Chapter 21

It felt a bit strange dropping off this old man, who'd just been held hostage for a week, at his house and leaving, but Mr. Fuji had insisted that he was fine and Leaf and Red should head to the Pokemon Center and get some rest. I imagine we're all exhausted now, otherwise I'd properly thank you two. Please come by for lunch tomorrow.

So, Leaf and Red went to the Pokemon Center, handed their Pokemon to the nurses, and collapsed onto their beds. When they returned to the Pokemon House the next day, Mr. Fuji and all the volunteers had whipped up a feast for them: bread, soup, chicken, mashed potatoes, pasta, assorted vegetables, even a chocolate cake. Leaf hadn't eaten this much since her journey started and thought her stomach would split open.

The police had already come by and questioned him, Mr. Fuji told them. They were going to try to find and arrest the men. Leaf doubted they would be successful.

Mr. Fuji had told the volunteers everything as well, though they weren't satisfied with just his account. They bombarded Leaf and Red with questions. "How did you know the ghost was Marowak?" Peter asked.

"We found these binoculars that can identify ghosts," Leaf answered. "I just looked at the ghost with them and saw Marowak."

"Can I see these binoculars?" When Red handed them over, Peter asked, "Where did you get them from?"

Leaf snuck a glance at Red, who remained stoic. How could she explain the hideout to them? And meeting Giovanni? "We won them at a casino."

She couldn't tell if Peter believed her, but he accepted her answer. "Cool. I heard a wild Haunter helped you guys, too."

"Haunter protected me from one of the men. He tried to grab me from behind but Haunter, who was actually still a Gastly at the time, flew between us. I don't know what Haunter did, but the man took off screaming."

"Haunter probably used a move called Night Shade," Mr. Fuji said. "It makes the target see their worst nightmare."

Leaf nodded. That made sense to her. The man really did act as if he'd seen his worst nightmare. She wondered what it was. She wondered what hers was.

"It must've been such an epic battle," Max said, starry-eyed. "I wish I was there to see it."

Leaf's stomach was now having trouble containing all the food. "It was tough, but Red was able to defeat them in the end."

Once lunch was finished, Mr. Fuji stood and left the room. He came back holding two rods.

"I don't have much," Mr. Fuji said, a bit sheepishly. "Other than this meal, I can only offer these flutes. I made them myself."

The flutes were carved out of wood. Near the bottom of each one was an old PokeBall; it was impressive how cleanly Mr. Fuji had stuck the flutes through them. Red graciously accepted his gift. Leaf, on the other hand, felt her stomach churning again.

"What's wrong?" Mr. Fuji asked.

Leaf forced herself to smile and take the flute. "Nothing. Thank you so much. It's beautiful."

Mr. Fuji didn't look convinced, but he didn't press. "Both of you are always welcome here. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything."

Although Leaf loved being inside the Pokemon House and talking with the volunteers, there was relief when her and Red left.

"Well, these past couple of days have sure been eventful," Red said with a smile.

They were standing outside the Pokemon Center. Red was ready to head to Fuchsia City and challenge the fifth Gym. Leaf couldn't leave with him––Fearow hadn't fully recovered from the poison yet––but she walked him out, each step growing heavier and heavier.

"That's an understatement," Leaf laughed, but it didn't sound quite genuine to her. After everything they'd been through recently, it was hard for her to say goodbye to Red so soon. Already, she was wondering when she would next see him. The thought that it could take a while made her heart sink.

"And it might get even crazier from here," Red mused. A shadow flitted over his face. "Giovanni is still out there. I know he's planning something. We'll have to be prepared for it. Be careful, alright?"

"I will. You be careful, too." Leaf smirked. "Though I'm sure you'll be fine, Mr. Zapdos."

Red laughed. The sun was shining on him now. Leaf could see the striking brownness of his eyes, which normally looked closer to black. She felt an urge to wrap her arms around Red tightly, but something held her back for a second too long and before she knew it, Red had said goodbye, turned, and walked away.

Leaf sighed and headed back inside the Pokemon Center. What was wrong with her? How many times had she hugged Red in the past without thought? Too many to count and yet, she couldn't do it just now.

Leaf sat down in a lounge and placed a hand over her stomach. It still felt mildly uncomfortable. But unlike the weird moment she had with Red, she knew the cause of it. She unzipped her satchel and took out the flute Mr. Fuji gave her.

