Summary: Follows "Welcome Home, Ash". Based off of my headcanon.

~oOo~

A Pokemon Fanfiction

"Memories"

~oOo~

I walked around the endless halls of Professor Oak's house-lab. He was kind enough to let me stay here for a little while longer while my brother was back at home with mom. Sleeping in my bed. Eating my food. But I wasn't really bothered. The only thing that sucks about having to stay somewhere else is because of some secret. A secret so huge that it may permanently scar someone – namely Ash.

Mom and I never really planned for something like that to happen. We never wanted this whole thing to end up like it is now. Mom always dreamed that her and her two sons would live under the same roof – along with our father. Though now that my, or well, our left us, I don't really see the point in holding onto something like that. To be a happy family and everything.

I'm sidetracking a little, aren't I? Sorry. It's just that, being up on that damned mountain every single day caused me to pretty much lose my sense of social skills. Heck, I think I've become socially awkward because of that. Well, guess that's just the price to pay when you're the Champion of Kanto or whatever. I wonder if the other Champions of the other Regions had to isolate themselves on a cold mountain with absolutely no human being going in and out of the entrance-slash-exit.

I rounded the next corner with my head high up above the clouds where Ho-Oh probably lived when I bumped into someone.

"Oof!"

"S-sorry!" I said. I looked up – er, down in this case – at the person I accidentally hit.

"Gary?"

The spiky brunet looked up at me with those very same green-blue eyes that rivaled Green's. "Uh..."

"Red."

His brows rose and his mouth made an eerie-shaped circle. "Right. Red. Ash's brother."

I nodded.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. He crouched down to pick up some things and I decided to help him out. I did ran into him after all. So it'd made sense.

"Your grandfather allowed me to stay here for a bit." I said as I handed him a couple of loose leafs. As we stood up, I saw that he was quite confused. "Ash is back in Pallet Town."

"Oh." He said simply before he muttered a 'thanks' for the papers I gave him back.

"Mm..."

We stood there with nothing else to say. He had his papers back in his arms, and I had my hands back in the warmth and emptiness of my pockets. As I've said. I've become socially awkward.

"I should get back to my research," said Gary.

"Oh. You've become a Pokemon researcher now?"

"Yeah. I realized that after two, three years of being a trainer, it's something that I don't exactly want to continue living. I've decided I'd follow in my Gramps' footsteps and become a researcher like him..." He paused and looked down for a moment. I understood that look. It was more than to be like Professor Oak.

I smiled. "Well. It's good that you've decided to do something like this. We need more researchers here in the world, ya know?"

He looked up with a smirk. "Yeah. Thanks."

I shook my head. "Not a problem, Gary."

He walked right past me with the papers hugged tightly to his chest. I couldn't help but smile. He really reminds me of Green sometimes. Of course, Green's the Gym Leader in Viridian; Gary's a researcher. Though despite those two being cousins, they really do look a like. They could pass off as twins. It's rather freaky if you asked me.

I pushed my arms back and heard the small cracks between my shoulder blades. My neck stretched from side to side and I loosened up my arms. It's going to be a really good day today. I just know it would.

~oOo~

It was now twelve in the afternoon and I decided to take a nice walk in Professor Oak's field of Pokemon. Plus, some of my Pokemon are resting amongst the others and I wanted to go see them and say 'hi'.

On my way out, I began to think about all the things that happened prior to my journey. My asshole of a father for leaving mom when she was pregnant with Ash; having to sit in the waiting area with Professor Oak as my mom gave birth; my mom coming home weeks after my ninth birthday with my baby brother in her arms; helped take care of Ash and pretty much everything else. When I first laid eyes on my brother, he was pretty adorable, I'll admit to that much. He was also really tiny – mom said he was premature and everything. Mom asked me if I wanted to hold him and I said yes. He felt even smaller in my arms – I was afraid I would drop him because he was just so puny. The bond that was built between us was probably half built... I mean, I did leave to go on my journey. He was like what, two?

I sighed. If I hadn't gone off, Ash and I would have been really close. I would still be back at home spending every minute of my life with Ash and mom and even Mr. Mime.

Suddenly, I saw my Venusaur trudging along and was met with some guy dressed in a green shirt and what looked to be pink pants? I wasn't sure because the light was really bright today.

"Hey there!" I called out and stuck my hand out in the air. The guy turned around and beamed.

"You're Red, right?" He asked with a glittering smile. Seriously, those white teeth are really shiny.

"Uh, yeah. I'm Red." I answered him.

He grabbed my hand and shook it. "My name's Tracey! I'm Professor Oak's assistant! I've heard so much about you!" What has he been eating?

I laughed nervously and retracted my hand. "Thank you?"

The guy, Tracey, went wide eyed and flushed. "Oh geez! I hope you don't mind that I'm inspecting your Venusaur!"

I waved my hand in front of me. "Nah, it's cool."

