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Brendan and May are the last of their close friends to leave. They’re a riot to be around and Blue loves them, thought for sure they’d tie the knot before he and Red, but despite the excessive familiarity and care with which they regard each other, Red admits he doesn’t see it happening anytime soon. (They’re so comfortable. They’re totally going to be one of those couples who wake up next to each other at thirty-five and realize that they’re not actually married, he points out, and Blue finds that he can see it happening.)
Still, though, hugging May goodbye at the airport is weighty – like the party is over, the days-long euphoria that had been this whole holiday is dying down. Like everyone else, May and Brendan are returning home – to Hoenn – where they have friends and families and actual jobs, and Red and Blue will go back to Poni Island and face their foreseeable future.
“And you take care of yourself, too,” Brendan’s telling Wally. Their younger friend looks barely older than he did when they’d first been introduced, years ago, but there’s a confident set to his shoulders and a healthy tint to his cheeks.
“Make sure Red and Blue don’t burn down that damn tree,” May adds, hands on her hips.
“Hey,” Blue feels compelled to add. “I have a water-type starter. Give me some credit.”
May does a truly impressive eyeroll, shakes her head so her bangs move.
Brendan claps him on the back. “Don’t be a stranger, Oak. You’ll break my heart.”
“Two years, and I’ll be visiting Hoenn taking your stupid couple photos, don’t worry,” he says.
May smirks. “We can volcano board down Mt. Chimney again.” She cackles when Blue feels the blood rush from his face.
“I look forward to it,” Red says, giving her a rare smile. Blue wonders where the rest of his blood has gone to – surely he had more than this? Right?
The final boarding announcement rings over the speakers, and May and Brendan glance at each other. “Well, that’s that,” Brendan says. “See you guys. Enjoy married life.”
“Yeah, see you,” Blue echoes, hugging each of them again. It feels final. Next to him, Wally waves until they disappear from sight, and the three of them watch the plane until it lifts off from the runway.
“That’s that,” Blue says again.
Wally gives the two of them a hopeful smile. “Let’s get going?”
It’s…comfy, what the League’s given them here. There are actual rooms with electricity and running water built into the heartwood of the tree, complete with stairs, bridges, and platforms winding around the trunk for battles to take place in. The rooms themselves are spacious, and actually tastefully furnished – where did they even get this furniture, Blue says out loud, and winces at the baneful look Cynthia shoots his way. Of course. – and he and Red have a large one on the second floor.
“They could totally turn this into a hotel after this whole shebang’s over,” Blue says, flopping down onto the king-sized mattress. “This rules. I’m never leaving.”
Red gives him a pointed look as he takes off his own shoes.
He sighs. “Yeah, don’t worry, I haven’t forgot about the Champion selections, either. Lance’s sent me a list of potential candidates, I’m going to go over them later and shortlist some of them. Wanna help?”
“Just no one who skews too heavily towards a single type,” says Red. “Too predictable, nowadays. Cynthia’ll help you, if you want. She’s better at stats and stuff than both of us.”
“Nice.” Cynthia had held on to the Sinnoh Champion title for nine solid years, only recently ceding it to travel the world. Her successor had been at the wedding, a pretty girl not older than nineteen. He thinks of Ethan, and winces a bit. There’s making up to be had, there. “No one too young, right?”
Red’s squinting at the large tank full of alomomola and corsola, but he looks up at that. “Yeah.”
They’ve talked about it so many times – the particular things that had been difficult and stifling, the aspects that had driven Red away, and Blue wants to make sure no one ever goes through that again.
You inspired so many people, Ethan had told them, but they’d been a mess.
“Hey,” he says, coming up to Red. Slowly, Red leans into him. It’s a relatively new thing, Red reciprocating affection, but Blue’s happy when he does. “We’ll do it right, yeah?”
Red nods. “Yeah.”
Ostensibly, Dexio and Sina are around to keep an eye on zygarde, but they’d cheerily taken up residence in the Tree as well after a hasty call to Sycamore, and have since handed Red and Blue Mega Rings. “Might as well, right?” Dexio said when he’d offered them, Kalosian accent thick. “Considering you two are the big, bad, bosses of this thing.”
