Chapter 1: Chapter 1
Notes:
By the way, Cynthia is ten years older than Corey.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The chilly winter air blows across the shores of Lake Acuity. Corey Hayvall sits on the snow by the lake, a book on Sinnoh mythos in hand and a smile plastered on his face. He just got this new book from his cousin—the Black Contessa and Champion herself, Cynthia Shirona—who may or may not be responsible for his obsession with legends, history, and ice cream. If you didn’t know they were related, the only clues would be their shared grey eyes, and maybe the nose but that's about it. While Cynthia sports long, shiny blonde locks, Corey inherited his dad’s black, curly hair.
He loves his cousin to bits, even though she couldn’t make it to his tenth birthday this year because of her Champion duties. Either way, she made sure Corey received his gifts on time: the book he is currently reading, and the little greyish-blue bundle sitting next to him.
At ten, he’s the age when some very few kids wander off on their own journey to become trainers. Corey isn’t one of them, and his parents can’t afford to let him go alone either. They don’t want their baby wandering the wilds, and honestly, what responsible parent would? And the cost! Pokéballs, camping gear, healing items… for a lumberjack's family like theirs, it’s just not an option. Cynthia has tried countless times to help them financially, but Corey’s parents, August and Sylvia, always decline with a smile. «This money is earned by your hard work,» they say to Cynthia, «and it wouldn’t be right for us to take it.» They still accept the gifts for their son, of course.
That’s why, even if he’s not going to become a trainer anytime soon, Corey was gifted his very own Gible—the same Pokémon Cynthia herself started with. He named him Snap, a little dragon with the annoying habit of trying to bite the fingers of anyone besides Corey who dares pet him. The Pokémon currently cuddling at his side, wearing a forest green scarf that Corey’s mother knitted. Having a Ground- and Dragon-type Pokémon out in the coldest region of Sinnoh might not be the brightest idea, but somehow, they manage.
This is Corey’s life: a random kid living in a small house on the edge of a half-frozen lake, not a soul around while his parents supply the neighboring town of Snowpoint City with firewood with the help of their Bibarel and Abomasnow. Life is peaceful—if not downright boring at times. Thankfully, Cynthia brings him to ancient ruins and museums from time to time, which he adores.
Cynthia also told him about Uxie, the embodiment of knowledge said to inhabit Lake Acuity. Like any kid who hears that a legendary Pokémon literally lives right next door, Corey tried everything to catch a glimpse of the living legend—but gave up fairly quickly.
Don’t get him wrong, he knows Uxie exists. He just figured that if it didn’t want to be found, it most likely wouldn’t show itself—which is pretty impressive reasoning for a ten-year-old.
«Corey, dinner's ready!» His endless cycle of reading and daydreaming is interrupted by his mother’s voice, making him look up. Only now does he notice the sun setting on the horizon.
«Coming!» Corey shouts back, startling Snap awake. The little dragon grumpily rises as Corey closes his book, picks him up, and heads toward the house—oblivious to the almost invisible silhouette watching him from the shore.
Weeks pass, and Corey begins to feel increasingly watched when alone by the lake. He’s certain he’s caught movement out of the corner of his eye more than once, but he never catches it. And it’s definitely not a Goldeen or Magikarp.
Eventually, even the slightest sound startles him. He’s at his wit's end. Standing up, he gathers all the courage a tiny ten-year-old can muster:
«I know you’re there, whatever you are! Just get out already!» Snap clings to his leg, frantically scanning the surroundings, ready to chomp anything that dares touch his human.
Silence. Embarrassing silence. So silent in fact you could hear Kriketunes if you tried hard enough.
Corey thinks he imagined the whole thing. Just as he’s about to slump back down, he hears chime sounds. He looks up, following said sounds, and a shape becomes visible: a small, yellow-headed, two-tailed Pokémon. Its eyes are shut, and a red gem gleams in its forehead as well as on each tail.
Corey stares wide-eyed for several seconds before beaming. «You’re Uxie, right!?» he asks, though he knows the answer already—his cousin drilled every Sinnoh legend into him, and he knows them by heart.
Uxie floats down, circling Corey, then smiles and chimes again.
Snap jumps several times, trying to bite at one of the floating Pokémon’s tails. Corey scoops him up. «Hey, be gentle!» he scolds. «I’m Corey, and this is Snap. Say hi, Snap!» He proudly extends his Gible toward Uxie. Snap studies Uxie’s closed eyes and waving hands… and, oddly enough, seems to calm down. Corey sets him back on the snow. «So… was it you watching me all this time?» His smile never fades. Uxie nods.
Corey sits cross-legged again and opens his book. «You want to read with us too?». Uxie chimes again, floating into his lap, while Snap curls up next to his thigh. «Look, this chapter is about you.» The ten-year-old finds the section on the Lake Guardians: Azelf, Mesprit, and finally Uxie. The chapter explains how they brought willpower, emotions, and knowledge, respectively, to humanity—and their link to Dialga and Palkia.
They spend the rest of the day like that, going through the book, asking Uxie if the legends are true. As dusk approaches, Corey has to go home and says goodbye to Uxie for the day.
It quickly becomes a routine: days with Snap and Uxie, reading the newest book until dusk. Sometimes he asks to help his parents, but they insist he’s too young and might hurt himself. At least Abomasnow lets him ride on its shoulder when dragging wood home.
Until now, Uxie never appeared when Corey wasn’t alone. The next time Cynthia visited, Corey excitedly brought her to the shore to show that he was friends with Uxie—but the legendary Pokémon didn’t show up. He was disappointed, but Cynthia believed him. Uxie didn’t appear surely because she didn’t know him the way Corey did. That meant the world to him—especially since even his parents thought he imagined it. Of course, they know Uxie is real… but their son having a living myth as a friend? That’s a hard pill to swallow.
The day before he turns twelve, Corey, accompanied by Uxie and Snap—now a Gabite—lies in the snow in comfortable silence when Corey finally speaks up. «Uxie, would you like to meet Cynthia? I promise she's super kind and cool and strong, and she really likes history like me, and I'm sure she would love to know you.» The boy fixes the lake guardian with the most pitiful, puppy-Rockruff eyes ever known to mankind. He’s been asking relentlessly for weeks, fully expecting to be denied yet again.
Uxie seems to ponder this for a moment, but in the end, he flies in front of Corey and nods with a smile. If Corey trusts Cynthia that much, then Uxie can trust her too.
«Yaaaaaaaaay!» Corey jumps up several times, overjoyed at the thought of introducing Uxie to his favorite (and only) cousin when she visits tomorrow. He’s sure Cynthia is going to lose it when she sees Uxie. This is going to be the best birthday ever.
The next morning, Corey is the first awake, and he makes sure everyone under their roof knows it. A half-asleep Snap follows his trainer to wait by the front door—but the Gabite wastes no time curling back down on the porch to go back to sleep. Another reason for Corey’s excitement: Snap evolved into a Gabite less than a week ago, after chasing off a lone Sneasel that wandered too close to the house. Corey is all the more eager to show him off.
Even though Snap’s biting habit has worsened since evolving—so much so that Corey’s parents have to save a log just for him to chew on—he still wears his trademark green scarf, even after more than tripling in size
An hour later, Corey spots two black shapes approaching from nearby Route 217. The moment he sees the blond hair and the unmistakable Garchomp silhouette, he breaks into a sprint, launching himself into his cousin’s arms. She hugs him back and spins him around before setting him down.
«I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you’re happy to see me,» Cynthia chuckles.
«Yeah! I’m soooooo happy!» Corey beams. He turns to Garchomp, who playfully nuzzles her head to Corey’s chest. «Oh! And I have something I have to show you. Snap!!!» he calls as his Pokémon just catches up.
Cynthia’s eyes widen in delight. «Would you look at that—our baby’s growing up!» She reaches to pet Snap but he, well, snaps at her, making her withdraw her hand. «You’ve got even more attitude now, huh?» she says fondly. Corey lectures his Pokémon quickly, but Cynthia reassures him: «Don’t worry, Corey. Garchomp did that too sometimes when she was a Gabite. Don’t be too harsh on him—the temper is just a phase.»
She says this while turning to her own Pokémon, who looks slightly embarrassed by the statement, earning a giggle from her trainer. «Anyway, let’s go inside so I can give you your gift.»
Corey’s attention is fully caught, and he practically drags her to the house. Cynthia greets her aunt and uncle before turning to Corey. His mom places a freshly baked Watmel Berry cake, his favorite, on the table. Exceedingly sweet? Definitely. But it’s a taste Corey shares with Cynthia.
Speaking of her, when he blows out the candles, the Sinnoh Champion lifts a bag she had hidden under the table and sets it in front of today’s star. Sylvia gives him a new pair of fingerless gloves she knitted herself—the only kind Corey is willing to wear—and he thanks her with a hug. August is next and he gives him a drawing kit he bought the day before at Snowpoint’s market alongside the Watmel Berries. Corey is thrilled; drawing was a random idea he had thrown out one day, and his father apparently remembered.
Now it’s Cynthia’s turn.
«I already planned to give you what’s in here long ago, but with Snap evolving, the timing couldn’t be better. Happy birthday, Corey.» She smiles warmly, pushing the bag toward him. Corey opens it, scanning the new Pokémon mythos books—and something else catches his eye. He pulls out a ticket and looks at Cynthia in confusion.
She grins. «I know you can’t travel or make friends like other kids your age, so I had an idea. Since I’m Champion, I can recommend people around, and I had this pass made so you can challenge the Snowpoint Gym Leader. Of course, you won’t get a badge since you’re not officially registered, but I want you to experience the thrill of Pokémon battling. Use the pass whenever you want, train as much as you'd like beforehand, and whether you win or lose, I just want you to have fun.»
Confusion quickly melts into a beaming smile. Corey leaps to his cousin, hugging her and rapid-firing his thanks. His parents also thank their niece, knowing the pass was far more complicated to secure than she let on. She had told them in advance, and they agreed to keep it secret. The family spends the rest of the morning chatting and digging into the cake.
After lunch, Corey remembers something. He tugs at Cynthia’s sleeve. «Cyn, I have another thing to show you, and I know you’re going to love it.» He flashes the most adorable smile he can manage, and she can’t resist pinching his cheek. «Never lose those dimples, kid. Lead the way.»
They walk to the shore of Lake Acuity, Pokémon in tow. Cynthia looks around, curious what her little cousin wants to show her—but Corey interrupts. «Uxie! Cynthia is here! You can come out!» Seconds later, a chiming sound echoes, and a small figure appears in front of Corey. Unmistakably, the legendary Pokémon Uxie, snuggling close to Corey at that moment.
The Sinnoh Champion is momentarily baffled. Of course she believes Corey when he says he befriended Uxie—he would have no reason to lie. Yet a tiny skeptical voice in her mind nags: could he have mistaken another Pokémon for him? It’s a silly thought though because Corey is almost as knowledgeable about Sinnoh mythology as she is.
Shaking off her doubt, she focuses on the floating Pokémon, which regards her as intently as you can with closed eyes. «Hello, Uxie. I’m Cynthia, Corey’s cousin. He told me a lot about you, and I thank you for watching over him.» She smiles warmly, her initial shock gone. Though her historian’s excitement wants to bubble over at seeing Uxie, she suppresses it in favor of gratitude—he’s watching out for her little cousin, who can get lonely without other kids around. That’s why she got him Snap in the first place. She’s simply happy he made another friend.
Uxie seems to examine her, then smiles and bows his head in greeting. Cynthia returns the gesture.
The rest of the day passes with Cynthia sharing her new discoveries, the places she plans to take Corey, and the trainers she’s met. Her three-day visit flies by in the blink of an eye.
It's been two years since he got the pass, and fourteen-year-old Corey Hayvall is accompanying his parents to Snowpoint's market. He tagged along so he could do what he’s been training for: challenging Snowpoint's gym leader. With the help of Uxie and Cynthia on her visits, he went from knowing next to nothing about battling to being, in his opinion, a somewhat decent trainer. He and Snap very much enjoyed their training, but Corey needs to try the real deal to really see where he is lacking. So when his parents finish their groceries, the little family heads to the gym. Snap stays in his Pokéball to be as rested as possible for the fight—no need to tire him out with the journey from house to town.
Cynthia has drilled all the basics of battling into his skull: type matchups, status conditions, and what she says makes the difference between a good and a really good trainer—implied commands. She insists that when you give a clear command to your Pokémon, your opponent understands it too, giving them a way to react. But with implied instructions, your Pokémon understands just the same, and you can take the opponent by surprise.
Above all, she keept repeating that it doesn’t matter if he loses. He’s already at a disadvantage, bringing a Dragon- and Ground-type Pokémon to an Ice-type gym, so this battle is just a new experience she wants him to have. That doesn’t mean he’s not going to try his hardest to win.
When they enter the gym, a man asks for Corey’s trainer ID. He doesn’t have one, so he hands over the pass his cousin gave him. The gym employee’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets: «You've got a battle pass from the Champion!?» He quickly composes himself, clears his throat, and puts on a professional facade: «This way, please. Candice should be done with the last trainer by now, so she should be available. Just go to the arena and wait for her if she’s not there already.» He points to the side, where a corridor loops around the gym.
Corey arrives at the arena, surrounded by ice formations, with bleachers all around. The field sparkles with ice and powder snow, though you can still see the dirt beneath in some places. His parents take their seats, and Corey waits in the center of the giant room, just as he was instructed.
«So you’re the kid who got a pass, aren’t you?» a voice calls from behind him. A girl who seems only slightly older than Corey, maybe seventeen, stands there. He presumes this is Candice, her pigtails giving her away. She wears a white shirt with an icy teal bow, her equally blue jacket tied around her waist. Strangely enough, she also wears a beige skirt and… leg warmers? «Just because it’s an unofficial battle doesn’t mean I’m going easy on you.» She smiles. «So how many Pokémon do you have, and are they fully evolved?» Her excitement seems bigger than Corey’s own.
«Um, I only have one, and he evolved once. He’s a middle-stage evolution,» he answers, still taken aback by her enthusiasm.
«Alright, let me get the Pokémon I need, then we can start.» She goes to her side of the arena and grabs a Pokéball from a big box. Corey heads to his end and takes his position. «Alright then. Let the Diamond Dust Girl show you how it’s done!» She throws her Pokéball, which bursts open in a flash of white light, releasing her partner.
The Pokémon looks like it’s wearing a white dress with icy blue sleeves coming from the sides of its head, with two horns resembling real ice. It also has what looks like a red belt and carries itself elegantly and confidently. «My Pokémon is gonna be Froslass. Your turn.»
She looks as confident as her Pokémon, but Corey doesn’t let it get to him. He gazes at Snap’s Pokéball, takes a deep breath, and throws it. Snap emerges with a growl, green scarf still around his neck, and coos at Corey.
Candice, not expecting a Gabite, is genuinely surprised—but not in a bad way. She had expected a classic starter or something similar.
«Ooooo, that’s a pretty rare Pokémon, especially here in Snowpoint. This is gonna be fun!» Her excitement doubles.
«I would hope so,» Corey says. His determination reignites.
«You better be ready. Froslass, Double Team.» In an instant, the Froslass multiplies into a dozen or so copies, surrounding Snap. The Dragon-type looks as confused as his trainer, unable to locate the real opponent. «Now use Shadow Ball!» All the Froslasses charge their attack. Corey knows only one Shadow Ball is real, but it’s impossible to know which. Dodging seems impossible with Snap surrounded by all those clones and nowhere to go.
«Snap!» Corey shouts, tapping the ground twice. Snap seems to understand just as the Froslass copies unleash their Shadow Balls. The attacks collide where Snap had been standing, lifting a thick cloud of dust. The clones vanish, leaving the original Froslass smugly looking at her handiwork.
When the dust clears, Snap’s space is empty, leaving Candice and her Pokémon confused.
«Now!» Corey shouts. The ground just besides Froslass splits open and Snap emerges, grabbing Froslass by her midsection. Froslass struggles, but Snap holds her securely. «It’s snack time, Snap!» Corey adds, and Snap uses Crunch, chewing on the Ice- and Ghost-type Pokémon like he would his favorite chew toy.
Candice is taken aback. She was told this kid was a novice, but he uses implied commands and tactics even experienced trainers would struggle to think of. This definitely can't be his first battle.
After a few seconds of munching, Snap tosses Froslass to the ground. She struggles to get up. Corey cheers internally—his strategy worked perfectly. He and Cynthia planned multiple scenarios, knowing a single Ice-type attack hitting Snap could end the battle. Froslass being Ghost-type is even better—Crunch is super effective. Still, Corey can’t celebrate just yet. «Finish it with Metal Claw!»
Snap sprints at the grounded Froslass, his fin-like arms glowing with metallic coating. The last thing Froslass sees is the dragon Pokémon pouncing and slashing before she slumps down, fainted.
«I… I lost?» Candice’s eyes widen, still processing what just happened. Froslass went down too fast to counterattack. This Gabite is something else entirely, and she underestimated him (without even wanting to).
Snap’s behavior does a complete 180—he coos and jumps, celebrating before running to Corey for praises. Corey hugs him while his dad whistles and his mom claps.
Then Snap starts to glow brightly. Corey steps back, eyes full of literal stars when he realises what is happening. The glowing shape doubles in size, and when it settles, it reveals a fully evolved Garchomp. Corey jumps and hugs him again, hanging from the now 2 meters Pokémon's neck. «You evolved! You won and you evolved! I’m so, so, so, so, so happy!»
Applause echoes across the arena. Candice watches, pride on her face, having already returned poor Froslass to her Pokéball.
«You’re something else, kid. And this loss is on me—I underestimated you.» She crosses the arena and holds out her hand. «Congratulations—you bested the Diamond Dust Girl.»
Corey scratches the back of his neck shyly. «Thanks, but I’m not that good. I know that if you used an Ice-type move, I’d have lost.» He knows she went easy—no implied commands to give him a chance, and she didn’t even use her ace Abomasnow.
«True. But your strategy bypassed your Pokémon’s weakness, and you know how to use implied commands. I recognize talent when I see it.»
Corey blushes. Cynthia did most of the heavy lifting, training him and Snap over the past two years. His parents join in the hug, and Snap adds his own enthusiastic cuddles.
«We’re so proud of you, sweetie,» his mom says, and his dad nods.
«Anyway, that’s it for me. Hope to see you again when you officially come here for a badge. Take care.» Candice waves and leaves the way she came.
Corey and his parents follow, and Sylvia is planning a feast to be remembered for years tonight. At home, they FaceTime Cynthia to share the great news and show Snap off. She tells Corey how proud she is and asks how his first official battle felt. «It was awesome!» Corey exclaims. Uxie is next on the congratulations list, spinning around him happily. Corey has never felt this level of accomplishment ever in his life. He’s never wanted to battle gyms like other kids, but maybe now he will consider it—no rush though, but perhaps one day he’ll go around challenging gyms too. Who knows?
Notes:
Yes, Garchomp is my favorite Pokémon. How could you tell ? (¤_¤)
Chapter 2: Chapter 2
Notes:
Hi again.
I already had this chapter ready when I posted the previous one and I just decided that I would post it too.Enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
This is bad, horrible even. Snap is down!
«Pfffft, that’s all? I expected more than that from a Garchomp.» The owner of that smug voice is a red-haired trainer Corey had just met.
Corey was feeling sick about always sketching the same thing; he had basically already drawn Lake Acuity from every angle you could think of. So he thought a change of scenery would be a good idea. And he's sixteen now — he would be fine even if he got a bit farther away from home than he had before. He even has a fricking Garchomp, so nothing bad would happen, right?
Wrong. It's almost funny how wrong he was. Yes, he has a Garchomp; but the thing is he ONLY has a Garchomp, who is now out of commission. All that because a random trainer saw Snap napping and practically forced Corey into a battle he didn't want against an entire party of six Pokémon. The red-haired trainer was crystal clear that he would not leave before battling that Garchomp and even threatened to let his Pokémon loose on Corey directly if he kept on refusing.
Snap managed to take out four of that trainer's Pokémon, but even he had his limits, and the guy's Mamoswine eventually took the win. It took that motherfucker five whole Pokémon to take out Corey's single one, and he has the audacity to act smug about it. Corey is seething inside, not just because he lost, but because Snap didn't deserve the unfair loss.
«Sucks to suck, huh?» The redhead keeps up the cocky act. «Anyway, I'm outta here,» he says, hopping on his Staraptor and flying away.
No healing, no help, no nothing. The guy just left! Corey's fists are so tightly clenched that he could draw blood. But when he realizes that night is falling, his fury is replaced by overwhelming dread.
He is alone in a snowy forest, the sky is darkening and his only Pokémon is out cold. In these parts at night, if the cold doesn't get you, then the Pokémon around here would. He feels so stupid for coming all the way here, for not bringing healing items (even though his family could hardly afford them), for depending on Snap this much and making him fight an unfair battle. All he can do now is run in the general direction the lake should be, having returned Snap to his Pokéball already.
It's now fully nighttime, and it's impossible to see more than five meters forward. Distant sounds are coming from every direction, and the air is getting even colder. Exhausted, Corey sits by a fallen log and brings his trembling knees to his chest, his sketchbook and Snap's painted Pokéball squished against his heart. He had painted the red top half of the ball the same color as Snap's scales and drew his Pokémon's favorite scarf around the midsection of the ball so it would really be unique.
Tears are now running down Corey's face as he thinks of the worst possible scenarios while desperately hoping for help that would likely never come.
The sound of a snapping branch startles the sixteen-year-old, whose head snaps up from his knees in the direction of the noise. All he can see is a pair of glowing yellow eyes, fairly close to the ground, staring directly at him. When the thing approaches, he finally sees what it is — a Sneasel.
Corey is royally fucked. Sneasels never travel alone — if one is there, then a dozen other Sneasels and Weaviles are surely surrounding him already.
Despite the freezing cold temperature and the exhaustion, Corey gets back up and runs again without even thinking, desperation being the only thing keeping him moving despite his legs screaming in pain. He dares to look back for a moment and sees at least three more Sneasels jumping from branch to branch on his heels. Not watching his steps anymore, he ends up tripping and falls face-first into the snow. All he can do now is curl into a ball and shut his tear-soaked eyes tight, resigned to his dire fate.
Suddenly, a familiar roar shakes the place as Corey feels two arms holding him tight — human arms. He finally opens his eyes and is met with none other than Cynthia herself.
The tears are back, but this time from relief, and he hugs his cousin more tightly than he ever did before. She returns the hug, whispering reassuring words to him, all the while her Garchomp is fighting off the Sneasel pack around. After watching two of their own get the crap beaten out of them, the rest of the pack flees, and Garchomp celebrates her victory with a roar.
After a minute, Corey finally has the strength to speak. «H-How did you find me?» he asks between sobs and sniffs.
«I had Lucario track your aura. When I came to visit earlier, Uncle August told me that you went out in the forest, and when it got dark I ran out to get you.» Cynthia gives a relieved smile before hugging him again. «I'm so glad you're okay.»
«I-I'm sorry,» he whimpers.
«Don't be. You couldn't know this would happen.» Her voice is gentle yet firm.
«B-But it's my fault! If I hadn't come he—»
Cynthia lifting her finger was all it took to interrupt his self-blaming speech. «You can tell me what happened when we get you home, where it's warm. You're shivering right now.» Corey doesn't even try to argue anymore. His cousin helps him onto her Togekiss’s back, and then hops on Garchomp.
Once they get home, Sylvia is beyond relieved and hurries her son to the fireplace, burying him under at least three blankets. Corey tells Cynthia everything — from the trainer to the battle and the forest after — and he swears he’s never seen his cousin looking this scary before. An angry Cynthia is not like your average angry person; her face becomes ice-cold and her eyes lose all the warmth you would usually find in them. Truly terrifying.
After everything was said, she sends Corey to his room to get some sleep, which he will — but not before giving her Snap's Pokéball and asking her to get him to the Pokémon Center to be treated. Cynthia takes the ball and heads out to Snowpoint while Corey goes to his room and passes out on his bed.
After that incident, something changed in Corey. His parents saw it, his cousin saw it, even their Pokémon saw it. He used to like going to Snowpoint’s gym to spar with Candice when she had some free time, and he loved when Cynthia would give him some battling lessons from time to time — but now, it's all gone.
He spends all his days on the lake’s shore drawing and reading, but without the enthusiasm he had before. Even Uxie is unable to cheer him up. Cynthia tried, but she couldn’t find the trainer responsible for that whole situation, and the damage was already done. This experience traumatized her little cousin to the point that he is terrified of battling altogether. It pains her to see the passion she ignited in him go out just because of some random kid with zero concern for others.
One day, on one of her visits, she calls Corey back home after a discussion with his parents. They had been preparing something for quite some time now, and maybe this would be the solution to get their sunshine boy back.
«We have something to tell you, mon grand,» his dad says, a sad smile on his normally beaming face.
Corey is apprehensive. Usually, his dad announces things cheerfully, not like... whatever this is.
Cynthia takes a step towards him, taking over the rest of the announcement. «We’ve enrolled you at Blueberry Academy, in the Unova region.»
Corey’s eyes widen in horror. Aside from being in a whole-ass other region, Blueberry Academy (or BB for short) specializes in Pokémon battles. He would have loved to get into BB before, but now it’s a nightmare come true, and his homeschooling doesn’t look nearly as bad as it used to. It would be like that awful day again — but on repeat. He can’t go through that again.
