Pokemon Red

Okay, so this is going to be a looooong fiction. Now, no fear, it won't feature every single battle. Basically think a playthrough like BrainScratchComms or Chuggaaconroy, only even less fights. But I've got a huge amount of plans, so let's see this baby through to the end!
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Chapter One: Pallet Town

It’s amazing how much living in a small town suck. Sure, having the Pokemon Professor for a teacher was a great honor, and the townsfolk were all friendly and knew his family well, but there were drawbacks. Although the losses were the gains, at least for some.

The small town was barely on the map. Aside from being the home of Professor Oak, there was nothing worth mentioning. Slightly depressing, really.

I can’t say I haven’t enjoyed my 10 years in town, but I’m anxious to leave. Sadly, Pokemon were aggressive creatures, and you could only leave Pallet Town with repels.

But at least I have some friends. And you know, I think I’d rather see them than play my SNES, so I might as well beat it. But first, he’d let his mom know he was off to visit Yellow.

“Hey Mom, I’m gonna see Yellow, just so you know I’m gone.”

After a second of thought, she said, “Right.” Her eyes seemed filled with tears, and it was scary to see her this way.

“All boys leave home someday. It said so on TV.” It was so confusing to hear her say that, so I turned to the television. A movie called Stand By Me was on. Mom’s favorite. My eyes turned to slits in annoyance. Mom was just overreacting to the movie.

“Oh yes,” she added, “Professor Oak, next door, was looking for you.”

I raised an eyebrow, but I suppose it wasn’t too strange. This wasn’t the first time the professor took an interest in me. I responded with “Okay” and left. I had the bizarre feeling Mom was starring at me, but I decided to just walk on.

Getting next door barely took a minute, and soon I was greeted by Daisy.

“Hi Red!” she said with that practically patented smile. “Blue is out at Grandpa’s lab.”

Well that was a relief. He’d rather not deal with Blue today. “Well Daisy, I’m actually here because Professor Oak asked for me.”

“Oh,” she responded. “Well, he’s at the lab. I was wondering why he was waiting. Guess it was for you!”

That was a little embarrassing, being teased by Daisy. Or at least it seemed that way. “Thanks,” I said in a low tone, and walked out.

If anyone couldn’t find Oak’s house, they had to be blind. And even then, it was so big that that wouldn’t take too long. I walked around the giant lab and entered and was horrified who stood in the back. It was Blue.

So...tada, next part. :P
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Now, Blue’s not the worst person ever. But gosh, he really didn’t like me. My only guess was jealousy, but I really had no way to affect Oak. However, I’m still friendly, so I might as well try to strike up a conversation and find out where he is.

“Yo Red!” Blue shouted. But it wasn’t so bad yet; maybe this could go well. “Gramps isn’t around!” And....so much for being helpful. Well, no sense staying here. Although, I do see an odd machine on the desk and three Pokeballs, but it’s not my place to investigate. At least past eyesight.

But Oak was definitely hidden today. Even checking with Yellow and Green and their families, none of them knew where he ran off too. I soon had the feeling he was out catching Pokemon, so I decided to head to the edge of town and look for him.

I still didn’t see him, and this whole experience was getting annoying. Well, if Oak is out there, then I’ll just go look for him. After all, the chances are low something will attack me…right?

With a deep breathe and a brave step, I stepped into the waist high weeds, when a cry came from behind. It couldn’t be…the professor?

“Hey! Wait! Don’t go out!” Professor Oak shouted. But…where did he come from?

“It’s unsafe!” he continued. “Wild Pokemon live in tall grass! You need your own Pokemon for your protection.”

I definitely knew that. Even baby Pokemon could cause some serious pain. The only person I know in town with Pokemon is Green’s older sister, and she’s still training them.

I meant to give a response, but I took too long. “I know! Here, come with me!” he said with a triumphant voice. Not like I had anything to lose.

We walked all the way back to the lab and into the backroom. He turned back to me and Blue as we stood side by side.

“Gramps! I'm fed up with waiting!” Blue shouted angrily. Gosh, he shouts a lot. I could only give another slit-eyed stare of irritation.

“Blue?” he said in odd curiosity. Did he forget Blue was waiting, or was he just distracted by my reckless charge in the grass? “Let me think...Oh, that's right, I told you to come! Just wait!” I seriously hope it’s the latter, or Blue is going to chew me out more.

“Here, Red. There are three Pokemon here. Haha!” I wanted to respond, but the joke flew over my head. “They are inside the Pokeballs,” he said, mistaking my confusion.

“When I was young, I was a serious Pokemon trainer!” I suppose it’s believable. Oak wouldn’t lie, and he is super-smart when it comes to Pokemon. But how serious is serious, really?

“In my old age, I have only three left, but you can have one!” I was going to be speechless a lot today. “Choose!”

But the mood broke as Blue yelled, “Hey! Gramps! What about me?”

Oak turned a frustrated eye on Blue and said, “Be patient! Blue, you can have one too!” Blue seemed relieved, but I can tell he’s still a little mad I’m choosing first.

Blue saw me staring. “Heh, I don’t need to be greedy like you!” Yup, Blue is still a jerk. And it’s not even noon. “Go ahead and choose, Red!”

“Now, Red, which Pokemon do you want?” Oak asked. I have no clue. I suppose I can just look at each one and decide which I like better. Looks was a bad judge, but I couldn’t have another factor to decide on.

Time for the destinies of two boys to finally begin! And...stuff. Yeah...
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I started on the right side of the table. Bulbasaur looks cool, but let’s see what else is here. Squirtle looks cute, but no thanks. And then there was Charmander. I don’t know what it is about him, but the fire lizard looks both cool and cute to me. And that fire tail must be a useful attack. Once again, it was crunch time. A deep breathe, and a brave step…or grab.

“So!” shouted Oak. Why do the Oaks always shout? “You want the fire Pokemon, Charmander?” I nodded. As I picked up the ball, Oak added “This Pokemon is really energetic!” And just like Charmander, a surge of energy began flowing through me too. Yes, I finally had a Pokemon!

I barely noticed as Blue walked around me and stood by my side. “I’ll take this one, then!” he said proudly.

Oak smiled gallantly at the boys. “If a wild Pokemon appears, your Pokemon can fight against it!”

I was so happy, I scarcely heard him. Unfortunately, Blue was loud enough that I could hear. “My Pokemon looks a lot stronger.”

I’m tired of this boasting, I’m leaving. With a wave good-bye to the professor, I turned to leave, but Blue wasn’t done yet.

“Wait Red! Let’s check out our Pokemon!” It took but a second to process what he meant. “Come on, I’ll take you on!”

Blue walked up, the cocky smile never leaving his face. At last, the rivals would face off.

With a joyous shout, Blue summoned his Pokemon. “Squirtle! I choose you!” The blue turtle zoomed out of the ball with a bright light. A beautiful sight, but I know I’ll be seeing it a lot.

Well, here goes nothing. “Go! Charmander!” My lizard followed suit, and as promised, he was still awesome! I feel giddy, but no time to let me stick to that. I’ve got a battle to win!

