Sorry for the delay between parts, but school has gotten in the way.

Rivalled Beginnings

June 8th

"I can't believe it… we're finally here!"

Red, Blue and Leaf stood in the middle of Viridian City, turning around to take in all the exciting and fresh sights and sounds around them. The buildings were all different shapes and sizes, painted in vibrant colours and made out of varying materials than what you'd find in Pallet Town. There were more shops than they had ever seen, confined to bare essentials such as food and clothing, but their logos and display windows pulled their eyes towards them at every opportunity. There were many more cars than there were in Pallet, and many more people wandering the streets and heading towards the shops and neighbouring houses.

To most people, Viridian was a city that was on the verge of simply being a town: it was small with little to do, the only major attraction being a gym and a battling area called the Trainer's House. The rest of the major cities across Kanto had cities with bigger houses and buildings and a larger variety of shops and people, and Viridian was more of a closed off family town that was mostly just passed through. However, to three teenagers who had never known anything better than a small town that consisted of a lab and a series of houses, this was one of the grandest places they had ever gone to.

"This city is so big!" Leaf said breathlessly, nearly skipping down the street as she spun around and stared at all the houses and shops around them. "I can't believe we've been living near here for so long but have never made it to Viridian until now!"

"They say that the gym leader here is one of the toughest," Red explained, eyeing a flash four wheeled drive as it sped past them. "However, he shouldn't be too tough for me! I think it would take only a few attacks to wipe out his entire gym!"

"Dream on," Blue scoffed, leading the way down the path with an air of smugness about him. "You only have a Charmander and a Rattata: you wouldn't even knock out one of Brock's Pokemon with this team! Besides, the Viridian gym leader is all mysterious and secluded, never letting anyone know anything about him until its time to battle him." Red knew Blue had a point, but was still annoyed at having his dreams crushed.

"I'd like to see you ever win against him!" He grumbled back. "I don't think your going to win against any gym leader unless you expect a few bubbles to defeat them!"

"What's the bet I'll be the first one of us to get their gym badge?" Blue said, wheeling around and looking angry at first, but a cocky smile crept across his face and his eyes shone in a challenging way. Red was dying for the chance to properly show off the skills he was convinced he had and for the chance to train his team, and making another challenge with Blue was too good to turn down.

"Oh ENOUGH already!" Leaf groaned, angrily stamping her feet and glaring at the two boys on either side of her. "I actually want to enjoy this journey, and I am not going to if you are two keep trying to one up each other and set these silly little challenges! Why don't you just calm down and enjoy the sights around us?" She suggested, putting on a smile that didn't match the irritated look in her eyes.

"Are you going to be this annoying about every city we go to?" Blue said huffily. "It's not going to be very fun travelling with you if your going to get all orgasmic about every single skyscraper we walk past!" Leaf scoffed and wheeled around, punching her cousin in the arm. Red laughed at Blue's misfortune, earning him a glare from his friend but the cockiness between them had stopped. The trio continued down the path in silence, still marvelling at the sights but not bothering each other in risk of growing irritable and bored early on in their journey: they were going to be together for a while, and it was best if they stayed on good terms.

But all their petty squabbling was pushed aside as they rounded the bend, and a sight they had only even seen in books and television appeared before them.

The Viridian City Pokemon Center had recently been rebuilt in an ecologically friendly manner, designed to be run entirely by solar panels. They were built into the outside walls but designed to look fashionable and resemble blue glass, and more resided on the roof. The top of the roof was orange and would light up at night as a beacon for all Pokemon trainers who needed to use its facilities, and a white PokeBall design topped off the design. It was a place that was relatively simple, designed to heal Pokemon and give their trainers a place to stay, but it was one of the big signs that the three were actually out on a journey and experiencing the world around them. Red, Blue and Leaf came to a halt, staring at the building with wide, excited eyes, thinking of how many of these they would go through on their journey to the top.

"Shall we go inside?" Red said eagerly, and the other two nodded excitedly. They quickly rushed over, turning into little children running into a candy store as they sped towards the sliding glass doors.

The inside was just as impressive: the tiles were a sparkling white with walls to match, the floor covered with a series of chairs, tables, sofas and pot plants. There was a giant electronic billboard from Silph Co., the sponsors of the Eco-Friendly Pokemon Center Project, with more posters advertising various parts of Pokemon and Viridian life. A large desk spread across the opposite wall, painted a vivid red with PokeBall design to stand out and was run by three nurses in pink dresses and white aprons and hats. An open hallway to the left led to accommodation and a set of double doors led to the hospital part of the center.

"Is it depressing that this is the single most awesome building I've ever seen in my entire life?" Leaf whispered, going into another bout of spinning around and admiring the view around them. It did seem a little depressing, but Red and Blue didn't care: it was one of the most interesting buildings they'd ever seen either, and they weren't about to start complaining about it.

"Hey look!" Blue gasped, pointing towards one of the posters. Red and Leaf turned to face it, and Red was stunned to see a brand new picture he had never seen before: it showed a brown haired man dressed quite nicely in a flash black tuxedo with a red and white striped tie. He was sitting in a black leather chair that blended into his suit, portrayed against a white backdrop. He was smiling towards the camera with a look that was sophisticated, casual and intimidating all at once. To most people, this could easily be an artistic photograph of a businessman, one who emitted power simply by looking at him, but the words at the bottom would be enough to change that view: THE ONLY WAY TO SUCCEED IN THE LEAGUE IS BY BELIEVING IN YOURSELF AND THE POKEMON THAT FIGHT THE WAR FOR YOU.

"Casimer…," Red whispered. The Champion of the Kanto League was an idol to thousands of children across the region: he was what every boy aspired to be, with his swift yet beautiful defeat of his opponents to his calm and cool persona outside of the arena. The words that spread across the poster were his famous words that the Champion had uttered upon winning his final battle that gave him the Championship, and they were words that Red inspired to be live up to during his quest.

"He is probably the hottest guy I am going to meet on this journey," Leaf mumbled, possibly not realising she was saying the words aloud, but her dreamy, admiring look turned to shock as Red and Blue both turned towards her. "Did I say what I think I just said?" She asked nervously.

"You did," Blue said, slowly beginning to laugh. "The hottest guy, eh? I hardly doubt the Champion is going to date a lowly trainer like you, so I'd start setting the bar a bit lower if I was you."

"Do you want me to hit you again?" Leaf said with a fist raised. "And it is true: none of the male gym leaders are that hot. Well, Lt. Surge is really buff, but Casimer is just so… dreamy. He looks like an actor, but he is so much cooler, and –,"

"I am going to go see him," Red said suddenly, and had turned and moved towards the desk before the other two could properly react.

"Wait, you are going to do what?" Blue asked, exchanging shocked looks with Leaf before the two quickly crossed the polished tiles to chase after their friend. "Red, I don't think you can just go to the Pokemon League and say 'Hey, I want to see Casimer!' He is bound to be well protected and guarded!"

"I still want to try and see him," Red said as he approached the desk, fishing his two PokeBalls out of his pocket. "I don't see there being any problem with going to see the Champion! He is the greatest trainer in all of Kanto, and I need to see what advice he has to offer me, and –,"

"Alaska, STOP playing with the Pokemon, they are sick!" A voice suddenly boomed next to them, make the trio jump. They turned to see a nurse talking into a microphone, staring across down at a screen. She continued to growl with her finger on the button, but the 'Alaska' girl clearly listened as her expression softened and she let go. "Sorry about that, my daughter is a bit mischievous at times! She thinks the Pokemon are all there for her to play with! Now, how can I be of assistance?"

"Just these to be healed thanks," Red said with a bright smile. Leaf and Blue came forwards and put theirs on the desk as well, and the black haired nurse gathered the six PokeBalls up.

