Hello everyone. I'm really glad that I managed to get this chapter out to you today. I wasn;t really planning on it, but I started working on it last week and things progressed rather nicely and before I knew it I had written the longest chapter of the story.

I hope you like it!

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Red was staring at the ceiling of Leaf's apartment. It was very early in the morning, and the girl was still asleep in her bedroom. He silently wondered how well she had slept, because his sleep had been broken and certainly not restful in the least. He wanted her to wake up. He wanted her to walk out of that room and make some wise crack about his sweatpants being crooked on his hips and what that must mean.

Last night had been a great experience. Everything had gone better than he originally planned. So why was he feeling so upset?

Looking at his pokégear, he saw that it was only five-thirty. He'd been laying there awake since three, and he couldn't bear to do it any longer. He needed to do something, but he didn't want to wake Leaf by accident.

Quietly, Red sat up on the couch and grabbed his backpack. He ruffled through it for a moment before coming across something he had completely forgotten about.

"Mom's cookies," he whispered to himself fondly. Did he dare eat cookies at five-thirty in the morning? Yes. Yes he did. You only live once anyways.

He happy opened the zip-lock bag of chocolate chip cookies and pulled one out, munching on it happily. His mom made the best cookies in all of Kanto. Maybe even the whole world. Or maybe everyone just feels that way about their own mother's cookies.

As he continued to eat, he noticed something about the bag of cookies. Something else was in there – something small and square. Reaching inside, he pulled out the strange object and then began to choke on cookie crumbs once he realized what it was.

He ran into the kitchen and downed a glass of water to stop his coughing fit. What was wrong with his mom? He looked down at the object still clutched in his hand. It was a condom.

Did his mom seriously think he was going to sleep with Leaf? Or was this a "just in case" condom? Why in the world did she have to assume that something would go down between them?

"Red, are you okay?" Leaf called from her bedroom. He could hear the sound of her footsteps. Shit! She was coming! Without thinking, Red threw the condom onto the floor and kicked it under that refrigerator.

"Red?" Leaf asked again, stepping into the kitchen quietly. She was wearing a pair of short black shorts and a green tank top.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he said, playing it cool, "I was just choking on a cookie."

"Why are you eating cookies this early in the morning? I'll make you some eggs."

"No, Leaf, you don't need to do that –"

"Sit down. You woke me up and you'll eat eggs if I tell you to."

"Yes, Mam," he said with a crisp salute. Leaf rolled her eyes in annoyance, but smiled good-naturedly.

Red sat in silence for a while as Leaf cooked him breakfast. He felt bad that he had woken her and that she was now going to the trouble of feeding him. He'd have to figure out some way to make it up to her later.

"About last night…" Leaf suddenly said hesitantly. Red took in a sharp, inaudible breath. What was she going to say?

"You've made me want to find somebody who's right for me. Somebody who cares."

Red felt relief but he also felt a sense of disappointment deep within him.

"That's great, Leaf. I'm sure plenty of nice guys would like to date you. Well, as long as you're nicer to them than you are to me."

"Heheh… Yeah…" Leaf laughed half-heartedly. Red couldn't help but feel like he'd made her sad somehow. What was going on in that wild little head of hers?

"So what's on the agenda today?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I don't know. In all honesty, Red, it feels a bit pointless now trying to give you new experiences."

"Don't say that! You promised me you'd show me the world this week. You wouldn't want to break your promise, would you?"

That caused her to smirk. There. This had to make her feel better.

"You secretly like being here with me, don't you?" she said, causing Red to blush guiltily.

"Well, it's not as bad as I thought it would be!" he offered. Leaf just giggled and placed a plate with eggs and a slice of ham on the table.

"Eat up, Red darling. I know where I want to take you today." With that, she sauntered off toward the bathroom to get ready.

"She's calling me 'darling' again," Red muttered to himself. He took a bite of eggs and appreciated the warmth as they slid down his throat. That hit the spot.

He could hear the sound of Leaf humming happily in the shower as he ate. It was kind of adorable the way she did that. At least she seemed to be happy. That's all he cared about. He couldn't get it out of his head, the great time that they'd shared last night. And he couldn't stop thinking about that moment in the museum. She had seemed so beautiful right then. So picture perfect. And the contact they'd made… The hand holding, the brief hug, the brushing against one another… he could swear that it had made sparks dance on his skin. Why was this happening to him?

In his heart, Red knew that he was beginning to feel something for his friend. That was the last thing he wanted, especially since he was almost certain that she could never feel the same way about him. Luckily, these sparks of feeling would be snuffed out before they spread any further. In two days, this would all be over and he could put Leaf Green into the back of his head forever.

