Chapter 6

A Volcanic Battle

Cinnabar Island-

            The Volcano was smoking as it climbed out of the sea.  They were finally about to make land on Cinnabar Island. I bet Lapras is enjoying the rest, Red thought.  The ride on Blaine’s private boat was much smoother than the stormy sea the two Trainers had encountered on the ride into the Seafoam Islands. 

            He sat on a comfortable seat built onto the deck of the boat.  Blaine’s assistant, whatever his name was, was driving.  The assistant seemed to enjoy speeding up and slowing down.  Tony and Golduck clapped whenever the boat exerted its horsepower.  He looked at Blue, who was sitting anxiously.  She had released Nidorina, who was resting on her Trainer’s lap.  Red also had Wartortle ready to go, should he need him.

            He couldn’t stop thinking about the clothes he had found on the floor outside Blaine’s private cabin.  The Phantom’s clothes, I’d bet a million bucks.  There was no doubt in his mind. 

            Thirty minutes into the ride, Blaine recalled his Arcanine and descended below deck to his room.  Red tried his bests to make it look like he was playing with Wartortle, but noticed that Blue couldn’t help but to stare at Blaine suspiciously.  The Cinnabar Island Gym Leader/Pokémon researcher had been down in his cabin for just about all of the four hour ride, but Blue still kept her voice down so that she wouldn’t raise the attention of his assistant.

            “It’s gotta be him,” she whispered.  “As many times as we’ve encountered the Phantom, there’s no mistaking those clothes.”  Nidorina raised her head and stared at the short staircase, just to make sure for when Blaine came back up.

            “I’ve been thinking about it too,” Red said.  “It really doesn’t make sense, though.  I could have sworn the voice that the Phantom spoke with telepathically was different.”

            “The guy’s got Psychic powers, he could probably change what his inside-the-head voice sounds like,” Blue pointed to her head and Nidorina nodded in agreement.

            “Well, I take it back at least.  I think we should investigate further before we give Lance a call.  He probably doesn’t want to go on a wild goose chase.”  Tony’s Golduck gave a quack and turned towards where the two Trainers were talking while its own anxiously gobbled down another granola bar.  “I said goose, not duck don’t worry!” Red called back.  Golduck noticed Cinnabar Island’s volcano getting closer and dragged its Trainer over to see it.

            “Yep, there it is,” said Tony.  “That’s where I found you as a little Psyduck all alone with that horrible headache you used to have…”

            Blue spoke again when Tony was out of earshot; there was no need to get him involved or scare him.  “So are you saying you don’t think its Blaine?  We saw the exact same clothes, I know you know there’s no mistaking them.  Who else could it be? We’re all on the same boat in the middle of the Southern Sea.  You think it’s that guy over there?”  She sarcastically pointed at the young assistant, who had just pulled his fingers out of his nose.  He flicked his fingers and Wartortle watched in awe as the wind traveling in the opposite direction of the boat carried the little booger backwards at an alarming speed.

            “Let’s think here, Blue,” Red tried to contain his laughter while Blue still had a disgusted look on her face at the assistant.  “We know the Phantom can teleport, so maybe he was here, but now he’s not.”  Blue sat back.

            “Well I guess you could be right.”

            Red got a sudden burst of courage as he stood up and wiped his hands together.  Surely, if Blaine is the Phantom he can’t be such a bad dude if he hires serial nose-pickers.  “When am I not right?  I have an idea.”  Blue rolled her eyes at him.

            “Now what are you doing?”

            Red began to walk down the stairs.  “I’m just going to ask Blaine nicely.”  He could feel Blue’s eyes roll again as she stood up to follow him.  Red smiled as his partner Wartortle swaggered along beside him, sharing in its Trainer’s confidence. 

            Red gulped as just when he was about to open the door to the cabin, it opened for him.  Talk about Psychic powers.  Blaine stood in the doorway already.

            “Just woke up from a nap! The old body knows when the rides getting close to an end,” he said with a big grin on his face.   Red opened his mouth to speak when the boat stopped and the assistant’s voice interrupted.

            “Professor, they need you now.  Like, right now!”

            Blaine led Red and Blue back up on deck.  They had arrived at a small dock right at the base of the Volcano.  Another young assistant was impatiently waiting for him there.  Red noticed the winding path that led from the dock to a large building seemingly built into the side of the volcano. 

            “Sir, we tried to postpone but he wouldn’t take no for an answer! Then, all the people started showing up.  The stands are almost full already, and more are pouring in.”

