Chapter 31

She almost wasn't going to challenge the Cinnabar Gym. Her fitful sleep left her with a mild headache. It didn't help that Leaf's mind was still reeling from her discovery at the Pokemon Mansion. She didn't know what this Mewtwo was, but she had a nagging feeling it was linked to the terrorist attack. There was an obvious motive. According to the journal entries, Mewtwo was a powerful Pokemon. The extremists could've used it to wreak havoc on all of Kanto. It made perfect sense. So why was it never revealed to the public? Either Leaf's speculation was wrong or she was only scratching the surface. And as far as she was concerned, she would never know the full story. Who could she even ask? The Cinnabar Gym Leader, Blaine? He was one of the few survivors of the attack. Leaf didn't think she could essentially ask him to relive his trauma.

Leaf closed her eyes. Tired as she was, she wouldn't be able to truly fall back asleep. But maybe if she rested for another ten minutes, she would gather enough energy to start the day. What if I don't go to the Gym and just stay in bed all day? The thought was very tempting.

With a groan, Leaf rose. She and her team had waited over a week to challenge the Gym. She couldn't let another day slip by.

There was only one other trainer in the cafeteria. They were watching the news on an old TV in the corner. It was the only TV in the Cinnabar Pokemon Center, since there were no lounges. Leaf handed her Pokemon their breakfasts before digging into her plate of toast and scrambled eggs.

"Blue Oak has reportedly obtained his eighth Gym badge! He'll soon be challenging the Elite Four. How do you think he'll do, Brenda?"

"Will he be Kanto's first Champion? I can't say for sure. I'm still hoping it'll be Red. But there's no doubt that Blue will put on quite the show."

"No doubt at all. He's an incredibly talented trainer. His family must be so proud."

"Now that you mention it, Tom, Professor Oak himself would like to share a few words with his grandson."

A video of Professor Oak appeared on screen. He was standing outside his lab, mic held up to his mouth by an unseen reporter. Leaf could tell from Professor Oak's weary expression that he'd just finished work and suddenly found himself being interviewed by someone who'd probably waited all day for him to come out.

"I couldn't be prouder of Blue. He's grown a lot throughout his journey and is becoming one of the finest trainers I've seen. Whether or not he becomes Champion won't change that. I'll be supporting him always."

The screen cut back to Tom and Brenda, gushing over how sweet the message was. Leaf just wondered if Blue had seen it. She wasn't exactly sure of Blue and Professor Oak's relationship now, but for a while after the death of Blue's parents, it had been tumultuous. She'd lost count of the number of arguments she'd witnessed.

The war had really taken a lot from Professor Oak. His role model. His son and daughter-in-law. His grandson.

Leaf looked down at her half-eaten meal. She'd suddenly lost her appetite. Something poked her arm. She turned, smiling when she saw Venusaur gazing at her with a vine extended.

"What's up?"

Venusaur rumbled. Somehow, Leaf could understand what her starter was saying. "I'm OK, just tired. I promise I'll be on my A game when we challenge the Cinnabar Gym." Facing her entire team, she added, "We will win today because we've worked so hard to get here. And when we win, we'll be a step closer to the Indigo League, to becoming champions!"

Everyone cheered, causing the other trainer to glance irritably at them. Leaf didn't care. A strong surge of energy coursed through her like an electrical current. She wondered if that was how Red's Pikachu had felt when he absorbed Zapdos' power.


When Leaf stepped into the Cinnabar Gym, she thought, Did I walk into the movie theater by accident?

Ahead of her was a vintage box office, wooden and with yellow stage lights along the top. A man wearing a bowtie around his shirt's collar stood inside it. Leaf guessed that man was the registrant. On the right were bathrooms and on the left was a snack stand, operated by a couple of teenagers. The buttery smell of popcorn wafted in the air.

Leaf went up to the box office. "Leaf Green. Pallet Town."

"Hi, did you want to battle today or another time? There are a few people here now, but if you register ahead of time, we can build a bigger audience. Blaine likes to put on a show."

"Uh, I'm good, thanks. I'd like to battle today."

"Alright, then." The registrant typed something on his computer. After several minutes, he said, "You're good to go. Just step right through the doors."

"Are there any rules I should know about?"

"Nope, you're all set."

