Chapter 5 - Red

Noah roused from his slumber, tormented by a skull-crushing headache. He had barely snagged a wink of sleep the previous night. "Fucking HootHoot and their hoots," he grumbled, dragging himself upright from the makeshift bed that he and Riolu had fashioned out of leaves.

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"Riolu, wake up," Noah yawned, rubbing his eyelids which felt like they weighed a ton and were threatening to slide shut once more. Riolu lay serenely, a peaceful grin adorning his little snout.

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"Up, you!" Noah nudged Riolu's side with his foot, snapping him awake.

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"Ruff! Ruff! RUFF!" Riolu's eyes narrowed, his brows furrowing in evident frustration at the sudden disturbance of his dreams. "Heh," Noah chuckled, "At least one of us got some decent sleep."

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Riolu's gaze intensified, boring into Noah. But he let it slide—Noah would pay for this, another time perhaps.

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Gathering their scant supply of cup ramen and sodas, the pair resumed their expedition through the labyrinthine forest.

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A delicate film of morning dew dressed the foliage, dancing in the golden embrace of the morning sun. The serene atmosphere was in stark contrast to the nocturnal hustle and bustle of bug Pokemon and Noctowls.

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A smile finally broke through Noah's gloom; the air had a crisp quality, a reprieve from the stifling heat they'd braved yesterday. The sun's gilded aura cast an ethereal glow over the lush landscape, making the sway of the leaves seem almost poetic.

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As they meandered through the tangled woods, they crossed paths with a diverse assortment of Pokemon — from Pidgeys and Rattatas to Ekans.

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Strangely enough, most seemed disinterested in harassing them, save for the audacious few who met their fate at Riolu's swift punches.

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"Hmm, I wonder what level Riolu has reached," Noah pondered, "Egg-born Pokémon start at Level 1, don't they?"

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Just then, a thunderous explosion echoed through the forest, yanking Noah back to the present. "What the heck was that?" Noah's eyes darted to Riolu.

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"Hold up, why are we moving towards the blast?" "Ruff, ruff!" Riolu locked eyes with him, seemingly telling him to trust him.

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"Are you sure? That sounded like a huge explosion," Noah questioned, doubt still etched onto his face.

"Ruff!" Riolu responded, grabbing Noah's hand, urging him forward.

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Sigh. "Alright, lead the way," Noah finally acquiesced, letting Riolu pull him toward the explosion's epicenter, his tiny paw gripping his hand with determined excitement.

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———

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"Flamethrower," The gray-haired individual said nonchalantly, his arms crossed.

"Weezing, Smog!" The Team Rocket member shouted, "Aim for the trainer!"

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A wave of purple mist was ejected out of the Weezing, and shot towards the gray-haired individual with abnormal speed. "Hmph, petty tricks," The person sneered, but otherwise kept his blank expression.

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Charizard's wing spread out, flapping fervently as quickly dispersing the Smog, all while firing a jet of flame at the opponent Weezing. It was unable to handle the pressure of such a attack, and collapsed.

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"Fuck you! I'm outta here!" He threw a black ball onto the ground, and a smokescreen burst from it.

"Did you think you could escape from me with just that?" Charizard shot into the smoke, and instantly grabbed the Team Rocket member, holding him at eye level.

"Fuck! Let me go, you oversized lizard!" He screamed, pounding his hands onto the Charizard's hands.

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———

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Noah crouched low within a lush thicket, his eyes keenly observing the unfolding battle between the two Pokemon trainers.

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The Team Rocket member had an uncanny resemblance to the one he'd briefly spotted inside the truck, but Noah couldn't be certain; the gloom of the truck hadn't offered much in the way of clear facial features.

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Feeling a tug at his shirt, Noah looked down to find Riolu gesturing as if urging him to emerge from their hiding place. "Wait, let's watch this first," He whispered, his gaze returning to the captivating Charizard that was part of the action.

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Just as the confrontation reached its climax and the Team Rocket grunt was apprehended, another figure erupted from a bush on the opposite side.

