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runraerun · 2 months ago

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Steddie Amnesia Ficlet: 2/3

-> Part 1 | Part 3 | AO3

cw: more head trauma/concussed!Steve discussions.

Steve hears Eddie call after him, but he doesn’t stop—he can’t face it. Not right now, anyway. Not when his eyes are stinging and his heart is pounding in his ears, each pulse more painful than the last. His legs take him to the building he’s supposed to go into, fueled purely by muscle memory. Not brain memory, of course, because nothing up there works properly anymore, apparently.

The Brain Injury Recovery Center.

It’s where Eddie expects him to go. He’ll catch Steve if he goes in, or he’ll wait for Steve by the doors until he comes back out—both options involve facing Eddie after Steve had made a total idiot of himself. Both feel utterly mortifying.

So he ducks into the alleyway beside the familiar brick building instead, just to catch his breath. It takes Steve longer than the average bear to sort out his feelings now, after all. Jesus, who’s he kidding? Everything seems to take him longer.

Steve feels hot tears streak down his cheeks before he angrily scrubs a sleeve over them. Of course Eddie isn’t his boyfriend. Eddie’s funny and cool and he’s in a band and he lights up every damn room he walks into—and Steve… well, maybe Steve was something a few years ago when he was in high school, and maybe he was even something before his accident, but now…

There’s a sharp clapping noise that sounds like thunder. A door slamming, Steve’s brain sluggishly supplies. It’s followed by shouting.

“Steve? Steve!�� Eddie calls from somewhere on the street.

Steve’s heart feels like it’s going to fall out of his ass. His face is probably still blotchy and wet, his breathing hasn’t evened out yet and his eyes are still leaking like a goddamn faucet. He’s pathetic.

Can’t let Eddie see him like this…

He ducks behind a metal garbage bin, careful not to let anything but the bottom of his sneakers touch the sticky looking surfaces around him. It stinks, like rot.

“Steve?” Eddie’s voice echoes off of the alleyway walls. Steve claps a hand around his mouth to muffle out any of the pathetic sounds that seem determined to escape from him. So much of his body just does whatever the hell it feels like now. Out of Steve’s control, like everything else.

For a few, tense seconds, there’s silence. Eddie’s listening for him, maybe. Steve shuts his eyes and waits him out.

It feels like an eternity before he hears Eddie’s hurried, retreating footsteps, continuing his shouting for Steve. He sounds almost as panicked as Steve feels. Almost.

Steve gives a noisy, wet sniff and does one final scrub of his face before getting to his feet. He starts walking.

As he goes deeper into the alleyway, he thinks back on all the things he’s been wrong about. The fact that Eddie had some of his band t-shirts mixed in with Steve’s clothes… well, that was because they were both guys who wore about the same size, and Eddie left his shit everywhere. It’s no wonder some of his stuff got mixed into their laundry. And the times Eddie’s driven him places? That’s just… what friends do, Steve supposes. And all those times Eddie made Steve laugh? Made him feel like the center of the universe? Well, that’s just… Eddie. He must make everyone feel that way. It’s like his super power. But it isn’t romantic… It doesn’t mean anything more than Eddie being a magnetic person.

Steve is just so stupid. Painfully so.

He blinks as the sun hits him. He must’ve reached the other side of the alleyway.

Steve cups a hand over his eyes and grimaces. His migraine wasn’t backing down. He sighs. Time to head back.

Steve turns back into the alleyway he’d emerged from, only he’s about halfway through when he realizes the color of the buildings on either side of him are wrong. They’re brown on one side, painted green on the other. That isn’t right…

His heart jackrabbits in his chest, but he keeps walking forward. Maybe he’ll recognize the street once he’s back on the other side.

But when he gets there, it’s as unfamiliar to him as the alleyway. Steve turns, looking up and down the road to see if he could spot Eddie, or his van, or the Center. But there’s nothing.

And when someone shoulder checks him, Steve supposes he was sort of asking for it, standing in the middle of the sidewalk like that. He apologizes, but it’s too late. The person’s already out of range to hear him.

It’s as if everyone else is on fast forward while Steve’s stuck on pause. The world keeps moving along while all he seems to be able to do is watch it go by.

Why would he ever think someone as dynamic and spirited as Eddie would hitch his horse onto Steve’s busted up, barely mobile cart?

Stupid, stupid, stupid…

He presses the heels of his hands to his eyes and wills himself not to start blubbering again like a goddamn baby. His life is already one big, painful lesson in humility as it is, he doesn’t need to wallow in it.

Steve keeps walking. Figures he’ll spot something, or someone familiar to him eventually. The pounding in his head’s eased off to a dull ache, at least. Maybe there was something to this exercise and fresh air thing the doctors were always going on about, after all…

The thing is though, Steve doesn’t spot anything familiar. Not even vaguely so, and it’s not until the streetlights turn on that he realizes he’d spent the majority of the day wandering around the streets like some lost dog that managed to slip his leash.

It’s cold too, and all he’s got on is jeans and a polo. It’s October, isn’t it? No wonder he’s got goosebumps all up and down his arms.

Then, he finally spots something familiar; a phone booth. Steve breathes a sigh of relief. He’d just call his parents. They’d come pick him up.

He gets the booth and lifts the receiver before he blanks. A quarter. He’d need that. Duh, Harrington. So he hangs up the phone and pats his pockets until he finds a wallet, but all that’s inside of it are a couple of crisp bills. He’d need to break one.

Steve turns, scans the street until he spots a well lit, invitingly warm looking diner. The joint looks so damn cozy that he forgets to make sure the street is clear before he steps out into the middle of it.

Tires screech, harmonizing with the horn that’s blasting at him—Steve flinches, reaching up to cover his head and braces for impact.

To his great relief, the hit never comes. Which, thank fuck. He can’t afford anymore accidents. As it is Robin’s threatened to make him wear a helmet full-time.

Steve doesn’t listen to whatever the person yells at him, he just hurries to get the hell out of his way of the other moving vehicles.

“Smooth, Harrington. Real smooth.” He mutters to himself as he catches his breath.

He pushes the door to the diner open with shaking hands, but it’s blissfully peaceful inside, and he can actually feel his insides unclench as he stands inside of it.

“Sit anywhere, hun, I’ll be right with you.” A woman’s voice tells him. Steve nods and slips into the nearest booth overlooking the street. Watches the cars go by. There’s even a couple of cop cars, sirens blaring, lights flashing. Steve wonders briefly what sort of emergency they’re rushing off to when the waitress comes to his table.

“What can I get you, handsome?” She asks, cheery and warm like the rest of the diner.

“Uh…” Steve frowns, taking a few seconds to process the question, “nothing. I’m just waiting for my parents to come pick me up.”

The waitress taps the side of the notepad. “Well you gotta order something, hun, or you can’t stay here.”

Steve wants to stay here. It’s warm and smells fucking amazing, like “pancakes?”

