6 days later, Thursday, March.
Even as the first flowers at the base of Mt. Silver were beginning to bloom and show the first signs of spring, the barren wasteland that was the mountainside changed nought a glimpse, remaining as desolate as ever. Black stood atop Zekrom as they approached the forbidden land, and watched the sun peek out from over the horizon, splashing upon the dark canvas of the sky a pale rainbow. Behind him flew his Hydreigon and Dragonite, laboriously carrying the massive crates of Pokemon food he'd ordered. Black tried to suppress the memory of the event of how he'd obtained it as much as possible, shuddering as it broke free. It was, in retrospect, perhaps not his most socially brightest idea, running into the 24/7 Pokemart at 4 A.M. in the morning just to buy a massive quantity of Pokemon food, but one couldn't blame him for being so people-stupid, now, could they? It had seemed like a good way to encourage business at the time. He shifted uncomfortably on top of Zekrom (shoes off, of course) as he recalled just how much money he had instinctively handed the outraged store owner in an effort to appease him, as the man yelled himself hoarse at such a ridiculous notion as someone "buying a king's ransom's worth of crap in the most Arceus-forbidden hour of the night, by Jove!" Black's Dragonite flew to a stop beside its owner, looking over at him in concern. "I'm fine," he told the dragon. I think, he thought to himself.
The peak of Mt. Silver gradually appeared in the distance, looming imposingly before the quartet of close kin. "Straight up," pointed Black. Within a single swish, they had reached their destination. Black hopped off Zekrom, petting it. "Do you want to stay outside or?..." He wasn't quite sure what the Legendary Dragon would prefer, what with it being cold as space outside. Zekrom shrugged in response to the question, before spreading its wings and taking off again. Black waved it goodbye, before turning to his two exhausted pseudo-Legendaries. "Thank you for your help, you two. Just a little longer and you'll be free to go. Here," he said. "Eat these." He handed them each a Sitrus and Oran Berry from his bag, turning again to fishing inside it as he waited for them to finish.
His hands closed around a small, smooth surface. With an exclamation of triumph, he produced it from his bag, holding it in the air like a trophy. In Black's hand rested a disassembled, pitch-black flute, which flashed in the rising sun as if it were showing off. A warm, tingly feeling rushed through his hand as he thought back to the flute's origins. It had been a parting gift from his mom before his journey, a way for him to remember her by. She knew how much music fascinated him: he had spent countless hours poring over books, trying to teach himself the necessary music theory to build a substantial foundation. It was only after 2 years of dedicated studying that he finally grasped the understanding to, first play the piano, and then the flute, albeit not at the level of an expert. Black briefly wondered if he could still play with the ease with which he once did. It had been quite a time since he'd practiced, after all. It was one thing to pick a song here and there from a fellow musician during one's travels; it was a whole nother to try and recall it from memory. He looked over at the two dragons behind him. "Any requests?" he asked. Hydreigon floated over, nudging its heads against his side, sending him a brief flash of red, blue, and yellow. Black nodded in understanding. He awkwardly adjusted his fingers as he moved to find the notes.
"Let me think," he murmured. Taking a deep breath, he blew to test its intonation. Perfect, the flute was still in tune. He inhaled deeply again, before starting. E, G, F#, D, E, B... The teenager gradually lost himself in the music as he immersed himself, going down deeper and deeper and deeper, until his sense of time disappeared completely. On and on the island tune whispered through the mountains, serenading the landscape. Black became so lost in the music, which quickly alleviated his boredom as he waited for Red to wake, that he almost didn't notice a throat awkwardly clear itself. He snapped around, alarmed, completely forgetting the fact that he had two Dragon types flanking his side for a second. There, standing in front of him, was Red. The Kanto Champion looked the same as he had six days ago, when Black had challenged him. However, upon closer inspection, it seemed as if he had become even more tired and raggety. In the faint rays of the early light, his well-built form grotesquely resembled a broad-boned skeleton whose body had been draped with broken and torn funeral clothes. Red was observing him closely, his crimson eyes faintly coruscating in the morning sun.
Black watched as he lifted a finger, pointing at the flute. "Huh?" he asked.
"Song?" Red said. It was obvious that he'd connected the dots and realized this was one of the two songs Black had played for him on his second appearance on Mt. Silver; only an idiot would mistake it for anything else.
