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pokemonthoughtandplaces · 7 months ago

Text

Fight Starter

“Listen, what I'm saying is: I wouldn't be surprised if your you got sent off and traded for someone like me!”

That did it.

“NO ONE CARES WHO YOU ARE.” Alejo spits out, leaving the other throh and his group speechless. “No one cares who you are, how strong you are, or who your trainer is! We wanted to be your friends because we cared about you and we thought you were a cool guy at first! Clearly, we were wrong.” A sarcastic smile shone through, right followed by another scowl. “Clearly, you're just as much of a pompous, spoiled brat as your trainer.”

In a second, the slap echoed. The throh had pure hatred in his eyes, not giving a shit if Alejo was a bigger or older throh. Alejos's nerves were on edge that entire time, that was the last thing that he needed.

There were no more words, just blows. As much as the other throhs wanted to stop it, knowing the trouble they'd get into, they couldn't get too close.

So, the next best thing was chosen, to call the trainers.

Amoris, Enoch and Evander ran through the slot, getting to where their trainer was.

The commotion caught a lot of attention. All they needed was gestures for all to follow them back, many things passing through both trainers' minds when they didn't see their pokemon among the group. Though, at least for the trainer of the group of throh, it was not what they expected to find.

Throh had Alejo in a chokehold, holding the other on the ground. Alejo forced the other’s arm, pulling himself free, ready to unleash a full-force blow. It missed, but only by little.

“So they're battling? What's the matter?” Montgomery knew his throh was competitive, so why not let them battle?

“That's a fight. Not a battle.” Quincy ran to the two. “STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!! ALEJO!! QUIT IT!!”

“THROH STOP IT!!”

Both trainers got to their pokemon, Quincy was the fastest, getting to both the pokemon and grabbing both by the horn. Tearing them from each other. Montgomery's throh stared at his trainer, who had a very disappointed look toward him. Alejo looked down, face flushed, embarrassed.

“Both of you. Quit it.” The trainer watched both the throhs with a disappointed stare. “Alejo. I thought I had taught you better than that. Better than to just respond to things like that. Go cool off.”

He had his head hung down low, ashamed as he walked to one of the corners of the area. It did give a certain level of satisfaction to his rival, who smirked at the sight.

“Throh, you too.” Montgomery stepped up, looking down at his pokemon. “I am severely disappointed. I talked about starting fights several times. You can expect a reprimand coming.”

“Whatever.” He turned his back, running away into a forested part of the property.

---

“I am so so sorry for that… He's usually better behaved.” Montgomery sat down on a garden chair.

“Montgomery, if he is, he never showed.” Quincy was cold, watching the boy freeze midway through bringing his drink to his lips. “Listen. He instigates fights constantly, is constantly trying to get other pokemon to fight him, and at the same time has a… well, temper. Difficult one at that. You gotta look into that.”

“He's just like that! Always has been! It's a throh thing, right?”

“Not entirely. One thing is being competitive and wanting to test yourself by challenging others into battles. Another very different is upsetting others and getting into a fight that might have cost some gnarly hurts!” Aloisia piped up, who had heard from the flying types what had happened.

“I… I guess that’s fair…”

“I’m going after Alejo. At least with me, I do talk to my pokemon. I want to make sure they understand a situation. After all, they don’t think the same as we do.” The line was directed at the trainer, who noticed it and lowered his head in thought. As Quincy moved, the rest of the quartet of throhs wanted to follow. “You all stay behind though guys. The convo is in between me and Alejo.”

---

It wasn’t difficult to find the leader Throh, sitting beneath a tree, watching the hills. It was his usual spot whenever he needed some calm, as not many other pokemon liked it there.

“Found you.” The trainer sat down next to the pokemon, leaning back on the tree.

Although now they had shed the disappointed look, looking calmer and patient, Alejo signed an apology. “I’m sorry…”

“You don’t really have to be sorry. I know it wasn’t you that caused the fight. You were responding to it.” Quincy signed back.

“He was so… so… BAD.”

“I think the word you are looking for is mean.” The trainer showed the word slowly and Alejo repeated.

“Yeah! Mean! He said so many bad things about you… And he had been such a dick!”

“Woooah there! When did you learn- ah you know what, never mind.” It took a second for Quincy to hold onto her composure, leaving that kind of conversation for another day, they stayed on topic. “Still. You know I taught you to not punch back in those situations!”

“He slapped me first!”

“But I taught you better than that.”

Alejo turned his eyes from her, frowning as he hid his face behind his arms. The professor watched sympathetically, getting attention by patting the pokemon’s shoulder.

“Hey, you know WHY I'd rather you go get me instead?” Alejo shook his head in negative. “Because, when you don’t fight back, showing the other person you don’t WANT to fight, they’re immediately in the wrong. Then when you get me, the other pokemon is in a whole more trouble.” The look the judo pokemon sent back would be akin to a questioning of sanity. “Yeah yeah, I know it sounds like you’re ratting them out, but I assure you it’s not. They’re being mean. So you’re doing everyone involved a favor by telling me. And it also means I get to tell their trainer their pokemon is mean.”

“Do you enjoy that?”

“Not really, but sometimes it’s really what they need to change.”

Alejo lowered his knees and his gaze, the trainer waiting patiently as always.

“I’m sorry…”

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re not in deep trouble. I’m not punishing you because you were defending yourself or me. I’m reprimanding you because you did something I told you several times not to do and that I taught you how to better handle. You understand?” Quincy made sure to be soft, understanding.

