#i see pokémon that have white parts in their eyes and no obvious other pupils like that. y'know? as opposed to like. the glint from the sun

[front-facing-pokemon]

[sexysilverstrider]

An Agonizing Remorse | Volokari

  Finally!

  Mania spiked his mind to a high. An eerie smile cracked his mouth wide open. Black pupils shrunk madly, shivering inside a pair of maddening greys. Both hands curled into half-fists. White teeth grinded achingly, so roughly until his jaw strained to a threat of a snap.

  Despite the pain, despite the tear of cloth and skin, despite the dry throat that cracked blood in between, all Volo could focus, all Volo could see was her.

  He was winning. He would win! All these years led him to this. All those hells he went through would be rewarded soon enough. No one in this forsaken planet could stop him. Not even her. Not even the cursed ‘Chosen One’ he so loathed from the deepest pits of his black heart.

     The blood moon that beamed above them only shined brighter, painting the world red with promise of blood.

  His whole body shivered. His entire heart rattled. Breathing seemed impetuous. Vision began to blur.

  It was then he heard her scream.

  Wild. Unbound. Aggressive. Horrifyingly furious.

  Ah. It only made his laughter louder.

  Grey eyes—once void of life—were now wide and red, focused on the one girl he was battling. On the one girl he tricked. On the one girl he manipulated. On the one girl who reminded him of a time of unreachable bliss. On the one girl who gave him warmth when he felt eternally cold.

  On the one girl who constantly, infuriatingly, haunted his slumber and wake.

  Giratina shrilled louder, deafening him, forcing him back to the very reason he dreamed of this.

  But alas—as Volo pointed one bleeding palm towards her—all Volo could do, all Volo could focus on, was the demise of the Chosen One who was on the verge of shattering his very dream.

------------------------------

Ever since that incident, Togekiss realized something was definitely off with her friend.

  Volo was quieter than usual. Even when there were no humans around, the wielder was far friendlier with his Pokémon. He would talk nonstop, either talking about relics or ruins or the any mystery that caught his eye. While he looked generally unapproachable to some people, he was always, always warm and welcoming to his beloved friends.

  But now…

  ‘Volo…’ Togekiss cooed, catching his attention. The Jubilee Pokémon hovered close, nudging his left shoulder in hopes to get any proper reaction out of him.

  It did; Volo flinched just a moment as if he was woken from a daydream.

  “Ah,” was all he said, grey eyes softened to see his worried friend. “It’s nothing, Togekiss.” Pat, pat, the man assured her. “I was just thinking about what we should have for dinner later. I was thinking Aguav berry soup. What do you think?” His voice laced with honey, yet lacking in sincere joy that always beamed every time he talked to the Pokémon.

  Togekiss saw this change.  

  She opened her mouth, yet said nothing. Slowly she closed it, expression showing obvious concern that was now a staple part of her. A low murmur vibrated inside her. A tiny frown was still in place, perfectly mirrored in a pair of eyes that once lost its glow.

  Volo hated that frown.

  “I am fine.” He assured her. Again and again. Lying had become his second language, yet using that language against his dear friend truly hurt him. “I will be.” A hint of desperation slithered in between. One hand patted Togekiss’ head, fingers ruffling through the very soft feathers.

  I have to be.

  Another lie was choked down a dry throat.

  Knowing full well the conversation was going nowhere—whether he understood her or not—Togekiss gave a solemn nod and floated a bit higher. ‘I’ll go tell the others to prepare for dinner.’ A small smile finally emerged, honest and sincere, always filled with love that burst for her beloved human friend. Seeing a smile, albeit weak, from him, Togekiss flew off in the direction of her other friends.

  As Volo watched her fly off, his faint smile easily died to a frown.

------------------------------

  It had been forever since he last ate a meal made with love.

  Eyes wide with blissful shock. Mouth filled with food curved to a joyful smile. Surprise raised his shoulders, bursting him with light even from the delicious feast that danced on his tongue.

  “This is delicious!” he beamed, radiant and pure after he swallowed the delicacy. Grey eyes focused on the young woman sitting from across the campfire. A blush could be seen on her cheeks, the colours more vivid by the light of the dancing flame.

  “It’s…nothing really.” She laughed so meekly, poorly hiding the embarrassment that tickled her body.

  His throat felt dry at the sight.

  She was talking still, specifically about how the ingredients she needed existed in this timeline so it was simple to make the dish. The simple statement shot him to his senses, reminding him that she technically was never meant to live nor exist in this timeline.

  The reminder made his teeth grind.

  “Still,” She should not be here, “I have never tasted such delicacies.” He felt his hands shake—Volo couldn’t tell whether it was from anger or embarrassment. A cough broke out, threatening his smile to shatter. Taking a single breath, Volo lowered his hand but let an index finger rest near a sculptured smile.

  “The people in your time must be lucky to taste such good food from you.”

  Ah, he felt so despicable to see such a playful smile on her face.

  “See, now you’re just exaggerating.” Akari pointed her wooden spoon at him. A proud smile now placed on her face, the Galaxy member continued her meal.

  Completely unaware of the fire that burned in the pit of his stomach.

  Completely unaware of the hatred that coiled his throat to nausea.

  “I am nothing but honest, my dear.” The words were laced with poison, sickened with toxic that he wished to drenched her into.

  His smile remained perfect. His teeth grinded harder.

------------------------------

  Ever since that fated fight, he decided to never again show his face to the village. To her. He knew the wretched Chosen One would have told the Galactic Team about him. About his betrayal. Why wouldn’t she? He broke her trust after all. It seems natural that anger would be enough to fuel her for an act of vengeance.

  It was normal human behaviour after all.

  Besides, he didn’t belong there. Not Jubilife village. Not Ginkgo Guild. Not anywhere. Ever since he was born, he knew Arceus never favoured him to live happily. He was meant to suffer. He was meant to wither. He was meant to be eaten alive from the inside out the moment that wretched bitch got spat into this world.

  Crack.

  His breathing ragged. His eyes burned.

  Taking a deep breath, Volo cocked his head high. He shook once and twice. Long nails dug deep into thick gloves, yet almost enough to tear through such ragged material.

  Regret choked his throat once closed eyes showed nothing but the bleeding image of her face.

  Volo snapped his eyes open.

  “Fucking…” A curse slipped between clenched teeth. Deciding that this torment wasn’t going away, Volo took off his backpack and threw it a few steps away. Anger only bubbled within, leaving him warm with rage on a land that was barren and white.

  He didn’t belong anywhere; he might as well borrow this frozen wasteland for the night.

  Mouth pursed to a straight line, he unstrapped his Pokéballs and released his team. One by one got out, yawning and stretching after being disturbed from their slumber.

  ‘Volo?’ Togekiss spoke up after being released last. She quickly floated towards him, concern and confusion mixed in between.

  Volo truly hated that expression on her.

  “We are camping here for the night!” he declared, interrupting the Togekiss from asking any further. “I figured it’s been a while since we had a change of scenery, so I decided to spice things up.” The man spread his arms wide open, revealing the empty field that was filled with nothing but snow and chilling eternity.

  Garchomp especially did not appreciate the view.

  The Pokémon looked at each other, frowns and furrowed eyebrows mirroring each other. They knew their human friend was anything but fine. Ever since that dreadful fight on the Temple of Sinnoh, all of them realized that it was not just the battle that took a toll on their wielder.

  The Chosen One—as what he called her—was a very kind girl. A gentle and loving one. When Volo and Akari went on their last mission together, all of them could see that she brought happiness to him. A happiness that he had long forgotten. A happiness that they never would have thought been revived into him. A happiness that they solely desired for their beloved friend.

  But alas, happiness was nothing but a fleeting wish.

  A breeze suddenly whooshed through, biting the skin of every Pokémon. Garchomp shivered the most, absolutely did not appreciating the camping site for the night. ‘Are you serious…?’ Growling lowly, he scooted next to Arcanine. Although the Mach Pokémon had a rough exterior, at least her fur was warm.

  Lucario and Spritomb only watched as Garchomp huddled next to Arcanine. In a matter of seconds, Roserade did the same, now climbing on top of Arcanine as if he was about to ride her to sunset.

  The image was amusing—to Volo at least.

