Pokémon Hoenn Short Stories Collection: The Elite

Panoramic_Vacuum · Dec 21, 2021

Prompt #21: Steven told Liza and Tate that they were always welcome to ask for advice, and not just when it relates to Gym business...

"So that's why you have to help us."

"We don't even know where to start."

"What do you get a pokemon that's 300 years old?"

"I don't even know what it's like to be 30 years old, and that's really old, but nowhere near as old as 300!"

Steven winced as he did the mental calculation on how soon he'd be nearing the twin's definition of 'old'.

Of course, this was only after he found himself sitting in his living room with a pair of flustered Gym Leaders standing across from him. Tate and Liza had called him asking for his council, and he was happy to oblige, but he hadn't expected to be roped into helping choose a birthday gift for the twins' pokemon. He had known that Solrock and Lunatone were ancient creatures, having been with the psychic family of Leaders for many generations. But he, too, was stumped by the twins' request.

"You know," he began gently, "Perhaps your mom and dad might have better ideas than me. Solrock and Lunatone used to be their pokemon."

Liza huffed and Tate's face fell.

"We already asked them!"

"They just told us to do something special."

"But what does that mean?"

"What's left that's special after 300 years?"

"I bet Solrock has met every pokemon in existence."

"And Lunatone probably has tried every treat there ever was."

"We're stumped!" both twins cried simultaneously, and Steven nearly chucked at their predicament, but that would have been rude.

So instead he opted for a smile that he hid behind the hand he thoughtfully brought to his chin.

"What if instead of something new, you gave them something old instead?" he mused.

"Huh?"

"Something old?"

Steven nodded as he elaborated, "Maybe not something that actually is old, but something that they haven't seen in a while; something nostalgic."

"Nostalgic?"

"You mean like when mom and dad go through our baby pictures to embarrass us?"

At this Steven did laugh, his own mind going back to the way his own father would bring out the dusty family photo albums whenever Wallace would stop by. But his laughter quickly died down as he thought back to the other pages of the album; the ones at the very front that his father would skip when there was company over. The ones that held a smiling stranger's face tight within their pages. The woman whose face felt so warm and familiar, and yet so foreign at the same time. Steven felt the silence of the room hang heavy as the twins picked up on his stirring memories.

Two concerned gazes were locked onto his own, and he quickly recollected himself with a small smile, waving their worry away.

"Ah, forgive me. When you're as old as I am, those baby pictures are especially embarrassing to remember."

The twins shared an uneasy look between themselves, but didn't press the Champion's thin lie any further. Instead, Tate chose to bring it back to the matter at hand.

"But we don't have any baby pictures of our pokemon..."

"They're 300 years old, remember?"

"Did they even have pictures back then?"

Steven smiled, "It's not the pictures that are important. Lots of other things can trigger meaningful memories. Sights, sounds, smells..."

The twins' faces scrunched deep in thought.

"What did it smell like 300 years ago?"

"I bet it smelled all musty, like the books at Mt. Pyre, or the bottom of an old cave -"

Cave...

"I may have an idea," Steven said, raising a finger as the thought came to him. He waved the twins in to a huddle as he brought out his PokeNav, calling a map up to the screen. "I'm willing to bet Lunatone and Solrock haven't been here in a long, long time..."

Tate and Liza had never seen their partners expressions light up like they did when they released them into the cavern. They had followed Steven's directions carefully, and armed with a picnic basket filled to the brim with treats, they had trekked deep into the cave before letting Lunatone and Solrock out of their balls.

Sunlight poured through the holes in the roof, carved by ancient meteors, and it danced through the shallow cascades of crystal clear water that fed the upper basin of Meteor Falls. The psychic pokemon's joyful calls echoed off the pale rocks as they spiraled slowly upward, taking in the sight of their birthplace. 300 years was a long time, and somehow the secluded area of the Falls had remained relatively untouched in all that time. Floating back down to their trainers, the ancient pokemon nestled happily into Tate and Liza's waiting arms, sharing 300 years worth of gratitude with their young partners.

Panoramic_Vacuum · Jan 15, 2022

Note: This chapter is definitely horror themed. Originally written for Halloween, it is decidedly different than most of the entries in this collection.

Prompt #22: Someone has a nightmare.

The last time Steven could recall a day this peaceful, well in all honesty, he actually couldn't. At least not in recent memory. But here he was, alone with nothing but the sounds of the underground around him. A chisel in one hand and a hammer in the other, a small bag of spoils sat at his feet, and Steven sighed in contentment. The League had become stressful lately, what with the addition of a new Gym and the retirement of not one, but two Leaders, there was a fair amount of work to be done to ensure any ongoing League challenges would continue uninterrupted.

Which was why the situation struck him as odd. Shouldn't he be working right now? Steven's brow furrowed and he glanced at his watch. Strange, it was actually the middle of the night. Why was he still awake at this hour? Setting down his tools, he glanced around the cave and noticed his usual stash of supplies was absent. Perhaps he left them back at the surface, as it appeared this was only a small cave system. Dutifully, he picked up his meager equipment and headed out in search of his camp.

It was only as the mouth of the cave came into view that Steven noticed another oddity. His pokemon were conspicuously absent from his hip. A sudden tightness found its way across his chest. He could count on one hand the number of times Metagross had ever not been at his side, all the way back to when it was just a small Beldum. Where was his team?

Steven's pace quickened in time with his heartbeat as he neared the cave's exit.

But he never made it there.

The cavern floor suddenly began to shake beneath his feet, sending him stumbling. As he tried to pick himself up off the ground, a dull roar issued from the depths of the cave. Scrambling back to his feet he hazarded a glance backward to find the source of the noise, and his breath caught in his throat.

Somehow the omnipresent darkness of the cave had taken a more tangible form, crawling and scurrying along the walls and ceiling. The absence of light was curling and forming into pointed claws that raked at the stone leaving blackened gouges in their wake. Living, breathing darkness that threatened to swallow him whole.

As a paralyzing wash of terror flooded his senses, a small voice told him there was still a way out, all hope was not lost. He still had an escape route, and he willed himself begin to sprint toward the exit again, yet it never seemed to draw any nearer. The cave rumbled again, this time loosening bounders from the ceiling that came crashing down all around. Throwing his arms up to shield his face, Steven plunged forward; there was the daylight streaming in, he could still make it! Wait, wasn't it past midnight? What was going on...?

In his moment of confusion he had paused in his frantic escape, and when he went to resume his sprint, he found something stopping him. His leg was rooted in place, but it wasn't the falling rubble that trapped him. Something was holding him there, gripping his ankle with fearsome strength. Reaching down with both hands to free himself, he froze. Fingers made of stone had reached up from the cave floor and grabbed him in an unyielding hold. He kneeled down and pried at the lifeless grip, but it refused to budge. Panic began to rise in his throat, he was running out of time. The darkness was closing in, still roaring like an animal possessed.

As he gave another tug at the offending restraint, a second manacle circled his other leg, stony fingers digging into his calf. Wheeling around to try to free himself, something else grabbed at the back of his jacket and pulled, dragging him awkwardly to the ground where he was met with a cold embrace. Arms of stone reached up to snake around his waist and chest, and try as he might, he couldn't break free from their grasp as he was pinned helplessly to the earth.

And that's when the darkness caught him. Eyes wide with terror he watched the black beast descend, pouring in from all sides of the cave in a massive sickening wave. He tugged and writhed against the bonds that held him captive, anything to get away from this unknown enemy, but it was futile. The first inky knives sunk into the flesh of his leg and he cried out from the pain. Or at least he tried to. No sound would escape his lips as the creature dragged itself up his body, one searing, stabbing claw at a time until its deathly hands encircled his neck. He choked at the pressure, he could feel the breath leaving his lungs, unable to be replenished.

In one last terror fueled push, he tried desperately to shove the beast off him with the only hand that wasn't trapped by the very earth that betrayed him, but the shadows were as intangible as their normally benign counterparts. Grasping at the nothingness that was slowly squeezing the life from him, the stony hands finally caught his last flailing limb and anchored it to the ground with the rest of him. It was only then that the darkness decided to show its true face. Cruel teeth formed in a featureless visage that sneered down at its pathetic captive. A guttural growl mixed with an otherworldly screech emanated from the creature as it howled in his face, victorious.

Suddenly, the pair of hands around his neck loosened their hold. The long slender fingers reached up to gently caress his cheek as the faceless shadows leered down at him; the normally soothing gesture only served to panic him further and he tried to scream once more. Without warning, the shadowy hands forced their way into his mouth, prying it wide. He began to hyperventilate, but it didn't last long. Without warning the creature poured itself down his throat, the acrid darkness choking him. He was drowning in it now, his lungs filling with the nothingness. His body jerked involuntarily against the onslaught, and the edges of his vision began to swim in the inky blackness. This was the end, this is how he would die...

Metagross blinked one red eye open. It had been snoozing peacefully in its trainer's study, but a noise had disturbed its slumber. Slumped forward on the desk was its trainer, asleep on his paperwork. It wasn't a surprising sight. Metagross had seen its trainer push himself to exhaustion in that very chair countless times. But what was surprising this time was how he twitched and moaned ever so softly in his sleep. Metagross hadn't seen that sort of behavior very often. After the chair creaked from a particularly fierce shudder, it decided to keep a wary eye on its trainer. So when Steven gave a sudden jerk, toppling himself from the chair entirely, Metagross was quick to react.

Steven flailed for a moment, gasping for breath and blinking in confusion even as Metagross eased him gently to the ground with its psychic powers. He was quick to find his starter's concerned gaze, and he rubbed one shaking hand across his eyes.

"Metagross."

The way the name left his lips, it was as if he hadn't seen his partner in years. The sort of gratitude in one's voice that came from the deepest longing, the most heartfelt sincerity. Metagross could feel the emotion pouring from its trainer, and it reverberated a soothing tone in reply. It was here. It would always be here.

Steven shook his head to clear the lingering visions. "I-I'm sorry, it was just a bad dream."

But Metagross had seen enough to know it wasn't as simple as that. Its trainer never looked that rattled. As gingerly as it could, Metagross picked its way across the study until it was able to nestle up against its trainer's side. Steven's skin was clammy when he leaned his head against Metagross's steel hide. It rumbled a quiet note and it could feel its trainer nod in return.

"I'd like that, if you don't mind."

As his suit jacket was lowered gently across his chest, Steven's eyes closed, and Metagross was more than happy let its trainer fall asleep in its arms, just as he did for it all those years ago.

Panoramic_Vacuum · Jan 15, 2022

Prompt #23: A would-be Dragon Master, complete with costume, challenges the League

Phoebe was dutifully scrolling through the docket of challengers in preparation for any that might make it through Sidney's team. An Ace Trainer, those guys always came prepared. A Pokefan, they were one hit wonders, and most fizzed earlier rather than later. A Triathlete, interesting, since their pokemon were always well trained, but rarely had enough power to make it deep into the Elite. Flicking through the rest of the list, her eyes glazed over until one image popped up on the screen.

Immediately she bolted upright with a snort of laughter.

