A/N: I forgot to put an A/N at the beginning of this for a disclaimer/warning/etc.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. I don't own any Pokemon characters. I don't own any Pokemon characters' Pokemon. I do own this penname and this plot. But I have no affiliation with Pokemon whatsoever. I'm not even to Chapter 67 in the manga. I've barely met half the characters. That's how much of a non-Pokemon-owner I am.

I do, however, own a Wobbafet plushie and a Pokeball. ...Shhhh.

Warning: Will contain boylove. Nonexplicit. May include mild cussing, gay themes, possible mild violence, and may touch upon darker themes. Also bound to be chock-full of bad ideas. If you are disinclined to favor male male relationships, you may find it wise to abandon this story. However, the romance will not begin until later.

Romance/Humor, Rated T, Red/Green pairing.

Advantage

Chapter 1

"Too bad," taunted Red gleefully, "You don't know what friendship is!"

Yes I do, thought Green, folding his arms behind his head as he gazed up at the sky. His mind was reliving the events of the Pokeleague tournament, but the thought was unbidden and he turned it over in his head with some surprise.

I do, though, he realized after a moment. I may still not quite be friends with my Pokemon—I don't believe that's the most effective way to train them—but I do have one friend… Red.

A faint smile graced his lips as he considered the irony of this thought. He and Red had been rivals from the moment they met, constantly competing. But they had also learned from each other, and Green—though he would never admit it—admired him a lot.

"If we weren't always fighting," he murmured to himself, "I'd probably enjoy his company a lot."

He thumbed his Pokedex thoughtfully. Green liked the other boy on principle, but he never could understand him. If only my Pokedex could tell me about people and not just Pokemon, he thought. I'd like to know what goes on in that boy's head.

"It really is too bad," he said, stroking Charizard's Pokeball thoughtfully. "It'll be a shame to beat him." The idea elicited a slight smirk, but he then sat up as he heard a rustling behind him. Moving his thumb over the release button of the Pokeball, he stiffened and glanced in the area of the sound.

"There you are!" came a wincingly gleeful voice. Green narrowed his eyes as a small, feminine figure emerged from the bushes. "I've been looking for you all over!" exclaimed Blue with a wink.

"Oh. You," said Green dully, frowning as he set his Pokeball down. "What're you doing here? I thought you had some money to collect or something."

"Oh my, but I can get money any time!" she said, plopping down beside him. "I'd much rather enjoy your company." She scooted closer, flashing a cute smile.

Green's frown deepened as he moved away. "I'd prefer if you didn't," he said calmly. "I don't make a habit of consorting with strangers. Especially strangers with a habit of stealing."

"Oh, that!" Blue rolled her eyes and waved a hand flippantly. "I'm so over that. I've moved on from petty thievery. Scams are always the same. Boys, on the other hand, I find utterly intriguing." She batted her lashes and walked her fingers up his shoulder.

Green nudged her hand away. "That's nice. But I find it hard to believe you'd give up your kleptomania for a life of boy-chasing."

Blue shrugged innocently. "Think of it this way—I'm just set on stealing something different now."

Green rolled his eyes. "And what's that?"

She winked. "Hearts." She giggled.

He couldn't help but to snort. "Good luck with that." He stood, uninterested in her flirting, and clicked his Pokeball back into his belt, sliding his Pokedex into his back pocket.

To his surprise, Blue just shrugged sweetly and stayed sitting, crossing her legs and humming idly.

"…" Deciding it wasn't worth bidding her goodbye, Green shrugged in return and began walking away. It was time to continue his quest. He couldn't waste a minute.

Red beamed at the surrounding crowd of fangirls. Finally, he had proved his worth. Anyone could beat a gym leader if they were good enough, but you have to be really spectacular to come out on top in the Pokeleague tournament! He grinned widely and ruffled his hair in a mock-humble gesture. "Aw, really, it was just luck," he said, waving his hand flippantly.

"I hope not," remarked a smooth voice from behind him. "I'd like to think it would take more than just luck to beat me."

