Green stepped out from the spectator stands, the sunlight washing over her, casting a glow on her agile figure and the thoughtful look on her face.
She hadn't walked far before stopping in front of a nearby café. Its floor-to-ceiling windows gave a perfect view of the slowly dispersing crowd.
She picked a window seat and took a sip of the black coffee brought by the server.
"Pfft—ugh, bitter."
She stuck out her tongue, then reached for the sugar jar beside her, adding a few sugar cubes and stirring gently.
As the sugar melted, the bitterness faded, replaced by a light, subtle sweetness.
Staring at the now less-harsh coffee, Green's lips curled into a satisfied smile.
Her thoughts drifted back to the match she had just watched.
"Great show, sure, but I really didn't expect Chansey to be used like that..." she murmured, recalling the moment when the minimized Chansey pummeled Scizor with Fire Punches.
With that in mind, she picked up her phone, found a familiar name in her contacts, and started a video call.
After a few crisp rings, the call connected.
On screen appeared a handsome young man with straight brown hair and a pendant around his neck.
"Blue? Why is it you!" Green cried out in frustration.
"I didn't dial the wrong number. Isn't this Red's number?"
"Oh, Red? He's in the shower," Blue replied offhandedly from the other end.
Green was instantly frozen. Her pupils seemed to quake like a 10.0 earthquake, and she couldn't even speak properly.
"S-s-shower..."
Blue frowned. "I get the feeling you're thinking something very inappropriate."
He pulled the camera back to show more of the room. "Training, okay? Red was just here training."
Through the video, Green could see the inside of the Viridian Gym—spacious, with several Pokémon resting quietly on the floor.
Rhyperior, Alakazam, Arcanine, Snorlax, Politoed...
These were all Pokémon belonging to Red and Blue.
It added some credibility to Blue's words.
"So what did you want with Red, anyway?" Blue asked casually.
"I gotta tell you, I saw this super dirty tactician in the Little Ho-Oh Cup…"
Green lit up and launched into an excited rant.
"Huh?"
Blue interrupted, looking unimpressed. "Really, Green? You might not be as strong as me or Red, but you're still an Elite-level trainer. Going to stomp newbies in the Baby Cup? Kinda low, don't you think?"
"Hehe... Well, I was low on cash lately—wait, no, that's not the point!" Green quickly corrected herself. "It's about that Chansey and its trainer!"
Professor Oak had once said that Blue's talent was "development"—he could bring out a Pokémon's full potential like no one else.
And if anyone could go toe-to-toe with Red, it was him. Surely he'd know something useful.
She'd never seen a Chansey so powerful—and so dirty.
Blue's sharp gaze flickered with a faint smile. "I've trained a few Chanseys myself. That trainer—Caleb—he's not bad."
Having known Blue for so long, Green easily picked up on what he really meant.
He was praising Caleb, sure—but also praising himself.
Something along the lines of, "You're good, but nowhere near my level."
Blue continued his analysis. "With Chansey's insane bulk, stacking Toxic and Minimize, yeah, that's a nightmare strat for a newbie tournament."
"But it's got one fatal flaw."
He paused and looked at Green. "If I remember right, Bruno entrusted one of his Pokémon's offspring to you, didn't he?"
"Yeah," Green nodded.
"A tactic like that could win the Little Cup, sure. But in the Master Cup? Not even close."
The flaw was too obvious—it could be easily countered.
In a Master-tier match, one misstep could cost you the whole game. That's why there was no Chansey on Blue's main roster.
"I see…"
Though she said that, Green couldn't shake a weird, nagging feeling.
...
Kanto, Viridian Gym.
Just as Blue hung up the call from Green, he turned around—and was met with Red's deadpan face.
"Whoa! Dude, when'd you get here? You walk without making a sound or something?" Blue jumped in surprise.
"Just got in," Red said coolly, and silence fell over the room.
After a moment, Red asked, "Who was that?"
"Green. She's over in Sinnoh playing in the Baby Cup."
Another silence.
This time, Blue broke it first.
"You still want to keep going?"
"Yeah," Red replied.
(TN: (͡°_ʖ͡°) Sus)
...
After leaving the Pokémon Center, Caleb confirmed his next opponent.
The Rain Guy—the one with the special ability.
Online, people called him "Mini Pelipper"—a guy who brings the rain with him, whose team was clearly built around rain.
Caleb frowned.
Rain teams were no joke.
In rain, Water-types with Swift Swim doubled their speed, and Pokémon like Ferrothorn and Scizor, both 4x weak to Fire, could shrug off that weakness. Thunder and Hurricane, both high-power moves, basically became guaranteed hits…
Add Surf and Hydro Cannon to the mix, and yeah—
Even if your grandma showed up, she'd still win the tournament.
As Caleb brooded over this dilemma, a female voice suddenly called out.
"Hey there, handsome!"
He stopped instinctively and looked around. Seeing no one else, he pointed to himself.
"Me?"
"Yup, you." A cute, lively girl in a black dress walked over.
"I've got a really great Pokémon here—interested in a trade?"
She struck a playful pose, winked at him, and pulled out...
A Magikarp. A dead-eyed Magikarp.
Caleb: "..."
Wasn't it supposed to be a creepy old guy selling these?
"Awesome, right?" the girl continued. "And once it evolves into Gyarados, it's gonna be unstoppable—Little Ho-Oh Cup? Easy win!"
Gyarados?
That thing?
Caleb gave the Magikarp in her hands a strange look. It didn't look like it could evolve at all.
Evolution required energy. This Magikarp looked malnourished—barely hanging on, let alone evolving...
Wait. Maybe it could evolve.
After all, the girl standing before him was none other than Green—the one dubbed "The Evolution Girl" by Professor Oak.
The third Pokédex holder from Pallet Town.
"Think it over. You won't get another chance like this~" Green pressed on.
"Alright, Green, drop the act. Do you have info on the other competitors?"
"Huh!?" Green blinked. "You know who I am?"
Because I've read the Special manga.
And those two Poké Balls on your chest? Total giveaway.
(ps: referring to how, in the manga, Green hid Poké Balls in her top, which helped her defeat Sabrina.)
Honestly, Caleb had already guessed that the Pallet Town trainer listed in the roster had to be Green.
Think about it: Red and Blue? No way they'd waste time in the Baby Cup. Professor Oak? Too busy with research.
But Green? That made everything click.
Seeing him staring at her chest, Green quickly folded her arms and gave him a wary look. "What are you looking at?"
Come on, lady.
I'm not that desperate, okay? Especially not for a kid.
Besides, those are padded anyway.
"So, do you have any contestant info or not?" Caleb pressed.
Smelling a deal, Green immediately forgot her original plan. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a stack of cards.
"Here, all the info I've got. Whose do you want?"
"All here. Pick your fighter."
"Give me Rain Guy's first. And yours too."
"Oh, Rain Guy?" Green mumbled while flipping through the stack.
A moment later, she exclaimed, "Found it!"
"Next up—mine…"
"Hey! That one's mine!"