Pokemon Red

I am not really one for fan fiction, but this is really well written. Keep up the good work.

Why thank you! I appreciate all the compliments I get! :D

Now here's the next part!

Team Rocket is supposed to be menacing and cunning. They’ve left city police forces reduced to debris. They’re always on the news from what I hear, and some members are truly proud of their evil actions. But today, this grunt showed that not all Rockets should be allowed to create plans.

“Hey! Stay out! It’s not your yard!” said the grunt. He was acting so serious.

“It’s not your yard either,” I said plainly. He seemed irritated, so I decided to push the guy into a corner. “I’d rather know who you are, sir.”

He was taken aback. It seems that he wasn’t ready for an actual confrontation; especially from a kid. “Huh? Me? I’m an innocent bystander! Don’t you believe me?”

“No.” You think he’d try to cover his tracks, or run, or something. Instead he just reached to his belt and grabbed a ball, but only for a second. He threw the ball to the ground as hard as possible, releasing a Machop.

“Fine, we’ll play hardball,” I replied, sending out Nidorina. “Scratch!” I had the speed, but he had the power, his Karate Chop landing successfully again and again. With no other choice, I switched lovers, and led off with Horn Attack.

“Karate Chop again!” the grunt shouted, and the Machop managed to land several critical hits.

“You may have luck,” I yelled, “But my Pokémon are far better than that!” And with that, Nidorino slammed its forehead into the Machop, sending it flying into a tree.

“Grah! Dumb Pokémon, return!” I smirked; knowing his loss of cool was a sign of victory. But apparently he had other plans. “Oh, don’t you worry; I got one more bad boy for you! Go! Drowzee!”

Drowzee was a weird looking thing, like some sort of tapir, but I wasn’t going to be intimidated so easily. “Yeah, well I’ve got more Pokémon for you too!” I sent out Rattata, knowing she’d be enough for this guy. “Hyper Fang!” I yelled confidently.

Drowzee was caught unaware, and the pain he felt forced him to flinch, giving me one more chance to attack. “Quick Attack!” The claws of my mouse weren’t enough to win, unfortunately, as Drowzee pulled itself up. Still, what can this thing actually do? I have yet to see it attack.

“Drowzee, Confusion!” What the? Rattata began to float in the air for a few moments before being forced back into the ground!

“What did you just do?!” I yelled, worried as I saw half my Pokémon’s health drop.

The guy shut his eyes and boasted, “That’s the power of a Psychic type, kid. Too bad you’ll never truly understand.”

As a trainer, you want to say something witty before you deal the final blow. I’d like to think I did. “Oh yeah? Well I don’t think I need to! Quick Attack!” The man’s eyes bugged open, only to see my girl smack the Drowzee back to the ground, this time with no chance of getting up.

“Stop! I give up! I’ll leave quietly!” he was about to turn his back, but I wasn’t done with him yet.

“What about that TM you stole?” Granted, I was guessing, but you know the saying about criminals returning to crime scenes.

“Okay! I’ll return the TM I stole!” He practically threw the disc at me, something called TM28. “I better get moving! Bye!” I made a motion to stop him, but he threw down another ball, but it wasn’t a Poké Ball; it was a smoke bomb! Blinded by smoke, I had no choice but to let the grunt get away.

That was awesome! The battles were done very well. However, even with the small scare with the confusion move or the critical hits, most of the time, I sort of felt like you were going to win anyway. The part where the wife smiled was also a really cool moment(and a bit touching), too!

Very well- written, although what comes next sort of seems predictable to me. Does he try to return the TM to the family, only to have them tell him to keep it for beating the grunt?

Well thank you! I'm really appreciating all the kind words, they inspire!

And yeah, I get what you mean with the grunt. On the other hand, this just shows that even lackeys can't frighten our hero.

As for what happens next...see for yourself!
-
I crept back through the hole, and immediately met eyes with the man. “I heard the fight, we saw the action. You actually beat that jerk!”

“Well,” I blushed, “I was only defending myself.”

“Still, that was impressive. You’d make a good Police Officer if you weren’t so young.” He was practically jovial as he stared at me. I wonder if this is how fathers look at their sons.

“Here,” I said, reaching into my bag. “I managed to get your TM back.” But he wouldn’t grab the CD and instead gave me a look of pride.

“No, you earned that TM, far more than anyone. You keep it!” I was speechless, but he wasn’t. “I figure what’s lost is lost! I decided to teach Diglett how to Dig without a TM!”

I managed to give him my thanks, truly happy I was now the owner of another TM. But the grunt’s escape still left a sour taste as I climbed through the hole. At least I finally got out of Cerulean City.

I decided to let the sun hit my back and head east, but my path got cut short yet again; another untouchable tree. “What kind of person lets these things grow everywhere?”

My question left unanswered, I decided to go south and grab the map out of my backpack to see where I was. The biggest city of them all stood before me, which was obvious when I could see a huge building standing tall above the trees.

Past that is Vermilion City. From what I hear, it’s the port of Kanto. I would guess it must be the second most important town of the region; after all, Saffron supposed is dedicated to science, and Kanto isn’t the best place for agricultural needs. Not to mention Mt. Silver and the Gold Peaks prevent easy travel outside of the area.

