The Language of Battle

Akiko let out a light laugh as the air in the room suddenly got very cold and the lights dimmed. For a brief moment, he was not himself. No, he was somebody else. A man with long black hair and yellow eyes. A green and black yukata adorned his body as a smoking pipe rested in his right hand. He gave off an entirely different vibe from the man sitting before her, but just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone and the light in the room returned to normal.

“Feel free.” He said as he looked down at Absol. “He may seem grumpy, but he’s really friendly. Just don’t touch his horn, he doesn’t like when people do that.”

Absol nodded in agreement, staring at Shauna with eyes that indicated that had seen the strange phenomena that had occurred. And yet, he did not seem afraid. It was as if he was used to this sort of occurrence.

He walked over to her, positioning himself so that she could easily pet him. He was not against making new friends, especially if his trainer was comfortable around them. Not to mention he quickly grew a soft spot for anyone who didn’t see him as a walking calamity.

For the briefest of moments, a chill set in, and Shauna saw her breath wafting from her gasping lips as sparkling crystals of ice in the air. Maybe she was seeing things, but that mystical, musical laugh of his made her picture a much older setting, like something out of an old Johtoan manga... A noble dressed in an ornate yukata, enjoying the entertainment provided by a willowy woman in a red robe with a string instrument. But as quickly as that image appeared, it vanished. her breath caught in her throat and she tossed her head back and forth, slightly panicking that someone had noticed her spacing out and like. Drooling or something. She really didn’t want to look like that. 

Especially when the guy she was still crushing on was right there.

Looking like a fool in front of him, regardless of her affections, was not good.

But still... had she just fantasized that? She could still feel the quiver in her breath from the cold...

Her attention was drawn back to the man in question when he approved of her request, and a small smile cracked her lips as she looked to the Absol. Maybe she was silly to think that she had seen something. It was probably just a fantasy. And yet the sleek creature with his velvety fur seemed to look at her with understanding. Had something happened? She didn’t have enough information to go forward. Her focus, instead, shifted to her request.

“And that’s what makes you a good person, Shauna.” Akiko said before reaching into his pocket and producing a dusk ball. “The fact that you want to help like that. It shows that you’ve got a bright future ahead of you. Only those with immense courage and determination can truly follow the path of becoming a veteran Pokemon Trainer.”

He grinned before tossing the ball into the air. “Come on out and meet our new friend, Absol!”

There was a blinding flash of black and white, much different from the standard red light that a normal poke ball produced. As the light subsided, one could see a magnificent pokemon standing there. One whose color scheme matched the light that it just appeared out of.

Red eyes stared at the young girl as the disaster pokemon observed her more closely now. He had been keeping tabs on her from within his poke ball, but from here it was a lot easier to deem if she was trustworthy or not. After about a minute, he nodded his approval before walking over to Akiko and sitting beside his chair.

Akiko grinned. “Looks like he likes you. That’s a rare thing indeed. Absols love helping people, but they usually live a solitary life because people blame them for the disasters that they predict.

His small words of praise hitched the corners of her lips in a slight smile. Of course it does. She found herself thinking, for once keeping her mouth shut as the man continued to lay on the praise. But still... being a good person isn’t much use if I can’t do anything to help people... He may think she would have a bright future, but this was perhaps one of the few things she was not overly optimistic about. As much as she layered compliment after compliment on her friends, she found it hard to accept compliments directed at her. Sure, some things were simple. ‘Hey, that’s a cute top.’ and ‘You’ve got a nice laugh.’ Both super simple. Something like this though? Claiming that she had the courage and determination to be a veteran? 

Veterans were uncommonly powerful trainers. Many trainers never made it far; even if they competed in a league tournament, the bulk of trainers never passed into the top sixteen, much less the top eight. And only the best of them went on to battle the likes of the Elite Four or any of the Champions. Many trainers eventually gave up, falling into some other profession and leaving training as a hobby. Veterans were different. They had managed to keep training into far older age ranges, and were certainly still a threat to even the most skilled younger trainers. It took a lot of hard work and talent, after all, to remain a professional trainer for that long. 

That black and green ball he threw... she had seen it only once or twice in a magazine. It was one of those rare specialty balls designed to work better on Pokemon that preferred caves and nocturnal living. Most trainers kept there Pokemon in Poke Balls, such as the common red and white spheres most of her own Pokemon were in. Gym Leaders and other trainers sporting high rankings in the League tended to protect and carry their partners in slightly tougher Great Balls. But then there were some of the strongest trainers out there... They kept their Pokemon in Ultra Balls, one of the toughest, most damage-resistant Poke Balls on the market. It was one of those such balls that she had happened upon, a thank-you gift from a noble in Parfum Palace who’s Couafarel she had found. Such a rare item had found its use when none of her Poke Balls were tough enough to handle the Ronflex that blocked a bridge. The same one that Nurse Joy was currently healing. She had been surprised herself when she managed to capture him. Shauna hadn’t exactly planned on it, but had acted in the moment. She had sensed something within him. A certain kind of kinship. She just knew that she had to do something. Her arm had moved on instinct and tossed that black and yellow practically without her own mind’s consent. 

