"Then I will act as the referee for this match!" Professor Oak stepped forward and announced.
"Now, Red from Pallet Town will battle Gary and Leaf, who are also from Pallet Town. Each side will use one Pokémon. The side whose Pokémon loses the ability to battle first will be declared the loser!"
"The battle begins!"
"Squirtle, use Water Gun!"
"Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf!"
"Flamethrower," Red said calmly.
It was late morning, and the weather was clear and bright. Charmander's Solar Power Ability was successfully activated. Blazing flames burst from its mouth, and the massive pillar of fire instantly evaporated Squirtle's Water Gun. The remaining flames easily destroyed the fragile Razor Leaf and swept over Squirtle's body.
"Squirtle, quickly use Rapid Spin!" Gary ordered without the slightest panic.
The spinning shell extinguished the surrounding flames, and the mist blocking their vision was cleared. Squirtle steadied itself with a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Gary had given the command in time, or Squirtle would have remained trapped in a sea of fire.
"Bulbasaur, use Sleep Powder now!" Leaf commanded.
"Use your claws to kick up dust!" Red said.
Charmander's sharp claws swiftly stirred up sand and dirt, covering the incoming Sleep Powder that aimed to control it.
After several exchanges, Charmander still held the upper hand. However, it occasionally frowned and panted, which aroused Leaf's suspicion as she observed the situation.
"How is this possible? We don't even have a single chance to attack!" Gary said anxiously.
"Calm down, Gary!" Leaf said. "Haven't you noticed that Charmander pants after every move?"
Leaf had realized that Charmander's stamina was gradually being consumed—one of the drawbacks of Solar Power.
"It seems you've discovered the weakness." Red chuckled softly, lowering his cap. "But Charmander has already figured out Squirtle and Bulbasaur's movement patterns."
"What?!" ×2
"Squir!"
"Bulba!"
A high-temperature pillar of fire instantly engulfed both Pokémon. Even though they tried to dodge nimbly, their positions had already been subconsciously locked onto by Charmander. They were defeated in one decisive strike.
"Come back, Charmander."
After restoring Charmander's stamina, Red returned it to its Poké Ball. Just as he was about to leave, Leaf called out to stop him.
"Red, don't misunderstand. I didn't stop you to invite you to team up!" Leaf's eyes suddenly became firm. "I've always admired your talent. So Bulbasaur and I will challenge you again at the Indigo Plateau Conference!"
Hearing Leaf's declaration of challenge, Red smiled faintly. "I'll be waiting."
"It's a promise!" Leaf said happily. Ever since the day she met Red, she had harbored a vague admiration for him. That was what strengthened her resolve to step onto the stage of the League Tournament.
"Hey, hey, don't forget about me!" Gary said helplessly. How could he possibly miss out on challenging Red?
"See you then." Red waved goodbye to them, then used Teleport to leave with Beedrill, leaving Professor Oak and the other two staring awkwardly at each other. In the blink of an eye, Red had vanished.
Mount Hideaway was the habitat of gigantic Onix. This place nurtured many exceptionally developed giant Onix. Red was very interested in the giant Onix that had appeared in the original story. Its massive size alone was enough to spark his desire to capture it. It was the perfect opportunity—otherwise, he might have to compete with Bruno for it in the future.
"Aura abilities, reside within my heart!"
Through the detection of Aura abilities, Red locked onto the giant Onix's route and arrived at a peculiar path. The road looked more like something formed by a massive reptile crushing the ground as it passed. After observing the surrounding rocks, Red determined that this path had been formed not long ago. It seemed the giant Onix was close by.
"Roar!"
A sudden roar echoed out. A gigantic Onix, as tall as a skyscraper, appeared before Red. Seeing Red blocking its path, the giant Onix roared first, attempting to scare away the seemingly weak trainer. In its view, Beedrill alone was no match for it.
Countless sharp needles shot out like missiles, striking the giant Onix. It cried out in pain, surprised by Beedrill's considerable attack power. However, this was far from enough to shake the dignity of the ruler of Mount Hideaway's Onix.
The giant Onix's tail glowed white as its steel-like tail smashed toward Beedrill. Beedrill used Agility to evade, but immediately afterward, countless rocks crashed down—clearly an attempt to block Beedrill's movement paths.
"Use Swords Dance to sweep away the surrounding rubble!" Red ordered.
Beedrill swiftly performed Swords Dance, boosting its attack power. Its twin stingers seemed even more indestructible.
"Use Brick Break!"
Beedrill's twin stingers shone white as they fiercely struck the giant Onix's head, dealing double super-effective damage. Combined with the boost from Swords Dance, the giant Onix was momentarily unable to withstand Beedrill's fierce assault.
Shaking its dizzy head, the giant Onix used its tail to lift massive rocks nearby and violently hurled them upward—Rock Slide. Countless rocks fell from above, but Beedrill calmly used Brick Break to shatter them all.
Unwilling to concede, the giant Onix used Stone Edge. Numerous sharp stone blades shot toward Beedrill, which countered with another Pin Missile, breaking through the attack.
"Cross-use Brick Break!" Red ordered again, noticing that the giant Onix's stamina was collapsing and intending to finish the battle with this move.
Beedrill crossed its twin stingers, emitting a dazzling white light. Two consecutive Brick Break strikes knocked the giant Onix to the ground. It looked unwillingly at Red and Beedrill, unable to understand how it had lost so thoroughly.
"Walk with me on the path to becoming the strongest in the world, Onix!" Seeing that the giant Onix still had a trace of strength left, Red did not command Beedrill to continue attacking. Instead, he extended an invitation to become partners.
"Do you think ruling this small Mount Hideaway is the pursuit of your entire life?" Red spoke directly to the confusion in the giant Onix's heart.
"Roar…" The giant Onix quickly shook its head.
"What do you think of Beedrill's strength?" Red continued.
The giant Onix nodded in acknowledgment. It had underestimated Beedrill earlier and had not expected such terrifying power from a seemingly small opponent. But it understood one thing clearly—Beedrill's strength had undoubtedly been cultivated by Red himself.
"Are you willing to follow my steps and help me become the world's number one Pokémon Master? Of course, I will also help you become stronger!" Red took out a Poké Ball, his burning eyes fixed on the giant Onix as he awaited its answer.
After pondering for a moment, the giant Onix lowered its proud head and gently touched the Poké Ball in Red's hand, transforming into a red light and entering it. It did not want to remain a frog in a well. For so long, only this battle against Red had awakened its yearning.
The other Onix it lived with never dared to challenge it. As for the many trainers who accidentally wandered here, upon seeing its massive body and the cross-shaped scar on its face, they fled, lacking the courage to capture it.
"Come out, Onix." Red released the giant Onix again. Taking a spray from his backpack, he treated its injuries. During the process, the giant Onix was startled by Red's Teleport—one moment it was peacefully healing, the next Red had suddenly appeared near its head. Anyone would be startled by that.
"Welcome again to the team, Onix," Red said, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, clearly in a good mood.