An AU of an AU? Definitely nowhere near canon here, just trying this out for fun!

[exileforfreedom]

[A ten-year-old boy is standing outside of the Viridian City gym, looking up at the building where he'll earn his eighth badge. Less than a year ago, this boy began his journey as a Pokemon trainer. But six years before that, he was a fleeing Champion, age eleven

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[reachforfreedom]

[It's been the same damn challenges by the same Johto trainers over and over and over. Blue gave up trying as hard as he used to when he first became Gym Leader. Why bother? Neither Chris nor Kagura knew a thing--even if at one point he had hope in one of them. That things could possibly change because of them--but who was he kidding, lumping highly unrealistic hopes onto a poor kid?

He hated how he couldn't lift a finger to help any of his rivals. More precisely he didn't like himself. He kept waiting and waiting for a right moment to make a move, any move against the Project but days became months and the months became years. How... how long has it been now?

Blue inhales before dragging out a sigh at the sound of the door opening. Great, a new challenger. Maybe it was one of those Johto kids again--or a clone or...

He really didn't care who it was. Blue merely kept his gaze upon the gym floor. Who to start out with... did it really matter? The results were always the same. Always, always, always-]

[exileforfreedom]

[Red looks around the gym. A... Maze of some kind? The spin panels surprise him, and it takes him a while to find his way through, thanks to getting dizzy.

He's confused, though. Where are all the junior trainers? All the other gyms had them, why is this one so empty? So quiet? It's... Kind of spooky.

Eventually he'll find his way through. That guy... Is he the gym leader? Something about the figure struck Red oddly, like he was familiar... But he's sure he's never met the Viridian City gym leader before.]

... Are you the gym leader?

[reachforfreedom]

...I am.

[Blue responds simply. That voice wasn't of Chris' and definitely not Kagura's. It sounded close to a friend of his, but it's been...shoot. How long was it since he saw any of those three? Pushing those thoughts aside he slowly lift his gaze only to find himself staring.

Red. It was Red! He looked exactly like he did all those years ago. Swallowing, Blue found his gaze lowering back down. He could feel himself starting to shake. How? Why? Was Mount Silver not safe enough? This had to be a horrible nightmare, right...? Why else would Red be here as if he hadn't aged a day and...]

...do you even remember who I am?

[exileforfreedom]

... I came for a battle.

[Red is confused. What's with that reaction? And that question... Nothing's adding up. Maybe you've spent a bit too much time alone with the spinny panels.]