“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Oak said from behind Blue. “So pushy, as always. You’ve never had a Pokemon battle before, have you?”

Of course we didn’t, but we were totally sure we could handle it. Oak seemed to disagree. “A Pokemon battle is when Trainers pit their Pokemon against each other. The Trainer that makes the other Trainer’s Pokemon faint by lowering its HP to 0, wins.” It was a duh, and we both knew it. But we couldn’t start with the distraction.

“But rather than talking about it, you’ll learn more from experience.” You’re kidding me, right? “Try battling and see for yourself.” I was ready to facepalm, but I had to focus on the battle.

And so the battle is on!
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According to the Pokegear cell phone I got for my birthday, I had an app for identifying Pokemon. And apparently Charmander knows two moves: Scratch and Growl. What? Those won’t use his tail! Ugh…so much for that advantage. Fine, then let’s fight back! “Charmander, Scratch!”

Charmander dashed at Squirtle as Blue ordered, “Tackle!” Charmander managed to scratch Squirtle’s face, but Squirtle wasn’t out of it yet. He pushed into his whole body into Charmander and sent skidding back toward me. Charmander took some damage, but he was back up and ready to keep fighting. I guess I have no reason to worry after all.

Another Scratch, and another Tackle. Squirtle was desperate to keep Charmander away, but there was no hope. Blue was getting frustrated. He knew that I was faster, and that would be enough for me to win!

But, Blue decided to do a twist. “Tail Whip!” But nothing happened.

“Um…what happened?” No stat changes, no injuries, was it worthless?

“What happened?!” Blue shouted to the heavens. Oak looked at the two and just sighed.

“Tail Whip would have made Charmander lower its guard, seeing such a cute attack. Except, Charmander blinked.”

Silence overtook the lab. I was unsure if I should attack, but I decided now was the best time. “Scratch!”

Charmander was a little confused, but he obeyed and attacked. Squirtle tried to dodge, but he turned around again. The tail took the hit, but that didn’t mean total victory.

“Tail Whip!” Blue shouted furiously. This time, Charmander saw the wagging tail, and sure enough, he seemed less tense and worried. Still, a few more hits, and I’ll win!

“Scratch!” I said, continuing the loop. But as Blue ordered another Tackle, Charmander took the hit hard. Apparently, Tail Whip works very well. If only Charmander could whip that fire around…

Oh well. “Scratch!” Squirtle used another Tail Whip, but it was too late! Speed really did lead to victory! One more hit, and I’d win!

“End this, Charmander! Scratch!” It all depended on this. Charmander made one last dash. If he missed, he may very well faint! But no, I have faith. My buddy will win!

With three claw mark straight in the face of Squirtle, it was over. Blue’s face sunk, and Squirtle was returned into its ball. We won!

“WHAT?” Blue shouted, the loudest he’d ever been. “Unbelievable! I picked the wrong Pokemon!”

Oak grunted, as though upset with what Blue said. However, Oak merely told his grandson, “Blue, you’ve lost. As a trainer, you’re required to pay him a fair amount for his troubles.” Blue shoved a measely 175 into my hand. But that wasn’t important. What was important was that now, I was better than Blue!

As though Blue read his mind, he said, “Okay! I’ll make my Pokemon fight to toughen it up! Red! Gramps! Smell ya later!” And with that, Blue walked away, never to be seen again.

I wish.

We're on the road to Viridian City!
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“Red, raise your young Pokemon by making it fight!” The last words of advice from the Pokemon Professor. I know it won’t be easy, but there was no question that it would be fun! But first, let’s go show Mom!

I dashed back home to see my lovely mother, and she was so happy to see me as I walked in. “Red! You should take a quick rest.”

While I sat back, I told her all about the battle, showed her Charmander. She had that motherly smile of ‘I’m so proud.’ Sometimes a little embarrassing to see, but today, it was awesome!

After we sat and watched some more of Stand By Me, Charmander started stretching and I followed suit. Mom said, “Oh good! You and your Pokemon are looking great!”

“Thanks Mom,” I replied. “Charmander and I are going to go adventuring, we won’t be gone long.”

She smiled and nodded. “Take care now!” And once I returned Charmander to his ball, we were off!

Route 1, I finally was on it, on my own. Well, sort of. And no repels to protect me this time. Just a fiery salamander lizard thing. Well, let’s go even farther! Viridian City, baby!

But that didn’t last long. A wild Pidgey appeared! I’ve seen them all the time, but now I was going to battle one! “Go! Charmander!” It was now time to put my new Pokemon to the test of the wild. “Scratch!”

Scratch hit the bird’s chest, and I was sure we were going to win. But it wouldn’t be an easy win. Suddenly, a large burst of wind, almost like a dust devil, swarmed Charmander! It certainly hit harder than any of those Tackles. But this critical hit wouldn’t phase me!

“Scratch!” That Pidgey was so close to death, but unfortunately, so was Charmander. Apparently Pidgey found Charmander’s weak spot, and being so close, he was able to land another critical hit. Yeah…I’m worried now.

“Scratch!” I yelled in desperation. I couldn’t see Charmander’s face, but I bet he was worried too. That blasted pigeon osprey thing survived, but at least Charmander finally had the time to block before Gust could do severe damage. This was it, last hit!

“Scratch!” Wow, I better learn a new move soon before I become a broken record. But at least the enemy Pidgey fainted!

My second battle ever was a success, and it was time to ride this high to the top! But first, I saw a man walked around on Route 1. Not weird I suppose, but his clothes made it seem like he was supposed to be working. Might as well send a greeting his way.

“Hi! I work at a Pokemon mart! It’s part of a convenient chain selling all sorts of items.” I’ve only been there once when I was young. It was like a grocery store, I think. At least, that’s where Mom would get all the food and repels. “Please, visit us in Viridian City.”

The guy was a solicitor, that was obvious, and he soon realized my thoughts. Worried to lose a customer, he added, “I know, I’ll give you a sample. Here you go!”

The man gave me a Potion! I only knew a little bit about them, but they were very useful if you had a hurt Pokemon. I considered using it right there, but I decided to wait until I really needed it. “We also carry Poke Balls for catching Pokemon!” Hmm, more Pokemon? Definitely going to Viridian now. I said my thanks and continued the journey.

I decided I wouldn’t risk going through too much grass to save Charmander the trouble of fighting so much. But this route has a very odd structure, pointless twists and jagged ledges getting in the way.

As I marched on through another patch of grass, I met a Rattata, but Charmander fought bravely. Thanks to his superior speed, he won, but clearly the wild Pokemon were taking their toll. I knew I had to hurry, but more Pokemon continued to come at us. I had two choices: use the Potion now and risk not having it against another trainer, like Blue; or run away. It seemed cowardly, but I knew I had to protect my buddy. So we ran, and got away safely!

And the reward? Just there, across the path, Viridian City!