He beamed and thanked me once again before he excused himself – back to studying my Pokemon I presume. I spent another few minutes out in the fields before I retreated back inside the house – er, mansion? I don't exactly know how to call it, really. But never mind that.

My pokegear buzzed in my pocket and I immediately reached for them.

"Hello?"

"Red, it's me." The person answered.

I smiled at the voice. "Mom!"

I could practically see my mom smiling back at me. "How are you holding up right now?"

I shrugged. "It's okay. What about you? Where's Ash?"

"He and Pikachu are headed to Professor Oak's place."

"That's not good." I frowned.

"I know. But I don't think they'll be too long. And besides, Professor Oak knows the situation at hand right now."

My tongue darted out and my incisor lightly chomped down on my lower lip. "I guess... I'll talk to Professor Oak about it now though."

"Alright, honey. I love you, Red."

"Love you too, mom." I replied slowly before I hung up. I put my pokegear back into my pockets and I ventured down the halls to find Professor Oak.

Sometimes the Oak residence is just way too confusing. There are so many rooms and passageways that I swear there could be a secret doorway to another super secret lair hidden beneath the place. After my many attempts at finding the lab, I finally found Professor Oak hunched over a microscope and scribbling stuff down onto a paper stuck onto a clipboard.

"Professor Oak, hi!"

He stood up straight with his hand pressed against his back and looked into my direction. "Red, hello there. Sorry, I was just busy with my research." He laughed. "Anything I can help you with?"

I chuckled and looked around aimlessly. "Well... Mom called about twenty minutes ago saying that Ash and Pikachu are stopping by-"

"And you wait now to tell me?" He asked with a raise brow.

"Well..." I laughed nervously. "I was outside in the field where I met your apprentice and when I headed inside, that was when mom called. Then I... I kind of got lost in your house."

The Professor tried to suppress a laugh from the placement of his hand against his mouth. "That is a predicament."

"Yeah. Your house is like a maze." I commented.

He sighed and shook his head. "Okay then. It shouldn't take Ash too long to get from his place to here. And being that this place is pretty big, you can just spend time wherever you wish. I'll probably take Ash through here and out into the field at best. So you're pretty much safe."

"For now..." I added jokingly. But he was right. From what I've been told. Ash has never actually gone on an adventure here at the Oak residence. Which really makes me wonder if he really is my brother.

Suddenly, a loud bell could be heard. I clenched my fist a little and bit my lower lip. I turned to Professor Oak and thanked him again for allowing me to stay here for so long. I took my leave and decided to get lost once again – but not before I found my way to the bathroom of course. Oddly enough, I could hear Ash and Pikachu from where I was at. I shook my head harshly and rolled my eyes up to the ceiling.

"I've got to sleep earlier..."

So it was then that I finished my personal deeds in the washroom and explored the inside of the house-slash-mansion. I have got to admit, there's a lot of rooms that could probably fit the entire population of Pallet Town. One could even put two families of four in one of the rooms and there would still be tons of space left! It's ridiculous, I tell you.

Another right sounded from my pokegear and I dug it out of my pockets. "Y'ello?"

"It's me, Red."

"Hey, mom!" I replied. "Ash and Pikachu are here. I think Professor Oak took them to his lab or something."

"Okay. That's good to hear. He always forgets to inform me where he's at... I've reminded him countless of times..."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Come on, mom. It should be fine. He's like, what? Seventeen or something? He seems like a big kid. He's traveled to six regions, didn't he?"

I heard my mom let out a defeated breath. "I guess... But he's still my baby boy."

"But I'm your favourite still, right?" Obviously I was teasing her, and she probably knows that too.

My mom huffed a small laugh. "Yes, Red. You're still my favourite." I swear I could see her shaking her head at me right now.

"Good to know!" I grinned. "Anyways, I'm going to be exploring Professor Oak's house. I haven't gotten a chance to do that, so I'm going to do that now that the professor is preoccupied with Ash and whatnot."

"Okay, Red. Be safe! And don't snoop!"

"Ha ha. Yes, mom. Love ya."

"Love you too, Red."

And so the conversation ended. I put my pokegear back in it's rightful place and stretched my arms front and back with the occasional rolling of my shoulders. They've been pretty stiff lately.

But anyways. As I walked around the inside of the house, it kind of got me thinking about the good old times. Especially that one memory where I first saw my baby brother.

~oOo~

I had just turned nine a few days ago. It's been really weird though. Mom seemed to be so busy and stressed. She would leave the house and ask some babysitter to look after me – it's not that I don't like seeing new or friendly people, it just seemed weird that mom was always in and out of the house. I remember she said something that my baby brother had been born; which is probably why I didn't see that large round stomach that I was so used to seeing.

