Mixed Colors [Pokemon Fanfic]

five

CHAPTER FIVE

; Red

Running as fast as I can, I hurried over to the deck.

I took a quick glance at the long line, amazed at the number of people waiting to hop on the ship. I recognized the back of Green's messy brown hair, already in the line before me. I resisted a sigh. I guess I'll always be behind him in something. That gave me an uneasy feeling, sending shivers up my spine. What if he'd surpass me as a Champion?

Now isn't the time, a part of me scolded silently.

I began walking towards the line, sheepishly ducking my head behind taller people to avoid Green. I didn't want to see his paralyzing glare nor his irritating smirk.

No such luck.

Green flinched, possibly sensing my existence (every rival has that power, I swear.) His eyes began wandering over everything in sight. He finally spotted me, and proceeded with his I-hate-Red routine by converting his curious stare into a scowl. Rivalry never does wear off, you know. I averted my eyes off of his and turned towards the end of the line.

I could still feel Green's presence in the back of my mind, so I forced my eyes to stare at the glittering sea beneath the deck, and my thoughts travelling anywhere but here.

That is, until I felt an arm pull mine. I staggered, and then glared at the person who pulled me, but I only saw Green's familiar viridian eyes again.

"You idiot," he scolded, in a firm but somewhat soft voice. "Gramps would lecture me for an entire day if I got you lost," he explained, shoving both his hands in his jean pockets. A faint rosy color dabbed his nose and cheeks. "So try not to, okay? We're going to Kalos together, even if it kills the both of us." I could hear some other words he said, but it was all muffled, so all I got was something like, "Especially me. God, Red. You're so stupid."

I stared at him. This wasn't like Green at all, but I guess after being a Gym Leader for so long, he learned some manners. "Y-Yeah. Okay," I muttered.

I didn't even think Green heard me, but he nodded and turned away. Now I felt that same rosy color spread across my cheeks. I frantically wiped it away with my sleeve, if that even made it any better.

I had drifted off into space again, staring at whatever I could cast my eye on. The ship's whitish color, the velvety carpet inside, a random guy's letter "F" belt...

Wait, what?

A letter "F" written on a belt? That's a mistake right? Recently, I heard of another bad guy team in Kalos that goes with the name―

"Red, look!" Green tugged my jacket sleeve, pulling me inside the ship. "There's a battle stadium in here!"

I looked up at him to see if he was serious, but he was too busy grinning at two trainers battling each other to notice me. His hand travelled inside his jean pockets, pulling out his pokeball that held his prized Pokemon, Blastoise. It enlarged in his hand as he tossed it from hand to hand.

Green finally met with my eyes, looking from his Blastoise's pokeball to me, smirking. "How about you and I have a battle?"

I frowned at him, still wondering if he was being serious. "You're joking, right?"

He smirked. "Do you really think I am?" he inquired, a dangerous glint shadowing over his eyes. He almost made me shiver at the challenge, but I managed to resist it. It kind of happens when you've been dealing with this guy for like six years.

I shrugged, "Could be. It's hard to tell with you."

He rolled his eyes as he pulled me towards the stadium, so I guess he was serious.

"Um, shouldn't we-" I said, hesitating. My eyes flickered over everything but the stadium. I've been a champion for five to six years, and I can't let Green ruin it. If he wins, Lord Arceus, I don't even know what I would do.

"Come on, Red! Don't worry, just one little quick battle. It'll be fun," his dark viridian eyes seemed to plead along with his pouting face. "Plus," he smirked. "It's not like I would try to win against you or anything..." He rolled his eyes at me again.

He earned a half-hearted glare from me, which just made him laugh quietly to himself. At this point, we were both ignoring the protests about us cutting the line.

I sighed. If I tried to fight with him, he would win, so I relaxed and let him drag me into the stadium.

"Fine," I sighed. "But just one battle, okay?" Green's smirk made me nervous, kind of making it clear that I was not going to get want I wanted, but he was.

We walked into the stadium, his hand still gripping my sleeve tightly, as if I would run away if he didn't (which would be particularly dumb of me, since he could literally break a bone off of my body.)

It was a regular old stadium, big enough to battle with our pokemon, but not as big as the new ones they use for Champion battles I'm used to. Of course, I remembered using these when I was younger, but memories were always that sort, hard to catch and grasp. The last time I used one like this was at least about one year ago.

I sent out my first pokemon to start the battle, throwing it down on the ground, as the lid opened to reveal my first Pokemon, the mischievous one I caught once long ago, Pika. "Okay, Green, rules," I said, holding my hand out for the pokeball, as my Pikachu flicked it back into my hand with its tail. "Each trainer can use three Pokemon, but they can't substitute. Deal?"

"Who do you think you're asking?" he laughed, sending out Ninetales, the one we had supposedly caught together, but also the one Green had managed to keep.

I stared at how well he had trained him since the day he had battled me with it in the Pokemon League. I stood there, wide-eyed, afraid to see Green's smirk when I glanced up. "Remember this guy, Red?"

I gulped. "Sure, whatever." I stared at Green, "Who goes first?"

Green shrugged. "You can go, I'm just going to be here when you lose, okay?" His Ninetales growled, making my Pikachu flinch. "The size disadvantage is a huge problem for you, but the equality between the two types might let you get ahead." There he goes again, I thought. He's turning into that Serious Gym Leader mode I had remembered from a long time ago.

"Pika, use Quick Attack!" I commanded. The electrical mouse obeyed, jumping from one side of the battlefield to the other, increasing its speed until it had come in front of Ninetales. "Now use Iron Tail!" The Pikachu's tail transformed into a thick coat of iron, as Pika tried to bring it down on Ninetales's head.

Like I said. Tried, because Green was way faster than me.

"Dodge!" Green shouted, as his Ninetales disappeared from under my Pikachu, and behind him instead. That caused gravity to pull Pika's tail onto the ground, wedging it into stone and trapping the yellow mouse. "Now Fire Blast!" a thin smile creeped onto Green's face, an expression of triumph. A series of red, orange, and yellow stars, made of a burning fire, slammed into the Electric-type's back, forcing him to cry out.

Then he was still, but he hadn't fainted yet. But even conscious, my partner was struggling to act like it.

"Ninetales. Jump and finish it with Fire Spin," my rival snapped his fingers, glancing at me dully. His Ninetales obeyed, bouncing on its heels, and leaped from it's heels, curving it's body so that its head was facing the ground. It billowed smoke all over Pika, then started spinning as fire was almost about to blow from it's mouth and capture Pikachu.

Wait a second, what is that?

Before Ninetails could even begin, it was stopped by a mysterious net, as another one captured Pika. Both of the vulnerable Pokemon gave a cry of pain as they were threw into a hard, iron cage. I winced at the cruel actions, then tried to yell back, except the words just melted in my mouth before I could even say a single letter.

I was right. The belt with the 'F' wasn't a mistake. They're here.

Team Flare.