Notes: Thank you for the review, Pika pal! I'm revising the chapters already uploaded. It has pretty much the same concept, but there are some differences, so I recommend rereading. So here's the second chapter! I hope you enjoy it. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

(REVISED 7/23/2016)

xoxo

Chapter 2

Leaf got a little lost through the hallways, but she was eventually able to find her locker. However, she was faced with another problem: she had no idea how to open the lock. After looking up the instructions on her phone and trying a total of six times, she threw up her arms in frustration and muttered to herself, "I give up."

"Hey, need help?" To her right, there was Misty. Leaf moved a little out of the way so Misty could grab a hold of the lock. She then recited her combination and Misty opened it with ease.

"Thanks. I guess seven is my lucky number." Leaf said, as she unloaded the books she didn't need into her locker. Then she realized what she just said and was struck with the painful reminder. "Do you know where Brock's room is?"

"Yeah, it's two stories up. Let's take the stairs. The elevators take forever. Come on," They turned a corner and Misty opened the door to the staircases. Leaf was surprised that there was seldom anyone else, considering Misty's words. Misty took the lead as they walked up to the fifth floor. About two minutes later, they were about to enter Brock's classroom, when a blunette with a really short pink and black dress called Misty over.

"Can you save me a seat? I just need to talk to Dawn for one minute."

Leaf nodded, although a little unsure of what was going to happen when she walked into the classroom. She took one long deep breath and walked in. Surprise: nothing happened. Only three people were seated in the classroom so far, but Leaf was astonished by the number of seats and desks, which seemed to amount to only fifteen. The teacher took notice of her and called her over.

"Hi, I'm Brock Harrison, your homeroom teacher. You're new, aren't you?"

"Um, yeah," Leaf said, nervously.

"Welcome to Cerulean. I'll be teaching you about Pokemon Breeding; how to raise and mate a Pokemon to benefit that Pokemon and the generations after. Where are you from?"

"Pallet Town."

"Well, if you ever have any questions, don't be afraid to ask-" In a split second, Brock was gone.

Leaf looked over her shoulder and was bewildered by the sight that met her eyes. Brock was down on his knees and he was holding a very pretty lady's hands, as he said in a slightly deeper tone, "Oh my dear Suzy, you are looking very beautiful today. I don't know if it's your eyes or the way you just make my world go round, but-"

Suzy laughed a little skittishly. "Actually Brock… I got engaged to Zane this summer…" She held out her left hand, where a shimmering engagement ring had been slid through her ring finger.

Brock immediately drew back and retreated to the corner of the classroom. "Why does this always happen to me…"

All of Leaf's attention had been on Brock and Suzy, so she almost didn't hear Misty enter the classroom. "Sorry about that… he does that a lot."

Leaf shook her head in sympathy. "The poor guy shouldn't have to go through that."

"He hits on pretty much every pretty girl his age or older… he'll live."

It was finally lunch. It turned out that at Cerulean Academy, there was a brief five-minute introduction to the class and then the teachers were working them like it was almost finals. Leaf could see now that Cerulean Academy certainly did not buy their way into taking the top spot on Pokemon Monthly's list of best high schools in Kanto. The halls were pretty packed, so it took a while for Leaf to get to her locker. Trying to remember how Misty did it, she managed to successfully open her lock on her second try.

As she was heading to the cafeteria, someone caught her eye. She couldn't see his face, because his back was turned to her, but he had on a black and red jacket, jeans, and a red cap. Leaf walked slowly by him, hoping her staring didn't appear too manifest. It couldn't possibly be…?

Red was on his way to lunch, when someone tackled him down. He held out his arms just in time to break his fall. "What the hell?!" he yelled, while finding that it was a little difficult to pry the person's arms off his neck. 'It must be some psycho freshman fangirl.' Red briefly considered flipping her off of him, when she finally let go and he could catch his breath.