            Blaine briskly hopped onto the dock, without a care in the world, his big smile still on his face.  “The expedition didn’t go as well as planned, but look what I found! Another challenger!”  He turned to Red who was helping Blue off of the boat.  “Young man, did you organize this Gym Battle while we were still on the boat? You must have quite the following if this many people are showing up to watch.”

            Red had no idea what he was talking about.  They began walking on the trail through lines of palm trees filled with tropical fruits.  Wartortle and Nidorina followed close behind.  In the distance, Red could see resorts upon resorts lining the beaches.  It was hot on Cinnabar Island. 

            “No, it was another Trainer,” continued the assistant who had greeted them at the dock.  “Green Oak is his name.  Sheesh from the other battles I’ve seen of his on your film study you’d think he wouldn’t be such a little jerk.”

            Blue nudged Red, who was a little annoyed.  He’s always one step ahead of me.  “Why do all the people show up for his Gym Battles and not mine?” he asked Blue.

            “Because all but one of the Gym battles you’ve had were private, and you never really fought Surge or Sabrina,” she shrugged.  Red hung his head, it was lonely not being recognized.  He felt Blue grab his hand as they finally approached the big building’s side door walking up a rocky hill.  “Cheer up.  If nobody notices you, you can still take them by surprise.”

            Red supposed that was true, but was still upset that once again, Green had already had more recognition than him (even though Red had defeated Green three times out of five).  Red frowned some more when he realized that his rival had won the last two contests.

            They had entered the side door now, and if the outside was hot, the insides were sweltering.  Almost immediately sweat began to drip down his face.  They walked down a long hall lit only by a few torches on the sides. 

            “We’re inside the volcano,” said Blue.  “That’s got to be why it’s so hot.”

            “On the contrary, my dear,” said Blaine as he took off his white lab coat and handed it to his assistant.  “I simply refuse to pay the air conditioning bill in this side of the Gym.”  They had arrived at an area where a set of stairs led up, while Blaine stood at the end of another long hallway.  “Those stairs will take you up to the camera booth.  Don’t worry, they always bring their own air conditioning with them.  It seems like I must entertain this young Green immediately.”

            They parted ways and soon after the climb was beginning to rival that of the ascent of Ice Mountain, they arrived in the camera booth.  There was no camera man, just a set up camera that was recording on its own.  Red and Blue’s jaws both dropped as they witnessed the craziest Gym they had ever seen. 

            A ring of benches chiseled out of stone lined the walls, packed with people.  The battlefield appeared to be a gigantic single sheet of transparent glass that was so well Windexed, you it almost appeared that the floor didn’t even exist.  Stretching down into the depths of the volcano, a little river of lava was enough to illuminate the entire stadium in an eerie orange glow by itself.  Judging from the looks of the packed crowd, most of them were tanned residents of Cinnabar, but one particular pocket of people were all wearing green clothes and waving little green flags. 

            “He’s even got a fan club?” sighed Red. 

            “That’s corny,” Blue tried to comfort Red.  “I can be your fan club.”  He didn’t even notice Blue try to scoot closer to him.

            “Unless you learn Double-team it’s not much of a club.”  Red was staring at Green himself.  Somehow, his spiky haired rival could see him up in the camera booth, a cocky smile on his face.  Wartortle jumped up on a chair and gave Green down below an obscene gesture and Blue quickly tried to lower its arms down, so as not to start any trouble.  Red felt himself smile.  “At least he’s behind the camera, good job bud.” 

            Blue looked around.  “Where’s Tony?”

            Red realized that he had not seen Tony since they entered the stadium.  He scanned the audience until he heard the familiar voice behind him. 

            “Hey guys, look at this!”  Tony held an ear of corn in his hand he had got from a concession stand.  “You just hold it like this…”  He leaned the corn out the windowless ledge and the kernels began to pop on their own in the heat.  Blue was interested and told Red that she would be back as soon as she got one of those.

            Red was too interested in the fight to come.  He released all his Pokémon so that they could watch and learn.  There was no doubt in Red’s mind that the next time he met Green, it would be in battle.  Pikachu and Pidgeotto sat on top of the camera, undoubtedly the best seat in the house.  Wartortle sat on the ledge, now making faces at the rival who was no longer paying any attention to the camera booth.  Scyther and Machoke each found their own chair, patiently awaiting the battle to come. 

            Blue, Tony, and Golduck had just re-entered the camera room with their own half-popped ears of corn when the crowd let out a deafening roar that echoed and re-echoed off the stone walls of the cavern.  Blaine now stood on the glass floor opposite Green.  There was no PA announcer in this gym, the voices of the two people, Gym Leader and challenger, were magnified by the natural architecture of the Gym.  Blaine raised his hand and the crowd hushed.