A hand on his shoulder interrupts his mental meltdown. He follows the arm all the way up to Cynthia’s face. She is wearing the same empathetic smile as his parents. «Listen, I know you don’t want to battle anymore, but don’t let what that kid made you go through stop you from doing what you like. I know you love battling — I never saw you as happy as when you won against Candice. I recommended you, and the academy’s director is thrilled to have you there. Please, Corey, we don’t want to see you give up on a passion just like that.» Everyone in the house is looking at him with hopeful eyes — even Abomasnow and Bibarel.
Corey feels a knot in his stomach. He doesn’t want to go, but he doesn't want to make his family this bad either. What Cynthia said is true — he still loves battling, but he’s scared of a repeat of last time.
He takes a deep breath and looks back up to his cousin with less confidence than he’d like. «Okay, I— I’m gonna go. But you’re gonna visit, right?» He looks at the champion with the most pleading and pitiful look she’s ever seen.
«Of course I will!» she answers almost instantly. He turns to his parents, the same question written on his face.
«We will too,» his dad says.
Corey goes back out to the lake to tell Uxie that he’s leaving soon. The legendary Pokémon looks incredibly sad at the news and rushes to hug the teenager. «Don’t worry, I’m still here for four days. Let’s make the most of it, okay?» He hugs back the small Pokémon, a tear sliding down his cheek.
Those four days pass in a flash. Corey goes and says his goodbyes to everyone he knows — Candice, who wishes him the best of luck there; Clark, the guy from the market who always gives him a free Watmel Berry; and finally Uxie. He cries again, and he swears Uxie does too. Snap is also sad and apprehensive about leaving behind the only place he’s known all his life.
His parents and Cynthia drive him to the airport, carrying his backpack and suitcase. When it’s finally time to go, none of them want to release their hug, but eventually they do. Snap is returned to his Pokéball, and Corey finally boards the plane to his new (and first) real school.
The plane ride was long, too long for Corey's liking. It was not his first flight, and he expected it to be long, but not four and a half hours long. Who would've thought Unova was this far away from Sinnoh?
Anyway, Cynthia told him that a staff member from BB was going to pick him up at the airport, and Corey was a little scared of not finding them there.
But no worries, he is pretty sure that the depressed and sleep-deprived-looking man holding a sign saying “Welcome to Blueberry Academy” is the guy in question. Walking all the way to him, Corey watches the guy ditch the sign when its purpose was fulfilled and prompts him to follow. The young trainer expected a car waiting for them outside, so he was surprised to see what looked like some sort of cabin with four Skarmories perched on top of it.
Judging by his guide's expression, who looked like he didn't want to be here, Corey refrains from asking questions and just gets in, tucking his suitcase under his legs and his backpack on his knees. Then the Skarmories take off, lifting the cab up.
Some more flying later and they are above the sea when— “WAIT, THE SEA!?” Corey’s brain does a double take. He looks back and sees that they are getting farther and farther from the coastline. His guide seems to have caught on to his state of mind as he tiredly says, «Relax, we're almost there.» Corey arches an eyebrow but notices something somewhat blue… er than the sea in the distance.
«Wait, that’s the school?» he points to the above-water structure and only gets a confirming «Hmm.» in response. “Way to make small talk,” Corey thinks.
When they get out of the cabin, they are greeted by a cheerful, hatted man who looks like his smile never once left his face in his entire life. «Hello and welcome to Blueberry Academy, I am Director Cyrano. It's a pleasure to have a Sinnohan student among our ranks! And one recommended by the Champion, no less!» Corey politely returns the greeting. At least this man was more lively than his guide, who seems to have taken the chance to vanish after his job was done. Meh, who cares? Not Corey, that's for sure.
«Um, it’s pretty small for a school, isn’t it?» Looking around, Corey is really confused. The only thing there is the bridge he and the Director are currently standing on and a small arena with bleachers at the end of it. That’s it. Like, that’s literally all there is.
Director Cyrano chuckles at that. Surely Corey isn’t the first to have ever asked, right? «Actually, this is just the arrival point and entrance. The rest of the school is underwater.»
«Huh?» Okay, that's pretty cool. But that means the school has to be huge to accommodate all the space and material needed for a battle-centric program. The classic curriculum here focuses on double battles, but Corey decided to take the single-battle one. Since in Sinnoh double battles were almost nonexistent, he didn’t see the point. He also didn’t want to learn the basics all over again just to adapt to the new style, and the cherry on top: he only has Snap as his Pokémon, so no double battles, thank you.
He follows the Director all the way to the entrance, where they meet a pink-haired girl with a long lavender coat over her uniform. «Good afternoon, Director Cyrano.» She turns to Corey. «You must be the new student. Hi, I’m Lacey.» Her tone sounds practiced, but Corey doesn’t really care. If this was bothering her, at least she had the decency to hide it.
«With the introduction out of the way, why not have Miss Yakon give you a tour of our marvelous institute? I will be in my office if need be.» Cyrano says, already walking away from the student pair.
«Director Cyrano, you can’t make me do your work again for you! It’s just not right!» Lacey shouts, making an X shape with her arms, but it doesn’t seem to get the director to come back. She just sighs and turns back to Corey, making the exasperation fade from her face. «Before we begin the tour, would you mind a double battle? Just so you can familiarize yourself with the school’s battling style.» She asks with a smile. The request surely was innocent, but it made Corey look at her in sheer terror for less than a second before he manages to hide it.
«N-No thanks. By the way, I took the single-battle curriculum, so...» he trails off. Lacey for sure caught on to his unease but she decides to let the matter go, and Corey is grateful for it. After registering him as a student with the lady at the front desk, Lacey shows Corey his dorm room, where he leaves his suitcase and bag before joining Lacey again. She shows him the important stuff: the cafeteria, the staff offices, the library, the classrooms, and finally the jewel of the academy — the Terrarium.
The thing is huge. It's a natural park-like dome structure divided into four biomes (Coastal, Canyon, Savannah, and Polar), where Corey could see familiar and totally new Pokémon. The first thing he thinks about is the number of new landscapes he could draw later.
Deeming the tour done, Lacey excuses herself and leaves for what she said were “club duties.” She told Corey about clubs while on the tour, and he may look into it later. But for now, he just wants to pass out on a comfy bed — four hours on a plane, two hours of flying in silence, and then a half-hour tour was already well past what he viewed as his limits. It is the middle of the afternoon, explaining why not that many students are out — and thank Arceus, because he doesn't have the energy or will to talk to anyone else for the rest of the day.
Back in his dorm room, he notices what looks like a uniform and different variations of it on his bed, as well as a round black leather satchel and a holster of Pokéballs. He puts them aside and opens his backpack when he hears a chiming noise. «What the...» Corey opens his bag completely and watches as a familiar round yellow head comes out of it. «Uxie? Wha—how did you get in there?» As if answering his question, Uxie becomes almost completely invisible before reappearing. That gets a laugh out of Corey, who hugs the small Pokémon. «Okay, that makes sense. Thanks for sneaking in though, it helps a lot.»
Just as he releases Uxie, the Pokémon flies to his bed and picks one of the Poké Balls up, bringing it to Corey. The teenager is dumbfounded when he realizes what Uxie wants, but he ends up smiling gratefully at his now second Pokémon. No words needed — he holds the ball in his hand, and Uxie smacks it and gets sucked into it. The ball shakes once before ticking. Corey lets Uxie back out, as well as Snap, who looks as happy to see the little lake guardian as his trainer.
Being totally drained, Corey flops into his new bed and is deep asleep in less than a minute. His two Pokémon join him in his nap that is sure to last until at least dinner.
Notes:
Now that's when the fun stuff begins.
Expect next chapter on Saturday and I will try my best to stick to that schedule.
See ya!
Chapter 3: Chapter 3
Notes:
Cute chapter incoming!
By the way, Kieran here has the same design as in the Teal Mask.Enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Kieran is sitting at the table unofficially claimed by the League Club. The cafeteria is filled with the chatter of students serving as background noise for the small group waiting for Lacey, who's running late. That happens a lot and she can't really refuse when Director Cyrano asks for help, so they've grown used to it.
Amarys is looking at her pocket watch while Drayton is asleep on the table. Crispin gets back from getting a second serving of food, not willing to wait any longer to eat. Kieran sighs. Managing all these people wasn’t something he’d thought about when he became Blueberry’s Champion, but now that's his daily routine.
«Only twenty-four minutes and thirty-seven seconds late. My estimations were around thirty minutes, impressive.» Amarys's monotonous voice has the effect of a wake-up alarm on the, until now, silent table, making Kieran look up as Lacey finally arrives.
«Sorry, Cyrano made me do his job again!» she says in annoyance. Her friends always expect her to be late at this point. «Had to give a tour to the new student.»
Now that caught Kieran's attention; it even got Drayton to wake up.
«The one from Sinnoh?» Amarys asks. Anyone other than her friends would have missed the hint of curiosity in her cold voice. «I heard his admission was recommended by the champion of his region.»
The entire table, aside from Lacey, looks at Amarys with a collective «HUH!?» If Sinnoh's champion has recommended the new student, then he must be pretty strong. Kieran would be lying if he said he didn’t fear for his title a bit, but mostly he’s just curious about the new guy.
«Yeah, but he's also kinda weird. I asked him for a battle and he instantly deflected. He said that it was because he takes the single curriculum, but he seemed almost scared. I mean, why come to this school if you don't like battling?» Lacey says with frantic hand gestures.
That is odd indeed, even to Kieran who is known to be pretty introverted himself. Now he is even more curious about what this guy is like and why he dislikes battling.
«Even if he's scared, I'm sure I can spark some fighting spirit into him,» Drayton adds with a wink, making everyone at the table roll their eyes, Amarys doing so twice as hard as the others.
«As if you'd be awake long enough for that,» Lacey adds with a giggle.
But their exchange is cut short by Crispin suddenly pointing to the cafeteria entrance. «Is that him?» Everyone's head snaps in the direction the redhead is pointing, seeing an unfamiliar face enter.
It is a moderately pale-skinned boy with black hair styled in a curly fringe. He has silver-grey eyes with a beauty mark next to his left one. His cheeks are pretty round, adding a touch of cuteness to all the pretty features.
Lacey only confirms Crispin's guess with a hum while the guy in question is looking through the different food items, debating what to eat. He spends a whole lot of time in front of the ice cream section.
Kieran's eyes are glued to the guy's face; he is gorgeous. And he swears to Arceus that even from this far he saw dimples when the guy smiled at the lunch lady. The school's champion's brain has only one thought going through it: that's the prettiest boy he has ever seen in his entire life.
As if hearing Kieran's thoughts, the boy in question turns around and locks eyes with the Kitakamian and his friends. Kieran feels as if the room's temperature tripled, but he can't look away.
Almost two whole minutes pass with the friend group and the new guy staring at each other before the new student seemingly decides that it's enough awkwardness for the day and quickly leaves.
That's one hell of a first impression. Now the new hot student thinks they're a bunch of weirdos.
«A problem?» Lacey asks, noticing the blush that threatened to claim Kieran's whole face.
Thankfully, an oblivious Crispin spares Kieran from answering by asking a question of his own. «He's got a name?» Now that Kieran thinks about it, he and his friends only referred to him as 'the new student' or 'the new guy.'
«Corey,» she answers, picking at her salad, having seemingly forgotten about Kieran's blush. Kieran, for his part, is mentally repeating the name to himself. That's a cute name. Now he is really blushing.
Corey returns to his dorm room three shades redder than he was when he left. The only thing he grabbed was an ice cream cone, and he sure as hell won't go back there with those people staring holes into his very soul. He recognized Lacey at the table so he assumed that the others were her friends. They were all looking at him like he was a mystery to be solved, save one that looked at him as if he’d grown a second head.
That said, when he stared back at them, his attention was solely on the guy with the yellow headband and black bangs hanging over his eyes. They almost entirely covered his eyes, but he still managed to pick up a vivid yellow in them. The boy even had the cutest mole on his neck, but then Corey realized that he was staring at the guy almost as much as their whole table stared at him. The embarrassment was too much; he had to get out.
If Lacey thought he was weird before, then he must be flat-out creepy to them now. Who the fuck stares at some stranger like that? «At least they were as creepy as me,» he reassures himself. Corey’s little shenanigans only made Snap open one eye from his nap, while Uxie looked at him in confusion.
At least both Pokémon had Pokémon food already in the dorm room, so he didn't need to go fetch them some, which is a win because he has no desire to embarrass himself any further. He now has to make do with a single ice cream until tomorrow morning. Great!
Kieran is not a stalker, or at least he won't admit it. He had no classes today and thought it would be a great idea to look up Corey’s schedule and pretty much watch him all day.
So there he is, in the Coastal biome of the Terrarium, hidden in a bush with his eyes glued to Corey in the middle of a class about regional variants of Pokémon. Corey seems pretty bored right now, as if the class was just a retelling of things he already knew.
The teacher's voice goes up as he excitedly asks his students to bring him an Alolan Exeggutor. The students scatter and Corey heads to the beach area, looking as unimpressed as ever. It looks like the whole assignment is a chore to him. Kieran discreetly follows behind the Sinnohan, doing his best to stay under the cover provided by the bushes around.
Corey approaches the Exeggutor and just… throws a Pokéball at it. No surprise attack whatsoever. The ball shakes twice but the wild Pokémon eventually breaks out and turns to face the trainer. The Pokémon looks angry, if the expression on all three of its main heads and it stomping the ground with its foot are any indications.
Corey sighs loudly and rolls his eyes. Seems like he will have to knock it out to capture it. He takes out a strange Pokéball that looks nothing like anything Kieran has ever seen. It is a very dark blue with some green around the middle. He can't make out the details from that far away, but it's definitely not something he recognizes. The Sinnohan throws the ball and out of it comes a big shark-like Pokémon.
It’s the same dark blue as the ball it came out of. Its belly and snout are orange and yellow, and it also has fins on its arms, back, and tail. This Pokémon rings a bell, but he can't remember what it was called. Anyway, its most striking and out-of-place feature is the green scarf it wears. Kieran never thought about giving accessories to his Pokémon, but the idea doesn't seem that bad.
«Dragon Rush.» Corey's lazy voice pulls Kieran from his thoughts. He looks just in time to see the mysterious Pokémon engulf itself in a light purple glow, then jump up several meters before slamming into the Exeggutor in the blink of an eye. The wild Exeggutor tumbles back, seemingly out cold.
«Wowzers,» is all Kieran finds to say. Even with a super-effective hit, knocking out an Exeggutor in a single strike is not easy, which means Corey's Pokémon is crazy strong. He keeps watching as Corey throws another Pokéball and this time, the wild Pokémon stays inside. The curly-haired boy picks it up and returns his Pokémon to its ball after some praise and head pats. He then heads back toward the class gazebo where he’d been before.
Corey did his assignment so fast that his teacher let him leave class early. Honestly, this class was boring as heck. He has nothing new to learn about regional forms. He even knows about Sinnohan variants (formerly called Hisuian forms), and Eric, the market guy back home, literally has a Sinnohan Growlithe.
Anyway, with his newfound free time, he decides to spend the next hour drawing. He finds himself a small isolated clearing surrounded by trees and shrubs — the perfect spot for peace and quiet. He even notices a group of Oddish to the side that he could draw.
But first things first: he releases his two Pokémon so they can get some much-needed fresh air. Uxie floats down to sit on Corey’s head, earning a small giggle from him, while Snap curls up next to his trainer to sleep. Corey shakes his head at his Pokémon’s usual laziness, but there’s fondness in his expression — honestly, he’s no better. He pulls out his sketchbook and pencil and gets to work, sketching the seven little Grass-types keeping them company in the clearing.
Drawing is as much a hobby as it is a way for him to think. So far his stay at BB isn’t half bad. Granted it’s only been two days, but so far, so good. He took great care hiding Snap from the other students for fear of them challenging him like that dipshit from before. Uxie’s case is way easier since he can literally turn invisible.
Now, an even more dreadful matter: his teacher told them that in two weeks, all of the students would take part in a three-against-three graded battle. Aside from finding the will to battle at all, Corey now has to find a third Pokémon and get it battle-ready in two weeks just to avoid being immediately disqualified. That’s just his luck.
He had already released the Exeggutor he caught before (who threw the nastiest look at him before going on its way) since he didn’t like forcefully catching Pokémon, but now he may be reconsidering his choice. The whole issue gives him a headache, and he decides it’s a problem for tomorrow-him.
The outline of his sketch is basically done, so he starts adding shadows. His mind keeps wandering until it settles on the cafeteria incident. He still hasn’t spoken to any student he didn’t have to, so obviously he has no friends. And it’s not as if people make themselves easy to approach.
Last evening is the perfect example: not even ten seconds in the cafeteria and a whole group of students was staring holes through him. Don’t even get him started on the “It’s him?” and “That’s the new guy?” he always hears whispered whenever he enters a room that isn’t his dorm.
Worst thing is he made a fool of himself in front of Lacey’s group and her cute friend. Who the fuck goes to the cafeteria, has a staring contest with five people, then dips out with only an ice cream cone for dinner? The answer is nobody.
His cheeks heat up a little. It would be nice to be part of a group, but he knows better. First impressions are crucial, after all.
Suddenly Corey notices the weight on his head is gone. His eyes widen and he looks around for his Pokémon. “Uxie?”
“Waaaaaaaa!!!”
Right after he calls, he hears a scream off to his right. Uxie is right there, floating above some guy who looks like he stumbled. The small Pokémon is covering its mouth and giggling. Corey never took Uxie for the mischievous type.
He’s about to call him back when the guy stands up. Corey’s eyes widen again and his blush returns full force as he recognizes the face emerging from the bushes. It’s Lacey’s friend — the cute guy from the cafeteria!
He looks just as flushed, surely embarrassed at being seen falling over because of Uxie. After another moment of staring, Corey forces his blush down. “Uxie, get back here! Sorry about him,” he manages to say naturally enough.
“Oh, d-don’t worry,” the guy says, scratching the back of his head and staring at the grass like it’s the most fascinating thing on Earth. He’s so cute, Corey thinks.
“So you’re the famous new student? The one Lacey gave a tour to?” Of course Lacey would have talked about him, but Corey didn’t expect the one guy he found cute to approach him.
“Yeah.” A pause. “Soooo… need something? I may be new, but I’m pretty sure nobody randomly passes by here, stalker boy.” He has no idea where that burst of boldness came from. He quickly scrambles, “I—I’m sorry, I just… I mean…” He sighs. “It’s okay. You can leave if you want to. Don’t force yourself to talk to me.” He turns back to the now Oddish-less spot he was drawing. Damn it, every interaction he has with that boy is a train wreck.
That last line gets the boy’s full attention. “Why wouldn’t I want to talk to you?” His embarrassment is mostly gone now, replaced by genuine confusion. “By the way… you looked pretty cool with that Exeggutor earlier.”
He realizes what he just said and slaps a hand over his mouth like he can shove the words back in. Corey looks up with a knowing smirk and a raised eyebrow.
“I-I-I mean—”
That makes Corey laugh. A real, full-blown laugh. “Guess I was right about the stalking part,” he says between giggles.
Once the laughter dies down, he notices the guy looks like he’s on the verge of crying from embarrassment. Corey sobers instantly. “Hey, I’m just teasing you! Sorry if I upset you.” He offers a softer smile. “You got a name?”
Uxie is now sitting on Snap’s head, who has one eye half-open, both silently observing.
“K-Kieran. And I should be the one apologizing for following you.” He fidgets with his sleeve.
“Well, I’m Corey. But I guess Lacey already told you that,” he teases again.
“Maybe,” Kieran mumbles, looking away — but there’s a faint smile. Progress.
Corey pats the spot beside him, opposite Snap. “You know, you’re allowed to sit down. Only if you want to, though.” His cheeks warm again.
“If it’s okay with you,” Kieran says shyly. He sits beside Corey. “What were you doing?” he asks with a soft smile.
That smile is too much for Corey. “Just sketching. But my muses ran away after a really loud guy spooked them.” He giggles at Kieran’s horrified expression.
“By the way… what is this Pokémon? I think I’ve seen it somewhere, but I don’t really remember.” Kieran tries to change the subject, and Corey lets him. Something about Kieran’s gentle tone makes Corey think he won’t try to force a battle.
“That’s Snap. He’s a Garchomp, and he was my first ever Pokémon. He was actually a gift from my cousin for my birthday.” Corey strokes the rough-scaled head, earning a low rumble. “She also started as a trainer with a Gible, so she wanted me to do the same.”
“Oh, I remember now! Isn’t that the same Pokémon the Sinnoh champion has?” Kieran asks. That might be why the champion recommended Corey.
“Yeah. She felt bad for not making it that year. But she’s made sure to be at all my birthdays since.”
Realization hits Kieran like a brick. “Wait! The Sinnoh champion is your cousin?! That’s so cool!” He’s staring at Corey in complete awe, making Corey even redder.
“I thought you would know. I don't keep it a secret.” Corey mutters, embarrassed.
“Well, I didn’t! What’s it like having a relative who’s a region’s champion?” Kieran asks, then quickly adds, “Only if you wanna talk about it, of course…”
“Nah, it’s okay. It’s not a sore subject or anything.” Corey picks Uxie up and settles him in his lap. “She’s basically my big sister. She visits a lot for how busy she is. She always found time to take me to museums, get me books, stuff like that.”
The questions go on and on, and Corey answers them all. He avoids the unpleasant parts, but he actually enjoys opening up to someone. Eventually, it’s Kieran’s turn.
He learns that Kieran is from a small region called Kitakami; that he has a big sister who just returned from helping a teacher with field research; that his first Pokémon was an Applin who is now a big, goofy but adorable Hydrapple.
The big revelation, though, is that Kieran is the head and champion of BB Academy’s League Club. Corey is genuinely shocked — Kieran seems so shy, but the more Corey thinks about it, the more it fits. They discover a shared passion for folklore and legends. Corey talks about Sinnoh myths while Kieran tells him the story of a Pokémon named Ogerpon from his village.
They chat so long they skip lunch altogether, and it’s now mid-afternoon. They’re still not finished, but their conversation is cut short by Corey’s Rotom phone alarm reminding him he has to get to his only afternoon class.
Corey pouts at the floating device. He was actually having fun for once since coming to this school, and now he has to leave. “Sorry, Kieran. I have to get to class,” he sighs.
“Oh.” Kieran looks disappointed, then brightens up with an idea. “Hey… would you like to have dinner with me and my friends?” His eyes are full of hope.
Corey cocks a hip and taps a finger on his chin, pretending to consider the idea even though the answer is already obvious. The teasing is too tempting. “You mean the people you were ogling me with the other day?” he smirks, watching Kieran turn scarlet.“Why of course!” He finally says with a genuinely excited face.
Kieran’s resulting smile is so sweet Corey thinks he might actually die. “Well, see ya later, Kieran!”
Corey returns his two Pokémon and heads to class, excited about regular dinner for the first time in years.
The class Corey is in right now is one he hates from the bottom of his soul: gym class. With that name, he thought it would be about preparing to battle a Gym Leader or learning how to become one.
Not ACTUAL gym class.
He had to run three laps around the whole savannah biome and his legs were screaming. The only thing keeping him upright is the promise of food with Kieran at the end of the hallway.
He enters the cafeteria, heading to the food counter to get a bowl of noodles and an ice cream. Cynthia would be proud.
«Corey!»
The Sinnohan turns around and sees Kieran waving at him from the same table he’d spotted him and his friends at yesterday. Strangely enough, Kieran is alone this time. He motions for Corey to sit beside him.
«Are your friends not here yet?» Corey asks, glancing around.
«Don’t worry, they won’t take too long,» he says.
«You were that eager to wait for me, huh?» Corey’s teasing tone slides right back in. «I’m not complaining if it means I get you all to myself.» He has to try really hard not to laugh at Kieran’s embarrassed face.
«You love teasing, don’t you?» Kieran mumbles, clearly fighting a blush.
Corey picks up on the unease, and his smile softens. «I can stop if it bothers you.»
«No, don’t stop!» Kieran shakes his head a bit too fast. «It’s actually funny.»
«Hmm.» Corey still doesn’t look entirely convinced. He sees the teasing hits Kieran hard, and even if the guy says it’s fine, he decides to ease up a bit. Just to be safe.
«So, we got a new addition to the table?»
Both trainers turn toward the new voice and see Kieran’s friends arriving. «You introducing us or what, Champ?» asks the guy with what Corey can only describe as toothpaste-looking hair.
«Uh, sure. Corey, this is Amarys, Crispin, Drayton, and you already know Lacey.» They each give him a small greeting. Corey waves back.
«So you’re the new guy? You know, Champ over there doesn’t usually go talk to people.»
A smirking Drayton points at Kieran as he sits in front of Corey. Kieran starts blushing again, and Corey giggles. «Lucky me, I guess.»
The others take their seats and curiously eye their new lunch mate.
«How’s school life treating you?» Drayton asks.
«Fine, I guess.» Corey shrugs; he is definitely not in the mood for long explanations this soon after surviving the worst class known to mankind.
«That’s it?» Drayton looks disappointed.
«No, wait. Actually, I don’t think the gym teacher will make it to next year if he makes me run laps again.» Corey says between mouthfuls, perfectly deadpan. These noodles are insanely good, by the way.
Crispin bursts out laughing and Lacey giggles too.
«Alright,» Drayton chuckles. «By the way, there’s something I wanna ask. Champ said you were pretty strong, so why not join our club?»
Corey freezes mid-movement, and a lot of warmth vanishes from his eyes when he looks at Drayton.
«No thanks.» His voice is way colder than it was seconds ago. Everyone at the table feels the shift—except Crispin, who hasn’t caught on at all.
«Is it because you don’t like battling? Why’s that?» Crispin asks with genuine curiosity.
Corey shoots him an icy glare. «I have my reasons.»
