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imjeralee · 4 years ago

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Wallflower: Chapter 14 - Of Dragons and Princesses

Raihan x F!Reader

Disclaimer: Do not own Pokemon

Note: This is my first Pokemon fanfic. I hope you enjoy it :) Originally posted on Archive of Our Own.

Summary: You’re an unassuming Pokemon breeder who works at the nursery in the Wild Area and he’s Raihan, the fearsome gym leader of Hammerlocke who has more than a million followers. You don’t want anything to do with him but he’s…persistent.

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Warnings: Lemon, smut, violence, language

OF DRAGONS AND PRINCESSES

...

At the Rose of the Rondelands, Eli steps onto the stage of the Grand ballroom. It's time for his special announcement. He joins Chairman Rose's side and greets him with a handshake. As usual, Rose's appearance is immaculate. He once wanted to be like Rose, but that dream turned to dust very quickly.

As Rose moves to the side, Eli stands in the centre in front of the microphone where the spotlight shines on him. For once and perhaps for the very first time, the attention is on him for a change. Not Raihan, not Leon... not anyone else...and he likes it. Eli scans the audience in the dark where numerous pairs of eyes gaze at him in return. Everyone's wondering what his secret special announcement is all about.

Let's not disappoint them then, he thinks to himself as he takes a deep breath.

"Good evening, everyone." He says, "And thank you for coming today. I'm sure not many of you know or recognise me but my name is Eli and I've been working alongside Chairman Rose for a long time. Before I continue, I'd like you all to please join me for a round of applause to our wonderful Chairman of the Pokemon League who made all of this possible...."

The guests mutter to themselves; generally, everyone is in an agreeable mood and the hall erupts into applause. Eli claps too, and Chairman Rose nods at the audience in acknowledgement, lifting a hand up with a smile whilst Oleana stands solemnly at the side of the curtain. Unbeknownst to some, men clad in black simultaneously begin to weave their way into the crowd whilst two men begin to close the doors leading to the exit whilst another moves to stand in front of the fire exit. From the corner of his eye, Eli watches the men move into their positions with a smirk.

The crowd continue to applaud and Eli says, "Chairman Rose, I'm so grateful for the opportunity and it's been such a pleasure...But I regret to inform you that I have decided... I no longer want to work for you - "

In a split second, a dark shadow flits towards the centre of the podium, aiming for Rose's direction and the man is suddenly thrown off his feet by what appears to be a sharp gust of wind. He drops to the ground with a loud thump, a stain of red immediately appearing on his shirt along with three deep gashes in the sleeve of his tux. Women scream and the clapping stops at once as a Gliscor appears from out of nowhere, zooming above the crowd before it heads for Eli's direction and the young man lifts his arm; the pokemon perches itself, folding its wings and Eli strokes its head.

"Good job, Gliscor..." Eli mutters as the pokemon chitters loudly with affection.

The room erupts into chaos as the guests are thrown into a panic by the pokemon attack. However, they're quickly subdued by the men in black whilst the gym leaders begin to move, heading for the stage.

"Stop." Eli calls them out at once, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

From the corner of his eye, he sees Oleana, her usual indifferent expression vanishing as she attempts to rush over to the downed man.

"That includes you too, Oleana." Eli is quick to warn her and she stops at once, frozen.

"...I'm fine, Ms Oleana." Rose grunts out, clutching his bleeding arm; he moves to sit up as Eli approaches and grabs him, hauling him up onto his feet and turning to the crowd. Rose hisses with pain, pressing his palm over his flesh wounds in an effort to stop the blood.

Whilst the rest of the guests are confused, cowering and afraid, Eli regards the gym leaders from the bottom of his eyes. "Piers, I can see you reaching for your Pokemon. Not a wise decision. In fact, if I see anyone taking out a pokemon, I'll get Gliscor to kill Chairman Rose."

Piers lowers his hand from his belt, glowering up at Eli. "You wouldn't dare. Why are you doin' this and what's the meanin' of this anyway?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm stealing everyone's pokemon." Without further ado, Eli turns his attention away from him and to his men. "If anyone resists or even attempts to fight back, kill them." He spots Raihan's ex-girlfriend and smirks, "Start with her first."

"Yes, sir." The men acknowledge Eli's command and soon, they begin rounding up every guest into a single line and forcing them to face the wall. They work quickly and systematically, some hold out bags whilst the others threaten the guests and take any pokemon they can get their hands on. Eli watches; there's something satisfying watching this. It's identical to a good old-fashioned train robbery. Nessa and Opal are next; they're forced to stand with their chests pressed against the wall whilst the men snatch their bags and empty it free of their pokemon.

"Oh my." Opal mutters, her legs are about to go under but Bea and Milo leave their spots to go help her; a few members are quick to apprehend them but Eli lets them pass and they are able to assist her. "How could you do this to us?"

"How could I?" Eli mutters, "I can do anything I want, I am Eli of Team Rocket."

