Chapter 356: Firered and Leafgreen Arc Begins! [Bonus]
~Soul S. POV~
[Johto Region, Months Later, Goldenrod City]
The scent of cheap disinfectant and stale carpet fibers clung to the air of the Goldenrod City hotel room, a constant, low-level irritation. I leaned back against the headboard, the stiff pillows doing nothing to alleviate the tension knotted between my shoulders.
Outside, the midday traffic of Johto hummed, a lazy, contented sound that felt utterly alien to the storm perpetually churning inside me. Time advances, they say. It's supposed to heal. But for me, time only sharpens the edges of the past, honing them into weapons I point inward.
It always comes back to the cold, the darkness, and the man in the mask. I ran a hand over my face. I still haven't forgiven him for his actions.
There were six of us: Sham, Carl, Will, Karen, Green, and me. Six children, ripped from our lives, molded, broken, and reassembled by the Masked Man to serve his twisted agenda. We were split into three pairs, taught to rely only on the cold calculus of power.
But Green and I—we were different. We never stopped looking for the seam in the fabric, the weak point in the prison wall. The Masked Man wanted followers; he got two ghosts plotting their escape.
It was almost two years ago now, late one blustery night, that we made our move. In the present, I shift in the hotel bed, the image of Green's exhilarated face still vivid.
After that night, our lives started over. A hard reset. We had nothing—no money, no identity, just the clothes on our backs and the crippling realization that the world saw us as runaways, maybe even criminals.
We had to unspool every lesson he had drilled into us. The Masked Man forbade us from giving our Pokémon nicknames.
It was a sign of weakness, of emotional attachment. But Green changed. She grew soft around the edges that mattered.
That day, maybe a month after the escape, she looked at the pink puffball snoozing on her lap and declared, giving her Jigglypuff the nickname Jiggly. It was such a small act of rebellion, but it felt like dismantling the entire fortress piece by piece.
*BEEP*
The sudden chime of the Rotom Phone interrupts my reflection. It's Green. I answered, my voice rougher than usual, and asked, "What is it?"
Her voice, crackling slightly over the line, is layered with nervous excitement, "Silver! Oh, thank goodness. You sound like you just woke up."
I smiled lightly, seeing my Big Sis as I replied casually, "I was up. What's the panic? You sound like you're about to fight an Elite Four."
She corrects, her tone dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "Worse. I'm about to meet them. My parents. My real ones. Today's the day."
I hear the tremor in her voice. Even Green, the unflappable strategist, was unraveling at the possibility of a normal life.
I still recall how Azure lent information on where to locate her parents. But since then, Green wanted to meet them; however, she couldn't.
No, rather she wouldn't. It was more like fear of meeting them; they would dismiss her as it had been years apart. I don't blame her, though, as it had been years since they'd seen their daughter and how she turned out.
Big Sis is a confident and determined person I've had the pleasure of meeting. However, when she had the info, she froze, pondering how to proceed. She was struck with fear of how her parents would react to her return.
But even then, she wanted to prove her worth, as having the information, she waited until now to finally meet them. She wanted to ensure she had a good impression on them, building an impressive accomplishment for herself.
She wanted her parents to know Leaf Green, the proud Pokémon Trainer and proud member of the International Police. With her skills, she fitted right in with the group and managed to keep track of her parents' whereabouts.
From what she said, it was a guy called 'Handsome', code name suggested to finally meet with Prof. Oak help finally gather the courage. She'll make a great first impression with her folks, I just know it.
Smiling at the idea of Big Sis moving on in life, she began to stutter, "I've been practicing my introduction. Do I use my escape moniker? My birth name? Do I thank them for looking for me even though I was gone for so long? Should I bring my whole team? What if my dad doesn't like Wigglytuff?"
I commanded calmly, looking at Big Sis worryingly, uselessly comforting her, "Stop. Breathe. They're your parents. They're just people. And they already love you, or they wouldn't still be searching."
Green took a deep breath and exhaled as she explained shyly, "I know, I know. It's just… It's been a lot. And honestly, I wouldn't even have had the courage to follow up on the leads without the nudge. Azure was really helpful in getting the initial contact information sorted out."
