Red's Adventures - Chapter 02
The encounter with Blue deeply disturbed Red; the Ninetales wanted to leave, but he stayed despite himself. Meanwhile, Blue roamed the forest determined to see Red again. He eventually stumbled upon a predator, but unfortunately, it wasn't Red.
Red's Adventures
Chapter 2 - Painful encounter !
Red opened his eyes before the sun had even fully crested the horizon. As was often the case when he couldn't find shelter, he had spent the night under a tree, his back against the trunk, his tail curled close to it to conserve some warmth. Day was slowly breaking, stretching a pale light between the branches. The world still seemed asleep. Only the clear chirping of Pidgeys disturbed the silence.
It was cool. A light breeze brushed against his fur, soft enough to be pleasant. Red loved these precise moments, these uncertain hours when the temperature remained balanced, neither too low nor stifling. Even for a Fire-type Pokémon, the cold remained a constant threat: a sudden drop in his body temperature could prove fatal. Conversely, intense heat bothered him without ever truly weakening him. His body had learned to tolerate excess, far more than deficiency.
He slowly straightened up and stretched deeply, each muscle relaxing with almost mechanical precision. Then he sat down, letting his gaze wander among the tree trunks and shifting shadows. As he did every morning, he reflected on his day.
There was nothing to hunt in this region. Little traffic, little life. To feed himself, he had to make do with berries, wild fruit, or sometimes fish when he found the opportunity. The only truly vulnerable Pokémon in the area was a young Vaporeon.
This thought irritated him. He understood better how such a fragile Pokémon could survive here, isolated, far from richer territories. And, once again, his mind involuntarily drifted to that small blue fish. Its delicate form, its clear gaze, its almost incongruous presence in such a place.
Red groaned softly, shaking his head to clear the images. Ever since their "interaction," he couldn't stop thinking about that Vaporeon.
Three days had passed since their encounter. Three days, and yet a persistent knot still gripped his stomach. He felt weak, nauseous.
Maybe I should stop eating the berries, he mused. The explanation seemed logical: he'd been eating nothing but them for far too long. What he couldn't understand, however, was why he was still there.
When he traveled, Red never lingered. He passed through, survived, and then moved on. He avoided regions poor in food, and even more so those that might become familiar. He had sworn never to settle anywhere again, never to call a place "home."
Traveling was simpler. Traveling meant losing nothing. He saw himself as the freest Pokémon in the world: going wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted, without ties, without expectations. What more could he want?
And yet, against all logic, he didn't want to leave. This certainty troubled him deeply. A strange, almost painful feeling had settled within him. Not understanding its origin made him nervous, uneasy, as if something inside him refused to be named. He had long since learned the workings of his body, of his emotions, just as when he was a young Kit, he didn't understand what his body was trying to tell him.
Red finally got up and went in search of berries. After a few minutes, he found some, picked four, and then sat down on a rock to eat them. He devoured them without paying them any mind. Then, he moved away from the young Vaporeon's territory… but not too far. As if he unconsciously refused to break an invisible bond.
« What am I going to do… » he murmured to himself.
He was lost. Unable to understand what he felt for this Pokémon. Was it purely physical? The memory of their bodies, the warmth, the salty scent mingled with his own? Was it its appearance, its naivety, its way of existing without suspicion? Red didn’t know. All he knew was that Blue haunted his thoughts, and that this obsession terrified him.
He was afraid to understand. Afraid that, if he saw it again, something would become attached. Afraid of suffering again. It would have been simpler to kill and eat it, as he had done to so many others.
A violent shiver ran down his spine at the thought. A tear slid down his cheek before he could even stop it.
He wondered how a Pokémon like Blue could have found an evolution stone, one of those rare items that many searched for their entire lives without ever seeing one. His mind drifted to his own stone. To the blazing heat of evolution. To pride, joy, but above all, to the gaze of the one standing beside him.
His breath caught in his throat. Tears began to flow freely. Red sat there for hours, motionless, trying to gather his thoughts. This Vaporeon, without realizing it, had awakened something he thought had been buried for far too long.
***********
For his part, Blue hadn't stopped searching for Red. For three days, he'd been scouring the area with an almost touching tenacity, sometimes following faint traces of his scent before losing them, then starting all over again. He was doing it wrong, moving too slowly, letting himself be distracted by the slightest noise or the faintest reflection in the water.
Hunting had never been his forte. The thought made him smile; he was hunting the big bad fox. He knew how to fish, how to wait motionless for hours by his stream, but following a trail across dry earth and dead leaves was an art completely beyond him.
Red, on the other hand, would have found it easy. The thought brought a smile to his face. One of them was truly hopeless at fishing, the other excelled, and vice versa when it came to hunting—they complemented each other.
The sun was already high in the sky. Its light filtered with difficulty through the thick canopy, casting shifting patches on the ground. The forest grew denser as he advanced, and quieter too.
Blue wasn't really aware of it. He had long ago left the reassuring banks of his stream, without ever looking back
He moved forward, driven by a simple thought. « Come on... where are you hiding, cute little fox? » he murmured softly, almost playfully.
He stopped suddenly, his nose twitching. That scent... He would recognize it anywhere. Warm, slightly spicy, mingled with something wild and ancient.
Red had been this way, and his heart raced. He spun around, trying to determine his direction, then suddenly realized how much the landscape had changed.
The trees seemed taller, closer together. The familiar murmur of the water had vanished, replaced by a profound, almost solemn silence.
He was far from home, far from his unchanging routine, his identical days, this quiet but oppressive solitude he had never truly questioned. For the first time, he wasn't exactly where he was supposed to be.
This realization didn't frighten him; on the contrary, a new excitement coursed through him, light and sparkling, like a gentle wave rising up to his fins.
« Wow… » he breathed. « It's really… wow. » Before him stood a large rock, partially covered in moss, surrounded by thick bushes and a few trees twisted by time.
The place seemed mysterious, almost magical. He had never seen this kind of landscape so close. Each step gave him the impression of discovering an entirely new world.