A silence follows as all the gym leaders look at him with widened eyes.

"Yes, that's right. I never worked for the likes of Rose or the Pokemon League... my allegiance has always been to Team Rocket."

As the looting continues, a man in black rushes up to the stage beside Eli. "Everything's in place, sir. All the bodyguards, staff, guests - all taken care of."

"And the energy plant?"

The man nods.

Generally speaking, everything's going according to plan. However, he can't shake off the feeling that something, or someone, is missing... He turns to the crowd once more, counting the gym leaders before his eyes widen thoroughly, "...Where's Raihan? Where's that girlfriend of his?? Where's Leon?!" He hisses, "I ordered you to keep a close eye on the guests. No-one was supposed to leave!"

"S-sorry, they probably left early so we didn't - "

Enraged, Eli kicks the microphone and it clatters over the ground noisily. Another silence spawns as the gym leaders throw glances to each other from the corner of their eyes and Eli knows what they're thinking already. "Let's get out of here." Eli snarls. Turning to Rose, he adds, "You're coming with us, boss."

...

Present.

When Leon returns to the hotel, it is sealed off by police and there's a small crowd gathered outside. He's allowed entry and he discovers the lobby is in a state of disarray but his priority is Chairman Rose so he rushes past the receptionist and concierge desk and dashes towards the direction of the Grand ballroom until Charizard tugs on his cape and stops him. Leon turns round and Charizard gestures to a sign on the wall, indicating he is actually heading towards the swimming pool. Charizard then points to the correct hallway; Leon grins sheepishly and retraces his steps.

"What will I do without you?" Leon says as Charizard shakes his head helplessly, and the duo pass the front desk for a second time.

The phones have been ringing off the hook and the hotel staff are struggling to deal with the rapid influx of calls. "Hello, this is the front desk. Ah, yes, that's correct, sir - please do stay inside your room, we're currently in a state of emergency...if you could kindly oblige..." The worker puts down the phone after a brief interchange and the phone rings once more. He picks it up again and presses the receiver against his ear. "Hello, this is the front desk..... Correct, ma'am, please do not leave your room...Screams heard? A-ah, yes, we have called the police..."

The duo rushes down the hallway, spotting a few guests lying on the floor and surrounded by Chanseys and two Nurse Joys. Leon and Charizard both exchange glances and once they're at the grand ballroom, they enter only to see more Nurse Joys, Chanseys, more downed guests and a couple of Officer Jennys. Leon sees all the gym leader tending to some of the guests too, trying to calm them down. Opal is sitting down with her umbrella whilst Bea stays by her side; Nessa, Gordie and Melony are assisting the Joys and handing out supplies to panicked guests. Oleana is in the corner, looking somewhat dazed until she spots Leon.

"Leon!! I mean, Mr Champion..."

"Ah, Ms Oleana!" Leon sprints over and kneels by her side. "What happened here?"

"He's taken Chairman Rose - Eli, and a group of men dressed in black." Oleana mutters miserably; she seems shaken, her face is unusually pale. "He was part of Team Rocket all along...."

"Don't worry, I'm here now, there's no need to be afraid. Take it easy, Ms Oleana."

She nods. "I-I'm sorry."

"Leon." says a stoic voice, and he looks up to see Kabu approaching him; Milo and Piers are with him, too.

"Are you guys alright?" Leon asks.

"Yes, we're fine." Kabu replies, "Eli's special announcement was an ambush; he announced that he was Team Rocket, attacked Chairman Rose and took him away. He also had his men steal everyone's pokemon. We heard him mention the energy plant, so we believe he's taken the Chairman there."

Piers says, "I'll go back to Spikemuth and come back with some pokemon."

"Thanks, Piers." Leon replies, "Milo, could you stay here and help the others?"

"Yes, of course." Milo says, smiling widely.

"Leon, I'll go with you." Kabu says, "You need backup."

"But all your pokemon have been stolen."

Kabu tugs gently at the neck of his t-shirt, revealing a little red bug that pokes its head out from within. "...Not all of them." He says, smirking.

And Leon grins. "Alright! Let's go to Hammerlocke."

...

Meanwhile.

You leave the storeroom, having changed out of your dress and into the spare clothes you keep in your locker, namely a plain white t-shirt and black high-waisted leggings, along with your old sneakers. This feels so much better and much more, well...you.

You re-enter the waiting area to see your boss seated quietly on the sofa with her Houndoom and the policeman's leaning against the counter writing down notes. Your boss hasn't said a word since.

The TV's on so you join Raihan's side to see what's showing. Inwardly, you're relieved when he entwines his hand with yours, threading your fingers together and squeezing your hand tightly. You were afraid that he was angry because you had raised your voice to him at the party over a matter that now seemed so...petty and insignificant.

