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[versusseeker]

"..."
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[halloflamer]

[Blue watches the unboxing with baited breath-- initially ignoring Pikachu's glare--]

[But once Red hugs it to his chest, he just cracks a wide grin and gives him an energetic pat-pat on the shoulder.] Hah! See, I knew you'd like it.

No problem, you big softy.

[It's when Red next looks away to the plush that Blue's grin shifts to meet Pikachu's glaring, beady little eyes and melts into a more purposeful sneer.]

[versusseeker]

[Hey! Whose eyes are you calling beady? Pikachu's narrow and the rat - also taking care to make sure that his trainer is looking away - hops forward and gives Blue's hand a rough little whap with its tail.]

[Red, as usual, doesn't take much notice of the exchange - that, or he just ignores it in the same manner that he has been for years.]

[halloflamer]

Ow! [Blue pouts and glares back at Pikachu, head whipping back to face Red with a simpering, did you see that!? expression--]

[Of course he's not even looking. Blue grumbles and rolls his eyes, tossing Pikachu another glare as he rubs his hand.] So, aren't you gonna eat cake or something? Come on, let's go out and find something tasty, huh?

[versusseeker]

...?

[Red turns to face Blue at the "Ow!", but it's a second too late to actually see anything, including his rival's pouting. He'll think for a moment on the man's suggestion, then give his friend a short nod. Sure. Why not?]

[halloflamer]

Alright!

[Blue pushes up from the table, Pikachu's disdain already forgotten, and opens up his comm to look for something nearby.] There's gotta be some decent bakery around somewhere... It's pretty warm out though, isn't it? Should we do ice cream instead?

[Being in Alola, they were certainly used to that life.] I guess it's my treat, since it's your birthday and all.

1/2

[versusseeker]

[Hmmm...]

2/2

[versusseeker]

[Shrugs. Leave it to this guy to go neutral even when it comes to his birthday snacks. But really, between cake and ice cream, where can you go wrong?]

[halloflamer]

[Sigh. Typical Red, though, so Blue just rolls his eyes and leads on.]

Hmmmn... Well, this place sounds like it has both... [He mumbles to himself, and off he's leading Red- well, off they're Flying, probably- into town, Blue talking about some inconsequential minutia he's discovered about this world along the way.]

[Cakes! Pastries! And ice cream/sorbet. Take your pick, Red.]

[versusseeker]

[It's picking only one that's going to be the hard part. But, after a few minutes of skimming the menu, his finger lands on the lemon sorbet and he leans over a few inches for Blue to see his selection and order for him - as usual.]

[halloflamer]

[Jeez Red, it's your birthday, live a little! ...Although Blue's wallet would be thankful if you didn't. Blue isn't a huge sweettooth, so he orders Red the lemon sorbet and just grabs a chocolate-dipped pretzel for himself.]

'ere. [He hands Red the cup after paying, pretzel hanging from the corner of his teeth as he digs change back into his pocket. After a quick glance around the shop, there bartop seating by the window was open, so Blue wandered over and plopped down.]

Jeez, I can't believe it's that time already! It feels like it was just starting to be summer back home, didn't it? [Blue complains, munching on his pretzel. Well, he didn't realize that the months here didn't necessarily match up with the ones back home.] Now I'm younger than you for another 3 months... This sucks. [He's grinning though, so it's not like he meant it seriously (like he did when they were younger).]

[versusseeker]

[The corner of Red's mouth lifts in just the tiniest smirk as he takes an elbow and gently nudges his rival with it. It was nice to be joking around with him now where ten years ago he'd be jumping for his hat while Blue dangled it above his head (who's the pipsqueak now, eh?).

[By the way, Red is definitely letting his Pikachu lick at his sorbet while he eats it. It's not gross - they're just close.

[He dons a thoughtful expression for a moment, then (lo and behold), he speaks.]

It's different here.

[The months, Blue. Even he figured that out.]

[halloflamer]

...Huh? [Blue's head slowly tilts. What month was it back home? The weather in Alola was the same year round, so he tended to lose track of time.........]

