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EVERYONE: - Ongoing Toron's Fanfics, Ficlets, and Drabbles

Researcher Rendezvous
Whoo! This took a long while to make! Sorry for the wait! A little foreshadowing for what I plan to do for the future of my fanverse can be found here. I just hope that I can put those plans in motion soon. They're still in development as of now. I'm also trying a new method of writing Pokemon dialogue. A third person omnipotent style.
Nevertheless, this fanfic also introduces my take on one of my personal favorite Pokémon characters!

Rating: T for Teen

Researcher Rendezvous

Two Island, Sevii Islands. 8:04am



Bugsy arrives at Two Island and roams around. This was actually the first time he’s visited the Sevii Islands, so he made sure he kept a map on hand. Why was he here? Well, he had to meet a fellow expert on Pokémon. A professor. Someone other than Professor Elm or Oak. It’s been a long time since he last met this other professor anyway.

Bugsy checks his map again. This was the right island, right?
“Hm…” He thinks for a moment as he walks. “I’m not too late, am I?” He doesn’t seem to be paying attention to the sound of heels clacking from behind him. “The Walking Bug Encyclopedia.” Said a tall, curvy, and wet dark plum haired woman in a purple one piece swimsuit and white lab coat that acted like a towel. “Wannabe Professor Bugsy. We meet again.” She added.

Bugsy turns around.
“Oh! Professor Ivy!” Bugsy said as he looked up at her. “Been a long time!” He adds. “That it has. How have you been holding up?” Professor Ivy said as she looked down at him. “I’ve been holding up alright. Been thrown for a loop here and there but I’ve been okay.” Bugsy said. “I’ve come with the notes you’ve requested, Professor!” He adds. “Ah. Perfect. We may discuss them over some breakfast.” Professor Ivy walks past him and beckons him to follow. Bugsy was taken a bit aback by her beauty. Did she always look so pretty? Were her hips and rear always that- Wait. Snap out of it Bugsy! You came to share your notes. He runs after the professor.

Inside Professor Ivy’s lab, Bugsy shows her the notes she requested of him.
“Studying how bug types can adapt and live on coastal and aquatic areas was a great topic to research!” Bugsy said. “Pinsirs love the hot sun and sand, which isn’t too surprising since they don’t like the cold. I suspect that the warmer the Pinsir is, the more energy they have.” He adds. He remembered how excited and energetic his Pinsir acted when they had a little beach day. He’s never seen it so full of vigor. “Very good. Very good.” Professor Ivy said as she flips through Bugsy’s writings. “Judging from how much you wrote, you were enthusiastic about this topic. A bit… TOO enthusiastic.” She comments. Bugsy even dedicated multiple pages of notes to one Pokémon, resulting in a lot of papers to comb through.

“Um… Professor? If I may ask, can I demonstrate to you my findings?” Bugsy asks. Professor Ivy raises an eyebrow. “Hm? Wait… you wish to battle me?” She asks. “Yeah! I can show you how bug Pokémon act in coastal areas like this!” Bugsy nods. Professor Ivy shrugs and stands up from her desk. “You sure, kiddo? I ain’t much of a fighter nowadays. I’m a researcher, not a rumbler.” She said, rolling her arm. “But I guess a girl like me should get a battle in, huh?”

The two migrate outside to a battlefield. Bugsy looks at his Pokéballs before grabbing two. He tossed them upwards, releasing Scyther and Scizor, his ever reliable sibling duo. “Let’s do this, professor!” Bugsy said, getting excited. “Oh! And Scizor, try not to let the heat get to you too much!” He calls out to his steel type partner. “Got it.” Scizor nods, flapping its wings quickly to regulate its body heat. “You gonna be okay, sis?” Scyther asks. “I’m more worried about you, little brother.” Scizor replied. The bug types enter battle ready stances.

Professor Ivy grabs 2 Pokéballs of her own.
“Hm… Well, I’ll show you two of my best partners.” She tosses them up, “Raticate! Poliwrath! Let’s dust off those fighting bones of yours!” The balls send out Raticate and Poliwrath, who seem relieved to be in battle again. “Raaaah!” Raticate cries. “Hraaaah!” Poliwrath flexes. “Raticate may not look like it, but you’d be surprised how good it can be in water.” Ivy said.

Bugsy then gets an idea.
“Hey Professor, have you ever thought of being a gym leader?” He asks. Ivy tilts her head. “I mean… maybe. Probably back in the day. But those days are long past me.” She replied. “Besides, I may specialize in Pokémon that can handle water well, but being a full blown water trainer? Nah. I prefer type variety.” She shook her head. “Then again, I wouldn’t mind the position, even if I doubt I'd ever get the part.” She sighs.

Bugsy walks to the sides of the battlefield and briefly sends out Ariados, who sends out strings of silk to tie his Pokégear in a position where the camera could capture the whole battlefield.
“Well, I’ll make this your audition of sorts!” He said as he recalled Ariados. Ivy gets a bit flustered. “B-Bugsy. Kiddo. I appreciate it, but I don’t see myself being a gym leader. I can’t dedicate myself to a single type.” She laughs a bit, partially out of nervousness. “Maybe you can specialize in a certain variety of Pokémon! In your case, ones that handle water!” Bugsy replied as he walked back into position after starting the camera’s countdown. “It’s just an idea, that’s all. And as a researcher, you should know that ideas, whether good or bad, are worth at least some consideration.” He adds. Ivy contemplates those words. “Huh. Well… Alright. Let’s get this audition started.” She said, shrugging.

The camera’s countdown ended and it started recording. Professor Ivy made the first move.
“Raticate, Hyper Fang! Poliwrath, Mud Shot!” She issues her command. The rat and tadpole duo go for their attacks. “Scizor, dodge that! Scyther, X-Scissor!” Bugsy calls out. Scizor avoids the Mud Shot and charges ahead at Poliwrath, leaving Scyther to use X-Scissor to clash with Raticate’s Hyper Fang. “Scizor! Bullet Punch!” Bugsy commands. “Hmph! Hyah!” Scizor attacks with a flurry of punches on the vulnerable water type. “Ngh! Hrrmph…” Poliwrath was forced to defend, but it did take some hits.

Scyther was trying to shake Raticate off.
“Flame Wheel!” Ivy ordered. Raticate backs off before rolling into a flaming ball and charging ahead, landing a direct hit on Scyther. “YAAAH!” Raticate cries out after the attack sends Scyther recoiling. It remained standing however. “Aerial Ace! Don’t let up!” Bugsy calls. Scyther nodded and flew ahead at high speed. “Shah!” Scyther shouts as it slashes at Raticate, landing several blows. “Raticate, try Bubble Beam!” Ivy calls out. When Raticate has a moment to breathe, it opens its mouth and fires a stream of bubbles at Scyther. “Tah!”

“Ngh!” Scyther got hit in the wing, but it still kept up the assault. Although, the bubbles did slow it down noticeably. This gave Raticate the chance to reposition. “Scyther, don’t let it get away! Use Night Slash!” Bugsy calls. “Hah!” Scyther goes to slash, but it misses! “Wha- Drrrgh!” Scyther was getting irritated. Dang. Professor Ivy’s good! “Cool moves, professor!” Bugsy comments. “Heh. I’m surprised I can still kick ass even at my age. Good to know that I haven't gotten rusty as I grow old.” Ivy said. “Old?! Professor, you look like you could be a model with a figure like yours!” Bugsy replied, but gained a blush upon realizing what he blurted out. “Heh. Thanks kid. I was thinking about getting some photos of me taken. Your comments kinda help my confidence.” Ivy gives a slight laugh. She may only be in her 30s by now, but the comments of a young man like Bugsy.

Scizor kept up the Bullet Punch onslaught on Poliwrath.
“Poliwrath, catch it with Ice Punch!” Professor Ivy called out to Poliwrath. “Hah!” Poliwrath uses Ice Punch to collide with one of Scizor’s Bullet Punches. “Don’t give up, Scizor!” Bugsy said as he mimics Scizor going for a punch its free hand. It was met with the same result though. Blocked by Ice Punch. Bugsy now realized his error. “Uh oh…” He said. “What’s wrong, bug boy? Looks like you… froze up.” Ivy smirks as Poliwrath’s Ice Punch slowly begins to freeze Scizor’s hands. “Oh you clever son of a…” Bugsy mumbles under his breath.

Scyther and Raticate continue fighting. The mantis’s blades were sharp and quick, but the rat remained on its toes.
“Raticate, Hyper Fang!” Ivy said. “HIIII-RAH!” Raticate uses Hyper Fang, landing a critical hit on Scyther. “Ngah!” Scyther got sent right to the floor. “Scyther!” Bugsy was surprised. “Now! Flame Wheel!” Ivy commands. Raticate rolls up and comes crashing down on Scyther. Bugsy saw an opportunity. “Scizor! Help out your little brother!” He said. “On it.” Scizor kicks Poliwrath lightly to free itself from the water type’s grasp before flying as quickly as it could over to Scyther. “Not so fast, kid. Poliwrath, Mud Shot!” Ivy wags her finger, not intending on letting Scizor get away. Poliwrath fires off Mud Shot, but Scizor weaves to avoid the attack. “Scizor! Block that Flame Wheel!” Bugsy ordered. Scizor blocks Raticate’s Flame Wheel using its frozen hands. The ice thaws out and Scizor shoves the rat off. “So that was your plan!” Ivy said, surprised. “Now Close Combat!” Bugsy called to Scizor, who did just that. The barrage of blows overwhelmed Raticate before it got sent flying towards Poliwrath. “AUUUUGH!” Raticate fainted!

Professor Ivy recalled Raticate, sending it back to its Pokéball for now.
“Good work, Raticate.” She said before putting the ball away. “I noticed your Scizor was moving faster than I expected. Is that due to the tropical climate?” She asked. Bugsy nodded as Scizor helped its brother up. “Yeah! Scizors flap their wings to regulate their body heat. The flapping gets faster as its body heat increases, also increasing its speed! In a hot tropical climate like this, it’s gonna be zipping around fast!” Bugsy explains. Scizor was panting but she could still fight just fine. “Scyther! Scizor! Good job! Come back!” Bugsy recalls both bugs, knowing they’ve taken a beating already. Ivy seems a bit confused. “You’re recalling ‘em both?” She asks as Bugsy pulls out a different Pokéball.

“Let’s go Pinsir!” He throws the ball, sending out Pinsir. “Hah! Hrahaha!” Pinsir seemed energetic and peppy, eager to scrap. “I wanna show you just how Pinsir acts in a hot place like this! Now X-Scissor!” Bugsy commands. Pinsir goes for the attack, moving surprisingly fast for something of its bulk. “Poliwrath, Waterfall!” Professor Ivy shouts.

Pinsir and Poliwrath’s attacks connect, although Poliwrath was knocked off balance for a moment.
“Quick Attack!” Bugsy said. “EYAH!” Pinsir rushes ahead quickly and tackles into the water type, knocking it to the floor. “Ngh…” Poliwrath was stunned a bit but got up. “Poliwrath! Remain strong!” Ivy ordered. Poliwrath nods. “Okay, let’s try to wrap this fight up! Submission!” Bugsy said. Pinsir grabs hold of Poliwrath, leaps up, and comes crashing back down while spinning. Such energy. Ivy smirked a bit. “Trying a fighting attack on us? Really? Poliwrath! Take control of it! Waterfall!” She said. Poliwrath, despite the tough spot, obliges. It grabs Pinsir and joins in the spinning engulfing itself with water as it crashes down. Upon impact with the ground, the splashing water and kicked up sand causes some confusion on both sides. When things got cleared up, both Pokémon stood. Pinsir was actually reeling from Submission’s recoil! “Pinsir, snap out of it!” He calls out.

“Dynamic Punch!” Ivy shouts. “PrrrrYAH!” Poliwrath lands the devastating blow right into Pinsir, sending it flying back. The stag beetle is left dazed and confused. “Again!” Ivy commands. Poliwrath goes for another Dynamic Punch. “Pinsir! Get a hold of yourself!” Bugsy called out to his bug companion. Its stumbling managed to avoid the Dynamic Punch just barely! “Ugh…” Pinsir groaned. “Boss…” It mumbles before it comes back to its senses. “B-Boss!” Pinsir said while frantically shaking its head. “Here it comes again!” Bugsy warns. Poliwrath was coming in for another Dynamic Punch. “Quick Attack!” Bugsy commands.

“Hmph! Hrah!” Pinsir quickly zipped into Poliwrath, tackling it. “Wrah! Ngh..” Poliwrath got knocked off balance. “Now X-Scissor!” Bugsy issues the decisive order. Pinsir attacks with X-Scissor, knocking Poliwrath to the ground. It’s over!

Professor Ivy recalls Poliwrath and smiles.
“Great job, Poliwrath.” She said as she put the ball away. “I think we can stop here, Bugsy.” She said to Bugsy. “I hear you, professor!” Bugsy replied as he recalled Pinsir. “Everyone did great!” Bugsy comments. He then walks over to his Pokégear, grabs it from its silky stand, and stops the recording. “You’re pretty good, professor!” Bugsy said as he looked back at the video. “Thanks. I used to be a pretty solid battler back in the day. Good to know I still got the edge at least a little.” Professor Ivy walks over to Bugsy. “And your bug types. Your research definitely showed.” She comments as she puts her hands in her labcoat’s pockets.

When they went back into the lab to cool off and look through more notes, Professor Ivy took notice of Venomoth pages Bugsy wrote.
“Hey Bugsy, what’s this about you having a volunteer help you with researching Venomoth?” Ivy asked. Bugsy responds with a faint blush. “Well… about that… Promise me you won’t tell anyone.” Bugsy said. Ivy nods. “I can keep a secret. So get to explaining.” She said, setting the notes down.

“Sabrina and I have been really close lately. She helped me out with this research by using her own Venomoth.” Bugsy explained. “Ah. I had a feeling you had a thing going on with her! I saw you in that Poké Super Heroes movie and I heard you on the radio. Tell me, was that song you sang about her?” Ivy leans in with a smug grin. Bugsy shrugs. “Frankly, me and Falkner just chose that song because we wanted to duet on something, ha ha!” He chuckled a little before his face morphed to one of… worry.