“Yeah…”

“Good. Now, sit here for a while and think about it, okay? And, from now on, just avoid Throh? He has quite the shitty temper these days and honestly, I can tell you just get madder and madder around him.”

“Can the others stay with me?”

“I rather you do these thoughts on your own. But when the sun hits the top of the pecha tree you’re free to go with them, okay?”

“Okay.”

He turned to the sky ahead, feeling the sunlight and letting the words of his trainer sink in. Quincy wasn’t completely wrong, he could have really sorted the situation better.

---

While the host was coming back, Montgomery made his way through the woods. He knew his pokemon had started the fight. So, he roamed the shadowy tree area where his fighting type had disappeared, calling out.

“Throh?! Throh! Where are you- Oh! There you are…” He found his pokemon tossing boulders up a hill, training as he expected.

Throh turned back when he heard the voice, rolling his eyes. “What?”

“Oh don’t look at me like that. Well, I just wanted to let you know I am very disappointed in you. I know of your competitive spirit, however it is very unbecoming of you to be so brash with everyone. And much more, getting into fights with your friends is not something that I thought you’d be doing.” Throh grunts, annoyed at the bickering. “Don’t grunt at me like that mister! Or you’ll be getting into a lot more trouble!”

“Like what?”

Montgomery can’t understand Throh, but the challenge was clear and he felt the disrespect backing it up. “One more time and you will NOT like the reprimand.”

“Like. What.”

“Oh that’s it. You just lost your television privileges! That includes video games with friends for a month.”

“OH BOO HOO! It’s not like I cared about those anyway!” The judo pokemon threw a decently sized boulder at his trainer, who barely dodged.

“ARGH- what’s gotten into you?!” He dodges another boulder, instantly giving up. “Fine! Then! Two months and you better be calm when you get back by sundown!”

“FUCK YOU!”

---

Once Montgomery returned with his head down and his ego brushed, the two people waiting at the house knew that whatever happened wasn’t what he had planned.

“So? How’d it go?” Aloisia watched nonchalantly, clearly it had gone wrong but how wrong was still a wonder.

“I… I do not know what’s wrong with him… He’s just been so… so…”

“Feisty?” Quincy completes.

“I assume…”

“You know, it is a bit worrying… I mean, I’ve seen him self-sabotage a lot in the recent past, so I can’t say I am not worried.” Aloisia’s comment took a nervous glance from the man.

He put his face in his hands. “Ugh… I don’t understand… He’s never been like that… NEVER. Whatever I asked, he did! He was so obedient…”

“Well, there have been a lot of changes to both of your lives. New pokemon from new regions, plus Chara was in the picture not too long ago and now she’s all the way in Sinnoh! You’re changing jobs and work hours, plus moving to another part of Unova. Things are changing.”

“I didn’t think he’d be that bothered, he always was so calm, or so it seemed.”

“Everyone has something that messes with them differently. You’ve been coming here a lot more often as well!” Quincy then thinks back to the confrontation with the duo, one part of what he said catching her curiosity. “Say, when you told him to expect a reprimand, what were you talking about?”

“Oh, you know, the usual works. Not going to art expositions, not going to theaters… You know, enjoyable things.”

The rehabilitator and inspiring professor look at each other, confusion on their faces. Although not so difficult to think that a pokemon could enjoy those things, Alejo after all, enjoys reading and books, it did not seem to fit Throh’s personality to like the settings described.

Aloisia was the most skeptical, due to previous interactions with the pokemon. “And… Does he like those things?”

“Well, who doesn’t?”

The response was not what either was looking for. Taken Montgomery tended to look at his own nose a bit, they were concerned that he wasn’t seeing the full picture. Even other pokemon were confused by the statement, as although admittedly they could be a nice experience, it is not something many knew of or looked forward to. The green-haired trainer noticed the looks of confusion and concern, starting to feel it himself, mental gears turning to realize what he said might not make much sense to the general public.

“How about!” Aloisia is swift to change the tone of the situation. “I talk to him? I’ll figure something out between the two of you and maybe I can get some answers.”

“Aloisia please, you do not have to. Throh is my pokemon. I assure you that everything will be just fine, he just needs to calm down. He’ll tire himself out training, like always.”

“Montgomery, look, you’re our friend, right? And we are really happy you are- but… How do I put it?”

“You don’t really know what it means to be a pokemon trainer anymore.” Quincy filled for Aloisia, frowning a bit and with a nervous smile covering her features.

“Not even! You don’t know what it’s like to care for a pokemon properly!” Aloisia corrects, not lightening the statement as seen by the male trainer’s nervous stance. “At least, not on your own. Which is why we’re offering.”

Montgomery swallows, looking up at the two trainers. “I… I have been doing what you told me to, by the way… Being lighter on him…”

“Good. But there’s a lot that you have to learn.” Quincy sits next to him, putting a friendly hand on his shoulder, taking his attention from the floor. “I taught the basics of the basics. There’s a lot more to being a trainer. That’s without mentioning that you… Didn’t have the best teachings growing up.”

Montgomery knew he had to learn, after all, he had been raised on a much different reality than most. He knew that he never really understood much about being a trainer, even though he spent his early childhood obsessing about pokemon and what they could do. His training ways were, of course, an inheritance, much like most things he owned, much like most of his pokemon themselves.

He let Aloisia go after his Throh, shame clawing at the back of his mind like an angry liepard. It was supposed to be his duty, yet he failed. Quincy put a comforting hand on his shoulder, heading back to the kitchen to prepare some more tea while their skitty sat on the man’s lap, purring and calming him.

