"Welcome back to Professor Oak's Pokémon Talk. I'm your co-host, Mary!" A young, pink-haired woman with brown eyes said, a huge smile on her face before she turned to a grey, spiky-haired man who was dressed in a light lilac polo shirt and brown pants underneath a white lab coat. "And I'm here with the host, the esteemed Professor Samuel Oak!"
A round of applause thundered through the place as the man waved gently at the audience.
"Hello there. Glad to meet you all again." Professor Oak said with a smile.
"It's around the time when young trainers are going to be given their treasured Pokémon, right?" Mary asked to which Professor Oak nodded. "Yes, indeed."
"Do you have any words to tell them as encouragement for their first steps?"
"Young trainers from all regions, it is truly amazing that you are able to take your first steps into the real world." Professor Oak stated, standing up with a pure expression of enthusiasm. "As you all may know, this world is inhabited far and wide by creatures called Pokémon."
Professor Oak took a Pokeball that released an Eevee that sat on a table, the Normal-type running around as it wagged its tail.
"As Pokémon trainers, you will be given one of these trainers to go on your journey." He explained as he picked up the Pokémon who snuggled to him. "They will differ in the region that you're located."
His show was then displayed regionwide through the area of Kanto as he voiced his explanation.
"For some of you, you can have them as pets."
Within the city of Viridian, a young blonde girl watched the show with a smile as she hugged her Pikachu plushie, her parents smiling at the innocent girl's expressions.
"Others use them for battling."
Within another part of the same city, a brown-haired girl gleamed, her aquamarine eyes shining brightly as she playfully wrestled with her father. At the same time at another part of the region, below the city within a small town was a spiky-haired boy who had a huge grin on his face as he and his sister watched the show.
"As for myself..." The old man closed his eyes with a smile as the Eevee hopped to his shoulder. "...I study Pokémon as a profession. I want to learn more about them and their relationship with us humans."
As Professor Oak said that, a young black-haired boy watched the show silently, his eyes gleaming as he focused on Eevee as it moved. His mother looked at him, seeing the huge smile on his face as she wiped the food stuck on his face as she sat beside him.
"For all of you, a world of dreams and adventures will begin to unfold to you and I'm curious to see your growth. Now I want to tell you all." Professor Oak said before he outstretched his arms with a huge smile.
"Welcome to the world of Pokémon."
The moonlight of the night sky looms over the streets of Celadon City.
Lights and noise filled the atmosphere as trainers, travelers and the like are roaming and wandering the roads. Despite it being nighttime, the city is still brimming with life and excitement.
"That was a piece of cake! The boss is gonna be proud of us!" Said a voice from a dark alley near the city's renowned Game Corner.
Two men in black outfits with an 'R' logo on the shirt emerged from the shadows with huge bags over their backs. The first one has a scar across his face above his nose while the other has a silver goatee on his rugged chin along with a handkerchief tied to his head, under his beret.
"I know. I just hope we get a promotion for the work we are doing so far." Said the man with the scar, searching for any witnesses around the area.
When the coast was clear, they made their way inside the building and sneaked their way to the back where there was a poster. Due to the people in the game store being distracted, the sketchy duo was able to get out of sight through a secret stairway without anyone noticing. They then descended down a staircase to a hideout, glancing behind them to make sure nobody is following them as they pressed a switch to close the opening. The two then took an elevator which descended further down the hideout.
A beeping sound went off, signaling the men that they have reached their destination. They came out and made their way to an office entrance guarded by five bodyguards, which are all dressed in navy blue suits and shades.
"State your reason for coming here." One of the guards demanded, startling the two men.
"W-we would l-like to talk to the boss and give him the results of our m-mission." stuttered the man with the goatee while the other nodded quickly.
The guards shared a look before one of them took out a walkie talkie and pressing a button while the others took the bags from the two grunts and searching it for any dangerous items.
"Boss, there are two grunts that have some results to share with you from their mission."
There was a static sound which was followed with silence, which lasted a while, causing the two grunts sweat beads on their faces and feel awkward. The quietude was broken by a familiar sound coming from the talking device, which was a voice that stated to let them through. The guards obliged, turning and entering a combination which made the doors open.
"Go through." The guard said, providing them the bags and opening the doors to let the two grunts pass.
The two men gulped before walking past the guards and into the office which was dark. In the darkness, they could spot out four silhouettes, two on the left that are standing, one to the right that seems to have a hand on their hip but what made them feel fear is the one in the middle that was staring at them intensely as if it is looking into their souls.