Out from the Dusk Ball a mysterious white furred Pokemon appeared. One she had never actually seen before. And yet, he seemed to hold this air of majesty and aloofness akin to a prince. He was truly a beautiful Pokemon. “He’s gorgeous,” she muttered, a small gasp taking her breath away. Absol was what he had called this regal Pokemon, a name that perked something in the back of her mind. She wasn’t sure what, but it might have been some random fact that Trevor told her. Maybe Absol was one of those Pokemon named so long ago that it held the same name in every known language?

After Joy walked into the medical office to take a look at Shauna’s pokemon, Akiko found himself alone with the girl who was currently smitten with him. He sat down in a chair by chair, hands clasp in his lap as he looked at her with his azure eyes. While he had indeed warmed up to her and even went as far as to consider her a friend, he was still reluctant about being completely honest to her. That is … being honest about who he really was. If she thought that being a Gym Leader was his biggest his secret, then he couldn’t help but laugh. That was only the tip of the iceberg.

“What will I do now?” He replied to her rhetorically. “Well. I’m not sure yet. I was thinking about going back to my Gym, but my partner is still wary about this town. He thinks a great disaster will soon befall it.”

… Just like it did that one day. 

A great landslide. A building completely encased in rocks and mud. A lone Absol aiming to help and a mysterious figure encountering him amidst the rain. An unlikely team born. A life saved. A bond formed.

For a moment, it was as if he had been transported back to that time and it was only the crash of thunder that brought him back to the present. Unfortunately, he now realized that he had trailed off mid-conversation and had made everything awkward for himself.

“Sorry about zoning out like that. Just … remembering something.” 

While he may have appeared a little bit more goofy when his cover was blown, it was clear to Shauna that Akiko was just as reserved and contemplative as his edgy vigilante self implied. He seemed completely content just sitting there quiet, only answering her question out of politeness. And even then, he seemed to trail off a little bit as he offered his indecisive answer. And answer that seemed at once both vague and very unsettling. 

A disaster? Well, sure, this town was built alongside a mountain, but... wouldn’t there be protections in place to top such things from happening? It would seem odd for a Pokemon to be wary of it, especially with the potential foreknowledge of it. Akiko must have some potent Psychic Type Pokemon, or some other teammate that held the ability to sense disaster or predict misfortune. But if he was so powerful and knew that it was coming, couldn’t he prepare? Something didn’t seem right about all this...

It appeared that she, too, was a bit distract, and his words had managed to call her back out of her thought. She tried to casually wave it away, putting on a mask of positivity, “Bsshhh nah, it’s fine! Really, we all get like that at times...”

There were a few moments of pause as the fake smile adorning her face slowly slid into a frown. “This disaster must be pretty bad... if someone like you is worried... What good would a little kid like me do? I’ve always wanted to help people, to spend my life making people happy, but what good is that if people get hurt with me knowing that something could happen?” She let out a low sigh, sliding into the chair next to his and letting her head droop down.

Akiko could only give Shauna an endearing smile. “We were friends from the first time we met.” He said as he placed his hands in his pockets. “People are so cynical and untrusting these days. So it’s only natural that you may have thought that I didn’t like you or that I was wary about becoming your friend. But I did trust you enough to hold your hand, did I not?”

Joy then casually yanked his hair. “Time to turn down the charm, Romeo. You’re going to give this a girl fever with how red you’re making her.” 

“But I’m all for being friends as well, Miss Shauna. Us Joys may seem very distant, but that’s because we all have a code to act professional at all times. At least, that’s what the guidelines say. I tend to like being a bit more independent, you know? It’s stifling to be held to such standards.”

She then nodded.

“And of course. I’ll sure your pokemon get the treatment they need.”

Of course that smile of his was enough to nearly make Shauna’s knees weak. She may have very well collapsed had Nurse Joy not intervened with her casual acts of violence. She could’ve sworn she saw a Pokemon Doctor on a Kanto  talk show get scolded in much the same why by his Toxicroak while he was interviewing a local Nurse Joy. Though Akiko was certainly a lot nicer about these things than that pervy doctor was. 

She absently shook the thoughts from her head. Why focus on that when she ought to be celebrating? She just made two really awesome friends! A powerful Gym Leader who was a total dreamboat and a quirky Nurse Joy that reminded her a little about Serena. Well, the first one. She still hadn’t entirely processed how or why there was two of the same person here, but at least nothing bad had happened yet. The two Serenas were hilariously opposite. The one she knew had a knack for battle, and the one that she met not long ago seemed skilled in the art of Performances. If she was going to ever do well, she would have to work hard to surpass her. 

“I understand you, Nurse Joy, and thank you for taking care of them!”

Repost & tag away! BOLD all that applies to your muse. italicized applicable in some verses.

Shauna’s traits, Serena’s traits. 

