The SILVER Team (PLOT)

"Red, I..." The crushed soldier lifted his head at his name, crimson eyes bright with new, exhausted tears on his old rival. He looked to be at a loss, but Red couldn't necessarily blame him. "You don't deserve to just be left here." Bewildered, Red could only blink as Blue flustered through his words. But last night... Blue had rightfully called Red out on his sins, had rightfully declared the other a monster and a murderer, though Red hadn't acknowledges the retraction of those words that very same night. He couldn't understand that Blue's remission had been sincere instead of simple lip service in order to quell Red's ungodly and ugly weeping. Red listened quietly, however, as Blue slowly poured out his own heart.

"And, even if I did want to go, I left them, my family...I didn't even try to get back to Pallet. Mom, Daisy, my granddad-they should have been the ones I went to first. But I didn't. And now I might not ever see them again. Hell, you're the first person from before that I've seen this entire time." Red's gaze turned almost sympathetic as the twinge in Blue's voice was suddenly audible. He was trying -and failing- to fight back the sorrow. "I was a coward. I ran. I ran from humanity, I ran from my family, I even let Pokemon that trusted me be released into the wild, because I wasn't fast enough to reach them in time." Red said nothing still, allowing his old rival to finish.

"I don't deserve a safe place...and they might not even take me back. Lance, whoever the hell else is at the Plateau, I don't know. Even if my family's there, they'll just see me as...as the coward I am." Though Red didn't blame Blue for running, it certainly seemed Blue did. Red's stare was pulled down to the craggy earth in shame, as he'd already thrown the word "coward" at Blue a number of times in their short travel together. He'd been harsh and angry, if only because old habits die hard and he'd been expecting the same from Blue. "I want to help you, Red. I wouldn't be here if I didn't, but...if you don't want me to stay, then my Pokemon and I, we'll go."

It didn't escape Red that their sorrows, at least when put vaguely, sounded very similar. They were both running, in a sense, from the sins they committed. They both couldn't face those sins and both felt undeserving of forgiveness or peace. A moment of lucidity granted Red much-needed perspective, allowing him a glimpse of Blue's own tempestuous guilt and regret. He hadn't straight out murdered his friends and family, but abandoning them in a time like the apocalypse was nearly as bad, and Red couldn't be selfish enough to make this moment into a contest. He swallowed against the lump in his own throat, his mind going back to Blue's words.

Did he want them to leave? He'd always been an introvert, to be sure, and thus had always valued his solitude. But that was when he still had access to his pokemon, his only friends, as well as the occasional visit from Blue and Daisy. For four years, he'd been bereft of that companionship, locked away in a bunker with nothing but a bunch of guns and a madman. And in the few spare moments he had been alone, his own conscience had ruthlessly attacked him and nearly driven him to suicide. His hand went to Pikachu's... Pika's... pokeball and rested on it a moment, his thoughts jumping to his other pokeballs in his pack. He had to give them some closure, at least. He owed them that much.

Red's hand went from the empty, bloodied ball on his side to his other arm, clinging to it due to an old habit originated in his youth as he slowly made his way to Blue, head still hanging in shame. He had to admit it to himself; he didn't want Blue leaving. He didn't want to be so utterly alone anymore, to be friendless and overburdened with his crushing guilt on his own. He couldn't stay strong any longer, not after four grueling, soul-shattering years of a numbness he didn't want to return to. While he had been little else other than miserable in Blue's company, it'd been the most emotion he'd felt in that long.

And... to be completely honest... it was good to feel again.

Red closed the gap between them slowly, his head never coming up to show Blue his face and instead lightly bumping against Blue's chest once he was close enough. He stood and leaned gently against the other man, his free hand delicately clinging to Blue's dumb jacket as, once more, he struggled with words. 'I'm sorry. I'm a moron. I was too selfish to see. Don't go. Please don't leave me.' His options all sounded hollow and dishonest and it nearly sickened him. He debated on them a moment before throwing the idea of speaking out the window, instead opting for his normal means of communication. His arms soon quickly snapped at Blue's torso in a fierce hug, clinging to his rival's jacket in a desperate, mute bid to convey his answer. Red buried his face into Blue's chest, an action that was becoming a little too commonplace, in an attempt to smother the tears that were no doubt falling.

Please don't go...
                                               I don't want to be alone again.
Please...
           Don't leave me...
                                  You're my...
                                                   ...only friend now...

The silence seemed to stretch on forever.

Blue waited for Red to say something, though he didn't know what to expect from him anymore. There was nothing. Maybe, in that moment, nothing could be said that would do anything for either of them. Blue only watched as his old rival held onto the single Pokeball at his side, one that was painted with blood. He could remember all of Red's Pokemon, a team so tight-knit that they easily overcame even the person considered the strongest in all of Kanto. A person who didn't understand a single thing. Maybe he still doesn't. Now they were all gone, even Pika, all of them.

What words could ever be right for something like that?

It was then Red began to walk towards him, holding his arm as he'd always done when they were kids. If the other man had been able to look at him, Blue might've believed they were back in those childhood days again. There were still no words. Despite all of their arguments, their shouting, all of the exchanged harsh insults and accusations, nothing here needed to be sound aloud. Blue let Red approach, and said nothing when the man leaned against his chest, held onto his jacket. This wasn't the Red he'd called a monster, nor the  same Red that had not so long ago broke down over his team's deaths. Somehow, he didn't feel like either. It felt more like a man who had truly reached his limit; there was no other way Blue could see him doing this. Both of them had done things they couldn't take back, that he understood. In all of their fights over their differences, maybe they'd missed just how similar they really were, how they both couldn't keep going on in the same fashion as they once did.

How did it take me so long to realise that?

It was then that Red, in lieu of speaking, hugged Blue, understandably more desperate than anything. Blue froze-but only for a moment. The initial surprise quickly wore off, and it left Blue only with a pressure that built up in his chest and near his throat. They had both made mistakes, yes. Blue knew fully well that some of them could not be fixed; the only thing that mattered was that he couldn't let those choices destroy them. He wouldn't. For Red, for himself, for his family, for the Pokemon that were gone and the ones that remained.
That one little action was enough proof for him. It was an answer.
And with that answer, Blue returned the hug he'd been given as he tried to blink back the tears that were beginning to form. His time in this mountain hadn't been sunshine and happiness, but Blue knew he wouldn't be able to leave by his own choice. Leaving Red, leaving this place...he couldn't do it. Especially not now. He didn't need words to say that.

I won't leave you.

Red wasn't aware of just how much time had passed as they held each other in the gloomy silence of the mountain. Nor did he really care. Blue had accepted him, for all his faults and sins, and that was enough for Red. Finally, his own weeping seemed to subside once more, and once more still, he withdrew from Blue's embrace to find a large splotch of wetness on the other's shirt. "Dammit," he croaked, his voice cracked after his episode. "I did it again." He gently prodded at the wet spot his tears had left, but still didn't seem to have the confidence to look his old rival in the eye. Wiping the remnants of moisture from his face, Red backed away a little, if only to give himself and Blue room to breathe. "We should, uh... maybe go back."

