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BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Chapter 19: Crazy Wholesome Minds

Valen and Rosa have started the process of moving the rest of the latter's belongings into the former's house. Rosa's currently sitting on one of Valen's sofas, surrounded by unopened boxes that contain the rest of her belongings. Valen's currently on the phone in the dining room, leaving Rosa to ponder to herself.

Her poor sweetie's suffered a lot, she laments. She's struggling to focus on her goals—what if he needs help and she's not around? She hears Valen walking into the living room, a smile on his face. That precious smile's about to be erased, and she's disgusted about it. Sure enough, that horrible sight of Valen's smile vanishing occurs, a worried expression replacing it.

"You okay?"

"...Valen...it hurts that you've suffered so much." Rosa slumps, squeezing her eyes shut. "I hate it...I hate seeing you in pain." Her gaze and chin are inwards, her voice devoid and dull.

"Come here, Valen wants his first hug of the day." He closes his eyes as wraps his right arm around Rosa's waist, pulling her as close to himself as possible. "You've done a lot for me." He holds her tight, his chin on the top of her head. "Don't you ever forget that you're an angel who vanquishes shadows."

Valen's words and gestures cause warmth to surge within Rosa's body. She sports a sweet smile as the tension within her mind starts to dissipate. He calls her a ball of fluff, but has he taken a peek at how sweet he is to her and others? Who's the real ball of fluff, you silly boy?

"I'll be okay, don't worry."

He's about to let go of Rosa, but when he sees that her expression has become somber again, he changes his mind. He senses that there's something else that he needs to comfort Rosa about. She seems to be lamenting over something, but what?

Rosa hasn't let go of Valen either. After several more seconds of silence, she breaks the ice. "While I was thinking about your struggles, it made me...remembered that relationship," Rosa frets. "It's one of the main reasons why...why I'm so afraid of losing you."

Valen caresses Rosa's head, further dissipating the tension within her mind. He already knows that she's talking about the strained relationship between Wes and Rui. Two friends, two good friends of his split right in front of his eyes.

"...Valen...I don't understand how that could've happened...poor Rui."

"...That was it for me...the last straw." Valen feels shaky.

"Really?" Rosa's eyebrows droop as she rubs Valen's cheeks.

"Yeah, it's because Rui's so similar to you," Valen laments, shedding a few tears. "Seeing her cry like that...broke me." He clenches his teeth. "Not to mention that I thought Wes and I would remain friends...that might be why I became afraid of friendship."

"...Were you also scared for my well-being?" Rosa uses her right hand to wipe away Valen's tears.

"...Yeah...I was...maybe I thought the same with Hilda too." Valen feels a knot within his stomach. "The truth is that Wes needs Rui and vice versa." His own voice becomes dull. "That feud broke him, maybe made him more vicious too." They lost something very important, but will either realize it. Or is there no chance of them getting back together?

"...How vicious is he?" Rosa gulps, feeling a chill.

"Ice picks are allegedly one of his favorite weapons if he needs to defend himself." Upon seeing Rosa trembling, he bows his head and winces. Should he have answered that question?

After about a minute. Rosa tightens her fists, mustering up the inner strength to cease trembling. Not only is her beloved Valen's getting better, but he's standing right next to her. He escaped what a former friend couldn't, so time to give him some crucial advice.

She leaves her right arm wrapped around his neck. She begins to caress his right cheek, stating, "Wes wasn't lucky enough to escape the darkness." She kisses him on the lips. "Please don't fall back into it." She knows that Valen's got a strong sense of duty, and it was weaponized against him.

Valen anguishes over the black hole that has conquered his mind and his heart. Can he really promise Rosa such a request? What if he fails and she ends up feeling pain too? He ran into Wes after Rui and him split, but there was nothing he could do. Even worse, Wes may've started to go mad.

He's willing to concede one thing about himself—his mother was one hundred percent right about his old friends, and Melanie was right about Rosa. It still hasn't fully sunk in, but he's realizing just how wrong he was.

One step at a time, my sweetie." Rosa grabs hold of his left hand, massaging the top of it with her other hand. "One step at a time."

Valen goes silent, thinking about how much he truly adores this girl. Rosa's literally a walking repellant of anything wicked, and anything immoral would be vanquished the instant it tried to corrupt her. It's impossible not to feel happier when she's around, as she's extremely vivacious, high spirited, and lively.

His train of thought gets interrupted when Rosa's phone dings, notifying her of a text. He watches Rosa dart towards the front door, opening it as fast as possible while still being careful."Hiii, Hilda!"

"Heeeeeey!" Hilda warmly grins. She enters the living room, her glittering eyes fixated on all of the antique furniture. "I didn't get to take a closer look last time-I need to change that!"

"He added lots more!" Rosa clasps her hands next to her right cheek.

"Let's do this!" Hilda radiates a vibrant aura around her. "Tell me how to help and I'll do it!" She clasps her hands in front of her left shoulder. "Hilda White's the antidote to dull days!"

"You really didn't have to go this far." Valen closes his eyes, his hands in his pockets.

Hilda glances back at Valen with her mouth gaping open. However, her surprise lasts for only a few seconds—her close friend was very polite. She closes her eyes and clasps her hands behind her back. "I know, but helping each other out is what friends do, isn't it?" She asks, sporting a warm smile on her face. "Also, Melanie wanted you to get accustomed to having me around again."

Before Rosa can chime in, both Hilda and Rosa notice that Valen's got a somber expression.

Valen stares blankly at the wooden floor. "Please...please let me atone for what I've done." His voice emits a dull tone. "I tried pushing everyone away...I hurt the people closest to me...I'll carry this shame unless I can make things right."

Rosa and Hilda stare at Valen, their mouths falling open. What do they-they know what to do! They nod while looking at each other, then they pace themselves towards Valen. Both kiss the top of his head the same time.

"Smile." Hilda playfully winks, cupping his face in her hands.

Valen's eyes meet her gentle gaze. "Smile?" He rapidly blinks.

"When you truly love someone unconditionally, you want them to be happy," Hilda responds, letting go of him. "Whether it's friendship or romance."

"All we want from you is to see you happy," Rosa adds, placing her index fingers at the ends of her mouth. "Give us a big smile!"

Sometimes, these two are so wholesome that they can put people at a loss for words. They've always brightened up his day with their presence alone.

"Obey The Unovan Queens, goofball," Hilda teases, placing her right hand over her grin. "Hehe, we order you to smile."

Only Rosa and Hilda would order him to smile, but what exactly would they do? Hug him without mercy as punishment?

Rosa and Hilda turn in opposite directions, standing back-to back with each other. "No sadness is permitted around us!" They wink, pointing at him with their right index fingers. "Smile this instant, Valentinus!"

"...Why'd you say my full first name?"

"What kind of Pokémon are yoooou?!" Rosa and Hilda cheer. "How dooooo yoooou dooooo the things you dooooo?!" They wrap an arm each around Valen's neck. "Tell us all your secrets deep insideeeeee!"

"I'm not a Pokémon."

"Val-Val's loooooyal through and through!" Hilda's eyes gleam.

"Valey's got a heart that's trueeeee!" Rosa's eyes sparkle.

"What kind of Pokémon are yooou?!" Rosa and Hilda exchange a high-five. Their invigorating and jubliant demeanor causes Valen to laugh, much to their delight. "We did it!" Rosa and Hilda triumphantly shout, letting go of him. "We made him smile!" They grab each other's hands, jumping around. "We rock! We rock! We rock!"

"Crazy wholesome minds." He places his right palm up against his forehead. "You two are such kooks that sometimes, it makes no sense to me." he shrugs. "I'll continue to play along."

"Who needs to make sense when we're bringing energy to everyone?!" Hilda jumps, clasping her hands next to her right shoulder.

"Wherever we go, smiles follow!" Rosa and Hilda cheer. raising their right fists above their heads. "Go, go, gooooooo smiling Valen!"

Yep, these two are definitely crazy wholesome minds. That's why he loves them. His mother comes to mind—Rosa and Hilda bear similar traits to her. Furthermore, his mom has made no attempts to hide the fact that when she was in her teens and early twenties, she was a giant fangirl of The Orbeetles, Galar's most famous contribution to music history. Ironically, the pro trainer that his mother went gaga over was Connor White, and she's a fan of actress Odelle White.

Within another part of Angel City, Melanie and Calem have decided to get to know each other a little bit more, as both of them are old friends of Valen. Amongst the chatter going on around the duo, a few people silently take note of Melanie and Calem, as both of them are known trainers.

Calem's mesmerized by the Neoclassical style of the arena, its cream color vividly illuminated by the beaming sunlight. He glances upwards, using his red cap to shield his eyes from the sunlight as he studies the center of the circular arena's roof. The center prominently displays bronze statues of a king or knight in a chariot being pulled by four Galarian Rapidash. His gaze shifts downwards, noting the massive pillars that surround the entire arena's exterior. This is one heck of a public arena—it looks more like an ancient king's palace. With that said, it's not his first time seeing an arena like this. Marvels such as this structure is why he understands why Valen and other friends enjoy discussing the subject so much.

"Impressed, Calem?" Melanie asks, her amused smirk turning to a beaming smile.

Calem nods as his gaze returns to assessing the arena. "It looks just like the old arenas back in Kalos," he remarks. "I guess that's to be expected, since Valen told me that Kalosians founded this city."

"This isn't even one of the oldest areas in the city—the city's got buildings that date back to the 17th century."

"Since we're here, let's have some fun." Calem smirks, grabbing one of the six Poke Balls attached to his waist. "How about you face me in a battle?"

"You're on!" Melanie takes out a Poké Ball from inside of her brown leather jacket.

"It seems I have arrived in the nick of time," Arthur comments, his footsteps echoing as he approaches the duo. "I saw a magnificent sculpture on the way here," he remarks. "I'm a sculpture bloke, after all."

Which one did you see?" Calem knows nothing about sculpture, but he might as well ask

"Titanic Clash by Jacques Beauchêne-Bernini."

Melanie turns away to hide her broad grin. Oh, if only he knew who he's related to. Wait a minute, Calem and Arthur are walking into the arena without her! No fair! Get back here! She runs into the arena, her face reddening when she nearly runs into Arthur and Calem. The latter's assessing the trainers and their Pokémon. Geez, they could've warned her or something!

"Marvelous frescos," Arthur compliments. "This reminds me of the Sistine Hall's ceiling."

His eyes follow the horizon lines within works that depict various Legendary Pokémon. Among them is one from his native Galar, the piece in question depicting Giratina's fight with Eternatus. Painting is not an expertise of his, but he's familiar with the lines used by Giotto. This must've been painted by somebody who viewed Giotto as a huge inspiration. However, the only Calvanian painter he knows is Lorenzo Buonarotti, his inspiration being Michelangelo Bellincioni. These frescoes contain Michelangelo's style too.

Wait, inspiration! Valen! Valen the Reaper! Gloria's a big fan of his battles and contests! That's where he's heard the name before!

"An interest in art is something you two have in common." Melanie's right hand hovers over her grin. "Valen loves these ceiling frescoes."

Arthur peeks back, a wide smile appearing. "I hope to become more acquainted with him."

Arthur stands behind Melanie within an indoor battlefield, the battlefield where he met Valen and her a short distance away. This time, the field's finished with a stunning presentation of marble. Despite the obvious wear and tear within this eighteenth century relic, he appreciates how well the city and its residents preserve their history. He studies the congregation of onlookers that's assembling, no surprise due to Melanie's status. Calem's likely not a stranger to a good portion of the crowd either, and he's definitely not a stranger to him. He's won the Kalosian Conference twice, the second one was witnessed by Arthur through television.

Due to how well maintained this arena is, Arthur can't help but wonder if these cracks, dings, and scratches are relatively recent or are from centuries ago. Assuming that wear and tear would last that long in the first place, let alone after refurbishment and maintenance. Oh well, there's no use in overthinking that element. He's going to focus on and enjoy the play that's about to start.

"Alakazam, let's rock and roll!"

Melanie spins, her long hair swaying as she throws the ball upwards. Alakazam doesn't make a sound as he comes out—he's already studying this other human that'll be facing off against his trainer. He's met Calem before, but he's never faced any of his Pokémon in battle.

This is the tallest Alakazam Calem's ever seen. "Alpha?"

"Yep."

"This should be fun," he remarks. "I'll use my Charizard."

Calem chucks the ball to let his Pokémon out. Charizard lets out a ferocious roar, sending shockwaves through the ground and air.

Melanie nods, commanding, "Calm Mind."

Alakazam closes his eyes and his body becomes enveloped with a translucent white aura. The aura glows brightly as Alakazam briefly mediates. Then, the aura vanishes as quickly as it appeared, and Alakazam slowly opens his eyes, ready for his command.

"Use Flamethrower."

Charizard is already within close proximity of him. He fires off a red-orange stream of fire towards Alakazam. It strikes the wide-eyed Psychic-type in the upper portion of his brownish armored chest. Flames envelop Alakazam's body, causing him to grunt.

Melanie assess that Charizard's quite the speedy Pokémon, but she's more concerned about Alakazam. Alakazam's got a burn, this isn't a good start.

Suddenly, her eyes tilt, a smirk appearing. Two can play at this game. "Use Toxic!"

Alakazam fires off a stream of black liquid from his mouth, inflicting Charizard with the Badly Poisoned status condition. Charizard's entire body glows purple as he takes damage from the poison.

"I see what you're trying to do," Calem remarks, sporting a amused smile. "Will it be enough, though?"

"Shadow Ball!" Alakazam places his hands in front of his body. Using his spoons, Alakazam forms a purple sphere of energy, and fires it towards Charizard.

"Counter with Flamethrower." Charizard opens his mouth and launches red-orange stream of fire that crashes into Shadow Ball. The collision of both attacks results in a detonation that covers the battle arena in smoke.

"Use Shadow Claw."

As the smoke clears itself out, Charizard's right claw glows jet black. Charizard lets out a blaring roar as he charges from a close distance, striking Alakazam with his right claw. Alakazam gets slashed in the middle of his brownish, armored chest, stumbling backwards as he tries to regain his composure.

Melanie realizes that Alakazam is now in close proximity of Calem's Charizard. Her facial expression's one of determination—Calem's going to see more of the skills that won her two Calvanian Conferences.

"Use Psychic!"

Alakazam crosses its spoon, just as his eyes glow light blue. Then, Alakazam unleashes an enormous tidal wave of light blue energy from his cross spoons. Calem's mouth slightly falls open as Charizard's body is enveloped by the surge of light blue energy, causing the draconic-like Pokémon to stagger backwards. Charizard kneels over with its eyes closed, the Fire-type surprised by the strength of this attack. This opponent's a powerful one.

"Follow up with Psycho Cut," A increased surge of adrenaline flows within her body.

Alakazam motions his left arm like he's swinging a blade horizontally from his left to his right. A crescent of light blue energy, slices through the air, pelting a still reeling Charizard.

"Shock Wave!"

As Charizard tries to stand upright, Alakazam fires off a light blue lightning bolt from the top of his head. The lightning bolt strikes Charizard in his cream colored chest, quickly enveloping his entire body. Charizard pants in exhaustion as he kneels over from the trio of attacks, plus the increasing damage from his status condition.

"Use Dragon Claw."

Charizard's able to pull himself together, letting out a ferocious roar that sends ripples through the ground and air. Both of Charizard's claws glow light red, the draconic-like Pokémon lunging towards Alakazam at a high rate of speed. Alakazam's slashed twice just below his jaw.

"Fire Blast."

Charizard lets out another roar, spitting out a powerful cluster of red-orange flames that take the shape of the kanji for fire. As Alakazam staggers from the previous attack, he takes a direct hit from Fire Blast, causing him to kneel over as he attempts to bear the damage he's taken.

"Use Recover!"

As Alakazam struggles to stand up straight, his entire body glows yellow. This yellow energy heals a portion of the damage Alakazam's taken so far, enabling the yellow humanoid Pokémon to stand back up.

"Use Flamethrower."

"Counter with Psycho Cut!"

Charizard unleashes a red-orange stream of fire from his mouth, while Alakazam motions his right arm horizontally. Alakazam fires off another crescent of light blue energy that collides with Charizard's Flamethrower. The collision causes another detonation, resulting in a considerable about of smoke.

"Use Psychic!"

Alakazam crosses its spoons. Alakazam's eyes glow light blue and he unleashes another tidal wave of light blue energy. This powerful attack causes all the smoke to vanish within seconds. Both Calem and Charizard are taken by surprise, their mouths falling open. Charizard takes a direct hit from the wave of energy, stumbling backwards. Both Pokémon pant in exhaustion. Both are bent over, struggling to stand upright.

"Fire Blast."

Charizard pulls himself together, spitting out another powerful cluster of red-orange flames that take the shape of the kanji for fire. As Alakazam attempts to stand upright, he's struck in the face by the powerful attack. Alakazam stumbles backwards, falling over. Melanie's about to shout, but she relents when Alakazam's able to get back on his feet.

"Shock Wave!"

Alakazam fires off another light blue lightning bolt from the top of his head. This time, the attack strikes Charizard on his head, his horns looking like lightning rods as the electricity envelops his entire body.

Despite using Recover, Alakazam's taken a considerable amount of damage from being burned. However, Charizard's taken more damage from being badly poisoned. As a result of that, Charizard falls to the ground, having been defeated.

"Good battle, Charizard."

As he recalls his Charizard, Calem sports a embarrassed smile, murmuring, "I forgot that the status condition inflicted by Toxic does more and more damage as the battle goes on." He re-attaches the ball on his waist.

"You did great, Alakazam!"

Alakazam looks back, giving his smiling trainer a gleeful grin. As Melanie recalls Alakazam, she notices that Calem's walking towards her, sporting a content smile. Melanie places the ball back inside her brown leather jacket. Melanie and Calem exchange a hi-five over their great battle.

Arthur claps, stating, "Good fight."

Then, Calem's phone rings. Seeing that it's Serena, Calem decides to pick up. "Hey, Serena," he greets. "Look, I know-"

"I'm hereeeeeee!" Serena cuts Calem off, letting out a mischievous laugh.

"W-What?!"

"The plane landed in Angel City an hour ago!" Serena happily explains. "Calvana's largest city is still impressive and pretty!"

"So, should I tell everyone or-"

"No waaaay, durak!"

I'm not a fool, Serena."

"Yes you are, cuz I want to find and surprise everyone!" Serena cheerfully exclaims. "However, Kris recommended me some shops to check out, so I'll be busy for now!"

"Serena, it's called a megacity for a reason," Calem groans, rolling his eyes. "I bet you didn't even ask Kris where to find the others, did you?"

"O-Oops, I f-forgot to a-ask!" Serena shrieks in embarrassment. "P-Please tell me where I can f-find e-everyone!"

"Fine, I-"

"You better listen to me, zho-pa!" Serena boisterously laughs. "You're powerless before Serena Yvette Verochka Nikolaev!"

"Why did I pick up the phone?" Calem lets out a loud sigh, smacking his face with his left hand.

Melanie faintly chuckles over Calem's amusing situation. It seems that Serena hasn't changed much, if at all.

Valen's glancing at his front yard through his living room's arched window, pondering about the latest events. The sun could've set on his future, but it rose instead. His gazes moves downwards, eyeing the lush grass and foliage. "ate had a different plan for him me after all, but at what cost? What did he lose in order to get to this point? Is his future with Hilda doomed to fail?

"Hey, Val-Val!"

Hearing Hilda's bubbly voice snaps Valen out of his trance-like state. He can't dwell like this, he's got to move forward. He also doesn't want Hilda, Rosa, Melanie, and others to be sad.

"Wake up, Valey!"

He peeks behind him, yelping when he realizes what the crazy wholesome minds are going to do. Hilda's even showing him the camera app for some reason. He's now sweating profusely, his eyes having widened to the point where the whites are showing. He begins to nervously walk past Rosa and Hilda, keeping his hands in his pockets in an attempt to act cool.

Hilda fixates a disapproving glare at Valen, folding her arms and demanding, "Hey, don't you dare walk out on me!" She will get pictures of her OTP and he will like it!

"Lalalalalalalala, I can't hear you! Lalalalalalalala! I still can't hear you!" Valen screams as he covers his ears with his hands. "Lalalalalalalala, I don't know what the word pictures mean! Lalalalalalalala!"

"Rosa, use Take Down!"

"Attack the Valey sweetie!" Rosa sports a playful smile, dallying in front of Valen. She blocks the entrance to the dining room, wagging her finger. "Metronome!"

"I said Take Down!"

"Rosa refuses to listen to Noob!" Rosa giggles, doing a good luck twirl. "Rosa used Flying Press! Grrrrr, feel Rosa's power!" She wraps her arms around Valen's neck and uses the full force of her body to gently bring Valen down. She pins him to the ornate carpeting that decorates the floor.

Nooooo, he's been defeated by cuteness! Mayday, mayday mayday! He's been pinned down by cuteness! This is a battle he's never going to win! Rosa's far too powerful to be defeated!

"Roar, Rosa used Draining Kiss!" Rosa silences Valen's attempt at shrieking with a kiss on the lips.

A pouting Valen rolls his eyes. She's literally his biggest weakness. She's a pain in the ass at times, but she's an adorable pain in the ass.

"Roar, Rosa used Triple Kick!" She bops Valen's legs with her feet three times. "Tee-hee, you'll never defeat Rosa in this type of battle!"

Grumbling turns into laughter as Valen can never stay annoyed or mad at Rosa for long, if at all. He forgot that he doesn't mind any of these antics. He embraces Rosa, causing her to sport an ear-to-ear affectionate grin. Just like her grin, her antics are too adorable to get worked up about.

"Tee-hee, you need lots and lots of hugs and kisses from meeeeee, so get used to it!" Rosa gives Valen a playful, flirtatious wink. "I expect the same amount of hugs and kisses from my boooy, kaaaay?"

"I like that."

"It's picture time!" Hilda announces, peeking through the phone's camera lens.

He doesn't like that! Surprise pictures like this could expose him as being cute!

"You can't run!" Hilda laughs. "Say OTP!"

"OTP!" Rosa and Hilda cheer.

"Nooooooo!" Valen shrieks again, closing his eyes as bright flashes repeatedly illuminate the room.

"Yeeeeeees!" Rosa giggles when Hilda shows her the photo of flustered Valen and her awesome self. Before Valen can say anything, she silences him with another kiss on the lips. "Come and get meeee, big boooy." She gives Valen a playful smile and wink. "As you can seeeeee, I've been veeeeeery baaaad."

"Thanks," Valen's voice emits a gracious tone. "Surprise pictures can freak me out, but I know what the intent was." He pats Rosa's head. "Ball of fluff, can I get-"

"Roar, Headbutt!" Rosa bops Valen's head with her head to prevent him from lifting up his upper body.

"Please-"

"Roar, Double Kick!" Rosa bops both of Valen's legs with her feet so Valen can't lift up his lower body.

"Why-"

"I have full control of yoooou, and I'm not giving it up!" Rosa becomes flirtatious again, saying, "However, you can win this round if you lift me up with those exposed muscles, big booooy."

"Nah, goodnight." Valen closes his eyes, pretending Rosa's a blanket.

Hilda looks on in bewilderment, unsure of what to do. She doesn't remember Val-Val randomly saying goodnight. Wait, yes she does! Hehe, this means Rosa's about to get a surprise! Val-Val's sporting a devious grin, leaving his right hand on Rosa's back! He slightly lifts up Rosa's white top with his left hand. Tickle, feel the power of his tickle! Hehe, he gotcha!

"You thought I wouldn't get payback?" Valen laughs. "Hilda, make sure you get this on video!"

"H-Hilda, please don't record this! Hahahahahahaha!"

Hilda wastes no time in switching to the video option. Sorry Rosa, but it's only fair that she record this! Besides, this tickle session sooooo adorable to begin with! Hehe, maybe she should join in next time! Val-Val might need backup!

I'm pretty sure HelloYellow17's love of Orre rubbed off on me.

The arena's description came to be thanks to an architecture book, and other descriptions came to be thanks to books too. I don't get such books solely for fic research, but it's a factor and they do help out. I like art styles/architecture/design/history in general. (The arena now appears in Chapter 2)

My writer's library has helped/helps me out too. It started with the second edition of The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. Next one was the The Urban Setting Thesaurus, and so on. The library's helped/helps with adding detail, among other additions and improvements.
 
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DeliriousAbsol

*Crazy Absol Noises*
Location
Behind a laptop, most likely with tea
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. mawile
After hearing you talk about this, it was nice to get it for Catnip.

The opening chapter is a good length, giving the reader a chance to get a feel for the various characters. The pokemon interactions are as cute as they'd be in the anime, and it's nice they have a real sense of their trainers' feelings. The world is very busy and you describe it well. Now onto some of my thoughts:

As the early afternoon sun beams its rays over Angel City, the largest metropolis within the Calvana region.
This starts off as a really nice opening line, then I'm not sure where it's going. Is the second part missing some words? (After some musing over this, I'm wondering if you don't need the 'as' at the beginning? It reads better without it.)

his glare so icy that it can make someone feel like they just got hit with Sheer Cold.
This was very nicely written!

“You do not know?” Dimitri asks, his eyebrows jumping upwards. “Your old friend has been attempting to figure out what is going on with you. Maybe it is time for-”
Does Dimitri have an accent? I found his dialogue very jarring and difficult to get into. It just doesn't flow well. You might need to revise this.

She watches as a pair of teenagers battling it out with a Druddigon and an Altaria
I think you want to drop the 'as' - 'She watches a pair of teenagers...'

As he sits next to her on the bench, Valen watches his Salamence and Melanie’s Dragonite playfully arguing over who’s the cooler dragon. Dragonite lets out a soft cry, telling Valen’s Salamence that he's cooler. Salamence laughs it off, softly roaring that he's the cooler dragon.
The first sentence is great. You should probably lose the second two. We know they're duking it out over who is cooler, so we don't need to be told three times.

However, Salamence is cooler. Sorry, Dragonite. It's a fact.

“First, I think a memory refresher may be needed. Initially, my tasks included search and rescue, disaster relief, fighting Pokémon poachers, and so on." Valen explains. "Eventually, they didn’t even need me, as Calvana had no major conflicts that needed all hands on deck.”
Thank you! Ahhh, I really like it when something is given to us in dialogue and not narrative! This doesn't disrupt the flow at all! (And I was wondering what the war was.)

Then, Melanie smiles and forms a fist with her right hand. “I guess it’s up to us to bring back the old Valen, isn’t it?”
Not giving up on her friend =) Nice character building here!

All in all, this was pretty good. I will admit I'm not remotely a fan of present-tense narrative. It grates on me a fair bit, so I did find it hard to read but that's nothing against your writing. Other than a few typos, there's not too much I feel I need to point out.

The only major thing I want to address is the mind-hopping. You seem to be everywhere at once. We get insights into what Valen is thinking, Melanie, and even Salamence and Dragonite. It gets a bit confusing. Omnipresent POV is marmite at the best of times, and I'd suggest sticking to a single-person POV. You can always change this with scene breaks (you've got a few of them anyway, and you do seem to stick in one head during those. It was the final scene with Melanie and Valen that got a bit messy.)

The relationships with Valen and his friends are pretty solid. He's clearly affected by the war he's been in, and it's pushed him apart from his friends. This is what I can gather so far after one chapter, anyway, and that sets up the theme for the story nicely. Can he get over this? Can he fix his friendships? What on earth happened for him to end up like this during the war? (If I were to guess, he lost a friend in the battle and it's scarred him for life.)

There's a fair bit to muse on after one chapter and that's great. Keep up the good work! =D
 

BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Thanks for the review!

I'll address what you've pointed out as best as possible. Maybe making Dimitri's dialogue a little less wordy would help.
 

BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Chapter 20: Change

It's mid-morning, and Valen's gone up to his room to retrieve something. Yesterday was a goofy day, but they should try to get at least some work done. However, it's hard not to want to goof off when the crazy wholesome minds are around.

As a little bit of sunlight seeps through the closed curtains of his window, Valen's digging inside his walnut bookshelf in order to retrieve what he needs in order to make this a proper house for Rosa. If Rosa's going to be moving in, Valen feels that it's only fair to accommodate for her tastes as well. It's about time that he looks at that list again. Out comes a rolled up paper from the bottom left compartment of his walnut bookshelf. He remembers that he was nervous that'd he come off as a creep. Fortunately, his sincerity and charm came to his assistance.

Valen places the list on the round carved walnut table that sits to his bed, each of its four legs shaped like a Yanmega. Then, he comes to a sudden halt. He stares at his reverse-painted lamp, pondering about how his miserable life finally has some joy in it. He sniffles, unable to prevent himself from shedding tears. Emotional healing is a slow process, but he's come to realize that there are people who really do care about him.

Suddenly, Valen jerks his head from side to side to shake off any sadness. Then, he takes several deep breaths to regain his composure. However, he's now lamenting about the errors in judgement he's made due to his personal demons. Valen bows his head, his eyes becoming moist. He gets it, he gets it now. Happiness, enjoyment, friendship, love, that's what he lost.

Once more, Valen jerks his head from side to side, trying to shake off sadness. He needs to pull himself together for his sake, for their sake, for everybody's sake. He walks out of his room, his eyes meeting the black walls with white ornate patterns. A sudden ding causes him to briefly rummage for his phone, which resides in his right pocket. He goes into his text messages. when he sees who it is. Cousin Jacques has finally caught a break, he silently laughs while replying to the text messages.


Rosa and Hilda are standing in Valen's large dining room. Hilda's directed her attention towards to the contrast of black and pearly white on the house's interior walls, which is her favorite aspect of Valen's house. Hilda keenly studies Valen's large walnut table and the twelve walnut armchairs surrounding it. "Looks like he mixes and matches furniture she observes. She's definitely been here before, but he's made a lot of changes. She likes the fact that the woodcuts and paintings are still present, but that's not a surprise.

Warmth flows through Hilda when Rosa sweeps her into a hug, her arms sliding around Hilda's upper back. Hilda wraps her arms around Rosa's neck, the two best friends rocking in silence.

Eventually, they let go of each other, but they can't go too long without exchanging a high five. Why is that needed after a hug? They don't know, nor do they care.

"Remember how we first met?" Rosa faintly giggles, clasping her hands behind her back. "I was in Nimbasa City, about to head into Elesa's gym. Then, I saw this giant klutz almost run into a door." To be fair, she was going to visit the agency later that week. She just happened to meet Hilda before that.

Hilda's face reddens, her mouth falling open. She backs up, exclaiming, "I was...I just...Pokéjustice: The Power of One had just come out, and I had finally gotten a Porygon Station 4!"

"Not good enough, you absent-minded nooooooob!" Rosa wags her left index finger, then places her hand behind her back again.

Hilda regains her composure, sporting a smirk. "You can be a klutz yourself," Hilda retorts, playfully winking.

"Says the girl who got swept by me in a three vs three single battle." Rosa closes her eyes and tilts her head back.

"Says the girl who's disgusted by deep dish pizza." Hilda mimics Rosa's body language. "I like Unovan pizza more, but deep dish pizza's good."

"More evidence that you're a noob," Rosa wags her right index finger, placing her left hand on her hip.

"Pineapple on deep dish pizza." Hilda titters, her right hand hovering over her mouth. "I'll do it in front of you."

Rosa folds her arms, turning her head away. "One day, Hilda," she grumbles. "One day."

"Alsooooo, I'll have you know that I have all of that video game series!" Hilda proudly laughs, placing her hands on her hips. "The Power of One, The Legend of Thunder, Spell of the Unown, Voice of the Forest, Eon Heroes, and Wish Maker! I beat soooo many boys in front of their friends!"

Rosa twirls to face Hilda. "That's because you rock!"

"Of course I rock!" Hilda holds her left hand sideways, sticking out her thumb and index finger. She winks, declaring, "Don't mess with me, or you're gonna need Burn Heal!"

Rosa giggles, imitating the same pose with her right hand. "We're easily top ten in looks, smarts, skills, and personality!"

"The queen's Hydreigon and his friends will wreck all those who oppose me!"

"The expert's Garchomp and his friends will slice their chances of winning to shreds!"

Rosa and Hilda press their backs together, the former pulling out her phone to record what they're about to do,

"So what if we're crazy?" Hilda clasps her hands in front of her left shoulder.

"So what if we're silly?" Rosa clasps her hands next to her right cheek.

"We're just having fun!" Rosa and Hilda cheer. "Nobody's frowning around meeeee!"

Rosa and Hilda exchange a high five, the former uploading the video to her social media accounts. Both begin searching online for various pieces of furniture, ceramics, and so on.

"Heeey, check this out!" Hilda shows Rosa a photograph of a gold colored chair. "It says here that this chair is made of a material called polychrome, and it's styled like ancient furniture from the Osiris region!"

Rosa takes a closer look. "Oooh, it's historical inception, because it also says that the chair was made in the 19th century!" Rosa's eyes sparkle like the chair. "That mean it's Osirian Revival!" She clasps her hands next to her right cheek. "Ancient Osiris was my first taste on antiquity!"

"Hehe, mine too!" The tip of Hilda's fingers hover above her grin.

It's not easy to get a permit to excavate in the land of the pharaohs, but she's so awesome that sue was able to get one to organize one for the Angel City Museum of Art. That's how she personally met Mrs. Barsotti for the first time.

"This one time, I had this really crazy dream where my Valey sweetie was a pharaoh!" Rosa closes her eyes, her palms angled up near her chin. "This other time, I dreamt that Valey was a Gallade wearing a wizard outfit and he called himself the Dark Magician!"

"Girl, your imagination's just as wild as my own!" Hilda laughs, playfully waving her hand in a dismissive manner.

Rosa continues to browse furniture on her own phone, becoming enamored with a large brownish bookshelf. "Hilda, look at this this old and cool bookshelf!" She points at her phone's screen. "It's made of walnut, and it originated from the Ragulia region!"

"Hehe, that'd be a great bookshelf for you to use!"

"Oooooh, check this bowl out! Art Deco style from the Venteux region!"

Hilda takes a peek, eagerly studying the near-spherical, crystal bowl. Hilda's eyes glitter when she notices that the center has engravings of multiple galloping Sawsbuck on all sides. It's perfect for an Unova-uh oh, here comes the giant Lillipup. Look at him, acting all cool. The goofball's gor hands in his pockets as he saunters into the dining room. Hehe, he took his sweet time coming downstairs, but Rosa and her were too distracted to notice in the first place.

Nervousness sets in as he walks closer to Rosa. Upon seeing Rosa giving him a heart melting smile, he yelps. He wraps his arms around the middle of Rosa's body. He slowly hoists Rosa up, his hands trembling during the process. Valen glances to his left, his face heating up as he feels fluttery in his stomach.

Rosa lets out a loud squeal, wrapping her arms around Valen's neck. "Ooooh, big boy lifted me up with those muscles of his!" She kisses Valen on the lips, giggling over how red Valen's face has become. "Uh oh, somebody's shy! Are you having a Rosa overload right now, my hunky cutieeee?"

Valen clenches his teeth as he directs his gaze leftwards. Of course, she just has to turn his head back to overload his sight with her cuteness and beauty. She needs to look at herself in the mirror more often.

Rosa gets a whiff of what appears to be cologne. She sniffs Valen, teasing, "Is that cologne I smell on yoooou, big boooy?" She gives Valen a sultry smile. "Did you tidy yourself up a little bit just for meeee?"

A wide-eyed Valen lets out the faintest of panicked yelps—he went upstairs to check the list and to put on cologne, but he didn't think Rosa would sniff him. "I f-fig-figured that I'd try to p-pre-present at least a little bit of a t-tid-tidy a-appearance," Valen explains, feeling weakness in his knees and legs. "O-Obv-Obviously, I did it for y-you."

Then, he realizes that he forgot that Gardevoir's out of her Poke Ball. She's been watching his nervous attempt to lift Rosa up. Gardevoir's standing right behind Valen, leaning up against the wall with her arms folded. She fixates a gleeful gaze at her trainer, sporting a lopsided grin as she cackles.

He should've known that she'd show up, but she's declared herself the boss so he can chill. What can ya do? He puts Rosa down and takes his double forehead bop.

"Rosa, all your favorite things are still the same right?" Gardevoir moves forward, standing next to his left side.

"Yeeep!" Rosa forms a peace sign with her right hand. "Rosa's still Rosa, my sweetie!"

"Good, that means I don't have to revise that list from seven years ago." Valen sports a relieved smile. "I still have it fully memorized, but I had to make sure it was still accurate." A proud Gardevoir closes her eyes, smiling over how much her trainer cares for Rosa.

A wide-eyed Rosa gasps, slowly backing up. "You...you-" Rosa's eyes become moist, euphoria beginning flow within her like a soothing current. "I should've known...that's how you remembered that I wanted the necklace."

Valen pats a teary eyed Rosa on the head. "How can Valen be the best friend and best boyfriend ever if he didn't keep track of every detail?" he asks. "Best that I can be, that is."

"You waited because of my hesitation...you made sure that I was always happy...comforted me after those bad relationships...ended...you're too...you're too much," Rosa replies in a trembling voice, overwhelmed with warmth. "I can't...you always find ways to move me to tears." She sniffles as tears begin to stream down her cheeks. "Everything about me is important to you."

"It also extends to others," Hilda adds, her voice emitting a soft tone.

Rosa glances downwards at her necklace, sporting an affectionate smile. She closes her eyes, placing her right hand over her heart.

You showed me that genuine romance isn't fiction." She sweeps Valen into a big hug, kissing him on the top right side of his head. "Thank you," she whispers as Valen hugs her back. "Thanks for taking the time to memorize even the smallest details about me."

"It's the least I could do," Valen softly replies, sporting an affectionate smile of his own. "Thanks for reminding me what it feels like to be happy."

"You two are really sweet towards each other." Hilda sports a broad smile. "Can I help get what's on that list?"

"Sure, but I think Melanie should join you," Valen replies as Rosa and him let go of each other. "It doesn't feel right to leave her out of this."

"Sounds good to me!"

As Rosa and Hilda chat, Valen sees that his Gardevoir's now giving him a wider affectionate smile. "Being a bit more social wouldn't hurt, right?"

Gardevoir nods, wrapping her arms around his midsection. She's elated that the Valen who raised her is showing his real personality more often. She cackles over her trainer's mouth falling open, but a smile soon appears on his face. She lowers her head, and he begins to pat it.

As for Hilda, she flashes back to the day they personally met. Until that day, she hadn't see him since those acting lessons he took. After the initial chatting at her office, they decided to meet up later. Valen decided to wear a suit the second time. She gave him a friendly wink and warned him that she's a hard-ass.

"You see this suit? I'm wearing this for a reason."

Hehe, she wouldn't mind if he was wearing that in the present!

"They told me you were good, but they didn't tell me you were the liveliest and prettiest girl in all of Nimbasa. As a result, I had to dress nicer."

He thought he could win her over by being a charmer. He can still put money where his mouth is.

"If your skills are on par with how beautiful you are, then you're definitely the best person for the job."

Valen simply closed his eyes and smirked, while she was swooning. She immediately agreed to have him as a client. She wasn't going to let this gentleman get away, plus she loved his idea. He dressed classy because that's one way he wanted to dress when rocking his pro trainer and coordinator persona.

Rosa's been waiting for her to snap out of it, the duo exchanging a high five. It's awesome that the real Valen's taking back control. All they want is to see him happy and having fun.

An ear-to-ear grin appears on Hilda's face, her eyes dancing with sparkles. "Kyaaaaaaaaa, I'm sooo lucky that I got to be Val-Val's agent and manager!"

"Mhm, keep reminding me of why I'm the queen."

"Heh, I'm still here."

Hilda's face reddens upon seeing Rosa's mischievous grin. She shuts her eyes, hiding her face with her palms. If being a total sweetheart wasn't enough to make swoon, this guy just had to be handsome and cute too, didn't he?! How does Rosa not get flustered around him anymore?!


Arthur and Brendan have decided to hang out in order to get to know each other a bit better. The two guys were taking a stroll down a reinforced concrete walkway that leads to a plaza, surrounded by the chatters and the footsteps of others. Arthur's learned that Pokémon battles aren't the only type of battles Brendan's into—a crowd that has gathered to watch a rap battle between Brendan and a male trainer who's got a Kadabra.

