So after reading some Burningleaf fics, and unconciously making one (Haunted Mind), I decided to make two more; This one and another named Hidden Shadow. Two chapters in the same day for this one so...let me know what you think. Should I continue, or modify it so that its only these two chapters long? Anyway, enjoy!
Red made his way through Viridian Forest, keeping to himself like he usually did. Red was never one to talk...or not any more. One year, he just...stopped talking. There was never a direct cause, sure his father was no longer around, but that was after he began his silence. He hasn't even smiled in those six years.
"Hey, you looked at me in the eye!" a boy cried out as he approached Red, "You can't say no to my challenge!" The boy sent out a Weedle and Red casualty sent out his Charmander, given to him by Prof. Oak to start his journey. Red's Charmander seemed to have a similar personality as Red didn't need to utter a word, his look commanded Charmander's moves like any spoken commands would.
"Aww man." The boy complained as Red's Charmander defeated Weedle with ease and Red returned Charmander to its poke ball. Red walked away wordlessly, not even bothering to collect the money that he earned. Not that he needed to as many young trainers that challenged him as soon as he was halfway down Route Two provided what he needed to reach Pewter City.
Red continued his trek through the forest until something caught his attention...or rather someone. Father down the path looking...rather lost, was a girl that he knew from back home in Pallet Town.
'Leaf?' he thought to himself. He, Gary and Leaf had gone their own way, not that it mattered to him since Gary was far from being an old friend anymore, and he barely knew Leaf. She, like him, kept to herself as far as he could remember, yet there she was. How she got ahead of him he'll never know, but she looked like she could use some help. Red approached but before he could reach her, Leaf noticed him and her face lit up.
"Hey!" she greeted, relieved to see a familiar face, but her face quickly faded and became shy, "Umm...Red...right?" Red nodded. "Umm...c-could you help me get through this forest? I lost my way as I rushed to get to Pewter's Gym when I heard that the leader used rock type." Red understood her excitement, she had gotten Bulbasuar from Prof. Oak after all. He nodded and took the lead, looking over his shoulder to see if she was following. She was, but a little too closely...looking scared?
"Umm...do you mind if we tried to avoid the bug catchers and bug Pokémon?" Leaf asked. Red assumed she had some sort of bug phobia, so he nodded and looked around for a sign that they were near the end. Not to be mean, but Leaf's words were making him uncomfortable...mostly because he didn't know how to respond, being antisocial for six years does that to you. Red looked over his shoulder to check on Leaf and froze causing her to bump into him.
"Ow, something wrong?" she asked. Red didn't reply as he continued to stare at her hat...or what was on her hat. Trembling, Leaf directed her eyes up to the front edge of her hat to see a rather, and unusually, large Caterpie looking at her. Leaf stared at it, frozen with fear (and her face showed it) as Red approached her, waving his hand in front of her, but got no response. He picked up the Caterpie and Leaf screamed before covering her eyes and falling to her knees, whimpering. Red couldn't help but almost smile at how Leaf was afraid of a little Caterpie.
The Caterpie wriggled its way out of Red's hands and landed on Leaf's lap. Leaf froze again, but still whimpered as the Caterpie made itself comfortable on her lap while Red knelt next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Oddly enough, Leaf felt a wave of relief wash over her as she calmed from his contact.
"Th-thank you...I-I...overreacted...didn't I?" Leaf commented shyly as she looked down at the Caterpie, "I guess it's not that bad...kinda cute too." At the sound of her voice, the Caterpie looked up at Leaf with its big eyes as if it understood her. It made its way to Leaf's stomach, then to her side (all the while making Leaf feel creeped out, but also made her laugh) and made its way into her bag.
Red and Leaf stared in confusion at Leaf's bag until Caterpie came out with one of Leaf's empty poke balls.
"It looks like its taken a liking to me." Leaf laughed as she lightly tapped Caterpie with the ball switch, causing it to be taken into the poke ball. The ball shook a little then clicked, signaling a successful catch. Leaf looked up at Red, "This is my first Pokémon that I caught!" she commented, "Thank you for your help Red!" Leaf unconsciously threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, catching him off guard. Red was stunned, he had no idea whether he should hug her back or not. Instinct dominated and he lightly placed his hands around her.
'...I wouldn't mind getting one of these more often from her.' Red thought to himself, a smile almost appearing on his face again. Leaf realized what she was doing and quickly pulled away with a clearly noticeable blush across her cheeks.
"I-I...I'm sorry..." she replied shyly. This time a very faint smile appeared on Red's face as he held out his hand to helped her stand. Leaf took it and Red pulled her up, however as soon as he did, their faces came close causing them to freeze as they made eye contact, her blue eyes looking deep into his brown ones. Neither could look away, or rather didn't want to, but they didn't want to make an awkward moment either. Forcibly, both of them tore their gaze of each other and Red cleared his throat before once again taking the lead to escort Leaf out of the forest.
"Look!" Leaf shouted as she pointed at a building ahead of them, "We're at the end!"
"Hey there, what's the rush!?" a bug catcher asked, as if he came out of thin air, causing Leaf to regrettably make eye contact.
"Oh come on! We were so close!" Leaf complained as the bug catcher sent out a Kakuna and Leaf sent out her new Caterpie. Red leaned on a tree and observed as Leaf had Caterpie tackle Kakuna.
"Now use poison sting!" the boy commanded to his Kakuna who successfully landed the hit and poisoned Caterpie.
