estrogenandspite

 

I’ve always had a headcanon that Giovanni (in the games, not the anime) is a former Pokemon champion that got bored. He has everything he needs, he’s not in it for the money. He’s in it for the thrills. That’s why he makes himself the hardest gym on the continent, that’s why he was interested in those fossils, that’s why he had his scientists make Mewtwo: he was desperate for a real challenge.

And that was why he was so calm about this 12 year old tears his empire apart. Because he’s actually thrilled. Here we have a real challenge, someone who can give him a proper fight.

 

This is also why we find Red on top of a mountain in Gold and Silver, and why he just wearily fights us without a word. After becoming the champion and defeating Mewtwo…Red realized he understood how Giovanni became Giovanni, how after spending your formative years in Pokémon battles you can lose sight of the Pokémon and just become obsessed with the battles.

 

I like to think beating Red on that mountain gave him perspective as he walked down, all his Pokémon fainted, realizing Giovanni was wrong and that he was in danger of being the same kind of wrong. That focusing on the challenge meant you lost sight of the bonds with your Pokémon. That he apologized to them after they were healed, gave them all hugs, and promised them they could rest after one more fight.

 

Then he went back to Giovanni and explained this all in the only language the older man would understand: a final battle. Did Giovanni learn his lesson? Would he keep working on his criminal empire?

 

Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, it wasn’t Red’s problem anymore.

 

Red took his championship winnings right now and runs the largest Pokémon ranch on the planet, where all his captured Pokémon are now free to live their lives if they choose and if they leave, he only asks that they say gooodbye so he doesn’t worry. Ever so often, some kid comes by to challenge the one time champion, and he’ll do so with whatever mons are willing to fight. Some of those kids comment how easy the new Viridian city gym leader is.

 

Giovanni comes by for those fights. Once a year. He loses every time. There’s been no sign of team rocket. Every time Giovanni thanks Red. Never explains why, but Red gets it.

 

Sometimes you need to be kept humble.

 

In this timeline, which is all about healing, Blue and Oak finally had a proper talk. Blue admitted he felt like Oak was consantly overlooking him and that’s why he lashed out at people around him. Oak apologized and realized that was a good start, but real healing would require therapy.

 

During that therapy, Oak finally just told Blue that he was asking everyone if they were a boy or a girl not because he’d gone senile, but because he hoped asking would make Blue more comfortable asking that question in the mirror. Oak had seen the signs, but everything said not to pressure a person into coming out, but he wanted to help with puberty blockers since that would be relevant very soon.

 

Transition is easier in a world of potions and now going by Azure, she’s much happier these days.

 

Part of Azure’s healing process was apologizing to Red for the endless bullying, but after dealing with an actual mafia Red was like “yeah we’re cool. I mean, I did tell everyone on the continent your name was Asshole, so I’m not blameless. Also, she/her from now on? Awesome.”

 

They weren’t close friends right away because just because someone apologized doesn’t mean you let them back into your life right away, but they are in the short list of “former champions”. Azure went on to work at and eventually become the director of the Safari Zone and reshape it into something better, so it’s an actual nature preserve as opposed to a legalized hunting ground. Pokémon that are particularly traumatized or not able to fit in to the zones’s habitat needed somewhere to go, and Azure couldn’t think of anyone better than Red.

 

He was and is happy to help, especially because helping Pokémon like that would be great therapy for Mewtwo. This brought the two into contact more often and, over time, a spark lit between them. Pikachu and Venasaur encouraged it, but Charizard and Blastoise took longer - but they did come around after talking to Azure’s Pokémon and hearing how she’s changed.

 

Giovanni showed up at the wedding. He didn’t speak to anyone, save to briefly greet Azure by her chosen name. Other than that, there was a clear understanding between these three former champions.

 

Giovanni never stopped those yearly visits. And when there were some issues with Azure and Red adopting due to archaic laws, Azure vented when Giovanni could hear, and three months later every gym leader was calling for inclusive laws, because honestly it’s the year of Archeus 20XX we should be past that, and privately they were ashamed it required Giovanni, of all people, to bring this to their attention.

 

Mewtwo and Giovanni spoke once. Mewtwo said if Giovanni ever went too far, Mewtwo would leave Red’s ranch. 

 

Nothing else needed to be said. 

 

There was no reconciliation here. Some wrongs can’t be forgiven. Mewtwo was fine staying here while Azure and Red lived. When they passed, Mewtwo figured they could go looking for what came next.

 

Azure and Red adopted Green a year later, and when that little bundle of chaos grabbed Mewtwo’s ears and looked them dead in the eyes before saying “Kitty,” Mewtwo (now sometimes Kitty) decided immortality meant they could stay perhaps a bit longer.

 

And ever so often, waking up next to the man she never expected to love, Azure will give him a gentle kiss as she leaves for work and look over her shoulder before Zapdos gives her a lift to the Safari zone, and she gives him an impish grin, and Red smiles and says “don’t you dare” but he doesn’t actually mean it, he thinks this is cute, and she’s already speaking.

 

“Smell ya later, babe.”