"It'll just be a few moments," she said, placing the six into a large machine behind her that was easily closed up. Power surged through, make it glow and whirr as the special processes that healed the Pokemon took place. The trio become so engrossed in watching it that they forgot all about Red's statement, simply watching yet another new idea occur before them.

"And there we go, as good as new!" The nurse said as she passed the PokeBalls back over. "I am going to guess you are new trainers, so good luck with the rest of your journeys and I hope to see you back in Viridian some day!"

"Thank you," the three said collectively, and they made to head off. It was only as they passed the poster again that Blue and Leaf remembered about Red and Casimer, but as they went to talk, Red raised his hands in defence.

"I know you're just going to say its silly, but I don't see anything wrong with trying to see the Champion! It isn't exactly illegal or anything like that!" He explained. "You two can think whatever you want, but I am going to try and see him!" And with that, Red turned and went towards the door without another word. Blue rolled his eyes and turned towards his cousin.

"He is being a bit dramatic, don't you think?" He sighed, watching out of the corner of his eye as his friend walked through the sliding doors. Leaf turned towards Red looking a tad more sympathetic.

"You should go after him, it isn't good to go roaming around unfamiliar areas by yourself," she said, watching as Red left and turned back towards her cousin. However, Blue merely raised and eyebrow and gave Leaf a 'your kidding?' look. "He's your friend!"

"And you hate him, why do you care?" Blue retorted. "We aren't joined at the hip, and I want to go and have a look around the city." Leaf glared at him to try and break him, but Blue folded his arms and looked the other way. She didn't want to spend time alone with Red, but knew that they should really stick together, especially after what had happened yesterday.

"Fine, if you are going to be selfish, you wander around and get killed then! You stay here!" Leaf snapped, and she marched towards the door. Blue watched as his cousin left, knowing deep down that he really should have stayed with them, but he wasn't on a journey to simply do whatever the other two wanted. He turned towards a poster for the Training House that hung behind him. Blue had no intention to stay around the Pokemon Center that afternoon: his only intention today was to kick start his training.

"Scratch, go!"

Red watched intently as Charmander lunged forwards, glowing claws striking across the feathered chest of the Spearow in front. It was the first battle they had had all day, and it was good to see that the healing powers of the Pokemon Center had brought Charmander up to full health.

The two were out on Route 22, which felt rather odd as they had only been on Route 1 the previous day. Presumably they'd cross the other 20 at some point, but it was a rather odd jump that had confused Red as he quickly left the city limits and emerged onto the grassy route, enclosed by trees and cliffs that towered high above.

There was a large amount of grass Red was forced to wade through in order to get to the main path leading to the Pokemon League, but he was excited for the opportunity to battle and hopefully catch more Pokemon, and was more than willing to roam into an overgrown field that was meant to be ridden with Rattata, Spearow and the occasional Mankey and Ponyta. And, unfortunately for a certain Spearow, Red and his team were ready for battle.

"Ember!" Red commanded.

"CHARMAN!" Charmander yelled, and a small ball of orange and yellow fire formed in his mouth. The Spearow was readying an attack that looked like Peck, and didn't have time to move before getting blasted back by the fire.

"Excellent shot!" Red cried in delight, watching as the flame-engulfed Spearow soared across the field, scorching the grass in the process. "Now, let's add a third member to this team!" He yelled, pulling a PokeBall out of his pocket. But just as he went to throw it, the flames turned to smoke, revealing the smouldering, unconscious Spearow below. "Damnit! Looks like it was a little too powerful Charmander."

"Charm? Mander Man Char Der Der Mander Charm," Charmander said sadly, hanging his head in shame.

"Oh no, don't be sad!" Red said, bending down and patting the flaming Pokemon on the head. "You are getting stronger, which is really awesome! But next time we should try and focus on lowering your power just a bit so we don't overkill every Pokemon we try to catch, alright?" Charmander nodded happily at this, and Red was glad to have averted upsetting his starter. "Great, now let's try and see if there are any other Pokemon around we can catch."

"RED, WAIT UP!" A cry erupted behind them, and Red and Charmander both turned around to the familiar voice. Leaf was running forwards with Squirtle waddling at her side, her bag bashing against her bag as she sprinted forwards.

"What are you doing here?" Red asked, unable to keep the shock and rudeness out of his tone. Leaf caught on this and slowed down to a walk, eyeing the large field of grass between the two of them uncertainly.

"Oh, that's a lovely way to greet your travelling buddy," Leaf snapped back sarcastically, and the two glared at each other from across the green. The relationship between the two had not softened overnight and they were no where near being best friends yet, though the two were both trying for the sake of their journey, even if it would take a while.

"I didn't think either of you were going to come with me," Red said.

"Well, I didn't like the thought of you roaming around by yourself," Leaf replied with a shrug. "After that Arianna woman got away, I've had the feeling she could be easily coming back for us, and only a Charmander and a Rattata aren't going to be much use if she brings her Arbok."

"Charm!" Charmander huffed.

"And a Squirtle and Pidgey are going to be better?" Red retorted.

"Squirt!" Squirtle said huffily. Leaf growled and rolled her eyes, glancing back at the route behind her.

"I am just trying to be friendly, alright! If your going to be a douche about it than I might as well turn back and start heading towards the forest!" She said angrily. Red didn't really want to be stuck with her, but he hadn't thought of the threat the strange red headed woman and her mysterious organization when he had stormed off, and having another person with him would be more reassuring.

"You can tag along then, I guess," Red said with a sigh and a roll of his eyes, "but just don't get in my way when it comes to battling!" Leaf laughed as she and Squirtle began to make their way forwards once more.

"I think you should just worry about getting in your own way," she scoffed. "Squirtle isn't exactly going to serve up any flame-grilled Spearow any time soon, is he?" Red's eyes narrowed and he was tempted to dish out some comeback, but he felt a tug at the bottom of his pants and glanced down. Charmander was shaking his head in a knowing fashion, and Red smirked at how his starter was already bringing him under control.

"Your right," he whispered, "I'll keep all the nasty thoughts in my head for now," and Charmander laughed at this. There was a crunch of grass and leaves as Leaf and Squirtle finally joined them, the former taking looming steps to avoid the unconscious Spearow that lay smouldering before them.

"Do you even know the way to the Pokemon League?" She asked as the quartet moved forwards. Red took a deep breathe to control himself and pointed towards a large green sign up ahead.

"I think we should just follow those for now, wouldn't you agree?" He replied with a smirk, and Leaf merely glared back at him. The two carried onwards in silence, leaving Charmander and Squirtle to push through the grass themselves as the trainers focussed entirely on ignoring the other. The Fire and Water type exchanged glances as they pushed through, smirks crossing both of their faces.

"Squirtle Till Squirt Squirt?" Squirtle asked.

"Char Mander Charm Char," Charmander replied wisely, and the two laughed knowingly as they followed after their trainers, the two unaware of the very secret and very true conversation the two had just had.

While Red and Leaf wandered silently through Route 22, Blue and his Bulbasaur had a much more productive idea of how to spend their time in Viridian.

"Here were go Bulby: the Viridian City Trainer House!" Blue boomed dramatically as they stepped across the road, both of their heads inclined towards the building in front of them. The Trainer House instantly gave off the impression of being very tree like: the large roof was painted in a green that reflected off the sunlight, while the wooden walls were mixed in with red-brown bricks to fully support the two storey building. Blue did not know how great of a facility this practicing centre was, but this would be his first real taste of a battle against a stranger, ignoring the rather frightening, one sided fight the trio had become involved in yesterday, and he couldn't be more excited.

"Are you ready Bulbasaur?" Blue asked, staring down at the Grass type sitting below. The Seed Pokemon had given the trainer a sense of being strong and bold since the moment they had met, one of the reasons why Blue had been drawn towards him, and knew that the Pokemon would be ready for this. He could see it in Bulbasaur's eyes: a sense of amazement and excitement at the large building before them, an eagerness that matched his trainers to get inside and get battling.

