Chapter Text
Blue was frustrated.
He’s been like that for way too long, and Daisy, his big sister, started to run out of ideas.
Their grandfather tried to have Blue help out at the lab almost all the time, which doesn’t spark anything but arguments between the two and a mutual but unspoken decision to avoid working in the lab together.
The problem is, Pallet Town doesn’t have much else to offer; especially when you come back after having journeyed through the entire Kanto region for a few months and have encountered many Pokémon, talked to lots of interesting people and have seen bustling cities and other way more colourful places.
It’s been almost two months since Blue had become the Champion of the Indigo League, which means that it’s also been almost two months since Red had dethroned him and became his successor.
Blue held the record for being the youngest Champion the Indigo League has ever had, for around 45 minutes before Red broke it – He’s only a couple of days younger, for Arceus’ sake! That barely counts!
Now, instead of holding the record for being the youngest Champion, Blue holds the record for being the shortest in reigning, and judging by all the tabloids and gossip magazines, he holds that title worldwide.
He can’t even try and reclaim the title, since Red decided to just run away, fleeing from being challenged by the boy next door. Or anyone else, really.
So, Blue has a right to be frustrated.
That boy left his mother only a letter, if you can call a note with the words “I’m going training. I love you” a letter.
Red didn’t come back from “training” after a day, and neither did he come back after a week.
His mother was distraught, to say the least.
He never called; he never picked up. He wasn’t seen anywhere – it was as if he had just vanished, one day to the other.
Daisy visited Masami, Red’s mother, almost daily, offering her as much help as she could.
Lance made the whole League go look for him. The police were involved too.
They all searched everywhere for their Champion.
The media went crazy – everyone went crazy, really.
Blue was just mad, though.
Why didn’t Red tell him that he’s going to train? Why didn’t he ask him if he wants to join him? They could have gone together.
They went on their first journey together, so why not the second?
It couldn’t be because of a few mean words. He didn’t mean them seriously anyways.
They were friends, surely Red understands that.
Red has to understand, they are rivals.
Whatever.
One day he’ll come back, Blue knows that. Red probably just decided to go on another journey, this time without Blue. He’ll be back in a few weeks. Maybe he’s just off in Hoenn. It’s not that far away, and from what Blue has heard in the news, they seem to have quite a lot going on right now, with the heavy rain they recently had and everything.
‘Would suit his savior complex,’ Blue had thought.
If that idiot would have only done like he did, not engaging in anything that Team Rocket does and trying to keep out of their hair, maybe the media wouldn’t have fussed about him that much. Or, well, probably less.
After all, there is still the whole “Beat the Elite Four and previous Champion in a heartbeat and became the youngest Champion” thing he pulled off.
However, when former Hoenn Champion Steven Stone confirmed that no one there had seen Red or someone who fitted the description, Blue began to wonder if maybe Red wasn’t coming back after all.
Maybe they really aren’t friends.
Maybe Red doesn’t understand.
Maybe Red doesn’t want to understand.
Maybe they aren’t even rivals anymore.
Red probably hates him.
And Blue can’t blame him.
He kinda hates himself too.