Rosa eyed the two teenagers in front of her with interest. Not only had they grown up in the same town as her boss, but they were also his childhood friends.
"Red and Leaf, right?"
Red: "…"
"Yeah, that's us," Leaf confirmed.
Blue had said more than once that these two were the newcomers with the most potential. Well, he'd mentioned that Rosa herself could probably keep up with them, but he wasn't entirely sure about the Gym Leaders.
All Rosa knew was that anyone praised that highly by the Champion was worth paying attention to.
"You know," Leaf said with a sigh, "we just want to get through the gates and kick Blue's ass."
Rosa chuckled. "You're not the first person I've heard say that. But why? Aren't you childhood friends?"
Red: "…"
Rosa blinked. "Excuse me?"
Red: "…!"
She stared at Leaf. "Why does he act like I'm supposed to understand him when he just stares at me?"
Leaf sighed. "Both of my childhood friends are idiots. And no, I'm not translating for him. Red! Why are you so rude?"
Red: "…"
"It doesn't matter," Leaf muttered. "Can we just go through already?"
Rosa shook her head. "Not like this. You both only managed to earn two badges before the Gym Circuit was put on hold. Letting you through Victory Road as you are now..." She shook her head again. "It's not happening."
Red: "…"
"We don't care," Leaf said, jabbing a thumb at Red.
Rosa raised a brow. "Isn't Blue one of your best friends? Why don't you trust him?"
"We've dreamed about challenging the eight Gyms and the Elite Four since we were little kids!" Leaf snapped. "No matter how 'cool' this new system is, he crushed our dream!"
Rosa turned to Red. "You do realize that with these changes, there will be more battles all across Kanto? The quality and variety of Pokémon on the routes are going to improve a ton. There are even sacred battlegrounds being set up for people who want to battle 24/7."
Red: "…?"
"Don't let her sweet-talk you, idiot!"
Red: "…?"
"I don't care if she's telling the truth, dumbass! We're still going to kick Blue's ass. Think about your mom!"
Red: "…!!!"
The light in Red's eyes shifted in an instant. His casual silence was replaced by pure fury. The Pikachu on his shoulder sparked, electricity crackling from its cheeks.
"No matter," Rosa shrugged. "Blue already warned me about your stubbornness. Leaf, you're already registered under the Grass Gym. He's convinced you'll take it over someday. He asked me to pass on a question, though: do you specialize?"
"Nope," Leaf replied flatly. "And if Blue manages to beat me when I'm using my future full team, then I'll take over the Gym. I do have Bulbasaur, though. That's enough to qualify, even if I don't specialize."
"Same for you, Red, right?"
Red: "…"
"Perfect," Rosa smiled. "Normally, with Red being part of the Fire Gym, we'd offer him a special Cyndaquil, Chimchar, or Litten. Leaf, you'd get to choose between Treecko, Turtwig, or Sprigatito. But you two? You're different."
She folded her arms, smirking.
"You're our representatives for trainers who don't specialize in a single type. More than that—you both symbolize the original Kanto lineup. According to Blue, you're basically the mascots of the perfect little Kanto rookies."
"Charming, as always," Leaf muttered, crossing her arms.
Red remained silent, expression unreadable as ever.
"That's why Blue prepared a gift for each of you." Rosa handed them a small box—inside, five Poké Balls each. "You don't have to use them, but if you want even a chance of surviving Victory Road, they'll help you get at least halfway through. Blue calls them the Protagonist Kanto Teams—two different squads built from the most iconic and popular Kanto Pokémon."
Leaf scowled. "Why should we use Blue's Pokémon?! We can catch our own. We don't need charity."
Red: "…"
"Oh, really?" Rosa smirked. "And what about your starters, hmm?"
Leaf and Red fell silent.
"You both know your starters came from Professor Oak—but who do you think delivered them to the lab? Oak Hatchery."
They nodded reluctantly.
"Ever notice something... different about those starters? Compared to the wild Pokémon around here?"
"Of course," Leaf grumbled. "I know Professor Oak's starters are strong, but ours are something else. They're like—actual monsters. No offense, Bulbasaur."
She gave her deceptively sweet-looking starter a fond pat on the head.
"And did you realize," Rosa leaned in, eyes gleaming, "that monsters like yours couldn't even be found in the wild until now? That every Pokémon you caught—and every one your opponents used against you—was nothing but a lesser version?"
Red: "…"
"The truth is," Rosa continued, "Blue has more than one Pokémon like that on his team. Sure, he presents himself as a Water-type specialist—that's his favorite—but his original team? The one no one ever sees? It's a full team of six, each a different type, and way stronger than the Water team he battles with now."
She let the words hang in the air for a beat.
"His real goal," she said quietly, "is for someone—anyone—to defeat that team. A fair 6-on-6 battle."
Another pause.
"And out of everyone, you two are among the few with the potential to do it."
Red: "…"
Leaf: "…"
"But," Rosa said, her tone sharpening, "you can't do it alone. Not yet. You'll have to be willing to accept help—even from that smug Champion."
She held up the Poké Balls again.
"That's why we built these teams for you. The Kanto Protagonist Teams. Use them alongside your starters. Train them through Victory Road. And maybe, just maybe…"
She smiled faintly.
"…you'll take a tiny, baby step closer to defeating him."
Rosa watched as Red and Leaf made their way toward Victory Road, a strange expression crossing her face. Blue had asked her to deliver that speech to his so-called "rivals," and Rosa had done exactly that.
Blue's out of his mind, she thought. Does he honestly believe anyone in this world could ever defeat him?
No one could ever beat that man.
The next trainer already waited in front of her.
"Hello!" The dark-skinned woman greeted Rosa with a bright smile. "I'm Nessa!"
