Disclaimer: I don't ownPokemon!

Chapter 3: Affection

"Dinner is served, for the young lady, I have the rice pilaf made with vegetable broth along with steamed berries and grilled potatoes. For the gentleman, I have the vegetable lasagna. I hope you two enjoyed the garlic bread!" Joe said as he placed down our food and handed us utensils wrapped delicately while taking away the now empty bowl of garlic bread.

"Thank you Joe, the garlic bread was delicious, the food is sure to be just as great!" Red said as Joe smiled.

"I'm glad, making a first impression is always important. If you two need refills on your water or if there's any issues with your food, please let me know!" Joe said.

"We will, thank you!" I said as Joe bowed and left the room once more.

Red and I ate our food, which was really delicious, though I felt myself getting a bit distracted as I kept gazing into Red's eyes and how they were a beautiful hazel color with a slight addition of red. Red couldn't help but crack a grin once he saw me staring at him a few times.

"Hm? Kris, is there something on my face?" Red asked as my eyes widened.

"Huh? No, there isn't anything on your face! W-why would you think there is?" I asked as I felt my face start to get warm as Red smiled at me once more.

"Well, you do keep looking at my face, is something wrong with it?" Red asked as he looked me in the eyes, which only served to make my heart race.

"W-w-well…I was just getting lost in your eyes, they're absolutely gorgeous." I said as Red blushed, nearly turning as red as the Tamato berries that were in my pilaf.

"T-thank you Kris, your eyes are simply beautiful, I could gaze at them all day." Red said as it was my turn to blush.

"R-really? Thank you Red, Gold would never be so romantic, he'd always go flirting with other women." I said as I shook my head and sighed.

"That's sad, Yellow would be a bit romantic, but she'd usually just be listening to ChuChu. Speaking of which, I wonder what my Pokémon would think of Yellow. I'm pretty sure that Pika would be mad with her." Red said.

"I definitely agree with that, Pika wouldn't like hearing how Yellow treated you. Don't you worry, I'm not like Yellow." I said with a smile as Red grinned back.

"Hahah, I know Kris, you're amazing, I don't understand how Gold doesn't know how great you are. I think I'll tell my Pokémon about what happened tonight, it won't be too surprising for them if I told them but they would definitely be hurt if they ended up finding out about it themselves." Red said.

"Good idea, I think they'll appreciate that a lot. This food was really good though, I didn't even realize we finished eating!" I said as I glanced at our plates which were now empty.

"Oh wow, you're right, we were talking with each other and I enjoyed talking with you, a lot." Red said as I blushed.

"Thanks Red, I love talking with you too, you're such a good listener. Did you want any dessert before we go?" I asked as Red thought for a moment.

"Oh man, I'd love to get some dessert, but I'm stuffed! Let me press the button so Joe can bring the check." Red said as he hit the button, though after a few seconds, Joe came with a small plate.

"Huh? What's this?" I asked as Joe placed the plate down, which was covered with a metal bowl.

"It's a special surprise for Champion Red, it's perfect for a wonderful couple such as yourself to share! It's on the house, so please enjoy it!" Joe said as he took the metal bowl off, revealing a chocolate cake with a thin layer of vanilla frosting topped with chocolate curls complete with a small Oran berry.

"Wow, this looks amazing, thank you very much Joe!" Red said as Joe smiled and took out two spoons delicately wrapped.

"It's not a problem sir, I hope you and Ms. Kris had a wonderful time at our restaurant tonight. Please take your time and enjoy. When you two are finished, simply press the button and I'll present the check." Joe said as he bowed and headed out of the room.

"Man, it looks like they went all out on your cake! Just like Joe said, it really is a special surprise!" I said as Red chuckled.

"Hahah, yeah they really did! The presentation is awesome, too bad it'll be messed up when we eat it." Red said as he unwrapped the spoon from its tissue, he was about to take a piece until I had an idea, though thinking about it only made me blush.
"R-Red, I have an idea…can I…feed you some of that cake?" I said as I felt my face slowly getting hotter by the second.

