Fanfic: Searching for Completion (Green/Red) part 1
So, here is my first pokemonfic! It's Green/Red because THAT IS TOTALLY MY POKEMON OTP, and it's insanely long BECAUSE THAT'S JUST HOW I ROLL, YO~
Anyway, hope I did okay. ;; I may write more pokemon stuff in the future, but It'll probably be Lyra/Silver as opposed to Green/Red because after this monster, I don't feel like writing them ever again XD
Title: Searching for Completion
Pairing: Green/Red
Series: Game-verse
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Life isn't fullfilling until you find the one that makes you complete. Green and Red had both been searching for something, btu neither knew what it was for many years. Green-centric; slight character study on his part.
Link to part 2
Green and Red had always been together. At six, they declared they would one day travel the world; become pokemon masters.
Best friends; two of a kind. They fought like all boys did-a few scuffles here and there, but they knew they’d always be friends. Opposites, yes-Green was rough, abrasive, liked to declare himself the master of everything, from king of the rock to ultimate berry picker. Red was quieter, only speaking if it needed to be said. He always put up with Green’s antics with only small smile on his face.
“What do you want to be when you’re grown up?” Red asked, as they sat in the shade of Oak’s lab on a hot day.
“Pokemon Champion!” Green stated, hands on his hips. “I’ll be the best trainer in all of Kanto!”
“Not the world?”
“Well, there can only be one champion for a single league, right? If I leave Kanto, I’ll have to give it up. I don’t want to do that!”
“You don’t want to see other places? Other pokemon?”
Green shrugged. “Not really. As long as I can build a good team, then why should I leave Kanto?”
Red didn’t answer and started picking at the grass.
“What do you want to do?” Green asked. He hoped Red didn’t say the same thing. He had the idea first and-
Red shrugged. “I want to feel complete.”
“What does that mean?”
“Dunno…it’s something my Mom says.”
Green spent a few seconds trying to understand, but gave up quickly. What was the point if you didn’t have a clear goal in mind?
Though he didn’t realize it until later, that was the first time Green began to realize how different they were.
When they were nine, his Grandfather announced he was beginning to work on a new project. “I got a great new idea, boys!” he told them proudly one day as Green and Red ate lunch in the lab. “It might be ready by the time you are old enough to set off by yourselves!”
“Hmph! I’m old enough to go now! Green protested through a mouthful of peanut butter sandwich.
Oak gave a laugh, “Even if you were ready, Green, the Pokemon League doesn’t allow trainers younger than eleven to compete. It’s only two more years.”
Green rolled his eyes and took another bite of his sandwich. Two years…that was practically forever!
“New project?” Red asked, looking on curiously on with those intense red eyes of his.
“It’s going to be a way to catalogue every pokemon in the Kanto region!” Oak said with a grin. “One day, I’ll be able to record every pokemon in a compact encyclopedia! Sounds great, huh?”
Green snorted. Of course it was something stupid like that. Why study pokemon unless it was learning how to make them stronger? And what was the point of seeing every pokemon in the Kanto region? Most of them were probably weak anyway…
“Well, Red, wouldn’t you like to see every pokemon in Kanto?” Oak asked. Red nodded.
“What, Red, you serious?” Green stared. “You’d want to wander around trying to track down every single pokemon? That’ll take forever!”
Red shrugged. “Looking for completion…it sounds interesting.”
Interesting. Right.
And his grandfather was just thrilled about it. “That kind of initiative will make you a great trainer one day, Red!” Oak patted him on the back. “Maybe I’ve found the right trainer to undertake my work after all!”
As Oak continued to heap praise on Red, Green couldn’t pretend to ignore them any longer. Emerald eyes looked on, filled with envy.
Green had never seen much of his grandfather; Professor Oak preferred to spend all of his time in his lab, deep in his studies. But after Oak discovered Red was interested in his research, Green saw less and less of him. No more did he and Red play in the afternoons; now Oak was showing Red around, teaching him how to care for pokemon, the gender differences, the many types-
It was always Red. Never Green.
On Green’s tenth birthday he found his grandfather and Red at the edge of the tall grass. Oak was showing Red pokemon bait. “You see, Red, you can use honey or generic pokemon bait-different pokemon respond to different things. If you’re looking for Bug type, it’s better to use sweeter scents, but for carnivores-”
“Hey, Gramps!” Green said, striding towards them. “What’s going on?”
At least Red had the decency to look guilty. “Oh, Green,” Oak smiled wide. “I was just showing Red here about pokemon bait!” He now pulled Red toward him-Red did not smile. “He’s going to be an amazing trainer one day-maybe good enough to be champion!”
“That’s just great,” Green snarled. “But you haven’t been home all week! Either stuck up in your lab, or taking your newest assistant,” he spat out the word like a curse. “-out for little trips.”
“I can’t spend time at home when there’s research to conduct!”
“Oh, yeah? What about family? What about-” Me?
“I have research to conduct, Green,” Oak told him firmly. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it can wait.” Turning back to Red, he said, “If you have any more questions, Red, come see me at the lab-I’ll leave my door open for you!”
Without another word, Oak walked past his grandson. Green clenched his hands into fists-clenched his teeth-clenched his eyes shut-
Red did not follow the professor. Instead he stood across from Green, lips parted as if he wanted to say something.
Green wouldn’t let him. “What?” Green shouted at him. “You’re his favorite-why don’t you just follow him? Become his new assistant? I have an idea-why doesn’t he just adopt you as his new grandson-he obviously wants you!” Tears licked the corner of his eyes. “Just go be his little helper already-since you’re obviously going to be such a great trainer and all-”
“Green…”
“Just go!” Green roared, hot anger bubbling in his chest. That was right…it was all Red’s fault. If it wasn’t for Red, his grandfather would be showing him around the lab-his birthday wouldn’t be forgotten-and what did Red need his grandfather for, anyway? He still had a Mom…still had someone who cared. Not a negligent grandfather and a ditzy sister who only cared about her tea and tv shows.
Red had a family! Why did he need his grandfather, too?
Red said nothing, only walking past him. But as he passed, Red muttered, “Happy Birthday.”
A tear slipped down his cheek as Green punched him.
Green dedicated that last year in Pallet Town to making Red’s life miserable whenever possible. That year, a new girl moved in from Saffron City; her name was Leaf, and like everyone else in the town, she thought Red was going to be such a great trainer someday.
They were often together, and that day they read a book Red had borrowed from the professor, talking about different pokemon species. They sat there, talking and pointing at the pictures.
Red talked with her-and he hardly ever talked!
Walking past them, Green chimed, “Red and Leaf, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”
Leaf blushed, but Red was calm, not even looking up from the book, “It’s not like that.”
“Oh, it’s not? It looks like it to me-”
“It’s not,” Red said, a little firmer this time. Leaf was still blushing. “We’re just friends.”
Green wanted to make a comeback; maybe joke and ask Red for tips on the ladies-but then Red stared at him, eyes like fire.
Eyes daring him to say something.
Even in silence, Red had bested him. “Whatever,” Green muttered, walking off.
It was two weeks after Red turned eleven that the professor finally called Green to his lab. Red was there too. Green guessed that his gramps would rather send them both off at the same time rather than separately. What, did he think they were going to travel together? Get real!
At least Red hadn’t brought his girlfriend along. Leaf was several months younger than them, and cautious Professor Oak wouldn’t dare send her off without her being old enough. Green had to remember to tease Red about it later. How tragic it was that he had to leave her behind and-
“Here, take the pokemon, Red,” Oak indicated to the single pokeball on the table.
“Hey!” Green yelled. “I thought you were giving me a pokemon too, Gramps!”
“Hush, Green!” Oak silenced him. “You’ll get one later. Now, Red, I picked that pokemon out just for you. I’m sure you’ll like it-”
Picked a pokemon out specially? What, was Green going to get some junk Oak had picked out of the trash? Growling under his breath, Green pushed Red out of the way, grabbing the pokeball first. “I want this one!”
He was hoping Red would get angry; fight him for it. Red only stared at him, a curious expression on his face, and then shrugged.
What…the…? Didn’t Red care what pokemon he got? “Going to be a great trainer someday?” Yeah, right!
“Oh, very well,” Oak sighed, shaking his head. “Here, Red, you take this one.” The professor pulled a pokeball out of his pocket and handed it to Red.
Red studied the pokeball, and then put it in his belt, without a change of expression.
“What did you get?” Green sneered, “Some crappy pokemon? Bet you wanted this one, huh?” He teased, waving his own pokeball in Red’s face.
Red looked down at the pokeball he had received. “Somehow this feels…right.”
Green blinked. “Well…fine! Whatever.” Weighing his own pokeball in his hand, he smirked, “If you’re so sure, then c’mon! Let’s battle! I’ll trounce you!”
Green leaned against a tree, Eevee in his lap, reading his pokedex. So this was the thing his Gramps was working on for those years? He could’ve spent more time on it-it was nearly blank!
Still, it was useful for some things. “Eevee, normal-type,” he read out loud. “Can evolve into Jolteon, Flareon, or Vaporeon depending upon the evolutionary stone given. Hmm…what do you think?” He asked, looking down at the pokemon in his lap. “I’ve got to make you stronger somehow…you wanna be an electric, fire, or water-type?”
“Vee,” Eevee chirped, confusion in her eyes.
Green sighed, putting the pokedex away. “I guess I’ll see what I need when it comes to it. C’mon you,” he said, putting her down on the grass. “We gotta train for the first gym!”
Adventuring was so much more fun than hanging around Pallet Town. No Gramps telling him he needed to appreciate pokemon more-no Red hanging around and being annoying-out on his own, collecting badges, this was the life!
He already had four pokemon, had already beaten two gyms, and knew he was well on his way to becoming the champion. So what if he only had pokemon to talk to? He was beating trainers left and right. His team was so much better than the weaklings other trainers had.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder how Red was doing. Heh, Red probably hadn’t gotten past the first gym yet, his pokemon were probably weak-how could someone as soft as Red train pokemon anyway, and-
Green froze, eyes wide as he looked down the city street.
Wait, wait, was that-What was Red doing in Cerulean City? He had beaten the first gym? How did he-
Well, the first gym was a pushover. Too easy. Red wouldn’t get past the second. And it was better this way. It was no fun if Red was too weak. “Hey, Red!” Green called out to him; Red turned, saw him. Red’s pikachu growled as he approached.
“Nice,” Green smirked. “So, you got this far, huh? Better than I expected!”
Red said nothing. God, that was annoying! Couldn’t he talk once in a while-? “Well, let’s see how good your pokemon are! Go Rattata!” Green threw a pokeball down, his newly-caught Rattata emerging with a growl.
Red remained silent, but a hint of a smirk was on his face as he directed Pikachu to attack.