  Clap. “Now then,” A bright smile curled around the corners of his mouth, “who wants dinner?”

  He saw his Pokémon sigh in defeat. Volo then turned his attention to Togekiss, who only pursed her mouth in discontent.

  He didn’t want such an expression on his dear friend.

  One hand patted the top of her head. “I assure you: I’m fine.” Day by day, night by night, he reminded her. “I’m just tired, dear. Besides, it’s been a while since we all huddled around each other at night. I know you love that.” A promise of a cuddle-pile brought a glimmer of joy in her eyes. Volo smiled as Togekiss sighed, then shook her head in discernment.

  Finally, a worn-out smile tickled the Jubilee Pokémon’s face.

  ‘Alright, Volo.’ She chirped.

  While the wielder and Pokémon were preparing for the night, one lone creature stood from afar. Watching. Waiting.

------------------------------

  Days rolled to months ever since he joined her in this mission. It was Volo’s idea—and a grand one at that—to assist her in finding out the myths of Dialga and Palkia. He knew she had most of the plates. He knew she would be quick in getting the rest. Hell, partnering with her will give Volo a huge advantage in finding her weakness and exploiting it in their finale.

  Days rolled to months ever since she stuck by him. He started to know about her—whether he liked it or not. She talked about her world, her time. Akari had her secrets, but she was getting friendlier and friendlier which made it all too easy to get close to her.

  She was too easy. Too easy.

  He relished on that fact.

  “What was your time like?”

  His question stopped her from pampering her spoiled Typhlosion. “Oh?” He watched as Akari lean against the Pokémon—Hestia, if he remembered her name well. “You’re curious?”

  Teeth gritted tightly behind a sweet smile. “I’m always curious about you, Akari.” His chin rested in the palm of his right hand. Right elbow positioned on crossed legs, Volo leaned forward.

  His smile grew sweeter, sicker. “There is not a day in the world that I’m never not itching to know about you and your time.” Words were laced with honey and toxic, bubbling his throat until air tasted like copper.

  The sight of her blush only ached his jaw.

  He heard a cough, then silently observed as she sat up straight. “Well then,” Akari finally spoke, “What would you like to know first?”

------------------------------

  He wondered why tonight was the worst.

  He still remembered that conversation, that talk about her life in the future. She seemed so happy, so cheerful, so alive.

  He hated it.

  “I have a dear friend back in my time. We’ve known each other since childhood. He’s always this reckless guy who kept bumping into me every time we met.” He remembered the beautiful gleam in her eyes. “We started our journey together. Actually, it was because of him that we started our journey. He was always there to kind of give me a push when I felt hesitant.” He remembered the solemn smile of her pink lips.

  He hated it. He hated this blurry image of the person in her memories. He didn’t know why.

  “I lived with my mom.” He remembered her smile waver. “My dad… He passed away when I was 10. He had an incurable disease and he managed to live out long enough to see me grow up a bit.” Her words stung him, deep and bloody, opening a wound that he longed to forget. “But my mom and I pulled through! When I told her I was going on a journey when I was 16, she was super supportive.” Her smile shook at that time. Tears then shined in such dazzling dark eyes.

  He remembered it so well under the fleeting spark of the fire. He hated that it brought such agonizing pain in his chest.

  “And then there’s…” He remembered her hesitance. “Someone. She was like a big sister to me. She was so pretty and intelligent and always had my back when I felt stuck.” He remembered her smile was back, but her gaze now fully fixed on him.

  She looked so reminiscent. So nostalgic.

  The pain in his chest was unbearable, even until now.

  “After our final battle, she kind of took me in and guided me as the Pokémon Champion.” He remembered how she then flustered for a while as the alien term hovered in his mind. “It’s uh…a thing where people call you when you’re a super strong trainer from my time.”

  That explained a lot, he guessed, considering from the number of times she handled herself flawlessly in battles.

  His eye twitched when he remembered how she kept looking at him. But her eyes glistened, vision wistful as if she was looking at someone else.

  He hated that a lot.

  “You…reminded me of her.”

  That last sentence caught him off guard.

  He didn’t ask further after she realized how flushed she looked. Akari then excused herself quickly, running back to her tent and leaving his stunned self to recap what he had been told.

  “Pretty…” The word peeped so silently that death couldn’t listen. A dead chuckle then slipped out next. He had been called that a few times in the past. After being found by the Ginkgo guild, he had to navigate his way to survive, even if it meant using his body. During all his exploits, many people had called him that: pretty, beautiful, even downright heavenly. It was nothing to him. He knew the pleasures of the flesh meant nothing than the absolute devotion his soul craved for the being above.

  And yet…when she said his beauty reminded her of her own precious memory…

  Thump.

  One cold fist landed quietly on a log.

  Stupid… His mind reeled. Stupid…foolish…fucking girl… How dare she to compare him to someone else! Yes, he was pretty. Yes, he was intelligent. All of that took effort and dedication to where he was now. If he did none of that, he wouldn’t have succeeded it finding and conspiring with Giratina. If he did none of that, he would have died a lacklustre death just like his people. Yes, he was helpful to her, but only to reap his own gains—nothing more.

  Nothing more…

  Ba-dump…

  One hand weakly clutched where his heart rested.

  He was only using her.

  He was only manipulating her!

  Grey eyes watched the fleeting fire before him. Its gleam long gone; he felt his vision grow blurry.

  Her bright smile devilishly played in his mind, in his eyes.

  He…w-was…

  Crack.

  Eyes widened when the sound dropped him back to reality.

  Quickly Volo stood up and turned around. He saw nothing but barren trees and pure snow. The secluded part of Icebound Falls should not be inhabited by that many wild Pokémon—which was why he shooed all his Pokémon in the pretence of finding more wood and food just so he could have a peace of mind.

  Unfortunately, his constricted heart affected his foggy mind as well.

  “Great…” A low mumble vibrated between pale lips. Mind as quick as his body, he snatched a nearby log and lit it on fire. In a matter of seconds, he brought the newly-lit log forward. “If you’re planning to attack me, I ask that you don’t.” Cold. Cold and dead were the tone that slithered from such treacherous tongue.

  Suddenly, the ground beneath him was blanketed in purple fog.

  It approached him with quick speed, yet slowed down when wrapped around his ankles. The purple fog swirled upwards like ribbons, tracing over such worn boots. His surroundings started to darken—grew darker and darker as if the full moon was devoured. The air felt thicker, quite harder to breathe.

  And yet he had faced worse.

  Grey eyes looked forward, vision fixed on the creature that eerily hovered behind withered trees. It stood quietly, body a haze of red and white. The shapeless figure didn’t move, yet its mist-like miasma slithered closer and closer. Wind was void, but the atmosphere grew colder and colder. A moonless night was swallowed by darkness, fading out every single star that flickered pitifully on the fallen man.

  The purple miasma flowed up and up, tracing to his legs.

  Jaw clenched rigidly as Volo took a deep breath.

  “Hah…” A short exhale popped out. “Hah…ha…” Air thickened, but it meant nothing as fear itself was long gone. “Really now…” Grey eyes glared at the black shadow. It had stood away from the dead trees, now wavered a few steps away. It wobbled and swayed. Black, elongated shadow stretched longer and longer; its tips sharpened in shapes of claws.

  How foolish.

  “Away.” Again, his tone reeked of death. He brought the fire forward. “Away.” The word was all he could manage. All he could sputter. Though fear tried to snake its way into his dead heart, Volo pushed himself closer as if he was to welcome death.

  Considering all that he went through, he might as well with open arms.

  WHOOSH!!

  Suddenly, the purple miasma transformed into wind. The gust enveloped not the stunned human, but instead on the eerie shadow. The violent gust swirled and spiralled madly around it, forming a small tornado that almost cracked the trees near the shadow.

  Curses spat between clenched teeth, Volo raised his other arm near his face. Eyes squinted. Face ached. Slight burns could be felt on his cheeks; he soon realized that the miasma held poison. Quickly he took another deep breath, then covered his mouth with the same free hand.

  Before he could blink twice, the gust-filled shadow plunged in his direction.

  Acting fast, he swung the torch in front of him. Fwoosh! The flames swayed roughly, almost brushing the sleeve of his worn coat. Thankfully, the shadow didn’t dare to come closer. It stopped immediately, though then exploded upwards into a wild gust that almost threw him aback.

