I always have a thousand stories running through my head and I can never finish them. Here is another one!
Sun kisses Jane's honey skin as she lays in the grass. Haunter floats underneath a tree, using the stretched branches to hide from the midday sun. Glaceon lays curled into Jane's side, her icy breath fanning across her trainer's thigh and keeping her cool in the hot July weather. Somewhere in the lake nearby Swampert dives deep down to catch prey. Her newest addition to the team, although not meant for battling, Teddiursa, plays with her white hair, cooing every once in a while and resting his head against her's. Jane looks out in the distance, her eyes on the lookout for brown fur and white smoke. "He usually comes back within a day or two," she mumbles to herself.
She can't remember how long it's been since she disappeared from her spot as champion of the Hoenn League. Her fingertips drag over the scar cutting through the tail end of her eyebrow. They trail down to her abdomen where the circular scar protrudes from her taut skin. Glaceon notices and is quick to nudge the girls hand away, not wanting her trainer to think about that day. Jane smiles and scratches behind Glaceon's ear.
Jane glances at the tree to check on Haunter, only to see him missing. She immediately sits up, eyes frantically searching the surrounding area for the Pokemon that's been by her side since she was six. "Knight?" she calls out. Teddiursa jumps onto her back just as she stands up, holding onto her like a Mankey. Her heart rate begins to pick up. How could she have been so careless? Why didn't she keep a better watch out?
Sensing her anxiety, Swampert comes sprinting towards Jane on all fours. When he reaches the group he stands on his hind legs, smelling the air. "Anything?" Jane questions. He shakes his head.
Before she can continue to panic, she hears her name being called from the far end of the field. She looks over to see Red mounted on Entei, her Haunter racing next to them. The smile on her Pokemon's face almost makes her forget how worried she was, but not quite. The trio finally comes to a halt in front of Jane. Haunter immediately catches the disappointed look brandished on his trainer's face. He reaches out and hugs her, conveying apologies to her through touch. Easily forgiving him, Jane turns her attention to Red and Entei.
"Thanks for grabbing him for me." Jane strokes the side of Entei's face, letting her fingers smooth his tangled hair.
Red walks over to her and nudges her with his elbow that isn't occupied by his Espeon. "What's wrong?" he raises an eyebrow. "Why'd you come to Johto? Has he tried to come after you or anything?" Jane can't help but smile at her protective best friend. She thinks back to the first time they met when they were fourteen.
She was taking a break from her Pokemon League duties. It had been about a year since she became the champion of the Kanto region and she was getting tired of waiting around for trainers to get past the Elite Four. She decided to take a walk around the Indigo Plateau. Just as she had sat down to read a book, some kid got right in her face. "Is your name Jane?" he asked, his amber eyes flaring in the sunlight. Jane was taken back from the sudden intrusion of her personal space.
"Who's asking?" she grumbled, scooting away and looking back to her book. The kid followed and pulled the book from her grasp. "Wha-" Jane's temper flared; she had always been a hothead. "Who do you think you are?" she yelled, standing and getting directly in his face.
A smug grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "That's more like it. I want you to battle me!" He leaned back and crossed his arms confidently. "I already know I'm going to be the next League Champ so I might as well just battle you now and win." The laugh that bubbled out of Jane made his cheeks go bright red.
"Listen, kid-"
"It's Red," he pouted, "and we're the same age so I'm not a kid."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Anyway, as much as I would love to battle you right now and completely demolish you, it's against league rules." Jane snatches her book back before giving him a smirk. "See you in there."
It took Red three tries before he was finally able to beat Jane. A wave of relief had swept over her when her last Pokemon fainted in that battle. She felt so trapped and smothered as the Champion and was greatly pleased to relinquish her title.
When the battle was done and Red was to advance to the final room to register as the new Champion, he hesitated. "I'm scared," he admitted in a wavering voice.
Jane glanced over at him as she collected her things, she wanted to leave as soon as possible. "What for? You earned this, you should enjoy it." His feet stayed frozen in their place, fists clenched at sides. Jane smiled sadly as she walked to him, a pen in hand. Red looked at her curiously as she lifted his hand and scribbled her number onto his fair skin. "Call me if you have trouble with anything. I was only the Champion for a little over a year but I think I was pretty damn good at it." Red's wide eyes watched her in amazement. She tried to ignore the blush spreading across his cheeks. "Goodbye, Red. Good luck."