It was after he left Cerulean City that Green noticed something was wrong. Rattata had evolved to Raticate-good, now he was stronger, well enough to take on that psychic-type gym when it was time-but he wasn’t as lively as usual. In the last battle, Raticate had trouble attacking, and his moves hit weaker than usual. It was like he was permanently confused, unable to dodge and walking around in a daze.
Green took Raticate to a Pokemon Center-twice-but the healing didn’t help. “You’re not healing him right!” he yelled at the nurse behind a counter. “Look at him!” He lifted the pokemon up to her. Raticate was as lethargic as ever, giving a weak, “Raaaa…” when the nurse gently petted him.
“I’m sorry,” the nurse shook her head. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. I’m not sure we can help.”
“Well, thanks,” Green snarled, “Lot of good you people are…”
Even though he was itching to continue on-he couldn’t have Red beat him, now could he?-he took it easy on the way to Vermilion City. Resting by the side of the path, Green petted his poor Raticate as Eevee looked on. Raticate gave a gruff squeak as Green ran his fingers over its fur.
“What’s the matter, you?” he asked, “I know you’re sick, but-”
He discovered the problem as he ran his fingers through Raticate’s fur again. Hidden underneath were tiny, red lumps.
His breath grew sharp.
Something was seriously wrong with Raticate.
He didn’t want to do this-damn it, he hoped he’d never have to-but the second he got in Vermilion, he called his grandfather from the hotel.
“Hello, this is Professor Oak speaking-”
“Gramps!” Green yelled, “You got a book on pokemon diseases?”
Oak repeated, baffled, “Pokemon diseases? What for-?”
“Something’s wrong with Raticate!” Green shouted into the receiver. Raticate was already squeaking softly in his arms. Green quickly explained the problem, knowing if anyone knew what was wrong, it was Professor Oak.
“Hmm…” Oak gave a long pause. Too long of a pause. “I may have heard of something…I’ll call you back, let me check-”
“I’ll stay on the line,” Green said. He was not going anywhere until he got answers.
Thankfully, his grandfather found them quickly. “Ahh, here it is. What your Raticate may have is a virus called Pokerus.”
“A virus called what?”
“Pokerus. Don’t worry, it’s mostly harmless-”
“Harmless?” Green shouted over the phone. Eevee jumped and gave a squeak at his side. “If you would look at him-!”
“And if you would listen to me, Green, then you’d hear that Pokerus is mostly harmless. Some pokemon react badly when contracting the disease. Don’t worry though. It fades over time, even for the worst cases.”
Raticate gave a weak, horse squeak. “How bad are the worst cases?” Green asked hesitantly.
Oak paused again. “Don’t worry, Green. The odds of it being one of the worst cases are slim…I’m sure Raticate will recover, in time. Now if you excuse me, I have to get back to my work…” Oak hung up before Green could say another word.
Throwing the phone back on the receiver, Green fought the urge to yell in frustration. But throwing a temper tantrum in a hotel lobby wouldn’t help. He collapsed into an armchair nearby. Eevee pawed at his ankle, while Raticate drifted to an uneasy sleep in his lap.
Green rested his head in his hand. If Raticate was still sick tomorrow, he couldn’t take it with him to challenge the gym. “Just hurry up and get better already,” he sighed, softly patting the pokemon in his lap.
Raticate was too sick to take to the gym. Green’s sandshrew beat the leader easily, but it didn’t matter. Instead of the sweet triumph of victory as Lt. Surge handed him his badge, Green could only feel worry for the pokemon left back in his hotel room.
After the victory, he was invited onboard the S.S. Anne for a short cruise. That wasn’t a bad idea-the sea air and summer breeze might help Raticate heal. He seemed to enjoy it as Green took him out on deck, cloudy eyes looking out to clear sea. “See that? That’s the ocean out there. There’s lots of other places out there-Johto, Hoenn, Unova…imagine that?”
Raticate nodded, the sea breeze ruffling his fur. He was too weak to squeak now.
“Green?” He recognized that voice.
Green turned away from the view of the waves to see Red standing on deck, Pikachu on his shoulder. Green swallowed bitterly-somehow, the idea that Red would see him like this, nursing a sick pokemon, was infuriating.
He told Red he would be the greatest trainer ever! Kanto champion! Champions spent their time training, not looking after sick pokemon!
Red stepped closer. “Something wrong?”
Like I’d tell you! “No, nothing’s wrong!” Green shouted at him, setting Raticate gently down on the deck. “And to prove it, I’ll fight you, here and now!”
Red didn’t look as pleased at this battle. “We don’t need to.”
Did Red think we was weak? Too upset to fight right now? No! He’d show him! “Yes, we do! What are you, a coward? Huh? Are you going to forfeit and let me declare victory?”
Red’s crimson eyes looked at him, sizing him up. They looked hesitant. But Red did not back down a second time. “Fine,” Red sighed, removing a pokeball.
Things did not go as planned. “Eevee, go!” Green roared, but Red’s Pikachu was too strong-one last thundershock, and Eevee fainted with a squeal.
That was when Raticate gave a growl and waddled forward. “Wait,” Green said, uneasy. “Raticate, you don’t have to-”
But Raticate looked back at the fainted Eevee and let out a growl-it wanted to fight. It was weak right now-Green knew Raticate wouldn’t last long against Red’s Pikachu-But Raticate hadn’t looked so lively in a long time. He wanted to avenge Eevee, despite his sickness.
Swallowing, Green nodded, “If you’re sure,” and then directed Raticate to attack.
Lavender Town. It was a small place in the middle of nowhere. No gym; nothing of interest. Normally, he wouldn’t have even bothered coming here.
But Lavender Town did have something for him now. The Pokemon Tower.
He had barely gotten to the hotel when he received a call. It was from Professor Oak. “Hello, Green?” his grandfather said cheerfully on the other line. “I’m wondering how your pokemon is doing. You said it was taking a while to get better and I thought…”
Green sucked in a breath, feeling like he was punched in the chest all over again. “It’s not better.”
“What, you mean it’s still sick? That’s not normal, Green. Get a pokemon to fly you over here, I’ll examine it-”
“You can’t.” The squeezing in his chest only got worse. His lungs felt contracted; he could barely speak. “You can’t examine it. It-it didn’t get better.”
“Green? Are you…are you saying that your pokemon-”
Hot tears burst in the corner of Green’s eyes, “Yeah, it died, okay!” he roared, not caring that everyone in the hotel lobby was probably staring at him now. “Raticate’s dead!”
“Oh, Green…” Oak sighed. Green could have almost believed he cared. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to go through that with one of your first pokemon-”
“Yeah, well, you said it might happen, right? It did happen! So what?” Green felt a warm tear roll down his cheek; he quickly wiped it away. Pokemon champions didn’t cry. “It got sick and couldn’t get better. It happened and there’s nothing we can do to change it!”
Oak sighed again, “Pokemon are friends to all of us…losing a pokemon is like losing a good friend…But think of it this way. You had your time with your raticate, and now, you’ll be able to find another friend to take its place…maybe something you haven’t seen before…”
“Raticate wasn’t a number in your damn pokedex!” Green snarled, slamming the phone back down on the receiver.
Of course he shouldn’t have expected sympathy from his grandfather-pokemon were something to study to him, just species…he didn’t know the pokemon well at all! They weren’t things to study, they were things to train! Things to grow with! Things to…things to…
They were a team, taking on the world.
Like friends.
Raticate hadn’t lived long after that fight on the S.S. Anne. He was already too weak…he shouldn’t have fought at all! Damn it, why did he let Raticate fight? Why had he fought Red at all? If Red hadn’t talked to him…kept his mouth shut…
In the tower, Green stared down at Raticate’s gravestone. At least he had been close enough to get Raticate to a proper place to rest…Some guy called Mr. Fuji looked after the tower. He told him he would make sure Raticate’s grave was taken care of.
Eevee sat in front of the stone, letting out a few sniffles. Green knelt down to her level, petting her soft brown fur. “You miss him, huh?” Eevee nodded, letting out another sob. “Sorry…”
They had been standing here long enough. “Come on,” he said to Eevee, picking her up in his arms. “We have to get going…can’t stay here forever.”
Just as he was on his way out, Green saw him.
Red.
Looking shocked. Or, as shocked as Red could look.
Panic flooded him. Wait-how…? Did his Gramps tell Red about-? No, no, there’s no way he could-
“Green,” Red greeted him, worry on his face. “Are you okay?”
Green swallowed-no, he would not cry in front of Red, damn it! “Yeah, fine, why?” he snarled.
“It’s just…you look…” Red’s eyes said it all.
“Look like what?” he snapped, feeling more tears in the corner of his eyes. “What are you doing here anyway? Your pokemon aren’t dead…you don’t know what it’s like to lose a pokemon…”
If Red didn’t know what was going on before, he knew now. “Green,” he said again, stepping forward. Green didn’t move. Red lay a hand on Green’s shoulder, and for a second, Green allowed himself to appreciate it.
The second was over as Green shook out of Red’s grip. “Just stop it, you don’t know anything! Eevee, Quick Attack!” he directed, blinking tears out of his eyes.
Red stared for a long moment. His lips parted-as if he was trying to find the right words. “What?” Green roared. “Too scared to fight?”
But Red shook his head, before nodding at Pikachu to respond.
Green didn’t see Red for a long time after that. Red had more important things to do, like trouncing Team Rocket. Green didn’t have time for those distractions.
It wasn’t like Green liked Team Rocket-he despised anyone who abused pokemon-but it wasn’t his job to fight them. He had to focus on becoming a champion. He couldn’t waste time on mundane things.
He set his mind to the matter of building a team to challenge the Elite Four. At the Celadon City department store, he made his way past shelves upon shelves of useless merchandise and looked at evolutionary stones. Eevee needed to evolve to get stronger, but Green wasn’t sure which type to evolve her into yet.
“Water, Electric, or Fire,” he repeated, looking down at Eevee as she pawed the glass case. “You have a preference?”
“Vee?” Eevee said, tilting her head, confused.
It might take Eevee some time to get used to the idea. He bought all three stones anyway.
After countless battles, a long journey of many months, they were here. Indigo Plateau. The Elite Four. The last step to becoming a champion.
“All right,” Green said, speaking to the Eevee in his arms. “Here we are. You ready?”
“Vee!” Eevee said happily. She was ready.
Just one thing to do to before that…
“Okay,” he said, setting her down on the grass. “One last thing…” He dug through his bag-Jeez, what was with all these pokeballs? It wasn’t like he caught pokemon for collecting or anything-He managed to dig out the evolutionary stones. “Time to decide.”
“Vee…” Eevee looked at the ground. Sad.
“What?” Green asked. “You know you have to evolve. We need to be as strong as we can be here-if you evolve, that means-!”
Means…what?
Eevee pawed the ground, refusing to look back at him.
They had gotten this far without her evolving, hadn’t they? She had been strong enough to face all eight gym leaders and Victory Road. Sure, maybe she wasn’t as strong as other pokemon, but…
Would he really force her to evolve if she didn’t want to?