He was so absorbed by this feeling—by the pride of having dared to leave, by the simple joy of exploring—that he didn't notice the subtle rustling behind him.
Nor the gaze watching him. Nor the dark figure moving between the tree trunks, silent, patient, drawn as much by the unfamiliar scent as by the recklessness of the small blue Pokémon.
Blue, meanwhile, moved forward oblivious, a smile on his lips, convinced that he was finally getting closer to Red.
*************
Red was still trapped in his thoughts, motionless, his gaze lost in the void. He was unaware of the passing time, or even of his precise location. The world around him seemed frozen, distant, as if suffocated by the weight of his memories.
Then a gust of wind swept across the clearing. It carried with it a pungent, heavy, familiar scent. Red jerked his head up. His body tensed before his mind even had time to process it. He knew that scent all too well. It evoked fangs, hoarse growls, raw, uncompromising violence.
A mightyena. Even for him, it was an opponent not to be underestimated. Not dangerous because of its sheer power, but because of its tenacity, its aggression, its taste for pointless combat.
Red turned his ears to the wind, gauging the distance. He wasn't being chased. He wasn't the target. So he had to leave.
Avoid confrontation. As always. He was already pivoting to move away, ready to vanish without a trace… when another thought struck him with unexpected brutality.
« Blue. » His breath caught in his throat. « Oh no… » he murmured.
Fear instantly morphed into a dull panic. The Mightyena he'd encountered in the past were never alone for long, and none of them showed any mercy.
The image of the small Vaporeon, clumsy and oblivious to the danger, flashed through his mind. Red didn't hesitate any longer.
He started running, following the trail left by the dark Pokémon, his muscles responding to instinct before reason could even intervene. Each stride brought him closer to the danger he should have been fleeing.
For the second time, he chose to move forward where he should have left.
**********
Blue finally realized he wouldn't find Red today. The scent had dissipated, swallowed by the forest, and each additional step took him further from what he knew. A pang of panic rose within him.
« Ugh... missed again... » he murmured, his voice trembling.
He turned back, determined to return before getting completely lost. But he had barely taken a few steps when a voice rose behind him, deep, hoarse, foreign to the silence of the forest.
« Why are you sad, kid? »
Blue froze. His heart skipped a beat. He immediately recognized the timbre of that voice—a voice that held nothing gentle, nothing reassuring. He turned slowly.
« I... I'm looking for a friend... » he replied after a moment. But I lost sight of him again… Fear mingled with his words, but it wasn't fear that dominated. It was disappointment. Once again, he had failed.
Mightyena stepped forward slightly, a smile stretching its lips. Its eyes never left the small blue Pokémon. It slowly licked its fangs, a low growl vibrating in its throat.
« Ahhh… don’t worry about it. Do you want me to help you find him? »
His tone was falsely friendly, almost mocking. The predator sniffed the air, searching for another presence. A lingering scent of Ninetales still hung in the air, distant.
Blue hesitated. « Hm… no, it’s fine… He doesn’t seem to want me to find him… » His ears drooped. His gaze clouded, and a tear slid down his cheek.
« Ouch… you want to be my friend? You want to play? » growled the Mightyena.
At these words, Blue instinctively smiled… then something broke inside him. His instinct, belated but brutal, screamed. « This Pokémon was nothing like Red. »
There was no confused anger, no hesitation, no conflict in that look. Only hunger. A calm, methodical, absolute hunger. Meeting its eyes, Blue understood immediately: there was no kindness here. Panic overwhelmed him.
His body reacted before his mind. A powerful jet of water erupted from its mouth and struck the Mightyena squarely in the head. Without waiting to see the effect, Blue whirled around and began to run as fast as his legs would allow.
« Miserable little thing… » growled the predator, straightening up.
The impact had stunned him, a dull ache throbbing in his skull, but his anger was stronger. He charged after it, growling with rage.
« Get back here! »
Blue ran, panting, his heart pounding wildly. The Mightyena didn't have the agility or speed of a Ninetales, but it was tireless.
With each passing second, it gained ground. And there was no body of water nearby. No escape. Shadow Balls burst from between the trees, slicing through the air with muffled explosions. They narrowly missed Blue, sending dirt and splinters flying around him. The noise echoed far through the forest.
Then one exploded right beside him. Blue was violently thrown against a tree. His head struck the trunk with a sharp crack. His vision blurred, and stars danced before his eyes. He slid to the ground, gasping for air.
« Ah... ah... ah... » Mightyena gasped, approaching. « You made me run, kid. And you hurt me. I think it's time to return the favor, don't you? »
« W-why are you doing this? » Blue stammered. « You're a bad Pokémon... please leave me alone... »
« So cute, » the predator sneered. « Oh, the poor little thing... so innocent. All I want is to eat. »
He fixed his gaze on Blue. Fear sank deep into Vaporeon's heart.
« Too bad... » he added. « I would have liked to eat your friend too. But the only scent I can smell is that of a Ninetales... »
Blue's ears perked up immediately. « Red... » he murmured hopefully. Red hasn't left...
« Hm? » said the Mightyena, intrigued.
« Red will punish you... » Blue whined. « You're too naughty. »
The predator's smile tightened. « Naughty? I just want to survive. And for that, I need to eat. I like hunting, that's all. »
He tilted his head, sneering. « Who's Red? I thought you were alone. »
« You just said you could sense it! » The Mightyena froze. His expression changed.
« Impossible. A Vaporeon and a Ninetales. Together. » It was absurd.
« It doesn't matter, » he growled finally.
« It's time. » He leaped, his jaws wide open. Blue closed his eyes. He already saw himself doomed.
******
Red was tracking the wild Pokémon at high speed, but another scent mingled with the predator's acrid, aggressive odor. A familiar scent. Too familiar.
Blue. His heart pounded. « This Pokémon really picked the worst possible time to play the adventurer… » he growled through his fangs.
A series of muffled explosions echoed in the distance. Red stopped abruptly, his paws firmly planted on the ground, then closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply and forced his mind to calm.