"Saur Bulba Bulb Bulba!" Bulbasaur boomed, leering forwards and looking eager.

"Great answer!" Blue said with a slight roar, and the two moved forwards to the sliding doors that separated them from the battles that lay ahead. Let those two go stare at a building and get some advice, Blue thought bitterly. They will see that actual practicing and developing your skills is better than getting some suited man to tell you how to win.

"Welcome to the Viridian Trainer House!" A voice cried enthusiastically the second Blue and Bulbasaur stepped through, drawing their attention before they even got a chance to look around. A woman with a smile that seemed larger than Bulbasaur's entire body stood staring at them, wearing a purple jacket and skirt and looking extremely pleased that they had arrived, though the reaction was rather offputting.

"Oh… hello there," Blue replied uncertainly. "I just wanted to have a look around and maybe take part in some –,"

"Well, we only have two people using the facility at the moment," the woman replied before Blue could even finish. "You have the option to either train, watch them or wait for another opponent, but that wouldn't be very fun, would it?" She let out a laugh, and Blue could only wonder how much this woman got paid to stand there and smile at everyone who came in.

"I think I'll go watch the battlers," Blue replied, glancing down at Bulbasaur, who looked just as startled and confused as he did. The woman smiled and nodded and pointed towards a staircase, and Blue took off before she got a chance to explain anything else. He moved quickly, only glancing briefly at the tables, bookcases and computers spread around this level of the floor, not stopping so he could simply keep going. '

"That woman must have either one giant mouth or some invisible wires keeping that smile going," Blue muttered, and Bulbasaur smirked as they approached the stairs. Shouts and cries were echoing up the stairs, and the smiling woman was quickly forgotten as Blue raced down the stairs, excited to see what was happening below.

The area below wasn't as decorated as above, simply a large, open grey space with the floor marked out for different fields and seats against the wall for spectators. Blue looked around and saw that indeed there were only two people using the large space, though they were fighting with such ferociousness that they easily made up the noise.

"Come on, hit him with a Slash!" A woman cried out to a small, mostly brown bird before her, the Pokemon clutching what looked like a vegetable in its wings.

"It is only a little Flying type, it should have fainted by now!" A man opposite uttered pompously. "Headbutt, go!" He called to a large beast about six times the size of the bird, sharp horns looking like an easy match for the vegetable club and four hoofed feet digging at the ground.

"I think that is a Farfetch'D and a Tauros…," Blue muttered, taking a seat as he pulled his PokeDex out of his bag, Bulbasaur hopping up to sit alongside. The machine whirred into life and scanned the Flying type as it sprung forwards, the vegetable turning white. "That is a Farfetch'D, and that thing is some sort of leek that it uses as a weapon," Blue explained to Bulbasaur, looking up as the Wild Duck Pokemon slashed the leek across Tauros' head. "Wow, that must be a really powerful Farfetch'D!" Blue said with a gasp, watching as the beastly Tauros crumpled at the force of the Slash.

"Saur Bulba," Bulbasaur replied with a nod, watching the battle intently. The Tauros got back to his feet as the Farfetch'D landed, looking rather smug and relatively unscathed. The Wild Bull Pokemon seemed to be tired and frustrated, glaring down at the small bird with a vicious look in his eyes.

"TAUROOOO!" He roared, shaking the very building they were in, and he charged forwards. Blue was stunned at his sudden speed and the sheer force the Pokemon seemed to carry with him, and the result seemed unavoidable: the lightly glowing head was driven into the little Farfetch'D, the force of the attack and the Tauros' weight sending it flying across the sky.

"Hang in there Farfetch'D!" The girl cried, watching as her Pokemon soared above her, but even Blue could tell that the powerful attack had been overwhelming. The Wild Duck smashed into the back wall and bounced off, rolling forwards with the leek coming apart from its body, eyes shut and clearly unconscious.

"I think this makes me the winner!" Tauros' trainer called pompously, strutting forwards and giving the Pokemon a light pat on the head in congratulations. The girl let out a sigh that almost sounded angry and whipped a PokeBall out, her Farfetch'D turning to energy and coming back.

"Good job. You did well against this dick," she said acidly, and Blue was rather surprised by the un-sport like reply. He had been so focussed on the battle that he hadn't paid any attention to the trainers themselves, and turned towards the Farfetch'D trainer. The girl's style was just as colourful as her vocabulary, her hair short and spiky, dyed shades of green, red and yellow to give her a traffic-light appearance. She was dressed in a tight fitting black leather jacket and torn jeans that were tucked into leather boots that rose up her legs and looked both stylish and killer at the same time. Blue wasn't quite sure who this girl was, but so far she was the most interesting person he had met on their journey, and as she turned towards him, Blue saw she was also more attractive than expected: a thin but youthful face with bright blue eyes, well complimented by her hair.

"Wow…," Blue whispered, staring rather obviously at her with wide eyes of youthful, teenage excitement. Bulbasaur turned towards him and rolled his eyes, having to walk forwards and nudge his trainer. "What?" Blue snapped, looking down grumpily.

"Saur Bulba Bulb Bulba," Bulbasaur said, bulging his eyes and smirking to himself as Blue gasped, realising how obvious his staring had been. But before he could thank Bulbasaur, there was the sound of footsteps and they turned around as the girl walked forwards.

"Hi there," Blue said, leaping up excitedly and approaching the attractive girl. She looked him up and down with a rather reproachful look as she carried on towards a tattered black bag that lay on another seat. "My name's Blue and I saw the end of the battle: it sucks you lost but your Farfetch'D appears to be very strong!"

"Cheers," the girl said, heaving her bag up and giving him another glance over, though her impression of him didn't seem to change. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I only lingered around for one battle because that dick was being too pushy. Catch you around," she said, and turned towards the stairs.

"Wait!" Blue called, unaware how desperate his tone sounded. "Can't you stay for another battle… um… what's your name?" He asked, smiling awkwardly. Bulbasaur rolled his eyes behind his trainer's back, but Blue didn't care as he stared eagerly towards the girl as she turned back around: her interesting dress, pretty face and captivating voice, which sounded a bit like a middle aged smokers but had a sense of youthfulness in it, had instantly captivated Blue, and he was keen to show off his skills and have his first proper battle with the attractive girl before him.

"The name's Amber," the girl replied, not looking any more pleased about being harassed by this strange boy that stood before her, "and I'd love to battle, but – oh god, what the hell do you want now?" Blue was rather surprised by this sudden change in topic, but the mixture of noises behind him caused him to wheel around and face in the direction Amber was glaring.

He hadn't paid much attention to the Tauros trainer, his infatuation with Amber taking all of his focus, but now the boy was walking towards them. He didn't look much older than Blue, possibly 14 or 15, but he had a rather interesting fashion sense that was vastly different than anything Blue had seen before. The trainer was wearing a long sleeved blue shirt under a darker blue waistcoat, with long trousers that combined the two colours in stripes going down towards his polished leather shoes. The boy was clearly rich, and there was a swagger and snobbery about him that Blue instantly disliked. His face had a smug smile spread across his flawless skin, and black hair was combed and gelled into a wavy style that some girls would probably find dashing, yet his personality was emitting from every pore of his body and it was not an attractive look.

"Amber, it is common courtesy to congratulate the winning trainer of a battle before you leave the arena," the boy scoffed in a clipped tone, leaning against his Tauros who looked rather bored by the situation.

"I'd gladly thank any other trainer, but if I thanked you Ivor your ego would probably explode," Amber said with a sarcastic smirk. Ivor did not seem particularly happy about this and pulled a pout that Blue imagined would cause his parents to give him whatever he wanted, yet it wasn't going to work on Amber. It seemed unlikely that these two would ever battle or spend time together outside of this building, despite both being trainers and around the same age, and Blue's love for the Trainer House grew as he thought of all the trainers he stood the chance of meeting.

