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bundleofyarrow · 4 years

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Bundle of Yarrow Chapter 9 is up!

the 9th chapter of my Milo x Reader fic Bundle of Yarrow is up! you can read it below the cut or over at AO3. this chapter is mostly inspired by an ask wanting to see a scene of Milo getting jealous! see my attempt at creating tension as you struggle to deal with suddenly being a part of the gym challenge.

Exiting Motostoke was like shifting into a completely different setting. The west side of the city was dominated by warehouses and loading equipment. Sounds of metal against metal and tumbling construction material overwhelms the magic feel of the city. Instead, haze from billowing smokestacks and whiffs of waste occupied your senses as you walked through to Route 3. You never thought you’d miss the Wild Area, but you would trade this for the scent of the forests any day.

“Whew! Now I remember why I never visit Turffield on foot unless it’s from Hulbury.” Sonia complains, waving a hand in front of her nose. “I think the last time I’ve been to Route 3 was for our gym challenge!”

Earlier in the day, Sonia showed you a statue of a hero with a sword and shield in the lobby of the Budew Drop Inn while you waited for Leon to get ready. She was reading the inscription and looking information up online while writing in her notebook. It was an interesting listen, hearing about Galarian folklore and the mysteries that remained. Her excitement and curiosity was infectious. Even though you had little relationship to this region’s mythologies, you were becoming invested in her adventure for finding out the truth. Apparently there are ancient sites in Turffield that may have leads for her research, so she decided to walk with you over to your first stop in the gym challenge.

“You don’t have to rough it with me, you know. You’re able to take a flying taxi over to Turffield.” You offer nonchalantly, not trying to give away that you do indeed want her company, but don’t want to feel like a bother. “It’s just me that has to do all the walking.”

“Absolutely not.”

A few paces behind you was Leon, except upon a cursory glance you might not be able to tell. He was dressed in joggers and a hoodie that contained his hair, complete with wrap-around sports sunglasses that tinted your reflection in yellows and greens. This is the first time you’ve seen Leon incognito, more used to his open, public displays of celebrity. In a group chat with you and Sonia, Nessa gossiped about Leon getting scolded by League higher-ups and was told to not be seen with you anymore. He was also given a bunch of work by Chairman Rose related to some new energy plan Marcos Cosmos was prototyping. Leon wouldn’t tell you more than that, only he was escorting you to the Galar Mines on the other side of Route 3, picking up some samples, and heading to Hammerlocke, which you learned is a city north of the Wild Area.

You couldn’t put your finger on it exactly, but it felt like Leon was hovering over you all day so far. He would reach for things to give to you the moment you were about to get them yourself, or he would take your coffee cup while you were texting on your phone. Leon insisted that he come along with you because you needed some training to do well at the gym challenge. You still weren’t completely sure about this whole gym challenge thing, but you figured he was right, given he’s a champion and all.

Things weren’t exactly settled with you though. When you woke up, your phone had a huge influx of notifications from Pokegram. Turns out that Raihan posted the selfies he took with you at dinner on his account and tagged you. This only seemed to stoke the speculation online about a relationship between you and Leon. While the idea didn’t offend you, things definitely didn’t feel like there was romance in the air. He always acted weird towards you, despite making advances on you twice. Not to mention, there has to be something going on him with and Sonia…

“It’s nice to do the walkin’ sometimes! Durin’ challenge season things get so busy, there’s no choice but to use flyin’ taxis.”

It was hard not to smile with Milo’s matter-of-fact optimism, seeming to be in a much better mood today and back to his usual pleasant self. He walked next to you with that permanent soft rise in the corners of his lips, not looking at all encumbered holding bags of last minute grocery shopping you did. Early this morning he actually went to get the group coffee and tea while you dragged yourselves out of bed and got ready to leave. On your way past the markets of the city you remember how you wanted to stock up on some cooking materials for the trip, and might have went a smidge overboard. You wanted to get some fresher ingredients for the first couple of days, so you got some sausage to cook for tonight and a good medley of mushrooms and veggies for tomorrow. After that, you knew you had to get things that preserve for a bit, so you also bought some potatoes and pre-cooked burger sealed tight, along with a couple cups of emergency instant noodles. And of course, plenty of curry mix! What escaped your calculations was how much all of that would weigh, and the current lack of space in your bag.

And as if on cue, with little effort at all, Milo just lifted the bag out of your arms and informed everyone he was joining you all on the trek over to Turffield. You were quite surprised, since he probably needed to get to his gym to prepare for the first wave of challengers. Milo said he wanted to stretch his legs and take things slowly before the rush, but you wondered if that was the full story. Come to think of it, this was when Leon’s weird behavior began.

As the group crossed out of Motostoke and to the dirt path of Route 3, Leon stopped you. He was scoping out the rustling in the tall grass and took notice of young trainers loitering around hoping to get some practice in. When he turns to you, he has a bit of a smirk and hands on his hips.

“Okay, it’s time to get serious about your training! Let’s go over some basics and give you some strategy.” He holds up eight fingers, four on each hand. “So there are eight gyms, what is unique about them?”

You blink a couple of times. “They all specialize in different types, even I know that Le-” He quickly makes a hushing gesture with a finger over his mouth. “Um, mysterious Mr. Man?” Sonia doesn’t hide her giggle.

“So you have to visit each of these in an order, right? It only makes sense that you try to capture and train Pokemon that have type advantages for your next gym. Then when you get to the championships, which you will, you can select the Pokemon you’ve bonded with the best to train for the end.”

“This feels like cheating, but okay.” You look over to Milo, who is looking down the route but casually listening in. “So it’s your gym first, and I feel like everyone has been saying you like Grass types?”

Milo smiles at you and gives a thumbs up. “You got it! In fact, you already met the Pokemon you’ll be battlin’.” That must mean the ones he introduced to you while you were camping.

“Right, now Milo isn’t that much of a challenge,” Milo stiffens a bit at Leon’s comment. “So as long as you find the right types, you can win pretty easy. Since his gym challenge only uses two Pokemon, you only need two yourself. And I’ll help you train!” His grin only widens, he’s really into this. “Do you know what is good against Grass?”

You try to remember the times you’d have lunch and Hop would force Gloria to quiz him on type matchups. Whether it’s helpful or not, you try to imagine literal grass and what it wouldn’t like. “Fire, Bugs, umm… and Ice?”

Leon nods. “Also Flying and Poison, so there are plenty of choices to beat Milo with.” Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Milo’s smile is gone and his expression is very difficult to read. It’s not that nervous, fumbling side that comes out every once in a while, it’s… something else. “This route is the habitat for a few fire Pokemon, Growlithe, Vulpix, and if you’re willing to do some searching, there’s Sizzlipedes too. And catching you a Rookidee wouldn’t hurt either. I can train you with the Thwackey I have on me, we need to work on your battling form.”

It’s hard to not feel a bit overwhelmed by everything Leon is shooting at you. But before you can protest much, he leads you down the route to begin your training. He gets nearby trainers to battle you, coaching you from how you throw your Pokeball to giving commands. Yelling orders at your Pokemon makes you deeply uncomfortable, so you try to work around Leon’s advising by cheering them on or getting better at reading the situation and relaying that information to them. You can tell Leon is biting his tongue, because while it seems like you’re winning battles, they aren’t decisive wins.

After a fight with a girl’s Vulpix, you crouch down to pet Pancham and tend to her burns. She didn’t seem to have an issue with battling at all, in fact, she’s basking in her victory. But hearing her cries when attacked was dreadful. It made you want to quit right then and there. “You’ll get a little extra curry tonight.” For some reason, your other Pokeballs shake upon hearing that.

When you rise and return Pancham to her Pokeball, you feel a strong hand on your back. “Good work, you’ll be battling me in no time!” You can see Leon’s eyes sparkle when he looks over his sunglasses at you. “I can now see what Milo was talking about, you care about your Pokemon above all other concerns. It’s hard to be that way during a fight though, during a Pokemon battle all you can think about is winning.”

You sigh a bit hearing that, and Leon soon directs you into the tall grass to find a fire Pokemon of your own. “You have a Vanillite, but it’s better to explore some more options before you settle on including her into your lineup.” It doesn’t take long to reconfirm that you are horrible at throwing Pokeballs, and you realize that you most likely only caught Yamper and Vanillite because they wanted to be caught, just with a bit of a fight first. The idea of forcing a Pokemon to join you twists your stomach. You attempt to talk to all the wild Pokemon Leon wanted you to catch but none responded very well.

“We’re really going to have to work on your throwing arm. Here, let me catch-”

“No.” You say with more force than you meant. “I don’t like doing it this way. My Pokemon picked me, and I want to keep it that way.”

Leon crosses his arms over his chest, cocking his head to the side and raising an eyebrow. “But how are you going to get the Pokemon you want? I admit I’m impressed that Pokemon seem to choose you willingly, and they want to fight for you. But you’re supposed to be doing the choosing, not them. You’re a Pokemon trainer now, have to get into a different mentality.”

