Chapter Text
"Green. Wake up."
Pulling the bed covers tightly over himself, Green felt annoyed. It was the fourth time this week he heard that voice call him to get up, despite how often he refused to. His visitor's persistence was starting to become tiring.
"I know you're awake! You never went to bed this early before. Get up, it's only nine!"
Green showed no signs of budging. He remained stubbornly under the blankets, hoping that for once, the other person would get the hint and leave. He was in no mood for a conversation.
He received a forceful nudge. Grimacing, he held back any indication that the action annoyed him. However, he did spare a peek out of his duvet. The other person squinted, and made eye contact with him. Looks like I got caught again, he thought, waiting for today's scolding.
Upon confirming her suspicions, Blue glowered at him for a few seconds, and then laid her hands over the covers. Green looked up at his childhood friend suspiciously, hesitant to trust what she was doing. Then, she tugged at the covers with as much force as she could muster, ripping them away from him.
Green immediately sat up, glaring at Blue. She smirked back at him, feeling triumphant. There was silence between them for a moment or two, before Green finally spoke up.
"Can't you ever take a hint? I don't want to talk to you, and doing that won't change anything", he snapped, pointing to the duvet that she was now holding. His harsh tone wiped the smile off her face, but she refused to back down.
"I already got that message. But don't you at least want to give me a chance today? It won't be as painful as you think", she attempted to coax him, keeping her tone light and sweet.
"I'd prefer if you left."
Blue frowned at him for a moment, feeling like these days were becoming increasingly repetitive. She had no plans to spend the rest of her days trying to get him to talk, so she had come up with a plan. As if she only remembered it at that moment, she smiled again, and shrugged. Green raised an eyebrow, growing suspicious.
"Fine, that's your choice. I gave you a chance to talk to me", she said, in a tone that almost sounded apologetic. Then, she turned towards the door, "I tried! You can come in now!"
Tensing up, Green leant forward slightly, looking to see who Blue brought along. His first suspicions were Yellow or Kris, Blue's go-to people when her methods failed. He also suspected it might be Gold, who could get on Green's nerves easier than anyone else. He tried to consider arguments against all of these three, until the person Blue invited finally came into sight. His eyes widened, and he glared at Blue once more.
"You're kidding", he hissed, before glancing back out at the approaching person.
"You can't say I didn't give you a few chances. I don't know about you, but I don't really want to spend the rest of my life doing this", she replied.
Green stared silently at the person who walked into the room, all signs of malice and irritation wiped off his face. Blue took a step back, leaning against the wall. She also glanced at her guest.
Daisy looked dismayed upon seeing her younger brother. The two siblings just stared for a moment, before she stepped towards the bed. Green was prepared for a few scenarios, such as a scolding, or the two girls talking about how ridiculous he was acting. He wasn't prepared for what she chose to do, and almost wished he had been yelled at, instead.
She laid a hand gently on top of his head, and slowly stroked. It was a gesture which Green was familiar with; she had used it when they were children, often whenever he got overly upset. At the time, he found the gesture calming. Daisy hadn't attempted to comfort him in such a way in several years, but this time, it only made him feel more ashamed than comforted.
"Green, I thought you said you were doing fine. You said everything was back to normal", she told him, prompting him to explain. After several seconds had passed, he finally forced himself to speak.
"Everything is normal. I'm at the gym every day, and I've been coming home at seven every evening. There's nothing abnormal about that", he explained. Daisy was still frowning, confusing him.
"But you're cutting yourself off from everyone, too. That's not normal. If you need to talk to someone about how you're feeling, you should know that everyone's-"
Green shook his head, placed a hand on top of her own, and pulled it off his head. He looked at her with a sharpness in her eyes that hadn't been there before, all previous feelings of shame lost.
"I don't need to talk to anyone. I'm happier having time to myself right now, and besides, I haven't been given the option to have time alone. Blue's been here every night, and Yellow visited me at work a few weeks ago. I'm fine", he said, attempting to keep his tone calm.
