#theorangecoco

I. Sully

They hear rumors about the Showcase when they’re heading to Coumarine City. They’re on Rt 12, where the land rolls in gentle hills before finding the cliffs. The sunsets are spectacular, staining the sparkling bay beyond and always accompanied by a gentle breeze. It makes Raina’s eyes light up, and she hustles them the rest of the trip to the city, barely able to contain her excitement. She’s in luck; she had recently bought a new dress in Shalour City and was itching to try it on. Now an entire audience would get to see the debut of Raina’s new clothes.

Sully and Naran bid a hasty goodbye to Raina when she’s whisked off to the contestants’ waiting room after registering. They’re given little light-up wands, which Sully finds confusing and Naran finds suspicious. Then they’re off to find seats, shouldering their way through the crowd. It’s a wide stage, beautifully decorated with large ribbons and multi-colored lights, and the seats surprisingly comfortable. The performances are lively; the audience, enthusiastically supportive.

Raina performs fifth, and she sends out Trinket. They’re born performers, the two of them, and it’s honestly hard to tell that three days ago they never even knew that Showcases were a thing. Framed by the bright lights and sparkling remains of a delicate Fairy Wind, Raina is beautiful. But she’s not the focus.

The picture is a bit grainy, taken under poor lighting in the audience seating from a phone. It’s Sully, eyes wide and shining like the lights that are reflected in his glasses. It’s Sully, slack-jawed and mouth in a perfect little ‘o,’ a faint dusting of pink just visible on his cheeks. It’s Sully, angled so that half of his face is illuminated, like he’s finally saw some gentle light and is reaching for it.

The focus is Sully, awed by an angel, so full of wonder.

II. Raina

The picture is of Laverre Gym. Smooth lacquered wood gleams gently in the photograph. Further in the background, out of focus but still obvious, is the view of the garden from outside the sliding doors at the side of the battlefield. The foliage is a blur of pretty reds and golds, with the odd smudge of green and a faint streak of blue.

It’s Naran’s second time challenging the Gym. The first time, he had gotten his ass neatly handed to him by Valerie and her Sylveon, and had left in a barely controlled rage to tear through Rt 14 in the rain. He had stormed back into the Pokemon Center later that evening, eyes wild, soaking wet and russet-red hair sticking up in all directions. Sully had kicked him into the shower in a rare show of decisive strength. Raina had picked up his Pokemon from Nurse Joy later, when Sully had sat Naran down to run through the do’s and don’ts of reckless behavior.

Three days later, Naran re-challenges. It’s an even more grueling battle than his first attempt, but he finally manages to drag a victory out from the vicious jaws of Valerie’s Mawile.

This is that moment, right there, captured not of Naran looking smugly stun, but of Raina. Raina, with a pair of shiny red pom poms clutched so hard in her hands that her knuckles turned white. Raina, jumping straight into the air, arms just at their full extension. Raina, screaming with such enthusiasm that both Naran and Valerie pause in their praise of their exhausted Pokemon.

This is Raina, celebrating like it’s her own victory, wild and vibrant.

III. Naran

They had spent a solid two weeks struggling through Rt 17, fighting through biting cold and blinding snow. The weather had taken a sudden turn for the worst halfway through the route, and then they had had no choice but to leave it to the Mamoswine. But now they’re here, finally in Anistar, barely even in the city for a full day before Sully is dragging them out of bed at an ungodly hour in the morning. The streets are empty at this hour, and there’s only the occasional cry of the Wingull and the soft sound of waves to accompany their footsteps.

Raina finishes up with a breakfast pastry and licks away cream from the corner of her lips. She offers the remains first to Sully, who takes a polite bite, and then to Naran, who polishes off the remainder because it’s more pastry than cream. Sully talks around sips of Pokemon Center coffee, and Naran digs his hands deeper into the pockets of his puffy jacket as the older boy’s voice washes over him.

The Sundial is an awesome spectacle by itself, but coupled with the rising sun, it is something else. The sky is a soft gold, gradually becoming deeper and brighter as the sun rises. There’s fog rising up into low clouds over the ocean, and the sun dies the edges. Sunbeams strike the Sundial, and the many facets catch and reflect the early light. It scatters on the sidewalk, dances around the feet, catches in their hair until it gives them an ethereal sheen, quick to form and even faster to fade.