Standing away from the two boys, Artorias watched silently as they embraced. He could see the acceptance that he had not been so willing to give himself, and wondered if things truly would be better. His condemnation had come so readily when he'd expected Red to point the barrel of a gun towards him. Now? All of the possible answers seemed murky, and far beyond his reach. All I can do is trust Blue, and watch over them both. Yet there was still a twinge of uncertainty and anxiety, a slight mental twitch that wouldn't let Artorias be truly at ease. People were unpredictable, and no matter how much the Umbreon wanted to stay away from hasty judgments, some were dangerous as well. But I can't do anything about it now. Why do I continue to chase these thoughts around, when they'll only drive me mad? Like with every other confusing thing on this mountain, Artorias didn't have an explanation. Perhaps he never would. The important thing now was keeping Blue and Red safe; everything else could wait until later.

After some time, Red finally drew away from Blue. "Dammit. I did it again." Just like the last time something like this had happened, there was a damp splotch on his shirt where Red had cried; now, however, Blue could not care less. They'd both been through enough, and getting upset over a slightly wet shirt sounded ridiculous in comparison.
"It's not a big deal," Blue responded, the words pushing past the pain still lingering in his throat. He didn't say anything else as Red backed away, not wanting to try and push the other into further conversation. Honestly, right then, silence felt better than any words could have. Blue could see Artorias out of the corner of his eye, and hoped that the Umbreon wasn't upset with either of them. I know I made the right choice. But would Artorias so readily approve, when he had been the one truly confronting Red only minutes ago? Blue couldn't imagine his Umbreon trying to push him to leave Red behind, but so much had happened recently that he would have never imagined before. The last few minutes had proved that anything was possible now.
"We should, uh... maybe go back."
"Yeah. You're right," Blue said after a few seconds. He wondered if Daisy and Mikhail were doing alright; surely Tarkus would've done something if anything had attacked. Now that Blue thought of them, he reflected on how it was a good thing they hadn't been interrupted in the middle of an emotional moment like that. Who knew when Red would open up like that again? "I should let you know-I left a few of my Pokemon out with Mikhail, to keep him company."

"Yeah. You're right," Blue agreed after a few moments of silence. Red wasn't entirely sure about going back to the ray of sunshine that was the little bat that he'd just threatened, but it was better than standing and wallowing in his own guilt. He lifted his head when Blue spoke again, momentarily forgetting to hide his face from his old rival. "I should let you know-I left a few of my Pokemon out with Mikhail, to keep him company."

"That's... fine," Red muttered back, his hand once more going to hold his arm. "You made the right call to leave someone with him." He'd just have to get used to Blue's pokemon being out... It wasn't like it was their fault Red shot all of his. He breathed out a small sigh, slowly trekking back the way he'd come. At least his feet knew where to go; his mind could wander and try to make sense of what he could do. He needed to make things back up to Blue, but... how? How could he possibly right being a complete ass to him, for shunning and insulting and threatening his life? He hadn't a single clue.

He trudged slowly along the memorized mountain path, debating on whether or not to turn and outright apologize to Blue, taking much longer than he'd expected. As he reached the alcove again, he first spotted the Rhydon against the orange light of sunset, then the small bats nestled together as they napped. Looks like they'd had a long bout of play. Swallowing and keeping his gaze from rising to meet the Rhydon's, Red simply went back to his corner and sat, his legs curled to his chest and his arms folded against them. It was already turning cold and the storm was almost upon them, dark grey clouds threatening to obscure the setting sun. "It's going to get colder," Red spoke softly, not wanting to wake the children. "I hope you have a thicker jacket."

"That's... fine. You made the right call to leave someone with him." Blue nodded slowly in response. It almost felt wrong to keep out so many Pokemon around Red. No, it wasn't just wrong, it felt...mocking. Blue watched Artorias tread the path ahead of them, the Umbreon stopping for a few seconds to glance back at the two of them. There was nothing to discern from the Pokemon's steady gaze; Artorias is too experienced in hiding his own emotions to be so easily read. As much as he wanted to, Blue doesn't sigh. All of this...everything that had happened in the past day or two, he hasn't gotten a chance to process it all. His thoughts are jumbled together, waiting to be picked apart and separated. Maybe then, things would make more sense. As they head back to the mountain alcove, Red doesn't speak, and Blue follows suit. It seemed like a lot of their interactions were being painted by silence. Was he relieved by that? Even his own emotions are nothing but a confused mess, exactly like his thoughts and everything else.

It took time, but finally they were back at the alcove just as the sun was setting. Blue stepped forward towards Tarkus, the Rhydon giving him a questioning look, one that asked 'What happened out there?' If only he had the words to explain, but for now, it'd have to wait. Mikhail and Daisy were curled up, asleep, and Red had gone back to the same spot as before. In a way, it looked like nothing had changed, but Blue knew that things weren't okay. Him and Red...they both had issues, he knew that well enough. Issues that might not ever be solved, let alone fixed immediately. The dark grey, ominous arrival of the storm clouds only made those feelings of unease worse. Rain had never done anything to improve his mood.

"It's going to get colder," Red said to him, still sitting in his own corner. "I hope you have a thicker jacket." Blue looked over at where the two bats were sleeping, a slight smile tugging at his lips, in spite of everything. It was strange to see the kids looking so peaceful right now, and somehow, such a thing was almost funny. Or was it endearing? Whatever the feeling was, it was a lot better than uncertainty or fear. "Oh, I do. It's being used as a blanket, though."

"Oh, I do. It's being used as a blanket, though." Red's eyes went down to the sleeping children, finally actually registering what they were laying on. His initial instinct was to merely scoff and suggest that Blue take it back, but... his cynical fire was running low after... everything. He simply nodded at Blue's explanation and sat quietly for a moment before a low growl of thunder took his gaze back to the darkening sky. He was going to need to protect the alcove if they were going to weather this storm.

It took a moment to gather the strength to stand. He pushed himself back off the craggy ground to move silently past Blue, unwilling and unaware to explain any of his actions. There was a small pile of innocuous-looking rocks near the entrance that looked like they hadn't been disturbed in years. Frankly, that was because they hadn't, but it meant that what lay beneath them was still secure. Nonchalantly, Red crouched down and moved the stones aside, revealing a large space and shiny black plastic. He pulled out a trash bag and set it beside him before opening it as well. From its inky depths, he retrieved three large, brown tarps, several bungee cords and a diverter and jug for collecting rain water. Still silent, he began to go to work as the noise of the tarps woke the small Mikhail.

The tiny bat yawned as he pulled his head from the comfort of the dense jacket and his bat friend, but sleepy yellow eyes brightened at the sight of everyone back again. "Ah, Daisy! Everyone's back!" he chirped happily, flitting to land on the Rhydon's shoulder. "So what are we having for dinner, huh? I'm hungry!" Red said nothing, of course, his mind too drained and preoccupied with the comfort of routine. His hands already knew which rocks the bungee cords would grasp, how far the tarps would spread, where to put the rain collector. Everything else, for once, was delightfully muted. If Blue said anything, he didn't hear.

The alcove was soon covered by the tarps and not a moment too soon; the rap of raindrops hitting them quickly sounded as he secured the rain collector to a wall. As Red turned back to the interior, for a moment, he almost expected to see his team again, Charizard lighting a small fire and Pikachu sorting out the evening meal. Blastoise grumbling that Red hadn't pitched the tarps correctly. Venusaur griping at a sleeping Snorlax to get the hell out of the way. Espeon complaining that everyone was too loud. Of course, they weren't there. And they would never be there again. But the knowledge that they were forever gone was only a small pressure now instead of the crushing weight it had been for the past few days. Probably from the exhaustion. Mikhail seemed to notice Red's change in demeanor and watched worriedly as the soldier silently made his way back to his spot in the corner, his legs almost immediately curling up to his chest. He stared with hollow eyes and a hollow gaze at the ground, expression blank.