[His eyes widen suddenly.] --Hey, you're right! How the heck does that work? [His eyes narrow, slightly disconcerted as he nibbles on the end of his pretzel.] This place gets weirder and weirder every day. Did I tell you about how overseas, in that place that's kinda like Lumiose City, the streets had almost the same layout? I wonder if there's someplace in this world that's similar to home, too. Alola or Kanto.

[versusseeker]

[Red nods - you certainly did tell him, though you probably assumed he wasn't listening (not a bad assumption, but he did catch some of your rambling). He shrugs at Blue's wondering, but he is still wearing that thoughtful expression.]

Check?

[You know, like on a map. Or the internet. We have the technology, Blue.]

[halloflamer]

[Blue turns to look at Red blankly for a moment, then down to his comm... Grabbing it, he switches it on and types around a bit to do a quick google.]

...Well, nothing for Pallet Town, but I wonder--

[His eyes widen before he shoves the comm over to Red, displaying this page:]

"The Kantō region (関東地方 Kantō-chihō) is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. ..."

Oi, Red! Look at this map... A lot of things are different, but isn't that Mt. Silver? And this long overwater path has to be Cycling Road, which means this city is Fuchsia, and that bay is just like Vermillion's...

[Blue scoots himself closer so they could look over the little map together.]

[versusseeker]

[Red takes turns glancing between the map and his rival, his eyes brightening with more excitement each time he turns back to face Blue. He's never heard of this "Japan" before, but Blue isn't wrong - that does look at least a little bit like Kanto! And it's called Kanto. So, maybe it really would be the same. And if that's the case, then maybe...]

Pokémon...

[His eyes are focused steady on Blue now. He has to be thinking the same thing, right? It's not like that's all Red thinks about or anything.]

[halloflamer]

[Blue is grinning, eyes down on the map as he studies it, eyes running over the same familiar geography again and again. The Magnet Train line. The towns dotting the base of Mt. Silver. The islands trailing down below Cinnabar, the Sevii Isles. It was all there, even if there were differences, even if the cities looked far more populated and clustered together. Home.]

[He glances up just in time to meet Red's eyes and, suddenly becoming a little self-conscious of his own excitement, pinks.] ...Red...

[Blue wondered if there really could be Pokémon there, despite everyone's insistence that they didn't exist in this world. Even if it was home, it might not really be. But it was worth looking, right?] --What is it? Do you wanna go?

[versusseeker]

[Red begins nodding right away, but his mind is moving a little faster than he can keep up with. It's easy to get ahead of himself thinking about home, about the possibility of Pokémon-- Maybe he could even see his mom if--

[Suddenly, he stops, his eyes taking on a far-off look that Blue would be more than used to by now. No, he has to remind himself. This world is different. This Kanto is different. She won't be there. Maybe there won't be any Pokémon there either, but...

[He glances back to Blue, something in him more subdued than it had been before, but he still gives one last nod. Yes. He wants to go.]

[halloflamer]

[He notices the brief look on Red's face and glances away, down to the map again. Well... he was probably just going to be disappointed. It wasn't really like they were going home. But maybe there would be something more familiar about that place than this weird region.]

[And besides that, they'd be traveling together again, so...]

[Blue meets his eyes again, and nods back. His finger drags along the comm's screen and he flicks through some other photos that had popped up- of Tokyo, the sprawling metropolis that reminded him of Saffron and Celadon, of the country that looked so much like home.] I wonder how far it is... We probably can't get there with Pokémon alone if it's over the ocean. [Like Kalos or Unova.]

[versusseeker]

[Red nods as he listens to Blue, eyes scanning the same pictures as his rival flips through them - just like Saffron or Celadon, he thinks to himself, quite sure that the other man must be thinking the same thing.

[He leans forward a bit then, nudging Blue's knee with his hand as it slips beneath the table and then holding out his wrist. In the shadow, the dim glow of his tattoo can just barely be made out. He points to it.]

They'll help.

[He remembers hearing something about it - reading something about it, maybe. The registered ImPorts could leave the Porter cities and travel with permission from the government. His eyes go back to Blue, expectant, hoping that Blue will understand what he's trying to get across.]

