She's… confused. She'd done it, after all. Everything her Creator had asked of her. She's done it all. She collected her Pokemon, she trained them up. She fought other Trainers and won every battle. She collected badge after badge, and then came here and faced the Elite Four and the Pokemon Champion.

That final fight had been a surprisingly difficult one. Not a surprise because of Blue's age, but more a surprise because Red had never been pushed like that by anyone, young or old, big or small. Not a single trainer had been able to challenge her like Blue had at the end there… not even Blue himself, who had shown up a handful of times on her path to the Elite Four, each time challenging her, each time losing.

This final battle between the two of them had been the best one yet, and for a moment, in the heat of it, Red had wondered if he might actually be able to defeat her.

… But no. He wasn't strong enough. Maybe with more time, but at the end of the day, he was who he was and she was who she was. She won, and that was that. Or rather, it should have been.

In the back of her mind, Red had always known there would be an After, she supposed. She just… hadn't thought it would be like this. Standing there, watching Blue cry, she'd wondered what was supposed to happen next. She'd been relieved when the Professor had shown up and taken her into the Hall of Fame.

While her team was registered in the system and she was declared Pokemon Champion, the Professor had explained things to her. How she would be expected to stay here now, how she would need to be by his side and agree with everything he said. And how, if she did that, she would only ever get to face the strongest challenges, the best Trainers.

It sounded… fine, she supposed. It wasn't what she wanted, but when had that ever mattered before? The Professor was the Creator, and the Creator was the Professor. His word was law, his orders sacrosanct. Red was made to obey him, to follow his instructions, to do as she was told. And that was what she would do.

… Admittedly, she'd been a little caught off guard by the audience they'd had when they finally left the Hall of Fame. As the Professor did all the talking, she hadn't known quite where to look. Until, that is, her eyes had landed upon Him. Her mouth had gone dry, and she'd found herself staring. He was there, in the crowd, while the Professor announced that she would be deferring all of her decision-making and responsibility to her Creator.

Red had gone along with it, for how could she not. But also, she wondered at why HE wasn't stepping in. Why He didn't say anything. After all… wasn't this supposed to be Him? She was never meant for this. She was never meant to be here. It was always supposed to be Him.

But then, things got odder. The Professor's speech was interrupted by two more individuals. They began to talk about her. They claimed she wasn't real. Red certainly felt real, so she wasn't entirely sure what they meant. But… the Creator certainly reacted to their words in quite the panic.

When he first orders her to retreat with him into the other room, Red isn't entirely sure she wants to go. She doesn't… she doesn't want to leave Him. Not before He makes His move, whatever it will be. But… the Creator is insistent, and so she follows. Now they're here, locked away in the Hall of Fame. As the Professor paces back and forth, Red finds herself wondering… what now?

"Alright! I've-!"

The Professor suddenly stops, looking like he has a plan. But before he can finish his sentence, there's a sudden creaking noise from the sealed Hall of Fame door that draws both of their attention. Together, they watch as a Crowbar is slowly leveraged into the locked door… and with impossible strength, manages to break it open, forcing the door to slide up into the ceiling.

There He stands, framed in the doorway, his pink hair slicked back… and determination filling his eyes as he steps forward. Beside her, the Professor scoffs.

"Team Rocket. You have thoroughly exhausted my good will; I'll have you know. This tomfoolery has gone on long enough. I've been watching you; you know! I've watched you since Giovanni sent you to Bill, since he had you meddle in Pokemon Tower! You… I figured you were just another road bump for Red. But instead, you've been a thorn that just won't go away!"

… Was it possible the Creator did not realize? Red slowly blinks from where she's standing behind the Professor, watching him lay into… well, into Him without seeming to realize just who he was talking to. Her Creator could be called many things, but she never would have thought 'blind' would be one of them. And yet, here they are. The three of them, together again at last… and the Professor doesn't understand who he's talking to.

"And now look at you. What are you wearing? Don't tell me Giovanni has given up! Hah! And what, he named YOU as his successor?! Bah, that useless man. He couldn't even do this right? He was supposed to stick around long enough for me to arrest him… using Red's authority of course. A big profile criminal like him behind bars alongside Lance would have been perfect. Instead… ugh, you're not nearly as good."

