Fire.

That was enveloping Red's vision as he found himself sprawled on the ground in front of the burning Pallet Academy building that is engulfed in flames.

Getting up and dusting himself off, Red looked around the place, finding himself completely calm despite the area being set ablaze. 'This place again. If I remember correctly...'

He looked at his hands to see them covered in blood, splinters and wounds as he felt his hair, realizing that it is unkempt and spiky. He then checked his pockets and clothes to see that they are empty which was all the confirmation he needed. 'Yeah. I don't have any Pokeballs with me. So what happened here?'

He walked into the burning building, looking through the windows for anything or anyone strange.

"What happened here?" He mumbled. After searching the place and finding nothing, he decided to play out the scenario like he remembered until he sounds of crying and screams, the teen pushing the guilt and sorrow behind him as he ran to the sound of the voice.

'Stay calm, Red. Stay..." Red said until his mind started to feel a sharp pain before the boy tripped on a piece of board and fell on one knee.

'Stay calm...' He chanted to himself before he noticed several shadows coming out of the ground.

"Murderer."

"Freak."

Their voices as they grabbed Red who tried his best to not be affected by their presence as he closed his eyes and meditate.

'Stay calm.' He thought as he was able to shrug off the shadows but it failed when the boy's body started to freeze.

'No.' Red thought as he used all his might to rip out of his bindings but it did nothing as it pulled him to the ground.

He could barely move his body, his eyes glowing intensely as he gritted his teeth.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU FREAK!"

The voices shouted as the shadowy hands grabbed Red and dragged him into the darkness, much to the young boy's annoyance and frustration.

'Let me go.' He thought, his eyes glowing intensely as a dark aura enveloped his body. Fighting and thrashing against the shadows, Red's vision became blurry as he unleashed all the might that he had in his body. 'No...no please...let me go...I need...to...know...'

"Release me!" The boy yelled. His eyes glowed intensely and his hair moving wildly, the voices around him echoing through his mind as his headache started to get worse.

"Go away, demon!"

"Why must you be such a monster?"

"You deserve to die!"

"Shut...the hell up...and..." Red sneered as he ignored the voices, his eyes going white. The ravenette tried to struggle against the shadows, veins appearing on his forehead as he did but his aura ended up strengthening the shadows around him, much to his dismay. 'This isn't good.'

As he continued with his thrashing, his consciousness began to fade which made his vision blurry.

"N-no...I can't..." Red mumbled as he fought against his bindings, a singular goal on his mind. "Move...away...and..."

"Get off me!" Red yelled to the top of his lungs as he sat up.

Hearing only silence, he looked around to see that he is in the room he rented in the Saffron City's Pokemon Center. Red held his head as he looked to the ceiling, a slight headache coursing through his brain which made him let out a pained groan. "So the same dream again?"

'I thought I stopped having those nightmares.' Red thought as he got up from his bed.

'Ever since the battle with Blue, I've been having that dream but it's more detailed now.' He tightened his hands into fists before he let out an annoyed sigh. "I almost got some answers behind this mess. Darn it!"

Getting up from his bed, the teenager turned to his bed to see Togepi sleeping peacefully which made him smile before he tuckered the fairy under the sheets and kissed it on the forehead. "Sweet dreams."

His room door suddenly opened, Leaf dashing into his room and tackling him into a hug, knocking the wind out of him which made the two of them fall onto the ground.

"Hey, sweetie." Leaf said with a smile as she rubbed her head on Red's chest. "I came here for my morning snack."

"Good morning, Leaf. And what do you mean by morning sna-" Red was cut off when Leaf's lips met his, the girl wrapping her arms around his neck until they both parted away. "What has you in such a good mood, Leaf?"

"It's princess, hero. Also, no reason. Had to remind myself that I had the freedom to do that now." The brunette said innocently before she licked her lips. She then straddled Red, her eyes lowered to his chest as she played with his hair. "Which reminds me: how is our baby?"

This made the teenager blush, getting a laugh from the girl.

"I'm talking about Togepi. She's sho cute." She said as she got up from Red and watched the fairy. Red got up and dusted off his pajamas before he went to his bag. "Yeah. She's sleeping alright. She's surprisingly modest."

