Chapter Text
Blue twists her hands together, staring up at the apartment, eyeing the door that led inside. She dares not to climb up the stairs, aware that she would be turned away, not by the man suffering inside, likely bedridden and weak, but by his Pokemon, resolute in their final task for their trainer. Alakazam sits in front of the door, meditating, or perhaps asleep upright. Exeggutor stands, watching her from the garden. Gyarados curls around Exeggutor, staring up at Aerodactyl, who perches on the roof and stares out back. She recalls that is where Machamp and Arcanine stand watch.
Her heart only trembles as how strong Green's will had to have been for his Pokemon to stand sentry rather than watch him and love him and cuddle him and just be by his side as he draws nearer to that shattering final moment.
She remembers the moment she first knew. Daisy's frantic call, the sobbed words she heard, and the clatter of noise that resounded when she dropped everything she held when the words finally clicked and pressed with their weight.
"Green is dying."
She arrived as soon as the travel times allowed and rushed to the hospital. Her heart sank as she gazed upon Green's exhausted body upon the hospital bed.
There was no IV drip or droning machine or any medical equipment in the room.
Instead, a storm of rose petals, from the palest pinks to the richest reds, all scattered about the floor and the bed.
Her legs gave out and she sank just like her heart had. She finally cried, then and there in the hospital room.
Lying on top of the petal pile closest to where his mouth rested, were several beautiful, perfectly formed, rose buds, tightly closed.
Blue shakes herself out of her memory, glances at her PokeGear. Someone rolls up, a TV crew she notes, a sneer crawling onto her face. She knows full well how the media, with it's prying eyes, tries again and again to see if Green would speak to them, but his loyal sentries turn them away every time.
That doesn't stop each one from trying.
She returns her attention to her PokeGear, opens up Red's contact info and chews her lip at it, brows furrowed.
Under it all is the list of the most recent contact with him.
Or, singular contact.
1 day ago, Outgoing: 15 seconds.
She wonders if Red even recognized her words that wobbled and shook in the single sentence. Almost an exact copy of what Daisy had said to her, with two extra words added.
The TV crews starts to fuss, pointing in her direction. She gives them a pointed glare, thinking perhaps she should shoo them off, but one woosh overhead and one gust of wind later, she fell to her knees and looks up, in shock, and then in astonishment, as she sees Red.
Red.
RED.
He left the mountain.
Red storms up towards the apartment, but is repelled by Alakazam's Shadow Ball. Gyarados stirs and uncurls, glaring at Red, as Exeggutor happily wobbles his way out the garden. Aerodactyl lets out a cry and swoops down at Red, opening his mouth to deliver a Fire Blast that Charizard repels with a Fire Blast of his own.
Blue is stunned by the aggression. Red did not even make it to the flight of stairs leading to the door, the normal point in which they stirred to reject the incoming person. He did not even make it into the garden that Exeggutor and Gyarados had rested. He'd just only jumped off of his Charizard and they were on the attack.
Blue yelps as she's suddenly pulled off the ground and set on Arcanine's back? He trots off, towards the TV crew and Blue only glances back to see Machamp streaking off towards Red, only to find himself barred by Blastoise.
Arcanine drops her off near the TV crew. She notes that they had wisely chosen to back off into a safe area, and are likely setting up to broadcast. Arcanine gives her a friendly nuzzle, and Blue returns it in kind with a friendly pat that he accepts before bounding off to the battle.
"Excuse me miss?"
Blue looks up, the reporter looking more eager than he should ever be about reporting a soon-to-be death.
"Might you have a connection to either of the young men battling?" The camera is behind the reporter, the crew is staring at her, all eager and greedy, greedy for news.
Her mouth pulls itself into a thin line, her eyes narrowing, and her body stiffens. She shouldn't project anything even if she believes those words. She reminds herself to not spite them, even though her heart screams disgust. They are not threatening, and she decides to pull a "Red", turning away from the reporter, and wordlessly watches the battle.
They jostle her slightly, hoping for anything, but turn away. The commotion attracts bystanders, which in turn attracts the police, but none interfere. The battle, however fierce, is contained as well as it could be for the strength of the participants. The police set up some barricades as more people flood in to watch the legend himself fight in public for the first time in years.
Blue isn't a fighter, but she is good analyzing how battles are unfolding. She notices straight away that Green's Pokemon are not as accurate as they should be, aiming slightly off of their target. Aerodactyl aims slightly to Charizard's left, always, as does Alakazam against Pikachu.
Green had trained them far better than that.
So why was it that their attacks just graze past the enemy?
Blue puzzles it out in her mind, but she grasps at straws. She is no battle genius, and her tactics did not extend to intensive battling.
There's a fuss happening behind her, and she sees Professor Oak and Masami rushing up, but were held back by the police. Blue doesn't move, but focuses to see if she could hear them, listening to Masami beg to see her son and Oak trying to argue his way in. The police do not budge on their stance, and they can only watch from afar.
At this point, Green's Pokemon surrounds Red and his companions, backed into a defensive ring. Even Charizard crouches on the ground. Pikachu returns to Red, but perches on his hat rather than the shoulder. Blue notes the expressions on each Pokemon, Alakazam's scowl, Gyarados's leer, Machamp's frustration? Even Arcanine, the sweetest of them all in Green's roster, wears a soft growl on his face.
With a jolt, she realizes the looks are aimed not at the Pokemon, but at Red himself. They are angry at Red. That opening Fire Blast from Aerodactyl was aimed at Red. However, having been behind Red when he disembarked, Blue recalls the blast firmly aimed to where Red stood.
But his Pokemon are well trained...
Her head spins. Green would be in trouble, as all trainers would, if his Pokemon attacked a human.
Well. Trained.
The heels of her palms greet her temples. As far as she knows, Red and Green made up from their traveling days and are on good terms. Green even brought her up to meet Red, which had gone well, she supposes, if Red never saying anything or talking the whole time with his team eyeing her cautiously counts as "well".
Gasps echoing around the spectators forces Blue to straighten up, eyes wide as if they would help her see the cause. All she sees is Alakazam looking smug, a hand stretching out, and Red on his butt, clothes worse for wear.
Pikachu races towards Alakazam in a fit of rage, teeth bared. Alakazam smirks and dodges out of Pikachu's attack. The rest of Green's team seems to sigh, and they withdraw into the positions held before Red's arrival, minus Arcanine and Machamp, who remain out front instead of watching out back.
Red's face is clearly in surprise at the sudden halt of the battle, and his Pokemon awkwardly settle into more relaxed positions. Pikachu seethes visibly, but Green's Pokemon are clearly no longer interested. The crowd holds their breath, Blue follows suit. Red stands, legs trembling slightly, hand on Venusaur for support. He steps forward, shakily.
Red is at the entrance of the garden, Pikachu on his heels, the rest of his Pokemon settling just outside the gate.
Red is walking down the path. Arcanine yips, not at him, but at Pikachu, who bristles. Red pauses, pats Pikachu gently. Pikachu's whole body slumps as he obediently stays, and watches, ears and tail down, as his trainer advances to the staircase. Alakazam does not force him away, instead holding out a spoon.
Red pauses at Alakazam, reaching out for something in the head of the spoon, fumbles with it before slotting it into the door-
Blue remembers to breathe when Masami shouts.
"Red!"
He freezes, and looks back, poker face firmly set.
"Red, please."
Something in his face changes, before he gives his mother a small smile, before he turns and opens the door and disappears inside, door swinging shut.