Through Memories We Share

Hello, my Name is Isabella. It would be a complete understatement to say I am not the largest fan of Pokemon alive. I have been playing since Red and still play Y. I would like to let you all know a rather strange occurrence that happened on one of these games.



To get to the source I may was well tell you the start. It all started when I was 7, Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue had literally just come out for the Americas. I went with my Mom to Gamestop to purchase my cartridge of Pokemon Red and start my journey and I soon as I got home, I popped the cartridge in my GBC and started. I was a little disappointed to see there was no Female Trainer Option seeing for official artwork Green (as she is referred to in the American version of the Manga which was still years away from coming out) standing next to her Squirtle was unavailable. I picked my name, Red (unoriginal. i get it) and my Rival, Blue (Red vs Blue. It just felt right).



So, after editing the painfully slow options to fit my speed I went in to the grass so the Tree (Oak if you haven't guessed) stops me and takes me to his lab to give me my Pokemon. I picked Charmander, like a dick Blue chooses Squirtle. Red Vs Blue so far, something I got a huge kick out of. I pounded his ass in to the dust, did the painfully long trek between Viridian City and Pallet Town to do Oak's Mail and finally got my Pokedex. So far all I had encountered was a Pidgey and Ratatta. I captured me a Pidgey and dubbed it Bird Jesus (This was years Before TPP, also in Comparison between him and Fearow, Pidgeot looks like Jesus.)



After grinding for a while between Routes and the Viridian Forest I arrived in Pewter City. Somehow I managed to beat Brock's Onix just using Pidgey, Charmander had evolved into Charmeleon and I had my First badge. Things were running smoothly, I went through Moon Cave got me the Helix Fossil (Praise Lord Helix) and encountered the douches known as Team Rocket. So yeah, it was smooth. I beat Misty, Surge and Erika within a few hours of each other and Got me an Eevee which I named Isabella because well, why not? Bird Jesus and Charmeleon both reached their Final Forms of Charizard and Pidgeot. I went to the Celadon game corner that promotes underage gambling and found at the center of all this Team Rocket bullshit, The Don Giovanni himself. I dispatched him rather quickly with Isabella whom I had recently evolved into Jolteon but I had to send McDsToy (a Vileplume which filed a temporary Slot 'til i found something better) to deal with Giovanni's Onix.



I went to Lavender Town next because I needed the PokeFlute to wake Snorlax so I could get to Fuishca City. I had the Silph Scope from the Don, and I battled that Ghost Marowak. A little sad you weren't allowed to catch it i moved on, beat Team Douchebag and on the way down Caught me a Cubone. I realized I had quite the team going for me and it was time to wake the Snorlax and go to Fuishca City. Along the way Cubone evolved in to Marowak which I then referred to from that point on as BoneCrush from Transformers. I went to the Safari Zone so I could get the damn HM's for Surf and Strength, grinded a bit on the other routes and after that, I felt I was ready to challenge Koga. With everyone at about level 42 i felt i would have no problem at all against this guy. I put BoneCrush at the head realizing this was a Poison type gym. I made it to Koga and right here is by far one of my favorite battle fails happen here. I was down to Koga's last Pokemon Weezing. It uses Explosion and I am thinking "Damn it this will take BoneCrush out." I was then greeted by this. "Weezing used Explosion. The attack Missed" I think that made me laugh the hardest. I can just Picture Bonecrush with like wide eyes with the "not impressed face" saying are you fucking serious. Anyways, I had my fifth badge and i was ready to go.



My Journey took me next to Saffron City, Of course filled with Team Douchbag. I went to the Dojo realizing I may need to grind before I dare attempt the Silph Tower. I got me the kicking Doge, Htimonlee dubbed Bruce Lee (you did it yourself don't act like this isn't done already) I trained him a bit till the whole team was level 46, I kept Isabella, Jolteon at 50, Bird Jesus at 47 and My starter Charizard at 49, I was Ready for what was ahead. I cut through the tower like a hot knife through butter. Isabella, Charizard and Bird Jesus destroying everything in their path. After beating Blue, I was given A Lapras which I called Surf God. I challenged the Don and once again pounded him in the dust with the help of my newly acquired Bruce Lee. I got the Useless Ball and moved forward.



Saffron's Gym was by far easy to beat. With Isabella’s newly acquired PinMissle, I was good to go. I made quick work of Sabrina the Teenage Bitch. With 2 badges Left it was time to Grind my newly Acquired Lapras. The team Roster was now Isabella my Jolteon, Bird Jesus the Pidgeot, Charizard, Bruce Lee the Hitmonlee, BoneCruch the Marowak and finally my newly acquired SurfGod, Lapras. Since it was Lv 15 I decided since everyone was about in the 50's I better get grinding. I grinded it till it reached Lv 52. Everyone else was about 55-52, Isabella of course still leading the team. I reached Cinnabar Island where I had to freakin' beat the Mansion Statue puzzle. After raging for a few hours and finding the key, I beat the Back to the future doctor in his gym without breaking a sweat. Great Scott his fire types Sucked.