"Oh really? You want some breakfast? I made some awesome Pecha Berry pancakes!" Leaf asked to which the ravenette nodded. As the two went to the table to eat their breakfast, the two teenagers ate in silence which made Red feel a bit awkward as he thought about a way to break it. "Umm-"

"What happened yesterday?" Leaf asked, Red looking at her to see a serious expression on her face. "You weren't yourself yesterday. Almost like you were on edge."

Red looked at his food with a melancholic expression before a hand went on his, looking up to see Leaf's face. "Red. You can tell me anything."

"I know. It's just...I don't know how to explain it." Red said as he took a bite of his pancake before he looked to the ceiling. "To be honest, things have been weird since I got here. I've never felt like this before but here, my brain feels like it's overloading. The last time I felt like this was at Lavender Tower...I guess."

"What do you mean 'overloading'? You talking about your powers, right? I mean, your eyes were going haywire yesterday." Leaf said in worry as she inspected his eyes, seeing that the eyes are letting out a slightly eerie glow. "Well, still are."

"Really? They are!" Red said in surprise before he looked into the mirror. "Woah! It is! Why? I don't feel any different, minus the headache."

"Did you meet anyone yesterday? Probably someone could have cause them to be activated." Leaf said before she had a pout on her face. "Like Ms. Sabrina?"

"Yeah." Red answered, unaware of the look of jealousy on Leaf's face before he continued explaining. "Well, I met this old man who just gave me the TM for Psychic-"

"You got the Psychic TM!" Leaf jumped out of her seat which surprised her raven-haired boyfriend. "Uhh...yes."

"You gotta make me use it. Psychic is such a rare TM here!" Leaf explained as she took out her Pokegear and show him a profile of the Psychic Gym leader. "Only Sabrina gives you that TM along with Calm Mind."

"Hmm. Is that right?" Red said as he read the profile, scratching his head with a raised brow. "He probably must've beat her or he could be from another region. But the weirdest thing is what he said to me."

"What did he say?" Leaf asked with his arms crossed.

"To make sure to control my powers." Red said which made the brunette a bit worried. "Oh. That doesn't sound suspicious at all. Why don't you talk to Sabrina about it?"

"Can't. She's busy with the whole huge Pokemon inspection yesterday." Red said while checking his Pokegear, getting a hum from Leaf who finished eating her breakfast. Standing up and taking their plates to wash them, Red turned to Leaf who was doing stretches. "So what are we going to do today?"

"Let's train at the Dojo. I've been meaning to try some new moves I wanted to try with Combusken." Leaf said as she cracked her knuckles which came as a surprise to Red.

"Oh, really? I thought you would take it slow since we just arrived." The ravenette raised his brow.

"Well, yeah but I need to get all the training I can get. I can chill out later." The brunette said as she went to take a shower, turning to blow her boyfriend a kiss as she gave him a sultry look. "We can go for a date soon too, stud muffin. Maybe tomorrow."

Leaf then went to the bathroom, leaving Red to his lonesome as he had one question on his head. "Seriously, how much of those nicknames does she have?"

"Enough!" Leaf shouted from the bathroom.

"How did she-"

"I can smell your thoughts, sweetie!" Leaf said which made Red confused as he raised a brow. "Wha-"

"I refuse to explain further!"

After the two got ready and left the Pokemon Center, the couple made their way towards the dojo until Red noticed someone was missing. "I've been meaning to ask: where's Kim?"

"She's gone to the beauty salon. She's trying to learn all she can about the beauticians." Leaf answered as she wrapped her arms around Red, intertwining her fingers with his. "So that leaves only you and me."

"O-oh." Red blushed as she went into his face, brushing her nose against his. Seeing the flushed look on her boyfriend's face made Leaf let out a sigh before she kissed him on the cheek. "You're adorable, Red."

Reaching the dojo, the two entered the place, Leaf taking out her membership card and flashed it at the receptionist before she gestured to Red. "Hey, I wanted to sign up my friend for a membership for my boyfriend. He wants to start working out today."

"Oh! I understand." The receptionist said as she typed in Red's information. "Well, it's going to take a bit for you to get your membership, Mr. Red. Until then, I would suggest you come tomorrow to officially train with us."

"Seriously?" Leaf pouted before she started whining. "I wanted Red to be with me today."

"Just train. I'll take a look around town." Red said, putting his hand on Leaf's shoulder before he smiled at her. "I don't really feel like training anyways. Plus, we can train tomorrow and think about strategies."

