Crystal Snow

The two of us are already far apart.

How can I be closer?

The fire crackled, tiny flames sputtering, dying away in the middle of the harsh cold. Drops of melted ice landed into the hearth, and the flames flickered, even more, the heat assimilating with the temperatures. He stepped forward, kneeling down and he gently coaxed the flames back to life. He then sat back down, propping his leg up, eyes fixated onto the stone walls, where little scratches, frosted by white crystals, could be seen. He counted it, one by one until he realized that some time ago, he had already lost track of the number of days he has spent in this lonely cave.

He stood up, feeling a warm chill coursing through his veins, and perhaps, in an attempt to ward it off, he'd decided to counter it. With a far greater coldness capable of numbing his senses. Walking out of his cave, the hail did not spare him. Yet he deftly climbed down, into the small alcove of the stone wall, unharmed and perfectly adapted to the harsh geography.

And there he walked through that small crack, into the big expanse of the far larger cave. The area was blanketed with thick snow that piled as high as turrets, the white shining off it as sparkling crystals of light. A bleak wind hollered at him, and he did not bat an eye towards it, choosing to force his way through the freezing temperatures.

His Charizard was quick to sweep away the wild Pokémon, and he managed to get to the edge of the cave in no time. He glanced at the draconic creature, who nodded its head enthusiastically.

He then crawled through the large hole in the wall, landing himself into a bush of berries. And there he slowly worked, his gloved hands picking up the frosted delicacy and filling up his warm pockets.

Everything he was doing now, has been part of the normalcy of his life. He established this way of life four years ago, in a bid to disappear from the public.

And erase himself from him.

The chill in his heart blew, and he bit down his lower lip, still not yet accustomed to this pain that would come across him every once in a while. He said nothing, as always, but in his head, he was cursing himself, cursing at his heart that didn't seem to beat the way he wants it to.

Done with the berry-picking, he stood up, facing straight at the stone wall, at the thin ice that spread itself across the wall. It was fully reflective, and it has been a while since Red had come face-to-face with his own reflection.

He remarked in his own head on his odd look. His rowdy black hair that never behaves, his thinning coat that was losing its purpose the more he wore it, and his bulky looking figure built up from all these years on the mountain. He changed so much, and at the same time, he didn't.

How would he look like now?

The ice mirror immediately reflected his thoughts, a faint figure of a boy appearing within it. Green eyes, light brown hair, and an unforgettable smirk tilted on his lips. The chill in his chest worsened, and he frowned in response to it.

"Time is so cruel," a raspy voice spoke, and he jumped, puzzled that he was still capable of speaking with the organ that is supposed to have fallen into disuse all those years ago.

He shook his head, and zipping his pockets shut, he climbed back to the other side of the wall. Charizard greeted him with its nuzzle, and it swiftly chomped down on the handful of berries Red provided. As it licked away the jam on its snout, it sent a curious gaze towards the trainer, surprised that the young man's body was shivering.

Red pulled his coat closer to his body, even though it wasn't all that useful.

The frigid winter wasn't enough to mask the chill in his heart, after all.

There is no single star in this snowy sky,

Oh,

Someday,

Someday

The unstable seats were shaky, the concrete was mossy, and the tracks were empty. The young boy with the red eyes dangled his legs, eyes staring into the distance, towards the edge of the empty tracks.

He shifted his focus to the opposite platform, heart falling when his familiar figure was nowhere to be seen.

"Are you hiding?" He called out, his voice echoing between the trees, the platforms, the train tracks. His best friend was not found, no matter how loud he called out.

"Where are we going today?" He asked. But all that answered him were the cries of the cicadas and the clouded sunlight. There was no paper airplane, there were no introductions, there was no Green Oak.

His legs stopped dangling, his red eyes watching the empty platform, hands gripping around the edge of the eat.

Perhaps tomorrow, he thought.

Tomorrow, tomorrow.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow.

But Green never appeared.

"Where are you?" He called out, distressed and forlorn.

No one answered him.

"The train isn't coming," He lamented. "The train won't come if you are not here."

"Where do we go?" He gasped, tears flowing down his cheeks. The boy was lost, so lost within their sanctuary. So lost in this world of theirs that had started snowing.