"This is the not the type of battle I was referring to." Arthur taps his right foot, a faint scowl visible on his face.

While Brendan finishes his rhymes, Arthur notes that of the onlooker's got a boom box that's playing a rhythmic beat. Then, he glances at the monochrome concrete buildings that surround the walkway.

Then, Brendan's embarrassed opponent beats a hasty retreat via his Kadabra's Teleport, while the crowd erupts with a chorus of gasps and laughter.

The crowd startle Arthur, and he nearly falls on his back. "Learn to regulate yourselves, you bloody muppets!"

Brendan tilts his shoulders backwards, folding his arms. "Another mofo bodied."

"Damn Brendan, why'd you do him dirty like that?!" A male trainer laughs with his Haunter.

"You savage, bro!" A male trainer with a Liepard howls.

"I told you that The Notorious Brendan's got bars!" A female trainer with a Delcatty exclaims.

Eventually, Arthur decides that enough is enough, and he rushes over to grab Brendan's left arm.

"Sup dawg, weren't my bars hot like a Flamethrower-"

Brendan cuts himself off when Arthur begins to drag him away him away.

"You can have your rap battles after I defeat you in a Pokémon battle," Arthur chastises a wide-eyed Brendan.

"Hmph, fine," Brendan grumbles, pulling his arm out of Arthur's grasp. "Haters gonna hate, but just wait until Junior Hustlers runs the rap game beyond Hoenn."

"I beg your pardon?" Arthur blinks.

Brendan's posture slumps. "Man...nobody understands my swag." He slowly smacks his face with his left palm. "...Alright. He stands upright and looks at Arthur. "Alright, I'll battle you."

"Much appreciated." Arthur smiles. "Forgive me for my earlier mannerisms, for I feel it could be considered a tad repulsive." he bows. "Impudence is not a trait a gentleman should carry."

"Don't worry 'bout it, homie." Brendan shrugs, wondering why Arthur spoke like that. "I'm Brendan Smalls, so I understand why you wanna battle me." he smirks. "Some call me Brendan Yuki, since that's my mother's maiden name."

"I admire your boldness." Arthur's heard of his father before, Norman Smalls having recently been promoted to the Elite Four.


While there isn't a public arena nearby, the walkways and plazas of the city are wide enough to where trainers can have a Pokémon battle. In this case, Arthur and Brendan stand on opposite ends within the the center of a large, rectangular plaza. As both trainers clench a Poké Ball with their right hand, Arthur can't help but admire that a walkway and a plaza littered with the markings of filled up cracks, dings and holes have been well maintained enough to remain in use.

"I'll throwdown using my Flygon!" Brendan throws his Poké Ball into the to let his Pokémon out, catching the Poké Ball as it falls back down. "Rep for Junior Hustlers!" Brendan shouts, Flygon letting out a screeching cry in response as she stares at Arthur from up in the air.

"I shall use Inteleon." Arthur presses the button on his Poké Ball to let his Pokémon out. Inteleon doesn't make a sound, folding his arms and closing his eyes.

"That must be your starter," Brendan observes, sporting an enthusiastic smile. "I like how cool he acts! He's like some sort of spy!"

"Save the compliments for after the battle," Arthur jokes, sporting a confident smile. "With that said, my starter was indeed Sobble."

"We're gonna make you lose your cool!" Brendan exclaims. "Up in here, up in here!" Brendan points at Arthur, his Flygon lets out a booming screech. "Get your game on, homie! Come on and get your game on!"

Their behavior causes Arthur to smirk in amusement, but his Inteleon's uninterested and unfazed. Inteleon closes his eyes, sporting a confident smirk. The humans would say that he's got this in the bag.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Arthur gives the first command. "Inteleon, use Sucker Punch."

Like a stealthy spy, the bipedal reptilian lunges at Flygon in the blink of an eye, striking her with his head within milliseconds.

"Use Scald."

Inteleon points two of his right fingers at Flygon. Boiling water begins to envelop Inteleon's right hand. Then, Inteleon motions his right hand upwards, launching a stream of boiling water towards Flygon at close proximity. Flygon's struck directly in her face. Boiling water envelops Flygon, and Brendan nervously watches as she takes additional damage from the boiling water. "Uh oh, Flygon's burned," he murmurs, feeling tightness around his eyes as they rapidly blink.

"Use Scald once more."

This time, Inteleon points two of his left fingers at Flygon. Boling water begins to envelop Inteleon's left hand, and Inteleon launches a stream of boiling water.

"Flygon, spit out a Dragon Pulse!"

A multicolored ball of energy forms in front of Flygon's mouth. Flygon launches the ball, which instantly transforms into a dragon-shaped beam. The beam morphs into a golden yellow, draconic-like phoenix, with large wings and large talons. The dragon formation crashes into the boiling water, causing a detonation. Clouds of smoke slightly darkens the center of the plaza, only to vanish within a few minutes.

"Use Swift." Inteleon swings his right arm like he's a human ninja throwing a shuriken, flinging a flurry of light blue stars at Flygon. Flygon shuts her eyes, enduring the barrage of stars.

"Hit em with Dragon Claw!"

Flygon re-opens her eyes, her claws glowing turquoise. Flygon lunges at Inteleon at a high rate of speed, slashing the Water-type Pokémon just under his lower jaw.

"Use Dragon Claw again!"

Flygon lunges at Inteleon for a second time, her claws glowing turquoise again.

"Use Double Team."

Inteleon creates numerous copies of himself, and Flygon slashes several of the copies. As those copies vanish, Flygon rapidly looks around in confusion, attempting to pinpoint the location of the real Inteleon. Flygon remains flustered over which Inteleon is the real one, and Arthur uses the opportunity to strike back.

"Hydro Pump."

As the remaining copies vanish, Inteleon points at Flygon with two fingers on each hand, like he's dual wielding. A powerful torrent of water envelops both of Inteleon's hands, and Inteleon launches them by motioning both hands upwards. Both torrents combine into a larger stream of water, which crashes into Flygon at a high velocity. The in-flight Pokémon crashes into the plaza, causing Brendan's eyes to widen.

"Ice Beam." As Flygon attempts to regain flight, Inteleon fires off an frost white beam from his mouth. The Ice Beam strikes Flygon on her left side. Flygon lets out a cry, reeling from the quadruple effective attacks.

"Ice Beam...I should've expected this," Brendan murmurs, sporting a tight-lipped smile.

"Use Ice Beam again," Arthur commands.

"Shake up the booth with Earthquake!"

Before Inteleon has a chance to launch another Ice Beam, Flygon slams her tail into the ground as hard as she can, sending a flurry of white shockwaves careening towards the Water-type Pokémon. Inteleon wobbles, attempting to maintain his cool. Seconds later, he falls to the ground.

"Swoop in and use Giga Drain!"

Flygon's entire body glows a bright yellow, with each wing protruding a pair of bright yellow energy streams. The energy streams latch onto a kneeling Inteleon like hooks, and sucks away health to heal Flygon. Inteleon shuts his eyes, grunting as he tries to endure the attack.

Eventually, the energy streams vanish, and Inteleon falls to the ground. He's down, but he's not out.

"Well, I cannot say that I was expected this," Arthur muses.

"Rock these boys with a Stone Edge attack!"

Flygon lets out a loud battle cry as rocks that glow light began to form and surround her. Then, Flygon hurls all of these glowing rocks at Inteleon, who's halfway up on his feet. Inteleon shuts his eyes and crosses his arms in front of his chest, enduring the barrage of rocks. However, Inteleon's sent backwards, landing on his back.

"Stay strong and use Blizzard," Arthur tells Inteleon, watching as his Pokémon gets back on his feet.

Inteleon opens his mouth and fires off hundreds of oval snowballs towards Flygon at close proximity. Flygon attempts to endure the relentless barrage, but she's sent crashing into the ground.

"Ice Beam."

Once more, Inteleon fires off a frost white beam from his mouth. As she attempts to regain flight, Flygon's hit in the face by Ice Beam. She falls back onto the ground.

"Don't give up!" Brendan encourages! "Earthquake!"

As she pulls herself together, Flygon musters up enough strength to slam her tail into the ground as hard as she can. A flurry of white shockwaves ripples through the ground. Inteleon wobbles, shutting his eyes. He kneels, trying his hardest to remain on his feet.

"Giga Drain!"

As she takes flight, Flygon's entire body glows a bright yellow. A pair of bright yellow energy streams protrudes from each wing. The energy streams latch onto Inteleon, draining health to heal Flygon. Inteleon falls to the ground, the streams vanishing several seconds later.

Inteleon manages to get up, noting that both Flygon and him are panting. Then, a blue aura envelops Inteleon, his eyes glowing in the same color.

"Torrent," Arthur muses. "Hydro Pump."

Inteleon points at Flygon with two fingers on each hand. A powerful torrent of water envelops both hands. Inteleon launches them by motioning both hands upwards, the torrents combine into a larger stream of water. The water streams blast Flygon out of the sky, the Ground and Dragon-type barely standing. Flygon lets out a cry to tell Inteleon that this was a good fight. In response, Inteleon gives a thumbs up. Then, Flygon falls face down onto the ground, Brendan recalling her seconds later.

"Aw man, you beat me," Brendan bemoans, rubbing his forehead with his right hand. Then, his mouth curves into a smile, and he looks at the ball. "Rest up, homegirl."

Good work, Inteleon." Arthur sports a content smile, recalling his Pokémon. Then, he looks directly at Brendan. "Thank you the battle."

"No problem, dawg." Brendan re-attaches Flygon's ball to his waist.

"Much appreciated." Arthur places Inteleon's ball back inside his trench coat. "Let's continue our walk."

Brendan nods, slightly dashing towards Arthur. Arthur turns to face the same direction as Brendan, then the two walk into another plaza walkway.

"By the way, you look like you're royalty or nobility," Brendan comments. "I mean no disrespect, but why do you hang out like everybody else does?"

"It's more hectic than you think, Brendan," Arthur replies. "Also, I have a more serious reason for living abroad here, at least for the time being."

"Mind telling me at least a little bit?" Brendan requests, cocking a brow.

"...Very well," Arthur concedes. "While many within the league are honest people, Rose left a stain that still needs a deep cleaning." He folds his arms, his lips curling. "Champion Leon's trying his best until the league can find a more honest successor."

"We've never had anything like that in Hoenn," Brendan remarks, glancing towards the sky. "We had Team Aqua and Team Magma, then we had the lesser known Team Ozone."

"I've heard of them a couple of times," Arthur admits. "What their goal was remains a mystery to this day."

"All we know is that it involved Rayquaza, or the alleged second Rayquaza." Brendan shrugs.

"The Black Rayquaza?"

"Yep."

They two continue walking, chatting more about Hoenn and Galar.


It's now late afternoon, and Hilda's already left for the day. Valen's leaning up against the wall within the dining room while speaking to Melanie via phone. Meanwhile, Rosa's pouting in the living room, because the phone call interrupted her plan to bombard Valen with Sweet Kisses.

Since Hilda's staying with Melanie, the latter's already been informed. "Of course I'll help you out." Melanie's voice emits a warm tone.

"Thanks," Valen replies, sporting a placid smile. "What's my score?"

"Ten out of ten," Melanie teases. "You're a huge pain in the ass, and I love it."

"In any case, I guess it's my turn to tell you something personal about me," he remarks. "Like you did on the day we met Arthur."

"No, you don't have to tell me anything."

"Melanie, it wouldn't feel right," Valen counters, his mouth having fallen opened. He doesn't understand why Melanie's saying no to this.

"No means no, doofus," Melanie asserts. "Tell me when you feel ready, not when you feel obliged too."

"...Thanks, but-"

"Help, Rosa's fallen and she can't get up!"

"I think I should go before Rosa tackles me," Valen says, faintly laughing. "I know what she wants."

"Alright, see you tomorrow," Melanie replies, letting out a chuckle.

With the call now finished, Valen places his hands in his pockets and saunters into the living room. Valen smirks, having noticed that Rosa's sitting on the carpet, most likely waiting for him to pick her up.

"Valeeeey, my cuteness has immobilized meeee!" Rosa giggles, sporting a coy smile. "Come here and help meee, big booooy!"

"Yeah yeah, you just want my attention," Valen counters, sporting an affectionate smile. "Pain in my ass."

"Tee-hee, I need my hunky booooy to lift meeee!" Rosa giggles again, giving Valen a playful wink.

"Alright, you adorable pain in my ass." Valen kisses Rosa on the lips, wrapping his arms around the middle of Rosa's body. "Up you go."

"Yaaaaay!" Rosa sports an ear-to-ear sweet smile as Valen hoists her up. As she wraps her arms around his neck, she notices that Valen's face has already fully reddened, teasing, "Oooh, somebody's still shy!"

"I can't help it!" Valen yelps, feeling weak in his knees and legs.

"If you're soooo shy, why don't you let gooooo?" Rosa teases, her eyelashes fluttering. "Can't resist me, can you?"

"I can't resist lifting you up!" Valen shrieks, his eyes bulging out as he clenches his teeth. "I told you to look at yourself in the mirror for a reason!"

"I can't resist lifting you up!" Valen shrieks, his eyes bulging out as he clenches his teeth. "I told you to look at yourself in the mirror for a reason!"

"Ooooh, now I knooooow what your true intention is." Rosa giggles, inching closer to his right ear. "You want to use Seismic Toss and Bind on meeeeeeeeee."

Valen regains his cool, a flirtatious smirk dancing across his face. "What if I say no?" he winks. "What happens then?"

"Overruled," she teases. "Whatcha gonna do about it, hmmmm?" Her eyelids flutter. "Think you can wrestle me off the throne?"

"I've done it before, and I can do it again."

"Oooooh, such a bad booooy."

Both Rosa and Valen burst out laughing.

"I don't care what anybody says," Rosa lovingly states, her voice emitting a soft tone. "You're the best."

"Nooooo, really?" Valen sarcastically asks. "That's such a stunning revelation." Valen decides to sit down on the sofa, continuing to hold Rosa.

"You're sooo funny!" Rosa giggles as she kneels on Valen's lap.

"By the way, we forgot to move the bigger bed to my room."

"I'll just cuddle up with you every single night."

"What."

I know that my big hunky boooy wants meeee as his blanket," Rosa teases, giggling upon seeing Valen's blushing yet again. "There's only room for you, unless I hold you as close to me as possible."

Valen's not about to give up the flirtation battle without a fight. "Your cuteness and your beauty is the most powerful type combination that I've ever seen." He gives Rosa a wink, clicking a tooth once.

"Rosa's got another barrage of Sweet Kiss attacks ready for yoooou!" Rosa squeals, her face having reddened as she gently pins Valen to the sofa's headrest.

"Roar, mineeeee!" Rosa wraps her arms around Valen's neck. Valen places his right hand on the back of Rosa's head and his left hand on Rosa's back. They kiss, the surge of warmth returning for both of them.

Valen feels completely calm as Rosa and him press their lips together at a relaxed pace. As for Rosa, she firmly believes that he kept his word. He's the best boyfriend ever.

Eventually, they stop kissing. Rosa jumps off of his lap and grabs a portfolio off of one of the four round tables, two on each side of both sofas. "Nooooow, behold my paintings!" She flips open the portfolio, placing the first work right in front of Valen's face. "Look, dragons! Roar, feel their power!"

Valen remembers this well—she wanted to paint her Hydreigon and his Salamence in the style of Jack Constable and Frank Edwin Church. She focused being on the awe of nature, and there's no manmade elements in this work. It's two badass dragons, a lovely clear sky, and the thick foliage of Pinwheel Forest. She blended light and dark hues to create a contrast, resulting in the bright sunlight concealing the blue sky and darker shades of colors such as green for the forest floor. The dragons are placed at the center, and are the closest to the viewer.

Then, Rosa flips to another painting. "My version of Eternatus and Giratina by Giotto di Buonacorsus!"

Valen remember her choosing to set the scene in the Giant Chasm, plus she added Kyurem to the stare-down. Like in the original, Giratina's in its Altered Forme and its peeping out from a black portal on the ground, while Eternatus soars above the ground. Kyurem's glaring at them from atop a large rock formation.

"What really impressed me was how well you captured Giotto's style." Valen rubs the top of Rosa's head. "That's my ball of fluff." He eyes the horizon lines, diagonal lines, and the geography of the area that converge into the main focus of the work. "My ball of fluff can paint a fresco, meaning she's a badass."

As said ball of fluff flips to another painting, words don't need to be spoke for them to express how much they love geeking out together. Who doesn't want to geek out like this with their special someone?


Within another part of the city, Silver and Calem lean up against a plaza's guard railing. Kris is rapidly looking around at the buildings she's seeing in front of her. She's most mesmerized by a giant, palace-like building. Various sights and sounds that are typical for a big city, such as an ocean of people, a river of automobiles, and an opera of chatter and laughter, surround her. Apparently, she's got the superpower of tuning everything else out to focus on these structures.

Kris keenly studies the blue walls, white columns, the pediments, and the rectangular windows of the large building. She proudly smiles, folding her arms. She knows that this building's heavily inspired by Petrovburg's Katarina Palace, an early 18th century marvel.

Then, Kris places her left index finger and thumb on her chin. Should she be excited over the famous Museum of Pokémon History being one of the most beautiful examples of Rococo architecture she's ever seen in person? Or should she be angry with Silver? Silver once left her alone in Moskovgrad when the temperatures ranged from single digits to below zero, and this is Gradtown. Gradtown's styled after the Rococo and Baroque architecture in Moskovgrad and Petrovburg.

After several seconds, excitement overcomes the blue-haired woman. Her eyes gleam with excitement, her mouth dropping. These Baroque and Rococo and buildings are way cooler than that red-haired professional brooder. To add to the cool factor, the gigantic 17th century masterpiece know as Barberini Stadium's nearby. The Calvanian Museum of Art's close by as well.

As Kris continues to study the buildings, Silver and Calem glance towards each other. They decide that they need to discuss something.

"So, when are you going to tell Serena?" Silver inquires, his arms folded.

Calem closes his eyes, placing his hands within the pockets of his dark blue pants. He does a hard swallow before speaking. "Preferably never, but then we'll have another problem," he answers. "I've heard some good news lately."

Silver faintly smiles. "Humph, it took him being a soft ass," he remarks. "Joking aside, Hilda really did break through what was left of his shell." His smile evaporates, a frown taking its place. He glances down at the square textiles that make up this plaza. "It's a long road to recovery, Calem."

Calem faintly smiles. "I'm sure he can do it."

"If he can put up with your alien talk, he can do anything." Silver faintly smirks, narrowing his eyes at Calem. "He's got superhuman listening powers."

"Astronomy and cryptids, you dolt," Calem chastises. "Aliens are already confirmed to exist thanks to certain Pokémon like-"

"What about your obsession with the 1947 Vega City incident?"

"Four separate Deoxys sightings in one city is a big deal, you bumbling Spinda." Calem rolls his eyes. "Especially when nobody knew what it was."

"The Black Charizard of Mt. Ember? The Black Rayquaza?" Silver's smirk evolves into a devious smile. "The Silver Metagross of The Sierra Vega? The Green Dragonite of Mt. Moon? El Houndoom? The Loch Ness Lapras?"

"Shut up." Calem groans. "You're just copying what I've said in the past, Silver the Grinch."

"Make me." Silver cackles. "Croissant brain."

"I hope Serena drags your ass to Nimbasa Fashions."

Silver's eyes widen, his mouth falling open. "That was uncalled for!"

"Says you." Calem folds his arms, proudly smirking. "Heh heh heh, she can boss you around as much as she wants."

"You little dipshit."

"I know you are, but what am I?"

Silver rolls his eyes when he hears Kris giggling. Of course, this always has to happen to him. It doesn't happen to Ethan, nor Gladion, nor Calem, nor Hilbert. It's him and him alone who deals with this annoying nonsense. Humph, at least Kris is cu-nice. At least she's nice. She's also pr-shut up. Just because it's true doesn't mean he likes her in that way. Yeah right, as if that'll ever happen.

Sucker Punch is called Surprise Attack in Japanese. Flygon's wings have both red and green on them. Thus, I chose to use yellow for her Giga Drain attack.

The Baroque movement's about late 16th century/early 17th century up through the 18th century. Rococo came after, but it's basically late Baroque.
 
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BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Chapter 21: I Wanna Be Free

Melanie's standing within the wooden front porch of her brick bungalow. She's got her arms folded, her gaze darting from left to right and vice versa. She hasn't seen this person in sometime, and she should be here any minute now.

Melanie's gaze darts left to right as she eyes all of the other bungalows, feeling grateful that she got to learn about these overall. Her bungalow's one of the few within this neighborhood that are constructed with bricks, a style that originated from the Venteux region. Calvanian bungalows, like the copper-colored two-story directly across the street, were and are constructed using stucco and wood, another neat fact that she picked up on during one of countless trivia game sessions.

In-between the singing of Starly and the chatter amongst a family gathering behind the house to Melanie's right, the rhythmic echo of footsteps on the concrete sidewalk become louder. A woman her age starts to run towards her like a Crobat, her honey-colored head blowing backwards. She wraps her arms around Melanie's neck before the latter even realizes it. Serena's here. A smile soon follows, and Melanie wraps her arms around her friend's upper back. The embrace lasts for about a minute.

"I still like this neighborhood," Serena comments, her gaze moving from left to right. "It feels like a small town within a big city." Just like Vaniville Town. "I'm just a small town girl, living in a bestie filled world."

"I've loved bungalows since I was a kid." Melanie proudly grins, placing her hands on her hips. "Maybe it's because of those cabins in the Nordica region."

She stayed in a cabin during her last visit to her native region's Norveg Province. Relaxing in that warm bed, reading a good book, sending pictures to all of her friends, it was fun. That being said, she prefers living somewhere where the temperature doesn't drop below zero frequently during the winter months.

"I came here for a vacation, but I wanted to see the two of you again."

"So you can lose to me, right?" Melanie laughs upon feeling an elbow being pressed against her left side.

Serena laughs too, the smirking woman folding her arms. "Hmph, you're not more fashionable than me."

A faint creaking noise echoes as Melanie strolls down her front porch's wooden steps. Melanie and Serena exchange a high-five as they begin to make their down the sidewalk.

"So, are you still having setting issues?" Melanie's text about Kalosian settings was a lengthy one.

"Don't remind me." Melanie sighs, rolling her eyes. "I try to write too many things at the same time." It's not like she lost count of how many fanfics and novels she has started. Only a doofus would think that.

'As the blogging queen of fashion, shopping, travel, and cuisine, I can relate." Serena spots a jovial young boy and his Bagon playing tag. "Even the guys enjoy my blog, but they won't say it."

"Ha, typical." Melanie shakes her head, placing her hands on her hips. "They act all big and tough, but they're all Growlithe puppies at heart," she teases. "Especially Valen."

"And no matter what he says, Silver follows my blog so he can learn how to impress Kris." He doesn't even own a suit, so she wishes him luck impressing someone as fashionable as Kris.

"By the way, Hilda had to go take care of agency business," Melanie informs. "She'll be joining us later, plus we'll still hang out at my place in the evening." She exchanges a high-five with Serena, feeling content with the current situation. Things seems to be getting better now.

Despite it being late morning, Valen's still lying in bed. He stares at the ceiling, thinking about what's happened since the day he reunited with Melanie. Things are slowly getting better, but he suspects that he's burdening Rosa. It feels like she's not going out as much as she usually does. He needs to have a talk with her.

Valen sits up, eyeing his round walnut table with legs shaped like Yanmega. His gaze moves downwards towards the table's second surface. This one's shaped like a three leaf clover, and it lies within the middle between the top and the bottom. Then, he glances towards his five bookshelf that contain over a hundred and twenty different books, the antique gilt bronze clock ticking by the second.

"I'm grateful for everything I have, everything I own....and all of my mistakes...Rosa already knows. I wanna be free...I wanna be free." His eyes slightly widen as arms are wrapped around his midsection. He feels a surge of calmness and warmth flowing through him.

"Is this a bad time to come in?" Rosa holds Valen as tightly as she can. "I needed to make you feel better." She lets go of Valen, sitting next to him on the bed. She notices that Valen's now staring blankly at his ceiling. "Something's bothering you...you don't have to hide it from me."

"...Promise me that you'll focus on your dream," Valen laments, a deep sigh following. "Don't lose sight because of a mess like me."

Tears start to stream down Rosa's cheeks. "Please...don't degrade yourself like that." She pleads, clenching her sides. "I don't like...I don't like it when you do that."

"That dream of yours is unrelated to me."

"It's true that it's unrelated to you...but is it wrong that I want you to see me succeed?" Rosa's tone becomes duller, her gaze distant. "Is it wrong that I want you...to be proud of me?"

"You shouldn't consider me as a factor for something that you want for yourself," Valen tells her, feeling a knot in his stomach. "That's all I'm trying to say."

"I know, but you keep acting like you're a nuisance for me." Her voice cracks between her whimpers, her shoulders lowered and her chin inwards. "You...you value yourself so little...it's painful to watch."

"It's because of me that what you wanna do is on hold." Valen's about to lower his face into his palms, only for Rosa to stop him from letting ago.

She takes a hard deep breath, her stern stare meeting his eyes. "Don't do this." She shakes her head. "Please."

"But...I just...want you to remember your dreams and goals." The Rosa he knows is strong-willed and determined. His issues are holding her back, just as he suspected.

"Answer a question for me." Rosa's body tenses up as anger builds up inside of her. "Is being a famous trainer abroad more important than someone's personal well being? How about a singing gig, a movie role, or a play role?"

"...Well...no...but you're spending so much time to make sure that I'm okay."

"Not once have I blamed you." Rosa tightens her fists, sitting straight up. "You need to stop this right now." She feels like she's about to explode any second now.

"Rosa, I just-"

"Can you just stop already?!" Rosa blurts out, her tears increasing. "I'm not some uncaring jerk who only cares about herself!" Her lips curl upwards, her pulse racing. "You need to stop this crap right now!" She swings her right hand from left to right. "Stop degrading yourself!"

Valen feels his head pounding, placing his hands over it. His posture stoops, his lips and chin trembling. He just want what's best for her, so why'd she yell at him?

"...Sweetie?"

"I'm sorry for upsetting you...guess I failed again." His voice's tremulous. "I...I dunno...what to say now." What's going to happen to him? Is she going to go back to Unova and leave him behind?

His face, no words. There's no words to describe the painful sight she's seeing right in front of her eyes. His tear-filled eyes, the anguish and fear on his face, what has she done to him?!

She tugs her ice blue sleeves, her chin resting at the bottom of her neck. Tears are dripping from Valen's eyes as he squeezes them shut. She presses her lips together, cupping Valen's face. She stares deep into his widened eyes, her expression saying it all. She loves him, she'll always love him. He knows that no matter what, it's him or no one.

"Shhhh, it's going to be okay." Rosa kisses him on the top right side of his head. "I'm always going to be here for you."

His tears cease, a silence befalling the room. Why was he afraid in the first place? This is Rosa he's talking to. She loves him with all his heart, she'd never do anything to hurt him. Even after all his mistakes, the only she wants from him is a smile.

"Will you be okay, sweetie?" Her lullaby-like tone's accompanied with a sweet smile and a gentle gaze.

"Yeah...thanks." Her sweet tone and expression begins to have an anxiolytic effect on his mind. "I should've said that you can be generous to a fault." He fidgets with the bottom of his black sleeveless shirt. "It's like how my strong sense of duty hurt me in Orre."

Rosa takes several deep breaths. "...I know...I know...and you're right." She caresses Valen's right cheek, her eyes glowing with gratitude. "I'll achieve what I desire because I want to."

"...Hey...I remember you being approached by some people who only saw you as a pretty and popular girl." His lips briefly curl into a faint scowl. " When you're popular, you don't always attract genuine people."

"...Y-Yeah, that can still make me nervous here and there," Rosa admits, her hands resting in her lap. "How'd you deal with it?" She asks, leaning closer. "I mean, you were famous and popular too." He still is, he'll return one day.

Valen furrows his brow and straightens his posture. "I never let the thought of that bother me." He raises his right fist, his elbow bent. "I kept on moving forward."

"Um...will you...will you keep seeing me as Rosa?" Her voice quavers, feeling a slight tightness in her ribs. "No matter how famous and popular I am?"

Valen takes a deep breath, deciding it's time to do that again. He inches closer to Rosa's right ear. "Listen, I will love you regardless of your fame. I'll hold you whenever you're in pain." His tone's smooth and melodious. "The way I feel for you will always be the same—I know that your love won't change."

"You're something else." Rosa places her hands on her knees, a giggle echoing throughout the master bedroom. "Of course you would do this." She gently drums her heels against the bed. "Thanks."

Tingling jolts her when his warm hands touch her back and head make her. A void, that's her body right now. The tension's dissipating piece by piece. Her limbs loosen as she's pulled closer, her right cheek on his upper chest. His love's sedative, his hugs a meditation for her emotions. She just wants to stay there, stay wrapped in his arms. Forever.

"Shhhh, it'll be okay," he whispers, kissing the top of her head. "Do you remember the reason behind why I call you the second coming of the Old Masters?"

"It's your way of reminding me that I'm good at it." She rubs his upper back. "It's also because you believe in me so much."

"Bingo." Valen kisses the top of her head. "And if you weren't super likable, then you wouldn't have a big circle of good friends, right?"

"Good point," she replies. "Thank you."

"Anytime, I'm always here for you."

As they let go, Rosa decides that it's time to lighten up the mood, a grin dancing across her face. "After they heard your smooth talking for the first time, Nate and Hugh leaned back and shouted 'DAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!'"

"I'm the king of classy." Valen winks, clicking a tooth one time.

"You're the only one who can handle meeee, big boooy," Rosa places a finger on her lower lip, maintaining strong eye contact with Valen. "You can handle me whenever you likeeeeeee."

"Oh, I'll handle you all right." Valen moves closer to Rosa's right ear. "I'm going to dethrone you."

Valen and Rosa's lips lock into place like magnets, both going tumbling down onto the bed. With their arms snugly around each other, they begin play wrestling with their legs. Rosa makes a roaring sound while Valen hisses, their kissing increasing with a fierce intensity.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Valen's Gardevoir has been standing outside of the room the entire time. Gardevoir's leaning against the wall next to Valen's open door. She's got her arms folded, sporting a content smile. She'd proud of her trainer for wanting to change his ways. All six of them are.

Valen was the first human that she fully trusted. She didn't hate humans, but she was timid. She still remembers Valen's confused expression when Melanie told him that she was emitting a somewhat "sinister" vibe, and that her grin made her look witch-like. She was a Kirlia when this so-called "sinister" side first emerged, or "somewhat yandere" side as Melanie later called it. That's when her habit of cackling started. Eventually, Valen grew indifferent to it, and everybody who was close to him got used to this aura of hers.

Valen and Rosa walk out of the house and onto the front steps, which creak as they walk down. As they wait for Melanie and the others, the duo discuss the current status of Rosa's move into the house. Well, they would be if Rosa wasn't trying to make Valen shy with her adorable grin.

Oooooh, her Valey sweetie's wearing a different black jacket than the usual one he wears. Her eyes sparkle like her necklace. He's Team Skull's Valen, and he's ready to cause mayhem!

"Heeeeeey!"

Hilda's bubbly voice could be heard from a mile away. Rosa waves at her friends and their Pokémon, happily gasping when Valen joins her. Her grin grows winder when they wave back, their Pokémon greeting Valen and her again via happy cries. Tee-hee, lots of besties! Hilda and her Umbreon! Melanie and her Dragonite! Arthur and his Corviknight! Calem and his Manectric! There's even one who's trying to hide but isn't doing a very good job at it!

Valen realizes that everybody's got either an amused smile or a playful smirk. Even the Pokémon are smiling or smirking. After a few seconds of confusion, he joins the smirking crowd. "How dumb do you think your boy is, Serena?" He glances over to his left, saying, "Get your butt over here." He recognized Serena by the dark pink hat and black tank top that she loves to wear.

"H-How did you know?!" Serena cries out, remaining behind the fence in embarrassment.

"The fence isn't enclosed in the middle." It's also not original, the original fence long gone when mom bought the house.

"H-How'd I miss that?!" Serena smacks her face with her left hand. She rolls her eyes when she hears Dragonite, Ninetales, Manectric, and Umbreon laughing.

Valen gestures for a hug, causing Serena to run towards him. Warmth infuses his body when her arms slide around his neck. He rests his left hand on her back, running his right hand through her hair. It been a while since he's felt one of Serena's hugs. It feels good, he always feels good after a hug from any of them.

"Privyet."

"Can't just say hello, can you?"

"...It's good to see you again, Valen." Her voice begins to crack with emotion. "I was so worried about you...it's not like you to stop calling and texting just like that."

"Sorry, I...I had it really rough...so I grew distant from everyone."

"I'm here for you too."

"...Alright, thanks."

They let go, with Serena recalling the charming words that he said to her when they first met: "I thought these old buildings were the prettiest thing in town, but they've met their match."

Serena sees that Rosa's wearing the necklace that she's been talking about. That sparkling diamond-lace necklace is even more gorgeous in person, and she loves how there's a coiled up Serperior engraved on both sides of the emerald. Valen's a proper gentleman, and both Silver and Calem need to take notes with their noggins.

She spins around like a record in a turntable, her glare so intense that Calem feels like that she's a Golbat who just used Mean Look on him. Fittingly, she act like she wants the blood of those she deems "unfashionable" at times.

"Listen up, dumb-dumb." She rests her hands on her hips, her lips parting to reveal clenched teeth. "Get me something nice or I'll make you perform in a Pokémon Musical again."

Calem's mind replays a silly event from four and a half years ago. He had lost a battle to Serena, and he had to keep his end of the bet. His Dragapult liked the top hat, the monocle, and the black cape that Serena wanted him to try on. Dragapult wouldn't leave without them, so he had to buy them. They weren't expensive, but they weren't cheap.

"You're coming with me to the mall, mister." Serena points to herself, announcing, "Never forget that I'm Serena Yvette Verochka Nikolaev, the Kalosian Empress of Fashion."

A confused Calem snaps back into focus. Why does she always say her full name like that?

"Wake up, zho-pa." Serena yanks his ears like an angry sister. "Naptime's over."

Calem wriggles himself loose, feeling like he's a Caterpie trying to fend off the world's bossiest Golbat. Much to his relief, she's now watching Valen saunter towards the others.

"Can we have a battle?" Serena asks Valen. "It's been a while."

"Sure." Valen takes out a Poké Ball from inside his leather jacket, and points it towards Serena. "You think you've got what it takes to defeat your boy Valen?"

"We'll see."

Valen presses the bottom to let out his Golisopod, who greets everybody with a faint cry. Wait a minute, Golisopod's mind sparks with what Luxray told the rest of the team. Valen managed to remain focused against Silver. Can he pull it off again?

Rosa exchanges a mischievous smile with Valen. "I wonder if Hilda's Umbreon and Leaf's Espeon will develop a very specific food obsession."

Serena places her hands on her hips. "I didn't overfeed them like Calem did."

"I didn't know they'd eat the entire basket of Moruga berries." Calem rolls his eyes

"They vomited." Hilda folds her arms, her Umbreon turning away from Calem.

"Maybe you should've warned me that they eat like a Snorlax," Calem retorts.

As he snickers over this silly squabble, Valen feels that this battle will be a good test to see if he's getting back on track. If he could focus while battling Silver, he can focus in this battle too. The unseen enemy failed to break his closest bonds. It's time to hand it another defeat.

Valen, Serena, and the others have gone to the public arena near Valen's house, the first two standing on opposite sides of the grassy field. Rosa, Melanie, Hilda, Arthur and Calem stand outside of the arena in the center. Their respective Pokémon stand to their left, and Rosa's called out her Serperior.

Serena takes out a Poké Ball from her pinkish-red handbag. "I'll use my Jolteon!"

She presses the button to let her Pokémon out. Jolteon lets out a howl as electricity sparks all around his body. Then, Golisopod and Jolteon greet each other with pleasant cries. Jolteon greets the other Pokémon, while Golisopod waves at the other Pokémon.

"Prepare yourself." Valen turns his back towards Serena, pointing to the Team Skull logo on his leather jacket. "Team Skull's Valen is ready to cause mayhem." He spins back around. "Get ready for this!" He announces, his Golisopod letting out a robotic screech as he bangs his arms on his chest.

Her Jolteon lets out another howl as electricity sparks all over his body. The Pokémon let out cries, cheering on both Golisopod and Jolteon.

"I'm the big bad trainer who beats you down and beats you down without ever letting up!" Valen places his hands in his pockets, confidently smirking. "Use First Impression," he commands in a lowered tone.

Golisopod moves so fast that it seems to disappear, suddenly reappearing right in front of Jolteon. Golisopod strikes the Electric-type quadruped using his body, sending him flying behind Serena.

"Use Brick Break." Golisopod's right claw glows white and it charges towards Jolteon.

Serena smirks, commanding, "Counter with Agility!"

Jolteon dashes out of the way, running around in circles so fast that he appears to disappear and reaper.

"Thunder Fang!"

Jolteon bears his fangs, which glow lightning yellow. Electrical sparks appear within his mouth as he lunges towards Golisopod at a high rate of speed. Jolteon bites down on Golisopod's left arm. Golisopod closes it eyes and staggers, but quickly regains his composure.

"Uh oh, looks like somebody got too close," Valen laughs, his eyebrows angling downwards. "Use Poison Jab."

As Jolteon attempts to back away, Golisopod's right claw glows purple, and he strikes Jolteon with it in the middle of his underside. Jolteon yelps as he crashes to the ground. As he gets back up, Jolteon glows purple, yelping again as he takes additional damage.

"Seriously?!" Serena places her hands on her hips. "Why'd the secondary effect have to occur when I'm battling this guy of all people?!"

"Use Brick Break."

Once again, Golisopod's right claw glows white and it charges towards Jolteon. This time, Golisopod strikes Jolteon on the top of his head, sending him staggering. Jolteon's able to pull himself back together, howling at a cackling Golisopod.

"Ah, I need to focus!" Serena exclaims. "Use Thunderbolt!"

Jolteon fires off a powerful bolt of electricity towards Golisopod. The arthropod crosses his arms, attempting to endure the attack as electricity envelops his entire body. Nevertheless, Golisopod staggers from the attack.

"Yes, now we're getting somewhere!" Serena shouts, sporting an enthusiastic grin. "Use Shock Wave!"

Jolteon's body glows blue, and he fires off a blue lightning bolt. Golisopod's struck in the front center of the body, causing him to bend downwards as he reels from both Electric-type attacks.

"Shadow Ball!"

A purplish black sphere of energy forms in front of Jolteon's mouth. As Golisopod reels from the two previous attacks, Jolteon fires off the sphere of energy. Golisopod's hit in the top of his head. He staggers from left to right and vice versa, nearly losing balance.

"Use Thunder!"

Jolteon howls, the quadruped being enveloped by electricity. Jolteon fires off a massive, lightning yellow beam of electricity at Golisopod, who's just regained his footing. Golisopod stares directly at the powerful electric attack, letting out a robotic shriek as it crashes into his upper body, enveloping him within seconds. The arthropod shuts his eyes, letting out a robotic groan. Eventually, the electricity evaporates, and Golisopod kneels over.

"Use Swords Dance."

Golisopod slowly stands upright, re-opening his eyes. He crosses his arms and glows light blue. Then, light blue swords form and surround him. The swords begin to rotate rapidly like a dreidel, eventually vanishing as the light blue glow becomes more vibrant. Golisopod lets out a booming, robotic cry, flexing its arms as a show of strength.

Uh oh, Serena knows that this means Golisopod's physical attacks are going to be more powerful. She furrows her brow, commanding, "Electro Ball!"

"Sucker Punch."

Before Jolteon can even prepare to launch his Electro Ball attack, Golisopod moves so fast that it's like he vanished into thin air. He reappears inches away from Jolteon, his claws glowing dark green. He clocks Jolteon's back, sending the spiky quadruped kneeling.

"You won't get to me that easily!" Serena tightens her fists, bending her elbows. "Shock Wave!"