Averting your attention to the TV, the news is showing the outskirts of Hammerlocke stadium; the sky above the building is bathed in an ominous bright-red glow reminiscent of Dynamax phenomenon; a few locals stand outside at a safe distance to observe whilst the newscaster explains the mysterious glow has appeared from out of the blue, emitting from Hammerlocke stadium. The news ticker displays 'Dozens people injured at Rose of the Rondelands'. More information is not provided, however.

"....What's going on...?" Allister murmurs, just as Raihan's Rotom sounds off: it's an emergency message from Leon.

Raihan grows quiet and you know he's concerned; he checks the message, scanning the text before he mutters, "Leon wants to meet me at the energy plant. He says...Eli is part of Team Rocket, they've stolen everyone's pokemon and he's taken Chairman Rose."

"Ma'am, I'm afraid you'll need to come with me to the station." The policeman says hurriedly.

"Wait - " You begin; you're afraid the policeman believes your boss is part of Team Rocket too and you're ready to protect her. Your boss is innocent - she couldn't be a part of this. As you ponder, your boss slowly turns round and stands up wordlessly, placing her hand atop of yours. "Boss?"

"...Hen, I'll go with him - don't worry about me. I'll... I'll need to close the nursery now." She mutters. Without much choice, the TV and main lights are switched off and the nursery is bathed in darkness. Your group leave the building and Raihan and the policeman exchange a few words whilst your boss assures you she will be fine again. You nod limply and your boss leaves with the policeman, heading towards the direction of Motostoke whilst you, Allister and Raihan watch their retreating backs.

Eli is part of Team Rocket... you always knew something was wrong with him, but you wouldn’t have thought he was allied with a villainous faction.

Glancing at Raihan, you notice his expression has darkened considerably since receiving the message. "I'm going to Hammerlocke," He utters, "I want you to stay with Allister."

You spin on your heel to face him. "No way. You can't go on your own. This is Team Rocket we're talking about!" You exclaim; everyone's heard of Team Rocket and they're quite well-known in Johto - they took over the Lake of Rage and Goldenrod Radio Tower once. "I'm coming with you."

"Tch," He grunts under his breath, his right eye twitching rather fiercely. You've seen his eye twitch, usually when he's excited during battles - but you’ve never mentioned it and for the first time, Raihan looks rather frustrated that you're not listening to him. "You could get hurt."

"I'll be fine, my pokemon - "

"That's not the point."

"Rai, I can help."

"I don't want anything to happen to you; Eli keeps targeting you because of me." Raihan growls, before he pulls you into his chest, wrapping his arms around you, "C'mon...listen to me. Be a good girl and stay here. You're my princess, I'm supposed to protect you."

Whilst Allister watches blankly, you feel your lungs are about to explode by how tightly Raihan holds onto you and he bundles you up even tighter in his embrace, burying his nose into your hair; you sink against his chest, your face pushed into the sleek fabric of his hoodie. It’s really cute how Raihan keeps calling you his princess but...

”So if I’m the princess, where does the prince fit in all this?” You mumble.

”There is no prince, just the dragon,” Raihan utters, “And the dragon wants to keep the princess all to himself.”

Your cheeks go bright red in response. He got you good! “...You can’t keep the princess locked away forever. Rai, I know you want to protect me. And you always do, so I know I’ll be safe if I stay with you."

"This is different."

”I want to go with you, don’t leave me alone.”

Raihan sighs under his breath, letting go of you to rub the side of his neck. “When you say stuff like that, I...damn it.”

Your friend’s words echo in your mind - she's right. Raihan spoils you; there is some power you hold over him.

Allister continues watching your exchange, glancing between yourself and Raihan and blinking behind his mask before he says, "....Can we go now?"

You and Raihan quickly throw your glance to the boy. "Yeah."

"Then let's go.....We might not get there on time if we call the taxi though...."

Whilst you ponder if it's legal to fly in Galar using one's own pokemon and not via a Corviknight taxi, Raihan glances towards the direction of the city. Although they can be seen in the distance, the castle walls of Hammerlocke appears to be a speck in the horizon. Usually if one is not in a hurry to get to Hammerlocke, they could walk or use the Rotom bike to get there but time is of essence here.

"We'll use Flygon." Raihan says as he scoops out an ultra ball from his pocket, "But there's only room for two."

"Don't worry, I have my own ride." You say, grinning as you take out a pokeball.

It's been a while since you flew on Salamence and when you let him out of his capsule, it also occurs to you that you never fail to surprise Raihan because his face lights up at once at the sight of your dragon pokemon. Once Raihan and Allister are seated comfortably on Flygon, and before you take off to the skies, Raihan smirks at you. Oh, he must be falling in love with you all over again.

Nevertheless, you arrive in Hammerlocke in less than five minutes; Salamence seems overjoyed to be finally flying again since you came to Galar, and during the short ride, he glances around the scenery below before growling loudly with happiness and shakes himself on a few occasions, enjoying the feel of the wind on his body. Along the way, you see a small flock of Spearow, Pidgey and Fletchling flying by your side.

