Round 3
Red vs. Green
"I homesteaded in Kanto because I had nothing left to prove."
"You homesteaded in Kanto because you're a coward."
That snapped Quinn Marmaduke out of his pre-fight trance. He wasn't the only one it seemed, as everyone moved as close to the TV as they could. Even the most standoffish Smashers slowly crept forward. It wasn't hard to see why either. Even Quinn, the ultra-introvert he was, had heard Green's rants about Red, how he ascribed to the "old, crusty way," of battling despite her insistence. And she repeated those lines verbatim. Red had simply saluted the camera, walking off, Green's interview cutting back in to finish her rant. Quinn tuned out the fluff that followed, 9-Volt and Cranky's seemingly manufactured bickering, Futaba's emphatic prediction of Green. Red's entrance was first, the symphonic version of his battle theme replaced with a much older, chiptune sound. Quinn winced. The pounding, sharp, borderline unpleasant notes were likely indicative of the turmoil within Red's heart.
"Ey, you think Red's that poetic a guy though?" snapped Daxter at Clank.
Quinn blinked. They were thinking about the same thing he was.
"I find that silent types like Red often have a lot of inner turmoil," the small robot countered.
"Yeah, says you," Daxter whined, "All I see is no personality havin'…"
The shrill battle theme was replaced by the power ballad Green had come out to in the last round. What was different was the dragon…motorcycle…thing she zoomed out on.
"Aw yeah, another one for the motorcycle gang," Dante high-fived Travis.
Oh no, Quinn shivered, What if they want me to buy one of those death traps?
"OOOH YEAH BROTHER, A KORAIDON!" whooped Incineroar, "THEM PALDEANS STRADDLE ON THROUGH THE NIGHT, CUZ YA KNOW…"
"Straddle on through the night" was enough to make sure Quinn tuned out that conversation with immediacy. The Mii fighter watched eagle-eyed as the two were given their introductions. While Red was cold and unflinching, he could see Green's determination flicker, but only for a second or two at a time. Both seemed to relax a little when the stage was revealed, the original Pokemon Stadium stage However, when Mills asked if they were ready, both trainers re-adopted their gazes of steel, and the screen went black, a green text displaying the information viewers needed to know.
Stage: Pokemon Stadium
Rules: 3-stock, items medium
Music: Gym Leader Castle, Preliminary Battles (Pokemon Stadium)
3
"GO CHARIZARD!" Red commanded, the beloved orange dragon materializing out of a thrown Pokeball
2
"YOU'VE GOT THIS CINDERACE!" encouraged Green, the fire monkey appearing as she threw a Pokeball.
1
Charizard snorted flames, eying the Pokemon from Galar up and down. If it intimidated the Striker Pokemon, he didn't show it, bouncing on its toes.
GO!
"FLARE BLITZ!" Red shouted
Green gritted her teeth, dramatically pointing to Cinderace, "PYRO BALL!"
Charizard coiled itself into a flaming torpedo, heading towards the punted ball of fire.
Green gritted her teeth, "After all we've been through, you're still going to treat me like a…"
Wordlessly, he retracted Charizard, Squirtle appearing in its place.
"Water Gun, now!" ordered Red.
A slicing jet of water reduced Pyro Ball to steam, its momentum uninterrupted as it pounded into Cinderace.
"…Fool." Green breathed, the end of her tirade escaping out of her in one shocked breath as Cinderace jumped back to the stage.
Red could only smirk, "Shall we?"
Green's smiled wide, blinking back tears.
"May the best trainer win," Green nodded.
Red nodded back, "Don't worry, I will."
"Since when did you start talking like Blue?"
"Since I realized it pissed you off."
"Fair enough," she shrugged, snapping back into a tense battle stance, "Bring it on!"
The Smashers' Box
30 minutes later
For Quinn, of all the courses available to study at Master Hart's Brawler School, Pokemon training had always been the least interesting. The normally studious Quinn could never see himself in command of a small platoon of animals, lazily taking turns with his opponent.
But among two serious battlers like Red and Green, this was as intricate ballet.
