Anxiety has been put to rest when the day of the tournament comes to reality, people from around Kanto gathering around to witness and quench their thirst for excitement and action. Red and Leaf watch the congregation impatiently wait at the pier of Vermilion City as the guards check their tickets to go inside. The two teenagers are unaware of others observing them including a fisherman who immediately hides inside a room after seeing the red capped trainer. The man then takes a picture of the boy which catches Red's attention before he looks around, searching for something or someone.
'What was that?' He thought. He observes around before he gets dragged off to another section of the SS. Anne by Leaf.
"Master Klaus! I've seen someone who seems familiar." The man said, earning an eyebrow raise from Klaus before the man gives him a picture of Red which made the man instantly recognize the boy.
"Hmm… It's that kid who go-" He said before he notices others outside his room who are looking at him in confusion. Quickly calming himself down and shutting the door, he then clears his throat and corrects himself. "I mean the fiend who almost stole my shiny Gyarados!"
When he said this, everyone continue to do their activities outside before Klaus gets close to the man and whispered to his ear. "Keep tabs on the kid for now, Clarence. Check his partner too. I don't need anything messing up this tournament for me."
The man, now known as Clarence, nods before leaving of the room. After the man closes the door, Klaus watches the other people outside his room before he scratches his chin with his fingers, trying his best to hide his smile as a thought came to his mind. 'As long as that kid does not get in my way, the prize money of this tournament will be mine.'
"C'mon, Red! They're showcasing the Silver Wing here!" Leaf said with her arms around Red's good arm, dragging him towards the showcasing area of the ship which looks like the inside of a museum. The raven haired trainer looks around in awe and curiosity before he stops, seeing his partner looking with sparkles in her eyes towards a glass case which is covering an item inside. He focuses more, seeing that the item is a feather, having a silver color that makes it look like that it is glowing despite the lighting.
"This, everyone, is the infamous Silver Wing. A relic of the Legendary Pokemon Lugia. A rare item found in an escapade of the Whirl Islands." The guide explained. "It is also stated by some to be a kind of trigger for the Legendary Pokemon."
Everyone starts commenting on the item, some having raised brow and questioning looks before one of the people lifts their hand, asking a question. "What is a Lugia?"
Hearing the question, the guide chuckles before speaking, raising his voice so that everyone could hear. "For those of you who do not what Lugia is, it is a Pokemon that is said to be native in the Johto region. It is the guardian of the ocean, said to been born from the Whirl Islands in the Johto region. This Pokemon is also stated to be the leader of the legendary birds of Kanto."
As he made the explanation, muttering can be heard within the crowd along with some people gasping in surprise at what the guide had said while others are in denial and disbelief, claiming everything to be a myth. During the commotion, Red observes the feather until he feels a pressure of the item, instinctively stepping back until he hears a voice.
"Red! Are you ok? Anybody in there?" Leaf asked, her face to close to Red which made him jump and back away from her. "Yep! You're still in there."
'I swear this girl needs to know the meaning of personal space. Is she like this with everyone?' He thought while wiping the sweat off his brow and rubbing his head, feeling a slight ache in his cranium. Leaf notices this, looking at him in worry before asking. "Are you really ok? I forgot that you need to take it easy. Am I being too rough?"
Red then smiles before shaking his head, ready to continue on as he said. "I'm fine."
After an hour of sightseeing and observing almost every relic and item, which is longer due to Red gushing out on every artifact, much to Leaf's amusement as she watches the silliness of the usually quiet and cool trainer. They both get out and journey towards the pool section of the ship, which made the brunette's excited as she quickly orders a bathing suit, running towards the changing room. Seeing the pure enthusiasm of Leaf causes a sigh to go through Red's mouth before he sits down and releases his Pokemon by one of the pools, letting them enjoy themselves while he simply takes out a notebook and started doodling.
'Whatcha doing, boss?' Beedrill asked in an innocent tone as she perched on her trainer, looking at the notebook. Red smiles at the Pokemon, petting her before he turns his attention back to the book. "I'm drawing something for Mom. Her birthday is coming soon and I'm trying to think of a good present for her."
'That's co cool. I wonder how the boss' mother is like. Is she silent and tough?' The Bug type said with enthusiasm. Red chuckles when he sees the yellow bee starts rambling before she goes off to play with the rest of the Pokemon on his team.
'Hey, Red. Look what I found.' A voice said beside him, turning to see Meowth with a weird rainbow colored scale in her mouth. Taking the item, he examines it, realizing what it is before he turns to the Pokemon.