"...What happened?" Mikhail asked in his tiny voice, flitting over from his perch on the Rhydon to Blue's shoulder. "Are you guys ok?"

As soon as it arrived, the smile faded. Blue doesn't have the energy left to try and stay optimistic. To no one's shock, Red said nothing back, instead opting to walk over to some...rocks? His curiosity given a tiny spark, Blue turned his eyes over to where Red was, watching as the man took out a trash bag that had been hidden under the stones and removed its contents. Ah. It made sense that Red had supplies used to keep out rain, considering how much time he'd spent in this mountain before. It must have felt like home. Does it still...? His mind is far too sluggish to begin contemplating such a question, especially when it was one personal to someone other than himself. He seriously needed to stop trying to dissect the inner workings of other people's minds; it was going to drive him crazy eventually.
"You need any help with that?" Blue asked, but Red didn't seem to hear, or register anything at all. God, what a stupid question...Red's been doing this for years, he doesn't need help. With this in mind, Blue refrained from repeating the question, but the sounds had woken the two kid bats from their sleep. Mikhail popped up from the jacket first, and was quickly followed by Daisy, whose ears were twitching in anticipation.

"Ah, Daisy! Everyone's back!" Tarkus gave an annoyed grunt as the little bat settled on his shoulder, and Blue attempted an apologetic smile before going over to scoop up both Daisy and his now crumpled jacket. She gave a cheery chirp and snuggled into his chest. That brought the smile back to his face. "So what are we having for dinner, huh? I'm hungry!" Red wasn't likely to get mad at the kid for being so cheery, they both had to be too tired for such emotion, but...Blue glanced over at him, and saw a shift. Even though Red still wasn't talking, there was something different, and it couldn't be good. He'd finished his work as the rain began to fall, and took his usual place again, but Blue could see it in his movements. Exhaustion, first and foremost. It was like he was a dead man, somehow still walking. No emotion, nothing.

"...What happened?"  Are you guys ok?" Blue barely felt the Noibat land on his shoulder, and even Daisy was looking up at him inquisitively. He went to say yes-you're supposed to say yes to reassure children when they're worried, right? But he couldn't say it. Blue couldn't tell them things were alright when it was such a blatant lie, a lie only made more obvious and pathetic in the face of Red. It was almost sad how he was too pathetic to bring himself to try and ease the fears of the kids. I can't do anything. I can't help Red. I can't protect Mikhail, or Daisy. I can't...
"No. No...we're not."

I'm sorry.

"No. No...we're not."

Mikhail's ears and face drooped a the reply, his optimism taking a heavy hit. Blue-guy and Red-guy were feeling so down and the sadness in the air was beginning to choke him. Momma got this way sometimes, often allowing herself to be silent for days on end. It was why Mikhail adapted such a talkative nature-- to fill in the silence. It usually gave him more trouble than it was worth -case and point being in the threats that happened not an hour or two ago- but it was all he could do.

"Oh..." He worried his lower lip with a long fang, looking over the small, covered alcove for some sort of answer. What could he do? He looked to Daisy as if she could see his concern, then back to Blue. "Would eating help?"

'No. No...we're not.'

It was only four tiny words, five if you separated one of them, yet those words rip through Blue like an ice-coated blade. He'd finally admitted that the two of them were nowhere near okay, and it feels as if he's let down a shield and taken a fatal wound. Blue had spent so many years of his childhood running after a vague, fantastical dream of "strength", but now he knows that there is no such trait within him. Real strength wasn't running away, nor was it holding some inflated, false sense of superiority over a man who had been hurt in ways Blue cannot begin to imagine. Who is he? What is he? Nothing more than...A liar. Liar. Idiot. A coward. Whether it was his child self vainly holding onto his dying Raticate or his adult self promising to stay by Red's side, he always lets people down. Blue could vividly remember each time he shouted at his Pokemon, pushed them past their limits...or hit them. They're the ones I've failed the most.
He felt fur brushing by him, and realized Artorias was with him once more. Meeting the Umbreon's eyes, which seemed to hold far more wisdom than his own, Blue knew he was not alone in this. He and Artorias had reunited when the world was at its most hellish; surely that was some sort of sign, a symbol of their bond. His Pokemon would not abandon him, even if he felt he deserved it. That was the simple truth, wasn't it? Even after everything I did...

After a stretch of silence, Mikhail spoke up again, lacking his endearing energy. Hearing the tone doesn't help with the wounds of the soul Blue's own words caused, but at least it was better than nothing said at all. "Would eating help?" At the mere mention of food, his stomach twisted into itself-or at least, that's how the sensation felt. Blue didn't know if he could keep anything down after all that had gone on-he's too tense, too busy making himself sick with his own thoughts. You're going to have to try. Keeping your strength up is important. As much as he wanted to push his rational voice away and say no, eating wouldn't help, Blue reluctantly admitted to himself that not eating was a dumb idea. Besides, Mikhail wanted to help-and Blue had no desire to disappoint him yet again. Maybe food was exactly what he needed right now, even if his body said otherwise.

"I don't know if I could bring myself to, really...I don't feel at 100%. But it might help. I can try, at least," Blue answered, the words barely bringing themselves together. When did it get so difficult to speak?
"What do you usually find to eat around here?" Artorias inquired, looking up at where Mikhail had taken perch. "I might be able to catch something after the storm, if it's not rotten, but I don't know the mountain as well as you."

"I don't know if I could bring myself to, really...I don't feel at 100%. But it might help. I can try, at least," Mikhail's ears lowered again as Blue-guy spoke, his voice too sad. Everyone was too sad.

"What do you usually find to eat around here?" The small bat jumped a little at the voice he hadn't expected, then relaxed once he saw the warm, glowing rings of the Umbreon below. "I might be able to catch something after the storm, if it's not rotten, but I don't know the mountain as well as you."

Mikhail's face burst out into a wide grin. "Yeah, I know where some berry bushes are and the juicy grasshoppers! I can catch so many grasshoppers! Let's go after the rain, can we, can we?" He let go of Blue's shirt to flit and hover near the Umbreon's face, his entire body radiating glee. "There's even this bush of Sitris berries that are so juicy, I dropped one once and it went SPLAT on the ground and the juice got me _while I was in the air!" He giggled and twirled a little as he flapped vigorously to keep his position. "I was sticky for weeks!"

"Yeah, I know where some berry bushes are and the juicy grasshoppers! I can catch so many grasshoppers! Let's go after the rain, can we, can we?" Artorias' suggestion brought new life to Mikhail, though Blue did not feel the same smile from before returning to his face. Though it settled his erratic thoughts a bit to see the bat cheering up again, his mind refused to let go of its own stubborn negative roots, burrowing into his skull with reminders of how Red was sitting not too far away, no doubt feeling alone and...well, Blue didn't know what else. His Umbreon, however, is content to share some of Mikhail's pep, and smiles at the bat as he begins to flap his wings near Artorias' face. Blue can't begrudge Artorias this moment of an emotion other than sheer misery, however, and says nothing.
"Of course we can."