Jolteon's body glows blue once again. He fires off a blue lightning bolt, which strikes Golisopod in the face. The arthropod staggers backwards, Serena feeling that she can take the lead in this battle.

"Thunder Fang!"

Jolteon howls, his fangs glowing lightning yellow. Electricity sparks inside of his mouth as he chomps down on Golisopod's left arm. Golisopod lets out a robotic yelp. Golisopod stumbles, but is able to pull himself together several seconds later. Jolteon jumps backyards, him and his trainer both sporting confident smiles.

"Use Swords Dance again."

Once again, Golisopod crosses his arms and glows light blue. Light blue swords form and around Golisopod. The swords rotate, vanishing a few seconds later. The light blue glow becomes more vibrant. Golisopod cackles over the fact his attacks will do even more damage.

"Another Swords Dance." Hilda smiles. "He must be planning to launch some big attacks soon." Umbreon glances at her trainer. She's wondering how Hilda can know this, but nearly ran into what the humans call a street light on the way here.

"Thunder!"

Jolteon's body becomes enveloped by electricity. He fires off a second gigantic lightning yellow beam, which envelops Golisopod within seconds. Golisopod topples onto his back, trying to pull himself together.

"Thunder Fang!"

Jolteon's fangs glowing lightning yellow again . Electricity sparks inside of his mouth as he chomps down on Golisopod's right arm. Golisopod shuts his eyes, but he refuses to give in so easily.

"Poison Jab."

As Jolteon jumps back, Golisopod rolls onto his right side, his left claw glows purple. Then, he slams the claw into Jolteon's underside. Jolteon's eyes widen, the quadruped letting out a yelp. However, he's able to land on all fours.

"Use Swords Dance one more time."

Golisopod crosses his arms and glows light blue. Light blue swords form and around Golisopod. The swords rotate, then vanish.

"Use Thunder!"

Jolteon howls as his body becomes enveloped by electricity once again. Jolteon fires off another gigantic lightning yellow beam at Golisopod. The arthropod's enveloped by the intense crackling bolts, his robotic bellow filling up the air around him.

Golisopod kneels as he starts to pants. He won't deny that he got caught off guard this time. He won't go down like this, he's not letting a second Thunder attack hit. Sure enough, another one's heading his way. He cackles that it won't work this time.

"Playtime's over." Valen confidently smirks. "Charge in with X-Scissor."

Golisopod crosses his armored arms to form a x shape. Golisopod's arms glow light blue, and he lunges straight into Jolteon's Thunder attack. At first, the arthropod struggles to break through the crackling electricity. Then, he begins to push it backwards, lunging directly at Jolteon.

"S-Seriously?!" Serena yelps, her eyes widening.

Golisopod strikes the quadruped in the face. Jolteon shuts his eyes, stumbling backward as Volt Absorb kicks in. The Thunder attack's vanquished by a glowing, bright yellow aura emitting on Jolteon's body. The boost in offensive power's making it difficult for Jolteon to remain standing, his legs quavering. The poison damage's still taking its toll as well.

"Liquidation."

Golisopod cackles as a giant sword made out of water materializes within his right hand. He spins the crescent-shaped weapon around just to look cool for the audience. Then, he lunges at Jolteon like a knight charging into battle. Golisopod rapidly swings his sword in a sideways motion, striking Jolteon. The quadruped's struck on his right side, causing him to shut his eyes. Golisopod lands in a bent position, cackling as a defeated Jolteon falls onto the ground.

"Aw...I lost." Serena murmurs, recalling her Jolteon. "You fought well, so get some rest." She places the ball back inside her handbag.

"That's my boy." Valen and his Golisopod exchange a fist bump.

Valen's about to recall his Golisopod, but he notices the arthropod's now chatting with the other Pokémon. Thus, he decides against it. Valen and Serena walk towards each other, exchanging a fist bump as they both smile. They watch the other Pokémon congratulate Golisopod with cheerful cries. In response, Golisopod cackles that it was no big deal.

Since Jolteon needs rest, Serena decides to let out a different Pokémon to join the crowd. She takes out another ball from her handbag. She presses the button to let out her Pangoro. Pangoro and Valen exchange a nod in acknowledgment. Then, Pangoro folds his arms, joining the other Pokémon.

"I knew he'd win!" Rosa's eyes glisten. "Roar, here I come!" She darts towards Valen, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him on the lips.

"This always feels good." Valen wraps his arms around Rosa's midsection.

"Do you get it now, Valen?" Rosa asks. "They've already re-accepted or accepted you into the circle."

Valen closes his eyes, feeling unable to make eye contact with anybody. "Will you lot...will you always be my friends?"

"Don't be silly," Hilda reassures, sporting a friendly smile. "When did I stop being one of your besties?"

"Don't forget that Rosa's got a big circle of friends!" Serena exclaims. "We'll always be your friends!"

"You...you promise?"

"All of us promise!"

Golisopod, Dragonite, Manectric, Serperior, Corviknight and Umbreon proudly smile at their respective trainers.

"...You...me...you all meant it this entire time. This is surreal...I was wrong...I'm sorry." Valen clenches his teeth, tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry for everything I've said and done! I promise that I'll change!"

He places his right arm over his eyes. All the tension within his body's evaporated. His mind's feeling more at ease. Is this it? Is this what it feels like when others care about you? Is this what it feels like when you're called a friend? He's forgotten what friendship's like. Now, he feels like it's all coming back to him at once. There really is a brighter future waiting for him, isn't there?

Speaking of which, he notices that his ball of fluff's smile's giving off a mischievous vibe. Furthermore, both her and her Serperior are glancing rightwards towards Hilda. These two are so much fun to be around, they always brighten up his day with their presence alone.

His thought process is disrupted when he hears Hilda crying out in embarrassment. She's failing her arms up and down, her Umbreon trying to hold back intense laughter.

"You can tame a Garchomp, yet you almost ran into a tree in Viridian Forest." Rosa was kneeling over in hysterics over that.

"H-Hey, I love battling so much that I forget things!" Hilda retorts. "I had a good battle right before that, and my Gabite evolved into Garchomp!"

"What about the time you took a wrong turn and ended up on the other side of Lumiose City?" Calem teases, faintly laughing alongside his Manectric. "I don't recall you having any battles."

"Unovan Noire had just come out, and I found a deal on it within Lumiose City!" Hilda shouts. "The main plot's a Pokémon journey set in late 1940s Unova! How could I not be thinking about that?!" Hilda blurts out.

"You weren't battling before you ran into my room's door," Rosa giggles, her Serperior faintly laughing.

"I had just gotten Mortal Battle 9!" Hilda yells. "Pokémon fighting games count too! You three are still salty over the fact that I kicked your butts in PvP!"

"You better hope that Valen doesn't join in on the next roasting session," Melanie chuckles, her Dragonite joining her. "When we were hanging out in Old Downtown, you were so distracted by the smell of pizza that you almost ran into the door."

"It was authentic Unovan pizza!" Hilda retorts. "I was minding my own business and now I'm being roasted by the squad!"

"Y'all are stupid, leave my manager be." Shoutout to his boy Guzma, keep kicking ass.

Valen and Golisopod snicker, eyeing the surprised faces that look frozen. Except for Hilda, who's got a big smug smile. All three are proud of the fact that the other Pokémon are laughing too, as evident by the double fist bump. They can't say that Valen didn't warn them about mayhem.

"E-Even me?!" Rosa yelps, jumping away as her right arm dangles behind her. "Oh noooooo!" She extends her left arm, positioning it sideways. "Rosa's stupid too?!"

Valen nearly blushes."E-Except y-y-you." He pokes two fingers together. "Um...y-yo-you're...too...c-cute...eh heh heh...heh...heh." He bends forward, his arms dangling from his side. He's since accepted the fact that he's a dork, but why him? He finds himself fighting off blushing again, this time due to Rosa flashing her trademark adorable grin.

"Woo-hoo, that's more like it!" Rosa twirls with her right heel slightly upwards, her Serperior proudly nodding her head. "I won, I won, I won!" She wraps both her arms around Valen's midsection, his loud yelp echoing as she makes him twirl with her. After letting go, Rosa repeatedly moves from side to side while extending her arms in and out. "Go, go go, go Rosa! You're the winner! You're the cutest and prettiest and you're the winner!"

Valen slowly shakes his head, an adoring grin debouching. For some unknown reason, he earns himself a cheek bop from Hilda, two forehead flicks from Melanie and Serena, and a shoulder nudge from Calem.

As the sun vanishes from sight within the darkening sky, the loud and angry rumble of a modern, mid-engine sports car echoes throughout an almost vacant parking lot.

Silver's come to this area of Angel City to meet up with Dimitri, with Kris accompanying the former. Silver notes that despite being so close to downtown, this area's not that packed. The traffic's very light, and only a handful of people are on the sidewalks, or entering and exiting buildings, bus stops, and so on. He parks his car in the southern portion of the parking lot, and the loud rumble of the car's engine ceases as Silver turns the car off.

"Thanks for bringing me along!" Kris steps out of the black car, closing the door. "I like this car you've got!" She exchanges a smile with Silver. "It's cool that it's called Cheveron, a Kalosian surname!"

"Chevrowlet Corvette C8, a surprisingly affordable car," Silver comments, stepping out of his car. He places the keys in the right pocket of his purplish pants. "So, this is Dimitri's private battle arena," He closes the driver's side door, commenting, "It's nice that there's free public parking next to it.

"Modernist architecture, with a large number of Art Deco buildings mixed in there." Kris studies the mid-rise buildings that surrounds Silver and her.

The combination of glass-brick walls and the sun-breakers, recalling that the latter helps to keep buildings from heating up during the warmest months. The patterns of geometric shapes present on the Art Deco buildings is a hallmark of the style. With these buildings, the architects and builders finished them in Jazz Age, True Blue, and Kalosian Blue. Glove White, Stainless Steel, and Emerald City are also present among several of the buildings. Her attention is drawn to the private arena's gate, and she assess the ornate patterns in the middle and the spires at the top. Dimitri's decided to have the gate this finished in an older style. Gothic Revival, it's definitely Gothic Revival.

The other side of the road contains an office building that's shaped and styled like a Gengar. This is a clear indicator of Postmodernist architecture, which often involves a peculiar finish to a building. Seeing this building in person causes her to grin—Frank Gibson's among the inspirations of her father. She's a big fan of his Pokémon motifs, from the greenhouse shaped and styled like Vileplume within Celadon City to the Nimbasa City restaurant that's shaped and styled like an Electrode. Her grin becomes winder when she realizes that Alfio Rossi's Typhlosion building is close by.

"Where'd you learn all this, and why can't you talk about it instead of fashion and shopping?" Silver bites the inside of his cheek.

"You forgot that my dad's Mikulas Tanaka, plus I like fashion and shopping," Kris furrows her eyebrows as she folds her arms. "You got a problem, tough guy?"

Silver has a big problem with the second two, as evident by his attempt to win an impromptu Slaking-like groaning competition. First of all, she should talk about the colors or the materials used instead of that lame ass shit. Second of all, why did the full moon decide to illuminate how pretty she looks in her favorite clothes? Third of all, why can't he find a C1 Corvette for cheap? He wants to continue building up his dream garage, and Kris needs to be taken out for a date in classy style. What that has to do with anything is something he doesn't know, nor does he care about.

Wait a minute, what the hell was that? No no no no no, he does not have a crush on Kris! Get that cutesy shit outta here, fake Silver! Kris and him are just friends! Kris is too annoying and nagging to date!

"You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not." Kris winks, her forehead bop snapping Silver out of it. "You know you like meeeee." If only he wore a suit. No, not because she finds him handsome in a suit. It's because he hangs out with this stylish and stunning woman, duh.

Silver shatters the impromptu silence via a loud smack to his face with his left palm. "Let's go to the arena's gate before I run away like an Entei."

"Hey, is this Dimitri guy really stronger than this region's champion?"

"Valen's neutral on it, but we won't know until the two actually battle publicly." Silver notices that Dimitri's standing near the gate. "He's waiting for us."

"H-How did I miss that?!"

"You're not as smart as you think you are." Silver snickers as he walks towards the gate.

"Hey, at least I know my architecture and art history!" Kris shouts, folding her arms. "I bet you don't even know anything about the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries!"

"I bet you don't even know anything about the 18th and 19th centuries," Silver mimics in a higher-pitched tone.

Dimitri faintly laughs over this squabble. These two are a tad bit similar to Valen and Rosa, but they might be hiding how they feel about each other. It's just a hunch, no confirmation.

"Sorry, she's annoying." Silver snickers upon hearing Kris' angry grunting. "She can't handle the truth."

"My name is Dimitri Liniya," he introduces. "I am the President and CEO of the Liniya Corporation." These two are quite the circus to observe.

"Hey there, I'm Kris!" She runs in front of Silver, making him faintly screen with a double cheek bop. "Nice to meet you!" Her eyes sparkle upon taking a closer look at Dimitri's black Guzmani suit and red tie. "Ooooh, Silver should wear that!" As her friend, of course.

"No." Silver rolls his eyes, turning his focus towards Dimitri again. "Before we battle, I'd like to talk to you about you-know-who." Silver sighs, feeling Kris' tender touch on his upper left arm. "I won't take too long."

"Let us go into the arena first."

Dimitri unlocks the gate. The gate's door opens into two, causing a loud creaking noise to echo. He walks into the arena, Silver and Kris following him inside. Afterwards, a bang echoing as Dimitri closes the gate, the two halves become one again.

Zho-pa is a swear word that means ass or butt.
 
Last edited:

BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Chapter 22: Rising To The Challenge

As the moon starts to rise within the black sky, Silver and Dimitri walk towards opposite sides of the arena, with Kris walking next to Silver. Silver and Kris stare at Dimitri and vice versa, a silence enveloping the area for about a minute.

"I'll keep it brief, but I've learned that you've forced him to take an indefinite vacation," Silver informs.

"That is correct." Dimitri grabs one of the six Poké Ball attached around his waist. "I had no choice." He remembers how Valen acted that day, but he's secretly pleased that Valen hasn't asked him about work at all. In addition to that, Dimitri feels that he finally understands the lesson he needed to learn.

"...You know, don't you?" Silver grimaces, his lips parting in disgust. "You know how strong he is, despite his habit of degrading himself?"

"Yes," Dimitri answers, returning his focus to Silver. "I wish he would accept that he is still strong."

"...I battled Valen recently, and his behavior bothered me." Silver sighs, resting his left palm on his forehead. "He said he had no chance to win in that battle, but he fought pretty well."

"This bothers you a lot," Dimitri notes while tapping his chin. "Am I accurate?"

"...Yeah, I don't like it at all." Silver stares blankly at the arena's pavement. "He should be proud of his skills."

If an oven just magically appeared within his body, Kris just turned up the heat by wrapping her arms around his midsection. This reddened face of his is due to the hot sauce he ingested earlier, not because he's blushing.

"I'd like to get to know your friend," Kris whispers, letting go of him. "How strong is he?"

Silver gives Kris a flat-eyed gaze. "Valen The Reaper." He places his right palm on his face. "Seriously, have you been living under a Golem for the last few years?" Who cares if the hot sauce reason makes zero sense? It still makes more sense than him liking Kris, as if that will ever happen beyond friendship.

Kris' eyes widen, her mouth falling open. "Wait, I've met the reaper before!" she yelps. "H-How'd I miss that?!"

"He's somewhere in the ballpark of Red."

"Excuse me, I happen to be a frequent viewer of his battles." Kris moves her neck from left to right, snapping her fingers. "Don't go telling me what I already know."

"Even though you didn't know he was the same person?"

"I...uh...eh heh." Her face reddens as she clasps her hands behind her back. "Moving on." She whistles, avoiding eye contact.

Dimitri glances upwards, the moonlight illuminating his somber expression. "I went through such a situation myself," he admits. "The pressure of being the heir to the Liniya family caused me to have confidence issues as a teenager." he sighs. "That's why I've been lenient with him."

That does sound rough, but Silver's heard that Sergei Liniya was a kind man, unlike Giovanni. Silver thought Valen couldn't relate to him at all. Until he learned that Valen had issues with fitting in. Easier, but still not the easiest. Gladion was in the same boat. Valen, Melanie, Rosa, and Hilda...and then more...turns out having friends isn't so bad after all. Despite his desire to see Gladion step on a LEGOT, Mr. Edgelord is still a friend.

Kris taps Silver on his right shoulder. "Those four accepted you so soon...I think that helped me to forgive you faster." She softly smiles, rubbing Silver's right cheek. "I'm not innocent either."

When Silver was changing his ways, she was too stubborn to even acknowledge it. The regret she felt after he left Johto was enormous. Rosa and Hilda taught her a valuable lesson—that's why she's friendly to people from the start.

"Hey, don't go quiet on me." He didn't blush from her gentle touch. Take that, fake Silver!

Kris snaps back into focus. "Oh, sorry." She scratches the back of her blue hair. "Um...thanks again for forgiving me for how I treated you."

"Past's the past, the world's a strange place." Silver's smile becomes more placid. "Your fashion and shopping talk annoys me, but you're a good friend to have."

"Thanks." Kris exchanges a subtle fist bump with Silver. "Your fashion sense is still the worst."

"Zip it, Queen Blabbermouth."

"In any case, shall we battle?" Dimitri asks Silver, faintly chuckling. "Don't worry about him, because he's in good hands." He notes the similarities between Rosa and Kris, musing, "Something tells me that there's more than meets the eye with these two."

Silver nods, grabbing one of the six Poké Balls attached around his waist. "Heh, I'm battling another trainer who went up against Red," he comments, smirking as he maintains strong eye contact with Dimitri.

"I like your confidence, but let us see if your actions match your words."

"I'll use my Kommo-o."

Silver chucks the ball above his head, Kommo-o boomingly roaring as he comes out. He fiddles around, impatiently waiting for the battle to start.

"I shall use this Pokémon."

Dimitri presses the button on his Poké Ball to let his Pokémon out. It remains eerily quiet, its eyes closed as if it's sleeping while standing upright.

"So, the rumors are true," Silver remarks with a growing grin. "You do have a Spectrier." he cackles. "This is a perfect test for me."

"This Pokémon took down four of my Pokémon before I finally caught it." Dimitri sighs. "It was a challenge by one of my friends, a member of the Elite Four."

Kris keenly studies this stallion, noting its black fur and purple mane. That facial expression is eerily calm. She's heard and read of this Pokémon, but it's her first time seeing one. A Spectrier and a Glastrier were the stallions of Calyrex. She came to learn about The King of Bountiful Harvests and his steeds thanks to a painting by Philips Bruegel the Elder.

"This battle's gonna rock!" Kris gushes. She jumps up into the air, extending her right fist above her. "Go get em, Silver!"

Silver glares with determination, he can feel his his pulse racing. He won't be able to use certain moves, but Kris is rooting for him. How can he lose when he can impress-when she'll annoy whichever opponent he faces?

"Let's begin," Dimitri says. "Spectrier, use Nasty Plot."

Spectrier lets out a eerie scream that pierces the tranquil evening. A black aura envelopes the ghostly stallion, causing it to let out another eerie cry as its special offensive power increases.

Enough of Fake Silver trying to take over, it's battle time. "Use Dragon Dance, then Dragon Claw."

Kommo-o's enveloped by an orange aura, the dragon spinning around four times. He roars, feeling an increase in his physical power and speed. Let's go! Both of his claws glow royal yellow. He roars again as he lunges towards Spectrier.

"Evade with Agility, then use Shadow Ball."

As Kommo-o's inches away from striking, Spectrier suddenly vanishes, re-appearing a short distance way as a black and purple sphere of energy forms in front of his mouth. Spectrier fires off the sphere of energy, striking Kommo-o in the gray and yellow scales that start just below his jaw.

Kommo-o pulls itself together, while Silver keenly notes the current location of Spectrier. "You're within reach," he points out, sporting a confident, grin.

"Kommo-o, use Shadow Claw."

Kommo-o's left claw glows dark purple, and he lunges towards Spectrier. Before the ghostly stallion can evade, its struck just below the jaw.

"Use Will-o-Wisp."

Spectrier stands upright and shriek like a banshee. It opens its mouth and launches a spectral blue fireball. When the fireball hits Kommo-o. it explodes into a small conflagration of spectral blue flames. Kommo-o lets out a distressed yelp as he's engulfed. As the spectral blue flames vanish, Kris hopes that Silver didn't think this battle would be a walk in the park.

"Poison Jab."

Kommo-o's right hand glows purple, and he strikes Spectrier in the middle of its body. A purple aura envelops the ghostly stallion, causing it to faintly yelp as it takes poison damage.

"Heh, now your Pokémon's got one too." Silver taunts. "Let's see which Pokémon can last longer with damaging status conditions."

An undeterred Dimitri folds his arms, his glare stern. "Psycho Cut."

Spectrier's wavy, purple mane briefly straightens out. Spectrier swings its head rightwards, and a spectral purple crescent emerges from its mane. The crescents crashes into Kommo-o, causing it to nearly fall down on his back.

Silver looks on with a wide-eyed expression. "Huh...that was unexpected."

"Uh oh, it knows a Psychic-type attack!" Kris' mouth falls open.

Silver quickly regains his cool, his eyebrows angling downwards as he fixates a competitive gaze on Dimitri and Spectrier. "Use Dragon Pulse." Kommo-o opens his mouth and a yellow sphere of energy forms in front of it.

"Evade with Agility, then use Psycho Cut again."

Spectrier vanishes, re-appearing a short distance away as a second spectral purple crescent hurls towards Kommo-o. Kommo-o's struck just under the jaw, causing the sphere to vanish before it can be launched.

"Use Hex."

Spectrier's eyes glow blood red, letting out an ominous cry. A giant, blood red eye appears above the ghostly stallion. The eye begins to glow, causing a blood red aura to form and envelop Kommo-o. The scaly dragon lets out a distressed yelp as the aura becomes thicker, even slightly obscuring everybody's view of the dragon.

"Oh no, this isn't looking good!" Kris worries, wrinkling her brow. "Hex does a lot more damage when the target's afflicted with a status condition! That's on top of burn damage and a weakened physical moves!"

"Argh, this guy's one hell of a tactician." Silver grunts, narrowing his eyes. I should've expected this from a Legendary Pokemon."

"Shadow Ball." Spectrier open its mouth and a black and purple sphere of energy forms in front of it.

"Send it back and use Shadow Claw." This time, Kommo-o's right claw glows dark purple. He swings his tail, hurling the Shadow Ball back towards Spectrier. Spectrier takes a hit to the face, but shakes it off. Kommo-o strikes Spectrier on the top of its head, sending the ghostly stallion stumbling.

Dimitri studies the battlefield. Both Kommo-o and Spectrier can feel themselves getting weaker due to their respective inflictions, but neither's backing down. Not bad, not bad at all. Silver's a formidable opponent.

"Use Psycho Cut."

Spectrier's wavy and purple mane straightens out, the ghostly stallion swinging its head rightwards. A spectral purple crescent emerges from its mane, slamming into the reeling Kommo-o. Kommo-o falls to the ground, struggling to get back onto his feet.

"Finish this with Phantom Force."

A purple portal appears behind Spectrier, and Spectrier's pulled into it, vanishing from everybody's sight. As Kommo-o staggers with his eyes closes, the portal appears again inches in front of him. Spectrier's enveloped by a purple aura, and it rams into the dragon's mid-chest. Spectrier jumps backwards, while Kommo-o crashes into the ground in defeat.

"W-Woah, Silver actually lost?!" Kris shrills, jerking her arms backwards.

"It happens." Silver shrugs, recalling Kommo-o. "Just gotta get stronger." He was more powerful than he expected, but it what it is.

"Good battle, Silver." Dimitri smiles as he recalls Spectrier.

"You too, Dimitri," Silver compliments, re-attaching Kommo-o's Poké Ball to his belt. "I'll win next time, though."

"I look forward to our next battle, should the opportunity arise again." Dimitri re-attaches Spectrier's Poké Ball to his belt. "By the way, Champion Wolfgang's got a Darkrai."

Silver and Kris' eyes widen, both stepping backwards. "You're kidding, right?!"

"Nope." Dmitri takes out the gate's key and starts walking towards it. "Have fun with your girlfriend."

These words send a Thunder attack throughout both Kris and Silver's body. Their faces resemble Tamato berries. "We're just friends, Dimitri." They fold their arms and look away from each other, their scowls visibly forced. "They're annoying and I wouldn't date them in a million years."

"Ah, those type of people," Dimitri muses as he unlocks the gate. "The ones who try too hard." He walks out of the arena. "As a result, it's a lot more obvious."

As Kris and Silver walk out of the arena, the loud thud of the gate closing echoes. This doesn't distract Silver from recalling Valen's Salamence and Red's Charizard duking it out like fighters in a kung fu film, soaring above the mountainous terrain. The battle raged on and on for what seemed like an eternity, and both Pokémon were exhausted. Charizard still attempted to strike over and over again, but the blue-eyed white dragon that appears when a Salamence uses Dragon Pulse or Dragon Rush put a stop to that, followed by a Hydro Pump. As Charizard fell to the ground, Valen blinked as his lips parted in shock. However, he became extremely elated seconds later. In the end, Red won that six versus six battle, but Valen had no regrets about his performance.

Silver snaps back into focus when his phone dings. He takes it out of his right pocket. "Rui." He reads her text message, unsure how to respond. Valen's been having a tougher time pushing through his own struggle.

"Is she okay?" Kris asks, nudging Silver's left arm.

"...She's better, but I dunno if who she's asking about is better." His eyes widen upon feeling Kris sliding her arms around his neck, a sudden jolt causes him to jump.

"I'm proud of you." Kris's voice carries a soothing tone. "Very proud of you."

Silver pauses, unsure of what to do for a few seconds. He wraps his arms around Kris's upper back, sporting a wider smile than usual. He hopes nobody sees his clearly reddened face, because the hot sauce was somehow too spicy for him.

Kris lets go, asking, "Together forever?"

"Yeah, together forever." Silver pats Kris' head. "As friends." Her heart melting smile didn't make him blush. Strike two, fake Silver!

"As best friends, Silver." she giggles. "Cuddle buddies too." Nobody that knows them is around, time to hold hands!

"Thanks for the promotion, Queen Blabbermouth." Silver shrugs. "You're still annoying."

"You still lack a fashion sense."

They share a laugh, sliding a hand into the other's grasp. They've got time to go on a nighttime friend date at his place. That's where she's been staying to begin with.

"Whatcha in the mood foooor?" Kris asks in a singsong tone.

"Classical literature." His smile evolves into a grin. "How about The Epic of Calyrex?"

"Nice choice!" Kris' eyes gleam with elation. "Oooh, how about I talk about classical art!" Her steps contain a bounce. "We can talk about the classical world in general!"

"I'm still better than you at classical literature, Queen Blabbermouth."

"Oho, I'm light-years ahead of you in classical sculpture and architecture!" Kris slides her neck from left to right, wagging her left index. "Can't touch this!"

Silver wraps his around her midsection. "Take this." He begins giving her a noogie, making her giggle "Who's winning now, huh?"

This would've never happened if both of them didn't change for the better. It's symbolic of how far they've come. If they can do it, so can Valen and Rui. Maybe Wes will come around too.

Valen's sitting on his bed, reading a book titled The Artistic Story. The sixteenth edition, to be exact. Many years ago, his routine was to read this after watching cartoons. He's been re-reading the whole book for the umpteenth time, and it's got company. His first and second books, The Lives of Artists and Art History's Fundamentals, are chilling next to his right leg.

As for the ball of fluff, she's gone into the hallway bathroom. She wouldn't tell him why, but whatever it is has made the naturally cheery girl even more cheery. Is such a thing even possible?

"I need to go out looking like this more often!" Rosa gushes from the hallway. "I still love this look! I look soooo good!"

"Why didn't you use the master bedroom's bathroom?" Valen questions, faintly laughing as he turns a page of his book.

"I wanted to surprise you!" Rosa happily exclaims, her footsteps becoming more and more apparent as she darts closer to the room.

"Oh?" Valen sports a lopsided smile.

"Alsooooo, I want to know what you think!" Rosa giggles, standing just out of Valen's sight.

"You like it, and that should be the end of it."

"I knooow, but I want you to see it as well! You're gonna love this!" Rosa appears within Valen's sight, standing next to his open door.

Valen glances towards Rosa, saying, "Fine, lemme take a l-"

Valen's jaw drops, nearly jolting off of the bed when he sees that Rosa's dark brown hair isn't tied this time. He fixates a wide-eyed gaze on her very long hair. Rosa's dazzling hair flows down past her back, close to her frilly, mustard yellow shorts. He clenches his teeth, tugging at the collar of his gunmetal, long sleeve shirt as he sweats

"U-Uh...uh...err-"

"So, what do you think?" Rosa lets out a faint giggle as she spins around in a full circle, her hair swaying from side to side. "You think the queen should rock this look more often?"

A red-faced Valen breaks eye contact, lowering his gaze to the lower half of Rosa's black leggings. "Y-You're so g-go-gorgeous with y-yo-your hair down," he compliments while poking two fingers together. "I mean, you're g-go-gorgeous to begin with, but you s-sho-should leave your h-hair d-do-down m-mo-more o-of-often."

Rosa notices the book Valen's holding. "Ooooh, whatcha reading about?"

"Um...errr...y-yo-you c-can-" Valen hides his face behind his open book. "You...can...um...d-do y-yo-you want to s-sit with m-me...eh heh...heh?"

He hears the sounds of her footsteps getting closer. He squeaks when he feels her jumping on his lap. This isn't good! She's so beautiful and cute, now she's using her unstoppable grinning powers on him!

"Ground control to Valeeeey!" Rosa attempts to peek above his book, waving her right hand near his left cheek. "The queen demands your presenceeeeee!"

He slightly peeks above his book, hiding his face again seconds later. "Valen's not h-" He lets out a panicked yelp when he realizes that Rosa's elegant flowing hair's now rubbing against the upper portion of his legs.

"Um...err-" Valen slowly attempts to direct his daze towards Rosa, but quickly glances to his right. "Errr...H-Hello, R-Ro-Rosa." He yelps, clenching his teeth. "L-Lo-Lovely evening, is-isn't it?"

"You idiot, you don't need to be so shy when I'm your girlfriend." Rosa bops him on the forehead, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He glances to his left, realizing that his Gardevoir's been watching the scene this entire time. Gardevoir's got her arms folded as she leans against Valen's open door, glancing back at her trainer while sporting a lopsided grin.

Valen sheepishly smiles. "Err...s-sorry." He scratches the back of his head. "I...uh...get...well...you're too pretty...eh heh heh heh...heh." He leans forward, remarking, "I'm never living these moments down."

"Loveable idiot." Rosa's amused voice increases in pitch. "You're a dork, but you're my dork." She wags her right index finger. "And eventually, you'll be Hilda's dork too."

"...Hey, can I request something?" He asks, wrapping her arms around Rosa's mid-section.

"Sure, sweetie," Rosa answers, holding him tighter.

"You love battling, so you should battle more, alright?" Valen requests. "Try to resume painting too," he continues. "Follow your goal, follow your dreams."

"I'd really like it if you tagged along with me, sweetie."

"...I dunno...I feel like I'd be a distraction." Valen sheepishly smiles, scratching the back of his head. "S-Sorry...eh heh."

"No." Rosa's now caressing the top of Valen's head as she runs her right hand through his hair. "There's nothing wrong with supporting or helping a person with their goals."

By this point, Gardevoir's moved closer to Valen. Sporting an affectionate smile, Gardevoir gently runs her left hand through his hair, while embracing him with her right arm.

"Thanks, Gardevoir." Valen faintly smiles, patting Gardevoir's head in response.

"Thanks for trying to comfort him." Rosa gives her a grateful smile.

"I think I'll come around soon enough," Valen assures, his eyes looking deep into Rosa's eyes. "Gimme some time."

Rosa releases Valen and vice versa. Gardevoir smiles at both Valen and Rosa as she lets go of her trainer

"I bet you're afraid that you're gonna lose," Valen sasses, earning him a bop on the top of his head. "It's understandable that you don't want people seeing you get your butt kicked over and over again."

Rosa's mouth curves into a playful, confident smile. "Oh, you want to play that game with me?" She sasses back, placing her right thumb on Valen's chin.

"You think that Battle Queen Rosa's gotten rusty as a Pokémon Trainer, big booooy?"

"Prove it," Valen teases, giving Rosa a wink. "Prove you're still Battle Queen Rosa. Unless you're too scared to do so."

Gardevoir's lopsided grin returns, folding her arms as she fixates a mischievous gaze towards Rosa.

"You're being a very bad booooy towards the queen," Rosa flirts, her eyelashes fluttering. "The queen loves a good knight who can also be a bad boooy."

"Yep, you're scared to battle," Valen teases, earning him another playful smack on the top of his head.

"The instant I prove you wrong, you better come watch me." Rosa sports a coy smile. "Otherwise, we're gonna have a problem."

"What if I don't?" Valen winks. "What if I disobey the queen."

"The queen demands your presence." Rosa bops Valen on his forehead. "The queen demands that you follow your own dream as well."

"Just go and have fun out there, will ya?" Valen bops Rosa back. "You don't need a reason to go-"

"It's time for Rosa's cuddling attack!" Rosa moves her arms down to Valen's mid-section, then pins him down to his bed. "Grrrr, feel Rosa's power!"

"Oh noooo, whatever will I dooooo?" Valen laughs. "Ahhhhhh, not Rosa's love. Help meeeeee."

"Tee-hee, you're sooo funny!" Rosa kisses Valen on the lips.

Valen's Gengar enters the room via passing through the wall, catching his trainer's attention. Gengar happily closes his eyes, standing next to a smirking Gardevoir.

Valen decides it's time for his doses of Rosa's affection, but with a twist. "Your boy requires payment." He gives Rosa a flirtatious wink. "Pay up right now."

Rosa's eyelashes flutter, she wrapping her arms around Valen's neck. "Good timing," she teases. "The queen demands more affection from her knight and king."

Valen and Rosa begin to passionately kiss. Gengar and Gardevoir exit their trainer's room to give Rosa and him privacy. As they're about to walk out of sight, the two Pokémon happily look at each other, exchanging a hi-five. Gardevoir and Gengar look back at Valen and Rosa, feeling content with Valen's progress as the former shuts the door.

Valen runs his left hand through her long hair, his right hand on her back. Why did Rosa with her hair down make him shy, but making out with Rosa when she's got her down didn't? He make no sense, absolutely no damn sense.

Valen and Rosa feel at ease as they gently press their lips together, with Valen gently stroking Rosa's hair with his fingers. Then, the kissing becomes more intense as a surge of passion strikes both of them. The air around them feels like it just got hit by Typhlosion's Flamethrower.

Melanie, Hilda, and Serena are hanging out within Melanie's living room, chatting and laughing about the fun they've had today. Ladies' night out, except it's within her bungalow!

Hilda invited Kris and Leaf, but Kris says she's busy with Silver and Leaf's gone to Didacus City. Oh well, another chance will arise! She loves how Melanie's living room is like a giant lounge area with an impressive personal library. She's always found that to be awesome, and the personal library element applies to the giant Lillipup too. She's always found the two orange sofas that the four of them are sitting in to be peculiar.

Well, sofas with orange upholstery and a rosewood frame finished in brown vinyl. Gotta get it right, otherwise the giant Lillipup with attack her with hugs. Oh no, the horror. Hehe, what a cutie he is! She also likes that posters still decorate the walls. She's not surprised that the amount has doubled, because this is Melanie. S

Hilda turns her head towards her friends, whom are remembering how they met each other.

"I was in Calvana via vacation when I met you," Serena recalls, sitting with her less crossed. She runs her right hand through her honey-colored hair. "I'd finally found my equal."

"And it was due to the fact that she got lost. " Melanie also sits with her legs crossed. She folds her arms. "However, I tower over you in the looks, talent, smarts, and fashion."

"Oh, you wanna play that game?" Serena smirks, closing her "You're not the empress, I am."

Hilda tilts her rightwards, waving her right hand dismissively. "As if either of you can match me."

"One day, we'll settle this." Serena slams her right fist into her left palm. "We can settle this in a board game, assuming Hilda the klutz hasn't lost Settlers of Calvana and Truth versus Ideals."

"Oh please," Hilda scoffs, waving her right hand dismissively again. "I'm the queen of board games, trivia games, tabletop games, and video games."

"Bring it on." Melanie runs her right hand through her hair.

"Hahahahaha, I'm soooo going to smoke all three of you!" Hilda howls, folding her arms. "I'll go grab it right now!" She rockets out of the chair, only to fall onto the carpeted floor. "Not again!"

Melanie and Serena burst out laughing, placing their hands on their ribs. Hilda rolls over to stare at the ceiling. She folds her arms, deciding to brood like Silver.

Then, Hilda laughs, grabbing the sofa's left armrest as she lifts herself up. "True or false: Serena's terrified of Kris."

Serena loudly yelps, recalling the time Kris went off on her for getting Kalosian Baroque facts wrong. "False! False! False!" She shuts her eyes, her face reddening. "I did nothing!"

"What's the oldest board game in the world?" Hilda's smirk becomes wider.

Melanie folds her arms, proudly grin. "They found an Urukian board game that dates back to 177 BC."

Hilda's jaw drops. "Huh?! How'd you-"

"I studied since last time."

"Hmph, I bet you can't tell me when Talonflame Girl made her debut."

"1940," Serena answers, running her hand through her honey-colored hair. "You're going to lose this one."

Hilda smugly smiles. "Oh?' She folds her arms, tilting her head from right to left. "Challenge accepted," she teases. "When did Captain Braviary debut?"

"1941," Melanie responds, exchanging a fist bump with Serena.

"Crobatman?"

"1939." Serena smirks, exchanging a high five with Melanie.

"Ariados Man?"

"1962." Both Melanie and Serena chuckle.

"This isn't fair!" Hilda cries out, shutting her eyes. "I'm-"

"A giant klutz," Melanie and Serena teases.

"H-Hey-!" Hilda stands up, but somehow manages to lose her balance and go tumbling onto the sofa.

"You opened the door, not us." Melanie shrugs, watching Serena clench her ribs as she howls with laughter.
 
Last edited:

BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Chapter 23: Give it Up, Cuz Now I'm Back!

With her lips curled upwards, Rosa stomps towards the master bedroom with her arms folded. She's been hanging out with the squad of girls within these last few days, but Valen's not off the hook like he seems to think. Now that she's living in this house, she's going to make sure that he follows a healthy routine. Her first task is to get his butt out of bed. She grits her teeth as she flings open the door like an angry mother, making sure she doesn't damage anything.

She narrows her eyes at her unfazed boyfriend. Yep, his butt is firmly planted on his bed as he reads a book. She loves the fact that he's an avid reader, but she'll no longer allow behaviors that she's deemed bad for his well-being.

Valen blinks, then flashes a devious smirk. "Rooooosa, I have a boo-boo!"

Rosa smacks her face with her right palm. "Why're you such a troll?"

"Why're you so hot?!" Valen winks, clicking a tooth one time.

Rosa's eyes widen as she jumps back a few feet. "H-Hey, that's not fair!" Her face reddens. "Y-You can't use my weakness to like that!"

"It's the truth, walking Sunny Day." Valen laughs. "Girl you put the fine in fine art."

"Hmph, f-fine!" She folds her arms, twirling away from Valen. "You win this round!" She rolls her eyes when she hears Gengar's laughter coming from another room.

Valen's smile becomes more tender. "I know what's up." He gestures for her to come closer. "I'm not sleeping, so what's the problem?"

Rosa locks eyes with Valen, a soft smile dancing across her face. "Lovable idiot." She slowly approaches him begins to caress his cheek. "I'd like it if you'd read while sitting at your desk or sitting downstairs." She kisses him on the forehead. "I'm saying this for you own good, sweetie."

Valen pats her head. "Is there anything specific you want to do today?"

"Well, I'd really like to go outside with you."

"Sure, I'll tag along." It's the least he can do for his ball of fluff.

Rosa's eyes light up as she lets out a happy gasp. "Yaaaaaaay!"

"By the way, those last two comments are definitely true." He's proud that he can make the already cheerful Rosa even more cheerful. That's always a win.

