Speedrunnin' Red (Pokemon SI, but Faaast!) by JBukharin
A interesting pokemon fanfic that I love it also involves a fanmade rarely any fanfics works been done on online the Zirca Region!!!!
Words: 37k+
Links: https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/speedrunnin-red-pokemon-si-but-faaast.1182805/
https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/speedrunnin-red-pokemon-si-but-faaast.1182805/
https://m.fanfiction.net/s/14388254/1/Speedrunnin-Red
(Insert in Red goes FAAAST!!!)
Volume 1 - Kanto
DISCLAIMER
The following is a fan-based
FICTION
Pokemon is owned by Game Freak and Nintendo.
Please support the official release.
WARNING BEFORE WE START! This is the release on FFN of Speedrunnin' Red which is available on QQ (so it is quite uncensored). Also, this will be released in volumes and this first chapter is about Johto. Big tags to be wary about: Red being a Speedrunnin' Shit, the Kanto War Theory is canon to the story, Pokephilia (mostly humanoids/anthros), AU (if you haven't noticed already so expect some rules to be subverted), Friendship influences the EXP gain, and other shit I can't think in this moment. I hope you like the mega-chapters~!
Chapter 1: Ready, set... Go!
If you wish to Donate and Support: ptreon DOT com / socialistbukharin
So, quick question: what would you do if you woke up in the body of a ten year old silent guy that should eventually curbstomp the Kanto League in less than a year?
I bet many would answer something along the lines of 'enjoying the world' or 'catch all pokemon' or even 'get a harem', but I had a goal in mind - to make a point.
That, despite its best efforts to appear realistic, this world is simple.
Hell, my new mom was a widowed housewife and yet we barely needed an income to have such a nice house and other services.
My plan? Win ALL circuits and become the ultimate Poke Master as fast as possible. And get mad rich too.
I didn't exactly plan beyond the general steps within that day, but I delayed that to after picking my first Pokemon and getting to Viridian.
So... Oak.
Good old man, not a shady professor and definitely affected by a touch of senility for not knowing what I was at first glance and forgetting his grandson's name despite the guy living in the same town.
Ignoring this, I picked Charmander.
Call me a nostalgic, but it was my favorite Starter of this region and the one I was most familiar with and Blue picked Squirtle-
"Hey Red, how about we go for a spar so-" Blue interrupting my effort to dodge my 'tutorial fight' was met with a shake of head. "No? Dude, are you a quitter or something?"
"Blue, were you just asking Red to spar in my laboratory?"
The old professor's query came off with a hint of awareness and a worrisome amount of irritation.
I mean, family is family, but I probably would be as miffed if someone wanted to fight inside a place with delicate tools around.
"N-No."
"Good, then how about you both get going and start your adventure on a good note?"
We both left the lab and, for a moment, I though about picking the map from Blue's sister and-
Do I really need it?
I mean, while this was following the game timeline, I had yet to see any game mechanics at play which would force me to need a map so...
Fuck it!
I decided to march to Viridian, pick Oak's package and bolt back to the lab.
It was a needed mission to get the Pokedex and five Pokeballs, so I had to do it.
I didn't even stop to train Charmander just yet as I wanted to test something... That proved correct!
When I got back, I was the only one getting the rewards since Blue had not gotten back in time.
I had outpaced Blue-
I could sequence-break!
This was big in my strategy as it meant that, with some well-planned timing I could dodge rival fights or even set them up for maximum winning!
This out a smile on my lips as I got my adven-Speedrunningstarted at once.
First step: get Charmander stronger, get Rattata for Raticate, and Pidgey for a Flying Type.
Chapter 2: Between a Rock and a Moon
I may not be Sonic, but I was moving fast.
I had Charmender, Pidgey, and Rattata. Not the finest team, but enough to do something else before I departed for the first gym - I needed a Fighting-Type.
While I wasn't forced to follow some forceful rules of combat in terms of turns or moves-limit, I had to still abide to one thing: Type-Advantage was a primary thing to follow through.
Which is why I had to switch my path from Viridian to West, roughly near the path leading to the League.
Mankeys were a common breed in the area, and while those were being awfully skittish to fight me for some reason, I had plenty of punching bags- I mean, punching bags to train my current team and, once I found the right Mankey, them too.
I wasted a few hours, taking a few breaks to feed the team some pokepuff I bought at the local Market, let them rest, and even play with them a bit.
While Friendship was not the kind of factor I followed in the games, that didn't mean it wasn't relevant now. I didn't name any of the Pokemon I had, feeling it would have been that 'extra step' that felt too 'intimate' to go through.
Once I was through with this first day of training, I was relieved that my current Trainer ID gave me the means to rest at the local Center. I had a tiny bed, but it was comfy enough to not have any issues through the night.
At 6, I fed my team during breakfast and I went out to finally go to Pewter City.
I was warned a few times about Viridian Forest and the Bug-Types living there and... I 'refused' to listen. This was a distraction since one has to really delve deep into the forest to get to poisonous threats and I wasn't planning to dabble into that.
In fact, the Forest was a brief change of scenery as I had already over-trained my pokemon, relief washing upon me the moment I had realized that I didn't need to worry about 'obedience'. The game mechanic was more of a gamey feature to prevent 'fun-ruining' for players, but this world had a different view of it.
If you can train your pokemon right, you are never going to worry about obedience.
So, as I walked up to the next Pokemon center at Pewter, I could tell that the Nurse Joy had a bit of a stroke when she realized that my team was 'weird' for a guy that had started a day or so ago.
In fact, Brock was smiling no more when I wrecked through his team with Primeape and got the Boulder Badge with ease.
A smug grin on my face, I thought about resting a bit but... it was just lunchtime.
And I wondered how much I could sequence break by entering Mt. Moon so early on.
Oh well, time to fuck with Team Rocket!
Team:
Charmeleon (Lvl. 34) - Moves: Fire Fang, Flamethrower, Dragon Breath, Slash, Ember
Primeape (Lvl. 32) - Moves: Thrash, Cross Chop, Swagger, Assurance, Low Kick, Seismic Toss
Pidgeotto (Lvl. 32) - Moves: Quick Attack, Twister, Gust, Peck, Agility, Feather Dance
Raticate (Lvl. 30) - Moves: Take Down, Crunch, Bite, Sucker Punch, Swords Dance, Bite
Chapter 3: Bugs and Rockets
So, I found a Nidoking- I mean, I found a Nidoran, trained him to Nidorino and then used a Moon Stone to make him a Nidoking.
While I was usually a casual that dodged Nidorans when playing Fire Red, I was min-maxxing this shit as possible.