The men's thoughts were interrupted as the figure to the right said in a feminine voice with a dominating tone, "Well, we do not have all day. State your report and progress."
"U-Umm… We would like to s-say that the mission was a success. A-Also, we got a few extra loot with the mission." The grunt with the scar stuttered, trying his best to sound serious.
The two grunts dropped the bags, revealing the loot to the leaders. It consisted of various Pokémon, Pokeballs and rare items but something caught the eyes of the figure in the middle.
"Where did you find that gem?" The man calmly asked, keeping his professional demeanor as he gestured to a stone that seems to be shining in a somewhat rainbow hue.
"Oh, this. We found it on the ground within the room. We decided to carry it with us to see if one of the professors or researchers here know what to do with it." The grunt with the goatee explained while taking up the peculiar mineral, rolling it in his palm.
"Ariana, take the gem to me." The man said, not breaking his glare on the item.
"Yes, Boss Giovanni." The female silhouette, now known as Ariana, nodded before she took the gem from the grunt and gave it to Giovanni. Giovanni took the gem, inspecting the stone with a triumphant smirk and a glint in his eyes.
"My eyes are not deceiving me. This is indeed the gem. The powerful material that can unleash the true potential of Pokémon." He said, chuckling as he put down the mineral on his desk. Giovanni then glanced at the two grunts who were slightly fidgeting out of nervousness.
"Archer, prepare a suitable reward for these two for the wonderful accomplishment they have." The male with the shorter hair, known as Archer, nodded before escorting the two grunts out of the office. Ariana gave a questioningly glance at the leader who was gazing at the gem with a smile.
"Boss, if you don't mind me asking. What exactly is that stone?" Ariana asked, curious about the item. Giovanni looked at her, keeping the smirk on his face as he chuckled.
"It's a stone rare to our region, Ariana. This…this is a Mega Stone."
In the town of Pallet, everything is peaceful and serene under the starry night sky as a family is outside laying in the grass and observing the beauty of the stars. A woman with black hair and reddish orange eyes in a flora dress sighed as the wind gently blows through the hair on her face.
"The wind feels amazing tonight." She said, twitching due to the grass tickled her neck. The man beside her chuckled before hugging the lady and kissing her forehead which made her snuggle closer to him.
"Dad, what is that star up there? It looks like a pot." A voice said belonging to a black-haired boy with red eyes wearing a Pikachu shirt and Marill shorts.
"That is the constellation, Ursa Major." The father said as he patted the boy's head.
"Red, what is that constellation?" He asked the boy, pointing at another group of stars shaped like a bird.
"That's Cygnus, dad." The child, known as Red, answered with enthusiasm. His father smiled, ruffling Red's black hair which cause the kid to laugh.
"Correct! That's my little scarlet." The mother said, hugging Red and giggled at her husband and son's nerd fest of the stars.
'It is so peaceful.' She thought as she silently took a picture of the two. Watching the stars, she made a wish as she reunited with her husband and son in a hug, continuing to gaze at the endless stars in the night.
'I wish it could stay like this forever.'
It was a couple weeks after that nightly escapee that the father, who is known as Jack, got a call from his job for an expedition on the northern section of the Kanto region, needing his assistance for a few experiments on a certain discovery and an extraction of a certain item. Jack is a miner and archaeologist that is known for several of his discoveries and achievements.
"Honey, I have to go on an excavation trip in order to retrieve some form of plate." Jack said to his wife, Helen while hugging her.
"I understand that, Jack. I just wished you could stay here longer before you went back." The mother said, returning his embrace before she glanced at the calendar. "Just remember that couple weeks from now is Red's birthday. Just make sure that you can make it for his birthday, please."
Jack looked at the calendar, seeing a marked spot on it before he turned to Helen who was giving him the puppy dog eyes which he tried to resist before sighing, reluctantly giving in.
"Stop making that face. I was gonna try to make it to his birthday anyways." Jack said, scratching the back of his head. "Now that I think of it, I have an idea of a great birthday gift for him actually."
"Just give me time. I will make it to his birthday, I promise." He said confidently, kissing Helen passionately before letting go and about to head out of the house. "I'm gonna miss your kisses and lasagna for a while."
Jack picked up his suitcases, looking at Helen before turning around and heading out.