"You boy!" Ivor suddenly boomed at Blue, who turned around grumpily at being addressed that way. "I overheard you saying you wanted a battle, eh? Tauros here could probably do a few more rounds, couldn't you old boy!" Tauros did the four-legged equivalent of a shrug, which Ivor took for a yes. "Splendid!" He cried, his voice almost louder than his Tauros' moo. "I shall just heal him upstairs and we will meet you on the field in approximately five minutes!"

"Wait, I never agreed to anything!" Blue said in shock, but Ivor was already leading his Tauros up the stairs, each step creaking loudly as it took the Wild Bull's weight. Blue turned to follow them and saw Amber stifling a laugh, taking her bag off and throwing it back towards the seat.

"Oh, this should be fun," she laughed, walking over to join her accessory. "Just the idea of his Tauros up against your Bulbasaur – HA!" She cried, flopping down on her seat and stretching across so her boots nearly touched Bulbasaur. The Grass types glared at the shoes before looking up at Blue.

"Do you want to try this?" Blue asked uncertainly, but felt both surprise and pride as Bulbasaur nodded determinedly, leaping down from his seat and walking forwards. "Excellent!" He said in reply, though a moo echoing from the floor above put the situation into perspective: it was a battle he didn't really want and that they had a huge size disadvantage in, but this would be how some of their battles would turn out. Blue knew it was something he would have to learn to deal with, but he knew who he would rather be battling than Ivor, and would just have to convince her through moves that he was a worthy opponent.

Red stood perfectly still, frozen in absolute silence, his eyes fixated on the building that stood before him. He had seen this building in pictures and had had countless dreams about one day being Champion over the facilities that lay behind it and the surrounding mountains and tunnels, but though Red knew that this day had been coming for months, nothing could truly prepare him for reaching the Pokemon League.

The Indigo League Headquarters was simply beautiful. It was painted an earthy brown that made it look natural, yet the glass windows were darkened and mirrored to make the entire building seem more secretive. A stone staircase led up to the entrance, with towering pillars supporting a section of the red. Red stared up towards the logo, a simple PokeBall dug into the stone. It was simple but Red felt more empowered by merely staring up at it. This building was only the entrance, the first stop in a long path towards getting to the Indigo League itself, but Red was more determined than ever to step inside this grand building that made the fields around them look just as glorious and prove what he had to show.

"Oh there you are!" Leaf cried grumpily from behind him. "Did you have to race off like that? This is only a building, it would have stayed here if you had walked at the same pace as us!" Red refused to turn around but was able to catch the scene out of the corner of his eye: Leaf angrily walking out of a field of long grass, Charmander and Squirtle pushing through on either side of her. They all looked a bit annoyed, and Leaf was clinging to her bag as if it had her life inside.

"Some Mankey just tried to steal my bag!" She fumed as they walked up to join Red. "Charmander and Squirtle kindly fought them off for me, which I greatly appreciate," she said in a lighter voice, smiling down at the two starters who smiled back. "It would have be nice if you'd been there to help though! What if I hadn't had time to send my Poke –,"

"Isn't this building beautiful?" Red asked, ignoring all that Leaf had said. She noticed this and let out an angry growl, which Red again ignored. Not one to simply take have her fury ignored, Leaf lashed out, aiming for his legs. "OWWW!" Red yelled as Leaf kicked him in the right shin, making him double over in pain.

"That's what you get for leaving us behind and ignoring me!" Leaf huffed, crossing her arms and fuming down at him, but her composure relaxed into a satisfied smile and she looked down at the starters, winking slyly in her delight. Red, however, was wincing in pain and clutching his leg, turning away from the building for the first time since his eyes had come across.

"Thanks for that!" He hissed. "It's not as if I've got to walk everyday for the next few months!" He added in a huff. "It's not a crime to look at a building Leaf, and this is a building I have been waiting for years to see!" Leaf, Charmander and Squirtle all turned towards the long building that lay before them, surrounded by cliffs and trees and backing into the mountainous ranges ahead.

"It isn't that nice of a building," Leaf mumbled. "I've seen nicer ones on Grand Designs Johto. There was this one house that the guy made entirely out of…," but Leaf came to a halt as Red managed to put pressure on his leg and stood up straight, giving her a very foul glare.

"This isn't a matter of how pretty the building is," he snapped, "but it's about what the building represents! This is the entrance to Victory Road, the path all trainers will undergo in order to reach the Indigo League and take on the Elite Four and ultimately Casimer. This is the first place you must pass through and experience before advancing on with your dreams!" He scooped Charmander up and held him up to his face, the Lizard Pokemon rather stunned by the action. "One day Charmander, when I am a bit older and you are a Charizard, we will be the Champions of Kanto and the Indigo League, and we will fly overhead and examine all the area below us that we have passed through in order to achieve our dreams!"

"Charmander Char," Charmander said, staring up in awe with a twinkle in his eyes to match Red's. The two became so lost in their fantasies that neither of them noticed as Charmander's tail swung around, his flame flickering against Red's jacket…

"SQUIRTLE!" The Turtle Pokemon yelled, and a Bubble was quickly unleashed. Red and Charmander cried as they felt the bubbles bursting against them, but Red was even more shocked to realize the back of his jacket was flaming. Leaf laughed as Squirtle unleashed a bombardment of Bubbles, dousing Red in the water that soaked his hair and got through his layers of clothes.

"Serves you right!" Leaf chortled once the flames were out, and Red glowered across at her as if it had been her fault, but she was enjoying her rivals downfall to much to care. "Let's go see how magnificent and powerful this glorious temple is on the inside than, shall we? Careful you don't set any smoke alarms off," she added, and continued to laugh as she picked Squirtle up and pranced up the steps. Red looked down at Charmander who lay in his hands, and his eyes narrowed as the orange Fire type stifled a smirk.

"Don't push it," he huffed, and clung onto his starter as he followed Leaf up the stairs. The two walked in silence, all eyes turning around to examine the building as they approached. The pillars looked even grander and larger as they approached, reminding Leaf partially of jail bars as they passed through, the roof above them casting them in a dark shadow, leaving sunny Route 22 behind.

The glass doors opened as they approached, revealing an open space that seemed to fill the entire building set out from the outside. The walls were painted the same colour as the exterior with a red carpet of a similar colour. However, the large space was relatively empty, with only a few armchairs and tables spread out as some of waiting area. Two desks were to the right, one with a nurse and a machine like the one that just healed their Pokemon, and the other currently closed but had a display of Pokemon supplies.

"Wow, this is so impressive," Leaf said sarcastically, turning around the room to try and find something special about it, yet it simply looked like an oversized reception hall. Red was rather stunned at how bland the room was, but he wasn't going to let Leaf see how disappointed he was.

"They aren't going to waste their money making this bit look great," he huffed, saying the only excuse he could conjure up, though secretly wished it could have been better. At the very end he saw two more desks, along with another set of doors being guarded by a burly man. "Come on, that's the way to get to Casimer!" Red said excitedly, and he led the way towards the opposite end of the building. Leaf rolled her eyes and followed after, having the feeling that this would end horribly. There was a person behind each desk, which as they got closer seemed to have a different purpose: the one to the left was for people to register who didn't go through an authorised person like Professor Oak, and the second was for showing your badges and being allowed onwards. Only one person was there, filling in forms at the registration desk, meaning it was easy for Red to get right to the front of the line.

"Hello there," the woman behind the desk said. "That is an adorable Charmander you have there! I am guessing you only just started your journey?"

"Yeah, I started yesterday from Pallet Town," Red replied, glancing towards the sliding doors behind the guard and unable to contain his excitement. "I was just hoping I'd be able to go on and see Casimer please." The woman continued to smile, but it faltered for a moment and there was a concerned look in her eyes.

