Chapter Text
It'd been five years since Lucas had seen Red. Their first Smash tournament had introduced them to each other in a brief, formal sort of way, but it was the Subspace Incident where they had truly bonded, learning about what the other was capable of and facing the subspace army and Tabuu side by side. There had been another tournament that Lucas had been invited to, admittedly late (the letter said it was the pigeon's first day on the job to explain the delay, but when he arrived Ness confided that fans had called for his and Mewtwo's return), but Pokemon Trainer hadn't been there. Only Charizard had been invited that year and, while the dragon-like Pokemon had thoroughly enjoyed battling by itself, Lucas was disappointed that he hadn't been able to see Red.
After all, a lot could change in just a few years. And Lucas was keen to see how Red was, if there were other Pokemon he'd seen and could show him, or changes to his own Pokemon and how they grew. And how Red himself might have changed. It was difficult to receive letters across worlds; the Smash tournament was unique in that it's location was well connected to many worlds, making it ideal for the meeting of many heroes, villains and fighters looking to enjoy a brawl and battle in combative and strictly non-lethal competition. But it meant that a letter sent from one world often had to travel to this place and then onward to it's destination, which took a lot of time and effort. The last letter Lucas had received from Red had been a year or two ago, mentioning that he was intending to travel to a set of tropical islands with his rival, to see new Pokemon and battle with new people.
People had been coming into the Smash village for several days. Lucas hadn't been the first to arrive; that honour had gone to the 'original twelve', the fighters who were invited to the first tournament and every tournament since the beginning of Smash. But there were only a few left to arrive now, the people who had only been invited once or twice, and the newcomers. Lucas couldn't help fiddling with his jacket. Would Red even recognise him? He'd been thirteen when they had met and hadn't yet hit puberty, being a late bloomer according to his Dad and Duster. Now he was eighteen and had finally had his growth spurt, ultimately being a little shorter than his Dad but certainly not as short as he had been. He'd changed up his clothes, settling on a different look than his childhood striped tees and shorts. The orange hoodie with yellow hems and pouch pocket was a similar style to Kumatora's dress, although he hadn't realised until they had met up and compared them. He also hadn't realised that the shoes he'd taken to wearing were kind of like Duster's either, having chosen them because they seemed sturdy and reliable (the green cargo pants had been picked for similar reasons and so he could carry more stuff if need be). He was at least knowingly trying to grow out his facial hair - both Dad and Duster has some and looked cool with it, but he could only manage some faint stubble on his upper lip and chin so far.
And would he even recognise Red? They had never traded pictures through their rare letters, and while he remembered how Red had looked, he'd probably changed through puberty too and would be wearing something different than the jeans, red vest and black tee he had met him in. Although... would he have kept the hat? It was difficult to imagine him not wearing it for some reason. Lucas sighed and folded his arms on his knees. He should have brought out his keytar so he had something to do instead of daydreaming and wondering and waiting. A little bit of pondering and staring over the nearby gardens and Lucas realised there was no way he would miss Red's approach, as he heard a distant roar. Charizard refused to arrive discreetly. Even if he didn't immediately recognise the trainer there would be mistaking the Pokemon as several others now approached from the village. Hearing Charizard's roar, they also eager to greet old friends. Pikachu, followed by his young protege Pichu, dashed out to stand beside Lucas, jumping up and squeaking out to answer Charizard. Behind them several of the other Pokemon fighters gathered to see what the fuss was about. Lucas smiled to the Pokemon - he got along well with nearly all of the Pokemon here at Smash - but his attention stayed on the path.
In moments Charizard appeared, flying overhead with it's flame tail burning like a shooting star behind him. He wheeled above them, roaring joyously before crashing down, drawing himself up proudly and flaring out his wings. Pikachu and Pichu immediately ran up to him, Pichu jumping up to climb all over Charizard while Pikachu began to talk with him in eager squeaks. A Squirtle shell appeared next, propelling itself along with bursts of water and leaving puddles in it's wake. The Squirtle bumped into the back of Charizard, who turned and snapped his jaws at him in a grumpy sort of way. To which Squirtle just gave his teammate a sheepish grin and hurried back the way he came, presumably to try and encourage Red to hurry. Finally, walking alongside a patiently stomping Ivysaur, was Red himself. He was laden with some traveling bags and clearly tired from the journey, but still walking the path on foot with his Pokemon for company.
He hadn't actually changed much, not in terms of fashion. The vest was gone, due to having been in a hot climate judging by the soft tan, but he was still in jeans, sneakers, a tee with a red graphic on the front and, of course, his cap. It didn't look like he had changed his hair or try to grow any on his face. But there were some changes, the kind that were hard to describe in full detail. His jaw seemed harder, his posture somehow more determined and confident despite Lucas remembering him as being determined and confident to begin with. Maybe it was experience along with the five years of physical growth that made Red seem more mature and different to when Lucas had last seen him. As Red drew near he waved, a smiling brightening his usually serious features. Lucas waved back, grinning. Red paused when he saw Lucas, eyes widening. Ivysaur nudged the back of his head with his head, to remind his trainer to keep walking.
