(Red's POV, a few min ago)
You know, I'm not one to complain about anything, greens in my plate? I eat them. Blue being an annoying prick, passable. But this? Oh, this is the cherry on top out of everything I could complain about.
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT I'M SLOWER THAN A BULBASAUR?!
No, really, it makes no sense. I've been running around ever since I was a kid, I'm confident in my stamina and I'm pretty fast, yet, for some unholy reason this Bulbasaur runs faster than me.
And since we're running in a forest, the moment I lose sight of him I'll lose him, possibly forever since he's also green. I COULD try to snipe him with a Pokéball but here's the issue, I only have one left.
I can't use my own since he's registered to Prof Oak's ID so I can't, I also can't just wing it and throw Poli because either A: I miss and lose Bulbasaur, or B: He keeps running and I couldn't return Poli on time, losing more time.
'ARGH!!! We've been running for what feels like hours! When will he---is that a city?' Just as my anger kept rising, I realized that we actually reached another town, city? Whatever this place is.
"Bulba, bulba, bulb, bulba, bah!" Bulbasaur growls at me as we enter the city.
I couldn't really pay attention to anything around me for obvious reasons, so I just decided to keep chasing. We ran through tables, crowds of people, I think he even stole some kid's ice cream and then I stomped on it and almost fall but it was still Bulbasaur's fault!
Given that we were no longer in the forest, and that I had just come to the realization that we ARE no longer in the woods, I was planning to risk it and throw Poli's ball in front of Bulbasaur to cut off his path.
Too bad I was a second too late.
Before I could pull off my flawless plan, Bulbasaur takes a turn.
"BULBA!!" Using his vines, Bulbasaur push himself with a lamppost and shoots himself towards a window.
*CRASH*
Needless to say that he broke it.
Now, I COULD try to enter through the door or any other entrance the building had...but I REALLY didn't want to lose sight of the little feller so...
"Oh no you don't!" I followed him...right through a nearby window.
*CRASH*
And just like that, everything went dark...…Literally!
(Third Person POV. Inside Viridian City Gym)
'Ok...in hindsight…not my best idea.' Red thought as he landed head-first into the ground.
He got up and cleared off any shrapnel of glass that may have remained on his clothes…unfortunately, he didn't pass through unscathed.
"Ow!" Red exclaimed as he noticed a piece of glass etched to his forearm.
It wasn't a deep nor long injury but it did stung.
'Ok…first find Bulbasaur, then ask a medic to see this.' Red thought as he carefully carried his arm and went to find Bulbasaur.
"Saur…" Red heard a weak growl.
A few steps away from him laid Bulbasaur, who had some shrapnel of glass wriggling in the cold floor.
"Bulba---UGH!" Bulbasaur shrieks in pain.
Red's anger immediately disappeared as he saw the injured Pokemon. He slowly walked towards him with a softened expression.
"GRRA!" Bulbasaur lunged to bite Red even with all the pain.
*CHK*
Red's left hand was bitten.
Instead of screeching in pain, as one would normally do, Red simply used his right hand to carefully pry out the glass in Bulbasaur's leg.
"Bulba?" Bulbasaur was confused.
He believed that the red-capped kid wanted to harm him, reason as to why he ran as fast as he could.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything bad, just let me help you with this." Red calmly commented as he carefully removed the glass shrapnel, making Bulbasaur stop biting him.
There were a few pieces, and he cut with some of those every now and then, but Red didn't stopped working until Bulbasaur's pain was gone.
"Last one." Red commented as he took the biggest piece out.
Unlike the other pieces that ended in minor injuries, this piece was so big that a mark was left in Bulbasaur's left back leg.
"Bulba---" Bulbasaur pained cried.
Red took a potion out of his bag alongside some bandages, with swift precision he sprayed the injured parts and bandaged them, more specifically the leg.
"There, all good now." Red.
'Good thing Kaori taught us basic medical treatments, I still remember when Poli got that nasty wound after we caught that Nidorino for our neighbor.' Red gratefully thought of that instance.
"Bulba-bulba
~" Bulbasaur was now gently licking Red's injured hand as if he were to repay him.
"This is nothing, don't worry about it." Red reassures the small toad.
"Bulba~" Bulbasaur smiles back as he lets himself be patted by Red.
