Leaf did not have a good sleep as she laid in bed awake, her eyes having bags under them from the events that transpired the last few days. Getting up which she found out took a lot more effort than usual when she realizes how exhausted she is. "I feel awful…"
After she stumbled lifelessly to the bathroom, she looks in the mirror where she sees her hair more unkempt along with marks of the bed on her face which is a result of her being in her room for days, only coming out only for food or water. After she finished getting ready, she leaves the bathroom before coming face to face with her Pokemon who had worried expressions.
"Morning, guys! H-hope you had a good sleep!" She said, forcing a happy tone. Seeing the emotional pain and hearing the peppiness in her voice disappearing, they all hugged her, patting her back and head as the brunette looks at them confused.
"What's wrong, guys? C'mon, stop it!" Leaf said, trying her best to laugh and feign ignorance. When she sees the looks on their faces, she forced her emotions back as she tries speaking again, a strain in her voice. "C-c'mon guys. S-stop. I-I'm ok…I'm o…"
Unable to hold back, the brunette could only descend to tears, crying her heart out while hugging her Pokemon, them reciprocating the affection in their group hug as the girl mutters. "…I-I'm…sorry, Red…I'm so…sorry…"
Feeling that she spent too much time at the city, she then decided it was time to leave Vermilion City when she starts packing her stuff, making sure that she has enough for the trip to Viridian since the entrance in Saffron City is blocked. She then gets herself ready only to see rainfall outside, sighing that the weather has been like this for days and is not showing any signs of subsiding. Getting herself ready while wearing a green raincoat and tying her hair in a ponytail as she readies her umbrella, she stares at the bracelet that she was given, memories flooding into her head which made tears build up in her eyes and a frown cross her face. "I've been in this city long enough. I don't wanna be here anymore."
Exiting the Pokemon Center, she made her way to Diglett's Cave until she had an unexpected meeting which only ended in both her and the other person's being frozen as the time continues around them. Raindrops battered the area, making everything unfortunate to be touched by it get pelted by its water bullets. During this time where some Pokemon, mostly Water type or ones benefitting from the weather danced in joy, two trainers made eye contact, one shaking however not due to the cold but by seeing someone she thought she would never see again.
Someone she spent the last few days looking for to the point where her friends left her to continue their journeys as she continued on her quest to find him. She almost gave up, wallowing up in fear and not being able to sleep. Seeing that same person that caused this emotional turmoil and seeing the state that he is in made her heart clench. He seemed to be limping and there are several bruises on his face if the bandages were not enough evidence, her thoughts spiraling out of control as the umbrella fell out of her hand.
"…R-Red…why?" Leaf barely choked out, her words becoming incoherent mumbles between sobs and uncaring about the weather. She wanted to know why he has bruises on his face and his jeans look bloodied. She wanted to know why he seems to have bags under his eyes as well. She wanted to know why he left. She wanted to know why he had not answered her messages for the past few days. She wanted to know why he had not spoken to her about the accident.
Red looks at her with a regretful expression, taking up her umbrella and putting it over her head before he mutters the words. "…I'm…sorry, Leaf…"
She looked at him worriedly when he opened her hand, putting the umbrella handle in it to protect her from the rain before she saw the sincere and guilty expression on his face while he wiped the tears from her eyes. "I think…we…should not…see each other…"
Hearing this made the brunette silent. His speech is going back to how he first met her when he was barely able to make full sentences. He's afraid. He's afraid of being near her. She was taken out of her thoughts when Red continued, not realizing the expression on her face. "I'm…sorry for…hurting you…and…I'll go away…"
"I'm happy…for all the time that we have spent together. You…are truly the only person who bothered to…care for me. I wanted…to tell you this…after the party but…I was beaten to it." The red capped teen said with a smile on his face while looking at the floor.
"WHO THE FUCK SAID THAT I HATED YOU OR YOU WERE HURTING ME?!" Leaf said, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, pulling them so close that their nose are touching. She tries to hold back her tears which failed when her tears exploded from her tear ducts and her sobs becoming more and more obvious, still keeping her grip. The brunette then tries to take deep breaths, calming herself as much as she can before she looks up again, the rain coming in and messing up both of the teen's clothes and hair, making her unable to see his eyes which despite this, she continued, exhaustion in her tone. "I…don't…care…I just wish and still want for us to travel together…like we were before…"
"But-" Red started.
"No buts! I can't take this anymore." Leaf whimpered, unable to voice her words due to the pain in her heart which is causing her to exert more energy than expected which did not go unnoticed by Red.
