#with their own pokeball in their own hands. paws. whatever

[salsa-di-pomodoro]

If lady sneasler went back home with Ingo i think eventually she would want to try battling with him. I mean it looks fun, everyone tells her it's a good bonding moment for both trainer and Pokémon and it's a golden opportunity to show off, why not? Who's going to stop her, the pearl clan?

Ingo takes a bit of convincing, out of respect for both her and the traditions of the pearl clan, but he relents eventually. He can't deny he's been wanting to do this as well. After a bit of training they have the time of their life destroying people's (read: Emmet, the elite four, other Frontier Brains and generally just other strong trainers (sorry i didn't include Elesa. I love her very much but she is not on their level methinks 😔. Id love to be proven wrong tho)) teams, with a mix of Ingo's old and new team and her as the ace for once in unregulated matches. (Turns out, noble Pokémon naturally have insane stats and therefore cannot partecipate in league matches or official battles. Ingo has to nerf sneasler/the rest of his team or use less Pokémon as a result, but he loves the challenge. He's thrilled when people defeat him.)

(Emmet takes this as a challenge. As long as his Pokémon are on board, he's building his way up to defeating Ingo when they're not holding back. He gets scarily close every time.)

I ran out of space in the tags but blankshippers dni pls. Let's stay in our respective lanes and not interact

[infiltraitor]

... [Watch the video?]

"Some bull." Dakoda hissed under her breath, brushing off the sand from her jean shorts. Her face contorted into a nasty expression, scowling to herself after replaying the conversation with Atlas. The Nihilego poison may be bad, but is he really that irresponsible? She groaned loudly, pulling at the pigtails that flung back as she lifted her head. Hone trudged up to his trainer, looking with a rather empathetic expression crossing his features

"Don't worry 'bout it, Hone. Let's go find more Pokemon to beat up," The girl smiled evilly to herself for a moment, taking a breather as she pushed herself up from resting in the sand. "Ain't no water type beat you up too bad."

The Gabite gave a sly giggle in return to his trainer, walking beside her as she traversed down the coastline. Melemele sure did have a beautiful view, even the ocean reflected the pale moonlight and glittered perfectly as waves echoed further out. She reached towards her pocket to grab her phone, when her gaze was suddenly snatched by a flicker of light dancing across her vision.

Dakoda froze. She tensed up, whipping her head around wildly. Surely there couldn't be an Ultra Beast to ambush her, right? Either way, she stood on guard as the Gabite took the hint to suddenly become alert. The scene quieted, the only thing she could hear was her own breathing and the soft brushes of the ocean.

Once more, it flashed across her eyes. A clear lightning bolt shook the sky, but Dakoda was beyond confused. The sky was entirely clear of clouds, especially storm clouds. Hone shivered, taking a wary step behind his trainer. Dakoda's head turned slightly to face the Gabite, readying a question until another dart crossed the sky.

Suddenly, it rocketed into a frenzy of light. Multiple dashes across the horizon, and right above her. Dakoda held back a squeal, instead trying to track the Pokemon that might have been causing this disruption. The Gabite desperately pawed at her hand for his Pokeball, and as soon as Dakoda's grip had loosened, he was immediately pulled into the capsule.

"Hone- Come on!" Dakoda whined, shaking the ball lightly. She felt no pressure change or even the echo-y cry of the Pokemon within. She felt her heart sink to her stomach with the increase of chaos above her, crouching down to run if she needed to.

As suddenly as the frenzy had started, the lightning stopped. A complete halt, which made the girl even more confused. Until she saw it a distant figure with a familiar silhouette. She'd seen that around the island before, but there could be no way. Her eyes narrowed thin as she tried to focus on the figure, but it gave her no time to figure it out. With the same bolt of light, it dashed towards Dakoda.

She screamed as the Pokemon rushed towards her, pulling her arms above her head to shelter herself. She scrunched her face together and stretched her legs closer to her torso. Was she going to get attacked by an Ultra Beast too? It didn't seem like one...

Her curiosity got the best of her, as she opened an eye to look at the ambusher. Before her was Tapu Koko, glaring menacingly at the younger girl. Dakoda's heart dropped, and she immediately panicked as she skidded across the sand, running back towards the cheap motel. The guardian that once stood before her screeched as she darted away. She felt herself being picked up by a claw, grazing her back as the backpack she wore was lifted.

Tapu Koko?! Attacking her, and for what?

"Stop, stop, stop! I'm sorry, Tapu, I don't know what I've done to displease you but I really didn't mean it- whatever I did!" Dakoda began pleading for mercy, kicking away from the legendary as its grip on her bag did not falter.

It seemed to shake her, trying to pry open a pocket in the backpack. She whipped her head around to look at what the legendary was trying to do. Hey, that's the pocket with the stone she stole! That really shiny stone... She tried to slap away the claw of Tapu Koko, but it seemed to become enraged at that, suddenly shaking her much more wildly.

The sudden ear-piercing crack of reality echoed on the still beach, causing Dakoda to freeze again. Tapu Koko seemed to let out a distressed scream, dropping Dakoda as it backed up. The girl was even more confused, trying to back away from both the loud sound and the Tapu.

The crack in the sky beside her seemed to stretch wider, consuming some of the darkness from the sky before a beam of light bellowed from the split. An encasing light caused Dakoda to squeeze her eyes shut, gasping for air as she looked back. Holy shit, an actual goddamn wormhole.

As if the breath felt ripped from her lungs, Tapu Koko seemed to panic before the anomaly in the sky and dart off in another direction.

"So much for a guardian!" Dakoda yelled, ripping the words from her throat in a desperation she didn't know she could embody. Her head snapped towards the wormhole once more, noticing an unearthly claw reaching out. Awfully far out to grab her-

And it did.

Dakoda's voice erupted from her chest once more, screaming out in a raspy tone. Holy shit, the claws were almost digging into her sides. She tried to squirm wildly, pushing on the claw and kicking but to no avail. There was no way this was happening to her. The vein growths from the wormhole seemed to enclose in itself as the claw dragged her closer, closer to the split in reality.

"No, no! Aether Foundation, abandon Atlas, Arcdamnit!" The girl screamed for a final time, hearing the oddly loud white noise overtake her hearing as she was dragged away in the wormhole.

[chronicallylatetotheparty]

Prepare For Trouble

Tommy and Kat have a plan to finally catch Jason's Pikachu!

-----------

Jason, Billy, Trini, Zack and Kim had just sat down to eat when familiar theme music echoed tthrough the clearing.

Jason sighed as he stared hungrily at his food. "Of course they'd show up now."

"Prepare for trouble!" Kat announced.

"Make it double!" Tommy answered.

"Can't this wait until after lunch?" Kim asked.

"To protect the world from devastation!" Kat continued.

"To unite all peoples within our nation!" Tommy echoed.

"Statistically speaking, Team Rocket does have an eighty percent chance of showing up at the most inconvenient time," Billy pointed out.

"Only eighty? Feels higher," Trini commented.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Mm mmhm hmm!" Zach took a drink of water to clear his full mouth. "You said it Trini."

"Kat!"

"Tommy!"

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!" Kat posed so her arm and leg took the shape of an "R".

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight, fight, fight!" Tommy completed the pose with his back against hers. Solidifying the "R's" spine.

"Purrsian! That's right!" Saba finished holding up Jason's Pikachu in front of them.

"Pika!" He called from inside the electricity proof glass bubble.

"Hey!" Jason's head turned from Team Rocket to the empty space where his Pikachu was eating his food and back again. He shot to his feet, hand scrambling for a PokeBall. "Give him back!"

"Aaaand that's all the time we have folks!" Tommy called down from their hot air balloon. "See you next week!"

"Venasaur use razor leaf!" Billy shouted. "Wouldn't it be easier to just catch a wild Pikachu like a normal person?"

"Pidgeot gust!" Tommy countered.

"Where's the fun in that?" Kat asked.

"Besides, our boss is obsessed with this Pikachu," Saba added, tapping the glass cage with his paw.

Before the rest of them could attack Tommy directed his Pidgeot to blow them quickly away.

"Pikachu!" Jason called out dramatically as Team Rocket became a speck in the distance.

"Oh boy." Billy pulled out his Pokedex and started disassembling it for the fifth time. At least he knew what he was doing now.

"Uh, Billy? What you up to dude?" Zach asked.

"If I can combine the Pokedex's scanning capabilities with Pikachu's unique waveform stored in his PokeBall I should be able to triangulate their geographical location."

"... Come again?" Kim asked.

"He's making a Pikachu tracker," Trini explained.

"Ohhh," they all chorused.

Meanwhile, at Team Rocket's "evil" makeshift campsite:

"Genius using our motto as a distraction while Saba snuck up behind them Kat," Tommy praised with his head in her lap.

"I know." Kat gave him a teasing grin as she brushed a knot out of his hair.

"Ow!"

Saba rolled his eyes in exasperated fondness at his humans before turning back to their 'guest'. "Why hasn't your human given you a name besides 'Pikachu'?"

"Pikachu pika Pikachu!" Pikachu huffed, crossing his little arms and turning his nose up at the Purrsian.

"Alright, fair enough," Saba conceded, throwing his paws up in surrender.

"What'd he say?" asked Tommy.

"He said 'Pikachu's name is Pikachu' which is honestly very Pikachu of him."

Pikachu's ears twitched but he didn't open his eyes.

Kat chuckled. There were times Saba forgot to explain certain subtleties of the Pokemon lexicon. "Sounds like Jason just got lazy."

"Pi-pika! Pikachu!"

"Well that's not very nice," Saba admonished.

"What's that rodent saying about my wife?" Tommy made to stand but Kat pushed him back down.

"He can say whatever he likes from inside that globe."

"Piii! Kaaaa! Chuuuuuu!" Lightning flashed bright enough to give Saba afterimages but not a spark escaped. The effort leaving Pikachu winded.

"So!" Saba started once Pikachu got his breath back. "How do you feel about unions?"

Pikachu tilted his head. "Pi-ka?"

----------

Tommy was woken up by the loss of circulation in his wrists. "Wha...?" he looked up. "Oh no."

"Oh yes!" Jason grinned, wearing an imitation Team Rocket uniform.

"Please, this is embarrassing for everyone!" Kat said, tied up next to Tommy.

"Prepare for trouble!" Jason ignored them pressing play on the theme song.

"And make it double double!" Zack backflipped into view.

"To protect the world from devastation!" Trini posed.

"To ignite all peoples within our nation!" Kim mirrored her.

"This is just insulting," Saba hissed, hogtied.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" Billy continued.

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jason!"

"Zack!"

"Trini!"

"Kim!"

"And Billy! That's right!"

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!" Zack grabbed Kim and hoisted her up like they practiced.

"Surrender now or prepare to fight all of us!" Trini demanded.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu finished.

"Man, that was fun!" Zack grinned.

"Yeah, now I know why they say that dumb stuff all the time!"

"First of all," Tommy gritted his teeth. "It's 'unite all people within our nation' not ignite."

"If you're going to mock us you might as well get it right!" Kat snapped, trying to look imposing despite being tied up.

"Oh don't worry," a mischievous glint came into Jason's eye. "There's one catchphrase we left all for you."

"W-why do I get the feeling we're not going to like this?" Saba asked.

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"

Several thousand volts of electricity launched Team Rocket into the sky. Their bindings burning off and trailing smoke from the explosion.

Tommy crossed his arms. "In hindsight, we definitely could've parked further away."

Kat sighed. "Boys, I think it's time we went freelance."

"Boss finally get to ya?" Saba smirked.

"She wants that Pikachu so bad she can come down here and get it herself!"

"What about the name?" Tommy pouted. "It's trademarked."

"Since when has that stopped us?"

"I like this idea!" Saba agreed.

Tommy nodded. "It'll make her positively furious! On three?"

"You know I don't like countdowns."

Grinning, Tommy hugged Kat and Saba as they became a point of light in the sky.

"Team Rocket's blasting off agaiiiiiiin!"

-----------

"Hey, Kim? What's Pikachu doing with the other Pokemon?" Jason asked as he set down their food.

"Hmm? Dunno. They've been at it all morning. Aipom came a while ago and grabbed a bunch of markers."

"Hey guys! Breakfast!" Zack called to them.

The Pokemon turned to look at their trainers before scrambling hurriedly. Lifting up signs that had a simple drawing of a food pellet crossed out. Others looked like they had PokeBalls on them.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu came marching at the front. Kinda dwarfed by Zack's Steelix and Trini's Charizard. Climbing onto Jason's Blastoise he went on a short speech which the other Pokemon cheered.

Jason blinked. "Uhhhh, what?"

"It appears our Pokemon have gained worker consciousness and are now attempting to renegotiate the particulars of their social contract with us," Billy observed.

Jason looked at him for a moment before turning to Trini.

"They formed a union."

"What!?" Kim, Jason and Zack exclaimed at once.

"Pi!" Pikachu pointed at Trini and nodded.

"Uh, well..." Jason looked at his Pokemon. Eyes landing on the crossed out PokeBall. "We can't have all of you out of your PokeBalls all the time."

"Pika pi!" Pikachu shook his head and gestured at Kim's Eevee. Who dashed into her bag.

"Hey! C'mon you know I don't like you rummaging through my stuff."

Eevee popped her head out with Kim's planner in her mouth.

"A planner? You mean like a rotating schedule for PokeBall time?" Jason asked.

"Pika!" Pikachu grinned.

Jason looked at his friends and at the signs. Some of which had things that weren't as obvious as the others.

"Well you know what they say about keeping your Pokemon happy," Kim shrugged.

"And it's not like the towns we've passed have been stingy with their communal Pokemon resources," Trini added.

"Yeah, dude! They're part of our team too!" Zack said.

"If they're asking then it's best to listen," Billy agreed.

"Alright, alright," Jason smiled, turning to Pikachu. "It might take a while considering Saba is miles from here but we'll hear you out."

Pikachu grinned. "Pika!"

[ihaveatheoryonthat]

Whumptober* Day 13: Can’t Make an Omelette [...]

*Nope. I could only go so long without getting silly. An alternate summary of this prompt would be ‘Ingo unwittingly becomes an accessory to Sneasel Crime.’

---

The people of Hisui didn’t seem to have a particularly comprehensive understanding of where Pokemon came from.

Perhaps that was a bit rich coming from a man who didn’t know how he, himself, had arrived in the region, but the lack of awareness bothered Ingo in a way that… well, most other things also did. As usual, he chalked it up to Hisui working differently than the home he couldn’t remember.

It was clear enough by his first week amongst the Pearl Clan that he must have worked with Pokemon in his otherwise empty past; he could handle tame Pokemon he’d never met before and cooperate with the more agreeable wild ones with only a little effort. He’d even-- rather unwittingly-- charmed the wildest of the wild, a fact he hadn’t even realized until Calaba’s flat, disbelieving, “What, in all of Sinnoh’s vast space, am I looking at?”

In his defense, he’d thought it was another one of the settlement’s Pokemon who’d walked up and plonked her head in his lap, seeking attention. He hadn’t been entirely incorrect, either; Sneasler was a Pearl Clan Pokemon, just one of more significance than he’d first known.

Wardens, at least, seemed to have more of a grasp on how Pokemon worked-- albeit with regards to their Nobles, and few species beyond. Palina had been a great source of insight, her own Noble’s child newer to the clan than Ingo himself, and Calaba’s years of experience had helped fill in the picture.

It still felt… lacking. Ingo was relatively certain that a good caretaker vetted a potential mate, checked for a number of qualities from demeanor to fighting capabilities, but the other Wardens seemed content to let their Nobles do as they would, and he didn’t want to step on any toes.

So when Sneasler had an empty nest one day and a clutch of solid-shelled eggs the next, something pinged as fundamentally incorrect, but he went with it. The Sneasel that hatched were as wily and energetic as their mother, so there was no arguing with results.

They went through two seasons of this before the ruse broke.

The running of paws across the Highlands-- be it by twos or fours-- wasn’t an uncommon sound, and the call from above, where Gliscor lazily circled, stated that Sneasler was inbound. There was a follow up, screech, however, sighting another-- one of the invasive Weavile. Ingo had to assume it was trying to move in on Sneasler’s territory, and moved to assist in driving it off. Just as one hand dropped to Machamp’s pokeball, however, he found his arms full of something else.

Without a chirp of explanation, Sneasler spun him around and shoved, chittering for him to leave right now. The more battle-hungry side of him argued against it, but the one cultivated by Hisui’s wilderness and Sneasler herself listened; nodding sharply, he darted off to find a haven in the mountain’s crags.

Only once he was hidden away in the shadow of a jagged cliff did he stop to consider that the object thrust into his hands was an egg. What… did that imply? Sneasler’s nest was currently vacant. Sneasel-- Hisuian and foreign alike-- were nest predators, so it seemed likely that the strange evolution would share that in common, but if they weren’t her eggs, why would Sneasler care? He could see the Noble getting jealous and stealing a snack from a rival, but not whatever production had just been acted out.

Was it hers? Had she been attacked in the midst of having a clutch? Well, no. That wasn’t possible-- not the way she’d torn down the mountain. They weren’t even on the right side of the cliffs to be near her den.

What in the world was going on?

The stone above his hiding spot cracked and tiny bits of rock rained down. Instinctively, Ingo flinched, and an upward glance gave him about half a second to prepare for Gliscor swooping into his face, tail hooked into the bluff so it could stare upside-down.

It clicked at him, and he raised a hand to cup the top of its head, absently moving to scratch behind one ear.

Several minutes passed and, eventually, Sneasler made her appearance, nudging Gliscor aside like a particularly enterprising curtain. She made a point of looking over him, ensuring both her Warden’s safety and that of the egg she’d entrusted to him, before reluctantly peeking up to meet him eye to eye.

Ingo said nothing; he tilted his head and turned a wrist in question. She wilted, if only just.

Somehow, in spite of her imposing claws, Sneasler made grabby paws at the egg. He sighed and turned it over for her to inspect more thoroughly, but she just wrapped her arms around it and sprinted off-- albeit at a pace he was clearly meant to follow. It was immediately obvious that she was headed toward her den, and so he opted for the more human-friendly cliff faces rather than the ones she saw fit to traverse, even with fragile cargo cradled in one arm.

To his bafflement, there were Pokemon eggs settled in her nest when they stepped in. There hadn’t been any there that morning, and, to the best of Ingo’s knowledge, Sneasler had been on the opposite side of the mountain all day. She set the egg down with the other three and clambered in, too, looking up.

“That’s not yours.” Ingo said plainly but, after another few seconds of being stared at, sighed and knelt down opposite her. “You rerouted all of these eggs from their proper stations, didn’t you?”

While mildly chiding, his tone was still gentle. Mostly, he just wanted to understand.

She tapped her chest with one paw and then to the nearest egg, shaking her head vigorously.

“You’re unable to have your own?”

There was another, more decisive shake of the head.

“You don’t… want your own?” Given the circumstance, it sounded ridiculous as soon as it left his mouth, but Sneasler’s eyes lit up and she nodded. A little helplessly, Ingo gestured to the bounty of stolen Sneasel-to-be that surrounded her, “Sneasler, that’s-- if you have no desire for your own Sneasel, why have you stolen them away?”

She glanced off to the side. At first, Ingo took it for something approaching shame, but her expression was all wrong. In was a pointed look, through the rock toward the center of the territory. When it failed to click, she looked back to him, and added the chirp that meant ‘Pearl Clan’.

Oh. Well… yes, that would make sense. One of a Warden’s duties was to help raise a Noble’s successor; that necessitated a number of sub-tasks like keeping track of the young, gauging their temperament and working with the Noble to ensure that the Lord-or-Lady-to-be understood what was needed from them. From step one, it presumed the Nobles would have-- would want-- heirs. That assumption had already led to near disaster in the case of Lord Arcanine.

Without quite meaning to, Ingo buried his face in his hands, but it was barely muffled as he said, “So you have been reallocating eggs that do not belong to you in order to appease the Pearl Clan.”

He didn’t see, but could hear the smug ‘aren’t-I-a-clever-one’ in the answering trill.

Ingo looked up by a matter of degrees, hands still steepled to cover his lower face, and fixed her with a stern look. “Is it too late to return these passengers to their rightful homes?”

The sheepish inclination of the head came as little surprise; anything that spent even a moment in Sneasler’s den came away with her scent clinging to it. Even if the eggs’ parents could tell it belonged to them, Sneasler’s lingering presence would likely keep them from accepting it again.

“Then we will care for them as usual, but I will not permit this to happen again.” It was silly to feel kinship with an egg of all things, but Ingo couldn’t help but sympathize with it; they’d been helpless to do anything as they were spirited away from a home they’d never remember, stolen from their parents and nestma--

He blinked, startled to awareness, as his the brim of his hat obscured his vision.

There was a fond whuffing noise from somewhere on its other side, and he had a sneaking suspicion as to who was responsible for both.

“Thank you,” He sighed, and reached to straighten his cap. How ridiculous, to find himself derailing over a few… forcefully adopted eggs. He still didn’t approve by any means, but the damage had been done, and now that he knew, he would see to its end the following year.

The question of how to put this right with regards to the Pearl Clan’s tradition remained. While he could uphold his ward’s ruse and act as though the Sneasel she’d raised were from the line that Sinnoh had blessed, he wasn’t sure that was the right thing to do. Under no circumstances would he encourage Sneasler to act in a way contrary to her desires, so there had to be another way...

Ruefully, he spared a thought for the state of Hisui’s Pokemon education. This was just a step removed from claiming that an egg ‘just appeared!’ to avoid having to explain where it came from.

...he hadn’t questioned it, had he? Sneasler’s previous clutches had ‘just appeared’, and he’d gone right along with it. Sinnoh above, he was a fool.

“I don’t understand, Sneasler.” Ingo said, and he could admit that he was trying to distract himself from the embarrassment of falling for something most 10 year olds questioned, “You’ve maintained this cover for years, and clearly you were able to fend off the Weavile on your own. My involvement seems unnecessary-- and forgive me for saying so, but I would even call it unwise.”

Sneasler huffed and grabbed him by either side of the collar. Something about that act seemed slightly to the left of what should have been, but he was more distracted by the fact that it sent him tumbling against the Noble. Through the worn padding of his hat, he felt her rest her head on his.

Two chirps sounded, rumbling through her chest.

Kit, was the first.

Mine said the second.

