Pewter city

"Kakuna, use Harden!" The boy's Kakuna stiffened, its shell becoming even harder.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard it hardened, it was no match for Pidgey.

With a flap of its wings, Pidgey created a small whirlwind that sent Kakuna flying.

The boy rushed to his Kakuna, cradling it and apologizing.

Kakuna, despite its defeat, didn't want its trainer to feel sad, so it tried to comfort him.

Seeing this, the boy smiled and returned Kakuna to its Poké Ball. He turned to Red and said, "Thanks for the battle, I learned a bit from it!"

Red simply smiled and patted Pidgey's head. He had challenged many trainers in Viridian Forest, and most of them used Bug-type Pokémon, making it easy for Pidgey to handle them and grow stronger.

Pikachu didn't need the extra training cus after taking down an entire flock of Spearow, her power was already a bit imbalanced compared to other Pikachu.

So, Red focused on training Pidgey first!

As they wandered through the forest, Red noticed a few other Pokémon like Rattata and Nidoran (both male and female), which was odd since the forest was primarily home to Bug-types.

What Red didn't know was that these Pokémon were there because some players had destroyed their habitats on Route 1.

Poor things.

"The next city is Pewter," Misty said, pointing to the next location on the map.

"It's famous for its rock sales and has a Gym Leader who specializes in Rock-type Pokémon."

Rock-type? Red tensed up, glancing at Pidgey, who was pecking at some breadcrumbs on the ground.

Rock-types were known for their strong defenses (though they had many weaknesses) and dealt heavy damage to Flying-types. It was dangerous!

Red began to regret not researching the Gym Leaders' types beforehand.

But then, he remembered Pikachu, who was nestled in his jacket. Pikachu noticed Red's gaze and looked up at him.

Pika? (Red?)

'Could Pikachu learn Iron Tail?' Red wondered.

He wasn't sure, but it seemed like a move that suited a Pokémon with a tail like Pikachu's. Determined, he took Pikachu to a large tree and explained his idea.

Pikachu gave it a try, concentrating her strength on her tail and striking the tree.

Nothing happened at first, but Pikachu kept trying, again and again.

"Red is really dedicated," Misty admired as she watched Red guiding Pikachu.

An hour later...

Pika!

Pikachu's tail suddenly gleamed as she struck the tree again. This time, the tree shook violently but didn't fall.

Halfway there! Red was overjoyed, patting Pikachu on the head and telling her to remember that feeling.

Pikachu nodded, and after a few more tries, her tail became shiny and sturdy. With one more powerful swing, the tree split and crashed down.

Seeing the result, Red knew they had succeeded. Pikachu had learned Iron Tail!

Red rushed over and hugged Pikachu, who was just as happy.

Pika pika! (See how awesome I am? Make sure to pay more attention to me than the other Pokémon!)

So, Red is now able to handle the Rock-type Gym Leader!

...If they don't use any Ground-type moves.

Red and Misty continued on their journey, encountering and defeating more trainers along the way with Pidgey.

Surprisingly, beating these trainers somehow earned Red money, even though they didn't seem to hand over anything. Strange...

He also checked out the items available at the shop. To be honest, one item caught his eye: the Light Ball. It was expensive, but he had just enough money to buy one.

Why did he decide to buy it? Simple. It seemed to be an exclusive item for Pikachu!

...At least, that's what it said, though he wasn't entirely sure.

He pressed the buy button, and a blue light appeared in his hand, turning into the Light Ball.

Red handed it to Pikachu, telling her to keep it.

Pikachu looked at the Light Ball, confused

Why does this feel so familiar to me?

She carefully held onto it, while Red glanced at his wallet and shed a tear.

***

After leaving the forest, Red and Misty arrived at a large city surrounded by rocks—Pewter City.

This place was known for its mining industry, with many quarries around.

The locals primarily used Rock-type Pokémon like Geodude and Rhyhorn. They also sold various stones in different shapes and sizes, which could be bought as souvenirs.

Because of the extensive mining, the people here were hardworking, and most of them had strong, muscular bodies with six-packs...

Red and Misty entered the city, intending to head to the Pokémon Center, but suddenly, someone covered Red's eyes.

"Guess who?"

It was a very familiar voice, one that Red definitely recognized.

"..."

"Say something! I'll give you five seconds."

"..."

Are you really expecting me to speak?

"If you don't say anything, I'll have to take something from you~"

"..."

You're taking advantage of my silence!

"Looks like you're not going to say anything, so prepare to lose something!"

Finally able to see again, Red noticed that his hat had been taken.

"..."

He turned to glare at the girl who was now sticking out her tongue and smiling.

"Long time no see!"

As cheerful as ever, it was Leaf.

Misty, on the other hand, looked at the pretty girl who seemed to be very close to Red.

'She look so beautiful… I wish I could be like her,' Misty sighed.

"Oh! You caught a Pikachu? So cute!!" Leaf exclaimed, reaching out to pet Pikachu. However, Pikachu dodged her hand.

Pikachu sensed that this girl was a threat to her beloved Trainer! This girl was extremely dangerous!

For some reason, Leaf seemed to understand Pikachu's wary gaze. She looked at Red and smiled—a scary smile.

"I knew you were always popular with Pokémon, but I didn't expect it to be this intense~"

"??"

Huh? Isn't being loved by Pokémon a good thing?

"Tch, always surrounded by girls, and now even Pokémon," Leaf whispered something under her breath.

"Um... can I ask who you are? Are you a friend of Red's?" Misty asked, walking up to Leaf.

Leaf stared at Misty, then glanced at her chest.

Heh, small.

Misty suddenly felt deeply offended and glared at Leaf.

"You still haven't answered my question."

"You really want to know? Alright then~" Leaf then walked over to Red and hugged him tightly.

"His wife."

"?????"

Both Misty and Pikachu were left speechless, their mouths hanging open as Leaf stood proudly, while Red looked at her, completely baffled.

When did you become my wife? If you're going to lie, at least make it believable!

"Just kidding~" Leaf released Red and waved her hand nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.

Oscar-worthy performance...

"Red, you're a bit late," a male voice chimed in.

A young man approached and stood next to Leaf—Red recognized him immediately.

Blue smiled at Red, noting that he hadn't changed much.

'Good, it seems those jerks didn't do anything too serious to Red.'

"I'm a little disappointed in you, Red. Where's our talented Red?" Blue teased, though his concern was evident.

'Red's never late, something must have happened to him!'

"If you had been any later, I would've left you behind!"

Worried thoughts filled his mind, but his words came out in the opposite way.

Truly, no one could rival Blue's level of tsundere...