• eyes: blue | green | brown | hazel |  gray |  gray - blue | red | other (Black)

• hair: blond | sandy | brown | black | auburn | ginger |  grey / white | multi - color | other

• body type: skinny | slender | slim | built | curvy | athletic | average | muscular |  pudgy | overweight

• skin: pale | light | fair | freckled | tan (lightly) | olive | medium | dark | discolored

• gender:  male | female | trans | cis | agender | demigender | genderfluid | other | doesn’t like labels | don’t have any definite headcanon either way

• sexuality: heterosexual | homosexual | bisexual | pansexual | asexual | demisexual | other | unsure | doesn’t like labels

• romantic orientation: homoromantic | heteroromantic | biromantic | panromantic | aromantic | demiromantic | unsure | doesn’t like labels

• species: human | undead | shapeshifter | demon | angel | witch | ghost |  incubus / succubus | werewolf | alien | mutant | android | celestial | elf | other

• education: high school | college | university | master’s degree | PHD | other | none

• I’ve been: in love | hurt | ill | mentally abused | bullied | physically abused | tortured | brainwashed | shot

• positive traits: affectionate | adventurous | athletic | brave | careful | charming | confident | creative | cunning | determined | forgiving | generous | honest | humorous | intelligent | loyal | modest | patient | selfless | polite |  down-to-earth | diligent | romantic | moral | fun-loving | charismatic | calm

• negative traits: aggressive | bossy | cynical | envious | shy | fearful | greedy | gullible | jealous | impatient | impulsive | cocky | reckless | insecure | irresponsible | mistrustful | paranoid | possessive | sarcastic | self-confidence |  selfish | swears | unstable | clumsy | rebellious | emotional | vengeful | anxious | self - sabotaging | moody | peevish | angry | pessimistic | slacker | thin skinned | overly dramatic | argumentative

• living situation: lives alone | lives with parent(s)/guardian | lives with significant other |lives with a friend | drifter | homeless | lives with children | other

• parents/guardian: mother | father | stepfather |  foster  | grandmother | grandfather | aunt | uncle | all deceased

• sibling(s): sister(s) | brother(s) | none | other

• relationship: single | crushing | dating | engaged | married | separated | it’s complicated

• I have a(n): learning disorder | personality disorder | mental / mood disorder |  anxiety disorder | sleep disorder  | eating disorder | behavioral disorder | substance-related disorder  | PTSD |  mental disability  | physical disability

• things I’ve done before: had alcohol  |  smoked  | stolen | done drugs  |  self - harmed | starved  |  had sex  | had a threesome  |  had a one - night stand |  gotten into a fist fight |  gone to a hospital |  gone to jail | used a fake ID |  played hooky  |  gone to a rave  | killed someone | had someone try to kill them

Akiko, meanwhile, had completely spaced out. He had been so focused on being a grumpy asshole earlier that he hadn’t even gotten a good look at Shauna and now that she had fallen over and, well, gave him an eye full of probably her best feature, he couldn’t help but let out a lighthearted laugh when she apologized.

“There’s no need to apologize.” He said, his tone far more friendly than it was before. “Your actions were spur of the moment and completely understandable. It was I who was rude for treating you so coldly and not giving you the time of day.”

She was quite endearing to say the least. Especially now that he had time to reflect on everything she had done. Did he have an interest in her? Not particularly. Sure, she had a nice bottom and gorgeous eyes, but nothing else about her really caught his attention. At most, he saw her as someone he could potentially befriend. At least for the time being.

“Though I must say.” He said with a tone that hinted he was observing her appearance. “I quite liked your pigtails. They really brought out your eyes.”

Joy shot him a look. That was the part of him that irritated her the most. The way he could flirt in such a casual manner without really committing to anything. He was just being honest to his heart and it was something about his real self that she was greatly envious of.

“Don’t let him fluster you, Shauna. This is just how he talks to everyone. Even the men.”

That wasn’t even a lie. From what she’d observed, Akiko played ball for both sides.

She had braced herself, eyes closed, fists balled, ready to take whatever words he would give her, whatever rejections he would throw her way- she had not expected him to so casually wave her apology aside as altogether unnecessary. Her emerald eyes opened wide in brief shock, a small gasp slipping from her pinked lips. He was apologizing to her instead?? No no, she was not going to have that. She had been the fool, she was supposed to apologizing!

And then he complimented her. And though she had reflected on her silly actions, she was still definitely enthralled by his beauty and the very notion that someone like him found any bit of her pleasing had left her so stunned her eyes seemed to blank out. Seemingly defying physics and spacetime, as well, her hair had returned to its former pigtail-y self. 

It was only Joy’s comment that was able to bring her back from the brink of sheer chaos. “O-Oh... really? C-Cool...” But she clearly hadn’t completely recovered. Maybe it wasn’t too late to hide in her hair. Or put on longer pants. Or do something to make herself feel better about getting constantly flustered by this guy’s accidental flirting. Nurse Joy must be really cool and confidant to be able to survive with him around.

Then again, maybe she just knew him well. It was clear they were good friends. 

Friends... She wanted to befriend everyone she met.

