Beneath the Red: A Pokemon fanfic

[Kurit]

(3rd's pov)

Life is not fair to everyone. Some are born stronger. Some are born richer, and some are born healthier.

Ruby Ethan Dane was unlucky in the health department. For as long as he could remember, he had always been living in the hospital. Ruby was diagnosed with an unknown illness, so he was stuck in bed. It was boring, and there was nothing to do there.

At least that was the case until his father brought him a Game Boy Advance with one game coming with it, Pokemon Emerald.

The game instantly captivated Ruby, and he did as much as it was humanly possible in that game. Be it defeating every NPC, collecting all possible Pokemons, or conquering Battle Frontier.

Ruby's parents were overjoyed seeing their son happy for the first time in a very long time, so they did everything they could to keep his mood up as long as possible so he could forget about being in hospital.

From that point onwards, Ruby consumed all Pokemon content he could. Games, manga, anime, spin-offs. If it was widely available, Ruby probably have seen it, but the content was limited, so he did various fan-made challenges, which satisfied him for a while. Nuzlocks, Romhacks, and even a living Pokedex weren't off-limits for him. He completed them all. He did all of it until generation 7 of Pokemon games. Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, to be exact. They were the last games he could update his living pokedex and upload all of his Pokemon to Pokemon Bank. He was very proud of that achievement, even more so because some of the Pokemon came from Gen 3 games.

This ended with Pokemon Sword and Shield, however, with National dex cut. Ruby couldn't continue his living Pokedex anymore, but he still played the games, and despite their many flaws, he still enjoyed them enormously.

Speaking of Ruby, there's a fun fact about his name. Not only is he aware that his name matches the name of one of the games, but his initial spells out Red, the protagonist of the first Pokemon games, and as an inside joke in the family, his parents call him Red on several occasions to Ruby's joy.

Red is Ruby's favorite protagonist. He is mainly depicted as a silent and mysterious character and one of the most powerful trainers in the entire series, but Ruby sees it differently.

Another but less fun fact about Ruby is that he's got a severe case of social anxiety, and being in the hospital with minimal contact with other people doesn't help him solve this problem. That is the reason why Ruby sees Red as someone with the same problem as him. While nervous, Ruby freezes and doesn't change his expression without saying a word, while his mind goes into overdrive thinking about how to proceed with the incoming human interaction. He scared a few newly hired nurses that way.

Ruby also believes that Red's face is often hidden behind his cap because he tries to avoid eye contact to the extreme.

In short, Ruby projects himself into Red.

All that said, it's only about games Red as Red in manga and spin-offs that behave entirely differently and, most importantly, are not silent.

Returning to the original Red, Ruby admired him for one more reason. Despite (in his mind) Red's social anxiety and his problem with human interactions, he still traveled around with his Pokemon and became the very best like no one ever was. He became a legend.

It would be easier to just stay home and avoid humans, but Red didn't do it. He challenged the world and came on top.

Ruby would love to do the same, even if it would be difficult. One of his dreams for that reason is to travel around the world and photograph all the different places he would visit. It would probably stay the dream until he dies in the hospital room, but if given the chance, he would hop on that chance and never let it go.

To be honest, it was a miracle that Ruby lived up to the age of 21, but he could feel his time coming to an end. It wasn't a life he desired, but it wasn't completely bad either. He had 3 regrets as his pulse was starting to slow down.

The first was that he couldn't say goodbyes to his parents. They were currently working hard to pay his medical bills and hobby. His other regret was that he wouldn't be able to enjoy any more Pokemon games, and just as a new game was announced called Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Real shame.

And finally, his last regret is that his dream will stay a dream.

With these thoughts, Ruby Ethan Dane closed his eyes and died as he lived... in the hospital bed.

---

Ruby felt strange. At first, he felt nothing, but slowly, he regained feeling in his body. Furthermore, he felt better than ever, but he still didn't know. Maybe it was just how being dead felt like.

This changed when Ruby felt a light shining at his closed eyes, forcing him to open and cover them immediately after.

The young man became confused, seeing his surroundings. No longer was he in a hospital bed. He wasn't even near any building at all, as far as he could see. Ruby was surrounded by nature, and he was sitting on the ground while leaning on a tree.

Laying on the ground next to Ruby was a backpack. Not seeing anyone around, the temptation won, and he decided to search it for any clues on what had just happened.

The first thing that caught his eye was a name tag on said backpack. This backpack apparently belonged to... Red.

This made Ruby's heart beat faster. Did someone leave it to him? But if he did, where is that person, and why did he use Ruby's initials instead of his name.

To Ruby's surprise, it was empty. The young man didn't even know what he expected to find. In his frustration at his situation, he tried to rub his hair, but they were blocked by something. To find out what it was, he took off his head the mysterious item that turned out to not be so mysterious in the end. It was an ordinary cap, but after further inspection, Ruby realized that it was a mostly red hat with a white front. An identical copy of Red's hat that is synonymous with him and is rarely seen without it. After the examination, Ruby put the hat back on his head.

Excitement started to rise again in Ruby. Was he in heaven?

Ruby pinched himself, and feeling pain, he shook his head.

He wasn't in heaven unless God was a sadist and allowed pain even after death.

Now, with nothing else to check with the backpack and his hat, it was turn for his clothes, his pockets to be exact.

The first pocket he checked was the right one in his pants, and there he found a mobile phone. It wasn't his as he didn't even recognize a model of this device. When he turned it on, his eyes met a number of apps, but the one that drew his attention was a Pokemon Bank app or PokeBank for short.

Without much thought, Ruby opened it and was greeted with his account with all his Pokemon in there, which included all Pokemon up to Gen 7. He knew it was his account because of a few Pokemon levels and nicknames that he randomly remembered.

Feeling a bit curious and adventurous at the same time, he clicked on one of his favorite Pokemon to check its stats. He chose Mewtwo. A bit basic, but one can never go wrong with a classic. Not to mention, he could somehow resonate with the man-made Pokemon. Before he freed himself, Mewtwo was also living in a lab his whole life, just like Ruby spent all of his life in a hospital.

When Ruby clicked the icon of the Pokemon, instead of showing all the details, it vanished from the screen, leaving an empty square.

This puzzled Ruby, but before he could question what had just happened, a Pokeball appeared out of nowhere in front of the young man. It levitated for a short while as if wanting to be caught, but Ruby's reflexes weren't the greatest after a lifetime of illness, and it just dropped to the ground. Coincidently, it fell in a way that when it hit the ground, the button in the middle opened the Pokeball.

Ruby didn't know if he should feel excited or scared. On the one hand, he is going to see a Pokemon in real life with his very own eyes, but on the other hand, it is a legendary Pokemon. Ruby couldn't possibly know if it would recognize him for some reason and, if not, how it would behave. If it was his second chance at life, it has a high possibility of ending it very quickly.

The Pokemon in question was towering Ruby. It was about 2 meters long, if not slightly more. Its body was primarily gray, with the only exception being its long purple tail. If that wasn't enough to intimidate the unprepared, socially anxious Ruby, Mewtwo was releasing an unimaginable amount of pressure, probably the work of his ability.

Ruby was rightfully worried. Most of Mewtwo's pokedex entries told about how this Pokemon was created for the sole purpose of battling and its savage heart. The previously sick man was prepared to say goodbye to his new life, but instead of attacking, he saw a worried expression on Mewtwo's face as pressure vanished instantly.

"*Red!? What's wrong!? Why are you shaking!? Where are the enemies!?*"

Mewtwo wasn't speaking using his voice. He was using telepathy to talk directly to Ruby's mind, but the voice was somehow masculine.

"*You don't usually call me unless the situation is really dire, but I can't sense any human or strong Pokemon in a 100-meter radius.*"

Ruby wanted to say something he really wanted. Ask why he called him Red. Try to somehow explain the situation, but he couldn't utter a single word. His social anxiety always kicks in the worst of times... meaning whenever he talked to someone who wasn't his family or hospital staff that he had known for a long time.

"*Red?*"

Nevertheless, Mewtwo seemed worried about him and slowly levitated towards Ruby, getting uncomfortable close to him. Mewtwo moved his hand and put it gently on top of Ruby's hat, and the young man felt calmness spread through his body.

Ruby looked up to Mewtwo and noticed a gentle smile on Pokemon's face.

"*Should I say thank you? Maybe I should bow my head, or is Mewtwo not accustomed to that culture. Am I quiet for too long? Would it be strange if I said something now, or is it too late?*"

Ruby went into a spiral of thoughts, but unfortunately for him, he was heard by the Pokemon in front of him.

"*No, it would not be strange, and you don't need to do anything. You are welcome.*"

Mewtwo tried to be understanding, but it didn't help Ruby at all, and his thoughts sped up even more and started spiraling into a strange direction.

"*Calm down, Red. You don't need to worry about anything. Just try to imagine yourself speaking out loud if you want me to hear what you try to say.*"

Following Mewtwo's instructions, Ruby forcibly calmed himself enough to at least talk telepathically with the powerful Pokemon.

"*Okay... First... thank you for your help, Mewtwo.*" Mewtwo happily nodded, acknowledging Ruby's gratitude. "*I guess I have some questions... if you don't mind, of course. Why are you calling me Red?*"

That question astonished Mewtwo.

"*What do you mean? I call you Red because you are Red. You look the same, have the same psychic signature, and even the same brainwaves.*"

He looked the same? While flattering, Ruby wasn't even slightly similar to Red. He didn't have the same hair color, eye color, or even physique, but something told him that he should check his appearance immediately. Just to be sure.

"*Mewtwo, can you create water so I could take a look at my face?*"

Mewtwo smirked.

"*I'll do you better.*"

In Mewtwo's hand, a spoon started forming and changed its shape to be more flat and wide. It was made in a way that it would be easier to see reflection in it.

"*Is it to your satisfaction?*"

Ruby, for the first time in a long time, stood up using his own legs. It was a strange sensation after such a long time, and he needed to use the tree to support himself until he stood up fully. It was... amazing. A dream came true, but Ruby didn't have much time to admire his newfound strength as he took a look at his reflection.

Mewtwo looked proud of himself for creating the spoon, but Ruby was in shock yet another time. His face... wasn't his face anymore. To be sure that it was his reflection, he touched parts of his face to feel it out, but no matter what he did, it didn't change the fact that he was looking at a face that looked like Red, but it was his face.

Medium black hair that was coming from under the hat. Red/scarlet eyes. Investigating later, he noticed that his clothes were also different. Ruby didn't notice it until now. He wore a black T-shirt with white short sleeves and a red vest. To finish all up, he wore an ordinary pair of jeans with a belt around his waist.

While the initial shock was great, it vanished pretty quickly. Ruby was already suspecting that he died. He was prepared for it. He didn't expect to be reincarnated, but if he was, it wasn't strange that he didn't keep his old look. What Ruby didn't know was that Mewtwo helped him calm down once again.

"*Red, you were in a great distress. What happened?*"

Ruby tried to think what to say. He wanted to be honest with Mewtwo. The Pokemon was helpful if nothing else, but first, he wanted to make sure of something.

"*Mewtwo, what is the last thing you remember?*"

The psychic Pokemon started thinking as he put his hand under his chin.

"We were in Alola if I remember correctly. As usual, you tried to catch every new Pokemon you saw, and that made you jump into numerous wormholes in search of Ultra Beasts. At some point, you were so fed up with otherworldly Pokemons that you brought Godslayer, F.E.A.R, and The Mighty One with you and defeated them while laughing maniacally.*"

Ruby was ready to hide his head deep into the ground to hide his embarrassment. Mewtwo was one of his favorite Pokemon, so he was transferring him all the way from Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green all the way to Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, and after beating the main story, he transferred Mewtwo to his save and rarely threw him into the box.

The main reason for Ruby's embarrassment is because what Mewtwo described actually happened. He couldn't catch one of the Ultra Beasts, and it was making him go insane. Fully asleep with 1 hp using every possible Pokeball, but it still didn't want to stay in the ball! So Ruby, in the moment of weakness, loaded back a save before he attempted the catch and brought the Godslayer, a Pokemon he used to defeat most of the legendaries. After that, he used the F.E.A.R tactic on it, and in the end, The Mighty One finished the trilogy. It was therapeutic, but Ruby didn't expect that Mewtwo could remember him laughing.

Despite the shame Ruby was feeling, he was able to confirm that the Mewtwo in front of him was his Mewtwo. As a Pokemon fan, he knew that the most essential trait for a trainer is trust between the trainer and the Pokemon. It may be naive thinking, but Ruby wasn't the most emotionally mature person despite being a young adult. He didn't have a chance to mature.

"*Mewtwo, are you able to look into my memories?" Ruby asked a bit uncertainly, but simultaneously, there was a certain conviction in his eyes.

"Indeed, I possess such ability. However, I don't use it very often. Are you suggesting that I should look into your memories?*" Mewtwo asked with a raised eyebrow, at which Ruby nodded.

"*It would be... difficult to explain everything properly. And seeing my memories gives everything a creditability.*"

"*Not that I would expect you to lie to me, but if you wish for it, I'll comply.*"

With that said, Mewtwo once more put his hand on Ruby's head, and his eyes glowed mystically.

For the next few moments, Mewtwo's expression changed a few times. From shock to anger, then sadness and shock again. It was a surprise how quickly Mewtwo was able to go through Ruby's memories, but it was expected from the most powerful psychic-type Pokemon.

After it was done, Mewtwo went silent. He didn't know what to say. It was outside his expertise, but somehow, he found words appropriate for the moment.

"* You've... got a second chance, Red. Just like you've given me a second chance all these years ago and helped me after I escaped Team Rocket and let me see many other regions. This time, it's my turn to do the same for you. So I ask you, what do you wish to do now that you got that chance.*"

Ruby thought deeply about what Mewtwo just said. It's true that he got a second chance, unlike many people (probably, there is no way of knowing), so he should make the most out of it.