“Here.” Sina presses stones into Red’s hand. “For your venusaur and charizard. And you, monsieur, for your tyranitar and gyarados.”
“Where’d you even get these,” Blue wonders aloud. “I thought they were super rare.”
Sina only smiles, glittery and secretive. “C’mon,” she says. “We’ll show you what Kalosian battling has to offer.”
Mega Evolution is…startling. He’d read about it while studying in Kalos, and so knows about it in theory – but it’s hard not to stare in abject horror as tyranitar’s chest expands and turns red, its spines growing and extending behind it, its eyes sharpening and looking almost feral, its stance challenging as it stares at him.
There’s so much power simmering beneath all the armor, and he almost takes a step back.
But – this is tyranitar, whom he’d raised from a prized baby larvitar all the way since he’d been traveled through Johto the first time, who’d been with him around the world and back, and that has to count for something, right?
He glances at Red, who’s holding his hands towards his charizard, all black scales and blue flame, his eyes beseeching.
Trust, Sina had said, and, holding tyranitar’s gaze, Blue takes a step forward, and almost instantly, the tension drains from tyranitar’s body.
Relief fills him, and he huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, buddy. Yeah, it’s still you, huh?”
Tyranitar roars happily, and Dexio uncrosses his arms, puts his sunglasses on his head. He looks impressed. “Mega tyranitar is something else,” he says. “Incredible defenses and attack. You’re lucky that it trusts you, I’d hate to face that on the field.” He gives tyranitar another once-over. “You’re a good trainer.”
“Yeah, well,” Blue says, still marveling at tyranitar’s motions. “It’s been a long time.”
They practice Mega Evolving their Pokemon throughout the afternoon. It’s odd, getting used to tyranitar’s new bulk or alakazam’s increased defenses, like they’re new parts in an already-efficient machine, but he finds he’s getting there. Dexio mega-evolves his Alakazam too, and he gives Blue some tips and strategies. The others join in, too – Cynthia’s garchomp is somehow even more terrifying now, and Wally’s gallade packs a serious punch.
All in all, it’s a good day, and only the start of many more.
Blue wanders into the kitchen one morning to find Red and Cynthia locked in an intense conference call with Lance, of all people.
Red shoots him an apologetic look. “I tried to wake you.”
Blue slides in next to him. “It’s fine. How’s it going?”
Fuzzy-Screen-Lance glances at him. “Good morning, Blue. Please comb your hair. Anyway, we’ve narrowed it down to three.” He pulls up the profiles. Blue recognizes Janine’s photo, and smiles inwardly. The four of them talk about personalities, type preferences, and battle styles, checking and balancing, for a good hour before deciding.
Ultimately, the Championship goes to a young Coordinator from Violet City, and Lance is visibly relieved when he ends the call with an Enjoy your day.
“Well, that was oddly anticlimactic,” Blue says out loud.
Cynthia laughs. “I’ve never seen Lance so stressed.”
“Overseeing the Championship selection is Lance’s wedding gift to us,” Blue explains. “Since he knew that neither of us would do it properly, if ever our first few choices turned us down, which they did. Which is kind of sad if you think about it, because he’s loaded.” He turns to Red. “Was Blackthorn City named for their family or was their family named after the city?”
“Hmm,” says Cynthia. “I suppose I should consider myself lucky. Dawn was all too willing to take the position from me. Although it was a long time coming. She beat me when she was all of thirteen, and has only become stronger since. It was a gradual process, introducing her to the official League work.” She smiles fondly. “I guess at times she was practically my intern, but she was exposed to the job, took it up little by little.”
“That was what we didn’t do,” Red says, slowly. “We were too caught up in our teen drama to think about successors. You did good, playing the long game.”
“So basically, thank god for Lance,” Blue says.
Cynthia nods. “Dawn will grow to be a better trainer than me. She has a natural talent for bonding with Pokemon that I’ve rarely seen matched.” Her eye flicks to them. “I’ve seen it in you two, as well.”
“Aw shucks, it’s too early for that kind of flattery,” Blue teases.
She scowls. “I was doing it so I could tell you that after we meet with Professor Kukui today, we need to have a meeting regarding the final flow of things around here.”
“Oh. Right. Our actual job.”