She waitress smirks. “Yeah, we got those. You want a stack?”

“Yeah, please.” Steve smiles back, laughing along with the waitress like he’s in whatever joke that’s currently so amusing to her. “I’m starving.”

“You want some coffee too, to help you sober up, maybe?”

“Oh, I’m not drunk.” He huffs out a little self deprecating laugh, “I wish. No, I—uh, my meds, they’re the kind that you can’t mix with alcohol. Coffee too. Bummer, right? Yeah… But, uh, it is what it is, I guess—so…”

He can feel it. The way his mind so often wanders. He’s lost his train. His track. He frowns, eyes drifting towards the street again, watching the headlights zip by.

“…so just the pancakes then?” The waitress asks, jolting his train back onto its rails. His attention snaps back onto her.

“Yeah, pancakes. Sure.” Steve flashes her what he hopes is a charming smile.

She returns his smile and leaves him be, and he lets himself relax. Props his head up on a fist and watches life go on for everyone else but him.

He gets his pancakes, and some juice too that he doesn’t remember ordering, but hey, that’s nothing new. And damn, the pancakes taste even better than they smell. He needs to remember the name of this place so he can come back with everyone. What did the doctors say? Repeat something in your head over and over until it sticks. Repetition. Repetition, repetition, repetition…

It’s around the time his fork hits an empty plate that one of the police cars stops in front of the diner window, lights on, but the sirens are off now.

Hopper steps out.

Huh. That’s weird. Steve wonders what sort of emergency he’s here for.

When Hopper enters through the glass doors, the bell hung over the entry way rings out pleasantly. An angel getting their wings.

His eyes land on Steve and the older man sighs, shoulders falling. Relief, Steve recognizes. Hopper pulls the radio from his belt and says something into it before stomping over.

Then it clicks.

Oh. Steve’s the emergency.

He feels his face heat up. The handful of other patrons scattered across the diner are all looking at him.

“There you are.” Hopper sighs, gruff and exasperated.

Steve sinks into his seat, just a little. “Shit. I fucked up, didn’t I?”

“Just a little.” Hopper chuckles dryly. He takes off his hat and slips into the booth across from Steve, apparently not in any sort of hurry now that he’s found the runaway dog.

Steve runs a hand through his hair, a nervous tic he’s developed. “Sorry.”

“Nah, don’t be sorry. Just strangle Munson for me when you see him next, will ya?” Hopper drops his hat onto the table and waves the waitress down. He orders a coke.

Munson. Eddie.

The memory of how he made a total and utter fool of himself comes rushing back, slamming down onto him like one of those cartoon anvils. Jesus, how did he forget that..?

Suddenly the pancakes aren’t sitting so good in his gut. Feels like he’s gonna ralph.

“Was he freaked out? Eddie, I mean.” Steve asks, cautiously approaching the question. Did Eddie say anything about why…?

“Yeah, him and Robin both. Then the kids found out too—don’t ask me how. I suspect the curly-haired one has an illegal transmitter.” Hopper leans back in the booth as the waitress drops off his coke. He takes the straw out and drinks it right from the glass. Steve waits for him to finish, doesn’t say a word.

When Hopper puts the glass down, Steve just sits and watches the way the drops of condensation run down the cup, distorting around the fingerprints Hopper’s left. “Anyway, they’re all out on their bikes looking for you too.”

Hopper smiles fondly, like it’s something charming and not… pathetic. “You got a lot of people that care about you, kid.

Steve swallows around the lump in his throat, and nods. Tries for a grin, but it’s weak. Probably wouldn’t fool anyone, much less a cop. “Yeah, I’m a real lucky guy.”

Hopper looks like he wants to say something else, but he just takes a breath and nods. Steve’s grateful he doesn’t argue. Doesn’t think he has the energy in him right now to fend off the ‘but look how far you’ve come!’ ‘Your speaking’s gotten so much better!’ ‘It could be a whole heck of a lot worse!’ comments.

“What do you say we get you home? Unless you want dessert? My treat.” Hopper offers with a grin.

“No, I just want to go to sleep,” he says, before remembering his manners, “thanks, though.”

“Alright then.” Hopper glances down at the cleared plate of pancakes and the half finished coke before sliding out of the booth, followed by Steve. He takes out wallet, but Steve beats him to it. He tosses down a few bills, hoping it’s enough. Hopper doesn’t comment, so it must be.

The drive back to his and Robin’s apartment is a solemn one, but it’s strangely peaceful. Hopper’s got the heat on full blast due to Steve’s lack of coat, and the motion of the vehicle along with the darkened sky leaves Steve feeling wrung out in a way he hasn’t felt in a long time.

In fact, when they finally arrive, Hopper’s gotta shake his shoulder to wake him up.

“We’re here.” He rumbles out in his gruff baritone.

Steve lifts his head from his folded arm and looks up at the modest building. He wonders how far they live from the pancake diner. If they could walk there, sometime, him and Robin and Eddie.

But then Steve realizes he never got the name of it. He feels his insides sink. Another thing lost to him.

“Thanks, Hop,” Steve gives Hopper a nod and what he’s sure is a tired smile. “I’ll, uh—I’ll try not to run off again.”

“Ah, don’t worry about it.” Hopper says, diplomatically. “Let me walk you in.”

Steve cringes at the idea. He’s grateful for Hop and all he’s done—especially the part about not making him feel like a complete dummy—but he just wants this all to be over and for things to revert back to how they were. And at this point he’s so close he can taste it.

Steve busies his hands by undoing his seat belt. “No, it’s okay, really—“

Hopper looks like he’s about to argue but Robin damn near crashes out through the building’s illuminated front doors. She makes a b-line for Steve, who’s just barely gotten out of the cruiser.

She wraps her arms around him and doesn’t let go. “Steve! Holy shit, you scared me so bad. I’ve been out of my mind!”

Steve’s arms are trapped at an awkward angle, but he reaches around her as best he can, arms like flippers. “I’m okay. Seriously. Look, not even a scratch.”

She doesn’t laugh. Just squeezes him harder. Truthfully, Steve doesn’t know if he’s okay, but it’s what everyone always seems to want to hear from him, so he says it often.

“I’ve already killed Eddie like three times.” Robin murmurs into Steve’s chest, before finally pulling away. Her eyes are bloodshot, her nose stuffy, like she’s been crying.

“It’s not his fault, Rob.” Steve’s brows pinch together as he frowns, “is he…”

But when Steve looks up towards their building, he can see Eddie standing in the doorframe, his dark silhouette illuminated by the entry way lights. He’s still as a statue, holding open the door for them, arm extended out into the cold autumn night. Steve’s insides squirm.

“You got him from here, Buckley?” Hopper calls from his cruiser and Robin ducks to meet his eye before giving him a thumbs up. She loops her arm around his waist and they start towards their place—towards Eddie.

Before they reach him, Steve keeps his voice down as he asks, “Can I just go to bed? I don’t—I can’t talk about it right now.”