"Just be careful." Helen said quietly, waving to him as he drove off and disappeared from view. 'I hope to God that nothing happens to him.'
At Red's school, it was lunch time when Red was having lunch with his friends, Blue and Yellow, in the cafeteria. The young boy watched as the two were in a heated argument about a hypothetical Pokémon battle.
"I'm telling you, Yel. Gyarados will beat Gengar any day of the week." Blue said defiantly, taking a bite of his salad. He then pointed his fork at an annoyed Yellow. "It is common sense that Gengar is weak to anything considered physical."
"And I'm saying that depends on the situation. Gengar can learn a lot of moves that can take down a Gyarados." The blonde responded in an annoyed tone, slamming her hands on the table. Red glanced between his two friends who were still arguing while continuing to eat his sandwich.
"Gyarados can use a lot of Dark-type moves which are super effective on Gengar."
"Gengar can also learn a lot of Electric-type moves that could blitz Gyarados."
"Gyarados hits harder!"
"Gengar is faster!"
"They are the best!" They both shouted in unison before glaring at each other with their teeth clenched. They then looked at Red, who was silently watching throughout the whole ordeal between the two friends.
"Red! What do you think?" They both said, staring at the black-haired boy who sighed.
"I think...both can win if they are prepared enough." Red said meekly, hoping to ease the tension between Blue and Yellow while not wanting to face the rage of any of his friends.
'I hoped that worked.' He thought, closing his eyes and awaiting the worst-case scenario. They looked at him before sighing, unsatisfied that they did not get a tie breaker.
"Seriously?!" They both shouted in unison, glaring at Red. The boy shrunk in his seat while his friends yelled at him about their opinions for several minutes before they both calm down.
"We'll continue this, Yel. Grandpa can prove which one of us is right." Blue glared at the blonde girl, who just rolled her eyes, much to the relief of Red.
"So, Red. Heard your dad had to go on another work trip again?" Yellow said, turning to raven haired with her head in her hands.
"Yeah. What is it this time?" Asked Blue who folded his arms.
"I actually don't know." Red shrugged. "They didn't tell dad much about the job."
"Must be a super-secret job!" Yellow said excitedly.
"Big deal. Did he get any new Pokémon recently, Red?" Blue said, changing the topic.
The raven-haired boy beamed at the question, almost as if he was expecting it. "Yeah! He had an Aggron and a Lucario! It was awesome! I got a ride on his back."
The three friends continued with their conversation until the lunch bell rang. The rest of the time at school went by like a breeze as it is the end of school, the students were shuffling through the halls to go home. Saying goodbye to his friends Blue and Yellow, Red ran home to help his mother with any chores and errands.
"How was school, my little scarlet?" His mother asked while stirring the soup.
"It was good. Although, I wish it could've started later so I could wish Dad good luck on his journey." Red said, taking out the dishes from the cupboard. He laughed nervously, almost losing his balance while he was placing them down on the counter.
"Don't worry, sweetie. I'll make you talk to him tomorrow on the phone, ok?" Helen said to him, causing him to smile wider.
"Thanks, mom."
Red and his mother then set up the table for dinner. They continued the rest of the evening talking about Red's day at school until it was bedtime and the raven-haired boy had to go to sleep.
A few weeks later, it was Red's 9th birthday, his mother and everyone was celebrating the event at Red's house. During the party, Red's father called saying that he was finished with his work and is on his way to Pallet Town for his son's birthday. Hearing that made Red excited as he eagerly waited for his father, momentarily looking out to see any signs of his father's Pokémon or the company's vehicle. Red was enjoying his party as he played games with his friends and ate cake.
Even amongst the commotion, Red still looked out, searching for any sign for his father. His mother noticed this and put her hands together, hoping that Jack will be able to reach on time. As the boy glanced through the individuals at his party, he saw his friends approaching him.
"You enjoying the party, birthday boy? Seeing as the popular person of Pallet Town has graced your presence." Blue said smugly. Yellow rolled her eyes at her friend's pompous attitude.
"Yeah. This has been awesome. I'm having a fun time. Thanks for coming." Red said, handing them slices of cake as they sat down.
"I'm glad you're having fun, Red. Seems that your dad is gonna miss the party." Yellow said, taking a bite out of her slice and giving him her present.