Rosa's mouth curves into a coy smile. "The queen's pleased with you." she giggles. "The queen commands her handsome kingly knight to lift her up with those big muscles of his."

"As you wish." Valen gets off his bed, wrapping his arms around Rosa's waist. He hoists Rosa upwards. "Huh, I didn't get nervous this time."

Tee-hee, you're right!" She gives Valen another adoring smile, stating, "The other reason I want you to come with me is so that you can get used to it."

"Sure." Valen nods. "I know you mean well for me."

"I'm the queen, so I'm picking the place." Rosa smirks. "Everyone's got to listen to me, including you."

"What if I don't listen to you?" Valen teases. "What're you gonna do, huh? Gonna bombard me with kisses? Gonna relentlessly cuddle up with me? Gonna mercilessly hug me?"

"Shut up, you idiot." Rosa bops Valen on the forehead. "I'm the queen."

"You gotta tell me what you'll do if I disobey." Valen bops Rosa back.

"Hey, don't copy me!" Rosa bops Valen on both cheeks.

"Hey, don't copy me!" He continues to lift Rosa as he sits down on his bed.

Suddenly, Rosa gets a peculiar idea. She's willing to tap into her kooky side more if it makes people smile. "What if a magic trick turned my hair buns into doughnuts?!" Her eyes sparkle like the emerald attached to her diamond-line necklace.

"What." Valen's voice emits a deadpan tone.

"Imagine if I could use magic to turn my hair buns into doughnuts!" Rosa places her palms just under her chin. "We would have endless doughnuts!"

"This is why I don't keep beer in the fridge anymore." Valen fixates a perplexed gaze at Rosa. "But hey, you're adorable so it's worth it.

"Thankies!" Rosa's eyes glitter when she spots a blue pen on Valen's desk. "Oooh, what if magic can make this pen red!" She darts to the desk, swiping the pen and holding it out in front of her. "Rosa must focus!" She eagerly stares at the pen. "The color of the pen is-"

"Blue." A dumbfounded expression is plastered onto his face

"Tee-hee, you're funny!" Rosa twirls twice, because a girl's gotta twirl when a girl's gotta twirl. "The color of this pen is-"

"Blue."

Rosa lets out an angry groan, holding the the pen up above her head. "The color of the pen that I'm holding in my hand is-"

"Royal Blue."

"Noooooooooo, one magic trick and I can't do it!" She happily gasps upon hearing Valen burst out laughing. "It worked! I made you laugh!" She jumps up into the air, raising her right fist above her head. "And I gave another free smile, woo-hoo!"

"Who knew that being proven wrong could feel so good?" he chuckles. "Gotta keep pushing forward."

Rosa looks behind her, her lips slowly parting. Words can't convey the feeling that's flowing within her. Not only is he trying his best to change, and he seems to be understanding his strengths.

"I wanna continue seeking the light." Valen closes his eyes, his mouth curving into a soft smile. "I was wrong."

"I'm so proud of you, sweetie."

Valen gets up, sauntering towards the door while still holding his book. "While I was trying to have some fun, I'll try to get out of bed more often." He grins as he walks out of the room. "More importantly, Team Skull's Valen is ready to cause more mayhem! Step right up to get a beat down! I better—"

His eyes widen when Rosa runs up behind him, wrapping her arms around his midsection. This powerful sensation of soothing flows within him like an ocean current.

"Welcome back, Valey." Rosa smiles, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"If I were you, I'd be concerned."

"Ooooh, you've been a baaaad booooy again."

"There's no way you're gonna win!" Valen smirks. "Betcha didn't count on my return!"

"Actually, I did." Rosa bops Valen on the back of his head. "You better join our group chats again."

"You think you can control Team Skull's Valen?" Valen laughs. "Give it up, cuz now I'm back."


Within the living room, Valen's Luxray slowly moves his from side to side, making sure the pathway to the kitchen's clear. Luxray smirks when he realizes that Valen, Rosa, his teammates, and Rosa's Pokémon are nowhere in sight. Luxray creeps along the floor, taking a few steps before rapidly turning his head. Luxray chuckles over the fact that the coast's still clear.

Luxray imagines what the humans call dramatic music playing in the background as he makes a dash for the kitchen. Luxray uses his paws to open several drawers. Luxray grins when he finds what he's looking for. The sound of crinkling plastic interrupts the quiet atmosphere as Luxray grabs his favorite snack.

Feeling triumphant, Luxray closes the cabinet, clenching a bag of cheese puffs with his teeth. Luxray scurries off into the hallway. As he approaches the dining room, Gardevoir appears within sight from the living room. Luxray shrieks, rapidly turning his head from side to side in a panic. The feline darts into the dining room, desperately looking for a place to hide the cheese puffs before Gardevoir sees them. Just as he enters the dining room, Valen's Gardevoir uses Teleport to appear directly in front of Luxray. She folds her arms, bearing down an unamused glare at him. She lets out an low-pitched cry to remind Luxray that he needs to control his cheese puffs cravings. If he doesn't learn to share, she's going to show the other humans his baby pictures.

Luxray sweats as he envisions Rosa and the other humans trying to pet him and give him belly rubs. Then, he shrieks so loudly that Valen, Rosa, his four teammates, and Rosa's Pokémon hear it. Salamence, Typhlosion, Golisopod, and all six of Rosa's Pokémon are relaxing in the backyard. All of them move towards their left, knowing that there's a large area on that side which the humans call a porch, or piazza in the case of Valen. The Pokémon peer into the living room via the large, rectangular windows, or through the wooden door's window.

As a laughing Gengar materializes from the ceiling to see this situation for himself, Valen saunters down the stairs. "Luxray, what's going-" Valen cuts himself off when he sees Rosa exiting the downstairs bathroom, grinning as her dazzling hair flows downwards. As Rosa approaches him, his face reddens as he pokes two fingers together. "H-Hello, R-R-Rosa...um...I see that y-your hair's d-do-down again."

"Yep, I'm going out with my hair down!" Rosa lets out a faint giggle as she twirls around, her hair swaying from side to side. "I told you that I love this look!"

Luxray sees that his trainer's distracted, causing him to feel relief for a brief movement. A smirking Gardevoir reminds Luxray that she's still present, closing her eyes as she wags a finger at him. In response. Luxray hisses that he's not a cute kitten anymore—he's a proud, powerful, and magnificent feline. In response, Gardevoir reveals that she's concealing the baby pictures under her flowing gown. Luxray glances at Gardevoir, then glances at the cheese puffs, and repeats this several times. However, he still refuses to let go of the cheese puffs. He dashes away like a ninja, and Gardevoir chases after him. Gengar decides to tag along to see the outcome.

Just when Valen thought this couldn't get any more awkward for him, Rosa's eyes are drawn to his hair. "W-Woah, you actually groomed your hair?!" She exclaims, causing him to faintly yelp. She keenly eyes his black hair. Not only does his hair looks less disheveled and messy, but it's been slicked backwards.

Rosa darts closer to Valen, wondering what else he's done to present himself better. She takes a whiff, stating, "Valey put on cologne too!" She gives him a flirtatious smile and wink.

Valen attempts to look in Rosa's direction, but rapidly turns his head away from her. "Um...well...I've g-go-got to p-pre-present myself better for y-yo-you...since y-yo-you're r-really g-go-gorgeous t-to begin with."

"Awww, you're such a gentleman!" Rosa gushes, her eyes sparking as she places her hands on her checks.

Her eyes glisten with excitement as she scans the giant Team Skull logo plastered on his black Guzmani shirt. She loves it when Valen rocks Team Skull attire, even if it's not the tux she knows he's got. Rosa also notes that he's wearing a different Team Skull leather jacket—This one still also a giant logo on the back, but it's also got a pair of smaller logos plastered on the shoulder areas.

"Fully embracing it again, are weeeeeee?"

"Hell to the yes."

"Yaaaay! Woo-hoo! Roar!"

As Rosa gushes, Valen thinks about how Guzma did have a good father figure come into his life. His mom's second husband was and is Carlos Armani, a renowned Pokémon Trainer who was once the champ of the Vitalia region. He helped his stepson get Team Skull Entertainment and Guzmani up and running.

"Wake up, Valeeeey!" Rosa bops Valen on his forehead.

Sporting a broad smile, Valen wraps his arms around Rosa's waist and spins her around. Valen slightly lifts up Rosa's top and begins tickling her. "Valen used Tickle!"

"Nooooooooo, n-not this a-again!" Rosa tears up with laughter. Rosa repeatedly bops Valen's hands, only for Valen to spin her around again. Then, she feels Valen placing his left hand on Rosa's back, closing her eyes as he kisses her on the lips. "Oooooh, the queen's pleased with your actions." She giggles, wrapping her arms around Valen's neck.

Rosa and Valen begin to passionately kiss, with Valen running his right hand through Rosa's long hair. Rosa's always enjoyed it whenever Valen stroked or played around with her hair while hugging or kissing. As they gently press their lips together at a relaxed place, Valen takes a seat at the bottom of the staircase, and Rosa kneels on his lap.

Valen still doesn't know why Rosa with her hair down makes him so shy, but this doesn't. Perhaps even shyness goes away whenever Rosa shows him affection, or vice-versa.


As Valen and Rosa walk through the automatic doors, Rosa's eyes glitter as she eyes all of the stores, the merchandise stands, and the large amount of people present. As a mishmash of talking and laughter from seniors, children, teenagers, and so on surrounds both Valen and herself, Rosa takes a whiff of the aromas coming from the nearby food court. She smells food items such as pizza, spicy pasta, curry, garlic bread, and garlic knots. She decides that she'll check out the food court later, or perhaps another time.

Rosa rapidly looks looks around at the stores within her sight, twirling around in the process. She's most intrigued by the comic book and collectibles store that's got a poster on the left window, indicating that action figures of Venusaur, Gyarados, Garchomp, Espeon, and Umbreon are back in stock. The poster also says that building toy sets of Charizard, Lapras, Corviknight, and Tyranitar are back in stock.

Valen studies the ceiling walls, which are finished with an intricate geometrical diamond pattern. Some of the diamonds are tall and long, while others are short and wide. He likes the Glove White color used for each diamond's rim, a stained glass window within each one located in the middle.

He looks at Rosa, asking, "Are you just going to keep gawking at everything or do you remember how to say words?" He earns himself a triple bop to the forehead.

"It's soooo huge!" She begins waving towards as many people as she can, broadly grinning when she gets a wave in return.

Nah, he won't drop the joke this time. He doesn't feel like it, plus a crowd's already starting to gather around Rosa. He might as well use this opportunity to chill on the bench he spotted.

Rosa sports a broad grin when she notices that a crowd's approached her. "Hiiii, everybody!" She twirls around, waving at everyone. "I hope you're all doing great!"

Woo-hoo, more people are looking in her direction! Rosa does another twirl, gesturing for them to come closer! Much to her delight, these people approach her too.

Free smiles for everybody! She can turn this whole mall into one giant party! Wait a minute, where'd Valen go? Wait, he's lying down on a bench in the middle of the mall-he picked a spot close to her. Tee-hee, the queen will let this slide!

Noting how everyone around her is smiling and having a good time, Valen gives Rosa a proud smile before staring at the mall's ceiling. Can anyone be cuter than ball of fluff? Suddenly, his eyes slightly widen when negative thoughts attempt to corrupt his mind yet again. He won't let this part of his mind win.

"Never guessed that you'd be dressed in my clothes in my shoes," he mutters. "Thought you had me under control?" He closes his eyes with a smirk. "Enough is enough—gonna take back what you stole. Give it up, cuz now I'm back."

"That means I can befriend you much quicker!" Kris cheers, standing behind the bench as she gazes down at Valen.

"...Fine, no nap time." Valen focus his gaze on Kris' short white jacket, her crimson sweater and her beige shoulder back. He glances downwards at her her black and yellow Lycra shorts, but he quickly realizes that he can't be doing this anymore. He makes direct eye contact with Kris, sporting a friendly smile. "Sup, guessing Silver ran off?"

"Finding Silver's such a pain that there should be an award for those who accomplish it," Kris jokes, giggling when she hears Valen laugh.

"We still barely know each other." Valen smiles as he sits up. "Have a seat."

Kris' mouth curves into a broad grin. "Thank you!" She accepts Valen's offer, taking a seat to his left. She crosses her legs, asking, "I'm guessing Rosa's here too?"

"Obviously." Valen points in Rosa's direction.

Kris looks in Rosa's direction, immediately going gaga. "Woooow, I forgot that she's soooo pretty with her hair down!" She squeals, her eyes sparkling as she keenly studies her brunette friend's long flowing hair.

Valen tries his hardest to avoid blushing, but his face reddens within seconds. "S-She's even more p-pre-pretty when s-she dons her w-it-white suit with her h-hi-ha-hair down…um…but s-she's pretty in a s-suit r-regard-l-less...um...s-she's al-already p-pretty to begin with….s-so it's ok if she wears c-causal to dates."

Kris giggles, clasping her hands in front of her chin. "You're such a gentleman towards her!" She gushes, sporting a warm smile. "Silver could learn from a charming gentleman like you!"

Valen regains his cool, teasing, "Mysterious charming gentleman." He faintly laughs. "Silver's Team Skull, so he should've seen this coming."

"What did The Scrooge of Johto miss this time?"

"He forgot that Guzma thought I was good enough to promote Guzmani suits," Valen sports a cocky, lopsided smirk. "Then again, Silver's probably too busy brooding over some asinine shit to care."

"You're totally right about him!" Kris bursts out laughing, placing her hands over her ribs.

"Heh, I still know how to put on a show." Valen makes strong eye contact with Kris. "I know how to get the crowd going."

"Silver jogged my memory a couple of days ago!" Her eyes gleam. "I loved watching you battle and enter contests!"

"Merci, madam."

"Ooooh, Silver didn't remind me about the Kalosian." Kris giggles. "You also have a discreet sense of men's fashion, and I love that!" She cheers, her fists placed under her chin. "You rock a Team Skull leather jacket well, and that shirt's nice too!"

"I don't wanna be a charmer no more." Valen shrugs, his smirk evolving to a grin. "Unfortuatently, it comes naturally, so what am I supposed to do?"

"You're a fun one, Valen."

"You're a fun one too," Valen remarks. "Just like Rosa, Hilda, and Melanie."

Kris decides it's time to get more serious. "Thanks," she responds. "It wasn't always like that, though."

"Really, you weren't fun at one point?" How is that even possible? She's so similar to Rosa.

Kris nods side to side. "I was nice to others, but I refused to acknowledge Silver's attempt to change, and it almost cost me my other friendships," she confesses. "He left Johto because he thought he wasn't going to be forgiven by most people."

"What happened next?" Valen feels bad for asking that, hoping he didn't screw up a potentially new friendship.

"They blamed me," she laments. "Most refused to speak to me or see me...I learned the hard way."

Valen breathes a sigh of relief. "From the way you acted on the day we met, I can tell that you from your mistakes," he remarks. "Just like I learned from mine."

"Rosa and Hilda helped me to be friendlier." Kris glances towards Rosa, then glances back towards Valen. "I can see why she calls you the best she's ever had," she remarks. "Fourteen years of friendship and over five years of romance, huh?"

"Worth it." His eyes use Lock-On on Rosa and vice versa. "She had a lotta crooks trying to steal her heart," he continues. "Never really had luck, so she couldn't figure out how to love." He smiles as Rosa blows a kiss at him, then watches her return to giving autographs and taking pictures.

"Multiple guys wanted her as their girlfriend, but you were the sweetest of them all." Kris emits an aura of gratitude. "That's what she told me."

"Not only is she's cute and pretty, but she's an amazing person with a fun personality." Valen faintly blushes, poking two fingers together.

"You're also an amazing person." Kris' eyes gleam with appreciation. "Never forget that."

"...I struggled to fit in as a kid," Valen admits, feeling relieved that his blushing went away sooner than expected. "Melanie and Rosa were the first super deep connections I made, with Hilda and Silver following years later."

"We've got good people around us, Valen." Kris wonders how many others within Rosa's Snorlax-sized circle have met Valen. His name comes up quite a bit, but Rosa and Hilda like to be vague to keep an aura of mystery surrounding him.

"Yes, yes we do." Valen offers Kris a fist bump. "And from this moment onward, all of Rosa's friends are automatically my friends."

Kris broadly grins. "Sureeeee, let's become besties!" She accepts Valen's fist bump.

"Silver said that you're a fashion and shopping loving girl," Valen remarks. "There's more to you, isn't there?"

"Of courseeeee!" Kris giggles, closing her eyes. "I'm a total geek for architecture, as well as the other arts!"

"Have you checked out the Little Johto neighborhood?" Valen asks. "The people behind it wanted a district that resembled Feudal Johto. There's also Little Kalos, and that resembles 16th to 18th century Lumiose City."

"Checking out Little Johto and Little Kalos is already a must for me!" Kris gushes, swaying her head from side to side.

"You've got good taste," Valen compliments, sporting a lopsided smile. "Say, how do you feel about Brutalism?"

"Booooooooo!" Kris slightly frowns, giving two thumbs down. "Mostly boooooooo!"

Valen laughs, stating, "You're so similar to Rosa and Hilda."

"Oooh, I'm sure you know my father!" Kris drums her feet against the floor's tiling, her eyes gleaming. "I'm Kristýnka Tanaka!"

Valen blinks for a moment, and then it hits him. "Wait, Tanaka?" His voice emits a hint of surprise. "Mikulas Tanaka, one of the leading figures width the High-Tech, Postmodernism and Metabolism movements?"

"Yeeeep, that's my dad!" Kris raises her right fist towards the ceiling. "I'm sure you've seen his work!" Her eyes glitter. "He designed lots of buildings within Angel City!"

"That's badass!" Valen exclaims, only for his face to redden seconds later. "I...errr...got too excited...eh heh heh." He scratches the back of his head.

"You're so cute."

"I'm not...I'll let it slide." This is their first conversation, so might as well.

"I want to be like Veronica Beauchêne-Barsotti, the Pokémon researcher who's also a renowned art historian and museum director." Kris got to meet her thanks to her father. Best dad ever.

Valen sighs, placing his left hand on his forehead. "I wish I'd known that earlier." He fixates a confident gaze towards Kris, sporting a lopsided grin as he points to himself. "I call her mom."

Kris loudly gasps and nearly falls off the bench. Rosa and Hilda mentioned his surname, but she doesn't like to pry. She should've at least been more open about it.

"Wake up." Valen can't help but laugh. She's so similar to Rosa, as is Leaf. It's like Kanto and Johto have their own Rosa.

"Wooooooooooooow!" Kris' eyes glitter. "What kind of old house did you live in while growing up?! Do you live in a old house now?! How's the interior in both houses?!" She jumps up and down while sitting. "Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell meeeeee!"

"Well, my childhood home's a-" Valen's eyes widen when he feels arms being wrapped around his midsection from behind. As a sense of warmth surges within him, Valen feels lips being gently pressed against the top of his head.

"Doctor Rosa's here with your required doses of love and affection. You deserve triple the dosage due to the words you spoke." Rosa rests her head on top of Valen's head, glancing downwards to give him a loving gaze. "How're you feeling, sweetie?"

"Better that I thought."

"I'm beyond proud of you."

Valen glances behind him. "Sorry Kris, a gorgeous angelic being distracted me by grabbing me from behind," he says, causing Kris to giggle and Rosa to bop him on the top of his head. "My childhood home's a Neoclassical style building."

"Cooooooooool!" Kris' eyes light up, her grin growing wider.

Valen points behind him towards Rosa, "I live with this marvelous blend of perfection in a Gothic Revival style home." Valen smirks when he hears Rosa's giggling, having earned himself two bops to the top of his head.

"That's soooo awesome!"

"You've got excellent taste in friends, Rosa." Valen smiles. "Kris is ten out of ten all around."

"Awwww, you didn't have to say that!" Kris gushes.

"Also, Rosa needs to learn to handle the truth."

"You're going to make me blush." Rosa kisses Valen on the top of his head. She gives Valen one more bop then lets go of him.

"We always look out for each other." Kris gently smiles, rubbing Valen's left shoulder. "You're in good hands."

"I believe you."

"Rosa once mentioned you two have traveled to other regions," Kris comments, snapping Valen back into focus. "Which ones?"

Rosa doesn't interject, deciding to let Valen answer. She glances at Valen, sporting a proud smile.

"Aside from this region and Unova, we went to Galar, Kalos, Alola, Venteux, Concorda, and Utqiaska," Valen answers, placing his hands in his pockets. "And more."

Kris' jaw drops, her eyes widening. "Wait a moment! Timeout! Timeout!" she yelps. "The Utqiaska region?! You went to the Arctic of all places?!" She jumps backwards. "W-Were you two okay?! Did you get sick?!"

"Not all of that region above the Arctic Circle, silly." Rosa wags her right index finger.

As Rosa and Valen chat, Kris recalls the time Silver and her went to the Chelyagorod region. Silver tagged along to witness a ongoing clash between an Articuno and a Galarian Articuno. In typical Silver fashion, he made no mention to her that he was going to venture past the Arctic Circle. Kris ended up having to say back within Moskovgrad because she sure as heck wasn't venturing into the Arctic in below zero weather.

Kris grabs her upper arms with the opposite hands, envisioning the brutal blizzards of the Arctic regions. Kris imagines Valen and Rosa shivering while trekking through the barren, frozen tundras of Utqiaska, plus the neighboring regions of Yakutgrad and Inuvikon.

Kris envisions the same scene within the Antarctic regions. What if Silver dragged all of them to South Laurieta Island, which has a population of ninety? What about Charles II Island, which has population of twenty five. Both are prime brooding destinations for him. What if theg gets dragged to the Antark region, home of the South Pole?

Kris' mouth curves into triumphant smile. She was told that the Galarian Articuno knocked out five of Silver's Pokémon with a single Freezing Glare, while the "normal" Articuno made quick work of Silver's Zoroark via Ice Beam. Silver wanted to catch one or both of these birds, but he failed miserably.

Gentleness commandeers her smile—Silver apologized and even hugged her. He'd still go back to brood, but not without telling her ahead of time.

"You wore the most adorable Christmas outfit while we were in the first four regions I mentioned." Valen blushes and looks away from Rosa. "I'm…uh..glad you later wore it in Unova—"

He feels her wrapping her arms around his neck, causing him to wrap his arms around her waist.

"Sorry to interrupt the moment, but I just found Silver." Kris points to her northeast, having spotted Silver, Serena, and Hilda causing a peculiar commotion outside.

Due to the way this portion of the mall's set up, it's enabled Serena and Hilda to prevent Silver from walking past the high-end men's clothing store store they're standing in front of.

A scowling Silver folds his arms, tapping his left index finger on his black and red shirt's right sleeve. He glances towards Serena, then towards Hilda. "Outta the way, Blabbermouth Four and Former Blabbermouth Two."

"Wear a suit first." She places her hands on her hips, bearing down on Silver with a bossy glare.

"Serena promised to buy me Pokéjustice: Destiny Deoxys on the day of release." Hilda folds her arms, tapping her right foot. "Sorry, but a gamer girl's got to do what a gamer girl's got to do."

Valen and Rosa blink in confusion, then turn to look at each other. "Let Serena do her thing—I wanna see if we can get anything on the list."

"I'll check with Melanie and Hilda to see what they got!"

"Speaking of which-" Valen cuts himself off as he stares directly at Hilda. "Hilda, over here!"

Hilda perks up upon hearing Valen's voice. She rapidly turns her whole body around to face Valen, her eyes glistening as she sports a broad grin. "Heeeey, you three!"

"What's up, Hilda?!" Rosa and Kris wave like they're using Extreme Speed.

"Here I come!" Hilda dashes towards Valen, Rosa, and Kris.

"They called out to Hilda instead of me." Serena pouts, folding her arms. "Hmph, the nerve of you people."

"You looked more busy," Valen retorts, with Rosa and Kris nodding in agreement.

"Shut up." Serena looks away from everybody. "Hmph, see if I care."

Hilda spins around to face Serena. "You snooze, you lose." she laughs. "Also, you still owe me that video game."

Serena rapidly spins around, baring her teeth as she narrows her eyes at Hilda. "Come at me! Come at me, girl." She slams her left fist into her right palm. "You're a Patrat, I'm a Pangoro."

Hilda purses her lips. She strides closer to Serena, sporting a devious grin as she clasps her hands behind her back. "Sucks that you're too slow." She tauntingly whispers into Serena's right ear. "I'd behave if I you, otherwise-" Hilda's devious grin becomes wider when Serena gasps. "I'll tell everyone about the time you wore a mismatching outfit." Hilda hysterically laughs as Serena lets out a high-pitched scream.

Silver uses this moment as his chance to escape. "I need to ditch this loony." He begins to stroll off.

"Yebat'!" Serena frantically spins around. She runs ahead of Silver, trying to block his path. "Serena Yvette Verochka Nikolaev isn't a blabbermouth!"

"Annoying halfwit." Silver smacks his face with his right palm.

"Cyka mu'dak." Serena tilts her head back, folding her arms.

When he sees Serena's eyes glistening over Rosa's long and flowing hair, he sneaks away while whistling. He's escaped Serena and Kris yet again. He even escaped any nonsense about him wanting Kris to be his girlfriend. Pffft, Gladion told people a load of hogwash.

"He's going to come back." Kris laughs, her voice high-pitched. "Watch."

She envisions Silver coming back wearing a black suit with a red bowtie. Imaginary Silver hands her a flower while calling her pretty and cute. Now he's taking her hand as they step into a limo! If only he'd-he's just a friend! Nobody say that, right?! Nobody thinks that she actually likes The Scrooge of Johto in that way, right?!


A chorus of chatter and laughter surrounds Valen, Kris, and Rosa, the trio having deciding to sit and talk within one of the large outdoor seating areas. The mid-afternoon sun hovering above them is obstructed by the puffed out clouds that float within the sky.

"Serena and Hilda will join us in a bit, but Silver's a mystery." Kris eyes the area.

"Of course he is," Valen and Rosa respond, both eyeing the area as well.

While Rosa does some Pokémon spotting, Valen feels that the tubular steel tables and chairs within this seating area, but he can't put his finger on it. Then, he takes a closer look at the exterior, spotting the same geometrical diamond pattern. This mall's level of intracity at such at a large scale can only mean one thing.

He turns towards Rosa, patting her head. "You chose this mall on purpose, didn't you?" he teases. "Coastline Shopping Center, designed by Johannes De Groot in 1930."

"Yeeeeep, my great-great-grandpa!" Rosa cheers, bopping Valen's forehead. "Painter, graphic designer, and architect!"

"You two really do sound like soulmates," Kris comments. "Wait, that's because you are." she giggles. "I'm silly."

Rosa exchanges a high five with Kris. She returns to her Pokémon spotting activity, her eyes sparkling as she looks northeast. There's a guy being viciously swarmed and attacked by a bunch of baby Eevee and Lillipup. She's not sure why this is happening in public, but it's bringing smiles to everybody's faces. That's the most important part.

Kris glances northeast, spotting a mostly empty beach close by. The ocean's rippling waves gently sway back and forth as it meets the sand. She decides to glance southeast, her gaze meeting several tall buildings that have peculiar shaped roofs. One slopes downwards from left to right, while another's an uneven pyramid. The most peculiar of these buildings isn't a skyscraper, but it's the one shaped like a Metagross, complete with its four legs and the silvery X. The mouth's open, leading Kris to believe that this is the entrance. Next to these buildings are mid-rises with glass-brick walls and the sun-breakers, a clear indicator of Modernist architecture.

Kris glances northwest, fixating her blue eyes on Valen. "Do you like Postmodernism more than Modernism?"

"Yep," he responds. "However, art is art to me," he continues. "Whether it's that Metagross building, a Rubens painting, or antique furniture."

"I like that!" Kris cheers.

"Rosa and I are the painter and the historian," Valen tells Kris. "I'm not very good at painting, while Rosa can struggle to sit still for extensive research."

"Ooooh, you two fit better than Pidgey on Kanto's Route 1!" Kris giggles. "I like that too!"

Valen and Rosa glance at each other, their mouths morphing into devious smirks. "Let's ask the big question."

Kris rapidly blinks, asking, "Um, what's with those faces?"

"Sooooooo-" Rosa giggles, inching her face closer. "Is Silver now your boyf-"

"No!" Kris rockets out of her seat, near toppling. "Absolutely not!" Kris screams, her face reddening seconds later. "Are you kidding me?!"

Rosa leans towards Valen. "Pssssst, bad booooy," she whispers into his left ear. "What's your analysis?"

"She's not telling the full story," Valen whispers back. "We'll have to test Silver too."

"Hey, I'm still here!" Kris places her hands on her hips. "I-"

The trio hears a playful squabble between Hilda and Serena in distance, following by a groan from Silver.

"Why'd I come back?" Silver smacks his face with his right palm, rubbing his hand downwards to the bottom of his chin.

"You still think that the Unovan girls can't whoop your ass?" Hilda folds her arms, glancing towards Serena with a mischievous smirk. "Your Alolan Ninetales couldn't handle my Starmie."

"It was a draw, dumb-dumb." Serena runs her left hand through her honey-colored hair. "You can't top us stylish Kalosian girls."

"Serena, please like a classy Kalosian woman instead of a banshee," Valen teases.

"Fine, I'll play nice for now." Serena warmly smiles. "Don't forget that the Kalosians is why art history runs in your blood."

Hilda and Serena take a seat in between Rosa and Kris, while Silver takes a seat between Valen and Kris.

"So, I see you finally found someone to geek out with," Silver remarks towards Kris.

"That's right!" Kris taps her feet on the concrete tiling. "We should exchange numbers!"

"I'm down with that," Valen responds.

"She can't tell you about Ancient Kasmenestian epics like I can," Silver states. "The Pilgrimage, The Trojan Rapidash, Arceus and the Jewel of Syramos, The Philosopher's Dragonite-"

"Silver, the main reason why you love Homeric society is because of its view on strength," Valen retorts.

"So what?" Silver smirks. "I'm strong."

Valen smacks his face with his right hand. "Why do I even bother?"

"That being said-" Silver's smirk evolves into a placid smile. "that's kinda how I befriended Arthur."

Kris blinks. "Who's Arthur?"

"You'll meet him eventually." Silver thinks that Kris and Arthur would get along well.

While everybody else chats, Rosa's gleaming eyes fixate on Valen. His past acts of kindness have come back to aid him over and over again. She loves this real life plot twist.

Rosa snaps back into focus when she hears Valen snickering, with Hilda and Serena trying to contain their laughter.

"I told you that we're just friends!" Silver's eyes bulge out, his face faintly red. "Why would I date a crazy girl who's a shopping and fashion freak?!"

"He's right," Hilda teases. "Don't forget what happened when I disguised myself as-"

"No, don't!" Silver shrieks, hiding his face with his palms. "That's my most embarrassing moment!"

"And I wouldn't date somebody who's never heard of Göstav Klimt, never heard of Sir Patrick Pierre Rubens, doesn't know the pre-feudal architecture of Johto, will never dress up for me, never says that I look nice, never cooks for me, never buys me jewelry, and so on!" Kris folds her arms, looking away from everybody. "Did I mention that he doesn't know Rubens?!" /p

Silver regains his cool for now, retorting, "You can't even tell me the production years of the C2 Split Window, Queen Blabbermouth."

"You don't even know what the word fashion means." Kris' mouth curving into a smug smile seconds later. She runs her right hand through her short blue hair, placing her left hand on her hip. "Of course, I'm waaaay out of your league."

"I did say that Kris is a ten out of ten, but they can't hide from destiny." Valen snickers, inching closer to Silver's right ear. "Resistance is futile."

"We agree!" Hilda and Serena's eyes sparkle, clasping their hands in front of their chins. "They'd make a cute couple!"

"Stop it already!" Kris and Silver shut their eyes, both of their faces redder than a Vulpix's body.

Unfortunately for Silver and Kris, the commotion causes Valen's Gardevoir and Gengar to come out of their respective balls. Gardevoir leans against the table next to Silver, inches closer to him. Gengar inches closer to Kris, the two Pokémon egging Kris and Silver on with mischievous cries.

"We're just friends!" Kris and Silver hide their faces within their arms, the two Pokémon howling with laughter.

Valen leans closer to Rosa, whispering, "Just like I thought." he snickers. "Silver's not too far off from how I acted."

Rosa giggles, knowing that this is a road that's long, but Valen's not traveling alone. If he's trolling, that means he really is getting better.


Later that evening, Valen's sitting at his desk, a stack books next to his laptop. He's types at a reasonable pace, stopping when he notices the faintly visible shadow of Rosa's hair buns and ponytails on his open door.

"Come in, you don't need to stand out there," he calls out to her. "I'm just resuming writing that history of art history book."

"I can't wait to promote Art History Has History by Valentinus Beauchêne-Barsotti." Rosa slowly walks into the room, sporting a placid smile. "How far are you?"

"About three fourths, but this has been more of a fun project." he responds. "Dunno about publishing yet. Wouldn't feel right to publish then decide not to try to become more established in the field."

"Take your time." Her eyes contain a twinkle. "Thanks for coming out with me...thanks for everything."

"Not a problem." His eyes are bright with gratitude. "Don't worry, I'm getting better."

"I'll do what I always do and I'll do it for me," she affirms, furrowing her brow. "I promise." She's determined to battle to her heart's content. She'll go out and have lots of fun again.

"Remember, you're the type of woman who deserves good things," he tells her. "You're a star, and I'll keep reminding you that you are."

"You're the sweetest thing, Valey." Rosa's eyes water up, her mouth morphing into a wide adoring smile. "You really are the best boyfriend ever."

Valen closes his eyes, stating, "And one day, we'll finally pick up where we left off with Hilda."

Rosa happily gasps. "You mean-"

Valen nods, placing his left hand over his heart. "I remember my own feelings for her," he admits. "Same feelings I have for you." He gestures Rosa to come closer with his left hand. "Now then, get over here."

"Kaaaay!" Rosa darts towards Valen, letting out a faint giggle as she jumps onto his lap.

For both Rosa and Valen, there's nothing more that needs to be said. The bright light emitting from Valen's reverse-painted lamp illuminates the adoring smiles the two of them give each other as they stare deeply into each other's eyes.

Rosa can't help but whimper—the real Valen's finally taken back control from the hardened shell. Assuming that he changed in the first place.

Yep, Serena swore in Russian again. She's got quite a foul mouth. Yebat' is the F bomb, cyka's the five letter b word, and mu'dak can either mean asshole(or similar word), or its more vulgar literal meaning.

I replaced the battle within this chapter with a scene where they sit and chat outdoors. I like writing battles, but I thought this would fit the chapter better.
 
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BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Chapter 24: I'm Not Gonna Panic!

As the late morning sun shines brightly over the city, Rosa's strolling through the Art Deco area again. It's been two days since Valen bonded with Kris, and she's started to go out on her own more again.

Rosa's determined to get back on track, and she needs to keep being her usual optimistic and strong-willed self. "Brave the darkness, I'll make my stand right here." She presses her lips together, tightening her fists." No matter what comes at me, I'll show no fear." Her mouth curves into a confident smile, her eyes gleaming with determination. "I won't give up! I won't break down! I'm not gonna panic, panic, panic!" She asserts in a heroic and melodious tone. "I refuse to run! I'm here to fight! I'll vanquish meanies with my might! They won't dim this angel's light!"

She continues her stroll, but stops when she sees a jewelry shop, causing her gaze to wander towards her sparkling necklace. She's worn this beautiful diamond-lace necklace every day since it was gifted to her. As her eyes scan the Serperior engravings on both sides of the green emerald attached at the bottom. Isn't her heart enough space for the lovable idiot?

She eyes all the buildings on her right, recalling their vibrant colors such as bright yellow, blue, red, and orange. Rosa sees the flower shop and bakery that she recalls from last time, plus she also notes the presence of a pizza place. Rosa passes by an ice cream parlor, a coffeehouse, a deli, a bookstore, a farmer's market, an antique shop, and a toy store. She spots that store with the art prints again, noting that most of the Raphael painting prints she saw last time have been sold out.

As she resumes walking, her eyes light up when she spots a large concrete plaza with walkways attached to it. She lets out a happy gasp and dallies towards the plaza, knowing that she can have lots and lots of Pokémon battles there. Her identity's engraved within her. She's Rosa Whitley, a popular trainer and the social media sensation who gives out free smiles. She's a shining star within Unova's pro circuit, and she'll shine just as bright in Calvana one day. She can't fall behind—she's got to defend her throne from challengers. Calvana's now her new home, so the people here better prepare for her accent to the top. She's won the Unova Conference three times, and she's won the Pokémon World Tournament twice. She's also conquered Trainer Tower, located in the rather remote Sevii Islands. Battle Subway? Hoenn's Battle Frontier? Pokémon Masters League? Yep, and she's got the trophies and medals to prove it.

She's already achieved a certain level of fame abroad, but this region offers huge potential. The pro circuit's here is closely tied to the multi-trillion dollar entertainment and tourism industry. She can be awesome and bring lots of smiles to many faces. In addition, she'll continue to use her platform to spread how awesome theatre is, as well as further spread her knowledge of theater, film, and painting to the masses.

Upon entering the plaza, her demeanor catches the attention of the trainers present. "Hiiiiiii, I want to battle too!" She takes out a Poké Balls from her purse. "Tee-hee, don't stop smiling when I defeat all of you, kaaaay?" She calls out her Volcarona, who lets out a battle screech.


Rosa's attracted a larger crowd of trainers, many of whom have their phones out. Tee-hee, that's because she's popular and awesomeeee! She's fired up, having been on a win streak since the first battle she took part in within this area.

Her Volcarona is currently battling a female trainer and her Golbat. She's got this one in the bag, but all of her opponents fought well. They should all be proud, or she'll will have to unleash a smile barrage!

"Golbat, Shadow Ball!"

A purple and black sphere forms inside of Golbat's mouth. Golbat launches the sphere towards Volcarona, but neither nor his trainer appear to care.

Since the skies are cloudless, Rosa decides to counter in a big way. She narrows her eyes, her mouth falling open. "Solar Beam!" She bends her elbows in front of her, raising her fists. "Wham! Bam! Pow!"

Volcarona uses all six wings to absorb sunlight, and his wings glow translucent red. The light converges into a massive beam that's the size of Volcarona's body. The red beam disintegrates the sphere and slams into Golbat, Golbat crashes to the ground in defeat.

"Woo-hoo, five wins in a rooooow!" Rosa screams, sporting a broad grin. "Go, go, go, go Rosa!" she twirls. "It's your birthday! We're gonna party like it's your birthday!" She twirls a second time. "We're gonna eat pizza like it's your birthday, even though it's not your birthday!"

Volcarona approaches Rosa, and Rosa kisses him on the top of the head. In response, he lets out a loud and happy cry.

Then, Rosa notices that a male trainer's stepped up to the plate, having called out a Magmar. She narrows her eyes, eager to get this next battle underway. She recalls Volcarona and places the ball back inside her pink Wallace Kors purse.

Rosa takes out an another Poké Ball, twirling as she throws the ball into the air. Out comes her Aerodactyl, who lets out a booming screech. As she catches the falling Poké Ball, this reminds her of her battle with Blaine at the Pokémon World Tournament a few years ago. That Blaziken of his was powerful enough to defeat her Hydreigon, but she went on to claim first place in that event thanks to Aerodactyl.


Within his living room, Valen's checking bags filled with the items that Hilda, Melanie, Rosa, and himself have gathered within the last few days, all of which are resting on Valen's large walnut table. These bags are filled with various items that Rosa likes. Among what's been gathered are her favorite movies, her favorite mystery novels, her favorite plays, her favorite drinks, and more. Hilda's come over to his house, both to help him out and to hang out. It's just the two of them, meaning it's time.

Hilda taps Valen on the back of the head, tittering at his confused expression. "Did it help to face that fear?" She gently smiles, clasping her hands behind her back.

"It did."

Hilda wraps her arms around Valen's neck. "Come here, you giant Lillipup."

She falls onto the sofa with him, kissing the top of his head. His warm touch can be felt on her back, the tenderness of him stroking her hair following suit. Tears are streaming down his face, causing her to hold him tighter.