There, two presences, two auras. One was heavy, dark, unstable, vibrating with raw aggression. The other, on the other hand, radiated an almost painful clarity, pure and chaotic, like a fragile flame exposed to the wind. The contrast between the two was so stark it tightened in his chest.
Aura control had never been his strong suit. He didn't know how to manipulate it, much less use it in combat. All he could do was perceive it, through sheer concentration. He owed that to a Pokémon Master he'd met long ago… in another life. He had vowed never to use it again; he wasn't worthy.
« Alone… » he murmured, sensing the dark aura. He doesn't hunt in packs. A brief but insufficient relief.
Red started running. The explosions stopped. Too abruptly. He accelerated even more, ignoring the burning in his muscles, ignoring the fatigue.
When he finally emerged into the clearing, the scene unfolded before him with chilling clarity.
Blue was pinned against a tree, gasping for air, unable to move. The Mightyena was leaping. Red didn't have time to think.
His body moved before his mind. Space seemed to bend around him as he vanished in a flash of speed. He didn't know he had just used Extreme Speed. He only knew he had arrived.
The impact was brutal. He intervened just in time, and the Mightyena's fangs closed on his chest, right below his throat. The pain exploded, searing, excruciating. Red let out a hoarse growl, his paws digging into the earth to avoid being knocked over.
No one had ever bitten him there. Never so deeply. He had survived far more violent battles, but always by dodging, fleeing, using the terrain to his advantage.
This time, he had taken the full force of the attack. « Tch… » he muttered through gritted teeth. « That little Pokémon… He’s really rubbing off on me… »
Behind him, Blue looked up. When he saw the golden figure step between him and death, a sob escaped him. The relief was so intense that he trembled.
« Red…! » Red didn’t have a chance to reply.
He concentrated all his remaining strength into one of his tails, hardened it to the extreme, and struck the Mightyena’s skull with Iron Tail. The impact echoed throughout the clearing. The predator released its grip with a growl.
Blood was already flowing freely from Red's chest, darkening his golden fur. He immediately followed up with a second Iron Tail, this time aiming for his flank, and sent the Mightyena flying several meters. But the predator's experience was not to be underestimated. Just before being knocked back, he managed to land a powerful swipe above Red's right eye.
A flash of white pierced his vision. He stumbled back, staggering. Blood was now streaming from his face as well. The pain hadn't truly arrived yet. Adrenaline kept his body upright, refusing to give way.
« So… » Red growled, raising his head, his gaze hardening. « Little hyena… what are you doing here all alone? »
« Nothing special… » the Mightyena sneered, shaking his head to dispel the dizziness. « I was just hungry. »
Red bared his teeth slightly. « In that case, you’ve come to the wrong place.I don’t see anything edible here. »
His anger rose, burning, almost uncontrollable. Bluish flames erupted from his mouth. Three orbs of fire floated around him, and scalding steam rose from his back. His silver eyes gleamed dangerously.
It was a bluff. He knew it; he wasn’t capable of winning. His only chance was to make Mightyena believe he could still fight.
Mightyena sensed it. If he continued, he would fall. Such a trick wouldn’t normally work. But the legends surrounding Ninetales were persistent.
The Dark-type Pokémon hesitated. This Vaporeon wasn’t worth the risk. And facing a wounded, but still standing, Ninetales was not a reassuring prospect.
« Hmph... I give up this time, » he sneered, backing away. « I wasn't that keen on fish anyway. » He burst out laughing. « Seriously... a Ninetales befriending a Vaporeon. The world is getting really strange. » Then he disappeared among the trees.
Red waited for several long seconds before releasing the tension. When he finally turned to Blue, his anger erupted.
« WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! »
Blue jumped. His ears immediately drooped. « I... I wanted to find you... »
He looked up... and paled. The beautiful golden fur was soaked with blood. The wound on his head seemed superficial, but the one on his chest was deep, gaping.
« R-Red... are you okay...? »
« WHY ARE YOU SO FAR FROM HOME...! » Red's voice broke, his vision blurred.
« Red! Red, wake up!” » Blue panicked. He shook him, tried to pull him, to stimulate him. Nothing. He tried to lick his snout, but immediately grimaced.
« Ugh… that’s horrible… »
« Okay… stay here… I’ll get help… please… don’t die… »
He started running. The hope of finding someone was almost nil, but he couldn't bring himself to just look at Red on the ground. Not far away, two Pokémon were already running towards him, drawn by the explosions.
« More wild Pokémon fighting… » one of them said sneeringly. « I have a bad feeling about this. »
« Oh, come on, Riley, are you scared? » the other sneered, knowing exactly how to motivate his partner.
« ME? Scared?! » They stopped abruptly. « Shh… someone’s coming. »
Blue sprang from the bush and froze.
Two Pokémon stood before him. The first was a Fire-type Pokémon, standing on its hind legs. Its dark fur contrasted with the bright flames that erupted from its back and head. It was taller than Blue, slender, and its confident smile bordered on arrogance. A round, colorful object gleamed on its right shoulder, firmly attached to its fur.
Beside him stood a feline Pokémon, its fur blue and black, its golden eyes unwavering. It wasn't smiling. Nor was it frowning. It was simply observing. A kind of metal plate was attached to its chest, and a band went around its shoulder, holding a rectangular object that flapped slightly against its flank as it moved.
Blue didn't know what it was, but it gave him a strange feeling… organized, controlled.
Beside him stood a feline Pokémon, its fur blue and black, its golden eyes unwavering. It wasn't smiling. Nor was it frowning. It was simply observing. A kind of metal plate was attached to its chest, and a band went around its shoulder, holding a rectangular object that flapped slightly against its flank as it moved.
Blue didn't know what it was, but it gave him a strange feeling… organized, controlled.
At the sight of the feline, an instinctive shiver ran through Blue. He took a step back without even realizing it. « Hey, little wild one, » said the Luxio in a calm, surprisingly gentle voice. « What are you doing here? »
His voice was calm, reassuring… but something in his gaze remained cold. As if he were sizing Blue up not as a person, but as a situation to be analyzed.