'This…this is all the more reason we should separate. Everywhere I go, I only cause pain. I can't bear to see you hurt like this because of me.' Red thought, his emotions in conflict with each other as he watches Leaf. As her hands reach to his face to remove his hair to show his eyes, she moved closer to him, her heart fluttering as their foreheads connected, closing her eyes before she moved her lips only to be surprised when he took a step back. "I'm…sorry, Leaf."
He then removed her hands, much to the brunette's shock when he allows his hair to hide his eyes and allow the cold of the rain to distract him from the pain in his heart.
'Not again.'
He succeeded in removing her grip, success not lasting for long when she wrapped her arms around his back, adamant on not wanting him to leave and shouting as loud as she could for him to stay. He looks at her in her eyes, seeing the pain and sorrow in them, ignoring it to forcibly remove her from him.
'Not like her.'
Leaf pushed him to the ground before they wrestled in the mud, Red able to hold his own as he spun around which made the girl loose her grip and fall back. Holding back his emotions, he moved out of her reach when she tried again to grab him which ended in failure before he ran away in the forest, making one last look at her before he dashes off.
'Not like Pikachu!'
The red capped teen was on the run, his tears fighting furiously to trace his down his cheeks as he tried making his way to the other side of the route. He knew he was running away from his problems again but it hurts him so much to see her like that. So defeated and pale. It only felt right for him to cut ties with her no matter the pain. He was about to go past a clearing until he noticed something from his peripheral vision, dodging a purple needle which went past his face.
"Don't you dare run on me, Fires!" He turns to see Leaf panting with her Roselia beside her. "What does it take for you to listen to me, Red? What does it take?!"
She got her response which was the teen running again, her Pokemon shooting another round of needles which was about to hit him, much to her horror. "Red! Watch out!"
In a single blink, Red could only see ice in front of him, confused as the projectiles broke apart from the pressure of the raindrops and then melted. Red turns to see Poli who looks intensely at the Grass type which even unnerves it. Snapping out of her stupor, Leaf clenched her teeth as she made a command, Red mimicking her approach.
"Poison Sting!"
"Ice Beam!"
The result of this was a clash, creating a field of ice that covered the brunette's path, making her curse under her breath. Red took this opportunity to run off, Leaf immediately chasing him, hot on his tail and trying to stop him. Shouting commands to her Pokemon, Leaf could only watch as the projectiles were immediately countered by Poli, the Grass type getting hit by some of the attacks, making her click her teeth. Realizing that her Pokemon may not last much longer if this continues, she whispers something to Roselia which it nodded to before taking off in another direction. After some time running, it appeared in front of Red and Poli, excreting spores from its flowers. Seeing this made him instinctively retreat, much to his dismay as Leaf was getting closer to him. 'Damn it! They cut us off. How are we gonna-'
Before he could think, Poli disappeared from his shoulder, appearing right behind Roselia and hitting it with an Ice Beam, the rain making it easier for the attack freeze anything that it came into contact with which in this case being part of Roselia body along with the ground, making its target barely able to move. Seeing this, Red pulled out his Pokedex, realizing something when he read Poliwag's description. "Oh man. I forgot! He had Swift Swim. Ice Beam again and end it with Doubleslap."
Leaf could not get the chance to counter back as Poli quickly froze her Pokemon solid, before it winded its tail and smack the ice prison that its opponent was in, sending it into a tree which broke the block and knocking out the Grass type unconscious. It was about to get up, seeing the pained look on Leaf's face before it was hit with another Ice Beam, freezing it solid again.
'I'm sorry, Ms. Roselia.' Poliwag said when it jumped on Red's shoulder, the teen feeling more guilt on what he did. 'This is why I need to go.'
Red quickly made a run for it, steeling his nerves and ignoring his urges to help the girl by not looking back as he ventures further down the route.
"Alright, the gate for the next route should be somewhere around he-" He could not finish as he felt a strike to the head, falling down as he sees Buneary in front of him. 'I'm sorry, Red. I don't want to hurt you but… Leaf's orders.'
It was about to ready another kick but was intercepted by Poli, who knocked it off balance with its tail before unleashing a Bubblebeam attack on it, knocking it into a tree. The rabbit then notices Poli sprinting towards it, almost a blur until it punches the ground, the electricity emitting from its ears electrocuting both trainer and Pokemon.
"H-hyp-n-no-sis…" Red stated while being electrocuted, his Water type obeying his command as it fights through the pain, using the swirl on its chest to disorientate Buneary before hitting it with a Bubblebeam. Both Pokemon then start to lunge at each other, Buneary using its agility to take down Poli who was able to counter due to its long range attacks and impressive speed. As the two trade blows for what seem to be a minute, Leaf was able to cut off Red as he step back, the look in her baggy eyes piercing through his crimson orbs as she controls her breathing.
