Chapter Two: Friends

Leaf had always been a big fan of snow, and felt rather happy as she walked through the Indigo League Complex, staring around at everything around her and how it was dusted with snow: not enough to be a bother, but enough to make people realise the true beauty a proper snowy winter could bring.

The complex really was being transformed. Christmas trees still remained from the main holiday of the year, along with fairy lights, tinsel, mistletoe and wreaths that hung all around the stadiums and the Elite Four Building. However, now there were a series of stalls popping up all around, selling drinks and different varieties of food, as well as offering advice on Pokemon training, explaining the rules and conditions of the Pokemon League, and selling official Pokemon League merchandise. Leaf was amused to see a cartoon version of Red on a sign that was being erected, and moved over to see a series of bobble head Reds, as well as his real and cartoon face on bags, posters, T-shirts, jackets, even an apron.

Damn, he even looks cute on a bloody apron…, Leaf cursed, and stepped forwards to examine the objects. She picked up a bobble head, the people putting the sign up not caring, and began to tap it. Leaf watched and managed a smile as Red's head bobbed up and down, and she kept staring at it as she thought back to the conversation they had only a few minutes ago. Things had become even more awkward as they wandered around his house, and Leaf resorted to taking a walk, needing to clear her head with a healthy burst of cold air as she thought things over…

"BOO!" A voice suddenly yelled behind, and Leaf screamed and knocked practically all the stuff on the table in front of her off as she jumped forwards. The sign had been put up and the stall owners growled as they climbed off their ladders, looking down at all the Red merchandise that lay on the floor in front of them.

"Sorry!" Leaf said breathlessly, but didn't stop to help as she wanted to see who her surpriser was. She turned around, and wasn't particularly surprised to see Janine standing behind her, wearing a long purple jacket of varying shades, clutching her stomach as she laughed her head off. After meeting her early in their journey, Leaf had bonded with Janine during the many incidents they got involved in together and had remained firm friends ever since. As they were both new gym leaders (Janine had taken over from her father, Koga), they spent even more time together these days, and Leaf was rather pleased to say she was her closest friend. However, that didn't stop her from being annoyed.

"Thanks for that," Leaf snapped, bending down to scoop some Red shirts up, pausing as she stood up straight as she stared down at his cartoon face, her mind recovering from the surprise and going back to her previous thought.

"Sorry, but I couldn't resist," Janine said, finally gaining control of her laughter and wiping a tear from her eye. "Not that you wouldn't do the same to me if you were in my position."

"Point taken," Leaf said with a slight grin as she tossed the shirts onto the table. She than walked forwards and embraced her friend and a hug, which Janine returned and stayed this way for a few moments as Leaf wandered what to do: she could either ignore the thoughts going through her head right now and celebrate the holiday and seeing her friend, or she could pour her heart out and ruin things slightly by getting relationship advice.

"So, are you here for the tournament?" Leaf said, trying to force a smile as they broke apart. However, Janine wasn't buying the false smile and giving her friend a look that sort of signalled she was magnifying her.

"Something's wrong, isn't it?" Janine asked. Leaf sighed and nodded, hoping they could have avoided this but knowing that her friend would be able to pick up on it. Janine pointed behind her, a kind smile appearing on her face. "Is it about him?" And Leaf nodded again, knowing that she was pointing at the Red merchandise behind them. Janine gave a soft sigh and smiled again, knowing that their conversation would lead to this. "Maybe we should go sit somewhere were his face isn't going to pop up?"

"Good luck with that – this village is swarming with him," Leaf said, but nodded all the same and allowed Janine to wrap an arm around her and lead her away from the stall. They walked in silence as they tried to find a nice quiet spot away from all the stalls being put up and from seeing Red's face, and eventually found a courtyard behind one of the Pokemon Centers, backing onto the mountain and providing no images of Red. The two girls sat down on a bench, and Janine smiled warmly at her friend.

"So, what's happened now?" She asked, and Leaf sighed, trying to think of a way to put her thoughts into words that someone else could actually understand.

"Well… nothings happened!" She said, sounding a bit hysterical. "I do still care for him, and I know he does as well, but I think that's sort of preventing us from doing anything about it. There's just like an awkward barrier between us whenever we get too close to each other, as if we're waiting for the other one to move or say something."

"Haven't you two kissed in the past?" Janine asked.

"Yeah, but half the time we kissed it was a life or death situation," Leaf said, managing a slight smile. "I'm half tempted to pull the pin out a grenade, drop it between us and tell him to kiss me." Janine laughed at this, and Leaf managed to laugh a bit as well, but the humour disappeared quickly and she went back to her thoughts.

"I think you just need to sit him down and tell him what's what!" Janine said once she herself had stopped laughing. "I know you two are a bit awkward around each other, and I think all the distance you've put between each other hasn't helped: you after the stuff with Rocket and him after Blue died, that can't be good for any relationship. You spent all these weeks travelling together and getting close, and than you fell apart again. You just need to act as if things never changed and that you've been travelling together all of this time and push the awkward tension aside."

"I'm not sure how though!" Leaf said sadly. "I have been trying to think of romantic situations for weeks, ever since he called to congratulate me about getting the gym leadership and said he wanted me to come up for New Year's. I mean, after all that stuff that happened in Sinnoh, I was expecting him to do something for weeks…," but Leaf began to drift off, as Janine had gotten to her feet and was extending a hand.

"Leaf, if he invited you here, it's up to him to set the romance up, but its up to you to sit there and take all the lovely dubby stuff he puts your way," Janine said with a smile, pulling Leaf to her feet. "It's New Years, its snowing, there is going to be fireworks – literal ones, mind you," she added, making Leaf laugh, "and if Red can't think of something romantic to do, than its his own damn fault!" Leaf continued to laugh and pulled Janine into another hug.

"Thank you so much for listening! You always know just what to say!" Leaf said as they pulled apart, and Janine just shrugged.

"You'd do the same for me!" She said. "Now come on, let's go have a look at those stalls. I saw the way you were eyeing up that bobble head – maybe you could buy it and practice kissing for tonight?" Leaf scoffed and gave Janine a shove as she burst out laughing, but Leaf couldn't stay mad and the two girls walked out of the courtyard laughing their heads off. It felt as if a weight had been taken off Leaf's back, but she just hoped that Red was able to think of something romantic to do – otherwise they would be stuck at square one forever.