Red and his partner Pikachu were currently standing in Vermilion City. It was finally time to get his third badge!
The first strange thing he noticed was that there wasn't a single soul walking around. Odd—wasn't Vermilion supposed to be a bustling port city? Usually, the streets were packed with sailors, merchants, and Trainers. Now, it felt like a ghost town.
"…"
"Pika?"
The duo stopped in front of the gym. A smile crept onto Red's face—he loved gym battles. Finally, someone competent to fight. If he had to go up against another Metapod, he'd probably lose his mind.
But when he tried to open the gym door, it didn't budge.
"…?"
Why the hell was the gym closed?
Red turned on his heel and headed to the Pokémon Center. If anyone knew what was going on, it would be Nurse Joy. The nurses always seemed to have their fingers on the city's pulse.
But even the Pokémon Center was empty.
"…!"
Something was seriously wrong in Vermilion City. This place was never deserted.
He walked up to the counter, prepared to deal with whatever weirdness had taken hold of the city. Nurse Joy, to his surprise, wasn't running around in a panic or caring for injured Pokémon—she was just sitting there, eyes glued to the television.
And there he was.
Blue.
His rival.
"Pikachu?"
"…"
It was true, then. Blue had really become Champion. With that smug, sarcastic nature of his, it had always been hard to tell when he was being serious. But now, there was no denying it. His oldest friend—no, his oldest rival—was already standing at the summit, while Red was still trying to earn his third badge.
He pulled his cap down, hiding his eyes.
"…"
"Pikachu!"
He wouldn't be left behind. Not by Blue. Red would crush the Gym Leaders. Then he'd crush him.
With a quiet sigh, Red turned his attention back to Nurse Joy and gave a slight nod in greeting.
Red: "…"
Nurse Joy didn't move. Her eyes remained glued to the screen.
Red: "…?"
Still nothing. Kind of rude, wasn't it?
Red: "…!!!"
What was so interesting about Blue that she couldn't even acknowledge him?
"PIKACHU!"
Finally, she turned.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she chuckled. "I got a bit... distracted by the announcement of our new Gym Leaders. Did you know? There's a Normal-type Gym now. And there's a rumor Whitney even uses a Chansey! All us Nurse Joys secretly root for her, you know?"
Whitney? Red frowned. That name sounded familiar. Wasn't she that terrifying childhood friend of Blue's?
Red: "…"
"Ehm," Nurse Joy blinked. "What?"
Red sighed and pointed through the window at the gym across the street.
"Ah," she nodded. "You're wondering why the gym is closed, right?"
He nodded again.
"Well," she grinned, "I think once the Champion's announcement is over, the gym will reopen. So let's just finish watching, shall we?"
Red: "…"
He wasn't much of a TV person, but he didn't exactly have a choice. So, with narrowed eyes, he turned his attention to the screen, where Blue continued his speech.
"Now that every new Gym Leader has been introduced to Kanto, let's move on to the next topic. Many of you are probably wondering how we'll manage the gym circuit with eighteen Gyms instead of eight, right?"
Red felt a chill as Blue's smile widened. That smile always meant disaster. Every time Blue looked like that, something ridiculous—or catastrophic—was about to happen.
"P-Pika?!"
"We're going to rework the entire system," Blue said flatly. "The old routine of earning eight badges, challenging the Elite Four, and then taking on the Champion? Forget about it. As of today, that system is officially canceled!"
All of Kanto—including Red, Vermilion City, humans, and Pokémon alike—fell into stunned silence.
Then the region exploded.
"WHAT?!"
To call it an uproar was an understatement. Trainers, Gym Leaders, even random pedestrians—it didn't matter who—were all thrown into chaos.
The eight Gyms and the Elite Four were sacred. They had always been there.
"That statement must have shocked you."
"SHOCKED?!" Nurse Joy screamed. "That's the understatement of the century!"
"But don't worry, my people," Blue continued. "I've worked out a brand-new system—one that will breathe life into our region in ways we can't even imagine. It's going to revolutionize battling and even change our daily lives for the better."
