Chapter 18
Leta learning Silver Wind was something that gave Red joy to see. The fact that the Butterfree could perform such a beautiful and dazzling move that fit her happy persona was marvelous. While he wasn't that close to her, Red couldn't help but admire her enthusiasm. It helped him suppress the sorrow he felt from his falling out with Cinder.
I deserve everything and more that Cinder said to me. He thought. I hate that we're no longer friends but...it's not as though I didn't cause it. This is my punishment and I brought everything I have upon myself.
The Bug and Flying-type flapping her wings at the Oddish in front of her caused a gust of silver scales to soar at the target. The Pokemon looked to be in greater distress at the powdery scales all over its exterior rather than the force of the wind itself. It fell over scratching itself in a painful itchiness, like it had been struck with an intense rash. The Grass and Poison-type's trainer returned his Pokemon to the Pokeball, leering at Red before walking away.
"I did it!" Leta said as she flew in a circle in the air. "I won!"
She flew down to land on Red's shoulder, her happiness visible in her large red eyes.
"Did you like that?!" she asked excitedly.
"I did," Red said as he petted her. "Silver Wind is my favorite move of yours."
"Mine too!" she said.
The joyful way she spoke reminded Red so much of how he used to act with Cinder. Before he had become the cynic he was today, they used to go everywhere, roaming the countryside as the Pokemon around Pallet Town were weak. Leta had the same blithe spirit as Cinder once did before they were torn apart. Red had to keep himself from crying as he watched her.
"And to think you beat most of these trainers yourself," he said.
"I know!" Leta said. "I used to think us Bug-types weren't very strong but now my mind's changing! I can be as strong as I want to!"
He laughed lightly before looking down at the Nugget Bridge they stood on. No one was around them as they had all lost to Red. Most were local trainers who were seeking the prize of the nugget.
Most everyone in Kanto knew of the nugget challenge held in Cerulean City. The long bridge that connected the city to Route 25 was the host of a monthly tournament where the winner would receive a nugget, a hunk of gold worth thousands. It was generally a way to weed out the strong trainers from the weak to see who had the chops to become military trainers. It seemed this month many didn't turn up as Red only faced four trainers whose Pokemon were caught from the area around Cerulean. During the battle, they were observed by a red haired man who patiently waited for each to end, a nugget of gold under his arm as he was obviously the one conducting the tournament. The tournament was an alternate to gym badges to be recruited by the military of Kanto.
Red had decided to take the challenge after waiting nearly a month for Selven and Cinder to heal up. Cinder refused to battle while Selven remained as loyal as ever. The hospital bills from Cinder and Selven's injuries had left Red stripped of nearly all his money, the hefty sum of cash he'd collected from trainer battles eaten up to repair their injuries. Since he had little in the way of money so he decided winning the nugget would be a good way of boosting their finances.
"Is it good that I'm strong even though you've decided to stop challenging gyms?" Leta asked.
He resisted the urge to give a somber expression.
"Yeah," he said. "I don't need to take you guys down that path anymore. Now, we'll live differently."
"If I had been stronger," Leta said. "Could you have sent me out rather than Kurer? I mean was it-"
"Your fault that she died?" Red asked. "No. Even if you had been, it was my foolish choice to put her in a battle that was past her strength. We won't be sacrificing anyone anymore. We'll only fight for survival and not for glory."
"Oh," Leta said a bit mournfully. "That's good I suppose."
He nodded as the red haired man walked up to him, holding out a hand for Red to shake. The younger trainer did so. The dark cloaked man smiled as he held up a nugget of gold in his hand.
"Name's Kevin," he said. "I run this tournament every month. You're pretty good. You seem a lot better than the average trainer."
Red glanced aside, sheepish at his compliments.
"Well," he said. "I try hard."
"I think I saw you fight Misty a month or so ago," Kevin said. "You fought her to a draw."
He breathed in heavily, trying to not let the memory of what transpired get under his skin.
"Mmmhhhmm," Red said.
"Listen," he said. "You don't need to continue fighting gym leaders...or what happened to your Electabuzz might happen again. It's kind of hard to keep fighting when your Pokemon have such a high chance of dying...ain't it?"
"Yeah," he said. "That's why I decided to quit the gym challenge."
Kevin laughed, obviously proud of his answer.
"Well how about I make you an offer you can't refuse," he said. "You work for my boss and...you know...you can make some real cash with your skill."
Red began to become suspicious of what the man was offering. It didn't sound enticing, the trainer caring little for the money he made so long as he survived off it. But if he had more and something happened to his Pokemon, Red would need money. Now that he wasn't gambling everything on gym challenges anymore he needed to be sure of something in case of emergencies.
I need to live for my Pokemon, like Cinder would want me to. He thought. And that means caring for them like I would my best friends.
