Red wakes up from his bed with an intense pain coming from his head, earning a pained grunt from him as he climbs out of bed clumsily. Now sitting up, he places his hand on his head, surprised to see that he is covered in sweat, his body now registering the dampness of his clothes. "What the?"
He limps his way to the bathroom where he tries to get himself ready, the throbbing pain getting worse as he showers. Able to endure the discomfort, he finished his business in the bathroom, coming out with his hand on his head before he tried to go for a walk which ended in failure when he felt weak in his limbs.
"Red…" Red hears, turning around to see Leaf emerging from her bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eye. After doing so, she looks at him, seeing the slightly exhausted look on his face and then at the time before she shakes her head.
"It's early, Red. Go back to sleep. It's not even 4:30 AM yet and you're already going out to train." She complained, sitting on the edge of her bed and glaring at her roommate. The raven haired teen shook his hand which is his way of saying that he is alright. Leaf did not buy this, sprinting towards the door and blocking it when Red was about to leave the room. Red felt another wave of harsh pain on his head, making him stagger due to the discomfort. Before he could lose his balance and fall, the brunette catches him, escorting him to the bed.
"You're strong enough as it is, Red. So why are you going so far to train?" Leaf asks as she lays him on the bed. He couldn't answer as the headache intensifies, causing him to grab his head, curling into a ball as he got on the bed until the pain subsides. Waiting for an answer, she then sees him doing better as he rises again, showing her that he is doing alright. Despite informing her that he is doing alright, the brunette still made him rest, refusing to take any other answer which lead to him having to reluctantly obey. She then smiles at him, yawning before she brushes her hand across his face.
"Just rest for today, Red. We have no match for the next couple days." She said as she continues to pat his hair before she bites her lip, asked him a question with a tone that is showing worry. "Is there something that you want to talk about?"
Hearing what she said, Red slowly shakes his head which made the headache more unbearable as Leaf goes into the kitchen, telling him not to move and to wait while she does so. Confused, he looked at the Pokegear, seeing the date which arises thoughts in his mind. 'It's almost time. Just a week more before that day. I gotta win this tournament for the money.'
He then heard something footsteps, seeing Leaf come back in the room with a cup of tea, giving to him. He then raised a brow at her in confusion which upon noticing, made her laugh as she commented. "Don't worry, it's hot choco. Found it in the kitchen."
Red looked at the cup, seeing his reflection in the surface of the chocolate tea before he blew unto it and drink some of it, his eyes widening as his mouth started moving. "It's…good…"
"Of course! You may be an awesome cook but I'm the queen of making tea." Leaf said, puffing her chest. She then took another cup from the kitchen, sipping it as she looked at her roommate, sitting by the foot of his bed with a smile on her face as she looks at him and asks. "Red…are you alright?"
Upon hearing the question, Red looks at her only to see her showing a worried expression as she put her cup by the dresser and placed a hand on his head. "You're a lot warmer than usual and you've been on edge since the tournament has started. You're waking up earlier, sleeping late. Even your Pokemon are worried about you."
Leaf then scooted closer to him, brushing his hair out of his face to get a better look at him. As she did, she frowned, seeing the exhausted look on the raven haired teen's face. "You even have bags under your eyes. This ain't good, Red. Are you really ok?"
Red descended his gaze to his tea, spinning the cup before taking another sip. Thinking about the situation, he wonders as he once again is face to face with his reflection in the hot chocolate. 'It doesn't hurt if I tell her, does it?'
"If you don't wanna say it right now, it's fine. Just know that I'll be here to help if you want it. I owe you for what you've done for me and Leaf Green does not go back on those." She said, puffing her chest once again before returning to sipping her hot chocolate. Red nods, thanking her for the tea as they both talked for half an hour about any topic that came to mind. Realizing that it's still too early, Leaf opted to go back to sleep, a smile on her face before she said something to Red. "You better rest today. You…need it."
'Thanks Leaf.' Red said as he closes his eyes.