Red turned around and blinked to see a nonchalant-looking Green with his hands in his pockets. "Hey there!" he exclaimed, after a surprised pause. "What're you still doing hanging around? Not that I mind!" He grinned at him and turned to wink at the crowd still surrounding him.

"Just stopping by the health center to rest up my Pokemon before continuing my journey," Green shrugged. "I saw the crowd and wondered what the big deal was. And here it was just you. How disappointing."

"Hey!" protested Red in mock rage. "I take offense to that! I'm a very big deal now, you know."

(The crowd of young girls swooned at the exchange.)

"Sure you are," said Green with a slight smirk. "After all, you fought me. That takes guts."

(It only took a glance at the crowd for two preteen girls to keel over from lust.)

Red slumped slightly, pouting. "Quit stealing my limelight," he said. "I won fair and square."

"I know you did," said Green seriously. "You did well. You managed to take me by surprise. … Good job." He offered a hand.

Tilting his head, Red paused, and then shook the proffered hand vigorously. "I learned from the best!"

Green allowed a tiny smile. "I know you did."

"Hmm…" Red scratched at his head, thinking. "Why don't you stick around? A couple of these lovely ladies have offered to take me out to lunch. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you tagged along. Would you, girls?"

"No, not at all!" one piped up, blushing. Two others clutched onto her arms, batting their eyelashes brightly at the two trainers.

"We'd love to have him," said another shyly.

"…No thanks," declined Green. "Now that you've beat me, I'll be spending all my time training and battling so that I can succeed in my quest. I won't be second for long, Red. We're still rivals. Remember that."

Red paused. "Well, geez, now that you say that, I have to continue my quest, too." He frowned slightly, glancing back at the girls, who waited in eager anticipation.

"Don't feel bad for staying," said Green. "It'll give me a head start." In an unexpected gesture, he put his hand on top of Red's head, then nodded and turned away, heading off.

"Aww," said Red, sighing. He would have liked to get to know Green better. To find out his weaknesses, that is. "No way am I letting him beat me. That last match was too close!" He curled his fist in determination.

"Won't you come to lunch with us?" asked the girl again shyly.

"I'm sorry," Red apologized kindly, "but he's right, I can't. I really have to get back on my quest to become the best Pokemon trainer ever! I'm sure you understand!"

The blushing girls nodded vigorously in agreement, unable to speak.

"See you, ladies!" Walking off, Red waved his hat in farewell. "Next time I'm back, we'll make that date for sure! All right?"

"Bye, Red!" squealed his fans.

Time to go become the best trainer I can be, thought Red with a stubborn nod, mind already far away.

"You know, I was hoping you'd win, to tell you the truth," piped up a voice from behind him. Green scowled. This Blue girl had been following him on and off for hours now, and she was beginning to annoy him. He gritted his jaw, refusing to respond.

"I lost the semifinals so that you two could fight each other. I really thought you'd win for sure," she went on.

I should have, Green agreed silently. He didn't know how Red had managed to outwit him, but he was going to make sure it never happened again. He wasn't just trying to become the best trainer now, it was a specific rivalry. He had to know he could beat Red.

Curse it, he thought. Maybe I should have stayed after all. It would have given me a chance to observe him. Find out more about his strengths and weaknesses. Above all, I must beat Red!

"You know, I knew Red far before I met you," said Blue.

Green narrowed his eyes, silent but listening.

"I could probably tell you about him. You're rivals, right? Don't you want to beat him?" She shrugged. "I think it's pretty dumb, if you ask me, but I'd rather see you as the victor. Red's too soft. I think you're an ideal Pokemon trainer."

Green sighed. He needed to stop listening to her. She was a con artist, he had to remember that. Still, it was tempting…

"And much more handsome, too," she crooned.

Okay. Scratch that. Not tempting at all. He didn't need a girl hitting on him every five seconds. Especially not a thief.

