world – manga
notes – requested by heylala

Impulsive Ageing

Yellow surveyed her reflection in the mirror of the dresser as she coaxed her hair into a ponytail. She was clad in the travelling clothes she had yet to outgrow, despite all the years of wearing and journeying around the region. She scrutinized herself, reading her messy hair and shy eyes on the clear surface of the mirror, remembering the times when she had fought alongside the rest, when she was younger and everyone had been together – when they had entertained the dreamlike idea of living together for the rest of their days.

She sat on her bed with a pencil propped against her cheek, namesake eyes scouring the checklist she had written in her notebook, right next to a sketchy drawing of two pikachu and a pichu huddled between them. She double checked the items she had fitted into the little knapsack lying idly next to her on her blue blankets, ensuring that she had sufficient bottles of potion and full heals, as well as a coloured map of the mountain and enough canned food. As she did so, her face wore no emotion greater than wavering determination, and while her hands that knew what they were doing, they were handicapped by the sensation of uncertainty.

The week had marked that her sixteenth birthday would be due in about seven day's time, and while Yellow felt the initial euphoria heralding her approaching celebration, it hadn't taken long for her to reach the conclusion that she wouldn't be able to enjoy her birthday. With every day, as she ran through her mind the thoughts and wishes for the fourth of March – she was still a wishful girl regardless of her age – only one hope stood apart from the rest; which were obligatory little Viridian hopes concerning peace. It was to experience Red wishing her a happy birthday, to feel his warm gloved hands just touching the top of her head and ruffling her blonde hair just there at that perfect spot he himself had created all those years ago when she was only eleven.

It hadn't been the first time Blue had pointedly advised her to make a move on Red instead of standing by and watching Misty launch attempt after attempt to get his wandering attention. Yellow realised that the young water-type gym leader possessed a certain flair, perhaps just an important courage, that she inevitably lacked when it came to the dark-haired boy and her frustrations towards him.

But she was going to hit the glorified age of sixteen; clearly telling that it had been eight years since she'd first met Red. And she prompted herself again and again, repetitively in her mind, that if she wished to achieve something, she would have to seize the chance herself instead of waiting by and aimlessly hoping for Red to someday just knock on her door. Yellow convinced herself, in the spur of the moment, to invite Red to the celebrations personally – Blue informed her that if she did so, face-to-face, Red would not be able to find no reason to reject. And while the blonde found the plan flawless, is forgot to account for the one slight hitch –

Herself.

She scarcely wanted to corner Red into a predicament of no alternative escape, and she found it increasingly difficult to picture herself asking him to break his important training regime just to attend a little gathering that probably would not hold his attention. Yellow stared at the bag she had packed for her journey up the mountain, imaging the arduous task and the goal at its looming pinnacle, her throat suddenly tight and dry. She lowered her eyes to the curled hands on her lap, heart throbbing as her mind debated the success and feasibility of the risky choice. If she wound up in a fix, she'd cause trouble for others – and if she did manage to find Red, she'd create trouble for him, and if she didn't, she'd celebrate a birthday with an unfulfilled wish. The whole ordeal was mentally draining as much as it was taxing, and she bleakly wondered if she was doing this for herself, or if the people around her had backed her into a corner of her own.

Red probably didn't even know it was going to be her birthday.

Before Yellow could lapse further into her unease, her pikachu pattered excitedly into her room. The fresh daisy tucked behind her yellow ear leapt along with her enthusiastic movements as she slowed into a trot. Chuchu pawed at Yellow's bare feet and purred eagerly, addressing her owner with bright, round eyes that displayed an intention. The pokémon's fur bristled as she led her trainer out of the room and towards the front door of the house. Yellow followed blankly down the hallway, having failed to hear the sound of a knock or any previous engagement with company.

Chuchu parked herself at the foot of the door, taking up her role as a miniature sentinel of sorts. Yellow stilled as she saw the foretelling twinkle in those pebble eyes, before realising that she would not need to read the pokémon's mind to understand what was taking place.

Pika was coming.

At the sound of knuckles rapping the wooden door of her house, Yellow started in surprise, her body rattling as her heart kicked itself into third gear. Chuchu purred delightfully and retreated as the girl inched towards the door in the most delicate of means with nervous steps and a pounding chest. When she finally touched the cool tip of the doorknob, she found it harder to twist it, fearful of disappointment – what if it wasn't Red, what if it was just her uncle returning from his fishing trip?

She inhaled, crossed her fingers behind her back, and opened the door.

"Yellow!" The boy's voice seemed to reach out and embrace her senses. Her eyes were awarded with the sight of an eighteen-year old champion standing comfortably on her doormat, characteristic cap taming his unkempt hair and a smile that had been dearly missed adorning his face. The pikachu perched on his shoulder hopped off his place to greet Chuchu affectionately with a nose rub and an exchange of sparks between red cheeks.

"R-red," she breathed in response, almost forgetting to exhale.

Red grinned, hands fingering the straps of his bag as his left shoe kicked a stray rock off the doorstep. "Sorry for being gone so long," he laughed in an airy way, voice sounding apologetic.

Yellow found herself shaking her head to pretend that she hadn't minded at all, her jaw hanging agape.

"It's good to see you, but how– why are here?" she asked softly, her hands clenching involuntarily at her sides.

"Because its going to be your birthday soon, isn't it? I wanted to celebrate it with you," Red answered smoothly, as if it was the most innocent and correct decision in the world to make, as if he had not problem climbing down the jagged pathways of the mountain just in the favour a day that shrunk against the towering number of three hundred and sixty-five. As if her birthday meant something special to him, and that he wouldn't miss it for anything else.

Yellow's eye s began to water, and when the tears rolled down her rosy cheeks, it was already too late to pretend that she was not crying out of gratitude and emotion and perhaps love. Red's widened eyes flashed with panic for a brief moment; he checked the vicinity for anything that could be of assistance, but his efforts proved to amount to nothing. Yellow sniffed and wiped the tears with the heel of her hands, squeaking in between. "No, I'm alright, I'm just, happy you're here," she nearly whispered.

Red relaxed his stiff shoulders and stepped closer, bending down and fixating his brilliant eyes with hers as a form of comfort and confidence. "Why wouldn't I be, Yellow?" he said, once more, in that tone that portrayed the amazing graciousness and kindness that she struggled to just wrap her arms around.

Yellow's body wracked with another wave of emotion just when she thought that she had cried enough. And when Red's warm gloved hand just touched the top of her head and started to ruffle her blonde hair just there at that perfect spot he himself had created all those years ago, she felt like it was the second time she was falling in love.

end