            “Let the match between I, Blaine, Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island, and Green, the Challenger of Pallet Town, begin! First one to defeat two Pokémon wins!”

            “Only two?” scoffed Green.  Red knew that smug look on Green’s face all too well.  Blaine was an experienced Gym Leader, he knew, but he had not faced Green before.  Sure enough, Green tossed his first Poke-ball impressively out into the air, and out came Charizard, the fiery lizard Pokémon that still haunted Red in his sleep at night. 

            “Fighting fire with fire,” said Red, smiling.  He scratched Wartortle on the ear.  “I’d fight fire with water.”  Deep down though, Red knew that Green’s Charizard could compete with any Pokémon, regardless of type.  It was a powerhouse.  He’s not messing around.  He wants to make an example of his strength in front of all these people to try and scare the next Gym Leader.  Maybe Blue was right; maybe being inconspicuous gives the challenger an advantage.  By the way, I don’t think there has been any news of the Viridian City Leader.

            Back in Saffron City, Red had heard news that the Viridian Gym was undergoing its final preparations to get back up and running after being closed for so long.  The first time he had been through the city after he had left Pallet Town it was still undergoing renovations.  Maybe I can make it there for the opening ceremony, and be there when the Leader is revealed.

            Red could see that even Blaine was impressed with the Pokémon he was going to have to face.  He sent out a four foot tall, bipedal Pokémon with a duck bill whose body seemed to be designed with flames.  Red watched Green pull out his Pokedex; he and Blue followed suit while Tony and Golduck were intensely watching the last kernel trying to pop on the ledge.

            Magmar, Fire-type, he read.  This Pokémon can lives in volcanoes and can swim in lava.  Its body has evolved over time to camouflage itself inside of flames so to catch prey.

            The battle started suddenly.  Magmar leapt towards Charizard and began throwing flaming fists at the orange lizard.  Red notice Blue was watching in awe as big Charizard was punched repeatedly and rapidly in the gut. Finally the assault ended with an uppercut that forced Charizard to stare up at the stadium’s rocky ceiling.            

            “That Magmar’s much more experienced than Charizard,” she remarked.  “How long has Green had it? Half a year?” She sat back in her chair.  Magmar gave Charizard one more punch in the belly that sent the winged lizard sliding backwards across the glass with an awful screeching sound.  Red’s Pokémon, however, had yet to relax.

            “No, Blue,” said Red, eyes fixated on Charizard’s expression.  “Charizard is just toying with it.”  Blue didn’t even have time to respond.  Green yelled an inaudible command over the cheers of the crowd as Charizard took off from the glass at a blinding speed and punched at its opponent with its own blazing fist.

            The crowd was instantly silenced as Charizard’s punch knocked Magmar backwards and into the air, parallel to the glass floor.  With amazing speed, Charizard managed to do a front flip in the air and catch Magmar while still off the floor with its thick tail.  The impact was enough to make the collective audience wince.  Red was sure the glass was going to be broken, but the stadium seemed to shake and absorb the force instead. 

            Green barked another command and Charizard seized Magmar, trying to stand back up, in its jaws and savagely shook it before tossing it into one of the rocky walls surrounding the battlefield.  This time, the wall cracked.  Magmar struggled forward back into the arena and inhaled a deep breath.  Apparently, the audience had seen this before because they began to cheer an ascending “oooooooooooooooh” before they went ballistic and Magmar let out a massive Fire Blast attack that lit up even the highest parts of the stadium’s ceiling. 

            Whatever attack may have been enough to finish off your run-of-the-mill challenger was child’s play to Green’s monster.  Charizard roared and flapped its wings so fast, the blast couldn’t reach the orange lizard because of the repelling air current. 

            Charizard took off from the glass again and Magmar tried to leap over it but Green’s Pokémon was too fast.  It reached out and grabbed Magmar by the leg and lifted it into the air.  Blaine’s Pokémon was too tired to try another Fire Blast, but it still squirmed and fought its way to break free.  Charizard grabbed a hold of its arm with its free hand while still grasping a leg and began to pull.

            The brutality lasted less than a three seconds before Blaine recalled Magmar in a beam of red light.  “You win this round!” He called.  “But now you must meet the first Pokémon I was ever partnered with!  Arcanine majestically stood its ground as Charizard roared and pounded its fists on the glass at the massive canine who would have stood eye level with it.

