Retiring a Twenty Year Old Hermit

A Oneshot

Red was perfectly happy on top of Mt. Silver. He had everything he wanted. His pokemon were there. No one wanted him to talk. There wasn't any criminal groups to stop. Occasionally, he'd even get a challenging battle.

Unfortunately, not everyone understood that he was trying to be a wise mountain hermit.

"Red," Blue drawled, "I still can't believe a loser like you can stand this cold."

Red gave him a look. Luckily, Blue was one of the few people who could interpret even the slightly tilt of his eyebrows. It was just like Red could tell that Blue was actually saying that he was freezing cold but due to his jerk dialect he couldn't say it flat out.

"Guess it's good for you that we're about to go somewhere warmer." Blue shivered and rubbed his arms. Eevee, on his neck, tightened her grip and nearly strangled him with her tail. Red waited for his rival of a friend to sort his breathing issues out and picked up his Pikachu. Pikachu seemed more interested in whatever Blue's current scheme to no doubt drag him off the mountain than Red was.

It wasn't anything new for Blue to visit. At first, he just came up for challenges. He didn't seem to understand that part of the reason Red had even moved up here was because the Elite Four were getting a little annoyed by Blue beating them all twice a week for another crack at being Champion. That was also the reason Blue was given a gym. It had been a ridiculous situation for a ridiculous rivalry and even Red wanted to at least bow out of the publicity of it all. The cold seemed to change it to a challenge every month or so, until, well they stopped battling. Oh, there'd be the occasional match just for funs sake, but they both matured from enthusiastic kids. Blue didn't need to prove that he was superior anymore. He boasted enough to ignore the fact that Red could still beat him ever 19 in 20 battles.

However, eventually, Blue found it was weird that Red lived on a cold mountain by himself. Red didn't know if it was because Blue realized it himself, or Red's mother had said something. Perhaps Blue had just become tired of freezing. In any case, Blue started to come up with schemes to have Red get off his mountain. His mountain. The mountain that he liked.

Yeah, it wasn't happening any time soon.

Blue had recovered from his near suffocation and made a wide, open gesture with his arms.

"Well, Red?"

Red rolled his eyes and scratched Pikachu behind his ears.

Blue laughed, "Oh, c'mon Red. I'm not letting you stay behind. It's even somewhere with a high altitude. You'll feel right at home."

He waited for him to actually explain. Blue chuckled and took his own sweet time to continue.

Red's blank face stared back passively.

"You, and me, have been invited to the Alola Region. Don't look at me like that, I know you haven't heard of it before. It's like an island paradise and they're just now setting up their league." He posed dramatically, "Of course, we're all done with leagues now aren't we. You all retired before you hit your teens, and me, well me being me." Red's face twitched and Blue seemed to take that as a positive sign. "However, some of the others who are all done with the kiddy leagues have decided to take a vacation. Catch some sun, get a tan… even Gramps is going. There's a sweet deal and you should feel lucky that someone remembered you existed." He fidgeted with his bag and shoved a brightly colored travel brochure at Red.

Professor Oak was going? The old man who'd sent him around Kanto to get Pokedex data for even some Pokemon that could be found on Route 1? Well, Red was shocked. Blue smirked as if he'd already won.

"So, it's decided then. You and me are going to hang out on a giant tree."

Pikachu scrabbled up to Red's shoulder and chirped at Blue. Red wondered about the tree comment as well? Was Blue really proposing they stay on a palm tree? Maybe that's why he hadn't mentioned the pricing. Too cheap to splurge on a hotel. Pikachu cocked his head to the side.

"See, Red, even your best friend wants to leave this mountain! Think how much fun your little furball would have fun on the beach."

Red could admit that some of his Pokemon would like a new setting. Lapras is in particular would love to swim in the ocean again. This was probably Blue's most effective strategy yet.

However, Red also knew that tropical beaches got a lot of tourists. Lots of people everywhere. Maybe there were so many people that the only place to sleep where palm trees? Dang it, Blue, that tree comment was still throwing him off. His interest went back to null.

