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Green hates the cold. The wind tears through him as he squeezes his eyes shut and winces, drawing in and holding his breath. It’s painful, and even the puffiness of his winter jacket barely shields him from the winds. Mount Silver is the very definition of cold.
He curses quietly to himself as he trudges along, climbing the mountain with his weakening determination (but still determination, nonetheless). He knew the journey would be arduous, and he knew about the potential dangers that can occur.
But still—he marches on. He needs to find Red. The top of the mountain is where Red currently resides, and Green hasn’t seen him in years. The last time he saw him was when Red told Green he was leaving. Red had shown up and knocked on the door to his room—an act that was surprising within itself. Red, not to prone on initiating things, typically took the passive stance in their friendship, only hanging out when Green had asked. And when Green invited him in, Red simply gave a note to him.
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Green stares at the note in his hand, and his head snaps up, eyes widening in astonishment. “You’re leaving!? Like? Just outta here?”
Red only nods. He fiddles with his backpack strap, his hat partially covering his face.
“B-but…” Green struggles to find words through his shock. “You just became champion? Now you’re leaving? To where? That’s...really dumb!”
Red bites his lip hesitantly, before pulling a map out of his pocket and unfolding it. He flips it over so it faces Green and points to the infamous mountain near the far-left side. Green follows his finger before gasping.
“Mount Silver?” Green runs a hand through his hair and shakes his head. “It’s so...so cold there! You’ll freeze to death! Are you stupid?”
Red rapidly shakes his head, brandishing a pokeball. And it doesn’t take a genius to know that Red is referring to his Charizard.
Green sighs. “I guess he’ll keep you warm. But why so far away? Why in such a dangerous area?”
Red pauses, opening his mouth, then closing it in frustration. He takes a deep breath before shoving his fist close to Green’s mouth, almost as if he is waving a microphone in his face. Green frowns, eyebrows raising as the message clicks.
“Paparazzi, huh?” Green murmurs. Red’s never been too fond of people. “They scare you, huh?”
Red nods.
Green sighs again. “And up there you’d be alone. Nobody would dare trek the mountain.”
Red nods again, pulling his hat down even further. Green reaches a hand out and moves it back up, and Red’s glistening eyes widen.
“Hey, don’t hide.” Green reassures, giving him a soft smile. “It’s okay. You do what you gotta do.” He rubs the back of his neck. “How long do you think you’ll be gone for?”
Red shrugs apologetically.
“Okay, then,” Green says, “enjoy your mountain.”
Red nods and turns back toward the door. As he reaches it, he pauses and turns back. “S…” he begins. “Sorry.”
Green smiles reassuringly. “Don’t be sorry. You just be safe, okay?” He stops, before turning away, blushing just a bit. “I-I mean, don’t die, stupid, because then I won’t have a lame trainer to battle with!”
Red snickers. Green rubs the back of his head.
“I guess I’ll smell ya later.”
Red smiles before turning and heading out of Green’s room, leaving him with just the note.
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There’s a cave up ahead—Green can see it clearly. His heart rate increases tenfold, knowing that there is a possibility (and a highly likely possibility at that) that Red is up there. There’s a bit of anxiety that is coursing through his veins—he has no idea how different Red looks. He’s been gone for eight years. Puberty has definitely come and gone (thankfully, Red never saw his awkward teenage years).
Green narrows his eyes, there’s a figure out in the clearing, just in front of the cave, and he can just barely make out a Pikachu bolting around in the snow. Green grins and starts waving his arm.
“Red!” He calls out. “Red! Hey!”
Red turns his head and turns completely pale. His jaw drops as he sees Green trudge towards him.
“Red! My goodness, you got tall!” Green comments, walking up to him and eyeing him. Puberty has definitely been kind to him. The mountain’s rough terrain definitely bulked him up, and his height is the cream of the crop. And don’t even get him started on his chest. “How have you been? It’s been forever, man.”
Red is paralyzed—simply staring at Green with a ghastly look.
“Oh, haha,” Green rubs the back of his neck. He grins, showing off teeth. “I know, I’m quite a sight. That’s alright, take all the time you need, I know my handsomeness needs a bit to take in.”
Red cocks his eyebrow and rolls his eyes, but a smirk replaces his agaped mouth. He reaches into his bag and grabs out a pokeball. He motions to it with a head tilt and raised eyebrows.