"Thanks. Whether or not he's late, I don't mind. Besides I know that once Summer comes, I'll be able to join him on those trips." Red said in excitement. Blue and Yellow smiled, witnessing the sparkles of hope in their friend's eyes as they continued to enjoy the party, unaware of the weather beginning to change.
"What is going on? Where did this storm come from?" Jack complained as they drove through Route 3, the man turned on the wind wipers on the front windshield as it wiped the barrage of water drops that collided onto the window.
"Jack, I think we should rest at Pewter City before we continue on the road!" Another man, who had on glasses and blue hair, said while glancing outside of the vehicle window at the muddy area.
Jack didn't listen, keeping his eyes on the road and driving through the route with one goal in mind: to reach his son's birthday party before it's too late.
"I gotta get to Red, Clark. I gotta be there for his birthday party and give him his present." Jack said, breaking his gaze on the road to glance at the decorated box on the backseat.
"Red is a patient kid. The amount of patience that the kid has would be enough to raise a Magikarp from an egg to its evolution. He would rather you return safe than some present, Jack. You know that." The worker, who is known as Clark, said to Jack who put his hand through his dark brown hair and chuckled.
"I know but if it is at least once, especially right now."
"Tell that to the weather, not me. Helen will understand and so will Red."
'That's exactly why I want to give him this present, Clarke.' Jack thought as he continued driving past Pewter City and made his way to Route 2.
The ride was silent for half an hour, the only form of sound being the beating of the rain on the windshield and the roaring of the engine. As they were about to reach Viridian City, a bolt of lightning collided with the vehicle which made it explode. The shockwave of the explosion sent the two men out of the car and unto the bushes, the two looking at the remains of the destroyed vehicle.
"What the-" Clark muttered before they both got electrocuted. Twitching from the lightning strike, the two men looked around until they noticed a yellow and black humanoid creature on top of a boulder, it's tails rising into the air as electricity sparked between them.
"An Electivire?" Clark muttered as the two men struggled to get up.
"I never expected for you both to be alive after that. You have proven to be more resilient than I intended." They heard a distorted, deep voice, seeing a figure coming out of the darkness and making his way to Jack and Clark.
"Now where is the plate, Jack Fires?" The individual questioned as he crouched in front of them. Getting his hair grabbed by the masked person, Jack found himself staring at absolute darkness as he couldn't see a face under the cloak. 'What on earth? Who is this person?'
"I didn't carry any dinner plates with me if you're so hungry." The man said which earned a punch to the face from the figure. Lifting himself from the ground, he felt blood running down his nose as he saw the figure walking towards him.
"Stop joking around, Jack Fires. Tell me where it is." The figure said in a more annoyed tone this time.
Jack noticed Clark silently releasing a Pokémon that was a couple feet away from them, the creature ready to fight. The brown-haired man then checked his surrounding and retreated, taking out an Ultra Ball from his waist as he feigned ignorance. "I told you. We have no plates. You can go to Viridian and get some by the diner."
"Don't play dumb with me, Fires!" The figure said as his Electivire landed beside him.
"I'm being serious...sir?"
"Yes. I'm a male but enough of that. The plate, Jack."
"I'm telling you. I have no such thing."
The figure groaned before he snapped his fingers, Electivire approaching them while it crackled with electricity. Before it could attack, a blast of water collided with the Electric Pokémon, sending it flying across the route, much to the cloaked figure's surprise. In the midst of the confusion, Jack threw the Ultra ball into the air which released a huge, bipedal brown armored rhino-like creature in front of Electivire.
"Rhyperior, Hammer Arm!"
The Ground-type Pokémon slammed its glowing fist onto the ground, causing rocks to shoot out in the cloaked person direction. The anonymous person barely sidestepped out of the way of the rocks, one of the rocks grazing his arm. He flinched, feeling a wound on his arm as blood began to trickle out of it. "Ouch."
"Sorry about the rocky reception." Jack stood up and faced the mysterious individual.
"If you're going to be this difficult, Jack Fires...then we'll have to do this the hard way." The cloaked figure snapped their fingers, Electivire immediately attacked with a Cross Chop on Rhyperior which made it stumble forward.
"Seismitoad, use Drain Punch." Clark commanded, slightly staggering as he tried to get his balance.
A blue frog Pokémon appeared right beside Electivire, hitting the Pokémon with a Drain Punch to its stomach which knocked it out unconscious. Seismitoad then threw its opponent towards the cloaked figure who dodged the Electric-type, clicking his tongue as he returned his Electivire.