Once you begin to descend, he lands beside Flygon and lets you carefully hop off before you thank him and stroke his head. He growls again, licking your cheek.

"Good boy." You mutter, recalling him into the capsule whilst Raihan recalls his Flygon.

Your group arrive at the stadium, heading towards the door just as they whoosh open and a man donned in a black sweater and sweats with a red 'R' on the front comes barging out, cradling an unconscious pokemon in his arms. "Nooooo, my poor Zubat! Nooooo!"

He almost knocks you to the ground if Raihan didn't help catch you in time and once you're back on your feet, you mutter your thanks and your group quickly rush in to see Piers and Kabu at a large metal door to the right of the hall that leads to the energy plant. Kabu's Sizzlipede sits on his shoulder whilst an Obstagoon stands beside Piers. Both gym leaders quickly spot your group; they don't look surprised to see you at all.

"You made it." Kabu says stoically. He's calm yet solemn as always, regardless of the situation.

"Thanks for comin'." Piers mutters.

Raihan strolls towards them, "Are you guys alright?"

"We're fine, thank you."

”What’s the plan?”

"Some Team Rocket grunts were guardin' the door; that was the last of them. Leon's gone in to get the Chairman so you should go in too. Kabu and I will stay 'ere. We can keep watch and stop further intruders. Use the lift, it'll take you down."

The gym leaders promptly step aside to allow your group in. Without further ado, you follow Raihan and Allister into the lift and once the doors close, you can't help but wonder what lies in store. Your heart thunders hard against your ribs; you've only been in Galar for roughly six months and your life has never been this exciting or exhilarating. You've heard of the many adventures other Pokemon trainers have had during their travels - and whilst you admit that you envied their experiences and tales of mystery and wonder, is this what you really want after all? Was coming here a good idea? After all, Raihan could get hurt. You could get hurt and so could Allister. You could've just listened to Raihan and gone home to sit on the couch with Espeon and waited, made yourself a cup of tea...watch a bit of the telly, too.

Allister brings you out of your thoughts as the lift stops. "We're here..."

You look up; it's taken you to the basement and you hold your breath as the door opens, revealing a dark corridor with a dim, reddish glow a distance ahead which should be your destination. Just how deep underground are you? In the background, a low but gentle humming noise persists. You squint your eyes, noticing the corridor is nothing but a linear path that appears to be rather short until -

"Stop in the name of Team Rocket!" A young man in the same black uniform startles your group, rushing towards you with a pokeball in hand. "Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

Shit, this is really the last thing you need right now. You're about to step forwards when Allister holds his arm out and moves in front of yourself and Raihan. "....I will deal with this one. You two go on ahead."

There's no time to waste; Raihan nods and squeezes your hand firmly. "Thanks, Allister. Stay safe."

"I will..."

As Allister engages in a pokemon battle with the Team Rocket grunt, you and Raihan are able to slip past and continue down the corridor without any obstacles; the bizarre humming noise can be heard as you journey through and you spot two more Team Rocket grunts ahead who haven't noticed your presences yet. They seem to be in deep conversation with each other although they're huddled over a large machine with a glass container - it's filled to the brim with pokeballs, great balls and ultra balls.

"That must be the stolen pokemon." You utter under your breath, before you abruptly turn to Raihan, clutching his hand firmly, "I'll deal with them. You need to go ahead and find Leon."

He pauses for a split second, brows furrowing under his headband as he contemplates your plan. "You gonna be okay?"

"Of course."

Your gazes meet before he cups your face with his large hands and leans forwards, pressing his lips against your forehead. "I guess there's no stopping you." He mutters, "Be careful."

Your heart jumps in your throat in response when he releases you, your knees going weak; you give him a reassuring smile before you leave his side, making your way towards the two grunts who are pressing their noses against the glass of the machine. You can hear their conversation more clearly now:

"Oooh, this is amazing, look at all these strong pokemon we stole! I call dibs on Bea's Machamp!" coos Grunt 1, chuckling under his breath.

"That's not fair!" exclaims Grunt 2, "Then...I get Melony's Lapras!"

"Hey, you two." You call out, reaching for Haxorus' pokeball from behind your back.

At the sound of your voice, they leap in the air with fright and turn to you. "What the - ?! Who the hell are you?"

"You guys wouldn't be interested in my pokemon, would you?"

"What!! No way! We don't want whatever shitty pokemon you have! Get lost!" yells Grunt 1, before he grabs a pokeball from his belt and throws it, releasing a Zubat. At the same time, Grunt 2 follows Grunt 1's example and releases a Koffing. Oh dear, looks like they haven't learned their lesson from their previous exploits at all.

"Still using Zubats and Koffings, huh?" You utter, before you also grab Salamence's pokeball and abruptly throw them into the air; the capsules opens, releasing your dragon pokemon. Haxorus roars loudly and the battle starts; Raihan slips past, winking at you.