“But Sabrina… Look, in the past, I was sorta just acting like I was a fearless bug expert in battle, but deep down, I’m kinda just barely keeping things together. I’m kinda insecure about things. I’m considered one of the weaker gym leaders in the world despite my position as bug type authority. Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing the bug type justice with my battles, y’know? I’m just a boy obsessed with bugs, after all.” Bugsy admits. “Sabrina… She kinda makes me feel more confident about myself… The false bravery I use to hide my insecurities becomes real when I think about her. And now it’s kinda rubbing off on me. I’ve been feeling more convinced that maybe… Just maybe..” He pulls out a Hive Badge he kept in his pocket and stares at it. For years he’s been the bearer of the badge as a reminder of his position in the world. A representative of bug type potential. Before, he was just barely confident about his abilities to hold this badge. But lately, he’s been more and more sure. “...I can postpone my retirement by a few more years.” Bugsy smiles as he puts the badge back in his pocket.

Professor Ivy smiled.
“Aw… I’m glad she helps you out in more ways than one.” She said as she stood up and walked over to Bugsy. “And speaking of confidence, thanks for helping my own confidence. Who knows? I might have what it takes to be a gym leader.” Her hand ruffles Bugsy’s lavender hair, sparking a little giggle from him. It made him think for a moment though. Confidence… It’s a fickle but powerful thing, isn’t it?
 
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A Shine in a Swarm
Like I said, I got things planned for my fanverse! And this is teasing another one of those things! Y'all get 2 fanfics made today! I got all kinds of stuff I wanna write for my fanverse, but the BrainHive brainrot is still powerful. I gotta get some wholesome stuff out too.

Rating: E for Everyone

A Shine in a Swarm

Route 34, Johto Region. 8:30am



This morning, news of a swarm of Pokémon showing up on Route 34 alerted the attention of many trainers. Route 34 is the route that connects Ilex Forest to Goldenrod, meaning that this swarm could seep into the city, or even Ilex Forest. Sabrina, who just arrived from the Maglev Train, made a beeline to Route 34. However, it seems she was beaten to the punch by the city’s pink haired gym leader.

“Oh! Hey Sabrina!” Whitney waved over. Her Ursaring battles the swarming horde. It was a Ralts family outbreak! “Just visiting?” Whitney asks the psychic mistress. “Um… yes. You could say that. But I wasn’t expecting you to be here.” Sabrina replied as she reached for a Pokéball to throw. Upon tossing it, her Gallade comes out. “Gallade, Brick Break!” Sabrina commands the blade Pokémon to attack.

The horde was getting stronger. It wasn’t just Ralts around, but Kirlias too! Gardevoirs and Gallades even! While Whitney and Ursaring could handle it just fine, Sabrina and Gallade provided handy support.
“Ursaring! Keep on Thrashing!” Whitney calls out. “ROOOOORAH!” Ursaring keeps using Thrash, ravaging the horde. Suddenly, its rampage was stopped by a Gardevoir catching its arm and holding Ursaring in place with its telekinetic power. A… surprisingly large Gardevoir. An… Alpha! “Fool!” The fairy type opens its other palm, aiming for Ursaring’s chest. Whitney realized the position. “Whoa whoa! Ursaring! Back off!” Whitney commands, but Ursaring was still under Thrash’s effects, unable to hear the incredibly pretty girl’s warnings. “Ngh… NGH!” Ursaring tried to move, but to no avail. Gardevoir’s open palm charges a blue sphere of energy. Aura Sphere!

Sabrina thought fast.
“Gallade!” She telepathically spoke to her Pokémon. “Right!” After striking down a group of fellow Gallade, Sabrina’s Pokémon makes a leap to Ursaring and quickly launches a Psybeam to deflect the Aura Sphere. It followed up with a Brick Break to send Gardevoir back, freeing Ursaring. The alpha growls and engages in battle with Gallade while Whitney runs up to Ursaring, who was confused and fatigued from how hard they’d been fighting. “You okay, buddy?” Whitney said. “...Yes…” Ursaring said through its dazed state.

“Gallade! Psycho Cut!” Sabrina commands. Gallade’s blades glow with psychic power as it goes to strike. “Hmph!” The blades were powerful, no doubt, but Gardevoir proved a more than competent opponent though, evading and blocking critical blows. Upon seeing an opening, Gardevoir sent a gust of fairy-like wind to disrupt Gallade’s assault. But that wasn’t the real attack. That wouldn’t be found out until Gallade found the giant charging a Moonblast. “Let’s see you handle this.” Gardevoir gave a smirk while Gallade was left wide open. “Sh-Shit!” Sabrina’s eyes widened, realizing that she screwed up.

“Shadow Claw!” Whitney shouts. “RAAAAAGH!” A still damaged but still able Ursaring suddenly ahead, tanking the Moonblast for Gallade, and landing a critical blow on the Alpha Gardevoir. The alpha went down. Sabrina and Gallade were left surprised while Whitney cheered. “Woo! Yes!” She pumped her fist as she ran to Ursaring, who was panting heavily. “Great job, big guy!” She said, hugging the giant bear. “Thanks…” Ursaring said, falling on its butt to sit down after all that fighting. Sabrina approaches Gallade. “Are you alright, Gallade?” Sabrina asked. “Yes.” Gallade nodded to Sabrina before looking over at the normal type beast.

The trainers recall their hurt partners, returning them to their balls.
“I think that’s all of them. Thanks for the hand, Sabrina!” Whitney said with a smile. “You’re welcome, Whitney. I was just coming to visit someone today.” Sabrina replied. “Okie dokie. Well, I gotta check on the city’s underground amusement park. Tell Buggyboo I said hi!” Whitney said with a wink. Sabrina blushes a bit. How did she-?!

As Sabrina walked through Ilex Forest, she felt something shine in the corner of her eye. At first, she thought it was the sun but then she looked. Something’s following her. She reaches for a Pokéball at first, but then her guard drops when she discovers what is really stepping out.

A blue and orange Ralts? A shiny Pokémon? Was it one from the swarm that she and Whitney had overlooked? Juices around its mouth was evidence it was eating something before. Probably a berry. Did the swarm scare it into hiding? Why was it following her?

Sabrina squats down to look at the little guy closer and offers a hand. The Ralts slowly approach her, acting as timid as usual.
“Um…” The Ralts could sense Sabrina’s feelings, much like how Sabrina could sense Ralts’s. “Are you lost, little guy?” Sabrina asks. Ralts grabs Sabrina’s hand, curious but scared. “The swarm must’ve scared you.” Sabrina commented. Upon further sensing, she could sense something deep within this Ralts. A hidden power of sorts. It was akin to… insects. “Would you… like to come with me?” She asks. Ralts remained shy but gave a nod. “O-Okay..” It said softly.

Azalea Town, Johto Region. 9:04am


Sabrina continued walking, arriving in Azalea Town with her new Ralts friend in tow. She knocks on the front door of Bugsy’s humble abode, which was opened shortly after her knocking. “Oh! Sabrina! Hi!” Bugsy smiled and steps aside to allow her in. “Whatcha come to me for? Just visiting?” He asks. Sabrina steps inside and closes the door, her face was one of playful indecisiveness. “Eeeeeh, sort of. I did find something that might interest you.” She said, pointing downwards to something behind her.

The shiny Ralts that followed Sabrina hid behind her leg. It peeked out ever so slightly to view Bugsy.
“Uh… h-hi…” The Ralts waves a little bit. Bugsy responds with a wave of his own. “A Shiny Ralts? Um… Sabrina, I’m a bug type expert. I don’t really tangle with psychic types.” Bugsy chuckles a bit nervously. “That didn’t stop you from dating me.” Sabrina smiled. “This little guy must’ve gotten scared by the swarm on Route 34 and must’ve hid in Ilex Forest. I sensed a hidden power inside it. A power that relates to bugs.” She said, sparking Bugsy’s interest. “Perhaps that’s its Hidden Power type! Or maybe even its Tera type I’ve heard from Paldean and Unovan trainers.” Bugsy guessed. “I wish Kanto and Johto got Tera Orbs already. We’re meant to get those when, the next few months?” He sighs. “Sabrina… I’m glad you brought this up to me but I’m not sure if I can raise this thing right.” Bugsy shrugs. He’s a bug expert. He raises bugs, not psychics or fairies.

Sabrina then grabs Bugsy’s hand.
“Perhaps… we could raise it together?” She suggests. “I know a thing or two about raising a Ralts, but not much about raising bug types. Maybe this little guy can help that.” She adds. The Ralts slowly came out of hiding and hugged Bugsy’s leg. “See? Even the little one would like that.” Sabrina giggled. Bugsy crouches down and rubs the Ralts’s head. “Okay little guy. You wanna grow big and strong? We can help with that.” Bugsy smiled.

Ralts was happy at the news.
“Th-thank you!” It said, hopping a little. “I’ll… do my best for you!” It added, smiling. Sabrina crouches down. “We’re sure you will.” She said softly.
 
Mini Review: Cookin' Cuteness
I was browsing your thread today and noticed a Chefskiss callout! :bulbaWave: For canon relationships/crushes I usually just go "oh hey, that's a thing, nice", but this one got me actively rooting for Crispin. I really liked how you wrote them here; it felt like a natural extrapolation of what we see of them in-game (I say extrapolation because we don't get a chance to see this kind of deeper heart-to-heart conversation in game. Probably for the best, though, as it would have been awkward to have Florian/Juliana eavesdropping, heheh.) And the explanation for why Lacey shoots down people who call her cute makes a lot of sense. This was a nice, sweet treat, thank you for sharing!
 
Mini Review: Cookin' Cuteness
I was browsing your thread today and noticed a Chefskiss callout! :bulbaWave: For canon relationships/crushes I usually just go "oh hey, that's a thing, nice", but this one got me actively rooting for Crispin. I really liked how you wrote them here; it felt like a natural extrapolation of what we see of them in-game (I say extrapolation because we don't get a chance to see this kind of deeper heart-to-heart conversation in game. Probably for the best, though, as it would have been awkward to have Florian/Juliana eavesdropping, heheh.) And the explanation for why Lacey shoots down people who call her cute makes a lot of sense. This was a nice, sweet treat, thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the short review! When I realized that Crispin actually had a crush on Lacey, I also started rooting for him. The sweet treat was made because I wanted to see him get the girl!
 
Easin' Aches
I feel like I haven't written that much wholesome stuff for BrainHive yet. So I wrote a little something that can help fix that a bit.
However, I also realized that I need to write stuff for other ships too! I'll have to add that to the list of things to write later.
Anyway, here's something cute. Sabrina comes back from Unova and is left tired. But the place she goes to isn't where you expect.

Rating: E for Everyone

Easing Aches

Azalea Town, Johto Region. 8:45pm.



After a long flight back from Unova after wrapping up filming for another movie, Sabrina approached the door of Bugsy's home, her face bore a lot of stress. She should've headed straight to Goldenrod City to catch the Maglev Train but she barely had the strength left. She should've taken a hotel to stay the night. But instead she chose to drag her tired ass here along with her suitcase. Imagine if someone saw her out here in Azalea. If anyone asked, she'd just say she wanted to discuss some… important matters between gym leaders. That excuse always worked, but how much longer will it work? Judging by the bag of fast food she held in her free hand, she couldn't give a damn, nor would she give a damn. She's too tired right now. Sabrina knocked on the door, looking around for her safety. Her Xatu, as alert as ever, tried to keep Sabrina's tired head up.

"Are you sure you want to do this? Why?" Xatu asked.

Sabrina didn't answer, causing Xatu to squint its eyes.


"You're hiding something, Sabrina." Xatu accused.

"It's personal, Xatu…" Sabrina said. The reason she's here is selfish, she admits, but she doesn't care. When the door finally opened, she saw… Heracross? "Heracross…? Is Bugsy here?" Sabrina asked.

"Yeah. Boss is here." Heracross pointed to Bugsy, who lounged on the couch in Scizor themed pajamas and channel surfing. Sabrina stepped inside with Xatu following right after. Heracross closed the door before it yawned and returned to its Pokéball to sleep.

"Hey 'Brina. How did the movie stuff go?" Bugsy asked with a wave. He wasn't as peppy as usual. Heck, Sabrina kinda expected him to be winding down after studying nocturnal bug types. His tone and body language screamed that he was super tired too.

"Hello Bugsy… The filming has finally wrapped… And ugh… it wasn't the best experience…" Sabrina replied. "Do you mind if I stay the night here? I… don't feel like taking the train…" She requested.

Bugsy nodded.
"Sure. Go ahead. You're always welcome here." He said with a small smile. "Make yourself comfortable." He added.

After a brief washing up, Sabrina put on some sleep wear, a Musharna themed nightgown. She thought Bugsy would like it. She'd probably show it off a little, do a little twirl or strike a few poses, but she lacked the energy right now. She slumped right next to the bug expert on the couch.
"How's Ralts doing?" Sabrina asked.

Bugsy looked over at the Shiny Ralts sleeping in a plush chair. Honestly, it looked too damn cute. Xatu fell asleep while standing up right next to the chair, possibly to guard the little one.
"She's doing okay. I brought her along with me to maybe train her but didn't make much progress on that. I had to write all kinds of research notes today…" Bugsy explained. "Not only that, I got into a ruckus with a ton of Numel in Viridian Forest… Then I had to run my gym… I also had to s- ugh…" He groaned. It was a long day for him. He didn't mind working hard, but all the stuff he did today really overworked him.

Sabrina opened the bag of fast food she bought.
"I got some dinner. Did you eat?" She asked.

Bugsy chuckled nervously.
"No… I was too tired to cook… and I don't really get takeout often…" He said.

Sabrina pulled out the bag's contents, revealing chicken tenders and fries. Honey Mustard and Ketchup were their condiment options.
"Same here… hope you like fast food." Sabrina said, taking a fry and eating it swiftly.

Bugsy smiled. It ain't the freshest, but it'll do.
"Thanks Sabrina."

After the makeshift dinner was eaten, Sabrina put her focus on the TV. "Spidops Man?" She asked.

Bugsy nodded.
"They were having a marathon of all the movies so far. So… yeah. I kinda had to watch it." He said. "I own a lot of the comics and have watched just about all the cartoons. You know this about me, Sabrina." He added with a laugh.

Sabrina thought back to when they were snowed in Saffron City. He did say that. Perhaps she forgot because it's been so long. She laughed at the rare case of forgetfulness.
"It's… been a few months since you last told me that." She said as she leaned in closer. "Um… If you don't mind, can you put on something different? Something more… quiet?"

Her request was answered when Bugsy obliged and changed to a different tv channel. One that played a soft romance film.

"Thank you." Said Sabrina.

Bugsy sighed.
"Guess we both had rough days, huh?" He said. Next thing he knew, Sabrina was slipping closer and closer to him, soon leaning against him.

"The real reason I came to you is… because I needed your touch…" Sabrina admitted. "I know we're meant to hide our relationship and all, but… I need your embrace sometimes, Bugsy." She added as she nuzzled up against him.