'I don't think you understand. I wanted to see those muscles in action and that-' Leaf paused while biting her lip before she let out a frustrated sigh as she hugged Red. "Fine. Just be careful, honey."

"I will."

As he left the dojo, Red decided to walk around the city, releasing some of his Pokemon during the way but they were not in the mood to be out of their Pokeballs, much to his surprise. The ravenette continued his journey around the city, memorizing the important places on his map before he made his way to Route 6.

"Maybe Meowth would like to visit her home." He thought aloud as he made his way to the south gate of Saffron. "Maybe I can give them some Pof-"

Suddenly, Red felt an eerie feeling around his body which caused him to have goosebumps. Looking around the street, he saw nothing peculiar before he felt a sharp pain coursing through his head that caused him to clutch his brain. His eyes started glowing intensely as he screamed in pain, looking around to see his vision getting blurry.

"What's...happening...my head..." He could barely word out, the people around him not noticing him. Red tried to lift himself onto his feet, dragging himself towards the wall as he looked down the street. 'The Pokemon Center...it should be that way...'

What seemed to be a few minutes journey to the Pokemon Center felt like hours for the ravenette as his head rung in pain. Red continued on his way, unable to lift his head up as he memorized his way to the Pokemon Center, his gaze focused on the floor. 'Have...to get going...'

Red dragged his feet for a while, his consciousness blurry intermittently until he felt a door that opened, a smile of relief on his face as he looked up only to be surprised.

"What the?" His mouth moved on its own when he entered the room.

What he saw around him was not the Pokemon Center interior that he expected but instead was the inside of a normal house which surprised the raven-haired teenager. Wandering around the house, Red immediately realized where he is.

"I see you have returned again." Red turned to see the strange man he met yesterday. The man was sipping his tea, much to Red's confusion as he tried to massage his temples.

"Who are you, sir?" The ravenette asked curiously, the old man taking another sip of his tea before he answered.

"My name...I will not tell you. You will need to earn the right to know. However, you can call me Mr. Psychic." The elderly man said with a smile as he stroked his beard, much to Red's confusion. "Mr...Psychic...?"

"Yes. You have questions, do you not?" Mr. Psychic said as he poured some tea in an extra cup and pushed it towards the teenager. "I'm willing to listen if you'd like to speak."

Red was surprised by this before he decided to approach the man who gestured for him to sit down. "Why do you know that I have questions?"

"You have a face riddled with uncertain and confusion. Plus, you're young. Young children are always known to be souls filled with curiosity for the world around them." The man said with a smile.

"O-oh." Red looked down, watching his Togepi playing with his fingers. "I honestly don't know where to start. I have a lot of questions, to be honest. But I don't know where to find them."

"Hmm." Mr. Psychic listened intently before he decided to speak. "What is it that you want to know about? A fleeting memory? Perhaps a forgotten mystery that has plagued your mind?"

Red was shocked by the man's accurate guess while the elderly man sipped his tea and resumed.

"Do you have powers that you want to learn more about? How to control them for the safety of your loved ones?"

Again, Red looked at the man in disbelief and shock as Mr. Psychic walked to a cabinet in his kitchen as he looked around for something. "Let me guess, I was correct."

"How did yo-"

"I told you. My name is Mr. Psychic." Mr. Psychic said as he came out of the cabinet and outstretched his hands, his eyes glowing as the furniture around him start to levitate. "Master of Telekinesis."

Red was frozen in awe as the objects hovered around him, curiosity gleamed from his eyes when he saw them returning to their original spot. It took the boy a moment to process everything as he looked at his mug.

"You're a Psychic?" Red muttered in disbelief, getting a nod from Mr. Psychic as a response. "That is obvious. Telekinesis is not an easy superpower to grasp. It's one of the several mysteries of the world. Then again, your mind is in disarray especially with that headache. Any other issues?"

"Hmm." The raven-haired trainer thought about his next question but Mr. Psychic beat him to the punch. "You want to know about your past, correct?"

Red nodded as the man got up and paced around the room, his eyes looking at Red who had a pained expression. "Take a sip of the tea. It might relieve your headache."

Red sipped his tea, feeling a bit of relief from the taste as the heat from the beverage.

"I told you." Mr. Psychic said before he took out a spoon. "Now, what is it that you wanted to know about your past?"

