The SILVER Team (PLOT)

Blue may or may not have wished Red could have held onto Mikhail a little longer, but the two bats are always adorable, so he can live with it. Their canine companion looks more at ease too, no longer talking into his paws out of sheer humiliation.

On the other hand, after that, a silence ensues between everyone in the room. Not an uncomfortable silence, really, more like...Blue can't think of a proper word to describe it. It feels as though something should be happening right now; maybe this is just what goes on after two people stop talking for awhile?

That period of time was only a week, but still.

"...So..."

Though Blue is no sleuth-especially with other people-it would be pretty damn difficult to miss Red's discomfort. He has no idea why, but his throat is suddenly really scratchy. Please do not fucking have a coughing fit when Red is talking, I would actually die.

"...what did you do while we were gone?"

At least it was an easy question to answer. "Not much," Blue admitted (thankfully, no coughing ensued),  "I was out for a bit, but I didn't want to stray too far."

He doesn't outright vocalize it, since doing so was probably unnecessary; both of them know he's not as familiar with this place as Red is. While Blue's confident in his instincts, surviving out in the undead-infested wilderness for an ungodly amount of years tempered a good part of his impulsive side (at least when it came to anything other than a social threat; he will never forget that goddamn first kiss).

Besides, mountains weren't his friends. He still remembers getting lost in Mt. Moon and that stupid rock tunnel as a kid.

"I had to take care of Daisy anyways, though, so it worked out," Blue continues. Another reason not to wander off: doing so would've meant putting the Zubat back into her ball. Every time he did that, Blue couldn't help but feel as though he was ripping a young, disabled Pokemon away from her sources of security and comfort.

"Not much," Blue answered readily, earning Red's burning jealousy with how easily he could engage in conversation and small talk. He had always been the more extroverted of the two of them, but still. It left Red feeling like he was once again racing Blue, who was effortlessly pulling ahead. Damn giraffe legs. Well. Metaphorical legs. You can't even have long legs in your own hypotheticals and metaphors? Legends above, Red. Get your shit together. "I was out for a bit, but I didn't want to stray too far." Blue then gestured to the other sleeping bat child. "I had to take care of Daisy anyways, though, so it worked out,"

Red nodded, his throat suddenly dry as a desert. "...Well. The path should be good by tomorrow. We'll be able to finally get out of this damn alcove and reach the top." It was still unnerving they hadn't come across any roaming undead or infected, but for now, it was a mystery that would have to wait.

"...Well. The path should be good by tomorrow. We'll be able to finally get out of this damn alcove and reach the top."

"Oh, good. The scenery around here is getting to be pretty dull."

He was only half-joking, truth be told. Blue's getting more than a little sick of being in this mountain; it still reminds him of those goddamn tunnels he had to get through in his youth. The only actual good thing about this place (other than Red being here, heh) is that there's virtually no undead, and even then, that's not a guaranteed good sign. During his travels, Blue had learned this: whenever a place looks safe, it's usually because something much worse has already taken care of the smaller threats. You couldn't always trust first impressions.

Ugh, that was likely one of the most paranoid thoughts he's had since arriving at Mount Silver. Why couldn't he have positive ideas for once? Blue is almost impressed by his ability to freak himself out before the day of traveling even arrives; it might as well be one of his hobbies by now. All the worrying's probably unnecessary, anyways. Maybe they'll reach the summit with no trouble, and there will be absolutely zilch threats-wise waiting for them there.

The thoughts were a little too optimistic, but hey, he can dream.

The next few days proved productive for the tiny group of vagabonds as Red led them up and up the mountain pass. Now that it had hardened enough for travel, Red was eager to push them as quickly as possible; a difficult feat considering the little Noivern he'd somehow duped himself into taking in was constantly distracted with everything. Mikhail had never been this high up the mountain and he would not let himself be rushed. It was truly a power of wills. Red, unfortunately for the little bat, however, was much taller and was also capable of simply picking him up and carrying him.

Even as they trekked higher and deeper into the mountain's paths, Red still found no trace of Undead. In fact, there was an even lesser presence, if that were possible. The air turned crisp and sharp as the temperature dropped, and not even dried blood stained the rocky walls. Just... how had this happened? How had his mountain been... spared? No. Not spared. His mind brought back a vivid image of the bone pit-- the remnants of the native inhabitants here. But... the questions remained: who put them there and how they fuck did they manage such a feat?