“Ah, newlywed bliss,” Cynthia nods gracefully. Red flushes. Cynthia’s never even been married. “Well, I’m leaving for Melemele in an hour and a half. Let me know if you guys are joining. And wake up the others on your way up. Especially Grimsley, that man might as well be nocturnal.” She ruffles Red’s bedhead before disappearing out the door in a whirl of black cloth and long blonde hair.
There’s a heavy pause.
“Do you think…she ever feels hot in that coat?” Red mumbles sleepily.
Blue stares at the doorway. For all he’s grateful for her experience, drive and work ethic, it’s still a little overwhelming. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
They do make it in an hour and a half, have even gotten Wally up with them, and Cynthia gives them a small smile when she sees them emerge from the tree.
“So you just…move your arms like this?”
Across from him, Kiawe frowns disapprovingly. “No.” He does another incomprehensible gesture. “Like that. Be the flame. Feel the bond between you and your Pokemon radiate.”
Blue tries to imitate it, to no avail. Arcanine just turns up its nose at him, which, no fair, Blue had so many opportunities to look sourly at him throughout their partnership and he never did. He deserves better than this.
He sniffs, indignant. “Your friend Mallow was way nicer about this,” he says to Kiawe, who just rolls his eyes, and, okay, this was supposed to be an extremely productive meeting where Blue, renowned ex-Gym Leader and amateur international backpacker, was supposed to oversee which aspects of the Trial Captainship adapted well to the proposed League structure, not – a dance class. Dance isn’t his strong suit. Blue thinks of exeggutor, tucked away in a ball carrying a brand-new Grassium Z, and sighs. For arcanine, he tells himself, as his canine companion looks more and more bored by the minute.
Red comes over next to him. Stupid Red, whose charizard has already Inferno Overdrived away a solid square of volcanic grass and is now soaring overhead, oblivious to Blue’s pain. He catches arcanine looking at charizard mournfully, and huffs in frustration.
“You’re taking it too seriously,” Red says, voice low.
“Your face is taking it too seriously,” Blue bites back, immature. What, he’s been trying to do the fire thing – sorry, Inferno Overdrive – for eight whole minutes, he can afford a bit of immaturity.
“Yeah, for real,” Kiawe says. “Red got it in like thirty seconds. Actually, most people do.”
“Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration,” Blue says sagely.
Kiawe pointedly looks away. “That didn’t even make any sense.”
“Here, follow me.” And then Red’s arms are around him, and he’s guiding Blue’s arms up and around. Be the flame, Kiawe had said, and somehow, he feels the crystal radiate some mystic power.
All you care about is how strong your Pokemon are, Red had yelled, all those years ago, and he tamps it down, because no, he's better, and this has to work -
“One more time, buddy, please?” he asks arcanine, who stares down at him before nodding. (Okay, Blue grew out of his snob phase, but clearly someone else on this volcano needs a character check.) Arcanine gets into position to throw a Flamethrower, before Blue does the dance and yells Inferno Overdrive for emphasis. Just to be sure.
Kiawe looks at the singed grass and nods approvingly.
“You did it!” He pats arcanine’s mane. To its credit, arcanine tries to hide how self-satisfied it is.
Red wolf-whistles. He’s handsome all the time, but he’s really handsome in broad daylight, sun bearing down on strong lines, and Blue’s heart squeezes. “Wow, I love you,” he says, then catches himself. “Gross.”
Red looks unaffected. “We’re married.”
Kiawe looks only the slightest bit freaked out. Blue smirks inwardly. He can take it.
Somehow, this results in Kiawe and Mallow turning up at the Tree, too, a veritable feast in tow.
“Olivia wanted me to make sure you guys were eating,” Mallow says cheerily, as if undeterred by the absolutely jaw-dropping smell wafting from behind her. “She was decidedly unimpressed by your appetites.”
“More like we were impressed with hers,” Blue grumbles. “I have no idea where all that food goes.”
Mallow actually goes starry-eyed. “I know. It’s incredible.”
“Consider it a housewarming present anyway,” Kiawe says. “Trust me, you’re doing us all a favor by accepting this food.”