"Hey Red! It's been a while." Squirtle noticed Lucas when he spoke, rushing over to greet him. He knelt down to pet the tiny turtle's head, standing as Red drew near. it struck him then that Red was still just a bit taller than him, his eyes just about level with his old friend's chin. He quickly looked up to meet his eyes, catching his smile. Red was never very vocal; he would talk often to his Pokemon but around other people, he didn't say much. Lucas had learned it was mostly just due to Red being extremely quiet by nature and finding it easier to talk to the non-human partners he lived alongside everyday. Still, he was blessed with Red putting a firm hand on his shoulder and murmuring a few select, yet genuinely warm words. His voice was still a little rough, but it was deeper and it suited him. In Lucas' opinion anyway.
"Thanks for waiting for me."
Lucas tried not to focus too much on the hand on his shoulder as they turned and began to walk inside together. Lucas decided to talk about the tournament, rather than immediately begin with more personal topics. Those could wait until they were somewhere more private, for Red's comfort. While things had changed in the Smash Village, the people in charge had gone out of their way to try and make things as comfortable for returning fighters as possible, giving them the same accommodations they had before. For Red, that meant a humble but uniquely fitted house to suit both him and his three Pokemon with a generous pond for Squirtle to enjoy, a fragrant garden for Ivysaur to laze in and a roof built to match Charizard's needs. The Pokemon rushed to their territories, making themselves at home and rearranging little details to their liking. Lucas paused. Red probably wanted to settle in, to get comfortable and unpacked before socialising. So it was a surprise when Red invited him inside, pointing him to the living area as he headed to the bedroom to drop off his traveling bags.
Lucas had been here before, albeit many years ago now. It had been cleaned and prepared for Red's arrival though so it was almost exactly the same as he remembered it. A bit wider and more open planned than some of the other residences, so that Red's Pokemon could easily join him inside the house whenever they wanted. Given Red's lifestyle it wasn't overly luxurious or cluttered with junk, with only a few trinkets and important items on display from his roaming across the vast world he came from, such as gleaming sets of gym badges and photos of Red with various Pokemon he had befriended or caught. Lucas quickly pinpointed Red's favourite (he knew it was the favourite because Red had told him so himself); a landscape picture of Red with the Pokemon he considered his dearest friends and teammates. Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard were there naturally, along with a Pikachu that sat on his shoulder, a massive, round Pokemon that seemed to be asleep when the picture was taken, a long necked, blue Pokemon with a hard shell on it's back that was floating in a nearby lake or pool, and a sleek, purple cat-like creature with a forked tail and a glittering red gem on it's forehead. He could vaguely remember their names. Maybe.
Lucas turned as Red came into the room. It was impossible to miss how Red sagged into a chair with a weary sigh, practically melting into it. Lucas crossed over and sat in a chair next to him.
"You sure you're not really tired?"
"I am tired. But I want to catch up with you." Red acquiesced. And he did look comfortable, relaxing and turning to face Lucas in his seat. "Has much changed for you, here?"
"A bit. I've brought Kumatora and Boney. They're not here to compete, but they're here as 'Smash Assistants'. Nobody would stand a chance against Kumatora, and Boney's happier with helping out." Lucas explained. Red nodded, clearly recalling and matching the names to stories Lucas had told him previously.
"So like an Assist Trophy, but they only help you?"
"Kinda. They come in when I have my final smash ready. It actually feels a lot better with them there to help."
"Do they use a power to help you be stronger, like Helping Hand?" The reference flew over Lucas' head and he waved a hand in a 'sort-of' gesture.
"Kumatora taught me how to use Starstorm. So we sort of use it together. And Boney helps me concentrate when I'm using it."
"So a bit like a Triple Finish. A Triple Starstorm!" It was always easier to equate things to terms they were familiar with from home - everybody did that. So Lucas simply nodded with an easy smile.
"Yeah. Have you brought anyone new with you?"
"I have actually..."
So the pair talked well into the afternoon. Red talked about Leaf being invited alongside him, although she was due to arrive the next day, about the islands of Alola and the Battle Tree, a gauntlet for the greatest of trainers. In turn Lucas talked more about how things were for him at home, what he got up to with Kumatora, Duster and Boney, and about the news around the Smash village regarding newcomers and changes to the tournament.
They could've sat and talked well into the night, had Lucas not noticed that Red looked ready to fall asleep as he got increasingly comfortable in his chair, eyes taking longer and longer to open when he blinked. Lucas stood and excused himself.
"I should go make sure I've got everything for dinner. Once you're settled in, you should come over sometime. I can make omelets for us." Before he left, Red stood and followed him to the door. He reached out without thinking, catching Lucas' hand before the other boy could vanish down the path.
"I'd really like to come over. Would the day after tomorrow be alright?" His cheeks flushed as he spoke. Lucas quickly nodded, feeling his own cheeks grow warm. Red squeezed his hand and gave it one shake before letting go, giving a short wave after him as he left. Behind Lucas, Squirtle sidled up beside Red. Red glanced down at his Pokemon, who waggled it's eyebrows at him and pointed after Lucas, with a knowing grin. Red flushed brightly and quickly turned back inside, ignoring Squirtle's playful laughter as he was followed him in. If he wasn't so tired, he'd had some words for his Pokemon... but as it was, he was going to walk straight to bed and sleep. And try to put aside his continued amazement at how good the past five years have been to Lucas' looks.