Fortune [Yuletide one-shot]

---

“C’mon! There’s nothing to be afraid of!”

The seven-year-old Blue pushed on, crawling through bushes and jumping over ledges. Behind him, he saw Red try to keep up, but even when he crawled and ran and jumped as fast as possible, Blue was always several steps ahead.

When Red finally caught up, Blue motioned him to lie on his belly and peek through the gaps of a rather large bush. As Red positioned himself right next to him, Blue pointed to the clearing on the other side.

“See? There!” Blue whispered as softly as he could.

In the middle of Route 1, which both of them thought they knew like the back of their hand, was a Pokemon they only ever saw on TV. What’s more, it didn’t even look like the ones either of them have watched before—the Pidgeot’s feathers were yellow, almost golden, far from the red and brown colors they were familiar with.

The Pidgeot was tending to its wings, picking out bits of dirt with its golden beak. It looked like it was resting after a long day of flying, and Blue could only imagine how far the Pidgeot’s journey has been, and how far it would go in the days that followed.

“Gramps says these are called Shiny Pokemon,” Blue told Red. “Some Pokemon can have different colors from when we see them, and they’re very rare! Isn’t that awesome?”

Blue didn’t expect Red to reply—he never did, as far as he could tell—but he noticed that Red’s silence was even heavier than usual. He usually got a nod or a grunt from Red, but Blue noticed that he was unusually still, almost like he was frozen from an Ice Beam.

“Hey, Red,” he said as he reached out to him and patted him on the shoulder. “You okay?”

W-we shouldn’t be here!

“Huh?” Blue said, looking around. He thought he heard someone whisper to him, very quietly, about how they shouldn’t be there. He tried looking around, but all he saw was his best friend, almost shivering in fear.

“Hey, Red, don’t be scared,” he said as he patted him on the shoulder again. “There’s nothing to be afraid of—”

W-we should go. What if the Pidgeot sees us?

“There it is again!” Blue said, more confused. “Was that you, Red?”

What if Mom finds out? What if they won’t let us play together anymore?

Those last two confirmed it, but all he got from Red was a stare mixed with fear and desperation. Once Blue saw his face, his confusion was replaced with a sense of understanding.

“Okay, Red, let’s go,” Blue nodded as he held his hand. “We don’t want the Pidgeot to see us, right?”

As they headed back to Pallet Town, Blue tightened his grip around Red’s hand, leading him through the path and making sure he could keep up. And the entire time they were trekking back to their hometown, all Blue could hear in his head was louder and louder proclamations of a single sentence.

Thanks, Blue.

---

“Squirtle, return!”

The fainted Water-type Pokemon turned into a beam of red as it returned to its Poke Ball, one Blue had only received minutes before. To test its strength, he had challenged Red to a battle, knowing that having the type advantage against his Charmander would give him an easy win. Instead, Red ran circles around him, and his Charmander emerged victorious against Blue’s Squirtle.

But what made Blue feel even worse about the loss was how Red still showed no emotion out of it. Sure, he was used to it by now—anyone who saw them hanging out together in the past few years could mistake Blue as talking to himself the entire time—but their first battle was a huge deal, bigger than anything they’ve dealt with up to that point. And if a Shiny Pidgeot could put fear in Red’s eyes, why wouldn’t their first-ever battle as trainers change his blank expression into something more meaningful?

“Don’t feel bad, Blue,” his grandfather snapped him out of his thoughts as he gave him back his healed Squirtle’s Poke Ball. “This is only the start of your journey! You’ll learn even more about the world of Pokemon once you travel around Kanto and become stronger.”

“Y-yeah, of course!” Blue said, his frown turning into a cheeky grin quicker than he thought was possible. “This is nothing, Gramps! I’ll become stronger and better than Red in no time!”

He then faced his best friend—no, his rival—and said, “Just you wait, Red, I’ll become stronger and stronger. And one day, I’ll beat you and be the best trainer to come out of Pallet Town!”

