The next morning—

“Roar—!”

The Blood-Red Gyarados let out a mighty cry, blasting a Hydro Pump that parted the incoming waves.

Red and Leaf, having spent the night on the deserted island, decided to leave at dawn and head for civilization. They rode atop the Blood-Red Gyarados, following a route Pidgeotto had scouted earlier, bound for a famous resort city.

White beaches, turquoise seas, fresh ocean air, and sunbathers in colorful swimsuits—this was Porta Vista.

Their dramatic arrival on the Blood-Red Gyarados caused quite a stir. The mere appearance of such a fearsome Pokémon sent vacationers into a panic. The Gyarados line was infamous; tales were told of entire towns destroyed overnight after provoking a Gyarados horde—though, of course, these were just urban legends. To this day, the League had never confirmed the existence of any town wiped out by rampaging Gyarados.

“As expected, we’ve caused a scene,” Leaf sighed helplessly.

Seeing the commotion, Red recalled the Blood-Red Gyarados. With a flash of blue light in his eyes, he teleported himself and Leaf away, leaving the crowd to nervously whisper about ghost-type Pokémon playing tricks on them.

A short while later—

The two reappeared on the beach, now changed into swimwear. The earlier panic about the Gyarados had already faded, replaced by rumors of a ghost Pokémon prank. Thankfully, no one had been brave enough to film their arrival.

Red wore dark swim trunks, a red jacket, and his signature red cap. Leaf was dressed in a modest white swimsuit with a light blue translucent cover-up and a short skirt, not revealing too much.

“Isn’t that Red? So the rumors about the Blood-Red Gyarados were true! I knew it was you. I can’t believe you actually came to Porta Vista for a vacation!” a familiar voice called out.

Red turned to see Professor Oak waving, standing beside Delia.

“Red, my boy!” Delia rushed over and hugged him tightly. “Did you sleep well? Are you eating enough? Was the journey hard…?”

Red leaned against her shoulder, listening to her gentle fussing. No matter how often they spoke by phone or video, nothing compared to seeing his mother in person.

As they chatted, Red learned why Delia and Professor Oak were here. Delia had received an invitation for a community retreat a couple of days ago and happened to meet Professor Oak, who was also looking for a break. So, they came to Porta Vista together.

“I see,” Red nodded. His father, who’d been gone for years, had always had a strange friendship with Professor Oak. The Professor often looked out for Red’s family.

“Hello, Professor Oak, Aunt Delia!” Leaf greeted shyly, not expecting to meet Red’s family here.

“Leaf! Welcome, dear,” Delia replied warmly, subtly watching the way Leaf looked at Red, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

“Red, long time no see! I didn’t expect to run into you here!” Gary appeared suddenly, grinning. Then he noticed Leaf and raised an eyebrow. “Are you two traveling together?”

“No, no!” Leaf blurted, her face turning bright red.

“We had an accident earlier and ended up traveling together for a bit,” Red explained.

“That’s right! I’m going to defeat Red at the Indigo Plateau Conference. Traveling with him would dull my fighting spirit!” Leaf declared, remembering her promise.

“Then count me in! I’ve been wanting to challenge Red again for ages!” Gary’s eyes gleamed with determination as he locked gazes with Red. “You haven’t forgotten the Trainer’s Code, have you?”

“How could I?” Red tipped his hat. “When two trainers make eye contact, a Pokémon battle is inevitable.”

“Exactly! Give me a few minutes—I’ll go get my Poké Balls!” Gary dashed off, excitement written all over his face.

“Gary’s still as impatient as ever…” Professor Oak chuckled. Gary, who was usually arrogant with others, always lost his composure when it came to battling Red—just like Ash.

“Red, how did you two end up in Porta Vista? I heard the S.S. Anne from Vermilion City sank two days ago after a Team Rocket attack. The police said several trainers are missing!” Professor Oak asked, concern in his voice.

“Technically, Leaf and I are both on the missing trainers list,” Red admitted.

“Don’t believe everything you see on the news, Professor!” Leaf added, her tone indignant. “The S.S. Anne party was actually a Team Rocket scheme. They used fake invitations to lure trainers aboard and steal their Pokémon!”

“I see… I never imagined Team Rocket’s reach was so deep,” Professor Oak said, his expression darkening. “No wonder they could plant so many agents on the ship.”

“It’s a good thing we had Red with us, or Team Rocket might have succeeded,” Leaf said.

“Actually…” she continued, “the real credit for defeating Team Rocket goes to Ash!”

“Oh? Impulsive Ash?” Professor Oak was surprised, then listened as Leaf recounted how Ash rallied the trainers and led the charge against Team Rocket.

“What a dangerous journey… You two brothers have had it rough,” Delia said, her eyes full of concern. More than pride in their strength, she worried about the hardships Red and Ash faced—things no mother wanted for her children.

“Don’t worry, Mom. Ash and I are both doing well. He’s made good friends. These are all things we need to experience to grow.”

Soon, Gary returned with three Poké Balls—and his swimsuit cheerleader squad.

“Gary, Gary, he’s our man! Gary, Gary, yes he can!”

The cheerleaders’ chant immediately drew the attention of the surrounding crowd, which was exactly what Gary wanted.

“Red, I can’t reveal my full strength yet, so let’s have a 3v3 battle for now!” Gary explained. “I’m going to defeat you right here, in front of everyone!”

“Is that so? I’m looking forward to it.” Red nodded, agreeing to his rival’s request.

“Pidgeotto!”

“Wartortle, I’m counting on you!”

Two beams of white light shot out. Bathed in the bright sunlight, the Shiny Pidgeotto radiated a dazzling golden glow that instantly captivated everyone on the beach.

“It’s actually a Shiny Pidgeotto. You truly live up to your reputation, Red!” Gary said, his expression turning serious. He noticed that this Pidgeotto was almost the size of a fully evolved Pidgeot.

“Wartortle!” Gary’s partner woke from its awe, recognizing the trainer before it as the same one whose Charmander had defeated it back in Pallet Town. The memory ignited its competitive spirit.

“That’s the spirit, Wartortle! We’ll use this momentum to defeat Red!” Gary encouraged. And with that, the battle began.

***

(End of Chapter)

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