"Yellow told me your conversation with her didn't end too well. And I've been coming over to try and get you out of this place!" Blue snapped. Daisy glanced between the two worryingly.
"In case you haven't noticed, it's been a rough couple of weeks. Spending time alone isn't that unusual. If you all want to take your minds off what happened by doing something, I'll consider coming along if it'll keep you out of my apartment."
"It's nearly been a month. You need to try and get your life back on track sooner than later. And we did all meet up- Ruby's birthday, remember? We invited you, and I know you weren't doing anything, and you still missed it", Blue said, quickly losing her patience.
"Ruby celebrates his existence every day. I'm sure he'll get over the fact I missed it", Green replied, shrugging.
There was silence in the room for a moment. Daisy could see that tensions were still high between Blue and Green, and she was tempted to say something to ease the tension. Before she could, her brother spoke up once more.
"The party was held three days after what happened. Surely you understand why I wasn't in the mood for it", he spoke softly.
"All of us wanted to pick ourselves up. I didn't exactly like the memory of the last Dexholders meeting being... Well, you know", Blue said, her voice growing quieter.
His funeral. It isn't a taboo word, Green thought, leaving the word hanging in the air between them. Although he wouldn't admit it, he could understand where Blue was coming from. Still, he remained quiet, until she spoke up once more.
"So, I was right, huh? The reason you've locked yourself away every night after work is because you miss Red. But hey, how come you haven't visited his grave yet? It can help. And I know Yellow's invited you there. You know people would be willing to accompany you, if it's too overwhelming to do alone", she offered, her tone turning gentle.
"I'll visit that place alone, and in my own time. I can't do it with any of you", he replied, sounding equally as calm.
"Why not? You can't keep cutting yourself off from the rest of us. If going there is what it takes, then I'll go with you", Blue said, her voice wavering. Daisy half rose from the bed, but before she could do anything, Green glared at Blue, looking her directly in the eyes.
"None of you would understand!" he snapped. He knew it was the most common reason used, but it was enough to make Blue flinch. Then, she glared back at him.
"Fine, if you're so sure I won't understand, go live your life how you want! But, you weren't the only one that cared about him. We're all hurting too, so don't act like you're the only one suffering!" she sneered. Her harsh tone began to lose its edge as tears began to form in her eyes, and she looked downwards. "I was close to him as well. I miss him too, you know."
As she began to tremble, she decided that she didn't want to spend another moment in the room. Blue turned on her heel and walked at a fast pace. Green and Daisy listened to her footsteps, until she reached the front door of his apartment, exited, and slammed it shut. Daisy winced, and then turned towards Green.
"I hope you understand why she's upset. I know she's angry, but she's deeply worried about you, too. That's why she spoke to me", Daisy said, her tone quiet compared to how Blue and Green were moments ago.
"I know", he replied, not making eye contact with her.
Daisy seemed to mull over her next choice of words, and then spoke once more. After a few moments of hesitation, Green finally brought himself to look at his sister.
"I do think you should take Blue's advice, though. If going to Lavender Town is what it takes to put your mind at ease, I recommend doing it soon. The longer you spend here, the more consequences you'll have to face. Just think about doing it soon, okay?" she suggested. She gazed at him sympathetically. "I know it's not going to be easy, but it'll benefit you in the long run. I promise."
You can't say that for certain until I finally go, Green thought, but figured that there wasn't any point in upsetting anyone else that night. Instead, he nodded, causing Daisy's face to light up.
"I'll go sooner than I intended", he agreed.
"I'm happy to hear it! I'll be here for you if you need me, okay?" she offered, beginning to stand up.
He muttered something about understanding. Daisy reached down to give him a light hug, wished him luck, and walked out of his bedroom. Once he heard the front door open and close once more, Green edged over to the end of his bed, his feet pressed against the wooden floor.
At once, he decided to put aside his plans of sleeping early that night. Instead, he chose to take his sister's advice to finally go to Lavender Town. It had been nearly a month since he was there, but had purposely avoided it since then. He knew that going back would answer an important question that he wasn't sure if he was ready to answer or not: Was Red still here?