---

It didn’t take long for Aloisia to find the judo pokemon with her brother, the gallade using his psychic to hold one of the boulders and set it down somewhere else.

“Hey there! Finally we found you!”

“Heya bud!”

Their greetings were met with another eye roll and a scoff, as the pokemon picked another boulder. “Oh, sure, scoff, don’t forget I can understand you!”

“Pfft…” He was so close to rolling his eyes to the back of his head, then realized they had no reason to be there. “What are YOU doing here? Did he send you?”

“Montgomery? Nah, he didn’t. I came on my own to make sure you didn’t do anything stupid.” Aloisia picked up a pebble, looking up and throwing it as high as her arm allowed, it almost hit the top. “What’s up?”

“What do you want?” The throh looked through the boulders, back turned to the duo.

“Why have you been acting so mean lately? You’ve been starting fights a lot.”

“None of your business…”

“Oh, it is. Sadly for you.” Gallade spoke up, leaning on the one he was about to pick, he had definitely teleported there. “What’s wrong? Really friend.”

“You can trust us. We won’t share.”

His nerves were flaring again, they could see in the tenseness of his shoulders. “Will you leave me alone?! I’m fine!”

“No, you’re not…” Both of them are calm, which contrasts with the fighting type’s behavior.

Pissed, he picks up a boulder and throws it at Aloisia, who dodges with a great margin, Gallade dodging just as fast.

“Are you gonna leave me alone or do I have to kick your ass back to the house myself?!”

Aloisia didn’t back down from a challenge, she knew there was something wrong, without the need to read anyone’s mind she could feel it. During many years of watching feisty pokemon, the rehabilitator knew a great many on how to get a few words out. With the fighting type, it was not too difficult.

“You know what? Sure. Let’s do it like this. If you can beat me in a judo match, then I will leave you alone. Let Montgomery know that you’re fine and won’t bother you again today.” She leaned on a tree, a challenging grin spreading like butter. “What do you say?”

Throh knew there was some kind of catch. “Why not a battle?”

“Nah, that’s easy. You’re the judo pokemon, aren’t you? Well. I wanna see it! No moves, just muscle and strategy. Whatcha say?”

“And what do you get?”

“You tell me what’s wrong, why you’ve been starting fights so often. What’s bothering you, and I get to tell Montgomery if I find something concerning.”

The proposition grit on his head for a minute, as he avaliated the options. He was a smart pokemon and Aloisia was glad to acknowledge that. But he was also prideful, which is exactly what she expected his response to be like. Her brother was, of course, aware of her plan, not needing words to be briefed.

“I will warn you, she did take a bunch of judo lessons when we were younger.”

“Pfft. Let's see about that.”

With the challenge accepted, Aloisia takes off her jacket, getting into position with the Throh. Little to his knowledge, she had already wrestled bigger pokemon than him, coming out on top.

Gallade was the arbitrary, waiting for them to get their marks. “GO!”

They immediately went at each other, Aloisia managed to have the best grip right out of the gate and although she could tell at first he wasn’t using all his strength, the situation quickly changed as she was about to toss him on the ground. They soon evened out, using both strengths and a good amount of strategy. Aloisia almost got tossed back, however, she managed to catch herself at the last moment.

Throh became quickly impressed, only a few managed to escape his tosses. “You’re good-”

“Focus on the match!”

With ease, he went back to it, both wrestled for a while, going back and forth on who would go down and who wouldn’t.

Until, with one last quick move, Aloisia wrapped Throh with her arms, tossing him to the ground and pinning him there.

“Aloisia wins!” Gallade calls, both letting go and stepping back.

Although worn out, the trainer had a cheerful disposition, high-fiving her brother and tying her jacket around her waist. Throh could not hide the embarrassment, especially at the deal he had made prior.

“HA! That was fun!” Aloisia turned in time to see as the Throh sat down with his knees to his chest. She went and sat next to him. “Okay… So… Since I won…”

The silence and avoidance of gaze showed some deep turmoil, Aloisia often described the knots in someone's emotions as that, knots, that sometimes can be combed off. He had some there, clearly been getting more knotted for a while. Gallade sits next to her and she puts a hand to rest on the throh’s shoulder.

“Look, I know you are really closed off. No one is gonna change that about you, that’s okay. But starting fights? It’s not like you.”

He scoffs, “I say the truth… People get mad.”

“What truth?”

He keeps his eyes far away, not turning to the siblings. “Pokemon are easy to replace. If you’re not strong enough… You’ll be traded off…”

Aloisia tilted her head, glancing back at her brother who was just as confused as she was. “Why do you say that?”

Throh hesitates, stopping. Aloisia sees the lines start to loosen and untangle.

“Montgomery doesn’t care about me…” He stopped, they gave him time. “He doesn’t spend time with me anymore… He doesn’t bring me to battle anymore… And he pays more attention to literally all other pokemon. All of which are stronger than me… He knows I’m not… I’m not as strong anymore…”

The trainer and her brother keep quiet, waiting for him to continue. Montgomery might be proud, and gaining some coin by battles was important at the moment, however, it wasn’t enough to trade his first pokemon over. He clutches a fist, pressing his head to his knees again.

“He’s gonna trade me for something else… A pokemon that actually is worth his time…”

“I am sure that’s not true. You were his first pokemon, right?” She relaxes her legs, letting them lay flat on the ground. “He wouldn’t trade you.”

