Things start to fall apart.

"You were supposed to keep an eye on him."

Green was only halfway through the arched door when Lance's voice reached him from across the Battle Tree's training stadium, echoing languidly across the ancient boughs and vines.

"Well, good morning to you, too," Green responded drily. He was almost too tired to be sarcastic. It was 6:00 am and he was only here because Machamp had pulled one of its arms while trying to wrestle Gyarados last night, so he needed to check whether or not he could still use Machamp in his lineup. Eevee was curled up in his rucksack, still dozing in and out of dreamland while Green was pretty sure Rhydon, the 12-hour snoozer that he was, wouldn't even leave the Pokeball if Green tried to summon him.

"Green. What happened with Hapu exactly?" Lance stalked over, leather boots clacking across the marked lines of the battlefield. This was the first time Green had seen him in his full trainer's ensemble since his arrival in Alola. The cape was still slightly wrinkled, possibly because it'd spent the past month folded up and shoved in the corner of a closet.

Green shot Lance a sideways glance as he dropped the rucksack with Eevee in it on the ground. He wasn't ten years old anymore and men in capes no longer awed him.

"I don't know what Hapu told you, but she came and ambushed me at my door. Much like what you're doing right now, might I add." Green rolled his eyes.

"And?" Lance urged, ignoring the clear tone of insult.

"And she started going off on my ass about this entire Battle Tree thing bringing too many trainers to the island. According to her, our presence here is attracting too much tourism which in turn is disturbing the wild Pokémon. And honestly, I see her point. But I wish she would've been a little less rude about it, if you know what I mean."

"Well? And?" Lance pushed even further, arms crossed over his chest now with an irate frown weighing down his forehead. All the cheeriness from when they'd first arrived was gone, and back was the good old no-nonsense Lance who ruled Indigo Plateau with an iron fist.

"And what?" Green shot Lance a look of irritation as he gingerly arranged his team's Pokeballs on the ground and started to wipe them down. "That was it. She came over to make a point and I told her I can't do anything about it. And referred her to you. So, you're welcome."

"Goddammit, you know what I'm talking about. Red! Where does Red come in? Hapu said that he completely blew her off! She was furious, saying how appalled she was that the world's most famous champion didn't care about Pokémon habitats. If this spreads, it'll soil the entire league's reputation!"

This seemed to touch a sore nerve as Green sprang up and rounded on Lance. "Alright, two things. First of all, she was causing a disturbance right outside of Red's room. He heard it, he came outside, then he eliminated the disturbance. It had nothing to do with the island's habitat and everything to do with her behavior at the time. Second of all, how many times do I have to tell you and your friends on the administrative board that Red isn't suited to play poster boy?! He's antisocial and introverted. If you want to avoid bad press, then stop pushing him into situations that make him uncomfortable! It's not up to me to 'keep an eye on him' as you say.

He's a person! Not a baby Pokémon that needs to be trained!"

"Now, there's no need to get emotional," Lance quickly withdrew, taking half a step back. "Red was the one who agreed to take this position at the Battle Tree, so of course he'd be expected to fulfill the responsibility of his position. And that includes acting as a representative of the League here in Alola." Lance sighed and shook his head at the glowing fury seeping to the surface of Green's face. In so many ways, he was still the same boy who had lost to his best friend on Indigo Plateau eight whole years ago. Lance remembered thinking, as he watched the famous battle unfold, that he'd never seen such complexity of emotion from a ten-year-old child. Because for Green, when it came to Red, there could never be a calm bone in his body.

Lance considered ending the conversation then and there to avoid a blow up of some kind, but in the end, he found himself continuing with a twinge of exasperation,

"Have you ever perhaps considered that Red's social incompetence has something to do with the way you spoil him? Even if he does something inappropriate, you smooth it over for him behind his back. You even defend him in front of other people the way you're doing now. I know how you feel about him, Green, but really, you're taking it too fa—"

Lance halted mid-sentence, just in time to see shock materialize on Green's face.

"Wha...What did you say just now?"

Green prayed that he had misheard, or otherwise misinterpreted Lance's words. But as things were, the implied meaning was unmistakable.

As he and Lance stared at each other across the room, a gradual shadow fell over Green's demeanor as the truth finally sunk in.

Lance, on the other hand, wanted to slap himself for the slip up. He and the others had agreed to keep quiet about it until Green was ready to come forth himself.

"I...ugh." Lance put his hands up in surrender. There was no point in furthering the charade now. "Alright, listen. I've watched both of you since you were children, and—"

"It was that obvious, huh?" Green grimaced.

He turned away now and bent down to pick up Arcanine's Pokeball. It had been wobbling back and forth on the ground for a while now. Arcanine must've woken up at some point and was getting impatient.

"No...I wouldn't say that, no." Lance tried to backtrack. He minced every word out of his mouth, but there just didn't seem to be the right ones. "But! But…like I said, I've known you both and worked with you for a long time. And I've just always, you know. Had my suspicions."

Lance reached up to smooth out his flame red hair. Damage control, he repeated to himself. Damage control.