"Sidney, c'mere," she waved at the dark-type expert as she tried to hold in another laugh, "What is that?"

Only halfway interested at what Phoebe may have had to show him, Sidney leaned over with a casual glance. But when he caught sight of the screen, his eyes bugged out of his head before he too doubled over with laughter.

"Oh my god, Fee. I have no idea what that is! Maybe he's supposed to be a magician?"

Phoebe shook her head, still shaking with amusement. "I already read the brief, so I know. I just want to see if you can guess."

Sidney scratched at his ear in thought, but not without a ridiculous smile. "Gee, maybe he's one of those contest coordinator-turned-battlers, like Wallace?"

"Nope."

"Oh man, uhh, maybe he's..."

As Glacia strolled into the lounge, Phoebe cut Sidney off to wave her over.

"Let's see if Glacia knows!"

"Know what, exactly...?" the ice-type specialist trailed off, suspicious of the two younger trainer's antics.

"What this challenger is going for," Phoebe said with a grin, as she wheeled the tablet around for Glacia to see.

Her eyes went wide at the spectacle. "Oooh... I... Haven't the faintest idea."

Sidney laughed as Phoebe flung herself dramatically over the arm of the couch. "Someone go get Drake, he has to know," she moaned.

"We'd all know if you told us, Fee."

"Where's the fun in that?"

Sidney shrugged, but the gesture went unnoticed as the fourth and final Elite made his appearance.

"There shouldn't be any fun, we've got challengers coming today," he grated out, but not without a twinkle in his eye.

"Yeah, we know. Phoebe won't tell us who we're facing though."

"Really now?" Drake quirked an eyebrow.

"I'll tell everyone if you can't guess what this is on the first try," Phoebe said as she sat back up, holding the tablet out, and Drake plucked it from her grasp.

"This is what all the fuss is about?"

All eyes turned to the Dragon Master as he scanned the photo. Phoebe held her breath and latched onto Sidney's arm in anticipation. Even Glacia found herself leaning in, waiting for Drake's answer.

He remained silent for a beat longer before speaking up. "I have no clue what the heck that is."

Everyone deflated in defeat. "Fine, I guess I'll have to just tell you all..." began Phoebe, but in that moment, another voice sounded from over Drake's shoulder.

"Oh, looks like we're having a Dragon Master paying us a visit this afternoon."

Four pairs of eyes turned to meet the Champion as he glanced down at the tablet from behind his cup of coffee.

"A what now?" Drake's tone was dangerously low.

"A Dragon Master," said Steven matter-of-factly. "Or at least a self-proclaimed one. I've seen plenty of them when I train out at Meteor Falls."

Phoebe nodded dumbly, too shocked that of all people, Steven would be the one to recognize the outlandish outfit of too much spandex and gold piping, complete with a flowing cape.

No one spoke, so Steven offered a shrug, "When you're friends with Wallace for long enough, nothing really surprises you any more. Fashion-wise, I mean."

But Drake was still steaming. "I have half a mind to ask you lot to let him through so I can show him a thing or two about dragon training... But on the other hand, I wouldn't ask you to go through the embarrassment of losing to that."

"Hey Boss," Sidney piped up, "Maybe just this once Drake and I can switch places?"

"That's not a bad idea," chimed Glacia, "I'm kind of in the mood for a good old-fashioned humiliation match."

Steven's gaze narrowed as seriously considered it. "I'm willing to allow it just this once... Drake?"

Still muttering, Drake grumbled an affirmative before tossing the tablet down on the nearest table and stalking out of the room. "Only if you promise to let me call Lance about this. He's wearing tights for chrissakes."

"Well, I guess that settles it," Steven nodded, but not without a nervous glance at the retreating sea captain.

Phoebe grinned as she skipped out the door, "I'll bring the popcorn!"

Panoramic_Vacuum · Jan 15, 2022

Prompt #24: A sprained ankle isn't going to keep Wallace from a contest. Everyone else thinks it's a terrible idea.

"I really don't think this is a good idea..."

"Nonsense, The Lilycove Summer Spectacular only happens but once a year!"

Both Lisia and Juan had gathered in Wallace's room, and they frowned down at the Gym Leader sprawled out on his lounge chair with a foot propped on some pillows and a nasty purple bruise peeking out from beneath an ice pack.

"Don't give me that, it's not as bad as it looks," he protested, wincing as he tried to wiggle the injured foot.

"Uncle Wallace, you can't even put any weight on it. How are you going to perform?"

"I'll... I'll figure something out. I always do!"

"Perhaps I should go in your stead," suggested Juan with a wistful look. "I'm worried the strain of a contest might hinder your recovery."

Wallace was about to deliver his protest when the door to the room opened and Steven blustered in, slightly out of breath.

"I came as soon as I could," he breathed, holding the walking boot out toward the water-type trainer, but he froze when he saw Wallace was not alone as he was lead to believe. "Oh, Juan, Lisia, I'm sorry! I didn't realized you were here too."

Juan's eyes slid from the boot to Wallace's innocent expression before addressing the room's newest member. "And you agreed to this despite your best efforts to persuade him otherwise, I assume?"

"Actually -" Steven gave an apologetic smile.

"He stepped in a divot in a cave in Sinnoh a few months ago and didn't want to cut the trip short," said Wallace airily, "Can we move past how much you disapprove of the idea so I can put it on and get going to Lilycove?"

Steven shot Wallace a look for ratting him out so heartlessly, but Wallace ignored it as he wiggled his hand expectantly. Ducking under Juan's disapproving stare, Steven moved to the end of the lounge and cautiously began to slide Wallace's foot into the boot.

Wallace put on a brave face, but even for how gentle Steven tried to be, he still sucked in a pained breath with every adjustment.

"I still think this is a poor decision," Juan said, his frown deepening. "I won't cover your Gym duties for you if this contest injures your ankle further."

But Wallace casually waved him off, "I fully accept the consequences of my actions. You worry too much, Master. I'll be -" he jolted with discomfort as Steven secured the last strap in place, "-fine."

"Mmhmm..."

Juan's skeptical look remained as Wallace swung his legs to the floor and rose unsteadily to his feet. The boot did an admirable job, but Wallace couldn't hide a grimace as he hobbled toward his wardrobe.

"Uncle Wallace... You're not seriously going to perform with that boot?"

Lisia's quiet voice froze Wallace to the spot. For how many times he had told her to listen to her mother's words, he certainly wasn't setting the best of examples. He turned, ready to deliver a 'do as I say, not as I do' speech, but the determination in Lisia's gaze caused the words to freeze in his throat.

"It's so hideous! We need to dress it up if you're going to wear it to the performance!"

Wallace couldn't hide the grin that crept across his face. "You're absolutely right, my dear!"

"You're not going to be wanting this back, are you?" Wallace asked as he turned toward Steven.

Steven shook his head. "I certainly wasn't planning on it."

"Brilliant! Now shoo!" Wallace waved everyone who wasn't Lisia out of the room. "We've got work to do!"

The next morning, Steven found himself grinning over his morning coffee. Splashed across the front page was a photo of Wallace at the Lilycove Summer Spectacular, perched atop his Gyarados waving to his adoring fans. Even in black and white it was hard to miss the brilliant sparkle of the glitter encrusted walking boot. No, he definitely didn't need it back now.

Panoramic_Vacuum · Jan 22, 2022

Prompt #25: Sidney and Phoebe get caught in a thunderstorm.

Both Sidney and Absol wore the same scowl as the rain began to steadily increase. If Phoebe wasn't equally as soaking wet and miserable, she might have giggled at the way they both sulked as they helped load the last of the supplies onto the waiting ship.

A nasty storm was en route to Pacifidlog Town, and the two Elites had volunteered to aid in the evacuation of the floating settlement. It would surely weather the storm, but its occupants would be without power and food until the storm passed, and some of the more elderly residents might not be hardy enough to wait for the post-storm relief.

The storm wasn't supposed to pass through for another 24 hours, yet the wind had already picked up something fierce. "That's the last of 'em!" called Sidney, an arm raised to shield against the driving rain.

"Great!" Phoebe called back giving the ship's captain a thumbs up to signal he could push back from the dock. "Now let's get out of here too."

Dusclops had just released the last mooring of the ship when it froze in place, its red eye sliding over toward where Absol was standing, fur bristling with a low growl. Sidney already had noticed his partner's behavior and he cursed under his breath. Absol was sensing something, and it wasn't good. He turned to regard his fellow Elite with a nervous glance.

"Fee..."

Just as her name left his lips, the sky was split with a brilliant bolt of lightning, surprising even the steadfast Dusclops. Somehow, the storm had intensified in only a matter of moments, hours ahead of the forecast.

The floating walkways they both were standing on lurched as larger and larger waves began to roll through Pacifidlog. Phoebe strained to see her friend through the deteriorating conditions.

"Sid, we have to go now! The storm's too strong!"

She could see enough in the dusky light to make out him shaking his head.

"No good! Sharpedo can't carry us both in seas this rough. We'd never make it!"

For the first time in a long time, the icy grip of fear found its way through Phoebe's veins. "Then what do we do?" Her question just made it out before another flash of lightning and a crash of thunder cut her off.

Discomfort all but forgotten, Sidney regarded Absol's stern expression for a moment before nodding. "We have to get to the sturdiest building in town and ride it out!"

By now Phoebe had picked her way across the unsteady planks and reached Sidney's side. She might have been worried if it wasn't for the determined set of his jaw. If Sidney was convinced of the plan, then so was she.

"Okay."

"There," he pointed through the sheets of rain, "The PokeCenter is close enough to the center of the town that it should be protected from the worst of it."

Phoebe nodded as she swallowed the unease in her throat. Living on Mt. Pyre, she'd never had to deal with the ocean's rage from up close. If the seas around her home were ever this angry, she'd retreat to higher ground with her grandma and grandpa. In Pacifidlog, there was no such luxury.

Absol had already begun to bound toward the Pokemon Center, eager to get to sturdier ground, and Dusclops clomped after him.

"C'mon," said Sidney, and without thinking he reached back to grab Phoebe's hand to guide her along the floating walkways.

Phoebe was glad the wind was howling, so Sidney couldn't hear the small squeak she let out when his hand found her own. Quickly, the two trainers made their way through the growing storm. It wasn't much further to the PokeCenter...

Suddenly, Absol's ears shot upright, and he wheeled around in alarm to find his trainer's wide-eyed stare.

"Oh crap -"

Sidney barely had time to brace himself before the wave swept over the walkway he'd been standing on. The wood lurched beneath his feet, bucking him backward from the force, and Sidney definitely cursed as the cold, grey water reached up to greet him. A sharp tug on his arm jolted him from his single minded panic. Phoebe.

Dusclops was already on the move as his trainer was bowled over and into the churning sea. Its red eye was frantically searching the murky water for any sign of where she'd been tossed, but it came up empty. With a harried glance at Absol, Dusclops whispered a low question. But Absol's gaze on the waves didn't falter, and Dusclops had no choice but to wait.

