Chapter 57

Walking towards Red, May tried to emulate confidence she wasn't particularly feeling. The fact of the matter was that she'd lost, brutally. However, being gym leader had meant that she come to terms with both wins and losses.

'You're strong,' May smiled, holding out a hand to the silent, black-haired man.

'So are you,' Red responded after a while, taking her hand again, a small smile ordaining his lips as his pikachu sat on his shoulder, saying his name once.

'No way, he spoke to you!' Ash gasped at May before turning to glare at his cousin, a scowl ordaining his lips.

'What?' Red frowned at the man as Gary smirked at the two unlikely cousins, one of whom was always talking and smiling whilst the other remained resolutely silent and stoic. There couldn't be a less likely duo than the two of them, and he doubted that anyone would ever consider them related without being told they were.

'Come on, isn't it obvious? You never talk to anyone, especially the first time you meet them. That's why you're up in Mount Silver all the time. You're a hermit and you know it. When was the last time you came to visit the family? You haven't even come down for a Christmas!' Ash snapped, his face flushing with anger as he glared at the man, who appeared perfectly stoic, completely unaffected by the words that came out of Ash's mouth.

'You can't really talk, Ash. The only reason you've been in Kanto as long as you have been is to train for the championship battle. Otherwise, you'd be bouncing all over the place like a spoink,' Gary mused as he watched his oldest friend glare at him, appearing not to appreciate being thrown under the bus.

'With all his travels, experience and pokémon you'd expect him to be strong. In spite of all of those factors, he still can't beat me,' Red chuckled as he swung an arm around his cousin's shoulders, both pikachus looking at each other, one appearing irritated at Red's remarks whilst the other seemed indifferent.

'I'll beat you any how, any way, any time I please!' Ash snarled back, shoving his cousin away from him with clear anger.

'That's no way to treat your cousin,' May frowned at the man, sending him a slightly chastising glance before sending an apologetic glance to the older Ketchum.

'No, instead you should just make them relive their darkest moments,' Red responded, arching an eyebrow at May, who stared at him in disbelief.

Had she really made Gary relive something that bad?

'Hey, leave her alone. She has no idea about that, ok?' Gary snarled back, glaring at the black-haired man as Ash grimaced, 'Red, that was below the belt.'

'What's he talking about? Gary?' May questioned as she turned to her cousin, struggling to keep her voice steady as Red opened his mouth.

'Don't continue this, Red. I've come to terms with it, especially after all these years. Red is just bringing back unpleasant memories unnecessarily,' Gary responded as he glared at the man, surprising May by how curt his tone was.

Grimacing, May turned her attention anxiously to her feet, unsure of what she could say to her companions to avoid the awkward silence that filled the room.

Thankfully, Cilan broke the silence, asking, 'shall we head out? I'm almost positive someone is bound to find us here, and I'm certain that none of us want that.'

'You go on ahead, I'd like to talk to Gary,' May smiled at the man, ignoring the slightly anxious expression which the man portrayed at her words. She did her best to appear chipper, knowing that her words alone would worry the man.

With a nod, the Unovan man left; Max, Orlando, Ash and Iris hesitantly following him, sending the remaining group concerned glances, though May did her best not to notice them.

'Aren't you going to go too?' Gary frowned at Red, though he said nothing as he petted his Charizard, who was sizing up Blastoise in a challenging manner.

'Gary, what did he mean?' May questioned her cousin, arching an eyebrow as her gaze flitted from Red back to her cousin, her expression curious at the guilty expression she saw come upon Red's visage.

'It was years ago,' Gary began, his tone dismissive, though he couldn't meet May's eyes.

'A lot of things happened years ago, it doesn't mean they don't still affect us. What happened? I'm not going to let this go,' May pressed, sending her cousin a warning glance.

'I don't want to get into it,' Gary growled back, crossing his arms as he glared at her, Red busying himself with his pokémon near them, appearing to be oblivious of their conversation.

'Gary Blue Oak, do not make me go to Daisy about this,' May hissed at the man, wondering if Daisy even knew about whatever was affecting Gary.

'Fine, but don't go to Daisy, it'll only upset her,' Gary sighed, sending a reproachful glare at the other man.

'Years ago, Red killed one of my pokémon in battle. He was too powerful, and my raticate didn't survive because I was too arrogant and stubborn to see how much the poor thing was struggling. Then, when he was trying out for the championship battle, he nearly killed another opponent's pokémon, though that trainer was too pigheaded to see it… Red forfeited. It's why he's Kanto's unofficial champion. He's simply too strong to be beaten, but most trainers are too stubborn to give in,' Gary responded, his voice void of emotion. He didn't even glance at his companions, one of whom looked shocked, whilst the other was impassive.

'You killed his pokémon?' May gasped, turning to stare at Red in disbelief.

'I didn't mean to. I know he had problems of his own with what happened to his parents and Daisy being as sick as she was, but he was taking it out on those around him. I was sick of getting messages from Ash about it so I was trying to bring Gary down a notch for always bullying him,' Red shrugged slightly, glancing from one of his companions to the other.

'You bullied Ash?' May questioned, turning her glare onto her cousin, scowling at the man in irritation. What was wrong with her three Kantoan acquaintances that they couldn't simply have a proper conversation?

'What? It was the way I coped with losing, with my parents dying and with Daisy being sick constantly. You wouldn't understand what it's like to have your parents taken from you and wondering if your sister was going to join them. Then there was Ash's bratty attitude, always seeking approval from gramps, it was infuriating. Give me a break,' Gary retorted, crossing his arms angrily as he glared down at her, acting every bit the child, much to May's surprise.

If they hadn't been discussing something so serious, she might have found the whole scenario amusing, instead, they were discussing death and sickness, and May only felt compassion and irritation for her cousin. She could recall being concerned about her own father when she'd been gym leader, and with Max being in and out of contact, she'd also worried about him and her ever grieving mother.

If only they'd been reunited sooner, maybe he wouldn't have taken his frustrations out on those around him and saved both the Oaks and Ketchums a world of grief.

'I can't believe either of you. Gary, you cope with grief by taking it out on others, and Red, you isolate yourself completely? If Iris heard, she'd call you both little kids!' May sighed before cuddling her skitty closer to her and leaving the room, muttering about how Drew and Gary had more in common than she'd previously thought. From her actions alone it was quite obvious that she wasn't too sure that she felt comfortable with their similarities.