Green notices and shakes his head. “Battle? No, as thrilling as that may be to show you how strong I’ve become, I actually came here to see you.”
That takes Red by surprise, and he slowly puts the pokeball back in his bag.
A gust of wind causes Green to wince. “You got like a fire going on anywhere? I’m cold, man.”
Red nods and motions for Green to follow him into the cave. Inside the cave, a fire sits in the center. Charizard lays in a curled up position, presumably from sleeping. He peeks an eye open and sees Green, lifting his head up immediately to growl.
“Woah, hey,” Green holds his hands up. “You remember me, right? We fought, like, years ago.”
Red nods and gently pets the Charizard, who ultimately calms down, going back to his nap. Green sits around the fire, with Red sitting opposite him, Pikachu snuggling up next to his trainer. It’s warm, and quite nice, especially after trekking through miles of snow.
“So,” Green begins. “I’ve got a lot to tell you. And I will get to the part about why I’m here, I promise.”
Red nods and gestures for Green to continue.
“I have my own gym now. I took over the Viridian City gym after that Team Rocket guy went AWOL. It’s pretty amazing, I think. I’m the eighth gym leader, so the trainers that I face are always well experienced! Of course, I’m too tough and always beat them, but hey! That’s whatever, right?” Green rubs the back of his neck. “Also, since you went away and I was staying at the gym, Gramps decided to recruit other punky children to do his work for him.”
Red lets out a small laugh, and rests his chin in his hands as he listens intently. Green continues on.
“There’s also so many Pokemon that you haven’t seen! New places to go, new variants, evolutions, there’s just a lot! I took a little trip to the Kalos region recently, and boy, is that place beautiful! There’s a city, right? And in the center of it stands this beautiful tower, but it’s also a gym!” Green’s wide smile turns into a more bashful one. “There’s been...a lot changing. I mean, it has been eight years since we last spoke.”
Red nods, and Green swears he sees a flash of guilt in his eyes. Green takes a deep breath and continues.
“I was younger then. I was a bit of a punk, you know? I only ever cared about winning, about beating you.” He flushes a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. “Of course, you always kicked the crap out of me, but we don’t need to dig into that. Anyway, my point is, I’ve matured a bit. I’m pretty proud to say I’m not the same boy I was eight years ago. Being at the gym really helped.”
Red tosses him a smile—a wide, genuine smile. A fluttering feeling flows through Green, and his cheeks warm. He doesn’t remember blushing this hard around the other boy. It’s a bit unlike him, really.
Except, that’s a lie, because it is like him. Maybe not in the same way—as they were kids, but younger Green always liked to be around Red. Sure, he teased him, as all young rivals tend to do. But there was just something about Red that Green flocked to.
Green sighs. “You know, even though I’ve outgrown this sort of ‘rivalry’ that we had, I still miss it sometimes. Like, I miss the thrill of having someone to compete with.”
Red furrows his eyebrows, the beginnings of a frown appearing on his face.
“I mean,” Green clarifies, “it’s...lonely. I miss my next door neighbor. We had a lot of fun growing up. I don’t normally think much about that, though, as I’m at the gym constantly. But sometimes I go back to Pallet Town, and Daisy and I will occasionally have dinner with your mother.”
Red averts his gaze.
“And while I was there, I had to go to the bathroom, and I passed by your room.” Green stands, causing Red to pick his head back up to look at him. “When I walked into your room, nostalgia hit me like a damn truck. I looked around at all of your posters. Your room—which, by the way, needs a serious upgrade—looks exactly the same as when you left. All of your figures, the bed comforter, everything is exactly the same. And I kept getting these flashbacks of when you and I would play together, and it dawned on me that I needed to see you.” Green is fully blushing now, realizing that his words have some weight to them.
Red stares at him, and the corners of his mouth quirk upwards into a barely noticeable smile.
Green coughs, and his hand (once again) finds solace on the back of his neck. “I didn’t chase you for a long time. I knew that you wanted to be alone, that you wanted to get away from people. So I respected that.” He drops his hand. “But I think eight years was long enough. At least on my end.”
Red stands up slowly, carefully making sure to not disturb Pikachu’s now sleeping form. He walks over to Green and hugs him, much to Green’s shock. Green pats his back in thanks, albeit a bit awkwardly, before he pulls away.