Bugsy blushed a tad bit.
"Hey Sabrina, I understand. And frankly, I wish we could do this more often…" He replied as he pulled her into a hug. "Just… the two of us… Cuddling…" His hands rubbed the psychic's back carefully.

Sabrina wrapped her arms around the bug catcher's body.
"I wish we could do this as well… Maybe after we go public… we could do this without worrying about being caught…" She said with a smile before softly kissing Bugsy's cheek, only enhancing the blush on his face."I love you, BG. I feel like I don't tell you that as much as I need to." She said, cuddling him further.

"I won't forget that you love me. And I hope you won't forget that I love you too, 'Brina." Bugsy replied as his hug got tighter.

Both their eyelids got heavy. Soon, slumber kicked in and knocked them both out. If they oversleep and wind up late, then it'll all be worth it for the comfort their embrace brought to their tired selves.
 
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I feel like I haven't written that much wholesome stuff for BrainHive yet. So I wrote a little something that can help fix that a bit.
However, I also realized that I need to write stuff for other ships too! I'll have to add that to the list of things to write later.
Anyway, here's something cute. Sabrina comes back from Unova and is left tired. But the place she goes to isn't where you expect.

Rating: E for Everyone

Easing Aches

Azalea Town, Johto Region. 8:45pm.



After a long flight back from Unova after wrapping up filming for another movie, Sabrina approaches the door of Bugsy’s home, her face was one that bore a lot of stress. She should be heading straight to Goldenrod City to catch the Maglev Train but she barely had the strength left. She should be taking a hotel to stay the night. But instead she chose to drag her tired ass here along with her suitcase. Imagine if someone saw her out here in Azalea. If anyone asks, she’ll just say she wanted to discuss some… important matters between gym leaders. That excuse always worked, but how much longer will it work? Judging by the bag of fast food she held in her free hand, she couldn’t give a damns. She’s too tired right now.

Sabrina knocks on the door, looking around for her safety. Her Xatu, as alert as ever, tries to keep Sabrina’s tired head up.
“Are you sure you want to do this? Why?” Xatu asked. Sabrina didn’t answer, causing Xatu to squint its eyes. “You’re hiding something, Sabrina.” Xatu replied. “It’s personal, Xatu…” Sabrina said. The reason she’s here is selfish, she admits, but she doesn’t care. When the door finally opens, she sees… Heracross? “Heracross…? Is Bugsy here?” Sabrina asks. “Yeah. Boss is here.” Heracross points to Bugsy, who was lounging on the couch in Scizor themed pajamas and channel surfing. Sabrina steps inside with Xatu following right after. Heracross closes the door before yawning and returning to its Pokéball to sleep.

“Hey ‘Brina. How did the movie stuff go?” Bugsy asks, giving a wave. He didn’t seem as peppy as usual. Heck, she kinda expected him to be winding down after studying nocturnal bug types. His tone and body language screamed “Hello Bugsy… The filming has finally wrapped… And ugh… it wasn’t the best experience…” Sabrina replied. “Do you mind if I stay the night here? I… don’t feel like taking the train…” She requests. Bugsy nods. “Sure. Go ahead. You’re always welcome here.” He said with a small smile. “Make yourself comfortable.” He added.

After a brief washing up, Sabrina puts on some sleep wear, a Musharna themed nightgown. She thought Bugsy would like it. She’d probably show it off a little, do a little twirl or strike a few poses, but she lacked the energy right now. She slumps right next to the bug expert on the couch.
“How’s Ralts doing?” Sabrina asked. Bugsy looks over at the Shiny Ralts sleeping in a plush chair. Honestly, it looked too damn cute. Xatu fell asleep while standing up right next to the chair, possibly to guard the little one. “She’s doing okay. I brought her along with me to maybe train her but didn’t make much progress on that. I had to write all kinds of research notes today…” Bugsy explained. “Not only that, I got into a ruckus with a ton of Numel in Viridian Forest… Then I had to run my gym… I also had to s- ugh…” He groans. It was a long day for him. He didn’t mind working hard, but all the stuff he did today really overworked him.

Sabrina opens the bag of fast food she bought.
“I got some dinner. Did you eat?” She asks. Bugsy chuckles nervously. “No… I was too tired to cook… and I don’t really get takeout often…” He said. Sabrina opens up the bag of fast food she bought. Inside it was chicken tenders and fries. Honey Mustard and Ketchup were their condiment options. “Same here… hope you like fast food.” Sabrina said, taking a fry and eating it swiftly. Bugsy smiled. It ain’t the freshest, but it’ll do. “Thanks Sabrina.”

After the makeshift dinner was eaten, Sabrina put her focus on the TV. “Spidops Man?” She asks. Bugsy nods. “They were having a marathon of all the movies so far. So… yeah. I kinda had to watch it.” He said. “I own a lot of the comics and have watched just about all the cartoons. You know this about me, Sabrina.” He adds with a laugh. Sabrina thought back to when they were snowed in Saffron City. He did say that. Perhaps she forgot because it’s been so long. She laughs at the rare case of forgetfulness. “It’s… been a few months since you last told me that.” She said as she leaned in closer. “Um… If you don’t mind, can you put on something different? Something more… quiet?” Sabrina requests. Bugsy obliges and changes to a different tv channel. One that played a soft romance film. “Thank you.” Said Sabrina.

Bugsy sighs.
“Guess we both had rough days, huh?” He said. Next thing he knew, Sabrina was slipping closer and closer to him, soon leaning against him. “The real reason I came to you is… because I needed your touch…” Sabrina admits. “I know we’re meant to hide our relationship and all, but… I need your embrace sometimes, Bugsy.” She adds as she nuzzles up against him. Bugsy blushes a tad bit. “Hey Sabrina, I understand. And frankly, I wish we could do this more often…” He replied, hugging her. “Just… the two of us… Cuddling…” His hands rub the psychic’s back. Sabrina wraps her arms around the bug catcher’s body. “I wish we could do this as well… Maybe after we go public… we could do this without worrying about being caught…” She said with a smile.

Sabrina softly kisses Bugsy’s cheek, only enhancing the blush.
“I love you, BG. I feel like I don’t tell you that as much as I need to.” She said, cuddling him further. “I won’t forget that you love me. And I hope you won’t forget that I love you too, ‘Brina.” Bugsy replied as his hug got tighter. Both their eyelids got heavy. Soon, slumber kicked in, knocking them both out. If they oversleep and wind up late, then it’ll all be worth it for the comfort their embrace brought to their tired selves.
spinning around excitedly THIS IS SO CUTEEE

MUSHARNA NIGHTGOWN?? yes please I need those (+ into the headcanon deposit it goes)
simple yet wholesome stuff like this always makes me feel really warm inside, it scratches an itch I just can't explain but it's great :]
 
spinning around excitedly THIS IS SO CUTEEE

MUSHARNA NIGHTGOWN?? yes please I need those (+ into the headcanon deposit it goes)
simple yet wholesome stuff like this always makes me feel really warm inside, it scratches an itch I just can't explain but it's great :]
I knew my fanfics needed more wholesome stuff! Glad you like it so much!
 
Go For It, Janine!
Wanted to write something involving some parental bonding between one of Pokemon's many parent and child pairings. And one of the few that aren't completely messed up. So have some Janine and Koga.
This again taps into something I want to tackle in a story arc sometime in the future. I'll get on that someday.

Rated: E for Everyone.

Meditating on a Matter

Fuschia City, Kanto Region. 6:50am



Janine and Koga were in the midst of training on one cloudy morning. They may not do this often due to their busy lives getting in the way of things, but Janine is always happy to spend time with her father. After some sparring between themselves and their Pokemon, they tend to a more calming method. Together, they stand on one leg and close their eyes. Surroundings are toned out. Breathing is focused on, and so are their thoughts. Their hands are kept together. And now, they balance and meditate.

Koga had his mind focused on the future. He had faith in his daughter, trusting her with the duty he left her. He hoped she would surpass him in time. It would be a long time though. For a brief moment, his mind went to the past, remembering what a dark blue haired man from his past said. “May our bloodlines remain close for generations…” That man said. Koga had a feeling he knew what he meant now.

Janine had her mind focused on the future as well. She hoped to surpass her father someday, but first she had to keep up with the other gym leaders. She always did see herself as the one falling behind in strength, but she was determined to push ahead. Push ahead of them. Ahead of her father. And possibly ahead of the world. But that would mean pushing ahead of… him. A dark blue haired young man. Janine always had that young man in the back of her mind. His fierce gaze, his undying determination, and his… handsome… charming… and fly demeanor… Janine’s focus breaks and she almost fumbles, catching herself on her other foot.

Koga took notice and opened his eyes. He looks down at his daughter.
“Something the matter, Janine?” Koga asked. Janine sighed, her face having faint traces of red. “Father, it’s him again.” She said, knowing this wasn’t the first time such a thing intruded into her mind. “I can’t get him out of my head… I see him as both a rival but also… something more. He’s powerful yet so handsome… I just… ugh…” Janine grumbles. She didn’t hate that boy. In fact, she liked him a lot. The issue is she never got her feelings off her chest. She hated that she never told him.

“Janine.” Koga sounded a bit miffed by this but he still understood how she felt. This was not the first time Janine told him about these thoughts. “Falkner may be an admirable young man, but you mustn’t let your thoughts on him hold you back.” He said. “However, considering we have had this talk multiple times before, I can tell that it gets worse each day.” He lets out a sigh.

Janine sits down, honestly feeling disappointed in herself.
“I’m sorry, dad… I know I should just tell him but I just can’t. How can I be a ninja master like you if I’m barely able to manage having a crush on a single boy?!” Her disappointment turned to anger. “I hate it! I hate that I’m unable to tell him! I hate that these feelings get in the way of my training! It’s so annoying!” Her hands clench. Koga raises a hand, signalling Janine to stop.

“Love can be a complicated thing. It can bring us great strength but it can also weaken us.” Koga explains. “Your hesitation is only making it harm you, Janine.” He adds. Janine nods, her hands loosening slightly. “You’re right, father. I can’t just hold these thoughts forever, it’ll just hold me down.” She said, getting up to her feet. “I need to plan a meeting with him. But… where?” She was stumped on that. “I’ll let you figure that out.” Koga said before a vibrate in his pocket came into being. He checks his Pokegear and realizes an alarm has gone off. “I have to go. Please, take care, my daughter.” He said, looking at Janine. Before he gets moving, Janine gives her old man a hug. “Thanks dad. Good luck today.” She says with a smile. “Love you…” She had to make sure she added that before he could go. Koga smiles back. “I love you too, Janine.” He hugs her in return before departing. This gives Janine the perfect alone time to think.

Janine goes back to meditating, thinking on where would be a good spot to meet with Falkner. Somewhere nice would be ideal. But it should be somewhere familiar. Privacy is also valued. Hm… Viridian Forest would be too tied to Bugsy. Cerulean Cape is nice but Misty might be there… Then it hit her. Violet City! She knew that place was nice at night and early mornings. Janine smiles a little to herself at the realization. It would be perfect!

Upon exiting her meditation, Janine checks her Pokegear. She’s gotta head to the gym now. Can’t be late. With a focused and refreshed mind, she runs out, ready to get stuff done. Although, along the way to the gym, she notices that cool blue bird trainer feeding his avians. Janine didn’t say a word. She only waved to him, a gesture he returned to her.

She’ll tell him soon enough.
FatherlyShipping is cute, so the long awaited sequel to this is here. I was meant to make this fanfic on April 6th, which was the 24th anniversary of Gold and Silver's European release date, but things happened. Better late than never I suppose.
I wanted to hit some internal battle beats with this, to try and drive home how emotional and heavy Janine's feelings and thoughts are.

Rating: T for Teen

Go For It, Janine!

Violet City, Johto Region. 5:45am.


It was early in the morning. Sunrise hasn’t come yet, so it was still pretty dark out. The only light came from the lamps around the city. Janine had asked Falkner to meet her at this hour, specifically by the lake near Sprout Tower. She was nervous but determined. She held her hand close to her chest, feeling her heartbeat. It’s fitting for the bearer of the heart shaped Soul Badge to pay attention to her heart. “You got this Janine. Just get it off your chest. And everything will be fine.” She gives herself a bit of a pep talk. She felt ready. Prepared. Built for this. “You got this.” She said before turning a corner. And there he was, that blue haired young man of her dreams. Her pep talk’s effects just faded away in that instant. God damnit Janine!

Janine approaches, her face lighting up with tones of red.
“Falkner.” She said softly. That got the flying expert’s attention. “Janine. You wanted to talk, yeah?” Falkner asked. “Why this early?” He added. Janine’s leg twisted back and forth, a sign of her hesitation. “Um… because I needed to speak to you in private…” She said, her hands interlocked behind her back. “It’s… well… I’ve been feeling a certain way about you for a long time. Since we first met, actually.” She adds.

Falkner thinks back. Several years ago, back when he was maybe into his first or second year as a gym leader. Janine was also a rookie. He remembered their first meeting, which led to their first battle. He just barely won that fight too. Now he thinks past that moment, remembering the times he fought alongside Janine and the times he fought against her. She’s quite the powerful trainer, but he always noticed a sense of… regret within her. That sense remained inside her even now.
“Since we first met. Okay. I’m following.” Falkner said with a nod.

Janine takes a deep breath.
“I respect your prowess as a trainer, Falkner. You’re powerful, brave, determined, and take care of your gym well.” Okay. Solid enough start, I guess. But you have to tell him the truth, Janine. “I… also respect you… as a person. You’re… cool, funny, and…” She froze up. In her head, she was facepalming. C’mon you idiot! Spit it out! You’re making Falkner confused! “And… what?” Falkner tilts his head. “H-Handsome…” Janine finally said. Falkner felt a bit flustered but chuckled. “Heh heh. I get that a lot. I am kind of a pretty boy, I guess. Girls do like that, right?” He boasted a little. Janine nods. “Yeah! Y-Yeah! Girls like cool boys like you!” She answered. “You’re… something of an inspiration for me… actually.” She admits, taking her hands from behind her back. She steps closer.

“You know me, right? I’m considered the weakest and least experienced of the gym leaders in Kanto and Johto, but I’ve been training to fix that. Yet I feel like I just can’t shake it off.” Janine sighs. “But when I think of you… I think of your drive to fly higher just like your Pokémon. Your style… Your determination… You drive me to grow stronger. Maybe that way I could… surpass my peers. Surpass my father. And maybe everyone else in the world. But that would mean I’d… be ahead of… you…” She clutches her fist and holds her head down. She looked frustrated for a brief moment, before crossing her left arm to grab her right. She now looked defeated. Falkner was confused by her statement. “You say that you DON’T want to be stronger than me. Something wrong?” He asks.