You watch him head towards the large opening ahead, disappearing inside and you inwardly pray to Arceus that he'll be safe and sound. And unsurprisingly, your battle is over in less than two minutes.

"T-this isn't possible!!!" Grunt 1 squawks in disbelief.

"She's a monster, RUN!!!!" Grunt 2 screams.

Haxorus and Salamence have crushed their opponents in one hit and the two grunts recall their fainted pokemon and rush off somewhere, but not before honouring the rules of Pokemon battling and dumping some cash onto the floor during their frantic escape. With an eyebrow raised, you're surprised at their conduct but nonetheless, you're two thousand eight hundred and eighty dollars richer. You'll go and buy some treats for your pokemon later. You recall Salamence and you're about to recall Haxorus but upon inspecting the machine full of stolen pokemon, you're not quite sure how to turn it off. Soon, you hear footsteps heading towards your direction and turning round, you see Allister approaching. He stops before you, staring up at your Haxorus.

"Allister! You're okay!!" You exclaim with relief, throwing your arms around him.

"....Yep..." He's a little startled by your hug, taking a few steps backwards before he turns to the machine, "....Is that the stolen pokemon?"

"Yeah." You usher him to the side next, "Stand back. Haxorus, use Iron Tail!"

Your Haxorus acknowledges with a growl and as his tail glows; he turns and slams his tail into the machine; your pokemon smashes it in one move and the machine lets out a loud fizz and sparks begin to fly as it powers down. Cracks appear on the glass before it shatters completely; an assortment of capsules begin dropping out, rolling onto the floor. You recall Haxorus, and grin widely at Allister - it's a shame you can't see his expression behind the mask.

"Allister, get Kabu and Piers." You utter, and Allister nods; you know they'll ensure the stolen pokemon are returned to their owners. "I'll go ahead and find the others."

"Okay....try not to get hurt."

”I won’t.”

As Allister heads back towards the direction of the lift, you continue down the corridor and towards the source of the eerie red light. It should lead you to where the others are and where Chairman Rose is apparently being held. The closer you get, the humming noise grows louder and louder and you can hear some conversation from within now.

"Where's that girlfriend of yours? Surely, she must be around." It's Eli.

Now you can hear Raihan: "She's got nothing to do with you. Let Chairman Rose go."

You continue to tiptoe forwards and arrive at the edge of the corridor wall where you use it as cover and carefully peer into the room. Your eyes grow wide at the sight; this must be the core of the energy plant... and it's bigger than you had anticipated. The walls stretch to at least over a hundred feet tall. An abundance of strange machines line the walls in a circle, various lights flashing on and off. They fill the walls from floor to ceiling (...in fact, you cannot even see the ceiling) and there's a metal walkway above. In the very middle of the massive room, you see Eli, Leon and Raihan locked in confrontation.

Eli says, "You see, Raihan...I hate everything about you. I was promised the position of Hammerlocke gym leader a long time ago by this man but then....you came. You waltzed in with your stupid grin, your stupid social media account and your stupid little dragons....and then Rose decides that you're a better fit for the position, not me. He cast me aside and told me I was no longer suitable. I wasn't as handsome as you, I wasn't as popular as you, I wasn't as strong as you. Apparently, I wouldn't be able to represent the Pokemon League as good as you and that is why I joined Team Rocket."

Rose is sitting up against a large generator that stands on its own in the middle, clutching his bleeding arm; it's switched on, and it's the source of the red light and the humming noise.

You see Rose shaking his head before he attempts to stand up. "You don't understand, Eli. The final gym needs a trainer who is capable of strong compassion and empathy; whenever they lose to a gym challenger, they have to accept their defeat with grace and send the gym challenger onto the path towards the final stage of their journey - the championship tournament. In fact, I couldn't consider you for any of the gym leader positions due to that reason. You didn't understand; all you wanted was the title, the fame and the victory. You didn't want to be defeated; you wanted all the gym challengers to lose. That's not what the Pokemon League stands for."

There's a brief silence; Eli's face gradually fades into a shade of red before his fists curl and clinch. "SHUT UP!” He roars, storming over to the Chairman, "You bastard, are you saying I'm worthless? I'll show you, I'll show you all! I will be the most powerful trainer in Galar and you will regretnot choosing me!!!" Eli yells, before he turns to the generator, pushes down on a lever and sparks begin to fly from the machine as it begins to whir even louder.

Everyone glances around on high alert until the room immediately dissolves into a darker shade of red and a tannoy goes off; it's so loud your ears hurt and you can't help but wince: "Warning...high energy levels detected within the vicinity, please evacuate immediately...Warning..."

