Chapter 7 – Surprise!

When Red walked into Viridian City (for the second time), his stomach was already rumbling. He half-stumbled, half-trudged his way into Evergreen Eatery and ordered some noodles.

While slurping his delicious meal (Hoenn-style Pork Belly Ramen), Red mulled over what was probably the biggest problem he was going to face during his journey: food.

Red had seen the Town Map. He knew that not all the routes in Kanto were as short as the one he just came from… How was he going to eat and drink?

For as long as he could remember, Red had never gone hungry. His mother was always there to cook up a storm in their small kitchen, and if they were ever out of groceries, they would just make the effort to come to Viridian City. In other words, food was never a big issue for Red. It was only now that Red had come to terms with the scale of his adventure. He would be travelling the whole Kanto region, and meeting all new kinds of people. It was no wonder that nowadays grand Pokémon journeys were rarely undertaken by children as young as Red.

Red paid the necessary amount (500 Pokédollars!) and waved goodbye to the owner, a cheerful old man who winked at him.

Red retrieved his the town map, which he had almost memorised. He just needed to check…

"Where should we go, Bulbasaur?" Red had taken up the habit of speaking out loud to his Pokémon, even though the bulbed lizard could not hear him.

"Let's see… Viridian Forest is up ahead. I don't think we can make it through without a bit of training first… Ah! There's a route to the side. Route… 22. Okay, we'll see where it leads!"

Red imagined that Bulbasaur was nodding in response, but then realised that he was still weak from all that battling on Route 1. Red made his way to the nearest Pokémon Center to heal him.

The interior of the Pokémon Center had the slightly unpleasant smell of disinfectant that all medical facilities seemed to magically possess. However, one look at the first floor told Red that a Pokémon Center was not just a place to heal Pokémon. To his right Red could see a small queue for what was admittedly not the healing station (he made a mental note to check what it was when he had the time).

Among other things, like potted plants to decorate the place, Red could see a state-of-the-art PC in the corner. However, what really caught his eye was the overhanging sign that read "Hostel". It was pointing towards a flight of stairs.

"Wow! So it's true that Centers are also places where Trainers can sleep!" Red exclaimed loudly. Some trainers turned around to stare curiously at him.

Red was slightly embarrassed, and he abjectly scratched his head. His surprise only served to show just how inexperienced he was at Pokémon training.

It was only after a friendly nurse at the counter smiled at him that Red snapped out of his embarrassment. He straightened up and tried to walk up to the counter, but only managed a march-like gait, at which the nurse giggled.

"Hi! Welcome to our Pokémon Center!" The nurse flashed a warm smile, showing her immaculate teeth. "We heal your Pokémon back to perfect health! Shall we heal your Pokémon?"

"Er, yeah. I just have Bulbasaur."

"Ok. We'll need your Pokémon."

Red fumbled for the Poké Ball, and placed it in the nurse's hands. He watched, awed, as the nurse fitted the Poké Ball in place on the machine to her right. The machine's screen displayed "BULBASAUR LV: 7", and then flashed white four times.

Just like that, the nurse passed the Poké Ball back to Red. "Thank you! Your Pokémon are fighting fit!" She flashed her winning smile again.

Red was taken aback. "Whoa, that was fast." The ever-curious boy asked the nurse, "Um… How does the… healing machine work?"

The nurse laughed. "Sure, I'll tell you!"

"Pokémon are stored as energy in Poké Balls, so they can easily be brought back to tip-top condition by 'charging' the Poké Balls with extra energy!"

"Wow, that's so cool! The power of science sure is amazing!" Red grinned. Then, his took on a serious expression again. "Oh yeah, I have one last question. How much do the… rooms here cost?"

"Oh, they're actually free!" (Red was shocked again. "Free accommodation?! Awesome!") "You might have to share a bed with another trainer though, if you're fine with that," The kind nurse was alluding to the fact that Red was, in fact, still a kid.

"Nah, I think I'll be fine." Red shrugged.

"Okay! Then would you like to make a pre-booking?"