“Ha, thanks. I’m guessing that means you missed me as well.”
Red nods before grabbing his bag and pulling out a journal. He hands the journal over to Green, who arches an eyebrow at him. Red gives him a look that says ‘just take it,’ and Green obliges.
“Do you want me to open this or something?”
Red nods but points to a bookmark nestled into the book. Green shoots him a puzzled look but opens the journal at the indicated section. The page is a list, and the title at the top says “Things That Remind Me Of Green.”
Green gasps, eyes flickering between the page and the smug boy in front of him. “Y-you...thought of me?”
There’s a small chuckle that escapes Red’s lips. He nods, and Green starts reading some of the listed entries aloud.
“Saw a Pidgeot today, the warmth of the fire and how Green hates the cold, a pesky challenger who taunted me in battle and still lost—” Green narrows his eyes at Red, who laughs. “Hey.”
Red takes a moment to collect himself and grins, and Green finds himself unable to maintain the glare. That dumb smile of his always manages to grab Green right in the heart.
He closes the book and hands it back to Red, who accepts it. “Thank you...for thinking of me. It makes me feel...good? I guess, to know that I wasn’t just thinking about you.” He pauses for a moment before sighing. “I guess it’d be a longshot if I asked you to come down with me.”
There’s a brief flash of panic on Red’s face, and Green quickly shakes his head. “No, stop, I’m only asking, not forcing. I get it, people are scary.” He finds himself pulling Red back into a hug. “Not to mention, with you being gone so long, people are bound to hound you with questions and all of that.” Green pulls away, leaving his hands resting on Red’s firm shoulders. “And that’d probably be your worst nightmare, am I right?”
Red nods, looking crestfallen.
Green sighs. “I guess it was a long shot. I’ll get out of your hair then.”
Red opens his mouth, like he wants to say something, but closes it instead. Green tilts his head in confusion.
“You want to say something?”
Red bites his lip and takes a deep breath. “You...stay.”
Green drops his hands and his mouth falls slightly open, then covers his mouth with his right hand. Red’s voice had sounded a bit raspy, obviously not having been used all that often. But it has been so long since he had last heard it. “You want me to stay?”
“Don’t want…” Red coughs. “I don’t want you to go.”
Green, for once, can’t think of a word to say. His face feels a bit too warm. “I…”
Red shakes his head rapidly. “You just got here.”
“Oh, you...want me to stay the night?”
“It’s dark,” Red points towards the opening of the cave. “Please stay.”
Green turns his head and walks towards the opening, peering out at the darkening sky. The temperature somehow seemed to drop even lower, and a shiver passes through Green. He takes a deep breath before turning around. “Yeah, I guess I should stay. But I have to leave in the morning.”
Red’s eyebrows raise, but he remains silent, as if to say “why?”
“I have to leave eventually, Red.” Green tells him as he trudges over to him. “I’ve got things to do down in civilization. I’ve got a gym to run. You know?” He turns his head away, averting his eyes away from Red’s face. “I can’t be like you and disappear out of thin air.”
Red clenches his fists, and out of the corner of his eye, Green sees Red drop his head, presumably out of guilt. And Green feels...bad. Because he knows that Red has trouble with the general public. And there’s no one around up here. Red has always been like that—and the bullying he got growing up definitely did not help his case.
Sighing softly, Green walks over and places a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, look at me. I’m sorry. I know you did what you had to do.”
Red leans into the touch. “I...had to.”
“Right. I know that.” The wind whistles loudly and Green starts shivering again. “Why don’t we lie down by the fire and call it a night, hmm?”
Red nods in agreement.
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Green cannot sleep. He should have expected this.
He sits up in his makeshift sleeping bag, (which is a towel and a bunch of warm clothes toppled over him) and looks over at Red, who is currently nestled in with his Charizard. His eyes are shut and he’s breathing softly, and the light of Charizard’s tail gently illuminate some of his features. His nose is a bit red, possibly from the cold, and he’s snoring ever so softly. His arms are wrapped around Pikachu, not tight at all, in case Pikachu wants to leave his embrace.
Heat rushes to Green’s face as he turns his head away. He shouldn’t be watching Red sleep! That’s weird!