"So who do you work for?" he asked.
Kevin looked at him like he was stupid.
"You seriously don't know?" the older man asked. "Every local trainer in this area knows that this is the weeding out tournament for Team Rocket membership."
His words caused Leta and him to jump in surprise.
"T-Team Rocket?" Red and Leta gasped.
Kevin sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Oh boy," he said.
"B-b-but how?!" Red said. "The Nugget challenge is for Kanto's military recruitment. How did Team Rocket get a hold of it?"
"Well," he said. "You pay enough military goons to look the other way and suddenly it becomes as legit as ever. The local trainers all come here loving it. Us Rockets may be a little rough but you stick with us and do what we say, we high rankers live in luxury compared to your typical soldier. Well, I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse. With your skill, you can be a high ranking member. You might even be so good you're not a normal grunt. Think about how comfortably you'll live if you take my offer. So, what do you say kid? You in or out?"
Red glared at Kevin before realizing that it did seem like an offer he couldn't refuse. What other life prospects were granted to him? Misty confirmed he needed more training to join the military, he couldn't go back home without looking like a chump and just aimless drifting in the wilderness could get Red killed. Joining Team Rocket, not only would he have cash, he'd also have purpose.
"Yeah right!" Leta said. "As if Red would join people so heinous!"
And that snapped him right out of his bad decision. Red remembered that he wanted to be a good person from now on, doing good things, helping his Pokemon. If he joined up with the Rockets, all Red would do is not only put his Pokemon in more danger but others' as well. You couldn't join Team Rocket and not expect to get your hands dirty. He shook his head.
"Sorry," he said. "But I refuse. And...and I think I'm going to have to be taking you in."
Kevin glared.
"Nobody," he said. "Refuses my offers. Most don't shy away from my offers, kid. They take it real handily. And the few that don't jump at the opportunity I give them, well…"
He gestured to the wall of the bridge beside him, specifically to the water beneath the bridge.
"They sleep with the Tentacool," he said. "So...last chance."
"Leta," Red said.
The Butterfree flew off his shoulder and soared at him. Kevin stepped back before taking a Pokeball off his waist. He flung it forward.
"Go!" he cried. "Golbat!"
Appearing out of the Pokeball was a blue Pokemon that hovered in the air on its well-developed wings. Its wide mouth and fangs caused Red to fear it tearing into Leta's fragile and delicate body. Not to mention, Flying-types had an elemental advantage over Bugs. Butterfree were known as dangerous threats but only if using status conditions and not relying upon raw speed and power. He thought about recalling her until Red realized that Hurzer was at a disadvantage being a Ground-type, Selven was also super-effected and his ranged attacks could easily be evaded by a flying foe, Cinder wouldn't fight for him and Kurer was no longer around.
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I've got to have Leta stay away from the Golbat at all costs to avoid physical contact. He thought. One wrong move and she's dead.
"Golbat!" Kevin yelled. "Wing Attack!"
The blue Flying-type flew at the Butterfree faster than Red expected. Luckily, Leta nimbly avoided the strike with his wings, ascending upward before the Golbat chased after her. As Red could feel the wind whipped up by the Golbat's slap of his wings he ran through the list of moves at Leta's disposal.
"Stun Spore!" he cried.
The Butterfree stopped flying in midair before stopping in midair, turning down to flap her wings at her opponent to produce the paralysis inducing powder. The Golbat looked confused for a moment before stopping itself as the Stun Spore fell over head. As the cloud of bright spores descended upon it, the Flying and Poison-type looked around as it was obviously afraid it had nowhere to escape to.
"Blow it away with Gust!" Kevin cried.
The Golbat began flapping the Stun Spore away, scattering it so that it was dispersed away from its trajectory rather than threatening to touch him.
"It's easy for Flying-types to counter those powder moves," the Team Rocket member said. "Don't you know that?"
But just as the Golbat was blowing the Stun Spore away, Leta was already preparing another attack. And she didn't even need Red to instruct her this time. Prismatic light began running through the black veins decorating the Butterfree's otherwise white wings. Her large, red eyes glowed with seven colors as her body brimmed with every color in the rainbow.
Just as the Golbat had avoided the Stun Spore, it looked up to see a ray of multi-colored light engulf its body that fired from Leta's body. The enemy Pokemon's body lit up like a light bulb, its inner body suddenly revealed as one could see particles flowing throughout its body almost like an X-ray. Red recognized this as Poison-types like Zubat and its evolved forms being harshly affected by Psychic-moves. Scientists were still unsure why but psychic energy harshly interacted with poisonous substances. The Golbat fell to the ground, its eyes blank and very dizzy, Kevin stunned at the sight of his defeated Pokemon.
"We learned that trick during our training for Misty's gym," he said. "Use a move against a fast Pokemon you know it can avoid, but while it's trying to counter the attack, that's when you strike."