"Well, I was a part of the Pallet Academy fire incident four years ago." Red explained as he looked at his reflection in the tea. "I barely remember much about the incident but I've been blamed as the perpetrator of that incident. I think I have amnesia and I wanted...want to see if I have any hidden memories."

Mr. Psychic nodded before he folded his arms, his eyes noticing the glow from Red's eyes becoming brighter.

"However, I noticed that I have powers and that I'm a Channeler which does not make me feel any better but lately, I've been getting visions and dreams about the incident and I don't know if it's tailored to my powers." The teenager explained as he looked at his hands with a worried expression. "Are you able to read my mind and unlock my memories? I was planning on making Sabrina do that."

"Hmm, an interesting theory but it will not work." Mr. Psychic stated which surprised Red. "Wait. Why?"

"Well, that's because it's your powers that are blocking said memories." The man said as he looked at Red with a serious expression. "Or well, something that is using your powers against you. Anyways, it's making it that no one is able to have access to your memories. Think of it as like your mental block. Forcibly trying to remove them may lead to your head being destroyed being repair."

"Seriously? So, is there any way of retrieving them?" Red asked.

"Yes. Through you mastering or having a handle of your powers. As you are right now, your powers are going haywire. Being used and even going out of control without your knowledge." Mr. Psychic said as he finished his tea and going for another cup. "Until you are able to reach at a level to control them, you may do something that you will regret doing. Basically, you need to learn how to activate and deactivate your powers."

"Oh. I understand. Thank you." Red bowed respectfully before he looked at his Pokegear to call Sabrina which the man noticed. "You won't be able to get that girl at this time. She's busy...she's not very good with devices anyway..."

Red was unable to hear the last bit of the man's sentence, the teen cocking his head in confusion. "What?"

"It's nothing." Mr. Psychic then got up and picked up everything from the table except for a spoon. "First things first, you need to learn how to use your powers properly. You need to exercise control...for your own sake. Your powers are oozing uncontrollably, even now and it's not very good for you or anyone around you."

Hearing this made Red confused which Mr. Psychic noticed as he raised a brow. "You have not noticed that you are using your powers right now? Hmm, that is odd. Well, it is dangerous. Let's get started."

"Huh? Wait, wait, wait! What do you mean it's dangerous for my powers to be used like this?" Red asked his question in a worried tone.

Hearing the question, Mr. Psychic closed his eyes before turning to the raven-haired teenager. "The answer to that question is the basis of your powers."

Red raised a brow at that which made Mr. Psychic let out a sigh before he spoke. "Have you ever wondered that your life seemed to be more unfair to you than usual?"

Red's eyes became brighter when he heard that before his gaze lowered to the floor and thought about all the unfair events of his life. He always wondered that they were unnecessarily pitted for him to lose no matter what he did. Everyone hated him for no reason, wanted him dead for no reason, him losing for no reason.

His eyes widened in disbelief as the headache started to get worse. 'There's no way-'

"Remember, boy. You are a Channeler. A group of people who possess the power to command and even mimic the abilities of Ghost Pokémon. Powers like those come with immense side effects because of the ethereal energy that the phantoms use." The man explained as he levitated the spoon out of his cup and in front of Red. "This is especially true in your case. Ghost Pokemon are very fickle and tricky and side effects for their powers vary so imagine how terrifying the side effects would be for a young child who use the powers without restraint."

"A-at a…young age?" Red repeated with a raised brow. "I wasn't using my powers until a few months ago. After I got my second badge at the Underground Tunnel!"

"That's what you think." Mr. Psychic stated calmly as he sipped his tea. "Haven't you noticed that you were unjustly hated during your school days? How everyone was afraid of you? How they say your eyes resemble that of a Pokemon or they were too eerie? You have been using your powers since then. Probably before that. You were just unaware of it."

"I know that no one liked me at school because of my eyes but..." Red mumbled before he held his head. "...they were...never that violent when I moved from Lavender Town. Everything started...when I was around...9 or 10."

"Exactly. Your powers fully manifested on the day your father died." Mr. Psychic said as he picked up the spoon. "Your 9th birthday."

Hearing that, Red's eyes widened in shock as he looked down to the ground and held his head. "N-no…"

"After that day, you and your mother's spirits were unstable, it caused for spirits to be magnetized by both of your auras. Your mother had a handle on her powers but you did not have that luxury. Remember, some Ghost Pokémon have abilities and powers that can activate by just them being close to you. And with their powers come consequences. So, imagine your spirit attracting ghost Pokémon that attracts bad luck and misfortune…"

"Nonono…" Red said before he remembered something, his red eyes glowing intensely. "But only Dusclops is in my shadow. I don't see anyone else in my shadow before."