Janine felt her heart beat faster.
“Father said that love can strengthen and weaken us, but all it’s been doing is weakening me! I’m not sure if I’d like to be stronger than you… Because if I was, then I could be too far out of your league…” The ninja has a seat on the grass. “It’s this never ending battle… Desiring to grow strong but fearing what could happen… I hate it… I hate myself for thinking these thoughts… I hate that they hold me back… And they get worse each time they come back…” Her eyes swell up, on the verge of crying. “I’m not sure if I’m ready… to possibly leave you behind, Falkner… Because… I…” Her mental strength was cracking. Falkner, growing more concerned, sits down next to her. “Because you… what?” He asks. Janine releases silent tears. “I love you Falkner… but I dunno if you’d love me… whether if I was a weak gym leader… or if I was the strongest in the world…” She holds her head down. “I love you Falkner… I truly do…” She adds.

Falkner chuckles a bit, his own face beaming red. He knew he was a rather charming and handsome young man. If he was feeling extra confident, he'd call himself a sexy piece of ass. But here’s Janine, confessing the love she held back for him. And somehow he never knew it! He couldn’t believe it! He thought his friends were just kidding in the past, but… it was real. He felt stupid in his own way. Like he was too focused on other things that he never noticed a long time acquaintance of his having such intense feelings.
“Janine… Um… Y’know… I think you’re great as well…” He said, grabbing Janine’s hand. He pulls out a handkerchief to wipe her tears away. “R-Really?” Janine asked. Falkner nods. “Yeah. You are.” Now it’s his turn.

“We may be from different regions. And yeah, I’m not sure if people are gonna be okay with that. Major changes haven’t come to Kanto and Johto in a while.” Falkner grabs Janine’s hand carefully. “But even if the world could be against it, I think you’re a great trainer. And I’d fight alongside you, because that’s what friends… or lovers… would do, right?” He adds. “And Janine? I’d like you to grow stronger than me, but I won’t make it easy for ya. I’ve got dreams of proving myself to the world too, y’know…” Falkner’s hand rubs Janine’s, an attempt to comfort her. “I’ll always respect you, no matter how high you go. And I’ll go high with you.” His body leans against hers. “So, I guess what I’m tryna say is… I love you too, Janine.” He smiles warmly.

Janine leans against Falkner, feeling her mental strength return.
“Thank you… Falkner.” She said softly. Then she felt something softly press against her head. It resulted in a chu sound. Janine’s face goes bright red. Did he just… “Anytime, Janine. I hope we can fly high together- Mmmph?!” He was interrupted by what Janine had done so suddenly.

Janine had pressed her lips to Falkner’s. Her tears slowly return, ones of pure joy. She felt an incredible weight get lifted off her shoulder. The courage, pride, and spirit of a ninja inside her felt stronger. Falkner, surprised by but not minding Janine’s sudden action, wraps his arms around her. So this is making out, huh? And they’re both pretty bad at it. When the two separate, they share a laugh.


“We’re gonna get stronger and fly higher…” Falkner said as he looked up at the first signs of sunrise. “Together… You and me…” Janine replied, also looking at the rising light. Her hand held Falkner’s. She gained a smile so bright, Falkner had to admit. It shined brighter than the sun itself.
 
For Your Universe
A flash came to me at midnight today. And then I started working on this. Oh boy, this felt good to write. It also introduces an evil team that might have a reoccurring role in my fanverse. Nevertheless, this fanfic gets violent, tense, awesome, and adorable.
Sabrina finds Team Galactic somehow causing trouble in Viridian Forest! She can handle them in a normal battle, but even a powerful psychic like herself can get into big trouble. Good thing she has someone who's always got her back.

Rating: T for Teen

For Your Universe

Viridian Forest, Kanto Region. 7:56am



Sabrina overheard on the news about strange people in even stranger looking garb making moves around Kanto. At first, she thought it was just scraps of Team Rocket, but she also heard that these people have big plans apparently. Universal plans? It can’t be Team Rocket. They’re just a bunch of thieves and criminals that steal Pokémon. What could it be? Sabrina decides to investigate Viridian Forest for now.

Upon her arrival to the forest, Sabrina hides in trees and bushes, making as little sounds as she could. She probably shouldn’t have worn her crop top and jeans today, since the leaves and branches scratched her skin a bit. However, she remained quiet. She watches as some individuals in space suits steal honey, pollen, and other resources from Pokémon. She even took notice of how they treated the bug types. Sabrina looks at her Pokéballs and continues to eavesdrop, levitating silently down a tree behind some of the intruders.


“Remind me how Beedrill Honey is meant to be a major part of this operation?” Said one of the grey suit wearing freaks. “Because Leader Saturn said that these resources could be processed into energy! With it, Team Galactic can pursue its plans for universal conquest!” Said another one of them. “Look, I don’t know all about this universal conquest stuff but I think Beedrill honey is delicious! And hot take: I like it more than Combee honey…” Said the third member of this odd lot. Team Galactic? Sabrina never heard of that. And what’s this about universal conquest? They wish to conquer the universe? She’s confused by that. And she didn’t even care. But one thing she did care about were the abused Pokémon. About time she stepped in.

“I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something?” Sabrina said nonchalantly. The trio of Team Galactic grunts turn around and leap backwards from shock. “Interloper alert!” Said one of them. This male grunt grabs a Pokéball and sends out their Pokémon. “Golbat! Air Slash this little twit!” They command. “Golaaaah!” Golbat attacks, but Sabrina sends out Slowking to counter it. “Psychic.” She said, pointing her fingers ahead. “Hmmmhah!” Slowking unleashes Psychic, overwhelming the Air Slash and devastating Golbat. “Team Galactic? Care to explain more?” Sabrina asked.

“Team Galactic has gone beyond the Sinnoh region! We will use Pokémon all around the world to recreate the universe!” Said another male grunt. “Toxicroak! Payback!” He sent out his Toxicroak, who goes to attack with Payback. “Flamethrower.” Sabrina commands. Slowking unleashed a stream of flames to attack the frog, landing a powerful hit. “Croaaaaah!” Toxicroak could still fight though. “The universe? What’s so bad about the current one? You follow orders blindly. I don’t think you know just how large the universe is.” Sabrina said.

“Someone as small as you wouldn’t understand our goals!” Said the female grunt of the group. “And we’ll remind you of your place! Boys! Let’s get her good!” She adds. The grunts were on the attack again.

“Golbat! Crunch!”

“Toxicroak! Poison Jab!”

Golbat goes for Crunch on Slowking. “Hydro Pump.” Sabrina responds. Slowking unleashes a torrent of water to attack. Sabrina noticed Golbat was the one fighting. But where did Toxicroak go? Trying to get the jump on Slowking? “Now watch for the other one…” Sabrina commands. “It could be anywh- HRK?!” She’s interrupted by something catching her off guard.

“What?!” Slowking turned around when hearing Sabrina’s words get cut off. The sudden stinging and aching pain Sabrina felt to her stomach brought her to a conclusion. Toxicroak didn’t aim for Slowking. It didn’t aim for Slowking at all. it aimed for her. “Ngh…” This wasn’t something she was used to. Direct attacks from Pokémon. It felt… painful.

“Hold on. I know you! You were in a few movies before! Aren’t you a psychic gym leader too? Kinda expected more from you…” The female grunt boasts. “Scrafty! High Jump Kick!” She sends out her Scrafty, who, after spitting right into Sabrina’s face, gives a half hearted leaping kick square into the psychic girl’s chest. “OUGH!” Despite seemingly lacking effort, the kick was crushing, sending Sabrina crashing into a tree. “Ough… Ugh…” The psychic mistress fell to the ground, poisoned and devastated. Slowking runs as quickly as it could to Sabrina. “H-Hey!” It crouched down low. Sabrina looks up at her companion, her vision going in and out. She’s conscious still, but she isn’t sure for how much longer. The kick to her chest caused breathing to sting. Her head aches, making her psychokinesis all but moot. Not that it would help against a Dark type like Scrafty.

“Time to put you out of this universe, psychic scum!” The female grunt laughs with her male associates. “Buuugh… Ugh…” Sabrina groans from the poison and the pain. She couldn’t get up and felt lightheaded. “Scrafty! Crunch ‘em!” The female grunt orders. “CRAAAAAAAAH!” Scrafty goes in to bite down on the psychic pair. Slowking stood ready to guard its fatigued trainer. However, it soon turns its eyes backward. Something, or someone, is coming.

“Ralts! Disarming Voice!”

A Disarming Voice attacked Scrafty, sending it back. Slowking seemed just a tad relieved at the newcomer. A purple haired young man with a Ralts on his shoulder. “Whoa. You’re getting a little better at that, huh?” The individual said as they rubbed their little psychic buddy’s noggin. “Th-Thanks!” Ralts said with a smile. Bugsy has arrived, and although pain was kicking her ass, Sabrina couldn’t help but give a smile. “Bug…sy…” She groans out through her weak but genuine show of joy.

Bugsy turns around to Sabrina and crouches down to her.
“Sabrina! I didn’t know why Ralts suddenly teleported me from Cerulean to here, but seeing you like this, the little guy was right to do so!” He digs his hand into the satchel on his hip, stopping when he finds just what he, or rather, Sabrina needed. An Antidote! He sprays it on envenomed stomach after carefully moving her hand. “That’ll ease the pain a bit. Can you stand up?” He asks. Sabrina tries to stand, but still even with the antidote easing the pressure, her physical body just wasn’t up to the task. “N-No… At least not like this…” She answered. She could try lifting herself up with her psychic power, but the pains in her chest and head hindered her focus. “Ralts, Slowking, get Sabrina to a Pokémon Center. I’ll take care of these guys.” Bugsy said to the telepathic Pokémon, who nod in recognition.

Ralts hops off Bugsy’s shoulder and grabs Sabrina’s hand, ready to use Teleport to bring the damaged Saffron girl to a center. Sabrina looked at Bugsy with a tinge of worry.
“Bugsy… Are you sure? After what they just… did to me?” She questioned. Bugsy reaches into his satchel again and pulls out an ice pack to place on Sabrina’s head. Slowking holds it there. “Worry about yourself first, Sabrina. Get some rest and I’ll take it from here.” He said. Those words were a bit fuzzy in Sabrina’s mind, but she trusted them nonetheless. Her eyes close slowly, taking his advice. Maybe a little rest can do her good… “Thank you…” She spoke softly as Ralts uses Teleport to get to a Pokémon Center.

The Team Galactic grunts were laughing. In fact, they were laughing the whole time Bugsy made his appearance known.
“Hey look, little miss movie star brought her boyfriend!” Said one of the males. “He’s kind of a cute little pipsqueak. Even less of a part of the universe than the girl!” Said the other male. “Hey camper boy! Bit far from your boy scout crew, huh?” The female grunt mocks. Bugsy rises up and turns around to face the grunts. “This camper boy’s also the bug catcher of all bug catchers. Earned all my badges back when I did do camping! Been studying bugs for years!” He said, putting a fist on his hip. “You’re in the presence of certified bug type authority! Azalea Town’s Gym Leader!” He hoists his bug net on his shoulder.

“Bug type authority?” The female grunt questions. “Azalea Town Gym Leader?” A male grunt asks. The other male rolls his eyes and points a thumb at Bugsy. “This little shit? Hilarious. He thinks he’s hot stuff.” He said. “You saw what we did your psychic babe. The doll got crushed! What makes you think you’d fare any better?” The male adds with a scoff. “It was 3 on 1. And you took a cheap shot on her. In fact, you guys seem to like being bullies, judging from the stuff you’re taking from weaker Pokémon here in the forest.” Bugsy replied. “Insignificant runts like your, the girl, and the Pokémon have no place in the universe. Especially in the new one Team Galactic plans to create!” The first male grunt snapped back. “You hurt my universe. Ganged up on it, even! How’s that fair?” Bugsy asks.

“The universe is never fair, kid!” The trio of grunts shout back. And then they ordered their Pokémon to strike Bugsy down. “Let’s squash this worm!” They add before pointing at him.

“Golbat! Poison Fang!”

“Toxicroak! Brick Break!”

“Scrafty! Head Smash!”

Bugsy’s seemingly confident demeanor and expression quickly changed to a very serious and focused face. He was seemingly unfazed about the attacking Pokémon. “It’s clear you know power in numbers… But I don’t think you realize that bug types also like following this rule. Helps taking care of pests in their territory.” He said before whistling in a peculiar way. The Galactic Grunts gained faces of shock and awe. And so did their Pokémon.

Bugsy’s whistle crafted an army of insects, archnids, and other bugs. The infantry was the horde of bug types that came from out the trees and bushes behind him. The Pokéballs on Bugsy’s person open up and release the commanders: his team of 6 bug type Pokémon. Bugsy stood among the crew of crawlers, making it clear what his position in the army was. He was the general. The point he gave out made it even clearer. And the command that followed drove it home to the grunts.


“SWARM!”

The next thing the grunts knew, the legion of bugs charged ahead at them and their Pokémon, Bugsy leading them all.

Saffron City, Kanto Region. 9:09am


Sabrina awoke on her couch, an ice pack on her head and her chest and stomach covered in several bandages. She felt better than she did before. She tried to recall exactly what happened, but it felt like a blur. She was still a bit dazed. “Ugh…” The last thing she remembered was being teleported to the Pokémon Center and getting her wounds treated. She must’ve blacked out during the process. She faintly remembered her mind conjuring up thoughts about-

“Bugsy!” Sabrina shouted upon getting her memory together. As if on cue, Bugsy comes running into the room. “Sabrina!” Bugsy’s body basically clean from any injuries, cuts, or bruises. “You’re awake! Are you alright?” He said, taking a seat next to her. “What happened?! Where are the grunts?! You’re not hurt, are you?!” She rapid fired questions, overwhelming Bugsy. “Whoa whoa! Sabrina! Slow down! Deep breaths. Deep breaths.” He said, giving a calm down hand gesture. Sabrina listens and takes a few moments to breathe. “I’m okay. I’m perfectly fine, even.” He said, proudly displaying his damage free appearance. “The grunts are taken care of. The bugs and I gave em a good thrashing to the point where they basically begged for us to call the police. After that, I immediately ran to the Pokémon Center to get you and bring you home.” He explains. He carried her back home from Viridian to Saffron? Must’ve flown on one of his bug types to attract as little attention as possible.

