Pairing: RedxGreen

POV: Red

I had no idea what I was doing in front of Green's apartment. I haven't seen him in three years, and yet, I kept thinking about him.

Once I became the grand champion, I knew it was a terrible mistake. I should have just let Green win. I should have just swallowed my pride and quit there.

The look on his face was one I never want to see again. He looked discouraged, tired even. "No! That can't be!" He shouted. "You beat me at my best! After all that work to become the League Champ? My reign is over already? It's not fair!" He screamed, already hysterical. It pained me to see him this way. He grabbed his head and fell to his knees, yelling. He whispered things I could barely hear, so I moved closer. "Why? Why did I lose? I never made any mistakes raising my pokemon…" Then he looked up at me, with eyes filled with hatred. "DAMN IT! You're the new Pokemon League Champion! Although I don't like to admit it…"

There was a pain in my chest that I couldn't comprehend as I looked into his emerald eyes, shining with fury. I offered him a hand, which he batted away with force.

He got up on his own.

And then it hit me.

Once the champion is defeated, the challenger gains that title instead.

I had took his everything.

Oak came running in through the door just then.

He congratulated me in my victory against Green, which made me feel worse. He did that in front of one of his last few blood-relatives; someone he should have taken better care of. It only got worse. The first thing he said to Green was "I'm disappointed in you.

"I came when I heard you'd beaten the Elite Four. But when I got here, you had already lost!" Green looked down and away at this. Oak wasn't done degrading his grandson, though.

He gave a sigh, then looked back at Green. "Do you understand why you lost? You have forgotten to treat your pokemon with love and trust. Without them…" He spat the next words, words so sharp, they hurt me as well. "You will never become a champ again!"

Oak then turned to me again and said "The bond you share with your pokemon is marvelous. Come with me." He turned, and walked into the Hall of Fame room.

I looked over at Green. He looked at me, shaking with anger, tears falling from within his eyes, teeth gritted.

He ran out.

Although I do understand why it hurt him so much. Here he was, finally having achieved his dream. He was the champion. He was proud of himself. Once his grandfather showed up, he would say how proud of him he is, and how he went so far since first dashing out of the lab. The professor would have congratulated him and publicly announce to the world that His grandson, Green Oak, was the best trainer in the entire world.

It didn't happen that way. Instead, his rival showed up and took his title, and his only blood relative(besides his sister) called him a disappointment.

In the weeks that followed, I'd been staying at my mother's house. I told her I didn't want to see any one. I'd been getting calls from the League saying they want me to stay as the Kanto champion and that they'd pay me and all this other stuff. But I couldn't bring myself to accept. Every time I'd even think about accepting that role, I would see Green's tear-streaked angry face, and I'd feel a horrible stab in my chest. So I would hang up.

Green wouldn't see me either. Daisy would answer the door. I wouldn't even have to say anything and she knew why I was there. She smiled sadly and shook her head.

I don't remember what expression I made that time, but she added "I'll let him know you stopped by." and shut the door. I wanted to make it up to Green some how. I know the league wouldn't accept him as the champion knowing there was 'someone' out there stronger than him.

The guilt was eating at my soul. I couldn't stand it that the only person I ever respected and chased after wouldn't want to see me ever again. I felt like I was being torn in two. I never knew I was capable of such intense feelings.

Mother sent me out to buy the groceries three days later. She was getting concerned over the way I would lay in bed all day staring at the ground. She didn't know what happened up there and how it messed us both up.

She said go to Celadon Department Store instead of the closer ones here. Being the good boy I was raised to be, I did so without a second thought.

I ran into Green at the store. It seemed Daisy had the same idea. Looking back at it now, mother and her definitely planned that part out.

His eyes widened, and for a minute he looked panicked, but then his eyes narrowed as he stared at me. Just seeing Green again froze my entire world. Without thinking, I ran over to him and grabbed his wrist. He tried to twist away from me, but it didn't work. He looked up at me, with a discouraged expression, his shining green eyes meeting lifeless, red ones. With our height difference, I hope I didn't seem condescending. That's the last thing I'd want.

"Green…" I breathed out.

His averted his eyes when he said, "They won't look at me."

It took me a moment to register what had been said, but then It hit me. He means the League. The civilians.

"The League regrets giving me that spot in the first place. They said 'if he was beaten that easily, maybe he wasn't even the right choice.' Can you imagine how that makes me feel, Red? They say I was a mistake. Ignoring the fact that I had earned the eight gym badges, AND beat the elite four! All because of you!" He was shouting right at me. "Gramps has disowned me; says I brought great shame to the Oaks. All because of you! I HAD EVERYTHING! I had…" And he looked down and started shaking.

I pulled him into my arms. With his face buried into my shoulder, I could tell he knew what I was feeling at that moment. That's just how it is when you know someone for as long as we do. He wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me tight. Everything he was feeling all bottled up inside of him, he let out. It was like a water fountain of pure emotions. As we stood there in front of Celadon Department Store, arm around his waist, hand in his hair, breathing in his scent, I realized something. I never want to see Green like this ever again. I want to protect him. Forever. Even if it's from myself.

Which is why I decided to disappeared without a trace.