It's amazing that Firefox thinks Viridian isn't a word. Clearly they need to play more Pokemons.
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Chapter Two: Viridian City

At last, we finally arrived. I practically wanted to hug my little buddy, but I realized he was still hurting, so I needed to find a Pokemon Center. From my studies, they were a Pokemon league funded thing. Well that’s awesome, but it’s time to use their services.

There’s some sign telling me I should use it to heal PP, but of course it doesn’t say where it is in town. I was about to bow my head and sigh, when just a few yards away stood the Pokemon Center. Oops…

Whatever, healing time! Inside, it seemed like a big building. A few people inside, but nothing too noteworthy. Either way, this wasn’t the time to gawk. I gave my hello to the nurse in the back.

“Welcome to our Pokemon Center!” she said in such a cheery voice. “We heal your Pokemon back to perfect health! Shall we heal your Pokemon?” I nodded. “Okay, we’ll need your Pokemon.”

As I handed Charmander over, she put his Pokeball into a giant machine next to her. Within a few seconds, and the addition of bright flashing lights, the ball popped right back out, and she gave back my buddy. “Thank you! Your Pokemon are fighting fit!”

Awesome! “We hope to see you again!” Such a nice lady. But let’s explore this city, maybe get me some Pokeballs!

However, finding the Pokemon Mart was not as easy. There were lots of people in town. A guy who thought I had more than one Poke Ball for some reason, a grumpy old man and his granddaughter in need of coffee (although something tells me more that coffee is involved), and a guy that liked talking about caterpillar Pokemon. But right there behind him was the store!

I stepped inside, rummaging through my pocket for my Trainer Card, the debit card of Kanto. But then the clerk called out to me. “Hey You came from Pallet Town?”

“Uh, yeah.” How did he know?

“You know Professor Oak, right?” I slowly nodded, unsure of what to say. “His order came in. Will you take it to him?”

I nodded, and the man behind the counter handed me a strange parcel. I took the box and put it in my backpack. “Okay! Say hi to Professor Oak for me!” Hopefully I won’t forget, but I probably will.

We didn't stay in Viridian long, did we? :P Don't worry, we'll be back.
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My walk back to Pallet Town was mostly uneventful. I was able to stay out of the tall grass mostly, so my battles were hardly existent. But it was still an amazing adventure I’d never forget. But first, a special delivery.

I walked inside, and Oak greeted me with a big smile. “Oh, Red! How is my old Pokemon?”

“Oh, he’s great, sir!” I cheerfully responded. “We’ve got into some intense fights, but Charmander is definitely awesome!”

Oak took all my words in and said, “Well, it seems to like you a lot. You must be talented as a Pokemon trainer!” Considering the man, it was one of the greatest compliments of my life.

Unfortunately, business before pleasure…well, except for right now. I reached in my backpack and handed over the parcel.

“What? You have something for me?” And with that, I delivered Oak’s parcel. I was about to say where I got it from, but Oak interrupted me.

“Ah! This is the custom Poke Ball I ordered!” Custom Poke Ball? “Thank you!” It seemed like Oak was about to say more, but a familiar shout exuded through the lab.

“Gramps!” Oh great. Blue walked up and asked, “What did you call me for?”

“Oh right!” Oak answered, preoccupied with other thoughts as usual. “I have a request of you two.” Blue slouched where he stood, and I didn’t blame him. There’s always a catch, isn’t there?

“On the desk there is my invention, Pokedex!” The odd machine from earlier? “It automatically records data on Pokemon you’ve seen or caught! It’s a hi-tech encyclopedia!” My eyes bulged a little at that.

A device capable of scanning a Pokemon by sight and organizing data created by…someone. Who cares, it was impressive, to say the least.

“Red and Blue! Take these with you!” I guess it’s not a catch after all, it’s a huge reward! I got the Pokedex from Oak and started messing around with it, but Oak wasn’t done talking yet.

“To make a complete guide on all the Pokemon in the world,” he said, practically daydreaming. “That was my dream! But, I’m too old! I can’t do it!” Although, this is starting to smell like a catch again… “So, I want you two to fulfill my dream for me!” Woah, seriously? He wants us to record them all?!

“Get moving, you two!” he said, his voice exploding with pride and joy. “This is a great undertaking in Pokemon history!”

Hugs are fun.
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Wow…I looked to see what Blue was thinking, and I could see it in his eyes. The thirst for fame and glory. “Alright Gramps! Leave it all to me!” Please don’t be a jerk, please don’t be a jerk.

“Red, I hate to say it, but I don’t need you!” Um…is that a compliment? Impossible. Still, I had to say something before things got out of control.

“Professor, how will we know where to go?” I wasn’t sure if Oak could answer me, but apparently Blue could.

“I know! I’ll borrow a Town Map from my sis!” A genius idea! Plus, Daisy may have had some leftover maps from her Pokemon Contest days. “I’ll tell her not to lend you one, Red! Hahaha!”

The slit eyes of irritation return. But he didn’t care, and soon strut off. I looked to the professor for advice, but all he had to say was, “Pokemon around the world wait for you, Red!” Yeah, let’s just go all over the world. Especially without a map. Smart idea.

Apparently Oak didn’t understand my expression, so I just stormed off. Daisy would never listen to her jerk brother’s despicable command, so I might as well grab a map now.

As I explained my situation, Daisy merely said, “Grandpa asked you to run an errand?” A bit bigger than an errand, Daisy. “Here, this will help you!” Either she was a mind reader, or her brother made it too obvious, because now I had a Town Map! “Use the Town Map to find out where you are.”

A little crude, but it would definitely help navigate Kanto. But, the good son that I am (I swear I’m being modest), I better ask Mom for permission. One Charmander isn’t much protection.

As Mom and I talked, I could her eyes welling up with tears. Now her crazy quote about Stand By Me made total sense. I started to feel bad; Dad died years and years ago, and now I was abandoning Mom.

“No, you go honey,” she sniffled, wiping away her tears and wearing a proud smile. “Your father was a great trainer, and I know you’ll be too! Just please, be careful. Promise me that, and I promise I’ll be okay too,” she said with a long-lasting hug.

Yeah, we’re a sappy family. But that hug would be one of the last hugs I’d get for a long time, so I was going to enjoy every second of it.

I miss sleepovers...although at least they usually get replaced with sleeping with someone...maybe it's for the best then. :P
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It was a restless night. And no, for once it wasn’t because of the common cliché associated with fear or anything, it was absolute joy. Charmander was allowed to stay out of his ball as long as he watched his tail, and he happily obeyed.

Sadly, trainers needed a special license to let Pokemon out freely in public, or so Green told me, and that was far too expensive to buy. Still, my room was fine, so the two of us sat down and memorized the map.

There was no way we’d return home for awhile, so we made sure to grab plenty of supplies. Mom would be annoyed at that, but she was fine as long as we stayed well fed. To be truthful, Pokemon don’t need food, they can live without it. But hey, Charmander’s my buddy.

We also noticed that the Pokemon League was west of Viridian City. We wouldn’t be allowed in, but the sight was considered inspiring, so that was the first stop for tomorrow. It took hours to fall asleep. It wasn’t so hard for Charmander; the Poke Ball relaxed my pal enough. But my bed was not so advanced.

