A/N: Slowing down on the updates thanks to RL, but hopefully worth the wait. :D
After Being Blue
Poke Ball 3: Rush
He'd never regretted a loss with Red, despite how he might've appeared in the eyes of others. And he wasn't a glutton for failure; he battled Red because he grew stronger for it, and he enjoyed it. No-one else gave him that satisfaction, that battle-induced rush. No-one else pushed him that far.
He'd breezed through his Gym Battles; Red had struggled a bit with his own. Blue really couldn't see why. They'd met several times on the way: him returning from a Gym, Red heading there, or just looking to do some last minute training. Often, Red's last minute training would be a full-blown battle against him: the perfect setting to have his mind razor sharp for battle before taking the plunge.
Sure, Blue hadn't actually managed to defeat Red yet; if nothing else, that demon of a Pikachu managed to get him. Blastoise was at a distinct disadvantage. So was Pidgeot. But Rhydon was immune, and even it had lost to Pikachu once. And that Venasaur's of Red's had withstood Blastoise's most powerful Blizzard. Sometimes, he could swear Red's Pokemon were made of totally different stuff, but then his Arcanine would wilt the giant Venasaur, and his Alakazam could wear down that behemoth of a Snorlax. Hell, even his Rhydon beat that little Pikachu most of the time, and often it was a close match. A close, thrilling match.
But it wasn't like that when they battled for the title. Maybe because of why he battled: to defend a title that was still tender in his hold. Maybe it was Red, acting like nothing had changed – after the brief surprise Blue had managed to spring on him. Or maybe it was Blue, nervous because he'd never actually beaten Red in battle before. Nervous because his Grandfather was on his way to congratulate his position as Champion – and Red had somehow gotten there first.
He definitely regretted that lost .Part of him wondered if he'd truly fought his best. If he hadn't been unconsciously pulled back because of his doubts, his fears – those things that had never mattered before.
But it didn't matter in the end, did it? He'd lost; Red had won. Red was now Champion, and Blue was just a big flop.