I do not own Pokémon. Credit goes to Satoshi Tajiri and Game Freak.
The hike continued on for a few more hours, but Leaf, Red and Gary finally reached the outskirts to Viridian City. The first thing they saw was the Pokémon Center with its distinctive red roof standing out from the rest of the buildings. The inside was just like they had been shown when studying to get their Trainer License: big, clean, with a resting and waiting area, and a counter standing right in front of the entrance with a nurse wearing the usual white cap with the pinkish red cross on it and a Chansey at her side.
When Red, Gary and Leaf set foot inside the clinic, the boys gazed around in awe at the size of the lobby.
A few people were in the waiting area, some chatting happily with their Pokémon at their side while others were merely reading while waiting for their Pokémon's checkup to be done. Red did spot a young child who was sobbing quietly while an older child—most likely his brother, if Red had to guess, was trying to comfort him.
Red, Gary and Leaf approached the counter, stopping before Nurse Joy, who held a welcoming smile.
"Welcome to Viridian City Pokémon Center," she greeted, "how can I help?"
"Got some buddies to heal up," Red answered.
Nurse Joy pulled out a tray and Red deposited his Poké Balls into the spherical recesses. Gary put his Squirtle's Poké Ball on the tray as well. Leaf withdrew her Bulbasaur before depositing the Poké Ball onto the tray, doing the same for Cleffa and Pidgeys'.
"It will only take a few minutes," she placed the tray onto the machine which hummed and glowed around them, "are you new trainers?"
"Just started today!" Gary grinned.
Leaf watched as the healing machine scanned all six Pokémon combined, their profile images appearing on the large overhead screen. Upon seeing Cleffa's image, Gary scratched his head.
"Is that your Cleffa from home?" Red blinked.
Leaf giggled as she placed her hand behind her head.
"She insisted that she come along with me," Leaf clarified.
"That's adorable," Red smiled, "so you're in the lead."
"Pfft," Gary scoffed and folded his arms.
After a few minutes, the healing machine made a ding sound, so Nurse Joy retrieved the tray and placed it on the counter. Red, Gary and Leaf took turns to retrieve their Pokémon.
"Thank you for waiting," the nurse smiled, giving a deep bow, "we've restored your Pokémon to full health. We hope to see you again."
"Should we arrange rooms for tonight here as well?" Red glanced between them.
"Of course," Nurse Joy nodded, "do you three want the same room or individual ones?"
Leaf took a moment to think as she adjusted her hat.
"Is there a room available for the three of us?" Leaf asked.
"Of course, I'm happy to set that up if you all agree."
"I dunno," Red shrugged, "Gary snores."
Leaf raised her eyebrow as she swung one leg back and forth.
"So does my dad," Leaf quipped.
Red folded his arms.
"I'm ok with sharing a room," he snorted, "what do you think, Gary?"
Gary gave Leaf a puzzled look before he rolled his eyes.
"If you insist," the redhead sighed, "yes, please."
Nurse Joy nodded and tapped away on a computer.
"I've made you a reservation," she told them, "whose name do I put it under?"
Gary patted his chest.
"Gary Oak," he winked.
Nurse Joy tapped on the keyboard.
"And…done," she proclaimed, "if I've switched out with the night shift by that point, you just need to give her the name."
"We'll remember," Red nodded.
Nurse Joy pulled out three keycards and handed them to each of the trainers, allowing Red, Gary and Leaf to take them from her hand.
"Take care, ma'am," Gary said.
Red led Gary and Leaf up the stairs to the door leading to the room they reserved. Inside, three twin-sized beds lined up against the wall and a TV screen hung on the wall across from the beds. To their right, a door led to a bathroom with the toilet behind a single stall. Leaf sat down on the bed near the window and peered out to survey Viridian Forest at the horizon while Red and Gary surveyed the details of the place.
After Red, Gary and Leaf settled into their rented room, they stepped out of the Pokémon Center and made their way down a block until they stopped at the door to a restaurant named Hiroshi's Noodle Bowl. Leaf recognized the sign and flapped her hands with excitement.
"Hey," Leaf clamored, "can we go there for lunch?"
Red and Gary gave Leaf a puzzled look in a moment of silence, the former glancing the sign over.
"Sure, looks good," Red shrugged, "you like it?"
"They make many kinds of noodle dishes," Leaf elaborated, "like udon, ramen, soba and so on!"
"Yeah, that sounds good, too," Gary scratched his head, "I've worked up an appetite."