            “Charizard, tag out,” said Green.  Obediently, but reluctantly, Charizard puffed some smoke out of its nostrils and flapped over to stand behind Green while he took out a second Poke-ball.  “No need to get worked up over this excuse of a Gym Leader.”  The crowd booed at the rudeness. 

            “I can’t believe what a jerk he is,” said Blue. 

            Tony and Golduck were still observing the last corn kernel on the ledge.  “It’s beginning to move around it should hatch soon!”  Golduck clapped excitedly. 

            Red ignored them, anxious to see what Green would call out next. If it was a Pokémon he’d never seen before, he wanted to know about it before he had to fight it. 

            A massive, thirty foot long blue serpentine creature appeared, with a large mouth and ferocious fangs.  From where its body touched the floor to the top of its head it stood fifteen feet high.  Red knew the Pokémon from his days in school.  As if Charizard wasn’t enough, he’s got a Gyarados.

            Everyone knew about Gyarados.  They were ferocious Pokémon with a primal strength.  Their rage was unavoidable once they got going, and their jaws could clamp through steel.  No matter how much of a jerk that Green is, if he can control one of those it definitely says a lot about his sheer talent as a Trainer.  If Red had to have somebody be considered a rival, he was at least satisfied it was Green.

            Even though the Cinnabar Islanders knew that Blaine’s trusty Arcanine was formidable, even they recognized the Water/Fire type advantage that Green had.  Not to mention that the Water-type Pokémon in question was one of the least desirable to face in battle. 

            Gyarados coiled back and began launching powerful blasts of water at Arcanine that shook the stadium just as hard as when Charizard slammed Magmar onto the floor.  Arcanine was fast though, and surprised Green by actually rushing towards Gyarados while avoiding the spray at the same time.

            Arcanine was at Gyarados’ base now, and the two Pokémon glared at each other.  Gyarados struck like a snake at the floor where Arcanine stood, but the giant dog Pokémon jumped at the last second as the sea serpent smashed its face against the glass.  The stadium shook like it had never shaken before. 

            “That battlefield is going to shatter into the lava below!” Blue said angrily.  Somehow, Red knew that a scientist like Blaine designed this Gym to take much more damage than that. 

            The crowd began to murmur excitedly as Arcanine darted around Gyarados like a dog trying to confuse a snake.  Every time Green’s gargantuan Pokémon would try to strike the fiery canine, it would smash its face into the glass floor. 

            Gyarados had a noticeable look of blinding rage rising in its face.  It was about to lose its temper when its Trainer called out to it.

            “Gyarados! Keep your head on straight! It wants you to attack it!”  Green commanded.  Gyarados turned and Charizard lowered its head and blew small flames from its nostrils as if to say “don’t make me come in and finish your job.”

            Gyarados turned back from its trainer to face Arcanine.  The Pokémon was pacing back in forth a few feet at a time, keeping the blue serpent’s attention on it. 

            “Just like charming a snake!” Blue pounded on the ledge in front of her.  “Once Gyarados knocks itself out, the real match begins.” 

            Red agreed that a fight between Charizard and Arcanine would be amazing to watch.  But I still think Charizard would win, somehow. 

            Gyarados twitched and with lightning reflexes, Arcanine leapt to the side in the air expecting a strike… that never came. Blaine’s Pokémon couldn’t control itself once it was in the air. Right before it touched the glass, Gyarados slammed its long tail on the floor shaking the stadium. Arcanine missed a normally sure-footed landing as the shockwaves made it slip. 

            A split second was all Gyarados needed to lash out and wrap its body around the beast.  Arcanine bit and yelped as Gyarados squeezed like an anaconda with its prey.  Arcanine’s eyes became noticeably bloodshot, even from high up in the camera room, and its body began to convulse. 

            “That a way, Gyarados!  Now finish it with Hydro-” Green was interrupted by Blaine running across the floor, Poke-ball in hand.  He recalled Arcanine and tossed something that glimmered in the light at Green.  Red assumed it must be the Volcano Badge.

            “Here’s your badge now get on your way,” he said. 

            “Can I say one thing first to the kid that’s been watching up there?” Green asked snobbishly.  He pointed to the camera room where Red, Blue, and Tony were observing the battle.  “I’d just like to let Red know that this is just a little taste of what my Pokémon are capable of.  Smell ya later.”  With that, Green recalled Gyarados and stalked into a tunnel on the other side of the Gym where he must have come before.  Charizard’s bright tail was the last thing that disappeared into the darkness before the booing from the crowd stopped.