Mt. Moon was a breeze. The Rocket Grunts helped making some cash, same with the few gems I found around, and I even got a few useful items.
There was also the fossils situation. Bespectacled bastard tried to give me only one despite the fact I wrecked him in combat, a sucker punch and a bit of yoinking of the second fossil solved this debacle.
I was out of Mt. Moon and... It was early afternoon. Great!
While in earlier Gens there wasn't much for me to find in Route 4 to perfectly clash with Misty's team, there was a Pokemon I wanted to find that was usually hidden in trees.
A Wurmple.
Lil bug that, with some attention, morphed into Silcoon and then into a Beautifly.
Not exactly what many would expect from a Kanto-based trainer, but it was a good substitute to Butterfree for the time being.
Also, almost forgot a very interesting bit - Beautifly can learn Grass moves.
So...
"You are a monster!"
I blinked at Misty, red-faced as I demolished her team with Beautifly alone.
I knew she loathed bug types, but boy did the psychological warfare screw with her mind a lot.
"And you are cute. Badge please."
She blushed some more, but I wasn't interested in knowing if it was embarrassed or anger at play.
I got my second badge for the day and I... Went to the Poke Center to rest as it was dinnertime.
The team under me was well-cared as I had them to sleep outside the balls.
Food was good, life was good and my grind plans were peak.
Tomorrow was going to be a bit longer than today.
-POV CHANGE-
ROCKET REPORT "MT MOON DISASTER"
By Rock. Ex. Petrel
Boss, something went very wrong during the mission.
While initially the plan went as intended and we successfully made contact with the traitorous researcher over the fossils, someone broke through our lines.
Boy, about 10, he wears a red hat and jacket, blue jeans. His team... Boss, it was scary.
The kid had a fucking Charizard! Almost pulverized our Pokemon with ease and he stole the fossils for himself.
Dunno if he is from a rival gang (maybe Hoenn, Magma?) or if he is doing things solo.
I have requested some eggheads at base to look into his files. I suggest we keep an eye on this one as he may be the one we have been looking for...
Or the one that may destroy us for good.
For Kanto's independence, a loyal Rocket.
Team:
Charizard (Lvl. 57) - Moves: Fire Fang, Flamethrower, Dragon Breath, Slash, Ember, Dragon Claw, Inferno
Primeape (Lvl. 54) - Moves: Thrash, Cross Chop, Swagger, Assurance, Low Kick, Seismic Toss, Rage Fist, Outrage
Pidgeot (Lvl. 56) - Moves: Quick Attack, Twister, Gust, Peck, Agility, Feather Dance, Roost, Aerial Ace
Raticate (Lvl. 55) - Moves: Take Down, Crunch, Bite, Sucker Punch, Swords Dance, Super Fang
Nidoking (Lvl. 49) - Moves: Mega Horn, Sludge Wave, Double Kick, Poison Jab, Earth Power
Beautifly (Lvl. 48) - Moves: Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Bug Buzz, Air Cutter, Attract, Protect
Chapter 4: Fairly Ruthless
Same as the day before, I am bolting out of the center early in the morning and after breakfast.
First comes the 'bridge challenge' and the lack of Blue as I may have be going faster than he is.
The challengers were, as expected, easy fights, same for the scummy Rocket guy that had used this event as a recruitment drive effort.
I made him pay... In nuggets. He had a lot of fancy gold nuggets which he had used as a lure for naive trainers.
In the name of justice, I claimed it all and then resumed my run to Bill.
More trainers, more curbstomping but also more chances to level up for my team.
As I reached Bill's house, I was a bit surprised that I didn't sequence break here too- Bill was already transformed but... This was good.
After all, I got a female Eevee for helping, a fluffball that gave me an idea.
"Say, want to become the prettiest Pokemon around?"
Asking that while feeding the gluttonous thing with 'puffs had her grinning.
Three or so hours later and a whole lot of praying seemed to do the trick and-
"Oh! Hi Red! Finally caught up to ya!"
Goddammit Blue. I don't want to hurt you, buddy.
"I hope you are ready... For our first battle!"
I am, he is not.
I didn't get much of a choice to refuse as he sends out Pidgeotto. From my understanding, he has the bird, Rattata, Squirtle and Abra.
None of which has hit Lvl. 20 yet.
I thought about going full ape on him, but he is just naive, so I opted for the kindest humiliation.
"Go, Sylveon."
Blue's eyes went wide in a mixture of awe, surprise and amusement.
"What's that?" He asked, picking his dex but frowning at the 'error' screen he got. "...Red?"
"Evolution of Eevee. Not known in Kanto."
That was enough and Blue... Well, he underestimated the power of Sylveon.
Soloing a team with a Fairy type sure feels like RKOing someone and then sprinkle them with glitter.
Blue learned his lesson. He had a sad look, didn't expect to lose that badly but... Heh, I felt bad.
"B-But I lost." Blue argued as I refused the money. Hell, I gave him two gold nuggets.
"Dude, we are childhood friends. I am not going to ruin your fun just like you wouldn't do that to me."
He perked up at this and smiled before retreated to the Poke Center. Didn't hear a 'thank you' but it is what it is.
Plus, I had to get to the next Gym ASAP and get Cut from the ship captain.
The day wasn't over yet, wasn't even lunch time, so I was hopeful in at least getting a badge and...
Check under a suspiciously distant truck.
Team:
Charizard (Lvl. 64) - Moves: Fire Fang, Flamethrower, Dragon Breath, Slash, Ember, Dragon Claw, Inferno, Fire Blitz
Annihilape (Lvl. 62) - Moves: Thrash, Cross Chop, Swagger, Assurance, Low Kick, Seismic Toss, Rage Fist, Outrage, Shadow Punch
Pidgeot (Lvl. 61) - Moves: Quick Attack, Twister, Gust, Peck, Agility, Feather Dance, Roost, Aerial Ace
Raticate (Lvl. 62) - Moves: Take Down, Crunch, Bite, Sucker Punch, Swords Dance, Super Fang
Nidoking (Lvl. 57) - Moves: Mega Horn, Sludge Wave, Double Kick, Poison Jab, Earth Power
Beautifly (Lvl. 59) - Moves: Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Bug Buzz, Air Cutter, Attract, Protect
Sylveon (Lvl. 44) - Moves: Disarming Voice, Moon Blast, Quick Attack, Last Resort, Swift, Bite
Chapter 5: Surging Interest
Vermilion City.
Before getting there I had the chance to catch an Abra and train him up for future challenges.
I arrived in town to find... The ship I needed to board had just docked and I wasted no time in getting to the Captain's cabin.
