The sky was still a soft, pre-dawn grey when Red stood on the beach by Bill's lighthouse. The air was crisp with salt and the sound of the tide. At six o'clock sharp, his team's new regimen began.
"Come out, my partners!"
Six Poké Balls were thrown. Beedrill, Charmeleon, Onix, Pidgeotto, the Blood-Red Gyarados, and the azure Scyther appeared in a flash of white light, their expressions serious as they awaited their orders.
"For the next few days, this beach is our training ground," Red announced, his voice sharp and clear. "You will train with more diligence than ever before. There is a giant Pokémon nearby, one that even I cannot fully comprehend. Our goal is to grow strong enough to challenge it."
He gestured to a line of six objects laid out on the sand. They were sleek, custom-designed harnesses, forged from a dark, heavy alloy. "Professor Oak sent these. They are weighted resistance amplifiers, designed to push your physical limits."
He began issuing commands, his voice resonating with authority.
"Beedrill. The device on the far left is yours. It will restrict your arms and back, dulling your speed and power. You will wear this every day. Only by fighting against this weight will you truly grow stronger."
Beedrill flew over, expertly fitting the harness onto its body. It flinched at the sudden, immense weight, but years of training had forged an unbreakable will. It quickly adjusted and returned to its position.
"Charmeleon. Yours restricts your limbs, back, mouth, and tail. Your attacks are versatile, so your training must be absolute." The device was designed with the future in mind, restricting the back muscles to prepare Charmeleon for the burden of flight as a Charizard.
Charmeleon struggled into its harness, a strained look on its face as it trudged back, its movements noticeably slower. The others watched, their own resolve hardening. This would be difficult. This would make them strong.
"Onix. Yours is designed with Steelix in mind, restricting your body and tail. Pidgeotto. Your speed is your greatest asset, so your harness will bind your wings. Gyarados. Yours is similar to Onix's, but with an added restraint for your jaw to train your bite force. Scyther. Yours will restrict your limbs, preparing your muscles for the power of a Scizor."
Once all six were fitted with their new burdens, the real training began. Days blurred into a grueling cycle of pushing past their limits.
"Beedrill!" Red commanded one afternoon. "To the rocks. Hone your piercing ability. Soak yourself in seawater first; the extra weight will make every strike count. When the water evaporates, you do it again." Red's eyes glowed faintly. "And while you train, you will endure my psychic pressure and dodge my Aura Spheres. If you are hit, the gravity on your harness will double."
"Charmeleon! To the shoreline! Face the waves. Use your flames to evaporate them. Overcome your fear."
The flame on a Charmeleon's tail was a mark of its life force, not a fragile candle. Only amateurs believed it could be easily extinguished.
"Onix, your fear of water is deeper. I won't force you in. Soak yourself where the tide is shallow. Feel the water. Learn to react. Then, to the sandpits to hone your reflexes. Pidgeotto! Your wings are your weapons. When the waves come, you will not use ranged attacks. You will meet them head-on. You will train until you can slice the water itself!"
"Gyarados! To the deep sea! The pressure there is immense. You will master it. And while you are there, you will master your Hyper Beam. Reduce its recharge time until you can fire again and again, until you command absolute offensive control!"
"Scyther! Your training is the same as Beedrill's. To the rocks. Let the seawater weigh you down. Hone your blades until they can cut stone as easily as air. Now go!"
With a unified, determined roar, his team dispersed, each to their own crucible.
From the lighthouse window, Bill watched in awe. "As expected of Red's Pokémon," he murmured. "That kind of high-intensity training... ordinary Pokémon would break." He remembered once trying to offer some friendly advice, only to be scared off by a furious glare from Charmeleon, its eyes seeming to say, 'Get out! Do not hinder my path to strength!'
Some time later, Ash, Misty, and Brock arrived at that very same beach. The air between them was thick with tension.
"I can't believe you, Ash Ketchum!" Misty fumed. "Bragging about two badges you were basically given as charity! And all your Pokémon just followed you home like stray puppies!"
"It is normal for trainers to capture twenty or thirty Pokémon on their journey," Brock added gently, but the words were gasoline on the fire of Ash's pride.
"I'll show you!" Ash declared, his fighting spirit ignited. "I'll show you both! I'm going to catch my seventh Pokémon right now!" He stormed off toward the water's edge to prove himself.
Just as the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the waves, he saw it. A tiny Krabby, barely larger than his own hand, scurrying across the sand.
In his desperate need to prove a point, Ash didn't care about its size. He wrestled with the tiny crustacean, finally distracting it with a piece of driftwood and, in that moment, hurled a Poké Ball. The ball connected. The capture was a success.
"Huh?! Where'd my Pokémon go?!" Ash cried out in a panic, seeing the Poké Ball vanish from his feet.
"How can you not know this?" Misty said, walking up with an exasperated sigh. "A trainer can only carry six Pokémon at a time! Your Krabby was automatically sent to Professor Oak's lab."
Ash's face went pale. For some reason, he suddenly imagined his tiny Krabby being boiled in a hotpot. He had to call the Professor, now.
"Pika! Pikachu!"
Pikachu suddenly jumped up, pointing excitedly at Bill's lighthouse in the distance. A lighthouse meant people, and people meant a phone. Ash broke into a run, his friends close behind, eager for the promise of a warm bed.
They never made it.
A powerful, golden beam of energy tore through the air, piercing a rock formation in front of them. The shockwave nearly knocked them off their feet.
"What was that?!" Brock yelled, his eyes scanning the horizon.
On the sunset-drenched sea, a blood-red figure stirred. Its crimson pupils turned, locking onto them. Brock froze, his blood running cold as he finally recognized the colossal, monstrous form of the Blood-Red Gyarados.
***********
✨ 300 gems = 1 bonus chapter
✨ 500 gems = another bonus chapter
Get access to advanced chapters at my P@treon.
[email protected]/meowthtl