Chapter Text
*On a small island off the shore of Hoenn’s mainland, the next day, Red and Blue find themselves in Granite Cave, stumbling around in the dark, in an attempt to find Steven Stone.*
Blue, shaking his head: I don’t get it, Red…why would the Champion of the Hoenn region wanna hang around in a place like this? The Pokemon here aren’t very tough, you can hardly even see in this place…why even bother coming here at all?!
Voice, chuckling, from nearby: You know, you sound quite a bit like my father, Blue.
Blue, sounding surprised, as Steven walks up to them, mid-way through the tunnel: No way…you really are him, aren’t you?
Steven, nodding: Yes…I am me. And you are just as headstrong as you were on TV, from the tournament I watched a month ago. Well…’tournament’ might be a strong word, considering it ended after that little exhibition match of yours, with Red there…
Blue, shrugging: Hey, I did what I had to, considering the circ*mstances!
Steven, sounding intrigued somewhat: ‘Circ*mstances’? Like what, I do wonder…
Red, shaking his head: That battle we had was more of a distraction, than anything.
Blue, nodding: Yeah…I was just buying some time for some friends of mine to give the slip to the Colress Corporation!
Steven, sounding surprised: The Colress Corporation? You mean…the people responsible for DNA Splicers?
Red, nodding: Yep. And trust me…it might not seem like it, but they’re not good company…in the slightest.
Blue, crossing his arms: Understatement of the century, Red…those guys tried to kill us just a week ago, remember? They probably would have finished the job too, if your Charizard didn’t give us the hardest landing I’ve ever lived through…
Red, rolling his eyes: Of course I remember, Blue…it was my idea, after all. Regardless…we’re still looking for Mr. Pokemon, who escaped with us. However, during the crash landing…we all got separated. Blue and I found each other pretty quickly, but we haven’t seen a trace of Mr. Pokemon yet. Have you, Steven?
Steven, shaking his head: Can’t say I have…but…if you’re looking for the head of the National Pokemon League himself…you could travel to the Battle Frontier, and ask the other admins of the League there!
Blue, sounding motivated: The Battle Frontier…? Oh yeah, that place is on Hoenn’s coast, isn’t it? Well, if anyone would know where Mr. Pokemon is, surely one of them would have seen him, right? Let’s head over there, and see what we can learn!
Steven, chuckling: I wouldn’t be so eager if I were you, Blue. You see, the only people allowed to enter the Battle Frontier are people who have become Champion in at least one region. Red qualifies for such a visa, seeing as the Indigo League’s hand was forced into declaring him the winner of last month’s events by default. He may enter, but you, on the other hand…will have to earn your way there the old-fashioned way, I believe.
Blue, sighing: Man…I guess I should have realized the requirements to meet with the Pokemon League itself would be pretty high…but this stinks! Literally! Smell you two later…because I’m not gonna let Red be the only one who’s able to take a vacation to the Frontier! I’m gonna collect all of Hoenn’s Badges, and become a Champion here, instead!
Steven, chuckling: Well, to accomplish that, you'll need to best me in battle, and…well, let’s just say, I’m sure I can outstall your amateur stalling techniques any day of the week…if I’m being brutally honest.
Blue, putting his hands on his hips: You realize I was only stalling in that battle to buy time, remember? My usual battle style is way more intense…and I’ll prove it to you…personally!
Red, shaking his head: Blue…we just came here to inquire about Mr. Pokemon, remember? You don’t have to defend your honor or anything…I’ll just head to the Battle Frontier, and see what I can learn from-
Blue, interrupting Red’s thought: Come on Red, don’t leave me behind! You still only have 14 Badges after all, right? Why not go around and actually collect all eight of Hoenn’s Gym Badges with me?
Steven, sounding surprised: Wait…have you not earned all eight of one region’s Gym Badges yet, Red?
Red, shaking his head: Nope…but why’s that matter?
Steven, frowning: The Battle Frontier won’t let you enter, if you don’t have all eight of a single region’s Gym Badges…even if you’re a Champion. Which means-
Blue, abruptly butting in: -Which means you’re stuck with me again, whether you like it or not! Hahahaha!!!
Red, rolling his eyes: Blue…we didn’t come here to earn Badges…we came here to regroup, after fleeing the Indigo Plateau, remember? Don’t tell me you lost all those memories during the crash landing…
Blue, shaking his head: My head doesn’t hurt that much- but that’s not the point! All that matters is we get to the Battle Frontier, right?! So, I say we start taking names, on the ol’ Gym Leader checklist!
Red, shrugging: Well, I guess it can’t hurt, trying to fit that in, while we try and find Mr. Pokemon, right? Steven…you have our thanks, for pointing us in the right direction. But…as the Champion of Hoenn…could I ask who you would recommend we take on next? We’ve already beaten Roxanne’s team.
Steven, rubbing his chin: Well, there is a Gym on this island, you know! Did you miss it on your way here?
Red, sounding surprised: Well, considering we came straight here before anything, I guess we probably did. Still, you have our thanks, for pointing us in the right direction here.
*The boys say their goodbyes to Steven, as they travel to the Gym that Steven had mentioned. After stumbling through dark halls…again, inside the Gym, the pair of Trainers find themselves face-to-face with Brawly, looking ready to…well, brawl with them.*
Brawly, sounding surprised: Hey, haven’t I seen you two on TV? Yeah…you guys battled in the Indigo League Championships, didn’t you?!