“Okay.” She nods, “I get it.”

But she doesn’t, not really.

Steve avoids eye contact with Eddie when they finally reach the building, and before he can say anything, Robin interrupts. “He’s going straight to bed. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” Eddie says in a small voice. He doesn’t argue. Doesn’t even follow them back up to their apartment. Maybe Eddie’s even relieved he doesn’t need to confront it tonight. Maybe they won’t ever confront it… maybe he’s hoping Steve’s brain will take care of everything and make him forget. Make it like it never happened. Part of Steve wishes—

No. He doesn’t wish that. His brain’s already functioning at half capacity, he doesn’t want to thank it for fucking up, even if it might make Steve’s life easier.

Whatever Eddie’s expression is, Steve doesn’t look back to find out. He keeps his eyes on his feet, focusing on putting one step ahead of the other.

When they finally arrive at Steve’s matchbox sized bedroom, he doesn’t even bother changing into pajamas, or even out of his jeans for that matter. He just falls into his bed, pulls a pillow over his head and wills himself to let go of the day and surrender to the sweet pull of blissful unconsciousness.

🫣 Oops, I made it worse. But I promise the Eddie and Steve confrontation is in the next part! 🙏 This is tagged angst with a happy ending for a reason.

Tag List: (message me to add or remove yourself.)

@morallyundefined @estrellami-1 @ollieolive @mugloversonly @wheneverfeasible @steddiefication @what-if-a-dragon @wrenisfangirling @yesdangerpls @flustratedcas @scarletyeager @snowstar2368 @starxlark @sofadofax @lawrencebshoggoth @stevesworldxx @jizzing-bastard-600and69 @bambibiest @queenie-ofthe-void @lilpomelito @bananahoneycomb @kaspurrcat @deadwhiterosesstuff @dame-zoom-a-lot @3vilpurpl3d0t @loudmariachibands @steddieislife

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rougepancake · 5 months ago

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The Summoning (ch. six)

FT. Leon x Gym Leader!F!Reader

series m.list

WARNINGS: This chapter seems all over the place, but I promise it’ll come together towards the end. I made some interesting choices when it came to certain characters, but I believe that each choice works well with the story. I didn’t proofread this too well, so if there’s any major mistakes, please let me know!

Hammerlocke stadium towered over Gloria as she stood before it. For some reason, this gym seemed much more intimidating than the others. She had to stop and make sure that she was ready, despite training nonstop since she left your gym. Hop didn’t, however, and had run along to challenge the gym’s leader. Marnie was nowhere to be found, but Gloria didn’t mind. She had mentioned a while back that she was set to be the next gym leader of Spikemuth. Bede had gone missing too, but she thought he’d be fine. He seemed independent enough anyhow.

The battle against you had shaken her some. She knew her strength, but fighting against you made her doubt herself. That’s why she was apprehensive about facing Raihan. If you were able to make her question her every move, then what would Raihan do to her? She shook her head, hesitating to take a step forward. To the untrained eye, she looked like an anxious gym challenger, yet to those that she challenged, they’d recognize her resolve crumbling. Up until now she had sailed through the gym challenge, simply due to observing those around her. But you… you had honestly frightened her.

Seeing that video of you battling the Kommo-o had just unnerved her further. She was thankful she didn’t witness it, seeing as she would’ve been to paralyzed by fear to escape. You were just that powerful.

She sighed. She didn’t have the time to think about that right now. She needed to defeat Raihan. Gloria looked down at the Pokéballs strapped to her waist. She could feel that things were going to gradually get more intense, she just didn’t know how. She thought back to the stories her mother would tell her before she passed. Each region has had a crisis with its legendary Pokémon in recent years, which Gloria believed to be part of a bigger picture. The most recent one was a few years ago when the Alolan region had things called ‘ultra wormholes’ open up. Researchers and trainers from all over jumped at the opportunity to see the phenomena, including her mother. Different wormholes led to different worlds, some that were even inhabited by human-like beings and Pokémon.

Gloria sighed. She was getting ahead of herself. She needed to defeat Leon before she could do anything about Alola. Her mind wandered off to her encounter with Zacian back in the Slumbering Wield. For whatever reason, Hop hadn’t seen it. Instead, Zamazenta had been the one to reveal itself to him. But why? How had those two legendary Pokémon picked them? What had led up to that decision? She sighed again. Her bloodline meant something to them. Hop’s too. Could they have possibly fought alongside them in a past life?

Hop suddenly rushed out of Hammerlocke stadium, running straight for her. She jumped at the sight of him. If only he were aware that he was a small piece in a much bigger puzzle.

“He beat me! He beat me!” He wailed, throwing himself into Gloria’s arms dramatically. She chuckled before pushing him away. Hop himself was a strong trainer, it was his emotions that he let run him. That’s mostly what caused him to lose. “He’s really strong, Gloria! Make sure you’re prepared!” She shook her head. She was always prepared.

She began to sign out her words. Her hearing aid hadn’t been working for quite some time, which made it a struggle for her to get through the gym challenge. She planned on getting a new one with the money she saved up from her gym challenge, but that wouldn’t be for another month or so. It was unfortunate.

‘What is his trial like?’ She signed out slowly, since Hop wasn’t exactly too quick with his Galarian Sign Language. She stopped and looked at him, glancing at his lips every now and then as he formulated a response.

“Oh it’s simply awful!” Hop whined, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her. “He drags out three of his gym trainers and makes you prove your worth! That’s it! But they’re soooo strong!!!” He groaned and hung his head. He was such a character. Always dramatic. Gloria smiled, nodding in response.

‘See you on the other side,’ she responded, grinning at him. Hop frowned and pouted at her.

“You’ve got this, Gloria! Kick his butt on my behalf!” He waved her off and ran in the direction of the PokéCenter. She watched as he left, gripping the straps of her bag tightly. She then turned to face the looming building that was Hammerlocke stadium. She swallowed nervously. This was simply just another step in her challenge.

She began to walk across the bridge, taking her time with each step. This battle would be easy. Hopefully. According to sources, Raihan wasn’t in it for the game, but for the thrill of battle. If she could throw him off with strategy, then she’d continue on undefeated. Gloria pushed past the doors to the gym lobby. Raihan met her there.

“Yo! I’ve been waiting for ya!” He grinned, showcasing his weirdly sharp teeth. She cringed. “Follow me.”

꧁ ༺ ─── ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ─── ༻ ꧂

You sat in your living room, your head between your hands as you stared down at your floor. Piers had since gone back to Spikemuth, promising to return later to check in on you. Leon however, was sitting across from you, his eyes full of worry. He didn’t know what to say or what to do that could make you feel just a bit better. He felt… guilty.

“Leon. Eternatus is clearly trying to get ahold of me,” you started out, “but why? Why is Opal’s family connected to it? What connections did they have to the Darkest Day? And…” you looked up slowly, your eyes meeting his. Realization had struck you. “It’s not just me,” you muttered in awe, your mouth slightly agape.

