I'll roll with the punches, try and hit me again

“Don’t-!” She huffed. Naturally, that paired with the little bop was enough to get her to open her mouth. Once the soup was in her mouth, she let out a little grumble before swallowing it. She just wanted to get her work done. She just wanted to get things done!

Why’d she have to get sick? Why wouldn’t he just let her do her work? 

"There we go now that wasn't so bad, was it?" The question was a rhetorical one, as he was going to feed her until she had eaten enough. Then fluff up her pillow, then anything else she wanted from him, (besides her plea of going back to work) given the fact he truly was a softy at heart.

He glared down at the challenger, turning away when they burst into tears at their loss. If they didn't want to lose they shouldn't have picked a fight with him. With an aggravated sigh he marched off, Poe his Zorua yipping and following close behind, leaving the person to cry. It wasn't his business nor his fault, they wanted a battle and didn't want to be babied and it's what he gave them. He wasn't going to go easy on people or apologize for winning just because someone cried.

@rivalbede

“Excuse you. ‘That guy’ is Hammerlocke Stadium Gym Leader Raihan. He’s always disgusting.”

Her clothing was more about comfort than making a statement. More about her enjoying the feel of it. The way it made her look. She was intimidating and off putting. To others she wasn’t this cute little thing that needed to be protected. She was somebody who could handle herself and everyone within the island nation knew this. There was no effort made to keep her identity a secret. She was Team Skull’s most feared admin. Someone they feared even more than the dreaded boss who beats you down and never lets up.

She was a walking hurricane that would chew you and your Pokemon up. A one woman army that could kill men with a single glare. Anyone that dared to cross her didn’t get to live much longer, or so the stories went.

“She’d kill it so I wouldn’t bother.” Cerise replied simply, her gaze finally meeting Gladion’s once more. He wasn’t exactly what she had expected. Taking a step back, the woman gestured to the Goodra and gave a rather terrifying grin. “I’d only bring him out if you’re itching to lose a fight.”

Their battle strategy was ruthless. Take no prisoners, leave no witnesses. It was the only way she knew how to live. Dying certainly changed the way that a person looked at the world. If she gave others the chance, she knew they would hurt her. Guzma was the only person she trusted. The only person who’d never wanted anything from her.

Emerald eyes rolled as he spoke. “Ama’s been my partner since I was kid. Of course she’d be fully evolved. I’ve only had her for eleven years.” Her hands quickly moved to her hips and she gave a click of her tongue. Some people, really. They acted like it was some big achievement for her to have a Pokemon like the Goodra she shared a body with.

It really pissed her off.

Gladion felt as if a bucket of cold water was thrown over him at how nonchalantly she spoke of her pokemon killing his own. He was pretty sure it was his imagination but he swore he heard Edger growl in aggravation within his Pokeball- it would be like him to try to pick a fight. Though he couldn't- wouldn't let Edger fight against this girl for many reasons. If she was so upfront about killing one of his pokemon then- he didn't see why he should run the risk of gaining her ire. It already seemed he'd managed to put his foot in his mouth anyway not that he had any clue too what he had done wrong to upset her in the first place. It was terrifying, she could very much kill him where he stood if she so wished and no one would really care. Maybe Lillie, but Lillie had no clue where he was and depending on if his body was ever found she might just assume he ran off to another region.

No, while his pride was bruised at her blunt assumption that he'd lose in a fight he didn't react as he would normally have done caring more for his pokemon’s safety than his bruised little pride. Though that didn't stop him from trying to defend or explain his words

"Just because a pokemon can evolve doesn't mean it will. Some might not want too, or it has difficulties doing so. Not due to the trainer's fault but some form of barrier keeping them from growing." There was much more he wanted to say, or could say but he realized the small talk no matter how abysmal it was had gone on long enough.

"Let's not dwell on this line of conversation and get back to business. The boss told me that you'd show me the ropes?" The term boss was still strange on his tongue, but Guzma had earned his respect.

Lee was missing again. Gladion would like to say that this wasn't a common occurrence, but it was. The golbat had a knack for finding trouble, not that she outwardly searched for it. Trouble truly seemed to come for her, thus it came to him. The worst part of it was that Edger hadn't seemed able to catch her scent fast enough leaving them completely blind to where she could have flown off too. With an annoyed sigh, Gladion started working father into the bush Edger by his side, the lycanroc more than eager to slash away at anything in his path. His maroon fur coat had started to get tangled, twigs and some leaves sticking to his fur making Gladion sigh again. It was going to be a pain to get him to sit still long enough to get him cleaned.

Cerise shifted, slightly, looking over him with a gentle smile. He was so happy. Happier than she’d ever seen him.

It almost made her feel bad.

“W-well, these things do take time, you know…” She mumbled, her gaze moving to stare at the ground beneath them. The small woman let her hands drop before shoving them into her pockets. I think I’m going to be alright. Why did that make her mad? 

He deserved to be happy. They all did. But it was how easily he seemed to want to move on that bothered her. She’d been with Skull longer…so maybe it was that. Maybe it was how much time she’d put into her relationship with Guzma and the rest of the members. All she wanted to do was sever herself from this life that she’d created. The one that had been destroyed the minute she saw him with her.

It wasn’t going to get better.

It couldn’t.

"I know, but I hope to move on with you by my side..." he trailed off, looking away from her as his face burned even brighter than before, the very tips of his ears red. "I- I know that's asking a lot from you- and so suddenly! I just- I want to put everything behind me and live for myself for a change. It's okay if you refuse, I can understand that but I do hope one day that we can be- something."

He wanted to forget, and maybe, just maybe it wasn't the best way to handle things. To forcefully push down the memories of everything that had happened while in Alola, but he physically could not bring himself to think of it. He didn't want too, he didn't want to think of Guzma, the ripping wound that was the betrayal of him standing next to his mother. A mother that he had told Guzma of, had confided with him- He never gave her name but, surely he must have seen the family resemblance? Thoughts of Lillie leaving with their mother who needed treatment else were. It all made him sick, but a part of him still had Cerise, had Moon and Hau. He found he was fine with that.

“Wah, just let me gooo!” She whined, running her fingers through frazzled hair. Her body shook and she threw her head back, almost like a child in a fit. At this point, she was just delirious, both from the sickness and the lack of sleep that she put on herself from her work. Small hands came up to rub at her eyes and she let out a disgruntled huff.

“You’re not my dad!”

“Force feed you it is then,” he said grimly, one of his hands coming up to lightly bop her upside the head. Partly done as a way to get her attention and partly done in hopes she’d be shocked enough that her mouth would open allowing him to put a spoon full of soup in her mouth. 

But, it's a new year. New year, new me. I missed Gladion, I missed playing him in the pokemon verse. It also helps I'm finally watching a playthrough of the Galar region and it's made me fall in love with pokemon all over again!