"There's even this bush of Sitris berries that are so juicy, I dropped one once and it went SPLAT on the ground and the juice got me while I was in the air!" If Mikhail's excitement builds anymore, he might just burst into a cloud of fluff. Blue remembers a time back when he was barely any older than eleven or twelve, and Artorias had gotten into a bushel of...what berries were they, Cheri? Pecha? Well, either way, the little Eevee had been covered in berry juice for what felt like months-it'd been one of the few times Daisy had traveled outside of Pallet to see him, and scold Blue for letting Artorias get so messy. She had been grinning the entire time though, and struggling to keep from laughing. God, that might as well have been a lifetime ago. Every other time afterwards that Daisy saw him with his Pokemon, she'd see the states they were in and look at him in a way that made Blue want to hide away forever. His sister had a way of letting you know everything you were doing wrong without saying a single word. Has. Not had.

"I was sticky for weeks!" Artorias gave a little chuckle after that, and leaned closer to the Noibat, as if to tell him a great secret. "Once, when I was barely any bigger than you are, I got into an entire bush of Pecha berries. I was covered in juice from head to paws." This time, the Umbreon's smile was more mischievous, almost playful. "And you know what that means? Baths every day."

The Umbreon leaned forward and for a moment, Mikhail's eyes brightened at the action. Oh, what new awesome thing was happening? "Once," he began, speaking as though he was telling the tiny bat a deep, dark secret. Mikhail did his best to remain aloft, even as all his attention went to whatever the Dark type was about to say next. It was just so EXCITING. "when I was barely any bigger than you are, I got into an entire bush of Pecha berries. I was covered in juice from head to paws." The grin on Artorias' face broadened and Mikhail's followed in tandem. "And you know what that means? Baths every day."

The tiny bat burst out into laughter, all the while shouting an elongated, "Eeeeeeeeeew!" He dropped to the ground, clutching his middle as he giggled uncontrollably at the thought. "Baths are so gross!" After a moment of recovering from his little joyous fit, he jumped back to his feet, staring up at the taller pokemon with wide-eyed adoration. "Did you stick leaves and stuff to you when you got sticky? I once rolled in a bunch of mud and twigs and leaves and pretended I was a Tangela!"

Red, on the other hand, was barely aware of the joviality going on around him, his focus having shifted to the small open window the tarp provided. Normally, this was Blastoise's... Blasty's spot, or even Saur's when it was sunny, since the imperfect fit of the tarps allowed some holes in the alcove's defenses. Red's typical spot was on the opposite corner-- the driest, where he would curl with Charlie, Vee and Pika. But now... He watched the world below as the rain poured, only getting somewhat soaked head to chest by the stray bits of frigid water. It was remarkable how little the view had changed, even after four years of hell. The sky had darkened with the storm, only growing darker as the sun set behind it, leaving little for Red to watch save for the occasional lightning bolt.

Even now, four years later, he could imagine them beside him. That Mikhail's squeaky annoying voice was actually Pika's, and that there would be a deep-voiced reply from one of the other pokemon. Would he always feel this way? Or was it only because of his location, deep in the heart of the place that was their home for so long? If he left, would he revert back to the soulless husk that nearly killed Blue and Artorias? Would he even care if that happened? His dull red eyes merely blinked at the otherwise distressing thoughts, unable to betray the turmoil bubbling deep in his soul.

As he sat in silence at the fringes of the warm, endearing display happening not five feet from him, a flash of red caught his eye, drawing it upward. Of course, when he tried following it, it was gone... Maybe a stray bolt of lightning or... something.

Mikhail's response was exactly what Artorias had been aiming for. "Eeeeeeeeeew! Baths are so gross!" The bat dissolved into uncontrollable laughter, and for once, the Umbreon let his anxieties ebb away. In all of these hellish four years, he cannot recall the last time anyone ever enjoyed one of his stories or looked at him with innocent adoration. It should have been nothing more than a dream of the past, yet here they were, able to share a moment of something other than pain, fear, or misery. Artorias would have never expected such a thing, not even before he and Blue had stepped foot on this solemn mountain. "Did you stick leaves and stuff to you when you got sticky? I once rolled in a bunch of mud and twigs and leaves and pretended I was a Tangela!" The Umbreon imagined, with a hint of amusement, the small bat coated with brown mud, tiny pieces of of branches and leaves sticking out from between it, making for a very makeshift Tangela indeed. Even then, he would've preferred that to the actual Tangela he'd fought around Kanto, particularly Celadon, with their staring eyes and wiggling vines. Eugh. Artorias had always avoided those things as much as he could; one could say he'd avoided them like the plague.
"Well, I was absolutely covered in grass, since I tried to roll around to get the juice off. I looked more like a very short Leafeon then any sort of Eevee," Artorias answered, remembering how much of a green fluffball he'd been after that incident. It was a good thing he'd had the typical long ears and fluffy tail of Eevees, or else nobody would've known what in the world he was then.

While Artorias continued to keep Mikhail company, Blue found himself unable to continue ignoring the elephant in the room. Maybe it was a stupid idea to approach Red. Maybe the man didn't want his company. Maybe, maybe, maybe. His entire life felt like a collection of maybes and what-could-have-beens. Who would he really be if he continued to ignore the very person he'd sworn to help? For once, Blue knew he would have to take up responsibility and do things himself. There would be no more hiding himself from the world or depending on Artorias; he needed to prove himself capable. More than that, he needed to make sure Red was alright...or, at least, whatever constituted "alright" for the two of them. Or, perhaps...Blue was merely being selfish, and desired company.
What did it matter? He was probably going to screw up either way.
"You'd think the storm would never end," Blue said, less of an observation spoken towards his old rival and more of a simple statement. His brain was too worn out to begin thinking of a proper thing to say; of course the storm would end. They always did. But after the events of the day, the statement fit well enough. After the short sentence, Blue paused, the words not truly appearing in his mind. He had to drag them out, tie them up, and force himself to speak. Each word, each phrase felt like a struggle, as if his brain had hastily forgotten how to talk. He wouldn't be surprised. Around Red, his ability to convey his thoughts through speech seemed to implode on itself, or simply turn into dust and be tossed away. Blue glanced over at his rival, and instantly noticed how the rain was hitting him, the water no doubt freezing. The sky outside was darkening, ominous and looming, but Blue did not gaze into it as his rival did. Storm clouds always reminded him too much of the past, of things he would rather forget. "...Aren't you cold, being in the rain like that?"

"Well, I was absolutely covered in grass, since I tried to roll around to get the juice off. I looked more like a very short Leafeon than any sort of Eevee," Mikhail couldn't help but explode into more giggles, clutching his sides as he rolled onto his back and kicked his feet in the air at the ridiculous visual. Cool, collected, awesome Umbreon being so silly like himself when he was a tiny Eevee-- it was too much. Imagining the regal Pokémon as a sticky leaf friend and calling himself a Leafeon sent Mikhail straight over the edge of laughter. He even snorted a little, which really only succeeded in making him laugh harder, causing more laughter in an endless cycle of tiny pig noises and giggles. "I ca--" Mikhail struggled to speak in between his own gasps for air as the Giggle Monster ruthlessly attacked him. "I ca-an't st-o-o-o-op laughing! Ee hee hee hee heheheheheheheee!"

