(Fan cover in media by ktd527!)

After sitting in the snow like a bump on a log, I dragged myself up to both feet. Quickly I whisked away the tears that lined my cheeks and took in a big whiff of air though my clogged nose. Smile, smile and pretend everything is okay... I said to myself before giving a bright beam to Red, "Y-Yeah, sorry about that. I guess... Bothering you on this mountain was rude. Sorry, a lots been going on so I guess it all came down," I laughed nervously. I moved my head past Red quickly to see the Evening sun now melting away in the sky like a painting.

Red didn't really respond, just continued to look down at me with his red hues filled with an innocent curiosity.

I slipped my hat back so that it would sit on my head right as I smiled, "Thanks for finding my hat, by the way!"

He shrugged with the corner of his mouth rising in a half-smile.

I took a quick breath in the awkward one-sided conversation, "Well, I should probably get going down the mountain now," I buzzed. I spun around, kicking some snow into the air.

My stomach bubbled up, I could barely face Red. I felt so guilty. My breaths were shallow as my feet scuffed across the snow as I let my eyelids drop. In the midst of my next step, I was halted. Not harshly.

Not in the least bit.

Soft fingers modestly brushed against my own, letting my hand slip off like butter before I had even comprehended someone had contacted me. But the single action had enacted me to pause, my heart thumped. Could he have realized who I was? It was the only idea that raced in my mind, Why else would he stop me...

As if everything was in slow motion, I looked over my shoulder. I found Red staring wide-eyed at his own hand. Confused being the only way I could describe his expression. Feeling my gaze, he snapped his head up quickly and have a twitched smile. I returned the clumsy smirk while curling up my hand into a small ball, thumb brushing over my index finger. "You," I began to ask with uncertainty in my voice, "want me to stay longer?"

He gave a subtle beam before nodding his head once. He was a lot like a shy six year old.

He seemed so much like a little kid in my eyes at the time. "Yeah, I'd imagine it gets pretty lonely on the mountain. Companies always nice!" I replied sweetly, like I was speaking his thoughts. "Plus, no one'll send out a search party for me for probably another week."

If any.

The red-eyed trainer gave a melted simper, his shoulder's dropping. Not in disappointment though. No, It was a way of relaxing. "Inside?" his deep voice purred, motioning with his eyes to the cave opening which lead to the depths of Mt. Silver.

"Are you offering for us to go inside?" I inquired, him giving a quick nod. "Dear Arceus, Yes!" I shivered, burying my face into the collar of Blue's jacket. The two of us casually strolling into the cave. I took a quick survey of the area and picked a nice looking rock to sit on. I wandered over to the stone and plopped down, my legs suddenly felt all the aching from walking for so long. I wanted to fall back and just sleep at the time.

Red, who followed me in, turned to look down at me. I returned his look of emotionless. The stare off continued for a few seconds before he suddenly pointed down at my bag. Really not feeling the mood to attempt conversation with the boy, I swung my bag to sit on top of my knees to display it forward. Red's vibrant eyes dulled slightly as he rolled out one of his pokeballs that was sitting on his belt. He twirled it across his fingers, showing that he wanted me to take out my pokeballs.

In understanding, I rummaged through my bag, half regretting deciding to stay back with Red. Once I took out my six pokemon's capsules, he swooped them away from my hands, "Hey!" I quickly protested. Though my shout was in vain because his back was turned, his hand waving me off.

Then I observed him let out my pokemon one by one, healing them with a Full Restore he whipped out from his bag. At first, each injured pokemon was frightened to see their former opponent releasing them from their capsules. But as he softly sprayed the healing medication across their surface and the wounds shut. Or the leaves grew back. Or cracks welding shut. Swelling began to reside. My pokemon let their walls fall as they quickly warmed up to Red.

Each time, he would return one before sending out the next. And then he finally came to Vulpix. When she came out, her eyes became the size as poffins. Her head shrunk back far into her shoulders, jumping back from Red. The trainer had no reaction, just waited with both hands open in peace.

I examined the scene in this time, and gradually the small frozen fox limped over to Red. He let out a small chuckle and cuffed her ear with his hand; she reacted by rubbing her muzzle into his palm. A mutual trust reached, Red sprayed the Full Restore across her body. Right after she shook about her fur like a dog just getting out of the rain, her voice letting out a small pur- or growling in this action.

Following, she looked up at Red who knelt down to her height. She let out a bright bark and placed her two front paws on his knee, pulling her tongue across his right cheek, short but affectionately. I let out a small giggle as he brushed out her fur with his hand tenderly. Both pokemon and Red jerked their heads to face me in unison, both a bit wide-eyed.