Still, I slipped into a dream, surrounded by Charmanders, with a giant beast, a Pokemon, flying through the sky.

But as good as the dream was, I never felt so happy to wake up early. I grabbed my Poke Ball and let out Charmander, who was a little grumpy, but ready to go. We snuck into Mom’s room, hidden below the house, and tried to wake her up. Definitely not a morning person.

But with her coffee, she was Super Mom! We ate up and wanted to rush out the door, but Mom took her sweet time, and we all knew why. With the last of my food, water, and other stuff packed away, we were ready to go!

I returned Charmander, and looked to Mom. The tears were streaming down her face, and it took every inch of my power to hold back mine.

Then she hugged me. So much for that. But we said our good-byes, and I promised to call every night. It was hard on the both of us, but as I opened that door, she said one last thing. “Son?”

“Yes Mom,” afraid of another hug that would cause another breakdown.

“Promise me one more thing. Promise me, you’ll do whatever it takes to be the very best!”

I turned back to her, and saw her beautiful face staring back at me. Those caring eyes gave me the strength that would propel me for the rest of my days. I gave her a smile and a wink. “Like no one ever was.”

This is really good, Freedom! The description is fantastic, and the battles aren't dragged on or boring. The Pokemon Theme song reference at the end of this chapter; it was pretty cool. I'm just slightly worried about the plot of this story following the game too closely, but that's just a minor nitpick; the story is awesome.

Well thank you so much! I've been wanting comments so bad.

As for following the games, I'm working on making it separate, my own thing. I think you'll like the direction it's going in, but if you think I'm not being original enough in the coming chapters, let me know! I want to improve myself as much as possible, so any assistance is much appreciated! :D
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You know, for a town that sucks, leaving it can be really hard. Bad enough I’m leaving the comfort of home and Mom, but I’m also abandoning my two best friends, Yellow and Green. They both turned 10 recently, but I think they haven’t got their trainer cards yet, which they’ll need to prove they’re legal for Pokemon usage.

Nevertheless, as I walked out of town, there they were, ready to say their farewells. “Red, man,” Yellow said, “You have a blast out there. And don’t you worry; I’ll be seeing you soon.” Gave him the cool secret handshake every best bud combo has, and gave him a confident smile to match his smirk.

“Red,” said Green, a bit meeker but still a loyal friend. “You be careful out there.” She sounded almost as worried as Mom, but changed her attitude right away. “I’ll be 10 soon too, so make sure you warm up the routes for me!”

After one more hug, I said, “You guys, I’ll be waiting to see you too. So hurry up!” With that, I turned and ran; well, as much as the shoes would let me, it really hurt to run in them. But that would be more dramatic.

Speaking of which, I noticed that Green’s sister Leaf and Daisy weren’t here, which must have meant Blue left already. Shoot, he’s ahead of me! Or, is he behind? Wouldn’t Daisy say bye too? Either way, I had to hurry!

But thankfully it didn’t take too long, and I was back in Viridian! As I entered the city, a thought crossed my mind: what about Poke Balls? Well, I definitely need them, so I might as well buy those first.

Once I entered, I immediately realized I forgot to send across the clerk’s greeting to Oak, but apparently I wasn’t the only forgetful one. “Hi there!” the clerk said, “May I help you?” If I didn’t know better (and maybe I don’t), I’d say he didn’t recognize me, but oh well.

“Well, I’m looking for new trainer supplies,” I answered, a little nervous.

The man had an understanding look about him, and waved his hand to the glass counter. “Take your time.” Three medicines and a bunch of Poke Balls. Huh. Well, better to be safe; I bought three Poke Balls and one of each medicine. Now, let’s go to the Pokemon League!

Well, with my birthday done, here's the next section!
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Route 22, boy, we’re going out of order already. But, right as I step into the grass, a wild Nidoran♂ appears! I’m sure Charmander can handle this little guy!

“Go! Charmander!” Sheesh, that better not be my catch phrase. A barrage of Scratches help me ease Nidoran♂ down, and as any novice trainer knows…hopefully, that means it’s time to catch this bad boy!

“Go, Poke Ball!” Shoot, curse the dramatic me. But for the first time, I got to see in person a Poke Ball wiggle. And again. And again!

And it broke free. Shoot! It was so close too! But a good trainer doesn’t give up, no matter what.

With one more toss, I just knew this would be it. One. Two. Three! Lock! All right! Nidoran♂ caught!

Then, as if to give me a heart attack as a reward, a computerized male voice came out of nowhere. “New Pokedex data will be added for Nidoran♂!” I looked everywhere, wondering what in the world that was, before I realized, it came from my backpack.

I tore it open and found the noisemaker: the Pokedex. Right there on the screen was everything you’d need to know about Nidoran♂. Except stats or attacks or anything. But what trainer would ever want that? But that did leave me with a question, and as I looked through the Pokedex, I realized the unfortunate answer.

Yes, if you catch a Pokemon, you’ll get all sorts of data probably recorded by old guys from over the years. But if you only see it, you just get a picture and an area location. Shoot, that won’t help me much. Guess I have to do this mission the hard way.

Oh well, back to celebrating. My little buddy was hurt, and my new buddy was too, but I decided to take one more look around before I headed back to heal. I know, what about the League? “But there’s Pokemon!” I say out loud to no one in a whiny voice.

After a good deal of battling, I managed to get another pal, Rattata, and give my new friends some experience. But now, finally, we could go to the Pokemon League!

“Hey! Red!” Shoot. There he was, Blue, walking from there. He apparently stole my idea, which was going to sting for a long time. “You’re going to Pokemon League?” I was about to explain myself, but of course, interruptions are more fun. “Forget it!” Why me? “You probably don’t have any badges! The guard won’t let you through!”

So many ways to say duh, but I can handle this jerk. After all, we may never see each other after this. “By the way, did your Pokemon get any stronger?” This wasn’t a question, it was a challenge.

Fine, if Blue wants to fight, so be it! “I choose you, Pidgey!”

“Go! Nidoran♂!” Oops, I’m addicted to that phrase. But enough banter, time for action. Unfortunately, starting with Nidoran♂ was a bad idea. He was barely hurting the bird, and that made me fear that even Charmander may have a tough time. So, it was time to try a new strategy.

“Leer!” I shouted. Leer would give that Pidgey a good scare, and that would definitely force it to replace defense with fright. But as if Blue knew what I was up to, he beat down my Nidoran♂ with Gust. This is really bad, Nidoran♂ fainted and now I needed Charmander to save me. I promised myself I would train like crazy from now on if I won this fight.

“One down,” Blue said with a sneer. Oh, you’re going down, Blue. And no matter how many times you get up, you’re staying down, I promise you that.

Pretty nice, Freedom. It was nice how in the previous part of your story you started picking on the funny details of the game(which kind of reminded me of Creature Caster Masters), and how you kept the battles very fast-paced.
Also nice is the fact that you're putting more strategy on the battle system, so that the battle scenes feel more focused. Of course, since this is still the beginning of a long journey, the battles are still less complicated than they should be.