Why did he need her to evolve? He had water, fire, and electric types already. He didn’t need another one. So why…?
“Do you not want to evolve?”
“Vee…” Eevee looked back at him, nodding.
With a sigh, Green put the stones away. “Okay then.”
“Vee?” Eevee tilted her head again.
“You don’t have to evolve if you don’t want to. We’ve made it this far, right?” Green smiled. “We can make it to the top.”
“Vee!” Eevee jumped into Green’s arms, nuzzling him happily. He laughed, patting her on the head.
He sold the stones at the Indigo Plateau shop the first chance he got.
The Elite Four was easier than Green had imagined. The first three were blown away by his superior team. He smirked to himself as he walked into the second-to-last room-one last trainer, and then the championship battle. And then-
He was awestruck as he entered a room filled with towering dragon statues. Flickering torches lined the walls, and Green had the impression that he had walked into a dungeon. This guy was quite the eccentric.
“Oh, so you’re the kid everyone’s been talking about.” At the far end of the room, a red-haired man stood, wrapped in a cape. “I’m Lance, tamer of dragons. Last of the Elite Four.”
Green felt his breath grow short. Lance was-without a doubt-cool. With styled red hair and a cape flowing behind him, Lance was the definition of awesome to the twelve-year-old. Lance smirked with an aura of confidence that made Green feel uneasy for the first time since he had come here.
Still…he had to keep calm. Cool. He would lose if he got distracted-
And then Lance smiled at him. Green’s face grew hot.
“I hear you’re quite the pokemon prodigy, kid,” Lance continued to smile. “So, let’s see what you got!”
Eevee fell back, exhausted. “Veee…” At last, the pokemon champion’s Pigeot chirped, fainting away.
“I did it…” Green panted, watching the former champion rush to his pokemon. “I did it!” A smile broke out on his face. “Eevee, we did it!” He knelt down to her.
“Vee!” she managed to squeak happily, rushing into his arms.
“Pokemon Champion!” Green whooped and threw his fist in the air.
Champion. All he ever wanted-He had done it! At last, he was the best trainer in all of Kanto! At last-!
He had barely healed his pokemon when the door opened. A challenger? Already? Jeez, being champion was rough-
Him.
Green felt another squeezing in his chest as Red approached, looking slightly surprised.
Clenching his teeth, Green snarled, “Oh, you made it past the Elite Four, huh? Guess I shouldn’t be surprised-you’re tougher than you look.”
Red said nothing.
“Well, fine! I like it this way! We’re the best two trainers in Kanto! Now, let’s find out who’s better!”
Red nodded; of course he was prepared for this. Of course he wanted to take away Green’s one chance at glory-one chance to show his Gramps who was the best trainer of them all-But Green wouldn’t let him! He’d wipe the floor with him! He’d show him, he’d show him, he’d-
Green gave a strangled gasp as Eevee, his last pokemon, fainted.
No.
No!
This…this couldn’t be happening…
Red’s Pikachu squeaked in joy, but Red didn’t look thrilled that he was just declared the strongest trainer in Kanto.
He looked sad.
Like he pitiedhim.
No! This wasn’t fair, damn it! Champion…Champion for five minutes!
“Heh,” Green forced a smirk on his face. “Heh, guess you showed me, huh? Still, this means nothing…you got lucky…”
“Red!” A jolly voice said, barging into the champion’s room. Professor Oak smiled wide as he emerged-if Green didn’t feel sick before, he felt like puking now-and clapped Red on the back. “Congratulations on becoming league champion! I knew you could do it!”
Green’s stomach rolled as he watched his own grandfather heap praises on his rival. No congratulations for him? Nothing at all? Did he even notice he was there?
Of course he didn’t. Red was the one he really cared about.
Green took that as his cue to leave; he shuffled out past Red, but the professor stopped him. “Green,” he said, as if he finally noticed he was there. “You could learn from Red. It was his bond with his pokemon that led him to victory. You need to treat your pokemon better.”
Green’s vision exploded scarlet. Treat his pokemon better? He trained them all perfectly! And-was this about Raticate? How could the professor even dare to think that-
Green said nothing more to his grandfather. Fists shaking in rage, he ran out of the Pokemon League as fast as he could.
He was barely outside Indigo Plateau when Red caught up to him. “Green,” Red called out; Green didn’t turn back.
“Congratulations,” Green snarled. “Shouldn’t you be inside? Gotta make sure the professor congratulates his champion.”
“I’m not going to be champion.”
Green whipped his head back so fast he felt it crick. “What?”
Red looked down and kicked a pebble on the ground. “I’m not going to be champion. Too much work.”
“So…you’re leaving?” This made anger bubble up in Green’s belly for some reason. “That’s it? You worked hard the whole way to get here, and now that you’ve done it, you’re giving it up?”
Red shrugged. “Waiting for challengers is too much work. I want to keep travelling.”
“Oh, right,” Green’s eyes rolled. “That stupid pokedex.”
“I’m looking for completion. What do you want to do, Green?” Red’s crimson eyes stared back at him. Burnt holes in him.
It was too awkward. Green quickly looked away. “Well…why do you care? You did what you set out to do; you beat me once and for all, Mister Champion.”
Red blinked. “Fine.” He began walking; passed Green without a single look. “See you around, then.”
Green didn’t watch him leave.
But for some reason, he regretted it as soon as Red was gone.
Green didn’t know where he wanted to go now; what could he do now that he was a fallen champion? He sat against the large stone statues outside of the Pokemon League, idly petting Eevee in his lap.
He could go back and rechallenge the league again, but was that really worthwhile? Sooner or later, some kid would beat him. And he hated losing. He liked battling, but every time he was beaten, he’d have to start over again. Was being champion really what he wanted?
Had he ever wanted it? Why had he gone after it so badly in the first place if it would all end in disappointment? Most powerful trainer in Kanto…it sounded impressive, but who was it he was really trying to impress? Himself, or…
An image of his grandfather flashed in his mind.
“Tch!” Green said loudly, causing Eevee to jump at the noise. Well, it wasn’t like his grandfather cared anyway. All he ever cared about was his precious apprentice. Yeah, now that Red was champion, he must be so overjoyed… After all, Professor Oak always knew that Red would be the most perfect trainer in of Kanto…
“I’ll be the best trainer in all of Kanto!” Green remembered himself boasting as a child, hands on his hips as Red looked on. “Just wait; one day I’ll be champion, and you can tell everyone that you’re the friend of the Kanto Champion!”
Red had nodded, but Green had always wondered if he had seen a tiny smile on his once-friend’s face.
“Just wait, Red, you’ll see! I’ll be the very best!”
Green swallowed and looked up wistfully toward the clouds. Well, no matter what he had said, it hadn’t worked out that way, had it? Red was champion now…Red had beaten him…Red was the best…
“Hey, what are you doing out here?” an upbeat voice said.
Green nearly jumped at the voice, and then his heart jumped again upon seeing it was Lance. The dragon tamer was bending his knees to look down at him, his impossibly cool cape and perfect red hair being rippled by the wind. Green felt a flush coming on and looked away. “I lost, didn’t I? What else is there to do?” Eevee was nuzzling his hand-he had stopped petting her when Lance came by.
He expected Lance to agree. Agree, and leave him alone to his thoughts. Instead, Lance said, “Plenty! Do you know how many trainers we have at your level and at your age? Not that many!”
“Why? What can I do?” Eevee was now nuzzling into his shirt. Why did she want attention all of a sudden?
“Lots of things!” Lance stood up, running a hand through his hair. (Wow. Why couldn’t Green’s hair be like that? No matter the wind, it was just perfect and…) “They always need new teachers at pokemon schools, you could become a part of the Pokemon League…unless you want to become a professor?”
“No!” Green snapped.
Lance smirked. Green’s breath hitched in his throat. “Thought so. But if you’re looking for a job, we’ve got one open right now-the Viridian City gym leader’s split for good this time, and we need someone new to take over.”
A gym leader? Him? But… “No one else can do it?”
Lance shrugged. “Well, we have others, but I thought I’d ask you first. I’ve taken a liking to you, kid.” Green’s heart skipped another beat. Eevee chose that moment to whine loudly.
A gym leader…it would be a lot of losing. Having to train new members; pokemon fights, day in and day out. Could he do it? Could he handle it?
Still, people to look up to him. People to respect him. He would be in charge…no one to tell him what to do…
Green smiled back up at Lance. “I’ll do it!”
The dragon tamer met his smile. “You’ll be perfect, kid! I can’t wait to refer new trainers to you!”
Green’s heart beat a fierce tattoo once again. With a final wave, Lance left him.
Eevee chose that moment to bite his finger.
“Ow! Eevee!” Green grabbed the pokemon and lifted her to eye-level. “What’s the matter with you?”
Eevee growled and jumped out of his hands, nose in the air. Green gave a sigh; whatever, she’d be over it once it was dinner time. Standing up, he took out Pigeot’s pokeball. “C’mon, let’s see about that gym.”
“That’s enough!” Green shouted as the challenger’s butterfree fainted. “I told you I wouldn’t lose!”
The kid rushed forward to pick up his fainted butterfree, tears beginning to form in his eyes. Oh, jeez. The kid was crying over one lost fight? And using a butterfree against Arcanine? Please. What were these wimpy kids doing becoming pokemon trainers if they didn’t understand the mechanics…
The kid threw money at him and ran out, cradling his butterfree in his arms. At last, Green might have some time to relax. It was summer and there had been an influx of trainers lately, but he could swear it wasn’t this busy last summer.
“Are you busy?” Green sighed; another trainer. Oh well…
He began his usual speech, “You’re here to challenge me for the Earth Badge, aren’t-” But he stopped mid-sentence. He recognized this trainer. “Leaf?”
She had grown in the three years since he last saw her. She was older, taller; no longer the short tomboy, but now a lanky, mature teenager. She smiled when she saw him. “They told me you took over the gym, but I had to see it for myself.”
“Why didn’t you come before?” She had never passed through Viridian Gym in the two years since he became its leader.
Leaf sighed and folded her arms across her chest, flicking her brown hair over her shoulder in a flippant gesture. “I’m not like you and Red, you know-I took my time to enjoy the adventure; I didn’t rush through it like you two did.”
“Ha ha,” said Green, removing a pokeball at his belt. “Let’s see how well that worked out for you, then.”
Green fought the urge to frown as his Arcanine fainted. He hated losing. He sighed; “Fine.” He thrust the Earth Badge and all the money he won from the first trainer at her. “But don’t get cocky-if I used my full strength, you wouldn’t stand a chance against me.”
Leaf giggled. “You were holding back?” she asked, stuffing the money and badge into her bag.
