2. He's Just a Gym Leader.

When Mark imagined meeting the Champion of the Kanto region, he definitely didn't expect him to be returning to his childhood home hauling two big bags of groceries like he was still just somebody's kid. A Pikachu trotted in right behind him, holding a large can of Pokémon food. Following up the rear were the two moms, who were talking about stuff Mark didn't care about. Red was wearing a red-and-black shirt with thick-looking jeans, his red hat looking old and beat up.

Leaf got up from the couch and watched Red put the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter. The Pikachu leaped up the entire four feet onto it and placed the can next to the bags.

"Well, aren't you still whipped like a mama's boy? Bringing in the groceries like that." Leaf chided, grinning. Red merely smiled and pinched Leaf's cheek. She chuckled and forced him into a hug.

"Thanks for holding down the fort for us, Leaf. So, you're Mark? Your mom has told me so much about you!" Mark stood up and acknowledged Red's mom; she was about as tall as Red himself, with straight brown hair that went down to her shoulders. She wore a striped red-and-white blouse, with faded blue jeans and beat-up tennis shoes. She looked pretty young to have a fifteen-year-old son, Mark thought.

"Yeah? What did she tell you?"

"Don't worry, Mark. I didn't tell her anything too embarrassing." Mrs. Taylor walked over to the counter and started taking things out of the grocery bags. Red's Pikachu pointed to a can opener sitting on the opposite countertop, his ears twitching in anticipation.

"Wow! You're really him! You're Red! In the flesh!" Mint jumped out of her seat, her eyes wide. Red looked at her and nodded, not saying a word. He turned to face his Pikachu as Mrs. Taylor was about to hand him the can opener, and snatched it from her. He narrowed his eyes at the Pikachu, shaking his head.

"Chuu…" The electric mouse muttered, disappointed.

"Sorry. He's ravenous." Red spoke in a low, quiet voice. Leaf leaned closer to Pikachu and waved a finger at him.

"Trust him. This Pikachu will eat the whole can in one sitting if you let him. He's a Snorlax when it comes to food. Just like his trainer." She said, looking back up at Red. In response, he pulled out a giant bag of potato chips and bit the top of it, which made Mint laugh.

"Well, I don't have to worry about that for a while. What time do you have to be in Viridian City for Blue's commission?" Red's mom asked, sorting all the groceries.

"Half an hour."

"Oh! Well, you'd better get going! You don't want to be late. Remember, you're taking Mark and… I'm sorry, what was your name again, sweetie?" She looked at Mint, who had been staring at Red the whole time. She snapped her head towards Red's mom and quickly looked between her and Leaf, who seemed amused at her reaction.

"Um, it's Jasmine. But please, call me Mint."

"No problem, Mint. Thanks for helping me bring in the groceries, honey." She said to Red, who nodded and waved to Pikachu, who hopped on his shoulder. He hugged his mom, who looked back at him and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"You be careful. Remember to call me, okay?" Red smiled and nodded, turning his cap to the side a little.

"Pi! Pika!" Pikachu also nodded, smiling. Red picked up his backpack and walked towards the door. Leaf grabbed her own bag and followed him, taking a white hat with red trim on it from the hat rack and putting it on. Mark and Mint followed them outside, where the midmorning sun beat down heavily on everyone. Red looked at his Pokégear and then back to Leaf, tilting his head in the direction of Viridian City.

"So? Are we going to get a move on, or what?" Mark asked, looking at the car expectedly.

"Don't rush him! He's the Champion. Show him some respect." Mint said, tying her bandanna around her head. Red then took a Poké Ball from his belt and released a huge Pidgeot, which looked to him with a sharp, determined face. Leaf did likewise and released a large Fearow, which spread its enormous wings and cawed to the sky.

"What's with the bird Pokémon?" Mark asked, leaning on his mom's car.

"What, did you think we were going to take that thing to Viridian City? Where are you from, Marky-Mark, a place that outlaws Pokémon entirely?" Leaf asks, caressing the Fearow's back.

"Why do you keep on calling me that?" He growled.

"I like nicknaming people and Pokémon. You've got that 'cute little brother' look, so I gave you a nickname I thought fit that description. Since you don't know me, I'll let you know right now: I could care less what most people think of me. I do what I want so long as it doesn't cause too much trouble. And since you're about as threatening as a baby Eevee, I can keep on calling you Marky-Mark all I like. But hey, I'll let you in on something else: your whining about it makes it more fun. So go ahead, keep on getting mad at me. It'll do you a lot of good." Leaf mounted the Fearow and Red climbed onto his Pidgeot, with his Pikachu sitting in front of him. Mark quietly seethed as he approached Red and his Pidgeot.

"She totally burned you, Mark!" Mint exclaimed, eagerly hopping on the Fearow. Mark stood behind the Pidgeot for a second, wondering exactly how to get on the bird. Red turned his head around and patted the spot directly behind him, and then pointed in the direction of Viridian.

"I haven't even been here an hour and I already hate it. This commencement or whatever it is better be exciting." Mark awkwardly sat down on the Pidgeot's back. Red looked back at Mark and grabbed both of his arms, forcing them around his waist.

"What gives, dude?" He turned to see Mint doing the same with Leaf. Red let out a small breath and mumbled,

"You won't fall like this."

"Pika!" Pikachu chimed.

'I can't believe that girl is with Red. How does he stand her attitude? She's not even that hot. I swear, if Red wasn't around, I'd tell her what a stuck-up princess she is. I'll show her. I'll think of a stupid nickname that I can bother her with.' Mark thought as Red whistled, which signaled the Pidgeot to take off.

