Pokémon: Midnight Blue

The Events of Saffron: Part 6

I fell to my knees as Gyarados returned to its Pokéball. It was all over. I had lost. For the first time ever, Robin had gotten the best of me. The victor cackled giddily at his success. 

"Tough break, Brian," he began to say. The next few words that came out of his mouth stung like a Beedrill's Twineedle attack, "And here I thought you were working all this time to get stronger. You'll have to do way better than that if you plan on beating me in the Pokémon League. At this rate, you'll never find Letta. I think I would call it quits if I were you." 

My heart stopped for a few seconds as these words reached my ears. I looked up at Robin, pain and fury blazing in my eyes, waiting for that arrogant smirk to wipe off his face at the realization of what he had just said to me. But it never did. That smile stayed glued firmly to his face and clearly had no intention of going away. It was at this point that I realized that Robin was no longer my friend. He was my rival. He was my competition. He was my enemy. I got up slowly, my glare still fixed on him, my eyes still holding back tears. 

"You'll pay for this, Manera," my voice trembled, "You're going to look back on this battle and wish that you had lost. I'll make damn sure of it." 

"Oh, I'm terrified," Robin mocked me, "You're not a threat to me anymore, Brian. I've finally caught up to you. In fact, I've surpassed you. And I'm gonna make sure you never pass me up again." 

My voice seemed to grow deeper and darker as I spoke, "Your efforts will be futile. When we meet again, you will see what a trainer of my strength and determination is capable of. I will not let you win again. Expect the worst from me when that time comes, Manera, because it is exactly what you will receive." 

"Okay, if you say so, Brian." 

I turned away on my heel, and as I began to walk, I could hear Kylie in the background, cheering for Robin and his victory. The sound of their joy at my expense infuriated me. They would both pay dearly for the pain they caused me. Robin for trying to make me lose all hope in my quest, in trying to convince me that I would never find my happiness again, and Kylie for encouraging him, for approving of his malice with her sweet words and congratulations. I would become unbearably powerful. So powerful that they would not even recognize me the next time they encountered me. 

I stopped. They would not even recognize me. With this dawned an idea. I needed to recreate myself. I was to be recognized throughout the entire region. I was to be like Kira, and have all trainers fear to speak my name. I needed a new identity. A new persona that trainers from all over would instantly recognize and tremble upon encountering. 

I ran off. I checked into the Pokémon Center and was assigned a room to stay in for the next few days. I began sketching furiously, an outfit of a champion. Something unique and distinguishable among other things. I searched high and low in the city for a tailor, and eventually found one. After what seemed like hours, I stepped out wearing a brown leather vest over a black dress shirt, navy blue pants, tan boots, a blue felt hat spiked on the the back, and a blue and black cape. I headed back to the Pokémon Center and threw away my old clothes. I got rid of everything except my black ski cap, which Letta had given to me for my sixteenth birthday. 

I sat in my bed and began to breathe deeply until I was sure I was completely relaxed. I lied back and slowly fell asleep, telling myself that the next day would be the first day of the rest of my life. 

The next day, I would begin training. No longer as Brian Phoenix, the novice trainer from the unknown, but as Dark Phoenix, the soon-to-be master of the Kanto region.