The generator is whirring furiously, the dials wavering in their meters uncontrollably until a bright beam of light emerges from the top of the machine and shoots high up into the atmosphere. It promptly disappears into the darkness; there's the sound of a muffled explosion followed by a low rumble, akin to thunder. You gawk, eyes narrowing as an ominous cloud begins to appear...and promptly splits into two. Everyone stares, transfixed, as the slit grows larger and larger, revealing a bizarre sight within - it's not the energy plant as one would have thought - you see an image of yourselves except it's upside-down and clearly distorted. The image is soon replaced with a shadowy black tentacle that begins to emerge and your eyes widen at once.

It's a portal, and something is trying to come out.

Eli gawks at the spectacle, the corner of his lips tugging into a crazed smirk. "Heh...heh...hehe...it's working...it's actually working. Eternatus, I call upon you!! Lend me your strength!!" He screams, throwing his arms up into the air. Raihan and Leon attempt to move forwards, but Eli is quick to respond. "I won't let you! Eternatus is mine!" He shouts angrily, grabbing a pokeball from his waist and releasing a Gyarados onto the field.

Raihan grabs an ultra ball next. "Leon, I'll handle Eli. You need to get Chairman Rose out of here."

"Alright. Thank you, Raihan." Leon utters, "Charizard, let's go!"

There's your chance! You rush inside as Leon helps Rose onto Charizard and although reluctant to be sent away, the flame pokemon flaps its wings and takes to the air with Rose; it heads towards you and you duck out of the way; the ground begins trembling furiously as the beam of light continues emitting from the generator, shining so brightly that the generator is beginning to wobble, threatening to explode. You pass Raihan; he's battling Eli with Duraludon. Your gazes meet; he appears a little stunned to see you but nevertheless, concentrates on his battle.

You imagine Eli has another trick up his sleeve, and you're not surprised when a shadow flits towards you and you see it's a Gliscor, determined to stop you. You release Haxorus again, instructing him to hold off the attacking Pokemon whilst you join Leon at the machine; he's trying to switch off the machine, trying to lift the lever up but it won't budge - it's stuck.

"What are you doing here?" Leon yells over the noise as the tannoy continues sounding off. "It's too dangerous, get out of here!"

You shake your head, planting your hand firmly on top of his. "I'm here to help!"

He's taken aback, but nonetheless, seems relieved with your assistance. "Okay, let's do this on three. Have you got a good grip?"

You nod fiercely and Leon begins the countdown.

“Three - "

You squeeze your eyes shut as you dig your heels into the ground, shifting all your strength to your arm as you attempt to push the lever up.

"Two - "

Sweat dots Leon's forehead as you both struggle to shut down the generator. You keep pressing forwards, trying to muster as much as strength as possible. You end up placing your other hand over Leon's, and Leon does the same, planting his other hand on top of yours. The lever begins to inch up slightly.

Trying not to focus on the chaos around you, all that matters now is stopping Eli and closing the generator down despite the vicious tremors under your feet. However, you throw a glimpse over your shoulder, watching Haxorus snap his jaws at the Gliscor that keeps flitting around, just out of reach. High above and the portal grows larger and larger, and when you flick your gaze up, you spot a dark silhouette lurking within along with a pair of glowing red eyes.

"No!!!!" Eli yells, but he's too late.

"One!"

With your combined strength, you both finally push the lever up and as it slams back into place, the light emitting from the top of the generator blinks unsteadily for a split second before promptly disappearing in a blink of an eye. Your hands tremble fiercely whilst Leon waits with baited breath. The surroundings grow still until you hear Raihan shouting your name - you turn round but a weighty, invisible force slams into your chest, knocking you off your feet and into air; you're flung far away from the generator.

The intense light returns, blinding you; an unearthly shriek can be heard, the walls shaking from the sound. No, you thought you stopped the generator, the portal... did you fail? Is this the end of the world?

The ground stops trembling, everything grows quiet...and your vision goes dark.

Opening your eyes, you blink and glance around.

The first thought that springs to your mind is: Where's Raihan? Where is everyone and...where am I?

Your view is blurry, your head is throbbing painfully. Strange, hushed whispers and murmurs assault your ears. Disoriented, you attempt to identify your surroundings. You are no longer in the energy plant, but a large expanse with a dark sky. To your right, you see a staircase but it's going the wrong way. To your left, a waterfall is flowing...but in reverse. You watch with confusion as the water flows up and up and up - and as you follow the direction the water is flowing in, you resort to tilting your head to a one hundred and eighty degree angle, and you see there is a pool of water... you're in an incredible but terrifying place where everything is upside down and the laws of physics, or nature, don't exist here.

All of a sudden, a colossal shadow covers your form, forcing you to look up yet again. A strange creature is patrolling a floating island, gliding around silently on its six thin, black tentacles...there are various red, black and gold rings on its serpentine form... You're not particular familiar with this pokemon; you've only seen one or two pictures and read about it in a few books but...

"......Giratina?" You find yourself croaking out. "No...no way..."