Blue ran out of the Lab, giving Red a quick punch in the shoulder on the way out. And in that moment, a voice whispered in his ear, one he hadn’t heard for almost four years.

Let’s battle again soon.

It was deeper this time, and much more recognizable. It was definitely Red—even if he hadn’t actually heard Red speak, something about the voice fit Red almost too perfectly. It had that same air of mystery, firmness, and shyness that only Red possessed. But how was he hearing this? Red didn’t talk to him, or anyone for that matter—why was he hearing his voice so clearly in his head?

Whatever the reason was, he was determined to fulfill Red’s wishes. They would definitely be battling again the next time they met. And Blue wanted to make sure that he would come out on top when that happened.

---

“Y-you sure this would work?”

Blue saw Red give a shrug as he clutched the Silph Scope, which Blue later found out was a pair of high-tech binoculars Red had received from his face-off with Team Rocket. He had just caught a Cubone for his Pokedex when he ran into Red, and after a quick battle, decided to follow him up the Pokemon Tower to see what he was up to.

But this wasn’t what Blue expected.

When they reached the second highest floor of the tower, what greeted them was a ghost larger than anything they could imagine. It didn’t look anything like the Gastly and Haunter they saw in earlier floors, and it was far too large to be a Gengar. If it were a Pokemon, it would be the first time anyone would see something like it. And Blue would’ve been more excited about the new discovery, if it weren’t for the fact that it looked extremely terrifying.

Blue hadn’t felt more afraid in his entire life. While he didn’t want Red to think he was a big wimp, he couldn’t put up enough of a front to outweigh the dread. For the first time in his journey, he didn’t know what to do, and he could feel himself trembling in fear.

But then he felt a hand touch his, and that fear was overtaken by shock, by curiosity, by awe.

Don’t be afraid.

Blue looked back at Red, who gripped his hand tightly. He didn’t know how he did it, but the moment Red held his hand, he felt a very unique kind of calm. Sure, the large and ominous ghost in front of them was still threatening, but he could also feel the horror that froze him up slowly melt away.

And he heard his voice again, that inexplicable sensation he’s only felt a few times. But every time it happened he was with his rival—no, his best friend. Or was it more?

We’ll get through this together.

As Red charged up the Silph Scope, a beam of light flashed from it and illuminated the large ghost. Its eerie face slowly dissolved into a more familiar sight—a Marowak, but one that floated and had a glowing purple hue surrounding it. The Pokemon was looking at them not with anger or hatred, but with a sense of worry, as if it was looking for something relentlessly.

But Blue wasn’t paying attention to the Marowak at all. And he couldn’t understand why.

---

“Blastoise, return!”

It was a lot for Blue to take in. Merely hours earlier, he was literally and figuratively on top of the world, having beaten Lance and claiming the title of Champion. He was the youngest trainer in the Indigo League’s history to wear that title, and it was all the proof he needed that he was on the right path to becoming the strongest trainer in the world.

But now, all of that was taken away from him with one decisive battle. Sure, he shouldn’t be surprised, as he had been beaten by his opponent every time they faced off in the past. But this loss stung the most, as even with the strongest team he could put together, it still wasn’t enough to defeat his rival.

Blue was more than ready to tell Red how frustrated and disappointed he was, but when he walked over to the other side of the arena, his mood shifted from anger to concern. While he was already prepared to see an indifferent expression from his rival’s face, what he saw was much more shocking—Red looked terrified, even more than when they were facing the ghost at Pokemon Tower.

“Hey, Red, are you okay?” Blue asked. “That’s not exactly the reaction I’d expect from someone who just became the Champion.”

Blue had learned not to expect a reply, but he definitely didn’t expect a furious sideways nodding. He could see tears forming in Red’s eyes, and Blue knew that they weren’t tears of joy from winning. He couldn’t quite pinpoint what was making his rival feel bad, but he knew there was one way he could find out.