  Volo stood his ground, boot planted deep into the white snow. Panic rushed into his mind, he raised the torch, ready to slam and burn the blasphemous creature—

  Just as he opened his eyes, pupil shrunk into tiny dots.

  Breathing hitched immediately.

  Standing before him was no longer the mysterious shadow. Standing before him was no longer the disgusting miasma. Standing before him was no longer a creature that only had a terrifying glow of yellow dots.

  No.

  “A…k-ka…”

  Standing before him was the one girl he loathed the most.

  The girl stood before him. A smile curled her face. Eyes of pure black glistened under the glistening stars. A word or voice was never heard. A peep was never uttered from such pretty pink lips.

  And yet, her presence was enough to overwhelm gravity around Volo.

  “I—” The ground he proudly stood on started to shake. Reality he held so strongly started to shatter. The flames on the torch died out at once, log then dropped by limp fingers that had lost all grip. Grey eyes were wide as they could be, vision blurry even as disbelief robbed him of a clear mind.

  She was here.

  She was here.

  She stood quietly, smiling still with her cute head tilted to the side. Her hands were folded at the back. The white headband she always wore was free from dirt or blood. Black hair gleamed like precious coal, shining even despite the absence of the moon. She watched as Volo was thrown into torturous bafflement. She watched as Volo stumbled and stuttered like a piteous fool.

  The more he looked at her, the more he felt breathless.

  Y-You… Her laughter resonated so melodiously in his ears. Aka—Aka…r— Her smile rolled endlessly in his vision. I… He couldn’t move. He couldn’t think. I… All that could ever encapsulate his mind, body, and soul now was the very nightmare that haunted his living.

  The girl then raised her arms.

  Neither a sound nor a noise, she stretched her hands towards him. Her smile was still as luminescent as the cold sun. Her eyes gleamed brightly that rivalled the stars. Her head still tilted; eyes still fixated on the stunned bastard.

  As she reached closer and closer, what were once delicate hands now slowly cracked and elongated into misshapen claws.

  Nails turned to sharp claws. Palms sizzled into white, cold fur. Small arms stretched longer and longer, twisted and turned to a length that became longer than her entire body. The palms became wider, closer as they reached him.

  Her smile still stayed in place, though now crooked open with fangs that peeked from behind. The smile grew wider and wider, pulled up to her ears, curled painfully straight to its widened eyes. The beautiful gleam of black was gone, replaced with a glow of yellow that surrounded such blown-out pupils.

  And yet, Volo only saw her.

  “A…” The single letter of her name died on his tongue. “A…k-ka…” The futile desire of calling her name tasted like copper in his mouth.

  The bloody claws reached closer to him…

  “A—”

  Closer to his face…

  “—ka—”

  Closer to his eyes…

  “—ri—”

  ‘VOLO!’

  In a matter of seconds, all became a blur.

  A flurry of dark blue whooshed in front of Volo. It crashed against the disfigured girl. Another explosion of purple and white threw the man aback that this time, he actually did get fling backwards.

  Thankfully, injuries were avoided as his back landed on something soft.

  ‘Volo!!’ Togekiss screamed in fear. Her scream was drowned by many others, though most were in anger at the creature that almost took their wielder’s life. Immediately, Lucario rushed for his aid, paw holding Volo’s back and the human groaned on soft snow. Once assured that she was safe to move away, Togekiss quickly flew and floated in front of her friend. ‘Volo, are you alright? Can you hear me?!’

  Shock and pain now doubled as Volo tried to shake off whatever had held his mind hostage. One hand held his throbbing head. A hiss spat through clenched teeth. Another spat, this time with blood, dribbled from the corner of his mouth. “Ack—” Pain electrocuted his mind awake. Volo sucked the insides of his mouth, then flinched to feel blood coating his tongue.

  BOOM!!

  Explosions and screams echoed the barren land. Mind a muddle, Volo tried to sit up straight and reassessed the situation.

  There—lying on the ground a few steps away and surrounded by his Pokémon—was the creature that played such a cruel game.

  The figure of the girl he knew was gone, quickly dissipating and instead replaced with a ghostly body of white and red. Though upper body twisted backwards from Garchmp’s violent tackle, the faded spectre got back to its feet.

  Crack…craaaaaaack…

  Slowly it turned its upper body back to its place. Bit by bit, echoes of bones and flesh rang hauntingly under a foreboding night. Its head—the head that still was in the shape of the girl—dangled loosely on the side. Once its body was fixed, it straightened its back. The head was stitched by purple mist, wrapping around its neck as the face drooped, jaw sagged like thick liquid.

  Then finally, finally, it revealed its true form.

  A wild mane of white and red covered half its face. A white gleam of bleeding fangs present itself over a gaping maw. Its arms dropped forward, black claws dangling so close to snow that was now painted in red. Its body was so thin, almost skeletal, back hunched forward as it looked at its furious preys.

  Anger still fuelled inside such mad eyes, Garchomp lowered his head and growled. Spiritomb flared himself bigger, ready to become a shield for Volo. Arcanine stood on all fours, the ground below her shaking. A small gust of flowers began to spiral around Roserade as he glared at the terrifying Zoroark—

  “…ahaha…”

  The lone sound actually stunned them.

  Quickly they glanced at the owner of the voice, eyes spotting nothing but their wielder shaking between Togekiss and Lucario.

  “Ha…” His hat long thrown away from the blast, Volo only dropped his head forward. “Ha…hahaha…” Dry, blonde locks cascaded to the sides of his head, preventing anyone from seeing the expression that was plastered.

  Concern replaced with anger, Togekiss hovered closer to him. ‘Volo…are you—’

  Instead of finishing her question, Togekiss instead gasped in shock to see Volo snapped his head upwards.

  “HahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!” Again and again and again he laughed. Madness spiralled his pupils to the tiniest dots possible. Butt still on the frigid snow, Lucario—just as baffled and concerned—only held his back as Volo leaned backwards and backwards.

  His laughter went on and on, scaring even his own team as he showed no signs of stopping. His neck craned so painfully backwards. One hand slapped his eye, wide and quivering. Cackles only resonated with stars as his audience. Lips were now painted in red, trickling down the corner of his maniacal glee.

  Their Pokémon only watched. Only gaped. Even the Zoroark stood in place, though mostly annoyed at such a vile sight that was presented to it—

  “Kill it.”

  Laughter then suddenly stopped. Replaced with one order.

  His head was still craned backwards. One hand was still slapped on one side of his face.

  The silence was heavy. Unbearable. Unbreathable.

  Finally, Volo threw his head forward; his eyes were nothing but red.

  “KILL—” Anger and mania spiralled madly inside a dangerously, madly beating heart. “—IIIIIT!!!”

------------------------------

  ‘Volo really needs Akari again.’

  The rest stopped once they heard Lucario’s comment.

  ‘Are you kidding me?’ Garchomp spoke up. ‘Akari is the whole reason he’s like that!’ Voice of clear discontent, the Mach Pokémon huffed at Lucario’s frown.

  ‘Yes, but he’s partially at fault too. The aura he’s resonating has been nothing but cold and it got worse ever since Akari left him.’

  ‘You mean since he left Akari?’ Roserade chimed in while still sitting valiantly on Arcanine. ‘Even though everything was a foggy mess and we were all pretty knocked out, I remember clearly about him saying something to hear before implying that he walked away.’

  Arcanine sighed quietly while Spiritomb chimed in. ‘That night was way too intense, even for my standards…’ Shivers ran down the Forbidden Pokémon. ‘Whatever Giratina did that night…I’m surprised we all came out unscathed.’

  ‘I’m surprised Akari came out alive.’ Arcanine finally opened her mouth. The vivid memory of such an apocalyptic moment played in their minds, making them shiver once again at the possibility of it happening again.

  ‘He had to do that for a better future.’ Lucario calmly reassured. ‘He had suffered enough. It’s only fair that he wanted to live in a better world, even if it means destroying this one.’ Paws brushed the bristling fur on his arms. ‘It was terrifying but…we know he did that with our best intentions as well.’

  Silence echoed around the team.

