EXT. ROUTE 1 - NIGHT
HARETA is sound asleep, wrapped in a sleeping bag. HILBERT decides to sneak off into the night, alone. He starts tip-toeing off.

EXT. VIRIDIAN CITY - NIGHT
HILBERT steps foot into the outskirts of VIRIDIAN CITY, a small suburban town leading into the impressive urban center.

HILBERT (V.O.)
It was a jerky thing to do retrospectively, but he annoyed me and I just wanted some alone time... I tried leaving Hareta behind and going on my own...

HARETA (O.S.)
Good idea!

Hilbert jumps. He spins around, sees HARETA stood behind him, grinning.

HARETA (CONT'D)
Going into town at night. When all of the Pokémon are sleeping and all the trainers that just stand in the bushes staring out, waiting for other trainers to battle, have gone home!

HILBERT (V.O.)
...Well, let's just say it didn't quite work out.

HILBERT
Ermm... yeah, but actually, I was just trying to leave you.

HARETA
Huh?

HILBERT
I don't know how to put this... maybe I just think that I'm better off traveling alone?

HARETA
Well I'm not. You're nice, and a good battler, I think we'd make a great team!

HILBERT (V.O.)
Now I started to feel bad. This kid actually thought I was his friend. Sure, he was a bit off, but he wasn't a bad dude.

Hilbert goes to say something but an image nailed to a post draws his attention-

HILBERT
Holy crap.

HARETA
What?

Hilbert points at two photographs -

HARETA (CONT'D)
Wow, we gotta find those people and tell 'em how weird it is that they look a lot like us.

Hilbert facepalms.

HILBERT
Those people are us.

Pointing at the words in bold red letters: "WANTED FOR MURDER".

HILBERT (CONT'D)
And the police are after us now. Crap. Whoever we ticked off on the S.S. Anne must really be powerful - They framed us for murder!

HARETA
You think they did this? But we didn't do anything wrong!

HILBERT
Being an idiot has once again landed me in serious trouble. You're the only person I can trust right now, we're all we've got. Now we have no choice but to stick together, kid.

Hareta's fear disappears and the color flushes back in his face as he gives an excited grin.

HARETA
Yay!

HILBERT
We've gotta remain calm and cool, okay? We're wanted by the police, so...

Hareta wraps his red scarf around his mouth, concealing part of his face. Hilbert nods -

HILBERT (CONT'D)
Good start.

He takes off his cap and puts it in his bag, lifting his hoodie over his head. Without the hat, he looks a lot different.

HILBERT (CONT'D)
How's this? Do I look different enough?

Hareta nods. They continue moving through this city. The gym looks abandoned and indeed, it is surrounded by guards who usher trainers away who get close. Puzzled, but not willing to waste his time, Hilbert sighs.

HILBERT
...Let's just go.

EXT. VIRIDIAN FOREST - DAY
Hilbert and Hareta walk through Viridian Forest. It's a dark, creepy atmosphere here with a faint fog covering their way. Hilbert dips an OLD ROD into a nearby pond and fishes out... a MAGIKARP.

HILBERT
Another one of these things? Is it like, my spirit animal or something, for Arceus's sake...?!

He checks the Pokedex as he hangs onto the rod with his other hand.

HILBERT (CONT'D)
Considered the world's weakest Pokémon, huh? Of course.

And he chucks the Magikarp back into the water and puts the Old Rod back into his backpack.

A pair of kids with nets in their hands pop out from the nearby bushes and startle Hilbert. Hareta doesn't blink, however. A "!" appears in a thought bubble above both of their heads...

BUG CATCHERS
(in unison)
DO I SMELL TRAINERS?

HILBERT (V.O.)
Those two kids were Bug Catcher's looking for a double battle. I was pretty jumpy because of the whole "Wanted" poster deal, but Hareta insisted-

CUE - "TRAINER BATTLE!" from Pokémon RED & BLUE.

HILBERT stands with his CHARMANDER, while HARETA commands his CROAGUNK.

The two Bug Catcher's command a METAPOD and KAKUNA, respectively.

BUG CATCHER DOUG
Kakuna, use Harden!

HILBERT
(under his breath)
Heh. Harden.

BUG CATCHER CHARLIE
My Dick can use Harden better than your Kakuna!

HILBERT
Wait. What?

BUG CATCHER CHARLIE
Richard's the name of my Metapod but he prefers Dick! C'mon, Dick, show 'em what you got. HARDEN, DICK, HARDEN!

Hilbert's in a fit of intense giggles. His Charmander looks back at him, confused.

HARETA
Come on, Croagunk, use DRAIN PUNCH!

Croagunk rushes forward, its front left palm glowing a brick red. Croagunk's palm connects with Kakuna's face and starts to glow as it ABSORBS Kakuna's energy and heals itself! Hareta jumps around excitedly -

HARETA (CONT'D)
Yay! What an attack!