Meanwhile, Green had let Arcanine out of its Pokeball. The large, furry creature charged out of the ball, making several energetic rounds along the perimeter of the room before finally slowing to a stop in front of its trainer, tail wagging for head pats.

"And you've kept these suspicions to yourself?" Green tried to remain composed as he turned to ruffle Arcanine's thick fur from the back of its head down its spine, yet his voice was cracking and his movements stilted and zombie-like.

"Well, yes, of course. I wouldn't go around starting unfounded rumors, especially when they were just suspicions. But—" Lance paused, trying to figure out the best way to break the news. "You see...at the Goldenrod Radio fundraiser event..."

Green's hand froze mid-stroke down Arcanine's neck.

For a moment or two, his palm simply floated there, numb and unmoving above the unruly fur collar winding around Arcanine's head and chest. Eventually, Arcanine craned its head around to give Green an inquisitive look. Its instincts were indeed acute enough to sense the shift in its trainer's mood. It didn't complain about the early end to its grooming session, instead promptly sidling over to nudge Green with his nose.

Finally, Green gave his Pokémon a shaky but gentle pat before turning back towards Lance.

At first, he did nothing but stare at the man before him—the man who had been his opponent, his mentor, and recently, a pain-in-the-ass executive he grudgingly reported to on a weekly basis.

The age showed on Lance's face when he was somber like this, red eyes glinting with what Green recognized was genuine concern.
In the end, all Green could manage was—

"So. You saw that, huh."

The fact of the matter was, he knew exactly what Lance was referring to.

The annual Goldenrod Radio fundraising event. One of the biggest galas of the year, where every well-known Pokemon celebrity from Kanto and Johto gathered for one grandiose cocktail party.

In Green's mind, most of the fundraising event was a muddled blur—aside from one singular event.

Goldenrod was lit up and down the middle of its central avenue that night, dressed to the nines just like the celebrities that paraded through. Red carpet, lights and camera, all in a splendiferous procession up to the Goldenrod Radio Tower.

By the time of the fundraiser, it had been around two months since Green had seen Red in person, and Red had impossibly bulked up even more during that time. It showed from the way Red fit in the suit which he had (most impossibly) shown up in. Probably the first suit he'd ever worn in his life, judging by the way he kept pulling at the tight collar. But it was Red in that confounded suit, tight around the shoulders but tailored perfectly around the waistline, that imprinted itself into Green's memory with frustrating clarity even after he'd had three cocktails too many.

And when Red tipped that damned hat (which he refused to take off despite the suit), Green had to forcefully turn away to swallow his own heartbeat.

It was a bitter taste. Repressed emotions did not age like fine wine.

After that, the rest of the night was nothing but a whirlwind of razzle-dazzle, crystalline champagne glasses, silken fabrics of women's evening gowns, and friendly small talk accompanied by camera-ready smiles.

For the whole duration of the extensive charade, a ritual which Green found increasingly tiresome with every year, he could think of nothing but Red and his well-fitted suit on his mind, though Green refused to look a second time.

He refused to indulge himself. There was no point anyhow. Red would never look at him the same way.

All he would find staring back was the same cool regard, a nod of the head, a silent acknowledgement from an adequate distance.

Perhaps at one point, if things had unfolded differently, there could've been a different sort of future for the two of them. But not now.
So Green refused to indulge himself.

With these thoughts in mind, it was already too late when he'd realized he was on his fourth glass of whiskey sour.

He may talk a big bravado about his discerning taste for alcohol developed from his time in Kalos, but the truth was, Green wasn't a big drinker. And before he knew it, he could barely keep his head unattached from the bar counter.

Green was just about to amble off to the men's room when suddenly, Red was there.

Red, standing right next to him at the bar, fixing him with intent gaze.

Green remembered mumbling something or the other, but it didn't matter in the end, since Red dragged him by the arm straight through the loose throng of celebrities and out to the deserted corridor.

The air in the corridor was cool and soothing against Green's burning skin, and he fell into a stagger, laughing in between occasional hiccups as Red tried to keep him upright.

After that, Red said something, Green wasn't sure what, because by this time he didn't have the wherewithal to listen. All he could focus on through the haze was Red's face—how it had gradually gained the angles of adulthood just like the rest of his body.

And then he was blurting out something stupid. Something stupid like "I love you," as he watched Red's face slide into a rare and unmitigated look of shock.

It must've been that flicker in his eyes, the ripple as Red wrapped his head around what Green was practically shouting in his ear—the way Green's words tore cleanly through Red's eternally calm waters—that, in the end, gave Green the courage.

He pushed Red against the wall then and there and kissed him.

In retrospect it was probably a clumsy, messy ordeal. It was a pity, since it was probably the only time he was ever going to get to kiss Red, and yet he barely remembered it. He more so remembered how Red froze against the wall like a sculpture even after he'd pulled away, and how, as his own actions came crashing down like a tidal wave, he felt the coil of nausea in his stomach.

He made a break for a men's room, leaving Red still stunned in the corridor, barely making it to the toilet before the contents of his stomach spewed out into the porcelain bowl. And then…and then he must've gone to wash out the taste from his mouth, but ended up tripping and knocking his head against the sink.
Whatever the case, when he came to the next morning in his hotel bed, he was faced with a livid Daisy (who was called to Goldenrod after a server discovered him passed out cold on the bathroom floor) and a text message from nearly everyone who was at the event asking if he was okay.