"Do you have any gym badges on you?" She asked quietly, knowing what the answer would be. Leaf rolled her eye and shook her head down at Squirtle: Red wasn't going to get through without any badges, something he should have known if he was such an expert. He had been stunned into silence, and Leaf turned towards the girl filling in forms next to them, feeling like striking a conversation. But she was just about to ask her a question when she noticed a bag at the girl's feet, one Leaf instantly recognized.

"Susie?" She gasped, and the girl turned around. The tall blonde had had been staring intently at the forms when she turned, but her expression instantly softened once she recognized her best friend from Pallet.

"Oh my god, Leaf!" Susie screamed, dropping the forms on the desk and pulled her friend in for a hug. "I tried to get my father to wait for you guys to get back from Viridian yesterday so I could say goodbye, but we had to leave and I didn't think I'd see you again for months!"

"Same here!" Leaf shrieked, ignoring Squirtle's discomfort at getting wedged in between their hug. "I sooo wanted to say goodbye! But it seems you may be joining us?" She asked, staring down at the forms that lay next to them. Susie nodded excitedly, blonde hair whacking Squirtle's head due to her enthusiasm.

"I told my father I didn't want to go to Johto, and he asked me what I wanted to do instead, and I just decided right then and there that I want to go on a journey and see my friend!" She explained with a wide smile on her face. "I mean, I already have a bag packed, and I have that Spearow I caught when those league promoters came to our school."

"That Spearow is so crap though!" Leaf laughed, and Susie laughed as well before shrugging.

"I think the two of us will do well together," she replied with a smirk. "But I really should finish filling this all in before I get too ahead of myself," she said, picking the forms and a pen up once again.

"You probably should," Leaf chortled, "and I should see how Red is doing," she added, turning back towards her companion and wondering if he had been shooed away yet. However, she was surprised to see Red clinging onto the table, putting his PokeDex down and rummaging through his bag.

"Young man, you cannot go into Victory Road without eight badges!" The woman said, all kindness out the window as Red tried to find a way through. "If you are that desperate to get into the Indigo League Complex, there is a visitor's entrance that opens for special events!"

"But there isn't a special event on today, and I need to see Casimer!" Red insisted. "I have a PokeDex that Professor Oak got me, is that not enough to get me through?" The security guard was making his way over now, and Leaf knew she had to intervene, glancing around to see all eyes were watching the commotion.

"Red, just drop it!" She hissed into his ear, trying to pull him away but he pulled his arm away.

"Listen to your friend," the guard said in his deep voice. "This isn't some game kid! Victory Road is too much to handle with just a Charmander and whatever other Route 1 Pokemon you have on you. Come back when you're a proper trainer, not just some kid going on an adventure!" Red glared at both the guard and the woman behind the desk, both of whom had height over him and loomed overhead. Leaf thought he might lash out or order Charmander to attack, and sighed briefly with relief as he scooped everything into his bag in one sweep.

"Fine then!" He snapped. "I'll just have to prove to you I'm a real trainer than, won't I?" And he swung his bag over his back and picked Charmander up, turning around and storming off before Leaf even knew what was happening.

"Where are you going?" She yelled, wheeling after him.

"I'll go and get my first badge and prove these wankers that I'm a real trainer!" Red shouted back, passing the desks and getting closer to the doors. Leaf gasped, knowing perfectly well that he wasn't ready for his first gym battle yet and quickly set off after him.

"I have to go sorry Susie, but I'll meet up with you later if I can!" She called back to her friend, but set off before checking if she had heard. Even though she started running, Red still had an advantage and was already out the door, and by the time Leaf had joined him outside Red was over a small ledge and jogging back towards Viridian.

"Damnit," she cursed, and clung tighter to Squirtle as she began sprinting off, having to catch up to Red before he did something stupid.

Blue was not a person who usually got nervous, simply getting cockier whenever he was in the wrong to cover up his worry. But no amount of boastful talk was going to do him any good as he faced off against Ivor.

He stood in the same spot Amber had occupied a few minutes ago, Bulbasaur in front of him at roughly the same size as Farfetch'D. Ivor stood pompously opposite, his Tauros looming over both Blue and Bulbasaur as he pawed at the ground. It was a fight that was relatively unfair yet stupid of Blue to agree to: Bulbasaur only had Tackle, Growl and Leech Seed at his disposal, while Tauros had a powerful Headbutt and who knew what else in his arsenal.

Blue had always imagined that when it came to battles it would be fair: either they were on an even scale and had no idea what to expect, or if facing off against a gym leader or powerful trainer, Blue would know enough to form a proper strategy. Yet he had run into this battle in a mix between the two, knowing what Pokemon he was facing but no idea what moves to use, all to try and impress a girl he had only exchanged a few words with. Blue glanced over at Amber, who was sitting over by the bags with a smirk on her face.

Idiot! He told himself. You are only going to embarrass yourself in this battle, what were you thinking! But even though it had been a stupid move, part of Blue's hormonal teenage self still wanted the girl to be impressed by his actions. He wasn't sure what it was he found so attractive about her, but Blue just hoped she enjoyed the battle and he didn't make too big of a fool of himself.

"Are you ready old chap? I don't have all day," Ivor called out in his posh drone. The rich boy was extremely annoying, his ego larger than any cocky disguise Blue could pull, and it was half the reason why he was annoyed about getting involved in the battle. But Bulbasaur seemed determined to battle, and Blue was willing to give this a shot.

"I've been ready for minutes," Blue said with a smile, and Ivor let out a dull laugh.

"Very well then, I'll let you have the first move!" He called. Blue nodded and examined Tauros, wondering what ways he could use the few moves available to weaken the opponent.

"Start off with a Leech Seed!" Blue commanded.

"Saur Bulba," Bulbasaur cried, and a small green seed rose up from his bulb. The Seed Pokemon bent down and fired the seed forwards, which began to open and unleash vines. Tauros didn't know what it was going to do and remained still, allowing the seed to touch his head and engulf him in vines. They wrapped all around his head and neck, causing the Wild Bull obvious discomfort.

"Is that your best move?" Ivor scoffed. "This battle is going to be over a lot quicker than I anticipated! Tauros, use Iron Head!" Blue was annoyed at the jibe, but he had a feeling that his opponent was right as Tauros began to charge forwards, vine wrapped head pointed down, horns pointed threateningly.

"Move!" He shouted to Bulbasaur, but the Seed Pokemon was already ahead of him, leaping to the side as Tauros stampeded past. The giant Normal type nearly hit Blue, who leapt out of the way as well. A loud smoker's laugh rose up from the seats, and Blue flushed with embarrassment that Amber found this so amusing, but cheered up as he saw that green energy was being pulled out of Tauros through the vines and being transferred across to Bulbasaur's bulb.

"Not such a stupid move now, is it?" Blue said with a triumphant smirk as he leapt back to his feet, beaming down at Bulbasaur before giving Ivor a cocky smile. The well dressed teenager looked rather annoyed by the missed attack and Leech Seed's effects but offered no comment on it. "Alright Bulbasaur, Tackle!" Blue ordered confidently, quickly moving out of the way as the grumpy Tauros turned back towards the field. He was sure that this move would go well, even if not very effective, as Tauros would always get annoyed and could go on a rampage.

"Bulba Bulba Bulba!" Bulbasaur cried, charging forwards as fast as his little legs would allow him to. Blue was engrossed in to see how much Bulbasaur would be able to pull off, so engrossed that he wasn't focussing on Ivor. The rich boy was smiling smugly, even though Blue had a mild advantage in the battle at the moment. It wasn't until Blue's eyes had followed Bulbasaur closer to Tauros that he saw the smile and realized something was wrong.

"Tauros, use Iron Head, now!" Ivor boomed. Blue was shocked, and even Amber stopped laughing in surprise at the order. Bulbasaur's momentum was keeping him going forwards, and Blue saw a look in his eyes as the Iron Head was ordered: he was shocked but determination burned throughout his body, not willing to give up just yet, and Blue was rather proud at his Pokemon's strength.

