#ler!grey

“One.. two.. three.. four.. five…”

Gold frantically looked his head around, trying to find a good hiding spot. The living room obviously wouldn’t work due to Steven already counting there, facing the wall alongside Grey, who had smirked knowing that he’ll have some fun with the former Johto champion if he ever finds him first.

So now, the remaining spot were the rooms.

Realizing this, Gold floats over to his and Blake’s room through the door that was luckily already opened, entering inside before quickly going towards the bed. The red-eyed Unown then popped out of nowhere to lift the cover up for the living corpse to hide underneath.

Feeling the giggles bubble up in his chest as he heard Steven almost finishing counting, Gold tries to keep himself as quiet as possible.

“Ready or not, here we come~!”

A squeak had sounded from the child after hearing that sentence.

But all he had to do, was stay inside the comforter and wait.

Meanwhile, Grey and Steven were searching around the house for their little hiding friend, checking behind the couch, in the kitchen, etc. However, the results ended up being nothing on sight, not even a glimpse of hair.

“Why don’t we try.. y’know, checking the rooms?” The bootleg trainer suggested.

“Oh yeah, I haven’t really thought of that… sure, kiddo.” He leads the way before signaling Grey to check them first while he checks the bathroom.

Grey didn’t understand at first but then got the message and nodded, going into the room where Shinto was in.

Upon hearing the sounds of a door opening, the bootleg Pokémon immediately turned around knowing whoever it was entering.

“OH HI, GREY!!”

“…Hi, Shinto.” The bootleg kid greeted back in a voice that sounded like he was thinking ‘she’s gonna do something annoying any moment now’.

“You looking for something?? Shinto can go get it for you!!” The mischievous smile on her face says otherwise.

“Nah, I’m good. But thanks for trying to help, anyway.”

He walks over to give her a pat on the head before heading back to the door afterwards.

“You’re welcome!!” She happily exclaimed, watching as Grey exited the bedroom.

The living corpse was nearly struggling to keep his giggles trapped in as he hears the bootleg trainer talking to Shinto for a little bit from what he assumes. Sure, it’s getting hot under here, but he didn’t have much time to think of a good hiding place.

His breath hitched when a recognizable voice called out his name as somebody went in his room. “Oh, Goooold~!”

He completely went silent with a squiggly smile on his face. Gold expected Steven to come in here first, but out of all tickle monsters to do so, it was Grey instead. Knowing how much baby talk he’ll use, the dead child was desperate to keep still so he wouldn’t find out his hiding spot.

“Wheere arre youuu~?” The bootleg trainer slowly crept, his fingers wiggling. “You can’t hide forever~”

Gold accidentally lets out a few giggles before his eyes widened at the quick realization. God, why must Grey be so evil at a moment like this?

The boy turned to the small lump in the blanket upon hearing some noise, staring for a second. He then playfully grinned. “I think I hear someone~!” Grey walked up to the comforter.

(“No.. ohoh no, please!”) Gold begged in his thoughts, praying that he doesn’t pull the cover off.

…Nothing happened.

Did he change his mind? Or was he checking o-

The blanket was suddenly pulled up to reveal the bootleg trainer. “Found you~”

Grey grabbed the dead child and dragged him out of his spot. “Nononono-! Plehehease, nohoho!” Gold plead, trying to escape from his friend’s grasp. He really wished he wore on his jacket instead of staying in a white shirt.

“Nowhere to hide now, buddy! You know what that means~!” He sat on the bed before pulling up the former champion’s shirt, unveiling his stomach. Gold at least could hope that Steven is still busy trying to look for him.

“GreEHehey, plehehease-! Dohohon’t do ihihit!”

“Don’t do what? This?” His clawed hand hovered over his tickle spot, making the living corpse anticipate and kick his little ‘legs’. “YEHEhes, thAhat!”

“Well, if you say so!” The wiggling fingers now make contact with his stomach, scribbling at the flesh.