As he stood there in the arena of the Battle Tree across from Lance, one month later and thousands of miles away from the scene of the crime, his lips pressed into a hard, thin line as he recalled the humiliation of that fateful evening. Beside him, Arcanine had gone silent as well, crouching down to rest on its stomach as it watched its trainer cautiously.

"Green..."

"You obviously saw it so don't act like you didn't," Green snapped.

He'd been so drunk that night he had no idea if anyone else had been in that corridor at the time. He knew now that he was foolish and naïve to assume that they'd been alone.

Yet Lance hastily waved his hands in denial at this accusation.

"I...I didn't. It wasn't me." A pause. Then, "It was Karen." Lance threw his hands up in defeat. "She went out to check on you because she thought Red wouldn't know how to take care of a drunk person."

At this piece of news, Green's expression fluctuated. "Fuck. And she told you? That damned woman..."

"Right...that is," Lance cleared his throat again, "She told everyone."

There was a weighty pause, like a soundless hammer striking the air, then—

"What do you mean...by 'everyone?'"

Lance sighed once again and ran a hand through his hair, taking a few steps towards Green as if to comfort him, but stopped short in the end. "Look, I didn't come here to talk about this today—"

"No. Tell me. Now." Green clenched his teeth and took a few steps closer as well. "I need to know who else knows."
Lance considered the boy before him for a slow minute or two. At times like this, it was hard to believe that Green was still only 18, still a child in Lance's eyes. But then again, as Lance thought back to the first time he'd laid eyes on the boy—ten years old, head barely reaching Lance's chest, and practically exploding with vigor after three consecutive wins against three of the Elite Four…Perhaps at that time, Green was already past being "just a child."

"Everyone we know who was there at the after party." Lance finally spoke. "All the gym leaders from Kanto and Johto, and the Elite Four members."

"Fuck!"

The expletive echoed around the empty chamber like a swinging blade.
Arcanine jumped to its feet, its fur puffed up aggressively in all directions, ready to fend off any and all approaching dangers.

But Green simply collapsed into a defeated squat next to Arcanine, burying his face in his hands.

"Fuck..."

Arcanine whined as its coat settled once again, ears flattening to the side of its head as it bent down to gingerly nudge Green with its nose.

"Green..." Lance bent down slightly to talk to the boy. "It's not as if anyone discriminates. In fact, I'm pretty sure most of them can sympathize. Plus, there's more queer people in the League than you might think."

"But that just makes it worse, don't you see?!" Green sprung straight up again in an outburst. "I don't want their damn pity!"

Lance frowned as he could see the well-constructed facade of the glorious champion-cum-gym-leader crumbling upon Green's countenance. He opened his mouth in search of words of comfort, yet it was Green who spoke first.

"I want to be alone. Please."

His voice was cracking.

Lance fell silent for a while longer, then walked over to give him a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"If that's what you want."

Green didn't raise his head again until the echo of Lance's clicking boots and swishing cape had faded from Green's mind.

Silence.

Green resigned himself to silence as he sat down on the floor, cradling his head into his knees.

The hollow arena was ghostly still, reverberating with the chill of its own emptiness.

But then—

"Eev!"

Eevee's furry little face was peeking up at him after it had slipped between his bent legs. She pawed gently upon his knees.

Green spread himself out and allowed the small fur ball to prance onto his lap. Arcanine, too, sidled over so Green could lean back and sink his head into its thick, warm coat.

"Eev!" Eevee chirped insistently once again. Only then did Green notice that she was holding something in her mouth again.

She dropped the item into his hand.

It was the exact same heart scale which she had brought him before. He'd tossed the heart scale in his rucksack at some point and she must've fished it out when she was inside.

"Um...thanks."

Green flipped the heart scale over in his palm, unsure of what to make of it all.

Perhaps she was trying to comfort him? But why would that warrant her regifting him the same item?

Green shook his head. Everything seemed senseless today, even the Pokemon he'd called partner for over a decade. He was trapped by all that he knew—his job, his colleagues, his friends, and his…Red.

Green took a deep inhale, then clasped the heart scale in his palm for a few moments and closed his eyes. An image emerged in his mind of the tiny, glistening scale absorbing the black congestion in his chest—every competing emotion tearing and gnawing at his insides like armies of Durants. And oddly enough, when he opened his eyes, he regained some semblance of calm.

It wasn't much, but it was enough for now.

He gave the heart scale in his hand another glance before slipping it into his pocket. Then, he climbed to his feet, and reached for Machamp's Pokeball.

The next day, Green received a message from Lance.

"I'm sincerely sorry about yesterday. But the situation with Hapu still needs to be resolved. I've arranged a professional meet and greet event two weeks from today and invited all the trial captains and island Kahunas. I expect both you and Red to show up so we can put this misunderstanding to rest.
I want Red to sincerely apologize for his behavior. He's old enough now that he needs to learn to take responsibility for his own actions. I'll leave it in your hands to make sure that he's there and understands what he needs to do."