  Even Garchomp remained quiet, pondering and frowning at the situation they were in. ‘Still…if he had told us the plan carefully, we would have helped!’ Quickly he looked at the Togekiss who had been the quietest. ‘Didn’t he tell you anything?’

  The Jubilee Pokémon only shook her head. ‘He tells me everything…’ Sorrow trickled her tone. ‘I—ever since we were young, he would always tell me secrets. But ever since we lost our village and his people, and especially ever since Akari came to our world, he—’ Her voice croaked at the memory. This earned a rough elbow from Lucario to Garchomp for being the one at fault.

  ‘It’s not your fault…’ Spiritomb comforted her. ‘We all didn’t know. Hell, even Lucario had a hard time reading Volo. Let alone you.’

  A small smile peeped from her.

  ‘Thank you…’ Togekiss then took a deep breath. ‘That being said, I can tell that he was…starting to be like his old self around Akari.’

  They all stayed quiet, silently asking for an explanation.

  And so, she did. ‘Volo used to be happier, kinder. I mean, he’s always happy and reveals himself more openly to us. But never to humans ever since his people died. But ever since Akari came into this world, I saw something…genuine that I long thought was dead. Ever since our last mission, he started opening up to her, being close to her. It was as if Volo was being his young self—his young self who was filled with love and belief.’

  Silence still became their response. Neither denied, for all could see the truth in her words.

  ‘Which is why I was able to evolve and why I was even more confident to become who I am now.’ Togekiss started to hover downwards, mirroring the sorrow that gleamed in her eyes. ‘So…when the thing at Temple of Sinnoh happened…I was shocked…I…’ Her eyes closed. Another breath taken. ‘I know this world is so cruel to him. I know he wants a better life. And I support his choices no matter what. I just…thought…that…when Akari came to his life, she is the whole world he is looking for…’

  The last statement was heavy to them, heavier for their hearts to bear. The truth was harder to swallow, even harder to release.

  Finally, Lucario broke the woeful silence. ‘In any case, if this gets worse, I believe it’s best that we find her for him—’

  Suddenly, red eyes shrunk.

  In a blink, Lucario turned around and dashed away.

  ‘L-Lucario?!’ Arcanine stumbled, almost pushing Roserade off her back as Lucario zipped past her. ‘Hey, what’s wro—’

  It all but took one word from Lucario to know something was wrong: ‘Volo!’

  Without hesitation, they all rushed back to camp.

------------------------------

  Silence.

  That was the only melody that hummed the dark sky above.

  The ground below was anything but pure. Rancid smell of flesh and poison soaked the air. What was once pure white was now stained in deep, black crimson. Foggy limbs and white wisps lingered on one spot, providing a nauseating stench that Arcanine had prepared her flames to extinguish it.

  She would now if she could—if not for the lone human who kneeled before the dismembered carcass.

  The other watched their wielder, watched as his back shook so weakly. Togekiss was the only who hovered close to him; revolting stench be damned.

  ‘Volo…’ she peeped, voice extremely meek. Yet he never responded, never replied.

  One lone man only kneeled quietly, motionlessly. Grey eyes were still blown wide. Blonde locks were still in complete disarray. His head was down, though gaze fixated on the bloody carcass that rotted so slowly.

  Grey eyes—once peaked with mania—were now wide and bleak, focused on the one girl whose smile shined radiantly in his gaze. On the one girl whose laughter rang melodiously in his ears. On the one girl whose touch sent shivers to his skin. On the one girl who reminded him of a time of unreachable bliss. On the one girl who gave him warmth when he felt eternally cold.

  On the one girl who infuriatingly, despicably stole his very reason to live.

  “Ha…” His vision blurred, stained by sickening tears. It trickled down and down, mixing with dry blood that stained the corner of his lips. “Ha…ha…”

END

[n6or]

love in the dark | bede sfw

Rating: Teen 

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: F/M

Fandom: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions

Relationships: Beet | Bede/Reader

Additional Tags: Self-Insert, Jealousy, Insecurity, Kabedon, Making Out, Drunk Kissing

Words: 2774

READ HERE ON AO3!

For once, Bede surprises you.

He stares at you with a rather astonished expression; his eyes are wide, his lips parted ever so slightly, and for once, you’ve rendered him speechless.

“Is… everything okay?”

Tentatively, you reach out to brush your fingers against his, but of course he recoils as if he were burned. Cradling his hand into his chest, his previous expression is replaced with the raising of his nose, eyes peering down at you.

“Why wouldn’t everything be fine?” he scoffs, turning on his heels. “We’ll be late because of you. Hurry up, Champion.”

You can’t help the smile that curls your lips as, just like normal, you follow along behind the fairy type gym leader.

You both forward into the private car that has been sent for you both; black and sleek and clearly an expensive brand.

A lot has changed since the end of the tournament. Bede continued to refine his skill as Opal’s pupil, becoming one of Galar’s strongest gym leaders. And you continued on to strengthen yourself as Galar’s champion, protecting the region and battling any of the rising stars that seemed possible to endorse. Of course, though, no one has overthrown you in the years you’ve been champion. Raihan constantly jokes that you’ll be undefeated until the day you die, and of course that makes Bede seethe.

Glancing down at the rose-coloured dress that ruffles against the seat, you smile. Fingers fiddle idly with the silk, eyes fixed on the passing scene outside the car. The closeness of the two of you has your heart fluttering like a Butterfree, the feeling of Bede’s warm thigh against your own being rather foreign.

Quietly, and rather unexpectantly, you felt a finger hesitantly circle yours. You don’t look, knowing his cheeks would be red and he would be staring out the window, too. Instead, you smile yet again, relishing in the little touch.

Paparazzi flood the entrance of the hall; people of all sorts have come from every inch of the nation to witness some of Galar’s most talented trainers arriving for the annual Pokémon League Ball.

The Galar Castle is a light colour that you can’t quite put your finger on… the bricks have an astounding glossy finish that make them look like creamy opals glimmering in the sunlight. The pillars of the building are embellished with well-trimmed trees and vines that lace along the stone like ribbon. It’s all so breathtaking, especially with the last light of day polishing the exquisite exterior.

“I don’t understand why they’re all so excited,” Bede huffs suddenly, leaning over you to peer out the blackened window. It’s still wound up. Looking up at the gym leader, you smile. “It’s not like they’re going to be joining us. And it’s forecasted to rain later this evening, too… They’ll get wet.” Bede shakes his head. “It’s all too—oi, what’re you—?”

Your fingers find a stray strand of his fluffier hair, tucking the curl behind his ear. His gaze meets yours momentarily, faces inches from one another. In that moment, you’re bestowed with a rare innocence of the gym leader—the side that nobody sees. Nobody but you, of course. His eyes linger on yours momentarily, flickering down before he draws away.

“Idiot,” he mumbles, looking out the window. “Stop making it so obvious.”

You laugh quietly at his scolding.

He glares weakly, biting his lower lip.

Then he leaves the warmth of the car.

Bede holds the door for you as you, too, follow out of the car. You shiver slightly at the sudden drop in temperature, the flashing lights of hollering paparazzi making you feel uneasy—dizzy, almost. Hearing the door close with a thud, you look over at Bede who looks rather proud, amidst those flashing lights. There he stands in his element, smirking at the photographers that capture every angle of you both.

Looking away, you smile to yourself.

The pair of you ascend the regal staircase, the marble ornamented with deep red carpet. You’ve grown accustom to heels, surprisingly. You walk alongside Bede, the rose of your dress complimenting his white suit and baby pink undershirt. Neither of you answer questions that are thrown at you like kindling;

“Y/N! How is it being champion?”

“Bede, why is it Y/N that you’ve brought to the Galar Ball?”

“Y/N, Bede, are you two a couple now?”

Neither of you need the fire that would erupt if you were to answer the scandalous questions.

Two stone doors open with a low groan upon your arrival, and it’s not long before you’re both swept away inside the castle.

“Y/N!” A familiar voice cheers. Before you’re able to turn in the direction of the voice, you’re tackled into a bone crushing hug. “Mate, how’s it goin’? It’s been ages!” Hop is laughing into your ear, bending down to hug you.

“It’s good,” You laugh, hugging him back. Your eyes curl shut with a smile. “Everything’s really good, yeah.”

“Oh mate, that’s great.” He withdraws from the hug and meets a glowering Bede’s gaze. The smile fades, but he nods. “Bede.”

