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Chapter Text

It took a lot of work to defeat Mewtwo the first time around. However, the second time around proved to be even more onerous.

When the Pokeball opens, it reveals a furious feline who immediately fires a shadow ball at Red, who barely registered the attack, but Espeon who had foreseen the attack, used psychic to move him and avoid Mewtwo's lethal shadow ball.

And with that it was a full scale, attack.

Without Red's command, Charizard charged at Mewtwo, and Venusaur unleashed a powerful Solar beam. Blastoise stayed close by to use his shell as a shield against the attack, but he was still vulnerable to blows from afar.

Snorlax utilized his fat to deflect the attack as well, but Red advised going behind to use shadow ball to stop Mewtwo’s attack. Lapras had used ice beam to freeze Mewtwo's feet to the ground, and Espeon helped by using psychic to keep Mewtwo motionless, although it was tough since Mewtwo was a more superior psychic user than Espeon.

He tapped three times on Pikachu's, Venusaur's, and Blastoise's bodies to notify them to use long range attacks at the same time but at a different distance, and they charged at the same time but at various distances. The moment came when Mewtwo plundered Charizard to the cave walls, causing Red to stumble as the mountain shook with Charizard's fall. 

He hears one of his Pokemon sneeze from a distance. Dust and stone fragments start to accumulate.

The attack was effective as Mewtwo couldn't concentrate on a single strike thus they took advantage of the element of surprise, yet he still fought ferociously and ceaselessly.

The conflict shook the entire Mt. Silver food chain with the roar of a giant and the mute rage of the damned.

In a familiar dance in which speed is emphasized over power, resistance over apprehension, and blows after blows. In the end, Mewtwo was defeated without casualties and without major injuries, after a lengthy battle.

While Snorlax was using his weight to subdue Mewtwo, Venusaur and Espeon used their psychic and vine whips to keep him down.

Charizard, on the other hand who had taken the most damage of anyone, was still standing and intensely glaring down Mewtwo, who was struggling to get rid of his restraints and get his psychic to work, but even a legendary pokemon like Mewtwo would have a hard time succumbing to continuous powerful attacks.

With one fierce roar and smoke flowing from his maw, Charizards' glare clashed with Mewtwo's enraged ones, but they knew who had one in this battle. Mewtwo eventually gave up and closed his eyes in defeat.

His Pokemon were unharmed, but Red’s calf had sustained a serious wound.

When he limps, his Blastoise comes to his aid, whereas his Snorlax double-checks that Mewtwo isn't going anywhere before grabbing something.

While Blastoise supports Red in standing so he could locate a better place to rest, he caressed his Blastoise on the head so he wouldn't stress himself any further. Snorlax reemerged with an arm full of bandages and a blanket, making Red smile despite his pain and thanks his gentle giant.

He beckons everyone to come closer so he may express his gratitude for their excellent work. Using his knuckles to gently brush against the scratch on Charizard's brow and smiling to reassure his oldest comrade, "You did well," he muttered to each of his pokemon, feeling the intense glare of the defeated pokemon on his back.

Thus begins the daily existence of a hermit with his family, as well as the addition of a highly hazardous purple feline capable of crushing him in the blink of an eye.

Joy.

In some cases, it wasn't easy. On several occasions, Red had to keep an eye on his back and be on the lookout for Mewtwo, who was inclined to throw shadow balls at him or simply scowl at him as Red ignored his glares.

Because his calf had been injured, his pokemon were hesitant to leave him alone with Mewtwo, and Mewtwo didn't seem to want to be anywhere near Red. Perhaps because Blatoise was bored at the time, but he had mastered the art of carrying Red bridal style wherever he went.

Perhaps it was comprehension, or perhaps it was simply empathy. But Red wouldn't lie and said he wasn't afraid of Mewtwo, but rather sympathized with him because they're so different yet so similar.

He recalls the struggle in the cave where Mewtwo attempted to read his mind, but Espeon on her pokeball refused to let him. He recalls Mewtwo's eyes from that moment. Fury, Injustice and madness. Despite not moving his mouth, Mewtwo spoke, and Red heard him.

"Come," it says, and Red takes his pokeball from his belt as the air around them begins to thin.

“Let's see who is the loneliest among us all.”

A modest shift might lead to a significant one. Mewtwo was always present when he and his pokemon were having a good time. Red was well aware that he was not willing to join, but he simply desired to be present.

He doesn't dare to hope, but it was clear that as time passed, Mewtwo became more relaxed and less hostile. Red believes Mewtwo will improve with time. Some things improve when left alone, while others improve with the occasional consult.

One day, when Red was preparing lunch with Venusaur, there was a noticeable shift in his personality. While Blastoise was hesitant on Red leaving his sight with his calf just healed, Red suggested he can read his new book while simultaneously keeping an eye on him.

Venusaur and him, chop off vegetables and berries available on Mt. Silver, while Blastoise reads at the far corner with his head buried in the book. He hadn't noticed that Mewtwo eventually sat beside Blastoise and shared his book with him as he was preparing the ingredients.

It wasn't until Red heard Espeon's cry that he noticed his Blastoise and apparently Mewtwo surrounded by a crowd.

Blastoise then began reading from the book to Espeon, Mewtwo, and the wild pokemons, including several Phanpy, Teddiursa, and Larvitar, eventually gathered to hear the story of a princess and a dragon-like pokemon.

Seeing them all jump up and down, screaming out ooh’s and ah’s of delight before falling silent in anticipation of the story's conclusion. Red laughs a little and asks Venusaur to assist him in preparing additional food for the guests.

The days go by, and Red has never felt more fortunate.

His pokemon were overjoyed to show Mewtwo their hobbies and treasures now that they were more comfortable. Mewtwo appears unconcerned, allowing them to drag him anywhere they want. As a result, an incoming shadow ball was highly unlikely.

Probably.

The harsh winter was approaching, and spring was on the horizon. Eventually, Mewtwo became kinder, although he was still haunted by the violence of the past.

His Charizard soars while he sits on the summit of Mt. Silver one morning. Red eats a steamed bun he baked with Venusaur the day before, his breath apparent in the cold as he considers making Moltres an offering, when he felt someone sitting next to him.

Red doesn't have to turn to see who it is, but Charizard in the sky stopping mid-flight and peering at the person beside him gave him a hint.

Mewtwo.

Red doesn't acknowledge his presence and instead lets Charizard and Mewtwo stare at each other before pulling another bun from his bag. Red turns to Mewtwo and offers him a steaming hot steamed bun, causing him to break free from his stare-down with Charizard.

Mewtwo looks at the bun, then back at Red, then back at the bun. His eyes were filled with doubt, but Red was adamant, simply pushing the bun into Mewtwo's paw. Mewtwo accepts the bun and eats it slowly, probably thinking Red poisoned it. So Red grabs his napkin and places several buns from his bag on the napkin between Mewtwo and him while continuing to observe the skies.

Mewtwo continues to eat, and Charizard eventually flew again, as his coloration stands out against Mt. Silver's pearly snows. 

The world has come to a halt, yet they will remember this moment for the rest of their lives. With the passage of time, progress was made, and with progress, improvements began to emerge.

Upon opening his eyes, Red sees Mewtwo and Snorlax resting side by side, pleased, while Charizard's tail creates flames and Lapras sings to lull them to sleep. As he curls closer to Charizard's tummy, Red smiles as he is surrounded by Pikachu and Espeon.

He's relieved that Mewtwo had found the light in the midst of his storm.

However, whenever growth and improvement were made, it was only a matter of time before the cycle began again-

Mewtwo desired to depart.

-or ripped apart.

Red was not taken aback. Something like this was bound to happen. He knew it was just a matter of time. Red consented, but he imposed one condition on Mewtwo before leaving.

Mewtwo was at ease.

Until Red explained the condition, which nearly threw him against the cave's wall and caused the ground Mewtwo stood on to disintegrate.

Mewtwo's eyes were slit and he was furious.

Mewtwo was given permission to travel the world on the condition that he did not kill or hurt any humans. Mewtwo's fury was palpable in the air, and Red chose to meet his stare squarely in the eyes.

Red knew this was too much to ask for Mewtwo. Red understood the rage, but he needed to make sure no one was hurt.

It's selfish of him, but he doesn't want innocent bystanders to perish, fueling Mewtwo's sin and regret.

So, the best way to come to an accord in this world was to fight.

If Mewtwo wins, he will be free to roam the planet, killing any humans he encounters.

If Red wins, Mewtwo must follow his orders and not harm any humans.

And, so begins their third and most grueling struggle.

The unforgiving cold of Mt. Silver confronts them amid the fields of snow and wind.

Red's pokemon was well aware of what was at stake in this battle, and Mewtwo knew that his only liberation depended on it. The weight of the situation and the dense air made breathing even more difficult.

The battle begins as the howling winds threaten to consume everything, and the snow hangs in his eyelashes.

He will not lie. It was difficult, perhaps even more so than the last one.

Red understands the gravity of the situation therefore he will give it his all, commanding and attacking with all of his pokemon's might. Charizard holds off on charging, fearful that Mewtwo will kill him in his rage. So, it was a battle of long range and strategy this time. Heavy blows were delivered as distractions, and resistance was met with heavier counterattacks.

A battle in which defense is used, yet when the time comes-

Blastoise's water gun was masked by Venusaurs solar beam, as Mewtwo was too focused on the attack.

-their attack was a formidable force to be reckoned with.

Blastoise's water gun hits Mewtwo directly in the face, and Charizard flies straight to Mewtwo, lifting him into the air and uses seismic toss to slam him to the ground with such force, that the mountains shook and a nearby avalanche started.

The howling wind silences Mewtwo's cries, and Red's cap flies away as the crash sends shockwaves through Mt. Silver's environs.

Snorlax's hyper beam combined with Espeon's confusion assisted in making Mewtwo stand stationary long enough for them to attack.

Perhaps, Red sensed at the point. That Mewtwo already knew he was going to lose and that it was only a matter of time before he fell. So, in a last-ditch effort to win, he created a massive shadow ball that dwarfed the mountains.

Even a prey on the verge of breaking can provide the most unexpected outcomes.

Pikachu yowls as the shadow ball's wind hits him in the face.

Red could only stare in astonishment at the thing's sheer size and the strength of its energy. Goosebumps on his skin. The only reason he remembered to run was because his instincts kicked in. In despair and feeble worry, he realized that keeping his pokemons in their pokeballs wouldn't protect them from the impact-

Blastoise yells, as his pokemon strike the shadow ball with their most powerful attack. Venusaur uses his solar beam, Lapras her ice beam, and Blastoise his Hydro canon. Charizard's flame thrower, Snorlax's hyper beam, Pikachu's thunderbolt, and Espeon's psychic.

But none of them turned out to be better.

It was a complete failure.

As the ice and lightning crackled around it, the shadow ball swallowed their most powerful strike and absorbed it, becoming more powerful and the colors melding from black to white.

It was both terrifying and beautiful, and Red couldn't take his gaze away from it-

Everything was being drawn towards that monstrosity, including the snow and the wind. As the monstrous thing approached, Red was being dragged as well.

Red whistles frantically for his Charizard to appear, swiftly grabbing the pokeballs and calling back his pokemon, trying not to feel guilty when he sees their puzzled and surprised faces. He takes the pokeballs from his belt and ties them around Charizard's neck, urging him to depart.

Charizard growls, adamantly asking Red to mount him, but Red knows that his weight will ratchet up Charizard's speed, so he orders, "Go!"

Charizard, on the other hand, refuses to leave. And to make matters worse-

He pushes his Charizard, but he stays put. Stubborn, not leaving Red behind.

-was that Mewtwo was using his psychic to ensure that he didn't go.

The purple feline had no power over the monstrosity of a shadow ball, but he did have control over Red, a regular human being.

He knew he couldn't win, but at the very least he could bring Red down with him. Red knew it was pointless, but he was willing to pay the price for facing a legendary.

While Red pushes and Charizard resists, the feel of Mewtwo's psychic doubles, the harsh winds grow tenfold.

Charizard roars and bites into Red's arms, attempting to get Red to mount him, but Mewtwo was powerful for a reason. As the shadow ball neared, Red's foot remained in the snow. He throws Charizard a frantic look, pleading with him to just-

-“GO!”

But his Charizard—oh, his foolish, loyal, and valiant Charizard—

Red weeps, his voice resonating with the coming death of nature.

-Just smiles, as if he were that little Charmander that Red had chosen, and remained by his side as they awaited their deaths.

Red sobs, his tears streaming down his cheeks as he plead, "Please-" begged, "-I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE!"

Red kneels on the snow, his Charizard embracing, licking his tears away, the pokeballs clanging in agreement. As Red begs him to leave, Mewtwo's psychic binds him to the ground.

The atmosphere begins to change. The air begins to thin, and the space-time continuum begins to unravel. The hard wind swallowed them all, including their own cries.

“I’m sorry.”

With his Charizard by his side, Red shuts his eyes. Hugging each other, one last time as partners. As the shadow ball approaches, silence envelops them.

Death looms near.

Forgive me, my friend. I love you.

Thus, his brief life with his Pokemon at his side came to an end.

Or what ought to have been his demise, but instead he found himself resting on his back in uncomfortable grounds.

Red gasps heavily, as he coughs his lung out. He sits up coughing, hand grasping his chest, The pain was gone the next time he opened his eyes, though an ache still lingered through his entire body, as though he had been put through the wringer.

Everything was dark, and all he could hear was a buzzing sound in his ear, which he recognized as his body striving to return his vision and hearing.

The cave's lack of light made it easier for Red to adjust his vision in the dark light, and he gradually regained his vision. He notices Pikachu's enraged expression and Espeon's worry.

“Pikapi?”

“Es!”

When he saw his pokemon, his pain was temporarily forgotten, and worry flooded in.

Red immediately tries to sit up and regrets it. Pikachu and Espeon mewled in terror as he hissed in pain, forcing him to feel a searing ache through his brain, but Red shooed of their concerns away and beckons them closer.

He picks Pikachu by the pits and inspects his body for injury, his hands brushing across Pikachu's fur. He trusts his pokemon to let him know if they've been harmed, but he wants to make sure the injuries aren't fatal if left untreated. He finds cuts, but they are not life-threatening.

He then turned to Espeon, who waits patiently for her turn, and she remains silent as Red checked her for any remaining wounds.

When he's done, his shoulders slightly dropped in relief. He thanks Pikachu and Espeon for their cooperation and motions to Pikachu to tell him where the others are, but he just shrugs, while Red slowly rises from his reclining position on Mt. Silver’s uneven grounds.

He's perplexed. He was facing Mewtwo at the snowy grounds at one point, but now he was at Mt. Silvers cave.