She didn't deserve this flute. Plain and simple. She wasn't the one who saved Mr. Fuji from Team Rocket. She tried and failed so miserably that Red had to step in. Leaf's cheeks burned at how confidently she'd told Red she could handle the grunts. She must've looked so incredibly stupid in front of him. Red would never actually think less of her––he was too nice for that––but Leaf hated how she couldn't show her skills like she wanted to. At Team Rocket's hideout, Red took on an entire army of grunts, along with their boss, all by himself. Leaf couldn't even beat one grunt at the Pokemon Tower.

Leaf tucked the flute away and replayed the battle in her head, picking apart every single moment. Fearow lost to the Golbat because she was not quite as fast as it. They would need to further improve her speed. Vulpix lost to the Raticate because it was bigger and stronger. Leaf would have to come up with tactics that Vulpix could use against more formidable opponents. She hadn't seen Psyduck's battle against the Drowzee in full, but she knew things would have gone differently if Psyduck had mastered Confusion. She still needed to think about how Psyduck could practice it.

Ivysaur had actually done fairly well, especially considering that he ended up being outnumbered. Leaf thought of how easily Red's Pikachu took down multiple Pokemon at once. The mouse's power had been boosted immensely from meeting Zapdos (Leaf was still amazed by the story). Was it fair to make any comparison? She wondered if there was a way to bring Ivysaur's strength a little closer to Pikachu's.

Then there was Dratini. Leaf had no idea how strong he was yet because he was too scared to battle. Given his past, it was completely understandable and Leaf felt bad for the poor dragon. But if she was going to be Champion, she needed all of her Pokemon to be confident battlers.

Leaf buried her face in her hands. This was becoming a pattern: thinking she was making amazing progress, only to be reminded that it was nowhere near enough. She knew being a Pokemon trainer wasn't meant to be easy, but that didn't make it less frustrating.

A voice on the intercom called for Leaf, snapping her out of her thoughts. As Leaf picked up her Pokemon at the front desk, something occurred to her. She moved over to a less crowded area and sent everyone out.

Ivysaur had met Haunter last night at the Pokemon Tower, so he, along with Psyduck, wasn't too fazed seeing it. Fearow and Vulpix, on the other hand, regarded it with suspicion. Dratini slid behind them, cautiously peeking at the purple ghost.

"Everyone, meet Haunter," Leaf said. "It's the newest addition to our team. It saved my life last night."

Haunter cackled and spun in a circle. The sound caught the attention of some nearby trainers, who whispered to each other, casting nervous side glances. Fearow and Vulpix still didn't appear quite comfortable, but they greeted Haunter. Dratini slid further behind them.

Then, Haunter faded away, startling Fearow and Vulpix, who batted at the air with a paw. Dratini hesitantly came forward.

A terrible scream sliced through the air as Haunter reappeared in front of Dratini, its tongue wiggling in the dragon's face. Dratini jolted and with a squeal, quickly fled to the safety of a nearby couch. Ivysaur, Fearow and Vulpix glared at Haunter, who was now cackling. From the corner of Leaf's eye, she saw the other trainers had left and she didn't blame them.

"Haunter, don't make that sound ever again," Leaf scolded. "And don't pick on other Pokemon like that. It's mean."

Haunter cackled. Leaf couldn't tell how seriously it was taking her. With a sigh, Leaf headed towards the couch and crouched down. Dratini was pressed against the wall, curled into a ball.

"It's OK, Dratini," Leaf said gently. "Haunter isn't going to hurt you. I'll make sure it never tries to scare you again, either."

But the little dragon refused to come out, no matter how much Leaf coaxed. In the end, she had to return him. Behind her, Haunter cackled.

With six Pokemon, she now had a full team. These Pokemon were going to be the ones challenging the league with her. If she learned anything from the past few days, it was that there was still a lot of work that needed to be done. It was a tough pill to swallow, but what else could she do?

Leaf pictured the flute in her satchel. She was going to make sure she deserved it.

The next morning, Leaf checked her map. She needed to head to Fuchsia City, southwest of Lavender Town. Leaf could either travel west, cutting through Saffron and Celadon, before moving south, or go along a series of routes south of Lavender Town. She opted for the latter path: there was greater opportunity for training.