"*I... want to travel the world. It has been my dream for a long time, and I want to see this world with my eyes and, if possible, take photos of all these places.*" Ruby started uncertainly, but as he continued speaking, more confidence was showing. In the end, though, it reverted back as Ruby realized something. "*But I don't have any idea where we are. I have no money, supplies, or anything needed for traveling...*"

"*Before you start worrying, you should check other apps on your phone. Maybe there will be answers to your issues.*"

Mewtwo advised, and Ruby realized that he hadn't checked everything just yet, but first, he had to ask one more question.

"*Hey Mewtwo. When you first arrived here, you said that you didn't sense any strong Pokemon nearby. Does that mean that there are weak ones?*"

"Correct. There is the abandonment of Caterpies, Weedles, Pidgies, Ratatas, and so on. Nothing out of the ordinary. All these Pokemon are Kantonian, though, so we can assume that we are somewhere in Kanto.*"

The Pokemon gave his analysis, which was greatly appreciated by Ruby.

"*At least there are Pokemon here, so it won't be strange for me to have my own team while I travel.*"

"*We can focus on your team later. Let's check the rest of your phone's content.*"

Mewtwo was pushing to look at Ruby's phone, which the young man realized, but believing that his Pokemon (he felt giggle thinking about his Pokemon) seen something through his memories that Ruby had missed, so Ruby did as he was told.

Besides the PokeBank, the only other apps that seemed like they didn't belong on the phone were the Pokedex app and an inventory icon.

Clicking on the inventory showed a long list of items, which included a lot of items coming from different games that Ruby collected, like items connected to Mega Evolution and all Mega stones, a lot of berries with different effects, Z crystals, fishing rods of varying quality and a lot more but few items caught Ruby's attention. It was a trainer's ID/Trainer Card.

Ruby clicked on it, and just like Pokeball, it appeared in front of him, but this time, he managed to catch it before it started falling.

Inspecting it closer, Ruby could clearly see that it belonged to Red, or rather him now. There was even a picture of him on said card. When he turned it around to see how it looked on the back, there was a small form of instructions.

To summarise it even more, it said that this card is your identification and works in all regions working with the Pokemon Association and that this card works as a credit card connected to your bank account. It even showed how much money you had at the moment and updated it as soon as you used it.

Ruby had... 999.999.999 poke dollars. He didn't know how it worked and to what account his card was connected, but it's better not to think about it. It was even over the games' money limit, so he didn't know how he had this much. Once again, better not to think about it for now. Ruby didn't put the card back into the inventory but put it in the backpack. It would be needed on his travels, so ID being on hand would be necessary.

"*It looks like your worries about funds are resolved, not to mention all the supplies that you now possess. Without these worries, I believe it is time for you to choose a team you'll be mainly traveling with. I believe you don't need my help to do it.*"

While it's true that Ruby had an idea for his team, he still took some time to think through his options.

"*I need at least 5 other Pokemon for my party then...You, Mewtwo, are, without question, first on the roster. We are in it together and are partners, after all.*" Ruby said with an earnest smile that made Mewtwo's eyes widen. Not because he was necessarily shocked but because the sincerity that Ruby was radiating was much more than what the psychic Pokemon was used to.

"*Do you truly believe that I deserve that place?*" It wasn't that Mewtwo didn't believe in his worthiness, but he wanted to see Ruby's reasoning and determination.

"*If you don't, I don't know what other Pokemon do.*"

Mewtwo smiled.

"Then I'll humbly accept your offer.*"

"*Before we begin our brainstorming, I should probably make myself clear about my name.*" Ruby started. "*You keep calling me Red while I was going by Ruby all of my life.*"

"*If it bothers you, I'll call you Ruby from now on.*" Mewtwo interrupted Ruby.

"*No, no, no! There's no need for that. I was going to say that Ruby has died, so I thought I would change my name to get rid of all my regrets. You know, new life, new me, new name... kind of. I was called Red at times. It's silly, I know.*"

"No, it is not. If you believe that it will help you in any kind, then it is not silly in any way.*"

The man and the Pokemon may not have known each other for a long time, but it felt like they were long-lived friends.

"*Then from today onwards, I'm Red.*" Red nodded, satisfied with himself but slightly embarrassed by using the name of the legendary Pokemon trainer and his childhood idol.

"*Now that we are clear with that, let's go over our options.*" Ruby continued.

"*I would advise you against taking any more legendaries. Maybe one of the weaker ones at most.*" Mewtwo suggested.

"*Then how about Suicune? You can never go wrong with a bulky water type. It also has many strong ice moves as well as a repertoire of supporting moves. It is legendary but not Legendary. He also can purify water if needed or make us disappear in a mist if we want to avoid people or Pokemon.*"

"*Good choice, Red. Suicune is an honorable, stoic, and very intelligent Pokemon. He will be a great asset on this journey.*"

Red nodded, navigated his phone, and clicked on the Suicune icon. Just like with Mewtwo, a Pokeball appeared in front of Red to be caught in the man's hand. With a light but giggity throw, the ball flew and opened.

With a deafening roar, a beast appeared. It was primarily blue with a purple mane and some white spots. It released pressure similarly to how Mewtwo did it, but it disappeared much quicker than Mewtwo's as the two legendary Pokemon communicated telepathically, as seen by Mewtwo's glowing eyes.

After the short talk, Suicune turned to Red and moved his head at Mewtwo, telling him to let him talk with Red. The psychic Pokemon obliged without any protest and connected Suicune's mind with Red's.

"*It's a pleasure to see you in good health, Red. Mewtwo filled me in a little but said that you should be the one to explain finer details.*"

The only word that could describe Suicune's voice was noble, but one could hear respect for his trainer. It somehow made Red feel shy, like a child in front of an adult. He looked at Mewtwo, who gave him an encouraging nod, and it worked for Red.

"*You see, Suicune, I'm planning to travel the world, and I hoped that you would accompany me... if you don't mind, of course.*" Red quickly added at the end.

Suicune tilted his head curiously.

"*Put your hand out.*" The pokemon requested.

Red wasn't sure where the Johto legendary was planning, but he listened regardless. He didn't feel any danger coming from the water Pokemon.

As he did that, Suicune walked closer to Red until he was centimeters away from Red's hand. Then the Pokemon lowered himself with closed eyes and put his head in Red's palm.

"*When we first met, I thought you were just like other humans, looking for me for my power, to use me as you please, so I played your game and fought, then ran, then fought again. It was entertaining seeing you becoming more and more frustrated. It was also enjoyable to see you grow. Each time I met you, you were stronger until you finally managed to catch me. I believed my time as a free Pokemon has come to an end, so I accepted it but was planning to make your life harder if I could. However, during our travels, I've seen that while you had a tendency to catch all new Pokemon you came across, you were just as happy catching an ordinary Spinarak as you were when you caught me. I then realized. You didn't see me as a Legendary Pokemon but just as Suicune. I confirmed my suspicions when the same thing occurred when you battled and defeated my brothers and Master. I acknowledged you as my trainer just as they and our Master did. Whatever you wish I do, I'm at your service.*"

With all of that said, Suicune lowered himself even more and took a knee like a knight before his Master.

"*T-then... can I pet your mane?*"

Suicune was perplexed by such an ordinary request, but it just smiled as this was another example of Red seeing him just as a Pokemon.

"*Do as you please.*"

Red's mood increased threefold as he heard the okay, and his finger went straight for the purple mane. The feeling was literally otherworldly, and it would take a lot of self-control to not bury your head in it. A self-control that Red didn't possess. He lost himself in his own world until he was reminded of what he was doing by Mewtwo.

"*Ekhm.*"

"* ...Sorry.*" Red apologised timidly.

"*I do not mind. If it pleases you, it pleases me, but I do agree that we have more important issues at hand. Mewtwo, let me know that you are choosing a team. You know, have two of the six or more for now. Do you have other Pokemons in mind?*"

"*In fact, I do. Arcanine is a powerful fire type, and while rare, it won't cause a ruckus as you two would in public. Are there any objections?*"

Red asked, just to be sure. He cared about his Pokemon opinion.

Not getting any refusals, he repeated the process of getting Pokeball of a Pokemon out of PokeBank and opened it. Before Red could even start appreciating Arcanine's beauty, he was tackled by the big fire dog Pokemon and was assaulted by his enormous tongue.

"*That's enough, Arcanine. Let Red breathe a little, or you'll get splashed by water.*"

Arcanine stood up and rolled his eyes at Suicune's small threat, then looked at the legendary water-type challenging and, gave one last fast lick at Red's face and smirked smugly.

It irked Suicune, and he was ready to shoot a weak water attack. Arcanine was about to reciprocate, but they were stopped by Mewtwo.

"*Enough, you two! We are a team from now on, and we are not to fight among ourselves.*" Psychic master turned to Suicune. "*I expected more from you. You should understand that Arcanine is very attached to Red, so allow him to showcase that.*" Arcanine snickered behind Mewtwo but immediately stopped as the feline-like Pokemon turned to him with a glare. "*You aren't without fault either. Stop taunting Suicune like that. Just because both of you are water and fire type respectively doesn't mean that you need to act like these elements too.*"

Both of the Beasts lowered their heads in shame, but it wouldn't stop them from butting heads in the future. Pure water and pure fire usually have problems getting along with each other, even more so when they are powerful Pokemon. It looked like Mewtwo will need to play babysitter in the future as well.

"*Red, it looks like Arcanine will go with you at the end of the world.*" Arcanine nodded vigorously.

Red nodded, understanding that asking Arcanine wasn't needed, so he started thinking about the next member candidate. He already had excellent firepower with Mewtwo and Arcanine, and while Suicune is more defensive, he wasn't weak either, but maybe it would be good to have a real defensive wall of a Pokemon.

"*I think Steelix would be a good choice.*" Red announced and once again was met with agreement, at least from the two legendaries. Arcanine didn't care, as he would agree with anything Red said.

"*Before we begin, I have a request for you, Red.*" Mewtwo stopped Red before he could open his phone.

"*What is it, Mewtwo?*"

"*I ask you that you try speaking out loud, at least, to your Pokemon. Do not mistake that I request it because I do not wish to aid you, but you don't need to feel shy around your Pokemon. You don't need to speak much, and I will assist you whenever you require it.*"

Red thought about that for a moment, and he showed a determined expression. It was true. He needed to show that he was trying to be a good trainer, and showing trust in his Pokemon by talking out loud to them would be a good beginning.

"I-I'll try."

Mewtwo nodded, proud of his trainer.

After a short repetition of tapping the icons later, a behemoth of a Pokemon being over 10 meters long appeared in the forest, scaring pidgeys from the trees. His skin was made of metal and looked sturdy. His head was much bigger than the rest of his snake-like body, but the Pokemon didn't seem to have any problem moving it. He was confused by his surroundings until he noticed his trainer.

"H-hey Steelix... D-do you recognize m-me?" Red had trouble speaking with his own voice. It felt unnatural to talk out loud to someone he just met, but he tried his best for his Pokemon.

Steelix, of course, recognized Red, and overjoyed, he laid his whole body on the ground with his head in front of the only human in the area. This action caused the ground to shake a little as at least over 400 kg of a giant steel snake dropped. The Pokemon, of course, didn't do it on purpose. He just forgot to control his strength in his happiness.

A normal person would maybe get mad at the recklessness of the giant Pokemon, but Red wasn't normal. He was a bit of a scary cat, shy around people, and loved Pokemon. The last reason was why he wasn't freaking out so much seeing a beast taller than him. The legendaries were the exceptions as their ability Pressure allowed them to release... well, pressure. It made Red shiver, remembering that feeling. But otherwise, seeing a Pokemon in real life was a novel experience that made him forget the fear that he should be feeling.

Not living in society can make a person have a different view of the world.

Besides, the puppy eyes that Steelix was giving would melt anyone's heart, and he looked like he was expecting headpats, so Red gave him exactly that as he smiled.

"I-I guess that means that you do. So would you go on another adventure with me? W-what do you say?" The only answer he got was a happy tail wagging and a few slams on the ground. "So I guess that this is the yes. Welcome t-to the team then!"

Steelix moved his body nearer the other Pokemons, giving his respect to his teammates. He was one of the more gentle Pokemons despite his enormous size.

"*You are doing great, Red.*" Mewtwo praised Red as the young beamed at the praise, happy that he didn't disappoint his 'first' Pokemon. Now feeling a bit more confident, he went straight to choosing the next companion or rather companions.

"T-thanks, Mewtwo. N-now that leaves two Pokemon left to choose from, and I believe I have a great duo in mind. F-first is Lopunny. She helped me a lot before, and she was with me since s-she was a Buneary until I defeated the Sinnoh champion."

There have been no objections so far, although Arcanine didn't look as thrilled about the idea as the others.

"The other of the d-duo would be Gardevoir. S-she would have a similar role to Mewtwo but with Fairy type on top of it. She also has a few healing moves if we are in need of any immediate healing without any Pokemon Centers nearby."

Hearing the name of the Pokemon Red just mentioned, the whole group stiffened and looked at each other as if deciding if they should say something and, if they do, who should do it. In the end, it was without surprise, Mewtwo.

"*Red, I don't think-*"

But he was too late. Red, with his new coincidence, already took out the needed Pokeballs and threw them.

From the light, two figures appeared. The shorter one of the two was about 1,5m long, which was a bit higher than the average of her species. She had brown fur with a lighter shade on her ears, legs, and wrist. It was Lopunny keeping her hands near her face.

The other one was slightly taller at about 1,6m with something resembling a flowing gown. There is also a red fin-like horn extending from her chest. The unusual part of this Pokemon is that all the parts of her body that should be green were blue instead. It was Red's shiny Gardevoir.