After a couple days' travel, Red found himself at the last leg. The homestretch. Once they crossed this last bit of mountain, they'd be back in his home. His heart ached to see whether or not this mystery entity had claimed it for themselves or if they'd left it alone. He nervously fidgeted as he frowned from his safe spot at the blizzard roaring outside. Another alcove, this one much smaller, was to be their camp for the night. No tarp was needed for protection, but outside lay just beyond the alcove's edge. Red sighed as the cold temperatures began to gnaw at him. He enjoyed the cold, yes, but ferocious blizzards like the one that was currently assaulting them was never weather he actively enjoyed.

"We're stuck here until it blows over," Red grumbled. "Visibility's shit."

Truthfully, Blue expected a lot more to happen while traveling upwards through Mount Silver. Things weren't necessarily unproductive nor uneventful (could there be such a thing with Mikhail around?), but other than their bat friend, the place was so quiet. It was almost creepy. He kept anticipating things lurking about, hiding in the shadows, but nothing ever showed up.

Blue would have preferred that at least one undead showed its face, because his nerves were bound to kill him at this rate. He constantly looked over at Artorias, but although the Umbreon's nose and ears sometimes twitched, he never gave his usual warning signs. Somehow, things were just...calm. Blue didn't know what to think of that-years of constantly having to watch your back did that to a person.

As it was now, they were stuck in another alcove thanks to the blizzard outside, and Blue was shivering. He wasn't that sensitive, but this kind of ugly, cold weather sucked. Artorias stuck close, at least, providing some sort of warmth. Bringing out Laurentius was becoming more and more tempting, but Blue kept himself from retrieving the Arcanine's Pokeball. Better to stick this stupid cold out than subject Laurent to a damn blizzard. He wasn't going to freeze to death any time soon.

"We're stuck here until it blows over," Red said from his spot, looking more than a little sulky. "Visibility's shit."

Well, Red was certainly right about that. Blue doubted anyone would be able to see five feet in front of themselves out there.

"This is why I hate snow," Blue said, still freezing thanks to the goddamn storm, "And ice. And the cold."

"This is why I hate snow," Blue chattered, earning Red's attention and the smallest of smirks played at the ends of his mouth. "And ice. And the cold."

"Oh, stop whining. It's not that cold," Red dismissed with a gentle, almost indiscernible chuckle while the little bat tucked away in his shirt scoffed.

"Liar," Mikhail shivered, glaring up at the soldier from within the other's own shirt. "Th-This is the cold-d-d-dest I've ever been i-i-in m-my life."

"Oh, stop whining. It's not that cold."

"It is to me," Blue answered. He could have thought of a better rebuttal, of course, but that required concentration, and shivering needed a lot of concentration.

"He's right, you know. It's really not that cold," Artorias said to Blue, his tail carefully placed over his paws, ever the picture of serenity even in the middle of a freezing cavern. Blue would have been offended, had he not been so cold that he was...shivering. His own Pokemon, betraying him in his hour of need-heartless. Absolutely heartless. But, from his spot within Blue's shirt, Mikhail added in words of his own directed at Red.

"Liar. Th-This is the cold-d-d-dest I've ever been i-i-in m-my life."

"See? Someone's on my side."

"See? Someone's on my side."

Red snorted a little at Blue's indignant reply, staring at the shivering little bat. "And Artorias is on mine. Your point?" he answered with an impish smirk, nudging Blue's shoulder with his own. "Honestly, I would have liked to keep going, but the blizzard makes it too hard to see and the ledges are slippery."

"Not th-th-that it's-s-s-s freezing? That d-d-doesn't stop you?"

Red blinked at the little bat. "Of course not. It's kinda cold, but not really. That's what I said."

"You're insane."

"You have fur; how are you cold?"

"And Artorias is on mine. Your point?"

Blue was not about to admit that Red was right. So, in order to preserve his dignity, he opted to say absolutely nothing (that, and he tried not to look at Artorias, because no way was the Umbreon not smirking in his direction).