"Oh," Rosa smiled back. "The one Blue personally recruited, huh?"
"That's me!" Nessa beamed. "My dad's still out at sea, halfway through his voyage, but then Blue just teleported onto our ship and brought me here. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made it for another two months. He said there's a huge opportunity for me to grow stronger!"
Rosa's eyebrow twitched. Sure, she thought. Send all the promising newbies straight to Victory Road, Blue.
"You're joining Misty's Water Gym in the Sevii Islands, right?"
"That's right!" Nessa nodded enthusiastically.
"Well, that's lucky for you," Rosa sighed. "The Sevii Islands are packed with all kinds of Water-types, so you'll have plenty of options to build your team. Still, like every new recruit, you're entitled to a Starter Pokémon."
Rosa pulled up a display and smiled. "You can choose from the following:"
1. Mudkip – "Its next evolution becomes Water/Ground, one of the best type combinations out there."
2. Piplup – "It evolves into a Water/Steel type, and as I always say, Steel is probably the best secondary typing in the game."
3. Froakie – "This one becomes Water/Dark. A true speed demon, if you're into fast, agile battlers."
Nessa blinked. "Wait… no Squirtle?"
"That's right," Rosa said, shaking her head. "The original three Kanto starters are still exclusively handed out by Professor Oak himself."
"That's too bad," Nessa sighed. "But my choice is clear—I'm picking Mudkip!"
"Excellent choice," Rosa nodded. "Solid defenses, great typing, and adaptable. Misty will be your new superior once you arrive in Sevii. All that's left is for you to sign your contract—then you'll officially be a trainer of the Kanto Pokémon League!"
The next person in line was—a kid, of all things. The strange part wasn't her age, but her eyes—unsettlingly unusual, yet strangely beautiful.
"H-Hello," said the girl, who looked to be around fourteen. "My name is Valerie."
That's when Rosa remembered her.
Valerie.
She wasn't thinking of the Valerie from this world—the one standing right in front of her—but of the one from her world. The girl who became the Fairy-type Gym Leader of Kalos. And later, after the apocalypse began, the one who led the Kalos resistance—somewhat successfully, at least until it all went to hell.
What the hell was she doing here, in Kanto?
"Where are you from, Valerie?"
"Originally from Johto," she replied, a bit shyly.
"How'd you end up here?"
"C-Champion Blue hired me… and m-my whole family," she said, stumbling over the words.
"Your whole family?" Rosa raised an eyebrow.
Valerie nodded. "We all work for his sister, Daisy Oak, in Pallet Town. Blue said we have some kind of… strange affinity with Fairy-types." She gestured vaguely to her eyes. "I'm now Daisy Oak's personal assistant."
Rosa gave a sympathetic smile. "So why are you here, then?"
Valerie fidgeted. "Daisy said I needed battle experience… in case I have to face trainers at our gy—" She cut herself off, clapping her hands over her mouth. "I just need experience as a trainer," she said quickly. "And… while I'm here, I'm supposed to pick out a starter Pokémon."
Rosa sighed. Poor Valerie. Already wrapped around the finger of an Oak—just not the one she expected.
"You're the first official member of the new Fairy Gym in Pallet Town. That's pretty exciting. Here are your options for a starter, sweetheart."
1. Cleffa – "Kanto's Fairy-type ace. Pure Fairy-type, and Daisy Oak's personal favorite."
2. Flabébé – "A Fairy-type with a strong connection to nature. Delicate, but powerful."
3. Tinkatink – "A Fairy/Steel type. And yes, I've said it a hundred times—Steel is still the best secondary typing there is."
"Oh, that's easy!" Valerie said brightly. "I'll take Tinkatink, because—"
"—Steel is the best second typing there is," Rosa finished for her with a weary smile.
Valerie giggled.
"Welcome to Kanto, Valerie. Good luck—and be careful on Victory Road, alright? If things get rough, just follow the boy and girl in red and green. They'll keep you safe."
Valerie nodded, clutching Tinkatink's Poké Ball to her chest, and quietly walked off.
"Next in line!"
"Hello," Rosa was greeted by a well-groomed man in a tailored suit. "My name is Archer."
Rosa frowned. Another Team Rocket bastard, she thought. And this one's Giovanni's right-hand man.
"Do you need an introduction?" she asked coolly, though she already knew the answer. Giovanni's second-in-command was bound to be well-informed.
"No, thank you," Archer replied with polished courtesy. "I've already decided to join the Ground Gym. There's no move quite like Earthquake, wouldn't you say?" He let out a soft chuckle.
"Earthquake's devastating—assuming you're not flying or hovering," Rosa smirked. "The mighty Ground Gym, huh? Kanto still clings to the belief that Giovanni's the strongest Gym Leader, even with all the new competition. Let's see what starter Pokémon we can offer you..."
She tapped a screen, then began listing options with practiced flair.
1. Rhyhorn – "A beast with two evolutions, though most people in Kanto still think it only has one. Ground/Rock—awful typing if you look at the weaknesses. Grass and Water will eat it alive. Still, people manage to make it work somehow."
2. Sandile – "Sneaky little guy, just like he looks. Ground/Dark type—very fitting for shady types and criminals around here. I've no idea why Blue thought it was a good idea to assign this one to Giovanni of all people."
3. Drilbur – "And last but not least! Ground/Steel. Of course, we couldn't leave out Steel. Like I've said a hundred times—Steel is probably the strongest secondary typing in the world."
"How intriguing," Archer raised an eyebrow. "I can't imagine why, as a perfectly law-abiding citizen of Kanto, but... I choose Sandile."
"Oh," Rosa said flatly. "What a surprise. Here's your contract. Welcome to the Ground Gym. Next!"