Invisible by Marvech93

Chapter 14: Someone in the dark

Just a small warning, it's gonna get violent in this one. Also (some shameless selfpromo)  please be sure to check out my story The last Dragon master!
Chapter 14: Someone in the dark

It was a long and awkward trek down Mount Silver. Blue had to keep a constant eye on Red to make sure he didn't stray or turn around. The fallen champion had remained completely mute for the entire trip which, granted, was nothing unusual for him. It was the closest to his normal self Blue had seen so far, actually, so he took it as a good sign. Still, the gym leader had confiscated his pokéballs just in case he freaked out again.

When they finally reached the base of the mountain, though, Red started to get more agitated. He began fidgeting; tugging at his sleeves, pulling at his hair, looking around himself nervously as if he was expecting something to jump at him. He still didn't say anything but he looked as nervous as a ratatta on an open field. The further they got from the mountain, the more twitchy he got. It was almost like living on the frozen peak was an addiction and that now he was in withdrawal. Blue wondered if he should be worried.

So far, they had been walking through the large forest that separated Johto from Kanto. They encountered several wild pokémon, which Blue kept at bay with his own but when they came across an actual person, Red went and hid somewhere and the blonde trainer had to use his Alakazam's telepathy to find him.

Because of that, Blue had opted to avoid populated areas as much as possible, staying away from the main roads. It was simple. Just heading in the direction of the rising sun and they would reach the Indigo Plateau and then Viridian City, which was a day and a half trip. On the night they had to spend in the wilderness, Blue had Alakazam hypnotise Red to get him to fall asleep so he could get some real rest and also so that he himself could sleep without having to worry about either of their safety.

Blue had made it so that they would reach the Evergreen City late at night so as to minimize the chances to encounter people on their way to the gym. When the familiar building came into view, its owner turned to his still following companion, who stood a few paces behind him, hugging himself weakly like he was cold. His head was hung low; his stance was slanted and asymmetric. He seemed to be shivering but other than that, he was eerily still. He looked like a kicked growlithe. A filthy, lanky, stupid growlithe with overgrown hair. Blue huffed in annoyance, refusing to feel bad for the fallen champion. He firmly, though not violently, grabbed Red's forearm and dragged him towards the gym's main entrance. Quickly unlocking the door, he took an immediate right and headed up the flight of stairs, Red following him like a zombie.

The two teenagers finally made it to Blue's quarters, situated right above the battle arena. Blue saw the other trainer take an excessively slow confused look around him. Clearly, he was wondering what they were doing on the upper floor of the Viridian City gym. That was to be expected, Blue thought. The poor bastard had no idea what's been happening in Kanto for the past three years and that included him becoming the new gym leader after the last one had abandoned ship.

Despite his new position, Blue hadn't lost his nature as a traveling trainer and as such, he was rarely ever home. His apartment was mostly bare, except for the essentials. There were no pictures or decorations, save for the giant Earth Badge replica that hung on the wall above the scarcely used TV. Blue dropped his bag at the door and stepped in, expecting Red to do the same, except he didn't and went back to looking at his feet. The blonde teenager rolled his eyes in uncensored annoyance.

He really was out of it, Blue thought. Being so silent was nothing new for Red but his childhood rival had never ever been this pathetically lethargic. The once strong and confident champion of Kanto was reduced to a hollow, mentally crushed shell of his former self. Everywhere he looked, his gaze was dull and lifeless. He didn't react to anything; sight, touch or sound the way a normal person would. He seemed lost in his own world. He had lost contact with reality. Now, Blue was no psychiatrist but he figured there was not much else to do but to wait it out. At least now he was out of the toxic environment he had rotten his mind away in for three years.