TM Cut

"Hey, guess what?"

Red was sitting at the Pokémon Center waiting for his Pokémon to recover when Blue came over and sat next to him to start a conversation.

"What's up? What's up?" Leaf chimed in, with Misty and Brock following along.

"Hmm... I guess I can tell you guys too. I went to Bill's place, and he showed me some of his rare Pokémon."

"Bill?" Leaf asked, confused.

"A Pokémaniac, he used to work at my grandpa's lab."

"Oh."

"Anyway, he's very famous. Why don't you guys go visit him sometime?"

Hearing that, Red began to think.

"Don't overthink it, or you'll go gray, Red." Blue patted Red on the shoulder and stood up.

"Oh right, you two don't have this yet, do you?"

"What?" Leaf and Red tilted their heads.

"You're such a dummy. It's this." Blue pulled a disc from his bag.

"A TM?" Brock immediately recognized it when he saw the disc.

"As expected of a Gym Leader, this is TM Cut. It's essential for your journey. It's a copy, so you can use it as many times as you want. I don't really need it, so I'm giving it to you." Blue handed it to Red, who looked at the disc, then at Blue.

"Hey, what about me?" Leaf protested, acting like a child.

"Share it with Red. I only have one." Blue looked annoyed as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Alright then, Red, Leaf, two Gym Leaders, see you next time."

"Hey, I have a name, you know!" Misty stomped her foot, but Blue had already left.

The group then looked at the TM Cut.

"He's such a tsundere, don't mind him," Leaf chuckled.

"But he only acts like that with you and Red," Brock commented.

"Not really, he's only interested in Red, and that's super annoying about him."

'Leaf, don't let jealousy overshadow the long-standing friendship between the three of us...' Red thought to himself.

Suddenly, Blue came back.

"???" Red's group was confused seeing Blue return.

"I almost forgot," Blue said, slightly blushing, looking a bit embarrassed about some mistake.

He handed something to Red...

"A Fame Checker. It's perfect for someone who never talks like you. It lets you check out famous people and blah blah."

"In short, it's like a phone but crappier and pretty useless to me."

Then Blue left again.

...

"See? He only cares about Red, that tsundere jerk," Leaf said, looking even more annoyed than Blue had earlier.

"Your Pokémon are fully healed!" Nurse Joy came over with Chansey, and Red walked over.

Pika pika!

Pikachu immediately jumped into Red's face, making it hard for him to breathe, so he tried to pull her off. Then he retrieved the rest of his Pokémon.

However, something seemed off about Charmander's expression.

"…?" Red approached and hugged Charmander, wondering what was wrong.

Charmander looked very sad, and Red quickly realized it was upset about its loss in the battle.

Understanding Charmander's thoughts, Red gently patted its head and comforted it. Their minds connected.

'Charmander, in battles, there will always be two outcomes: win and lose.'

'We're not invincible, so losing is just part of the game.'

'So, let's learn from this loss and turn it into experience, making it easier for us to win next time.'

The boy's warm and gentle voice contrasted sharply with his cold demeanor, making Charmander look at Red with shining eyes.

CHARRR!!! (I WON'T LOSE AGAIN!!!)

Red patted Charmander's back, trying to soothe it and stop its tears. Meanwhile, on the table, Pikachu's eyes twitched as if she wanted to push Charmander away and run into Red's embrace...

"Going with him was definitely a great idea; I don't regret it at all," Brock smiled as he watched Red comforting Charmander.

***

As the four of them crossed a bridge, they saw many players challenging other trainers, which coincidentally kept their path clear of obstructions.

"KAKUNA, PUSH IT INTO THE RIVER LIKE THE MOB!!"

Well, it was pretty chaotic in return. A Rattata was pushed hard into the river, causing the boy to panic and feel scared.

"Oh no... I went a bit too far," Rey said nearby with Rin, scratching his head.

Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his spine, sensing someone was watching him. He turned to see Red looking at him.

"Wait! I'll save your Rattata!!" Rey, sweating, jumped into the lake to rescue it.

'At least they know fear,' Red sighed, then continued on with the group.

Suddenly, an Oddish appeared out of nowhere, startling Red.

He kicked the Oddish high into the air.

"..." Leaf, Misty, and Brock stood frozen, staring at Red in shock.

Pikachu was even more shocked.

Red... was starting to act like those guys now!!!!! (Players)

I'm too late!! I should have found a way to keep Red away from them!!

After realizing what he had just done, Red covered his face in disbelief, not expecting his personality to be influenced by the players.

Poor Oddish, I'm really sorry...

It seemed that a few players had accidentally witnessed his actions.

"...Isn't that how players behave when startled?"

The admiration of the players for Red increased!

"Red... I think I'll find a way to keep you away from those people. Absolutely no contact with them, okay?" Leaf whispered in Red's ear.

"..."

"You really are..." Leaf sighed, continuing on with Misty and Brock.

Gradually, they spotted a seemingly ordinary house with a sign in front.

[Bill's House]

"Looks like this is it."

"Do we need to knock?"

"Why not?" Brock walked over to knock on the door.

*knock knock*

"...Who's there?"

That was a rather cute voice, sounding like a little girl.

Bill's daughter, maybe?

"We're here to see Bill, are you his daughter?"

"No! But please come in, I'm begging you!!"

The 'little girl' spoke in a pleading tone, leaving everyone confused.

Opening the door revealed a Clefairy crying adorably.

"Finally!! I've been rescued!!!"

...Did that Clefairy just speak? Is it following in Meowth's footsteps?

"Hey, don't look at me like that!! I'm not a Pokémon! I'm a person!!" Clefairy jumped up, looking very cute.

"I will catch that Clefairy" Leaf and Misty smile.

"Wait no no! STAY BACK!!! NO-"

*****

I hate math....

Sorry for no updates, im so done with math and homework rn...

Oh, the players arc will be pushed back, i realize ive been a bit harsh on Red.

'Perhaps I treat you too harshly...'

So yeah, I will focus on Red until he gets his third badge