Ithica blinked, but Mewtwo was gone before she could say anything.

"Well, I guess that's our cue to leave, then," she murmured. She glanced at Red.

Red nodded, motioning for her to lead the way again. That had definitely been a dismissal.

Ithica nodded and headed back up the levels of the cave. Time to head into Cerulean and beg a cot for the night at the pokemon center.

Red was content to just walk with her for a while, still mulling things over in his own mind. There was plenty new to think about, after all.

Ithica just let the silence stretch as they walked. When they got to the pokemon center, though, she detoured toward one of the video phones. She needed to call Mel and tell her what happened.

Mel managed to grab the phone to answer it despite the half dozen pokemon all crowding around her and trying to be in her lap. "What's up?"

"Hey," Ithica said. She grinned a bit. "You seem... popular."

"Apparently," Mel drawled. "I'm the best playmate in the house, clearly."

"Good to know," Ithica said. "Well, I'm in Cerulean right now." She paused, trying to figure out what to tell her friend about first. "Okay, so since the last time we talked, I swept the rest of the gyms, hiked Mount Silver, challenged Red, lost to Red, convinced him to tag along with me to Pokemon Cave, got into Pokemon Cave, met Mewtwo, had my brain picked by Mewtwo, and now at least him and Red both know that you and I are not from around here."

Mel blinked rapidly as she sorted and absorbed all that information.

"You lost to Red?" she asked, because clearly this was the most important thing. "Well, I mean, it is Red, but you lost? And you're not having a fit?"

Ithica made a bit of a face.

"I've made peace with it," she said. "And, I mean, if I had to lose to someone, he's not the worst one."

Mel snorted at that, shaking her head. "Here meaning you're still pouting internally but you're mostly just pouting," she translated. "Alright. That's fair. And let me guess, you went into Pokémon Cave looking for Mewtwo and bit off more than you could chew."

"I had a fair idea of what I was walking into," Ithica protested. "I knew better than to start hurling Ultra Balls at least."

"Uh huh. Still scared the shit out of you though, huh?" Mel grinned, because she could tell.

"Maybe a little," Ithica admitted. "He was going to Psycho Cut me, at the beginning." She grinned. "But we're friends now? Maybe? I think?"

Mel snorted at that. "Maybe you think," she reiterated with a teasing little grin. "That clears things up nicely." She shook her head. "Either way, you got out alive with your memories intact, so yay?"

"I mean he didn't seem to dislike me?" Ithica offered, grinning a bit. "Anyways, we're in Cerulean now, I'm kind of thinking I want to go beat the shit out of the League and then maybe head out to the Orange Islands. No idea what Red is going to do but he's here too somewhere."

"Cool," Mel agreed. "I've apparently got a job here whenever I want, so there's that." She paused for a moment. "Although, honestly, I don't know if I want to stay here." She stressed the last word slightly.

Ithica shrugged a bit.

"You can settle anywhere you like," she said. She grinned. "I'm sure there's space in Hoenn for you, if you want. Somewhere Steven can find you?"

Mel snorted quietly. "I've thought about asking him," she agreed, absently pulling an Eevee off her shoulders and setting it back on the ground. "The idea has merit."

"So go for it," Ithica said. "I mean, just because I plan to hit up every region doesn't mean you can't settle in Hoenn and set up the world's best daycare."

"Oh I know," Mel said, grinning. "I just wanted to make sure I learn everything I can from this couple. And then I have to see about, you know, actually being able to purchase the land I'll need."

Ithica waved a hand.

"We can make that work," she said. "Do you have any idea how much money I've made annihilating two regions' worth of League trainers that I just haven't spent? We can get you some land." She grinned. "Otherwise I'll just use it to create the world's most expensive secret base."

Mel snorted. "Tell you what, we'll do mine first, then you can go annihilate the rest of the regions. Then you can build the most expensive secret base."

Ithica grinned.

"I love how you say that like I'm not already planning to do it," she said.