Hey, guys. Look, this is... well... it's definitely not my best writing. I had no plan for this or where it was going; frankly, it kinda sucks. Read it if you really want to, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't base your opinion of my writing off of this.

A/N: This is my first attempt at fanfiction. I based the characters on the games so there would be wiggle room for personalities. Enjoy!~

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Pokémon-related except this story.

"There's a juicy rumor going around that the legendary trainer Red is returning home to Pallet Town. Is he just taking a vacation, or has he finally met his match? I'm afraid that's all the time we have. Follow Celadon News for the latest updates!"

The media got something right for once. Red smiled grimly to himself as he and his Charizard flew over Viridian City. No, he hadn't been conquered; the Association's president had been in one of his rare contented moods, and offered him a vacation. Red had been surprised, but after spending three years on Mt. Silver, he wasn't about to turn down a month of nice weather and relaxation.

His Charizard nudged him, shaking him out of his thoughts, and Red realized with a start that they were descending. They landed right outside of Red's old house, and Red dismounted quietly. He didn't want to cause any attention; the media had their ways of knowing whenever he stepped on a twig or made a comparable amount of noise. He silently unlocked the back door, and was immediately attacked by a barrage of noise.

"Reeeeeeeeeeeeed!" His mother ran over to the door and hugged him tightly. "How are you? Are you alright? You're so cold! Did you remember to change your underwear? I've missed you so much!"

Red pried her off embarrassedly. "Mom, I'm fine. I missed you, too." He took a look around the familiar first-floor kitchen and caught sight of several other people he hadn't seen in a long time – a girl with long brown hair, wearing her signature hat; a bored-looking boy with spiky dark hair and deep brown eyes; and a white-haired, bespectacled man. "Leaf? Green? Professor Oak?" He was never one of much emotion, but he hugged each one of them in turn, despite Green's sullen protests.

Leaf spoke first. "Your mom called us yesterday and told us you were coming home today. She invited us over for dinner," she explained.

"And here's that dinner that I'm sure everyone's been looking forward to!" Red's mother exclaimed, setting a steaming bowl of pasta on the kitchen table. It was then that Red realized how much he missed his mother's cooking; berries and canned food wasn't his ideal diet. He accepted the plate gratefully; pasta had never seemed like a better idea.

"So, how was Mt. Silver?" asked Professor Oak. "Did you see many new Pokémon?"

"It was…cold," Red admitted. "I did come across the occasional Dewgong or Cloyster, though."

"After you went up, my gym got lots of publicity. They were all childish trainers who wanted their sixteen-badge requirement to face you. I beat them easily," Green said in a superior tone.

"I did get three challengers: Gold, Silver, and Crystal," Red said. "Tough, but not impossible." He paused to shovel a spoonful of noodles in his mouth. "What happened while I was gone? It's probably a lot more interesting than standing at the top of a mountain all day."

They talked and talked – of the new apartment buildings that had finally been built in Vermilion City; of the travelers from Sinnoh that now sold poffins at the market; of the comet that had fallen at Mt. Moon…Red listened intently, hanging on to every word the others spoke. Soon, dinner was over, and Green announced to Red and Leaf that they were coming to his house for a sleepover.

"Sure! I'll be over in five minutes; I need to get my sleeping bag," said Leaf cheerfully.

"Whatever. Smell ya later," Green said indifferently as he headed for the door. "Thanks for dinner!" he called to Red's mom.

"I'll be going, too." Professor Oak rose from his chair. "Thanks again for the wonderful meal, Delia."

Red, who had been seemingly deep in thought, came back to his senses and nodded. "Thanks, Mom."

He trudged up the familiar, creaky staircase and walked into his room. It was clean, for once; Red supposed his mother had tidied it up after he left for Mt. Silver. He grinned as he opened the closet – here was the place his mother wouldn't have dared to touch. When he was about seven, he had written up a contract stating that no one could come in his closet but himself, and forced his mom to sign it. She kept true to her word; consequently, Red's closet was the messiest place in the house. Surprisingly enough, he knew where everything was. Reaching under the not-quite-folded blanket in the corner, he pulled out a worn shoebox. He opened the lid, dropped the contents of his pocket in it, and threw it on his bed. He tugged a scarlet sleeping bag from behind the clothes rack and threw it on his bed as well, along with a pair of pajamas, a shirt, and jeans. Stuffing everything into the sleeping bag, Red walked down the stairs and out the back door.