There is no way on Arceus’ green Earth he’s gonna talk about the most traumatizing moment of his life with people he just met. Even with Kieran—who gets bonus points for being cute—it’s way too early for that.
«Sheesh. Alright then.» Drayton raises his hands in surrender. «Now that I think about it, you must know the Champion since she recommended you, right?»
That seems to snap the mood back to normal. Corey returns to his bowl, unimpressed. «She’s my cousin,» he says as casually as if he’d said the weather was nice. He braces for the reaction with a smirk. 3… 2… 1…
«What?!» they all yell in unison—except Kieran and Amarys.
«You’re not normal,» Drayton adds.
Corey side-eyes him with a grin. «Never said I was.»
He hears Kieran chuckle on his left and pointedly ignores the fluffy feeling in his stomach. It’s definitely the noodles. Absolutely.
They keep chatting until everyone finishes their meals. Corey hadn’t expected it to be this enjoyable. Each of Kieran’s friends was pretty unique, and Corey genuinely liked getting to know them.
Being part of a group feels… good.
Notes:
They're cute, aren't they?
Next chapter drops next Saturday.
Chapter 4: Chapter 4
Notes:
Hello there pretty readers!
Today, it's a double update. At first I planned to post chapter 4 and 5 separetly but the pacing felt weird and I think it's better to read them together.Enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Today, Corey is determined to find his third Pokémon. It's a classless Friday (thank Arceus), and he takes advantage of the free morning to do some research. His graded battle is coming fast and he has to have three Pokémon ready by then. He can’t exactly send out Uxie in broad daylight unless he wants to explain how he got his hands on the fucking avatar of knowledge, and sending Snap is still a sore spot.
After digging through the terrarium’s Poké-logs, he’s made a checklist for his future team. He needs a Pokémon not too flashy but still strong enough to be able to win a one against three against an average student's team. He continued his filtering until he selected one particular species: a Sceptile.
Strong since it is an official starter and famous for its incredible speed. One of its pre-evolutions just wouldn’t cut it if it has to take on three Pokémon—even if his opponent's likely won’t be fully evolved or that strong. Better safe than sorry.
The problem is that finding a Treecko or Grovyle is already a pain since they’re rare, and a full-grown Sceptile is even harder to track down with how stealthy they can be. But he’s committed. If he has to search every single bush and tree in the Canyon Biome, so be it.
Starting from the Canyon Plaza, he begins his hunt. He spends all day searching and finds nothing. He only came across a couple of Scythers, a Cranidos, a Scrafty with its Scraggy gang, and even an Altaria flying overhead.
By late afternoon, Corey is disappointed to say the least. He calls it a day and resolves to try again tomorrow.
Two days later, still no Sceptile.
He’s seriously beginning to question whether the Poké-logs were accurate or if some intern wrote them as a joke. He’s probably seen twelve new species since starting this search and none of them are what he needs. It is driving him insane.
If he doesn’t bring three Pokémon to his first graded battle in two weeks, he’s screwed. And then there’s the battle itself.
Every evening, he tries to reassure himself: it’s a safe place, he won’t be abandoned in the wilderness again, nobody here wants him dead. But no matter how many times he repeats it, it only helps a little—and the dread keeps getting worse as the deadline approaches. Last night was actually the first time he dreamed about THAT day in a while.
That’s it. He needs to find a quiet spot and unwind before he goes nuts.
He finds himself a quiet grass field. There’s a grove to one side and canyon cliffs wrapping around behind it. Lying next to a rock with his two Pokémon, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. The wind rustling through the leaves is soothing, and it does help with the anxiety—at least a bit.
Then, a loud screech makes Corey bolt upright. He scans the area but sees nothing. Several seconds pass before another screech rings out, this time clearly coming from the grove.
The screeching keeps going, and Corey does what any person with common sense would do: he goes to check it out. As he and his Pokémon approach, he realizes there are actually two screeches—the higher-pitched one sounds like pain, the lower one aggressive.
He’s only a few meters from the trees when something gets flung out of the grove and lands behind him. Corey spins around, and the “something” is actually a whole Pokémon—green, pink lower jaw, belly strap, seeds on its back, pine-tree tail, arm blades. There’s no doubt: a Sceptile.
Corey has zero time to celebrate finally finding the thing he’s been hunting for three days. He rushes to the injured Pokémon’s side. It’s badly hurt—bruises, cuts, lacerations everywhere. Corey has no idea how it’s even conscious. The Sceptile groans and tries to stand, but Corey shuts that attempt down instantly.
“Hey! You. Stay. Down.”
It tries again anyway but collapses as one of its legs gives out. Corey catches it before it can faceplant.
“Lie down, please. I wanna help you.”
The Grass-type eyes him skeptically but obeys. Corey immediately pulls out his healing supplies and gets to work. He’s halfway through first aid when another screech erupts, and its source emerges from the grove.
Another Sceptile—bigger, angrier. It’s glaring daggers at the injured one, hissing and rattling its pine-like tail. The picture clicks into place. A territorial fight. From his research, Corey knows Sceptile are usually calm but fiercely protective of their forests. This smaller one must have just evolved, and the other is chasing out the competition.
But this is way past a warning scuffle. If he hadn’t been nearby, the injured one would probably be dead.
The bigger Sceptile hisses again, louder this time, its arm blades glowing before fusing together as it lunges. It’s so fast Corey can’t even react, let alone give commands.
Thankfully, Snap jumps in and parries the Leaf Blade with his fins, taking next to no damage in the process. Uxie fires a Shadow Ball immediately, but the attacker leaps back before it hits. Both of Corey’s Pokémon stand between their trainer and the enraged Grass-type.
Corey needs to drive this Pokémon off so he can finish treating the injured Sceptile. His eyes go icy, locked onto the aggressor.
“Uxie, Future Sight. You guys know what to do.”
They both nod. Uxie sends his Future Sight into the air where it vanishes. Snap just watches the Sceptile closely, waiting. Sceptile are famous for their speed—but so are Garchomps.
The standoff breaks when the wild Sceptile darts forward with Leaf Blade, trying to flank Snap to reach Corey. Snap blocks its path and retaliates with an Iron Head aimed at its stomach. The Grass-type blocks with its blades but gets shoved back to where it started.
It pauses, thinking, then leaps upward and fires a Dragon Pulse at Uxie, expecting Snap to rush to shield his partner. But Uxie just pops a Light Screen like it’s nothing, completely deflecting the attack.
Strike three. The wild Sceptile is pissed.
Corey decides enough time has passed. “Snap, get ’em!”
Snap lunges with a Dragon Rush aimed in front of the Sceptile, deliberately missing. Dust bursts up from the impact, giving him cover to slip behind and clamp down on the Sceptile’s shoulder with Crunch. His jaws are firmly locked.
The Grass-type thrashes but can’t hit him from that angle.
“Now!”
A heartbeat later, Future Sight comes crashing down. Snap leaps away just before impact, leaving the Sceptile to take the full hit.
It drops to one knee, clutching its shoulder, barely staying upright as Snap steps forward with the most intimidating growl on Earth. The message is clear. The Sceptile uses its last bit of strength to leap into a nearby tree and vanish. Snap roars after it for good measure.
Both Pokémon return to Corey. He finishes first aid on the injured Sceptile, who has been quietly watching him the entire time.
“I took care of the first aid, but I’ll need to take you to the healing station to make sure you’re fully healed. You okay with that?”The Sceptile nods gratefully. Corey gives a wide grin and wipes sweat from his forehead.
“Let’s go then. I sweated way too much for my liking.”
Arriving at the Canyon Plaza, Corey comes across Amarys, who is waving some girl she was just having a conversation with off. The girl seems familiar, but he doesn't spend too much time on the matter; Sceptile comes first. Amarys notices him and makes her way to him.
«Good evening, Corey. We do not see you at lunch lately; is something the matter?» she asks in her monotone voice — but Corey is actually pretty proud for catching the smallest bit of concern in it. In just three days of friendship, that is pretty impressive.
«Yeah.» He scratches the back of his head. «Just spent the last three days searching for a new Pokémon. Sorry I forgot about lunch today, or yesterday, oooor the day before.» he gives a nervous laugh.
And he also didn't warn Kieran. Shit.
«Then am I safe to assume this is your new Pokémon?» she tilts her head toward Sceptile.
«What? No, I jus—» Corey is cut off by Sceptile barking and chewing playfully on his head. Corey looks up at him with a mix of surprise and fondness. Now that he thinks about it, even if he gets Sceptile treated, he won't be able to return to the grove with that other one having chased him out. The Pokémon has nowhere to go, and leaving him would just be abandoning him.
His decision taken, he looks back at Amarys with a smile.
«Yes he is.» And he just thought of a name. «And his name’s Bracken, by the way.» The newly named Pokémon barks again in agreement, seeming to like the name. Corey then remembers why they were at the plaza in the first place.
«Oh — is the healing station available? I wanna make sure Bracken’s fine.»
Amarys shows the teeny-tiny bit of a smile.
«Of course. And you are lucky, the nurse is here for a station check. This way, please.»
She leads them to the station, where the nurse is indeed inspecting the machine. She checks on Bracken and judges him to be fine, just needing a day or two of rest. She also praises Corey for the first aid he performed, but she informs him that Bracken will keep the big scar on his chest. It bothers Corey a bit, but all that mattered is that Bracken was fine; that scar could just be bonus aura points.
After that, he pulls out a Pokéball and lets Bracken touch it and get inside. After three shakes, it pings, signaling the successful capture. Amarys, still behind him, checks her pocket watch before getting her friend’s attention.
«The others should be on their way to the cafeteria. Will you join us today?»
«Of course!» he answers instantly. His objective is complete — he got his third Pokémon, and once Bracken recovers, he surely won’t fail his first graded assignment. He also needs to make sure that Kieran is fine. Of course it’s only been three days of missed group lunches, but knowing Kieran (even as little as he does), he’s pretty certain the guy must have taken it the wrong way. Worse thing would be him thinking that Corey didn’t like his friends.
Corey will have none of that, so: to the cafeteria they go.
Amarys and Corey arrive before anyone else, but as soon as they sit down, the others come in. Honestly, her punctuality and sense of timing are almost scary. Kieran dutifully takes his seat next to Corey and whispers in a small, worried voice:
«Are you okay?»
Corey can almost hear the ''Did I do something wrong?'' in his voice and is quick to reassure him.
«Don’t worry. I was just busy catching my new Pokémon.» He gives Kieran his most sincere smile, and that seems to lift his mood back up.
«Oh, and what is it?»
The switch from depressed to excited puppy is concerning — if Corey’s own excitement at talking about his new team member wasn’t just as great.
«It’s a Sceptile. I called him Bracken!»
And just like that, the whole meal is spent with Corey telling Kieran how his last three days went. Kieran drinks his words like water, and it’s almost as if they’re the only two at the table. Drayton leaps at the opportunity to tease them.
«Are we bothering you two? You know, you could get a room.»
As a reward he gets both boys blushing and stuttering, and he makes no effort to hide his amusement — just like the rest of the table. Even Amarys has the shadow of a smirk almost invisible to mortal eyes.
Even if they’re preying on Corey’s embarrassment, he can’t make himself dislike them. Never would he have thought that having friends his age would feel this good. He only had adult friends back home and never got to play with other kids since his house was in such an isolated area. And even those adult friends could be counted on a single hand — and that is taking his parents and Cynthia into account.
The rest of the meal goes by with laughs and teases and some club stuff Corey didn’t get at all, but he didn’t really care. They all headed to their respective dorm rooms, but just before entering his, Corey hears someone running behind him and turns around to see a panting Kieran.
«Kieran, you’re good?» Corey asks while patting his friend on the back, waiting for him to get some air back into his lungs.
«Sorry… I… I wanted to ask.» He forces himself to stop panting to get a clear sentence out. «You're free next Wednesday afternoon, right?»
«No.» He only has two classes in the morning, but his whole afternoon is indeed free. «Why?» he asks, tilting his head to the side, not seeing what Kieran’s point is.
The Kitakamian looks to the side, the smallest blush on his face and clutching his sleeve. «I wanted to know if you would…» He pauses, seeming to reconsider before he continues. He takes a deep breath and looks at Corey through his bangs.
«Would you like to hang out after lunch? At the same spot as last time.»
Corey’s mind screeches to a stop.
He really hopes he isn’t imagining this whole scene. Did Kieran just ask him out on a date?
Of course, it could be just a casual hangout between friends since he spent his whole weekend chasing Pokémon around the terrarium with zero social interaction. ''Or it could be a date'' his mind entertains the fantasy — but he comes back to Earth when he realizes he still hasn’t given Kieran an answer.
«I would love to!» he says a bit too loudly, earning him looks from passing students and a giggle from Kieran. Thank Arceus this hallway has shitty lighting, or else Kieran would see the mother of all blushes on his face.
«Alright, see you on Wednesday then. Later.» Kieran smiles before going back the way he came, leaving a very flustered Corey in front of his dorm room.
Corey stands frozen for a minute before going in. As soon as the door closes behind him, he hears a chiming giggle to his left.
«Aw shut it!»
This does nothing to stop the giggling coming from Uxie, and he groans in annoyance. What type of trainer is made fun of by his own Pokémon?
The day of the “date”, Corey got there early, sitting in the same clearing where he met Kieran. Bracken and Snap are both basking in the sun, and Uxie is just wandering around. He couldn’t make it to lunch since his teacher kept the class longer, but he made sure to tell Lacey — who was passing by — to inform the others. Now he just has to wait for the golden-eyed boy to finishes hes lunch and show up.
Corey is currently painting Bracken’s Pokéball, having just finished Uxie’s. The legendary’s Pokéball top was painted just like Uxie’s head: yellow with lines from front to back and Uxie’s red gem just above the ball’s button. As for Bracken, the top is green, and Corey was just adding six yellow dots on the top — Bracken’s seeds — when he feels a finger lightly tapping his shoulder.
It startles him, and he almost drops the freshly painted ball. He turns around to be met by a grinning Kieran.
«Whatcha doing?» the Kitakamian asks, eyeing the drying Pokéballs.
Corey recovers from the surprise, which is now replaced by a bit of embarrassment. He scratches his cheek and looks at his handiwork. «I’m painting their Pokéballs.»
Cynthia said the idea was adorable, but she loves everything about him, so he knows she's biased. Other people could say it’s lame for all he knows.
Yet when Corey looks at Kieran, the guy is already sitting on his right and staring at the drying Pokéballs in awe.
«That’s really cool. Didn't know you painted too.» he says, taking Corey off-guard.
Of course, Corey didn’t take Kieran for the type to call it outright stupid, but he also didn’t expect him to like it this much either.
Corey can’t keep the blush and shyness away.
«It’s just been a hobby since my parents bought me my first drawing kit.»
«You’re good at that.»
Then comes the shy Kieran again, fidgeting with his fingers as he asks:
«Eum, you think… you could paint my Hydrapple’s Pokéball?»
Corey is really taken aback now. Not only did Kieran not make fun of his hobby, but he likes it to the point of asking Corey to paint his ace’s Pokéball. Of course Corey accepts, and Kieran gets the Pokémon out of its Pokéball before handing it to the Sinnohan. The hydra Pokémon goes to join the two sunbathing ones while Corey gets to work.
The idea he has — as he watches the Pokémon — is to paint the ball just like the apple the Dragon and Grass-type lives in. He is so focused that he doesn’t notice Kieran staring at him the whole time, seemingly entranced by a focused Corey.
When he’s done, he puts the ball down where the other two had already dried some time ago.
«Now it just has to dry. By the way, the paint is resistant to pretty much everything — it won’t come off if it gets wet.»
Silence.
Not getting any response, Corey turns to Kieran, who is still staring at his face and who seems to not have registered a single word.
«Um… Kieran?»
The yellow-eyed boy jumps a bit with a really embarrassed look at having been caught staring. He shyly looks down.
«Y-You have some paint on your face.»
«Where?» Corey asks, trying to wipe it off without success.
Kieran then reaches for the Sinnohan’s nose and wipes off a tiny bit of red paint. The gesture makes Corey freeze just like Kieran does when their gazes meet. They stare into each other’s eyes for several seconds before both violently blush and look away.
«S-S-Sorry about that!» Kieran stutters. «I should’ve asked, I—»
«N-no, it’s okay.»
Neither of them seems to know what to say next. Half a minute passes before both blow up in laughter.
«Now that was awkward,» Corey says between giggles.
«Yeah,» is all Kieran manages before going back to laughing.
Strangely enough, the mood goes back to joyful and fun just like that, and they continue chatting until they have to leave for dinner.
Notes:
Next chapter right ahead and ready to provide more fluff and a it of angst.
Chapter 5: Chapter 5
Notes:
You have it. Here's Chapter 5 (or Chapter 4 part 2 in a way).
Cuteness incomming!
Enjoy.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Lacey enters the League Club room to find a love-struck, barely-there Kieran. He’s sitting at the table in the middle of the room with the expression of an idiot in love, his eyes glued to the Pokéball in front of him. Lacey has to ask her question four times before he even hears her.
«Kieran!» she raises her voice, startling the champion out of his daydream. «Ignoring me like that's just not right!»
«Sorry, Lacey,» Kieran says sheepishly. «You were saying?»
Lacey puts her hands on her hips, satisfied to finally have his attention at last. «You ignored me the first three times I asked what this Pokéball was. I’ve never seen one that looked like this.»
Kieran follows her gaze to the Pokéball he’d been staring at before—the one Corey painted for him two days ago. They’ve continued hanging out at their spot whenever they could, and Corey ended up painting all of Kieran’s Pokéballs, stating that it wouldn’t be fair to his other Pokémon if Hydrapple was the only one with a custom ball.
«It’s Hydrapple’s Pokéball. Corey painted it.» he says, the last part rather shyly.
Lacey brings her hands to her cheeks and squeals. «That’s so cute! I knew he drew, but I didn’t know he painted too!» She also seems in awe of their friend’s hobby.
«Yeah, he’s really good at it.» Kieran smiles proudly. «He painted all of his Pokéballs and offered to paint mine too!» Kieran’s enthusiasm makes Lacey smirk—something Kieran is not used to seeing on her usually innocent-looking face.
«So, when are you gonna tell him?» she asks mischievously.
«Tell him what?» Kieran is genuinely clueless about what she’s referring to.
«What else? I’m talking about your Wailord-sized crush on him.» She giggles at the blush taking over Kieran’s face in less than three seconds.
The champion stutters, wanting to deny it, but no words come out, which only makes Lacey giggle more. «It’s pretty obvious. You stalked him, you always hang out with him, you talk about him any chance you get, and I just walked in to find you totally oblivious to the rest of the world with your attention glued to a gift he made for you.»
‘Wowzers’ Kieran thinks. Where did her usual sugar-coating go? And the worst part is that she’s one hundred percent right. Kieran is aware of his attraction to the Sinnohan, but hearing it said to his face hits completely differently.
To make matters worse, another voice chimes in to sink him even deeper.
«She is right.» Amarys’ voice comes from the entrance as she makes her way over and sits across from him. «It is quite obvious to any observer. As is the fact that he returns the feelings. I would recommend confessing said feelings as soon as possible,» she says in her composed tone.
Even Amarys is giving him dating advice now. Each word coming from both girls makes him turn a deeper shade of red. And if what they’re saying is true… then maybe Kieran doesn’t dare to imagine the meaning behind Corey’s gestures—the blushes, the awkwardness, the way he acts more open with Kieran than with anyone else. The thought makes Kieran’s heart swell with hope.
«By the way, do we have any news on his battling problem? I don’t want to pry, but I heard he has a battling assignment coming up and I’m worried about him.» comes Lacey's voice.
They still remember Corey’s reaction when Drayton asked him about it. None of them mentioned it since, but that didn’t stop them from worrying about their friend.
«I agree. To my knowledge, he has not battled any students since his arrival at the academy. All those who asked for a battle had their request denied.» Amarys seems deep in thought as she speaks. «On the other hand, he does not seem to have any problem battling wild Pokémon.»
Now that Amarys points it out, Kieran has indeed seen Corey battle wild Pokémon and wipe the floor with them during assignments—but never another trainer. He himself never battled Corey and the three powerhouses that were his Pokémon. «That’s true. I saw him knock out an Alolan Exeggutor with a single attack.»
«So trainers are the problem then,» Lacey thinks out loud. «What could possibly be the cause of this?»
«We can only hope he tells us himself,» Amarys says with finality, effectively closing the subject.
«So, about that confession.» Lacey immediately returns to the previous topic, much to Kieran’s horror.
He bolts out of the room—fast—as far away from this conversation as he can get. The two girls simply stare at the thrown-open doors in amusement.
Corey is once again in the canyon biome. He decided he might as well continue searching for the other Pokémon to add to his roster for after the graded battle. Having Bracken really helped — he makes a fantastic scout with his agility and stealth. After about twenty minutes, the Sceptile comes back to his trainer, having seemingly found something. Corey follows his Pokémon, not short on praising him. Bracken leads his trainer to a whole herd of Bastiodons with their young Shieldons traversing the canyon.
The herd is a respectable size with a dozen adults and a few more young. Corey and Bracken follow the herd until it stops in a grassland. As the Rock-types begin to graze, something catches Corey’s eye: a small dot of dark blue and vivid yellow. That Shieldon’s color is different from its peers — but the real oddity is how far it is from its herd. All the other Shieldon stay in the vicinity of the adults, but not this one. It’s like the herd is keeping the poor thing away.
Corey’s theory is proven true when the shiny Shieldon comes a little closer to two others. They promptly push it away and run back to the closest Bastiodon. It is honestly sad to watch, and a bit infuriating too. Bracken looks like he thinks the same, and Corey knows he’s now found his next Pokémon.
Though they can’t go get the Shieldon now — not unless they want to get trampled by the whole herd. And panic would only cause more stress to the poor thing. Corey decides to wait for the herd to be on the move again, with the blue Shieldon trailing way in the back, a huge gap between it and the others in front. That irritates Corey even more. Any predator could just come up and snatch it, and the whole herd wouldn’t give a shit.
He tells Bracken to take him ahead of the herd and they hide behind rocks. The herd doesn’t take much time to catch up and pass by. Just as the Shieldon comes close, Corey pulls out some berries and tries to get its attention.
«Psssst.»
The small Pokémon startles at first but doesn’t run off. In fact, it is rather curious, and it comes even closer to the rock Corey is hiding behind.
«Hey there, you want some?» He puts the berries down in front of him and is careful not to make any sudden moves. «Eat as much as you want.» Even Bracken adds a seed from his back to the pile as he coos softly.
The Shieldon sniffs the berries before looking up and squeaking happily at the human. It digs in with happy little sounds. Corey can’t resist petting the Pokémon — and he realizes she’s female. She doesn’t seem to mind. She even seems to like it, chirping at the touch. Her cuteness could make anyone melt.
«You wanna come with me?» he asks the small Pokémon, who looks up at him curiously. «I’ve seen how the others treat you. You don’t deserve that, so if you wanna come with me, I’ll gladly have you.» He smiles softly at the little thing.
It takes a grand total of two seconds before the “small” 60 kg Pokémon throws herself at him and nuzzles his face. Corey definitely didn’t expect her to be this heavy, but she’s just too cute to complain about. Now he has to think of a name for her. Since her whole shtick is being a living shield, the idea comes quickly.
«You’re gonna be Aegis!» Aegis is crushing him with nuzzles, but he lets her, laughing as she does.
With his new little girl safely in her new Pokéball and tucked into his satchel, Corey makes his way to the Central Plaza since it’s the closest area nearby. He’s actually never been to this one — it’s the big hangout spot of the terrarium, and he prefers the peace and quiet of his and Kieran’s clearing in the coastal biome. Another reason he avoids it is the absurd amount of people battling there, and he sure as heck won’t stay long enough to be dragged into one. But since it’s almost lunchtime, most students should be in the cafeteria. He’s just going to grab something at the vending machine and go find his friends after.
After buying a soda and a bag of snacks, he doesn’t even have time to turn around before a voice he only hears in his nightmares speaks up.
«Look who it is. You have more than your half-baked Garchomp this time?»
That cocky, condescending voice makes Corey’s heart almost stop, and his blood turns as cold as the air back home.
He slowly turns back, and his eyes land on the last person he ever wanted to see. The same red-haired jerk who left him to die in that forest.
He can still feel the bone-chilling cold and the ache in his legs.
Corey’s breath becomes ragged, and his chest begins to hurt.
He has to get away. Fast.
Suddenly — before he even thinks about it — he bursts into a sprint. Anywhere, as long as it is far away from that fucker. The biomes around him morph in his mind into a night-covered snowy forest, and he runs even faster.
After running away from Lacey, Kieran wants to clear his mind with a good battle. And using the opportunity to pick up Corey to go to the cafeteria would be the cherry on top. Aaaand he’s blushing again.
He arrives at the Central Plaza, but it's close to empty, with most students already on their way to the cafeteria or still in class. As Kieran scans the surroundings to find a possible opponent, he spots Corey by the vending machine — but as he makes his way closer, he notices someone talking to him.
He doesn't know what the guy said, but it resulted in the most terrified expression he’s ever seen on Corey’s face and him bolting in the Coastal biome's direction. Kieran doesn’t think twice before going after him.
He finally catches up to Corey at their hanging spot. The Sinnohan is curled against a rock, knees to his chest, and hugging himself with his whole body trembling. Kieran is by his side before he knows it, and he hugs the distressed trainer. He can now see the tears and a look of pure terror in Corey’s eyes, and it breaks him.
«Corey, you’re okay. I’m here — just breathe, okay?»
Kieran traces small circles on his friend’s back as he continues to reassure him. It takes several attempts to get the trembling trainer to even acknowledge his presence, but when he does, it’s as if he was pulled out of a dream.
