You know the drill.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Scrolls)

"Divine/Spirit Talking"

'Divine/Spirit Thinking'

Flashback

"Narration"

Singing

Disclaimer: I don't own both Pokémon, RWBY, and anything that I used in this story. They are owned by their respective companies and owners.

Chapter:9 The Vermillion Beast

Team RWBY, JNPR, and RABG are currently in their next class with their Professor being Glynda, meaning they have Combat class today.

"For today's spar, who wants to participate first!" Glynda asked as Red immediately raised his hand.

"I want to fight Professor!" Red said as their Professor look at him.

"Who will be your opponent Mr. Ketchum?"

Red then stands up as he points at Cardin in animosity, "Him."

Cardin just scoffs while Glynda nods.

"Go get to your proper attire and weapon," The two chosen combatants quickly left to get ready for their fight.

"Red looks really eager today," Yang said as she was sitting beside Team RABG with her team beside her while Team JNPR were sitting on behind them.

"Too eager," Ren added as everyone had to agree with him.

"It's because he was waiting for this," Blue said as everyone look at him. "Ever since Cardin's bullying, we have to always keep Red in check or he would beat Cardin to a pulp."

"Why though?" Blake asked.

"Because he is a fighter in nature," Everyone then looks at Pyrrha as she was the one who spoke. "If he can't solve it by words, he would solve it with his fists. He look to everyone as a friend, but would choose the friends that likes to be his closest like Blue and I." She then look to the others with a smile on her face. "Since the passing week, he slowly see you guys as friends that he would protect dearly in his heart, and seeing continously Jaune being bullied triggers his instinct."

"W-Why?" Jaune asked in shock.

"Like she said, Red would always protect his friends. He doesn't need a reason to do so" Blue said as he kept his gaze where Red and Cardin went. "If he did, he would go all out."

"There's even a nickname for Red back in Sanctum," Pyrrha said.

"What is it?" Ruby asked as the rest wondered as well.

Blue and Pyrrha look at each other before looking to the rest and said three words that made them feel chills, including Nora.

"The Vermilion Beast."

Both Red and Cardin came back to the sparring room in their proper attires and their weapons in hand.

"You're gonna lose Ketchup," Cardin mocked Red as the cap wearing teen just glares.

"If you are gonna bark like a dog then you better show me your bite," Red counters as he turn his cap backwards while Cardin glared back.

"Are you two ready?" Glynda asked as the two nods and went for their respective fighting stance. "Then begin!"

(Play Pokémon RSE Gym Battle Theme)

Red immediately fired his grapples to the walls behind Cardin and reeled himself to the bully, Cardin was about to smash Red with his mace but Red returns one of his grapples and easily avoided the attack by spinning in the air. This gave Red the chance to smash his fists on Cardin's face and sent him to the ground by it. Cardin groans from the hit while Red still has his grapple on the wall, which let's the cap wearing teen to stand on the wall.

Red then let his other grapple fall on the ground as he then jump off the wall and used both grapples as long whips. He lashes at the larger teen as Cardin backs away from every attack but slowly struggles as Red kept lashing at him ferociously. Red swung his arms back and forth, left and right, up and down, he relentlessly move forward with his cables lashing like pouncing snakes. He then launched his grapple at Cardin and flick his wrist to make the cable twirl mid-air and wrapped itself around Cardin's dominant arm. Red tried to pull Cardin towards him but the bully easily resist the attempt and pulled Red in instead. As Red was flung forward, the grapple around Cardin's arm loosens and was ready to strike with his mace, but Red fired his reeled his grapples back and quickly fired them to the wall on his left and right to slow himself down.

Seeing that Red stop, Cardin charged in as he was ready to swing his mace right at Red's head. Red quickly saw this and quickly reeled in his left cable back at him and reeled himself in with the right one. Cardin had to stop his advance when Red wasn't near him but slams his weapon to use its only function and created a series of miniature explosions that went straight for Red. Red then fired his grapples to the ceiling to reel himself again as the cluster of explosions hit the wall where he once was and created a single larger explosion on impact.

Red was now crouching on the ceiling as he looks down at Cardin while the bully looks up towards him with a snarl.

"Get down here Ketchup!" Cardin roared as Red just frowns.

'Three more minutes,' Red thought as he reeled his grapples back and he began to fall towards Cardin with his right fist ready to slam at the bully with the addition of his momentum on his fall. Cardin was ready to slam his mace at Red yet again but the cap wearing teen fired his left grapple at his weapon as it coiled around it and Red yanked it from Cardin's hand.

Seeing that he lost his weapon, Cardin had to block Red's attack with his arms and easily took it but Red kicks him on the head with his left foot and tumbles to the ground from the hit. Cardin slowly recovers as he glares at Red, who was just a meter away from him, as the cap wearing teen did a come at me gesture towards him. Like a raging bull, Cardin blindly charge as Red let his cables loose and spun in one place. With Red's only way of faster mobility now reaching a meter or two, spinning his body gave him a large area of defense that Cardin couldn't come close to.