Taking a few long breaths, she found her center and looked back to Akiko, trying and only partially failing to get lost in his eyes. “So... uhm. I know you’re probably busy, what with your being a superhero gym leader and all, but it would be really cool if we could be friends. Same to you, Nurse Joy,” she called back to the pink haired lady.

Speaking of which.

“Classy.” Joy said as she facepalmed. “Real classy, there.”

This girl wasn’t going to win over Akiko any time soon at the rate she was going. And yes, she said win over. Joy wasn’t as blind as her silver haired compatriot and could tell that this girl was crushing hard. But could she really blame her? Akiko was … someone special. She may give him a hard time, but it was because of him that she was still alive today.

She knelt down and poked the girl on the head.

“Hey little miss, you know you’re presenting yourself to him, right? Have some tact. Speaking of, you haven’t even given us your name yet. Care to fill us in?”

When even Nurse Joy calls you out, it’s best to get a move on.

Her cheeks seemed to be permanently turning red at the rate that all this crap was going on. Shambling to her feet, she looked on with a dejected frown, playing with her hair in some small attempt to calm herself down before she could answer the nurse’s question. And even still, her light little voice came out hesitant. “Uhhmm... my name’s Shauna. Shauna Bellerose.” 

Just what was wrong with her? Not too long ago I was on stage, why am I all anxious and nervous in front of people again? Sure, she had lost to that other Serena- now that had thrown her brain for a loop. A version of her neighbor that came form another dimension? How wild was that? But even then, she had been fine with the loss. It proved that she needed to get more serious about performing. Had it been meeting Akiko? He had been quite kind and willing to help her when he didn’t have to, and even someone as blind as a Zubat could say that he was gorgeous as heck, but she had to look at this objectively. Take a leaf out of her mom’s book and look at this from a different angle.

She had to admit... calling out to him to ask for him to teach her how he had made that jump was a bit off the cuff, a little selfish, and a bit childish. While being astonished and amazed was certainly okay, she couldn’t imagine that he would see her as anything more than a kid based on that first impression. And then there was of course her little bout of fangirling but a moment ago when Nurse Joy revealed who he was. 

Did it really matter if he was a Gym Leader? Heck, did it matter if he was a vigilante? Putting aside all of her love for beauty and stunning displays of awesome... no. It really didn’t. Sure, his feats were impressive, but he was just a guy. A guy she knew next to nothing about. And how shallow was it to be pining for him and pruning herself to look impressive to him when she had only met him just minutes ago? 

She wanted to hide in her hair again.

“There is no need to be so thankful. I was merely doing the right thing.” He said as stood up took the cloak back from her, noting her embarrassment but not thinking much of it. He turned back to Joy for a moment and found her glaring at him. Why was she so angry? Was it something he did?

And that’s when she punched him square in the gut with enough force to bring him to his knees.

“Your robot talk is getting really annoying, Silver Flash. Or should I say, Cyllage City Gym Leader, Akiko?”

Azure eyes nearly bulged out of his skull as she said his name and title. Did she just betray his trust? Why did she do such a thing? He had a persona to uphold. It was mysterious and cool! He then felt a shaking in his pocket and pulled out a pokeball.

No way. You think it was lame too, Absol? Then I really was just making a fool of myself out there.

He climbed to his feet with a grunt and removed his mask with a sigh. There was no more hiding now that Joy had so ruthlessly shred his facade to pieces.

“She speaks the truth. I am indeed Cyllage City’s Gym Leader. I apologize for being so distant with you. I was trying to keep up an image.”

I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen a doctor get so... violent. Then again, wasn’t there that movie about an armored Qulbutoké that acted as a healthcare professional in a team of six superheros? Somehow that Qulbutoké managed to learn a bunch of fighting techniques despite having a very balloony body. Her sudden punch had actually knocked the wind out of her, too, despite the fact she hadn’t been struck one bit. To think that the gym leader of the neighboring town was actually moonlighting as a superhero! His reputation as a leader was so powerful that another leader potential, Grant, didn’t even bother challenging Akiko to a battle for control of Cyllage, he just headed to the adjacent town and set his gym there.

But the new Ambrette Gym was still under construction. The Holo Caster new clips she had watched a few days ago had said as much. Apparently he was trying to build a massive rock wall in the gym. Kinda silly if you asked her, but it made some kind of sense for a guy who supposedly focused on Rock Types. 

But even so, standing in the same room as a distinguished gym leader was something she had never expected to do, especially so early in her journey. But when she dared to look into his baby blue eyes, any pretense she had of speaking to him suddenly dropped. While she knew for a fact he radiated beauty, his eyes seemed to glisten like the open sea, a shade of blue so vibrant and lively she thought it might be glowing a little, fluxing with some hidden ethereal power. It left her speechless, nah, thoughtless. 

She couldn’t do a thing until Risso’s pokeball shook with enough force to make her stumble and break eye contact. As if the rest of her embarrassing moments weren’t embarrassing enough, she ended up flat on her face with her butt in the air, her rounded bum covered only by her short shorts. Even her hair had fallen away from it, pooling in a mess around her head.