"You want to feed me some cake? That's a wonderful idea, you can come over here so we'll be closer!" Red said as I eagerly went over to his side of the table.

After I did so, Red gave me his spoon and I gave him a big piece of the cake, which he happily ate, though some chocolate got on his nose.

"Uh oh, looks like some of that chocolate decided to go on a detour…sorry Red." I said as Red grinned.

A part of me badly I wanted to kiss that chocolate off of his nose but I figured Red would be shocked if anything, so I decided that getting him a napkin would be the best option. As I got the napkin from where Red's spoon was wrapped in, I felt his hand gently hold mine, which instantly made my heart race. When I turned to look at Red, I couldn't help but smile when I saw him blushing furiously.

"Actually, I think that napkin might be a bit too rough, I'd like for you to clean it off if that's okay with you." Red said.

"R-really? Okay Red, close your eyes." I said as Red did as instructed.

I put the napkin down and leaned in close to Red, my heart racing as I gave him a kiss on the nose, removing all of the chocolate that was there. My heart continued to race until Red opened his eyes and I saw him smile.

"Wow Kris…you're a great kisser." Red said as I blushed.

"Really? Thank you, you're really good at making my heart melt." I said.

"Hahah, me? That means a lot Kris, here, let me give you some cake." Red said.

"Are you sure Red?" I asked.

"I'm sure, I did say I want to treat you well tonight, besides, I'm sure you've got great stuff planned for me tomorrow once you pick up any supplies you need at the Pokémart!" Red said as he fed me a few spoonfuls of cake which I happily ate.

"I definitely do, but I can't tell you what I got planned!" I said as Red smiled.

Afterwards, Red and I finished off the cake, happily feeding each other every so often as I constantly had a smile on his face, while Red continuously blushed the entire time. After we finished eating, we pressed the button, with Joe promptly returning with the check.

"I hope you two loved the cake, here is your bill. I'll be helping a few other customers but please do let me know if you two require anything before I do so." Joe said.

"We loved the cake, it was amazing. We don't need anything else, but we'll go ahead and pay the bill." Red said as Joe placed the bill down and bowed once more, promptly leaving the room.

"What's the total? I'll pay for it, it's your prebirthday dinner after all!" I said as I took out the money I had in the small pocket.

"Oh Kris, don't worry about the total!" Red said as he took out eight thousand Pokédollars.

"But Red…can I at least pay you back for all the money you spent?" I asked as Red laughed.

"Kris, I'm happy with the money I've spent tonight because it was money spent on you." Red said.

"Thank you Red, I'm so touched…" I said as Red smiled.

"Good, seeing you happy makes me happy. Let me go ahead and pay for this bill before Joe wonders what we're doing." Red said as he put the eight thousand Pokédollars and the bill inside the small check presenter before he quickly added an extra two thousand Pokédollars.

"Aww, alright Red, you win this time. How much did our food cost anyway?" I asked.

"The food alone came up to seven thousand Pokédollars, not too bad! Let me just press the button so that Joe knows we're ready." Red said as he pressed the button and Joe reentered the room.

"Ah, thank you Mr. Red. You and Ms. Kris were wonderful customers this evening, just as expected from two individuals as great as yourselves. I'll go ahead and get you your change!" Joe said.

"Oh that won't be necessary, thank you Joe, this was a very enjoyable experience." Red said.

"Ah, thank you sir, I truly appreciate your kindness and respect that you and Ms. Kris have shown tonight. I hope you have a wonderful birthday tomorrow, sir." Joe said.

"Since I'll be with Kris tomorrow, I certainly will. Thank you once again Joe!" Red said as Joe escorted us out through a side entrance so no one would bother Red for photos.

Joe once again bowed and Red shook his hand, thanking him for making tonight a wonderful evening. Red and I exited out of the side entrance as he took out Charizard.

