A/N: This is my first Pokémon fanfiction, so if there are some errors I apologise. This is an AU largely based off in-game events since I didn't really follow the anime, though for the sake of easy reading I have kept the anime names rather than calling them by their game names of Red and Green.

I hope this isn't too confusing, and I hope you enjoy this first chapter!

Part One: Time

If you can find the time

If ever you're free

Humidity lies thick on the flat landscapes of Masara Town that night, silencing the calls of wild Pidgey in the trees and Rattata in the tall grass. If it weren't for the plethora of stars that explode across the skies, the small collection of buildings would be in almost total darkness save for a few lone lights from bedroom windows and the Ookido laboratory. The deafening silence and natural darkness are a far cry from the light pollution of Tamamushi City or the Sekiei Plateau, the absence of sirens and late-night shoppers outside almost unnerving.

It's the first time that Satoshi has been home in six years. He is twenty years old now, and has spent the last four years making a daily trek up Mount Shirogane on the off-chance that a trainer will try to challenge his title as Master.

He would still be doing this now, had it not been for a young boy from the Johto region who finally, finally managed to defeat him. Satoshi is so relieved to be released from the duties as a Master that he doesn't even care that his unblemished winning streak has acquired a black mark. Now, as he sits in the window seat of his childhood bedroom for the first time since he was fourteen, Pikachu snoozing peacefully in his lap, Satoshi has never been so happy to just be a regular trainer again.

A knock at his door alerts him before his mother steps into the room with a glass of iced green tea. "I thought you might still be up," she says with a small grin as she crosses over to the window and hands it to him, careful not to wake Pikachu. Satoshi accepts the drink and takes a long, refreshing gulp.

"Thanks," he says, a genuine smile curving the corners of his mouth. He hasn't had much reason to smile for a long time, and the action feels strange, a little foreign to him.

His mother returns the smile though, and then fans her face a little with her hand. "Gosh, I forgot how hot your room gets in the summer. We'll head over to Tokiwa City tomorrow and pick up a plug-in air-conditioner for you, and then maybe you'll be able to sleep better."

"Okay," Satoshi says, gaze returning back to the window just in time to see old Professor Ookido exiting the lab and walking the short distance to his own house, lab-coat still on and a yawn creeping up on him as he walks. The lights stay on in the lab though.

"Well, I'm off to bed honey," his mother announces, scratching Pikachu briefly behind the ear before straightening up and crossing the room towards the door.

"Hey, Mum." Satoshi doesn't look away from the window but he sees her turn back to face him in the reflection, a tired but endearing expression on her face. "Does Shigeru often work late at the lab?"

She leans against the frame of the bedroom door, smiling slightly. "Yes, he works so much harder than he needs to, bless him. Professor Ookido says he's had that work ethic ever since he quit being a trainer and joined the research team a few years back."

Satoshi shakes his head with a small snort. "He always was an over-achiever."

There is a moment where there is no sound in the room, the silence that surrounds the house becoming almost deafening. Then Pikachu stirs in his lap and sits up with a mumbled "Pika pi?"

"You know, you should go and visit Shigeru," Hanako says, and Satoshi sees her nod at her own suggestion in the reflection on the window. "You haven't seen each other in so long; it would be nice for you to catch up a little. I'm sure he'd welcome the company as well, he probably hasn't spoken to someone his own age since he started working with his grandfather."

Satoshi pets his favourite Pokémon gently, humming in thought at the suggestion. It is true that he and Shigeru haven't seen each other in a long time, not since Satoshi last came back to Masara Town in fact. He had just come back from the Sekiei Plateau of Kanto at that point, the title of Champion looming over him but not suggesting as to the future it would bring him. At that time though, he was so full of pride he was surprised he didn't burst, and his mother was twice as bad.

Shigeru was in Masara at the same time as him on that celebratory visit, and not by coincidence. The young Ookido had also been a contender in the Sekiei Plateau – in fact, he had held the title of Champion himself for a grand total of thirty-four minutes before Satoshi came along hot on his heels and ripped the title from him, leaving him with nothing.

