Thorns (M)

[FishyTaco]

For those of you that have followed the anime and the games for quite some time, I have a question for you. That question is, have you ever felt as if Pokémon has this incredible potential to function as a more mature franchise? Now don't get me wrong, I love the anime and games and the manga. Two of those three I grew up watching as a little kid (unfortuantely, I never had the luck of being able to read the manga until my late high school years). As I got older, I looked back and I had this feeling that things were sort of cheesy in the beginning. There was no real risk and no real downfall for failure.

That's when I realized Pokémon was and still sort of is aimed at a younger demographic. It became clear why things felt cheesy. So over time, I began to wonder what would Pokémon be like? I watched shows like Breaking Bad, House M.D., and Law and Order: SVU, and I craved for something more mature to come from Pokémon. Finally, instead of waiting, I took action. I began writing. I started to draw in elements from reality and other shows to formulate what I've always wanted. And over the years, I must say I'm pleased to finally post a story that I feel confident about. I'm pleased to introduce a story of mine called Thorns. It takes place in an alternative universe, based mostly off the manga, but it draws in a lot of elements from both the games and the anime itself. I welcome any form of critique those of you may have on it. If I decide to post more of it here, I'll update this with an index. However, I should warn you that this story has been ongoing for a while, and should you choose to critique, my writing later within the story may have fixed a concern you have. If it has, I'll let you know.

Rated M for language and violence.

Here's a brief snyopsis: Kanto is lost deep under the control of Team Rocket. They've ruled for decades with their money, corruption, and lies. Three teens set out to chase their dreams and deliver the truth and justice Kanto deserves. But a realization comes, that the truth has always seemed like a rose, bright and vibrant with it's beauty, it's good intent- but even the prettiest of roses have their thorns that come with it. Maybe the truth, much like their dreams, is best forgotten.

. . .

Prologue​

Deep within the bowels of the Kanto Region, far from civilization, was an uncharted mountain range shrouded in darkness. But one man, evil and foul enough to withstand the harsh terrain, made it his home. He constructed an array of large buildings, twisting the landscape to his horrible needs. On the mountain's summit sat a large spherical fortress, serving as the base of his operations.

Inside, an old head scientist approached his leader and knelt down. His lab coat was stained with dirt and sweat. It dangled loosely from his emaciated body. Bones of the man's jaw and cheeks stuck out from his wrinkling face. Sharp rocks from the unpaved floor scraped against his skin, drawing a thick, red liquid to stain the floor. "Master," the man said, placing his left fist over his heart with his palm facing downward. He lowered his head in a form of twisted respect. "The final calculations are nearly complete. We predict that within six months, 'Project M' will be finished and ready for testing."

Before the kneeling man a large staircase led up to a throne of niobium. A man, clothed in the finest orange suit that his fortune could buy, took the seat. He looked out into the main area. His subordinates weakly scrambled around the machines as they always were. In the middle of the room sat a large cylindrical chamber filled with a murky, blue liquid. "Six months, you said, Professor Fuji?"

"Y- Yes, Master. The subject still needs time to grow and mature. It is only in its infant stages. It doesn't yet fully possess the power that you wante-"

"I cannot be damned to waiting six more months, Professor. I have already given you years, and yet you still present the same excuses to me as if you think I am naive."

"No, Your Omnipotence! I would never dare to question your intellect, but we have ran into more problems than we anticipated. I'm afraid that without Mew here to provide more DNA, progress has slowed by more than seventy percent. Please, Master Giovanni, we beg for more of your patience and time!"

Giovanni's fists tightened against the arms of the chair. "Damn that woman… That wretched woman!" he roared. His anger echoed throughout the chambers of the sphere. Scientists and grunts alike stopped and shuddered under his rage. "Had I not let her trick me, Mew would still be in our possession!"

Professor Fuji kept his head lowered. "Perhaps you could send a small team of elite grunts to track down Me-"

The master slammed both hands down on the throne, rising to his feet. "I do not allow you to live so you can give me petty excuses or suggest your idiotic solutions. You WILL do the work without Mew, and you WILL have Project M completed by tomorrow morning! Are we clear?!"

"No!" Professor Fuji yelled and stood up. He revealed a small, red, rectangular device from his pocket. "Now!" he screamed back at the other workers. The blue liquid from the large tube in the center of the room began to drain out all over the floor. Red emergency lights started to shine and sirens blared throughout the room. The grunts began to viciously attack the scientists.