"I. Said. Don't. Run." Leaf strained her words, her broken voice being heard but it did not lessen the effect of the serious tone that she had. She then took up a fighting stance before she runs towards Red, delivering swift punches and kicks that he tries to avoid and dodge as best as he could until he trips backward, allowing the brunette the advantage she needs when she grabs his good hand and holds it over his head, binding him in place as she pants. "Red! You need to stop running away! We can talk this out! Talk to me like you usually do! Use your Pokegear! Please!"
Red stayed silent, his guilt tearing at his heart as he tries with all his might to push her off, only to be rewarded with failure when she sits on him, letting all her weight prevent him from moving. Understanding that words are not going to work, Leaf resorted to another method, pursing her lips. She did not want it to be done this way but she has no choice if she wants to convey her feeling to him and show him that she is serious. Taking a gulp, she then bends forward, getting her face as close as she could to him, their lips were about to touch but she was stopped when a flash of light came from one of Red's bag, making her have to shield her eyes as her friend wiggles himself out of her grip and move. Able to move out of her grip and putting his flashlight in his bag, Red was about to move but he was punched in the back by Buneary, making him stumble to the ground as it lands in front of him, taking a battle stance.
"What the?" He said in awe, turning to see Poli on the floor in pain, much to his horror. He ran to the Pokemon, cradling it as it weakly looks at him. 'I'm sorry…I messed up…'
"Sorry?! I should be sorry for letting you fight on your own…I shouldn't have brought you into this…" Red said with tears threatening to burst from his eyes when he sees Poli closes its eyes, now unconscious. The teen sprayed it with a Revive and a Potion, patching it up until he looks at Leaf, his face hardened as he recalls the tadpole back into its capsule before readying another.
'I'm going to have to make her hate me.'
He then releases Clefairy from the ball, its attention turning towards its opponents, confusion on its face as it sees Leaf and Buneary.
"Jump Kick!"
"Dodge then Mega Punch."
Buneary then lunges towards Clefairy, leaping into the air before it tries to kick it only to miss as its pink opponent ducked underneath it and then hits it in the face with Mega Punch in the form of an uppercut. The Pokemon then trade blows, getting into a heated confrontation as both combatants are fighting with everything they have, not giving the other the time to hold on and recover. After a while, Buneary comes in close to attack, only for it to feel fatigued, making the Fairy type which knocks it down on the floor before it punches it into the face, sending it flying into a tree behind Leaf, much to the brunette's horror.
"Buneary!" She said, running to her fallen Pokemon before turning to Red only to realize that he is gone, much to her annoyance. 'Red…damn it! He sneaked off again. What is he? A fucking ninja?'
Running through the trees and avoiding the road path, Red dashes through the trees with Clefairy on his back as he maneuvered as much as he could to his destination. Before he could make another step, a barrage of purple needles came flying his way, Clefairy taking some of the damage while the teen was able to dodge them, one grazing his jeans. He tried to walk off until he was surrounded by a yellow cloud, immediately knowing what is going on.
'Stun Spore.' He thought, looking around before his Pokemon fell down, him seeing it have a sick look until he realized what happened. "It's poisoned…"
Leaf was about to celebrate until she sees the pink fairy get up, not affected by the status condition, much to her surprise. She was caught off guard when her opponent lunges towards Roselia, using the mud to increase its speed as both Pokemon starts to engage in a boxing match, Claefairy winning as it starts to land a few hits in before ending its combo with a Mega Punch, sending its adversary across the field.
"Mega Punch!" Red said, not losing a beat. It was going to continue but slipped on the floor, giving its opponent enough time to get up and use Giga Drain. "Oh no, Clefairy!"
Hearing its trainer's voice, the Fairy type then gets up, its determination to win being transferred as energy as it cocks back its fist and sends an uppercut to the Grass type which sends it into the sky. Leaf then tries to voice her counter or any move but was rewarded with failure when she saw Clefairy leaped in the air before it kicks the Grass type which rocketed it to the ground, unconscious. The brunette look at the Pokemon in horror before she walks and takes it up from the floor, cradling it with tears in her eyes.
"I'm…sorry….I'm s-so s-sorry…" She said between sobs until she hears a ring from her Pokegear, taking it out and looking at the message. 'Take Roselia to the Pokemon Center, Leaf. Just leave me alone. I'm not worth losing tears over.'
Reading this made the brunette angry as she rushes Red, slamming him into a tree and grabbing him by his undershirt as she glares into his crimson eyes. "Why are you doing this, huh? Why? Why?! WHY?!"
