Disclaimers: Pokemon Adventures and everything Pokemon-related belong to Satoshi Tajiri and Nintendo.

Dear Father,

I've done all these 'amazing' things.

I have defeated Team Rocket and put a stop to their evil devices. I have found the love of my life and am happily settled down. The future is looking brighter by the second, each and every day.

And yet, I'm not happy.

Now, when I have all the time to myself without having to face the responsibilities that come with being Champion, i've been thinking of you.

Why did you leave us?

I don't understand you.

How could you leave mom, especially when she had me? I, who was barely a toddler at the time…

I think of Yellow, of how much I love her, and can't bring myself to ever think of abandoning her like you did to us. And for what, to be a petty trainer? What is the point of trying to be the best Pokemon Master when you couldn't even be the best father.

Think about it: I've accomplished all my dreams and while I'm no longer Champion, I managed to gain it all without sacrificing those I love.

…If there is anything I would have wished you for you to know about me, is that I am engaged to a girl that can do no wrong. Her name is Yellow and she is the one for me. She is the complete opposite of me but is much better in this sense. She doesn't have a temper. She dislikes fighting and has even developed her own fighting style that lets her Pokemon win without harming their opponents or themselves. She is a bit shy but the way she looks at me with those intelligent eyes speak more than continuous ramblings ever could.

She tries to mind her own business but that's impossible for her. She's simply cares too much and that's fine. It's one of the many reasons why I love and cherish her.

...She believes there is goodness in almost every person and thinks that second chances are necessary to let them repent and improve...I can't say this applies to myself, seeing as I'm always convincing myself that you don't deserve to ease into my life so easily, but if she chooses to think this way then I respect her thoughts.

I don't know why I didn't propose to her sooner. She's just...amazing.

It hurts me that you'll never witness our blissful union, but I'll get over it. Just like I got over the fact that you have missed all my birthdays, the day when I decided to catch a Pokemon all on my own and came back all bruised but grinning brightly, with my first Pokemon by my side…

Where the hell were you during all those times, 'Dad'?

I've learned a lot about Pokemon on my own.

Even my born rival played a more meaningful introduction to the world of Pokemon than you ever did.

Before you think of some sly excuse, Mom was too busy raising me and providing me with care to set me on the right course. In the end, she did both her job as mother and your role of father, and she did better than you could have ever expected to do.

Funny thing is; if you were to appear before me, I'm not sure i'd be able to recognize you. It's been a long time. I can't even remember your face… Mom has hidden all your pictures and I haven't once tried to uncover them. I'm not strong enough.

That's right. Red-the former Pokemon Champion of Kanto and Johto- is afraid of glimpsing at a couple of flimsy pictures. Laugh if you will. I insist… No. I dare you to.

But…are you? Strong, I mean. If you ever see me, will you even have the decency to declare yourself to me? Are you willing to accept all the resentment I have towards you- towards your cowardice to give fatherhood a chance? Or will you simply make yourself to be another unfamiliar face and pass by, laughing at my failure to recognize you?

The truth is, I don't know if i'll ever be strong enough to forgive you,

and why I bother writing you this letter.

Am I even in your thoughts? Do you even love-

"What are you writing?"

Red jumped back a little. He turned from the sheets of paper scrambled all across his desk and found none other than Yellow. Her hair was put up in a side ponytail and she was wearing a white sundress. "Oh." He forced a smile. "Nothing." Nothing at all.

Yellow sat down on the bed, tugging down the tips of her dress. Although she was wearing shorts underneath, she had never gotten used to dresses. But right now, the dress was the least of her concerns. "Nothing? Hmm."

"What is it?" asked Red.

Yellow glimpsed into his eyes. They seemed deeper, darker, than usual- Those eyes that were hard to miss. "...You can't be so deep in thought over nothing."

Of course she wouldn't be fooled, thought Red. Yellow knows everything about him. Not only that, but she can read the emotions of people better than anyone else could. "….."

Yellow noticed the way Red's smile diminished second by second until there was nothing left but a blank stare. His solemness deeply bothered her. And why wouldn't it? He was her role model, her best friend, her lover, fiancee-her everything. "Is it about that trainer that defeated you…? If so, I-"

"I don't really care about the loss," interceded Red. Seeing the puzzlement in Yellow's eyes, he continued. "I always knew this would happen. Just when you think you've topped all the others, someone always passes by and proves you wrong. Other trainers aim to be the best and to be that, they seek the Champion. There will always be chains of victory and defeat, and this is one of the many for me."

The blonde remained silent, simply gazing at her fiancée. Red, the once ambitious Pokemon Trainer who aimed to become the best of the best, was dealing with his loss in a mature, cool way. He never ceased to amaze her. "Then, why do you look so troubled?"

It took Red a couple of moments to fully open up to his attentive sweetheart. "I feel like something's missing from my life."

"What do you think that'd be?"

Red looked down. "…I'd rather not say."

Yellow was familiar with this form of coping; in which a person is afraid to say their worries out loud lest they actually hear their fears, acknowledge them, and wounds are reopened. "Think about it this way; there are a lot of possibilities about what your life would've been like if this 'something' was present in your life from the beginning," she said. "Some of them could have been good, yes, but some might have been bad. And that's the funny thing about possibilities. Even if you think about what could have been, you have to accept that there's no turning back and work with the possibilities at hand instead."

A blush overpowered Red's face. "…You're right. Maybe things are best this way. I still have my Pokemon, my friends… and I still have you."

She smiled sweetly. "You always will."

"I wouldn't prefer it any other way," confirmed Red.

Yellow played with her fingers, avoiding Red's gaze. Even now that they were engaged, she still had the habit of being fidgety around him. "I was wondering if you'd…umm…" she trailed off.