«Ki-Kieran?» he says between sobs before hugging the yellow-eyed boy back as tight as he can.
«Shhhh. You’re safe.»
Kieran continues to soothe him until the sobbing stops.
«Did that guy say something to you?» Now there’s anger in Kieran’s voice.
Corey shakes his head, which only confuses the Kitakamian. «Then what is it?» he asks softly.
Corey goes really stiff for a second but relaxes again when Kieran’s arm comes around his shoulders. He takes a deep breath before explaining the situation.
«This guy… I know him. I met him one day when I was still in Sinnoh.»
He pauses, and Kieran lets him take his time. He can tell it’s taking a lot out of Corey to talk about this.
«I was drawing in a forest a bit farther from home than I usually went. This guy showed up, and when he saw Snap, he asked me for a battle. I tried to say no, but he said he wasn’t leaving before battling a Garchomp. He even threatened to attack me if I didn’t.»
The more he learns, the more it maikes Kieran’s blood boil.
«I only had Snap at the time so I obviously lost to his five Pokémon — but when he won, he just left me there. Then night came, and I was alone in a freezing forest with my only Pokémon knocked out.» Corey is shaking again. «I would have died to a pack of Sneasels if Cynthia hadn't found me in time.» Corey curls into an even tighter ball.
Kieran is fuming. So that’s where the avoidance of trainer battles comes from. That guy left Corey to die after winning unfairly in the middle of nowhere .
If Corey didn’t need support right now, Kieran would already be on his way to give that jerk a piece of his mind.
«I don’t know if I wanna be here anymore.» Corey mumbles — and that single sentence is enough to turn Kieran’s fury into overwhelming panic. Corey can’t leave. Not because of some random motherfucker.
«Hey, don’t say that!» Kieran holds Corey by the shoulders so he can face him.
«Don’t let this jerk win that too. The others and I love you, and we’d hate it if you had to leave because of him. I can see that you have fun here, so don’t let what he did stop you from having fun.»
Kieran wears the warmest of smiles — and Corey looks up at him like he just told him the Earth was flat.
«Yo–You love me?»
Kieran did not expect that to be the only thing Corey would register, so of course he blushes.
«Of course… You’re funny, talented…» He hesitates, then adds the last part anyway: «…you’re pretty too…»
He makes a point not to look at Corey after that. He’s ready for the other boy to be weirded out and tell him off — but he definitely wasn’t ready for what he hears next.
«I-I love you too.»
It’s shy, soft — and Kieran’s head snaps up to see a blushing Corey, suddenly very interested in the grass at his feet. «You mean…?»
Corey nods, and Kieran’s heart is about to explode. He didn’t believe the girls when they told him Corey returned his feelings. He thought Corey was just teasing him like always — nothing more. To know Corey was really into him makes the Kitakamian overflow with joy.
«So… we’re dating?» he asks.
He gets the softest pair of lips on Earth against his own as an answer. Kieran pours all his feelings into the kiss, even with his lack of experience. Corey does too.
When they break apart for air, Corey giggles. «That’s what people generally do when they say ‘I love you’ to each other.»
The only trace of Corey’s earlier breakdown is the faint streak of dried tears, but now he’s wearing his usual glowing smile. Kieran thinks it’s the most beautiful thing in the world — and that it fits his face way better than terror did.
«Thank you.»
That catches Kieran off guard.
«For what?»
«For being there.» Corey intertwines their fingers and rests his head on Kieran’s shoulder. They stay like this for a while, just looking at the scenery adn cuddling.
But before long they head to the cafeteria to join the others, holding hands the whole time.
This detail does not go unnoticed by Amarys and Lacey, who cooes at them for being this cute. Crispin is genuinely surprised, given how oblivious he usually is, and Drayton surprisingly doesn’t tease Kieran to death on this one.
They spend all of lunch stuck together until Kieran takes Corey back to their spot. He won’t tell Corey that they left early because the jerk — Roy — had enteredthe cafeteria, but thankfully he didn’t spot them.
After some more kissing and cuddling in the grass with their Pokémon around, Kieran gets an idea.
«Hey, why don’t I help you get back into battling?» he asks excitedly.
Seeing Corey’s skeptical face, he clarifies: «I mean, we can try sparring together. That could help you with your problem.»
Corey, still looks unconvinced. «I don’t know. And besides, you’re the fricking champion — there’s no way I could win.»
Kieran pouts a bit. «First of all, you are a really good trainer. And we’re not fighting seriously — we’re just getting you comfortable with battling itself. And even if I win, I will NEVER abandon you like that dickhead did.» he flushes at his little fit there.
Corey seems surprised too at first, but then a sweet smile crosses his face and he throws his arms around Kieran.«Okay, we can try.»
He kisses Kieran’s cheek and giggles at the blush overtaking the champion’s face.
«You’re the best boyfriend ever.»
Kieran’s eyes go wide and he sits up.
«B-B-Boyfriend?»
Corey looks at him like he’s the dumbest guy alive.
«Oh no. I’m just slutting around for kisses and cuddles with just about anyone.» he says with exaggerated sarcasm.
He giggles, taking pity on Kieran.«You know I’m teasing. And yeah, you’re stuck with me now!»
That makes them both laugh.
When the cuddling session ends, they begin Corey’s “battle therapy.” Kieran’s plan is to use one Pokémon each and just give simple commands. He also reassures Corey that either way he has his other Pokémon, Kieran is right here, the healing station is close, and they have healing supplies in their bags.
The first few attempts are honestly terrible.
Corey keeps freezing mid-battle, and he went into small semi-panic attacks that Kieran quickly calms down twice. Each time, the Kitakamian asks if his boyfriend wants to stop — but Corey insists on continuing.
By the end of the day, they’ve gotten past the panic attacks, but the unease and random freezing is still there.
«You’re making great progress,» Kieran says genuinely.
«I guess. It's all thanks to you.» Corey says, smiling.
Whith their sessin concluded they sit down on the grass again. And back to cuddling they go, with the most lovestruck expressions possible.
Their Rotom phones have to ring three times each for them to finally look at them and see a flood of texts from their friends asking where they are—Crispin even bribing Corey about cream puffs being served today.
«Cream puffs does sound good.» Corey says, getting up and dusting himself.
Kieran gets up too and without a word he grabs Corey's hand. Corey has no complain whatsoever, giving a little squeeze for good measure.
Corey Hayvall's no longer single and he loves it!
Notes:
Sttruggled a bit to conclude the chapters but eh, I guess that works.
I will surely do double updates in the futur if I find that chapters being separated makes the pacing weird.Thanks again for still reading this mess and see yall next Saturday!
Chapter 6: Chapter 6
Notes:
*A wild chapter appeared on a Tuesday*
Hi there!
No it's not a miss clic from my part (though it could happen). I thought about it and I decided to change the schedule to be two chapters a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I am just in a frantic writing mood right now and I wanna share it. And don't worry, I can keep this schedule for at least the next four weeks since I have chapters up to chapter 13 already written. I may change the schedule in the future but for now, it's this one for the next month.
Anyway, lots of POV switching in this one, and our blonde queen is back!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Corey’s test is tomorrow. Kieran has done his absolute best over the last few days to get Corey back into battling, but he still isn’t fully there yet. Sure, there are no panic attacks anymore, but he still freezes here and there, and that sudden cold feeling still creeps up.
Of course, he’s incredibly grateful to Kieran for the effort he’s putting into helping him, but Corey knows he can do better, and he can’t help but feel like he’s letting his boyfriend down a bit. Kieran is always quick to shoot that idea down and has never once stopped praising him for the progress he’s made. He went from completely terrified to scared of battling and losing—a win in Kieran’s book.
The two lovebirds are finishing their breakfast by themselves at their cafeteria table. The others have either left already or haven’t come at all with how busy they are—something about an academy festival or something like that. Corey is leaning on Kieran, who is already munching on his second candy apple. No idea where all that sugar goes, but Corey is no one to talk when he’s on his third ice cream.
Since they started dating, Corey has noticed the stares they get from other students. It’s not weirded-out stares, more like surprised stares. Corey never really paid attention to Kieran’s reputation, but with the slightest bit of digging he discovered that almost the entire academy is terrified of him. Allegedly because of his brooding default face and how he can flatten anyone in battle.
Corey can’t relate to that at all. To him, Kieran is just his cute, introverted dork of a first crush turned boyfriend. If anything, he thinks the brooding face is hot as fuck.
Meh, Corey won’t complain. It just means more Kieran for him.
They stay in comfortable silence when suddenly the speakers turn on and a female voice echoes through the entire school.
«Mister Corey Hayvall is expected at the academy entrance, please. I repeat: Mister Corey Hayvall is expected at the academy entrance.»
The speakers then turn off.
Half the cafeteria turns to look at him, as does Kieran, who seems just as confused. «Did something happen?» the school Champion asks.
Corey shrugs. He’s pretty sure he didn’t do anything reprehensible in any way, shape, or form, so he has no idea what this could be about. «You coming?»
Kieran nods, and they both stand up and leave the cafeteria, finishing their sweets on the way.
The elevator dings as they reach the topmost level of the school. They walk a bit, and when Corey spots a familiar blond tuft of hair, he’s already running full speed in that direction. The blonde barely has time to turn before she has an armful of Corey.
«Glad to see you too.» Cynthia giggles, hugging her little cousin back.
Corey is beaming. He hasn’t been this happy since Kieran’s confession, honestly. «What are you doing here?» he asks excitedly, his smile showing no sign of leaving his face.
«Officially I’m here to give a small class and oversee an upcoming graded battle.»
«Hmhm, and the real reason?» Corey teases, and Cynthia simply smiles and shrugs.
«I came to see how you were doing. This is a very different environment from what you’re used to, and since I’m the one who recommended you, it’s my responsibility to make sure you’re okay. Ulterior motives aren’t a crime, are they?» She winks.
Kieran catches up only then, and the Sinnoh Champion turns her attention to the newcomer. «Hello. I’m Cynthia, Corey’s cousin. And you are?» Her voice is sweet with a hint of curiosity.
Corey knows she already knows who Kieran is—he talks about him all the time when she calls. But there’s one piece of information she still doesn’t have.
Kieran is flushed. It’s not every day you meet the Champion of an entire region, and that same Champion is basically his boyfriend’s big sister. «I–I’m Kie—Kieran,» he stammers, and Corey, hero that he is, wraps his arms around Kieran’s right arm and smiles at his cousin.
«That’s Kieran. My boyfriend.»
Kieran is panicking. He has no idea how the woman in front of him might react.
Cynthia’s eyes widen in surprise at first, but her smile returns quickly. «A pleasure to meet you. And you didn’t waste time, did you?» She throws a knowing look at Corey, whose earlier bravado gives way to a blush.
Director Cyrano claps once to get everyone’s attention before clearing his throat and turning to Corey. «Miss Shirona will spend the next three days with us, so I count on you to make her feel welcome. My office is always open in case you need anything.»
He excuses himself and leaves the two students in the Sinnoh Champion’s care.
«I do hope they have ice cream here,» she says cheerfully. «I would hate for you to go without any for this long.»
So that’s where it’s coming from, Kieran thinks.
Corey perks up at the mention of ice cream. «Of course they do, and they’re good! Not as good as the ones back home, but still good. I’ll show you!»
He grabs his cousin’s hand and drags her toward the elevator. «I’ll see you at lunch, babe!»
Corey waves at Kieran as the elevator doors close, leaving the Kitakamian to process the encounter.
Kieran is bored out of his mind. He had planned on spending the whole day with Corey and maybe training a bit, but with Cynthia there, it’s not an option anymore. He doesn’t blame Cynthia, of course — Corey seems over the moon with her visit, and from what he told Kieran, she’s the sweetest person on Earth.
But his boyfriend spending the day with her means he has nothing to do.
Looking for something to occupy himself with, Kieran wanders into the quiet League Club room. It’s nearly empty; his friends are probably off in their respective Plazas, and the silence feels heavier than usual. After absentmindedly donating some BP to other clubs, he flips through a stack of newsletters from the academy’s Newspaper Club. One headline catches his eye: "Heavyfoot Mystery in the Coastal Biome?"
The article details unusual signs in a secluded bay: deep footprints in the mud, dragged boulders, and what appears to be a partially collapsed cave reinforced with stone. According to the report, the cave floor is submerged in murky water, and its layout seems too structured to be natural. A few students speculate it could be the work of a wild Swampert, possibly using the area as a temporary den.
There are no photos, no coordinates — just secondhand descriptions and rumors. Still, the idea lights something in Kieran.
Corey had once said Swamperts were really cool when he read the Poké-logs for his Sceptile research.
Now that he thinks about it, Kieran hasn’t actually given Corey any gifts so far. It’s always been the Sinnohan painting his Pokéballs for him or giving him drawings he keeps on his desk, but he himself has never given Corey anything. Don’t even get him started on the picnics Corey prepares for their training (and makeout) sessions.
Maybe… just maybe, this could be the perfect chance to finally give him a gift for once.
He’s already throwing out a Pokéball and getting onto his Dragonite’s back the second he enters the terrarium. The post didn’t mention a precise location for where the Swampert might be, but the number of muddy, rocky bays is pretty small, so Kieran won’t have to search the entirety of the biome.
Even then, he’s been searching for almost two hours and still no sign of a boulder-lifting water Pokémon. He’s beginning to lose hope and fears that some other student has already caught it — that would be just his luck. Add in the fact that Dragonite is exhausted from flying this long, and Kieran is seriously considering stopping for the day.
He lands, recalls his ride, and decides to continue on foot. This is the last bay he has to check, and he prays it’s the one. The water is so murky you can’t even see how deep it is, and the sand has given way to a beach of pebbles. All in all, it’s a perfect spot for a Swampert. Sure enough, he quickly comes across the footprints and other clues mentioned in the article — everything except the cave.
He pulls out another Pokéball and releases his trusty Shiftry.
“Shiftry, look around and see if you can find a cave or some kinda den. If you find something, just come get me, please.”
The Pokémon nods once and disappears behind the rocks with a few quick jumps. Kieran, meanwhile, scans the shoreline for the slim chance of catching a glimpse of something in the brown water.
Shiftry returns not even five minutes later and leads his trainer to an obviously unnatural cave entrance, its ground submerged in that same muddy water. Thankfully Kieran thought to bring boots — no way he was ruining his sneakers — and he proceeds through the entrance with his Pokémon in tow. The water is only calf-deep, thankfully.
It’s dark as hell in there, but Kieran manages to see enough to avoid walking straight into a wall or tripping over anything. He leaves the scouting for wild Pokémon to Shiftry, who can see just as well as in broad daylight. At least it gives Kieran time to assess the cave itself.
From what little he can see, the walls were dug out by something strong and reinforced with boulders that were clearly brought in to keep the mud walls in place. There are no rocks on the submerged floor — only mud, but not the kind so loose you get stuck in it. It’s rather firm. And honestly, it’s more of a tunnel than a cave, since Kieran has been walking in a straight line since the entrance.
He’s suddenly startled by a low growl coming from deeper inside. Shiftry freezes too, and both trainer and Pokémon stand still, waiting. After several seconds and no further sound, the pair continues through the cave — much more cautiously now. Whatever is in there doesn’t sound cute or harmless with the cave’s echo, and Kieran is slowly rethinking this whole idea.
Corey and Cynthia finally step out of the cafeteria, ice cream cones in hand, after spending ten whole minutes agonizing over which flavors to pick. Other students might have been annoyed by the delay, but no one dares complain when the world-famous Black Contessa is the one blocking the line.
To be honest, Corey isn’t very comfortable with all the eyes on him. Sure, he gets the occasional glance since he hangs out with the school Champion and the Elite Four, but he’s pretty much a nobody here. Nobody even knows he’s dating Kieran outside of their small friend group—and he prefers it that way.
As they walk down the hallway toward Corey’s dorm, Cynthia asks hopeful.
«Do you like it here so far?»
«Yes, actually. And I already told you every time you called.» he says, amused by her recurring question.
«I just want to check.» She shrugs playfully. «After all, I’m the one who sent you here.»
«And thank you for that.» Corey’s voice drops to barely above a whisper, but Cynthia catches both the sincerity and the small smile on her cousin’s face. She smiles back. «By the way, what are you supposed to do here? I doubt they let you visit just for fun, even if you’re a Champion.» Corey asks, curious.
«Perceptive.» Cynthia sighs affectionately. «Yes, I needed a justified reason to be here, and Director Cyrano and I agreed that I’d give a small lecture to your class about life as a regional Champion. I’ll also be there for your test tomorrow.» She gives him a reassuring smile, and Corey returns a grateful one as they continue walking.
Corey shows her his dorm room, a few of his classrooms, and the library. But after the sixth student in a row asks Cynthia for an autograph, the pair decides to take a break at a small gazebo in the savannah biome of the Terarium. Four benches, zero students—perfect.
Once they sit down, a mischievous smile appears on Cynthia’s face.
«So, boyfriend, huh?»
Corey’s blush and wide eyes only heighten her amusement. Now she’s certain that the confident front he put on earlier at the entrance was just that—a front. The realization makes her giggle.
Corey fidgets, trying to get a grip on his blushing.
«Y-Yeah. Sorry I didn’t tell you about that.»
«I had my suspicions. You talked about him a bit too fondly for someone who's ‘just a friend’.» Cynthia shrugs dismissively. «How is he?» she asks, genuinely curious.
The embarrassment melts off Corey’s face, replaced by a soft smile.
«He’s the best. On top of being cute as heck, he’s incredibly sweet. I love him! He even helped me with battling after the panic atta—»
Corey cuts himself off a second too late. He never told Cynthia about the panic attack from a couple days ago.
Sure enough, Cynthia catches it instantly. Her gentle expression hardens.
«What panic attack?»
Her voice isn’t threatening Corey—it’s threatening the cause.
Knowing he’s already exposed himself and that Cynthia takes absolutely no shit, he decides to spill everything. He tells her about the encounter with Roy, the panic attack, Kieran comforting him, and the confession that followed. Talking about it makes him smile again. He explains Kieran’s idea for training together, the progress he’s made, and how he still freezes sometimes—but at least he can battle a little now. Battling near Roy, or even being in the same vicinity as him, is still a complete no-go.
Cynthia listens attentively, then places a hand on his shoulder when he finishes. She smiles when he looks up.
«I’m glad you’ve made progress. Trauma like that doesn’t disappear overnight—it’s usually a long road. But I’m happy you have someone helping you through it. I like him.» She gives a valitating smile.
«Hey, he’s mine!» Corey says in mock offense, and both cousins laugh.
«Alright, I think I should let you breathe for a bit. I still have to figure out where I’ll be sleeping for the next two days.»
Corey accompanies her all the way to Director Cyrano’s office. Afterward, he’s left to navigate the school alone—except now the students actually acknowledge his existence and look at him like he’s the celebrity.
«Just great…» he mutters sarcastically.
Kieran now KNOWS it was a really bad idea. He’s been in this cave for quite some time now, and apparently it’s not just a straight tunnel. He already went through two splitting paths that led to dead ends, and the periodic growls echoing through the darkness are doing nothing to ease his nerves.
The echoes make the sounds feel like whatever is growling is standing right behind him, and it’s starting to drive him insane with paranoia. He even jumps at the sound of dripping water now, and somehow it only keeps getting darker.
«Why couldn’t it be sunbathing or something… And why is this den so large…» He tries to mask his growing fear with complaints, but he forces himself to continue forward, reminding himself why he’s doing all of this: for Corey.
Thank Arceus, Shiftry seems to have found the end of the den, and Kieran and his Pokémon step into a large chamber. A few boulders are scattered about, and part of one mud wall has collapsed. There isn’t as much water here, and—thankfully—there’s a hole in the ceiling letting in enough sunlight to see somewhat decently.
He takes a quick look around, but one thing is missing: the Pokémon making those sounds. And just as he thinks about it, another growl echoes—though now it doesn’t sound nearly as threatening as it did in the tunnels. Kieran follows the source, stepping behind a cluster of rocks, and what he finds is… unexpected, to say the least.
«You’re not a Swampert.» he says rhetorically.
The little Mudkip that had been growling inside a small hole in the wall gets startled. Now that Kieran thinks about it, the article never mentioned an actual sighting of that Swampert—just signs of it being around. The Pokémon that left those tracks and built this den is surely long gone by now, and this little Mudkip must have simply settled into the empty space.
The small Pokémon tries to intimidate him again, growling—though it comes out as an adorable chirp.
«So it was you all along.» Kieran says fondly, giggling. He spent the last hour and a half in a pitch-black cave, scared out of his mind by the distorted echo of a baby Pokémon’s chirp. Corey would never let this go if he found out.
The Mudkip, realizing its intimidation attempt failed miserably, looks completely defeated. Kieran notices and immediately tries to comfort it.
«Hey, it’s okay, don’t be sad. You actually scared the crap out of me in those tunnels, you know?»
The little Pokémon perks up, glancing at him as if asking 'really?' Kieran nods.
«You want to be big and strong, don’t you?» Mudkip nods enthusiastically.
«You know… I have a boyfriend. His name’s Corey—he’s kind and considerate, and he mentioned wanting a Swampert someday. He’s always the one giving me things, so this time I wanted to be the one to give something.»
Mudkip listens attentively, tiny tail swishing. Kieran finally asks, hopeful:
«So… if you’re okay with it, would you like to come with us?»
The small Pokémon considers it for the long spand of a whole second before jumping excitedly, splashing even more mud onto Kieran—not that he minds.
«I’ll take that as a yes then.» he laughs as he pulls out a Pokéball. Mudkip taps it immediately, and after three shakes, the ball clicks.
Kieran is beyond happy. It may not be the exact Pokémon he came looking for, but it’s a wonderful outcome nonetheless. He already imagines Corey’s reaction tomorrow after his test—this will be the perfect reward for all the Sinnohan’s hard work during their training.
He lets Mudkip back out, and Shiftry quickly leads everyone toward the cave’s exit. Once outside, Kieran glances at himself—he’s absolutely covered in mud. But honestly? He’s too happy to care Corey's smile is worth it.
Nothing a hot shower and a change of clothes can’t fix.
Notes:
Next one there's battling I swear!
Chapter 7: Chapter 7
Notes:
It's here! Finally a battle! Made you wait 6 chapters but there you go. T_T
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
To say that Corey is nervous would be the understatement of the year. His test is right after lunch, and the ticking clock on the wall getting closer and closer to that moment is doing nothing to ease his nerves.
Kieran is off to his own class right now, so no cuddles to calm him down, and Cynthia isn’t an option either since she’s right there, in front of the whole class, giving a lecture about Pokémon and Trainer bonds and their importance, using her Mega Garchomp as an example.
A downside of already knowing all of this from his training in Sinnoh is that the entirety of Corey’s brainpower is solely focused on what would happen if he freezes mid-battle again later. Thank Arceus that motherfucker Roy is not going to be there, at least.
The two-hour lecture finally comes to an end, and Corey now has another two hours to have a mental breakdown before lunch break.
As if sensing his boyfriend’s distress (or just being clingy), Kieran is already waiting outside the classroom by the time Corey steps out. They go to their quiet clearing and simply sit there. They both let their Pokémon out, and Corey drifts back into his own head again. He only snaps out of it when he feels two arms wrap around his mid-section and pull him onto Kieran’s lap.
The sudden and completely new gesture manages to get a laugh out of Corey. «Well, that’s new. I’m not complaining though.» He tries to sound like his usual playful self, but the small hint of insecurity in his tone doesn’t get past Kieran.
«What’s on your mind? I called your name at least twelve times, and it looked like you didn’t even hear me.» Kieran says as the red slowly fades from his cheeks. «It’s the test, isn’t it?» he asks, concern dripping from his voice.
Of course he’d notice. Corey isn’t in the mood to be subtle at the moment, so he drops the fake smile. He takes a deep breath, leaning back into Kieran’s embrace and letting the light breeze brush his face.
«I’m just thinking about what I’d do if I freeze again. I mean, you spent so much time helping me with that whole shit and… I just don’t want you to have wasted your time on me, I guess.»
It’s almost scary how completely void of playfulness or sass Corey’s voice sounds right now.
Kieran hugs him tighter and puts his head on Corey’s shoulder to place a light kiss on his cheek. «I didn’t waste my time. You made huge progress. Just look at you now and back then — it’s day and night in comparison.»
His voice drops to a whisper before he continues: «Please don’t say you’re a waste of time.»
It makes Corey feel a bit bad seeing his boyfriend like that, but he knows Kieran has a point. Comparing literal panic attacks to the occasional freeze is no contest.
That lifts his mood a bit, knowing that the training actually did something and that Kieran believes in him. And who cares if he wins or loses — battling again is already a win. Still, he should do his best to win for the sake of the bonus mark that comes with victory.
«Thanks.» He tilts his head to the side and returns the kiss to Kieran’s cheek. «You’re pretty good at motivational talks.» Corey smiles again — this time a real one — and that makes Kieran melt, seeing that cheerful and teasing glint back where it belongs.
Corey smiles mischievously, turning around completely to straddle Kieran’s lap and wrapping his legs around his waist, making the poor champion turn crimson. «And this is my seat from now on. Any objections?» Corey is only met with flustered stutters. «I’ll take that as a no.» He cackles proudly.
It takes a bit of time for Kieran’s brain to reboot completely, but once it does, he laughs too. «You’re unbelievable,» he says fondly.
«Unbelievably hot, I know.» A smirking Corey fires back. He is leaning in to kiss Kieran again when a small metallic clicking sound is heard, making Corey pull back — much to Kieran’s regret.
