The lights in Vermilion City came on one by one as the sun sank low over the water. On the southern bank beside the ship port, the gym was closing for the night, after having stayed open for an extra hour due to a long and grueling battle that the trainer named Red had against the gym leader, Lt. Surge. The first time he faced the gym, he lost, due to the overpowering strength of Surge's Raichu. Shortly thereafter, a trainer on route 11 tipped him off that powerful Dugtrio could be captured in Diglett's Cave. After stocking up on Pokéballs, he set out for the long, winding cavern, taking its course all the way up to route 2 and back before finally finding a Dugtrio. With the help of Butterfree's Stun Spore, he was successfully able to catch the Mole Pokémon and re-challenged the Vermilion gym. The trainers were a cinch, but when he faced Surge again, he was surprised by how powerful Raichu's slam was.

"I guess you figured out the easy way!" Surge had commended him. "I like that! Find the most practical solution to victory and take it. Unfortunately, I'm still going to give it all I got."

Red didn't expect otherwise. With a few extra potions and an X Defend, his Dugtrio withstood the assault, and with a Magnitude measuring at 10, Raichu was finally defeated.

After witnessing Misty's meltdown after being defeated, he wondered how Surge was going to take it. To his surprise, the gym leader began a slow and mirthful laugh, removing his sunglasses and smiling at him with shocking blue eyes. "Congratulations!" he chimed in his deep, rough voice. "I haven't had a battle that incredible in years!" He extended his hand, and Red took it, shaking it gratefully. "In recognition of your victory, I confer upon you, the Thunder Badge!" Reaching into his pocket, he extracted a small metal case, opened it, and pulled out a small orange badge in the shape of a sun. Questioning why something called the Thunder Badge would resemble the sun, Red accepted it, holding it in his hand for a moment before storing it in his own badge case. Three down, five to go.

"Thank you," said Red, storing his case away. "I'm sorry for letting this battle go on for so long."

Surge shook his head, waving a hand dismissively. "Not a problem. I don't mind long battles if they're exciting. But I really do have to close down now. Good luck on your journey! The next gym is in Celadon. Your Charmeleon should be able to handle Erika just fine." He gave another farewell wave as the trainers in the gym went to work shutting it down, clearly happy that they could finally go home.

When Red left the gym, the sky was totally dark, though the stars wee obscured by the bright city lights. He lowered the brim of his hat as he set off to find a place to stay for the night. About halfway to the nearest lodge, he reached into his wallet, opened it, and stopped.

He felt so stupid. After spending all that money on Pokéballs, he hardly had any left. Definitely not enough to stay at the lodge. Glancing around, he considered going into the other buildings, even the apartments and offering anything in exchange for a place to stay. Then again, he'd come across as rather pathetic, and he wanted to keep his pride intact. Unfortunately, the alternative wasn't very dignifying either. He crossed a bridge in the north part of town, and reluctantly decided that he would have to sleep under there. He slowly made his way up the main road, hoping he wouldn't have company under the bridge.

When he finally arrived, he was relieved to find it deserted, though the marks of previous squatters were abundant. He opened his bag and dug around for the small thermal blanket he carried with him and threw it over his shoulder. Just as he lifted his bag to toss it over the side of the fence, he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Red?" He spun around to find Lt. Surge standing behind him, looking astounded. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Uh, w-well," he stammered, "I was just, well, it's kind of a funny story. You see, I'm not good with budgeting and, um, I couldn't afford to stay at the lodge. You know..."

Surge's eyes narrowed. "So you're going to sleep under a bridge?"

Red looked down at his shoes and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Surge laughed. "Sorry kid, not happening." He took Red's bag from him and threw it over his shoulder. Red was taken aback, both by Surge's taking of the bag, and how lightly he handled it. It wasn't light by any means, yet Surge held it like it was a small handbag. Then again, Red noticed his Surge's arms were quite muscular. He could have easily thrown Red over his shoulder in much the same way. "Come on," said Surge. "You can stay at my place tonight."

Red blinked. "Wh-what?" No, I can't, I mean, you're already exhausted."

Surge shook his head. "Kid, it take's a lot to tire me out. That battle was fun, but hardly exhausting. Now come on, I won't take no for an answer. My place is only two blocks from here." He turned and continued down the sidewalk, and Red followed. How could he say no to a gym leader?

They rounded the corner and stopped and a street of large houses, though Red soon realized that these were more than likely divided into apartments. Surge took him up past three houses and stopped in front of a green one with a rather wild lawn. "Here we are," he announced. "Home sweet home." Withdrawing a key from his pocket, he went to the front door and unlocked it, holding it open for Red. He gave a grateful smile as he passed into the foyer, which was quite dark. Surge flipped a light on, illuminating a spiral staircase by the window. "Second floor," he said quietly, and Red followed him up. Taking out the key again, Surge unlocked the door of his apartment and stepped inside, waiting for Red to come in.