"SAUR!" Bulbasaur yelled, leaping up and flying through the air. Tauros turned around, the Leech Seed wrapped around his head and upper legs parted so that he was able to stare directly at his opponent coming towards him.

"TAUROOOO!" He boomed, his horns flashing silver and passing through to his forehead. Bulbasaur was coming directly for that area, and Tauros merely swung his head forwards. Blue gasped as the Iron Head collided with Bulbasaur, the force behind the attack blasting Bulbasaur backwards. Ivor casually moved asides as Bulbasaur crashed to the ground, rolling rapidly forwards as if he was a plastic bag caught in a breeze.

"Bulbasaur!" Blue gasped and ran forwards before the Seed Pokemon had stopped rolling, quickly crossing the bare fields and reaching his starter. The Grass type lay limply on the ground, eyes shut and no sign of movement. Blue couldn't quite believe it: in just one attack, Tauros had managed to knock Bulbasaur out.

"I… I can't believe this," Blue whispered as footsteps came towards him. "It was just one move… how did he do that?"

"Tauros is a very powerful Pokemon at the best of times," Amber said behind him, tossing a few berries onto the ground, "but sending out a Bulbasaur that I am guessing is low levelled isn't going to do well. You should have used a higher levelled Pokemon or turned the battle down, not endanger your Bulbasaur like that." Blue nodded, taking the berries and putting them down Bulbasaur's throat, knowing they'd have some healing properties.

"Our biking friend is quite right," Ivor droned behind the pair. "If I had known you were such a stupid and inexperienced trainer than I wouldn't have bothered with such a brief and pointless battle. I doubt Tauros is going to gain anything from that battle and I certainly haven't." Blue angrily turned around, glaring across at the overly dressed boy that stood several metres away, a sly smirk spread across his entire face.

"I am not stupid or inexperienced!" Blue hissed, unable to contain his fury. "Bulbasaur outsmarted Tauros that first turn, remember that!"

"If that is going to be your only claim to fame than why not just give up now?" Ivor sneered pompously. "Your not going to get very far with a small Pokemon like that: why not just move on to some other endeavour, eh?" Blue leapt to his feet, ignoring a warning look on Amber's face, and pointed aggressively at the rich boy.

"I don't care what you think!" He hissed. "I am going to be an excellent trainer once I have been travelling for more than two days! My friends and I fought off some murderous woman that attacked us yesterday. I'd like to see you fight someone like that off without pissing your hundred dollar underwear!" Ivor glared at this, but quickly went back to his smirk and turned away.

"You seem like all talk Blue," he called out as he pulled the Leech Seed off Tauros' face. "Why don't you actually prove you have what it takes to be the best?" Amber stepped in front of Blue, opening her mouth to say something, but Blue was so furious that he completely ignored her: he had not come on this journey to be mocked and belittled by someone who didn't even look or act like a trainer, he had come on it in order to prove his abilities and that he had what it took. He had lost his first real battle, and now Blue was been given a challenge to redeem himself, and he wasn't going to turn it down.

"Very well then," he snarled back at Ivor, ignoring the girl that he had put himself into this situation for in the first place. "I will go and challenge the Viridian City Gym and win, and than I will use the badge to wipe the smirk off your face!"

"Blue, don't do this, your being as moronic as him," Amber growled, but Blue ignored her and turned around, scooping a stirring Bulbasaur up into his arms. Ivor looked rather surprised but the delight was there in his eyes as Blue walked towards the stairs.

"Very well then," he purred, "I shall meet you at the Pokemon Center in an hours time and we shall see just how brilliant of a trainer you are!" Blue simply nodded, marching determinedly up the staircase. In the back of his head, Blue knew he was being stupid, taking on a gym leader with only a barely conscious Bulbasaur and a Rattata. But he wasn't going to turn this challenge down, just like how he wasn't going to do whatever Red and Leaf wanted of him: this was his journey, and Blue was going to do things how he wanted.

He just hoped that taking on the gym would be the right thing.

"RED, STOP YOU IDIOT!"

Leaf was breathless and her legs ached from running the entire length of Route 22 and chasing Red through the sprawling and relatively confusing streets of Viridian, but a few helpful locals pointed her in the direction of the gym, and now her travelling companion was back in her sights. Red was still walking briskly and Leaf would have easily caught up if she was in better spirits, but she needed a drink and felt like collapsing, in no state to chase after him.

"SLOW DOWN OR I'LL THROW SQUIRTLE AT YOU!" Leaf shouted, clutching her sides with one hand as she held her Pokemon in the other. She glanced down to see Squirtle glaring at her. "Oh, it was just a threat!" She groaned, coming down to a walk and moving slowly forwards. She glanced towards the building they were approaching, to tired to even care that this was the first gym she was setting eyes upon.

The Viridian City Gym was easily the largest building in the city, and possibly larger than necessary, very narrow but quite long with a curved roof. Asides from the size, nothing else was particularly memorable about it: the walls were a plain white, with brown used for the roof and the little amount of windows there were. A sign hang plainly above the door, bearing the name in brown writing with a PokeBall to the side. Though the outside looked bland, Leaf got the instant feeling that the boring design was some sort of disguise, hiding something that occurred in the oversized building.

She would remember this thought weeks later as she stood in the exact same spot, knowing what truly lay behind the walls, and knowing that she had been right to doubt that stood out more from its attempts to be conspicuous.

But at this moment, Leaf was focussed on getting Red and getting away from the gym before he did something stupid. She was glad to see he had come to a halt near the entrance, and jogged the last few steps to join him. Leaf was about to start telling him off but froze, stunned to see who Red had stopped by.

"Why are you two here?" Blue asked grumpily, staring over at the two with Bulbasaur in his hands. "Weren't you going to see Casimer?"

"And didn't I tell you to stay at the Pokemon Center?" Leaf snapped, furious to see that her cousin was at the gym as well. "Come on, we're going there now!"

"NO!" Both boys said firmly at once, moving towards the glass doors that seemed locked behind them. Charmander and Bulbasaur exchanged rolling eyes at their trainers stupidity, but Squirtle was too frightened at being held in Leaf's arms as she glared angrily at her companions.

"I need to get this badge Leaf and I am not going until I get it!" Red fumed.

"Same here!" Blue said. "I need to prove that dick Ivor what I am capable of!"

"I don't care what you two want!" Leaf snapped. "You only have your starters that you got yesterday and a Rattata that you also got yesterday! This is not the smart thing to do! The intelligent thing to prove yourselves would be to train properly and sweep through all the gyms, not get your asses kicked on your first go!"

"You don't understand Leaf!" Blue snapped. "You only came on this journey so you could get out of Pallet, you don't care about the League at all!" Leaf was shocked by this, more for the fact it was partly true, but still annoyed Blue had used it against her. She raised a fist, ready to let Blue see how serious she was, but froze as the sound of a sliding door came behind them.

Red and Blue turned around, initially excited at what may lay in the gym behind them. However, they quickly became dismayed when all they could see was darkness: the windows were all blackened so no one could see in, and very little light got through either. Despite this depressing view into the area, the two exchanged looks and went tyo step forwards, ready to see what lay inside.

"Not so fast," a voice said quietly from the shadows. The three all froze, their Pokemon seizing up in their hands: there was something unnatural about the way the man, who was clearly masculine. They way he spoke sent chills down their spines, his formal tone seeming friendly but having some degree behind it that made him seem very unfriendly.
"It isn't usual for people of your age to roam here by themselves," the man continued, the coldness between him and the stunned trainers remaining, "especially not children with such… inexperience as yourselves. You will not stand a chance to win against me now, so you might as well leave before you make fools of yourself." Leaf was quivering in fear as the man continued to speak, the words seemingly flowing from the darkness. Red and Blue tried to remain tough despite the fear that was now coursing through their bodies, but the mention of their inexperience pushed them back to their previous state of mind: they were not going to take any insults from someone who didn't even know them, someone who had no idea what they were capable of.