After an hour, he finds himself being unable to sleep, twisting and turning to make himself comfortable which amounted to nothing when he is still wide awake. He then sighs before he groggily but quietly gets up and sneaks out of the room, opening the door which starts to creak unexpectedly loud, him being glad that Leaf has not noticed. Despite the noise, he is able to creep out and close the door before he quietly walks towards to the outside front section of the ship, ultimately making it there as he leans by the railing, feeling hot as he looks to the direction of Vermilion City. He then descends to the floor, allowing the wind to go through his hair as he closes his eyes, feeling the ache in his head subsiding after some time.
"Red Fires…" He hears, opening his eyes to see legs in front of him. He then lifts his gaze to see Leaf with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face as her aquamarine eyes look down on him. She then crouches until she is eye level with him, glaring daggers into his eyes before she sits beside him, much to Red's confusion as he turns towards the brunette. They stayed like that for minutes, basking in the sunlight coming from the sunrise and the breeze that accompanied it until Leaf decided to break the silence.
"Are you having fun in this tournament?" As she asked the question, she received a skeptical glance by Red before she continued. "I'm just hoping that I wasn't too…overbearing and dragged you into this tournament…if you want to quit, you can…I was just…so excited to join that I dunno if I'm forcing you or anything…"
Red blinks in confusion before he starts to chuckle which confused the brunette as she turns to him with a raised brow. He then starts to laugh, trying his best to hold back his laughter before the brunette punch him in the arm. "Ow!"
"That's what you get, jerk!" Leaf said before he crossed her arms and scoffs, turning her head away from him. He then apologizes to her which did not change her mood before he sighs and looks towards the sky, immediately immersed by the orange clouds in the sky and the sun that is slowly coming over the horizon. The brunette followed his line of sight, slightly annoyed by his silent, more than usual, behavior before she hears him speak.
"My mom."
"Huh?"
"I…wanted to win this tournament…for the prize money so I could get my mom a present. It's almost her birthday and I wanted to get something nice for her." Red said, resting his head on his knees as he awaited a response. Leaf is speechless, previously thinking that she had done something wrong until she heard his response. Awestruck, she then looks at him before she smiles and puts a hand on his shoulder.
"I didn't expect that. Most trainers would do this either for training, social recognition or fame. To think you were doing it for your mother…that's sweet." She says with a huge smile on her face. The raven haired trainer looked at her in disbelief before thanking her, a small smile on his face. They both then turned to the sky, watching the clouds go by and the sun taking its spot in the sky.
"Some trainers forget their parents until their journey is finished. Too absorbed in training. Wanting to be the best. Showing their worth. Friends. Some of them need to take a page out of your book." Leaf said in a melancholic tone which did not go unnoticed by Red. Noticing his confused look on her, she then look at her gloves and twiddled her fingers before continuing. "Sorry. I…I just did not have a good sendoff when I was starting my journey. My dad was ok for the most part however my mom…I had a huge argument with her…didn't go well. She never spoke to me again, she doesn't even call me anymore…"
After she told her story, it was then Red's turn to comfort her as he puts a hand on her shoulder which made the girl smile before she scoots closer and hugs him, hiding the tears that threatened to come out of her eyes. Surprised by the hug, he got over it as she returned it and rub the brunette's back which got a giggle from her. "I just wish…that argument did not happen. I want to talk back with my mom again."
Hearing her, Red looked down on the floor of the dock with a melancholic expression, understanding her pain and frustration. After his father's death and the fire that engulfed Pallet Academy, his mother never spoke to him from a mother's perspective again, instead she insults him and lets out her frustration on him. She stopped caring for him. Before he knew it, he had to cook and take care of himself until he left the house for his journey, leaving without receiving a farewell from her.
"Red." Leaf said, knocking Red out of his stupor and getting his attention.
"Thanks for everything." She said as she put her chin on his shoulder, tightening her grip on him before she resumed. "For helping with the gym battle in Cerulean City…helping me with the incident with the Gothitelle…teaming up with me in this tournament and now this…I'm supposed to be helping you but I end up getting the treatment instead. What did I do to deserve this?"
As she asks her question, she lets go of Red, looking him in the eyes with a devious smile when she got close enough that their nose are touching.
"Is there something you're not telling me, Red? Do you have a crush on me or something?" She said with mischief present in her tone, not realizing that her face is slowly turning pink. Red starts to blush at the question, unable to step back due to her hold on him, him noticing that her arms are around his neck. Unable to break free, he could only sigh as she plays with his hair, getting the space he needs when he starts muttering silently. "Do I need a reason to help?"