“Hey, Red, don’t cry,” Blue said softly as he approached his rival, who had his head facing the ground. “Everything’s gonna be alright, okay? Whatever you’re feeling, I’m here for you, you know that?”

Blue was about to extend his hand and pat Red on the shoulder, but Red suddenly stepped forward and gave Blue a tight hug.

I’m sorry, Blue…

“Wha… You didn’t do anything wrong!” Blue replied, which seemed to surprise Red. “I mean, sure, I wanted to keep the title, but you won it fair and square. Of course, don’t expect to keep that title for long, as I’m gonna challenge you right away and beat you!”

You can keep the title, Blue.

“Wha… What do you mean?”

I don’t want to be Champion…

Blue couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He’s always wanted to become Champion—it was his goal the moment he started his journey back in Pallet Town! Now that he’s gotten a taste of it, he’s already determined to get it back as soon as possible. But not like this.

“Red, could you at least tell me what you’re thinking?” Blue whispered to Red’s ear. “All of it?”

It was then that Blue realized that Red was still hugging him—or he was still hugging Red, as he was grasping the back of Red’s shirt very tightly.

I can’t take the pressure… But you can...

“Don’t say that,” Blue replied. “You’re the second best trainer I know! And even if I’m obviously a better one, I know you’re gonna be a great Champion. I mean, if you’re able to beat me, then all the other challengers won’t stand a chance!”

But Blue could feel that Red already had his mind made up, and he couldn’t understand it. Red got all eight badges, defeated the Elite Four, and took the Champion title away from Blue, only for him to reject it? What was he thinking? Where did he think his journey was going?

All he got for an explanation were three words:

I’m sorry, Blue.

---

“Mr. Blue! Mr. Blue!”

As soon as Blue stepped down from the stage, a reporter with a microphone and a uniform proudly proclaiming that they were from the Kanto Radio Broadcasting Network approached him with more energy than he thought was necessary. He had just finished a speech to the dozens of trainers, League officials, and journalists who attended the grand reopening of the Viridian Gym, but Blue was more than happy to ensure he’d be making the headlines tomorrow.

“Mr. Blue, I’m Mira from KRBN,” the reporter said. “Care to answer a few questions about your new role?”

“Of course!” Blue said. And as if on cue, a swarm of journalists from other titles showed up and began to form a semicircle around him, all with their own mics and notebooks. Blue ran his hand through his hair and fixed his collar when he saw some cameramen set up at the back of the crowd.

“Alright,” Mira said, clearing her throat. “First off, congratulations on becoming Kanto’s newest Gym Leader. How does it feel to be the youngest trainer to wear that title?”

“It feels great, Mira,” Blue replied with a smile. “I’ve always taken pride in being a strong trainer even at a young age, so it’ll be great to stand as the final roadblock to other trainers who feel the same!”

“Blue, over here,” another man called out. “Rico from JRBN. With the previous Leader, the Viridian Gym was known as a big mystery to many people, even having long periods of time where the gym was inaccessible because he was absent. How do you plan on changing your new gym’s reputation?”

“Wha... You came prepared with your question, didn’t you Rico?” Blue said in between laughs. “But I’m not as well-prepared with the answer. What I can say is that the gym would be available to all challengers as often as possible, as long as they have all the other seven badges in Kanto!”

“Leader Blue! This is Sal reporting for Hoenn TV,” she said less than a second after Blue finished answering Rico’s question. “In your speech earlier, you said you’ll be heading the gym without a specific type. What led to that decision?”

“Ah, thanks Sal for the easier question!” he replied. “As the final gym that trainers have to face before climbing Indigo Plateau, I wanted the gym to make challengers use everything they’ve learned in their badge quest. And having a diverse team will make them think on their feet!

“Ken from Pokemon News Press here,” another reporter said. “You mentioned in your speech that you chose this position over the Champion title because you wanted to be closer to your hometown. Are there other reasons why you rejected the Champion title?”