« He’s terrified, » observed the Fire-type Pokémon, tilting its head.
« I wonder what’s going on over there… » continued the feline, taking a step toward Blue.
Blue immediately backed away. « Uh-oh! » exclaimed the Quilava, laughing. « I think he’s scared of the big bad cat! »
« Riley, » sighed the Luxio without looking at him. He stopped and slowly raised a paw.
« Okay, little one. I won’t go near. Just tell me why you’re so panicked. Maybe we can help you. »
Blue hesitated. His ears were trembling. « M… my friend… »
His voice broke. « He’s badly hurt. Please… help him… » Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
Luxio turned its head slightly toward Riley. « We’re Pokémon Rescue, right? » the feline asked neutrally.
Quilava smiled immediately. « Of course we are, Shin. »
Shin crouched down to be at Blue’s level. « Come on, kid. Show us where your friend is. » They followed him.
After several minutes of walking in silence, Blue stopped. « The… there it is… »
The two Pokémon froze. « …A Ninetales, » Riley murmured, surprised.
« They’re rare, » Shin said, eyes wide.
« And dangerous, » Riley added, a little worried.
Shin studied Red for a long time. This dangerous Pokemon looks so vulnerable.
« We should leave it. » Riley continued.
Blue turned sharply toward him. « Shut up! » His voice trembled with anger and fear.
« Red isn’t like that! If he’s hurt, it’s because I put myself in danger! He’s my friend! »
He burst into tears. « Please… save him… »
Shin hesitated. Not out of compassion—out of self-interest. A wounded Ninetales, alive, within reach.
« Very well, » Shin finally said. « Riley. »
The Quilava opened the rectangular object he was carrying and took out a berry and a clean cloth. « This is a bad idea, I can tell… »
« Give him this, » he said to Blue, handing him the berry.
« While I take care of his wounds. » Blue nodded awkwardly. He didn’t know what to do. Finally, he gently forced Red’s mouth open and squeezed the berry so the juice flowed down his throat. Riley worked quickly, with astonishing efficiency.
Shin watched. A dog bite. The Ninetales's deliberate approach. Atypical behavior. "Strange…" thought Luxio.
When Riley finished, Blue looked up, hopeful.
« So… is he alright? »
« He's stabilizing, » Shin replied.
« We have to wait for him to wake up. »
They stayed there for a long hour. Blue asked a thousand questions. He learned about cities, guilds, and the strange objects they carried—bags filled with useful things. Riley talked a lot. Shin, little. But its eyes almost never left Red.
Finally, Blue approached the sleeping Ninetales. He looked at it for a long time. Then, gently, he began to lick its muzzle, as if to make sure it was real.
« …What…? » Red opened his eyes. « Stop it… » he growled weakly.
« I’m not a kit… »
« Red! » Blue lunged at him.
« Hrg… » Red grimaced.
« Sorry! » Blue immediately stepped back.
Red scanned the area… and saw the badges before he even saw the Pokemon.
His fur bristled. A dull heat rose.
« Red…? » Blue asked, worried.
« Oh. Great, » Riley muttered. « I knew we should have left him. »
The three of them tensed.
« Don’t fight, Ninetales, » Riley teased. « You’re hurt. »
« Ohh you think! » Red could barely stand on his feet, Red's gaze was full of anger, maybe even hatred.
Blue positioned himself between the three Pokemon. « Stop! Why did you want to fight? It's not good! Be nice! » Blue screamed. Hearing Blue, Red's rage subsided a little, but this wasn't the time to let his guard down. Two enemies were right behind him, and he was injured. The situation seemed critical…
« Blue, get away from them, they’re dangerous… » Red growled. « Listen to him, Shin… He says we're dangerous, it's the world turned upside down! » Riley laughed. Shin was looking for a way to resolve the situation without hurting anyone, but while Luxio was thinking, Blue took action.
Blue sprayed a small jet of water at the enraged fox's head. It wasn't powerful enough to hurt, it was a very fine jet, but still unpleasant for a Fire-type Pokémon. « Stop, Red, they saved you! » Blue didn't know what to do if another fight broke out.
Red closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. « …Thank you. » He opened his eyelids again. « I'm fine now. You can go, » Red said, calming down. His fur had returned to normal, but he didn't trust them and remained on his guard.
« No way, » Shin replied. « I don't think you're okay. You're hurt. I can't leave a Pokémon like that alone, and besides, your friend wanted to see what a city was like. Maybe you want to too? » Shin said.
« What, you want to take him with you… » Shin glared at Riley. The Vaporeon didn't bother him, but the other one was too dangerous. Red hadn't seen it before, but the Quilava had a necklace with a white stone. He'd seen that before. He never really understood the purpose of that object.
« Thanks for your offer, but I’d rather stay away from towns… »
« Oh, please, Red, can we go? I want to meet other Pokémon… please, please, please, please!!! » Blue insisted.
« At worst, we can always take Blue and leave the big fox here, » Riley said.
« What!… I’ll stay with him. If he doesn’t want to go… then it’s fine. » Blue’s ears drooped.
Red saw Blue’s joy slowly fading and felt a little guilty. « Okay, okay! » Red said resignedly. « After all, it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a town… » He was still a little worried.
« Perfect then, no more problems, the town is west of here, » Shin said. A Ninetales! It would be great if it could join their team. But there's work to be done. He looks strong, but he doesn't fit the profile of a Pokémon who saves others if he doesn't know them. Then again, I didn't fit that profile at first either, Luxio thought. Something about Red intrigues the feline. Is it because he acted strangely, because he's a Ninetales, or something else?
« He's going to slow us down. The city is three days' walk away, and he's injured, » grumbles Riley.
« Don't worry, little hedgehog, a little injury like that won't slow me down, » says Red, leaning on his paw. A shiver of pain ran through him, but he didn't show it.
« YEEEEYYYYYY, we're going to the town! » shouts Blue joyfully, jumping around Red.