Sidney's head broke the surface with a loud gasp, followed by a hand wielding a pokeball. Teeth grit in effort, he released Sharpedo and reached for its fin with the same arm. Absol's claws dug into the logs of the PokeCenter's platform, hackles raised until it caught sight of a splash of pink against Sidney's chest.

Arm wrapped protectively around Phoebe's thin frame, Sidney struggled to keep his head above the waves as Sharpedo hauled the two of them to the platform's edge. He told himself he'd never let go, no matter what.

Finally within arm's reach, Sidney called out, but Dusclops was already reaching down to pluck Phoebe out of the water. Shivering, she clung to her pokemon and watched helplessly as Sidney tried to reach for the platform himself, but was dunked under again by another wave. Sharpedo dipped beneath the surface and bobbed up beneath his trainer, getting him within reach of the platform once again. With one final push he dragged himself out of the water and lay panting for a moment on the deck. Blinking saltwater from his eyes, he was met with a soggy hug from Absol.

"Heh, I could use a little more notice next time," he managed to chuckle, and Absol only headbutted him harder. His hand flopped over on the soaking wood to recall Sharpedo from the angry sea. He lay there for a moment longer, before propping himself up on one elbow just in time to see Phoebe staring at him, unblinking.

"Sidney..." She'd wiggled her way out of her pokemon's grasp, although it didn't stop Dusclops from hovering protectively behind her. "You..."

But Sidney was quickly on his feet and swiftly wrapped his arms around her to ward off the bone chilling cold. "It's what anyone would have done."

Phoebe let him guide her inside the Pokemon Center and out of the rain, their pokemon following behind.

It wasn't until the doors slid shut behind them, reducing the storm's blustering to background noise, that she finally pushed back against his chest to look him in the face once more.

"You're not just anyone." She couldn't bring herself to finish the thought, conjured up by the panicked flash of their own mortality. 'To me.'

Sidney stared hard at her before pulling her into a tight hug, dipping his head so his chin rested against her shoulder. His voice was tight, probably for the same reason she couldn't choke out her own words. "Neither are you."

Panoramic_Vacuum · Jan 22, 2022

Prompt #26: Someone's Pokémon are bored. Very, very bored.

Glacia sighed as the notification flashed in her chamber. Sidney was victorious yet again. And yet again, another challenger fell short of giving her a decent battle that wasn't one against one of her colleagues.

She eyed her pokemon with a wistful glance before rising and sidling out of the room. Perhaps some fresh air would keep her from going stir crazy.

As the door clicked shut behind her, Glalie exhaled a frozen breath of disappointment as it floated around, leaving a small, frosted trail in its wake. Snorunt trailed in its wake, but not without slipping and sliding around on the frozen pathway. Finally losing its balance, Snorunt chattered in half-annoyance, half-amusement as it spun around on its backside before slowing to a stop at Sealeo's feet. The walrus pokemon looked down at its giggling visitor and its whiskers twitched in interest.

A loud bark of excitement cut through the chamber as Glacia's second Sealeo fired its icy wind on top of Glalie's ice path, reinforcing the structure before it dove head first, sliding past with surprising speed.

Snorunt chattered again and hopped back to its feet before launching itself behind Sealeo, snickering the whole way.

Glalie turned at the sound of the commotion, and it cried out as both Sealeo and Snorunt flew towards it, and all three pokemon landed in a giggling, dismayed heap.

Abomasnow looked up from where it sat and shook its furry head. If it joined in, one of its friends might end up as a pancake if it landed on top of them. But, it regarded the icy pathway with interest, perhaps it could participate in another way. Signaling to Vanilluxe and Walrein, Abomasnow stepped forward and began to concentrate its powers on the trail.

In the end, all of Glacia's pokemon got in on the construction action, and by the time they stepped back to admire their handiwork, the icy slide wound all around the chamber in a snaking, slippery path, complete with a loop-de-loop in the middle. Snorunt clapped its hands in glee and took off for the starting line with Sealeo hot on its heels. Abomasnow simply watched, hands on its hips.

The smaller pokemon slipped and spun all around the room, screeching and squealing with delight. It wasn't until Beartic tried to join in that the track finally gave way and shattered under its weight. With a dismayed rub of its head, Beartic immediately apologized and recruited Vanilluxe to help it repair the track.

Just as the track was back in working order, the door to the chamber creaked open, and every pokemon froze, afraid that perhaps their afternoon entertainment might have crossed the line. But Snorunt wasn't able to contain its momentum and Glacia soon found her arms full of a happy, squirming ice-type, and she couldn't help but smile herself.

"Have room for one more?"

Panoramic_Vacuum · Jan 22, 2022

Prompt #27: Someone is stuck on a crossword/sudoku/puzzle. The others are helpful.

Steven leaned back in his chair and tapped his lip with his pen. Brow scrunched in concentration, he hardly noticed when a curious face peered over his shoulder.

"Whatcha thinkin' 'bout, Boss?"

"Sudoku," mumbled Steven, not tearing his eyes from the booklet in his hand.

"Su what now?" Sidney blinked as he looked at the jumbled mess of numbers on the page.

"Sudoku," Steven repeated, still not aware of Sidney's vacant look. "It's a number puzzle."

"Heh, numbers and puzzles," laughed Sidney as he straightened up, "Never been my strong suit. So good luck with that."

"Mmm," Steven mumbled again, now rolling the pen between his fingers.

Sidney paused as he opened the refrigerator door, "Y'know you could just ask Metagross to solve it for you if you're stuck. I bet it's great with numbers."

Finally breaking his gaze from the page, Steven rolled his head to the side to regard Sidney's bright idea. "That'd be cheating. Besides, I do these for the challenge, not just so I can get them all done as fast as possible."

But Sidney just shrugged as he closed the door, snack in hand. "Like I said, not my cup of tea."

"What's this about tea?" Glacia asked as she stepped into the lounge.

"It's not about tea, it's about..." Sidney pulled a face, "Soduku?"

Glacia narrowed her gaze, "You mean Sudoku? I never took you for one who liked number puzzles..."

"He's not," grumbled Steven, back at his staring match with the paper.

"Ah, I thought as much," she said, gliding over to the table and taking a seat across from the Champion. "You know, I'm impressed you're completing it in pen. I usually have too many solutions in my head to trust the first one I write down."

Steven's eyes flicked up above the top of his booklet only briefly before going back to scanning the puzzle before him. "Mmm."

Glacia studied him for a moment longer before rising, "Now that I think about it, I could go for some tea."

"Put on enough for a second cup too, Glacia!" Phoebe's voice preceded her arrival to the lounge. "Oh hey, Steven, what're you reading?"

"Sudoku," said Glacia, putting the full kettle on the stove.

"Oh, my grandma does those all the time. Only the easy ones though. She said if she wants that much frustration she'd just talk to my grandpa."

Glacia chuckled, but Phoebe already turned her attention back to Steven, "Ohh, that one looks harder than the ones Grandma does!"

Removing the end of the pen from between his teeth, Steven looked up at Phoebe's surprised expression, "I finished the easier puzzles already. Only the hard ones are left."

The hissing of the kettle punctuated Steven's comment, and Phoebe quickly skipped over to the cabinet to retrieve two mugs for the tea. "Well, good luck then!"

"Mmm." Steven's pen ticked a steady rhythm against the tabletop.

"Why're we wishing people luck now? You going somewhere, lad?" Drake asked as he shuffled into the room, puffing away on his pipe.

"Nobody's going anywhere," sighed Glacia, retrieving the kettle from the stove.

"Steven's working on a tough Sudoku!" chimed Phoebe, readying the mugs for their tea.

"Ah." The Dragon Master's pipe puffed thoughtfully. "I'm surprised you'd pick such a noisy place to concentrate. I tend to prefer a bit less noise if there's deep thinkin' involved."

"It used to be quiet in here..." Steven mumbled, bringing the pen back to his lips.

"You're gonna have to speak up, the kettle's whistling up a storm," said Drake, a hand to his ear.

"Nothing," called Steven, loud enough to be heard.

Drake harrumphed as the kettle was emptied into two steaming mugs.

"Well, we'll leave you to it," Glacia said, mug cradled in her hands.

"Yeah, you got this!" called Phoebe as she brushed out of the room.

A solemn nod from Drake meant the last of the visitors were taking their leave, and Steven sighed. Finally some peace and...

"Hey, did someone make me a cup too?"

Steven had to use every ounce of willpower not to throw his pen at Sidney's head.

Panoramic_Vacuum · Jan 30, 2022

Prompt #28: Someone finds out that a friend is at the hospital. They don't overreact at all.

The buzzing of Drake's PokeNav seemed to startle the Dragon Master less and less each time he got a call, although he scowled at the number a bit longer than usual this time. With a hesitant greeting, he answered.

"Hello?"

"Yes, this is Drake."

"...Yes."

"..."

"What'd the idiot do this time?"

"Yes...I mean - well, I can be there soon."

"Thanks."

Drake felt several pairs of eyes on him as he hung up the call. The Elites that were privy to the one sided conversation were giving him a range of looks, but Drake just shrugged them off with a gruff response.

"I have to go. Don't wait up for me."

Not daring to stop their senior Elite, all eyes watched as Drake mounted Salamence and took off into the night without another word.

He was greeted by a flurry of feathers as he slid open the door to the Slateport hospital room.

"Peeko, enough!"

"Briney, you old dog, why'd you call me here anyway?" Drake growled as he approached the bedside of his long-time friend and fellow sailor.

"Bah, you know hospitals. All protocol and no sense," Briney dismissed Drake's question with a wave of the hand that wasn't currently affixed with an IV. Peeko fluttered back to his side with a clack of her beak and a small squawk.

"You listed me as your emergency contact?" Drake quirked a brow.

"Purely formality, I assure you," muttered Briney as he caressed the nervous bird's crown. She nuzzled happily into his touch.

Drake's gaze drifted from Peeko to his friend. "Sure doesn't look like just formality. What kind of half-cocked scheme did you get yourself into this time?"

With a sigh, Briney gave in, "Right to the chase with you. I guess there's no hiding it. Capsized my boat in the Pacifidlog currents..."

"Again?"

"...Again..."

Drake tipped his cap back and rubbed his brow, "Those damned mirages are gonna be the death of you, old man."

Briney offered a lopsided grin, "Well they haven't yet." His face fell as Drake's stony expression remained. "I washed ashore on a sandbar not too far from here. Peeko flew to get help. Otherwise..."

His voice trailed off at the thought, and Drake shook his head, "I always wondered how long your luck would hold out. Guess I'm still left wondering."

"You sound disappointed," quipped Briney, and Drake huffed a laugh.

"Not in the slightest. Only when I get that call that the sea handled the burial for me."

Both men lapsed into silence at the kind of humor a sailor was accustomed to.

"Anything left of her?"

Briney bowed his head. "Not a plank."

Drake sighed, "How much do you need this time?" and Briney just shrugged.

"However much you'd be able to spare."

Tipping his cap back down, Drake pushed off from the wall he'd been leaning against. "This time you better come back with something. I'm not going to keep funding your wild goose chases."

