."
As soon as he said that, Gengar appeared from the ground, giving the man a suitcase before it opened its mouth, the girl's eyes widened as she Red being entangled in its tongue.
"Red!" Leaf yelled in pain as she ran to him only for her to be knocked aside by Nidoqueen, hitting the wall and getting the air knocked out of her as she watched the man entered his limousine, putting an unconscious Red in the seat, the girl trying her best to move her body as tears fall from her face. "No…no…"
"Farewell, everyone." The man said as he left in his limousine, the brunette sobbing before she looked around the place, remembering something as she took out a Pokeball. "Please…just this once."
Giovanni was in his limousine, a smile on his face as he looked at Red with a melancholic expression which did not go unnoticed by Talia looking at the teenager before turning to her boss. 'He is definitely that woman's child. But this boy…I feel like I have seen him before…'
Giovanni, on the other hand, felt pensive when he eyed the raven haired youth as one of the grunts was dressing the nasty gash on his neck. 'You've grown. You look just like Jack with a little of Helen. That power of yours…it will be the key to our plans.'
The man then noticed the necklace around his neck which made him confused as he checked the piece of jewelry. "How did he come across his necklace?"
"I'm unsure, it's possible that this could be given to him during a mining incident." Talia speculated, the man putting a finger on his chin. "Take a picture of it. We need to look into this artifact."
Before they could do anything, they lost their balance due to the car drifting off course, one of the grunts winced as one of the blades lodged further into Red's neck.
"What was that?" Giovanni yelled, annoyed as Talia looked outside and take out her Weezing to shroud the vehicle in smoke.
"We're being attacked! Someone busted our tires, boss!" The driver answered while struggling to keep himself on the road before releasing a Pokemon to scout for their attacker only for it to be knocked out by a blast, Giovanni and everyone being caught by surprise when they saw shards piercing the top of the car. "Ice Shard, huh?"
Before they could do anything, the car took a blast that sent it spinning, Giovanni releasing his Kangaskhan who stopped the car, putting it down on its wheels before he came out of the vehicle. As he soon as he looked around, his Pokemon went in front of him, blocking a barrage of ice spears coming towards before he look up, pointing at the building and then snapped his fingers, his Pokemon launching a Flamethrower. Before he could make his next move, he was hit by a massive blizzard, knocking out every Pokemon except for Giovanni's Kangaskhan.
"I am quite exhausted with your games and tricks."
In front of him was a Gardevoir that landed in front of them, the man about to attack them until it waved its hands, knocking out everything along with Kangaskhan, the man gritting his teeth as he saw his Pokemon defeated on the ground.
"Freeze!" The man turned behind him to see various officers and their Pokemon posted behind him. The man was about to snap his fingers until an arrow went past him which made him flinched.
"It's the end of the road." Erika said, as she aimed at the man from the top of the building. Giovanni could only frown as he found himself surrounded, everyone ready to attack him as the man lifted his hands, sharing a nod with Talia.
"It's over, Giovanni! Just give up!"
Before the police could make their move, the man smirked before the limousine behind him exploded which knocked everyone back as they could hear laughter. After the explosion subsided, everyone looked around until they turn their gazes up, seeing both Giovanni and Talia flying atop a Pidgeot as the troop of police immediately chase after them. Giovanni had a frown as they all flew away, seeing his grunts being arrested which made his fists tightened. "This is a huge blow to our operations. We lost a large number of our resources as well as a lot of our members."
He was contemplating his choices before they got hit by an attack which knocked them off course, the two seeing Sabrina and her Gardevoir giving chase. "You're not getting away."
Giovanni tried to retaliate only to be caught off guard when they were hit by a flash of light, the duo looking around until Talia clicked her teeth, the man seeing Red taken from them by Tangrowth, seeing Erika beside it riding on a Gogoat.
"Pidgeot!" Talia's Pidgeot immediately uses Air Slash to cut the vines, leaving Red in midair as the Sabrina flew towards him to catch him when she had to dodge a Shadow Ball. "What the?"
Making another attempt, she was caught off guard when as a huge mouth formed out of thin air before it devoured the raven haired youth which made Sabrina click her teeth as she outstretched her arm, making her Pokemon use Gravity to stop them.
"I'm at the end of my rope with this." Giovanni grimly muttered, throwing a capsule that as it hit the ground and created a huge tidal wave of sludge coming towards them, much to everyone's shock.
"Be a dear and take care of that." Giovanni said before they grabbed Red and left, everyone looking at the attack until the attack was stopped, Sabrina and Erika stopping the move with their Pokemon. "Damn him."