Red kept a stoic face, despite the many emotions bottling up inside him before he opens his mouth. "I mean…You…heard it yourself…didn't you?"
"Huh?"
"I'm…a menace…a murderer." He said, forcing a smile on his face as he looks at Leaf. Upon seeing his expression, the brunette got angry before she slaps him in his face which made him stumble back as he looks at her in shock.
"BULLSHIT! I refuse to believe that bullshit, Red!" Her voice was crackling as she yelled her thoughts, having to take a minute to catch her breath. She then walks back to Red, grabbing him by the collar once again.
"You can fool everyone but you can't fool me! You can let them believe this fuckery but I know from watching you…watching how you deal with your Pokemon…just how you act…you're not that type of person…so…stop it…just stop and come back to me…" She then slid down, holding onto him like he was her lifeline, her cries getting louder. Red looks at the girl with conflicting emotions as he fights himself to rip himself from her grip, much to her annoyance as she stood up, her hair hiding her eyes.
"Fine…if this is what you want…" Leaf said in a dark tone, making Red shudder before he notices her readying a capsule, realizing the ball as she throws it in the air, releasing a Nidorina before she looks at him with an annoyed expression. "…then how about this, a fight. Two on two. Substitutions allowed. The one who loses the match has to do what the winner says."
The teen did not get a chance to answer as Leaf called out a blue rabbit which was bigger as Red noticed the Pokemon. Seeing the teen, the Pokemon ran over to him and hugged him with a gleeful look on its face as some tears threatened to burst from its eyes, making Red chuckle as he pats the blue rabbit monster and his mouth starts moving on its own. "It's nice to see you too."
Seeing the boy and her Pokemon hugging each other, a small smile appearing on her face before she opens her mouth. "Nida."
The Poison type looked at her as she looks back at the red capped trainer, Leaf's expression hardened until she looks at her Pokemon. "Please…I'm going to need your help…I know you like Red and you wouldn't see yourself hurting him but…please just this once."
The girl paused, taking a deep breath before she continues, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "…we need to win him back, ok? So don't hold back!"
Nida nodded, looking towards the direction of their former friend, stopping them being their only goal. Clefairy was about to approach the blue monster but stumbled, a pained expression on its face due to its status condition. Red then walks towards it, about to pick up the pink fairy but it pushes him away, making him look at him confused. 'C'mon. Tis' but a status condition. I can take her on just fine.'
"No, Clefairy. You're tired. Just take some rest." Red said, defiant in his tone. Clefairy begrudgingly stand aside as the teen readies his next ball, calling out Beedrill who tackles him into a hug, Leaf seeing the exchange. 'And he expects me to believe that he is a murderer? That's like saying a Magikarp can take down Zapdos.'
When Beedrill flies onto the battlefield, a little wet by the rain, both trainers went into a silent stare down until Leaf makes the first move. "Chip Away now, Nida!"
"Twineedle."
Nida ran at full speed, slightly caught off guard by Beedrill who drove both its stingers forward, the clash resulting in a shockwave stopping some of the raindrops that descend from the grey clouds. Before long, both Pokemon start trading blows, neither losing their edge while their trainers try to find a weak spot. Red allowed for Nida to land a Poison Tail, making the yellow bee before he smiled, ordering it to use Assurance which knocked back the blue rodent, much to its trainer's dismay. She tries to voice another command which failed due to her Pokemon stopped in midair, a result of Beedrill's String Shot move. She could only watch as the Bug type brutally pulled her Pokemon towards it before it lets out a barrage of strikes on her precious Pokemon. Her tears fell out when she saw it descending to the floor, the present that she receives from Red, not able to stand.
Seeing the state of its trainer, adrenaline burst through Nida's body, making it shake off its attacker before it bites down on the bee, knocking it around before it throws it away. It then ripped off the strings, tackling its opponent, much to Leaf's glee, seeing that she is not out of the game yet. The battle continues as both Pokemon attack each other, neither succumbing to their injuries as they rush each other, clashing until both fell to the ground, barely getting up as the teenagers realized that they are on their last leg.
"Go Nida once more! Chip Away!"
"Assurance now Beedrill! Full Power!"
Both Pokemon then lunge towards each other, preparing themselves as they strengthen their body and do whatever they can to make their attacks more direct and stronger. Neither Pokemon were stopping. They did not waver. They felt their trainers' emotional turmoil before they made the collision, the shockwave slightly shaking the ground and the sound echoing through the forest as the two descend to the mud, not showing any signs of moving.