But Briney just grinned. "You know as well as I do that those islands exist. Whenever you're done playing around as the League's lapdog, just let me know and I'll let you join in the hunt."

"Yeah yeah," grunted Drake as he turned toward the door, "Rest up. I don't need a drowned Rattata for a friend."

The door closed behind him with a soft click, and Drake sighed. As exhausting as it was to be friends with Briney, he wouldn't have traded it for the world.

Panoramic_Vacuum · Jan 30, 2022

Prompt #29: At their level, even friendly battles can get out of hand.

"Magcargo, Lava plume!"

The floor of Phoebe's chamber erupted in mini geysers of magma. The pattern of the attack was obvious; Magcargo was chasing its opponent down. But Banette was having none of the fire-type's attack, and she danced out of range just as each plume burst from the ground.

Flannery ground her heel into the floor in frustration. "C'mon Magcargo! You can do it!"

But as Banette tugged her mouth wide and waggled her tongue in a nasty taunt, Magcargo's shell began to crack and spurt flames. It was agitated, and its fiery disposition clearly matched that of its trainer's. Four simultaneous lava plumes formed in a bubbling circle around Banette, trapping the ghost-type in their midst. She cackled in surprise as the full force of the attack erupted, sending columns of fire dancing across the arena.

As the flames died down, all that was left were the smoldering remains of the fierce attack. Flannery was breathing heavy from the excitement of Magcargo's attack, and a confident smile crept across her face. She may have had a long way to go before she was as strong as her friend, but at least she could still throw the savvy ghost-type specialist for a loop.

Phoebe watched nervously as she waited for her partner to reappear. Banette was no slouch, and if anyone could have gotten out of that attack, it was her. Light danced around the arena as the remaining flames flickered with life, but another bit of movement caught Phoebe's eye, and she smiled.

"Shadow sneak!"

The quivering shadow behind Magcargo shivered once before springing up from the arena floor. Two red eyes hungrily snapped open, and as the lava pokemon turned in surprise, a wave of shadows engulfed it in a wash of darkness.

Flannery gaped as her partner vanished beneath Banette's shadowy grasp, but she held steady, driving a fist skyward, "Don't give up, Magcargo! Overheat!"

The shadows began to expand, seemingly filling up from the inside. And like a fabric stretched to its breaking point, the shadows began to tear at the seams, flames licking out from the openings. In a brilliant flash, Banette's attack gave way to a broiling fireball that exploded in all directions that sent both trainers ducking for cover. Patches of fire sprung up all over, and Phoebe squinted through the brightness to see what had become of Banette.

Hunched over gripping a nasty burn on her chest, Banette floated a few paces away from Magcargo, who was panting heavily from the incredible power it threw into its last attack. The combatants were now hemmed in on all sides by fire, though neither pokemon seemed fazed by it in the slightest. Phoebe grinned; Flannery had really improved since their last match, but she had no plans on losing this battle.

As the air filled with the smell of smoke, Phoebe's hand flashed out, "Banette, Payback!"

Drawing in power, the air began to swirl around in Banette's outstretched palms. Flinging her hands wide, the swirl centered over Magcargo's head, drawing smoke and flame into the vortex. Banette's form thinned into a wisp that disappeared into the tempest, only to reappear as multiple versions that circled the terrified fire-type. One by one, the grudge copies launched themselves at Magcargo, striking swiftly before being sucked back into the vortex.

Cackling, Banette finally drew back, leaving Magcargo's head slumped from weathering the attack. But her glee was short lived, as her cackles turned into coughs, the smoke finally getting too thick for comfort.

Flannery's eyes glinted with a knowing light; Magcargo could withstand the fiery conditions, and it only fed into the strength of his attacks.

"Get her while she's stunned, Flamethrower!"

Inhaling a deep breath, Magcargo's head reared back and shot a stream of flames right at Banette. Startled, the ghost type hastily fired a shadow ball into the center of the flamethrower, splitting the attack in two. The remnants of the attack scattered, lighting more small fires around the arena.

It wasn't long before a thick blanket of smoke covered nearly the entirety of the chamber. Both trainers were having difficulty breathing, even though neither they nor their pokemon wanted to concede the match. But as the flames crept up one of the walls, Phoebe gave in. Waving frantically to her sparring partner, she shouted across the room for an intermission to the battle, and the two of them to beat a hasty retreat for some fresh air.

"You don't happen to have a water-type pokemon with you, do you?" asked Phoebe between coughs as she closed the door to her chamber behind them.

"No? Why would I?" questioned Flannery, seemingly taken aback, but also still coughing a bit.

"Don't you run into this kind of problem often? Y'know, being a fire-type Leader and all that?"

"No... I mean, the Gym has the hot springs built right in. And typically my aim is a bit better," Flannery admitted with a sheepish tug of her hair.

Phoebe giggled before giving in to another round of coughs. "We should probably find someone who does then... I don't think Steven will be very happy with me if we let my chamber burn down."

"If you'd just let Magcargo land a few hits, maybe we wouldn't have this problem," Flannery said with a playful wink.

"Try telling that to Banette."

As both trainers finally were able to straighten to their full heights, no longer coughing much, a voice called from down the hallway.

"Oi, are you two the ones throwing the barbecue? Smells awesome!"

Phoebe exchanged a side-eyed glance with Flannery before she put on her best innocent tone. "Oh hey Sidney. You don't happen to have Sharpedo with you, do you?"

Sidney's gaze scrunched in confusion. "Yeah, but why do you need Sharpedo for a barbeque... oh..." His eyes widened as smoke began to pour out from the jamb of the door.

He plucked the ball off his belt and readied to throw as Phoebe reached for the door. "Steven's gonna kill you y'know."

"If I take you out for actual barbecue, you'll promise you won't tell?"

Sidney nodded as Sharpedo materialized and began to hose down the inferno. "You better hope we don't have any challengers any time soon."

"Sorry!" squeaked Flannery, but Phoebe just waved her off with a sunny smile.

"This is nothing. You should have seen Drake's chamber after Salamence had that toothache."

"Oh ho, I had almost forgotten about that!" chimed Sidney. "I take it back then, I bet Steven won't even notice."

Although once Sharpedo had doused the last of the flames, the charred, soggy state of Phoebe's chamber begged to differ.

"Okay, maybe he'll notice... But he won't be that mad. Probably. Hopefully. How about that barbecue?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here," Phoebe hastily agreed, and all three trainers left the scene of the crime.

Panoramic_Vacuum · Jan 30, 2022

Note: This chapter does have some strong language and implied verbal/sexual harassment.

Prompt #30: Steven doesn't often lose his temper. When he does, it makes an impression.

Steven was taken aback by the twins currently standing in his living room. Their visit itself wasn't out of the ordinary; the young Gym Leaders dropped by his Mossdeep home often enough. What was throwing him off was their demeanor. The normally shy and reserved Tate was silently fuming while a normally bubbly and upbeat Liza was shaking with quiet sobs.

Gently ushering the pair to sit down on his sofa, Steven gestured that he'd be right back. Quickly, he ducked into the kitchen to pour two glasses of the twins' favorite berry juice, which admittedly he had grown rather fond of as well. Glasses in hand, he returned back to the living room and set them on the table before kneeling down next to where they were seated.

Liza gripped her glass tightly with both hands, staring at the liquid sloshing within. Tate looked too distraught to even think of taking a sip, so instead it sat untouched on the coffee table, slowly forming a ring of condensation.

When neither twin said a word, Steven decided he should try to gently prod to find out what had happened. They had come to him after all, something had to be amiss.

"Tate, can you tell me what's wrong?"

Slowly the boy's stare found Steven's concerned gaze, and the Champion felt a chill in the air from the intensity of Tate's expression.

"It was a challenger. At the Gym."

At this, Steven's brow knit in confusion. It wasn't like the twins to get so worked up over a battle. But he didn't dare interrupt, so he nodded for Tate to continue.

"He... after he won, we went to present the badge... and..."

Tate paused, eyes falling to where his hands were clenching and unclenching in his lap.

"He... he grabbed Liza by the arm and... and he said... things..."

Liza seemed to curl in on herself at the word, and Steven felt himself tense at her reaction. He almost didn't even want to ask, but he had to.

"Tate," he said in nearly a whisper, "What kind of things did he say?"

"He said..." a tremble crept into Tate's voice, "He said he'd do things to Liza... Terrible things..."

The haunted look on Liza's face meant Tate didn't have to say any more. A cold flood of rage swept through Steven, and it took every ounce of strength to not let the twins see his reaction, they were scared enough as it was. But he also didn't care if they could sense the fury practically pouring from his thoughts.

"This challenger, did he say where he was headed next?"

Tate shook his head in the negative, but for the first time since arriving, Liza spoke up.

"Sootopolis."

The meekness in her voice cooled Steven's thoughts for the moment, and he gave the twins a reassuring, albeit thin, smile.

"I'll take care of this. For the time being, you two can stay here. Would you like it if I left one of my pokemon with you?"

Wordlessly, both twins looked to him expectantly and nodded.

"Who's your favorite?" Steven asked, knowing fully well what the answer would be.

When the simultaneous chime of "Metagross!" came, Steven allowed himself another smile before unclicking the ball of said pokemon and leaving it on the table in front of them.

"I promise I won't tell Aggron you didn't pick him. It'll be our secret."

The twins nodded again, and Liza eagerly grabbed Metagross' ball, holding it tight in her hands.

Steven smiled again as he opened his front door. "I'll be back sometime later. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, and make sure Metagross behaves, okay?"

With another nod from the twins, Steven gently closed the door shut behind him. In two strides, Skarmory was out of its ball and waiting for their destination. Steven set his jaw and turned to regard his pokemon with an expression of thinly-veiled fury.

"Sootopolis, if you please, Skarmory."

There was business to be taken care of.

Wallace was on high alert as the door to his office closed behind them. The Champion had stormed into his Gym, met Wallace's gaze from across the chamber, and without breaking stride, jabbed a finger toward the office. Wallace knew what it meant; Steven wanted a word, and he wanted it now. He wasn't going to argue with his friend when he was silently seething like this, so trying to act casual, Wallace sat at the edge of his desk and looked to Steven for an explanation he knew was coming.

Producing his PokeNav from his pocket, Steven queued an image up and flipped the screen toward Wallace.

"Has anyone by this name come through here yet?"

Wallace peered at the name on the screen and shook his head. "No, not yet. Why do you -"

"They threatened to hurt Liza." Steven paused, but his icy gaze never faltered. "Wallace. When they do turn up, I need you to do something for me."

Wide eyed, Wallace nodded.

"I need you to crush him. Utterly humiliate him. I want him to slink out of your Gym with his tail between his legs. And when does leave, I want you to message me immediately."

Whatever desire Wallace had to protest was quickly squashed under the finality in Steven's tone. Eyes flashing, The Champion turned and opened the door.

"When this is over, we'll never speak of it again. Understood?"

Wallace nodded once more, and Steven stormed out of the room.