“Yeesh. Would it kill you to be more friendly?” Joy said as she sat down in a chair, across the table from the silver haired man. The day was slow and this guy was an old friend, so she could afford to take it easy. At least for a little bit. “But I know what you’re going to say. ‘But Joy, this is my dark and brooding vigilante persona. I gotta be all edgy or else the bad guys won’t take me seriously.’ Ugh. Who do you think you are? Zubatman? You’d have a lot more friends if you acted like you do as a Gym Leader-”

She was interrupted by him placing a gloved hand over her mouth, as if he was paranoid that the girl was listening all the way from the bathroom. Of course, he quickly regretted that decision when she bit him.

“You’re so frustrating!” She shouted at him. “Here I am trying to help you improve your image and you have to act like a total dick!”

His eyebrow rose in response, an amused smirk appearing on his face. “To elicit such a response from someone named Joy. I must be doing something right after all.”

Though it seems their conversation would have to end for now, as the girl from before made her reappearance.

“I am glad to see that you are looking warmer.” He said to her. “I would have been worried if you had gotten sick.”

“Hm?” The moment she locked... eyes? Well, the moment her eyes met with the cold white mask worn by her savior, her cheeks flushed a deep pink. She honestly hadn’t thought that he would stick around. With what she had heard Joy saying about this guy being a bit of a loner who didn’t get close to anyone, she thought that he’d have just darted off immediately after leaving her in the care of Nurse Joy. Unless there was some other reason? Maybe.. maybe he actually wanted to see her and talk to her again! Score! Bet it was her hair. She adored it, and she would bet any living soul that she could get a guy based solely on how stunning her long hair was. It did not occur to her that he might have some other reason for sticking around. 

Her hand brushed against the soft fabric of his cloak, which he had lent to her for the brief transition between the rainy outside and the warm inside. 

I’m wearing his cloak. I’m STILL wearing his cloak.

Akiko didn’t hesitate to pull her close and carry her princess style. He wasn’t about to just drag her along through the air like a ragdoll after all. “Then up we go.” He said before leaping at least thirty feet into the air and soaring over the remaining stretch of the world. To her, it’d seem like he was flying and while that may seem to be the case to any outsider, to those who knew better they’d be able to tell that he was quite literally surfing on the air currents as if they were waves, making it a very less conventional version of flight.

“Down we go.” The masked hero said as he gently glided toward the ground, landing just outside the Pokemon Center. Luckily for him, the rain had made sure that not many people were out and about, so no one saw him arrive. No one save for Nurse Joy that is and she wasn’t that perturbed. As the resident medical expert, she was well informed of his standing as the local vigilante. In fact, she may know even more about him than that.

“Oh dear. Caught in the rain again?” She asked him as he walked in with his guest. “You really ought to keep a better eye on the weather, Silver Flash.” She said as she beckoned him in.

Akiko nodded to her as he set his companion down on the ground and stepping away. The way he kept his distance made it clear that he didn’t want to form any connections with her.

Joy, on the other hand, had a small smile on her face. “Acting aloof as usual, I see.” She said before turning to the brown haired girl. “Don’t mind him. He may seem cold, but he’s a really nice person once you get past that icy exterior of his. But we can talk about that later. What matters first is getting you warm and dry. So please feel free to use the bathroom while I prepare you some tea.”

She’d offer the same to to Silver Flash, but she knew by now that he could fend for himself. Not to mention he hated when other people took pity on him. He was prideful like that.

Pink suffused her cheeks and for a brief moment, her heart filled with panic- but the gentle way that he held her, protecting her from the worst of the wind and the rain, quickly started to calm that sense. As they soared through the air, she found her anticipation building with each foot climbed, her panicked near-gasp forming into a brighter and brighter grin as gleeful as the sunny day they were sorely missing. She let out a rising, almost musical laugh, “This is incroyable!” It really felt like she was flying through the skies as a Flambusard!

But the joy was fleeting, as they would eventually come to touch down just outside the door to the Pokemon Center. And none too soon, as when Shauna deigned to look back toward the street they had been standing on, it had been swallowed in a mudslide. She had read that the seaside town had its defenses against such a disaster, but they could never really prevent them. In the morning, one of the townspeople would come forward with the help of a Rock or Ground Type to repair the rockface and assess any damage to other structures. 

At least no one had gotten hurt. She and this man had been the only ones walking into town when a storm was in the forecast. 

Once he set her down, she stumbled forward a little bit, trying to catch her legs again. She hadn’t been in the air for long, but it was as shocking an experience as walking onto a boat for the first time. Spotting the nurse, Shauna couldn’t help but smile. “Hey, Nurse Joy, remember me? Whatcha doin’ here in Ambrette Town? Weren’t you in Camphrier Town just-?” Wait a sec. This Joy wore a differently colored badge on her breast. Hadn’t the one in Camphrier worn one with a dark red color? This one was more of a teal blue. “Ohhhhh, I’m sorry for being a little forward like that. I forgot just how many of you there were,” she muttered, sheepishly scratching the back of her neck. 

