Finding Red

27

The National Park of Johto was like nothing else Crystal had ever seen before. There were massive displays of flowers, arranged in all kinds of square and swirling patterns. She was captivated by beds of mild chrysanthemums, their petals blowing in the wind. It left her to see a beautiful symphony of whites, yellows, maroons, and violets. She watched a pair of Combee fly by with the slow and languid flap of their wings, looking for nectar illuminated by the soft golden light of a long day's end.

To her front there was a massive field in the shape of a Pokéball, where trainers were laughing and having fun. In the center of the park there was a massive fountain with a water geyser coming out of it. Crystal watched as a couple sat there at the edge and fed a wild Sunkern that had come up to them. A young man and his kid played with a Raichu in the far grass. There were even a few school kids doing their homework and letting their Pokémon socialize.

"Is it alright if I release my other Pokémon? It's so nice out that I think they might like it here," Crystal asked Blue.

He smiled. "I was hoping to stay here with you through the evening, actually. So that would be perfect. Would you be alright staying here with me until then?"

"That would be amazing," said Crystal, a red heat coming to her cheeks. "Thank you for asking."

The pair walked along and Crystal couldn't help but continue to listen in awe as Blue talked about his time in Kalos. He told her stories of beautiful routes, lined with flowers much like the park, towns with old castles, and the sprawling streets of Lumiose City. She tried to imagine herself shopping in all of those boutiques, and going to coffee houses and restaurants just to battle. Her heart filled with contentment as he told her just how the sound of the waves hitting the cliffs of Coumarine sounded. Blue's love for Kalos was contagious, and it was clear to Crystal just how much he loved to travel.

"I'd love to go back, you know?" Blue said. "There was something about that region I just connected with. I loved the folktales, the history, and the people."

Crystal smiled. "You should go again after you finish up with whatever it is you're here in Johto. As much as you love your gym trainers, it seems like you need to get away and reflect for a while."

"Yeah," Blue said, "I suppose you're right."

For a moment Crystal saw the smile on his face turn to a frown as he got a wistful look in his eyes, as if remembering something deep within the abyss of his mind. She watched the wind blow his hair back as he looked off into the sky, pausing for a moment as if to drink the entirety of her statement in, like a man in the desert begging for water. Then, the sadness morphed into a small but content smile, and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in. With a smile he turned back to look at her.

"We're almost by the water, so would you like to go sit?" Blue continued as their pace slowed by the fountain.

She nodded. "Absolutely. I would love to."

Crystal watched as Nuria came up to the water where she and Blue were preparing to sit, touched it, and ran away. Red, who had stayed silent and unnoticed until that point, nodded at Crystal and went to sit off in the distance and watch the world go by without saying a word to her. There was some kind of implicit understanding in the action, nothing bad, but something she didn't quite get and yet accepted nonetheless. She watched as Blue unleashed his Blastoise, his Eevee, and his Pidgeot. Crystal called for Nuria to come back, as she also released her Eevee to go play with Blue's Pokémon.

"So how's that egg coming along?" Blue asked. "I'm dying to know what's going to hatch from it."

Crystal patted the egg on her side. "It's been shaking some, but not too much. Personally, I wonder how long it's going to be."