Thankfully, Steven only had to wait for another hour before the trainer turned up. He hovered at the entrance to the Gym, careful to stay out of view, only sparing a glance at the trainer has he brushed by so that he'd remember the man's face for later. Anger surged forth again when he caught the trainer's cocky expression. But before he did something stupid to blow his cover, Steven silently slipped out of the Gym and waited outside for Wallace's message.

A half hour later, Steven's PokeNav buzzed.

'He's leaving now'

Pocketing the device, Steven leaned against the exterior wall beside the Gym doors. He took a deep breath to calm his tumbling emotions. He had been carefully rehearsing what he'd say, but as soon as the doors slid open and the familiar face stepped out now sporting a thoroughly dejected look, whatever strategy Steven had been planning went out the window. He surged forward and snatched the trainer by his collar. Startled, the trainer let out a shout of surprise as his back was roughly slammed into the stucco wall.

"What the - hey, man, what gives?!"

"Shut up," Steven nearly snarled as he leaned into the trainer's face. "I know what you did to my Gym Leader. How dare you lay a hand on her."

"Whoa wait, I didn't hit nobody! Wait, what do you mean your Gym Leader?"

Steven gave an empty laugh at the trainer's confusion, "It doesn't matter. Just tell me one thing. Did you have the guts to say what you said to Flannery too? How about Winona? Roxanne? Or are you such a tough guy that you only prey on children?"

Suddenly, the trainer's attitude shifted. Realizing he couldn't play innocent any more, he shoved back against Steven's grip, but the Champion was too incensed to be budged.

"That bitch told on me?" the trainer practically spat back.

"'That bitch' is one of the finest Gym Leaders in the region, and she won't be intimidated by some lowlife like you."

"Huh, and who are you? Her knight in shining armor?"

"No," Steven sneered at the way the trainer was looking at him. The same way everyone looked at him when they thought he was just some rich snob who didn't know how to handle his pokemon. "I'm the Champion of the whole damn League, and if I ever hear your name come up again, I will personally see to it that your license is revoked and your pokemon are given to proper trainers who know how to treat others with respect."

With a heave, Steven spun the trainer away from the wall and deposited him on his backside in the dirt.

"Consider this your first and final warning. And for your pokemon's sake, I hope you heed my words. Now get out of my sight."

Panicked, the trainer scrabbled for a pokeball and released a Wailmer into Sootopolis' Crater Lake. Firing a nervous glance over his shoulder, the trainer scrambled aboard and together they disappeared under the surface to beat a hasty retreat.

Steven stood staring at the rippling water until the adrenaline faded from his system. Suddenly he felt so drained, and he nearly jumped when Wallace's hand came down on his shoulder.

"Think he learned his lesson?"

Shaking his head softly, Steven sighed, "I hope so Wallace, but I'm not holding my breath."

"You did what you could."

But Steven's expression clouded at what Wallace had hoped would be reassuring. "I just hope it's enough to make sure no one actually gets hurt."

"Let me just say I'm glad you didn't hurt anyone. After you told me to message you when he left the Gym, I thought for sure there'd be blood."

Steven blinked, startled, "Did you think I was going to hit the guy?"

"I mean, you basically had murder written across your face. So, I'd be lying if I said 'no'."

Nervously, Steven knitted his hands together, twisting one of his rings. "I'm sorry Wallace, I guess I got carried away."

But Wallace just shook his head, "You've got nothing to apologize for. I'm pretty sure you showed more restraint that I would have."

Steven gave him a startled look. "You would have gone after him?"

"I would have punched him right in the nose. I may be forward with my romantic endeavors, but people like him make me sick. But enough about that creep, what do you say we race back to Mossdeep? I know Skarmory won't be able to carry the both of us, and I heard there are two twins waiting there that could use the best sleepover party of their young lives tonight."

"Who told you that?"

Grinning, Wallace brought out his PokeNav and showed the picture to Steven. The twins had taken a selfie with Metagross, and the latter was covered with marker scribbles all over its steel hide.

Too drained to do much else, Steven brought a hand to his face in mock exasperation. "Well I'm glad they're feeling better at least."

"Shall we go rescue poor Metagross from its fate?"

Nodding, Steven brought out Skarmory's pokeball just as Wallace released his Gyarados.

"Just next time you get mad, a little warning would be nice. I almost forgot how scary you are when that happens."

Steven gave a sheepish smile as he tossed his pokeball, "I'll try."

Panoramic_Vacuum · Feb 6, 2022

Prompt #31: Snowfall (Christmas Special)

Glacia sighed as she slid her traveling boots on and headed out to the cabin's small living room.

She wasn't sure how he'd done it, but Steven had somehow convinced her to join him on a visit to Fallarbor Town. Professor Cosmo had called and invited them for a short expedition to search for fallen meteorites.

The first day of their trip was uneventful, full of introductions and logistics. The tour around Fallarbor was just as dull, with everything from the houses, to the trees, to the soil being made up of the same ruddy red tones.

Except when Glacia glanced out the front window of the cabin that morning, something had changed.

"Is that…?"

Having grown up in Sinnoh, Glacia was no stranger to snow, unlike the rest of her native Hoennian Elites. The climate of the sub-tropical region meant that even at its highest elevations and coldest season, snow and ice were a foreign concept at best. Which was why when she spotted puffy white flakes tumbling down from the sky, she had to blink and rub her eyes in disbelief.

"It can't be…"

Cautiously opening the front door, she stepped out onto the porch and extended a hand out from beneath the cover of the roof.

She watched in wonder as her palm slowly filled with the light, fluffy substance. But when the flakes didn't melt and vanish from the latent heat of her fingers, her brow furrowed in confusion.

So focused on the puzzling nature of Hoenn's physics defying precipitation, she didn't notice her traveling companion had approached until he found himself unable to contain his laughter.

Glacia jumped, startled and more than a little embarrassed, and she gave Steven a sharp look of disapproval as she tried to hide her outstretched hand behind her back.

Steven simply grinned in reply, standing out in the offending flakes where they gently coated his jacket and hair.

"It's not the same thing, but I thought the ash might be an acceptable substitute."

Glacia could only hold her grumpy expression for a moment longer as Steven ran a hand through his hair, disrupting the ash that had gathered there. She smiled as she slipped her hand into the one he offered to guide her down he steps of the porch. Even though it really wasn't snow, she still coudn't help but look around in wonder as the red of Fallarbor disappeared beneath the growing blanket of ash.

"Merry Christmas, Glacia."

Panoramic_Vacuum · Feb 6, 2022

Prompt #32: Its time for spring cleaning, but not everyone is feeling dutiful.

Sidney spared only a short glance toward the open office door as he hefted a box of recycling in his arms. The distinct noise, or lack thereof, caught his attention.

It was the yearly clean up day for the League, the time to get rid of all the things that collected dust for the past 365 days and make room for the new dust magnets. That also included outdated League records and files, which Glacia gleefully accepted, mumbling something about a Lampent as she took a bin of papers with her to the back.

But it seemed as if the flurry of activity around Ever Grande had skipped one particular room. Far be it for Sidney to pry, he had his own cleaning to do after all, his lingering glance at the door was not unnoticed.

Phoebe hesitated at his side, following Sidney's gaze toward the door in question.

"Looking for Steven?" she asked, nonchalant.

"Well, I might be," chimed Glacia as she stepped up to the duo, dusting her hands off against her dress's skirt. "I haven't collected any paper from him to, um, dispose of yet, and I know he's got to have piles of paperwork that we can clean up."

"That's odd..." mused Phoebe, bringing her hand up to her ear to scratch it with her feather duster's handle.

After a shared look, the group reached a silent decision. All three Elites quietly approached the open door and peeked their heads inside. What they found, they weren't quite sure what to make of.

Sitting cross legged in the middle of the room was Steven, surrounded on all sides by haphazard files overflowing with paper. He was meticulously thumbing through every sheet, brow furrowed in concentration.

"Um, Steven?"

A sheaf of paper took to the air as Steven jumped with a startled yelp. Watching the paper flutter down around him, the Champion rested a hand against his head in exasperation. Whether it was in embarrassment at being surprised, or the fact that now there was even more to clean up, no one could be sure.

Gathering himself quickly, Steven coughed once, but didn't bother to get up from his spot on the floor. "Ah, I'm sorry. Do you need my help with something?"

"You're throwing all that out, right?" Glacia went straight to the point.

Steven's eyes dropped to take in his handiwork. "Well, I'd be hesitant to throw everything out en mass. I though it might be best to go through these files and see what we should keep..."

"Ohhh no you don't," Phoebe was the first to move, striding forward and crumpling papers in her wake. She finally cut a path through to Steven before reaching down to grab his hands and attempted to haul him to his feet. "We're not having a repeat of last year!"

Sheepishly, Steven relented and let the ghost-type specialist lead him away from the pile.

"Last year?"

Glacia laid a hand on Sidney's shoulder and shook her head. "It's better if you didn't know."

But Phoebe was not one for secrets. "Last year he did the same thing, except no one caught it in time, and before we knew it he'd stayed up for 36 hours straight going through every last document." She shot a disapproving look Steven's way, and he winced under her accusation.

"Ah, but it turned out okay in the end -" he tried to say, but Glacia cut him off.

"He's lucky Drake pulled off a last minute victory against the challenger that came the next day. When we opened the door to his chamber to tell him, he had fallen asleep on the platform."

Steven shrunk back even more. "It's true..." He nearly whispered the admission.

"So!" Phoebe began, "Sidney..." At this she handed Steven off to the newest Elite. "It's your job to keep him occupied while Glacia and I go through his office for him." Both women wore wicked looking smiles and Steven paled.

"W-wait!" he protested as Sidney turned and steered the both of them from the room. "Just please, don't touch my rock samples!"

"Wouldn't dream of it Steven, dear!" came Phoebe's singsong voice, and Sidney had to chuckle.

"Don't worry, Boss. If you promise to stay outta trouble, I'll go make sure your collection is safe."

Steven obediently sagged into a waiting lounge chair in the common area with a sigh. "Thank you, Sidney. I will behave."

"Hell hath no fury, am I right?" said Sidney with a wink, disappearing back down the hallway. Suddenly, Steven felt like Sidney might need some back up if he were to succeed in keeping his precious samples untouched.

Panoramic_Vacuum · Feb 6, 2022

Note: So this chapter is based on my own headcanon that Steven invited Sidney to become one of the Elite Four. If anyone is curious for more of this backstory, the circumstances under which they meet are covered in Chapter 7 of my other fic, The Long Road.

Prompt #33: Sidney gets an unwelcome blast from the past.

The mood was light as the Elites scrolled through the newest batch of challengers to emerge from Victory Road. Some showed promise while Glacia huffed at others, saying there was absolutely no way they'd even get a sniff of her chamber.

Sidney had to agree as they casually flipped through the trainer information until one name popped up on the page.

"Gray Schofeld, Mauville City hmm?" muttered Glacia, "Looks like he'd do okay. Seems like he favors dark types just like you, Sidne-" she turned toward the Elite in question, but he wasn't there. "Sidney?"