Great. Just great.

Green rolled onto his stomach and groaned into his pillow. Just as he was contemplating how to tell Red about other people having witnessed their little "incident," now Lance expects him to debrief Red for a public social event? An event in which Red was expected to be not only the center of attention but also apologize for something for which Red didn't feel a single shred of remorse?

Green glanced outside his window at the rolling seawater against soft, sparkling beach sand silhouetted by arching palm trees. He suddenly suspected that the picture of paradise was an elaborate ruse and that he was most definitely in hell.

Then, a steady knock on his door.

Speak of the devil.

"Red! Uh. Morning."

Green squeezed out a smile as he opened his door.

Red tipped his hat in greeting, then stood back and gestured down the hall.

Green had no choice but to steady himself and follow Red on their daily morning stroll down to the Battle Tree's main stadium.

He was uncharacteristically quiet the whole way. In fact, he opened his mouth a few times in an attempt to start a conversation, but failed each time.

What was he supposed to say? That there was going to be another press event Red needed to be dragged through? That Red needed to apologize for an incident that wasn't his fault to begin with? Or should he instead begin by informing Red about the fact that every one of their colleagues now know about something he was pretty sure Red wanted forget.

The more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became. It was his fault in the first place that Red was caught up in this. If this was going to turn into a scandal, it would be a sizable one. And by pure merit of his own drunken indiscretions, Red would be socially scrutinized and dogged by pesky paparazzi for who knew how long.

Red never asked for any of this, Green berated himself. In fact, Red had been gracious enough to forgive him even after what he'd done. God only knew how difficult it had been for Red to be "rehabilitated" into society after living as a hermit on Mt. Silver. Something like this might just be enough to drive him up that route again. And for good this time.

"Green?"

Green felt a gentle tug on his hand. It lasted merely a second, but was more than enough to break his spinning wen of thoughts.

"Huh?"

They were stopped before the entrance to the arena, and Red was standing in front of the door observing at him with what could only be described as deep concern.

"I…uh. Um. Listen, there's something I need to talk to you about. I-it's work. But, um. I'll tell you after."
He ducked past Red and through to the arena after that. The familiar round of applause rose and fell as he and Red took their places on the battlefield.

At the end of the day's battles, Green finally delivered Lance's message. He did it with the utmost care, of course, in a language Red would be most accepting of, but nevertheless, Red took it better than he expected.

Well, at least, he was nodding.

"I know it's really not your fault, but Lance doesn't want the league to look bad."

Nod.

"So, you'll do it then? Press will be there."

Nod. Nod.

"Okay. Good. Great…Good." Green was growing slightly flustered at the way Red was staring at him. He felt examined somehow. "Uh. That's all. So. See you tomorrow, I guess. Good work today." He didn't know if it was just the guilt, but he wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Green."

"Huh?"

"You…"

Red was struggling to say something. There was a crinkling frown where his forehead usually laid smooth and unperturbed, detached from the worried of the world.

Green waited for a while, but Red didn't continue. Just gazed at him keenly in a way that made Green grow more and more distressed.

Normally, Green would take the time to figure out exactly what Red wanted to tell him. He would take Red to a quiet corner for dinner or some tea, patiently sit down and ask him leading questions while Red shook or nodded his head until the mystery was absolved. But today, Green was exhausted. Every bone in his body felt injected with lead. For the first time in a long time, he opted for the easy way out.

"Ah…Listen. I'm very tired. I think I might be coming down with something. Probably just need to sleep it off. "He managed a haggard, half-smile, as if to reassure Red that everything was still okay. "So, I'm going to head back. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

Red's lips quivered, opening and closing a few times before finally giving in.

Grudgingly, he reached up and tipped his hat.

Green nodded, then turned and hastened down the corridor towards the sanctity of his room.

Behind him, Red released a long sigh just as Pikachu scaled up his shoulder to nudge the rim of his cap.

"Pika?"

Red shook his head and gave Pikachu a gentle pat, eyes still forlornly fixed on the spot of empty corridor where Green had disappeared.

The next two weeks floated by at the same ambling pace as all things did on Poni Island. In fact, it wasn't until the night before the meet and greet that Green, while sitting at his desk with a barely-touched dinner in front of him, abruptly remembered from the depth of his distraction that the dreaded event was only a few measly hours away.

At this, he emitted a loud groan, forehead dropping straight onto the bit of table space before him.

Behind him, Alakazam was hovering over his shoulder again, waving its spoons around Green as if they were dowsing rods. Alakazam had been doing this with increasing frequency ever since the day with Lance in the arena. At first, Green tried to placate his anxious Pokémon, even going so far as to putting his party on a stricter training regime in an attempt to convince them that he was focused on his work.

But it was to no avail. Arcanine still whined, Alakazam still hovered, and Pigeot still rudely flapped gusts of wind in his face whenever he spaced out.

Eventually, he stopped trying to hide it altogether. Gym Leader be damned. He was going through a life crisis and his Pokémon might as well know.