"Hmm, do you want to go to the Pokémart here? We might see Gold and Yellow. They may be invited to my party tomorrow, but if they see you with me, they might start trouble. Could we go to a Pokémart in another town?" Red asked.

"That's a good idea Red, we can head to Pewter City! It's not too far from here!" I said as Red grinned.

"Pewter City? Their Pokémart does have a big selection of items, let's go!" Red said as I hopped on Charizard, with him doing the same afterwards.

Charizard took off and flew high in the air, before we knew it, we were in Pewter City, right in front of the Pokémart. Red thanked his Charizard and then recalled it back, I was happy to know that I'll be able to make Red's birthday tomorrow really special, but I contemplated how I'll be able to decorate his house since he doesn't know that's where the party will take place.

"Red, this might ruin part of the surprise, but I have to tell you that…the party tomorrow…is going to take place in your house." I said as I looked at Red, a bit worried at his reaction, though I was surprised to see him so happy.

"My house huh? You're good at planning things Kris, if it's taking place at my house, it'll be a real great party! If you need any money to buy any of the supplies you need, tell me and I'll give you some, I'll wait out here." Red said.

"Thanks Red, I think I have enough money, I won't be too long!" I said as I ran inside.

"Hello there, welcome!" The clerk said as he was cleaning up the counter while I looked around the store for some birthday things for Red.

"Hi there, do you guys happen to make custom cards here? I know that the one in Vermilion City does, but I haven't been there in a while." I said.

"No, we don't have the machine yet, we'll be getting it next week. I'm sorry about that, we do have tons of cards over in aisle 3 though, what sort of occasion is it for?" The clerk asked.

"It's for a special someone's birthday, I also needed to pick up a few balloons and some streamers." I said as the clerk directed me to the third aisle, which contained everything for birthdays.

"A special someone? Perfect, there are several cards here dedicated to that, we have quite a number of birthday balloons and streamers here as well. If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to ask, my name's Ronald, I'll be more than happy to help." Ronald said.

"Thank you Ronald, I'll let you know if there's anything I need." I said as Ronald smiled and headed back over to the counter.

Looking around the aisle, I picked up a few birthday cards, though none of them really stood out, and after some searching, I found a simple birthday card for Red. The card had a Charizard on the front, while the inside said, "Your birthday's going to be a hot day with me around!". It was something I thought Red would like, especially because of the Charizard, while it may be a little silly, I'm certain he would appreciate it. After picking up the card, I headed over to the back of the aisle, where I got some red and blue balloons along with some matching streamers. Satisfied with what I got, I headed to the counter to check out my items and was happy there wasn't a line, since I wouldn't want to keep Red waiting any longer.

"All finished, thanks for helping me find the aisle. I haven't been to this Pokémart before so I appreciate the help!" I said as Ronald rang up all the items and placed them in bags.

"Not a problem, your total will be two hundred Pokédollars." Ronald said as I handed him my money with him giving me back my change.

"Thanks, have a good evening." I said as Ronald handed me my bag with the items.

"Thank you miss, you as well." Ronald said as I made my way to the exit.

As I left the store, I saw Red standing with his Charizard as he patiently waited for me a few feet from the store. Not wanting to keep him waiting, I ran up to him, happy to see his smile.

"Sorry I took so long Red, I got the last of the things that I need for tomorrow!" I said.

"You didn't take long at all Kris! Do you want me to drop you off at your place so you can get the rest of the items you need?" Red asked as we both mounted Charizard, with Charizard taking off into the sky, flying high in the air at a lower speed than normal.

"Well…I was wondering if you could do that but if we can be quick about it. Gold always loves to check up on me in the morning, though of course he'll be confused as tomorrow's your birthday and I won't be home at the time he usually comes. He probably doesn't know that I'll be decorating and planning your birthday party, though he'll know it'll be at your place." I said as Red smiled.