He had almost finished his breakfast when he suddenly remembered something.

"The condom!" he whispered furiously. No way could he leave it under her fridge! He quickly dived onto the floor and desperately tried to reach under the appliance, but to no avail. The space was just too thin.

"Shit, shit, shit," he chanted to himself. What could he use to retrieve it?

"What are you doing?"

Oh no. No no no no no.

"I'm… uhh… hmm…" Red stuttered. He couldn't think of a believable excuse. All he could do was stare dumbly up at Leaf who was wearing her green bathrobe but had dried her hair already.

"Did you drop something under there? Here." Leaf grabbed a nearby mop with a skinny handle and got down onto the floor next to him. He felt like he would pass out from embarrassment as she poked and prodded before finally sliding the object out.

"Is this… what you dropped?" Leaf asked, already knowing the answer.

"Listen, Leaf! It's not what you think!" Red insisted.

Leaf stared at him a moment longer before bursting into a fit of laughter. She was laughing so hard that she rolled around on the floor, causing her robe to open up a little bit. Red turned away from his own embarrassment. Thank god she was wearing underwear.

Eventually, Leaf stood up and straightened out her robe.

"Where did you get this?" she asked, holding up the condom.

"My… my mother put it in the bag with the cookies," he admitted in humiliation.

"Your mother gave you a condom?" Leaf guffawed.

"Yes. Yes, my mother gave me a condom! She's crazy, okay?"

"She just wants you to be safe," Leaf tried to console him, unable to keep a straight face.

"You can't even say that seriously!"

"I can't help it! It's hilarious that she assumes we're going to do the Hokey-Pokey while you're here!"

"The Hokey-Pokey? Really Leaf?" Red asked sardonically.

"What would you rather have me say?"

"I don't know!"

"Hey. Hey, Red," Leaf said as she leaned close to his ear, "…. Intercourse."

"That's enough!" Red yelled, throwing his hands up into the air, "I'm going to take a very long shower!"

"You know what that means!" Leaf chirped.

"God, woman, you just can't stop, can you?"

"I'm on a role and it's only 6 a.m!"

Red groaned in frustration. This was going to be another long day indeed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What is this place?" Red asked. The two of them had spent the morning walking through the city. Leaf had stopped them at a few shops along the way, and before he knew it the sun was high in the sky. It must've almost been noon at that point. Now they were standing out front of what looked like a bar. Not a run-down sketchy one, but a much nicer place which Red might even describe as classy.

"It's a grill and bar that I frequent," Leaf said casually, "This is one of my favorite places to hang out when I need some company."

"Oh really?" Red asked as she lead him inside. He was curious to say the least. What did Leaf do when she wasn't working or going out with men?

Inside the bar, the tables and booths were dotted with random daytime customers. The place struck Red as more of an evening venue anyways, so that didn't really surprise him. There was a certain hominess to the atmosphere, and he had to admit that he didn't even feel nervous being there.

"Hey, Leaf!" a girl called from behind the counter, "Ooh, you brought a man with you! You must really like him if you brought him here!"

Red felt himself blush slightly. Why was Leaf's bringing him here so significant?

"Can we get some ribs and beer?" Leaf asked, ignoring the girl's implications as she signed a paper on the counter, "We'll be in my usual booth."

"Sure thing," the girl said with a wink. It was obvious that Leaf must come here a lot to be able to talk to the waitress so casually.

"This will be your final test," Leaf said as she led him over to a booth along the left wall.

"Why? What's going to happen?" Red asked nervously.

"You'll see after a while. For now, let's just enjoy lunch."

As the two of them waited for their meal, they made small talk. Red was beginning to feel comfortable having Leaf across the table from him. Even just talking to her earlier this week had been enough to rattle his nerves, but now it felt so natural to him. He was pretty sure that when he went home he was going to miss this. He would miss the way her hair brushed against him when they were walking and he'd miss the smirk that always played on her lips while they were talking.

By the time their meal was finished, Red found himself feeling a little bit sad. His sullenness was interrupted by a woman stepping onto a stage that was in the corner and grabbing a microphone.

"Hello everybody! Who's ready for Afternoon Karoake?"

Red felt his stomach drop into his feet. No way. She couldn't. She wouldn't. He glanced over at Leaf who was smiling at him innocently. She would. She so would. That paper she had signed when they walked in… she had signed him up to sing karaoke!

"You didn't," he said, still in shock.

"I did," she said, flashing him a childish smile that was all teeth, "But don't worry," she added.

"How can I not worry?" Red asked in disbelief.