...Which leads me to another question. Were you able to fight Blue twice outside the Pokemon league(once in the beginning, once after the eight badges), or could you only battle him once in that area(though you could choose to battle him at anytime)?

- Also, sorry for being late, but Happy Birthday!

Right, the moves we're dealing with are really small time, so I'm just working with what I got.
Yes, you fight him twice on Route 25. The first battle is optional, but I wanted to fight it. And the second is mandatory, right after you beat Giovanni and start going to the Indigo Plateau.
And thank you! I really appreciate it! :D
---
Charmander roared onto the scene. And yet he’s still so cute. But my cutie will trounce Blue, and sure enough, my assault of Scratches wore the Pidgey down. Unfortunately, it came with a ton of damage. Gust versus Scratch, and while Charmander was fast enough to block a potential critical hit, the Gusts hurt.

And with one last critical hit, Pidgey was done. But with all Charmander’s damage, this was going to be a hard fight when Squirtle came out. Rattata would be my best bet to give Charmander some time. At the very least, Charmander knew Ember, so that would be useful later. “End this fight, Squirtle!”

“Charmander enough! Come back!” With a beam of light, he was brought back into the ball, and right after that, I threw Rattata to the field. Since there was no way Rattata could beat his turtle, my best bet was to give Charmander a fighting chance.

“Tail Whip!” Not only a bit of vengeance for that Tail Whip barrage at the lab, but a nice hit to the turtle’s defense too. Unfortunately, Tackle hurt so much that even Tail Whip wouldn’t be that helpful.

“Hahaha, Tail Whip? You’re so dead, Red!” My patience is so thin right now. “Here, let me humor you! Tail Whip!” He may be a jerk, but he just bought me a turn. Another Tail Whip, and my chances got a little better. Until he showed off his new move.

“Alright, enough humor,” he said, wiping away a tear. “Bubble!” What? Squirtle shot some bubbles from his mouth, and they moved faster than any bubble I had ever seen. And unfortunately, that was the same for Rattata. “Never stood a chance,” the smirk never leaving his face as he said it.

“This is it,” I said quietly. “Win for me, buddy. Go! Charmander!” Now, Ember would be lovely, if he wasn’t Water type. So, that leaves only one move. “Scratch!”

Not only did it barely hurt, but it got worse, his Tackle put me near the edge. I reluctantly pulled out my only Potion, saving my little buddy, but a few Bubbles still smacked him right in the face.

It occurs to me that Squirtle is going to be a tank, and with Bubble, I’m doomed. So I instead went with Growl, hoping I could shrink his attack. It worked…sort of. It’s taking too long. It looks like I won’t win. But if I’m going down, I’m taking that turtle down as much as I can! “Scratch!”

Blue went with Tackle again, and I saw it. There’s still a chance! If I’m right, whoever lands the next hit wins! “Charmander! Scratch and win!”

“Squirtle! Tackle it to death!” Squirtle and Charmander charged towards each other, ready to fight for their masters till the end. Squirtle lowered its head and went for the kill, but Charmander, just mere inches from death, jumped over the turtle. Blue and I stood stunned as it flew over and landed right behind the Water Pokemon. And right as Squirtle turned around, so did Charmander, leading with a massive claw to the face! Squirtle gripped its head in pain as it fell over, and with that, we defeated Blue! With just one HP to spare, too.

“Awww! You just lucked out!” Clearly he was annoyed as he transferred the money and returned Squirtle to its ball. “I heard Pokemon League has many tough trainers!”

I can’t say I’m surprised, trainers from all over gather, especially from Kanto and Johto. “I have to figure out how to get past them!” he continued. “You should quit dawdling and get a move on!” Says the guy who’s doing the exact same thing as me. I tried to give him my patent-pending annoyed stare, but he waltzed off back to Viridian. Unfortunately, I’ll have to follow him before I continue on; my pals are looking pretty beat up.

I said call me Old Man!
---
True to my word, I began the annoying process of training. I also managed to catch a Nidoran♀ as I trekked along. This team is looking good so far! But finally, for real this time, I arrived. The Pokemon League Front Gate.

I stepped inside, and took in the legendary surroundings. The statues looked awesome, and the place had that epic feeling about it. Surprisingly only one guard blocked the exit. I went to talk to them, and they told me an obviously rehearsed line. “Only truly skilled trainers are allowed through. You don’t have the Boulder Badge yet!” He gave me a wicked scowl, and I was ready to back off, but he softened a bit before saying, “The rules are rules. I can’t let you pass.”

I was about to say I understood, until the dude pushed me! Jerk, must be taking lessons from Blue.

Well, I might as well go look for this Boulder Badge. Unfortunately, Oak didn’t teach us much about gyms, but I’m pretty sure every major city has one, and Viridian is definitely a major city.

So as I walk through town, I see a familiar face: the old man who was apparently too grumpy to let us pass. “Ahh, I’ve had my coffee now and I feel great!” I really hope he does mean coffee this time.

I asked if I could go through, and he happily responded, “Sure you can go through!” Did he forget that he wouldn’t let me yesterday? But before I could turn and forget the old guy, he asked, “Are you in a hurry?” I wanted to say yes, but I can’t lie, so I admitted I wasn’t.

“I see you’re using a Pokedex.” How in the world did he know about it? Maybe Oak invented it much earlier and held back from telling us? “When you catch a Pokemon, Pokedex is automatically updated.” I was about to say I know, but clearly he was on a roll. “What? Don’t you know how to catch Pokemon?”

“Of course I-”

“I’ll show you how to then.” I already know! But before I could counter him, a wild Weedle appeared out of nowhere! But he apparently had a Poke Ball handy, and caught it in one go.

“Not bad,” I said. Although I wonder how a Pokemon just crawled into town right as the old man needed a demonstration, but I’ll humor him for now.

“First, you need to weaken the target Pokemon.” But you didn’t. You’re giving contradictory advice, old man! “There! Now tell me, that was educational, was it not?”

“Uh huh,” I said in a skeptical tone. “Well, thank you for the help, sir.”

“Oh, no trouble, my boy.” I turned to leave, but he still had more to say. “And here, take this, too.” He handed me a strange mini TV that was small enough to fit in my pocket. “That’s a Teachy TV! It only has one channel, but it features my grandson, Primo! If there’s something you don’t understand, watch that. It will teach you about the basics of being a Pokemon Trainer!”

Sure, now can I go? Of course, I kept my manners up and instead repeated myself. “Thank you for the help, sir.”

He nodded farewell and said one last thing. “You may call me Old Man.” No.

A natural maze? If only. Or if you went through the trees instead of taking the required path.
---
Thankfully, just to the east stood a giant building with the word “GYM” on it. It looks like my first gym battle was about to go down!

Until I tried the door. Apparently the gym’s doors are locked. Shoot.

“This Pokemon gym is always closed,” said a man standing by the side. “I wonder who the leader is?”

“So then you have no idea when he’ll be back?”