My babysitter came back again. She was nice and really pretty. But I didn't care about that that much. She would always watch me with my Poliwhirl and my training and everything. I have asked her why my mom left and everything, but she said that mom was visiting someone special. I would always frown to her answer, thinking that mom was out on a date with some guy. I didn't trust any guy that got close to my mom. My dad always hit her and called her names and made her miserable, always crying alone when dad was out and all that. I hated seeing mom like that. So the thought of mom meeting a guy irked me greatly.

Whenever mom did come home, I'd ask her if she was meeting with some guy or whatever. Mom would just laugh and say not to worry.

However, this week was different. My babysitter was caught up with something personal or whatever so she couldn't make it and mom muttered something that I couldn't hear.

"I guess it's time for you to meet this special person." Mom had said.

I scrunched my nose up and stuck my tongue out.

She laughed. "Come on, Red. I promise it's nothing like what you're thinking about."

I crossed my arms, pouted and looked up at her. "And how do you know what I'm thinking about?"

"Dia told me about how you assumed that I was meeting my so called 'boyfriend', Red." Mom scooped me up and held me tightly in her arms.

I wrapped my arm around her neck and rested the other her shoulder. "Because she said you were seeing someone special."

"I promise it's nothing like that."

"Is this person a guy though?"

My mom paused for a moment. I saw a smile from her and her lips parted. "In a way, yes."

I was about to protest when I realized we were already outside and was headed to the car.

"Red, trust me. I'm sure you'll love him too."

Mom helped me open the car door that lead to the backseat and I hopped in without hesitation. She walked around and stepped into the drivers seat. The engines of the car was so loud that it was like hearing an Arcanine roar from up close. I didn't know how long we were in the car, but it was long enough for me to fall asleep.

"Red. Red, sweetie. Wake up. We're here."

I stirred awake and sat up slowly. I wiped a bit of drool from my mouth and looked up at my mom groggily. "Where are we?"

"We're at the hospital, Red."

"Why?"

"To meet this special person."

I was in absolute confusion. I think mom knew that too so she led me out of the car and into the building. It was weird, so to say. We walked in, got some weird 'Visitors' pass and we went into the elevator to the fifth floor or something.

A ding was heard and the doors slid open. I held onto my mom and we walked out of the compartment. I clung to her as if my nine year old life depended on it.

My head tilted up and I saw my mom through my dark bangs. "Where are we going, mom?"

She rested her hand on my head and replied, "I told you, Red. We're going to see this special person. We're almost there anyways."

I pursed my lips and lowered my head back to it's original spot where everything was in my eye-level.

We finally reached this light-blue door but we hadn't gone in just yet. Mom just stood there. I furrowed my brows and tugged on her skirt. "Mom. Why aren't we going in?"

She was probably deep in thought because she had jumped a little when I asked her. She shook her head and told me it was nothing. Soon, she opened the door and we walked in. It was a pretty big room – but I'm nine, so to me, most things looks big.

"Where's this person you want me to meet?" I asked her.

"Over here, Red." She guided me gently to what it looked like to be some plastic box with something – or someone – inside.

"I don't get it." I stated.

She stroked my hair and picked me up so I could get a better look. "That's the special person."

I frowned. "It's so tiny."

My mom giggled. I like it when she does that. It's soothing to the ears like the chime of Chimeco or Chingling. "This is your brother, Ash."

The thought of actually seeing my baby brother always appeared to be a joke for me. I never realized that it would actually come true and that I have a younger brother. I just stared at him with awe. I leaned down slightly and my arm was stretched out. My fingers were placed onto the plastic box as I looked at Ash.

"He's my brother? My baby brother?" I whispered.

"Yup. He's your baby brother, Red."

~oOo~

I was at such a disequilibrium that time. But I was really glad mom had took me to the hospital with her to see Ash.

My adventure through the Oak's household had just finished and from what I've heard, Ash and Pikachu had left a couple hours ago. I looked out the window in the halls and it was so close to being pitch dark. I quickly pulled out my pokegear to check the time and it had read six-fourty.

"Dang... Who knew traveling around this house would take so long to finish?" I laughed. I took my hat off and ran my bare fingers through my hair. I walked over to the window and pressed my hands onto the cool glass and looked out. All I could see were hills and nothing but hills. When my eyes darted upwards to the sky, I noticed that the stars had already showed themselves. A little odd since it wasn't quite dark yet – though it was dark nonetheless. I decided to head out and do a little star gazing. Dinner wasn't for another two hours so I still got some time.

oOoOoOoOoOo

A/N: COMPLETED, FINALLY. A little longer than what I had anticipated, but I wasn't about to make this into a two-shot or whatever. I'm content with this being a one-shot and one-shot only.

But anyways. I stupidly, because my math totally sucks, had made Ash and Red's age difference 10 years. But from what I had wrote, the difference between the two was 9 seeing how Ash had been born a couple days before Red turned 9... But of course, it could be 8. Who knows. My math has always been off so I wouldn't be surprised... Anyways, thanks for reading!

-EPRika-