Cardin then look to the right to see his weapon laying there as he tries to grab it but the spinning Red blocks his way and the bully had to stop his advance. The leader of Team RABG then spun forward as the leader of Team CRDL have to back away from the gyrating teen. Cardin then look at the grapples that was being swung around like whips as he tries to follow it before thrusting his hand in and easily grab Red's weapon as he swung the cap wearing teen to the wall on his right. Red groans as he saw Cardin grabbing his weapon and charge at him with the bully's weapon ready to slam on him, he raised his gauntlets up as Cardin began to pummel his mace at Red and continously slam it at his opponent.

"Five," Team RWBY, Jaune, Ren, Nora, Green and Yellow towards Blue and Pyrrha as the brown haired was the one to said it.

Cardin continues to smash his weapon at Red as the cap wearing teen grunts from each strike.

"Four," Then it was Pyrrha.

Red's Aura slowly goes to yellow as he continues to keep his guard up.

"Three."

Red then felt Cardin slightly slowing down from how less his strikes were a few milliseconds ago.

"Two."

Cardin was now striking sluggishly as he was slowly getting tired from attacking as he just raised his weapon, hoping that it would be the finishing blow.

"One."

Before Cardin would know it, Red's left hand was suddenly on his face and got punched with the right. The bully rolls on the ground by the impact and Red was already upon with him with his fists ready to be slammed. Cardin quickly rolled away as Red's fists crushed the ground where he once was, he stands up as he was still exhausted from his relentless attacks.

Red then charge as he suddenly appeared in front of Cardin, the bully tries to swing his mace but Red punched him on the gut and caused Cardin to double over, clutching the attacked part of his body. The cap wearing teen then kneed his face before firing his right grapple at Cardin's arm and ensnared it. Red then pulled the exhausted Cradin to him and launches him back with a powerful kick.

Red then charge at the downed bully and began to pummel Cardin's entire body with his gauntlets. Cardin tried to get out of Red's hold by trying to stun his opponent, but quickly recovers and continues to pummel him while Cardin tries to get him off by harshly moving his body around while blocking Red's punches. Cardin then quickly grabbed Red's left arm at the right time and threw his opponent away, he quickly get on his feet as he was now getting tired on the battle.

Red then stood up, still completely fine as his Aura now flows out of his body like vapors. He look at Cardin and the bully flinched at his gaze, Red then charge at Cardin while leaving a red trail behind him. Red began to pummel Cardin around as the bully couldn't keep up with Red's relentless attack as his opponent would strike everywhere from his back, neck, and his knees.

Red's friends watch from their seats as they began to wonder why he wasn't already exhausted except for his team and Pyrrha.

"How is he not exhausted yet? He has been fighting for a long time and not to mention Cardin trying to crush him, he must have been tired right now," Weiss said.

"I would've felt tired after taking all of those hits and how long the fight is," Yang added as both Blue and Pyrrha look at the screen that shows the two fighter's Aura.

"Check the screen," Blue simply said as everyone look at the screen and was dumbstruck from what they saw.

The once yellow bar on Red's Aura is slowly returning to green.

"H-How is this possible?" Blake said with a stutter as she and the rests were just so shock to what they see.

"That is his Semblance," Blue said as everyone looks at him. "His Semblance would slowly restore his stamina till it is full, due to that it would also regenerates his Aura if he keeps it active. This makes Red's Semblance one of the most strongest Semblance in the world by combat prowess, and you would wonder if he ever reach a certain age."

"Surely there must be a drawback to that?" Ren asked as he and everyone are still shock.

"There's only one," Pyrrha said as she continues to watch Red's fight. "Due to his Aura slowly increases, it would eventually make him loss some of his control and might even berserk if he ever reach a certain point."

"That's why he has that mantra of his, he tries to keep his focus on the fight and not enter in a berserk state," Blue said as he now Red's Aura now have the faux imitation of a roaring flame as his friend now see steam coming out of his mouth and sweat began to drip on his face from the high amount of stamina and Aura he is letting out.

Back to the arena below, Cardin began to reach his limits as his arms barely handles Red's punches, he began to move sluggishly and his body getting tired from the adrenaline.

"L! R! L! R!" Red punches Cardin twice on either side of his body which caused the bully to drop his guard.

"Stop! And Dash!" Red backs away to give his next punch enough momentum to make Cardin stumbling back.

"And Up! And Talk!" Red grab Cardin by his neck and headbutted the bully and broke Cardin's nose.

"B! B! A! B!" Red made little effort to block two of Cardin's punches and quickly hit him before blocking Cardin's attempt to counter.

"S!" Then a haymaker sent the bully to the ground as Cardin was knocked out from the hit.

(Song ends)

Seeing that Cardin is knocked out, Glynda declares, "Red Ketchum is the winner of this match."