"Oh, that?" he said offhandedly. "It's a piece I picked up from the Shamouti Islands while visiting there. I learned it from a girl named Melody. Something about a Lugia theme." Red merely nodded in reply to the fact, turning instead to the mountain of Pokemon food situated on the summit of Mt. Silver. His eyebrow arched in what was obviously another inquiry.
"It doesn't take a detective to figure out that you were probably sustaining yourself on the local Pokemon population," answered Black. "So, I figured your team's palate could use some revamping. Consider it a tribute to the great king who resides upon the venerable ancient battlefield." Black didn't regret the sarcasm that permeated the air at the comment for one second as he watched for Red's reaction.
Red merely nodded, his face not even twitching in the slightest at the joke. He turned around back inside Mt. Silver, and gestured for Black to follow. The latter wordlessly called out Metagross and followed. The Steel type assessed the situation independently, and moved to help its teammates lift the food downstairs with Psychic. They went down in silence, with only the resounding clonk clonk of shoes on stone to accompany them. The crackling of the leaping, orange flames in the firepit of Red's chamber greeted them upon their arrival. Black took a deep breath and sighed at the smell of the place. Despite Red's team being out in the open and sleeping on the various rock beds created for them, the air smelled heavily of firewood and the hearth. Not altogether an unpleasant scent for a room at the top of a mountain.
Black turned to Hydreigon, Dragonite, and Metagross, who were all watching him. He nodded his head at another flight of stairs that led down, indicating that that was where they were to place the food. Red said nothing as this all happened, watching it all unfold like a hawk. When all was said and done, Black's 3 Pokemon helped themselves to a bit of roaming, taking off to explore the top floor of Mt. Silver, while their trainer stayed behind with Red. Black carefully pulled out today's breakfast ingredients, making a point to remain quiet: eggs, bread, flour, butter, milk, an assortment of seasonings, etc. Out of the corner of his eye, Black noticed Red lean forward slightly in interest as he tried to predict what the meal would be.
He decided now was a good time as ever to speak up. "Listen, Red," he began. "I apologize if I came off a bit too strongly last week after our battle." Black stopped what he was doing and looked up at Red, his face the picture of pensive forlornness. "You see, I don't quite know how to make friends, much as I wouldn't mind having some."
The addressed was literally taken a-back, trying to collect himself at that random outburst. Black hastened to reassure him. "I'm not a psychopath or whatever with, like, no emotions or whatnot. I'm just socially incapable. Much like you, or so I've heard." He sighed, picking out the last of the equipment necessary to make breakfast, and set to work, talking out loud as he did so. "I suppose it'll be necessary to understand the story from the very beginning if you are to really grasp what I'm trying to say." Black began to chop the spring onions he'd brought as a garnish into a small bowl, emphasizing his next words with each cut. "I haven't yet properly introduced myself, title and all. So, please, allow me the honor of doing so to a fellow titleholder: I am Black, former Champion of the Unova region. I come from afar in search of my friend and my dreams, which have led me to be where I am today." He put the knife he'd been using down, reaching instead for a pot and Samurott's Pokeball. The Water type appeared and stared at Black, who pointed at the pot. It nodded, and used a small Rain Dance to help fill it with cold, clear water.
Black set the pot on the firepit, gradually putting the eggs into it, as he continued his narrative to his silent audience. "I know you probably don't want to waste your time listening to me regale you with every minutia of my life, so I'll try to make as it simple as possible so you can understand. 17 years ago, my mother, who was a Unova native much like myself, returned to her childhood hometown, following a mysterious lacuna in her life story. She returned to open arms, with a husband in tow and foreign clothes to match. I mention her only as a way of providing a hypothesis on what I'm about to tell next.
"A year followed her reappearance, and all seemed well. She was expecting a baby―me, and her family life finally seemed to be settling down. Or so it appeared. Several weeks after I was born, my dad received a letter. It is an event that is shrouded in mystery to this day: he never spoke of who had sent it to him. All he did after getting that letter was pack up and leave with nothing more than a brief note that apologized to my mom and I. We still have yet to hear from him." The smell of toast was beginning to waft through the area. Red's Pikachu's nose started to wiggle of its own accord as it picked up on the aroma. It woke up, taking off for its trainer's shoulder. Black continued. "My mom's sudden leave for another region for such a long time wasn't without consequence, it appeared. Her homecoming was marked by a social withdrawal, a mysterious alienation. It wasn't denial or anything, so much as it was simply her and her friends not knowing enough on how to reconnect. So, she raised me in near-social isolation, which I believe contributed to my introversion and bookworming." The story was once again paused as Black started to peel the boiled eggs, working to get his and Red's breakfast up and running.
