Pokemon: Kanto Elite

Don't Look Back

"Try it again, Bulbasaur! Tackle!"

It gladly obeyed it's new trainer, smacking into the wooden post with its shoulder. The tiny dinosaur with a fresh bud on its back turned to Red for approval. Once it saw Red's smile, it croaked happily while it hopped back to its new trainer's arms.

"So, new pokemon, eh little boy?"

Red looked up to see a couple of boys he didn't recognize.

"Blue says he would challenge you again, but he's too busy challenging humans instead of innocent Tauros."

Blood rushed to Red's face as Bulbasaur sensed his new trainer's anger.

"He can't believe you would do such a heinous act of challenging a trainer-less pokemon. That's almost as bad as winning with, I dunno, sheer luck."

"I wasn't lucky you flockless Spearow (an insult to those who usually are in a group but cannot stand on their own)!" Red stood up and faced the boy, despite the need to look up at the teenager's face. The other boy chuckled over Bulbasaur's growls.

"I won fair and square, and if I weren't training my newest pokemon I'd rush over there and beat him again at his own game!"

"Yeah, like when you cried as the Tauros charged you, like a pitiful Kangaskhan baby looking for it's Mummy."

The other boy flew his hands up in exaggerated gyrations.

"Oh, Mum, help! The pokemon I challenged is attacking me! Oh, whatever shall I do?!"

The two of them laughed as Red's fists clenched.

Suddenly, a vine grabbed one of the teen's legs...

"What the-"

...and tossed him across the grass with a mighty squeak. He flew head over heels into a tree, only to dust himself off and laugh even more.

The other boy looked towards Red and his newest defender.

"You better watch that little toad, Red. It might hurt someone next time. Good luck facing Blue's newest third pokemon with that!"

The two boys ran off with mirth as Bulbasaur looked back at Red for approval.

"That was...good. Let's try that vine whip again." 

As the dinosaur continued to strip a nearby tree using its vines, Red couldn't remove a thought from the back of his head.

Blue has a THIRD pokemon now?! How did he get that? WHAT did he get? When will he challenge me next?

For the next few days, he stayed low, training his Bulbasaur against his Snorlax with unclear results.

After plenty of fights and trips to the infirmary, Red learned more about Bulbasaur and how it constantly looked back at Red, as if it was a reflex.

As he spoke with his father, a clinical psychologist, he learned that he could use the same technique used for Snorlax. Instead of food, it could be bulb scratches.

During the next battle, with Twitch, he instructed Bulbasaur to attack but never look back. If it did so, he'd scratch Bulbasaur's bulb. If it didn't, no scratches.

It got to a point when even Bulbasaur knew it messed up when its bulb started to itch.

Sooner or later, the problem was reduced enough to start winning some battles. Bulbasaur grew taller and bigger with each passing battle, its body capable of storing more energy after gaining experience. At one point it even used its own vines to lift itself into the air to avoid a flamethrower- a tactic shared by pokemon and trainer by the name Vine Up, a combination of vine whip and tackle.

Soon other combinations began to emerge, as Red shared his idea with Ray and Delia- at the same time. Soon the three of them began to use combination moves on their opponents- with incredible results. Soon enough Ray's Pikachu, Delia's Bellsprout, and Red's Snorlax became formidable opponents if they weren't before.

It didn't take long for Blue to challenge Red again. He even made a spectacle out of the challenge. As he approached Red, tens of other students followed behind in the Tauros Rush.

"Red Tajiri, it is my greatest pleasure to give you the opportunity of battling me again. The sandy arena. Now. Leave and I'll disgrace you forever."

Red could barely register what happened as he got pulled to the arena, almost in absolute fear.

Ray and Delia noticed when their own challenges abandoned their pokemon to witness the fight.

A thickness of anticipation swept over the audience as the Referee, colorless but for the flags in his hands, called the match.

"The following match with comprise of three pokemon against two. Trainers may not leave their boxes until the match is complete. All attacks must be clean and direct, not to the audience. The pokemon will be declared unable to battle when it doesn't move for more than 5 seconds. Both trainers ready?"

Blue nodded.

All eyes were now on him. Red looked down at his pokemon- a loyal Snorlax, a jovial Bulbasaur and him against a Sandslash, a Gyarados and something else...

He had no choice. He nodded.

The referee waved his two flags in the air.

"Let the match begin!"

Blue pulled out a pokeball and launched it at the field. The ball exploded and spat out a yellow hedgehog with brown spines and dark beady eyes. 

Snorlax popped out, its stomach only half full.

"Sandslash, fury swipes attack!"

He knew this was coming.

"Snorlax, Double-edge!"