With a grin, Leaf led Red and Gary into the restaurant. They waited for a few minutes until the host led the trio to a table. As soon as they took their seats, they sent out their Pokémon, allowing them to sit at an adjacent table next to them. Red and Gary carefully read their menus while Leaf ran her hand along Bulbasaur's head, eliciting a happy trill out of her.
"What would you recommend today?" Red asked Leaf.
"I'm not sure," Leaf shrugged, "I usually get my favorite udon dish."
"What would that be?" Red raised his eyebrow.
Before Leaf could answer, a waitress approached the table, catching Leaf, Red and Gary's attention.
"Good afternoon," she greeted, "I assume you three would like some chowder for your Pokémon as well?"
"Yeah please," Red clamored, "how much extra will that cost?"
"A trainer gets half the price for a whole team of six Pokémon," the waitress explained, "so each Pokémon will be a sixth of that half price."
Leaf pulled out a calculator to enter a mathematical equation to determine the price of meals for three Pokémon, satisfied with the results seconds later.
"Great!" Leaf chirped.
The waitress nodded while she examined each of the Pokémon on the adjacent table, jotting down her notepad.
"We'll bring plates to match their natural diet," the waitress told them, "in the meantime, did you already decide to order?"
Leaf felt pumped upon hearing that question.
"Can I have the oyako udon without the onions?" Leaf requested.
"Of course, ma'am," the waitress nodded, turning his gaze to Red, "what about you, sir?"
Red took a moment to adjust his cap.
"I'll have the kitsune udon," he replied.
The waitress continued jotting down on her notepad while glancing at Gary.
"I would like the tonkotsu ramen," Gary shrugged, "with some chili powder sprinkled in."
Bulbasaur and the others watched the humans drooling with excitement, the three starters having worked up their appetites. Soon enough, the waitress finished jotting down on her notepad.
"I will see to it that your lunch is done to your liking," she nodded at the trainers, "feel free to serve yourselves some free drinks."
The waitress gestured to the drink station before she returned to the kitchen. Leaf, Red and Gary took turns approaching the drink station to browse their option. First, Leaf served herself a glass of lemonade. Second, Gary poured himself a glass of ramune. Finally, Red grabbed a glass of matcha tea before they all returned to the table. While they waited for their lunch, Leaf pulled out a marble maze to keep herself occupied and noise-cancelling headphones to reduce the overwhelming sounds. Bulbasaur watched her trainer play with her marble maze with keen interest.
Several minutes passed before the waitress returned with a tray carrying three bowls of noodles. Another waiter carried a tray of dishes filled with assorted foods to match their Pokémon's different diets. Pidgey drooled at the sight of mealworms in one of the dishes.
"Here you go, kids," the waitress smiled.
While the waitress placed the bowl of noodles in front of their respective trainers, the waiter began placing the food dishes in front of their Pokémon. Leaf made a brief glance at her Bulbasaur and nodded at her. Once the waitress placed the bowl of oyako udon in front of Leaf, she gave the trainers a bow.
"Enjoy your lunch," she said.
"Thank you for the food!" Leaf, Red and Gary chirped in unison.
The three trainers and their Pokémon started digging into their lunches while the waiter and waitress left. Squirtle happily munched down on some lettuce while Charmander gnawed at some meats. While Leaf slurped some udon noodles with chopsticks, she watched her Pidgey pecking at her mealworms. Bulbasaur happily chewed on her roots and leaves, glancing at Cleffa as she munched down on some berries. They all took their time to savor their meals until they finished half an hour later. From there, Leaf withdrew Cleffa and Pidgey while Red withdrew his Bellsprout. Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle followed their trainers to the front counter.
Shortly after Leaf, Red and Gary paid their checks, they left the restaurant. They made a beeline for the Poké Mart to stock up on supplies. Leaf took a moment to purchase three Berry Pouches while Red and Gary shopped for Antidotes, a few Paralyze Heals and water canteens, TM Cases, and EXP Shares. After they paid for their items at the cash register, Leaf shared the Pecha berries her Bulbasaur gathered for herself, Red and Gary to stash into their new Berry Pouches.
Shortly after leaving the Poké Mart, Red paused for a moment and glanced over his shoulder.
"Hey, Leaf?" Red mentioned, "this city has a gym, doesn't it?"
Leaf stiffened slightly for a moment.
"Y-Yeah," Leaf stammered, "it does."
"Is it a high-level Gym?"
Leaf nodded sheepishly.
"Well, no harm in going to look?"
Leaf closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I'll show you how to get there."