Leaf stepped in front of him, so Red could get a good look at her. 'Wow. He was cute when he was younger, but he's so handsome now… oh my Arceus, I could've slipped up and said that out loud! But when did he decide to dye his hair blond? He used to have the same hair color as me… Oh well, I still can't believe I met him here again!' When he finally looked at her, she winked. "Remember me, Red?"

Red's expression shifted from confusion to recognition to elation to realization to anxiety. Out of all the places the Green family could've chosen, they decided to move to Cerulean City?

Leaf was completely oblivious to the sheer worry shown on Red's face, as specific scenes of her childhood flashed through her mind. Red was the one person who seemed to care about her who wasn't a family member. On their first day of kindergarten, a mean girl named Giselle had told Leaf the Chikorita Professor Oak had gifted her with was a feeble Pokemon and said her Cubone could knock it down with one hit. Red had stepped in and defended Leaf. They became best friends that day. When they were in first grade, Red asked Leaf to be his girlfriend and she said yes. He was her first boyfriend as she was his first girlfriend. They had gifted each other with kisses on the cheek, like the way their parents kissed them, and flowers from their parents' gardens. Their mothers gushed on how adorable it was and their fathers joked about how they were going to grow up and fall in love. When they were seven, Red suddenly started acting strange and promised her to buy her pocky one day, but had left town before he could. Leaf had been devastated. After losing her mother and sister and in a way, her father to grief, Red was all she had left.

She wagged a finger at him. "You still owe me that pocky!" She wasn't wildly in love with Red, but every time she thought of him, she felt a fluttering in her stomach.

He laughed. "You missed the pocky over me?"

"Yes," Leaf said, seriously, but she was still bursting with glee. Maybe this move wasn't so bad. Misty seemed nice… She had a chance to reconnect with Red...

"Red!" Leaf watched silently as some girl came over to him and gave Red a peck on the cheek. Then the girl turned and Leaf was taken aback by her identity.

"Oh, hi Leaf. This is my boyfriend, Red." Misty said with a sincere smile, while linking arms with him. "Red, this is Leaf Green. She's new this year."

Leaf wasn't angry at either Red or Misty. She also knew she shouldn't be as surprised as she felt. 'Of course. Did I really expect Red to still have feelings for his second grade girlfriend for a decade? Especially someone like him… Misty's lucky to have him.' Over the years, Leaf had dreamed up fantasies with them reuniting and fulfilling the prophecy their fathers created for them.

"Oh, that's nice." she lied.

Red spoke up, "We actually already know each other."

Now it was Misty's turn to be confused. She turned to her boyfriend. "What do you mean?"

Red was about to response, but Leaf interjected. "We were childhood friends, back in Pallet Town."

Misty smiled at the two of them. "Then I'll let you guys catch up then… Wait, Red, didn't you tell me you grew up in Johto?"

He replied, "I lived in Pallet Town before that."

"Bye, then. We should all sit together at lunch." In an instant, Misty was gone.

Leaf looked Red directly in the eye. "You have a girlfriend?"

Red bit his lip, nervous of her accusatory tone. He still harbored feelings for Leaf a few years after he left Pallet, but by the time he was ten, those feelings started to fade. 'Does she still like me? I thought she would have a boyfriend already… I mean, she's Leaf.'

"Um, yeah. We've been dating since junior year."

"That's cool." She looked down at her shoes. "Anyways, you should go to your girlfriend. You still owe me that pocky!" Not waiting for his reply, Leaf rushed back inside the building and went to the one place that was always there for her when she needed it: the janitor's closet. Even for a well-respected school, the floor was still pretty dirty, but Leaf sat down there and buried her face in her hands, embarrassed and miserable. "He moved on…"

After remembering he forgot his bag in fourth period, Gary took a detour from his locker and was a little late for lunch. As he was turning a corner, he spotted a brunette exiting a janitor's closet. Even from several yards away, he could detect her perfume. It was kind of woodsy and reminded him of autumn… but it was definitely not cologne. It had a feminine touch to it, maybe red berries. 'Well, my day just got a little more interesting.'