The four Pokémon set off westward together. Will they reach the next city safely with this motley crew? Among them is a proud Ninetales who is easily angered, a carefree Vaporeon who often puts itself in danger, a rather arrogant Quilava who seems to enjoy provoking Red, and a calm and thoughtful Luxio who seems to analyze things coldly…
Red opened his eyes before the sun had even fully crested the horizon. As was often the case when he couldn't find shelter, he had spent the night under a tree, his back against the trunk, his tail curled close to it to conserve some warmth. Day was slowly breaking, stretching a pale light between the branches. The world still seemed asleep. Only the clear chirping of Pidgeys disturbed the silence.
It was cool. A light breeze brushed against his fur, soft enough to be pleasant. Red loved these precise moments, these uncertain hours when the temperature remained balanced, neither too low nor stifling. Even for a Fire-type Pokémon, the cold remained a constant threat: a sudden drop in his body temperature could prove fatal. Conversely, intense heat bothered him without ever truly weakening him. His body had learned to tolerate excess, far more than deficiency.
He slowly straightened up and stretched deeply, each muscle relaxing with almost mechanical precision. Then he sat down, letting his gaze wander among the tree trunks and shifting shadows. As he did every morning, he reflected on his day.
There was nothing to hunt in this region. Little traffic, little life. To feed himself, he had to make do with berries, wild fruit, or sometimes fish when he found the opportunity. The only truly vulnerable Pokémon in the area was a young Vaporeon.
This thought irritated him. He understood better how such a fragile Pokémon could survive here, isolated, far from richer territories. And, once again, his mind involuntarily drifted to that small blue fish. Its delicate form, its clear gaze, its almost incongruous presence in such a place.
Red groaned softly, shaking his head to clear the images. Ever since their "interaction," he couldn't stop thinking about that Vaporeon.
Three days had passed since their encounter. Three days, and yet a persistent knot still gripped his stomach. He felt weak, nauseous.
Maybe I should stop eating the berries, he mused. The explanation seemed logical: he'd been eating nothing but them for far too long. What he couldn't understand, however, was why he was still there.
When he traveled, Red never lingered. He passed through, survived, and then moved on. He avoided regions poor in food, and even more so those that might become familiar. He had sworn never to settle anywhere again, never to call a place "home."
Traveling was simpler. Traveling meant losing nothing. He saw himself as the freest Pokémon in the world: going wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted, without ties, without expectations. What more could he want?
And yet, against all logic, he didn't want to leave. This certainty troubled him deeply. A strange, almost painful feeling had settled within him. Not understanding its origin made him nervous, uneasy, as if something inside him refused to be named. He had long since learned the workings of his body, of his emotions, just as when he was a young Kit, he didn't understand what his body was trying to tell him.
Red finally got up and went in search of berries. After a few minutes, he found some, picked four, and then sat down on a rock to eat them. He devoured them without paying them any mind. Then, he moved away from the young Vaporeon's territory… but not too far. As if he unconsciously refused to break an invisible bond.
« What am I going to do… » he murmured to himself.
He was lost. Unable to understand what he felt for this Pokémon. Was it purely physical? The memory of their bodies, the warmth, the salty scent mingled with his own? Was it its appearance, its naivety, its way of existing without suspicion? Red didn’t know. All he knew was that Blue haunted his thoughts, and that this obsession terrified him.
He was afraid to understand. Afraid that, if he saw it again, something would become attached. Afraid of suffering again. It would have been simpler to kill and eat it, as he had done to so many others.
A violent shiver ran down his spine at the thought. A tear slid down his cheek before he could even stop it.
He wondered how a Pokémon like Blue could have found an evolution stone, one of those rare items that many searched for their entire lives without ever seeing one. His mind drifted to his own stone. To the blazing heat of evolution. To pride, joy, but above all, to the gaze of the one standing beside him.
His breath caught in his throat. Tears began to flow freely. Red sat there for hours, motionless, trying to gather his thoughts. This Vaporeon, without realizing it, had awakened something he thought had been buried for far too long.
***********
For his part, Blue hadn't stopped searching for Red. For three days, he'd been scouring the area with an almost touching tenacity, sometimes following faint traces of his scent before losing them, then starting all over again. He was doing it wrong, moving too slowly, letting himself be distracted by the slightest noise or the faintest reflection in the water.
Hunting had never been his forte. The thought made him smile; he was hunting the big bad fox. He knew how to fish, how to wait motionless for hours by his stream, but following a trail across dry earth and dead leaves was an art completely beyond him.
Red, on the other hand, would have found it easy. The thought brought a smile to his face. One of them was truly hopeless at fishing, the other excelled, and vice versa when it came to hunting—they complemented each other.
The sun was already high in the sky. Its light filtered with difficulty through the thick canopy, casting shifting patches on the ground. The forest grew denser as he advanced, and quieter too.
Blue wasn't really aware of it. He had long ago left the reassuring banks of his stream, without ever looking back
He moved forward, driven by a simple thought. « Come on... where are you hiding, cute little fox? » he murmured softly, almost playfully.
He stopped suddenly, his nose twitching. That scent... He would recognize it anywhere. Warm, slightly spicy, mingled with something wild and ancient.
Red had been this way, and his heart raced. He spun around, trying to determine his direction, then suddenly realized how much the landscape had changed.
The trees seemed taller, closer together. The familiar murmur of the water had vanished, replaced by a profound, almost solemn silence.
He was far from home, far from his unchanging routine, his identical days, this quiet but oppressive solitude he had never truly questioned. For the first time, he wasn't exactly where he was supposed to be.
This realization didn't frighten him; on the contrary, a new excitement coursed through him, light and sparkling, like a gentle wave rising up to his fins.
« Wow… » he breathed. « It's really… wow. » Before him stood a large rock, partially covered in moss, surrounded by thick bushes and a few trees twisted by time.
The place seemed mysterious, almost magical. He had never seen this kind of landscape so close. Each step gave him the impression of discovering an entirely new world.
He was so absorbed by this feeling—by the pride of having dared to leave, by the simple joy of exploring—that he didn't notice the subtle rustling behind him.