[uriel-is-best-girl]

-Orv pokemon au-

I'm sorry, but hear me out: gengar! Kdj. All the gengar pokedex entries are about it being evil except for one, which says that it was once human itself and looks for a traveling companion and tries to make one by stealing the life force of humans. Now imagine a recently deceased kdj who only remembers bits of his human life, only remembers how lonely he was, waking up alone in as what he assumes in a ghost (he doesn't figure out what happened until people point at him and scream that hes a gengar). Kdj is sad, he wanders around in shadows, and hes still so lonely, but hes also bored. So he learns how to manipulate shadows, how to make them laugh and move. Kdj will sometimes pretend those shadows are real people, his friends... Not many things attack kdj, but as all things go it does happen often enough (ussually trainers) that he learns how to fight, or how to run away if a trainer tries to capture him. He avoids capture becausehe doesnt want to be someone's pokemon + hes also afraid of hurting someone he might care about (ie: if he started caring about a trainer), he knows what the people whisper about gengars, how they steal the life force of humans just by being around them. And he doesn't want to risk hurting a naive kid who just wanted a cool looking pokemon.

Ok, time to cut to the part I care about, gengar!kdj meets child!yjh who is lost in the woods and the yjh has scraped knees and seems to be looking for something. Kdj hasnt seen anyone in a hot second and, agaimst his better judgement, decides to try and lead the child outfit the forest. But when kdj steps out yjh's eyes light up and he points at kdj and shouts "I CHOOSE YOU!" no pokeball, the kid (hes like 11 btw) just walks up to kdj, grabs his hand/paw and starts dragging him somewhere. Kdj is so shocked (all reactions hes gotten in the past have been fear or hatred) that he just lets the kid pull him.

K, so some background for yjh. His parents are both gym leaders (maybe of the same gym) and he rarely sees them, with them having a place to stay at the gym when they have extra work or just don't want to go home. So yjh was raised more by sitters and himself than them, but, he thinks maybe if he becomes an amazing pokemon trainer, like them, theyll be proud of him or want to see him more. Essentially, he thinks he's the problem. So when hes finally old enough to choose a starter pokemon lets say he couldn't choose one for some reason, maybe they were all gone when he got there, or he needed a signed permission slip and couldnt get it signed in time, whatever. Yjh goes home and cries just a little (a lot) in that empty house. The next day yjh is determined again. If he cant get a pokemon from the professor, then hell just go find one. So he goes out through the forest (hes wearing those shorts and a t shirt you see the kids wearing in pokemon games) and the first pokemon he finds that doesnt run away is kdj. (Yes, this does mean that that yjh shouted 'i choose you' at many other pokemon and they ran away).

So like just imagine yjh who had no plan other than "get pokemon" dragging kdj back home with a sense of satisfaction.

Alright yjh doesnt put kdj in a pokeball because he doesnt have any. Also yjh isnt really training kdj, he just plays with him. Imagine yjh dragging kdj out for adventures or pulling out board games they could play. Eventually yjh gets a second controller so kdj can play videogame with him (kdj doesn't really have thumbs i think so the controller is on the floor and he leans down to move the sticks and press buttons). One day yjh tells kdj that theyre companions, "in life and death" and yjh smiles at his own joke (bc kdj is dead hahahahhaha). Oh yeah, and when they have to name their chatacters in a video game, kdj names himself "kim dokja" and yjh takes note that thats his name.

Ok, but ofc now its time for angst. So after like, idk a couple weeks or months yjhs parents come home, see the gengar and freak out. Yjh is all excited to show his parents that hes going to be a pokemon trainer too and arent you proud of me? And then his parents both throw put their pokemon. Like, idk a growleth and gardivor. And kdj is expert at running away by now, but he only pretends to run away, he comes back and hids in the shadows because he's worried for his only friend. Kdj watches yjh's parents yell at him once they find out he brough kdj in, saying things like "you know what those things do when wild right? They suck you life force out, even tamed ones are still dangerous and evil. At this rate youll never be a good pokemon trainer" and other hurtful shit. Kdj is super hurt, especially when they say he had been sucking the life force of yjh. His worst fear is coming true, and he thinks yjh must hate him by now. There goes his only companion. Afterwards kdj cant bring himself to leave yjh so he waits in the shadows and hes also worried for yjh after the thing with his parents and he wants to protect him. Kdj figures so long as he's not in yjh's shadow then the whole life sucking thing won't happen bc he doesnt really know how that works.

Yjh ofc doesn't believe that kdj was hurting him and starts to feel disillusioned with his parents. And so he runs away with some money and buys pokeballs and becomes a pokemon trainer for real (after unsuccessfully trying to find kdj). Yjh is sad about kdj for a long time, until, he realizes that kdj is following him. It takes months, for him to both notice and realize the shadows moving out of the corner of his eyes are kdj. It offers him some consolatiom to know that kdj is still here, but it also hurts not being able to see him and that he hides. So yjh continues on, with kdj right behind him, and set on proving his parents wrong. On the way he builds up his team and makes friends, and kdj watches from the distance. Kdj doesnt know if he was lonlier before, when he had no one, or now, only able to watch from afar.

Ok so but obvi yjh isnt just going to let kdj stay in his shadow forever. Hes constantly on the search for information about gengars, he reads all the dex entries he can find and learns that gengar are rumored to have once been people and it makes all the more sense: kdj having a human name, his literacy, and yjh wishes again that he could see kdj again. Ok so I figure is also yjh hunting down ghost type trainers for more information/starts trying to figure out how to bring kdj out. And imma say that kdj cant hear whats happening while in the shadows so he has no idea that yjh still cares about him. And ofc all yjh's friends know that yjh is looking for someone(?), he doesn't tell them all the details but some of them figure out more things (like that its a pokemon, it was a childhood friend, excetra) but in bits and pieces. All of them are in favor of him finding this person though because sometimes he just looks a little sad, when he looks at the shadows or talks about kdj. And kdj knows none of this. Blah blah this is years later, yjh is now an adult cool.

Ok I've got a two options for how kdj is brought back up, and one of them involves han sooyoung being a gengar.... (yjh defeats idk like ysa or smone who is the champion and she's all like ok what do you want, and yjh is like I want to know how to get this gengar thats been following me around to come out of the shadows. And han sooyoung is ysa's gengar that she sends it into the shadows to get kdj to come up. But I dont like that one as much)

Option 2: yjh ends up finding hsy who is like a spirit medium (she uses things the dead tell her as inspo for her writing). And so hsy is all like yeah I can help you, but itll cost you blah blah money. So hsy does wooo woo magical talk to ghosts shit and manages to get kdj out of the shadows. Ok Im finally running out of steam for this so bassically yjh takes kdj's hand (btw gengar are like 4'11 according to the pokedex) and tells him "stay" when kdj seems like hes going to disapear. And then yjh drags kdj home and makes him play video games and kdj is introduced to all of yjhs friends just by always being with him and kdj makes friends with all of them. No one but hsy saw the smile on yjh's face when he saw kdj again (kdj was looking away). And the end, they live happily ever after, yjh prospers despite his shitty parents and kdj has friends and feels more alive now than when he was actually alive.

ALSO THIS IS PLATONIC JOONGDOK BC IM NOT GOING TO EVEN TRY AND WRAP MY HEAD AROUND IT BEING ANYTHINH OTHER THAN PLATONIC THANK YOU.

Also if you made it this far thank you but also srry bc Im not editing this monster.

[kaen-ace-of-diamonds]

Cinderquil

Word Count: 4900+ (oneshot)

[AO3]

Genre: Fluff/Friendship

Characters: Cinder Fall, Cinder’s Pokemon

Summary: Pokemon AU. Ever since they were young, Cinder's only Pokemon has been her starter, Ella the Houndoom. She is proud of her position as her Trainer's sole companion and sees no reason for anything to change, thank you very much. So when Cinder brings home a new addition to their team, Ella's world is turned abruptly upside down.

Warnings for implied/reference child abuse and animal abuse

Inspired by this art by @astoria00!

~0~

Ella, like her Trainer, had no concept of downplaying her own importance.

She considered herself the paragon of partner Pokemon. Ever since she was a little Houndour, tripping over her own paws and barely able to cough out a flame, she had always done her best to look after Cinder. The girl she had grown up with was whip-smart and strong, as hotblooded as any Fire-type, and Ella would follow her commands without hesitation. 

That being said, she didn’t always understand what was going on in Cinder’s head. For instance, coming to this unfriendly and unfamiliar region on the orders of that shadowy organization. Sure, the safe house they’d been provided was comfortable, a small and cozy cabin in the woods, but, Ella wondered, at what cost? She had been alone for hours. 

Ella watched the thick forest around her with all the alertness of a hunter, gnawing at the large Grumpig ear she had been given. It was not hard work, guarding the cabin while Cinder was out on her mission, and it was clear that Ella was better suited for the job than Talonflame. The Flying-type had been lent to Cinder by her new leader for easy transportation, and while the supercilious look in his eyes got Ella’s hackles up, she didn’t feel threatened by the new addition. Talonflame was, if not temporary, nothing more than a utility. 

Ella was Cinder’s only Pokemon. As for Ella herself, she disdained the company of both humans and other Pokemon alike. None of them had ever done anything for her: all she needed was her Trainer.

It was growing dark, and she could smell impending rain in the air — not unusual, in this awful cold and wet region — and was glad when she caught Cinder’s scent alongside it, growing steadily closer. She did not move from her spot on the front porch, but her ears perked up and her gaze homed in on the speck of red in the distance. Small as it was, it stood out against the dark greens and cloudy greys that surrounded them. 

Ella didn’t scramble up and run to her as she would have in the past — she had learned professionalism alongside Cinder as well — but her shoulders relaxed and her barbed tail flopped back and forth against the wood. Finally, her Trainer was home and things were the way they were supposed to—

Wait a blasted minute. 

What was that?

“Hello, Ella,” Cinder greeted her as she stepped out of the trees, as if everything were normal. “Did you miss me?”

Ella jumped to her feet with a furious bark, the Grumpig ear clattering down the stairs. Her tail stood straight out and her head reflexively jerked up and down, showing off her horns to the tiny, dirty, squirming thing that Cinder was carrying into their house. 

To the Cyndaquil’s credit, she got the picture immediately. She didn’t even try to flare up her back before emitting a loud squeak and attempting to leap out of Cinder’s arms, presumably to scurry back to whatever hole in the ground she had come from.

Unfortunately, instead of coming to her senses and letting it go, Cinder held Cyndaquil tighter, close and protective. After a few seconds, she curled up timidly against her chest. 

“Shh, relax, it’s okay. Ella’s not going to hurt you.” She narrowed her eyes warningly at Ella as she walked up the stairs and into the cabin. “Ella is going to be a nice girl and hear me out.”

No, Ella damn well would not. Not without standing her ground and making her case. She followed Cinder inside growling and bristling. 

Once the door was shut behind them, the one Pokeball at Cinder’s belt burst open, and Talonflame flapped across the living area to his perch next to the fireplace. His beady black eyes watched them with unusual interest, and Ella resented the sense that she was putting on a show for him.

What’s gotten into you?! she barked at her Trainer, who had begun trying to coax Cyndaquil out of her defensive ball. You said all you needed was me! Why would you do this without even asking me?

True, all Cinder could hear was “Houndoom Houndoom Houndoom Houndoom,” but after all this time, Ella knew she was getting the gist of it. 

“I realize that this is sudden,” Cinder began, her tone deliberately calm and even. “But I couldn’t exactly leave her there and run back to check with you. And we can’t just toss her out now that I’ve brought her here.”

Ella snorted. Very convenient for both of them. And how soon can I expect to be replaced? Was I that shameful of a starter?

With her free hand, Cinder reached over to grab a towel from the kitchenette and started rubbing the dirt from Cyndaquil’s damp fur. She let out a muffled squeak at the sudden touch, but didn’t uncurl.

“I expected to run into some people while I was out, that wasn’t the problem. There’s plenty of towns and cave systems around these mountains to look through. I didn’t plan on actually battling anyone, but apparently somebody on the trails had something to prove. One of those rich boys — you know the type, of course.”

Yes, they had met more than enough of those in their time. One of Cinder’s new teammates even seemed like one all grown up, complete with an equally smug Toxitricity by his side. Ella didn’t relax at all — in fact, her shoulders tensed up more — nor did she soften her accusing glare, but she did cease growling.

“So he won’t take no for an answer, won’t even break eye contact, and I decide that if he insists, I might as well teach him a lesson. He had three other Pokemon, and they were high-level but sloppy. I’d bet money that he didn’t catch them himself, that they were gifts or trades that he had no idea how to actually deal with. Talonflame made short work of them, but then — hm?”

Cyndaquil had been starting to lift her nose tentatively out of her defensive ball, and only now that she wasn’t too frightened to think did she notice the running slow cooker and containers of Pokemon food on the counter. The realization made her pick her head up and squeak loudly, and the smile that broke out on Cinder’s face was of the sort that Ella hadn’t seen in years.

“Are you hungry? I know, you’ve had a long day...” She dug around in the box of PokePuffs — not strictly belonging to Ella, but who else’s would they be? — and pulled out a Basic Spice to offer it. “Here, you can have this, can’t you?”

Cyndaquil sniffed the treat, and gnawed at it a little, but didn’t move to take or actually eat it. Cinder sighed. 

“Well, I had hoped so, but I guess not.” 

She gently pushed the treat into Cyndaquil’s stubby arms until they gripped it, and then knelt to set the tiny Pokemon on the floor. Ella tilted her head as she scowled down at her: what was the matter with her, stumbling around like that? Had she hit her head somehow?

Cinder shot Ella a warning glance that, in Ella’s mind, was completely uncalled for. “Be nice.”

Ella huffed, and stalked deliberately closer. Cyndaquil paused in trying to figure out what the PokePuff she held was, and looked worriedly between the human and Houndoom glaring at each other. Once Cinder was satisfied that Ella would not, in fact, rip the smaller Pokemon’s head off like some kind of feral beast, she turned around and started going through the cabinets and minifridge. 

“I did beat his whole team, as far as I’m concerned,” she went on with her story as she retrieved the big saucepan and a carton of milk. “All the ones who were fit for battle. But when I held out my hand for the money he owed me, he went purple in the face and insisted that we weren’t done. He pulled another Pokeball out of his pocket, and sent her out. And of course she had no idea what was going on, did you, dear?”

Cyndaquil blinked, puzzled, and nearly tripped over her own chubby legs. Ella’s anger was very quickly giving way to confusion of her own; she knew that the average starter Pokemon wasn’t wildly powerful, to match its equally inexperienced Trainer, but surely they started at at least level one?

“No, she didn’t. I don’t know what garbage breeder they got her from, but she was definitely not ready to be separated from her mother. Even Talonflame backed off.”

Something finally clicked in Ella’s head, and her eyes went wide. She lunged forward, claws clacking on the hardwood floor, to sniff vigorously at Cyndaquil, who nearly fell over backwards in surprise. Under the rainwater and dirt, the scent of juvenile pheromones was unmistakable.

From up on his perch, Talonflame chirruped, amused. It really took you this long to notice? Do you usually growl at baby humans, too?

Ella was too stunned to even bark back. True, she didn’t spend any time around other Pokemon, but she should still have known...

“Obviously this spoiled brat had no business keeping her in his care,” Cinder said, stirring vanilla and cinnamon into the simmering pan. “But fortunately, it was very simple to set up an exchange.”

Talonflame chirruped, amused. Your Trainer throws a mean Mach Punch, Ella.

Cinder smirked at the fresh memory. With her free hand, she reached into her hip pouch, pulled out the shards of a shattered Pokeball, and tossed them into the trash can. Ella heard muffled clinks, and caught a glimpse of a coin purse that definitely was not theirs. Or, well, it hadn’t been before.

“I think it’s about time we start expanding our team, anyway. We’re in service to a very powerful leader now. We should be meeting a higher standard.” She glanced at Ella while digging back in the cabinet for the Vespiquen honey, and amended, “An even higher standard. I know this was a shock to you, Ella, and I don’t expect you to babysit her. But I couldn’t imagine a better example for her than you.”

Well. Ella couldn’t argue with that. She considered Cyndaquil for a moment more, watched her twitch her nose curiously up at her, and then ducked her head down to take the smaller Pokemon’s scruff in her mouth. As expected, she was still young enough that she went limp in her teeth.

Cinder blinked, but didn’t move to stop her. “Ella? What are you doing?”

Ella didn’t respond; she was already carrying Cyndaquil over to the living area. She laid down on the rug, deposited Cyndaquil between her front legs, and set about licking her short, downy fur. She wasn’t sure how Typhlosion mothers usually groomed their young — she barely remembered how her own mother had done it — but this felt right. 

Cinder smiled and returned her attention to the pan on the stove. Cyndaquil, for her part, didn’t seem upset, but she was certainly confused.

Who... She was cut off by Ella’s wide tongue sweeping over the top of her head, but tried again. Who are you?

My name is Ella, she informed her, making sure to get the back of her neck. Cinder’s hasty rub with the towel hadn’t done anywhere near enough to rid her of the residue on her fur, and it certainly hadn’t done anything for the scrapes on the skin underneath. I am your teammate now. 

Oh. Cyndaquil squirmed around some more until she could look up at Cinder’s back. That lady’s nice. And warm.

Her name is Cinder. She is your Trainer, and you should do as she tells you.

My Trainer’s sleeping on the ground back there, Cyndaquil said with innocent bluntness. I don’t think he got up yet. 

Talonflame let out a deliberate, throaty laugh, and Ella shot a warning glare over her shoulder before returning to her ministrations. 

You can forget about him, she insisted to Cyndaquil. All you need now is us. 

Perhaps it was only because Cyndaquil was too young to fully grasp the reality of her new situation, but she didn’t question it any further. Instead, she settled down between Ella’s front legs and continued to watch Cinder make her dinner, submitting to a thorough grooming as she did so. 

Talonflame tilted his head back and forth as he stared down at them. You’ve changed your tune quickly, haven’t you, Ella?

Shut up, said Ella curtly, in between licks. You’re not staying.

We’ll see about that, Talonflame replied, too lazily to be threatening, as he tucked his head beneath his wing for a brief nap. Wake me when dinner’s ready, will you? 

Ella made a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat. She couldn’t find the room to care about that right now. Not when the cabin was steadily filling with sweet and savory scents, when the room was growing warm in the way it only did when the evening chill was falling outside, when there was a sense of comfort settling into her bones that she hadn’t felt in quite a long time. 

Not since...ah.

Ella looked up at Cinder, who gave her a knowing smile back. Of course she remembered too.

~0~

It’s only the adrenaline surging through her veins that’s keeping her moving. She just wants to run, run, run, as far and as fast as she can, because if she stops for an instant they’ll catch her and drag her back, but she can’t feel her paws anymore and it’s very quickly not her decision. 

The driving rain is already making it hard to see what’s in front of her, but then her vision blurs out completely, and she’s dropped right into a puddle before she even realizes her legs have buckled from underneath her. She doesn’t have the strength even to struggle back to her feet. All she can do is shuffle on her stomach through the mud, inch by miserable inch, until the sore tips of her toes brush rock, leaving behind smears of blood that are quickly washed away.

Her eyes flick upward: less of a cave than a hole in the ground, but she’ll take it. It’s a painful squeeze through an opening that’s just barely bigger than her own body. When she finally manages it, she collapses, lying like a wet pile of fur on the rough stone. Even here’s not really dry — cold runoff drips steadily right into her ear — but she couldn’t move to a better spot even if she tried.

She closes her eyes, the sound of her own labored breathing filling her head. She doesn’t know if she’ll ever get up again, and right now, she doesn’t much care. All that matters is that she’s not moving, that no one can touch her here.

So it takes her a good minute to register the strange scent wafting into her nostrils, underneath the heavy smells of rain and earth: acrid enough to make her nose twitch and fur raise. With a colossal effort, she lifts her head an inch, and finally notices that she is not alone here.

Barely a few feet away, desperately trying to cram herself into the far corner of the cave, is a human not much bigger than her. A little girl, just as skinny and soaked as she is, her amber eyes huge with terror. She wonders what she’s so afraid of — wonders if there’s anything behind her, if she should be afraid too — before realizing.

Oh. This was your hiding place first.

The girl doesn’t seem to have been here long: she’s out of breath, eyes puffy and red, and none of the mud spattering her once-white shirt and pants has dried. She gapes at her for a long moment, before hesitantly scooting forward and reaching out towards her ears.

What ear she has left pricks straight up. She might have intruded on this human, sure, but that doesn’t mean she gets to touch her.

Her hackles raise, her lips pull back, and she snaps at the offending fingers the second she realizes where they’re going. She misses — the girl gasps and scrambles back again, holding her hand protectively to her chest — and her smooth, flat-topped teeth clack painfully together.

“I-I’m sorry!” the girl yelps. “It’s just...you’re hurt.”

She’s fine. So what if her ears and tail had been cut into this awful shape? So what if she’s been robbed of her fangs, and now her claws? She’s still a Pokemon and not some spoiled brat’s toy. Still strong, strong enough to defend herself against one pathetic human. 

She growls, but it’s weak even to her own ears. She is strong, it’s either tell herself that or lose hope completely, but she’s running on fumes. If she can’t fight back...if she can’t make them stop touching her...

The girl is doing something puzzling now, and it almost makes her let down her guard. She’s pawing at her shirt as if looking for something, but it doesn’t seem to have any pockets or other affectations. Then after a moment, to her shock, she grabs the one part of it that isn’t filthy, tears a long strip away, then tears that in half with a soft snap.

“Here...” She edges closer, slowing but not quite stopping at her growls. “I — I get it if you don’t want me touching your face. But your paws are bleeding, and...”

She narrows her eyes and keeps her teeth bared in warning: with the combustion pouch in her throat snipped or punctured or even pulled out entirely, whatever they had done to it, a cigarette lighter could produce a bigger flame than she can right now. But she doesn’t have to act like it.

The girl bites back a whimper, the smell of fear still coming off her in waves. “I’m not trying to hurt you, I promise. I just want to help. Please?”

Growls keep bubbling up from her throat, but they’re half-hearted. Against every instinct, she slides her front paws forward. The wounds on her half-amputated toes sting when the scratchy fabric wraps around them, but it’s a small relief to have the bleeding finally staunched.

The girl smiles. “There. Better?”

This close, she can see in the girl’s sunken cheeks and ashen skin how starved she is, spot the jagged outline of a fresh scar around her neck. The faint smell of human blood, not quite covered up by the muck, reaches her nose. Oh. So they really are in the same boat. 

She goes quiet, and tries to relax, and is rewarded with the fear-scent steadily receding.