With a sneer, Oak takes a step back, laughing and shaking his head.

"In the end, it doesn't matter what proof any of you have. Red is as human as you or me! Just because she was born through… alternative means. Bah! Kanto Region is hers… ours! There isn't a Trainer alive who's capable of taking her new title from her."

One of the Professor's hands clenches into a fist at his side. Red wonders at why he's talking so much, if he doesn't even understand WHO he's talking to. But, she finds herself slowly realizing… it's not about who he's talking to. He needs this for himself. It's a strange epiphany to have. Red can only blinks, as she watches her Creator… monologue.

"I did everything right! I surrendered and brought an end to the war! I stopped the fighting and the bloodshed and was called a coward and a fool for it! People claimed it was an eternal stain on my honor, to never be washed away! Pah! Honor! Honor is a luxury for those with power. Back then, I did not have enough power. Back then, Lance and Johto could afford to have honor, because they had ALL of the power."

With a manic gleam in his eye, the Professor shakes his head again.

"Not anymore. Red is all the power that Kanto will ever need, ever again. And best of all, she doesn't bother with pesky things like honor, Rocket! Look at her! If you asked her where her honor was, she'd be liable to ask what honor even was, and if she could eat it!"

… Hm, she got the vaguest impression that she'd just been insulted. Red's brow furrows, as she listens to her Creator continue to rant and rave.

"At the end of the day… it doesn't matter what I say to you, Rocket. Because you will never be anything but a lowly criminal. And Red… Red is your Pokemon Champion. She is ALL of Kanto's Pokemon Champion!"

Pulling back, straightening up, the Professor fixes his lab coat and clears his throat.

"All I have done… I have done for myself, my family, and Kanto. What's a little more, in the face of all of that? What's just a bit more bloodshed, hm? Now… will you come quietly, Rocket? A bunch of terrorists infiltrating not just the Champion's Chamber, but the Hall of Fame… why, it's just the sort of story needed to put to bed any rumors of Red's humanity. You and your goons will be arrested, and Red will be the hero that stopped your plans. It's just… so unfortunate that Blaine, Fuji, and Bill were all in on it. Hell, why not, even Lance was in on it!"

Eyes flashing, smile positively feral, the Professor chuckles darkly.

"A bunch of criminals. A bunch of traitors to Kanto. You'll receive a trial if you surrender now. Otherwise… I can't really be held responsible for what happens next. Red, you see… doesn't always know when she should hold back."

Red's eyes flicker to the Creator. Ah, truly? Well… she'd been waiting for this moment, had she not? And so… it seem, had He. After all, He does not back down to the Professor's ultimatum. He does not 'surrender'. His hand tightens around a Pokeball, and his choice is obvious. Obvious to the Professor as well, it would seem.

"Hmph. Very well. Red… take out the trash."

Yes. Now… now is the time for them to fight. Now is the time for her to finally take her rightful place… at His feet. But first, He has to prove worthy of her. It's the least she should be allowed to demand of Him, after He abandoned her.

Wordlessly, they square off from one another. They only speak when they both throw forth their Pokeballs.

"Go, Charizard."

"Go, Gyarados."

Her eyes widen a bit at that, and she immediately opens her mouth… but He is faster.

"Gyarados, Hydro Pump."

Even with the Type Disadvantage… her Charizard has been with her the longest. Red very much considers Charizard her strongest Pokemon. One might wonder why she'd used it first… but it had just felt right, she didn't have anything to say beyond that. And yet… while Charizard does try to instinctively dodge, Gyarados is too fast and too accurate.

The Hydro Pump slams into her Charizard and sends it crashing into the floor, forcing the Professor to stumble off to the side. He should have known better than to be so close to a Pokemon Battle anyways.

Wordlessly, Red recalls her Charizard and without hesitation sends out her next Pokemon. She can feel it in her veins, thrumming away. She knows what's going to happen here… but she can't help but give it her all, nonetheless. To be the very best… the Professor's orders still resound through her head.