Sonia and Milo have mostly been chatting between themselves while trailing behind you and Leon. They both give you a reassuring touch on the shoulder or elbow whenever he gets particularly tough in his instruction with you. It’s clear to you now why Leon is the champion, he can see the entire world from the perspective of a Pokemon battle. Every piece of information relates to how he can win or is discarded. On the other hand, you were interested in the story of each of your charges, wanting them to grow and live the lives they wanted to pursue. They chose you not because you were aiming to become the best, but rather some other adventure you had yet to fully define.

“I think you’re doin’ a great job.” You turn to Milo, who’s smiling. Thinking of him cheering you on sends some tingles throughout your body. “It’s nice to see someone go about being a trainer in a different way.”

“You’re just saying that because you want an easy win!” Leon smirks at Milo, slinging one arm around your tire shoulders. “Don’t listen to him, I’ll make it so you’re unbeatable for your adventure.” That unreadable expression returns to Milo’s face, and you watch his eyes lock onto where Leon’s hand is grasping your shoulder. “We’ll resume lessons soon, let’s take a break.” He gives you a quick squeeze and lets go to lead you forward.

It’s only now that you notice the sun was just starting to fall past its zenith. In a nearby clearing Sonia lays out a blanket and Milo tears apart some bread that he got at the cafe earlier this morning to pass around for a snack. You all are mostly quiet, probably for different reasons. You feel like there are maybe a pair of eyes or two on you, but you’re staring off into the distance as you mull over Leon’s attitude towards being a Pokemon trainer. However, it’s not long before the group notices a lingering smell of something unsavory. Sonia shoots a glare over to Leon while covering her lower face with her hand. “Ew Leon, was that you??”

“Sonia!” Leon practically screeched, turning a bright shade of red. “Why are you so quick to accuse me!?”

As they bicker, Milo leans towards you and points out into the distance past the route. There’s a factory with smoke drifting from it in the air, surrounded with carts full of what looks to be coal. “That’s a Marcos Cosmos energy plant over there, turnin’ ore into power.” You can tell Milo is trying to not breathe through his nose as he talks, and it takes you a bit of effort to not giggle at how cute he sounds. “Chairman Rose pretty much owns every method of generatin’ energy here in Galar. It probably smells because this is a crosswind point for the industrial district of Motostoke ‘n the factory.”

But the smell only gets stronger, and soon you hear some rustling in the nearby foliage. Sonia’s Yamper begins to bark as suddenly the source of the strong smell presents itself to you all: a Trubbish. Your friends instantly reel and move away from the Pokemon. “Let’s find somewhere else!” Sonia chokes through as she tries to grab her belongings.

You’re familiar with the Trubbish from Alola, where they gathered around cities. But you knew that most Trubbish only smell when they aren’t really in contact with people, as the stench is mostly a defense mechanism in the wild. On TV you remember multiple ad campaigns against Trubbish abuse, and that the Recycling Center harbored many that were put to work and happily coexisted with people. So your first reaction wasn’t to get up and run, but to tear your piece of bread in half and offer it to the Trubbish.

Leon calls your name. “What are you doing?? Let’s get out of here! Trubbish always leave sludge on your things and can attract other Trubbish miles away.”

“There’s a reason this Trubbish came to us. He’s hungry and must have been unable to find some food. Maybe the days before challenge season are the least traversed, so there are few people around littering.”

The Trubbish looks between your face and the bread a few times before waddling over to you. Even though the smell was no less than putrid, you did your best to smile and make it not seem like you were breathing through your mouth. “Go on, have some. And if you’d like, I can cook you some food later! What do you think about some sausage curry?”

You don’t need to see them to know your friends were gawking as the Trubbish takes the bread from you and the two of you eat your pieces together as a sign of friendliness. It was hard to notice at first, but as the breeze picks up you can tell Trubbish’s smell was beginning to disappear. Finishing the bread, he jingled happily, if the clanging of the trash items inside him could be considered jingling. Trubbish epitomized ugly-cute for you, but you didn’t want him to know that.

“All better for now?” You rise to your feet when he jumps and jingles some more. He kind of reminds you of your Vanillite, who you bring out of her Pokeball. “Something tells me you two will be friends, how about you keep each other company while we travel?”

It is clear Trubbish absolutely adores Vanillite, and you hope it’s not because he wants to eat her for looking like ice cream. But your Vanillite soon warms up, if still below freezing, pretty quickly when she notices the Trubbish doesn’t mind her cold temperatures. Once they start chattering you turn around, freezing when you see three pairs of eyes staring at you. Leon was straight-up slack jawed. “G-guys, what??”

Sonia is the first to speak up. “I’ve never seen someone speak to a Trubbish like that before… Brilliant! Had no idea their smell went away.”

Leon’s hand was pensively rubbing his chin as he looked at you and your Pokemon. “Not many people go through the trouble of taming a Trubbish. I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve fought one as Champion.”

Milo isn’t quick to say anything, but he is positively beaming at you, to the point where you think his gaze would make you melt. You walk towards the others to start again down the route, and the two Pokemon jingle behind you. “It looks a bit like magic whenever I see ya talk to Pokemon.” He finally remarks, lightly touching his fingertips to your arm for a quick second. If you weren’t paying attention you wouldn’t have noticed the contact, but whenever his skin touches yours, you can feel the warmth radiate from his body.

“You’re not going to catch him?” Leon looks confused, only continuing to walk when you pass by him. “I thought that’s the reason why you did that?”

“Oh, I didn’t do that because I wanted to catch him. It just seemed like the right thing to do.” You give a slight shrug to Leon’s question. “If he gets along with our Pokemon well and seems to be having a fun time, I’ll offer him a Pokeball and he can decide. He is a Poison type, so that’s one I should get, right?” You can’t help but smile at Leon’s puzzled expression. “I at least owe him some cooking first!”

You encounter more battling school children down Route 3, probably because everyone can see Milo’s distinctive silhouette rather easily. Leon coaches you through battling with Vanillite as Trubbish and the others watch, but barking orders still doesn’t come naturally to you. During a battle with a girl’s Purrloin, you realize it’s not that you lack the confidence. Rather, you just don’t see your Pokemon as a means to an end for winning matches. Leon seems to be critiquing you less and more watching your style, how you trust Vanillite to react instinctively to the battle. It’s clear her ice attacks are getting stronger, and that she’s good at taunting and then countering with blasts of snow.

~*~*~*~

As the sun begins to near the horizon, Milo leads everyone up a hill to what looks like the highest point in Route 3. There are already other tents set up in the area, so the four of you get to work creating a little corner with the three tents between you all. The campsite quickly becomes a bit of a circus when everyone lets their Pokemon out: your five, Milo’s three, Sonia’s Yamper, Leon’s Charizard and Thwackey along with the wild Trubbish.

The two men go off to collect firewood, Sonia visits a nearby berry tree, and you begin to slice up some sausage. The Pokemon are cautious of Trubbish, but Vanillite seems to be acting as a liaison. Before you know it, they are romping and battling each other. Every once in a while one would scamper over to smell the sausage, but were satisfied with some pets and a promise that dinner would be ready soon. Milo’s Pokemon mostly hung around his tent and Charizard sat next to you watching the others. It begins to dawn on you that this is starting to feel familiar. You pause for a second, setting the knife down and just gazing out to where the Pokemon were playing. The Yampers were thick as thieves by now, chasing your Wooloo, Pancham, and now Leon’s Thwackey around. Lombre relaxed with Milo’s Pokemon while Vanillite and Trubbish seemed to be practicing techniques with each other. Charizard nuzzled your shoulder, an eye trained on the sausage as you pet him.

Milo and Leon were the first to return, looking to be in good spirits. It didn’t occur to you until now that they probably were friends, both being major figures in the League and all. They stacked the firewood and Leon got Charizard to light it up. But it wasn’t long that you noticed Leon was watching your Pokemon with a look of concern, arms crossed over his chest again.

“Is something wrong, Leon?”

He looks to you for a second before looking back at the playing Pokemon. “It might not be the best idea to let them battle unsupervised, especially when they are new to you and undisciplined. You’ll want to make sure they are developing the right habits.” You’re not entirely sure how to answer, because you know he’s probably right but you couldn’t think of anything more unpleasant. Leon turns back to you and crouches by the fire. “You’ve been working hard all day, how about I cook dinner and you take a break?”

You shake your head and notice Sonia returning with an armful of berries. “Let me do this, to make up for worrying you these past few days. It would mean a lot for me to cook for you.” You smile at Leon, and hear Milo busying himself with his Eldegoss who seem to be giving him a piece of their minds over something. “Plus, I promised Pancham and Trubbish some curry!”

Sonia hands you the berries she found and you sift through what she found. While she got you a good number, it seemed like there wasn’t a diverse selection on this route. Sausage is one of the better meats to react to sweetness, so you decide to base the roux of the curry on pecha berries with a few oran ones mixed in for balance.

When Leon and Sonia join the playing Pokemon, Milo comes to sit down next you. “Can I help with anythin’?”