“If he’s anything like… Like HIM he will…” Pain echoed in the pokemon’s voice, clutching himself tighter. “I don’t… I don’t wanna end up with someone like him… Not again…”

Aloisia and Gallade were thrown aback by the statement, an idea of who he could be referring to instantly coming to mind, yet they hoped to be wrong.

“Who are you talking about?”

Throh’s answer was what they feared. “The… His uncle? I think…”

The siblings’ eyes widened instantly, yet both frowned at the same time. Surely it wasn’t their space to pry, though to be known that part of history, of Throh’s history, it would explain a lot. Now all the reasons that Aloisia had seen made a lot more sense, the sensitiveness, the anxiety and especially some reflexes he’s shown.

Now it all fell into place.

The knots slowly undid themselves, he rubbed his face and she could tell some blush on his cheeks, so Aloisia placed her hand on his back comfortingly.

“You won’t end up with someone like that. And most importantly, I doubt that Montgomery would trade you or leave you with someone like that. There are a lot of things going on in life, in both your lives. But that does not mean that he does not care.” He finally turned to her and her brother, eyes still gleaming with tears. “Did you ever stop to consider that he’s just trying to sort things out?”

The thought hadn’t come to him, but even then, there were moments before like that. But things had changed.

“I just… Don’t want to be thrown out…” Another tear escaped, being rubbed away fiercely.

“I know bud. And you won’t. I’ll beat Montgomery if he does. And I am sure Chara will do too.”

“She’s not even around as much anymore… She’s off somewhere doing something and barely calls…” There was resentment in his words, but it wavered with a feeling of miss. “And when she does… She never asks about me…”

Gallade switched places, sitting next to Throh cross-legged.

“Friend, let me tell you, a rehabilitator’s job is NEVER ending. You think you’re done? BAM five thousand things are up behind your back. And you can almost never do anything to solve all of them at once.” He leans his head on one knee, using psychic to take a ripe pecha from a tree. “I’m talking from experience too. Attention is sometimes hard to come by with a job like ours.”

Throh wasn’t too convinced, sighing, “He had a job before. But he still paid more attention to me.”

“Changing jobs is not easy.” Aloisia chimes in, opening her water bottle and passing it to the pokemon. “Your feelings are valid, but getting into fights is still not right. No matter how mad you are, telling other pokemon that they might get traded away is not something nice to do. You owe Alejo an apology.”

“How’d you know what I said?!”

“We walked past Enoch on the way here.” There was a look of disbelief that Gallade, being a psychic knew too well. “We did! I don’t go around reading people’s minds! That’s rude!”

“Look. Keep cooling off, but soon you should really get back before it gets dark.” Aloisia got up, retrieving her water bottle. “Sounds good?”

“Sure.” Although he didn’t say it to her face, she accepted it.

“Good.”

“See ya later friend!”

Both siblings walked off, going back the way they came, conversing when they were finally out of earshot.

“You don’t think that Montgomery would give him up, right?”

“Of course he wouldn’t. He cares a lot and it’s really clear… I’m just pissed he didn’t tell us that Throh came from his uncle.” She sighs, grabbing an apple as they pass by its tree, instantly taking a bite. “I wonder the kind of damage his uncle did to him…”

“The trust issues?”

“Absolutely comes from that. As well as having this life or death feeling over each battle.”

“Yeah.” Gallade gets thoughtful for a second, looking back at where the pokemon was as he takes the apple from Aloisia’s hand, taking a bite himself. “You think they’ll be fine?”

“I sure hope so. though honestly, I am very sure they will.”

Part of it was wishful thinking because neither had future sight to that extent, however, the odds were good. They would absolutely chastise Montgomery for that, not in front of others, but at least on his own. The full story of what happened in their past is still unknown to the duo, however, that information still changed a lot. Not directly or immediately, yet now they knew how to help a bit better.

---

A while after, Montgomery’s pokemon appears at the house again.

“Throh.” His trainer chimes from the porch. “Are you calm now?” Throh nods, looking away. “Well. Good. Do you have something to say to Alejo?”

He looked at the other throh, who had a cold stare at him.

“Fine… I’m sorry for saying your trainer would give you away… And slapping you…”

“Apology semi-accepted. I’m sorry for calling you a spoiled brat.”

Aloisia nodded, giving a thumbs up to affirm they had apologized.

“Good.” Quincy smiled, calmer now. “Now that we’re all under a nicer premise. Both of you go on your way.”

“I’m heading back outside. Thanks for the food.” Alejo signed, moving out.

“Okay. Tell the others that dinner is all ready!”

He gave a thumbs up and disappeared in the dusk woods, unlike the guests, he didn’t have to stay during the night.

Montgomery stood in front of his throh, reaching inside his pocket and searching for something.

“So. Taken you’ve apologized, your reprimand will be halved.” He produced a piece of paper strip, ripping it in half. “There.”

“Thanks… I guess…”

The sarcasm was clear and painful to those who could understand and even Quincy could tell a sarcastic comment, but the gesture overall gave confusion to the other trainers.

“Say… Mont. Does Throh actually like those things?” Aloisia leaned forward, wrecking “I mean, I might be stereotyping here, but those don’t look like things a fighting type like Throh would be excited about.”

“Well, when I did take him he seemed to enjoy himself. At least I think?”

The rehabilitator turned to Throh, questioning with her brow if it was actually true.

“Well… I don’t dislike it.” He gave a small pause, turning away. “Though they’re not that important to me.”

Aloisia could tell that there was something wrong with those statements. She could tell there was a lie somewhere in what Throh said, but couldn’t point out where.