"Honestly, I would have liked to keep going, but the blizzard makes it too hard to see and the ledges are slippery."

Blue shook his head in mock surprise. "Of course you'd want to do that."

Mikhail, on the other hand, sounded like he might've actually been shocked that Red would've kept going even in this cold. Of course, the Noibat didn't have the advantage of having known him since childhood.

"Not th-th-that it's-s-s-s freezing? That d-d-doesn't stop you?"

"Of course not. It's kinda cold, but not really. That's what I said."

"You're insane."

"You have fur; how are you cold?"

"He has fur, but he's still a bat. Of course he'd be cold. Most of them have to hibernate just to survive winter," Blue spoke up. Sure, he knew a lot more about Zubats than he did Noibats, but in general terms, they were both the types of bats who loved burrowing away in caves like these when temperatures were freezing. Was that why they found Mikhail where they did, at a far lower altitude?

Poor Mikhail; the little guy can barely talk past his shivering, and had to use Blue's shirt as some sort of second home. Blue wondered if maybe a certain Arcanine really would be needed if the temperature happened to decrease further.

"He has fur, but he's still a bat. Of course he'd be cold. Most of them have to hibernate just to survive winter," Blue interjected, earning Red's attention. His stoic face betrayed a hint of a grin as he watched his old rival defend the shivering Mikhail. While he had no malice toward the bat, Red had the distinct feeling that Blue was lowkey trying to save face.

"Uh huh. Well, that might excuse him, but it doesn't excuse you," he teased, the glint of mischief in his eye sparkling. "You've even been up here in blizzard season. You've done this before."

"Uh huh. Well, that might excuse him, but it doesn't excuse you."

Uh oh. Blue didn't like where that sentence was going. The look Red had was the red flag of the century.

"You've even been up here in blizzard season. You've done this before."

That's not...he would never...the truth is...goddamn it, Red had him there. Blue hoped he'd conveniently forget all those old visits. Now he was left to defend himself in an uphill battle that at this point probably resembled Mt. Silver's own icy slopes (the same slopes he kind of wished he was falling off of right now). It wasn't Blue's fault that he was born with paper skin.

"Yeah, well, I was cold back then too. I'm doomed to a life of cold."

Blue was caught, and then mourned his frigid doom. "Yeah, well, I was cold back then too. I'm doomed to a life of cold."

The glint of mischief grew more intense as Red's smirk slowly crawled along his normally stoic face. "Uh huh. I guess so. It must be the unforgiving march of time that's done this to you. Maybe once we get to the top, I can maybe fashion you a shawl. That's what old people, wear, right?"

"Uh huh. I guess so. It must be the unforgiving march of time that's done this to you. Maybe once we get to the top, I can maybe fashion you a shawl. That's what old people, wear, right?"

Forget the unforgiving march of time, it's the unforgiving curse of his dumbass brain that doomed Blue to immediately visualize himself wearing a shawl. Not even the fashionable kind, either, but the obviously knitted shawls that grandmothers wear whenever the rest of the family goes to visit them, the type that go over your head. His hair would never fit right in one of those things. He would become the laughingstock of Kanto.

"You would know, you grumpy old man," Blue retorted, but saying that only added a shawl-toting Red to his already-existing visual. He wasn't sure if he should laugh or cry. Oh man, if old people wore shawls, then did his own grandfather do so? Was there anyone who didn't wear one of these things? They might even have to make one for Artorias, too, and there's no way his ears would fit. That meant there'd have to be earholes, or whatever they're actually called, but he'd look ridiculous with his ears poking out like that. Same went for Mikhail. ...Okay, Blue can't not share that idea.

"It just wouldn't be fair if I'm the only one protected from this horrible weather. Imagine if we put a shawl on Artorias."

Artorias rolled his eyes in Blue's direction, but still, why let his trainer have all the fun? "I wasn't the one complaining about how cold it is."

"You would know, you grumpy old man," Blue shot back, earning a small scoff from Red. Blue knew that he was the older of the two of them, right? Then again, Red fit the role of a bitter, cantankerous, anti-social hermit far better than his old rival. So... maybe he shouldn't keep prodding at that fire. Wups.