Like any of the Joys, she seemed kind and compassionate and was quick to greet them and welcome them in, already keen on making sure Shauna was happy and healthy. She nodded to the older woman and ducked into the bathroom. In that instant, she suddenly felt very self conscious that her hair was slick and matted- it was supposed to be all bouncy and voluminous! It’s why she kept her hair so long, so she could tie it up in these absolutely adorable pigtails. Sighing in defeat, she pulled out her hair ties and let her massive mane flop against her back. 

She had to fix it before she saw the Silver Flash again. She had to look her best, or he wouldn’t find her cute and- Her cheeks flushed pink. “...Does he even like me? Could he even like me in that way?” It was silly to think that. He was the most gorgeous man she had ever met, he was certainly too far out of her league. And he looked much older than her. That could also cause problems for not just her, but everyone who could be involved. Sure, she was essentially independent now, journeying as a trainer and all, but she was still too young to be thinking about things like dating or settling down. Even if his very image had ruined her standards of men for eternity.

She found herself looking in the mirror, her wild brown hair sticking up at odd angles, slicked and shaped by the storm. It cleanly reached past her bum, nearly brushing against the ground. She hadn’t cut it in years, and if she continued to do so, she had no doubt it would eventually grow long enough to sweep along the ground. Like that one princess with the Kecleon in the storybook her father read to her! That would be awesome. 

Cracking a small grin, she decided to leave her hair down for the night. Snatching up a brush from her backpack, she set about straining the water from her hair and brushing out any of the kinks. 

Noticing that walking in such a way would likely make things difficult for the both of them, he decided to remove his cloak entirely and drape it over the girl. It didn’t really matter if he himself got wet, that was the least of his concerns for now.

“The weather should clear shortly.” He said under his breath as he walked beside her. “It never rains for long around here. Usually just enough to restore life to the plants.”

His way of speaking was quite stilted, even for one with a Kantonian accent. In fact, it seemed almost archaic. But perhaps that was because he was putting on a show. He didn’t want to get comfortable around this girl. She was merely a stranger and the more people that remained strangers around him, the better.

“Wait.” He said suddenly, right arm raising to stop her in her place. “The road is dangerous up ahead. The sudden downpour has made the surrounding embankment unstable. You can tell by the water rushing onto the road. Any unwanted vibrations could cause the whole thing to give way. Thus the safest way to proceed is up and over.”

He turned to her and held out his hand, palm outstretched as a gesture for her to grab hold. “You wanted to see how I performed that previous feat right? Then I shall show you.”

Displaying more of his abilities to this girl was the last thing he wanted to do. But deep down he knew that he had no choice but to proceed. Her safety came first. He could deal with the consequences later.

His words seemed a bit stilted, his Kalosian steeped with a thick Kantonian accent. Had she not spent time with Serena, she might have not been able to fully understand him. That said, even her accent wasn’t that thick. Nor archaic. Why did this guy sound more like her great grandma than anything? Was it part of his whole superhero persona thing? That would make sense. And could potentially be really cool. She had to admit, being able to help people with such amazing natural abilities... She felt a certain kinship with those kinds of people. While she would by no means call her own abilities amazing, she did have the same degree of desire to help others. Performing and Grooming were just methods to that little spark of madness. 

Risso held on to her like a child hiding behind his mother’s skirts, sticking as close to her as possible without completely smothering her. Who was this man? Something about him definitely felt odd. He didn’t smell right. His dear Shauna smelled like lavender, this masked man smelled like... something he couldn’t quite place. But he felt threatened. Almost in the same way as he did when that black hound of fire tried to bite her. 

His cloak kept her protected from the rain as they walked, and she was so lost in her own thoughts that she almost walked right into his hand when he held it up. Pausing for a moment just before, she looked on in awe at the slick mud on the nearby embankments. His observational skills must have been impressive, as even she wouldn’t have noticed it if he hadn’t pointed it out to her. Nodding slowly, she carefully returned Risso to his pokeball and took his hand.

From within the confines of his red and white sphere, Risso looked on at the pair through the translucent top. Should he stop her from going with this man willingly? He... didn’t look like he was trying to hurt her, yet he still felt this hint of anger in his chest. She was his trainer, right? It was natural to want to keep her safe. So why did this protection feel... selfish? Was it even wrong to think of it as such? She was his! 

“Oui, I trust you...”

A small part of Risso broke inside him. She looked at this man differently than she looked at him. How could he match against a man that exuded such beauty? He noticed it, too. And her gaze... it was a gaze he thought she reserved for him. When her mother, who had cared for Risso when he was just an egg, showed him to Shauna for the first time, she had been nearly brought to tears but him. He was beautiful to her, and he was proud of that and how close they were. It was his job to protect her from harm...