“Uhh huh. So… Who are those things really for? Since you’re not sure?”

“Well…” It took less than a second for Montgomery to understand what Aloisia meant, feeling a tightness in his chest as he did so. “I suppose it… Is quite selfish of me…” He goes to his pokemon, looking down at him. “Do you actually enjoy those things?”

Throh watched his trainer for a second, shoulders tense, then nodded.

Aloisia saw all the knots coming back, entangling with lies, it hurt to watch and as she turned to her brother she could tell he had the same feeling.

“Well. I am glad then.” Montgomery announced, turning to the host and his friend. “I suppose we should get going. It is getting late.”

Aloisia gave a look to Quincy, the studying professor catching on immediately and walking closer, knowing they were about to be involved in something.

“Hey Mont, why don’t we walk for a bit? Quincy Gal and Throh would get to pick some fresh berries to take home!”

“Oh! Right! I did forget about that with all the commotion.” Again, he turned to his pokemon, who was already walking closer to the blue-haired trainer. “Throh would you like to go with Quincy?”

“Whatever…”

Torren, the machamp, walked next to them as they headed outside and shook his head.

“Is that your answer to everything, man?”

There was a snarky response, but Aloisia and Montgomery were walking in the opposite direction, following the path to the front of the house as many nocturnal pokemon flew above them.

The atmosphere was calm and welcoming, unlike the tense conversation they were soon going to be having.

“So… How busy have you become after ditching your family?”

“Well, I have been trying to learn many things I had never even thought about learning before. Did you know that one red item can completely turn your wardrobe pink?! I ruined a lot of my most expensive and nice outfits.” He leans on the stone wall in the front garden, looking out to the dark road. “I thought living on my own would be better.”

“It is, you just gotta get used to it!” Aloisia rummages in her pocket and brings out two lollipops. Handing one to Montgomery, who refuses, she undoes the wrapping on the other and pops it in her mouth. “How’s your pokemon handling it?”

“Oh, they’re adapting. I learned through an emergency visit to the Pokemon Center that apparently Liligant is allergic to a specific berry that happens to grow in a huge bush, so I’ve been working on removing all of it from this huge property for the good part of two weeks. Without mentioning that the supplements that Altaria needs together with the humidity almost made me have to sell my bed.” He scoffs, reminiscing about all he discovered in the past couple of months. “Sawsbuck is shedding because of the season and I have to keep watch for how many petals clutter the yard…”

“I see…” The things he said were items in any trainer’s normal routine, yet he talked as if (and he probably was) completely new to his own pokemon. “So… You barely mentioned your team before. Never knew you had an altaria!”

“I… Well, I was always closer to Throh, being my first pokemon. And the others weren’t allowed in the house. So, many of the staff took care of them.”

“Yeah, I guess.” There was no easy transition to what she was about to say, so she went straight into it. “So you got him from your uncle?”

He turned with shock in his eyes, fear and guilt swimming along the emotions he showed. “How’d you find out?”

“He told me.” Her eyes turned cold, many questions boiling to come out all at once. She managed to keep her cool, by sheer spite. “How was he when you got him?”

Montgomery did not know how to answer that question, so he recounted all he knew. “I was twelve at the time… I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was very happy to get a Pokemon like him for a birthday present. He was jumpy… Which I just thought to be normal, because a lot of pokemon my family had were like that… He did stop jumping so much eventually, and stopped being scared of me… And I was really happy to be able to battle like the grown-ups… He was obedient… I expected a lot and he delivered more than I could ever ask. I was proud of him, followed what my family told me to do and…” Another moment of realization. “... How bad… Did I treat him?”

“Well… Truth be told, you did pretty good! He cares about you.”

A tiny bit of comfort, even as Aloisia’s face looked not too friendly. “Well… I care a lot back… Is… His behavior my fault?”

She softened, biting down on the lollipop. “Well… Not directly…”

“What do you mean?”

“Okay, where do I start…?” Montgomery did not like that start. “Okay. As you know, your uncle is a real asshole.” He cringed. “I always thought some of his behaviors were odd, like he was just fighting the world for no reason, that’s not your fault to begin with, and you didn’t make it worse since you probably weren’t aware or didn’t pay attention.” He cringed again. “He was mistreated by your uncle, I’m sadly sure. He’s afraid you’re going to trade him off and that he might end up with someone like him again, especially because he thinks he’s not strong anymore and that you know that.”

“What?! But… I never thought of Throh as weak, neither do I want to give him up.”

“You know that, but all he knows is that you’re spending a lot more time with other pokemon and barely any time with him. All the things you used to do you don’t anymore. And I’m willing to bet Chara was his safety net when you weren’t around, so with her gone he’s… Well… He feels alone.” Aloisia leans on the wall like Montgomery does, putting the bitten-down straw of the lollipop in the wrapper and in her coat again. “He misses you. I don’t think he trusts your word much. But he does want to spend more time with you and, if I’m honest, he needs you.”

Montgomery fixed his hair, tucking it behind his ear. “I simply… I do not know how…”

“A lot is going on in your life right now. But Throh is your pokemon too. He’s been with you for a good while now too, you did say he stopped being so jumpy around you. So, you did do something right there! I’d say to just be more mindful of him. I am not saying let him do whatever, just like, legitimately talk to him. Pokemon can understand us pretty well, but some things you still gotta tell them. Or else they make assumptions based on gestures.”