“Hop.”

Looking back to you, Hop grins. “You guys know Gloria, yeah?” Stepping aside, he presents to you a smaller girl (about your height) with chestnut brown hair that falls just below her jaw. Her smile matches the brightness of Hop’s. She waves and the two of you share a small laugh before embracing. “Yeah, well, we kinda…”

“Are dating? We know, you idiot. Anybody would be able to tell.” Bede interrupts, clearly vexed. “Now if you’ll excuse us.”  

Slender fingers curl around your elbow, drawing you away from your (now) two friends.

“Bede,” you chastise, brows knit together. “That was rude.”

“He was rude.”

“He was not!”

Bede huffs, before stopping abruptly—you almost trip from the sudden halt.

“Y/N!” A voice slurs before you’re tackled into yet another hug. “Maaaan! It’s been ages! You never come to Hammerlocke anymore!” You can practically hear Raihan pouting. And Bede clicking his tongue. “Oh, Bede! Hey, how’s it going?” Drawing away, Raihan keeps one arm around your shoulder and extends a hand to the fairy gym leader. Bede just looks away with a small hmph. “Still th’same old Bede, huh?” You laugh behind your hand when Raihan ruffles Bede’s curled hair, causing a few strands to stray.

“Stop it, you imbecile! Do you know how long it took for the stylist to get my hair right?” Bede’s smacking Raihan’s hands away as they try to mess the other’s hair more. “Stop it, you drunken fool! Ugh!”

“Rai,” You giggle, tugging on Raihan’s arm. “That’s enough. You’ll make him upset.”

“I’m not upset.”

He’s tugging again on your arm, watching you with an unreadable expression.

You glance back at Raihan and smile when he withdraws, holding his hands up defensively.

“Sorry, sorry, not used to all this young love stuff. Off y’go kids—”

“Y-Young love?!” Bede near on chokes, eyes wide. He’s no longer holding you anymore; in fact, he takes a quick step away from you both. “You’re absolutely deluded, you—you—” Unable to find the right words, the gym leader turns on his heels and storms off into the ocean of people that wash the dancefloor.

That’s when your shoulders slump

                       And Raihan bites his lip.

“Shit…” he mutters. “Y/N, I’m sorry I thought you two—”

“It’s fine,” You manage out, forcing a smile. “Common mistake. We’re… I don’t really know. It’s complicated, I suppose… but don’t tell anyone, okay?”

Raihan nods, sighing at your pleading gaze. “Yeah, yeah… but Bede? Seriously? Totally did not see that one coming, Champ.”

A familiar warmth colours your cheeks and you look away shyly.

You part ways with Raihan after he’s snagged away by Leon (who greets you quickly, grinning as usual), Hop, and Gloria. Slowly you make your way around the party, feeling awfully lonely without Bede by your side. You almost feel anxious. In a party with this many people, you can’t help but worry about being alone. Crowds aren’t really your strong suit, after all.

You greet someone new every now and again, smiling and waving, indulging them in a bit of small talk before moving onto the next person… but it’s been almost an hour and still there is no sight of your fluffy haired lover. You wring your fingers together, squeezing them tightly. Was he really that mad about the idea of being together with you? You knew that prior to the blossoming of your relationship he had deemed himself better than you, always wanting to prove that by any means necessary… but you thought that perhaps now, perhaps after the time you had both spent together…

You shake your head at the thought, trying to rid your dejection as you make your way towards the dessert bar. You weren’t much of a drinker, and tonight you really didn’t feel like anything, so why not have a few sweets?

And have a few sweets you would’ve, if you weren’t snatched by the wrist and tugged away. You stumble a little at first, especially when the two of you quickly leave the ballroom out a door that was hidden by long, orange drapes.

“Bede?” You gasp, struggling to keep up with him. His silence is unnerving. It’s not like him to be so… quiet. “Bede, wait. Stop for a second, will you?”

Your words fall on deaf ears. The taller turns suddenly and yanks you into a darkened…closet? You go to say something, but when Bede turns around, his palms press hard against the door behind you, slamming it shut. Your eyes widen, body caged between the emotional gym leader and the cold, wooden door that presses against your back.

A weight on your shoulder surprises you, the tickling of blonde hair against your neck eliciting a small shudder.

“B…Bede?” Comes your soft voice, finally cutting the silence that encompasses you both.

“I hate it,” he suddenly whispers. “I hate it so fucking much… the way they all—they all dote over you.” His voice is low as he talks, the velvet tone making the hairs on your arms raise. He isn’t angry. No, he isn’t angry at all. He seems almost… vulnerable.

“They’re just my friends, Be…”

“I know they are,” he says again, sighing. “And that’s why I’m so frustrated.” Your small palms move up his back, slipping under his suit jacket to feel the tensing muscles of his shoulders. You rub slowly, gently, trying to ease the tensions… As you rub along the outline of his shoulders, he sighs again, relaxing slightly. “I’m sorry. I should be more composed than this, I’m a gym leader, for goodness sakes… but knowing how good you are—the gap between us…”

“Are you… concerned I’ll leave you for someone else…?”

Your question hangs in the air.

Bede never replies.

Tilting his head to the side, you feel his nose press into your neck. His breath is slow, and his hands soon fall away from the door to rest against the small of your back. His fingers trace feebly along the silk material.

“Pathetic, isn’t it? Standing here like this, with you.”

“It’s not pathetic…”

“The Great Bede, completely useless right now.”

“Bede,” You pull away and try to catch sight of his eyes, but all he does is nuzzle closer into you. You frown at an unfamiliar smell that trails from his mouth. “Bede, have you…?”

“That dastardly dragon gym leader… Said it would give me confidence, or something. As if I don’t have confidence.”

A small laugh leaves you as you ease your weight onto the door behind you, hand running up and through those unruly curls. He draws back slightly, pouting when he hears you laughing.

“Enough of that,” he murmurs quietly, forehead dropping against yours, noses bumping together clumsily. “Don’t laugh at me… Y/N, stop it!” Now he’s whining, voice discreet, careful not to draw attention to the little room he had slipped you both into.

“I’m sorry,” You giggle, hand falling against his warm cheek. Your eyes have finally adjusted to the light and now you can just see the faint discolouration of his cheeks. “You’re just too cute like this.”

“No,” he says quietly, leaning into your palm. Lavender eyes peer down into yours, the lack of light making them look uncharacteristically darker than usual. “It’s not me who’s cute…” His lips drag along yours as he speaks, voice low and sultry. It ignites the flutter in your chest once more. “You’re cute, Y/N…”

“Y-You’re drunk,” you say quickly, looking away. “You’d normally be embarrassed of saying—”

“So let me say them now.” His fingers meet your jaw, lightly tilting your head up once more. Gradually, his hand moves to your cheek where he rubs at the burning skin. “You’re so soft… yet so strong. No one can beat you. I’ve tried—over and over, and even though I keep losing, I’ll never give up; you’re the most impressive rival, Y/N…”

“Thank you for complimenting my battle techniques,” you jest, grinning teasingly up at the gym leader. It’s cute how red he goes—even the tips of his ears flush.

“Sh-Shut up! I’m… trying.” Taking a step back, Bede folds his arms over his chest, looking away.

It’s then that he turns

                 his back to you.

                           His shoulders look so heavy...

Taking a few tentative steps forward, you wrap your arms around his waist tightly, face pressing snug between his shoulder blades; you feel his chest stutter with surprise. His hands hesitantly rest over yours, and when they do, you feel him slot his fingers between yours.

“I wouldn’t do… those sorts of things with just anyone, you know…” you whisper quietly, voice mumbled by the rough material of his suit jacket. “You’re important to me, Bede. And I—really like you,” you mumble the final parts quietly, nuzzling closer into him.

His body is stiff as you talk, but his hands squeeze yours tenderly once you finish.

“…Me too.”

“Then why do you insist on hiding us?”

Again, the question is left dangling quietly in the cold air of the empty little broom cupboard.

“I just worry that it will…ruin your image. Being with me.”