Needless to say, the last time they had seen each other had not been on the friendliest of terms. In fact, at the small party held in the village hall in celebration of Satoshi's success, Shigeru had sat in a corner the entire time, his precious Eevee in his lap serving as the only company he would accept. He had left as soon as humanly possible, and that was when the first black cloud had descended on Satoshi's life as a Pokémon Champion, and a few years later, as a Pokémon Master.

Whilst the popularity and publicity and general feeling of power had been great at first upon attaining the title of Master, Satoshi had quickly grown to realise that a Master leads a lonely, solitary life that revolves solely around training. For the long four years of his reign on Mount Shirogane, the only company he had kept was his Pokémon team and the weather. He had grown so used to bitter snowstorms and howling winds that upon his return to Masara Town after being defeated by that little Johto brat, Satoshi had almost wondered if his Charizard had flown him to a paradise resort by mistake, the temperature difference was that stark.

It takes him a moment now to realise that he hasn't given his mother an answer, and he nods awkwardly as Pikachu hops down onto the floor and runs over to Hanako to weave affectionately between her legs. "Sure, I'll head over and see him tomorrow or something. Although I dunno if he'll be happy to see me."

Hanako bends down in her housecoat and strokes Pikachu's back a few times. "You know, he's grown up a lot since you last saw him dear. I'm sure that six years is more than enough time for him to get over his disappointment that you beat him. Besides, he's so caught up in research nowadays that I doubt he hardly remembers what it was like to be a trainer."

She straightens up, and Pikachu nudges her leg with its head a few times before realising it won't get any more attention and running back to Satoshi. Hanako pulls her housecoat a little tighter around herself despite the heat. "You two were best friends before you were trainers. It would be a shame to let such a friendship go to waste over a stupid rivalry that isn't even relevant anymore."

"Pika!" Pikachu affirms, a quick crackle of static spreading over its red cheeks before fizzling out.

Satoshi looks at the ground, and then twists to glance out of the window again, at the lights that emanate from the Ookido Lab where Shigeru continues to slave away at his research in the middle of the night.

"I guess you're right."

His mother laughs loudly. "Silly, I'm always right! Now, try and get some sleep honey."

"M'kay."

She lets herself out of the room, the door closing softly behind her. Pikachu hops back into Satoshi's lap and nuzzles into his chest. Over at Ookido Lab, a tall, slender figure walks past a lit window, slightly hunched over in exhaustion.

Satoshi sighs and gives Pikachu a quick hug. "What do you think, Pikachu? Will he wanna talk to me?"

Pikachu cocks its head to the side pensively, before nodding with enthusiasm. "Pika pika!"

He snorts and sits up in the window seat, lifting Pikachu off his lap and setting it down on the floor before standing up with a long stretch. "Well, no time like the present."

Just drop me a line

And tell me where you'll be

Ten minutes later he stands in front of his bedroom mirror with a frown on his face. It's been so unbelievably long since he wore civilian clothes that he's amazed he owns anything that fits him now. He strongly suspects that Hanako went shopping when he called to say he was coming home, because the jeans he's wearing feel stiff and new compared to the ratty old ones he wore every day on Mount Shirogane.

He plucks at the simple black t-shirt, feeling uneasy. He feels strange in these foreign clothes, like he's assuming a new personality or something. In these clothes, he isn't a Master. He isn't even a trainer. He's just... Satoshi. And that's what unnerves him, because really, what more is there to Satoshi than Pokémon?

It hits him then, just how much of his life he has dedicated to the world that is Pokémon. In all his time as a trainer, he can't recall a time where he has wanted to play a video game, or shoot some pool, or go for a beer once he came of age at eighteen. Food and drink were merely means to stay alive so that he could keep training, keep battling.

Now, Satoshi becomes aware of the fact that he has virtually nothing ahead of him to look forward to. There is no gym badge to win, no title to attain, no pride to cling onto.

He could literally do anything. If only he knew what the hell he wanted to do with his life now.