Red scowled. He knew it. Blue was screwing him over.
"To implement this system, we'll need to rebuild Kanto. Some of you may have already noticed the construction sites popping up. Some Gym Leaders need to relocate. Others have to expand and modernize their facilities. This isn't just change—it's evolution."
He paused for effect.
"And to achieve this vision of the future, we must take drastic measures. That's why I'm announcing, effective immediately: The Gym Circuit is on hold for the next three months!"
Red's jaw hit the floor.
"P-Pika?!"
Three months. Three.
"I know this sounds drastic. I know many of you won't like that we're changing an established system like the eight Gyms and the Elite Four. Many of you will resist this decision—but let me make one thing clear: We're doing it. And if you think I'm wrong, then take the challenge—make your way through Victory Road and face me for my title as Champion!"
Silence.
Utter, total silence across all of Kanto.
"You heard me right," Blue continued. "With the Gym Circuit on hold, anyone who disagrees with my decision has the right to challenge me and take my title. As is tradition in Kanto, though—you have to reach me the old-fashioned way. Climb Victory Road. Reach the Indigo Plateau. If you make it there, I'll battle you myself. But..."
He paused, that confident smirk returning to his face.
"...if no one manages to defeat me—then you'll just have to deal with this change. Until every last one of you understands why I'm doing this."
And just like that, the atmosphere across the region shifted.
Trainers grinned. Sparks lit behind their eyes. Every single gaze turned westward—toward Victory Road. Toward possibility.
How many had dreamed of walking that legendary path, only to be stopped by the requirement of eight badges?
Was it reckless to attempt it now, without those victories?
Oh, absolutely.
Did anyone care?
Not even a little.
"How the system will change is a topic for another time," Blue continued. "Dear Kanto, this is where I'll leave you for now. I ask only this: Bear with me. Give this new system a chance before judging it. And remember—the goal of the Kanto Pokémon League is to improve our home and...
"…MAKE KANTO GREAT AGAIN!"
With that final, thunderous declaration, the screen cut to black.
Red blinked several times, still staring at the television.
"Pika?" Pikachu glanced at him nervously.
Red: "…"
"Pikachu!"
It was time. Time for Red to storm Victory Road and beat Blue into the ground for dismantling his gym circuit!
Blue didn't know it yet, but he had just unleashed a very angry Red.
And right then, as if on cue, the door to the Pokémon Center swung open—and in walked someone very familiar.
Leaf.
The third starter. A fellow Pallet Town kid—just like Red and Blue.
"I can NOT believe this, Red!" she exploded, fury radiating off her like a Flamethrower. "Blue is RUINING our very first GYM CIRCUIT!"
Red: "…"
"Right?!" she huffed, stomping over. "That smug jerk! Did you know—just a week ago, he came to me and offered me a position as a Gym Leader! Said that with a name like 'Leaf' and starting with Bulbasaur, I'd be perfect for a Grass-type Gym. Red, at that point I had only caught two Pokémon! Two!"
Red: "…"
"What?! He tried that on you too?!" Leaf gawked. "Unbelievable! You know what's even worse? I promised I'd work for him if he beat me in a battle! Who would've guessed the moron was already Champion?! He played me!"
Red: "…"
"What? You too?" Leaf sighed dramatically. "This is unreal. What do we even do now, Red? The Gym Circuit—on hold! That's never happened before!"
Red pulled his cap even lower. Not even his nose was visible now.
Red: "…"
"You want to climb Victory Road?"
Red: "…"
"You want to climb Victory Road and kick Blue's ass?"
Red: "…"
"You want to climb Victory Road, kick Blue's ass, and… get revenge for your mother?" Leaf blinked.
Red: "…!!!"
Leaf paused for a second—then nodded sharply, determination sparking in her eyes.
"Alright, Red!" she declared, puffing up her chest. "I don't know what Blue did to your mom, but if it ends with us beating the crap out of him, I'm all in! Let's take back our Gym Circuit—and make Blue regret everything!"