A moment later, the airflow on the field gradually blew away the remaining smoke. Everyone could finally see the situation clearly.
Charmander was drenched in sweat, and the flame on its tail had grown quite weak. Exhausted from the combined effects of the poison and the continuous fighting, it was gasping for air. Bulbasaur, however, lay on the ground with faint burn marks on its emerald body. Its eyes were tightly shut; it had fainted.
"Bulbasaur is unable to battle. Red wins!" Professor Oak announced the result, his voice tinged with admiration. "Hora, it's impressive that you used the Chlorophyll ability and Poison Powder to force Red into an all-out offensive despite the type disadvantage. And Red, your tactical judgment remained precise even while Charmander was poisoned."
Red immediately ran over, picked up his weakened Charmander, and fed it an antidote from his bag while gently stroking its head. "You worked hard, Charmander."
Hora also hurried to Bulbasaur's side and carefully picked it up. The little creature felt slightly warm from the burns, but it gently hooked its vine around his finger as if saying, "I did my best". Hora's heart softened. "You did great. Get some rest now."
In his mind, the System notification rang:
"Mission 'Battle Red' complete. Host defeated. Reward issued: Achievement Title [Red's Underdog]. Effect: In the next battle against Red, the participating Pokémon's fighting spirit will increase by 1.25x."
Hora breathed a secret sigh of relief. Though he lost, he had tested Bulbasaur's potential and secured the intended achievement—it was a profitable "trade". He looked up at Red with a defiant smile. "Big brother Red, I lost this time, but next time, I'll definitely win!"
Red's fatigue was replaced by a smile. "I'll be waiting for that day. Honestly, this battle was much more satisfying than the one with Gary. If your Bulbasaur was a higher level and knew more moves, I might not have won so easily."
This wasn't just politeness. Red knew that during the smoke sequence, Hora hadn't issued new commands because it was the most rational choice. Unlike Squirtle, Bulbasaur had no way to clear the smoke. Instead of wasting stamina on blind attacks, Hora had Bulbasaur focus on defense.
"When your Bulbasaur grows and learns Razor Leaf or Synthesis, let's have a proper rematch," Red added. "Next time, I won't hold back."
The Departure
After Red said his goodbyes and departed for Sinnoh to meet friends, Hora gathered his gear. He waved to Professor Oak. "Professor, I'm heading out too!"
"Go on! Be careful, and remember to call your mother," Oak waved back with a proud smile.
Just as Hora reached the lab entrance to begin the trek to Viridian City, he heard hurried footsteps and heavy panting. He turned to see a boy with messy brown-black hair, stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth while frantically pulling on his jacket—a red and white hat hung lopsidedly from his backpack.
"Ash (Satoshi), what took you so long?" Hora laughed, waiting for him.
Ash skidded to a stop, swallowed his bread, and gasped, "Hora! I... I'm late, aren't I? Why didn't you call me?" He adjusted his hat in a panic. He had been so excited last night that he couldn't sleep, only to oversleep in the morning.
"I didn't think you'd sleep that soundly. Didn't you brag about setting three alarms?" Hora teased.
"Don't talk about it!" Ash groaned. "The alarms didn't go off! By the time I woke up, the sun was already high!" His eyes then landed on Hora's Poké Balls. "You already got yours, right? What is it? Let me see!"
"It's Bulbasaur. It's resting after a battle with Red," Hora replied.
"Bulbasaur? The Grass-type?" Ash's eyes widened with envy. "That's such a steady Pokémon! I wanted Charmander. Fire-types are so cool and strong!" He mimicked a fire-breathing pose.
Hora gave him a strange look and patted his shoulder. "Forget about Charmander. Red already took it."
"WHAT?!" Ash's mouth hung open. "Red took it? What's left then? Squirtle?"
Seeing Ash's disappointment, Hora offered a hint: "Just go inside. I guarantee there's a Pokémon in there that is far more suited for you than Charmander."
The stubborn Pikachu was currently waiting in the ecological room for its destined partner.
"Really?" Ash's spirit returned instantly. He grabbed his bag and dashed into the lab. "I'm going in! Hora, see you in Viridian City! I'll show you how amazing my new partner is!"
"See you in Viridian City," Hora waved, watching the hot-headed boy disappear into the building.