Did Mewtwo spare them?

Is this to say they survived the shadow ball?

If so, then why?

Red stands up, his legs shaky. Espeon bites his trousers and drags him into one of the caverns coves, suggesting that they should go through it. Red was puzzled considering they generally don't go through that portion because of the wild pokemon that live there. Her forked tail grabbing his hand and leading him through the cave's interiors, with Pikachu close behind.

As the air thins, they continue to walk, the sound of their footfall and Espeon's grip on his hand keeping him steady.

As he reaches the corner, Red's face is solemn, his lips widening in bewilderment, shocked.

He could hear Espeon and Pikachu gasp in distress, but he ignores them since he, too, has nothing to say.

There are no words to describe the shock he is feeling right now. His limbs are immobile, and his crimson eyes are wide, staring directly at the thing in the cave.

‘Oh.’

‘Oh.’

A row of headstones was unveiled, and Red couldn't help but feel a little disoriented as he gently walked over them. His fingertips touched the chilly surface of each headstone. The gravestone appeared to be shrinking as it had dipped into the soft snow. The carved inscriptions, which had been weathered due to Mt. Silver's harsh weather, sat just above the level of the ground, which was covered in dead plants strewn over the snow.

In front of the graves, there were several gifts that appeared to be pretty ancient.

And when he reads what was inscribed on the headstones. In the order that they were most likely to be beneath the ground, he can't help but feel his fear grow.

Charizard

Pikachu

Blastoise

Venusaur

Espeon

Lapras

Snorlax

And lastly there was his. Red, the best trainer to ever exist.

He feels conflicted … but, Red does what he does best.

He tries to remove himself from the situation in the hopes of avoiding being overwhelmed. In the midst of his problem, he attempts not to have a panic attack until Pikachu jumps onto his shoulder.

As he unconsciously assists him in getting into a more comfortable position with Pikachu nuzzling his cheeks and lightning sparks brushing his skin. It somewhat helps ground him into reality.

'They're alive,' he repeats in his mind, as if praying that the names inscribed on the gravestones aren't his.

'They're alive.'

'They're alive-'

His mouth produces short, irregular breaths, and he scratches his neck with his nails in order to have a voice to scream out-

‘I'm not sure why, but they're alive.’ He kneels on the frigid ground, his ribcage throbbing with his quick heartbeat. He hears distant worried sounds. Red attempts to concentrate on Pikachu's fur and the rough earth beneath his knees, as well as the fact that his pokemon and his graves were here on the ground-

Red's mind is cut short when he feels strong arms clutching him from behind and hears a steady heartbeat from his vulnerable position, 'Snorlax,' his panicked mind tells.

He inhales and exhales repeatedly, with a thundering heartbeat. He’s Snorlax remains, calm and quiet. And Red tries to mirror that, feeling slight relief from the contact, Red lets his face be squished against Snorlax's tummy as his hands find Snorlax's fur brushing against his skin, anchoring him while providing minor respite.

While Pikachu chews on his ear, he feels Espeon scratching and biting his skin, not so hard that he bleeds, but enough to keep his mind engaged. He inhales deeply with his nose and exhales deeply with his mouth, seeking to escape a panic attack, accidentally inhaling a mouthful of Snorlax's, which smells like berries, snow from Mt. Silver, and timber.

After some time, Red was at last at ease once more. Snorlax lets out a contented roar, appearing pleased with himself. He must have been kneeling for a lengthy moment as the instant he stood up, his legs wobbled and he almost stumbled, but mercifully he caught himself.

He gently smiles at his terrified Pokémon, assuring him that everything is fine. He communicates his gratitude to his pokemon by petting them, but the panic lingers in the back of his mind.

Red and his pokemon both jolted slightly in surprise, when they heard a familiar roar thundering against the caves.

‘Blastoise.’

Blastoise roars again, and Red rushes towards him, his feet staggering, hoping to divert his attention away from his distress. As he journeyed deeper into the cave's ruins, the once comfortable location he had called home became increasingly frigid.

The lovely freedom Mt. Silver once possessed suddenly felt claustrophobic.

With Pikachu, Espeon, and Snorlax close behind, Red shook his head and turned around a curve, headed for his bivalve pokemon.

He sees his Lapras, Blastoise, and Venusaur when he arrives. Red avoids bumps in the path and sprints to them, unconcerned if he nearly slips.

With swift but accurate hands, he checks his Lapras. His Lapras cooed confidently, and he knew he'd be on his next pokemon in no time.

He examines his Venusaur and then his Blastoise, who both allow him to examine them for injuries in order to assuage his fears. When it's finished, Red lets out a sigh of relief and squats on the floor, a hand dragging across his face.

He believes he has aged more than he should have.

Espeon and Venusaur gives him a worried bump, but he assures them that he simply needs to take a breath for a bit.

His panic had subsided after a brief moment, but it had no doubt lingered.

Red raises his head, scratching Espeon's chin with one hand and Venusaur's head with the other. He silently inquires of his Blastoise about the whereabouts of his Charizard. His Blastoise points to one of the cave entrances, which Red follows with his head-

-and there he was, his Charizard!

Red rushes over to Charizard, who approaches him and lowers his head to allow Red to examine him. Red immediately assesses for injuries from head to toe, but strangely, no significant injuries were found, only minor bruises and scrapes.

He breathes a sigh of relaxation and recalls.

His relief was immediate, but his rage followed.

He punches his Charizard in the chest, not hard enough to damage him, but not soft enough to show he's angry.  His antics startled his other pokemon, but Charizard is unaffected and lets Red do whatever he please, most likely because he knew why he was upset in the first place.

Only the sound of Red's fist hitting with Charizard's rough scales can be heard echoing throughout the cave.

A hard exhalation comes after the sounds of a fist hitting scaled flesh.

Then there was a sniffle, and Red had tears flowing down his face, despite the fact that he wasn't sad.

“Why-” Red felt like he wanted to cry all over again when his voice cracked.

“Why.”

"Why didn’t you leave?" He inquires, his Charizard smiling as if they were in the skies, the sky turning orange and the world falling dark.

How lovely it was when his Charizard allowed him to fly on his back. No amount of words can adequately convey the magnificence of the sky, and Charizard sends forth a joyful roar when Red is all but silent in wonder.

And he whispers, shattered and scared, amid the silence. Something unusual for the rest of the world, but not for his Pokemon, "I didn't want you to die," he confessed.

His Charizard laughs as he huffs a blast of smoke into Red's face, causing him to cough. Charizard places his forehead on Red's. His teal eyes met those of Red, who were scarlet.

He says in the dead of night, "Let's be strong together," as his Charmander roars with glee.

They exchange stares as Charizard smiles and Red looks into his eyes, which provide the answer.

("If I had to do it all over again, I would.")

Red's eyes well up with tears, causing him to scrunch up his face, as Charizard beams. Charizard looks around at the others, as does Red. Forcing him to see his pokemons' faces which were identical to Charizard's, causing him to cry all over again.

("And we'd do the same,")

His Charizard’s chin rests on the top of his head. His tail was carefully wrapped over Red's torso, ensuring that the flames did not harm him. His arms encircle Red's body, and Red reciprocates with a hug.

As his other pokemon gathered around him, he whispers, "Please don't do that ever again."

His Pokemon clings to him even tighter, refusing to acknowledge his plea, while Red embraces them all. In his bones, he felt relief and gratitude, but also grief. Red wipes away tears with the back of his palm. His other empty hand, unwilling to let go of his friend for the time being, grips Charizard's claw. Red turns to his Charizard with a persistent question after taking some time to collect himself.

("Did you move us here?")  Red smiled as he gestured to his Charizard, who nodded. His Charizard leans into his hands as he brushes his hand across his face.

("Thank you, I appreciate it,")

He hugs his Blastoise before kneeling on the ground to hug the head of his Venusaur. The very following day, he starts looking for answers. His pokemon assists by speculating about what might have happened during the battle. They are aware that the shadow ball should have killed them, but since they are still alive, this raises many questions.

Space time distortion is one of the theories he studied with Blastoise when he was younger. While powerful Pokemon can emerge through portals at odd periods, it's a strange thought for it to be developed.

Mewtwo, though, had strength comparable- and is a legendary pokemon.

He needs answers, and Red knows where to go with his Pokemon's questioning and trusting gaze. Red disregards the fact that his hat, which he had taken from the caverns, was somewhat damaged and instead takes his Pokemon's pokeballs and puts them back in, with the exception of Charizard's. He mounts on Charizard and sets out to find the person who, he hopes, will know the answer.

Without his hat, Red is forced to close his eyes due to the relentless wind that blows in his face. Charizard's speed brought them back to Pallet Town in a flash. He noticed that his old house was empty and that the garden his mother was so proud of had been left overgrown and in disarray.

Well, he can always rely on one person to know the solution to any problem.

POV. Samuel Oak.

It was a pleasant and productive day. A condition of happiness that the miserable strive to. Samuel was nursing warm tea, feeling a little drowsy because the warm weather was coming to an end and winter was approaching.

But his sleepiness quickly fades as a frightened face approaches him.

“Professor,” The intern he remembers as Melly suddenly turns her face quite distress as the vice researcher, Amanda, at the side looks more frustrated.

"What's the matter?" Samuel asks as he approaches them, and Amanda simply moves over so he can see what has transpired on the screen. Samuel's face sagged after seeing what was on the screen.

A young man with a lithe physique, long black bangs obscuring his face, and a dishevel appearance was seen on the screen. He was dressed in a familiar clothing, the red vest, tattered blue jeans but without the recognizable red cap. At the side, his Dragonite is already snarling.

Red-white rage rushed into Samuel's skull.

Following Red's death, several young men sought to claim the money and fame that Red used to have by claiming to be him. It was a moment of sadness and distress, and these folks had the audacity to pretend otherwise. Samuel didn't feel his old blood start to boil until he saw another pretender trying to pass for Red.

"Oh, why I ought to," He grumbles as he marches to his door, hoping that his Dragonite can frighten the impostor away so that he may avoid taking serious action.

He’ll be damned if he lets this slide!

POV. Red.

Red blinks gradually as he adjusts to his current circumstance. The familiar Dragonite belittles Red and projects a violent aura while making it clear that she wants Red she Thankfully, he became very immune to these kinds of looks throughout his time spent encountering wild pokemon at Mount Silver.

The Dragonite growls even louder when Red blinks.

If he's being completely honest, it never occurred to him that this would happen. But he should've known better, because things weren't going well today. Thankfully he had put Charizard back in his ball back, out of courtesy.

Red merely looks at her without fear or expectation while the Dragonite roars, allowing the Dragonite to see a reflection of themselves in his eyes.

Red doesn't move because he is aware from previous experience that movement indicates danger in a Pokemon's body language. However, the Dragonite appears to have discovered something before leaning extremely closely to his face and staring right into his eyes.

Without his hat it was easier for the Dragonite to peer at his face.

The characteristic Hyperbeam light wass blazing at the Dragonite's jaw as she sniffs at him. Red's cheek slams with the Dragonite's muzzle. The Dragonite must have found something, as the tiny light that enters her eyes causes them to grow.

Red keeps a steady hold on Pikachu's and Charizard's shaking pokeballs, to convince them that nothing is wrong.

The Dragonite nudged Red's arm with its snout after he had been motionless for a little period of time. In contrast to its earlier angry look, the Dragonite now had a very joyful expression.

The Dragonite groans and tries to push Red's hand away from Charizard's pokeball after noticing that he still had it in his possession.

“Oh, you brat!” The Dragonite and Red flinched when a loud bang came from the door.

“Dragonite!” A familiar voice bellows.

“Why haven’t you done anything?” Professor Oak screams, as Dragonite's body conceals Red's figure. When Dragonite roars with excitement, the professor hesitates a little before focusing on the figure hiding behind Dragonite.

“You are committing a crime, young man!” Dragonite stands aside as Professor Oak approaches.

He raises his gaze to Professor Oak's and prays that he may discover his answer.

“R-Red?!” Professor Oak croaks out, his face wrinkled yet filled with so much optimism that it gleamed.

Finally, Red was identified.

With Dragonite's approval, and so eerily identical to the deceased young boy. That Professor Oak believed it was the work of a ditto. But the professor's eyes lit up when he saw the original pokedex, he himself had gifted and somewhat filthy id trainer card.

Professor Oak brought Red in swiftly after a lot of apologizing and misunderstandings were cleared up, assuring Red that his pokemon should relax as well because Professor Oak had a vast backyard full of pokemon, so he had consented.

Only Espeon and Pikachu accompanied him because their stature was more appropriate for the interiors. Professor Oak arrives with a plate of tea as Espeon purrs at his side. Green tea leaves and mild herbs, a tea ideal for someone like the Professor.

He motions for the Professor to hand over his phone, which he gratefully does. Red was taken aback by how different the phone was from the flip phone he used as a kid.

Regardless, he wrote some words into the screen (glass?) and it continued to function.

(“Where do I start?”)

In seeing Red's attempts at communicating, Professor Oak laughs, and Red feels like a kid again, when he used to visit Green's home back when he could barely fit into his cap.

Professor gets up in a state of nostalgia and returns with a small computer that contained no cables but was still alive. Red, knowing nothing about technology, assumes it will work despite the absence of hardware.

Professor Oak laughs once more, "Use this, so it'll be easy for you, my boy," he says.

Red nods, and types into the keyboards of what had occurred back in Mt. Silver explaining where his pokemon and were these few years and why he appeared this way.

Professor Oak leans back in his chair. A hand tucked beneath his chin, and admits, “I am intrigued. A black hole of that size could definitely warp the space continuum and damage its surroundings, but instead of destroying you and your pokemon, it instead momentarily halted your progress.”

"Now that you have lived through it, despite having done no harm or suffering any consequences,"

"However, instead of harming you, it swallowed you up and spit you out after five years.” The professor sips tea while muttering "Interesting," while Red shrugs.

"Yet still," the Professor pauses, examining him from head to toe, "it's interesting you've appeared in the same way before, even if the shadow ball spit you out."

“In light of what you've been through, I would imagine that you either will attain immortality or you won't have a steady progress in your growth," he admits while Red flinches, afraid of an immortal life.

Since he was human, it would be fitting if he died as one as well.

While Pikachu and Espeon snuggle at his sides, Red suppresses his anxiety. When he learned that he would remain the same while everyone else had aged. He would think it was just an illusion.

"Can I ask regarding your age?" Red ignores the Professor's look of agony and instead lowers the computer to the table, and answers him with his hands, not knowing why he had such anguish look on his face when the Professor asked.

He holds both of his hands, showing a one on the left and a four on the right.