"Oh really?" Blue snarled. "Why don't we just battle you now and prove what we do have?" He looked down at Bulbasaur, and the Seed Pokemon quickly snapped out of his fear, leaping down to the grass below and glaring over at where the voice was coming from. Charmander and Squirtle exchanged nervous glances, but they too leapt down from their trainer's arms, advancing towards the darkness.

"Squirtle, no!" Leaf gasped as laughter emitted from the dark.

"It seems your Pokemon are just as foolish as you are," the man said with a slight purr. "Oh how easy it is for these magnificent creatures to adapt to the mentalities of the people who gain control of them?" There was a clicking sound, and a gloved hand rose from the shadows, the black and yellow coloured Ultra Ball glinting in the light. "Very well children, you have your wish: I will battle each of you at once, and prove how pointless your trip is." And before anyone could say anything, the ball opened up, yellow energy coursing towards the light. The light cast a brief shadow of the man who was intimidating them, showing his average to tall height and thin, possibly muscular body, but his face and body were hidden by a dark cloak and hat. Leaf was intrigued to know more of the man, but all their attention was diverted as the creature formed before them.

"NIDOOOO!" The purple creature yelled, but despite the typically feminine colour, the beast was just as frightening as the Arbok they had encountered yesterday. It loomed over them, glaring with beady green eyes on either side of a long, sharp horn, flexing arms as thick as trees topped off with vicious claws, thrashing a long tail that could easily knock them aside.

"It's a Nidoking…," Red whispered, staring at the Poison-Ground type flexing in front of them. The Nidoking glared towards the three Pokemon waiting before them, and even Bulbasaur began cowering in fear at the vicious looking Pokemon that could quite easily crush them.

"Is that blood on its claws?" Leaf whispered fearfully. She wished more than ever that she could be back at the Indigo League talking to Susie and not trapped in this battle, and Red and Blue exchanged nervous glances, not sure what they had gotten themselves into.

"I think you all know how foolish you all are," the man laughed, "but I am not bothering to wait around for you to try and show yourselves. The weakness you all possess is painfully obvious, yet your own self centred views of your greatness is also plain to see, and what you three truly need to be competent trainers is to realise your faults early on! Nidoking, Earthquake!" The man did not raise his voice once during his little speech, but the words shook the three and made them feel cold and weak. Did they really have such selfish but false views of themselves? Was there little point in carrying on their journey?

"NIDOOOOO!" Nidoking roared, the cry so loud that the three had to cover their ears, all worries about what the mysterious man said leaving their minds. The roar was so painful that they wondered if the world would split around them, tears stream down their eyes and their heads pounding.

Unfortunately, it only got worse.

Nidoking lifted his leg up and slammed it against the ground. The three starters had all been thrown off by the cry, completely forgetting the attack that had been order. Suddenly the ground was shaking as if a bomb had erupted beneath them, causing the entire world around them to shake and judder. Leaf screamed as she collapsed to the ground, and Red and Blue struggled to stay upright for much longer. The entire ground vibrated as they all fell, heads banging against the hard but unstable surface, not able to see straight as the clouds in the sky above looked as if they were being tossed around by an angry toddler.

Yet it all stopped as quickly as it had started. The three came to a sudden stop: Leaf breathing deeply and quickly, digging her fingers into the ground for safety, while Blue lay helplessly on the ground, not sure what had just happened. Only Red had the strength to look up, his body aching from the violent shuddering but desperate all the same to see what had just happened.

Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur lay still and silent on the grass, no signs of movement anywhere on their bodies. Red felt a pang in his heart, knowing that his selfishness and desperation to prove himself had played a part in this terrible and brutal defeat happening. His eyes caught sunlight reflecting off the windows, showing the building to be in the same condition, no visible damage from the violent Earthquake. The only significant change was that the initiator of the attack was no longer there, Nidoking retracted by his still invisible trainer.

"You foolish, foolish children," the man hissed, Leaf and Blue looking around to face the scene. "You stupidly put your Pokemon in this position and allowed them to be disgraced and defeated, simply in some attempt to prove your own worth. I have never met such a sorry bunch of trainers, even if you have only just begun. I wish you never grace my gym again, unless you all return as competent and intelligent trainers that know how to act." And with that, the doors suddenly slid closed, cutting them off entirely from the shadowed man.

Silence fell across the grass, the three trainers unsure what to do now. Red and Blue exchanged looks, knowing that the man had been right that this did come down to being their fault, though they didn't want to admit it to themselves. They glanced across at Leaf, unable to look at themselves, but found her staring directly towards Squirtle with teary eyes. She couldn't believe that this had happened, her beloved starter lying so sombrely on the grass as if he had just fallen asleep. Unable to take ti any longer, Leaf stood slowly up, wiping the tears away, and scooped Squirtle into her arms. Without another word to either Red or Blue, she turned around and walked silently towards the Pokemon Center. Not knowing anything else to do, Red and Blue picked their starters up as well and followed after, each one of them thinking about what had just happened and what the shadowed gym leader had told them, each step making them more disgusted with themselves.

"Here you three go. Good to see you got some training done today, but maybe don't overdo it next time!"

"Thanks," Red said half heartedly, smiling weakly at the same nurse who had served them before. He grabbed the three PokeBalls from their tray and took them across to Leaf and Blue, who lay slumped in armchairs right next to the sign of Casimer. Red felt even more disappointed as he stared across at the Champion, sitting perfectly calm and posed as if he had nothing at all to worry about. Red wondered what had possessed him to take off to the gym like that, endangering all Charmander for nothing. The guard wouldn't have even let him through with one gym badge. Red had gone charging off thinking it he would prove himself as an amazing trainer, but any win would have been a fluke that could have endangered Charmander.

Blue took Bulbasaur's PokeBall back without another mention of thanks; too busy staring down at the table between him and Leaf. He had tried to impress Amber and show off to Ivor, but neither of them was here waiting to see what had happened to him. It had all been a rash act, trying to make himself look good and show off to people he barely even knew. Blue didn't know what to do, turning his attention now towards the PokeBall that contained his brave and bold Bulbasaur: he had fought because he wanted to get better and wanted to gain new abilities, not to try and show off to a wild duck or bull.

Despite not intending to go to the gym, Leaf found herself feeling the worst. She didn't even acknowledge Red as he sat down, taking Squirtle's PokeBall as it was placed on the arm but staring down at the table as well. She hadn't even wanted to battle, yet she had let Squirtle walk forwards and face the Nidoking. Shouldn't she have done more to stop him? There was no knowing that the gym leader would have sent out such a vicious and powerful Pokemon, but Leaf should have done something to stop Squirtle from fighting, otherwise she was no better than Red and Blue for willingly letting Charmander and Bulbasaur step forwards while she shook in fear and did nothing.

A tense silence remained between the three, no one uttering a word. Only yesterday they had all awoken excited and ready for the adventures that lay ahead on their journey to the Indigo League. Now they were nearing the end of their second day, and already they felt defeated, as if they had walked all around Kanto in one day and ended up back in Viridian. The words of the shadowed man played on their minds, unable to shake the feeling that he was right: they had acted selfishly and recklessly, and weren't ready to face any gym leader. No one had said a word about it, but they were all thinking the same thing: was there any point to carry on with their journeys?

Their answer came in quite an unusual form.

The doors slid open, a single person walking in with a Farfetch'D resting on their shoulder. Blue had his back turn, but caught Red and Leaf's faces as their eyes were drawn towards the person walking in and he couldn't help but turn around as well. A slight smile crept onto his face as Amber walked towards him, his heart skipping a beat at the same time he figured her appearance might cause Red and Leaf to raise their eyebrows.