"Pikachu?"

"I know, I'm procrastinating," he replies to the small yellow Pokémon which sits on the bed and eyes his clothes with confusion. "Okay, I'm going. Get some sleep okay?"

Pikachu doesn't reply verbally, instead choosing to just curl up on top of the bed covers with a happy little grin on its face that Satoshi doesn't recall having seen recently. Even Pikachu is pleased to be free of Satoshi's title, it would seem.

He scratches his cheek a little guiltily, and reaches for his hat before realising he doesn't really need it. Reluctantly, he leaves it where it is perched on the bare desk and walks over to the door, opening it quietly so as not to disturb his mother or his Pokémon.

When he exits the house, he is hit with a wall of heat. There is literally not a breath of wind tonight. The heat festers in the form of sweltering humidity that leaves his messy bangs curling and sticking to his face a little.

"Sure beats getting hit in the face with snow," he mumbles to himself as he shoves his hands in his pockets and makes the small trek across town towards the lab. He wonders if maybe he should figure out what he's going to say first, but knows that he'll only chicken out if he over-thinks this too much, so he preoccupies his mind with how many stars he's able to see in the absence of snow-clouds or city lights.

He doesn't remember there being that many stars last time he was in Masara Town. Maybe he'll pick up astronomy as a hobby or something, what with all this free time he's got on his hands.

The lab is only a stone's throw or so from his house though, so all too quickly he's met with the big front door. He notices that the name plate which once read as merely "Ookido Research Laboratory" has been replaces with the longer "Ookido & Sons Pokémon Research Facility". He suspects that Shigeru was behind the renaming, perhaps with the aim of making it sound more professional.

There's a big brass knocker below the name plate, and Satoshi grabs it now and raps the door with it three times. And then he steps back a little, shoves his hands in his pockets again and waits.

He doesn't have to wait long. A few seconds pass before the door is opened, but to his surprise he is met with Shigeru's back as he is already walking back into the lab. "I've told you before Gramps, stop leaving your glasses here if you're going to keep working at home!" he calls over his shoulder. He is holding a test-tube in one hand and is swathed in a white coat.

He thinks I'm his grandfather, Satoshi realises with amusement, making no move to follow Shigeru in. He takes the opportunity to observe how his old rival has changed in the past six years. The brunet is tall, possibly taller than Satoshi who is already a giant at six foot one, and his shoulders are broad under the white coat. His hair is as rebellious as ever, aiding to the "hare-brained scientist" look that he seems to have going on.

Shigeru finally realises that his "grandfather" isn't responding to his chastising lecture and stops, turning around with another grumble on his lips before stopping dead at the sight of Satoshi stood in the doorway. He nearly drops the test-tube.

"I... Oh... Hi."

"Hello," Satoshi replies with matching awkwardness. The social ineptness that they share hangs between them like a giant white elephant. Satoshi realises that under the lab-coat, Shigeru is wearing a smart shirt and black slacks. He is almost indistinguishable from the trainer who used to wear fashionable clothes and bright colours, the guy who always had a smart remark on his lips.

Now, Shigeru looks merely astounded. "Wow. This uh... this is a surprise." He turns to the side and slides the test-tube into a rack with fumbling fingers. "When did you uh... when did you get back?"

Satoshi takes the terrible attempt at making conversation as an indication that he can come in and steps into the air-conditioned lab, closing the door behind him. "This morning. Professor Ookido didn't tell you I was back in town?"

Shigeru wanders over to the small living area and falls down on the sofa heavily. He looks exhausted and genuinely shocked. "If he did, I never heard him." He laughs tiredly and runs a hand through his hair, messing it up ever more. "He probably did tell me, to be fair. I've been told that I don't pay much attention to small talk nowadays."

Satoshi's mouth quirks in a small smirk, and he wanders over to take a seat in the armchair adjacent to the sofa. He doesn't recline in it, sitting up stiffly with his forearms resting on his knees. In contrast, Shigeru has all but collapsed and is practically melting into the sofa, he is that tired.

