Red was an early riser, a habit born from years of disciplined training. After the chaos of the Pokémon Center, he'd used earplugs to ensure an uninterrupted night's rest, and he was already awake and on his way by six o'clock. After a quiet breakfast, he embarked on the next leg of his journey: Viridian Forest.
The forest was a vast, ancient woodland, teeming with Bug and Flying-type Pokémon. It was a famous haunt for the passionate "Bug Catcher" trainers who dedicated themselves to the insectoid arts. Red, however, was here with a specific goal. To round out his initial team of six, he planned to capture a Scyther with extraordinary potential. Its final evolution, Scizor, was capable of Mega Evolution, a power he intended to master.
"Come out, Charmander, Pidgey."
He tossed two Poké Balls. Charmander appeared on the path before him, while the golden Pidgey took to the skies above. Among his current team, these two were the newest and least experienced. To accelerate their growth, Red intended to put them through a gauntlet.
"Your task is simple," he commanded, his voice echoing in the quiet woods. "Defeat every Pokémon you encounter."
Both Pokémon nodded, their eyes alight with eagerness. They were ready to test the fruits of their recent training. Charmander, in particular, was already itching to unleash its flames on a new opponent.
It didn't have to wait long. A plump Caterpie crawled slowly across their path. Before the Bug-type could even process the threat, Charmander engulfed it in a torrent of fire, incinerating it without a moment's hesitation.
"Be careful. This is a forest," Red reminded him calmly. He raised a hand, and his psychic power snuffed out the lingering flames on the undergrowth before they could spread.
Seeing his master effortlessly quench the fire, Charmander looked up with pure admiration, its desire to one day match that strength burning brighter than ever.
"Good boy," Red said with a smile, stroking Charmander's head. "One day, you'll be the one strong enough to protect me."
The simple act of affection made the Pidgey circling above feel a pang of jealousy. It immediately swooped down, landed in Red's arms, and began to rub its head vigorously against his cheek. Red chuckled and petted his avian partner as well, ensuring no one felt left out.
The sudden, violent display of power sent the other wild Pokémon in the area scattering in a panic. They had witnessed their kin fall in an instant; to them, these two newcomers were demons, and they fled for their lives.
The commotion, however, had not gone unnoticed.
A boy clad in ancient, green samurai armor was hiding in the bushes, observing Red's every move. But ever since the Viridian Gym, Red had kept a passive, low-level scan of his surroundings active with his Aura. The moment the Samurai Boy stepped into his detection range, Red was aware of his presence.
Seeing Red with his back turned, the boy seized his chance. He burst from the foliage, raising the katana in his hand to deliver a swift strike. But Red seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He sidestepped the attack with casual ease, followed through with a sharp horizontal kick that sent the Samurai Boy sprawling, and caught the falling sword between two fingers. He looked down at his ambusher with an expression of pure disdain.
"To sneak up from behind with an unsharpened blade... Is that what passes for the 'way of the samurai' these days?" Red mocked. The Samurai Boy, realizing he'd been caught and thoroughly outclassed, blushed with embarrassment.
"You're the one causing all the unrest in this area! I challenge you to a battle!" the boy shouted, trying to regain some semblance of dignity.
"If you believe I've harmed Viridian Forest, you are mistaken," Red replied coolly. "Most of the Pokémon I've defeated will recover on their own. The seriously injured, I treat myself. No permanent damage has been done. The wild is a harsh teacher; if a Pokémon doesn't want to become experience for another, it must grow stronger. Everything I'm doing is a lesson."
His words left the Samurai Boy speechless. He thought back on what he'd seen. It was true; Red had shown no malice, only a clinical efficiency. In the end, he was simply training his Pokémon.
"Charmander..." the boy muttered, his eyes suddenly lighting up with recognition. "Wait! Are you the Red that Gary was talking about?!"
His dejection was instantly replaced by a fiery fighting spirit. A battle was inevitable.
"If you're looking for Red from Pallet Town, then yes, that's me," Red confirmed. His Charmander instinctively moved to his side, ready for a fight.
"I'm counting on you, Pinsir!" The Samurai Boy threw his Poké Ball, and a powerful Bug-type appeared. The boy almost immediately regretted his choice. He remembered the difficult battle he'd had against Gary's Squirtle; facing a Charmander that held a double type-advantage was practically suicide.
"You can have the first move," Red offered, seeing the boy's predicament.
"Pinsir, use Guillotine!" the boy commanded desperately.
Pinsir moved its menacing horns and charged. Charmander didn't even flinch. It waited for Red's command, and when it came, it simply opened its mouth and engulfed the charging Pinsir in a devastating Flamethrower.
"Just... one move..."
The Samurai Boy fell to his knees, unable to accept such a swift and total defeat. Charmander, pleased with its victory, trotted back to Red and rubbed its head against his palm.
"My younger brother will be passing through here soon," Red said, looking down at the defeated trainer. "Why don't you have a battle with him?" He paused, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "I should probably warn you, though. He's a rather... enthusiastic kid."
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