Welcome to chapter one of my first story! Hopefully you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it, and if you do, then don't be afraid to send a review my way! If you don't... well, send me a review anyway because my aim is only to get better. Feel free to be harsh, if you think it's warranted. Anyway... without further ado:
_
Green sat cross legged at the back of his gym, eyes closed, listening to the sounds of battle going on in the outer chambers; just another challenger steadily making their way through the mediocre gym trainers who guarded the way to the leader. Green sighed inwardly, it had been so long since he had been challenged, and longer still since he had been given a battle which even moderately tested his prodigious skills. Silently he cast his mind back through all the battles that he had undertaken in the five years since he had taken up Viridian's gym as his own. Five years: many battles, so few defeats that he could count them all on one hand. Each was writ vividly in his mind, stark reminders that he was not invincible. Unlike someone he knew.
Five years since he had become champion. Five years since he had been defeated not 10 minutes after becoming so. Five years since he had settled down in Viridian, swearing not to give up training until his old rival lay defeated by his hands. Five years.
Five years since Red had disappeared up Mt Silver, never to be seen again…
Green opened his emerald eyes, his train of thought broken as his gym clerk opened the door to the room he was ensconsed in.
"Sir?" the man began. Green eyed him critically, indicating that he should continue. "A challenger has arrived. She has defeated all the trainers in the outer chamber and won the right to face you personally. Shall I admit her?"
Green motioned lazily with a hand, showing that this was acceptable. The man turned on his heel and left the room, no doubt to collect the challenger. Green closed his eyes again. He always met challengers like this, cross legged on the floor, eyes closed, muscles relaxed; the epitome of calm and control. Before he had become champion, his style had been brash, loud and altogether flamboyant. Initially he had brought the same attitude with him to his gym leading career, but found quickly that opponents were thrown far more by quiet confidence than loud arrogance, and so had adopted this more leisurely style in order to give himself the mental advantage. That was the reason he gave himself anyway. Truthfully, he knew he was subconsciously trying to emulate Red, the quiet boy who had defeated him with nary a sound every time they had faced each other.
And so he waited. The first indication of the challenger was the quiet creaking of the door as it swung inwards.
Green did not move.
Footsteps rang against the floor boards as whoever it was took their place opposite him.
Still Green did not move.
He heard the clerk approach the referee's box, and the echoing sound of his voice as he announced the battle.
"This is a six on six Pokemon battle between Green, the leader of the Viridian Gym, and the challenger, Leaf of Pallet Town, winner of two Hoenn leagues and collector of fifteen Kanto and Johto gym badges!"
That made Green move. And Fast.
His eyes were first, shooting open in shock and disbelief, pupils' dilating as they took in the figure before them.
Leaf. Leaf was here. The girl he and Red had spent their entire childhoods with. The girl who had disappeared at nearly the same time Red had, and who had been given up for dead. The only girl Green knew for a fact he loved, and had spent his formative years fighting over with Red, was here.
He drank in the sight of her, terrified that if he blinked she would up and disappear again, leaving him with the same hole that had occupied a region of his chest very close to his heart for nigh on five years now. And then she spoke.
"Hey there Green. You know, I remember you always being a funny kid, but making me face a whole bunch of useless… well, I suppose you'd have to call them 'trainers', just to get a gym badge? That's rich even for you." She said airily, the twinkle in her eyes that he knew oh so well lighting up her light green orbs.
"Buh?"
Smooth.
Leaf frowned. "You were never the smartest either but from what I remember you could at least string together a "hi". You take a blow to the head lately?" she quipped, far to casually for someone greeting a friend they hadn't seen in what seemed like forever, to Green at least.
Green flushed scarlet at the girl's amused tone. This reunion was not going at all to his liking; he should be making her laugh, hugging her, telling her how much he missed her, kissing her… But no, instead he was gaping at her like a stunned Magikarp, too shocked to speak and too frozen to move.
Oh no.
Leaf seemed to be bored with his continued silence. "Well if that's all I'm likely to get out of you after five years, so be it. How about a battle anyway? I didn't knock a bunch of cocky trainers on their arses for nothing you know; you owe me a battle Green Oak!" And with that she flourished a Pokeball and sent it flying to the middle of the battlefield, releasing a Venusaur in the process. Green shook his head, trying his best to collect his thoughts and still his racing heart. He glanced meaningfully towards the gym's clerk, who appeared in equal amounts confused at the strange conversation that had just taken place, and shocked at his leader's apparent discomposure. Nevertheless, he took Green's hint and raised his arms hesitantly.
"Begin!" He cried.
Green threw his own Pokeball onto the battlefield. It released the immense form of Rhydon, one of his most powerful Pokemon and the only one he possessed who was of the ground type, the official type of his gym. Leaf smiled at him. "Let's do this." She muttered.
Well that concludes chapter one. Criticism/praise equally welcome! Chapter two should be up tomorrow, barring any disasters, so watch this space!