In an attempt to hide the fact that she had been hiding in a janitor's closet, she had sprayed herself with her favorite perfume: In the Woods. Leaf was heading to her locker when she saw a guy leaning against the row of lockers that included hers. She immediately recognized him from this morning in the parking lot. He was grinning at her in this haughty way that she hated and she was pretty sure she could guess what he was thinking. 'Ha, like that's ever going to happen… did his spikes of hair grow the last time I saw him?' Thankfully, he wasn't leaning against hers, so she wouldn't have to talk to him.

While she was grabbing the stuff she needed for the rest of the day so she could avoid the hallway crowds, she waited for something to come out of his mouth, but nothing did. Just when she was about to walk away, Gary called out, "Hey,"

Something made Leaf turn. His voice didn't sound as mocking as it did with Ash - Leaf had learned his real name from Misty - that morning.

"Do you have a sunburn or are you naturally this hot?"

Obviously, Leaf had overestimated him. Somehow, when he was talking to her, he sounded even more infuriating. "Get lost,"

"Come on, Green, don't snap at me."

"How do you know my surname?"

"I didn't. I nicknamed you after your eyes."

Gary was very, very annoying… but Leaf had to admit, he was charming. And good-looking. Not that she'd ever give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

"My point is, I don't hang out with people like you-"

"People like me?"

"You act all conceited and think you're above everyone else, when you're actually a complete failure and you're going to end up a drug dealer, because you have no other source of income and I bet you are certainly not above taking advantage of girls when they're drunk or when they have real feelings for you."

Gary remained unflustered. "I had no idea I was capable of that."

"My point is, you are very mistaken if you think you can pick me up with some cheesy line."

"Playing hard to get, aren't we?" Leaf groaned.

"Leave me alone, would you?" Her voice rose an octave.

Suddenly, his cocky grin vanished. "Are you okay?"

Her annoyed attitude vanished. Could he read her that easily? "What the hell do you mean? Just because a girl isn't falling for your stupid and witty lines, something is wrong?!" she nearly screeched. 'Red was always impatient… of course I couldn't have expected him to wait for me…'

"I'm flattered you think my lines are witty."

"Why, you arrogant piece of sh-"

"Hey, there's no need for that kind of language."

"I was going to say sheet." This conversation was absolutely useless, but it did entertain her and it momentarily got her mind off of Red and Misty.

"Is it something about a guy?"

"Maybe…" 'NO, WHY DID I SAY THAT!'

"Who?" he asked teasingly.

There was no way she was gong to talk about something so personal to a stranger, but Leaf blurted out, "You know Red?"

"Misty Waterflower's boyfriend?" he said, almost a little too quickly. Leaf dismissed it though; he and Misty were probably friends if she was friends with Ash.

"Well, he was my childhood friend and…" Suddenly, Leaf realized what she was doing. "Why am I still even talking to you?"

She started to walk away again, when Gary called out to her, "Hey, I'm Gary Oak."

Leaf hesitated before turning around again. "I'm Leaf Green."

"So… you can always sit next to me at lunch…"

"Not a chance that's going to happen." Then she thought about it. If Misty and Red sat together at lunch, no way was she going to sit with them… and she definitely did not want to sit alone.

"I get that. I heard the janitor's closet has a lovely selection of toxic chemicals." Leaf blushed a little. He saw her walk out of there? "My offer still stands." He winked at her before leaving. "And by the way, I think I'm going to continue to call you Green."

"On my left, I have Red Fire," A bunch of cheers came from the bleachers. It was seventh period, which was free period for many, and almost everyone decided to go to the battle stadium to either fight or spectate. Leaf leaned against the railing, excited to see this fight go down.

"And on my right, I have Gary Oak." A significantly louder cheer came in response to the announcement and a group of girls on the opposite side launched into a cheer: "Gary, Gary, he's our man. If he can't do it, no one can! Go...Gary!".

Gary blew a kiss in their general direction, causing many of the girls to squeal in excitement. "You see, Red, you would have girls vying for your attention too, if only you weren't ranked below me on the boards!"

The blond Fire-type trainer usually kept his cool, but Gary Oak always managed to provoke him. "Shut up, Oak! You were narrowly first last year!"