“My name’s Cinder. Do you have a name?”

She heaves a deep sigh in response; she’s never been called anything but mongrel, dumb mutt, dirty animal, and she’s pretty sure those don’t count as names.

“No? I’ll think of one for you, then. Just give me a little bit, I’ve never named anyone befo—aah!”

Thunder shakes what felt like the whole world around them, and they both jump so badly they hit their heads on the painfully low walls. She lets out a whine despite herself, curling tightly in on herself to keep from shaking. Cinder doesn’t look much happier, but instead of recoiling...

“Here...” Cinder mimics her, getting down and snuggling up next to her back on the floor. “I know I’m not very warm, but I should be better than nothing.”

She makes a soft noise of assent. When Cinder slings an arm over her shoulders, hugging her body close and gently petting her flank, it doesn’t exactly make her feel fuzzy on the inside. But it stirs something deep in her chest that she doesn’t have a name for yet, and it’s a welcome distraction from the cold and wet.

“We can stay here until the storm stops. We could figure out where to go together,” Cinder suggests, in a hesitant murmur. “We could be friends.”

Friends. She’s never heard the word before, and isn’t sure what it means, but she wouldn’t mind finding out. She twists her head around and licks Cinder’s cheek, and the girl giggles like she’s never tried to before.

The rain drives down hard and punishing outside, washing away all traces of them. Freezing droplets fall on them from the roof. They’re hungry, dirty, and shivering, with no idea of what they’re supposed to do next. But tonight they’re huddled together, the world outside this cramped little cave does not exist, and for the first time in their lives, they aren’t alone.

 ~0~

“Dinnertime,” Cinder said, balancing four dishes as she came into the living area. Talonflame stirred and flapped down from his perch to join them as she served the meal: beef stew from the slow cooker for the three of them and warm spiced milk for Cyndaquil.

The baby Pokemon let out her loudest squeak yet and bounced out of Ella’s legs when the dish was set beside her, but stopped short of actually going for it, looking up at them hesitantly.

“Go on. It’s all for you, dear.”

Cinder, sitting cross-legged on the floor with them, smiled as she watched the tiny Pokemon scramble eagerly towards the milk.

“You like it? There’s plenty more where that came from. We’re going to raise you to be big and strong, and one day nobody will dare mistreat you. Right, Ella?”

Ella loyally thumped her tail on the hardwood floor: she knew better than anyone. She knew that she wasn’t the starter Pokemon that every child dreamed about, nor, she conceded, had Cinder begun as the cool and confident Trainer that any Pokemon would want. But still they had fought every day to survive together, to become strong enough that nobody could ever lay a hand on them again. 

She had evolved under Cinder’s command, and with evolution the body parts that had been carved away from her when she was young were restored to her. Most importantly, it had given her her fire back, and she knew in her heart that she would never have been able to reach that point on her own.

It was just like Cinder used to say, in the dead of one of their countless nights huddled up together: It’s all right if nobody else loves us. All we need is each other.

That had held steadfastly true for them, from childhood to adulthood. Ella saw no reason why the same could not apply to Cyndaquil, if she herself were magnanimous enough to allow it.

As she gulped down tender chunks of beef, she watched the tiny Pokemon lapping up the milk so earnestly she seemed in danger of falling headfirst into the dish. It had taken Ella a long time to train herself out of scarfing her food down like that, so fast she didn’t even taste it, to be sure that nobody would snatch it away from her now. 

Though Toxitricity and Drapion still acted as if they would sometimes, just to get a rise out of her. While she was still small, Cyndaquil would be free to take refuge behind her legs or in Cinder’s arms, but soon Ella would have to teach her how to stand up for herself, and to not roll over for them or anyone else. There were a lot of things the two of them — three, if Talonflame decided to make himself useful — would be responsible for teaching their newest member. She ought to start making a list.

Not that there was much room in her head for that right now. Cyndaquil polished off the milk before the rest of them were halfway finished with their meal, and after licking the dish clean, she looked up and glanced uncertainly around at the three of them. 

Now that there was nothing to distract her, it was starting to sink in that she was all by herself, in a strange place surrounded by strange people, with no idea what was going to happen to her next. Ella knew that feeling: the sudden drop in her stomach, the cold spreading like frost over her skin. She remembered. She expected that Cinder did, too. 

Her Trainer was watching Cyndaquil intently, and at the first tiny whimper that might have been the prelude to crying, she set her bowl aside and held out her arms. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Want to come here?”

With only slight reluctance, Cyndaquil allowed Cinder to scoop her into her lap. Smiling, she rubbed the tiny Pokemon’s belly with one hand and scratched the back of her neck, just above the incendiary spots, with the other. Cyndaquil let out a series of high-pitched cheeps and squirmed happily in her lap, clearly unused to such affection.

“There, you see?” Cinder cooed, as Cyndaquil twisted around so she could scratch under her chin. “Nothing to be afraid of. This is your home now, with me and your big sister Ella.”

Ella! Ella! Cyndaquil squeaked, delighted. She says we’re sisters!

Ella swallowed a chunk of potato and tilted her head at them. Sister. Another word she would soon be learning to embody.

~0~

The next morning, Ella found her need to pace militarily when impatient at war with her utter disgust of wetness and mud. They had planned a schedule for Cyndaquil’s first full day with them yesterday evening, and it would not do at all to start slacking so soon.

Last night, Cyndaquil had tried to sleep in the corner of the bedroom at first, clearly too used to being shunted out of the way. She had needed plenty of coaxing from Cinder and a commanding bark from Ella to feel safe climbing up onto the bed and letting herself be tucked in between them.

She had slept restlessly, kicking and yelping in her dreams, needing constant soothing to calm down. In the morning Ella had had to drag her exhausted body out from under her blanket, shaking the sleep out of her head. Even Cinder, who had always been a light sleeper anyway, had been rubbing her eyes as Cyndaquil followed her out of the bedroom, bouncing at her heels. Arceus only knew where the little Pokemon had gotten so much energy from.

Ella lifted a paw and shook excess mud from it, her lip curling. Cinder had said that they would only be a minute, it had now been several, and if they didn’t get out here in the next ten seconds she was going to march in there and drag her Trainer out with her teeth—

“Being patient, Ella?”

Ella turned and fixed Cinder with A Look as she watched her coming down the front steps of the cabin, determined not to return her easy smile just yet. She was supposed to have been introducing Cyndaquil to a new Pokeball, but as it happened...

“Yes, I know,” Cinder said, reaching up to steady Cyndaquil as she sprawled happily on her belly, atop her new Trainer’s head. “She does have a new Pokeball now, but I think she likes it better here with us. Right, dear?”

Cyndaquil chirped assent, grinning and swinging her stubby legs.

“You’ll need a proper name soon, too. But training comes first, so watch your sister carefully, now. Ella, if you would?”

Ella gave a firm nod and stepped back, facing the open space in front of the two of them, so Cyndaquil could get a good view of what she was about to demonstrate. The smaller Pokemon, while still idly playing with Cinder’s bangs, was staring transfixed at her. Ella doubted whether she could even muster up an Ember yet, let alone try Flamethrower. Well, then all the better a show for her.

She would never again take for granted how good it felt to flex the muscles in her throat and get her combustion pouch working. It was like taking a gulp of sweet smoke, sparklers lighting just under her skin, as the heat surged up from within her.

Maybe the need to show off to someone younger, which she had never had the chance to do before, gave her some extra fuel: the flames that burst from her mouth burned hotter and stronger than ever, brightening the overcast morning and sending steam hissing up from the puddles before her. 

Cinder gave her an approving smirk and some soft applause, but Cyndaquil couldn’t contain herself.

Wow! She took a flying leap off of Cinder’s head and scurried to Ella’s side, mimicking her battle pose. My turn, my turn!

She opened her mouth, throat straining and tail sticking straight out, only to cough up the measliest crumb of flame that Ella had ever seen. It extinguished itself almost as soon as it had been ignited.

Oh, Cyndaquil said plaintively, tail drooping. I...

Ella gave her a nudge with her snout that she hoped was uplifting. Will try again, that’s what you’ll do. As long as it takes. Don’t look so downcast.

“Whatever Ella’s saying to you, she’s right, dear,” Cinder chimed in. “We’re going to become the strongest, but not overnight.”

You do have an advantage. I had to figure this all out on my own. Ella re-assumed her attack position. She would go slower this time, explain the physical aspects of combustion that were innate to all Fire-types, so the little one could better lean in to what felt most natural. You have me to look after you. And when you’re finally ready to be in a real battle, you’ll be far more prepared than the others. Understand?

Cyndaquil nodded very seriously, then mirrored her once more, sparks flying already from her arched back. 

Good. Now, watch closely...

[rotomgender-moved]

Under the cut is the first part/chapter of it

Title: Runs in our Family

Word Count: roughly 1.5-2k I'd say

TWs: Near panic attacks, mild dehumanization of self, general ask to tag

Part One

The constant click of timers and bubbling of boiling water is what grounded them, eyes flickering about the room to watch over everything he had to. The rhythmic sound of a knife cutting through vegetables was like music to his ears, a hum rumbling through their chest added to the harmony of the kitchen. It made him feel in control, because he was. Guided merely by his memory of the recipe. Even then, he can tweek and test and try new things. It allowed them to have control over its life. It allowed it  to feel safe, even when working with fire and knives and pots and pans searing red with heat.

"N, my golden friend," His Zoroark companion began from their resting position. "The noodles, you need to put them in the water." N froze for a moment, startled by the sudden reminder.

"Ah! Yes, you're right. What could I do without you, Illusion." It chuckled as its own forgetfulness, scooping the fresh noodles in careful hands and putting them into the water carefully. Setting the egg timer for a minute and a half before continuing the final preparations on the vegetables. Picking them in his hands and putting them into the sauce in a few scoops. 

"You are becoming a good chef, my golden friend, but you mustn't lose yourself in your head while working with fire."

"Yes, Illusion, I am very aware. I'm working on it, I promise."

"I pray to Arceus you learn before you lose a paw."

"Hand, before I lose a hand."

"You get the picture."

Truly, N thought as he nodded to Zoroark. What could I do without you.

N let out a breath of air, turning off the fire in the stone as the timer goes off. Waiting quietly for the sauce to finish cooking. Reminding himself to take a few tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle it into the sauce, making it just that much sweeter. Waiting just for a few more moments, they have to. Reward cannot be reaped without patience, he thought, he must have patience.

To fill his time, he spread his hands up in the air in a Y shape, spinning around and humming. Fully content before he felt a sharp pain in his hand, followed by the loud BANG of the hanging pans hitting each other. N flinched, covering his ears and letting out a whine. A shiver rocked his body, but just before they could feel any tears begin to brim. A hand was placed onto his back, or a paw, moreso.

"It is alright," The voice of his pokemon cooed. "It is only cooking utensils, nothing more. Now, why don't you plate your dinner and watch some of your shows?" 

They continued to nod a little, thanking the illusionist with a scratch on the chin. Which, from the aura of joy it received from Zoroark, was greatly appreciated. N turned on their heel and scooped the noodles onto a plate he already had set aside before pouring a ladle or two of sauce onto it. N had promised Mallow a few days before that he would save some extra sauce for her to use in one of her dishes. Whatever concoction she may come up with, and however much it made the trio of chefs-turned-gym-leaders angry, he was excited to see it. 

As he settled down at his little table in his little kitchen, he smiled a tad. It had taken well a while for him to grow accustomed, or even willing, to live in a home. His first actions at coming to this strange new region had been to find an escape in the woods with his pokemon companions and live off nature for a month and a half. Which apparently, from what they deciphered from the angry ranting of a disgruntled Hugh and the chaotic explanation of a worried Alder. Had left his fellow Unovans with a wild goose chase to find him, having only been discovered by an odd group of children with accents he didn't quite recognize mistaking him for a new wild pokemon, thusly getting hit with a thunder wave that left him in the Pokemon Centers human unit for a little longer then N would prefer to admit.

Once they had been captured and as Nate and Rosa dubbed it, "Secured, Contained and Protected", they were subjected to an explanation that pulling an out-of-pocket disappearing act after the multiple both he, Hilbert and Hilda pulled off, wasn't the best idea. Which he understood! But it wasn't out-of-pocket. They should have expected it to run off into the woods and allowed it to. Or at least explained to those paralysis-happy children to watch out for an uncanny woodland dweller with a Zororak.

Even then, once they were captured, it was surely difficult for them to adjust. They were a pokemon, weren't they? A beast, that's what he'd always been told. No human would be able to speak with creatures that aren't fellow humans. But isn't it the same with Pokemon? So are these pokemon more human than beast, or is he more beast than human? Was it the years of isolation that made it hard to settle in an actual home all by itself, or was it the longing to run free with beasts like him?

N didn't like sitting in that question, so as it always did, it shoved it back into a deep corner of their mind and locked it in a little box with all those other heavy questions. All of the concerns and the old ideologies he forcibly shoves away and represses. It was all he could do, if he wasn't a beast or human. Then who could he be helped by?

Well, it didn't matter. It hadn't even noticed it had finished its plate of early dinner during his lamenting. Having been lazily twirling the fork in nothing for a good few moments to minutes. 

"N, my golden child," Zororak began. "Why don't you tuck me away and go speak to other people. You haven't left this little ranch-house in a few days; it will do you some good." They commented, nudging N's back. The soft clacks of things such as potions, a tube for those "PokeBlocks" that a pair of twins had been gifting to everyone on the island, and pokeballs.

"That… Does sound like a good idea." N agreed quietly, fully coming out of their thoughts. "Yeah." They got up off their seat and washed the plate and other utensils he had used swiftly, before shrugging their jacket back on and stringing their hair into a ponytatail once more. If Zororak thought it was a good idea, then N might as well be convinced. This pokemon had single-paw-dedly helped raise him from infancy to now. Always having found its way back to him. N thought of it as a mother and as they say. Mother knows best.

As he exited his home and was met by warm sunshine, he suddenly remembered why they had been so intrigued by the woods and all its inhabitants for oh-so-long. Or well, the week they had been there before they were hospitalized by four sneaky, pokemon hunting children. They couldn't be mad, though. They were apparently uncanny looking, Hilbert having described him as "a bit to long and a little too fluffy, with speech so fast he might as well just be making noises."  

But N didn't mind, it simply thought itself as far more built for the wild than the others. But… Thinking about it, that could be the reason why everyone though that of him. As N walked, staring down at the grass in thought. He felt his shoulder bump someone running by.

"Watch it, tall-ass!" A quite foulmouthed voice sounded, making N's eyes flicker to the redhead who was already making a getaway.

"Language!" They simply called back, rolling their eyes, hearing a distant "shut up!" as they made distance with the redhead. "Rude child." He decided, looking up to glance around the circle of homes that they had all settled in during this odd meet up. In a region that nobody seemed to have heard of, at that. It felt weird, it was weird. Why did any of them trust it?

Well, it should speak for itself. It went along, even if dragged on by his group of siblings-by-spirit. Chattering away that if they were all going, he was coming along. That they had already packed everything for him, and that if he refused they'd just sleep powder him and take him along anyway-

Why did I not run off? They thought, realizing the slight horror of that situation. Those kids were needlessly pushy in trying to get N to talk to new people. Dragging him about the cruiser they were in with all the other guests. Introducing him to some of the other kids that Nate and Hugh had already dragged into their mischief.

What were those kids names? Barry and Sapphire, he believes. Sapphire was that young lady who's brother had given him the tube of pokemon candies, if he remembers. Barry was a talkative young boy who seemed to immediately jump ship to play along with Nate and Hugh's pranks. He also remembers a handful of other faces, a married couple he vaugly remembers seeing on a few news casts back in Unova, Red and Green were their names. Along with another lady he didn't recognize, who took quickly to chatting along with Hilbert and Hilda. Rosa had been coaxing a green haired boy out of his shell with who he thinks was Sapphire's brother. 

He remembers a few other faces. A circle of kids all taking part in pokemon trading under Lance's watch. Bianca and Cheren, listening to a young boy, chitter away about his brother. Two boys nearly tearing at eachother, and not in a pokemon battle, while their supposed companions either encouraged it or tried to seperate them. One of them was that redhead who had swore at them, he thinks. 

But most importantly, he met Mallow and Guzma on that ship. The only two he confidently remembers the names and faces of. Mallow was a sweet woman, a trial captain. She had seen his shivery, nervous nature and pulled him aside from the crowd. He had listened to her talk about cooking and asked a few questions himself. Which is where that interest began. Guzma was… well he can only say he was Guzma. Rough around the edges yet smooth in the soul type, who had introduced him to N's first new species of pokemon in a while. A very, very polite and well mannered Gollisapod. He could sense even before listening to the pokemon that it was well cared for. 

It further made their heart pull, obviously the pokemon was battle-scarred. One or two chips on its shell that were healing overtime. But still so… Happy. Pokemon Battles weren't that bad, he knew that. But the confirmation that it was all okay was still nice.

"Hey, you!" A voice snapped him from his thoughts, making him turn. "Yeah, you! Take a few steps back. You almost walked yourself off a cliff." 

"Oh- why thank you! I didn't even notice."

"Obviously you didn't," He snorted a little. "You're that N guy that Rosa was telling me about! I'm Ruby, I was out trying to see some new pokemon. But all I caught was you almost about to take a trip off a cliff." Ruby rolled his eyes.

"Well, I was lost in thought. Thank you again for catching me, Ruby. Though I'm sure I would've survived a fall into some sand." N shrugged, examining Ruby as the boy nodded over his shoulder.

"Well… Maybe as a thank you, you could come to the community house where all of us trainers are. Rosa said you had some pretty cool Pokemon that you never let anyone touch the PokeBalls of. It's gotten the group talking." Ruby smiled, eyes crinkling. N paused in thought, feeling the pokeball in his hand he recognized as Zororaks. It wanted them to talk to other people… So they might as well. Even if the idea of presenting their pokemon to people they didn't know made their stomach twist. 

"... Okay, alright. I will. Lead the way, Ruby."

[ask-elliotgang]

Everything was going well. Elliot and Leila had taken a good chunk of stuff and neatly packed it into the boot of the car. Ardel and his friends have been sorting through the minimal amount of shit he has at the house and shit talking Lorien while doing it.

Intel stands in the hallway.

They seem confused why they haven’t head to a certain door at the end of the hallway. So while their friends are talking they begin to wander to the door. It’s tall and the door handle is clearly made for the grip of a human hand. And because of that, Intel cannot get their paws to hold the circular handle.

So they instead melt the handle off the door and rattle it open by themself.

Inside after turning on a light, they spot furniture that just LOOKS expensive despite the minimalism-sens of the room. The bed facing outwards from the center of a wall. A large window. A wardrobe. A shelf full of random crap. In which they go to inspect first.

Picking up random objects and playing with them. They even find a gaming system... They silently pocket the gaming system and begin looking for where the charger would be. Funnily enough it’s still plugged into the wall. So they take that too. They start giggling as the feeling of Kleptomania increases. It’s not like the person that owns the stuff is their to stop them.

They begin finding bags in the room in which they pack more things they want into. And more. And more. They’ve got like 3 backpacks full of things now. This is just stealing. Just legitimate stealing. But Intel does not seem to care. They’re just grinning as they put the bags near the door. But then they suddenly get a great idea.

What’s under the bed? Everyone always keeps things under the bed. Usually things that cost money. He could sell them to get more money.

So they lie down and pull out whatever they can reach under the bed.

They find a box. They pull out the box, prepared to see what loot they have obtained by doing so. But when they look into the box after sitting up onto their knees scares them.

It’s a cardboard box. And it is covered in so much dust. Half a centimeter of dust covers it and the contents.

It’s a box. FULL. To the brim. With poke-balls. Poke-balls of varying designs. All with tape forcing them to stay closed. There’s different types of tape on each. Ones more closer to the bottom of the box have simple masking tape while some at the top have duct tape holding them close.

Intel can see that all the center buttons of the balls are glowing, flashing, red. A sign built into the pokeball to tell the trainer that the Pokémon is in danger and needs to get out.

Intel is horrified.

Because he knows that most people. MOST. People. Would put spare Pokémon they had captured and use on their team in the PC Box. Where they would be transported to a location where the Pokémon can chill out and have fun on an island.

But this.

This just means these pokemon were returned on their poke-balls and have been forced to stay in them.

Intel was in a ball once.

It was strange. They didn’t like it. No matter what they did there was no sound and nothing to do. The passage of time felt wrong. They didn’t like it.

So. How do all these Pokémon feel having stayed in there for so long!?

[imjeralee]

Wallflower: Chapter 4 - Open Me

Raihan x F!Reader

Disclaimer: Do not own Pokemon

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

Summary: You’re an unassuming Pokemon breeder who works at the nursery in the Wild Area and he’s Raihan, the fearsome gym leader of Hammerlocke who has more than a million followers.

You don’t want anything to do with him but he’s…persistent.

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Warnings: Lemon, smut, violence, language

OPEN ME

...

...

"Some time ago, this woman did this, uh.... this art performance. It was extreme art, using herself. Basically, she stood with this sign saying that she was letting the public do whatever they wanted to do with her - and she was gonna stand for seven hours and do nothing. She laid out some stuff in front of her - amongst random objects, I think there was a pen, a flower, a gun, a knife...So anyway, she stood and at first, people just stared and watched her. Someone went up to her and gave her a hug. Gave her a handshake. Someone gave her the flower to hold. Someone kissed her on the lips. The public chuckled and laughed, watching this woman stand there like a living dummy. They used the pen and drew on her or something. It began to escalate: someone started taking off her clothes. She stood semi-naked until someone covered her up. Someone slapped her. Someone punched her. I think she started crying but they didn't stop. Someone grabbed the knife and cut the side of her neck. Someone took the gun and put it in her hand, pointed it to her own head. When the time was up and the woman started moving again, the people who hurt her ran away immediately, afraid of the repercussions. When I read that article, I knew: human beings are absolutely disgusting to the core."

She lifts up a knife next. A terrified Deerling trembles in the corner of the room whilst Banette grins.

"That being said, I guess I'm no exception. I'm sorry it had to come to this."

....

Detective Looker is hard at work.

He's got a few things going on - not only has he taken over Raihan's social media account for the time being (it took a lot of persuasion but Raihan finally agreed, vexingly... if he might say so himself) and now he has taken it upon himself to personally investigate the hotel, in particular, room 241. It's Raihan's designated room should he ever visit Circhester, Spikemuth or Wyndon, and Looker's interrogated the majority of staff and checked out all CCTV. No-one reported witnessing any unauthorised persons going in and out of the room and the CCTV does not accurately show the hallway, indicating several blindspots. They also tell him a keycard went missing which was not replaced or brought to management's attention. Looker is not surprised. Of course, there's a hiccup...whilst the hotel staff apologise profusely for their blunders, Looker dismisses them. It sounds like they'll improve their security from now on.

