03 video

[pokeboy]

[ video ]

[ Nothing interesting on the video feed here, just a black-haired boy with his pikachu's head poking from the bottom of the screen. ]

Hi, my name's Red. I've got a couple of questions... I wanted to ask about first aid and the battle dome, and also if there's anybody that knows about fixing things? [ He looks away ] I don't have anything broken, but I wanted to have something looked at.

[ Right, anyway. Back to the screen. ]

But with the first aid... I was wondering if anyone had the time to help me see if I know what I'm doing? I got taught how to put on bandages a long time ago, but I don't think I was doing it right the last time I did it.

[ Maybe it had been fine, but a refresher would be good either way. ]

Anyway, then the battle dome - I wanted to know about what fighters train against in there. [ This was going to be hard, but ] I know people here have different abilities, and what we can handle is different too. I've tried creatures not from my world, but I guess...

[ What does he guess? He thinks, pinching his bottom lip in. ]

...I guess I just want to know if there's something better me and my pokémon can do. Everything's still challenging in the battle dome, but I want -- more? [ Um.

That sounds... bad? He fidgets, then shrugs. ] I don't know. I thought it'd be interesting to know what else we could fight on there. That's about it really.

Well... that's it. Bye.

--

[ Private voice to Caius (accepted) ]

Hey, Caius. [ He pauses, trying to think of how to continue... ] You fight with a sword, right? I want to practice with you sometime, if you've got the time.

Comments

[pokeboy]

It's a gym leader badge. It's what people who run pokémon gyms give to trainers who beat them.

A guy like him shouldn't have something like that. It's not just like being a trainer -- it's important. People trust gym leaders and look up to them.

[thefinaljedi]

Then why was it a surprise that he had one? Doesn't a gym leader have to have a public identity?

[pokeboy]

What do you mean? He's a criminal -- he's the last person who should ever be allowed to be a gym leader!

[ Possibly totally missed the actual meaning of that question. ]

[thefinaljedi]

[Totally.]

No no, doesn't being a gym leader require a public identity? Surely not just anyone can be one.

[pokeboy]

[ Oh. Uh. ]

Yeah, but... I don't know. I don't know how they do it; pick the people, I mean. Most of the gym leaders are really well-liked in all the ones I've been to.

But... there was one gym close to home that nobody knew the gym leader for either. They said he was never around.

[thefinaljedi]

It could be that gym, then. Maybe he went into hiding?

[pokeboy]

Maybe... [ um... ] But no one said anything about Team Rocket there.

[ For the things he does know, there's plenty he doesn't. ] You should ask Lance. All I know is that the police couldn't stop them. They had a lot of trouble with them.

[thefinaljedi]

And how often have you dealt with them, Red?

[pokeboy]

I don't know. [ He thinks. ] They were on Mt. Moon when I first became a trainer, then there were some in Cerulean City... and then they were in Lavender Town and in Celadon. So -- four times? I guess four times.

[thefinaljedi]

They sound a little prolific. Any idea what their goals are? Are they something doable here?

[pokeboy]

Yeah, people know about them. [ That's what prolific means, right? ] And - no, I don't think so. They want pokémon, money and power. There's trainers here, but... what's he going to do with them all by himself?

[thefinaljedi]

Then I don't think he'll be anything to worry about here, except as a vaguely creepy guy. But I'll definitely keep an eye on him. There's no money here, less than fifty Pokemon from what I know, and power is meaningless.

[pokeboy]

I'm going to keep an eye on him too. [ Or try. ] Even if he doesn't do anything, we've got to pay him back.

[ Bitterly, Red knows to add-- ] One day.

[ Because there was no way he was going to beat Giovanni at his current state. Was he always that strong? Giovanni had only three pokémon on him the last time they met too, while he had six...

He bites his tongue, his mind losing focus on what he was doing. Even now, with everything he and his team had been doing in Luceti to become stronger...! ]

[thefinaljedi]

Be wary of seeking revenge, Red. Revenge is the beginning of a very, very dark road.

[He can't help it, Red. Sorry, but that's very close to the Dark Side of things]

[pokeboy]

[ A dark road? Red thinks about that, but... ]

It's not just revenge -- not for beating me. It's more than that. A guy like that...

[ Truly, it feels like something he has to do, something that he can't simply leave alone. But what he did, the way it was like he was taunting him. How much stronger he was and how easily he took them all out... ]

It's just something I have to do.