"I had only 3 legitimate friends that I regularly interacted with growing up. Their names were Cheren, Bianca, and White, and the fact that I knew them was nothing short of a miracle. Their parents were the first and only ones to reach out to my mother and I, and their children readily mirrored their heroic examples. So, as any friend would for another, I played with them, schooled with them, and, eventually, raced with them to the Victory Road and the Elite Four. Despite all of that, though, I was still a very massive introvert, spending a majority of my time with a nose buried in books. When you have as little contact with the outside world like I do, and thus the opportunity to reflect, you start to realize the possibilities of constructing a powerful inner world. So I did just that. I read, amassing a database of knowledge that someone once likened to 'an encyclopedia on everything and nothing.' It would prove useful later on in my life, as my main areas of interest were Pokemon and people, with a side dish of music. I tried to supplement my lack of past experiences with humans with theoretical models on how they acted and reacted to certain situations, which you can see firsthand how well that worked." Another bowl was produced as the gravy sauce was quickly readied. At this point, Red's Pokemon were beginning to stir one by one as the feast started to reach their noses. Snorlax was the second to rise, with its keen powers of food perception.
"But for every one bit of my interest that was piqued by the creatures called humans, three more than that grew to love Pokemon. And, of the many of these fantastic creatures that existed on this planet, none drew me in more than the long forgotten tales of the Legendaries and so-called 'Mythicals.' I was an absolute beast, pouring my time and energy into scouring the depths of libraries and collections, trying to pick up as many scraps and old wives' tales as I could about these enigmatic creatures. In the end, that curiosity became my ulterior motive for traveling, on top of becoming the 'very best.' I dreamed of encountering and learning as much as I could about the Legendary and Mythical Pokemon of this world. To befriend them, grow with them, and maybe even do battle together..." Black glanced over at Red, trying to see if he could read his thoughts. To his displeasure, his fellow trainer was proving to be superior in the game of poker, masking his thoughts completely.
He continued. "All of those introverted hours spent studying on people and Pokemon ultimately paid off for me, I suppose. When my journey started at the late age of 13 years, I singlehandedly knew more about the world's creatures than 3/4s of the population. Last week, you saw what I could produce with that array of knowledge: manipulating tactics and techniques to my advantage is now second nature." A mixture of salt and pepper was quickly thrown together as the final preparations were being made. Black pulled out two plastic plates from his bag, and slapped together the finishing product. Two plates piled high with creamed eggs on toast, garnished with a concoction of black pepper, salt, spring onions, and ham sat before the famished trainers. Red looked skeptically at the variation on his favorite dish, not quite sure whether the meal was intentionally created as a jab at him or if it was sheer coincidence. Black decided to let him figure it out while he took out some plastic utensils.
"By the way," he said casually, "the Pokemon food is all done and good. During my journey, I accumulated a fortune fit to rival empires. So don't hesitate to let your team enjoy themselves." Samurott went and slashed at the crates, officially initiating the start of breakfast.
They said nothing as they ate, voraciously devouring the banquet as if it would be their last. For a while, the only sound that came from the room was the dull dum of plastic utensils on plastic utensils, and the joyous munching of the Pokemon. Black was the first to finish, putting his plate into a large, black plastic bag before scooting back and exhaling. He fished out his Pokedex as he sought to reorganize his thoughts. He was beginning to have doubts about revealing so much about himself in so short a time; surely anyone would question such openness from another who so claimed to be "socially incapable," right?
No, whispered a voice at the back of his mind. The entire reason for clearing aside your past is so that there is no misunderstanding or lack of lack of connection. If you're so bad at the human constructs, best to just sweep it all aside in one swoop. His mind continued this argument for quite some time, weighing the pros and cons of doing such an outrageous thing as telling people things one normally kept close to one's heart. However, Red made a move before Black's mind could reach a consensus. The grateful trainer gazed at him with a piercing look that said continue.