Looker heads to the room, opening the door. Everything is evidence and should be treated with utmost care...he unleashes his Growlithe to sniff out anything. He wouldn't be surprised if Raihan and the girl were snorting up berry dust or anything. Who knows what kids these day were up to...who knows.

Upon checking the room, he stands where the camera in the DVD was facing and finds two light switches in the wall that faces the bed directly. Attempting to remove them, he gets Magnemite to ease it off using it's Magnetic Pull ability and it manages to take the cover off, revealing a square slot where any sort of camera could be placed there, perfect for recording. He takes a few snaps of it using his Rotom phone and inspects the area where the dust doesn't settle. The camera was placed here for some time (a long time, perhaps) but it's long gone now.

Someone had set up a camera way before the one night stand and removed it during the night when both were sleeping. Pretty ballsy, if Looker admits; the perp had gone into the room when Raihan and the girl were in it. But from the testimony, the young couple were drunk as fish so it's not surprising they were out cold for the rest of the night and didn’t notice. The next question is - if no-one saw anyone go in or go out, how did the culprit escape? Looker turns to the window, finds that it's easily opened and proceeds to look outside. Anyone could just use pokemon to fly out here. Also, how did the culprit know where the girl worked to be able to deliver the DVD directly to her workplace?

She probably works for Macro Cosmos. It's the perfect setup - she's Raihan's biggest fan and being an employee of Macro Cosmos, she could have access to what hotel he stays in. Macro Cosmos also has their paws stuck in the Pokemon Nurseries; they pretty much run everything in Galar. They may as well be the government, Looker thinks to himself. 

He grabs a pokeball and presses the button. "Go, Dustox." And the large moth pokemon abruptly appears and Looker issues his command: "Dust it."

Dustox flutters around, sprinkling some dust over the window pane where it reveals two handprints.

"Good job, boy." Looker says as Dustox lands atop his head and he pulls out some equipment to take prints. They look small - most likely a female's. Next, Rotom buzzes, indicating a new message. "Talk." Looker mutters, as Rotom flies out.

"Zzrt, I've got the report; I've also got the address of the fan who told Raihan to go to Spikemuth!"

"Thanks, Rotom. This is coming along nicely." He mutters to himself. Grabbing Rotom, he checks the rest of the statistics report; looks like the person has also commented on every single photo and video Raihan has uploaded since...ever. It's simple. Real simple. Just a case of blackmail and obsession after all.

...

Looker arrives in Spikemuth and looks up from his Rotom phone. He's standing in front of an apartment block that looks very rundown. Of course, everything in Spikemuth is grizzled and decrepit, but somehow this sad building really takes the cake. Rotom's provided address mentions the third floor so he quietly makes his way up and stops at the front door. This is it.

Letting go of Rotom, he makes a circle with his finger. "Scan it."

"You got it, champ." Rotom says, before he zooms into the air and a dim blue light glows. "There'zzz only one person inzzide. A man."

"Thanks, I'm going in." Looker knocks on the door and waits.

A few seconds later, the door opens and a middle-aged, bald man in a tracksuit opens it. "Whaddya want?" He slurs, clearly drunk.

Looker holds up his badge. "I'm with the police; I'm looking for - "

He doesn't even get to finish his sentence because the man yells over his shoulder, "What are you in trouble for this time?! Now the po-po's here!"

There is no response.

The man sighs, opens the door and grunts at Looker, "C'mon in."

With an eyebrow raised, Looker steps inside. The flat is in a disgusting state and there's a terrible odor. Feces, perhaps. Looker follows the man down the small hallway of the cramped apartment, stepping over heaps of trash and boxes and upturned furniture on the floor and they stop at a random door. The man proceeds to slam his huge fist over it and it rattles in the doorframe

"Hey, are you in there?!" He yells, before he tries again, but there is still no response.

Looker holds out his arm. "Stand back." With a hefty kick, the door opens violently and swings on the hinges.

Inside, it's a fairly normal room, save for the numerous posters of Raihan pasted to the walls and a bunch of magazines on the floor with Raihan's picture on it, along with the mangled carcass of a dead Deerling. The man gags and runs back towards the direction of the living room whilst Looker steps in.

"Rotom?"

"Yezzzir?"

"Let's get a team here."

"Okay-doo."

...

The Wild Area...

"I've got two wonderful arms, I've got two wonderful lips, I'm over twenty one and I'm free…Oh, I've got a hive full o' honey, for the right kind of honeybee…"

In the Rolling Fields, a young man sits in the middle of a patch of tall grass with a jar of honey in hand and a small plastic knife in his other which he's using to spread over his face.

A group of trainers pass him whilst chatting animatedly and giggling, all female - looks like they're heading to Motostoke - and they stop as soon as they spot him, eyes wide. Realising he's being watched, he grins and waves at them. "Ladies! You wanna see my Lickilicky? He's big and pink - "

"Ewww! Weirdo!" They scream loudly before quickly scampering away.

He looks upset. "What's wrong with Lickilicky?" Rummaging a hand through his pockets, he takes out a pokeball and presses the button, releasing a large pink pokemon and he continues spreading honey over his chin. "Wait," He pauses abruptly, frowning. "How does this work again? Was I meant to put honey on myself, or on a pokemon? What do you think, Licky?"

His pokemon turns to him and sticks it's massive pink tongue out in response.

"Eh, fair enough. Okay, here goes nothing. Let's give it a shot." Once he's finished giving himself a honey moustache, he moves to stand up and holds his arms out, dropping the knife to the ground - but then his phone rings and he fishes Rotom out from his pocket. "Yello."

"Um, it's me."

"What's up?"

“I...I think I have a date. Can you help me?”

“Hell yeah, I will!” He shouts down the phone before he hangs up, then - "Frick, why'd I do that? Damn, where we gonna meet?"

He immediately calls her back.

"Yeah?" She sounds exhausted.

"Where we gonna meet and when?"

"Can we meet right now? The date is tomorrow. Are you in Galar? Sorry for the short notice..."

"Nah, s'alright, I wasn't doing anything important anyway," He replies, "And yeah, I'm in the Wild Area. Meet you outside your workplace?"

"Sure."

After he hangs up a second time, there is a loud rustling noise emitting from the right. He gasps and whips his glance over over. "What was that?"

There's another loud rustle to the left which makes him leap frantically in the air.

"Huh? What? Who?"

Another rustle.

"Who goes there?"

Glancing left and right, he can't tell where the noise is coming from but then the grass parts and a dark shadow leaps out. His eyes widen.

…..

You're waiting outside the nursery as agreed, checking your phone for any messages when you see a figure sprinting towards you from the horizon. It's some dude dressed up as a Galarian Ponyta. Oh, wait. You know this dude.

"Help! Help me! Demon cat! Demon cats are chasing me!!" He yells, waving his arms around.

It's Glenn. Finally, he's here. Took him long enough. He's rushing towards the nursery with his Lickilicky waddling after him and there's something chasing him; you notice it's a couple of Purrloin that have all set their eyes on him.

Throwing a glance over his shoulder, he hisses, "Back, I say! All of you, stay back! Oh? You want a battle, do you? Fine!!" He grabs a pokeball from his belt and tosses it without looking and throws his arms in the air, "Go Kricketune! Delelele whooooop!"

You continue to watch as a large, reddish insect pokemon appears in a burst out of light and it stands its ground in front of the rampaging Purrloin - however, it's quickly pushed to the ground and trampled over.

"No!" Glenn yelps, before he spies you and proceeds to hurriedly make his way towards you, hiding behind your back, "Oh good, you're here. Do something!"

"Okay, I got this." You mutter; the Purrloin stop before you, peering up at you inquisitively whilst Glenn quivers in fear. You quickly fish out some spare berries from your bag which you keep handy for these sorts of situations and squat down to hand the fruit to them. They surround you at once and you distribute the food in an orderly fashion. "One for you...one for you.... aaaaaaaand...one for you." You mutter as they line up, single file. Once each pokemon has a berry, they purr and meow appreciatively at you before turning to leave quietly.

From behind your shoulder, you hear: "Are they gone? Are the demon cats gone?"

"Yeah."

"Phew!" Glenn pokes his head out and sighs. "Thanks for taking care of that, sis. These Purrloin walk on their hind legs! That's not normal!" He exclaims as he returns his Kricketune and Lickilicky into their pokeballs.

"It's a Galar thing." You reply, before you squint your eyes at him, "Are you high?"

"Me? High? No, of course not. I've been clean for years, sis. Years."

"Right, okay. Come on then, let's go. It's getting late."

"Sure, sure. I'm so happy you called me." He gushes, as you both begin your trek down the beaten path of the Wild Area that will lead you to Hammerlocke where you will get the train; Glenn quickly falls into the same pace as you, folding his arms behind his head - which he does all the time but suddenly it reminds you of Raihan.

Glenn is your foster brother and a self-proclaimed Pokemaniac, choosing to dress up as random pokemon depending on his mood. A week ago he was a Bidoof, a few days ago he was a Weedle. Today, he is a Galarian Ponyta, a pokemon he's been on the lookout for a long time since he read about them. He still stays in Johto somewhere in Mahogany Town, but he likes to visit you a lot on sporadic occasions and luckily for you when you called him - he was in the Wild Area. You've asked Glenn to help you choose an outfit for your date. He was responsible for picking out the black dress from Goldenrod department store - the one you wore to the club - so overall, he's good with fashion and naturally you called him first because you trust his opinions.

He was also a berry addict. Specifically, the lum. Yes, that one. Out of all the berries he could get addicted to, it had to be that one. He got addicted to lum berries at a young age and spent much of his youth going to shady places, throwing most of his cash to dealers just to snort some lum dust. He’s been clean for years, or he says, but sometimes you’re not sure. There's no telltale sign right now - no red, watery eyes and there's no distinct smell of the lum either. You guess you have to take his word for it.

"Wait, before I forget - " Glenn removes his Ponyta hood, leaving himself in his white sweater and slacks with the pink-blue edges, and he proceeds to take out two pokeballs, handing them to you, "I brought your pokemon."

You grin widely as you take the pokeballs off him. "Thanks!!" You'll let your pokemon out later, and stuff their capsules into the pocket of your bag.

"I guess the only pokemon you're missing from your team would be a Goodra, Dragonite, Kommo-o and a Hydreigon, right?"

"And a Dragapult." You remind him.

"Why do you want one so badly? Is it because they look like they're so done with life and shit?"

"Uh, no, but - hey, what happened to that Dreepy trader?"

"He said he wanted your Metagross in exchange."

You make a face. "NO."

And he snickers, crosses his arms over his chest. "Yep, I called the trade off.”

"Thanks. So, what pokemon were you looking for this time?"

"A Vespiqueen, but no luck." He says with a sigh.

"You should've dressed up as a Combee."

"I wanted to but I couldn't make the costume in time." He sighs again, "Anyway, this isn't about me. This is about you. How's it goin'? How's Galar? You got a date, right?"

You immediately throw your glance to the ground and kick a stone away from your path, cheeks going pink. "...Yeah."

"Who's the lucky dude?"

"Um...it's Raihan."

Glenn's eyes bulges for a split second but then his expression returns to normal. "Oh. Figures. He loves dragon Pokemon and you use some dragon pokemon, so you got something in common." He scratches his chin next, "Raihan, huh. He's a bit of a celebrity around here; didn't know you would like his type."

You blush furiously in response. "I don't know if I should go."

"Huh? But you called me for help, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then you should go. Give it a shot. Ahhh, my little sis is going on a date with the hot-blooded dragon tamer. That's adorable." Glenn reaches over and pulls at your cheek affectionately.

You smile awkwardly in response. There's more to it, of course, but you're reluctant to tell Glenn the entire truth. Once you're at Hammerlocke, you take the train to Wyndon - even though you're heading there tomorrow - and upon arrival, you and Glenn head to the boutique. Raihan's asked you out on short notice and you're sure there's nothing in your current wardrobe, so the Wyndon boutique will have to do. Compared to the boutiques in the region, the Wyndon store offers some of the best selection of clothing. Stepping inside, you're greeted with hundreds of clothing racks and your eyes are assaulted with dozens of colourful garb, shoes and handbags.

As you grimace under your breath, Glenn rolls his sleeves up and grins widely. "Right, let's get you sorted!"

...

Wyndon, next day.

Needless to say, you didn't get a very good night's sleep and when you had heard a Corviknight crowing, indicating it was morning, you groaned and sat up in bed, glancing over to the folded clothes on the stool which you had bought yesterday with Glenn's help. It was rather exciting at first and shopping with Glenn is very much fun and games, but now...not so much. The initial excitement is gone now, replaced with an underlying sense of dread. You're afraid. Why are you doing this? What will you say to Raihan when you see him? What will you talk about during your time together? What if it gets awkward? What if he thinks you're boring as hell and that you have nothing in common? You smacked a hand to your forehead as you slipped out of bed, full of regret and feeling sick to the stomach; it's not like you agreed to go on the date either but he's expecting you to turn up now and you're too afraid to message him saying you don't want to go anymore.

Glenn said he could wait with you at the Wyndon pokemon centre for moral support which you didn't think was necessary; it doesn't make you feel any better.

Yet, you're waiting in the Pokemon Centre; Glenn stands at the rounded table, going through photos on his phone whilst you peep outside the double glazed window. Here you are, dressed and dolled up. It took you almost three hours to get ready. You look the same as you did at the nightclub but the makeup's a bit toned down, especially with your eyeliner. There's still ten minutes to go until the date officially starts but your indication of Raihan's arrival is a cacophony of manic female screaming and cheering. People are pointing to a specific direction so you follow where their fingers are pointing to and you see that Raihan has appeared, having just arrived at the large fountain in the town square; he smiles and waves at a few shrieking fans - he's donned in a casual black t-shirt and denims (and looking very much like the way he did at that talkshow) - before he abruptly steps towards the fountain and plops himself down on an empty, dry space, bringing out his Rotom phone. High above and the sky is turning grey, indicating that it will be raining soon.

Your eyes grow wide as your Rotom phone buzzes and he flies out; you have received a photo from Raihan - he just snapped a photo of himself at the fountain and has sent it to you. The caption below says:

Doofus: I'm here :)

You don't know how to reply, your feet suddenly anchored to the spot. "...He's actually here." You croak out. "He's here, Glenn."

Glenn doesn't look up from his phone. “You thought he wasn't serious? That he was playing a cruel joke on you? This isn't prom night or high school or whatever.”

“Y-yeah...”

"Well, now that he’s here and obviously very serious, what are you waiting for? Go to him."

You shake your head furiously, taking a few steps back from the window. "Um...not yet."

"Huh?" He looks up, confused. "You're gonna make him wait?"

"...It's not that. I...I don't think I can do this."

"What do you mean?"

"This is a bad idea."

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is."

"You can't keep letting whatever you're scared of stop you from doing things, sis." Glenn says, but you don't leave the safety of the pokemon centre.

As the minutes tick by, you see Raihan occasionally checking his phone, talking to some fans who would go up to him for selfies and autographs. Once that's done, he would look up and around and check his phone again for updates from your end (but obviously there's none because you didn't reply to his message). You hear a loud booming clap of thunder overhead and it occurs to you that the weather's getting worse and soon, the window becomes streaked with droplets.

"Look, it’s raining now." Glenn adds, "And it's pretty bad. Go and get him. Go get your man."

You stare at Raihan, who is still rooted in his seat on the fountain. He hasn't moved at all. Glancing at your phone, you realise you've left Raihan waiting for almost ten minutes. And as Glenn pointed out, it's beginning to rain heavily.

"Shit. You're right. Goddamnit, he's gonna get sick." You utter under your breath, "Glenn, I'm going."

"Whoohoo! Good luck! And most importantly, have fun!”

You pull your umbrella from your bag and open it as you rush out of the pokemon centre, running over to the fountain. Raihan doesn't notice you coming and since he hasn't moved from his spot at all, he's very drenched; once you arrive, you hold the umbrella over his head and he promptly looks up.

"Sorry, I'm late!" You exclaim, "Well, no, I wasn't late, I was - uh, never mind, I-I have kept you waiting and for that I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

He stares at you from head to toe; you're wearing a long-sleeved shirt dress with a belt and black shorts underneath, along with matching black chelsea boots. After he's had a good look at you, he immediately stands up and envelopes you into a tight hug. The umbrella jiggles in your hand and almost threatens to fall but you manage to hold onto it. Despite being completely wet, his body is warm.

"It's okay, I didn't wait for long." He says, as he nuzzles you affectionately. He sounds happy.

What a doofus, he clearly did wait for a long time. 

"You came." He adds.

"O-of course I'd come." You utter, and you exhale quietly under your breath as he bundles you up in his arms and gives you a tight squeeze. "...Sorry." You mumble again, throwing your gaze to the side as your chin rests on his broad shoulder. You can't help but apologise again and again.

His arms lower from your waist, large hands resting on the sides of your legs and the contact makes you blush heavily, your fingers clinching the damp fabric of his t-shirt. “Your outfit is too short.” He murmurs as he strokes the sides of your bare thighs before he slips his fingers underneath the material of your shorts - he’s almost at your ass - and he succeeds in sending a few shivers down your spine.

”You don’t like it?”

“No,” He mutters, “But it’s dangerous to wear something like that in front of me.”

Honestly, it’s quite a tacky thing to say but somehow he can get away with it because your face ends up a thousand shades of red before you defiantly turn your head to the side. “S-shut up.” You mumble as he leans over to press his lips over your cheek and you close your eye as he begins to trail little kisses over the side of your face. What were you expecting? Heck, you are deliberately wearing a sexy outfit for this date.

He moves towards your mouth and presses a deep kiss on your lips which kind of takes you off guard but before you can react, he pulls away and says, "What do you want to do first?"

"You're soaked." You squeak out, "I'm sorry."

He plants his hand atop your head, ruffling your head as he grins at you in response.

"Okay, I'm here and you're here. Your obsessed fan could also be here and watching us this very moment. What the hell are we doing, being in the wide open like this? This is bad. We should not be doing this." Glancing around, you see some of the Wyndon locals running for shelter from the rain, disappearing into their homes or nearby restaurants which now look pretty full. You're not too sure if it's a good idea if you should go with Raihan to such a busy place. You ponder to yourself briefly and it hits you. "Never mind; I have an idea."

....

Glimwood Tangle.

"Ahhhh. This is so much better." You sigh, wiping your brow with relief, "It's nice, dark and quiet here. No-one will see us."

The Glimwood Tangle is the perfect place - maybe not so much for a date, but if Raihan insists in spending some time with you, this is a good option. It's not raining here either, thank goodness. Of course, you're just a few paths away from Ballonlea as well, so you guess you could invite Raihan for tea or something nearer the end (and not for sex, nooo... and you hope he would respect that too). You took the Corviknight taxi - which was a bad idea because it was really cramped inside and you were both basically rubbing shoulders - which he didn't object to or anything, in fact he pretty much wanted you to sit in his lap but luckily for you and unlucky for him, there was just enough space.

You found the entire taxi ride darn near claustrophobic and he had his hand planted over your bare leg the entire time so you're relieved to have finally arrived at the woods - even when you exited the taxi, he let you go out first and the damn cramped cubicle meant when you both stood up and turned, your ass basically grinded invitingly against his hips. If it couldn't have been anymore damn obvious, there's tension between you and Raihan and you're not sure what will emerge from this.

In the woods, you look around whilst Raihan tries to get a signal on his phone. There's not many people around at all and as you mentioned, it's dark and quiet. You prefer this more than any other town or city. You take one step forwards and -

SQUELCH.

Throwing your glance down, you see your foot is stuck in thick mud, fast. "Motherfu - “

Raihan’s watching you.

”-Fuh...Furret. These are brand new."

He chuckles as you try to pull and tug your leg free but to no avail. Raihan steps over, invulnerable to the mud (but of course he is) and reaches for you, scooping you up with one hand under the back of your knees and the other around your shoulder and with unimaginable strength, he hoists you out - but now you're stuck in his hold, being carried bridal style which embarrasses you greatly.

"What are you doing?"

"Saving my princess." He replies cheerfully as he carries you through the woods. You blush the entire way; when you're away from the muddy terrain and back onto the path, you both find a large glowing mushroom and decide to sit down and Raihan looks around inquisitively. You get the feeling that he doesn't come here often, and you wonder if he has even come here before at all. He doesn't look used to his surroundings.

"Are you okay?" You ask, as Raihan looks up at the non-existent sky. "Is it too quiet here? Too dark? Some people find the Glimwood Tangle unnerving."

"It’s not so bad here.”

"Yeah, but people are rumoured to disappear or get lost for days. Weeks, even. So, not many people like passing here and as you can see, it's really dark. Like it's almost noon but it looks like it's night-time right now. It can really mess with your biological clock," You muse out loud, "N-not that I chose to stay near here because of those reasons, of course. “

You go silent; it occurs to you that he was observing you as you babbled and now you’re scared to death that you’d put him off with your ramblings. Did it make any sense? Or was it all garbage? Why did you say those things in the first place anyway? You couldn’t help it - it was like verbal diarrhoea. Have you made things awkward now?

As you worry, he asks, “Do you live in Ballonlea or Stow-on-Side?"

"Ballonlea. You can see my cottage over there." You point to the left where between some giant, neon mushrooms, you can see the roof of your cottage in-between the stems.

"Nice." He comments with a grin, before he takes off his orange sweatband which is damp with rain and as he wrings it dry, you get a rare view of Raihan without his headband, revealing the sides of his shaved head and his dreadlocks. You can feel your cheeks heating up as you look at his rugged side profile and angled jaw, the amount of manly appeal he oozes is enough to reduce you to a blushing mess. He's still fairly damp, his black t-shirt clinging to his muscles and you can see the lean outline of his biceps. Looks like he works out a lot...hot damn, you should've paid more attention to the training videos he posts up online. There's a reason they're insanely popular with fans.

You try to focus on the topic at hand here, clearing your throat, "My pokemon like it a lot here, except Espie. She prefers Johto."

"What other pokemon do you have?"

"I have a Drifloon; he's been with me for a long time. And I have a Poliwag. He refuses to evolve though, so we tied an Everstone around his tail. He lives in my bathroom."