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She was a young woman with vibrant green hair spiked with attitude, partially concealed by a blue cap. Her blue police uniform suggested authority.

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"Is that Officer Jenny?" Noah muttered to himself, genuinely puzzled by the unfolding drama.

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The gray-haired man turned to face Jenny, his face as impassive as a pond on a windless day. "I trust my involvement has been sufficient, Officer."

"Indeed, Mr. Red. Your help has been invaluable, you certainly live up to your reputation," Officer Jenny replied, bowing respectfully as she placed her hands on her midsection.

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RED!? Noah's eyes widened in astonishment, to think he would meet a legendary character in the middle of nowhere.

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"You should move along now," Red remarked, apparently indifferent to the flattery.

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Officer Jenny, after handcuffing the subdued Team Rocket member, retreated swiftly into the forest, riding on her Arcanine.

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"And you, come out from there," Red commanded, his finger aimed precisely at Noah's hiding spot—no, aimed precisely at Noah himself.

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Noah stepped out of the bush with his arms raised, Riolu following suit behind him. "Tell me why you were hiding there," Red paused, "It better be a good reason."

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Gibbering rapidly, Noah replied, "I-was-lost-and-didn't-know-how-to-get out-of-this-forest-and-when-I-saw-you-I-thought-that-you-could-maybe-lead-me-out,"

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Red blinked a couple of times, before breaking into a subtle smile. "Climb on," he said, turning towards Charizard and hoisting himself onto its back.

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"Don't dawdle, hop on," Red added, extending a hand toward the astonished Noah.

"Riolu, should w-" Noah began, but before he could complete his sentence, Riolu had leapt onto Charizard's back with spry agility.

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Groaning inwardly, Noah grasped Red's outstretched hand and mounted the dragon-like Pokemon.

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With a few mighty flaps, they were airborne, soaring through the sky at breathtaking speeds. Miraculously, the wind didn't hurl them off Charizard's back.

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"Why aren't we being blown away?" Noah pondered aloud, more to himself than anyone else.

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"Some highly skilled Flying Pokemon can manipulate the air currents around them," Red explained. "Though it's a rare ability."

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Noah was taken aback; he hadn't expected Red to be so forthcoming. Maybe he isn't as quiet as depicted in the games, well, he wasn't that quiet in Pokemon Origins either, Noah thought.

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"Anyways, where'd you get that Pokemon from?" Red gestured at Riolu, "I've never seen that Pokemon before, is it from another region?"

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"Uh, it hatched from an egg I found while lost," Noah gulped,regretting his slip-up instantly. SHIT, what was that answer? You're so fucking suspicious now! 

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"Huh… I see," Red turned around, "Did you enter Viridian Forest with no Pokemon?"

"Yea, I was planning to catch a Pokemon but got lost," Noah replied, Okay, slightly better answer, Noah, you can do this.

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"Where did you find that egg?" Red asked again, ignoring my last sentence.

"A cave," Noah crossed his fingers in his mind.

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"An empty cave with a egg? Much less a species that isn't found in Kanto? Seriously, even a toddler could come up with a better lie than that," Red laughed, before his expression went grim, "You got that egg from Team Rocket, didn't you."

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"I swear, it just fell out during the chase, I just picked it up because I was scared, I swear!" Noah blurted out, they were hundreds of meters above the ground, one push and he was dead.

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Riolu, sensing his friend's rising panic, took a protective stance. "Haha! I'm not going to hurt you!" He laughed, his back still turned, "Either way, he seems to like you, You must've been treating it well; much better than Team Rocket would have."

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"Thanks?" Noah asked, feeling as though he just dodged a bullet. "It was probably stolen, and we have no idea of knowing who it was from." Red replied,

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"It'd be much better to let you keep it, since you've already bonded with it, than keep it locked up in a daycare or releasing it into the wild."

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The tension in Noah's shoulders eased as he slumped against Charizard's warm scales. Riolu, still alert, situated himself defensively between the two trainers.

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"Seems like he doesn't really like me, though," Red joked.

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Noah allowed himself a small, relieved laugh, "Yeah, he's pretty protective."