It was good advice, Montgomery had to admit his behavior towards Throh had changed a bit since moving, without mentioning he couldn’t remember the last time he had one-on-one time with his partner. He hid his face in his hands, leaning down and arching his back, breathing heavily. Aloisia turned her face up, putting a sympathetic hand on his back as she watched the moon, crescent and growing, soon to be full.

The two headed back to the back porch, finding Quincy back with her brother and Throh, both had baskets worth of several berries.

“Daum, you guys! Nice collecting huh!”

“Yeah! Everyone seemed to have a nice time!” Quincy smiled as he passed the basket to Merlin, the kadabra, who took them to the kitchen. Moments later, Throh handed his trainer a basket. “Oh! Montgomery! Throh picked those! I’m sure your pokemon will enjoy it!”

“Oh- why thank you, Quincy! I am sure they will enjoy it.”

Aloisia smiled with her brows raised at the fighting type, in return he turned away, not needing to be a psychic to know what she was thinking. His trainer was pleasantly surprised, taking the berries he recognized many as the favorites of his team, the assortment though was missing one. Looking back and forth, he smiles softly.

The trainers say their goodbyes, Gallade also bids farewell to Throh and as they are, a small pebble hits the judo pokemon. Looking in the distance, he spots the quartet of throhs, all waving at them from afar.

“I think that’s how close you are gonna be for a while.”

“Hmm…”

The green haired got into his car, driving away down the road. Throh was in the back seat, looking out the window, gaze lost in the distant rolling hills. His trainer thought back to what Aloisia said, the cogs in his mind spinning like klinklangs.

“Throh, after your grounding. What do you say we go battle? I heard there are a lot of trainers coming into the main square of Icirrus City. Plus there’s that ice cream place we went to with Chara. What do you think?”

Through the mirror, he could see a slight gleam in his pokemons eyes before he turned back. He gave his trainer a thumbs up, mannerism he got from the quartet, to show approval.

“Alright. It’s a plan then. But you got to earn it. No more fights and you start helping me around the house, starting tomorrow. Understood?”

The nod was all he needed. But the sound he made after wasn’t his usual scoff, it felt nicer and calmer. Montgomery took it as a good first step.

#pokemon #throh #Pokemon Montgomery #gallade #pokemon fanfic #pokemon fanfiction #pokemon oc #Aloisia #Quincy #The rehabilitator #Professor Ipe

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pokemonthoughtandplaces · 4 months ago

Text

Sleepover

All the cousins were gathered for a sleepover at Chara’s family’s house. The oldest of the Akira cousins, still in her childhood bedroom, which now she had to herself with her two younger cousins, cracked jokes and told stories. Many traditions skipped around the party, from the passing of baked goods around, to what now happened, braiding each other’s hair. Alejo, the throh of Larissa, youngest cousin, braided the girl’s hair while Chara had Aloisia.

“Shhh! Stop fussing! I’m just braiding your hair!”

“I am not fussing. I am vigorously explaining you’re TUGGING it!” The middle cousin squirmed at the strength the other used.

“No I’m not! I’m being gentle! I’ve braided hair before!”

“Yours only I bet.” Aloisia kept looking back at her pokemon, who watched from her mattress, eyes begging for help as they exchanged looks and continued eating the popcorn.

“Hey!”

“Guys, come on! Can we just not?” Larissa finally piped up, grabbing a handful of popcorn herself.

“I feel honored to be the best braider here.”

“Just a tiiiny bit full of yourself!” Gallade jested, throwing some pellets into his mouth.

“Well, I am just speaking facts!” The pokemon giggled and Aloisia smiled devilishly. “You’re not allowed to-”

“Chaaaaraaaaa! Alejo is saying he braids better than you.” She translated, to the embarrassment of the pokemon.

“OI! Larissa tell him that’s not nice!”

The youngest cousin didn't say anything, however, sipping from her juice box and avoiding eye contact. The betrayal was audible in Chara’s gasp, much to the pain of Aloisia, who now felt it in her scalp.

“HOW DARE-”

“Look! I can’t LIE to my own pokemon now can I?” Larissa tried, and failed, to defend.

“OH, I AM NOT THAT BAD!”

“AI AI AI MY HEAD IS NOT A PIT OF SERPERIOR FOR YOU TO PULL AT!!” With a final twist of a scrunchie, Chara lets go of the middle cousin’s hair, who glares back in a pained and “AI!”

“Look, fine, I might not be the most gentle! But I get the job done now, don’t I?” She pointed towards the mirror, where then they saw an intricate cascading braid that took all of Aloisia’s hair. “See! Beat that Alejo!”

He was not phased, instead, tying the last bit of Larissa’s hair and turning her to the mirror where they could see many braids arranged into a bow, much more intricate than Chara’s and the girl was perfectly comfortable with it. The trainer was awestruck, wide eyes filled with happiness at the sight.

“Oooooh!!”

“Oh come on.”

“You do my hair from now on man.”

Alejo proudly chuckled, moving over to sit next to his mate, who instantly cuddled up to him. “It’s called: Braid vines for three years of your life and also her hair for another five.”

“Ha!” Aloisia chuckled, falling back on the cushions.

“Translate?” Chara had a feeling she would not like the answer.

“Direct? ‘It’s called: Braid vines for three years of your life.’ and I agree!” The pout “Accept pokemon can beat your ass!”

Alejo gasped, shielding Larissa’s ears, who rolled her eyes with a smile. “LANGUAGE!”

Gallade nonchalantly stretched, defending the youngest cousin. “Oh hush she’s not new to this.”