The brunette's eyes widened in awe as she heard his answer before she giggled, resting her head on his and saying. "I guess you don't. Thanks. I owe you more now it seems."
After she stated this, she then snuggles with him a smile on her face while Red simply sighs and leans against the railing as they both enjoy the view of the sunrise.
As the morning starts and everyone congregates the ship, anxious for the next matches of the tournament as they comment and make their bets for who they believe will win. The match today is between Blue and Yellow against two Ace trainers. Leaf dragged Red into the crowd to watch the battle, excited to see the battle while her friend simply looks down, feeling melancholic but trying his best to smile for the brunette's sake. The match started with a stalemate despite the two Ace trainers having a type advantage however everything changed when Blue switches his Pokemon for his starter, Charmeleon.
Within minutes, the Fire type took out most of the Ace trainers team with a little of Yellow's help before her Pokemon decided to do cleanup and took care of the rest, resulting in their win of the match. Everyone was excited but most were slightly disappointed due to the swiftness of the fight, it did not take as long as most fights in the quarter-finals do and the fight was a one sided battle.
"Awww… darn it, Blue. I wanted to see more…" Leaf whined with a pout on her face. Red looks at her, unconsciously letting out a chuckle which made her glare at him, making him put his hands on his mouth upon being noticed. She smiles deviously before putting her arms around his neck which made him give her a confused look before she gets close to the point that their lips are almost touching. The raven haired teen starts to blush furiously due to the move and the various looks that he is getting from the crowd around him.
"What's wrong, cutie?" She said seductively as she used her fingers to pull Red's cap out of his hair, giggling at his reaction. As she was about to do so, Red held her hand which surprised her before she noticed the uncomfortable look on his face. She then realized something before she asks him a question. "You're not good with crowds, are you?"
She receives her answer in the form of Red shaking his head before she lets go of him and looks at the people around them giving them looks before both of the teenagers sigh and go along their business. After Blue's match, both trainers go to the front of the boat, Leaf enjoying the view of the water while Red talks and plays with his Pokemon. After a few minutes of peace and tranquility, a voice pierced the atmosphere that cause Leaf to groan and Red to be on alert.
"Why if it isn't Weed?" Red turns around to see Jessica with her crew, walking up to them with smug expressions on their face.
"Uuugghh. Jessica…" The brunette groaned through gritted teeth, not even bothering to look at the pink haired girl. After a moment of preparation, Leaf turns towards the group, her face showing a bored look before she exhaustingly asked. "What do ya want?"
"Oh! How mean! I just want to wish my next opponents good luck…cause you're gonna need it." Jessica said in a fake tone, looking hurt. Seeing the annoyed expression on Leaf's face made a smile appear on the pink haired girl's face before she turns to Red, her eyes widening when she sees his Milotic, her face instantly changing to that of surprise.
"A-a shiny Milotic?! How?! Aren't those things rare?!" She said as she ran up to the Pokemon, observing its beauty. She then glares at the owner with hatred in her eyes as she walks up to him, crossing her arms as Red looks at her in confusion.
"So you're the trainer with the shiny Milotic that everyone's talking about…" She mumbled before she puts a finger on her lip, thinking of something before she smiles as she gets closer to the red capped trainer.
"I'm sorry for what my friend did to you the other day. He just had a bad day. Right, Mike?" Jessica said, looking at the brown haired boy of her group. The brunette boy, now known as Mike, was about to disagree until he sees the intense glare that the pink haired girl was giving him, instantly nodding before he says. "Y-yeah. Sorry about last time. T-the guards gave me a hard time. So bygones?"
He then made a fake smile as he outstretched his hand, waiting for a handshake. Red looks at him with a confused expression before raising his hands to his head which shows that he has forgiven him, much to Leaf's surprise. Mike smiled before wrapping his arm around the raven haired trainer's neck, pulling him closer as he whispers. "So why don't you join our group, huh? You could get all the chicks, bro."
Hearing the request, Red smiles as he shakes his head, refusing the brunette boy's offer as he tries to remove Mike's hand and return to playing with his Pokemon however failed due to his injuries and inability to use one of his arms.
