A Pokemon Tale Part I: The Journey Begins

Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Red vs. Green

Pallet Town: just outside Professor Oak's Lab

Red and Green glared at each other's eyes from about twenty yards away. Standing in front of Red was Squirtle, hopping up and down like a boxer getting ready for his fight. In front of Green, Charmander kept looking from Squirtle to Green not wanting to make a bad first impression on his new master.

"Alright, Charmander," Green began, he had obviously watched Pokémon battles before, and he conducted himself like a pro, "Let's get things started with a Flamethrower attack!" Charmander looked at Green, dumbfounded.

"Tackle it, Squirtle!" commanded Red. Squirtle raced over to Charmander and knocked it right into Green, its hard shell giving it some extra power. Green fell to his knees, not knowing that Pokémon needed their space when they battled.

"Squirtle, squirt!" Mocked Squirtle as he puffed out his chest, and beat it with his right hand. Charmander looked at Green for instruction.

"You fool, Green!" yelled Oak. "These Pokémon are still young and low-leveled. Charmander doesn't know how to use a high-skilled move like Flamethrower!"

Green got up and yelled back at his grandfather. "Just let me do this OK? Scratch, Charmander!" At this point Squirtle was strutting back and forth still happy with its last attack it didn't see Charmander run up and scratch him right in the face. Insulted, and without order Squirtle punched Charmander in the gut. Charmander was furious now, the flame on its tail grew larger, and Green ordered another scratch attack. This time, a small wound was made on Squirtle's cheek. Red was thinking quickly.

"Squirtle! Get away get some distance so we can get another Tackle attack!" He instructed Squirtle. Squirtle tried to get away, but Charmander was too fast. He kept scratching Squirtle's spiral, squirrelish tail. Then Red had an idea.

"Squirtle! Go into your shell!" Instantly ignoring the pain, Squirtle pulled all its limbs into his shell (including its tail), and before Green could call off the scratching, Charmander took a swipe at the shell, and if you've ever seriously broken a fingernail, you know what Charmander was feeling. Charmander grabbed his hand and started to cry. Squirtle poked his head out of his shell and ran about fifteen feet away.

"Let's win it, Squirtle!" Red said. Squirtle looked at Red, and nodded. He then proceeded to get into an Olympic sprinters stance, and burst forward. About three feet from the bawling Charmander, he jumped and pulled himself into his shell, and the hard shell gave Charmander a good thump on the head. The good news for Green was that Charmander had stopped crying. The bad news was that Charmander fainted. And when a Pokémon is unable to fight, it loses the battle.

Squirtle knew he won. He emerged from his shell and ran forward towards Professor Oak, then he stopped, realizing he had run the wrong way, and turned back towards Red and jumped into Red's open arms, because Red was expecting a victory hug. Though he was expecting it, he was still knocked back a little.

"You got lucky, Red," said Green. He snatched Charmander's Poke-ball from Oak. "Charmander, return." On this command the Poke-ball shot a beam of red light, and Charmander de-materialized into the Poke-ball.

"An interesting battle, boys," Oak turned to Green. "In my lab I have a Pokémon healing machine. Just place the Poke-ball in the slot and press the button, and Charmander will be good as new."

"Yeah, yeah," Green said as he walked back into the lab.

Oak walked over to Red. "You showed some real potential out there, my boy." Squirtle puffed out his chest and beat it with his hand. "A real trainer not only takes advantage of his Pokémon's techniques and attacks, but also the environment and his own Pokémon's physical attributes, like Squirtle's shell for instance…" He handed Red Squirtle's Poke-ball. "I have no doubt you'll make me, your mother and the whole Pallet town proud."

Red was humbled. THE Professor Oak congratulated him?

"Thank you, sir," Red said as he and Squirtle looked at each other. "We won't let you down."

"Ah 'we,'" said Oak, noticing something. "That's what I like to hear… Now I would like to see you guys at 10' O clock sharp tomorrow morning, but first, I have a little mission of sorts for you, if you're up to it."

"Sure, anything, Professor!"

"I had ordered a custom Poke-ball in Viridian City, to the North of here. I got a call saying that it had been delivered. I was wondering if you and Squirtle could go pick it up for me?"

"Sounds great!" And just like that, Red and Squirtle rushed north towards Route 1 which leads to Viridian City. In their haste, they almost didn't notice a young girl and her Nidoran tiredly walk by them.

"Squirtle, squirtle?" Squirtle seemed to joke.

"Oh shut up, she's not that cute." Red said back.