"Meowth. Where did you find this?" He asked in a worried tone, his mind praying and hoping that it did not rob the item from anyone. The cat licks its paw, waving it in the air when it smiles and said. 'Don't worry. It was on the floor and it looked shiny and I thought 'Why not give it to ya?'
"That smile honestly makes me worry more than I should be. Where did you actually find this?" Red said, giving the Pokemon a look that slightly made it nervous before it admitted. 'Fine. I found it in the kitchen trash can.'
"Oh thank Arceus! I thought it was somewhere worse. Who would put such a pretty scale in the garbage?" Red sighed in relief as he observed the scale. He then notices that Feebas is interested in the item, walking over to her.
"Interested?" He asked the Water type who came back to her senses as she turned around and scoffed, stuttering a little due to being caught off guard. 'N-no! It's not like I was interested in that scale, y-you idiot.'
Red smiles when he gave the item to Feebas who looked at him in confusion. "Why don't you keep it? You'd probably have more use for it than I would plus it looks good on you."
The Pokemon gazes at her trainer in disbelief before she reluctantly takes the item. It then smiles before it jumps out of the water and kissing her trainer on the cheek, surprising the trainer. 'T-thank you.'
The raven haired teen looks at the Pokemon in disbelief as it goes back into the pool, enjoying the new item. Seeing her face of enjoyment puts a smile on Red's face before he goes back to the bench and returns to his notebook, unaware of the fact that someone is watching him. By one of the many entrances of the recreational area was Clarence, observing the shiny Pokemon as people starts crowding the red capped trainer, asking him about his shiny Feebas. After taking a picture and seeing Leaf and her Pokemon, the man leaves the room to return to Klaus' suite.
"A shiny Feebas?! Forget a Shiny Gyarados, those things are rare! Almost scarce!" Klaus exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table. He then puts his hands on his head, rubbing his greyish hair while pacing around his room, his assistant waiting on a result before the man asks another question. "What about his partner?"
"She has a good variety of Pokemon as well. Not sure if they are ones that you're interested in." Clarence said as he gave him a photos of Leaf and her Pokemon. Klaus looks at the photos, throwing the ones with the brunette in the garbage and giving the others to his assistant. "Not a lot of their Pokemon has any worth however a shiny Feebas will sell for a lot especially in Kanto where there is hardly any of their kind left. The Clefairy would sell at a good price as well considering what happened at Mt. Moon."
He then gets himself ready as he takes out a set of Pokeballs, turning to his assistant as he said. "Do you know where they are right now, Clarence?"
"Yes, sir. More or less."
"Good. I'm going to need you to participate in a little 'trade' for me." Klaus said, chuckling as Clarence nodded.
Red and Leaf are enjoying their time, eating their lunch along with their Pokemon as they discuss their strategy for their first match. "C'mon, Red! Our first opponents are gonna be easy. It's just a Juggler and a Firebreather, we're gonna be fiiine."
She then looks at her phone, seeing Red's text that says. 'Yeah. Fine from the burns if we're not careful.'
"Red, you need to chill out. You make it sound like every battle is a war. Sometimes, you just gotta go full force."
'Hmm… And sometimes, you need to think things through just in case the opponent puts you in a trap. Rushing ahead guns blazing does not work everytime.'
"Psshh, strategy can go so far, Red."
'So does brute force. Did you forget the headache of a gym battle that we had with Misty?'
Leaf clicks her tongue when she notices that she cannot find anything in her head that is a rebuttal to Red's statement. Seeing the pout on the brunette's face, the raven haired teenager smiles before he watches their Pokemon while they eat and frolic about. He then remembers about Feebas being in the aquarium, making his way to the Water type to see it sleeping peacefully which made the trainer smile as he returns the Pokemon before he gets himself ready for his battle tomorrow.
The days passed by as the amount of participants has been reduced in the first rounds, the competition getting smaller for Red and Leaf who won their first and second matches with little difficulty. Seeing the next opponents had Leaf excited when started jumping up and down.
"The last two matches were a cakewalk! I hope this Klaus fellow can put up a good fight." She said, turning her head to Red who reluctantly nods his head in agreement. Looking at the name once again, he racks his brain as he realizes that the name is familiar.
"Wait! Isn't Klaus that famous fisherman that caught a shiny Gyarados?" As soon as the words leave Leaf's mouth, the raven haired teen instantly remembers the person. He starts groaning in frustration and anger when he remembers his last confrontation with the man, the boy's hands clenching tightly as a result of his emotional review of the memory.
'Let's just get this over with.' He thought, sighing as he walks to another section of the ship. Entering the recreation room, he made his way to a sofa, sitting down and trying to calm himself down from the intense whirlpool of emotions in his stomach.