“Nope, I’m just bored.” Why are people so weird? Still, as I hoped over a ledge back into the main part of town, my hopes began to fade. The first gym, and it’s already abandoned. I looked around town, asking if anyone had more information, but no luck.

Well, the Pokemon League requires eight badges, so either there’s a new gym or the League will have to get involved. But for now I guess I’ll just find another gym. No sense waiting for bureaucracy to settle my problems.

So then, enough waiting; it’s time to hit Route 2.

Route 2 was purely easy, and I only ran into a Weedle. I tried to copy…Old Man, and just threw a Poke Ball. Of course it didn’t work. I knew that guy was a cheat. Still, I was easily able to catch the hairy bug after I hit it a bit.

And afterward, I entered the guard station between Route 2 and Viridian Forest. Now, no one really understood the purpose of lookout stations unless you really knew your history. According to Professor Oak, the lookout stations separated areas apart. Normally they do nothing, but they act as a barrier just in case the Pokemon get too antsy. Or worse: aggressive.

Either way, Pokemon hardly ever attacked humans, so I wasn’t worried. At least about that. But getting lost in Viridian Forest; that worried me. People liked to call it a natural maze, and I can already tell that’s what it’ll be. It’s ominous, filled with bugs, and could take awhile to get through. Such is the life of a trainer, right?

As I reached a giant tree, separate from the others, a boy nearby grabbed my attention. “I came here with some friends! They’re out for Pokemon fights!”

“So why aren’t you with them?” I asked in confusion.

“Uh…mine already fainted.” I don’t know if I should consider him pitiable or take it as a warning.

Still, he wasn’t lying, there were trainers out and about. Apparently all these Viridian kids were Bug Catchers, which is really an odd way to restrict yourself, but if TV has taught me anything, it’s that little kids like bugs. Explains my Weedle. Also, apparently I can’t jam out if I’m a trainer. Right…

Anyway, despite the formidable appearance and reputation, Viridian Forest was easy enough to get through. And it came with its own reward. Weedle evolved into Kakuna! At first I was worried I’d be stuck in a Harden War, but my Kakuna is so smart, it remembers the old attacks it knew! Six Pokemon so far; Oak, I’m on my way.

You know, I wouldn't mind having a Jigglypuff.
---
Chapter Three: Pewter City

Waking up can be really painful. I remember once my mom tried to wake me up for school, and of course I mumbled and grumbled in bed. So she opened my blinds. Ouch, my poor eyes.

If you’ve ever had that feeling, then you know how it feels to leave Viridian Forest. Bright lights just pounded my eyes for so long as I walked toward the next city.

Pewter City: pretty nice for such a small city. I’d say it’s the smallest, but this map is so limited I’ll never be sure.

My first stop was the Pokemon Center. The lady happily took my Pokemon, and I decided to take a look around, when I saw a Pokemon in the corner! Woah, and the guy next to him must have a special license. I’m gonna have to ask him about that.

The moment I got my Poke Balls back, I practically jogged over to the guy and his Pokemon. Unfortunately, he was asleep, but I figured I could at least use my Pokedex on it. But before I could pull it out, it started, well, singing. And almost immediately, I fell asleep.

According to the nurse, I woke up hours later, practically missing the night. Two thoughts hit my mind. First, what in the world happened? And second, shoot, I forgot to call Mom!

It took a few rings and a lot of worried comments, but I finally got through to Mom, and she settled down. She was happy I got rest at least, even if I never planned it that way.

After a long conversation, we hung up and she finally went to bed. I turned towards the man, ready to burst with anger, and asked him just what happened.

“Yawn!” the man rudely replied. “When Jigglypuff sings, Pokemon get drowsy.” The man hung on the word, and I could see his eyes close right there before me. “Me too,” he added, complete with a snore to close it all out.

Not worth wasting anymore time, I went outside, just minutes before sunrise. I let out a yawn and decided to search town for the one answer I needed: is there a gym here?

Dang, the Pokedollar symbol didn't hold up...
---
My journey through town didn’t yield many results. Aside from a gardener how loved repels and a notice warning about Pokemon fossil thieves at Mt. Moon, the town didn’t have much to offer yet. But I still had the northwest to check out, so I began my approach

I saw a Poke Mart, and I figured that would a good place to stock up in case a gym fight was coming, but then a man outside the store called out to me. “Did you check out the museum?”

There’s a museum? “Um…no,” I said, slightly curious but feeling distracted. “Why?”

“Really? You absolutely have to go!” I wanted to ask why, but he practically dragged me along. I gave in and followed him. After all, I might as well enjoy the sights; Blue’s probably way ahead anyway.

“It’s right here!” Apparently. The Pewter Museum of Science; pretty big. “You have to pay to get in, but it’s worth it!” I seriously doubt it, but I am curious, so I guess I’ll pay. “See you around!”

The clerk inside confirmed it’s $50 for a child’s ticket. Gosh, Kanto is such a rip-off, I don’t know how Mom makes all that money. I’ll have to ask her someday.

In the meantime, the museum at least proved to have awesome sights: strange skeletons of an Aerodactyl and Kabutops, meteorites, and a giant model of a space shuttle. A strange assortment of items, but I guess they’re all cool to see; especially the skeletons of primitive Pokemon. But enough fun, where’s that blasted gym?

Suddenly, I felt the urge that I was being stupid. I saw before me a giant building, and I realized I never once looked at it. Well, you can guess how hard I facepalmed when I got to the front.

I immediately walked in, and the sight before me was, well, breathtaking. It wasn’t beautiful. Not even that cool. But, what it lacked in looks, it made up for in just the experience. After all, this really was my first gym, and the memory of it would stay in my mind for a long time.

Unsure of where to begin, I talked to the first guy I saw. “Hiya!” he said optimistically. “I can tell you have what it takes to become a Pokemon champ!” Wow, nicest guy I’ve met since Mom…and moms rarely count anyway.

“I’m no trainer, but I can tell you how to win!” I was too stunned to believe it, but being the kid I am, I hung to every word. “Let me take you to the top!”

“Sure! I’ll gladly take any help!”

“All right! Let’s get happening!” Um, don’t pretend to be gangster please. “The first Pokemon out in a match is at the top of the Pokemon list! By changing the order of Pokemon, matches could be made easier!”

I stood there for a few second before I asked, “Um…I already knew that. Don’t you have any better advice?”

“Uh,” he whispered. Clearly he wasn’t as good as he made himself sound. “It’s a free service!” His response didn’t give me any confidence.

“Look, I just got here, okay? I’m a gym caretaker, and I want to do whatever it takes to help new trainers along. I already had one jerk tear me a new one yesterday, I don’t need more stress.”

“Blue,” was all I could say.

“Yes, him.” Evidently he had despite for Blue too. “Look, I promise I’ll do whatever I can to help you for the rest of your journey, I promise.”

“Alright, I’ve got nothing to lose I guess,” I said with a sigh. “Partners?”

“Partners,” he said back. “I’m Jim Gai, by the way.”

“Red.” With a tip of my hat, that was that. I had a gym to beat, after all.