Their peace, however, didn't last long.
*BAM*
The closed doors of the Gym were forced open with a strong push. Red and Bulbasaur looked at the newcomer, wary of its intentions.
It was a muscular purple-ish-grey figure with toned muscles and red uniform veins in its forearms and arms, a grey tusk-like crown in its head, toned purple legs same color as the rest of his body and wears a champion belt with skin-tight boxers.
It is Machoke, the Superpower Pokémon.
"MACHOKE!!!" The Fighting-Type Pokemon roared in anger as he scanned the room, most specifically Bulbasaur.
(Flashback, Machoke POV)
I am the Mighty Mac!
I was born into a strong family of Machamp, since my birth I've battled against several opponents, some were weaklings with nothing remarkable about them, others gave me near-death experiences.
But all of that stopped once I met my trainer, Mackenzie!
I remember when he defeated me with my rival Poliwrath, back when he was a Poliwhirl, and caught me. At first I was planning to rebel and return to the wilderness to train, but after seeing the training regime he had with his/my companions, it was hard not to follow him.
I trained tirelessly day after day.
Lifting Weights!
Bench Presses!
Tree trunk throwing!
…
I'm not kidding, I really uprooted a tree and would throw it upwards, catch it, and repeat.
Eventually, my strength reached its peak and I evolved into Machoke! For such a joyous occasion, I was invited to spend the day relaxing and eating some Ice Cream.
Although normally I would abstain from such high calories, today was special. Mackenzie's nephew, Little Mac, who gave me the name Mighty Mac, was coming.
He's been my biggest fan since last Gym Circuit, we were so close to get the 8th badge but alas, time wasn't kind to us, but even then Little Mac kept supporting us with all the energy his little kiddie body could give.
But then, tragedy stuck!
A fat ugly garlic frog appeared out of nowhere and swiped Little Mac's Ice cone!!
Which resulted in him crying!
Such a sin must be paid back with BLOOD! Filled with determination, and some murderous intent, I saw the green parasite and the young red cap wearing boy behind it into the closed Gym, after promising revenge to Little Mac I followed them there.
Now, these doors could've stopped some half-baked fighter, but me? NEVER! I placed my palms in front of the doors and gave it a powerful thrust!
*BAM*
I opened the door easily and there I saw him, the dastardly villain wounded thanks to some karmic goodness, but that wasn't enough to quelch my anger, he's going to pay…HE'S REALLY GOING TO PAY!!!
"MACHOKE!!! (YOU'RE GONNA PAY!!!)" I yelled as I prepared myself for combat.
(Third Person POV)
"Why do I hear boss music?" Red muttered, but the joke caught in his throat as the Machoke lunged.
"Choke!"
The superpower Pokémon initiated the assault with a blindingly fast Karate Chop, his hand slicing through the air like a blade.
"Dodge it!" Red yelled.
Bulbasaur threw himself to the side, narrowly evading the crushing blow. But Machoke didn't miss a beat. Pivoting on his heel, his hands flared with a harsh, green-cyan energy. He spun, channeling the momentum into a savage, horizontal Dual Chop.
The heavy strike caught Bulbasaur dead-on. The glowing hand slammed into the grass-type with a sickening thud, sending him skidding backward across the floor.
"Bulba!"
"Bulbasaur!" Red's eyes narrowed, his gaze turning deadly serious as he snapped a Pokéball off his belt. "Alright, get him, Poli! Shield him!"
With a flash of light, the Poliwag materialized on the field, landing forward with a defiant, "Poli!"
"Poli, keep him off balance with Bubble Beam!"
Poli opened his mouth, unleashing a high-pressure torrent of frothing bubbles directly from the swirl on his belly. They hammered into Machoke's back in a rapid-fire barrage of concussive pops.
The Fighting-type grunted, his skin stinging from the assault, but he stubbornly kept his eyes locked on the weakened Bulbasaur, refusing to drop his focus.
"He's ignoring it! Poli, close the distance—Double-Slap!"
Poli shot forward, his webbed feet kicking up dirt as he closed the gap. He leaped into the air, his tail whipping back and forth in a frantic blur, striking Machoke across the neck once, twice, three times.
The rapid slaps finally did the trick, breaking Machoke's concentration and thoroughly irritating him. But in the split second Poli landed, Red realized the mistake. Poli was too close, completely exposed to a counterattack.
