"Then I shall serve as referee for this match!" Professor Oak announced, stepping forward with a professional air. "This will be a two-on-one battle! On one side, we have Red of Pallet Town! On the other, Gary and Leaf, also of Pallet Town! The battle will be over when one side's Pokémon are unable to continue! Let the match begin!"
"Squirtle, use Water Gun!" Gary commanded instantly.
"Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!" Leaf followed, her voice sharp with focus.
Red simply said one word. "Flamethrower."
The morning sun was bright and clear, perfect weather for a Pokémon with the Solar Power ability. As if drinking in the light itself, Charmander's power surged. It unleashed a torrent of fire that was far beyond what a starter should be capable of. The massive pillar of flame didn't just counter Squirtle's Water Gun; it vaporized it mid-air. The rest of the inferno tore through Leaf's Razor Leaf volley like paper and slammed directly into Squirtle.
"Squirtle, use Rapid Spin, now!" Gary shouted, his voice tight but not panicked.
A blur of motion erupted from the flames. Squirtle, encased in its shell, spun at high speed, extinguishing the fire and clearing the obscuring smoke. It slid to a halt, breathing heavily but still standing. It had been a close call.
"Bulbasaur, use Sleep Powder!" Leaf commanded, seizing the momentary opening.
"Kick up a dust cloud," Red instructed calmly.
Charmander raked its claws against the dirt, throwing up a thick screen of sand that swallowed the shimmering spores of the Sleep Powder, rendering them useless.
The battle continued in a series of sharp exchanges. Charmander, empowered by the sun, held a decisive advantage, but Leaf's sharp eyes noticed a subtle detail. After every powerful attack, Charmander's shoulders would heave, a faint tremor running through its body.
"This is impossible! We can't even get an attack in!" Gary said, his frustration mounting.
"Calm down, Gary!" Leaf urged, never taking her eyes off their opponent. "Look closer. Haven't you noticed? Charmander is panting after every move."
She had figured it out. Solar Power was a double-edged sword, granting immense offensive strength at the cost of constantly draining its user's stamina.
"So, you noticed the weakness," Red said, a slight chuckle in his voice as he tipped the brim of his cap down. "But it's too late. Charmander has already memorized your Pokémon's evasion patterns."
"What?!" Gary and Leaf cried out in unison.
"Squirtle!"
"Bulbasaur!"
Charmander unleashed one final, devastating Flamethrower. It wasn't aimed at where they stood, but where it knew they would go. Squirtle and Bulbasaur dodged instinctively, moving directly into the path of the inferno. The high-temperature blast engulfed them both, and this time, they didn't get back up.
"Come back, Charmander."
Red recalled his Pokémon, immediately using a spray to restore its energy. As he turned to leave, Leaf's voice stopped him.
"Red, wait!" she called out. He turned back. "Don't misunderstand, I'm not asking to team up." Her expression hardened, her brown eyes filled with a new fire. "I've always admired your talent. So, I'm making you a promise. My Bulbasaur and I are going to challenge you again—at the Indigo Plateau Conference!"
Hearing her declaration, a rare, genuine smile touched Red's lips. "I'll be waiting for you."
"It's a deal!" Leaf said, her face beaming. The vague admiration she'd held for him since they were kids had just solidified into a concrete goal, a new reason to push herself to the limit.
"Hey, hey! Don't forget about me!" Gary interjected, refusing to be left out of the rivalry.
"See you later," Red said with a final wave. Then, to the utter shock of everyone present, he and Beedrill vanished in a faint shimmer of blue light, leaving the Professor, Gary, and Leaf staring at the empty space where he had stood.
Red's destination was Mt. Moon, the vast, rocky mountain range that served as the primary cradle for Kanto's Onix population. He was here for a specific target: the giant Onix, the undisputed king of this mountain, a Pokémon of legendary size and strength. He wanted to recruit it before it crossed paths with Bruno of the Elite Four, whose own Onix was said to be its sibling.