"Our first karaoke singers tonight will be Leaf Green and Red Ketchum!" the woman announced.

Red froze at the words, but he felt somewhat relieved that Leaf was going to sing with him. Why did she want to do this? Why did she want to sing with him?

Leaf practically had to drag him up onto the stage with her, which caused some of the audience members to laugh.

"Sorry, it's his first time, guys," she said into the microphone. A few people clapped encouragingly. Red wanted to die. If he could die right now, he would compromise all his regrets.

"What are you going to sing for us?" the woman asked.

"We've been living dangerously this week, so we're going to let it be random!" Leaf announced. Red couldn't believe his ears. What if it was a song he'd never even heard of? Leaf was out of her mind. How could she possibly have the moxie to get up here and do this to him?

The karaoke machine chose a random song, and Red breathed an audible sigh of relief when it ended up being a song he knew.

"We'll be singing 'True Colors'for you all today," Leaf announced. Red was just glad that he knew the song. It was a good song too. He told himself that if he could just get through this one embarrassing moment, it would all be over. Leaf had told him that this was his final test. And he intended to pass it with flying colors. No pun intended.

As the music started, Red felt the blood rush to his face. He knew that everybody could see how nervous he was, and that only served to make him more nervous.

Shakily, Red sang the first verse of the song. He tried his best to keep his voice steady as the words came out. He couldn't bear to look at the audience, so instead he found himself looking over at Leaf who was smiling up at him.

When the first verse ended, Leaf picked up the second verse. Red was pleasantly surprised to hear that she actually had a pretty nice singing voice. It was uncharacteristically gentle compared to her normally hard voice, and he found himself lost in the sound. When the chorus came, he joined in, taking up the melody while she lowered herself to the harmony.

Gradually, Red felt his nerves dissipate, and he began to sing with more confidence. He knew that his singing voice wasn't anything special, but the glow of happiness on Leaf's face spread to his own and made him feel at ease. He even began to enjoy himself. It was like there was nobody watching them and it was just the two of them singing to each other in their own little world. He had always thought that her eyes were green, but as he stared into them from so close up he realized that they were a rich brown. He liked it.

"True colors are beautiful… like a rainbow," they trailed off together as the song ended. The other people in the bar all clapped and cheered, while Leaf and Red gave a bashful bow together. Red wasn't sure what he was feeling, but it certainly wasn't the humiliation he expected. He felt happy.

They stuck around for a few more songs from other people, and Red had to accept that it was a good time listening to other people sing, even if a lot of them weren't that good. When they left the bar, Red found himself putting an arm around Leaf's waist and giving her a half-hug, causing her to blush.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"Thanks for making me do that. I… I actually enjoyed it," he told her.

"I enjoyed it too," she smiled.

"It's kinda funny, how it picked that song for us, isn't it?" Red asked, "I think we've both gotten to see each other's true colors this week, though I'm not sure if I'd call mine beautiful."

"Well mine aren't very pretty either, Red," Leaf pointed out, "I think you're right though. We started this week off expecting one thing, and it took a completely different direction on us. I feel like I understand you better than I ever have, Red. And I think I understand myself better too."

"I feel the same," he agreed, "And… even though I didn't want to come, I'm glad that you dragged me here for the week. It's done me a lot of good, even if it happened in a different way than you intended."

"Thanks, Red. That means a lot to me."

They walked down the sidewalk in silence, both of them feeling a little down.

"I think when I go home, my life is going to be different," Red stated.

"You think so?" Leaf asked.

"Yeah. I want to become a better champion. I want to get out a little more. And hopefully I can grow into a person who even you would be proud of."

"What does my opinion matter?" Leaf asked.

"Well it seemed to matter a whole lot earlier this week," he laughed.

"Yeah… but all that really matters is how you feel, Red. What I think doesn't matter. So when you leave the day after tomorrow, I want you to forget everything I said to you. You're a great person, okay?"

"Leaf…"

The two of them stopped walking, and Leaf stared down at the ground.

"I need to be alone right now, Red. Can I meet you back at my place in like two hours?"

"Sure," Red said awkwardly. Things had taken a turn for the worse rather quickly, and he didn't know what to do.

Without another word, Leaf turned and began walking back in the opposite direction. He had never felt more alone in his life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Leaf walked slowly around the outer road of the city. The traffic was beginning to disperse as dinner time approached, but it would pick up again soon as people went out for their evening fun. She felt bad leaving Red all alone in her apartment, but she needed some time to herself. There was just too much going on in her head.

