Chapter 20
"Dark Gray City"
"Pokémon! Activate!"
Red skillfully opened the Pokédex and connected it to the large-screen TV.
The familiar startup sound echoed in the room.
At the same time and in the same place.
Although Green, Blue, and Yellow didn't say anything, their bodies betrayed their true feelings as they leaned back on the sofa, their eyes revealing a hint of barely perceptible anticipation.
The familiar opening animation flashes by, and Crimson Login saves the game.
The scene flashes, and tranquil, melodious forest background music flows out as Akane's figure reappears at the edge of the lush Viridian Forest.
On the screen, Little Red immediately performed a backflip and then threw out a Poké Ball.
"Let's get out and move around! Charmeleon! Poliwag!"
Charmeleon ran around wildly, while Poliwag stood next to Red with its arms crossed, looking like a cool, expert.
After not touching it for two or three days, Red controlled Little Red to jump and leap around on the forest path, sparring with the trainers by the roadside to regain his feel for it.
Charmeleon chases after Pidgey, while Poliwag takes care of clearing away any rocks in its path with a precise Tile Break.
Leaving the winding forest path, the view suddenly opens up.
The background music, representing the large map, seamlessly switches to a city built of gray-white rocks, exuding a sense of historical depth.
"Dark Gray City"
"The ancient foundation is a city of gray rock."
A notification appeared quietly.
After passing through neatly terraced fields and a sea of flowers carefully tended by gardeners, Red first went to the Pokémon Center to rest the team.
As a major city with a Pokémon Museum, Pewter City is noticeably more bustling, with crowds of pedestrians lining the streets, creating a lively and vibrant atmosphere.
Red didn't rush to explore the town. This time, he decided to challenge the gym first. He didn't want to run into Green again and be mocked by him because of this.
"The Gym Leader of Pewter City is Brock. I haven't been in touch with him for a long time."
As Crimson controlled his character to walk towards the gym, he sighed with emotion.
"He's truly a trustworthy person! I really look forward to his match!"
"Um……"
Qinglu recalled the slightly dark-skinned boy who always squinted and wholeheartedly agreed.
"A man as solid as a rock."
As a breeder and museum owner who also bears heavy responsibilities, Xiao Gang also has to take care of many younger siblings, and Qing Lü highly approves of him.
However, this expectation was dashed when they stepped into the dojo.
At the entrance, a middle-aged man who looked very serious stopped Xiao Chi.
"Serious Uncle: Greetings, challenger! The Gym Leader recommends that you bring at least three Pokémon partners before taking on this challenge. As a new Gym Leader assessment, the Gym Leader will use a team of three Pokémon."
Crimson initially intended to ignore it, but a memory of her previous battle with Little Green suddenly flashed through her mind, and she inexplicably shivered.
"Never mind... just to be safe, let's go catch another Pokémon..."
Red reluctantly manipulated Little Red to turn and leave, while falling into thought.
My team currently only has Charmeleon and Poliwag. Which one should I choose as the third one?
"Go catch Jigglypuff! Or Ditto!"
Xiao Lan made the suggestion excitedly.
"I remember seeing them near a stream in Viridian Forest!"
Xiao Huang was also somewhat tempted, her eyes sparkling.
Only Qinglu crossed her arms, looking completely indifferent.
Xiao Chi was walking aimlessly when he suddenly bumped into a large group of protesters holding signs.
They charged past Xiao Chi menacingly.
Intrigued, Crimson sneaked into the protest crowd and began eavesdropping.
Experience told him that there must be something good inside.
"etc!"
"You stinking bastard!"
"Where did it escape to?"
"..."
Little Red was following and eavesdropping when he suddenly tripped over something.
Looking down, he realized he had stepped on a wanted poster, the very person who had incited public outrage.
He picked it up and saw that it was a headshot.
The electric mouse in the photo stares with its big, round eyes, looking completely innocent.
The accompanying text is below.
"Pikachu↑"
"A mischievous electric mouse; whoever can tame it will receive a generous gift."
"—Dark Grey City Commercial Street."
"It's a pickup truck!"
Little Huang exclaimed in surprise, then realized she had spoken too loudly, and her face immediately turned bright red.
Thus, Crimson was brought into the memories.
Isn't this the scene where he first met Pikachu?
It's exactly the same!
"Brother Bai Zhou, you even perfectly replicated this in the game!"
He smiled and sighed.
"Pikachu?"
Hearing Xiao Huang's call, Pikachu, who was playing outside the room, immediately ran in.
Finding nothing amiss, it tilted its head in confusion and lightly hopped onto the crimson shoulder.
"Pikachu, I was just talking to you, look!"
Chi Hong pointed at the TV screen with a grin.
In the scene, Red, along with the angry crowd, has cornered a tiny Pikachu against a wall.
"You always make a mess of the store! We absolutely cannot forgive you!"
"You have nowhere to run! You naughty boy!"
"Everyone, grab it quickly!"
"..."
Pikachu, cornered against the wall, glared defiantly at the crowd surrounding it, showing no fear whatsoever.
"Pikachu? Pikachu!"
Pikachu reacted, jumped onto Red's head, and used its little paws to tug hard at the highest tuft of fur on Red's head, beginning to scold Red for its past involvement in surrounding it.
"Pikachu! Pikachu!"
"Ouch! That hurts! Don't pull my hair, Pikachu!"
Chi Hong winced in pain.
Just as Crimson was fighting with Pikachu on its head, Pikachu in the picture moved.
With a flash of light, it quickly became a miniature image. Bangbang used his feet to precisely step on the faces of the two people at the front for leverage, and instantly leaped to the back of the crowd.
Not only that.
It even casually picked up a fruit from the fruit stand at its feet, humming an off-key tune, completely ignoring its pursuers.
Just then, someone seized the opportunity, and a net fell from the sky, completely covering it.
Instead of panicking, the trapped Pikachu arched its body.
Shila-
A blinding golden light burst forth, and the intense current indiscriminately pierced through the surrounding crowd. Even Xiao Chi, who was just watching the show, was electrocuted and his hair stood on end.
The crowd lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain.
Pikachu slowly opened the net bag and continued munching on its berries.
Red finally managed to get the Pikachu off his head, and seeing this scene, the corners of his mouth turned up.
"It's time for the main character to make their appearance!"
In the game, Red struggles to his feet, takes a step forward, and stylishly throws out a Poké Ball.
"Go! Charizard!"
Charizard makes a dazzling appearance.
It spewed out a scorching flame, domineeringly declaring its presence!
The citizens instantly turned into onlookers, watching the battle unfold.