Yet the oddest of the bunch was Eevee, who continued to incessantly bring him the same heart scale almost on a daily basis. He went over every detail of the heart scale, but aside from it being a high quality scale with rare coloration, he could find nothing else special about it. So, too preoccupied with everything else, he simply thanked Eevee each time before stowing it away again.

But despite all this, that day when he landed in front of the Hano Grand Resort on Akala Island, the heart scale was the last thing on his mind.

"Green! Right on time!"

Lance was out front awaiting his arrival, donning his most approachable and professional poise.
Red, to Green's surprise, had gotten there before him, and was standing aloof next to Lance with his hands in his pockets. The second Green stepped off of Pigeot, he could feel Red watching him again, as though he'd been waiting there just to observe Green.

Green dodged Red's gaze, pretending not to notice.

"Everyone is just about gathered. We're going to have an initial photo op in the lobby with some press people where you can all be officially introduced," Lance began to debrief them immediately. "Then, we're going into the event hall to properly get to know each other a bit. The reporters won't be there for the bulk of the actual event, but after two, two and a half hours, they'll be allowed brief interviews with everyone. Red, you know what to do then. Yes?"

"Yeah, yeah. You've said it a million times by now," Green waved him off and trudged briskly past the two of them towards the double doors. He tried to assume an air of nonchalant confidence—the image he'd always maintained in the public eye—but in truth, he just wanted to get this whole cursed ordeal over with as quickly as possible.

Inside, the Alolan cohort was already lined up and ready to receive them in the glistening lobby. At a glance, they were a diverse group as any other region's gym leaders, though Alola didn't use the gym system.

Green and Red were first introduced to the trial captains of each island, with each of whom they shook hands accompanied by camera flashes from the reporters lined up on either side of the lobby.

It wasn't a black-tie event, so everyone showed up in casual clothes, but some of the Alolans took casual to a whole new level. Kiawe, for instance, didn't even bother to come with a shirt, and most of the others were lounging around in sandals and flip flops.

Green supposed it was the Alolan way.

Next were the Kahunas, who came forth to greet them with enthusiasm. Hapu was among them, though Green only counted three Kahunas whereas he was almost sure there were four, one for each island.

And so it was within Green's expectations when the first thing Olivia said after introductions was, "I must apologize for Nanu's absence."

Then, she sighed with a flourish of her gem bracelets. "We did try to rope him into showing up, you know. In the end, all we got was a 'save me some food'."

"Hahaha! That's exactly like Nanu. One of our trial captains, Mina, couldn't make it either. A bit of a free spirit, that girl. But this sort of thing doesn't suit the two of them anyhow. I'm sure you understand," Hala laughed through his thick mustache, giving both the boys a hearty pat on the shoulder.

"Of course, it's no problem," Green replied, shoulder stinging from the impact. "We both know how tiresome this sort of job could get."

"Of course you would! Of course you would!" Hala chuckled. His had a deep rumble, as the petals of the tropical flowers on his shirt rustled with his laughter.

Then, he suddenly steered Red and Green towards Hapu, who'd been standing quietly next to Hala.

"Now, Hapu. Isn't there something you'd like to say to our new friends?" There was a sharp turn in his tone as he raised a single, greying brow at Hapu.

At her cue, Hapu stepped forward solemnly, her purple hood and gigantic pigtails downcast with the gravity of her mannerism. Then, she looked Green and Red squarely in the face and said with determination, "I sincerely apologize for my behavior the last time we met. I was too quick-tempered and misunderstood the situation."

Green, pleasantly surprised by Hapu's voluntary apology, instantly responded in kind.

"Really, it was all a misunderstanding. No harm no foul. As long as at the end of the day, we all prioritize the well-being of the island's Pokémon." He flashed a handsome smile and reached down to shake Hapu's hand.
Just as Hapu returned the handshake with a disproportionately firm grip, Green glanced over at Lance standing a few meters away, who nodded indicatively at Red.

And so, as Green retracted his hand, he leaned back and elbowed Red at an angle that was impossible for the three Kahunas to spot.

Green could fee Red gave a small jump, before realizing that this was his cue.

"I, um…" He stopped even as he started. The second he'd opened his mouth, all attention had was in the room was on him—every set of eyes, human or camera, were acutely locked onto him. After all, even after all these years, there was barely ten minutes worth of total footage that managed to catch Red speaking on tape.

Green peeked over and gave him a small squeeze on the back of his arm.

Come on, Red. You can do this.

…

"I…I'm sorry, too." A slight pause. "I definitively care. About…the Pokémon."

And then, there was nothing but cameras clicking and flashing to accompany the hush which befell the the lobby. It was to be expected of course. No one outside of the few individuals who regularly spent time with Red had ever heard him utter more than one or two words at a time, much less give an open opinion. Every word that fell out of his mouth was like a golden egg for the press.

To one side, Lance was beaming so brightly he might as well have swallowed a glowing moon stone. Neither he nor Green had expected for things to go quite so smoothly.

"Well then," Hapu finally said in that naturally stoic manner of hers incompatible with her age. "Consider everything happily resolved."

She reached out a hand to Red, who was still gazing down at her in a manner which was almost less blank than usual.

He took her hand gave it a single shake

And that was all it took.