"I was wondering if either one of you would show up," Blue said, trying to sound happy but the effects of what had happened lingering on his mind.

"Ivor got bored, as I imagine he would do so easily, and left almost a minute after you'd left," Amber explained, jumping over the seat's back and landing neatly on the cushion, her Farfetch'D barely even swaying. "This town has no life after four' o'clock so I thought I'd come and how badly your ass got kicked." Blue smirked half heartedly but looked off distantly, and it only took one glance around at Red and Leaf to see they had similar expressions. "Oh, let me guess: you all went to battle the gym leader and you all lost?"

"In a way," Red said stiffly, staring suspiciously at the girl who had invaded their private time. Amber rolled her eyes dramatically and stared across at Farfetch'D. The Wild Duck nodded at the look, and turned towards Blue with the onion raised.

"FAR!" He squawked, whacking it across his head. Blue was so stunned that he merely shouted out, clutching his head and looking around in shock, but the Normal-Flying type leapt across the table and whacked Red and Leaf on the knees, making them kick out.

"Look here girl, I don't know who you are or why you're here, but you can't just come across and get your Farfetch'D to hit us!" Leaf snapped, clutching her legs, but Amber brushed the comment asides as she got to her feet.

"You three are just being stupid," she scoffed in her smokers voice. "I don't know you two at all, but I guess if you're hanging out with a guy who sent his Bulbasaur out against a Tauros than you can't be that intelligent than. So what if a gym leader defeated you on your first try? You only started your journeys like, what, this week? There are another seven gyms out there, and you can go against them when you have more than your starters and three moves at your disposal. Don't act stupid and get so emotional about one loss when you have the rest of Kanto ahead of you!"

"Fetch Far!" Farfetch'D chimed in as Red, Leaf and Blue exchanged looks, not quite sure what to say.

"If you'll excuse me, we'll be going to our room now," Amber said with a dramatic eye roll. "See you around Blue. Hopefully you'll have grown a pair by the next time we meet," and with that, the girl with the multicoloured hair turned and left the three to their thoughts. Her words hanged above them, none of them quite sure what to make of it, but Red's eyes were drawn back towards the image of Casimer sitting in his chair, his famous words showing underneath.

"She's right," Red said, his friends turning towards him. "I don't know who that was, but she is right: this is only our first city, we still have all these other places to go to. There's no point in giving up now when we have barely even done anything."

"But that guy –,"

"Who cares what that gym leader said? He doesn't know us at all," Red replied quickly. "He seemed a bit creepy as well, and I have a feeling he wanted us to quit, but I don't really care about him! We'll return here in about two months with a Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur respectively, with a full team of six and amazing Pokemon that will show him that he's wrong."

"Your right," Blue said, leaping up. "We can get better, we can become more sensible trainers. There's no point letting what happened on our first proper day stop us from living our dreams. That gym leader is just some sadistic dickhead: we were meant to be on this journey!" He and Red turned towards Leaf, who was still clutching her knee from where she had been hit. She was staring down at the table again, thinking about what had been said and trying to form her own opinion.

"I think….," she began, looking up to them with a smile. "I think that we should come back here with the next seven badges and show that shadowed dickhead what we're made of!" Red and Blue let out a cheer, and the three stood up, considerably brighter than when they first come in. Though the fact they had taken such a foolish risk and let their Pokemon get so badly injured lingered on their minds, they felt better in the knowledge that soon these mistakes would be ratified: they and their Pokemon would become stronger together, and soon the Viridian City Gym Leader would see what they are truly capable of.

Within a few hours, darkness had spread across the city, nitghtfall sending the already quiet city into a state of stillness as not a single person or car stirred the silence. Red, Blue and Leaf quickly fell asleep from the events of their day, their Pokemon by their sides, each of them shaken by the events but knowing it was just a stepping stone on their path to greatness.

But at the place where they had suffered this downfall, it was much livelier inside than the outside would imply.

Giovanni sat in his chair once more, a glass of red wine clutched in his hands though he had yet taken a sip from it. He glanced across at two of his admins that waited for him to speak: Arianna stood still and quiet, her failure yesterday leaving her in the bad books, whilst a man stood alongside. He wore long white pants that went down to polished white shoes, and a long white vest over a black top which covered any skin that would have otherwise been exposed. The only colour on his clothing was a red R embedded on a black crest, with a black belt holding his pants up. It was funny how he wore such a dull outfit, when his thin, pale, elfin face was topped with short turquoise hair, matching eyebrows raised in a manner that made him look feminine and mysterious. His name was Archer, and part of Arianna's stillness was to not do or say anything to give him the chance to make any snide remark. He was manipulative and sly, excellent at breaking in and getting things done but also brilliant at talking down to anyone he saw as beneath him and his standards, and upsetting him or being near him when he failed would not end well for you.

Yet Giovanni didn't care for the personalities or temperaments of the people that worked for him. As long as they got the job done, he didn't care what they did as long as it was the right thing and as long as he reaped the benefits.

"How has the search gone?" Giovanni asked in the same cold voice he had used to address Red, Blue and Leaf. Arianna kept her face blank as she stepped forwards, noticing a smirk coming from Archer as she did so.

"I am sorry to say that the only information I have found on them was their Pokemon League Registration, and they only led information back towards him and his lab," she explained, hoping that it wouldn't cause any more disappointment in her bosses eyes. Giovanni merely nodded, his lips even curling slightly.

"I would expect nothing less from Professor Oak," he said, placing his glass down and even laughing slightly. "I would have liked to have found out more about them before they died, but I can live without the information. Thank you Arianna, let me know if anything comes up," he added, and Arianna nodded, knowing he was done with her and moving backwards. Archer took it as his turn to step forwards, moving quickly and elegantly, smiling in a rather smug manner.

"They will have to pass through Viridian Forest if they are to get to Pewter," Giovanni explained. "Make sure they don't make it out alive." Archer nodded quickly, but his mouth was open slightly, a false and overdramatic look of concern on his face.

"Giovanni, pardon me for asking, but I was merely wondering…. Why did you not kill the children today whilst they were within reach?" He asked, his voice rather high and hinted at a good upbringing in his posh tones. Giovanni nodded at this as well, keeping a straight face but both admins saw a flash of anger across his cold black eyes. He reached for his glass and raised it to his lips, taking a single sip as he choose his words carefully.

"It would have been foolish… no, moronic, to kill them outside my own gym," he explained quietly. "Oak, Bill, Casimer, the whole damn lot of them already suspect something, and murdering those three that are meant to defeat me is not going to calm their suspicions. When you do murder them, make it look like an accident: it will be plainly clear we are responsible, but the World Council will have no proof, and as they rush around to find something, Pewter City Museum will have already fallen, and there will be nothing they can do." Archer nodded at this, and Giovanni waved his hand as he went for his glass again. The admins took this as their cue to leave and turned, walking quickly from the office without another word. Giovanni raised his glass and turned to a darknened window, this time turning his attention towards the towering trees of Viridian Forest that were visible even from this distance.

"Soon…," he whispered, taking a longer sip of his glass, " soon I will have succeeded," he hissed to himself, "and those children won't have gotten their acts together in time to save me. Their heads will hang from my wall before Oak even knows they are dead," and at this Giovanni began to laugh, the sound not even showing any remote signs of humour or enjoyment, merely cruel coldness as he thought of his own dreams of success, his own dreams of reaching the Indigo League and conquering the world.

Yet Giovanni's ideas of conquering would have very different outcomes: not just for Kanto, but, if he got his way, the entire world.

I hope you enjoyed the second part of the series! The third part will hopefully come sooner than this one. Anyone whose read 8ES may have noticed a little shout-out to our main character ;) Until next time farewell, and feel free to catch up on any other GVerse stories through the community.