Red, with a last name unknown, exceeded all expectations of everyone and defeated the pokémon league at the age of 10, defeated Team Rocket at its worst, helped in the fight with the Masked Man in Johto, stopped a giant Team Rocket aircraft from blowing up over Vermillion City and helped in the battle against the Guile Hideout. All of this was accomplished within three years, until one day he just up and vanished. Nobody knew where he went, not even his closest friends. Some thought he was long dead, probably someone's revenge for defeating them or something, though those that did believe he was dead still had that twinge of hope that he wasn't.

Most thought, or rather, hoped that he was still alive and running, training in some secluded place nobody knew about though the past few years doubt it. While his close friends and acquaintances knew he was still alive somewhere doing god knows what. Green, of course, was one of these people. He knew Red wouldn't die and leave everyone behind like that, that's why every year on his birthday he and most of the residents of the Kanto and Johto regions went searching for him. Not everyone went, of course, some stayed in the safety of their houses, either too sick or too lazy to do anything. Or not wanting to face the disappointment when they find nothing.

Now, seven years later there is still no sign of the Champion; not a clue.

At the age of 20, the Green and Blue are still doing what they had been for the past few years. Green ran the toughest gym in Kanto located in Viridian City while Blue was out travelling, occasionally coming back to visit.

Red, on the other hand, is still missing. News reports and interviews of his close friends are not as common as they used to be, making it even harder to believe that the former champion is still alive.

"So, you're going out searching again this year, huh?" Blue asked as she sipped her tea.

"Yeah, of course I am; why wouldn't I?" Green glared at her from the other side of the table.

"Now, now you two, don't get too rowdy," Daisy called from in the kitchen.

"You're not going to find him. You have searched for him for seven years and you haven't even found a clue, what makes you think you will this time?" Blue questioned, her bitter tone hiding her sadness.

"I will find him, if not this year, then next year. I don't know when, but I will." He said, determined to find his best friend at all costs.

"There you go again, you say that every year! I know you don't want to admit it, neither do I! Green, you're not going to find him, just give up, if he wants us to find him he'd leave us some sort of clue, wouldn't he?!" Blue had lost it; every year Green would convince himself that he'd find Red and bring him home, but he never did.

"I know that! I know we should just give up, I know it's stupid for me to look for him all the time, but I can't help it! He was the only one to not care about my selfishness, the only one that didn't give me whatever I wanted just because I'm an 'Oak', he was the only one to like me for who I am, not my name!" Green spluttered angrily, his eyes glistening with tears.

A silence followed Green's rage until Daisy entered the room, a large frown on her face.

"Now, I know you two are upset, but don't take it out on each other. Red is still alive and we all know it, we just don't know where he is. Green, don't yell; I know you want to make sure he is all right, we all do, but just… Don't get too carried away, he isn't just going to appear out of nowhere and Blue, I know you're just trying to let out your anger, try going and having a shower or bath to calm down, it will help." She smiled as she put a plate of sandwiches on the table.

They ate in complete silence. After they finished Blue got up and headed for a shower without uttering a word. Green sat and read the newspaper before packing a bag to set out in search of a clue to Red's whereabouts.

"Red, my son, did you know? Today is your birthday." A tall shadowed figure approached the metal bars of his cell.

My birthday… How old am I? Seventeen? Eighteen? Nineteen? Twenty, even? Who knows…? Red thought as he avoided looking at the taller man. And honestly, I don't even care anymore.

He twisted his arm to try and make it more comfortable. Only to scream as spasms of pain shot up his upper arm. The cut had reopened. What a lovely birthday present, Red. You're so kind to yourself.

"Oh, are the chains making it uncomfortable? Well then maybe I should help you get your mind off it?" The older man teased as Red flinched.

Red heard the rattling of keys and the click of the lock being unlocked.

Shit… He thought.

A loud banging sound could be heard before Red's entire left side of his body erupted in pain. Then everything went black.

Green sighed. Once again there wasn't a single clue about where Red is. He'd searched from Pallet to Pewter already and was on his way to Mount Moon, he was actually thinking of making this an official search in Mount Moon since the cave is so goddamn dark. Thank god for TMs He thought.

Making it official would be better as it would make it a whole lot easier to search the cave. If he made it official they would have to put some kind of light source in the cave to make it searchable… But it would probably cost way too much money, more than he has.