The culprit behind the interruption is Aegis, Corey’s little Shieldon. Well, “little” is relative when you talk about an almost 60-kg walking shield. The Steel-type gently nudges her trainer with her head.
«Aw, does my baby girl want some attention too?» Corey coos in an overly saccharine voice, untangling himself from Kieran and crouching down in front of his baby girl.
Kieran tries his hardest — and fails — not to pout.
Corey catches it. «Don’t worry, lover boy, I’ll be back in a minute. Keep my seat warm for me, would you?» He winks, and Kieran’s face turns red again, making Corey giggle triumphantly.
Corey and Kieran decided to spend lunch break at the clearing together. Kieran said he would be there to cheer for Corey the whole time, and that did wonders for the Sinnohan’s mood.
A bit before they had to go, Kieran told him he needed to pick something up from his dorm, and that he would join Corey when his battle will start.
Now comes the test, and thank Arceus, Corey isn’t first to battle but fourth. He can see Cynthia sitting with the teacher off to the side, smiling encouragingly when he’s the only one watching. He sits down with the others waiting their turn.
He scans the bleachers, searching for the school champion, and spots him pretty quickly.
Kieran is in the middle of a conversation with a girl who looks their age. She’s wearing a slightly different uniform from theirs—she added a skirt over her uniform shorts and is wearing a tie. Her hair is dark with green accents here and there, but Corey can’t make out many more details from this distance.
Kieran eventually looks in Corey’s direction, and a big smile spreads over his face before he gives him a discreet thumbs-up. Corey barely has time to return it before the instructors call for the first two students to take their spots on the battle court.
The first two battles are entertaining, neither side having a clear advantage. The third one is almost the same, though both students’ last Pokémon knock each other out, which is pretty anticlimactic to say the least.
Now it’s finally Corey’s turn.
He gets up and goes to his side of the terrain. He’s still somewhat nervous, but Kieran’s motivational words replaying in his mind help soften it.
His opponent is a girl who radiates confidence—Kiara, if he remembers correctly. A dark skined girl in a sporty uniform and a pixie cut.
She’s always been this confident whenever he’s seen her in class. She’s fidgeting with one of her Poké Balls, looking impatient to begin and already acting like she’s won. The announcer asks them to send out their first Pokémon. Kiara goes first and releases a rather grumpy-looking Krokorok, making some students let out impressed “oooo” in the crowd.
Corey takes a deep breath and assesses the Pokémon in front of him. Since Krokorok is a Ground-type, he decides to send out Bracken.
The sight of the scarred Sceptile gets an even stronger reaction from the crowd, and Kiara’s confident smile falters for a second before snapping back into place.
«Ready?» the referee says. «Go!» he shouts, bringing his hand down.
«Use Bite!» Kiara doesn’t waste a second. Her Krokorok is already barreling toward Bracken, fangs bared.
Corey is a bit caught off guard, but Bracken doesn’t seem worried in the slightest. With his agility and speed, he dodges effortlessly, letting Krokorok lose balance from its own momentum.
The Sinnohan focuses back on the battle. «Use that opening!» he instructs. He’s trained Bracken enough for the Sceptile to know he needs something fast while that brief window is open. The blades on Bracken’s arms glow green before merging together, and he slashes two Leaf Blades across Krokorok’s back.
«A critical strike!» the announcer exclaims. Corey should be happy—a super effective critical hit—but then he sees Kiara smirk. He knows instantly that he’s done exactly what she wanted. Her Krokorok stomps the ground with its foot and looks absolutely enraged.
«Uh-oh,» she says in a mocking tone. «That crit made Krokorok very angry.»
The Pokémon looks like it's out for blood, completely feral and stomping its foot on the ground and hissing agressively. It's as if that hit made Krokorok more dangerous.
"I may have given her the edge. I might have even given her the win. I... I..."
Oh no.
His thoughts are spiralling, the sounds around him become muffled, Corey starts to feel cold and he stares at nothing. Oh no.
Kiara doesn’t seem to notice and gives her next command. «Power Trip!» Krokorok roars as a dark aura surrounds it. Its eyes flash red for a moment before the Ground and Dark-type lunges at full speed toward Bracken.
The Sceptile glances back at his trainer for instructions but finds Corey staring into the void, completely still.
Bracken recognizes what’s happening and thinks fast.
The moment Krokorok gets in range, Bracken’s eyes glow light blue. He dodges a frenzy of chaotic claw swipes and bites. Each blow is unnaturally fast, and even with every dodge, the power behind them is monstrous. A single hit could knock Bracken out instantly.
He’s using Detect to buy Corey as much time as possible, but Detect is really draining in terms of focus. He can’t keep this up for long.
Kieran has also noticed the freeze, and when Corey doesn’t snap out of it, he decides to intervene. He cups his hands around his mouth and shouts loudly:
«You can do it, Corey! Destroy her!»
People around him look surprised at seeing the usually calm and intimidating school Champion cheer like that, but soon others join in, and eventually half the spectators are cheering for Corey.
Corey recognizes Kieran’s voice, and his head snaps in that direction, seeing his boyfriend shouting his name and cheering for him.
It brings out a genuine, grateful smile—right before a loud crash shakes the arena.
Krokorok just punched the ground, barely missing Bracken, who is panting and drained. Seeing his Pokémon like that snaps Corey back into the battle. Krokorok is too dangerous at close range, so he has to win from a distance.
«Stand back and keep him away from you!» Corey snaps his fingers, giving an additional implicit signal. Bracken nods.
He leaps back several times, creating distance while launching a barrage of four Seed Bombs from his back. The seeds explode on impact, kicking up dust as Krokorok is pushed back. They end up on opposite ends of the field, but Bracken’s back is now bare of seeds.
Kiara notices instantly. «He’s out of seeds! Now get him!»
Krokorok dashes straight toward Bracken—but Corey and Bracken are smirking.
«You just lost the round.» Corey says with a grin.
At the midpoint between the two Pokémon’s original positions, the ground under Krokorok’s feet explodes, launching the Ground-type into the air before it crashes back down, completely knocked out.
The crowd goes berserk.
Kiara is at a loss for words. «W-Wha— How!?» she stammers.
«Well, I baited you.» Corey replies with a shrug. «I had Bracken hide two Seed Bombs underground as he backed off. I wanted you to think he was out of ammo and rush him. If you’d counted how many seeds actually hit your Pokémon, you’d have noticed the other two mysteriously vanished.»
«That’s devious.» Kiara says with a small, impressed and slightly salty smile as she returns her Pokémon. Corey only answers with another shrug and his trademark smirk.
That first round felt good. He’d forgotten how fun battling could be when he wasn’t second-guessing every move and dreading the worst possible senario. The fact that everything went exactly as he’d planned (minus the freezing) sends a bolt of confidence right through him.
Corey glances up toward the bleachers where Kieran is still standing. The Kitakamian’s face is tinged pink, and Corey catches it instantly.
He tosses a playful wink in Kieran’s direction; the school champion turns as red as a Tamato Berry and sits down abruptly, hiding his face in his hands. A few nearby girls screech—thinking the wink was meant for them—but Corey doesn’t even glance their way. He only has eyes for one guy.
Back on the battlefield, Kiara sends out her next Pokémon: a Blitzle. It’s obvious now that her entire strategy revolved around Krokorok. Losing it so early clearly forced her to scramble.
The poor Electric-type doesn’t stand a chance. The best it manages is firing a Thunderbolt at Bracken—who simply turns around and absorbs the electricity with his tail, completely nullifying the attack. The round ends with a single Leaf Blade. Bracken isn’t even half as winded as he was before; this was practically a break for him.
Kiara recalls her Pokémon with a half-sad, half-proud smile. «I knew Blitzle didn’t stand a chance, but at least he tried.» Her confident grin snaps back into place as she pulls out another Pokéball. «Now we’re done playing around.» She throws it high, releasing a mighty Talonflame that screeches sharply.
To the spectators, it looks like a terrifying matchup: a Grass-type facing a Flying and Fire-type.
Of course the jury—and Cynthia—remain perfectly calm. To win, the Talonflame would have to take down Bracken, who’s proven to be a powerhouse, and then deal with Corey’s remaining two Pokémon. The match is basically decided already, but the scoring is about skill—not victory.
That reasoning clearly hasn’t reached the rest of the audience, judging by the mixed gasps and whispers rippling through the stands.
Corey whistles. «Not too shabby,» he says with playful but clear admiration.
«Well, thank you. She's a beast, I'm warning you.» Kiara fires back with matching energy.
The crowd falls silent, waiting for the final round to begin.
«Brave Bird!» Kiara doesn’t waste a heartbeat. Talonflame rockets forward at terrifying speed—far too fast for a normal dodge.
«Detect! Now!» Corey commands. Bracken’s eyes flash blue again, though slower and less fluid than earlier; the repeated Detects drained him.
Still, it’s enough. Talonflame slams into the ground in a violent crash, wincing from both recoil and impact, though it remains battle-ready. Bracken, however, is showing real exhaustion. The fight needs to end soon.
Kiara seems completely unbothered by her miss—and the clear recoil damage. That confirms it: this is deliberate.
«Flare Blitz!» she calls. Flames engulf Talonflame as it launches forward again.
Corey knows Bracken only has one Detect left in him. He needs it to matter. So instead of using it…
«Seed Bomb! Make it miss!» he shouts.
Bracken immediately grabs one of the tiny new seeds growing on his back. They’re far too small to deal damage yet—but perfect for what Corey has planned.
To everyone’s shock, Bracken throws the seed at his own feet, detonating it in a burst of dust and debris.
«Sceptile just improvised a smoke bomb!» the announcer exlaims, just as shocked as the audience.
Talonflame has too much momentum to change direction. It plows straight into the dust cloud, hits nothing, and crashes into the ground again. Bracken leaps out mostly unscathed—just a light scorch mark on his flank.
With that second attack revealed, Corey finally understands Kiara’s strategy: every move she’s used has recoil. The obvious counter would be to stall until Talonflame knocks itself out—but Bracken is too exhausted for that. He needs to end this immediately.
Kiara raises her hand confidently. «That should be enough.» Her Talonflame hovers above her. «Talonflame—finish it with Reversal!»
Oh shit. That’s what she was building toward.
Talonflame glows with a pale white aura, crying sharply before diving even faster than before.
«Detect!» Corey commands. Bracken barely dodges—just barely—and stumbles, but remains upright.
«Light 'em up!» Corey adds.
Electricity surges from Bracken’s tail up through his arm until his fist crackles with static. As Talonflame shoots past him, Bracken twists and slams a full-force Thunder Punch straight into its back, driving the bird into the ground with staggering power and causing a loud crash and dust erupts.
Silence.
The arena goes dead quiet as the dust settles. Bracken is on his knees, panting heavily but still conscious. Talonflame, on the other hand, lies unconscious in a small crater formed by the impact of the punch.
Then the crowd erupts. Students scream, shout, holler—this is easily the most electric (pun intended) battle of the entire batch. Corey hadn’t even noticed he was holding his breath. The pressure finally lifts from his shoulders, leaving him giddy and lightfooted.
He returns Bracken to his Pokéball, promising him a week of pampering after that 1v3 performance.
Corey looks back toward the bleachers and spots Kieran beaming at him with so much pride and sweetness it could induce diabetes. He would absolutely be lying if he said that look didn’t send Beautiflies fluttering in his stomach.
And Corey can’t have Kieran being the only one doing the flustering.
He smirks, winks, and blows him a kiss.
What follows is absolute chaos.
The crowd completely loses its mind. They’re so loud it’s impossible to hear a single thought. Kieran turns scarlet—so red Corey half-expects steam to shoot out of his ears.
Aside from a few delusional girls, most spectators near Kieran instantly understand who the kiss is meant for. A couple of them even let out Lycanroc whistles. Corey has to fight the urge to double over laughing at the chaos he just caused.
After that he goes and shakes hands with Kiara, who congratulates him on his «evil» strategies. Even Cynthia lets her usual chilly expression she usually gives people soften into a pleased smile.
The rest of the battles pass in a blur—none of them nearly as thrilling as Corey and Kiara’s. When everything is done, the teachers dismiss the students, saying results will be posted before the end of the day.
Corey grabs Kieran’s hand and quickly drags him toward their hidden clearing, eager to escape before gossip-hungry students descend on them.
They finally arrive at the clearing. It’s early evening, and the artificial lighting of the terrarium makes it look like the sun is setting.
«We made it out alive!» Corey says cheerfully between gasps, never having let go of his boyfriend’s hand. He turns to Kieran, who’s holding his head low, ears bright red, but saying nothing.
«Hey… are you okay?» The smile and cheerful tone are nowhere to be found now.
Still no answer.
«I shouldn’t— I shouldn’t have done it.» guilt cracks his voice. «I basically told the whole school about us without asking you. I’m sorry.»
Now Corey feels horrible. He just outed their relationship on a whim to fluster Kieran. Sure, they didn't go out of their way to hide it and they also never talked about whether it was supposed to be secret or not. But that doesn’t mean Corey can just do whatever without asking Kieran first.
He looks down in shame, the weight of what happened sinking in—until two hands gently hold his cheeks and lift his face. Kieran is looking directly into his eyes. He’s still a little flushed, but there is zero accusation in his expression.
«Hey. You did nothing wrong,» he says quickly. «It— it’s not what I was thinking about.»
«Um— I… so it’s not about the whole school knowing now?» Corey is confused. What could’ve made Kieran this silent on the way here? «Eum… what is it then?» he asks, blushing and unsure.
Kieran takes a deep breath. His face is still pink, but a smile appears.
«I want to say that… I’m really proud of you. You tried so hard to battle again, and now your efforts paid off, so… yeah. I’m proud of you.»
He brushes Corey’s cheek with his thumb as he continues. «And about the kiss and the wink…» he looks to the side shyly. «I— I liked it. A lot.»
A small tear rolls down Corey’s cheek. Kieran panics instantly.
«Hey, hey! Are you okay?! Did— did I say something wr—»
He’s cut off by the softest pair of lips in history against his.
Kieran melts instantly, and so does Corey, who all but devours him, and Kieran is more than happy to let him. They have no idea how long the kiss lasts, only that by the time they break for air, well, they’re breathless.
«You…» Corey nibbles his lip shyly. «You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.»
There’s no teasing, no sass, no mischief—just raw sincerity and love.
Kieran is the one who crashes their mouths together again this time, and the making-out continues who knows how long. Neither of them has any notion of time, nor do they care.
Eventually, they end up cuddling in the grass, Corey in his “favorite seat” on Kieran’s lap, watching the terrarium’s ceiling emulate the last rays of sunset.
Then Kieran perks up.
«Oh! I almost forgot.»
He shifts, fishing something from his pocket—a Pokéball. He holds it out in front of Corey.
«When you were giving Cynthia a tour yesterday, I got this for you. You said you liked them. And even though it’s not exactly what I was searching for, I think you’ll like it the same... I hope.»
He hands Corey the Pokéball, and Corey releases whatever is inside. A small Mudkip appears, tail-fin wagging excitedly. Corey’s eyes light up.
«You…»
Kieran smiles and hums in affirmation.
«You said Swamperts were cool. At least this one’s a future Swampert. I thought it’d be a cool gift for all your efforts.»
Corey kisses Kieran’s cheek more softly than ever.
«It’s incredible how much I love you,» he says—making Kieran blush again, but his chest swell with pride.
Corey then turns to the Mudkip.
«So, little guy, I take it you don’t have a name yet.»
He scratches his head, thinking for a moment before settling on one.
«Your name’s gonna be Clay.»
Clay seems to think about the name before chirping in satisfaction and jumps right into Corey’s lap.
The three of them spend the rest of the evening together, Kieran recounting the whole adventure he went through to find this little guy. They don’t show up for dinner at the cafeteria tonight.
Notes:
Pfiou~ I missed writing battles, man.
Next chapter will be more of a funny one.See yall!
Chapter 8: Chapter 8
Notes:
A little fun chapter after the last one.
Hope you'll like it!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Corey genuinely doesn’t think life could get any better right now. His trauma is (mostly) behind him, he has the sweetest, hottest, most stupidly adorable boyfriend on the planet, he absolutely stole the spotlight with yesterday’s battle, and he ended up scoring the highest out of the entire class thanks to the trickery he pulled off.
Cynthia had made sure to tell him all that before she left this morning—after smothering him with praise and an unreasonable amount of hugging.
But now that the test is behind him, Corey has discovered a brand new problem: he is accidentally famous.
In under three weeks, he’s gone from "the new guy" to "Cynthia’s cousin—yes THAT Cynthia"; "The dude who swept one of the promo’s best battlers with ONE Pokémon"; and most importantly in the eyes of the gossip machine: "THE SCHOOL CHAMPION’S BOYFRIEND."
It’s gotten to the point where other students have started painting their Poké Balls to match his. He even overheard a discussion in the hallway about Kieran’s custom-painted Poké Balls and how the clues were there all along. The theories only get worse from there—how long they’ve been together, who confessed first, and even who tops and who bottoms!
That last one almost made Corey choke laughing. Imagining how Kieran would react if he heard that… yeah.
Sure, the two of them haven’t gone past making out and Corey using Kieran as a personal chair, but the rumors are still hilarious.
He ignores most stares and whispers as he moves from hallway to hallway, only occasionally indulging students who ask the funniest questions.
Eventually, he spots his boyfriend standing beside a clubroom door, talking to the same girl Corey saw at the battle yesterday. He approaches them and greets Kieran with all the theatrics he deserves.
«Good day, my better half,» Corey announces, immediately looping his arms around Kieran’s. The champion jumps, then smiles softly. «Still alive, or has the gossip eaten you yet?»
«I manage,» Kieran says, scratching the back of his head in that painfully cute, awkward way of his.
Corey hums, satisfied, then turns to the girl. She looks their age, carries the permanent vibe of someone who takes absolutely no shit from anyone, and—now that he’s close—he notices the silver-lined glasses hanging at her neckline and the subtle silver earrings half-hidden in her black-and-green bob.
«So?» Corey raises a brow at Kieran. «Are you going to introduce us, or should I start guessing?»
Kieran blushes faintly at the reminder.
«O–oh. Right. This is Sayaka. She runs the Culture and Language Club.»
Then he turns to her. «And this is Corey. My boyfriend.»
Corey blinks.
Not a stutter. Not a blush. Just proud, confident Kieran… which is honestly pretty hot.
Sayaka looks him up and down with the exact expression of a woman evaluating a salad she did not order. She hums—flat, unimpressed.
«So you’re the boyfriend,» she says. «Huh. Can’t say I’m impressed, but if Kieran likes you…» She shrugs lazily. «Whatever. I have a club to make sure doesn’t catch on fire. And don’t hurt him unless you wanna lose the use of your legs. Later.» She turns and disappears into the clubroom.
Corey bites the inside of his cheek and tightens his grip on Kieran’s arm. «Charming,» he mutters, dripping sarcasm.
Kieran still smiles—soft and patient. «Don’t worry. She’s like that with everyone. Just give her a little time.»
«I’m not Dialga to give time away like that,» Corey deadpans. Then his smirk returns. «But for your pretty eyes, I guess I can try.» He gets on his tiptoes and kisses Kieran’s cheek.
Someone down the hallway screams like a fangirl at a concert.
Kieran turns pink. «I’m gonna have to get used to that.»
«Oh, you will,» Corey assures him smugly, tugging him toward the cafeteria. «I’ll make sure of it.»
Their lunch break is… peculiar, to say the least.
Normally, people glance up when they enter the cafeteria, but they quickly return to whatever they were doing. Seeing the Champion at lunch is nothing new to them, and Corey joining the League Club table had been interesting at first, but the hype died down fast.
Now? Whole different story.
Ever since the test stunt, people keep their eyes glued to the cafeteria entrance like a flock of Staraptors, waiting for the school’s favorite topic of conversation.
Sure enough, when the school’s power couple steps inside, all conversations cease. A few students even cheer or whistle.
Corey does an impressive job pretending to be confident, and Kieran manages it too—despite the very visible traces of unease. At least it looks like his brooding face to everyone else.
Thankfully, Drayton has a good idea for once.
«Hey, since you’re a big shot now and you battle again, why not come to the club room?»
Lacey looks seconds away from gouging Drayton’s eyes out for asking that again, but Corey immediately jumps at the chance to get the hell out of the cafeteria.
They make a quick escape and head to the League Club room. Corey always avoided the place before, but now he’s curious about where Kieran spends a good chunk of his time.
The room itself is pretty standard: desks with PCs along the wall, a big table in the middle for club meetings, some actual gym equipment in the corner, and a bunch of Champion posters plastered everywhere. There’s even one of Cynthia beside a desk.
Corey actually likes the place.
Unfortunately, when they enter, they run into a new problem. A red-haired problem. A motherfucking Roy problem.
He approaches the group and looks directly at Corey with a smirk full of malice.
«You here to join, pretty boy? Maybe that’ll make you at least decent.»
«Big mouth for a guy who needs five Pokémon to beat a single one of mine this time.» Corey spits back. It’s not playful. It’s venom. Roy is clearly surprised Corey talked back after what happened at the Grand Plaza.
Drayton bursts out laughing at Corey’s clapback, which wipes the smirk clean off Roy’s face.
«Pff. As if.» Roy mutters before leaving, mumbling insults under his breath.
Kieran notices Corey’s fists trembling. He knows that one sentence cost Corey a lot more courage than he let on. Kieran places a hand on his shoulder, and the tension eases. Corey exhales shakily.
«Sucks that we can’t kick him out,» Crispin says with a scowl. The other club members nod in agreement.
They would actually love to get rid of him, but without any justified motive they can't.
Corey already told them he has history with Roy—though he left out the whole forest incident and near-death experience. Only Kieran knows the full story. Everyone else just thinks it was a bad battle. Now that the bastard is gone, Corey can finally relax.
«Whadya think?» Drayton asks, already sprawled across a chair with his legs on the table.
«It’s pretty cool. Though it’s kinda weird seeing a poster of my cousin there.» Corey points at the Cynthia poster, amused.
«She’s your cousin, so it’s only right for you to have a poster back home, right?» Lacey says.
«Nah, never had one,» Corey replies casually. «I mean, she visits so often—why would I even need one?»
«Fair enough,» Lacey shrugs. «By the way… should we have lunch here now? The stares in the cafeteria were making my skin crawl.»
«Sure. There is no rule against eating in club rooms,» Amarys says, and the others nod.
All six of them chat around snacks and vending-machine drinks. It’s all fun and laughter until a voice blasts through the doorway.
«KIERAN SUGURI!!!»
The voice—distinctly female—shakes the walls.
«Oh! Carmine’s back,» Drayton says as calmly as one might observe that the sky is blue.
The owner of the voice stomps into the room with enough force to make the floorboards beg for mercy.
«What’s this about you having a boyfriend?!» she yells, glaring daggers at her little brother. «I’m gone for three weeks and come back to this?! You never told me you had a boyfriend!»
Corey is genuinely impressed her lungs haven’t collapsed. Kieran, meanwhile, is shrinking in his chair.
Judging by the matching two-toned hair and identical eyes, Corey is willing to bet good money this volcano of a human is Kieran’s big sister. It’s honestly funny to watch Kieran get chewed out, but Corey isn’t cruel enough to abandon his man in the middle of the storm.
«Hi,» he says casually.
Carmine’s head whips toward him so fast he’s surprised her neck doesn’t snap. Her glare could melt steel. Well—at least Corey successfully diverted her attention from Kieran. He deserves gratitude for that.
«It’s you, isn’t it?» she asks sharply.
«In the flesh. Name’s Corey.» He doesn’t let her intimidate him. If this runs in the Suguri family, then he’s a natural at pushing the right buttons. «So, you’re the big sis?»
She looks at him like an Officer Jenny spotting a criminal.
«Yeah. And I don’t know what your deal is, but you better stay away from him.»
Corey pretends to think for a moment… then smirks.
«Hmm...nah. His face is way too kissable for me to let go.»
That makes Kieran turn bright red. Drayton absolutely loses it and the rest of the club sits frozen, silently witnessing the chaos.
Carmine is seething.
«You. Me. Outside. One on one. Now.»
«Wait, right now?» Corey blinks. He hasn’t even finished his sandwich.
«I said NOW!»
She is not changing her mind.
Corey grabs his food, and the whole group follows them out—completely silent except for Drayton, who mutters something about Carmine’s anger worsening her wrinkles.
He gets smacked on the head for that.
They reach the Grand Plaza, which is completely empty. Not a single student in sight. Yeah—Carmine is definitely the kind of person who sends everyone running for cover the second she looks mad.
She takes her place on one side of the field and points sharply to the other.
«Get over there so I can wipe that smile off your face.»
Corey hadn’t even realized he was smiling this whole time. He’s about to step forward when Kieran grabs his hand.
«You don’t have to do this if you don’t feel like it,» Kieran says, sounding genuinely worried.
It’s really sweet that Kieran cares, but Corey is pretty sure he can handle this. It’s Kieran’s sister, after all—nothing too bad should happen.
He gives Kieran a reassuring grin.
«Don’t worry your handsome head about anything. I’m just gonna get sister-in-law to calm down.»
He finishes with a kiss to Kieran’s cheek before taking his position. Kieran blushes while Carmine’s eye twitches violently.
«You are so dead!» she shouts.
«Dead in love,» Corey replies with a cocky shrug.
Carmine growls and throws her Poké Ball, sending out an Ursaluna that roars loud enough to shake the ground.
«Get ready to eat dirt!»
«I’m more into sweets,» Corey says as he sends out Uxie. He hasn’t used Uxie for anything except wild encounters since arriving here, so he figures today is a good time. And honestly, this battle is about proving himself to his boyfriend’s sister—might as well make sure he wins.