"You leave me no choice, Jack. All you could've done was just tell me the whereabouts of the plate but now I will show no mercy." The cloaked assailant said, aggravated that the two workers are giving him so much difficulty.
"Sorry but we don't know anything about a plate." Clark lied, catching on to Jack's façade and walking up to his partner. "What are we going to do?"
"I'm not sure." Jack answered as his eyes were focused on their assailant. "We need to retaliate back for now and weaken him. After that, we will take his chance of weakness to run away and get to Viridian."
"Got it."
"Last time, archaeologists. Tell me where the plate is." The figure raised his hand which showed a blue colored ball, a Great ball. It opened releasing a Shiftry that was grinning with a crazed look in its eyes. "Or face my wrath."
'Oh no.' The men thought before they shared a nod which did not go unnoticed by their opponent.
"Hurricane! Then Leaf Storm!" The cloaked figure snapped his fingers.
Shiftry quickly flapped its arms which created a cyclone that trapped the men and their Pokémon. As they were stuck in the massive tornado, the Grass Pokémon then let out a storm of leaves that slashed the two workers. As the men fell down, the cloaked man walked to them before he stomped on Jack's chest, resulting in the man coughing up blood.
"Where is it, Jack Fires? I know you found it. One of the plates of creation." The person said, kicking him repeatedly before he slammed his foot onto the man's face. Clark's eyes widen in shock when Jack started to chuckle, much to the surprise of the cloaked figure.
"You should pay more attention to your surroundings and also, don't underestimate your opponents." Jack said, laughing weakly which confused his masked enemy. "Wha-"
"Rhyperior! Use Rock Wrecker, now!"
Before the figure could react, various stones were hurtled in his direction, hitting both him and his Pokémon and knocking them past a forest of trees. Not wasting time, Jack called back Rhyperior to its capsule before he quickly released another Pokémon from his pocket which released a huge flaming beast beside him.
"We need to go, Arcanine! Take up the suitcase and box and blow up everything else with Fire Blast." He commanded his Pokémon before he turned to Clark. "Clark! Return Seismitoad now!"
Arcanine followed his order as it went in a burst of speed to retrieve the suitcase and box and then unleashed a blast of flames that destroyed everything in the area. As it did so, Clark quickly returned his Pokémon before both men mounted the Fire-type who quickly dashed down the road towards Viridian City.
Meanwhile, the cloaked figure got up from the floor, rubbing his head to feel blood coming from it. Looking around, he noticed that his Pokémon is unconscious and also that the documents and vehicle were completely destroyed.
"No! He had information on how to get the rest of the plates." He stood up, his knuckles turning white from how hard he was clenching his fists. The man mumbled angrily as he recalled his Shiftry and looked up to the sky. "Curse you, Jack Fires!"
Meanwhile, Jack and Clark were dashing down Route 2, passing through Viridian Forest as Jack decided to speak. "We're almost there."
"You think…it's a good idea to have a Fire-type in the middle of the rain, Jack?" Clark asked, holding his dislocated shoulder.
"You have…a better idea…or…a faster…Pokémon?" Jack said, breathing heavily as he looked at his co-worker.
"…no…"
"…Thought so. Onwards, Arcanine. Extreme Speed!"
The Pokémon picked up speed as it exited the forest, Clark grunted from the immense pain that coursed through his body while Jack was barely conscious as he tried his best to stay awake.
"Clark…hang on…almost there…" Jack barely mouthed, his eyes getting heavier. Clark slowly nodded as he endured the pain with clenched teeth.
Suddenly, a blue beam of energy collided with them, knocking them into a tree. The two men could barely get up as the cloaked figure sped towards them while riding atop a Salamence. Jack thought quickly, looking at his Arcanine as it got up in a battle stance.
"Ok. Good. Arcanine, use Extreme-AHH!" Jack was cut off when the Dragon Pokémon slashed him with its wings as it sped past his Arcanine. Jack coughed up blood as he looked at the gash on his side before he glared at the cloaked figure who was chuckling darkly.
"You could've just told me the location, Jack! And I would've went my way!" The figure said, laughing while adjusting his hood. "But no. You had to play hero. Do you even know what those things are capable of, Fires?!"
Jack decided to keep quiet while Clark went to retrieve a Pokeball from his pocket which the figure noticed as he snapped his finger, his Salamence shot a blast in his direction that made him drop the capsule.