Leaf was pleasantly surprised. She'd expected the second-to-last Gym to be more outlandish than the others. It was nice that this Gym challenge was going to be straight-forward. No ridiculous games, just battling.

Puffing her chest out, Leaf marched over to the doors, pushed them open, and was immediately blinded by a bright light.

"Ladies and gentleman!" A booming voice said. "I present to you, The Cinnabar Island Gym Pokemon Quiz!"

Trumpets blared, playing a fun show tune. By then, Leaf's eyes had adjusted to the light and she realized with a twinge of disappointment that this Gym challenge wasn't going to be so straight-forward after all.

What had blinded her were spotlights set up on the ceiling. They now shone on the other side of the Gym, over an old bald man with a white mustache. He wore round black sunglasses, a blue shirt under a white lab coat, and brown pants and loafers. If not for the red tie, orange at the bottom and cut to resemble a flame, he would've looked like the average Pokemon researcher. But he wasn't just some Pokemon researcher. He was Doctor Blaine Anderson, the Cinnabar Gym Leader.

A Gym Leader pretending to be the host of a game show. Blaine stood by a massive TV with a microphone in his hand. The TV screen had the text The Cinnabar Island Gym Pokemon Quiz overlaid on a fiery background. Behind Blaine and the TV was a red curtain. On the sides of the Gym were bleachers where a few people sat, watching Blaine in rapture. Leaf had no idea where the trumpets came from. They hadn't sounded like a recording.

Blaine flashed an award-winning grin. "Today's contestant is Leaf Green! She comes all the way from Pallet Town. Let's meet her!"

The lights were directed to Leaf again. Blaine approached her; he was much taller than she was. He pointed the mic at Leaf and said, "Tell us a bit about yourself, Leaf!"

"Um, I'm fifteen. Um…"

"And what brings you here today?"

Leaf straightened. "I'm here to challenge you."

"Oh-ho, you got some spunk, Leaf! Very well, then. Let me explain the rules." Leaf recalled how the registrant told her there weren't any rules. Liar. "Contestants get asked five questions. For each one you get wrong, you have to battle a Gym trainer. If you can get through all the questions, then you can battle me! Think you can do it?"

"I know I can!"

"That's the spirit!" Turning to the bleachers, Blaine said, "What d'you say, folks? Ready to start?"

The handful of people in the bleachers cheered.

"All righty, then!" Blaine returned to the TV's side. The spotlights shone on him. He gestured for Leaf to join him. "No need to be shy. Step right up!"

Leaf awkwardly moved under the light. She was relieved there was barely a crowd. She couldn't imagine doing this in front of an actual audience. At least she knew Red and Blue had likely beat the Gym already. If those boys, who hated these sorts of gimmicks way more than she did, could do it, she could too.

"Here we go! First question!" There was a drumroll. Again, it didn't sound like a recording. The TV flickered and DOES CATERPIE EVOLVE INTO METAPOD? appeared on screen. Blaine also read the question out loud.

Leaf smiled. This was an easy question. "Yes."

The text was replaced by a giant green checkmark, accompanied by a ding, ding, ding!

Blaine grinned. "Yes, it does! Let's move on to the second question."

TRUE OR FALSE: THERE ARE NINE CERTIFIED POKEMON LEAGUE BADGES.

"False."

Green checkmark, ding, ding, ding!

"I'd seriously question you if you didn't get that right! Third question!

ARE ELECTRIC MOVES EFFECTIVE AGAINST GROUND-TYPE POKEMON?

Leaf hesitated. Had she witnessed an electric and ground-type Pokemon battling each other during her journey? She didn't think so. What about on TV? She suddenly couldn't remember. The answers so far had basically been yes and then no. Maybe there was a pattern?

"Yes."

A giant red X appeared on screen, accompanied by the loud, abrupt sound commonly used to indicate an error.

Blaine frowned. "Sorry, you're wrong! The contestant must now face a penalty match!"

An intense orchestral piece played as a man emerged from behind the curtain. He had tan skin and like Blaine, wore a white lab coat. With a huge grin, he declared, "My name is Ramon and I will BURN. YOU. TO. CRISPS!"

The audience cheered. Ramon waved at them and blew kisses. Leaf rolled her eyes and walked to the other side of the Gym, where she'd entered.

