First battle

(3rd's pov)

Hearing the name of the newly arrived woman, all of Red's Pokemon were surprised. Samuel Oak was a known Pokemon professor, but they hadn't expected to hear a familiar name so fast. Mewtwo was already expecting to be somewhere in Kanto or, more likely, in an equivalent of one. He also felt a noisy Alakazam trying to peek at him and Red the night prior, which he, of course, stopped diplomatically.

The point is that Mewtwo was the one who was shocked the most.

"*Are you perhaps related to Samuel Oak by any chance?*"

At that, Daisy perked up.

"Yes! Samuel Oak is my Grandfather. I was sent here to research the cause of the earthquake in the forest, but Arcanine was being cautious, so our travel lengthened a bit."

Silence prevailed in Daisy's mind, but the conversation between Pokemon didn't end. She was just excluded from it as they discussed their plan of action.

"*Do any of you have any input in this situation? I suspect the cause of the earthquake they felt was Steelix when he got too excited seeing Red.*" Steelix looked ashamed of himself, but Mewtwo didn't blame him, and neither did the rest of the team. "*Don't worry, Steelix. We do not blame you. Earthquakes in this area are probably rare, and they couldn't discover the cause of it, so a human was sent.*"

Gardevoir picked up on something Mewtwo said and raised her eyebrow.

"*What do you mean they couldn't find the source of the earthquake? A mediocre psychic type should be able to discover what happened.*"

"*That would be the case if I didn't set up a psychic barrier that would prevent any Pokemon from seeking us out. I must add that I was right to worry, as yesterday, some Pokemon already tried to look into us. They didn't stand a chance against me, but let us return to the topic. Should we wake Red up and let him go with Miss Oak, or should we let Red travel alone?*"

"*I say that we should just shoo her away. Why would Red need her help? He has us!*" Gardevoir said her bit and crossed her arms.

Everyone knew that she just didn't like the idea of Red being near any woman.

"*Humans are social creatures, and Red would barely interact with other people. I believe a change of pace would do him good. Besides, I may not be as familiar with Professor Oak's fame as some of you, but from what I heard, he is trustworthy. Not that it would matter with Mewtwo nearby. Besides, you, of all Pokemon, should be able to tell if she has any bad intentions, or are you telling me that a Pokemon famous for their emotional reading can't even do that?*"

Loppuny shared her thoughts and yawned at the end. She just woke up, and to be honest, she would like to get back to sleep for a little more.

Gardevoir wasn't happy with the opposition and glared at Lopunny for the jab at her abilities but didn't say anything for now.

"*I'll follow whatever Master decides! If it will lead to his danger, I'll defend him!"

Arcanine didn't seem to be on either side.

"*As much as it hurts me to admit it, Arcanine is right. Red should be the one to decide.*" Suicune added.

"*Steelix, something to add?*" Mewtwo asked the last Pokemon, at which the giant snake shook his head.

Mewtwo then turned to Daisy, sizing her up. He tried to decide what he should do, and during all that, he didn't remove the spoon just yet. The eyes seemingly tried to see through every part of her, but he didn't try to read her mind. He was aware that Red would be against it, so he was only using his psychic powers as a lie detector.

Mewtwo sighed inwardly, made his spoon disappear, and stepped back to give Daisy some space. Arcanine immediately jumped between Mewtwo and his Trainer's granddaughter to protect her. It made Daisy more relaxed as it showed that the mysterious Pokemon didn't plan on attacking, and she successfully de-escalated the situation.

"*It seems that Steelix here was the reason for yesterday's earthquake. We apologize for causing trouble.*"

Daisy waved both of her hands in front of her in a hurry. "*No, don't worry! You were just trying to protect your Trainer, and you don't need to apologize for causing the earthquake. Sometimes, Pokemon battles require that kind of force.*"

"*You are misunderstanding something. We didn't battle. Steelix was slightly excited, and he showed it.*"

Daisy didn't know how to react to that. She could understand using Earthquake, but to just cause an earthquake because he was happy? It must be a really powerful Steelix.

"*Do you mind if I ask you a question?*" Mewtwo asked and quite suddenly at that. It startled the young woman, and she answered out of instinct.

"*Yes!?*"

"*Why did you approach Red? Wouldn't it be more logical to leave as soon as possible? He was a distraction to your mission, and you should be aware that there was at least a dangerous Pokemon nearby. Your Arcanine should've warned you that much.*"

Daisy tilted her head in confusion. The question was strange for her.

"*It's not like I didn't know the risk, but I couldn't ignore a person in need. I also believed that Arcanine would protect me. He is strong...*" The last part was said with less confidence as she just witnessed how easily she could be disposed of if Mewtwo wanted.

Mewtwo's eyes didn't leave Daisy for a bit more until he turned away from her and levitated towards Red. The silence prevailed for a moment until Daisy could see the young man's eyes flutter and slowly open, revealing a pair of red eyes. He looked at Mewtwo and then looked around. When his eyes landed on Daisy, the young woman awkwardly smiled and waved.

Red didn't move and didn't say anything. He didn't even break eye contact.

A new person appeared!

A challenge arrived!

A social interaction!

Red was panicking. He should say something, but what? Good morning? Was it still morning, or did he overslept? Should he wave back?

Before he could decide, Daisy spoke up kind of cheerfully. At least as cheerfully as one could after almost dying.