"I can't...still can't...you forgave me," he whimpers. "You're still...my friend...I can't contain this anymore." His stream of tears morphs into a river. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" He buries her face in her right shoulder. "I'm sorry for what I did to you!"

"Shhhh, I'm here now." Her tone's loving, her smile tender. "It's going to be okay." She kisses him on the top right side of his head. "Shhhh, relax."

So cozy, so soothing, so much love in her hugs and voice. Just like the Rosa...just like Melanie. Romantic, platonic, he really does matter to them, no matter what doubt tries to tell him.

Hilda realizes that she's got to address that issue. "Speaking of which, I've heard that you've had some self-doubt regarding Rosa lately."

"...I don't want to be a burden to you."

"...How about I tell you about something related to me first, Val-Val?" Hilda asks. "It's never been a one-way street."

"...Sure."

"Well, moving the BW Agency did cause me to get exhausted. I was really tired this one day, cuz I had to do all these interviews."

"Sounds rough."

"Don't worry about me—It didn't keep me down for long," Hilda reassures. "I also had a lot of phone calls. A couple of days later, I got mad because the clothes were the wrong color combination-"

"Really, you got mad over color combinations?" Valen faintly laughs, earning himself a forehead bop.

"So, do you mind telling me what happened?"

Once more, Valen feels like Hilda's gentle gaze is emitting unconditional love.

"Rosa was worried, so she latched herself onto me," he admits, letting out a long sigh. "She's gotta define herself again."

"I agree, but don't you think that you're too focused on her?" Hilda inquires, stroking his back. "You're so worried about her that you might be neglecting yourself."

"Rosa's more than capable of handing herself...I'll just hold her back."

"Does Rosa think you're holding her back? Does Rosa think you're dead weight? You know that Rosa's not a loner." She kisses his forehead. "You're going in the opposite direction, which isn't healthy either."

"I know...I'm just...scared."

She decides to take action herself. "You know, I've been wanting to battle her." She lets go of Valen and vice-versa. She tilts her head towards the front door. "She texted me where she's located, so I'm gonna go there challenge her."

Valen takes a deep breath. "Fine, I'll tag along."

"Rosa handled your absence better than I did, so make sure you never forgot what an amazing woman you're with."

"I'm honored to be her man."

Eventually, it'll be two amazing women he'll be with. His heart's filled to the brim with how he truly feels about Hilda. Can't forget about his platonic life partner either. He doesn't want to neglect her. How does he proceed with a potential vee from here on out?


As the chorus of footsteps, chatter, and laughter surround her, Rosa focuses on the massive battle arena towering before her. She sports a jubliant smile, rapidly swaying from side to side. This old and cool building looks more like a palace or government building than a public building for trainers to have fun and awesome battles in. In fact, this entire area's got the same look.

She recalls learning that this is Neoclassical style. The sight of a Pidgeot and a Staraptor duking it out above the arena's right wing shows that the multiple fields are roofless, while the rest of the arena is enclosed.

She notes that the pillars that decorate the front side look exactly like the pillars that Valen's childhood home's got on its front side. She he notes that the left and right buildings attached are much shorter, but that's partly due towards the short pyramid and dome in the center of the main building's room. Rosa's gaze wanders upwards to the dome, eyeing its coned top.

Rosa's train of thought's interrupted when her phone dings. Rosa takes her phone out of her pink purse and sees that Valen's sent her a text message.

Upon reading his message, Rosa lets out a happy gasp as her eyes gleam with joy. "He's proud of me! He's proud of me! He's proud of me! He's proud of me!" Rosa screams in elation, jumping up and down in excitement. "Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay!" She becomes quieter, now sporting a smug smile. She thinks that it'd be audacious if he wasn't proud to be the knight of an awesome queen like her.

Rosa dallies through the automatic doors, eagerly looking around at the crowd. Rosa's eyes sparkle when she sees how many trainers have Pokémon out. Furthermore, she likes how the arena has its own food court, having noticed it by the smell of various foods such as pizza and garlic bread. This arena's also got a bunch of shops, meaning that she's got to bring Kris and Serena here at some point. However, she's here to battle, so she dallies straight ahead to the center field.

"Hiiii, everybody! Battle Queen Rosa's in the house!" She smirks upon seeing the numerous trainers that've taken note of her presence. "I'm going to become super duper well known in this region!" Right before she's about to enter the field via another set of automatic doors, she twirls around to face the growing crowd of trainers that've taken note of her. "I dare all of you to come at me! I'll defeat all of you!" She gestures everyone to come get her with her left index finger. "The queen's born to be a winner, she's born to be a champion, and she's born to be the very best!"

"Wow, she's both cocky and cute!" A male trainer with a Wigglytuff exclaims.

"Wake up bud—there's no way a girl like this isn't already taken," a male trainer with a Clefable chastises.

"Forget about my boyfriend—you're dealing with Battle Queen Rosa!"

"I like her confidence," a female trainer with an Incineroar comments.

She folds her arms, her mouth curving into a cocky, lopsided grin. "I won't ease up! I won't back down! I'm not gonna panic, panic, panic!" She takes out a Poké Ball from her purse, musing, "I'm not gonna panic."

She presses the button on the ball to let her Serperior out. Serperior glares at her competition, letting out a prideful battle cry.


A large crowd of local trainers have gathered to watch Rosa's battling, and she's on a win streak. Currently, her Serperior's battling the Primeape she saw in the lobby.

"Serperior, use Energy Ball!"

A green orb of energy forms in front of Serperior's mouth. Serperior launches the orb towards the opponent's Primeape. Primeape attempts to lunge towards Serperior in a fit of rage, but is struck in the face and falls to the ground in defeat.

"I'm on fire today! That's my my fifteenth win!" Rosa's eyes sparkle as she clasps her hands next to her left cheek. "Go, go, go Rosa! It's your birthday! We're gonna party like it's your birthday, even though it's not your birthday!"

Serperior approaches Rosa, and Rosa pets her, much to the serpentine's delight. As she recalls her Serperior, Rosa notices that the other trainers have become hesitant to battle her. They better get used to it, as she's the rising queen of this region.

"Look, it's Hilda White!" A second female trainer shouts. "BW Agency's president!"

"Hilda's here?" Rosa rapidly blinks as she turns her body northeast.

Hilda maneuvers her way through the chattering crowd, faintly laughing as Valen's not even in sight. However, it's all part of the plan. "Heeey, Rosa!" She calls out, sporting a broad smile.

A grinning Rosa twirls around to greet her friend. "Hiiii, Hilda!"

"You've got a surprise visitor." Hilda smirks, folding her arms. "He's going to see me defeat you."

"Oh, you wanna play that game, Expert Noob Hilda?" Rosa asks, sporting a cocky smile. "I've won twenty five battles within the last two days."

"Hahahaha, I've won thirty two battles within the last three days, you dolt!" Hilda boisterously laughs, waving her hand dismissively.

"I challenge you to a single three versus three." Rosa uses her left index figure to gesture towards Hilda. "C'mon, Expert Noob Hilda."

"Hahahaha, I'm sooooo totally gonna mop the floor with you!" Hilda boisterously laughs.

"Hilda, you won't win," Valen retorts, catching Rosa's attention. "Or maybe you will, because a certain somebody's been focusing too much on me."

"No way-" Rosa cuts herself off, turning around to see her surprise guest. He's leaning on the wall with his arms folded, acting all cool and mysterious. Rosa's eyes glisten as she lets out a happy gasp, sporting an ear-to-ear grin. "Valeeeeeey!" As an intense feeling of euphoria begins to flow within her, Rosa dashes towards her beloved, wrapping her arms around her neck.

"Sup, cinnamon bun." Valen wraps his arms around Rosa's waist, exchanging a few kisses with her. "It's your boy, Valen."

Rosa sheds tears, resting her head on Valen's upper chest. "Thank you for helping me realize that I've got to be more than just your girlfriend. I was scared and worried, but I promise that I won't latch onto you again."

"Yeah yeah yeah, I only came to see you get your butt kicked by Hilda," Valen teases, sporting a lopsided grin. His comment earns him a bop on the forehead. "I bet you lost every battle you've had within the past few days."

"Be quiet, you idiot," Rosa retorts, giving Valen an adoring gaze as she bops him again. "I've won more battles today than the number of times you've actually battled recently."

"Negative fifty wins isn't a win total, cinnamon bun." Valen laughs.

"I'll deal with you after I win." Rosa bops Valen on both cheeks.

"You'll win when Tepig fly." Valen bops Rosa twice on the forehead.

"Don't project your lack of skills onto me, you silly boy." Rosa playfully winks.

"Maybe you're the one projecting your lack of skills onto me, you crazy girl." Valen pats Rosa on the head.

Then, Valen leans closer to Rosa's left ear, whispering, "Kick her ass, best girl."

"Of course I'm gonna kick her ass." Rosa faintly giggles, turning around to face a smirking Hilda.

She dallies towards the other end of the field. Both Rosa and Hilda take out Poké Ball from their purses.

"Let's go, Braviary!" Hilda throws her Poké Ball into the air to let her Pokémon out. As Hilda catches the Poké Ball, Braviary lets out a booming, prideful screech.

"It's time for the play's first act, Aerodactyl!" Rosa does a twirl, also throwing her Poké Ball in the air to her Pokémon out.

As his trainer catches his Poke Ball, Aerodactyl lets out a high-pitched, menacing scream. Aerodactyl and Braviary stare each other down, with Rosa noting how it feels like a showdown in an Old West movie.

"Braviary, let's start this off with Work Up!"

Braviary lets out another screech as his body's enveloped by a translucent light red aura, the prideful bird feeling an increase in his power.

"Aerodactyl, use Hone Claws!"

Aerodactyl's claws glow orange, and an orange aura envelops his body. Aerodactyl screeches as the aura vanishes, feeling an increase in offensive power.

"Iron Head!"

"Counter with your Iron Head!"

Braviary's head glows metallic gray, and he charges at Aerodactyl, his entire head emitting the same glow Aerodactyl takes off like a fighter jet, ramming into Braviary mid-way. Their heads are locked like they're rival wild Rhyhorn, neither giving an inch. They glare at each other as each tries to push the other backwards.

"Hahahaha, I got you!" Rosa turns her back rightwards, playfully winking. "Fire Fang!"

Aerodactyl's fangs glow red-orange, and flames engulf the inside of his mouth. Aerodactyl chomps down just above Braviary's left talon, causing the large bird to yelp.

"Shadow Claw!"

Both of Braviary's talons glow purple, and he slashes Aerodactyl as the latter attempts to evade. Aerodactyl's struck on the top of the head, but he's able to maintain flight.

"Swift!"

As Aerodactyl falls back, he fires off a flurry of glowing white stars from his mouth. The white stars bombard Braviary, but he quickly recuperates.

"Remind Aerodactyl of your Steel Wing!"

Braviary's wings glow metallic gray, and he rapidly charges towards Aerodactyl. Before Rosa can command a counter, Braviary slams both wings into Aerodactyl, sending him flying backwards. Aerodactyl shuts his eyes, but he re-opens them within seconds. Aerodactyl lets out a booming screech, refusing to let his rival best him.

"Steel Wing again!"

Once more, Braviary's wings glow metallic gray, and he charges towards Aerodactyl.

"Stone Edge!"

Glowing gray rocks began to form and encircle Aerodactyl. Aerodactyl launches all of the rocks at Braviary. At first, Braviary easily maneuvers his way around the rocks. but he eventually gets hit. Braviary yelps as the barrage of rocks relentlessly pelt him. Braviary nearly loses his mid-air balance, but he's able to regain in within several seconds.

"Aerial Ace!"

Braviary lets out a shriek, a white outline surrounding his entire body. The bird launches himself at Aerodactyl like he's a missile, striking the fossil Pokemon within milliseconds.

"Swift!"

Once more, Aerodactyl fires off a flurry of glowing white stars from his mouth. Braviary's pelted by the stars, but remains in-flight.

"Brave Bird!"

Braviary lunges towards Aerodactyl at a high velocity, bursting into flames like a rocket burning up upon reentry.

"Counter with Giga Impact!"

Aerodactyl's enveloped by a orange oval. Aerodactyl lunges towards Braviary at an equally high rate of speed. Both Pokémon exert as much force as they can, their collision causing a massive explosion that sends them careening behind their respective trainers. Both Rosa and Hilda look behind them as their Pokemon crash into the ground, feeling unease as they wait to see who gets up first.

Both Pokémon struggle and pant as they slowly try to get up. Eventually, Aerodactyl's able to take flight, but Braviary's not so lucky. The bird Pokémon gets up halfway, then falls to the ground in defeat. Aerodactyl lets out a booming screech to celebrate his victory, but both trainer and Pokemon know that it's far from over.

"You battled well, Braviary," Hilda compliments as she recalls him.

A smiling Valen bends his elbows while holding up his fists in front of him. "There's nothing more exciting that watching two powerful trainers clash!" He turns his head towards the large crowd of locals. "These Unovan girls know that we don't mess around in Calvana!" The locals roar with cheers in response, further firing up the grinning girls.

Hilda puts Braviary's Poké Ball away and takes out another ball. "Starmie, let's rock!" Hilda tosses the Poké Ball in the air to let her Pokémon out, catching it as it falls back down. Starmie spins its body, letting out an electromagnetic screech.

Rosa's aware that Aerodactyl's got a type disadvantage, but she knows that he won't let that inconvenience him. However, she can tell that Aerodactyl's gotten tired from fighting Braviary, so she hopes he can launch at least one more attack.

"Use Crunch!"

Aerodactyl lunges at Starmie, using teeth that glow violet to chomp down on the top of its body.

"Heat em up like a star with your Scald attack!"

Starmie unleashes a stream of boiling water from its red jewel. As Aerodactyl tries to back up to evade the attack, the boiling water slams into his face. Aerodactyl falls to the ground, struggling to regain flight. Then, boiling water surrounds him, inflicting more damage.

"Thunderbolt!"

Starmie's entire body glows with red electricity, launching a powerful bolt of red electricity. The bolt strikes Aerodactyl in his neck, and electricity quickly envelops his entire body. After the electricity vanishes, Aerodactyl falls to the ground in defeat.

"I hope that's not all you've got, Rosa," Hilda playfully taunts, laughing when Rosa subtly sticks up her right middle finger in response.

"Good work," Rosa compliments her Aerodactyl as she recalls him. Rosa puts Aerodactyl's Poké Ball away and takes out another ball.

"Well, Rosa?" Hilda grins. "Want to run back home to avoid a crushing defeat?"

"Hahahaha, as if that's going to happen!" Rosa howls. "Milotic, you're the play's second act!" She spins the Poké Ball with her right index and middle finger, tossing it into the air to let Milotic out.

As her trainer catches the ball, Milotic glares at Starmie. She's not letting her rival best her.

"Oh, you want your Water-type to be defeated by mine?! You're soooo bad, Rosa!" Hilda laughs. "Starmie, fortify the real queen's defenses with Cosmic Power!"

Starmie's red jewel emits a glowing aura, and the aura envelops its entire body. Bright yellow stars begin to decorate the aura en masse. The aura and its stars vanish, and Starmie feeling ready to take its rival's attacks.

"Milotic, show this fake queen who's boss with Scald!" Starmie screeches as its body its singed by a flurry of boiling water, indicating that its been burned.

"You got lucky, but Thunderbolt's gonna jolt you back to reality!"

Once more, Starmie's entire body glows with red electricity, and it launches a powerful bolt from its red jewel. Milotic's struck just under her jaw, and the bolt quickly envelops her entire body. Milotic closes her eyes as she attempts to endure Thunderbolt.

"Use Thunderbolt again!" Starmie repeats the process. firing off another bolt.

As she reels from the first one, the second Thunderbolt surrounds Milotic's entire body, causing her to yelp.

"Psychic!"

Starmie's red jewel glows, and it attempts to launch a powerful wave of red energy. However, Rosa's not letting that happen.

"Milotic, stop that attack with Water Pulse!"

Milotic pulls herself together, and a sphere of water forms in front of her mouth. The aquatic serpent turns her head downwards and launches the sphere, which morphs into a torrent of water that careens towards all sides. The attack prevents Starmie from fully launching Psychic via the torrent crashing into its entire body. Water Pulse didn't do a ton of damage, but Rosa's pleased that its purpose was successful.

"Hydro Pump!"

Both Milotic and Starmie launch powerful jet streams of water that collide with each other, causing a detonation that results in a moderate amount of smoke.

"Ice Beam!"

Milotic launches a frost white beam of energy from her mouth. Right after the rest of the smoke clears out, Starmie's struck in its red jewel. Starmie staggers, but quickly regains its composure.

"Starmie won't go down so easily!" Hilda proclaims. "Shock em with Zap Cannon!"

Starmie's red jewel begins to crackle with electrical sparks. A red orb of electricity begins to form in front of its jewel. Starmie launches the orb, which becomes enveloped by large electrical jolt on all sides. Milotic's struck just under her jaw, the aquatic serpent falling to the ground. Sparks crackle around Milotic's body, but Rosa's not concerned about the paralyzes status condition.

While Milotic's got the ability Marvel Scale, Rosa's not taking any chances in this battle. "Use Refresh!"

Milotic's entire body sparkles blue for a brief moment, removing the infliction caused by Zap Cannon. Rosa laughs at a wide-eyed Hilda's unfortunate luck.

"Hydro Pump!"

Milotic fires off another powerful jet stream of war that slams into Starmie, sending it flying backwards. However, Starmie refuses to lose to its rival.

Hilda folds her arms, shaking her head with an amused smirk. "Use Recover."

Starmie emits a red aura from its jewel. The aura envelops it, healing a good amount of damage.

"Milotic, Dragon Pulse!"

Milotic lifts her head up high upright. A light blue sphere of energy forms in front of her mouth. As she launches the sphere, it morphs into an aquatic serpentine-like dragon with a line of fins running down the back. The dragon formation collides into Starmie at a high velocity, Starmie flying like a frisbee. Hilda looks behind her, her mouth falling open as Starmie crashes into the ground, having been defeated.

As she observes Hilda recalls Starmie, Rosa's confident that she's got this in the bag. That being said, she already knows who's coming out.

"You fought well, Starmie." Hilda puts away Starmie's Poké Ball and takes out another ball. "

"Let's take home the win, Garchomp!" Hilda twirls on the tips of her feet, throwing the Poke Ball into the air to unleash her most powerful Pokémon on her rival.

The bipedal dragon announces his presence with a menacing roar, sending shockwaves through the ground and air. He's the king of the field, and Milotic's a foolish challenger.

"Milotic, use Ice Beam!"

For a second time, Milotic launches a frost white beam from her mouth. Garchomp gets hit directly in the face and staggers backwards. He nearly falls over, but manages to remain standing.

"Use Dragon Claw, then shake things up with Earthquake!"

"Try hitting Garchomp with another Ice Beam!"

Milotic fires off another frost white beam from her mouth as Garchomp lunges towards her. Her eyes slightly widen upon seeing Garchomp leaping over her Ice Beam attack. Garchomp jumps, bobs and weaves around Milotic's subsequent attempts to land another blow with frost white beams. As the fins on his arms glow green, Garchomp does a full rotation mid-air, slamming his fins into the serpent's backside as he lands on his feet. Garchomp jumps backwards and slams his tail into the ground as hard as he can. This results in a flurry of white shockwaves careening towards Milotic. Milotic yelps as the battlefield rumbles underneath her. She closes her eyes, attempting to endure the attack.

"Use Dragon Pulse!"

A dark blue sphere forms in front of Garchomp's mouth. Garchomp launches the sphere, which morphs into a dragon-shaped beam. It morphs further into a massive dark blue dragon with a spike on each knee and a pair of extra fangs protruding sideways from both ends of the mouth. A screeching gust of wind blows, causes many people's clothes and hair to ripple. The dragon formation slams into Milotic, sending her flying behind Rosa. Milotic crashes into the ground, her wide-eyed trainer rapidly spinning around in shock.

"Milotic, use Recover!"

Milotic slowly lifts herself up, scowling at Garchomp. Milotic lets out an angelic cry as her body emits a blue aura, healing a good amount of damage. However, she's still taken a lot of damage, as evident by her panting.

"Garchomp, Earthquake!"

Garchomp slams his tail into the ground as hard as he can, sending a flurry of white shockwaves careening towards Milotic. Milotic falls down as she attempts to endure the attack.

It'll come down to dragon versus dragon. Rosa wanted to try and get at least one more attack in, but Milotic's about to go down.

"Your second act's about to end!" Hilda declares, sporting a confident smirk. "Use Poison Jab!"

Garchomp's fin glow lavender blue, and he lunges for Milotic. Garchomp slams Milotic to the ground by slashing her in the back with both fins, causing her to yelp. Then, Milotic's enveloped in a purple aura, causing the aquatic serpent to yelp again as she takes additional damage. The damage from her poison infliction's just enough to cause Milotic to crash into the ground in defeat, causing Rosa's mouth to fall open.

However, shock turns into determination as Rosa narrows her eyes at her rival. Both Hilda and her are now down to one Pokémon each, but both feel undeterred. She smirks, recalling her Milotic. "Don't worry, your dragon teammate will help me crush this noob."

"I guess I'll have to call off our rivalry!" Hilda waves her right hand dismissively. She moves her neck and head from side to side, wagging her right index finger. "You had a spark when it started, but now you're just garbage!"

Rosa closes her eyes, placing her right hand on her hip. "Tsk tsk tsk, how can Rosa be garbage?" She smirks, wagging her left index finger. "I'm the cutest—name an aspiring trainer that I haven't influenced."

"Give up, we're running this battle!" Hilda laughs, her Garchomp joining in. She snaps her fingers, trying to make Rosa's chances of winning go poof.

"You've been copying me, you love my style!" Rosa boisterously laughs, putting Milotic's Poké Ball away. She turns her head to look behind her, stating, "Have my victory kiss ready." She takes out another ball. "We know Hilda's lost already."

"Don't drag me into this," Valen counters. "Also, focus."

"I've been focusing, you lovable idiot." Rosa winks.

Rosa turns her head back towards Hilda and her Garchomp. It's time for Battle Queen Rosa to unleash her most powerful Pokémon. "People and Pokémon, the play's reached its final act!" She stares down Hilda and her Garchomp. "Hydreigon's act number three!"

She jumps up and throws the Poké Ball in the air to let her own dragon out, catching Hydreigon's Poké Ball as she lands on her feet in a bowing position. She stands upright, her mouth having curved into a cocky, lopsided grin. Hydreigon lets out a thunderous roar that sends shockwaves through the ground and air. Garchomp responds by causing shockwaves via another deafening roar.

"It's time to prove that I'm more worthy of the throne!" Rosa points to herself, oozing with pride.

"It's time for you to accept that I'm the best!" Hilda boasts, narrowing her eyes at Rosa.

Both Hilda and Rosa stare each other down, feeling like cowgirls about to duel with their dragons.

Valen watches Rosa's Hydreigon and Hilda's Garchomp snarling at each other. Then, his Salamence decides to let himself out of his Poke Ball, eager to see this battle of the dragons. Valen and Salamence glance at each other, both sporting elated grins.

"Who do you think's gonna win?" Salamence laughs, pointing his front left claw towards himself. "I meant between those two, you silly dragon." As both of them turn their attention to the battle, Valen recalls more of what they told him in the past.

"I had to catch a Gabite, Val-Val! You rubbed off on me in more ways than one!"

"Hilda and I will win a league conference, just like you!"

"We're each other's biggest fans!"


Valen returns his focus to the battle. There's no denying it—Rosa and Hilda are his absolute biggest inspirations. Just like he was their inspiration. He's proud to have Rosa as his girlfriend. He's proud to have Hilda as a best friend, but the future may have more planned for the three of them.
 
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BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Chapter 25: No Matter What.

The atmosphere's eerily tense, with everybody remaining quiet. Valen and the other spectators are well aware of what's about to go down. Two powerful dragons that are notoriously different to tame are about to duke it out, and everybody's looking forward to that epic clash. Salamence's keenly focused on the battle, waiting to see which dragon comes out on top.

Hydreigon and Garchomp glare at each other, maintaining strong eye contact. As for their trainers, their mouths curve into content smiles. Rosa and Hilda are still good friends who respect each other, regardless of the sass and taunts they throw at each other.

For Valen, he couldn't be more excited even if he tried his hardest to. These two skilled trainers and their dragons aren't giving an inch to the other. "No matter who wins, you're both amazing Pokémon Trainers!" He shouts, sporting an grin. "You better not forget that, or we're gonna have some major problems!"

Rosa winks at him and Hilda gives him a thumbs up. The two women return their focus to each other, Valen and Salamence return to focusing on the battle.

"Hurry up, Expert Noob Hilda." She places a hand on her hip, her other hand a raised fist. I've got a battle to win." Her voice brims with confidence, her smirk lopsided. "If I can't do it, then it can't be done!"

"Girl please, you're out of your mind if you think you can beat me!" Hilda waves her left hand dismissively, tilting her head rightwards. "The outcome's so clear that even a Deino sees!"

As the duo continues their banter, Valen snickers. He's surrounded by crazies, but he's cool with it. Upon spotting Salamence grinning at him, he pets the dragon's head.

Hilda extends her left arm outwards, behind her elbow and clenching her fist. "Let's see which dragon comes out on top!" she shouts. "Garchomp, use Swift!"

Garchomp fires off a flurry of dark blue stars from his mouth. Hydreigon's relentlessly pelted by the stars, but lets out a thunderous roar to let Garchomp know that he's not backing down. Garchomp lets out a menacing roar in response.

Rosa turns her back rightwards, pointing with her finger. "Hydreigon, use Flash Cannon!" Her other hand's set on her hip. "Hydro Pump!"

Small orbs of silver energy begins to form and merge inside of Hydreigon's main mouth. Hydreigon fires off a large silver beam that slams into Garchomp in the latter's red chest, just below his jaw. Hydreigon leaps back, launching a large and powerful jet stream of water from the same mouth.

"Hahahahahahaha, I'm about to deny your ass!" Hilda gloats, sticking her tongue out. "Poison Jab!" As both of his fins glow lavender blue. Garchomp lunges forward.

Garchomp jumps, bobs and weaves around Hydreigon's attempts to land a blow with Hydro Pump. Garchomp slashes Hydreigon with both fins in the middle of his body.

"Hydreigon, use Ice Fang!"

Before Garchomp can back away, the fangs within Hydreigon's main mouth glow icy blue and extend outward. Hydreigon chomps down on Garchomp's right arm, causing the bipedal dragon to shut his eyes in distress.

"Knock Hydreigon away with Brick Break!"

Garchomp's left fin glows red. Garchomp roars, slamming his fin on the top of Hydreigon's main head. Hydreigon plummets into the ground, resulting in a large hole.

"Dark Pulse!"

Hydreigon launches himself back up, the fires off a stream of black circles. The stream strikes Garchomp in the face before the bipedal dragon's able to respond. Garchomp staggers backwards, but he retains his footing.

"Ice Fang!"

Once again, Hydreigon's fangs extent and glow icy blue. Hydreigon lunges for Garchomp, sinking his fangs into Garchomp's left leg before the bipedal dragon can respond. Garchomp shuts his eyes again as he attempts to endure the attack. Eventually, Hydreigon lets go and falls back as fast as he can.

"Throat Chop!"

Both of Hydreigon's smaller mouths glow purple. Hydreigon darts towards Garchomp, but the latter and his trainer are ready this time.

"It's time to duel!" Hilda announces. "Garchomp, fend Hydreigon off with Dragon Claw!"

Each time Hydreigon attempts to sink its fangs into Garchomp with one of its smaller mouths, Garchomp blocks it via his glowing green fins. or dodges it by moving from left to right and vice versa, and this process is repeated over and over again. The duel between Hydreigon's Throat Chop and Garchomp's Dragon Claw bears a vague resemblance to two knights fighting with their swords. The dragons fall back, then charge at each other again with the same attacks. The dragons repeat this process multiple, jousting to achieve victory.

Valen and Salamence are keenly observing this clash. Garchomp's methodically blocking and evading all of Hydreigon's attempts to sink his fangs into him. The constant collisions between the attacks result in an moderate amount of smoke.

As the smoke clears out, Hydreigon sinks his fangs into Garchomp's left leg, but Garchomp slams both of his glowing green fins into Hydreigon's smaller mouths. Hydreigon plummets while Garchomp kneels. Both grin, commending the other for putting up a good fight.

Hydreigon leaps up, just as Garchomp stands up. Both fiercely glare at each other, feeling an intense determination to best the other. With no hesitation nor command, they charge at each other with Throat Chop and Dragon Claw again. This time, Hydreigon bites down on Garchomp's left arm, while Garchomp slashes the top of all three heads. Hydreigon nearly plummets again, but Garchomp's able to maintain his footing. Both fall back as quickly as they charged in, but third time's the charm. Hydreigon charges in as fast as he can, jabbing Garchomp's neck with both of his smaller mouths. Garchomp reels, but is able to strike Hydreigon's center with his fins.

Hilda sees that her Garchomp's feels a bit tired, but refuses to back down. Same story with Rosa's Hydreigon. She takes a deep breath to keep herself focused, commanding, "Dragon Breath!"

Garchomp fires off a dark blue beam that resembles fog from his mouth, striking Hydreigon's center once again. Hydreigon shuts his left eye, having taken a considerable amount of damage. Hilda believes that this is her best chance to take home the win.

"Brick Break!"

This time, Garchomp's right fin glows red. Garchomp lunges towards Hydreigon, striking him in the neck of his right mouth.

"Dark Pulse!"

Hydreigon fires off another stream of black circles, striking Garchomp in his red chest as the bipedal dragon falls back. Rosa tightens her fists, believing that she needs to win this battle soon. Hydreigon's also feeling tired, so it'll come down to who can muster up the most strength and willpower to achieve victory.

"Hydro Pump!"

Hydreigon fires off another large and powerful jet stream of water from his main mouth.

"Brick Break!"

Garchomp's right fin glows red again. At first, Garchomp's able to bob and weave around Hydro Pump. Then, Hydreigon's Hydro Pump slams right into Garchomp's face, sending him stumbling backwards.

"Expert Trainer Hilda refuses to lose! Use Dragon Claw!" Both of Garchomp's fins glow green and he charges at Hydreigon.

"Dark Pulse again!"

Once more, Hydreigon launches a stream of black circles. However, Garchomp leaps as high as he can, jumping back down and slamming his fins into the top of Hydreigon's main head. Hydreigon's barely able to stay afloat.

"Dragon Breath!"

Garchomp fires off another dark blue beam that resembles fog from his mouth, striking Hydreigon in the face.

Hydreigon falls to the ground, causing Rosa to sweat. However, she breathes a sigh of relief when Hydreigon gets back up, letting out a booming roar. Garchomp falls back, letting out a booming roar of his own.

"Use Swift!"

Garchomp fires off a flurry of dark blue stars from his mouth. The stars relentlessly pelt Hydreigon, but the three-headed dragon maintains his balance. Hilda and her Garchomp won't let their opponents off the hook so easily, so they better watch out!

"Hit em with another Brick Break!"

Garchomp's left fins glows red, and he lunges towards Hydreigon. Rosa and her Hydreigon won't let those two off the hook so easily either, so they're the ones who better watch out.

"Use Flash Cannon!"

Once more, small orbs of silver energy begins to form and merge inside of Hydreigon's main mouth. Hydreigon fires off a large silver beam. As Garchomp nears within striking distance, Flash Cannon lands a direct hit to the face. Garchomp shuts his eyes as he stumbles backwards, but he's able to remain standing.

"Use Dragon Pulse!" Both have ear-to-ear grins.

A dark blue sphere forms in front of Garchomp's mouth. Garchomp launches the sphere, which morphs into a dragon-shaped beam. Then, it morphs further into a massive dragon with spikes on each knee, a pair of extra fangs protruding sideways from both ends of the mouth. Spheres forms in front of all three of Hydreigon's mouths. The three-headed dragon launches the spheres, which morph and merge into a gigantic black dragon with red eyes and line of spikes running down its head, back and tail.

A howling gust of wind blows causes everybody's clothes and hair to ripple to an extent. The massive dragon formations slam into each other, resulting in a explosion that causes enough smoke to conceal the battlefield from the spectators. As the smoke clears out, Hydreigon and Garchomp stand directly in front of their respective trainers, awaiting the next clash. Both dragons let out subtle roars to indicate respect for the other. As with their respective teammates and trainers, the rivalry doesn't affect the friendship they've had for a long time.

Rosa and Hilda are more than eager to take this dragon duel to the next level. "Use Dragon Rush!"

Hydreigon and Garchomp are enveloped by energy of their previous attack's respective. Both dragons charge at each other at a high velocity, the energy surrounding transforming into the same dragon formations. This time, the dragon formations serve as draconic armor or gigantic dragon mechs. Hydreigon and Garchomp collide into each other, causing a echoing and booming thud. Both dragons refuse to give an inch to the other. They fall back and repeat the process over and over again. Each time a collision occurs it's done at a different angle. The ensuing string of echoing are like a truck dynamite detonating via a domino effect. The smoke envelops the entire field, the energy emitting around the dragons keeping them visible.

A frisson of excitement starts to overwhelm Valen. "I've found him, I've found the trainer inside of me!" The flames of passions within him are burning brightly again. His mind replays his battles with Brandon, Red, Cynthia, and Hilbert. He's only beaten Brandon, but he's got no regrets about his performance in any of those battles. He vividly recalls Salamence's triumph over Brandon's Regirock within the Battle Pyramid, as well as the dragon's triumph over Red's Charizard.

Several minutes and dozens of additional collisions later, the dragon finally cease their clash. Hydreigon and Garchomp crash land onto the battlefield, booming thuds rumbling it. A suspenseful silence envelops the field as the dragons try to get it. Rosa feels her heart thumping and Hilda takes a deep breath to calm her nerves. It's all up to willpower now.

After what feels like a lengthy period of time, Garchomp kneels over and slams into the ground, causing Hilda to gasp. Hydreigon's barely manages to stay afloat, faintly smirking over his victory.

Rosa blinks, her mouth curving into an enthusiastic smile seconds later. "I did it! I did it! I won! I won!" She jumps up and down, raising her right fist towards the sky.

Hydreigon turns towards his trainer, giving her a grin. She follows it up by darting up to Hydreigon, petting and kissing his heads one by one. She recalls him for a rest, then places his ball back inside her purse.

"Yes, she won!" Valen cheers, broadly grinning. "My queen won!" He notes that the locals are roaring with cheers, as they should be.

"Get some rest, Garchomp." Hilda sports a content smile, recalling her dragon. She closes her eyes, stating, "We gave it our all." She places the ball back inside her bag.

Salamence's proud of the passion his trainer's feeling. His teammates and him have been waiting for their trainer's eventual return. This is him, this is who found him as a Bagon. This is trainer who helped to make his dream of becoming a powerful dragon a reality.

Hilda dashes towards the other end of the field. Both Rosa and Hilda grin as they exchange a hi-five with each other.

Hilda spots Valen taking his sweet time to approach Rosa and her. She clasps her hands behind her back. "Let's here what Val-Val's got to say."

Rosa turns her head behind her, giving Valen a playful smile as he saunters towards Hilda and her. "Don't try to hide your excitement, kaaaay?" She gives him a cocky wink, bopping him on both of his cheeks.

"Heh, I'm not hiding anything, your highness." Valen pats Rosa on the head. "That's my girl." his mouth curves into a broad grin. "You're my biggest inspiration, Rosa!" Valen gushes, causing Rosa to gasp. "That battle got me fired up!"

After several seconds of silence, Rosa closes her eyes. "You better be fired up." She tips her visor downwards. "I can't be seen with some lame ass party pooper."

Valen wraps his arms around Rosa's mid-section. "Here's your victory hug." He feels her arms around his neck, her lips pressed against his.

Ah, that hits the spot for Queen Rosa! After a battle like that, a nice hug from Valey sweetie is a good way to relax! Tee-hee, maybe he won't blush like a silly boooy this time, buuuut he's not consistent about thaaaat!

Valen and Rosa release each other, the former approaching Hilda. "You're also my biggest inspiration, manager!" He wraps his left arm around Hilda's waist, pulling her closer to him.

Hilda's wide-eyed expression makes Rosa giggle, but the warmth she feels causes her to sport a soft smile seconds later. Hilda wraps her arms around Valen's neck, bopping him on the forehead. This giant Lillipup's spoiling her, as per usual. So relaxing this is, just like the times he's hugged to calm her down. Whether it was being hotheaded or nervousness, he knew how to get her to chill out.

After a couple of minutes, Valen and her let go of each other, exchanging a three way fist bump with Rosa.

"Valen, you said to go after what I want, right?" Rosa closes her eyes while grinning. "Well, one of my wants is for you to have awesome battles too!" She lifts her chin up, angling her palms under it. "Don't forget to have lots and lots and lots and lots of fun!"

"You...really?" Valen blinks, pointing at himself. "You...include me in-"

"Of course, silly." she giggles. "One of my desires is to see a permanent big smile on your face." She lets go, kissing his forehead.

"Same here." Hilda bops Valen on the forehead. "You're an even bigger goofball, aren't you?" she titters. "So oblivious that it's adorable."

Valen turns his head away, trying to hide his blushing. Rosa's grin remains dangerously adorable, Hilda's grin is also cute, and they're both living Renaissance masterpieces!

A roar from Salamence causes dorky Valen to go away for now. His trainer doesn't need to ask if he wants to battle. He observes Hilda and Rosa stepping back, allowing Valen to stride forward. He flies over his trainer, landing directly in front of him. His thunderous roar rumbles the ground with shockwaves.

"Time to cause mayhem." Both him and his Salamence spot a male trainer walking towards the other end of the arena, his Druddigon position himself across from Salamence. "You ready for a beatdown?" Valen's mouth curves into a lopsided grin, and he points towards himself. "It's Team Skull's Valen!"

Rosa and Hilda watch Valen battle a male trainer with sparkling eyes. Salamence's still out of his ball, but is standing next to the two women. The dragon's proudly smirking over his seven wins in a row, so might as well let another have some fun. It wouldn't be fair to his teammates if he battled every single time.

Valen's Golisopod is currently facing off against the male trainer's Bisharp. Both Pokémon stare each other down, looking like they're in an Old West showdown.

"Iron Head!" The male trainer shouts.

Bisharp's head glows metallic gray. The Dark and Steel-type lunges at Golisopod like a ninja running at a high rate of speed.

""I'm afraid that this battle's mine." Valen smirks, folding his arms. "Liquidation."

Golisopod places his right hand near its upper right leg, like he's got what the humans call a sheath. A massive water sword begins to form in his left hand, emerging as a crescent-shape. Golisopod points it upwards like he just pulled it from a rock, rotating it just to look cool for the audience. Call him Excalipod, the greatest non-human knight ever! Right when Bisharp's about to strike, Golisopod swings his water sword from right to left, slamming Bisharp face first into the ground. Bisharp attempts to get up, but falls back down in defeat seconds later.

Rosa and Hilda grab each other's hands, jumping up and down. "He won again!" They cheer, briefly hugging each other. "We're all winning cuz we're awesomeeee!" They jump around, still grasping the other's hands.

Salamence joins the cheering women by letting out a thunderous roar, shooting a Flamethrower into the sky. His pride's finally coming back. The next time he ends up in a double battle, he's not going to lose his will to fight.

Then, Hilda whips out cell phone and enters the camera app. Rosa, Hilda, and Salamence make their way towards Valen and Golisopod. Salamence and Golisopod exchange a high five, while Rosa and Hilda wrap one arm each around Valen's neck.

Hilda presses play, both Rosa and her winking. "Go! Go! Go! Go Valen, it's your birthday!" They whip out their phones, numerous camera flashes occurring. "We're gonna party like it's your birthday!" More pictures taken for good measure. "We're going to eat pizza like it's your birthday, but it's not actually your birthday!" Even more pictures, because why not? "You can find us in downtown, nobody's allowed to frown!"

Their cheering gets the crowd roaring more, while Valen exchanges a high five with his two Pokémon. A job well done, but the journey's far from over. They'll reach the end of that tunnel one day.