Azure. Him again.
He seemed to pop up in every positive development in her life over the last few years. I interrupted, deliberately steering the conversation away from the infuriatingly competent trainer, "Did you get the clothes I sent you?"
A pause. Then, a genuinely embarrassed sigh as she said bashfully, "Yes. They're… very nice. Thank you. Do you really think they aren't too… much? I mean, are they appropriate for meeting your long-lost parents? I usually just wear my black dress."
I told her, my voice softening marginally, "You'll look gorgeous in them, Green."
I didn't care for the sentimentality, but she needed to hear it as I continued, "Now go. Don't be late. And if they ask about your past, tell them only what you want them to know."
She thanked me, sounding much more grounded, and the call ended. I stood up, crossing the room to the small dresser where I kept only the most vital possessions.
My fingers brushed against a folded white cloth—a simple cotton handkerchief, monogrammed with my first initial. I pulled it out, frowning at the stark 'S'.
The truth of my own lineage had hit me not in a dark tunnel or a masked facility, but in the blinding glare of the Tenth Pokémon League Tournament.
Azure Sky…
He was sharp, intelligent, entirely too knowing. My father. The Masked Man. The revelation had felt like a physical violation, shattering the fragile identity I had built in my escape.
Since that day, my training acquired a singular, relentless purpose: preparing for the inevitable encounter with the man who had cursed me with his bloodline. His cryptic, overly prepared way hadn't just exposed the truth; he had armed me for the fight of the inevitable.
After the tournament in the celebratory party, he had sought me out again. He handed me a simple, heavy Poké Ball that contained his Rhydon. Along with the Poké Ball was the Secrets of the Earth Book. All the tools needed to learn about my father.
I pocketed the handkerchief, the paper-thin barrier between my past trauma and my present resolve. The Rhydon was now a Rhyperior, a powerhouse that indeed fought with the disciplined efficiency Azure had promised.
I kept the book, a chilling testament to the method of my birth father. My future was set: confrontation.
I crossed the hotel room, grabbing my jacket and my satchel. Goldenrod was too settled, too peaceful. I needed the dust and the danger of the road.
I needed parts unknown. As I headed for the door, my mind snagged on Green's excitement, on the easy way she had referenced Azure, the way he seemed to weave through the positive developments of her new life.
I frowned, a venomous bitterness rising in my throat. I hated the fact that she relied on him, that she praised him so easily.
If only his big sis hadn't started liking Azure, then I would've been fine tolerating him. No way I'm allowing any jerk near her heart.
The idea rankled me, chafed at my protective instincts. Green was a strong, independent, capable girl. She didn't need some flashy, seemingly perfect trainer waltzing into her life and stealing her heart.
No way.
I would not allow any jerk near her heart, not after everything she'd been through. Azure might have helped us, might have revealed a rare Pokémon, but I still didn't trust him. Not when it came to Green.
My sister deserved someone who understood the scars she carried, not someone who only saw the bright, capable woman she'd become. This journey to find Giovanni would also be my journey to ensure Green remained safe, both physically and emotionally.
I stepped out of the room, leaving Goldenrod City behind, and set off to parts unknown, my resolve hardened, my goals clear.
/////
~Leaf G. POV~
[Kanto Region, Meanwhile, Pallet Town]
The wind whipped through my hair, a joyful symphony against my face as Moltres soared through the Kanto skies. Below, the familiar patchwork of forests, towns, and sparkling rivers stretched out, a landscape I'd once only dreamt of seeing freely.
Now, at 16, I was truly free, guiding my legendary partner towards Prof. Oak's Lab, a bittersweet mix of nerves and exhilaration churning in my stomach. 2 years… 2 years since Azure, with that calm, knowing look in his eyes, had handed me a slip of paper.
He had told me exactly where my parents were in the Sevii Islands, along with the contact information I'd so desperately sought. My life's goal, the one I'd pursued with single-minded determination since escaping the Masked Man, was suddenly within reach on that day...
But I hadn't gone. Not then. The paper had sat in my drawer, a constant reminder of both my triumph and my crippling fear.