Gotta love getting schooled by a kid when he's not even sure of his own lesson.
---
I saw one boy inside, and he looked about my age. Perhaps he’s another challenger? I walked in front of him to get his attention, but he surprised me completely; he was an obstacle to overcome, a test before the leader, a Gym Trainer.

“Stop right there, kid!” Kid? I may be a kid, but I’m sure I’m older than you. “You’re still light years from facing Brock!”

There were two possibilities going through my mind as I fought Camper Liam’s Diglett: either he hasn’t been to enough forums and other Internet lingo to learn light years measure distance, not time; or, I really would need that space shuttle in the museum to fight Brock.

Whichever it was, this junior trainer obviously liked the museum’s space section more than me. But his Diglett and Sandshrew were no match for me. Well, maybe a little.

“Darn! Light years isn’t time! It measures distance!” Um…and you forgot? “You’re pretty hot,” Uh… “But not as hot as Brock!” Okay, this kid is way too weird for me. I’m just gonna go find Brock after I heal.

I also decided to do some training south of the city, and caught a Pidgey while I was there. Honestly, I was kind of avoiding it, since I didn’t want to resemble Blue at all, but I may need the firepower for Brock. Besides, Pokedex completion and all.

And then, as I wandered through Viridian Forest for training, something strange happened. I found a Caterpie (named it Handlebar), and managed to catch it with ease, but then the ball disappeared with a flash of light! The Pokedex said something about it getting transported to someone’s PC, so now I’m worried I just got robbed or my ball disintegrated.

I’ll have to ask Professor Oak about it later, he created the Pokedex after all. In the meantime, I figured I should check to see if the east had anything good to fight against, when I ran into some guy.

“You’re a trainer right?” I nodded. “Brock’s looking for new challengers!”

“Um, I know, that’s why I’m going east to tr-”

“Follow me!” What’s with people dragging you across town? Whatever, might as well just beat Brock now; I’m sure my team is ready.

Once we arrived, he turned back toward me and said, “If you have the right stuff, go take on Brock!” And if you don’t and want to train, forget it, you’re fighting Brock anyway.

He left thankfully, so I went back in the gym to finish what I started.

Brock: The Rock-Solid Pokemon Trainer
---
“I’m Brock! I’m Pewter’s Gym Leader!” he proudly boasted. “I believe in rock hard defense and determination! That’s why my Pokemon are all the Rock type!” Wait, what? Oh no…

“Do you still want to challenge me?” I should have said no. I should have looked for more Pokemon, like Water types. Instead, I just nodded and prayed. “Fine then! Show me your best!”

With all my Pokemon in danger of so much pain, this was going to be a risky battle. But I had to do it. I had to win.

“Go! Geodude!” And with a mere toss, I gazed upon my first Rock type.

I took a deep breathe and with all the bravery I could muster, sent out Rattata. “Go! Rattata!” Yeah, broken record, I know, but I need to psych myself up somehow.

It didn’t help that Brock had that smug look on his face as he gazed at my mouse. “That won’t do much damage, you realize?”

“Oh, just you wait and see, Brock!” I said with as much confidence as I could muster. Something tells me he wasn’t convinced. “Rattata, Quick Attack!”

With unbelievable speed, she dashed and swiped at the rock, but it’s not very effective…yeah, this is gonna be a hard fight.

Brock still had to call his attack too. “Tackle!” Uh oh, that really hurt. Desperate times call for desperate measures, they say.

“Tail Whip!” My only hope now was to lower his defense as much as possible so someone else could beat it. But with a barrage of Tackles, that won’t work for too long.

And then he did Defense Curl. Restoring defense does not help me at all. I managed one last Tail Whip before he Tackled my pal, leaving me in a really tight spot.

I decided to take a chance with Pidgey and his Sand Attack, but Brock ordered another Defense Curl to undo all of Rattata’s efforts. This kept going on and on, boosting his defense as I blinded the giant rock. But my Sand Attacks paid off, and when Brock called for a Tackle, Geodude flew off in a totally random direction.

It was time for Nidoran♀ to take her turn. “Come on, girl, beat this rock to pebbles!” That was lame…

At least the Sand Attack was really paying off, but so were those Defense Curls. It took a lot of work, but finally we were toe to toe, until Geodude landed a Tackle and beat Nidoran♀. Man, even with near blindness, I wasn’t doing well enough.

So I sent Pidgey out again, and at first I saw Brock give that smug smirk again, but only long enough to watch it fade and finally die as I said “Pidgey! Gust!” and watched as the floating rock fell to the floor in defeat.

“Yes!” I shouted, so happy to finally beat the annoying rock.

Going up against Brock with no type advantage Pokemon or moves? Can Red truly beat the first Gym Leader of Kanto? Find out, today!
---
“Don’t celebrate yet,” Brock warned. “Geodude was the warm-up, and Onix will be the closer.” Onix, that sounds familiar.

As the ball cracked open and released a giant rock snake, I immediately remembered. “Oh, you have one of those. Shoot.” I had read about Onix before, and seeing one up close was almost terrifying.

Well, I had to think carefully. Pidgey’s Sand Attack is going to be necessary, but one hit from that beast and my bird is done for. So if I’m going to have any hope, I need to be faster.

“Pidgey! Enough! Come back!” The little bird was enveloped in light and zoomed back to the ball. “Go! Kakuna!” Brock looked for a moment before he began to laugh.

“You really aren’t ready for this challenge, are you?” He responded. He could tell my face was getting angry, and rightfully so. “Don’t take this as an insult, take it as advice. You’re fighting an uphill battle, and I admire your efforts. The boy here last just spammed Bubble, but you, you are using strategy. While very smart, unless you have something up your sleeve, do you really think you can win?”

It made me mad to think about, but I had to realize Brock was helping me. “Okay.” I took another deep breath before continuing. “Thank you Brock, I know you’re trying to help. But believe me, you will lose, right here, right now!”

He smiled confidently, but only had one word to say. “Screech!” Onix opened its mouth and released the most annoying sound I’ve ever heard. Kakuna clearly felt the same way as it cringed.

“Kakuna!” I shouted over the ringing in my ears, “String Shot!” Kakuna shook itself, which I guess helped it out, and sprayed silk from…wherever its mouth would be I guess, and tied up Onix. The silk was too annoying for Onix to deal with, so it was forced to slow down as it inanely tried to untie itself.

“Forget that!” Brock shouted. “Use Bide!” What in the world was Bide? Well, whatever it is, I need to hold to my strategy.

“String Shot!” Brock was getting mad. I’m guessing Bide was supposed to be something good, but my use of String Shot must have kept it from working!

At last, Onix was buried in silk, so I switched to Pidgey. Now for the accuracy! Onix attempted a Screech, and so Pidgey shared in the pain, but with a barrage of Sand Attacks, Screech wouldn’t matter much.

Now, one last stat to kill! “Go! Nidoran♂! Leer!” Right as he got out, he heard my order, and stared at the Onix with menace in his eyes. No matter how hard Brock could try, he’d never win this fight now!