Sabrina looks at her bandages.
“What did the nurses say?” She asks. “The nurses said you’ll be fine. The antidote I gave you prevented the Toxicroak poison from causing any major damage to you. You did receive some chest pains and a concussion though. If you have issues breathing for a week, you’ll know why. For now, they said to just take some medicine and remedies to help you heal faster.” Bugsy explained. “I also got told that Team Galactic is apparently trying to expand their business and schemes to around the world instead of just their origin region of Sinnoh? Trying to recreate the universe or whatever? Sounds like a bunch of baloney if you ask me. Nothing a few brave trainers like us can’t handle, right?” He chuckled a bit. Sabrina looks up from her gauzes and into Bugsy’s eyes.

“Did they say anything about giving some TLC?” Sabrina jokes a bit, something Bugsy decides to play along with. “Well, they say a PYT like you deserves lots of it, otherwise you’re screwed.” He chuckled.

“Care to admister it to me, BG?”

“Well, why not?”

Bugsy and Sabrina embrace, cuddling up to one another. Bugsy is sure to smooch Sabrina’s wounded areas, just so she could get better the slightest bit faster. “Thank you, BG…” Sabrina said with a giggle. Bugsy laughs as well. “Of course, ‘Brina. Anything for my universe.” He said with a smile. Sabrina grew a blush on her face at those words, but she responded with a smooch to Bugsy’ forehead. “Oh you dork…” She nuzzles.
 
Things Change
Here's a short writing I came up with relatively fast. Again, some more worldbuilding and it kinda ties into what I plan to make a theme for my fanverse.
A meeting among Pokemon Champions brings up a plan to tighten the bonds between regions. However, it seems someone isn't a big fan of change.

Rating: E for Everyone

Things Change

Indigo Plateau, Kanto Region. 8:00pm.



"What do you mean you're not on board with the idea?"

Iris sounded baffled by Lance's response to Geeta's program proposal. This virtual meeting had all the champions of the various regions on a call. Paldea's Top Champion and League Chairwoman, Geeta, had suggested a program where league members of various places and walks of life travel to other regions to help strengthen the relationships between the regions. A sort of interregional bonding program. Everyone seemed to like the idea. Everyone but Lance.

"Kanto and Johto are fine the way they are. I don't need any other regions affecting them." Lance said. “It’s just a little friendship building, Lance. No need to worry about it.” Cynthia replied. “Kanto and Johto have seen enough change. They don't need any more.” Lance remained steadfast. “Are you afraid of what bonds between league members can do?” Steven asked. Lance shook his head. “That’s not what I’m afraid of.” He responded.

“Well, I, for one, welcome the idea.” Leon said with a slight laugh. “It sounds like it could be a champion time for all of us!” He adds. Elio agreed. “Yeah! I mean, Alola’s been thinking about making gyms alongside the Island Challenge! We could use a couple gym leaders stopping by to help.” He said, adjusting the cap on his head. Lance crosses his arms. “I’m flattered by your inspiration, but we’re not interested in bringing home any island challenge influences.” He responds.

Diantha narrows her eyes.
“I hate to be accusatory but I feel like you oppose the idea because you don’t like change, Lance.” She said, her words actually striking a nerve in Lance. “It’s not that I don’t like change. I’m more worried about it. Worried about what could happen if Kanto or Johto changed too much…” Lance sighs. Diantha nods and widens her eyes to normal. “Hm… I see.”

“Consider this, Lance. As intimidating as change can be, you cannot outrun it nor deny it.” Geeta states in her usual calm tone. “Think about the current league members in Kanto and Johto. The lineup has not changed in a long time, no?” She asks. Lance began to ponder that. It has been many years. The gym leaders and elite 4 lineup haven’t changed since he became champion. “There isn’t necessarily a problem with that, but you must consider the future, Lance.” Geeta presses two fingers to her forehead and closes her eyes, thinking about the history of the Paldea league. “As top chairwoman of Paldea, I’ve seen many trainers grow up as they pursue their goals. Whether it be wanting to become a champion like myself or something else entirely. I’ve seen them go from simple boys and girls to fine young men and ladies. Trainers, League members, Champions, and many more have come and gone across the history of all regions.” She explains.

The entire group call was quiet, especially Lance.
“Think about your regions and league lineup, Lance. Kanto and Johto feel stuck in the past, but your gym leaders and elite 4 are thinking in modern times. They’re growing up and getting old. They’re not the same as they were when they were first assigned their roles. I wager they want to retire someday. Spend more time with families. Pursue other passions. Or engage in other things.” Geeta finishes her little monologue. Lance took further moments to think before he finally let out a sigh. “Fine. I’ll join this program.” Lance relents at last. “Well, you were outvoted anyway.” Says a chuckling Iris.

“Then it's settled.” Geeta summarizes. “Our league members are free to visit other leagues and forge bonds, strengthening interregional relationships.” She said, bringing her hands together. “Thank you all for your time. Farewell, for now.” She adds. And everyone bid their goodbyes before logging off.

Lance closes his laptop and ponders out a window. Maybe Geeta’s right. Maybe Kanto and Johto are getting older, and he never realized it…
 
Illusions and Imitations
I got another worldbuilder here! Again, fairly brief, but still worth noting.
In this, Sabrina takes a few days off due to her injuries. However, she also recruits an old acquaintance from her past that she might've underestimated back then.

Rating: E for Everyone

Illusions and Imitations

Saffron City, Kanto Region. 7:11am



Sabrina begrudgingly knocks on the door of the mimic house. She had to ask a certain someone for a favor. A big favor. Since she got injured by that Team Galactic encounter, she had to ask for a few days off of Gym duties. While this would mean more time could be spent with friends, she still didn’t want to leave her gym empty. The league did allow for gym leaders to assign other trainers to run their gym for a limited time, after all. Yet she couldn’t think of anyone that could run it in her stead. No one but that copycat girl.

She knocks again on the door. Was she too early? Perhaps she should come back late- Oh. Never mind. The doorknob was moving. When the door opened, a girl with blue twintails and an orange top with a star on it stood.
“Sabrina?” She asked. “Didn’t expect to see you here! Did my parents send you here? I know you work with ‘em at Pokéstar Studios! Their makeup art is pretty good, huh?” She rambled, but Sabrina kept a straight face. She bluntly responded. “Ditto, I know that’s you. I wish to speak to the real Duplica.” Her acquisition made “Duplica” frown. “Aw…” Suddenly, her body morphed, exposing her true form as a Ditto. “It seems you’re still no fun…” Said Ditto. Sabrina enters the house. “Where’s Duplica?” She asked. Ditto, after closing the door, turns into a large hand and points towards the kitchen.

Duplica was making herself a bowl of Cinnamon and Honey flavored Cereal.
“Hello Sabrina!” She said with a wave as she poured the milk. “Care for some Cinnamon Combee Crunch?” She asked upon ceasing her pouring and pouring the cereal. “I’m good. I already ate. And why do you pour the milk first?” Sabrina’s face briefly took a form of confusion before returning to normal. Why the hell do some people pour the milk first? Whatever. Unimportant. Duplica has a seat at the table, pulling a chair for Sabrina to sit down in. “Hey, I simply do whatever works. No need to judge!” Duplica said with a shrug. Her spoon digs into the bowl, gets a good spoonful of cereal, and comes up to her mouth. “So, whatcha came to me for? A private show? An autograph?” She said with her mouth full. “I came for a more business related reason.” Sabrina said, her straight faced expression remaining.

“Sooooooo, a private show?” Duplica said after swallowing. “No, you emulator. I came to ask for your help.” Sabrina crosses her arms. That statement made Duplica laugh. “You? Need me for help?” She leans in with a kinda smug expression and sets her bowl of cereal aside. “After how much we’ve fought? I remember the stuff you said to me before!” She stood up and spun around, somehow taking on Sabrina’s appearance near perfectly once she stopped. Appearance wasn’t the only thing Duplica was gonna recreate.

“Duplica, you’re somehow the most tasteless trainer I’ve ever fought.” Duplica imitated Sabrina’s words from the past. “The Pokémon I’ve bonded with gain their strength through arduous training, yet you only gain strength by mimicking it!” She continues. “I’m surprised you managed to have a public image if all you do is mimic someone else’s ima-” She’s cut off by Sabrina. “I am being serious, Duplica. I need you to listen.” Sabrina said. “Only if you agree that I’m not tasteless, I have an image, and that you’re sorry for all that stuff you said to me before.” Duplica crossed her arms with a pout. Sabrina immediately said it. “I apologize for my words in the past. I was a lot harsher and stricter way back in the day. Your mimicry and ability to copy others is near unparalleled. As an actor myself, I tip my hat to that. You have great skill, Duplica. Skills that my past self did not recognize. You’re possibly the most capable trainer in Saffron aside from myself.” Sabrina explains, catching Duplica off guard. “I’ve come to you for help. Would you like to run the Saffron City gym in my stead? I need to take some days off for health related matters.” The psychic proposed.

Duplica uncrosses her arms, being taken aback by the offer. Her cosplay of the psychic gym leader drops, being replaced by her normal attire.
“You want me to run the gym? But we’re no type specialists! We only specialize in copying stuff! Things like using Pokémon such as Zoroark, using moves like Mimic and Copycat, stuff like that!” Duplica said. Sabrina nods. “I know. But that’s what makes you special.” She replied. Did… Sabrina just call her special? Duplica took a moment to take that in. She looks at Ditto, who hops up onto her shoulder. “Well, I want in!” Said the transforming Pokémon. This made Duplica give in. “Alright Sabrina. We’re in! We’ll take over!” She said, giving a nod and a smile. Sabrina shakes her hand. “Thank you. I trust you’ll do your best?” She asked. Duplica nodded again and winked. “You betcha!”

For that day, Saffron City witnessed a treat. Gym Leader Duplica and specialty in imitating Pokémon was quite the twist! A welcomed twist! Sabrina smiled a little, glad that she chose the right trainer to give the keys to the gym to.
 
Coiffure Counseling
Hey hey hey! I got more wholesome fluff for ya!
We got the BrainHive duo (I'LL WORK ON MY OTHER SHIPS SOMETIME I PROMISE!) in a short but sweet moment inspired by one of my headcanons.
Sabrina wakes up one morning and finds Bugsy looking a bit different than usual...

Rating: E for Everyone.

Coiffure Counseling

Azalea Town, Johto Region. 7:04am



Sabrina woke up in Bugsy’s bed after yet another night sleeping alongside him. The first sight she got was an empty spot in the bed beside her, giving her the hint that Bugsy must already be up and awake. The psychic specialist tossed the covers off her body and slipped out of the bed, landing on her bare feet. One look in the mirror revealed that her hair had reverted from dark green to its usual dark greyish blue in the middle of the night, but she didn’t mind it. She could live with her natural hair color for a while. Sabrina was about to walk past the bathroom but she stopped after she heard a yelp. Her drowsy eyes, almost completely shut, widened just a tad. It was only when she entered the restroom and saw what was going on did her eyes shoot wide open.

Bugsy with green hair? And tweezers? No way. Sabrina gave her eyes some brief rubs, believing her sight was confounded by trickery. When she looked at him again, she realized that this was no trick. Bugsy’s green hair was real! And he had plucked out green chin hairs! Right next to him was purple hair dye!

Bugsy got flustered and laughed nervously.
“I know I look silly. Lemme just get my hair dye done and-”

Bugsy got cut off by Sabrina suddenly reaching out to grab his face by his youthful cheeks. “Don’t. You. Dare!” She said, wishing to take in his natural form. Her hands slowly inspected his green haired head, feeling the locks, bangs, and strands. “Bugsy… you dye your hair?” Sabrina asked, wanting Bugsy's input and reconfirmation.

The entomologist nodded shyly.
“Yes… I’ve been doing it for years… Back then, people often mistook me for a girl when I had green hair…” He explained while he held his upper arm. “I’m… not proud of it, so I tried dying my hair so I’d look more like a boy.” He toyed with his fringe a bit. "When I did that, some people started to call me a boy. However, I kinda had to keep dying it to keep up the act..." He looked down.

Sabrina ran a hand through Bugsy's hair. She understood how he felt but she had her own two cents on the matter, and she was ready to share them.
“As someone who also dyes their hair, I say you should be proud of your natural hair sometimes.” She said as she felt his bangs. “Take me for example. I dye mine dark green but that does not mean I dislike my usual dark blue color. I can go out like this. Do you ever go out with this green hair?” She asked.

Bugsy hesitated as he looked in the mirror before he shook his head with a face of insecurity.
“I… don’t. But I also don’t wanna grow facial hair. I like looking cute and not really… burly.” He said with a brighter blush. “It would also expose my hair dye…” His head dove downward. “I don’t wanna be girly… but I don’t wanna be super manly…” He sighed and reached for the hair dye, only for Sabrina to stop him with a quick grab of his hand.

“Then just be Bugsy.” Sabrina replied as she raised Bugsy’s face upwards so they could contemplate his reflection together. “Male, Female, it doesn’t change who you really are.” She added. "You're a brave individual. Bug-Type authority. Inventor of the Fury Cutter attack. Discoverer of the U-Turn move. Be proud of yourself."

Bugsy thought about Sabrina's words as he examined his form in the mirror. It’s been a long time since he saw his green hair like this, and now that he's looking at it after all these years, he realized he didn’t look all that feminine. Even if he did look feminine, he felt like he was still… well, Bugsy. He smiled a little. “You’re right, ‘Brina. I guess I just let some things people said back then go to my head..." A small chuckle escaped his mouth as he slid the purple hair dye away. "I guess I can stay like this for a while.” Bugsy said as he leaned his head against Sabrina’s shoulder.

Bugsy's head movement was met with a soft peck from Sabrina to the top of his head.
“Break a leg today, BG.” Sabrina said to the bug specialist, who responded with a wider smile.

“Thanks! I’ll give ‘em a couple hits from you!” Bugsy replied before he made his leave from the bathroom.

Sabrina looked out from the restroom door to watch Bugsy leaving the house, a bright expression on her face supervising the bug catcher's exit. The Shiny Ralts that they’ve been raising together was already awake and also had overseen Bugsy leaving the house. They turned their gaze over to Sabrina in slight confusion.
“Um… Sabrina?” Ralts asked. “What was that about?”

Then Sabrina just realized what happened. From the pep talk she gave Bugsy, to the kiss on his head, to the way she smiled as she watched him leave. She was basically a housewife! She facepalmed and laughed a bit at the thought. “It’s nothing, little buddy.” She said as she crouched down to rub Ralts’s head. “Let's get you some food.” She added.

A quiet and simple day like this might be what a Saffron City girl like herself needs more of.
 
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Mini Review: Clash of Contradictions

First off, sorry this is yet another pull from your older stuff. I just love the idea of a cryptid chasing team-up and wanted to say something.