Raihan chuckles again. Surprisingly....the conversation's been pretty fluid and he's extremely easy-going. “I got something for you.”

”Huh?”

Delving into his pocket, he takes out a pokeball with a ribbon tied neatly around the middle. Fancy. “This is for you.”

You don’t move. Your gut feels like it’s twisted into a tight knot.

”Go on, it’s yours.”

You nervously accept the pokeball from him and he gestures for you to open it, releasing whatever is inside. You press the button and a red light flashes briefly before the Pokemon appears. Your eyes widen at once. It’s a round purplish-pink blob that blinks it’s little eyes at you before opening its mouth wide. It makes a gurgling noise and your jaw drops.

”A Goomy!!?!” You exclaim, and you can’t help the smile that blossoms on your face; Raihan watches, grinning at your reaction. “But...why? You didn’t have to.”

“He needs a home and I know you’ll take good care of him.”

As the Goomy looks between you and Raihan, you hold your arms out. It slowly slithers over to you and you lift it up and into your arms. Uh, okay.... now your clothes are feeling a little damp. There’s a slime trail over your front and as Goomy gurgles happily, you smile cheerfully at it and rub at one of it’s little horns.

”Oh, so cute...” You can’t wait to raise him into a Goodra that will destroy anything and everything. Oh yeah. Turning to Raihan, you grin, “Thanks. I’ll look after him.”

He grins at you in response as you return your new Goomy into the pokeball. Shit, you didn’t get anything for Raihan. But his gift was totally unexpected! You weren’t expecting any presents!!! What are you going to do?

“What's it like being a Pokemon Breeder?" He asks, snapping you out of your thoughts.

"O-oh, well, I like it very much, I get to see lots of pokemon everyday. I look after a lot of pokemon everyday." You babble again, "I look after the babies, I look after the eggs, and I deliver eggs. For EV training, I only accept up to five pokemon; I take them to places with specific pokemon to battle for stat gain."

He rubs his chin in thought, "Where did you learn how to EV train?"

It's then you throw your glance to the ground and bring your knees to your chest. "....When I was a kid, I brought Beldum to Show and Tell. My classmates laughed at him and said mean things so I wanted to train him up to become stronger. I took him to the mountains and we battled a lot of Trapinch. Along the way, I noticed his attack stats kept increasing as I levelled him up." You mumble, "I never forgot that moment, not once."

"I know." He says nonchalantly, "You told me."

You whip your head to him in confusion as he smiles coolly at you. "When did I ever tell you that?"

"Didn't you watch the rest of the video?"

Your cheeks go red. "Uh........No." You utter, after a pregnant pause, "...No, I...I didn’t."

His expression gradually dissolves into one of disappointment and his face crumbles slightly. Oh shit, now that you think about it... you didn't finish watching it. You scratch your elbow, pondering.

"What's it like being a gym leader?" You ask timidly, and also wanting to change the subject, "And why did you decide to become one?"

"Hah, good question." He replies, "I like battling and training pokemon. Being a gym leader means I constantly get challenged by people from all across the region; there's always something new to look forward to everyday and my pokemon can get stronger. One day, when we're strong enough, we'll beat Leon."

You admire his positivity, you really do. And his energy. You give him a small smile as he grins at you again and a comfortable silence settles between the two of you; inwardly, you’re quite happy that the date seems to be going in a good direction. You muse silently whilst Raihan takes out his phone and attempts to take a selfie of himself with a green mushroom behind him. It's too dark for him to show up properly, however. You're about to say something when you hear a rustle in the grass below you and you turn your head to the source of the noise.

“Did you hear that??" You whisper, leaning over to see who or what is making the ruckus; when a pokemon emerges, your eyes widen and you unconsciously grab his arm. "Raihan, look, it's a Ponyta!"

"Hm?" He peers over the edge of the mushroom beside you.

As you point excitedly to the grass below, the small horse pokemon trots out from the undergrowth and glances around cautiously before it begins to feast on the grass. "Damn, all my pokemon are too strong. They'll just kill it - I mean, make it, er, faint - in one move."

"I'll catch it for you." Raihan says; he stuffs his headband into his pocket, hops off his seat and drops to the ground carefully and quietly before reaching for you with arms outstretched.

You swallow down slightly and gingerly slide off the mushroom, holding onto his shoulders for support; he slips his arms around your waist securely and effortlessly hoists you down and when your feet touch the ground, he's still holding you tightly and your noses are almost touching. You mutter your thanks as he lets go of you slowly before reaching for an ultra ball that's nestled behind his back. Approaching the Ponyta, he tosses the ultra ball and a large pokemon emerges - it's his Sandaconda. The Ponyta, startled, decides to face it head on. You look at it's multicoloured mane that is a beautiful shade of mixed pastel blue and pink. So adorable!!!

"Go, Sandaconda! Use headbutt!" He instructs, and the sand snake pokemon proceeds to ram itself at the pokemon. It didn't get a chance to retaliate at all! The Ponyta drops to the ground, not exactly knocked out but reeling from the impact. Weakened, Raihan grins and then grabs a spare pokeball from his pocket and throws it at the downed pokemon. You're surprised he's helping you catch it, and when the ball clicks shut successfully after wiggling around for three times, you watch numbly as Raihan collects it, returning his pokemon at the same time. With the pokeball in hands, he heads back to your direction and hands you the capsule. "There you go. She's all yours."

He’s surprising you a lot today. And he’s gotten you another Pokemon.

"Thanks, Raihan."

“Whatever Pokemon you want, I’ll get it for you.”

”You don’t have to.”

”I want to.”

Your cheeks flame up immediately.

”What’s next on your list?”

You think about Dragapult and an image of the ghost slash dragon type appears in your mind. Oh, Glenn is right. Dragapult really does look like he is done with life and shit. Now you really want one. “Dreepy....” You mutter, in a slight zombie trance.

”Okay, I’ll get you one.”

”Wha - ?! Raihan, I didn’t mean it, I was just - seriously, don’t. It’s okay.”

As you splutter, clearly flustered by his generosity, he chuckles. You give him a timid smile, throwing your glance to the pokeball in your hands, then back up at him. He hasn't looked away from you at all. It grows silent for a while between the two of you where you're both staring at each other - to your surprise, you’re able to maintain the eye contact without wanting to look or turn away.

Maybe it’s because you’re anticipating him to kiss you and as predicted, Raihan slowly begins to lean in. You freeze on the spot then, watching as his face comes closer and closer and your heart beats harder. It’s that giddy Butterfrees-in-the-stomach feeling again but this time, it’s strangely pleasant. His gaze lands on your lips and when he finally nears you; he pauses and flicks his glance up at you as though he’s waiting for something. Your permission, perhaps? When you don’t move, he closes the gap and gently pecks you on the lips, reaching for your hand and squeezing it. You force yourself not to move and discover you’re able to stand still. The corner of your lip tugs upwards against his mouth which causes him to grin in response as he smooches you again quickly.

When you both pull away, you mutter, "...Shall we head to Ballonlea?"

"Sure."

You place the pokeball with the newly captured Ponyta into your bag beside Goomy’s and once that's done, Raihan begins to guide you out of the woods. Hand in hand, you both walk towards the direction of Ballonlea where he would occasionally nudge you playfully using his shoulder and you would nudge him back. The only source of light comes from the glowing mushrooms but it's really relaxing to be here. You see some other pokemon in your path, including some Shiinotic and Morelull who all hide away from you, disappearing into the darkness. Up ahead and you see some gym challenger being pranked on by Impidimps. Soon, the town comes into view and you lead the way to your house where you see a cardboard box on your doorstep.

Huh, that wasn't there before...and it couldn't be mail, either.

Stopping directly in front of it, you and Raihan stare at the box and then look at each other. It says 'Open Me' and there's an awful stench emitting from inside. That wipes the smile clean off your face; Raihan steers you behind him and you quickly grab his arm. "Wait! No, don't open it. Call Looker."

He eyes the box cautiously, "...Yeah. You're right." Just as Raihan pulls out his phone, his screen flashes, indicating a call from the detective you had just mentioned. "You called at a great time."

"What happened?" You can hear Looker's gravelly voice from the receiver.

"I'm with her. There's a weird box outside her doorstep."

"Okay, I'm heading over. Don't open it."

"What do you think is inside?"

"...A dead pokemon, or parts of one, probably."

There's a brief silence before Raihan hangs up.

"A dead pokemon?!" You exclaim in shock; Raihan returns his phone and turns to you, then encircles his arms around your waist wordlessly and holds you tight against him; he's strong, you can't wriggle free from his embrace. "Raihan, we shouldn't have - this person knows where I live! And now this... this is awful!”

Raihan doesn't say anything except press his lips against your forehead in an effort to calm you down whilst rubbing your arm soothingly.

The wait for Looker is excruciatingly long.

[carlotta-the-nerd-winters]

Rough Diamond - Chapter Three: Into The Unknown Team

A Week Later…

Postwick…

Something she had discovered about Blaze after spending their first night together—he was a snuggle monster. He made a beeline for her bed and buried himself under her quilt and blankets. The fire-type seemed content to sleep by her side and Gloria had to admit, it was nice having a warm plushie-like figure to sleep with at night.

Second thing she discovered about her newest partner—he was insanely fast. Even without the use of Quick Attack, Blaze had some fast feet. Something she was more than happy to have in battle. But chasing after him had been another thing entirely. He’d zip away when she’d tried to get him back into his ball. Eventually, she just gave up after her father told her that out of the three he gave to Leon, Blaze despised his pokeball.

But she had spent the week training and getting to know Blaze a little better. Most of the time, she had been out in the Wild Area and would return home in the afternoon. Charlie and Sonia had uploaded the Pokedex app onto hers and Hop’s phones. Both of their families had gifted them camping supplies and one of those never-ending space bags that were popular in Kanto. All that was left for them was to grab their Dynamax bands from Professor Magnolia.

“Gloria! You’ll be late for the train if you don’t head off now,” she heard her mother shout from downstairs.

“I’m coming!” she shouted back, fixing her black ripped jeans. Glancing one last time in the mirror, she combed her hair back and tied it up into a small ponytail. Maybe I should let it grow out more…

“Gloria Elizabeth Aegis!”

The brunette groaned, grabbing her brown backpack and left her room. Running downstairs, she found Hop waiting in the foyer with her mother and Victor who had Blaze snuggled in his arms.

“Honestly, what could be taking you so long to get dressed? You’re participating in the Gym Challenge. Not Love Islands,” Kathleen clucked her tongue as Blaze jumped out of Victor’s arms and onto her shoulder. “I’ve phoned ahead to the professor to let her know you’re on your way.”

“Thanks Kathy,” Hop smiled, hands in his pockets.

“Call us when you’ve arrived at Motostoke. Be safe you two,” Kathleen told them, looking between the two teens. Victor hugged his little sister before messing with her hair.

“Piss off,” she swiped at him, fixing her hair immediately as he laughed.

“Just have fun you guys. And know I’m betting on you two to take down Lee,” Victor said as Hop beamed. Checking the time on her watch, Kathleen ushered them out of the house.

“We better get going. I can’t wait to get my band,” Hop told her as they walked down the front steps of Gloria’s place. A few Wooloo cried in the distance as the morning sun shone down.

Out of habit, Gloria glanced at the fence that blocked off the Slumbering Weald and found it thrown open. “Hop,” she tugged at his sleeve, pointing it out.

His eyes widened. “Crap. There was a Wooloo there earlier tackling it. I didn’t think it’d actually bust through,” he said and she stared at him.

“You didn’t think a Pokémon using a physical attack move could break down an old wooden fence?” she asked sarcastically, shaking her head at him and headed in.

“What are you doing?” he asked, grabbing her wrist.

“Going to get the Wooloo out of there.”

“But it’s off-limits. Nobody’s supposed to go in there,” he reminded her. “Remember when the professor’s granddaughter went in once, and she came back in a real state.”

Gloria frowned. “Yeah but I went in there too and came back fine,” she pointed out, shaking off his grip and taking her wrist back. “Look, I’m going in there with or without you,” she said, marching on.

Hop groaned and ran after her, glaring at her smile. “This doesn’t mean you’re right. This is just the kind of scene where you simply have to do what’s needed!”

“Whatever you say, Hop,” she responded, letting Rookie out of his ball when the fog began rolling in. “Remember this place buddy?”

“Corvi,” Rookie chirped, looking around.

“There’s a Wooloo that’s gone missing. Take to the skies and see if you can find him from above,” she instructed as he nodded, taking off. He flew through the trees disappearing from their sight. “Stick close. It’s only fog from here on out.”

“Right,” he murmured, standing closer to Gloria as they began walking through. Blaze was staring at the forest in awe. “That Wooloo…where do you think it got off to?”

“Not sure,” she admitted, taking in the surrounding area. The sounds of many different Pokémon cries, singing their tunes. Barely any sunlight managed to break through the thick leaves on the dozens of trees. The air was cool, a slight breeze running through and stirring up the leaves on the ground. The forest hadn’t changed since she was a child.

I wonder if that large Pokémon is still here, she wondered, coming across the small pond. “Careful to not slip,” she told Hop as she jumped on the small stone and got across.

“You seem at home in here,” Hop noted as they continued on, walking across the old, stone bridge. Covered in vines, leaves and moss…it had been here for a long time.

“Yeah,” she agreed, smiling a little. “It’s…it’s hard to explain but there’s just something that calls to me in here. And don’t you think it’s fascinating that time just stands still in here?”

He stared at her as she stood still, gazing softly at the dark forest. “Like there’s someone waiting for you in here,” he said, and she whirled around, beaming at him.

“Exactly. I knew you’d get it,” she said and Hop chuckled, lightly elbowing her in the side.

“I still think you’re barmy,” he winked and grabbed her wrist. “We better keep going or else that Wooloo might be in real trouble.”

She followed as they jogged further in. Just as she remembered from her childhood, the deeper they went in, the denser the fog became. Hope kept a hold on her wrist and eventually moved to her hand in order for them to not lose each other.

“This is mad!” Hope swore, squinting his eyes as they slowed to a walk. “I can’t even see my own hand in front of my face.”

“It gets worse the further we go in.”

“I think I get now why this place is off-limits,” he muttered as a large figure appeared in the fog. Hop flinched at the sight of the large, scarred dog-like Pokémon while Gloria beamed.

“It’s you again,” she smiled as its yellow eyes focused on her again. “Thank you for helping Rookie and I out that time.”

It growled low as she held a hand outwards. It stared at the hand for a moment before sniffing it. It’s ears, which had been previously close to its head were standing up straight.

“We need your help again. A Wooloo has gone missing around here,” Ria continued as it pulled back. It howled, the loud sound forcing the teens to cover their ears and more fog was released, covering the area.

“Ria!” Hop called out. “I can’t see anything. You okay?”

“I’m…I’m fine.” She answered, feeling a little weak in the knees and exhaustion washed over her. Her eyelids felt heavy and she struggled to keep them open any longer. It was if the fog itself was sucking all of the energy out of her body. “Hop…”

He called her name again as she collapsed onto the ground, darkness taking her.

We have waited for you, children of Alastair and Sander.

When she came to, Hop’s golden gaze was staring at her and his brows were furrowed. Behind him were the large, dark trees of the Slumbering Weald. Something warm was on her chest and she looked down, finding Blaze on her with his little paws gripping her grey cardigan.

“Ria, thank Arceus you’re awake,” Hop sighed, holding her tighter in his arms. She soon wiggled out of his arms and rose to her feet, holding the shaking Blaze in her arms. He must’ve been frightened by what happened.

“What happened?” she asked as she put her fingers to her lips, whistling for Rookie to return to her.

“I’m not sure, mate.” Hop admitted. “I was clonked out like you and woke up here. Heard Blaze here crying and saw you unconscious,” he shook his head, staring at her. “Gave me a real fright. Did this happen last time?”

Ria shook her head as she heard Rookie’s cry ring out across the forest. She whistled once more, hearing him draw closer—along with Leon.

“Wha—? Lee?” Hop exclaimed as his older brother broke through some thick bushes along with Rookie. Ria’s Pokémon landed in front of her as Leon checked on the pair. “How’d you manage to find your way here? You’re pants with directions. You always get lost.”

Leon shot him a glare. “Oh, that’s nice to hear from the little brother who had me worried sick,” he snapped at him before pointing his head at Rookie. “I’d been waiting for ages for you two and when you never showed up, I went to Ria’s place. Rookie found me and brought me to you guys.”

Ria crouched down, stroking her partner’s head. “Thanks for getting help,” she said as he nudged her hand.

“Where’s the Wooloo? We were trying to rescue that Wooloo.”

“The little chap’s fine by the entrance. Charizard is with him,” Leon answered, crossing his arms over his chest. “But you two know this place is off-bounds. However, it took courage to come in here all the same. And I can understand well enough why you did it.”

Hop rubbed the back of his neck, smiling. “At least that Wooloo’s all right.”

“Come on you two, let’s get out of this place. You’ll be all right now that I’m here with you,” Leon said, walking ahead. The two soon followed and Ria noticed Hop sticking close to her side.

“You okay?’ she asked him quietly and he nodded.

“Yeah. Just shaking off the shock,” he reassured her with a smile. “Even if we did get an earful from Lee, what an experience. This’ll make a pretty fine first page in the tale of my legend.”

oOo

A Few Hours Later…

After a flock of Wooloo halted their train ride to Motostoke, the teens were walking through the smaller Wild Area outside the great city. Eventually Hop parted ways to have one last training session before the opening ceremony tomorrow. They promised to meet up at the stadium so they could sign up together—something the darker teen made her swear by.

As she was walking along the Axel Lake, Rommie flew out of her pocket with Teddy’s ringtone playing. “Teddy’s requesting a video call.”

“Put him through,” she instructed, coming to a stop. Blaze jumped out of her arms, choosing to run around the area. “Stick close by where I can see you.”

“Bun!” Blaze answered back, disappearing into the bushes.

“Sounds like you’ve got your hands full already,” Teddy chuckled as his image flicked onto the small phone screen. He was the spitting image of their father—the same black hair and the Sycamore grey eyes—but he had a large scar across his left eye from a Pyroar a few years ago. Teddy jokes that it’s the only way people could tell him and their father apart. “I wanted to wish you luck on your journey. Sorry I couldn’t be there to see you off.”

Ria shrugged her shoulders. “It’s fine. People in Almia just don’t get how big the Gym Challenge is. They don’t even have a league there.”

“Aye but all the same, I’ve missed out on a family reunion. Have you got a game plan?”

“I picked up a Scorbunny. Both my fire and flying types will be at an advantage against Milo. I just need to get my hands on either an electric or a grass-type for Nessa’s gym. I’ll be able to find a water-type in Hulbury somewhere for Kabu’s gym.”

“Good. Make sure to follow through on your plan. I’ve got my TV set up to record all of yours and Hop’s matches. Tell him good luck for me next time you see him.”

“I will,” she promised as Blaze’s cried out. Frowning, she, and Rookie rushed over to where her smaller Pokémon just as a small explosion erupted. Dirt and dust flew into the air and Ria coughed a few times, swiping it away. “Blaze? Are you okay?”

“Bun, bun,” the small Pokémon confirmed as she discovered a small, lighter coloured Budew shivering behind him. Blaze was protecting it from his stance, and she glanced to where he was glaring. A couple of Nickit were on the ground, clearly injured and growling at Blaze.

They were attacking this Budew. Or at the very least antagonising it, she realised, running over, and picking up the Budew in her arms. “Rookie, use Air Slash to clear them away,” she ordered as he sprung into action. Using his large wings, he sent gusts of razor-sharp air pockets to whip them away. Only one hung onto the ground and sprinted towards Blaze once the air died down. “Blaze, use Quick Attack.”

Blaze disappeared for a split second before reappearing and knocking into the last Nickit. The collision sent the dark-type flying through the air and landing on the ground, completely knocked out. Seeing the enemy defeated, the fire-type spun around to flash them a wide grin.

“Good job bud,” Gloria complimented and knelt down to gently place the Budew onto the ground. A flash of light caught everyone’s attention and it turned out the source was none other than Blaze himself. Having seen an evolution in progress plenty of times at her father’s day care, the brunette watched in fascination. His body began to grow in height and width, his ears getting longer and flopping down. When the light disappeared, Blaze had finished his evolution and was staring at his paws in fascination.

“You got him to evolve already?” Teddy’s voice interrupted her stare, alerting her to the fact that he was still on the phone. “That was too quick. What kind of training regime have you been doing with him?”

“The same one as Rookie’s,” she answered, eyes flicking over to the floating Rotom phone. “Rommie, scan Blaze and bring up his Pokedex entry.”

“Okie dokie,” she chirped, quickly scanning Blaze’s form and brought the information up on the screen.

Raboot, the Rabbit Pokémon and the evolved form of Scorbunny. It’s thick and fluffy fur protects it from the cold and enables it to use hotter fire moves. It kicks berries right off the branches of trees and then juggles them with its feet, practicing its footwork.

“Congrats on evolving, Blaze,” she smiled as he checked on the Budew. Seeing how he checked for injuries had Gloria smiling widely. She also couldn’t help but stare at the different coloured Budew. It’s outer layer was a brighter green and the little bits of petal on its front was purple instead of the usual darker green. It took her a moment to realise that the Budew in front of her was an infamous ‘shiny’ Pokémon. Gloria had planned on obtaining a Pokémon for Nessa’s gym and the Budew line tended to have higher special attack stats. “Hey Budew,” Gloria caught its attention and smiled. “How would you like to come with us?”

Budew glanced at Blaze who gave her a nod. Encouraged, Budew walked closer to the teen and lightly tapped its head against the outstretched Pokeball. After disappearing and a few tense seconds later, Gloria had added a Budew to her team.

A quick scan on her Pokedex showed that this Budew was a female and had the ability of natural cure. An ability that would no doubt come in handy during the Gym Challenge.

Gloria released the Budew and pondered over a name. Not wanting for Victor to make fun of her again, she moved away from the obvious choice of Rose. Finally, after musing over a few choices, she smiled at her new Pokémon. “How does the name Pollen sound?”

“Budew,” she chimed happily as Rommie registered the name.

“Welcome to the team, Pollen.”

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Songs: Into The Unknown by Panic! At The Disco and Team by Tova. Both songs have been added to the Spotify playlist for this fic. Each time I'm writing up a chapter, I add the songs I'm listening to when writing said chapter so think of it as a preview. If you wanna check it out, it's called the Rough Diamond Playlist. 