            Red expected to see his Pokémon react in anger or fear, and smiled when he studied their faces.  Scyther was silent, sharpening its claws together; Machoke stared stoically; Pidgeotto turned its head and opened its wings, trying to appear bigger; Pikachu sparked its cheeks and growled a cute little growl; even Wartortle had set aside its childish personality and stood up, clenching its little blue fists in determination.

            They met Blaine in his private apartment connected to the stadium after the battle while Tony had decided to go fishing with Golduck.  He had set his two Poke-balls containing Magmar and Arcanine on a healing machine as he discussed the battle with Red. 

            “He’s definitely strong enough to beat any of the Gym Leaders easily,” said Blaine.  “He’ll be in the Pokémon League Tournament this year, I guarantee it.  He might even win a round or two…”

            Red had gotten that feeling from watching the battle, too.  However, his and Blue’s suspicions could wait no longer. 

            “Are you the Phantom?” Red got straight to the point.

            Before he could rebuke the accusation, Blue added: “We saw the clothes on your boat.  Either you’re the Phantom, or you know him.”  She went into detail about the man the clothes looked like they belonged to.

            “I’ve never heard of the name ‘Phantom,’ ” began Blaine, “but yes, the clothes do belong to a friend of mine.  I’ve known him for a while now…” Red didn’t know what to do next.  Should he call Lance? He began to pick up his Pokedex and hit the phone app when Blaine stopped him.

            “There’s no need to get Lance involved,” he said quickly.   “This man only wants to help, I promise you.  Whatever he did in fighting Team Rocket, he did it for good reasons.  Please, Lance will find out soon enough.”

            Red put down the ‘dex.  “What reasons?”

            Blaine sighed and walked to a window and pointed across the volcano to a pile of wood and debris in the distance.  “If you want to know, you are Pokémon Trainers after all.  If I explained to you now, you would never believe me.  Over there is where my old Lab used to be.”  He took out a key from his lab coat and handed it to Red.  “I couldn’t go back to get my things in a safe room bunker below the lab because of my own… reasons.  But if you go there and recover all of my missing documentation, you might have the answers that you are looking for.”  He looked back at the Trainers.  Red specifically.  “If you bring me back those documents, I will oblige you to a Gym match immediately, with no qualifying round.”

            So far I’ve only had to have one Gym qualifying round, I guess I gotta keep the streak going.  Red nodded and took the rusty old lab key. 

Pallet Town-

            Charizard landed just as the sun went down right in front of his grandfather’s lab.  He would rest here and train as long as he had to until the Viridian Gym was finally operational.  He walked in and greeted Professor Oak.

            “Oh! Green, you’re back!” 

            “Long time, no see, Gramps,” he said as he put his arm around his famous grandfather’s shoulder and they walked through the lab to the large open range behind the lab.  Almost instantly, all thirty of the Pokémon Green had caught went up to welcome him.  He couldn’t remember each and every one he had caught, that’s why he had his Pokedex.

            “I only have one more badge to win before I enter the Pokémon League,” he told his Pokémon.  He knew most of them were weak, he had only caught them for his grandpa’s research.  There may be some hidden gems here, yet.            “So I’ll have a tournament of my own.  If you want to impress me, the last four of you standing will join Charizard, Gyarados and I.  Start now.”

            It took his Pokémon a few seconds to get the idea, but eventually a Primeape of his threw the first punch against an unsuspecting Graveler.  After that, the battle royale had begun, and Green and Charizard watched interestingly.

            His grandfather cleared his throat.  “Well, I guess I have seen Trainer’s set their Pokémon to spar against one another… There is something I received in the mail for you, Green.”

            Green scoffed, he was watching his Exeggutor handle the Primape, a Staryu, and a Hitmonchan all at the same time.  “If it’s more fan mail, you can burn it,” he said, not taking his eyes off of the fighting.  The mail dropped in his lap. He glanced at it, then smiled. 

            “From the Viridian City Gym Leader… what’s this for? Is he formally challenging me? Hoping that I’ll honor him for his first official battle?”

            “Green, you have always been proud,” he heard his grandpa talk.  “This is no ordinary Gym invitation.  You overlooked the front of the envelope.”

            Green looked again, sighing in annoyance and tossed the envelope up into the air.  Charizard happily incinerated it.  “So it’s addressed to me and Red.”

            “Don’t act so selfishly, Green,” scolded Professor Oak.  “You can be sure that I will tell Red.”

            “No need,” said Green.  Why did that kid who was always a step behind him get as much credit as he did?  “I’ll invite him myself.”