The type advantage triangle in the battle had played out before him for the last half hour. Grassy Glide from Green lead to Flamethrower from Red, causing Green to counter into an Inteleon Hydro Pump which lead to a volley of Razor Leaves and Vine Whips from Ivysaur, continuing the cycle. The fire torched the grass, water reduced the flame to steam, and leaves cut through the water With each trip around the triangle Quinn became more transfixed.
He felt something scamper up his arm. Pichu, who had been talking with his father and Kirby, had broken away from the conversation, likely seeing how glued to television Quinn was.
"Is it like this," Quinn stammered, "All the time?"
Pichu giggled, shaking his big head, "Only Pokemon Masters are this good, and I think Red and Green are a level above that."
"Have you been betting?" Quinn asked.
Pichu shook his head, this time disappointedly, "No. Dad says I'm gonna need that money for when I evolve into a Raichu someday."
"What would a Pokemon need money for?"
"That's what I said," indignantly squealed Pichu, "But Uncle Mewtwo said we're gonna help improve things for the commune in Cerulean Cave, and I'm okay with that."
Quinn was about to reply, but an unfamiliar command from Green stopped all conversation in the Smashers' Box.
"DARK PULSE!"
A blast of darkness erupted from Inteleon's fingers, slicing across an unprepared Ivysaur.
"ICE BEAM!"
Ivysaur's groan of pain was muted as ice encased it.
"DARK PULSE ONE MORE TIME!" shouted Green, grinning ear to ear.
A blast of darkness erupted out of Inteleon's fingers, sending the encased onion frog down to the Blast Zone.
The screen flashed the score.
Red: 2
Green: 3
"Hah! Caught you sleeping!" mocked Green.
"Oh, something happened?" Cranky spat on commentary, "I looked away for 15 minutes."
"No, you didn't," whined 9-Volt, "You took a nap!"
Red, completely expressionless, grabbed a Pokeball.
"Squirtle, go!" commanded the former Kanto champion.
"Go Rillaboom!" countered Green.
The green gorilla appeared out of the Pokeball, a grin on its face.
"Aye," hooted Rillaboom, "Look at da wee little one, completely unafraid of my power."
Red's next command was so cold, so insipid it barely got picked up by the mic on the neck of his shirt.
"Ice Beam."
Much as like what had befallen Ivysaur earlier, Rillaboom's defiant roar was cut off, the Drummer Pokemon now encased in ice.
"Withdraw,"
At Red's command, Squirtle retracted into his shell, zooming forward, pelting the new block of ice with the momentum and force of a bladed weapon. Wordlessly, Red substituted Squirtle for Ivysaur, its vines lofting the enormous Pokemon's icy form into the air.
"SOLAR BEAM!" screamed Red.
A ray of weaponized sunshine erupted from Ivysaur's bulb, pushing the frozen Pokemon up to the top blast zone. To this, Green stomped her foot.
"What was any of that?" she snapped.
Red gave a mocking salute, "Caught you sleeping,"
Again, an overlay displayed the score.
Red: 2
Green: 2
"Rillaboom, use that rage, Grassy Glide," Green commanded furiously.
As Rillaboom glided towards them, Red once again smirked.
"Ice Beam,"
At Red's word, Squirtle spat forth a twisting, white beam. A direct hit slowed the plant-based gorilla but didn't slow it down. Its limbs crackling into a new icy encasement did not falter Rillaboom's determined frown.
"HAH!" Cranky laughed as Squirtle was knocked hard onto its shell, "Where'd all that bravado go?"
"It's not so much bravado as a surprise," 9-Volt said, "Rillaboom's speed stat is higher, why Red tried to put lightning back in the bottle I don't…"
"NERD!" screamed Cranky, so loudly that it clipped the mic.
Meanwhile, Squirtle overturned itself, teeth gritted, charging towards Rillaboom on all fours.
"HIT IT WITH DRUMBEAT RILLABOOM!"
No sooner had the words left Green's mouth were the drums pounded upon, the soundwaves paralyzing Squirtle where he stood. Once again, Red silently retracted Squirtle, replacing him with Charizard.
"Oh bugger me," snarled Rillaboom.
Flamethrower was immediately executed, scorching the Pokemon on Green's team weakest to fire.
"Don't let it get to you, use Earthquake!" Green encouraged.
