Author's Note: Just thought that a good 'ol revamp was something that could help me get out of a slump with my other fics. Still, this feels like it could really be fun. The anime for this just freakin sucks now (even if I still Love Cilan), and so, having never really read any of the manga series', (but knowing of the stories' plot points) I figure I'll just mesh together what I do know, and create my own version of this character.

Summary: It wasn't about the friends, the adventure, or the Pokemon. He just really needed the money.

Disclaimer: I make no money off of these characters, this series, or any pokemon-anything. This is purely fan-made, for the basis of increasing my writing abilities.

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Red's Version

Chapter 1: Static

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The clouds are getting dark again.

For the second time that day, as a matter of fact. When the dark haired young man had left school for home to get ready for work around 3, the sky had finally cleared after a morning of thunderous tension. Not a single drop of rain in town the whole day. Now though, less than a quarter shy of 10 o'clock at night, he could see the clouds clumping together again, illuminated by the lightning bolts among them.

Chucking his apron and newly received paycheck into his backpack, and fishing out a broken in cap and music player, he ran towards the sidewalk on the far side of the supermarket, where the bus stop resided.

If the young man didn't hurry, the tunnel and overhead-bridge leading out of Viridian would be closed (in order to prevent possible flooding, which happened with eerie frequency during storms), and he'd be forced to head through the more grassy paths by foot.

Seeing as how he didn't have a single Pokemon to his name, the red-capped young man knew that that was too dangerous an option to actually consider.

He could see the bus now, several blocks up the street, and stood in front of the bench and sign, tapping his foot to the beat of the music. The youth had made sure to plan his exits from work in perfect sync (or as perfect as he ever planned anything), because if he failed to catch this bus, the final one of the night, his mother, tired from her own day of work, was his only other option.

When the bus finally did pull up, the young man nodded as he boarded, and smiled to the driver, this time being an older looking woman with short silvery hair. He picked a seat towards the middle of the bus, noticing that only a few others were even riding at this hour.

There was a hunched over looking man in tattered clothes a few seats ahead and on the opposing left side of the bus. A younger looking couple, maybe a little older than the young man himself, sat at the very back, tickling each other and exchanging quick kisses. Get a room.

The red capped youth removed his backpack and set it beside him. He then laid his head back, content to let his eyes rest as the trip back home began once again.

OoOoO

A big yellow moon, full and round…

Best part is we can look all we want, and not get our eyes turned into sunny-side up eggs, like the cartoons do when they look at the sun for too long.

She laughs all crazy when I mention the cartoon part. He tries not to laugh, and just says I'm an idiot.

It's cool out here, but none of us ever bring jackets, and quiet, especially since the adults all make sure that Pokemon don't come here.

We try and calm her laughing, because with everything all quiet, she sounds even louder, and that makes us laugh.

When we come here, we huddle up, or just lie near each other, and sometimes even hug and hold hands. Sometimes, we need to hug and hold hands.

My parents are fighting, her parents are gone, his parents ignore him, but…

When the weekend comes, and we sneak out into the forest south of town, where the ocean just lies there, copying the sky…

We're together, and we'll never need anything else.

OoOoO

THUMP!

The bus had hit a particular speed bump a bit too quick, and the young man's eyes fluttered open. He noticed the old man, the one with the crusty looking clothes several seats ahead, staring back at him with a rather glum looking face.

Hope he doesn't ask me for money. The youth barely made enough for what he needed, which left no room for charity, lest he and his mother end up in just the same homeless-looking state as the ratty looking man. He seemed to prepare to stand up and come over, and the youth tensed, wrapping his fingers around his music player. Perhaps an unnecessary overreaction, but the youth wasn't thinking particularly clearly at this hour of the night.

Suddenly, the man lurched forwards.

XxX

"Red? Is that you?"

I hobbled in past the dining table to the kitchen, sending a, "Yeah, it's me," in the direction of the hall beneath the stairs to my room. I opened the door of the fridge, and dug into the middle shelf, hoping to find the one thing I desperately needed at the moment.

My mother walked into the kitchen in her sweats and bathrobe a few minutes later, finding me sniffing rather anxiously at some leftovers in a small green container.

"Sorry honey," she said apologetically, taking the tupperware out of my hands, "I've been meaning to throw this out. I'm sure it expired already."

That was precisely why I'd sought it out. I needed something strong to get this smell out of my nose.

"What's with the face? Something wrong?"

She was back in my field of vision, as I'd now sat down at the small oak table by the fridge. Maybe I should just scrub my nostrils out in the shower…

I looked up at her and sighed. "Nasty old hobo threw up on the bus."

My mom's face cringed. "Disgusting! Did any of it get on you?"

My face cringed. "…just barely missed me. But the scent was gross. Like old eggs and fertilizer and-"

"No details!" She gagged.