Your eyes widen to the size of saucers as the pokemon continues to effortlessly weave and slither around, seemingly oblivious to you; never could you have imagine that in your pitiful life, you would get the chance to see a legendary pokemon. You must be dreaming, right? You pinch yourself on the arm thoroughly and it hurts like a bitch. Also, those black tentacles must be what you saw in the energy plant. What was Eli trying to summon again? Eternatus? Did he make a mistake?

You continue to gawp at the renegade pokemon as it slinks around a few floating islands until it finally twists and turns, now heading for your direction. Uh-oh. You take a few steps back, your legs weak; maybe you should hide? However, there's nothing on this island you're standing on and as you take a few steps back, you accidentally trip over a raised bump on the ground and drop to the floor, scratching your elbows in progress. Throwing your glance up, Giratina nears.

Your heart beats frantically with fear as it swoops before you with insane speed and your jaw hits the ground as the massive pokemon hovers in front of you, scrutinising your tiny figure with its beady eyes.

Fear seizes you from all over and you're completely frozen. Your jaw goes slack as your eyes take in the sight of the mythical, legendary pokemon. It's presence is foreboding but you do not sense any malicious intent. For what appears to be a long time, you merely stare at its hauntingly beautiful form. How could such a wondrous creature like this possibly exist? As you lock eyes with the creature, your gut clenches with nausea all of a sudden and you feel light-headed. Could this be an effect of looking at it? Or is it simply because you don't belong in this world, in this dimension?

"Um...please...?" You utter, as you tremble helplessly, "I'm not meant to be here, and I want to go home. Giratina, are you able to take me back?"

You're trying to talk to it - a legendary pokemon, a mythical being - one that holds immense power, the power to jump between various dimensions... This shows just how tiny and insignificant you are in this universe. You can't believe what is going on right now; you hope it understands you but you can't help but feel ridiculous. Giratina doesn't respond in any way, regarding you silently with its intense red eyes.

"Please...I really want to go home.”

The creature continues to stare at you until it swoops away; in its wake, you see a blob of light hovering in the air before it begins to expand. It's a portal... it's been left for you and Giratina is gone. Seriously, this must be a dream... the light continues to glow, beckoning you to come closer. Swallowing down, you take a few baby steps and approach the light and -

- promptly open your eyes, where you see Raihan to your left, tying a little bandage over your arm until he notices you're awake. "Hey..."

The corner of your eyes begin to prickle with lukewarm tears. "Raihan!" You exclaim with relief, sitting up and throwing your arms around him.

He chuckles, encircling his arms around your waist and pulling you into his lap. With his lips by your ear, he murmurs soothingly, "You okay?"

You nod, clutching onto him even tighter, burying your face into the crook of his neck but then - "Haxorus! Where are you??"

To your right, you see Haxorus has been by your side the entire time and he growls and nickers happily; you breathe a sigh of relief, raise a hand and he lowers himself to your level so you can pat him.

"Oh, thank Arceus..." You utter, before you recall him into his capsule.

With your Pokemon safe and sound, you avert full attention to Raihan. He presses his lips against the side of your face, smoothing down your hair with his large hand. Then he gently unfolds your legs so you're more comfortable but you end up wrapping your legs around his waist - it's second nature to you now - and you lock him into a full body hug.

His arms return to settle on your waist before he gently rocks you side to side, forcing you to laugh, and when you pull away, your gazes meet before he begins to lean in.

Your lips meet and you close your eyes once more, moaning softly against his mouth. When you were in the Distortion world, you were afraid you might not ever get the opportunity to see him again, to see your family and friends... you didn't realise you had so much to lose.

You pull Raihan closer to you so you can feel his lips on yours just a bit more - and you unintentionally deepen the kiss which has Raihan smirking against your lips before he bundles you up in his arms again and presses you even closer against his chest. The need for air forces you to break apart however, and you slowly lift a finger to your lips whilst Raihan grins to himself.

"What happened?" You ask, "Where's Eli? Did we stop him?"

Throwing your glance to the hall, there are a few chubby pink Chanseys sprinting to and fro. Chairman Rose sits near the closed kiosk with his assistant along with Allister, Kabu and Piers; a Chansey and Nurse Joy tends to him. Another Chansey is assisting Leon. He's sitting against the wall and once he notices you're awake, he grins widely at you. There's a plaster stuck to his chin and cheek, his long hair ruffled and messy. Charizard hugs him tightly, rubbing the top of his head with one claw, eyes closed.

"Yep." Raihan says with a grin. "We did."

"Where is he?"

Raihan jabs his thumb to a corner where a fuming Eli is being escorted towards the stadium exit by some policemen. You stare wide-eyed as Raihan adds, "Can you get up?"

"...I think so..."

With Raihan's help, he lifts you up and settles you onto your feet; you hold onto him as your feet feels light, and you glance down at yourself. You've been patched up by Chansey, with a plaster on your neck and face and Raihan's bandage on your arm but aside from that, nothing else. You're fine. Raihan loops your arm around his shoulder and you glance around the hall of Hammerlocke stadium. It's quiet and dark in here, but outside the glass doors, you can see various flashes of light going on and off and a lingering crowd full of curious faces. The flashes belong to cameras.