I never would have thought of pairing Eusine and his best friend Morty with Perrin, even though they're all seekers of rare and only-rumored-to-exist Pokémon in at least one canon. Their games just felt too far apart in the timeline, I guess (even though that really shouldn't feel like an issue considering how foggy Game Freak is with their own chronology). It's a really fun idea, and the Suicune--Walking Wake connection is a great way to make it happen. Besides loving the premise, I thought you did a good job with the action scene here. Fights can be challenging in terms of both choreographing and conveying to the reader what the choreography is, but I always had a clear picture of who was where doing what.

In terms of grammar, I noticed that you tended to use "said" (past tense), but had a lot of the other verbs in present tense, which was a bit jarring. You might also want to consider breaking up paragraphs when you switch speakers, at least in the denser dialog portions. There were a few places where one character talked and another responded where I couldn't tell that the response wasn't the first character continuing to talk until I reached the "[person] said" tag.

Overall, this was a fun and well-done slightly longer read. Thanks for sharing! And Eusine/Perrin has now joined the small ranks of pairings I like as soon as they're suggested. (It's also not named on the shipping list. CryptozoologyShipping, maybe? CryptidChaserShipping? :chansey: I'll leave that up to you whether/what you want to name them!)
 
Mini Review: Clash of Contradictions

First off, sorry this is yet another pull from your older stuff. I just love the idea of a cryptid chasing team-up and wanted to say something.

I never would have thought of pairing Eusine and his best friend Morty with Perrin, even though they're all seekers of rare and only-rumored-to-exist Pokémon in at least one canon. Their games just felt too far apart in the timeline, I guess (even though that really shouldn't feel like an issue considering how foggy Game Freak is with their own chronology). It's a really fun idea, and the Suicune--Walking Wake connection is a great way to make it happen. Besides loving the premise, I thought you did a good job with the action scene here. Fights can be challenging in terms of both choreographing and conveying to the reader what the choreography is, but I always had a clear picture of who was where doing what.

In terms of grammar, I noticed that you tended to use "said" (past tense), but had a lot of the other verbs in present tense, which was a bit jarring. You might also want to consider breaking up paragraphs when you switch speakers, at least in the denser dialog portions. There were a few places where one character talked and another responded where I couldn't tell that the response wasn't the first character continuing to talk until I reached the "[person] said" tag.

Overall, this was a fun and well-done slightly longer read. Thanks for sharing! And Eusine/Perrin has now joined the small ranks of pairings I like as soon as they're suggested. (It's also not named on the shipping list. CryptozoologyShipping, maybe? CryptidChaserShipping? :chansey: I'll leave that up to you whether/what you want to name them!)
Hey hey! No problem! I actually wanted to make a fanfic about Morty, Eusine, and Perrin chasing after the Legendary/Paradox Beasts, and I might make another part to that fanfic someday!

As for the grammar, yeah, I tend to get a little wack with tenses and stuff. The dialogue is noticeably dense and I apologize for it. I went back and made a few edits to the fanfic to maybe help remedy it.

As for the ship pairing between Eusine and Perrin, I like how CryptidChaserShipping sounds, but I actually intended to tease at a potential 3 way relationship between Morty, Eusine, and Perrin. (BeastHunterShipping? Might have to workshop that further).

Nevertheless, I'm glad you liked this one!
 
Pick a Ball, Any Ball
I introduced Bugsy and Sabrina's Ralts earlier, but this time, I wanna actually do things with it.
So here's a really short writing I came up with.
It's about time Ralts chooses a Pokéball to go into!

Rating: E for Everyone

Pick a Ball, Any Ball​

Azalea Town, Johto Region. 5:00pm.​



On this evening, Ralts was standing in the living room, looking around carefully. Bugsy and Sabrina had surrounded the little guy with multiple Pokêballs, each a different type. Ralts's mission? Choose one.

"Okay little buddy. Pick a ball!" Bugsy said. Both trainers were crouched down outside the circle to be closes to Ralts's level. "Remember, each Pokéball has a different feel and effect. For example, a Net Ball can suit your inner bug!" He pointed to a Net Ball. The light blue with black net pattern was interesting.

"Or, you can try a Luxury Ball. You may find a glamorous lifestyle more suitable for you." Sabrina points to a Luxury Ball, a black Pokéball with gold and red accents. It certainly looked flashy.

Bugsy raised an eyebrow.
"Shouldn't something like a Net Ball or a Nest Ball be better for them?" He asked. Sabrina shook her head. "I think a Luxury Ball would fit better. Or a Cherish Ball." She replied. "Well, I think those balls are too... how I put it... spoiled for it?" Bugsy said. That made Sabrina take a bit of offense.

"Are you calling my ball choices spoiled? Are you trying to say something, Bugsy?"

"Oh no no no! I just think something more lowkey and simple would suit 'em better!"

"What if they don't like that?"

"Well, I doubt he'd like something super rich and expensive and-"

The sound of a Pokéball opening and capturing a Pokémon interrupted their argument. When Bugsy and Sabrina's heads turn, they notice the Strange Ball wiggling a little. Seems like Ralts made its decision. "Huh. I... forgot we had that one." Bugsy chuckled a bit. "It made a fine choice. Better than what we could've thought of. I suppose a strange ball fits a strange group like us." Said Sabrina.

Inside the ball, Ralts smiled brightly. Honestly, they just liked the colors of this ball the most.
 
Astral Ant
We got another short but sweet one. I'm surprised I haven't used National Park as a setting that often. There's a lot of potential for things to do there. So, here we are!
On a picnic between Bugsy, Sabrina, and Jasmine, their Pokémon interact. Ralts, feeling a little insecure, decides to talk to a few bugs for help.

Rating: E for Everyone

Astral Ant

National Park, Johto Region. 12pm



It was a peaceful afternoon in National Park. Bugsy was out with Sabrina, having a little picnic with her and their Pokémon. Jasmine even came with them, feeling like she needed a little R&R too. While the trainers enjoyed themselves, their Pokémon were having a little fun of their own.

Sabrina’s Mr. Mime was working with Jasmine’s Magneton to perform stunning tricks. Jasmine’s Steelix and Bugsy’s Scizor were enjoying a conversation, sharing their past adventures. Ralts, however, felt a little insecure. He was under the care of both Bugsy and Sabrina, but he felt like he didn’t belong to either. He’s a Psychic-Fairy-type, yes, but if he has this hidden Bug-Type power, then is he really a Psychic? Or a Fairy? He stands on the back of Bugsy’s Yanmega, who was busy eating berries.


“Hey big guy.” Ralts said, looking down at the large dragonfly creature. It was honestly scary looking, but Ralts knew it was a friend, not a foe. “Hey little man. Whatcha doing? You okay?” Yanmega replied. The little psychic sighed and shook his head. “Not… really… I feel like I don’t belong…” Ralts holds his upper arm.

“First time?” Sabrina’s Venomoth butted into the conversation. “Trust me, I know how it feels. I’ve felt that way for like… the past 10 years or something?” It frankly forgot how long it has been since he was in Sabrina’s care. “Anywho, before Bugsy came into the picture, I felt like I didn’t blend in with the crowd. Boss never understood me. But nowadays, things are alright, I guess.” He explained, flapping closer to Yanmega and Ralts. “So I guess you can try to… keep your head up?” Venomoth was no pep talker. It wasn’t the best at anything really. It was just trying.

“That’s exactly what you should do.” Enter Sabrina’s Gallade. Ralts felt a little tingle down his spine. He was always a little anxious around Gallade. He did witness his strength when it took on the Ralts outbreak alongside Whitney’s Ursaring, so he knew Gallade was powerful. “It may seem confusing for now, but it will get clearer as time goes on.” Gallade explained as it reached over Yanmega to rub Ralts’s head. “Remain vigilant, little one.” He said.

Ralts felt a little flustered by the head rubbing.
“Uh… th-thank you! I just hope I can fit in with both sides.” Ralts said, still a bit nervous. “This hidden power in me… if it truly is akin to bugs like Sabrina says… I wish I could realize it…” He holds his chest.

“Try asking ‘em about the Ruins of Alph. That place is a little creepy but it’s got some hidden power shenanigans.” Yanmega suggests before going down to eat more berries, only to find that… there wasn’t any left! “Huh? What the…” He looks to find Gallade had taken a few to share with Ralts. “Y’know I was eating those, right?” Yanmega said with a blunt expression.

“Well, we’re eating them now.” Gallade said before chowing down on a Pecha Berry. Ralts nibbled on a Tanga Berry, enjoying its spicy contents.
 
The Gamble of Growing Goodness
Sorry for the long long wait! I got busy with all kinds of things like schoolwork! But it's all done now!
To celebrate, how about a fanfic? I've been working on this one for a while and it has some reflective and heartwarming things too!
Bugsy goes to buy a sweet for Sabrina. However, along the way, he encounters several people who each have thoughts and secrets of their own.

Rating: E for Everyone

The Gamble of Growing Goodness

Goldenrod City, Johto Region. 7:02am



Bugsy was about to take the Maglev Train to Saffron City when he noticed a pop up bakery had shown up in town. He thought for a moment before shrugging. Why not? Why shouldn’t he get a sweet treat? He took a spot in line, standing behind a purple haired man in red.

“Hey wait a second…” Bugsy recognized this individual. “Mister… Will?” He asked.

The purple haired man turned around. Yup. It’s definitely Will.
“Ah! Azalea Town’s Bugsy!” He said, looking down at him. “Came to grab a sweet as well?” He asked.

Bugsy nodded.
“Yeah. I was. Some sweets for 2 people, actually. Wanted to get it before I head to Saffron.” He added, raising 2 fingers.

Will raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? Saffron? Why there? Got a special someone?” He leaned in with a smug look.

Bugsy blushed a little.
“Um…” Crap. He can’t tell him!

“Bugsy, I believe that you got a certain somebody you’re fond of.” Will said, making Bugsy go beet red.

“I-I…” The bug catcher stammered. “I-I… might…” He looked down and away.

Will placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey. It’s alright. If I may ask, how long have you known this someone?” He asked.

“Um… about a few months.” Bugsy said, twiddling his thumbs.

Then Will called it out.
“You wish to see Sabrina, don’t you?”

That made Bugsy put his face in his palms and nod slowly. “Yes…” He said.

“You have my sympathy. I too have a special someone I’ve secretly been loving.” Will said as he backed off.

“Eh?” Bugsy got confused.

“Karen and I have been flowing with one another for a long time now. Like, a few years even. In fact, I’m here to get a sweet treat for her. Something to surprise her.” Will explained. “We haven’t gone public yet, mainly because it might come off as… I wanna say unprofessional.” He rubbed the back of his head.

Bugsy gasped.
“Me and Sabrina have the same thought too! I mean, can you imagine if 2 gym leaders from different regions managed to hook up? That would be weird!” He joked around.

Will whispered.
“Love is a weird thing by itself, Bugsy. I hope you know that.” He then turned his attention back to the line. Oh. He’s at the front already! “4 Lokix Eclairs, please.” Will ordered. Hold on. Lokix Eclair? Does that mean-

When Will received his order, he looked back at Bugsy.
“Take care, Bugsy.” He said before making his leave.

“You too, Mister Will.” Bugsy said as he waved Will goodbye before he steps up in line, only to be met with another familiar face.

“Bugsy! Mi long distance mijo!” It’s Katy working at this pop up bakery?! Bugsy hasn’t seen her in person in a long time! He always saw her as something of a long distance mother, as well as a fellow Bug-Type specialist. “It’s been such a long time!” Katy said with a smile.

“Katy! Hello!” Bugsy waved with a smile of his own.

“I almost didn’t recognize you! You’ve grown up so much since we last met in person! And your hair! It’s green again?” Katy reached over and ruffled his hair playfully.

“I let my hair color be natural for a while. And me? Grown up?” Bugsy wasn’t really called that much before, but now that Katy pointed it out… It made him think briefly. “I dunno. I’m still short and all.” He said, taking a look at his body.

“Your height doesn’t necessarily matter, Antón.” Katy responded.

Antón? Been a long time since Bugsy was ever called that. That was the name given to him by his Paldean side of the family. He didn’t mind it, but he’s too used to being called Bugsy or Tsukushi.
“Now then, what can I get my little trooper ant?” Katy asked.

Bugsy looked at the assortment of sweets behind the glass.
“Hm.. got anything special for gifting someone?” He asked.

Katy gasped.
“Oh! You have a special someone?” She asked.

That sparked a blush from Bugsy.
“Uh… yeah. Someone in Saffron. I wanna give them a treat.” He said with a nod. “I wanna give them something special. Something I can enjoy with them.” He added.

Katy rubbed his cheek.
“Aw… Bugsy! You already have a special someone! Why didn’t you tell me before?” She asked.

“Well, we try to keep the relationship a secret, since she doesn’t want her public image to take a hit.” Bugsy looked away nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

“How long have you known her?” Katy asked.

“A few months by now.” Bugsy answered.

“Well, luckily for you, I know the perfect treat!” Katy pulled out a reddish pink and purple colored doughnut. “These doughnuts are one of my latest creations! Designed after the ball carried by Rabsca, a Bug-Psychic type Pokémon found in Paldea, these red velvet treats are sure to tickle your sweet tooth!” She said as she showed it off to Bugsy.

Honestly, she had him at “Bug-Psychic type Pokémon” but he was intrigued by the flavor. He hasn’t had red velvet often, if at all.
“I’ll take 6!” Bugsy spouted, reaching for his pocket.

Katy waved a hand at Bugsy.
“Oh, hold your horses mijo! Just for you, and just this once, these are on the house.” She giggled a bit.

Bugsy perked up and pulled his hand out of his pocket.
“Oh! Y-You mean that?” He asked. Was she really gonna do this?

“Mhm!” The baker nodded as she put the donuts into a bag for Bugsy. “By the way, Bugsy, You’ve Terastalized into a handsome young man. I’m very proud of you.” She pinched the bug catcher’s cheek playfully, making Bugsy blush.

A young man? Him? Well, he certainly was getting older, but he didn’t really feel like it. Nevertheless, Bugsy flashed a smile.
“Thanks Katy, but I gotta catch my train!” He said as he took the bag of donuts.

“Good luck today, Antón!” Katy said as Bugsy made a dash to the train station.

“Gracias! You too, Madre!” Bugsy replied. As he ran into the station, her words rang in his head. Height doesn’t matter… Terastalized into a young man… Was he really getting older? He didn’t mind it, but it’s just been a really long time since someone mentioned his growth. Deep down, he felt like the same boy he was back when he first became gym leader.

When the train started boarding, Bugsy sat down in an open spot and looked out the window to reflect on how he felt. When the train got moving, a rather smooth but low voice caught the bug catcher’s attention.
“Excuse me.” The voice said.

