Pokemon Regression

Chapter 5: Oak's Lab

The usually quiet army barracks were abuzz with gossip as they awaited their new commander. The rumours had been pouring in since that morning, that their new commander would be the hero of the Kanto region. 

Red.

There wasn't a single person in the ranks who hadn't heard his name by now. The man who had singlehandedly fought off the Johto invaders, crushed Team Rocket beneath his heel, and the sole reason anybody had survived the Pallet town massacre. 

But the appearance of the man who walked in with the vice-commander was a surprise to everybody. Where I had expected a man with rippling muscles, instead I was faced with an almost sickly-looking boy who could hardly be a year older than myself. His skin was pale, almost ghostly. His red jacket and cap hung loosely over his body, almost as if they were too big for him. His arms were thin and weak-looking, and he had enormous bags under his eyes as though he hadn't slept in months.  

But his eyes alone were exceptional. They almost seemed to glow with a strange crimson hue, making them shine even past the shade of his cap. I met his gaze.

Somehow his expression felt sad to me. 

"Are you kidding me?" A man growled-An older soldier who had been in this regiment for some time. "THIS is Red the Hero? I don't believe it." 

The other soldiers began to murmur similar sentiments, calling out in boos and general disapproval, as I sat in stunned silence.

"..." Red's expression was blank and lifeless. The soldier got up and stormed towards him. 

"What do you have to say for yourself?! How can you expect to lead us if you don't even have muscles?" The soldier growled. 

Wordlessly Red reached to his belt, drawing three balls. In a flash of blue light, the entire building went silent as three monstrous creatures appeared behind him, each taller than every member of the room.

An orange lizard with enormous wings, a fire burning on it's tail as flame oozed from it's breath. Charizard, the final evolved form of Charmander. 

A large blue turtle with pipes coming out of it's back, like some kind of giant weapon. Blastoise, the final evolved form of Squirtle. 

A deep green quadruped built like a truck, with an enormous flower blooming on it's back. Venusaur, the final evolved form of Bulbasaur. 

They were all exceptionally rare and powerful Pokemon. There was no mistaking it, a trainer capable of taming all three of these beasts was undoubtedly Red the hero. 

The sight of the glaring crimson-eyed man silencing the room with his three Pokemon remained seared into my eyes. A sight I would never forget so long as I lived. 

...

I felt myself blink involuntarily a few times. "Chee likes battles?" I found myself saying with surprise. 

She'd always struck me as overwhelmingly shy, so the idea that she engaged in Pokemon battles was a surprise to me. Chee seemed to pout at me. 

I don't like battling. Her eyes said. 

"Well, I don't know about 'likes'." Oak admitted. "But all the kids here are skilled battlers."

Right. I'd suspected it before, but Oak was most likely training the most talented kids as battlers for the upcoming war. I'd already theorised that much, it just came as a shock to me to consider that Chee could be a part of that with how quiet she was.