•••

Green impatiently paced his lime-colored room. Leaf relaxed on his Ditto beanbag chair with her headphones blasting, tapping her foot to the beat of the music. Scarlet Chrome, Leaf thought wistfully. That song always reminded her of Red. She wished he'd hurry up and come over; she'd spent two years missing him, and she hadn't had much time to talk to him during dinner. Just as she was thinking she'd have to go to his house and kidnap him, he opened the door and announced,

"Guess what I brought?"

Green stopped in his tracks. He grinned.

"No way."

Red unceremoniously deposited his sleeping bag on the floor and started to pull out the shoebox.

"Wait until later." Leaf spoke for the first time since Red had entered the room. She strode over to Red and stared him in the eyes. A bit too close, Green noticed. She turned towards Green. "Story time first. Shall we?" Red, Green and Leaf simultaneously arranged their sleeping bags in a circle on the floor and climbed into them. Leaf propped herself up on her elbows and nodded to Green. "You first."

It was a tradition of theirs to share one story about themselves that they normally kept a secret. It was kind of like Truth or Dare, but truth was the only option – and it had to be detailed. Red had learned the hard way that two sentences were not enough for story time. His two best friends had forced him to elaborate on the time when he and Cerise Walker had gotten married when they were six. Yeah, he'd rather forget that. But now, it was Green's turn, and Red was quite anxious to hear more of what he'd missed.

"So…" Green began. He had a sly half-smile on his face, as though he was about to say something he knew would be a shock to his two best friends. He took a deep breath, his smile never wavering, and started his story. "I have a girlfr-"

"She's rich, isn't she?" Leaf interrupted, amused.

"Damn right she's rich!" Green said, laughing. "This is me we're talking about."

"Well, what's her name, then?" Red asked, slightly miffed by his friend's attitude.

"Platina Berlitz," Green said triumphantly.

"No way!" Leaf gasped. Her eyes went wide. "Not the Platina Berlitz? Like, Sir Berlitz's daughter?"

"The one and only," Green said with a smug smile.

"Isn't she only fourteen? I thought you said two years was too much," Red said, still annoyed.

"Did I?" Green waved his hand impatiently. "Anyways, she visited here a few months ago, with a bunch of bodyguards and shit, y'know? But I got to talk to her for a while – she told her guards to go away – and next thing I know, I'm at a fancy restaurant with a hot rich girl, so I asked her out. Her bodyguards didn't look too happy."

Leaf was still in awe that she knew someone who knew Platina Berlitz. Red was still in awe that Green could get whatever girl he wanted by doing nothing at all. I'm the most well-known trainer in Kanto, and I can't even get the girl of my dreams. Why is that? he asked himself furiously. If he can, then I can. I'll figure it out.

Red came back to his senses. Green was finishing up his story with the same smug smirk he wore when he started.

"So I should be seeing her tomorrow… I'll let you two meet her." Green looked at Leaf. "You next."

"Well…" Leaf sat up, reached into her backpack, and pulled out four PokéBalls. "I went to see my aunt in Hoenn-"

"When was this?" Green asked, confused.

"A few months ago," Leaf explained. "You weren't home. Your grandpa said you were in Celadon. Anyways, she lives in Ever Grande, near the League. And there's this huge field behind her house – it kind of connects to Victory Road. She said to catch whatever I wanted. So, here they are!" In a flash of red light, four silhouettes encircled Leaf. "Here's Shelgon, Metagross, Absol, and Kirlia!"

"Nice!" Red and Green said simultaneously. Leaf recalled them into their respective PokéBalls, and wiggled back into her sleeping bag. Green and Leaf both looked at Red.

"What's your story?"

A/N: Cliffhanger! Reviews would be wonderful. Let me know what you think; tell me if you liked it or if it sucked. You can guess what's in the box Red brought... cookies for anyone who guesses correctly!

Thanks so much to The mysterious Z for suggesting that I combine this into a single chapter, which I did. Constructive criticism is always helpful! :D

~Ebaz