But enough about Vermilion, it’s time for Saffron!

My journey down Route 5 gave me three paths to take. Since hopping ledges is fun, I took the middle path. And I was right to take it; this huge house sat before me. I figured I’d walk in, just to see if it was abandoned, and I found a man inside. “Hello,” I said to the man sitting at his table.

He looked towards me and gave the patented nod before speaking. “I run a Daycare. Would you like me to raise one of your Pokémon?”

Daycares are not common in Kanto; they offer to train and provide for your Pokémon while the trainer goes exploring. I figure I can’t lose anything by handing over a Pokémon who could use the training; it may even help me beat Blue! “Sure! As long as you treat them well!”

He nodded once again. “Which Pokémon should I raise?” Immediately a pang of guilt came over me as I realized I’d have to choose between my team. I couldn’t give up Charmeleon of course. And I can’t separate the Nido lovers. And I just got Oddish, it would feel so weird to give her away now.

Glumly, I handed over Rattata, knowing how much I’d miss my little girl. “Fine, I’ll look after Rattata for a while,” the man said so plainly. “Come see me in a while.” I felt a pang of guilt, but I know Rattata will be much better off, and I’ll be sure to get her back when it’s time for a rematch with Blue’s!

Until then, it’s time to continue the expedition! With one last ledge hop, I saw the guard station separating me from Saffron City. And yet, despite the massive city in front of me, I had a strange vibe overcome me.

“I’m on guard duty,” said the lady inside the building. “Gee, I’m thirsty, though!” Guess they never heard of vending machines. “Oh wait there, the road’s closed.”

“What?!” I shouted in surprise. Realizing I was too loud, I toned myself down. “I mean, why? I need to get to Saffron!”

“Sorry kid,” the lady answered. “Saffron City is under heavy lockdown by order of the International Police.” Otherwise known as the Global Police, they were the ultimate fighting squad of the planet. They were like real spies, and were beyond the levels of the Pokémon League. Or so they say.

“Well okay, then what do I do?” I asked, trying to find a solution to this maze of a region.

She put her finger to her lips, dropping into deep thought for a moment. “I’d suggest taking the Underground Path to Vermilion. A lot of people hate on it for being all dark and spooky, but, well, you’re not afraid of the dark, right?” She smirked at me, teasing me.

“Of course not, ma’am,” I answered as politely as possible. I’m mature for my age, lady. “Thank you for your help.”

“No problemo, dearie.” With that annoying experience down, it was time for the next town. This was not looking good. I’ve been lucky to get this far, but I’ve already missed Viridian and now Saffron. I can only wonder if Blue is as far behind because of the lockdown.

Just outside of the lookout station was a small building. The sign said it connected Cerulean and Vermilion. I suppose it’s close enough to true.

But just like the lady said, the tunnel inside was drowned in darkness. You always hear parents warn about going into dark and scary places because of horrible and menacing people taking advantage of you. However, my trek was almost uneventful, just lit with the dimmest of lights and the loudest of echoes.

Almost being the key word.

A loud blast brought light into the passageway several meters ahead, and a woman tumbled down a set of stairs in front of me! “Ma’am!” I yelled. “Are you okay?!” I got to her side, and she was fine, just winded. But the Bulbasaur beside her had fainted.

“Wahahaha!” The booming laughter came from above. “Child, forget her, she’s hardly worth worrying about.” I looked up with a scowling rage, but he had no care for my expression as he walked down the stairs. “You see, I am here only for that rare beauty next to her. And frankly, I’ll let her even keep that one, so long as she tells me where she found it.”

“Never!” she shouted, the echo thundering in the chamber. She slowly got up, clutching the beaten reptile in her arms. “Just get lost, Rocket scum!”

The man raised his hands in disappointment. “Heh, let me tell you a secret, kids. Team Rocket is right above us, working on the biggest plan ever imagined! Your Bulbasaur may be rare, but it is so small time. So I’ll tell you what; I’m a nice guy, so I’ll let you battle for it. Win, I’ll go, and you’ll never have to worry about the little dinosaur thing again.” But the catch must be high. This is Team Rocket, after all. “Lose, and all those balls? Yeah, they’re mine.”

YES! I was right! TM GOT! *Dance groove*

On a more appropriate note, this was rad! I enjoy the directions you took plot-wise, and I found the Global Police interesting. I don't think they were ever mention in the games, though, were they?

Also, Team Rocket is slightly off-kilter. But you made it even more flagrant than I probably would have ever seen; I never really thought about why Team Rocket gave you a fighting chance instead of robbing you of your goods/pokemon...

"Hey, kids! I'm gonna steal your pokemon!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, but first we need to battle and I need to win so that I feel better on the inside about stealing them!"

SonicFanPS2 wrote:YES! I was right! TM GOT! *Dance groove*

Yup! Have a cookie!

SonicFanPS2 wrote:On a more appropriate note, this was rad! I enjoy the directions you took plot-wise, and I found the Global Police interesting. I don't think they were ever mention in the games, though, were they?

Yup, but now they go by International Police. If you played Platinum, you meet Looker, an agent of the International Police.

SonicFanPS2 wrote:Also, Team Rocket is slightly off-kilter. But you made it even more flagrant than I probably would have ever seen; I never really thought about why Team Rocket gave you a fighting chance instead of robbing you of your goods/pokemon...