"Return!" Kevin shouted as he recalled his Pokemon, Red glad to see the top half of the Pokeball not turning red. He then took another ball from his waist and flung it forward. "Arbok!"
A purple snake longer than Red was tall with a large hood around its head appeared, hissing at him to reveal its fangs. The red and yellow, eye-shaped markings on the front of its hood made Red step back in fear, turning away as they gave him a dizzying psychological affect. He glanced out of the side of his vision to find the Arbok turning up at Leta to reveal its markings and the Butterfree, even flying as far above as it did, flew further away.
The patterns on its body cause the onlooker to experience intense fear and sensations of unease. Red remembered in Pokemon class. This way its opponents cannot fight Abork while looking at it head on.
"Darn," he said before turning to look up at his Pokemon. "Another type advantage. Leta, Psybeam!"
She hesitated as she flew aloft in the air, the process of producing prismatic light around her body not coming as easy to her. The Butterfree once again brimmed with various colors before firing a ray of light at the Cobra Pokemon but this time it was nowhere close to hitting the opponent, the Psybeam landing closer to Red than it did the Cobra Pokemon. Red winced in disappointment.
"Darn it," he said. "Leta can't look at Arbok directly so she can't aim properly."
"Arbok!" the Rocket member shouted. "Gunk Shot!"
The Poison-type Pokemon opened its mouth as wide as possible to vomit up a putrid smelling volley of black liquid at Leta. At first, Red wasn't so worried as he was confident of his Butterfree's ability to dodge such attacks. He didn't even think it'd reach her. However, he looked up in surprise to see it reached long enough to near her, the black poison shooting past her as Leta barely avoided the attack. It was a good thing they had trained in reaction time to avoid Pokemon's long ranged attacks because, even after six months of prepping, the Butterfree barely avoided the attack. Red recognized Kevin must have trained his Arbok in aiming properly.
"Wrap the squirt!" Kevin shouted.
The trainer thought it was odd he'd command his Pokemon to try to constrict an airborne enemy before realizing the Rocket meant to attack Red. Faster than he could run, the Arbok slithered toward him with the intent to capture him. Red began to panic, his mind racing with fear as he did his absolute best to avoid looking at the approaching Poison-type at all.
His arm immediately went to the Pokeballs at his waist to get Hurzer's but he began fumbling with the capsules hanging to his side, something that happened when the trainer was too scared to think. Any other trainer would be more accurate but he was just cursed with an easily startled mind. As Red fumbled among his Pokeballs he felt the Arbok's scaly skin muscle around his body, squeezing his arms against his upper torso. He yelled in pain before gasping for air, the oxygen forced out of his lungs, the young man collapsing to his knees in agony.
"C-c-can't-t-t-" he shouted.
"Breath?" Kevin laughed. "Yeah...I thought you'd change your mind after Arbok gets a hold of you. But now...you don't really have an option but to join us."
As he was being squeezed to the point of feeling nauseous, Red was vaguely aware of movement that came flying down out of the corner of his eye. It was only a purple and white blur to him at the time but when she arrived both behind and above the Arbok, Leta flapped a little bit to produce greenish-yellow powder. The Sleep Powder was a small enough dose that it only touched the Arbok. Upon being sprinkled on the Cobra Pokemon, Red could feel its body immediately going limp as it began to relax. It slumped to the bridge beneath him, Red himself falling to his hands and knees as gasped for air. He looked up at Leta to see she was smiling at him.
"What?!" Kevin said.
Red slowly stood up, glaring at the Rocket as he pressed himself against the wall at the side of the bridge. He took short, deep breaths to get some air back into his lungs. After regaining a little stamina he walked up to the Rocket grunt as Kevin shivered in fear, dropping the nugget in fear. He gestured for another Pokeball at his side, only for Leta to flap some Stun Spore at his hand, his fingers going stiff as a result. Red leered in anger.
"So…" he said. "You were saying something about me being forced to join Team Rocket?"
"No!" Kevin said. "Your Pokemon should not have done that! Even with Arbok's back turned, weak Pokemon like your Butterfree would be too afraid to approach it! It's too ingrained in them to flee from predators!"
"Then you must not know me," Leta said. "It's my duty to spread happiness to those who love and take care of me. Us Bug-types may be weak in the eyes of you humans and stronger Pokemon but I don't let such prejudice chain me down. That opinion of Butterfree being frail, weak things is no longer something I let confuse my self image. Red has helped me see past that."
The trainer gave a smug smile to the Rocket member, proud of her words to the criminal as he stared in disbelief.
"No-n-no…" he said. "Um...uh-I-"
"I think it's time I turn you in," Red said. "The authorities are going to have a field day getting information out of a worthless Rocket member who somehow weaseled his way into taking over the Nugget challenge."