A few pats on his back while ignoring the disgusting smell emitted by the bin the old man had used to deposit his breakfast, I walked out with the disc with Cut in it.
Was an interesting experience to teach it to Raticate due to the flash of lights that 'did the thing' and now Raticate could now cut into the small tree by the Gym's entrance.
I never understood how Surge would appreciate this kind of setting. Sure, he is an Electric User, but since his background is a military one, I remember thinking it would have had some forestal area within it.
Hell, the tree at the entrance did push more on that choice but...
This all looked wasteful.
The puzzle was a bit tough since it wasn't the same order as in the games, but I found the right buttons in the endless sea of gray bins between me and the barrier holding challengers from facing Surge.
The 'American Soldier' looked absolutely jacked. Lore wise, I knew little of the 'war' that made him this way, but I knew it happened because boy was he a bulky man.
"Hm, so you are the pipsqueak that has been steamrolling my fellow gym leaders?" He snorted, lips forming a big grin. "Tell you what, best, how about a change of pace for once?"
What?
I frowned as he fished a PokeBall from his belt.
"One against one. My strongest against your strongest. How about that?"
...is that legal? I mean, it would be good for me but isn't it a bit not fair to the League's rules?
I huffed, nodding as I readied Charizard for battle.
Surge went for Raichu- it was his 'Rematch' Pokemon at that.
The battle was not as straightforward as the previous ones.
Raichu was faster and could dish out some mean fast attacks, but Charizard had the advantage of power and AoE attacks.
Despite its pace, Raichu got ultimately grilled unconscious due to the burn effects while Charizard got a few injuries for the first time ever in our journey.
"You are truly something else, kid," Surge praised as he returned Raichu and walked up to me to give the Thunder Badge.
As I reached for it and got it out of his hand, I tensed up as his gloved hand suddenly caught me by wrist and I looked up at his face.
A curious look on his face. Intrigue, delight and... Hope?
"One question: what's the end goal here?"
...seriously?
I blinked. "Champion."
"Of Kanto-"
"All Leagues."
There was a pause, then Surge's grin widened.
"Big dreams, uh? Do remember where you came from though, got it?"
I nodded, the talk weirding me out a bit but I swiftly left the gym leader area...
Not swiftly enough to not see Surge picking his phone and calling someone - clearly about me.
Team:
Charizard (Lvl. 71) - Moves: Fire Fang, Flamethrower, Dragon Breath, Slash, Ember, Dragon Claw, Inferno, Fire Blitz
Annihilape (Lvl. 69) - Moves: Thrash, Cross Chop, Swagger, Assurance, Low Kick, Seismic Toss, Rage Fist, Outrage, Shadow Punch
Pidgeot (Lvl. 72) - Moves: Quick Attack, Twister, Gust, Peck, Agility, Feather Dance, Roost, Aerial Ace
Raticate (Lvl. 66) - Moves: Take Down, Crunch, Bite, Sucker Punch, Swords Dance, Super Fang
Nidoking (Lvl. 68) - Moves: Mega Horn, Sludge Wave, Double Kick, Poison Jab, Earth Power
Beautifly (Lvl. 69) - Moves: Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Bug Buzz, Air Cutter, Attract, Protect
Sylveon (Lvl. 73) - Moves: Disarming Voice, Moon Blast, Quick Attack, Last Resort, Swift, Bite
Alakazam (Lvl. 54) - Moves: Teleport, Future Sight, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Psy Beam, Disable
Chapter 6: Food Fiend Mew!
When I first boarded the SS Anne, I had noticed the infamous white truck in a small blocked off area.
I had thought about swimming to it to see if... You know.
But that idea died as the reality hit me- I can't waste time on rumors. Plus, I didn't want to see if I could become food for the Magikarps.
With that in mind, I had decided to be careful in exploring potential locations for the legendaries and...
There is that damn white truck obstructing the path out of Vermilion.
Not only that, but it was floating, and-
"Eh meh gerd! Dat's meh ice cream truck."
That windowless truck didn't have any details saying it was used for that purpose beyond red writing on the side that said 'Aise Creem'.
I was about to mention that when I saw a few boxes falling off the trick, with some pre-made ice cream cones splattering on the ground.
...Well, that's surprising.
Still, the hurdle was not something I could just gawk at. If I waited for the authorities to do something (if they could do any) I would be late in getting to Lavender Town before the end of the day.
That wasn't acceptable.
I bolted towards the truck, feeling my center of gravity shifting as I felt propelled upward.
I jumped on some floating boxes until I was right over the truck and I eyed the source of the floating: a pink entity stuck by the window of the car door nearest to where I was.
Diving to the door was the first crazy successfully plan as it broke the door and made me almost fall off.
Through some lucky momentum I pushed into the vehicle together with the creature.
With the focus disrupted, all items came falling down. Same with the truck.
A loud thud ensued, one that partly deafened me for a time.
A near-death experience was not what I signed for, neither was what came next.
"Buuuurp!"
I gagged as I got hit straight in the face with that one, my reaction made the pokemon in my lap giggle and I growled at...
Mew. Mew with its lips stained in chocolate cream. Blue eyes flashed mirth as I recoiled by this bullshit and-
"Gyet dem, Bois!"
We both turned to see... A horde of Machokes running towards us, courtesy of the truck's owner.
Mew squeaked as I picked it up, slid out from the other door and then ran like a mad man through Route 5.
I may be 10, but I was a driven kid with a deep fear of death by Machokes.
To my relief, they eventually stopped as their illiterate owners could catch up and decided to go back to his wrecked truck.
Meanwhile Mew had slipped into my bag and made itself at home there. Did I catch it? Debatable.
But at least I could get back to my path - Lavender Town was still the current destination.
-POV CHANGE-
The booze was cheap, but it was necessary for it to not be any of his expensive wines.
If one was to ask how someone like Giovanni Rocket would find cheap beer worthy of nostalgia, the answer may shock them.
After all, it was through cheap booze that he befriended his wife's brother, a man that fought until his death during the war.
Burgundy was a legend in the field, so much his name was erased by History books due to his infamy against their foes.
A proud warrior, a legendary trainer that had sparred and matched with the Dragon Holders of Johto and the Royal Knights of Zirca, and a martyr.
One of the figures that had fueled Giovanni's decision to found Team Rocket.
Yet... Why now? Why celebrate those old days of glory?
Well, one of his most recent headaches turned out to be related to Burgundy. Literally.
The young trainer Red hardly bore any resemblance with Burgundy and looked more like his mother, yet the DNA test confirmed their blood ties - Red was Burgundy's son and... He was a bigger monster that his father at 10.