“What do you mean? Is Eternatus reaching out to people other than you?” He cocked his head to the side, racking his brain to make sense of the situation.

“That child, Gloria, and your brother Hop. They encountered the sword and the shield Pokémon in the Slumbering Wield a day or so ago, right? Those Pokémon hadn’t been seen in nearly two hundred years before that. Think about it, they must be able to sense that something dangerous is happening in the region,” you got up and walked over to the bookshelf that stood in the corner of the room. Dozens of history filled books lined the shelves, each of them provided by Opal. You scanned the shelves, your eyes landing on a book that you had seen many times before. You just hadn’t been aware of its significance up until now. “There must be something important about the both of those children that caused them to show themselves…” you slowly opened up the book, skimming through its pages manically. There was something in particular that you just needed to confirm. Sure enough. There it was.

A drawn out family tree of Opal’s bloodline took up two full pages, and two more families followed it. Opal’s handwriting was at the bottom of the page, drawing you into the generation. On the next set of pages was a tree of names that you couldn’t recognize. The last name added to the tree was a child, descendant of Adriana, named Gloria.

“Leon…” you whispered, turning around with the book in your hands. You continued to scan its contents, your eyes reading over each name on the tree. You hesitated to turn the page. Another, slightly shorter family tree met your eyes. The latest addition to the line was a child, descendant of Cedrinne, named Hop. Opal had documented their births, which ultimately connected them to you. “Look…” you passed off the book to him. You weren’t quite sure what this meant. And you couldn’t remember if you had any more of Opal’s old books that explained the significance of it all. You looked back at the bookshelf and then back at Leon.

If Opal’s ancestors were worshippers of the being that was Eternatus, then what were Gloria and Hop’s? Were they firm believers in the sword and shield Pokémon? Had they worshipped them? Were there hidden statues in their honor? You felt your heartbeat grow faster, now pounding within your chest. What did this mean? The world spun around you. This felt horribly surreal. Two fifteen year olds and a twenty something year old had been picked by Pokémon that were powerful beyond belief and for what? Was it them that would save the region?

“I…” Leon looked up at you, his eyes widening. You looked pale, and you had broken out into a cold sweat. “Are you alright?” He asked slowly. Setting aside the book, he got up and reached for you, to which you rejected.

“We need to go to the clearing,” you blurted out. “I’m going to see if I can get answers. I need answers.” You pushed past him, grabbing your coat and sliding it over your arms. You struggled to put on your shoes, your hands shaking terribly. Leon rushed to follow you.

“How are you even going to do that?” His tone was filled with nothing other than worry as he copied your movements. Once he had his coat on, he waited for your next move. You seemed frantic, and it was bothering him. He wasn’t sure why, but it was.

“I’m going to reach out to it this time. The last time I saw it, I was shown the true importance of that area. If I can just get it to show me more, then maybe I’ll be able to piece some of this together and have it finally make sense. And maybe then we can formulate a plan to deal with Eternatus and Rose.” You walked briskly, pushing past various tree branches that blocked your path. This plan needed to work. If it didn’t, then you’d be at a total loss. Everything would have been for nothing and Eternatus would then be unstoppable.

“Y/n…” The man behind you stammered, holding his phone in his hands. You payed him no mind and continued on. “Y/n!” He raised his voice slightly, which caused you to jump. Slowly, you turned around to face him. “Hop and his friends… they beat Raihan…” Your expression fell. Shit! You thought that you would have more time to figure out a plan together. Now… now he was leaving. Now you’d be back to square one.

“Damnit,” you huffed, looking at him with a pained expression. You didn’t want him to leave. Not yet, anyways. You needed him. After all he had done to help you, you needed him! “Well, I suppose you ought to get back to Wyndon,” you frowned, hanging your head slightly. “I’ll let you know if I come up with anything, alright? I don’t doubt that they’ll want me to participate in the competition, so I’ll be seeing you soon enough,” you paused, “just don’t get lost.”

“Got it,” he nodded, giving you a wide smile. A heat rose to your cheeks. “Just be careful out here. I’ll…” he cleared his throat, “I’ll see you soon.” Leon turned his back to you and began heading back to your house.

You continued on to the clearing. It somehow looked much more dead than the last time you were here, as if the life had been drained from it entirely. The statue stood before you in all its glory. You felt the strength of its presence. The hairs on the back of your neck rose. An overwhelming feeling washed over you, and suddenly everything went black.

Your eyes were wide open, yet you couldn’t see anything. Scared, you called out, sticking your arms out to feel for something you could lean on. There was nothing. In fact, you couldn’t even hear the ambience of the forest anymore. You turned around and your sight returned. Eternatus was in front of you, seemingly restless. It was as if it wanted something from you.

Hesitantly, you stepped forward, hoping to touch it. Your hand was a few centimeters away when the scenery changed. The two of you were back in the clearing, right next to the statue, which appeared to be in pretty rough condition. The creature let out a cry.

“What do you want from me?” You asked, frustrated. It wouldn’t give you answers. It couldn’t. The thought upset you. If it had been putting you through all of this, then why couldn’t it answer a simple question? Eternatus stood still, its silence eerie. The sound of footsteps made you redirect your attention. Your eyes widened. “Opal…”

The woman appeared to be a bit older than the last time you had seen her, and behind her followed a teenage version of yourself. “I’ve told you before that this is our history, but I’ve never told you why,” the older woman smiled, her eyes focused on the statue. She turned to face the younger you, gesturing for you to come closer. She had a far off look in her eye that made your heart clench. Oh how you missed her.

Opal cleared her throat before sitting down gently on the grass. “Come now, child. This story is quite a long one.” You looked at Eternatus. So this was its way of responding to you. You looked back at Opal and yourself. It had been here all along. A gasp escaped you at the sudden realization.

“A very long time ago, an event called the Darkest Day took place. It caused the Pokémon in the region to dynamax randomly, which led to chaos. That statue right there is a depiction of the creature that caused all of that chaos. It fed off of the energy that dynamaxing provided up until the two kings defeated it. With the help of the sword and the shield Pokémon, they were able to save the region and capture the creature. But they didn’t know what to do with it. Would they bury it? Would they turn it in? Well, they didn’t do either of those things. The brothers chose to pass it off to the region’s strongest line of psychics,” she grinned, “those psychics, dear child, are my ancestors. They entrusted them to properly handle the situation, to which they decided to trap its soul within the statue. Since then, it’s been a tradition to prepare the next in line for the responsibility of their choice. We look after it.