"No more distractions, Clark Nelson! One of you is going to spill the whereabouts of the plate whether you want to or not."
Jack and Clark remained silent which aggravated the cloaked figure who snapped his fingers, his Salamence's mouth lit aflame. The two workers shared a look before turning to the figure.
"Arcanine, Extreme Speed!" Jack commanded, his Pokémon disappeared in a flash before tackling the Salamence at its side.
The figure stumbled, trying to keep his balance on the dragon before snapping his fingers again and pointing at Jack. Salamence shot a blast at Jack who whistled for Arcanine to come to him which the Pokémon did and moved him out of the way of the attack. The figure was about to command Salamence to use another move but he was interrupted by an attack from behind. The hooded man then turned to see Clark who had a Seismitoad beside him.
Clenching his fists, the cloaked figure then put his hands in his pockets as the Dragon Pokémon ascended above the trees.
"Jack, Clark. You have one last chance. Tell me or else." The cloaked figure stated calmly, looking at the two men, who both kept silent. "It's sad, really. But you leave me no choice. Salamence."
Jack's eyes widened when he realized the stance that Salamence was taking all too well.
"Arcanine! Let's go!" He called Arcanine to take him away.
Clark was about to attack but Jack took his capsule and recalled the Pokémon before Arcanine grabbed him and made a run for it.
"What are you doing, Jack?" Clark questioned, trying to position himself as the pain from his shoulder started to channel through his body. Before Jack could explain, two words from the cloaked figure made the two men sweat in fear.
"Draco Meteor."
Salamence was enveloped in a bright purple light before it roared loudly towards the sky which caused the men to cover their ears at the sound and also stopped Arcanine in its tracks. After it stopped roaring, the two men let go of their ears and looked up to the sky, their eyes widened in feat when they saw various glowing rocks coming in their direction.
"Oh no." Jack mumbled before he commanded Arcanine to flee from the area.
Despite his quick command, it was too late as the meteors rained down, causing destruction throughout the area. The cloaked figure laughed heartily as he witnessed the aftermath of the attack, seeing a burning forest.
His laughter got louder when his eyes landed on three injured figures on the road, one of them being an unconscious Arcanine.
"You should've complied." He then walked up to the archaeologists, seeing a critically injured Jack and Clark, the former tried to speak but only blood came out of his mouth. He then picked up the suitcase, opening it to see a purple plate which made him enraged as he took the plate piece before he turned to the two workers. "Where is the rest of the piece?"
'I won't be able to make it to his birthday.' Jack thought, tears started to form in his eyes. The cloaked figure then grabbed Jack by his collar as he roared in his face. "Where is it?! Where is the rest of the plate?! Answer me, Jack Fires!"
He received no answer from Jack which made him angrier as he kicked the man in his stomach and threw him onto the floor. His eyes then landed on the box that fell out of Jack's pocket which he tried to hide within his arms.
"What's in the box, Jack?" The cloaked figure said as he kicked the man relentlessly, trying to pry the box from his grasp only to be rewarded with failure. "It seems to be something important. Alright then..."
The masked man snapped his fingers as his Salamence prepared to attack. "Good riddanc-"
Suddenly, sirens started to fill the air which made the cloaked man click his teeth as he retreated with the piece of the plate. Hearing the sounds, both Jack and Clark felt happy until their consciousness began to fade, the last thing they saw was the cloaked figure fleeing into the darkness and the police chasing after them.
Jack opened his eyes to see a white ceiling which made him realize that he was in a hospital room. He glanced around, seeing various equipment before his eyes laid on the bed that was beside him. The brown-haired man was surprised to see a Clark who was covered in bandages.
"You look like a mummy." Clark laughed weakly.
"Well, you don't look much better yourself." Jack retorted before looking around. "Which hospital are we in?"
"Viridian City. We got rescued by the police and was sent here."
"The police, huh?" Jack turned back to the ceiling.
"Yeah. They tried to catch that cloaked guy but got nothing. Somehow, he escaped without a trace." Clark stated before his hands gripped the sheet. "And he took the plate with him."
Jack let out a sigh. "It is what it is. I'm just happy that we are able to survive that ordeal."
"Yeah...but I can't believe that thing we found the other day was that important." Clark said. "Who were they? Some cult?"
"Dunno but he said that something about it being a piece." Jack said, remembering some of the words that the cloaked man yelled at him. "We will need to inform the police about this."