Nor the gaze watching him. Nor the dark figure moving between the tree trunks, silent, patient, drawn as much by the unfamiliar scent as by the recklessness of the small blue Pokémon.
Blue, meanwhile, moved forward oblivious, a smile on his lips, convinced that he was finally getting closer to Red.
*************
Red was still trapped in his thoughts, motionless, his gaze lost in the void. He was unaware of the passing time, or even of his precise location. The world around him seemed frozen, distant, as if suffocated by the weight of his memories.
Then a gust of wind swept across the clearing. It carried with it a pungent, heavy, familiar scent. Red jerked his head up. His body tensed before his mind even had time to process it. He knew that scent all too well. It evoked fangs, hoarse growls, raw, uncompromising violence.
A mightyena. Even for him, it was an opponent not to be underestimated. Not dangerous because of its sheer power, but because of its tenacity, its aggression, its taste for pointless combat.
Red turned his ears to the wind, gauging the distance. He wasn't being chased. He wasn't the target. So he had to leave.
Avoid confrontation. As always. He was already pivoting to move away, ready to vanish without a trace… when another thought struck him with unexpected brutality.
« Blue. » His breath caught in his throat. « Oh no… » he murmured.
Fear instantly morphed into a dull panic. The Mightyena he'd encountered in the past were never alone for long, and none of them showed any mercy.
The image of the small Vaporeon, clumsy and oblivious to the danger, flashed through his mind. Red didn't hesitate any longer.
He started running, following the trail left by the dark Pokémon, his muscles responding to instinct before reason could even intervene. Each stride brought him closer to the danger he should have been fleeing.
For the second time, he chose to move forward where he should have left.
**********
Blue finally realized he wouldn't find Red today. The scent had dissipated, swallowed by the forest, and each additional step took him further from what he knew. A pang of panic rose within him.
« Ugh... missed again... » he murmured, his voice trembling.
He turned back, determined to return before getting completely lost. But he had barely taken a few steps when a voice rose behind him, deep, hoarse, foreign to the silence of the forest.
« Why are you sad, kid? »
Blue froze. His heart skipped a beat. He immediately recognized the timbre of that voice—a voice that held nothing gentle, nothing reassuring. He turned slowly.
« I... I'm looking for a friend... » he replied after a moment. But I lost sight of him again… Fear mingled with his words, but it wasn't fear that dominated. It was disappointment. Once again, he had failed.
Mightyena stepped forward slightly, a smile stretching its lips. Its eyes never left the small blue Pokémon. It slowly licked its fangs, a low growl vibrating in its throat.
« Ahhh… don’t worry about it. Do you want me to help you find him? »
His tone was falsely friendly, almost mocking. The predator sniffed the air, searching for another presence. A lingering scent of Ninetales still hung in the air, distant.
Blue hesitated. « Hm… no, it’s fine… He doesn’t seem to want me to find him… » His ears drooped. His gaze clouded, and a tear slid down his cheek.
« Ouch… you want to be my friend? You want to play? » growled the Mightyena.
At these words, Blue instinctively smiled… then something broke inside him. His instinct, belated but brutal, screamed. « This Pokémon was nothing like Red. »
There was no confused anger, no hesitation, no conflict in that look. Only hunger. A calm, methodical, absolute hunger. Meeting its eyes, Blue understood immediately: there was no kindness here. Panic overwhelmed him.
His body reacted before his mind. A powerful jet of water erupted from its mouth and struck the Mightyena squarely in the head. Without waiting to see the effect, Blue whirled around and began to run as fast as his legs would allow.
« Miserable little thing… » growled the predator, straightening up.
The impact had stunned him, a dull ache throbbing in his skull, but his anger was stronger. He charged after it, growling with rage.
« Get back here! »
Blue ran, panting, his heart pounding wildly. The Mightyena didn't have the agility or speed of a Ninetales, but it was tireless.
With each passing second, it gained ground. And there was no body of water nearby. No escape. Shadow Balls burst from between the trees, slicing through the air with muffled explosions. They narrowly missed Blue, sending dirt and splinters flying around him. The noise echoed far through the forest.
Then one exploded right beside him. Blue was violently thrown against a tree. His head struck the trunk with a sharp crack. His vision blurred, and stars danced before his eyes. He slid to the ground, gasping for air.
« Ah... ah... ah... » Mightyena gasped, approaching. « You made me run, kid. And you hurt me. I think it's time to return the favor, don't you? »
« W-why are you doing this? » Blue stammered. « You're a bad Pokémon... please leave me alone... »
« So cute, » the predator sneered. « Oh, the poor little thing... so innocent. All I want is to eat. »
He fixed his gaze on Blue. Fear sank deep into Vaporeon's heart.
« Too bad... » he added. « I would have liked to eat your friend too. But the only scent I can smell is that of a Ninetales... »
Blue's ears perked up immediately. « Red... » he murmured hopefully. Red hasn't left...
« Hm? » said the Mightyena, intrigued.
« Red will punish you... » Blue whined. « You're too naughty. »
The predator's smile tightened. « Naughty? I just want to survive. And for that, I need to eat. I like hunting, that's all. »
He tilted his head, sneering. « Who's Red? I thought you were alone. »
« You just said you could sense it! » The Mightyena froze. His expression changed.
« Impossible. A Vaporeon and a Ninetales. Together. » It was absurd.
« It doesn't matter, » he growled finally.
« It's time. » He leaped, his jaws wide open. Blue closed his eyes. He already saw himself doomed.
******
Red was tracking the wild Pokémon at high speed, but another scent mingled with the predator's acrid, aggressive odor. A familiar scent. Too familiar.
Blue. His heart pounded. « This Pokémon really picked the worst possible time to play the adventurer… » he growled through his fangs.
A series of muffled explosions echoed in the distance. Red stopped abruptly, his paws firmly planted on the ground, then closed his eyes. He inhaled deeply and forced his mind to calm.
There, two presences, two auras. One was heavy, dark, unstable, vibrating with raw aggression. The other, on the other hand, radiated an almost painful clarity, pure and chaotic, like a fragile flame exposed to the wind. The contrast between the two was so stark it tightened in his chest.