“Fourteen?” As the Professor inquires, Red nods.

"Ah, I see…" The professor laments, much to Red’s confusion.

‘If five years… then he should’ve been nineteen’, he thinks.

Then the Professor mutters something about ‘being too late’ or ‘wishing we were a little earlier’. He's perplexed as the Professor tries to convey his concern with a small smile. He shifts the conversation's focus and asks (types) the only question on his mind: ("Where is my mother?")

Professor Oak frowns, his countenance sad, but it returns to neutral in a second. Red is terrified of what he will have to learn, "Anyways, let me fill you in on what happened to your mother after you ...um," The professor coughs, perhaps to avoid saying the 'died' word, but Red doesn’t mind, "Disappeared."

Professor Oak confesses, offering him a cup of warm tea while Red listens, "She was terribly distraught when it was officially confirmed you were deceased." While the Professor observes with a solemn smile, he takes a sip and allows Pikachu and Espeon to drink from his cup.

“But-” When the professor takes a breath, Red's fear rises.

“She…”

"……she wasn't herself.”

He continues, “She couldn't even go a day without sobbing," Professor Oak pauses, "So I advised her to go to Sinnoh to discover new beginnings and to lighten her heart's sorrows." but when the professor responds, he feels reassured, though the tremor of anxiety remains.

He stands and bows his head to Professor Oak, thanking him for caring for his mother while he was away, as Professor Oak is taken aback by his sudden action.

“No-no! It's fine, Red. I don't mind."

"So please sit back down," the professor says.

He nods, because that’s the only thing he can do. He's strangely calm now; it could be the terror from before, but he merely nods and hopes he doesn't panic in private later.

("Could you please take a look over my pokemon for me?")

("I want to make sure my pokemon are healthy and safe,") he types while the Professor waits.

The professor's eyes glimmer with unabashed delight, always eager to see and examine strong Pokemon, "Gladly!"

And suddenly, Red was no longer afraid.

He hopes in the future that the world can be more merciful towards him.

POV. Pikachu.

As an Ivysaur who had recently evolved, Pikachu remembered when Red had alerted Professor Oak, who asked Red to send him over so he could study Ivysaur further. Red had accepted but when Ivysaur returned, he was frowning so hard that Pikachu was concerned that his face might become permanently etched in that expression.

Ivysaur hadn't said anything the entire time he was back, and Red, ever the worrywart, had inquired as to what was wrong.

Ivysaur had responded in such a venomous tone.

“Ivysaur.”

("I hate him.")

At lunch Blastoise who was a Squirtle that time, had asked what happened.

Ivysaur, on the other hand, had remained silent and had a distant look in his eyes, refusing to elaborate any further. Wartortle had been so terrified when Red had told him. He would send him to Professor Oak the day when he evolved.

Pikachu had never understood why Venusaur despised the Oak guy so much, but at this moment, he can understand why Venusuar loathe this man so much. When Pikachu saw the Oak guy, a violent flash-black of a boy with strawberry-blond hair, a smug sneer, and hatred in green eyes flashed across his mind.

‘Oh.’

‘Oh.’

That explained a lot of things. It appears that being a jerk is a genetic trait. Espeon, who was at his side had witnessed Pikachu's obvious dilemma as he battled to absorb this information.

“Espeon?”

(“Pikachu?”)

He can only turn his back on her, the back of his mind bubbling with rage, and tell her to brace herself for the worst. Espeon tilted her head for him to elaborate as her confusion grew.

“Pika, Pika, Pikachu.”

(“He's that Green bastard's grandfather.”)

Espeon’s eyes grew to the size of saucers.

POV. Espeon

Espeon has never seen the Professor Oak whom, Venusaur despises nor the ‘Green bastard’ that Pikachu utters with disdain. Despite the fact she never had met Green, she had heard a lot about him from Pikachu, who had told her a lot about Green, who was presumably Red's 'friend.'

“Rivals,” Charizard added, as Pikachu groaned like an elderly man.

Red would often look after Espeon, back when she was younger, feeding her with a bottle in one hand and burping her back with the other, but she was never utilized in battle. Professor Oak had never heard of her, as Red didn’t inform him and Red had never made her fought against Green. Pikachu had told her something vital when he had won a battle against Green that night.

“You’re nice! Not like Green’s Eevee!”

This was news to her, as she hadn’t known that Green apparently had an Eevee like Red. According to Pikachu, Green was the first to have an Eevee not Red, which was presumably given to him by his grandfather. It had evolved into an infamous and arrogant Jolteon.

Memories of her mother electrocuting her while she fought for her life-

She'd woken up screaming that night, and Red had tried to soothe her down by cradling her against his chest, rocking her back and forth. She felt grateful for Red, who had saved her from not making her fight against Green at the time.

She recalls Pikachu's enraged look every time when the word ‘green’ was used, and Red's heartbroken expression when a nearby trainer had mentioned him.

“Green keeps hurting Red. So why should I like a bastard like him?”

She remembers Red strolling with her in his arms, his head held high, as the gathering trainers mocked and envied behind him.

“He doesn't appear to be much.” Another jeer erupted.

The other exclaims “He's just a kid!”

“There's no way!” It's most likely just luck!”

He tightened his grip on her as he gave her a kind smile.

She doesn't mention how his arms were trembling at that time.

Now Stronger than she’ll ever be. She would do anything to keep her family from harm.

POV. Red

Red had expected to run into some problem as he reentered into society, but he hadn’t anticipated them to appear this quickly or to be happening at this particular matter.

He hadn't expected this from Espeon and Pikachu, who was typically upbeat greeting new individuals, is now snarling at Professor Oak and looking absolutely livid. Professor Oak To his credit, looked surprised as he is.

Pikachu had lightning crackling dangerously at his cheeks, appearing like he was out for blood. Espeon clung to his arms, grasping them with her nails as if her life depended on it.

Professor Oak looked stunned, as if he'd never been treated in such a way before. Thankfully, the professor had recovered and asked Red while coughing into his palm, saving them both from embarrassment.

“Ahem, how about you come along with me and keep them company, while I check on them?”

Red had merely nodded hurriedly, embarrassed that his Pokemon were behaving in this manner, and had hurriedly followed the Professor behind him, ignoring the other scientist's lingering gaze.

Espeon had remained contentedly calm, if he had remained at her peripheral view. While Professor Oak run some tests on her.

As he reinserted the stethoscope into his neck, he commented, "Well, your Espeon is all right, if not a little more powerful than the average Psychic type." As Professor Oak nurses his scratched hand from when he had tried to pet Espeon's head. Red nodded while Espeon bumps her head onto Red's legs. As she purred, Red happily complied, for it was her way of demanding pets from him.

Pikachu on the other hand…

POV. Professor Oak.

He could state with absolute certainty that the Pikachu did not like him.

Very, very much.

Samuel doesn't want to think about how he managed to win the hatred of Red's most powerful member of his team, despite the fact that he had dodged the incoming Thunderbolt thanks to his years as a Pokemon trainer.

“You have a really punchable face, and I couldn't help but feel compelled to punch your face when I first saw you.”

Agatha had stated that when she and Samuel were young and battled each other with the most flaming depths of passion.

The Pikachu ‘tsks' loudly as though Samuel shouldn't dodge the assault, and he can't help but feel a bit ambivalent.

As time ticks by, the thought that the Pikachu wants him dead becomes increasingly plausible as he dodges another Thunderbolt from his side. He glanced at Red, hoping for some assistance with his boisterous Pikachu, who was leering evilly at him.

He had no idea Pikachu’s could leer in that manner.

As he tried to communicate some SOS to Red, his Espeon, who was resting in his arms, noticed his gaze and growled at him, the signs of psychic forming. Red, who appeared to have received his SOS, had just given him a piece of paper and flicked his Espeon on the face, who let out a little "Es!" as she whimpered in pain.

Samuel, who had received the paper from Red, instantly unfolded it, revealing the most obscene handwriting he'd ever seen. He lifted his eyes from the page to see Red, who was staring at his Pikachu with the unhappiest expression he'd ever seen. Samuel, who had never seen Red express open displeasure before, can only blink in amazement.

‘I’m staring a little longer than I ought to be.’ He thinks.

As the luminous manner of psychic was enabled, Samuel was accidently caught staring by Red's Espeon, who bared her fangs at him. Samuel quickly averted his gaze, fearing that he would upset the purple feline even further.

Samuel, who returned his gaze to the paper, had only managed to skim through the contents. But, thanks to his years as Green's grandfather who was Red's childhood friend, he was able to comprehend what was on the context.

(How about sending someone else to check upon Pikachu?)

Samuel, who was constantly shocked by a yellow rat and was afraid for his own safety, had accepted right away.

“That's it!” he exclaims, surprising the other three residents in the room, as he flees from another Thunderbolt and Psybeam.

POV. Outsider.

Professor Oak's lab assistant, Brandon Ryce, was a young man with typical brown hair and brown eyes. He'd put in a lot of effort and landed an apprenticeship with Professor Oak himself! When he told his parents, they had sobbed with delight that their son’s hard work was being recognized. So proud! that they had thrown him a party to commemorate the occasion.

He had resolved to work hard after remembering his parents' pleased grins and heartfelt compliments. As a result, he had worked day after day, slaving away in hoping that the moment to give him the credit he deserved would arise. And one day, it appeared in the form of a young kid wearing a red hat-

He'd been asked to give an examination for the previous champion's Pokemon!

Kanto's former champion, Red! The world's youngest champion that’s been crowned! The one who had dismantled Team Rocket all by himself! He had quickly risen to fame thanks to his unusual battling style, and team.

He had not one, but three! Kanto starter Pokemon! But he had vanished at the age of 11! He had seen the battle between Red and the Elite four with his parents as a young child a month before the boy disappeared, as it was carried live on every program at the time. When he sees a boy as young as himself fighting the Elite four, Brandon can't help but be intimidated.

He was even more inspired to work harder as of result.

Despite the fact that they had all signed an NDA and Professor Oak had threatened to sue them personally if news got out that Red was still alive, but Brandon didn't care!

He was initially overjoyed. After all, who wouldn't want a chance to see the previous champion's Pokemon team up close?! He'd caught a glimpse of his Blastoise, who had the most sturdiest shell he’d ever seen! A Snorlax that has ripped muscles, his gigantic Venusaur, a beautiful Lapras that had exude elegance, and his Charizard-

…There are no words to convey such grace. So, he had accepted wholeheartedly, even going so far as to offer food to the previous champion's Pokemon.

Now all he wanted to do was to yell at his past self to shut the fuck up.

As the Lapras's condescending gaze landed upon him, he couldn't help but feel a bit dumb. What's more impressive is that none of the Pokemon had even touched the food he'd prepared. What a waste! He recognized this as the lab's most expensive Pokemon food, even his own salary pales in comparison!

The door connecting the lab and the garden had opened as he pondered what he should do next.

“What's the matter, Rice boy? Unable to complete such simple task?”

‘Ugh, him.’

He continues to ignore the voice, attempting to bribe the Lapras with food so that she would allow him to inspect her.

“Is that insubordination, I see?” the voice approached from beside.

"Shut it, you!" he yells, as the Lapras slowly backs away from him.

"If you keep that attitude up, Rice boy, you won't get near her," the voice continues.

As he sought to touch the Lapras again, Brandon scoffed, "Like you're any better, Jury." The figure behind him arrived stealthily alongside while Brandon scowled at Judy, who only snorted.

Jury Hartman is a young man, much like himself, who has been assigned to Professor Oak as an apprentice. Jury had traveled all the way from Sinnoh to study under Professor Oak and expand his knowledge of Pokemon. He watches Jury attempting to pet the Lapras, which she likewise rejects, and internally screams with joy since the Lapras had also avoided his touch.

“A shy girl, aren't you?” Jury had simply shifted his attention to Red's other Pokemon, who was lazing in the garden.

“Pieces of shits.” Jury muttered, looking across at the Beefy Snorlax, who was lying around like he owned the place.

The other scientists from the lab had come in at some point to marvel at the previous champion's team up close.

“So, what's the issue with this guy?” Everyone in the lab was acting like a Zangoose in heat, just to meet the guy.” He scurried straight to Brandon's side.

“Jury, my man! He was the champion! He was the youngest fucking champion that had ever existed!” He hissed looking back and forth to see, if there were any people who had heard what Jury said “You can't act as if you've never heard him before!”

“Does it matter?” As far as I know, he probably just cheated his way to the top or climbed his way to the trainer's pants to win. Have you seen his eyes, dude? They're exotic as fuck man.” Jury ended on a happy note, as if he hadn't insulted Kanto's former champion.

“Dude, don't let anyone heard you say that!” He scowled, remembering how, at one point. Red had the entire globe as his most fervent fans.

“Don't get your panties in a twist, man.” He'd laughed as though he was on the verge of doing so.

“Besides, he's just an old legend at this point.” Brandon can only watch in amazement, as Judy insults Kanto’s former champion as if he was nothing.

Brandon has a gut feeling that this won't end well.

POV. Charizard.

Charizard admits to having temper issues, it comes with being a fire Pokemon, he supposed. He is partiality grateful to Red, who had endless patience with him when he was young, especially as a Charmeleon. A chill runs down his spine, as the thought of Green being his trainer and combine with both of their tempers clash……He thanks Red every day for choosing him instead.

While both Espeon, who was nurtured by Red as a young Eevee, and Pikachu, who was originally a wild Pokemon, stand in stark contrast to their mute trainer. Fortunately, both of have extroverted personalities and are good at meeting new people.

Unfortunately, this quality was not shared by the others. Particularly Charizard, who seemed to have acquired Red's distaste for socializing. When he heard the scientist's quick slur directed at his trainer, he became even more irritated. The smoke emitting from his maw didn't appear to be enough apparently.

He tries to avoid people's touches because he despises it when someone other than Red touches him and the flames on his tail spark when he still feels hands intruding his personal space. But he tries hard not to exhibit his wrath as it would be inappropriate to express his unhappiness with the repeated stroking as if he were a house pet.

But Charizard's patience quickly ran out when he heard the scientist and his companion talking to Red within that manner. Charizard was furious by the scientist's words and the continuous prodding. When another scientist tries to touch his scales, Charizard automatically prepared a flamethrower for said 'scientist.'

The fool's eyes enlarge to the point that flames from his mouth begin to rise. The familiar blaze that erupts from his neck when he strikes-

-Charizard ceased fire at once, when he heard a piercing whistle.

Charizard cocked his head, daring to see who had interrupted his cookout, but was terrified when he realized it was he who had blown the whistle.

Red stood there with his arms crossed and a blank expression on his face, but it was clear that he was furious.