He can feel Lacey and Kieran staring at him with faces that clearly mean “That’s not fair.” And he agrees—it isn’t. But since when has Corey ever played by the book? He tricks, baits, traps; that’s his whole thing. No reason to stop now.
Carmine laughs.
«Pfffft. That’s your Pokémon? You’re so done for.»
She is very obviously unaware she’s facing a literal legendary Pokémon.
«I’ll remember those words,» Corey smirks.
Carmine is gritting her teeth. "When is he ever gonna shut up?" she thinks.
«Ursaluna, use High Horsepower!»
Ursaluna charges with surprising speed for its massive size—but nothing compared to Bracken.
«Reflect,» Corey says calmly.
Uxie conjures six panels of hard light, forming a cube around himself. Ursaluna slams into the barrier and is completely stopped.
«Now, Shadow Ball. Think ahead.»
Still enclosed in the cube, Uxie charges a Shadow Ball between its small hands, drops the Reflect, and fires. Ursaluna is pushed back by the walls disappearing, but is not even scratched.
«That’s all you’ve got?» Carmine taunts—missing the faint flash of light that vanished above Uxie. «Ursaluna, Will-o-Wisp, on yourself!»
That makes Corey raise an eyebrow. «On itself?» His friends look equally confused.
«Now use Facade!» Carmine grins wildly.
Ah. So that was the plan.
Ursaluna rears back on its hind legs, glowing faintly, then charges at Uxie again.
«Catch it,» Corey says simply.
Uxie traps the charging Ursaluna in a Reflect cube of its own. Ursaluna smashes its head into the barrier and loses all its momentum.
«Cool idea. Now how do you get out of that?»
«That’s nothing! Break the walls with Crunch!» Carmine orders. But Ursaluna’s Crunch attacks don’t even leave a scratch. Carmine’s confidence falters.
«That won’t work. Especially since your Pokémon burned itself—its hits are weaker now.» Corey’s tone is matter-of-fact, though the smile never leaves his face.
«Oh! And you lose in three… two… one…»
A flash of light slams down from above, hitting the trapped Ursaluna so hard it kicks up a cloud of dust.
«And one Future Sight for the big sis,» Corey sings.
Ursaluna collapses. Carmine is stunned. So are the Elite Four—though Kieran is quietly wrestling with the fact that his boyfriend humiliating his sister may be the hottest thing he’s ever seen.
«When did you even do that?!» Lacey asks.
Corey shrugs.
«Just when Uxie pushed Ursaluna back. You didn’t see it?»
He’s met with four shaking heads… and one furiously red one.
«Good. That means we did it right. You think I’m stupid enough to use a Ghost-type move on a Normal-type?»
He high-fives Uxie, who floats back over his shoulder.
«Even the way you battle gets under my skin!» Carmine grumbles as she joins them, having recalled Ursaluna.
Corey stays perfectly casual.
«I don’t battle like everybody else. That’s boring as fuck.» He takes another bite of his sandwich. «So—we’re good now?»
Carmine tries. She tries to stay mad, but… Corey outsmarted her. It is what it is.
Doesn’t mean she isn’t still protective as hell.
«If I ever hear that you hurt Kiki, I’m putting your head on a stick,» she warns.
Kieran has officially had enough.
«Are you done? Can’t you see he makes me happy?» he blurts out.
Both Corey and Carmine freeze. Assertive Kieran hits Corey like a truck—he is so hot like this. What is it with him and these confidence streaks today?
«I’m just looking out for you!» Carmine snaps reflexively, but Kieran’s glare makes her deflate. She sighs.
«Just… be careful, 'kay?»
For Carmine, that’s practically tender. Kieran smiles and nods.
Carmine gives Corey one last threatening look before storming off. The Elite Four head to their respective Plazas, leaving Kieran and Corey alone.
A devilish grin spreads across Corey’s face as he leans toward Kieran.
«So. ‘Kiki,’ huh?»
Kieran straight-up squeaks.
«Oh, I’m keeping that one. Thank you very much, Carmine.» Corey giggles as Kieran tries—and fails—to stop him.
Corey goes even further anyway.
«Aaahhh, Kiki~!» he moans obnoxiously loud.
Kieran’s entire soul leaves his body.
«What is WRONG with you?!»
«Just wanted to know how it sounded. Y’know… for future purposes.» Corey wraps himself around Kieran’s arm, voice dropping to a honeyed whisper. «And come on… I know you like it. Imagine me, moaning your name like that.»
Kieran absolutely should be scandalized but—nope. Corey is right, he actually does like it. Way too much than he ever should.His face is so red he could pass for a Voltorb.
Corey cackles like the chaos gremlin he is, never has he gottent this good a reaction ot of Kieran before.
«Are you done frying his brain?» Crispin shouts from ahead.
Notes:
He finally used Uxie after 8 chapters *shocked Pikachu face*
Chapter 9: Chapter 9
Notes:
I'M FINALLY FREE FROM EXAMS SO HERE IS A GIFT UPDATE TO CELEBRATE WOOOOOOO!!!!!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
«Come on, Kiki, it’s gonna be fun!» Corey says as he and Kieran enter Chargestone Cavern in the Canyon biome.
Corey had overheard a conversation at lunch about some kind of gross monster allegedly lurking in the cave and decided to drag Kieran along for the ride.
«Do you really believe there’s a monster here?» Kieran asks skeptically. That is not the kind of date he had in mind for today. At least he’s used to Corey calling him “Kiki” now—he even likes it.
Corey shrugs, still smiling. «Of course not. But it could be fun to see what people took for a monster.»
The cavern is much less dark than they expected. The charged crystals create so much light it barely feels like they’re underground.
The place is lively, too—they spot Elekids, Joltiks, and other Pokémon scampering around.
As they continue deeper, though, the number of Pokémon and crystals dwindles. The dimming light makes Kieran uneasy. He releases Shiftry to help them navigate through the darker tunnels, and they keep moving forward. It’s eerily silent for a while… until something makes them both jump.
«AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!»
A scream echoes from the end of the tunnel.
Without thinking, they rush toward it and reach a small chamber where a student is sitting on the ground as if she fell from fright—and a Galvantula is scurrying away through a hole in the wall.
«Are you okay?» Kieran asks, helping her to her feet. She nods.
«Don’t tell me that was the supposed creepy monster,» Corey groans, glaring at the hole.
«What monster?» the girl asks.
«The one people are talking about,» Corey says. «Why did you scream like that, by the way?»
She blushes, embarrassed. «Oh. I was just startled. The Galvantula dropped from the ceiling and scared me. Sorry for the scare.»
She hurries out, leaving Corey thoroughly disappointed. If the whole monster rumor was started by a Galvantula, then he just wasted half a day for nothing.
Kieran recalls Shiftry and tries to cheer him up.
«You know… it was kinda fun exploring a cave just the two of us,» he says, slipping an arm around Corey’s shoulders.
Corey leans into him instinctively. «Yeah, it was. I just expected some big scary Pokémon at the end, is all.» He sighs. «Wanna head back?»
Kieran is about to answer when a distant, loud cracking sound echoes through the cavern. Their eyes widen—then a second, closer crack erupts, and the ground beneath them collapses. Before they can react, they tumble down a steep vent, clinging to each other for dear life, until they crash into a new chamber far below.
«You okay?» Corey asks, worried—he landed on Kieran.
«Yeah, don’t worry. You?» Kieran asks back.
«I’m fine,» Corey says, reassured. «What the fuck was that?»
«I think it was the noise we heard… Maybe a cave wall collapsed?» Even Kieran sounds uncertain, he can’t think of anything else.
They finally take in their surroundings. The crystals here are much larger than the ones near the entrance, and they’re charged with so much electricity they can practically feel it in the air. Another unsettling detail: there are no Pokémon. None. Not a single one.
Kieran looks up at the opening they fell from—it’s too high to reach without a flier. Dragonite or Gliscor could actually get them out of here easily.
He pulls out a Poké Ball and throws it. It crackles with static but doesn’t open at all and hits the ground with a dull thud.
«Huh?» Kieran frowns.
Corey tries one of his. Same result.
«Mine won’t work either.»
They try every Poké Ball. Same dead response. Every device is useless— even their Rotom Phones glitch with static, struggling to stay powered. All of their Poké Balls are unusable.
And that is incredibly concerning.
They have nothing to defend themselves with and no way to communicate with the outside.
The realization makes Corey hug himself, breathing too fast as a panic attack hits—memories of the forest he was left defenseless slamming into him. Kieran immediately pulls him close, rubbing circles on his back and whispering comfort into his ear, assuring him he’s not alone.
Once Corey finally calms, he looks toward the only tunnel leading out of the chamber. «We don’t have a choice now, do we?»
«I don’t think so,» Kieran answers.
They hold hands tightly and move forward. Their footsteps echo faintly off the stone as they walk. Kieran feels a bizarre déjà vu, but doubts they’ll find a stray Mudkip this time.
Eventually they reach another chamber—this one branching into two tunnels.
«Great,» Corey says sarcastically, clinging to Kieran’s arm.
They have no way of knowing where either tunnel leads. If Kieran hadn’t recalled Shiftry, he could’ve scouted ahead.
«What the fuck was that?!» Corey suddenly interjects, pressing himself against Kieran and pointing toward the left tunnel. «I swear to Arceus I saw something move there.»
Kieran looks, but sees nothing. Still, he knows Corey well enough: he isn’t joking. He’s scared.
«Let’s go right, then,» Kieran says. Corey nods.
They head down the right tunnel. Corey scans everything with wide, anxious eyes. Soon enough, he jumps again.
«It’s following us!» he yelps.
Kieran whips around—and this time sees it too. A large, undulating shadow sliding along the cave wall.
Before he can even think, he grabs Corey’s arm and sprints deeper into the tunnel. The shadow slithers after them, picking up speed, making a rapid clicking noise that feels far too close. They don’t stop until they spill into another wide chamber—this one much deeper and with no exit.
Corey glances back. The shadow is gone. He exhales shakily. Kieran’s hand immediately clamps over his mouth. «Hmph?!» Corey tries to mumble, but Kieran urgently signals him to stay quiet.
Corey gives him a confused glare until Kieran points toward the middle of the chamber, looking terrified.
An Electivire is sleeping there—enormous, each arm almost as thick as the two boys combined. Dents mark the walls where it punched them. Now they know where that earlier crashing sound came from.
Seeing no sign of the shadow anymore, Kieran gestures for Corey to quietly backtrack toward the tunnel. Corey nods.
They creep toward the exit… but Corey doesn’t see a rock sticking up from the ground behind him and trips.
«Fuck!»
Eyes wide, he slaps his hand over his mouth as if he could take the word back, but it’s too late. The Electivire growls, rising up and fixing its furious gaze on them.
Corey is still kneeling kneeling, paralyzed by sheer terror as Kieran throws his arms around him protectively. The wild Electivire charges a Thunder Punch. Both boys squeeze their eyes shut.
But just before the punch lands, something launches off the cave wall and coils around Electivire’s arm and chest, restraining it mid-swing. Hearing the struggling, Corey and Kieran look up—and freeze.
Wrapped around the Electivire is an Eelektross, its long body constricting the larger Pokémon's uper body. Electivire snarls and thrashes, but can’t free itself.
The eel-like Pokémon clicks loudly, then a stream of purple liquid drips from its mouth onto its foe’s fur. Electivire roars—the Acid Spray clearly burning. Its movements weaken the more the acid takes effect.
Finally, Eelektross raises its head, its four fangs glowing green, and sinks them into Electivire’s shoulder, and starts to suck. The wole ordeal takes less than twenty seconds, twenty seconds of loud blood syphoning.
Eventually, Electivire collapses.
The Eelektross uncoils itself, floats toward the boys… and lets out a cheerful clicking sound, circling them playfully. Absolutely no aggression—just excitement, like it expects praise. Corey and Kieran, meanwhile, look like they just witnessed a homicide.
«That was so…» Corey begins.
«Creepy,» Kieran finishes, eyes still wide. He hasn’t blinked since the fight started.
«I was gonna say cool, but you do you,» Corey says with a shrug. «I mean, look at her—she’s adorable!» He gestures grandly at the Eelektross, who clicks happily at the compliment.
Kieran stares at his boyfriend like he’s lost his mind.
Corey ignores him and turns back to their floating savior. «Thank you so much—we were cooked,» he says sincerely. «Were you the one following us earlier?» The Pokémon nods enthusiastically. «You know, you could have just shown yourself. That whole shadowy thing back there was scary as heck.» Corey jokes—though Eelektross visibly deflates at the word scary.
Corey immediately winces. «Oh...wait. You’re the ‘monster,’ aren’t you?» he blurts.
The Pokémon’s face somehow falls even more.
«Hey, hey—don’t be sad. You’re not a monster,» Corey says quickly. «Honestly, you’re kinda cute.»
That perks Eelektross right up.
«WHAT?!» Kieran yelps.
Corey rolls his eyes. «Not the same kind of cute as you, relax.» He winks, and Kieran flushes but accepts it. Corey turns back to Eelektross. «You wouldn’t happen to know a way out of here, would you?»
The Pokémon brightens instantly and slithers toward the tunnel they came from, gesturing with one arm to follow.
«We’ve got ourselves a guide,» Corey says, and the two jog after her through the maze of tunnels.
Eelektross eventually leads them back to the first floor of Chargestone Cavern, way more lively than the eerie maze they just came out of. The exit is visible across the chamber and the boys start walking toward it—until they notice how sad the Pokémon looks, watching them leave.
Corey glances at Kieran with THAT look, who just smiles and shrugs. Corey grins.
«Would you happen to, I don't know, wanna come with us?» Corey asks gently. Eelektross tilts her head. «You don’t have to hide down here because people are scared of you. If anything I'd wanna show you off.» He smiles hopefully.
Eelektross lights up (literally) and immediately coils around Corey in a full-body hug, basically tying him up.
«That’s a yes if I’ve ever seen one,» Corey laughs.
She unwraps herself, crackling with excitement. Corey steps back, thinking.
«Okay… what should I call you?» The Pokémon waits eagerly, sparks dancing across her skin. That gives Corey an idea. «Does Tesla sounds good?»
She clicks happily. Corey takes out a Poké Ball, and Tesla willingly goes inside. The ball clicks shut—caught.
They head for the exit again, Kieran’s arm draped around Corey’s shoulders, amusement in his voice.
«You have… very specific tastes in ‘cute,’ you know.»
Corey shrugs smugly. «Hey, it didn’t stop me from scoring the most handsome guy in this academy. It’s part of my charm.»
They walk out of the cavern laughing—now with a new friend.
Notes:
Honnestly, Eelektross was so underrated before Canari arrived.
By the way, I had the fic ready up to chapter 9 written by july. If any one cares, or not.
Chapter 10: Chapter 10
Chapter Text
The fake sun of the terrarium is shining, the artificial weather is nice, and Corey and company are spending their Saturday in the canyon biome on a picnic. Snap is napping next to Corey as usual while the trainer is wrapped in a 'hug' by the clingy new addition to his team.
It's been two weeks since he got Tesla, and she used that time to make everyone know that she is an eel-shaped, cuddle-craving mass. She gets along really well with Corey's other Pokémon, though she sometimes bickers with Aegis for Corey's attention. If Corey didn't shower Kieran with praises and mentions of how hot he is, the Champion would be jealous too.
All in all, just a chill Saturday afternoon that nothing could spoil, right?
«If it isn't the lover boy?» A voice which makes Corey's skin crawl comes out of nowhere.
Corey knows a motherfucker's voice when he hears one, and he is physically incapable of rolling his eyes harder than he already is. Roy is standing in front of him with a smug smile on his face, the most basic image of a high school bully you could get.
Roy never gave Corey a break since he saw him in the League Club room two weeks ago and always threw insults and mock comments his way at any opportunity. Corey's hands are still slightly trembling, but he's had enough of that bullshit.
«If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're into me. Too bad I have good taste.» Corey deadpans, looking Kieran's way. Crispin and Lacey are giggling.
Roy doesn't back down. «Not a chance I would want a pipsqueak like you. You're lucky enough that they gave you a garbage trainer for your test. With how you suck, I doubt you'll even graduate.» Roy seems proud of his comeback.
Corey throws him the most unimpressed look he can muster. He is really debating what the hell was wrong with him to panic over that red-headed idiot before. How did that dumbass even make it into this school?
Corey's trembling stops, and a smirk splits his face. «You talk a lot for someone who nearly lost to a single Pokémon with a full party of six.» That comment makes everyone around quiet down.
Roy is not pleased with what he heard. «What did you just say?» he says menacingly, the smugness gone.
Despite being shorter, Corey gets up and looks him dead in the eye. «So you're not only dumb, but deaf too? Snap pulverized more than half your team. There is no way in Giratina's hell you would win fairly against me.» Corey matches the venom.
Roy laughs dismissively. «You're still stuck on that? You think your stunt at the test makes you tough now?» His voice drips with sarcasm. «What I remember is a scribbling loser with gold in his hands and no clue what to do with it.» Roy looks nastily at Snap, who looks still asleep but keeps an eye open, watching the whole scene.
Now Corey is furious. «What I remember is a motherfucker who is so insecure about his skills that he needs an unfair advantage on a random country boy to have any hope of winning.» he doesn't let Roy cut him off. «And you know what? I've had enough of your bullshit! I'm getting into that League Club and I'm gonna beat your ass so far into the ground the next time I see you is in a fossil exhibit!» As if to ponctuate what her trainer said, Tesla hisses aggressively at the red-haired jerk, making him take a step back.
What follows is a silence so deafening that you would think sound was never a thing. Kieran, as well as the Elite 4, are looking at Corey with wide eyes, even Amarys.
They had never seen him like that.
Usually he humbles bullies and nuisances with sass and smugness, but never since they met him have they seen him genuinely angry.
Roy recovers from the shock first, and his face shows anything but kindness. «I'll be waiting, bitch boy. And I'll make the most out of making you regret leaving your snow and forests behind,» he says before turning around and leaving. Corey gives him the middle finger as the bully retreats.
Drayton whistles at what he just witnessed. «Damn, the Purrloin got claws.» This earns him an elbow to the ribs from Lacey, who just shakes her head and makes an X sign with her arms.
«And he's gonna use them.» Corey says, finally turning back to his friends, still looking at him like he grew a second head. «What?» he asks.
«Nothin',» Drayton shrugs. «Just never saw you like that. Didn't take you for the type to have beef like that with someone.»
«This asshole is the exception,» Corey, clearly still angry, says. Kieran chooses this moment to grab Corey's hand and make him sit back down with him. That calms Corey quite a bit.
«So, you finally join the club?» Crispin says, excitement barely hidden in his voice.
He and Drayton had asked time and time again if Corey would like to join, but he always said that he didn't know and that maybe it was not for him. Sure, he isn't joining for the reason they would have liked right now, but a win is a win for them.
The question seems to make Corey realize what he just said to Roy minutes ago. He shifts awkwardly beside Kieran, and his voice has no trace of anger.
«I did say that.» Corey’s voice sounds unsure. He was angry and just wanted Roy to shut his trap, so he said the first thing that came to mind.
Now he kind of regrets it. Though the idea of getting into Roy’s club and handing his ass to him there is incredibly tempting. Call him petty if you want, but it would feel incredibly good to publicly humiliate that red-headed jerk.
Pettiness wins in the end.
«So, how do I get in?» he says with a newly formed smile. Everyone around him seems to relax again, seeing their friend back to his normal self.
«First you need the validation of the club leader. But I think we all know you already have that,» Lacey says, amused.
Corey is confused for a split second before remembering what perks come with being the school Champion’s boyfriend.
Kieran hugs him from behind with a sweet smile. «You already have my approval.»
«Well thank you, sir.» Corey scratches his hair affectionately. «Next?»
«We would need to test your battle aptitudes,» Amarys takes over the explanation. «We know how skilled you are already, so the test is only a formality,» she says, pushing her glasses up her nose.
«Neat!» Corey puts his hands up in celebration. «When can we do that?»
«Right after we’re done eating, I guess,» Lacey says, to which Corey nods happily.
After their picnic, the group makes its way to the Canyon Plaza. It has been decided that Amarys will be the one Corey faces, and that she will use the pokémon she normally uses against candidates who apply to the club.
She is standing on her side of the field, adjusting her glasses. «This will be a double battle. I know it is not your specialty, but I also know that you adapt quickly, so you should be fine.»
Amarys then throws two pokéballs, letting her pokémon out. «I will be using Pawniard and Magnemite. This battle ends when both pokémon of a party are knocked out.»
A double battle isn’t what Corey expected, but it could be fun.
Since Amarys is self-handicapped with her picks, Corey thinks it would be a good training session for Aegis and Clay. They may have trained a lot, but these two have never participated in a real battle until now.
«Alright,» he says as he releases the two pokémon. Aegis clings happily, and Clay is already puffing his chest, trying to look more imposing. «I’m ready.»
Amarys nods in acknowledgment and gives her first command. «Magnemite, use Thunder Wave on the Mudkip.»
The magnet pokémon acts immediately and sends electric waves in Clay’s direction.
«Aegis!» Corey shouts, and the small living shield jumps in front of Clay, taking the attack for him and getting paralyzed. Clay chirps his thanks.
Amarys hums. «It’s true that Aegis is not the fastest, so getting paralyzed isn’t an issue for her. Good thinking.» She then gives the next command. «Pawniard, Metal Claw, and Magnemite, use Thunderbolt.»
«Aegis, use Iron Defense! Clay, Mud-Slap on Magnemite! Don’t let it attack!»
The two opposing pokémon are preparing their attacks when Aegis shines like polished metal, and Clay spits a mud ball at Magnemite.
«Magnetic Rise,» Amarys says.
Magnemite cancels its Thunderbolt and instead crackles with static. It dodges the Mud-Slap effortlessly. Meanwhile, Pawniard leaps and slashes at Aegis’s hardened body, doing minimal damage thanks to Iron Defense.
«We cannot have that,» Amarys mutters. «Pawniard, Torment on Shieldon.» A wave of negative energy shoots from Pawniard all the way to Aegis, making her squirm.
«Hey, that’s mean!» Corey says in a childish voice. It’s not that big of a deal; a single Iron Defense is already enough for the rest of the fight. Now to get that Magnemite.
«Gyro Ball and Fury Cutter on Mudkip.» Amarys doesn’t give him time to think, both her pokémon rushing toward Clay.
«Smack them down!» the Sinnohan says. Aegis tears a small boulder from the arena ground and throws it at the two leaping pokémon.
She manages to hit Magnemite, but her paralysis makes her miss the second one. Pawniard ends up hitting Clay and sending him flying back. The little Mudkip is scratched but still able to stand. Corey acts instantly.
«Shoot Magnemite now!»
Clay shoots a new Mud-Slap at the now-grounded pokémon and hits it hard.
«Again! Don’t stop!»
Clay doesn’t. Three or four shots are enough to have Magnemite roll on the ground unconscious.
«Not bad,» Amarys says as she returns Magnemite to its pokéball. «That was a good use of Smack Down. A shame the paralysis got you.»
She refocuses on the battle. With her last pokémon alone against two, the match may already be decided.
«Thank you.» Corey smiles. «Now Rock Smash, Clay!»
Clay is already leaping by the end of the command, ready to hit Pawniard with a strong tail smack. He is almost in range when—
«Use Foul Play.»
Pawniard dodges the tail swipe and uses Clay’s own momentum to strike him in the stomach and send him flying to the side. The small water type tumbles before coming to a stop, and does not get up.
«Hey, that was… well… foul play.» Corey was about to complain, but… well… it is Foul Play.
«You cannot let your guard down, Corey.»
Is that a smirk on her face? Corey doesn’t know if he’s hallucinating.
«So, it is a one-on-one now.» The smile is gone as quickly as it appeared. He must have imagined it.
«You got me there, but it’s the first and last time.» Corey smiles smugly. «Heavy Slam!»
Aegis, slowed by paralysis, tries to slam into Pawniard, but the nimble pokémon dodges effortlessly.
«Fury Cutter.» Pawniard’s blade arms glow green as it slashes into Aegis.
«You can tank that, baby girl!» Corey shouts. Aegis braces and takes three hits, each stronger than the last. Although still standing, she has taken quite a bit of damage.
«That Fury Cutter will be the last,» Amarys says in her serious voice, and Pawniard attacks again. She notices Corey’s smirk the moment her pokémon’s attack hits.
«Now, princess. Give him a taste of his own medicine.»
The moment Aegis is struck, she slams into Pawniard with such force that Pawniard leaves a dent in the ground.
Pawniard is completely still, seemingly fainted. You can even hear Crispin whistling in the background.
«So you tricked me,» she huffs in her own amused way. «That’s very much like you.»
«That’s my signature,» Corey says with a wink. «Though Clay will definitely be pouting later.»
Amarys returns Pawniard to its ball, and both join to the group again after she feeds Aegis a Cheri Berry, curing her paralysis in the minute.
«Congrats, new clubmate!» Lacey and Crispin say in unison.
«Can I see your Rotom Phone, please?» Amarys asks, and Corey obliges. «Here. I put your League Club profile in there. Lacey, would you be so kind as to explain to Corey how the club works?»
«Sure.» Lacey seems ecstatic. «So, our club ladder is divided into ranks: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, and then us—the Elite 4 and the Champion.» Corey nods, listening attentively.
«As you beat club members, you get points added to your profile and go up. You can only challenge trainers at most one rank above or below you. And for the Elite, if you beat us and the Champion, you become Champion and we all step down a place in the ladder. But to challenge us, you need to be rank 6, in other words you need to be the number one of the Expert tier. Finally, win streaks or ending another member’s win streak gets you more points, and for Novices, you don’t lose points with losses at all. That’s about it.»
