Just a short fix that I came up with while listening to "Living next door to Alice." I'm more of an Oldrivalshipping kinda person, but this is the only "pairing" with three people, and a one-sided.
Disclaimer: I don't own Smokie's music nor Pokemon.
"Saur, Vine Whip! Aero, Steel Wing!"
The large Grass-Poison type sent a vine swinging through the air at the Prehistoric Pokemon. Managing to barely evade, Aero swooped in for a dive, but was deterred away by Saur's Razor Leaf. Upon backing off, both Pokemon looked to their trainer.
Adjusting his red cap, the trainer smiled. "Alright, that's good for now. C'mon, let's take a break with the others."
His Pokemon joined him as they walked to a rock clearing. There, they met the rest of Red's team, namely Pika, Poli, and Snor, who were having lunch.
Chewing his sandwich thoughtfully, Red glanced at the sky. "Phew, weather is pretty good today on Mt. Silver, eh guys?" The only response he received was the constant munching of berries, and a nod from Pika.
After lunch, Red laid down on a small flat rock at the top of one of the shorter plateaus, looking at the serene sky and passing clouds. Ahhhh, just a minute more, and then I'll get back to training...
"Ring-a-ring! Ring-a-ring!"
His Pokegear rang, and Red hurriedly picked it off his belt to answer.
"Hello? Red here."
"Hey Red, it's Misty here. I need to tell you-"
"Oh yeah! Man, we haven't talked in months. How're you doin'?"
"Look, I have a challenger waiting so I'll make this short."
Her voice was shaking slightly, and clipped her speech at the ends. There was a pause then, and Misty could be heard sighing. "Yellow's gone. Moved out. Disappeared, without warning. Just, I, um, thought I would tell you...Hello? Red? Still there?"
The Pokegear fell out of his hands, and Red's breath caught for a moment. His Pokemon, noticing something was amiss, gathered around him, but he brushed them aside. "I'm...I'm fine guys. Gimme a second."
Hands on his knees, Red sucked in air, and swept the hair out of his eyes.
"Aero. We're flying to Viridian. The rest of you, stay here, got it?" Aero gripped his Trainer's shoulders, and took off at Red's signal.
Viridian Forest
The Fighter took one of the more twisted paths in the forest, fighting the urge to run.
"It wakes up the sleeping Pokemon!" Yellow had taught him. "Besides, I think it's much prettier when you go slowly..."
Red had left Aero at the Pokemon Center, despite the Pokemon's protests. His mind was racing, wild with memories...
A small girl, threatened by a rampaging Dratini, and then Red's rescue, the little lesson on Pokemon capture, and seeing the girl catching the Rattatta that would be one of her most trusted companions.
Red brushed aside a branch, trying not to notice how much the path had overgrown.
Yellow falling into his arms, literally, during the aftermath of Lance's battle. He noticed then, for the first time, how her innocent face seemed to shine. Then there was the incident on the Sevii Islands, ending with Yellow once again in his arms. He never told anybody, but if there was any other person he would be stuck with for eternity, she was right there.
The house came into Red's view. His eyes burned and he resisted the urge to sob then. That wisp of smoke from the chimney, the chattering of Yellow's Pokemon as she hummed along with them...none of it remained.
Rushing to the door, he kicked it open. An angry Uncle or Yellow was the least of his fears at the moment.
Inside, the ever-present fragrance of Yellow's soft perfume was absent, as well as the numerous house plants she kept in good care. Some furniture was missing, but Red hurried down the hall anyway.
SLAM! went the doors as Red threw them open. "Yellow?!" His desperate cry upon inspecting every room.
Empty.
"No, please no..."
Empty.
"Oh Arceus..."
Empty.
As Red reached the last room, Yellow's room, he stopped for a minute with his hand resting on the doorknob. Fighting back tears, he turned and simultaneously swung the door open wide.
"YELLOW!"
...no response. As expected, but also as feared. The Fighter took two steps in, and fell to his knees.
"Why...I...she...oh Arceus...WHY?!"
He cradled his head in his hands, and the tears flowed freely now. They went down his cheeks, between his fingers, and soaked into the solid wooden floorboards.
"I never...got to tell 'er..."
He thought back to all the days they spent together. They called them "dates" jokingly, but how Red wished the feeling was stronger. He felt it was, but never got the chance, nor the guts, to tell her.
"Please, Arceus, just another look, a second chance..," he sobbed into his jacket.
"Wahh!" The door had swung in, surprising Red as it hit him, causing him to fall in. There he lay, and noticed his head touching a flat object he failed to notice before.
It was a rectangular piece of cardboard, attached to some papers through a spiraling wire, and as he flipped it over, he could see the carefully made drawing of himself watching the sunset besides Yellow, arms around each other.
A moment of silence, and Red's heart couldn't take it. His cries reached the edges of the clearing where the house was, startling some wild Pokemon.
"AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHH!"
Some time later
Red awoke in the room. Looking around, he broke into a short round of sobs at the realization that it wasn't a dream, but quickly stood up and straightened himself.
"I've wanted to tell you for so long," he started. "Ever since the end of the Mask of Ice drama. I don't know why you left, or where you're going, but wherever it is, I hope you live your days happily. I'm telling you this now, because..." he faltered. "'Cuz I never got to tell you my true feelings for you, never got to find out if you could return them, despite all these years I've known you. And so I leave you, but not in spirit. I just wanted you to know that." With that, he left.
Checking the Pokegear for time, he noticed he had a voice message. Didn't say from who. Clicking "play", he heard:
"Hey, Red. Misty here. Just called in to ask how you're feeling about Yellow. Nobody has heard from you for a day, and, yeah." There was a pause, then Misty had taken in a deep breath. "Well, my advice to you is to get over her, because we all have to eventually. I know I did..."
Red stopped at the doorway, and his eyes widened.
"So, what I really called you for is...well...I mean, now that Yellow's gone, I know you liked her, but, um, do you want to...go out with me?" Deep breaths, both from the recording and Red. The recording kept going, even though the only sound was of breathing.
Red took a few steps out of the door.
"Sorry, Misty," he whispered, and started back to Viridian.
As he got farther away, he did one final turn-around at the edge of the clearing. His hands were cold, and he massaged them together. His throat was raw from crying, and his mouth was dry. In a last attempt, he managed to croak out as quietly as possible, "Goodbye, Yellow."
