this time it’s personal



(enjoy!)





—–







It was cold. Cold and dark.

AJ tried to get up, but when he rose slightly, his hands were pulled back.

He looked behind him.

His wrists were securely chained to the wall with rusty, heavy fetters of iron.

He looked at his surroundings. A gloomy concrete corridor opened in front of him. The walls, the ceiling and the floor, all gray and lifeless, all continued further until they were completely shrouded by the deepening darkness they led towards.

In the background, there rang a strange, ominous noise which would occasionally strengthen, but weaken again after a moment.

Where am I? AJ thought. His pulse sped up.

A brief, distant laugh echoed through the hall.

“Who’s there?” AJ shouted into the darkness. No answer, save for his own words resounding.

But soon, AJ heard something.

Footsteps.

Approaching.

“Who are you?” AJ demanded.

The same laugh rang out again, this time closer.

Is that…

“I think you know,” a familiar voice responded. AJ could tell the speaker was smiling.

It’s him… AJ’s heart began to race.

From the shadows, a figure emerged.

Red eyes flashed in the dark. The figure walked into sight.

There was no mistaking. It was Red. And he was… shirtless?

“You bastard,” AJ growled. “What do you want from me? Are you here to kill me? Torture me?”

Red chuckled. “AJ, please,” he cooed. “Why would I do that?”

He gracefully moved closer, crouched and grasped AJ’s chin, gently but surprisingly firmly.

“After all, there are so many better things I want to do to you,” he whispered.

AJ struggled to escape, but just couldn’t break free from Red’s grip.

Red smiled eerily and placed his hand on AJ’s chest.

That’s when AJ realized something.

I’m… I’m shirtless too…

He would have blushed, had he not been so pale from his fear.

Red inched even closer, pressing his body against AJ’s. He let his hand slide down from AJ’s chin to the boy’s neck, caressing it softly. He turned to AJ’s ear.

“Don’t worry,” he murmured. “I won’t harm you.”

AJ’s heart was beating out of his chest.

Is he really… wait… w-what’s that pressing against my-

“Now,” Red purred. “why don’t we get to it…”

AJ could hear something slipping out of Red’s mouth. Something slimy. He felt it touch his neck, sliding across it. AJ flinched. When it slithered into view, AJ could see that it was a… blue… tentacle…

Red’s grip constricted, becoming suffocating.

“I bet your blood tastes delicious, little boy.”





AJ sprung up, gasping for air, cold sweat on his forehead. It was bright. He glanced around, and realized he was in his bedroom. On top of the shelf to his left, there stood a thoroughly startled Burrito, on his toes, fur bristled, eyes wide.

“What was that?” Burrito whimpered.

AJ took a moment to catch his breath, then looked back and asked: “What was what?”

“You were sleeping all peacefully, and then- then you just went crazy!”

AJ exhaled deeply in relief. “Sorry, Burrito,” he said. “I had another nightmare.”

“A-a-another nightmare, huh?” Burrito tried to give a sly smirk, but he was still too agitated to pull it off properly.

“I-it wasn’t like that, Burrito,” AJ rushed to clarify. “I dreamt that I was… um… drowning.”

“So I guess you could say you had a ‘wet’ dream?”

AJ stared at the grinning Burrito. Then he picked up a book from his nightstand and promptly threw it at the feline, causing Burrito to dart off the shelf and out of the room.

AJ sighed and let himself fall back onto his bed.





Later that morning, AJ was having cereal in the kitchen, watching Brian, who stood on a perch across the table from him, nipping at a berry sandwich.

“What’s it like being a bird?” AJ suddenly asked.

Brian looked up, and stared straight into AJ’s eyes.

“What’s it like being a human?” he asked back, tonelessly.

Before AJ could decide whether to answer or not, the doorbell rang.

“Well, have fun with that weirdo. I’m going upstairs,” Brian sighed, grabbed the sandwich with his beak, flitted down on the floor and strutted off.

AJ buried his face in his palms for a few moments. He then took a deep breath and went to answer the door.





What he saw, he was not prepared for.





It was indeed Red, as AJ had guessed, but he looked different. A lot different.

He had black, tight leggings on, partially covered by a black skirt with an asymmetrical hem. For the top, he wore a short, white leather jacket with overly long, woollen black sleeves. Underneath, he had a deep V-neck, colored burgundy. His hair was styled quite fashionably. His shoes, however, were the same homely ones as before.

“What… what are you wearing?” AJ snickered. “A-and is that… eyeliner?”

“Guyliner,” Red specified, sighing. “That’s what he called it, anyway…”

“Who?”

“Nevermind… Just let me in.”

“Nope,” AJ replied, and slammed the door shut. “Gator!” he called out.