Pikachu put his paw on Red's cheek. Red smiled and scratched behind his ears. Ok, if Pikachu really wanted to go then maybe he'd consider it. He did miss adventure and travel. However, was Alola really the best destination? Especially with Blue? In a tree? It sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.

He'd gone camping with Blue once when they were small. Blue had almost fed him to a metapod. Sure, it was an accident. Blue hadn't exactly apologized, but his voice had been less smug for a week, so Red knew he felt bad about it. Even so, Red held a grudge. He knew it wasn't fair to still blame Blue for something stupid he did at eight. Yet, even if Red could forgive him for nearly becoming pokechow to a pokemon that didn't normally eat, he'd never forget Blue setting the tent on fire, setting all the food on fire, tying him up as bait to catch a pokemon… all the normal Blue behavior.

Could he really put up with him for however long the vacation was?

Red studied his oldest friend. Blue stared back at him. Eevee readjusted herself, thankfully not strangling her trainer this time.

"There's variations of Kanto pokemon…" Blue smirked. He stepped forward with his usual swagger. Red looked at an icy rock in front of him. Blue didn't catch on and nearly slipped. Well, Red had tried. "There's an ice type vulpix." Blue continued as if he didn't just nearly fall down a mountain. "Executor is a dragon type."

Red's eyes widened. He held up his hand.

"Oh, yeah." Blue's tone made it clear that he was bragging over having more information. "I think Gramps said that our executor originally came from that. A draconic palm tree, who would have thought we'd see the day."

Red didn't like that Blue assumed he was sold on this harebrained vacation. Was this what the tree thing was about? Was Blue truly planning for them to stay on some dragon pokemon? Red couldn't help but picture a dragonite with all of executor's heads. He was officially concerned.

"The raichu surf on their psychic tail." Blue said it like it was the end all, beat all reason. This is what he thought would convince him. Raichu was the crux of his argument.

"Pikachu? Pika? Piiika?" Pikachu hit Red with his tail. "Pi, pika pikachu."

Red shot Blue a look. Was it really necessary to give Pikachu an identity crisis? Really? Raichu were enough of a problem to the little guy on the best of times.

He gave Pikachu a reassuring smile and massaged his cheek. Well, maybe this was an opportunity. Perhaps with enough training Pikachu could access some psychic type moves? It could be fun to try. They'd already exhausted the electric move pool at this point anyways. Pikachu looked thoughtful and nodded. His starter was already plotting something.

Blue didn't know entirely what had happened between them. With visible effort he just breezed on without asking. He probably knew Red wouldn't explain anyways.

"Just look at some of these Pokemon." Blue shoved his Pokedex into Red's face. His teeth gritted. "Gramps has a few of them in the database."

Red pretended that he was only humoring Blue as he read the new entries. In truth, Red had always been hungry for more information about Pokemon. He loved seeing new pokemon. He loved to discover.

He loved them all.

He paused at a small ghost type. His eyes widened. His jaw tightened.

"What's that for, Red?" Blue sidestepped around to see the Pokedex screen. "Mimikyu, huh? I should have guessed."

Red handed Blue's Pokedex and pushed his hat down. Blue laughed but Red blocked it out. The little pokemon… Mimikyu… it just wanted to be loved.

Red looked at Pikachu. To Blue, it appeared that they were having a psychic conversation. Perhaps the Alolan Raichu wasn't such a surprise after all.

"Get packed, Red." His jeering grin was more triumphant than his reign as Champion.

Red gave Pikachu one more glance and nodded. Looks like he had to go. Yes.

"Also, Red?" Blue suddenly stopped him from turning away. "Get some shorts. You're going to roast, burn up… turn into ash. If you get heatstroke I'm not having your mother come after me."

Red nodded, getting the message. Obviously, he was going to have to bring his jeans.

And Blue still hadn't explained the tree thing…?

A/N: So the bulk of this comes from the afternoon I was FREAKING OUT about Red's return. I just love that he's grown. The fact that he aged means we have some sort of timeline going. I also just really appreciate he's still silent and hanging out with Blue. Now all we need is for Leaf to show up... (pls Gamefreak)

So yeah, Pokemon SuMo hype!