To her credit, Mallow gracefully ignores him, and helps Red and Blue set out bowls and spoons, chattering about captaincy all the while.
“We owe you a bunch,” Red says later through a mouthful of stew. “First the Z-Crystals, now the food.”
“Standard Alolan hospitality!” Mallow says, grinning. “Really, though, it was no trouble.”
“Yeah, she’s always wanted to meet you guys. You should’ve seen her when the news came out.” Kiawe says, to which Mallow flushes. He pitches his voice higher in what is obviously a poor impression of her – “Oh, Arceus, the Red and Blue are getting married here? Here?!” It's adorable; Blue has to stifle down a snort.
Mallow’s cheeks are red, but her voice is surprisingly level when she poses her next question. “So why did you decide to get married in Alola, anyway? It seemed like such a huge thing, to have to get all your friends and family here.”
“I wanted a beach wedding,” Blue says without missing a beat.
Red half-smiles. “Yeah, well, I’m sure we caused our wedding planner no end of stress, but it was the League’s idea, actually – they wanted to spring for something big. And we were already supposed to come here for a vacation when Blue popped the question anyway. Apparently, it was partially to hype up the Alola League too.”
“It felt like a fresh start, too. A new thing,” Blue says, smiling indulgently at Red, who smiles and looks away. “Don’t get the wrong idea, though, we were totally on board with it. Alola’s beautiful, and a lot of the guests would have come to Kanto from other regions anyway, so it was really just a planeful of friends and family.”
“That’s amazing,” says Kiawe, sincere. “I’m glad you chose to have it here.”
“So are we,” Red replies meaningfully, and Blue has to crack a grin at that.
Grimsley chooses this moment to poke his head in the kitchen. “I was informed there was sustenance,” he sing-songs. Blue sighs inwardly. He likes the other guy well enough, but seriously, he’s a bit too pretentious for Blue’s liking, which is saying something.
“Have some,” Red says. “There’s enough to go around.”
Grimsley seats himself elegantly, drawing Kiawe into a conversation about his houndoom. Wally and Dexio amble in eventually, drawn by hunger pangs, and soon the table is full of people, laughing and swapping stories.
It’s a good sight.
“You guys can hang around the Tree, too, if you want,” Blue says, after dinner’s died down, and the dishes have been stacked away. “You’re strong Trainers. It’ll be good to have some Alolan battle styles around here. And people won’t think we’re a bunch of weird foreigners taking up space, or something.”
Kiawe and Mallow glance at each other, then back at him. “No,” Mallow says, at the same time Kiawe says “Yes.”
Mallow sighs. “Yes. Yes, of course.” She brightens. “We’d love to.”
“Great!” Blue claps them both on the shoulder. “We’ll see you around, then. You don’t have to come really too regularly, just when Captainship gets too boring, or something. Whenever you feel like it.”
“Wow,” Mallow breathes. “Thanks.”
“It’s an honor,” Kiawe adds, seriously.
“It’s an honor to be working with you too,” Red adds, kindly, and the look on their faces at that is really worth it.
Time passes.
They recruit more trainers, mostly locals unintimidated by the high profiles of the Tree’s residents, to fill in the ranks. The Battle Tree becomes a veritable attraction and challenge, much to Blue’s delight – I do love infamity, he says; I don’t think that word really exists, Red says. He and Red play to their strengths – Red’s Pokemon are best at working alone, while Blue’s Pokemon have learned to pull each other up. The others assist them, act as roadblocks and hurdles and guides, and when a player leaves with a self-satisfied smile on their face, Blue knows they’ve done good.
They call home regularly – Professor Oak is doing less and less research work nowadays. Daisy is making a comeback to the Coordinator scene and is moving in with Bill. Red’s mother is doing fine. Viridian City loves having Leaf as its Leader. All of them wish them love and wellness, and sometimes it makes him homesick.
The League, from what he’s inferring from the animated professor, is doing well, and one day a small girl comes up to the entrance of the Tree.
Red glances at him. They know who it is.
Blue does most of the talking, because Red is still rather quiet around strangers, but she chooses to battle him – which, okay, Blue’s not for everyone – and Blue can only watch the ensuing battle in awe.
Better trainers than me, Cynthia had said about him and Dawn and Red, but already Blue knows that Moon’s untapped potential will succeed all of them.