Puffing out its chest and roaring, the ground shook with Rillaboom's desperation. Charizard managed to keep up the fire as the first volley of rocks jutting out of the ground, but the second cut off the attack. The attack stopped, the two largest Pokemon on either team staggering towards each other, one being held up by the other as they both slumped onto each other. The two tiredly traded punches. Neither Pokemon gave an inch despite their obvious weakness.
"KNOCK OFF, NOW!" hollered green.
Hooting and grunting, Rillaboom slugged Charizard in the stomach, and the mighty dragon fell to all fours. The punting kick that followed Charizard's cranium was such a sharp, blasting sound that it echoed through the entire arena. Charizard sprang up, gripping a shocked Rillaboom by the throat.
"Charizard, you know what to do,"
Charizard took to the air, flying his hapless victim to the edge of the stage, and careened them both down into the Blast Zone.
Red: 1
Green:1
"Thrown a dozen Seismic Tosses, never drew a dime," huffed Incineroar, rolling his eyes.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield Red stayed cool as a cucumber, locking eyes with Green across the stage, who shuffled through her Pokeballs worriedly eventually deciding on Cinderace.
"Right," Red declared in a near-whisper, "Let's show these Galorians how to do things with a bit of Kanto flavor.
"You'd better not do any offsides nonsense," barked Cinderace.
Red smiled devilishly, "Oh, I'm afraid it's about to get much worse."
Red tossed his Pokeball, a flash of light revealing Charizard.
"Bugger," snapped Cinderace.
Green shook her head, "Sorry Cinderace, but I've gotta call you back."
With a knowing nod, Cinderace was absorbed back into his Pokeball, Green throwing out Rillaboom
"EARTHQUAKE!" cried Green.
"Take flight Charizard," Red ordered.
With a haughty roar, Charizard erupted into the sky, fanning the ground with fire, covering Rillaboom. What followed next was a barrage. Squirtle was in, Ice Beam. Ivysaur was swapped in, Solar Beam. Charizard finished the tirage with a Fire Blast, the signature 'X' of fire pushing a limp Rillaboom to the Blast Zone.
GAME!
On the Smash Mansion Courtyard Red roughly rubbed the head of a smiling Charizard.
"YOU DID IT CHARIZARD!" Red cheered.
RED WINS!
The splash screen faded away, Green clapped in the loser's quadrant of the screen.
Mister Zero interviewed Green, "You kept up an incredible stalemate but Red overtook you at the end. Walk us through it."
"Well," Green groaned, "As much as I hate to say it. I underestimated him. I didn't think he'd battle like that so I didn't put as much time into training as I normally would."
"You underestimate yourself," came a new voice.
The Veridian City Gym Leader, Blue, sauntered onto the camera, Red trotting into the shot.
"When I heard you two weren't getting along, for Arceus' sake, I came..." dramatically fretted the Gym Leader
Red rolled his eyes, "Like you would've helped."
Blue shrugged, "Not like you guys needed it anyway. Green, you're a great teacher who was too rough on a student. I should know, I've been known to be condescending and mean to my underling trainers…"
"Okay Blue, we get it," Red barked, extending his hand to Green, "Thank you for everything Green."
Green reciprocated the gesture, "Thank you Red, you'd better do me proud in the tournament, or at least take me out to lunch during one of the free days before Round 4."
"I can manage that," Red laughed, "We all need to go out. Us, the Earthbound guys, Cuphead…"
"Well," Green stammered, "We can do that, but I also wouldn't mind the two of us by ourselves, like a date."
"Red and Green…sitting in a tree," mockingly sang Blue.
"Why are you still here?"
"They said I had to stay for the whole segment in order to get paid my appearance rate."
Red rolled his eyes, "Sure Blue. But yeah, we can do that Green."
"Sounds great! Anyway, smell ya later Blue,"
Hand in hand, the two Pokemon training Smashers walked up the tunnel.
"Heh," Blue laughed as soon as they were out of earshot, "I guess I should get ordained, considering you two love birds will be married sooner rather than later."
The applause of the tunnel was quickly interrupted by Mario, "Because those two went long, we're gonna have an intermission, and one more before the Triple Threat, that's when y'all will get your food."
With that, the sponsorship messages began to play over the house speakers of Smash Stadium. The first intermission had begun.