“Of course!” he snapped, insulted. “There are rules for gym leaders. Some pokemon and moves are banned, pokemon levels are fixed, we can’t use more than two healing items on a single pokemon and revives aren’t allowed-you get the idea.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she giggled again, looking amused. “So now that this is done, how about we catch up?”
“Catch up?” Green blinked. He had never imaged Leaf would want to “catch up” with him. He had been pretty mean to her back in the day.
Scratch that, he had been an absolute brat, no denying it.
“Well, I haven’t seen you in three years!” she smiled again. She liked doing that. “And,” her stomach rumbled on cue. “You can treat me to be best place in Viridian.”
Green groaned. So much for thinking she might’ve forgotten his teasing from years ago.
“So you’ve been here for two years and you still haven’t gotten a girlfriend?” Leaf said through mouthfuls of very expensive steak. “There were girls lined up halfway around the block just to get a glimpse of you!”
“There were?”
“You didn’t notice?” she gaped at him. “They were all giggling about you when I walked past on my way in!”
“Uh…well…” Come to think of it, he had noticed girls liked to hang out around the gym. He always thought it had to do with the coffee shop next door rather than the gym itself. “I’m not really looking for a girlfriend right now.”
“Ooh, why?” Leaf leaned forward, eyes almost starry. It seemed she liked gossip. “Haven’t found the right girl?”
Green shrugged. “Not really interested. I got to focus on running the gym. Also, Eevee gets jealous.” On cue, Eevee let out a “Vee!” in agreement from her spot on the floor next to his feet.
Leaf giggled. “You know, Red said the exact same thing when I asked him that. Only, he said ‘Pikachu’ instead of Eevee.”
Green froze; gaping at her like an open-mouthed fish, “You’ve talked to Red?”
She tilted her head. “You haven’t?”
“No! I haven’t seen in him two years! I thought he was off being the best trainer in the world and-and-” Leaving me behind.
“He’s been completing his pokedex. I hear it’s almost finished. After that I think he plans to go to Johto.”
“Johto?” Green rolled his eyes. “What’s he got to go there for?”
“Well, there’s different pokemon to catch in Johto. He said he likes travelling and seeing new places. He wants to see and complete everything-you get the idea.”
“Hmph.” Green still didn’t see what the big deal was. Kanto was big enough. Plus there were the islands to explore…Johto and the other regions were too far away for his liking. Besides, there were too many pokemon in the world to try and see all of them. Red would have to travel for decades to see everything. Knowing that idiot, he would, too…
For a second, Green felt a familiar squeezing sensation in his chest, but he quickly dismissed it.
“Honestly, I’m surprised he hasn’t visited you,” Leaf said, cutting another hunk out of her steak. “Whenever I brought you up, his eyes got brighter. He said you were one of the best trainers he ever fought.”
Well, duh. “But why would he visit? It’s not like we’re friends.”
“I don’t think he sees it that way.” Leaf said with a warm smile. “I expect he’ll come back to visit you someday soon.”
Green picked at his salad. “Why would he need to come here? He’s already got the Earth Badge.” And it’s not like he’d come to visit me.
“Well, maybe,” Leaf said, going back to her food. “I think you’re wrong about Red, though. For ‘not being friends’ he sure did like hearing about you.”
Green shrugged, shoving food around on his plate. Maybe Red did like hearing Leaf talk about him, that didn’t mean anything. He liked hearing what Red was up to too-purely to see if his rival lived up to his expectations, of course.
Green was sure after how he had treated Red years ago, he would never come see him here.
For some reason, that thought made him sad.
“Well, look at you!” Lance said as Green came into the room. “You’ve sure grown in three years!”
Green felt his cheeks redden and stared at the drab grey carpeting of the Vermilion conference center. “Yeah well…can’t expect me to be short for ever, right?”
Green should’ve prepared himself for this. Kanto hosted the gym leader conference this year, and of course Lance would be there. And he looked as attractive as ever.
Um, as cool as ever is what he meant. Being attractive…well…that was something for girls to decide, right? He was a guy. It wasn’t like he could make an accurate judgment on whether or not other guys were attractive-
And then Lance grinned. “Hey, since you’re here, there’s someone I want you to meet.” Then Lance put his arm around Green’s shoulder, and led him to the center of the room.
There were dozens of gym leaders already here, talking, laughing, munching on the sour lemonade and the stale cookies the conference center had provided-Green saw Sabrina talking with some girl with blonde hair that reached to the floor, and there was Blaine, arguing about TM moves with Pryce from Johto…Green recognized the Kanto and Johto leaders, but since he had never been to any of the other conferences (Green was not traveling anywhere he couldn’t get to with Fly) he didn’t know most of the people in the room. He would probably be forced to sit through introductions during the first few panels. Great, as if he didn’t feel awkward already.
Leaf called him before he left, laughing to herself at his irritation at the whole idea of this conference. He was so going to get revenge by telling her every horrid little detail later.
Lance led him near the refreshments table, and stopped near a man with teal hair and grey eyes. “Hey, Steven!” Lance greeted him. “This is the kid I was telling you about at the last conference!”
The man smiled, and Green felt his heart thump rapidly in his chest a second time. “Oh, so you’re the prodigy, huh?” the man extended a hand. “Steven Stone, Hoenn champion.”
Green took Steven’s hand, feeling a blush creep on his face again. “Uh…hi. I’m Green. Viridian Gym Leader.”
“Pleasure,” Steven said, smiling wide. “Lance told me a lot about you. He said you’re one of the most gifted trainers he ever met.”
“R-really?” Green was sure his face was redder than a Charizard’s scales. “I don’t really think-”
Steven laughed. “Becoming pokemon champion at twelve then going on to be a gym leader? I doubt many kids could accomplish that. The only other one I’ve heard of was the Kanto champion after you.”
“Actually, there’s one more,” Lance piped up. “Some kid from Johto managed to beat me. I think he’s traveling through Kanto now.”
“How is the other kid Kanto champion, by the way?” Steven asked, taking a sip of the greenish lemonade, which he immediately spat out. “Ugh…”
“I don’t know,” Green growled, annoyed. “Why does everyone seem to think that I’ve been in contact with him when-”
“I heard that you were good friends.”
Yeah, right! Like Red would want to be friends after… “We just came from the same town, is all. That doesn’t make us friends.”
That’s all we are now, really. Childhood acquaintances. If we were anything more, then Red might’ve come by once in a while.
Steven smiled; Green felt nervous again. “Still, coming from the same town as him, you’re lucky. He’s famous even in Hoenn.”
“Huh.” Of course he is. He’s probably the best in the world. Green stepped past Steven to grab a cookie off a plate on the refreshments table; anything to keep from looking at Steven’s or Lance’s faces. He hoped the stale cookies were better than the lemonade.
“-Though he’s not talked about as much these days, since no one’s heard of him in months.”
Green dropped the cookie back on the plate.
“What?” He whirled around, eyes wide in shock. “He-he hasn’t-”
For once, Lance was not smiling. He scratched the back of his neck nervously, “No one’s heard a thing. We heard something about him catching a pokemon of legends in Kanto, and then his travels in Johto, and now, nothing. I was kind of hoping you had heard something of him.”
There came the squeezing in his chest that always came whenever he thought about Red. “He wouldn’t tell me,” Green muttered.
Lance patted Green’s shoulder. Green felt his face flush again; he really wished Lance would stop doing that. “Don’t worry; I’m sure he’s fine. He was a spirited guy, even if he didn’t talk much.”
“Who said I was worried?” snapped Green, full on blushing now. “Red can handle himself!”
Though he said that, inwardly, Green wasn’t so sure. Red could handle himself, but if he hadn’t been seen or heard from in months…
“I know what’ll cheer you up!” Lance smirked again, dragging Green away by the shoulder. “Let’s go check out some Vermilion girls! This welcome day stuff is boring anyway.”
“You don’t need to cheer me up!” Green shouted, red-faced, as a laughing Lance herded him from the room.
That day was revealing in more ways than one. Though Lance dragged him off to the beach to scope out the Vermilion bathing beauties, Green could barely focus on looking at anyone; he was too worried about what Steven Stone had said about Red.
Red did travel alone and hardly contacted anyone…if he got into trouble, there’d be no one to help him…and he hadn’t been seen or heard from in months…
Though Lance was fully enjoying this, “Wow, get a load of that!” he said, pointing to a scantily-clad woman wading on the shore. Lance elbowed Green, “Why don’t you go try to get her number?”
“Don’t want to,” Green muttered, turning away from the girl who now laughed as she was sprayed by the waves.
“No reason to be embarrassed-!”
“I said I don’t want to!” Green snapped, irritated frown on his face. It was the first time he managed to look at Lance without blushing.
At least the dragon tamer didn’t push the issue. “Okay, if you’re sure.” The kind way he said it sent another flush to Green’s cheeks. “She not your type?”
“Um…” Green’s eyes scanned the beach…bikini-clad girls…girls in short skirts…girls with long hair…was that Misty over there? Huh. Girls laughing…smiling…Green’s eyes honed in on one of the male bathers, seeing the droplets of water roll down his rather…muscular…chest as he popped up from the water…
“Not…not really?”
Lance shrugged. “Well, maybe you’ll find someone eventually, eh?” He clapped Green on the back.
Green was starting to get used to the warmth he felt every time Lance touched him. “Yeah…”
If Lance had his way, they would have explored all of the Vermilion nightlife, but Green excused himself under the guise that he was tired from traveling the day before.
Actually, he was starting to come to terms with something he had suspected for a while.
It wasn’t that he ever considered this a problem; he always thought that he might find time for girls later. He was always too busy with training and a gym, that he never considered it odd that he hardly noticed the girls back home. Though it was starting to get to the point where it might be looked at as odd. Maybe when he first became a gym leader he had an excuse, but being nearly sixteen years old and having no interest in girls…
Green sat in the stiff armchair of the Vermilion hotel, a slumbering Eevee in his lap. He petted her absently, staring out the window to look on the dusk-lit ocean in the distance. And then there was what he did notice…shirtless guys down at the beach. Good looking trainers-that happened to be male. Lance. And maybe Steven Stone, too…
Green felt himself redden again. So I’m…gay? He felt an odd nausea in his stomach. It wasn’t that he felt sick about it, it was just…sudden.
New.
Though come to think of it, he probably should’ve realized it before. Girls lined his gym, and he hardly paid attention to them…but when an ace trainer with messy hair covering his eyes and tight, tight pants walked into his gym, oh, did he pay attention. Then there was that whole thing with Lance…No one should be that good looking! And also-
Intense, crimson eyes flashed in his mind.
Red! Oh crap, if Red ever found out, how would he take this? He’d known Red since he was a kid…What if he thought it was weird? What if-
Green swallowed, trying to calm the intensifying worried nausea. For one, he hadn’t seen Red in years, and wasn’t likely to see him for a few more. Besides, Red had no reason to want to see him-they weren’t even friends…
Still…
“No one’s heard from him in months…”
Green looked away from the window, focusing on the sleeping pokemon in his lap. Damnit, Red, what are you doing out on your own?
