Chapter 14: Red, Blue (manga character)
There were still a few hours until nightfall.
The four of them were holed up in the Small Cabin with nothing to do, chatting idly out of boredom.
Seeing a Pokémon nearby, Ash couldn't help but pull out his Pokédex.
You see, he had originally longed to receive one of the normal Starter Pokémon Trio, but due to certain unavoidable circumstances, he ended up with this chubby Pikachu.
"Pokedex Beep. Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. Part meat, part vegetable. Comes with its own seasoning when barbecued."
The Pokedex announced.
Blue: ?
Seeing the other three looking as if this was perfectly normal, she became even more bewildered.
"Hey, Ash, does your Pokedex have a virus?"
"No, isn't this a normal Pokedex?" Ash couldn't help but ask back.
Seeing the other two staring at her strangely, Blue even began to suspect that she was the one with the problem.
Finally, she silently took out her own Pokedex.
"Beep. Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon, one of the Starter Pokémon for beginners. It likes sunlight, and the seed on its back grows along with its body."
Ash and the others: ?
This time, it was their turn to be dumbfounded.
In disbelief, Ash pointed at his Pikachu. Blue understood and aimed her Pokedex at it.
"Beep. Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon. It uses its tail to sense its surroundings and releases lightning from its cheeks when in danger."
Ash frowned and aimed his Pokedex at it as well.
"Pokedex Beep. Pikachu, the run-of-the-mill Electric Mouse, Unremarkable, not worth mentioning."
Everyone: ???
So it wasn't their imagination after all—this Pokedex really was faulty!
Moreover, everyone else's Pokedex only beeped once, but his always beeped twice. It was as if before it even spoke, it was calling others 'junior,' its tone full of insolence from the get-go.
"Professor Oak really did give me a defective version," Ash said bitterly.
During their chat, Blue suddenly thought of something. After hesitating for a long time, she asked:
"Hey, hey, speaking of weird things, have you been hearing strange words in your head lately?"
Ash raised an eyebrow, sensing something was up.
It was true; he had been experiencing some auditory hallucinations lately.
Ash had thought it was a sign from the heavens, given his status as the Chosen One.
"The last time I ran into Gary, he also said he was hearing strange conversations in his head. Now, sleeping every night is torture for him. He can't fall asleep without taking three or four Sleeping Pills, he's constantly breaking out in a cold sweat, his hands are ice-cold, and he has nightmares the moment he dozes off..."
"Although, he looked perfectly fine to me."
Blue's expression turned a little grim.
Hearing this, Ash shuddered. This didn't sound good at all.
"Gary said the feng shui in our Pallet Town has always been bad, and that all the Trainers who leave here end up with a terrifying Mental Contagious Disease."
Blue said weakly.
A mental contagious disease?
Nearby, Brock and Misty frowned. This was indeed a bit hard to understand.
"But I sleep like a log. Maybe that Gary fellow is already in the terminal stage. He's probably a lost cause."
Ash said nonchalantly.
Blue: "Oh, never mind then."
After all, she slept quite soundly too.
R.I.P!
That night, the four of them arrived at a Grassland next to the Clefairy Shop.
The area was enclosed by a few scattered fences, with a High Platform standing in the middle, as if something was meant to be placed on it.
So, the four of them waited outside the fence, eagerly anticipating the appearance of a Clefairy.
And they waited right until dawn...
Without a doubt, Gary had tricked her again.
"Darn it! Next time, I'm definitely going to hang Gary from a tree and whip him ten thousand times!!"
Blue clutched her round face and roared repeatedly.
"So, are we going to keep waiting? I can't take it anymore," Misty asked, yawning.
"You guys go to sleep. I'm planning to pull an all-nighter!"
Blue gulped down a full cup of Strong Tea. Her lively eyes were already bloodshot as she stared intently at the High Platform.
She had already been fasting for nearly seven days; a few more hours wouldn't make a difference!
Ash: ...
Although he really wanted to go to sleep too, looking at her state, he wondered if she might just drop dead in the middle of the night.
After all, as a compatriot from Pallet Town, if she really did die suddenly, he would be the one to carry her back.
That would ruin Ash's plan to become a Pokémon Master. He could only frown and say:
"Um, I'll stay and keep watch. You guys go to sleep."
Hearing this, Brock and Misty also yawned and went back to the nearby Clefairy's Hut to sleep.
In an instant, only the two of them were left in the grassy Plaza.
The wind rustled the grass. The Youth and the girl sat side-by-side on the lawn.
Next to them, a sleeping Green-skinned Turtle and an Electric Mouse, adding a touch of tranquility to the scene.
"By the way, Blue, have you ever thought about what you want to do in the future?"
For some reason, Ash suddenly posed a philosophical question.
"Me? I haven't really thought about it. For now, I just plan to wander around~"
She shook her head, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
For someone with such a naturally ditsy personality, this expression was rather unusual.