But this is captured. This moment, where Naran tips his head up ever-so-slightly. This moment, where Naran is looking at the Sundial like it holds something precious in its massive crystal. There’s soft spots of light scattered on his dark jacket. It dusts his face, making the hard edges soft. It’s caught in his eyes, warm and fond, and it lingers in the faint upturn of his lips.

The lights fade, but this Naran stays.

+1 Trio

The air is the chamber is oppressive, and the little seed of dread that had been planted in him from the moment he stepped into Lysandre Cafe months ago had long since bloomed. His heart is pounding. His head is hurting. The blood is roaring through his veins.

Sully is there, crouched by his Audino, hands covering his mouth and nose as he struggles to breath. Raina is... Raina is standing in front of him. Small. Defiant. Naran’s stomach plummets somewhere beneath his feet and then he’s running. They need to be out, out, far away from him and that little voice in the back of his head, whispering dark things about the past and present.

The cocoon in the center of the room pulses. It shudders. It shakes. It roars. Raina throws herself at Sully and uses the sheer power of her determination to muscle the taller boy into moving. Naran is brought down to his knees with a choked scream. The little voice whispers gleefully.

And then Yvetal is there, screech in triumph at its freedom. It’s ravenous after its slumber--Naran feels that hunger deep in his bones--and it's easy work to shake free of its confines. Easy work give a powerful flap of eager wings.

Easy work to set off a massive crystalline flower of an ultimate weapon.

The rumbling jolts Naran into motion. He kicks himself off the ground at the same moment that Yvetal lifts off. It’s like a breath of fresh air as the massive beast rises, and he knows that Sully feels it too, when the other boy takes his hands from his face and can take a breath without looking like he’s on the verge of death. He’s got one arm wrapped protectively around Raina’s waist, and Raina is reaching for Naran as he scrambles towards them. She’s yelling something to him, but he can’t hear, and he’s just close enough to see the desperation in her eyes when the floor gives one final groan and gives out. Sully is thrown to the side, and the momentum rips him from Raina.

This time, as Raina tips over the edge, Naran hears her scream.

Not again, he thinks, and then Naran yanks so hard on the pendant hanging around his neck that he tears right through the soft leather. Tsolmon bursts out of the ball that Naran keeps there, right next to the Dragon Fang his mother had given him as his graduation gift. Then he’s roaring something that wouldn’t possibly be coherent in any language or any world, but it doesn’t need to be, because his massive Charizard is swooping low enough that he can jump on and then they’re making a full-on pelt across the crumbling chamber.

Naran’s a fucking terrible dragon rider, but this time he manages to stand on Tsolmon’s back. This time, he manages to throw his weight forward without tipping right off into the yawning chasm. This time, he manages to grab Raina’s hand, and this time, he manages to hold on.

He keeps a tight grip on her hand as Tsolmon makes a tight turn and they barrel for Sully, and he only lets go when Sully is there to take his place and he’s got to put both hands on his pseudo-dragon for control as Yvetal flaps back into view. The Dragon Fang falls into oblivion, and for once, for once, the little voice in his head is drowned out by Tsolmon’s roar. His back is taut and held in place by Raina’s hand, fisted firmly into his sweatshirt, and his arm feels like it’s going to be break from the force that Sully is holding it with. But the voice, the voice, is quiet, and Tsolmon charges.

Later, when they’re kneeling on the grass outside the wreckage that is half of Geosenge, Naran fights past his screaming muscles to crush Raina to him. He’s got his nose buried in her hair, and it’s just a simple tug for Sully to bring the two of them to him.

“How dare you,” Naran whispers, voice harsh and still raw with terror. “How fucking dare you get spirited away and then show up there.” How dare he not catch her the first time. How dare he not follow Sully the first time. How dare he.

“I’m OK,” Raina says, muffled into his throat.

“We’re OK,” Sully breathes shakily, rubbing soothing circles into both their backs. That’s how they stay for a long while, until Naran finally pulls away, putting them at arm’s length.

“Yeah,” he says, and this is Raina’s treasure. It’s Naran’s face, open and vulnerable. It’s Naran’s eyes, stormy and suspiciously bright. It’s his mouth, twisting into a startled smile that’s just begun to soften. It’s the way he’s reaching for them again, and it’s the way he doesn’t bat the camera out of her hands when she pulls it out from some secret pocket.