The rules are pretty standard. Simpler than Corey expected honnestly. «Got it, clubmate.»
«Cool,» Drayton interjects. «Can we get to the clubroom now? I wanna nap.» he says with a yawn.
«Didn’t you sleep half of the picnic already?» Lacey asks, dumbfounded.
«Yeah, so what?» Drayton shrugs. «You comin'?»He is already on his way to the clubroom.
Lacey is just behind, complaining to Amarys and Crispin about how Drayton’s behavior is «just not right,» with Corey and Kieran following right behind.
Corey leans close to Kieran as they walk, putting on his trademark smirk—the one Kieran knows means no good.
«Does that mean I have to call you Boss now?» he says in a sultry voice. «I wouldn’t mind.»
Kieran chokes on air, and Corey giggles evilly while Crispin tells him not to break their club leader.
All the single-battle students are buzzing with excitement, Corey included. It was just announced that they will go on a school trip to Paldea in a week.
While most students are impatient to visit Paldea’s Naranjauva Academy and maybe meet Champion Geeta, Corey is mostly excited to try a specialty of the Paldea region: their ice cream.
Call him childish all you want, Paldean ice creams are known as the best there are, and for a teenager obsessed with sweets and desserts (thanks, Cynthia), trying them is a life goal.
That said, Corey can’t really drown in his excitement right now. Uxie has been acting strange since yesterday. At first Corey thought it was just a bad day for him, but he started looking in a direction and just floating there in place, totally unbothered by anything around. It’s as if he was somewhere else entirely, and that is concerning Corey quite a bit. He’s known Uxie for six years now and has never seen him like this.
The rest of the morning goes by and nothing changes. If anything, it’s getting worse. Uxie hasn’t moved from his spot in the last hour, and Corey is seriously worried now.
«Corey Hayvall is expected in the Director’s office. I repeat, Corey Hayvall is to get to the Director’s office immediately, please.» The school speaker interrupts Corey’s rising panic.
«What is it this time…» he says in annoyance. He never causes any trouble worthy of the Director’s involvement, and he literally has a more important matter on his hands right now.
Despite that, he grabs Uxie’s pokéball and manages to get his attention.
«Hey buddy, can you come here real quick?»
Uxie perks up and floats toward him.
«I just need to get to the Director’s office. You think you can get there with me without spacing out?» Corey asks gently.
The small legendary pokémon takes one last look in the direction he had been staring at for the last hour but nods in the end. They both make their way to the administrative part of the school, and when they are in front of Director Cyrano’s door, Corey knocks twice.
«Come in.» A deep but cheerful voice comes from the other side. Corey opens the door and enters—only to be greeted by a sight he did not expect.
Cynthia is sitting in one of the two chairs facing the Director’s desk. Both of them have a certain sadness in their eyes, though Director Cyrano is trying to keep a reassuring smile.
«Take a seat, please,» Cyrano says. The tone clearly says We have something to discuss, and it’s not good.
«Miss Shirona, I think it is better if you tell him what you told me,» the Director says, the sadness he is trying to hide leaking through.
Cynthia takes Corey’s hand as if she is about to announce a death in the family. Corey fears the worst, and the Sinnoh Champion’s expression does nothing to reassure him.
«Corey, it’s about Uxie.»
Corey doesn’t see where this is going, but he still feels uneasy. «What about him?»
Cynthia takes a deep breath before speaking again.
«Corey…» There is a pause, as if she is searching for the right words «Uxie needs to go back to Sinnoh.»
This is not as bad as Corey expected, but it still takes him by surprise. «Huuuh? Why?!»
Cynthia’s face is nothing but sympathy.
«He was never recorded leaving Sinnoh, and his absence is causing an imbalance there. Some people are starting to forget small bits of their memories all over the region. Moreover, the other two lakes as well as Mount Coronet are showing signs of disturbance, and it is getting worse.» She explains as calmly as possible. «Even Giratina is agitated. He has not crossed into our world yet, but he soon will if this goes on.»
Corey is speechless. He would never have imagined that Uxie leaving could spell mass amnesia. Even with all his knowledge of Sinnoh’s myths, he wouldn't have thought of that.
And Uxie followed him to the academy willingly so he assumed it was fine. But maybe even the legendary Pokémon himself didn’t know this would happen either.
«I know what you’re thinking. There is no precedent, so no one could have predicted this. Not even me or Gran.» Cynthia tries to reassure him. «We just deduced the cause from the signs appearing. Thankfully, Uxie only left for about two months, and there was no irreversible damage yet. But… I fear you will have to say goodbye today.» Her voice takes an even more motherly tone.
«I’m sorry, Corey.»
«I… I don’t know what to say,» Corey almost whispers. He turns to Uxie, who has been floating at his side the entire time. The small pokémon seems just as saddened as Corey.
«I will only leave in the evening. You two go and make the most out of the rest of the day.» Cynthia tries to smile, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
Corey knows this is taking a lot out of her. As Champion of Sinnoh for the last six years, she has duties toward the region, and he knows she takes no pleasure in taking Uxie away.
He looks at Uxie’s closed eyes and manages a small smile.
«At least I’ll see you again when I come visit Mom and Papa.» He forces a cheerful tone.
«Off you go, you two. I already told your teacher that you will not be in class today.» Cyrano shoos the young trainer and the pokémon out of the office, staying with Cynthia to discuss other matters.
Corey decides to go to the clubroom first.
«Uxie, come here real quick.»
He pulls out his Rotom Phone and positions it for a selfie.
«Now smile!»
They take several photos with different poses. Corey even makes the one where Uxie pretends to sleep in the air above a shocked Corey’s hand his profile picture on the League Club leaderboard.
He also scrolls through all the fights Uxie won in the club. He just got to Intermediate rank last week thanks to a win Uxie pulled off against a girl and her Houndoom.
Next, the pair heads to the cafeteria to pick up food that Corey puts in his bag before heading out to the terrarium. He settles down in his and Kieran’s clearing and lets out all his pokémon.
He takes an overly deep mock-general voice:
«Okay, soldiers! Today is Uxie’s last day among us, and I want nothing but good vibes and fun from all of you, got it?!»
His military speech gets noises of appreciation and even a salute from Bracken. After devouring their berry plates and treats, they all either bask together in the fake terrarium sun or chase each other playfully around the clearing.
Corey even takes yhe opportunity to draw the whole scene. The drawing comes out really good, even without any color, but only then does Corey realize he was so focused on it that the day is almost over.
«Alright, folks!» He claps his hands and gathers his pokémon in front of him. «Time for a souvenir!» he says as cheerfully as he can, though a bit of sadness slips through.
Corey sets a timer on his Rotom Phone and joins his pokémon. Uxie is in the middle with Corey and the others around, all smiling at the camera.
With the photo taken, Corey feels bittersweet. The day went by way too fast for his liking.
After exchanging hugs with Corey’s other pokémon—Tesla’s being the longest by far—Corey gets them back into their balls and heads to the academy’s entrance. Of course, he takes the long way, but he knows Cynthia won’t mind waiting a little longer. He looks back several times at Uxie, reminding himself of all the memories they made at the academy in the two months they spent here. It makes him smile for real, even if faintly.
Arriving at the bridge of the school entrance, Corey spots Cynthia waving at him. He can still see guilt on her face.
«I’m sorry I have to do this to you.» She sounds as if she’s disgusted with what she’s doing.
Corey hates seeing her like that. He doesn’t think twice before wrapping her in a tight hug.
«Don’t apologize. It’s your job to make sure Sinnoh is safe.» He lets go just enough to look up at her. «And I’ll see him again back home. It’s only a goodbye.»
"But one that hurts like hell," he thinks, loud in his own mind.
He finally lets go of Cynthia to look at Uxie again.
«I’ll see you on holidays.» Corey is smiling, but the stray tear at the corner of his eye betrays his real feelings. Uxie sees this and hugs Corey with his small arms.
Corey is surprised for an almighty two seconds before returning the hug. The stray tear finally falls down his cheek.
«Take care.» His voice cracks a bit.
They finally let go of each other. Cynthia turns around after a last goodbye, and Uxie follows. The sound of heels on metal is the only thing you can hear aside from the sea and the occasional Wingull.
Corey only stops waving when the Skarmory taxi taking Cynthia to her plane is out of sight. He heads back to his dorm, and that’s when the rest of the tears he tried so hard to hold back come flowing out. Snap nudges his trainer toward the bed and Corey crawls under his sheets.
Corey doesn’t go to class the day after either.
Notes:
Everyone says "Bye bye Uxie"!
Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Chapter Text
It took three whole days for Corey to come out of his dorm room again.
Even Kieran had trouble getting in, and when he did it was only to bring Corey food and hold him while he silently cried or slept. But when Corey finally stepped outside again, all of his friends noticed.
Corey was… surprisingly normal.
Like the last three days hadn’t happened. His snark was intact, his jokes sounded the same, and nothing about him suggested he had cried himself dry of any tears in the last couple of days.
They are all sitting in the clubroom, either reviewing battles on their tablets or enjoying a drink.
«Eum… you sure you’re alright?» Lacey asks carefully.
The Sinnohan perked up, set his Watmel Berry smoothie on the table, and smiled.
«Everyone would be okay after drinking this masterpiece.» Corey points at his drink like he would some miraculous cure. «They didn't have any syrup left today though.» He thinks out loud.
Lacey doesn’t push further, but Crispin does.
«I think what she’s asking is if you still feel bad in any way,» the redhead says. «I mean, we didn’t see you for three days streight and now you’re back as if nothing happened.» Amarys nods along with Lacey.
Corey sighs loudly—not in annoyance though. «It’s kind of you to worry, guys, really. But I can guarantee you I’m fine.» He puts on his most honest, reassuring smile. «Sure, Uxie leaving hurts, but it was a necessity. And it’s not like I won’t see him again every time I go home. It was just an unexpected goodbye.» He ends with a shrug, still smiling. «Aaaaand I think I soaked my bedsheets with tears enough already sooo…»
That earns a few huffed laughs. Kieran bumps his leg lightly against Corey’s, smiling when Corey looks his way. Corey returns it.
«On another note, I’m sooo jealous you get to go to Paldea,» Lacey says, switching topics. «They have Pokémon that are so cute there. Why are only the single majors going?!» She is fully pouting now.
«Sucks to suck, I guess,» Corey teases. «I’ll make sure to grab you a souvenir.» That got rid of at least some of her pouting.
Corey feels kind of bad for her. All she can do is watch them get ready to leave without beeing able to join in.
«Make sure it’s pink, though,» Lacey insists.
Corey hums in agreement. Kieran is about to ask for a souvenir too when the door flies open.
Carmine burst in, practically vibrating with excitement.
«Kiki!» She sprints to Kieran’s side. «Get your suitcase ready, we’re going to Paldea too!» She shakes her little brother back and forth in excitement.
«What?!» Lacey and Corey blurt simultaneously—Corey out of joy at having his boyfriend tag along, Lacey out of despair that even Kieran gets to go.
Carmine looks way too eager to explain. «Yeah! Since Kiki and I served as guides for the Paldean students in Kitakami last spring, Miss Briar managed to add us to the trip.» A fire of determination lights in her eyes. «I can’t wait to finally make Florian eat dirt this time!»
Kieran flinches at the name, and Corey notices.
«Who’s Florian?» he asks curiously.
Carmine realizes what she said and looks strangely awkward. «Well, uh… he’s—»
«Nobody.» Kieran cuts her off, sharp and immediate. Carmine doesn’t try to continue.
Okay, that makes it even more suspicious. Carmine doesn’t just shut up when she gets cut off; usually she’d grit her teeth and argue back, but not this time. She is looking at Kieran with sympathy in her eyes.
Corey has a very bad feeling. Whoever this Florian guy is, he’d better hope he hadn’t hurt Kieran—because if he did, Corey will make sure he'll regret the day they meet.
«I’m gonna get my suitcase ready,» Kieran says in a far too depressed voice before standing up and leaving the clubroom, escaping any further attempts to dig for answers.
«I’ll go help him. See you guys later.» Carmine excuses herself and hurries after him.
Corey desperately wants to know what the deal is, but he isn’t inconsiderate enough to pry. He would’ve hated anyone doing that during the whole Roy incident, so doing it to Kieran would just be selfish. He would just have to keep an eye out for any Florian on this trip.
This is getting concerning. Kieran has been brooding since that mention of Florian in the clubroom—but not the hot, mysterious type of brooding. Actual brooding.
For the whole flight to Paldea, Kieran barely spoke. He only hummed or grunted in agreement to anything Corey said. Even Carmine tried to get him to talk but failed just the same.
After landing, they were welcomed by the staff of Naranjuva Academy. A whole bus reserved just for them, taking the class to the academy entrance in Mesagoza, where the Director waited for them.
« Welcome, all of you students, to Naranjuva Academy. » the man says with a smile. « I am Director Clavell. I hope your time here will be fulfilling. »
The man looks to be in his sixties, with mid length white hair, a pair of round glasses and a violet tuxedo with an orange tie.
The Director goes on a long explaination monologue about Naranjuva’s layout and the “treasure hunt” students here take part in. Corey doesn’t pay much attention whatsoever he is more thrilled about what comes next.
It being the dorm room discussion, and obviously Corey does everything in his power to share his room with Kieran—which he surprisingly manages to do.
Kieran is still somewhat brooding, and Corey thinks it’s high time that expression leaves his man’s face.
« You know, it’s kinda wild how it’s the Director himself that gave us a tour. If Lacey was here, she would bust Director Cyrano’s eardrums for always making her do it for him. » he says playfully, hoping for a reaction.
Thankfully, it works. A genuine laugh bursts out of Kieran and he smiles again. Even though there are still traces of brooding and unease on his face, Corey takes any win he can get.
« A smile suits you way better than an actual brooding face. » Corey says affectionately.
Kieran seems to finally realize how he’s been acting and looks down in shame. « I’m sorry… »
« Hey, you don’t have to tell me, I won’t ask. » Corey comes closer and puts a hand on Kieran’s face. « Not gonna lie, I WANT to know what got you down like that, but I'm not gonna squeeze it of of you, okay? »
« Thanks. » Kieran simply says, finally meeting Corey’s eyes with a newfound loving smile.
Corey lightly pinches his cheek. « That’s better. Now let’s have fun while we’re here. Can’t have you looking depressed for the whole trip. I don't wanna have people think I can't keep my boyfriend happy. » He finishes with a gentle kiss to Kieran’s lips, making him blush. Corey giggle in victory.
What follows is a long and intense makeout session on one of the beds that lasts for a good ten minutes until they’re called by Miss Briar.
Trying their hardest not to show their annoyance at being interrupted, both trainers get out of their dorm room and join the rest of the group in an auditorium. Miss Briar is on the stage, sitting off to the side, not planning to speak yet.
Another woman walks in and faces the BB students. She is wearing a black and dark blue tuxedo with matching gloves, all accented in gold. She exudes professionalism and competence, and her most striking feature is her giant tuft of dark hair flowing down in ribbon-like bangs.
« Greetings, Blueberry Academy students. » she begins in a gentle voice, matching her expression. « My name is Geeta Alisma. I am the chairwoman and Champion of the Paldean League. I wanted to personally welcome you all to our beautifull region. For the next three weeks you will spend here, you will experience our trademark treasure hunt that Naranjuva’s students take part in. I am sure Director Clavell mentioned it, but allow me to summerize it again. This treasure hunt does not have a defined objective—you make your own one. It is on you to go out, to find your goal, your treasure, and to reach it. »
There’s a small pause. Then her smile dims as she continues:
« That being said, I have to warn you. Even though you do not have any restriction regarding the cities and town you may visit, in the center of the region is a crater. This location is strictly off-limits for security reasons. Sanctions will befall anyone who ventures there despite the many warnings. »
Her smile returns as if she didn’t just warn everyone about a death pit. « I hope you enjoy your stay in Paldea. Remember that the Academy is here in case you have any questions or need any assistance—don’t hesitate to ask. Thank you, and have a wonderfull stay. »
She bows respectfully before taking her leave.
Miss Briar gets up and addresses the class next.
« Alright, students. I expect you to follow Miss Geeta’s words and not put yourselves in unecessary danger. Aside from that, starting tomorrow, you will be allowed to freely roam the region, but if you plan on spending nights in another city then you imperatively have to inform me beforehand, as I will be taking attendance each evening. That is all—now go and explore the academy grounds! »
She shoos the class out of the auditorium, seeming far too eager to be rid of the teenagers she’s supposed to be responsible for.
Corey just shrugs at that. He knows Miss Briar is obsessed with her research, so his money is on her just being excited to get back to it.
Despite normally being freakishly good with directions, Corey manages to get lost. That never happens—especially not inside a building—but this school somehow feels bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside.
The school has zero hallway signs except the tiny labels over doors, half of them being in Paldean. Corey is able to decipher some words but that's about it. In short: you know what room you’re in, but not where that room is in relation to anything else.
«Just great, Corey mutters in exasperation.
He roams the halls aimlessly, hoping he’ll magically stumble onto either his dorm or the entrance hall…but what he stumbles onto instead is the school library.
And in true Corey fashion, the moment he spots a history section sign, all thoughts of being lost evaporate. He’s never read anything about Paldean legends or myths. No chance he’s letting that slide.
He grabs half a dozen books— the Treasures of Ruin, the academy’s founding, and a few others—and finds a quiet table.
The only person sitting there is a girl with short dyed hair and glasses typing on her laptop at an alarming speed. Corey also notices that basically everything she owns is Eevee-themed. Even her backpack is shaped like one.
He’s not judging. Honestly? The aesthetic fits her.
«Excuse me,» Corey says as he approaches. «Are any of these seats taken?»
The typing stops immediately.
«Oh—hi.» She looks up and gives a small smile. «And no, take whatever seat you want.» She gestures, and Corey sits across from her. She studies him for a moment. «I’ve never seen you here. You're new?»
Corey shakes his head. «Nah. I’m from Blueberry. My class and I are here for the school trip. I’m Corey, by the way.»
«Penny,» she returns. She then notices the stack of books. «You’re gonna read all of that?» Her eyebrow lifts, amused.
«I’ll try. I’ve never looked into Paldea’s history, so I figured I’d take the chance.»
«History nerd, I see.» She teases.
«That just makes me hotter,» Corey says, running a hand through his hair with dramatic flair.
They both laugh—until the librarian shushes them.
They continue chatting in quieter voices until the bell rings, announcinglunch time. neither has finished what they came to the library for.
«Hey, Penny,» Corey asks as he packs up, «you wouldn’t happen to know where the cafeteria is, would you?»
Penny huffs a laugh. «Follow me, nerd.» She leads him there and waves goodbye before heading off the other way. Corey spots Kieran and Carmine at a table and slides in next to his boyfriend.
«Where the heck have you been?» Carmine asks between mouthfulls.
«Got lost, ended up in the library, talked to this girl who dropped me off here.» Corey shrugs and digs into his own food.
«YOU got lost?» Carmine’s voice is full of skepticism.
«Hey, it happens to the best of us. And it’s not my fault this school doesn’t believe in hallway signs.» Corey clutches his chest dramatically. «I’m a victim!»
«Sure,» Carmine says with a smirk, now that's ammo for later. «Who was that girl, anyway?»
«Her name’s Penny.»
Kieran freezes. Carmine shoots him a look.
Corey blinks. From what he’s seen, Penny seems cool—but Kieran’s reaction speaks volumes. Corey connects the dots pretty fast: Penny is almost certainly one of Florian’s friends, or at least connected to him.
Carmine hurries to change the subject. «So… what’re you planning to do tomorrow?»
«I think I’m gonna hit all the sweets shops in Mesagoza.» Corey lets the Penny topic go, trying to shut down the part of his brain that wants to go back to the Eevee girl and ask her about Florian.
Dinner stays awkward after that, all the way back to the dorms.
When they reach their room, Corey is feeling like shit.
He pulls Kieran into a quiet hug. «Sorry I made dinner awkward.»
«Don’t be. You didn’t know,» is all Kieran says. But Corey can hear the strain in his voice—he’s still bothered.
Corey kisses his cheek, slips under his blanket, and hopes tomorrow will feel lighter for both of them.
Notes:
Yes, I used Geeta's french name as her last name. That's just cause her french name soundsmore hispanic than the japanese or actual spanish ones to me and "Geeta Ságita" sounds kinda weird.
By the way, no Poké-Logs entries for this chapter (cause there is no pokémon appearing).
Anyway, see yall on Saturday!
Chapter 12: Chapter 12
Notes:
Hi there!
Another back and forth chapter here, but this is cute. I think. I hope. I would like it to be.Enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It’s barely 8 a.m., and Corey is already awake — which should earn him a medal because if there aren’t any classes, he’s basically allergic to mornings and stays in bed untill 11a.m.
He glances at the other bed in the dorm.
Kieran is still out cold, curled up and peaceful, and Corey gets dressed as quietly as he can. He decided that maybe giving Kieran a little space today wouldn’t hurt. The guilt still clings to him even if it’s stupid. There’s no universe where he could’ve guessed Penny was connected to whatever is bothering Kieran.
He shakes the thought off. Today’s supposed to be fun. His plan since the trip was announced: hit every ice cream shop in Mesagoza. All of them. But the excitement has this little hollow spot now without Uxie to share the spoils with.
Nope. Not doing that again.
He lightly slaps his cheeks. Three days of crying was enough to last a lifetime.
He leaves the academy in casual clothes: black jeans, a lime hoodie, white sneakers, sunglasses perched on his head like he’s an influencer caught off guard. Once he braves the endless stairs leading down from the academy to the city, the real mission begins.
The plaza smells like fresh churros and cotton candy. He stays strong. Ice cream comes first. He heads straight for the shop across the plaza, the one with giant windows and a huge ice cream cone above the door.
He rushes inside — almost tackling a poor stranger on the way — and finds the shop completely empty. Perfect.
The owner, a middle-aged woman, smiles at him, amused. «Well, young man, what can I get for you?»
Corey scans the display like he’s analyzing a battlefield. There are classics like berry flavored or chocolate… but also Nacli Salt, Teriyaki, and a Spicy Special?
He points decisively. «Spicy, Nacli, and Teriyaki. One of each, please.»
The shop owner laughs under her breath and starts scooping.
Soon, Corey’s outside with all three cups secured in a bag, sitting on the first bench he finds. He digs into the Nacli Salt first.
«Mmh. Not bad. Not the best though.» He says it like he’s hosting his own cooking show.
He finishes it and grabs the Teriyaki cup next. One bite and he nearly moans. «Oh my Arceus. That shit’s fire.»
He’s two spoonfuls deep when he notices something standing by the ice cream shop’s window — small, alone, and staring at the display like it just discovered religion.
A Ralts. Definitely wild. Definitely hungry. Definitely not sneaky about it.
Corey approaches, crouching beside it. The little Pokémon startles but doesn’t run.
«You want some, lil guy?» he asks, offering the cup.
Ralts flicks its gaze between Corey and the ice cream like it’s asking «Are you serious?»
Corey nods once. That’s all it needs before it digs in enthusiastically.
«Damn, you’ve got an appetite for your size.» Corey says, grinning. The Ralts blushes, embarrassed, which only makes Corey like it more. «Don’t worry, I'm no better. Eat as much as you want.»
The Pokémon slows down, trying to look polite, but keeps eating. Corey watches with a warm ache in his chest — it reminds him of sharing ice cream with Uxie. Not painfully, just a soft missing.
Ralts notices. It lifts the cup toward him, offering the rest.
Corey blinks, then smiles and takes a spoonful. They move back to the bench and finish the cup together. When it’s empty, Ralts looks disappointed, tiny shoulders drooping.
«And we’re just getting started,» Corey says, straightening up like he’s delivering a vow. «I refuse to sleep tonight before going through at least six more shops. You’re coming?»
Ralts perks up. The Pokémon practically vibrates with excitement.
Corey scoops him up and sets it on his shoulder. «You're gonna be Waltz from now on. Hope you like it.»
Waltz nods so hard Corey worries the little guy might fall off.
«Alright, Waltz,» Corey says, pointing dramatically toward the rest of Mesagoza. «Let’s make some shops run out of business!»
Kieran blinks awake and stretches, the red numbers on the alarm clock reading 9:38 a.m. He rubs his eyes, expecting to hear Corey snoring softly across the room.
But the other bed is empty. Completely empty. No messy bundle of blankets, no Corey-shaped chaos.
His heart drops for a second—until he spots a folded note on his bedside table.
He picks it up. «Sorry for last night again. I’ll be out, so take the day for yourself <3» it reads.
The handwriting is elegant and looping in the way a person like Corey’s absolutely shouldn’t be, but somehow is.
Kieran exhales in relief and drags himself to the bathroom for a quick shower before getting dressed. Now the problem is figuring out how to spend a full day without Corey around.
He decides to go train, not putting much thought into it.
The academy’s training ground is already lively when he arrives. He heads to one of the battle terrains, releases two of his Pokémon to spar while he waits, and it doesn’t take long before a nervous freshman steps onto the opposite side.
Incineroar mops the floor with the kid. Then with the next four students.
Kieran wins every match effortlessly… and he still can’t focus. His brain keeps drifting away from the battlefield.
"What is Corey doing right now?"
"Is he having fun?"
"An ice cream date does sound nice…"
He sighs loudly. Training clearly isn’t happening today.
Plan B: work out. If he can’t focus on his Pokémon, he should at least be able to focus on himself.
At least, that’s the idea. But ten minutes into the gym—an actual gym, not the battling kind—his thoughts circle right back to Corey anyway.
«Why am I so clingy?» he mutters, annoyed at himself.