The next day, without a word to anyone in Pallet, I left. I brought only seven of my pokemon with me. I made a stop over at the League before I vanished. I told them I decline championship. They tried to convince me to accept, but absolutely nothing they said would make me think otherwise. All I could see was the beautiful boy with the big smile and green eyes, shattered to pieces.

I told them I didn't beat Green easily. I told them they shouldn't have brushed him off so fast, so easily, so publicly.

The only reason why I was able to beat him was because he's my childhood friend, my best friend, and we grew up constantly challenging each other. Green is a very tough trainer, and the way the league treated his efforts was sickening.

I told them as best I could to review the battle video of us. Let them judge for themselves.

On those words, I left.

Even the pre-battle conversation we had hinted at a past relationship. I mean, hell, the only reason I wanted to be the champion in the first place was because Green wanted to be it, too. Before we set out on our journey, we were best friends, playing all the time. He suddenly stopped being so kind and started being a bully instead. I didn't want to lose him regardless. . .

So I followed him. Became a pokemon trainer, and set off on a quest of my own as well.

And then, well, you know how it ended…

Armed only with Pikachu, Charizard, Venasuar, Blastoise, Snorlax, Espeon and Lapras, I marched over to Mt. Silver to continue my training.

I was up there for a long time, longer than I thought. I don't know what happened in the world below, but I was content to be in this cave. I only wanted to know what happened to Green afterwards. I hope everything pulled through for him…

Apparently there was a world-wide search for me issued. The League called my house again fearing I was suicidal after what I told them, and when Mom told them she didn't know where I've been for weeks, the warrant went out.

I only know this because I've been informed by Gold, a frequent challenger.

He said people have spotted me down by the creek sometimes, wondering if I was actually the Legendary Red or not. Turns out I am.

That's actually how he found me as well.

Gold has kinda sorta given up on beating me and resorted to telling me about his days. Sometimes he comes up to the mountain just to talk to me. Since I'm not a chatty gossip, I usually sit by him and lend him an ear. He's pleasant company. I suppose he's been traveling for so long he's forgotten what it's like to tell others about his day.

All of his stories reminded me of my childhood. He got all the johto badges and he got all the kanto badges. He also fought Team Rocket, which made me a bit suspicious; I thought they disbanded when I defeated Giovanni.

Gold also has a rival named Silver, who turned out to be Giovanni's son. This part worries me greatly. But Gold seems to have nothing but good things to say about him, he even went so far as to say they're actually pretty close friends. Reminds me of me and… MY rival...

He also brings snacks.

He was telling me about how he beat the elite four twice, and all my thoughts immediately went back to Green for the fourth time in that conversation.

Did the league ever call him? What happened after I left? … Did he… miss me?

I only sighed his name out loud, missing the way the way it sounded, and yet Gold caught that.

"Huh? You said Green, right? Like… Do you mean the Gym Leader? You know him?" Gold asked me excitedly. "Oh yeah, huh! He did mention you once! Said he used to be the kanto champion for a short-lived period of time, thanks to someone named 'Red'. That was YOU?"

I could only stare back at him.

I have to get out of here, I thought. I have to go see Green.

As I made a move to get up, Gold ran over to me and raised his arms around. "Woah, woah! Where are you headin' off to! I'm still here to challenge you, Red! I've lost eight times before, but today I'm really feelin' it!"

I'm not sure if it was that I wanted to lose, or I had lost the battling ambition, or if I just wanted to let him win, but I ended up losing. I smiled at Gold, teeth and all, and I left on Charizard. I felt free, finally free of all restraints. Gold was utterly shocked, though.

And where's the first place I go?

I have no Idea what I was doing in front of Green's apartment. I haven't seen him in three years; what if he didn't want to see me? What would we say to each other? My nerves started jumbling up around me.

I flew straight to his house after I left Gold. Daisy opened the door, looking like she'd seen a ghost. I couldn't quite put my finger on the expression she showed. I could tell she had a lot to tell me, but I just couldn't spare any time. I felt as if I would combust if I didn't find Green immediately. I whispered to her to not tell anyone I was back yet. She was smiling hard and crying regardless. I didn't feel anything. I just had to find Green.

And she could tell.

As soon as she wrote out his address, I hopped onto Charizard again and we booked it.

Now, I felt extremely silly. I rushed over here without even considering he wouldn't accept me with open arms. I ruined his life and reputation three years ago. He probably forgot about me! He probably sold all the things I gave him and shaved his head! At this point, I was sure he wouldn't accept me. I just wasted my time and energy making it here! I felt that pain in my chest again, and this time it hurt so much I felt like I was going to die from a heart attack.

As I was about to run away again, I saw the knob move.

It Opened.

I beat the L33t Four about four times already, but I just cannot defeat the Rematch with Cheren in Victory Road :l That's kinda the opposite of what happens in this story tho xD

Heey Everyone ! Here's my Original Shipping story ! It's been about four years since I last uploaded something. ((the other one in was in 2008 which I deleted recently))

Hopefully y'all liked "Why We Left" and will be with me for the entirety of it !

I'm open to suggestions ~

I'll be having Gold and Silver join in as well so keep that in mind ~

Also, you know that Back-and-Forth with Green, Red, and Oak ? Yeah, that's the actual words used after the championship battle.