"Sure!"

"Okay… let me see…" The Pokémon Center nurse typed rapidly on the keyboard in front of her.

"Ah! Room V-3 is open. You can book in anytime from seven p.m. till midnight. You just have to give me your name and your hometown.

"No problem! I'm Red from Pallet Town."

"Pallet Town, is it? That's where one of our champions came from! And by the looks of it, you'll soon become champion too!

"It's too early to say that, Ma'am! But thanks, anyway!" Red modestly said. However, he could not help feeling warmth in his chest.

"There's no need to call me that! I'm just doing my job! Bye Red, we hope to see you again!" The nurse bowed and waved.

"Bye!" Red waved back. He was glad to have met someone so helpful and informative on his first day as a Pokémon Trainer.

Now all refreshed and equipped with more 'knowledge', Red confidently set out west towards Route 22.

Route 22 was a route that, if Red remembered correctly, actually led to the Pokémon League! That of course meant that he would have to pass by here some time in the (near?) future.

Down a ledge to his left, Red could see a long, straight path that led to… a dead end, for some reason.

Red walked into a patch of tall grass and encountered a few Rattata (which was definitely starting to get annoying). He also found some purple rabbit-like Pokémon, Nidoran . All in all, he found the grass quite tedious to get through. On the brighter side, Bulbasaur had levelled up again after the battling! Level 9! Energy surged through both Bulbasaur and Red in tandem. They felt unstoppable.

They were, ironically, stopped directly in their tracks when Red recognised Blue's unmistakable swagger.

In his usual mocking tone, Blue called out, "Hey! Red! You're going to the Pokémon League?"

"I was- I was just traini-" Red stammered.

"Hmph! Forget it! You probably don't have any Badges! The guard won't let you through!" Blue responded coolly.

"Oh." Even if he hadn't actually wanted to get inside, Red couldn't help feeling slightly crestfallen.

"By the way, did your Pokémon get any stronger?" Blue smirked, and without warning, dramatically threw a Poké Ball onto the ground.

"Ci-caw!" A Pidgey materialised.

Red instinctively reached for his Poké Ball and released Bulbasaur, who growled menacingly.

He was about to fight his second trainer battle.

"Pidgey, Sand Attack!" Blue commanded.

The pigeon-like bird flapped its wings in quick succession, spraying dust and rock everywhere.

"Groar!" Bulbasaur thrashed its head, trying to avoid the attack, but he inevitably got some sand stuck in his eye.

Red growled. "Bulbasaur! Tackle!"

Bulbasaur charged at full speed…

… and missed Pidgey by a mile, earning a loud cackle from Blue.

Red's face was already buried in his hands. "Come on… you can do this…"

Blue roared, "Get 'em while he's weak, Pidgey! GUST!"

Red had no idea that small, fluffy wings could produce such a strong blast of wind. Bulbasaur fell over, getting a few bad scratches.

"No!"

"Bulbasaur!... Tackle!" Red screamed.

This time, he actually made the mark, but only by a small margin. Pidgey was only slightly hurt.

"This won't do", Red thought. He searched his bag frantically for a potion, then he remembered he had not stepped foot in the Poké Mart since delivering that parcel for the professor!

"Aw crap…"

He could only watch, dumbfounded, as Bulbasaur took hit after hit from a triumphant Blue.

Bulbasaur eventually collapsed, unable to battle further, and Red's knees gave out as well.

"Bulbasaur… return…" Red managed weakly.

"Yeah! Am I great or what?" Blue flashed the 'peace' sign at Red, a stupid cocky grin on his face.

Red felt that vaguely familiar stinging sensation on his eyes and forehead, and then suddenly, his vision blurred.

"No… not here..." Red hastily wiped away the wetness onto his cheeks.

"I heard Pokémon League has many tough trainers! I have to figure out how to get past them! You should quit dawdling and get a move on! HAHAHA!" Blue teased.

This was too much for the already humiliated Red, who burst into tears. He turned and ran as fast as he could, things passing by in a haze as he tried to avoid both wild Pokémon and people alike.