Ramon sent out a cream horse with fire for a mane and tail. It was a Ponyta. Psyduck had battled one on the S.S. Anne and lost despite the type advantage. Though Ramon was a bit cringey, he was a Gym trainer. His Ponyta had to be pretty tough. But Leaf's duck had grown astronomically since the S.S. Anne.

"Go, Golduck!"

Golduck stood tall and proud when the light faded. Ramon snorted, "You think you're going to win just because you have a water-type Pokemon? Think again! Ponyta, use Agility!"

The Ponyta neighed and reared before surging forward, zigzagging around so that Leaf wouldn't know where it would be. And for now, Leaf didn't need to. She instead paid close attention to Ramon.

Ramon opened his mouth. "Ponyta––"

"Water Gun!"

"––use Take Down!"

The Ponyta appeared on Golduck's right. Just as it was about to barrel into him, Golduck turned and fired a Water Gun. The horse squealed as the powerful stream of water pushed it away, slamming it against the bleachers. When Golduck finished, the Ponyta shakily tried to stand, but fell and fainted.

Ramon was speechless. He returned his Pokemon and went back behind the curtain, sulking.

"A hard-won victory!" Blaine cried. Trumpets blared. "Let's resume the quiz, shall we? Come back up here, Leaf!"

This was, without a doubt, the worst Gym challenge. Leaf returned Golduck and to Blaine.

"Now, on to the fourth question!"

ARE POKEMON OF THE SAME KIND IDENTICAL TO EACH OTHER?

What kind of question was that? Leaf thought about her team. Granted, they were all different species, but their personalities were so distinct from each other that Leaf couldn't imagine meeting replicas of them. Even the Ninetales she'd faced the other day didn't quite make her feel she was looking at her own Ninetales. "Uh, no."

Green checkmark, ding, ding, ding!

"All Pokemon are unique," Blaine said, in a more serious tone. "They each have their own personalities. Don't think for a second that they're mindless weapons."

Mewtwo…too powerful…cannot control. Leaf didn't know if she was reading into Blaine's statement, but she wondered if he was speaking from personal experience. Was that supposed to be Mewtwo's purpose? To be a weapon? If that was the case, then of course the Johto extremists attacked the Pokemon Mansion.

Blaine's face brightened. "Now for the fifth and final question! Drumroll, please!"

Leaf waited a moment for the question to pop up on screen. It didn't. Instead, Blaine said, "Contestant Leaf, tell me, who are you about to battle?"

A list appeared on the TV. Leaf immediately understood she had to pick one of the options as her answer. She read each of them:

A) A FIRE-TYPE POKEMON PRO

B) A HOTHEADED QUIZ MASTER

C) A MUSTACHED GEEZER

D) AN OLD MAN IN SUNGLASSES

Leaf blinked. She glanced at Blaine and then back at the TV. "All of these describe you."

Blaine cocked his head. "Do they?"

"Yes. I'm about to battle you. The fire-type Pokemon pro, hotheaded quiz master, mustached geezer, and old man in sunglasses."

Blaine's grin seemed impossibly wide. "You're absolutely correct! Congratulations! You've answered all five questions, which means…it's time for our battle!" Orchestral music began to play. "I'm Blaine, the Cinnabar Gym Leader! My fiery Pokemon are rough and ready with intense heat. They incinerate all challengers!"

A crescendo of music. The curtains spread open, revealing a platform against the wall. Some men––probably the other Gym trainers since they all wore lab coats––came over and moved the TV away. Blaine headed towards the platform. As Leaf began to make her way to her side, she noticed in a corner, previously concealed by the curtain, was a small band. A conductor was waving his baton. So that's where the music's from.

"Are you ready, Leaf?" Blaine called out.

Leaf took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

Blaine's first Pokemon had a red body with yellow flame designs on the bottom half. It stood on two legs; its feet were red and had black shackles around its ankles, along with its neck. Rigid red scales covered its arms and there was a row of red spikes on its back. Its round yellow shoulders and thighs reminded Leaf of Mr. Mime's. It had a puckered beak, small eyes, and a flame on the tip of its tail and the two lumps on its forehead. Magmar was what the Pokedex said it was. It was one of the stranger Pokemon Leaf had encountered.