But no matter how he tries to rationalize it, the truth stays the same: nothing makes him feel better than being around Corey. Training helps, sure, but it doesn’t compare. Not even close.
«Fuck it, I give up!»
He says it louder than he means to, earning several stares from students mid-workout. Face flushing, Kieran scrambles up, grabs his bag, and heads for the exit. New plan: find his boyfriend.
Meanwhile in the city, Corey has somehow managed to get kicked out of a candy shop. He didn’t even know it was possible, but after changing his mind seventeen times about what to buy, the shop owner clearly had enough.
«Wasn’t that much into candy anyway,» he huffs, pouting and puffing a cheek. Waltz giggles on his shoulder.
«What are you laughing at? I went in there to get YOU something, you ungrateful travel-sized brat!» Corey says in mock offense, grinning along.
They continue through Mesagoza, hopping from fruit stands to cotton candy vendors to bakeries, leaving no treat unexplored.
Along the way, they attract the attention of another little Pokémon: a Charcadet.
The small fire-type had spotted Corey and Waltz on a bench, sharing a Wattmel Berry cheesecake. Charcadet’s fiery blue eyes lock onto Waltz, who looks utterly delighted at the pastry, as if savoring a masterpiece.
Many would assume a fire-type Pokémon couldn’t blush—but here it is. The flame on Charcadet’s head sparks like a tiny firework, betraying its infatuation, no Attract needed.
The downside of being literally on fire? Stealth is not exactly your forte.
Corey notices the small living torch gawking at his new little friend and smirks. He nudges Waltz, who is distractedly licking frosting from his tiny hands. «Hey Waltz, looks like you’ve got yourself a cute flaming stalker.»
Waltz glances toward Corey’s finger, spotting the small Charcadet shyly peeking out from behind a streetlight. He freezes, suddenly self-conscious about how he’s been eating this whole time, and blushes, adjusting his posture to nibble elegantly.
Corey chuckles at the awkwardness, then gestures for Charcadet to join them on the bench. The fire-type hesitates at first but soon shuffles over, clumsily trying to look confident. Corey finds it absolutely adorable.
He fishes out a small cup of ice cream he just bought and sets it between the two Pokémon. «There you go, lovebirds.»
Waltz flushes at the remark, and Charcadet’s flame sparks again. Corey’s grin widens. «I’m calling you Flint for the sparks, and there's no take backs. Can’t have my little Waltz swoon over some random nameless guy,» he teases. The two Pokémon, too lost in blushing, ignore him. Corey rolls his eyes fondly and snaps his fingers to get them back to reality. «If you’re not eating it, I am.»
Waltz digs in first, letting out small pleased sounds at the fruity flavors. Flint follows, but as soon as his tiny armored hand reaches for the ice cream, it starts melting. Corey bursts out laughing, and Flint’s embarrassment only intensifies. Waltz giggles too, clearly finding the clumsiness endearing, while Flint sparks again from sheer blush.
«You look like Kiki when I make a sex joke,» Corey mutters between laughs, finally calming down a bit. Flint’s fiery fluster reminds him of Kieran—furious blushing, shy stalking—and Corey hopes Kieran’s day is as fun as his own. He’d love to spend it together, but wingman-ing for his new Pokémon is a decent alternative.
Kieran bursts through the academy gates and runs down the stairs overlooking the central plaza of Mesagoza. His eyes scan every shop around until they settle on one with a giant ice cream cone above the door.
He enters and is greeted by a woman who seems to be in her fifties. «Good afternoon. What would you like, young man?» she smiles at him.
«Eum… I’m not really here for ice cream,» Kieran says, a bit embarrassed, but continues. «I would like to know if you’ve seen a guy about this tall,» he gestures to about his eye level, «with black curls, grey eyes and a mole next to his left eye.» Kieran knows he must looks like a creep asking that, but he doesn’t care anymore.
The woman thinks for a moment before her face lights up. «Ah, yes! That boy came in this morning and ordered three of our special Paldean flavors.»
Kieran beams at the answer. «Do you know where he went afterward?»
«I think I saw him head to the east side of the city with one of his little Pokémon. That was three or four hours ago, though.»
«It’s okay. Thank you very much!» Kieran says, running off in the direction the woman indicated. He plans to ask around the snack shops, knowing Corey surely visited them all, so finding him shouldn’t be too hard. Right?
FOUR hours later, Kieran takes that thought back. Sure, almost all the shopkeepers remembered Corey—one even kicked him out—but he still has no idea where the Sinnohan went next. The last person he asked, a smoothie vendor, didn’t even remember which way Corey went.
Desperate, Kieran sighs. He spent the last several hours running around town, asking every sweets shop if they’d seen his sugar-addicted boyfriend, only to hit dead end after dead end.
"Guess I’ll see him at the dorms" he mentally sighs and heads back toward the academy. He was supposed to take the day for himself, and here he is, exhausted from chasing Corey around. For all he knows Corey might even be at the academy already.
He decides to take a shortcut through a small park with a fountain at its center. Halfway through, he hears a laugh. His eyes widen—it’s not just any laugh. It’s the most beautiful laugh he’s ever heard, his favorite laugh, Corey’s laugh.
Kieran looks around frantically, and there he is, sitting on a bench with two small Pokémon, laughing with them.
His legs move before his brain, and he’s already running toward the bench. He stops in front of Corey, who perks up in surprise.
Kieran takes a moment to look at him, and his mind stutters. Corey is wearing fitted black jeans, a light green hoodie, and a careless expression as he looks up at Kieran. Now that he thinks about it, he actually never saw the Sinnohan out of uniform before.
The perfect mix of cute and hot, that makes Kieran almost forget to breathe.
After several seconds of silence, Corey tilts his head and raises an eyebrow. «You good, Kiki?»
That snaps Kieran back to reality. «I’ve been looking for you all day,» he says, cheeks dusted pink.
Corey giggles. «You’ve been running all around town searching for me all day?» he asks, just to be sure.
Kieran only nods, making Corey laugh even harder. «You do realize you could’ve just called me and asked where I was?»
Silence. Kieran’s eyes widen, his face crimson at not thinking of such a simple solution. In his defense, it's not been that long since he got his Rotom phone. Corey, meanwhile, is full-on laughing.
After a moment, Corey grabs Kieran’s hand and pulls him onto the bench beside him, smiling, though now without teasing. «It’s sweet—and lowkey kinda hot—that you chased me around the whole city, but you should’ve taken the day for yourself.»
Kieran leans toward Corey. «I tried, but nothing cheers me up like you do… so I thought I might as well spend the day with you.» He checks his Rotom phone. «And I think there isn’t much of a day left to enjoy anyway.»
Corey rolls his eyes fondly and pulls a candy apple from the bag he’s been carrying. «Got this for you.» He hands it to Kieran, whose eyes light up. «I planned to give it to you when I'd get back to the dorm, but since you’re here…»
Kieran cuts him off with a kiss—all tongue, teeth, and reverence. Corey leans into it like his life depends on it. Their lips dance, tongues boldly exploring, fighting for do—
*Cough cough*
Their little tongue-wrestling is interrupted by the tiny armored torch at their side. Flint, arms crossed, taps his foot impatiently while Waltz is deliberately looking away, trying to hide his blush.
«My bad,» Corey giggles, not sorry in the slightest. He quickly introduces his new companions «Kiki, this is Waltz. Met him at my first ice cream shop, and now he’s mine!» Waltz chirps a greeting. «And that's Flint, his cute flamboyant stalker.» Flint places a tiny hand on his chest in salute.
«So you basically replaced me?» Kieran teases.
«Nah. Can’t really make out with them… or more than that,» Corey leans in, smirking. Kieran blushes furiously, and Corey cackles. Waltz and Flint join in, oblivious to the joke's meaning but loving the reaction.
The blush fades to a faint pink as Kieran watches Corey laugh, a small, genuine smile forming on his face. All those hours of running around vanish, leaving only this perfect moment.
«Rototototototot!» Both Rotom phones ring in unison. Kieran checks his to see a message from Miss Briar telling all students outside to return to the academy, except for those out of town. He sighs.
«Let’s go. I’m starving for a full meal.» Corey hops off the bench, picking up Waltz and placing him on his shoulder again. The only one who doesn’t move is Flint, who looks at Waltz with sad eyes. Corey notices, and so does Kieran.
«We can’t leave the little guy alone. I didn’t wingman all day just to separate them,» Corey says firmly, but looking at Kieran expectantly.
Kieran just shakes his head fondly, smiling and happy to oblige.
Kieran kneels to Flint’s level with a reassuring smile. «We won’t leave you, okay? If you’ll have me, I’ll be happy to welcome you to the team.»
Flint’s bright blue eyes sparkle, and he nods frantically, stealing glances at Waltz on Corey’s shoulder. Kieran giggles and presents a Poké Ball for Flint to tap, officially capturing him.
The Charcadet is immediately released, over the moon. «Now let’s go back to the academy, Charcadet,» Kieran says, but the Pokémon seems confused.
«Flint?» Corey tries, and Flint perks up immediately. «Oh, I get it now. You’ll have to call him that from now on.»
«Why’s that?»
«I think he got used to the name.» Corey shrugs «I’ve been calling him that the entire day after all.»
Kieran isn’t usually inspired to nickname his Pokémon so he refrains, but he actually likes that name. «Flint it is, then. Now we really should head back before getting in trouble.»
The two boys make their way to Naranjuva with their newly acquired Pokémon, though Kieran has to stop Corey from buying yet another churros bucket on the way back.
Notes:
A living firework-blushing Flint is such a precious image.
By the way, did you catch it?
Chapter 13: Chapter 13
Notes:
Back with some battling with Tesla for once!
PS: posted that chapter a bit sooner than scheduled cause I'll be in a place with no internet for the next two day.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
After yesterday's events, Kieran’s been stuck to Corey like a Shellder to a Slowpoke’s tail. From breakfast to mid-afternoon he never went farther than arm’s length from him — not that Corey complains, though. He actually likes to see girls ogling Kieran, only to notice the Kitakamian's hand either on his waist or shoulder, and then seeing their expressions turn to utter disappointment.
They have nothing planned for the day and the mood is pretty cozy, so they decide to just lie under a tree in one of Mesagoza’s parks.
Kieran is napping, head on Corey’s way-too-squishy thighs, while the Sinnohan tries to doodle in his notebook. Waltz and Flint are off to the side doing whatever they qualify as flirting. And the Copperajah in the room: two whole meters of Tesla wrapped around Corey, clicking from time to time.
«Thank Arceus you’re light and you can levitate. You’re not on the small side, you know?» he says to his Eelektross, who tightens her “hug” a bit more as she coos. Corey rolls his eyes fondly before returning to his doodling attempts as best he can with a full-grown Pokémon wrapped around him.
It’s all calm and sunshine until a voice rings out of nowhere. «Excuse me, you’re students from Blueberry, right?»
Corey lifts his eyes, and there stands a guy in Naranjuva uniform smiling down at him.
«Yeah?» Corey says, «You need something?»
The guy scratches the back of his head. «Eum, I just wanted to know if you’d be okay with a battle. It’s rare we get people from other schools here.»
Corey didn’t expect the request, but the idea of a battle is quite tempting right now. His doodles look like crap with Tesla on him anyway, and even though he likes having Kieran in his lap, he’s not against stretching his legs a bit.
«Alright, I’m in. Just let me…» He smirks and plucks one of Kieran’s hairs off, making him screech, jump up, and rub the spot.
«What was that for?» he almost whines, looking at Corey like he had just been betrayed.
«Sorry to interrupt a dream that was surely about me, Kiki, but that guy there asked for a battle and it would be way easier for me if I could stand up.» Corey pets Kieran’s head where he was rubbing just seconds ago. Kieran pouts at his lovely nap being taken away from him but ehe ventually gets up.
Corey dusts himself, Tesla still on him, and he turns to the student. «Hope we find an empty field in the school’s courtyard.»
The three boys return to the academy and go up to the training area. Corey and his challenger — Simon — both assume their positions on each side of the field. Kieran is sitting crossed-legged on the side with Flint, Waltz, and Tesla next to him, all looking attentively at the battle to come.
«So, what are the terms?» Corey asks with growing excitement, already readying a Poké Ball.
«Two against two. I only have two Pokémon,» Simon smiles back as he also gets his Poké Ball ready.
«Fine by me.» Corey then turns to their small audience with a playful smile. «Tesla, you’re in.»
The Eelektross perks up and clicks happily as she hovers off the ground and floats to her trainer’s side.
Simon looks pretty confident despite having to face an Eelektross from the start.
«Ok, here we go!» Simon says, throwing his Poké Ball.
Out of it comes what looks like a Tentacruel, but different. For starters, it is standing upright on its tentacles, is black and yellow instead of blue and red, and basically looks like a walking fungus.
«Is that supposed to be a regional Tentacruel?» Corey asks, unsure.
Simon nods. «Yes, it’s a Paldean Tentacruel, or Toadscruel.» The Pokémon perks at the enthusiasm in its trainer’s voice.
«Neat,» Corey says. «Now if you’ll allow us to start. Tesla, Discharge.»
Tesla is already slithering full speed toward Toadscruel and unleashes a burst of electricity at point-blank.
Corey knows that regional variants can change typings, but they usually either look obvious or sometimes share typings with their more widespread counterparts. From the name and appearence, Corey deduced that Toadscruel must be Grass-type, so he guesses it to be Water and Grass-type.
But when Tesla retreats after her Discharge, Toadscruel didn’t move at all and looks like nothing happened. Corey's eyes are blown wide.
«Wait… that’s a Ground-type?»
«Yep! Toadscruel is a Ground and Grass-type Pokémon!» Simon answers. His Pokémon acts smug about it.
Corey at least got one out of the two typings type right. But having the confirmation does reassure him. If Tesla is good at something, it’s polyvalence.
«So no Discharge then. Tesla, what about some grilled mushrooms?» Corey playfully asks his Pokémon, who catches on quick and fires a Flamethrower at Toadscruel. But the fungus Pokémon dodges with incredible speed, running around on its eight tentacles with Tesla struggling to keep up as she keeps firing. That's annoying both Corey and Tesla.
«It’s our turn now! Use Spore!»
Toadscruel makes a sharp turn and jumps over Tesla, spreading a cloud of spores on her. The result is almost instant: Tesla wobbles a bit before limply falling to the ground, fast asleep.
Okay, that’s bad.
«Use Earth Power!» Simon shouts, making Corey’s eyes go wide again.
«Oh shit.»
Toadscruel plants its two other tentacles in the ground and before long, a geyser erupts from under Tesla, hitting her full force and sending her into the air before she comes crashing back down. She took a big chunk of damage, but at least the strength of the hit managed to wake her up.
«You good?» the Sinnohan asks his Pokémon, who responds with a cheerful click even though she is pretty roughed up. But Corey can see that Tesla is pissed.
«Roast them again!» he tells Tesla, and she does — but Toadscruel again scampers around, dodging the attack. It seems to want to do its Spore stunt again, but Corey isn’t the type to get tricked twice. «Now! Grab 'em!»
Tesla suddenly stops spitting fire and grabs one of Toadscruel’s tentacles when it gets in range and slams the Pokémon into the ground. She then wraps herself around Toadscruel, making sure to bind its many legs and securing her grip with her hands’ suction cups.
«Now it’s time for that roasted shroom we talked about,» Corey says with a smirk.
Tesla’s fangs start to glow green as she prepares her Leech Life. She bites down on Toadscruel’s head, then begins to siphon the Pokémon’s energy, healing her wounds in the process.
Simon is beginning to panic. «Get out of there, Toadscruel!»
The Grass/Ground-type tries, but it barely manages to free one of its tentacles. But doesn’t matter; Tesla’s grip is too tight.
Toadscruel grows weaker and weaker each second, until it stops struggling. Only then does Tesla release it, waddling back to Corey like she didn’t just suck the life out of her opponent. Simon looks actually scared, but Corey quickly reassures him.
«Don’t worry, Toadscruel’s gonna be fine. Tesla only took enough to make it faint. It’ll just be kinda weak for one or two days, so feed it a lot in the meantime.» He says, feeling kinda bad at having worried the freshman about his Pokémon’s life.
«Oh, thank goodness.» Simon exhales in relief. «So that's one round for you.»
«I guess,» Corey responds. «You almost got me there.»
The previous mood is back. Corey only now notices Kieran and the two small lovebirds applauding. That just makes him smugger, and he bows down to them dramatically like a magician on stage.
«Eum…» Simon interjects, getting Corey out of his ego trip.
«Sorry.» The Sinnohan turns back to his opponent. «So, who’s next?»
Simon smiles, already throwing his second Poké Ball. The light that comes out of it dims to reveal a huge, four-meters-tall Pokémon that can only be described as a pyramid with limbs.
Both Corey and Tesla look up at the thing with wide eyes. That’s a long way from Toadscruel. «What is this now?» Corey dumbly points at the foreign Pokémon.
«This is Garganacl, my partner Pokémon.» The rock Pokémon rumbles.
Corey is still pretty confident despite how imposing his opponent is. Sure, it looks to be Rock-type and Tesla knows no super-effective moves against it, but he's sure he can come up with something.
«Okay, ready when you are,» Corey says.
Simon doesn’t waste any time. «Iron Defense!» Garganacl immediately shines in a thin metallic glow.
Corey just smiles. That's actually easy to counter. «Tesla, you know what to do.»
And Tesla does. She slithers closer and Acid Sprays Garganacl several times. After that many shots, Garganacl should be as fragile as—
Nothing happened.
Garganacl doesn’t move an inch and just lets the acid ooze off its hardened body without having any effect.
«What the fuck?!» Corey wants to call bullshit; even Tesla looks scandalized. How can Acid Spray have no effect when Garganacl didn’t even try to react to it?
«It won’t work. You can’t weaken a Garganacl. They’re just like that,» Simon says cheerfully. That’s flat out cheating if you ask Corey.
«Plan B then. Tesla, suck it drier than it already is!» Tesla is already zooming toward Garganacl, coils around its top section, and tries to bite down with Leech Life.
But on top of being unable to bite into the solid rock that makes up Garganacl’s body, Tesla violently recoils. She spits and gags like she just tasted garbage.
«Oh yes, Garganacl’s body is mainly made of salt,» Simon informs.
Corey isn’t the type to be mean to people, but being on the receiving end of cheerful comments while losing pisses him off. Even though he knows Simon isn’t mocking him, it still annoys him.
That’s supposed to be his thing.
«Now Salt Cure!» Simon instructs.
Garganacl approaches Tesla — who is still busy trying to get the overwhelming taste of salt out of her mouth — and literally just sprinkles salt on her. It takes less than ten seconds for visible crystals to form on Tesla’s body. When her attention comes back to the battle, the crystals are already so big they slow her down to the point she can barely move.
«Finish it with Hammer Arm, Garganacl!»
«Oh no,» is all Corey has time to say before Garganacl’s arm smashes into a defenseless Tesla, denting the arena’s ground.
When Garganacl lifts it arm back up, Tesla is lying limply among the shattered salt crystals.
Okay. Now Corey’s competitive spirit flares up. He is NOT losing this battle. No foreign tricks are gonna beat HIM: THE guy who makes a point tricking his opponents. He returns Tesla to her Poké Ball and decides to brings out the big gun. He pulls out a dark blue and green ball.
Kieran smugly giggles when he sees it. «Wowzers, he’s pissed.» Flint and Waltz tilt their heads in confusion, but since Kieran doesn't seem the least bit worried, they are not too.
Corey throws the ball without a word, and out comes the powerhouse.
Snap appears, green scarf on like always, and yawns like he just woke up from a nap. But once he’s done, he sharply looks at Garganacl. The definition of locked in.
«Wow, a Garchomp. That’s so cool!» Simon is in awe.
«That’s Snap,» is all Corey says, only focused on winning. Pettiness at its finest.
Thankfully Simon is totally oblivious to the mood shift and remains cheerful.
Corey lifts a hand, and then he just snaps his fingers.
In the blink of an eye, Snap is already right in Garganacl’s face as he rears back and slams a violent Iron Head into the Rock-type’s mid-section. The blow is powerfull enough to make Garganacl slide back a couple meters — but it’s still standing.
«Wow,» Simon mutters, amazed by the strength of the attack. But he quickly refocuses «Use Hammer Arm!»
Garganacl goes to smash Snap just like it did Tesla minutes before, but only hits the ground. Snap barely moved — just enough to be out of the way.
«Again!» Simon shouts.
Garganacl goes for another Hammer Arm but this time Snap just blocks it with his Iron Head. Snap is just standing there, with Garganacl's arm on his metal coated head trying to put as much force as it can in the attack.
«Do the thing,» Corey calmly says.
Snap suddenly jumps. His head is still coated in metal, but he begins to glow purple. He engulfs himself in a purple, dragon shaped aura and dives right at Garganacl with a Dragon Rush-powered Iron Head. The impact is so strong it slightly shakes the ground, and the crash echoes through the training fields. Snap lazily steps out of the dust cloud and waddles back to Corey.
«Good job, bud.» Corey praises his partner, scratching Snap’s rough-scaled head and getting happy rumbling sounds out of him.
When the dust settles, and Garganacl is on its back in a shallow crater, as out cold as living rock can be.
«Aww, I lost.» Simon is a bit disappointed, but that was fun. He recalls his Pokémon and scuttles to Corey. «You’re so strong. That was a great battle!» he says with a smile.
Corey finally snaps out of his earlier pride-driven mood and at least has the decency to look ashamed.
«Sorry, I shouldn’t have gone that hard.» He scratches his black curls. «You’re pretty good yourself.» He offers a sweet smile and a handshake.
Simon leaves after some more praise, and Kieran finally stands up. «Didn’t take you for the type to get mad at a kid like that,» he says with a playful smile.
Corey full-on pouts, puffing a cheek. «I didn’t mean to, okay? I just didn’t wanna get beaten by a kid who uses tricks I could use.» He even huffs at the end.
«You know, you’re pretty cute when you’re upset.» He giggles; the pouting face and the puffed cheek are the most adorable things on Earth in his opinion.
«Then I’m revoking your thigh privilege, Champ.»
Kieran’s face falls. «You can’t do that!»
«I can and I will.» Corey huffs, Kieran looks even more mortified. He turns to the side just in time to hide the smile breaking through his pouty face from the Kitakamian.
«ARCEUS MIO!» A voice interrupts the couple’s exchange. The owner of that voice doesn’t waste a second to be known and sprints toward them. «That was incredible!»
It’s a girl — an upperclassman by the looks. She wears the typical Naranjuva uniform, a magenta arm brace, and some green locks falling over her forehead amidst her mainly black hair tied in a poneytail. The girl is oozing enthusiasm and energy.
Both Blueberry boys startle at first until Corey decides to speak up. «Eum, you are?»
Before the loud girl can answer, three other students catch up to her.
«Nemona, why’d you run off like that?» a guy with medium-long, shaggy blond hair says, panting and barely catching his breath.
The second person has Corey’s eyes widen. It’s Penny. So that means the last brown-haired boy — who is very deliberately avoiding looking at Kieran — can only be one person.
"So this is Florian", Corey thinks with gritted teeth.
Kieran has gone as quiet as a grave and is also looking away. Corey’s face goes from startled confusion to ice-cold in less than a second. He instinctively grabs Kieran’s arm, tight.
«Hi Corey,» Penny says, her tone as friendly as when he first met her.
«Hi Penny.» His tone is dry — no smugness, no teasing. All the while he glares daggers at Florian. «Those are your friends, I guess?»
«Yep! I’m Nemona, this is Arven, you already know Penny, I see, and this is Florian!» Nemona points to each one as she introduces them. Now Corey has firsthand confirmation. «I watched your battle just now and it was so cool and you looked strongsoIwantedtoaskifyouwanttobattlemetoo!» she babbles so fast it’s hard to decipher a single word, but Corey doesn't care to at the moment.
«Well, it's cool meeting you all, but my Pokémon needs healing and my boyfriend and I need to get somewhere, so, see ya.» he says, his voice void of warms and sunding like a typical excuse. But Corey doesn't even try to hide it.
«Wait— and our battle?» Nemona tries, but Corey is already dragging Kieran away without even acknowledging her.
«Did I say something wrong?» Nemona turns to her friends, confused. She only gets a shrug from both Penny and Arven, but none of them notice how Florian looks at the couple getting away, a guilty expression on his face.
Notes:
Am I the only one to think that convergent evolutions are bullshit and should have been regional forms from the start?
(Previous comment deleted.)
Massssssssu on Chapter 1 Thu 11 Dec 2025 09:37PM UTC
Last Edited Thu 11 Dec 2025 09:37PM UTC
Comment Actions
DontAskTheButterflysName on Chapter 3 Thu 11 Dec 2025 05:38PM UTC
Comment Actions
Massssssssu on Chapter 3 Thu 11 Dec 2025 09:29PM UTC
Last Edited Thu 11 Dec 2025 09:40PM UTC
Comment Actions
GSintex on Chapter 8 Wed 03 Dec 2025 04:18AM UTC
Comment Actions
Massssssssu on Chapter 8 Wed 03 Dec 2025 07:59AM UTC
Comment Actions
GSintex on Chapter 9 Fri 05 Dec 2025 05:07AM UTC
Comment Actions
Massssssssu on Chapter 9 Sat 06 Dec 2025 02:21PM UTC
Last Edited Sat 06 Dec 2025 10:48PM UTC
Comment Actions
Nani_Dafaq on Chapter 12 Mon 15 Dec 2025 01:15AM UTC
Comment Actions
Massssssssu on Chapter 12 Mon 15 Dec 2025 08:08AM UTC
Comment Actions