[halloflamer]

[Blue has his chin in one hand, eyes off a little distant in thought as he thinks about the mechanics of getting themselves there. Well, he didn't know much about this world, but they'd had to take a plane and ship from Kanto to Kalos and Alola, so... Probably, the same would apply here, wouldn't it?]

[He's distracted by a touch against his knee, which doesn't fully register for a moment as Red's hands until he jumps a little and pulls back to look under the table.] Wh-what're-- [He stops when he sees the glow of the nanites under Red's skin. It's uncanny, he thinks- it stopped bugging him after about a week to see it on himself, but he had hardly noticed it on other people yet. Seeing a new mark under skin he'd been so familiar with already was ....strange.]

[It takes him a few moments to grasp at what Red is trying to say, but he tilts his head thoughtfully.] Do they pay for it, though? [He muses. He hadn't really paid attention to the details of... well, how this world operated. He was still learning things each day.] Maybe we'll just have to save up for a little bit. Take a vacation there, huh?

....A vacation home. Heh. Well, let's make it a goal, eh, Red?

[versusseeker]

[Finally, a small smile appears on Red's lips as he nods, straightening up and removing his arm from under the table to hold it out for Blue instead - let's shake on it.]

[halloflamer]

[Thank Arceus, Blue thinks, he was getting kind of nervous with his hand down there He glances to Red's hand and, grinning (with a bit of pink to his cheeks again), grabs it.]

--Speaking of which, what are you doing for work, anyway? No winnings to earn in battles around here, gotta make the bills meet somehow...

[versusseeker]

[Red's hand goes a little limp under Blue's grip before he pulls it away, his own cheeks turning pink now at the question and his smile fading. He frowns, in fact, taking the brim of his hat and tilting it down over his eyes while they go to the floor. He scratches somewhat awkwardly at the back of his neck.

[A "Speech Therapist". What a joke that was. Even now, he can't force out the words to say so. It's something he's been trying not to think about, even though he's been to work a couple of times already. Red isn't really used to failing at things so quickly, and it's kind of been getting him down in the dumps.

[That and, though Blue has never been one to poke fun at his mutism, Red is just a little afraid that he might laugh when he tells him...

[He pulls out his communicator, not without a little bit of shame for resorting to text. But his mouth simply won't open. He takes a moment to type it out -] Speech Therapist [- then holds the communicator up for Blue to see, eyes still glued to the floor, hidden under the shadow of his hat.]

[halloflamer]

[Well, that was quite a reaction. To anyone else such a flustered movement might be minor, but Blue knew that that little tug, the burning of his cheeks meant more than just a little. What could his job be that would possibly get that reaction-- was he doing something that embarrassing? --No, no, get your mind off of that, Blue, get it together--]

[His head tilts as Red pulls out his comm to start typing. Woah. It must be really bad if he has to write it. Still, Blue is patient, if a little worried, finally taking the communicator to read what's been typed out.]

[...........Okay, it was a little amusing, the irony of it if he admitted it, but Blue knew better than to laugh. Not with this. No wonder Red was so embarrassed.]

Who the heck thought that would be a good idea...? [Blue tsks, pushing the comm back away across the table. He frowns, seeing how down Red was about it, and nudges him playfully with his elbow.] Ah, well.... Don't worry about it, we'll find you something else. I'm training therapy animals- it's not that different from training Pokémon to assist the elderly, you know, like they have in hospitals and stuff? And that Rocket brat is working in a shelter. Kind of like the house old man Fuji has in Lavender. Maybe we can find you something in one of those places?

[Don't worry, Red. Blue always got your back.]

[versusseeker]

[Well, at the mention of animals, Red does perk up a bit-- Okay, or maybe more than just a bit. Blue isn't the first person to suggest that he oughta work with animals. He can talk to them, after all. Maybe he could get a job working with Blue. Training animals couldn't be that much different from training Pokémon, right?

[Say what you will about Blue Oak, but no one can pull Red out of a rut like he can or put him into a rut, but we won't mention that just now. Blue always got his back.

[He nudges him back, flashing him a genuine and, for Red, a pretty decently-sized smile. And then he nods.]