“But I don’t—”

“I know you don’t care. You’re the most stupidly selfless woman I know… But I care. I care so much…about you.” The heavy sigh that heaves from Bede moves you, too. “It’s stupid and I hate it. I hate how you make me feel—the way you make me lose my impeccable composure. It’s frustrating. When we’re together I want to touch you—to reach out and take your hand, but I—I just can’t because… Ugh! That moronic dragon idiot was right. What courage do I even have? It’s pathetic. You should just leave.”

Bede drops your hand and folds his arms over his chest.

You watch quietly, trying to absorb everything—to take in it all…

And that’s when you kiss him.

With a firm pull to his arm, you turn the other around half-way, leaning up on the tips of your toes and sealing your lips against his. It’s not long before he completely turns to face you, hands moving to cradle both your cheeks. It’s slow at first. The kiss, that is. Bede holds you firmly against him as you continue to rest your hands at his slim waist.

The kiss is broken—

                       But only for a moment.

His lips ravish yours once more, starving to split the seam that keeps your mouth sealed. His tongue licks at yours slowly but desperately, his hands falling from your cheeks; one goes to your hip, the other resides at the back of your neck. He holds you so close, relishing in the feeling of your tongue caressing his; somewhere along the way he swallows your quiet moans, grip tightening on your hip.

The lip-lock lasts moments before your pulling back, panting, lungs aching for air.

“Be mine,” he mutters, mouth moving to your neck, kissing up the soft expanse. “Officially. I don’t want to be caught in this stupid limbo anymore. Or feeling jealous of your absolute donkeys-for-friend,” You make an audible “pffft!” at the elementary-school-level insult. That’s when you feel him smile into the patch of skin just below your ear. He kisses the spot again, softly—sweetly… “You’ll say yes, won’t you?”

“Do you really think I’d say no? Now you’re the idiot,” you giggle, turning your head to kiss his temple.

His chest stutters again as he chuckles.

“Yeah, maybe I’ll accept being the idiot this time, Champion.”

[fieryfafarfanfics]

Clumsy Denial

 He is, in any way, not in love with Devina.  Over and over and over again he reminds himself as some sort of mystical mantra. In the course of 4 years that they have been friends – much to his amazement still, sometimes – Bede would never, ever, acknowledge the fact that his heart has been completed ensnared by the Galarian Champion.  She is annoying; he can confirm that. Not a day passed by that she would sometimes drop by Ballonlea and pay him a visit. At first, it irritated him. The boy was there to train, to become stronger. What was once against his will at first is now his life goal as Bede aimed to become the strongest gym leader in Galar – and succeeded when he turned 18.  He will always keep the image of a frustrated Raihan ingrained in his mind as sheer entertainment.  But that was it. That was supposed to be it. Fast forward to them being 17, Devina would so often stand by his front door, asking to hang out or battle together, anything really if it meant being by his side. It’s baffling, really. Bede found it absolutely ridiculous that she thought he would find the time or energy to be near her.  …In a way, she was correct about that part.

 Ugh… Left eye crinkles in discomfort at the memory. His skin shivers. Though violet eyes drill at nothing in particular, Bede feels irritated as if someone is laughing at the line of memories in his brain.  She is calm. Too calm. The first time he saw her, Bede briefly wondered if the girl could emote at all. Just a simple smile was seen when she won her battle against him.  Arceus, he hated that.  Her smile? The feeling of being a sore loser to the once stranger? The fact that her smile at that time was for her Raboot and not him? He couldn’t tell.  And he didn’t want to.  It doesn’t help that her calmness is the hammer that shatters his walls.  Ugh… One hand weakly slaps his face. He needs to get his shit together. Fingers separate a space of his opened right eye. He still remembers the first time she smiled for him, so bright and beautiful, so for him. It took her a while to flash such genuine happiness for him when they were kids. Bede couldn’t blame her. He was the one who broke Hop’s hopes and dreams for a while that, when he and Devina did meet again, the boy saw nothing but pure anger and scorn on her face.  The shivering worsens. Bede quickly realizes he never wants to see those expressions on her to him ever again.  Slap! Both hands smack his beet red cheeks. He rues having white hair and quite fair skin, for the blush on each cheek is a pretty spotlight that beckons the attention of many.  I’m not in love with her. I’m not in love with her! Over and over and over again he mentally chants. Holding a puff of air inside his lungs, Bede shakes his head furiously before walking out of the gym.  He needs to stop thinking about her. ---  He soon finds out that, in order to stop thinking about her, he needs to stop meeting her.  “Bede!” Her voice chirps so adorably like a baby Rookidee. Happily she runs towards him, one arm waving left and right in sheer excitement. Crimson eyes shine brilliantly under the roaring sun. Eyelashes flutter up and down, each a flicker of elegance from a brand of mascara she is sponsoring at the moment. The famous red jacket she always wore since she was 16 is snugged comfortably on her body.  Bede remains statuesque in his spot.  She stops in front of him. Dark hair bobs lightly at her single bounce. The bangs on her forehead is now a bit longer, Bede realizes, as Devina brushes it away from her beaming eyes.  Arceus, she takes his breath away.  A smile so bright it rivals the sun, Devina cups both hands together. “I’m here!” she beams. “I’m not late!” she laughs.  One hand is brought behind his back, shivering and clenched to a fist.  “You’re here.” He bluntly states. “You’re not late.” He blatantly repeats. His heart a frantic chaos, Bede holds a breath. “You know, I mean when I say I don’t mind your company.” He is not in love with her. “But any reason why you sound so ecstatic when you called us to meet today?” He is not in love with her sweet laugh.  She doesn’t reply immediately. Her smile remains, though.  This taunts the young man.  “Sonia and Hop just came back from a professor convention in Hoenn. And they brought a lot of cool Pokémon pictures!” Without waiting for a reply, she swings her knapsack to the side and rummages inside it. “I mean, obviously they got a lot of data along with the pictures,” she continues, crimson eyes now focus on searching for the contents, “but some of the photos are so cool and I saw some really beautiful fairy Pokémon I know you’ll be thrilled to know about!”  Ah, how his heart melts at the thought that she was thinking about him.  As quick as how his feelings soften for her, he immediately shakes his head in a vain attempt of denying the obvious.  I’m not in love with her. “What kind of Pokémon would possibly make me so thrilled to know about it?” He is curious, excited.  The brief glance and smile she gives him is an arrow that shoots through his mad heart.  “I think it’s called a Primarina?” Eyes squint slightly in annoyance when she realizes her hand can’t find the picture. Holding the bag right in front of her now, Devina brings her head lower. “Ugh, I know I put it in here somewhere…” White teeth carefully nibble the insides of her lower lip. Pink tongue subconsciously juts out in cute frustration.  Bede wonders what it’s like to put that tongue back into her mouth with his own—  He shakes his head even faster.  “AHA!”  Both jump at the voice. One in exaggerated satisfaction while other in nervous shock. “Found it!” Joy echoes in the magical town of Ballonlea. Right hand gripping the photo as if it was a gold coin, while her left hand gently pats her beating chest. Smile never gone from the Divine Champion, Devina slings her knapsack back to her shoulders. “Here it is, Bede. The beautiful water-fairy Pokémon!”  Stupor still leaves the man in a daze. It takes him a few heavy seconds, but the gym leader snaps back to reality once he sees her pretty smile.  “Oh.” He murmurs. “O-Oh…!” He stutters.  She was once a calm girl when they first met. But now…now…Bede is forever baffled at the range of emotions in this dazzling woman.  “Right—right!” Laughter chokes between such a foolish reply. Immediately he straightens his back. Immediately both arms are slapped by his sides. “Sorry. Your scream is sometimes so bloody loud, I almost mistook you for a Loudred.”  Those pretty pink lips pull a pretty pink pout.  “Shut up.” She sticks her tongue out.  I’m not in love—! I’m not in love—! “Just give it to me.” Curiosity tickles his fancy at the photo. But awe and raw nerves quickly overtake any emotion that resides within him—  Whoosh!  Just when his fingers were about to touch the photo, it instead got blown away by the simple breeze of the wind.  “Ah.” He dumbly responds.  “Ah!” She quickly exclaims.  While the two react in different ways, their bodies seem to move in exact unison. Both have their arms stretched up. Both start to move towards the direction of the hovering photo. Bede takes a few steps back. Back and back until his fingers manage to press together against the photo.  His capture has a price, however; his steps falter, and Bede can feel himself falling backwards.  Uh oh!  “Bede!”  Everything happens way too fast.  The first second, he felt his body falling backwards. He was ready to accept the painful result of his back hitting the concrete wall. For a split second, Bede actually hoped that his fluffy hair would break his fall.  But it didn’t.  Because in the next second, he feels something holding him in the air. He feels something – arms, he figures – wrapped around his back. He feels something – a hand, he feels – firmly yet gently holding his right shoulder.  He feels something – someone’s breathing – right on his face.  Violet eyes snap open – he didn’t even realize he had them closed. And the moment vision starts to sharpen around its surroundings, Bede feels all air has been shoved right out of his lungs.  “Are you okay…?”  Her voice. Calm and cool. Warm and soothing. Her smile is finally gone from such a pretty face, but now replaced with a fiery gaze that burns right through his soul. Her glasses stay in place, the lens further magnifying such assertive crimson irises. Her eyes are hooded slightly, yet Bede can see each pupil enlarge just the slightest. The dark bangs of her hair cascade forward, some strands are tucked behind her glasses while others brush his forehead.  Pink lips are close – so dangerously close – to his. Full lips are parted slightly, just as his own are too. Warm breath flows in, and out, and in, and out. Heavy. Then slow. Her breath caresses his opening mouth, tickling the twitching tongue inside. The tip of her nose is a mere inch away from his own. And if Devina were to tip her head slightly, she would definitely earn a cute whimper at the simple brush of skin against skin.  The hand that holds his shoulder slowly releases its grip, slowly moves to his back. Fingers brush the little ponytail at the back of his neck, dangerously tickling him into sheer submission.  And by the sun and stars and moon clouds, Bede truly feels his legs turning into jelly the moment Devina huskily murmurs, “Are you hurt…?”  Bloody hell… His face is now burning right to the tips of his ears. Bloody…fucking…hell! His breathing is now harsher than any ghastly sandstorm in the wild area.  He is, in every way, completely in love with Devina. END