Red felt at ease, even as their inane conversation continued. Just shooting the breeze, enjoying each other's company... Once more, Red was filled with a content he hadn't felt in years. Many, many long painful years.

Blue's voice brought him back from his short, happy reverie. "It just wouldn't be fair if I'm the only one protected from this horrible weather. Imagine if we put a shawl on Artorias."

The Umbreon rolled his large crimson eyes, dismissing Blue's bait with practiced ease. "I wasn't the one complaining about how cold it is."

"He's also another one with fur, so..."

"He's also another one with fur, so..."

Blue huffed. Where was he, in a retirement home? Yeah, Blue was still cold, but that didn't prove anything. Any rational person would be cold. He never would have thought in a million years that Red and his own Umbreon would gang up on him like this; of all the duos in the world to be stuck in a mountain with, in the middle of a blizzard no less.

But Blue wouldn't say this wasn't enjoyable. He'd take a conversation about shawls and his own (really sad) inability to handle low temperatures over...pretty much everything that happened when he first arrived here, and anything before that too. If Red and Artorias wanted to team up and form the most unlikely combination just for the sake of teasing him, hell, Blue would go with it. Not without complaint, of course, but that was a given.

And okay, maybe seeing the two of them get along as well as they were was still something new for him. It made him feel...content. As weak as the word sounded, that was the best Blue could describe it.

"I am surrounded by killjoys," he said, as though he wasn't thinking of anything past the immediate conversation.
"C'mon, think about it. My stupid hair wouldn't fit right in one of those things, and neither would Artorias' ears. Just imagine how ridiculous we'd look."

"I am surrounded by killjoys," Blue lamented, much to Red's delight. The twinkle of mischief in his eyes sparkled more, even if his mouth remained mostly passive. "C'mon, think about it. My stupid hair wouldn't fit right in one of those things, and neither would Artorias' ears. Just imagine how ridiculous we'd look."

Rde outright snorted at Blue's melancholy. "You do know that hair, like... compresses, right? It goes down? It can be pushed?" Red reached out a hand to tentatively pat Blue's spiky hair. "I'm not sure how many years' worth of hair gel you put in yours, but I promise you, hair can be tamed." He scooted and leaned back, his weight settling on Blue's side. It was contact, but not enough to raise any flags with the ever-vigilant Umbreon. Red's own warmth radiated out like a living heater, or fire-type. "Maybe the gel is what's making you so cold."

"You do know that hair, like... compresses, right? It goes down? It can be pushed?"

"Yeah, I'm all too aware," Blue grumbled as Red patted at his hair as though he was some sort of particularly fluffy dog. His poor hairstyle had been oppressed many a time, and unlike his old rival, he didn't like wearing hats even a little bit. Speaking of hats, why did nobody acknowledge how funny Artorias would look wearing one? It was like he was the only one carrying the burden of imagination around here.

"I'm not sure how many years' worth of hair gel you put in yours, but I promise you, hair can be tamed."

Artorias' stifled a snicker at the hair gel comment. When Red leaned back against Blue, there wasn't much of a reaction from the Umbreon other than slight flick of his ears. He refused to be involved in this conversation if there was even the slightest chance of said ears being brought up again, and knowing Blue, that little detail was still on his mind. It was better (and far more comfortable) for him to curl up, put his head down, and pretend he couldn't hear anything.

"Maybe the gel is what's making you so cold."

"I can't even remember the last time I used hair gel. I'm blaming my paper skin instead."

The one bright side was that having Red this close made things less freezing, and even better, it felt natural-nothing like the dreaded week of silent discomfort at all. He rather liked not feeling like a dumb teenager dealing with his first crush. If Blue had to make a comparison to their current situation, then the other man was like some sort of Arcanine keeping from freezing to death...no, wait, those were too tall. Red was more of a Flareon. A grumpy Flareon, but still cute anyways.

As Artorias curled up next to them and the mood wound down from the day, Red felt himself growing more and more content as he rested against Blue's form. Contrasting with the bitter rage their journey had started in and the roller coaster of emotions that had been the trek up the mountain, sitting here with Blue... It was nice. "I can't even remember the last time I used hair gel. I'm blaming my paper skin instead."

