The only thing Red did was wipe his nose on his sleeve, slip on his hat and walk out with thirty seconds to spare. He didn't even smile; he didn't hug anyone there. There was no mistaking it; Red changed.
As he stood back on the platform, the cheering in his ears turning to mockery and laughter, he summoned his next champion.
How fitting that it was the one pokemon he raised from a baby, the one he taught to fell giants.
Ivysaur growled confidently at the giant snake.
"Ivysaur against Arbok! Fight!"
The snake moved forward again, eyes glowing red.
"Dodge with a vine whip, then leech seed!"
The toad launched itself out of the incoming glare and fired seeds directly at Arbok. They started sprouting in midair and latched themselves onto Arbok's scaly skin.
"Arbok, glare again!"
"Quick, Ivy, use poison powder!"
As soon as Arbok faced towards Ivysaur, a cloud of poison distracted it again. As it breathed in the powder, a barrage of vine whips sent it flying.
"YES!"
Red felt the excitement rush through his body. The sadness from before was gone. He was ready to go for the kill.
"Ivysaur, Growl!"
The Arbok lost attack strength as it moved away from the poison cloud and reddened its eyes again.
This time there was nothing Ivysaur could do.
"Ivysaur, poison powder again!"
The grassy toad stood in place, frozen by Arbok's glare.
"Oh, no."
He could hear the cheers again as Arbok beat Ivysaur down, tossing it around with bites and launching acid all over his pokemon's body.
Soon Red's pokeball called back another champion, and the jeering entered his field of hearing.
His last pokeball hovered in his hand. He knew this pokemon wouldn't silence anyone- it would make them louder.
But he didn't care. He made himself ready for anything with this pokemon. He knew about Agatha's ghosts, so he came prepared.
His arm threw the ball before his brain could process all of that information, and as the ball's white energy crashed onto the arena and formed into his strongest pokemon, the audience erupted into an angry frenzy.
Snorlax looked up from its lying position and winced at the extra noise. Normally it would just nap but this was too loud!
It slowly stood itself up and unleashed a roar so loud that the audience shut itself up!
Red grew a small grin on his face.
"Snorlax vs. Arbok! Begin!"
"Arbok, Glare!"
"Snorlax, EARTHQUAKE."
The rumble underneath the arena sent the audience screaming in panic as Arbok collided with mounds of rock and dirt. Arbok collapsed in a heap immediately. The match was equal again.
"Arbok is unable to battle! Snorlax wins!"
Agatha returned her champion and silently switched pokeballs. Her last pokeball revealed a final bi-pedal ghost with a wide grin and red eyes.
"Haunter vs. Snorlax! Begin!"
"Haunter! Hypnosis!"
"Snorlax, Amnesia!"
The massive pokemon collapsed before it could boost its stats. The massive snoring could be heard through the growing cheers.
"SNORLAX!"
The massive ghost licked its lips and ate two dreams.
"NO! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"
Before Haunter could eat another dream the massive pokemon arose from an unexpected slumber.
"That's it! Amnesia! Let's take this Haunter down!"
Snorlax beefed up its stats again.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Delia panicked.
"WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?! HE HAD A CLEAR SHOT WITH AN EARTHQUAKE!"
Ray stood dumbfounded.
"I don't think he wants this battle to last long."
He crossed his hands as Delia looked down on the arena.
"I think he's going for the kill."
"Snorlax! Earthquake!"
Snorlax raised its foot, before Haunter's eyes began to swirl again.
No...
Immediately afterward, Snorlax collapsed again into slumber.
"This might be it, folks! Snorlax lost half of it's HP with two dream eaters and now Haunter's about to have another meal!"
"NO! SNORLAX!"
The sleeping pokemon slept on as Haunter drained it of another dream. One last attack and it would be all over.
"SNORLAX!"
"Haunter, NIGHTSHADE!"
The ghost pokemon raised its hands and formed a purple ball of energy.
The world slowed down again. Snorlax barely moved. Red felt his own breath. It couldn't end like this...
He heard himself scream at Snorlax, but it didn't work. Not even as the nightshade hit Snorlax and sent it slumping over, completely still.
"Snorlax is unable to battle! Haunter wins, which means Agatha is the winner!"
The crowd cheered and chanted as Red returned his pokemon.
He lost.
The most important battle of his life, and he lost. His head refused to lift as it slumped down over his shoulders. Hot tears ran down his cheeks again.
His head cooked in the spotlights as they glared down on him.
"Hey, kid."
He saw a second shadow hovering over his, one slightly slouched over.
"Blaine was right about you."
Through misty eyes, he saw a purple blouse and strong hands holding a cane.
"You fight with grit, but you're still a little cocky. Cheer up. You fought well."
One of those hands extended out to him. Instinctively he reached for it and shook gently.
"Good battle. Get better."
And with that, Agatha was gone, and the crowd stood stunned.