The paparazzi are outside.

Raihan notices how tense you become and squeezes your shoulder reassuringly. You throw your nervous glance to him but he merely grins; soon, Leon joins you and so does Charizard. Next, Chairman Rose, Oleana and the gym leaders head over to your group and Oleana helps him adjust his tie and dust his suit down. Poor Chairman Rose, he looks as bedraggled as everyone else. He thanks Oleana and she returns to his side quietly; Rose glances at you, acknowledging you with a nod.

"Thank you for your help." He says, and your face goes undoubtedly red whilst he proceeds to address the others. "Leon...Raihan...Kabu, Piers...Allister...Thank you. Thank you for your help. Everyone in Galar will know what you did tonight. If it were not for you, I would not be here." He smiles gently next and gestures to the door, "Well then, shall we?"

He's referring to the paparazzi; they must be dying to know what happened. You swallow a huge lump in your throat as Rose and Oleana leave first and Leon and the others follow him; Rose opens the doors and it's then you hear the loud, overlapping shouts and cries of the journalists and the nonstop sounds of camera shutters going off.

"Chatot Daily Times -- Chairman Rose, can you tell us what happened tonight?!!"

"Chairman Rose, this is Staraptor News! Look over here, please!"

"Chairman Rose, is it true that Eli is a part of Team Rocket and tried to assassinate you tonight!?"

"Mr Champion, please do share a few words!!!"

"Kabu, is it true you fought off ten members of Team Rocket with only your Sizzlipede??!"

The amount of noise is staggering and hurts your ears at once; as the journalists clamber over each other, shoving microphones and cameras in front of Rose's face, you gawk as Rose remains calm and holds up his hand. "...Please, everyone...one at a time..."

There's no change regardless of Rose's polite request, the paparazzi keep firing question after question, and it's the same for Leon, Kabu, Allister and Piers - they're surrounded at once.

"Let's get a group picture!!!!" Someone yells, and the journalists murmur in agreement.

Everyone begins to move into place; Rose stands in the middle, Oleana moves behind him. Leon goes to the left with Charizard behind him. Kabu and Piers move to the right. Allister is made to stand at the very front. Raihan joins Leon and you have no choice but to stand beside Raihan as he keeps his arm wrapped firmly around your shoulder. The cameras continue going off and you crack a thin, watery smile. The group photo session is over and everyone is separated once more by the paparazzi - oh shit, you and Raihan are not spared, either. In a matter of seconds, you are swamped, bombarded with unfamiliar faces and microphones and bright lights.

"Raihan, is this your new girlfriend???!"

"Please do tell us how long you've been dating for!"

"How did you meet and when?"

"Is it true she stopped Eli???"

“Miss, how does it feel to be ‘Raihan��s Princess’?”

"Mr Raihan, please look this way!"

"Raihan, over here!"

Camera flashes are going off like crazy in front of your face and your vision goes white; you're seeing spots and stars. At the same time, you can hear the rapid clicks of camera shutters going off. Who knows what kind of photo they're taking of you? Overwhelmed, you try to move but they've blocked your way. "Rai..." You squeak out as your breath begins to shorten; you can't breathe, you need some space, you need some air -

Raihan pulls you into chest protectively and away from the crowd, grinning for the camera. "Do you mind? My girlfriend is very shy."

There's a loud assortment of 'oooh's', 'awws' and 'aaah's’ along with some scattered laughter amongst the journalists.

"Can you let us pass? She's tired and needs rest." Raihan adds.

"Sure, sure, but how 'bout a quick one for the front page, eh?" screams one random journalist.

Raihan scans the crowd briefly as you cling onto him. One for the front page? Does he mean....a kiss? You peer up at him whilst Raihan throws a quick glimpse to you. It's not looking too good - you don't think the journalists are going to let you through at this rate.

But perhaps the oddest thing is....you don't actually care anymore. And... you’re not scared.

Therefore, you nod.

You can do this.

Raihan gazes at you in surprise. "...Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"We don't have to."

"I'm alright, I really am. I'm tired...I just want to go home."

He observes you for a few moments before he releases you. Slowly, he lifts his hand to your face, his fingers skimming over the curve of your cheek before he brushes the tip of his thumb over your bottom lip.

The crowd grows quiet, watching the both of you with anticipation.

Raihan begins to lean forwards, his face nearing yours before he tilts his head ever-so-slightly, your noses touching. You inwardly hold your breath as your eyelids slide to a close, heartbeat speeding up as Raihan finally closes the gap between you, firmly planting his lips against yours.

...

#raihan #kibana #Raihan x you #raihan x reader #jeralee #fanfic #fic #archiveofmyown #pkmn #pokemon #pokemonshield #pokemonoc #pokemonsword #pokemon shield and sword #wallflower #reader insert

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