Route 12 was also known as the Silence Bridge. It was a long boardwalk that stretched over an inlet. Many fishermen liked to hang around here, spending a whole day waiting for a nibble.

One fisherman challenged Leaf to a battle. He had one Pokemon: an orange fish with pink lips, white pectoral and tail fins, and a yellow fin on its head shaped like a crown. Its eyes rivaled Psyduck's in emptiness. This fish, called Magikarp, was considered the weakest of all Pokemon. Leaf wasn't surprised to see why. All it did was splash stupidly in the water. A single crack of Ivysaur's Vine Whip took it out.

About halfway through, the boardwalk was interrupted by a small island with a house on it. A few fishermen were sitting by the water, sipping on some beer and chatting.

"Did you notice the Snorlax is finally gone?"

"Yes. In fact, I saw what happened to it."

"What happened?"

"Yesterday afternoon, some kid woke it up with a flute and it attacked him. Hearing what came out of that flute…I'd be pissed off, too. Anyways, I thought the kid was dead but he actually ended up capturing it!"

"No kidding? That thing's a beast."

Leaf didn't stop to ask questions. She knew what they were talking about. Before reaching the island, she'd passed a fork that led to Vermilion City. She'd been too absorbed in her thoughts to notice that the Snorlax, which previously blocked Route 12 from Vermilion, was no longer there. Evidently, Red had used the flute Mr. Fuji gave him to wake the slumbering Pokemon. And of course, he proved to be the mightier of the two.

Route 12 eventually ran along a treeline before turning west to meet solid ground. Leaf was now on Route 13, a grassy pathway that cut through a dense forest. It was quiet here. At the end, she was facing south again. She'd reached Route 14. The route was mostly clear of trees. On her left was the sea; along the edge was a line of gently spinning windmills. Leaf sat underneath a windmill to eat a sandwich she'd bought at Lavender Town, staring at whatever lay ahead the blue water.

Shortly after, Leaf turned right onto Route 15, the final route before Fuchsia City. There were a lot more trees here, along with patches of tall grass and ledges. This was a good place to train.

Leaf sent everyone out. Dratini eyed Haunter warily, but fortunately, the ghost didn't try scaring him again.

"Fearow, fly through the forest as fast as you can without bumping into any trees. Vulpix, you wrestle with Ivysaur. Try to overpower him without using Ember. I'll be thinking of potential strategies for you as well. Psyduck, practice using Confusion."

The older members of Leaf's team moved away and began their exercises. Leaf glanced at Dratini and Haunter. "I want you two to show me what you got. Haunter, I know what your attacks look like. I'd like to see how you move."

This wasn't entirely true. In bed last night, Leaf read Haunter's moveset. She was familiar with Confuse Ray, Hypnosis, which made the target fall asleep, and Night Shade, sort of. There was one move called Lick, which was self-explanatory. There was also a move called Curse. Leaf was frankly scared of testing that one. Night Shade already creeped her out a bit and she wasn't sure how Haunter would practice using it.

Haunter cackled and began fading in and out, appearing in different spots each time. Leaf tossed a rock; it flew right through Haunter. She thought about the silver rod the grunt swung at the ghost. It definitely made contact with it. She wondered if it was designed to hit ghost Pokemon in their incorporeal form.

"Go find Fearow," Leaf instructed. "Do speed drills with her." After Haunter cackled and faded away, Leaf turned to Dratini. "Now––"

A sharp screech cut Leaf off. Fearow burst out from the trees and flew up towards the sky. Barely a second later, another bird followed. It moved too quick for Leaf to see clearly, but it kind of looked like a larger version of a Pidgeotto. The two birds circled overhead for a moment before stopping to face each other and caw.

A twig snapped behind her. Leaf whirled around and froze when she saw who emerged from the forest.

Blue smirked. "When I saw Fearow, I wondered if it was yours. Guess my intuition was right."

Why did she always bump into him at the most random times? "We're training."

"Same here." He gestured towards their birds. "Seems like we had the same idea for them. They nearly flew into each other."

"Pidgeotto evolved, right?"

Blue nodded and grinned. "He's Pidgeot now. Fearow bested Pidgeotto, but it has no chance against Pidgeot."

He wanted her to challenge him. He so obviously wanted to battle her and win. Leaf could easily ignore him. In fact, she probably should considering how unfamiliar she was with two of her Pokemon. But when it came to Blue, she always took the bait.