Leaf led Red and Gary down the street and passed by the school with Charmander, Squirtle and Bulbasaur following close behind their trainers. Ugh, she wished she didn't have to pass by that dreadful place. Even when she kept walking, she felt her chest tighten and she clamped her hands over her ears. That still didn't stop the barrage of voices echoing in her head to the point she almost started crying.
Wow, you're such a freak!
I'm not annoying you, you're the one annoying me!
Stop complaining. You're disrupting the class.
The boys noticed as Leaf lowered her head.
"Leaf?" Red paused.
Gary made a brief glance at the school and read the sign at the gate.
Graduation Day Tomorrow
He glanced at the sign and then returned his gaze to Leaf before he looked around thoughtfully.
"Maybe there's another way to the Gym?"
Leaf shrugged.
"I-I doubt it," she stammered, "the sooner we move past the school, the better."
"It's ok," Gary reassured Leaf, "I'm sure the kids aren't there to recognize you."
"I hope so," Leaf muttered.
They turned the corner of the school grounds when Leaf's starter Pokémon paused in its tracks all of a sudden.
"Bulba?" Bulbasaur let out a confused chirp.
Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle focused their gaze to the southwest, which caught the attention of their trainers.
"Squirtle?" Gary paused, "is something the matter, buddy?"
Leaf lowered her arms and turned her head in the direction Bulbasaur faced, only to notice a bluish beam of light shooting out from the gym. As she stared in disbelief, thoughts swam in her head as she tried figuring out what could be going on over there. A matter of seconds later, the beam of light gave way to a massive explosion. The roar rattled her ears and Leaf covered her head with both hands and steeled herself for a shockwave. Bulbasaur moved as though to protect her trainer as if she was going to have any impact on the shockwave, watching the beam. Red and Gary also stared in disbelief.
"Whoa!" Gary exclaimed, "what happened over there?"
Red dug his hand underneath his cap and scratched his head.
"Beats me," Red observed, "whatever's going on over there is anyone's guess."
Bulbasaur held out her vine, allowing Leaf to gently grasp it as she tried relaxing herself. Focusing her gaze on the explosion, she noticed a strange figure flying out of the wreckage and heading north.
"That's going towards the forest," Red frowned, "isn't it?"
Leaf led Red, Gary and their starter Pokémon up the street and passed a few more blocks. To their right, they could see the spot Viridian Gym used to stand now in rubble and flames.
"Maybe we should check the forest," Red suggested, "make sure it doesn't catch on fire…"
Leaf took a moment to think as she heard sirens from an incoming fire truck. Bulbasaur rubbed her head along her trainer's leg, snapping her out of her thoughts. Taking her moment to pull up her socks, the young girl scooped the grassy amphibian into her arms.
"Let's be sure to make it back here by evening, ok?" Leaf nodded.
From there, Leaf, Red and Gary made their way to the northern exit of Viridian City and began venturing through the southern section of Route 2. As they ventured along the dirt path, they took notice of a smaller patch of tall grass near the gate up ahead. Well, there were only a few Rattatas foraging in the tall grass, so the trio didn't pay much mind to them. Once they were close to the gate, Red took a few steps ahead and pushed the large doors open, allowing Leaf and Gary to follow him in. Bulbasaur perked up and sniffed the new foliage through the door on the other side of the short hallway.
"Good thing we decided to check out Viridian Forest today," Gary remarked, "we can see if we catch some cool Pokémon."
Red continued to lead Lead and Gary across the hallway before he pushed at the door.
"We're not catching Pokémon today," Red corrected, "we're just checking on whatever landed in here. We can at least do some scouting before tomorrow."
Once Leaf, Red and Gary entered Viridian Forest, they all stared in disbelief as Weedles, Caterpies, Beedrills, Oddishes and Bellsprouts wandered the forest in swarms.
"What the—?" Gary gasped.
"Char…" Charmander growled.
A few Weedles and Beedrills made a brief glance at the three trainers and glared at them. Bulbasaur growled and raised her vines, squirming slightly. Leaf lowered her grass starter to the ground while Squirtle scratched the ground in anticipation.
"Squirt, Squirt, Squirt, Squirt…" Squirtle repeated.
"Well," Red commented, "I guess we're going to move past these guys to move forward."
Leaf nodded while she sent out her Pidgey.
"Hey, Pidgey," Leaf chirped, "you up for playing defense?"
"Prrj!" the tiny bird hopped up next to Bulbasaur.
"Yeah, she should have a good advantage against these guys," Gary agreed.
Feel free to drop a review, because Leaf and Mewtwo could use them to offer each other emotional support!