After taking a few minutes to calm himself down, Red felt better, stretching his arms before he notices Meowth who is sleeping on his lap. He cradles the Pokemon in his arms, rubbing its head which encourages a relaxed purr from the cat before it shifts itself to be more comfortable. On his way back to where Leaf is, Red felt dizzy, his vision getting blurry and his body starts teetering until he falls to the ground. Barely conscious, he is barely able to shape out a person when they rob him and run away, leaving the teen on the floor with a huge headache.
'No… I gotta…chase him…' Red thought. He tries his best to get up only to be rewarded with failure when his body falls to the floor, his consciousness fading. 'Can't…let them escape…'
'No…I got to do something…Anything…' As he thought this, he tried his best to move his hand to one of his Pokeballs. Able to touch the release button on the capsule, he succeeds in releasing Luxio from its sphere who looks at him with a worried and confused expression.
'Red, are you alright? What on earth happened to you?' He asked. The Electric type then notices the sign on Red's hand which signals him to use Spark. It nods, using the move but starts worrying when he sees the next sign that the teen gave him.
'Are you sure? Do you really want me to use this attack on you? What if you get seriously hurt?' Luxio started to protest before the trainer nodded and pleaded with it. Giving up and listening to its trainer's pleadings, it raises its paw which is glowing with electricity before touching the drowsy teen, resulting in a shock that travels through Red's entire body. The attack instantly knocks the trainer out of his dizziness despite the pain, making him able to stay conscious when he moves and stops his Pokemon before the damage becomes more severe.
"Thanks, Luxio." The teen stated as the Electric type nodded. 'Glad to help.'
'REEEEEEEDD!' Both of them hear a voice as they look around before Red realizes that Meowth is not beside him.
Understanding what is happening, the raven haired teen, along with Luxio, follow the direction of the sound, worry clouding the trainer's mind. As they ran through the ship, they both found the thief, shaking off the cream colored kitten whose teeth were sunken in his leg. Before he was able to release his Pokeball, he was knocked aside by Luxio, descending to the ground as Red takes back his items before he retreats from the man.
"Who are y-" Red could not finish his statement when he hears a snap of a camera.
He then turns to see a camera pointed at his face as another flash came, making him shield his eyes from the intense light. When he opens them, he sees two people, a man with brown hair and eyes and a tan complexion with the device in his hands however what got Red's attention is the person at the back, who upon seeing him with Meowth before kicking it which immediately conjure up all the rage and anger that the teen tries to hold back a couple minutes ago.
"To think you would stoop so low…as to steal my Pokemon…again?" Klaus said in a fake surprised voice, a smug smile on his face. Red then notices another camera on the assistant, recording him as the time went by. "The first time you tried to steal my shiny Gyarados and now you're stealing my shiny Feebas! I gave you a chance last time. I thought you would change but once a robber, always a robber!"
As the man said this, he motioned for Clarence to end the recording to which he did, smiling at the results before he turned his gaze to Red. "You like the acting? I surprise myself all the time. Now I guess it is time that I get my prize, boy."
The teen glares with anger burning in his eyes at the man, about to retreat when he sees the fisherman taking the camera and playing the video. Seeing the video, Red clicks his teeth when the video shows him looking like the villain once again before he realizes that Clarence acted the role of a victim for the video. Once it is finished, Klaus hands the device back to Clarence before he speaks again. "Unless you want a repeat of last time, I suggest you give us your Feebas and we'll leave you alone. I'd hate to put your partner through any…issues. She was…so happy and enthusiastic to be in the tournament. I wonder how she would feel if she saw this. Now that I think about it, she looks pretty. She could sell for a good amount."
"Why…are you doing this?" Red said, his hands clenching into fists, trying his best not to lash out at the two men for what they said about Leaf.
"Why, you ask? I just want to be rich...and I'm willing to do anything to reach that goal. Sitting around everyday fishing is not going to get me to that so I have to think big. You'll be surprised at how much money people will pay for a shiny Pokemon." The man explained, chuckling softly as he said each word.
"Also, do you think that you're in a position to refuse at this moment?" The man continued when his assistant flaunted around his camera, smirks on both their faces as they awaited the teen's decision. Words could not express Red's emotions as he tries to find a way to destroy the recording only to be interrupted, about to use Meowth and Luxio before he sees Klaus takes out a phone and making a call before saying. "The clock is ticking, boy."
As he does this, the raven haired teen could only obey as he takes out Feebas' ball.
'…no…'
He then reluctantly trades his Pokemon with the fisherman who smiled upon receiving it, looking at his newly acquired shiny Pokemon with a smirk on his face.