He has matured a lot since then. He's grown into his goofy smile and rocketed several inches above her.
"No. I haven't seen him since that day," she pulls him to sit with her on the soft grass. Espeon hops to the ground and begins playing with Glaceon, Swampert keeping an eye on them and the rest of Jane's Pokemon. Wanting to change the subject, she quickly launches into her main concern. "I think someone is coming after the regions' different elites."
Red looks at her skeptically. "What on earth makes you think that? Who would be dumb enough to go after the strongest Pokemon trainers in the world?"
"Cynthia is missing." Jane states bluntly. Entei lays down next to her, listening in on the conversation.
Red's mouth falls ajar. He stumbles over words as he tries to piece together an explanation. "You know that Cynthia is always disappearing and wandering around Sinnoh. How do you know she's actually missing?"
"Grimsley and Flint are gone, too," she adds.
"N-No, that can't be possible. I just talked to Volkner last week," Red has trouble collecting his thoughts, "If Flint had gone missing Volkner would have told me." A strange feeling washes over Jane. She looks to Entei to see his eyes gleaming red-he must be looking through her memories to see what she knows.
Ignoring the prying eye in her mind, she turns to face Red again. "That's because it happened two days ago." Uneasy silence spreads between the two. Red stares over at the two playing Pokemon, his mind racing in a hundred different directions.
The feeling vanishes and Jane can finally relax again. Entei nods his head, confirming that her story is indeed true. "Do you know who is behind it all?" he asks softly, eyes still refusing to meet Jane's.
"No, I don't." A deep sigh passes her lips. "Lance was the one who brought it to my attention."
"What did he say?"
"He left me a voice message one day-"
Red cuts her off, "Lance knows where you are?" The sudden pink in his cheeks brings about a blush in Jane's, from what she isn't sure.
"Y-Yeah, we talk sometimes," she shifts awkwardly. "Anyway, he called worried about-"
"You two talk? What about? How often?" Jane stares at Red, the rosiness in his cheeks betraying the hard look trying to overtake his face.
Entei huffs, obviously wanting to move on with the conversation. Red grumbles out as he leans back, trying too hard to seem like he doesn't care. "Lance was concerned about a few suspicious people he was seeing around Indigo Plateau. He asked if I could keep an eye out around Ever Grande City-"
"You're not even the Champion there anymore. Why would Lance ask you to keep a lookout?" Red interrupts again. Jane freezes, already knowing what's to come. "Unless... Jane, you've got to be kidding me! You still wander around the Hoenn region?" His temper begins to flare. "Are you crazy? He almost killed you the last time you were there!" He suddenly bolts upright, startling all the Pokemon. Knight slowly floats to Jane's side, wanting to defend his trainer. "We had a deal, Jane. You're supposed to be hiding in the Kalos region away from all this!" Red fumes.
Jane stands, too. She takes a cautious step towards him and then another. Before he can move away she has her arms wrapped around him. Red immediately gives in and hugs her tightly. "I don't expect you to understand, Red. But you're my best friend, so I need you on my side."
He gives a scoff and rests the side of his head against her's. "I'm always on your side, dummy." They separate after a few more moments. "So what's your plan then?"
Jane stares at him, a sheepish smile tugging at her lips. "I don't exactly have one."
Both Red and Entei let out a huff. "You're joking, right? Why did you make me come out here then? You could have called you know."
"Oh shut up, would you?" Jane scoffs. "I came to warn you."
"Warn me?" His cheeks redden once more.
Jane frowns and turns her head slightly to look at Red's Espeon. "Red, you are the most powerful Pokemon trainer in the world. When has anyone been able to even come close to beating you and your Pokemon?" Red frowns, glancing over at the Pokemon. "They're going to come after you and I can't let that happen."
He gives her a small smile. "The only reason I'm a good as I am is because I wanted to be your equal. I wanted to stand a chance against you."
She focuses her attention back on him. "And look what it could cost you."
Hopefully this story seems mildly interesting. I've never done a story with the main character not being someone from the series nor I have I done anything involving Red. Anyway hopefully who reads enjoys!