"So you takin' a break or something? Are Masters allowed to do that?"

It's Satoshi's turn to laugh. "I guess if you didn't know I was coming home you wouldn't know that I'm no longer the Pokémon Master."

Shigeru's eyes fly open from where they have been drifting closed and he sits up a little, looking at Satoshi with even more shock than before. "What? Someone... Somebody actually beat you?"

Satoshi feels a little swell of pride at Shigeru's disbelief that he could be beaten in a Pokémon battle, though why he should feel proud he doesn't really know. "Yeah, some kid from the Johto region, couple of years younger than us. Hatori or Hibiki or something like that."

He lets this information sink in for a moment, in which time he feels something nudging at his legs and looks down to see a sleek black Umbreon at his feet. "Hey, you evolved your Eevee?"

Shigeru snorts and falls back into the couch again, flinging his arms over his face. "Yeah, for research. Aren't I such a great trainer?" he says sarcastically, although the Umbreon rolls its eyes as though it has heard this self-chastising a million times before. "But wait... so does this mean... you're back in Masara for good?"

Satoshi lets himself lean back a little, feeling some of the tension bleed out of him with the familiar presence of a Pokémon nearby. He is still unaccustomed to dealing with people. "Well, I don't know about 'for good', but I'll be here for a while, yeah. At least until I can figure out what to do next."

Shigeru nods and his arms fall away from his face, revealing the bags under his eyes once more. "So... what made you decide to stop by the lab at..." he glances at the digital clock on the wall, "two o'clock in the morning?"

"I dunno." Satoshi shrugs to emphasise his statement. "I couldn't sleep, and I saw you were still here from my window, and I thought you could maybe use some company. Unless... I'm in the way?"

A small silence ensues, in which Satoshi becomes better acquainted with the Umbreon which seems to have taken a liking to him. Perhaps after spending so much time in the company of Pokémon, he has started to smell like one.

After a few moments, Shigeru shakes his head. "Nah, you're not in the way. I'm almost done, anyway."

If you can find the time

Just be sincere

Satoshi thought he would be bored, watching Shigeru go about his work, but as he sits in the armchair and watches the brunet tinker with chemicals and occasionally consult charts and reports whilst Umbreon weaves between his legs, Satoshi actually finds it quite relaxing. When Shigeru is working, he looks at peace, even with the exhausted cloud that looms around him.

It's a pleasant surprise when Shigeru puts on a pair of glasses. At first, Satoshi wants to laugh, but after a few seconds he realises that they really suit this new, grown-up Shigeru. Even with his messy hair, Shigeru actually looks very professional and smart, as though he would be out of place anywhere else but in this laboratory.

"What are you researching right now, anyway?" Satoshi asks to fill the silence, though he doesn't really feel it's necessary. He just wants to make small talk so as not to creep out Shigeru. "Surely you must be running out of stuff to research by now?"

"I wish," Shigeru mutters, flicking the bottom of a test-tube as he holds it up to the light. "Gramps always has us studying the most pointless crap, and the world is never gonna run out of pointless crap. Right now he's got me researching the reason why Gyarados are blue."

"Oh, that sounds..."

"Mind-numbingly boring? Yeah, it is."

"Well, then why are you staying so late?" Satoshi twists in the armchair so that his legs are hanging over one of the arm-rests, snuggling down into a more comfortable position. "If it's so boring, why put in so much effort?"

"Well, first of all, the harder I work on it the faster it gets done," Shigeru says with a wry smile, replacing the test-tube and writing something down on a clipboard nearby. "Secondly, I'm not going to slack off just because we've hit a boring phase. If Gramps wants me to find out why Gyarados are blue, I'll do it to the best of my goddamn ability."

"Jeez, you really are an over-achiever."

"Says the guy who was Master for four fuckin' years."

"... Shut up." Satoshi lets his eyes drift closed, soothed by the air-conditioning and the weirdly homely feel of the lab. "You know that's only because I hardly got any challenges and had nothing to do but train in the meantime."