"Hyah!" Leaf shouted. Her Fearow flapped its wings and climbed into the sky, keeping its pace alongside Red's Pidgeot. The rush of wind billowed throughout Mint's clothing, and she was glad she had tied her bandanna very tightly around her head before the flight. Mark looked nervous, as he wouldn't open his eyes at all.

"So, how did you end up with a guy like Red, huh?" Mint shouted over the sound of the wind.

"We've known each other since we were little! We started our Pokémon journeys at the same time." Leaf responded. Mint looked over and saw Red's face, determined and aloof.

'I'd give my best deck away to be with a guy like him: a master trainer with a polite attitude and sculpted features that would make a Machamp jealous. By Arceus, he's hot! If it wasn't for Leaf, he would totally be mine.' Mint thought as Red turned his head to look in her direction. Or at least, she thought it was her direction.

"I'd suggest killing whatever fantasies you have about my boyfriend. Red already has to deal with enough fangirl attention as it is. Don't give me a reason to mess with you, too." Leaf said with a sharp tone, her Fearow craning its neck back and giving Mint a similar look. Mint nervously laughed and looked the other way.

"Yeah, sure."

The four teens remained quiet until they were over Viridian City. A crowd had already gathered in the city square, where a large stage had been set up with blue and green streamers. Red whistled and pointed down to a spot behind the stage, where a large blue tent had been set up. Pidgeot coasted down and landed outside the tent, along with Fearow. The bird Pokémon went back into their Poké Balls and the rest entered the tent. Inside the tent were a bunch of businesspeople walking around, along with seven colorfully-dressed people sitting at a large, round table in the middle.

"I bet they'll be happy to see you again." Leaf muttered to Red. He smiled and approached them. A man with spiky yellow hair and an army outfit stood up and walked over to Red. The two shook hands vigorously.

"Well, if it isn't Kanto's newest Champion! Good work out there, sport. You've certainly earned my respect. And whoare these strangers? Your friends?" He looked at Mark and Mint. They both were silent, slightly intimidated by the man's booming voice and his tough attitude.

"One is my cousin. The other is his friend." Red responded.

"I see. What are your names?" Mark scratched his head and looked up at the man.

"I'm Mark. I'm from uh, Topaz Town. This is Mint. She's from Topaz Town too."

"Hi. You must be the Vermilion City Gym Leader, Lt. Surge. Wow, um… you're a lot bigger in person." Mint said, looking over at the other six Gym Leaders seated around the table. They all rose to greet Red and Leaf, talking with him about his conquest of the Elite Four and his long-time rival, Blue.

"Well, speak of the loser – there he is now!" Leaf pointed beyond the Gym Leaders. The tent's flap opened to reveal a figure, silhouetted by the sunlight. When he closed the tent flap, he removed his sunglasses and smiled, taking out a comb and brushing back his spiky, brown hair.

"Hey, Vulture Queen! Still dragging around that punk lump of a trainer you call a boyfriend?" He greeted the other Gym Leaders and stood in front of Leaf, who took off her hat and shoved it on his head.

"If I'm the Vulture Queen, then that makes you the King of All Vermin! How have you been, huh? Congratulations on your stunning accomplishment!" Leaf took back her hat and put it back on, shaking the guy's hand.

"You must be Blue. What's the big occasion?" Mark asked. Blue raised his eyebrows and looked to Red, who was merely smiling and shaking his head.

"Are you not from around here, or something? Red, tell me this kid is your interregional entourage, and therefore doesn't know what's going on around here?" Red shook his head, his Pikachu mimicking the action. Blue scratched his head and shrugged.

"Huh. I guess he just didn't tell you. You do know the chatty gossip over there is Kanto's newest Champion, right?"

"Yeah."

"Did you know that the Viridian Gym is missing a Leader because the last one was the head of Team Rocket?"

"Yeah." Everyone went quiet for a few seconds while Mark processed the info.

"Oh! You're becoming the new Gym Leader! Cool!" Blue slapped his forehead, everyone but Mark laughing.

"Man, Red, and I thought you were dense. Then again, this kid's younger than us, so I'll cut him some slack. What's your name?" Before Mark could introduce himself, one of the businesspeople hastily walked over to everyone and said,

"Mr. Oak. The ceremony is about to start. We need you up on stage. Everyone else, you may go and take your places. Oh, hold on… what are these two doing here?" He gestured to Mark and Mint. Red stepped forward and said to him,

"They're with me. Give them two seats in the front row." Adjusting his glasses, the businessman nodded.

"Go with him. Meet up with you two later." Red said. Mark and Mint followed the businessman out of the tent, where hundreds of people gathered in Viridian Square to witness Blue's official induction into the Gym Leaders of Kanto.

"So, what do you think? Exciting enough for you?" Mint asked, grinning.

"Not bad. It's just the kind of thing I'd expect from traveling with the Champion. I just hope it's not one long, boring ceremony. By the way, just between you and me… I think Leaf should go make out with a Muk. Or get ripped to shreds and eaten by a Gyarados. Hey, here's an idea – she said she hated her real name, right? We should try and find out what it is and bug her with it!" Mark entertained the idea of a Gyarados rising up out of a lake and biting Leaf's head off.

"Get over yourself, Mark. She's cool. Besides, you haven't even known her for one day and you want to kill her? I bet you she'd get a kick out of hearing that. No, I bet you Red would. I wonder what it feels like to get blasted with a Thunderbolt attack from his Pikachu… I bet you a holographic Charizard it isn't very nice!"

"Whatever. Forget I said anything. Obviously you're going to take her side." Mark frowned and looked to the stage as a well-dressed woman stepped out with a microphone, introducing herself as the mayor of Viridian City. He quickly tuned out the formalities and started mulling over what he was going to do to Leaf.

'I'll find out what her real name is. Red wouldn't sic his Pikachu on me. And Leaf wouldn't really do anything about it. She's just all talk!'