Everyone began to cheer as Red, still covered in his overflowing Aura, faced his friends, who were cheering for him, and raised his right fists. They were cheering for his victory while Jaune smiles but now feel guilty when he saw how selfless Red was to help him. Red quickly grab a small canister in his pocket as he pressed the button on it and his Aura is getting sucked in till his Aura cloak now disappear. The canister he now holds, radiates with his Aura as it was shaking till it stops.

Red then doubles over as the exhaustion slowly kicks in as he has to lay on the floor, breathing heavily.

"Are you okay Mr. Ketchum?" Glynda asked as Red faced her with a smile.

"I'm too exhausted to move, can someone help me go to the infirmary," Red said as he has a sheepish look on his face.

Glynda nods as she look to Red's team, "Can the three of you carry your leader?"

"Yes ma'am," Blue said as he and the two girls of their team walk down to the arena and walked over to their leader. Both Blue and Green carried Red by his shoulder while Yellow has her hand on Red's back as she uses her Semblance.

Team CRDL also followed suite as they carried their unconscious leader.

The two teams then left the room as both Team RWBY and JNPR look at Red in worry, especially Jaune currently looking down to his hands.

"Man, that still hurts like a bitch," Red said as he rub his arm. He was finally able to be let out of the infirmary but every damage he took finally took over and made his body ache a lot. Alongside him are his team as they have just finished their class.

"You did take a lot of hits from Cardin's mace, your bones might've been actual dust if it wasn't for your Aura," Green said as she has her hands behind her head.

"Green, that's just wrong," Yellow said as she has a frown on her face.

Red just laughs as he pats Yellow on the head and said, "You don't to worry about it Yellow, I experienced far worse than aching arms, but good thing you are there to heal some of it away."

Yellow just blushed at the compliment as Red looked confused when she turns away from him.

Green giggles at how clueless Red was while Blue just rolled his eyes, annoyed with his friend's thick head.

"We should go to our next class, we don't want to be late," Blue informed them.

"You guys go on ahead, I still have to wear my uniform," Red said.

"Just do not overwork yourself, you still have have some aching muscles and strains around your arms," Yellow said to her partner.

"Yeah, yeah," He waved them off as Red walk over to where his uniform is till he saw someone standing by the door as his uniform was on the other side of it.

Standing by the door was Jaune as he look down nervously.

"What are you doing here Jaune? Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Red asked his fellow leader.

Jaune took a deep breathe as he look at Red and said with a stutter, "W-Why?"

"Why what?" Red asked.

"Why do you help someone like me?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Why do you want to help a coward like me?!"

"Because I want to Jaune," Red said as he placed his hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Why wouldn't I ignore someone that is in need of help."

.

..

...

...

"I-I didn't deserve to be here in Beacon," Jaune mutters, loud enough for Red to hear.

"Why?" Red asked this time.

"I don't deserve to be here because... I faked my way here."

Red blinks in shock to what he heard.

"I got into Beacon with a fake transcript, I got in because by underhanded means. How could I call myself a student if didn't deserve it in the first place. Can say that you would also help a faker?"

.

..

...

...

Taking it as Red's answer, Jaune was about to leave in despair till he feels a hand on his shoulder and saw that it was Red smiling.

"Fake or not, we are here to learn to be Huntsmen, to fight the Grimm and protect both human and Faunus kind. So why are you not trying to improve?"

"I... I don't know," Jaune mutters as Red went for a thinking pose till he thought of something.

"Did you ever use other weapons than a sword and shield?"

"Not really."

"Have you ever tried any other weapon?"

"Well... I did try a little bit of spear play when I was just little."

"So why a sword then? Your literary crippling yourself."

"I might have wanted to be more like my great-great-grandfather."

"Dude, you are not like your old man, just be you. Pyrrha might help you with that, she can use a polearm as if it was toy and she can even use both a sword and shield."

"I don't know," Jaune said in uncertainty.

"It's okay to ask for help, you will never improve if you don't let that pride go. So accept it and ask Pyrrha."

Jaune took a deep breathe as he nods and said, "Okay."

"Okay?"

"But firstly, did Pyrrha ask you to say that?"

"Nope, it's all on me."

"Then thanks," Jaune said as he finally a real smile. "Thanks for being there for me."

"That what's friends for," Red said as he pat Jaune on the back and went to the other side of the door. "You go ahead to class, I need to change."

"Let me wait for you, that what's friends are for right?" Jaune said as Red just shook his head while smiling as he then closed the door to change.

.

..

...

"Hey Red are you-"

"I'm straight Jaune, don't worry about it."

"Okay phew."

Things are slowly getting better.

And that is it for that chapter and no offense to the gays and lesbians out there.

Anyways, you can see what I did there. Like VTR, I am using my own version of Jaune's family for my stories but I kinda change the members a little because of some parts that I kinda thought more about.

But what I am trying to say that there will be minor crossovers with other series for this story. I have always thought of this because I really want to add more to this story than just what the tag says, so I just add some hints and clues in the story that will make you wonder about it.

But for now, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you guys on the next one.

Vic out Peace.