'…why…'
Red looks at his Pokeball, releasing it to see a Poliwag who looks at him before seeing the broken look on his face along with Meowth and Luxio. They all hug their trainer who had tears running out of his eyes like a flood, falling down against the wall as he punches the floor. 'Damn it! He's gonna win again, just like that tournament.'
"It was nice doing business with you." Klaus said as he walked off, chucking the ball in the air.
'Nothing changed. This is the same way I lost the Gyarados to him.' The teen thought before his eyes started to widen as he remembered something that stung his heart.
'…it is the same way I lost Pikachu…' The realization made him angry and broken as he can only watch the man walk with his teeth clenched, seeing the blue tadpole next to him trying to comfort him which makes him look at it before something clicks in his mind.
'Wait!' Red thought, taking out his Pokedex and reading Poliwag's description before he found something that made his eyes light with hope. He then looks at the Water type with a smile before he points at the two men and mutters one word.
"Hypnosis."
Poliwag then turns around to the direction of the two men, its eyes glowing and the patterns on his belly swirling, making them disorientated as they fall to the ground.
"You wanna play like that. Let's play by your rules." Red said as he got up from the ground and approached the two men. Klaus is only able to look from the corner of his eye when he sees the teen approaching him, feeling fear as he notices the boy's eyes staring down at him as they glow in anger.
'Not again. I won't let them take another member. I have to try at least.' The teen mentally stated as he took up Feebas' capsule, ready to give back Poliwag when he hears its voice, turning to see the Pokemon walking up to him.
'I don't want to go back. Not back to that man. He's mean and terrible. All he does is beat me.' The tadpole said, rubbing itself. Red then notices the various scratches and scars on it which made him angry before he turns his glare to the two men, seeing them getting up off the floor only to fail as he commands for another Hypnosis.
"You little shit! You fucking little shit!" Klaus yelled in a tone that caused his assistant to cower in fear.
"Do you think you're just going get away with this? Huh?! I can end your career! I can get you in jail within minutes, boy!"
Red simply smiles as he puts his hands in his pockets which only angers the man further when he tries to get up but fails due to the effects of Hypnosis. The man then grits his teeth before he hears something. "Sucks, doesn't it? You can't do anything right now? Not a single thing. Just stuck to the floor. Hope ya like it because I'm done."
"You damn child! Do you know who I am? My name is Klaus Von Clermont! I can get you killed for this! I can make this tournament be a living hell for you and your partner! I'll kill you! That Feebas should be mine!" Klaus yelled, panting as he finished. Red crouches down in front of the man, resisting the urge to punch him in the face as he exhales to calm himself down.
"Alright, let's play by your rules then. How about this? We're going to have a battle tomorrow at the tournament. Let's decide everything in that battle. If I win, you're going to stop stealing from other trainers for your profit." The raven haired teen stated clearly with a serious expression on his face. Klaus and Clarence look at the teen incredulously before the both of them erupt in laughter.
"You actually think you still have the advantage here just because you have back your Pokemon. I'm still here! I'm still around! Even if I lose the battle tomorrow, I can simply get you in jail by saying that you stole my Feebas! You should know that it's impossible to face me! I have you on video. All I need to do is show this and you'll find yourself behind bars! Do you remember what happened last time?! I have people on my side and what do you have! Nothing! Everyone will believe me! They'll never think that Klaus robbed a trainer! They will all be on my side! You will fail and I will enjoy making you suffer, child!" The man said, his assistant nodding at every sentence that the man stated.
"Do you think that you're in a position to refuse at this moment?" Red stated as he pulled his Pokegear out of his pocket, much to the men's confusion. He then presses a couple buttons on the device before the recording starts to play. Klaus' eyes widens when the device plays everything that he states in the last few minutes before the teen stops the recording. The man could only watch as the teen plays it again, making sure that this time he would get his position in this situation.
"I think you should know what would happen if this were to be released to the police." Red said, putting the device in his pocket as he awaits the man's decision. The man could only growl in irritation before he thinks of his options and the situation that he's in, having to make the decision that burns every fiber of his pride.
"Fine. I hope you keep your end of your promise, brat." Klaus admitted.
"But…" He continued as he glared at the teen. "…you need to beat me without losing a single Pokemon. You forget I still have the video of you and even if you break the camera that we have now, Clarence already uploaded it to my computer."
Hearing the man's demands causes Red to click his tongue as he thinks seriously before he looks at Feebas' Great Ball, Klaus reminding him of the bullies in his past. He was always bullied because of his eyes but he realized that he never fought back. He never retaliated. He just took it as him being unfortunate. However, now he has a choice, the fisherman may have gotten him before but he won't back down this time. His grip tightened on the ball as he went to do something that his past self would never think of doing. 'This is not my fight anymore. We're fighting together.'