The snow was building, bit by bit, the layers getting thicker and thicker. It was getting colder and colder, and the boy, abandoned along with the train tracks, crouched down onto the floor, sobbing.

"Where do I go?"

The world moves faster than we thought.

How are we going to change it?

He often wondered, how long has it been since he left? And most of the time, he would ignore the question he posed himself, perhaps a little too forcefully.

Was he guilty of something? He didn't really know. But there was one thing he was certain: he never regretted resigning himself from his Champion position.

When he first made a name for himself in Kanto, his life had changed drastically. From being a country boy treated as a freak with red eyes, to a celebrity surrounded by people vying for his influence. He relished the attention for a while but soon realized that everything was a farce, a fantasy that was hiding darker human emotions and intentions. It sickened him greatly, so he was quick to put himself down and distance himself away from those people.

Not many people saw him for who he is.

Even that one person who truly did had left a long time ago.

He slowly played with the dancing fire in the pit with a cold, dry tree branch. The crackling of flames momentarily distracted him from his thoughts, a part of him feeling cold, a part of him feeling warm.

I miss you.

The same words intruded inside his head once again, dousing him with cold temperatures. They were words directed towards his only best friend, who had been a painful missing piece in his life. He wasn't sure whether he should even call him a friend anymore, much less a best friend. He wasn't even sure if he was considered to be a friend by him anymore.

He hated all these questions, these unnecessary suspicions he has in his mind. They don't matter at all now anyway.

Falling flat onto the cold stone floors of the cave, he stared up at the blank ceiling. His vision was slowly blurred, by the little puffs of cold air that he breathed out, and slowly, he closed his eyes.

Not a single human soul was beside him, and all he had, was a team of creatures, nothing more, nothing less. He should be satisfied with it. He really should.

But he wasn't.

In the end, he misses Green Oak.

In the end, he craves for someone who could see him for who he is.

In the end, he is alone.

He sat up, staring off into blank space as always. It was a periodic behavior of his, himself disconnecting from the world momentarily, to hide from this world that no one can catch up to, no one can change, and no one can save. This was probably a sort of survival instinct, to sink into a small world of his own, to disregard the fearsome world surrounding him, the world that changes without stopping for anyone.

After a long moment of silence and blanketed solitude, he stood up, his feet scraping the ground roughly. He didn't have anything in mind right now. He didn't know what to do.

He felt stagnant. Stagnant in this pathetic, protected world of snow and ice.

Upon extinguishing the fire, he forced himself to head out, into the colder parts of the mountain, into those tiny little areas that were reserved for him alone. He found his spot, thick layers of snow blanketing a flat boulder, and there he sat, staring into the white fantasy of this unmoving landscape, the white that seemed to reflect his current self.

He was absolutely blank.

What changed? He wondered as he grabbed a handful of snow that melted away the moment they touched the heat emanating from his palms.

What changed? Honestly, he should not be asking anyone such a boring question. Honestly, he already knew the answer.

Red changed. He developed his talents, he grew stronger, he bested everyone else.

Green changed. He developed his talents, he grew stronger, he bested everyone else. All except for Red.

And the trainer knew very well that his best friend had grown to become jealous, to become spiteful, because humans are prideful, and Green Oak is not an exception.

He gritted his teeth, the invisible scars on his body coming back to haunt him, and he hugged himself tighter, trying to rid those horrible memories. Memories of being bullied, ridiculed for his odd looks and ostracized by the other children.

And Green was his only solace.

Supposedly.

Yet his only friend, his best friend, left him, joined the gang of bullies and by a twist of fate, became their leader.

"You're a freak!"

His words, even after so long, was like a knife entrenched in his heart, unable to pull out, constantly hurting him.

Constantly bleeding.

Like the red of his name.

And Red changed. He feared the friend who left him out of jealousy. He feared to confront the friend who so obviously was trying to break their friendship. Most importantly, he feared that Green will hate him even more.

So as the coward as he is, he hid. Afraid to try to reach a friend who was as afraid as he is, afraid to mend a friendship which was obviously so easy to mend all those years ago.

It was a childish jealousy. It was a childish fear. And he chose to ignore them, and ignore all the opportunities that presented themselves, for him to reach out to that one friend and fix their breaking bond.

Now the crack between them was a chasm. Deeper. Farther. Colder. More than ever.