You nod absent-mindedly as you compare berry sizes and count out how many you need. “Would you mind getting the rice going? That would be helpful! We’re also going to need to crush the oran berries and stir them right into the curry mix. The pecha berries will need a slight roasting over the fire, then we’ll crush half of them and put in the others whole. I’ll also brown the sausage over the fire before adding it in and then let everything cook. What do you think?”

When you look over to Milo, he’s smiling. Of course. And that funny feeling in your stomach takes over again. Of course. You really wish you knew what was happening to you. He doesn’t seem to be having as much of a messy internal monologue as you are. “Sounds amazin’! Were you a chef back ‘n Alola?”

You chuckle a bit as you sort the berries, Milo instinctively taking the ones to be mashed. “No not at all, I don’t know if I’m that good at cooking really.” You skewer slices of sausage and pecha on thinner sticks you find in the wood pile, preparing them for roasting.

“But you’re quite deliberate when you cook. Most people throw anythin’ in the pot and hope for the best.” You’re sure that Milo counts himself among most people, though he seems like the type that can eat anything and everything. He checks the temperature of the water in a smaller pot before adding the rice in, and you take that as a sign to pour the curry mix into the larger pot.

“I guess that’s true. Thinking on it, there’s just something special about making a good meal. Like, it’s one of the most satisfying things in life, eating good food that you made yourself, knowing others are happy because of something I did.” Milo pushes in the mashed berries into the curry while you prop up the skewers, lightly rotating them every once in a while over the fire. “Right now my mind is like, how can I make everyone happy with what I’ve got? I haven’t learned your preferences yet, but I feel like you’d enjoy this. And it would be really satisfying knowing that you did.”

Milo is quiet for a bit. You can’t tell if he’s thinking up a proper response or just taking in the moment. After you take down the skewers and toss the meat and remaining berries in, you begin to stir it all together. It smells how you imagine it, a savory-sweet smell which seems to waft over the camp since Pokemon are drawing nearer to the campfire. Sonia is back on her phone with her notebook in hand, and Leon is giving poor Thwackey a lecture. Curious noses sniff around the pot, but everyone can now read the look you give them to have some more patience.

“I can’t wait for you to see Turffield. I hope ya like it there.”

Milo’s voice was barely above a whisper, almost drowned out by the crackling fire and Pokemon chatter. You turn to him, a little taken back from his Eldegoss and Gossifleur staring at you expectantly. His face is in profile from your angle, shadows and light from the fire flickering across his cheek as he watches the curry bubble.

Before you respond, you feel mass of wool bump up against you. Wooloo immediately and consistently begins to bleat at you, crawling into your lap and staring at the pot of curry. You notice that all the other Pokemon have gathered around the campfire as well.

“Okay okay, it’s about done. You all should know that the longer it similar the more-” a range of Pokemon whines and protests erupt. How did you suddenly end up with so many children?

Leon takes the ladle before you can reach for it and begins to serve the curry over rice. With a smile he hands you the first bowl. “You earned it.” Soon enough the humans have their servings and the Pokemon gather around a few large bowls they share from.

The sounds of happy eating pleases you as the curry came out nicely. You’re glad that you decided to grill some of the ingredients to give the curry some texture and not get more sweet than savory. It could have done with more spice, you’ll have to make sure you gather some cheri or figy berries next time for when there aren’t any in nature.

“This is amazing!!” Leon regards you with his mouth full, with Sonia more politely covering her mouth as she nods beside him. “I didn’t know you could cook this well! Might be better than Sonia’s cooking.” Which then causes her to frown.

“I’ll remember that the next time you’re pawing at my tent door for breakfast.”

The two get into their usual back-and-forth, letting you shift your attention to Milo. He was shoveling his food down, probably needing seconds soon. “Did it come out alright?” Mouth full, he nods and chews at the same time.

As the night goes on, conversation inevitable gets back to the gym challenge. Though the two are friendly, you can’t help but sense some tension between Leon and Milo. It’s clear that Leon perceives Milo’s gym to not be much of a challenge, and expects you to only be in Turffield for a short while before heading to Hulbury. Apparently there’s a train station there and he can visit you from Hammerlocke easily when you get there. “I’m sure Sonia will want to hang out with Nessa for a while, too.”

That’s when you realize that, while not arrogant, Leon was quite used to getting his way and being the center of attention. He didn’t demand it really, but it seemed like he had this magnetism that drew people to him and he based his understanding of everything bending towards him. Leon never once asked for Milo’s input about his gym or your opinion on what you wanted your travel plans to be. It’s like he had this vision and just needed everyone to play their parts.

The Pokemon quickly tired out after eating and grouped up in different piles ready to sleep for the night. Social groups are definitely starting to form, though you don’t really see anything wrong with that. You’re happy that Vanillite, who usually wants to return to her Pokeball come bedtime, has found a cuddle buddy in Trubbish. Watching them makes you yawn, and it’s only now you realize how tired the day has made you.

“I think it’s time for you to turn in.” Leon rises from his spot next to Sonia and begins collecting the dishes. “If you’re going to make it to the other side of the mines before sunset, we’ll need to get up early in the morning.”

After another yawn, a hand reaches down from above; it’s Milo, with a soft smile on his face, the jade of his eyes almost glowing reflecting the fire. Always the gentleman. But when you take is hand, you can’t help but feel all those funny feelings again. You’re sensitive to the tactile nature of his hand, one that is calloused and used to manual labor, is firm in grip only just as much as it needs to be. It’s difficult to not notice his bicep flexing as he pulls you upwards. Upwards towards him, almost enough for you to bump into his chest. Thankfully it’s dark out and he probably can’t tell you’re flushed being this close to him. You realize he’s slow to let go of your hand, and he looks like he’s working up to say something to you.

Another’s hand grasps your shoulder and gives it a little squeeze. Leon’s. “Sleep in my tent tonight, okay?”

You’re caught off-guard by the request, but in an effort to not reveal how embarrassed you were feeling, you just nod. The cool night air brushes over your hand as Milo releases his hold and creates some space between the two of you. Leon goes to wash the dishes (with Charizard, or else he wouldn’t find his way back), Sonia lets the Yampers hop into her tent, and you’re alone with Milo. His eyes are downcast, and eventually he rubs the back of his neck as he turns away from you.

“We should get to sleepin’, huh?” The uncertainty in his voice intrigues you. His shoulders then square and he turns back to you, looking determined. “I guess I’m the first challenge in your adventure. I… won’t let ya go that easily.” Before you can respond, he nods to his Pokemon and heads into his tent. Maybe Milo won’t be as easy of a gym leader after all.

After putting out the fire and whispering good night to all the Pokemon, you take your bag and head inside Leon’s tent. Wooloo sneaks in after you, followed by Pancham and Thwackey. Looking around on the inside, you’re not really sure what you were expecting, it’s just a tent with usual camping things. You decide to unfurl your sleeping bag and change your clothes while Leon is still away. The three Pokemon settle in the middle of the tent, and you crawl into your sleeping bag.

When Leon returns, you hear the clanging of pots and dishes. Outside the tent he wishes Charizard a goodnight before entering. He grins seeing all the Pokemon resting next to you. “Now that’s a picture.” His Rotom zips out but he flails to catch it before it does anything. “No! I’ll be in so much trouble if that hits Pokegram.”

You raise an eyebrow. “What do you make off all that? I imagine you don’t take it seriously if you’re letting me sleep your tent.”

He scratches the back of his head. “Huh? I just want to talk battle strategies…”

As he launches into the typical moves that Gossifleur and Eldegoss use and their counters, you realize that he earnestly just wanted to talk Pokemon. And boy, can Leon talk about Pokemon battles. You feel a little guilty hogging him as a resource, wouldn’t Gloria and Hop benefit more from his guidance?

Milo’s parting words echo in your mind. The thought of battling him makes you uncomfortable, and it was like he drew that line between you two. It definitely sounded like he wasn’t going to make his battle with you easy. Thinking of Milo as an opponent just didn’t sit well with you.

You began to drift to sleep somewhere around the part where Leon mentions something about… Gigantics? Maxismist? Something like that, that future you can deal with as you think about a certain peach-haired man as you slip into your dreams.

#bundle of yarrow #milo x reader #pokemon milo

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eluminium · 4 years

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Sooooo. Have the Mali part of the Dynamorph AU (created by @lulzyrobot) because why not. This one took a while to finish because of school. Also shit motivation, lots of that. Anyways I hope you enjoy this mess™

Knock Knock Knock

The sound of knocking fills the area, a little hand hitting on a big metal door. Said door smoothly opens as a young woman in her 20s pokes her head out. Her eyes meet the stare of the knocker.

-Hello there, do you wanna come in? the young woman asks.

-Yes, ma'am, the knocker replies politely.

The woman smiles and lets the smaller soul into the room.The sound of children is immediately noticeable. Some kids are running around wildly, some are drawing calmly, others are playing in the ball pit or on the jungle gym. The knocker turns defensive, curling in on herself a bit. The young woman notices.

-What's your name? she asks.

-Mali, the kid says with surprise in her voice.

-Nice to meet you Mali, my name is Patricia.