“I already said everything I could about that earlier,” he quickly answered. “Thank you everyone for your questions, but I have to go now—”

“Wait, Mr. Blue!” he heard Mira say. “One more question, please?”

“Sure, Mira,” Blue obliged.

“How’s your rival Red?”

Blue had to make sure his expression didn’t change too much when he heard the question. If there was one thing he didn’t want to acknowledge, one type of question he wasn’t willing to answer, it was about Red. And how could he, if he himself didn’t have the answers to his own questions?

He’s doing great, he could’ve said, but he didn’t know if he had it in him to fake those words.

You tell me! he could’ve said, which would’ve allowed him to dodge the question while technically not lying. But he didn’t want them to get the wrong idea that he didn’t care about his rival’s well-being.

Wouldn’t that be a better question for Red? he could’ve said, but it would’ve definitely been followed up with questions about his rival’s whereabouts—questions he himself would appreciate the answers of.

I don’t know, he could’ve said. I wish I knew. And I wish he knew how frustrated I am about what happened in the League. And I wish he knew how much I missed him, how much I missed being around him, how much I missed spending time with him. And I wish he knew that the only reason why I held this big event was on the off-chance that he would attend—

“He’s fine,” Blue said with the biggest grin he could wear. “I can’t wait to beat him as a Gym Leader!”

---

“Pidgeot, return!”

His fainted Pidgeot lay on the floor, having already transformed out of its mega evolved state as it dissolved into Blue’s Poke Ball. Across the arena, a panting Mega Sceptile followed suit and reverted back into its base form, just in time for the challenger to run toward it and give it a big hug.

It was one of the most exciting days Blue has ever had in the five years he’s been a Gym Leader. Not only was he able to battle two Champions from the Hoenn region, but he was also defeated by one of them. Not a lot of trainers could get past Blue’s team, so he was always taken aback by trainers who were able to win against him.

But this challenger was more special. Not only was he a skillful trainer, his strength also reminded Blue of someone special, someone whose strength he also admired, someone he hasn’t seen for seven years.

When Blue walked over to the other side of the arena, the challenger who beat him was being hugged by the challenger he defeated beforehand. He’d seen Steven on TV before, and his Mega Metagross was just as terrifying as it looked like. So when he and his Mega Pidgeot defeated them, he felt on top of the world knowing that he surpassed one of the strongest trainers in Hoenn, only for that pride to be taken away by the second challenger minutes later.

Another thing he shared with him, Blue thought.

“Congratulations, Brendan!” Blue said with a smile at the second challenger, and it was only then that Steven stopped hugging him. “I believe you’ve more than earned this Earth Badge.”

Brendan looked at the badge on Blue’s palm and slowly took it, examining it in between his fingers. He then took out a case in his pocket and placed it inside, filling the eighth spot that had remained empty for several weeks.

“That Sceptile of yours is a beast,” Blue continued, breaking the silence. “We had the type advantage and you two still prevailed! Those are the kinds of battles that I’ll never forget.”

“I know the feeling,” said Steven, which surprised Blue. “When we battled for the Champion title all those years back, I was shocked with how well his Sceptile held up against my Metagross even with the type resistance.”

Blue saw Brendan smile at the remark. He waited for him to add his input, but he quickly figured out that the smile was all there was to it.

“So… are you two doing anything tonight?” Blue asked after a few moments of silence.

“Well, we’re just gonna find a place to stay,” replied Steven. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I want you two to join me for dinner!” he said. “I always wanna get to know more about strong trainers, and you two are the strongest I’ve battled in a long time! So what do you say?”

Blue then saw Steven hold Brendan’s hand and look directly in his eyes. After a few moments, Steven nodded and turned to Blue.

“We’d be happy to join you.”

The Gym Leader had to hold back his shocked expression. The way Steven and Brendan looked at each other without a word, the way Brendan remained expressionless and silent, the way Steven seemed to having full conversations with Brendan without either of them saying a word—it seemed incredibly familiar.

“Hey, Blue,” he heard Steven say after a few minutes. “Is something wrong?”