"Hey, kids! I'm gonna steal your pokemon!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, but first we need to battle and I need to win so that I feel better on the inside about stealing them!"

True. :P
Luckily for Team Rocket, there can be a good reason for it, although I doubt a lot of them are fighting for anything other than pride. If Team Rocket wants to steal these Pokemon, they'll want to be sure they're worth stealing, so a battle commences to decide if they are.

But yes, a lot of them are just dumb thugs. :P

Anyway, next part...go!
~
As my Nidorina hit the field, the Rocket let out a comment. “You know, you’re lucky. That Bulbasaur nearly died taking down my Koffing. You actually have a chance now!” He bellowed a laughter, which sounded disgusting in a way. “So then, let’s see.”

He purposely delayed his choice. He was trying to grate my nerves, and he was succeeding. “Ah, there we go, have fun Zubat!”

All that for a Zubat? Unbelievable. “Nidorina, attack with Scratch!” Nidorina desperately tried to slice the bat, but he constantly dodged, avoid every claw thrown at it.

“Alright Zubat, enough playing with your food! Astonish!” That weak move? Why would he go with that?

I soon saw why, as the smash into Nidorina caused her to flinch! “No! Nidorina!”

“Too late!” the grunt yelled joyfully. “Bite that rodent!” Zubat bit her, causing her massive devastation with a critical hit. I couldn’t blame her for flinching again. “One more time now!” he sang. Nidorina opened her eyes to see the gaping maw of Zubat clutch her head. I felt so sorry for her as she fainted, her last sight so fearsome.

“You beat one, Rocket. And that’s all you’ll beat.” His smirk was driving me nuts. But I could guarantee it would make Nidorino crazy too. Nidorino hit the field and heard me declare, “Buddy, let’s give some payback for Nidorina and attack with Horn Attack!”

With rage burning in his eyes, Nidorino charged toward the bat. Naturally, it tried to fly to the roof, but Nidorino jumped higher than I thought possible and stabbed Zubat. Caught unaware, Zubat was shot into the roof, receiving major damage in the process!

The Rocket was mad for but a moment; he issued a new order, and smiled as he said it. “Zubat, Confuse Ray!”

“What’s Confuse-” was all I could say as a ball of bright light came out and shot itself at Nidorino. Once it got inside, Nidorino’s eyes glazed over; he was confused! “Snap out of it, Nidorino!” I desperately shouted.

“Save your breath! Wing Attack!” Nidorino was too dazed to dodge the oncoming attack, and despite an order to Leer, Nidorino could only think of smacking itself repeatedly.

“Alright, my flying friend, finish another meal!” Nidorino fell to the floor as Zubat used Bite. My lovely couple was now out of the picture, and at this rate, the remaining three looked doomed too.

With a deep breath, I looked at my options. Oddish was a big no, and Charmeleon was the obvious choice. But then I came up with an idea. “Go! Beedrill!”

“Ah,” the grunt said. “Not bad, kid, I see what you did there.” I tried to feign ignorance, but he was clearly too smart for that. “Fight Flying with Flying, get more accurate hits, smart move. Except my bat WILL beat your bug! Wing Attack!”

“Beedrill, dodge!” Beedrill’s great speed saved it from an immediate death, but just barely. However, that was a part of my plan. “Fury Attack!” With no way to defend itself, Beedrill had free reign to unleash critical hits to the back of the bloodsucker!

“No! Not my precious Pokémon! Get out of the combo and Astonish it!” Zubat barely got free and followed orders, but the Astonish came too late, as Beedrill just had to finish up with Poison Sting.

Defeat glowing in his eyes, he blinked the emotion away and changed tone. “Wuhaha, wow, you’re good! It only took three Pokémon to beat Zubat!” So much for a nice guy. “Now what should I choose?”

I wasn’t going to let his aggravation tactic get going again. “You only have one left! Just choose it!”

“Hehe, very well, your loss will only come sooner!” He grabbed his next ball, and summoned a Raticate.

“Rattata…” I whispered.

Regrettably, he heard me anyway. “Child, you aren’t that dumb, are you? This is a Raticate. Ra. Ti. Cate.”

“I know what a Raticate is!” I shouted, choking on rage and tears. “Beedrill! Fury Attack!” Beedrill went straight at Raticate, almost as if he was fueled by my emotions.

It was exactly what the grunt needed. “Sucker Punch.” Despite the tiny hands and arms, Raticate managed to slip under and punch Beedrill directly in the abdomen. The force of the punch sent Beedrill spinning into the air, unable to land the hit!

“Grr, do it again!” I said with desperation. Beedrill led the charge, one spike thrust forward, but the Rocket Grunt had one more plan.

“Hyper Fang!” And just like Rattata, the move was devastating. “And look, yet another Pokémon too weak to take a hit! Guess we should end its misery, don’t you think, Raticate?” The way he said it, I knew he was doing all he could to crack me open.

“Beedrill, that’s enough, come back!” There was no sense fighting on, and now this was personal. If this grunt wants to play hard, so be it.

This is awesome, dude. The rocket grunt is really strong opponent for Red!