Tomorrow would be her last day with Red. Then he'd be going back home to Pallet and she'd be left to her dysfunctional life again. But, if there was one thing to be said about this visit, it was that Leaf felt like things might finally begin to get better for her. She was tired. Tired of dating jerks and tired of feeling so alone. She wanted to spend time with herself. Work on herself. Maybe even learn to love herself.

As she passed by some of the local businesses, Leaf noticed a hair salon. She hadn't gotten her hair trimmed properly since she'd moved here. Sure, she had her own pair of hair scissors that she used to keep up with the split ends, but professionals did a much better job. Maybe indulging herself was just the thing she needed tonight.

With a smile on her face, Leaf entered the salon. She was greeted by a woman with a black ponytail and a blonde streak in her bangs. She looked totally cool.

"Hello there!" the woman said, "What can I do for you tonight?"

"I'd just like a trim, please," Leaf said simply.

"Okay, hun, take a seat and I'll be right there with you." Leaf went over to the chair and sat in the comfortable leather. Another girl with blonde shoulder length hair walked over to her and put the sheet over her body to catch falling hair.

"Would you like a pedicure too?" the girl asked, "We're having a special deal today. Only two-hundred poké when you get a haircut."

"That sounds wonderful," Leaf responded. If she was going to treat herself, she may as well go all out. The blonde girl went into the back room to retrieve supplies for the pedicure, and the original woman returned and began preparing to cut her hair.

"Are you wanting to do anything different than what you already have?" she asked.

"No thanks. I love my long hair, and my side-swept bangs suit me just fine."

"How about a new color?" the woman asked, her eyes glinting intently, "You could so rock pink hair."

"I don't think so," Leaf laughed nervously.

"No fun," the woman sighed with a gently smirk as she began washing Leaf's hair, "My name is Raven by the way. The girl getting your pedi ready is Serena."

As if on cue, Serena returned right then with a tub of water and other various supplies.

"Put your feet into the water for me," she instructed.

Leaf sighed in content as she slipped her bare feet into the warm water. This was heaven. The combination of her soaking feet and the gentle hands massaging their way through her hair was just so relaxing.

As the two women got to work, the three of them chatted about the latest fashion trends.

"Don't even get me started on Sharpie eyebrows," Serena huffed, "It just looks so… ugh."

Leaf glanced around the salon and noticed that there were several pictures of Serena on the wall. In each one she was wearing a different gorgeous dress and she was smiling as she held up a key.

"You compete in showcases," Leaf acknowledged.

"That's right," the girl responded.

"Serena here is trying to become Kalos Queen," Raven informed her, "She's come really close a couple of times but no cigar."

"I'll do it next time," Serena said with determination as she filed at one of Leaf's toenails.

"Your sense of style is fantastic," Leaf complimented as she looked at the pictures some more, "The way you dress up your Pokémon is so original."

"Thank you," Serena smiled, "I just love making them look super cute!"

The conversation was cut off for a little while as Raven began blow drying Leaf's hair. When she was finished, Serena held up two bottles of nail polish.

"This teal is so you," she said, wiggling one of the bottles, "but you could work this bright red like a champ. Any preference?"

"Normally I'd want the teal, but let's go with Red this time," Leaf decided.

"Red it is! Hold still please!"

"So, Leaf…" Raven said casually, "It's probably none of my business but I saw you out the window before you came in here and you looked kinda… sad. Then you slapped on a smile and walked in here. Is something on your mind? Hair stylists are great listeners."

"Well… you are strangers so I guess I won't feel embarrassed if I tell you. That, and I really need to get this off my chest," she admitted.

"Ooh, sounds juicy," Serena said with a smirk.

"Well… you see… there's this guy—"

"I love it when they start off like that, don't you, Serena?" Raven asked.

"Hey! Can I finish? Let alone get started?" Leaf interjected.

"Sure, hun. Tell us everything."

"Okay. He's my childhood friend—"

"Awww!" Serena gushed.

"You're wrong, Raven. You guys are terrible listeners!" Leaf said in exasperation.

"Sorry," Serena said quietly. Leaf cleared her throat.

"I've known him for years, and I always thought he was kind of a whiney little Mama's boy, even if he is a fantastic trainer. But he's been staying with me the past week and we've had a lot of fun, and… we went on a date last night."

"A date? So are you guys going to get together now?" Raven asked.

"No. You see, it wasn't like that. We only went out because he said he wanted to show me how I deserve to be treated."

"Umm… doesn't that mean he likes you?" Serena asked, "I mean, if he cares enough that he wants you to be with someone awesome and he wants what's best for you, then that means he likes you."