Green had never really been interested in girls. He had always thought they would serve nothing but a distraction from his goals, and he still considered them obstacles now. He had managed to escape most fangirlism with stoic rejections, but with Blue, that technique only seemed to encourage her more. If only he could figure out how to discourage her.

Abruptly, he stopped and turned, a fierce look in his gaze. "If I battle you and win, will you leave me alone?"

Blue giggled. "Oooh, a battle? Your battle face is sooo cute. All determined and strong, mm!"

Green sighed, frustrated, and ran his fingers through his hair. Would she never let up? "What do you want from me?" he asked, turning back and continuing on.

"Nothing, silly!" she said. "I just happen to enjoy your company, that's all. Not to mention you're super cute. What's a girl got to do, spell it out for you?"

"Let's not," retorted Green dryly.

"Oooh, I like how you said 'let's' right there," said Blue. "So, when we reach the next town, you're going to take me on a date, right?"

"We are not going anywhere," said Green. "And no. When I get to the next town, I am getting rid of you in whatever way possible."

Blue only giggled again. "Good luck with that!" she said.

Green scowled, determined to ignore her, and when he looked back a few minutes later, she was gone.

"Oh, Reeeeed!" called a female voice from a little ways behind him.

Huh? thought Red. Did one of those girls follow me out here? That voice does sound familiar…

"Sorry, but I can't stop now! I have to keep training, all right? I'll be back eventually!" he called over his shoulder. "I'm very flattered, though; thank you!"

"Don't be silly, Red!" responded the voice. "Don't you recognize your girlfriend when you hear her?"

Girlfriend? "What?" He turned around and blinked. "Oh, you--!"

'You' was Blue, his old… er… acquaintance?

"That's right, cutie!" she said, winking at him.

"Well, I'm not so trusting of you anymore," Red said with a small frown. "Every time I see you, you steal something from me." He instinctively felt for his Pokeballs and Pokedex. They were both still there.

"Aww, is that any way to greet a lady?" she pouted.

"You're no lady," snorted Red. "You're a thief. Definitely not my girlfriend—I'm not falling for that one again."

Blue sighed. "You know, that's what Green said, too."

Red blinked, tilting his head and pausing. "Green?"

Blue nodded. "I went to visit him after he left. I thought maybe if he would let his guard down, I could find out some of his weaknesses for you. You're rivals, aren't you?" She shrugged. "I think it's a silly rivalry, personally, but if one of you has to win, I want it to be you. You're so kind to your Pokemon, you're an ideal Poketrainer. Besides which, you're much cuter!" She giggled.

Red grinned. "You think?" Oh, Red, don't listen to her! he reprimanded himself. She's a liar, remember? "Not that I'm interested," he quickly amended. "I bet you're just pulling some trick."

Blue sighed. "It doesn't matter," she said glumly. "I sure wasn't able to find out anything this time. He's very stoic! Maybe he will win after all…"

Red scowled. "He most certainly will not!" he declared. "I definitely have the advantage."

"Well, gee, you think so?" Blue sat down and blinked innocently. "I mean, your Pokemon are certainly closer to you, but then, Green knows a lot more about your weaknesses than you do about his."

"What?" exclaimed Red, stopping. After a pause, he gave in and sat down beside her. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, you do wear your heart on your sleeve, you know," she said matter-of-factly, scooting closer to him. He inched away uncomfortably, but not much. "It's an endearing characteristic, but a disadvantage."

"Aww, man," said Red. "But that's not really true, is it?" He frowned, considering whether Blue might in fact be right. He certainly was very open hearted, but he never thought it would count against him. What are my weaknesses, anyway? he thought. I know my battle weaknesses already, but she must be talking about personal weaknesses, too. I'm not even sure about those! Growing uneasy, Red bit his lip.

Blue eyed him closely. "You do know your weaknesses… don't you?"

It's like she can read my mind! Red winced. "Well…"

Blue grinned. "It's me, silly!"

Red blinked. "Huh?"