Azure eyes widened as a young voice, carried by the quiet morning air and harsh sea breeze reached his ears. He felt his legs come to a stop before the rest of him could truly process what was happening, body flipping around to acknowledge the source of the voice. A young girl, no older than thirteen or fourteen. Though he could have gathered as much from how high her vocal tone was. A bead of sweat rolled down his face and fell to the ground below in what seemed like slow motion to the deity. Meeting someone in a situation like this was the last thing he wanted.

He had come to this world, this land, to blend in and to gain an appreciation for the culture. It was for this reason that he wore a mask while acting as a vigilante of sorts. But even then, he had wanted to avoid social contact with people on a one on one basis. Crowds were fine, nay, they were to be expected. But this. This wasn’t ideal. From her posture to her the look in her eyes, she was the naive, curious type. And those kinds were stubborn when they had questions. It was clear that she would not stop until her inquires were sated.

If I were to escape now, it’d leave a bad taste in her mouth. And that’s the last thing I want given that she might recognize me later and cause a stink about it, thus souring my reputation with the townsfolk. Alternatively, it might make the current situation even worse, with her wanting to learn even more about me due to my flashy escape. What to do, what to do.

Now that his mental facilities had finally caught up with his physical ones, he realized that he was in deep trouble. So far, the best course of action seemed to be approaching her normally, even if he himself didn’t want to do that. Any other option would only have negative impacts on his experience here. Her’s as well. He didn’t exactly want her to get involved with him. Considering how dangerous some of his escapades could be. Even if she was a Pokemon trainer, as noted by the pokemon accompanying her, he still didn’t feel comfortable doing such a thing. This world may have been okay with letting teens like her fend for themselves, but he was not.

However, it seemed that the heavens had his side as a flash of lightning illuminated the street they were standing on, followed by the crashing of thunder and pitter patter of rain. Quickly shifting weather was nothing strange to a coastal town like this, with the ocean always bringing change when one least expected it. But this changing weather was just what he needed. Who wouldn’t run for shelter when this happened? Him leaving now would be completely reasonable … and yet-

“Come along.” He found himself saying to the girl, his cloak raised over her head to shield her from the rain. “Don’t want you to catch a cold. A pokemon center isn’t too far from here. We can take shelter there.”

-his kind nature was far too overpowering for his own good.

Shauna could not dare look away. What had started as stunned shock and awe at his actions had quickly evolved into a desire to see more of it and to maybe learn it herself, but even that faded away to unbridled gawking. Not to say she was undressing him with her eyes, no. Far from that. There was just something about this man that seemed so... different. Shauna had seen many works of art in her short life, but the person in front of her was like a walking statue, picturesque and grand. His outfit and mask looked like they had come right out of one of those magical girl shows where girls could transform into Half-Human Half-Pokemon hybrids- Madoka ReBurst, was it? She would have to look it up later. His features were chiseled like stone and his skin almost seemed to glow with inhuman beauty. 

This radiance should not be possible for a human.

So overwhelmed as she was by his appearance, she did not quite process the flash before it already started to poor. A measure of annoyance crossed her tanned face for a few moments, her lips twisted into a small sneer. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” She liked the sound the rain made, of course, and jumping in puddles as much as anyone else, but she did not like being caught in the rain. It was going to totally mess up her hair and makeup. Or ruin her clothing. She spared a sidelong glance at her partner, Risso. For the most part, he seemed jovial. She supposed, as a Grass Type, he would enjoy the occasional rain like a flower would a nice watering. But he did seem a little aggravated

Was he... glaring at the rain? Why was he balling his tiny little fists, looking like he was going to punch the pittering water droplets?

He was such a silly little thing sometimes. 

@pocketmonstermuses

“The wind is harsh today.” Akiko muttered to himself as he looked down on the city below, black cloak billowing behind him as his hidden blue eyes scanned the area for any suspicious activities. “I suppose that’s a punishment for leaving the gym to be subordinate. But it matters not. If I didn’t do something like this during my stay here, I’d go absolutely insane.”

“Team Flare has been awfully active as of late. So I shouldn’t have to wait for something to happen.” The masked man said as he leapt down from the mountaintop and landed gracefully on road below. Unfortunately, he was so focused on his duties that he had failed to realize that he had chosen a street with someone actually on it and that they had just witnessed his gravity defying stunt.

“No way!” The young brunette exited the tunnel, emerald eyes finally taking in the gorgeous view of the coastline running along the rocky Route 8. The  Boguérisse at her side barked in excitement, nearly flattening her when he tried to jump onto her shoulder as he used to do as a Marisson. She managed to support herself on a nearby rock jutting from the clifface, but it had nonetheless nearly knocked the wind from her. “Rissooo, you’re getting too big! You know you can’t do that any more.” She was just a thirteen year old girl! How could anyone expect her to have the strength to lift a heavy Pokemon? Especially whens he was already carrying a bunch of gear. 

Risso looked a little dejected and climbed off of her immediately, muttering his apology in the same vein as a child who got caught sneaking cookies from the cookie jar. Shauna couldn’t help but chuckle- he was so cute! How could she stay mad at this adorable little thing?