Thanks! And if you've got a good eye the HeartGold/SoulSilver games, you may even know him. ;)
~
“Go! Charmeleon!” There would be no holding back, just a barrage of attacks.

“Kid,” the lady finally whispered to me. I had totally forgotten she was even here. “Look, you’re in rage mode, cool off or he’s going to land a huge blow. Your Pokémon are responding to your anger.”

She was sadly right; I looked to my buddy, and he was burning with rage too. He knew what was going on; he could see from inside his ball. “Just take a deep breath and beat this punk!” Whoever she was, she was right.

“Charmeleon,” I said, “I need you to calm down first. Let’s be at our best when we take him to his worst!” Charmeleon looked like he was trying to take my advice to heart, but things weren’t going well.

“Ha! Therapy won’t be helpful today! Crunch!” I wasn’t familiar with the move, but I wasn’t about to find out how it worked.

“Metal Claw!” Charmeleon’s hands glowed with the silvery light I was starting to love, and he charged headfirst at the rat. Raticate landed a bite on Charmeleon’s arm, but his attack was only enough to stop one arm.

Raticate took the attack and rolled across in pain. “Charmeleon, go for one more!”

“Scary Face!” the Rocket shouted. Charmeleon was forced to stare at a terrifying face, and it was enough to slow him down. Raticate jumped high and landed behind my Flame Pokémon. “Now Hyper Fang the thing!”

Raticate succeeded in forcing its teeth around Charmeleon’s tail, but that only made it an easy target. “Ember!” The fire emanating from his mouth sent Raticate into a frenzy; it was burned!

“Curse you! I want his Pokémon Crunched, harder than anything you’ve ever bit before!” The Rocket had a murderous look in his eyes, yet his Raticate followed orders without question.

Thankfully, my Charmeleon was obedient too. “Metal Claw, buddy!” Charmeleon shoved his right paw into Raticate’s face, allowing for Raticate to follow through on its order. Nevertheless, the Pokémon stood; fatigue evident in them both.

“Raticate, we’re gonna win! Just hit him with Sucker-” That was all he could say. Raticate clutched itself, right where the scorch marks were, and fell to the ground. As if to follow his example, the grunt dropped to his knees right beside him.

Sweet. And at last, the battle is over, with a victory for Red!

Yup! And with the battle over, it's timing for the aftermath.
---
We all stood there for nearly a minute. Silence lived strong in the tunnel, until finally the girl broke the hush. “I’m Melanie, by the way.” I looked back to her, but she just kept staring at the grunt. “I’d have said something sooner, but Bulbasaur was priority one, and your battle was priority two.” She finally looked to me and smiled wide. “So now we can introduce ourselves!”

I was a bit out of my league, talking with the teenager, but I shyly said, “Red’s my name.”

“Hehe, cute. It suits you in more ways than one.” Yeah, and usually led to insults from Blue. “So, I want to thank you somehow, but I’m not sure how.”

“Let’s just take this Rocket to jail first, then we’ll deal with that,” I answered as serenely as possible. All she saw was a shy boy trying to look tough.

“Sorry, that’s against the rules, child,” the Rocket said, Raticate returned to its ball and him on his feet again. “Don’t you remember? The deal says I run away now.”

“Forget it!” Melanie shouted, interrupting and stealing my line. “You deserve jail, and that’s that!”

“Oh, maybe so, my dear, but you see, I have better things to do. My loyalty for Boss Rocket would never allow jail.” I reached for my Poké Balls; I wouldn’t attack a human with them, but threatening a Rocket seemed legal enough. “Oh, I’ve got a better ball for you. Here, enjoy this Smoke Ball!” And with that, an obscuring cloud enveloped us, giving the Rocket his freedom.

Later, once we cleared our throats, we struck up a conversation. Melanie told me about how Bulbasaur wasn’t doing well in the wild, and now thanks to that jerk, she’d have to nurse him back to health. “Why can’t you just use a Pokémon Center?” I asked.

“Well, they can, but for injuries of this extent, it can actually cost money, and it may require a trip to someplace like Saffron. And as you probably know, Saffron’s closed off.” Now this side tour led to double trouble, and chances are much more, if that grunt was to be believed. “So treating Bulbasaur will be good training for when I get to be a nurse.”

“I wish you luck then,” I said with a smile. “Do you think you can make it back on your own?”

“Yes, I should be fine,” she responded. “But look, I feel bad for not having anything you really want, so I’ll do the next best thing!” Curious, I put full attention on her next words. “You’re a Pokémon Trainer, right? Going and beating gyms, getting all that glory and fights and what have you?”

“For the most part,” I answered modestly.

“Good! Then your next challenge will be Lt. Surge.” I gave a puzzled face, and she decided to give further assistance. “He trains Electric type Pokémon. Normally you won’t have too much trouble, but if I were you, I’d go to the cave east of town.” She smiled at me and winked, confident she gave great advice. “I won’t spoil the surprise, but you’ll definitely win if you go there.”

Unsure of how to thank her for a surprise, I said, “Well, your advice is cryptic, but I’m sure it will be useful. Thank you so much, Melanie.”

“No problem! Come by and visit next time you’re in Cerulean!” Today almost totally sucked, except for one thing: I made a good friend.