“Not so fast,” Red intervened from outside. “I’ve brought some backup with me this time.”

“Backup?” AJ repeated, and moved to the window.

He could see that, in the front yard, there stood three, formidable mon.

On the left, there was a pidgeot with a magnificent, glossy crest, preening himself while holding a mobile device in the cushioned talons of his right foot.

In the middle, there was a nidoking wearing a brown leather jacket, hands tucked in the pockets.

On the right, there was a very vexed-seeming zapdos.

“As you can see, unleashing your lizard friend on me now would result in a considerable retaliation,“ Red explained.

“Where are the others?” AJ asked.

“What do you mean ‘the others’?”

“You know, the lapras and the bug… car… thing, and the…” AJ didn’t want to finish his sentence.

“ATV doesn’t like your dragon very much. Jordan is still busy playing in that water-basketball team. And…”

AJ could hear a surge in hostility in Red’s voice.

“I am never letting you anywhere near Him again.”

“What a coincidence,” AJ snarled. “That’s exactly how I feel about you and me.”

“You will never understand how I feel, AJ.”

They both fell silent. After a while, AJ picked up the conversation again.

“So you’re just gonna stand there until I let you in, huh.”

“That is correct.”

“Well, too bad. It’s not happening.”

“Eventually, it must.”

Silence again.

“Do you think this is easy for me, AJ?” Red sighed, out of the blue.

AJ didn’t answer.

“At first, I didn’t want to come here,” Red began.

AJ stood still.

“‘There must be another way’, I told myself. ‘I don’t have to go there’, I told myself.”

AJ glanced at the kitchen, and saw Burrito sneaking closer. Ugh, not now, Burrito, AJ thought.

“But I had to.”

AJ knitted his brow. Wait, could he be about to…

“Because…”

AJ quickly turned towards the closed door. This is it, he thought triumphantly. He’s finally gonna tell me why he keeps coming here.

“I need you, AJ.”

Burrito froze in his tracks. He placed his front paws on his mouth, then removed them shortly after, revealing a cocky smirk.

AJ, on the other hand, was not very pleased.

“Red…” he menacingly began. “Get. The hell. Off my yard.”

“AJ, just listen to me-”

“Suck my dick, Red!” AJ yelled, and kicked the door. “And I don’t mean literally, Burrito!” he added, stormed out of the room and ran up the stairs, leaving behind a slightly offended Burrito and a confused Red.

“Brian!” AJ called out.

“Yeah?” the bird responded from behind one of the doors.

AJ rushed into the room where the voice had come from. Brian lifted his head from his magazine, looking puzzled.

“Get ready to head out,” AJ ordered. “We’re gonna find out what all this is about, right now.”

He pulled out his phone, and began to text Abe. He didn’t bother checking the unread message from before. Brian scuffled behind him.

“who is responsible for red’s getup” AJ demanded.

A reply appeared with a buzz. “Did you like it?”

“that’s not importa”

AJ’s tapping halted. Brian looked at him, slightly confused. Then, AJ backspaced, and began typing a different message.

“yeah. who styled him?”

“Oh, great! I didn’t think you would, but I guess D really did know what he was doing.”

“d? isn’t he in kalos?”

“He opened up a salon in Goldenrod a few weeks ago.”

“what’s its address? i’d love to go there sometime.”

Soon, AJ received a message with the full address. He glanced at Brian, showing a quick, victorious smirk.

“thanks dude” he concluded, and put away his phone.

“Alright, Brian,” he said, “looks like we’re visiting Goldenrod.”

AJ left the room and descended the staircase halfway. “Burrito!” he called.

Burrito lazily shuffled into sight, dragging his paws along the wooden floor apathetically. He gave AJ a subtly contemptuous look.

“What?” AJ asked defensively.

Burrito raised his head and looked away.

“Look, I’m sorry I yelled at you,” AJ sighed.

“Are you?” Burrito humphed bitterly.

“Yes, Burrito, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

The espeon suddenly turned to him, smirking. “So you did mean it literally, then?”

“Oh, come on-”

“I’m just joking, AJ,” Burrito chuckled. “Anyway, what was it you wanted?”

“Well, Brian and I are going to see D and ask him what he knows, since he was apparently the one who dressed Red up like… that. We need you guys to watch the house and distract Red while we’re gone. Can you do that?”

“Depends. Can I have some fun at his expense?”

“As long as he doesn’t get in the house or figure out that I’m gone, you can have all the fun at his expense.”

“Deal!”

They both nodded in unison, Burrito grinning.

“Alright, see ya,” AJ whispered, and snuck back upstairs. Brian was already standing there, waiting for him. They opened the window at the end of the hall. Brian perched on the windowsill, and AJ climbed on his back.

“Hold on tight,” Brian said, and they took off.