Red walked up to his rival, his face filled with worry. "Is your Raticate okay?" He asked, he hasn't seen Blue anything like this but maybe it's just a side he was never accustomed to.
Blue looked up at Red, his hands on his Raticate. "Yeah... it's okay, just... it's okay alright." He said as he stood up and withdrew the rat Pokemon into his pokeball before grabbing another pokeball from his bag, throwing it into the ground and releasing a Kadebra to take advantage of the type advantage.
"If you say so." Red said as he walked backwards before pointing to the Kadebra. "Nidoking, use mega punch."
The right fist of the horn Pokemon flashed with white energy as rammed itself towards the Kadebrea, it was at that moment where Blue could have commanded his Kadebra to Psybeam, dodge—or really anything yet his mind was still on the Raitcate and before his thoughts finally returned to the battle, Nidoking's fist connected with Kadebra's belly, causing a loud sound as it was thrown to the wall, creating a similar sound that must have disoriented the captain.
'Oh god, I am such an idiot.' Blue said as he ran to Kadebra to confirm if he's fainted—and yeah he really was, the spirally eyes making it clear. He touched it's chest once more trying to make sure it was for sure alive—and he could feel a pulse from the psi Pokemon, confirming it.
Blue looked back to Red to see if he's proud, gloating—just like him but he didn't, he stood where he was just like before, waiting to hear if Kadabra had fainted.
"My Kadabra has fainted." Blue confirmed for Red, withdrawing it back into it's pokeball before grabbing another one, his pokeball—his starter Pokemon.
"Here goes nothing." He said as he threw the pokeball to the floor, releasing his Wartortle who stood confidently in it's position, not caring that his previous team mate was one shotted. "Wartortle!" It shouted, announcing it's presence. This time Blue's mind was entirely in the battle, not wanting to give Red the satisfaction of winning—again.
"Bubblebeam!" Blue commanded. The turtle Pokemon opened it's mouth and created a large bubble inside it, pulsing with pure water energy before releasing forward towards the horn Pokemon in a beam of bubbles.
"Nidoking, counter it with your own bubblebeam." Red commanded, The horn Pokemon's mouth opened and created a bubble pulsing with water energy just like Wartortle before releasing in a beam towards Wartortle's bubblebeam, just when it was about to reach his head, creating a loud beam struggle who's waters started dripping to the floor of this ship.
Although Nidoking was stronger, Wartortle had a S.T.A.B advantage and it's bubblebeam was released earlier, resulting in it's bubblebeam overpowering the Nidoking's and hitting it's mouth, throwing him backwards into the floor, nearly cracking it, it's waters leaving a trail.
'Dang it.' Red thought for the first time, he could always use thunderbolt but he had already used it a lot against the sailors and he wasn't sure if he had enough power points (P.P) left but that's one he had an idea.
"Ha, not so tough now are you, Red?" Blue asked, for the first time thinking he could win against his rival.
Red frowned and grabbed Nidoking's pokeball. "Nidoking, you have fought hard enough, you need a rest." He said, withdrawing Nidoking back into his pokeball, making Blue smirked as it proved his point—to his mind. Red grabbed another Pokeball and threw it. "Gyarados let's go." He said. A blue serpentine dragon being released into battle, it's height even larger than Nidoking and straight up touching the ceiling.
It roared with fury as it looked down at the small turtle Pokemon as if it was a Magikarp, intimidating the Wartortle—for the first time in it's life.
"So you got a new Pokemon, huh." Blue said, not expecting Red to catch a new Pokemon and trying to hide the panic in his mind as he tried to figure out a strategy. "No matter, headbutt!"
Wartortle's head flashed with white energy as it jumped towards the atrocious Pokemon, ramming into her belly like a Rampardos, creating a loud exploding sound as dust covered the field. But when the dust settled, Warotrtl was on the floor panting as it tried to regain confidence while Gyarados... didn't seem to be hurt at all.
Blue thought fast, not wanting Red to go again. "Get up and tackle her!" The turtle Pokemon slowly got up and tackled the Gyarados—more like a hug to be honest as Red smirked, allowing Blue two moves because he felt bad for his rival.
Finally Red broke his silence. "Gyrados, use Hydropump." The mouth of the atrocious Pokemon opened, creating a huge bubble—bigger than in bubblebeam before shooting towards the Wartortle hugging her.
"Move out!" Blue commanded. The turtle Pokemon in just a second after the command was said, jumped away from where the hydropump hit—hitting Gyarados's belly instead, causing her to splash on the floor as she was thrown backwards.
"What?" Red asked, panicked for the first time as Wartortle closed in on the atrocious Pokemon, making Blue snap, focusing on the battle and not his rival's panic.