"Good morning. I was in the area and noticed you sleeping out in the open. Do you need help getting to the town?"

Red was indeed in need of help, and without changing his expression, he nodded.

Progress! Red managed to somehow communicate with a stranger.

But wait... Mewtwo told him her name was Daisy Oak. Daughter of Professor Oak? Does that mean that he was in Kanto after all? Questions for later.

"Great! Pallet Town isn't far away, and if we ride on our Arcanines, we'll get there in no time."

Red nodded once more, and after saying something telepathically to his Pokemon, he returned everyone but Arcanine to their Pokeballs.

The pair sat astride on their Pokemon, and after checking that everything was in place, the canines started running. The older of the Arcanines was still giving a stinky eye to the younger one and his Trainer.

Daisy had a million questions for this mysterious man, but she didn't want to be nosy. However, that silence was getting too awkward for her liking.

"Sooo... your name is Red, right?"

Red nodded.

"I've noticed that you had Lopunny and Gardevoir. They are not often seen in Kanto."

Red nodded.

"I've also noticed that your Gardevoir doesn't have her usual coloration. Is she a Shiny, perhaps?"

Red nodded.

"But you also have Suicune in your possession. I can't imagine how you managed to catch one."

Red looked thoughtful and reached for Suicune's Pokeball and pointed at it.

"I... see. You caught it in a Pokeball... right? Is that what you mean?"

Red nodded.

Daisy was starting to give up. All her attempts at conversation were being shot down. He didn't even change his expression the whole time. Was he not interested in conversation? But he didn't say anything. The granddaughter of Professor Oak was a social butterfree. She could make friends with anyone if she wanted, but this... this was a challenge, but she wasn't one to give up. But for now, she stopped the questions. After all, she didn't plan on overwhelming Red. He may have won a battle, but she would be the one to win the war. She will befriend Red!

Red, on the other hand, was proud of himself. He was having a conversation with a stranger. A so-called back and forth. He was able to answer all of Daisy's questions without a considerable delay in his response, but he was glad that she stopped talking for now. It was starting to get too much for him.

---

They finally arrived at Pallet Town. Red curiously looked around the town as both he and Daisy slowly got closer to Professor Oak's lab. Behind the building that functioned as a lab was a large portion of land that was home to many Pokemon.

The lab was pretty isolated from the rest of the town, and the biggest reason for that was not being disturbed. Even if Professor Oak was known to be very friendly and welcoming to everyone, he also needed time and space to do his research. There is also the issue with space since the Professor needs an area for Pokemon to roam free when they're out of their Pokeballs.

When the pair got closer, Daisy pointed at the building.

"That's where my Grandpa lives. He will be excited to meet you. He is a Pokemon researcher, and to meet a Trainer with powerful Pokemon like you will be thrilling for him. If you don't mind, of course. Sorry, I forgot to ask before. I can get pretty narrowed-minded when excited about something."

Red nodded and regretted it immediately as he realized what he had just done. He nodded automatically because he had always done so to her questions during their travel to Pallet Town.

It looks like Red still had a lot to learn about human interaction. On the one hand, he doesn't want to meet other people so soon, but on the other hand, he already agreed, and he wouldn't be able to explain himself. Also, meeting the famous Professor Oak was tempting.

"Great! Let's get inside then."

With that said, Red was petrified while Daisy opened the door and went inside.

"I'm back, Grandpa!"

At first, no one answered back, but soon, a sound of chaos could be heard deeper in the laboratory. Soon after, an older man with gray hair wearing a white lab coat with two pens sticking out from a breast pocket. He ran to the front door.

"Are you alright!? Did something happen!? I was so worried!"

Professor Oak was worried. Very worried. After Daisy left, his Alakazam returned from Arceus knows where and warned him about the danger in the forest. At that moment, the Professor was ready to go after her as fast as possible, but his Alakazam stopped him for some reason. The Pokemon said that he'd keep an eye on Daisy through his psychic power, and as soon as she was in danger, he would teleport her to safety.

This morning, it changed as Alakazam was panicking, explaining that he couldn't teleport Daisy because of the powerful psychic barrier. The old Oak then prepared himself to rescue his granddaughter. Alakazam was saying that she was still alive and healthy, but that's all he could tell with that barrier.

The whole morning, the Professor was contacting his associates to help him, but it seemed that it was unnecessary as his granddaughter was standing in front of him, and there was one other person staying in front of the entrance.

"What do you mean, did something happen? I'm even earlier than we agreed on, and you are freaking out."

Daisy didn't know why her Grandpa looked so worried. It wasn't the first time she went into the field, but it was the first time he was so panicked.

"Alakazam said that he couldn't teleport you in case of emergency, and he couldn't even see you with his powers. At most, he could say if you were alive and relatively safe and healthy."

Daisy started to process what her grandfather had just said, and she got an idea why that happened as her mind drifted toward a mysterious psychic-type Pokemon.

"Aahh... I think I know what happened." That made the Professor raise his eyebrow. "It's kind of Red's fault." Red, hearing that, started panicking while maintaining his perfect poker face. "Or rather his Pokemon."

Daisy explained what she learned and speculated. About the cause of the earthquake and why she was 'out of range' for Alakazam. She also told her Grandpa about Suicune, which earned her wide eyes from the Professor.