"I don't think so," Leaf said, "You see, I've always kind of been a bitch to him. So I don't really think he wants a relationship with me. I don't even know if he actually likes me as a friend."

"But you want to be with him?" Raven guessed.

"I think I might." Leaf couldn't believe that she'd said that out loud. Until now, she'd only thought she was slightly attracted to Red. But right here she had admitted that she wanted to be with him. "He really is very sweet, not to mention he's pretty attractive too, and I find myself blushing all the time around him and he's stupidly innocent to the point where I find it somewhat charming."

"Wait," Raven interrupted, "Pretty cute? How cute is he? Let's see a picture."

"I don't think I have a - Yes I do!" Leaf exclaimed suddenly, grabbing her pokegear. She still had that picture Red had sent her yesterday when he wanted her opinion on his outfit. She pulled up the picture and showed it to the two girls.

"Leaf, he's not cute! He's sexy!" Raven gasped.

"Let me see!" Serena begged. Leaf turned the picture towards her.

"Woah... I'd totally go out with him! And more!"

"Okay, okay guys! I know he's hot, alright? Now stop talking about him like he's a piece of meat."

"He looks familiar..." Raven mused.

"Oh, uh... probably just a coincidence," Leaf said, brushing her off. She didn't want them to know that Red was the champion. Luckily she hadn't told them his name so they wouldn't put two and two together. If they knew he was a champion they'd really start pushing her to take a chance on him.

"So he's hot. He's super sweet. He's like your classic nice guy but more attractive. What's not to like?" Raven asked.

"Well... to tell the truth there isn't a whole lot to dislike," Leaf admitted.

"Then Leaf you've got to tell him how you feel!" Serena insisted.

"What? Why? I don't even know if I like him that much! And what if he says no? And besides that, he lives in Kanto. A relationship would never work out."

"Trust me, Leaf. You totally like this guy. You should see your face right now. And as for the distance thing, Kanto's not that far. And you could always move there if things get super serious. Until then, what does it hurt to try?"

"He is only spending one more day here…" Leaf pondered.

"See? If he rejects you then he'll be gone in a day and it won't be a big deal! You literally have nothing to lose!"

"Yeah, nothing but a 20 year old friendship!"

"Okay, I see your point. But if you don't take a chance on him then you'll be mad at yourself forever!"

"Raven is right!" Serena agreed, "I really think he's into you and maybe he doesn't know it, but if you guys just let this moment pass you by you're both going to regret it."

"I can't do this," Leaf said, "Maybe I do want to be with him, but honestly he deserves someone so much better than me. I'll ruin him if we get together."

"What kind of talk is that? Leaf, he took you out on a date to show you that you are good enough. Clearly he thinks you're worthy of the utmost respect. You need to at least give it a chance. Don't shut down a maybe without giving it the opportunity to grow into a definitely," Raven said.

"I'll see how things go tomorrow," Leaf decided.

"No! You've got to do it tonight!" Serena told her, "Tomorrow is your last day together! If you guys are going to get together you need to do it tonight!"

"Tonight?! That's too sudden!"

"Listen to me, Leaf. If there was an attractive man who wanted to treat me with respect and who cared enough about me to make sure I knew that, I'd grab on and never let go. It sounds like this guy is a real catch. Now get a master ball and put him inside and never let him go!"

Leaf stared at the blonde girl before her. Her blue eyes were staring back at her intently.

"Do it," Serena whispered.

"I will," Leaf said with resolve. I'll do it tonight."

"That's our girl!" Raven cheered.

"I just know this is going to go well for you," Serena said confidently.

"I hope you guys are right…"

"Of course we are! Now let's finish this haircut so that we can get you home to that boy of yours!"

In a matter of minutes, Leaf's hair was trimmed and her toenails were painted the ravishing red color.

"You look fabulous!" Raven said in a sing-song voice, "but I wish you'd do something new with your hair."

"Maybe next time," Leaf said sheepishly.

"You have to come back," Raven said, "We need to know how things go down with your man!"

"You guys are great," Leaf said, "I'll definitely be coming back here."

"That's what we like to hear!" Serena said happily.

After Leaf paid for her haircut, she decided that it was time to head home. Red would be waiting for her. As she went out into the streets, she tied her freshly groomed hair back in a ponytail to keep it from getting ruined in the wind.

"This is it," she whispered to herself, "Tonight, I'll tell Red how much he means to me. And all I can do is hope that it won't be the biggest mistake of my life."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Red walked along the streets of Lumiose, he couldn't help noticing how comfortable he felt. After six days in this city, he was beginning to feel at home here. The only thing missing was Leaf. He didn't understand why she suddenly wanted alone time. She'd have plenty of that after tomorrow, wouldn't she?