“Wha… Nah, it’s nothing,” he answered as he forced a grin on his face. “Let’s go!”

---

“Three regions? That’s incredible!”

Steven had just finished telling Blue about how Kanto was the third region they’ve traveled to after Sinnoh and Johto, and how the couple planned to go to one of the faraway regions next. They had their minds set on Kalos, as Steven was good friends with the Champion there, and both of them were looking forward to having a battle with her.

“One of Brendan’s closest friends, Wally, is also doing the badge quest in Kalos right now, so it’d be great to surprise him!” added Steven. “Right, Brendan?”

Brendan looked at Steven and gave a big nod. The entire time, Blue noticed that both of them were holding each other’s hands.

“Yeah, absolutely!” Steven suddenly said. “I’m sure he’d love it if we all traveled together.”

Blue took a long sip of his cappuccino as he watched the conversation unfold. He needed to ask them about it—well, ask Steven about it—so he could finally get an answer to a question that’s been nagging his brain for many years.

“How about you, Blue?” Steven asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Are there any places you want to visit?”

“Heh, funny you should ask, coz I’ve been thinking of going to Kalos for a while now,” he answered with a grin. “I hear there’s a battle facility there where you can work your way up the ranks by winning battles!”

“Ah, yes, the Battle Chateau!” Steven said with excitement. “Diantha’s the reigning Grand Duchess there, and for many Dukes and Duchesses she’s the only roadblock they have before they add ‘Grand’ to their titles as well!”

Blue then watched as Brendan leaned his head on Steven’s shoulder, his gray eyes looking up at his boyfriend thoughtfully. After a few moments, Steven made a huge smile.

“Of course you can!” Steven said as he started to rub Brendan’s hair. “If anyone can beat Diantha, it’d be you!”

Blue suddenly brought down his coffee cup more forcefully than usual, startling both of the people he was dining with.

“Did we say anything wrong, Blue?” Steven asked.

“N-no, it’s just…” Blue mumbled. He wasn’t comfortable bringing up something so personal to two people he just met, but if anyone could help him figure things out, it was them.

“You,” he started, pointing to Steven. “You can understand what Brendan’s saying without him saying a word, can’t you?”

Steven looked at Blue with eyes wide open. “Ah! How rude of us. It must’ve been strange to hear us conversing with each other with only one of us talking.”

“No, it’s not strange at all,” Blue said with a sigh of relief. “It’s all too familiar, actually.”

It was Brendan’s turn to look at Blue with eyes wide open.

“Ah!” Steven said, his excitement surprising Blue. “In that case, who’s the lucky person?”

“What do you mean?” said Blue.

“You know, your soulmate!” said Steven with a wide grin. “The one you’re connected to!”

“Wha… soulmate?” Blue repeated. “Connected to?”

Brendan then sat up straight and looked at Steven with a worried expression. As the seconds passed, Steven’s grin slowly faded into the more serious look Blue was accustomed to.

“Err, sorry about the confusion, Blue,” he said after a few minutes. “I just got carried away. I haven’t seen another one like us for a long time now.”

“Wait, another one?” said Blue. “There’s more people who can do this?”

“Mmm, yes and no,” Steven said, putting his hand on his chin. “You see, everyone has the ability to do this, but it’s often with their Pokemon. I’m sure you can understand your Pidgeot very well without you hearing a word come out of its mouth, right?”

“Yeah, of course,” replied Blue. “It’s built out of the bond between trainer and Pokemon.”

“Yes, exactly!” said Steven. “Well, it turns out that we can do the same thing with each other, only it takes a special type of bond between two people for it to happen. But when they share that bond, they can speak to each other just by making contact with each other, whether it’s holding hands or sharing a hug.”

Blue stared at the couple in disbelief. All those experiences he had before… it wasn’t unique after all?

“How did you find out about this?” he asked.