But nothing Golduck shouldn't be able to handle. She sent the duck out, eyeing Blaine as she did so. Golduck had wiped the floor with Ramon's Ponyta. Surely Blaine would find that intimidating. Whatever his reaction was, his sunglasses hid it.

"Golduck, use Water Gun!"

"Magmar, use Smogscreen!"

The Magmar leaped out of the Water Gun's way, smoke billowing out of its beak. The smoke shrouded the battlefield. Leaf wasn't concerned. Her Pokemon were trained to battle in such conditions.

"Golduck, use Water––" Leaf was cut off by Golduck's sharp cry of pain. Her confusion made her falter. She didn't hear Blaine command Magmar to attack. He couldn't be psychic like Sabrina, right? "Water Gun Twister!"

With this move, Golduck was bound to eventually hit the Magmar. Leaf heard the rush of water and waited for whatever sound the Magmar would make.

There was a screech. Leaf was about to smile when she realized it came from Golduck.

Leaf was flabbergasted. Blaine had definitely not said anything, nor did she hear the Magmar do anything. What was going on in the smoke? Whatever it was, Golduck needed to get out. "Golduck, come to me!"

After a moment, Golduck staggered right in front of Leaf, barely out of the smoke's reach. There were no marks on his body, but his face had the strained expression of someone in deep pain.

"Golduck, wha––"

Suddenly, Golduck jerked forward and moaned, clutching his torso. Watching Golduck twitch violently, Leaf realized that he was poisoned. But how? The only move she'd heard Magmar use was Smogscreen. Wait a minute. Wasn't the attack called Smokescreen? And now that she thought about it slightly more, wasn't Smog also an attack? One that poisoned its target?

Leaf peered at the thick black smoke. Was the Magmar somewhere in there? Or did it stay at the outeredge, out of harm's way? It was a clever trick. With Smogscreen, the Magmar could chip at Golduck's health without worrying about the type disadvantage. But the battlefield didn't have an infinite amount of space. Golduck's Water Gun could reach the Magmar.

"Do a half-Water Gun Twister!"

Starting from the left end of the smoke, Golduck launched a Water Gun and began to bring it across the field. Halfway through, he convulsed, sending the water off-course before it splashed onto the floor.

"Try to push through it," Leaf pleaded.

Golduck launched another Water Gun, but again was interrupted by a convulsion. He tried a few more times, each attempt worse than the last, the Water Gun's force growing weaker and stopping sooner. The fourth time, Golduck had barely spat out any water when he doubled over. Leaf was dumbfounded. Wasn't Golduck supposed to be resistant to poison? Did inhaling the toxins make that much of a difference? Or was Blaine's Magmar simply stronger than Archer's Golbat?

Swallowing, Leaf returned Golduck. Well, there goes her type advantage. She should've expected Blaine to be prepared against water Pokemon. After all, he was the second-strongest Gym Leader. This was never going to be an easy battle.

Who should she send out? Ninetales and Venusaur probably couldn't do much. Fearow could clear the toxic smoke with her wings, but the Magmar would just blow out more. Maybe Haunter would do well. The Pokedex said it was part poison-type, so the Smogscreen shouldn't affect it. Then there was Dragonair. He was resistant to fire-type attacks and maybe with Twister, he could get Magmar despite the smoke. All he needed to do was stay out of it.

Leaf detached Dragonair's PokeBall from her belt. Here was the dragon's chance to finally earn her a Gym badge.

She tossed the ball up in the air. Dragonair materialized right in front of her, in front of the smoke that was beginning to fade. Leaf could faintly see the Magmar on the other side, Blaine further down. The Magmar leaned forward and blew out more smoke, concealing him and his trainer again.

"Don't breathe in the smoke," Leaf warned Dragonair. "It's toxic." After he nodded, Leaf commanded, "Use Twister!"

Wind whipped through the smoke, clearing enough so that the Magmar was visible. The Magmar dodged the Twister and leaping forward, began to unleash another Smogscreen. Leaf realized slightly too late that the smoke would reach Dragonair.

"Dragonair, fly up!"

Dragonair was enveloped in smoke. Leaf stepped back to ensure that she herself would not get caught. She squinted, frantically trying to search for her dragon.