"P-p-please," Kevin said. "Let me go…! I can't go to prison! Not yet…!"
"You're a danger to everyone," he said. "Why would I let you go?"
"Because if you do I'll deposit money into your account!" Kevin said. "More money than what the nugget's worth! And the nugget itself! I mean...what do you care for people if you make money?!"
He was about to object to that but then became suddenly interested. And Kevin actually had a point. What would the state of others matter if Red was better off? No one had ever helped him out, either before or after taking the gym challenge. His early life was squandered by not being as smart or strong as Blue was or as thoughtful or inquisitive as Green was.
He never had any fun, always being expected to be a great dragon tamer like Lance by the time he was twelve, a pressure that burdened Red to no end. In all honesty, Blue was better than him at the earliest age possible. It was a joke that Lance was Blue's real father as one seemed to clearly have inherited skills the other didn't. Oak was nicer to him than anyone else was but, like everyone else, always pushed Red to be like his father. And now that he had failed to win a gym badge without tying with a gym leader, something Blue had already done, he knew the kids at Pallet Town were laughing harder than ever.
No one was coming to help Red. Nobody. If he returned home, his mother would chastise him. The Professor would ask why he didn't go further in his career as a trainer. He hadn't seen his father in years. He'd have to hide his face from the town's inhabitants so they didn't mercilessly taunt Red. Blue and Green wouldn't come by to look at the disappointment he was but that was because they'd be too busy with their own successful lives to ever go back to a small town like Pallet. He'd live in shame for the rest of his life. Now, he was truly on his own and he had Pokemon to take care of.
"How much are we talking?" Red asked.
"Fifty grand," he said. "From my personal bank account to your's."
"Red!" Leta said. "You-you can't just-"
"Could you make it eighty grand?" he asked.
"Done," he said. "But, just so you know. If you tell the police, and they catch me, they'll be very suspicious of the fact that my account number transferred money into your's. You'd be questioned and under heavy suspicion."
"Deal," Red said.
"Red!" she said. "He's dangerous! Team Rocket's evil! If you do this then-!"
"Then let's head over to the Pokemon Center and use the PC," Kevin said. "I can-"
"No need," Red said.
He took the Pokedex from his pocket, opened it up and accessed his account menu. He held it up to Kevin who peered down at it with real inquisitiveness. He looked back up at Red with an impressed gaze. Leta stared on in horror at the deal the trainer was making, her body shaking in disgust.
"Got one of those neat Pokedexs," he said. "From Professor Oak, I presume."
"Yep," he said.
"Just like that Blue kid," Kevin said. "He's already won two gym badges already. He's going places."
"Yeah," Red said angrily. "I know."
Realizing he had touched a nerve, he quickly typed in his account number before transferring money to Red's account. The deal was quickly over with a slight pinging noise and Kevin looked up with a smile. He held up Arbok's Pokeball in his hand to press the ball to return the Cobra Pokemon. After stowing the Pokeball away to his side, he held out his hand for Red to shake.
"A pleasure doing business with you," the Rocket said.
"Same here," Red said as they shook.
He then waved goodbye before running off down the bridge back towards town. As he picked up the nugget the Rocket left behind, Red, feeling good about what happened, was then alerted by Leta shouting in his ear. She was obviously unhappy with his choice.
"Red?!" she screamed. "How?! How could you do this?!"
He turned to her with a defensive look, somewhat angry at her.
"Look," he said. "I gotta do what I have to do to make a living. Now that we don't have gyms to rely on for money, we'll be forced to scrounge up money from wherever we can to make ends meet. Besides Kevin will probably-"
"Probably steal more of people's stuff!" Leta shouted. "If not kill more people! What did you think was going to happen?! That I was going to be happy with your decision?!"
"No," he said. "More like...understand why exactly I-"
"Red," she said. "What you just did was terrible. I...I don't know how to feel right now."
He frowned.
"What?" he asked. "Do you hate me now?"
"No," she said. "But it doesn't make me not hate what you've done. I...I don't even know why you did that."
"I did it for you guys," he said. "Someone has to take care of you all now that-"
"If you really cared for us," Leta said. "You would never have done that in the first place."
"But-but how?!" he shouted.
"Because you confused providing for us with being our friend," Leta said. "A real friend would never do that."
Her words struck him in a way he didn't expect. From what his mother taught him, making money for everyone to survive was how you cared for someone. That was his mother's way of excusing Lance's absence all the time as, since they were able to live comfortably from all the money he got as the strongest Elite Four member, it was justified. And Red thought anyone he did that for would appreciate it. What Leta said made him remember what he would say to his mother when refuting that. He turned away, taking her Pokeball from his waist and returning her to it.
Cinder is right. He thought. I no longer am the same innocent child I once was. Now...I'm like Blue.