Internal Family Systems

Four months later, Red is back in Pallet Town visiting his therapist, Dr. Seward. He has been living in Saffron City studying under Sabrina and now possesses a partition that he can consciously control. Eager to impress Sabrina and secure more one-on-one lessons to improve his psychic connection with pokemon, Red asks how to efficiently bypass his lingering grief. He recounts a dream where a "Past," "Present," and "Future" version of himself debated his choices and guilt regarding Aiko's death. Dr. Seward introduces the psychological frame of Internal Family Systems, suggesting these are literalized parts of his psyche: Past Red wants to learn from mistakes, Future Red wants security and planning, and Present Red acts as a pain-avoidant arbiter. When Red brings his partition down to check his emotional state, his demeanor instantly flattens into deep depression. He weeps as he recalls delivering the news of Aiko's death to Mr. Sakai, who broke down before slipping back into denial. Dr. Seward cautions Red that just because Blue and Leaf appear fine does not mean they aren't suffering behind their own fronts, and assigns him homework to speak with Leaf. Red restores his partition before leaving, noting the bizarre reality of effectively "switching off" his depressed self.