So, Black took a deep breath as all the pieces fell into place again, shifting his mindset ever so slightly to match the current situation. He exhaled, and carried on with his tale. "I made a 4th friend whilst on my journey, and, to this day, he is the only other reason I have for traversing the world. His name was N, and he was single-handedly the greatest visionary I have ever had the fortune of knowing. We were sort of like rivals, representing two ends to the same question. N's words and actions completely changed the way I understood the world, and helped to widen my perspective on things I had never thought of before. It was unfortunate, therefore, that he left before I could thank him for teaching me so much. Dream your dream! Follow the path of truth, and pursue the ideals to make that dream a reality, and someday you will achieve all that you dreamed of! That was what he told me. Thus, you see me traveling in search of him, to show him the gratitude I have for his wise words." A steaming kettle of tea was quickly prepared before Black and Red. Together, they sipped meditatively, letting N's departing words simmer and stew about in their minds, with neither side quite ready to break the contemplative silence Black had imposed upon them.
Black continued to visit Red every week, remaining as punctual and precise as he could every time. His unsolicited check-ups on Red were always done at 4 A.M., marked by the arrival of food and music. There, he would continue to stay and talk to Red about something or other before leaving after lunch at 12 P.M. He still had yet to explain his ulterior motive for coming, but both sides knew that the information would be revealed with due time. Actually, now was the time.
The two of them had finished breakfast and were just cleaning up when Black's head perked up, causing him to turn to Red. "Say, Red, did I ever get around to telling you why I'm here in the first place?" he asked. The shaking of the trainer's head confirmed his suspicions. He hadn't actually meant to accidentally forget and follow that specific aspect of Professor Oak's orders. "Shoot. I planned to tell you that the week after our battle, before we started getting chummy." He smacked his forehead in embarrassment. It had been a struggle in and of itself to so delicately predict the plethora of situations and react accordingly up until this point. The fear of one mistake destroying this delicate structure actually frightened him a little. It wasn't due to the shame of failure, but, rather, because of the fact that he might not be able to help Red. Perhaps it was strange, but he could sympathize with the hermit's situation, having gone down a road very similar to his. And, the very real possibility of him not being able to help alter that course made him feel strangely sad for Red. Next to the curse of immortality, total and perfect isolation came a close second.
Black wasn't sure about Red, but, personally, he was getting rather tired of the idea of telling such long-winded tales. It was time to do some shearing. "Remember how I said a couple of weeks back how I was essentially an expert on legends? Well, you have sort of attained the title of legendary in your lifetime... not exactly an easy feat. On my journey in Johto, I picked up a word or two about your fabled presence in Kanto, and so decided to follow it and the breadcrumb trails about Mew. This ultimately led me to Professor Oak, who, together with a man named Scott, and Blue, helped me conspire to bring you down from Mt. Silver. Scott and I want to invite you to something called the Battle Frontier, so that you won't have to isolate yourself anymore. I can explain it more in detail if you'll just change your mind and move on down. Don't worry; I have your mother's express permission to bother you as much as necessary to bring you back to her." He gave him a devilish smile just to play up the sarcastic jest. "On a side note, I happen to have a resident more-than-introvert who happens to be an expert at what they do working on the side with me, so don't expect this game of cat-and-mouse to be easy." Red blinked at Black, obviously more than a little weirded out by that proclamation. It was definitely unorthodox, what with the whole declaration lacking any sort of begging or pleading like it normally was supposed to, but that was okay. He, Red, could get used to the sudden changes in pace that this Black character brought with him. It would certainly prove to be more fun than dealing with the attempts at tear-jerking people tended to do when they brought themselves on a mission to bring him down, at least. At long last, a worthy game was afoot.
Black persevered, despite the repeated answer he always received when he came to see Red. "Any plans on coming down?" Ever since that day, their meetings always started off with that question, which had since devolved to be little more than a slightly cynical icebreaker designed to help introduce the day. True, it was a little uncomfortable having to face the sting of rejection, but the fact that Red hadn't since grown outright irritated at the joke and kicked him off the top of Mt. Silver showed that there was still hope. Each time he appeared, Black brought something new from the outside world to show or teach Red. The first several weeks had been spent slowly and meticulously introducing himself to the Kanto Champion in such a way that it wouldn't cause him to scram. Now, it was a matter of reintroducing and reorienting the mountain hermit to the new age of humankind. Black was more than happy about having to play mentor to someone who was technically more experienced than him. It wasn't the pride of being able to show off that enticed him. No, it was more like the rapture of being able to finally put his endless repositories of knowledge to good and practical use that delighted him.