Red chuckled, then glanced down to try and spy an exposed track of pale skin. When he didn't see any from his position, he let the idea go; poor Blue had had enough teasing tonight. He felt his body relax even more as his eyes roamed to the slight window where he could see snow raging past. This kind of peace, it still marveled Red despite being in the thick of it for the past couple weeks. All that time with Blaine, in the Plateau... it had warped him so much... he hadn't thought being even content was possible anymore. And now...

He turned his head slightly in an effort to even try to get a glimpse of Blue's face, despite his positioning preventing that. "...Blue," Red began in a much softer and serious tone, "...Once we get up to the top... I had an idea of... what to do. But after that, I'm... not entirely sure. I'm certainly not going to go back to Seafoam. I'm not even sure I can. Where... What are you going to do after this?"

His little comment about his paper skin was spared any further ribbing, thank god, and the two stayed there in silence-not an uncomfortable one, either, it was something that suggested tranquility. The warmth of both his Umbreon and that of Red almost made him forget the blizzard roaring outside; it definitely brought a sort of heaviness to his body as well. If Blue wanted, he could easily close his eyes and drift off right then. But he didn't. Maybe it was better to enjoy the peace with a conscious mind, or maybe he just didn't feel like resting.

Either way, what he hadn't expected in his relaxed, bordering-on-drowsy state was to hear Red speak his name in a tone that was no longer playful, but not harsh either. Their calm wasn't broken-at least, Blue didn't think it was. Still, it jogged his mind back to a more alert state.

"...Once we get up to the top... I had an idea of... what to do. But after that, I'm... not entirely sure."

"Once we get to the top..." Something about that felt so final. After everything, to have their goal be so close, it was...almost unreal, somehow. That was a strange thought; after all, this mountain had always been Red's home more than his, and Blue didn't even like mountainous places, why would he ever want to stay longer? But Blue couldn't deny that, during their time here, this collection of tunnels, alcoves, and freezing slopes began to feel something like home. Or, at least, it helped to fill the void where Pallet Town used to be.

"I'm certainly not going to go back to Seafoam. I'm not even sure I can. Where... What are you going to do after this?"

...The question wasn't one that could be immediately answered, at least not for Blue. He thought back to when he'd first arrived at this mountain, looking for other, unfamiliar survivors and finding Red instead. He hadn't been clear in his goals then, either, no destination past being at the mountain and nothing beyond what might have been a fruitless search. Pallet Town held nothing for him anymore. Indigo Plateau...he wouldn't put his hopes in that just yet. It might have been a safe place, but he was still a draft-dodger-still wary of what might happen. So what did that leave?

"...This probably sounds bad, but I'm not sure either." He found his focus turning towards where Artorias was, his head resting on his paws. Blue couldn't say why he did so, but there was something comforting about how at peace his partner Pokemon looked. If the Umbreon was still awake, he didn't let his reaction show. "Before now, I kind of drifted from place to place. Helped whoever I could, when I found other survivors, but..."

They still lost Pallet. He still had no idea where his family was, despite his years of traveling. And before he'd come here to Mt. Silver, there hadn't been moments like this where it was just...peace. Where his Pokemon could relax. Now that Blue had it, he didn't want to let go. That sounded naive. Stupid, even. Was it really a crime to want the ones he cared about to be safe?

"...but now, I don't know what to do."

There was a silence that settled as Blue considered Red's question and it had him growing more and more nervous. Was Blue going to leave? Why wouldn't he? There was nothing here for him. Hell, there was nothing here for Red, either, save for ghosts and never-ending guilt."...This probably sounds bad, but I'm not sure either." Shocked by Blue's answer, Red turned a little more toward him to see his face. "Before now, I kind of drifted from place to place. Helped whoever I could, when I found other survivors, but..." But? Red waited, listening worriedly as Blue struggled to finish his thought. "...but now, I don't know what to do."

Red settled back against Blue, letting out a weak chuckle. "...Yeah. I know that feeling." Being alone in the mountain had never been a daunting or terrifying thought, as Red had never truly been alone. But if he stayed up here now... without pokemon to help forage food and keep him company, he would die, either by exposure, starvation or his own hand. The thought of traveling with Blue popped into his mind, but it was quickly shot down. He'd be nothing but dead weight and he doubted Blue's pidgeot could carry two of them. "...You'd be miserable here," he concluded in a soft, sad tone. "It's colder at the top and...there's nothing else here anymore." It would just be a tomb at the end of this....