Both of the Pokemon looked around, confused as all the others before them. First, they noticed Mewtwo, Suicune, Arcanine, and Steelix. It was strange for them. Red never was the one to let them out without much reason, and they couldn't see a powerful enemy, and even if there was, they couldn't see Godslayer, F.E.A.R, or The Mighty One.

Turning around, they finally see the man who is their trainer.

"*Red!!!*" The Gardevoir exclaimed, rushed towards her trainer, and hugged him tightly.

Red didn't know how to react to sudden affection, so he stood there awkwardly with his arms in the air.

Lopunny saw that and rolled her eyes as she made her way toward the duo of her trainer and a fellow Pokemon.

When she was within the range of the two, Lopunny grabbed Gardevoir by the shoulder, pulled her away from the hug, and threw as far as she could with that movement earning a glare from the fellow female Pokemon, but she didn't pay her any mind as she closed even more distance between Red and herself. She then nuzzled her head into his shoulder.

Once again, Red didn't know how to react, but he didn't need to as Lopunny was pulled by an invisible force. The cause of this was, of course, Gardevoir, who had a dangerous gleam in her eyes and a crazy smile that could send shivers down people's spine. The fight was ready to start.

Thankfully, both of the Pokemon were stopped before anything could escalate. Mewtwo played that role again and was holding both of them in the air using his psychic powers.

"*Can both of you calm down already. It is not the time to fight.*" Mewtwo made sure to make eye contact with both of them. Not at the same time, of course.

Lopunny was more understanding of the two as she looked between the two psychic Pokemons and just nodded dismissively. She knew that she didn't stand a chance against Mewtwo and didn't try to fight him. She didn't even have anything against the legendary Pokemon.

Gardevoir wasn't as nice as Lopunny and glared at Mewtwo.

"*Give me one reason why I should listen to you.*" She demanded and tried to intimidate her captor. Without any success, one may add.

"*I can give you two. For one, you couldn't free yourself even if you wanted to. You aren't strong enough.*" The glare intensified. "*But the main reason why you should behave is for Red. If you don't get along with everyone, it will make him sad, and maybe, just maybe, he will be forced to swap you with other Pokemon. Oh, how sad he would be. Red was quite excited to get you out as well, so it would be devastating to do. We will be traveling, and a group that isn't united would be a problem.*"

The whole conversation was made telepathically, and no one besides the two heard it, which was for a good reason. Mewtwo was aware of Gardevoir... obsessiveness over Red, but he wanted to keep it to a minimum around his trainer if possible, and if little emotional manipulation is what was needed for that to happen, then Mewtwo would use it to its fullest.

Gardevoir thought through what Mewtwo just shared with her, and she didn't like the idea of getting replaced. Not to mention, her rival, Lupunny, would have a lot of time with their trainer while she wouldn't. She couldn't let that happen, so the only option for her was to place nice... at least in front of Red.

Seeing Gardevoir nodding, Mewtwo gently dropped both Pokemon on the ground. The embrace Pokemon dusted off her dress while Lopunny cleaned her ears.

The team was ready, and Red was ready to depart, but first, he returned all Pokemon to their Pokeballs, which mysteriously returned to Red's belt after he threw them.

Now, the real challenge was to find the civilization, but hopefully, Red would figure it out, and if not, he'd get the help of his Pokemon that he could count on.

---

END
Discord server: https://discord.gg/FcBZZvAxv6

 

[Kenrio]

Wow,what a power wank. I don't will try to read after the fact he have coultles powerfull pokemon whith him whithout doing anything. Should put in the tags this is wish fulfilment and op tag

 

[Phylonemios]

Must be really cool to just travel around, discover sights, go somewhere in the deep wild of the Pokemon World to claim and build a small fief for all of your pokemons and the wild ones around !

And the love triangle between Lopunny, Gardevoir and Red the dense one, heh.
Thank you for writing !

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Huh this looks like a fun one. Cant wait for more! Shame he didnt get to play Legends Arceus. Still though wonder if in his journey he will wander into Kitakami(its north of Johto isnt it?) And catch the BM Ursaluna. And then get the regular varient at some point.

 

[Kurit]

(A/N Small warning, small info dumb ahead. If you want to skip pokedex entries just know that the Pokemon have their movesets from Gen 7 games plus a few attacks from previous generations that make sense,)

(3rd's pov)

It was the start of Red's journey. Kind of. All that matters is that Red could move his body as he liked, which was new to him. He didn't pay it too much attention at the beginning as he was too focused on his Pokemon, which, no matter how many times he says or thinks, makes him all happy inside.

First, he did a few tests with the body parts that he learned at the hospital. He needed to do some slight muscle training regularly so he wouldn't suffer muscle deterioration. It wasn't much, and in the last year or so, his condition dropped significantly, so he couldn't do any of them, but they were still valuable to know. By doing them right now, Red could determine how much his body improved.

It was nothing crazy. A few stretches here and there, moving limbs slowly in unchanging speed. It was ordinary, but not for Red. Not only did he do them alone, but he wasn't even tired or winded.
This was incredible!

Red wanted to test his body to its limits, but it wasn't time for that. He knew it, but he was already thinking about how to keep his health at an acceptable level. He wouldn't want to stay in bed anymore after 21 years of doing that already.

But that was for later. First, he needed to get out of this forest and find human civilization, and then... and then...

Red had a realization. He will be forced to interact with other people. He started sweating just thinking about it. Maybe he will ask Gardevoir for help... then he realized that it wouldn't matter. He would still need to talk, just not with his mouth.

The world is just unfair, but future problems are for future Red to solve. Right now, he needed to solve the problem of being in the middle of the forest.

The solution was in his phone all along, as it came with all the regular phone features, including a map.

Enlightened, Red clicked on the map... only to be disappointed as there was no service there. Technology has failed him once more.

Red could bring out Arcanine or Suicune to ride on them in whatever direction to hopefully find something, but he wanted to use his legs a bit first and take a look around him. Speaking of which...

Red noticed that he could see a few Pokemon. On the trees, there were Pidgies, looking curiously at him. Seeing them like that, Red opened his camera app and took a few photos. While a Pidgey was very similar to an ordinary bird, it was much more intelligent and obviously much stronger, but most importantly, Pidgey was a Pokemon, and that mattered the most for Red.

The photos weren't the best quality. They were made with a phone camera in a hurry by an amateur. It only meant that Red had a lot to learn, not only about taking photos but also about traveling and taking care of his Pokemon. Maybe a visit to the library would be a good idea. The purchase of a camera doesn't sound like a bad idea either.

For the next hour or so, Red was absorbed by just walking through the forest, taking photos now and then, and just breathing the fresh air. It was his first time in the woods, and still, he wasn't feeling tired.

It was beyond belief, and Red's joy was overflowing, but it was time for more important issues, so he took Mewtwo's Pokeball and released the Pokemon. This time, the legendary Pokemon stopped himself from using his ability immediately after appearing.

"*How can I help you Red?*"
"I-I was walking around for a while but didn't f-find any signs of humans, so I hoped you could help me with some d-directions."

Mewtwo nodded with understanding and went into searching quickly as he activated his psychic powers to find humans. After doing a slow 360⁰, he closed his eyes, reopened them, and pointed somewhere.

"*If you go in this direction, you should find a human establishment. It should be around 2 days on foot from here. Arcanine or Suicune can help you get there much quicker if you are in a hurry. Even I can fly you there, but these two would be the fastest. I do not wish to disclose which one is faster as this could lead to a fight between the two.*" Mewtwo sighed at the end like a parent knowing full well that his/her children will fight over the silliest things.

"I think I'll w-walk. I want to try setting up a camp a-and sleeping outdoors for once. I'll c-call you or the others if I run across a d-dangerous Pokemon."

Once again, the psychic Pokemon nodded with acceptance and was happy that Red wasn't afraid of using his Pokemon if needed. It was apparent from the previous conversation that Red cared about his Pokemons greatly, to the point that he would release them the moment they asked for it and even appreciated their opinions. Mewtwo was afraid that this might stop him from using his Pokemon so they would not get hurt, but he was content that his worries were unwarranted.

"*Then I'll wait until then.*"

Swallowed into a red laser, Mewtwo returned to his Pokeball, and Red continued his journey.

---

It was time to set up a camp. There was only one problem. Red couldn't find a tent in his inventory. He realized that there wasn't any key item that allowed him to sleep outside, even if it is implied that during the journey, a trainer would sleep in the wilds. Thankfully, Red wasn't discouraged. He would be safe and warm with the help of his Pokemon, and the weather was good enough to sleep without a roof.

First, he wanted to do a little test, and Mewtwo would be a perfect candidate, so Red once again called the 'strongest psychic type' Pokemon.

"Mewtwo... do y-you remember what was happening while you were in... a box?"

"*Not in particular. As I mentioned previously, the last thing I recalled was our adventure in Alola. You wish to know if this will change if I go back there, don't you? Do as you like.*"

Mewtwo quickly deduced and allowed the experiment at the same time. The psychic Pokemon was more intelligent than most people, after all.

With his consent, Red returned Mewtwo and found the option to send Pokemon from his team back to Pokebank, so he did just that, and the Pokeball vanished. After waiting a minute, he returned Mewtwo's Pokeball to his hand and opened it again.

"How was it?"

"*...It was strange. It was a Pokemon ranch. There weren't any Pokemon besides me, so we can assume that only the Pokemon that you brought here and then returned back will be sent there. Overall, it is a nice place.*"

With this, Red wouldn't need to be worried about calling additional Pokemons if required. He wouldn't want to bring them just to return them to void.

Red nodded, happy that one of his worries was unfounded.

With this, he called all of his Pokemon out. In all his excitement, he forgot that he had one special app to check. The Pokedex app.

Opening the app, Red was welcomed with all the Pokemon data he had gathered, but to his surprise, there were empty spaces as well. It meant that there were Pokemon that he had yet to discover. It was an exciting thought, but he opened the Pokedex for another reason. He wanted to scan his Pokemons, and so he did it.

__________

#150 Mewtwo
Height: 2m 10cm
Weight: 130kg
Gender: Genderless
Ability: Pressure
Classification: Genetic Pokemon
Type: Psychic

---

Moves:
Laser Focus [Normal]
Psywave [Psychic]
Confusion [Psychic]
Disable [Normal]
Safeguard [Normal]
Swift [Normal]
Future Sight [Psychic]
Psych Up [Normal]
Miracle Eye [Psychic]
Psycho Cut [Psychic]
Power Swap [Psychic]
Guard Swap [Psychic]
Recover [Normal]
Psychic [Psychic]
Barrier [Psychic]
Aura Sphere [Fighting]
Amnesia [Psychic]
Mist [Ice]
Me first [Normal]
Psystrike [Psychic]
Psyshock [Psychic]
Calm Mind [Psychic]
Toxic [Poison]
Bulk Up [Fighting]
Taunt [Dark]
Ice Beam [Ice]
Blizzard [Ice]
Hyper Beam [Normal]
Light Screen [Psychic]
Protect [Normal]
Solar Beam [Grass]
Thunderbolt [Electric]
Thunder [Electric]
Earthquake [Ground]
Return [Normal]
Shadow Ball [Ghost]
Brick Break [Fighting]
Double Team [Normal]
Flamethrower [Fire]
Fire Blast [Fire]
Rock Tomb [Rock]
Aerial Ace [Flying]
Torment [Dark]
Facade [Normal]
Rest [Psychic]
Low Sweep [Fighting]
Round [Normal]
Focus Blast [Fighting]
Energy Ball [Grass]
Fling [Dark]
Charge Beam [Electric]
Brutal Swing [Dark]
Will-O-Wisp [Fire]
Embargo [Dark]
Giga Impact [Normal]
Stone Edge [Rock]
Thunder Wave [Electric]
Bulldoze [Ground]
Rock Slide [Rock]
Poison Jab [Poison]
Dream Eater [Psychic]
Grass Knot [Grass]
Swagger [Normal]
Sleep Talk [Normal]
Substitute [Normal]
Trick Room [Psychic]
Confide [Normal]
Signal Beam [Bug]
Low Kick [Fighting]
Thunder Punch [Electric]
Fire Punch [Fire]
Ice Punch [Ice]
Magic Coat [Psychic]
Foul Play [Dark]
Gravity [Psychic]
Icy Wind [Ice]
Aqua Tail [Water]
Zen Headbutt [Psychic]
Iron Tail [Steel]
Role Play [Psychic]
Drain Punch [Fighting]
Shock Wave [Electric]
Water Pulse [Water]
Trick [Psychic]
Magic Room [Psychic]
Wonder Room [Psychic]
Snatch [Dark]
Skill Swap [Psychic]
Telekinesis [Psychic]
Teleport [Psychic]
---

It was created by a scientist after years of gene splicing and DNA engineering experiments. Its DNA is almost the same as Mew's. However, its size and disposition are vastly different. It was made with battling in mind to create the strongest Pokemon, and at the very least, the scientists created one of the strongest and most versatile Pokemon known to man.

__________

...

Red didn't know what to say. Mewtwo had a lot of moves, and a lot of them Red was sure he hadn't taught them before as a good part of them were TMs, and it wouldn't be smart to teach Mewtwo weak moves like Charge Beam.

All in all, it was a good thing that Mewtwo knew all these moves. Excited to see the rest, he turned to Suicune.