"Ma—Choke!"
Machoke's right hand curled into a massive fist, a swirling vortex of raw, crackling fighting energy gathering around his knuckles. Before Poli could even attempt to retreat, Machoke unleashed a devastating Dynamic Punch.
The impact was explosive. Poli was lifted entirely off his feet and sent hurtling through the air, crashing hard against the gym wall.
"Poli!" Red cried out.
Poli slid down the wall, his eyes spinning. He was already exhausted from the previous battle before they found Bulbasaur, and his energy had been running on fumes. A direct, STAB hit from a Dynamic Punch was simply too much.
Red grit his teeth and held up the Pokéball, a red beam drawing his partner back inside. "Return. Rest up, buddy, you did great."
Machoke rolled his shoulders, letting out a satisfied huff as he turned his attention back to Bulbasaur. But he barely had a second to enjoy his victory.
*Crack*
Two thick, green vines whipped out of nowhere, stinging Machoke across the face and forcing him back a step.
"Choke!" The fighter growled, his pride stung.
Bulbasaur skipped deftly across the battlefield, positioning himself directly in front of Red, his breathing heavy but his stance firm. He looked back over his shoulder, locking eyes with the teenager. "Saur!"
"You want to battle with me?" Red asked, surprised.
Bulbasaur gave a sharp, decisive nod. He had watched the trained battles back at the lab. A Pokémon could have all the raw power in the world, but without a trainer's bird's-eye view, they were bound to make mistakes. He was ready to leave the strategy to Red.
A spark of confidence surged through Red. "Alright. Let's show him what we can do. Vine Whip!"
"Bulba!"
Two vines erupted from beneath Bulbasaur's bulb, snapping forward like striking vipers to keep Machoke at bay. Machoke raised his arms, trying to time a Karate Chop to slice the vines out of the air.
"Don't let up, Bulbasaur! Keep the pressure up!" Red commanded.
Bulbasaur unleashed a continuous flurry. The vines moved in a hypnotic, chaotic rhythm, cracking like actual whips over and over, completely overwhelming Machoke's attempts to swat them away and pushing the giant back inch by inch.
"Choke…Mach…Choke!" Machoke was starting to fall back from the continuous relentless strikes from Bulbasaur's Vine Whip.
His anger ignited once again he opened his mouth, but not to roar, this time, he expelled a torrent of flames from his mouth. A Flamethrower.
"What?!/Bulba!?" Red and Bulbasaur were surprised.
While not impossible, there's almost no one who would or even could teach Machoke Flamethrower. The flames consumed the vines as they approached Bulbasaur and Red.
"Watch out!" Red jumped in between Bulbasaur and shielded him with his body.
"Argh!" The flames weren't strong enough to be perilous to Red, due to Machoke's low Special Att. stats, but it still injured Red.
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur's eyes shimmered as he saw Red protecting him.
Something within him changed, the bulb in his back unnoticedly started absorbing the faint sunlight that fell upon it.
"Choke." Machoke emerged from the flames and saw Red protecting Bulbasaur.
With a quick dash he closed up the distance and separated the duo, throwing Red against a wall.
"Gah!" Red crashed against the wall but luckily nothing worst happened, however, now Bulbasaur was at Machoke's mercy.
'No…I can't black out…Bulbasaur…' Red thought as he saw Machoke slowly approach the small Grass Pokemon. He then looked at the glowing bulb and his eyes widened.
'That light...if I'm right…then I just need to…!' Red regained his fire as he extended his arm to the side at the large curtain covering the windows.
Gathering his strength, Red grabbed the curtain and ripped it.
"HROOOOOAAAAAH!" Red pulled the curtain.
The curtain fell and with it the closed building was illuminated with the rays of the sun.
"Choke?" Machoke was taken aback for a moment as the shine blinded him a little.
"Bulbasaur! Use Solar Beam!" Red commanded as he got up again with a smile.
Unlike the games, where weather only matters in certain areas or events, this world is different. The hour one battles matter when regarding the weather, while its true that moves can change the weather, that doesn't mean that weather can't change on its own.
The time right now is 12:00PM, in other words, the Sun's highest Peak.
Meaning?