Bugsy turned around to see a grown man in bluish black hair and a matching suit.


“You’re Bugsy, yes? Mind if I sit next to you?” The man asked.

Bugsy nodded.
“Yeah. Go ahead, Mister… um…” Why didn’t he just leave it at “mister?” He doesn’t know this guy’s name. Or at least he doesn’t think so. The man does look a little familiar.

“Grimsley.” The suited man said as he sat down next to Bugsy.

That snapped the entomologist out of his awkward state.
“Mister Grimsley? One of the Unovan Elite 4?!” Bugsy asked.

Grimsley nodded.
“Indeed.” He responded with a grin. Bugsy’s only ever heard of this guy in news and maybe has seen him once or twice on one of his many trips to Unova. However, what’s he doing here in Johto and Kanto?

“Mister Grismley, what’s someone like you doing around here?” Bugsy said, a bit nervous to be in the presence of a foreign region’s elite 4.

“First, please. Knock off all the ‘Mister’ stuff. Just call me Grimsley. Or Uncle Grimsley, if you feel inclined.” The Dark-Type user chuckled a bit when he spoke that last part. “And second, I am merely here along with Shauntal to see the sights. A vacation, you could say.” He added. “I see you also stopped by Katy’s little stand. I went there to grab a few pastries for my acquaintance Shauntal.” Grimsley pointed out the bag in Bugsy’s hand.

“Oh! This? Um… I wanted to get this to give to a certain someone.” Bugsy said, looking a little anxious. “Hey, Mis- Sorry. Grimsley. Katy told me that I’m growing up into a young man, but I don’t feel like a young man…” He confessed.

“Well Bugsy, let me ask. How old are you?” Grimsley asked, looking up and down the entomologist’s body.

“Um… 19, by now.” Bugsy answered. “But I still feel like… 13. That was around the time I started becoming a gym leader.” He said with a mixed look. “I was called girly back then for my green hair. I hated growing facial hair since it made me look too rough. It’s only recently that I’m letting my hair’s natural color show more often…” Bugsy looked out the window to see a faint view of his reflection. He let out a sigh as he reflected on his past briefly. “I’ve been a gym leader for years, but Kanto and Johto still feel the same as it did when I first started, and I think that’s affecting how I feel. The gym trainers of my gym come and go since most bug catchers don't keep their passion for that long. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m not sure if I’m… maturing?” His tone seemed confused.

“Change is an odd thing.” Grimsley said, idly tapping a finger on the table. “Intimidating as it may be, it is necessary to progress in life. Allow me to tell you a brief tale.” He said.

Bugsy turned his attention to the Dark-Type user, curious to hear what he had to say.


“Once upon a time, yours truly stepped down from his position as Unovan Elite 4 to try and change things up in my life. I visited Alola for a time, occasionally taking part in battles at the Battle Tree, so I definitely did not get rusty, but the things I saw in that region made me think.” Grimsley remembered the wonders of Alola. The hot climate, the brave trainers, the stunning Z-Moves he witnessed. He even witnessed Alola change and add photo studios. The lands developed, unlocking new areas and expanding existing ones. New Pokémon were discovered living naturally in Alola’s landscape. “Much like people and Pokémon, some regions change forms, grow, and even evolve. And others don’t. Understandable. Since changing can be risky. Allow me to illustrate a little example for you.” Grimsley produced a gold coin from his sleeve. How did he do that?

Bugsy was intrigued by the Unovan's trick, but quickly shifted his attention back to his words.
“An example? Okay. I’m following.” He said, listening in.

“Let’s say you have the opportunity to usher in an age of prosperity for your peers. Your friends, your family, your home, your loved ones, and yourself. All of them will thrive. All you have to do is push a large piano for miles. You will face opposition from wild Pokémon swarming you, to trainers belittling you and your motivation. They’d call you a piece of shit and anything they have on their mind. Should you fail to push that piano to your destination, then nothing happens. All would remain normal. Your rate for success is 50%. Would you take the gamble?” Grimsley asked, looking a bit smug.

Bugsy was taken aback by the scenario Grimsley painted. He was maybe a little disturbed by that scenario. However, it did sound familiar.
“Um…” Bugsy mumbled and awkwardly looked away as he thought.

“It’s alright. Take your time, Bugsy.” Grimsley waited.

The opportunity to bring beneficial change to everyone in his life… That would be insane! However, the risk… He could succeed and live the one of the happiest lives a man could ever have. But the things he’d have to go through… The blood, sweat, and tears that would go into it. He’s done some risky things before for friends. But there’s something about this specific scenario that felt heavier.
“Hm… maybe? I’m… not sure…” Bugsy said.

Grimsley nodded.
“Alright. Now, it’s time to be real.” He said. That kinda made Bugsy feel on edge.

“When I said your success rate was 50%, I might have… fibbed, in a sense.” Grimsley tossed the coin up and down in his hand. “Alone, your success rate is low. Not quite nonexistent but still very low.” He explained.

Well, guess taking the risk just wouldn’t be worth it then.
“So… I shouldn’t pull the piano… I mean I could still try but…” Bugsy guessed.

Grimsley gave a so-so expression.
“I mean, you can do this task alone, but again, your odds of success if you did would be very low. However, if you had support from your closest companions. Shielding you from any deterrence, assisting you in your objective, or any other method. Then that success rate becomes higher. Don’t you think so?” Grimsley gave a grin while Bugsy thought about that again.

Alone, pulling that piano would be hell. Especially for a boy like him. But with friends… then the job would become way easier. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?
“Yeah. I think so.” Bugsy summarized with a nod. “I think I’d take the gamble if I had friends backing me up!” He answered.

Grimsley nodded at his answer.
“Well, let's see what happens…” He said. With expertise, the heavenly king used his thumb to flip the coin high up into the air. It just barely grazed the train’s ceiling before it came back down thanks to gravity. Grimsley caught the coin before it could hit anything and brought his hands together, covering the result. Bugsy was in awe at how clean it was performed, but he held his breath. However, Grimsley wouldn’t tell him that. He merely peeked at the outcome before hiding the coin in his pocket.

“Well? What happened?” Bugsy asked.

“Sorry Bugsy. I’m no fortune teller. But the fact that you would take such a gamble in the first place. That tells me you’re a mature enough young man, even if you don’t feel like it. Gambles are a part of life and Pokémon battles. Sometimes, you have to take them if you want change. You have to be that change you want to see in the world.” Grimsley said with a chuckle and a pat to Bugsy’s shoulder.

The train had just arrived at Saffron City.
“I believe this is our stop.” Grimsley said as both he and Bugsy stood up. “Farewell Mister Bugsy. And by the way, should you still feel immature, I suggest keeping your head up. Or buying a suit.” Grimsley gave a farewell gesture before making his exit.

“Thank you, Grimsley!” Bugsy said as he waved him goodbye. Then it hit him. He was called “Mister Bugsy!” By an elite 4 member! Now that was something major to think about for a while!

Bugsy stepped off the train and ran into the streets of Saffron City, making a dash to the gym.
“Sabrina! Hey!” He called out. However, a voice in his head gave him an instruction.

“Hold it!” The voice said. It was Sabrina’s telepathy giving him the impromptu order. He followed it, stopping on a dime right next to Sabrina… While she was ending an announcement she was making… In front of all kinds of people and cameras…. Yeah… Bugsy done messed up here.

“Uh… Hey Sabrina…” Bugsy chuckled nervously upon realizing his screw up.

“Hello Bugsy.” Sabrina replied with a hint of irritation. She doesn’t mind him showing up but this was not a good time. Could he not have waited like 5 more minutes?

“I uh… got you breakfast.” He held up the bag of sweets.

Sabrina took it, but her slightly sour look wasn’t going anywhere.
“Thank you.” She said. Despite her negative look, her tone was a biiiit calmer.

“What’s with the crowd?” Bugsy asked.

“I was giving a speech announcing my return to the gym… I was just about to finish when you showed up.” Sabrina said, crossing her arms.

“Well… I guess love blinds us sometimes…” Bugsy shrugged, still trying to play this off.

Sabrina’s annoyance remained, but it was also joined by a sort of… playfulness.
“In your case, love blinds you literally.” She retorted.

The crowd was murmuring about Bugsy’s sudden intrusion into the speech. When Sabrina noticed this, she figured that there’s no more hiding it now. However, she could still have a little fun here.
“Sorry ladies and gentlemen. I suppose the Torracat’s outta the bag…” Sabrina said to the public. “Everyone. Meet my boyfriend, Bugsy. If you have any questions, he'll be more than happy to answer them.” She announced before teleporting away into the gym like a Pokémon that just used Parting Shot. That left Bugsy, now the center of attention, alone to be barraged with many questions from the curious public.

About an hour later, Bugsy managed to slip into the Saffron City gym’s locker rooms, meeting up with Sabrina. He was feeling a bit tired after all the comments from the crowd. Sabrina giggled a bit.
“Sorry about that, but it was sorta deserved after your sudden intrusion exposing our secret.” She said as she dusted off Bugsy’s shoulders.

“Well, it’s out there now.” Bugsy sighed. Although he did have to admit, he did deserve it. “And the reaction wasn’t as bad as I thought. I got some encouragement but also some... not so encouraging words." He seemed a bit confused but shrugged and sat down on a bench.

“Dropping that truth bomb on the public was a gamble. Sorry that I took it without warning.” Sabrina said as she sat right down next to Bugsy.

“Hey, like a Dark-Type user once told me, gambles are a part of life and Pokémon battles. Sometimes, you gotta take ‘em if you want a change in the world.” Bugsy chuckled.

Sabrina offered him a donut which he happily accepted. The taste was even sweeter than he expected. Maybe it was because Sabrina was by his side.
“Is this real? Saffron’s signature psychic mistress being in love with Azalea’s insectologist?” Sabrina asked as she leaned on Bugsy a bit.

“It’s real.” Bugsy replied.

Sabrina wrapped her arms around Bugsy. All these risks, gambles, chances… It’s all worth it to feel the embrace of each other.
 
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Passionate Pyros
Sorry for the wait. I was meant to make a shorter fanfic but this ended up longer than I thought.
Here we got FlamencoShipping and juuuust brief dashes of AirplaneShipping and ClassroomShipping to boot.
Flannery and Chili have had feelings for one another, but this is the first time they'll actually spend some real time with one another.

Rating: E for Everyone

Passionate Pyros

Lavaridge Town, Hoenn Region. 12:12pm



Flannery was lowkey panicking in her room. Okay, that’s a lie. She’s HIGHKEY panicking. She hastily inspected herself in the mirror, making sure she looks good. “H-Hey Rox!” She turns around to Roxanne, who was seated on Flannery’s bed. “How do I look?” She asked after some brief hair combing.

Roxanne shrugged.
“The same way you usually do. I mean, you look good, but you don’t have to change too much, Flannery.” She said, getting off the bed and walking up to her fellow gym leader. “Just remain calm.” She patted Flannery’s shoulder before getting a buzz on her DexNav. “I have to go. Cheren and I have a meeting. Good luck on your day out with Chili.” Roxanne made her exit, leaving Flannery to wave her farewell and then contemplate on her own. “Okay Flannery. You got this. You’re a volcano hot dynamite gal! You got this!” She says to herself before slapping her cheeks. “C’mon! You got this!” She added.

Meanwhile, Chili was being guided by Skyla and Elesa to Lavaridge. And by guided, it was more like dragged.
“I knew it wasn’t a good idea to tell girls about my crush!” Chili said. “Oh don’t worry about it, Chili. All you gotta do is take that leap of faith!” Skyla responded. She was the one that was pulling Chili by the hand. “G-Girls! You sure she’ll like me?!” Chili asked as the two stopped at Flannery’s front door. “Chili. I haven’t seen you so nervous or self-conscious about yourself.” Elesa said as she dusted off Chili’s attire. “You’re a handsome young man with the same specialty. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She added. “I’m sure she’ll like you.” She puts a Fire-Type TM into Chili’s arms. Flame Charge. A fire-type move. It even had a little bow slapped on it.

“Just remain calm, okay? Act natural.” Elesa pats Chili shoulder. “Now, if you excuse us, we have to go to Mauville. Tell us how it all goes when it's over.” She said before taking Skyla’s hand and leaving for Mauville City.

Chili took a deep breath, mentally readying himself.
“Okay… Here goes nothing.” He reached out to knock on Flannery’s front door, his knuckles making 3 rhythmic impacts. “Hello?” He asked.

It took a little bit but the door finally opened slowly. Flannery peeked out, her face noticeably blushing.
“Oh! Uh… Chili!” She asked. Chili hesitated to respond, enamored by how cute she looked when blushing. “H-Hi! Flannery… We Unova gym leaders are visiting Hoenn for a while and I uh… wanted to stop by.” He explained, sounding more awkward than he usually was. Flannery opened the door more, stepping aside to let him in. “Well, come in...” She said.

Chili stepped inside, his feet meeting the wooden floor. This was fireproof wood, to be exact, fitting for the home of a fire specialist. His fire types almost immediately came out on their own.
“Huh? Hey! Simisear! Darmanitan! Heatmor!” Chili exclaimed. “Sorry about them!” He was about to recall them but Flannery stopped him. “No no! It’s fine! I’m used to fire types hanging around here.” Flannery said with a blush and smile. “Mind if I uh… talk to them?” She asked. “S-sure! Go ahead! They don’t bite!” Chili replied.

Flannery approached Chili’s Pokémon, her hesitation and apprehension from before faded quickly. She petted the trio of Unovan flames, being met with smiles and even hugs from them.
“Whoa! H-Hey!” Flannery got a bit surprised but she’s used to it. She especially liked Darmanitan’s vibe. “Haven’t seen fire types like these often! I can tell they burn brightly!” Flannery said, seeming really comfortable around the foreign fire types. Take note of that, Chili.

“Hey uh…. Flannery.” Chili piped up and thrusted the Flame Charge TM towards her. “T-This is for you to try out!” He said, looking away awkwardly. Flannery blushed at the gift but took it. “Flame Charge? Never really used this move all that much. Didn’t know it was a TM!” She said as she inspected the item. “Thanks!” She took the bow off to admire the machine. “I should teach this to my-” She cut herself off when she noticed Camerupt, Torkoal, and Magcargo coming up by Chili’s side. “Oh! There they are!” She said with a slight laugh.