"Hmm." He can hear Shigeru tinkering across the room, the clink of glass and the scratch of a pencil forming a weird little melody. "So where're your Pokémon now? Where's Pikachu?"

"They're all still resting. We only lost that battle yesterday, they're not used to taking a beating. Pikachu persuaded me to come over though."

"Is it still not letting you evolve it into Raichu?"

Satoshi wiggles in the chair. "Nah, but I wouldn't want to now anyway. Pikachu's fine the way he is, it wouldn't be the same if he evolved now after all this time."

"I guess, although I never felt that way when I evolved Eevee. Umbreon still has the same... I dunno..." Satoshi opens his eyes in time to see Shigeru waving his hands in the air ambiguously in search of a word. "He still has the same aura, y'know?"

Umbreon mews from Shigeru's feet in agreement.

"What about the rest of your old team? What did you do with them when you stopped being a trainer?"

Shigeru seems to have finished up playing with the chemicals because he empties the test-tubes down the sink and takes the rack to a steam-cleaner on the other side of the room. "Oh, I still have them but they're being looked after by a friend in Yamabuki City. He owns that fighting dojo next to the gym, remember?"

"That's still there?" Satoshi laughs as the nostalgia washes over him, memories of his collecting his first eight gym badges flooding back to him. Memories of a time where being a Pokémon trainer wasn't a chore but an adventure.

"Yeah," Shigeru answers as he puts the test-tubes on to clean. "I miss my Pokémon, but they're happier being trained and stuff. I kept Umbreon here though 'cause he doesn't want to leave me. I think we'd miss each other too much."

He puts away papers and clipboards and then wanders back over to the living area, putting the kettle on and offering to make Satoshi a cup of tea. Satoshi declines. Once Shigeru has a steaming mug of his own, he sits back down on the couch and they fall into a pondering silence as they reminisce on the "good old days". Umbreon jumps up on the sofa next to Shigeru and falls asleep.

"I was worried," Satoshi admits after a while. "To come here, I mean. I thought you might hate me."

His old rival laughs quietly and puts his tea on the coffee table. "I did hate you for ages after you became Champion, actually. But I guess I grew up."

"Yeah... It's weird to see you like this though. You used to be so..." It's Satoshi's turn to wave his hands around as he searches for the kindest way to word how Shigeru used to act around him.

"Annoying?" Shigeru finishes for him. "Don't sweat it man, I was a stuck-up brat when we were kids. And you were a loser who couldn't even get his Pikachu to get in a pokéball."

"Still can't," Satoshi mutters irritably. "Pikachu's as stubborn as me, I guess."

Shigeru reaches out and takes another gulp of his drink, draining the mug. "Some things never change, huh?"

If you can find the time

I'll wait for you

The sun is just creeping over the peaks of the distant mountains when they eventually let themselves out of the lab. Satoshi's throat is hoarse after the longest conversation he's had in about four years, and he's just about ready to collapse in the dew-dotted grass outside his house, but he feels so content that none of this matters. A similar satisfaction is mirrored in Shigeru's own features.

"So we should definitely meet up when it isn't the middle of the night next time," Shigeru says with an awkward head-scratch and a grin. "Maybe you can show me how strong you are in a friendly battle?"

"Maybe I'll go easy on you too," Satoshi smirks, enjoying the fact that he can still provoke Shigeru with such talk. Before the brunet can argue however, he adds "But that would be cool. I've missed talking to you."

Shigeru is suddenly in his personal space, a hand on Satoshi's arm as the sky gets gradually brighter and the Pidgey start to chatter in the trees. "I've missed you too." And then Shigeru kisses his mouth, short and brief but definitely not without heat, before pulling away with a slight blush. "Good night... er... morning... whatever."

As he walks away, shoulders hunched and hands shoved deep in the pockets of his lab-coat, Satoshi stands on the pathway that separates his house and the laboratory, eyes wide and heart beating but not quite as surprised as he should be.

But if you can't find the time

Then cut me loose

A/N: How was it? Boring as hell? Okay? Good? Please let me know, and thanks for reading part one!