The loud, unabashed laughter did finally catch Red's attention once he gave up trying to see the crimson light in the sky again. He turned to see Mikhail and Artorias genuinely having a decent time with each other, but couldn't seem to muster an opinion of it. He should have been happy the bat finally was able to have fun, angry that they were so goddamned loud, maybe even jealous that he couldn't be a part of it or share in the halo of joy that enveloped them. His emotional constipation seemed to still be in affect, even after the breakthrough he had with Blue. Maybe instead of a breakthrough, it was all the emotion he had left in him.

He looked up at Blue, who had... somehow teleported near him, since he hadn't seen or heard his old rival approach. That was probably on Red's stellar observational skills, but whatever. "You'd think the storm would never end," he commented, earning a small nod from Red as he turned back to watch the rain. They both knew that the statement wasn't in the least true, but Red had seen many, many storms bleed together on the mountain. Weather changed so quickly and violently on the peak he claimed as home that for a while, he began to believe that there was always a perpetual storm occurring and the small moments of peace were merely the multiple and endless amount of eyes passing over. His mind wandered to his tiny, meager camp. Was there even anything left up there? Did whoever clean out the mountain make it up there and claim it as theirs? Or did they just pillage his small collection of memories and leave his home an empty shell?

"...Aren't you cold, being in the rain like that?"

Red blinked as Blue's voice brought him back into reality and he turned to look Blue in the eyes as he continued to sit in the rain. He looked down at himself to find his face, neck, shoulders, arms and entire right side completely soaked. Truth be told, the chill that defined Mount Silver had rarely ever bothered him. Even when he lived up in the peak, he dressed as he'd always had: jeans, a tee, a light overshirt and some shitty sneakers. But the question brought forth many memories of the Oak siblings visiting to find Red in such attire and many, many lectures from the pair. Red couldn't help but find a small smile forming at the visions, the fond memories giving him a warmth in his chest that drove any sort of chill from his bones. He shook his head, smile still intact, as he kept his gaze on his old rival.

"...Not really..." He glanced back to the rain before turning his body partially to better face Blue. "...You gonna give me another lecture on pneumonia?" For once, his voice was light, and the comment could actually have been a joke. Though there was still anguish in his eyes, it was beginning to slink back, even if it was merely temporary. "Or hypothermia?"

Artorias was still grinning like a complete fool as Mikhail began to laugh uncontrollably, the little bat practically ready to burst from the amusement they were sharing. If he's not careful, he might just kill the kid by splitting his sides with stories from childhood. "I ca--" The Umbreon found himself laughing along with the Noibat, though nowhere near as unabated or turbulent; there's no way he can keep up with the sheer energy of the kid. Boy, did he feel old after thinking that. Artorias has seen rambunctious, energetic children and teenagers before, but they didn't come close to matching the sheer amount of giggles that Mikhail could produce, not even Blue or any of his Pokemon. Keeping the smile off of his own face was simply impossible, and that was in no way a bad thing. It didn't give him a headache like keeping a stoic expression all the time did. "I ca-an't st-o-o-o-op laughing! Ee hee hee hee heheheheheheheee!"
"You're really in stitches," Artorias observed in a mock display of wisdom, putting on his most exaggerated saintly voice, "But I haven't even told you the best story yet." When you pushed away the not-so-light tales from his past, ones he wouldn't be telling anyone else for a long time, then Artorias found that things weren't so worrisome, or liable to stress him out. For once, there is no burning of anxiety lingering in his chest, and maybe he'd be lucky enough for it to last.

Red cast an eye over himself, as if only right then realising the extent of water that had soaked through his clothes. When he looked back at Blue, Red was smiling, which took him aback. Had it been something he'd said? Whatever it was, Blue felt a faint flicker of hope begin to bloom; this was a step forward. Only a few minutes before, his old rival had come off as if he were drowning in despair, and now...this was a lot better than nothing. Now I just have to not screw things up. Blue can do that-no, he has to do that. "...Not really..." Red responded, the statement unsurprising considering that he had basically lived here all those years ago. Blue was glad to have his jacket, but there's no doubt that the other man could shrug off the cold like it was nothing more than an annoying gnat. "...You gonna give me another lecture on pneumonia? Or hypothermia?" Oh man, was that a joke? Blue could barely recall actually giving Red lectures over those things when he'd gone to see his rival in the old days, only to find him wearing clothes definitely not suitable for the mountain. Daisy had gone with him during those visits, too, though she had legitimate medical training to back it up. Those memories...they felt like they belonged in another universe entirely. Not only a different time period, but somewhere far away in a world that hadn't gone and pretty much ended. Blue found himself smiling too, comforted by the pale feeling of nostalgia.

"Hey, I might," he said back, in a lighthearted attempt at a 'warning', "I can still list the symptoms. You want me to?"

"You're really in stitches," Artorias mentioned, causing Mikhail to nod as he continued to giggle. "But I haven't even told you the best story yet." His yellow eyes brightened and widened at the mention of another story -a better story- and Mikhail flipped himself onto his feet, his smile as giant as ever. Of course, he was still giggling here and there, but he was at least attempting to quell them in order to listen to another funny story.

"Oooo tell me, tell me!" he cheered, bouncing up and down at Artorias' feet.

"Hey, I might," Blue replied, the joke continued. Red couldn't help himself but to let his smile grow a fraction as he saw his rival mirror his mirth. He'd hated that dumb smirk for so long, but... after seeing and feeling and drowning in so much despair, Red had to admit that even an awkward smile was enough to feel like he could breathe again. "I can still list the symptoms. You want me to?"

Red gave a small snort, his own grin not fading. "God, no." He looked himself over again, a gloved hand plucking at a wet sleeve. Yeah, he was completely soaked. Not the brightest thing to do; sit in front of a storm and all. He looked back to Blue, his mind strangely clear. It was a moment of lucidity, a moment of clarity that was allowing him to be like this and Red honestly hoped it wouldn't end. It was nice... being able to joke again. To smile and be able to reminisce without falling deeper into the pit of despair that he'd been stuck in for years. Maybe it was Mikhail's unending giggle fit in the background that was setting up the camaraderie, but it didn't matter. Red wanted to keep that feeling. He couldn't let it stagnate and die away... not after he'd been deliberately doing that to himself for... years. "I should... probably move, though. Might drown at the rate it's raining," he mused aloud. Cautiously, after a moment, he reached out to Blue. "Help me up?"

"Oooo tell me, tell me!" Mikhail said enthusiastically, and Artorias nodded, knowing exactly what story to tell. He has plenty of them tucked under his fur, but some weren't as pleasant as others, and he didn't want to scare the poor kid. No doubt enough things have already scared him today.
"Well, this happened a long time ago," Artorias began in his best impression of a storyteller, sitting down and wrapping his tail around his paws. "Back then, Blue and I ran a Gym, where other people and their Pokemon would challenge us to prove their strength. Almost nobody ever beat us. One day, this girl walks into the place with a Sableye by her side, looking like the rest of the world was beneath her." The Umbreon can recall each detail of that day vividly, right down to the smirk on both trainer and Pokemon's faces, though he left out the parts where Blue had run his entire team down to the bone training and fighting. That...wasn't necessary. "Now, this girl had an entire team of Ghost-types-and I mean entire. All six Pokemon were Ghosts, and I think this is going be an easy match. I sweep through the first five without breaking a sweat, completely confident. That's when she finally brought out the Sableye." Artorias pauses for a second to catch his breath before continuing the story; this was going to be the best part. "Now, normally I use Toxic immediately, to soften their defenses. But this Sableye, he's fast. And before I can do anything, he uses Confuse Ray on me. Instead of seeing a Sableye running around, he looks like a Geodude on stilts, and I am freaking out. Suddenly, he just vanishes into thin air, stilts and all." At this point, the Dark-type leans in a little closer and lowers his voice, purely for dramatic effect. "But then I feel something grab my tail, right as the confusion starts to wear off. And guess what? It's that Sableye, grinning right at me, the cockiest Pokemon you've ever seen. He uses Low Kick and sends me face-planting right onto the Gym floor in front of everyone, Blue included. I'm out cold for the rest of the fight." Artorias finished his story with a nod of admitted embarassment.