“You see, each of the women in my bloodline has had a connection to this being. Some have even reported to see it in their dreams,” she sighed and placed a hand on your shoulder. “I’m not sure if you’ll be able to do the same, due to your situation and relation to the family,” Opal paused, her eyes searching yours, “I believe that if it wants to reach out to you, then it will find a way. I’ve no doubt that it can sense that you’re now a member of the family. And while I understand that this is very exciting for a child your age, I need you to understand that this is a dangerous being. The statue must never break, or its soul will return to its body, do you understand—“

The memory faded away slowly. Opal had been the last thing to dissolve, which only hurt your heart more. Vast nothingness now surrounded you and Eternatus.

“You…” you muttered, staring at it in awe. “You want to be freed of this curse…” you trailed off slowly. “But… if you’re still in the statue when Rose awakens your physical body, then what? Won’t you just go anyway?” The Pokémon roared at your question. “I’m guessing that’s a no…” A sudden shock ran through your body, causing you to gasp.

“Save… me…” a deep and powerful voice echoed within your head. It sounded incredibly raspy, its words hardly intelligible. Shivers ran down your spine. You had no clue that it could communicate.

“But… I can’t!” You took a step back. “You’re stuck here for a reason! How am I supposed to believe that you won’t go with Rose when your body is awakened? This is dangerous. You’re dangerous. I refuse to put my region at risk.” It roared. Opal’s voice suddenly met your ears.

“You misunderstand… child…” each word was choppy, as if Eternatus was sifting through its memories to get to you. “I’m… right here. Rose… won’t… have me.” You groaned and covered your ears, shutting out the voice.

“Stop that! I’m not letting you out!” You shouted, taking another step back from it. You stumbled and fell. When you landed, the void around you had disappeared, the original sight of the clearing greeting you. The statue’s aura seemed much more intense than when you had gotten there, and it unnerved you. Slowly, you rose to your feet. You did your best to dust off the dirt from your rear before inspecting the statue. Everything seemed fine. No cracks or anything.

A loud, shrill cry suddenly met your ears. The sound was followed by a few thunderous footsteps. Each one shook the forest floor, and each one brought it closer to you. Horror struck you as you stared. Above you towered a dynamaxed Espurr, a Pokémon that was said to not have any control over its psychic abilities. You panicked as you felt around for at least one of your Pokéballs. Quickly, you threw out the first one you could find. Polteageist.

The Espurr cried out and stomped its foot, causing a few of the nearby trees to fall. Your heart sank. The trees weren’t the only thing that had fallen. The statue was now on the ground, reduced to nothing but tiny pieces. A black cloud flew from the rubble and into the sky. That must’ve been Eternatus’ soul. It vanished in an instant, taking the dynamaxed energy away from the Espurr and knocking it unconscious.

“Oh no…” you muttered, looking up at the sky.

꧁ ༺ ─── ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ─── ༻ ꧂

There was nothing more Leon feared than losing. Without his title as the champion, he'd be nothing. He sat in his private locker rooms, his head hung between his shoulders. From everything that Hop had told him, Gloria sure was a force to be reckoned with. Even Raihan admitted that he had a tough time battling her. He was proud of the girl for making it so far into the gym challenge, but he had a nagging feeling. If Gloria was strong enough to take both you and Raihan out on the first go, then what did that mean for him? Would he too struggle and inevitably lose?

He frowned. Being the champion was all he had ever known. He had remained undefeated since the tender age of ten, taking down the former champion at eleven. All he had ever really gotten the chance to do with his life was fight. Now he regretted it. He wished he had chosen something different as his passion. It was too late now, however. Leon was doomed to repeat an endless cycle of repetitive winning.

The intercom crackled as the speaker called for all of the challengers to make their ways to the locker rooms for further information. The first round of preliminary battles were about to take place. There were four singular challengers. Only one, if any, would be able to claim the title as champion.

Leon sat up, turning to look at the wall beside him. He wondered if you had managed to discover anything in reference to Eternatus. He couldn't help but worry. You had seemed so sure of yourself when he left, plus you had yet to send him any kind of message-

His phone suddenly began to ring. He picked it up immediately, holding to his ear as he waited for you to begin speaking.

"Leon this is bad," you sounded out of breath, as if you had been running. His heart sank. "Leon this is so bad. Eternatus' soul was trapped inside the statue! It wanted me to free it, and I told it no, but right after that a dynamaxed Espurr appeared and fucking knocked it over!! Leon! That accursed thing broke the statue!" your voice wavered. You were panicked, and now, of course, Leon was too. "If it get's back to its physical form, then we're done for! All of that research, all of that hard work we put in- wasted! Leon Galar is fucking doomed!" He heard you let out a sob. "It's all my fault..."

"Hey hey hey- wait- um," he choked on his words. Fuck. Eternatus was free. That meant that he and you were staring the inevitable doom of the region in the face. "You need to tell Rose. He needs to know what's going on. Where are you? I'm heading out. Hey, take a deep breath. We'll put a stop to this."

You sniffled, holding your breath to prevent you from letting out another sob. "I'm at my place... the boys are out at the gym... if they found me like this I- fuck..." You mumbled, simply verbalizing your current thoughts. Leon sighed and stood up. You hung up, leaving him alone with his thoughts. If he wasn't scared before, he definitely was now. He grabbed his cape and threw it over his shoulders before briskly walking out into the lobby. Several fans stopped him, but he pushed onward. Oh if only they knew the amount of trouble they were in.

He managed to grab a flying taxi and head out to Ballonlea. He tipped the cabby and rushed towards your house. The sky was dark. A storm was coming.

Dread filled him as he set foot in Ballonlea. The weight of his current situation was just now beginning to hit him. He was at a loss. If Eternatus was free, then what did that mean for Rose’s plan? His heart sank. If the soul and the body had been separated, then there was a chance that Eternatus was trying to get back to stop the use of its body. Unfortunately, the chances of that being the case were slim.

You came into his line of sight, your eyes puffy from crying. Without warning, you ran up to him, wrapping your arms around him and burying your face in his chest. A sob escaped you. Leon could feel his own eyes begin to water. He couldn’t tell if this was the end and it scared him. He hesitated to return your embrace. His heart throbbed in his chest. The moment felt so incredibly bittersweet that he didn’t know if he wanted it to last forever or not. Having you so close to him reminded him of how much you meant to him. You were everything.

After a few minutes, he let you go, taking a step back so you could collect yourself. It didn’t take you long to catch your breath before you led him back to your house. You stared down at the ground the whole time, your eyes focused on nothing in particular. It hurt him to see you in such a state. You looked broken, and there wasn’t anything he could do to help fix that. He frowned and looked away.

You opened the front door and let him in, avoiding looking directly into his eyes. You feared that he would get mad at you. Actually, you hoped that he would. You wanted him to put the blame on you and accept things as they were. If he did that, then maybe it’d be easier for him to handle it. Oh what were you thinking. You’d fall apart if he blamed you. Yet you felt you deserved it.

With a sigh, you sat down onto the couch. Bede and Allister were still out, blissfully unaware of what was soon to come. Your lip quivered slightly as you thought about what to say. Was there even anything you could say? ‘Sorry I fucked up and now the region is done for.’