This was her first time meeting Brock, which meant Blue hadn't started on the Path of challenging Gyms.
However, she was a little envious of Ash. Although he seemed like a blockhead, he had already set his Dream from a young age.
Even though she had no idea what a Pokémon Master actually was.
Wordlessly, the two of them just stared at the Platform, cursing Gary like best friends while waiting for Clefairy to appear...
Late at night.
Thud.
Just then, Ash suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.
He turned his head to find that Blue had, at some point, fallen into a deep sleep, her head resting on his shoulder.
"Tsk, women. They just can't keep up!"
Ash couldn't help but sneer, secretly pleased with himself. As the one who lasted until the end, his Willpower was clearly the strongest!
He was the champion of the night watch!
In the darkness, Moonlight fell upon the grassy Plaza, and its faint white glow illuminated the side of Blue's face. Asleep, she looked as enchanting and playful as a Pokémon.
This was the first time Ash had ever looked at her from this close.
This compatriot of his... it seemed there was really something to her.
"A girl like this... if I punched her in the stomach, she'd probably cry for a long time, right?"
He threw a punch into the Void, gesturing.
Another two hours passed, and even the iron-willed Ash could no longer resist the overwhelming sleepiness.
His vision went black, and he began to drift off.
"Zzz..."
The two of them leaned against each other, sitting on the Grassland, sleeping soundly.
But just a few minutes later, Ash's eyes snapped open.
For some reason, his expression had become incredibly cold, as if he were looking at everything like it was a block of wood. His voice deepened, and his eyes grew profound.
It was Red who had taken over Ash's body.
He shoved Blue's head away and said coldly:
"You can get up now, can't you?"
Blue shuddered and slowly opened her eyes.
Though it was the same face, the aura she now exuded was completely different from the cute, sweet, and naive girl from before.
Within her lively eyes was a cunning glint that seemed to see through everything.
"Hee hee, I give you a chance to lean on me and you don't even cherish it. You'll be single forever, you know~"
Blue stood up, stretching her arms which hadn't moved for several hours.
A powerful aura, as if she was in complete control of the situation, made Red frown slightly.
"So you came over too, Blue."
Red said slowly.
In Red's Video Game World, he and Blue had been traveling partners.
The moment he first saw Blue, he had guessed that this woman had probably also realized she was just a Game Character, and her Soul had transcended and transmigrated along with him.
Blue, for her part, blinked her pretty eyes.
Then, she reached out, locked her hand around Red's neck, bent him over at the waist, and stuffed him into her embrace.
"Still trying to act like a brooding prince in front of me?"
Her other hand vigorously ruffled Red's hair. Looking at his current state was like seeing a piece of raw jade turn into a Salted Fish.
"Ara~ You were such a passionate Youth, how did two years on Mt. Silver make you so withdrawn? Tsk tsk tsk..."
Red: ...
Did my being withdrawn eat your Farfetch'd or something?
He hurriedly dodged away, putting some distance between himself and Blue.
Women are like roaring tigers, and Blue is the number one she-roaring-tiger in the universe. It's best to stay far away.
After some discussion, the two learned of each other's situations.
They had both transmigrated on roughly the same day.
Red possessed Ash's body and had occasionally hinted at his own existence, but the thick-skinned latter had ignored it all.
Blue's situation was even more pathetic. She had been frantically hinting at her existence every day.
As a result, every time, Blue had mistaken her hints for a divine decree from the heavens, becoming incredibly pious and not daring to blaspheme or communicate with it in the slightest.
She was just one step away from holding up Incense Sticks and praying to Blue.
Red: ...
"Speaking of which, that guy Green came over too. He's possessing that Youth named Gary. I think their personalities are quite similar—both are just begging for a beating. One of these days, I'm really going to put a Sack over his head and beat him senseless."
"When the time comes, you have to help me cover his mouth! The two of us will team up and beat him until his soul scatters!"
As she spoke, Blue clenched her fists.
When the other Blue talked about putting a sack over someone's head, she might have just been bluffing. But this one wasn't merely talking.
If the beating wasn't enough to vent her anger, she would tie a rock to him and toss him into the sea to feed the Sharpedo.
Hearing this, Red wasn't surprised.
If he could realize he was just a Game Character, then Green could naturally do the same.
In the Video Game World, both he and Green had reached their characters' Max Level. They were in an Ultimate State with no more room for growth.
So they had stopped their conflict—a mutual agreement to Stop Short of Injury—and acknowledged one another.
But now that they had arrived in this new World at the same time, Red instantly perceived this World's difference.
Whether it was Trainers or Pokemon, there was no such thing as a Max Level or an Ultimate State.
A Realm beyond the Ultimate State existed!
He could still become stronger!!
"I can battle you again, Green..."
Within Red's dead-fish eyes, an unprecedented Battle Intent ignited.