Voices. Voices and people everywhere, crowding Red and Green and Lance and Blaine. Pikachu glares at anyone who gets close, sparks flying, and Red reaches up to pet Pikachu gratefully. Blaine is gone in the sea of people and Green is swept away soon after. Lance stays close to Red, weaving a path through the crowd with firm words and a cool glare.
"Lorelei," Lance says once they get out, nodding crisply. "How is it going?"
"Well enough," Lorelei says, turning away from the League workers for a second. "Are you alright, Red?"
Fine, Red signs, looking around instead of meeting Lorelei's eyes. Others?
"Everyone made it out on time, thanks to the rangers, Blaine, and your friend," Lorelei says. Not me, a voice whispers in his mind. I did nothing. "You don't have to worry."
"We'll have to make an official statement soon," Lance says to Lorelei. "Do you have the time?"
"I should be able to make it," Lorelei says, checking her Pokegear. "If everything goes as planned… then I'll be able to."
He should do something, Red knows. Neither Lance nor Lorelei are the champion; he is. And press is supposed to be his job. Keeping people safe is supposed to be his job.
But he does nothing, as always. Pikachu nuzzles him soothingly and Red pets it absently. Lance will do his job for him and Red will hide away because he doesn't know much else.
It's this that brings him to where he is now, he thinks a little bitterly, sitting at the dining table staring at newspaper headlines on his Pokegear. The words sting.
Child Rescued by Gym Leader, Reunites with Parents
"I was terrified", says Citizen of Cinnabar Island
Opinion: Are Kanto's Elite Four Doing a Good Job?
They might as well have been all called Our Champion Failed. Because that's what happened. He should have been there to help everyone. The Elites shouldn't have to do what was his job, and Green most certainly shouldn't have had to, either.
New message, his Pokegear reads. Red ignores it and shuts the device off, heading upstairs. He doesn't really want to talk to anyone right now.
"Leader Green! Do you have time to talk about… "
"Leader Green! What do you think of…"
"Green! You are the champion's former …"
Green wiggles his fingers in a wave and flashes the crowd his most charming smile. He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the attention, just a little bit. "Excuse me," he says. "Would you mind? Thank you - okay, one question."
He works his way through the crowd, trying to get to Red. Green can - barely - see Pikachu's tail and a hint of Red's cap through the mass of people and soon enough, it vanishes behind a camera. "Excuse me," he says, a bit firmer now. "Alright - fine, I'll answer."
He finally breaks free from the crowd of people and looks around hopefully. A shadow passes over head and Green exhales.
Dragonite. Undoubtedly with Lance. And probably Red as well.
Green turns back to the mass of people and smiles, pretending that his stomach isn't twisted up in worried knots.
That, he thinks a little ruefully, was what brought him here. Sitting on the floor of his arena, staring at the message screen for - what, exactly? For a message? For a reply?
Sylveon pads up to him and nudges Green with a paw. He looks up, trying to smile. "Yeah, Sylveon?"
Sylveon waits patiently until all of Green's attention is fixed on her, then raises her head towards the ceiling and exhales a powerful ring of swirling fire. The flames come together and then expel in a forceful burst, scorching the ceiling.
It takes him a moment to realize what happened, but once he does he beams. "You learned Mystical Fire!" he says proudly, scratching Sylveon's ears. "Good job!"
Arcanine bounds up to Green as well and barks proudly, tail wagging. Green doles out pets and scratches to Arcanine as well, allowing himself to take comfort in his Pokemon.
Despite Sylveon's attempts of comfort, Green can't shake the feeling of anxiety from his chest. He quickly sends Red a message, hoping for something.
Nothing. Nothing at all in days.
Why, he wonders? And what now?