He could ask his grandfather about it, but knowing his grandfather he would surely want to know what the search would be for, and if he told him, he wouldn't allow it.

Of course Professor Oak wants to find Red, it's just that it's been seven years and he thinks that "anyone with common sense would know that if we haven't found him the last seven years we've looked then we never will".

It was worth a shot, anyway. And so Green decided to head towards Pallet Town to ask. Just in case.

He knocked on the door and when he got no answer, he assumed he was either asleep or too concentrated on his work to notice someone knocked, so he let himself in.

And he was right, there he was, asleep on his couch, Professor Oak, or in this case, Gramps.

"Oi, Gramps, wake up, I have something to ask of you." Green whispered as he nudged his grandfather.

Prof Oak mumbled, turned over and went back to sleep.

Green tried to wake him up a couple more times before the Prof sat up and asked him what his problem was. Green told him

"I want to organise an official search for Red in Digglet's Cave and Mount Moon. Before you give me the whole speech on why I should stop searching for him, I think I might be onto something." Green lied, he wasn't really onto something; he just needed an extra push in his favour.

"Are you going to tell me what kind of lead you're onto or is it too confidential?" The professor looked quizzically at his grandson.

"It's too confidential, sorry Gramps. So, uh, I kind of don't have enough money for an official search and uh…" Green continued until Oak butted in.

"And you want me to pay for what you can't, right?" The professor gave him a knowing look.

"Yeah… If you can…" Green admitted.

"I'll give it some thought. In the meantime, I think Red's mother deserves to know that you might have a lead on where her son is." The professor walked over to his chair and sat down as Green nodded and left.

What am I going to tell her? Just that I might be onto something and she just has to keep her fingers crossed and wait? No, she'll ask questions… I'll just give her a basic backstory and won't let her pry into too much detail. That will do. Green thought as he knocked on his neighbour's door.

It wasn't too long until the door opened to Red's mother's smiling face.

"Oh! Green, dear, what is it?" She asked as she gestured for him to come inside.

As he entered he was greeted by the smell of roast beef. He closed his eyes and took in the smell before walking into the living room and taking a seat as Red's mother went to make tea.

She came in with a tray of biscuits and two cups of tea.

"So, whatever might you be here for?" She asked; her signature smile still plastered on her face. He tried to avoid looking at her, she reminded him too much of Red.

"Well, you see, the thing is, I think I might have found a lead on Red's whereabouts." He explained as he took a sip of her herbal tea and visibly relaxed.

She had flinched at Green's words, not knowing what to think of them. For seven years no one had ever told her that they might have a chance at finding him again. That wasn't exactly what Green said, but that's how she took it.

"You… you might know where Red is?" She needed to clarify on that part.

"Yes, I have asked for a search in Digglet's Cave and Mount Moon, there is a possibility that he might be there, someone said they witnessed two Rocket grunts talking about a boy that had been captured and was being held captive in a cave near Pewter." Green sipped his tea again, trying not to make it noticeable that he was lying.

"I see… Green, please get my son back from whoever has captured. I know it sounds weird that I'm so sure he was captured but I think I might know who did it…" She sighed; it looked as though she was wondering whether or not she should say it.

"Who do you think the culprit is?" Green was intrigued that she hadn't spoken up about this beforehand.

Red's mother shuffled a bit, showing her discomfort and nervousness. After a few moments of silence she spoke up.

"It's probably his father."

Oh.

"His father?" Green mumbled. "Who…" He couldn't help but think it wasn't his place to ask this, but he sucked it up and did it. "Who is his father?"

"Giovanni… You may have heard of him… No actually, you probably have. Yes, Red's father is the leader of Team Rocket, and, the story you just told me might prove this theory right. I think Giovanni kidnapped Red." Red's mother had started crying at this point, however she didn't bother trying to wipe them away.

Green had almost dropped his cup and spurted out his tea at the newly acquired information.

"Thank you for telling me this, it must have been hard for you to say." Green patted her pack awkwardly, took his and her empty cup into the kitchen and left.

So, now I am actually onto something. I wasn't necessarily lying about the Rocket grunt thing. Someone did see two Rocket grunts outside a cave near Pewter, but they said nothing about someone being held captive or anything. And I don't know which cave. Boy this will be fun. Green thought as he headed back to his house. He needed rest.