Today's lesson was going to be on the new techniques that the integration of Unova into the international system brought. Each trainer had a Pokemon out facing each other passively. The spirit of competition and tension that had riddled their first face-to-face meeting was lacking as they eyed each other from across the battlefield. "Are you sure this is the one you want to let learn a new move?" Black called. Red nodded silently, waiting. In front of him stood Blastoise, who was eyeing the Milotic that Black had brought warily, not quite ready to accept the trainer's good-naturedness as genuine. "Alrighty, then. The move I'm going to teach Blastoise is called Scald. Milotic, if you'd please demonstrate." Black's first verbal order since meeting Red intrigued the latter. People didn't realize it, but the very way in which a trainer commanded his Pokemon said a lot about them as an individual. This was just one of the many advantages that came with nonverbal methods of ordering, and was something that Red took advantage of regularly.
The strange sea serpent in front of them reared its pulchritude-laden head back as it inhaled, before hurling it forward again as a column of boiling water erupted from its mouth. Protect, said Red mentally. The move was an especially effective method to get a feel for an attack's power without subjecting his partner to damage, of which Red was grateful for. He didn't think it was yet time to reveal that much about himself to the friendly trainer by giving verbal orders, despite how easily he was picking up on his past.
Milotic maintained the attack for several more seconds, so as to give Blastoise a better understanding of the attack. With a wave of Black's hand, however, it cut it off, patiently awaiting its next set of instructions. "Well?" asked Black. "What do you think?"
Red shrugged. It was certainly a very strong attack; within the right hands, it could potentially be a downright devastating one. However, the fact that it was merely a simple, single-unit, beam-type attack might restrict its applications in a proper battle. But that was fine; times like these were where innovators truly shined.
Black stepped back for a minute in thought, trying to think of where one would find a good place to practice making hot water. "I don't suppose there happens to be hot springs conveniently floating around here, now, are there?" He had meant it as an offhanded joke, so one could only imagine his surprise when Red actually nodded his head yes in affirmation, face alight with a shit-eating grin. "Wait, what?"
"Follow," Red said as he turned back towards his room. Black looked at Milotic, who gave him a shrug-like gesture, before following Blastoise after Red. They descended the other flight of stairs, which had up until this point been completely useless story material, down deeper into the depths of the dark mountain. A trickle of perspiration made its way along Black's head. Was he imagining it or was the temperature actually rising as they made their way down?
Black gradually began to squint, not even realizing it until he almost bumped right into Blastoise's shell when the latter stopped. A warm, humid feeling clung to his skin, weighing down on him an extra 5 pounds. Red's figure was vaguely illuminated by the white light that poured out from an entrance in the distance. His next two words took Black by surprise. "Hot springs." Black had to repeat that in his head several times before the previously-unformed thought clicked: The guy had this place to clean off, and rarely used it? Together, the four of them made their way inside the brightly lit chamber.
It was a breathtaking place, to be sure. That such a beautiful natural wonder was concealed here in the bowels of an otherwise hellish landscape was unthinkable. It was gorgeous―the smooth, polished floor and walls were all made from the same, uniform, ghostly-pearl-colored crystals, which enlightened the room in a single luster. Hot springs made from rocks and a wall source were situated all along the walls at regular intervals, separated 5 feet apart. Their numbers totalled to about 20, with 10 on either side. What really got Black's attention was the drainage system within them. From the top left corner of each spring flowed a small stream, little more than half an inch wide. The thin rivulets all flowed toward a common line that gradually emptied itself at a point on the opposite wall, no doubt pouring its contents to the base of the mountain where its journey would be restarted again. It looked as if someone had intentionally designed the room artificially. But that couldn't be possible, could it?
Red made a one-eighty, waiting for Black to do something. He blinked, wondering what the expectation could be, before the whole point of him being shown the room clicked. "Oh, right," he muttered, embarrassed. "What I really need this room for is to serve as an example for Blastoise, so that it can get a grip of the temperature that's needed to achieve an ideal Scald attack." He gestured over at the water, which had a steady flow of steam erupting from its surface. "It's not quite boiling yet, but if we can approach this temperature, we'll be well on our way to one of the most easily spammable Water attacks on the planet." Black dipped his hand into the water to get a feel for its temperature. Definitely on the hotter end of the thermometer, but not quite ready to cook someone.