Blue waited for Red's answer, and his mind remained stuck on the shame of his own indecision, his own uncertainty. Two qualities that didn't bode well in a world like theirs, where quick thinking and quicker actions kept you alive. Sure, Mount Silver lacked the undead that dogged the steps of survivors elsewhere, but even that wasn't without its unpleasant implications: Blue hadn't forgotten the pit of bones, nor how Mikhail's mother disappeared. That left him with the same question: if it was wrong of him to be so hesitant towards his future, then would it be worse to want to be somewhere safe? To let those important to him have peace after years of pain? Blue wouldn't blame anyone who called him naive, or worse-

"...Yeah. I know that feeling."

...Oh. Well-well, at least they were on the same page. Blue hadn't realized how tense he'd become while awaiting an answer, but at least their mutual understanding helped him relax his muscles somewhat. His shoulders remained a little sore, but not enough to be a bother.

"...You'd be miserable here," Red continued in a voice Blue could only really describe as melancholy, "It's colder at the top and...there's nothing else here anymore."

Thank god that, despite his tendency to simply blurt out the first thing that came to mind, Blue could sometimes keep his damn mouth shut, because his first thought was You're still here. That was a little...too much, right now. Too sappy to be a real response to Red's somber words. He needed to be real.

But if Blue was reading the other's words right-he'd been wrong before, many times, so he never knew for sure-it felt as though Red wanted him to leave. Maybe for his own good; Blue might have grown somewhat attached to the mountain, it might have given them both moments of peace, but that didn't make it hospitable. It didn't erase the fact that nobody else was here. In a way, Red was completely right.

But there was no indication Red intended to leave with him, and that was what left Blue feeling hesitant. Did he intend to stay behind? Did he expect Blue to leave him on the mountain, alone? Blue couldn't begin to imagine doing that, not after everything they went through. He didn't just want peace for himself and his Pokemon only. He wanted Red there, too. If the other man wanted that, at least. There was always the possibility he wanted to be by himself in his old home, without Blue being there.

Blue tried not to think about that possibility.

"You said before that you didn't know what to do after this, either," Blue began to say, "If you wanted...if I did end up leaving, you could go with me. I'm not sure exactly how it'd work, but...neither of us have to stay here."

Red hadn't realized how tense he'd become in the few short moments it took for Blue to respond until the other man finally spoke. Waiting for what was likely an awkward, forced answer wasn't something Red was either accustomed to or something he enjoyed. Still, despite his anxiety, Red didn't force the answer from Blue and stayed his usual quiet self. "You said before that you didn't know what to do after this, either," Blue began in a tentative tone, "If you wanted...if I did end up leaving, you could go with me. I'm not sure exactly how it'd work, but...neither of us have to stay here."

There was that feeling again. Hope. That feeling that had led to such an emotional roller coaster a week prior, that had pushed Red to do things he'd never thought he'd do and feel things he'd never thought he'd feel. That spark of life once again ignited in his dusty, damask soul and he felt himself shy away from the light it created. It was terrifying.

He had thought himself meant for the misery that waited for him at the top of the mountain. With nothing but his own two legs to ferry him, Red would be at the complete mercy of the environment, stranding him on the mountain. He'd die there, with the memories of his pokemon. His own personal memorial to the person he used to be and the family he used to have. That had been his entire goal since arriving here the few weeks it had been since Blaine's damn taxi Kadabra dropped him here and the only dream he'd had to keep him somewhat sane. A peaceful, if not slow death. The one he deserved.

And here Blue was, offering a way to avoid it.

"Neither of us have to stay here." Blue hadn't figured out what Red was planning on doing, had he? Surely not. Maybe. Possibly. Should Red take the outstretched hand? He glanced down to the little Noibat tucked away in layers of clothing, sleepy soundly with the aid of the abundant body heat. Blue didn't have the room for another Pokemon. Mikhail would likely get left behind or hurt somehow, someway, without the convenience and security of traveling in a pokeball. Though Red had condemned himself to his own manufactured death sentence, he found his conviction wavering with Blue's words.