Leaving the Underground Path led me to a woman standing near the stairs. I tried to talk with her, but she was very shaken up; she must have seen all the events transpire, and the escaping Rocket too. “People often lose things in that Underground Path.”

I wanted to quiz her further, but it looked like saying that was already too much of a challenge. I stepped outside instead and took in the night. I could see Vermilion in the distance, but I so wanted to stay out here and camp. My Pokémon were still injured from the previous battle, but on the other hand, I didn’t want to fight a trainer in the middle of the night.

So Charmeleon, Beedrill, and Oddish stayed the night with me. I healed up my buddies with my last two Potions and told the three to try to sleep as best they could. I could see the fret in their eyes; it was because of the Nidos, they were worried about their family. I did my best to reassure them, and I think they finally took my words to heart before finally laying down.

I guess I should have been happy to wake up to an Oddish on my chest. Then again, when I say it like that, it sounds so weird. Still, as I noticed Oddish on my chest, my thoughts went back to Rattata. I picked up the Oddish and set it down, waking it in the process. Charmeleon and Beedrill soon woke up as well, and so it was time for a group meeting.

“Alright guys,” I said to my now almost all-male team. “It’s just the three of us. Vermilion’s real close, but I know you guys need to get proper healing, so no side-quests. So Oddish, take the lead, and win us some battles; these trainers are ready for some action.” They all nodded in agreement, although I could see Oddish slightly crouching in fear. She was the youngest and the weakest, but I had hope for the little Weed Pokémon.

But as one could predict, she didn’t hold up well. She tried really hard to fight past her weaknesses, but eventually she fainted, and followed afterwards by Beedrill. The last fight against some Camper nearly pulled us into defeat, but Charmeleon burned his Pokémon and lived on.

I should have been worried. One Pokémon left, in critical condition, and yet, the sight of Vermilion only feet away filled me with elation.

Almost there....

Aaaaaaaannnnnnndddddd....

Chapter Five: Vermilion City

Vermilion wasn’t the biggest city, nor did it have the best features. It lacked the size and sustenance, but made up for its losses with smell. Walking past the first houses, the aroma of the sea swarmed into my nose. The smell was invigorating in a way, and I could tell I’d have a lot of fun in this town.

The Pokémon Center was as safe as ever. Those nurses sure are happy to see you give them your Pokémon. Vermilion had a lot to offer, I soon learned. There was the massive S.S. Anne moored in the bay, an old man (“Old Man”…shuddering at the thought) and his Machop working at a construction site, a Police Officer patrolling the area (it’s about time they did something), and the home of the Fishing Guru.

“I’m the Fishing Guru!” he boasted. He was probably older than my mom, but I couldn’t be sure by how much. “I simply looove fishing!” Creepy. “Do you like to fish?” I’ve never fished in my life, but I wasn’t about to say no. I guess I had a feeling he’d have been so disappointed if I said otherwise. With my nod, he brightened up even more and said, “Grand! I like your style! Take this and fish, young one!” He reached into his pocket and whipped out a tiny stick. With a flick of his wrist, the stick extended out to a full-length fishing rod. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was impressed.

“Fishing is a way of life!” he said as I took the rod from him. “From the seas to rivers, go out and land the big one, young one!” I may not be a fan of fishing, but it might help in my Pokémon journey, and it was a gift anyway. I nodded to show my appreciation, and he offered a handshake instead.

I decided I’d check out more of the town before I tried fishing. I soon found the gym, but there was a problem: the only way over was to cut down one of those poisonous trees. “Shoot; and I can’t swim either,” I said aloud, hoping someone would hear me and stop my plight. Nope.

So instead I went around town again asking for help. I really didn’t want to skip another gym; my efforts had slim rewards, but rewards nonetheless. Apparently I needed the HM called Cut, and that the best hope for getting one would be at the Poké Mart.

“Please tell me you have Cut,” I asked the shopkeeper, tired from my trek around town.

“Well,” the man said slowly, “we did, but the Cut Master, captain of the S.S. Anne, just bought the last few.” I wanted to faceslam the counter so badly. “He wants to take them to his protégés in Unova, or something like that, I don’t know for sure.”

I made a turn to leave; yet another gym was going to be skipped. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I’d say go buy it from him, but you need a ticket to get on the S.S. Anne.”

Awesome job, Freedom! I loved the Black & White reference.

Yes, I was quite happy I could make it. :P
~
You just have to love how the world works. A seemingly pointless ticket has just led me to continuing my mission across Kanto. I thanked the man as quickly as possible and ran across the road to the port in front of me. I had no idea how much time I had, but I knew I had to hurry.

I hurried across the port and met up with a man guarding the entrance. “Welcome to S.S. Anne! Excuse me, do you have a ticket?” I nodded and reached into my backpack. It took a few seconds to find the piece of paper, but I finally flashed the S.S. Ticket. “Great! Welcome to S.S. Anne!”

“Excuse me,” I said. “But when does the ship set sail?” There was no way I was getting stuck onboard.

The man smiled merrily and said, “We set out at sunset! I guess you could say the beauty of Vermilion will be our signal to cast off!” Good, that gives me plenty of time. I thanked the man and headed inside.