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"

"Pika… CHUUUU!"

Her Pikachu is her fastest Pokemon. His Gyarados doesn't stand a chance in trying to dodge. And yet, she doesn't use Thunder for a reason. It's a powerful move, but also inaccurate. Something told her… something told her if she'd tried, she would have given her opponent a chance to get out of the way.

As it is, Pikachu's Thunderbolt strikes true. Gyarados' entire skeleton is momentarily lit up, before the electricity fades away. However, unlike her Charizard who was struck down in just one move… Gyarados remains standing.

"Return. Raticate, Hyper-Fang."

Her eyes widen again, as He nevertheless recalls his Pokemon and sends forth a Raticate instead. The speed at which the Rat Type moves is… it beggars belief. Her Pikachu was her fastest Pokemon, and until this moment, Red would have equated that to him being the fastest Pokemon in the entire Region. But not anymore.

The battle is not going in her favor. She's already down two Pokemon, as she recalls a bleeding, unconscious Pikachu to its ball. For a moment, Red hesitates. He just watches her in silence.

"What are you doing?! Stop fooling around!"

And then there's the Professor. He doesn't sound happy. She imagines he wouldn't be. And yet… and yet, she's thrilled.

"Go, Alakazam."

Her opponent… her other half just nods, and without a word, sends out his own Alakazam. The following battle is a one-sided beatdown in his favor, his Pokemon… much stronger than hers.

"Dragonite."

Once again, He matches her Pokemon for Pokemon. They don't even bother calling out moves or commands as the two Dragonite fly at one another. There's no point, the Dragon Type Pokemon move with blinding speed, grappling one another in midair, until finally, his Dragonite fires a Hyper Beam directly into hers face. As it falls to the ground, smoking… she doesn't think her Dragonite is dead. But it's certainly down for the count.

"Snorlax."

For Snorlax, He sends out… a Ninetales. For a moment, she's surprised. It's neither a mirror match nor a favorable match up for him. But then, it doesn't really need to be, does it? Snorlax tries a Body Slam, but the Ninetales dodges nimbly out of the way and begins peppering the large, rotund Pokemon with fire attacks that slowly but surely burn out his stamina. Even falling asleep to recover some vitality doesn't help him. In the end, Snorlax is down for the count as well.

"Lapras."

Her final Pokemon being her Lapras feels almost anticlimactic. But only until she realizes… it's not about her and it never has been. HIS final Pokemon is… something else entirely. What comes out of the purple Pokeball with an M on it is… like nothing that Red has ever seen before. Her lips part, and she watches as the creature, limbs flailing all over the place, body distorted and shifting in and out of reality itself, strikes at her Lapras.

It goes about as well as can be expected. Namely, she loses. Like she always knew she was going to. After all, how could the outcome ever be in doubt? She was who she was… and He was who He was. The Replacement. The Original. All of this… it was always supposed to be him. She's finally lost. There are tears streaming down her face, oddly enough. But also… there's a strange pulling at her lips, her mouth stretching up in a curve. She's… seen this on many a human face before, but it takes her a moment to recognize it just from feeling.

She's smiling. As well she should. As she collapses to her knees before him, her and her Pokemon broken and defeated, Red smiles, because she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is how things are supposed to be. How it was always meant to be. Finally… everything is back to normal.

… Surely the Professor would be happy, once he finally realized the truth. After all, his creation had returned at long last.

"No… no, how is this possible?! How did you LOSE?! To a filthy criminal, no less?!"

Red blinks, looking over at her Creator. He doesn't seem happy. Has he still not realized? Is he still so blind? Growing red in the face, the aged Pokemon Professor stomps forward, a snarl on his lips.

"You, Rocket! What are you supposed to be, huh? Giovanni's secret weapon?! Something he made Bill and the others cook up for him?! You're certainly NOT human! What ARE you?!"

As He looks at their Creator intensely, Red just smiles, kneeling there off to the side, all but forgotten. It was out of her hands now…

-x-X-x-

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