__________

#245 Suicune
Height: 2m
Weight: 187 kg
Gender: Male
Ability: Pressure
Classification: Aurora Pokemon
Type: Water

---
Moves:
Sheer Cold [Ice]
Bite [Dark]
Leer [Normal]
Bubble Beam [Water]
Rain Dance [Water]
Gust [Flying]
Aurora Beam [Ice]
Mist [Ice]
Mirror Coat [Psychic]
Ice Fang [Ice]
Tailwind [Flying]
Extrasensory [Psychic]
Hydro Pump [Water]
Calm Mind [Psychic]
Blizzard [Ice]
Roar [Normal]
Hail [Ice]
Ice Beam [Ice]
Hyper Beam [Normal]
Protect [Normal]
Return [Normal]
Shadow Ball [Ghost]
Double Team [Normal]
Reflect [Psychic]
Facade [Normal]
Rest [Psychic]
Round [Normal]
Scald [Water]
Quash [Dark]
Giga Impact [Normal]
Psych Up [Normal]
Bulldoze [Ground]
Swagger [Normal]
Sleep Talk [Normal]
Substitute [Normal]
Surf [Water]
Snarl [Dark]
Waterfall [Water]
Confide [Normal]
Iron Head [Steel]
Icy Wind [Ice]
Iron Tail [Steel]
Water Pulse [Water]
---

One of the three legendary Beasts said to be resurrected by Ho-Oh itself and is the closest to his Master out of the three Beasts. Said to be the reincarnation of North Winds, it can instantly purify filthy, murky water. It is also able to walk on said water as easily as on solid ground.

__________

Suicune was more or less what Red expected with a surprise or two, so he went into the next Pokemon.

__________

#059 Arcanine
Height: 2m 20cm
Weight: 170 kg
Gender: Male
Ability: Intimidate
Clarification: Legendary Pokemon
Type: Fire

---
Moves:
Thunder Fang [Electric]
Bite [Dark]
Roar [Normal]
Odor Sleuth [Normal]
Fire Fang [Fire]
Extreme Speed [Normal]
Sunny Day [Fire]
Hyper Beam [Normal]
Protect [Normal]
Safeguard [Normal]
Solar Beam [Grass]
Return [Normal]
Double Team [Normal]
Flamethrower [Fire]
Fire Blast [Fire]
Aerial Ace [Flying]
Facade [Normal]
Flame Charge [Fire]
Rest [Psychic]
Attract [Normal]
Thief [Dark]
Round [Normal]
Overheat [Fire]
Will-O-Wisp [Fire]
Giga Impact [Normal]
Bulldoze [Ground]
Swagger [Normal]
Sleep Talk [Normal]
Substitute [Normal]
Wild Charge [Electric]
Snarl [Dark]
Confide [Normal]
Body Slam [Normal]
Crunch [Dark]
Thrash [Normal]
Fire Spin [Fire]
Howl [Normal]
Heat Wave [Fire]
Double Edge [Normal]
Flare Blitz [Fire]
Morning Sun [Normal]
Covet [Normal]
Iron Tail [Steel]
Double Kick [Fighting]
Close Combat [Fighting]
Burn Up [Fire]
Iron Head [Steel]
Dragon Pulse [Dragon]
Helping Hand [Normal]
Outrage [Dragon]
Laser Focus [Normal]
Ember [Fire]
Leer [Normal]
Flame Wheel [Fire]
Reversal [Fighting]
Take Down [Normal]
Flame Burst [Fire]
Agility [Psychic]
Retaliate [Normal]
Dig [Ground]
---

A pokemon that has been admired since the past for its beauty. It runs agilely as if on wings. Its magnificent bark conveys a sense of majesty. Anyone hearing it can't help but grovel before it. It earned legendary status in the east, and legends tell of its Fighting alongside a general and conquering a whole country.

__________

Arcanine wasn't out of the ordinary either. The initial shock from seeing many moves was gone, and excitement came from imagining the possibilities, but it would wait until he scared everyone on the team.

__________

#208 Steelix
Height: 10m 50cm
Weight: 500 kg
Gender: Male
Ability: Sheer Force
Classification: Iron-Snake Pokemon
Type: Steel/Ground

---
Moves:
Thunder Fang [Electric]
Ice Fang [Ice]
Fire Fang [Fire]
Mud Sport [Ground]
Tackle [Normal]
Harden [Normal]
Bind [Normal]
Curse [Ghost]
Rock Throw [Rock]
Rock Tomb [Rock]
Rage [Normal]
Stealth Rock [Rock]
Autotomize [Steel]
Gyro Ball [Steel]
Smack Down [Rock]
Dragon Breath [Dragon]
Slam [Normal]
Screech [Normal]
Rock Slide [Rock]
Crunch [Dark]
Iron Tail [Steel]
Dig [Ground]
Stone Edge [Rock]
Double-Edge [Normal]
Sandstorm [Rock]
Roar [Normal]
Taunt [Dark]
Hyper Beam [Normal]
Protect [Normal]
Earthquake [Ground]
Return [Normal]
Double Team [Normal]
Torment [Dark]
Facade [Normal]
Rest [Psychic]
Attract [Normal]
Round [Normal]
Brutal Swing [Dark]
Explosion [Normal]
Payback [Dark]
Giga Impact [Normal]
Rock Polish [Rock]
Psych Up [Normal]
Bulldoze [Ground]
Dragon Tail [Dragon]
Swagger [Normal]
Sleep Talk [Normal]
Substitute [Normal]
Flash Canon [Steel]
Nature Power [Normal]
Dark Pulse [Dark]
Confide [Normal]
Rollout [Rock]
Rock Climb [Normal]
Heavy Slam [Steel]
Wide Guard [Rock]
Iron Head [Steel]
Earth Power [Ground]
Magnet Rise [Electric]
Aqua Tail [Water]
Endure [Normal]
Strength [Normal]
Mud-slap [Ground]
Headbutt [Normal]
Body Slam [Normal]
---

Its body was compressed deep under the ground. As a result, it is even harder than a diamond. Because of the result of its environment, it is able to see reasonably well in the dark. Steelix's eyes are adapted to see in the dark underground as it spends most of his time there. Scientists still can't determine why it weighs so little compared to its massive size and the material it is made of, but the most popular theory is that its insides are hollow or made of light metal/minerals to move with more ease.

__________

Steelix was never known to be the strongest Pokemon and never was a victim of the so-called 4-move slot syndrome. Having a lot of options was always helpful, and just imagining Steelix using Magnet to rise and fly at his opponents makes Red excited, not that he would see that often. His plans aren't to battle everyone he meets but to see the world after all.

__________

#428 Lopunny
Height: 1m 50cm
Weight: 40 kg
Gender: Female
Ability: Cute Charm
Classification: Rabbit Pokemon
Type: Normal

---
Moves:
Return [Normal]
Healing Wish [Psychic]
Bounce [Flying]
Rototiller [Ground]
Mirror Coat [Psychic]
Magic Coat [Psychic]
Defence Curl [Normal]
Splash [Normal]
Pound [Normal]
Foresight [Normal]
Endure [Normal]
Baby-Doll Eyes [Fairy]
Quick Attack [Normal]
Jump Kick [Fighting]
Baton Pass [Normal]
Agility [Psychic]
Dizzy Punch [Normal]
After You [Normal]
Charm [Fairy]
Entrainment [Normal]
High Jump Kick [Fighting]
Work Up [Normal]
Ice Beam [Ice]
Blizzard [Ice]
Hyper Beam [Normal]
Protect [Normal]
Solar Beam [Grass]
Thunderbolt [Electric]
Thunder [Electric]
Shadow Ball [Ghost]
Double Team [Normal]
Facade [Normal]
Rest [Psychic]
Attract [Normal]
Low Sweep [Fighting]
Round [Normal]
Focus Blast [Fighting]
Fling [Dark]
Charge Beam [Electric]
Brutal Swing [Dark]
Giga Impact [Normal]
Thunder Wave [Electric]
Grass Knot [Grass]
Swagger [Normal]
Sleep Talk [Normal]
Substitute [Normal]
Confide [Normal]
Fake Tears [Dark]
Fake Out [Normal]
Encore [Normal]
Sweet Kiss [Fairy]
Double Hit [Normal]
Low Kick [Fighting]
Sky Uppercut [Fighting]
Switcheroo [Dark]
Thunder Punch [Electric]
Ice Punch [Ice]
Fire Punch [Fire]
Flail [Normal]
Focus Punch [Fighting]
Circle Throw [Fighting]
Copycat [Normal]
Teeter Dance [Normal]
Cosmic Power [Psychic]
Mud Sport [Ground]
Power-up Punch [Fighting]
Covet [Normal]
Uproar [Normal]
Last Resort [Normal]
Hyper Voice [Normal]
Iron Tail [Steel]
Snore [Normal]
Heal Bell [Normal]
Drain Punch [Fighting]
Water Pulse [Water]
Helping Hand [Normal]
Endeavour [Normal]
Laser Focus [Normal]
Dig [Ground]
Rock Smash [Fighting]
Cut [Normal]
Strength [Normal]
Fury Cutter [Bug]
Headbutt [Normal]
Swift [Normal]
---

An extremely cautious Pokemon. It cloaks its body with its fluffy ear fur when it senses danger. It is very conscious of its looks and never fails to groom its ears. It runs with sprightly jumps. Lopunny sheds its fur twice a year. Its winter fur is soft and fluffy. Clothes made of its fur are really warm. The ears on this Pokemon appear to be delicate. If they are touched roughly, it kicks with its graceful legs.

__________

Lopunny had a lot more special moves than Red expected since she is a physical attacker. He will need to test them later. He will probably test them when he's done with these Pokedex entries. Red was just so eager to see Pokemons in action, and they still had time before it got dark, but before that, he needed to scan his last Pokemon.

__________

#282 Gardevoir
Height: 1m 60cm
Weight: 50 kg
Gender: Female
Ability: Telepathy
Classification: Embrace Pokemon
Type: Psychic/Fairy

---
Moves:
Moonblast [Fairy]
Stored Power [Psychic]
Misty Terrain [Fairy]
Healing Wish [Psychic]
Growl [Normal]
Confusion [Psychic]
Double Team [Normal]
Teleport [Psychic]
Disarming Voice [Fairy]
Wish [Normal]
Magical Leaf [Grass]
Heal Pulse [Psychic]
Draining Kiss [Fairy]
Calm Mind [Psychic]
Psychic [Psychic]
Imprison [Psychic]
Future Sight [Psychic]
Captivate [Normal]
Hypnosis [Psychic]
Dream Eater [Psychic]
Psyshock [Psychic]
Taunt [Dark]
Hyper Beam [Normal]
Light Screen [Psychic]
Protect [Normal]
Safeguard [Normal]
Thunderbolt [Electric]
Return [Normal]
Shadow Ball [Ghost]
Reflect [Psychic]
Torment [Dark]
Facade [Normal]
Rest [Psychic]
Attract [Normal]
Thief [Dark]
Round [Normal]
Echoed Voice [Normal]
Focus Blast [Fighting]
Energy Ball [Grass]
Fling [Dark]
Charge Beam [Electric]
Will-O-Wisp [Fire]
Giga Impact [Normal]
Thunder Wave [Electric]
Psych Up [Normal]
Grass Knot [Grass]
Swagger [Normal]
Sleep Talk [Normal]
Substitute [Normal]
Trick Room [Psychic]
Dazzling Gleam [Fairy]
Disable [Normal]
Mean Look [Normal]
Memento [Dark]
Destiny Bond [Ghost]
Grudge [Ghost]
Shadow Sneak [Ghost]
Confuse Ray [Ghost]
Encore [Normal]
Synchronoise [Psychic]
Skill Swap [Psychic]
Ally Switch [Psychic]
Signal Beam [Bug]
Thunder Punch [Electric]
Fire Punch [Fire]
Ice Punch [Ice]
Magic Coat [Psychic]
Icy Wind [Ice]
Zen Headbutt [Psychic]
Hyper Voice [Normal]
Snore [Normal]
Heal Bell [Normal]
Pain Split [Normal]
Shock Wave [Electric]
Helping Hand [Normal]
Trick [Psychic]
Magic Room [Psychic]
Wonder Room [Psychic]
Recycle [Normal]
Snatch [Dark]
Telekinesis [Psychic]
Laser Focus [Normal]
Lucky Chant [Normal]
Charm [Fairy]
Flash [Normal]
Endure [Normal]
Swift [Normal]
Mud-slap [Ground]
Headbutt [Normal]
Body Slam [Normal]
Double-Edge [Normal]
Mimic [Normal]
Nightmare [Ghost]
---

Gardevoir has the ability to read the future, but there is not much research on it. As such, its limits are currently unknown. If it senses impending danger to its Trainer, this Pokemon is said to unleash its psychokinetict energy at full power. It apparently does not feel the pull of gravity because it supports itself with psychic power. It will give its life to protect its Trainer.

__________

As Red read through the Pokedex entries, his Pokemon waited patiently until he was done, and as soon as his eyes left his phone, he unknowingly let a confident smirk creep on his face.

"Let's do some tests."

---

The first test would be about the power of the moves from different Pokemon. Let's look at the Ice Beam, for example. Ice-type Pokemon would not only have an easier time learning and using this move, but it will also be stronger than those used by Pokemon of a similar level but with different typing. This is known as S.T.A.B or Same Type Attack Bonus in games.

Red didn't have any Ice type, but three of his Pokemon could use Icy Wind. This trio consisted of Mewtwo, Suicune, and Gardevoir. He could test the same using Ice Beam, but Gardevoir couldn't learn it. Lopunny could, though, but she was a physical attacker, so it wouldn't be a fair comparison. Not to mention that Ice Beam is a more powerful move of the two. Lopunny's turn will come later on, though.

"Mewtwo, use Icy Wind on the tree." Red commanded. He was too absorbed in his research to be nervous at the moment, and Mewtwo was impressed by his Trainer's focus and used the Ice move as he was ordered.

Mewtwo outstretched his hand, and from there, a wind that looked blue, showing its Ice nature, shot towards the tree. It was a widespread move, just like in the games, so it wouldn't be strange if it dropped the opponents' speed as well. Probably as a consequence of the move's low temperature.

"Your turn, Suicune. Same as Mewtwo, use Icy Wind."