"Caterpie, use tackle one more time!" Leaf commanded. Caterpie took down Kakuna, but fainted right when the boy called back his Kakuna.
"I still got you." the boy commented as he approached to pay up, but Leaf ignored him and quickly scooped up Caterpie and looked over at Red. Red didn't need her to say anything and quickly followed her as she ran for the exit.
In the building, people watched as Red and Leaf dashed past them and out the next door toward the end of Route Two. Leaf tripped right at the entrance path of Pewter City, but Red caught her before she hit the ground and quickly carried her to the Pokémon Center, dashing through the door and setting her down in front of the counter.
"Nurse! Please help my Caterpie!" Leaf shouted, startling the nurse behind the counter. The nurse acted quickly and took Leaf's Caterpie, then placed it in a recovery table. That familiar jingle that was given off by these machines emanated and once it was over, the nurse gave Caterpie to Leaf.
"He'll be alright." the nurse commented, "We hope to see you again."
Leaf thanked the Nurse and turned to Red, "Umm...thank you Red." she said shyly, "Say...do you want to...challenge the gym...together?" Red simply stared at her.
'Challenge the gym leader with her?' Red thought to himself, 'I could say no and just get it over with to go on but...' Leaf looked at him with a hidden yet noticeable plea. 'I...' Red nodded and Leaf smiled as she quickly began to lightly pull him by the hand, with both of hers, out of the Pokémon Center, but Red decided to playfully resist.
"Come on Red!" Leaf laughed, "Don't get lazy on me now!" Unnoticed by all, Red smiled at the sound of her laugh.
'Now that I think about it,' Red thought to himself as they made their way to the gym, 'this is the first time we've actually hung out. Not to mention talk...and her laugh...'
"I-...Red?" Leaf called out, snapping Red out of his thoughts. Red noticed that she was blushing, "umm...this is...a little dumb but...I just realized that...aside from my mom...you're the first person I've talked to in a long time." Leaf looked up to see Red's reaction, half expecting him fun make fun of her, but what she saw and heard nearly made her heart stop.
"I guess...that makes two of us." Red replied as he covered his eyes with the shade of his cap, and a small upward curve appeared on his lips.
'H-he...actually talked to me?' Leaf thought to herself, feeling faint. Red noticed the look of shock in her face.
"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, his small smile long faded.
"N-no, it's just...I've...never heard your voice before." Leaf replied, "...or seen you smile." she added softly.
"I haven't done either in six years, is it that bad?" Red asked.
"No!" Leaf shouted, "I-I mean..of course not." 'His voice is...breath taking!' she thought to herself. "Y-you don't look bad at all. I-I mean...you should smile more often." A red line made its way onto her cheeks.
"Thanks." Red replied, his smile returning, as they stopped at the entrance of the gym, "You ready?" Leaf nodded and Red pushed the doors open, revealing one lone man at the center of the room.
"So a challenger has arrived." the man commented.
"Two." Leaf corrected.
"My apologies, it's not often that I get two challengers at the same time." the man replied, "I am Brock, leader of Pewter City Gym. Which one of you will go first?" Leaf looked at Red, hoping he would have a clear answer. She wasn't disappointed, though the way he did it made her laugh. When Leaf looked at him, he had smiled, taken a bow, and outstretched his arm, inviting her to go first.
"I'll go first then." Leaf laughed.
"All right, send out your first Pokémon." Brock commented and Leaf sent out Bulbasuar, while he sent out Geodude, 'Type advantage is on her side,' he thought to himself, 'but I can't lose.'
"Bulbasuar, Vine Whip!" Leaf shouted and Geodude went down in seconds leaving Brock stunned.
"...didn't even give me a chance." Brock commented, "Well done, here's the Boulder Badge." Leaf took the badge and stepped aside for Red to make his challenge. "So, are you going to pull another type advantage on me?" Brock joked. Red didn't respond, his image had returned to before he met up with Leaf, and simply sent out Charmander while Brock sent out Onix.
"WHAT THE HELL!?" Leaf shouted.
"You took out Geodude." Brock replied as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Onix is all I got left right now."
"It's no problem." Red commented monotonely, causing the gym to go quiet with a sensation of utter depression.
"Uhh...ok then." Brock replied, 'What was that? He spoke and the atmosphere became awkward...dead even...like a graveyard.' "Anyways, Onix use rock slide!" Onix roared as it launched several large rocks at Charmander, however Charmander himself dodged them and quickly looked at Red who simply nodded and his command was clear as day to Charmander. Charmander charged at Onix as it finished it's attack and caught it off guard with Metal Claw. Brock looked at Charmander, stunned.
"...We win." Red commented.
"Uhh...yeah..." Brock replied, still shocked at how simple Red's communication with his Pokémon was, "H-here's the Boulderbagde."
"Red, that was amazing!" Leaf said excitedly as they left the gym, "How'd you train your Charmander to know what you wanted him to do without telling him?"
Red looked over his shoulder at Leaf and smiled, "I guess we just think the same."
"So...are you going to go ahead to the next gym?" Leaf asked. Red looked away thoughtfully.
'Huh...I didn't think that far.' he thought to himself.
"Because...well..." Leaf appeared to be shaking.
"Leaf, are you ok?" Red asked.
"Y-yes...I...I have to go." Leaf replied and took off.
"W-wait, Leaf!" Red called out, but she was already gone.