Samuel Oak was listening carefully to the story, and as the story went on, his worries were beginning to wither away and curiosity started to replace it.

After Daisy was done, the Professor's attention switched to Red. Red didn't like to be the center of attention, even if it was just two people.

Samuel started rubbing his chin.

"So, Red, what is a strong Trainer like yourself doing in the area? It is also strange that you are relatively unknown, but that's all according to my granddaughter, and while she hasn't lied to me yet, I would like to see what kind of Trainer you are with my own eyes. So how about it? Let our Pokemon do the talking!"

The old Professor proposed a Pokemon battle with a big smile, but before Red could answer or even think about how to respond, Arcanine, who still wasn't recalled to his Pokeball, looked through the door from the outside and barked encouragingly and practically accepted the duel.

"Haha, I see your Pokemon is eager to test his skills. Let's go to the ranch, then. There's a lot of space we could use there."

Red couldn't refuse anymore, so he did what he did best and went along with the flow because going against would be even more anxiety-inducing, and Red wouldn't survive that.

---

The group of three moved to the back of the lab building where Pokemon were free to walk wherever they wanted as long as they were inside shown boundaries. There was enough space for a Pokemon battle or two, so the Professor chose an open place that was quite big. Both of the Arcanines were still following their respective Trainers.

When the three humans and two Pokemon stopped, Professor Oak turned to Red.

"How about we battle 6 vs 6 but with modified rules. We can't switch our Pokemon mid-battle, and each time one of us wins, we both are forced to change our battling Pokemon no matter the outcome. If we don't have any new Pokemon to switch, the cycle returns until we don't have any Pokemon left. Do you have any questions or any additional rules that you would like to propose?"

Red turned to his Arcanine before shaking his head, saying that he didn't have any questions or anything to add.

"Very well. I must warn you, though. I might be old and out of shape, but I was once a Champion of Kanto, so give it your all." The Older of the Oaks turned to his granddaughter. "Daisy, if you would, please be the referee for this battle."

Daisy enthusiastically nodded and couldn't contain the excitement of seeing not only the mysterious Red battle but also her Grandpa. Samuel Oak wasn't known to battle for a long time, and the same probably could be said about his Pokemon, but that didn't mean that a former champion was weak by any means. Samuel Oak may not have trained, but he expanded his knowledge in all his years as a professor.

"With that said, Arcanine, I choose you. Go show them your fire within, old friend." Professor Oak didn't choose any of his Pokemon from their Pokeballs and decided on the already free Arcanine.

Red chose his place to stand and lowered the brim of his cap to the point that his eyes were barely visible. It was a moment when something flipped inside of Red.

"Arcanine."

The other of the big dogs positioned himself in front of his opponent.

The two beasts eyed each other but otherwise did not move since the fight hadn't started just yet.

"A battle between Arcanine and Arcanine... start!" Daisy called the start of the battle, and at that moment, both Fire types rushed at each other, but before they clashed, Red's Arcanine activated his ability Intimidate, reducing his foe's attacking power from the physical side for the rest of the battle.

They slammed their heads, and after testing their strength, the younger canine won and pushed back the older of his species.

Red's Arcanine smirked as he raised his head to look down on his senior while, at the same time, the other Arcanine growled lowly as if to say, 'Don't get cocky just yet.'.

"It looks like we lose in the strength department. Let's test the special side, then! Arcanine, use Flamethrower."

"Match him." Red answered, but the older man smirked as soon as two Flamethrowers clashed against each other.

"Arcanine, stop your attacks, now!"

Red realized Professor's plan too late, and he wasn't fast enough to warn his Pokemon.

The younger Arcanine's fire attack hit his opponent, but it didn't do any damage.

Professor Oak's Arcanine had the ability Flash Fire. It made the Pokemon immune to all Fire-type attacks and, on top of that, increased the power of all Fire-type moves when hit by one. The old man baited the younger Trainer, and it paid off.

"I warned you not to underestimate me. These old bones still have a few tricks up their sleeves!"

Red narrowed his eyes as he was formulating a new plan.

"Now that we have boost let's show our firepower! Fire Blast!"

"Surround yourself with Fire Spin." After that, Red said something, and both Oaks saw that he said something, but it was too quiet to hear it.

Arcanine released a fire from his mouth that started spinning right away, and Red's Arcanine was right in the middle of the fire tornado. The flames were powerful enough to disturb a vision, and that's what happened. Red's Arcanine couldn't be seen through fire.

Fire Blast hit the Fire Spin and went through it without any issue, but the Arcanine, who should have been trapped inside, was nowhere to be found. The only evidence that a Pokemon was there was a large hole in the ground.

Professor Oak's eyes widened as he quickly tried to give command to his Pokemon, but he was too late.

"Arcani-!"

From underneath, old Arcanine attacked his foe, delivering a devastating attack, but that wasn't enough to put down a veteran Pokemon. A former champion's Pokemon struggled to stand up, but he did and showed defiance in his eyes.

"Impressive. You used Arcanine's excellent hearing to give an order that only he could hear and prepare an attack that would usually be easier to dodge. But Arcanine and I aren't going down easily! Use Howl, then Flame Charge! We'll raise your attack power back to its acceptable level and raise your speed with the attack!"

That was a solid plan, but Red wasn't planning on letting him set up.