"Nida!" Leaf cried, running to her Pokemon before she notices Beedrill who struggles to get up from the ground as it is able to get on its feet, barely able to stand as it pants, getting on its guard, much to the brunette's surprise. The Pokemon was about to fall when it was caught by Red, who looks at it with a smile on his face as it looks away. 'I…can…still…'
"You did well, Beedrill. You did awesome! Just take a rest, you deserve it." The teen said with a smile on his face as he cradles the Pokemon who keeps apologizing. Red said soothing words to it before he returns the Bug type, looking forward to see Leaf doing the same before she stands up, her fists clenching tightly, making him fear that she might injure herself. "…tire..o…his…"
"Huh?" Red instinctively asked, raising a brow which made the girl turn around and glare at him. "I'm tired of this, Red! Why are we doing this? Why are you running? And don't you fucking say it's because you're some murderer or some crap like that! There is more to this, isn't there?"
The teen flinched when she said that, trying his best to think of a rebuttal but was interrupted when the brunette walked to him, her eyes narrowing as she attempts to grab him. His eyes widened as the hand went towards him, everything in slow motion as memories flow through his head, they were not good ones. He remembered in school when people would become his friends just to hurt him even more when he open himself to them, resulting in him either being embarrassed or being harassed and beaten to a bloody pulp, scars all over his body.
'Stay away!' His body acted on its own when he swatted her hand away, coming back to reality when he realized what he had done and the look surprise on the brunette's face. She then runs to him, only for both their Pokeballs to shake, their respective starters coming out as they use their most powerful moves, creating a clash. The winds from the collisions were strong, knocking back both trainer and Pokemon a few feet back as they all lay, sprawled out on the floor. They both start to get up, the girl accepting her fate as they prepare for the final battle.
"Don't hold back, Wartortle! Not even a little bit!" Leaf said darkly, her voice unnerving her starter but it follows her orders, getting itself in a battle pose.
"Keep on your guard, Luxio. Charge." Red muttered silently to Luxio who nodded as it starts glowing, absorbing electricity. 'Right.'
Leaf noticed the glow, realizing what is going on before she quickly made her command. "Water Pulse."
The Water type quickly shot the attack which is stronger due to the rain, making the blue and yellow lynx stop its move and dodge the water projectile before lunging forward to use Bite on Red's order. It then stopped its attack when Wartortle used Protect before it hears its trainer. "Hit the veil with Spark and start charging."
It did as it was told, tackling the bubble which knocked the Pokemon inside it back before it uses Charge again, much to Leaf's frustration. She then voices her next move, much to Red's glee as he smirked, whispering a command. "Use Spark…and wait…"
Luxio nodded, using Spark and waiting as its Water type opponent use Water Pulse, the veil of Protect disappearing as the teen made his move. "Now."
Before Leaf and Wartortle could react, Luxio hit it in the face with Spark, rocketing it backwards, hitting a tree, the collision causing it to break. When the blue lynx retreated, the blue turtle acted quickly as the Water type bit it, causing the blue lynx to run around in pain while it swatted and slammed it in order to shake it off its tail which came to no avail. It then let out a charge of electricity through its body, electrocuting the Water type which made it lose its grip on its tail. The attack grew in strength, making Wartortle slowly descend to the ground until Leaf spoke.
"Don't give in! Retract in your shell and use Water Pulse to rotate yourself."
The Pokemon did as told, biting its opponent's tail and retracting its limbs in its shell before it uses Water Pulse, the attack able to speed up its rotation as Luxio was brought for the ride. Luxio could not react when it was slammed into the ground, the impact knocking the wind out of it before it was attacked again by a punch to the face, signaling it using Brick Break. Both combatants started to trade blows, slugging each other when Red realized something as his mouth moved on its own. "Is Wartortle…glowing?"
His suspicions were confirmed when the Water starter used Water Pulse, the move much stronger than usual than it has from the rain, his eyes widening when he commands his Pokemon to dodge which it did. Red then sees the turtle in the blink of an eye get close to Luxio, ready to use Brick Break, much to both of the teens' surprise.
"Spark." He quickly calling his next move as the moves connected, the result being Wartortle getting electrocuted and the blue lynx body slams it into the ground.
Both trainer and Pokemon were not fast enough to react when a Water Pulse quickly formed out of the air, hitting the Electric type and sending it to the floor. The trainers look in worry and concern as their Pokemon pushes themselves to their limits, trying to push their guilt back when they had one goal in mind, to win the battle. As their starters reach on their last leg, barely able to stand and looking at each other, barely conscious. Before their trainers could utter another command, they started to lunge towards each other,
"Luxio, what are you doing?"
"Wartortle, stop please!"