As Patricia keeps the conversation going, she leads Mali to the drawing table in the middle of the room. As she takes a seat at the table, Patricia finishes up the conversation and checks the watch on her arm.

-Well, looks like its time for me to go get some snacks for everyone, it was very nice to meet you Mali.

-You too Ms. Partrica, Mali responds with a smile, having come out of her bubble more.

The woman responded with a smile before heading through the metal door. As the door closes, Mali turns her gaze to the kids sitting in front of her. The older kids don't seem to care while some of the younger ones are directly staring at her.

-Uh hello? She murmurs.

-Hi! What's your name? My name is James! one of the younger kids chirped.

-I'm Mali I suppose, she'd say.

-How old are you? I'm five! What're your favorite snacks? Do you have a Pokemon-?

-Hey dude, calm down with the questions, one of the older kids says with a glare.

-No one asked you, Jackie! James snarls.

-I'm twelve and I like Darmanitan crunchies, Mali quickly asserts before things would escalate

.-Whaaat?! Darmanitan crunchies!? Those suck! Applin Grub is way better! a little girl chimes in.

-No, Darmanitan crunchies are the best! You're just being a meanie! another kid would respond.

While the kids started arguing, Mail continued on her drawing quietly. Jackie rolls his eyes.

-Kids, am I right? he mumbles.

Mali would giggle a bit, causing James to revert his attention to her. He would point right at her.

-Hey! You never answered my last question! Do you have a Pokemon? Is it cool? Can I see it?

-What? W-Well uh yeah! W-Wait no, no I d-don't! But I d-did-! Mali would blurt out, taken aback by his sudden questions.

-Don't ask about that! Don't you remember what happened yesterday?! Jackie would snap.

-But I wanna know! James shoots back with a petulant tone.

Suddenly, Mali would sneeze.James and Jackie turn their stare towards her.

-Bless you, Jackie says.

-Thanks.

An awkward silence would ensue. Mali taps the pencil against the paper while James is looking at her expectingly.

-Uh, yeah I hade a Pokemon, Mali squeaks, trying to break the awkward silence.

This seems to have renewed James' interest.

-What kind of Pokemon? Did it have a name? What type?!

-His name was Zolty, Zolty the Arctozolt-

-Arctozolt? I've never heard of that pokemon! Do you have a picture?

Jackie looks up.

-Huh, I've never heard of that either, you wanna show?

Mali started hesitantly grabbing her Rotom phone but a sudden scream stops her. She and others snap their heads towards the noise. A little kid is lying on the floor crying wildly. Mali sighs, thinking he just fell.

Until she notices his Skwovet looking tail and the blood around the base of it.

Chaos erupts almost instantly. Some children start sobbing while others are running around like Ponyta's without direction. More of them also seem to be growing these pokemon like body parts, like a weird green Applin tail or the ears of a Nickit. Others get body parts replaced with new ones, like the wings of a Rookidee. Blood and tears start mattering the blue carpet while the sound of children screaming and clothes ripping echo throughout the room.

-W-What is going o-on!? I-I don't like this! James sobs out.

-Stay calm, It's going to be fine little bro! Jackie responds panicky while not even noticing how yellow, black, and white fur is starting to grow on his arms.

Mali steps back horrified at what's going on around her. She suddenly loses balance and falls face-first into the soft carpet. She quickly turns her body to lie on her back so she can see what's happening to her legs.

She lets out a gasp as blue scales travel up her legs and then a scream as her toes seem to be fusing with her feet. The joints in her legs crack vigorously as they take new forms and the emerald shoes shes wearing burst as her now flipper-like feet and legs expand like yeasted bread. Her jeans rip a bit but seem to be holding strong. Pieces of her once pale skin fall onto the carpet along with blood.

A sudden unexplainable pain in her tailbone makes her roll forward, landing on her hands and knees. She screams and sobs violently as a blue fish-like tail rips through her jeans and a bit of her shirt. A blue triangle looking fin stand proudly. She falls on her side, no longer being able to support her weight. Her fingers start stinging and aching as they slowly take the form of bright yellow claws.

She closes her eyes as the screams, cries and panicked talking of the other kids starts burrowing into her ears. With all the energy drained from her, she can only squirm with her new legs and weep inaudibly as soft, almost hair-like, spikes grow out of her head. Her neck seems to also be crackling and growing longer and a thick layer of white and blue scales cover the bottom of her neck, her shoulders, and reaching down her back, stopping just above her new tail.

Mali lays in the same position for a while, letting the pain slowly subside.

-Zolty? she whispers.

-Did you do this?

A small hand pokes her on her scale covered shoulder. She flinches hard and the hand recoils. The sudden energy from said flinch causes her to jump up and she almost falls but uses a chair to support herself. Her new claws dig into the expensive chair.

-Ow! You burned me! someone exclaims.

She turns her head towards the voice, but she can't see where he is, or anything for that matter. Everything is dark like she never opened her eyes.

-Wha...Why can't I see anything?! she exclaims with panic.

She can clearly hear how footsteps are approaching her, so she curls in on herself a bit.

-Hey, don't panic! It's me, Jackie! the approaching soul says.

-Jackie, what's wrong with her eyes? They look closed! the first voice questions.

-I think that was a feature of Arctozolt-

Jackie doesn't get enough time to finish, as the door slams open and hits the wall hard. Several kids are startled by this and some start to cry even more.

-Mali! Are you alri-?! a very familiar voice exclaims.

The familiar voice stops and stays quiet for a short while before a gasp leaves her mouth. Mali knows that voice. She feels this eerie calm as she waddles towards where the sound originated.

-Come on, where are you? If you actually fused with something it would probably be with that disaster creatur- the familiar voice rambles.

Mali does an eye-rolling motion, takes a deep, cooling breath, and speaks.

-El?

She can feel how her sister snaps towards her. She smiles, showing her new sharp teeth.

-I think I found Zolty.

#dynamorph #dynamorph au #arctozolt #gore #transformation #how do i tag #pokemon #swsh #original character #my writing #new writer #this probably sucks too #am i being cruel #pokemon swsh

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missusk · 5 years

Text

Pecha Berries

A Pokemon Shield Nuzlocke Story.

Chapter 2 - A Mysterious Encounter

[Team Roster: Jackson (Scorbunny)]

Dawn had barely broken, the sky still pale, as Dolly and Jackson traveled down the well-beaten path. Rookidees were chirping, Jackson was humming, and Dolly was stomping through the dirt. She rubbed at her eyes, fighting back the yawn that kept trying to escape. Hop texted her at the ass-crack of dawn to get her to come back and get an endorsement with him from Leon. The furious vibrating from his thousands of texts rumbled her phone off her nightstand, onto Jackson's head, who then bolted awake, yelped out in shock, and caught her curtains on fire.

As she scuffed at a few pebbles, she repeated her plan in her mind: Get the endorsement, beat the first Gym, release her team, drop out. She wouldn’t let herself be persuaded otherwise, not even by that beautiful smile or golden eyes. Dolly walked up to the two brothers in their front lawn again, the two chatting as the sun rose higher in the sky. Dolly tried to glare daggers at Hop, who only smiled.

“Good morning, Dolls,"

"Hrmph."

Leon smiled as well, holding his hands lightly behind his back.

"Understanding your new Pokémon alright, you two?”

“Course we have,” Hop said, crossing his arms. “Grookey, Wooloo and I are like three peas in a pod. Seems Dolls has made fast friends with her Scorbunny, too,”

Suddenly a fire seemed to blaze in Leon’s eyes. It was that same passion that he exuded during every match she had ever watched, every bit of it tangible in the air as he looked between the two of them. When those passionate, dazzling, golden eyes stared into hers, Dolly was certainly much more alert.

“Then listen up, new Trainers. Trust in your Pokémon, trust in yourselves and each other, and someday,” he said, his piercing golden gaze fixed on Dolly. “You may even become worthy rivals for me, the unbeatable Champion.”

She felt her throat tighten. Surely he couldn’t be talking about her, right? Perhaps his eye was only good for deciphering how tall Hop had grown. She briefly wondered if he could read her mind when she thought about dropping after the first Gym and giving Jackson back to him. Hop’s voice tore her from her thoughts.

“What’re you looking at her for, I’m the one who’ll be coming to challenge you!” he said, turning to her with a devilish grin. “If you think she’ll be strong enough to challenge you, then I guess she’s my first rival! And either way, just having a Pokémon with you doesn’t make you a real Trainer, you know.”

Leon laughed from beside them.

“And you think you’re a proper Trainer? How about you and Dolly here have a match, and I’ll be the judge of that. What do you say?” Leon asked, turning to Dolly. “Willing and ready to take Hop on in the first-ever Pokémon battle of your life?”

Dolly looked between the two brothers, one blazing with expectant confidence, the other with supportive assurance. Would it be fair? This wasn’t her first-ever Pokémon battle, but neither Hop nor Leon knew that. She hadn’t battled in years, though, and if the Curse was still afflicting her then…

“C’mon, Dolls, unless you’re scared me an’ Grookey will pummel you into the dirt?”