Leaf had gone through a whole roller coaster of emotions and personalities since he'd come here. As he'd thought before, the girl really was a little of everything. There was a beauty that came along with that, but there was also a lot of confusion and stress on his part. One minute she could be teasing him, another she could be upset. He knew that a lot of women were similar, but he'd never met someone who could switch back and forth the way Leaf could. She'd practically been a different person each day. Red told himself that it was due to the fact that she had opened up to him so much this week. Maybe the Leaf he'd seen those first few days wasn't the real Leaf. Maybe he'd only truly known her since that night where she'd broken down.

But even when they were kids, Leaf had always had a firecracker personality. She'd even rivaled Blue in who could be the most arrogant. Poor Red had always been caught between the two, and maybe that's why he had such a quiet nature. The three of them had gotten into a lot of trouble as kids, and Red was always the one who got roped into Blue and Leaf's ridiculous ideas.

And then there was that one time… That one memory from their childhood that he'd never quite been able to forget…

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Because Professor Oak is my grandfather, I'm going to get a better pokémon than both of you!" Blue boasted proudly.

"Who cares what pokémon you get?" Leaf yawned, "You'll be such a sucky trainer that I'll beat you with both my hands and one leg tied behind my back, right Red?"

"Sure," Red said absently. He was peering behind the tall grass as his two friends argued like normal. They were all quickly approaching their tenth birthdays, and in a matter of months they would all be heading out on their journeys at the same time.

"What are you doing, Red? You're not supposed to go into the tall grass without an adult," Blue said matter of factly.

"I think he's got the right idea," Leaf countered, "Don't lie, Blue. You think that rule is stupid just like the rest of us. We're practically trainers now, so what would it hurt to go into the tall grass?"

"No guys, I didn't want to go into the grass, I was just seeing if maybe there was a pokémon nearby!" Red tried to explain. He was promptly ignored as Leaf and Blue continued their conversation.

"You do have a point… besides, what's the worst that could happen? We get attacked by a Pidgey or a Rattata or something? We can handle that. They already come into town on their own anyways."

"That's right! The grown ups are always keeping us cooped up in town. I want to explore the field!"

"Let's go then!" Blue yelled, running into the tall grass.

"Wait for us!" Leaf called as she shoved Red into the tall grass and ran after Blue.

"Guys! I never wanted this to happen!" Red protested, stumbling after his friends. How had things escalated so quickly?

"Quit whining, Red!" Leaf called back to him, "Be a little adventurous! It'll be fun!"

"It won't be fun when our parents find out," Red muttered, but he ran after them nonetheless. There was so much to see. Sure, they had all gone out into the fields before with the adults, but on their own it just seemed like there was a lot more to explore.

"Check out that tree!" Blue exclaimed. At the edge of the field was a tree about twenty feet high with lots of branches that looked perfect for climbing. "Last one to the top is a rotten Eggsecute!" he teased, dashing off towards the tree.

"It won't be me!" Leaf challenged.

"Me either!" Red yelled, taking off alongside Leaf. Even though he still felt nervous about breaking the rules, he still wanted to have fun with his friends. He reached the tree just before Leaf, grabbing onto a low branch and hoisting himself up. Blue was right above him, and he tried to climb faster so that he could catch up.

In the end, Blue beat him to the top, but at least he hadn't been last. The two of them took a seat on a wide branch, enjoying the feeling of being up high. Below them, Leaf was only about half way up the tree.

"Seriously, who climbs a tree wearing flip-flops?" Blue laughed, "Hey, Red, I have an idea." Blue leaned in close to Red and whispered something so that Leaf couldn't hear him.

"Blue, are you crazy!?" Red whispered furiously.

"Shut up! Here she comes! Just play along, okay?"

"That wasn't fair! If I'd known we'd be climbing today, I would have worn sneakers," Leaf huffed.

"Too bad, Leaf. You're the rotten Eggsecute and you know it," Blue smirked, "Come and sit with us. The view is really nice from up here."

Glaring at the boy, Leaf climbed up onto the branch they were sitting on and squeezed between the two boys. While the tree was about twenty feet high, they were only sitting about ten feet up. The branches got thinner up top and they could never hope to climb much higher than they had.

"You're right, Blue, it is nice up here," Leaf admitted.

"Just don't look down," Blue laughed.

"What do you meeeaaaaan?!" Leaf screamed as Blue suddenly shoved her backwards, causing her to fall from the branch. He had grabbed her leg as he pushed her and Red had grabbed her other one. He held onto it for dear life, terrified that she would fall.