After Jack said this, the room was quiet for a while until a few footsteps entering broke the silence, the two men look to see their family and friends by the doorway who rushed to them. Helen had a worried look on her face as she ran towards him, hugging and kissing him as the man laughed. "Sorry I'm late for the party."
"You should be glad you're in a hospital. I'll give you the verdict when you're released." Helen said with a smile, the man feeling a bit of malicious intent from the expression before he rubbed his head. "I hope it's not bad this time."
"Only time will tell, sweetheart." His wife said, kissing him on the cheek.
"Dad…"
The two parents turned to see Red who was twiddling his fingers and fidgeting nervously. Helen giggled at the sight while Jack smiled at his son.
"Hey there, champ! Sorry I miss-"
"Are you ok, Dad?" Red interrupted in a worried tone, much to his father's shock. Seeing his son's worried expression, Jack smiled as he ruffled Red's black hair.
"I'm alright, Red." Jack said before he searched for something. "Hold on, kiddo."
Red was confused when he saw his father rummaging through his jacket before he took out a small, decorated box.
"I found it! Here you go, Red. Happy Birthday." He said, handing the box to Red who looked at it before he glanced at his father.
"Open it." Jack said, Helen giving him a nod as well before he raised a brow.
Looking at the box, Red carefully opened it to see a black necklace.
"What is this?" Red asked, lifting the necklace to see a rainbow gem at the end of the string that is shaped like a pearl.
"That, Red, is a special gem with magical properties. What it is...I'll let you figure it out." Jack explained while taking the necklace and putting it around his son's neck. "Think of it like a good luck charm when you get to go on your journey."
"Thanks, Dad." Red said happily as he looked at the necklace. He then hugged his father who returned the embrace. Watching the two men in her life, Helen giggled before she joined in on the group hug.
"Great. Now I gotta wait, huh?" Jack said, leaning on his pillow and looking at the ceiling. "The Fires curse still lives on."
"Come on, Dad. It won't be long." Red said, not losing the smile on his face.
Helen kissed Jack on his cheek before whispering to his ear. "I'll give a reward if you behave yourself like a good boy."
What she said got a blush from her husband which made her laugh while Red looked confused at his parents' bahavior.
"Well, it all worked out." Clark said, flexing one of his arms.
"Yeah…" Jack said, his expression hardened before feeling a tug on his sleeve, seeing his son holding onto him. "Hmm. What is it, Red?"
"Get well soon." Red said with an innocent smile that tug on the man's heartstrings.
"Tha-"
Before he could finish, Jack felt an immense pain in his heart as he began to clutch his chest and squirm uncontrollably. He looked over to Clark seeing the same thing happening to him.
"What…is going…on?" He barely worded, feeling the pain intensify within his chest.
Everyone was confused as the doctors and nurses rushed to the two men, trying their best to rectify the situation as they released their Blissey to heal them.
"Honey, try to hang on! Please…" Helen pleaded in desperation.
Jack slowly opened his eyes, checking the room until his eyes lay on the people in the room.
Amongst the panic, Red stood frozen, the boy not knowing how to react as he tried to speak but no words came out of his mouth. His eyes looked around the room, time slowed down for the boy as he looked around him.
He saw the doctors frantically looking for a solution. He saw his mother crying as she held his father's hands while the man was in absolute pain. His gaze then fell to the ground until he began to feel an eerie presence.
"Huh? What?" Red said, completely baffled at what os happening around him.
He then looked around the room, his head ignoring the sounds in the room until his eyes began to glow. Red then heard a voice from the distance that caused a chill to go up his spine.
'Die, die, die, die!'
The black-haired boy dashed to the window, looking out into the night to see something glowing within the darkness.
"What on earth is that?" Red muttered before he turned to his mother who was starting to become delirious. "Mom?"
"Honey, you're going to be ok…you're…" Helen said before she noticed something in his chest. He noticed her praying as she held his arm, seeing an aura similar to the one that the silhouette outside had.
Without thinking, Red grabbed one of his father's Pokeball and sprinted out the hospital, much to the surprise of his parents. He dashed towards the direction of the voice which led him towards Route 22.
Reaching his destination, Red came across a Banette that was covered with a purple glow, its trainer standing behind it. He then decided to sneak towards them, picking up a few stones along the way until he reached a tree behind them.