The thought makes him happy. Alola’s in good hands.
Blue rounds the corner to hear Wally and Sina talking in surprised, rapid tones. “Anabel? The Salon Maiden Anabel?” Wally’s eyes are wide. “Here, in Alola?”
“Yes, and she’s here.” Sina’s voice is impatient, and Blue’s never seen Wally move so quickly. (He never mentions it, but Blue notices how happy Wally looks when on the phone with his family, how he marvels at trainers who come in using Hoennese pokemon, how he speaks of his hometown near-reverently. The clean air might be good for his lungs, but Wally’s clearly homesick.)
But all of Wally's exuberance and hope are dashed when the petite purple-haired woman turns to him, no recognition in her gaze. “And you are?” she says, perfectly polite.
“Wally,” he says, taking her hand and shaking it. “I’m from Petalburg, in Hoenn.”
Anabel’s polite smile doesn’t waver. “Ah, I’ve heard how pleasant that city is. I should visit, next time I’m in Hoenn. I don’t go there often enough, I’m afraid.”
Wally’s eyes look like they’re about to pop out of his head. “But – you – Hoenn is –”
Blue nods at Red, before he moves to clap a hand on Wally’s shoulder in comfort. Beside him, Red is talking in low tones. “ – you here?”
“It appears my mission here’s ended,” Anabel says, ever composed. “But I have some time before I’m reassigned. I was told that this was a place for strong trainers.”
“And it is,” Red says, blunt. He meets Anabel's gaze.
Before Blue knows it, they’re calling for a battle, and Blue can see the glint in Red’s eyes whenever there’s a particularly interesting challenger. And it's exciting and frenetic, surely one for the books, Red's excitement slowly rising to the surface and detectable in every small motion, but eventually, Anabel goes down.
“The rumors were right about you,” she says brightly, as she carefully counts out Red’s victory money. “Battle Legend Red. Not one to be trifled with, I hear.”
Blue lets go of Wally’s shoulder. “Naw, he’s actually a big softie.” He puts on his most charming smile, shakes her hand. “Blue Oak, the other leader of this illustrious institution. Now, Ma’am, can you properly answer – why are you here?”
Anabel’s mouth thins into a line. She considers them for a few long moments, before finally sighing. “As the leaders of this facility, I suppose you deserve to know.”
An hour later, and Red, Blue, and Wally are officially three more people let into the international conspiracy that has been the Ultra Beasts. She tells them of falling through a portal from another dimension and waking up with no memories, working her way up the International Police’s ranks, and being dispatched to Alola to take care of the threats. Wally’s quiet as he retreats to his room – I have to call May – and Blue himself has little to say, the revelations heavy and shocking.
But it’s not when they’re in bed, hours later, that Red speaks. “There’s another universe out there,” Red says, the moonlight hitting his face in a somber, thoughtful way. “Somewhere very different to ours.”
“Or very similar,” Blue says, climbing in next to him. “Alternate you and alternate me could still be married, living out life on an Alolan seaside hut. Things might be a little different, like, maybe we had our wedding in Pallet Town, or maybe you got an umbreon instead of your espeon, but–”
We’d still be together is on the tip of his tongue but it catches in his throat. He can’t imagine it, not voluntarily choosing Red. Here and now he’s certain, that maybe in every iteration and every universe he’d choose Red. He’d propose, surely, maybe in another world it would’ve been while they were already vacationing in Alola, looking up at the stars, or at the height of the World Tournament in Unova, or during a lazy afternoon watching television in Blue’s Viridian apartment, or some other time in their hazily-defined future. But in another world –
What if they broke up?
What if they never made up after that horrible fight that had wounded them for years?
What if they’d never met at all?
Red’s silent.
Instead, Blue says, slowly, “There could be billions of universes out there. I read about this when studying. Parallel universes could spring up from every decision you could’ve done differently. So there’s a world where I chose bulbasaur as a starter, or one where I never got the hang of that Fire-type Z-move, or one where we got married in Pallet instead.”
There's a long, quiet pause. Beside him, he can hear the rise and fall of Red's breathing, slow and steady. He knows the rhythm, has seen it on the battlefield as he calculates his next move, has seen it in public appearances where he thinks about what to say next.