With a huff, he puts on another sweatshirt and walks towards the mouth of the cave. He hates the cold, but he’d be damned if he didn’t catch a look at the night sky. The moon shines brightly, in its crescent form. It’s snowing (when is it not?) but not blizzard-like. The wind isn’t as harsh as it was earlier, and it’s eerily beautiful.
Green strains his ears, trying to see if he can hear any sort of sound.
There’s silence.
Green doesn’t know how Red can deal with all of this...silence. It must be peaceful to him. Nobody daring (except a few trainers) to climb this monster of a mountain. He sighs to himself—Red should stay where he is comfortable.
He just...misses him. He wishes he would come down. It’s hard enough dealing with trainers that tend to remind him of Red. And now...to see his face again...to hear his voice (which was rare enough as it is)...it’s all so much.
And who knows when the next time Green will see him again? He can’t always take off at the gym, he’s needed there and—
The sound of a flamethrower causes Green to turn around. Charizard gently blew onto the logs in front, creating a small fire, and Red slowly makes his way over to Green.
“Did I wake you?” Green asks apologetically.
Red shakes his head. He gestures for Green to come sit by the fire, which Green obliges.
“Sorry,” Green begins, sitting down next to Red. “I just...can’t sleep. It’s a bit uncomfortable, and well, I’m also thinking about a lot of things.”
Red nods and gently pats Green on the back. It’s comforting, and Green finds himself subconsciously leaning into the touch. Red slightly moves his hand to the other side of Green’s waist, completely putting his arm around him. Green turns his head to look at Red, and suddenly realizes how close they are. Red is staring at him with his amber eyes, burning with curiosity and...something else that Green can’t seem to place. His eyes then drop to Green’s lips and Green’s heart rate speeds up, and then Red meets his gaze again and—
The fire crackles loudly, startling the two men.
“Uh,” Green starts, desperately trying to break the tension. He clears his throat and Red moves his arm back. “I should probably try to sleep. I’ve got to travel a lot in the morning.”
Red tilts his head and arches an eyebrow, as if to say, “you’re not sleeping, buddy.”
Green scoffs and shakes his head. “You’re right. I probably won’t. But I should try anyway. I’m sorry for waking you.” He gets up and over to his makeshift sleeping bag and lies back down, but not before tossing another glance towards Red, who simply nods and heads back towards Charizard.
“Goodnight, Red,” Green says.
Red hums in response.
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It’s still freezing the next morning, but the wind has calmed down and Green knows it’ll be a relatively easy travel (compared to the one climbing up). Red had gone out during the early sunrise and given him some berries for him to take home, as well as a note for his mother to read. When he hands it to him, Green frowns.
“You know,” Green says, in that teasing voice of his. “You could come down and give it to her yourself.”
Red places his hands on his hips and glares.
“Pfft,” Green smirks, “I’m just messing with you at this point. You should know that.” He places the letter carefully in his bag before slinging it over his shoulder. “It was really great to see you, Red.”
Red smiles, and oh, does it make Green’s heart flutter.
He gives Red a hug, a part of him wanting to never let go, and the other part of him desperately wanting to get home and out of this cold. He pulls back and starts walking away through the snow.
“See you later, Red,” Green waves back over his shoulder.
“Don’t you mean...smell you later?”
Green pauses—freezes right in his tracks, and turns around. Red’s smirking, his bulky arms crossed over his chest.
“Oh,” Green says, “oh, you bastard. ”
He drops his bag in the snow and races over to him, flinging his arms over Red’s shoulders as their mouths connect in a heated kiss. Red’s hands wrap around Green’s waist as Green’s hands move to the side and back of Red’s head. They stand there in that embrace for what feels like forever, until Green pulls away, suddenly aware of what he had just done.
“I…” Green’s face is burning.
Red’s only smirking, and he leans in to press another kiss to Green’s lips, a sign that he feels similarly. He gestures his head towards Green’s backpack.
“Oh…” Green smiles. “Yeah, I should probably get going.” As he pulls away and starts walking, he turns back around and points at Red. “But we ,” he motions between them. “Are going to continue that , whenever I come back here.”
Red giggles and nods, and waves goodbye as Green grabs his backpack and begins to head down the mountain.
And suddenly, the cold doesn’t seem to bother him that much anymore.