"It's like this," she explained. "I'm a pretty girl. You're a bashful boy. You've already fallen for my charms a couple times. Green knows that. You like me—that's a weakness."

"What?" protested Red. "But I don't—not like that! I only think of you as a scam artist now!"

Blue sighed. "That doesn't matter," she said. "Because that's what Green will think. He'll try and use me to get to you, right? Any good tactician would. He'll be realizing that any second now."

Red considered this. Geez, she might be right! he realized. Great.

"But I could throw him off a bit, you know," she offered. "I'd hate to see him beat you—he's so arrogant, it really turns a girl off. And you're just too cute. I've still got a crush on you, you know. I'd be willing to lead him off track if you wanted me to."

Red blinked. Well, it wasn't that unbelievable that she might still like him. He was a Pokeleague champion now, after all. "Wait," he said, narrowing his eyes. "What's in it for you?"

"A cute boy!" she answered promptly, winking. "You know, I've realized it's much funner to steal hearts than silly things like money and badges."

"And Pokemon," reminded Red.

"That was a long time ago," she said flippantly. "I'm so over that. I'm a much more mature girl now." She leaned forward and winked lasciviously. "Can't you tell?" She blew a kiss.

Red blushed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Well… I still don't trust you, but…"

She tilted her head.

"Well, I'm just saying, I'm not going to stop you from spying on him or anything, that's all," he stated.

Blue beamed. "I knew you'd go for it!" In a flash she planted a kiss on his cheek and hopped up, sprinting away.

Well geez, thought Red, touching his flushing cheek. She sure is weird. But that thought was easily overtaken by the idea of beating Green once and for all.

Yes, he thought with a triumphant grin. Finally an advantage! And on second thought… It'll be neat to get to know Green better, too. He seems like he'd be a really interesting guy to know if we weren't rivals.

"So, I talked to Red, and he's agreed to let me spy on you to help him win," announced a voice from nowhere.

"Go away," said Green.

"Did you hear what I said?" said Blue. "I said—"

"I know what you said," interrupted Green, "and I'm not interested. That's very cruel of you, you know, messing with Red like that. Even if it would help me, I have principles. Go back and tell him the truth. I'm winning this fair and square—he doesn't deserve to be tricked and manipulated."

Blue blinked, then pouted.

"Go away," repeated Green.

Suddenly he stumbled as a massive weight tackled his back. "Ack! Geroff!"

"You're so sweet!" squealed Blue in his ear. He winced. "Sacrificing your own victory for the sake of your friend! I knew I picked the right guy to be my boyfriend!"

"Get off," grumbled Green, attempting to pry her hands off of him. "He's not my friend and I'm not your boyfriend. And I'm definitely not sacrificing a victory. I'm good enough to beat him without that."

"Really?" asked Blue, tilting her head at him as though surprised.

Green frowned. What do you mean, 'Really?' Of course I'm not. Surely it's obvious that I'm the better trainer. "…I'm not talking to you," he asserted after a pause.

"Aww," pouted Blue. "And I really wanted to see you win, too. I mean, I guess you'll still be as good-looking when you lose, but I don't know. That somehow makes a boy less attractive."

"Would you stop insinuating I'm doomed?" snapped Green.

"Touchy, touchy," murmured Blue, sliding off his back and hooking her arm in his to walk beside him. He tried to shake her off to no avail. Damn, she's strong for a girl, he cursed. "I was just kidding, you know—but if you get defensive that easily, maybe it wasn't so far from the truth…"

"Leaving now," grunted Green, finally tugging free of her and setting in the other direction.

"I don't get a kiss goodbye?" called Blue.

"No," he said firmly.

"So how are you going to beat him, anyway? If you don't know anything about him except his Pokemon?"

Against his better judgment, he paused. Gritting his teeth, he finally looked back. "Look. I'm not going to bother trying to stop you from doing whatever you're doing. Do whatever you want—just saying, I don't support it, and if you're going to come bothering me, it better be with something good, because I don't desire your company. Okay?"