When Red finally did, he stopped and looked all around him. For a gym leader, it was pretty modest living. The living room was small, with a single couch and coffee table, and the open kitchen was off to the side. There were two doors leading off. Surge set Red's bag down on the couch, then went into the kitchen. "Can I get you anything?" he offered. "I have soda, water, tea, and...well, never mind." He took out a can of beer and popped the tab. "You're too young."

Red smiled awkwardly. "Uh, tea is fine, thanks." Surge shrugged and took a jug of sweet tea out while Red went into the living room. He put his blanket back in his bag and checked its contents just to be sure. Fortunately, everything was still intact and accounted for.

"Here you go." Red spun around at the voice directly behind him. Surge stood there, holding out a glass of cold tea.

"Oh, uh, thank you," said Red, taking the glass. "Look, you um, you really didn't have to do all this-"

"Of course I did!" said Surge. "What, was I supposed to leave you out there? Granted, I've never had a trainer crash at my place before. Still, I felt obligated."

Red smiled. "Well, thank you. I appreciate it." He took a sip from his cup of tea and sat down on the couch. Only then was he aware of a faint odor, like cologne. Lt. Surge took a sip from his beer too, and he pulled his dog tag off, setting it on an end table in front of a picture. Red leaned forward to make out what was in it. He could tell Surge was in the picture, but beside him was someone else. They were both dressed in military uniforms. Surge stopped and looked down at the picture for a moment. Then he raised his beer, as if to toast, and took another drink. When he turned around, he noticed Red had been watching and smiled faintly, setting the beer down.

"My old buddy from the war," he explained, though Red was about to say he didn't want to bother him. "We were...very close. Promised we'd make a life together after we got back to Kanto." He sighed, setting his sunglasses down on the end table as well. "Then one night, we were ambushed. I ordered everyone to retreat, but he didn't want to. He demanded that he protect me. I couldn't persuade him, and I had to get everyone out. That was the last I saw of him. The next day, we found his dog tag broken in two and sticking out of the mud. There was blood everywhere..." He had been staring off at the wall, but when he looked back at Red, he seemed shaken out of a dream. "I'm sorry, you didn't need to hear that."

Red bit his lip. "No, it's...it's fine, honest. I don't know what to say though. I guess...I'm sorry too. Sorry you had to lose someone so close to you. I can't imagine what that was like."

"Good. I'd rather you not try." Surge took a deep breath, then smiled at him. "Come on, no more depressing thoughts, huh?" He took his beer, then went to the couch and sat down next to Red, propping his boots up on the coffee table. "Want to watch some TV?"

Red shrugged. "Um, sure, I guess." Grabbing a remote, Surge turned the TV on, catching the tail end of a news story about a new day care opening up.

"Boring," Surge moaned, and he started flipping through the channels. "What do you want to watch?"

Red shrugged again. "I don't really watch much TV. My parents though, they're always talking about the stuff they like to watch. Whenever I catch show, I just think about them, and whether or not they'd like it."

Surge laughed. "They sound like fun people." He kept flipping and stopped on a movie where the Pokémon's voices were dubbed over by people for comedic affect. Presently, a Drowzee was staring at a Jynx and muttering in a nasally voice. "I love these things," commented Surge. "The Pokémon are such good actors."

Red had to admit, it was pretty funny. Entertaining as the movie was, though, he was starting to get tired, and he was soon nodding off, his head rolling to the side. After sleeping for only a few minutes though, the thing he was laying against moved slightly, and he woke up, blinking at whatever he was laying on. He shot up suddenly, realizing it was Surge's shoulder.

"O-Oh my gosh," he stuttered, his face burning. "Surge, I-I didn't...w-wasn't aware that I was-"

Surge raised his hand, and Red was quiet immediately. "Hey, I understand, it's alright." His voice retained its deepness and gruffness, but it was a touch more reassuring now. "I don't mind it, really." He put his arm up on the back of the couch and patted his chest. "You can lay back down if you want."

Red simply stared. "Surge, are you...are you sure? I don't want you to think I'm weird."

Surge smiled. "You're not weird at all kid. Lots of trainers have given me the eye, given me offers, even some letters." He paused for a moment, looking away before turning back to Red. "But none of them have been as cute as you."

Red swallowed. It was as if his whole mouth went dry instantly. "I...I uh..."

Surge scooted closer, and his arm came down around Red. Without hesitation, Red laid his head down on Surge's chest, listening to the slow intakes of breath, and his rapid heartbeat. His arm tightened gently, and Red let himself relax. He was comfortable, but now he was wide awake. He felt his hat being removed and glanced up to see Surge placing it on his own head, though it didn't fit on all the way and fell slightly to the side. "How do I look?" he asked.

Red smiled. "Like an overgrown kid." Surge laughed at that.

"Good. I like to see myself as a kid who only looks like an adult." He turned back to the TV, and he and Red continued watching the movie as they cuddled together on the couch.