It was true that Burgundy had been an excellent trainer, but it was after years of trials and errors.
His son was still a kid and manhandling the Gyms with barely any issue.
The confirming clue to this was Surge's call.
The man had been warned in advance, all those involved with Giovanni had been, and the former officer was shown the truth.
He is that bastard Burgundy's brat!
His words burned with electrifying joy that left Giovanni with a small smile and a huge dilemma.
How the hell was he supposed to approach the kid, his nephew, if he already crossed paths with his gang and proved antagonistic to their plans?
The booze helped push the discomfort down and give him some brief lucidity. He had time and resources and...
And maybe there was some planning to do with his wife and his children.
There was no way he was denying them a proper family reunion.
Chapter 7: Rockin' to Lavender
In games, the Rock Tunnel is a nightmare. For me, however, it was now a choice.
A brief break at the center right beside the entrance to the large cave got me a warning by the Nurse assigned to the place.
"The Rock Tunnel can be tough for young people. You could use the recently-built safe route around it."
A new route... Which was infested by challengers that found it funny to nag along the road.
Not only was it the the mother of all delays, but it also meant slipping on 1) much needed loot and, 2) a specific Pokemon I wanted from Rock Tunnel.
And I got that second point right as I entered inside the cave: I got a Cubone and I focused on getting it to evolve while also leveling it up.
The best bit that allowed me to move around with awareness without flash was the blue-eyed pink cat that was sitting on my shoulder for the time being.
Mew was a rather weird addition to my journey: I couldn't catch it- I mean, her (discovered through rudimentary 'are you a boy or a girl?' question).
First, she didn't want by her own admission as she just wanted to tag along as a travel buddy. Second, I didn't have the patience and the balls to catch her forcefully so... Yeah.
Still, bribing a divine entity sounded deeply ironic, but she was very easy to persuade with chocolate-flavored puffs.
So, here Mew was, munching happily on her Choco lunch while using her eyes to flash light through the cave's darkness.
I advanced smoothly, frightening a few trainers and Pokemon alike. Lots of gems, tools left around, and even some peculiar engravings that had me nodding along over Arceus being real.
But then...
I was out and I grinned at seeing the sky had just started to grow dark.
I arrived to Lavender Town a hour before its center closed. Just had the time to eat a light dinner for myself and the rest of the team, before getting myself a room and-
"Young trainer, I suggest getting a magical seal. Some Ghost Pokemon tend to visit at night to play pranks."
Those were free, so I took two and set them by the bedsides. That being said, I had the best anti-bad amulet: the Mew cutely snoring while napping on my chest.
I invested about an hour of brainstorming on what I could do tomorrow.
I had to get at least two badges and get myself a reliable Water Type and an Ice Type for the next challenges.
Also, I had to train my team since I slightly slowed down with how little time I had to get to my current stop.
Sighing, I closed my eyes while patting Mew's head and allowed my tiredness to win so I could fully fall asleep.
Tomorrow was going to be a long but fun day, after all. And I needed all my energies to go though it as smoothly as possible.
Team:
Charizard (Lvl. 79) - Moves: Fire Fang, Flamethrower, Dragon Breath, Slash, Ember, Dragon Claw, Inferno, Fire Blitz
Annihilape (Lvl. 77) - Moves: Thrash, Cross Chop, Swagger, Assurance, Low Kick, Seismic Toss, Rage Fist, Outrage, Shadow Punch
Pidgeot (Lvl. 78) - Moves: Quick Attack, Twister, Gust, Peck, Agility, Feather Dance, Roost, Aerial Ace
Raticate (Lvl. 75) - Moves: Take Down, Crunch, Bite, Sucker Punch, Swords Dance, Super Fang
Nidoking (Lvl. 77) - Moves: Mega Horn, Sludge Wave, Double Kick, Poison Jab, Earth Power
Beautifly (Lvl. 73) - Moves: Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Bug Buzz, Air Cutter, Attract, Protect
Sylveon (Lvl. 76) - Moves: Disarming Voice, Moon Blast, Quick Attack, Last Resort, Swift, Bite
Alakazam (Lvl. 73) - Moves: Teleport, Future Sight, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Psy Beam, Disable
Marowak (Lvl. 61) - Moves: Double Edge, Thrash, Bonemerang, Stomping Tantrum, Headbutt, Endeavor, Retaliate
Chapter 8: Ninja'd by the Family
By games' rules, I should have been unable to solve the Pokemon Tower plot just yet due to the 'unbeatable' Pokemon warding off the staircase to the top floor.
After a swift rise through the floors which allowed me to train up my team some more, I arrived to find out that I didn't need the special goggles.
Annihilape's Shadow Punch didn't give a shit about accuracy apparently. Ghost Marowak died (again) and I could screw with Team Rocket (again).
The good news is that it was a speedy process and, to my delight, Mr. Fuji had what I came over for.
A Key Stone - Charizardite X at that. Got the Poke Flute too, but I doubted I would need it since I didn't envision the need of a Snorlax.
Instead, I planned to go through Route 8 and... No Pokemon to catch there, just train up and get to Saffron.
There was also the Silph Accident to deal with. If there was any at this point since I had been rushing things up so much I should arrive there before that occurs.
The only serious obstacle was... The law.
Or a police officer at Route 8's checkpoint.
A guy with a throat-related issue that didn't want folks passing through at that.
"Mew, could you put that guy to sleep for a few minutes?"
The pink one blinked and... Nodded.
We were soon stepping through unstopped and we arrived to Saffron.
Good news was there weren't any Rocket grunts around that would indicate the takeover.
The odd news was that no one was around. At all.
Saffron appeared outright empty and as I frowned and looked around, I felt something- no, someone right behind me.
Mew's surprised squeak acted as confirmation of this gut feeling. I turned to address the surprising guest when- two hands reached for my shoulders.
I saw a smile aimed at me by...
What is Janine doing here?!
"Got you!"
Smoke exploded, causing me to instinctively close my eyes and cough as I tried to push the kunoichi away.
To my surprise, Janine was no longer within my proximity.
Instead, I found myself no longer in Saffron's streets and within an old-looking dining room that relied on candles to illuminate the fairly dim area.
As I further took notice of my new surroundings, the more I felt like someone, up above, may have deemed my sequence breaking worthy of retribution.
The dining room had two tables. One stuffed with several high ranking officers of Team Rocket, and the other having quite the major figures in Kanto's circuit:
Surge grinned at me;
Sabrina eyed me with intrigue;
Janine had taken to sit beside her father, Koga studying me with a flat look;
Blaine appeared to be the most intrigued as he muttered something under his breath;
Then there was Giovanni. And Ariana. And... Silver.