“We didn’t do it ourselves,” Steven replied. “There are these two talented Gym Leaders back in Hoenn, Liza and Tate, who specialize in Psychic-type Pokemon. They’re siblings, but they’re able to communicate with each other through telepathy. It’s all very surreal, and it makes their badge even harder to get since they’re challenged through Double Battles.

“When we told them about what Brendan and I were experiencing, they said that we were sharing a different kind of telepathy, which they said could only happen between two people who have a strong connection between each other. It can show up between two siblings, a romantic couple, childhood best friends—you name it.”

Blue could only stare at them in response. Here were these two skillful trainers who he’s only known for a couple of hours perfectly explaining a mystery that’s been stumping him for a decade.

“So… if I can hear what someone thinks when I touch them…” Blue began, unable to find the right words to follow.

“Then that person is someone you care about deeply, more than you can imagine,” finished Steven as he looked at Brendan in the eyes. “Someone who you can’t last a day without talking to. And someone who feels the exact same way about you.”

Blue was about to object when he heard footsteps running towards their table. When he looked up, he saw another trainer he hasn’t seen for a long time—not seven years long, but it was still a surprise to see her.

“Hey, Johto Champ!” said Blue. “Steven, Brendan, this is Lyra. She’s the current Champion of the Indigo League. Lyra, this is—”

“Steven Stone!” Lyra interrupted as she extended her hand. “I can’t believe it! I’m a huge fan. I always watch your battles on TV!”

“The pleasure’s mine, Lyra,” Steven replied as he completed the handshake. “And you’re an incredible trainer yourself! Your matches with Lance are always fun to watch.”

“Eeek! Thank you!” Lyra replied. “I can’t believe it, this day just keeps getting better and better—”

“Hey, Lyra,” Blue said, waving his arm. “what’re you doing here? Have you been following me to get to Steven?”

“Oh, psh, I’m not like that at all!” Lyra said with a slight smirk. “In fact, I came here to look for you, Blue! And the gym assistant said I’d find you here. So getting to see Steven is the biggest treat!”

“Looking for me?” Blue said. “What’s up?”

“You won’t believe who I battled with on Mt. Silver!”

---

“I can’t believe you! You’ve been here all along?”

Blue was shivering, despite the three layers of clothing he had quickly thrown together just hours later. The snow atop Mt. Silver was heavier than he anticipated, but the harsh weather was the last thing on his mind. Because standing in front of him was a person he hadn’t seen in seven years—which, to Blue, was seven years too long.

Red had changed a lot appearance-wise, Blue noticed. He was noticeably taller, maybe having a few inches over himself. He was also very well-built, although Blue figured living in a mountain for several years would do that to anyone. But his face was exactly how he imagined it after all those years—hair spiking out of his cap, lips curled to a frown, gray eyes looking at him with a consistently vacant expression.

Except this time, Blue sensed much more behind those gray eyes. Or, at least, he was hoping they did.

“I should’ve known,” he said after a while, “that you would escape into the most isolated place in the region. But like Gramps always says, hindsight is 20/20.”

Red’s expression hadn’t changed, which Blue already expected. He always carried their conversations when they were younger, and now he knew why.

“I’d ask you why you did all of this, why you disappeared without a trace, why you left me—” Blue continued, catching himself at that last point, “but I know you can’t explain it, or don’t want to. I get that.”

Blue could feel tears well up in his eyes, which prompted a shocked response from Red. Blue told himself that he wouldn’t get too emotional, but here he was getting watery eyes after only a few minutes of seeing Red again.

“But I want you to know that these past seven years when I couldn’t see you, or have a battle with you, or even just talk to you,” Blue took a breath, “they’ve been so empty.”

He had never cried in front of anyone before, even after hard losses or embarrassing situations. But he was more than happy to be vulnerable in front of Red.

“Heh, you probably think I look like a mess right now,” Blue said after wiping his tears. “But it’s really great to see you, after all these years.”