The ship certainly looked massive, and yet once I entered, it looked even larger. As I walked through the hallways of the interior, a sailor grabbed my attention. “Hey kid, you be a trainer?” I nodded and he continued. “The passengers are restless! You might be challenged by the more bored ones!” Just like Bill had said before, the ship was filled with trainers. And since I had time to spare, I decided there was no harm in training my team.

But all the battling that took place left me to discover a maddening mistake rushing to the S.S. Anne: I forgot to buy breakfast. Thankfully it took only a minute to find a waiter to serve me. “Bonjour! I am le waiter on this ship!” said the apparently French caretaker of orders. “I will be happy to serve you anything you please!” That was a good question; what did I want?

There’s always a simple salad, or candy, or a burger, or chili dogs, or prime ribs, or steak, or omelets, or- “Ah! Le strong silent type!” And before I could say a word, the waiter scurried off. My stomach roared at me in anger.

So I went back to battling my hunger by battling other trainers. I managed to finish off several trainers on the first floor. There were two things worth noting: a Wigglytuff doesn’t seem as bad as a Jigglypuff (it wasn’t singing at least), and that I meant a member of the Global Police.

“Ssh! I’m a Global Police agent! I’m on the trail of Team Rocket! They’re up to nothing good!” he told me. But I figured something was up, so I asked why he was here. “I’ve managed to gather a lot of information, but before the International Police can make an organized strike, I need to deliver this information. S.S. Anne will make several stops along its journey, and that’s when I’ll alert my superiors.”

I decided to give him what I had known, and although he knew about the attacks, he did appreciate the finer details. “Well kid, no need to risk yourself anymore. Just be careful, and soon we’ll take them out.” I hope so, sir.

You, sir, are an incredible writer! I was hooked on both the moments of humor, the way the story was developed and the how you portrayed Red. I'm hoping you will write more someday~

Here's the seal of approval, just for you:


And I'm putting this approval under bacon.
Because bacon is just that good.

Wow, thanks! I definitely feel honored by all that praise! :D The seal of approval helps too. :P

Anyway, in such joy, here's a new part!
~
I visited the kitchen next, and while there were no trainers, there was plenty of food! I found the main chef and struck up a conversation. “Er-hem! Indeed I am le Chef! Le main course is Eels au Barbecue! Les guests will mutiny, I fear.”

I could see why. “Well um, why not make something else the main course?”

“Great idea! Le main course shall be…Salmon du Salad!”

“Uh,” I tried to say, nightmarish images of the dish swimming in my mind. “Well, is it any good?”

“Oui! Les guests may gripe it’s fish again, however!”

“Um, you may want something else then.” I was hoping for any meal, but I’d like it to not gross me out while I eat it.

“Oui. Hmm, le main course shall be…Prime Beef Steak!” Great idea! “But, have I enough fillets du beef?” Shoot! Must not lose splendid dish!

“I’m sure they’ll be enough. You can always hit up Vermilion really quick if you need supplies!” I was afraid he wouldn’t buy it, but he did.

“Great idea!” Spooky. “I shall begin at once! How may I thank you?” I had an idea, and the chef was happy to oblige for me and my Pokémon! With a meal to last us until bed, we were ready to face off against the rest of the travelers!

After viewing the bow of the ship, lower and the second level of the cruise ship, my victories were making me feel good and ready to fight Surge. After I got this nice lady to heal up my Pokémon, I began to make my way to the next floor, but a familiar voice echoed through the hall.

“Bonjour! Red!” Oh gosh, why are you everywhere? And with the fakest French accent imaginable too? “Imagine seeing you here!” Reading my mind, eh? “Red, were you really invited?”

“Sort of,” I responded. “Bill gave me a ticket to get onboard.”

“Ahh,” Blue said, stretching out the sound and creating a smirk in the process. “So you did go see Bill. Guess he pitied you!” he laughed callously.

“Hey!” I yelled back. “It was a reward for helping him!” I took a deep breathe and calmed down. Mom wouldn’t want me overreacting. “Besides, this was a big step to completing my journey,” I added.

Blue raised an eyebrow to this and took in my sentence. Once his moment of silence was over, he said, “So how’s your Pokédex coming?”

“Well, I’ve got about 21 Pokémon now, and-”

He laughed at me. “I already caught forty kinds, pal. Different kinds are everywhere.” I know. “Crawl around in grassy areas, and look hard for them.” I know!

“Wait…you actually crawled in the grass?” I looked at his pants, and sure enough, there were far more grass stains than I ever imagined on someone, much less Blue.

“Shut up! My strategy works!” I wanted to retort, but as he reached for his Poké Ball, I realized he had a different method in mind. “Let me show you!”

“I choose you! Pidgeotto!” He sure does like to start with that bird. I’m going to need a good starter too then. Perhaps Nidorina will be a good choice.

“Go! Nidorina!” With our catch phrases thrown out, it was time for battle. Blue started out with Gust and blew Nidorina off her feet and toward the wall, but she bounced off and followed through with a critical Scratch! “That’s my girl! Hit him again!”

“No chance Red! Blow that thing away!” Blue shouted back. The attack blew her back, but not as far. Sadly, Scratch didn’t hit Pidgeotto critically again, but Blue wasn’t going to take anymore chances. “Sand Attack!” As hard as Nidorina tried, she was unable to land another Scratch, the sand debilitating her.