Only one gym Badge remained. I surfed back to Pallet Town and moved to Viridian City. (I would be humming On the Road to Viridian City but the 2.B.A Master sound track was years from coming out) I walk in the gym and realize this has the Team Douchebag layout from Celadon City. I go up to the guy and he says he has no idea who the gym leader was. I look at the statue "Viridian City gym. Leader Giovanni." I can't help but face palm that he didn't know this. So realizing I was gonna face The Don one more time I prepared. Once I beat his ass in a close call victory thanks to Bruce Lee and Surf god I realized, I did it. I beat the 8 gyms. Being only 7 this was so cool to me. Next up was Victory Road. I Challenged Blue and grinded him in to the dust once again. After finally emerging Victory Road. I stood head high Ready to Challenge the Elite 4. Grinding wasn't an issue anymore, at this point my whole team was in the low 60's.



<p class="MsoNormal">The Carnage began. In few minutes I made Quick work of Loreli's Dewgong with Isabella, Kicked Bruno Mars' Onix and Company with Bruce Lee and Abba (the new nick name for my Pidgeot after it learned Sky Attack) into the dust. Made Agatha's Gengar a ghost story of its own with Charizard and brought Lance Armstrong’s Dragonite down to pokemon earth after my Lapras Icebeamed the hell out of it. I had done it, I had beaten the Elite 4, and I then learned I had one more trainer to beat. It was my Rival. How fitting that it would be Red Vs Blue. At the Top of the Indigo Plateau. The battle was long, it came down to one Final Encounter between Isabella and Blastoise. When I commanded her to use Thunder, it was all over. I was the Champion of the indigo Plateau. I beat Pokemon Red.

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<p class="MsoNormal">5 years had passed. I was unable to get Gold and Silver when they came out. All my Friends kept asking me when I would get the games. I told them it will be awhile and just be patient. One day while Watching TV I saw the commercial for Pokemon Crystal Version, the first Sister game to the Pokemon Series. The Launch day of Crystal I was able to get the updated Johto region game. I couldn't wait to start. In 4 days I had found myself at victory road. Indigo Plateau. My team was ready. All Level 55 team. Nidoking, The Moonking my Ace. Typhlosion, Katie my Dragonair, Assassin, My Umbreon, Redlobster my Red Gyarados, and finally Bella my second Ace Bellosom. We were ready for anything the Elite 4 had. We quickly made work and destroyed them all. Lance was too much fun. I sat back and watch Katie who had just evolved into Dragonite and Redlobster just tear Lance’s team to shreds.

<p class="MsoNormal">When I beat Lance. I thought it was over. I was given the SS Anne Ticket. “The Ship from the Kanto Region?” I thought. When I arrived in Vermillion City. I knew it was time to have fun. I went around the Kanto Region destroying every Kanto Gym Leader in my Path. Assassin had so much fun beating Sabrina the Teenage bitch. When I went to battle Blue we battled and his last Pokemon was different than normal. The Gyarados he is supposed to have was replaced with his Blastoise. I took it down regardless. After the battle he told me 5 years ago his best friend Red did just what I did now. “Go to Mount Silver Isabell. You will probably find him there.” (Isabell was my Characters name since Crystal was the first game to allow that) Five years ago. That was when…..No. So I made it to Mount Silver. The Climb was god forsaken and annoying, I reached the Top and found the typical red sprite. I went up and talked to it. Instead of the Normal … it said. You kept me waiting. Now, prepare for battle. This did strike me as odd but nonetheless I kept playing.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Johto champion music plays. “Pokemon Trainer Red wants to battle. Pokemon trainer Red sent out Isabella.” I shook my head. “Isabella??” In front of me was the Jolteon Sprite and its name was Isabella. Lv 81. Instead of being shocked I was happy. The gender, Female. I quickly dispatched her with Nidoking now lv 90. Next up “ Pokemon Trainer Red is about to send out Bruce Lee. Will Isabell change pokemon?” Hitmonlee. Ofcourse. The Hitmonlee was sent out it was Lv 73 I sent in Dragonite now lv 88. She made quick work of him with Wing Attack. “Pokemon Trainer Red is about to send out SurfGod. Will you change pokemon? Lapras, Lv 75. I sent in Bella now lv 96 and the ace of my Team. One Petal dance did the job. “Pokemon Trainer Red is about to send in Charizard. Isabell change Pokemon?” Nothing new about that name. Redlobster was up. One Waterfall. … “Pokemon Trainer Red is about to send in Abba. Will Isabell change pokemon? I selected no this time. I taught Redlobster to Use Ice beam. That’s all it took. He was only lv 77. “ Pokemon Trainer Red is about to send in Bone Crush. Will you change Pokemon?” Marowak. I sent my Ace in. Bella would take care of this for me. Bella used Petal Dance. Its super effective. Bonecrush has fainted.” You defeated Pokemon Trainer red.