And is that a lil' Mars?!
"Red, please... Take a seat and enjoy a meal with us."
Giovanni's genuinely jovial offer left me flabbergasted. The entire scene was surreal by all means, but my prime thought was one of dismay.
This is the mother of all delays...
Chapter 9: A Family Lunch
In my previous life, I loathed going at family gathering involving my father's family.
While my grandparents were not rich prudes, their wallets were never empty by working for the local government.
The issue was tied less on expectations and more on general dysfunctionality - dad literally bailed from the family home of his parents when he got enough saved up cash to buy his first flat and had moved out his stuff there.
The reason why I am bringing this up is about this current situation's air. The tension and coziness mixed toxically well for the gloomy setting.
I would have thought it to be a normal Team Rocket meeting. A bit stylish, but overall... Yeah, could see it.
But why is Giovanni had his family here if that was the case?
I was sitting down, Mew resting on my lap, the urge to fight my way out of this mess killed off by the sight of Surge looking ready to snap into action and just break my neck if I tried something funny.
What odds of survival would I have if I couldn't even reach for any of my Pokeballs?
There was food available at my side. Some spaghetti with tomato sauce, some bread, a glass bottle with cool water...
Man, this makes me miss home more.
"Red. Do you know who I am?"
I sighed.
"The leader of Team Rocket."
I noticed some shifting beside Giovanni- Ariana looked nervous, uncomfortable.
"My name is Giovanni Rocket, and yes, that's one of my titles. However your invitation here has little to do with this organization. And more about... Family."
I was expecting a 'I am your father' sort of revelation. What I got was a picture that was slipped across the table to me.
Frowning, I lifted it up to my gaze and... Froze.
I may have not spent long enough around my new home but- that's mom! And she is hugging an unfamiliar red-haired man.
My dad- Red's dad.
"Burgundy Cardinal. War Hero, he was a powerful trainer and soldier. A friend, a long-standing supporter of Kanto's independence."
Fancy stuff tied to the 'old war', but it was the next mention that fully explained why 'this' was happening.
"My brother."
Ariana delivered those two words with a degree of unease, and her posture stiffened as I looked at her.
Silver and Mars appeared quite stunned, but the latter was the one speaking up:
"He is our cousin?!" She squeaked, almost snatching a smile out of me. Almost.
"Yes."
Giovanni's confirmation was soon followed with more details.
"Burgundy died during the last year of the war. He was one of the last reasons we still fought. His passing made morale collapse and... Johto saw fit to erase his name from history. From his ideals, Team Rocket came to be. I would never attribute our alignment with criminal behavior to Burgundy, but his determination to fight Johto's aggression drives us in our ultimate goal. One we both share."
I blinked, talking a moment to think about what I just heard and try to make sense of it, I decided to forcefully push back on the emotional baggage and focus on the main implication.
"Lance."
Giovanni nodded. "Lance and his cronies. And the old guard in Johto that was responsible for the war. If you take care of them, I will promise you one thing on the name of the Rocket family: Team Rocket shall no longer be a criminal organization."
I was surprised by this, but I felt my mouth move faster than my brain.
"Deal."
Giovanni snorted and looked at me with delight.
"And you will have a watcher, or a companion to your journey so that Lance doesn't try to take you out early. Koga says his daughter has the skills for it, so she will be assigned to you for the time being."
Janine had a brief look that pretty much said that she wasn't aware of this, but a glance from her father suppressed any protest before those could be voiced.
I was half-tempted to protest but... I saw an opportunity, especially since I doubted Sabrina was going to open her Gym for today after this lunch.
So-
"I have a request if that's the case."
Giovanni perked up. "Hm? What is it?"
"Three Ultra Balls."
I will start the lengthy process of capturing the legendary birds.
Chapter 10: Zap and Grass
Good news: Janine can keep up with the pace I ran.
Bad news: She whines. Not as frequently as the average 10 years old girl, but she does.
That being said, most of the whining is her odd clumsiness which I cleverly attribute to the pink cat giggling in my bag.
When interrogated on what it was by the kunoichi, i answered truthfully and she commented with a 'bullshit'.
Shocking, I know, but her nagging ceased as we arrived at the power plant.
A teleport to Lavender Town and a rush up north brought us to-
"Why here?"
"Zapdos."
Janine appeared skeptical. "Really?"
"Why do you think it's operative despite being abandoned?"
My question gave me much silence to work with.
The Power Plant had two types of wild Pokemon running around: Electric and Poison.
Janine vanished to catch a Koffing. Despite already having one, and I started to look for Zapdos while most of my team was training up.
Marowak was all I needed as I ultimately put a pure Ground Type against a Electric Type.
Finding Zapdos was a matter of minutes. The thunder bird screeched for battle, but I could tell a theory of mine was correct- the legendary birds had their powers halved.
In the games, their levels were at 50 which was... Relatively weak.
What I can deduce from this and with other legendaries is that their powers were halved to preserve their domains.
The power plant was able to function at full capacity without requiring the right amount of active workers as...
Well, Zapdos had created enough self-sufficient electricity within the air that it would go on for decades without intervention.
Marowak thus made quick work of the zappy boy, making it faint as I hurled an Ultra Ball at its ass.
For just a moment, I thought that would fuck up. You know, it would have been ironic but...
Click!
It didn't. Zapdos was caught, and I turned to walk back to the entrance and fetch my team and Janine in the mean time.
I found the kunoichi staring wide eyed at my team finishing training, eyes wide open.
"You... How?"
"Friendship. And we are done here."
Her shocked glance turned at me.
"You-"
"Yes, and we aren't done for today. I came still get a badge."
"Not from Sabrina." Janine argued and I nodded.
"Erika's gym should still be open."
Another Teleport and soon we made it to Celadon by foot from Saffron.
Erika was a walk in the park even though she had her best team out. Actually, all gym trainers did the same in an effort to tire my team out.
Charizard was hardly winded as he steamrolled through the gym.
As I clutched the Rainbow Badge, I heard Erika growls.
"I bet you are happy. A man besting a woman."
...Arceus, this Erika had her anime version's sexism.
I felt in a good mood, so I called her out.
"Man and woman? What does it have anything to do with the fact that you are a lazy leader?"
I heard some women around heckling at me.
"Am I wrong? Forgive me if I ask but you literally are a girl born from an happy family, a wealthy one at that. You never had to sweat over something the same way I did. I just had my mother, she doesn't have a proper job and had to struggle to make it through to give me an upbringing. Let me ask you this, do you think I would have said all of this if you didn't make it a matter of sexism? I trained to be good, what did you do to claim the same?"