Blue beamed and rushed up to give him a kiss on the cheek. "You're too cute," she said fondly, prancing away.

Ugh, thought Green, wiping at his cheek. Freak…

Blue accosted each of the two boys several times over the course of the week, each time bring some random tidbit of information.

"Red likes waffles," she'd say conspiratorially to Green, or "Green enjoys mild weather" to Red. Each of the boys grew more and more frustrated by her unhelpful 'tips.' They demanded to know how this was supposed to help them.

Blue only blinked innocently and answered the same: "Don't you think it's a good idea to know everything you can about your opponent?"

As the boys' annoyance increased, so did Blue's flirtation. Her regular greeting was a glomp and a kiss on the cheek, and she was constantly pestering each boy to go on a date with her. Their energy was worn down by the minute.

What they didn't know is that her real goal was something far more sinister.

It was in a small town called Cobalt that they met again.

"Yes, that Professor Oak. Will you serve me now?" snapped a mildly irritated voice from around the corner.

What a jerk! thought Red, folding his arms behind his head and flashing a grin at his own waitress. "I'll just have a double cheeseburger, thanks—with extra onions. Pokeleague champions need their food, you know!"

The waitress flushed before his eyes. "You're not—R-Red from Pallet Town?"

"Aw, shucks, you've heard of me?" Red beamed humbly. "Well, yeah, that I am, actually."

"Oh, wow," said the waitress, breathless. "A Pokeleague champion and the grandson of a famous professor, both in our restaurant! How exciting!"

"Yeah, definite—wait, what?" Red pressed his palms to the table, leaning closer to her. "What grandson of who?"

"Just over there." She pointed around the corner. "He's the grandchild of Professor Oak! And sooo cute!"

"No way!" Red exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "Excuse me for a moment—I'll be back!" He bounded around the corner, nearly bumping into another waitress before he skidded to a stop in front of a mostly deserted booth.

"…What are you doing here?" asked Green with a raised eyebrow.

"I knew it!" crowed Red. "Only you would be so rude to someone about bringing up ol' Oakey!"

Green narrowed his eyes. "My grandfather is not 'ol' Oakey,' and I was growing impatient with my waitress's growing inability to take my order."

"Ha! You could've given her thirty seconds, you know." Red slid into the seat across from him, winking up at the waitress. "You probably already know who I am—could you get my dish brought over to this table, please? And Green here'll have—"

"Fish and chips," interrupted Green. "If you please."

Blushing brightly, the waitress nodded vigorously and scampered off.

"Now, what are you doing here?" he went on.

"Becoming the best Poketrainer ever, of course," said Red flippantly.

Green raised an eyebrow. "Really. That's funny, because I was under the impression you were going to be the second best. After me."

Red chuckled. "Good one, Green! But after I beat you at the championship finals, I think it's pretty clear who the better trainer is!"

"To say nothing of your countless defeats at my hand leading up to that slim victory…"

"Yeah, well, you still haven't learned how to treat your Pokemon right, I bet—"

"And I'll bet that you still can't teach any of them a new move—"

"I bet you haven't got a single new entry in that Pokedex of yours—"

"I bet you—"

"Perfect timing!" interjected a third voice.

Red and Green both looked up to see a teenage girl dressed in the waitress' uniform for this restaurant. Their eyes widened simultaneously.

"You!" they shouted together.

The girl winked. "Blue of Pallet Town, at your service!"

Green scowled at the girl, resisting a heavy sigh at her appearance. She had done nothing but interfere and now here she was ruining everything… again.

"Go away," he said, refusing to look at her.

"Soooo," crooned Blue, pushing Red aside so she could slide in the booth next to him. "How are you two doing? Any further in your Pokedexes?"

"What's going on, Blue?" demanded Red in an accusatory tone. "You said—"

"But…" she interrupted, blinking with her large, shining eyes. "I had to."

"I knew you were a liar," muttered Green under his breath.

"I can't believe you!"

"Red, you didn't really think I was helping your rivalry, did you?"