Aloisia smiled, nodding, but turning back to the human part of the conversation. As she did, Larissa jumped up from where she was seated, heading to her luggage and revealing a small necessaire excitedly.

“Since now our hair is out of our waaaay!” She opened the bag, revealing some face mask packages and tubes with essential oils. “Who wants facials?!”

Aloisia raised a brow, her cousin had just turned twelve, who was she to be doing facials? “You’re waaaay too excited for this.”

“Well, it’s not my fault I got a brand new facial kit! Plus! It’s relaxing!”

“She gives amazing facials! Just saying!” Alejo defended his trainer, getting looks from part of the group, surprised he liked it. “What? She does! She made pokemon safe masks the other day! I was rejuvenated!”

“Alejo, you’re twelve.” The blaziken in the room pointed out, still scratching behind the hakamo-o’s head, as the other slowly dozed off.

“And?! Twelve in throh years is a lot!”

“It may be in the wild, but here? Nah. It’s actually not.”

The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door, Chara recognized the known manner and asked jokingly. “Who’s theeeere?”

“Food delivery!” The oldest opened the door and found her mother there, collecting the platter of sandwiches and a juice jar, as well as more pellets and pokemon snacks. “You girls having fun?”

“Yep! Oh mainha!” Chara hugs her mother’s arm, puppy eyes beaming at her with all the might a 20 year old can. “Can we have some ice cream too?”

The older woman chuckled, “Nope!”

“Dang it.”

“Have fun kids!” As she headed back out the door, she halted, turning back to the room, “Oh! And limit’s 2 am!”

“Okay auntieeee!”

After the woman left, the cousins started chatting again, back to reminiscing and telling stories of all the things that happened while they were away. Which there always was.

Meanwhile, the pokemon continued chatting on their own accord, which for them, involved a lot of gossip.

They turned simultaneously to Galade first. “So? Any good tea yet?”

“Did you bring the stuff?”

Torren reached back, tossing a bag of pokechips to the one they inquired. “What do you have?”

He cracked the bag open, nomming excitedly at the Unova exclusive flavours from the town the throh and sawk came from. “Ah~ That’s the shit. Okay. So. Remember that clearly… Interesting trainer we came across a long while ago?”

“Uhuuuuh!”

“Okay, turns out, he was seeing another competitor! And they were caught making out in the changing rooms! That’s why they were so embarrassed right before we came in!” Gasps echoed from all around the room, together with laughs, “The THINGS pokemon are willing to spill!”

“Ohohoho! That reminds me of when I caught someone pooping outside the building- It was when they were fixing the toilets so there weren’t many people around- OH BY ARCEUS his pokemon were SO embarrassed-” The room erupted in cackles.

Aloisia, who never missed out on such topics, also giggled.

“Oh the tea is dropping over there!”

“Then tell us dammit!” Chara demanded, leaning on her hands.

“Oh, if I were to tell you both, I’d have to go from the very beginning! Plus, not the entire thing is… Larissa friendly.”

“I am fourteen! I can handle some gossip!” The girl contested, pouting and scowling at the two.

“Okay, I have to defend her. By her age I already knew all the supposed couples around my school!” Chara defended as well, to the bewilderment of Aloisia.

“Did me leaving at ten for my journey might have an impact on my gossip maturity?”

Galade defended his sister. “No because you used to listen in to pidoves.”

“Good point. They had the best stories.”

“Well- I have some amazing gossip myself!” Chara proudly announced. “Did y'all know, remember that old case of mine where a guy was making fraudulent ‘pokemon safe sandwiches’?”

“Oh, I remember. Those tasted horrible and sent some ‘mons straight to the center!” Larissa cringed and so did their pokemon, who by little, didn’t suffer an intoxication from those.

“Yeah. So! Turns out… He was doing all of that through his wife’s account!”

“OOOH.” Both cousins could smell the drama in the air.

“Well. I should say EX-WIFE cause they had divorced a year before! But he still had her bank info and she had not changed anything yet- SO! I go to ask him some questions- AND THE GUY’S GETTING ROASTED! Like- curses and plagues over that man!”

“HAHAHHAHAHAHA!!”

“I waited. And the amount that man fucked up. OOH BOY it was amazing to see.” She opened and sipped a soda can, then turned back to her family, “So, who has something?”

“OH OH! I have one!” Larissa volunteered, “I promise it’s very interesting!”

The older cousins crossed glances, but allowed, “Alright, the floor is yours.”

“Okay! So! I was doing some practice at the gym, as always, this kid my age walks up to me while I’m drinking my water and resting and goes, word for word: ‘talk, talk talk! talking about whatever’! And then pats my back with a wink and walks off.”

“Weeeeird.”

“Then another girl comes up to me, after I look more confused than whatever! And explains: ‘He’s seen his ex and is trying to make her jealous!”

“Ha! Classic!” Chara sipped more of her drink, Aloisia, once more, being beyond confused.

“He goes over, hugs another girl, like, rocking back and forth hugging as if he’s seeing them! But all the girls just look SO confused.” She’s giggling and all are as well. “He’s been pretending to be flirting with every girl at the gym!”

“Okay- That is admittedly more tea than I expected.”

“See! I told you!” She cheered, eating some more popcorn, “And I didn’t even tell you of the guy who was gloating so much before he broke his dumb ass at the parallel bars.”

“LARISSA! DO YOU KISS YOUR FATHER WITH THAT MOUTH!” Chara teased.

“Oh hush he’s given me the pass already!”

“She learned badly from the rest of the family.” Torren sighed, catching the attention of the others.