Aura control had never been his strong suit. He didn't know how to manipulate it, much less use it in combat. All he could do was perceive it, through sheer concentration. He owed that to a Pokémon Master he'd met long ago… in another life. He had vowed never to use it again; he wasn't worthy.
« Alone… » he murmured, sensing the dark aura. He doesn't hunt in packs. A brief but insufficient relief.
Red started running. The explosions stopped. Too abruptly. He accelerated even more, ignoring the burning in his muscles, ignoring the fatigue.
When he finally emerged into the clearing, the scene unfolded before him with chilling clarity.
Blue was pinned against a tree, gasping for air, unable to move. The Mightyena was leaping. Red didn't have time to think.
His body moved before his mind. Space seemed to bend around him as he vanished in a flash of speed. He didn't know he had just used Extreme Speed. He only knew he had arrived.
The impact was brutal. He intervened just in time, and the Mightyena's fangs closed on his chest, right below his throat. The pain exploded, searing, excruciating. Red let out a hoarse growl, his paws digging into the earth to avoid being knocked over.
No one had ever bitten him there. Never so deeply. He had survived far more violent battles, but always by dodging, fleeing, using the terrain to his advantage.
This time, he had taken the full force of the attack. « Tch… » he muttered through gritted teeth. « That little Pokémon… He’s really rubbing off on me… »
Behind him, Blue looked up. When he saw the golden figure step between him and death, a sob escaped him. The relief was so intense that he trembled.
« Red…! » Red didn’t have a chance to reply.
He concentrated all his remaining strength into one of his tails, hardened it to the extreme, and struck the Mightyena’s skull with Iron Tail. The impact echoed throughout the clearing. The predator released its grip with a growl.
Blood was already flowing freely from Red's chest, darkening his golden fur. He immediately followed up with a second Iron Tail, this time aiming for his flank, and sent the Mightyena flying several meters. But the predator's experience was not to be underestimated. Just before being knocked back, he managed to land a powerful swipe above Red's right eye.
A flash of white pierced his vision. He stumbled back, staggering. Blood was now streaming from his face as well. The pain hadn't truly arrived yet. Adrenaline kept his body upright, refusing to give way.
« So… » Red growled, raising his head, his gaze hardening. « Little hyena… what are you doing here all alone? »
« Nothing special… » the Mightyena sneered, shaking his head to dispel the dizziness. « I was just hungry. »
Red bared his teeth slightly. « In that case, you’ve come to the wrong place.I don’t see anything edible here. »
His anger rose, burning, almost uncontrollable. Bluish flames erupted from his mouth. Three orbs of fire floated around him, and scalding steam rose from his back. His silver eyes gleamed dangerously.
It was a bluff. He knew it; he wasn’t capable of winning. His only chance was to make Mightyena believe he could still fight.
Mightyena sensed it. If he continued, he would fall. Such a trick wouldn’t normally work. But the legends surrounding Ninetales were persistent.
The Dark-type Pokémon hesitated. This Vaporeon wasn’t worth the risk. And facing a wounded, but still standing, Ninetales was not a reassuring prospect.
« Hmph... I give up this time, » he sneered, backing away. « I wasn't that keen on fish anyway. » He burst out laughing. « Seriously... a Ninetales befriending a Vaporeon. The world is getting really strange. » Then he disappeared among the trees.
Red waited for several long seconds before releasing the tension. When he finally turned to Blue, his anger erupted.
« WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! »
Blue jumped. His ears immediately drooped. « I... I wanted to find you... »
He looked up... and paled. The beautiful golden fur was soaked with blood. The wound on his head seemed superficial, but the one on his chest was deep, gaping.
« R-Red... are you okay...? »
« WHY ARE YOU SO FAR FROM HOME...! » Red's voice broke, his vision blurred.
« Red! Red, wake up!” » Blue panicked. He shook him, tried to pull him, to stimulate him. Nothing. He tried to lick his snout, but immediately grimaced.
« Ugh… that’s horrible… »
« Okay… stay here… I’ll get help… please… don’t die… »
He started running. The hope of finding someone was almost nil, but he couldn't bring himself to just look at Red on the ground. Not far away, two Pokémon were already running towards him, drawn by the explosions.
« More wild Pokémon fighting… » one of them said sneeringly. « I have a bad feeling about this. »
« Oh, come on, Riley, are you scared? » the other sneered, knowing exactly how to motivate his partner.
« ME? Scared?! » They stopped abruptly. « Shh… someone’s coming. »
Blue sprang from the bush and froze.
Two Pokémon stood before him. The first was a Fire-type Pokémon, standing on its hind legs. Its dark fur contrasted with the bright flames that erupted from its back and head. It was taller than Blue, slender, and its confident smile bordered on arrogance. A round, colorful object gleamed on its right shoulder, firmly attached to its fur.
Beside him stood a feline Pokémon, its fur blue and black, its golden eyes unwavering. It wasn't smiling. Nor was it frowning. It was simply observing. A kind of metal plate was attached to its chest, and a band went around its shoulder, holding a rectangular object that flapped slightly against its flank as it moved.
Blue didn't know what it was, but it gave him a strange feeling… organized, controlled.
Beside him stood a feline Pokémon, its fur blue and black, its golden eyes unwavering. It wasn't smiling. Nor was it frowning. It was simply observing. A kind of metal plate was attached to its chest, and a band went around its shoulder, holding a rectangular object that flapped slightly against its flank as it moved.
Blue didn't know what it was, but it gave him a strange feeling… organized, controlled.
At the sight of the feline, an instinctive shiver ran through Blue. He took a step back without even realizing it. « Hey, little wild one, » said the Luxio in a calm, surprisingly gentle voice. « What are you doing here? »
His voice was calm, reassuring… but something in his gaze remained cold. As if he were sizing Blue up not as a person, but as a situation to be analyzed.
« He’s terrified, » observed the Fire-type Pokémon, tilting its head.
« I wonder what’s going on over there… » continued the feline, taking a step toward Blue.