What if they didn't want me?
What if they saw the thief I'd been, the child corrupted by a madman, instead of the girl they'd lost?
The thought paralyzed me. How could I explain?
How could I tell them about the Masked Man, about the forced training, about the things I'd done, the skills I'd learned purely for survival and escape?
The images of their horrified, disappointed faces were vivid in my mind, a phantom pain that kept my feet rooted. I pictured their expressions, the way their smiles would falter, their eyes clouding with sorrow, and the courage I'd built up over the years would simply evaporate.
The raw truth was, I was a thief. I'd stolen Pokémon, stolen items, all under the Masked Man's twisted tutelage. Even if it was under duress, even if I sought only freedom, the label clung to me like a shadow.
How could I face the people who had given me life, carrying such a heavy burden?
Then came the party. A celebration of Azure's victory in the Tenth Pokémon League, a victory he'd then walked away from, refusing the champion's crown. Everyone was there – Red, Blue, Yellow, and even some of the gym leaders.
Seeing Azure, humble despite his incredible talent, genuinely happy to just be among friends, something shifted within me. He had helped so many of us find our path, given us direction and hope.
He had connected me to my past, even if I hadn't taken the final step. It was a quiet moment, watching him laugh with his Pikachu and Eevee, their bond so pure and strong. That's when it hit me.
I couldn't meet my parents as the scared, guilt-ridden girl I was. I needed to earn my reunion. I needed to make a good name for myself, to prove that the daughter they'd lost wasn't broken, but had become strong, capable, and good.
I wanted to make a great first impression, to show them how much their daughter had overcome, how much good she could do. That decision was like a jolt of lightning.
With newfound purpose, I channeled my unique skills – my knack for stealth, my incredible sense of observation, my ability to blend in and disappear – into a new pursuit. It wasn't long before my reputation, whispered in certain circles, reached the ears of the International Police.
Officer Looker. He was a peculiar man, with a trench coat and an air of quiet determination. He saw potential where others might have seen a troubled past.
He recruited me. And just like that, I was no longer a thief for the Masked Man, but an agent of justice. The missions were thrilling, dangerous, and incredibly fulfilling. Taking down Pokémon Poachers, dismantling small-time villain organizations, and retrieving stolen goods – it was all exhilarating.
Every successful mission, every Pokémon rescued, every criminal apprehended, chipped away at the old guilt. I was using my 'old skills' for something truly useful, truly good. The disguises I once donned to evade capture, I now wore to infiltrate.
The cunning I once employed to steal, I now use to protect. It made me happy, genuinely and deeply happy, to turn my past into a tool for a better future.
Two years have passed since then. Two years of honing my skills, of building a new identity, of proving to myself that I was worthy.
Now, at 16 years old, with the unwavering support of Looker and even Professor Oak himself, who often received my reports, I finally felt ready. This morning, I had picked up the phone, my hand trembling slightly, but my resolve firm.
It was Azure's contact info, the number he'd given me alongside my parents' location, that had made the call possible. I still lacked the courage to simply dial a number I didn't know, but the familiar contact, knowing it was a bridge Azure had built, gave me the push I needed.
He hadn't just given me information; he'd given me the means to take that terrifying first step. A happy smile bloomed on my face, thinking of him…
*Bdmp*
My heart gave a little skip, a familiar warmth spreading through my chest. He was… something else. Always there, always helping, always with that serene, unshakeable confidence.
He had a way of seeing the best in people, even when they couldn't see it themselves. I shook my head, clearing the thought.
Not now, Green. Focus.
Pallet Town was now visible in the distance, a cluster of quaint houses nestled amidst lush greenery. I brought Moltres into a gentle descent, the legendary bird's powerful wings beating rhythmically. Professor Oak was expecting me.
My mission to meet my parents was about to begin, but first, I needed to meet him regarding the request to collect my Pokedex data. It was another small step, another piece of the new, good life I was building, one full of purpose and, finally, hope.
The past was still a part of me, but it no longer defined me. I'm Leaf Green, and I was ready to confront my future.
/////
A/N: Reach the goal of 200 PS to get a Bonus Chapter!