Red nodded to Klaus' demand, much to the man's delight when he tries his best to hide a smile while he and his assistant is released from Hypnosis, making them able to walk away in a dizzy pace, on their way to their rented room. When they are far enough, Clarence whispers to the man. "Are you sure that you want him to have him walking with that evidence on him?"
"We don't have a choice. We fucked up by giving him that Pokemon. If we fight him then, he would win this battle because of that damn tadpole! We're going to have to cover our tracks before the end of tomorrow." Klaus whispered angrily as they both reach the front door of his room. The assistant opens the door and closed it as he sits on his bed, trying his best to shake off the grogginess from his system. Klaus however sits at his chair as he takes out a laptop and made some research as he growls and say. "That brat may have gotten the hit on us now however tomorrow…oh tomorrow…I will give him hell."
He chuckles as he imagines the look of devastation on the teen's face before he mutters one last sentence to himself.
"I'm gonna enjoy seeing him suffer."
Red goes towards the recreational area when he notices Leaf who seems to be looking around for someone. As she lays her eyes on him, she briskly walks towards him with a pouty face, grabbing his arm before she asked. "Red! Where were you? Why have you not answered my calls or texts?"
The teen looks at her in confusion before he checks his Pokegear, now recognizing the multiple alerts he got from the brunette.
'Uh oh…' He thought. He was about to type his reason before Leaf snatched the device and put it in her bag while she strengthened her grip on his arm, leading him to a table as they both sit down.
"I want you to talk, Red. That's your punishment." She said, glaring at him and keeping her hold on him to prevent him from escaping.
"I'm sorry. I…I was…" He looks around for an excuse until his eyes lay on Poliwag when he takes it up and continues. "This little guy got lost on the ship and I was trying to get him back into the water however he wanted to come along with me."
'That wasn't what happened...but the ending part was correct.' The Water type commented.
"Just roll with it." Red whispered. Upon hearing the explanation, Leaf sighs before she orders some food, waiting patiently on it with her arms crossed. The raven haired trainer was going to ask a question before she interrupted him. "Just make sure you call me next time. I understand that you like to do things alone but you're still injured. If you have any problems, I can help, you know. That's what friends are for."
As he hears this, Red's eyes widens before he smiles at the mention of the word 'friend', nodding to her as she explains to him all about what he missed in the tournament. After an hour of talking and eating, both teens get up as Leaf go outside of the ship, standing by the railing as she allows the sea breeze to hit her, making her hair dance along with the wind. She gazes at her partner, a giggle coming out of her mouth as she watches him observing the various Pokemon on the ship and playing with Poliwag before he takes out another capsule which she immediate recognizes as Feebas' Great Ball.
"Hey, Poliwag. I want you to meet Feebas, I feel like you two are gonna be great friends." The teen said as the tadpole nodded, excited to see another member of his team. 'I'm so excited to see her.'
'Children…' Meowth said as she simply dipped her paw in the pool, playing with the water as she used her tail to mess with Luxio. 'Can you please stop that, woman?!'
'Stop what? What did I do?' Meowth feigned ignorance. The Electric type scoffs and gets up, moving to another location where he plops down and lays his head between his paws. The silence however was short lived as Meowth plays with him again, annoying the lynx until he gives in to his anger and chases the Normal type around the pier. 'Wait until I get my paws on you!'
Red then throws the Great ball in the air which instead of releasing Feebas, it lets out a serpentine Pokemon which surprised him, Leaf and the rest of his Pokemon as the serpent yawns and opens its eyes, saying. 'Yes, master. What is wrong? Why do I feel different?'
'Is this my new big sister?!' Poliwag asked as it wobbles to the new Pokemon, getting its attention.
'Big sister? I like that. Indeed, young one I am your big sister.' The serpentine Pokemon said in a smug tone.
Upon hearing the voice, Red simply froze as he said one word, his tone shrouded in confusion.
"FEEBAS?!"
Man. Another one done. I'm pretty proud of this one because Red finally gets to stand up for himself. Also, I hope you like the fact that Red now has a Poliwag. For those of you who don't know, Poliwag is Red's first Pokemon in the PokeSpe manga which is awesome because it's honestly one of my favorite Water types. Initially I was going to make Leaf help Red with this but I'm sorry, I wanted this to be essential to Red's character arc. I've talked long enough. Thanks for reading my story. Hope you love it and if you have anything to say about it, you can say it. Tell me how you feel about the story so far and next one is coming soon. Thanks again, please take care of yourselves out there. Enigma out!