Red's POV

After Ethan had flexed all of his new Pokemon he had caught along the way to Mahogany, I recollected what all Pokemon he had, and what I'll have to face in the league in order to win it and rhis time I was certain I will do it, without meddling with the time, of course.

Ethan currently had a Typhlosion, which was evolved from his Quilava, a Larvitar which I searched the Pokedex to be a dark type, an Umbreon which is one of the evolutions of an Eevee and also a dark type. A Xatu, evolved form of Natu the psychic type. A Pichu which was hatched from an egg Professor Oak gave him, Pichu evolves into a Pikachu. And finally the Gyarados he caught at the Lake of Rage, which attained a permanent red color.

I really hoped Lance caught the Red Gyarados, but never mind, I guess Ethan deserved it.

"Pryce, I challenge you for a gym battle." I said, clicking off a Pokeball from my belt. Pryce was ready, probably ready to defeat me, but I had to win, if I lose now, there's no chance of winning at the league.

"I don't think I can deny battling you." Said Pryce. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as one could be!" I gasped and felt the strength inside of me, strength of my core, blazing like red hot fire. "Go Wartortle."

"Go Seel." Pryce sent out one of his ice types. Seel was an easy win, easier with Wartortle.

"Wartortle, use Water Gun."

It was a critical hit. Pryce hadn't seen that coming. He didn't seem ready to battle as of now, as if something had happened recently.

"Seel, use Icy Wind." Said Pryce, losing all hopes from Seel, he was already at low health.

"Wartortle, finish it with a Rapid Spin." Seel fainted. Pryce called his Pokemon back.

"Go Delibird." He said, sending off his Delibird.

"Wartortle, you know what to use." I said, nodding. "Hydro Pump."

"Delibird!" Said Pryce. "Freeze it."

Delibird blew cold air at the water coming towards it, the water turned into ice in it's way to Delibird, the ice fell before it could reach the red colored ice type.

I then asked Wartortle to use water gun to see if the Delibird chose to use the same move to freeze the water, and it happened as I had expected. Wartortle's  water type attacks were ineffectual against the icy Delibird. And I he was left with his last attack, 'Rapid Spin'.

Given that Wartortle was the first Pokemon I used, I was certainly winning as Pryce had just one more that I had to beat. Without creating any false tension, I asked Wartortle to use Rapid Spin. Pryce was now taking Wartortle lightly and did not treat him as a threat as he previously did before he withdrew his Seel.

"Delibird" He said in rather dark voice. "Aerial Ace." Delibird dashed at Wartortle using its small feathers and hit him with all its strength. Wartortle couldn't handle the flying type move and fainted.

I called him back, and there was the lesson I learnt, it popped in my mind as the voice of my father that said - never underestimate anyone. I smiled for a reply to what his voice said, the smile was half-hearted and partly sarcastic. Then he continued - not even yourself.

The lines clicked my mind and I was serious, as serious as one could be for a gym battle. Come on Red, this is your chance to prove everyone that you can defeat someone without the help of your two main Pokemon - Charizard and Pikachu.

And I was sure that I was going to do it, "I choose you, Ivysaur." Ivysaur was now in action, but a grass type against an ice type wasn't a wise decision to make, rather it was a very foolish one that had to be taken by a ten year old in a hurry or under stress. Oh, wait, yeah I was ten, of course. Well, people tell me that overthinking was one of my bad habits.

"Ivysaur." I said. "Razor Leaf."

I was surprised but then I realized that Wartortle had already lowered Delibird's health. As for Ivysaur, Delibird was a one hit knock out. Now, time to end the battle, Pryce called his Delibird back and then looked at two of his Pokeball.

I guessed what Pokemon both of them would be containing. My first thoughts were - probably Dewgong. Then I changed my mind to the green colored toad Pokemon that almost looked like a Poliwhirl, it's picture were hung on the wall.

Pryce sent out his Pokemon and it revealed to be something I had never seen before. I thought I had seen all of Johto's Pokemon - I murmured. The Pokemon was hairy, brown hair from its head too touched the ground, it was hairier than the gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid from Harry Potter, though I never liked the books, I remember Leaf used to read those a lot, sometimes Percy Jackson too which of course, I had recommended her.

I quickly pointed the Pokedex towards the Pokemon with the huge teeth. The Pokedex displayed it's photograph and the information read - Piloswine, the Swine Pokemon. If it charges at an enemy, the hairs on its back stand up straight. It is very sensitive to sound. The most unusual thing right now was - that the Pokedex did not say anything, no sound came out of the Pokedex. And I had to read the information on the Piloswine.

"Ivysaur, Solar Beam!" Ivysaur started absorbing the sunlight.

Whereas Pryce still looked the opposite of worried. I felt like a noob who thought he was winning whereas the pro was going to clutch the round.

"Piloswine, use Earthquake."

Ivysaur fainted. Only if Ivysaur could use the Solarbeam. We would've won as Piloswine was weak against grass types. I called back Ivysaur and sent out Ditto. Espeon on the other hand was my new last resort. Which sounded bad but was the truth. What would you do if you had a twin brother who changed into a little sister because of your time travel doings? You won't even care about the sister now, would you?

Ditto transformed into Piloswine, I pointed the Pokedex at Ditto to check what all moves he knew. His move set consisted of Earthquake, Ice Fang, Hyper Beam and Mud shot. Pryce was a fool not to use Hyper Beam. It was the Avara Kedavra of the Pokemon attacks.

"Ditto, go for it." I said, confidently. "Avara- oh, Hyper Beam."

Don't you think the killing spell sounded like the Pokemon Abra and Kadabra? Why am I talking about so much Harry Potter? Maybe because I missed my very good friend - Leaf.

Coming back to the battle, Piloswine did not faint. It still had strength to battle. "Piloswine, Hyper Beam." Ditto fainted. This was impossible. There was no way this could've happened.

"Come back, Ditto." I said. Ethan looked at me eerily, slightly curious - I guessed. "Go Pikachu."

The moment I sent out Pikachu was the moment Ethan chuckled. Had I done something wrong by sending a Pokemon I could win with? No, I did not think so.

Everything felt way easier now that Pikachu was in the battle field. "Pikachu." I said. "Thunder."

Piloswine fainted.

Pryce smiled and called back his Pokemon. "Red? Is it?" Said Pryce. "I recognized you the moment you entered my gym. You are an exact replica of your father. Oh, yes, I knew Ben. One of my closest, I was devastated the day I got to know of his untimely demise, saddening it was, to be very honest."

"I too remember that day, I came from a summer camp at Oak's when he got a call from Silph. I still hate that company."

"Silph had nothing to do with that. It was Team rocket who were threatening your father with phone calls." He said.

"Threatening my father? Team Rocket?" I asked. " But, why?"

"Why would Team Rocket want to threaten a scientist at Silph?" Asked Pryce.

"Master ball." I said, staring at the photograph on the wall. "Giovanni wants to catch Mewtwo."

Suddenly, everything summed up in my mind, what Giovanni really wanted and I knew till what extent that monster could go. Pryce handed me the Glacier Badge and the TM07 disc - Hail.

"Good luck, kid." Said Pryce. "I'll wish for your victory."

Pryce smiled distinctively which made me feel as if the good luck was for something else other than the Pokemon League.