Valen and Hilda are in the former's living room, sitting on one of his white sofas. The duo have spent this quiet early evening binge watching footage of various battles via fullscreen. Both are glued to the former's laptop, watching an exhibition match between Steven Stone and Leon Alden from several months ago. The battle was an intense one, with Steven's Metagross and Duraludon duking it out with Leon's Dragapult and Charizard.

As he watches the battle, Valen ponders how he's been living under a Golem. Skyla's being considered for the Elite Four, Hilbert's topped the country and R&B charts, Nate's going to run the BW Agency back in Unova, Zane Truman won the most recent Calvanian Conference, what else did he miss?

"No spoilers from me, Val-Val," Hilda teases, snapping Valen back into focus.

She observes as Leon commands his Charizard and Dragapult to use Flamethrower and Shadow Ball respectively. Steven commands Metagross and Duraludon to counter with Sludge Bomb and Dragon Pulse respectively, resulting in a big boom fest.

Valen offers Hilda a fist bump. "No matter what, we're in this together."

"No matter what, we'll be friends forever." Hilda warmly grins, accepting the first bump.

Then, Hilda wraps her arms around Valen's neck, causing Valen to place his left hand on her back.

"Welcome back, Val-Val." Hilda sheds a few tears.

"Thanks, Hilda." Valen softly smiles. He kisses her on the top of her head. "Dunno why I had such extreme paranoia about you...at least it all worked out."

Valen and Hilda hears the front door closing, followed by a giggle. Hilda pauses the battle, and places Valen's laptop on the round walnut table on her right. Both faintly laugh over not realizing that Rosa's home in the first place.

Rosa heard a glimpse of the conversation, and she's sporting a winsome smile. "No matter what, our love's forever, Valey!" She sticks up her left index and ring ringers. "Alsooooo, we'll all be besties forever and ever and ever and ever!"

"Come here so I can lift you up." Valen stands up, gesturing towards her.

"Roar, here I comeeeee!" Rosa dashes into the living room, heading for one of the snowy white sofas.

Rosa gets closer to Valen, and he wraps his arms around her mid-section. "Up you go."

"Tee-hee, big boy loves to lift me me up!" Rosa cheers, wrapping her arms around Valen's neck. "Alsoooooooooo, that was a nice win streak you pulled off!" She gently drums her feet on Valen's upper legs. "Wham! Bam! Pow!"

Valen laughs, asking, "So, how was your day overall?"

"It was awesomeeeeeeee!" Rosa gushes, her eyes sparkling like the emerald on her diamond—line necklace. "Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, I had some ice cream, some Unovan pizza, and some spring rolls! I got a ticket for a play tomorrow! I won lots and lots of battles! I did lots of other cool and fun things too!"

As Rosa continues to talk, Valen stays silent, smiling and nodding to show that he's listening. In addition to returning to battling more often, Valen's also happy to hear Rosa talking about plays. He recalls that Rosa got her love of plays and film from her dad, scriptwriter Keith Whitley.

"I'll be back for another battle," Hilda asserts, folding her arms. She tilts her head backwards. "Accept your inventible defeat in advance."

As Rosa continues to talk, Valen stays silent, smiling and nodding to show that he's listening. In addition to returning to battling more often, Valen's also happy to hear Rosa talking about plays. He recalls that Rosa got her love of plays and film from her dad, scriptwriter Keith Whitley.

"I'll be back to take that title from you, Rosa," Hilda asserts, folding her arms. She tilts her head backwards. "Accept your inventible defeat in advance."

"Hold on a minute, I just remembered that you're moving here." Valen blurts out, his face glowing. "Please become my agent and manager again!" He bends his elbows while forming fists. "You were awesome at it!"

Rosa and Hilda rapidly blink, then burst out laughing.

"I'll always be your agent and manager again right here." Hilda grins, folding her hands in front of her left shoulder. "I presume that he's coming back eventually!"

"Tee-hee, you're soooo cute when you're excited, Valey!" Rosa's eyes glitter, clasping her hands next to her right cheek.

"Let's achieve our goals!" Valen, Hilda, and Rosa exchange a three way fist bump.

Then, Rosa decides to get a little bit more serious. She's got something important to tell her beloved. "Hey, you don't need to come out with me if you don't want to." She caresses Valen's left cheek.

"Really?" Valen piques up, cocking a brow. "You're a people person, not a loner."

"Even so, I'll let you decide if you want to tag along." Rosa lovingly smiles. "However, I'd still appreciate it if we could hang out more often in the near future." She kisses him on the lips. "We have lots of fun together, and I promise that I won't latch onto you again."

"...Alright, I guess I can agree to that." Valen kisses Rosa back. "Besides, I wouldn't be a very good boyfriend if I never tagged along."

"...Out of curiosity, how come you two never talk about the online pseudonyms?" Hilda piques up.

"Hmph, as if I'm going to disclose that the queen's gotten to chat with The Black Reaper online, long before he had said mysterious and cool persona."

"….You mean the way that I frequently chatted with many fans?"

"I was the cutest and prettiest among all of them!"

"I won't argue with that." Valen shrugs. "Truth is truth." A bop from Hilda says otherwise.

"Nooooow, battle time! Rosa wants to watch battles with Valey and Noob!" Rosa grins when she hears Valen snickering.

Valen glances towards as Hilda she picks up the laptop off of the walnut table. Hilda rolls her eyes, but smiles seconds later upon she seeing Valen and Rosa sharing a laugh. After a couple of minutes, the footage of Steven and Leon's battle's on fullscreen again. Rosa's eyes sparkle as she seems Steven and Leon's Pokemon duking it out, neither duo giving an inch.

Valen notices Typhlosion and Luxray approaching him, both sporting smiles. He pets both of them, causing Luxray to purr and Typhlosion to lick his right hand. He turns to focus on the battle with Rosa and Hilda, both Typhlosion and Luxray joining him. Rosa and Hilda keenly focus, everyone feeling content with the current situation. All three of them know that even if his self-esteem still needs improving, he's not going anywhere.
 
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BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Chapter 26: Rosa's Still Rosa

It's a sunny early morning for the residents of Angel City and the surrounding areas. Melanie's resting in her bedroom within her brick bungalow. Her blue Valerie Versace jean jacket rests besides her, fully revealing her azure T-shirt from the same brand.

Melanie's been busy again with her writing and with being a known trainer, so she's been relaxing at home for the last few days. However, she's also had some doubts about herself lately. Hilda was more effective than she was at breaking Valen's shell, as was Rosa. Should she have done more? She glances over to the old photo album that she had with her that day, which lies next to her on the bed. She didn't bring it with her when she went to meet Valen, but she wishes that she did.

She shakes her head, murmuring, "Doubting won't do me any good." She glances towards her autographed posters of Lance, Steven, and Hilbert to distract her mind. "Nobody can ignore me when I'm in the house." She glances over towards her autographed posters of Cynthia, Clair, and Zinnia. "Regardless of who they are."

Of course, she's a proud and fiery Nordican and Calvanian—these posters are grouped with talent from both Calvana and Nordica. She glances towards her autographed poster of the flamboyant Siegfried Schroeder and his Darkrai. He's the current champ, and rocks a vampiric-like cape from Gucci-Wataru. Siegfried was also a big inspiration for her childhood friend, as was his cousin. She hopes that Jacques shows up here, because who doesn't love the classiest cousin duo ever?

Her own homegrown inspiration's present too—Camilla Përmeti and her Hatterene. That gal rocks a Valerie Versace jean jacket extremely well. She's since become a member of the Elite Four. Also present's is a poster of actor and Elite Four member Asger Eriksen and his Galarian Articuno. Like her, he moved to Calvana from Nordica at a young age.

Melanie likes all of her posters, but in terms of sentimental value, none can top the reproduction Art Nouveau and Art Deco posters, such as the one advertising the Calvanian Conference from 1882. These posters have intrigued her ever since she learned that posters date back to the mid-19th century.

He remembers even the smallest details about her, and everyone else close to him. He's too much of sweetheart, but that's one reason why he's so likeable. He doesn't want anybody to feel even a little bit left out, not if he can help it.

Melanie's phone dings, and she sees that Rosa's texted her. "Old Downtown, a play, Unovan pizza, the usual fun Rosa activities," she remarks. "It's not a happy Rosa text without a bunch of smile and grin emojis."

Then, she gets a text from Valen about what he's up to, complete with a string of grin emojis. "Meanwhile, this doofus is adorably excited to get out and battle." Speaking of which, she guesses that he still likes this neighborhood—architects Frederic Lloyd Wright and Harold Louis Wilson designed all of these houses in the 1920s.

Melanie returns her attention to the photo album. She flips the front cover back, revealing photographs of Valen, Rosa, Hilda, and herself within Vega City. She chuckles, recalling that he dubbed them and Serena "The Majestic Angels." As per usual, Serena was jealous that Valen didn't include her in this group. However, Serena did get her wish eventually.

Melanie flips the page, revealing another picture of the four within Vega City. This time, Serena and Calem are present. Melanie chuckles at Calem's annoyed expression, as Serena dragged him into the picture.

Then, Melanie gets more texts from Rosa. This time, Rosa's texted pictures of herself within a familiar part of the city. "Everybody seems to love that district."


It's mid-morning, and Rosa's starting off her afternoon of exploration within Old Downtown. As people and Pokemon stroll on by, she stands the middle of the plaza walkway. Sporting a broad grin, she keeps twirling around to look at of the old and cool buildings. No matter how many times she sees them, they always seem to mesmerize her. As her eyes fixates on the Pokémon Center's awesomely decorated clock tower, she remembers why this area's always recommended to people who've come from abroad.

It's time for Rosa's Extreme Energy Power-Up Attack!" Rosa cheers, raising her right fist towards the sky. "Unovan pizza time, then battling time, then play time, then store time, then more battling time, then sweetie time! That's today's schedule!" She already knows where the pizza place is—she's standing right in front of it. She loves the fact that she can eat her favorite food inside of an old and cool building. She's come to learn that this building's color is royal maroon. She notes that lots of buildings are finished in this color.

She snaps herself back into focus—it's time to eat some delicious food. However, the door's locked, causing her to blink. Then, she notices the large poster on the left window, which's got the hours listed for all seven days. When She sees the timings, her face reddens in embarrassment. "Oh noooooo, I forgot that the Unovan pizza place isn't open at this time!" Rosa cries out. "Nooooooo, my schedule's been defeated!" She takes a closer look at the times listed on the door. She giggles over her initial reaction. "Oops, it opens in thirty minutes! Tee-hee, I'm soooo silly!"

Rosa hears three dings, and quickly takes her phone out of her pink Wallace Kors bag. She sees that Leaf, Rui, and Mallow have replied to her message about having pizza. She rolls her eyes upon reading Mallow's message about putting pineapple on pizza. Rui responds with sick face emojis, causing Rosa to send a sunglasses emoji, which Rui does too. She reads Leaf's message and goes ballistic. "How many times do I have to tell her to accept reality?!" She clenches her right first as her eyes bulge out. "Unovan pizza's a million billion trillion gazillion times superior to Venteux deep dish pizza! You want a fight, Leaf?! You'll get a fight! I'll defend Unovan pizza until I'm too worn out to continue!"

She calms herself down, murmuring, "I should've gotten used to this by now, because Leaf's from Venteux." She looks up, realizing that a crowd of about a dozen trainers has gathered around her. However, she notes that these trainers don't seem to be challenging her. She grins, asking "Ooooh, are you fans?"

"Of course we are!" A male trainer with a Fraxure exclaims. "You're strong, cute and pretty!"

"Yeeeep, that's Rosa!" Rosa sticks up her left index and ring fingers.

"Can I get your autograph?" A female trainer with a Liepard asks, handing Rosa a rolled up poster and pen. "I'm also from Unova! Hilda and you are my idols!"

"Yeeeep!" Rosa unrolls the poster, which has a picture of her plastered on it.

Rosa smirks as she looks at her pose—her back's turned towards the camera and she's looking back with a winking face. She signs the poster, draws a smiley face, and hands it back to the female trainer.

"Thanks so much!" The female trainer rejoices.

"Tee-hee, you're welcome!" Rosa exchanges a high five with her. She's happy that she's gaining a bigger following within Calvana itself, plus her huge levels of popularity and existing fame's followed her here.


It's now early afternoon, and Rosa's dallying towards a performing arts theatre to see the play that she'd bought a ticket for yesterday. She's on a hot streak today, having won ten battles in a row. She also counts her mouth-watering lunch of Unovan pizza as part of her string of awesomeness.

Upon arriving at the theatre, Rosa's instantly mesmerized by the magnificent structure that's standing before her. The brochure she's holding states that it's called The Bonheur Theatre, and an aerial view of the fancy looking structure reveals its pentagonal design. She attempts to read the brochure and marvel at the building itself. She doesn't know if she should stare at the old and cool theatre, or read up on the history of the theatre that's within the brochure.

As she remains indecisive over what to do, Rosa's eyes light up as she rapidly looks around at all of the buildings that are within her sight. She's realized that she might be in an area older than modern day Angel City itself. Then, she realizes that she's still got a little bit of time before the play starts. "Oooooh, I should take pictures of me in front of this old and cool building!" Rosa playfully winks, placing her left hand on her hip. A bright light flashes multiple times as she takes a few photos. Then, she holds her left hand sideways over her forehead, sticking out her index and ring fingers. The bright light flashes several more times as she takes several more photos. Lastly, she turns her back to the camera. She looks back, giving a cocky wink. The bright light flashes again, then Rosa goes back into her text messages.

However, it seems Valen's in a trolling mood. He gets VIP access to these images, yet she receives an automated message seconds after she sends the photos to him. "Nooooooooooooo, he's one step ahead of me! He put his phone on Do Not Disturb!" She rolls his eyes when she sees Valen sending her a string of laughing emojis, one message at a time. "Hmph, he's got the nerve to send the queen laughing faces! I'm going to mercilessly cuddle up with him in retaliation!" Then, several red icons appear. "What do you mean the messages weren't delivered to the others?! You dare disobey your queen?!"

Rosa's annoyance turns into gushing when Valen responds with a text filled with heart eye emojis, followed by a text saying that those photos made his phone heat up. "Awwww, he's too sweet!" She squeals when she reads that he's on a winning streak. "Twelve wins isn't enough, sweetie!" After exchanging "I love you" texts with Valen, Rosa puts her phone back inside her purse. Then, she dallies like a Rapidash towards and onto the theatre's right staircase.

Rosa enters the large lobby, rapidly sways from left to right, and vice-versa. She's in awe of this lavish-looking lobby, and it looks familiar to her. The walls and tiling are finished in cool patterns, and the bronze seats look fitting for a queen like her. She waves hi to a number of people, feeling giddy whenever someone waves back at her.

Rosa can't wait to see this play, titled Two Brothers. This play, written in 1788 by Thomas H. Castelia, is her all time favorite. She recalls that big boy added to her knowledge arsenal. Shortly after they befriended each other, he showed her more concrete evidence that the two brothers, Atticus and Atlas Pallas, did exist during the reign of King Myron Pallas, who was their father.

Thinking about this causes Rosa to pridefully smirk. She folds her arms, tilting her head back. Bow to the cutest, prettiest, sassiest, smartest and liveliest queen you've ever seen. Watch in awe as she goes on about theatre and film. Even big boy has to concede in this area, because she's just that awesome. However, she'll humbly admit that pretty much everyone's heard the name Thomas H. Castelia. She'll also admit that she couldn't decide between Two Brothers, Of Desert and Darkness, and The Misguided King. However, she's a proud and fiery Unovan woman, so Two Brothers would've won regardless.

With that said, she's a big fan of Of Desert and Darkness. She recalls that Henry J. Phenac's famous 1917 western tells the true story of brothers Weston and Leonard Earp, the Orre Rangers who's become synonymous with the infamous incident at the Onix Corral, which didn't actually occur at the actual Onix Corral building. She's always found it cool that he was still writing in old age—he was born in 1858. Her favorite play by him is what made him famous: Red and Blue Rescue Team.

Rosa's not in the mood for a tragedy play, but she does like this play about AZ and his Floette from 1628. She recalls warning her friends that many of Philippe Corneille's plays, such as this one, are tragedies that can make even the toughest person cry. Doubters can ask Silver for proof, assuming he'll ever admit to crying while watching a film adaptation of The Misguided King and a PMDCU adaptation of Where Have All Our Trainers Gone? These movies made Valen, Calem, and Gladion cry too, history repeating itself with a PMDCU adaptation of Explorers, of Time, Darkness, and Sky.


The pentagonal design of the theatre results in five elevated seating areas that surround the center. The lights have already dimmed, but the audience can still clearly observe the performance occurring down below. The theatre, a former opera house, has enclosed seating that have a large opening directly in front of each row.

Rosa's seated in the middle row, having dallied in a straight line after aweing the lobby. The energetic brunette's remains sent like a street that's busy during the day, but empty under the black night sky. Her mind and gaze completely focused on the scenery, actors, and props. With that said, she loves the fact there are lots and lots of Pokémon in the seating areas as well, including a Snivy, a Bagon, an Axew, a Piplup, and a Pikachu. All of the Pokémon are well-behaved, as not a single one of them is making a sound. Not even the Loudred that's hanging out in the same row as her.

As she keenly watches the play, Rosa occasionally forgets that the people on-stage are actors. The performance's that convincing to her, and she's not alone. She can her the faint chorus of murmuring and whispering going on, most of which is praise for the actors down below. She likes how the stage's been set up like an old and cool interior from the era of the Ancient Unovan Empire. Fabric with cool patterns have been carefully aligned on the stage's floor. The main actors are seated on bronze stools with double, reversed curved legs. The medium-sized, bronze table that rests between the men has a circular design to it. Rosa notes that it's a tri-pod. One stand is shorter and more mundane, while the other stands have peculiar, paw-like ends.

The actors are engaging in a thought-provoking debate on whether truth or ideals is more important for a person to pursue. The actor playing the younger brother states that humans must pursue their ideals, as not everybody will accept what's considered truth. n response, the actor playing the older brother smacks the table with his right hand, stating that ideals can't be more important than truth when humans can have grand delusions.

"Hmmmm, who should I side with?" Rosa points her right hand sideways, sticking her thumb out next to her chin. She's read the play many times, have watched performances and film adaptations of the play many times, has read nonfiction books about the brothers, and so on. However, she's never been able to decide, and it's even harder when she knows who currently has Zekrom and Reshiram. They're among her circle of besties, after all.

She snaps back into focus when the actor playing the older brother suggests a Pokémon battle to see who's right, since the truth states that he's stronger. If he wins this battle, then truth's more powerful than the folly of ideals. The dragon needn't worry once he's triumphant. The actor playing the younger brother accepts, stating that his ideal outcome's to defeat him, thus it must be accepted that ideals can overcome the myth of truth. His brother states that the dragons needn't worry once he proves that his path's the right once.

"Yay, Rosa gets to watch play and battle!" She cheers as the scene transitions to a battlefield, the two actors leaving the stage for a brief moment.

She likes how it looks worn out, noting how the dings and cracks look rather believable. Then, she notices that a Druddigon and a Haxorus are about to duke it out.

Rosa's eyes sparkle like her necklace when both dragons lock claws together, attempting to slash the other with Dragon Claw. Druddigon's claws glow light blue while Haxorus' claws glow green. She loves that the battle's no different than two trainers duking it out at an arena.

The dragons slam their claws together over and over again, causing Rosa to remember the clash between Hilda's Garchomp and her Hydreigon from yesterday. That was an awesome battle, and it even had an effect on a certain someone. Perhaps it's not a coincidence that she's watching this play the day after?


Rosa's among the large crowd that's exiting the theatre, making her way through the ocean of people as a chorus of chatter surrounds her. Now that the play's over, Rosa ponders what store she should visit. Should she visit an antique store and hope that she finds something old and cool that both her and a certain guy would like? Does she go to a clothing store and find clothes fit for a queen?

She grins over how everybody seemed to enjoy the play, as a lot of said chatter is filled with praise. An elderly man and woman are discussing how it warms their hearts that the younger generations have taken an interest in historic plays and architecture like this.

Rosa hears her phone ding, causing her eyes to light up. She takes it out of her purse, seeing that she's got a text message from Serena about about a Guzmani boutique in the area. Then, Kris sends Rosa a picture of the boutique.

As she replies, Rosa's amused that Serena and Kris set themselves up to be defeated by the queen. "I can't fall behind." She smirks, tilting her head backwards. "Melanie, Hilda, and I are way too beautiful to let anyone overtake us."

Rosa dallies to her left, halting so she can twirl around. She marvels at all these buildings, liking the various colors that they're finished in, such as cream, azure, and yellow. She's also intrigued that the other buildings were assembled with some kind of rugged stonework, while the theatre doesn't have such a bare look to it. Maybe Kris can fill her on this, assuming Kris doesn't yell at her. She doesn't want to disturb a certain someone's win streak, but she still remembers the time Kris went off on Serena over getting the time period of Kalosian Baroque wrong.

Then, Rosa notices that said boutique's three buildings left of the performing arts theater. She lets out a happy gasp, running towards it as fast as she can. She loves the fact that she can awe at herself in a leather jacket within an old and cool building.


Within the boutique, Rosa stands in front of an oval mirror. She grins as she does a twirl, admiring how good she looks in this awesome leather jacket. Several of the other shoppers enjoy her jovial nature, as evident by their smiles, smirks, and grins. Others go about their business, from ogling at the latest punk clothing designs that Guzma themed after Plumeria, the latest in "brooding attire" that Gladion requested, plus the suits and jackets worn by a certain someone.

Rosa turns her back to the mirror, glancing behind her to awe at her reflection. This white leather jacket's stylish with a gold Team Skull logo plastered on the back. Grimsley Lauren may be what she's usually decked out in, but she can't pass up this cool jacket. Guzmani's her second favorite brand, after all. "Tee-hee, Kris and Serena were right!" Rosa gushes. "I look soooooo good in this Guzmani jacket! This is awesomeeee!"

Rosa unties her hair. As her hair flows downwards, she runs her right hand through it. "This further proves that I'm the perfect combination of cuteness and beauty," she declares. "I'm gonna buy this right now." She takes off the jacket, then she reties her hair.

She twirls, then dashes towards the nearest cash register. Luckily, there's no line standing between her and buying this jacket. That means everybody knew that the cutest and prettiest queen was coming, right? Tee-hee, she's just kidding.

"Everything's awesomeeee! Everything's cool when you're part of a team!" Rosa cheers, causing the female cashier to smile while scanning the jacket. "Everything's awesomeeeeeee, especially when I'm here!" She places money on the counter, unable to stay still. She can't wait to wear this jacket as much as she wears her favorite necklace.

"You're a fun person!" The cashier exclaims, carefully folding Rosa's jacket and placing it into a bag.

"Wherever Rosa goes, smiles follow!" Rosa sticks up her left right index and ring fingers.

"Have a good day!" The cashier hands Rosa the bag.

"Tee-hee, you too!" Rosa grabs ahold of the bag, then darts away. She smiles at the crowd that've gathered around her, proud that she brought smiles to many faces today. She decides to stop and pose for the people who have their phones out, giving them an ear-to-ear grin.


It's now late afternoon, and Rosa's now dallying through a lush grassy park. She takes a whiff of the air, loving the pleasant aroma that surrounds her. She does a twirl to scan the area, her gaze now facing northwest. Her eyes lighting up when she sees two good dogs, a Growlithe and a Lillipup, being pet and receiving treats from a couple about her age.

She twirls again, now looking northeast. She overhears two teenage boys arguing over who's hotter, Cynthia or Diantha, while two other teenage boys engage a friendly battle. She eyes this battle, watching the Hitmonchan bob and weave as he tries to land a punch on a Hitmonlee, who's trying to land a kick.

Rosa continues to dally, only to halt so fast that she nearly falls over, causing her to flail her arms like she's the Feebas she reeled in and caught many years ago. A voice she'd recognize a mile away is coming from her southeast. She wastes no time in twirling in that direction, slowly walking up to the comfy looking bench. Yep, she'd also recognize that half messy and half slicked back black hair of his, plus he's wearing that awesome Team Skull leather jacket and a Team Skull tank top.

"I wonder if it's possible to re-create all of the lost art," this familiar voice remarks while reading a book.

Rosa can just barely hear the smooth texture of the book's pages as this certain someone turns them, the sound being drowned out by an ocean of chatter and laughter. Since he's focused on the book, she decides to sneak around to the back of the bench.

"Man, somebody knows where this painting is," he comments. "Somebody's gotta come clean."

"Guess who?" Rosa bops him on the back of the head.

Valen glances behind him, a smirk appearing on his face. "Bonjour."

"Roar, Fly!" She somehow manages to jump over the bench, nearly missing the seat. "Help me, I didn't think this through!"

Valen wraps his left arm around Rosa, barely breaking her fall. Rosa breathes a sigh of relief, scooting backwards.

"The amount of times we've run into each other like this is in the hundreds." Valen flips to the next page. "Feels that way to me."

Rosa lovingly smiles, kissing him on his right cheek. "That one time where we ended up in the same airport at the same time, then ended up on the same joint flight, then ended up going to the same destination within Nimbasa City remains the weirdest one," she recalls. "They say Dialga controls time." Rosa's mouth falls open, pointing her right hand sideways under her chin and sticking her thumb out. "What if we're Dialga's OTP?"

"I agree." Valen pats Rosa on the head again. "And I know why you said Dialga."

"Your fault, not mine." Rosa bops him on the forehead.

"I'll make two of your favorites for dinner: garlic parmesan pasta and spring rolls." he informs. "Dessert's fudge brownies."

"You're spoiling me, sweetie!" Rosa's eyes sparkle as she clasps her hands next to her right cheek.

"I regret nothing." Valen faintly laughs. "See you at home."

Rosa stands up, but she only takes a few steps before she halts. Now's her chance to remind him that he matters too. Or rather, remind him once again.

"Something wrong?" Valen's question snaps her back into focus.

Rosa slowly turns around, her blue eyes meeting his dark blue eyes. "Can I join you, sweetie?" She sports a sweet smile, clasping her hands behind her back.

Valen's mouth falls halfway open. "You sure?" He cocks a brow.

"Well, since I ran into you-" She closes her eyes, her smile evolving into a grin. "Why not spend more time with you outdoors?"

"But Rosa, what about-"

"I can go out on my own just fine, but I don't like to," she reminds him. "At least, I don't like it more than I like going out with somebody else." She gives him a sweet smile. "Can we spend more time together outside?" She closes her eyes and lets out a faint and soft giggle. "Pretty please, my kingly knight?" Her glowing eyes look deep into his eyes, feeling like the love they share for each other can be communicated through telepathy. Even though Valen would demand to be a Dragon-type too.

Valen pauses, then closes his eyes. "Heh." A smile dances across his face. "I guess Dialga really does ship us," he teases, then he re-open his eyes. "Alright."

Rosa happily gasps, her eyes gleaming. "Yay!" She wastes no time sitting back down, wrapping her arms around Valen's neck. "Sooooooo, whatcha reading?" She leans closer, giggling as he faintly blushes. "Oooooh, it's that lost art book by Uncle Niels!'

"Got it today when I went to go pre-order your grandpa's upcoming book on Orre painting and sculpture."

"Uncle Niels was also impressed with you!" Rosa closes her eyes, clasping her hands next to her right cheek. "Oooooh, did you go to Hello Books, Games & Toys?!" She tilts her head, placing her palms under her chin. "I love that ginormous store!"

"Yep, still a permanent fixture on Yellow Street and 17th Avenue." He recalls the time when Jacques, Silver, Melanie, Rosa and Hilda faked being lost in that department store, only to turn up with birthday presents for him. It was kind of obvious, but he played along.

Rosa eyes the page he's currently on. "Caravaggio's The Darkest Day, Van Dyck's Portrait of Albrecht Opelucid, and Bosch's Adoration of The Eevee," she reads off the captions. "The most important works taken by Team Plasma during the Opelucid City incident, and only the portrait's been recovered so far."

"I believe that overtime, we can re-create these lost works of art, while the missing ones will be found."

"Me too." Rosa exchanges a kiss with Valen on the lips. "Alsooooo, now we've both got Guzmani jackets." She rests her chin on Valen's right shoulder. "The little things have the biggest impact."

She's still Rosa, and he's still Valen. As Rui would say, that's how it's supposed to be.
 
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BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Chapter 27: Unovan Girls, We're Unforgettable!

It's early morning, and Rosa's just waking up. She lays on her back, letting out a loud yawn as she stretches her arms upwards. She rubs her eyes, letting out another yawn.

"Good morning-"

Rosa's eyes widen, her mouth falling open. She rapidly turns her head to her left, realizing that Valen's not here. "H-How did he escape without waking me up?!" Rosa yelps, jumping backwards. "You mean to tell me that he's learned to escape my grasp?!"

Then, Rosa notices a note that Valen's left. She moves in for a closer look.

Sup,

I got my Slaking ass up at seven thirty in the morning so I could go for an early morning walk. I've already eaten breakfast, so don't worry about me.

No, I was not grumpy. Okay, maybe I almost ran into the door since I was still half asleep.

Anyway, today marks the slow beginning of Le Faucheur Noir's return.

You wanna see what Armageddon looks like? I'm gonna show you. It's Team Skull's Valen.

P.S. The AC's at a cooler temperature, because you're emitting too much heat.

P.S.S. I made you blueberry doughnuts.


Rosa can't help but sniffle. "He's trying so hard." She decides to bring the note with her downstairs. She cups it in her right hand, and she slowly gets off of the bed. Sporting a placid smile, She walks towards the open door.

After exiting the room, she glances at the white marble ceiling. Both Hilda and herself always liked the contrast of black & white on the house's walls and roof. It reminds them of Unova for some reason.

Speaking of which, Rosa recalls the time that Silver dared Hilda into visiting a restaurant in Castelia City that serves phaal curry. Hilda didn't know how spicy phaal curry was—it's the spiciest curry in the world. She needed a lot of water afterwards, and she didn't finish it. Silver finished his, though. The squad still doesn't know how he's got such high tolerance for the spiciest dishes.


Rosa stands in the living room, her arms folded and a proud smile plastered over her face. She glances at the note, giggling over the fact that she's read it like twenty times.

Two and half hours have passed since she woke up, but Rosa's not worried. She took a shower and ate the yummy breakfast that Valen made for her. Then, she watched an iconic film called Innistrad: The World of Horrors. Rosa recalls that upon seeing this film for the first time, Leaf, Kris, Misty, Dawn, and May were smitten with the main protagonist, a vampire named Sorin.

Then, Rosa hears the front door being unlocked. Valen strolls into the house, shutting the door behind him. As she places the note on the snowy white sofa that's behind her, Rosa glances in his direction, noting that he's in a content mood.

Valen looks at Rosa, and they dash towards each other at the same time. They embrace each other, with Rosa wrapping her arms around Valen's neck. Valen wraps his arms around Rosa's midsection. Valen hoists Rosa up, causing her smile to widen.

"I'm very proud of you, sweetie." Rosa kisses Valen several times on the lips. "I'm also proud to be your girlfriend, sweetie."

"Gimme a break." Valen smirks. "I'm more proud to be your boyfriend."

"In your dreams, you silly boy." Rosa flritatously winks. "I've always been more proud of my favorite boooy."

"No, I've always been more proud of my cinnamon bun." Valen bops Rosa on her forehead.

"No, I'm more proud." Rosa bops Valen on both cheeks. "You've got conference wins, winning all the symbols from Hoenn's Battle Frontier, having a great personality, being a heartthrob-" she giggles. "I win again."

"Yeah well, you've got three conference wins back in Unova and those same symbols," he retorts. "Plus, you're fantastic painter, you're adorable in personality, you're gorgeous-" Valen bops Rosa on the top of her head. "I'd say you need to wake up."

"Grrrr, feel Rosa's power!" Rosa repeatedly bops Valen's legs with her feet.

Valen and Rosa laugh as they let go of each other. Valen puts Rosa down, and decides to check his text messages. His jaw drops when he sees that he's got thirty nine unread text messages.

"Ooooh, do you have lots of messages?" Rosa giggles, bopping him on the forehead once more.

"Half of them are from my cousins." Valen shrugs, reading all of the messages. He catches a glimpse of the mustang yellow shoelaces that're on Rosa's ice blue and white shoes. "Going somewhere?"

Rosa nods, grabbing her white, Guzmani leather jacket from the same sofa's armrest.

"I'm going to go hang out with Hilda!" Rosa exclaims as she wears her jacket.

"My odd habit of getting nervous aside, letting your hair down with that jacket will make you look even more gorgeous."

"Awwwww, thanks! I'll do that sometime!" Rosa kisses Valen on the lips. She winks, then turns and darts towards the front door.

"See you later, sweetie!" She turns and waves. Make sure you eat a healthy lunch!"

Rosa opens the door, stopping in the middle to blow a kiss towards Valen. Valen winks in response. Rosa continues to dart out, closing the door behind her.

Valen's smile becomes more somber, his head feeling heavy. "...Hilda...I've gotta make it up to her...somehow." He thankful that he was able to escape the pit of despair. Of course, he couldn't have done it alone. His Pokémon and several came to his aid. He'll always be grateful for that.

It's now early afternoon, and Rosa's brought Hilda to the large plaza within the Art Deco district she re-visited on the same day of their battle.

"You were right!" Hilda rapidly sways from side to side, eyeing the vibrantly colored buildings on both sides of the plaza. "Those buildings are really cool!" She clasps her hands in front of her right shoulder. "They've got lots of awesome colors!"

"Tee-hee. Rosa wins again!" Rosa sticks up her left index and ring fingers.

Rosa notes that this time, the plaza and the walkways are packed with people. As per usual, a number of Pokémon are present, such as a Charmeleon, a Wartortle, an Ivysaur, a Medicham, and a Pupitar.

Are they mostly locals, or did more than a few tourists venture over here? Either way, the duo sport warm grins as they wave to the people that've noticed them. The crowd of people approach the duo, with more people joining them.

"Center of the plaza, center of attention!" Hilda slightly tilts her head leftwards, placing her right hand in front of her grinning mouth. "Hilda's the antidote for dull days!"

"Tee-hee, free smiles for everybody!" Rosa clasps her hands next to her right cheek. "Wherever Rosa goes, smiles follow!"

"I can't believe the BW Agency's president is strolling around here!" A male trainer with a Dewott exclaims. "That girl's awesome!"

"Rosa Whitley here's too!" A male trainer with a Eelektrik shouts.

"These two are soooo cool!" A female trainer with an Electrode gushes.

"Damn, these girls are fineeeee!" A male trainer with a Golem gushes.

"No shit, Captain Obvious," a male trainer with a Mawile counters.

"They rock Grimsley Lauren clothes so well!" A female trainer with a Dustox shouts. "I looove Hilda's black waistcoat, and Rosa's got a white Guzmani jacket to match her top!"

While the crowd encircles them, Rosa and Hilda slightly press their backs together. "Don't be fooled by our good looks, cuz we pack a punch!"

Rosa places her right hand on her hip. She positions her left hand sideways and sticks up her left index and ring fingers. Hilda follows suit, but she does it in the reverse order. "We're ten out of ten in all categories, cuz we rock!" They proclaim. "Motivational message time!" They take their phones out. "Part one hundred seventeen of our Free Smiles video series!"

Rosa uses her phone to play a catchy and uplifting instrumental. Hilda presses play, beginning to hum with Rosa. "It's a familiar region that we live in!" They shout, their tones melodious. "Yeah yeah yeah yeah, we're rooting for all of you!"

"Everybody wanna be a master!" Rosa winks with her right eye. "Everybody wanna show their skills!"

"Everybody wanna get there faster!" Hilda winks with her left eye. "Make their way to the top of the hill!"

"Each time you try, you'll become more awesome and better!" Rosa and Hilda cheer. "Each step you climb's one more step up the ladder!"

"And if you wanna stand in the victory circle-" Hilda and Rosa raise their right fist upwards. "You gotta stake your claim when the music starts!" When they hear all of the laughter and cheering, Hilda clasps her hands above her left shoulder, while clasps her hands next to her right check.

Both go to upload it on their respective social media accounts. Then, they notice a second group of trainers. They're all clutching Poké Balls in one of their hands, with several pointing the balls at the duo. Rosa and Hilda note that several Pokemon are already out, such as a Rhyhorn, a Cacturne, a Butterfree, a Dusclops, and a Solrock.

Both Rosa and Hilda take out a ball from their respective bags, ready for some more fun.

Both Hilda and Rosa are engaging in separate, one versus one battles. The crowd's gotten ever bigger, as word spread that Hilda and Rosa were battling.

Hilda's battling a male trainer with a Rhyhorn, while Rosa's battling a female trainer with a Cacturne. They've won nine battles each so far.

"Umbreon, use Dark Pulse!" Hilda commands. "Show him the power of Expert Trainer Hilda!"

Umbreon fires off a stream of yellow circles from her mouth, the circles resembling the ones on the black quadruped's body. The stream of circles strike the opposing Rhyhorn in the face. The rocky quadruped's sent staggering backwards, slamming into the ground in defeat.

"Argh, I should've known!" Rhyhorn's trainer yelps as he recalls his Pokémon.

"It's time for the play's climax!" Rosa proclaims. "Milotic, use Hydro Pump!"

Milotic fires off a powerful jet stream of water from her mouth, which crashes into the opposing Cacturne. Cacturne's struck in its upper chest. The Grass-type's sent flying backwards, falling to the ground in defeat.

"These two live up to the hype!" Cacturne's trainer gush as she recalls her Pokémon.

Rosa and Hilda press their backs together. As a smirking Umbreon and a grinning Milotic join their respective trainers, Hilda takes out her cell phone. The bright light of the phone's camera flashes several times, with Hilda and Rosa feeling like they're striding down a red carpet.

"I'm on an awesome quest, and I want the whole world to see that I believeeeee!" They wink, Hilda recording it on video. "I'm gonna beeeee the very best, and all I've got to dooooo is believe in meeeee!"

Rosa and Hilda high five each other. Milotic and Umbreon attempt to emulate this via the former's tail fin and the latter's front left paw.

"On top of being strong, these two are super lively!" A female trainer with a Tropius exclaims.

"They're making it so much fun to hang out here!" A male trainer with a Loudred gushes.

"Yeeep, that's Battle Queen Rosa!" Rosa raises her left fist towards the sky.

"Rosa can carry whole show by herself, but Expert Trainer Hilda's double the trouble!" Hilda jumps, clasping her hands next to her left cheek.

A male and a female trainer step up to the plate. The male trainer calls out an Electivire to battle Rosa's Milotic, while the female trainer calls out a Hariyama to battle Hilda's Umbreon.

"Nuh uh, type advantages can't save you from us gals!" Rosa and Hilda wink again. Rosa wags a finger, while Hilda folds her arms.

Umbreon and Milotic jump in front of their respective trainers, ready for another battle.


Hilda's Umbreon and Rosa's Milotic are well into the fight against the Electivire and Hariyama, this one being a tag match.

"Electivire, Thunderbolt!" The male trainer commands.

"Hariyama, Brick Break!"

Electivire's entire body glows bright yellow, then it fires off a powerful lightning bolt. Meanwhile, Hariyama charges at Umbreon, its right hand glowing white.

"Rosa, unleash the dragon!" Hilda laughs.

"Milotic, Dragon Pulse!" Rosa swings her right hand back.

A light blue sphere of energy forms in front of Milotic's mouth. She launches the sphere, which morphs into an aquatic, serpentine-like dragon with a line of fins running down the back. The dragon formation blasts Electivire and Hariyama, cancelling out the former's Thunderbolt and sending both Pokémon hurling behind their trainers. Both crash into the ground seconds later.

"I lost to Melanie and her Dragonite a number of days ago, and now this." The male trainer recalls his Electivire. "Still, I had fun."

"I did too." The female trainer recalls her Hariyama. "They're definitely above our power level."

Once again, Hilda takes out her cell phone, with Rosa joining her. This time, Milotic and Umbreon stand back, smiling at their trainers.

Hilda presses record, standing back to back with Rosa. "You think you'll win, but soon you'll see!" Rosa and Hilda playfully wink. "You may beat some, but you can't beat meeeee!"