...there was no way she could lose. Something started to burn within her, sparking something in the dusty and rusted light switch that had been turned off and unplugged years ago. The competition that burned Hop’s eyes was contagious, and it fueled the fire that she had attempted for years to quell. Before she could stop herself, she answered.

“There’s no way I can lose.”

They made their way to the makeshift pitch, Hop pumping his fists.

“I’ve watched every match that Lee’s ever had, read every book and magazine he’s left behind, and I know exactly what to do in order to win!” he grinned, taking his spot across from her.

She could only nod, her mouth too dry to speak. Her heart was throbbing throughout her body, the blood pulsing and rushing through her ears. This was it, what she had been avoiding for so long. Just one battle couldn’t hurt, right? If it went too far, perhaps she could cut it off and declare Hop the winner. And, something inside of her longed for battle, wanted it more than anything she had wanted for ages. It was like life itself had finally started to bubble within her again. Her doubts were quelled the second she ordered Jackson forward.

Suddenly the flame roared to life. The fire she had snuffed out over years of denial burned within her, blazing in every corner of her skin. She and Jackson moved in one fluid motion, her commands seamlessly executed as if their minds were one. In three short hits Wooloo was down, and out came Grookey.

Dolly grinned as she looked between her Fire and his Grass-type Pokémon. She had only been ordering Tackle on Wooloo, but something about the way Jackson was hopping back and forth, spurts of fire exploding on the ground with each step, posed an idea in her mind.

“Jackson, use Ember!”

Fire spit from his mouth directly into Grookey’s chest, knocking him backwards. Hop ushered his Pokémon forward again, looking to Dolly in disbelief.

“Did you already know about type advantages?!”

She nodded as she sent Jackson forward again, and in one swift motion, Dolly won their first battle. Hop looked at her incredulously as he returned Grookey to his Poké Ball. After a moment he stood tall again with a huff.

“Well that was a shock. Guess now I know why Lee agreed to give you a Pokémon too,”

Leon grinned as he looked at Dolly, the same ferocity burning in his eyes as she felt in her skin.

“I’ve got a favor to ask of you, Dolly,” Leon said. Dolly nodded at the sheer force of will before her. “Be a real rival to Hop, would you? Push him, and make the both of you stronger. And,” suddenly he turned, looking stern as he looked between the two of them. “If you want anything to do with Galar’s fiercest Pokémon competition, you two better look at getting a Pokédex first.”

“Right right, Pokedéx, we’re on it,” Hop replied, waving his hand. He trotted to his front gate, Dolly in tow. “Better tell your mum we’re off to the Pokémon Research Lab, don’t want an earful from her, of all people.”

As the pair made their way to Dolly’s house, a crash erupted from somewhere beyond her front lawn. They looked at each other, then raced toward the source. The fencing, which Dolly had only ever seen closed, was broken open with the path to the Slumbering Weald laid bare. Splinters and clumps of white wool littered the path and trailed into the forest. Her mind jumped to the suspiciously quiet Wooloo that had been tackling the fence the day before. Hop seemed to be thinking the same thing as they approached the fencing.

“We’ve got to save it,” Dolly said, urging Hop along.

“That’s what I was thinking,” he replied, breaking into a jog. “Even if this place is off-limits, we can’t just let that Wooloo get hurt!”

The pair made their way into the Slumbering Weald, the forest thickening almost immediately. She had gazed upon the forest a thousand times from her window, but she never dared to actually enter it. Even at Hop’s incessant prodding when they were younger, they never let their curiosity get the better of them for fear of what might be lurking inside - and for what their mum’s would do to them if they found out.

It was as if a wall of fog pummeled both of them, making it challenging to see the path in front of them. The forest was quiet as the pair stepped through, the only sound coming from the crunching of leaves beneath their shoes. Dolly discreetly gravitated towards Hop, eyes peering around the dark shapes that loomed around them. After a while they slowed and a faint purple glow enveloped the mist. Something about the mist felt familiar, nostalgic, even, as they trekked further into the trees. A humming seemed to be enveloped in the mist, growing louder the further they walked.

“Do you hear that?” Hop asked.

They paused, waiting for the noise again. It was silent, as not even the leaves under their feet rustled. Dolly swallowed, her heart beating in her ears. Then, a muffled cry pierced the air and they broke into a sprint.

The further they ran, the thicker the fog became. It enveloped them like a blanket, the strangely familiar sensation covering every inch of the forest. It slithered over their skin, whispered through their hair, thickened the further they ran. After a while Dolly could barely see her hand in front of her face, let alone Hop beside her. His voice was her only landmark as he called out to her.

Then, his voice was lost in the fog. She spun around, looking for any semblance of her friend. Something was moving toward her, rocking back and forth as it walked. The leaves beneath its feet were silent.

The hair on her neck stood on end as it grew taller the closer it moved. Yellow eyes pierced through the fog and Dolly stumbled backward as the shadow loomed over her.

“Dolls, you alright? I can’t see anything!”

She motioned to call back to Hop but her voice was muffled by the strange fog. It slid down her throat, strangled her call, and pushed her into the ground.

A piercing howl cut through the fog and her vision went black.

All she saw was the mist, swirling in darkness.

“Shield of Galar.”

Dolly whipped her head around. That certainly didn’t sound like Hop. It was almost as if the voice was embedded into every particle of mist that was swirling around her.

“Shield of Galar, your arrival here signals the beginning.”

“Wha...what? Who are you?” she called into the mist.

“Overcome the Nuzlocke Curse. You are called to greatness. Trust in yourself. Trust in your Pokémon.”

Before she could call out again, Dolly’s eyes shot open, and the trees of the Slumbering Weald were swaying above her. The mist had lightened, and the shadow was nowhere to be found. She looked around for the source of the strange voice, only to see Hop laying beside her.

Feet came pounding across the ground, and suddenly the Champion was standing before them. He helped them both to their feet, as his eyebrows pulled together.

“You two had me worried sick, I’d been waiting for ages and you never showed!”

The pair tried to splutter out an explanation as the Wooloo came waddling forward. They both let out a sigh.

“The little chap’s fine, though all of you had fainted by the time I found you here. You know this place is out of bounds." Leon's scowl softened as he looked between the two. "But...then again, it took courage to come in here all the same. And I can understand well enough why you did it.”

The two nodded and followed Leon as they made their way out of the forest.

“Glad that Wooloo’s fine,” Hop said. “My arse is right sore, though, some mad shadow shoved me over but I couldn’t get a good look at it through all that bloody fog,”

“You saw it too?” Dolly gasped, grabbing at her friend’s sleeve. “Did it say anything to you?”

Hop’s brow furrowed as he shook his head.

“I didn’t hear anything, I think I hit my head on something and passed right out. Why, did you?”

“Something about the Shield of Galar,” she explained, scratching her chin. “Not sure what that means, though.”

Hop shrugged as Leon turned to them, brow furrowed to match his younger brother.

“What’re you two talking about, mad shadow, Shield of Galar?”

“That’s probably what knocked us out,” Hop explained. “Not sure what it was - a Pokémon, maybe? Whatever it was, it just had this sort of presence…”

“The fearsome Pokémon they say live in the Slumbering Weald…” Leon muttered, more to himself than the other two. “Could they be illusions? Well, either way, perhaps if you two get strong enough you can be the ones to reveal the truth someday. Especially now that I’ve decided to endorse you both for the Gym Challenge,”

Leon ended his sentence with a sly grin, and their eyes grew wide.

“You mean it, Lee?” Hop asked, his voice echoing through the trees.

Leon nodded and grinned as his little brother jumped up and down.

“You’ve shown a bit of prowess in battle, and a right bit of courage here doing what you did today," Leon said. "I think I’d be interested to see how you two fare in the Gym Challenge. After watching you two battle and seeing you put your neck out for a stray Wooloo, I’d say you both have what it takes to become proper Trainers.”

The sun shone warmly on their skin as the trio exited the Slumbering Weald, the mist and the strange vision far behind. Hop stretched in the sun, turning to Dolly.

“Better tell your mum we’re off to Wedgehurst again, she’ll go spare if we run off without telling her. I’ll meet you at Route 1 when you’re done.”

Dolly nodded, turning over in her head how on earth she was going to convince her mum she wanted to run off with her best friend to travel through half of Galar. She wouldn’t be too long, though, just to the first Gym and back.

As she opened the door to her house, she found her mother putzing about the kitchen, compiling ingredients and bread into a paper bag on the table.

“Mum? What's all this?”

Her mum looked guiltily to the table, which upon closer inspection had quite an assortment of things: some fruit, a map, even a collapsible tent.

“I had a feeling this day would come again,” her mum sighed.

Dolly looked to her mum in confusion. She could see her eyes start to glisten.

“That was the only thing I’ve ever seen you have passion for, Dolly. Pokémon, that is,” she said, walking up to her daughter. She set her hands on Dolly’s shoulders, blinking back the wetness from her eyes. “I know you’ve faced many trials with Pokémon in the past, dear, but ever since you came home with that Scorbunny it’s like you came back to life.”

Dolly looked to her mum, scanning her face. So, she had felt it too.