Thanks to everyone who's kudos and a special shout out to a_human_called_aoife for your lovely comment! Honestly had me smiling while reading it and I hope you continue to enjoy this fic. More comments are appreciated! Seriously, they make writers post work quicker. 

Also, this chapter took a while as I've just moved into my new house and getting a new job. 

[ask-professor-laurel]

Personal Field Notes #004: Shinx!

So you’ll never believe what I found in the woods. 

The plan was to do up some personal notes on the Morelull I went out to study, but plans changed when I came across a Shinx on my way back. Completely on its own, which was odd enough, and very, very timid. Took a bit of coaxing from Honeybite, as well as the promise of food, to get her to warm up to me but she did. So, a few things could’ve happened her. She could’ve been left behind by a pride, which is very unlikely. So I’m thinking she was either left by a trainer, or her trainer was out there needing help. We’ve scoured the forest and Cloudhopper and Sweetbug checked everything out, turned up nothing, so I’m thinking we have the results of a very bad trainer on our hands. I’m trying to give the situation the benefit of the doubt, so we’re looking into any reports of missing Shinx. 

So, Shinx. Definitely a popular line of Electric types- a typically “cool” looking Pokemon, very strong when evolved, and known as fiercely loyal partners. I knew a few trainers back in my trainer days who had a Shinx on their teams with dreams of having a big, strong Luxray. A lot of trainers aren’t aware of how much care the Shinx line requires, however, and I’m guessing that that’s what happened to our newest resident. So, how does one care for a Shinx?

Most of the time a Shinx is either going to be getting exercise and/or playing, or it’s going to be sleeping. They charge themselves up while they sleep, and their bodies can store a lot of electricity! Then they wake up and they burn it all off, haha. They get restless easy, they don’t tend to like being kept in Pokeballs for long periods of time, they’d much rather be outside and walk alongside you. Then they like to be carried while they sleep- they need the security of someone protecting them when they do this, wild Shinx can usually rely on the rest of their pride being present to watch over them, captive Shinx rely on their owners. So, if you’re expecting a Pokemon that is going to be strong and plow through battles from the get go, you’ll probably find yourself rather disappointed. Shinx much prefer to play and sleep, can be quite flighty, and are notorious for how much they’ll shock you!

If you want that typically loyal Luxray, however, it’s essential you train them from a Shinx. Shinx bond for life; once they’re attached to someone, that bond doesn’t break. I don’t think our new friend had bonded to her trainer yet, she would’ve put up a fight and likely electrocuted me for trying to move her if she had, and just because Shinx aren’t usually battle-ready doesn’t mean they aren’t powerful. Shinx usually have trouble controlling their powers and moves, and can let off really powerful bursts of electricity that have the potential to cause some nasty burns. They get better with this over time, as most Pokemon do, but it can be frightening if you’re not expecting it! Another reason to give your Shinx a lot of exercise- they work off the excess they build up in their sleep. 

Our little Shinx was very timid, but she didn’t try to scare me off. One Pokedex fact they get somewhat right is that Shinx light up when threatened, though it’s less of a glow and more that they use the electricity they have stored to set off a short burst of electricity that is incredibly bright. Bright enough that there have been known instances of permanent eye damage and partial blindness as a direct result. She didn’t flash at me, just sort of hid until I offered her food and Honeybite talked to her, so she’s probably been around people before. 

Don’t worry too much about our Shinx- we’ll make sure she’s in good hands. She’s stolen several hearts already, and I’m currently sitting across from one of the lab techs who has her sleeping on their lap- they’ve taken a real shine to each other. She’ll find a good home, whether we send her somewhere to be adopted out of, or if someone here applies to adopt her. I might call Sonia if a trainer isn’t found and if she isn’t adopted by one of the team members. Her Yamper would get along great with a Shinx, and some extra paws around her lab might be good. Whatever happens, we’ll personally ensure she is taken to a loving home and treated like the little queen she is. 

I will happily provide updates on her if so desired, but by the look of things from where I’m sitting, I think she’s going to be a permanent resident, haha. 

[epic-ash-and-sora-fan]

Circumstances chap 1: A Mysterious Reunion

When a seemingly random Riolu wakes Clemont up in the middle of the night and led him out into Lumiose City in the pouring rain, the last thing he expected to see was Ash Ketchum and Pikachu sitting in an alleyway, completely soaked and with no memory of how they got there. What happened to them? And why does Clemont's heart skip a beat when Ash smiles at him?

Clemont wasn't sure what woke him up. It was still dark outside save for the numerous streetlamps. No sounds were heard aside from a dull roar of a rainstorm outside. Clemont checked his alarm clock. It was nearly 2:30 AM. The blonde groaned, but he put on his glasses and pulled himself out of bed to check on Bonnie. His big brother instinct seemed to always know if his little sister had a nightmare. He trudged out of his room and down the hall. It has been a little over a month now since he resumed his duties at the Lumiose Gym. A month since his journey through Kalos came to an end. A month since Ash went home. After everything that happened, it was almost boring to be back home. Even with the daily gym challengers requesting a battle either against him or Clembot.

Clemont peeked into Bonnie's room. She was sound asleep with Dedenne sleeping right next to her. Clemont smiled to see that his sister wasn't in any sort of distress, but it still begged the question of what woke him up.

That's when he heard it. A quiet scratching sound. So quiet Clemont was surprised he even heard it. He followed the sound to the front door of the gym. Perplexed Clemont moved to open the door. Surely no one in their right mind would challenge the gym at this ridiculous hour.

The door swished open. At first, Clemont couldn't see anyone except for rain and the streets. but just as he was about to write this off as a prank by some immature delinquent he felt a small pressure on his leg.

"Rooo"

Clemont gazed downward to see a very wet Riolu looking up at him with sad and worried eyes.

"Whoa, what's wrong, little guy? What brings you here?"

Clemont knelt down so that he was at eye level with the Emanation Pokemon and scanned it for any injuries. Once satisfied that the pokemon seemed fine albeit soaking wet he looked around for anyone who could possibly be its trainer. However, it soon became clear that Riolu was alone. Where did it come from? And why was it scratching at his door in the middle of the night? Fair questions, but neither had an answer at present.

"I'm...afraid that I can't have a gym battle with a pokemon." Clemont joked. "And even if I could it's the middle of the night."

The Riolu seemed uninterested in Clemont's attempt to lighten the mood. It began barking and pulling on Clemont's pyjama pants and pointing out into the rain.

"You....want me to follow you?" Clemont guessed, receiving an affirmative nod in response from the Riolu.

Clemont sighed. He really didn't want to go out in the pouring rain at 2:30 in the morning. Yet, the Riolu seemed extremely upset about something. From the way it was staring at him, Clemont had a feeling it wouldn't leave him alone until he investigated.

"Okay...just...just give me a second."

Clemont rushed back into the gym and back to his bedroom. He went into his closet to grab a blue raincoat and an umbrella and put his trainers on. Then picked up one of his pokeballs from his night-stand and called out Helliolisk. The Generator Pokemon let out a huge yawn.

"Sorry to wake you Heliolisk, but something....came up." Clemont apologised, unsure of how else to word this current situation.

"Could I ask you to watch over Bonnie for me in case she wakes up, I won't be gone long."

Heliolisk gave an enthusiastic nod, showing no animosity over his rather rude awakening.

Clemont thanked his pokemon and rushed out of his room. He raced back to the front door where the Riolu was anxiously waiting. It seemed to have the common sense to wait inside.

"Alright Riolu, lead the way."

- - - - -

Riolu led the blond gym leader around another bend. Heavy rain hammered down against his umbrella. Clemont's feet splashed into any and all puddles that were in their path as he tried his best to keep up with the pokemon in front of him.

"Maybe I should get in to shape more." he panted to himself, happy that Bonnie wasn't here right now. He'd never hear the end of it.

After about five more minutes of winding through the complexity that is Lumiose City, -and the poor visibility thanks to the rain didn't help matters- Riolu began to slow down near an alleyway. It let out a bark as if signalling someone. Clemont nearly dropped his umbrella when he saw a very familiar and very wet Pikachu come out of the alleyway. Within two seconds of seeing Clemont, Pikachu bolted over to him and began pulling on his pyjama pants just as Riolu did before.

"Pikapika, Pikapi Pi Pi Pikachu!"

"Whoa, Whoa, Pikachu calm down." soothed Clemont as he knelt down, and put his hand on Pikachu's head who looked close to hyperventilating. "What's wrong?"

"Pikapi, Pikachu!" Pikachu cried pointing at the alleyway and then bolted back into it.

Clemont followed Pikachu down the alleyway wondering what could have caused him such distress.

This time he did drop his umbrella.

Right in front of him, sitting against the alley wall a few feet away was someone Clemont was sure he saw off at the airport a little over a month prior.

"What in the...? Ash?!"

Clemont rushed over and practically fell onto his knees in front of Ash. He didn't care that they were now getting wet. Pikachu was already beside him with great concern etched on his features. Ash didn't show any indication that he heard Clemont. He just sat there cross-legged, staring at the ground. Clemont put his hands on his friend's shoulders.

"Ash, are you okay?!"

Ash's clothes were completely soaked through. He's certainly been out in the rain for some time. Clemont also felt him shiver under his hands, but other than that he didn't move.

"Ash, look at me! Tell me you're okay!" cried Clemont frantically, giving his friend a little shake. His heart began hammering against his chest. What happened to Ash? Why was he just sitting there? Was he hurt? Millions of questions were racing through his head. Any possible answers just made Clemont feel sick.

Finally, Ash slowly looked up and his brown tired eyes stared back at Clemont. He managed a small smile, clearly recognising the friend in front of him. Clemont looked him over. He couldn't find any obvious injuries save for a small cut on his forehead above his left eye. The cut wasn't too deep and has since stopped bleeding. Clemont could already tell that it wouldn't need any stitches and was thankful for it.

"Ash, what happened? Why are you just sitting here in the pouring rain?" he asked worriedly.

Ash shivered. He wrapped his arms around his body as if just now realising he was completely drenched.

"Don't know." came a hoarse whisper.

"Chuuu..." Pikachu whimpered placing his paws on Ash's leg. Ash put his hand on Pikachu's head as if trying to reassure the worried Mouse Pokemon.

Clemont knew exactly what to do next. It wasn't even a question. He took Ash by the arms and pulled him to his feet. Ash stumbled a bit but remained standing. Clemont took off his raincoat and placed it over the raven-haired trainer's soaked and shivering frame. Not that it made much of a difference now. He doubted Ash could get any wetter.

"Come on, let's get you somewhere dry," he said kindly as he placed an arm around Ash and began to lead him out of the alleyway.

Y...you're getting w....wet." Ash noted making Clemont smile. It was just like his friend to worry about someone else's well-being above his own.

"I'll be fine. Worry about yourself for now. Besides I have an umbrella.....somewhere."

With a quick scan of the area, Clemont located the forgotten umbrella. After wrestling with it for a moment he got it open and held it over both his and his friend's heads.

"Here we are. Let's go."

With his arm around Ash, Clemont made his way back to the gym. Pikachu climbed on to the blonde's shoulder. Riolu who had been watching the whole scene followed behind. Clemont didn't object to either.

- - - - -

Heliolisk happily greeted Clemont as he and Ash returned to the warm and dry confines of the Lumiose gym. He took one look at Ash then gave his trainer a bemused look.

"Liisk?"

"Your guess is as good as mine Helliolisk," said Clemont, guessing his pokemon's question. He closed his umbrella and placed it down by the door. Pikachu and Riolu shook the rainwater off of their bodies. Clemont flinches as the water splashed on him.

"Pika..." apologised Pikachu with a contrite look.

"I was already wet anyway," said Clemont with a chuckle, wiping the rainwater off of his glasses. He was definitely gonna need to change his pyjamas. A sneeze beside him made Clemont remember why.

"You okay?" he asked Ash placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Y...yeah, just c...cold," said Ash as he gave Clemont a brave smile.

"We should get you out of those wet clothes," said Clemont as he led Ash down the hallway. "You can borrow some of mine for now. We're about the same size." Clemont turned to Heliolisk. "Could you get me a change of clothes, a towel and the first aid kit please?"

Helliolisk nodded and dashed off towards Clemont's room.

Clemont led Ash to the spare bedroom. It was normally reserved for when his dad, Meyer came to stay for whatever reason. The room was pretty basic with one single bed, a night-stand and a wardrobe. Riolu sat on the bed. He seemed happy to finally be somewhere comfortable. Ever faithful Pikachu refused to leave Ash's side, clutching at his trainer's pants.

Helliolisk returned with the items Clemont asked for. He also had some dry pyjamas for his trainer.

"Hey, thanks Heliolisk," said Clemont, gratefully receiving them. He then gave Ash the dry clothes and a towel.

"Here Ash, we don't want you getting sick again." Especially since Serena isn't here to bail you out this time.

"Thanks, Clemont," said Ash.

They both turned away from each other for privacy's sake and changed out of their wet clothes.

"Pikapi?"

Clemont had just finished changing when he heard Pikachu's concerned tone and turned to Ash. He was already wearing a dry pair of trousers with the towel still over his head. He was staring at his bare arm looking troubled.

"Everything okay?" asked the blonde.

"Y...yeah, I guess I must've knocked my arm into something, that's all. No big deal."

Clemont felt a little unnerved by this. He was sure Ash had no other injuries besides the minor cut on his forehead. Though his first priority was getting out of the rain, so maybe he missed something?

"Let me see."

Clemont gently took Ash's arm and noticed some sort of abrasion. It's no wonder he didn't see it. It's where his shirt sleeve would've covered it up. The abrasion was relatively small and had some bruising. One strange thing about it was that it formed a perfect circle. Not something that can happen easily by accidentally knocking your arm into something.

"Does it hurt?" he asked Ash.

"Not really. I didn't even know it was there til now."

"Pika!" Pikachu cried pointing at Ash's other arm. Clemont switched to said arm before Ash could protest. He found the exact same abrasion, in the exact same place and the exact same shape.

"What in the world..." Clemont in a quiet voice. Ash just stared at his arm looking as disturbed as Clemont felt. He started looking over his friend again and found two more of the same...injuries? on his back. Only slightly bigger which only added to the teen's concern.

"Ash, what the heck have you been doing?!" cried Clemont.

Ash visibly tensed and suddenly seemed very interested in his feet.

"I.....I don't know. I can't remember." he said in a slightly panicked voice.

Clemont frowned, then led him to the bed and sat him down.

"Well, for now, let's get them cleaned up."

Clemont opened the first aid kit and started cleaning Ash's injuries. Ash was surprisingly submissive throughout. Clemont was sure Ash would at least try to insist that he was okay and didn't need to be fussed over, but he stayed quiet. It didn't make Clemont feel any more at ease.

I guess this must've freaked him out a little he thought.

Ash, hissed in pain when Clemont started cleaning the fresher wound on his forehead.

"S...Sorry, I'm trying to be gentle." apologised Clemont.

"It's okay," said Ash.

With the injuries cleaned and the bandages in place. Clemont closed the first aid box. By this point, Riolu and Helliolisk were fast asleep. Pikachu, was still wide awake wanting to make sure his trainer was definitely okay.

"So what's the last thing you remember?" asked Clemont, hoping to shed some light on this mysterious event.

Ash who had just finished pulling a grey hoodie over his head seemed to think for a moment before replying.

"Just....our battle, then saying goodbye and heading to the aeroplane I was supposed to take." Ash placed a hand on his head. "After that....nothing. It's just a huge blank. Like there's a scene missing or something."

Clemont frowned again feeling his body tense up, his concern starting to reach its peak. Clemont sat down on the bed next to Ash.

"Ash...." he started, unsure of how to break this to his friend. "That was over a month ago now."

Ash's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?!" he cried. He stood up and started pacing. He wrapped his arms around himself in a very uncharacteristic manner. "What in the world is going on?!"

Clemont stood up and placed a hand on Ash's shoulder to try and calm him.

"I'm sure we can figure this out," he said more confidently than he felt. "There's got to be a scientific explanation for this."

Ash smiled and nodded.

"Yeah."

Clemont looked at the clock on the night-stand and found that it was now 3:45 AM. Have they really been here for over an hour?! Funny how time flies.

"We should try and get some sleep.," he said.

Ash nodded and sat back on his bed looking ready to crash. Clemont picked up Ash's wet clothes.

"I'll get these dry for you."

"Hey....thanks Clemont. I don't know what we would've done without you." thanked Ash.

"Pika Pikachu" Pikachu thanked Clemont as well, jumping onto Ash's lap.

"Anytime," said Clemont with a smile. He then left the room to let Ash and Pikachu get the rest they needed, opting not to disturb Helliolisk at this point. After checking on Bonnie again, who was still fast asleep, Clemont put the first aid kit away. He placed Ash's clothes by the radiator to dry. Clemont returned to his room and sat on his bed. After everything that happened, he doubted he would get back to sleep tonight. Why was Ash here when he should be back home in Kanto? Why was he unable to remember anything? Could he be suffering from a concussion? Or is something else was at play here? There was also the strange abrasions on Ash's arms and back to consider also. There was no doubt about it. Something happened to his friend. Something sinister. That made Clemont's stomach turn and his blood boil. His hands curled into fists. His vision blurred at the very thought of someone causing his friend any sort of pain.

"What happened to you?" Clemont asked aloud.

T.B.C.

[vagrantblvrd]

fahc fishing jamboree, or battle buddies if they had pokemon? Hope your block dwindles away soon and your internet behaves decently!

Oh my God, okay, I love the Battle Buddies pokemon thing so much? (Because Pixelmon 2: Electric Boogaloo or whatever those dorks are doing in Minecraft these days? XD)

Like.

Just.

Some AU that’s a mix of Battle Buddies world and pokemon world (games/anime/Detective Pikachu and so on?) where pokemon are very much A Thing but it’s not weird if some people don’t pokemon.

Before Ryan gets partnered with Jeremy he’s on this mission somewhere and there’s this tiny little houndour he finds, right?

Doesn’t know much about pokemon other than some people go crazy about them, which okay, fair.

Okay, no. He knows the basics because sometimes he has to deal people using pokemon as guard animals/pokemon and therefore how to neutralize them as threats – type advantages and so on and he’s got specialized pokeballs not available to the general public? Like. Ones that will allow him to capture these guard animals/pokemon even if they do belong to someone to get them out of the way so they won’t be forced to otherwise hurt/kill them?

(Said pokemon either get left with the proper authorities later or handed over to the agency to be assessed to see if they can be integrated into his agency’s own pool of pokemon partners for various agents/security or their allies or quietly adopted out elsewhere because no sad end for them in this AU.)

Maybe he gets a few odd looks from his co-workers for not having pokemon of his own, but there were were always reasons he never got into pokemon like some people he’s met.

Maybe his family moved around too much as a kid for him to get to know the other kids where they were at the time.

It was just easier to stick to himself  and read his books and play his games – no real opportunity to get a pet pokemon or look into training his own because “they’re a big responsibility” and “when we get a place with a big yard” and all these reasons that add up to him never getting his own, y’know? Stopped thinking it might happen because hey, some people just don’t pokemon and it’s fine, okay.

But then he ends up working for the agency and sure other agents have pokemon partners they go into the field with but Ryan’s not one of them.

Could probably get one if he wanted, but it’s better if he didn’t? (Ignores the worried looks he gets because it would be nice to know he’s not on his  own out there sometimes, but Ryan insists he works better alone and so on and so forth.)

And then!

One mission that gets a little out of hand on him he finds this tiny little houndour huddling under a rusted out car or in an alley somewhere when he’s running from some baddies. Dead-end and this general air of oh, shit knowing he’s about to get caught when he hears this noise and sees something dart away from wherever he is.Through this gap in a fence or something he didn’t notice at first glance and while it’s probably not the safest idea to go chasing after it, he figures it’s better than getting caught by the baddies. (Whatever just ran away from him can’t be worse than what the baddies would do if they caught up to him, so he slips through that gap in the fence.)

Finds himself following these paw prints through mud or whatever on the other side, angry voices behind and ends up in an unused subway tunnel or some such after he loses the baddies, because of course. (Plot Reasons! :D)

Still following the paw prints – mix of curiosity and vague gratitude because whatever ran from him didn’t set out to help him or anything but it did anyway. (And also, safer to stay out of sight for a while, just in case so why not find out what led him here?)

Terrible weather outside anyway, rain coming down hard or just turning to mixed rain/snow and something, something reasons.

He sees a pair of eyes watching him from a hidey spot that’s a tangle of rusted out car parts and other stuff tossed away and forgotten and has this huh moment of not knowing what to do now?

Because, look.

Ryan may not pokemon like just about everyone else ever he’s not heartless, and whatever is hiding in that pile of junk helped saved his life just now, so.

Coaxes the little thing out from hiding with a bit of food – military rations so not the best? But the poor thing is starving and better than whatever scraps it’s been living off until Ryan came along, so yes.

Hard to ell what it is at first, it’s all covered in mud and the whatnot and nearly skin and bones.

But then it sneezes and shakes some of the excess water/mud from its fur and he realizes it’s a houndour. Little on the small side of things, and clearly wary of him but after he talks to it for a bit and feeds it the rest of what good he has on him it lets him pet it.

He doesn’t want to leave it behind, but isn’t sure it’ll follow him, but when he gets up to leave – it’s late and should be safe to head back to wherever he’s staying. (Still has a mission to finish, figure out where he went wrong and how to fix that so he can deal with his target.)

To his surprise the houndour follows him out of there. Wary, leery, but it follows him all the same.

(Ducks into shadows and hidey spots at first when he glances back to see if it’s still there like it thinks he’s going to turn on it, and he muffles a laugh because it’s pretty damn good at stealth, you know? Dumb little jokes to himself about it being a better operative than he is, because dork.)

He makes it back to the cheap little motel he’s staying at and is kind of ??? at what to do with the houndour now?

Sure it’s out of the weather and somewhere warm, seems a little less wary of him now but they’re not BFFs, you know?

Still.

There’s a couple of menus on the dresser for places that deliver and he’s pretty hungry himself, and he calls one of them up and places his order. Something for him and stuff that should be safe enough for the houndour to eat for the time being.

Spends the time waiting for the delivery person to get there watching the houndour explore the motel room, getting brave enough to come up to him. (Tries not to smile when it just looks at him like it doesn’t know what to make of him, either, other than being a goddamned weird human.)

When the food gets there he sets the houndour’s share on the ground and fills the ice bucket up with water for it and eats his own food as he boots up his laptop and other techy gadgets he’s been using.

