Chapter 14: Crimson and Azure

There were still a few hours left before nightfall.

The four of them were idling away in the small cabin, chatting out of boredom.

Seeing a Pokémon nearby, Ash couldn't help but pull out his Pokédex.

It was worth noting that he had originally longed to receive one of the standard starter Pokémon, but due to some irresistible force, he had ended up with this chubby Pikachu instead.

"Beep-beep. Bulbasaur, the Garlic Pokémon. Half meat, half vegetable. Comes with its own seasoning for grilling."

The Pokédex announced.

Blue: "?"

Seeing the other three wearing expressions that suggested this was perfectly normal, she became even more bewildered.

"Hey, Ash, is your Pokédex infected with a virus?"

"No? Isn't this a normal Pokédex?"

Ash couldn't help but ask in return.

Seeing the other two looking at her as if she were the strange one, Blue even began to suspect that she was the one with the problem.

Finally, she silently pulled out her own Pokédex.

"Beep. Bulbasaur, the Seed Pokémon. One of the starter Pokémon for beginners. It loves sunlight, and the seed grows along with its body."

Ash and the others: "?"

This time, it was their turn to be confused.

Ash pointed at his Pikachu in disbelief, and Blue understood, moving her Pokédex over.

"Beep. Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon. It uses its tail to sense the surrounding environment and releases electricity from its cheeks in times of danger."

Ash frowned and moved his own Pokédex over as well.

"Beep-beep. Pikachu, a dime-a-dozen electric mouse. Plain and unremarkable, not worth mentioning."

Everyone: "???"

So it wasn't their imagination after all; this Pokédex was truly broken!

Moreover, everyone else's Pokédex only "beeped" once, but his always "beep-beeped" twice.

It was as if it were calling everyone "little brother" before even speaking; it was full of attitude from the very first word.

"As expected, Professor Oak gave me a defective version," Ash said bitterly.

During the conversation, Blue suddenly thought of something. After hesitating for a long time, she asked

"Hey, hey, speaking of weird events, do you ever have inexplicable words popping into your head lately?"

Ash raised an eyebrow, sensing something fishy.

Indeed, he had been hearing phantom voices in his head recently.

Ash had assumed it was a hint from the heavens, given that he was the Chosen One.

"Last time I ran into Gary, he also said he had strange conversations appearing in his mind. He’s been suffering every night; he can't sleep without swallowing three or four sleeping pills. He breaks out in cold sweats, his hands go ice-cold, and he has nightmares as soon as he falls asleep..."

"Although, he looks pretty healthy to me..."

Blue's expression turned somewhat ugly.

Hearing this, Ash’s body stiffened; this didn't sound good at all.

"Gary said the feng shui in Pallet Town has always been bad, and that every trainer who comes out of here ends up with a terrible mental contagion," Blue said weakly.

A mental contagion?

Brock and Misty frowned; they could actually understand that to some extent.

"But I sleep like a log. Maybe that guy Gary is already in the terminal stage and is beyond saving," Ash said dismissively.

Blue: "Never mind then."

Anyway, she slept quite soundly too.

R.I.P!

At night, the four of them arrived at a meadow next to the Clefairy shop.

The area was enclosed by a few scattered fences, with a high platform standing in the middle, as if it were meant to display something.

So, the four of them stood guard outside the fence, excitedly waiting for the Clefairy to appear.

And then they waited until the early hours of the morning...

Without a doubt, Gary had played her again.

"Damn it! Next time, I’m definitely going to hang Gary from a tree and whip him ten thousand times!!"

Blue clutched her round head and roared repeatedly.

"So, are we still going to continue? I can't take it anymore," Misty asked, yawning.

"You guys go to sleep, I’m going to stay up all night!"

Blue gulped down a cup of strong tea. Her lively eyes were already bloodshot, yet she stared fixedly at the platform.

She had been fasting for nearly seven days; she wasn't going to give up now!

Ash: "..."

Although he really wanted to go to sleep, looking at her posture, wouldn't she die of sudden exhaustion in the middle of the night?

After all, as a fellow villager from Pallet Town, if she really died, he would have to carry her back.

That would ruin Ash's plan to become a Pokémon Master, so he could only frown and say

"Um, I'll stay and watch. You guys go to sleep."

Hearing this, Brock and Misty also yawned and returned to the nearby Clefairy cabin to sleep.

For a time, only the two of them remained in the meadow.

With the wind blowing through the grass, the boy and girl sat side by side on the lawn.

Beside them were a sleeping green-skinned turtle and an electric mouse, which was actually quite cozy.

"By the way, Blue, have you ever thought about what you want to do in the future?"

For some reason, Ash suddenly threw out a philosophical question.

