Hahaha! *Cackles* Another chapter!
Disclaimer: Don’t own pokemon, wish I did!
Red and Ash are dimensional copies of the same person. Red and Lance will be a couple. Ash and Clair will be a couple. Ash is the pokemon anime version. Red is from a world where there were no pokemon, and where Lance landed…
Chapter 8
Vermillion was bright yellow and swarming with Rockets. That had been expected. However, what Red was not expecting was when a tight-lipped man in a rocket uniform with a golden R instead of the normal red came up to him.
“Yes?” He asked, not wanting to get into another fight.
“You’re Ash Ketchum from pallet, right?”
“What? I’m Red Kitcham from Cerulean City.” He brought up his name screen on the pokedex.
The man grunted. “Never mind then. If you meet a trainer named Ash Ketchum, subdue him. We’re offering a $5000 reward.”
“Woah!”
“Yes, exactly. Now let me warn you. Some of the grunts here aren’t as nice as I am. Be prepared to lose your pokemon.”
“You don’t want mine.”
“No. I dislike carrying around more than three pokemon.”
With that, the odd man left Red.
Red walked towards the Vermillion City gym, after having recalled his Venomoth. He needed to challenge Surge for a Thunder badge.
Team Rocket let the league continue, of course. That way, trainers would have stronger pokemon… and when they were stolen, they would be much more valuable to the Team. They wouldn’t have to waste time training the pokemon themselves.
“Excuse me?”
“Yes?” He turned to face a small girl with green hair.
“Um… do you have any spare change? I haven’t eaten since yesterday and I’m starving…” Her thin face showed the truth of this statement.
Touched, Red took out his wallet to give her a few dollars, when a blinding flash suddenly snatched it out of his hand. The girl immediately fled, a Meowth following.
Red growled. “That’s it! Come on, Venomoth, Swablu!” The Swablu was a rocket pokemon, brainwashed to obey any trainer, so he obeyed. Venomoth immediately fired a burst of Stun Spore at the fleeing feline, managing to slow its movements, but not paralyze it completely.
“Magneton, Lock-On and then Thunderwave!” True, the harsh ways of this world bred petty crimes and contempt, but so young…
He darted after her, watching as she fell. Magneton could be notoriously speedy when they willed it.
There…
His wallet was removed from limp fingers. Red was about to leave her there, but then he hesitated. She was still a child… letting his better nature rear its head once again, Rd took her to the pokemon Center. Nurse Joy sighed when she came in.
“Tried stealing from you, didn’t she?”
“How did you know?”
“She’s my niece. Ran away from home two weeks ago. I’ve been seeing her brought in every few days.”
“But if she has a home, why…?”
“She wants to be a trainer at this age and I won’t allow it, so she won’t come home until I let her. Spoiled little…”
Red shook his head. Kids…
Nurse Joy checked on his pokemon, declared them fit for battle, and in good health, and sent him off.
He walked off to Surge’s gym.
There were no rockets guarding it, but several were inside, reading books and waiting for a challenger.
After all, a challenger would have fairly strong pokemon…
“Go, Raichu!”
Red vaulted up onto the platform with some help from his new Swablu. “Hm. You really do need to stay on your feet around here.”
Surge laughed. “Well, your reflexes aren’t bad for a beginner. So you want my Thunder Badge, eh?”
“Yes sir.”
“All right then! Choose your pokemon!”
“I choose… Magneton!” Red grinned. This would do well…
Surge looked surprised. “Electric to electric? Your choice… Raichu, Mega Kick!”
Magneton glittered brightly beneath the stadium lights, and equipped with Metal Coat, the normal attack hardly did any damage.
“Lock-On.” He said. “Then Thunderwave.”
“Raichu, Agility!’
So Surge had taught his Raichu some speed moves… but it wouldn’t save him. The magnet pokemon kept tracking, before a small burst of light coalesced around the Raichu and showered stars everywhere, paralysis setting in…
Speed down by a fourth, the Raichu wisely chose not to move and instead activated a Thunderbolt attack, taking off perhaps 1/5 or so of Magneton’s HP bar. Still. It will not save him.
“Zap Cannon.”
He has been preparing for this, of course. Now with Raichu paralyzed, Zap Cannon’s special effect won’t mater, but it is still quite a powerful attack…
Raichu’s HP is down to about 1/10.
Surge nods. “That’s enough. You’ve trained that Magneton of yours well, boy. How long have you had it?”
“Two days.”
Whispers break out among the rockets. An executive looks interested now. Perhaps they can persuade him to join their organization….
“Listen. He’s hands-off to you all for three months.”
“Aww!” Several rockets look disappointed. They would have wanted Red’s pokemon.
“I mean it. I think the boss needs to know about this…”
He’s about to protest that the only reason Magneton is so strong is because it’s from Cerulean cave, but decides to shut up.
After all, that’s supposed to be off-limits. Still there hadn’t been a guard when he went.. oh well.
Another badge was his! Lance would be so proud!
Back at Indigo Plateau, Lance watched as Red’s Trainer level jumped to 30. Excellent. And he had netted a Swablu too…
The boy still preferred water-types the best, but all was well.
Hm. Maybe he could replace Bruno as an Elite later? It bore thinking…Well, who knew? Who knew?
End Chapter
Completed 3/25/05
Lance: Oh? I’m not traveling with him?
Phantomness: Not yet…
Shoyko: I am worried that in a few chapters this happy fic will turn dark!
Kairo: You know, you’re probably right…
Pika-chan: *eats banana*