Erika was shocked, so was the rest of the gym.
I left without saying more stuff, knowing better than to get too worked up on the matter.
"She can be so cocky at times,"Janine muttered. "Said something like that to my father, but he hardly pays her any attention."
Nodding, I looked at my watch. Did as much as I could for the day - it was best to get a place at the center for dinner and sleep.
"So... You just had your mother?"
"Professor Oak was kind of a grandpa, but yes," I replied with a half-truth. I didn't remember that, but I knew this was the case. "What about it?"
"I had just dad around," the kunoichi remarked, her gaze turned away. "And I know it can be unpleasant at times."
I merely nodded, feeling that this wasn't an attempt for lengthier chat and just a shared thought.
We were both tired so we went to the center to rest.
Tomorrow... We were getting three badges.
Team:
Charizard (Lvl. 96) - Moves: Fire Fang, Flamethrower, Dragon Breath, Slash, Ember, Dragon Claw, Inferno, Fire Blitz
Annihilape (Lvl. 94) - Moves: Thrash, Cross Chop, Swagger, Assurance, Low Kick, Seismic Toss, Rage Fist, Outrage, Shadow Punch
Pidgeot (Lvl. 94) - Moves: Quick Attack, Twister, Gust, Peck, Agility, Feather Dance, Roost, Aerial Ace
Raticate (Lvl. 92) - Moves: Take Down, Crunch, Bite, Sucker Punch, Swords Dance, Super Fang, Cut
Nidoking (Lvl. 95) - Moves: Mega Horn, Sludge Wave, Double Kick, Poison Jab, Earth Power
Beautifly (Lvl. 94) - Moves: Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Bug Buzz, Air Cutter, Attract, Protect
Sylveon (Lvl. 95) - Moves: Disarming Voice, Moon Blast, Quick Attack, Last Resort, Swift, Bite
Alakazam (Lvl. 93) - Moves: Teleport, Future Sight, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Psy Beam, Disable
Marowak (Lvl. 86) - Moves: Double Edge, Thrash, Bonemerang, Stomping Tantrum, Headbutt, Endeavor, Retaliate
Zapdos (Lvl. 50) - Moves: Drill Peck, Thunderbolt, Agility, Light Screen
Chapter 11: Cold Poison
I was a bit surprised when I saw how earnestly Janine moved through her morning routine, matching my pace.
I could sense intrigue in her eyes as I listed out the first step of my plan: rush Sabrina, get to Fuchsia, beat Koga, get Articuno, get to Cinnabar, beat Blaine, and then spend the night at Pallet Town before beating Giovanni and bulldozing Victory Road and the League.
Oh and secure Fly too from Route 16.
My foolproof plan was indeed the case and I just had the right pokemon to stomp Sabrina's psychic gym.
What hates people and psychic types? Bugs. Or rather, buzzing from Bugs.
Beautifly's Bug Buzz stomped through the competition, to the point that Sabrina's own habit of coordinating her team with her mind skills turned into her weakness.
Bug trumps Psychic.
First badge of the day and a warning from Sabrina.
"Koga will not play fair."
That was something to keep in mind, but I had a solution to it which involved an alteration to my anti-Koga plan.
Still, once we had my fifth badge secured, it was time for a quick stop in Route 16.
With Fly added to Pidgeot and Zapdos' list of moves, I actually walked to Fuchsia City.
I needed to train up Zapdos, a process that took a while since most regular Pokemon tended to run from Legendaries of the scary kind.
Nonetheless, we got to our current stop and-
"Safari Zone? Do you think something there can help you against my father?"
Janine raised a fairly silly question.
"Of course not. But I need some more choices for next fights."
She rolled her eyes at that, annoyed even more as the trips were solo.
I had 30 Safari Balls and a limited window of opportunity to get things done fast.
Without my team to weaken Pokemon there, I had fo be careful.
Before the timer ended, I successfully reached the other end of the Safari, found the Golden Teeth, and even got five interesting Pokemon:
Magikarp;
Rhyhorn;
Dratini;
Scyther;
Tauros;
Not the best, but I can work with those, so I left the Safari with the means to acquire Strength from the Warden of the Safari Zone, and even had more options for future battles.
Janine was interested in the Dratini, but I didn't plan to train my new Pokemon in her father's gym.
In the games, Koga's gym employed the notion of leaving frequently to heal from poisoning. I doubt that was feasible and, with Sabrina's warning still fresh in mind, I wasn't planning to play easy.
My decision was rewarded well enough as Marowak's agility paid off as he noticed Koga's trick mixed with the already invisible walls: turrets shooting poisonous darts.
Marowak deflected most and dodged the rest.
He was winded by the time we arrived to Koga but...
"Marowak, return."
My words drew a brief frown from Koga as I broke off from my habit of using one Pokemon for each gym.
I was repetitive, but not inflexible.
Alakazam was more than enough to deal with the leader's team.
Koga was beaten, but he appeared pleased by the fight and... Delivered a mysterious nod to a flustered Janine.
I asked the girl what that was as we left the gym, but I got an embarrassed 'n-nothing' from her.
Weird, and she even asked for help in training.
I had Janine wait a bit as Route 20 didn't provide much room to train for her team, and I had the chance to train Dratini (which turned in a Dragonair and Dragonite) and Magikarp (which turned in a Gyarados).
After all, Seafoam Island was our next stop. So, after giving her some advice and leaving her to monitor the training of the new Pokemon in my team and her own, I walked off to catch Articuno.
Charizard swiftly beat the Ice-type and I had it secured too.
I felt relief as Charizard guarded me while going back to the others and... We took a break.
It was time for lunch.
Janine was ecstatic as she told me how things went for her, mentioning how her Spinarak (which I learned was her starter) evolved, same for the rest of her team.
The sight was lovely, or that was what the kunoichi brought up with a loudly-voiced thought.
With a good mood, we departed for Cinnabar Island and...
Things were about to get interesting as I finished my bird-catching.