"Agility and Extreme Speed." Red wasn't about to be outsped. Arcanine followed his Trainer's instructions. First, he was surrounded by psychic energy as his body relaxed and raised his Speed for a while, and after that, the Aura changed to whitish as he began his rush.

Arcanine vanished from his place, leaving only wind behind. Eyes barely could follow his movement. First, he stopped to the left of his opponent, but as soon as old Arcanine turned his head to look at the young canine, he was not there anymore and moved to the other side, outside Professor's Pokemon sight. All three humans could see as the young canine sat on the ground and yawned, taunting the other Pokemon for his amusement.

It repeated a few times until Red's Arcanine stopped behind Professor's Pokemon.

"Pounce on him and use Crunch." Red calmly commanded, and Arcanine followed these instructions to the tea, defeating the old-timer.

Young Arcanine looked incredibly proud of himself. He seemed to have a good time during the battle, even if it wasn't the biggest challenge.

"A-Arcanine is unable to battle! Arcanine is the winner!" Daisy, remembering her role as a referee, called the verdict, but in her hurry, she didn't realize how confusing this sounded. That is the fate of mirror matches. "I mean, Red's the winner of this battle."

Professor Oak looked at his fallen Pokemon and recalled him to his Pokeball. Holding the ball close to him, he whispered, "Good job, old friend." Then he looked at Red with a big smile as the young man's Pokemon ran up to him to lick his unchanging face. After the Pokemon was done showing his affection, he was returned to his Pokeball.

"Great battle! Your Arcanine is incredibly powerful, and your use of tactics isn't too shabby either, but it isn't the end. Machamp, it's your turn!"

Professor Oak threw another Pokeball, and after opening it, it revealed a four-arm human-like creature with bluish-gray skin and big lips. Its muscles were well-defined and showed his incredible strength. An excellent example of a pure Fighting type Pokemon.

Red thought for a moment and decided on his Pokemon. Not showing much emotion, he threw his ball, and a bipedal bunny appeared. She didn't seem to be too thrilled as she eyed her opponent, as she would rather laze around, but if she had to fight, she wouldn't take anything less than a victory.

Professor Oak, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. He didn't look down on his opponent's Pokemon, but the choice was daring, to say the least. Lopunny isn't the first choice when someone makes their battling team, as they are cowardly in nature and try to avoid fighting whenever possible. It didn't mean that they were powerless, as their kicks were infamous for their power. He needed to look out for them. Not to mention type disadvantage.

"2nd round, Lopunny vs Machamp, start!"

"Lopunny, Baby-Doll Eyes." Lopunny's eyes softened and started sparkling, making Lopunny look cuter and less threatening simultaneously, making Machamp subconsciously lower his Attack.

"Machamp, don't let her dictate the tempo! Rush her with Bullet Punch!"

The four-armed Pokemon covered his fist in Steel energy and punched at a speed that shouldn't be possible for a creature of his side.

"Lopunny, dodge with Quick Attack." Quick Attack may be a lesser version of Extreme Speed, but it did its job well enough.

"She is too fast. Machamp use Scary Face." Machamp's face turned into a terrifying image, and that caused Lopunny's Speed to drop.

In a case where the opponent tries to make you slow enough to be able to hit you, you can make this no issue in your eyes by lowering your foe's attack to the point it's harmless.

"Lopunny, Charm."

Charm causes the opponent's Attack to drop harshly. It is similar to Baby-Doll Eyes, but it exchanges the speed of the move for power as it makes the adversary's Attack even lower.

"Now, Bounce." Red followed, reducing the Attack with an attack of his own. Machamp, as a fighting type, was weak to Flying-type moves, and Red planned on using this to his advantage. The attack landed, but it wasn't enough to put down Machamp.

"Machamp, grab her!"

More than that, Pokemon used this chance to grab Lopunny by all her limbs using all his arms. The bunny Pokemon tried to free herself, but she wasn't strong enough, although Machamp struggled a bit to contain her, showing the difference in levels. In games, a level 50 Machamp would be about as strong as the weakest level 100 Lopunny. It was similar in real life, but not everything was black and white as in the games.

Lopunny was trapped and couldn't use any physical attacks, and an ordinary Lopunny wouldn't be able to do anything in this situation. This Lopunny wasn't ordinary.

"Lopunny, use Hyper Voice."

Lopunny took a deep breath and let out an echoing shout at Machamp, hitting him at point blank. Thanks to his experience, even without his Trainer's orders, Machamp slammed Lopunny to the ground, but the damage was done, as small as it was.

What the muscular Pokemon didn't expect was for Lopunny to stay on the ground and shakingly support herself with arms. She looked frail and cute... and just like that, Lopunny's ability Cute Charm activated, making the opposing Pokemon fall in love with Lopunny. The downside is that it only works on Pokemon with the opposite gender, but that condition was met in today's battle. However, it doesn't mean that Machamp won't attack Lopunny at all. With his Trainer's order, he could break through his infatuated state, but there was a chance that he would hesitate, and Lopunny was fast enough to make use of these openings.

"Machamp, get hold of yourself! Use Close Combat!"

"Lopunny, Double Team."

Multiple copies of Lopunny appeared.

"Now, Quick Attack."

All of the copies rushed at Machamp.