"What!?" Giovanni gawked at the war unfolding before him. Blood spilled from punches and devastating blows being dealt. In the center, a small, twinkling light shined. The light of hope amidst the revolt. It released a powerful blast of psychic energy that slammed the master into his throne. The sudden impact caused blood to spill from his mouth in a vibrant splotch of crimson. Various grunts met a similar fate as they were risen up by a mysterious power and slammed to the floor, crushing many organs and knocking the majority unconscious, leaving the rest unable to move.

Thick smoke enveloped the room, accompanied by raging wildfires. Machines caught ablaze, causing explosions to ring out, flinging sharp shrapnel in every direction. Giovanni slowly rose to his feet, vision blurred from the hit. Through the smoke, a pair of blue eyes as wild as a raging typhoon leered at him. Project M emerged from the cloud as a slender gray monster with a purple belly and tail, just as Giovanni envisioned. He reached a hand out to touch it, barely being able to mumble, "My son… My beautiful son…" But before he could make contact, in the blink of an eye, Project M vanished, and so did the scientists. Giovanni was left alone.

An elite grunt broke through the large, double doors and called forth a Weezing to suck up the smoke and put out the flames with Sludge Bomb. He saw his master collapsed by his throne. "Master," he said, rushing to help him on his feet. "I came as soon as I heard the explosions. Other reinforcements should be arriving soon as well. What happ-"

"We're starting over. Find me more scientists. Project M-2 must be created immediately."

"But, Master! All over again? Surely-"

"Shut your trap, Archer. I will not be damned to an eternity of hell by that scientist. Most of all that cursed, wretched woman! If they think they have won, they are mistaken. I will take care of things here; you have your orders, now go!"

Years later...​

The morning sun pierced through the bedroom window of thirteen-year-old Red. But for once, it was the sun that was late to rise. He'd beaten the fiery star to the punch and was already outside, waiting to greet it with burning, red eyes of determination and a tightly clenched fist that held a burly resolve in its grasp. "It's finally gonna happen. Today I become a Pokémon Trainer!"

A groggy, messy haired boy opened the window to Red's bedroom and called out, "Hey, Red, shut the Frillish up! It's six in the morning!"

"Crunch me; I'm excited!"

"Yeah, well stop using Hyper Voice before I actually come down there and Crunch you."

"Kinky, but you're not my type. Sorry, Blue."

"What a shame. I'm going back to sleep. Can't believe I agreed to sleep over…" Blue grumbled to himself, rubbing the discharge from his eyes as he closed the window. His tired body fell to the air mattress, quickly rolling over underneath his blankets. The second his eyes closed shut, they shot back open with a sudden realization. He raced downstairs and out into the front yard, meeting his spiky black haired friend who was already dressed for the day in his red jacket and blue jeans. "Good Creation Trio! Today's the day!"

Red took a quick look at his friend and scoffed, "Surely you don't plan on meeting Professor Oak in your blue feety-pajamas, do you?"

"Shut up," Blue took a playful jab at the boy's arm. "Still better than that thing you call an outfit. Seriously, that whole red jacket and blue jean thing couldn't be more boring if you tried."

"Still better than feety-pajamas!" he laughed. "Come on, go change so we can eat and get going."

"We don't have to be there until ten-thirty. I'll change after I get some more sleep."

"F- Fine." Red groaned.

Blue turned his attention to the rising sun in the distance. A cool breeze blew across the quiet yard, making him shudder. "You know, I don't see why you woke up so early. I don't see anything special out here."

"You really know how to take all of the fun and joy out of nature, don't you? If you must know, I came out here to think. The peace and quiet is soothing. Well, it was until you came out here and started talking."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Just what it would be like to finally have my own Pokémon in my arms," Red sighed with a smile. "It kind of gets me excited just thinking about it."

Blue nodded and smirked a little himself. "Yeah, that makes two of us."

"And that makes three of us!" a voice called out from down the street. Both of the boys looked over to see a young girl around their age approaching them. She was dressed in a grass green tank top and blue jeans. Her long, brown hair flowed behind her as she joined them on the lawn. She immediately began laughing at Blue for a somewhat obvious reason. "Man, that's quite the traveling outfit you've got there."

"Well if it isn't Miss Frumpy Green from down the street," Blue teased, giving her a warm hug.

Red stood with his arms folded, glaring at the girl. "Did you forget about my hug? And what're you doing up so early?"