Tries to figure out what the hell happened that things went so badly sideways on him and gets so caught up in that he startles when there’s this little whine at his side and he sees the houndour looking at him with its head cocked.

Doesn’t know why at first, and then laughs when he realizes he hasn’t finished his own food – too caught up in his work and all – and he splits the last of it between them.

Sits back to watch the houndour scarf it all down and lick its lips like it’s hoping for more, but not starving about it.

It’s still dirty, mud and muck dried in its fur and such and Ryan figures a bath wouldn’t hurt. (He’s not thinking long-term decisions about the houndour yet. Maybe has the vague idea he’ll being it back to the agency once things are done with here if it’ll let him, see if the agency can’t use a good houndour or if someone will want to adopt it as a pet if not a working pokemon.)

He’s a little surprised when the houndour lets him give it a bath.

Has it trotting along behind him as he goes to fill the tub, all curious and adorable as hell until it realizes what he’s got planned for it. There’s this moment he can see where it’s debating whether or not to let this strange human give it a bath – not harmless after all – but there’s a sort of trust between them and it’s been scratching a bit too, so it lets Ryan give it a bath.

Little motel shampoo sample bottles or whatever that smell vaguely of flowers or something else that tickles its nose, has it sneezing and splashing water on Ryan.

Little barks and yips at the  bubbles and whatnot. Some confused growling, but it’s not aggressive and Ryan is kind of charmed by this adorable puppy pokemon, okay? (Not that he realizes it yet.)

Gets it all nice and squeaky clean and dried off and watches it wander around the motel room exploring everything again before he could do with a shower himself.

When he comes out the houndour’s settled down some, curled up under the table his laptops set up and lightly snoozing.

Ryan goes back to work on his laptop and sees there are some messages waiting for him. Hints the agency was fed bad intel, possible mole in their midst or whatever and watch his back and blah, blah, blah.

Ryan is like, well, obviously, because things haven’t gotten this fucked up in a while? (Or ever, really.)

SO.

He finds a way to untangle things for his current mission and falls asleep at some point. (Wakes up to the houndour hopping off the foot of the bed and this spot by his feet it was clearly sleeping before then, but whatever, right? If the houndour wants to go back to be all Aloof or whatever it’s been doing while he’s awake that’s fine.)

He grabs some food – sticks to rations in his stuff and gives most of it to the houndour before going out to finish his mission.

Not the easiest one now the target and his people are on alert, but he manages without getting seriously injured/killed and that’s always nice.

Surprised when he gets back to the motel room and the houndour’s still there – he left a window open or some other way for it to leave while he was gone if it wanted – but nah. It’s dozing under the table again and cocks its head when it sees him limp inside. (Maybe fucked his leg up a bit, but nothing a few stitches and some bandages won’t fix.)

He’s just there to check on the houndour – not a great idea to stick around after the hornet’s (beedrill’s nest?) he just kicked up – and get the hell out of town before he gets caught.

No real idea what he’s doing (when does he ever?) but he grabs his stuff and shakes his head in amusement when the houndour jumps up and follows him when he leaves.

Sneaky sekrit agent/operative getting out of the city and somewhere safe to report back to whoever he trusts back at the agency. (Potential mole/breach back there but there are a few people he still trusts and  they find a way for him to get back home.)

He looks at the houndour who seems intent on going with him and finds a way to get it back too. (Still in denial that it’s his now, whatever that entails, but let him have this one.)

There are some shenanigans getting back – bribery to get the houndour past customs and whatever is going on at the agency trying to kill him? But the bribes work a treat and the houndour helps save his life – in more direct ways this time as it attacks a few baddies to save him and Ryan is like, well, okay, guess I’m pokemoning too now, huh? when the dust settles.

Gets back to the agency and helps clear up the last of the mess (that they know of at the time) and his superiors are all laughing at him when they see this feisty little houndour defending Ryan against potential threats. (He’s been so adamant all this time he works better alone/doesn’t need a partner human or pokemon and so on and so on, and here he is with this houndour, so yeah.)

After that Ryan sekrit agents/operatives his way around the globe with his houndour partner. Trains with her before he takes new missions first to make sure she’s suitable for it – would rather not take her out if she doesn’t have the right temperament, you know? (Let someone else adopt her as a pet than force her into being a working pokemon if it’s going to make her miserable, but she takes to the training/job like nothing else and his superiors are not so secretly relieved there’s someone watching his back on missions now.)

Thing is, though.

Now that Ryan’s got his houndour at his side he ends up picking up all kinds of pokemon while he’s out and about. (Away on a mission for the agency or back home for a change and a quick run to the grocery store.)

Finds all stray and abandoned pokemon that he can’t just leave behind – not with his houndour giving him this sad little look and soft whine and he’s a soft touch more than ever before when it comes to pokemon now.

Most of them go to the closest pokemon center where trainers or people looking for companion pokemon will adopt them into a forever home. (All kinds and most not suited for agency work one reason or another and really, really, he’s not suited for more pokemon at the moment with his work and time away from home and so forth.)

A few end up at the agency after they’ve passed the usual checks and whatnot to make sure it’s a good fit for them, but yeah.

It turns into this running joke about Ryan coming back from a mission with a few extra friends, you know? (And yeah, okay. Some of the one that end up with the agency don’t all go into the field, some just end up office pokemon keeping desk-bound agents/operatives other staff company during work hours and such.)

Things go on like that for a while and eventually Jeremy ends up at the agency, this kid fresh out of some academy or other with a different agency who got snapped up by Ryan’s.

Bounced around a bit in the beginning because there’s a reshuffling going on at the time – still rooting out whoever was behind the botched mission attempted coup back when Ryan met his houndour and pockets bubble up from time to time.

Eventually Ryan’s superiors stick Jeremy with Ryan and his houndour, right?

One of the few they can trust to keep Jeremy under watch/keep him safe. (They like him, he’s got all this potential and such but the timing of him coming into the agency while they’re dealing with this ugly mess is a bit suspect, so yes.)

By this time Ryan’s taken to incorporating his houndour’s little skull/bones aesthetic as his own? Like. Not blatant about it or anything, but the guy’s got all that theater kid to him and he’s dork enough to be unironic about it.

Jeremy notices of course, the times they go out on missions where Ryan pulls out the face paint and the  pattern on his own face matches his houndour (which he’s gone and named something ridiculous like Crossbones or something ~cool, idk.)

He and Jeremy get along well and at first Ryan thinks Jeremy’s like he used to be because he’s never seen him with pokemon of his own? (Sure, Jeremy loves pokemon, spoils Crossbones when she lets him and so on and the office pokemon adore the hell out of him, but yeah. Doesn’t seem to have any of his own.)

But then there’s a mission that goes south on them – nothing suspicious about it, just bad luck on their part – and just when things look dire for them Jeremy whips out a pokeball and this voltorb.

Gives Ryan this reckless grin, all battered and bloody and backs to the wall as he sends his voltorb out and sweet Jesus, Jeremy, what the hell -

Jeremy’s voltorb packs a hell of a punch, like his trainer/partner and they manage to get out of that little pickle (more or less) in one piece.

Get back home where Jeremy is all :DDDD as he tells Ryan about his voltorb that he’s had for years now. Jokes about it being a secret weapon no one ever expects and so on and Ryan is just well, obviously, because lunatics and voltorbs and it makes so much sense voltorb is Jeremy’s favorite now.

Anyhow, anyhow.

Shenanigans galore with the two (four of them?) out sekrit agenting/operativing all over the place.

At some point they either manage to rip out the baddies infiltrating their agency by the roots and put an end to that nonsense for good and stay on with the agency for forever? (OR until they decide to retire from fieldwork, train the next generation of agents/operatives or just retire completely.)

OR they have to go fake their deaths and go into hiding somewhere and end up in the FAHC where Ryan decides to call himself the Vagabond and everyone assumes Crossbones or whatever he calls her was a deliberate choice because reasons?

AND.

Or course Crossbones evolves into a houndoom at some point. Some critical moment on a mission that ends up saving Ryan’s and Jeremy’s lives and is Super Dramatic?

Fierce little hound evolving into a vicious houndoom and oh Jesus Christ, the baddies are in for it now.

And you know, Ryan getting his hands on houndoominite at some point?

A gift from Jeremy for his birthday or something because they’re not mutually pining idiots over here or anything. Ryan giving Jeremy a heart attack on a mission where he almost dies and Jeremy figures giving Ryan something like that might keep him little bit safer? (God knows Crossbones would never let someone hurt Ryan if she can help it, has proved it time and again in the past, so this can only be a good thing?)

Whichever route things go, Jeremy thinks it’s hilarious as hell that Ryan is forever picking up all these random pokemon wherever he goes?

If they end up sticking with the agency and training up future agents/operatives the rookies/newbies are like !!! when instructor Haywood plops a pokemon in their arms and tells them to look after it for him for a bit?

Either Ryan thinking the two would be a good fit – as partners in the field or just adopting the pokemon as a pet, whichever – or he’s just fucking with them for the lulz?

Some rambunctious pokemon that’s proven a good way to root out unsuitable agents/operatives before they can become a liability in the field or whatever.

OR.

The spooky Vagabond picking up stray pokemon all over Los Santos, right.

Hanging out at the penthouse with bby!pokemon (omg, pichus) climbing all over him and looking one of the others dead in the eye daring them to say something about it when he’s new to the crew and they don’t know what a doofus he is yet.

Jeremy coming in later and being like >:DDDDDDDD when he sees Ryan with tiny pidoves on his shoulder at some meeting spot or other. Itty bitty igglybuffs hopping around his feet somewhere with their tiny little arms held up asking to be picked up.

AND.

Ryan showing up at his and Jeremy’s place one rainy day in either scenario.

Crossbones shaking water off the moment she gets inside. Ryan opening his jacket up when Jeremy notices it moving and what do you know, it’s a Toxel. (Amped form, because Spyro.)

Jeremy’s wanted to get one for himself ever since Gavin told him about them, but for whatever reason hasn’t done it yet? So of course Ryan decided to get one for him or had the luck to stumble on one and was like !!! JEREMY.

So, you know.

Yes.

[xxsanshinexx]

Bidoofs and Beauts

Shout out to @hyyunjinn because this inspired this oneshot. I love your content <3

Characters: Pokemon trainer! Changbin x Pokemon Trainer! reader

Words: 2920

Synopsis: Gyu was a glutton and Changbin just couldn’t seem to stop his habits, no matter his pleading. It’s gotten them into some interesting situations. ~

“Gyu this forest is so big!” Changbin whined, his voice blending in with the swaying leaves and light breeze. Beside him, Gyu nodded, eyes wandering across the thick grass and trees. Surely there were hundreds of Pokemon scattered throughout the area; but none the pair could see from where they stood on the outskirts of the grass. 

Changbin huffed, and nudged the edge of the thick grass with his boots, wondering if it was really worth braving to get to Castelia City. He was confident in his abilities as a trainer, even if he was a rookie, but the thought of what could lurk in such a place still scared him. It was only him and Gyu after all. 

“Are you up for this buddy?” Changbin asked, glancing down at his companion who was fixated on the berry bushes several yards away. He should have known Gyu, his loveable but gluttonous Munchlax, would focus only on the food and not on the dangers of the forest. It’s what put Changbin’s life in danger several times, such as now, as Gyu began to waddle through the green without answering Changbin’s question. 

“Gyu!” 

The Pokemon continued on through the buzzing grass, eyes transfixed on the oran berries at the end of the field. Changbin could only sigh and follow his partner, eyes stuck to the ground wary of what he could step on. All he wanted to do was get to Castelia City, preferably in the easiest way possible, but now it seemed he had to appease his Pokemon's hunger and whatever lurked in Pinwheel Forest before being able to make it. 

“Gyu, come on!” Changbin hissed, eyes surveying the grass that seemed to be rustling a little more than it should’ve. Still, Gyu continued onto the bush of Oran berries, ignoring his trainers fear for his own appetite. “Gyu stop going after those berries! I have some in my bag! Just- for Professor Bang’s sake- get over here!”

Gyu didn’t so much as pause at Changbin’s emotional tone. Instead he came to a stop in front of the berry bush he had been pursuing, eyes and mouth wide at the sight of all the deliciousness before him. Changbin could only sigh heavily as his Pokemon began to shovel berry after berry into his mouth, caring little for his trainer left in the knee high grass infested with Pokemon. 

Changbin knew he could have easily put Gyu back into his pokeball, set it in his backpack, and sprinted though the forest with little difficulty; he just didn’t want to get an earful from his partner once he was finally let out again. In their relationship, Changbin certainly let his Pokemon do whatever would make him happy; and certainly would let him do whatever would keep him quiet at night. He could deal with Gyu’s snoring, but the growling of annoyance and screaming? That was more nightmarish than any nasal problem. 

A frantic rustling in the bushes made Changbin’s breath hitch, especially since Gyu continued to pay it no mind. “Gyu come on let’s keep moving?” Gyu finally turned to Changbin, annoyance written in his overly circular eyes as he plopped another berry in his mouth, chewing in anger. Changbin sighed again, fear beginning to fill him as the rustling began to grow louder, and he put his hands up in an attempt to compromise. “Okay so- berries! You want the berries! Let’s just put all the berries in my bag and go! Does that sound good? Is that good… buddy?”

Gyu stared at him in contemplation for a moment, looking between him and the berry bush, before nodding his head in agreement. Who knew a Pokemon could be so difficult? Changbin frantically tore the backpack from his back and held it open for Gyu to begin to pile in as many berries as his heart desired; however, Gyu took his time in selecting and placing them in the bag, taste testing a few along the way. 

A hiss of air passed through Changbin’s teeth in frustration at Gyu’s antics, “Dude, hurry up. We don’t have all day.”

Gyu continued to place the berries into the bag at the speed of molass. 

“Gyu!” Changbin groaned, as Gyu stopped to appraise a rather blue berry, twisting and turning it around in its hands. The rustling of the bushes around the pair began once again, all to loud and all to close for Changbin to feel comfortable. Gyu decided to finally take notice of the strange noises as the bush he was picking from began to rustle uncontrollably. 

“Munchlax!” Gyu cried with confused eyes, pointing to the bush Changbin had been trying to point out for the last ten minutes. While Gyu was lovable, he was oblivious to the world around him. 

“Yes the bush is rustling! It’s been rustling this entire time! Now are you done with your berries!?”

Gyu just stared down at his hands full of oran berries, and then back to the nearly empty bush before giving a disheartened sigh. The Pokemon dropped the handful of berries in the already full backpack and closed it, just as several pairs of angry paws popped through the bushes. 

Changbin and Gyu both let out a frightened shriek at the sudden appearances, the later jumping into his trainers’ arms as the owners of the paws began to crawl out from under the bush. Five Bidoof, with teeth as big as their head, came to a stop a few feet away from Changbin; eyes staring at the pair intently. They weren’t the menacing Pokemon Changbin had expected to finally bombard them. 

“Hi…” He said breathlessly, feeling weighed down from Gyu who clung to his sweatshirt, and the Bidoof’s cocked their heads to the side at his words. “You’re pretty cute, aren’t you?”

The high pitch screams of anguish was not the reply he thought he would get from the fluffy creatures, especially not as their teeth began to glow with power. 

“Shit, Gyu!” Changbin screamed, recognizing the move, Hyper Fang, and realizing the small family of cute Bidoofs wanted to use it to murder the two of them. Instead of initiating a battle with them, Changbin did the most noble thing he think of with a cowering Pokemon in his arms; he turned and ran.  

The bidoofs were much too angry at them for taking all those berries and continued to pursue Changbin through the forest, even after continuous twists and turns. Changbin could not slow them down or loose them, and the screaming munchlax in his arms did little to help him.

“Gyu stop screaming! I’m the one who should be screaming!” Changbin cried over Gyu’s wailing, turning around another section of trees right into a deadend. Changbin definitely felt like screaming as he ran into a thick tree trunk, head spinning as he turned around to face the family of seething Bidoofs. A sense of despair and disbelief filled his veins as he stared down the five ready to fire Hyper Fang in an instant, “This is how I die… to five fucking Bidoofs.”

Changbin shut his eyes tight at the Bidoof’s grew closer and pulled Gyu, who was still wailing, closer to him and away from their glowing teeth. He took a deep breath and began to pray to every God he could think of, to any legendary who would be kind enough to cross his path at this moment, and to anything in the world that would save him at the moment. 

And thankfully something listened or he would’ve had to live with the reputation of the boy who died to Bidoofs.

“Luxray, have at em!” a voice accompanied by the familiar tingle of electricity filled the area of trees. Still, Changbin didn’t have the bravery to open his eyes until he could make out the sound of retreating footsteps; which sounded vaguely like the Bidoofs who had been chasing them. Once the noises had quieted down to the simmer of electricity, Changbin pulled his head up to meet the eyes of an intimidating lion Pokemon and you, who smiled at him comfortingly. 

“They’re all gone,” Your voice was soft and Changbin could feel his heartstrings being tugged, or maybe that was just Gyu clinging to his chest. 

“I-” Changbin’s voice cracked and he mentally cursed himself as he cleared his throat, “Uh thank you.”

Your amused grin had him seeing stars. Perhaps he didn’t believe in heaven and hell, but he couldn’t think of you as anything less than an angel with the way you smiled. “It’s no problem. With all the screaming I would feel guilty if I didn’t come and see what was happening.”

“That was uh… my Munchlax?” Changbin wasn’t entirely lying, Gyu was still cowering against him oblivious to the fact that they had been saved by a lovely stranger. 

“I’m sure it was,” You stepped towards Changbin, eyes roaming over the quivering Pokemon latched to his body. “Poor thing is terrified.”

“He always is,” Changbin huffed and stroked the back of Gyu’s head in an attempt to calm him down. “Little things startle him easily….  A horde of Bidoofs probably scared him to death.”

You nodded in understanding, going as far as to reach out and gently run your hands along the back of the Pokemon's head, watching as it began to slowly settle down. “Is he your only Pokemon?”

“Yeah… it’s just me and Gyu for now.” Changbin nodded, glancing up to meet your eyes that were already trained on him and darted them back down. “I just didn’t think we’d get attacked like… uh that. Everyone said this forest was really mellow.”

“The bidoof’s are territorial in here,” You chuckled retracting your hand from Gyu who had now reduced his sobs into quiet whimpers. “It’s easy to anger them if you take something from them.”

“Like most of their Oran Berries?”

“Exactly… you took all of their oran berries… didn’t you?”

“Gyu ate the entire bush.”

You snorted at the statement and Changbin decided he had never loved a sound more. So carefree and authentic; it was hard to meet a stranger who was so open immediately. Still, he didn’t want to be so entirely smitten with you already; but he figured anyone who would still talk to him after today was someone he could like. 

“Well, that would explain... nearly everything.” You said and stepped back, eyes trailing over Gyu who was now sound asleep in Changbin’s arms. It was rather endearing seeing the way this boy, with his off kilter hat and ruffled clothes, cared for such a baby of a Pokemon. “Do you need any help getting out of Pinwheel Forest?”

Changbin nodded feeling grateful that you had brought up the topic before he had to ask, “Yes please. I don’t want another Bidoof incident.”

You gestured for him to follow you and it was only then he noticed the Pokemon that accompanied you. He had heard you scream at Luxray, had seen it for a quick second, but now as he stood alongside it he felt intimidated. Maybe it was the gold eyes or how it was nearly as large as him, but nonetheless it scared the shit out of Changbin. The only thing that made it a little less frightening was the small Pokemon that sat atop its head, staring curiously as Changbin and you walked towards them. You certainly had a unique choice of companions. 

“Those Bidoof’s won’t come near Luxray again, so you’ll be safe with us.” You chuckled and reached out for the blue Pokemon that sat atop Luxray’s head and he readily climbed across your arm to take his place on your shoulder. “Isn’t that right Riolu?”

The Pokemon huffed in response and Changbin could only stare in wonder,  “You have a Riolu?”

“He was a gift from my parents when I started out,” You scratched Riolu underneath the chin and Changbin couldn’t help but notice how similar the relationship was to his and Gyu’s.

“How long have you been a trainer?” He eyed the Luxray once again as it prowled in front of the two of you. It would take forever to have such a strong Pokemon. 

“Only a few months,” You shrugged with a frown on your face as you thought, eyes trailing between Changbin and Luxray. “I haven’t been out on my own for very long yet…. The Luxray was my sisters but she went off to study and couldn’t keep it. I knew you were probably wondering that, huh?”

“That obvious?” He laughed trying to hide the awkwardness that wanted to overtake his veins at the fact that you were always one step ahead of him, “But.. uh it seems like we’re pretty similar. I only started off about a month ago or so.”

You stepped over a fallen log and nodded along to his words, having already thought the same thing. “I guess we are. I haven’t really ran into many rookie trainers yet. Certainly not any that get chased by Bidoof.”

He scoffed at your words but the sound of your laughter had a smile making it’s way onto his lips, “At least I’m memorable.”

“Yeah I don’t think I’ll ever forget you.” The simple words made his heart beat erratically and his face blush as red as Riolu’s eyes, but he was quick to notice the same coloring on your face as well. 

Changbin decided he might as well have fun with it, “Because of my dashingly good looks or because I almost died a stupid death?”

“Both... both is good,” You mumbled and Changbin couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. If not for the pointed look from the Riolu on your shoulder he might have even squealed in astonishment. 

“Yeah I know, i’m pretty good looking,” He tried to play it off suave in an attempt to get you to laugh and he succeeded, your pretty melody resonating off the trunks of the trees. 

“That’s a bold statement from a boy who screams like a Stantler.” It was Changbin’s turned to be flustered but he grinned nonetheless as the trees began to thin out. He had forgotten that he was lost in the forest during his short walk with you. 

“I did not scream like a Stantler,” He huffed holding Gyu a little tighter to ease his embarrassment, “I told you that was Gyu.”

“I’m sure it was, that’s why Gyu said “Gyu stop screaming!”” You imitated his voice and he cringed at how he seemed to sound to you. It was certainly not the cool guy image he wanted but none of this day was something he would’ve wanted you to see. 

“Maybe Gyu talks to himself in third person you don’t know,” Changbin challenged as the pair of you came to the edge of the forest, Castelia city now beginning to flare out before you. The city was lovely with all it’s impressive buildings, the Pokemon running about with their trainers; yet, Changbin couldn’t help find the site incomparable to you. 

You nodded in agreement, and he watched a shy smile cross your features, “I don’t know but... I would like to find out.”