"Forget Close Combat, fast, Quick Guard!" Professor Oak was fast to change strategies, but Lopunny winked at Machamp, and so did her copies, making Machamp's reaction too slow, and the real Lopunny slammed into the extensive body of the four-arm Pokemon. It didn't do a lot of damage, but it was only the beginning.

"Follow it with Low Kick, and then use High Jump Kick." Red ordered, and Samuel Oak tried to stop it from happening by calling out to his Pokemon, but Machamp's infatuated state stopped him from following instructions, and with the first attack, he fell down. Then Lopunny jumped high in the air and dropped on Machamp with her foot.

High Jump Kick was one of the more powerful Fighting-type moves, but if it missed, it would hurt the user instead of its target. That's why Red first used Low Kick to make Machamp stationary and then used the big finisher.

"Machamp is no longer able to fight! Lopunny is the winner!"

That was a... surprise. The Lopunny species wasn't exactly known for their battle prowess. Even the most powerful of them shouldn't be able to defeat Machamp and former champion Machamp at that. It was also shown in this battle that Lopunny was only slightly weaker in pure physical strength.

"I told you not to underestimate me, but it seems that advice was more suited for me. To train a Lopunny to the point where she rivals a Machamp is no easy task. I would say it was outright impossible, but I was proven wrong. You must truly love your Pokemon for them to grow to such lengths."

The only affirmation that Red was listening was a nod as Lopunny came back to her Trainer's side. She wasn't recalled to Pokeball right away as Red rubbed her head in affection for a job well done, and only after that, she returned.

"We had Fire and Fighting. Then let's go with Grass and Poison now. Victreebel, you are up!"

With a toss of yet another Pokeball, a plant-like Pokemon showed up. It had a yellow bell-shaped body and gaping mouth that was poorly covered by a big green leaf.

Red had a few options to use against this Pokemon. Mewtwo was the most obvious. He was the strongest Pokemon on his current team and one of the most powerful Pokemon he had access to, but he would rather take him out last. Suicune, despite type disadvantage, would be able to deal with this Grass-type with multiple Ice and Psychic-type attacks. Steelix would have more problems, but in the end, he would end up on top. That left only one choice.

"Gardevoir."

And so the Embrace Pokemon popped up from a Pokeball.

Professor Oak was shocked to see Gardevoir as it wasn't in its usual coloration.

"Is it a Shiny variant, perhaps? The Gardevoir line is rare in itself, but to find a shiny variant on top of that is almost miraculous."

Red just nodded without saying a word. In fact, he didn't say anything except when calling out his Pokemon and commanding them.

"So both of our Pokemon are mutually weak to each other's types. Gardevoir, as part Fairy, is weak to Poison, but my Victreebel is weak to her other type, which is Psychic. Let the best one win."

"Round 3, Gardevoir vs Victreebel, begin!" Daisy announced, but neither of the Trainers attacked right away like they had done in the previous battles.

Gardevoir tried to look as graceful as she could and didn't seem worried at all. She had confidence not only in her power but also, if not more, in her Trainer. She wore that knowing smile on her face as if she already knew the outcome of this battle.

Victreebel, on the other hand, was wary of his opponent and eyed Gardevoir with a careful look. He didn't want to get hit with Psychic-type attacks, as his defenses weren't the greatest.

"Bullet Seed!"

"Will-O-Wisp!"

Both Trainers ordered an attack at the same time. The Grass-type spat out multiple rounds of seeds, and the Psychic-type manipulated multiple ghost-like fireballs and sent them toward the aggressive plant while at the same time teleporting away from Bullet Seed trajectory.

Will-O-Wisp hit and burned its target. Now Victreebel was on a timer and couldn't play too defensively.

"Ingrain, now!

That was one of the best moves Professor Oak could make. This move gives Victreebel a passing healing although he can't move anymore, not that this Pokemon was very mobile, to begin with, so this wasn't a difficult decision to make.

"Future Sight." This wouldn't show any immediate effect, but after a short while, it would hit its target without fail.

Gardevoir sadistically smiled, without Red's knowledge, as she used her move. Right after that, Gardevoir tapped the ground lightly, and a misty, kind of pink terrain spread until it covered the whole battlefield.

Both Daisy and Samuel looked around in woe.

"What... is that?" Daisy asked as she looked at the magical terrain. She never saw anything like that.

"I only read about this move in papers as it was believed to be usable by only the most powerful Pokemon." Professor Oak said solemnly.

"Grandpa, do you know what this is?" Daisy asked curiously, still not looking away from the mysterious phenomenon.

"Yes, this move here is known as Misty Terrain, if I'm correct." He looked at Red, who nodded in confirmation. "It's not very well researched as the number of Pokemon who have the ability to use it is very limited. From what I'm aware of, it's one of the four known Terrain moves. These are Electric Terrain, Grassy Terrain, Psychic Terrain, and finally Misty Terrain. I don't know what effects they possess. I didn't have time to have a look at these papers in-depth, but I suspect that they power up moves of their respective type. In this case, it would be Fairy type. Am I right?"

"*Unfortunately, Professor Oak, but you are mistaken.*" A soothing voice entered Professor's head. It was, of course, Gardevoir who spoke up. "*If it was any other Terrain, you would be correct, but Misty Terrain works a bit differently.*"

"Would you mind telling me how it works then?" Samuel asked hopefully, but just as he predicted, it wouldn't be so easy.