Rosa and Hilda glance around, high fiving each other when they see that everyone and their Pokémon are smiling, smirking, or grinning.

"Come on, join us!" Rosa gestures for the crowd to come closer.

"Come take photos with us!" Hilda mimics Rosa's gesture.

Several trainers and their Pokémon, such as a Pinsir, an Alolan Ninetales, and a Zoroark take them up on their offer.

Milotic and Umbreon nod at each other, joining their trainers. Milotic wishes that she could get her picture taken with Salamence, but it'll have to wait for another day."

Hilda, Rosa, the other trainers, and their respective Pokémon stand in various poses as the bright light of Hilda's phone camera flashes dozens of times. Rosa takes out her cell phone, and both press play again. "It's about never giving up, so hold your head up! And will we carry on!"

Valen's in his backyard's large patio area, relaxing in one of the five contour chairs that surround the mahogany table. All five chairs have walnut frame and dark brown upholstery. Salamence, Gardevoir, Typhlosion, Gengar, Luxray, and Golisopod surround him. All six Pokémon are sporting smiles over how much he's improved.

Valen folds his arms, sporting a confident smirk. "Your trainer's back, and he's ready to kick ass." All six of Valen's Pokémon let out triumphant roars or cries in response.

Then, Valen remembers what he wanted to spend the day doing. He smacks his face with his left palm, as it involves his cell phone, causing all his Pokémon to smirk in amusement. Valen and his Pokemon laugh over his reaction, with Valen taking out his cell phone.

"I've gotta call someone," Valen says as he dials a number. After a few rings, the call's answered from the other end. "Wow, you actually picked up the phone this time."

"Hiii, Valen!" Rui exclaims. "Sorry, I just got back from Sinnoh a couple of days ago! How've you been?!"

"Better than before," Valen answers.

"...I'm glad to hear that," Rui replies. "Rosa told me what happened to you...I was really worried."

"...Are you doing okay?" Valen's tone quavers.

"Yeah, I'm getting better," Rui affirms. "We can't do anything about it. We've got no control."

"I guess so...but that broke me." Valen frowns, feeling a knot within his stomach. "You're so similar to Rosa...and you took care of me...helped me make a full recovery...plus I thought Wes and I could become friends one day."

"It still hurts, but I'll be okay," Rui reassures in a soft tone. "I have lots of friends that care for me, including you."

"...They kept proving me wrong over and over again." Valen softly smiles.

"You need-"

The sound of her Leafeon & Glaceon whining causes Rui to groan. "I just fed you two!" she barks. "You want to be the first of your kind to evolve into Snorlax?!"

Valen's smile morphs into a grin. "Some things never change."

"Leafeon, get out of the food closest this instant!"

Valen puts his cell phone on speaker, wanting his Pokémon to hear Rui shouting at her Pokémon. The sound of Leafeon leaping throughout the kitchen to avoid Rui can be heard from the other end of the call.

"You're so grounded, mister!" Rui screams.

Salamence, Typhlosion, and Luxray exchange grins with each other. Golisopod cackles, while Gardevoir and Gengar snicker.

Valen smirks, leaning back in the chair. Not for long, though

"Suicune, stop laughing at me!"

"A Suicune?! WHAT?!" Valen's eyes widen, becoming flustered enough that the chair starts falling backwards. Upon realizing that he's about to go timber, he clenches his teeth. "SON OF A-" The chair and him go tumbling backwards. He doesn't feel like getting up—he's too busy trying to figure out what he just heard Rui say.

All of his Pokémon have their mouths gaping open, except for Golisopod. At the same time, Salamence wonders if he can add this Suicune to his magnificent list of defeated opponents. Only time will tell.

"Why does everybody act like that when I mention Suicune?!" Rui's annoyed voice echoes throughout the backyard.

"Rui, it's a Suicune!" Valen's eyes bulge out, clenching his phone. "The odds of Silver having a crush on Kris is higher than hearing this over the phone!" He blinks, realizing that he just ratted his bro out. Oh well, it's not like he's making this up or anything. He's experienced in having a crush on a bubbly girl.

Rui goes silent, then bursts out laughing seconds later. "You saw right through his 'we're just friends' farce too?!"

Valen's mouth curves into a devious grin. "We all did." He closes his eyes, hearing Rui tumbling onto the floor in hysterics.


Rosa and Hilda have ended up in a much quieter, park-like area of the city. Rosa and Hilda sport gentle smiles as they scan the flowing current of the creek. They note the rocks that're scattered in the creek, looking like the world's smallest islands. A trail of rocks run parallel on both sides of the creek.

"It feels like we just left the city and wandered into the countryside." Hilda takes a whiff, smiling upon smelling a pleasant aroma.

Rosa takes a whiff herself, exclaiming, "That's an awesome aroma!"

Rosa glances towards the lush green grass, noting that it looks like it's mandated on a regular basis. She eyes the various types of flowers among the grass. She likes the various colors, such as red and yellow.

Hilda glances up, eyeing the lush leaves of the many trees that tower in front of her. She notes that while many of these trees are tall, there seems to be some smaller trees scattered in-between them.

Hilda glances back down at the creek, smiling as she spots a Sentret and a Furret taking a drink. There aren't many people around, but there are a number of Pokémon present. Most look wild, but others seem to be owned by trainers, such as the Weavile that's walking next to a male trainer on the other side of the creek. She faintly laughs when she spots a laughing duo of Gastly and Shuppet pop in and out of the water just for fun. She taps Rosa on the left shoulder, tilting her head towards the Ghost-type Pokémon. Rosa takes a look, giggling at the sight of the playful Ghost-type Pokémon.

Hilda notices a pair of Victreebel using their leaves to hold a hyperactive Weepinbell back from eating too many apples that've fallen from a large tree. Hilda notes that there's another Weepinbell that's lying down, its eyes closed as it groans. Maybe that one ate too many apples? Either way, it reminds her of the time that her Umbreon and Melanie's Absol had a Tamato and Moruga berry eating contest. Both of them had massive stomachaches afterwards. Rosa's Milotic and her Starmie had to cool them down with Hydro Pump.

Rosa notices a flock of Pidgey landing near Hilda and herself to take a drink. Several Pidgeotto and a Pidgeot land to take a drink too. A flock of Starly and Staravia that's led by a Staraptor follow suit, landing on the other side of the creek for their drink. Hilda and Rosa look at each other, giving each other a warm smile.

"This is such a fun day!" Hilda clasps her hands over her left shoulder.

"I knooooow, right?!" Rosa clasps her hand next to her left cheek.

"So, what should we do now?" Hilda asks, folding her arms.

"Tee-hee, I'll find something!" Rosa twirls several times. "I'll twirl across the land, smiling far and wide!" After about a minute, her eyes fixate on a large, wooden picnic table. "Ooooh, that's a nice spot to sit and relax!" She twirls again, pointing at the table.

"First, let's get something to eat and drink," Hilda suggests. "I saw vending machines somewhere back there."

"Kaaaay!"

"After that, we've got to call out our Pokémon too!" Hilda jumps, clasping her hands in front of her mouth,

"Good thinking!" Rosa cheers. "Tee-hee, it's like our own little picnic!"

"Yeeeep!" Hilda exchanges a high five with Rosa.

Before they can proceed, they notice that a small crowd's gathered around them again. Rosa and Hilda take out their phones. "It's time for another video where we give out free smiles!" They announce, pressing play. "Free Smiles, Part 118!" They press their backs together. "Unovan Queens, we're so likable! Unovan Queens, we're so beautiful!" They look around, noticing that the small crowd's enjoying the show. Another successful smile giveaway completed.

Rosa and Hilda are seated at the picnic table, the quietness from before having returned. Both have gotten themselves cans of orange juice and a bag of potato chips. Both munch on the tasty chips and take sips of the refreshing juice.

As they eat and drink, Rosa and Hilda glance to their left. All of their Pokémon are close by, and they note that all of them are sporting smiles. All except for Hilda's Umbreon, who's brooding over the fact that she's got nobody to brood with. However, this isn't uncommon, so Hilda and Rosa aren't concerned. Besides, the other Pokémon won't let her brood the entire time, as Hilda's Beartic is about to prove.

Umbreon smiles when her Beartic teammate approaches her, holding two berries. Beartic gives one of the berries to Umbreon. Umbreon glances around, noting that her other teammates, plus Rosa's Pokémon, seem to want her to join them. She nods and takes a nibble of the berry, closing her eyes in delight over how delicious it is. She lets out a faint cry, telling the Pokémon to make room for her.

Then, Rosa's Milotic's approached by her Hydreigon teammate and Hilda's Garchomp. Hydreigon and Garchomp wants to know the current status of her relationship with Salamence. Milotic slightly blushes, causing both dragons to to laugh.

Hydreigon roars that the humans really should do this wedding thing for Salamence and her. Garchomp snickers that Hydreigon's crazy, bur he's down with it. Milotic blinks, asking what does he mean by "down with it?" Garchomp shrugs, admitting that he's just copying the humans because it sounded cool.

Meanwhile, Hilda's Braviary and Rosa's Aerodactyl soars through the air like jets in an air show, Rosa's Eelektross is taking a pleasant nap on the grass, and Hilda's Emboar takes a nap while sitting up. Hilda's Starmie is resting in the middle of the creek, enjoying the feeling of the flowing current on the bottom tips of its star-like body. Rosa's Serperior keenly studies all of the lovely blooming flowers that she sees. Rosa's Volcarona hangs out underneath one of the numerous tall trees, unsure about what he should do.

Rosa and Hilda turn their heads, looking directly at each other. The Pokémon are having a good time, and they've finished their snack and drink. Thus, it's time for their own chat to resume.

"As much as we love being the life of the party, it's nice to relax in a quiet area," Rosa comments, resting her elbows on the table.

"It really is," Hilda responds. "It's funny how both my mother and your father have done film related business here." Her mother's movies have had scripts written by Rosa's father in the past. She feels like Rosa and her were destined to meet.

"This region's really awesome, isn't it?" Rosa asks. "Actually, I should say that it's still awesome."

Hilda nods. "It's interesting how Calvana's Elite Four differs from the norm," she admits. "It's also interesting how this region's never had a gym system."

"I'm with you on both," Rosa affirms. "The idea of picking Calvana Conference winners over type specialists still makes me curious."

"...Hey, remember when your Zweilous evolved into Hydreigon?" Hilda faintly laughs, glancing at the three-headed dragon. "He was something, wasn't he?"

"Hydreigon's been called the most difficult Pokémon to tame, and that's the day I found out the hard way." Rosa closes her eyes, letting out a sign. She recalls that upon evolving, Hydreigon wanted to fight every single potential opponent it came across.

"He still listened to you," Hilda points out, glancing at the relaxing three-headed dragon. "He was just way too hungry to test out his newfound power."

"His belligerence didn't last long to begin with." Rosa folds her arms, tilting her head backwards. "I'm Battle Queen Rosa, so of course I succeeded in taming a Hydreigon."

"Nothing compared to Aerodactyl who refused to listen to you whatsoever at one point." Hilda playfully winks. "They called me a prodigy, not you."

"Remember when your Gabite evolved into Garchomp?" Rosa giggles, glancing at the relaxing bipedal dragon.

Hilda sighs, rolling her eyes. "He was laughing at me for running into a tree, but he didn't realize how much more powerful evolution made him." She scratches the back of her head. "It was to a lesser extent, but I can see why Garchomp's notoriously difficult to tame." Then, she folds her arms. "Of course I'd succeed in taming a Garchomp."

"Soooo, what'll happen after the move's been completed?" Rosa inquires, inching her face closer. "Will the BW Agency still have a Unovan division, hmmmmmmm?"

"Of course, silly." Hilda confidently smiles. "Nate's going to run it."

"Tee-hee, you actually remembered to pick somebody!" Rosa cheers. "Do you think he can handle juggling Hilbert, Curtis, and Yancy at once?" She recalls how awesome Curtis was in his last movie. He played the role of the younger brother well.

"Hehe, you forgot that Hugh and Bianca are there too!" Hilda tilts her head leftwards. "Silly!"

"Oops!" Rosa giggles. "Are Curtis and Yancy still dating?" They're an adorable couple, just like a certain someone and her!

"Yeeeeep!" Hilda clasps her hands in front of her right cheek. She clears her throat, putting on her best stern act. "It takes someone really awesome in order to get talented people the success and recognition they deserve," Hilda recites one of her commercials. "How do I know this?" She smirks, tipping her white and pink hat downwards. "My name is Hilda White and entertainment is my business."

"That was such an awesomeeee commercial!" Rosa clasps her hands next to her right cheek. "You looked so good in your dad's old and cool roadster!" she cheers. "And a certain boy went crazy over seeing an original Shelby Arbok!"

Hilda faintly laughs, asking, "How about you, Rosa?" Her eyes emit a content gaze. "What's your plan overall?"

"I already said that I'm Battle Queen Rosa." Rosa's mouth curves into a lopsided smirk. "I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was." If her hair was down, she'd run a hand through it.

"Don't forget who you're talking to," Hilda counters. "I'm Expert Trainer Hilda."

"I'll admit that one of the very best sounds more appropriate, but it doesn't sound as awesome."

"We're already two of the best!" Hilda's eyes gleam with joy.

"Tee-hee, you're right!" Rosa's eyes glitter. "We're the Two Unovan Queens!"

"I'll defeat you in our next battle, though."

"Oh please, I'll just kick your butt again."

"We'll see about that, Rosa." Hilda titters. "I'd like to see you top my Pokémon Musical idea." That proved to be so successful that she became a shining star in no time.

"You weren't even a trainer at first." Rosa giggles. "That's what I've been told." She wags her right index finger. "I became a trainer before yooooou!"

Hilda's face slightly reddens. "H-Hey, I'll have you know that I was a trainer too!" she yelps. "I got my Eevee before I started planning the BW Agency, and I got my Tepig after I started planning!"

"Tee-hee, I still had a head start, cuz you're a silly noob."

"I w-was b-busy with my job, and I was considered a skilled trainer too!" Hilda folds her arms turning her head away.

"Sure you were, Expert Noob Hilda." Rosa laughs at Hilda's reddened face. "You're jealous!"

Hilda scoffs, retorting, "You're jealous that I made it into the Unovan Conference via the Battle Subway instead of gyms." She turns her head towards Rosa, playfully winking. "The arguably more difficult way."

"You're jealous cuz I'm Rooooosa." She wags her right index finger.

Hilda's eyes slightly widen, a smirk dancing across her face. "You weren't much different, Rosa." She titters, placing her right hand over her grinning mouth. "You were a trainer too, but your journey had to wait until you kicked everyone's butt at Pokemon Academy of Art."

Rosa and Hilda share a laugh. Then, they turn their heads to see how their Pokemon are doing, They're glad to see that the Pokémon are still enjoying themselves, but why does Volcarona never know what to do in these situations?

Hilda looks at Rosa again and vice versa. "Oh right, you designed the agency's logo, plus you drew and painted posters and ads!" Hilda clasps her hands in front of her right shoulder.

"What can I say?" Rosa shrugs, her grin fully showing her teeth. "I'm too awesome."

"Hege, there's no escaping us Unovan women." Hilda looks at the Pokémon again, tittering upon seeing Garchomp and Hydreigon arguing whether Salamence will ask Milotic out first or vice-versa.

"Yeeeeep!" Rosa sticks her right index and ring fingers up. She also glances towards the Pokémon, giggling upon seeing that her Milotic's concealing herself face in the tranquil river.

"Heeey, I had an idea!" Hilda rapidly turns her head towards Rosa. "Since the BW Agency works with trainers too, you can become a client of mine again!"

Rosa lets out a happy gasp, turning her head to lock eyes with Hilda. "That's an awesome idea, Hilda!"

"I'm now your agent once again!" Hilda exchanges a hi-five with Rosa. "And I should ask Melanie if she wants to be my client too!"

Suddenly, Rosa's mouth falls open. She realizes that Hilda's too hard of a worker. "H-Hilda, are you getting enough rest?!" She nearly falls down on the grass. "You're a really dedicated worker! Are you well rested?! Are you eating enough?! Are you drinking enough water?!"

Hilda blinks, laughing seconds later. "I'm fine, so relax."

"Oh noooo, what if everybody's not getting enough rest?!" This time, Rosa's not so lucky, When she realizes that she's actually going to fall this, her eyes widen. She flails her arms in a panic, landing face-up on the grass seconds later. Hilda and all twelve Pokémon erupt with laughter.

Garchomp roars and Umbreon snickers that Rosa really fell from grace. Hydreigon roars that it's fitting that she fell on the grass, glancing at his Serperior teammate. Serperior glances back at Hydregion, exchanging a smirk with him. Serperior tells her teammate that she didn't know that Rosa's weak to grass. She'd better be careful. Hydreigon laughs, while Serperior chuckles.

However, chuckling turks into groaning over a terrible pun from Eelektross. Blossoming implies that Rosa did the opposite of fall.

As Rosa sits up, she's approached by her Volcarona, her Aerodactyl, Hilda's Emboar, Hilda's Braviary and Hilda's Beartic. The latter three sport devious grins. Volcarona felt like joining in—he still doesn't know what to do. The five Pokémon laugh again, telling each other that it's clear Rosa's weak to grass. That's why they've surrounded her.

A red-faced Rosa folds her arms, turning her head away from everybody. "Don't get any crazy thoughts," she scolds. "I'm still the queen."

The sun's setting in the horizon as Rosa and Hilda walk down the cobblestone sidewalk within Valen's neighborhood. Once they arrive at the maroon and black house, both Rosa and Hilda grin. They dash towards the front steps. They had a lot of fun together, and now it's time to have some fun with Valen. The front steps creak and Rosa and Hilda walk up them. Rosa uses her key to unlock the front door, and both of them stroll inside the house.

"There's no time to question Rosa's moves!" Rosa cheers. "I stick to the path that we choose"

"Me and my besties are gonna do it right!" Hilda exchanges a high five with Rosa. "Hilda White never runs away from a fight!"

Then, Rosa notices two opened parcels within the living room. The brown boxes have two familiar items resting to the right of them.

"Ooooh, the old and cool chair arrived!" Rosa's eyes sparkle, darting towards the gold, polychrome chair. Rosa keenly studies the hieroglyphics engraved on it. She Rosa jumps back when she spots a familiar looking item resting in the middle of the golden chair: the crystal bowl engraved with galloping Sawsbuck. "W-Woah, it's that old and cool bowl!" She exclaims. "Did I even mention it to him?!"

"I told him on the day before we had our battle," Hilda admits, recalling how Valen's eyes lit up like the full moon outside of the window.

Then, both Rosa and Hilda hear Valen's voice coming from the dining room.

"It looks like Valen's on the phone," Hilda notes.

"Let's wait in his room," Rosa suggests, taking off her Guzmani jacket. "Need to put this back in the closest too."

"Good idea!" Hilda broadly grins. "I've yet to see his room again. Let's goooo!"

"Kaaaay!" Rosa winsomely smiles.

Hilda and Rosa share a laugh, and the two of them head towards the staircase. As they begin to walk up the steps, both feel content about their current situation.

"Upon evolution, Valen began to have serious doubts about whether he could tame a Salamence, especially when he saw how much stronger his Pokémon had gotten." Rosa says to Hilda as they walk up the stairs. "I was there, and Salamence refused to let it go on for any longer."

"He told me, silly." Hilda faintly laughs. "Having a strong bond really does help with difficult Pokémon like Salamence, Hydreigon, and Garchomp."

"Yeeeeep!"

"By the way, we should ask Valen if we all can hang out in the Galarian style country house owned by his mother's family," Hilda suggests. "Not now, but eventually."

"Good idea, Hilda!" Rosa's eyes glitter. "Valen's Uncle Renard and Aunt Bénédicte are soooo knowledgeable!"


Valen leans against his walnut dining table, having a phone conversation with Melanie.

"Sorry big guy...I've been a little busy again." Melanie sighs. "I also feel bad."

"You okay?" Valen's smirk vanishes, his voice emitting a mellow tone.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," she responds. "I just wondered if there's more that I could've done for you."

Valen stands up straight, reminding, "You planted the seed for Rosa and the others."

"...Thanks, I'll try to remember that." Melanie's voice emits a soft tone.

"Take your time, I'll be waiting."

"Hey, I'm supposed to say that to you." Melanie chuckles.

"I can say it too, Melanie."

"I want to hang out with you three tomorrow, and I'm up for almost anything," Melanie tells him. "Make sure you don't forget me."

"What if we do?"

"I'll find you three."

"Heh, I'll let you go for now." Valen smiles. "Besides, those two have returned."

"Wait until I'm there, then you'll have triple the trouble."

"I can take on all of you at once."

"Heh, how's writing going?"

"Going good," Melanie responds, her voice now brimming with confidence. "I still want to self-publish."

"I'd like to read your work again, whenever you're feeling ready."

"Sure thing, but prepare to be amazed.

"I'm already amazed." He sees that he's got another incoming call. "My mom's calling, so I'll talk to you later."

"See you soon, big guy." Melanie ends the call.

Valen answers his mother's call. "Hi."

"I'm proud of you," Professor Beauchêne-Barsotti states. "So is he."

Valen's eyes light up when he hears the phone being given to someone. "Is-" He hears his mom handing the phone to someone.

"Guess who's back, kiddo?"

"Dad!" Valen grins. "Welcome home!" He hears a pair of low-toned cries. "Hey there, Onix and Steelix!" He hears his father's Pokémon letting excited cries, his grin growing wider while he talks to his dad.

Within Valen's room, Hilda rapidly looks around, noting that he's doubled down on the old furniture theme.

First, there's the bed that's got ornate imagery and patterns carved into its black wood. She notes that the wood's shaped like a curved arch on both ends.

Then, Hilda notices the lamp on the round, carved walnut table. Her eyes light up as she darts towards. She loves the lush imagery lush imagery of pine trees, mountains, and a pagoda plastered on the large shade. It even has Ho-oh and Lugia soaring above like their besties. Upon seeing the mahogany display cabinet next to the table, Hilda's eyes gleam at the awesome Pokemon sculptures within them. "This must be where Valen plans to place the bowl, plus this is so coooooool!"

Hilda spots the nine paintings that Valen's got behind his bed, split into four rows. It seems that he finally got the Kamakura Hokusai and Jack Constable paintings that he's been wanting. Then, she turns her attention to the mahogany bookshelf that's got a bronze clock and an old photo of Valen and four Pokemon in it.

A quick glance towards Rosa causes Hilda to realize that her friend's been focusing on one thing this entire time. She blinks, asking, "Uh, are you awake?" She waves her hand in front of Rosa's seemingly mesmerized face. Is she in a trance?

"Sorry, but I can't stop staring at this!" Rosa's eyes glitter.

Hilda realizes that Rosa's mesmerized by what Valen's got resting on his walnut desk. Her eyes gaze into the sparkling gold and silver Calvanian Conference trophies. To their right lies both sets of symbols from Hoenn's Battle Frontier and both sets of prints from Sinnoh's Battle Frontier. Dozens of other trophies and medals from smaller events within Calvana and Unova have been placed on the desk as well. These clinquant eye-catching reminders of past success causes Rosa and Hilda to sport broad grins.

"Now I'm mesmerized!" Hilda's eyes sparkle. Then, she spots the PML trophy. "Heeeey, he still has the Masters League trophy!"

"I knooooow!" Rosa cheers. "He's also got his contest ribbons and trophies!"

Both go quiet, now sporting tender smiles.

Rosa begins to shed a few tears. "Trying to fix his self-esteem...calling up old friends...making new friends...Valen's been trying so hard to change his ways...he wants the real him as his exterior."

"Yeah...the person I call Val-Val's back." Hilda sheds a few tears herself. "He rarely backed down from a challenge."

"I've been wondering something." Rosa clasps her hands behind her back, glancing at the black marble ceiling. "Did he actually change, or was his mind feeding him lies?" She glances towards Hilda. "We went through some rough issues not that long ago, but he's treated me the same since we reunited."

Hilda places her right index finger and thumb on the chin. "That could be why he struggled so much," she muses. "He thinks he fully changed, when his actual self never left."

"I believe in him, Hilda."

"I'm glad that he understands that he doesn't have to be afraid."

"By the way, who's going to be running his Unovan fan club?" Rosa folds her arms, a teasing smirk appearing on her face. "Or did you forget?"

Hilda shuts her eyes, her face faintly red. "Aieeeeeeeeeeee, I forgot to call Skylaaaaaaa!"

"Hahahahaha, you're so good at your job, but you're still such an absent-minded klutz!" Rosa tears up in hysterics.

As Hilda shouts and Rosa laughs, Gengar's red eyes and grin appears within the floor's surface. Then, Gengar jumps out of the floor and lets out a high-pitched scream, startling the duo.

"Aieeeeeeeeeeee! Why's it always us?!" Hilda and Rosa yelp, their eyes widening.

Both girls nearly lose balance fall on their backs, wrapping their arms around each other to bring themselves back into an upright position.

"Bad Gengar!" Hilda and Rosa scold. "You can prank others, but not us!"

As Gengar roars with laughter, his trainer appears behind him. Gengar and Valen exchange a fist-bump. Gengar vanishes back into the floor, deciding to give his trainer some privacy.

Suddenly, Rosa tackles Valen towards the bed. "Roar, it's time for my cuddle of doom!" She wraps her arms around Valen's neck. "This is your punishment for setting your phone to Do Not Disturb yesterday." Rosa pulls Valen down on the bed with her as she lays on her back. "You don't laugh at the queen either."

As Valen rests his head next to her right shoulder, Rosa places the tips of her hands on the back of his head.

"This is an odd reason for not moving the larger bed into the master bedroom, but it's very relaxing."

"Hey sweetie, thanks for the bowl." Rosa kisses Valen on the top of his head.

"Thanks for the chair, ball of fluff.

"I'm also very proud of you, sweetie," Rosa softly says, eyeing the trophies and medals that are still on the desk. "Get some rest, sweetie."

"Why?"

"Ooooh, did you really think that because I'm going out on my own, you could escape being nurtured by me?" Rosa giggles. "Tsk tsk tsk, you're such a silly boooooy."

"Heh."

"Hilda, now!" Rosa cheers. "Get him!"

Valen feels Hilda jumping on him and wrapping her arms around his upper back. Then, he feels both of them kissing him on the top of his head, causing him to yelp.

"We got you!" Hilda and Rosa laugh. "Fear our Double Cuddle Attack!"

"...Crazy wholesome minds." Valen smirks. "Moving on, I'm surprised that you're still single, Hilda."

"Don't be silly," Hilda teases. "You know the reason why."

"...Right, now I remember."

"Not everybody's lucky as you, Val-Val," Hilda says, kissing him on the forehead. "Your friends are Rosa's friends, and vice-versa."

"You've got a point there," Valen admits, sporting a cocky smirk. "Scrubs can't pull this off."

"You're sooo funny!" Rosa and Hilda laugh.

Then, Hilda turns her head away, her face reddening. "W-Why'd he have to ask that?!" She pokes two fingers together. "He can't even stop being hot when he has an awesome personality!"

"Good work, sweetie," Rosa whispers into Valen's right ear. "You're soooo bad."

"I caused mayhem yet again." Valen winks at Rosa. "So, did anybody else get lucky?"

Hilda decides to answer, stammering, "Oh...well...uh...errr...Misty, Hau-"

"Valen doesn't know Misty and Hau...at all." Rosa places her left palm over her face. "He's never met them."

"What Rosa said." Valen rapidly blinks. "All I know is that Gladion said that Hau's goes hard in the booth, and Misty's a member of the Elite Four."

"Aieeeee, I forgot!" Hilda shuts her eyes, nearly falling off of the bed.

Valen and Rosa chortle, causing Hilda to bop both of them on the top of their heads.

"It's nice to know that others got lucky, though," Valen remarks.

Hilda takes a deep breath, asking, "Hey, why don't we go to the agency tomorrow?"

"Ooooh, good idea!" Rosa's eyes glitter.

"Let's bring Melanie along too."

"Of course!" Rosa and Hilda cheer.

"I'm still fired up!" Valen booms. "That battle you two had was awesome!"

"That's what we dooooo." Rosa and Hilda wink. "We brings smiles and energy to all."

"Wait, how'd you know that about Misty?" Rosa inquires.

Valen closes his eyes, proudly smirking. "I've also been texting Skyla," he admits. "She's helped me to catch up with current events."

"That's awesome!" Rosa and Hilda cheer.

"Examples include Norman joining Hoenn's E4, Lance getting the lead role in Call of the Dragon, and Steven getting books on stone architecture and rock art published."

"Did you pre-order the book?" Rosa inches closer to Valen's right ear. "Tell me, big boooy."

"Heck yeah I did." Valen hears his phone ding. He takes it out of his right pocket.

Sure enough, it's Skyla. Valen grins, texting Skyla if her airline's still called Hot Air. This causes Hilda to burst out laughing because he dropped this line on Skyla years ago. Rosa giggles, remembering the story and the other times he's complimented Skyla in this manner. They watch as Skyla texts heart emojis, then texts that she likes how as long he brightens someone's day, he doesn't care what others think.

"Looks aren't everything, but a gentleman's knowledge is limited in his first meeting." Valen shrugs, clicking a tooth. "Besides, it made the recipients happy. That's all the reason I need."

Rosa and Hilda glance at each other and nod. That's one of his best traits. Better to be yourself than be fake.

Unbeknownst to Valen, Rosa, and Hilda, three of Valen's Pokémon are standing outside his room door. Gardevoir leans up against the with her arms folded, adoringly smiling. Gengar's returned, laughing at the mischief going on inside. Luxray's got his eyes closed, faintly smiling.

Within the backyard, Salamence, Typhlosion, and Golisopod are watching through the room's arched window. Golisopod lets out a cackle, while Salamence and Typhlosion let out low-toned triumphant roars. It's not just the humans who're proud of him. All six of them are proud of him. He's finally moved on, accepting that he can't do such a job anymore. He's socializing, he's smiling, he's laughing, and he's determined. Exactly the way they want it.
 
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Yodakage Kira

A man with a golden gun
Pronouns
he/him
I'm here for catnip!

I read chapter 1 and I am quite mixed about it. I don't really know what'll be useful as criticism or what is simply my bias when it comes to these sorts of slice of life fics.

The characters are strong, I can feel that no matter the genre. They're distinct and easy to tell apart and I can tell you're good at that. I was never once confused about the dialogue between them either. It makes sense and drives connections. Good job here.

The plot itself... I can't really comment on yet. Again, its slice of life, so a plot would mostly be on the background. People don't read slice of life for the plot. They read it for the fluff, the relationships, the... slice of life. This is an area I have never written in, so I can't really say anything even of use.

Grammar... for the most part its completely fine. There are a few typos or missed characters like here where maybe I would recommend reading through your first few chapters exclusively looking for this sort of stuff...
What do you mean by that?!"
But other then that its not the most distracting thing in the world. Some parts could use some polish, like here...
Melanie sits on a park bench in a quaint, quieter neighborhood that is a considerable distance away from downtown. However, this area's still within Angel City's boundaries, as the city's massive.
Into:
Melanie was sat on a park bench in a quaint, quieter neighborhood that was a considerable distance away from downtown. However this area was still within Angel City's massive boundaries.
At the end of the day its your choice.

There is one thing I can give my definitive opinion on. There is a damn well lot of telling. Like in the first few paragraphs alone we find out that Valen is an ex-soldier, that he's anti-social, that his Pokémon give him the strength to fight on, and that he has a potential GF and hung out with Team Skull. There is so much coming so fast I barely have time to apply it to his character before something else is thrown at me at breakneck speed. If this is not your intention, you might want to look into it.

Other then that though, your first chapter was pretty good! I wonder what Rose will be like when she sees the absolute state Valen is in...
 

BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
I'm here for catnip!

I read chapter 1 and I am quite mixed about it. I don't really know what'll be useful as criticism or what is simply my bias when it comes to these sorts of slice of life fics.

The characters are strong, I can feel that no matter the genre. They're distinct and easy to tell apart and I can tell you're good at that. I was never once confused about the dialogue between them either. It makes sense and drives connections. Good job here.

The plot itself... I can't really comment on yet. Again, its slice of life, so a plot would mostly be on the background. People don't read slice of life for the plot. They read it for the fluff, the relationships, the... slice of life. This is an area I have never written in, so I can't really say anything even of use.

Grammar... for the most part its completely fine. There are a few typos or missed characters like here where maybe I would recommend reading through your first few chapters exclusively looking for this sort of stuff...

But other then that its not the most distracting thing in the world. Some parts could use some polish, like here...

Into:

At the end of the day its your choice.

There is one thing I can give my definitive opinion on. There is a damn well lot of telling. Like in the first few paragraphs alone we find out that Valen is an ex-soldier, that he's anti-social, that his Pokémon give him the strength to fight on, and that he has a potential GF and hung out with Team Skull. There is so much coming so fast I barely have time to apply it to his character before something else is thrown at me at breakneck speed. If this is not your intention, you might want to look into it.

Other then that though, your first chapter was pretty good! I wonder what Rose will be like when she sees the absolute state Valen is in...
Thanks for the review. I’ll fix up the opening sense.

The thing is that the story’s present tense. While I can still try to fix it, the suggestion you gave for that quote is in past tense.
 
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BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Chapter 28: BW Agency

The mid-morning sun beams down over Valen and Rosa's neighborhood. Melanie and Hilda stroll down the cobblestone sidewalk, their Absol and Umbreon walking in front of them. The chirping of various bird Pokémon echo around Melanie and Hilda, the duo chatting with Silver via the former's cell phone.

"I've been told that Valen's been battling a lot more lately," Silver says, his voice emitting the faintest of happy tones. "Within the near future, I want there to be a full six on six battle between us."

Melanie and Hilda glance at each other, unsure of how to respond. Is Valen truly ready for a full battle? He's improved, but his self-esteem seems to be agonizingly slow in its recovery.

"Look, he needs to see that he's strong," Silver tells them. "He thought he had no chance of winning against me," he continues. "The Valen that we know is a four time Calvanian Conference winner, one of only a handful to conquer Hoenn's Battle Frontier-"

"And someone who managed to hold his own against some of the best," Melanie reminisces. "I get it." She was there too, she'll never forget the totally awesome moment his Salamence took down Red's Charizard. She was there for everything else too, from his conference wins to his victory over Pyramid King Brandon.

"I should try to see if I can get a crowd to come." Hilda places her right thumb and index finger on her chin. "I think if he sees that, he'll remember those achievements."

"You'll pull that off well," Silver compliments. "Anyway, I've got some asses to kick in battles."

"Good luck," Melanie and Hilda reply. "How many wins?"

"As if I need luck," Silver scoffs. "Eleven wins, aiming for fifteen today. See you around." The call ends afterwards.

Melanie puts her phone in the left pocket of her blue jeans. Melanie and Hilda exchange smiles, sweeping each other into a hug. We both suddenly wanted to hug, she amusingly thinks while her arms are around Hilda's neck. She feels Hilda wrapping her around her upper back. They'll be BFFs forever, and they don't need to say it when it's obvious.

Melanie and Hilda let go of each other, the former turning her attention to the Gothic Revival houses afterwards. She still likes the colors used for the exterior of these houses, which range from maroon to green. Her gut tells her that she belongs in this neighborhood He's going to love the building that I chose, she muses while clasping her hands behind her back. The description called it a modern building with classical styling, or New Classical Architecture. Valen, his mom, and Rosa taught her a lot about art.

"Hey, do you want to be my client too?" Hilda asks Melanie, slightly tilting her head back. "Valen can vouch for me, as can Rosa." She places her right hand in front of her grinning mouth.

"Of course I'm going to say yes to that." Melanie chuckles, her Absol exchanging a smirk with Hilda's Umbreon. "You're awesome."

"I've got a new client!" Hilda jumps, raising her left fist towards the sky. "I can tell you've got some big aspirations yourself!"

"Your perception's still on point. Melanie runs her right hand through her elbow length black hair. "I'm gonna be a good looking badass for this region, much like how Sinnoh has Cynthia and Johto has Clair." Best-selling novelist too.

Melanie and Hilda halt, turning around to face Valen's house. Hilda eyes the black roof, while Melanie eyes the maroon underneath. Both Melanie and Hilda see the front door opening, spotting Valen exiting the house. Valen saunters down the front porch steps, each one creaking as he does so. Rosa dallies behind him, a broad grin plastered on her face.

Hilda spots the large, black gym bag that Valen's carrying around his left arm. "Heeeey, are the classy clothes in there?!" Her blue eyes sparkle.

Melanie notices that Valen's groomed his hair, as it's no longer disheveled. He's got the slightly slicked look he used to have. Then, she notices that both Rosa and Valen are wearing Guzmani leather jackets. Rosa's jacket is white, and Valen's jacket is black. Fitting for where they're going to today.

"Tux or suit?!" Hilda jumps, clasping her hands above her left shoulder. "C'mon, spit it out!"

"Suit and sunglasses." Valen folds his arms, closing his eyes. "You three get first access."

"Woo-hoo!" Hilda and Rosa cheer, their eyes gleaming.

"However, I will admit that I'm only wearing the tux because Rosa wants me to." Valen shrugs. "Can't say no to that adorable face."

"Tee-hee, I'm finally going to see him dress up again!" Rosa twirls. "Don't forget the rose!"

"Fine, I'll throw a rose at you again."

"Valey's going to watch all my battles!" Rosa's eyes sparkle, clasping her hands next to her right cheek. She slightly lifts up her right foot. "As Unova's cutest and prettiest trainer, I'm going to become equally popular and famous here!" She'll also become an equally popular and focus trainer.

"Ignore me and I'll kick your ass," Melanie jokes, running her hand through her elbow length black hair.

"Hi there, Umbreon and Absol," Valen greets.

"Hiiiii!" Rosa waves at Umbreon and Absol.

Umbreon and Absol nod to acknowledge Rosa and Valen. Hilda pets Umbreon's back, causing Umbreon to rub herself against Hilda's left leg. Melanie would pet Absol if Absol actually liked to be petted.

"Gengar." Valen snaps his fingers.

Gengar materializes from the ground, waving at Umbreon and Absol. In response, both Dark-types smirk.

"Tee-hee, Volcarona wants to play too!" Rosa takes out a Poké Ball from her pink purse. She presses the button on the ball's front to let Volcarona out. Volcarona greets Gengar, Umbreon, and Absol with a low-pitched cry, floating towards them. All three Pokémon respond by letting our their own low-pitched cries.

Melanie and Hilda would greet Gengar and Volcarona, but they seem to be busy. As the Pokémon chat amongst themselves, Melanie turns her attention towards Valen. She jumps towards him like a Hawlucha, wrapping her arms around Valen's neck In response, he places his right hand on her back, running his left hand through her black hair.

Valen wants all of the hugs, platonic and romantic. Hugs from Melanie, Rosa, and Hilda are cozy and awesome, but this doesn't mean he's cute. He's not cute, he was never cute and he never will be cute. His blatant denial is interrupted by a flick to the back of his head.

"Rise and shine, giant Growlithe puppy." Her voice carries a soft tone. "Welcome back, old friend."

"Thanks, Detective Ding Dong." Valen smirks. "I'm still angry about the nap interruption." Good thing he didn't need to deny the denial-that wasn't denial. It's true, he's definitely not cute.

"I can see that." Melanie chuckles. "I've long since forgiven you, so don't you dare apologize."

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Valen earns himself another flick.

Even the Pokémon are laughing. He folds his arms, closing his eyes as he basks in his success. He's just that good.

Valen, Rosa, Hilda, and Melanie have arrived at what's the new headquarters of the BW Agency, located in another one of the massive city's commercial districts. As Rosa, Hilda, and Melanie chat, Valen's keenly focused on the structure standing in front of him.

His dark blue eyes scan the wide building's center, noting how the three-story structure has ten columns in front of the first floor's deck. The second floor's deck also has ten columns in front of it. He notes the front of both floors have four sets of windows, plus an stilted arched entrance placed exactly in the middle. Each set's comprised of a semi-circular, arched window and a pair of smaller rectangular windows. The columns and sets of windows have an equal distance from each other.