"Of course I couldn't forget about you, Red. No matter how hard I tried." Green smiled and gave him his hug. "I heard you two yelling at each other and I thought I'd come watch. I even considered bringing popcorn."

"Well at least you're dressed!" Red pointed out.

"I'll have you remember that we're going to meet my grandfather. I can see him in whatever outfit I want, and if either of you give me any lip about it, I can tell him not to give you two any Pokémon!"

"Speaking of Pokémon…" Green glared at the two boys. "What are we all picking?"

"You know I can't say; it's a secret!" Red insisted.

"Now, now, it might actually do us some good to know who wants what so there isn't a fight over anything," Blue suggested. "I'm picking Squirtle. Any objections to that?"

Red stomped the ground furiously and turned away, folding his arms. "Aw man!"

"Uh-oh, is that what you were gonna pick?" Green asked.

"No! He's just… gonna have an advantage over me is all. I'm picking Charmander."

"Wait, how do you know he's gonna have an advantage over you?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Blue cut in. "CHAR-mander and SQUIRT-le-- fire and water, duh! Water can put out a fire easily. Not to mention that I'm already way better than him anyway."

"Well thank Arceus this all works out perfectly, because I wanted Bulbasaur" Green sighed.

Red mocked Blue in a falsetto voice, "'Not to mention that I'm already way stupider than him anyway.'"

Blue wiped the metaphorical salt off the boy's shoulders and popped the collar of his pajamas, smiling smugly at him. "You just mad 'cuz of my Pokémon Trainer swagger."

"We're not trainers, yet," Green reminded him.

"I know," Blue said as he turned back to the sunrise. "But soon we will be. And when we are, things are gonna be so different."

"So cool, you mean!" Red chuckled, placing an arm around his friend's shoulder.

Green joined in with her arm around the opposite shoulder of the pajama boy. "So cool AND fun!" she added.

"Heh…" Blue looked up at the sun with his friends and smiled. "So this is our great escape from Pallet Town and into the world. I wonder what's out there for us…"

Elsewhere...​

Giovanni marveled at the sight of the biological creation in front of him. It slowly took form in a pool of ominous liquid contained within a large test tube. "Soon… Kanto will know true fear. And I will make that professor and woman pay with their lives."

"Master Giovanni," the head scientist said, rushing to his side and knelt out of respect. "It will only be six more months until Project M-2 is ready for its first test run. In the meantime, we will need more Pokémon to contribute to its strength. We also might need the DNA of Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres as well, since Mew is unobtainable."

Giovanni rubbed his chin in thought. "Good… We should be expecting a big haul of Pokémon two of my operatives secured from the Safari Zone. I will begin coordinating plans with Gianna to claim the three legendary birds within the month."

"Actually, sire, if I may, that previous professor of yours conducted a study about a certain phenomenon called Mega Evolution. I believe Project M-2 is capable of this, but according to my research, it would require three Mega Stones, or 'keystones' as he called them, in order to unlock such a power."

"'Mega Evolution'?" Giovanni repeated, turning to him. "That is nothing short of a myth. I expected someone of your caliber would not concern themselves with high tales, Dr. Zager."

"Master, that myth you speak of is all but fake," Dr. Zager reassured him. "Professor Fuji has been leading an investigation in it for years now."

"Did you say 'Professor Fuji'? That name… That man…" Giovanni took a moment to himself to think deeply. After a few tense seconds, he commanded the scientist to stand up and he shook his hand. "Dr. Zager, I promise we will get whatever you need, especially if it concerns this 'Mega Evolution' you speak of. As long as you deliver Project M-2 to me within the six months you promised."

"Y- Yes, Master! I promise we won't fail you! Project M will be reborn! Stronger than ever!"

Giovanni smiled as he approached the large test tube and placed a hand on it. The glass was warm to the touch. In the blue liquid, a small bulbous organism pulsated in symphony with the master's heartbeat. "Yes," he whispered in ecstasy. "Soon, my true son, you will feast on the blood of millions. We will ascend to greatness together! We will be… legendary."

 

[FishyTaco]

Chapter One

All Hail the Pokédex!

Blue adjusted the collar of his cobalt sweater and rolled up the legs of his skinny jeans. He rose back up to stretch his arms. Alongside Red and Green, they stood on the doorstep of Professor Oak's laboratory which was perched comfortably on top of a hill. They gazed out on the town below them, making idle conversation. Red habitually checked his watch every few seconds, praying that time would take a leap forward. "Red," Blue groaned, "You do realize you don't have a watch on, right?"