"From time to time, phantoms will come and go without you even knowing. Sometimes in your sleep. Other times when you're too preoccupied or unconscious. Also, you need to remember that you were younger back then and was blissfully unaware of your powers."

"Noo..." Red's eyes glowed, his pupils starting to turn white. "Nooo."

Red started to remember every bad event that happened in his life, every unfair moment that happened to him. Even now he has a hard time wrapping his head around it, all of those things that happened, the people who got hurt, his Pokemon that were injured from the fights.

It was all his fault.

"So, all those years I've been bullied...those years of torture...the Pallet Academy incident...what happened to Leaf and my friends..." Red's eyes formed tears as he looked at a Luxury Ball in his bag. "...Pikachu being stolen...it's my fault..."

Mr. Psychic decided to be silent as Red became frustrated as he punched the ground out of anger.

"Everything that happened in my life...it's because of my eyes...my powers...damn it!" Red said as he panted, his cap and hair covering his glowing eyes as he looked at his reflection in the tea.

Seeing the boy's expression, Mr. Psychic watched his eyes before he stood up and made his way to the kitchen. "Why not take a break?"

Red looked at the man with a confused expression, Mr. Psychic not turning around as he levitated a spoon into Red's hands.

"It's obvious that you will need time to process this information. Think things through. You're not a mental state that requires for you to master your powers. Especially with your headache." The old man said, Red looked at the utensil in his hand as the man continued. "When you're ready to learn more about yourself and your powers, that will let you know where to find me."

Red looked down to the ground and nodded as he picked up his bag. "Thank you, sir."

Red then left the house with an exhausted expression on his face as he let out a sigh and looked to the sky.

"I can't believe it." He said while dragging his feet throughout the streets of Saffron City.

The teen didn't care where he wanted to go as long as he could vent. As he walked aimlessly through the city, his mind barely processed what he was told by Mr. Psychic.

Everything that happened. All of the bad situations in his life that seemed almost impossible and inevitable. It was a byproduct of his powers. A side effect. Because of him, his friends were hurt on multiple occasions.

Because of him, Pikachu was gone.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Red found himself at an unknown section of the city, the air gently hitting the back of his head as he gazed at the landscape of Route 5. He looked around to see himself at a construction site, wandering around the place until he saw a signpost.

"Train station in progress?" Red said as he sat down and watched the scenery until his gaze lifted to the sky as he watched the clouds go by. "A lot...happened..."

Togepi cooed which got the teenager's attention as he looked at the baby Pokemon before he sat down on one of the support beams and faced the road connecting Saffron to Cerulean. His Pokemon released themselves from their capsules as they gathered around their trainer, none of them saying a word as they saw the broken look on their trainer's face with their goal being to comfort him.

During this, Red felt content as he snuggled with his party, the glow in his eyes slowly losing their light as he started to fall asleep.

After some time, Red woke up to see that it was almost nighttime, the teen looking at his Pokegear to see how late it was.

'7 PM? That's super late.' Red thought as he got up, noticing that he got some texts from Leaf and Kim. "Uh oh."

After sending a reply to them, he noticed his Pokemon still asleep which made a smile come across his face before he returned them. After leaving the construction site, he made his way towards the Pokemon Center with a calm smile on his face.

During this walk, Red could not help but feel very rejuvenated after his sleep. He was in deep thought as he went home before he remembered what Mr. Psychic said, tapping his shadow to summon Dusclops.

"Do you see any ghosts in my shadow by any chance?" Red asked Dusclops who shook its head. 'Everything is ok, young master. No one is taking refuge in your shadow.'

"Thanks." Red thanked the ghost who descended back into his shadow with a bow.

After a while, Red reached home to see Kim and Leaf sitting at the table eating dinner. Leaf then got up from her seat and rushed to him with a worried face as she held his face and inspected his body.

"Oh! Thank God! You're ok! Where have you been, Red Fires?" She said with her hands on her hips. Red could only let out a small chuckle as he explained with a shaky smile, Togepi mimicking his expression. "Sorry, I was asleep."

