Encounter with a Powerful Trainer

You and Rhapsody are traveling back to Viridian City when Rhapsody asks you “So, do you plan to challenge the Earth Gym?”

You consider Rhapsody’s question for a moment “I don’t know. It is considered bad luck to not save the Viridian Gym for last. Tradition says you challenge Viridian and then immediately head to Route 22.”

Rhapsody looks at you out of the corner of her eye “Why?”

“Well, Route 22 is the path to the Kanto Victory Road, which is the path to the Elite Four.” Seriously, Rhapsody was cute and all but you wonder about how little Rhapsody actually knows. While you weren’t lucky like Blue to have studied under a literal Pokemon Professor, you still studied a lot before you became a Pokemon Trainer. This was basic information.

“Wait, so Route 22 is the direct path that that trainers take to challenge the Elite 4?”

You just said that “Yes.”

“Which means that experience trainers with 8 Badges are going to be taking this path?”

“Yes, what is your point?”

“So, doesn’t that mean that WE could run into one of these trainers?!”

Shit! You hadn’t thought of that. WHY DIDN’T YOU THINK OF THAT? You had been enjoying hanging out with Rhapsody so much that you had forgotten that you should be more careful while traveling. The thing you had specifically done on Route 1 you had forgotten to do on the more dangerous Route 22! “Shit, we should probably get off of the main road!”

“I think it is a little late for that.” Both you and Rhapsody look to your right to see a man, in his mid to late 20s, leaning up against a tree off on the side of the road. He is wearing blue jeans, a red cap, and a white shirt. He walks towards both of you and starts examining the both of you. You position yourself between the man and Rhapsody, but the man simply circles around the two of you, walking closer as he does so. “What do you have here? On one hand we have a fiery beauty who seems to be sculpted from stone.” The man’s gaze shifts to Rhapsody and you hear her squeak as she tries to hide behind you. If the situation was different you would have found the noise she just made adorable. “On the other hand, we have an adorable shy little muffin. Decisions, decisions” The man gives a sigh and shrugs “Oh well, I guess I will just have to challenge both of you to a double battle.”

You grab onto Rhapsody’s hand, as much to comfort her as to steady your own nerves. You ask the man “What are the stakes?” You HATED that the challenger got to propose the stakes, and the challenged could only modify. It was just one of the messed-up things about League Rules that you wished would change.

The man looks at you as he thinks “Right down to business I see. Well lets see, I will put down 2 thousand each in return for a date.”

“I’m sorry what?” Ok, you were NOT expecting that.

“Oh, I have an event I have to get to tonight and I need someone to just stand there and look pretty, keep my company that sort of thing. These functions are generally boring as fuck. Also, if I am being honest, you two are the best-looking girls I have seen here all day.”

You can hardly believe what the man is suggesting “So let me get this straight. If you win, you just want us to be your dinner dates to some party?”

The man laughs a bit “When I win, but yes.”

You and Rhapsody look at each other for a moment. This wasn’t a bad offer, and you don’t want to piss him off before he changes his mind and suggest something more perverted. So “We accept.”

“Great, so send out your two Pokemon and lets get this started.”

If you are going to have any chance at winning you are both going to need to send out your strongest. So you and Rhapsody send out Bulbasaur and Houndour.

The young man simply smiles “Ah, Bulbasaur, that takes me back. Well, you showed me yours, I guess I should show you mine.” The man throws out two Pokeballs and releases a big mean looking Charizard, and a small little Gible.

You already figured that you and Rhapsody had little chance. But with the coverage of her fire type, and Bulbasaur’s ability to deal with Pokemon who can check fire types you had still held out hope that you might have stood a chance. But the sight of that vicious battle hardened Charizard removed all hope you might have had.

The man claps his hands together “Gible, us Dig! Charcoal you stay back!”

The man's commands snaps you out of your fright. Damn it you were NOT going to just surrender! “Bell, Sleep Powder!” Your Bulbasaur tries to use Sleep Powder on the Charizard but it just flaps its wings and disperses the powder. Still, it waits in the back, not attacking.

Rhapsody calls out “Henry, Bite!” but the Charizard grabs the little Houndour with one of its large claws and for a moment looks like it is about to crush the poor Pokemon, but instead the Charizard just throws Henry away from it. The Houndour’s relief is short live however as the Gible bursts out of the ground, hitting the Houndour directly.

“Henry!” Rhapsody rushes over to her Houndour and picks up the fainted Pokemon.

The man calmly comments “One down, one to go.”

FUCK! Well if you can’t take out the Charizard, maybe you can can at least take out the Gible. “Bell, leach seed the Gible!” Bulbasaur quickly fires a leach seed and while the baby dragon tries to jump out of the way the seed connects.

“Gible, Dragon Claw!”

“Bell, Sleep Powder!”

The Gible attacks your Bulbasaur and lands a solid hit, but this positions the Gible directly next to you Pokemon, making it impossible for it to dodge the Sleep Powder, causing it to fall asleep instantly.

“Bell, INGRAIN!” You know this probably won’t help much, you know that the Charizard could end this fight in an instant if it wanted to. But damn it if you can at least take out this Gible you can save SOME of your dignity! “Bell, Vine Whip!” Bulbasaur attacks with Vine Whips which send the Gible flying away from your Pokemon. “AGAIN, DON’T LET UP!” You can see the Gible try to get up, but the Leach Seed is quickly draining it of strength and the Vine Whips do seem to be hurting it.

The man shouts, “Dragon Claw!” and the Gible tries to charge at Bell but your Pokemon manages to keep it away with by slapping it with more Vine Whips. To your surprise the Gible does not get back up. The man pulls out a Pokeball and returns the Gible to its Pokeball “Well, count me impressed. Still, we both know that you can’t beat good old Charcoal here. So how about you concede and save your Bulbasaur the pain of being burned?”

You could feel your body physically shake with frustration, but he was right. So, through clenched teeth you make yourself say “I concede.”

“Wonderful!” The man returns the Charizard to its Pokeball and walks up to the both of you and positions himself in the middle. Placing an arm around each of your shoulders he says “By the way, I haven’t gotten your names yet.”

“I am Amber.”

“Rhapsody”

“Well ladies, my name is Red, and don’t worry. I am sure we are going to have a wonderful evening.”

Red, Red, Red, where had you heard that name before???