Part 2 here
Anyway, hope I did okay. ;; I may write more pokemon stuff in the future, but It'll probably be Lyra/Silver as opposed to Green/Red because after this monster, I don't feel like writing them ever again XD
Title: Searching for Completion
Pairing: Green/Red
Series: Game-verse
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Life isn't fullfilling until you find the one that makes you complete. Green and Red had both been searching for something, btu neither knew what it was for many years. Green-centric; slight character study on his part.
Link to part 2
Green and Red had always been together. At six, they declared they would one day travel the world; become pokemon masters.
Best friends; two of a kind. They fought like all boys did-a few scuffles here and there, but they knew they’d always be friends. Opposites, yes-Green was rough, abrasive, liked to declare himself the master of everything, from king of the rock to ultimate berry picker. Red was quieter, only speaking if it needed to be said. He always put up with Green’s antics with only small smile on his face.
“What do you want to be when you’re grown up?” Red asked, as they sat in the shade of Oak’s lab on a hot day.
“Pokemon Champion!” Green stated, hands on his hips. “I’ll be the best trainer in all of Kanto!”
“Not the world?”
“Well, there can only be one champion for a single league, right? If I leave Kanto, I’ll have to give it up. I don’t want to do that!”
“You don’t want to see other places? Other pokemon?”
Green shrugged. “Not really. As long as I can build a good team, then why should I leave Kanto?”
Red didn’t answer and started picking at the grass.
“What do you want to do?” Green asked. He hoped Red didn’t say the same thing. He had the idea first and-
Red shrugged. “I want to feel complete.”
“What does that mean?”
“Dunno…it’s something my Mom says.”
Green spent a few seconds trying to understand, but gave up quickly. What was the point if you didn’t have a clear goal in mind?
Though he didn’t realize it until later, that was the first time Green began to realize how different they were.
When they were nine, his Grandfather announced he was beginning to work on a new project. “I got a great new idea, boys!” he told them proudly one day as Green and Red ate lunch in the lab. “It might be ready by the time you are old enough to set off by yourselves!”
“Hmph! I’m old enough to go now! Green protested through a mouthful of peanut butter sandwich.
Oak gave a laugh, “Even if you were ready, Green, the Pokemon League doesn’t allow trainers younger than eleven to compete. It’s only two more years.”
Green rolled his eyes and took another bite of his sandwich. Two years…that was practically forever!
“New project?” Red asked, looking on curiously on with those intense red eyes of his.
“It’s going to be a way to catalogue every pokemon in the Kanto region!” Oak said with a grin. “One day, I’ll be able to record every pokemon in a compact encyclopedia! Sounds great, huh?”
Green snorted. Of course it was something stupid like that. Why study pokemon unless it was learning how to make them stronger? And what was the point of seeing every pokemon in the Kanto region? Most of them were probably weak anyway…
“Well, Red, wouldn’t you like to see every pokemon in Kanto?” Oak asked. Red nodded.
“What, Red, you serious?” Green stared. “You’d want to wander around trying to track down every single pokemon? That’ll take forever!”
Red shrugged. “Looking for completion…it sounds interesting.”
Interesting. Right.
And his grandfather was just thrilled about it. “That kind of initiative will make you a great trainer one day, Red!” Oak patted him on the back. “Maybe I’ve found the right trainer to undertake my work after all!”
As Oak continued to heap praise on Red, Green couldn’t pretend to ignore them any longer. Emerald eyes looked on, filled with envy.
Green had never seen much of his grandfather; Professor Oak preferred to spend all of his time in his lab, deep in his studies. But after Oak discovered Red was interested in his research, Green saw less and less of him. No more did he and Red play in the afternoons; now Oak was showing Red around, teaching him how to care for pokemon, the gender differences, the many types-
It was always Red. Never Green.
On Green’s tenth birthday he found his grandfather and Red at the edge of the tall grass. Oak was showing Red pokemon bait. “You see, Red, you can use honey or generic pokemon bait-different pokemon respond to different things. If you’re looking for Bug type, it’s better to use sweeter scents, but for carnivores-”
“Hey, Gramps!” Green said, striding towards them. “What’s going on?”
At least Red had the decency to look guilty. “Oh, Green,” Oak smiled wide. “I was just showing Red here about pokemon bait!” He now pulled Red toward him-Red did not smile. “He’s going to be an amazing trainer one day-maybe good enough to be champion!”
“That’s just great,” Green snarled. “But you haven’t been home all week! Either stuck up in your lab, or taking your newest assistant,” he spat out the word like a curse. “-out for little trips.”
“I can’t spend time at home when there’s research to conduct!”
“Oh, yeah? What about family? What about-” Me?
“I have research to conduct, Green,” Oak told him firmly. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it can wait.” Turning back to Red, he said, “If you have any more questions, Red, come see me at the lab-I’ll leave my door open for you!”
Without another word, Oak walked past his grandson. Green clenched his hands into fists-clenched his teeth-clenched his eyes shut-
Red did not follow the professor. Instead he stood across from Green, lips parted as if he wanted to say something.
Green wouldn’t let him. “What?” Green shouted at him. “You’re his favorite-why don’t you just follow him? Become his new assistant? I have an idea-why doesn’t he just adopt you as his new grandson-he obviously wants you!” Tears licked the corner of his eyes. “Just go be his little helper already-since you’re obviously going to be such a great trainer and all-”
“Green…”
“Just go!” Green roared, hot anger bubbling in his chest. That was right…it was all Red’s fault. If it wasn’t for Red, his grandfather would be showing him around the lab-his birthday wouldn’t be forgotten-and what did Red need his grandfather for, anyway? He still had a Mom…still had someone who cared. Not a negligent grandfather and a ditzy sister who only cared about her tea and tv shows.
Red had a family! Why did he need his grandfather, too?
Red said nothing, only walking past him. But as he passed, Red muttered, “Happy Birthday.”
A tear slipped down his cheek as Green punched him.
Green dedicated that last year in Pallet Town to making Red’s life miserable whenever possible. That year, a new girl moved in from Saffron City; her name was Leaf, and like everyone else in the town, she thought Red was going to be such a great trainer someday.
They were often together, and that day they read a book Red had borrowed from the professor, talking about different pokemon species. They sat there, talking and pointing at the pictures.
Red talked with her-and he hardly ever talked!
Walking past them, Green chimed, “Red and Leaf, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”
Leaf blushed, but Red was calm, not even looking up from the book, “It’s not like that.”
“Oh, it’s not? It looks like it to me-”
“It’s not,” Red said, a little firmer this time. Leaf was still blushing. “We’re just friends.”
Green wanted to make a comeback; maybe joke and ask Red for tips on the ladies-but then Red stared at him, eyes like fire.
Eyes daring him to say something.
Even in silence, Red had bested him. “Whatever,” Green muttered, walking off.
It was two weeks after Red turned eleven that the professor finally called Green to his lab. Red was there too. Green guessed that his gramps would rather send them both off at the same time rather than separately. What, did he think they were going to travel together? Get real!
At least Red hadn’t brought his girlfriend along. Leaf was several months younger than them, and cautious Professor Oak wouldn’t dare send her off without her being old enough. Green had to remember to tease Red about it later. How tragic it was that he had to leave her behind and-
“Here, take the pokemon, Red,” Oak indicated to the single pokeball on the table.
“Hey!” Green yelled. “I thought you were giving me a pokemon too, Gramps!”
“Hush, Green!” Oak silenced him. “You’ll get one later. Now, Red, I picked that pokemon out just for you. I’m sure you’ll like it-”
Picked a pokemon out specially? What, was Green going to get some junk Oak had picked out of the trash? Growling under his breath, Green pushed Red out of the way, grabbing the pokeball first. “I want this one!”
He was hoping Red would get angry; fight him for it. Red only stared at him, a curious expression on his face, and then shrugged.
What…the…? Didn’t Red care what pokemon he got? “Going to be a great trainer someday?” Yeah, right!
“Oh, very well,” Oak sighed, shaking his head. “Here, Red, you take this one.” The professor pulled a pokeball out of his pocket and handed it to Red.
Red studied the pokeball, and then put it in his belt, without a change of expression.
“What did you get?” Green sneered, “Some crappy pokemon? Bet you wanted this one, huh?” He teased, waving his own pokeball in Red’s face.
Red looked down at the pokeball he had received. “Somehow this feels…right.”
Green blinked. “Well…fine! Whatever.” Weighing his own pokeball in his hand, he smirked, “If you’re so sure, then c’mon! Let’s battle! I’ll trounce you!”
Green leaned against a tree, Eevee in his lap, reading his pokedex. So this was the thing his Gramps was working on for those years? He could’ve spent more time on it-it was nearly blank!
Still, it was useful for some things. “Eevee, normal-type,” he read out loud. “Can evolve into Jolteon, Flareon, or Vaporeon depending upon the evolutionary stone given. Hmm…what do you think?” He asked, looking down at the pokemon in his lap. “I’ve got to make you stronger somehow…you wanna be an electric, fire, or water-type?”
“Vee,” Eevee chirped, confusion in her eyes.
Green sighed, putting the pokedex away. “I guess I’ll see what I need when it comes to it. C’mon you,” he said, putting her down on the grass. “We gotta train for the first gym!”
Adventuring was so much more fun than hanging around Pallet Town. No Gramps telling him he needed to appreciate pokemon more-no Red hanging around and being annoying-out on his own, collecting badges, this was the life!
He already had four pokemon, had already beaten two gyms, and knew he was well on his way to becoming the champion. So what if he only had pokemon to talk to? He was beating trainers left and right. His team was so much better than the weaklings other trainers had.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder how Red was doing. Heh, Red probably hadn’t gotten past the first gym yet, his pokemon were probably weak-how could someone as soft as Red train pokemon anyway, and-
Green froze, eyes wide as he looked down the city street.
Wait, wait, was that-What was Red doing in Cerulean City? He had beaten the first gym? How did he-
Well, the first gym was a pushover. Too easy. Red wouldn’t get past the second. And it was better this way. It was no fun if Red was too weak. “Hey, Red!” Green called out to him; Red turned, saw him. Red’s pikachu growled as he approached.
“Nice,” Green smirked. “So, you got this far, huh? Better than I expected!”
Red said nothing. God, that was annoying! Couldn’t he talk once in a while-? “Well, let’s see how good your pokemon are! Go Rattata!” Green threw a pokeball down, his newly-caught Rattata emerging with a growl.
Red remained silent, but a hint of a smirk was on his face as he directed Pikachu to attack.
It was after he left Cerulean City that Green noticed something was wrong. Rattata had evolved to Raticate-good, now he was stronger, well enough to take on that psychic-type gym when it was time-but he wasn’t as lively as usual. In the last battle, Raticate had trouble attacking, and his moves hit weaker than usual. It was like he was permanently confused, unable to dodge and walking around in a daze.