'So far I'm only seeing that Banette so this should be easy if I have the right Pokémon.' Red thought as he looked at the Pokeball. 'Here goes nothing.'
Red threw several rocks in the opposite direction; the sound of the collision caught the trainer's attention before the boy readied himself as he opened the capsule.
'Please be a Dark-type. Please be a Dark-type. Please be a Dark-type.' He thought as a white light came out of the ball, the light forming into a huge, brown mole with several spikes on its body. Seeing the Pokémon, Excadrill, in front of him, Red smiled as he hugged the mole. "It's Terra."
'It's not a Dark-type but it is much better.' Red smiled before he turned his attention to Banette.
"Alright, Terra. Use Swords Dance." Red whispered, Excadrill nodding as it began to quickly sharpen its claws.
As it finished its move, the Ground-type stood in a battle position as it waited for Red's next command. He then pointed at the Banette, who was glowing in the dark. "Hit it with a Shadow Claw."
Excadrill's claws let out a menacing glow as it lunged at Banette, landing a slash on the ghost that knocked it out. Red silently celebrated his victory before he heard clapping, turning around to see the masked trainer walking up to him.
"Impressive. Especially for your age." The man commented, recalling his Banette before he walked away which confused Red.
The man started to laugh hysterically before he turned to Red. "The damage has been done, kid. I've got all the information I needed. Hope you enjoy your last moments with him."
This made Red confused before he raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"
"You will know soon, child. You will know." The masked trainer said before he turned around and disappeared into the darkness of the forest. "Too bad though. I feel sorry for you, kid."
After seeing no more assailants in the forest, Red quickly recalled Terra and sprinted towards the hospital. Bursting into the room, Red checked to see his father on the bed, noticing that his breathing has calmed down and his heartbeat is back to normal which made the boy let out a sigh of relief.
'It's over.' Red thought as he dropped to the ground, his adrenaline wearing off as he felt the immense exhaustion that his body was ignoring. Seeing his parents happy, the boy smiled until something rung within his thoughts.
"The damage is already done."
"Hope you enjoy your last moments with him."
Remembering those words, Red's eyes widened in fear and he began to sweat profusely.
"Doctor! Please check them again! They might have a-"
Screams filled the rooms as the two men clutched their chests. The doctors rushed to the two patients, trying their best to save him but they are failing.
"They are suffering from a Curse..." Red muttered in fear, the boy frozen solid as he watched everything happening in front of him. He looked around the place but he saw nothing which made him began to breathe heavily as he heard the screams in the room. "They are suffering from a Curse..."
One of the doctors heard him before they immediately got treatments for the men that aided with curses.
"C'mon. These should help!"
"Let's provide these to the men."
"Please save my husband!"
"Jack, honey! Stay strong!"
Seeing everything in front of him, Red's mind drove out all the sound around him as he looked at his father who was slowly dying. The boy watched as Jack clutched his chest, the man screamed to the top of his lungs. He saw Clark who fell off the bed before he punched the floor which caused his knuckles to bruise and bleed.
Red could only watch in pure shock and fear at what was happening in front of him.
From faraway in the forest, the hooded figure watched the scene within the hospital with his hands in his pockets. Leaning against the tree, he let out a chuckle when the cries became louder.
"Did you get the info?" He asked, turning to look into the bushes. Out of them came another cloaked figure dressed in green clothing who looked at him and nodded.
"Indeed. Medicham read his mind perfectly. We don't know where the other piece of the plate is but we have some leads." She said, a Medicham coming out the grass beside her. The hooded figure then looked at the hospital before turning to leave. "Come. Our job is done. Their death is inevitable."
"What about the kid? He saw what you look like."
The person dressed in black chuckled before he waved his hand absentmindedly. "He's not gonna live long enough for us to meet again."
"And if he does?" The person in green asked as she followed him.
"It's his funeral." He said as they both disappeared into the darkness.
Within the Viridian Hospital, a long beeping sound filled the air as family and friends looked helplessly at the two lifeless bodies in the room. Helen cried loudly, hugging her son who just stood with a hurtful look on his face. The men known as Jack Fires and Clark Nelson lay motionless on their beds, the curse taking their lives. Red's father was dead and there was nothing he could do to stop it. All he could do was helplessly watch and cry.
It was a nightmare of a night that will haunt Red for years to come.
A/N: I hope you guys like the prologue, sorry about the length. I'll appreciate your criticisms and reviews. Thanks again, guys.