I rose an eyebrow, "Well, Vulpix, I know you've heard me giggle before! Why so shocked?" I asked with a joshing voice. Her answer was the small fox leaping away from Red. Vulpix's paws slapped against the cold stones of the cave before tackling right into me. Her head curled into my stomach while my arms embraced around her small body. In my hold she fidgeted around until I was cradling her, Vulix's eyes shut with tiredness. I let out an amused sigh, "Geez, if you're tired, you have a pokeball," I told her with a smirk.

She reacted by nuzzling my arm and snorted softly, "I think..." A voice hesitated, "She... Wants to stay out... With you." I looked up from my small fire type and back up at Red. Gently I smiled with an ease around my spirit now. It was odd, I could have pointed out to him that was the most he has said to me, but that would be a bit rude.

"Yeah. She's really exhausted... Times like that I let her sleep with me, I guess it helps her feel safe." Cradling her in one arm, I stroked her crimson fire, "Little girl is a real fighter. I met her on Cinnabar Island a few months ago. She was abused my her last owner I am pretty sure, I found her terribly wounded. Wounds no other pokemon could inflict with such--- well, hatred. She isn't the strongest on the team, but she really has the most heart. And maybe one day, she'll be powerful. I won't rush her though..."

Red delicately stooped down in front of me and ran his fingers over Vulpix's nose. The small pokemon twitched an ear before turning her head further into the raven-haired boy's hand. Red smiled and continued to pet her, "To be powerful... She just needs love." The three of us (including Vulpix) sat there for a few moments until I could feel my pokemon's muscles relax. No longer tense. Red sensed it too and looked back up at me, "Looks like you got that handled, though." He smiled.

Though, it dropped very suddenly as he stood and turned away, pacing over to his blankets. From the pile he lifted one, from the distance it looked to be a light pink, like rose quartz, wool quilt. He dragged it over to me and carelessly tossed it over Vulpix and I. Slightly confused, I tilted myself to look around to the cave entry way to the mountain outside. Night poured in as the thousands of stars just caught my range of vision. Night so fast? I asked very curiously.

Red sent out his Charizard quickly and as they both laid down I remembered, "Ah, Red! Thank you for healing my pokemon," I expressed, just to receive a small wave. My shoulders slouched while I let myself all onto one side, rolling from the rock. When I thought I was getting somewhere in conversation with the guy... I shifted the blanket mostly to cover Vulpix and my upper half, leaving my toes in the cold. I pulled the fire fox close to my heart, shutting my eyes for a dreamless time to just shut my eyes.

It was odd, for most of the night, I felt cold. And then, a sudden warmth had covered my entire being.

And for the first night I had spent on that mountain, I drifted into a sleep with no lingering fears or regrets.

Probably a few hours later, a small tongue lapped against my nose. Gently it persisted, and I finally opened my eyes I found Vulpix still wrapped in my grip but her head turned to wake me up. Seeing me awake she let out a cute little rumble before shoving her head beneath my chin. I gave a crooked smile down at her after rolling her closer, taking in observation I was not where I was last night.

Well, I was still in a cave in the mountain. That didn't change.

It was just where in the cave. A few meters from where I was slumbering last. And now I saw an orange claw draping past my head, white claws poking out. I angled my head quickly to see Charizard's cranium ahead of me. His jaw was pulled slightly open as he let out small snores, his eyelids closed very peacefully.

I wondered for a moment how I ended up here when my thoughts were abruptly dispelled. It was just then I noticed the arm wrapping over my own, a black wristlet hanging on loosely. Something brushed behind my head, into my hair. Chills spun though my entire body as I let go of Vulpix, crawling away into the cold air of the cave erratically. The pink blanket still sat over my shoulders as I panted heavily with an eye twitching, Red pressed up against the belly of his true starter with his arms resting out in the open space where I was curled up previously.

His arm quivered before his eyelids flickered open. Tiredly, he swung up and sat forward to face me, his head cocked in confusion.

"Idiot!" I shouted, Vulpix leaping around with no real clue to what was going on.

Red rubbed the side of his head, still shooting me an expression of utter disorientation.

My face turned a hot red with anger as I wrapped the blanket further around myself, "W-why?" I pointed accusingly to him and Charizard who now was groggily awakening. "Why was I there?"

The pokemon trainer shrugged and simply said, "Cold." Pointing his finger to me.

"I-I seemed cold?" I stuttered, half-thinking the gesture was sweet. Half-thinking Red was a pervert. "That's no reason to wrap me up like that!" I continued to yell.

His face fell softly, his red pools trembling slightly as his head shrunk below his shoulders. It was like a small child being scolded by their mother. Charizard also gave the same responsible expression, mimicking his trainer.

Seeing their sad faces, my shoulders dropped and my anger fizzled away into a slight annoyance. I ran my fingers though my long hair, "Sorry for yelling..." I apologized. "Your meanings were innocent and good. Just--- think though things a bit more, okay?" Both of my eyes were shut in frustration, but when they peeled back again I saw Red beaming, giving a slight shake of his head 'yes'.