"What's wrong? You mute or something?" Mike said with a raised brow, getting another shake of the head from the raven haired teen whose Pokemon notice how visibly uncomfortable he was in the situation.
'I don't like where this is going.' Luxio said as he walk towards Mike, electricity crackling from his fur.
"What? You think you hot shit because you got a shiny Milotic? Feel big cause you beat Klaus?" Mike said, irritation in his tone before Red looking at him in confusion before he shakes his head. Getting angered by the red capped teen's silence, he starts to twitch before Meowth playfully hops on his hand, biting it. "Owwww! The fuck?!"
"Meowth! Why did you do that?" Red said to the Pokemon who smiles upon seeing the pain of Mike before purring. 'Sorry. I had a nightmare.'
Red silently apologizes to the brunette who is tending to his wound, looking at the raven haired teen angrily while he tightly clenches his good hand, trying his best to hold the anger in him. Red was going to help him until Milotic shoots a small Water Pulse which caused him to slip, his cast hitting Mike on his shin, causing a pained yell. Hearing the boy scream in pain while holding his shin made Leaf put a hand on her mouth, trying her best to hold back her laughter when she sees Beedrill holding its trainer using String Shot. "I like how his Pokemon think."
She then notices that the other boys in the group are checking on Mike before they turn their attention to Red, ready to pummel him. Unaware of what had just happened and trying to get back his balance, the red capped trainer looks up to see various boys cracking their knuckles, his face falling when one of them grabs his jacket before readying his fist for an impact.
"No." They all turn to Leaf who has her hands on her hips before stepping between Red and the group, her glare locked on the group.
"I don't know what you want but don't put this adorable cupcake in this." She said, hugging Red and pushing his face to her chest while glaring at the group. The boys were about to attack until they notice a group of guards appearing by the entrance, surveying the area which made them click their teeth as they give up, walking away, much to Red and Leaf's relief.
'Hmmph! At least they are smart enough to value their lives.' Milotic said, Luxio and Beedrill nodding in agreement which made Red glad nothing happened.
"Hope you don't taint the stage with your mascara when you lose, Jessie." Leaf said in a taunting manner, which made Jessica flip her off before going back inside the ship.
"…fake bitch…" Leaf mutters as she glares at the girl until she and her group was out of sight. She then felt a tap on her shoulder, turning to Red who face is showing is in her chest. "Can you…let me go…please?"
Seeing that her little grab on his head messed up his hair and made his cap fall on the ground, making her able to see his eyes which shined in the evening light. She blushed before it was replaced with a smile. "Hmm. Why should I?"
"Wha-hmmmph!" Red was interrupted when Leaf pulled his face further in her chest, her smile growing wider at the reaction of the boy which overlapped her blushing embarrassment of what she was doing and his breath tickling he. "I-I'm sorry, Red. You were saying something?"
While the boy was flailing within her grasp, she then notices the bandages on his face, her smile falling as she slightly traces her finger across it, feeling a slight sick feeling in her stomach. Her body shivered when the memory flashed in her mind, literally making her zone out and not paying attention to her surroundings until she hears Red's voice.
"Leaf…"
"Yeah…oh yeah. Alright…sorry about that…" Leaf said, letting go of the teen which made him give her a look of confusion. She then walks back inside the ship, her destination being her room while leaving a confused Red.
Worry taking over him, Red returns his Pokemon save for a few and goes after the brunette, finding her in their room with her knees up to her chest and her face buried in her arms. The raven haired trainer lets his Pokemon on his bed before he walks over to Leaf, sitting beside her and putting a hand on her shoulder which made her look at him. "You ok?"
"Yeah…Just felt a little nauseous…" She said in a melancholic tone. Red nodded, understanding the situation before he goes into the kitchen, making Leaf raise a brow. After couple minutes, she starts to get lost in her thoughts, wondering what is Red doing before she feels a poke on her arm, looking up to see her silent roommate. Leaf did not have time to ask anything before Red lifts a mug to her, surprising the girl when she takes the mug and looks at him.
"Thought…you needed some tea…you know, for the nausea…" Red mumbles, stopping as he drinks his tea and goes to sit on his bed. The brunette looks at the mug, seeing hot chocolate in it along with her reflection before she smiles.