Blue takes a deep breath, but Red beats him to it, kissing him briefly before speaking again.
“Those worlds, they don’t matter,” he says, his voice fiercer than Blue’s ever heard it. “What matters is this one, where you got blastoise and didn’t give up on that Z-move and we got married in the most extravagant wedding of the decade, probably.” His gaze softens. “And in this one, I’ve got you.”
“You’ve got me,” Blue echoes, his heart fluttering, his mouth curling upwards in a smile. “And I’ve got you, and I guess that’s what matters.” He snorts, shifting on the pillow. “God, we’re sappy shits.”
“It makes up for your edgy preteen phase,” Red shoots back, but he’s grinning. Blue leans over and closes the gap between their mouths again, soft and sweet.
Blue sighs. “That was really long ago.” Eleven years spent traveling the world, growing stronger in all the ways that mattered. “It’s pretty amazing, huh,” he says after a while, “What we’ve built here.” And it is – the League is in place, with a strong, quiet Champion backed by truly spectacular Elite Four members. The Tree is flourishing, with a steady influx of trainers, both challengers and residents.
“In another universe it might’ve been better,” says Red. “Or lamer.”
Blue smirks. “In another universe, we turned down the invitation and are falling asleep in boredom in Viridian. Instead, Dexio and Sina lead the Battle Tree, but are never there because they’re always off sightseeing.”
“You mean, ‘pretending to check on zygarde.’” Red chuckles. “In another universe, Leaf came with us and always complains about how messy you are.”
“Hey, you’re one to talk. And she does that already, even without coming with us.” Blue laughs, too. “In another universe, Grimsley chose the furniture and we all have to sit in gothic accent chairs and sleep in coffins.”
“Okay, god, I definitely prefer this one,” Red says.
They both laugh, but quiet down afterwards.
Red rolls over to face him, his face contemplative. “It’s around one year and three months we’ve been here,” he says softly.
Blue knows what he means. He’d been on the mountain for a year and a half. “Think it’s time we wrap this jig up? Or, do you–”
We could stay, he thinks, and for a moment it’s tempting – a life filled with tropical cocktails and gentle ocean waves, regular sparring matches on top of the tree, afternoons spent walking the piers of Seafolk Village, Red’s smile backed by warm, colorful sunsets. Maybe their family would visit sometimes, maybe Red’s pikachu evolves into an Alolan raichu with time, maybe one day he’d look at Great-uncle Samson and call him gramps by accident.
But he dismisses the notion as soon as he thinks it. They were never meant to stay, and this frenetic, powerful lifestyle was always meant to be temporary. Other people will become the Tree’s notorious bosses, and life will go on.
“I miss Kanto, don’t you?” Red says, almost like he’s voicing out Blue’s thoughts.
His answer, for all he’s grown to love Alola, is easy. “Yeah. I miss Viridian, and Pallet. I miss Gramps’s stuffy lab.”
Red smiles at the thought. “Daisy bossing you around.”
“Lance calling on the phone, asking when you were going to get the paperwork done.”
“Leaf’s mom making those pancakes.”
“Autograph requests from random people on the street.”
“Kantonian raichu.”
Blue chuckles, lets the memories wash over for a little while. Yes, Kanto, home. When they quit, they can travel again, take up May’s offer of fucking volcanoboarding, or pay courtesy calls on the Sinnoh League, or hike Mount Moon for fun anytime, but can call Red’s cozy house in Pallet or Blue’s upscale apartment in Viridian home. “We can give the notice maybe next week? One more week of living it up before we break everyone’s hearts?”
Red’s eyes are glittering in the dark. “Sure.”
They lay in silence for a while. Again, Blue listens to Red's breathing, calm and focused.
“So you see," he says softly, closing his eyes, "In another universe, this doesn’t happen. We grow old in Alola, spend our golden years fishing in some secluded cave, and pigging out at the Battle Buffet, probably.”
“Nope.” Red’s tone is solemn, but his lips are quirking upward. “I think somehow, I’d always want to go home.”
Blue smiles in the dark, burrows closer to Red. “Yeah, me too.”
That's what matters.