He locked his gaze on the gathered scientists, who were shuffling in their feet, fearful that they had succeeded in enraging the former champion, as well as his Pokemon. Who had been motionless and had not looked him in the eyes. Especially Charizard in particular sensed that if Red had not intervened, the scientist would have been burned to oblivion.

Charizard readied himself for a reprimand when Red approached, and as Red stood in front of him, Charizard bowed his head low to avoid aggravating Red, who was significantly smaller and weaker than him.

While Charizard cast a pointed glance at the ground, he felt Red's fingertips brush across his face. Red's touch on the edge of the brow signals that he wants to make eye contact with him. Charizard, who has battled countless Pokemon, powerful trainers, and Mewtwo himself-

-Can't help but feel a little nervous about angering Red.

‘Oh no, if he's making eye contact, he's really mad-!‘

Then he felt a sharp ache in his forehead, followed by a loud PLACK!

POV. Outsider.

Brandon could only stare in silence as the previous champion flicked his fingers three times at his Charizard's forehead, followed by a resounding SMACK!

He watched in bemusement as the Charizard who tried to fry Jake tried to nuzzle into his trainer as if to apologize, only to be flicked by another SMACK!

Brandon winced as he saw the Charizard hiss in pain, while Red's other Pokemon shifted anxiously, Red motioned his other Pokemon to come closer. Brandon was shocked to see the Pokemon listen to Red attentively, even the Snorlax who was lazily lounging in the garden had stand, despite the fact that they had previously disregarded him.

‘Well, of course, his they’re trainer.’ He was gently reprimanded by a voice that sounded disturbingly like Jury.

The instant Red drew a horizontal line, his Pokemon followed, and despite the fact that no words were exchanged, they were able to converse flawlessly.

‘Amazing,' he thought, certain he and the others shared the same sentience when he catches Jury's eyes widen in surprise, while the others stare at the exchange intently.

While the other pokemon were still in line, Reds taps on his shoulders twice and the Charizard swiftly stands by him. Brandon is curious as to how they manage to communicate effectively despite the absence of order, and if they do, does Red teach them the signs or does he communicate through them? Does that indicate he could talk?-

Brandon's mind came to a halt when Red abruptly turned his head and fixed his stare on Jake, who visibly gulped as he gazed directly back at Red.

"I apologize for touching your Char-charizard without your consent," While Jake ramble apologies to Red, who was approaching him. The Charizard hardened his gaze on Jake, who was noticeably quaking in his boots.

This glare makes even Brandon, who wasn't affected by it, swallowed his saliva in fear.

Seeing Jake's trembling lips and shrinking eyes, he feels pity for his friend. Brandon couldn't help but feel chills travel down his skin as Red stood in front of Jake. In that moment, Red, who was much smaller than Jake, seemed very big.

‘No fourteen-year-old should be that frightening,’ Brandon thought.

“I’m s-so sorry,” Jake begs, but all Red did was put his finger to his lips, making his intent was clear despite the fact that no words were spoken.

Brandon, who had known Jake for months, seen him talk his subordinates ears off till their ears bleed, had never seen him shut his mouth up so quickly. As Brandon was silently praying for Jake's safety. Red, who had been standing in front of Jake, this whole time, abruptly did something unspeakable.

Brandon was taken aback and blinked in surprise.

‘What.’

He didn't dare to blink when he saw Red- the champion of his childhood, bowed deeply to Jake, who was pale-white with fear, as well as the other, whose eyes enlarge to a terrifying degree out of their socket.

He mumbled a short but incomprehensible “...what?” followed by a large roar of an angry Charizard.

After being startled awake by Charizard's roar, Brandon hopes that professor Oak would allow them to rest so that they can recover their mental health.

Brandon could only gaze dumbly as the diminutive figure of Red bowed profoundly in front of Jake, who still lacked color in his face as if his soul had already ascended to the heavens.

They had been horrified as Charizard roared ferociously but with a single gaze from Red, he had come to a halt. Charizard had grudgingly followed Red's command to come over and take position in front of Jake, who had let out a small gasp as the enormous Charizard glared him down. In reaction to a strong grunt from Red, Charizard did lower his head slightly. Red, evidently displeased with Charizard's apologies, decided to lower Charizard's head even more. The Charizard snarled, but he didn't say anything.

As Champion Red made Charizard’s head even lower, he heard loud laughter from the Blastoise and Venusaur.

Professor Oak had gladly intervened after that, as they pulled Jake in, who required assistance because his knees had gone weak, and kept muttering about seeing a sandals man or whatever. But he hadn't missed the way how the Charizard and the other Pokemon glared at him and Judy.

He wished the Pokemon would ignore him and instead focus their attention on Judy, who shuddered alongside him.

POV. Lapras.

When Red entered the battle, he was a calm and quiet individual who might generate mayhem at his wake, especially among Charizard, Venusaur, Blastoise, and Pikachu, who were battle veterans with hard eyes and steel muscle. If they were chaos, Red was their rock, bringing the storm to a halt.

She had inquired about Charizard's taste of combat on his tongue one day.

“When I fight with all my strength, I feel the most alive.” Charizard replied with a savage grin and a demented expression in his eyes.

Shivers ran down her neck as a result.

She may not enjoy fighting, but she hasn't forgotten how addicted she was to the taste of triumph. She embraces becoming a member of Red's team and relishes the opportunity to taste success.

She had overheard the scientist making a remark about Red. Furious? Yes. But, unlike Charizard, she wasn't the kind to bulldoze her issues away in a rage.

She remembers and maintains her composure despite the wrath rising within her maw. When the Scientist nervously caught her stare, whilst Professor Oak told Red that he didn't need to apologize any further, she felt Red's mood deteriorate, as the objective of this visit was to check on their health, since Red was concerned about the sudden mishap and their previous fight with Mewtwo.

She waddles up to Red after hearing Espeon and Pikachu confront Blastoise about what had caused the atmosphere to become so unpleasant.

While Red was still apologizing to Professor Oak with his head down, Charizard, who was by his side, appeared exceedingly embarrassed. Pikachu, Espeon, and Venusaur were all throwing daggers at the Professor, who is thankfully not paying attention.

‘So, Pikachu and Espeon have finally figured it out? Interesting’ She had known from the beginning of how Green and Professor Oak were related and she could only pray they would survive the trials of fury, followed by a tiny shiver as Professor Oak sneezed.

When she appeared at his side, Red had finally done bowing, letting out a sigh. Charizard, who clearly heard the sigh, simply nuzzled into Red's hair in an attempt to relieve his stress. Red lets his knuckles brushed against Charizard’s head, indicating that he was already forgiven.

Red gives her a nod as Lapras lets out a short cry, but she could see the joy in his eyes. She cries again, presumably to draw Red's attention. Red caught her stare, tilting his head to the side to indicate that Lapras had his attention. Then she fixed her gaze on two scientists in the far corner, who were unusually tense. Red, who is skilled at reading people's body language, noticed one of the scientists standing with a guilty look on his face.

He turns to her, and she sees the question in his eyes as she lays her face on his palms.

(“Which one?”)

She keeps her gaze fixed on the scientist who had defended her trainer.

POV. Outsider.

Brandon can only hope that his future self won't do stupid shit that involves things like this in the future.

The Lapras who keeps rejecting him was the first.

"Everything is nice and dandy, and you have a lovely Lapras there." The (previous?) champion only gives a nod before beckoning his Venusaur, who trotted pretty quickly for a four-legged Pokemon.

The instant the Venusaur arrived, its ruby eyes glinted briefly at him before they turned to face the Charizard. The Venusaur lets out a sound that was a mix of snorting and giggles, causing the Charizard to puff smoke in rage. Brandon felt as if his insides were going to die, because of the sheer worry that the Charizard would accidentally kill him. At the sight of the laughing Venusaur and fuming Charizard, Brandon got a glimpse of champion Red wearing his signature blank face and his Lapras rolling her eyes.

Brandon, not for the first time that night, begs Arceus to show him what he has done to deserve this.

He examines the Venusaur, and notices the rich aroma emanating from its bud, which caused surrounding pokemon from the garden and lab to flutter by, and could only marvel at how gigantic it was due to the Venusaur’s sheer size.

Pokemon having a large height had a difficult time storing their poison, and would unintentionally release a tiny oozing of it. Given the size of the flower and the fact that it didn't overflow, he was intrigued as to how far the Venusaur's poison bundle spread from within the bud.

Brandon inquires because, unlike Jury, his parents instilled some etiquette in him, and he is not a barbarian for Arceus’s sake. "May I examine his flower in excruciating detail?" Champion Red simply shook his head and held out his palm. Brandon was disappointed, but quickly put it aside, knowing that the champion would not want anybody to touch his Pokemon.

"I see, now on to the next Pokemon-" Brandon responds before going on to the next pokemon, but Champion Red simply shook his head and pointed to his Venusaur before Brandon could finish his sentence. Brandon's confusion grew when he noticed Champion Red pointing to his Venusaur once more, who was glaring back at him as if he were an idiot.

Brendan was about to pose a question when he felt a hand on his shoulder, whom turned out to be Professor Oak. The Venusaur grumbles with evident disgust in reaction to the Professor's approach, its fiery eyes staring so hard that Brandon thought it might spark a fire if he could gaze hard enough.

"I believe Red here wants you to ask his Venusaur rather than him." Champion Red nod’s and the Venusaur lets out a despair-like sigh, as if thanking Arceus himself that Brandon had finally understand.

Brandon's eye twitches in irritation, and he swallows the obscenities that were about to spill out of his mouth.

"Professor Oak, why don't you examine the Pokemon instead?" Brandon asked the Professor with forced cheer, appealing with him to take the job because, unlike Professor Oak, he could only quail in the face of champion Red's pokemon's immense force. Brandon knew the Professor would be ecstatic about the thought of inspecting powerful pokemon, therefore the idea that he would refuse was ludicrous.

"I'd like to," he says, "but as you can see." As if on cue, Brandon could see a thunderbolt and Psybeam forming from a leering Pikachu and an angry Espeon, to the Venusaur who was by Champion Red's side, whose vine whip was out as if ready to strike out at the benevolent Professor.

"Do you understand now, Brandon?" With lifeless, dead eyes, the Professor looks at him. Brandon couldn't believe what he was hearing. Professor Oak, a renowned champion, the guy who invented the pokedex, the man, the living legend himself, without whom the concept of Pokemon studies would be unthinkable, was despised by a Pokemon-

-furthermore, it was Champion Red’s pokemons.

It was strange; it felt like a fever dream from which he wanted to awaken from. Professor Oak skedaddled away from the incoming Psybeam, Thunderbolt, Vinewhip, and Brandon could only nod mutely.

He has a strong desire to punch his former self.

“Blas.”

Having been so focused on the flower of the Venusaur, Brandon had not noticed the Blastoise sneaking up behind him. Another shriek erupts as the Blastoise's look at him amusedly before grabbing his notes and...reading them?

‘………Can a Blastoise even read?’ he wondered.

The Blastoise made an amused noise as he read Brandon's handwriting, causing Brandon's face to flush. Brandon knows his handwriting isn't the best but that doesn't mean he appreciates how people react to it, but it's the first time anyone has laughed at it, especially a Pokemon!

Brandon quickly in order to save his dignity, he swiftly reclaims the notes and gives the Blastoise a faint glare, which the Blastoise returns with an amused grin. With his papers in his hands, he promptly goes to champion Red.

“You’re Venusaur is perfectly healthy, if not have more poison than the usual one.” He scribbles his observations onto his notes, attempting to make his writing more readable in the hopes that the Blastoise wouldn't laugh at him again.

“If I'm not mistaken, you spent a long time at Mt. Silver, right?” He continues on at Champion Red's nod. "I'm shocked your Venusaur has survived this long while living in such a frigid environment." Brandon turns to a new page so he may continue writing. "Despite living in such a harsh environment, your Venusaur is fully healthy, with no disease or illness that has been discovered."

Champion Red then knelt to the eye-level of his Venusaur and showed Brandon an old wound scar on one of his legs, which Brandon examined and nodded to support his findings.

"I could tell it was an extremely terrible incidence based on the extent of the scar." He adds to his notes based on his observations. "However, rest assured that while it appears to be a nasty scar, it is entirely healed."

As his Venusaur nudges his legs in contempt, Champion Red's shoulders hunch slightly in relief. Brandon blinks, startled that the former was able to express feelings in the first place. "All right, let's move on!" He exclaims, eager to get this over with as soon as possible.

Then came Red's Pikachu, who, if he is not mistaken, is the reason why Pikachu's are so popular today.

The pikachu gives him a disdainful look and Brandon picks up the device that was resting in his pocket.

"With this device, I'll be able to assist you in evaluating the severity of your Pikachu's electricity!"

"All you have to do now is let out a small spark, alright?" Brandon prepares himself while holding the device as Pikachu nods. Brandon had been exposed to countless pokemon attacks as an assistant at the lab. However, he shouldn’t have underestimated the power of former champion's Pokemon.

"Ouch!" Brandon hissed, his hand rapidly becoming numb from the pain. “Chu!” The Pikachu made a loud scandalized noise, as if it was startled by Brandon's state.

The Pikachu simply raises an eyebrow, as if he wasn't expecting Brandon to be so feeble. Brandon's brows twitched in response to the Pikachu's leering grin. Champion Red only gives his pokemon a quick flick on the head SMACK! He noticed the Pikachu nursing its head before handing over the item to Red, and he was pleased to see the yellow rat being placed in its proper place.

He hands the device to Red while nursing his paralyzed hand. Curious as to what the owner of the nefarious Pikachu will do. With a click of his tongue, his Pikachu emits a brighter spark of electricity than when Brandon was in possession of the device.

He watches in awe as champion Red remains unfazed when his Pikachu discharges a small spark of electricity into the apparatus. Brandon understands that despite how small it was, it still hurt like hell.

Now he's a little embarrassed about how he reacted in comparison to how nonchalant champion Red was when he was jolted by electricity. Brandon felt his eyes bulge out as Red handed him the device back, and judging by Ron's startled cough, he's pleased he's not the only one surprised by the Pikachu's power level.

'It's a previous champion team,' he reasoned as he closed his eyes and handed the device back to Ron, choosing not to dwell on the concept any longer.

Next came, the Snorlax. Brandon was amazed to see how well trained and healthy it was, despite its reputation as a lazy pokemon. He rubs his hand over his stomach and is happy to discover firm fat there. The arms were toned and the fur was neatly kept.

Brandon concedes, using a stethoscope to listen to the Snorlax's heart pulse while the Snorlax smiles, "Well, I surely admit I have never seen such muscly Snorlax before."