Knowing there was only one way for him to find out, Green began to prepare to leave. He knew it might turn out to be one of the longest nights of his life.
Due to the fact it was still summer, the sky had yet to turn fully dark, even at ten in the evening. Green's attention wasn't focused on the sky, though. He was busy staring down at the towns beneath him, waiting to see the eerie little town where his best friend was laid to rest. Charizard kept glancing back at his owner curiously, knowing that something wasn't right.
Green hadn't told anyone that he had chosen to leave the same night that Daisy and Blue visited. He wanted to keep his visit, as well as his reasons for feeling anxious, private. He knew Blue was convinced that he simply missed Red, but it went beyond that.
There was one way he could see for certain whether or not Red was still here. He was dead, there was no question about that. It was difficult to accept, even after a month. Green's mind kept returning to the call he received from a police officer, telling him that there had been a horrible accident during a Pokemon battle. He had seen the body for himself later, confirming any suspicions. However, he chose not to reflect too much on Red's death, for the time being.
There was one thing that kept Green from completely breaking down during one of the toughest events in his life; the after effects of what had happened in Lavender Town when he was eleven.
Even as a child, he suspected that having his body possessed by a wild ghost would have some impact on him. At first, he noticed nothing. If he spent longer in the town, he might have realized it sooner, but the after effects came to light approximately a week later.
While traveling through Saffron City, he had seen a woman standing in front of a store, staring at him with wide eyes. He felt equally shocked staring back at her. Although he was able to make out the color of her skin, hair, and clothes, he could still see the storefront behind her. It was suspicious enough for Green and he began forming possible theories in his mind, but his suspicions were confirmed seconds later. A man entered the store, walking directly through the woman, as if he didn't see her at all. It was certain that he didn't, given how nonchalant his attitude had been. The woman barely reacted either. Instead, she continued staring at Green, stunned he could see her.
There was no question about it; he had seen a ghost.
This isn't happening, he thought, This never happened to me before, and it's not happening to anyone else around me. None of this makes any sense. He deliberated walking towards her for a moment, and seeing how she'd respond, but decided against it.
Instead, he had bolted out of the area, trying to hold back any surprised or terrified cries. It had taken him some time to recollect himself, but once he did, he decided that he couldn't tell anyone else. No one would ever believe he held that kind of power, and even if they did, he saw no reason to announce what he was capable of. It didn't seem like the kind of thing to be proud of.
As the years passed, Green noticed ghosts more frequently, and they always greeted him with the same level of surprise. He eventually grew used to it, barely reacting to seeing the deceased wandering around. They never made an attempt to interact with him, and vica versa. That suited him just fine. It became a rather ordinary thing for him, once he grew used to it.
It even began to make sense to him, after his possession in Lavender Town. His "sixth sense" had become more acute after having a ghost share his system for a fortnight. The explanation was as logical and simple as that, and Green never had any doubts or worries since then.
That is, until eleven years later. From the moment he found out Red had died, fear was one of the primary emotions he felt over the past few weeks. Green was terrified to find out whether or not his best friend's ghost was still lingering on the planet. He feared how he'd manage interacting with a ghost for the first time; especially since it was Red. He had no possible idea of how it could go, or how he would cope with another confirmation of his death.
What scared him even more was the possibility of Red not being there. He wasn't present at the funeral, which worried Green right away. There was no guarantee that Red would be wandering around, and could have immediately moved onto whatever was next. If that possibility came true, then Green would have to accept the fact once and for all that Red was truly gone.
No matter what happened, all the potential possibilities scared him. He knew that if he didn't try and find out for himself soon, though, he could put it off forever. For the past month, it was the main question that plagued his mind, and he was determined to answer it.
Two tall towers in a small town came into sight. Green knew he had arrived at his planned destination. Once he pointed downwards, his Charizard flew downwards, and land came closer into sight. It slid along the ground once it landed, causing Green to tighten his grip. Once it came to a complete stop, he hopped off, returning his companion to its Pokeball.