Chili looked at Flannery’s fire type group, reaching out to pet Magcargo first. He aimed to touch the shell, but Flannery piped up to stop him.
“Whoa whoa whoa!” She ran to Chili and grabbed his wrist. “Huh? What’s up?” Chili was confused. “You see, petting Magcargo is kinda awkward. You have to be suuuuuuper careful with touching the shell, since it’s really brittle. It’ll crack from even a slight touch.” Flannery explained before realizing how geeky she must sound right now. “Doh. Sorry, just… don’t touch the shell yet. You can touch its other areas without getting burned though! Maybe…” She stated, looking at Magcargo as if she wasn’t sure about that fact. Would Chili get burned? Or will he be safe?

Chili slowly reached out and placed a hand on Magcargo’s head. It felt VERY warm, but not too hot. Was it like Ponyta or Rapidash where the Pokémon chooses to burn you when you try to pet its flaming body? Whatever the case, his hand ran through the magma snail’s head. Magcargo kinda liked that, actually.
“Huh. It’s like… a really warm heater.” Chili said.

Flannery rubbed the head of Camerupt and Torkoal, getting met with a lick from the camel.
“Wah! Hey! What did I say about doing that without warning?” Flannery giggled as she grabbed a towel to wipe her face. “Hey, be grateful it ain’t a Heatmor!” Chili said with a laugh. His Heatmor pouted a bit. “The hell, man?” It said, looking away. “Hey man, I appreciate the thought. But your tongue is too hot to be licking me all the time!” Chili replied with a shrug.

The day continued on with the two fire-type specialists sharing things. However, something was rather apparent. When sharing things about their Pokémon, they acted naturally. Or at least, mostly naturally. However, when the topic was more about each other, their demeanors totally changed. These mood swings were noticed by both Flannery and Chili, creating awkward but charming moments for them and anyone around who noticed. They even had some battles alongside and against each other, wowing themselves and any onlookers. Around the evening, the two were in a cable car, heading up to the summit of Mt. Chimney.


“Whoa…” Chili said in awe as he looked out the windows. “This place reminds me of Reversal Mountain!” He said. “Reversal Mountain? Is that also a volcanic mountain? You have those in Unova?” Flannery asked, intrigued. Chili nodded. “Uh huh! I gotta show ya the place when-” It hit him. He’ll show her when she visits him in Unova. Will he be ready by then? If that ever happens?! “When.. you uh.. Go to Unova.” He said, getting nervous.

When the cable car arrived, Chili let Flannery out first.
“This place can be a little hot and dangerous.” She said, blushing a little and laughing nervously. “So you wanna uh… hold hands?” She wanted to act natural and say it like it was no big deal. To her, it actually was a really big deal. She hasn’t really held a guy’s hand like it was some sort of date. However, to her surprise, Chili grabbed her hand carefully, issuing a blush from Flannery. “Well, that’s what gentlemen do, right?” Chili chuckled nervously. And so, their walk begins.

The stroll around Mt. Chimney went very well. Neither Chili or Flannery were bothered by the heat or rocky landscape. The real source of warmth was how anxious they were deep down. Once they reached the summit, Chili peeked into the inside of the volcano.
“Has this place ever erupted?” Chili asked. Flannery shook her head. “Not in years. However, some fire Pokémon like hanging around this place like a hot spring. Like them.” She said before pointing over to something in the volcano.

Flannery was pointing to a pair of Magmortar relaxing in the lava.
“I’ve never seen a pair of Magmortar in the same volcano!” She said, looking a bit contemplative. “Why would they occupy the same spot?” She asked. Chili rubbed his cheek with a finger. “Maybe for a date spot or something. I mean, only a pair that loves heat would go out alone near a volcano.” He guessed. That made Flannery blush a lot. Was he trying to say something here? Before she could think harder, her stomach growled. “Oof… Getting a bit hungry here… I knew I should’ve eaten more at lunch today…” She said as her hand rested on her stomach.

Chili reached into a pack of his and pulled out a lunchbox.
“Good thing I packed some grub for my travels. Care for a spicy sandwich or two?” He sat down and opened it, revealing lightly toasted sandwiches cut in triangles. Flannery nodded. “Sure! I could use some dinner.” She sat down next to him and grabbed half a sandwich while he took the other half. After a small toast using their halves, the food goes down the hatch.

The flavors bombarded their taste buds in the best way possible. Flannery didn’t quite know what was in this sandwich, but she loved it. In truth, it was ham, pastrami, pepperoni, bell peppers, spicy mayo, and onions. Chili noticed her bright smile and laughed a bit.
“Good, huh?” He asked. “Yeah! This stuff is great! Thanks!” Flannery replied as she finished up.

Then Flannery’s mind went back to what Chili said about Mt. Chimney as a date spot. It just now hit her. This whole day… It was basically a date! And neither of them had noticed it! She couldn’t believe it! However, she couldn’t get mad. She could only get flustered and smile. Guess they both got lost in the heat of it all.
 
Freeze A Crowd
Okay this might be the last long fic I make for a while since I got a vacation planned later this week and I won't be here on Bulbagarden to post things.
However, I still got plans to post things for now. Just things to hold you guys over during my hiatus.
Here we have MistFlowShipping. Grusha heads to Candice's for the first time!

Rating: T for Teen

Freeze A Crowd

Snowpoint City, Sinnoh Region. 6:13pm



Grusha couldn’t believe he’s doing this. Why the hell is he in Sinnoh? He didn’t hate the place, honestly. But he still didn’t wanna be here. Why did Geeta choose him to promote this interregional bonding program or whatever? The purpose of this was to help strengthen bonds between gym leaders across the regions or whatever. Well, if Grusha’s gonna be here, he might as well meet the only Sinnoh gym leader he knows at least somewhat decently.

Grusha knocked on the door of a large log cabin home. After a little waiting, the door was opened by… Maylene?
“Hey Grusha. What brought you here?” Maylene asked. “Geeta sent me here as part of some… interregional program or something. Just let us visit various regions and maybe get some pointers.” Grusha’s eyes wandered upwards as he explained. Maylene nodded and stepped aside to let Grusha in.

Maylene closed the door once Grusha entered the cabin.
“Hang up your coat, wipe your feet, or whatever you do to feel comfy.” Maylene said. Grusha did just that, hanging up his scarf, gloves, boots, and jacket. There was a fireplace going to keep the whole place warm and toasty. “Is Candice here?” He asked.

“Yeah. She is. Lemme get her.” Maylene said before she attempted to call down Candice. “Hey Candice! He’s here!” She yelled.

“A-Already?!” Candice shouted back.

“Yes!” Maylene responded.

Soon, Grusha heard footsteps coming from another part of the house. Candice raced into the room after getting changed into more comfortable clothing. A short sleeved shirt and shorts to be exact.
“Grusha!” Candice said, waving to her fellow Ice-type specialist. “Candice.” Grusha waved back.

“Whatcha stopping by for?” Candice asked. “Interregional bonding program.” Grusha replied, putting his hands behind his head. “I chose to visit here because since you visited Glaseado a while back, I thought I’d return the favor.” He added.

“Well, thanks for stopping by. I’d show off my ice-types but they’re pretty tired after me and Maylene had a long training session. Sorry!” Candice rubs the back of her head. “It’s cool. Don’t worry about it. I can show you some of mine.” Grusha replied.

“Show us your ace.” Maylene requested, curious about what unique ice Pokémon Grusha could have. Candice was even more interested. “Yeah! C’mon!” The ice girl said, eager to see what Paldean Pokémon could represent the ice type.

Grusha pulls out a Pokéball and tossed it up, releasing his ace Pokémon, Altaria.
“Aaaaah!” Altaria chirps out joyfully. “Now I know what you’re gonna say-” Grusha got interrupted by Candice. “That’s not an ice type!” She said, pointing out something pretty obvious.

“No shit. Well, not yet. You see, Paldean and Unovan trainers have gotten access to Tera Orbs, which allow us to terastalize our Pokémon. You might’ve heard of the phenomenon.” Grusha pulls out his Tera Orb. “A Pokémon’s Tera Type is the type it becomes when it terastalizes. We trainers use these Tera Orbs to terastalize them. We’ve been thinking about globally distributing these things since Tera Energy has been apparently rumored to be found around the world.” His Tera Orb started to flare up with energy before Grusha tossed it to Altaria, making it terastalize into an Ice type! “Haaaah! Behold!” Altaria started to hover lightly with excitement. “Check it out. Cool, huh?” Grusha chuckles a little.

“So any Pokémon could become an ice type?” Maylene asked. “Or any type they want. As long as they got the tera type, anyway.” Grusha answered. Candice circled around Altaria, curious about its crystalized form. She reached out to carefully feel the cloud dragon. “Shiny…” She said softly. Altaria leaned into Candice’s touch.

“Huh. My Pokémon don’t get to feel the touch of a bare hand often. Because it's cold where I live, y’know.” Grusha said, realizing how much Altaria liked being touched by Candice. “I bet you don’t get the touch of a bare hand either.” Maylene commented with a cheeky smile. “But why Altaria of all Pokémon?” She asked. “Yeah, it’s certainly a peculiar choice. Not a bad Pokémon! God no! But for an Ice-Type specialist like you, it’s a little strange.” Candice said.

Grusha sighed before taking a seat on the couch. Altaria walked over and hopped up right next to him.
“Glaseado has a lot of clouds, so Altaria likes it, but the reason it's my ace is a little… personal.” He said. “I used to be a snowboarder. A pro. Like the second best in the world.” He looked down at his chest and then his legs. “I was willing to reach the top. No mistakes. No holding back. But I got too ambitious in one competition. Too focused on winning. And then reality hit me like a truck.” Grusha lifted his shirt up a little, revealing what was more than likely a serious injury from a long time ago. Maylene and Candice gasped at the sight.

“Winter mountains are dangerous. They’ll throw your life off course. And when they do, you won’t be the same person as you were before.” He put his shirt back down before lifting up one of his pants legs, revealing another one of those old injuries. “I got pains in my chest and legs since I smacked right into a bunch of trees and rocks. Could barely move. I was bleeding. Altaria came down and carried me to help. She saved my life back then… but didn’t save my career. I never competed again.” Grusha pulled his pants leg down before rubbing Altaria, who relaxed at the sensation. It even started to fall asleep next to him. “Pokémon battles are just like snowy mountains. You can’t get too cocky, or it’ll throw you for a loop.” He sighed again.

“Sorry to just drop all that dark stuff on you girls. You’re probably not used to that.” Grusha recalled a snoozing Altaria to its Pokéball. Maylene sits down on Grusha’s left. “It’s fine. Just… I’m sorry that happened to you.” She said as her hand rested on his shoulder. “I know how it feels to get injured. How it feels to get knocked down. I spar with my fighting types, so I know how much it’s gonna hurt when you get in over your head. I’ve gotten up, sure, but I will never forget each bruise I get.” She pointed to the nasal strip on her face. “This strip here? I remember it when I first trained with my Lucario when I was a newbie to the gym leader business. It stung and bled. Had some breathing issues for months. Even today, I keep this bandage on to remind myself how tough life will get.” She explained. That brought a small chuckle to Grusha. “Heh. You get it.” He said.

Candice was honestly taken aback by Grusha’s explanations.
“Whoa….” She was about to reach out and feel them, but stopped. She’d probably look weird doing it. “Are you one of those chicks that dig scars?” Grusha asked, a bit confused by Candice’s awe. “Uh… I just find ‘em cool. Well, the way you can live with them, anyway.” Candice said with a faint blush. “Sure you do…” Maylene said with snarkiness.

“So, who’s hungry?” An honestly somewhat embarrassed Candice tried to change the topic. “I got some cookies I baked earlier. We could put on some TV or movies and chill out.” She said, pointing over to a container that held many freshly baked cookies. She originally made them for Maylene’s tastebuds, but since they’ve got Grusha here, she might as well share.

Grusha shrugged.
“Eh, why not. As long as y’all got milk.” He took a look at Candice’s fridge before walking over and opening it. There was plenty of milk, enough for Grusha to make himself a cup. Maylene opened the container of cookies and took a few of the treats. She even made Grusha a plate. “So Grusha, what do you know about being a gym leader?” Maylene asked. “I was pretty inexperienced when I started out but Candice slowly helped me get the hang of it.” She explained, sparking Candice to pipe up. “Yeah! The job’s tough, but with the right focus, it’s not bad at all!” The ice specialist wrapped an arm around her fighting-type friend’s shoulder. “Focus, determination, and the drive to grow stronger and improve. That’s what I think a gym leader should do.” Maylene said.

“That’s nice. Well, better hold onto it.” Grusha said as he dipped one of his cookies in the milk. Huh. The sweets are still pretty warm. Must be recently baked. “I hate to drop more sappy stuff on you girls, but being a gym leader is sorta all I got left. La Primera, that’s what we call our chairwoman and top champion Geeta, entrusted me with this role, and I’m gonna keep it with my life. If I mess it up, god knows where the frozen hell I’ll be..” Grusha lamented as he guided the cookie into his mouth and took a bite. After swallowing, he continued. “I’m a little desperate to avoid hitting rock bottom, I guess.” He sighed before finishing the rest of his cookie.

Maylene sits up on a stool. Man, Grusha’s got some heavy stuff.
“You sound dead set on holding your position.” Maylene commented. Candice walked over to Grusha’s side. “Such focus… I like that!” She said, playfully nudging Grusha’s shoulder. The snowboarder is not that amused. “You like focused guys and scarred guys… What else are you into?” He commented bluntly before he took a sip of his milk. A bit of it spilled onto his chest.

When Candice used a napkin to clean up the spilled drop, she noticed something about the milk.
“Wait, you drink your milk warm?” Candice asked.

Grusha nodded.
“I gotta warm up with something.” He said as he ate another cookie and washed it down with more of the diary beverage.

“Or maybe you need someone to keep you warm even when you fall.” Candice commented playfully, giving a wink to boot.

“Scarred guys, focused guys, and guys who drink warm milk… Are you trying to say you’re into me or something?” Grusha accused Candice of having a little crush. This sparked a blush and slight panic from the diamond dust girl. “What? Me? I’m not saying that!” Candice protested, but Grusha bought none of it. Neither did Maylene. “Surrrre you aren’t, Candice…” Maylene said with a slightly smug tone.

“Well, what are we watching on the flix?” Maylene grabbed the TV remote and turned on the TV, flipping through channels.

“We’ll let our guest decide.” Said Candice, putting the spotlight on Grusha.

“Mind putting on some snow sports?” Grusha asked as he sat next to Maylene. Candice sat right next to him, putting the Paldean between the pair of Sinnohian ladies.

Maylene changed the channel to an ice skating competition. Not a bad choice for TV watching. Although, something was on Candice’s mind. She liked Grusha’s style. He was the type of guy that she normally muses about being. Cold, distant, and rather sorrowful. However, she did notice cracks in his personality. Perhaps, maybe, she can help him chill out.
 
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