"BUUUULLL..." Bulbasaur's bulb started charging.
At this concrete hour, normal sunlight becomes Harsh Sunlight for the following 30 minutes.
"...BAAAAAA..."
Don't remember what Harsh Sunlight does? Well its easy, it makes charged moves like Solar Beam...
"...…SAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUR….!!!!"
Take no time to be unleashed!!!
*BOOOOOM*
The Solar Beam clashed against Machoke's chest, the Fighting-Type tried to grab a hold of anything to escape, but couldn't, the powerful beam of light shot him right at the Gym's wall and right back outside.
"Bulba...Saur…" Bulbasaur panted as he stumbled and fell.
"We won...WE WON!" It took some time for Red to process what had happened before he celebrated, not paying attention to his back burns.
"Ow! Ow-ow! Oof! That stings…note to self, not train a Fire-Type." Red commented to himself as he carefully went to take a look at Bulbasaur.
"You good?" Red asked the toad Pokemon.
"Bulba…" Bulbasaur could only rest his head in Red's lap as he sat beside him.
"Yeah, take a good rest that Machoke's down for the count!" Red confidently commented.
Unfortunately for them, he raised a flag.
"C—Choke…"
"!!!" Red immediately looked at the hole in the wall and saw Machoke rising from the rubble as he looked completely tired out.
Covered with injuries and tired but he wouldn't back down, he WILL make Bulbasaur pay for making Little Mac cry.
"Ma---choke!" Machoke crossed both his arms and prepared to dash.
Cross Chop, a powerful 100 Power move with a high crit chance. Usually it's deterred from being used due to its 80% Accuracy, but that hardly matters in this world, doesn't it?
'Dammit! I can't stand and Bulbasaur is too tired!' Red mentally cursed as Machoke started to get in position.
"Bulbasaur, return." Red dropped the last Oak ID Pokeball near Bulbasaur.
"Bulba?"
"I can't protect you out here, enter it and at least I can throw you out of Machoke's way." Red.
"Bulba! Bulba! Ba!" Bulbasaur complained.
Bulbasaur didn't even wait a reply, he looked at the Pokeball and spat some purple-ish gooey substance, it was Sludge.
"Hey! What'd you do that…for…" Red was about to complain before he looked at Bulbasaur's eyes.
He was filled with determination and wouldn't back down, something Red saw in himself. Red sniffed before he stood up and raised his cap as he looked at Machoke, who was almost finished.
"Alright! Let's do this Bulba---Saur! Let's do this Saur!" Red commented as Bulbasaur also got up and looked at Machoke.
"BULBA!!!"
Machoke finally finished his startup time, thanks to his injuries, and prepared to launch himself.
However, luck is also something Red Excels at besides Pokemon Battles.
"Achilles Heel!"
A Chimchar appeared from behind Machoke, his hand glowed white as he prepared to deliver a powerful blow.
"Chim...Char!" Chimchar attacked the center of Machoke's body.
Machoke didn't even had time to process what had happened as his eyes rolled back and started to faint.
"Ma-----Ch----ok---e---." (Forgive me…Little Mac.)
Machoke Fainted.
Red and Bulbasaur were confused about what had just happened until Red just remembered who has a Chimchar in all of Kanto.
"Whew! We barely made it in time, thanks Chimchar." A youngster appeared from the side of the wall as he congratulated his chimp partner.
"Char~!" Chimchar happily obliged.
It was Kaori and boy I can't tell you the relief in Red when he saw his face.
"Kaori!" Red cheerfully greeted him.
"Yo~ Red. Can you tell me what's going on? I'm kinda lost." Kaori commented as he scratched his cheek.
Kaori has now entered the event.
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WHEW! What a chapter!
Sorry for the wait, I was busy finishing my final exams, which I aced BTW, and then decided to relax and gather some pokemon information before finishing this chapter.
I won't spoil what I did but, yeah, Insurgence moves coming up, I had to research them and have a whole TXT file catalogued them and from other games and abilities to implement here.
Why?
Becuase I love some of these abilites and moves that the main games haven't given us.
Anyway, since I'm in dire need of money I'll focus all my efforts in another chapter of my MHA X Demon Slayer fanfic in patreon so, yeah. It'll be a while before I return or my mood changes to Pokemon, see ya on the next chapter.