“It’s not your fault.” Leon’s words pulled you from your thoughts. You turned to look at him with teary eyes. “How were you supposed to know that was going to happen?”

“But I—“ you sniffled, looking back down at the floor. He walked over and sat next to you, wrapping his arm around you. “Opal chose me to watch over it… and I—“ you cut yourself off with a sob. Leon pulled you closer to him and rested his head atop of yours. He wished he could offer you some advice. He really wanted to be able to tell you that everything would be fine.

But he just didn’t know.

He pulled away and grabbed you by the shoulders. His eyes searched yours in silence, as he was too awestruck by your beauty to form a sentence. He swallowed nervously. “I don’t know if this is the end or not, but I wanted to tell you that I’m so glad that I got the opportunity to know you better,” he took a second to gather his thoughts, “I wouldn’t want it to be anyone else…” he could feel himself beginning to tear up. If only he could tell you just how much he loved you. But now wasn’t the time. It would never be the time.

“I…” you sighed. Suddenly you were at a loss for words. Your heart ached, and you longed to tell him how you yearned for him, but you knew you couldn’t. You feared that now wasn’t an appropriate time. But if not now, then when? “Leon… I never thought I’d grow close to you. But… I’m happy that I did. I… I’m not sure if it’s all going to end soon, so I wanted to say—“

He leaned in and gently placed his lips against yours. When he leaned back, he saw your widened eyes and panicked. He quickly scooted back, looking away out of embarrassment. He could feel his face burning.

“S-Sorry! I-I thought that— and uh— um…” he trailed off, his voice rising in pitch the longer he spoke. It had been so long since the last time he had felt this embarrassed. He wanted to disappear.

“Can you do that again?” You asked slowly, reaching out and placing a hand on his arm. His head whipped around, his eyes wide as he stared at you. He couldn’t believe that you were serious. In fact, he was overjoyed. Forget about the world possibly ending, the one he’s in love with just asked him for another kiss. He could actually die in peace now.

Experimentally, he placed his hand on your cheek, his thumb caressing the skin gently. He then leaned in, planting another kiss on your lips. You leaned into it this time, placing your hand atop his. You could feel him smile before he pulled away.

“I think I might—“ Leon was interrupted by the sound of the door practically being kicked open. Instinctively, he scooted away from you, his eyes widened.

“Y/n!” Bede screamed, nearly tripping over his own feet when he saw you in the living room. He was horribly out of breath, and his eyes were wide with fear. You rushed over to him. He grabbed you by your shoulders and let out a choked sob. “A-Allister’s Mimikyu dynamaxed while we were out! I t-tried to stop it, but it t-took out my team so fast a-and… he said he’d be able to handle it b-but…!” You stopped him, your expression serious.

“Stay here with Leon,” your voice quivered slightly. Allister didn’t have any other Pokémon besides Mimikyu, so how was he going to take it down? Wait a second… you recalled seeing another Pokéball in his room, but you were sure that this mystery Pokémon wasn’t strong enough to take down Mimikyu. You looked back at Leon briefly before rushing out of the house.

Thunder rolled in the distance, nearly covering up the loud cry of a Pokémon that came from the Glimwood Tangle. You ran off in the direction, making sure you had Chandelure ready. You hoped that you’d be able to reach it in time, and feared what would happen if you didn’t. The world flew by as you ran, the cries gradually growing closer.

A soft groan met your ears, causing your heart to sink. You ran out into a clearing where the enraged Mimikyu had settled. To your left stood Allister, and in front of him was a tired looking Dusclops. You ran over to him and pushed him to the side. In the same movement, you brought out Chandelure, giving it free rein over the battle. You grabbed the child, looking at him with teary eyes. His mask was broken, hanging off of his face and revealing one of his eyes. He looked horrified, as did you.

You got up and turned around, watching as Chandelure fought off the Pokémon. You began to aid it, calling out moves and commands. Now that you were between it and Allister, you could rest easy. But not too easy. See, the thing with Allister’s Mimikyu was that it was by far one of the strongest Pokémon you had ever seen. You had just made sure to keep him unaware of that fact. It had always been an issue for you while training with him, unfortunately, but you knew that having this secret was for his own good.

With your body in between Allister and Mimikyu, you were practically a shield. At this point, you were willing to take a hit from the thing if it meant that he would be safe. You winced as Chandelure was attacked. Its pain was your own, and you could feel it gradually growing weaker. A pained expression crossed your features. Your knees began to weaken. You weren’t sure if you and your partner could keep this up for much longer. You frowned, bracing yourself for the inevitable.

But it never came. In fact, Mimikyu had returned to its normal form all on its own, now laying on the forest floor unconscious. You looked at it in shock before turning to face the child. He had been frozen in terror, a sight that shattered your heart.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt? What happened?” You asked back to back, moving him as you inspected his current state. You shook him as you spoke. The absolute fear in your voice would grow to be something he’d never forget. You pulled him into your arms and held him as tight as you possibly could, not giving him room to breathe. Tears welled in your eyes. Oh you were so worried. It made you more than happy to know that he was alright. “Let’s get you back to the house, okay? I’m sure Bede will be happy to see you,” you finally stepped back, fixing his mask with a smile. You gathered Mimikyu and carried it, walking alongside the Dusclops that Allister had summoned.

It was a miracle that it had withstood Mimikyu’s attacks so well. You couldn’t help but be amazed. How had he managed to find a Pokémon as strong as this one? Did he just get lucky? Surely not.

“We’re almost back to town,” you turned to look over your shoulder, giving him another soft smile. You froze. “Allister?” You turned around, your eyes wide. “Allister?!” You called, panic washing over you. “ALLISTER??” You raised your voice in hopes that he would respond. Yet you heard nothing. “Shit shit shit…” The Dusclops beside you sensed your worry, trailing alongside you as you walked deeper into the Glimwood Tangle. He had been right behind you the whole time! How had he vanished so quickly?! Your heart raced and you handed off Mimikyu to the Dusclops before breaking out into a full sprint on your search.

“ALLISTER!!” You shouted, out of breath. No response. You stopped. Your running had led you to the clearing where the statue of Eternatus once stood. Dread filled you. It was no coincidence that you would up back here, you were sure of it. You looked around the area frantically, stopping when you saw the child sitting in front of the base of the statue. He turned to face you as you got closer.

“My premonition…” he took off his mask and set it to the side. “I-It’s going to be fulfilled soon…”

A nervous chuckle left your lips. Fuck. “Come now Allister, let’s get you out of here and back home,” you extended your hand for him to take. He stood up and you picked him up, carrying him on your back carefully. It had been quite a long time since you had done this, but you figured the timing was right. You frowned as you carried him back to the house.

“Y/n..?”

“Yes?”

“What was that place?”

“Just an old shrine for the two kings, Allister.”

“Alright.”

꧁ ༺ ─── ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ─── ༻ ꧂

“Those trainers that are fighting in the wild area are getting killed.”