“Whatcha saying? We curse that much?” Papyrus popped his head up.

“Well, there’s a reason why ‘language’ is a joke instead of an actual warning.” Torren grinned, the playful tension building.

“Those can be considered war-waging words, cousin!” Gallade warned, frowning and arming himself with a plushie.

“Are you threatening my man?!” Alejo defended with a wide grin.

“No! ‘I’m gonna beat your ass’ is a threat! That was just a warning!”

“Ei! Stop that! No battles tonight!”

Aloisia didn’t look back, but didn’t fully appreciate the tones being thrown, she knew if they continued pillows wouldn’t be the only thing flying.

“What’re they saying?” Larissa questioned, tilting her head and looking back at her pokemon.

“Trying to defend our non-existent honor.”

“HEYY! I am honorable!”

“With the amount of people you’ve seen the past two couple of months? No, you’re not.”

“EI!” The older cousin threw her pillow in Aloisia’s face.

The room went silent, once the plush was removed from her face, a challenging smile was revealed. “Oh. Now. NOW IT’S WAR!!”

Pillows flew around the room, pokemon and trainers being hit left and right by plushies, pillows and even blankets. Aloisia had the aim and Gallade psychic powers, making it easy to hit as many targets and predict movements. Chara relied on Papyrus as her legs, as her prosthetic lay removed on the other side of the room. Larissa tried dodging as many as she could, with Alejo and Torren protecting her and her own psychics doing the sharp shooting, they still didn’t manage to hit anything.

They went on for what felt like forever, laughing and running around the room, making barriers with blankets only for them to get destroyed by another mon or girl who threw it against someone else.

They also had not realized how loud they had become for the people downstairs, only when they heard the mother of the oldest cousin approach did they stop.

Using the covers to pretend they weren’t just in a huge pillow fight until she walked away.

Chara sighed in relief, “So- Movies?”

“Good by me!” Aloisia and Larissa jumped to fix the room.

The decision on the movie went on for a bit, then the actual watching.

It didn’t take long for the group to start falling asleep, one by one pokemon leaned on each other or curled up on the bed. Larissa was one of the first to pass out, and slowly most of the room did the same. The sound of snoring almost got muffled by the tv.

Aloisia, the last one awake (if not for her brother who probably also could not sleep), turned off the tv. Turning on her back and watching the ceiling, her eyes slowly adapting to the darkness.

“So? What’s up?” Chara asked, startling her cousin.

“Huh?”

“You got something on your mind.” She smiled, “Or someone…”

“I- You- Well-”

“Shh! Wake the gossipers and you’re doomed.”

“Ai ai… I… Maybe.”

“Oooh. Who’s this person?”

“I- Well… If I say it you’ll mock me…”

“Alo! Never!” Her tone was not convincing, and Aloisia let it be known with her skeptical face. “Come on. I won’t tell anyone, I swear. Keldean promise!”

Even though it wasn’t a topic she wanted to discuss, she would not sleep if she did not get it off her mind, besides, no Keldean can break a Keldian promise.

“Okay… Fine…. So… The fighting type gym leader from Galar…”

“Ah-” Aloisia frowned towards Chara, who made a closing zipper gesture across her lips.

“She… I visited a few times… We chatted here and there… We sometimes train together and…” Aloisia felt her face heating up, thankfully it would be hard to see in the darkness. “She’s just… So nice, pretty, kind, sweet and, obviously, strong…”

Chara muffled a chuckle, seeing how dreamy her cousin got, “Wow, you really are in love!”

“I just… I don’t know if she even likes girls…”

The older cousin frowned, “Hmmm… True… That is hard to know.”

“I wanna ask… But then, I think it’d be kinda obvious, right?” There were many thoughts going through her mind, “And… I don’t wanna break the friendship…”

“Yeah… It’s hard, ain’t it?” Aloisia turned to her older cousin again, who now also looked up at the ceiling. “Look, things are complicated. Really complicated… But…” Chara sighed, patting her jolteon, “Wait a bit. Maybe time is what you need. And so, after that, if the feelings stay, ask. Asking doesn’t hurt, right? And more so, if by the end of everything, you start. If after the first few weeks, first month even, you can’t see a fixed idea of your future, a picture of it… Then you say goodbye.”

Aloisia frowned, giggling sarcastically, “What if I don’t see a future with anyone?”

“You will. I’ve looked around for a while, do I still think love will find me?”

Chara smiled, rolling over. “Well, you have better luck than I do.”

Aloisia watched her cousin, then turned over as well, looking at the wall behind where her brother lay.

“I like her machamp…”

“Pokemon are lucky…” She sighed.

“Yeah… We don’t have to worry about overcomplicated social principles.” She rolled her eyes, sighing again, he caught on, trying to cheer her up. “But hey… I can feel she likes you… I think you have a good shot.”

“Can you tell if it’s relationship-like? Or just friendship like?” He went quiet, “Figures…”

“Hey, it’s alright sis. Whatever happens, it happens.”

“Yeah…”

Her brother hugged her tighter, she hugged back. Her heart and mind were both contradicting each other, on one end, the anxiety of not knowing was crushing. Yet in the end, even if she did not feel the same about all of her feelings, she wanted to preserve the friendship. She didn’t want things to change, yet she wanted that crush to be gone.

Only the future to tell.

#pokemon #The Rehabilitator #sawk #throh #blaziken #Aloisia oc #Chara oc #Larissa oc #gallade #pokemon fanfic #machoke #hakamo-o

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