For The Longest time

Chapter 10 Tragedy at Seafoam Islands

Leaf's eyes fluttered open as the sun crept into her window.

Ever since their date, for the exception of having to explain to Blue the enormous bill that was mailed to him, she and Red hadn't done very much and Leaf was starting to get bored.

"I wonder when Red will set up my next gym battle?" Leaf asked her pink partner as she sat at the edge of her bed.

She was just about to get up, when Red suddenly barged into her room with the biggest smile on his face.

"This is it! This is finally it!" he gleamed as he walked in.

"RED!" Leaf yelled "Have you ever heard of knocking first?! I may not have been decent!"

"All the better!" Red sarcastically thought to himself as he sat beside her and patted her hand

"I was just on the phone with Blaine, the cinnabar gym leader and-"

Leaf cut him off "You arranged my next gym battle?!"

Red raised his finger in the air "Even better…We got one!"

Leaf looked around "Uhh…one what?"

"Confirmation of a mystic bird in the seafoam islands!"

Leaf looked at him in shock "No way….you mean?"

Red nodded "That's right! We're going to find it and we're going to capture it! So hurry and get dressed Leaf!" He stated as he walked out of her room.

Leaf, meanwhile, was still contemplating what he had just told her "…a mystic bird huh…."

She got dressed in her usual green outfit and hurried to meet Red.

As Leaf ran outside, Red gave her a confused look "Is that what you're wearing? I thought I told you to wear something warmer!"

Leaf pointed at him in response "Uh Red, you do know that the seafoam islands has a really tropical climate right…you may get a little hot wearing that jacket?" She looked down at herself "and this outfit is special to me….I mean you gave it me…"

Red smiled and shook his head as he mounted charizard "Alright, don't say I didn't warn you!"

Within a few minutes the duo were airborne and were on their way to the seafoam islands.

As they reached the islands Leaf, Red, pikachu and jigglypuff dismounted off charizard and Leaf looked up at their destination in awe.

"So….this is where the legendary pokemon lives huh?" she wondered

Red nodded "Inside that cave lies Articuno, the mystic bird of ice"

He stroked his chin remembering what Blaine had told him "and if I remember correctly, Blaine said that when articuno resided in kanto in the past, it would rest by a small stream that flowed through this cave"

Red took a deep breath as he looked toward the cave "I've chased you across many regions articuno. Today, I will find you….and I will catch you!" He thought confidently.