'This is just like him. One arm broken but he worrying over others than he does himself.' She thought, sipping the chocolate to realize it was delicious.
"Red…why is it that everything that your hand touches tastes ten times better? Seriously I might have some competition." Leaf said, walking over to the red capped teen and sitting beside him, getting a shrug from him as an answer.
She then looks at Red, seeing him hiding his face before she puts her hand on his cheek, knocking off his cap from his head which almost made him drop his mug. Laying her teacup on the table, she then uses her other hand to play with his hair, removing some of the bangs from his face, smiling at the result which is Red's full face in full display. Having a playful smirk, she then traces her fingers along his cheek before pinching them, enjoying the expressions that he's making.
"Leaf, can you stop please?" Leaf stops to see a blush on the boy's face as he unknowingly gives her a pleading look, the girl not sure if he's doing it on purpose or by pure accident. Putting her hand on her chin, she pretended to think, enjoying the sight of the expressions on Red's exposed face before she says. "No. I don't know when I'll get this chance again to play with your face. If you'll be a good boy, you might get a kiss."
Seeing the boy head turning to his namesake, she giggles at his reaction before she hugs him, surprising him until he hears her say. "Thank you. You always know how to cheer me up."
"More like you know how to cheer up yourself at my expense…" Red mumbled quietly as she continues hugging him, nuzzling her cheek against his.
Leaf then noticed that she's not feeling hands around her until she feels a pat on her back, pouting due to the lack of arms wrapping around her. Sighing, she holds his hand and put it around her before whispering in his ears. "You can hug me, you know. You can even cop a feel if you want to."
Red sighs before he hugs her back, surprising Leaf until she enjoys the embrace from the silent teen. As they continued the hug, Red had an idea, wanting payback for the times the brunette keeps messing with him. He smirks before he starts tickling her which lets her erupt in laughter, much to her surprise as she flails around. She tries to escape but was unable to when she realizes that the raven haired teen keeps his hold on her, letting her fall prey to his tickling. "Red, hahahahaha! Please stop! Hahaha! C'mon, Red!"
She receives her answer in the form of Red intensifying the tickling session, showing no sign of holding back or stopping. The brunette tries to fight back but failed as she had to succumb to the action, glaring at Red despite her laughing expression. Minutes passed until Red stopped, leaving an exhausted Leaf who is sprawled out on his bed, panting heavily as she wipes the tears from her eyes.
"Red…that was…unfair…" She said between pants, getting a smirk from the raven haired teen. When she gains enough energy, she is able to get up before pushing the boy down on the bed, getting on top to prevent him from escaping as she exact her revenge while she holds his arm in place.
"Arms where I can see them, Red Fires. You're under arrest and you have the right to be silent, handsome." Leaf said, a huge smirk on her face as Red struggle against her only to fail. She then starts playing with his sides, relishing the silent reactions the boy has before he was able to wiggle free of her hold and made his counterattack. As this happened, their Pokemon watch, they smiled as some of them screams commands.
'Leaf, use Bite!' Buneary shouted excitedly, surprised when Lead bit Red on his neck multiple times. 'T-that actually works!'
'Red, counterattack with Tickle. Don't let her win.' Beedrill said in defiance, raising her stingers. Red endured the brunette's bites before he starts tickling her which made her loosen her hold on him.
'You can do this, Leaf. Use Bind!' Wartortle yelled, clenching his fists. The girl then was able to break free from his assault before she holds him still and constricts him to the bed with her on top.
The Pokemon continued spouting commands as their trainers wrestled against each other, everyone having fun. After a while, both teens were sprawled on the bed, panting heavily as exhaustion took its toll on them. After a few minutes of rest, Leaf pouts while she looks at her roommate who is still on his back, catching his breath before she jumps on his lap, looking down at the boy with a pout on her face. "I hope you know that you got lucky."
"Says the girl that was crying 'Uncle' for the last couple minutes. Lost to a guy with one arm." Red said with a smirk, making Leaf's heart flutter upon seeing it. She then gets up and turns away from him, hiding her blush as her thoughts go awry. 'Red…Red, Red, Red. The things I would do to him would be illegal and I'm the police girl.'