Blue immediately backed away. « Uh-oh! » exclaimed the Quilava, laughing. « I think he’s scared of the big bad cat! »
« Riley, » sighed the Luxio without looking at him. He stopped and slowly raised a paw.
« Okay, little one. I won’t go near. Just tell me why you’re so panicked. Maybe we can help you. »
Blue hesitated. His ears were trembling. « M… my friend… »
His voice broke. « He’s badly hurt. Please… help him… » Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
Luxio turned its head slightly toward Riley. « We’re Pokémon Rescue, right? » the feline asked neutrally.
Quilava smiled immediately. « Of course we are, Shin. »
Shin crouched down to be at Blue’s level. « Come on, kid. Show us where your friend is. » They followed him.
After several minutes of walking in silence, Blue stopped. « The… there it is… »
The two Pokémon froze. « …A Ninetales, » Riley murmured, surprised.
« They’re rare, » Shin said, eyes wide.
« And dangerous, » Riley added, a little worried.
Shin studied Red for a long time. This dangerous Pokemon looks so vulnerable.
« We should leave it. » Riley continued.
Blue turned sharply toward him. « Shut up! » His voice trembled with anger and fear.
« Red isn’t like that! If he’s hurt, it’s because I put myself in danger! He’s my friend! »
He burst into tears. « Please… save him… »
Shin hesitated. Not out of compassion—out of self-interest. A wounded Ninetales, alive, within reach.
« Very well, » Shin finally said. « Riley. »
The Quilava opened the rectangular object he was carrying and took out a berry and a clean cloth. « This is a bad idea, I can tell… »
« Give him this, » he said to Blue, handing him the berry.
« While I take care of his wounds. » Blue nodded awkwardly. He didn’t know what to do. Finally, he gently forced Red’s mouth open and squeezed the berry so the juice flowed down his throat. Riley worked quickly, with astonishing efficiency.
Shin watched. A dog bite. The Ninetales's deliberate approach. Atypical behavior. "Strange…" thought Luxio.
When Riley finished, Blue looked up, hopeful.
« So… is he alright? »
« He's stabilizing, » Shin replied.
« We have to wait for him to wake up. »
They stayed there for a long hour. Blue asked a thousand questions. He learned about cities, guilds, and the strange objects they carried—bags filled with useful things. Riley talked a lot. Shin, little. But its eyes almost never left Red.
Finally, Blue approached the sleeping Ninetales. He looked at it for a long time. Then, gently, he began to lick its muzzle, as if to make sure it was real.
« …What…? » Red opened his eyes. « Stop it… » he growled weakly.
« I’m not a kit… »
« Red! » Blue lunged at him.
« Hrg… » Red grimaced.
« Sorry! » Blue immediately stepped back.
Red scanned the area… and saw the badges before he even saw the Pokemon.
His fur bristled. A dull heat rose.
« Red…? » Blue asked, worried.
« Oh. Great, » Riley muttered. « I knew we should have left him. »
The three of them tensed.
« Don’t fight, Ninetales, » Riley teased. « You’re hurt. »
« Ohh you think! » Red could barely stand on his feet, Red's gaze was full of anger, maybe even hatred.
Blue positioned himself between the three Pokemon. « Stop! Why did you want to fight? It's not good! Be nice! » Blue screamed. Hearing Blue, Red's rage subsided a little, but this wasn't the time to let his guard down. Two enemies were right behind him, and he was injured. The situation seemed critical…
« Blue, get away from them, they’re dangerous… » Red growled. « Listen to him, Shin… He says we're dangerous, it's the world turned upside down! » Riley laughed. Shin was looking for a way to resolve the situation without hurting anyone, but while Luxio was thinking, Blue took action.
Blue sprayed a small jet of water at the enraged fox's head. It wasn't powerful enough to hurt, it was a very fine jet, but still unpleasant for a Fire-type Pokémon. « Stop, Red, they saved you! » Blue didn't know what to do if another fight broke out.
Red closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. « …Thank you. » He opened his eyelids again. « I'm fine now. You can go, » Red said, calming down. His fur had returned to normal, but he didn't trust them and remained on his guard.
« No way, » Shin replied. « I don't think you're okay. You're hurt. I can't leave a Pokémon like that alone, and besides, your friend wanted to see what a city was like. Maybe you want to too? » Shin said.
« What, you want to take him with you… » Shin glared at Riley. The Vaporeon didn't bother him, but the other one was too dangerous. Red hadn't seen it before, but the Quilava had a necklace with a white stone. He'd seen that before. He never really understood the purpose of that object.
« Thanks for your offer, but I’d rather stay away from towns… »
« Oh, please, Red, can we go? I want to meet other Pokémon… please, please, please, please!!! » Blue insisted.
« At worst, we can always take Blue and leave the big fox here, » Riley said.
« What!… I’ll stay with him. If he doesn’t want to go… then it’s fine. » Blue’s ears drooped.
Red saw Blue’s joy slowly fading and felt a little guilty. « Okay, okay! » Red said resignedly. « After all, it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a town… » He was still a little worried.
« Perfect then, no more problems, the town is west of here, » Shin said. A Ninetales! It would be great if it could join their team. But there's work to be done. He looks strong, but he doesn't fit the profile of a Pokémon who saves others if he doesn't know them. Then again, I didn't fit that profile at first either, Luxio thought. Something about Red intrigues the feline. Is it because he acted strangely, because he's a Ninetales, or something else?
« He's going to slow us down. The city is three days' walk away, and he's injured, » grumbles Riley.
« Don't worry, little hedgehog, a little injury like that won't slow me down, » says Red, leaning on his paw. A shiver of pain ran through him, but he didn't show it.
« YEEEEYYYYYY, we're going to the town! » shouts Blue joyfully, jumping around Red.
The four Pokémon set off westward together. Will they reach the next city safely with this motley crew? Among them is a proud Ninetales who is easily angered, a carefree Vaporeon who often puts itself in danger, a rather arrogant Quilava who seems to enjoy provoking Red, and a calm and thoughtful Luxio who seems to analyze things coldly…