Perhaps, if they had just paused in their hasty footsteps, and turn around to face each other for once, just perhaps, things would not have turn out the way they are now.

He fell back, body laying on the thick slab of snow. The white was wrapping him, sinking him in, the cold swallowing him. The sensation of dying was powerful enough to tear him away from his thoughts.

If his time has stopped since long ago, he could simply end it. He could just fall asleep here, and never wake up again. Never think about all those scars. Never think about Green Oak.

I miss you.

Springing up from the snow, he wheezed, and frantically, he wiped the snowflakes off his face and shook away the lumps of snow off his hair.

"Ugh." He muttered, hands hugging his legs, head buried into his knees.

He hates himself.

He hates that he misses him.

He hates that it hurts to miss him.

He sat there for a good long while, cold, tired, but perfectly alive, and he did not know whether he should be glad about it. Being alive was tough, and missing his best friend was even tougher.

He slid down the mound, wiping away few tears leaking from the edges of his eyes, and slowly, dejectedly, he wound his way back to his living quarters. As he walked on, he made a mental note to himself.

He would throw away all his longing into that chasm between them. Throw it, leave it, and forget about it. Give it up completely and continue to live like the pessimist like he is now. He is Red. He needs no company. He needs no friends.

He needs no Green Oak.

Entering the cave, he was ready to light a fire, to warm himself up, and forget the cold. Yet, he found himself frozen to the ground, mouth hanging open, pupils dilating the moment he saw a person, slumped at the main entrance of the cave.

Light brown hair sprinkled with snow. A pale, familiar profile.

His chest tightened, and with large steps, the ex-Champion rushed over, arms turning the man over. And in his mind, he was half-expecting, half-wishing, and when he laid eyes onto a familiar yet unfamiliar countenance, his heart soared, then sank.

"Why...?" He said, his voice shaking. "Why are you always here... when I don't need you the most?"

His arms held onto the unconscious man, who just so happened to be the man he hates the most, and the man he misses the most.

And there he sobbed, one hand gripping tight onto Green Oak's, just like those days when they would hold hands and rush into their world of adventures and innocent dreams. Those days, when the world was less cruel, less changing and less cold.

No matter how hard he tries, in the end, he misses Green.

The best friend who was always there when he needed him most before they drifted apart.

We don't know yet, but for sure we will.

Before he knew it, they were at the foot of the mountain, and Red set the unconscious man onto the soft grass. It was much better to bring the man down as soon as possible to save him from hypothermia, then to spend minutes trying to build a fire that would probably be too weak to sustain the heat. This, and another reason.

Red sat down, staring at the man who was now unmoving and quiet. He has questions, plenty of questions, and to be frank, he did not know where to start. If anything, there was one he could start with.

Why was Green Oak on Mt. Silver?

He scratched his head, seriously trying to seek for an answer.

The man was clearly trying to search for something. No one would spend so long on the mountain of death for any other reason, other than to die. And Red was certain that Green did not come all the way up nearing the summit of Mt. Silver to die. He is Green Oak. His pride would never allow it.

But what? What was it that was so important for Green to risk his life to find it?

Red glanced over at the haversack next to him, and gingerly, he put his hand in, and before long, he was rummaging for whatever could give him a clue on the reason for Green's trip.

There was not much, and the only thing that appeared remotely useful was a notebook.

He flipped it open, only to see pages of complicated equations, biological drawings of strange Pokémon, and messy annotations to diagrams. A small smile spread across his lips, and he skimmed through the contents. He expected no less from the man.

Then he flipped to the last entry, only to be greeted by a flurry of strikes and markings on a small map of Kanto, Johto and other regions. He counted the strikes, which totaled up to nearly seventy-five days, and looking at the map, he was stunned at the number of places that were crossed out.

And the only red dot that remained, was Mt. Silver.

He quirked an eyebrow and then proceeded to flip through the remaining pages, hopefully, to find something meaningful. However, most of the pages were blank, and when he flipped to the last page, a small photo slipped out of the book.

He picked it up, turned it over, and the cold immediately churned inside him, spreading through him, like snow that was piling on him, burdening him. Reminding him of the scars. Reminding him of the happiness he lost.