Weak defense, weak accuracy, weak speed, and only one more Pokemon left who needed to see some action. “Go! Charmander!” I bellowed as soon as Nidoran♂ returned. Brock was seething with anger.

Charmander took every chance to attack, until he used Bide. Since Bide seemed to fail when I used a non-offensive move, I switched to Growl, and my clever thinking clearly paid off! This was a sure-fire win! Now with weak attack, Brock realized he had been beat, so took no surprise when I landed the final Scratch.

Onix fell to the floor with a huge thud, and with that, I was the winner! “I took you for granted.” Brock merely said as Onix zapped back into the Poke Ball. “As proof of your victory, here’s the Boulder Badge!”

Nice writing, Freedom! I enjoyed the strategy of the battles. I also enjoyed how, instead of making it like the game, you made it more like the anime(though I liked how you talked about Geodude spamming defense curls; I remember that!). Generally, I thought this kind of battle would be extremely improbable, but with the right type of writing, I think you succeeded. Good job!

Oh, it was probable. Extremely challenging, but probable. And yeah, I'm using both the anime and game systems. Each person still is taking their turn, but it's more realistic like how the anime does it. But yeah, Charmander in Red Version makes this fight so much harder.

And thank you, your praise is much appreciated! :D
---
I took it my hand, my eyes glazed over with joy. “That’s an official Pokemon League Badge! Its bearer’s Pokemon become more powerful! The technique Flash can now be used any time!” The what?

Before I could say a word, Brock added, “Wait! Take this with you!” It was a strange device, something called a TM. “A TM contains a technique that can be taught to Pokemon! A TM is good only once! So when you use one to teach a new technique, pick the Pokemon carefully!” I nodded, hanging on every word.

“TM34 contains Bide! Your Pokemon will absorb damage in battle then pay it back double!” So that’s why it didn’t work. “There are all kinds of trainers in the world! You appear to be very gifted as a Pokemon trainer! Go to the gym in Cerulean and test your abilities!”

I nodded with a big smile on my face and thanked him with a handshake. I turned around and decided to brag a bit to Jim. I guess we are partners, after all.

Jim just got up from marking the statue next to him and beamed at me. “Just as I thought! You’re Pokemon champ material!”

“What’s with the statue,” I asked.

“Oh,” he responded. “Well, whenever someone beats Brock, their name is marked there. A lot of trainers have come through, so there’s quite a few winners. As caretaker, I write them down. And fix up the gyms too,” he added with a disgruntled sigh.

Sure enough, the statue had lots of names on it, under the title “Winning Trainers:”, but only the last two caught my eye: Blue and Red. Blue did win, and he must have been way ahead too.

Then I’ve got no reason to stay here. “Thanks Mr. Gai, I’ll be heading to the next gym now.”

“Awesome! Don’t you worry, I’ll see you there!” Hmm, okay. With a wave, I was gone. Back to the journey! But first, my team really needs to heal.

As soon as I got my Pokemon back, I turned to leave, but I overheard someone shouting. “What?!” the man in the corner said.

I walked over, part of me wondering if he was an Oak. “Team Rocket is at Mt. Moon?” Team Rocket? That sounds familiar. “Huh?” he said, finally noticing me staring. “I’m on the phone! Scram!”

Well, he may not be an Oak, but he’s a jerk; and a loud one too. I’m sensing a correlation. Still, as I left Pewter, his words had a haunting feeling. Team Rocket, if I remember right, was the biggest criminal organization in Kanto; possibly all of Japan. And according to the Town Map, they’ll be right in my path. Great, just great. I better be careful then.

On the outskirts of Pewter, where the dragger once stood, now stood a scientist. “Oh, Red!” He hollered to me. He recognized me right away, and it took me a moment to realize he was one of Professor Oak’s aides. “I’m glad I caught up to you. I’m Professor Oak’s aide.” That’s a little uncouth, isn’t it? He does have more than one; you’re not the only one. “I’ve been asked to deliver this, so here you go.”

Strangely he didn’t have much enthusiasm as he handed me box, containing shoes. He clearly wanted me to put them on, so I did. I was about to ask him what the deal was, but he said, “Well, I must be going back to the lab. Bye-bye!” Apparently being a delivery boy was not his favorite job.

I was about to throw the box away when I noticed that there’s a letter attached. “Dear Red, Here is a pair of Running Shoes for my beloved challenger. Remember, I’ll always cheer for you! Don’t ever give up! From Mom.” Aww, Mom rocks!

According to the commercials, Running Shoes were the best shoes available, withstanding almost anything and having a lot of cushion and comfort. These were going to make running through Kanto a whole lot easier!

Two pages to get to the third route...
---
What to say about Route 3? Well, on the bright side, Kakuna evolved into Beedrill! I’m not a fan of bugs, but if Beedrill proves his worth, then I’ll be a fan of him. On the odd side, we ran into Bug Catcher Colton, someone we met from Viridian Forest apparently. And on the less exciting side, we went and fought everyone on Route 3. Nothing left to report on the trainers there aside from a Youngster chewing me out for not wearing shorts. And on the informative side, I met a Youngster named Ben, and he finally told me what happened to Handlebar.

Apparently the League initiated a box system to prevent trainers from overloading on Pokemon, so Handlebar was sent away. A disappoint, but at least now I had less reason to worry about my little dude. As soon as I got to the next Pokemon Center, I’d check up on him in the PC.

However, I nearly didn’t make it there. As I’m walking, a girl yells at me, thinking I touched her when I was no where nearby. Thinking of me as some pervert, she sent her Pokemon to fight. And it was a Jigglypuff. Thankfully I covered my ears in time, but Beedrill wasn’t so lucky. Still, we managed to beat down her puffball.

Why do I mention this? Because my trek to the end of the Route led me to find and catch a Spearow and a Jigglypuff. You can bet I’m leaving that thing in the box. Nevertheless, night is going to fall soon, so I better rest for the night before I trek into Mt. Moon.

“We hope to see you again!” the third nurse I’ve met responded. Must be a motto of Pokemon Centers or something. I asked for a place to sleep, but the nurse sadly pointed out that the only place I could go was on the floor. Well, I knew I was gonna rough it eventually; at least I’m indoors.

I decided my last action for the night was to use the free PC provided by the Pokemon Center. Which is kind of weird when you use analogies. As I looked over my three computer buddies, Handlebar, Kirby, and Spearow, I overheard a man reading a newspaper say, “Team Rocket attacks Cerulean citizens.” He sighed before he said to himself, “Team Rocket is always in the news!”

There was good news and bad news to this. The bad news is obvious, the good news is selfish. If Team Rocket was in Cerulean, chances were likely they left Mt. Moon. Right?

Ah, so many sweet, sweet game references you're making here, Freedom! Your writing is still awesome! I'm liking where the plot is going, as well as the foreshadowing.

But these references always leave me with a few questions about the games...

First, why do people allow their children to go out in the world, running miles and miles about in a gigantic country?

Second, how is it that young children can defeat high-class criminal organizations???

We may never know.