I've neglected my wonderful Pokemon characters for too long, I reckon. Time to dust them off- as much as I can with college apps, of course...

This was written in half an hour. Excuse the errors if any, I wrote this at 12.30 at night. Or morning. One or the other...

Have some OldRivalshipping on this lovely day, will you? :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

In which Green attempts to buy a gift for Blue, and Red is no help.

"You're not helping," Green growled at his best friend.

Red only yawned, leaned back in the chair that he'd somehow pulled up, tilted his cap back and looked at Green with the expression that seemed to say So?

Instead, he opened his mouth and the following words came out: "She's your girlfriend."

"Going on two dates with her does not make her my girlfriend." Green rubbed his temples, wishing to Arceus that Pikachu would zap his owner once in a while. "I've told you this."

Mew's tail, Red was smirking. "Okay. Is that why you're buying her a gift?"

Green gritted his teeth. "We," he emphasized. "We're buying her a gift."

"Still haven't found a suitable gift, Mr. Oak?" the store owner ventured, tiptoeing over. But when Green looked at him with green eyes that promised to kill, the elderly man fled to the back, muttering something about how he had inventory he needed to polish and how his Espeon needed feeding.

"Okay," was all Red said in response to Green's retort. "So we've been in here for the last hour trying to buy a gift for Blue."

"Nice deduction," Green said sarcastically. "They teach you that up on Mt. Silver?"

"You get time to think."

Green scowled at him. "I wish you were still in that mode where you wouldn't talk to us. Maybe I should send you back up there for another year or so."

Red just rolled his eyes and stroked Pikachu.

"Now help me," Green snapped.

"You could have just-"

"You do not give a girl a canteen for her birthday, Red."

"Do you know how functional a canteen is?"

"Oh, let me see," Green said sarcastically, "I could use it to drink water from, or I could use it to beat you over the head!"

"Touchy, touchy," Red said mockingly. "Sure she's not your girlfriend?"

Green might have just strangled him if Gold hadn't wandered into the store at that moment. "Hi," he said cheerily. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to decide what to buy Blue for her birthday," Green said grumpily, shooting the smirking Red a final glare.

Gold looked at him with what looked like dawning delight. Or mirth, Green couldn't tell. "In a jewelry store? SO YOU ARE DATING BLUE!" He fairly shouted the last part and Red and Green almost pounced on him.

"Shhhhhhhhh!" Green hissed.

"Shh," Red echoed. "Green doesn't want anyone to know that he's dating-" And now he really did get punched by an extremely irate Gym Leader. "Ouch, Green! You told me you went on two dates with her!"

Green fairly dragged his hand down his face. "Shut up," he hissed.

Gold whipped his phone out. "Wait till I tell Sil-"

He was left staring at his broken phone two seconds later. Green dusted his hands off and returned to the jewelry case. "You will keep quiet about this," he said in his usual dry monotone. "If you don't, more than your phone will be broken." He jerked his head at the display case. "Now get over here. You've had experience buying Crystal gifts, and I happen to know that she hasn't written one single letter complaining about you lately. Clearly you know something about buying gifts for women."

"Honestly," Gold muttered, stalking over, "You'd think you would know this by now considering that I'm eighteen and you're what, twenty-five?"

Green merely smacked him on the back of the head. Red only rolled his eyes.

Gold scowled at him. "Fine." He took a look at the display case. "Whoa. Charms! These cost a lot, especially if they're made out of platinum. You must really like her, Green-" He ducked this time as Green's hand came flying at him. "Where do you even get this money?"

The Gym Leader shrugged. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Red only nodded at his side.

Oooooooo…kay. Gold inched a bit away from the Gym Leader. "That one," he said, pointing at a Jigglypuff charm.

"Except that I got her that for Christmas," Green said flatly.

"Well, choose a charm that means something to her. What Pokemon do you think she likes?"

Red snorted. "Get her a snake, she's slippery enough."

Gold looked at him with part admiration and part disbelief. "When did you develop a sense of humor?" he asked.

Green tuned out of the conversation as Red and Gold lapsed into conversation about the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions. What Pokemon did Blue remind him of?

A cat. He remembered the first few times she'd been around him. She'd been calculating, slinking, always one step ahead of him. Blue was cunning, flexible, graceful, light on her feet (and with her fingers, Green ruefully admitted); but he knew firsthand how she could curl up and be genuinely loving when she wanted to be. And then there was the question of how she was independent and heeded no call; Green supposed he loved that about her. She was headstrong, like he was, and always gave him a good run for his money.

A Persian, huh? Green walked to the back and told the quivering owner that he was ready, and then paid and left, leaving both Red and Gold still arguing about whether Rhydon or Tyranitar would win in a fight.

Now was the question of whether Blue would like it, or pretend to like it.

…

"Oh, you didn't have to," she exclaimed later when the Dex Holders were gathered around the table. She grinned deviously at Green, who studiously avoided her gaze. "Might I guess what it is?"

"It's not a wedding ring," Green said flatly. "It's from Red and me."

"Actually," Red cut in gently, handing Blue a terribly wrapped present, "this is from me. That one is entirely all Green's." He didn't even flinch when Green stomped on his foot.

"How sweet of you, Red," Blue beamed. "I'm sure the canteen will come in handy." She put it aside, and then noticed Red's flabbergasted face. "Oh, I saw you buying it in Goldenrod. Didn't want to spoil the surprise though, so ta-da! I promise I wasn't stalking you. Much," she added after an afterthought.

Ignoring Red's confused expression, she shook Green's present. "It clinks. New earrings, maybe?"

Green only lifted his shoulders, still thinking of ways to murder Red in his sleep.

"Well, let's find out," Blue hummed, fingers unwrapping the paper that came with the delicate box. "Ah, a blue box! Satin. I wouldn't be surprised if it was actually…oh…" And she drew out the charm that had been lying on the black velvet in the small box. "A charm!"

"A Persian," Green said in his usual monotone. "You reminded me of a cat."

"That's so sweet," Blue said brightly. "I think of myself as a cat, too! This is my favorite. You're the best-" and she attacked Green with a hug. From behind, Gold tripped Silver as the latter made an instinctive move forward. Gold grinned with mischief until Silver rose from the ground, eyes promising a bloody death.

Later that night, when Blue and Green were alone, Green turned to Blue. "You really like it?" he asked, his dry tone showing no signs of insecurity.

She held out her wrist, where it was already in the center, glimmering with the blue gems set in the eyes of the Persian. "I love it," she said, and Green could sense the sincerity in her tone. "Thank you, Green. Best birthday gift ever."

"Mm." Green settled down by the fireplace, sipping his tea.

There was a pause as Blue sat by his knee and rested her head on it. "I'm surprised you got me a cat though. I thought you would get a snake."

"You don't remind me of a snake," Green said absently.

"Funny, Red was convinced you were getting the snake."

Green's eyes snapped to Blue's. "Red was in on it the whole time?"

Blue only smiled mysteriously, the kind of smile that Green half-expected to see on a cat. "Ah, well, Green dear, I can't tell you all my secrets." She stood up and gave him a daring peck on the cheek. "I'm going to bed. The couch is comfy, if you want to sleep here for the night. Goodnight, Green!"

Again with the refusal to heed anyone's will but her own, Green reflected as he watched Blue saunter away. Again with the independence. Again with the cunning wit that made Blue Blue.

She was lucky that he liked her too much to ever let her go.

The offer, as always, is open :) Read and Review?

I love y'all! Have a wonderful day!