"...Where would we go?" Red dared to hope there was an actual answer to his timid question, and hated the tiny waver in his voice as he asked. But he had to know. "What would we do?"

"...Where would we go?"

It wasn't a refusal. It should have been a start. But the slight tremble in Red's voice-the way he sounded so small as he asked-served as a reminder that this was a man pushed past his breaking point, again and again and again. Blue wished he had perfect answers. He wished he could reassure Red that everything would be okay for the both of them. Right now, though, Blue didn't even really know what Red's true intentions were. All he had were his own guesses, and a promise made some time ago in his own mind to never leave Red behind, a promise that now had its grip on his heart.

Assuming staying behind was his intention...Blue didn't want to abandon the other man on this mountain, left in a freezing, harsh environment with no one's company but his own. He couldn't do that. There were so many others-his own family, missing from his life because he'd run away. Abandoned them. Daisy, their mother and grandfather, Green, Yellow, his own Pokemon. To do the same thing to Red, someone who'd suffered in ways Blue couldn't begin to imagine, and let him fend for himself on the same mountain he once called home alongside his Pokemon...

It wasn't just that he couldn't leave him. Blue wouldn't leave him. He was done with doing that to others.

"What would we do?"

"I-I don't know if I have a good answer to that. I wouldn't know what to do even if it was just me." He still has more to say, though, because there was no way in hell he'd leave Red with such a disappointing answer. "All I've done before coming here is travel-we could go anywhere. Johto, Kanto, it doesn't matter to me where, I just...I don't want to leave you here."

"I-I don't know if I have a good answer to that. I wouldn't know what to do even if it was just me." Red could hear Blue's uncertainty, his anxiety, and felt defeated by it. Blue had his own issues, like everyone in this godforsaken wasteland. He couldn't handle Red's on top of them, despite whatever bonding they'd shared in the mountain. It was a passing fancy. That was all. One last good memory before Red submitted himself to his fate. In the small pause Blue had unknowingly offered, Red was already sure of the former's unwillingness to take on Red's burden as his own. And so as the next words followed, Red almost didn't want to listen. "All I've done before coming here is travel-we could go anywhere. Johto, Kanto, it doesn't matter to me where, I just...I don't want to leave you here." Wait.

What?

Red turned a little, to even get a sliver of the other man in his sight. He wanted to... bring Red with him? But... Why? Because he's a decent person, you ass, he scolded himself. Remember what it was like to be one of those?

Of course you don't.

"...I'm not sure... how useful I'd be anywhere else," he admitted softly, unsure why every word that came out felt... wrong. "I'm only useful here because I know the place like the back of my hand, but... I haven't... I don't know other places very well. I'd... probably just... end up being a burden. Are you sure?"

Maybe Blue should have tried harder to think of a better answer, rather than giving away his own doubts. In trying to be honest, had he instead been too blunt? He could have taken a little longer before answering, but then, maybe the hesitation would have been just as bad... fuck, he's not good at this, neither of them are. If Red hadn't said anything, Blue might have overthought it all to the point of making himself sick.

"...I'm not sure... how useful I'd be anywhere else," Red told him, and just like before, the fact it wasn't an immediate rejection is a relief in and of itself. Still, that doesn't stop the words themselves from being almost... sad. Like Red was trying to convince him to take back what he said. Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it like I always do. "I'm only useful here because I know the place like the back of my hand, but... I haven't... I don't know other places very well. I'd... probably just... end up being a burden. Are you sure?"

At least this time, Blue didn't need to think hard about what to say. His mind was already made up-Red wasn't a burden, not to him. Blue wasn't certain if he would have made his offer had he not believed Red deserved better than whatever future awaited him on this mountain-he liked to think he would, but it didn't matter now. The offer was there, and it seemed like Red was so close to accepting. All Blue needed to do was make it clear he wanted the other man at his side, that he wouldn't be a liability.

"I'm sure," he began, "You're not a burden, Red-I don't think of you as one. Even if you're not familiar with other places, that doesn't matter. You can still leave with me."