"Aura, guide my heart," Red murmured, closing his eyes. He extended his senses, feeling the energy flowing through the mountain until he found the colossal presence he was searching for. He teleported to its location, arriving on a strange, flattened path. The trail was wide and freshly carved from the rock, a road made by the passage of a truly massive creature. The Giant Onix was near.
A deafening roar ripped through the caverns. A living mountain of rock and fury erupted from a tunnel, its body so large it blotted out the light. It was the giant Onix. Seeing a lone human blocking its path, it let out another intimidating roar, a warning meant to send the intruder fleeing in terror. In its eyes, the boy and his single Beedrill were no threat at all.
Red was unfazed. "Pin Missile."
Beedrill unleashed a storm of needle-sharp projectiles that hammered against the Onix's rocky hide. The giant serpent roared in pain and shock. It had not expected an attack of such speed and power from the seemingly fragile Bug-type. But the pain only served to fuel its rage. Its tail glowed with a metallic sheen as it swung in a devastating Iron Tail attack. Beedrill used Agility to evade, but the Onix followed up by smashing the cavern walls, sending a cascade of boulders down to block Beedrill's escape routes.
"Use Swords Dance to clear the debris," Red commanded.
Beedrill's wings beat furiously, creating a vortex of wind that blew the smaller rocks away. As it danced, its attack power sharpened, and its twin stingers seemed to gleam with newfound menace.
"Brick Break."
Beedrill's stingers glowed with white-hot energy. It shot forward and slammed them into the Onix's head. The super-effective Fighting-type move, amplified by Swords Dance, dealt staggering damage. The giant Onix reeled, its head ringing. Shaking off its daze, it coiled its massive body and hurled a chunk of the cavern wall, unleashing a powerful Rock Slide.
Beedrill met the rain of stone head-on, shattering each boulder with precise, powerful strikes from Brick Break.
Refusing to be outdone, the Onix slammed its tail into the ground, and jagged pillars of rock erupted towards Beedrill—Stone Edge. Beedrill countered with another volley of Pin Missiles, the two attacks meeting in a shower of explosive energy.
"Again. Use consecutive Brick Breaks," Red ordered, seeing the giant's movements begin to slow. Its stamina was finally collapsing.
Beedrill became a blur of motion, crossing its glowing stingers and striking the Onix again and again. Under the relentless assault, the mountain king finally crashed to the ground, defeated. It stared at Red and Beedrill, its eyes filled with disbelief. How could it have lost so completely?
"Follow me on the path to become the strongest in the world, Onix."
Red saw that the great Pokémon still had the will to fight. Instead of ordering a final blow, he took a step forward and extended an invitation.
"Do you really think being king of this small mountain is your life's ultimate purpose?" Red's words struck a nerve, voicing the secret restlessness in the Onix's own heart.
The Onix shook its massive head. It didn't want to be a frog in a well, forever trapped by the limits of its own territory.
"What did you think of Beedrill's strength?" Red asked.
The Onix gave a slow, respectful nod. It had underestimated the Beedrill, but it knew with absolute certainty that such power was no accident. It was the result of a truly exceptional trainer.
"Are you willing to follow me? To help me become the number one Pokémon Master in the world?" Red took out an empty Poké Ball, his eyes burning with conviction as he locked gazes with the fallen giant. "In return, I promise I will help you become a being of unimaginable power."
After a moment of silent consideration, the giant Onix lowered its proud head. With a soft rumble, it gently nudged the Poké Ball in Red's hand. It transformed into a beam of red light and was peacefully absorbed inside. It did not want to be a frog in a well. For the first time in centuries, a battle had ignited in it a yearning for something more.
"Come on out, Onix." Red released his new partner and immediately began to treat its wounds with a healing spray. During the process, the Onix was repeatedly startled as Red used Teleport to instantly move from its tail to its head, a feat that would unnerve any creature.
"Welcome to the team, Onix," Red said, a slight, satisfied smile on his face. His journey had truly begun.
***********
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