He receives a toothy grin from the Snorlax, and Brandon inwardly rejoiced that at least one person on Champion Red's team was cordial. Next was the Espeon, who greets him with a loud "Es!"

'Unusually cheerful, for Champion's Reds team,' he reflected briefly.

"'Next, we'll have her deploy psychic to carry this metal contraption to determine-" bright teal light surrounds Brandon’s body and the object before he could finish his sentence.

Brandon lets out a yelp as the red gem on Espeon begins to glow, and he floats in mid-air with champion Red and his other pokemon, who appeared to be used to the notion of floating in the air. Brandon was shocked at how the Espeon was able to hold the Snorlax, despite using psychic, he knew it was difficult to hoist such a hefty pokemon while also carrying the others, and champion Red's pokemon, with the exception of his Espeon and Pikachu, were all rather large.

Brandon compliments the Espeon on her control as he gently lowers to the ground. "Your Espeon's psychic control is very impressive, if not better than the standard psychic pokemon!"

“Es!” As champion Red offers a little scratch under her chin, the Espeon lets out a thrill cry. Brandon can't help but smile and gave the Espeon a gentle pat on the head. Red's Espeon purrs contentedly, and Brandon wants to cry at the level of normalcy the Espeon has provided. He also ignores champion Red's surprised expression and the Espeon's disturbed ones.

Good, So far, so good.

While Brandon was delighted with how well the check-up with champion Red's pokemon was going, this is where Brandon's true challenge begins. He has a basic idea of how brutal Blastoise and Charizards are, and despite the fact that they were often easier to handle as Squirtle and Charmander, the task of caring for them was arduous, so their final form would either change their attitude or develop a violent streak.

This is why, rather of a charmander or a squirtle, they typically recommend Bulbasaur as a staring pokemon, as they are usually more mild-mannered and are easy to handle. However, kids these days prefer the cool pokemons instead of the more practical ones.

He prays to Lord Arceus, to not have these two vicious pokemon kill him out of spite.

As the Blastoise neared, Brandon's ordeal officially began. Brandon also had to take some time to see the scary shelled pokemon. “Blas,” Brandon gulps loudly while the Blastoise welcomes him neutrally.

“L-Lets begin, shall we?”

Brandon was not surprised by how durable the Blastoise's shell was, but he was surprised by the number of scrapes on it. The Blastoise's shell had been cracked, but it had sprouted chonks of uneven spikes from the back, making it stronger than before.

‘Interesting’ Brandon noticed as he jotted down more of what he saw in his notes that he could plainly understand the amount of harm that could be done simply by fighting against such an entity. Brandon's penmanship has become nasty again, and the Blastoise makes an amused noise on the back of his throat. He's tempted to hurl the dreaded pen at the Blastoise's smug face.

"All right, next we'll see how long your Blastoise's water cannon is." He explains as many assistants begin to emerge and place training dummies 50 meters away.

"Now, let's—" He was interrupted before he could say anything further. The Blastoise fires its quick water gun as soon as the assistance has finished setting the dummy down.

Brandon was too surprised to even react when some splatters of water splashed into his face. And he's now attempting to calm his racing heart while also remembering not to get too close to the Pokemon when they're performing their ability.

When he feebly declares the Blastoise healthy. The Blastoise chuckles and leaves. When another massive figure came at him, he felt his heart want to burst from his chest. This time, the enormous figure causing the air to become warm.

And, oh my God. This is where Brandon would perish.

The Charizard does not greet him or glare at him; instead, he simply stares him down. Which is, to be honest, more unsettling. He would rather the Charizard to exhibit its rage rather than hide it.

Brandon doesn't try to hide his terror; rather, he gulps and stares at Champion Red. “Le-Lets begin.”

He meticulously examines the general condition of the Charizard's scales and muscles, taking notes discreetly. Noticing how the Charizard never blinked from his posture.

The tail's general condition was then assessed. The tail's general condition was then assessed. As it was the Achilles heel of every charmander's evolution.

Brandon watches as his pens melt rapidly from the sheer heat of the Charizard's flames, as he puts the pen within a far but near range. His mouth dries out in admiration as he says, "Wow." In response, the Charizard merely grunts, as the pen was fine for a few moments only to melt in such a short time.

Although he may feel scared as hell internally, he knows he can't have shaky hands as it will only agitate the pokemon further.

Surprisingly, the check-up with the Charizard went smoothly, except for that one point where Brandon had to put his head close to the orange lizard's snout to examine his sharp teeth-

Overall, it went well.

“That's it, Congratulations! Every one of your Pokemon is in top condition and are properly well cared for.” Champion Red bows to Brandon. Not knowing how to respond to that Brandon just smiled slightly.

As Champion Red's Pokemon begins to encircle him, Brandon stretched his back and turns to go. Wanting to take a nap after all of this. From the corner of his eye, he observes the big Charizard nuzzling his trainer's little hand.

The rest of the pokemon waited and looked at the young boy with similar dedication and affection. While he may study pokemon biology and conduct research on them. Brandon never really developed a proper connection with one.

He saw the way how Champion Red’s Pokemon listened and acted around with him. Can’t help but feel a little jealous of how beautiful their bond is.

He hopes one day he could have such bond with a Pokemon.

Chapter Text

Red had a lot of regrets, but if there's one regret that he wishes he could go back in time and tell his younger self what he knows now. It's that robbing Green of his victory wasn't worth it, winning the championship wasn't worth it—

You dared to trample on his results, after he had worked so hard to gain this far?

He simply wanted to be less empty-

He recalls returning his gaze to Professor Oak scolding Green heavily instead of consoling him of his loss. Green who was shaking so hard that his lips quivered, indicating that he was holding back his tears, while the jade in his eyes was filled with anguish, and thought-

'What have I done?'

He went to see Green immediately after his coronation. In a vacant training ground as he had stood there with red eyes, and flushed cheeks.

"I'm not sure why I keep trying to impress people who don't even care," Green muses as Red notices Green's tendency of messing up his hair even more in an attempt to stay calm.

"Gramps said, Green you weren't good enough," Green had perfectly imitated the Professor's sound by squeezing his voice lower and raspier, which shocked Red of how genuinely similar they're voices are. "Gramps hate me, Daisy hates me, my Pokemon hates me and everyone hates me!" Sarcasm dripped in his tone as he opened his arms wide as to emphasize the whole world would hate such a sweet boy.

His worried eyes meet emerald bloodshot ones.

"Even you hate me." Red, on the other hand, simply shook his head, denying the accusation while frowning. He watched as Green's rage erupt and not dodging Green's punch, even though he knew it was coming, it was like watching a movie frame by frame.

As the blow hits his face, Red braces for the worst, knowing from past experience that people won't be satisfied with a single punch. In spite of the fact, he tasted iron inside his mouth. He knew that Green was a kind boy, just not to him. So, he didn't dodge the punch because he knew he deserved it.

Red felt slightly dizzy after another punch and two more, but he refuses to fight back since he doesn't want to harm his once-only friend. Red was well aware that Green despised him, but he never once had any ill intentions to him.

"I could have it everything if you weren't here." Green slammed Red's head against the ground.

"I worked hard all my life for this,"

BANG!

It hurts. It hurts so bad.

"Because this is what I wanted."

BANG!

The pain of his wound couldn't even compare to that of his chest.

"I WAS GOING TO BE THE BEST!"

BANG!

He doesn't know why his heart was hurting so much.

"And you just waltzed in to steal it from me, so tell me!"

BANG!

He exclaimed as he felt something moist on the back of his skull.

Green's face was only an inch away from Red's.

"How does it feel to deprive me of my  victory ?" He had no idea what emotion he had shown on his face, but Green had noticed it and simply thrown his head back laughing.

Something, a sadness, was hidden behind the laugh. Green's brows curled together as he chuckled, and he let out a shriek as his face was filled with frenzy and a flurry of rage.  "Red!"  And all Red can do is watch while Green expresses his innermost sentiments.

"I wish I'd never met you." On his chest, he felt a crack. As though shards of his own self were shattered like glass, but Green merely marches on, his mouth gritted and his fists trembling.

" I hate you. There's no one in the world that I hate more than you."  Green spat with venom in his voice, not holding back as he shattered Red's hopes of being Green's friend again. As Green gazed squarely into his eyes, his fingers stabbed vehemently at his chest.

Tears streamed down Green's face as he pressed his chest harder. His nails were digging into his shirt. While Red was used to Green's more ferocious outbursts of rage, this was far worse. His rage was ice-cold, as if he was done-

"Fuck you, Red."

With that, Green released his hold on Red and stood in front of him, nostrils flaring, fists clenched at his sides, saying his final request to a former friend.

"So Red, do me a favor and just go away." Then Green walks away without giving his iconic 'smell you later' or two finger salute, and as Red lay on the empty training ground, fragments of his friendship with Green became irreparable due to his mistake. Red watches as Green's back gets increasingly smaller, this time leaving him permanently behind this time.

One of the other reasons he decided to flee to Mt. Silver was because of this.

Professor Oak comforts Red by patting his back as he fearfully looks up towards the sky. "It's fine" He reassured Red, but he couldn't help but stiffen up in anticipation of Green's reaction to his presence.

Pikachu grumbles probably disappointed that he will have to sit this one out and not accompany Red on his journey to Green. For a brief period of time, he squats and cuddles Pikachu, feeling the tightness in his shoulder slowly dissipate. Red nuzzles his nose against Pikachu's, and Pikachu nibbles his earlobe.

As much as he wanted to Pikachu to accompany him, it's best if he didn't. Green and Pikachu never did get along, with Pikachu having observed Green's antagonistic behavior towards Red during his journey, and Green being angry that he had been vanquished by a measly Pikachu, but Red hopes one day they could get along.

He gets up from his crouch and scratches Pikachu one last time. He mounts Dragonite and wave's goodbye to Professor Oak and Pikachu before flying out to Viridian City tosee his old friend. Dragonite sends out a cheery roar, and Red rubs his scale for comfort.

At the very least, he hopes Green won't hit him too hard.

POV. Green.

When he was younger, soaking up as much knowledge about Pokemon as fast as possible, he had encountered a book. Green recalls reading the book, out of boredom. The book stated of how colors represent negative emotions, and how the results stated that; Red represented wrath, Green represented envy, Blue represented lust, Orange represented gluttony, Purple represented pride, Yellow represented greed, and Light blue represented sloth.

He had frowned at the time, not seeing the reality behind its words, and considered it useless knowledge. However, after Red had won the championship, he recalls that book and can't bring himself to laugh at the irony.

Red and Green the opposite color of the color wheel, the most unlikely to combine but likely to intertwine.

He had mused as this summed up their relationship well.

In a struggle of fury and envy, he wonders who will triumph.

Green knew he'd gotten his answer when Blastoise collapsed to the ground as Charizard roared a cry of victory. His Grandpa has always preferred Red to him since Red was more polite and quiet, whereas he is boastful and brash. He had always imagined that being champion would grant him an ounce of his attention, but he believes it is not possible.

"Green! I'm disappointed!

"I came when I heard you beat the elite four! But when I got here, you had already lost!"

'That's right. I lost to your favorite boy,' He dug his claws into his palms and felt something scarcely human threaten to emerge from within him.

'Isn't that what you fucking what, Gramps?' His throat threatened to tighten as rage and injustice built up in him. He sees the boy who took everything he had, and resentment builds in him.

'Arceus, how unfair will you be, Red?'

Green could only feel jealously, wrath, and loss when he saw Red at the time.

'You have a mother, my grandfather prefers you to me, your pokemon adores you to the point of death, and the public worships you-'

Green can't help but flee from the situation.

'-Red, I wish you had never been born.'

He manages to escape to the nearest abandoned training ground in order to avoid reporters, the elite four, his grandfather, and, most importantly, Red.

In the midst of his need for alone time, the boy of the hour shows up with his bleeding heart, and blank stare, since Green knew he wasn't kind, he starts by talking, since that's what he does the best. Despite the fact that people lauded Red as an emotionless robot with no emotions on his face, Green knew Red was human like the rest of them, despite the hyped greatness.

He had a heart made of pure gold and powerful pokemons at his command. But his only problem was that he was too silent.

Attempting to elicit a reaction from the boy who was known to have no emotions, Green felt something snap when Red shook his head despite the evidence in his hands.

Green knew Red was only human, and he was going to prove it by having Red bleed like them.

Green's fist made contact with Red's flesh, and he couldn't control the urge to attack.

As he inhaled deeply, Green's heart raced, almost as if he was going to burst. His muscles stiffened as he squeezed his knuckles. He felt his blood begin to boil as his body temperature began to rise. He talked nonchalantly to Red, but a vein in his neck sprung to life.

He felt a buzzing white rage under his skin that was threatening to pour out, but he was done, and all he wanted was to keep this frigid fury for the boy who had stolen his every shot.

The boy who had come out on top in a pokemon battle after being the loser of Pallet town. He wouldn't equate that helpless crybaby from Pallet Town with this unmoving fiend he refers as a 'rival.'

He refuses to.

Whilst the satisfaction grew, he poured out his most real thoughts at witnessing the boy who was known for his emotionless countenance crumble with agony at Green's remarks.

"I wish I'd never met you."

"I hate you. There's no one in the world that I hate more than you." he stabs his fingers fiercely at Red's chest to enunciate his hate, as he peered square into his eyes.

Those terrifying eyes he saw as a child will never be seen again.

"Fuck you, Red."

The tears came without warning. But all he could feel was satisfaction and Green smiled as he realizes that he has finally left Red behind.

With a smile on his face and tears flowing like a dam from a torrent, drops of tears falling to the ground as he searched for the nearest exit from the abandoned training ground, he had no idea whether he was happy or sad.

Green just felt glad.

He runs and runs until he returns home, to his unfamiliar bed, his eyes welling up with tears but not of sadness or joy, so he lies there in silence only making his sheets wet. The end of a goal is to search for something anew. The loss of childhood marks the start of adulthood.

A month after losing to Red, Green learns news about Red. He doesn't care what Red is up to as long as he isn't within Green's sight or mind.

After resigning from his championship after a month of defeating Green, Red had apparently headed to Mt. Silver in order to get stronger. He knew a few people who would faint at the idea of training at the mountain, but Red, being the oddball that he was, would take it on as a challenge.

Green understood that Red wasn't the type to simply walk into Mt. Silver and grow stronger. The media, paparazzi, and the pressure of being champion were all likely factors in Red's decision to flee.

"So Red, do me a favor and just go away-"

"Coward," Green murmured as he gathered his belongings and boarded the taxi. He traveled to Kalos in pursuit of something greater, leaving the dump called 'Pallet town' behind.