[garyclone]

Pokemon Vault Boy?

Okay me and a few others in the VB Discord was talking about if VB was a pokemon and THIS is what we got: @sandwichknight: Alphdorable Irradiated mascot Pokémon Ht: 3'00"

Alphdorable is (almost) completely harmless. They like to go up to trainers and hug them, which makes them very good as comfort.

Trainers must also be aware to wear protective clothing while with Alphdorable, as they are slightly radioactive.

Me: What if the Evo line is human-like, but their appearance seems round and soft, even in its final form, and they still retain their softness, even after the final Evo where he’s just got a huge ass horn coming outta his head and leaking radiation everywhere. So like imagine Jigglypuff, but with longish arms and legs and there’s a visible neck and head separation. But their hands are kinda stumpy and squared-off along with its ‘feet’ which is pretty much it’s shoes but it’s entirely made of flesh and can’t be removed.

S: Betascot Radioactive Mascot Pokémon Ht: 4'07" Unlike its previous reserved form, Betascot are more social and energetic. Their Trainers are highly advised to wear better protection once Alphdorable evolves, as Betascot would emit more radiation than its previous form.

Trainers sometimes take Betascot with them on long journeys as a “companion”.

Me: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA A A A A A A A

S: Gammad Nuclear Mascot Pokémon Ht: 7'11"

Very unlike the behaviour of Alphdorable and Betascot, Gammad are absolutely violent and reckless. They tend to get into fights with almost anything, including their own Trainers if they are not careful.

@beta-gamma-delta: poor trainer might I add?

S: These Pokémon are well feared because of their behaviour and capabilities. However, experienced trainers have shown that they are not all reckless and rampaging. In fact, they are highly intelligent and caring. The reason this does not show is because it is subdued by Gammads own constant rage.

Me: What if Gammad still retains some of its cheery and kind behavior and wants to actually protect smaller, KINDER, Pokémon like Happiny and Cleffa, but they always get scared off or actually faint in his presence, and he gets so distraught and rampages, unless if it’s trainer calms it down quickly. They would also be a attention hog in fights, especially tag team fights, having a high critical-hit ratio to prove its ‘worth’ to its trainer, and would actually DEMOLISH the rival trainer’s pokemon. (Kinda like the Mega Evo Lucario in the anime that almost killed Pikachu) Also, trainers must be wary when adding new additions to their team, since they’ll feel like they’re getting replaced soon and would fight their trainer or the newly added pokemon, even if it’s another powerful pseudo-legendary or Legendary pokemon. It takes take for Gammad to get used to new team lay outs, especially if they’re not the starting pokemon. If it does manage to faint, it’s face is the only time you can see either fear or bliss on its face, just like Primeape.

S: The constant anger and violence is still never explained. Some presume that they are experiencing repeated pains in their body which triggers their anger. Gammad is also said to be quite relatable to Incineroar, except that Gammad is way more violent and brutal.

Me: Hypothetically if you place Gammad with another 'powerful’ pokemon, it’s unique ability 'Nuclear Rage’ would activate, causing instant poison damage upon any physical hit (Like Muk’s Poison Touch) AND would increase either AP or critical-hit ratios. It only activates if the rival pokemon has a type advantage, high level (50+), or any ability that can nullify Gammad’s stats, enraging him. It doesn’t activate if it’s a lower level pokemon or if it’s a base Evo, such as when people have unevolved pokemon on their teams holding evolite.

S: I can also see Gammad having Anger point as another ability as well. Maybe he also has an exclusive move as well? Maybe something to do with his horn, body, or radioactivity.

Me: His abilities would probably be Moody for both of its pre-evos, and it’s final Evo can have Anger Point, Poison Touch, or that fake one I made up. His exclusive move could be a physical poison move that involves his horn, piercing the enemy as he emits a toxic aura, and with the wound he makes, the 'poisonous’ aura would seep into the rival’s wound, poisoning them with a 100% guarantee (like how Will-o-Whisp has a 100% guarantee to burn) and having a hefty attack stat too.

S: Splenetic Stampede? Raging Rush?

Me: Radioactive stab? Venom horn?

S: Nuclear Horn can work.

Me: I feel like his horn would be like slanted, just like his hair curl seems to be in the illustrations, and the horn itself would be bright yellow and maybe a foot long or so. If anyone makes fun of how short it seems or tries to cut it off (like a slowpoke’s tail) Gammad would rampage for HOURS.

S: Maybe it glows green as he attacks with it?

Me: Maybe blue, since it’s acidic drool would resemble Nula Cola Quantum, and would make a more unified color palette.

S: Also, I imagine that once he stabs his foe, he would (try to) lift up his victim like a Rhino Beetle.

Ooh. I like it.

Me: YEEESSSSSS SS And he just screams and flexes its massive muscles and just TOSSES the rival pokemon away like a crumpled up piece of paper.

If Gammad does managed to get knocked out, when it’s healed, it’s been reported that the pokemon for awhile becomes consumed by shame and can actually get picked up on by smaller and weaker pokemon, and would revert almost to the personality of its first form, expect it is VERY depressed and is touch-repulsed. Even it’s tears are toxic, and the few owners of Gammad struggle to get it out of this emotional rut.

S: When Gammad wants to mark territory, it would mark or even impale things with its horn.

Me: VERY few Gammads exist in just one area, and if more than one meet, it’s a all out brawl to the death. You can tell areas that were once fighting grounds by seeing massive marks in the ground and if you use a Geiger counter, you can see how radioactive the area truly is. Rarely, some lower evos of Gammads can appear in these areas, but flee upon the sight of trainers or other powerful pokemon. If a Gammad wanders near a town or city, it is hunted down by local authorities and is caught in a high quality ultra ball, and is kept by the Nurses at the local pokemon center as a failsafe. Rarely Nurses would give them out to VERY established trainers or Champions, as a 'prize’ but they’re just really getting rid of this 'horrid’ pokemon.

S: It is very strange seeing a Gammad with the personality of a regular Alphdorable. They would become very shy all of a sudden and can resort to hiding behind their own Trainer. This can make some Trainers and even Pokémon laugh at such a powerful Pokémon becoming so afraid and frightened.