Red, nodding: Yeah, that’d be us…
Blue, shrugging: Yeah, but I’d hardly call our little pretend match there a ‘Championship match’ or anything…
Brawly, scoffing: Pssh, modesty is for the weak…which you guys clearly aren’t…which means I get to go all-out, and use my personal team of Pokemon against you two! Torchamp, wield your tree, and slam it down at them like a Wood Hammer! And Haritress, go in with a Double Iron Bash!!
Red, sounding distraught, as he notices Haritress going in with a Lariat towards them: Is that…a Forretress fused with…something else? Well, I don’t know what that other Pokemon is…but I do know how Foretresses react, upon making contact with Fire. Charizard, get out here, and hit it with a Fire Blast, from above!
Blue, looking concerned at the Torchamp carrying a tree right towards them: Alakazam, stop that thing in its tracks! Put up a Reflection barrier!!
*Charizard flies into the air, avoiding the lariat altogether, and blasts Haritress with a massive Fire Blast, taking out the Steel-typed fusion as if it were just a Forretress. Torchamp, meanwhile, ends up running straight into Alakazam’s invisible Reflect barrier, causing him to fall onto the ground, dropping his tree in the process, as well.*
Brawly, sounding annoyed, as Torchamp tries his hardest to try and pick up his tree again: Look, Torchamp, just…forget the tree. Grumpape will take care of it, yeah? Grumpape, use your Psychic powers to take control of that tree, and slam Alakazam with it! Torchamp…you need to hit the Gym some more, I think. Bulk yourself Up, before hitting the fray!
Red, chuckling: Sounds like that Torchamp of yours should have stayed a Torterra, if you want it wielding trees like that. Fusions aren’t as great as most people like to think, after all! Charizard, burn up the tree, with a Fire Blast!!
Blue, nodding: Yeah, what he said! Alakazam, implode Torchamp’s mind, with your own Psychic powers!!
*Grumpape surrounds Torchamp’s tree with a pink aura, and swings it out towards Alakazam, but Charizard intercepts it, and melts it with a destructive Fire Blast, eliminating the tree from the battlefield entirely. Torchamp stands around flexing his muscles, but quickly finds himself having a nasty headache, thanks to Alakazam. Still, he manages to pound his head with two of his arms, before retaining a battle pose once again.*
Blue, sounding awestruck: What?! No way that Alakazam’s attack should have left that thing standing!
Brawly, grinning: Normally, it wouldn’t have…if Torchamp wasn’t wearing its trusty ol’ Focus Sash, that is! Torchamp, now that you’re good and Bulked Up…smash through that Reflect barrier, with a Brick-Breaking blow! And Grumpape, Slide some Rocks over to Charizard’s way, would ya?
Blue, rolling his eyes: You realize that Alakazam can throw punches just like Torchamp, right? Meet Torchamp’s punch with your own Fire Punch, Alakazam!!
Red, nodding: I think it’s time that we finish this too, Blue. Charizard, whip up a Hurricane with your wings, and get those Rocks absorbed into its winds!
*Torchamp throws a Brick-Breaking punch that manages to pierce through Alakazam’s Reflect barrier…but Alakazam easily matches the Grass-type fusion’s punch with his own, Fire-covered fist, instantly taking out the last smidge of Torchamp’s health, and fainting it. Meanwhile, the Hurricane that Charizard whips up easily deals with the Rocks that Grumpape had gathered to Slide towards Charizard…along with overpowering the Fighting-type, once the windstorm made its way to Brawly’s side of the field. In an instant, Red and Blue had won their battle, and earned another Gym Badge.*
Brawly, sighing, as he hands the boys a Knuckle Badge each: Well, you guys definitely are Champion-level trainers in my books at least, whether you wanna admit it or not, so…here. You more than earned these, I’d say.
Red, nodding, as he adds the Badge to his collection: Well, thanks, Brawly. Before we leave, though…you haven’t heard about Mr. Pokemon’s whereabouts lately, have you?
Brawly, sounding a bit confused: What, the old Pokemon League chairman guy? What do you guys need to know for?
Blue, shrugging: Let’s just say…’official Champion business’, and leave it at that, alright?
Brawly, grinning: Men of few words, are you? Heh…I like that! Well, I can’t say I know where the little man’s gone off to, but…anyone who’s anyone in Hoenn will likely be attending Mauville City’s grand re-opening tomorrow, following its decade long self-sustaining energy grid experiment having been completed! Maybe you should check out that scene, if you wanna find him!
Red, shrugging: Hey, that’s a better idea than anything I was thinking. Coming along too, Blue?
Blue, chuckling: Speak for yourself, Red! I’d rather be earning more Gym Badges, than trying to find this elusive old man, at this point!
Brawly, shrugging: You…do realize that Wattson, the town’s mayor, is also the Gym Leader there, right? In fact, he’ll be opening his Gym back up, too, after having it be closed for several months now, too, to mark the occasion!
Blue, as his eyes widen: Well…that’s all the motivation I need, then! Let’s get another Gym Badge, Red…and maybe find the old man too, if he’s in the area.