Suicune nodded, turned to another tree, and breathed out. That was the moment the move was used. It was released completely differently than Mewtwo. It also was slightly more powerful if the ice-covered trees were any indication. Suicune's tree was covered in slightly more ice. This only showed that Suicune's Icy Wind covered more area. The strength of the move is yet to be tested, but many water types have an aptitude for ice-type moves as well. These two elements are the same, just in different states. Although strangely enough, not many Ice types learn powerful Water type attacks.

This would need more testing, but not today. Red still needs to see Gardevoir's attack, speaking of which.

"Gardevoir." Red didn't need to say anything more. The command was clear.

Yet another tree was targeted, and just like before, Gardevoir used yet another method to use the same move. She brought her hands together to her red fin-like horn, and after outstretching her arms, the wind appeared. It was weaker than the other two but was still impressive.

Red started thinking deeply about the reasons for different move start-ups. Was it just preference? Self-hypnosis? Or something completely different?

At the same time, Gardevoir glared at both legendaries, seeing that her attack's area of effect wasn't as big as her teammates and she couldn't show off to Red as much as she liked. She did that, of course, when she was sure that Red wasn't looking. Mewtwo and Suicune rolled their eyes, more annoyed than threatened at Gardevoir.

After finishing his train of thought, Red turned to Lopunny, who was sitting, checking her ears and cleaning the fur nonchalantly with a bored expression. Noticing the stare of her Trainer, she stopped what she was doing, brushed her legs before standing up, and was ready for whatever Red had in mind.

"Lopunny, use Ice Beam."

The order was met with a raised eyebrow but was carried out nonetheless.

The fourth tree became the victim of an ice move. Ice Beam was technically stronger than Icy Wind, but it was less impressive. It didn't have the same Oomph as the weaker ice move if that makes sense. This was expected, but seeing is believing, as they say. It was also worth mentioning that Lopunny shot Ice Beam from her mouth.

Red needed to see Mewtwo use this move before he asked the question on his mind.

"Mewtwo, can you use Ice Beam?" Red asked.

With that said, Mewtwo pointed his finger at the tree. He used Ice Beam and shot a straight beam of ice. It was obviously much more powerful than Lopunny's, but the more interesting part was how this move was used.

"Mewtwo, do you use your move instinctually, or do you choose to use it consciously to shoot your attacks from your hands?"

The legendary Psychic Pokemon raised his eyebrow before realizing what Red was testing besides their powers. "*It's about 70% conscious and 30% instinctual. I can choose to shoot beam-like attacks from most parts of my body. I suspect that this is because of my Psychic typing. I am more aware of the energy that I'm using than most Pokemons, even of the same type. I don't expect many Pokemon to replicate my achievements in energy manipulation. Maybe some more powerful Psychic types or some legendary Pokemons.*"

Red nodded while listening carefully to his Pokemon. Mewtwo could possibly say that it was impossible for most Pokemon because of pride in his abilities. It would need more tests.

"ACHOO!!!"

Red suddenly sneezed and hugged himself in an attempt to warm himself up because, all of a sudden, he felt cold. Looking around, most of the place was covered in ice because of all these move usages. Maybe it wasn't the brightest idea to use Ice-type moves in a place he planned on sleeping. Thankfully, he had a powerful Fire-type Pokemon.

"Arcanine, please warm up this place. Suicune use Rain Dance immediately as well to prevent any wildfire from starting."

With a loud bark Arcanine used Heat Wave and melted the ice from the trees. Suicune followed it with Rain Dance. He didn't use a lot of energy in the move, so the change of weather didn't last for long. It wasn't needed in the end, but it was better safe than sorry.

Red was satisfied for now, but now that his curiosity was satiated, he took notice of something. He was commanding his Pokemon without thinking.

Did they have a problem with that? Will they now leave him since he didn't take their opinion before asking to use their moves?

Red started shaking out of nervousness, and Mewtwo calmed him down again. After reassuring Red that everything was fine, it was time to prepare for the night.

Arcanine dried the ground, and it was time to sleep. The sun was already setting, and Red was tired after walking for so long for the first time ever. Mewtwo prepared the leaves and some plants that would be comfortable to lay on. Arcanine positioned himself so Red could use him as a pillow. Lopunny seated herself next to her Trainer and used the fur of her ears to keep him warm at night. Steelix laid nearby, and so did Suicune. The latter used Mist to hide them in the forest so the wild Pokemon would be warier of them. Gardevoir took Red's other side as she couldn't be outdone by Lopunny. Mewtwo stayed nearby, and he closed his eyes.

It was finally time for their well-deserved rest.

(???'s pov)

"And remember, be careful. We don't know what caused the quake in the forest. I would rather you wait until tomorrow before you set off-"

"And I told you, Grandpa, the longer we wait, the more likely all evidence will be lost, be it because of weather or wild Pokemon. Besides, your old Arcanine will keep me safe, and there isn't a wild Pokemon strong enough to win against him."

I petted the big canine to show my appreciation for his help, and he panted with his tongue out. He may be old, but he still acts like a little puppy sometimes.

"It also won't be the first time I'll be sleeping outside. I even have Seych and Clefairy with me, too."

"I know, I know, just let this old man worry a little. No matter how old you get, you'll still be my little granddaughter."

Grandpa said with a soft expression. I know that he worries, but I couldn't be safer even if I wanted to. He also can't deny that he wants to know the cause of the commotion. It could be a natural earthquake. They do happen on some occasions, but we couldn't confirm it as Grandpa's trusty Alakazam was nowhere to be found. It wasn't that strange since the old Psychic type liked to solitude himself sometimes. It was unfortunate that he chose this time to vanish from our sight, but what can we do about it?

I checked for the last time if I had everything in my backpack, and seeing that I hadn't forgotten anything, I left into the forest on Arcanine's back and waved to Grandpa one last time as he did the same with his usual smile.

(3rd's pov)

Alakazam was astonished, flabbergasted, and dumbfounded. He trained for a long time and defeated many powerful Pokemon. In his eyes, he had justification to believe that he was strong. And that belief made it even more strange.

This morning, he felt powerful psychic energy, but as quickly it appeared, it vanished just as quickly. The scary part was that it dwarfed Alakazam's power, and the Pokemon couldn't understand how something this powerful had emerged so suddenly and how it had hidden itself.
The mustache-wearing Pokemon isolated himself so he could uncover this mystery without any disturbance.

The whole day went without any progress, but it wasn't because he couldn't find the cause of it. No, he was being blocked! He, the strongest Psychic type in the region! There couldn't be a possible stronger Psychic Pokemon here. There was Mew, but the feeling he got was more violent than the mythical Pokemon that won't be seen unless he wants you to. It must have been something different.

Alakazam used all of his mental power to try to break the barrier that prevented him from feeling what he was looking for, and finally, at the end of the day, he felt something, or rather, he heard a voice. However, it wasn't because of his own efforts. The being that created the barrier was the one who initiated the mental connection, and at that moment, Alakazam knew that he could stop the being from doing that even if he wanted to.

"*Cease your foolishness. Even if you spent 100 years doing your pathetic attempts at breaching my barrier, you wouldn't get any closer to achieving your goal. I may allow you one chance to comprehend your mistake. Stop now or face the consequences.*"

A lone sweat drop flowed down Alakazam's cheek until it reached his chin and dropped on the ground.

What kind of monster did Alakazam provoke.

(???'s pov)

The journey was very peaceful. I noticed the usual Pidgies and Rattatas, but there was an undermining feeling in Arcanine. At one point, he slowed down until he just walked. He was vigilant about something, so he probably could feel something that I couldn't.
It was eerie how ignorant I was while my Grandpa's Pokemon was wary.

What would usually take at most half a day stretched into a 2-day trip. I wouldn't chastise Arcanine for being careful. Safety is important, and when a strong Fire-type is being cautious, it is not the best sign.

Whatever was causing this reaction in Arcanine was probably the cause of the quake. The question now was if it was worth it to search for it. It could possibly be dangerous, and I wasn't a trainer. I could fight, of course, if needed, but I wasn't a battle junkie like my brother.
But if I return now, it could be catastrophic to leave something so dangerous without confirming what it was.

For now, the smart thing would be to set up a camp. The night would come soon, and I needed to be well-rested for whatever was coming. The weather was good, so I shouldn't have any problems using my tent, and even if it rained, it was a pretty high-spec tent, so it could take some of what Mother Nature could throw at me.

Suddenly it started raining, but it ended after a short bit... It wasn't natural... The sky wasn't clouded enough for it to rain.

It could be a Pokemon using a Rain Dance. I knew a few Pokemon that could use this move, and only the most powerful ones had the ability Drizzle, but they usually can't control the duration of the rain, so either the Pokemon who used the move was so weak that it couldn't maintain it for long or...

I bit my lip, thinking about the other possibility. To control Rain Dance to this extent would mean that the Pokemon was strong, very strong, and a bad matchup for Arcanine. I looked at the fire-type canine to ask him for his opinion. He was the one with better instincts.

Arcanine was looking in one direction with narrowed eyes. He then looked at me and nodded, indicating that he thought it was safe enough to rest.

Immediately after that exchange, the weather changed again. This time, Mist appeared out of nowhere. This was confirmation that it was some Pokemon's doing, but it was nowhere to be seen. I once again glanced at Arcanine, but his decision didn't change. It could only mean that the Pokemon who used Mist must have been pretty far away from where we are, or at least far away that Arcanine doesn't feel any danger from it, or it is even possible that it isn't hostile. Many intelligent Pokemon avoid battles unless necessary. I could only hope that it was the case this time.

With the mist still around, I went to sleep, and when I woke up, the fog was still around. I still needed to travel. This time, however, I planned on walking beside Arcanine as he still was against running.

Walking across the forest through the mist, I noticed that it was quiet. No Pokemon noises could be heard, which was unnatural, especially at this time of the day.

After a short walk, I noticed something far away, and I could see silhouettes of some Pokemons and boulders behind them. I also barely noticed a person nuzzling between the two Pokemon.

It must be a trainer, but why would he sleep without a tent or even a sleeping bag. Perhaps he lost his supplies and was forced to sleep with his Pokemon like that. He may even be lost because Pallet Town was nearby, and he could get there with Arcanine, that I could see. It was dangerous, and today, out of all days, was even worse.

I decided to approach that person and point him in the right direction if he needed help. When he gets to the town, Grandpa could help him.

As I got closer, I saw that it was a man. He was still sleeping, and I planned on waking him up. The mist was still up, so the powerful Pokemon must still be in the area.

When I got close enough to wake him up, I opened my mouth to speak up, but at that moment, before even a spec of voice left me, I felt a metal at my throat. It was barely touching me, but the threat was clear. I could die if it wasn't stopped. Arcanine didn't even react to that danger.
I looked down to see what sort of weapon could possibly end my life, and it was a... spoon?

I turned my eyes to my left, expecting maybe Alakazam, after seeing the giant spoon, but I was met with an unknown Pokemon. It was utterly alien to me, but I recognized the emotionless gaze as it looked at me.

"*Don't say a word. Red deserves to rest for now.*"

To be honest, I was terrified. This Pokemon next to me wasn't normal, and it was speaking directly to my mind. A powerful psychic type could do that, so I can assume it's this Pokemon typing as well. Unfortunately, knowing its type doesn't help me in any way.

Arcanine was ready to pounce on the mysterious Pokemon but was stopped by the words of our attacker.

"*Quiet mutt. Do nothing, and your Trainer survives and even if you performed a miracle and somehow defeated me...*"

The rest was left unspoken as the boulders behind the other Arcanine started moving, revealing that they were just parts of Steelix's massive body. Behind the trees, a-a-a Suicune showed up! A legendary Pokemon of Johto. What is it doing in Kanto, and what is it doing near a Trainer? It was showing apparent hostility towards Arcanine.

After that, the two Pokemon on the man's sides stood up. They weren't very well known in Kanto, but I recognized them as Gardevoir and Lopunny. Gardevoir clearly glared at me, and Lopunny looked more bored than fight-ready, but as a Pokemon groomer, I recognized that she was ready to fight if needed.

The last of the present Pokemons was Arcanine, who didn't stand up, just glared, and even withheld a growl to not wake up his Trainer.

"*Now, young lady, tell us, who are you?*" The Pokemon asked me, so I answered him in my mind as he was insistent on letting the man sleep.

"*I'm Daisy Oak... and nice to meet you?*"

---

END
Discord server:
Patreön.com/Kurit (5 chapters ahead)

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Awesome chapter! Though I hope the stuttering isnt gonna be a common thing. And man Gardevoir is gonna be a nightmare for other Psychics to face since she knows Imprison. Also sweet Daisy is here! Though poor Reds gonna face his toughest challange yet soon.

 

[Kurit]

Awesome chapter! Though I hope the stuttering isnt gonna be a common thing. And man Gardevoir is gonna be a nightmare for other Psychics to face since she knows Imprison. Also sweet Daisy is here! Though poor Reds gonna face his toughest challange yet soon.

Click to shrink...

Depends on your definition of 'common'. Red will only talk wit his Pokemon and when there's no other people around and also he will have moments when he talks with confidence just like in this chapter when he was doing some testing with his Pokemon

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Kurit]

(3rd's pov)


Hearing the name of the newly arrived woman, all of Red's Pokemon were surprised. Samuel Oak was a known Pokemon professor, but they hadn't expected to hear a familiar name so fast. Mewtwo was already expecting to be somewhere in Kanto or, more likely, in an equivalent of one. He also felt a noisy Alakazam trying to peek at him and Red the night prior, which he, of course, stopped diplomatically.


The point is that Mewtwo was the one who was shocked the most.


"*Are you perhaps related to Samuel Oak by any chance?*"


At that, Daisy perked up.


"Yes! Samuel Oak is my Grandfather. I was sent here to research the cause of the earthquake in the forest, but Arcanine was being cautious, so our travel lengthened a bit."