Dragonair shot up from the smoke, the fins on his head extended. Once he was high enough, he stopped and gazed down, presumably at the Magmar. Leaf couldn't tell if he'd been poisoned or not. Either way, Dragonair still wasn't as comfortable with flying as Fearow or even Haunter. The battle would have to end before he tired out.

"Rage Twister!"

It was a new move they'd been working on. It was tough for Dragonair to launch a Dragon Rage that flew in all directions, instead of in one line, but if he could get it right, it could end the battle instantly. Leaf watched in trepidation as Dragonair's horn rippled.

A purple shock wave fired from Dragonair in one line. Leaf heard it collide with the floor.

"Flamethrower!"

Dragonair veered to the side, avoiding an intense stream of fire. Energy rippled off Dragonair, shooting forward in one line. He dodged another Flamethrower and the two Pokemon went back-and-forth, fire and purple shock waves flying around. With all the smoke, Leaf couldn't see how the Magmar was doing and was forced to rely on the occasional groans she heard.

As Dragonair was about to launch another Dragon Rage, fire shot upwards. Dragonair veered and cried out in surprise when the fire hit one of his fins, causing him to careen into the smoke. The smoke had been beginning to clear up, but seeing its chance, the Magmar swiftly blew out more.

"Get out, now!" Leaf called out, praying that Dragonair would remember to hold his breath.

But instead of Dragonair flying over the smoke, Leaf saw a flash of purple and yellow. It spun rapidly, whipping up a powerful gust that cleared out the smoke. Almost as quickly as it came, it was gone, and Dragonair was standing on the floor. The Magmar was lying on its back.

"Nice!" Blaine said and returned his Pokemon. "That was a neat trick. Wouldn't you say so, folks?"

The people in the bleachers clapped and cheered. It took Leaf a moment to process that not only Dragonair had defeated the Magmar, he had successfully done Rage Twister.

"But unfortunately for you, Leaf," Blaine continued. "I have one more Pokemon and she's much stronger."

Blaine's next and final Pokemon was Ponyta, only larger and more majestic. Her fire mane and tail flowed long behind it. There were also flames behind each of her slender, but muscular legs. On her forehead was a horn. This fire unicorn was Ponyta's evolution, Rapidash. Leaf remembered it was the Pokemon Fan Club chairman's favorite.

The Rapidash reared and neighed, leering at Dragonair with crimson eyes. When Ramon's Ponyta had done that, it was sort of cute. But the Rapidash looked ready to, in Blaine's words, incinerate any of her challengers.

"How's your fin?" Leaf asked Dragonair. Dragonair flicked his fin and nodded. "Fly up!"

"Rapidash, use Bounce!"

Leaf's jaw dropped as the Rapidash, after a running start, leaped high into the air, higher than Dragonair was flying. In fact, she was now directly above the dragon. Dragonair turned to dodge. At least, that's what Leaf thought Dragonair had tried to do, because all of sudden, he jerked and the Rapidash crashed down on him. Leaf winced when Dragonair hit the floor and cried, the Rapidash on top of him.

"Rapidash, use Stomp!"

The Rapidash backed off and reared. Dragonair began to try slithering away, only to convulse and let out another strangled cry when the Rapidash's hooves came down on him like hammers. The Rapidash reared again.

"Twister!"

Dragonair reacted just in time. Wind whipped between Dragonair and the Rapidash, knocking the latter who was still standing on her hind legs away. While the Rapidash fell backwards and scrambled back up, Dragonair quickly put distance between them. He was breathing hard and shaking. He convulsed when another wave of the Magmar's poison hit him.

Leaf's hand hovered over Dragonair's PokeBall. He was clearly in no condition to battle. With the threat of the Magmar's Smogscreen gone, she could send out another Pokemon, maybe Fearow. The dragon had already proven himself.

Dragonair suddenly tensed, making Leaf halt. His entire body was covered in a sheen of silver, translucent enough that she could still see the blue underneath. Dragonair's head ripped through the silver cocoon and he glided out smoothly, leaving behind his old skin. Though still bruised from the Rapidash's hooves, he was glowing.

"Oho, aren't you lucky?" Blaine called out. "Your Dragonair was able to heal itself from Magmar's poison. Rapidash, use Agility!"