It was a picture of them as kids. A picture of them when they still have their friendship. Eyes beaming, arms around each other's shoulders, two boys, side by side.

Clicking his tongue, Red shoved the photo between the pages, slapped the book shut and threw it back into the haversack. He had enough. He hated Green Oak. And he will erase him from his life even if it's the last thing he'll do.

And he was so ready to leave. He did his part. He merely saved a man who was dying. He need not think any further.

Then he paused, retracing his steps, and he was now standing next to Green Oak, furious at the man, and furious at himself.

"I hate you...," He spat. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you."

"You left me behind, you hurt me, and now you think that you can just waltz into my life and expect me to forgive you?" He yelled, temples throbbing. "You called me a freak, said you hated me, and you think you can just get what you want so easily?"

"I was lonely," He continued to scream, not even caring that this man that laid before him would never hear a word he is saying. But he needed to vent it out, to vent out all these years of loneliness and painful longing. "I was so lonely here, and I missed you so, so much, and I gave up! I gave up totally on trying to see you again, and you just have to barge into my life like this."

He panted, tired from the sheer amount of words he was saying. He had never said so much in his whole life, and the stress it gave was scary. But he did not care. He had to say it.

It wasn't as if he never tried. He did. That one time after the Championships, he had finally picked the courage to reach out to his rival, to the boy named Green Oak.

"I hate you so much."

He tried to build a bridge, only to have it destroyed by the hands of the person he wanted to connect it with.

And there was no reason why he should give Green Oak the chance.

"If...," he breathed. "...By any chance, you were here to find me, leave." He reached into the back of his vest, taking out his Earth badge and placing it onto the man's chest. "With this... you and I are through."

With that, he walked off, no longer turning back, while desperately trying to hide the trembling aching of his heart.

He hates himself.

He hates himself for being unable to forgive Green Oak.

Now we can't choose the paint that colors us.

Even the black breath,

Even your thick white fog.

He left Mt. Silver faster than he thought.

He was aware he was running away. Running, and running, and refusing to attempt to grab that hand that was seemingly reaching out for him.

He decided to go elsewhere and wander around because if he wanders, it will decrease his chances of being found. Even if it has been more than a year since that incident, he continues to wander.

He'd wear a mask to be as low-key as possible, and battle people, because that was what he is good at. Battles earned his keep to move around places, like Unova, and currently, Kalos.

He only arrived here days ago, and its wintry streets reminded him strangely, if not, fondly, of Mt. Silver. It was white. It was cold. And most importantly, it was lonely. As if people like him had been walking along the streets, pouring out loneliness everywhere.

And he was not wearing much, thanks to his lack of funds to purchase thicker clothing; he traded off most of them when he started his wanderer lifestyle. But he had built up a pretty strong immunity against the cold during his days on Mt. Silver, so it did not really matter to him in the end.

The sun was slowly dipping into the horizon, and with a neutral expression, Red watched it sink gently. He slowly took in the atmosphere, the gorgeous scenery presented before him, and he was slightly glad that he had left the mountain.

A person suddenly bumped into him on the shoulder, and he swung around, just to see a man with light brown hair falling flat into the snow, clearly to have lost his balance from the impact. Seeing it as a chance to earn some bucks, Red swiftly took out his Pokéball, ready to challenge the man to a battle.

But when he saw the man's face, he immediately regretted his decision.

"Sorry, not interested." Green Oak replied, and Red was supposed to be relieved. He was supposed to.

"It won't take long." He blurted out, and he was almost shocked at his own words. He saw Green hesitating, and in his head, he was conflicted at his own emotions.

"Sorry," Green said in return, and Red could feel his heart sinking more than he realized. "You may be resistant to the cold, but I'm not."

Red opened his mouth, wanting to say something in return. But Green Oak had run off, his figure slowly disappearing into the white, crisp fog, leaving the confused man trying to sort out his thoughts, and to tackle the freezing, wrenching feeling twisting in his heart.

He then understood that he was disappointed. Such pains were not foreign to him, and he knows that. He had experienced it so many times on Mt. Silver, so many times as a child, so many times after Green had made his unannounced arrival in his pathetic, protected world.

His world that was so predictably breakable. Like snow crystals.