Silence prevailed in Daisy's mind, but the conversation between Pokemon didn't end. She was just excluded from it as they discussed their plan of action.


"*Do any of you have any input in this situation? I suspect the cause of the earthquake they felt was Steelix when he got too excited seeing Red.*" Steelix looked ashamed of himself, but Mewtwo didn't blame him, and neither did the rest of the team. "*Don't worry, Steelix. We do not blame you. Earthquakes in this area are probably rare, and they couldn't discover the cause of it, so a human was sent.*"


Gardevoir picked up on something Mewtwo said and raised her eyebrow.


"*What do you mean they couldn't find the source of the earthquake? A mediocre psychic type should be able to discover what happened.*"


"*That would be the case if I didn't set up a psychic barrier that would prevent any Pokemon from seeking us out. I must add that I was right to worry, as yesterday, some Pokemon already tried to look into us. They didn't stand a chance against me, but let us return to the topic. Should we wake Red up and let him go with Miss Oak, or should we let Red travel alone?*"


"*I say that we should just shoo her away. Why would Red need her help? He has us!*" Gardevoir said her bit and crossed her arms.


Everyone knew that she just didn't like the idea of Red being near any woman.


"*Humans are social creatures, and Red would barely interact with other people. I believe a change of pace would do him good. Besides, I may not be as familiar with Professor Oak's fame as some of you, but from what I heard, he is trustworthy. Not that it would matter with Mewtwo nearby. Besides, you, of all Pokemon, should be able to tell if she has any bad intentions, or are you telling me that a Pokemon famous for their emotional reading can't even do that?*"


Loppuny shared her thoughts and yawned at the end. She just woke up, and to be honest, she would like to get back to sleep for a little more.


Gardevoir wasn't happy with the opposition and glared at Lopunny for the jab at her abilities but didn't say anything for now.


"*I'll follow whatever Master decides! If it will lead to his danger, I'll defend him!"


Arcanine didn't seem to be on either side.


"*As much as it hurts me to admit it, Arcanine is right. Red should be the one to decide.*" Suicune added.


"*Steelix, something to add?*" Mewtwo asked the last Pokemon, at which the giant snake shook his head.


Mewtwo then turned to Daisy, sizing her up. He tried to decide what he should do, and during all that, he didn't remove the spoon just yet. The eyes seemingly tried to see through every part of her, but he didn't try to read her mind. He was aware that Red would be against it, so he was only using his psychic powers as a lie detector.


Mewtwo sighed inwardly, made his spoon disappear, and stepped back to give Daisy some space. Arcanine immediately jumped between Mewtwo and his Trainer's granddaughter to protect her. It made Daisy more relaxed as it showed that the mysterious Pokemon didn't plan on attacking, and she successfully de-escalated the situation.


"*It seems that Steelix here was the reason for yesterday's earthquake. We apologize for causing trouble.*"


Daisy waved both of her hands in front of her in a hurry. "*No, don't worry! You were just trying to protect your Trainer, and you don't need to apologize for causing the earthquake. Sometimes, Pokemon battles require that kind of force.*"


"*You are misunderstanding something. We didn't battle. Steelix was slightly excited, and he showed it.*"


Daisy didn't know how to react to that. She could understand using Earthquake, but to just cause an earthquake because he was happy? It must be a really powerful Steelix.


"*Do you mind if I ask you a question?*" Mewtwo asked and quite suddenly at that. It startled the young woman, and she answered out of instinct.


"*Yes!?*"


"*Why did you approach Red? Wouldn't it be more logical to leave as soon as possible? He was a distraction to your mission, and you should be aware that there was at least a dangerous Pokemon nearby. Your Arcanine should've warned you that much.*"


Daisy tilted her head in confusion. The question was strange for her.


"*It's not like I didn't know the risk, but I couldn't ignore a person in need. I also believed that Arcanine would protect me. He is strong...*" The last part was said with less confidence as she just witnessed how easily she could be disposed of if Mewtwo wanted.


Mewtwo's eyes didn't leave Daisy for a bit more until he turned away from her and levitated towards Red. The silence prevailed for a moment until Daisy could see the young man's eyes flutter and slowly open, revealing a pair of red eyes. He looked at Mewtwo and then looked around. When his eyes landed on Daisy, the young woman awkwardly smiled and waved.


Red didn't move and didn't say anything. He didn't even break eye contact.


A new person appeared!


A challenge arrived!


A social interaction!


Red was panicking. He should say something, but what? Good morning? Was it still morning, or did he overslept? Should he wave back?


Before he could decide, Daisy spoke up kind of cheerfully. At least as cheerfully as one could after almost dying.


"Good morning. I was in the area and noticed you sleeping out in the open. Do you need help getting to the town?"


Red was indeed in need of help, and without changing his expression, he nodded.


Progress! Red managed to somehow communicate with a stranger.


But wait... Mewtwo told him her name was Daisy Oak. Daughter of Professor Oak? Does that mean that he was in Kanto after all? Questions for later.


"Great! Pallet Town isn't far away, and if we ride on our Arcanines, we'll get there in no time."


Red nodded once more, and after saying something telepathically to his Pokemon, he returned everyone but Arcanine to their Pokeballs.


The pair sat astride on their Pokemon, and after checking that everything was in place, the canines started running. The older of the Arcanines was still giving a stinky eye to the younger one and his Trainer.


Daisy had a million questions for this mysterious man, but she didn't want to be nosy. However, that silence was getting too awkward for her liking.


"Sooo... your name is Red, right?"


Red nodded.


"I've noticed that you had Lopunny and Gardevoir. They are not often seen in Kanto."


Red nodded.


"I've also noticed that your Gardevoir doesn't have her usual coloration. Is she a Shiny, perhaps?"


Red nodded.


"But you also have Suicune in your possession. I can't imagine how you managed to catch one."


Red looked thoughtful and reached for Suicune's Pokeball and pointed at it.


"I... see. You caught it in a Pokeball... right? Is that what you mean?"


Red nodded.


Daisy was starting to give up. All her attempts at conversation were being shot down. He didn't even change his expression the whole time. Was he not interested in conversation? But he didn't say anything. The granddaughter of Professor Oak was a social butterfree. She could make friends with anyone if she wanted, but this... this was a challenge, but she wasn't one to give up. But for now, she stopped the questions. After all, she didn't plan on overwhelming Red. He may have won a battle, but she would be the one to win the war. She will befriend Red!


Red, on the other hand, was proud of himself. He was having a conversation with a stranger. A so-called back and forth. He was able to answer all of Daisy's questions without a considerable delay in his response, but he was glad that she stopped talking for now. It was starting to get too much for him.


---


They finally arrived at Pallet Town. Red curiously looked around the town as both he and Daisy slowly got closer to Professor Oak's lab. Behind the building that functioned as a lab was a large portion of land that was home to many Pokemon.


The lab was pretty isolated from the rest of the town, and the biggest reason for that was not being disturbed. Even if Professor Oak was known to be very friendly and welcoming to everyone, he also needed time and space to do his research. There is also the issue with space since the Professor needs an area for Pokemon to roam free when they're out of their Pokeballs.


When the pair got closer, Daisy pointed at the building.


"That's where my Grandpa lives. He will be excited to meet you. He is a Pokemon researcher, and to meet a Trainer with powerful Pokemon like you will be thrilling for him. If you don't mind, of course. Sorry, I forgot to ask before. I can get pretty narrowed-minded when excited about something."


Red nodded and regretted it immediately as he realized what he had just done. He nodded automatically because he had always done so to her questions during their travel to Pallet Town.


It looks like Red still had a lot to learn about human interaction. On the one hand, he doesn't want to meet other people so soon, but on the other hand, he already agreed, and he wouldn't be able to explain himself. Also, meeting the famous Professor Oak was tempting.


"Great! Let's get inside then."


With that said, Red was petrified while Daisy opened the door and went inside.


"I'm back, Grandpa!"


At first, no one answered back, but soon, a sound of chaos could be heard deeper in the laboratory. Soon after, an older man with gray hair wearing a white lab coat with two pens sticking out from a breast pocket. He ran to the front door.


"Are you alright!? Did something happen!? I was so worried!"


Professor Oak was worried. Very worried. After Daisy left, his Alakazam returned from Arceus knows where and warned him about the danger in the forest. At that moment, the Professor was ready to go after her as fast as possible, but his Alakazam stopped him for some reason. The Pokemon said that he'd keep an eye on Daisy through his psychic power, and as soon as she was in danger, he would teleport her to safety.


This morning, it changed as Alakazam was panicking, explaining that he couldn't teleport Daisy because of the powerful psychic barrier. The old Oak then prepared himself to rescue his granddaughter. Alakazam was saying that she was still alive and healthy, but that's all he could tell with that barrier.


The whole morning, the Professor was contacting his associates to help him, but it seemed that it was unnecessary as his granddaughter was standing in front of him, and there was one other person staying in front of the entrance.


"What do you mean, did something happen? I'm even earlier than we agreed on, and you are freaking out."


Daisy didn't know why her Grandpa looked so worried. It wasn't the first time she went into the field, but it was the first time he was so panicked.


"Alakazam said that he couldn't teleport you in case of emergency, and he couldn't even see you with his powers. At most, he could say if you were alive and relatively safe and healthy."


Daisy started to process what her grandfather had just said, and she got an idea why that happened as her mind drifted toward a mysterious psychic-type Pokemon.


"Aahh... I think I know what happened." That made the Professor raise his eyebrow. "It's kind of Red's fault." Red, hearing that, started panicking while maintaining his perfect poker face. "Or rather his Pokemon."


Daisy explained what she learned and speculated. About the cause of the earthquake and why she was 'out of range' for Alakazam. She also told her Grandpa about Suicune, which earned her wide eyes from the Professor.


Samuel Oak was listening carefully to the story, and as the story went on, his worries were beginning to wither away and curiosity started to replace it.


After Daisy was done, the Professor's attention switched to Red. Red didn't like to be the center of attention, even if it was just two people.


Samuel started rubbing his chin.


"So, Red, what is a strong Trainer like yourself doing in the area? It is also strange that you are relatively unknown, but that's all according to my granddaughter, and while she hasn't lied to me yet, I would like to see what kind of Trainer you are with my own eyes. So how about it? Let our Pokemon do the talking!"


The old Professor proposed a Pokemon battle with a big smile, but before Red could answer or even think about how to respond, Arcanine, who still wasn't recalled to his Pokeball, looked through the door from the outside and barked encouragingly and practically accepted the duel.


"Haha, I see your Pokemon is eager to test his skills. Let's go to the ranch, then. There's a lot of space we could use there."


Red couldn't refuse anymore, so he did what he did best and went along with the flow because going against would be even more anxiety-inducing, and Red wouldn't survive that.


---


The group of three moved to the back of the lab building where Pokemon were free to walk wherever they wanted as long as they were inside shown boundaries. There was enough space for a Pokemon battle or two, so the Professor chose an open place that was quite big. Both of the Arcanines were still following their respective Trainers.


When the three humans and two Pokemon stopped, Professor Oak turned to Red.


"How about we battle 6 vs 6 but with modified rules. We can't switch our Pokemon mid-battle, and each time one of us wins, we both are forced to change our battling Pokemon no matter the outcome. If we don't have any new Pokemon to switch, the cycle returns until we don't have any Pokemon left. Do you have any questions or any additional rules that you would like to propose?"


Red turned to his Arcanine before shaking his head, saying that he didn't have any questions or anything to add.


"Very well. I must warn you, though. I might be old and out of shape, but I was once a Champion of Kanto, so give it your all." The Older of the Oaks turned to his granddaughter. "Daisy, if you would, please be the referee for this battle."


Daisy enthusiastically nodded and couldn't contain the excitement of seeing not only the mysterious Red battle but also her Grandpa. Samuel Oak wasn't known to battle for a long time, and the same probably could be said about his Pokemon, but that didn't mean that a former champion was weak by any means. Samuel Oak may not have trained, but he expanded his knowledge in all his years as a professor.


"With that said, Arcanine, I choose you. Go show them your fire within, old friend." Professor Oak didn't choose any of his Pokemon from their Pokeballs and decided on the already free Arcanine.


Red chose his place to stand and lowered the brim of his cap to the point that his eyes were barely visible. It was a moment when something flipped inside of Red.


"Arcanine."


The other of the big dogs positioned himself in front of his opponent.


The two beasts eyed each other but otherwise did not move since the fight hadn't started just yet.


"A battle between Arcanine and Arcanine... start!" Daisy called the start of the battle, and at that moment, both Fire types rushed at each other, but before they clashed, Red's Arcanine activated his ability Intimidate, reducing his foe's attacking power from the physical side for the rest of the battle.


They slammed their heads, and after testing their strength, the younger canine won and pushed back the older of his species.


Red's Arcanine smirked as he raised his head to look down on his senior while, at the same time, the other Arcanine growled lowly as if to say, 'Don't get cocky just yet.'.


"It looks like we lose in the strength department. Let's test the special side, then! Arcanine, use Flamethrower."


"Match him." Red answered, but the older man smirked as soon as two Flamethrowers clashed against each other.


"Arcanine, stop your attacks, now!"


Red realized Professor's plan too late, and he wasn't fast enough to warn his Pokemon.


The younger Arcanine's fire attack hit his opponent, but it didn't do any damage.


Professor Oak's Arcanine had the ability Flash Fire. It made the Pokemon immune to all Fire-type attacks and, on top of that, increased the power of all Fire-type moves when hit by one. The old man baited the younger Trainer, and it paid off.


"I warned you not to underestimate me. These old bones still have a few tricks up their sleeves!"


Red narrowed his eyes as he was formulating a new plan.


"Now that we have boost let's show our firepower! Fire Blast!"


"Surround yourself with Fire Spin." After that, Red said something, and both Oaks saw that he said something, but it was too quiet to hear it.