"Me? I haven't thought about it yet. For now, I just plan to wander around~"

She shook her head, her eyes filled with a hint of confusion.

For someone with a naturally airheaded personality, this expression looked somewhat unusual.

This was her first time meeting Brock, which meant Blue hadn't embarked on the path of challenging gyms.

However, she did envy Ash a bit. Even though he looked like a greenhorn, he had known his dream since he was a child.

Although she didn't know what a Pokémon Master even was.

Silence fell. The two just stared quietly at the platform, cursing Gary like best friends while waiting for the Clefairy to appear...

Late at night.

*Tap.*

At this moment, Ash suddenly felt a little weight on his shoulder.

He turned his head and discovered that Blue had fallen asleep at some point, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Tsk, women, they really can't hold up!"

Ash couldn't help but sneer, feeling secretly proud. Since he was the one who lasted until the end, his willpower was clearly the strongest!

He was the champion of the night watch!

In the darkness, the moonlight spilled onto the meadow, and the faint white light illuminated Blue's profile. As she slept, she looked as playful and moving as a sprite.

This was the first time Ash had looked at her from such a close distance.

This fellow villager of his actually had something going for her.

"If I punched a girl like this in the stomach, she’d probably cry for a long time, right?"

He threw a punch into the air, gesturing.

Two hours later, even the iron-willed Ash finally couldn't withstand the overwhelming sleepiness.

His vision went black, and he began to doze off.

"Zzz..."

The two of them leaned against each other, sitting on the grass, sleeping very soundly...

But a few minutes later, Ash suddenly opened his eyes.

For some reason, his expression became incredibly cold, looking at everything as if it were wood. His voice became deep, and his eyes were profound.

It was Red who had taken over Ash's body.

He pushed Blue's head away and said coldly

"You can get up now, right?"

Blue shivered and slowly opened her eyes.

Although it was the same face, the temperament she exuded was completely different from the cute, silly, and sweet girl from before.

In her lively eyes, there was a cunning that seemed to see through everything.

"Hee hee, you don't even know how to cherish the chance to lean on this lady? You'll be single for life~"

Blue stood up and stretched her arms, which hadn't moved for hours.

A powerful aura, as if she were in control of everything, made Red frown slightly.

"So you came over too, Blue."

Red said slowly.

In the digital world Red came from, he and Blue were partners who had traveled together.

The moment he saw Blue, he guessed that this woman had probably realized she was just a game character and that her soul had transcended and followed him here.

Blue blinked her beautiful eyes.

Then she reached out, and to his surprise, she locked her hand around Red's neck, twisted his waist, and pulled him into her embrace.

"Still playing the melancholy prince in front of me?"

Her other hand vigorously ruffled Red's hair. Looking at him, it was like seeing a piece of raw jade turn into a salted fish.

"Aww~ such a passionate boy, how did you become so autistic after staying on Mt. Silver for two years? Tsk tsk tsk."

Red: "..."

Did I eat your Farfetch'd by being autistic?

He quickly dodged and kept his distance from Blue.

Women were like Arcanines, and Blue was the number one female Arcanine in the universe; it was better to stay away.

After some exchange, the two understood each other's situation.

They had arrived on almost the same day.

Red had possessed Ash's body and occasionally hinted at his existence, but the latter, being thick-headed, had ignored it.

Blue's situation was even worse; she had been frantically hinting at her existence every day.

As a result, Blue had mistaken it for a sacred will transmitted from the heavens, becoming so pious that she didn't dare to have the slightest bit of blasphemy or communication.

She was one step away from holding incense and praying to Blue.

Red: "..."

"By the way, that guy Green came over too. He possessed that boy named Gary. I think their personalities are quite similar—they're both begging for a beating. One day, I'm really going to put a sack over his head and beat him up."

"You have to help me hold his mouth shut! Let's work together and beat him until his soul scatters!"

As she spoke, Blue clenched her fists.

When Blue said "put a sack over his head," she might have just been talking, but she definitely wasn't just talking.

If she didn't feel satisfied after the beating, she would definitely tie a stone to him and throw him directly into the sea to feed the Sharpedo.

Hearing this, Red wasn't surprised.

Since he could realize that he was just a game character, Green could naturally do the same.

In the digital world, both he and Green had reached the level cap for their roles; they were the ultimate existences with no room for further growth.

They had stopped fighting, considering it a draw and acknowledging each other.

But now that they had both come to this new world, Red instantly sensed the difference.

Whether it was trainers or Pokémon, there was no such thing as a level cap or reaching the ultimate.

A realm beyond the ultimate existed!

He could still become stronger!!

"I can fight you again, Green."

In Red's dead-fish eyes, an unprecedented fighting spirit ignited.