“I know how this Nuzlocke Curse has taken such a toll on you, but I want you to know that I fully support you going out and trying again. To see that light in your eyes that had faded for years, even if it’s only been two days, well, I think it’s worth it,” she said, pulling Dolly into a hug. “It’s like I finally have my daughter back.”

“Mum,” she whispered into her shirt.

“Be safe out there, love,” her mum said into her hair. “Know that I love you, and your Pokémon will fight for you and protect you always, so take good care of them. You’ll always be my little Pecha berry.”

“I love you mum. I...” Dolly said, blinking the tears out of her eyes and into her mum’s hair.

She contemplated telling her she’d be back just after the first Gym, but something about the mixture of the look in her mother’s eyes, the mysterious voice in the Slumbering Weald, and the ever-growing calling in her heart, made her feel that telling that aloud wouldn’t feel right.

“I’ll do my best.”

Her mum held her at arm's length, squeezing her shoulders.

“I know it, love. You always have a home here. Remember, east or west, home is best,” she said with a smile, tapping Dolly’s nose. Then, her eyes widened. "Oh, yes! I've got something for you."

She disappeared and returned with a box in her hand.

“No matter what you said when you were little, even with everything you’ve been through with Pokémon, I always knew this day would come when you would return to them,” she said as she held the box out. “So here, something to remember home and healing by.”

Dolly took the box. She lifted the lid and inside was a delicate chain with a small gold charm on the end. It glinted as Dolly turned it over in her fingers, the gold sheen reflecting the light of their kitchen lamp. Tears pricked in her eyes.

“It’s a Pecha berry,” Dolly breathed.

“It’s something I was holding onto until you turned eighteen, but I figured a little early wouldn’t hurt.”

Dolly nodded. Home and healing.

“Well,” her mum said, turning back to the table. “Since I knew this would happen, I’ve taken the liberty of gathering a few other things for you.”

She scooped up the materials on the table. She listed off the contents, dumping them into Dolly’s bag one by one. Much to her chagrin, Hop was right when he said her bag would fit a Snorlax, as even a weeks worth of food and an entire camping set fit in her bag with room to spare. Then, her mum turned her by her shoulders.

“Off you go, then. Don’t run yourself ragged, let your Pokémon and your friends help you when you need. Especially that Hop, me and his mum have been rooting for the two of you since you met,” she ended with a grin.

Dolly's cheeks flared red.

“Mum! Don’t make it weird! He’s my best mate, that’s gross,”

“Alright, alright, no need to fuss,” she laughed. “He’s just such a cutie, and so fit now that he's older."

Dolly gagged and her mum rolled her eyes.

"And I know he's such a good friend to you, Dolly.”

With a flustered retort and a final wave, Dolly trotted down the steps from her house and met Hop along Route 1. They meandered their way through the route, into Wedgehurst, gathered their Pokedéxes from Professor Magnolia’s self-proclaimed assistant Sonia, and were then again heading to the Wedgehurst train station. It wasn’t until Hop had the revelation they should fill their teams a bit, then he was running off to Route 2. With a sigh Dolly followed, managing to catch another two Pokémon to add to her team, the same fire burning within her. An excitable Yamper named Bella joined her and Jackson, and a Wooloo to match Hop’s. Two more was good for now, and that’s all she could catch anyway.

As she and Hop reached the end of Route 2 in a heated discussion about the thickness of Wooloo wool, two glimmering streams of light shot through the sky.

“Did you see that?” Hop gasped, following the trail of light with his finger. “It looks like they landed near Professor Magnolia’s house!”

The pair ran to the end of the route, searching around the grass for the fallen balls of light.

“Over here!” Hop called, beckoning Dolly over to him.

Before them lay two glimmering stones. Each emitted a warm red light, glowing more powerfully as they reached for them.

“They’re Wishing Stars!” Hop gasped again, turning the stone in his fingers.

“And not a lot you can do with them in that state,” a voice said.

The pair turned to see an elderly woman walking towards them.

“Hand them to me, dears, and I’ll get them usable for you,”

“Professor Magnolia, thanks!” Hop grinned, elbowing Dolly.

“Y-yes, thanks!”

The pair took a seat on the bench overlooking the lake near Professor Magnolia’s house. Dolly swung her legs back and forth as they waited for her to finish tinkering with their Wishing Stars.

“They say Wishing Stars appear for someone who has a true and burning wish in their heart,” Hop explained, looking over the water. “Makes sense for us, since my wish is to be the greatest Trainer ever.”

Dolly set her head in her hands as she watched Wingulls flap over the water. Made sense for him, sure, but she certainly didn’t care about becoming the greatest Trainer. Did she have a wish in her heart? She thought back to her Pokémon, to Jackson, to Bella, and to her new Wooloo Lacey. Then she thought even farther back. Perhaps she did have a wish in her heart.

She was pulled from her thoughts as Professor Magnolia appeared behind them again, handing them two white bracelets. With a brief explanation from the professor and another round of thank-yous, the pair were officially off to their grand adventure.

At least, that’s what they thought until their train to Motostoke was stopped prematurely.

They looked around the station, Hop pulling aside a rail worker.

“What gives? This isn’t Motostoke?” he said, setting his hands on his hips.

“Righto chap,” the worker said with a nod. “Wooloo on the tracks, can’t move forward. Either back to Wedgehurst, or walk through the Wild Area.”

A grin spread on Hop’s face as he turned to Dolly.

“This is brilliant!” he exclaimed, clenching his fists.

“Brilliant?”

“Absolutely!” he replied, pulling Dolly along outside the station. “The Wild Area is filled with awesome Pokémon waiting to be caught.”

They followed the brief path out of the station and up to the railing of the dirt plaza.

“Look at that!” Hop continued, leaning on his heels with a whistle. “That’s Motostoke, waaaay off that way! And, between there and here, are countless new Pokémon waiting to be met,”

Hop was vibrating in anticipation as Dolly gazed beyond the fencing into grand fields, lush green grass swaying as far as the eye could see. Little ponds and rivers dappled the landscape, with bright blue water bubbling through. Dolly breathed out in wonder at the beautiful show of nature before them. They heard someone approaching from behind, and Hop turned with a grin.

“Well, if it isn’t Sonia,” he said.

A tall woman walked up beside them, twisting at her hair with a huff.

“My gran gave me a proper earful, in her own way…said ’Those two young Trainers are setting out on a journey, but what are you doing with your life?’” she said, imitating Professor Magnolia.

“Yeesh, that sounds rough,” Dolly said, grimacing.

“Don’t worry about it,” Sonia replied, waving her off. “Either way, I’m excited to be on the road again. And, I’m curious to see what else I can find out about that Pokémon you two met in the Slumbering Weald, so really the timing works out well.”

Hop was bouncing between his two feet as Sonia spoke.

“Well,” he started. “I’m off to go stick my head in as many of those red glowing dens as I can find. I’m going to battle the snot out of a bunch of Dynamax Pokémon and fill in another page in the tale of my legend. I’m off then, see you in Motostoke, Dolls!”

And with that, he sprinted off into the rolling fields of the Wild Area.

“Ugh, what cheek!” Sonia huffed as they watched their friend disappear into the grass. “You better be careful out there, Dolly, Dynamax Pokémon are on a whole ‘nother level. Either way, though, the Wild Area is waiting for you. This is the start of your real adventure!”

After a wave, Sonia trotted into the Wild Area herself.

Dolly looked out at the rolling fields beyond the fence post. They seemed to stretch until the end of the earth, with Motostoke but a blip in the distance. A lump formed in her throat as she watched clouds rolling across the plains and lakes beyond her.

Hesitate.

Wait.

Go back to Wedgehurst, home to Postwick.

She shook her head fiercely as if to slap the thought away and into the ground. She took a breath in.

“Well,” she said, tossing her three Poké Balls out. Jackson, Lacey, and Bella all stood beside her, looking on with curiosity.

“Guess it’s time for an adventure, huh? No more mediocrity.”

Dolly took one step, her foot hovering before it hit the ground. She looked at the ground in front of her and her leather shoe she bought in Wedgehurst years ago when her mum and her moved. It was a little worn, a bit beat up, weathered, but sturdy all the same. It was the nights of crying herself to sleep, the nights she heard her mum cry down the hall. It was the ‘never being a burden,’ never being ‘too much.’ It was being the freak, the weirdo, being called names until she turned into nothing, a nothing that blended in so well with her surroundings. It was the halfheartedly trying only some things on, for fear of the unknown, for fear of what she would do if she dared to look greatness in the eye.

With a breath, she set her foot down. With another breath, she took another step forward. Step. Step. Step. Until she was jogging. Until she was running. Running beyond the train station, running beyond Wedgehurst and Postwick, running beyond moving houses and running beyond her past. Running beyond this Curse and running beyond her insecurities. She felt those memories and feelings and burrs dripping off of her skin as she ran faster and faster. The mediocrity was sliding of like sludge, dripping behind her.