Leaf then notices the raindrops stopping, swirling in a twister fashion around Watortle's tail while Red notices Luxio baring its fangs, the electricity surrounding its body going towards its fangs, making them bigger and glowing, surprise kept the two trainers in silence. Both combatants rush forward, their attacks colliding into each other which creates a flash of light, making both of their trainers having to shield their eyes before having to keep their balance from the shockwave.
When the light subsided, they were able to open their eyes, their expressions changing to shock when they see their Pokemon standing up, both glaring at the other. Before they could utter a single word, the two fighters fall, not moving, a sign of their unconscious state. Both trainers ran to their Pokemon, comforting them until they return their started. Red quickly gets up and started to back away silently, this time Leaf noticing as her eyes widened. "Wait, Red!"
Her words fell on deaf ears when he sprinted off, leaving her in the rain, alone and crying. She stood up as quickly as possible, sprinting towards him. After a while, her exhaustion got the best of her while she noticed that Red is getting further and further, much to her dismay. She then tries to pick up in speed only to be rewarded in failure when she trips over a rock.
"No, come back. Red!" She cried, outstretching her hand to his retreating form, the tears in her eyes threatening to come out when she sees him out of sight. She starts punching the ground, letting out her emotions their as she cried loudly, hoping this would soothe the pain somehow. She wanted to apologize, she had enough of this. Leaf's time at the party was ruined since he left. She could barely get any sleep since he left. The guilt she felt started to eat at her, making her barely able to function. Her green glimmering eyes then caught sight of the bracelet that he gave her, getting angered at seeing the piece of jewelry until she was about to rip it off but found herself unable to do so.
"I-I can't do it. It's still precious to me as much as I hate to admit it…" Leaf traces her fingers along it, a small smile on her face despite the amount of tears on her face.
Her attention was cut off when she hears a buzzing noise, the sound getting closer. She looked around until she screamed when she sees a yellow bee like creature behind her, her brain recognizes it as Vespiquen. It then lashes out to attack her, the brunette barely able to dodge as it grazed her foot, she then tries to move but could not go far because she felt a pain to her lower body, seeing that she twisted her ankle. 'Fucking convenient!'
"Oh no…" Her mouth could mutter when she sees the creature flies over her, seeing the pure anger in its' red eyes as it comes closer to her, the brunette's only response is by moving back with as much effort as she could. Her back against a tree, the girl could only brace herself for the worse when she sees its stinger starting to enlarge, closing her eyes and expecting the impact. After a while, she felt and heard nothing, only realizing that there is a slight change in temperature, opening an eye to see her attacker, what surprising her the most is how dizzy it looks. "What the-"
Before she could blink, Vespiquen got hit by a ball of fire, knocking it through a bunch of trees before it hitting a boulder. Leaf then turns to her savior, her eyes widening when she saw Red who is walking towards the Bug type before he opens his jacket, a ball of fire coming out of it and burning the Pokemon again, much to Leaf's surprise. She then saw him trying to move it away from her, a smile on her face as she let out a sigh of relief. "This is so like him. Too kind for his own good. Another quality to add to the list…and that's why I can't make you leave."
Seeing that they are both far enough, Red starts to converse with the charred Pokemon which caught it off guard. 'Young one, you can understand our kind?'
He nodded as a response which made her look at him dumbfounded until it then starts to explain itself. 'I was simply looking for Berries for my workers when I heard the sounds of combat, fearing for what may happen to my kingdom. I wanted to observe and remove the threat before it does us. We were attacked before and without warning, some of our workers were taken, the people who did it not caring about our habitat or safety as they tried to burn our hive down.'
Hearing this made Red's blood boil, his fists clenching as he didn't even notice his mouth moving. "How could they do such a thing? You are all trying to live."
Surprised by what he said, Vespiquen looked at him before she asks a question, her curiosity getting the better of her. 'It was on my mind for a while for a while, human boy but…it's peculiar that you're not capturing me or landing the final blow. Why are you not finishing me off? Why do you feel for us? I thought all humans are bad.'
'Not all o' them are bad. Twainer here is kind.' Vulpix said in a childish tone, making Red remember that it was recently hatched. After he made a mental note, he heard her continue. 'Vulpix has seen bad people but twainer not like them. He save Vulpix from pweople who try to hurt Vulpix.'
Seeing it snuggling up in his jacket and him protecting it from the rain, the queen bee looked down, trying to process this new information. She has seen since she was a Combee that all humans are ruthless but looking at Red while he gives her a Lum Berry, she notices that he does not hurt her out of greed and is not even seeking to capture. She then calmed down, taking the berry and eating it which it helps it with its dizzy state. "Sorry about hurting you. You're gonna need this as well, this little cream will help with your wounds."