Arcanine released a fire from his mouth that started spinning right away, and Red's Arcanine was right in the middle of the fire tornado. The flames were powerful enough to disturb a vision, and that's what happened. Red's Arcanine couldn't be seen through fire.


Fire Blast hit the Fire Spin and went through it without any issue, but the Arcanine, who should have been trapped inside, was nowhere to be found. The only evidence that a Pokemon was there was a large hole in the ground.


Professor Oak's eyes widened as he quickly tried to give command to his Pokemon, but he was too late.


"Arcani-!"


From underneath, old Arcanine attacked his foe, delivering a devastating attack, but that wasn't enough to put down a veteran Pokemon. A former champion's Pokemon struggled to stand up, but he did and showed defiance in his eyes.


"Impressive. You used Arcanine's excellent hearing to give an order that only he could hear and prepare an attack that would usually be easier to dodge. But Arcanine and I aren't going down easily! Use Howl, then Flame Charge! We'll raise your attack power back to its acceptable level and raise your speed with the attack!"


That was a solid plan, but Red wasn't planning on letting him set up.


"Agility and Extreme Speed." Red wasn't about to be outsped. Arcanine followed his Trainer's instructions. First, he was surrounded by psychic energy as his body relaxed and raised his Speed for a while, and after that, the Aura changed to whitish as he began his rush.


Arcanine vanished from his place, leaving only wind behind. Eyes barely could follow his movement. First, he stopped to the left of his opponent, but as soon as old Arcanine turned his head to look at the young canine, he was not there anymore and moved to the other side, outside Professor's Pokemon sight. All three humans could see as the young canine sat on the ground and yawned, taunting the other Pokemon for his amusement.


It repeated a few times until Red's Arcanine stopped behind Professor's Pokemon.


"Pounce on him and use Crunch." Red calmly commanded, and Arcanine followed these instructions to the tea, defeating the old-timer.


Young Arcanine looked incredibly proud of himself. He seemed to have a good time during the battle, even if it wasn't the biggest challenge.


"A-Arcanine is unable to battle! Arcanine is the winner!" Daisy, remembering her role as a referee, called the verdict, but in her hurry, she didn't realize how confusing this sounded. That is the fate of mirror matches. "I mean, Red's the winner of this battle."


Professor Oak looked at his fallen Pokemon and recalled him to his Pokeball. Holding the ball close to him, he whispered, "Good job, old friend." Then he looked at Red with a big smile as the young man's Pokemon ran up to him to lick his unchanging face. After the Pokemon was done showing his affection, he was returned to his Pokeball.


"Great battle! Your Arcanine is incredibly powerful, and your use of tactics isn't too shabby either, but it isn't the end. Machamp, it's your turn!"


Professor Oak threw another Pokeball, and after opening it, it revealed a four-arm human-like creature with bluish-gray skin and big lips. Its muscles were well-defined and showed his incredible strength. An excellent example of a pure Fighting type Pokemon.


Red thought for a moment and decided on his Pokemon. Not showing much emotion, he threw his ball, and a bipedal bunny appeared. She didn't seem to be too thrilled as she eyed her opponent, as she would rather laze around, but if she had to fight, she wouldn't take anything less than a victory.


Professor Oak, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. He didn't look down on his opponent's Pokemon, but the choice was daring, to say the least. Lopunny isn't the first choice when someone makes their battling team, as they are cowardly in nature and try to avoid fighting whenever possible. It didn't mean that they were powerless, as their kicks were infamous for their power. He needed to look out for them. Not to mention type disadvantage.


"2nd round, Lopunny vs Machamp, start!"


"Lopunny, Baby-Doll Eyes." Lopunny's eyes softened and started sparkling, making Lopunny look cuter and less threatening simultaneously, making Machamp subconsciously lower his Attack.


"Machamp, don't let her dictate the tempo! Rush her with Bullet Punch!"


The four-armed Pokemon covered his fist in Steel energy and punched at a speed that shouldn't be possible for a creature of his side.


"Lopunny, dodge with Quick Attack." Quick Attack may be a lesser version of Extreme Speed, but it did its job well enough.


"She is too fast. Machamp use Scary Face." Machamp's face turned into a terrifying image, and that caused Lopunny's Speed to drop.


In a case where the opponent tries to make you slow enough to be able to hit you, you can make this no issue in your eyes by lowering your foe's attack to the point it's harmless.


"Lopunny, Charm."


Charm causes the opponent's Attack to drop harshly. It is similar to Baby-Doll Eyes, but it exchanges the speed of the move for power as it makes the adversary's Attack even lower.


"Now, Bounce." Red followed, reducing the Attack with an attack of his own. Machamp, as a fighting type, was weak to Flying-type moves, and Red planned on using this to his advantage. The attack landed, but it wasn't enough to put down Machamp.


"Machamp, grab her!"


More than that, Pokemon used this chance to grab Lopunny by all her limbs using all his arms. The bunny Pokemon tried to free herself, but she wasn't strong enough, although Machamp struggled a bit to contain her, showing the difference in levels. In games, a level 50 Machamp would be about as strong as the weakest level 100 Lopunny. It was similar in real life, but not everything was black and white as in the games.


Lopunny was trapped and couldn't use any physical attacks, and an ordinary Lopunny wouldn't be able to do anything in this situation. This Lopunny wasn't ordinary.


"Lopunny, use Hyper Voice."


Lopunny took a deep breath and let out an echoing shout at Machamp, hitting him at point blank. Thanks to his experience, even without his Trainer's orders, Machamp slammed Lopunny to the ground, but the damage was done, as small as it was.


What the muscular Pokemon didn't expect was for Lopunny to stay on the ground and shakingly support herself with arms. She looked frail and cute... and just like that, Lopunny's ability Cute Charm activated, making the opposing Pokemon fall in love with Lopunny. The downside is that it only works on Pokemon with the opposite gender, but that condition was met in today's battle. However, it doesn't mean that Machamp won't attack Lopunny at all. With his Trainer's order, he could break through his infatuated state, but there was a chance that he would hesitate, and Lopunny was fast enough to make use of these openings.


"Machamp, get hold of yourself! Use Close Combat!"


"Lopunny, Double Team."


Multiple copies of Lopunny appeared.


"Now, Quick Attack."


All of the copies rushed at Machamp.


"Forget Close Combat, fast, Quick Guard!" Professor Oak was fast to change strategies, but Lopunny winked at Machamp, and so did her copies, making Machamp's reaction too slow, and the real Lopunny slammed into the extensive body of the four-arm Pokemon. It didn't do a lot of damage, but it was only the beginning.


"Follow it with Low Kick, and then use High Jump Kick." Red ordered, and Samuel Oak tried to stop it from happening by calling out to his Pokemon, but Machamp's infatuated state stopped him from following instructions, and with the first attack, he fell down. Then Lopunny jumped high in the air and dropped on Machamp with her foot.


High Jump Kick was one of the more powerful Fighting-type moves, but if it missed, it would hurt the user instead of its target. That's why Red first used Low Kick to make Machamp stationary and then used the big finisher.


"Machamp is no longer able to fight! Lopunny is the winner!"


That was a... surprise. The Lopunny species wasn't exactly known for their battle prowess. Even the most powerful of them shouldn't be able to defeat Machamp and former champion Machamp at that. It was also shown in this battle that Lopunny was only slightly weaker in pure physical strength.


"I told you not to underestimate me, but it seems that advice was more suited for me. To train a Lopunny to the point where she rivals a Machamp is no easy task. I would say it was outright impossible, but I was proven wrong. You must truly love your Pokemon for them to grow to such lengths."


The only affirmation that Red was listening was a nod as Lopunny came back to her Trainer's side. She wasn't recalled to Pokeball right away as Red rubbed her head in affection for a job well done, and only after that, she returned.


"We had Fire and Fighting. Then let's go with Grass and Poison now. Victreebel, you are up!"


With a toss of yet another Pokeball, a plant-like Pokemon showed up. It had a yellow bell-shaped body and gaping mouth that was poorly covered by a big green leaf.


Red had a few options to use against this Pokemon. Mewtwo was the most obvious. He was the strongest Pokemon on his current team and one of the most powerful Pokemon he had access to, but he would rather take him out last. Suicune, despite type disadvantage, would be able to deal with this Grass-type with multiple Ice and Psychic-type attacks. Steelix would have more problems, but in the end, he would end up on top. That left only one choice.


"Gardevoir."


And so the Embrace Pokemon popped up from a Pokeball.


Professor Oak was shocked to see Gardevoir as it wasn't in its usual coloration.


"Is it a Shiny variant, perhaps? The Gardevoir line is rare in itself, but to find a shiny variant on top of that is almost miraculous."


Red just nodded without saying a word. In fact, he didn't say anything except when calling out his Pokemon and commanding them.


"So both of our Pokemon are mutually weak to each other's types. Gardevoir, as part Fairy, is weak to Poison, but my Victreebel is weak to her other type, which is Psychic. Let the best one win."


"Round 3, Gardevoir vs Victreebel, begin!" Daisy announced, but neither of the Trainers attacked right away like they had done in the previous battles.


Gardevoir tried to look as graceful as she could and didn't seem worried at all. She had confidence not only in her power but also, if not more, in her Trainer. She wore that knowing smile on her face as if she already knew the outcome of this battle.


Victreebel, on the other hand, was wary of his opponent and eyed Gardevoir with a careful look. He didn't want to get hit with Psychic-type attacks, as his defenses weren't the greatest.


"Bullet Seed!"


"Will-O-Wisp!"


Both Trainers ordered an attack at the same time. The Grass-type spat out multiple rounds of seeds, and the Psychic-type manipulated multiple ghost-like fireballs and sent them toward the aggressive plant while at the same time teleporting away from Bullet Seed trajectory.


Will-O-Wisp hit and burned its target. Now Victreebel was on a timer and couldn't play too defensively.


"Ingrain, now!


That was one of the best moves Professor Oak could make. This move gives Victreebel a passing healing although he can't move anymore, not that this Pokemon was very mobile, to begin with, so this wasn't a difficult decision to make.


"Future Sight." This wouldn't show any immediate effect, but after a short while, it would hit its target without fail.


Gardevoir sadistically smiled, without Red's knowledge, as she used her move. Right after that, Gardevoir tapped the ground lightly, and a misty, kind of pink terrain spread until it covered the whole battlefield.


Both Daisy and Samuel looked around in woe.


"What... is that?" Daisy asked as she looked at the magical terrain. She never saw anything like that.


"I only read about this move in papers as it was believed to be usable by only the most powerful Pokemon." Professor Oak said solemnly.


"Grandpa, do you know what this is?" Daisy asked curiously, still not looking away from the mysterious phenomenon.


"Yes, this move here is known as Misty Terrain, if I'm correct." He looked at Red, who nodded in confirmation. "It's not very well researched as the number of Pokemon who have the ability to use it is very limited. From what I'm aware of, it's one of the four known Terrain moves. These are Electric Terrain, Grassy Terrain, Psychic Terrain, and finally Misty Terrain. I don't know what effects they possess. I didn't have time to have a look at these papers in-depth, but I suspect that they power up moves of their respective type. In this case, it would be Fairy type. Am I right?"


"*Unfortunately, Professor Oak, but you are mistaken.*" A soothing voice entered Professor's head. It was, of course, Gardevoir who spoke up. "*If it was any other Terrain, you would be correct, but Misty Terrain works a bit differently.*"


"Would you mind telling me how it works then?" Samuel asked hopefully, but just as he predicted, it wouldn't be so easy.


"*It would be too easy, wouldn't it? It's more fun if you find out yourself, but if you still wish to know after the battle, I don't mind sharing my knowledge as long as Red allows it.*"


After he was done speaking with Gardevoir, the old Trainer turned to his opponent.


"I can't believe I see it with my very own eyes. Life really is full of surprises, and so are you. And you didn't even show your Suicune that I heard about. On that note, I must apologize to you. To be honest, this whole battle was a way to see what kind of Trainer you are and a way to see a legendary Pokemon in person, but you've shown me so much that I started feeling bad." He scratched his cheek awkwardly.


At this confession, Red only shrugged. He didn't really care, as he had a blast with that battle. During that whole battle, he felt great. Whether it was adrenaline or something else, he didn't know, but he loved it even if he didn't show it. Unfortunately, his social anxiety will probably return as soon as the fight ends. He also understands the want to see rare Pokemon and, during this battle, started to understand Professor Oak as a person. What kind of strategy he used, his reaction to the unknown, and his overall attitude during the fight all spoke a lot about him as a person.


"But enough about that. I am witnessing an incredibly rare move, and my scientific mind wants to study it, but as a battler, I want to overcome it. I feel at least 20 years younger! Thank you for that, young Red!"


Red tipped his hat as a show of respect. Professor Oak was a powerful Trainer, but his and his Pokemon's age was showing. They also didn't train in a meaningful way in many years.


At that moment, Red wanted to battle Professor Oak in his prime if he could, but that was impossible unless he used Dialga, Celebi, or Jirachi, but Red wouldn't use them for that. For one, what makes Professor Oak so strong today is his experience, and reverting him to the state before he became a Professor would make him lose all this experience, and if he reverted the time of the old Professor, he would be just playing God. It would be one thing to save a dying person, but making someone younger only for his amusement didn't sit right with Red.


Also, using the power of Legendary Pokemon willy-nilly could cause trouble in the long run. For all he knew about Pokemon, this was a real world, and there could possibly be Arceus who was overwatching this world, and using his sons for trivial matters would get him smitten, and he planned on living a long and healthy life. Not everyone gets second chances, after all.


"We'll have time to talk later. Now, let's resume our battle! Victreebel, let's show them that they are not the only ones who can use status moves. Use Stun Spore!


Gardevoir didn't even attempt to dodge the cloud of powder coming her way, and Red didn't look all that worried about the move.