The room veritably erupted as the other two Kahunas and surrounding trial captains started to applaud the gesture, which then spurred the reporters to surge forward for questions. In reality, most of them just wanted to get Red to speak a bit more.

"Now, now! Settle down! Settle down!" Lance squeezed in between the reporters along with a few of the hotel employees hired to help manage the event.

"Remember the schedule! You'll all get your chance in two hour's time, at which point the doors to the event hall will be open for you. Come on, back up! Back up."

Lance tossed a Pokeball onto the ground and soon enough, Dragonite was beating back all the reporters with gentle gusts of wind from its wings. This finally got everyone to settle down.

Then, he turned and slung his arms around both Red and Green. "Come on now, right through those doors ahead. The others are waiting."

He ushered them through the double doors, a winning grin nearly flying off his face.

"You happy now?" Green asked him in a lowered voice as the Alolan cohort entered the event hall ahead of them.

"Yeah. I'd say I'm quite happy. Really, quite happy. Good job, both of you." He gave both their shoulders an affectionate squeeze.

"We got lucky, that's all. Not like we could've predicted they were planning a public apology before our own." Green rolled his eyes, knowing that Lance was just glad to have the League off his back.

On the other side of Lance, Red shrugged off his arm.

"Come on, boys. Don't ruin a good moment. Now you can go relax and have a good time! Go get some drinks, have some food. Go mingle."

He pushed them both through the door and made a shooing gesture. Green sighed and shared an exasperated look with Red. They both knew that the "go mingle" part was more so an assignment rather than a suggestion.

Inside, the event hall was a picture of marbled splendor, so there was little need for it to be done up much other than the long buffet tables stretched pristinely against one side of the room. Above them, crystalline chandeliers cast dazzling sparkles down onto the glossy floor, which was an array of masterly, patterned stonework. The red onyx pillars along the walls showed stylized motifs of Alola's local Pokemon hiding behind its unique flora and fauna, and against the back side of the hall, there was an empty stage set up which caught Green's eye.

"Is there going to be a performance or something?" he asked, smoothly sliding in with the Alolan trainers.

"Yes!" The young, green-haired trial captain, a girl named Mallow with an irresistibly sunny disposition, was the first to pipe up. "We heard that you guys haven't seen the Marowaks dance yet! So Kiawe here decided to put something together!"

"That's right," Kiawe affirmed enthusiastically as he came over gave Green a one-armed squeeze. "Sorry, I would've greeted you properly earlier but rules and all that." He grinned. "I can't believe you two, though! You've been here for months and you haven't even popped over even once! Most people at least would come check out the volcano, ya know."

"Ah, haha. I guess we've been really occupied." Green forced a chuckled. It wasn't a lie exactly, but perhaps it wasn't the sort of preoccupied Kiawe was imagining.

"Oh? So, the Battle Tree really is that popular then," Olivia laughed with a joking tap to Green's shoulder, "I supposed it's not surprising that two handsome boys like yourselves would attract a stampede of fans."

Before Green could deny this, Mallow bounced in with renewed zeal, "Ooooh! I bet tons of girls come to the Battle Tree just to see you, huh?! How fun! Have you ever dated a fan?" She giggled, along with all the other girls in the group. Lana, the petite water trainer, at least tried to hide her small smile, but Acerola, the bouncy ghost type trial captain, was openly enjoying Mallow's line of questioning.

Green grew slightly flustered and racked his brain for ways to redirect the conversation. He usually tried to steer clear of anything that would remotely hint at dating or romance, because for one, any scent of fresh gossip and the paparazzi would be on his heel like a pack of Houndooms. And in addition to that, well. Despite

Daisy's best efforts, it wasn't as if he was trying to date women in the first place.

Thankfully, Hala stepped in to rescue him from the group of girls who had both him and Red surrounded with wide, expectant eyes. Beside them, the male trial captains, Kiawe, Ilma, and Sophocles, clearly decided to not get involved.

"Now, now. Let's not tease them too much. We all know that Red and Green were selected for the job because of their prowess as trainers, and nothing else."

Green let out an internal sigh of relief, then glimpsed over at Red, only to find him showing signs of unhappiness.

It was not obvious to the others, but Green detected the slight furrow of the brow almost immediately. Yes, Red was annoyed with something. But Green had no idea what with.

Red noticed Green staring and returned his gaze for a moment or two, then pointed towards the buffet tables lined with hors d'oeuvres before heading wordlessly towards the table on his own.

The rest of the group, who were meanwhile still engaged in a lively conversation about the Battle Tree and its merits in attracting young, eligible bachelors, stopped at Red's unannounced departure.

"Ah, right. I'm gonna get some free food, too," Green promptly said to stave off the potential awkwardness. Then, he flashed a grin before heading off after Red.

"Wow, Red really doesn't talk, does he?" Mallow whispered as the Alolan trainers began to meander towards the buffet table after the two boys.

"Sshh! They might hear you," Sophocles warned.

"No, but I mean. I haven't heard him speak at all since earlier in the lobby!"

"Well, Red might be the better champion, but Green's clearly the better catch," Acerola snickered, waggling her eyebrows at Mallow suggestively.