<p class="MsoNormal">I had done it. I was dancing around with my Bellossom plushie. So happy about my victory. I saw what Red had then said that kinda sent a chill down my spine and also made me ready for something bigger.

<p class="MsoNormal">The next few Generations came and went. Nothing to strange had happened since Red Talked to Isabell. It wasn’t till I bought Soul Silver 9 years later I am 21 at this point and in College. Still thinking about what Red had said. We will meet again. What did that mean? 9 years had passed and I still had no idea. I played Soul Silver through. Constructing the Same Team again. Bella, MoonKing, Typhlosion, Katie, Redlobster and Assassin only this time it evolved into an Espeon. After the postgame of Johto I went and once again I went and collected the Gym badges in Kanto doing it rather faster this time. When I beat Blue. He still had his Blastoise instead of Gyarados. This didn’t really bother me as much as it should of but hey taking out Blastoise with my little Bella is fun. He then told me. “Man. It’s been 14 years since Red disappeared. Me and everyone in Pallet Town are wondering when he will come home.” ” 14 years…….Wait a second. That’s when I creamed you’re retarded ass on the indigo Plateau.” I knew the game couldn’t hear me. I was just shouting at my DSi XL screen.

<p class="MsoNormal">So now at the Plateau of Mt. Silver I battled Red again. He said instead of the normal … he said “I trained for a bit. Time to take you down.” I had GB sounds turned on so it was the classic Johto Champion. What can I say? I am a nostalgia junkie. His First Pokemon was a lv 88 Jolteon named Isabella. Honestly I wasn’t surprised at this point. Nidoking had some trouble taking it down surprisingly. I think Jolteon had changed a bit since the last battle. Next up a Level 80 Hitmonlee named Bruce Lee. Nidoking surprisingly got taken down. He taught my Hitmonlee Ice Punch now. Smart. Clever.

<p class="MsoNormal">I sent in Espeon and use Psybeam Taking him down. 9 years ago Umbreon would have been screwed. Next up was a level 82 Lapras. Surfgod. Funny, Lapras is the Only Pokemon Red actually uses. It had my move set though. Hydro Pump, surf, Ice beam and Psywave. I switched out for Bella. It was a little hellish with the Hail in the background. I managed to get a Petal dance on him. He went down surprisingly fast. Up next Level 86 Charizard. Once again funny. These 2 are the only ones Red actually uses. I switched in for Red Lobster. RedLobster managed to take him down. I kept him in for Bird Jesus. I took it out with Ice Fang. BoneCrush was all that was left, I had Bella take him down. Overjoyed as hell that I beat Red again dancing with my Bellosom. I realized he said. “One day Isabella. I will win.” He disappeared as normal and the credits rolled.

<p class="MsoNormal">2 years later its 2012. 1 year till I finish College. Black 2 comes out. I have my old Johto Team with me post game. I attempt the PWT. I make it to Kanto and my Last Fight is with Blue. Once again having his team he had in Red. It didn’t matter because Nidoking and Bella turned him to dust. Blue said something to me. “16 years have passed. You have to get him to go home Isabella (it’s what I name all my characters) after a while I finally challenge Red. He then says “This is it. This last battle decides it all.” I became so focused that I had no idea up until the battle has half way in that it was the original Johto theme. The Crystal one. First Pokemon. A lv 100 Jolteon named Isabella. It looked like the level caps were off because my Johto team was LV 100 as well. Red came side screen “Finally a fair match” he the leaves the screen. Nidoking is first up. I crush her using Earthquake. He sends in Bruce Lee. Nidoking once again goes down. After a long 8 minutes we both have one pokemon left. Its BoneCrush vs Bella. “Bonecrush used Fire blast. The attack missed.” I breathed a massive sigh of relief. Bella used Petal dance. Bonecrush fainted.

<p class="MsoNormal">The battle ends and Red says “I….can’t believe it.” it switches to a memory link scene it shows Red talking with Isabella. “I don’t get it Jolts. Why do we keep losing?” The Jolteon nuzzles him. Red sighs “Maybe you are right Izzy. Maybe I should stop worrying. But the team. Bonecrush, Abba, Charizard. They all seem so down.” (Red looks at them) “Tonight is our last night of training her. If we lose to her again we go home.” The memory link scene ended there. “You really are everything you said you were.” Red then walks off.

<p class="MsoNormal">To this day I am not sure what Red meant by you really are everything I said I was. But it makes me feel warm that he is at peace with his life.