“Good!” Blue yelled. “Do Quick Attack!” Before Nidorina could do anything, Pidgeotto quickly slammed into her and backed off. Unable to see well, Nidorina missed yet another Scratch.

Fearing loss, I tried to hit Pidgeotto’s stats. “Growl!” But Pidgeotto was so fast; it managed another Quick Attack and covered its ears using its wings. Nidorina was failing badly, so I had to take one last chance before hitting the red zone. “Poison Sting!”

Nidorina jumped in the general direction of Pidgeotto, and stunned by the new attack, couldn’t dodge fast enough. Poison didn’t set in, but a critical hit made victory look possible. “Nidorina good! Come back!” I grabbed the obvious follow-up and said, “Get’m! Nidorino!” He got hit by Pidgeotto’s Quick Attack, but he was still fresh for the fight.

“Horn Attack!” Pidgeotto tried to fly away, but the space inside the hallway was too small to make a good escape, and thus Pidgeotto was stabbed and beaten.

“Dang it!” Blue swore (at least for a ten year old it kind of is). “Fine, you’re getting hit hard now!” He grabbed his next Poké Ball and sent out Raticate. Lacking my own mouse, I instead switched for Beedrill. “Where’s your mouse? Too weak to fight back?” he laughed despicably.

I could tell he saw my sullen expression, but I tried to hide it anyway and said, “No, I just decided not to use it. Beedrill is enough for this fight!” Blue gave me a strange look that I couldn’t understand: almost inquisitive, but not quite enough to match that.

Whatever the expression was soon faded as I ordered, “Twineedle!” Both trainer and Pokémon were totally off guard at my command, and Beedrill managed to land incredibly powerful blows, leaving Raticate in the red zone already.

“Gah!” Blue screamed, scaring all three of us. “Raticate, Hyper Fang!” Raticate did so, but it took great pain in the charge to bite my bug. It only took a few moments to find out why: Beedrill poisoned Raticate! I managed to defeat his Pokémon in one turn!

“YOU! Curse you…Red!” he shrieked at the top of his lungs. I couldn’t help the twisted smile on my face.

Despite being a ship made for battling, the noises caused by our Pokémon, and Blue, were attracting the attention of the passengers. Some peaked outside their doors, worried or just curious. Others actually stepped out and came to watch the action. I had never had so many spectators before, and it was a little distracting and intimidating.

“Oh, that is it! No more games!” he said more quietly, also aware of the gathering attention. “Show him why we’re the best, Kadabra!”

“Sorry Blue, but I have other plans!” I stuck with Beedrill in the hopes Twineedle would do some decent damage. After all, I just decimated Raticate. “Twineedle!”

But when Blue ordered Confusion, he hit my bee with more damage than I expected. Beedrill was still in the game, but he was panting. And even worse, he was now confused. But when Kadabra went down after another attack, it was all too satisfying.

“GRR! You just won because of type advantage!” he retorted.

But I was too cocky for my own good. “Then explain Raticate, Blue.” With no words to back him up, he just reached for his last Pokémon.

I exchanged Beedrill for Oddish, hoping she’d be able to do some respectable damage to Blue’s new Wartortle. Blue played the stat killer with Tail Whip, but I ran on through with Absorb. Blue stayed quiet for the remainder of the fight as Oddish tore his starter apart. With one last critical hit, Oddish fully healed herself, and sucked Wartortle dry.

Blue, disgusted by the loss, only managed to say “Humph!” I could tell he was at a loss for words. For a moment I felt sorry for him. “At least you’re raising your Pokémon!” And with that weird comment, my compassion was replaced with anger and confusion.

“Whatever Blue,” was all I could say.

We watched the people walking away, too far away for their comments to be heard. So instead Blue said one. “I heard there was a Cut master on board.”

“Yeah, he’s the reason I’m here, I need Cut,” I said, hoping the moment of peace stuck around.

“Ahh, the gym? I forgot you can’t swim.” There wasn’t sympathy in his voice, but there wasn’t aggression either. A nice change of pace for Blue; perhaps he can keep it up. “But, he was just a seasick, old man!” That’s not a good sign. “But, Cut itself is really useful! You should go see him!”

“Yeah, I might as well.” I was about to thank him since I had a habit of being polite.

Unfortunately, Blue didn’t have that habit. “Smell ya!” Annoying until the end.

I think I've said it enough times already, but your writing is awesome, Freedom. It's always great and fun to read.

Thanks dude! It's always inspiring to hear such praise! :D So here, have more!
~
The stairs ahead led to a big office room. The place was kind of neat with displays of foreign countries and pictures of fellow sailors. But kneeling in the corner was a man over a trash can. I guess I found my seasick old man. “Um, excuse me sir?” I said slowly, trying to keep my distance from the guy.

“Ooargh,” he…said. “I feel hideous.” You sound it too. I worried if another round came up. My curiosity betrayed me and I looked toward the trash can. Yuck! Shouldn’t have looked!

“Urrp! Seasick…” Please don’t throw up again, please don’t throw up again. In a desperate attempt to save the guy, and myself, I rubbed the Captain’s back. After about four rubs, the captain was looking a lot better already. His paleness faded and he stood up and faced me. “Whew! Thank you! I feel much better!