Team:
Charizard (Lvl. 105) - Moves: Fire Fang, Flamethrower, Dragon Breath, Slash, Ember, Dragon Claw, Inferno, Fire Blitz
Annihilape (Lvl. 101) - Moves: Thrash, Cross Chop, Swagger, Assurance, Low Kick, Seismic Toss, Rage Fist, Outrage, Shadow Punch
Pidgeot (Lvl. 102) - Moves: Quick Attack, Twister, Gust, Peck, Agility, Feather Dance, Roost, Aerial Ace, Fly
Raticate (Lvl. 103) - Moves: Take Down, Crunch, Bite, Sucker Punch, Swords Dance, Super Fang, Cut
Nidoking (Lvl. 102) - Moves: Mega Horn, Sludge Wave, Double Kick, Poison Jab, Earth Power
Beautifly (Lvl. 104) - Moves: Giga Drain, Stun Spore, Bug Buzz, Air Cutter, Attract, Protect
Sylveon (Lvl. 103) - Moves: Disarming Voice, Moon Blast, Quick Attack, Last Resort, Swift, Bite
Alakazam (Lvl. 104) - Moves: Teleport, Future Sight, Psychic, Psycho Cut, Psy Beam, Disable
Marowak (Lvl. 103) - Moves: Double Edge, Thrash, Bonemerang, Stomping Tantrum, Headbutt, Endeavor, Retaliate
Zapdos (Lvl. 101) - Moves: Drill Peck, Thunderbolt, Agility, Light Screen, Thunder, Discharge, Fly, Zap Cannon, Magnetic Flux
Dragonite (Lvl. 78) - Moves: Dragon Rush, Dragon Tail, Outrage, Hyper Beam, Dragon Dance, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Extreme Speed, Hurricane
Gyarados (Lvl. 81) - Moves: Ice Fang, Hydro Pump, Aqua Tail, Bite, Crunch, Dragon Dance, Hyper Beam
Tauros (Lvl. 84) - Moves: Raging Bull, Giga Impact, Horn Attack, Rest, Zen Headbutt
Scizor (Lvl. 83) - Moves: Bullet Punch, Metal Claw, X-Scissor, Air Slash, Agility, Fury Cutter
Rhydon (Lvl. 84) - Moves: Earthquake, Stone Edge, Hammer Arm, Mega Horn, Drill Run
Articuno (Lvl. 50) - Moves: Mirror Coat, Ice Beam, Agility, Reflect
Chapter 12: Back Home
Cinnabar Island was a briefer stop that I had originally planned.
While I spent just the right time dealing with Blaine, it was the Mansion that proved to be a quicker event.
Mostly because Janine took my dear of finding the main switch so we could calmly move around while I explained the mansion's history to her.
Having a curious kunoichi as a companion proved useful, but I can tell something else made the process simpler: Janine was interested in the history around the War.
Who wasn't?
It was such a relevant topic for someone born from a man that was active in the field as a saboteur, someone that was still bitter how things turned to be.
And as we finished looting the place, I took one last brief stop before it was time to leave for Pallet Town: I wanted the fossils reanimated.
It was a little waste of time, but one I had thought about of making while thinking of Giovanni and co.
Once I had Kabutops and Omastar, I decided to gift them away - I really didn't need them, and their with was for them to be given to Giovanni.
A bit of a shallow decision, but it was a small evil to guarantee a long-standing good connection with my 'uncle'.
Mew was... Fine with it as I promised to make it clear how this wasn't an invitation to abuse the two fossil Pokemon.
I could tell she was in a rather pouty mood, but she was chugging on puffs to improve that.
With Cinnabar done, it was time to-
"Why didn't you call me to tell me you were coming back?" Mom was high-spirited between being happy and angry, yet her mood turned positively delighted as she spotted Janine. "And you got yourself a girlfriend?!"
"M-Ma'am, I am not-"
"Come, let me show you Red's baby pictures."
Janine was unprepared to handle this assault, suddenly yanked into my house as I got left behind.
Part of me wanted to interview mom on my father's identify, but I knew that would have been too big of a delay between feelings and other stuff.
So, I decided to check professor Oak and-
"You already have 7 badges!"
Oak had four mini-strokes.
One for my badges, one for my Dex count as, while I didn't catch them, I had seen a lot of Pokemon. One for Sylveon. And finally one for Annihilape.
The new Pokemon were given briefly studies so they could be added to the Dex. Oak was ecstatic enough that he was accepting of questions about my father.
"Your father and my son were comrades. While Giovanni has changed much, he is right- he is your uncle. While I wouldn't stop you from dealing with him, I will caution you from trust him too much."
It was a fair warning, and I left the lab after the old man told me that Blue had just reached Lavender Town.
I walked back home to find Janine clumsily helping mom around the stoves.
She definitely was no master chef, but she made an edible soup.
When I said it was good, she beamed through the remainder of the day.
Another day was over and the next one...
Will be the last one of my rush through the Kanto Circuit.
Chapter 13: Ground and Sky
Early morning, back to Viridian and going though Giovanni's Gym.
No Team Rocket officers around as trainers, but regular guys.
Ends up facing Giovanni and... His Team is weak. Purposely weak.
"What? Did you think I would have made it easy for you, nephew?"
The cheeky attitude has me eye rolling. The bastard knows even his best team would be quick to beat, but he knew already that and thus used a weaker team to deny my pokemon more EXP.
Fuck, that means I have to train my team in Victory Road.
Before I left, I gave Giovanni the two fossil Pokemon with the few rules on handling them and he appeared pleased nonetheless despite the restrictions.
"How is your bird-hunting?" He asked last and I hummed.
"Two down, only fire one is left."
Giovanni grinned and gave me a 'good luck' as I left with Janine.
Victory Road came next once I was through the guards' inspection. The cave was massive and it offered an immense chance to train up just before the E4.
Janine and most of my team was out training while I focused on Moltres. Gyarados watered the Fire Birb until it was unconscious and ready for capture.
I had all the birds with me, and I caught up with Janine to the other end of Victory Road.
Once we had our teams healed up and I had my strategy prepped for the last hurdle, I got suddenly hugged by a blushing Janine.
"G-good luck!"
...that's something Mom is responsible for, I bet.
Shaking my head, I got through the first door.
Lorelei? Charizard.
Bruno? Pidgeot.
Agatha? Alakazam.
But when it came to Lance? Boy, did Destiny set things up to be...
Deeply amusing.
His team was an unexpected bunch: Salamence, Garchomp, Altaria, Haxorus, Flygon, and Dragonite.
For a moment, I was nervous in going Sylveon-only since he clearly found a way to get some spooky OP Dragon Types but...
I made a funny discovery: most of those Pokemon, if understood properly, could be a scary combo to one shot solo. But Lance didn't have any grasp of any of those beyond Dragonite.
In his pursuit of getting the toughest Dragon type brigade, Lance could not handle the little shit known as Sylveon.
The Fairy Type bolted at insane pace, ruthlessly Moon Blasting left and right, even as Lance's Dragonite tried to put a last stand, Sylveon wrecked through with a smug grin on her face.
It was soon over.
Lance was on his knees, gawking in shock and...
"Are you crying?"
My words had his mouth shut harshly in a snarl and he suddenly fled the scene.