"Since then, I have never underestimated another Ghost."

Blue's remark is returned, the mood between them tangibly lifting. Artorias and Mikhail were still talking in the background, but he's long since lost track of the subject among the laughing and his own joking with Red. "God, no." Blue gave a tiny smirk, as they both knew fully well that he wouldn't have done it in the first place. It felt good to be able to share a laugh again. "Well, I'll let you off easy this time, then." A small stretch of silence moved between them again, but this time, it didn't feel like a sign of things getting worse. That was...nice. It was good to have things going smoothly for once, instead of downhill. Finally, Red spoke again, the joke over but the mood no worse for it. "I should... probably move, though. Might drown at the rate it's raining." Blue agreed, but didn't say anything. After another silent moment has passed, he stretched his arm out towards Blue, a gesture that the latter had not actually expected. After all, Red was always the do-it-himself type, never one to casually ask Blue for help, and despite their recent interactions he had not expected that to change. Man, things have changed...and it hasn't even been that long at all. "Help me up?"

"Sure thing." Blue took Red's offered arm, helping pull the man back onto his feet and out of the rain.

"Well, this happened a long time ago," Mikhail's wide eyes grew to comical proportions as the sage Umbreon sat and began to recount his tale. The tiny bat wriggled in place, too excited to stay still, but too entrapped in the story to move elsewhere. "Back then, Blue and I ran a Gym, where other people and their Pokemon would challenge us to prove their strength. Almost nobody ever beat us. One day, this girl walks into the place with a Sableye by her side, looking like the rest of the world was beneath her." A tiny gasp escaped Mikhail; Sableye were the scary gem-eyed pokemon Momma told him would eat his teeth if he didn't sleep at night. And this guy fought them!

"Now, this girl had an entire team of Ghost-types-and I mean entire. All six Pokemon were Ghosts, and I think this is going be an easy match. I sweep through the first five without breaking a sweat, completely confident. That's when she finally brought out the Sableye." Mikhail's little wing thumbs went to his mouth as he was ensnared in suspense. "Now, normally I use Toxic immediately, to soften their defenses. But this Sableye, he's fast. And before I can do anything, he uses Confuse Ray on me. Instead of seeing a Sableye running around, he looks like a Geodude on stilts, and I am freaking out. Suddenly, he just vanishes into thin air, stilts and all." Mikhail couldn't help but let out a little giggle at the description, but his humor was quickly silenced once more by mock fright. "But then I feel something grab my tail, right as the confusion starts to wear off. And guess what? It's that Sableye, grinning right at me, the cockiest Pokemon you've ever seen. He uses Low Kick and sends me face-planting right onto the Gym floor in front of everyone, Blue included. I'm out cold for the rest of the fight." Another, louder gasp escaped him as he stared up at the older Pokemon, eyes wide with awe.

"Since then, I have never underestimated another Ghost."

"Did the mean Sableye get beat?" The question came out before he really knew he was even thinking it. "Momma-- Momma said that they're the sneakiest ghosts! That they'll come in the night and take out your teeth, one by one! You didn't lose any teeth, did you?" Pure concern came over the tiny bat, distressed at the possibility of this strong, capable pokemon being susceptible to such a demon.

In the meantime, Red wasn't entirely sure what to think when Blue amicably grabbed his outstretched arm, aiding the former without a second thought. Had Blue always been like this? No... No, he hadn't. But after he'd beaten him in the League? In the years that followed? How long had Blue been a decent person? "Sure thing." Red quickly found himself conflicted as he straightened with Blue's help, trying to hide it as he dusted his wet form off in vain. The soaked fabric clung to everything no matter what he did.

He gave Blue a small nod of thanks and then quietly moved past him back to the little hole in the ground that had produced the tarp. What was he doing? He'd already shown how vulnerable he was when he broke down all those times in front of Blue. He'd already allowed Blue to comfort him and guide him out of those darker moments. Why did it still feel... wrong? Stupid? Degrading? Weak? Why did indulging in emotion make him feel less and less like he was in control of himself when shutting them off had only killed the person he'd been before? His instincts roared at him to return to the silent anger and the trigger-happy fingers. To assert his dominance over the mountain and everything in it again and then resume his work as painlessly as possible. But something fought that nearly overwhelming urge. Something quiet and soft. Something that didn't even have words for its defense. Nothing more than a feeling...

What the hell could it have been?

He pushed aside the rocks again and stuck his arm further down, his hand finding another trashbag. He pulled and propped it against his leg to produce a clean change of clothes-- clothes that were considerably older and maybe a little dusty, but they were dry. His hands paused as they gripped the dark red tee and jeans, the wordless feeling returning. His epiphany from earlier, the one that occurred to him as he'd held Blue, had revealed that he was no longer capable or willing to keep up the walls that had allowed him to stay emotionless for so long. His emotional constipation had finally passed and his mind felt lighter for it, even though it had produced the horrible crying episodes from earlier. So this... this intangible feeling... this knot in his chest and stomach that fought against the darkness in his mind with tooth and nail...

He glanced back to the others, watching Artorias spin memories and tales to the tiny Mikhail, the bat's animated responses, and Blue himself for a moment as his own mind worked to name the nameless thing inside of him. He still felt the loss of his own team, the yearning and ache that their absence caused, but... it wasn't quite the same as the unbeatable juggernaut his despair had been before. It wasn't limitless. It wasn't impossible. So this... this feeling...

...was it hope?

His eyes went back down to the clothes in his hands as the word settled gently in his mind, as if a small feather clung delicately to his shoulder. Though the notion of having hope was soft and gentle, the rest of his mind whirled. What was giving him hope, now, of all times? Why? Had it always been there? Wasn't hope of finding Pika the entire reason Red hadn't blown his head off in the first place? Why did hope matter at all now? Why was hope, of all things, causing the walls to crumble and shatter? Why would hope cause Red to even allow those walls to fall in the first place? The shit was even going on?

Red closed his eyes against the madness as he focused on the touch of the dry cotton in his hands and the sound of rain clapping against the tarp, the roar of thunder a base to accompany the melody of rain. As he did, the questions slowly subsided. You can't... answer any of that, he slowly guided himself. What you need to focus on is not being soaking wet. His crimson eyes opened at the thought, catching a glimpse of his dripping clothes.

Awkwardly aware that he'd been standing there staring at the clothes for a while now, he gently cleared his throat and looked to Blue, hoping the other man hadn't asked him any questions. Like, "Is something wrong?" or "Red, did you go catatonic?" or even "Please do something other than stare at your clothes; you're scaring me." Sure, the last one wasn't a question, but it was still possible. "I uh..." He swallowed and backed away into the darkness a little. "I'm gonna... go change... real quick." Yeah. Well done. Not awkward at all.

God, I need to get out more...