This time, Red ignored all the weird stares.

The Viridian City Pokémon Center nurse was surprised when that cute little boy from earlier dashed in, eyes all puffy and red, evidently having cried.

When the nurse noticed that his knees were bleeding, she gasped. "What happened to you?"

"I… lost…" was all the boy could manage before he passed out.

When Red came to, he was lying on a bed. His chest was aching, and his eyes felt very dry. He felt soft bandages hugging both his kneecaps.

"...Gah!" Red bolted upright. The Pokémon Center nurse had been peering at him.

"Oh, you're finally awake! How are you? Feeling better?" The nurse's presence instantly calmed Red down.

"Yeah… I guess…" Red scratched his neck. Then, his eyes widened in shock. "Wait, how long was I out for?"

The nurse checked her watch "About… 2 hours."

Red slumped back down. "Aww, I should have been back on the road by now!"

The nurse chucked. "No need to worry, you still have plenty of time!"

A surprisingly motherly expression then appeared on her face. "Now, If you don't mind, could you tell me what happened?"

Red flushed red with embarrassment. "Er… I lost to my ri- another trainer."

"Oh. Were you underleveled?"

"What?"

"It's always better to stay a few levels ahead of the power level of the area. That way, you'll have an easier time beating them!" The nurse said helpfully.

"Wow, I never knew that! Well, come to think of it, it must have been quite embarrassing. I shouldn't be crying because I lost, I'm already 11!" Red now felt even more ashamed.

"It's okay, you know… It's okay to cry when you lose, especially if it's your first time. I remember the first time I lost… I refused to battle for a week straight." The nurse smiled sheepishly.

Red chuckled at the nurse's little anecdote.

"Think you're ready to get back out there? It's going to be late soon, but you still have time to squeeze in a bit of training." The nurse held out the Poké Ball that held Bulbasaur.

"I think… I'm ready!" Red, back to normal, pumped his fists.

"That's the spirit!" The nurse ruffled Red's hair.

After a few hours of training, including a short trip back to the Pokémon Center, Bulbasaur grew to level 12. Red decided to call it a day and found himself back at Evergreen Eatery for dinner, which tasted better than usual.

Finally, Red stepped back into the Pokémon Center. When the nurse saw him, she smiled.

"Hiya, champ! Did you have fun?" The nurse grinned.

"Yep! I think I'll be booking in now!" Red beamed.

"Okay, lemme log that in… I'll need your signature here." She passed him a blue book that looked like it could have been several years old.

Red signed his name in the "signatures" column. He looked for Blue's name, but it wasn't there. Blue must have moved on ahead. That fast?

Passing the room key to Red, the nurse winked. "You're in luck, you don't have a roommate. You'll have it all to yourself!"
"Gee, thanks!"

Red was still smiling as he made his way up the stairs.

The Pokémon Center's second floor was fashioned very much like a tiny hotel. There were 10 small rooms, which was amazing considering how small the center looked from the outside. Red immediately made sure that he knew where the (male) toilet was.

Red could hear the muffled sounds of several trainers winding down for the day.

He found Room V-3 and unlocked the door.

The room was by no means a luxury suite, but it was fairly comfortable in its own right. It felt slightly cramped, but it was somehow still fitted with lockers, two wooden tables and chairs, as well as two bunk beds.

Red set his bag down at the foot of the bed and took out his pikachu-patterned yellow pyjamas. After a quick shower, he practically crashed onto his bed and almost immediately fell into a deep sleep.

That night, Red's dreams were haunted by Blue's big laughing head. However, those were the least of his worries. He constantly felt an awful sense of foreboding, which told him that there were worse things yet to come...

Well, my previous promises aged like milk. :/
I didn't intend for the nurse (whose name, incidentally, probably isn't Joy) to be Red's 'guiding character' this chapter, but the story sort of... wrote itself i guess. Also, thanks to a reviewer suggestion, I have made chapters slightly longer, so expect more chapters of this comfortable length! :))

~MudkipWriter