When the movie was over, Surge glanced up at the clock, then down at Red, who was still awake, but looking rather droopy. "We should get to sleep," Surge whispered, and Red, nodding, got up. He stretched and reached into his bag while Surge stood up, kicking off his boots. Red began laying the blanket out on the couch, but Surge put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, uh, you don't have to sleep on the couch if you don't want to. My bed's pretty big, so, if you want to sleep there..." He trailed off when he saw the anxious look Red was giving him, and he quickly shook his head. "No, no! I don't mean I want to do anything. I'm not trying anything funny, honestly. I'm just offering it because it's more comfortable." Red gave him a faint smile, and he nodded understandingly. "And yes, also because I'd like to cuddle some more."

Red put the blanket back into his back as he pulled off his running shoes and socks, setting them next to Surge's boots. Surge opened the door on the opposite wall and, once again, held it open for Red, waiting for him to come in.

The bedroom, Red discovered, was the source of the cologne smell. It was strong, but not overpowering. The bed was indeed large, and Red figured he'd be comfortable. Surge set his hat down on a chair in front of his desk, and so that's where Red hung his vest when he took it off. He looked over at Surge, and his eyes flew wide. He in the middle of pulling off his tank top, revealing a wide, bare chest and visible abs. Below them, Surge's hands were unbuckling his belt. He pulled the belt loose and stepped out of his pants, wearing only gray boxer briefs now. Red wanted to avert his eyes, unsure if his underwear would be the next to go, but Surge kept them on as he climbed into bed, patting down on the other side. "Come on in, it's comfy!"

Red went around and lifted the covers, sliding in. It was indeed soft and comfortable. He pulled the blanket up and rolled over. Surge was looking at him longingly, and a little regretfully too. "Probably shouldn't have taken my clothes off," he said, mostly to himself. "Sorry if I weirded you out. If you don't want to..."

Red shook his head. "No, it's okay." He moved himself slightly closer, but was unsure about making the first move. Fortunately, Surge took the initiative and wrapped he arm around Red's back, pulling him closer. Now Red let his arm's come up around him, and Surge rested his head against his. Their legs were parted for a moment, before Red decided slide his foot between Surge's ankles. Reacting to this, Surge pulled his legs and hips closer, their bodies now pressed together. Red gasped, and Surge broke his head away quickly to look at him, wondering if he should give him some space. But Red wordlessly communicated that he was okay, though he didn't want to try anything else. Surge laid back down, letting Red rest on him, and his grip on him tightened only a little.

"This is nice," said Red finally. Surge let out a low grunt in agreement. And in his warm embrace, Red soon drifted off to sleep.

* * *

When he awoke the next morning, he was still in Surge's arms, but the gym leader was fast asleep. He risked moving a little, to see if he could get out without waking him, but Surge's body weight alone held Red down fast. He opted to remain that way, enjoying the feel of him, and his slow, soothing breath. When he went to move his leg, however, Surge finally responded, blinking his eyes open and stretching. "Hmm? Oh...Red." He looked down at the trainer with heavy eyes. "Good morning. Sorry, I'm a heavy sleeper." He let Red out of the embrace, letting him get up. He turned to the clock on the wall and frowned. "Yikes, I have to be at the gym in an hour." Red was already getting his vest back on and putting his hat on his head. "Do you want something to eat before you go?"

Red shook his head. "No, I need to get going, but thanks anyway." He went out into the living room to grab his bag and put his socks and shoes back on. When he was all set, he turned to see Surge gazing at him sadly.

"I guess you didn't like last night then," he said, sounding disappointed. Red, realizing what Surge thought he meant, raised his hands and sighed.

"No, no! Not at all! I enjoyed it! I mean, I really do have to get going. I have a lot to do, and I need to train. Please don't think I'm having regrets."

Surge looked a little more hopeful. "You really mean that?"

Red nodded. "I want to stay, don't get me wrong. I'm kind of sad to go. Who knows when I'll be back in Vermilion?"

Surge smiled. "Well, when you do come back, I'll be waiting for you."

"You really mean that?"

"Yeah, of course I do." He looked away, biting at his lip. "Hey, um, Red, before you leave, can I have something?"

Red's looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

Surge approached him slowly, his face slightly pink. He looked down at the trainer, and he lowered himself so they were at eye level.

"Surge, are you asking me too...?"

They looked at each other for a moment, then Surge moved in, and Red let him, their lips meeting and pressing together. Hard at first, but then softening into a gentle kiss, pulling at each other and yielding, before parting completely. Red looked up at him now, his brown eyes searching Surge's blue eyes. He smiled warmly at him.

"That was nice," he said softly. "Surge...I don't know when I'll see you again."

Surge grinned. "It doesn't matter when. Just promise me something. Be careful out there. Team Rocket is up to no good, and I'd hate for something to happen to you." He put his hand on Red's shoulder. "Now you do me proud out there, alright? Take on the other gyms and then go to the Indigo Plateau. Who knows? Maybe you'll be Champion someday."

"I'll certainly try. You uh, you take care too. I want to challenge you again someday." He moved towards the door, and turned to Surge, tipping his hat. "I'll see you around."

Surge waved to him, watching the trainer walk out the door, and after it shut behind him, he said, "See you later, kid...until we meet again."