His body decides that five in the morning is good enough. Green stirs even less than he did on the plane, no doubt deciding the night before that past noon is a suitable time to get up. It takes Red only a minute to dress and escape out the front lobby of the hotel.
The rest of Driftveil sleeps but there are plenty of signs to point Red in the right direction, thankfully all listed in multiple languages. He walks more slowly to the Tournament stadium, breathing in the cool morning fog while the roads are still empty. It's not until he reaches the stadium entrance that he wonders if there's an official check-in procedure, but the uniformed attendees seem to recognize him and leap out of their seats to open the doors. Red's grateful he can't understand their excited babbling.
In the open training lot behind the stadium building, sharp air cuts past him and threatens to take his hat. He ducks and looks up, seeing Falkner soar above with his Pidgeot through the mist, slicing out clear streaks of sky in their wake. Sabrina remains below, sitting in meditative thought next to her Alakazam. Red isn't the superstitious type, but his fingertips tingle when he sneaks past her.
He picks an empty spot towards the edge of the training zone, back turned to the other Leaders as they slowly trickle in throughout the morning. Pikachu zips around Snorlax like a fresh lightning bolt, stirring up static electricity that makes Snorlax's stocky ears twitch. Blastoise, usually the prouder one of the team, roars with each powerful burst of water from his cannons. Lapras and Charizard are normally lazy in the mornings, but even they display the utmost focus, challenging each other by spitting icicles and fireballs between them.
Red observes his team in a daze, hearing a faint buzz of jets persist in his ears. Venusaur approaches from behind and nudges Red's elbow with his snout, giving a flat gaze when his Trainer helplessly shrugs a shoulder. Red knows that mother-hen look that Venusaur expertly developed years ago; the one that says you better have slept and ate breakfast, but I know you didn't.
"I brushed my teeth," Red offers as his defense. He starts calling back his team to their pokeballs before Venusaur can start frowning harder.
To Venusaur's credit, breakfast does sound pretty good right now. Red pulls down his hat and passes by the other early-bird Leaders to leave the training lot. Only Sabrina is unmoved since the start of the morning, still like a statue except for her eyelids fluttering. Her mouth parts when Red moves by, her voice coming out deep and syrupy before he can leave.
"I know what's on your mind."
Red stops and stares back, torn between just leaving or waiting to see if she has any insight – any information – anything on the one matter that people here should be talking about nonstop, but aren't.
Not that it's entirely Red's business. He came here to battle, nothing more.
"We're all thinking it," she finally continues. "I saw you last night at dinner. How is it that a man like him is allowed here? What conditions were met to guarantee his cooperation? I see a final desperate attempt..."
Red swallows down the questions bubbling on the back of his tongue. Eyes still closed, Sabrina cranes her head from side to side, Alakazam matching her movements.
"He's been here the whole time." Her head tilts back, whites of her eyes peeking through her eyelids. "Yes. He's been here – for years."
Red turns away and leaves the training lot with more urgency in his steps. Here to battle, he repeats to himself, once he's certain he's far enough from Sabrina, nothing more.
White light flares past Red's eyelids and reflects off the brim of his hat. He turns his head the opposite way, only to feel more heated light burning over him. The Tournament's opening ceremony raises the noise to some inhuman level, combined with cheering crowds and confetti poppers raining from the stands. He looks past Green (enthusiastically waving to the crowd and blissfully unaware of the confetti stuck in his hair) and counts down the line of Gym Leaders. Kanto's line is short by one.
They're ushered off the stage for an official welcome tour by Tournament staff members, who are all overeager to show off the upper VIP observation suites and basement tunnels beneath the battle arena to their elite guests. The only feature in the entire tour that stands out to Red is the stage flooring specially (or allegedly, he thinks with a skeptical look) designed to withstand even the strongest of Fissures or poorly aimed Hyper Beams – with plenty of backup floor panels to swap out, just in case.
They're left on the VIP floor at the end of the tour, which holds furnished and catered suites in the middle of the stands, surrounded by thick glass to dull the noise and soften the lights from the stadium. Once inside the main lounge, Red walks past the stiff sofas and pastry tables and takes a simple chair up to the windows where the stage view opens up unobstructed. The other Leaders gradually wander in – Red doesn't look to see who's around, but he can hear Whitney's excited gasp behind him when the stage lights dim and music starts blaring from the amps.
"They really got her!" she cries, yanking open the glass door to the suite's outer balcony. Green follows along with Misty, looking equally excited to see the pop artist strolling out on stage for the opening show. Through the blaring beats, Red thinks he recognizes the tune from one of the tracks on Green's pokegear.
The rest of the Leaders either spill out to watch the performance or stay indoors to grab the complimentary snacks and leave for one of the other private observation lounges. Jasmine gets to the balcony last and slides the door shut behind her, giving Red an empathetic look through the glass before joining the others. The suite still thrums with the concert outside, but it's the first quiet moment Red's had all day. He closes his eyes and exhales slowly, already planning on sitting here until the first tournament ends.
Barely a minute passes before the suite doors open and disrupt the silence. Red glances over to see Lance, plus another man behind him that Red doesn't recognize sporting a tan trench coat despite Unova's summer heat. They approach him with painstakingly slow steps, and it's enough to make Red already regret coming here.
"Red." Lance comes to his side by the windows. "If you have a moment?"
Red says nothing, and Lance waits a few seconds before continuing, gesturing at his guest.
"I don't believe you've met. This is Inspector Looker. He's with the International Police and has been investigating multiple high-profile crimes in several regions."
Red keeps very still in his chair, feeling his limbs stiffen as he mentally puts together the possible reasons for this conversation. He continues to stare at them, staying silent and waiting for the other men to continue first. Looker and Lance exchange a quick glance, then Looker speaks.
"We're aware you encountered Team Rocket when you first set out as a Pokemon Trainer. However, you never filed official reports with the police on how many encounters you had, and what occurred during them."
Red's fingers curl along the edge of his chair, the dulled outside music pulsing loudly in his ears.
"Is he really here?" he asks.
Looker and Lance exchange another look.
"He's here – somehow," Lance answers, crossing his arms. "He won't tell us how he got into Unova in the first place. But we have a deal, and I have his word on behaving during the Tournament."
"Why are you asking for this?" Red presses. He can't believe anyone would buy promises on behaving.
"That is information we can't disclose," Looker responds carefully.
"Everything happened over a decade ago. Why now?"
"...That is also information we can't disclose."
"Red." Lance's hand hovers over his shoulder, then retracts. "I hope you'll consider it."
Red returns to watching the concert, hoping that's enough to signal the conversation is over. Footsteps shuffle behind him, soft murmurs following after, then silence as the suite door clicks shut.
