`` A Man Chooses , A Pokemon Obeys ''

“ Unbelievable! I picked the wrong Pokemon! ” The boy yelled as my friend lay helpless on the ground. We had played like this before in the Professor ’ s yard; sometimes he won sometimes I did, some times Bulbasaur even did. It was different now. This time we weren ’ t playing, we were battling. Humans called for us to do something and we listened. No questions asked. Apparently unfaltering loyalty wasn ’ t good enough for Squirtle ’ s boy as it was for mine. 
 My boy, the one the Professor called Red, held me after the battle happy. I should have been happy with that but I couldn ’ t stop but look back as Squirtle returned to his pokeball. I saw the last of Bulbasaur that day when I hoped to see the last of the boy the Professor called Blue, but that was not the case. 
 Blue and Squirtle chased Master Red and I across Kanto. Everywhere we went they weren ’ t far behind, attempting to pass us and challenge us to battles. Everytime we won and everytime Blue would have the same scaring words for his team that he had for Squirtle that first day. 
 As Blue ’ s team crumbled our team stayed strong. Gaining a Pikachu was Red ’ s first major catch and no matter how the team changed the two of us stayed constant. I evolved and he didn ’ t. Then I evolved again and he still didn ’ t. He was peppy and fun but he was no Squirtle. 
 Red was kind, even when Pikachu and I failed him over and over against the Onix of Pewter City. He nurtured us, encouraging us to be better. Not scolding us as Blue would have. The more I came to love Red the more I hated Blue and the more I grew like Red the more Squirtle grew more like his master. I feared that he hated me just for being the lucky one of the two of us. 
 The journey became comforting after a while. The goal of being Pokemon League Champion seemed far off at first but as one by one we won each badge Red became more passionate and so we became just as passionate. 
 With gym battles came well trained and happy pokemon and passionate trainers and along the way that was most of what we saw. A Drowzee as happy as anything with his old gambling master, a Rattata playing contently with his young boy, even the Gastlys seemed pleased with the batty conjurers. I thought that Squirtle ’ s unhappiness was truly one in a million, until we met Team Rocket. 
 Team Rocket made me happy that Blue chose Squirtle. The lot of them were awful trainers, angry and abusive. An Ekans begged me to turn on his master and free him. I wonder if Red would have understood if I did attack the trainer. It wasn ’ t the pokemon ’ s fault. Some of them took to like the villainous actions or just coped. They all had a hopeless look in their eye regardless of the way they acted. All except for Giovanni ’ s Pokemon. 
 He was a good trainer that much I could tell. His Nidoking and I had became rivals faster than my Master and Blue. He hit harder than any other Pokemon I had ever faced. Giovanni was the head of Team Rocket but was nothing like any of the others. Nidoking told me in the heat of the battle once that Giovanni was a great man before he was a Rocket. I suppose I never believed him until I saw Giovanni at the end of the last gym. 
 The battle was not my fight at first Lapras went through the first couple of the Rocket Leader ’ s team until machamp knocked her out. That ’ s when it became my fight. Machamp was reckless run through a wall after I quickly dodged him. He didn ’ t care and neither did his Master breaking only from his endless orders to laugh maniacally. 
 It took me a while and a hyper potion or two but I brought the four armed menace down. I stood my ground as Giovanni called his last pokemon out. My rival stood opposite me for a moment before both our Master ’ s called commands at us. 
 “ You ’ re still standing? ” he grunted at me before landing a Mega Punch directly on my chest, “ Thought Machamp would have finished you up nice and easy. ” 
 “ What and miss this? ” My Flamethrower hit his tail and left a nice burn. He tried another Mega Punch but this time I was too fast and caught him mid punch before carrying up to the ceiling. I threw him down before landing softly, and he didn ’ t miss a beat before causing an Earthquake. It hurt but I went in for a slash. 
 “ Why do you fight so bravely for the wrong side? ” I asked as I closed in. 
 He laughed. I landed my hit and as soon as I did both trainers knew what had happened. Red tried to call me back but I couldn ’ t move. I didn ’ t knock him out. I wounded him. It didn ’ t look good. He stood back up, covering the pain. 
 He took another swing. “ You think I don ’ t see what he does? The pain he ’ s caused? ” His punch missed as he staggered forward. His master called him back but he refused. “ You think I don ’ t know this man is a monster? ” 
 I was stunned. I couldn ’ t move an inch as he limped towards me. “ Stop you ’ re hurt. ” 
 He didn ’ t listen to me any more than his master. 
 “ What can I do? He ’ s my master. I do as he wishes. ” Giovanni stumbled with his pokeball as Nidoking crumbled to the ground. He looked up at me and spoke, “ Charizard, when I hear his voice and look to him I still see that boy that caught me as a Nidoran. I remember him before all this when he was just a boy with a dream. Its the boy I love and I know he still loves me more than his money or his power. ” 
 Sometimes I cry for him as there was nothing the Pokemon Center could do for him. Then I think of Squirtle. Nidoking had a Master that cared deeply. Squirtle was deprived of that. Even a man who used pokemon to gain power is better than a boy who doesn ’ t respect the power. For the case of the both of them and the rest of us it became that whatever path a man chooses, a pokemon obeys.