Hmph. She would double-team them, Green thought. So typical of a meddling woman.

"Let me explain," said Blue calmly. With anyone else, such a phrase would seem desperate, but Blue had another way around her. "I couldn't possibly support a rivalry such as yours—the only good thing you two could do would be to work together. You're a perfect match, you know. So complementary!"

"Hardly," Green scoffed.

"Yeah, right!" dismissed Red.

"My real motive," she went on, "was to get to know you two better myself. You see… I just can't help it! You're both so cute!"

Green pressed a hand to his forehead. I am not cute.

"And I wanted to be able to find out by spending time with both of you which one to pursue, but I just couldn't decide! You two are both perfect!"

"He's not," said Red poutily. Green rolled his eyes. "All he thinks about is levels, evolutions, moves. He never considers the Pokemon's feelings!"

Yeah, well you never consider actually adding to your Pokedex. You're too set on beating everyone you meet.

"Anyway, I've decided what I'm going to do."

Both Red and Green glanced up at her.

"This should be good," they muttered simultaneously, then exchanged a quick glance before returning their gazes to Blue.

"I'll just go out with both of you."

"Absolutely not," stated Green instantly.

"No way," agreed Red.

"I wouldn't date you whether you were dating Red or not. I'm not interested in you or any of your games at all," declared Green, standing to leave. He was sick of all her antics and just wanted to get back to the forest.

"Um," said a person standing in his way. It was their waitress, who blushed, holding out his food. "Your… your food…"

"…right." Green sighed and sat again. He would have no qualms leaving Blue with the bill, but she would undoubtedly find a way to dump it onto Red, and he just wasn't the kind of person to be fine with that. Meanwhile, he would just try to get through this meal as quickly as possible.

As the waitress set down the other trays on the table, she blinked at their companion. "Blue? What are you—"

"I'm on break," said Blue with a wink. "These two cuties invited me to sit with them, isn't that sweet?"

"Did not," muttered Red.

"Wow," whispered the waitress. "Lucky!" She dipped her head and scurried off.

"Anyway, so as our first official date together, I'm—"

"This isn't a date!" said Red.

"My thoughts exactly."

Blue narrowed her eyes. "I wasn't finished."

"I don't really care."

"Yeah, and like you never interrupt me!"

"As I was saying," she went on smoothly. "I'm just going to keep bothering you both unless you can come up with a truly excellent reason that you can't go out with me."

Green wasn't very hungry any more. Even for fish and chips. "I've got a great reason," he said. "I don't like you." He fished a few bills and coins out of his pocket and pressed them onto the table, sliding the fish and chips off his plate onto a napkin, which he wrapped up smoothly.

"I've got a reason, too, and it's that I don't trust you!" announced Red. He stood and slapped down a few bills of his own, more dramatically than necessary.

Green sighed. Was nothing Red did original? He scooted out delicately, standing in a single lithe movement.

"Nice to see you, Red."

With that he grabbed his food and left.

Flustered, Red looked longingly at his burger, then back at Green. Green definitely had the right idea—Blue was clearly just messing with them and he needed to get out of here before she tricked him into falling for it again. But the burger looked so good… Could he wrap it like Green did?

He barely noticed Blue smirking at him. "You're so cute when you're confused," she sighed to herself.

"I'm not listening to you," Red said loudly. "I'm… I'm leaving now. And don't follow me!" He grabbed his burger and ran out the door, failing to catch the pleased look on Blue's face.

"Hey! Green! Wait up!" he shouted, catching a glimpse of spiky hair disappearing around the corner. He skidded to a stop in the dirt, catching his breath as Green retraced his steps and frowned at him from a few feet away.

"What?"

"You can't eat that while traveling! Eat with me, okay? That way I can find out where you're really at—I need to know what's going on with my rival so I can beat him, right?"

Green paused, then allowed a small smirk before answering. "I thought you were convinced that I was no threat to you anymore."

"Well, it can't hurt," said Red sheepishly. "Besides which, there haven't been much Pokemon around where I've been traveling. If there are where you've been, I should probably find out about it."