Leaf gave him a deadpanned glare before she sighed and went into the kitchen. "Fine. You're lucky you're cute. I made dinner, sweetie."

"What are you? His mom?" Kim said as she continued eating her dinner.

"You can't blame me. Things were hectic for the last couple of weeks. I just hope that we get some peace." Leaf put down Red's plate as the teen went to wash his hands and took out Pokemon food for his party members.

The trio continued with their conversation as they ate their dinner, Leaf talking about her battles against the Black Belts in the Dojo and Kim speaking about the different techniques she learnt at the beauty salon. After they have finished their dinner, Red took a shower and then plopped on his bed, the events happening earlier swirling through his mind.

'My powers, huh? It caused so much pain for everyone around me...' He thought as he gazed at the ceiling of his room. '...that's a lot to take in.'

"My powers feed off my negative emotions and using them comes with side effects. Also, just like Mr. Tanaka said in Lavender Town, if I use them without restraint, I'll end up being overtaken by my emotions or used like a puppet." Red thought aloud before he looked at his shadow. "How am I using my powers? Apart from speaking to my Pokemon, my shadow being used for Dusclops and me having an acute sense for ghosts but that's it. I hardly know when I use them or if I have other abilities."

His door opened slowly; he sat up to see Leaf who was peeking into the room. "You're not asleep, right?"

"Uhh. Yes." Red answered which made the brunette giggle as she entered the room.

"So...what's up?" Red said as the girl sat beside him, twiddling her fingers with a blush until she opened her mouth. "Are you free tomorrow?"

"Not really. Why?" Red answered to which she let out a small victory pose before she looked at her Pokegear.

"Hey, Red Let's go on a date." Leaf suggested which surprised her raven-haired boyfriend before she continued. "What? It's obvious that you need some fresh air with what is happening. Also, I need to recharge on my Red meter."

"Alright then. Let's. Is there somewhere you want to go?" Red said with a smile that made Leaf immediately lunge at him and showered him with kisses.

"Leaf. Wo-mmm. Slow dow-mmmph!" Red said between kisses but the brunette did not let up, caressing his hair as she indulged herself in her boyfriend's lips. "No, sweetie. You have committed a crime and you have to do the time. With me. Also, we'll just hang out, you know."

The night was silent, the two continued their night with each other as they watched shows until they slept.

Red opened his eyes to see the blinding rays of the sun hitting his face. Getting up, he looked around his room as he started to slowly fall back asleep.

"Bzzt! It's time to get up! Bzzt!" Virus shouted from his Pokegear which made the teenager realized what day it is.

"I need to get ready!" He said, quickly hopping out of the bed and then taking a shower and getting himself ready.

Leaf came in his room dressed in a black sleeveless blouse, a green cardigan and a red skirt that went to her knees.

"How do I look?" Leaf said, getting a nod from Red which made her happy. "That's good. Next time, you need to open up more with your opinions. Now speaking about opening up..."

Leaf looked at Red who dressed himself in his black hoodie and black jeans with his red sneakers along with his cap which Leaf took off and threw on the bed. Red was about to pick up the cap but Leaf stopped him, shaking her head. "No caps."

The two then left their room and started their date, Leaf having a devilish smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around Red and pushed herself against him.

"Where should we go first?" Leaf asked, Red scratching his head until he snapped his fingers.

"How about the movies? I know you wanted to watch that one movie with the princess and her Greninja. I'm interested in it." He suggested, unaware of the surprised look on her face. "How did you-"

Red stopped her by holding up her chin. "Leaf. I make sure that you enjoy everything to the fullest."

"The fullest, huh?" The brunette started smirking as she scooted closer to Red. "Do you know that it takes a lot to satisfy me?"

"Oh really?" Red said with a smile as he caressed the girl's cheek. "How much does it take...to satisfy you?"

Leaf wrapped her arms around Red's shoulders, readying herself to kiss him until they heard a race taking place down the street which caught their attention.

"Get out of the way! We're having a battle!" A female Ace trainer said as she pushed everyone out of the way, Red and Leaf being some of the people as the race continued. The couple watched as a group of Pokemon passed through the street, a group of trainers going along with them as they made their way to Route 7.

"A race, huh?" Red said as he turned to Leaf. "Saffron has everything, huh?"

"Tch..." He turned to see a huge sneer on Leaf's face which made Red let out a nervous chuckle. "Hehehe...come on, let's get some ice cream..."