“Oh… uh really?” Changbin’s shock showed in both his voice and expression. “I mean yeah- for sure who-who wouldn’t want to hang out with me!”

“Chill Bidoof boy, I can see your ears turning red.”

Changbin was sure more than his ears were turning red at that statement, “Can I please not be called Bidoof Boy? Just call me Changbin.”

“My names Y/n.” You smiled at him, bright and widely, and he felt like he had just won the Unova league. 

“Well, Y/n,” He pushed through the nervousness creeping into his veins, “Could I… perhaps… have your number for my pokegear? You know, in case I get attacked by Bidoofs again- not because you’re uh cute or anything.”

“Of course you can,” Changbin snapped his head up so he could catch a glimpse of your ruby cheeks and excited smile, “just so like i can save you of course- not cause I think your cute or stuff.”

“You think I’m cute?”

“Yeah and a little oblivious.”

“Oblivious?” Changbin raised an eyebrow at your response and you couldn’t help but throw your head back with laughter. 

You pointed towards his arms, “Don’t your arms feel a little lighter?”

It was only than Changbin noticed that his arms were indeed twenty pounds lighter and a certain berry stealing munchlax was gone. “Shit! Where’d Gyu go!?”

“You really need to keep a closer eye on your Pokemon.” You pointed a finger towards the array of food carts that a certain munchlax was wadding towards. Changbin just sighed in disbelief at the scene, Gyu who had once been quivering with fear was now lively and ready to eat his weight in whatever he could find once again. This time though, Gyu had someone to aid him in his mischievous eating.

Changbin smirked as the little blue Pokemon moved away from walking in front of Gyu,“Yeah well so do you.”

“What do you mean…” You trailed off as you noticed the Pokemon accompanying Gyu to the pokefood stand, wondering how in it could have slipped off of you without you noticing.“Fuck… Riolu!”

Changbin just laughed, enough so that a small smile graced your features, and he grabbed your hand tugging you along with him, “Come on we have to go get them!”

So the two of you ran, hand in hand, after your two trouble making Pokemon; starting the beginning of your adventures together.

~

Note: This story is a mix of Pokemon White/Black (the setting) and Pokemon Diamond/Pearl (the Pokemon) if any of you were confused by it

[manbehindtheshadows]

Retribution– Drabble edition 5/6

His Raikou was clearly battered, but did not seem to either notice or care at all, focus zeroed in on the other Pokemon, hissing and spitting at the Entei, sparks emitting from the clouds on its back.

“Quagsire! Get ‘em with Mudshot!” Wes called out to the large salamander. Ein flinched as the stream of wet ground struck his Shadow Pokemon at high velocity. Raikous legs began to tremble holding up its own weight. Eins stomach twisted and turned at the thought of losing to this brat- To even dare think that he would fall to the same level of failure as the rest of his colleagues.

No.

Not him.

Not to a goddamned child.

Raikou shook itself off. A mighty roar of thunder boomed throughout the lab. The Thunder Pokemon launched itself at the Pokemon again. Entei shielded the Quagsire behind it, launching itself in retaliation against its maddened brethren. Claws swiped at each other, flames and sparks were exchanged. Neither Pokemon were willing to give up, whether it be determination from one end, or mindless rage from the other. Raikou sunk its long fangs into Enteis’ shoulder. Entei slammed its paws into the Raikou, claws tearing through yellow fur, yet unable to deter it at all. Not even the blasts of mud from Quagsire could distract the enraged beast.

Eins attention shifted to the trainers, the shadow girl tugging at the snaggers shoulder in panic. Wes nodded at her. His hand flinched, the mechanics of the snag machine began to light up. That could only mean--

No...

“Raikou, get out of th--” 

He froze, hardly able to stop himself from finishing that sentence. Cold rush ran down his entire body when he realized in the heat of the moment--

He had made the grave mistake of grabbing the Raikous’ attention.

His hand clutched his side, placed over the scars he had received only a year ago for the exact same mistake. A mistake that had nearly killed him. Steel blue eyes were glued to the frenzied red eyes of his prized pokemon, and they got closer ever so fast as the yellow and violet blur bolted at him, hardly giving him any time to jump away from its massive, massive claws.

“YO! WATCH OUT!!”

What was only a couple of seconds felt like an eternity as those mighty claws dug through his coat and into his shoulder. Eins’ eyes widened, barely able to process what was about to happen as the Raikou pulled its weight downward. 

The only coherent thought that ran through the Cipher Admins mind was pain as those talons tore through fabric, flesh, and muscle-- searing, familiar pain. The scientist cried out in sheer agony as the Raikou ripped through him like rice paper, from the shoulder all the way down to his chest. He was just barely able to shove himself away from the behemoth with his other arm. 

Blood splattered onto the floor. Eins’ breath went ragged as he struggled to breathe through the hot, scathing pain. His hand clutched his shoulder, only to jerk away as the mere touch was pure torture; his hand came back completely soaked in blood. 

So much blood.

His mind was a complete blur. Pain. Pain pain pain pain. Pain was the only coherent word going through his head. He was unable to hear anything; the sound of the alarm and the panicked cries of his opponents were just an audible blur amongst the high pitched ringing in his ears. His vision faded in and out to the flashing red lights, hardly able to focus on the rampaging beast pacing in front of him. He hobbled backwards, only to be stopped by the desk behind him, his heart nearly leaping from his throat when the Raikou lumbered towards him, curling its lips to a hideous snarl.

“Wes, that thing is going to kill him if you don’t--”

“I’ve got it-- I’ve got it! Just hold on!”

“Nn--” Ein could hardly muster a verbal objection, gasping in his pain. He violently shook his head to the blurry interjections he could barely make out. He couldn’t figure out where to keep his focus: The beast that was mere seconds away from tearing him limb to limb, or that thrice damned kid about to steal away his pride and dignity.

Another crashing roar of thunder, Eins pupils shrunk to a pinprick as his own Pokemon charged him, claws coming for his face. Even with the Kevlar sleeves, he was unsure how well they would hold up to the lumbering force of 400 lbs. He yelped as white hot agony reared up the moment he tried to move his injured arm with little to no feedback, resulting in thrusting his other arm over his face.

Nothing happened.

Moving his arm away from his face, Eins’ blood went cold when the beast was no longer there, but a struggling Pokeball in its place.

1...

No. Get out.

2...

No, no, no, no, no. Get out. Whatever you do, you need to get out.

3...

Time itself seemed to have slowed to a screeching halt the moment the capsule popped in place, securing the snag. Ein blinked, eyes shifting back between the red and white capsule, then to the couple on the other side of the room, back to the pokeball. His throat tightened as the panic began to set in.

At any moment, he should have been waking up. It was all a dream. A very, very bad dream. Horror clawed up his throat; he watched helplessly as Wes claimed his Raikou. 

His pride and glory-- a solid year worth of blood, sweat, and arduous research-- snatched from him in the blink of an eye. 

“It’s all over, professor.” The young mans voice was stern. Red reflecting from those harsh, amber eyes.

How…?

He had remained undefeated his entire life as a Cipher Admin-- how did that bastard tear through his team as if they were nothing?!

This power... It-

...It defied belief!

[tightropenuzlocke]

Chapter Four: The Truth You Can’t Hide

There was only one day left before they were scheduled to report to the lab, so they spread out across the grand park on Route 4, looking for battles or simply admiring the well-manicured scenery. It really was quite lovely and Aisling could understand why Xoana had wanted to spend a full day here instead of breeze by on their way to Illumis. The plantings were all in sharp color groupings that together formed designs, mirroring the bright mosaics that adorned the many paths, pools and fountains. The density of blooms made a perfume so thick it was difficult not to get drowsy. Three members of Aisling’s team scampered around looking for wilds and other trainers to fight while Dáire flitted from flower to flower, sipping up nectar. She didn’t wander far and watched her teammates dutifully, but avoided Aisling’s eyes. The only battle she’d had all day was when she blew away one particularly ornery poppy Flabébé that crossed her path. Otherwise she swooped behind the keen Bree and Gobán whenever another trainer approached them. Aisling collected their awe and compliments on her shiny pokemon with ever-diminishing enjoyment.

Meanwhile, Tierney’s new Vivillon rushed eagerly into battle, flattening the abundant plant and bug-types with ease. Which was to be expected since he was raised in Viola’s Gym where battling was relatively safe and commonplace. Knowing a Gym Leader personally certainly had it perks. Even at a distance, Aisling could tell that he enjoyed his victories. Aisling hoped the wild-born Dáire could be taught the same attitude, but merely watching the others wasn’t doing the trick. Tierney and her team strode out of sight and Aisling turned back to her own battle. Emer doused the opposing Bunnelby and it keeled over, much to the disappointment of its trainer. The pleasing chime of fresh wealth being transferred into Aisling’s battle account was quickly drowned out by the wind and light of evolution. “Hell yeah!” Aisling pumped her fist. “Evolved on your first solo victory. How’s it feel?” Emer squeaked and wagged the tail she had just grown into. Aisling assumed that was good. “You’ve earned yourself a break, kid.” But Emer was already celebrating with her teammates. Bree offered her a fist bump, Gobán slithered circles around her, and Dáire chirped something to her. They went back and forth and Dáire even alighted on the ground so that Emer could compare how much she’d grown. Aisling thought she’d never heard the Vivillon titter quite as sweetly. She might still be giving Aisling the cold shoulder, but she was growing attached to the others. Now that was something to work with. “Oh, thanks for the battle by the way!” Aisling added, belatedly remembering her opponent was still present. The trainer muttered something similar but without the same sentiment and slunk off. She let her pokemon socialize for another minute before getting them back on task. “Who wants to go next?” Gobán hummed in anticipation—no, not Gobán. It was the wrong pitch. Aisling’s head swung around to find the source and something red caught her eye, more specifically the red gem that crowned an exceptionally rare queen Combee. She was investigating a flower barely a meter away to Aisling’s right. “Yawn, Gobán!” Aisling whispered. The Dunsparce slithered surreptitiously closer before leaping up and puffing sleep-inducing gas into the Combee’s face. She buzzed in annoyance and kicked up a Gust, but as soon as that faded, she dipped drowsily. Aisling threw a ball. “Hey!” It was some boy—or teen probably—with a Riolu at his heels. “I’ve been hunting that queen Combee for an hour!” The button on Aisling’s ball flashed green and Gobán curled around it with a hiss. “Oh.” Aisling swallowed her next remark in favor of, “Sorry about that. Didn’t know.” Silence hung between them and the trainer glared. If he wanted to pursue this further, he was going to have to do better than that. He faltered beneath Aisling’s impassive blinks. “How about we battle for it?” That was more reasonable than expected. “Sure. Seems fair.” Why not indulge him? “One-on-one!” he hastily tacked on. “I’ve only got Cyril.” Fine. “No problem. I like a duel.” Gobán perked up but no way was Aisling risking the type-disadvantage. “Dáire, this is all you.” The trainer and his Riolu winced at the prospect of facing a Vivillon, but it was Dáire who backed down. Fuck. Aisling grimaced. “Could you give us a minute?” The guy nodded and shared a glance with his Riolu. Aisling turned on her Vivillon. “You can’t keep doing this!” she hissed. Dáire squeaked back and flashed her wings. “Look, I know you had a rough start there, but you haven’t had trouble in a fight since you evolved. What’s the problem?” Dáire chittered, gesturing to the trainer and his pokemon. “Trainer battles are safer than battling wilds. You’ll be fine.” Dáire shook her head, the stubborn git. “This is the easiest battle I can give you! You have a double resistance to fighting-type and that Riolu is weak to your Gust. This is a cakewalk.” Maybe she shouldn’t be saying this in front of her opponent, but if he wasn’t a total dumbass he knew already. Dáire seemed unconvinced. “Don’t you want to get stronger? Just look how much you’ve grown since we met. Isn’t it better to be evolved?” Dáire fluttered to and fro, mulling it over. “You’ve got a real knack for special moves, I’m telling you. You could carry this team instead of letting your teammates carry you.” Dáire tilted her head towards them. “But not if you don’t battle.” They stared each other down, and, after a few moments, Dáire let out a huffy exhale and swooped around Aisling to face the Riolu. Finally got through to her! Or wore her down. Whatever. “Ready?” the trainer asked. He could be snide all he liked. She had already won. “Yep! Dáire use Gust!” “Quick Attack, Cyril!” Dáire was too low and slow to avoid the swift sock to the gut, but she used Gust to get some altitude and nearly knocked the Riolu off his feet. “Endure!” He was stalling for time, but it wouldn’t work. “Just keep it up, Dáire!” The Vivillon beat her wings, drifting closer again to pierce the red glow of Endure. The Riolu shuddered. Any moment now his strength would fail. “Counter!” The Riolu rocketed towards Dáire, throwing his whole body into the punch, but Aisling was still shocked when Dáire plummeted to the ground. Blows like that had bounced right off her ever since she sprouted wings. The Riolu fell to a crouch, spent and shaking. If Dáire only got up they could still win this. But she did not get up. She was perfectly still. Emer had stopped bouncing. Something was wrong. “Dáire?” A step forward revealed that the Vivillon’s chest was dented in like a car that had been broadsided. No. No no no! There was no way— Dáire twitched and Aisling fell to her knees. She rummaged through her bag with shaking hands for a potion. Dáire rattled as the spray hit her. Liquid oozed out of a crack. “Hush, easy,” Aisling told her in a voice that didn’t belong to her. She scooped Dáire up as gently as she could. “Arceus, I’m sorry,” the trainer stammered. Aisling glared at him over Dáire’s wing but nothing came out. She stood and stumbled into a run. After that everything became automatic. Her legs pounded down the path, her heart pumped furiously, and her lungs fed them of their own accord. Aisling couldn’t tell if Dáire was moving or if it was only her jostling. Was she clinging to Aisling’s top or was it just her barbs snagging in the fabric? The walk that had taken over an hour this morning took perhaps a quarter that time and yet so much longer. Aisling almost collided with the Pokemon Center doors and the nurse behind the counter ushered her into one of the emergency rooms. She knew by the look on the nurse’s face when she set Dáire down on the table. But she couldn’t even hear what she was sobbing as Audinos ushered her out of the room. She slumped to the floor of the hallway and shook. She couldn’t control her muscles anymore. She couldn’t control anything. She gave over to the tears and tremors and gasping. Green swam before her vision. Bree pushed a pokeball into her lap before coming around to nuzzle up against her side. Emer pressed into her other side, and Gobán curled around her feet. Together their weight and warmth gradually eased her shivering. By the time someone came out of the room to talk to her, she was as still as Dáire had been. “I’m so sorry. Your Vivillon was gone before you arrived. We weren’t able to revive her.” Aisling nodded. The beluarian crouched to put her face into Aisling’s line of sight and gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You did everything you could. Your Chespin said you ran all the way from the Jardin de Tuiles.” Aisling nodded. “We offer cremation and can send you the ashes, arrange public or private burial, or send them to a gem maker.” Bree pawed at her. “You have plenty of time to decide. I’ll have a nurse give you the literature. I’m so sorry for your loss. Do you need to stay overnight here? I can arrange for a room nearby.” “I have a room,” someone croaked. Aisling took a deep breath, swallowed, sat straighter. “I’d like to register my Combee.” “Of course.” The beluarian stood and Aisling followed suit, using the wall for support. “I’ll have Cerise escort you.” Aisling withdrew her team and let the Audino take her back to the front. ... The waiter gave Xoana a look the second time she sent him away, but she didn’t want to order without Aisling. She wouldn’t want her to feel excluded, not when everything was still so new. Truth be told, she was beginning to worry. They had scoured the gardens earlier before eventually walking back to town without her. Xoana had hoped to find her lounging here already, sipping smugly on some beverage, but there was only an empty table and string of unread texts. “Do you think she might still be at the Jardin de Tuiles looking for us?” Serena swallowed her wine. “If she is, I doubt it’s because of us.” That wasn’t very charitable, but probably true. She had snuck off to challenge the gym without telling them. “I’m sure she’s on her way,” said Tierney. The door of the restaurant swung open and the hostess showed Aisling to where they were sitting. She had put on fresh makeup but it couldn’t cover the distance in her eyes. “There you are, my Queen! We were wondering where you got to.” Aisling took a seat. “Sorry I’m late. I had to go to the Center.” “No problem!” said Tierney. Serena twisted in her seat to hail their waiter and Aisling stared down at her menu. “Is everything alright?” Xoana ventured. Aisling blinked at her, then looked down again and stared right through the table. “No.” That got the rest of them invested. Serena turned back to the table. Aisling, who had until this moment basked in all forms of attention, shifted uncomfortably beneath their gaze. “I’m fine… but Dáire got hurt in a battle. She didn’t make it back to the Center.” The others were as aghast as Xoana was, Serena even more so. “Your shiny Vivillon?” said Serena incredulously. “What happened?” “It was some asshole rookie and his Riolu. Caved her chest in one hit.” “But Vivillon has double resistance!” Serena argued as if Aisling hadn’t certainly thought the same thing. “How could—why was she even low enough?” “Serena!” Xoana tried to cut her off. “She was trying to break his Endure,” Aisling answered anyway. “Then they went for Counter.” “Arceus!” Serena rubbed her temples. “They didn’t have any fucking control! They shouldn’t be battling if they can’t hold back at all.” “Accidents are pretty common at our level. We should all be taking extra care.” “I’m sure—” Xoana began, but it turned out she was absolutely correct about how Aisling would take Serena’s remark. She stood abruptly, bumping the table a little and glaring bloody murder at Serena before storming out. The door swung wide and slammed behind her. The whole restaurant was quiet for a moment. “Will your friend be joining us or are you ready to place your order?” the waiter asked Xoana. They all knew she wouldn’t be back and finally gave the waiter the selections made nearly half an hour ago. When he was gone, Xoana glared at Serena. “What?” Serena had the gall to look confused. Xoana contorted her face even further. “Was it me?” Xoana’s face hit her palms with and audible slap. “Ser” “But—I just—What did I do?” “Maybe it was the part where you sounded like you were blaming her for her pokemon’s death!” Serena’s eyebrows did one of their incredible feats of acrobatics as she processed. “I didn’t say that!” “We know you didn’t mean it like that,” Tierney clarified. And that was a blessing because Xoana had her napkin in hand and was on the verge of beating Serena with it yelling Yes! You! Did! “But it came out super judgemental.” “But we should all be careful,” Serena insisted. “I don’t understand how she lost her Vivillon to a Riolu.” “Exactly!” Xoana strangled the air in front of her instead of her friend’s neck. “Don’t you think she’s in shock too? Maybe she did something stupid or reckless, but what reason did she have to expect Dáire would die because of it? What are the odds?” “Very slim,” admitted Serena. “Plus she probably already felt super guilty and came here for support. And then you go and pile more on like she doesn’t feel bad enough!” Serena had scooted all the way back in her seat and now she bit her lip in that way that undid Xoana every time. She did her best to brace for it. “Gods I fucked up.” “Ya think?” Xoana’s voice had the decency to still sound angry. “You’re right. My intention is not important. That was insensitive and needlessly cruel of me. I will apologize to her tomorrow.” Xoana would never be over the way she could just swallow her pride like that. And Serena was proud and stubborn to a fault. But she always did what was right. She was noble—not in the sense their silly nicknames represented, but in the second sense of the word, the truer one to Xoana’s mind. People like her weren’t supposed to actually exist, not really. Yet here she was, a knight of honor in a cap-sleeve blouse and high-waisted skirt. “I just hope she’s alright.” Tierney sighed. “That’s a lot to deal with right before our first eval.” ... Aisling’s room at the bed and breakfast was “cosy”, but without Daire there was plenty of room to let her whole team out. The only one who wasn’t still was the Combee, who Aisling dully recalled hadn’t been let out of her ball since her capture. She buzzed in a restless hexagon, evaluating them all in turn. “Dáire’s dead.” Bree flinched, so Aisling adjusted her tone. “There was nothing they could do for her. There was nothing any of us could have done.” Silence. The Combee had set herself down on the little table in the corner. “Do you all understand that?” They all nodded except for the Combee, who cleaned one of her antennae instead. She knew she was exempt. “But it shouldn’t have happened.” Aisling’s hands balled up in the sheets at the edge of the bed. Bree and Emer’s ears drooped and Gobán was flatter than usual. “She was strong, she had every advantage, but we were— I got cocky. I didn’t play the match carefully. I never thought she might—” Her knuckles were white. She willed her hands to let go, laid them in her lap. “I’m the trainer. So it’s my responsibility.” Silent stares. “My responsibility.” She repeated. “I made a mistake.” Bree looked down and shuffled her paws. “I think I’ve been going about this the wrong way. I shouldn’t have pressured Dáire. She didn’t want to do it and I all but forced her.” Aisling’s throat closed, almost choking the final syllable. She took a breath— waited for it to clear. “I should have listened to her. Viola was right. Communication is important and I haven’t been listening…” Aisling bent forward and talked to her knees. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being pushy and careless and losing a teammate. I’ll try to do better. I’ll listen better from now on.” Bree looked at the other two, then stepped forward and put her paw on Asiling’s knee. “It’s okay, Aisling.” For a moment it almost didn’t register. But she didn’t imagine it. She couldn’t have. What she had imagined was nowhere near as kind. “Accident happen in battle. We all know.” Bree’s speech was stilted, just like Cináed’s had been at the beginning. “You good trainer!” Bree shook Aisling’s leg a little, willing her to understand. “Helped us get stronger, Dáire too.” “Yes!” Piped Gobán. “Strong trainer!” “I evolved!” Emer squeaked. “Not weak anymore.” She had told them she would listen to them—said it and meant it—and now she could hear them. Battling was what forged the bond. Everyone knew that and Aisling had felt it, but there was something more, something they didn’t teach in trainer school. Aisling stood up and squared her shoulders. “Alright then, but this isn’t going to be easy. I’m aiming all the way for the top. We’ll have lots of tougher battles ahead of us.” “Good!” Gobán hissed, wings humming. “I can win now!” Emer squeaked, tail wagging. “We ready!” Bree assured her and put up her fists. “Glad to hear it!” Aisling turned her attention to the Combee, who had watched everything unfold with keen interest. This was one hell of an introduction and Aisling couldn’t begin to fathom what the Combee must be thinking. She found herself wishing once again that bugs were a little more emotive. Nothing to do but try. “I’d like your help.” There was a bug/flying hole that needed filling. “And I’d like to call you Finley.” The Combee nodded. “Welcome to the team.” She smiled. “We have an evaluation to ace!”