"Go ahead and put your hand in the water. Notice how it's not quite hot enough to even boil vegetables. This is the level of heat we want to achieve by the end of the day. The first thing you'll need before using this technique is an understanding of where it's produced. I'm going to lay my hand on your body, alright?" Black reached out, searching for a spot on the confused Blastoise's stomach. He stopped at a certain point above where the navel would be, but also below the solar plexus. "According to several traditions, this spot is known as the chakra associated with fire and transformation. We don't need to delve deeply into the theories; all you need to know is that all the heat you will use to produce the boiling water should originate from here."
Black pulled out a cup, holding it under one of the waterfalls that poured water into the springs. "Here, drink this. Notice how the heat spreads throughout your core. Where it all eventually rests is the spot you will use as the furnace to power your attack." Under Black's careful tutelage, Blastoise was able to gradually get a handle on Scald, before quickly mastering it by the end of the trainer's visit that same day.
"Thank you," said Red as Black was climbing aboard Zekrom's back.
"Hm? It's no big deal," he replied. "I still fully intend on getting you down from Mt. Silver. However, if I'm going to do that, the least I can do as recompense is help you catch up to date on the world." Red nodded, a little suspicious about how generous that offer was. "Forget it," answered Black. "While I can and do sympathize with your plight, don't think for a single second that I'm not capable of being cold-hearted." As if to emphasize his point, the temperature around the mountain suddenly began to skydive downwards as a blizzard slowly approached. The winds whipped around Black's death-bringing visage, hardening the lines that had turned his face into a cruel mask. "I may have been warm and friendly to you upon my introduction, but all those years in isolation can do some very twisted stuff to a person." Trainer and weather returned to normal as they took off, with the former waving his hand cheerily goodbye. Red looked up, not quite sure what to make of that excellent performance. Could he have been serious? Or was that just another fancy bit of legerdemain he had picked up from one of his "books?"
The flowery showers of spring gradually gave way to summer's moaning tempests as Black's visits to the summit of Mt. Silver continued. Red was proving to be an adept student, absorbing each and every new fact he was exposed to like a massive sponge. In no time at all, they had cleared through all the TMs and HMs that had been introduced since Red had disappeared. Now, all that remained was to go over the Pokemon that he had missed out on. This would probably be the real challenge, as Black had before him the decision of whether to grind and bring in each individual Pokemon, or to simply forget about it and risk missing some fact or other by only presenting information from a Pokedex. In the end, he settled on a compromise: bring in encyclopedias―the same copies of the ones he'd used as a kid―and, when possible, use a live example to help supplement the lesson.
By this time, Red had regained much more power over his voice, having had someone to practice a word or two with every day for the past season. It had gradually smoothed out, losing some of the harshness it had once contained due to lack of use. That was all well and good, the fact that Red was finally catching up with the world and finding his voice again, but there was one thing that still bothered Black to no end. The Kanto Champion's hair was a mess, and he smelled like the Augean Stables. Black had initially been reluctant about pushing the topic, seeing as to how he was barely an "acquaintance" at the time. However, now that time had passed, it was about time he helped alleviate that head of its burdens. So, he strode in one day, arms piled high with barber materials, all enthusiastically supplied by an eager Hanako ("Hush now! Take whatever you need! You just get to chopping down that boy's thick skull for me and bring him home soon, okay?").
"Alright, Red," boomed Black. "I can no longer stand idly by and watch as this atrocity continues itself. Your hair must be cut!" It was a serious business day when the normally-sarcastic trainer failed to initiate a visit with The Question of whether Red would leave the mountain or not. "Your mother has sanctioned my mission! So surrender yourself... or be captured..." Black trailed off as he let his eyes wander here and there, searching for the hiding trainer. This had become such an everyday routine over the past fortnight that it was really no longer a surprise that they were literally playing cat and mouse. Even all of Red's Pokemon had vanished without a trace. Black looked here and there, searching for them with mild amusement. A game in the early morn was always fun.