"Oh yeah? Let's find out. Right now."

Blue's grin was wider than the Chesire Cat's. It looked incredibly punchable. "How about we just use new Pokemon we've gotten since our last battle? Fearow can be the exception."

With this rule, she wouldn't be able to use Ivysaur. It's OK, Leaf. Your other Pokemon are more than capable. "Fine by me."

Leaf returned everyone except Fearow while Blue distanced himself. "You can make the first move," he called out.

Leaf took a deep breath. "Fearow, use Aerial Ace!"

"Pidgeot, use Feather Dance!"

Countless feathers glided off Pidgeot and into Fearow's face, just as the vulture was about to land her attack. When Fearow drew back, it didn't seem as if any damage was dealt onto either bird.

"Now use Aerial Ace!"

Leaf was slightly taken aback to hear Blue shout that command. "Aerial Ace!"

Fearow and Pidgeot parried each other. They were directly under the sun, so Leaf couldn't see who had the upper hand.

"Feather Dance!"

Feathers engulfed Fearow as they collided. Pidgeot veered, flew into the mass, and within a heartbeat, Fearow burst out, flying downwards.

"Fly above Pidgeot!" Leaf called out. She didn't have a plan in mind, but it felt imperative that Fearow not be below him.

Fearow didn't listen: she continued to fly straight down. It took Leaf a moment too long to realize the vulture was falling.

"Fearow, wake up! Wake up!" Leaf screamed at the top of her lungs.

But Fearow continued to fall so fast that she panicked. Leaf whipped out Fearow's PokeBall and returned her.

"What did I tell ya?" Blue asked snarkily.

It took all of Leaf's strength to not charge at Blue and hit him. "You're an asshole."

"Very creative insult."

"What was that Feather Dance move?"

"What do you think it does?"

Leaf thought for a moment. "It seemed to have softened the blow Pidgeot would have taken from Aerial Ace."

"Ding, ding, ding! You're correct." By then, Pidgeot had flown down to Blue's side and Leaf got a good look at him. He truly was just a larger version of Pidgeotto, except the plumage on his head had turned from a pinkish-red into yellow and crimson. To Leaf's surprise, Blue returned him. "Let's switch it up a bit. We'll use a new Pokemon for each match. The winner of this battle is whoever wins the most matches. I can send my next Pokemon out first."

He's bored. Blue sought her out because he had nothing better to do. It was less infuriating than him wanting an ego boost, but didn't really make her feel better about Fearow's loss.

Blue's second Pokemon was one of the strangest things Leaf had ever seen. It was a cluster of six cracked, light pink eggs. One of the eggs was completely broken on top: Leaf could see the yellow yolk inside. The others had faces, each wearing different expressions: confidence, anger, indifference, sternness, and hostility. The Pokedex said it was an Exeggcute and it was both grass and psychic-type.

Leaf sent out Vulpix. It was a bit cheap sending her out due to the type advantage, but she needed to win this match.

"Exeggcute, use Confusion!"

"Ember!"

The Exeggcute was not a fast Pokemon. As its many eyes began to glow blue, Vulpix spat flames at it. It made a strange sound as it rolled on the ground, trying to soothe its burns.

"Ember again!" And Leaf won the match.

"That wasn't fair and you know it," Blue complained.

"You would've done the same," Leaf retorted.

Blue smirked. "Yeah, I would have. Pick your next Pokemon."

Leaf sent out Haunter. The shock on Blue's face was priceless. His next Pokemon was a Growlithe, an orange dog with black stripes and a beige muzzle, chest, belly, and tail. Leaf had seen many Growlithes working alongside police before.

"Haunter, use Night Shade!"

"Growlithe, use Flame Wheel!"

Fire cloaked the Growlithe. It spun into a wheel and rammed into Haunter, who let out a terrible screech.

"Flame Wheel again!"

This time, Haunter faded away. When he reappeared, a good distance away, darkness was swirling around him and the Growlithe was no longer in flames. The dog howled in pain and terror.

"Fight it, Growlithe! Then use Odor Sleuth!"

The Growlithe shut its eyes as it struggled against the Night Shade. After a moment, it leaped in Haunter's direction and raised its head, sniffing the air.

"Flame Wheel!"

Haunter faded as the fire wheel raced towards it. Almost immediately, the wheel veered to the left. Leaf heard Haunter screech and it reappeared, clutching its head.