Green doesn't think about Red the moment he stepped into Lumiose city, because there's so much to see in Kalos and so many new Pokemons to learn about.

He studies the language and learns about the culture in order to fill the void left by the old Green, who had lost his childhood memories in Kanto and was looking for something more. Once he's finished with Kalos, he travels to other regions for a short time in hopes of finding something to occupy his mind. Meeting new people, catching new pokemon's, learning and befriending people makes him hurt less by thinking of Red.

After returning to Kanto with nothing to do and no one to talk to, he was then offered the position of gym leader at Viridian Gym after two years of traveling.

Viridian Gym, Giovanni.

He rejected as soon as his mind processed the request, but Lance, with his persistent nature, won't take 'no' for an answer. Saying Green is in dire need of it.

He calls bullshit.

But after a few months, he consented, making an attempt not to punch Lance's smug face. It had a shady past, much like he and Red had. He dismisses that concept and creates the Gym in his own image.

Out with the old, and onto to new beginnings.

He's thirteen and he's making fresh improvements to the gym, painting it in his own colors and making room for the new generation rather than the old, and if anyone doesn't like it, he can battle it out with Green. He was, after all, just second to Red.

With weak trainers and repetitive battles on a daily basis, it was only a matter of time before he became bored and arrogant. His Grandfather didn't approve of the habit, but he was just the same. It wasn't until he met a golden-eyed trainer with a Typhlosion who wore an equally cocky grin whilst he challenged Green. That Green realized that his record of being the unbeatable gym would break.

When Green battled Gold, a long-dormant spark was awakened. He was enjoying the time of his life, employing techniques and filthy tricks. Gold, on the other hand, had very distinctive tactics. Either it will demolish everything in its way or it will come up with the most bizarre tactics.

It reminds him too much of Red.

Gold had triumphed in the end. As Gold embraced his Typhlosion out of delight, Green could only stare in awe at the first trainer who had defeated him, his Jolteon lying on the ground whilst Gold's Typhlosion standing.

He was bitter, but he was relieved that he could lose to such a skilled trainer.

Green wondered why he thought Gold was similar to Red after knowing Gold. Gold is all brash and loud, while Red is all quiet and calm. Red hates it when people have their eyes on him, while Gold relishes in it.

Green didn't know how similar Gold was too Red until he fought Gold again.

When they battle, Gold's smile was echoed by Red's blank face.

The will to win was palpable in their eyes; natural talent, those who genuinely enjoy what they do, and the determination to achieve their goal, while the lunacy of caring only about one thing, frightened Green.

The ones you need to be careful of, Green, are those who overcome limitations regardless of consequences. It was his grandfather who had told him that when his grandfather had lost a battle to Red.

Red, how far will you go?

Both are polar opposites, but they are most likely the same. They are unconcerned about other people's opinions, yet they draw people's gaze. It was an ability that Green envied as a child, to naturally attract people's attention without doing anything. He had to tried, desperate to get people's attention, but with those two, it looked like child's play.

Green wasn't sure whether their confidence came naturally or whether they were born with it.

They're like an eternal flame, making history in their name.

He often wonders if people like that were cut from the same cloth.

Despite losing to Gold, he and Gold had managed to maintain a thorny friendship, one in which Gold would harass Green simply to get him worked up, and Green would snap at Gold, ending in them fighting on the battlefield.

With how much insults and threats the two frequently made in public, some people wonder if they were friends, but Green paid no mind. In the past, he might have given a fuck about what other people thought, but these days have taught him not to.

If there's one thing that distinguishes Gold from Red, it's his attitude toward arrogance. From what Green recalls, Red was never the type to brag or be blinded by his victory, always the type to remain silent and deny he was the champion. But Gold was different, and Green honestly preferred Gold's attitude toward arrogance to Red's.

He was an arrogant little prick who reminded Green too much of his younger self, with a smidgeon of over-enthusiasm thrown in for good measure. Gold was young and powerful, capable of defeating Johto's and Kanto's most powerful trainers, and recognized as the finest trainer of his generation, thus it was understandable.

Perhaps this is why it was just a matter of time before someone beat him.

A powerful trainer at Mt. Silver.

He knew but pretended to be unaware, secretly amazed that Red was still in the mountain and intrigued by the prospect of a struggle between Red and Gold to see who would win. Green remained mute as Gold's eyes twinkled with resolve like particles of golden dust, no doubt glimmering with excitement at the prospect of facing a formidable trainer.

It took Gold only a week to hike Mt. Silver and return with the predicted results.

"I want to beat him." Gold had said, his eyes flaming like molten ambers and tears streaming down his cheeks, clearly upset by his first failure yet furrowing his determination in the face of defeat.

"Then you'd better get ready for some more ass-beating," Silver snarled, holding a familiar red and white ball in his palm and smiled at Gold with the kind of intensity that only a rival can have. Lyra nudges Green with her elbow, and Green notices a pokeball in her palm, glances at Gold quietly before jabbing her elbow harder at Green's ribs.

'Fine, fine,' Green rolled his eyes and grabbed Arcanine's pokeball, shouting, "Come on, Loser!" at Gold. "You want to beat Red, right?!"

"Yeah!" Gold's expression is a mix of excitement and remorse, but the drive in his eyes speaks for itself. Green wasn't always adept at soothing people, but he could at least put up a good fight, and so Lyra, Silver, and he battled Gold 3 versus 1 in an attempt to make him stronger and let his mind forget about his loss.

But Gold, that scumbag, managed to convert the struggle into a stalemate.

Gold had ridiculed them and taunted them by saying he was only second Red, but Green wouldn't have it, and they were soon fighting in the middle of the road, where they had to stop their fight due to the crowds of Gold's fans. The next day, he and Gold received a call from Lance, who lectured them about responsibilities and how, despite being champion, Gold shouldn't fight in the middle of the street, and how Green should've been a better role model.

In the end, he managed to capture a photo of Lance complaining in half and set it as his wallpaper as a form of retaliation.

After all, spite is the most powerful motivator of all time.

Gold had finally defeated Red when Green was fourteen. Gold had barged in with frantic gestures and a clear joy on his face, announcing that he had finally defeated Red and even Red had applauded himself.

"I did it! I did it!" Gold screamed out, crying with joy, while hugging Lyra, and Silver who wept out as well, certainly glad for their friends' victory.

Green had smiled and congratulated Gold at the time. But every now and then, late at night, he wonders if Red had lost to Gold on purpose just before he vanished.

Red had vanished when he was fourteen.

A search team was organized, with Green as one of the participants. Apparently, Red was sending letters to his mother to verify that he was okay, but it stopped coming one day, and he doesn't want to acknowledge it, but he's worried that Red didn't reply to his mother.

'I guess even hate can develop into some twisted form of affection.' He reflects unwillingly as he urges Bonita to pick up her pace. Green had offered to assist with the hunt because people tend to forget that he was only second to the champion and because he was concerned that Red's mother was suffering from Red's dead silence, literally.

Mt. Silver is teeming with wild pokemons of unsurpassed strength, and the harsh weather makes it harder to reach the summit, where Ruby had told them where Red lives, based on the evidence of the pictures he had shared.

As Green takes time to rest in an attempt to regain his breath, he wonders, not for the first time, what on earth possessed Red to choose this place for training. He understands that wild pokemon could present a challenge, but the blizzard was wreaking havoc.

Bonita and the other trainers were groaning in the back, dying from the strain of trekking the mountain walls while simultaneously battling off wild pokemon, and it was much tougher with wild pokemon that had no qualms about fighting to the death. Green winced as his thighs burned from the arduous torment they had been subjected to; no doubt he will need to apply some ointment to them after this.

As the trainer's groan on the ground to catch their breath reverberates throughout the cave, a swarm of Zubat erupts from within, beating them off in the hopes of reclaiming their home. As a result, he and the other trainers are more drained.

Green notes himself as he grabs an energy drink from his backpack. He drank it vigorously and wiped his mouth with the backs of his hand, certain that if he came across Red, he would certainly punch him.

When they reach the cave's mouth, snow crunches beneath their feet, and howling pokemon resonates throughout the mass, Green believes this is the reality that Red created. Someone muttered something about how perplexing it was that someone would actually live in Mt. Silver. Green doesn't blame him; he often wonders how insane Red was under that blank face. So they entered Mt. Silver's cave, which is essentially Red's home, in quest of any proof that would have caused Red to escape.

The carefully discovered objects on the cave, which included anything from cooking utensils, to books that Green had no idea Red enjoyed reading, proved that Red had lived here and that something had happened.

He cast a glance at Ruby, her back straight and a look of exhaustion on her face, but she was determined to locate her son. Ruby did well despite not being a trainer or hiker, and Green wasn't sure if it was due to her will or worry.

Disrupted shards of stone were tarnished, and visible pokemon attacks were evident, he wasn't sure that they meant to murder Red or it was merely wild Pokemon fighting for dominance. But there it was a massive circle-like crack in the center of the grounds entrance that made everyone even more anxious.

A nearby ranger kneels and traces the giant circle-like crack, and after a few moments, he lets out a low whistle, mumbling, "That's one massive shadowball." Lance enters and inquires' about the ranger's conclusion, since it was a familiar task for them. Green is taken aback by the size of the shadow ball and casts a sidelong glance at Ruby, who appears pale.

Ruby lets out a gulp, and a nearby trainer asks whether she's okay.

"Yes, I'm fine," She smiles, but it was clear to everyone that she was far from fine.

They went deeper into the cave, witnessing more of the Red's dwelling quarters of the once-famous champion. A fellow trainer was on the verge of slipping on the cold surfaces, but the ranger caught them before they could face-planted.

Green wonders, not for the first time, what possessed Red to live here, from the sharp icicles, to the dwelling Zubats and the rough concrete of the cave. It was undeniable that this was not an appropriate location for a vacation, and that it was more akin to a prison.

"So Red, do me a favor and just go away-"

He's not sure why he suddenly remembered that statement, but Red couldn't possibly be serious.

…Right?

There was a cave full of wild pokemon, another full of berries, food supplies, and cooking tools, possibly for hibernating and cooking, then a cave full of hot springs, which amazed Green that a location this cold could create such a thing.

Even if Red wasn't present, it was strange. Through the shards of life that were once there, Green could envision how Red lived. It wasn't long before they came across a cave with some blankets, a hammock, and what appear to be Red's distinctive hat, familiar backpack, and personal belongings in the corner.

"We'll split out and look for some clues," Lance suggested, and everyone instantly went about their way. However, Green noted that some of the trainers were hesitant to dig through Red's personal possessions, and even Red's mother, Ruby, appeared to be distressed.

He could understand the trainers, after all, Red was renowned as the most secretive trainer ever, and seeing through to his stuff was both fascinating and nerve-wracking. Ruby, as per Green's memory, occasionally let Red do his own thing, thus she undoubtedly respects his privacy, therefore doing anything like this likely upset her.

Green sighed and walked over to check it first, allowing the others to follow.

Green felt like shit as they rummaged through Red's belongings looking for more evidence. 'But they wouldn't have needed to do this if Red hadn't vanished out of nowhere,' he reasoned when he discovered a self-made fishing rod.

"Green! Green!" Bonita poked his back, leading him to turn around and look at her, who was carrying a small notepad. "This could be some type of hint," she said, handing the small notebook to him, and Green scowled so hard that wrinkles emerged on his face.

"Ugh…" When he noticed what was written in the notepad, he unconsciously lets out a sound and rubs his face with his palm. He cast a glance at Bonita, who seemed mystified by the context, and Green almost felt awful for squandering her optimism. Almost.

"This...isn't a clue, Bonita," Green replies slowly, prompting Bonita to tilt her head, as he shows Bonita and a nearby trainer the horrific object inside the notepad.

"Unfortunately, this is," he adds, waving his hand at the repulsive object, which he wishes to burn. "Not a clue." Feeling a headache starting to emerge when Green inspects the notepad, "It's simply just Red's writing, and specifically this is just Red's grocery list," he says, trying to forget about Red's terrible handwriting, which he believes has gotten worse with age.

Bonita and the trainer's eyes immediately widen with surprise, and Green can't say he blames them; Red's writing…looked atrocious, so bad that one couldn't tell what the letters were.

"This is his handwriting?" The nearby trainer snatches the notepad from Green's grip and scrunches his face as if he could read what's written on the page before returning it to Bonita.

"It certainly...is distinctive," Bonita comments, trying not to offend the previous champion, while also not complimenting him, and Green respects that.

"How the heck did you read this?" the neighboring trainer asks, who then looks at it Green his tone is filled with awe. While Bonita mumbles "Is this an 'a' or 'd'?"

He gave a sidelong glance to the neighboring trainer, refusing to elaborate. Knowing that everyone knew about his relationship with Red. He notices Ruby smiling at the conversation, and it was the first time he seen her smiled ever since Red was declared gone, so Green can't help but return the smile.

'A brush?' Green can't help but wonder what good it'll do Red, who isn't very concerned with his appearance. And the contents of Red's belongings made Green question about Red's mental state.

A pestle and mortar made of stone?

Is that a jar full of Venusaur's poison?

Knitting needles and yarn?

Well, he'd always known his pal was one-of-a-kind. The trainers in the area, as well as Red's mother, go through each of his belongings, feeling even further off from knowing the boy that once was champion.

Red's bag, which had a lock on a zipper that prohibited them from opening it, was the true enigma. Green fumbles with the latch, and when he feels a hand on his shoulder, he turns his head.

"I've got this," The adjacent trainer triumphantly grins as he grabs a hairpin and equipment he doesn't recognize from who knows where and begins working on opening Red's lock.

Green can only raise an eyebrow at the far from suspicious situation.

It took some time, but the trainer soon succeeded in unlocking it with a loud "Yes!" while the crowd cheered, and immediately unzipped Red's bag's cover.

When they opened the contents of Red's bag, however, their elation was short-lived.

"Huh?" Bonita mutters, and the sense of befuddlement grows exponentially.

If Green could have chosen the exact moment when everything went wrong, it would have been this.

"What the?" The nearby trainer discovers a piece of paper with dried crimson sploshes and an ominous 'Die' written on it; he glances at Green uneasily, and Green dives right in to see what's inside the bag.

'Red, what did they do to you?' Green dreads. Unwrapping the components within the bag.

As Green grabbed a piece of paper, his eyes shrank. "Arceus…" He was taken aback by the evidence in his hands.

"Give it to me," Green commands, grabbing the bag and swinging it upside down, allowing the papers to fall out like a tide to the floor. He then throws the bag to the side and inspects each paper with Bonita and the neighboring trainer one by one.