"Wartortle, stop getting closer." He commanded but at that point, it was already too late.
"Gyarados, use bite!" Red commanded. The atrocious Pokemon jumped towards Wartortle and as Blue's command was announced, Gyarados' mouth bit the turtle Pokemon's head, causing an intense pain as it screamed before... Gyaraods stopped, both trainer suspecting Wartortle fainted. The turtle Pokemon's body flapped towards Blue and yep it was confirmed, Blue's Wartortle had fainted—in one hit.
Blue withdrew his Wartortle and kneeled to the floor, unable to accept what has happened and how his Raticate is doing—dead or alive.
Afterwards, Blue healed all his Pokemon in his PC, looking at the ceiling light. 'Please—please, Arceus, don't let my Raticate die. Tell me that Nurse Joy is gonna come and give all my Pokemon—and Raticate is okay, he's okay, tell me he's okay. I—I am sorry, I am sorry. I am truly sorry.' He thought to himself, people around him not suspecting the spiky haired kid—especially due to his reputation as a strong albeit whinny trainer.
However as he thought this, Nurse Joy's voice echoed through the room. "Young boy, four of your Pokemon have been healed. However we are facing trouble with your Raticate—we believe it died, what was th—"
"Shut up." Blue shouted, filled with pure energy like a Gyarados, startling everyone as he walked up to Nurse Joy. "Tell me you are lying, tell me my Raticate isn't dead." He said, his body sweating and his eyes focused entirely on the Nurse's figure, trying to see if she is lying or not.
Joy looked at the floor, saddened just like Blue. "We are sorry but—"
"No buts." Blue shouted, slamming his fist onto the counter, nearly causing his other pokeballs to fall on the ground as Joy looked at the boy in the eyes, his mind being able to tell she's telling the truth and was truly sorry about this but his heart not being able to accept it—accept that fact that he got his Pokemon killed. 'A Pokemon master doesn't get his Pokemon killed.' He thought to himself while shouting.
"We are sorr—"
"No you aren't." Blue countered. "Heal him harder this time, you just... have a vendetta against me."
Nurse Joy looked at the ground once again, he was right that she had a vendetta against him from his rudeness but... she wouldn't want his Pokemon killed, he wouldn't want any trainer's Pokemon killed but... maybe just maybe it influenced her a bit.
"Okay." She said coldly as she grabbed Raticate's pokeball once again, putting it inside a healder. Blue's optimism rises a little—maybe his Raticate is not dead and still capable of being saved but even when he shouted at the Nurse, deep down he knew—his Raticate was not going to be healed back and they continued their adventure but it's good to dream.
The spiky haired kid sat on the chair once again as he slowly began to accept that his Raticate really was dead, hating himself for it as he saw images of what could have been—playing together, being part of his champion team, or even being released and the fact that he took it from his Pokemon just so he could feel powerful—just for himself.
Professor Oak's voice echoed in his mind. "A Pokemon master always puts the needs of their Pokemon before them." The voice was clear just like before but saying his mind wasn't would be an understatement. He didn't know how to describe it yet a small part of his heart still believes that maybe just maybe Raticate is alive and well.
Six hours later and Blue was in the same position, staring at the ceiling all the same—a part of his mind wishing that he brought some games to entertain him but the majority hating himself for even thinking of playing video games at this time.
That's when suddenly Nurse Joy's voice echoed through the room just like before. "We are truly sorry and we understand if you do not wish to feel the pain—however we at the Pokemon center must tell the truth and the truth is..."
Blue jumped, looking at the Nurse once again as he anticipated her next words, most of his mind knowing what it was and the 1% disagreeing, not wanting to accept the truth.
"Your Raticate is well and truly deceased." She continued, Blue's eyes going to the floor, it didn't hurt like he thought it would... it hurted more. He wanted to tell the truth—the evolution stone, how Raticate died and how it was his fault but... at the same time he didn't know what would happen to his Pokemon. They might get captured by Team Rocket.
His Pokemon stood still, expecting that Raticate was not truly that. 'Surely our trainer is competent enough to not let his Pokemon die, right?' They all thought to themselves.
"You may have his pokeball." Nurse Joy said as she held it towards the spiky haired kid, expecting to be yelled at.
"It's okay... I know you tried your best." Blue said as he grabbed his Raticate's pokeball, accepting it was his fault, not the Nurse's. It was time to properly put him to rest... in Lavender town where all dead Pokemon go.
Nurse Joy simply looked at the spiky haired kid, not sure if she really did try her best as he left for the door, planning to go to Lavender town.