Pursuit

They are nine when Green stomps up the stairs to Red's room and plops down onto his bed.

"I'm going on a Pokemon journey next year," he says. "As soon as Gramps gets the next batch of starters from the breeding station." He looks bored, but there's a glint in his eye that he gets whenever he really wants something but thinks it's uncool to admit it.

Red pauses his game and turns to face him. "Oh?" he asks. "Where?"

Green shrugs. "Everywhere."

"Okay." Red nods and unpauses his game.

He wonders what a Pokemon journey is going to be like.

They are fifteen when Green climbs the mountain for the first time.

"What the hell," he says. "I thought Gold was lying." He's taller, his voice is lower, his hair less puffy. He pretends not to shiver in the cold, wrapped up in a fat winter coat and even fatter scarf.

Red blinks at him, and raises his hand in greeting.

Green sighs. "Seriously, Red? Mt. Silver?" Red scowls at him, and Green scowls back. "Of all the stupid places, you pick this dump?" His words are annoyed, but he's smirking.

Red looks around the white wasteland and shrugs.

When the weather is nice, he can see Viridian City from the mountain's peak. He's not going to tell Green that.

They are eighteen when Green leaves for Unova.

"There's a tournament," he says when he visits Red. "Leaf's involved in the production or something. She says hi." He's unpacking Red's newest batch of supplies—an endless stream of potions, ice heals, repels...

Red frowns. "How long?" he asks.

Green holds out a fresh berry to Pikachu. "I don't know. I might look around while I'm there."

Red watches as Pikachu nibbles on the treat. "Oh."

He's not sure how far away Unova is, or if it's close enough for Charizard to fly there. He'll find out soon enough.

Red is twenty when he gets an unexpected visitor.

"Wow," Misty says as she climbs off her Swanna. "So the rumors were true. Hi, Red!" She seems less bothered by Mt. Silver's cold than Green ever has, but looks absurdly unfamiliar in her winter clothes.

Red waves at her only out of politeness. "Where's Green?"

Misty frowns. "He didn't tell you? He went to Kalos, running an errand for the Professor. He asked me to deliver these supplies..."

Red tunes her out, and squints into the distance. "Thank you," he says.

So, Kalos. The mountain was getting pretty boring ever since he came back from Unova, anyway.

They are twenty-three when they get the invitation letters.

Green sticks his into Red's face before Red even has the chance to fully wake up. "Look," he says, smirking. "A request to lead Alola's—something. Pretty cool, huh?"

Red rubs at his eyes and sits up on the bed, blinking. "Something?"

Green sits down next to Red and the bed dips under his weight. "A battle tree, whatever. And you got one, too. Now you can officially follow me without it being all creepy—stalkery." He's smiling.

Red gropes for his letter, and lies back down. "Pretty cool," he echoes Green's words.

The prospect of a tropical island is nice, but what's nicer is Green and Red, travelling together. It will be a nice change of pace.