Red grabbed her hands. She looked up at him. "I'd love to."

His eyes…they were their lively self again.

A deep blush spread across Yellow's face when she realized the affectionate way Red was looking at her. "You don't even know what i was going to say!"

"Go on a double date with Pika and Chuchu in the park? I'm up for it," said Red. His betrothed blushed harder. He laughed and glimpsed around the room for his trusted partner. He was surprised to not find him anywhere in sight. "Speaking of them, where are they?"

Yellow's face paled. "Oh no. The kitchen!" and with that, she ran off. Red found himself laughing. Their Pikachus were absolute rascals. When locked inside the house, without any battles or challenges in sight, they often turned to the kitchen for fun. He had to admit; he was interested in seeing what the electric mice did this time. Although the same couldn't be said for Yellow.

Red turned back to the half-written letter filled with random rants. Just when the tip of his pen met the surface of the paper once again, a light sound chimed throughout the entire house. He looked out the window.

There, among the lavish garden Yellow has worked on for the past weeks, was a skateboard abandoned in the middle of the ultra green lawn. A colorful and oddly familiar scooter was parked on the concrete driveway. A bike stood beside it.

Gold? And Crystal, perhaps?

What were they doing here?

Without so much as a second though, Red reached for his cap, put it on, and left the room. The letter was left, trampled and alone, among the cheerful pictures of Red's loved ones. The bland letter couldn't compare to the warmth the smiles from the snapshots provided to Red. Seeing them proudly displayed on his desk served to instantly brighten Red's day. How he could ignore the lovely familiar faces that stared up at him as he wrote that wretched letter, Red didn't know. Regret and resentment had blinded him to love and affection, and that wasn't acceptable to himself and those around him.

He was pleased to see his friends making themselves comfortable in the living room couch as he walked down the stairs. Apparently Yellow had heard the doorbell and let them in before Red could. Judging by the half-hearted pout on her face, Pika and Chuchu's damage to the kitchen was a done deal.

Crystal raised an eyebrow as she inspected her fair-haired friend. "Let me guess: Pika?"

Yellow managed a smile. "And Chuchu."

The bluenette rolled her eyes and pretended to slap herself. "Of course."

Gold got in between the two girls. He had a pained expression and was clasping his hands around his stomach. "Hey, Yellow, Red, y'all have something to eat?"

Crystal punched Gold's shoulder. "Gold! We're at a friend's house, not a five-star restaurant."

Gold rubbed at his sore spot. Crystal was very strong, he'd give her that. But still. "It's not my fault you made me come here before getting a decent breakfast!"

Yellow winced at her friends' display of aggressiveness. "I-I can whip something up."

Anyone would have thought Gold hadn't eaten in ages by the way he hollered in victory. Crystal wasn't impressed. "You don't have to do that," she said.

"It's okay. Really," Yellow insisted. "Wait here." She walked into the kitchen.

Red wasted no time in getting up-to-date with his guests. It turned out that both Crystal and Gold were heading to the far-away region of Unova in an attempt to further their experiences as trainers. Although Gold had ensured his status of Champion not so long ago by defeating Red in a fateful Pokemon battle, he figured his 'responsibilities' weren't going to stop him from traveling from region to region and having "tons of fun." Red didn't resent Gold in any way for the outcome of their battle, which had taken place on the very top of the infamous Mt. Silver. Gold was obnoxious at times, yes, and a bit immature, but he was a skilled Pokemon trainer. From early childhood, he had been raised around Pokemon and grew up to love them in a way that was unmatched by even Red himself. Not only was he a fighter, but a nurturer as well. Because of this, Red came to trust that the younger boy was a more suitable choice for Champion than he ever was.

Yellow eventually joined them once again. The tray she carried held three plates . Not listening to Yellow's warning, Gold grabbed the biggest dish he saw and happily digged in. He didn't notice the unusual taste until he was half-way finished with his 'meal.' Pika, who had sensed the aromatic smell of his food, angrily trotted up to Gold and rightfully snatched its bowl of Poke snacks from him. Upon realizing what he had been feasting on, Gold gagged and coughed in an attempt to get his mouth of its contents—all while shouting to his companions to take him to the nearest Pokemon Center. Crystal huffed in amusement and told him that if anything were to happen to him, she would miss him—but just a "tiny bit." Then she added that his immune system would happily accept the Pokemon food he had consumed seeing as he has an iron stomach. Everyone except Gold laughed.

Red took a moment to breathe after all the hard laughter and glanced at the side. His eyes met with soft brown eyes that could only belong to Yellow. She gave a small chuckle and mouthed: "We're never going to the park, are we?"

Red returned her smile and shrugged. "I don't know." It didn't really matter to him if they didn't go according to plan and he knew Yellow felt the same way. Being here, with each other and two of their closest friends, was a joy in itself. They didn't have to go on dates to ignite content within themselves. Being able to be together, here and now, was sufficient enough and it would be from the moment they finally wed and so forth.

His Pokemon have worked hard. It was about time they get a break from all the training. Gold and Crystal had also worked hard, too, and they still had plenty more adventures and friends to meet before they finally settled down like Red has done as of now.

As for his father…Whether or not his father ever received that very letter… Red did not care. There was no point in questioning the past. He had other more important matters to get to.

Red couldn't— wouldn't— dwell on the past. Not now, when the future was brighter than ever.

Ellie Goulding's "Your biggest mistake" inspired this particular story.

I'm thinking about adding more chapters, each one concentrating on another character and their own internal struggles. It depends on my motivation and will to continue, and how many people review and actually ask for it to happen.

This is Jess and I'm looking forward to suggestions and reviews~