"Anyway, I just need something to get the smell out of my nose. It's not going away." I tried breathing out hard through my nose again, into my hands in case anything came out. I sighed when I still whiffed the horrible smell, and gagged a little myself.

My mother gave me a pity pat on my cap. "Go wash up. Try stuffing some soap up those nostrils and see if it doesn't help. I'll make you a sandwich and some soup. Maybe add some garlic and onions too." She chuckled, before bending into the fridge and fishing for the ingredients.

God. I don't even have the energy to get up right now. Good thing tomorrow's Saturday. Plus, Mom'll be outta the house…

When she came back out from the fridge, holding spicy mustard and a jar of jalapeños, she turned and said, "Go take a shower, I said!"

I just grumbled and trotted up the stairs.

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I tossed my clothes into the hamper by my room, and walked naked towards the shower across from it in the small hallway. I didn't bother staring at my reflection or messing with my hair. Not due for another haircut for a while anyway. I just went for the faucet of the bathtub, waiting for the water to warm so I could shift the nozzle above it and start the shower.

No doubt I probably look scary…or stoned.

Having red eyes could do that to a person. My iris's were in-fact, red. Potentially "off-putting," to those who entered my personal space, they were even more unsettling (Terrifying's probably a better word) when combined with the red veins I easily got when I was tired/stressed.

I'd seen myself once when my eyes had been like that, at night, in front of a mirror... Nearly scared myself silly. I looked like an undead axe-murderer in the middle of a roid-rage episode. I didn't even want to think about how I'd look if a capillary ever were to burst in my eyes.

The water finally started to slightly burn my left hand under the faucet, so I switched the nozzle above it and turned on my shower. The tub itself wasn't very big, though it took up almost half the bathroom since the room itself was so small. Usually I'd just sit in the tub after filling it up, and turn the shower on as well, laying in warm water while more rained down on me.

Tonight though, I just wanted the gross smell to take a hike. I stood inside and immediately started lathering myself up, head to toes. I nearly buried part of my shower sponge up my nose before using it elsewhere, then breathing in through my mouth, and shooting the air forcefully out through my nose right after.

A few bubbles flew out.

OoOoO

She's gone now. No note, no goodbyes, nothing to hold onto but our memories.

The moon looks less golden now, and the forest's silence is heavier too. He always hated the silence, and seemed to smile whenever she and I filled it, calling us both losers and dorks and saps here and there.

He and I are hugging now, on top of a blanket under the moon.

I know it hurts him too, even though he's not crying like I am.

He says we'll sneak to Viridian tomorrow, to see if we can find her. But…

Why did she leave…

The two of them are the only things I needed, really truly needed… but, I think for now, I can make do with just him.

OoOoO

I left the door to my bathroom open to let the steam air out quicker. After just standing there letting the hot water hit me for 20 minutes, the whole bathroom looked like a sauna. The fan in there needed to be fixed, and the small window wasn't exactly big enough for quick ventilation.

Walking back with a towel, I go to my room to change. A grey muscle shirt, blue cotton shorts, and flip flops. To me, that's comfort.

I saw my bowl of soup, a napkin set over it, and sandwich sitting on the table. Mom was probably watching tv in her room. "Thanks mom!"

"Sure thing hon!"

I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and sat down with my meal.

About 3 minutes later, I was downing two more water bottles in an effort to put the fire out in my own mouth. DAAAMN!

My mother had apparently decided that the best way to help me combat the smell stuck up my nose, was to kill my sense of smell (and taste) entirely. I… can't… BREATHE!

Sure, I like spicy food. But I'm not the kind of person who enjoys scalding their own tongue with a meal. I'm pretty sure there was even a telltale copper taste on my tongue, I think.

I tossed the remainder of the sandwich in the fridge before taking out a third water bottle, and then dumped the rest of my (Molten Lava flavored) soup down the sink. Hope it doesn't melt the freakin pipes.

XxX

I'd had two more bottles of water during my time online. Final project for my government class was a powerpoint presentation on the fundamentals of a properly structured government, and how this "ideal" government differs from our current one. I'd rather eat a few more of mom's special sandwiches…

I was only several slides in, out of the 20 that I needed, when I noticed that my email box had a new message, minimized at the left of the screen.

2 New Messages

I didn't usually get messages (except spam), from anyone, so to see two new ones that didn't mention INCREASE YOUR SIZE, or LOWER YOUR CREDIT CARD DEBT, was enough to get me to open them.

One of them was a reminder to sign up for summer school soon, if I intended to at all, since slots were filling up fast.

The other was anonymous.

As soon as I opened it, my computer started seizing.

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Well, That's chapter 1! I'm uploading chapter 2 right after, so we'll see how you guys feel about it.

If you please, review to let me know what you think? Trying a few new things here and there with my style, so yeah.

Stay Tuned for Chapter 2! Spark!