"Hey! I didn't mean it like that!"

"Sure you didn't…"

For a while, the conversation between the straggling trial captains was all schoolyard jokes and indelicate prodding. It wasn't until Olivia turned to give them a firm look of warning over her shoulder that they were able to settle down a bit, right as they filed in line for the buffet.

The food served were all miniature finger foods, designed so the participants of the event could stand around and talk as they ate. Though there were a number of round tables with chairs pushed to one side of the room for anyone who tired of standing, the center of the hall was left open, with the clear intention of mingling.

Just as Green was contemplating whether to take the risk with a margarita, there came a small commotion from the other end of the room.

"Hey! Sorry we're late!"

Green swiveled around to find another group of people trailing in from the side door of the hall, led by no other than Professor Kukui and his radiant grin.
Right behind him was his wife and partner Professor Burnet, who was deep in conversation with a young, pale-haired woman in a light blue ensemble whom Green did not recognize. And behind the two of them was none other than the tan and broad-shouldered figure of one Samson Oak, cousin of Professor Samuel Oak and Green's first cousin twice removed. Despite being a relatively distant relation, Samson's eerie physical resemblance to Green's own grandfather made Green helplessly wary of the man though the two of them had really only met twice before in person.

"Ah! Kukui! And Professor Burnet too! I was wondering when you would show your faces!" Hala boomed as he crossed the room in a few, long strides to greet the newcomers.

All around Green, the trial captains and Kahunas all grew lively at the new arrivals and went forth to greet them. The mellow atmosphere in the hall suddenly elevated into one of happy excitement as everyone broke off into multiple clusters of conversation. Even Lance decided to join in. Only Green and Red hung back by the cocktails, and judging by the way Lance was making eyes at him, Green knew that he couldn't afford to stay with Red for long.

After allowing himself a few more minutes to breathe, Green turned to Red. "Hey, I'm going to go say hi to the professors. You'll be fine here?"
Red stared fixedly at Green just long enough to stir up Green's nerves. But in the end, Red just nodded.

Green involuntarily let out a sigh of relief, then headed straight toward the group of white coats huddled in a circle along with Lance and a few other trainers.

"Well, look who it is! Heavens, have you gotten big!"

Before Green could even open his mouth, Samson's rough and sun-kissed palm descended from above to ruffle Green's unkempt hair.

Green had almost forgotten the other reason he found Samson particularly unsettling to be around. The fact that, despite having a similar visage, his personality was completely the opposite of Gramps'.

"Samson…hey." Green edged sway slightly as he attempted to right his hair. "I see you're still doing well. Hey, Kukui, Professor Burnet." He then nodded to the other two Pokémon professors in turn. He'd met both of them once before, at one of those academic conferences Gramps used to drag him to when he was younger, and Kukui did call in a few times by video since he'd arrived in Alola.

"Ah, that's right. The two of you are relatives, I'd almost forgotten," Professor Burnet said with a carefree laugh.

"That's right! But we haven't seen each other for a while now. Last time I saw him he was still a little tyke! Haha!"

"Ha…" Green mustered an unenthusiastic laugh, as he was pretty sure the last time Samson saw him was right after he'd lost the championship to Red…

As his attention slipped from the conversation, he glanced back towards the cocktail table. To his mild surprise, he found Red engaged by someone—the pale-haired girl Professor Burnet had been speaking with upon arrival.

He couldn't help the slight frown which snuck its way onto his forehead. As she was invited to the event, the girl was probably a renowned trainer or coordinator of some kind, but hard as he might try, he failed to recognize her.

"Ah! I see our top trial challenger has caught your eye." It was Professor Burnet who noticed Green's lapse of attention first.

"Who is she? I've never seen her on the international trainer rankings before," Green mumbled, eyes not leaving Red and the girl's interactions for a single second. If she was some type of overzealous groupie, Green thought, he might just have to intervene…

"Don't worry about her," Professor Burnet chuckled, reading Green's thoughts with ease. "Kahili is probably just trying to get Red to battle her."

"Ah, yeah. She was going on about that on her way here," Kukui immediately agreed. "She's a real serious sort of trainer. Talented, and pretty too, wouldn't you say?"

Kukui chuckled as he gave Green a suggestive nudge.

"No…that's not what I meant at all…" Green muttered vaguely, wishing to avoid the subject. Yet it seemed that Kukui wasn't ready to let him go.

"Now, now. No need to be shy." Then, he leaned on playfully with a quirk of an eyebrow and said with a smirk, "Truth be told, I've been sent on a secret mission of sorts. But ya know I'm no good at being subtle, so I'll just say it. Earlier, when I first came in, the girls and I were talking," -Kukui made a slight gesture towards the cluster of trial captains huddled around the dessert section of the buffet tables, which included Mallow, Acerola, and Lana- "And they all want to know if you're seeing anyone. And they sent me over to find out. So why don't you just give it to me straight, huh? Are ya single? Cuz if not, I think we have a few interested parties here, if ya know what I mean…"

"Kukui. That's enough," Lance interrupted.