But, she was finally running. She wasn’t sitting on her couch, staring out the window. She wasn’t watching her phone and quelling the throbbing in her chest when she watched each and every Pokémon battle. This is what she had been waiting for. This is what she had been missing. The faint memories of the feeling of freedom started to well again within her soul. They bounded along beside her as she recalled the wind in her hair, the Pokémon by her side. They danced like her Wooloo, Scorbunny, and Yamper did, bounding and dancing along with her as she ran into the hills, into the fields, into the unknown adventure. Out of mediocrity and into greatness.

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#pechaberries #pokemon #sword and shield #galar #fanfiction #writing #nuzlocke #hopxoc

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pikachu78109 · 5 years

Text

Here’s part two of this long read/reader insert! If you wanna read part one, here it is:

Once Upon A Dream: Leon x Reader (Part 2)

Leon

It’s been about two weeks since Leon last met Y/N in the Slumbering Weald. After their sudden encounter, Leon could not stop thinking about them. Their image lingers in his mind with their worn out dress and odd mannerisms, but nonetheless sweet disposition. There have been a few times that Leon thought about going back into the Slumbering Weald in hopes to bump into them again, but decided that maybe it would be best to not bother searching for them. They are nothing more but acquaintances, yet Leon sort felt something to this person that had his curiosity peaked. He was just having a hard time going back and forth in wanting to find Y/N. And in some ways, Leon wonders if Y/N thought the same way, given that they never crossed paths with another person before. It’s a question Leon has been asking lately, but can only carry on with his day without knowing Y/N’s answer directly. He didn’t want to come off as nosy or annoying, but the question has beckoned him multiple times, to the point where returning to the Slumbering Weald has been very tempting.

He couldn’t really explain to anyone what happened, because hardly anyone believed that a person would live in the forbidden forest. Hop would believe it because he’s a kid who will believe in anything whereas Gloria and Sonia would be a lot more doubtful to the notion of someone living in the forest. They would think that Leon would be making this all up, offering a few words of dismissal and telling him that his mind must be playing tricks on him. Which Leon can understand, because how can anyone believe that a person is living in the Slumbering Weald, blissfully unaware of modern civilization and acts as if they are in a fairytale.

Fairytale.

That word always popped into Leon’s head every time he thought about Y/N. Her entire demeanor and appearance gave way to a classic princess in a fairytale that immediately makes them stand out as either a oddball or a pleasant delusional stuck in their fantasy storybook. There were so many questions that had so many answers, but theorizing would only make them convoluted and make little sense. Either way, Leon found Y/N to be both pleasant and an oddball, but still a good person who happened to have great sense of direction. He just hopes that he is able to cross paths with Y/N again, if he ever gets the chance. Or if another Wooloo gets let loose. Whichever comes first.

Y/N

The Slumbering Weald had a stillness that made Y/N’s surroundings feel a bit sparse. Visiting Rookidee and Skowvet would pass through, their movements swift yet quiet so as to not disturb the larger Pokémon residents that were lounging about on this warm afternoon. Y/N strolled through the winding path, empty basket in hand, going on another Berry trip. Her usual errand. Given the deepest part of the forest held the most Berries, Y/N traverses her way through the forest’s fog as she reached closer to the Berry tree grove. Her bare feet brushed across the cool almost damp terrain, the leaves crunching beneath her as she ambled onward. During the trip, Y/N’s mind wandered, as it tends to do whenever she takes long walk. Her mind instantly treaded towards Leon, the first person whom she met out of nowhere, talked, and helped.

His distinct violet hair and piercing yellow eyes appeared vividly in the depths of her thoughts, the way he looked at her with such surprise and intrigue. Y/N asked so many questions to herself about Leon and remembered the conversation they had a couple weeks back. His strange clothing and the Pokéballs that Y/N mistook as stones were something unlike she had seen before. Being raised in the Slumbering Weald by her mother, Y/N was not aware of other people coming and going from the forest and she certainly was unaware that was a village outside from where she lived. Y/N knew about villages and kingdoms from her mother, given that her mother is the only person who could travel in and out of the Slumbering Weald easily. Y/N wasn’t allowed to tag along, because in the words of her mother “she wasn’t ready yet,”

And never the one who would disobey her mother, Y/N listened and stayed put. However, after that encounter with Leon, Y/N could not help but wonder what everything was like outside of her forested world. Potswick? Wedgehurst? Those were names that Y/N has never heard of before, much less known about until Leon mentioned them. Every night, Y/N would lie awake and stare up at her bedroom ceiling, bombarded with questions that yearn to be answered. If being this curious could land her in trouble, then would it be a risk worth taking if Y/N wanders out of the Slumbering Weald for a day? This has been a back and forth consideration that Y/N would absolutely exhaust over, mainly because of the thought of Leon reappearing in those aforementioned villages made her excited. Still, despite the excitement, Y/N remained obedient to her mother’s wishes and tried to bury those thoughts in the back of her conscious. As she does this, her mind snaps back to the path where it made a turn towards the Berry trees.

With all of that thinking, Y/N approached the nearest Berry tree and gave it a gentle shake. A few berries dropped down from their branches, landing squarely in the basket with an audible ‘plop!’ While Y/N continued shaking the tree, she heard a few scampering feet behind her softly. Turning around, Y/N saw a couple of Skwovvets and a Rookiedee standing behind her, their faces bright and expectant. Smiling softly, Y/N bent down and lowered her basket to allow the neighboring Pokémon to have a snack, with which they happily accepted.

“You three are always here when I make a Berry run. Is it because you three want me to pick the ripest Berries for you?”

All three chimed a yes and quickly gobbled down the Berries hungrily. Y/N stood up and looked over at the other Berry trees and sighed deeply. Both Skwovets and Rookiedee peered up to see Y/N gazing at the Berry trees intently.

“Do you three sometimes leave the forest?” She asked, her voice quiet, almost a whisper.

The Rookiedee flapped its miniature wings and flew over to Y/N, who proceeded to lend her finger to let the small bird rest.

“Seems you lot have it easy. You can go anywhere you want with no rules and no one to hold you back. I’m so envious,”

The Skwvoets scampered over, each one climbing up onto Y/N’s shoulders, wanting to listen in on the girl’s conversation.

“I met someone a few weeks ago, you know!” Y/N said, her voice shifting to a giddy tone. “Another person who I never seen before; can you believe that!”

All three Pokémon chimed a response, their cries excited and wanting all the details.

“They came here to find a stray Wooloo that wandered in here. The poor dear was scared stiff but they managed to find their owner. They told me that their name is Leon, former Champion of the Galar region. Did you know that the Galar kingdom had a Champion? I thought it we only had a king and queen, but certainly no mention of a Champion!”

Y/N walked around for a bit before settling down on a nearby rock. She pulled her basket close to her and peered down at the remaining Berries inside.

“He was dressed kind of funny too. A ‘hoodie’, as he called it. A-And he also had these things called Pokéballs, which I thought looked like pretty stones. What are Pokéballs? Do you three know?”

All three Pokémon shook their heads in unison.

Y/N giggled and picked up a random Berry from her basket, turning it around occasionally.

“There’s a village nearby named Potswick and another one named Wedgehurst. Cute little names they are! I would love to visit them someday. Who knows? I might bump into Leon again by some lucky chance! That is, if he remembers me,”

Y/N sticks the Berry back into the basket and stands up slowly, dusting herself off a bit.

“Well, I hope he comes by again. Would love to talk to him again!”

The two Skowvets and Rookiedee head over to Y/N once again, wanting to follow her back to her home. She giggled a bit and shook her head.

“You know how my mother gets when she sees you three. I don’t want you to get hurt or startled,” she said, bending down to give the squirrel Pokémon a quick pet on the head and a gentle stroke for Rookiedee. All three Pokémon sighed but nodded, dismayed but understood. After watching all three Pokémon head back into the bushes, Y/N turned on her heel and back down the same path from which she travelled, basket half empty but her thoughts wholeheartedly full.