"We don't have time to deal with this. We need to get him before he leaves the city."
Sabrina nodded, making Haunter go after them until she saw something else speed past her peripheral vision, the woman looking around in confusion. 'What on earth was that?'
As the duo reached the border of Celadon, Talia's Gengar flew beside her with a grin before it was punched by Haunter, the strike making it spit out Red that was caught immediately by Nidoqueen. "Good job, Nidoqueen. And with this, we have ev-"
Suddenly Nidoqueen got punched in the face, Giovanni caught by surprise as he saw it drop Red. "Impossible! Ho-"
He paused in shock when he noticed the attacker being his Kangaskhan, the man checking his Pokeball to see his Pokemon fainted before the Kangaskhan changed, transforming into a Pidgeot that grabbed Red before it flew away. "How is she?"
"Gotcha!" Leaf said, a huge smile on her face until she noticed Talia about to attack.
"Give him back!"
"Not on your life!"
The two females clashed, Leaf letting her Pidgeot's move clash with Talia, the woman then commanding her Gengar only to see it taken out by Haunter. Giovanni was about to continue until he was blinded by Leaf's Misdreavus, the two unable to give chase when they were attacked by the police. The man could only take out a capsule, the ball exploding into a hurricane of smoke which blinded the police's sights until it subsided, everyone opening their eyes only to share their thoughts as they looked in the sky.
"Damn it! He escaped."
On the outskirts of Route 7, Giovanni and Talia watched as police cars searched the area, Talia felt disappointed before the man put a hand on her shoulder as he lifted a metallic suitcase. "We can't pursue them. It's ok. We have what we came here for. We can get Red at another time."
"Are you sure, Giovanni sir?"
"Indeed. I'm proud to see Red's growth. I'm still more curious to see how much he will grow in the future." Hearing this, Talia took the chance to look at her boss, seeing a genuine smile on the man's face while Giovanni put on a hat and changed his suit and put on a scarf, giving the guard a pass as they entered Saffron City.
"Because he will soon be an incredible asset to Team Rocket."
It has been a week after the Celadon City War, the police were able to clean up the city of Team Rocket activity, making Celadon City became ready to be habitable as waves of people entering the city with smiles on their faces, happy to come home. Businesses start to flourish again as the city return to normalcy, everyone immediately going along and resuming their daily activities.
"To think that the city was a wasteland a couple days ago." Leaf said as she watched the commotion outside on her hospital bed before she heard a groan, turning to Kimberley who just got up and stretched her arms then cringing at one of her injuries.
"Still hurt?" The bluenette turn to her before nodded as she poked her arm. "Yeah. Damn…I felt like I got hit by a truck."
"Yeah. I'm just glad that the injuries aren't that serious but they're gonna leave some marks."
As they continued their conversation, the two girls then heard a knock on their door before it opened, Erika, Sabrina along with her Mr. Green who was in crutches entering the room.
"Good to see ya still breathing, Dad." Leaf joked, getting a chuckle from the man before he pinched her cheek and ruffled her head. "Don't get ahead of yourself, young lady. And what do you take me for? Didn't I tell you? It's gonna take more than that to take me out."
"Got ya, Dad!"
Mr. Green then cleared his throat, everyone giving their attention before he started. "Alright. I want to, first, give you all my deepest gratitude for your efforts. It's sad I can't say for all of you since one of us isn't here right now."
Upon hearing that, Leaf's gaze went down, remembering the day she retrieved Red, the ambulance taking him immediately and went to work on treating his wounds. Since that day she has not heard anything about him, the nurses saying that he is still on air.
"However, know that if it weren't for you all. We would not be able to get such the swift takedown of the Team Rocket army. In fact who knows? We may not be able to beat them at all. Your interference caused their downfall because they were too keen on our movements." Mr. Green said as he smiled at all of them, giving both Erika and Sabrina a bow. "I know it's not much but thank you. If you both hadn't give us those anonymous tips, we wouldn't have gotten them so easily."
Sabrina just nodded emotionlessly while Erika gave a sincere smile, Leaf and Kimberley nodding at each other before Leaf remembered something. "What happened to the leader? That Giovanni guy?"
Mr. Green sighed as he massaged his temples which gave his daughter the answer. "He escaped. We tried searching for him all over Route 7 but no results. Well, no huge results."
Erika gave the girls some tea as Leaf expression changed to confusion. "What do you mean no huge results? Are you able to find some dirt on him?"