A cold sweat prickling against his collar, Sidney was already down the hallway on his way to the Ever Grande Pokemon Center. He hoped his hasty retreat was well covered, since it was strictly forbidden to interact with the challengers once they'd reached the Center. He was no stranger to rule breaking in his earlier life, but after he'd fallen into this position at the League, he was determined to clean up his act. And yet here he was, back at it without a second thought, except this time there was a damned good reason.

Quietly he slipped up to the front desk, the lobby was thankfully empty, and put on his best fake smile.

"Hello Sidney, how may I help you today?" chimed the Nurse, none the wiser.

"Hey Nurse Joy, I need a favor. Could you tell me which room the trainer from Mauville City is staying in? Absol found a lost item in Victory Road, and we need to return it to its rightful owner."

"Oh!" she said with a smile, "You needn't bother yourself with that, Sidney. I can return the item for you."

Sidney backpedaled, trying to save his hastily made plan. "Ahh, it's a... rather personal item. I'd prefer to return it to them myself, y'know, just to make sure it's theirs."

The Nurse's smile faltered a bit, but quickly returned as she bought his shaky lie. "Of course, forgive me for suggesting otherwise. Let's see..." she tapped a few keys on her computer. "Looks like that trainer is in room eight. Gray Scho-"

But Sidney was already retreating back toward the rooms with a curt wave, "Thanks, Nurse Joy! You're a lifesaver!"

"O-okay, you're welcome! Have a nice day!"

Sidney's fingers drummed nervously at his belt, running a pattern up and down his pokeballs as he raised his other hand to rap quietly on the door to room number eight.

"C'mon, c'mon..."

A shuffling inside the room made him jolt straight upright, and as the door clicked open, he quickly thrust a hand forward and barged his way into the room before slamming it shut behind him. The man who answered the door stumbled backwards as Sidney shoved his way in.

"Whoa, what's going on - wait, Sidney? It really is you!"

"What are you doing here, Gray?" he snapped.

Gray laughed as he sauntered over to the room's chair and lounged back against the cushion, hands behind his head. "What do you think I'm doing here? I'm here to see you, man. It's been a while."

A scowl had formed on Sidney's face. "Was kinda hoping it'd stay that way..."

"Aww, c'mon now. You can't be serious. You didn't miss me even a little bit?" Gray gave a fake pout, but his eyes were laced with something else.

"I got outta Mauville to leave that life behind, man."

The sneer that twinkled in Gray's expression melted to the rest of his face, lips upturning not unlike a Mightyena's snarl. "You oughta know better than that, Sid. You can take the punk outta Mauville, but you can't take the Mauville outta the punk."

"I'm done with your gang, Gray. I've made my own life here now."

"You ain't done with shit, Sid. You're mine. Always have been. Always will be." Gray's fingers dug into the armrests, as if he could squeeze the life out of them.

Sidney wasn't sure when he'd averted his gaze, but all of a sudden the pattern of the flooring was a lot more interesting.

"I don't know how you gave my guys the slip after you got that last badge, but you did. I almost gave up lookin' for ya too. Almost. And then what do I see? A big ol' headline of my boy walking out of the League like he's king o' the castle. This is a big step for us. We're in, big time."

"There is no 'us'!" The words ripped from Sidney's lips before he could stop himself, but he still couldn't stare Gray down. "You treated me about as well as that Poocheyna that ran away with me. And now you show up here thinkin' I owe you something. Well you're wrong." A sudden rush of courage blazed through his veins, and Sidney's eyes shot up, filled with fire. "The day I left Mauville was the day I was through with you."

"Sidney, Sidney, Sidney..." Gray tutted. "You've got it all wrong-"

"No, you're the one who has it wrong. Your gang was never my family. You didn't raise me, you didn't teach me, hell, you barely even fed me. I was just some dumb kid who thought anything had to have been better than my real family. And-" Sidney's breath hitched just for a second, and the pokeballs at his hip rocked in response. "-And now that I'm here, I know what it means to have a real family. So, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, and never come back."

"And if I don't?" the menace practically dripped from Gray's tone.

"If you don't," Sidney unclicked Mightyena's pokeball from his hip, "I'll make you leave."

Gray met Sidney's hard stare unwaveringly before bursting into laughter. "Ahahaha, what are you gonna do, attack me in my room? That's a good one."

Sidney's gaze fell before he placed Mightyena back at his belt with the others. "No..." his voice was quiet. "No, you're right."

Gray cackled again, "Aww, looks like things haven't changed after all. Little Sidney, giving up, just like you always do."

A soft exhale sounded as Sidney's hand found the doorknob. "Good luck in your League challenge, Gray." And he closed the door behind him with a soft click.

Glacia smirked as she watched the scoreboard tick down the last of Gray's pokemon. Not a single member of Sidney's team had fallen. In fact, it hadn't even been close. Turning to Steven, she gave the Champion a sly smile.

"And you're still not going to tell me where you found this kid?"

Steven shook his head with a mysterious grin, "Nope. He asked me not to share it with anyone, and if nothing else, I try to be a man of my word."

"Well, I can only hope a little bit of your influence might rub off on him."

Steven had to laugh, "He may be a bit rough around the edges, but if there was any doubt I'd have never extended the request. If I'd have known you'd be so sour after he nearly took out your whole-"

"Don't you say it!" warned Glacia.

"I wouldn't dare," said Steven with an apologetic wave. He let his gaze drift back down to the battlefield where Sidney stood triumphant with Mightyena at his side. He'd taken a gamble, inviting a rogue trainer into their midst. But he'd had a feeling back then in Victory Road... It didn't matter what led Sidney to that cave. All that mattered is what he brought with him when he stepped out of it.

Panoramic_Vacuum · Mar 8, 2022

Prompt #34: Someone gets seasick the first time they go out on Drake's boat.

"So what's got you headed to Slateport?"

When his question was met with silence, Drake peered back toward his passenger from his place at the helm and cleared his throat.

"Glacia?"

"Hmm?" Clearly not paying attention earlier, the ice-type expert tipped her book to her chest and looked at Drake expectantly.

"I asked what yer doin' in Slateport. Y'don't leave Ever Grande much, so something special's got to be happening."

"Oh, I'm going to stop by the marketplace. There's a vendor there that specializes in goods from Sinnoh, and I wanted to restock my supplies. I'm finally beginning to run low, so I didn't want to miss her. Thank you for the ride, by the way."

Drake nodded as he growled a 'welcome', and Glacia smiled. She hadn't known the Dragon Master long, but she knew the last thing he wanted was to be seen as polite.

The engine revved to life as she took a seat on the deck, and as Drake hauled in the last of the moorings, he muttered something as he walked back to the helm.

Glacia had already buried her nose back in her book, but she knew he had said something. "Pardon?"

"I said, you might not want to do that."

"Do what, exactly?"

"Read."

"And why not?" she looked mildly offended at the suggestion.

Drake pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow, "Y'haven't been on many boats, have you?"

Glacia huffed, "I've been on enough."

Both brows raised in resignation, Drake simply shrugged and tended to the wheel. "...Don't say I didn't warn ya."

As much as Drake's words sank in, Glacia was too irritated by the insinuation that she was just some clueless foreigner to pay them any mind, and as the boat left port, she settled back into her novel.

The sloping walls of Sootopolis barely had slipped over the horizon when a loud snap sounded from the deck. Drake craned his head and caught a glimpse of Glacia gently massaging her brow, book closed in her lap.

"Y'okay?" he called back to her.

"Hmm, oh yes, I'm fine. Just taking a break." She defiantly snatched the book back up and opened it again.

Drake turned back around before she could see the smile hiding beneath his mustache.

They had just passed through the slim shadow of the Sky Pillar when a groan issued from behind the captain's chair.

Drake chuckled as he plotted a clear course that would allow him to step away from the wheel. He was soon standing by Glacia's side, offering her his hand. She looked up at him as if he was handing her a Seviper, but the pallid color of her cheeks told him he was right.

"I told ya not to do that."

"Ugh, I... I'll be fine. Just..." one hand flew to clutch her chin, and Drake smiled.

"C'mon, it happens to the best of us."

Without further protest, Glacia placed her other hand in Drake's, and he gently guided her to the railing of the boat.

"Don't... don't watch," she stuttered, but Drake was having none of it. As she wobbled on her feet, he steadied her shoulders as she kneeled down at the rail. After a few minutes, it was over, although the color still hadn't returned to her face. She turned to regard the sea captain with a stony glare.

"This never leaves this boat, understand?"

"Sailor's honor."

She glared at him a moment longer before relenting, "I'm sorry, I should have listened. That... wasn't fun."

Drake gave an amused huff, "Don't have to apologize to me. Sure didn't hurt my feelings."

The sour look returned, but Drake ignored it. He offered his hand again, and helped Glacia back to her seat.

"I'll get y'something when we get to Slateport. But for now, how about y'leave that book alone?"

Nodding, Glacia sighed, "I guess the scenery is pretty nice."

"Atta girl."

Dejectedly, Glacia leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

"The Champ puked three times the first time we went through the Pacifidlog currents."

"What?" Glacia rolled her head to look at Drake, surprised.

"So yer doin' fine."

"Why would you tell me that? What about sailor's honor?"

But Drake just shrugged. "Steven never asked 'bout that."

Glacia managed a weak laugh. "Just... be gentle please."

"Already plotted a course 'round the nastiest ones," his eyes twinkled beneath his cap. "Can't have anyone settin' a new record just yet."

"It's very much appreciated," said Glacia with a smile. Perhaps the surly sea captain wasn't so surly after all.

Panoramic_Vacuum · Mar 8, 2022

Prompt #35: Steven needs a new suit. Wallace is only too happy to help.

"So Steven, I was thinking..."

"Were you now." Steven didn't bother trying to turn around to regard his friend while the tailor was taking the next measurement.

Wallace ignored him and kept going, "What if you were to try something different? More flashy."

"No."

"Well why not? You're the Champion, you need to reinvent yourself every so often, lest the people get bored."

"Bored?" This time Steven did find Wallace's gaze with a look of incredulity of his own.

"Yes, bored!" Wallace was unfazed as the tailor motioned for Steven to turn back around. "You're in the eye of the public constantly. What would they say if you were seen wearing the same old look day in and day out?"

"I do wear the same thing..."

"Exactly!"

"But it's what you told me to wear in the first place!"

"All the more reason to continue to listen to your official League stylist then."

Steven sighed as the tailor moved his arm to a new position, still dutifully working with his tape measure. "I am listening to you, I'm getting remeasured."

"That's only a matter of cut, Steven. What I'm talking about now is a matter of style. Fashion is always changing, and as the face of the region, people will be looking to you to lead the way!"

"I'm not wearing a cape," Steven grumbled.

"Heavens no! Capes are fringe fashion at best. Yours truly's not withstanding."

"What did you have in mind then," Steven's voice was defeated as the tailor tugged and pinned some of the fabric of his jacket.

Wallace instantly cheered up, "I'm so glad you asked!" And as soon as the tailor's tools were laid back on the table, he grabbed the man's hand and whisked away with him to the back room, leaving Steven standing alone in the fitting area.