"Did the mean Sableye get beat?" The Noibat's eyes can't possibly get any wider, Artorias is certain of this. It was nice to have an audience member with such animated responses; he'd been much the same as a child, before the events of his life had forced him to grow up far too quickly. "Yep. By none other than Tarkus here, actually." Artorias playfully pointed a paw at the Rhydon, who merely grunted in response.

"Momma-- Momma said that they're the sneakiest ghosts! That they'll come in the night and take out your teeth, one by one! You didn't lose any teeth, did you?" Mikhail seemed genuinely distressed over the possibility; Artorias had never heard of such a tale, but then, he'd been raised among humans his entire life. His time spent away from Blue didn't really count for much in comparison to someone who had been in the wild their whole life. What other things had Mikhail's mother told him...and, if she was even still alive, where had she gone?

"Not even one," Artorias reassured the kid, making sure to show off his still-perfectly sharp teeth as proof that there'd been no dental theft. "You don't have to worry about me. I was a Champion's Pokemon, for a little while-it'll take a lot more than a Sableye to take my teeth."


Red went to get a fresh change of clothes, and the voices of Artorias and Mikhail again dominated the background. Right now, things were as calm and...'okay' as they'd been in awhile. Why, then, did Blue feel as if something was off? There was something nagging at him in the back of his mind, but every time he tried to get a good look at it, the feeling hid itself. As it was, Red was being oddly quiet, and not moving-like, at all. He was just staring at the clothes he'd retrieved, and it was starting to worry Blue. "Sitting and staring at inanimate objects" was almost never a good sign.

"Hey. You alright?" Blue asked, but received no reply. He wasn't sure if Red was simply ignoring him, or was so caught up in his own thoughts that he failed to hear. Feeling a shade uneasy, Blue didn't say anything else, figuring that Red would speak when he wanted to speak. Even when they weren't fighting, that was always how it was. Red wasn't a talkative person. Had Blue been? Right now, his childhood was a mere blur, the days mixing together to form some incoherent mess. He knew what he'd done fully well, but really, did Blue actually remember who he used to be? Who Red used to be? When he'd first arrived here at this mountain, Blue had been angry, still clinging to that old jealousy and bitterness he bore for his old rival. But why? From what he could see now, in this moment, Blue had no reason to ever be truly hateful towards the man. Perhaps it went farther back then he originally thought. Maybe, when realizing the damage he'd done to his Pokemon, Blue had failed to confront his envy towards Red, and such feelings continued to twist into the ugly beast it had eventually become.  

Blue had already pulled the 'morally superior' bullshit, and had been there for Red as he learned exactly what had happened to him, but it still did not feel right. They'd come far, but...still, things remained that had to be sorted out. Later. Right now, the rain and the trials of the day were weighing on Blue's shoulders, absorbing the rest of his energy. He was just about ready to pass out from emotional exhaustion; he can't even imagine what Red must feel. Damn, they had issues. Finally, however, Red seemed to pull himself out of the psuedo-catatonic state.
"I uh...I'm gonna... go change... real quick."

"Oh. Yeah, go ahead," Blue responded, feeling rather awkward himself. Yeah. If one thing hadn't changed, it was definitely Red's way with words. He moved closer to where Artorias and Mikhail were, as to give Red some space, and not be...well, totally creepy.

"Not even one," Relief washed over the small bat as Artorias pulled back his lips in a wide grin, revealing a mouth full of sharp, strong and present teeth. The Umbreon catapulted skyward in the child's mind as far as his reputation went; the older Pokemon may as well have been a Legendary all on his own. To defy one of his mother's more terrifying stories... that was truly something. "You don't have to worry about me. I was a Champion's Pokemon, for a little while-it'll take a lot more than a Sableye to take my teeth."

Champion? Mikhail blinked, expression still amicable but obviously blank as far as recognition went. He'd never been around humans or their titles long enough to know the term, much less of the power, legacy and history that surrounded and defined it. "What's that?" he asked, his curiosity overriding his excitement. "Momma never talked about 'Champion's. Are they good?"

"Oh. Yeah, go ahead," was Blue's equally awkward reply. Well, it looked like that at least they were in the same boat as far as their conversational ineptitude. While Red had always been something of a quiet kid, at least he didn't have a well-earned reputation for sticking his foot in his mouth. Recent events aside, of course. He awkwardly skittered to the other side of the opening, his back to Blue and the others as he began to pry his drenched clothes off his body. He tossed them to the ground with little care and the cloth fell to the ground with a hard, wet smack each time he pulled something else off. Thankfully, his training had taught him to be less shy with nudity, making it easier for him to rip everything off in front of strangers and his old childhood rival. Otherwise, Red may not have made it through.

His back still to the others, he quickly pulled on the clean, dry clothes, his skin immediately rejoicing at the newfound warmth. However, it seemed Red had... grown since he'd last been in the mountain. His fuller, more toned frame strained the shirt and even hovered above the pant hem, revealing a small line of peach against the dark fabric. The sleeves clung and bit at his arms and the jeans didn't even reach his ankles. At least the underwear fit? His scowl deepened as the disappointment in his own foresight reached a new level and he turned to look at Blue, scowl very much intact.

"...I guess I... grew... in four years..." he admitted, pulling in disdain at the clingy clothes. Unwilling to let them win this battle, however, he quickly began to shift and shimmy; he pulled in his arms underneath the shirt, leaving the sleeves limp folds of cloth as he went to a dry corner of the alcove. He knew how to play this game. He sat, defiantly, and pulled his legs to his chest before stretching the shirt over the top of his knees and pulled it down to his ankles. He was a blob now, only a head, a shirt, and feet poking out the bottom. This would stretch the damn shirt out. He would win.

[[I'm not completely coherent, so have a lot of words]]

"What's that? Momma never talked about 'Champion's. Are they good?" Ah. Oops. Artorias had momentarily forgotten that this was a wild Pokemon he was talking to, not one raised by humans; it made sense that Mikhail wouldn't know about Leagues or Champions. Well, that didn't mean he couldn't at least try to explain-after all, the kid did seem plenty curious about the topic, and Artorias was willing to oblige with some basic information.
”It might be a little difficult to explain,” Artorias admitted before beginning his explanation, ”You see, the world we live in is divided into multiple regions. In each region, there is a sort of hierarchy of Pokemon Trainers, each one chosen for strength, skill, their bond with Pokemon, stuff like that. There are the Gym Leaders, then the Elite Four, and finally, the Champion. Any Trainer can choose to try to test themselves against this hierarchy, though not all of them make it far.” If luck was on his side, then that part hadn't been too confusing; he can't remember ever having to explain this system to a Pokemon that knew next to nothing about it. ”In our youth, Blue and I challenged and defeated each one, from the first Gym Leader all the way up to the Champion, which made us his successor. We held on to the title for a little while.” Almost involuntarily, Artorias looked over at his trainer, remembering how badly he and the other Pokemon had been pushed in the process of earning that very same title. It brought a touch of sorrow back to the Umbreon remembering the days spent without rest or relief, a feeling tempered by the joy he could recall when he'd seen the person Blue became in the years after. It was that relief, and also the remembrance of times Artorias would have rather forgotten, that kept him at his trainer's side even now. ”In short, yes, they are good. Champions are the face of the region they live in, along with their Pokemon; it's a title to be proud of.”