He hung his arm down by his side, fingers gripping onto his unopened Pokéball. He wanted to shoo away these thoughts in his head, to forget about it. But finally, he gave in, because he knows all the rejection, all the denials, all the self-made excuses were never enough.

All this time, he had been lying to himself. Lying, hiding, and shunning away. Self-justifying that Green Oak deserved it, that he should let the man have a taste of his own medicine.

Humans are prideful creatures.

And Red is no exception.

In the midst of it, he was doing all of this out of spite, out of needless resentment. And in the process of doing so, he rejected his heart and the self that had always wanted to build the bridge between them, no matter how tough it was.

The cold rushed through his body, and he shuddered.

"I'm not either." he gasped.

Words aren't enough to express my feelings,

But I will tell you.

Red really could not understand himself.

Despite admitting to himself that he cannot carry this on any longer, he was still wandering aimlessly in Kalos, like a man without road signs, because truly, he did not have any. He could make the effort to find the man, but it was what followed that was troubling him.

What should he say to Green Oak?

What do they do after that?

He tried to go online to search for accounts of people who had once faced or is facing the conundrum he was undergoing. But throwing in the phrases "broken friendship" and "reconnection" into the search bar did wonders that were not that wonderful, in his opinion.

Meanwhile, people were looking strangely at the masked man who was standing in the middle of the busy street, mumbling to himself strange 'hello's in different notes.

"Battle me!" An old man cried out, momentarily breaking Red away from his thoughts, and his weird monologues.

And so, he did.

A stream of trainers soon followed, each and every one of them eager to battle him, and Red was awfully tired of it. Now that he thought about, he had won against another trainer a few weeks back, and she just so happened to be the Kalos Champion. The match blew up in the news, and Red had learned the lesson to pick your opponents wisely. He could try to put up with the ongoing attention, but at this rate, he'll be wrung dry by the end of it.

So, he decided to escape to a remote part of Kalos temporarily until all the hullabaloo dies down, before resuming his search for Green Oak. By the recommendation of a local innkeeper, he was quick to get to Snowbelle City and secure a place to stay. And in the meantime, he'll agonize over his current troubles.

While Snowbelle City is not as freezing as Mt. Silver, it is still cold enough for Red to think rationally and purchase a full set of winter clothing. Boots, gloves, and everything. He wore it every day of the week while he did some sightseeing around Snowbelle, and get buried in the snow now and then.

It was a good break, he thought. But the cold was still lingering like a ghost beside him, and he knows that he needed to get rid of it. He had to continue to build the bridge. To reach out to him, to finally hold his hand. Maybe, he'll think about what he wants to say after that.

So, in less than two months, he was ready to leave Snowbelle, to some other place in Kalos that he could not quite remember the name of. He just needed to get the hell out of the cold, and find Green. It was on the top of his to-do list, and he'll have it done and ticked.

He did not bring much, only himself, and a few personal belongings that fitted in his pockets. Trudging through the snow, he was lethargic, both in spirit and body, because no matter how hard he tries, him missing Green Oak was a difficult emotion to handle, and he knows that he has been tired all the while. Battling others, winning against the Kalos Champion, and the sudden rise in his popularity were simple distractions from his pained heart, from his cold tears.

Reaching the train station, he walked towards the seats, knocking off the pile of snow on it, and sat down, grunting. Digging into his pockets, Red fished it out, and he stared at it, almost wanting to laugh at himself.

Even though he wanted to cut off all his connections with Green Oak that day by leaving behind one of the very last things the two had in common, it came to him as an irony that he himself had been keeping a copy of the photo in his very own backpack. Since day one of their separation.

Such a joke, he realized. Both of them, in the end, held the same sentiments, yet the misunderstandings, timidity, and hostility that piled up like snow barred them from reconnecting with each other, and Red truly wanted to curse himself, at his own stupidity for not realizing it sooner.

He hunched his shoulders, trying to bandage the cold in his heart that was reflecting all the emotions whirling and spinning inside him like a washing machine. Words spinning and spinning inside that were piling up like forgotten clothes, clothes he should have worn, he should have shown and should have said.

He looked up, wanting to distance himself from everything for a moment, and he looked to his left, checking if the train was coming anytime soon. But all that was before him was empty train tracks and a sea of white.