One by one, Red's team was rediscovered, until, finally, their trainer was caught red-handed as he was trying to slink off. Red reluctantly trudged out of his sanctuary, eyeing the utensils with serious mistrust. "Though I lack the necessary degree," Black started, causing Red's hair to bristle, "I believe I've watched enough documentaries to get the general idea. If you'll just please sit down for―a―second." With a little bit of friendly force, Black was able to strongarm Red down onto a rock, and set to work. He tittered a little as he saw the beads of sweat tumbling down Red's neck. The poor guy was actually afraid of getting his ears chopped off by an inexperienced hand. One couldn't exactly blame him, though.
"Tada!" Black handed the mentally exhausted trainer a mirror to inspect himself with as a hint of pride making its way into Black's posture. The face that looked back at Red was like a blast from the past. An uneven curtain of hair had been parted from in front of his eyes, exposing the fiery crimson with which they burned. His once-feral side had been tamed somewhat, now reduced to an asymmetrical mess of order. The bony cheeks that stared back at him were showing the faintest sign of a stubble, which he could already hear Black whistling merrily about as he set to prepare to remove it too. "In all fair honesty, I'd say it's pretty good progress, considering how little experience I had initially." Red barely managed to catch the double entendre as it sailed past his brain. Could he also be referring to their relationship as well? Come to think of it, it had been progressing incredibly naturally, despite the infrequency with which they met and Black's now-obvious lack of social skills. They had started off initially with Red saying little more than 2 words at a time, telling each other short life stories; then moving on to the exchange of knowledge and mutual trust; and now, here they were, comfortable enough to at least sit still while one performed a delicate operation on another. All while exchanging the cringiest of bro-type jokes, nonetheless. Chalk one up to Black and his ability to be flat out weird: The guy had literally faked his way into social excellence and adroitness.
The last days of summer were quickly approaching. Black's visits never wavered in their loyalty, always on time regardless of the weather or circumstances. Today was no different as he casually hopped off Zekrom, accompanied by the ever-constant crates of Pokemon food. "Hey," Black greeted.
"Hm." Red nodded his head in reply, tipping his hat.
"Listen. Zekrom found something last week. I wanna show you it after breakfast. Alright?" It was stated as a polite question but Black's puppy-like attitude practically bullied Red's resistance into submission. He sighed in resignation, leading the way down as usual.
After the meal, Red recalled everyone on his team except Charizard, who turned left and right in bafflement. Black wants to show us something, he told it. "Lead the way," he said to an astonished Black. 1 word was impressive, 2 words was a stretch, but to hear 3 words in a row from the blase teenager was unheard of.
Black suddenly remembered himself. "Er, right." He scurried up the snowy steps, completely ignoring the possibility of slipping as he hurried up to where Zekrom stood, waiting. "Okay, Zekrom, lead the way!" They took off together, weaving their way up and around peaks as the black Legendary led them to who-knows-where. Eventually, the shimmering waters of a surprisingly-not-frozen lake caught his eye. So that was what Black's companion had found. They landed at its edge, listening to the waves lap at the shore rhythmically. "I'm taking a long shot here, but based on your earlier behavior, you never really explore Mt. Silver, now, do you?" Red shook his head no. "Figures. So, then. Skip rocks with me?" He offered Red a handful of rocks, which the latter took uncertainly.
Within a few pointers and tips, Red had easily surpassed Black as an expert in the fine trade. "You know, I haven't had someone close enough to call a friend in a long time. These past 2 years have been remarkably similar to how I spent my childhood growing up, until Cheren, Bianca, and White appeared in my life." Splip, splish, splash! "Sometimes, I try to tell myself it was time well spent, learning, but it's really just a lie to help myself cope." Thwunk! "I didn't enjoy being so incredibly outcasted, so I can slightly understand how you might feel. I won't try to pretend that I can read you completely, though." Ker-splash! "But, that's still why I want to help you, Red, and maybe even get to call you a close friend, someday." ... "I admit, I was initially drawn to look for you out of sheer curiosity. But, now that I have had a chance to get to know you better, I really do want to extend an offer of friendship to you. So, er, what do you say?"
Black awkwardly held out his hand to Red, who looked at it in puzzlement. It was starting to get uncomfortable, what with the amount of time he'd had it out, when Red suddenly clasped it firmly, and shook. They got 3 good shakes in before both quickly let go at the same time. To this day, Black could have sworn he'd heard Red murmur, "I'd be honored to be your friend." Perhaps miracles did happen.