“You want to see my Cut technique? I could show you if I wasn’t ill” he said apologetically. “I know! You can have this!” His mood immediately turned around as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an HM! “Teach it to your Pokémon and you can see Cut any time!” He handed over the HM, and so finally I got HM01! I put my first HM away in my backpack.

I expressed my thanks to the man, and added “This is really going to help me beat the gym leaders.”

“Ahhh,” he said. “Yeah, I’ve done that little trek before. Good luck to ya.” I wanted to ask him more about Surge in case he had some good information, but he had one more thing to say. “Whew! Now that I’m not sick any more, I guess it’s time.”

“Time, sir?”

“Why yes, the sun has set. The S.S. Anne will set sail soon!” What?! “Yup, I suggest getting on the bow for a good look as we leave. Should be any minute now.”

Oh no! “But sir! I need to get off! I just came on to learn Cut!” The Cut Master was shocked and worried for me, which wasn’t good for his stomach.

“I’m sorry son; I can’t stop the ship, just hurry off!” I didn’t even wait to say my thanks, just a simple bye and I dashed down the stairs. All I heard was good luck echo down the stairwell.

I hurried as fast as I could down the hallways, down the stairs, and made the turns leading me back to the main floor. As I ran, the horns signaling the last call went off. A couple of stragglers were getting in up ahead, but otherwise the hallways were almost clear. Almost.

“Bonjour! I am le waiter on this ship!” You again?! I don’t have time for this! “Ah! Le strong silent type! You are back for food?”

“Can’t stay bye!” was all I could say. I so wished I could see the waiter’s face, but I had to hurry. I rounded the last turn, nearly crashing into the sailor guarding the exit, and made it through the exit just in time. I turned as the bridge went up, mere seconds away from taking me with it, and at last the ship went off, the worldwide journey beginning without me.

With Cut, I had a few plans left before taking on Surge. First, I decided to check out this cave east of town. The man inside told me that the cave was dug by Digletts, and the tunnel goes to Viridian. “A good idea if I want to head back, but for now I’ll see what the cave has to offer,” I told the old man.

And true to Melanie’s word, the cave gave me a shot at victory. Almost immediately I ran into a Diglett! With Ground destroying Electric types, Surge would be toast! “Go! Oddish!” Even one Absorb hurt the Pokémon enough, and with the added precaution of Sleep Powder, Diglett was mine!

With my new teammate in hand, I did a bit of training with Oddish and Diggy; the last two in need the experience for Surge.

With the last bit of experience earned, I decided to try out that Old Rod. I wanted to see what I could get; unfortunately the results were not favorable.

“Hello there, Red! How are the fish biting?” said the Fishing Guru as I walked through his door.

“Biting fine,” I answered in an annoyed tone. “Except that they’re ALL Magikarp. Am I just that bad or what?”

“Wait, you wanted to catch Pokémon with that? I thought you just wanted to fish!”

“Um, no, I’m trying to finish my Pokédex.” The man looked at me, looking me up and down.

“Okay, I understand,” he responded. “You’re a kid, you’re young, and you wanna get out there and catch and collect and train. Well, that’s fine, and you’re right, the Old Rod ain’t good for that. No appeal to fish other than Magikarp. So,” he said, digging around in his pocket.

I was hoping for another rod, but I couldn’t really explain why. Instead, he pulled out a little book and started looking through it. “Okay, I’ve got a brother in Fuchsia City. He’s pretty far away, but he’ll give you a rod I think. My youngest brother lives off the coast too, but he’s a bit of a hot shot, so I don’t expect him to part with his rod.”

“Well um, thank you,” I meekly said.

“You’re welcome kid, and good luck!” That was enough fun for one day, I need some rest.

I decided to rest outside of town again. The outdoors was really something to admire, and camping out by the lake was really appealing. As I set up the spot for camping, I let out my team.

Once again Charmeleon and Beedrill were good to each other. If I didn’t know better, I’d have guessed they were brothers. The Nidos were cuddling up close. They reminded me of those teenagers on movies who were always close and embracing. Diggy and Oddish were shy toward each other, but they were slowly getting along.

After a healthy meal between the six of us that I bought from the Poké Mart, I decided to give a speech to help everyone get inspired. “Alright guys, listen up. We’re fighting Lt. Surge tomorrow, and he’ll be tough, but I know we can beat him. Diggy’s our new guy, and now that you’ve all got aquatinted, I hope our bonds will lead to a powerful victory!” They all cheered at that, so I guess my speech didn’t suck. “So let’s get a lot of rest and, in the morning, get a shiny new badge!”

Satisfied, everyone started snuggling somewhere for the night. Oddish, the nocturnal Pokémon, just sat down at my feet and watched the stars, but she did bury herself a bit to get comfy. Diggy actually helped her get settled, which was really cute to see. Afterwards, Diggy himself went into a tiny hole and I’m assuming slept away.

Nidorino and Nidorina cuddled up again behind my pillow, satisfied at my head. Charmeleon laid at my right and Beedrill at my left. Satisfied that everyone was comfortable for the night, I too went to sleep, the last sight being the stars above.

Good stuff! I wonder, though: is Red going to catch a Magikarp?