"*It would be too easy, wouldn't it? It's more fun if you find out yourself, but if you still wish to know after the battle, I don't mind sharing my knowledge as long as Red allows it.*"

After he was done speaking with Gardevoir, the old Trainer turned to his opponent.

"I can't believe I see it with my very own eyes. Life really is full of surprises, and so are you. And you didn't even show your Suicune that I heard about. On that note, I must apologize to you. To be honest, this whole battle was a way to see what kind of Trainer you are and a way to see a legendary Pokemon in person, but you've shown me so much that I started feeling bad." He scratched his cheek awkwardly.

At this confession, Red only shrugged. He didn't really care, as he had a blast with that battle. During that whole battle, he felt great. Whether it was adrenaline or something else, he didn't know, but he loved it even if he didn't show it. Unfortunately, his social anxiety will probably return as soon as the fight ends. He also understands the want to see rare Pokemon and, during this battle, started to understand Professor Oak as a person. What kind of strategy he used, his reaction to the unknown, and his overall attitude during the fight all spoke a lot about him as a person.

"But enough about that. I am witnessing an incredibly rare move, and my scientific mind wants to study it, but as a battler, I want to overcome it. I feel at least 20 years younger! Thank you for that, young Red!"

Red tipped his hat as a show of respect. Professor Oak was a powerful Trainer, but his and his Pokemon's age was showing. They also didn't train in a meaningful way in many years.

At that moment, Red wanted to battle Professor Oak in his prime if he could, but that was impossible unless he used Dialga, Celebi, or Jirachi, but Red wouldn't use them for that. For one, what makes Professor Oak so strong today is his experience, and reverting him to the state before he became a Professor would make him lose all this experience, and if he reverted the time of the old Professor, he would be just playing God. It would be one thing to save a dying person, but making someone younger only for his amusement didn't sit right with Red.

Also, using the power of Legendary Pokemon willy-nilly could cause trouble in the long run. For all he knew about Pokemon, this was a real world, and there could possibly be Arceus who was overwatching this world, and using his sons for trivial matters would get him smitten, and he planned on living a long and healthy life. Not everyone gets second chances, after all.

"We'll have time to talk later. Now, let's resume our battle! Victreebel, let's show them that they are not the only ones who can use status moves. Use Stun Spore!

Gardevoir didn't even attempt to dodge the cloud of powder coming her way, and Red didn't look all that worried about the move.

The attack landed on its target but... nothing happened. Gardevoir smirked at the attempt on paralyzing her.

"*Cute.*"

"It's not working!? Try Sleep Powder!"

This time, it was some sort of dust that would normally put anyone to sleep as soon as it hit the target. Normally, that is. Once again, the attack didn't affect Gardevoir.

The female Pokemon took great pleasure in confusing her opponent and was shown in her eyes as she dusted off herself from powder and dust.

"*Since I'm feeling particularly nice today, how about I'll allow you once more to attack. I won't even move from this place."

Gardevoir's sadistic personality was showing, but the reason for that wasn't because she liked trampling over weaker opponents. She just enjoyed showing her superiority over others in front of her Trainer. Being near Mewtwo was annoying for her. As much as she hated to admit it, Mewtwo was the stronger psychic Pokemon between the two of them, so now that she had a chance to unwind herself, she was using it to the fullest.

"Don't mind if we do then. Victreebel, try Toxic!"

Purple ooze was spotted out from Victreebel's mouth, and it landed on Gardevoir doing nothing it was supposed to and slowly dripping down the beautiful Pokemon's body until it disappeared on the ground.

Professor Oak was thinking deeply about what was happening, and Gardevoir allowed it, and so did Red. If Red ordered her to attack, she would do it without any hesitation, but Red let Professor think out of respect.

"The Misty Terrain stops Pokemon from getting any status effects like paralyze, burn, sleep, toxic, and I suspect, freeze as well. However, it doesn't heal already inflicted statuses. Am I right?"

This was the first time Red's expression changed as a small smile appeared on his face, and that was enough of an answer for Samuel Oak.

"Trap Gardevoir with Vine Whip!"

For some reason, Gardevoir didn't dodge even though she had already shown the capability to do so. She didn't even look worried as vines caught her. Victreebel, after catching his prey, slowly brought Gardevoir closer to him to use a powerful Poison-type attack on the seemingly defenseless Fairy.

When Gardevoir was finally in the range to swallow her in Victreebel's mouth so he could shove her there and use his stomach acid to win this battle, Red called an attack that caught both Victreebel and Professor Oak by surprise.

"Use Zen Headbutt!"

Visible psychic energy gathered at Gardevoir's forehead as she prepared to execute the attack and, with all her might and forward momentum, hit Victreebel with super-effective damage. The attack was enough for Gardevoir to free herself as her opponent loosened his grip on her.

Red smirked, and as if copying her, Trainer Gardevoir did the same.

The most surprising fact about Red's Gardevoir was not that she was a shiny Pokemon. When Red first found her, she had an Adamant nature, which means that her Sp. Attack was lower than it usually would, and in return, her Attack would be higher.

