Chapter Text
*When Red and Blue awaken, they find that they had crash landed themselves into one of Hoenn’s many cities. A rustic-looking, brown-hued city, to be precise.*
Blue, rubbing the back of his head: Man…this smarts. I know we didn’t really have any other option…but was it really worth the headache I’ll have for the next week…?
Red, nodding, as he gets up: Well, considering we aren’t surrounded by ninja assassins right now, I think I’d definitely say ‘yes’.
Blue, looking around the immediate area: Well, that’s all fine and good, but…where’d the old man go?!
Red, sounding alarmed: Mr. Pokemon…I thought you were right next to the guy, atop Charizard!
Blue, nodding: I was…but I had my eyes closed during that whole wild descent of yours. Not because I was scared, of course…I just didn’t want any Cutieflies getting in my eyes!
Red, rolling his eyes: Well, whatever the case…I think Mr. Pokemon…may have loosened his grip on Charizard a bit too early, meaning…
Blue, frowning: He could probably have landed anywhere in Hoenn at this point, right?
Red, nodding: Yeah…and we don’t exactly know how long we blacked out just now either, so…he could have even landed with us, and recovered on his own, and wandered off somewhere else, looking to get us medical attention.
Blue, shaking his head: An old-timer like him? I have big doubts on that theory, Red.
Red, shrugging: Hey, anything’s possible, and it’s not like we have very much evidence to work with regardless.
Blue, pointing to something on a nearby street: Well…it looks like there’s a Gym just a few blocks over! Maybe Mr. Pokemon went in there, to ask for assistance? I mean…if he did end up landing with us, I’m sure he’d trust an official member of the Pokemon League’s Gym council to help him, right?
Red, nodding: Yeah…if anyone around here knows about Mr. Pokemon’s whereabouts, surely it’d be the Gym Leader in there, right? Let’s have a word with them.
*The pair of boys go inside, and battle their way through the Trainers inside, until they reach the city’s Gym Leader - Roxanne.*
Red, upon reaching the arena: So…Roxanne, was it? You know about Mr. Pokemon, right?
Roxanne, shrugging: Well, who wouldn’t, kid? He’s only the most important person out there, when it comes to the National Pokemon League, after all!
Blue, nodding: If that’s the case…any chance you’ve seen the guy at all, lately? He may or may not have crash landed in this city with us, and we’re trying to find clues as to where he may have ended up getting off to.
Roxanne, rubbing her chin: I haven’t, but…dare I ask, were a couple of random kids doing with Mr. Pokemon? Wait…I think I recognize you both, actually! You two fought in the Indigo League Championships last week, didn’t you?
Blue, winking: You betcha!
Red, as his eyes widen: Wait…last week? Are you saying we’ve been out of it…for that long…?
Blue, noticing his stomach grumbling: Well, considering what my stomach feels like right now, that would definitely make sense…
Roxanne, tilting her head in confusion: Well…I’m unsure of how or why you two have ended up in Hoenn, but…clearly, that’s none of my business, is it? Besides, you two came here for a Gym Battle, did you not?
Red, shrugging: Well, not exactly…
Blue, shaking his head: But we certainly won’t deny the opportunity for one, when the occasion comes up! Come on, call out your best!
Roxanne, nodding: Well, I may not be on the level of you two…but I like to think that I’ve fused some pretty good Pokemon for myself! Come on out, Probolix and Golewak! Probolix, toss out some Rocks with your Rock Throw…and Golewak can fling them out towards these two, with your Bone Rush!!
*Probolix starts flinging Rocks off of it’s body, as Golewak bashes them towards Red and Blue with greater speed, by hitting them with his Thick Club, like a baseball bat.*
Red, wincing as several rocks already start getting flung their way: She really isn’t wasting any time, is she? Venusaur, use your Vine Whips, and stop Golewak from batting dingers!!
Blue, sounding concerned too: Yeah…Starmie, blast some of these rocks out of the air too, with your Hydro Pumps!!
*Venusaur extends out a pair of Vines that not only Whip the Bone out of Golewak’s hands, but also proceed to hit him with a volley of lashes, quickly knocking out the poor Ground-typed fusion. Starmie, meanwhile, is kept busy focusing on blasting apart the rocks in mid-air, not being able to focus on attacking Probolix quite yet.*
Roxanne, remaining focused: Mightpardos, you’re up next! Show them your full-offensive might, with a Head Smash, onto that Starmie! And Probolix, blast Venusaur with several rounds of Earth Powered shots!!
Red, remaining steadfast: Venusaur, ignore the Earth Power volleys, and charge up for a Solar Beam!!
Blue, sounding confident still: With that thing charging head-first right for us, I doubt it’ll be able to avoid a direct Hydro Pump attack! Do it, Starmie!!
*Just as Blue predicted, with Mightpardos running full-force towards Starmie, its side-mounted, unfocused eyes don’t notice the Hydro Pump being aimed straight at it, as it quickly faints, to just one massive Pump. Venusaur, meanwhile gets hit by a volley of Earth Power shots, that had been sneezed out by Probolix. Venusaur’s knees buckled, upon enduring the hits, but in the end, Venusaur’s massive hind flower begins glowing, and fires off a massive, green-glowing Solar Beam, straight into the funny-looking steel serpent, causing it to faint…and for Red and Blue to both earn another Badge each.*
Roxanne, smiling, as she hands both boys a Stone Badge: Well done, you two…not that I’d expect any less from a verified Pokemon League Champion of course…along with the runner-up.
Red, shrugging: I…don’t know if I’d call my ‘grudge match’ against Blue a ‘verifiable Championship match’, but…
Roxanne, shrugging: Well, Colress is certainly making it seem that way on TV, at the very least!
Blue, shaking his head: Seriously? I thought the guy hated our guts, with everything we pulled…!
Red, shrugging: He probably still does, Blue. However, he probably wants to convince the public that our ‘grudge match’ was the year’s proper Indigo League Championship bout. Otherwise, he’d no doubt have to reveal what really happened, during that blackout of his.
Blue, nodding: Yeah…good points there, Red. That does make sense, honestly…
Roxanne, shaking her head in confusion: Well, it doesn’t make sense to me…but then again, this really isn’t any of my business, is it? Regardless, I’d love to try and help you find Mr. Pokemon, but alas…I have teaching duties to attend to in Rustboro City, all the same. Hoenn’s Trainer Academy practically wouldn’t function without me, after all!
Red, nodding: I get it. But…if we won’t be able to find Mr. Pokemon too easily…maybe Hoenn’s Champion knows where he is, instead. Any clue on where we could find him?
Roxanne, rubbing her chin again: Well…people say Steven Stone likes to frequent Granite Cave, down on Dewford Island…for reasons I doubt I’ll ever grasp. You might be able to catch him there…if you’re lucky!
Red, shrugging: Hey, that’s a better lead than anything else we’ve got, right? Thanks for the info…and the battle, Roxanne.
*The pair of boys say their goodbyes to the Gym Leader, and chart a course with their Pokemon to Surf down to Hoenn’s southern shore, to find the Granite Cave that Roxanne spoke of.*