As Green puts them down one by one on the floor to read, the paper rustles under his palms. Green's grip tightened against the paper as Lance went over each of the letters.

Offers to join team rocket, letters threatening to kill his family, a begging chance for his pokemon to be experimented on, the list goes on with the worst things that humanity can provide and Green's stomach felt like it was churning with disgust, but the last one caught Green's eye.

A large envelope parcel, with a bright red stamp, that had clearly been opened but had been re-sealed. 'Red must've opened it,' Green pondered the contents of the letter as he noticed the obvious crease on the letter, indicating that Red had opened it frequently.

Despite the worry in his gut, Green un-wraps the package with a cool demeanor, but when Green read the sentence written on the paper on top of the delivery, his eyes widened.

("If you continue to be champion, we shall demolish Kanto.")

Bonita, who had been reading behind Green's back, gasps.

Green removes the letters from the other parcel in hurry, revealing a map of Kanto with x red markings on a few cities. Instantly placing the map on the ground, indifferent of how chilly it is, whilst Bonita makes room for the rest of the package's contents.

A red x appeared on an orphanage near Lavender Town, a well-known pool in Cerulean City, and a harbor at Vermilion City's. A hospital in Fuchsia City, and a nursing home in Celadon City. Another big x in Saffron city's center, even x in Viridian city's park, and many more.

As he connected the dots in his thoughts, Green felt his bile rising.

"Green!" While Green was looking over the map, Bonita hands over the letter she had found on the parcel. Green accepts the letter with fear, feeling as if he can't breathe.

He could feel his fingers trembling, but he kept reading.

An instruction.

Threatening to blow up the location they had indicated on the map if Red didn't stop being champion, killing millions of civilians and pokemon if Red didn't listen.

Red was not allowed to call for help, and if he did search for their bombs, they would either move it or let it go up before he could find it. Another aspect was that if he refused to obey, they would go for his mother, Green, and Professor Oak.

If Red didn't give up on being champion before the deadline, they'd blow up Kanto and other regions. However, if he complies, the bombs will not be detonated, but if Red continues to search for the bombs even after resigning as champion, the accursed place will be detonated.

In such a difficult situation, Red had no choice but to comply.

'We're still alive because of Red,' Green thought whilst covering his mouth with his palm, the fear of being swallowed whole.

"So Red, do me a favor and just go away-"

"Coward,"

"Freak,"

"Green!" He snapped out of his stupor, as soon as Green heard Bonita cry.

"I'm fine," he replies, but his throat suddenly seems constrained.

The alleged date was May 19, and it is currently April 13th, two years later. Nonetheless, the perpetrator and Red had both kept their word.

Kanto was safe, but where had Red gone?

This time he was certain Red had left him behind.

Green was numb as he stood there, unaware that he had been moving without thinking, relying just on instincts and muscle memory.

In the midst of the cold tile and biting wind, all he could see was Red's treasured hat. Red's Pokeballs were nowhere, his pokedex and the Pokemons he had cherished had vanished, leaving only a fragment of the person he had previously been.

An odd calm had settled over him.

But he could feel his own emotions stirring beneath his skin.

He remembers calling Red a coward, but if it was him, what would he have done?

The boy who said he had trained up to Mt. Silver in order to get stronger. In reality was trying to protect his loved ones from getting murdered. Even in death Red still manages to surpass him.

As he gazed into the numerous young trainers fixing the worlds problem, instead of the adults.

This is the legacy that Red has left behind, he doesn't know whether to cry or laugh.

'He wouldn't want this.'

They deploy personnel to discreetly recover the explosives at the same time. It was terrifying knowing the bomb was active, waiting. The largest search party was established to find the previous champion, including members from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and all over the place.

Gold utilized his status to assist, Silver used his connections for any news, and Lyra had to spread the word for anyone who could provide a snippet of information to any of them.

But not even that; a smidgeon of hope had sprinkled over them.

The night he had returned from Mt. silver, after knowing the truth Red had flew to Mt. Silver. He had not dreamed about Red, but rather of himself. Precisely his younger self, the one who hadn't lost to Red, filled with confidence and arrogance, believing he could do everything better than Red with every step.

"You're me." His younger self had stated like the all-knowing prick he is. He was tempted to reply with a sarcastic 'No shit.' But his younger self, himself had just blasted out a nasty remark at the start.

"How does it feel?" He walked around with his hands on his hips, as if he were in a fantastic state. Green can only make a bemused blink in response to the query.

"What?"

His younger self had the audacity to roll his eyes, as if he were conversing with a person of lower intelligence. He finally understands why so many people despised him as a child. When said child simply looks at his nails in amusement, as if Green wasn't worth his time.

"You've got the chance to apologize while he was alive, but now that he's dead," His younger self had sneered as he fidgeted with the silver pendant dangling from his neck. "All you feel is regret?"

"Would you be able to apologize, even if he was still alive?"

His younger self smiled nastily back at him. As his throat clogged, Green could only stand in silent terror at the continued attacks his younger self had made.

"Isn't this what you want?" Green felt something oozing of greenish liquid formed around the corners of his pupils, his eyes took on a deadly green crescent appearance.

"Don't lie to yourself." Green's face stretch and stretched mutating into something inhuman from his cheekbones to his lips, with emerald slime oozing out of his eyes and mouth, as he can only see his younger self.

"This is karma," says his younger-self. As he vomited out the neon acid swiftly spilling out of his eye-socket and turned into a miserable pile of lumps, his younger self laughed.

Green's dream ends with him sprinting to the bathroom to empty his stomach out, trying to forget his younger self's scathing remarks.

Red's picture was on display for the entire world to view twice in his life. The first occurred at the age of eleven and was in response to Red's success; the second was in response to his disappearance and the want to know if he was still alive.

When he saw the various posters and news of Red at the time, it felt like a slap in the face. Everyone is now aware of Red's deeds and acknowledges his accomplishments, but no one knows for certain how he died.

There were various theories as to how he died, ranging from a team rocket murdering him, to being taken by a legendary, to a robber killing him and fleeing with his pokemon in hands.

Green believes the last latter is the most prominent, because people forget Red was a human being like the rest of them, and he couldn't choose his own death like the rest of them.

He wants to find Red's pokemon's at the very least because he knew how much Red loved them. He scavenged whatever evidence Red had left behind for two months in the hopes of locating his pokemon or, at the very least, himself, until his grandpa urged him to give up and grieve properly.

What a useless person, he couldn't even help Red find his pokemon.

It had been early February when Red had last written to his mother. It was affirmed that he vanished or died in late March. The burial took place at the end of August, and it poured that day, which Green believed was fitting for a boy with such a big heart as Red.

He recalls only being capable of feeling angry as a child, and it was stated that the weakest person would constantly become enraged in the hopes of becoming stronger. As a representation of 10-year-old Red, who would never get angry and would always be one step ahead.

The anger was nothing but a shield for pain, like a cornered soldier randomly throwing out grenades, scared for his life, lonely, desperate.

Trivial yearning and petty passion.

Even if they weren't friends, Red was the one thing that's been with him his whole life.

Red's mom had been unable to clean out her son's old room. Green had volunteered to help. In fear she would pass out if she went inside her dead son's room. While rearranging Red's belongings, a piece of Green that he had forgotten suddenly felt nostalgic. Green pays it no mind and continues to scrounge for things to put in the box.

In the midst of old toys and Red's wardrobe, there lay in a corner two boxes, each with a tape on the top, that appeared like they had been deposited before his had gone to Mt. Silver. Green rummaged through Red's closet to retrieve the boxes; the larger box had multiple red tapes on top, while the smaller box was nicely packed at the top.

Green's curiosity heightened as he peeled off the many red tapes on the box, wondering what on earth Red had hidden within. When Green peeled off the last piece of red tape on the box, he opened the panel and felt his stomach turn cold. He quickly closed the box and glanced at the door, hoping Red's mother didn't see what he saw.

Green takes a deep breath, hoping that his heart's throbbing will subside and leave it in a peaceful state. There were gallons of death threats inside, tons more than at Mt. Silver, but nevertheless terrible.

This is the price of fame and success. He reminds himself that he should burn those items later, out of sight for Red's mom.

He swiftly opens the second box, which is noticeably smaller than the first, and closes it. When Green saw what was within, he was perplexed and horrified. Green takes a deep breath and rubs his temples to alleviate his emotions. He reopens the box and tries not to shiver as he takes the parchment of paper.

Green inspects the letter and notices the date, which indicates it was an unsent letter. It was scheduled to be delivered the day Red left for Mt. Silver.

And it was addressed to Green.

'To Green.' It scribbled. In the ugliest handwriting he had ever seen.

Classic Red. Always the type, who writes in short sentences rather than extensive ones. Green suppresses the nostalgia that had emerged from his head as he realized he had let out a faint smile.

He was fine until he opened the context, at which point the locked piece of himself that he was attempting to surpass was released.

"I don't hate you."

"I hope you're not mad" followed by an "I'm sorry."

The flames spread like a forest fire, swallowing everything in its path.

His chest wheezes and his nostrils flare as he throws the dreaded letter to the ground. "Hah…hah…" With only Green in the room, his breathing echoed across the space, and he messes up his hair in order to relax.

"You have to grieve, pretending not to, is making things worse!" When Green and his grandfather got into an argument at the funeral, his grandfather had roared.

THUD!

He slams his fist against the wall and covers his face with his hand. Green snarled, "Shitty grandpa, talking like he knows everything there is to know about the universe," whilst the redness in his knuckles began to appear.

"Go away."

'Green?' The voice of a boy who had once been his friend called out, but Green refused to turn his back.

'Green?'

"Go away!" Green yells and punches the walls once more, only to be met with silence in the aftermath.

Green sniffs and rubs his face as his inner turmoil struggles to be contained.

'Don't cry! You're the one drove himself to his death. You don't have the right to cry!' He repeated in his head like a mantra as he stood up and went to rummage Red's wardrobe to place in the box. Green refuses to grieve because he knew he didn't deserve it, and knows Red wouldn't want the abomination of his childhood to cry for him.

More and more of Red's belongings fell out, including toys they used to share, photos from his travels, and even those fucking shitty pokemon cards Green thought Red had thrown away-

THUD!

Green bangs his head against the wall, allowing the hard surface to calm his racing thoughts, but notices something within his peripheral vision.

Green saw one of the pictures had slipped as he pressed his face against the walls.

Nothing could stop him as he marched around the room, destroying that picture, with a thunderous anger that is notorious in his family.

He rips the blasted drawing in half as rage coursed through his veins, but he came to a halt when he noticed what was drawn in the design.

A drawing of a red apple and green apple made by crayons, in the middle was written with the most Pidgey-shit handwriting he had ever seen.

("Can we still be friends?")

When they were young, brash and still best of friends, Red and Green had a hard time saying sorry to one another, so they developed a custom of offering each other an apple of their respective colors in the hopes of forgiving each other.

A whiplash of a youthful Red wearing his trademark hat clutching two different colored apples, as Green had pointedly not stared back. That summer, he and Red got into a fight over which Pokemon types were the best. Green and Red were still close friends back when things were simpler and Green hadn't dismissed him and still considered him as a friend.

Red had handed the green apple, with an apologetic smile on his face.

("Friends?")

Green looked at the green apple for a moment before turning his gaze to Red and returning his smile.

"Friends."

As they ate their respective apple on a bench under a tree, swinging their legs back and forth, laughing without a care in the world.

All Green could do was choke out a sob as he mourned the death of a former friend. Once that first tear broke free, the rest followed in an unbroken stream. Green bent forward where he sat on the floor and pressing his palms to the mat, he began to cry with the force of a person vomiting on all fours.

'Oh Arceus, what have I done?'

Green went out the next day to get a picture to frame the dumb picture, which he still keeps at his gym's desk.

Following Red's death, he and his grandfather sought to reconcile their differences and mend their relationship. Green would cringe occasionally when his Grandpa praised him, but he rapidly became accustomed to it because it was the one thing he had wished for as a child, but at the life of a friend.

They would sometimes dispute because their points of view clashed, but they tried, and it was an improvement over the past. Green is relieved that he can now speak freely with his grandpa instead of being scorned by him.

He would rather make amends now than later.

After all, you can't apologize to the dead.

He wonders what it would be like for Red if he were still alive, but his thoughts are quickly drowned out by the reality Green had made. He went deep into the hips of graves, hoping the paparazzi wouldn't show up because here was a place of mourning, and no matter how much they wanted a scoop on him, it would be disrespectful to the deceased if they came over here.

Green has lots of regrets, and the person he subjected to his cruelty is no longer alive, therefore he now wishes to live a life free of regrets in memory of Red.

"Would you be able to apologize, even if he was still alive?"

Now he can say it with certainty, as he places purple hyacinth, red roses, and white tulips in front of Red's grave and ignites an incense stick. "I'm sorry." Green seeks refuge in the presence of the grave when life becomes too much for him, apologizing to the block of stone, beneath which is buried a coffin but no body to bound.

When neither his body nor his pokemon were found, Red's mother clung to the hope that he was still alive, but they all knew it was futile. For as long as he lived, the sight of the mother of the child he told to die crumbling as she begs the heavens to return her son back will haunt him.

"Give him back!" Green had known Red's mother since youth, and she had always been soft-spoken and composed, but now she had bloodshot eyes and tears flowing down her usually reserved face, and her raven hair was oily and unkempt, framing her miserable state. Green's heart ached in a strange way since this was the woman who had looked after him when his parents passed away. The rain grew heavier as Red's mother's screams became more hysterical and frantic, as if the skies were laughing at her antics. Green's ears gradually became deaf to his surroundings, and all he could hear was a mother's heartbreak.

He felt the water creep out of his eyes.

"He was still too young!"

Grandpa and the others are trying to settle Red's mother, who is on the ground. While she trashes on their hold, driving her nails into the ground, her face becomes increasingly messed up with tears, snot, and rain. Ruby is no longer pleading, but rather demanding that someone, anybody, return her child.

His vision was blurry; it was difficult for him to see clearly.

He heard someone he didn't recognize tell her to calm down from afar.

How can she remain calm when her son has just died?

The child she had given birth to, the very child that Green had told to go away.

The words "Red...my baby..." echo throughout.

How can he remain so calm, even though the person who was with him halfway through his life has passed? Green's face was emotionless, but he felt a dreadful emptiness in his chest.

Scum.

When he saw Red's mom being dragged after she passed out, this feeling will forever reside within his bones.

His shoulders sagged in resignation as his bottom lip quivered. "Murderer," he laughed as he heard what his younger self said.

The whole day he spends at Red's grave, wailing his heart out.