The attack landed on its target but... nothing happened. Gardevoir smirked at the attempt on paralyzing her.


"*Cute.*"


"It's not working!? Try Sleep Powder!"


This time, it was some sort of dust that would normally put anyone to sleep as soon as it hit the target. Normally, that is. Once again, the attack didn't affect Gardevoir.


The female Pokemon took great pleasure in confusing her opponent and was shown in her eyes as she dusted off herself from powder and dust.


"*Since I'm feeling particularly nice today, how about I'll allow you once more to attack. I won't even move from this place."


Gardevoir's sadistic personality was showing, but the reason for that wasn't because she liked trampling over weaker opponents. She just enjoyed showing her superiority over others in front of her Trainer. Being near Mewtwo was annoying for her. As much as she hated to admit it, Mewtwo was the stronger psychic Pokemon between the two of them, so now that she had a chance to unwind herself, she was using it to the fullest.


"Don't mind if we do then. Victreebel, try Toxic!"


Purple ooze was spotted out from Victreebel's mouth, and it landed on Gardevoir doing nothing it was supposed to and slowly dripping down the beautiful Pokemon's body until it disappeared on the ground.


Professor Oak was thinking deeply about what was happening, and Gardevoir allowed it, and so did Red. If Red ordered her to attack, she would do it without any hesitation, but Red let Professor think out of respect.


"The Misty Terrain stops Pokemon from getting any status effects like paralyze, burn, sleep, toxic, and I suspect, freeze as well. However, it doesn't heal already inflicted statuses. Am I right?"


This was the first time Red's expression changed as a small smile appeared on his face, and that was enough of an answer for Samuel Oak.


"Trap Gardevoir with Vine Whip!"


For some reason, Gardevoir didn't dodge even though she had already shown the capability to do so. She didn't even look worried as vines caught her. Victreebel, after catching his prey, slowly brought Gardevoir closer to him to use a powerful Poison-type attack on the seemingly defenseless Fairy.


When Gardevoir was finally in the range to swallow her in Victreebel's mouth so he could shove her there and use his stomach acid to win this battle, Red called an attack that caught both Victreebel and Professor Oak by surprise.


"Use Zen Headbutt!"


Visible psychic energy gathered at Gardevoir's forehead as she prepared to execute the attack and, with all her might and forward momentum, hit Victreebel with super-effective damage. The attack was enough for Gardevoir to free herself as her opponent loosened his grip on her.


Red smirked, and as if copying her, Trainer Gardevoir did the same.


The most surprising fact about Red's Gardevoir was not that she was a shiny Pokemon. When Red first found her, she had an Adamant nature, which means that her Sp. Attack was lower than it usually would, and in return, her Attack would be higher.


An ordinary person playing the game would be slightly disappointed and go on with his/her playthrough as usual. Not Red, then Ruby. He created the whole backstory for the Gardevoir and decided to use her as a physical attacker as much as he could. After completing the game, he changed her nature with Mint, but for a long time, she was almost exclusively a psychical attacker, and it shows now as Gardevoir had an almost feral grin as her attack landed.


Without any out loud command, a fire gathered in Gardevoir's, and she punched Victreebel with it.


"Fire Punch!? But you didn't-" Realization hit Professor Oak. "Telepathy." He slammed his hand on his forehead. "And you even showed me that you could do it. By mixing voice commands with your telepathic ones, you made me focus on voiced ones more. You are more cunning than you let on."


It could be taken as an insult, but the old Oak didn't mean it like that. Being smart in battle was a good thing.


"It doesn't mean that we'll just give up. Victreebel use-!!!?"


It was time for Future Sight to take its effect and hit Victreebel with full force, knocking Pokemon out.


Once again, the shock of the battle results made everyone present speechless until Daisy declared the winner once more.


"As Victreebel is unable to battle, Gardevoir is the winner!"


With this verdict, Gardevoir teleported behind Red and hugged him affectionately. Red ruffled her head a bit before saying, "Good job." which made Gardevoir even happier.


On the other side of the battlefield, Professor Oak returned his Pokemon back and started laughing.


"Hahahaha! You played me the whole fight this time! I can say that the previous two battles were at least more equal, but this was one-sided. You really are an incredible Trainer, and I can see that I didn't stand a chance against you, but can you fulfill this old man's request and battle me till the end? I wish to see what more you have to offer before I make a decision."


Decision? What kind of decision would the Professor need to make that depends on Red? Red didn't know, but he wanted to battle more, so he agreed to continue their Pokemon battle.


"Great! Tauros, it's your turn now!"


Professor Oak choose a bull-looking Pokemon with three tails.


Red finally returned Gardevoir to her Pokeball, despite her reluctance, and chose his next Pokemon, although, before that, he took a few steps back.


It was made clear why he did so after his Pokemon exited the Pokeball and created a small commotion with a small earthquake.


Steelix, the giant steel snake, appeared and slammed the ground, and looked down at his opponent.


"So this was the Pokemon that created that earthquake. Seeing this in person, I can see how this happened. We won't go down without a fight, though, right Tauros?"


Tauros answered with a motivated roar.


"Steelix is very defensive, so we won't be able to break through easily. Let's start with Work Up!" Knowing Steelix's defenses wouldn't be easily broken, Professor Oak chose to raise both Attack and Sp. Attack at the same time.


"Curse. Red answered. To fight the raised stats of other Pokemon, he raised his own stats. Attack and Defence, to be exact, at the cost of his Speed.


"Both can play this game! Work Up again!"


"Curse."


It was a game of chicken. The one who attacked first would be at a slight disadvantage. If Red stopped first, Steelix's defenses would be lower than Professor's Pokemon Attack, and vice versa is the same. Although both Trainers had a plan after they'll max out their stats. There is only so much a Pokemon could power themselves up before they hit the limit.


It wouldn't be a long battle, and both of them knew that. It would end with one or two moves at most.


"Tauros, use Flamethrower!"


"Steelix, Dig into Gyro Ball."


Hearing the moves, the Professor knew that he already lost. Gyro Ball was the move that made more damage the slower its user was compared to the target, and after using Curse so many times, Steelix was as slow as he could get.


After burying his massive body in the ground, Steelix attacked Tauros from the underground and knocked him out instantly with Gyro Ball.


Seeing this, the steel snake was surprised and looked carefully at the unconscious opponent. To be sure that Tauros was unconscious, he poked the Pokemon with his tail. Not getting any reaction, Steelix looked in a panic between his Trainer and his defeated foe. It was too easy, and Steelix felt bad for going all out from the beginning.


"Steelix... is the winner." Daisy said a bit less enthusiastically after this anticlimactic fight.


Red reassured his Steelix, thanked him for a good fight, and returned him to the ball.


"I must admit, I knew that I would lose against Steelix, but I hoped that I'd land at least one attack. It's not that Tauros is known for his Defense, but Steelix is not known for its Attack either. *Sigh* No matter. I'll try to show my better side in the next battle. Exeggutor, come!"


Exeggutor was a palm-like tree with three coconuts-like heads.


This was the time Professor Oak was waiting for as Red chose Suicune as his Pokemon. The moment he entered the field, it was as if a king appeared in front of peasants, and the pressure it released with his ability helped to solidify this image. With every step it took, the ice covered the ground, showing his power and mastery over the element. The two ribbon-like tails waved gently in the wind. The Pokemon held his head high, knowing his superiority well.


"What a magnificent Pokemon. Stories truly don't give it justice, and I hate to repeat myself, but I'm fortunate to see it with my own eyes. It is an experience in itself, but we don't plan on losing without a fight, right Exeggutor!?"


Exeggutor nodded vigorously.


"Let's start with a bang! Use Egg Bomb!"


The Exeggutor created a giant egg with his psychic power and shot it at Suicune. The legendary Pokemon wasn't worried in the slightest.


"Use Reflect."


Reflect was an interesting move. In games, it reduced physical damage taken, but here, as long as the barrier was stronger than the attack, it nullified it completely, and that happened as Egg Bomb hit the Reflect.


"Use Hail and then Mist." Was Red's following command, and the weather quickly changed. It started hailing, and the vision was reduced, but the mist sealed the deal. Neither Exeggutor nor Professor Oak could see that much in that weather, and although Red couldn't either, Suicune however could.


"Chip away Exeggutor's health with multiple Extreme Speed."


Suicune vanished after his body became surrounded by a white Aura and hit Exeggutor multiple times. Like a ghost, Suicune wasn't noticed until it was too late. Before the Grass-type Pokemon could react to the attack, the next one had already been delivered.


Exeggutor, use Stomping Tantrum! You don't need to see Suicune to hit him!"


Hearing his order, Exeggutor started stomping the ground madly, sending splinters of the ground in all directions, hoping to hit the opposing Pokemon.


Not seeing nor hearing his target after he was done with the attack made both Professor and Exeggutor uneasy. It was too late when the coconut Pokemon noticed that his opponent was in front of him as if nothing happened.


"Suicune, Blizzard, now."


With a howl, Suicune summoned a powerful blizzard that hit Exeggutor. Blizzard is the most powerful Ice-type move that could be learned. There are a few Ice attacks that were stronger, but they were only usable by the legendary Pokemon, not counting Sheer Cold.


This was a super effective move that was used by a legendary Pokemon. This was enough to defeat Exeggutor.


After Suicune made sure that the Exeggutor was defeated, he dispersed the weather he created to return it to its previous state, showing Suicune standing over the fallen Exeggutor for everyone else.


"E-Exeggutor is unable to fight! Suicune is the winner!"


It wasn't surprising that Suicune won. It wasn't even surprising that he dominated the fight the way he did, but seeing this legendary Pokemon in action was something else. To manhandle a Pokemon on the level of a Champion was no easy task.


The Steelix's battle didn't count as he not only raised his attack to its limit, but Tauros didn't raise his defense either. Also, Steelix was a bad match-up for Tauros. While mainly a physical attacker, Tauros has surprisingly great coverage on his special side, although using it was another matter. Tauros had a measly Sp. Attack, and usually it wasn't recommended to use it, but that was a reason Professor Oak ordered his Tauros to use Work Up multiple times.


After returning the Exeggutor, the Professor smiled gently.


"Suicune really lives up to his legend. To fight you was a pleasure." The latter part was said to the Pokemon himself, and he received a nod of acknowledgment in return. "Although I hoped you would save your strongest Pokemon for last."


"...I did."


That was the first time Red answered Professor directly, which confused Professor but not Daisy. She may not have seen Mewtwo's power, but it was just a gut feeling that told her that Pokemon was dangerous as soon as she looked at it.


With a light throw of a Pokeball, another legendary appeared, not that anyone knew that apart from Red.


The pressure enough, was letting everyone there know that this Pokemon was strong. If Suicune's pressure was that of a king letting everyone know his presence, Mewtwo's was of a fighter warning about the danger of you approaching him.


"What... is that Pokemon? I've never seen a Pokemon like that..."


"*You can call me Mewtwo, and as you probably have noticed, I'm Red's Pokemon. Nice to meet you, Professor.*"


Professor Oak was exhilarated. A newly discovered species of a Pokemon, and a powerful one at that. Possibly another legendary if the pressure was saying something.


"I can't disappoint you if you show me something like that! Alakazam!" He called one of his most powerful Pokemon, and the powerful psychic Pokemon teleported to the battlefield. At first, he looked confident until he noticed the Pokemon in front of him.


Mewtwo smirked.


"*Hello Alakazam.*" Mewtwo created his weapon of choice, which was a giant spoon. "I wish you luck even though it won't change the outcome of this battle.*"


Alakazam instantly panicked and turned to his Trainer, telling him something telepathically while both Mewtwo and Red waited patiently for them to finish. After they were done, the Professor looked pretty awkward.


"Alakazam said that he didn't stand a chance against you, and if the proudful Pokemon like my Alakazam was admitting that, then I have no reason to doubt him. I forfeit this battle."


Mewtwo let his giant spoon disappear from his hand.


"*It looks like this Alakazam was smarter than I gave him credit for. I'll need to re-evaluate my opinion of him as small as the change will be.*"


Mewtwo then turned 180⁰ and slowly levitated towards his Trainer. "Sorry, Red. It looks like you won't see me fight this time.*"


"*I don't mind. It's true that I wanted to see you in action, but the way you won without fighting was equally fun to watch.*"


Red and Mewtwo talked telepathically just between themselves.


Mewtwo didn't return to his Pokeball and stayed at Red's side while stopping himself from releasing pressure and any kind of traces of his power. It was uncanny how this powerful Pokemon was able to hide its power.


But now that the battle has ended, Red started panicking. His confidence vanished, and the only thing left were the memories of how he had acted.


That was too much for him, and he froze.


---


END


(A/N Fun fact. This whole fight was inspired by Professor Oak's unused fight from Gen 1. I wanted to use his team that was in the data that included Lv. 66 Tauros, Lv. 67 Exeggutor, Lv. 68 Arcanine, which the only Fire-type attack was Ember, Lv. 69 leftover fully evolved starter and Lv. 70 Gyarados. I still used Tauros, Exeggutor, and Arcanine, but I changed the rest using Gen 1 Pokemon.)


(E/D Poor Daisy, gonna die by yandere…)


Discord server: https://discord.gg/WXERkfGVJ4

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Oh wow lotta dust on this one. Glad to see this update again. And kek Daisy being aggressively friendly is funny. The battles themselves were quite fun. Along with using the unused team was quite clever. Any chance we might see his Ursaluna and BM variant appear in this story eventually?

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Kurit]

Oh wow lotta dust on this one. Glad to see this update again. And kek Daisy being aggressively friendly is funny. The battles themselves were quite fun. Along with using the unused team was quite clever. Any chance we might see his Ursaluna and BM variant appear in this story eventually?

Click to shrink...

I didn't think this far ahead but maybe.