HILBERT
Charmander, Scratch Doug's... Dick.

Hilbert giggles at this (Hareta remains clueless) while Charmander rushes forward and SCRATCHES the Metapod.

HILBERT (CONT'D)
Charmander, Ember!

HARETA
Croagunk, spit that nasty stuff...

HILBERT
SLUDGE BOMB.

HARETA
YEAH! Do that!

The two fire their attacks in unison and the two cocoons are knocked out. The Bug Catcher's are in pure awe as they recall their beloved Bugs. Hilbert gets on one knee to congratulate his Charmander.

HILBERT
That was awesome, dude. I think we're gonna be great pals, little guy-

Suddenly looking from adoration to taking offense, Charmander blasts a large blast of fire from her mouth. Hilbert's entire body is gray, charred and barbecued. He blinks, then shakes off the charcoal from his face.

HILBERT (CONT'D)
Guess you're not a "dude" or a "little guy" then, huh? I was gonna name you Charlie, but how about - Charlotte?

The FLOATING KEYBOARD, identical to the one from the original trio of BLUE & RED & YELLOW Pokémon GAMES, pops up out of nowhere again.

Hilbert jumps back a bit. He sighs. Starts to type in 'CHARLOTTE' name. Then when he's done, Hilbert presses 'ED' and the keyboard disappears in a "POOF!"

HILBERT (CONT'D)
I guess that means it's official now, Charlotte.

The little Charmander looks excited and happy. Hareta begins to wander away, staring at green cone-like Pokémon known as PINECO that are in a nearby tree. There are about a dozen.

BUG CATCHER DOUG
Don't go near them. Those are Pineco, and their signature move is Self Destruct.

Doug's warnings go unheeded as Hareta approaches the tree, making clicking noises with his tongue. The Pineco ruffle their leaves back in reply. Just as Hareta reaches out to touch the Pineco, he trips on a tree root. As he falls, his head smacks the tree harshly. The Pineco shake and fall, landing on Hareta with a smoky explosion. Once the smoke clears, all the Pineco are unconscious and Hareta's covered in grey soot and dirt, his butt in the air and face in the ground. He notices one of the Pineco fell in the cargo pocket on the right leg pant of his jeans.

Without even sitting up, Hareta pops it on the head with a Poké Ball, and it gets dragged inside. The Ball shakes, shakes - then locks in place. Jubilant, Hareta lifts up the Ball with a dizzied, but genuine, grin.

HARETA
Yay! I caught a Pineco!

And then he falls over, unconscious.

HILBERT (V.O.)
Needless to say, Hareta was coughing out dust for a good few minutes after his initial recovery.

LATER: The two boys move through the forest alone. Hareta wanders behind a bit - taking in the nature. Hilbert stops as he sees something that resembles an enormous rafflesia flower with the largest red and white-spotted petals ever seen, and an ominous black center opening. He approaches it cautiously, not knowing quite how to react-

But Hareta's not so subtle.

He rushes forward.

HARETA
C'mon, let's goooo-!

And then he TRIPS on a rock.

HARETA (CONT'D)
Whooooops!

Hareta stumbles forward and knocks into Hilbert's back. Hilbert falls forward, face-first into the opening of the giant flower.
That's when the flower gets up and starts running, revealing a Prussian blue-colored, bipedal body and a cute face. This is a Pokémon known as VILEPLUME.

Hilbert's legs are all we see of him, flailing around in the air, kicking helplessly. Hareta chases after the Vileplume, ready to send out a Pokémon. He throws a Poké Ball and it opens in mid-air. His PACHIRISU goes flying -

FOLLOW PACHIRISU - who's CRYING out over the trees and SPLASHING into a LAKE.

Hareta looks panicky, and he stops to consider what to do... That's when Vileplume catches up to Hareta, comes up from behind him, rampaging about in a panic, and its head rams Hareta in the back.

The boy's thrown into the air and he lands face-first in the opening along with Hilbert. Vileplume runs around for a bit, both boys legs kicking and fighting to escape. It suddenly stops running and gives an odd facial expression, as if it were squeezing out a shit. A YELLOW POWDER poof's out of its head, making the boys's legs stop kicking and go eerily erect into the air.

And then they slump over and roll out of Vileplume's head.

On Hilbert and Hareta - As their bodies spazz about on the ground, before going completely limp.

The screen FADES out by going COMPLETELY FUZZY-

Okay. Enough silliness for now. Playtime's over.

It was fun while it lasted, but now it's time for SCARY CLIFFHANGERS AND PLOTZ.

Hope you've been able to enjoy the past few chapters guys, I know it might be frustratingly static in terms of plot development. But we're slowly but surely getting there. I wanted to set up Hilbert/Hareta's dynamic as well as possible.