Leaf bit her lip when she realized exactly what Odor Sleuth was. Haunter was going to have difficulty avoiding the dog, who memorized its scent. The ghost would need to remain on the offensive for now.

"Night Shade!"

The attack landed. The Growlithe howled, but soon shook it off and spun into a Flame Wheel again. They were going back-and-forth: the winner would be whoever could take the most hits. Leaf ran through all of Haunter's moves in her head, trying to decide which would end the match once and for all. Confuse Ray and Hypnosis, while potentially gamechangers, were going to be hard to land. The Growlithe was fast. Lick was unlikely going to do much damage.

Then there was Curse. Leaf had no idea what that move was. Even the Pokedex didn't know: there were question marks next to the move, where it should've said its type. I guess I'll find out.

"Haunter, use Curse!"

Haunter suddenly grew very still. Its eyes became pitch black and darkness swirled around the Growlithe, who anxiously looked around. After a moment, Haunter's eyes returned to normal and the darkness disappeared. Just when Leaf was beginning to think nothing had happened, Haunter screeched and fainted.

"Nice move you got there," Blue said.

Questions raced through Leaf's head as she returned the ghost. What was that? Haunter just knocked itself out. Oh, the move was a curse, alright. She was never going to use it again.

Blue continued, "So I guess Round 3 goes to me––"

All of a sudden, the Growlithe howled. It collapsed onto the ground, writhing in pain. Both Leaf and Blue were too stunned to do anything. Not long later, the Growlithe was unconscious as well.

Blue returned his Pokemon. "I guess it's a draw." Though he tried to sound cool, Leaf could tell he was a bit shaken. She was, too. It seemed that Curse took down both the user and the target. I'm still not going to use it again.

"Alright, your turn to pick a Pokemon," Leaf said, dreading this upcoming match.

"You have another? I used all my new Pokemon already. Wait, so you have a full team now?"

"I do."

"Huh, I see. I'll just use Pidgeot again."

Pidgeot raised his head and spread his wings the instant he was sent out. He was a Pokemon that exuded strength and confidence. Leaf swallowed and sent out her last Pokemon.

Dratini shrank at the sight of Pidgeot. There was shock on Blue's face again, but Leaf couldn't savor it. As Blue scanned Dratini with his Pokedex, she crouched down beside the dragon and murmured, "This is your training. Just do your best. I promise it won't be too bad."

The last sentence felt like a lie, but what else could Leaf say to assuage Dratini's anxiety? To her relief, Dratini gave her a tiny nod.

"Pidgeot, use Aerial Ace!"

"Dratini, use Twister!"

Pidgeot was inches away from Dratini when a tornado whipped up around them. With a flinch, Pidgeot drew back.

Leaf couldn't help but smile. "Dratini, use Dragon Rage!"

A purple shock wave rippled off Dratini's body and hurled itself at Pidgeot. It landed and Pidgeot screeched.

"Dragon Rage again!"

"Grab Dratini!"

Pidgeot dodged the Dragon Rage and dove towards Dratini. The dragon squealed as Pidgeot's talons wrapped around his body and carried him towards the sky.

"Dratini, use Twister!"

Nothing happened. The smile disappeared from Leaf's face. She couldn't see Dratini through the sunlight, but she knew his nerves had gotten the best of him again.

"Now, let go," Blue ordered.

Dratini's cry echoed in the air as the dragon plummeted. Leaf frantically returned him. When the adrenaline wore off, she hung her head.

She heard Blue approach her and couldn't meet his gaze. "That was a fun battle. Your team's interesting." Leaf couldn't tell if he was teasing her or not. "Fuscia City's not far from here. Smell ya later."

It took Leaf a moment to process everything. She sprinted into Fuchsia City, sounding like a madwoman when she asked the first person she saw where the Pokemon Center was. After checking her Pokemon in, she sat down in a lounge, opened her satchel, and pulled out the flute. She ran her fingers along it for a long time.

It's been snowing all day, so I was able to just work on this chap and finish it! I know y'all are probably thinking, "Leaf lost to Blue again?" I know it's frustrating but I promise it's important! Poor Leaf, though. Past few chapters have not been good to her.

Also, note on Haunter: I know ghost Pokemon have genders, but given the mystery around them in this story, it made sense to me that people wouldn't know how to identify them.

Thanks for reading!