There were far more human ghosts than living people wandering around Lavender Town, at this time at night. Green's eyes scanned the crowd of the dead at first, briefly surprising some, but he barely gave them any acknowledgement. None of the ghosts outside were who he was looking for. Already beginning to feel pangs of doubt, he walked towards a tower adjacent to the Pokemon Tower.
The indoor graveyard for humans had only been around for the last decade or so, but had already attracted attention. It had a similar look to the Pokemon Tower, but due to its new appearance, it looked slightly less intimidating. There was still a haunting aura surrounding it.
Feeling his heart begin to beat at a rapid pace, Green forced himself to move forward. It felt like every step required heavy amounts of motivation. However, he refused to turn back. He refused to spend the rest of his life simply wondering if Red was still here.
Third floor. Just concentrate on getting to the third floor, he told himself once he entered the building. On the first floor, there were several ghosts wandering around, many of whom barely noticed Green. He barely acknowledged any of them either, and walked up to the first flight of stairs.
As he walked through the second floor, he began to have his doubts about whether or not visiting his grave was the first correct plan of action. All his information on where to locate ghosts came from other supposed spiritual advisors, but he couldn't take their word for certain. Still, it was all he had to go off of.
As he reached the flight of stairs leading to the third floor, Green briefly came to a stop. He felt as if he had a migraine out of sheer nervousness. His heart rate had yet to drop, and although he had only walked a short distance, he felt out of breath. If he didn't start moving again, he was afraid that he would faint at any moment. You've made it this far. Don't be a coward and turn back now.
Taking in a deep breath, Green took one step at a time, leaving the second floor behind and entering the third. From what he could see, there were no other living humans on the third floor. There were about a dozen ghosts wandering around, a few of whom turned to look at who had arrived.
Once again, he ignored their stares, and walked slowly towards Red's grave. He glanced around, attempting to locate him, but only saw strangers. He kept searching, mainly in an attempt to avoid any worrying thoughts that were beginning to occur.
Green came to a stop in front of Red's grave, and felt his knees collapse. He stared at the inscription for several seconds, feeling a new wave of sorrow overtake him. It took him a few seconds to remember why he came out in the first place, and looked from side to side. He still couldn't see Red.
His previous feelings of terrified curiosity were replaced by some kind of emptiness. Even if Red was still on the planet, Green knew he could be searching for years before he'd even have the slightest glimmer of hope for finding him. The thought of possibly dedicating his life to finding the ghost of Red sounded bleak and depressing, even if he was determined to do it.
"Where are you, dammit?!" he muttered under his breath, curling his right hand into a fist. He tried to look on the bright side; he had finally come out to look, but he didn't feel much better.
Then, five transparent fingers curled around the gravestone. Green's head snapped up, staring at it incredulously. The pounding in his head was worse than ever, but he barely noticed. He could barely bring himself to breathe.
On the other end of the gravestone, five more fingers curled around it. Then, a head slowly rose from behind the stone. The black, spiky hair was unmistakable, as well as that curious, slightly confused look, which Green had become familiar with over the years.
Red was staring down at him, his expression changing from curious to shocked, upon realizing Green was staring back at him. He had a brief flashback to expression of the first ghost he ever saw, but the comparison quickly ended, as a smile broke out on Red's face.
He stood up, and leaned over the gravestone, shortening the distance between his face and Green's. Although it should have served as proof that it wasn't a hallucination, Green still stared on in disbelief. Several seconds passed, and he began to wonder whether or not ghosts had the ability to speak. Then, still smiling, although shocked, Red opened his mouth.
"Green? You can see me?" he asked quietly, his voice full of hope.
He attempted to breathe in and begin speaking again, but it felt as if something were caught in his throat. Staring at Red's ghost for a few more seconds, he realized that the pounding in his head was becoming worse, undoubtedly due to how overwhelmed he felt. There was too much to take in, and he couldn't even find the words to say.
Before he could reply, dizziness took over, and the world turned black. Green could have sworn he heard Red cry out in surprise just before his senses became dormant.