Apparently, the clothes didn't really agree with Red, because they were so obviously unfitting it was almost funny. The guy was short as hell, yet somehow that shirt looked as if it was going to split in half if Red slightly moved his arms. His scowl somehow made the whole thing even more amusing. What am I, twelve? The scolding thought was quickly shoved into a dark corner where it could stay there and pout. For now, he was twelve, and he was going to laugh at Red and his tiny shirt. They'd had enough misery for one day, damn it, and if being the equivalent of a twelve-year-old made things less dark and depressing, then so be it.
"...I guess I... grew... in four years..."
”Yeah, I'd say so,” Blue teased, but as was typical of Red, he wasn't willing to let the clothes defeat him without some sort of fight. The guy began to struggle against the shirt, leaving the sleeves cold and empty before stubbornly taking another spot and becoming little more than a human-shirt bubble, one that looked absolutely ridiculous. Heh. Red was fighting a red shirt that belonged to Red. He didn't think the observation would be very appreciated, but at least he found it to be funny. ”Having fun over there?” Blue called over to Red the Human Shirt, still struggling in vain to stretch out a piece of fabric.


{been struggling with writer's block lately, so it's not a very lengthy post}

”It might be a little difficult to explain,” he began. His admittance didn't really deter Mikhail's enthusiasm-- he was almost sure that he wouldn't understand, but there was no reason he couldn't try, right? ”You see, the world we live in is divided into multiple regions. In each region, there is a sort of hierarchy of Pokemon Trainers, each one chosen for strength, skill, their bond with Pokemon, stuff like that. There are the Gym Leaders, then the Elite Four, and finally, the Champion. Any Trainer can choose to try to test themselves against this hierarchy, though not all of them make it far.”

As Artorias spoke, Mikhail's eyes glazed over a little as his tiny, inexperienced mind tried to comprehend the abstract concepts introduced to him. To be honest, he got tripped up at "regions" and then completely lost by "hierarchy". What was a "hierarchy"? Was it a higher arky? In that case, what was an arky in the first place and why was it higher? Still, he didn't interrupt and continued to stare at the Umbreon, waiting for more. ”In our youth, Blue and I challenged and defeated each one, from the first Gym Leader all the way up to the Champion, which made us his successor. We held on to the title for a little while.”

The sagely pokemon looked to his trainer and Mikhail took a moment to try and digest all the information the other had presented. He found it impossible, as he really hadn't heard much after "higher arky". So, he flushed it from his mind and happily waited for more words. ”In short, yes, they are good. Champions are the face of the region they live in, along with their Pokemon; it's a title to be proud of.”

That's something Mikhail could understand. He gave Artorias a proud grin, honored to be in the presence of such an amazing pokemon. "You think- you think I could be that strong someday?" he asked, eyes bright once more. "Could-Could you and Blue man and Red man train me to be strong like that?"

---

”Having fun over there?” Blue called from his spot in the alcove, earning a small jesting scoff from Red. The soldier shrunk his posture a little, turtling further into the depths of the poor, abused shirt until only everything above his nose was visible.

"I will not be dictated to. I will not be threatened," he mumbled into his shirt, keeping his eyes focused on the wall as he kept his mind on stretching the shirt. He glanced to Blue, half of his still stoic face still hidden by the shirt. "Are you just going to stand there all night like a creeper? Sit down. The rain isn't going to stop any time soon."

Artorias hadn't expected the Noibat to really understand everything he'd said, but really, the Umbreon had never been any good at describing things. It was a good thing he'd added that last part; Mikhail seemed rather happy to hear it...in awe, really. Artorias had never known what to make of admiration; the things he did were never to garner attention or bolster his own pride. Even now, he had only brought up being a short-lived Champion's Pokemon in order to ease Mikhail's fears. He's done the same for Daisy before; the little Zubat always felt better after hearing one of Artorias' stories. She's long fallen back asleep in the jacket nest Blue made, and the Umbreon allows himself a short few seconds of distraction to wonder how she is holding up. It doesn't take long, however, for Mikhail to speak again and bring Artorias back into their conversation.
"You think-you think I could be that strong someday? Could-Could you and Blue man and Red man train me to be strong like that?"

Artorias doesn't know how to respond to that. Any Pokemon could become strong, yes, but it is the mention of Red that worries him. He thinks back to the night they discovered how Red's Pokemon had died...Why would he ever want to train another Pokemon after something like that? Though things were calm for now, that could easily change, and Artorias didn't like the idea of bringing up such a sore subject. Blue, on the other hand, would no doubt be completely willing to help the little bat if becoming stronger was what Mikhail really wanted. It wasn't like him to crush the dreams of a young Pokemon, and Artorias is confident in his training methods. After Blue had found Artorias in the Viridian Forest all those years ago, the other Pokemon-Shiva and Laurentius in particular-had gone into detail the changes Blue had made, both in attitude and how he treated them. Now, four years later, Artorias had no reason to doubt Blue or how he would train a Pokemon like Mikhail.

”I know Blue and I would,” Artorias responded amicably, giving an encouraging smile to the Noibat, ”Anyone can be just as strong as me. I was only a tiny Eevee once, after all.”



Red muttered something into the tortured shirt that Blue didn't quite catch, and it only helped fuel his teasing mood. The guy's face could barely be seen, as if the entire situation wasn't already ludicrous enough; it's a real challenge for Blue to not start straight-up laughing. Christ, had someone slipped him mushrooms when he hadn't been looking? "Are you just going to stand there all night like a creeper? Sit down. The rain isn't going to stop any time soon." The 'creeper' comment didn't deter Blue; leave it to him to have to be the one to lighten up the mood because Red was way too serious. Oh, well, Blue was used to that.

”Aww, c'mon, Red. It's fun to tower over you when I'm standing,” Blue said, though he did actually sit down. He would never admit it aloud, but Red was right; it'd be a bitch to stand up the entire time throughout the storm. If Blue was going to be stuck in one place, then he might as well not be bored the entire time. ”Oh, wait...I could do that even if you were standing up too.”

”I know Blue and I would,” Artorias answered, his friendly tone caused Mikhail's entire body to wriggle with excitement. Oh boy, he was actually going to get more training! Byt real trainers! He loved his mother and her lessons, but these guys were like... world-traveling fighters, right? They probably had so much more to teach! ”Anyone can be just as strong as me. I was only a tiny Eevee once, after all.”

"Really?!" he cried, bouncing up and down flailing his little wings. "That's AWESOME! Thank you thank you thankyouthankyouthankyoutheniusugfnjfdsi-- EHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!" With so much energy in his body, he could no longer keep in one spot. He flew around the room, bouncing from wall to wall and continued to giggle as he did.

---

”Aww, c'mon, Red. It's fun to tower over you when I'm standing,” Blue teased right back, perpetuating the playful banter and atmosphere. As the other man sat down, Red gave him a jesting glare, the weight of his depression and despair actually lifting more and more. This was... so nice. He felt nearly normal. ”Oh, wait...I could do that even if you were standing up too.”

The playful glare narrowed and Red ducked his face further into his shirt, making only his eyes and up visible. He gave a small, mocking laugh. "Being taller only gives me better access to your knees," Red replied, his tone deadpan as he eyed his former rival. "The bigger you are, the harder you'll fall." Of course, he felt grateful he'd hidden his mouth; he couldn't keep the smile out of his voice and it was hard to convey ruthlessness while grinning like an idiot. Not that... he wanted to stop grinning.