The Rapidash darted around the battlefield. Leaf was bewildered by what happened, but she grinned and, hand dropping to her side, said, "Dragonair, use Rage Twister!"

"Fire Blast!"

Purple and yellow energy spun around Dragonair's horn and spread out. Almost immediately, there was a boom and instead of purple and yellow, Leaf saw black smoke. Dragonair tumbled towards Leaf, landing right in front of her. Shaking himself out, he stood and slithered towards the smoke, closely observing it for any sign of movement.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the Rapidash appeared on Dragonair's left, eyes blazing. Before Dragonair could react, the Rapidash spat out a large ball of fire. It twisted into a shape that reminded Leaf of a man with his arms and legs stretched out. Dragonair cried as the fire, so powerful that Leaf could feel its heat, slammed into him and sent him flying towards the other side of the battlefield.

"Bounce!"

The Rapidash leaped high into the air, across the battlefield to where Dragonair was.

"Twister!"

As soon as the command left Leaf's mouth, she froze. Dragonair shakily lifted his head up, wind swirling weakly around him. He groaned when the Rapidash landed on him. Leaf was shocked. The Rapidash's last attack, which she guessed was Fire Blast, looked intimidating, but the dragon was resistant to fire-type moves. The Fire Blast couldn't have done much damage, right?

The Rapidash backed away. Dragonair was coughing, but he still tried to stand.

"Stomp!"

The fire unicorn reared and brought down her hooves hard on Dragonair's head. She backed away and Dragonair was lying on the floor, eyes shut. With a lump in her throat, Leaf detached Dragonair's PokeBall from her belt and pointed it at the dragon.

Then, something unforgettable happened.

Dragonair's eyes shot open, burning stronger than the Fire Blast. He lunged at the Rapidash, launching purple energy from his horn. The Rapidash neighed as the Dragon Rage knocked her further back. Before she could stand, Dragonair fired another Dragon Rage, and then another, and another, so many in rapid succession that he was like a machine gun, crying as he did so. Leaf couldn't tell if he was crying in pain or rage or both.

The Rapidash was now pinned against the bleachers, screaming, legs flailing. It was only when she became silent and motionless that Dragonair's rage ended. The dragon was breathing very hard.

"Ah! That was amazing!" Blaine exclaimed. "I've been burned down to nothing! Not even my ashes remain!"

Blaine returned his Pokemon. Victory music played and the audience exploded into cheers. Even though there were only a few people, Leaf's ears rang. She quickly tuned them out. Her focus was now entirely on Dragonair, staggering towards her. He wasn't in the best condition––she needed to bring him to the Pokemon Center ASAP––but he was still one of the most incredible Pokemon she'd ever seen.

Beaming, Leaf rushed over to him. It took a lot of restraint to not give him a bear hug. "Dragonair, I…I'm speechless. Bravo. Bravo!"

Dragonair pressed his nose against Leaf's forehead. Standing this close, Leaf could easily see the purple in his eyes.

Someone's throat cleared. Leaf turned and saw Blaine, hands behind his back. He grinned. "Thought you might want this."

He extended a fist and opened it, revealing a red flame-shaped badge with a pink diamond in the center. "It's the Volcano Badge."

Leaf held her breath as she accepted the badge, her seventh one. "T-Thank––"

Blaine shook his head. "No need to thank me. You've earned it, Leaf Green of Pallet Town."


She couldn't contain her excitement. As soon as Golduck and Dragonair recovered, Leaf flew to Viridian City, where the eighth and final Gym was. Her journey was basically coming full circle. Viridian City was close to where she'd started, it was where she'd end. She saw the path that led to the patch of grass where she caught Spearow. Further down was the Indigo Plateau, where the league was. In the distance, she could see Mount Silver. Its dark peaks pierced the clouds.

Leaf's plan had been to surprise her dad at work. They could go home together and she'd spend the night there. In the morning, after breakfast, she'd leave to train. But on her way to Viridian Mutual, she spotted the Viridian Gym from the corner of her eye. It was the last obstacle between her and the Indigo League. For that reason, she decided to go take a quick look.

If not for the fact the doors weren't locked, Leaf would've automatically assumed it was closed. It was dark and empty inside. She didn't even see a registrant. Leaf was about to leave when she heard a voice. It was so quiet that Leaf wondered if she'd imagined it. After listening carefully, she determined there was someone at the back of the Gym. Feeling strangely anxious, she walked forward.