When Wallace reemerged looking rather pleased with himself, Steven raised a finger to inquire about what sort of stylistic choices were made behind his back, but Wallace waved a hand and winked, "You'll see soon enough."

Shooting a disgruntled look at his friend's retreating back, Steven gave his thanks to the tailor and left with an appointment to pick up his suit in two weeks' time.

Steven was fairly sure he would be able to manage the feat of picking up a new suit on his own, but Wallace was insistent that he tag along. Steven wasn't sure if that gave him more or less confidence in what he was going to uncover once they arrived at the tailor.

"Ah, welcome back Mr. Stone, your suit is ready."

Steven gave a lopsided grin, "Please, Mr. Stone is -"

"Yes yes, 'Mr. Stone is my father', let's go see it shall we?" Wallace was quick to cut his friend off and drag him toward the back of the shop where the tailor waved them.

Frowning at his friend's rudeness, Steven followed the two men into the back room where the garment awaited. Wallace was practically beaming as Steven stepped through the door and spied their joint handiwork.

"That's... tamer than I was expecting, actually."

Neatly hanging from the lone stand at the center of the room was a pristine suit of charcoal black. The fabric had a soft sheen to it that seemed to soothe the crisp lines of the slim cut jacket. The sleeves bore a subtle purple hue that climbed nearly to the shoulder seam. Complementing deep violet lines hugged the side of the jacket before plunging behind the pockets on either side. As the tailor deftly swept the jacket from its perch, the matching light violet pinstripe vest peeked out from underneath, compete with delicate silver clasps that matched the shining embellishments at the end of the jacket cuffs.

"I'll take that as a compliment," said Wallace with a grin.

"You had me worried after you unveiled your latest Contest attire," Steven said as he slipped into the new jacket, giving a gentle tug to the comfortably weighted cuffs.

"Contest attire? Oh no, Steven. That outfit is part of my day to day rotation."

Steven froze mid-button. "You're joking..."

"I would never joke about fashion. You know that." Wallace looked hurt.

Steven gave a wary look toward the tailor who just shrugged. "Well, I appreciate you showing restraint for my new suit. I quite like the look of it."

"You're very welcome, my friend." Wallace bowed, "I'll let you two go through the final fitting then." And with that, he ducked from the room.

Steven sighed as he walked up to the mirror to regard his new look. "I appreciate you reeling Wallace in. He can be quite the handful when he gets to work on fashion."

But the tailor just shook his head. "I didn't have to do much. Leader Wallace has a great eye when it comes to style."

"Huh," Steven mused as he turned, admiring the rich materials and meticulous handiwork. "I just might have to stop caving in this if that's the case."

"Caving, sir?"

"Ah, it's nothing!" Steven quickly backpedaled, not wanting to offend the tailor with just how much abuse his formal attire had to put up with. "Just a figure of speech."

The tailor gave him an uncertain glance and began to inspect the final fitting. "Perhaps it's all the better that Wallace suggested our most durable fabric."

"Ahh, the Delcatty's out of the bag then, I guess?" Steven gave a nervous laugh.

"If you should ever need repairs, please don't hesitate to bring the suit back, I will be happy to mend it for you."

"Thank you very much. I'll take good care of it. I'm pretty sure Wallace would kill me if I did anything less."

The tailor simply nodded sagely as he made a few notes on his pad, and Steven made a mental note to thank Wallace for all his help. And for not putting him in a seafoam green cape.

Panoramic_Vacuum · Mar 8, 2022

Prompt #36: Sometimes, you just need some really unhealthy comfort food.

Glacia sat stiffly in the chair in the kitchen of Phoebe's childhood home. It wasn't that she was uncomfortable; the house was incredibly inviting and more homely than she thought possible for a dwelling on the slopes of Mt. Pyre. But even with welcoming chatter all around, Glacia still felt as if she was intruding somehow.

She knew it wasn't the case. Phoebe had been the one to invite her over for the League's short recess. Short enough that there wasn't time to make the trip back to Sinnoh, but long enough that the younger Elite felt it was important for Glacia to get out of the empty halls of Ever Grande for a spell.

"So, dear, how long have you been in Hoenn?"

It took Glacia a second to realize Phoebe's grandmother had asked her a question. The elderly woman was happily preparing the evening's meal at the nearby counter.

"Oh, um, about five years now."

"My, that's quite a while. Do you get much time to go back to see your family?"

A small frown flitted across Glacia's face. "Not as much as I would like."

"Mm," Phoebe's grandmother sagely nodded as she began kneading the dough of whatever dish she was currently working on. "Well, I know it won't be a true substitute, but hopefully we can be your home away from home, if you'd like."

Glacia felt a bit of heat rise in her cheeks at the woman's sincere smile. She hadn't really thought about feeling homesick. Her mother would chide her if she outright admitted to it. Sinnohan women were strong and able to stand on their own two feet. But admittedly, she was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the warmth of the kitchen and the sound of the matronly voices, and the smells of the food...

She quickly rose and excused herself. She needed to get some fresh air, lest her composure crack in such an inconvenient place.

Phoebe watched Glacia leave the kitchen with a worried expression, but her grandmother just chuckled and began to heat a pan on the stove. "She'll be fine, leilani. Your mother was just as proud when it came to her independence. Independent or not though, there's one thing no one can resist..."

Wide-eyed, Phoebe realized what her grandmother's cryptic words referred to, and the older woman gave a sly smile.

As Glacia stepped back into the house, she was met with the smell and sound of crackling oil wafting through the air. She poked her head cautiously into the kitchen just as Phoebe's grandmother was lifting the last batch of fried dough from the pot. Golden brown and puffy, the dough bites glistened with hot oil before they were patted dry and dusted with powdered sugar.

Phoebe giggled at how Glacia was unable to tear her eyes away from the sugary treat. "These were always my favorite growing up. Grandma's zeppoli are the best."

Glacia watched as the plate moved from stove to table, and the memories flooded back, unbidden. Except this time they were filled with warm fondness of cozy winter mornings gathered around the table, digging into her own mother's donuts, the familiar smell, the sweet taste of the icings, the sticky fingers that reached for another when her back was turned.

Her smile melted through, and Phoebe's grandmother returned it knowingly, offering her the plate.

Daintily picking one of the warm treats and bringing it to her lips, Glacia's eyes closed as she took a bite.

"It... it tastes just like home."

Panoramic_Vacuum · Apr 29, 2022

Prompt #37: Valentine's Day is much less fun when you're famous.

"Oh come on, Steven, it's all in good fun."

"Wallace," Steven regarded his friend from over the top of a pile of pink envelopes, "You know exactly why I don't like Luvdisc's Day."

"Because you don't like getting mail from your adoring fans?" said Wallace as he popped another piece of chocolate in his mouth.

Steven sighed and shook his head, "That's not it and you know it."

Wallace snapped the box of sweets shut. "You should be enjoying this day so I can live vicariously through you."

"Live vicariously? Wallace, you get hundreds of letters like this all the time!"

"I know," the Master Coordinator whined, "That prevents today from feeling as special as it ought to."

Steven just rolled his eyes. "Stop being ridiculous and help me clean this mess up."

"Fine," Wallace sighed as he picked an envelope off the pile. "But you don't see anyone else complaining about it. Phoebe was skipping down the hall earlier practically glowing with excitement."

But Steven had given up arguing with the water-type trainer, and simply began dumping the letters into a bin. He only paused when the sound of ripping paper filled the air.

"What are you doing?"

"Well if you're not going to read them, then someone has to."

"What?"

"Think of the poor soul who wrote this letter to you. They could be sitting at home right this very moment, wondering if their words would ever reach the Champion's eyes!" The melodrama of Wallace's story was sickening, and Steven gave him a flat look before snatching the letter from his hands.

"You're not going to read my mail."

Wallace pouted at the snub. "Steven, you heartbreaker! And on Luvdisc's Day no less!"

"Don't you have fan mail of your own to be reading?"

"I do, but you always seem to get the better chocolates," grumbled Wallace as he reached for the box again.

Steven ignored him as the last of the letters found their way into the bin. He hefted the whole thing and began to head for the door.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Outside. Skarmory needs plenty of space to spread out his wings."

Wallace's eyes widened with a gasp, "Steven Stone, you are not going to let Skarmory shred your Luvdisc's Day mail!"

"Who's going to stop me?"

And that's how Steven found himself stuck at his desk on St. Luvdisc's Day, sifting through a pile of pink envelopes under the watchful eye of a very angry Milotic.

Panoramic_Vacuum · Apr 29, 2022

Prompt #38: It's the grand finale of Phoebe's favorite ever TV show.

Phoebe's foot tapped nervously on the deck of Drake's boat as she leaned over the railing at the bow, as if she could get the boat to go faster with the force of sheer willpower. Rather than affecting the boat, her anxiousness was easily picked up by the ship's captain, and he poked his head out of the cabin.

"What's got you all wound up today, lass?

Phoebe jumped at the sound of his shout over the wind, and she quickly composed herself before answering, "Oh, I just have a lot to do when we get back to Ever Grande, that's all."

The casual flutter of her hand didn't really work on Drake, he simply quirked an inquisitive brow but decided to not press the issue any further.

"We're nearly there. 'Bout another half hour," he replied before ducking back into the cabin and out of the wind.

After a quick glance at her PokeNav, Phoebe seemed to deflate against the railing. She didn't really have any work to be doing once they got back. It was just that tonight was the last episode ever of 'Lovers in Lilycove' and she wasn't going to miss it for the world. Drake didn't need to know that though...

By the time they arrived in Ever Grande, Phoebe was practically hopping up and down on the deck waiting to disembark. As Drake eased them slowly into the dock, she'd had enough.

"Let's go, Dusknoir!"

In a flash, her pokemon was out and she was clambering onto one of its upturned palms.

"We gotta hurry!"

At his trainer's urging, Dusknoir swiftly carried the two of them from the dock as fast as it could float. Drake looked up from his moorings just in time to see a shadow slide up the staircase leading to the League.

As Dusknoir swept down the hallways toward her quarters, Phoebe checked her PokeNav again for the time.

"Oh man, we're so close."

They had already nearly run over Glacia who sputtered and fussed over the stack of papers that scattered as they rushed by. So this time it was sheer luck that Dusknoir managed to pivot out of the way just in time to avoid a collision with Sidney as they rounded the corner.

"Whoa there, sis, slow down!"

"Sorry Sid, talk later, it's about to start!"

"What now? What's starting?"

But Phoebe was already whizzing past and her shout of "I'll tell you later!" left Sidney looking on in puzzlement.

"...What could possibly be starting now? It's 7 at night on a Tuesday -" He froze as the realization set in. "Oh, this is too perfect."

He heard the door slam to Phoebe's room, and a grin spread across his face. In that moment Glacia huffed noisily as she stomped up behind him carrying a disheveled lump of paper under one arm.

"I swear that girl better have a damn good reason for running through the halls like that. Look at this paperwork!"

Sidney turned to her with a sly smile, "Want to get back at her?"