“NAHAHAHA-! Ihihi didn’t saHAHAy YOHOhou could- baHAHaHAA!” Gold couldn’t say anything else due to being too focused on the tickling feeling, but all he can do is just laugh and flail about.

The long-haired man approached the room, looking from the entrance to see the two. “Sounds like somebody’s having a good laugh.” He chuckled.

“I knew I’d find him first, so of course it does.” Grey began to rapidly squeeze Gold’s side, causing the living corpse to squeal before letting out childish giggles. Maybe he shouldn’t have hoped too soon.

Steven walks inside to sit down with the boys, looking down at the former Johto champion with a smirk. “You enjoying this so far?”

“MaHAHAke hiHIHIhim stAHAHAP-!” Gold exclaimed, falling into laughter again when the bootleg trainer blew a raspberry onto his stomach.

“Gimmie him, kiddo. Let the expert show you how to really get ‘im.” He held his hands out, awaiting the bootleg trainer to give him Gold.

Back before the incident, he and his brother used to have tickle fights with each other—Mike usually won because of his fingers moving from one spot to another every time the former champion tried to stop him, but Steven did win a few times by blowing raspberries on his neck. Nowadays, learning from his experience, he won more often, and hearing his big brother laugh again gave him serotonin.

Grey obliges and hands over the limbless child, watching Steven hold him up near his mouth.

“Now this is where the real fun begins.”

The former champion went straight to nibbling on Gold’s stomach, sending him to hysterics.

“BwAHAhaHA-! *hic* NAhaHAhAO, NAHAT THeHEHERE!” Gold’s eye sockets were closed shut as he cackled and hiccuped. He wasn’t expecting Steven to be eating up his worst spot, but with those sharp teeth, why wouldn’t he?

“Oh, but yes there~! You love it when ya get tickled there, don’tcha~? A-kitchiekitchiekitchie~!” He cooed, skittering at the back of the living corpse’s ear, turning him into a giggling mess.

“NOhOhohoho, dohohohon’t-!” His face became surrounded in a blush, trying to look away from Steven but only to end up having his neck quickly scratched by Grey, who just had to start making that ‘tktktktktk’ sound that gets him good.

“Alright, one last thing before we’re finished.” Steven readjusted the child’s position, now holding him under the arms whilst keeping the shirt lifted.

“Wahahait, *hic* WAHAIT-!”

He took a breath in before blowing a raspberry on his bare stomach, and right over his bellybutton too.

“WAhaHAHAhaHAA-! *hic* IHI GIHIVE UHUP, I *hic* GIHIHIVE UHUP!”

An Unown in the alphabetic shape of a letter W appeared out of thin air tapping on Steven’s shoulder. The long-haired man turned his head to it somehow not surprised by it suddenly showing up, nodding as he understood the signal before letting Gold catch his breath.

“You okay, Goldie?” Grey asked, a little worried if he and Steven had gone too far.

The child turned to the bootleg trainer before responding with a message from the red-eyed letters that spelled out ‘YES’. He then notices him holding his monochromatic hat that had fallen off from all the flailing he did. “..Is that my hat?”

Grey looked down at it. “Yeah, it fell off from your head while you were, y’know, being tickled.”

The boy started blushing again at the mentioned word. “Oh..” Then out of nowhere, something what felt like a different hat was placed over his hair and ahoge. He looked up at Steven and saw that the hat he was wearing had been taken off, however the shadow obscuring his eyes didn’t cease for some reason.

Gold now realizes…

“…Didn’t you say that I only get to wear your hat if I win?”

“Mhm. But I think I’ve changed my mind.” He gave the child a pat on the head. “You’ve still earned it, kiddo.”

Gold gleefully smiled and (sort of) embraced the former Kanto champion. “Thank you.”

Steven nearly jumps when Grey decided to join in the embracement. And with a soft smile on his face, he returned the favor to the two boys.

He still hopes that maybe someday—one way or another—his brother will finally achieve his revenge.

~