"From what we got so far, he must've wiggled his way into Saffron. The million dollar question now is where in Saffron." The man said as he rubs his chin. As the room was enveloped in silence, Sabrina stood up and folded her arms as he proposed an idea. "We can check the hideout for any clues."
"But most of the hideout is in ruins. Plus, most of the information needed was provided in the files and documents you two and Red were able to gather while being undercover as Rocket agents." Mr. Green said as he sipped some of his tea. "You'd be surprised how much info that kid got from his little escapade. Did you put him as part of the plan?"
"Nope. He wanted to participate himself. Trust me, he was pissed when he heard what happened to you two and his Pokemon. He wouldn't take no for an answer." Sabrina said as she looked out of the window, Erika giggling as she sit down. "Funny enough, Brina was actually excited and taught him self-defense tactics. And she could have taught him telepathy too if we weren't short on ti-"
"Shut. Up." Sabrina said, her eyes glowing as she telekinetically shut Erika's mouth, earning some laughs from Leaf. Mr. Green let out a small smile until he got up, Erika and Sabrina giving the two girls a thumbs up before leaving. "Rest up, heroes. We're going to be having a ceremony soon to showcase the heroes who saved the city from the Team Rocket attack."
As the two gym leaders left, he then stopped by the door again. "You two did great. I'm very proud of you two. You guys have told me today that you could hold your weight. Keep up the good work and good luck on your gym challenge."
"Thank you sir!" The two girls said in unison.
"Alright, I'll see you two later." The man chuckled before he left, leaving the two girls to their business.
After a few days passed, the girls were able to be released from the hospital, Nurse Joy giving them a stern warning to not get themselves in trouble. Leaf visited the hospital often to check up on Red only to hear information on his condition as he is unable to take visitors, much to her chagrin. As the day of the ceremony came, Leaf and Kimberley arrived to the event, their facial expressions changing to surprise while they check the place.
"Damn, this event is big." Kimberley said before she turned to Leaf who is using her bag to block the sunlight. "Told you you should've gotten that hat."
"Yeah. Yeah, I know. I'll buy that Premier Ball hat the next time I go to the department store." Leaf waved her off as they continued, the brunette was surprised to see the trainers from Erika's gym while she wandered the place. As they both searched for Leaf's father, the two girls spotted Erika and Sabrina, running towards them until Leaf noticed a third person that made her smile.
"Red! I'm glad that you're ok." She said, hugging Red as he returned the embrace, the girl wincing at the bandages around his neck. She then he is in a black hoodie and pants as Vulpix poked her head out of his clothes, greeting them.
"Yeah. Although it hurts when I eat." Red smiled before they heard the microphone, seeing Mr. Green on the stage as he cleared his voice.
"Greetings, citizens of Celadon City!" He started, almost losing his balance which made the people laugh as he continued. "As you know, it has been a rough couple of weeks since the Team Rocket attack and honestly, we were disheartened when we had to let you guys move away from your homes but know now that the crisis has been averted. The police force worked diligently and tirelessly so you all could come back with peace of mind and I'm glad to say that we were able to. But this is not about us. I want to invite the heroes that helped us thwart Team Rocket and their plans. Please welcome them."
Everyone applauded as he welcomed as he announced the first.
"Your very own gym leader Erika!"
"Saffron City's gym leader Sabrina!"
"Kimberley Matthews from Cerulean City!"
"Could've done without my last name but ok." Kimberley complained as she got up and stretched before she made her way to the podium, getting a round of applause.
"My daughter, Leaf Green!" Leaf got up as she made herself to the stage, grabbing Kimberley on her way. Red watched the two of them as they went on stage while feeding Vulpix some of the food he was having.
"And Red Fires from Lavender Town!"
Hearing this made Red stop in his tracks, unable to process what he just heard as he looked to the ground before he looked at Mr. Green who gave him a proud smile. 'What?'
"He wasn't lying?" Red asked in confusion as everyone started cheering. Leaf giggling as she dragged the frozen teen to the stage. Red could not believe this, holding his head as he looked around only to be shocked when he came to a realization. Everyone had their eyes on him, the teen confused as he rubbed his eyes. He sees no anger in their faces. No disgust in their faces. No hatred in their faces.
He then heard the crowd giving him a round of applause which made him confuse as he made his way to the stage.
'What?'
Red was confused as he stood on the podium. As he tried to sort out his thoughts, he felt something in his hand, looking to see a medal with the word 'HERO' engraved onto it, tracing his fingers across the letters. He felt someone hold his hand, seeing Leaf who gave him a wink as she gestured him to the crowd as he felt a little warmth in his chest.