Gary smirked. "The key word is first."

Red scowled at him from across the field. Honestly, Professor Oak's grandson had an ego even bigger than his hair. Snatching a Poke Ball from his belt, he maximized it and called his Charizard to the field. Leaf raised an eyebrow. Could that be the same Charmander Professor Oak had given him when they were seven? Red must've raised it well for it to be in its final evolution stage.

After picking a Pokemon himself, Gary kissed the Poke Ball and called out Umbreon.

The referee yelled so it reached all corners of the stadium: "Let the battle begin!"

"Could Gary Oak possibly be more arrogant?" Leaf turned to see a girl with striking cobalt blue eyes. Chestnut-colored hair framed her blemish-free face and she was dressed in a red top, black shorts, and red high tops. She had an inch wide scarlet bandana tied around the top of her head.

"Hi, May," Misty smiled at her. "This is Leaf Green. She's new this year. Leaf, this is my best friend, May Maple."

Leaf beamed and held out her hand. "Hi, it's nice to meet you." The two girls clasped hands and shook.

As the battle went on, Misty explained to Leaf what the boards were. "They rank you based on a bunch of factors, including how many wins and losses you had during the week, your Pokemon's performance, your technique, etc. During the morning announcements, every Monday morning, they display the top eight trainers. The list is updated over the weekend. There's this huge Pokemon competition that's held in May. The competition is between Cerulean Academy, Goldenrod Charter School, Slateport High, and the Hearthome Institute. At the spring fling, they announce the select eight - whoever made the top eight on the list - that will be representing. It's usually all seniors, but sometimes there's a really good junior."

"So Gary and Red are ranked first and second?"

"Well, they keep switching spots, so I would say they're pretty equal in skill. They both made the cut for the competition last year. The training here is intense. If you lay back for one week, you could drop from tenth to twentieth."

Leaf nodded. "Where are you ranked?"

Misty took out her phone. "The lists don't start out fresh every year… one of this academy's principles are you learn the consequences of your mistakes… Well, with all of the seniors gone, I am happy to report that I am ranked fourth."

Startled, Leaf stared at her. "Fourth? Wow, that's really good. Who are the top eight right now?"

"Let's see… Gary, Red, Ash, me…"

Leaf didn't hear the rest. She watched in horror as Red commanded Charizard to use Flamethrower. She grew lightheaded at the sight...

Everything was on fire. Her throat was dry and her eyes were watering. "Leaf… honey… it's going to be okay…" Her mother had the little girl in a tight embrace, holding her close, whispering words of optimism, even if she didn't believe in them herself. Leaf yearned for her mother's scent: baked goods and brownies and cookies, but it was all replaced by the horrible smell of smoke. Leaf shut her eyes. When would this nightmare be over?

She could hear footsteps approaching them, which felt too loud for her head to handle. She heard her father's voice and it sounded… stricken with fret and agony. He was trying to talk to her, but Leaf just kept shaking her head, kept saying, "Please don't tell me, daddy." Leaf was suffocating and her gasps and sobs turned into hiccups. Leaf and her parents could only witness their home being reduced to ashes… but even if Leaf's father hadn't told her, she had a horrible feeling she already knew what it was.

The next morning, Leaf was curled into a fetal position on Red's couch. From the looks of the light streaming through the blinds, it was barely dawn. However, it was the summertime, so it could've been as early as six. Red's family had generously decided to let the Green family stay at their house, until they could make further arrangements. Leaf's parents were nestled on the floor, watching the news on the television. Leaf knew it was not something she wanted to watch, but she pretended to be asleep so she could anyways.

"Only last night, around midnight, millionaire Mark Green's house became engulfed in flames. The source of the fire or who caused it remains unknown. The entire residence was burned to the ground. Green's wife and youngest daughter got out, unharmed. However, his oldest daughter did not and is assumed to have passed away in the fire. More on this story later; back to you, Harold."

"Leaf…. Leaf!"

xoxo

Notes: Thanks for reading! Bye for now!