((Okay, part two is up! I might do some other long reads but this one here will be a continuous series and I might put this on Wattpad or something for everyone to read))

#pokemon sword and shield #pokemon #gen 8 #galar #pokemon leon #long reads #reader insert

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spirit-shroud · 5 years

Note

Your Pokémon names are 10/10 please share more

just for you i’ll go through the dark archives of my boxes (i’ve filled 6/8 so far with my hubris!!) n go through the like. best of. this will be a lengthy post so im going to put the majority of it under a read more (sorry people) but first, my lovely team, the team that i’ve been using to kick ass and end careers now since stow-on-side, barely level 30 at the time,,,

we got Goil, my Inteleon! ‘goil’ means ‘boil’ but it’s also an informal word for ‘cry!’ my corviknight named Eines after nines/dbigfreakingwooper bc im gay and it was the first bird i found so i had to name him after nines bc thats just. the law. i see a bird, i name it nines or some variation thereof. eines was the first pokemon i caught! and i got Plight who’s my Chandelure, bc like, hehe lamp, plight the lamplighter, it’s good. chandelure is also in my top 3 of all time favourite little dudes!! hes effectively useless on my team as NOTHING can take damage from ghost types EVER but what’s important is that he’s a DELIGHT and i’d feel BAD about making him live in the box dimensionHoneybun is my boltund and was the third guy i caught!!! i think boltund is Not Cute but his moveset is very good and also hes. the third pokemon i caught in swsh and he loves me so i can’t swap him out or else i WILL feel bad about itTails the Ninetails !! i caught him as a vulpix!! he was the 12th pokemon i caught!! i love him... i just think ninetails are neat... Beans is my ribombee!! i want to replace her w a grass type or really anything more useful to me since honeybun covers the necessity for fairy moves so dragons aren’t an issue, but like, it’s. been difficult. my team is three blue pokemon and 3 yellow pokemon so i’d need a more useful type mon who is ALSO yellow and that’s just hard. i gotta live that gym leader life and live or die by my aesthetic

and now, my boxes:

Sir Charles (farfetch’d, need to evolve him,,,) Synesteasia (Sinistea that needs a cracked pot to evolve) Oh Worm? (Falinks. my bro named his Wiggler) Butternut (Greedent) Jorts (Scraggly) Professor Peaches (shortened to ‘prof peaches’ bc 12 character limit of course. Noctowl) Meloncholy (Passimian. he’s holding a melon) Sonny (dubwool! the 2nd pokemon i ever caught!! sadly she isnt in my main team anymore but i love her still :c wooloo is an astonishingly powerful pokemon!!) Rocksalina (Rolycoly) Fairy Floss (Swirlix. apparently thats what british people call cotton candy??? that slaps. why isnt that adopted elsewhere) Tea Amo (Polteageist) Salem (Sneasel. i actually just named him salem because my cat salem is a bastard and so is sneasel) Pancake (Mantine) Cpt. No Hands (Roselia) Pickles (Pyukumuku, named so because it’s a sea cucumber and therefore, by extension, a potential sea pickle) i have a second ninetails named Naruto that i got out of a dynamax den i named my Alcremie McElroy because i kept misreading ‘milcery’ as ‘mcelroy’ and it’s been hell FIsh n Chips (Wishiwashi) Basard (Mr Mime, named so only because i couldn’t name him Bastard) Skittysbane (Wailord, of course) Sevelev (Cramorant, named such because it’s the ‘gulp pokemon.’ sidenote: what the FUCK is up with these things) Slimetime (Shelios) The Boulder (Golurk. the boulder.......is conflicted) Sir Wilhelm (Weezing) Arson (Charmander, his full name is Dr. Hoplet Arson Dande Jr., but obvi that wouldn’t fit.) Noodles (Eternatus) also i have five more inteleons, which are named the following: Boots, Onion, Coir (means ‘crime!’), Claimoh (means shield!) and Sciath (means sword!) i plan on catching a Togepi so i can name it Ome (short for omelette based off of a post i saw around earlier but can’t be bothered to go find), a shiny rookidee named Bog Butter as i mentioned earlier, and i think when i catch the box legendary i’m gonna name him Lessdog or Bagels. might also give him a regular person name like Darius or something that sounds vaguely werewolfy idk.

i have some other pokemon w nice names but i sent them out on day long pokejobs so they technically dont exist rn

oh also a tangent but on my last save file of pokemon white i was using the name ‘alice’ at the time bc its a cool gender neutral name that i liked (didnt stick tho, sadly) n i named my oshawott ‘wonderland’ and it was cool. i remember nothing else about that team

#kc takes questions

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pkmntraineremily · 5 years

Text

Endorsements Pt 2

Hop looked over from where he was talking with Leon when Emily stepped outside,”Hurry it up, Em! You’ve gotta battle me so I can get myself an endorsement!”

“Don’t forget that I want an endorsement, too!”Emily called back, running after him towards the battle field.

Leon stayed back, and as Emily passed him,”Emily, a moment? You remember what I asked you, don’t you? I think you’ve got potential, and that’s why I want you to be a rival to Hop. And that’s direct from your Champion Leon!”

Emily frowned for a moment, before looking over at Leon with a clearly fake smile,”I remember, don’t worry.”

She finished making her way to the other side of the field from Hop. Her friend called out,”I’m going to become the greatest pokemon trainer there is! And to do that, I need that endorsement to take part in the Gym Challenge! Come at me with everything you have so we can prove to Lee that we’ve got what it takes!”

Emily grinned and called back,”Of course! I won’t hold back! And we’ll be on our way to take on the Gym Callenge afterwards!”

Professor walked out of the house, and went to stand next to Leon,“I’m rather interested in seeing how you two young trainers battle, too.”

Leon called out when everyone seemed ready,“Listen, you two, the reason I’m unbeatable is because I learn from every battle I see or take part in. That’s how I’ve gotten to where I am today. So show me something good in this battle!”

”It’s time for my legend to begin!”Hop called as he sent out his Wooloo.

“Mine’s already started!”Emily shot back, calling out her newly evolved Dottler.

”Have you gotten any stronger?”Hop asked,”Me and my team will put you to the test and see!”

“And I’ll pass that test! Confusion!” Emily ordered. Indigo eyes glowed a second before the Wooloo’s entire body did. The sheep was lifted off the ground by an invisible force, before being thrown back down to the ground.

“Wooloo, don’t give up! Tackle!” When the Wooloo regained his bearings, it launched itself at the bug type. Emily’s pokemon fell on its back and wriggled.

“Indigo!” Emily called out.

“You named your Dottler, Indigo?”Hop laughed,”But it’s yellow!”

“It wasn’t when I caught it! Confusion again!” The Dottler was able to lift itself right up, before throwing the sheep back. The sheep rolled to a stop, but didn’t get back up.

“Wooloo! Are you alright?”Hop called out.

“Wooloo is unable to battle,”Leon called out after a moment, raising his arm to Emily’s side of the field.

Emily and Hop both called their pokemon back. Emily called out her Sobble, and Hop called out his Scorbunny.

“Hey look! It’s like a reunion!”Emily giggled.

Hop joined in laughing, and added,”But this time Scorbunny and I’ll come out on top!”

“We’ll see!”

“Scorbunny, Tackle!”

The Scorbunny rushed at the Sobble, knocking him back to tumble at Emily’s feet.

“You alright, Okeley?” Emily asked. The Sobble pushed himself up and nodded. “Alright! Use Water Gun!”

Sobble opened his mouth, but instead of the normal stream of water that Emily was now used to seeing, he shot out large pulses of water to beat on the bunny. Hop’s Scorbunny fell to his hands and knees before falling down completely.

“Scorbunny is unable to battle!” Leon called out, raising his arm towards Emily again.

”Look at you!”Hop said,”You’re getting really good with type match ups!”

“Thanks!”Emily said,”That wasn’t Water Gun though, was it?”

“I don’t think so,”Hop responded,”Lee! What move was that?”

“That was Water Pulse,”Leon explained with a laugh. “A decent water type move. Is that all your pokemon, Little Brother?”

Rookidee v okeley

Hop shook his head,“Nah, I have one more. It’ll be a close one, Em! But that’s my sort of match!”

“Close one?”Emily echoed,”You’re down two to one! Do you think you’ll be able to beat all three of my pokemon?”

“We never know until I try, right, Em?” Hop retorted, calling out his Rookidee. The small bird took to the sky.

“You got me there!” Emily said,”Okeley, Water Pulse!” Okeley shot out pulses of water in the air, at the bird. Rookidee dodged most of them, but one lucky shot hit him and he dropped out of the sky. Another pulse was all it took for Rookidee to faint.

“Rookidee is unable to battle. Emily is the winner!”Leon called out.

Hop huffed,”Oof! Gutted that I lost… But I expect nothing less from my rival! And I even got my pokeball throw perfect, too!”

“Hey, that was a good battle!”Emily called, recalling her Sobble. “You’re going to be a great trainer, I think. Not that I know much about being a trainer!”

Hop chuckled,”The sting of defeat and the joy of victory...I guess going through both is the key to the two of us getting stronger, right?” Emily nodded.

Leon came over to them,”Emily! Hop! Well, after seeing a match like that one...I suppose I’ve little choice but to give you both an endorsement as champion!” He handed them both letters sealed in envelopes.

Hop bounced, and spun around with the envelope in his hands,”Yes! Thanks, Lee! I swear I’m going to win my way through the Gym Challenge to reach you!”

“Thanks! I’ll do my best too!”Emily added.

Leon smiled at them both,”You may both be young still, and plenty rough around the edges, but it was a proper battle. Charizard and I were both feeling the excitement in every last cell in our bodies! Hop, you’ve always tended to get caught up in things like how you throw your pokeball out...things that have nothing to do with real strength. Honestly, I’d be worried about you still obsessing over that sort of nonsense, but it seems you really have grown a bit, little brother! And I’d like to see some more thrilling pokemon battles out of you, too, Emily. As for advice...I would say to be careful not to focus too much on your banter. Some trainers will take that chance to get the advantage in battle.”

Both of them nodded.

Hop turned to Emily,”All right, Em! You and me are going to train up against one another to aim for that champion’s title!”

Emily smiled,”Absolutely. I can’t wait to see how strong we get!”

#IC #Drabble #Guest: Hop #Guest: Leon #Guest: Prof Magnolia

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