"I want you all to give a round of applause for our heroes!" Everyone applauded loudly, Red still in disbelief despite it happening in front of him, resorting to pinching himself to make sure that it is not a dream. 'They're cheering for me.'
"Of course." Red turned to Sabrina who gave him a smile, she then proceeded to pat him on the head as he blushed furiously. "It's a weird feeling. Getting praise from being looked down by everyone for so long. You're confused. You sometimes wonder if everything that is happening is just a dream. But this is no dream. You are a hero today, Red. So be proud and smile for them."
Red nodded as they came off the stage, some of the people approaching him and thanking him, the teen embarrassed when he received hugs from some of the residents as they congratulated him which Kimberley teased him about. Leaf smiled upon seeing this, noticing a tear ran down Red's face as he smiled.
"That's the biggest smile I have ever seen him have." She said to herself before she took a picture of it with her Pokegear, admiring the scene as she drank a cup of water. 'Finally, everyone's praising him for his efforts.'
After the party was finished, Red returned to his room, happy to see everything as it is as he checked on his egg and his bag, plopping on his bed before he noticed a parcel on his bed.
"A parcel?" Red inspected it before he saw the name of the sender. "Mom?!"
He opened the parcel, his eyes sparkled when he saw what was inside.
"I always wanted this Fire Red jacket! Oh! And a new pair jeans and sneakers. Even the Pokeball cap from Viridian. She got everything I wanted." Red said as he took out his new set of clothes along with a yellow backpack when he found something else in the box. "Is that a Vs. Seeker?"
As he rummaged through the new stuff his mother got him, Red noticed a letter at the bottom of the box, taking it out and reading it when he realized it's from his mother.
"Happy Birthday, Red! Well, happy belated birthday but you know what I'm saying. I hope you love your birthday gift. Knowing how you love your father's jacket and cap, I thought I could get you the next best thing but upgraded. I heard about what happened in Lavender Town. I hope that you're ok and eating right. Also, take care of your hygiene. I know that you will get yourself so wrapped in observing Pokemon that you will forget to bathe. Sorry, I'm getting off topic, I really wrote this to tell that I'm sorry for everything. You may not want to hear this but know that you will always be our little scarlet. And I love you, Red and despite what I say, know that I'm happy to be your mother. And I'm very proud of you. And your father will be proud of you as well. Don't shy away from sending your mother pictures of you in those close and make friends and enjoy yourself. I went of topic again, didn't I? Well, goodbye, Red.
Love, Mom."
Tears came from Red's eyes as he read the letter, a huge smile on his face after he read the letter over and over, feeling more happy after each read. He then quickly got out a piece of paper as he took out a paper and started writing immediately.
"Hey mom. I wanted to write this letter to you. Umm…I don't know where to start. Thanks for the gift. Also, I'm doing ok. I also made some friends. One of them is an odd girl. Her name is Leaf. I also made friends with her friend Kimberley. There's also Zane and Eric…"
Putting on his vest, Red was happy to see that it fit him perfectly before he noticed a pair of wristbands along with a pair of heavy duty gloves and hiking and mining gear which made him happy as he hugged them and spun around happily.
"…Are you ok? I promise to get some Lava Cookies for Ninetales and Gardevoir. I also got a Casteliacone for Gengar. My journey was a lot of fun I've learnt so much on this journey. You know that depending on where they are and the situations that they're in, a Pokemon can learn different moves. I realize it with my Clefairy…"
Leaf and Kimberley was outside training with their Pokemon inside the Celadon Gym while Erika was gardening the gym along with a reluctant Sabrina who received a few giggles from the gym trainers.
"Sorry, I got a bit excited there. Honestly, I had some rough times with Blue and Yellow. I never knew I was a Channeler. Does Uncle G know about me being one? Do you think Grandma knew too? I have so many questions and there are so many mysteries. Wait, I can send you some drawing and pictures I took!"
Blue looked out to Saffron City in the distance as his Charmeleon defeated a horde of Pidgeotto. He looked up to the night sky before he returned his Pokemon.
"I'm sorry too. I should've tried more to understand you but I love you too, Mom. Thanks for taking care of me.
Love, Red."
It's finished. Team Rocket is down and Celadon City is safe. Honestly, these chapters were not really that taxing. I just wanted to make sure that everything went well with them and I missed nothing. Also, thank you guys for a 100 followers really thanks for everything. The next chapter will be out soon. Keep safe guys and Enigma out.