"I know! I'm just too excited to care! I wish your grandpa would get here already…"

Green continued to tap her foot impatiently. "I have to admit, I'm with Red on this one. I love your grandfather and all… but today is just so important that I can't help but want to rush him. Aren't you feeling the same way?"

Blue shrugged his shoulders. "Eh. It isn't like it's first time he's kept us, or at the very least, me, waiting. Guess I'm just used to it."

"Oh, Blue…" Red sighed, slapping the boy's back in a vain effort to bring some life into him. "Always the party-pooper!"

While the slap failed to invigorate Blue, it certainly annoyed him. "Hit my back again and then we'll see who's the real party-pooper," he threatened.

Red quickly backed off, waving a white flag fashioned out of his middle finger and a tissue from his pocket. "Ooooh, I'm soooo scared."

Blue lunged at Red, grabbed his flag-finger, and bent it backwards. "Scared now?!" he yelled over the boy's shrieks of pain. He applied more pressure until Red was brought to his knees, begging for him to stop.

"It's times like these where I begin to gravely reconsider letting you three have something as valuable as a Pokémon…"

The boys, along with Green, immediately snapped to attention as they noticed the esteemed Pokémon Professor touching down in front of them on his Dragonite.

"P- Professor Oak!" Blue and Red stammered in shock as they rose to their feet, brushing the dirt off their clothes and standing at attention with Green following suit.

"Now, now, you're not in the military. There's no need for the proper postures," Professor Oak chuckled. "I'm sure you three must be itching to get your first Pokémon, correct?"

Red, literally having an itch, vigorously scratched his arm. "We sure are!"

"Then let's go to the backyard. I have things I need to discuss with you all."

. . .​

Professor Oak was seated in a lawn chair on the back porch, shaded by a tall tree behind him. He leaned forward with a soft smile, looking at the three children sitting across from him in chairs of their own. Each one pressed their arms on the glass table, bodies tilted forward with excited smiles from ear to ear. "I can't believe the day is finally here," he chuckled to himself. "You three still look like the little five-year-olds that would beg me to play with Dragonite. And now look at you. You're all ready to go out on your first adventures. Well almost ready, that is." The professor dug deep into his pockets and took out three red, rectangular devices. He handed one to each of them.

"What's this?" Red fumbled around with the electronic, accidentally dropping it and losing it under his chair.

Blue successfully opened the front panel and was met with a bright white screen filled with information on him. There was even a picture of his face. "Whoa, this is like an I.D."

"Not to mention like an encyclopedia, look at all of this!" Green flipped through various pages on the touch screen that displayed one Pokémon after another. "There's even one here on Bulbasaur!"

"You're both correct," Professor Oak stated as he rose from his chair and moved to the railing, looking out at the large plains that made up his backyard. "What you three hold in your hands, if Red can find his, is called a Pokédex. It's a high tech encyclopedia that contains information on every single known Pokémon in the world. It also functions as a Trainer I.D. and cellular phone. You could even browse the internet on it!" he chuckled. "My, how far technology has come. Back in my day we didn't even have Pokédexes. A colleague of mine, Benjamin Rowan, and I, created the first Pokédex. We traveled all over the world with our friends and filled it up. Oh, how I miss those days… I wonder what Professor Rowan is doing now. I believe he was the leading professor in the Sinnoh Region, last I heard." He turned back around to see the children staring blankly at him. "Ah, right, you three probably don't care about any of that. But it's good you know where that powerful device in your hands came from. Anyway, do you have any questions for me so far?"

"When do we get our Pokémon?" Red quickly asked.

"Soon," Professor Oak laughed. "Any questions pertaining to the subject of the Pokédex itself?"

The three shook their heads, eager to move on.

"As I figured." The professor walked over to his chair and fished out a large cylindrical capsule from underneath it. He placed it on the table and pressed the button on the side. A frame on the front rose up, releasing a fine film of steam.. Three spherical objects rolled out onto the table. White on the bottom, a black line wrapping around the center like the equator of a world, and a red transparent top- they were definitely Poké Balls.

Red's hand immediately began to reach for a ball, but was pushed away by Professor Oak's.

"It would help if you knew what you were choosing first, wouldn't it?"

"No need!" he smiled. "I already know what I'm choosing, and so do Blue and Green."

"Well now, that's quite a surprise. Is this true, you two?"