An ordinary person playing the game would be slightly disappointed and go on with his/her playthrough as usual. Not Red, then Ruby. He created the whole backstory for the Gardevoir and decided to use her as a physical attacker as much as he could. After completing the game, he changed her nature with Mint, but for a long time, she was almost exclusively a psychical attacker, and it shows now as Gardevoir had an almost feral grin as her attack landed.

Without any out loud command, a fire gathered in Gardevoir's, and she punched Victreebel with it.

"Fire Punch!? But you didn't-" Realization hit Professor Oak. "Telepathy." He slammed his hand on his forehead. "And you even showed me that you could do it. By mixing voice commands with your telepathic ones, you made me focus on voiced ones more. You are more cunning than you let on."

It could be taken as an insult, but the old Oak didn't mean it like that. Being smart in battle was a good thing.

"It doesn't mean that we'll just give up. Victreebel use-!!!?"

It was time for Future Sight to take its effect and hit Victreebel with full force, knocking Pokemon out.

Once again, the shock of the battle results made everyone present speechless until Daisy declared the winner once more.

"As Victreebel is unable to battle, Gardevoir is the winner!"

With this verdict, Gardevoir teleported behind Red and hugged him affectionately. Red ruffled her head a bit before saying, "Good job." which made Gardevoir even happier.

On the other side of the battlefield, Professor Oak returned his Pokemon back and started laughing.

"Hahahaha! You played me the whole fight this time! I can say that the previous two battles were at least more equal, but this was one-sided. You really are an incredible Trainer, and I can see that I didn't stand a chance against you, but can you fulfill this old man's request and battle me till the end? I wish to see what more you have to offer before I make a decision."

Decision? What kind of decision would the Professor need to make that depends on Red? Red didn't know, but he wanted to battle more, so he agreed to continue their Pokemon battle.

"Great! Tauros, it's your turn now!"

Professor Oak choose a bull-looking Pokemon with three tails.

Red finally returned Gardevoir to her Pokeball, despite her reluctance, and chose his next Pokemon, although, before that, he took a few steps back.

It was made clear why he did so after his Pokemon exited the Pokeball and created a small commotion with a small earthquake.

Steelix, the giant steel snake, appeared and slammed the ground, and looked down at his opponent.

"So this was the Pokemon that created that earthquake. Seeing this in person, I can see how this happened. We won't go down without a fight, though, right Tauros?"

Tauros answered with a motivated roar.

"Steelix is very defensive, so we won't be able to break through easily. Let's start with Work Up!" Knowing Steelix's defenses wouldn't be easily broken, Professor Oak chose to raise both Attack and Sp. Attack at the same time.

"Curse. Red answered. To fight the raised stats of other Pokemon, he raised his own stats. Attack and Defence, to be exact, at the cost of his Speed.

"Both can play this game! Work Up again!"

"Curse."

It was a game of chicken. The one who attacked first would be at a slight disadvantage. If Red stopped first, Steelix's defenses would be lower than Professor's Pokemon Attack, and vice versa is the same. Although both Trainers had a plan after they'll max out their stats. There is only so much a Pokemon could power themselves up before they hit the limit.

It wouldn't be a long battle, and both of them knew that. It would end with one or two moves at most.

"Tauros, use Flamethrower!"

"Steelix, Dig into Gyro Ball."

Hearing the moves, the Professor knew that he already lost. Gyro Ball was the move that made more damage the slower its user was compared to the target, and after using Curse so many times, Steelix was as slow as he could get.

After burying his massive body in the ground, Steelix attacked Tauros from the underground and knocked him out instantly with Gyro Ball.

Seeing this, the steel snake was surprised and looked carefully at the unconscious opponent. To be sure that Tauros was unconscious, he poked the Pokemon with his tail. Not getting any reaction, Steelix looked in a panic between his Trainer and his defeated foe. It was too easy, and Steelix felt bad for going all out from the beginning.

"Steelix... is the winner." Daisy said a bit less enthusiastically after this anticlimactic fight.

Red reassured his Steelix, thanked him for a good fight, and returned him to the ball.

"I must admit, I knew that I would lose against Steelix, but I hoped that I'd land at least one attack. It's not that Tauros is known for his Defense, but Steelix is not known for its Attack either. *Sigh* No matter. I'll try to show my better side in the next battle. Exeggutor, come!"

Exeggutor was a palm-like tree with three coconuts-like heads.

This was the time Professor Oak was waiting for as Red chose Suicune as his Pokemon. The moment he entered the field, it was as if a king appeared in front of peasants, and the pressure it released with his ability helped to solidify this image. With every step it took, the ice covered the ground, showing his power and mastery over the element. The two ribbon-like tails waved gently in the wind. The Pokemon held his head high, knowing his superiority well.

"What a magnificent Pokemon. Stories truly don't give it justice, and I hate to repeat myself, but I'm fortunate to see it with my own eyes. It is an experience in itself, but we don't plan on losing without a fight, right Exeggutor!?"

Exeggutor nodded vigorously.

"Let's start with a bang! Use Egg Bomb!"

The Exeggutor created a giant egg with his psychic power and shot it at Suicune. The legendary Pokemon wasn't worried in the slightest.

"Use Reflect."

Reflect was an interesting move. In games, it reduced physical damage taken, but here, as long as the barrier was stronger than the attack, it nullified it completely, and that happened as Egg Bomb hit the Reflect.