Blue laughed hysterically as Leaf was now hanging upside down, her arms flailing desperately.

"Blue! Red! Help me!" she yelled. Red felt horrible. He knew that she was really scared, and his own heart was pounding wildly. What was Blue thinking? This was stupid and dangerous!

"Pull me up!" Leaf demanded. She had stopped flailing her arms, and Red felt his heart calm down a bit. She was a lot easier to hold onto now. BLue just chuckled and shook his head.

"We'll let you up when we're good and ready," he teased. As for what happened next, Red still to this day didn't know if it was part of Blue's original plan or if he had just decided to do it on a whim.

Leaf's skirt was just barely being held between her two legs. Quite easily, Blue reached down and pulled it from between her thighs, causing the whole garment to flip down over her waist. Red stared in shock as they both now had a full view of Leaf's white cotton panties.

"I am going to kill both of you!" Leaf raged, flailing her arms again. Blue laughed harder than ever, while Red continued to stare at Leaf's lower end. He knew that he shouldn't be seeing this but he found it impossible to tear his eyes away.

"Let me down! Blue, Red, if you don't let me down I'm going to tell!"

"Tattletail…" Blue muttered. For the most part, the three of them had a silent agreement that tattling was not allowed. If Leaf was using it as a threat, it meant that she was serious. The two of them grabbed Leaf's arms and pulled her up, which was a little bit difficult, but they managed.

Red stared fearfully at Leaf. He didn't know if Leaf's face was so red because the blood had rushed to it while hanging upside down, or if she was just so angry that it was about to explode.

"I hate you guys so much!" she fumed.

"Oh, don't be like that," Blue said dismissively.

"Like what?" Leaf asked, "Like this?"

In one swift motion, Leaf pushed Gary forwards, causing him to fall off of the branch. Nobody grabbed his legs though. He fell downwards, grabbing a branch along the way and slipping off. At the bottom of the tree he lay in a heap, disoriented.

"Come on, Red. Let's go," Leaf said. The two of them scurried down the tree, and Leaf ran off into the tall grass when they reached the bottom.

"Are you okay, Blue?" Red asked.

"Yes."

"Okay then bye!" Red ran after Leaf, leaving his best friend to suffer alone. Red only knew one thing, and that was if he wanted to survive, he'd need to be on Leaf's side of this fight.

Once they were far enough away from Blue that they knew he couldn't follow them, Leaf grabbed Red by the front of his shirt and pulled his face up to hers.

"Alright, start talking," she growled, "Why did you guys do that to me?"

"It was Blue's idea! I didn't want to do it! I only grabbed your leg because I didn't want you to fall!" he insisted.

"Okay, I'll believe that," Leaf said, but not letting go of his shirt, "But which one of you idiots flipped my skirt down?"

"That was him too! I'd never do something like that!"

Leaf stared into his eyes intently. Slowly, he saw her anger fade away and her grip loosened, letting him go.

"Fine. I forgive you, but I'm still mad at Blue."

"To tell the truth I'm kind of mad at him too," Red admitted.

Suddenly, the two of them heard a splash. They hadn't even realized that they were standing next to a small pond.

"Look at that!" Red shouted. The two of them saw a wild Dratini as it splashed out of the water and dived back under gracefully.

"It's amazing! I want to catch it!" Leaf said firmly.

"Catch it? How?"

"With this!" Proudly, Leaf held up a shiny new pokéball.

"Where did you get that?" Red gawked.

"I stole it from my mom when she was drunk. I told her that she had thrown it at a Spearow that kept flying into the window."

"And she believed you?"

"Yup." It was no secret in Pallet Town that Leaf's mom had a bit of a drinking problem. She wasn't an angry drunk, she was really a very nice lady, but her vice had caused more than a few concerns about Leaf being raised by her.

"I need you to make it jump out of the water," Leaf said.

"How are you going to catch a pokémon without battling it with a pokémon of your own?" Red asked.

"You'll be my pokémon, won't you, Red?" Leaf asked innocently.

"ME?"

"Here's some rocks. Now go get 'im!"

"I didn't agree to this!"

"Consider it your making things up to me for what you and Blue did earlier," she reasoned.

Curse Blue. Look at the mess he'd gotten Red into. Carefully, Red crept towards the water while Leaf stood by with the pokéball.

"I can't see it," he told her as he gazed down into the pond.

"Just chuck a rock in there," she suggested. Red did as he was told, but nothing happened. He tried another rock, but it still did no good.

"Maybe we just imagined it. I mean, Dratini aren't found in these parts anyways," Red commented.