“You think I don’t know that?!” Rose slammed his hands down onto the table, causing some tea to spill. Oleana flinched, her eyes widening slightly before she cleared her throat. He sighed and stood upright, fixing his tie in an attempt to maintain professionalism. He turned around and looked out at the large window. “What I meant to say was, I’m already aware of that unfortunate fact.”

“Is there not anything that you can do?” She gave him an exasperated look. She wasn’t sure if her love for him was worth it anymore. “Can you not issue a warning? This is a serious matter!”

“They knew the dangers when they signed up to take those Pokémon down,” he retorted. He couldn’t do this much longer. “It’s no one’s fault but their own, do you understand?”

“But Chairman the—“

“Do you understand?!” He whipped his head around, giving her a serious glare that caused her to wince. She frowned, hanging her head in shame.

“I understand.” She mumbled, rising from her seat in silence. She turned to leave, but stopped. There were so many things that she wanted to say to him, but he wouldn’t listen. He would never truly listen to her. Sadness filled her heart. He was so horrible to her. She hated him. But oh, what would she do without him?

The sound of her heels clicking on the marble floor echoed as she made her way to the door. Once again, Rose was alone. His eye twitched. His plan would be executed soon enough, and then he wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore.

He grabbed his teacup and threw it across the large room in a fit of rage. Watching it shatter gave him a small feeling of satisfaction. The little glass pieces shined on the floor, each one reflecting a different perspective. He watched it in awe. Each piece reminded him of the different stages of his life. First his family, then his gym challenge, and then his rise to fame as the Chairman. His heart ached at the sight.

There simply was no escaping the path that he took to get there.

It seemed that he couldn’t go anywhere or do anything without being reminded of how much he had lost. And he had lost so much. He swallowed thickly. If his plan worked, then he wouldn’t have to lose ever again. No one would. In fact, the Galar region would simply be a thing of the past.

Rose laughed bitterly. He found it ironic that he feared death, despite having nothing more to lose. He thought of Oleana and sighed, hanging his head. The thought of her made his knees weak. He found her to be utterly annoying, and yet, she had been the only person to stay by his side since he had taken on the position as chairman. A tear rolled down his cheek. Confused, he wiped it away. He didn’t care for her that much, did he? He shook his head. There was no way. She was insufferable. But… was she really insufferable or was she simply just trying to help him.

He froze. Everything he ever thought about her he began to doubt. When was the last time she had smiled? He had no clue. Another tear fell, and then another, and then another until he was fully crying at the thought of someone caring about him that much.

He wrapped his arms around himself and shuddered. Maybe he did have something to lose.

꧁ ༺ ─── ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ─── ༻ ꧂

Piers had booked a room at the Rose of the Rondelands so he could be with Marnie for the Champion Cup tournament. The final rounds between the final challenger and the gym leaders was set to commence tomorrow. Both he and you were set to battle in it, as well as Raihan. It was sure to be an interesting series of battles. If Gloria were to win each of her battles and move on to the next round with Leon, then that battle would commence immediately after the final round ended. It would be a back to back event, with fans from all over tuning in to see the challenger Gloria fight.

The sound of knocking tore him from his thoughts, causing him to jump slightly. “Oh, come in.” He called weakly. Marnie opened the door, followed by Gloria and Hop. The children’s worried gazes made him frown. “What’s wrong? Did ya not get t�� the dessert bar in time?” Hop shook his head and frowned.

“Do you know where Lee is? He promised he’d meet us for dinner, but we can’t find him anywhere!” He sighed, hanging his head. Gloria placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

“I don’t. Have you tried lookin’ around? He really could be anywhere,” Piers stretched as he rose to his feet. “Come on, let’s go lookin’ for ‘im. I’m sure he’s not too far from here.” He led the way out of the room and to the elevator. “So when was the last time you saw ‘im?” Hop furrowed his brows in thought.

Gloria began to sign. ‘He appeared right after we finished the first round.’

“Oh yeah! That’s right! He looked like he had gotten there in a hurry, and he seemed real desperate to spend time with me and Gloria over here!” Hop paused and frowned once again. “But then he vanished. He told us that it would be a late meal, but we had no clue it was going to be this late!”

“They were telling me about it, an’ I figured that you might know somethin’ since you’re in kahoots with him,” Marnie shrugged. “I don’t wan’ t’ send you on a wild goose chase just because.” Piers nodded understandingly.

The group walked out of the hotel lobby and into the parking lot. For some reason, despite it being about nine pm, the area was rather busy. They walked through the crowd and headed towards the plaza, where they were greeted by even more people. Piers looked around, growing more and more suspicious of the situation. He looked at Marnie, who returned his look. So she could feel it too.

“Why don’t you go check th’ station?” He looked at Gloria, who nodded in response. “And you, purple hair, why don’t you check the other end of th’ plaza. Marnie, I need you to go get some of the nearby Team Yell members.” She nodded and ran off. Each of the children went their separate ways, which gave him some time to think before he executed a plan.

His eyes scanned the crowd. An unusual amount of league staff members were in the crowd, doing their best to blend in by interacting with the crowd. Odd. Usually there was one by the station, but now there were at least five or six mixed into the cluster of civilians before him. Come to think of it, those civilians hardly seemed… well… to be normal. Piers was a well known celebrity in the region, and not one of them had turned to acknowledge him. He hated to seem selfish, but he found it incredibly strange.

Gloria rushed up to him, signing frantically about some guy in the station that had battled her and ran. She said that he was working for Macro Cosmos, the company that Rose owned. Piers scowled. Of course.

“Where did he go?” He looked around, looking for something— anything suspicious. If he could get a lead, then he’d be set. All he needed was a hint. He looked over at Gloria. She informed him that this staff member had a different set of sunglasses than the usual ones did. He smirked. That was all he needed.

Marnie returned with the Team Yell members, each one of them eager to help out. Piers quickly explained their situation to them before sending them off in search of the staff member. He instructed Gloria and Marnie to stay together in the plaza while they looked. He’d rather they face off this stranger side by side than them be alone. There was no telling how far this guy was willing to go.

It didn’t take them long to find that son of a bitch. When they did, Piers had stepped up to battle him head on, but Gloria offered herself up instead. Her raw talent never failed to amaze him, and apparently Hop felt the same way, seeing as he watched the battle very closely.

“Hey kid, you’re staring,” he elbowed Hop with a smirk, resulting in the kid’s face turning a bright shade of red. He chuckled and directed his attention back to Gloria, who had finished her battle and was now facing them. She told them that they could now use the monorail, but they’d have to be quick. Apparently Leon was at Rose Tower.

“You guys go on ahead,” Marnie took a step back from them. She looked apprehensive. “I’ll deal with these numbskulls and join you over there,” she turned around and headed off in the direction of the hotel. Gloria turned to Piers, gazing up at him expectantly.