Me: If one manages to catch any of a Gammad’s pre evos, they MUST be a pro trainer and have a certain amount of badges, and must buy a hazmat suit. If it eventually evolves into Gammad, the trainer MUST report its existence to the authorities. The trainer can keep it, but must warn rivals if they fight, Gammad can critically hurt their pokemon. Along with its terrifying appearance and power, Gammad are known to be very fickle with their emotions, mostly being pissed off, but can get emotionally distraught under certain conditions. It is rare for a Gammad to be seen calm or happy, only if it wins a VERY easy match or its trainer is grooming/feeding it.

Some parts of Gammad and it’s Evo line are sought after, mainly it’s 'mask’, horn, and drool. The mask isn’t part of its body (like Mimikyu’s rag or Farfetch’d’s leek) but they get INSTANTLY SCARED if anyone tries to take it off, especially in its pre evos. Rumor has it if you take it off, it’s pre evos would suffer from shock and faint unless if the mask is returned. If it’s not, they WILL enter a coma like state and die. It’s suggested that they’re all disgusted by their true appearance, and very few people have seen their faces in each form. If a Gammad takes it’s melting mask off and reveals it’s face to its trainer, it is the ULTIMATE form of respect towards it’s trainer, since it won’t show it’s face to anything unless if it trusts them. The horn is pretty obvious, and is thought to be medicinal, or can be used as a fighting items such as the Stick or Bone Club. Removal of the horn from its mid or final Evo (the only ones with horns) would enrage it and VERY few horns make it on the market. Finally, the drool is only found in its final form, where the mask starts to melt away and reveal part of its face, mainly the lower jaw. The drool itself is radioactive and can be used as a unorthodox power source, and is coveted by evil organizations such as Team Galatic or Magma. Probably the most important thing is the MASK, since it just DESTROYS their character and they wouldn’t have a will to live.

G: this. this is beautifull

Me: If you see the face of Alphdorable, it’s just two beady black eyes and a constantly open mouth, hinting at a genetic deformity where all the species of this pokemon suffers from lock-jaw. It’s face in its Betascot form is the same, but with visible fangs piercing through its own skin if the mouth does close (which is VERY painful and hard to close) and a white pupil appears on its black eyes. Gammad’s face is the most drastic, with a parasitic-like mouth, with jagged teeth pointing in each direction, but it’s mouth can close with better ease. It’s eyes are now constantly leaking the blue radioactive material, and can be considered to be it’s constant tears. It’s jaw seems to be split open however, and it can be seen from its side profile, even with the mask on. The white pupil appears to changed into a radioactive-symbol-like shape, but it’s debated if he pupil actually split up into smaller pupils like some sort of bug or deep-sea fish. Gammads will panic if one tries to remove its melting mask, and it’s the only time where they can be seen to be totally consumed by fear and would bawl for DAYS if the mask is removed. After that, they WILL rampage if the mask isn’t returned, and will die from a heart attack (like Primeape) if they’re in a manic state for too long. The mask itself changes upon each evolution, with its base form being the most human like (AKA most like VB) After the second Evo, the eyes would have a small crack in the mask, and the coloration of the mask will fade a bit. In its final Evo, the plastic is starting to melt, and a huge chunk of the mask is cracked open, slightly revealing either the left or right eye and the mouth. The lower part of the mask where the mouth is, is either burnt or in a goopy melted state. If a Gammad feels like it’s getting 'stared at’ for too long, it will strike at what it’s making it uncomfortable, since they seem to be concerned about its appearance. Gammads seem to miss their 'cuter’ form, in their pursuit of achieving power, a more impressive horn and larger muscles/height.

I feel like the pokemon’s skin tone would just be solid blue, with yellow markings where the stripes should be, along with black 'feet’, but as Gammad, the blue coloration around the arms disappear and appears pale white (like if the sleeves got ripped off.)

@emnide: im thinkin like okay sorry i was rereading everything maybe this has been said before but i feel like theyd be used in marketing and advertisments like how tigers are used on animal crackers yknow people probably promote gammas as “these guys r friendly dont worry” but theyre just sugarcoating the creature’s behavior i wonder how the body structure is like for the gammad. on all fours like a gorilla or smth? idk im thinkin of nrvb now okay now im getting some ridiculous ideas bear with me what if the alphadorables and betascots had regular nuka-colas for spit/blood/etc? but its not very prominent and i bet some people have tried to put em into zoos but then they evolved and caused a ton of trouble so maybe even the smaller pre-evos would be avoided in fear that it would evolve and turn into a gammad and then theyre all sad but hey theyve got eachother what if they were crafted as well? ( this mightve already been said but i havent read through the beginning part i apologize ) like how super mutants were created with the FEV, the lil radioactive pals mightve been a way to showcase a company after tinkering with but instead turned into well. radioactive pals cronch cronch gammad shaped crackers

G: immagine a small girl adopting an alphadorables

E: oh man dude what if they evolve and she gets killed and like their reputation is ruined because it circulated the news

G: maybe she only get hurt very badly, no Need to be that tragic

E: so like they used to be loved and stuff but incidents of what they become make people shun em time to be tragic

G: poor gurl and poor boi

Me: I REALLY like the idea of them being man-made like Ditto and Porygon

E: i live by drinking the blood of vault boy

Me: Shit fam same

E: and nice to do! to elaborate on that idea, the creators perhaps wanted to make a mascot for their company. be like “hey guys check out this cool pokemon!!!! buy our nuclear generators!!!!!!!!” then they either escaped, got out of hand, and developed to become more powerful and have more forms or just released in belief that nothingll happen

Me: But their faces were kinda eerie so that’s why they forced them to wear masks, up to the point that they think they’re disgusting if they loose their mask, and get into a panicking state.

E: holy shit yes

Me: Oh and Gammads would be bipedal, but since they’re so massive and have huge fists, they could go on all fours but rarely do, since they feel more monstrous when pokemon or trainers stare at them when they do it.

E: oo okay i see sounds real cool

Me: The pre evos are incredibly rare in the wild and mostly can be found in abandoned buildings with other Poison or Ghost type. They’re highly coveted in just their BASE form, if it’s the middle or final evolution, they’re shunned and hide in caves in the mountains or woods.

E: what if gammads were like nukalurks like they evolve by sittin in abandoned nuka quantum factories ( if the company exists in this world )

Me: YES!!! Just like Magnezone, Leafeon, and other area-induced evolutions. You need to take the middle evolution to their 'source’, a abandoned lab hidden in the middle of a forest and take them to the most irradiated area, and they’ll evolve. However many have forgotten about their true home and that’s why so few Gammads can be found in the wild.

E: are first evos super adorable or a lil bit off or absolutely horrifying

Me: Super cute, but wears a mask all the time.

E: i wonder if anyones drawn on a mask before

Me: Their body looks kinda like Machop mixed with Jigglypuff, so they’ll look human like but are soft and round around the natural edges like elbows and fingers. If you draw on their mask in any evolution, they’ll just panic and run off crying, and can been seen frantically trying to scrub any 'imperfection’ on their mask, even if the mask is damaged, usually when they’re a Gammad.

S: I was thinking that his back would be kind of spiked. Or small parts of his body would be coloured like Uranium.

Me: NICE If you touch his spine where you can see it poking through the skin, Gammads would panic since it’s really their only weak spot. Plus would they have hair? Or just the horn when it develops in its mid evo.

S: Hmm. Can be a yes and no. I’ll say that the hair can develop. But what if it hardens over time?

Me: Like it just becomes like a hunk of Uranium and just looks sculpted, and where the hair curl should be is where the horn grows over time/enlarged drastically with the final evo.

S: I would say that his hair would be in the shade of yellow. And maybe quite gem-like?

Me: Like it’s barely different from the horn itself, and can be confused for being the same genetic material. What color should their face be? I was thinking either blue like the body’s 'suit’ or a ghastly pale white, and the white coloration appears on it’s arms and hands, especially in it’s final form, to pretty much hint at that the 'sleeves’ got ripped off upon evolution.

S: Pale white for the face?

Me: Maybe? Underneath the mask, and the blue coloration on its body would stop at the yellow stripe around the neck, and then it’ll be pale white. The hands could also be that color, or just blue.

S: I had a little idea, just like the “Uranium spine spikes”, maybe they would also appear on other parts of the body? There would be patches of grey and blue (maybe green as well) where the spikes are developing.

Me: I gotta admit that sounds fucking rad.