After that, the two of us let out the rest of our pokemon. The two Venusaurs clung to one another, occasionally calling over Charizard or Vulpix to re-light their small fire of small leaves and vines they had placed out.

Vaporeon and Lapras both swam around very liberating in a pool not too far away from where the rest of us sat. Each of them trying to show up the other one with swimming tricks or attacks. At first it was just for their prides, then a crowd of the other pokemon gathered. The two made an alliance to put on shows of ice and water for their company.

Pidgeot sat alongside with Blastoise and Pikachu to watch the competition of water-type show-offs with amusement scrawled across their expressions. They all seemed to have a ball playing with one another like children on a playground.

Of course Hitmonchan was followed around by Marowak while they trained for their next battle. No matter how cold it was, sweat dripped down their bodies as they pushed themselves to the extreme, "Hey you two, don't push it too hard!" I would occasionally call out to them, like any other day. Either way, they wouldn't listen and continued to spar against walls. Like any other day.

Snorlax, like any other, was sprawled out and snoring very loudly.

At some point as I sat beside Red, calmly watching pokemon, I shifted my gaze to him. He was so entranced by the twelve pokemon he hadn't even noticed. "Red," I voiced. Suddenly, his head jumped to me, his attention now completely focused. I felt somewhat embarrassed before I asked. I don't know why, I just thought, "Do you believe in happy endings?"

His lips drew straight as his fire red eyes burned. He was thinking on it, but still never turning from me. I expected a head nod or shaking, but this time he spoke. His voice was clear and crisp like the air that drifted around us, "I think," he continued to think while his bight hues swirled, "all stories deserve one."

My head rested back, tearing away from Red's gaze, "But, not all of the stories get them, do they?"

He was silent after that. I stayed for a couple more days, Red and I having short exchanges of words from time to time. I shared my journey with him, expertly leaving out how I was the player who put him into this mountain and the purpose of my future journeys. Sometimes he would tell me small stories about his travels, which I already knew.

But I nodded and smiled with interest like I had no clue.

Other times we just took care of our pokemon, watching them side by side.

Sometimes, when you have been isolated for so long, you don't need words to make you feel together with another. You just need someone to sit by your side can call you their friend.

Before I parted to trek down Mt. Silver towards home, I promised Red I would come back one in a while and he gave me some Full Restores for the journey.

It was cold and hard for a few days, Vulpix refusing to go into her pokeball for most of the travel. And I refusing to fly off the mountain on Pidgeot. During the times we had to go into the caverns of the mountain, I could actually sleep. The day we came off of the mountain, the sun was already setting but I pushed forward, an idea of home and a warm bed beckoning me.

Then, I arrived in Pallet Town. The night was a blanket covering the land as I scurried to the door of my home. Slipping my key out to open the lock.

The inky night flooded across the house. I could hear mother's soft nose whistles once I shut the door. I found her at the table, her head resting on her arms. My mother's jet black hair tossed around very messily like a Pidgey nest. Under her one hand was a phone, she had been eagerly waiting my return.

I smiled sadly and brushed her hair tenderly down with my right hand as I walked past. "I'm home, mom." I whispered before creeping up to my room. The squeaks of the floor boards would wail under my weight, each time I would flinch. I really didn't want to wake my mother.

Once I arrived in my room, I found it just the way I left it. Except no shattered photo on the floor.

Well, one thing was different. I tossed my bag onto the oak chair in front of my desk when I found it. A rectangular flat object catching the moon rays that bled in from my window. A shimmering blue bow taped on top of its surface. And a white envelope tucked under the bow.

Slipping it out, I unfolded the letter. I read it to myself very quietly as the wind outside howled between the houses. The script was neat and pulled into ribbons of cursive.

"Dear Leaf,

I lied about only you coming into the game.

You also came with your laptop. I didn't dare tell you because back then I feared you would bring in more hacks and cheats. Well, I still am afraid of that. But I spent the last few months transferring what was on your laptop onto this one once I realized you weren't some messed up creep.

Here on this laptop is basically everything on your old one. Except your hacking programs. Hope you like it.

-Blue"

The letter slipped from my fingertips and onto the carpet of my room. I lifted the lid of the computer in disbelief and clicked the power button. The fan underneath began to run with a buzz as the screen glowed a bright white. My login screen flickered across and with second nature I typed in my password.

I was back in.

I scrolled though to find all of my short stories in Microsoft Word.

All my favorite songs saved to Itunes.

Everything that my old laptop was had been put into this.

My eyes fell onto the date.

I slumped back into the chair after shoving out my bag. My hands slowly folding back to cradle my head as I thought about the date. About home. About mom. About Red.

December, 25th 2014.

Has it been that long, already?