"There's no way we both imagined that! Now keep chucking rocks!"

Red threw his last rock, and there were suddenly some bubbles on the surface of the water. The Dratini broke the surface, rising into the air. Red saw that a blue energy was gathering around its mouth.

"Leaf, look out!" he cried, throwing himself toward her. He crashed into her and they both fell into the grass, narrowly avoiding the pokémon's attack. Leaf's pokéball went flying out of her hand, becoming lost in the endless tall grass. The Dratini disappeared back into the pond, and Leaf groaned in disappointment.

"You made me lose my ball!" she huffed, crossing her arms.

"You were going to get hit by that Dragon Rage, what was I supposed to do?" Red said in his defense.

"I could've caught a rare pokémon and you blew it!" Leaf argued, ignoring him.

"I'll catch another Dratini for you someday, okay, Leaf?"

A mischievous smirk slowly spread across Leaf's face. Red didn't think that was a good sign.

"Promise you'll catch me one?" she asked.

"Cross my heart," he said.

"That's so sweet of you, Red. And don't you dare forget!" With that, Leaf gave him a quick kiss on the lips before running back in the direction of the tree. He stood there dumbfounded, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. Leaf Green had just kissed him. And he felt like he couldn't be more pleased.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Red smiled at the memory that had just played in his head. Leaf had been his very first kiss. It had been a weird kiss, but still a kiss nonetheless. It had been so playful and so pure. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to kiss her now that they were grown up.

As he recalled the events of that day, he suddenly felt bad that he had never caught a Dratini for her. He had almost forgotten about it a few times, but every now and then the memory would pop into his head and remind him.

"That's what I'll do," he whispered to himself. He had time. Leaf had done a lot for him the past few days, and even if this trip had been a crazy and mostly unpleasant experience for him, he still wanted to thank her.

Grabbing his pokégear from his pocket, Red turned and began to walk towards the Pokémon Center. He dialed a number and waited while it rang.

"What's up, Red? Do you need something?" a voice asked.

"Hey, Lance. Yeah, I actually need a quick favor. Would it be possible for you to give me one of the Dratini you've bred?"

"Sure, no problem. Where should I send it to?"

"The Pokémon Center in Lumiose City. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Can do, Red. You'd better take good care of it."

"It's for a friend, actually. But don't worry, she'll take great care of it."

"Alright, Red. It'll be at the Center when you get there."

"Thanks."

Red beamed happily as he made his way to the Center. Leaf was going to be so surprised. And maybe, if he was lucky, she just might kiss him again as a thank you.

"Wait, did I really just think that?" Red thought. Did he want Leaf to kiss him?

Maybe he did. Maybe what this week had made him realize was that he really liked his childhood friend. Or maybe he hadn't liked her at the beginning of the week, but he did now. This morning he had told himself that he wouldn't act on those feelings, but he was slowly beginning to realize that he liked her a lot more than he'd understood.

Yes, he liked Leaf Green. He liked the way that she was always teasing him and he liked the way that she looked in a tight black dress or an old green bathrobe. He wanted to take her out on dates and treat her like she was special and kiss her without it feeling weird.

He wanted her. All of her. And he had been holding himself back from that truth all day, with good reason. There was simply no way that somebody like her could ever want to be with him. She may have changed in the past few days, but one truth still stood. She had brought him here in the first place because she felt he was inadequate. And there was nothing that he could do to fix that. No matter what he did, he was still just Red Ketchum. He could never be the kind of exciting guy that Leaf wanted and needed in her life. That fact stood tall like a sheet of steel between them.

Red's pace slowed as he came to his conclusion. He would give Leaf this gift to thank her. He would spend one final day with her tomorrow. And then he would go home and rededicate himself to his training and his job as champion.

He could not fall in love with Leaf Green. And that was that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yep. Major cliffhanger. I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist. There are only two chapters left after this and we'll be all done though! I'm kind of sad but also kind of happy.

I really hope you guys like this chapter. It took me a while to get it out but I did it. I'm sorry that my updates are so slow :(

Thank you to all of my readers, I'm so glad that this story is doing well. I never expected it to generate the amount of interest it has, and I'm so glad. I mean, it started as something I was writing for losing a bet, but I've really ended up putting a lot more time and effort into this than I ever thought I would. So thank you all for making that possible.

And of course, special thanks to Bass0bassinum. He helped me with the flashback scene. Not the panties thing though, that was all me ;) He had the idea of a failed capture, and together we came up with the idea of Dratini being that pokémon.

Okay, this endnote is getting too long. Thanks guys! See you next chapter!