It reminded him of the train tracks of his childhood. The train tracks where he would play with his best friend, talk to him about everything and promise to travel everywhere with him. And the reminder pricked him, pulsated inside of him, guilt-tripping him. And he was scared all of a sudden.

What if, just what if, Green no longer wanted to see him again?

He rejected the man by discarding away his Earth badge and had rejected all of his efforts by disappearing away into obscurity. He would not be surprised if Green Oak shunned him away and shoot at him with words of hatred once again.

He turned his head back, facing the front, and there he saw someone at the opposite platform, looking towards the other side. The person was covered from tip to toe with thick winter clothing, making him look rather bulky. Red would have chuckled at the appearance of the man, had he not realized that he himself was in the same state.

Then the man suddenly turned his head, eyes meeting his, and Red felt a queer feeling of familiarity. He nodded his head awkwardly, thinking that he should at least be polite after rudely staring at the man like that. And to his surprise, the man nodded back, before looking away hurriedly, clearly as weirded out as he is.

But it did not take long for him to turn back, and as they looked at each other, Red found himself comforted by the man's presence, his silent gaze that regarded him kindly so oddly similar to how Green Oak once looked at him.

The man then raised a finger and pointed at him, gesturing for him to introduce himself. Red chuckled, hand reaching into his coat, and taking out his well-worn, famous mask. The person leaned forward, squinting a little, before nodding his head in acknowledgment of his identity. Red smiled, and kept his mask, before his fingers wrapped around a small red-white capsule.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to challenge this man for a battle.

The man, in response, slowly reached into his adjacent backpack. But before Red could see any confirmation, the rude roaring of the train came, and the man's reply ended up as a 'no'.

Red was rather disheartened but he knew that some things were not meant to be. He nodded in understanding, and the man soon slung his back onto his shoulder and walked forward.

He wordlessly said his goodbyes, and so did Red.

The trainer then watched the train's windows, and soon, the man was walking down the train carriage. It did not take long for him to spot an empty, window seat and Red observed the man placing his backpack down.

Then he flung down the hood and unzipped his jacket.

Red's mind went blank, his brain not fully registering what he was seeing. When it did, he recklessly threw himself forward, standing at the very edge of the platform, only mere feet away from the man.

His snow was melting, the crystals disappearing, fleeting, and for the first time in a long while, he felt the warmth.

The man went stunned, and Red frantically unwound his scarf. He did not have to think, he did not have to plan, because all along, deep inside himself, he already knew what he wanted to say.

It was such a simple phrase, for a friend long-lost, for a friend now found.

"I missed you!" He shouted with all of his might. And after barely balancing himself, he locked eyes with his green ones, which were wide open in shock. The train moved forward, and throughout, their gaze never left each other, and it was until it started to pick up speed, that Red lost him.

His knees went weak, and he fell onto his bottom, panting, gasping, crying and he watched the train that left as quickly as it had arrived.

Tears streamed down his face, and even though he knows that these three words were insufficient to contain all of what he wanted to tell him, to him, at that very moment, this was enough.

'I missed you' was enough.

I'll wait for you no matter where.

I want to see you,

Even if you're pretending, please hold this hand.

"Boarding?" The train conductor asked the young man sitting on the seats.

"... Sorry, no," Red answered, sending an apologetic smile.

The train door closed, and the train left, and he was once again, all alone for the third time. He counted the hours he waited. About five hours, he said to himself in his head. It was not long, and it was not short either.

He was doing something really unnecessary right now, he noted to himself. The chance of Green making his way back here was nearly nonexistent and he was probably doing this to satisfy himself, to give himself a bit of hope. Just maybe, he hoped, that Green would come back for him.

And as if a direct denial towards his wishes, the weather took a turn for the worse, hailstones soon pelting down onto the roof of the platform, furious and slowly picking up speed.

He'll wait a bit longer.

The hail worsened.

He'll wait a bit longer.

The wind howled.

He'll...

"Boarding?"

He looked up, tired eyes staring at the train conductor.

"You have a ticket, don't cha?" The conductor asked.

He nodded.

"Well, you should board this train before you get stuck in this weather, sonny."

He said nothing, and stared into the distance, into the white landscape that had already wiped away all sights of the train tracks.

"... Alright,"

He stood up, headed towards the train door, and passed the conductor his ticket.

Perhaps, Green Oak never wanted to see him.