Blue wanted very badly to run over to Red and hug him, kiss him, but he stayed where he was, his boots leaving deep imprints on the snow-covered floor. The winds had grown even stronger from his trek up Mt. Silver, and the cold had only gotten worse in the past few minutes.

“You know, I learned something new earlier today,” Blue said after a few moments “From Steven Stone, the former Hoenn Champion. Heard of him?”

He saw Red give a nod in reply.

“He was a challenger in the Gym today,” Blue continued. “It was close, but I beat him! Heh, the best of Hoenn has nothing on me! But then the actual best of Hoenn showed up and defeated me afterwards.”

Blue saw Red look at him with a shocked expression, and it took Blue a few seconds to realize what had surprised him.

“Oh, right,” Blue said. “Yeah, I became the Viridian City Gym Leader after Giovanni stepped down. It’s been a busy five years for me.”

Red then reached into one of his pockets to take out a small gray box. He opened it, took out a leaf-shaped pin and showed it to Blue.

“Yeah, I give out the Earth Badge now,” Blue said, smiling at the gesture. It was yet another thing he realized that he missed about Red. “Though if you ask me, the badge looks like it came from Erika’s gym instead of mine. Whatever, a badge is still a badge!”

Blue swore he saw a smile form on Red’s face as he was pocketing his badge case. And even if it was just an accidental twitch of the lip, it only continued to remind Blue of how much he missed him.

“Anyway, I went to a cafe with Steven and his boyfriend, Brendan, after the gym battles to find out more about them,” Blue continued. “Instead, I found out a lot more about myself. And you.”

He saw Red raise an eyebrow after that.

“Well, Brendan reminds me a lot of you,” replied Blue. “He’s an insanely good trainer, someone who’d give even you a hard time. But what got me even more curious is how he never said a word.”

The confusion in Red’s expression almost made Blue laugh.

“Well, even if Brendan was as silent as a Metapod, him and Steven understood each other just fine,” Blue said. “It was like Steven and Brendan were having a complete conversation, even if Steven sounded like he was just talking to himself. Sound familiar?”

Red’s confusion turned to shock, which put Blue slightly at ease. At least he’s just as curious about it as I am, he thought.

“So I asked Steven about it, how they were able to talk to each other when only one of them does the talking,” said Blue. “And, well, I need to know if what they said was true.”

Blue walked forward, stomping his way through the heavy snow. No matter what he said next, Blue knew that it would shock Red, and he needed to be ready for how he’ll answer.

He now stood directly in front of Red, and there was a certain intensity in Red’s eyes that made his heart beat even faster. It wasn’t the same intensity he saw during battles, when Red was determined to defeat him, but it was one that drove Blue wild all the same.

Blue took a deep breath and said, “Red, I never want to spend a day without you again. The past seven years have felt so incomplete. And I’m here hoping, by some miracle from Arceus, that you feel the same way.”

He then closed his eyes and extended his hand toward Red, hoping he would take it and fill his mind again with his voice. And for a few moments, all Blue could hear was the wind, howling around Mt. Silver like Arcanine calling for their mates. And all Blue could think about is how the silence in his mind felt even more daunting, even more like it would always remain.

And then it didn’t.

You mean the world to me, Blue.

Blue pulled Red toward him as soon as he felt Red’s hand touch his. While hugging him, he could feel his mind slowly be filled with the voice he now knew was always meant for him.

I’m happy you’re here, Blue, he heard, making his eyes water up even more.

You’re the only person I ever want to talk to, he heard as well, which made Blue’s heart beat even faster.

I’m sorry for leaving you, he heard as well. I was always thinking of how much I hurt you, and I couldn’t bear to face you knowing I left you without warning.

“Apology accepted,” Blue said in between tears, “as long as you won’t leave me anymore!”

I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Blue and Red sat down on the snow, the winds subsiding to a gentle breeze. Their hands tightly held each other, and their eyes were staring out onto the mountain range surrounding Mt. Silver. And Blue’s mind was filled with Red’s stories and thoughts of the past few years—just the way he liked it.