Leaf's eye twitched as she pouted and folded her arms. "Fine..."

The two enjoyed their day throughout the city, spending time in the park and enjoying several food and ice cream as they did so. After they finished their date, the two found themselves resting by a huge water fountain as they decided to release their Pokemon and have them play with each other.

"Togepi is so cute, isn't she?" Leaf smiled as she watched the baby Pokemon playing with the toy that Red bought it. Red nodded as he patted the egg fairy. "Yeah. I wish for her happiness."

"Well, just don't spoil her. Plus, she has an awesome mom." The brunette let out a smile and gestured to herself until she decided to get up from the bench and play with her Pokemon. "C'mon! Let's play!"

Seeing the smile on Leaf's face made Red blush as he watched her dance. He then thought about everything in his life before he looked at his Pokémon enjoying the picnic. Seeing all of them alright despite what happened, despite the injuries he caused them made a smile creep on his face as he watched.

He looked up to the sky with a gentle smile, letting out a heavy sigh that almost made him feel like he lost 50 tons.

This is what he wanted to protect. Their safety is what he wants to cherish.

Red looked at his hands for a while until another pair of slender hands grabbed them and massaged them.

"Red..." He looked up to see Leaf's beautiful aquamarine eyes looking into his. "...no matter what anyone says, I will always be with you. I don't care if you're a monster. We're in this together."

Red looked at Leaf with a bewildered expression for a while until he smiled. While Leaf put her hands on her hips in a proud manner, she was caught off guard when Red hugged her which she returned.

"Thanks, Leaf." He said as he tightened his embrace.

"No problem, sweetie." Leaf answered, putting her lips on his cheek. "Let's go to the arcade! Wish we could go and take a tour in Silph Co. but it's locked because of the Team Rocket fiasco."

After a while, they continued their date, enjoying the arcade before they decided to go home. The two seeing Kim in the living room with her Pokemon showing different hairstyles.

"Hey guys~" She said with a smile before she noticed the two locking arms and a few slight lipstick marks on Red's mouth which made her smirk. "Looks like you guys were busy. Very busy. How far did you-mmmph!"

Leaf shoved a jelly-filled donut in the girl's mouth, her face turning to Red's namesake. "Shut up, Kim. Red, can you make dinner?"

"Uh, ok." The boy nodded as he went to the kitchen and decided to make dinner. The three teenagers enjoyed themselves, Kim teasing the couple, much to their embarrassment.

The next day, Red woke up early as he got himself ready before he searched his bag and found the spoon that Mr. Psychic gave him. The raven-haired teenager then looked in the mirror, seeing that his eyes are no longer glowing and showing their dark red color.

'These are the reason for everything bad that happened in my life...well, no...not exactly...'

As he left his room, he closed his eyes and meditated on the spoon which made it bend unnaturally towards a place. The teenager then went towards the direction that the spoon is turning to, his mind now made up.

'I thought I agreed that beating myself up wouldn't work...'

Red's mind was in deep thought as he remembered everything that happened in his life, the teen feeling a bit guilty about what happened.

'...if I want to set things straight...if I want to protect them...to hold my own against Team Rocket, I need to control my own path.'

After a while, Red found himself in front of the house again, this time his expression being a determined one. Knocking on the door and then opening it, he looked in to see Mr. Psychic in the middle of the room, the objects around him levitating into the air before he looked at Red.

'That look...' Mr. Psychic said as he looked at Red's expression. "I guess you were able to clear your mind and make your decision right?"

The teen nodded defiantly which made the man smile as his eyes glowed intensely, the objects around him moving wildly as he looked at Red. "Good. Now let's get started."

Red watched as the man floated in the air with his arms crossed as he spoke.

"Let me teach you. The true power of the move Psychic."

You guys have no idea how long I had this chapter in the woodworks. We are in Saffron City and we can finally focus on Red's powers. The amount of brainstorming I had to do for this chapter and do you know what the brainstorming was for?

The date? No.

The power explanation? Not at all. I had that planned ever since I gave him them powers.

The dream? Not even close.

The hardest part is...the walk home. Yes, the walk from the construction site to the Pokemon Center. That was the hardest part of this chapter. I had to write the chapters after this to get an idea of what I had to do. Just expect many more from Saffron because things are going to get serious. Also, yes, you will know much more about Red's powers in the latter chapters.

Enigma out!