Perhaps.

But crystals get further from my reach,

The more I wish for it.

Tourists strolled about, all taking pictures of the Kalos skyline and talking animatedly among their little groups. Friends, lovers, and family held hands. Everyone has somebody.

Meanwhile, the man leaned against the railings on the top of Prism Tower, hands curling up over the bars as he watched the nightlights blinking, spots of snow crystals falling blurring the supposedly bright scenery.

Such a breathtaking view, but all he could muster, was a sigh.

Can I give up? He thought to himself. He was so tired. So, so tired. Years of hate and unforgiveness and the distance between them suffocated him. He could have chosen not to die back then on the mountain, but at this moment, he could feel himself dying bit by bit.

Giving up now might as well be killing his own heart.

He could blame Green Oak, for tearing them apart in the first place. Or he could blame himself, for not daring to reach out to fix their relationship after the final match.

"I hate you so much,"

The words were still ringing in his head, even now, and truly, he was sorry. He was sorry for not noticing Green's loneliness. He was sorry for not standing up for himself, to tell Green off, to make both of them realize how childish they are in reality. He was sorry for giving up all those years ago.

There's no one to blame, really. They brought this to themselves. They broke themselves apart.

Their friendship that was so easily broken, like snow crystals.

He released his hold on the rails, stuffing his hands into his pockets. It has been nine months, and nine months was enough time for self-reflection and wandering.

Where will he go?

He was so aimless that it frightened him.

Where is his direction?

"You were my best friend," he murmured. "Why can't we go anywhere together?"

Emptiness was all he could feel. He could have a direction, he could go places, but his heavy heart would not let him.

He so wanted to hold Green's hand and go to the other side of the earth.

He so wanted to pick up all the broken crystals they have left behind and lead himself back to him.

To the man who was once his best friend.

"I can't give up," He whispered, just loud enough for himself to hear.

He was ready to return to Kanto. He was ready to forgive Green Oak. He was ready to hold his hand.

Whether Green Oak is ready to do so, is another matter. And even if the man is not, Red is not going to give up.

Not ever again.

I want you to believe me,

I'll come and get you.

Someday,

Someday.

He walked down the streets of Saffron, feeling oddly warm, but he ignored the discomfort as he looked around the town. He had heard from his mother that Green was in the city, but there was no sign of him.

"Hey, I saw the Viridian City's Gym Leader just now."

He picked up that bit of the conversation, and heart thumping, he turned around, hand patting onto the shoulder of the person he just walked past.

"... Could you tell me where he is?"

When he received his answer, Red muttered a hurried thanks, and he could feel himself soaring while he dashed down the path, red eyes trying to spot his familiar figure.

Then he saw him.

Green eyes, light brown hair, and an unforgettable smirk tilted on his lips.

A surge of emotions rushed through his mind and barely holding onto his rationality, he knows he must not make his appearance here in the middle of a busy street, not when he is still reported as the missing Kanto ex-champion.

He picked up his bearings and firmly walked towards Green. He stretched his arm, his hand so close to his, yet so far.

"... Hey, would you like to have a battle with me?"

And when Green Oak met him face to mask, he could feel his cold tears threatening to flow down.

Green looked up and down, and Red so wanted to tell him that he is Red, the boy who wants to return to how it was.

But fear constricted him. He was scared. Scared of rejection. Scared that Green had grown to hate him even more than before. Scared that Green had already long given up on returning to how it was.

So he'll hide behind that mask. Just a little while longer.

"Aren't you warm in those layers?"

Red flinched, surprised at the man's words, but he finally noticed his own outfit that was incredibly unfit for such a hot day.

"I've been cold for the longest time," he murmured as he took off his coat, his protection. "I never noticed."

They took their places, both readying their Pokéballs, and as he stood across the public arena, memories of those days when they challenged each other attacked him, and he felt his longing weighing him down more than ever.

"I won't go easy on you," Green said.

Red felt the corners of his eyes hot.

"... You never did," he choked.

Green appeared surprised for a moment, but he threw out his Pokéball a second later, signaling the start of the match.

And they battled, the adrenaline rushing through Red like a train, and he could sense the familiarity in Green's moves, his tactics, and his battle style. It is so familiar, so comforting, and it pains him.