The Pokemon looked at the items before turning to the trainer, seeing the smile on his face as she then asks him to take out a container which made him confused but he obliged, taking out one of his cooking pots. Vespiquen then poured a yellow liquid into the pot which Red recognize to be honey which filled the pot to the brim before she stopped. The queen bee then bowed in gratitude before it flew away, waving at him. 'Thank you, human child. I hope that fate allows us to cross paths again.'
Seeing it fly off into the distance, Red was about to walk off only to be stopped when he was pushed to the ground, being glad that he was able to lock the pot of honey that he got. He sees Leaf who is holding him in place, making sure that he does not move as he struggles to get free.
"Please…" This made the boy froze, his emotions being at their limit when he looks up at Leaf, seeing the tears in her eyes. She then quickly hugs him, making sure not to give him the space to escape. "Just…please…don't go. I don't care about who you were before. I don't care…just don't leave me."
Leaf's words became incoherent as her sobs get louder, making Red give up, unable to take it anymore. 'I forgot how stubborn she was, well, is.'
He then patted her back, about to get up before he realizes that she is looking at him in shock, instinctively putting more of her weight on him to prevent him from escaping. Letting out a sigh of relief, he kept still while he watches the rain, captivated by its beauty while rubbing Leaf's back. After a few minutes, the brunette stopped crying, looking up at him as she wraps her arms around him, strengthening her grip which did not go unnoticed by her silent companion. "Uhh-"
"No." Leaf said bluntly and flatly, burying her face in Red's neck, making him blush while her thoughts came to being. 'I miss this.'
"But I didn't say-" Red said but was cut off.
"No. You did this to me and this is your punishment. You should consider yourself lucky that I'm tired. I was planning to barrage you with kisses for what you've done."
"Why?" Red said, a blush appearing on his face.
Leaf smiled at him, hugging him tighter and putting her chin on his shoulder, closing her eyes before she starts teasing him. "Because you like me and I like you. Plus, I have a thing for bad boys."
"W-wait. W-wha?" The red eyed teen said nervously as she lifted his cap and put it on her head before she moves his hairs from his eyes, seeing his full face in display. 'I truly missed this. I know it's almost a week but that was way too long.'
Her face fell, her expression turning into a frown as she grips her companion's jacket which did not go unnoticed by him as he looks away, scratching his cheek as he thought about what to do until his train of thought was interrupted. "Red, are you sure that you did that fire?"
In an attempt to push Leaf away, Red nodded before she puts a finger on his lips, knowing he was going to say something before she continued. "My dad always told me that you can notice a murderer, no matter how much of an expert of a liar they are through their body language. You never had any of those body movements, Red. Not even once."
Red's gaze went to the ground before he feels hands cupping his face which brought him to looking at two green orbs that were looking at him fiercely as if they are trying to look into his soul. "Red. I want you to be serious with me. Did you burn down Pallet Academy?"
The teen thought about the question, wanting to look away but Leaf held up his face, making him look only at her while she awaits his answer.
"I-I…don't know." He shakily admitted after letting out a sigh.
"Huh?"
"I-I don't know. I want to say…n-no. At least, I…don't think so but…everything was hazy from…that day. I don't think I even remembered how it…started. One thing is certain though…I could hear it…their screams, the sounds of the fire and everything." Red explained, clutching his head before he starts breathing heavily, Leaf realizing what is going on. 'He's having a panic attack!'
"They won't stop…they keep screaming…for I don't know how long…they all want me to go to hell…to die…I deserve to die…I'm sorry. I'm…sorry…" The brunette started to hug him, whispering into his ear comforting words in an attempt to calm down her mentally troubled companion. After a few minutes, his breathing started to go back to normalcy, leaning back to a tree. "…sorry…"
"Don't be." Leaf said, grasping his shoulder and happy to see him back to himself but something clawed at the back of her mind when she looked back on what he said during his mental breakdown. "I think…I might need to get Dad into this. He might know something."
"Huh?" Red raised an eyebrow before Leaf started explaining. "You know, my dad's sort of a police detective extraordinaire. He could help with this case. It's possible that you might be suffering from some sort of hypnosis or mind-control like a sleeper agent."
Leaf started speculating, making a bizarre story along with making sound effects and weird poses with her arms before Red asked the question that has been invading his mind for a while. "Why are going so far for me, Leaf?"
Hearing this question, Leaf looked at Red before standing up and going towards Vermilion City.
"You remind me of how I was like when I was younger." She admitted, turning to Red and let out a giggle at the astonished expression on his face. "Hard to believe, huh? Well, it's true. When I was younger, I was a quiet girl, some people thought I was a mute."