"Sure, we can head over to your house quick and then you go inside, get the other stuff for tomorrow and then…er…wait…if Gold is going to visit you in the morning, he'll probably try to put on a façade as if he wasn't actually with Yellow for most, if not all of today. What do we do about that?" Red asked as I thought about it.

"That'll be tough to deal with Gold…I was actually thinking you and I could try making it seem like you're with Yellow while I'm with Gold, you know, so that it seems as if we don't know about them being with each other. At the same time…I was even thinking about not inviting either of them, while the other issue is that they know where you live and they'd just crash the party regardless. Either way, it seems a bit complicated, but what we can do is I get my stuff from my house and make sure the place is locked up when I leave to decorate your house for the night, then I'll just head back to my house and wake up extra early before Gold usually arrives and then head to your place." I said as Red appeared to be deep in thought.

"That's a great idea, aside from the last part. Since tomorrow's my birthday, Gold might actually be awake earlier than usual to get a last minute gift since he loves to procrastinate, he'll probably try dragging you along before possibly going with Yellow to get something for me. Maybe you could…stay over at my house tonight? I…I have a few guest bedrooms that you can sleep in, but if…if you really don't want to do so then I understand." Red said.

"You would want me to stay over? That's a fantastic idea! Let's go then, my Champion." I said as Red blushed.

After just a few minutes more, Charizard went to my house, reaching there quickly as I got off and took the key from underneath a small Oran berry plant I had in my small garden. I unlocked the key to my house and ran inside, not wasting anytime in turning the lights on and used my Pokégear as a light to help me see.

Thankfully, I remember putting everything I needed for Red's birthday on the kitchen table and smiled when I remembered that I already made his cake which was in a large bag. I quickly picked up the two bags which were filled with decorations and the cake and headed outside, putting them on the ground outside my house, with Red smiling only a few feet away while he and his Charizard kept looking around.

After making sure I had everything, I locked the door and put the key in my pocket, worried Gold might try entering my house when he realizes that I won't be answering the door tomorrow. I picked up both bags and headed over to Red quickly, hopping on top of Charizard with both bags, which worried Red.

"Kris, can I please help you with one of those bags? I know they're not big enough that you'd need to use one arm each, but…can I still help you?" Red asked as he got on Charizard, which took off slowly.

"You're a gentleman Red, but I'll hold both of the bags with one arm and onto Charizard with the other. You can hold on to me with an arm instead." I said as I turned back to Red and smiled, with his face getting extremely red as he nervously wrapped an arm around me.

After we flied for about fifteen minutes or so, we reached Pallet Town and landed in front of Red's house. We both dismounted Charizard and Red thanked his Pokémon before recalling it and Red opened the door to his house with a key that he had in his pocket.

"Ladies first, make sure you watch your step." Red joked as he and opened the door for me.

"Haha, thank you Red, I'll make sure to be careful." I said as Red and I took off our shoes and put them on a small mat next to the front door.

Afterwards, I put the decorations and the cake on Red's kitchen table, glad that some of the lights in his house automatically came on, remembering how fearful he was of the dark.

By the time I turned around, I saw Red close the door, put on his alarm system and place his suit on a hanger while he was already in adorable Charizard pajamas, though his expression looked sad and it broke my heart.

"Sorry…about the lights coming on. You know I've been scared of the dark ever since Gold trapped me in that pantry for a few minutes when we were five or six years old…it's a bit pitiful that the Pokémon Champion is still afraid of the dark and has to have his Pokémon sleeping next to him so he can rest." Red said as I walked up to him and placed my hand on his chin, which made him blush quite a bit.

"Oh Red…there's no need to be sorry, sleeping with your Pokémon sound fun and if you're still afraid, don't be, I'm here!" I said as Red smiled.

"Thank you Kris, you can take whichever room you'd like, I have a set of spare pajamas in each of them." Red said.

"Any room? Can I sleep in your room?" I asked as Red blushed once more.

"M-my room? S-sure, let's go." Red said as we headed into his room, with the nightlight coming on once we entered.