"Use Hail and then Mist." Was Red's following command, and the weather quickly changed. It started hailing, and the vision was reduced, but the mist sealed the deal. Neither Exeggutor nor Professor Oak could see that much in that weather, and although Red couldn't either, Suicune however could.

"Chip away Exeggutor's health with multiple Extreme Speed."

Suicune vanished after his body became surrounded by a white Aura and hit Exeggutor multiple times. Like a ghost, Suicune wasn't noticed until it was too late. Before the Grass-type Pokemon could react to the attack, the next one had already been delivered.

Exeggutor, use Stomping Tantrum! You don't need to see Suicune to hit him!"

Hearing his order, Exeggutor started stomping the ground madly, sending splinters of the ground in all directions, hoping to hit the opposing Pokemon.

Not seeing nor hearing his target after he was done with the attack made both Professor and Exeggutor uneasy. It was too late when the coconut Pokemon noticed that his opponent was in front of him as if nothing happened.

"Suicune, Blizzard, now."

With a howl, Suicune summoned a powerful blizzard that hit Exeggutor. Blizzard is the most powerful Ice-type move that could be learned. There are a few Ice attacks that were stronger, but they were only usable by the legendary Pokemon, not counting Sheer Cold.

This was a super effective move that was used by a legendary Pokemon. This was enough to defeat Exeggutor.

After Suicune made sure that the Exeggutor was defeated, he dispersed the weather he created to return it to its previous state, showing Suicune standing over the fallen Exeggutor for everyone else.

"E-Exeggutor is unable to fight! Suicune is the winner!"

It wasn't surprising that Suicune won. It wasn't even surprising that he dominated the fight the way he did, but seeing this legendary Pokemon in action was something else. To manhandle a Pokemon on the level of a Champion was no easy task.

The Steelix's battle didn't count as he not only raised his attack to its limit, but Tauros didn't raise his defense either. Also, Steelix was a bad match-up for Tauros. While mainly a physical attacker, Tauros has surprisingly great coverage on his special side, although using it was another matter. Tauros had a measly Sp. Attack, and usually it wasn't recommended to use it, but that was a reason Professor Oak ordered his Tauros to use Work Up multiple times.

After returning the Exeggutor, the Professor smiled gently.

"Suicune really lives up to his legend. To fight you was a pleasure." The latter part was said to the Pokemon himself, and he received a nod of acknowledgment in return. "Although I hoped you would save your strongest Pokemon for last."

"...I did."

That was the first time Red answered Professor directly, which confused Professor but not Daisy. She may not have seen Mewtwo's power, but it was just a gut feeling that told her that Pokemon was dangerous as soon as she looked at it.

With a light throw of a Pokeball, another legendary appeared, not that anyone knew that apart from Red.

The pressure enough, was letting everyone there know that this Pokemon was strong. If Suicune's pressure was that of a king letting everyone know his presence, Mewtwo's was of a fighter warning about the danger of you approaching him.

"What... is that Pokemon? I've never seen a Pokemon like that..."

"*You can call me Mewtwo, and as you probably have noticed, I'm Red's Pokemon. Nice to meet you, Professor.*"

Professor Oak was exhilarated. A newly discovered species of a Pokemon, and a powerful one at that. Possibly another legendary if the pressure was saying something.

"I can't disappoint you if you show me something like that! Alakazam!" He called one of his most powerful Pokemon, and the powerful psychic Pokemon teleported to the battlefield. At first, he looked confident until he noticed the Pokemon in front of him.

Mewtwo smirked.

"*Hello Alakazam.*" Mewtwo created his weapon of choice, which was a giant spoon. "I wish you luck even though it won't change the outcome of this battle.*"

Alakazam instantly panicked and turned to his Trainer, telling him something telepathically while both Mewtwo and Red waited patiently for them to finish. After they were done, the Professor looked pretty awkward.

"Alakazam said that he didn't stand a chance against you, and if the proudful Pokemon like my Alakazam was admitting that, then I have no reason to doubt him. I forfeit this battle."

Mewtwo let his giant spoon disappear from his hand.

"*It looks like this Alakazam was smarter than I gave him credit for. I'll need to re-evaluate my opinion of him as small as the change will be.*"

Mewtwo then turned 180⁰ and slowly levitated towards his Trainer. "Sorry, Red. It looks like you won't see me fight this time.*"

"*I don't mind. It's true that I wanted to see you in action, but the way you won without fighting was equally fun to watch.*"

Red and Mewtwo talked telepathically just between themselves.

Mewtwo didn't return to his Pokeball and stayed at Red's side while stopping himself from releasing pressure and any kind of traces of his power. It was uncanny how this powerful Pokemon was able to hide its power.

But now that the battle has ended, Red started panicking. His confidence vanished, and the only thing left were the memories of how he had acted.

That was too much for him, and he froze.

---

END

(A/N Fun fact. This whole fight was inspired by Professor Oak's unused fight from Gen 1. I wanted to use his team that was in the data that included Lv. 66 Tauros, Lv. 67 Exeggutor, Lv. 68 Arcanine, which the only Fire-type attack was Ember, Lv. 69 leftover fully evolved starter and Lv. 70 Gyarados. I still used Tauros, Exeggutor, and Arcanine, but I changed the rest using Gen 1 Pokemon.)

(E/D Poor Daisy, gonna die by yandere…)

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