Green considered this. "All right," he decided. "But only to get away from that terror."

"You're telling me!" Red grinned, sitting down and leaning against the wall. Green joined him, unwrapping his fish and chips.

"I blame you for all of this, by the way," he said nonchalantly.

"What?" protested Red. "But I didn't tell her to do anything!"

"You're the one who brought her here. If you'd never fallen for her scam the first time, none of us would ever have seen her again. But you kept falling for it, and now she thinks she's our friend—and girlfriend."

"Bleh," agreed Red. "She's too mean to be a girlfriend. I mean, she's super cute and all, but girls aren't supposed to steal things! It's not ladylike!"

"That's your reason for turning her down?" Green rolled his eyes as he ate a fry.

"Well…" Red took a bite of his burger. "Yeah, pretty much. That, and I'm busy on my quest. If I weren't training to be the best Pokemon trainer, and she were just some girl that didn't scam people, I'd totally go out with her. Wouldn't you?"

"Absolutely not," Green snorted.

"Really? Why not?"

"She's annoying."

"That's how girls flirt. Geez, if you think flirting is annoying, how do you ever get dates?"

"Why would I date?"

Red blinked at him. No way has Green never had a date, he thought incredulously. He's so good-looking he probably has fanclubs! "Why wouldn't you date?" he asked.

"Girls are a waste of time."

"Of course they are!" said Red. "But they're all cute and giggly, how could you turn them down?"

Green blinked at him, as if he didn't comprehend what he was saying. "I just tell them 'No thanks,'" he said. "It's not that hard."

Red sighed. "You're hopeless," he said. "What's the use of being the best Pokemon trainer if you don't get any girls?"

"I hardly think that's the point," Green said, taking another bite.

"Eh," said Red. "Sure, you're right. But still."

Green shrugged as Red took a bite of his burger. A moment of silence passed as they watched the trees' leaves rustle in the breeze.

"Did she tell you the same thing she told me?" asked Red.

"That she was spying on you so I could win the rivalry?"

"Yep."

"Yeah, she did." Green rolled her eyes. "I'm surprised she thought that would tempt me."

"Didn't it?" asked Red, tilting his head.

"I told her not to," said Green.

"Oh." Red blinked at his burger, mulling this over. Green really turned down a chance to win the rivalry? But… "Why?" he asked.

"Because I figured you would fall for it," said Green. "And it's cruel to take advantage of someone like that."

Red nodded slowly to himself. Green was nicer than he gave him credit for. Maybe he wasn't such a cold person after all. He almost felt a little ashamed of himself now, for not having the conscience to be opposed to the idea in the first place.

Geez, he thought suddenly. If this were a situation, this would definitely be how I'd want to hang out with a best friend. Just joking around and eating outside and relaxing.

It was too bad they were rivals, really. He'd have to kick his butt later.

"So…" he began randomly. "Go ahead."

Green gave him a questioning look.

"Go on and rub it in," Red sighed. "How many Pokemon have you seen around these parts? Doubtless you got lucky and stumbled into the most fertile patch of trees in the forest or something."

"Actually, no," admitted Green. "I haven't seen hardly anything around. It's a bit suspicious, actually. I wonder if something's going on."

Red frowned. "You, too? I'd think so, but none of the villagers have said anything. They all say the area's as teeming as ever."

"Huh," said Green thoughtfully, considering this. "Interesting."

"Mhm," said Red, not particularly intrigued, as he took a large bite from his burger. "Say, this is really good."

Green shook his head and smiled.

A/N: Just the beginning. I know the sections are a bit short, but the story is simple and sweet like that. Let me know what you think, yes?

A/N2: Also know, I'm working on the second chapter now, and this chapter length will most likely not continue regularly. Consider it a special chapter to set the scene. The rest of them may be shorter, and I may decide to switch between points of view each chapter instead of each section after this.

But in any case, thanks so much for reading this far, and I hope to hear a review from you!