Blue nodded his head. "Sure is, Gramps. We figured it out this morning."

"That's right," Green confirmed. "Red wanted Charmander, Blue wanted Squirtle, and I wanted Bulbasaur. No conflict at all, thank Arceus."

"Well, you've just about shut this old man up, haven't you?" Professor Oak chuckled lightly. "That's quite fine with me. Please, take your pick."

Each of the children peered through the transparent tops on the capsules. The Pokémon on the far left was an orange lizard with a flame on the tip of its tail. In the middle was a blue turtle with a sturdy shell covering its body. On the end, a green dinosaur equipped with a nutrient-filled plant on its back. Taking their picks, they called out their Pokémon and they landed firmly in their laps. The new trainers looked down at them, their faces beaming with smiles. One trainer was so overjoyed that she quickly wrapped her arms around her new Pokémon and wept hysterically.

Blue turned to her, "Green? Are you okay?"

"I'm just so happy!" The girl squealed, hugging her Bulbasaur tighter.

Red and his Charmander quietly snickered at her, confirming that their union was a match made in heaven.

Blue's Squirtle caught wind of the disrespectful laughter and grew restless. It scolded the lizard with profane statements in their language.

Offended, Charmander waved its tail and flicked red-hot embers that singed both the trainer and his Squirtle. Blue shot up from his seat and quickly patted out the tiny flames on him. He grabbed the ocean blue pendant dangling from his neck and let out a small sigh of relief, seeing that it was unscathed. "Red, control your Charmander! You haven't even had it for five minutes and it's already acting out!"

"Oh yeah? And what about your Squirtle? I'm sure it said some pretty awful things to my Charmander. As far as we're concerned, it's your Squirtle's fault!"

Blue raised the sleeve on of one of his arms and balled his fist. "You wanna say that again?"

"As far as I'm concerned, it'-"

Blue reeled back to sock his friend in the face, but stopped and looked down at his Squirtle. Instantly, an idea far better than barbaric fisticuffs hatched. "Hold on a second, I don't need to hit you. We've got Pokémon now! Let's settle this with a battle; the loser has to apologize!"

Red began to smirk wildly. "Alright, you're on!"

"Oh good grief…" Professor Oak sighed to himself. "Those two don't even know how to battle…"

Both of the boys ran to the backyard, opposing one another with their Pokémon. Silence fell on the battlefield as Red and Blue eyed each other carefully. On one side, a burning wildfire that would consume all in its path; on the other, a raging tidal wave that would crush all that stood in its way. The silence quickly went from tension-filled to awkward. The two stood frozen in their places with confused looks about them.

Professor Oak let out another sigh and leaned over the rail, calling out to them, "I'm assuming neither of you two know how to battle, correct?"

The boys looked back and shamefully nodded.

"Pokémon respond to orders, like calling out a move for instance. Your Pokédex can give you information about your own Pokémon and about your opponent's. Try it and see for yourself!"

"Wow, Professor, you sure do know a lot," Green commented.

"Well thank you, but this knowledge came with experience. I never learned much just by sitting on the sidelines, you know."

Green took a moment to reflect on his words. She saw that Red and Blue were already gaining valuable experience by learning how to battle, but what was she doing? Just being a spectator.

Professor Oak began to talk again, breaking Green's train of thought. "A lot can be learned from observing, just don't favor it over experience."

Green sighed calmly. "Alright, Bulby, let's make sure we watch them carefully… By the way, you don't mind if I call you 'Bulby', do you?" The Seed Pokémon looked back up at her and shook its head. "Ah, good. I'm glad."

"Let's see here…" Red continued to flip through the pages on the screen and let out a groan. "I'm never gonna find the page on Charmander like this. There has to be an easier way…" He looked up from the encyclopedia to see his opponent pointing the dex at his own Pokémon. Following suit, he lowered the device down to his Charmander. "There we go!"

"Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. From the time it is born, a flame burns vigorously on the tip of its tail. Not only does it serve as a weapon, but it also represents its life force. If Charmander is in poor condition, the flame will burn weakly. If Charmander is healthy, the flame will burn vibrantly. This flame is not easily doused, even by the strongest blasts of water. But prolonged exposure to that or anything that would cause the flame to go out would result in its death. Trainers should take extra care of this flame."​

"All hail the Pokédex! So I guess I need to watch Squirtle's attacks, especially if it uses anything with water. Now, Charmander's moves are… Scratch and Growl- wait, is that it? Those don't sound like Fire-type attacks… At least its ability sounds like it involves fire. Solar Power, the user's special attack increases during strong sunlight." Red looked up to see the sun blazing far in the sky. "The sun always looks bright, but I don't think it's 'strong' today. It looks like I'll have to make do with what I can. I hope you're ready Blue, 'cuz we're gonna burn you to a crisp! Well Scratch you, technically." He took a quick glance at his Pokédex again and shrieked internally at a piece of information he neglected to read. "AH! CHARMANDER, YOU'RE A GIRL!?"