"You ready for tomorrow?" Red asks the girl who turns around with a huge smile on her face.
"You bet! I'm gonna enjoy slapping that smug look off Jessica's face!" Leaf said, suddenly anxious for the upcoming match as she tries her best to contain her excitement before she jumps on her bed. Red smiles upon seeing her relax before she gets up, picks up her mug and sipping it until she notices him, a smile on her face when she sees him turning his gaze to somewhere else. "Like what you see?"
"Oh. Sorry. I'm just glad that you're alright, Leaf. If…if you have any problems, I will be here to help you." He said with a smile on his face. Upon seeing his face, Leaf's heart starts beating fast before she turns around, grabbing her mug and drinking it to hide her face from Red.
'He looks ten times cuter without his hair in his face. Reference for the future.' She thought, a smile on her face as she made a mental note. She then notices a couple red marks on his neck and shoulders from their intense frolicking, making her face more red as she sees his disheveled look on the bed which made her bite her lip as she mumbles. "Oh sweet mother of Arceus and Mew…"
"What's…wrong, Leaf?" Red said, making Leaf's face turn more to his namesake as she hears how out of breath he is. She then tell him that they both need to bathe as he goes in the bathroom first which her crossing her fingers as she thought. 'Please wash away. Please wash away. He looks way too damn hot with those marks. And I dunno why it feels more hotter that I did it even if it wasn't intentional.'
After a few minutes, she sees him, she was able to see that some of the marks have disappeared, thanking the heavens that tomorrow is not her match. The two spend the rest of the day talking with each other before night came when they go to sleep in preparation or the rest of the tournament. Days passed as the last match of the quarter finals was done, the battle done in a flash by Zane and his partner Eric who both didn't lose a Pokemon and finish the battle in record timing, much to Leaf's and Blue's surprise and excitement.
The morning that starts the first match of the semi-final came in a flash, Red waking up to see Leaf not in her bed and the bathroom lights on. After a couple of minutes of him stretching and exercising as much as he could with one arm, he hears the door opening, revealing his roommate with only a towel wrapped around her body. Noticing him, Leaf smiled seductively as she opens her towel before Red quickly scrambles his clothes together and rushes into the bathroom and closing it out of embarrassment, much to the brunette's glee and amusement. 'He's too much fun to mess with.'
After getting himself ready, Red comes out of the bathroom, wearing a black hoodie and a dark blue jeans and red sneakers before he hears a voice.
"Looking good, handsome." Leaf commented, walking up to him, wearing a cream blouse and a green skirt with a flower pattern. She then looks at Red, frowning before knocking his cap off his head, a smile on her face as she looks at the full outfit now.
'And done. That's better. Thankfully, most of the marks are gone but…' She thought before she notices him going towards the cap before grabbing it and putting it in her bag.
"No caps today, sweetie. It ruins the outfit, trust me." She said in an annoyed tone, her hands on her hips.
"Bu-"
"No buts, Red." Leaf said, putting a finger on his mouth which made him silent. Smiling, she then locks arms with him before running out of their room. After a few minutes, they arrived on the battlefield, immediately hearing the multitude of voices in the crowd that are eager to see the first match of the semi-finals. Excitement present on her face which also shows in her grip on Red's arm strengthening, the brunette sees her opponent at the other side of the field, her face changing into that of a frown when her eyes lay on Jessica. Upon looking at the two girls, Red seems intimidated as he feels the tension rising from both female trainers.
"I'm going to enjoy this." Leaf said, a look of confidence on her face. Red sighs before he readies a Great Ball, seeing his opponents did the same as Leaf's Buneary appears out of its ball and unto Leaf's shoulder, getting ready for battle as they all await the referee's orders.
"LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!"
I honestly don't know what I was doing for this chapter but I thought we needed some insight into what happened before Leaf's journey and everything about it. I think after that Klaus battle, they needed some rest but not to worry, we're gonna be having the next couple chapters being tournament heavy, especially the finals, I think. Thanks for the support guys. Really thankful for it. I've been having a slight writer's block lately sorry about the late chapters. You guys will be getting the next chapter soon. Take care and stay safe, guys!