Green took Raticate to a Pokemon Center-twice-but the healing didn’t help. “You’re not healing him right!” he yelled at the nurse behind a counter. “Look at him!” He lifted the pokemon up to her. Raticate was as lethargic as ever, giving a weak, “Raaaa…” when the nurse gently petted him.
“I’m sorry,” the nurse shook her head. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. I’m not sure we can help.”
“Well, thanks,” Green snarled, “Lot of good you people are…”
Even though he was itching to continue on-he couldn’t have Red beat him, now could he?-he took it easy on the way to Vermilion City. Resting by the side of the path, Green petted his poor Raticate as Eevee looked on. Raticate gave a gruff squeak as Green ran his fingers over its fur.
“What’s the matter, you?” he asked, “I know you’re sick, but-”
He discovered the problem as he ran his fingers through Raticate’s fur again. Hidden underneath were tiny, red lumps.
His breath grew sharp.
Something was seriously wrong with Raticate.
He didn’t want to do this-damn it, he hoped he’d never have to-but the second he got in Vermilion, he called his grandfather from the hotel.
“Hello, this is Professor Oak speaking-”
“Gramps!” Green yelled, “You got a book on pokemon diseases?”
Oak repeated, baffled, “Pokemon diseases? What for-?”
“Something’s wrong with Raticate!” Green shouted into the receiver. Raticate was already squeaking softly in his arms. Green quickly explained the problem, knowing if anyone knew what was wrong, it was Professor Oak.
“Hmm…” Oak gave a long pause. Too long of a pause. “I may have heard of something…I’ll call you back, let me check-”
“I’ll stay on the line,” Green said. He was not going anywhere until he got answers.
Thankfully, his grandfather found them quickly. “Ahh, here it is. What your Raticate may have is a virus called Pokerus.”
“A virus called what?”
“Pokerus. Don’t worry, it’s mostly harmless-”
“Harmless?” Green shouted over the phone. Eevee jumped and gave a squeak at his side. “If you would look at him-!”
“And if you would listen to me, Green, then you’d hear that Pokerus is mostly harmless. Some pokemon react badly when contracting the disease. Don’t worry though. It fades over time, even for the worst cases.”
Raticate gave a weak, horse squeak. “How bad are the worst cases?” Green asked hesitantly.
Oak paused again. “Don’t worry, Green. The odds of it being one of the worst cases are slim…I’m sure Raticate will recover, in time. Now if you excuse me, I have to get back to my work…” Oak hung up before Green could say another word.
Throwing the phone back on the receiver, Green fought the urge to yell in frustration. But throwing a temper tantrum in a hotel lobby wouldn’t help. He collapsed into an armchair nearby. Eevee pawed at his ankle, while Raticate drifted to an uneasy sleep in his lap.
Green rested his head in his hand. If Raticate was still sick tomorrow, he couldn’t take it with him to challenge the gym. “Just hurry up and get better already,” he sighed, softly patting the pokemon in his lap.
Raticate was too sick to take to the gym. Green’s sandshrew beat the leader easily, but it didn’t matter. Instead of the sweet triumph of victory as Lt. Surge handed him his badge, Green could only feel worry for the pokemon left back in his hotel room.
After the victory, he was invited onboard the S.S. Anne for a short cruise. That wasn’t a bad idea-the sea air and summer breeze might help Raticate heal. He seemed to enjoy it as Green took him out on deck, cloudy eyes looking out to clear sea. “See that? That’s the ocean out there. There’s lots of other places out there-Johto, Hoenn, Unova…imagine that?”
Raticate nodded, the sea breeze ruffling his fur. He was too weak to squeak now.
“Green?” He recognized that voice.
Green turned away from the view of the waves to see Red standing on deck, Pikachu on his shoulder. Green swallowed bitterly-somehow, the idea that Red would see him like this, nursing a sick pokemon, was infuriating.
He told Red he would be the greatest trainer ever! Kanto champion! Champions spent their time training, not looking after sick pokemon!
Red stepped closer. “Something wrong?”
Like I’d tell you! “No, nothing’s wrong!” Green shouted at him, setting Raticate gently down on the deck. “And to prove it, I’ll fight you, here and now!”
Red didn’t look as pleased at this battle. “We don’t need to.”
Did Red think we was weak? Too upset to fight right now? No! He’d show him! “Yes, we do! What are you, a coward? Huh? Are you going to forfeit and let me declare victory?”
Red’s crimson eyes looked at him, sizing him up. They looked hesitant. But Red did not back down a second time. “Fine,” Red sighed, removing a pokeball.
Things did not go as planned. “Eevee, go!” Green roared, but Red’s Pikachu was too strong-one last thundershock, and Eevee fainted with a squeal.
That was when Raticate gave a growl and waddled forward. “Wait,” Green said, uneasy. “Raticate, you don’t have to-”
But Raticate looked back at the fainted Eevee and let out a growl-it wanted to fight. It was weak right now-Green knew Raticate wouldn’t last long against Red’s Pikachu-But Raticate hadn’t looked so lively in a long time. He wanted to avenge Eevee, despite his sickness.
Swallowing, Green nodded, “If you’re sure,” and then directed Raticate to attack.
Lavender Town. It was a small place in the middle of nowhere. No gym; nothing of interest. Normally, he wouldn’t have even bothered coming here.
But Lavender Town did have something for him now. The Pokemon Tower.
He had barely gotten to the hotel when he received a call. It was from Professor Oak. “Hello, Green?” his grandfather said cheerfully on the other line. “I’m wondering how your pokemon is doing. You said it was taking a while to get better and I thought…”
Green sucked in a breath, feeling like he was punched in the chest all over again. “It’s not better.”
“What, you mean it’s still sick? That’s not normal, Green. Get a pokemon to fly you over here, I’ll examine it-”
“You can’t.” The squeezing in his chest only got worse. His lungs felt contracted; he could barely speak. “You can’t examine it. It-it didn’t get better.”
“Green? Are you…are you saying that your pokemon-”
Hot tears burst in the corner of Green’s eyes, “Yeah, it died, okay!” he roared, not caring that everyone in the hotel lobby was probably staring at him now. “Raticate’s dead!”
“Oh, Green…” Oak sighed. Green could have almost believed he cared. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to go through that with one of your first pokemon-”
“Yeah, well, you said it might happen, right? It did happen! So what?” Green felt a warm tear roll down his cheek; he quickly wiped it away. Pokemon champions didn’t cry. “It got sick and couldn’t get better. It happened and there’s nothing we can do to change it!”
Oak sighed again, “Pokemon are friends to all of us…losing a pokemon is like losing a good friend…But think of it this way. You had your time with your raticate, and now, you’ll be able to find another friend to take its place…maybe something you haven’t seen before…”
“Raticate wasn’t a number in your damn pokedex!” Green snarled, slamming the phone back down on the receiver.
Of course he shouldn’t have expected sympathy from his grandfather-pokemon were something to study to him, just species…he didn’t know the pokemon well at all! They weren’t things to study, they were things to train! Things to grow with! Things to…things to…
They were a team, taking on the world.
Like friends.
Raticate hadn’t lived long after that fight on the S.S. Anne. He was already too weak…he shouldn’t have fought at all! Damn it, why did he let Raticate fight? Why had he fought Red at all? If Red hadn’t talked to him…kept his mouth shut…
In the tower, Green stared down at Raticate’s gravestone. At least he had been close enough to get Raticate to a proper place to rest…Some guy called Mr. Fuji looked after the tower. He told him he would make sure Raticate’s grave was taken care of.
Eevee sat in front of the stone, letting out a few sniffles. Green knelt down to her level, petting her soft brown fur. “You miss him, huh?” Eevee nodded, letting out another sob. “Sorry…”
They had been standing here long enough. “Come on,” he said to Eevee, picking her up in his arms. “We have to get going…can’t stay here forever.”
Just as he was on his way out, Green saw him.
Red.
Looking shocked. Or, as shocked as Red could look.
Panic flooded him. Wait-how…? Did his Gramps tell Red about-? No, no, there’s no way he could-
“Green,” Red greeted him, worry on his face. “Are you okay?”
Green swallowed-no, he would not cry in front of Red, damn it! “Yeah, fine, why?” he snarled.
“It’s just…you look…” Red’s eyes said it all.
“Look like what?” he snapped, feeling more tears in the corner of his eyes. “What are you doing here anyway? Your pokemon aren’t dead…you don’t know what it’s like to lose a pokemon…”
If Red didn’t know what was going on before, he knew now. “Green,” he said again, stepping forward. Green didn’t move. Red lay a hand on Green’s shoulder, and for a second, Green allowed himself to appreciate it.
The second was over as Green shook out of Red’s grip. “Just stop it, you don’t know anything! Eevee, Quick Attack!” he directed, blinking tears out of his eyes.
Red stared for a long moment. His lips parted-as if he was trying to find the right words. “What?” Green roared. “Too scared to fight?”
But Red shook his head, before nodding at Pikachu to respond.
Green didn’t see Red for a long time after that. Red had more important things to do, like trouncing Team Rocket. Green didn’t have time for those distractions.
It wasn’t like Green liked Team Rocket-he despised anyone who abused pokemon-but it wasn’t his job to fight them. He had to focus on becoming a champion. He couldn’t waste time on mundane things.
He set his mind to the matter of building a team to challenge the Elite Four. At the Celadon City department store, he made his way past shelves upon shelves of useless merchandise and looked at evolutionary stones. Eevee needed to evolve to get stronger, but Green wasn’t sure which type to evolve her into yet.
“Water, Electric, or Fire,” he repeated, looking down at Eevee as she pawed the glass case. “You have a preference?”
“Vee?” Eevee said, tilting her head, confused.
It might take Eevee some time to get used to the idea. He bought all three stones anyway.
After countless battles, a long journey of many months, they were here. Indigo Plateau. The Elite Four. The last step to becoming a champion.
“All right,” Green said, speaking to the Eevee in his arms. “Here we are. You ready?”
“Vee!” Eevee said happily. She was ready.
Just one thing to do to before that…
“Okay,” he said, setting her down on the grass. “One last thing…” He dug through his bag-Jeez, what was with all these pokeballs? It wasn’t like he caught pokemon for collecting or anything-He managed to dig out the evolutionary stones. “Time to decide.”
“Vee…” Eevee looked at the ground. Sad.
“What?” Green asked. “You know you have to evolve. We need to be as strong as we can be here-if you evolve, that means-!”
Means…what?
Eevee pawed the ground, refusing to look back at him.
They had gotten this far without her evolving, hadn’t they? She had been strong enough to face all eight gym leaders and Victory Road. Sure, maybe she wasn’t as strong as other pokemon, but…
Would he really force her to evolve if she didn’t want to?