"Don't go easy on me," he heard Green said.

He stared at the man, who was staring back at him. Like that snowy day, that train station, that expression of shock and confusion.

And longing.

He knows.

Red could feel time running just a little faster. Away from his crystal world, his world of stagnation and loneliness.

"... I never did," he gasped.

I want to hold you one more time before you disappear.

The battle ended as a draw.

Red tentatively walked to the middle of the arena, standing right before Green, hand reaching out towards him. He could feel his fingers trembling, his cold palms waiting for him to hold.

Green held it. Tightly.

"... That was a good battle." He barely got the words out, his eyes fixated on Green. Releasing his grip from him, Red felt something inside him hurting just a little. He was afraid again. Afraid that this will be the last time he'll ever get to see Green Oak, to hold his hand.

"Yes, yes, it was."

Don't leave. He prayed desperately in his head. Please.

"And I believe that this belongs to you." Green then said, his hand taking something out from his pocket. The man grabbed Red's hand, placing the object into his palm, and folding his fingers in tightly as if the object was so incredibly precious.

When Red caught a glimpse of it, he felt all of his fears dissipating almost instantly.

The Viridian Gym Badge.

He knows. He knows what it means. It is a sign of acceptance, a sign of connection.

"The usual place," he whispered, just loud enough for himself to hear, for Green Oak to hear. He could feel all the snow inside him breaking apart, melting, vanishing.

He quickly left, and after squeezing himself out of the crowd, he ran, heart soaring, snow crystals glowing.

His winter is ending.

Spring is coming.

We met each other beyond all time

So now how do we do?

Can we make it work?

Petals are falling down, fading away.

The young boy, now all grown up, sat on the unstable seats, right in the middle of the moss-infested concrete, and the empty train tracks. Nostalgia permeated the air, and Red breathed in the taste of spring that emanated silently around him. Ferns and hanging plants were haphazardly about, surrounding the man, the boy who claimed his usual spot.

"My name is Green."

The snow crystals were melting, gathering, returning.

"... My name is Red."

Green Oak hunched over, teardrops dripping down, and Red willed himself to not cry. Not yet. Not now.

"I hate you," Green said.

Red closed his eyes.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you." The man on the opposite platform gasped.

"... I know," He replied. "So do I."

"I hate you."

"... I hate you too."

"And, I'm sorry,"

Red looked up, at the man who was still trembling. He had been lonely. And Green had been lonely.

They both had been lonely.

"... I'm sorry too."

His eyes were wet, tears precariously hanging by the edge, and he locked his gaze onto Green Oak. It has been a long time since he looked at the man straight in the eye, and the moment he did, he knew that Green Oak wanted the same thing as he wanted since a long time ago.

It was just one simple sentence.

One sentence to fix everything. To forget all the hurt, the pain, and the loneliness.

"Can we... go back to how it was?"

His heart tightened, while Green, as prideful as he is, succumbed to his tears, to his longing, the man burying his face in his hands while the words, "Yes, yes, yes." were mixed within his tears.

A tear rolled down Red's cheeks, his chest filled with an inexplicable feeling of joy, of bliss, of regrets.

"I missed you too," Green shouted.

It was a simple phrase, for a friend long-lost, for a friend now found.

Red widened his eyes, hands numbing but his body was already leaping down the platform and dashing forward. Up the steps, all the way to Green Oak.

He held his hand.

His tears were now flowing down without reservations because finally, he found his direction, he found his solace, he found his best friend.

He'll never let it go again.

This genuine warmth,

Please stay forever.

The End

Author's Note*:

I'm feeling really accomplished by writing an additional chapter for this, and it has also given me a lot of comforts while I was writing it. Friendship is fragile, and somewhere along the way, each and every one of us has lost a friend, be it due to circumstances, or ugly human emotions. I thought I should address this from Red's PoV, and dig in deeper into the themes presented in the one-shot.

Again, this story is inspired by a song by BTS, of the same title as this installment. It has lyrics that resonates well with Spring Day (most of it, at least), and while I do not really fancy the song itself, the lyrics were enough to get me hooked onto it.

Do review/PM me on what you think! Thank you to all those who reviewed for the original one-shot! I'll do my best to deliver more of such stories.

As for the epilogue, wait for it ;)