Red looked through his drawers and took a pair of Blastoise pajamas and handed them to me sheepishly.

"You're so adorable Red, these are cute pajamas! I'll go change into them right away, where's your bathroom?" I asked.

"Thanks Kris, I'm glad you like them, the bathroom is a few feet from my bedroom on your right." Red said.

I headed into the bathroom and turned on the light, admiring the dark blue color the walls and ceiling were painted and promptly changed into the pajamas, which were tight on me. Afterwards I headed downstairs, neatly folding the dress and placing it next to my work clothes, after doing so, I headed back upstairs.

"Red? Can I come in?" I asked.

"Of course Kris, come in." Red said as I did so.

Upon entering, I could see that there was a bit of moonlight seeping through Red's window and I saw Red shivering on the bed even as Charizard and Pika slept close to him.

"Oh Red…please don't be scared, I'm here with you." I said as Red relaxed a bit.

"I…I know, but I just checked the weather on my Pokégear and saw that there should be rain coming soon. It seems like it'll be pretty bad…I won't be able to sleep like this. Want to go downstairs for a bit? We can talk in the kitchen until I fall asleep and I assume you'll want to decorate once I do." Red said.

"That'll be a great idea, I'd love to talk to you downstairs. I'm ready to go!" I said as Red got out of his bed and opened the door to his room, allowing me to exit first.

Red and I made our way to the kitchen, where a few lights automatically came on once we entered. Red took out some Miltank milk for the both of us as he sat next to me, which made my heart race. We were about to talk when we heard some light footsteps, though we quickly saw it was Vee, Red's beloved Espeon. I still shudder when I remember Red telling me about the horrid experiments Vee would go through as an Eevee and how it could change from Jolteon, Flareon and Vaporeon depending on what Pokémon it faced. After Vee became an Espeon, it could no longer evolve, though just like every Psychic type Pokémon, Vee communicated with his trainer and friends using telepathy.

'Sorry for startling you, Master and Kris. May I join the two of you?' Vee asked.

"Of course you can join us and Vee, I keep telling you, don't call me Master, just Red!" Red said as Vee curled up alongside him.

'Thank you Red. Kris, it's good to see you again, you're here rather late and…in Red's pajamas…but that's a good thing, Red did always want you to sleep over at his house.' Vee said as Red and I blushed.

"V-Vee! W-why did you say that?! Now Kris will know how lonely I can get! Don't get me wrong, I appreciate having my Pokémon with me, but a human companion would be just as great." Red said as he got fidgety.

"Oh Red, if you were lonely, why didn't you just tell me?" I asked.

"I figured since you're usually working in the lab or being with Gold, that you would rather prefer some time to yourself. You and I still hanged out from time to time, it's just that I figured with how much you have to do, you wouldn't be able to make much time for anything else. I can't even imagine how difficult it must be to capture Pokémon and then do extensive research and data collecting on them." Red said as I hugged him tightly.

"Red, no matter what, I will always make time for you. When I was with Gold, he would get quite jealous whenever you and I would just relax or go shopping for Pokémon food, which was something he didn't even like doing. But now I'm not with Gold and you…you already know I'm interested in you. I've had a crush on you for the longest time." I said as I blushed, while Red had a smile on his face.

"I've always felt the same way about you, Kris…I just didn't know how to tell you how much I cared about you and adored you." Red said as I hugged him.

"Thank you Red, I want to make sure that you're always happy. I love seeing a smile on your face." I said as we heard the rain start to pour, followed by a loud boom of thunder and a flash of lightning, which made me jump as the lights flickered as Vee ran upstairs.

I turned to my side and saw Red shivering as he curled up into a ball, his eyes closed shut in fear.

"Ugh …t-thunderstorms and the dark…this is too scary for me." Red said.

"Red…you've been through a lot. Let me help you not feel afraid anymore." I said as I cuddled up next to Red, which made him jump, though he quickly held me gently as his shivering eventually stopped.