Why did he need her to evolve? He had water, fire, and electric types already. He didn’t need another one. So why…?
“Do you not want to evolve?”
“Vee…” Eevee looked back at him, nodding.
With a sigh, Green put the stones away. “Okay then.”
“Vee?” Eevee tilted her head again.
“You don’t have to evolve if you don’t want to. We’ve made it this far, right?” Green smiled. “We can make it to the top.”
“Vee!” Eevee jumped into Green’s arms, nuzzling him happily. He laughed, patting her on the head.
He sold the stones at the Indigo Plateau shop the first chance he got.
The Elite Four was easier than Green had imagined. The first three were blown away by his superior team. He smirked to himself as he walked into the second-to-last room-one last trainer, and then the championship battle. And then-
He was awestruck as he entered a room filled with towering dragon statues. Flickering torches lined the walls, and Green had the impression that he had walked into a dungeon. This guy was quite the eccentric.
“Oh, so you’re the kid everyone’s been talking about.” At the far end of the room, a red-haired man stood, wrapped in a cape. “I’m Lance, tamer of dragons. Last of the Elite Four.”
Green felt his breath grow short. Lance was-without a doubt-cool. With styled red hair and a cape flowing behind him, Lance was the definition of awesome to the twelve-year-old. Lance smirked with an aura of confidence that made Green feel uneasy for the first time since he had come here.
Still…he had to keep calm. Cool. He would lose if he got distracted-
And then Lance smiled at him. Green’s face grew hot.
“I hear you’re quite the pokemon prodigy, kid,” Lance continued to smile. “So, let’s see what you got!”
Eevee fell back, exhausted. “Veee…” At last, the pokemon champion’s Pigeot chirped, fainting away.
“I did it…” Green panted, watching the former champion rush to his pokemon. “I did it!” A smile broke out on his face. “Eevee, we did it!” He knelt down to her.
“Vee!” she managed to squeak happily, rushing into his arms.
“Pokemon Champion!” Green whooped and threw his fist in the air.
Champion. All he ever wanted-He had done it! At last, he was the best trainer in all of Kanto! At last-!
He had barely healed his pokemon when the door opened. A challenger? Already? Jeez, being champion was rough-
Him.
Green felt another squeezing in his chest as Red approached, looking slightly surprised.
Clenching his teeth, Green snarled, “Oh, you made it past the Elite Four, huh? Guess I shouldn’t be surprised-you’re tougher than you look.”
Red said nothing.
“Well, fine! I like it this way! We’re the best two trainers in Kanto! Now, let’s find out who’s better!”
Red nodded; of course he was prepared for this. Of course he wanted to take away Green’s one chance at glory-one chance to show his Gramps who was the best trainer of them all-But Green wouldn’t let him! He’d wipe the floor with him! He’d show him, he’d show him, he’d-
Green gave a strangled gasp as Eevee, his last pokemon, fainted.
No.
No!
This…this couldn’t be happening…
Red’s Pikachu squeaked in joy, but Red didn’t look thrilled that he was just declared the strongest trainer in Kanto.
He looked sad.
Like he pitiedhim.
No! This wasn’t fair, damn it! Champion…Champion for five minutes!
“Heh,” Green forced a smirk on his face. “Heh, guess you showed me, huh? Still, this means nothing…you got lucky…”
“Red!” A jolly voice said, barging into the champion’s room. Professor Oak smiled wide as he emerged-if Green didn’t feel sick before, he felt like puking now-and clapped Red on the back. “Congratulations on becoming league champion! I knew you could do it!”
Green’s stomach rolled as he watched his own grandfather heap praises on his rival. No congratulations for him? Nothing at all? Did he even notice he was there?
Of course he didn’t. Red was the one he really cared about.
Green took that as his cue to leave; he shuffled out past Red, but the professor stopped him. “Green,” he said, as if he finally noticed he was there. “You could learn from Red. It was his bond with his pokemon that led him to victory. You need to treat your pokemon better.”
Green’s vision exploded scarlet. Treat his pokemon better? He trained them all perfectly! And-was this about Raticate? How could the professor even dare to think that-
Green said nothing more to his grandfather. Fists shaking in rage, he ran out of the Pokemon League as fast as he could.
He was barely outside Indigo Plateau when Red caught up to him. “Green,” Red called out; Green didn’t turn back.
“Congratulations,” Green snarled. “Shouldn’t you be inside? Gotta make sure the professor congratulates his champion.”
“I’m not going to be champion.”
Green whipped his head back so fast he felt it crick. “What?”
Red looked down and kicked a pebble on the ground. “I’m not going to be champion. Too much work.”
“So…you’re leaving?” This made anger bubble up in Green’s belly for some reason. “That’s it? You worked hard the whole way to get here, and now that you’ve done it, you’re giving it up?”
Red shrugged. “Waiting for challengers is too much work. I want to keep travelling.”
“Oh, right,” Green’s eyes rolled. “That stupid pokedex.”
“I’m looking for completion. What do you want to do, Green?” Red’s crimson eyes stared back at him. Burnt holes in him.
It was too awkward. Green quickly looked away. “Well…why do you care? You did what you set out to do; you beat me once and for all, Mister Champion.”
Red blinked. “Fine.” He began walking; passed Green without a single look. “See you around, then.”
Green didn’t watch him leave.
But for some reason, he regretted it as soon as Red was gone.
Green didn’t know where he wanted to go now; what could he do now that he was a fallen champion? He sat against the large stone statues outside of the Pokemon League, idly petting Eevee in his lap.
He could go back and rechallenge the league again, but was that really worthwhile? Sooner or later, some kid would beat him. And he hated losing. He liked battling, but every time he was beaten, he’d have to start over again. Was being champion really what he wanted?
Had he ever wanted it? Why had he gone after it so badly in the first place if it would all end in disappointment? Most powerful trainer in Kanto…it sounded impressive, but who was it he was really trying to impress? Himself, or…
An image of his grandfather flashed in his mind.
“Tch!” Green said loudly, causing Eevee to jump at the noise. Well, it wasn’t like his grandfather cared anyway. All he ever cared about was his precious apprentice. Yeah, now that Red was champion, he must be so overjoyed… After all, Professor Oak always knew that Red would be the most perfect trainer in of Kanto…
“I’ll be the best trainer in all of Kanto!” Green remembered himself boasting as a child, hands on his hips as Red looked on. “Just wait; one day I’ll be champion, and you can tell everyone that you’re the friend of the Kanto Champion!”
Red had nodded, but Green had always wondered if he had seen a tiny smile on his once-friend’s face.
“Just wait, Red, you’ll see! I’ll be the very best!”
Green swallowed and looked up wistfully toward the clouds. Well, no matter what he had said, it hadn’t worked out that way, had it? Red was champion now…Red had beaten him…Red was the best…
“Hey, what are you doing out here?” an upbeat voice said.
Green nearly jumped at the voice, and then his heart jumped again upon seeing it was Lance. The dragon tamer was bending his knees to look down at him, his impossibly cool cape and perfect red hair being rippled by the wind. Green felt a flush coming on and looked away. “I lost, didn’t I? What else is there to do?” Eevee was nuzzling his hand-he had stopped petting her when Lance came by.
He expected Lance to agree. Agree, and leave him alone to his thoughts. Instead, Lance said, “Plenty! Do you know how many trainers we have at your level and at your age? Not that many!”
“Why? What can I do?” Eevee was now nuzzling into his shirt. Why did she want attention all of a sudden?
“Lots of things!” Lance stood up, running a hand through his hair. (Wow. Why couldn’t Green’s hair be like that? No matter the wind, it was just perfect and…) “They always need new teachers at pokemon schools, you could become a part of the Pokemon League…unless you want to become a professor?”
“No!” Green snapped.
Lance smirked. Green’s breath hitched in his throat. “Thought so. But if you’re looking for a job, we’ve got one open right now-the Viridian City gym leader’s split for good this time, and we need someone new to take over.”
A gym leader? Him? But… “No one else can do it?”
Lance shrugged. “Well, we have others, but I thought I’d ask you first. I’ve taken a liking to you, kid.” Green’s heart skipped another beat. Eevee chose that moment to whine loudly.
A gym leader…it would be a lot of losing. Having to train new members; pokemon fights, day in and day out. Could he do it? Could he handle it?
Still, people to look up to him. People to respect him. He would be in charge…no one to tell him what to do…
Green smiled back up at Lance. “I’ll do it!”
The dragon tamer met his smile. “You’ll be perfect, kid! I can’t wait to refer new trainers to you!”
Green’s heart beat a fierce tattoo once again. With a final wave, Lance left him.
Eevee chose that moment to bite his finger.
“Ow! Eevee!” Green grabbed the pokemon and lifted her to eye-level. “What’s the matter with you?”
Eevee growled and jumped out of his hands, nose in the air. Green gave a sigh; whatever, she’d be over it once it was dinner time. Standing up, he took out Pigeot’s pokeball. “C’mon, let’s see about that gym.”
“That’s enough!” Green shouted as the challenger’s butterfree fainted. “I told you I wouldn’t lose!”
The kid rushed forward to pick up his fainted butterfree, tears beginning to form in his eyes. Oh, jeez. The kid was crying over one lost fight? And using a butterfree against Arcanine? Please. What were these wimpy kids doing becoming pokemon trainers if they didn’t understand the mechanics…
The kid threw money at him and ran out, cradling his butterfree in his arms. At last, Green might have some time to relax. It was summer and there had been an influx of trainers lately, but he could swear it wasn’t this busy last summer.
“Are you busy?” Green sighed; another trainer. Oh well…
He began his usual speech, “You’re here to challenge me for the Earth Badge, aren’t-” But he stopped mid-sentence. He recognized this trainer. “Leaf?”
She had grown in the three years since he last saw her. She was older, taller; no longer the short tomboy, but now a lanky, mature teenager. She smiled when she saw him. “They told me you took over the gym, but I had to see it for myself.”
“Why didn’t you come before?” She had never passed through Viridian Gym in the two years since he became its leader.
Leaf sighed and folded her arms across her chest, flicking her brown hair over her shoulder in a flippant gesture. “I’m not like you and Red, you know-I took my time to enjoy the adventure; I didn’t rush through it like you two did.”
“Ha ha,” said Green, removing a pokeball at his belt. “Let’s see how well that worked out for you, then.”
Green fought the urge to frown as his Arcanine fainted. He hated losing. He sighed; “Fine.” He thrust the Earth Badge and all the money he won from the first trainer at her. “But don’t get cocky-if I used my full strength, you wouldn’t stand a chance against me.”
Leaf giggled. “You were holding back?” she asked, stuffing the money and badge into her bag.
“Of course!” he snapped, insulted. “There are rules for gym leaders. Some pokemon and moves are banned, pokemon levels are fixed, we can’t use more than two healing items on a single pokemon and revives aren’t allowed-you get the idea.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she giggled again, looking amused. “So now that this is done, how about we catch up?”
