Rose's days were becoming increasingly worrisome. Every day, she took her son with her to work at the most popular restaurant in town. But recently, he had developed a curious habit of vanishing without a trace, only to return to her at the end of her shift, his cheeks rosy and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

What on earth was her boy up to? Since when did he have a secret life? It took a toll on her, the uncertainty of Red's whereabouts gnawing at her maternal instincts.

It came to a head one evening when her son ran up to her with scrapes and cuts across his skin and clothing, but otherwise a very happy grin on his face.

She panicked, of course, and rushed him home. After she closed all the windows, she demanded to know where her little Red got those injuries from as she looked him over and cleaned him up with shaky hands. The young mother's fear turned to anger soon enough, and though it ached for her to do so, she told Red, very sternly, that he could never go outside again, not without her permission.

The entire time, she didn't notice her boy's excitement being eaten away by confusion, then nervousness, and finally sheer devastation.

For a whole week afterward, Rose kept her son inside the house with her – the restaurant management had been more than understanding, bless them – away from the filthy and dangerous folk that had a habit of proliferating in Pallet Town. Granted, she didn't think that those were the sort of people that her boy had gotten involved with, but given his recent streak of dangerous outings, it was only a matter of time, she thought. And she refused to let Red's childhood fall to ruin like her own did.

But although she could rest easy knowing her child's physical safety was secure, Rose quickly realized that she was not doing Red's mental state any favors, either.

Whereas before, he would respond to her words with gestures and the occasional hum, now he barely even glanced whenever Rose tried to talk to him, barely even moved except when it came to food, and even then, he wouldn't come to eat until the rumbling in his stomach was too hard to ignore. Red would just sit near the window, staring outside.

And so Rose was left with a choice – either keep him inside, safe but unhappy, or take him outside, where he'd be in danger but joyful again. It was not an easy choice to make for the young mother. Not at first.

But as fate would have it, that choice became easier, when one day a knock sounded from the front door.

Rose frowned from her place in the kitchen. "Who...?" she mused aloud, cautiously making her way to the door, her anxiety lingering. When she opened it, she was greeted by the sight of a woman around her age and a small girl, both of them with the most striking blue eyes she had ever seen. "Er, h-hello. Can I help you?" Rose inquired, her voice trembling slightly.

"Hello!" the other woman replied, offering a warm smile. "Are you Red's mother?"

Rose tensed but nodded regardless, her confusion growing. Who were these people, and why did they know her son? "Y-yes, I am," she stammered.

"I'm Helena, Blue's mom," the woman introduced herself.

Rose figured that "Blue" was the little girl holding the other woman's shirt tightly.

"My daughter tells me she's friends with Red," Helena went on, "they usually play with each other every day."

Rose's eyes widened in disbelief. "W-wha... Wait, she is? They do?"

"Red is her first friend here in Pallet," Helena explained. "You see, we just moved here. Blue hasn't seen Red for a while, and she's really worried about him, so we thought we'd drop by and see if he's okay."

"Red has a friend?" Rose mumbled, more to herself than Helena, in bewilderment. Things were starting to fall into place regarding her son's despondent behavior, but the shock that her mute son actually managed to find someone to play with overtook her sense of logic, as much as a tiny part of her hated to think about. So distracted was she with her realization that she didn't hear the light footsteps coming down the stairs before they abruptly stopped at the bottom.

But a voice below her broke through and interrupted her thoughts.

"RED!" Blue called out, a mixture of excitement and relief in her voice, as she rushed past the door and towards her friend.

"...!" A wide-eyed and open-mouthed Red stared in amazement.

"Where were you?!" The girl continued, pouting. "Why didn't you come out? How come you don't wanna play? Do you not like me anymore?"

Red, overwhelmed by Blue's questions, began to panic. He took her hand and shook his head, unable to voice his reasons.

"... Then why didn't you come to play?" Blue asked, her expression softening somewhat.

Rose found herself equally uncertain. She glanced at her son, who seemed lost in a sea of emotions.

Blue's mom, sensing the tension, stepped in. "Now, Blue, I'm sure he has a good reason. Now that you know he's all right, let's go home, okay?"

"O-okay," Blue replied, her enthusiasm waning as disappointment took hold. Red, too, wore a crestfallen expression.

That was when Rose made her decision.

Before anyone could leave, the Akai mother snapped her fingers. "Wait!" she exclaimed, catching everyone's attention. "W-why don't you stay for dinner? I'm making hot pot." She turned to Helena with a small smile. "I... I can't let you leave on an empty stomach, after all."

Red and Blue's faces lit up, their sadness momentarily forgotten.

"Can we, Mommy? Please?" Blue pleaded with hopeful eyes.

Blue's mom smiled warmly. "Well, it's hard to turn down hot pot. I hope we're not imposing."

"Not at all!" Rose assured them, her own smile brightening. "It'll be nice to have some company!"

"See, look! This one's got more hit points, so...!"

"...!"

Rose watched from the dining table as the children played with their Pokémon cards on the living room floor. She could still hardly believe how the night turned out. To think, her little Red actually found a friend!

There weren't many kids his age in Pallet Town. In fact, Rose wasn't even sure if any other kids lived in town. And she didn't have the time to find out, nor the confidence that it would be safe for her son.