“Let’s keep going, okay? Just a little longer and we’ll reach Ambrette Town. I hear they have this really cool exhibit in the museum there AND an old groomer lives there! Maybe he can give us tips for our next performance.” Shauna had recently performed at an open invitational with her Couafarel, but had failed horrendously. Since then, she had spark a new resolve to learn all she could about Performing and win properly. She also wanted to explore Couafarel grooming, as the judges were quick to admonish her for leaving her Normal Type uncut and uncolored. While she and her father could see the beauty in Relle’s untamed locks, not everyone else did. 

A little later down the line, she had actually gotten into a fight over that notion of beauty with a woman that had orange glasses and fiery orange hair. Risso had evolved into his current form to save her from a sudden attack from the woman’s hellish black dog, its bone-like protrusions sending shivers down her spine. She wasn’t sure what kind of Pokemon it was, but its bark and flaming jaws made her think twice about doing or saying anything. 

Even if it was just a small doggy. 

But friendship had prevailed! For the most part, anyway. They had to run before the woman called her friends and ended up ducking into this cave. They had followed it through to their current location and realized it was a shortcut to Ambrette Town.

They could see the town below them, sparkling in the sea breeze. It was absolutely gorgeous, and she couldn’t wait to see what was in store for her down there. As she and her Grass Type partner neared the coastal town, was treated to stunning adverts for cafes, a newly built hotel, Pokepuff baking class signups- it was a town that felt so full of life, like she’d never seen before! All expected, of course. Ambrette was a major port town but had started to grow in even more popularity when a Gym was built in its territory. What she hadn’t expected to see, however, was a shadow that blocked the sun for but a second. Something seemed to almost hover in the air for a brief moment before touching down. 

She went wide eyed- had someone just jumped from the mountain down to the streets below?

@gottamuseemall

“You can do this, Shauna. You’ve prepared all your life for this. You are gonna waltz in there, take the performance world by the balls, and win!” Yes, she was resolved in that matter. Today would be the day she would debut, taking advantage of an open invitation Pokemon Performance that would take place in a few hours in the Santalune Performance Hall. And registry would close in just over one hour. 

So why was she sitting outside a small cafe and not in the building next door, registering?

The Couafarel at her hip merely chuffed in a low bark. If there was one thing her owner was not, it was decisive. She could ramble on and on to herself about her resolve, but unless she got moving, she wasn’t going to go anywhere. 

And Shauna didn’t go anywhere. She sat there for another hour, waffling back and worth until the white-furred pooch, who had taken a nap next to her chair for the last bit of the hour, decided to do something about it. Relle was a stubborn girl at heart and she was not going to have the girl that the Couafarel’s mother had specifically put in her charge. She knew that this girl wanted to compete, and by Xerneas’ great antlers she was going to compete if it killed her. 

It wasn’t like she was genuinely excited to perform. Definitely not. Relle was sooo above that sort of nonsense. She was just wanting to make Shauna happy. Yeah. Definitely that. Nothing else.  

So, Relle stood tall, faced her trainer, and let loose a fearsome Growl.

It would seem like the Growl had done it’s job though, as the resounding shockwaves had blasted the girl clean out of her wishy-washy back and forth and left her nearly pissing her booty shorts in shock. “Hey! Rude!!” she started, but immediately regretted her outburst. Relle was right. She needed to stop psyching herself out and just do it.

“I’ve gotta do this!” 

And then her alarm went off. Registration was ending.

“I’ve.. gotta.. go.. now...” She spoke with a broken jumble of words that barely comprised language and darted off to the building across the dirt road, panting like she had just ran a marathon by the time she got to the desk at the center of the lobby. 

@gottamuseemall​

“Gotta admit,” the young blonde muttered, addressing the Fokko riding atop her felt hat, “This place is a lot more amazing than I thought.” Serena had heard from the nurse at the Pokemon Center that the local gym leader, Viola, was quite the photographer. That had made her expect some sort of a photo-taking hobby, that maybe the leader just played around with it in her off time. But damn, this gallery was absolutely stunning. There were images of Pokemon that had such perfect compositions and such perfect angles, she wondered why this girl was working as a Gym Leader when she could have a far more lucrative career in taking action shots of Pokemon for some of those research magazines her father used to read.  

The fox merely chuckled, yipping happily from her perch. Even she could appreciate beauty when she saw it. Though she was normally keen on being the center of attention, she was willing to let it be for now. She was meant to dominate in the gym battle itself, which they had practiced so hard for. She was really getting a strong grasp on her flames and could already feel new power stirring inside her. She couldn’t wait to surprise her new trainer in the coming battle. 

That isn’t to say their newest member wasn’t going to showcase her strength either. That new Kamonegi was going to be quite a shock to the Bug Specialist there. Now, Fofo had seen a few Flying Type Pokemon while she was raised in that lab, but never had seen any fight like this girl did. 

But, that secret weapon of theirs would come out later. She had said something about ‘meditating’ and then went back into her ball to rest. For the moment, Fofo directed her attention back to the beautiful photos adorning the walls.