“You expect me to lead this mission?” She smiled slowly and he sighed. “Alright, come on you two. We’re in this together.”

When they got to Rose Tower, they stopped. After all, Piers didn’t really know what to do. It’s not like they could just rush in there and demand that they see Leon—

“I’m gonna go right on in there and demand that they let me see my big brother!” Hop huffed as he began marching toward the tower’s entrance. Piers rolled his eyes and Gloria held him back.

“That’s a bad idea. You need t’ work out a plan,” he crossed his arms and sighed. This was difficult alright. And it sure was strange.

“I have! I want to see my brother!” Hop raised his voice, glaring daggers at Piers. “And you can’t stop me!” He turned on his heels and stormed into the building. Gloria ran after him, worry painting her face. Children. Leave it to them to make poor decisions. He sighed. He was going to keep his happy ass right here just in case those two needed anything. He doubted it though. They were quite the duo.

“Gloria, you didn’t have to follow me.” Hop crossed his arms inside the entrance, turning his head away from her. She sighed and shook her head. At this point she really didn’t have much of a choice.

The two children took a few steps into the lobby of the tower, where they were immediately confronted by staff members. Naturally, they had to battle them to get past them. Once they got past that, they were free to use the elevator to the top.

She turned to face him, looking deep into his eyes before reaching out her hand for him to hold. He blushed and took it, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as the elevator continued to go up. He could feel his face burning, but he didn’t mind. He was living the dream in this moment, and he was content with that.

The elevator came to a halt, and Hop froze. “There’s no way we’re already at the top…” he mumbled, bracing himself. Two doors to his left opened, a pair of staff members joining them on the platform.

“That’s right, kid. We’re gonna take you down!” One of them taunted with a smirk. He pulled out a Pokéball and looked over at his partner.

“We’ll see about that!” Hop grinned, bringing out Dubwool. Gloria nodded and sent out Inteleon.

꧁ ༺ ─── ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ─── ༻ ꧂

“Do you understand the magnitude of this plan?” Rose asked the man beside him as he stared down at the city of Wyndon. He folded his hands nearly behind him. He had called Leon in to inform him of his new job in this plan.

“I’m afraid I don’t…” he frowned, following Rose’s gaze. “You say that me taking down Eternatus would save the region from imminent destruction… but how do you know that’s true?” His brows furrowed. He really didn’t want to agree with him, but it was looking like he had no other choice. And after everything that he had worked for too… it pained him.

“It’s called faith,” Rose’s tone grew serious. “And I have faith in you, dear champion. You’ve never failed before, so what makes you think that you’ll fail now?”

“I—“

“LEE!!” Hop’s voice echoed throughout the room. The sound surprised Leon so much that he gasped loudly, his eyes widened with shock. Gloria ran up beside him, a soft grin on her face.

“Hey there Hop,” he forced himself to smile, “how did you make it all the way up here?”

“Oh it was horrible! They were all ‘you’re not gonna get past us!’ and we were all ‘think again suckers!’ and then we faced off against Oleana, who was simply mad!! I told each and every one of those people that all I wanted to do was see my brother, and they wouldn’t let me!” He huffed and crossed his arms. “Plus you still owe us dinner! It’s been hours since we saw you last! I was so worried, Lee!” Hop whined and pouted dramatically.

Leon forced a chuckle, shaking his head as he did so. “I’m sorry Hop, I really am. I had every intention of taking you two out for dinner tonight, but I got caught up with important champion matters. Listen,” he squatted down some to look him in the eyes, “why don’t we go out for breakfast tomorrow before the final round of the Champion Cup begins?” Hop nodded excitedly. He was practically jumping up and down at the thought.

Rose frowned. He had never noticed that Leon and Hop were so close. He envied them.

“Why don’t you just go on back to the hotel?” Rose asked, resulting in a confused look from Leon. “Yes, you too. You’re all going to want to be properly rested before to tomorrow, so just go ahead and get your rest.”

“You heard him,” Leon chuckled again. “Alright let’s get going.” He ushered them out of the room, still grinning. Rose felt his heart ache.

He missed his family.

He missed his brother.

Rose hung his head, biting the inside of his cheek so hard that it began to bleed. Oh how he envied Leon and Hop. And Piers and Marnie. And you and Allister. Each of you were so close to one another, and it hurt him to witness. It wasn’t fair. He had worked for everything he had, and he couldn’t have a family? Even before they died, his parents wanted nothing to do with him. It just wasn’t fair. He brought an unreal amount of money to their name that they had never seen before, and all he got in return was cut off.

It wasn’t fair.

None of it was fair.

His knees buckled and he fell to the floor.

If only his mother were still alive.

꧁ ༺ ─── ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ─── ༻ ꧂

You didn’t want to, but you had no other choice. You booked a suite at the Rose of the Rondelands, guaranteeing that Bede and Allister would have enough space to be comfortable. You refused to leave them home alone after the incident with Mimikyu. Naturally, Bede was reluctant to go back to Wyndon, but he knew he couldn’t argue with you.

It was late when you checked in, and the person at the front desk was half asleep. Thankfully she recognized you, otherwise you would’ve been there for a while. Once you made it up to the suite, you put the boys to bed and then rested in the open area. Everything seemed like it was moving fast, and to make things it didn’t even feel real.

Every time you thought about Eternatus, you couldn’t grasp that it was a real being. But it was. And it haunted you. Ever since that statue had been destroyed, bad things had continuously happened to you, as if you were cursed. You shuddered at the thought. Eternatus may’ve been a powerful creature, but it surely wasn’t powerful enough to place a curse on you. You weren’t even sure that Arceus was capable of that, and Arceus was the being above all beings.

You sighed, rolling over onto your side with a frown. You had a splitting headache, and wanted nothing more than to rest, but you couldn’t. What if you closed your eyes and Eternatus found you again? Or what if you dreamt about what happened earlier with Mimikyu? You feared what might come for you in your sleep. It seemed slightly irrational, but you knew it wasn’t. A groan escaped your lips. Secretly, you dreaded participating in the matches tomorrow. You never cared for them in the past, so what made them think that you would now?

It was probably to make it more challenging than the round prior. Which made sense given that they usually brought in Raihan and Melony to make a show of it. When they brung you in is when things tend to get much more serious. You’re a challenge in and of yourself, and that’s exactly what the board is looking for.

You can’t help but cringe at the thought. Why not call in someone like Piers or Kabu? Why did it always have to be you and Raihan? You groaned again. Exhaustion washed over you. Unfortunately, you planned on forcing yourself to stay awake. You just didn’t want to risk seeing Eternatus again. Not after the encounter from earlier. That was going to bother you for a while.

A rueful chuckle left your lips. Maybe you should look into therapy after this mess gets cleared up. Arceus knows you need it. Oh well. That was a discussion for a later date. You yawned. Your eyes felt heavy. You didn’t want to go to sleep.

You yawned again. Your eyes closed.

You dreamt of nothing.