But Rose couldn't help but surge with pride when she found out that her little boy made a friend on his own...! And not just any friend – the daughter of the Concordia family, no less!

She had heard, of course, that the mayor of Pallet Town and Professor Oak recently struck a deal with a small but up-and-coming land development company. And that wasn't to mention the rumors she heard from customers at the diner. That the company's founder was from one of the region's wealthiest and oldest families.

Indeed, the Concordias had a history dating as far back as the 19th century, when Kanto and the neighboring Johto region were collectively under the rule of the Tohjonian Kingdom. Even after Kanto earned its independence, the Concordias didn't lose their prominence in society. Even in the present day, their influence was still felt. Why, the President of Silph Corporation was from the Concordia family!

Rose wasn't sure why anyone , let alone the Concordias, would be interested in Pallet Town. But if it introduced Red to his first friend, then she supposed it didn't matter. Still, finding out just who her guests were came as quite a shock during dinner. Rose nearly choked on her food when little Blue's mother told her.

And speaking of Blue's mother...

"Aren't they getting along nicely?" Helena commented with a smile, her gaze lingering on the kids.

"Mm," Rose agreed, her voice soft as she watched them. She couldn't help but feel a sense of relief seeing Red so comfortable with someone else.

Helena took a casual sip of her tea, glancing at Rose. "It's just been you two all this time, huh?"

Rose blinked in surprise, the question catching her off guard. "Oh, how did you know?" she asked, a little curious but not offended.

Helena chuckled lightly, setting her cup down. "No offense, but the way you dote on him kinda gives it away."

Rose's expression softened, her lips turning downward into a thoughtful frown. "I see..." She trailed off, her gaze still fixed on her son. Her mind wandered back to all the quiet, little moments they shared. It had always been just the two of them since the day he was born. Her and Red. It wasn't something she consciously thought about, but in this moment, the weight of it became clearer.

"You've been his world," Helena added gently.

Rose didn't respond immediately. She just nodded slowly. "... I guess... I've been trying to do it all for him," she murmured. "Everything I've done up to this point, it was to protect him. Maybe... maybe give him a better life than what I had."

Helena reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Rose's arm. "It's not easy, is it? Raising them. Figuring out what they need when they don't always tell us."

Rose let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "No... it's not. Red's always been my little mystery. I always thought I was keeping him safe, but..." she watched as Blue giggled at something Red did, and he responded with a shy grin. "... But seeing him with Blue… I think I've just been too overprotective."

Helena smiled warmly. "You're a good mom, Mrs. Akai. And Red's a good friend for my Blue –like a knight in shining armor."

Rose giggled. "And your daughter is like the princess he's been looking for." The two of them shared a laugh. "Honestly... it's a bit of a relief, seeing Red like this." She smiled faintly, her hands wrapped around her tea mug.

"Yeah... I know the feeling," Helena replied, leaning back in her chair. "Blue's always been outgoing, but the move was hard on her. Leaving her old friends behind, starting somewhere new… she was really nervous. And so was I – I didn't think we'd find anyone her age in Pallet. Then she met Red." She paused, glancing at her daughter. "When I found her, she wouldn't stop talking about him. I was as shocked as I was glad that she'd found someone."

Rose's smile faltered. "And I almost took that away from both of them... I owe you an apology, Mrs. Concordia."

"Oh, don't be silly," Helena waved off Rose's concerns with a kind smile. "You were looking out for your boy, and that's what matters. Besides, he clearly adores you, regardless. And you opening your door to us tonight… that's more than enough."

"... Thank you," Rose murmured, her grip on the mug tightening slightly. "And thank you for coming by. I think I needed this as much as he did."

The two women fell into a comfortable silence, watching their children. Blue cheered as she placed her cards down, while Red slumped slightly, clearly having lost the round. But then Blue stuck out her hand, and Red hesitated before shaking it, a small, tentative smile spreading across his face.

"They're going to be good for each other," Helena said softly.

Rose nodded, her heart swelling with a quiet joy. "Yes, I think they are."

She wasn't entirely sure how she ended up here. Outside this little insignificant house, watching the humans through the window.

Nor was she sure why the humans got to stay in their shelters, their children safe with them, while she was out in the world looking for her own lost child, her own son that was taken away by the same species that she observed.

And she wasn't sure what the emotion that stirred within her counted as. Anger? Regret? Jealousy? Maybe even hope? Perhaps all of that, perhaps none of those.

But Mew knew she felt pain. She knew that she wanted to find her child. To make the people that took him away from her pay.

Shrouded in a cloak of invisibility, the Pokémon looked on as the little girl clambered up to her mother, trying to drag the woman into the game she was playing with the little boy. How safe that little girl must feel, in the warm embrace of her mother. How lucky she was that she wasn't taken away by some stranger, lost, scared, or abused. And how lucky that girl's mother is, knowing her offspring was alive and well.

A part of Mew wondered how that woman would feel if she went through the same thing. Was it even possible for a human to relate to a Pokémon in any way?

... It didn't matter. These beings didn't matter. Mew had wasted enough time.

Soundlessly, she flew off into the skies above the serene-looking town that masked all of the suffering that took place inside of it. But Mew didn't care for the other humans' troubles. Solving their problems wouldn't bring her closer to what she wanted.

"Myuu..." The mythical creature set off for the next place to look, the only sign that she was there being sparkles left behind in the wind.