Lance had watched the color gradually drain from Green's face bit by bit, and by the time Lance intervened, Green looked as if he'd swallow a raw, bitter herb in one go.

"Oh, c'mon, Lance. Let the boy have some fun while he's here. Knowing you, he's on a tight leash back in Kanto. Am I right, Green?" Kukui unfailingly redirected the conversation towards Green again.

"Huh?" Green jumped, hiding his clenched hands behind his back. "I, um…"

"The League likes to have our younger trainers keep their reputations clean," Lance jumped in again. "Both Red and Green had only just become legal adults, so I'd really prefer it if you didn't encourage them to…fraternize inappropriately."

Green, standing opposite Lance, fixed him with a grateful look.

"Oh, do you even hear yourself? Since when have you become so self-important? It's all the League this and the League that. Really, Lance, while you're in Alola, you could afford to—"

"Kukui." It was Professor Burnet who interrupted this time, with a firm hand on her husband's shoulder. "Let it go." She gave him a pointed look.

"Ahem." At his wife's behest, Kukui fell silent.

There was a brief, awkward pause before Professor Burnet smoothed out the atmosphere once again. "Don't mind my husband, Green. He's overly excitable at social events. Now, if you don't mind, I think we'll go get ourselves some food before Kiawe's Marowak dance starts. And I suggest the rest of you do the same."

Green thought he might have imagined it, but he could've sworn she gave him a quick wink before she steered Kukui away towards the buffet tables.

After the pair's departure, Samson too left to go talk to Red. Kahili had at some point migrated over to join Olivia and Hala, who was standing in a corner and feeding a plate of fresh fruits to Pikachu.

Green withdrew his gaze from Red as Samson went over to offer his hearty greetings. Green turned back to Lance, who was still beside him, somberly hugging his arms to his chest like a stone guardian. It seemed as though the stress of the past few weeks had him reverting back to his old, austere self.

"Lance." Green grimaced slightly as he recalled the hysterics of their previous in-person encounter. He felt a pang of guilt. "Thanks," he muttered. "I mean it."

Lance examined the boy beside him for a moment or two before answering, "No problem."

"And uh." Green continued, awkwardly scratching his head. "While I'm here, I should apologize for um. Last time. It was…highly unprofessional of me. Especially since this whole thing…started because of something stupid I did."

Lance shook his head to reassure Green that it was all water under the bridge. But then, "You know, in a way, Kukui is right."

"Huh?" Green blinked.

"I do keep you on a tight leash. And perhaps I haven't been the most considerate of…well. You're young, is what I mean to say. And I do hate to see you like this."

"Like…like what?"

To this, Lance only responded by lifting a quizzical brow. He said nothing further, leaving Green in a confused lurch.

Meanwhile, from afar, the pair of Pokémon professors were having their own discussion about what had just occurred. As Professor Burnet pulled her boisterous husband further from the rest of the party, she was met with a flurry of complaints.

"Hey! Hey, now. Just what is going on here? What was that all about?"

"Ssshh! Quiet down, will you?" Professor Burnet scolded, giving Kukui a harsh flick to that pair of lab glasses he refused to take off.

"Ow!" He jumped. "You know I hate it when you do that!"

"Oh, come off it." Professor Burnet rolled her eyes, flicking a tress of white hair out of her eyes.

"Okay. Fine. Now will you explain?"

"Really, Kukui! Do you have to be so bullheaded all the time?" she continued in a half-whisper.

"What? Lance was unreasonable first! Ever since he got promoted to the administrative board, he's gone all…bureaucratic." Kukui wrinkled his nose. "It's like he's a whole different person."

"No, not that!" Burnet waved him off. "If you had an ounce of tact, you would've noticed how uncomfortable you were making that poor boy."

"Oh, c'mon! I was just poking fun. And the girls did want me to find out, so what's the big deal? He's a teenager, he's a little awkward."

"No, no, no." Burnet shook her head, rubbing her crinkling forehead in exasperation. She swore Kukui was the reason for all her frown lines. "It definitely wasn't just that. It's…ugh. So, it's still early, but I heard something last night from a…reliable source."

"Oh? And what's that?" Kukui's expression flickered into curiosity. "He's got a secret girlfriend?" He had to admit, he'd always been impressed by how much "news" his wife was privy to within elite trainer circles.

"No! Ssshhh. Keep your voice down." Burnet hooked her finger at him to lean down before she whispered a string of somethings in his ear.

Whatever it was, Kukui's face morphed from intrigued to flabbergasted, then utterly horrified as he let the information settle in.

"So? You see?" Burnet tapped the side of his arm with her finger as she waited for him to recover.

"You…you're sure about this?"

"Well, I wasn't last night, but judging from what I've seen today. Yeah. Just about." She nodded.

"Then. Then I just—oh, jeez…I made a real ass of myself, didn't I…"

Kukui buried his face in his hands as he moved in an anxious circle around his wife before straightening up again and asking, "And…and you think Lance knows about this?"

Burnet tilted her chin towards Lance and Green, who were standing reservedly side by side, immersed in a solemn conversation. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd say so."

I am determined to torment Green until the end.

Like and comment if you enjoyed as always.