...
That was hella sad.
Shrugging, I proceeded to the next room and-
"RED!"
I half-jumped as I turned to see Professor Oak and Janine rushing towards me from the other door.
The professor took a moment to catch his break while Janine came running for a hug.
"L-Lance, you beat him?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
"My boy, you-you did it! After ten years, Kanto has a proper Champion!"
That sounded amazing, and I was happy that my victory was deemed official but-
No one bad told me that there was a month-long mandatory stay each new champion had to uphold before being allowed to travel the journey once more.
Chapter 14: 10yo Politicking
It's been just a day since I became Kanto's Champion and... I was still seething for my discovery of the month-long mothball on any challenges and more.
The most pressing issue was the news conference by next week. With my rise as Champion, I had to deliver a speech and also answer questions.
Big questions at that since Lance had actually bailed from the E4 and gone back to Johto. Rumors have it that he is forcing a split between the Johto and Kanto in regard to the League.
Worrisome, but really not my bread - I was a trainer, I was ten, I wanted to kick ass.
Mew loved the pillows, and the large baths, and the many pokepuffs at her disposal.
Ironically so, Janine was the most understanding. Mom said I would 'eventually accept this lifestyle' but the kunoichi understood my struggle.
"It's too comfy," she claimed as she mentioned her experience in the Guest Room beside mine.
Fuck's sake these forms were massive- why?!
Still, the thing is... Once you get accustomed to sleeping below average, you can't expect yourself to be fine with the super-deluxe experience.
That and, well, politics nagging at my head.
I was the one meant to fix the missing E4 post, and I had to do so without getting others to walk out from the limited circle.
I couldn't leave the Plateau, but Janine could. After I gave her a list of ten trainers to interview before lunchtime and my Pidgeot do she could fly around.
Hours later, Janine was back with three options listed as acceptable and we both walked into the meeting with as much confidence as barely prepared kids could get when dealing with a Collab project.
Bruno was... Napping, or meditating. Lorelei was reading a magazine about the Sevii Islands and Agatha was the only one paying any attention to our arrival.
The shrill voice of one of the guards loudly warned of our presence and- I really wanted to not be here.
"First, thank you all to be there. Sounds a bit shallow as a way to start things, but since Lance fled back to his home to provoke a diplomatic mess, I have to say that things could have been worse."
Agatha's snort was the only noise coming as a reaction to my first words.
"Still, the first issue of the day, the E4 is missing a fourth member. I asked Janine for help by interviewing ten possible trainers, three of which fit my criteria. Here is the list and I will let you work on it."
Lorelei frowned at this. "Wait, you are leaving this on our hands? You are the Champion."
"I am ten, became the Champion just yesterday and, apologies if I sound disrespectful here, but you are expected to be more than trainers especially since you have held your posts for many years now. You should have names to offer, so we can reconvene in two days to draw a decision."
To my relief, everyone, with differing levels of acceptance, nodded at my proposal.
A win, but a small one compared to the next hurdle.
"The next issue is in regard to Kanto's economy. People have little opportunity for work and even scholars migrate out of the region to those offering great chances to expand their income and their wealth of knowledge."
Agatha sighed. "Boy, this all sounds indeed worrisome, but I remind you that none here has the pride to call themselves an economist."
"That's correct, madam, but it should not be an excuse to shy away from this issue. As you mentioned, we are not economists but Kanto has them aplenty. Which is why I propose the formation of an economic commission with the purpose to fix the extensive issue."
"Who will lead it?" Bruno asked, perhaps suspecting already what I was up to.
"Eugene Silph, CEO of Silph co., and Giovanni Rocket, President of Rocket Entertainment. Both men are known to be successful businessmen and have supported programs that were, for some unexplained 'classified reason', shot down by Lance. I think we can all agree that this is the best way."
Lorelei was the only one displeased by Giovanni's selection, and she made it clear by being the sole vote against the entire proposal.
Quite petty, but she didn't leave the E4 and that was progress.
The first meeting wrapped up like it had I felt bored beyond my mind through the day.
Didn't help that Janine demanded payment for her 'work' in the form of cuddling with me that night.
I ruled it as parental meddling, but I was unaware of Janine putting an effort to make something happen.
Then again with Mew claiming head pillow privileges and bear hugging my face from that night onward, it was kind of tough to think much about many things.
Chapter 15: Sun Set
"I hate you."
Three words Giovanni meant in a mirthful way from the grin he had on his face and the cool beer bottle he was soon drinking from.
Two chairs by the balcony of my room, a sunset, and most of the chores done for the week by today, day 5.
Stuff happened.
The economic commission had two meetings already as a general report was delivered to the League: tax cuts, investments in reclaiming the abandoned power plant and expand it, an effort to establish technical schools in Kanto, and much more.
None of what I just mentioned was bound to yield any immediate boon. Some would take up to five years, other decades if not more.
We had the new E4 member, and everyone was kind of surprised when Bill was more than happy to claim the role as a Normal-type Specialist.
He was mostly self on this after I allowed him to check Sylveon and I told him how to produce this specific evolution.
The man was neither a 'capitulist' nor a 'nationalist', and his vast knowledge made him a good option without claiming a gym leader and having to deal with more replacements.
With the order of the week set, the only hassle was the speech and... I am not a big talker. If I don't have a big enough reason to chat up, I keep my mouth shut.
Janine helped- tried to help. I am not a very cooperative person in those matters.
Didn't help that Mew, instead of assisting me, found a bag of popcorn, had them heated up, and enjoyed the show.
"Any plans after the speech?" Giovanni's question brought me back to the present.
"Some."
He looked at me with curious eyes. "Like?"
"Fixing a mess you're partly to blame for."
He leaned back and I knew he was aware of what I was implying.
"Oh-"
"I have other Legendaries to look for. Maybe I can complete the Dex for Kanto."
Giovanni nodded at my words.
"What about after Johto? Will you pursuit the other regions?"
I nodded and I noticed an odd look on his face.
"Are you familiar with... The warring regions like Zirca and Orre?"
"They are far from my mind and I will be ready for them."
"Confidence wins battles," Giovanni remarked. "Arrogance kills those that dare too much."
The hint of worry was clear to me and I bowed to that logic.
That being said, that wasn't in mind for now. Not when other 'safer' regions were on the list before those obscure ones.
And with that, a new era started for Kanto - one of ambitions and growths.
AN
This ends the First Arc, next up are two interludes, and then the Johto Arc begins. I will release the two interludes in a chapter named 'Interludes - Kanto' and then I will deliver a RedxJaninexMew lood. Toodles~!