Blue aimed his Pokédex at Squirtle and smirked as he caught view of Red out of the corner of his eye. "Heh, looks like Red only figured out what to do by looking at me. I suppose I should be flattered- imitation is the best form of flattery, after all. I'd better hurry up and see what Squirtle can do before Red gets finished reading his dex."

"Squirtle, the Tiny Turtle Pokémon. Squirtle's shell is not merely used for protection. It can be an offensive tool. It can also quickly withdraw into its shell as a method of protection. While withdrawn, it is able to fire blasts of water when the opportunity arises. The shell's rounded shape and grooves on the side also cut its resistance in the water, allowing it to swim at high speeds. While not to be underestimated in the water, it can easily hold its own on land as well. On foot, it does not possess much speed, but if it were to hide in its shell and start spinning like a top, it could easily chase down its opponent. There is a record of a Squirtle beating a Scyther in a race."​

"Whoa, that shell is definitely a blessing. Thank you, Arceus. And, thank you, Squirtle. Also, all hail the Pokédex! Now, let's see what else you're all about… So your ability, Rain Dish, restores health when it's raining. Man, I wish we would've done this yesterday during that storm- that would've been perfect! But no use fretting over it now. Maybe it knows a move that can make it rain or something… Tackle and Tail Whip? I guess we'll have to learn some new moves then. Looks like Tail Whip might come in handy, though. Now, let me get a quick read on that Charmander." Blue pointed his device at the fiery lizard and began to quickly flip through the pages of information that appeared on the screen. "Got it. So the flame on Charmander's tail is dangerous. I figured as much. It's a shame the Pokédex won't let me see its moves or ability. But I guess there wouldn't be any fun in that, now would there? … Oh hey, Squirtle, you're a boy, too? Awesome!"

Green let out a yawn. "They've been standing there for a while now. Are they going to do anything?"

Professor Oak cleaned his glasses with a warm huff of breath and a rub against the tail of his coat. "It looks like they're just about finished reading their Pokédexes. It might be like this for a while. But not just with them- you too. You're all beginners and still learning how everything works. I'm sure you three will learn to read things faster and before you know it, it'll all happen in just a few seconds. In a civilized battle between two trainers, both are usually respectful of one another if one has a Pokédex, although experienced trainers don't ever usually take this long. But in the wild, all bets are off."

"What do you mean?"

"A wild Pokémon won't always wait for the trainer to gather information on them. They don't really even know what a Pokédex is, so in their minds it's just an opening to attack or flee. That's when experience and the ability to read both the situation and the Pokédex quickly will come in handy. But everyone has to start from somewhere. You three are fortunate. Back when I was a young trainer, we had to fight the same species hundreds of times in order to learn about them. When my colleague and I created the Pokédex, it was arduous to fill it all up. But when we did, it was worth it to see the smiling faces of its first recipients."

"'First recipients'?" Green repeated. "So we aren't the first to get a Pokédex?"

"My goodness, no!" the professor chuckled. "There have been many before you three. I do believe the first one, however, was a young boy much like Red. He was a former student of mine; truly a gifted trainer indeed with a natural talent. But I haven't heard from him since he challenged the Elite Four many years ago."

"Did he win?"

"Unfortunately, no. He beat all of the Elite Four, but fell to the champion."

"That's a shame," Green sighed. "Did he travel with friends? Like how me, Red, and Blue are all friends?"

"Ah, he did! There was a very young girl and another boy."

"Who were they? Do we know them?"

Professor Oak chuckled to himself. "I'm sure you'll cross paths with one of them at the very least. Besides, you've already met the girl. Numerous times, might I add."

With a gasp, Green retreated deep into thought. "I already know the girl? But who could she be? It isn't my mom; she doesn't know a Bulbasaur from a Zapdos! That's the only person I can think of…" She was brought back to reality by a hand placed on her shoulder.

Professor Oak pointed out to the boys and said, "Look, they're about to start."