Title: Curious
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: None
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #23, Curious
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Warnings: AU, family

Red wants to know what his cousin is hiding. It must be something important. Maybe it is a birthday present; because he knows his birthday is coming up soon. His Aunt and his Uncle will buy presents too, of course, but that’s because they’re grown-ups. She’s closer to his age.

Maybe he can get a Pokémon!
So he peeks while she is in her room, and he watches Erika brush her glossy black hair, and put on lipstick, and he thinks she is very beautiful indeed.

She waves him in, and lets him paint his nails with her nail polish. She doesn’t even get mad when he spills one of the little bottles. She has lots of colors – so he paints his nails in red-and-white stripes, and also dark blue, and a glittery golden color, but he doesn’t touch the pinks.

Pink is too girly!

When Red wakes up on his birthday, he finds not one, but two Pokémon. He lets them out of their Poke Balls, and he sees a pretty little Pichu, and a bright-eyed Eevee.

He hugs all of his relatives, and his Uncle ruffles his hair with a smile.

“Happy Birthday, Red!” They all cheer.

The boy beams, because birthdays only come once a year after all!

His Aunt has baked a big birthday cake, with mint chocolate chip ice cream inside! It’s yummy, and there are layers of chocolate too, and he eats two big slices.

Erika didn’t get him a Pokemon, but she bought him a stuffed Oddish, and a ninety-piece puzzle with an Arcanine on it.

He is very happy with his presents, but he doesn’t stop watching her. Girls are so different! But at least he doesn’t think they have cooties anymore, and soon he’ll be able to leave on his journey.

Red is happy.

End Fic

Completed 9/24/06

Edited 6/8/09

Ficlets are better than no fic at all, hai? And goodness, this took a LOT of cutting and rewriting!