Glacia looked at him, suspicious, but not turned off to the idea, "What did you have in mind?"

"Meet me back here in an hour. Don't be late."

The final scene faded to black, and Phoebe drew the last tissue from its box. The finale had proven to be a roller coaster of emotion, and she hadn't been able to hold back the tears. Just as she crumpled the tissue and tossed it into the trash, a knock sounded at the door. Sniffling a giddy hiccup, she rose and headed to answer it, trying to compose herself. She'd never live it down if the rest of the Elites knew about her favorite show...

Sliding the door open, she was greeted with a flash and the snap of a camera shutter.

Eyes wide and blinking, Phoebe froze as she saw Sidney and Glacia peering over he shoulder at the closing titlecard that was scrolling by on the screen.

"Did you get it?" asked Glacia, ignoring Phoebe's stuttered protests.

"Oh yeah, it's right there in the background," said Sidney with a grin, before turning his attention to the stunned ghost-type trainer with tear streaked cheeks. "Just remember this moment the next time you want to bring up that sunburn picture."

And both Elites beat a hasty retreat down the hallway, blackmail safely in hand.

"Sidneyyyyyy!"

Panoramic_Vacuum · Apr 29, 2022

Prompt #39: Migraines are evil.

Steven squinted at the meeting agenda he held in his hand and wondered why it suddenly was so hard to make out the words. Concentrating on the blurry mess in front of him, he was vaguely aware that at some point his hand had balled tightly around the paper, and he quickly released his grip and smoothed the crinkled document flat against the tabletop.

"Steven?"

"Uh, boss, you okay?"

His gaze shot up, embarrassed at his lapse, but he immediately regretted the action, the room beginning to lilt unsettlingly to the side. A hand flew up to brush at his temple with a wince.

"Ah, I'm terribly sorry everyone. Would you mind if we adjourned this meeting until tomorrow?"

A nervous shuffling of papers echoed through the room, and the scraping of a chair against the hardwood felt like someone had taken a rock pick to the backside of his eyeballs.

"Sure thing, boss... You don't look so good - ow!"

Phoebe hissed something inaudible as the group shuffled toward the door.

"I'll be fine. Thank you everyone, we'll see you tomorrow." Steven weakly waved them out.

As his hand pressed down over his eyes, he missed a lingering glance from Glacia as she hovered in the doorway, concern etched on her face. When Steven didn't move, she waited only a moment longer before silently drifting from the room.

Steven waited for the wave of nausea to pass before he dared open his eyes again. Rising from his own chair caused the room to spin once more, and he had to slam a palm flat to the table to steady himself. The resulting clatter as his chair skittered backward sent starbursts dancing across his vision. He'd never experienced an onset as fierce as this. He had to get out of there.

One hand clamped to the side of his face, he lurched for the door. The frame had somehow twisted itself clockwise, and he was left staggered as his shoulder made solid contact against the jamb. Stumbling into the opposite wall, his fingers snaked up to his scalp where they dug in, fighting back against the invisible ones trying to claw their way out of his skull. A shaking hand plucked one pokeball from his hip.

"Skarmory... Home... Now..."

Its trainer's weak voice sent alarm bells ringing, and Skarmory made good on his command, gently scooping the dazed Champion onto its back and beating a hasty retreat back to Mossdeep.

It had been over an hour since Glacia last saw Steven at the meeting, and when he hadn't turned up in his League office, or the study, or the infirmary, or even the rooftop, she began to grow worried. It wasn't her business to pry into their leader's health, but at the same time she felt obligated to check up on him. It was the least she could do given how far she knew he would go for one of them in the same circumstance.

Drake had been more than happy to lend her transport, although Altaria was slightly on edge given Glacia's preference for ice types. With extra reassurance that no frost would touch her cloudy wings, Glacia perched atop the dragon and set out for the only place she hadn't looked for the Champion.

She had only been to Steven's house once before, and thankfully her memory served her well as Altaria touched down on the secluded cliff side on the outskirts of Mossdeep. When she reached the door, Glacia frowned as she saw that all of the window shades had been drawn tight. Suspicions confirmed, she was hesitant to knock and instead tried the handle. Amazingly it was open, and she ushered Altaria inside with a finger to her lips.

The interior was shrouded in dusk, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust from the sunlight outside. Altaria cooed a quiet tone of worry, but Glacia gave the dragon a reassuring look. This was expected. What wasn't expected was the low rumble that came from the back hallway. Two red eyes rimmed with a faint psychic hue peered through the twilight at the uninvited guests, softening in recognition.

Glacia swept forward and greeted Metagross with a gentle hand to its brow. The steel type hummed beneath her touch and turned its gaze toward the room it had been standing guard in front of. The door was ajar, and both Glacia and Altaria slipped inside at Metagross' urging.

Standing just inside the doorway, Glacia hesitated at the unspoken threshold of privacy she had just crossed. But when Metagross' unwavering gaze flicked back to her own, she realized she had already been granted permission; if it hadn't wanted her here, it would have been a simple matter to remove her from the house. Altaria ruffled her feathers nervously as both pokemon looked toward the figure curled up on the bed.

The room was just as dark as the rest of the house, but it didn't take much light to see a shock of silver hair intermingled with the messy sheets. Glacia approached the bedside, cautiously stepping over the blazer and cravat that had been haphazardly discarded on the floor. Steven lay on his side with his knees drawn tight to his chest. His shoulders shook with tension at every breath and even in the dim room she could see how white his knuckles were as he grasped at the fabric of his disheveled shirt. Every so often he would shift and squirm, one hand releasing its death grip on his arm and reaching up to tug on a lock of hair.

Glacia shivered as she took in the Champion's sorry state. She was no stranger to the feeling of having such a beast inside your head, trying to force its way out. There would be only minimal relief until the episode passed. At least she knew she could try to make him as comfortable as possible until then.

Beckoning Altaria near, she whispered, "My dear, can you sing our Champion a lullaby, quietly if you please?"

Eyes shimmering with sympathy, Altaria nodded. She waited until Glacia had slipped out the door before beginning her soft song.

Brushing past where Metagross was waiting in the hall, Glacia withdrew a small bottle from her pocket. Tapping two pills into her palm she recapped the bottle before placing the pills on the bathroom counter.

"When he stirs, have him take these," she directed the watchful pokemon, "I know you're doing your best, but the pills will help."

Metagross hummed in understanding before delivering another soothing pulse of psychic energy to its trainer.

Glacia smiled. She could only imagine how much better her migraines would have been if she had a psychic type pokemon by her side as well.

Satisfied she had done all she could, Glacia slipped a book out from her travel cloak and settled into the lounge chair in Steven's living room. She would wait it out, if only for the fact that when Steven was finally released from the demon's hold, he wouldn't be waking up alone. It was what her mother had done for her all those years ago, and Glacia knew it would make all the difference.

Panoramic_Vacuum · Oct 1, 2022

Prompt #40: Someone makes the mistake of doing their laundry while half asleep

Juan's eyebrow quirked as his mentee stepped through the doors of the Sootopolis Gym. Although, it wasn't fair to simply call him that. He had worked hard in his own right, becoming a Master Coordinator as well as a Gym Leader, and now he sat atop the Pokemon League as its Champion.

But today, Wallace wasn't exactly looking the part, although Juan wouldn't dare say so, not with Wallace looking determined as he strode through the doors. There had to be a good reason for Wallace to come see him all the way from Ever Grande, so instead of speaking the question that sat on the tip of his tongue, the recently un-retired Sootopolis Gym Leader simply waited as his star pupil gracefully crossed the Gym and headed his way.

Except it appeared to be more easily said than done. As Wallace stepped past the pools where the Gym's trainers were instructing their pokemon, he began to cause quite a stir. Gorebyss, Luvdisc, and Corsola quickly began to flock toward the water-type specialist, and to Juan's surprise, Wallace frowned at the attention he was attracting and quickened his pace.

Wallace spoke up once he was within earshot, "Master Juan, may I have a word with you in private?"

Juan eyed the growing menagerie that was trailing behind his former student and hastily nodded, beckoning Wallace to follow him into his office.

Shutting the door, Juan noted Wallace's nervous expression and as Juan settled into the chair behind his desk, Wallace began to nervously pace the space in front of it.

This time Juan chose to speak up first. "Where did you pick up that unsightly habit?"

Wallace paced another two steps before realizing what he was doing, and he froze in place sheepishly. "Ah, I'm sorry Master. I think I've been hanging around Steven for too long. His bad habits are starting to rub off on me when I get flustered."

Juan simply shook his head with a small smile. "Now what exactly has such an unflappable Coordinator such as yourself flustered?"

Wallace's expression fell, and he found himself staring at the ground in concentration as he recounted his troubles. "Well, it only started this morning, but I've been noticing the most odd pokemon behavior, and I've been wracking my brain all day to try to figure out why it's been happening."

"What exactly have you noticed?" Juan prodded gently, although he had a faint inkling of where this was headed...

"You see, I've always been a magnetic personality for water types. My team practically adores me, as do many of the water types I happen to meet in my travels. And yet for some reason today, I seem to be a little too magnetic..."

"Care to elaborate?"

"I mean, you saw it for yourself. The pokemon were following me. Not just following though, gathering around as if my pockets were full of treats!"

"Wallace..."

"Why on my way here I had to duck out of the way of a school of Luvdisc that were practically leaping into my lap!"

"Wallace."

"As I surfed my way here, there was practically a trail of pokemon behind me, Master! For the life of me, I can't figure out why this could be happening!"

"Wallace, I may have a solution to your conundrum."

"You... you do?"

Juan nodded as he rummaged around in his desk drawer.

"By any chance, have you happened to glance in a mirror today?"

His Master's seemingly unrelated question caught the Champion by surprise.

"In the morning when I woke up, but not since then. What's that got to do with -"

But his protests were cut off as a mirror was thrust into his hands, and Wallace stared hard at his own reflection. "Master, this isn't making any sense, I don't look any different than I normally -"

His voice trailed off as Juan tilted the mirror down in his hands, revealing the clothing that peeked out from beneath the white Champion's cloak.

"Oh my..."

Wallace used his free hand to brush back the edges of the cloak, revealing an outfit of pink from head to toe. Somehow his normally pristine white attire had turned a ghastly shade of rosé.

"How did this...? Is this why...? Oh no..."

Juan gave a sympathetic smile as he took the mirror back and tucked it away in his desk. "You didn't happen to have anything red in your laundry basket, did you?"

"No, I mean the only thing I own that's red is the new contest outfit I'd been rehearsing in, but I don't remember washing... it... Oh dear..."

The memory came rushing back, how he'd been feeling lazy a few nights ago and simply reached into the dirty clothes pile without looking or even bothering to turn on the lights.

The sound of rustling fabric snapped Wallace from his daze, and he stared at the set of clothes Juan held out to him.

"Rule number five of a Contest Master: Always have a spare. Just don't wash these ones the same way, please."

Wallace nodded fervently and hurried off to change, wary of the flock of pokemon that still waited for him outside the office doors.

Pokémon Hoenn Short Stories Collection: The Elite

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