“Catch up?” Green blinked. He had never imaged Leaf would want to “catch up” with him. He had been pretty mean to her back in the day.
Scratch that, he had been an absolute brat, no denying it.
“Well, I haven’t seen you in three years!” she smiled again. She liked doing that. “And,” her stomach rumbled on cue. “You can treat me to be best place in Viridian.”
Green groaned. So much for thinking she might’ve forgotten his teasing from years ago.
“So you’ve been here for two years and you still haven’t gotten a girlfriend?” Leaf said through mouthfuls of very expensive steak. “There were girls lined up halfway around the block just to get a glimpse of you!”
“There were?”
“You didn’t notice?” she gaped at him. “They were all giggling about you when I walked past on my way in!”
“Uh…well…” Come to think of it, he had noticed girls liked to hang out around the gym. He always thought it had to do with the coffee shop next door rather than the gym itself. “I’m not really looking for a girlfriend right now.”
“Ooh, why?” Leaf leaned forward, eyes almost starry. It seemed she liked gossip. “Haven’t found the right girl?”
Green shrugged. “Not really interested. I got to focus on running the gym. Also, Eevee gets jealous.” On cue, Eevee let out a “Vee!” in agreement from her spot on the floor next to his feet.
Leaf giggled. “You know, Red said the exact same thing when I asked him that. Only, he said ‘Pikachu’ instead of Eevee.”
Green froze; gaping at her like an open-mouthed fish, “You’ve talked to Red?”
She tilted her head. “You haven’t?”
“No! I haven’t seen in him two years! I thought he was off being the best trainer in the world and-and-” Leaving me behind.
“He’s been completing his pokedex. I hear it’s almost finished. After that I think he plans to go to Johto.”
“Johto?” Green rolled his eyes. “What’s he got to go there for?”
“Well, there’s different pokemon to catch in Johto. He said he likes travelling and seeing new places. He wants to see and complete everything-you get the idea.”
“Hmph.” Green still didn’t see what the big deal was. Kanto was big enough. Plus there were the islands to explore…Johto and the other regions were too far away for his liking. Besides, there were too many pokemon in the world to try and see all of them. Red would have to travel for decades to see everything. Knowing that idiot, he would, too…
For a second, Green felt a familiar squeezing sensation in his chest, but he quickly dismissed it.
“Honestly, I’m surprised he hasn’t visited you,” Leaf said, cutting another hunk out of her steak. “Whenever I brought you up, his eyes got brighter. He said you were one of the best trainers he ever fought.”
Well, duh. “But why would he visit? It’s not like we’re friends.”
“I don’t think he sees it that way.” Leaf said with a warm smile. “I expect he’ll come back to visit you someday soon.”
Green picked at his salad. “Why would he need to come here? He’s already got the Earth Badge.” And it’s not like he’d come to visit me.
“Well, maybe,” Leaf said, going back to her food. “I think you’re wrong about Red, though. For ‘not being friends’ he sure did like hearing about you.”
Green shrugged, shoving food around on his plate. Maybe Red did like hearing Leaf talk about him, that didn’t mean anything. He liked hearing what Red was up to too-purely to see if his rival lived up to his expectations, of course.
Green was sure after how he had treated Red years ago, he would never come see him here.
For some reason, that thought made him sad.
“Well, look at you!” Lance said as Green came into the room. “You’ve sure grown in three years!”
Green felt his cheeks redden and stared at the drab grey carpeting of the Vermilion conference center. “Yeah well…can’t expect me to be short for ever, right?”
Green should’ve prepared himself for this. Kanto hosted the gym leader conference this year, and of course Lance would be there. And he looked as attractive as ever.
Um, as cool as ever is what he meant. Being attractive…well…that was something for girls to decide, right? He was a guy. It wasn’t like he could make an accurate judgment on whether or not other guys were attractive-
And then Lance grinned. “Hey, since you’re here, there’s someone I want you to meet.” Then Lance put his arm around Green’s shoulder, and led him to the center of the room.
There were dozens of gym leaders already here, talking, laughing, munching on the sour lemonade and the stale cookies the conference center had provided-Green saw Sabrina talking with some girl with blonde hair that reached to the floor, and there was Blaine, arguing about TM moves with Pryce from Johto…Green recognized the Kanto and Johto leaders, but since he had never been to any of the other conferences (Green was not traveling anywhere he couldn’t get to with Fly) he didn’t know most of the people in the room. He would probably be forced to sit through introductions during the first few panels. Great, as if he didn’t feel awkward already.
Leaf called him before he left, laughing to herself at his irritation at the whole idea of this conference. He was so going to get revenge by telling her every horrid little detail later.
Lance led him near the refreshments table, and stopped near a man with teal hair and grey eyes. “Hey, Steven!” Lance greeted him. “This is the kid I was telling you about at the last conference!”
The man smiled, and Green felt his heart thump rapidly in his chest a second time. “Oh, so you’re the prodigy, huh?” the man extended a hand. “Steven Stone, Hoenn champion.”
Green took Steven’s hand, feeling a blush creep on his face again. “Uh…hi. I’m Green. Viridian Gym Leader.”
“Pleasure,” Steven said, smiling wide. “Lance told me a lot about you. He said you’re one of the most gifted trainers he ever met.”
“R-really?” Green was sure his face was redder than a Charizard’s scales. “I don’t really think-”
Steven laughed. “Becoming pokemon champion at twelve then going on to be a gym leader? I doubt many kids could accomplish that. The only other one I’ve heard of was the Kanto champion after you.”
“Actually, there’s one more,” Lance piped up. “Some kid from Johto managed to beat me. I think he’s traveling through Kanto now.”
“How is the other kid Kanto champion, by the way?” Steven asked, taking a sip of the greenish lemonade, which he immediately spat out. “Ugh…”
“I don’t know,” Green growled, annoyed. “Why does everyone seem to think that I’ve been in contact with him when-”
“I heard that you were good friends.”
Yeah, right! Like Red would want to be friends after… “We just came from the same town, is all. That doesn’t make us friends.”
That’s all we are now, really. Childhood acquaintances. If we were anything more, then Red might’ve come by once in a while.
Steven smiled; Green felt nervous again. “Still, coming from the same town as him, you’re lucky. He’s famous even in Hoenn.”
“Huh.” Of course he is. He’s probably the best in the world. Green stepped past Steven to grab a cookie off a plate on the refreshments table; anything to keep from looking at Steven’s or Lance’s faces. He hoped the stale cookies were better than the lemonade.
“-Though he’s not talked about as much these days, since no one’s heard of him in months.”
Green dropped the cookie back on the plate.
“What?” He whirled around, eyes wide in shock. “He-he hasn’t-”
For once, Lance was not smiling. He scratched the back of his neck nervously, “No one’s heard a thing. We heard something about him catching a pokemon of legends in Kanto, and then his travels in Johto, and now, nothing. I was kind of hoping you had heard something of him.”
There came the squeezing in his chest that always came whenever he thought about Red. “He wouldn’t tell me,” Green muttered.
Lance patted Green’s shoulder. Green felt his face flush again; he really wished Lance would stop doing that. “Don’t worry; I’m sure he’s fine. He was a spirited guy, even if he didn’t talk much.”
“Who said I was worried?” snapped Green, full on blushing now. “Red can handle himself!”
Though he said that, inwardly, Green wasn’t so sure. Red could handle himself, but if he hadn’t been seen or heard from in months…
“I know what’ll cheer you up!” Lance smirked again, dragging Green away by the shoulder. “Let’s go check out some Vermilion girls! This welcome day stuff is boring anyway.”
“You don’t need to cheer me up!” Green shouted, red-faced, as a laughing Lance herded him from the room.
That day was revealing in more ways than one. Though Lance dragged him off to the beach to scope out the Vermilion bathing beauties, Green could barely focus on looking at anyone; he was too worried about what Steven Stone had said about Red.
Red did travel alone and hardly contacted anyone…if he got into trouble, there’d be no one to help him…and he hadn’t been seen or heard from in months…
Though Lance was fully enjoying this, “Wow, get a load of that!” he said, pointing to a scantily-clad woman wading on the shore. Lance elbowed Green, “Why don’t you go try to get her number?”
“Don’t want to,” Green muttered, turning away from the girl who now laughed as she was sprayed by the waves.
“No reason to be embarrassed-!”
“I said I don’t want to!” Green snapped, irritated frown on his face. It was the first time he managed to look at Lance without blushing.
At least the dragon tamer didn’t push the issue. “Okay, if you’re sure.” The kind way he said it sent another flush to Green’s cheeks. “She not your type?”
“Um…” Green’s eyes scanned the beach…bikini-clad girls…girls in short skirts…girls with long hair…was that Misty over there? Huh. Girls laughing…smiling…Green’s eyes honed in on one of the male bathers, seeing the droplets of water roll down his rather…muscular…chest as he popped up from the water…
“Not…not really?”
Lance shrugged. “Well, maybe you’ll find someone eventually, eh?” He clapped Green on the back.
Green was starting to get used to the warmth he felt every time Lance touched him. “Yeah…”
If Lance had his way, they would have explored all of the Vermilion nightlife, but Green excused himself under the guise that he was tired from traveling the day before.
Actually, he was starting to come to terms with something he had suspected for a while.
It wasn’t that he ever considered this a problem; he always thought that he might find time for girls later. He was always too busy with training and a gym, that he never considered it odd that he hardly noticed the girls back home. Though it was starting to get to the point where it might be looked at as odd. Maybe when he first became a gym leader he had an excuse, but being nearly sixteen years old and having no interest in girls…
Green sat in the stiff armchair of the Vermilion hotel, a slumbering Eevee in his lap. He petted her absently, staring out the window to look on the dusk-lit ocean in the distance. And then there was what he did notice…shirtless guys down at the beach. Good looking trainers-that happened to be male. Lance. And maybe Steven Stone, too…
Green felt himself redden again. So I’m…gay? He felt an odd nausea in his stomach. It wasn’t that he felt sick about it, it was just…sudden.
New.
Though come to think of it, he probably should’ve realized it before. Girls lined his gym, and he hardly paid attention to them…but when an ace trainer with messy hair covering his eyes and tight, tight pants walked into his gym, oh, did he pay attention. Then there was that whole thing with Lance…No one should be that good looking! And also-
Intense, crimson eyes flashed in his mind.
Red! Oh crap, if Red ever found out, how would he take this? He’d known Red since he was a kid…What if he thought it was weird? What if-
Green swallowed, trying to calm the intensifying worried nausea. For one, he hadn’t seen Red in years, and wasn’t likely to see him for a few more. Besides, Red had no reason to want to see him-they weren’t even friends…
Still…
“No one’s heard from him in months…”
Green looked away from the window, focusing on the sleeping pokemon in his lap. Damnit, Red, what are you doing out on your own?
Part 2 here