"...can't face my followers. I have betrayed their trust." There was something eerily familiar about the voice. Before Leaf could place it, she halted.

Despite the darkness, Leaf could make out two men, one older and one younger, standing before her. The younger one, wearing a red t-shirt and hat, turned. It was Red. His eyes widened upon recognizing Leaf. But what shocked Leaf more was the other man, who had dark, short hair, strong features, and cunning eyes. His crisp black blazer had a red R on the pocket. Giovanni.

"You!" Leaf spat. "What're you doing here?"

Giovanni smirked. "You're the one who defeated Archer at Silph Co., right? I must say, I was impressed when he told me. I didn't think much of you when I saw you at the Rocket Hideout."

"You didn't answer my question," Leaf snapped, clenching her fists. "Why are you in the Viridian Gym?"

"I'm not allowed to be in my own Gym?"

Leaf felt as if she was struck by multiple lightning bolts. "What?"

"I'm the Viridian Gym Leader," Giovanni replied calmly. "Or, at least, I was. I just had my final battle."

Leaf's gaze darted to Red. "He's lying, right? He can't seriously be the Gym Leader?"

Red scratched his head. "I couldn't believe it at first, either."

Leaf's mind was spinning so rapidly, she felt dizzy. How? How could a crime boss, who caused so much destruction at the capital, be a Gym Leader? Becoming a Gym Leader required going through a rigorous screening process. How did Giovanni slip through? And without anyone realizing who he was throughout the years?

Giovanni looked at Red. "As I was saying, having lost in this fashion, I'm no longer fit to lead. For now, Team Rocket is finished. I must train until I am ready." He glanced back at Leaf. "Actually, one more thing."

Giovanni stuck a hand into his pocket and tossed whatever he took out at Leaf. She caught it. It was a badge shaped like a thin plant. The stem was a light green while the leaves at the top were emerald-colored.

"The Earth Badge," Giovanni explained. "It'll be the last one I give out."

"Wait," Leaf began. "I can't just take this––"

But Giovanni's attention was on Red again. "I hope we may meet again someday. Farewell."

The room suddenly filled with smoke. Leaf closed her eyes and covered her nose with an arm. When the smoke faded, Giovanni was gone.

Red turned to Leaf. "You alright?"

"What the fuck was that all about?" Leaf demanded.

Red shook his head. "I came here and didn't see Giovanni because he was in the shadows. I recognized him by voice. He's been the Viridian Gym Leader since we were young, maybe even before we were born. I beat him––again––and he just decided that he's done with battling for now."

Leaf rubbed her forehead. "I just can't wrap my head around it."

"It's a lot to take in, I know."

Leaf felt the Earth Badge in her hand. It was very well-crafted. Each "leaf" was an individual stone. The eighth and final badge…

Leaf clenched her fists again and straightened herself. "Battle me."

"What?"

"Giovanni just gave this badge to me. Putting aside who he is, it doesn't feel right. I need to earn it. So battle me."

"Leaf––"

"How many Pokemon did you use? Two? Three? If I can beat three of your Pokemon, it'll be the same as beating Giovanni."

Leaf smiled, but it soon faded. Red was avoiding her gaze, but she saw something flicker in his eyes. He shifted himself, crossed his arms.

And that was when Leaf understood.

"You don't think I can do it, not even one of your Pokemon," Leaf said matter-of-factly. "You don't see me as a real trainer."

"It's not like that," Red protested. But he couldn't look her in the eye.

The world seemed to be closing in on Leaf. She couldn't breathe. Red was saying more things, but she couldn't hear them. She only saw the expression on his face. It was the one people wore when trying to gently let someone down.

Red reached out to touch her. Leaf slapped his hand away, turned, and ran.


Well, this was an eventful chapter. Leaf got her 7th badge...and her 8th. Giovanni being the Viridian Gym Leader was one of the biggest plot twists of my childhood. I hope I did the reveal some justice.

Leaf's also had a crushing revelation about Red. Being looked down on by the person you admire most is tough, to say the least. Sorry for doing this to you, Leaf, but it's important for your development!

Thanks for reading as always and would appreciate any feedback!