It wasn't until his grandpa called one day after a day of battling trainers that he received news that rocked his world to its core. "Red's alive." Green was speechless and can only laugh at the cruel joke displayed in front of him, and asks if his grandpa had told it to Ruby.

The terrible rage he had worn as a child returned and took hold of his heart.

Grandpa told him, "This isn't a joke, Green." The two lines on his eyebrows stick together as he makes his voice lowered, indicating he wasn't messing around, and that was Professor Samuel Oak speaking, not his grandpa.

Green recalls arguing with his Grandpa, telling him he'd gone senile with age and should stop causing Ruby and him any more heart-breaks. As a result, his grandfather had sent him proof in the shape of a pic. Green lets out a scoff because everyone knows Red was strangely devoted to his hat. The child wasn't even wearing a red cap, his long bangs leaving only a thin line of mouth visible.

'Figures.' Green rolled his eyes, knowing that this wasn't the first time someone had pretended to be Red, and certainly wouldn't be the last. He has no idea why Red was so attached to his hat in the first place; all he recounts is that Red started wearing a red cap one day and has worn it like a second skin ever since.

Since he was asked to attend in honor of their new champion, Green traveled to Kalos, and as the home of the most lavish clothes, he came across a shop selling hats, which he had forgotten about and needed to replace in case the paparazzi spotted him again.

At the end of the headgear exhibits, he noticed a simple red hat with no logo or artwork on it, just a simple red cap with noticeable high-grade material. When Green spotted the hat, he had a spontaneous inclination to buy it and thought to himself, 'Red would've liked it.' So Green had gone out and bought it, along with a new hat for himself, despite the voice in his head telling him it was a waste of money.

True. Green had bought it, but when he returned to Viridian City, he regretted it and promised himself that he would throw it the next day. But he never does, and it still remains on the shelf of his apartment till this day.

Green was taken aback by how striking the resemblance were, especially considering the infamous Pikachu he remembered from his childhood, who would leer at him at every opportunity.

Who would've thought Pikachu's could leer like that?

As his Grandpa sent him additional photos, Green scrolled down, stunned at how accurately the imposter had duplicated Red's original team. He scans down the screen, noting the Pokemon's massive size and evident wounds, demonstrating that it is eerily similar to the team of a previous Champion.

He is certain, though, that Red didn't possess an Espeon.

"You didn't bother to learn about him when he was alive." When his younger self spoke up, Green flinched in surprise, clutching his phone tight. "What makes you so sure Red didn't have an Espeon?" Green tries to relax by closing his eyes, so he doesn't reply to his younger self.

However, Green's thumb came to a halt when he saw an image of the trainer's eyes that his grandfather had sent.

Ruby mentioned once that Red inherited his pokemon talents and his eyes from his dad, when Green had visited her at Sinnoh on the day of Red's birthday. As a result, if Green countered any Red-eyed trainers, they were most likely related to Red.

Having vague memories of Red's father, Green asked Ruby if Jasper had any surviving relatives.

Before placing the mug down at her desk, Ruby offered him a strained smile. "No, they were probably the last to have them." Ruby doesn't look at him, and Green felt like a jerk for asking such a question.

Despite the trainer's dirty appearance, Green saw Ruby's soft features on his face, and the dreaded crimson eyes staring right at him.

No longer does Green have any doubts. He was certain it was Red.

He has no idea what Red means to him. When Red was still alive, he didn't think of him as a friend, but rather as a rival; but, when Red died, he thought of him as a former buddy. And now that he's still alive and well, he's at a loss for words.

He fidgets with the silver pendant he wears around his neck, seeking to settle himself. Jolteon's pokeball rattles in alarm, he takes the pokeball with a faint grin on his face and he soothes her with his thumb, assuring her that he was fine. "Don't worry, I'm ok." Green almost drops the pokeball in astonishment when the knock came.

Green's brows began sweating when he looks at the office door. As soon as the doorknob was unlocked, his anxiety grew. Green, on the other hand, rises and strides up to the door to greet his most awaited guest. Panic in his lungs, bracing himself for the worst. "Dead people don't come back, you've got a chance, don't fuck this up." he whispered.

Upon unlocking the door, Red enters Green's office as he stands in the middle of it. Both came to a complete standstill, unable to move or breathe, as if they were afraid the other would crack. The only thing left was silence, with nowhere to run.

A shell of a former person now stands in front of the person who was gone.

Green's first thought was: He looks just like the day he left.

The boy he left behind in the hopes of overthrowing him now stands in front of Green's office with a brave heart but an obstinate manner, with glory at his name even as he died and fire in his eyes.

"Red." He spoke quietly because Green was frightened that if he spoke any louder, Red would vanish, leaving him all alone again-

Green feels his stomach begin to churn swiftly as he recalls the wrongdoings he committed as a child.

Being a Pokemon master has given Red that unique teen swagger. He reasoned with himself, trying hard not to vomit at the sight of his not so-dead-childhood friend at his gym, and rapidly telling himself that this is reality and it isn't a nightmare.

How many times had he dreamed of this, only to have Red vanish as he awoke and reality crash over him, reminding him of what he had done?

He feels his heart thundering behind his ribcage.

'This isn't a dream, This isn'tadream, Thisisn'tadream,  Thisisn'tadream-!'

Green who hadn't visited Red once after he became champion, three years as he flew to Mt. Silver, and then five years after he died, was committing every inch of detail Red's appearance to memory.

'He seems awfully thin' he thought 'and short' as he saw himself towering over Red. While Green is aware that Red did not age on the day he died, he had expected him to be a little taller, while Red was quite tall as a kid, he was small as a teen.

'No, you've just grown up,'

'And stolen Red's chance to grow.'

Despite being the same age, Red's visage was still young in comparison to Green's older one. His red eyes were also glancing at Green as if he was trying to find the boy who had tormented him as a child.

'That boy died with you, Red.' He drew closer to Red in order to have a better look at him. He tries not to be bothered by Red's flinch as he crouches in front of him. To see a childhood friend of the same age who appears far younger is strange. But Green knows exactly what to do when he sees Red's troubled eyes.

'It's like looking at a picture,' he thinks absentmindedly.

'A single apology won't erase a lifetime of regrets, but it's a good place to start.' Daisy had told him, when he was plagued by nightmares of his younger self and the guilt overwhelmed him too much.

Now his been given a chance, he won't fuck this up.

Fuck his pride. he just wants his best friend back.

"Would you be able to apologize, even if he was still alive?"

"Red."

When Green looks into Red's eyes, all he sees are visions of death threats, mourning Gengar, and a woman morose over the loss of her child. Green, if he's being honest, doesn't want to look Red in the eyes because he doesn't think he's worthy of it, knowing he's one of the main reasons Red can't look strangers in the eyes.

"Don't look at his eyes!" Otherwise, you'll get cursed!"

Red, on the other hand, still wants to meet his eyes, so Green will oblige.

Because he understands how crucial eye contact is too Red-

"I'm sorry." Green would have chuckled at Red's wide eyes if it hadn't been for the situation, but he immediately sobered up because he remembered the last time he saw Red's change of expression, it was him telling Red to go die. Green can see his reflection perfectly thanks to Red's wide eyes, and he maintains a steady gaze on him despite Red's apparent desire to flee.

"I'm sorry." As he watches Red's stunned expression, Green gently repeats it. "I'm sorry, Red." He chokes up as he forces a grin at Red, recalling the many times he's had to apologize to a chunk of stone instead of the real deal.

As if he couldn't believe Green had acknowledged that he had hurt Red.

Green can't say he blames him.

"Red, you don't have to answer." He pats Red on the head, taking advantage of Red's smaller stature, even though he shouldn't because Green was also frightened within at the sight of Red's befuddled expression.

"I just want to apologize," he explains, "because I know you deserve it." It's incredible how Red and he can maintain eye contact despite the tension.

"I'm sorry." Even Red appeared to recoil at the tone of his speech, which seemed to be filled with agony.

I'm sorry for being a jerk-

I'm sorry for being a bad friend-

I'm sorry for not being there for you-

I'm sorry for telling you to go and die-

Green tries to stand up from his prone position on the floor with bated breath, but Red manages to surprise him yet again. So many sorry's unsaid, but yet Red manages to understand.

As the satisfaction grew, he poured out his most real thoughts at witnessing the boy who was known for his emotionless countenance crumble with agony at Green's remarks.

Despite the fact that he treated them as if they were nothing more than tools for his purposes, the adoring and trustful looks on his pokemon remains.

The sad grief of a mother, who had nurtured him after his parents died, and who would despair at the sight of the color "Red."

He feels like trash.

But Red, being the sweet soul that he is, just smiled, oblivious to the reality that it took Red's death for Green to apologize for his maltreatment of him. But all Green sees is a boy who Green hasn't had a chance to understand. His eyes twinkled with happiness, as if Green had given him the greatest gift he'd ever received, and he said the words Green hadn't expected the most in the softest tone.

If he could only go back in time and apologize to Red before he left-

"I forgive you,"

Although Green tried to resist the impulse to gasp at what he had just heard, his bewildered face and mouth were evident from Red's amused smile. And Red, being the typical troll that he is, simply repeats the words, just as Green did at the start.

"I forgive you." His forest green gaze met his ruby eyes. Green had to fight the want to flinch when he heard Red's voice, despite how faint it was. Green has no recollection of what Red's voice sounded like or when he was alive.

Green began to bully Red when he was eight years old, and that was the last time he heard it. Yet he can't remember how it sounded, given Red's private setting, because of all the grunting he did in battle, he had expected Red's voice to be harsh and gruff, but it was delicate but soft, exactly like Red's character.

A drawing of a red apple and green apple made by crayons, added his mind.

With the most Pidgey-shit handwriting he had ever seen-

"Can we still be friends?"

Red just gave a nod, as he flashed him the most brilliant smile.

Greens in turn emits out a watery one. In a rare display of affection, Red placed his thin arms around Green's neck. Green returns the hug, terrified that the moment will pass quickly. With snot and wetness in his eyes, he clings to Red's waist, very certainly ruining Red's shirt.

Despite his feelings that he didn't deserve Red's forgiveness, Green pledged to be better with this one sentence, and a sob issued from his throat. Red pats Green on the back to calm him down.

This time, he wants Red to be safe and happy, and he tightens his grip on Red, ensuring the future will be filled with promises and fulfillment. Green doesn't care if Red is alive or dead; all he wants is for that red-eyed kid who used to be such a crybaby to grow up and be by his side.

'Don't screw this up.'

Green promised himself, that he'll do anything to ensure Red's happiness.

POV. Red.

Honestly, he didn't expect Green to be so remorseful with his disappearance

The last fight, the event with Mewtwo. Red was aware of the stakes and was prepared, yet he was still terrified. When the shadow ball's final minutes approach, he will not lie. Red was well aware that he was destined to die.

He'd always thought it was a suitable finale to his life.

A suitable end for a not good friend.

Red's mind was filled with regrets, memories, and promises as he closed his eyes as the air stilled and the shadow ball was just behind them. Red was ready as his mother's face, Green's face, and his pokemon's face flashed across his head.

But now that he's alive, he's at a loss on what to do.

The professor may have sensed his emotional conflict and gave him distractions in the form of fresh pokemon from various places. It worked in some way, but Red realized he needed a solution to his problems.

Red reasoned and pondered of his final moments while staring at the ceiling of Professor Oak's guest room late at night when his pokemon was deep asleep.

He had a lot of regrets, but now that he's alive, he wants to make this life count.

He's tired of running away.

As a result, he wishes to begin anew. A new beginning, seeing this as an opportunity to be more liberated, happier, and fulfilled. Rather than cowering and fleeing to Mt. Silver, he wants the strength to face the world.

He begins with the person who despises him the most.

He inquires with Professor Oak where Green had been, and was surprised he was the Gym leader of Viridian City! He consulted it with his Pokemon, but they think if it was a new beginning, why not use this as a chance to erase Green from his life.

Red, on the other hand, does not desire that, and the professor agrees, stating that Red should follow his heart.

So, he headed to Viridian City, following his heart.

With bridges that need to be mended and wounds that need to be trodden on in order to move forward, it's a little awkward. But it was a good start, and Red wouldn't change it for anything.

Green acknowledges the glance with a small smile, which Red returns with one of his own.

He wishes for the best for his and Green's friendship.

POV. Green.

They talk, or more precisely, he and his Grandpa talk, while Red listened.

"The public would go wild, if we announce he's alive!"

"Yes, but we can't conceal the fact that he's not dead!"

He and his grandfather squabbled back and forth, while Red sat on the sofa, idly observing them. Thankfully, the blasted Pikachu was at the garden with Red's other pokemon, so Green didn't have to worry about an impending Thunder shock.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see a frothing Pikachu trying to break his neck. Green had expected it to happen at some point, but he was still taken aback.

He despises the fact that despite the Pikachu's attempts to annihilate him, nostalgia nearly overcame him.

"Look, how about we just give Red some time to adjust so we can announce his wellbeing?" His grandfather sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. A familiar action, that Green would always saw when they were fighting.

"No, we'll just make them believe he's dead," Green counters, swinging his arms to point, but he may end up looking like a limbless scarecrow instead. "That way, Red would be able to travel more easily, capiche?" He hissed. His gaze fixed on his grandpa, who returned his gaze.

"That won't work,"

"This will definitely work!"

"Red!" They both turned to face Red, who was staring blankly at the wall, seemingly unconcerned about the situation.

"How do you feel about it?" Green inquires, while his grandfather ponders on the sidelines. Red quickly turns to them, grabs a piece of paper, and writes down his response.

("Right now? Live.")

Absurdly enough, out of the three people present, the calmest was the one whose future and livelihood were at stake Green was tempted to curse Red, but they weren't at that level of intimacy yet, so he just waited patiently as Red painstakingly wrote in the paper his grandfather had prepared.

While Red and Green can communicate via sign language as a result of their upbringing, Red was hesitant to do so because he didn't want people to think he was deaf, and Green's sign language was rusty due to years of not signing with Red, but he managed.

It's his grandpa who's the problem. His grandpa didn't grasp sign language, which he and Red had used as children to communicate. He vaguely recalls Ruby telling him that it was Red's father who proposed the idea after noticing Red's discomfort with conversing. As a result, they reached an agreement, and Grandpa brought out some paper and pens so that Red could write.

As soon as he saw his grandpa's eyebrows twitch at Red's writing, he was sure his grandpa was regretting that decision. In retrospect, Green should've volunteered to act as translator.

("Let's take this as a chance.") Red's handwriting was as horrendous as ever, and while Green had seen flashes of Red's handwriting in his dreams, seeing it in real life brought back his migraine in full force.

Then Green thought, 'Ah, shit.' He should've taken an aspirin today.