Leaf then puts her hands behind her back, walking and swaying over to her raven haired companion. She looks down when she gets near him, taking a deep breath before she looks at him with a smile. "Having a father that's a commissioner is not really as cool as most people think. Don't get me wrong, my dad's awesome but…it makes me a trouble magnet. Because of this, everyone was scared of me. They always saw me as 'Mr. Green daughter' or 'the Commissioner daughter'. Even Noelle and Emma, they only see me either to get on my dad's good side or for what I have. There's nothing wrong with that but…I just want to be noticed as Leaf Green not the Commissioner's daughter."
"It was like this until I met Kimberley, she was the first person who tried to befriend me…look at me…acknowledged me for well, me." She said as she rests her head on his chest, taking a deep breath before she hugs him and says her next sentence which made the silent teen's eyes widened.
"You're the second person."
Leaf looked up at him and gripped his shirt before she got closer to the red jacket teen. Before Red could react, her lips landed on his cheek, taking a moment to feel the contact of his skin as a tear fell out of her eye. 'He's been suffering as well.'
She then retreated, allowing the cool breeze to pass before she twirls on her heel, giving Red a huge smile with a blush on her face until he heard her words.
"I go this far for you…because you're my precious little Umbreon. You're going to be with me through thick and thin from here, hero. Just like you promised me at Cerulean." Hearing this made Red flustered, about to lower his cap before he realized Leaf has it, chuckling softly before looking into the sky and then back at her.
"Yeah. I guess I am, princess." Red teased, a smile on his face, not noticing the red face that Leaf has and that she was aggressively pressing the camera button, secretly taking pictures of his face. Looking at the picture, the brunette could swear she was having a nosebleed, feeling her nose to realize that there is nothing there before she continues on. 'Yep! It's decided. I'm going to fuck him.'
"Well, at least everything is back to normal." Leaf thought aloud before she goes back to Vermilion, intertwining her fingers with her crimson eyed friend.
"Here's the picture of the kid." A photo was thrown unto a wooden desk inside a room with barely any light except for the one light bulb dangling from the ceiling. One of the silhouette took up the photo, seeing the picture of the kid who had a red cap and jacket in the picture before sighing, blowing a puff of smoke.
"What the hell happened, Klaus?" He asked lazily in a deep voice to which the greyed haired fisherman responded.
"The kid knows too much. I have had too much run-ins with him and he's getting more powerful by the minute. Plus, remember the red Gyarados?" The silhouettes nodded while the man passed the photo around to them.
"Turns out the kid's got more. He's like a human Shiny Charm."
After his statement, everyone in the room was surprised while they quickly took turns to look at the picture, getting mixed reactions, some of them speaking aloud.
"This kid? He looks so normal."
"Yeah. Like you could lose him in the crowd normal. There is nothing interesting about him."
"Yo, Sarge! Ya sure he tellin' the truth? He could be fuckin' with us."
The man at the table, now known as Sarge, looks at Klaus who starts sweating until Clarence pulls out a folder from his suit, gently placing it on the table. "I knew you would not believe so I came with backup…some evidence if you will."
Sarge eyed the assistant before picking up the folder, reading through its contents, his eyes widening at what he read. Skimming through the folder, he narrowed his eyes at the two men. "Who is this kid? He's been through so much shit and you expect me to believe he came out unscathed? It's either this kid is the luckiest son of a bitch alive or you're fucking with me."
"Oh, I know this kid. Never thought he'd still be kicking." The silhouette said in a surprised tone, interrupting and piquing Sarge's interest when he turns his head and looks at the silhouette who is silently laughing. "You know him, Vinny?"
"Let's just say, we had a little get together before. Ain't that right, Pikachu?" The man said as his Pokeball starts glowing in the darkness, revealing a silver haired man with green eyes with a maniacal smile on his face.
"Guess we're gonna have a little reunion very soon, brat."
Wow! I thought that this chapter is going to be long as hell. Just hope you guys don't mind it. Yeah, guys. Fuckfac- I mean V is back and Red now has a bounty on his head. You guys like how our girl Leaf just would not take no for an answer? Man, like she would not take no even if it was from a Legendary. Hope you like the little prelude to Leaf's backstory. This battle…was so much easier on paper. It was one of the easier ones that I was able to write as I was thinking on the go while I was writing it. For the Vespiquen part of this story, just remember it. I won't say anything. Just remember it. I'm happy with how this chapter turned out and hope you do too. Don't hold back on telling me if I messed up or not. Thanks for the reviews and everything. Thanks again for everything and I wish y'all the best. Enigma out!