"I really fucking hate you!"
But he was laughing, and it hurt. Though the battle had melted away some of the snow surrounding them, the air in its wake only seemed colder, pins and needles with each shaky laugh. The other male stared back at him, silent, before making some vague gesture with his hands.
"I don't know sign language!"
The male continued to stare, only to abruptly remove his Pokedex from his pocket. Fingers tapped at the display while he approached, and Fire blinked at the Pokedex that was shoved before him. Within the search display was typed NEITHER DO I.
When Fire began to laugh again, the male only looked frustrated. As Fire's anger dissipated, the other male seemed to grow more and more annoyed with things. The display left his view, returning with a new message.
WHO ARE YOU
"Are you Red?"
There was no reason to shout any more, now that they weren't standing so far apart, and yet Fire couldn't help himself. Someone had to fill the silence.
The name engraved on the back of the Pokedex's red casing answered that question. Yet when Fire opened his mouth to speak again, the device was turned over and a finger tapped impatiently above the still-displayed question.
"The better you, of course!"
His throat was going to hurt by the next day, he was sure.
YOU CHEATED
He didn't think he would regret it.
"What? You just don't know how to battle!"
It was worth a second chance at being himself.