Valen notes that the roof's center has got a massive sculpture of Unova's King Myron Pallas, the father of the two brothers. Left of it's a massive statue of Calvana's King Tiberius Regulus.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Hilda jumps, clasping her hands over her right shoulder.

"Tee-hee, of course!" Rosa clasps her hands next to right cheek. She slightly lifts her left foot up. "All the buildings in this area are finished in a similar fashion!"

"It's even close to where you two live!" Hilda cheers. "Melanie's house isn't too far away either! This area's soooo perfect for the agency!"

"Tee-hee, I've heard that this is a frequent spot for both locals and tourists!"

"It's picture timeeeee, Hilda!"

"Heeeey, good idea!"

Rosa and Hilda dart in front of the building, the latter holding her cell phone. The bright light of her cell phone's camera flashes several times. Afterwards, Rosa and Hilda exchange a hi-five, then dart back towards Valen and Melanie.

"He approves of your decision." Melanie tilts her head towards Valen.

"Playtime's over! It's time to resume the grand opening!" Hilda jumps, clasping her hands over her left shoulder.

Hilda's smile vanishes when she hears Valen sigh. Rosa and Melanie glance at each other, concerned expressions plastered onto their faces.

"You got sidetracked because I'm a mess, right?" Valen's voice emits a dull tone. "I hate being a burden to people."

"You won't get anywhere by moping around," Hilda states. "Follow your dream and live each day to its fullest extent."

"I know, but didn't you have to hold off-"

"I couldn't ignore what you were going through," Hilda laments, swallowing before speaking again. Her mouth curves into a smile. "I'm glad you're doing better now."

"Thanks." Valen kisses Hilda on the top of her head.

"You're invaluable to all of us," Rosa reassures, placing her left hand over her heart.

"Please don't act like you're a burden," Melanie requests, folding her arms. "You're never a burden for us."

"I'm not going anywhere this time," Valen reassures, warmly smiling. "I'll keep trying to improve my self-esteem."

Gengar, Absol, Umbreon, and Volcarona look at each other. Volcarona lets out a soft cry, stating that the squad's back together. Volcarona admits that he learned those words from observing the humans. Gengar, Absol, and Umbreon laugh, admitting the same thing.

"By the way, this area was constructed in the 1980s," Valen states. "New Classical architecture."

"Ooooh, he's going artsy on us" Rosa giggles.

"This style's centuries old, but styles don't have any sort of 'expiration date' attached to them." Valen eyes the building again, his gaze darting up and down. "My memory got jogged—the designers and builders of this neighborhood wanted to channel Palladianism and Neoclassicism."

"Keep it coming," Melanie flicks Valen's forehead. "That's a order."

Valen smiles, having realized what they're trying to do. "The symmetry and windows you see is a hallmark of Palladian architecture, but the statues of King Myron Pallas and King Tiberius Regulus are elements of Neoclassical architecture," he explains. "The columns are found in both styles."

"Where do the words Palladian and Palladianism come from?" Hilda titters, folding her arms. "I remember this from a trivia game, but I love hearing you talk." She tilts her head rightwards, her left hand hovering over her mouth.

"Antonio Palladio, a 16th century architect," Valen responds. "One of the most famous and influential architects in history."

"You are quite the knowledge bloke," Arthur calls out, catching everyone's attention. He smiles, rubbing his ashy blond hair. "I happened to be taking a stroll."

Gengar decides to vanish into the ground, while the others turn to their left, noting Arthur approaching them. They note that Grimmsnarl's walking on Arthur's right.

"Ooooh, I haven't seen one of these Pokemon in a while!" Hilda grins, keenly focusing her gaze on Grimmsnarl. "And I forgot to tell you how cool your clothes are!" She eyes Arthur's Victorian style trench coat, suit, and pants. "The brown makes it cooler!"

"Much appreciated." Arthur bows. "I have wanted to become more acquainted with you."

Valen walks closer to Arthur, offering him a fist bump. "Once again, sorry for my behavior from before."

Arthur accepts Valen's fist bump, replying, "The past is the past, mate."

Valen nods. "Say, are you familiar with Sir Edwin Lupton, the famed designer of Galarian country homes?"

"He was my grandpa's grandpa." Arthur glances rightwards towards the three-story building, eyeing the columns. "Derby Garden's still a place I like to relax in."

"Nice, the Galarian country's side a lovely place."

"Quite, Are you a fan of Jack Constable?"

"Two of his paintings are in my master bedroom."

"Ah, I see that you are also a man of culture." Arthur slightly bows. Then, he scowls. "Unlike that wanker Silver, who's still calling me posh."

Gengar materializes from the ground, offering Arthur's Grimmsnarl a fist bump. Grimmsnarl grins, accepting the fist bump. Umbreon, Absol, and Volcarona approach Grimmsnarl, greeting him with low-toned cries.

"Okay, it's time for the tour!"

Hilda opens the see-through arched door, stepping aside to let the others enter first. The other four stroll in, with Hilda following behind them seconds later.

Valen, Melanie, Arthur, and Rosa stand in front of the arched wooden door, noting that the lobby's been meticulously arranged. The gazes of the five Pokémon dart around, curiously eyeing each and every item present.

"Welcomeeeeeee to the BW Agency!" Hilda jumps, clasping her front of her left shoulder. "Isn't it so awesomeeeeeee?"

"Tee-hee, it's super duper awesomeeeeeee!" Rosa twirls around, eyeing all of the furniture and decorations that surround her and the others.

"Nicely done, Hilda," Melanie commends, placing her hands on her hips. Her mouth's halfway open, seemingly a bit surprised by all of this. "This must've been among the reasons why you were so busy."

"The exterior's white, but the interior walls and floor tiles are in Black Tie," Valen observes, folding her arms. He smirks, stating, "She combined Palladian with Neoclassicalism like the badass beauty she knows she is." He feels a double bop on the back of his head

"Stop it, goofball." Hilda laughs, playfully waving her right hand in a dismissive manner.

"What?" Valen shrugs, giving Hilda a wink. "Can't handle the truth like Rosa?" He feels a quadruple bop on the back of his head. Then, he feels arms being wrapped around his neck.

"...It all worked out in the end," Hilda kisses Valen on the back of his head. "In more ways than one."

"...Yeah." Valen softly smiles. "I'm glad we never stopped being friends."

As Hilda lets go of him, Valen guesses that she didn't want an original Palladian building so she could paint the interior black. She's not the type to do that to a building from hundreds of years ago. He notes that all of the chairs within the lobby are Kalosian armchairs. Each chair's got a curved headrest, and all of them are finished in yellow leather upholstery. Metallic white decorates the top of the headrest, extending downwards to the ends of the armrests.

The armchairs are separated into ten groups of four. Each set of four surrounds a large rectangular table. Each table's made with ebony, a natural sheening wood with a rich black color and a smooth grain texture. As expected, each table's got the BW Agency logo engraved within the center.

Valen observes that eight groups of these chair and table formations are on each side of the straight pathway. The pathway itself leads to a circular desk, the male and female receptionists answering phone call after phone call. Ceramics, such as vases and bowls, are behind the front desk, displayed in enclosed cases. However, they'd need to get closer to study the lush imagery plastered on them.

"Nice to see you retained what my mom and I taught you," Valen compliments. "Guess you aren't that absent-minded after all." He earns himself another pair of bops to the back of the head.

Valen eyes the sculptures of Reshiram and Zekrom that greet everyone who enters the building. "Zekrom's sculpture is made of black marble." He keenly the sculpture's intricate design.

He glances over to the Reshiram sculpture and studies its intricate design. "Reshiram's sculpture is made of white marble. Both are fitting." Both sculptures look like they could come to life at any moment, leading him to wonder if the sculptor asked N and Hilbert to see Reshiram and Zekrom with his or her own eyes.

"Val-Val, don't ignore the paintings!" Hilda points to her left. "Manager's orders!"

Valen approaches the wall, stating, "Let's see what you got." As he walks past Hilda, he rubs his right fist on the top of her head.

Hilda closes her eyes and laughs. "Heeeeey, don't do that to your manager!"

Valen glances at the numerous reproduction paintings on the walls, recalling that a number of these are well known art pieces. He eyes a portrait of a older man sitting, a serious expression plastered on his face. Valen notes the ornate coattail jacket that he's wearing, which was formal attire during the 18th century. Surrounding the guy are four Pokémon: Toxtricity, Pangoro, Talonflame, and Haxorus.

"The Grand Old Victor by Igor Argunov, 1735," Valen comments. "Person depicted is Nikolaus Ferguson at age seventy." Among the books within his library is Nikolaus Ferguson's account of the first ever Calvanian Conference, originally published in 1690.

"You still remember why many artists from other regions moved or visited here?" Rosa giggled walking closer to him. "I bet you forgot like the silly that you are." She playfully winks, wagging her left index finger. "Alkmaardam, Ragulia, Ziegler, Chelyagorod, Galar, Kalos, and so on."

"The city was a boon for merchants, painters, sculptors, architects, and so on thanks to the founder, Marsilius de La Ferrebouque, " Valen responds. "It's one of the reasons why Ville de La Ferrebouque, or La Ferrebouque City, needed expansion," Valen responds, exchanging a high-five with Rosa and Melanie.

Valen turns his attention to the painting left of the portrait, this painting being the one his grandpa chose for the cover of his Art Deco book. He called it the best depiction of these three legendaries within the early to mid-twentieth century.

"Super-Ancient Pokémon by Braxton and Maya Birch, 1925."

He's seen an interview where their second son stated that he vividly remembers this piece coming to life. He was nine when it was conceived. He's now one hundred five.

The piece depicts Groudon and Kyogre in a chaotic clash, with Rayquaza soaring down from the sky to deal with the crisis. The clash of intense sunlight and heavy rain collide in the center. The rippling sea transforms into towering mountains and deep valleys at various places, while the rocky land cracks due to the drought that blankets it. Rayquaza's halting the flow of havoc caused by this titanic showdown.

There's cadmium red within Groudon's side, ultramarine blue within Kyogre's side, and a shade of green called Emerald City within Rayquaza's center position. Geometrical, stylized, and streamlined shapes are used to represent the trio and the scenery.

Left of that is a painting of Old Downtown, the evidence of quick thick strokes of the brush indicating that this is Impressionism. He studies the Victorian era suits and dresses worn by the people depicted. The exact same Gothic Revival buildings that people see today are lined up on their left and right. He notes the Mudsdale that are pulling pulling wagons and carriages. The flow of traffic is interrupted by a Pokémon battle between a male trainer's Poliwrath and a female trainer's Quagsire. The sky's finished in a hue of white, several Pidgeot gliding past and dodging the snow that drips down onto the city and its residents.

"Elizabethan Town on a Winter Morning by Carlo Pissarro, 1897."

He's read that Elizabethan Town was one of two towns incorporated into Angel City towards the the end of the nineteenth century. The neighborhood Rosa and him reside in was the other one, and it was also depicted in Impressionist art by Pissarro.

Speaking of Rosa, Valen can her the rhythm of her footsteps, the jubliant woman dallying towards him.

"Here I comeeeee!"

She jumps on Valen's back, wrapping her arms around his midsection. "Roar, Rosa used Wrap!"

"Heeeey check out these Guzmani and Grimsley Lauren clothes!" Hilda darts out of the way, revealing that the clothes are resting on one of the charcoal tables. "These are the new employee uniforms!" She jumps, clasping her hands over her right shoulder.

"Your employees are already going to be wearing them," Valen remarks, glancing behind him at a giggling Rosa.

Hilda darts behind Valen and the others. "Look anyway!" She extends her arms sideways, using them to gently push her friends closer to the table. "Come on, don't be party poopers!"

Valen, Melanie, Arthur and Rosa eye the casual jackets, shirts, and pants. The shirts come in long-sleeved, short-sleeved, and sleeveless. Of course, the only colors for all of the clothes are black and white. The jackets have the BW Agency logo on the back, while the shirts have it on both the front and the back.

Valen's always found it cool how half of the logo's black, while the other's white. Hilda put a lot into this, down to the smallest detail. He's proud to have her as an agent, manager, and friend. Rosa, Melanie, and him are in very good hands.

Hilda's led the four into the left hallway, the five Pokémon right behind them. As they stroll, Valen notes the various rooms. One room looks like a meeting room, as evident by a giant table and about a dozen seats. Another looks like a cafeteria of some kind, with vending machines placed to the entrance/exit.

Within a large room filled with file cabinets, a male worker with shoulder length black hair notices Valen and the others. "It's been a while since I've seen that guy."

Hilda comes to a halt, folding her arms. The other four halt before they walk too far in front, as do the Pokémon.

Hilda glances into the room, stating, "Less talking and more working, George."

"'President, I've already organized your event idea folders." He adjusts his glasses.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Hilda clasps her hands over her shoulders. "That's awesomeeeeeee! Thanks!"

Within the computer room located next to the file cabinet room, a female worker with short brown hair gestures for Hilda to come in. Hilda darts into the medium-sized room, her eyes widening upon nearly running into the open door.

"President, the agency's trending on Glaliebook," she informs Hilda. "In addition, the agency's hit five seven hundred thousand likes on Glaliebook, and five hundred fifty thousand followers on Smearglegram."

"That's also awesomeeeeeee!" Hilda gushes, her face slightly reddening. "My personal accounts aren't too far off!"

"Our pictures from yesterday are already in the hundreds of likes!" Rosa cheers, her eyes rapidly moving up and down as she scrolls through Glaliebook via her cell phone.

Valen taps Rosa on her left shoulder. She twirls around and sees that he's in a bowing pose.

"Bonjour, ma belle reine." Valen asks, kissing her right hand. "Le roi et chevalier would like to hold your hand."

Rosa grabs Valen's right hand with said hand. "Of course you can, my king and knight."

"I wanna hug you." He watches Rosa putting her phone away as fast as possible. "Ah, ma reine really wants a hug."

Rosa lets go of Valen and dashes in front of him. She wraps her arms around his neck, feeling him wrap his arms around her midsection and hoisting her up.

"Whether I'm Valen or The Black Reaper, you'll always be my queen, best girl."

"That goes for you too, best boooy." Rosa and Valen exchange a kiss.

Hilda fixates a stern glare at the duo. "No slacking on the job!"

"Don't ruin our moment."

"We've got lots of work to do." Hilda folds her arms, her glare slightly overbearing. "You two need to prepare for your future status as a celebrity couple."

Melanie places her hands on her hips. "Hilda, maybe you should consider trying to be less bossy."

"You try running a business like this."

Arthur walks up towards Valen, Rosa, and Melanie, curious as to why Hilda's shifted her demeanor. Then again, her style of management is unorthodox. She's known for getting out there and combining agency tasks with leisure time. They say she's always on the lookout for talent.

"How do you deal with this side of her?"

Melanie and Rosa point at Valen. Hilda places her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes at Valen. Valen shrugs, his Gardevoir letting herself out of her Poké Ball.

"Chill, I've got this."

Gardevoir nods, walking towards Gengar and the other Pokémon. Four of the Pokémon greet her with grins, while Gengar exchanges a fist bump with his teammate.

Valen places Rosa back on the ground, stating, "I'll lift you up again at home."

"Kaaaay, Valey Nooooow, defeat Expert Noob Hilda!"

Valen wraps his left arm around Hilda's waist, pulling her closer. He leans up against the wall, with Hilda sliding her arms around Valen's neck.

She closes her eyes, resting her head up against Valen's upper chest. Fine, she'll let him win for the umpteenth time. His hugs are too soothing, plus he's too much of a sweetheart. Not to mention that he's still handsome and cute and-get it together.

"You've gotten much better at managing that side of yours, but-" Valen's smile becomes devious. "it's time for your punishment! He begins to give Hilda a noogie with his left fist.

"Heeeey, don't do this to me!" Hilda tears up with laughter. She playfully attempts to push Valen's right hand away. "You can't do this to your agent and manager!"

Valen holds Hilda tighter, continuing his merciless noogie. "I've since remembered that Rosa's supposed to get a tickle, while you're supposed to get a noogie."

"Hahahaha, you're too much sometimes!"

Arthur silently watches Valen mess around with Hilda, sporting an amused smile. Gengar, Gardevoir, and Volcarona laugh. Grimmsnarl, Absol, and Umbreon sport smirks.

Valen's gotta dress up soon, but Hilda's not off the hook.

Valen's strolling towards the lobby, his calm demeanor cloaking a surge of excitement. As he eyes the interior's black walls, he notices that several male and female workers are smiling and smirking at him. Most are focused on the translucent BW Agency logo plastered on the back of his black Guzmani suit.

"Your boy's charming all night, but I can be a baddie when I'm being a knight," Valen comments in a melodious tone, twirling a rose with his right hand. His Gengar and his Gardevoir walk beside him on his left and his right respectively. "C'mon, it's time to fight, I can be a baddie while I'm being polite." His smirk turns into a lopsided grin. "I blast off at the speed of light!" He can't contain his excitement anymore. "People love a star who's really polite!" he laughs. "Surrender now or prepare to fight! Madams love it when I dress this nice!"

He decides to hold off on entering the lobby right away, eyeing the the furniture and decorations that Hilda's placed in the hallway. He halts to take a closer look, eyeing several mahogany-framed armchairs and several mahogany tables. He also notes the octagonal, brass clock attached to the black wall, its ornamentation containing spiral motifs. He notes the presence of ceramics resting within a cabinet that's been placed under the clock. He inches closer, noting the enclosed mahogany cabinet. and the four ceramics. The cabinet's finished in an ornate pattern, and the ceramics have lush imagery decorating them.

One ceramic is a wide vase that depicts several Talonflame soaring above a three, with others perched on a pyramid-shaped rooftop. Another vase depicts Dragonite, Salamence, Garchomp, and Hydreigon in an unforgiving wasteland. His gaze turns towards the bowl that depicts a Galarian Articuno soaring above a desolate tundra, likely a depiction of a region within the Arctic or Antarctic. A second bowl depicts a jovial Victini frolicking within the Liberty Garden.

Positioned to the left of the cabinet is a painting of Gyarados, Milotic, and Kingdra majestically flowing through the sea, which is finished in Lumiose blue. Valen notes that the setting's nighttime, the calm ocean decorated with sparkles under the starry night sky. Various shades of ultramarine blue are present throughout the piece. Shalour City's in the background, its buildings illuminated by orange lights that reflect on the water.

"The Midnight Sea by Victor van Gogh, 1888."

Positioned to the right's a painting of Typhlosion, Houndoom, Charizard, Magmar, Magmortar, and Camerupt relaxing at the base of what appears to be a volcano. The sky's filled with smoke and flying lava. The palette's mostly reddish brown, but the upper corners are finished in black. The lava itself is a brighter shade of yellow. If his memory serves him well, this painting's motif is the awe and mystery of nature. Not just this painting—this was a common motif within the Romanticism movement.

"Volcanic Pokémon by Jackson Matthew William Turner, 1817."

As he resumes his stroll towards the lobby, Valen proudly smiles over Hilda's dedication and drive. Now them, it's time to see if he can turn the tables on one or both of them.

"Gardevoir, Gengar, let's cause some mayhem."

Out of the corner of her eye, Rosa notices Valen entering the lobby, then leaning back on the wall. Her face begins to burn up as she eyes his black suit and his red tie.

She notices the rose he's holding directly in front of his face. Her stomach's apparently Petalburg Woods, because Beautifly are in it. She pokes two fingers together, words unable to come out of her mouth.

"Catch." Valen swings his right hand back, then tosses the rose in Rosa's direction.

A fully red-faced Rosa catches the rose with both hands, yelping when she nearly drops it. he wasn't ready for this, she wasn't ready at all! How could she forget how dashing and hot he looks in a Guzmani suit or tuxedo! He even threw a rose at her like the gentleman that he is!

At the same time, Melanie, Hilda, Arthur, and the other Pokémon direct their gazes at Valen. Hilda and Melanie glances away to prevent their fangirl sides from coming out. Volcarona lets out a pleasant cry, while Umbreon and Absol smile. They remember Valen dressing up like this all too well, and their trainer's reactions are always amusing to witness.

"Proper attire for a gentleman," Arthur comments, noting the curious gaze of his Grimmsnarl.

"So uh, how do I go to a public arena without being spotted?" Valen blinks.

"There's a trio of fields behind this building." Suddenly, her eyes widen. She jumps backwards, yelping. "Aieeeee, I forgot to show you my officeeeeee!" She rolls her eyes when she hears the other five Pokémon laughing. "You'll have to recall your Pokémon." She leans forward, her arms going limp as she sighs. "Neither the elevators nor the stairs can fit us all."

"Uh, Gengar can just go through the walls and floors," Valen points out.

"Umbreon can fit in the elevator," Melanie adds. "So can Absol."

"Aieeeeeeee!" A red-faced Hilda flails her arms, nearly falling over on her back. "Why am I so absent-minded?!"

The six Pokémon roar with laughter, Gardevoir, Grimmsnarl, Volcarona being recalled as they tear up. They don't mind if they've got to be recalled, especially when they got to witness something this funny.
 
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IFBench

Rescue Team Member
Location
Pokemon Paradise
Partners
  1. chikorita-saltriv
  2. bench-gen
  3. charmander
  4. snivy
  5. treecko
  6. tropius
  7. arctozolt
  8. wartortle
Here for catnip!

Valen seems like an interesting character! He definitely doesn't seem to be your typical protagonist, what with being a war veteran and accomplished trainer already. His personality is also very distinct from the protagonists of the games, very no-nonsense and standoffish. I'm intrigued!

I'll be honest, it was really hard for me to tell what was happening here. There's a lot of information dumped here, with barely any time to process before moving onto the next point. Maybe you could spread out the information a bit more, or make it flow better?

I will say, though, I did quite like your description! There's a lot of moving parts to make the world feel like a place, and not just a backdrop. Great job!

Wishing you luck with the rest of your fic!
 

BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Here for catnip!

Valen seems like an interesting character! He definitely doesn't seem to be your typical protagonist, what with being a war veteran and accomplished trainer already. His personality is also very distinct from the protagonists of the games, very no-nonsense and standoffish. I'm intrigued!

I'll be honest, it was really hard for me to tell what was happening here. There's a lot of information dumped here, with barely any time to process before moving onto the next point. Maybe you could spread out the information a bit more, or make it flow better?

I will say, though, I did quite like your description! There's a lot of moving parts to make the world feel like a place, and not just a backdrop. Great job!

Wishing you luck with the rest of your fic!
I had to work on his character a lot more than I expected, but I think he's improved.

Yeah, that's been tricky. I've had to cut info due to info dumping before.

Nevertheless, I appreciate the review/feedback.
 

BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
I've been tweaking, adding detail, adding dialogue, adding references, adding scenes, and more to the previous chapters. I’ve been putting a bigger focus on tweaking/adding, so 29 got pushed back.
Silver's been bumped up to main cast.

Chapter 29: The Will to Fight

The elevator dings, the automatic doors opening. Hilda, Rosa, Melanie, Valen, and Arthur step out, the doors closing behind them seconds later. All of their Pokémon have been recalled back into their balls, with the exceptions of Gengar, Absol, and Umbreon. Hilda's office isn't hard to spot—it's the biggest room on the third floor. It's also right in front of the elevator, because of course Hilda would do this.

"I've gotta make some calls, so please wait here." Hilda enters her office, her Umbreon following her. She closes the door behind her.

The others go silent, with Valen deciding to break the ice. He looks behind him, asking, "Melanie, have you figured out your setting issue? If I recall, you're trying to write a trainer rivalry novel, two historical fiction novels, and a romance novel at the same time."

"I'm a crazy woman." Melanie sighs, placing her hands on her hips. "Just when I thought I did, four new ideas came to mind," she admits. "Ériu's Dublin City, Accrana's Kumasi City, Sinnoh, and Alola." She smirks upon seeing her Absol's mischievous grin. Absol loves to watch her brainstorm and write, albeit the other five aren't much different.

"Galarian countryside?" Just as Arthur suspected, Valen fully agrees. That smile isn't subtle.

"Maybe you can have two rival trainers living in the Galarian countryside," Rosa adds, glancing rightwards.

"I like that." Melanie smiles. "Now, what about the other two?"

"Oooh, maybe I can help you out with the romance novels and one of the historical fiction novels!" Rosa exclaims. "Maybe Unovan history, plays and film can help you decide!"

"Thanks, Rosa." Melanie exchanges a fist bump with her. "You too, Arthur."

"My pleasure." Arthur exchanges a high-five with her.

Melanie turns her head towards Valen, placing her hands on her hips again. "Well?"

Valen looks at his Gengar, who's pointing towards Melanie. He folds his arms, leaning against the wall. "Hmph, I wouldn't be much of a gentleman if I didn't say yes." He sports a smirk. "Pick Kumasi City in Accrana—that part of the world should get more love."

"Sounds good to me."

"What do you mean all three clients got rejected?!" Hilda's angry voice can be heard outside of her office, causing everyone to stare and blink. "The first one can rap Your Career Won't Survive by Hau, or 'Sada Boi, perfectly! The second one's an awesome trainer who won ten tournaments within a span of fifteen months! The third one's a fantastic actress!" Her voice and tone becomes louder. "Tell those Darumaka shit eating assclowns who they're dealing with! I'm Hilda Odelle White, founder and president of the BW Agency! I don't play games!"

A silence befalls the room as everybody keeps staring at the office's door. A couple of minutes later, Hilda opens the office's door. She loudly smacks her hands together, then gestures to come in. Valen approaches first, wrapping his right arm around Hilda's waist, pulling her closer. He feels Hilda wrapping her arms around his neck. He runs his left hand through her dark brown hair.

You need to chill out." Valen kisses Hilda on the top of her head. "Don't make us worry like that."

"Sorry...I hate it when clients get turned down over superficial reasons." Hilda kisses him on the top right side of his head. "Thanks for always being such a sweetheart."

Valen and Hilda let go of each other, the latter allowing the former to enter. Rosa, Melanie, Arthur, and the three Pokémon follow Valen into the plush office. Good news for Hilda, because she runs face first into the open door while darting.. Why is she so clumsily, she silently moans while rubbing her forehead. She slowly walks inside, realizing that nobody saw what just happened. She breathes a sigh of relief, her smile returning.


Rosa's eyes glitter, twirling to view the large office in its entirely. She fixates her eyes on the large set of windows that give a great view of the city from behind the building. She notes the ceramics and glassware that rest in a small and short cabinet behind large wooden desk. She loves that ornate pattern that decorate the cabinet that's behind the desk, it's so old and cool! In fact, a lot of items here look old and cool! In front of the desk lie four walnut-framed easy chairs with large circular armrests. The chairs are finished in reddish brown leather upholstery, plus they look super duper comfy!

Returning her focus to the ceramics and glassware, Rosa's taken by the presence of a tall, beaker-shaped vase, finished with lush imagery of a Johto pagoda and cherry blossoms. Left of it rests a rounder vase that's both shorter and wider. This one's finished with a vivid depiction of a battle between a Garchomp and a Tyranitar, the wearing mountains dotting the scenery behind the two Pokémon. She directs his gaze to the glassware, first noting the barrel-shaped vase that's finished with aquatic plants and an Armaldo. Looks like her bestie really liked the Art Nouveau cameo glass she saw. Left of that vase rests an ovoid flared rim vase with a circular base. This one depicts a Celebi and a Sky Forme Shaymin frolicking among the various autumn leaves.

Valen joins Rosa, patting her on the head. "That's my girl." Gengar floats next to his trainer, pointing towards a large poster of them above the cabinet. The poster depicts him on the exact same clothes he's currently wearing. He's depicted leaning back against a wall with his arms folded. "Leave it to Hilda to display such a poster so prominently." There are several posters of the same size surrounding it. Of course, among them are posters of Rosa, Hilbert, Elesa, Diantha, and Cynthia. Interestingly, there's also a poster for the movie Myron & Tiberius. He appreciates that the makers of the film made sure not to skimp out on historical accuracy.

"That movie was awesomeeee!" Rosa cheers, her gaze darting up and down as she scans the poster. "Brycen played the role of King Myron! Hans Eriksen played the role of King Tiberius!"

Directly across from Hilda's desk are three paintings. He assumes that Hilda put them there so they're directly in her line of sight. After all, her home region's depicted in two of the three, and the third depicts Reshiram and Zekrom. Rosa's eyes light up when she sees the paintings. Ooooh, Valey and her know these and their artists. Tee-hee, they're both walking encyclopedias!

"I bet you'll get all three wrong," Hilda teases, playfully winking.

As Valen and his Gengar walk past Hilda, the former rubs his left fist on the top of her head. "I bet nobody even notices these masterpieces once they lay eyes on you."

In response, Hilda bops him on the back of his head.

Valen inches closer to the painting hanging on the left. "Twilight in Pinwheel Forest by Franklin Elliot Church, 1860," he comments, his pupils moving up and down. "A fine piece of Unovan Romanticism."

Green altocumulus clouds are scattered throughout the bright orange sky over Pinwheel Forest. Skyarrow Bridge is in the background, slightly concealed by a shade of purple. He studies the chromatic style of the colors, as well as the contrast between the sky and the darkened green forest beneath it. In the center lies a lake slightly obscured by dark crimson, surrounded by a formation of twisted trees. Several Pokémon within the lush forest, such as the Leavanny line and the Serperior line. Virizion's here too, proudly galloping through the forest floor. Within the lake itself likes several Poliwag, Poliwhirl, a Poliwrath, and a Politoed.

"He was a big player in the Castelia River School movement that Tobias Cole founded!" Rosa clasps her hands next to her right cheek, slightly lifting up her left foot. "During the 1870s, he taught at the same academy that I studied at as a kid over a century later! I always found that to be awesomeeeee!"

"This is one of the reasons why you're my romantic soulmate." Valen winks at Rosa, clicking a tooth.

"Am I your soulmate, or are you mineeee?" Rosa flirtatiously winks, blowing a kiss with her right hand.

Both of them turn their attention to the second painting, displayed to the right of the first painting. Valen wraps his left arm around her mid-section, causing her to rest her right hand on his chest.

"Oooooh, it's Aspertia City depicted in Impressionist art!" Rosa's eyes sparkle, rapidly moving her head up and down to scan the painting. "A Gentleman In The Park by Caldre Monet!"

"1880." Valen exchanges a fist bump with Rosa. Can't touch this.

Valen and Rosa eye the well-dressed man resting on a park bench, patting his Stoutland on the head. Lush green foliage surrounds them. On the furthest left lies a tranquil depiction of the mighty Castelia River, finished in pale blue. There's a city in the background depicts Rosa's hometown as it looked like in the 19th century. Valen spots numerous examples of Gothic Revival architecture, as evident by elements such as conical roofs and extravagantly decorated spires. He notes is that there's very little to no mixing of the vivid colors used, and there's a emphasis on natural light. Monet used quick thick strokes of his paintbrush to capture the overall essence of the scene.

Valen's memory's been serving him well—Caldre Monet was the figurehead of the Impressionists, and he liked to vacation in Unova. This lead to scores of depictions of Unova within the Impressionist movement. In subtle celebration, he exchanges a fist bump with both Gengar and Rosa.

"Now, let's check out the third painting," Valen comments, glancing rightwards again. "The Supper at Aenos Palace by Marcantonio Merisi da Caravaggio, 1600."

Valen eyes the light used to draw the viewer's focus towards the figures, their shadows resting on the walls and floor. This painting depicts the two brothers, Atticus and Atlas, sitting at a table within the gargantuan ancient palace of their father, King Myron. It's like they're sitting right next to the viewer in a restaurant. There's a large bowl of ripe fruit in-between them, along with drinks and other food items. As they munch down on bread, both brothers are inscribing something on papyrus. Maybe it's their individual ideologies? On the left end, Reshiram's lying down on its belly like a Growlithe. Zekrom's in same position on the right. Their calm gazes meet the eyes of anyone who gazes upon this piece, almost like the dragons are trying to tell the viewer something.

"That one felt sooooo lifelike to meeeee!" Hilda jumps, clasping her hands over her right shoulder.

"Yep, that's Caravaggio and the Baroque for you," Rosa comments. "He was twenty when he painted this."

"Whenever Rosa and I met people from abroad, we always told them that must see that palace if they find themselves in Opelucid City!"

"We spread knowledge cuz we're awesomeeee!" Rosa and Hilda high five each other.

"I...uh...I even pictured Hilbert and N in the place of the two brothers," Hilda sheepishly admits, scratching the back of her head. "It's...a little bit awkward...heh heh."

"His depictions of Legendary and Mythical Pokémon are some of the world's most iconic art pieces," Rosa remarks. "Other works of his that depict non-legendaries, such as Charizard versus Venusaur and Gengar and Mimikyu, are also iconic."

"Rosa, how'd you first learn about painting?" Arthur inquires, folding his arms. He hasn't had much of a chance to learn more about of her.

"The name Rosa's both a first name and surname," Rosa explains. "Several prominent women throughout history had names like Rosa and Rosalina, plus the painter. Salvatore Rosa."

As Rosa's bubbly voice releases ball of fluff's extensive knowledge, Valen can't help but grin. This woman can never stop being a ray of sunshine. There she goes, being the world's most adorable history instructor via Aspertia City's history. She's chosen to start with 1862, the year the city was incorporated.

Hilda decides that it's time for the fans to receive a new notification. She smiles, taking out her cell phone.

"Rosa, let's roll out!"

Rosa happily gasps, dashing towards Hilda like a kunoichi. Hilda and Rosa turn to face the desk and posters, standing back-to-back. Valen's Gengar, Hilda's Umbreon, and Melanie's Absol excitedly dart towards them. To this trio of Pokémon, this looks like it'll be lot of fun.

Hilda lifts her phone up, making sure everyone and the paintings in the full view. "Motivational message time!" Rosa and Hilda announce, while Gengar, Umbreon, and Absol join in via happy cries. Hilda presses play, both Rosa and her closing their eyes.

"Every trainer's got a choice to listen to that voice inside," Hilda states, placing her other hand on her hip.

"We know the battle may be long," Rosa adds, folding her arms and tilting her head back. "Winners may have come and gone."

They re-open their eyes, their smiles evolving into enthusiastic grins. "We will carry on!" They, along with Gengar, raise their right fists upwards. "Yeah, our dreams will last forever, our dreams will never die! We'll rise to the challenge every timeeeee!"

"Rise to the challenge!" Rosa happily closes her eyes, with Gengar joining her.

"Passion keep us together!" Hilda winks with her left eye, her Umbreon smirking and acting all cool. "It shows that you and I-"

"Will be the best that the world's ever seen!" Rosa winks with her left eye, Gengar and Absol happily closing their eyes. "We're also the greatest besties!" Rosa, Hilda, and the trio of Pokémon exchange a high five.

Rosa, Hilda, and the trio of Pokémon exchange a high five. Valen, Arthur, and Melanie observe this with warm smiles.

Then, Valen realizes that he forgot something. "Oops, I better go grab the sunglasses before Hard-Ass Hilda chews me out." He earns himself a double bop from Hilda and Rosa to the back of his head.

The mid-afternoon sun beams down on Serena and Calem as the stroll towards the battlefields via the concrete sidewalk behind the BW Agency. Serena's Blastoise and Calem's Charizard are out of their Poké Balls. The rhythm of dozens of footsteps surround them, accompanied by a choir of chatter and laughter. Automobiles make their way down the road at a moderate rate of speed, while a flock of Starly chirp harmoniously as they remain perched one of the numerous large trees.

Serena, Calem, and their respective arrive at the arena, but Valen and the others haven't shown themselves yet. Calem notes that the arenas are gated, with ample space within them and in-between all three of them. Serena's eyes slightly widen, her happiness trying to leave the premises of her mind. Do they not know that she put two and two together by now?

Calem notices that Serena's smile is growing fainter with each passing second. "Something wrong?"

"...How bad was he?" Serena frowns, tightening her fists. "There's no way none of you didn't run into him." Her voice cracks, her gaze and chin inwards.

Calem halts, staring at the cloudless sky. He knew this would happen, he knew he'd have to fess up. He can feel his eyes becoming watery. "It was to protect you." he sighs. "If you saw how bad his mental state was-"

Serena folds her arms. "Even so, you've should've told me something," she retorts. "I love you both, please don't hide serious matters from me."

"I knew you'd be...that's why I wanted everyone to lie." Calem's voice becomes dull, a sensation of bricks on top of his shoulders weighing his mind down. "I was just trying to protect all of you from seeing his anguish,"

"You've already been forgiven, because you're one of my besties." Serena wraps her around Calem's neck, kissing him on the forehead. "Thanks for looking out for me." She gently whispers into Calem's left ear. "I'll always do the same for you."

Calem wraps his arms around Serena's upper back. "No problem."

Serena and Calem let go of each other, watching their Blastoise and Charizard fist-bump each other.

"Remember how Valen stayed longer in Kalos during his last visit?" Serena asks, sporting a soft smile. "Just to make me happy."

"Hey now, I'm his friend too," Calem points out, his Charizard rolling his eyes at Serena. "He said he'd stay for both of us. Having family in Kalos helped."

"Hmph, I'm still his favorite," Serena teases, her Blastoise smugly grinning alongside her. "I won when I took him to Couriway Town to see the historic race car factory." She laughs. "He kept dishing out compliments—he got to see an original Bugati Type 35 in action." She places her hands on her hips. "Among his favorite cars are old school Bugatis, classic Mersedes-Benz, the Tatrah T77, and the Tatrah T87!"

"You also got the dates w-"

Upon hearing the echo of footsteps, Serena cuts Calem off by placing her left hand over her mouth. "Shush, you zho-pa," she whispers in a chastising tone. "Kris will chew me out like a hangry Morpeko."

"Don't worry, she's not here," an a familiar serious voice calls out to them.

"Hey, Silver!" Serena and Calem watch Silver saunter towards them. They note that Silver's Crobat is out of his ball, and they wave at him. It's crazy how they know two people with alphas.

"Kris got mesmerized by that Rubens guy again," Silver tells them, faintly smiling over how happy his Crobat looks. "It is what it is." he shrugs. "Oh, and she got mesmerized by this guy called Dürer too."

"To be honest, I'm surprising that you're here." Serena places her hands on her hips.

"You kidding me?" Silver scoffs, folding his arms. He cackles, furrowing his brow. "I wasn't going to miss this."

Serena's grin suddenly vanishes, shivering as she grabs her arms with the opposite hand. "Uh...did someone drop the temperature?" She asks with a tight-lipped smile. "This seems familiar."

Serena and Calem's eyes widen, knowing what this means. They rapidly look around, just as Gengar's red eyes and grin appear beneath them. He jumps out of the concrete sidewalk seconds later. Apparently, he's the eeriest opera singer ever, letting out a high-pitched cry with a melodious tone.

"G-G-Gengar!" Calem and Serena yelp, they eyes widening. Serena's so startled that she backs up into Calem, causing both of them to fall and end up in a disoriented pile.

Silver places his right hand over his mouth, trying to contain his laughter. At the same time, Gengar rolls from side to side in hysterics, the other three Pokémon laughing too. Then, Silver decides to offer a hand, helping to lift Calem and Serena up from off the lush grass.

Seconds later, all four of them hear Hilda, Rosa, and the other exiting via the back door. The rhythm of their footsteps become louder as they approach.

"BW Agency brings fame at the speed of light!" Hilda and Rosa cheer. "Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"That's right." Valen watches Gengar jumping back into the ground, his purple form heading this way. He materializes right of Valen, both exchanging a fist bump. Then, Valen takes off his sunglasses. "The big bad trainer who beats you down and beats you down without ever letting up." He sports a lopsided grin. "You wanna see what Armageddon looks like?" He points to himself. "I'm gonna show you."

Serena squeals when she sees Valen's outfit: A pitch black suit jacket with an white shirt and red tie. "You still look awesome in Guzmani attire!" She gushes, her eyes sparking.

Valen smiles at Serena, then turns his head towards Calem. "Our last battle ended in a draw."

"Let's make it a double battle, just like last time."

"Hey, Valen." Silver walks up to him. "I'm gonna try again." He briefly wraps his arms around Valen, giving him a few pats on the back. "Welcome back, buddy."

"...Heh, you cheat off a test to learn this?"

"Shut up." Silver lets go of Valen and vice versa. He folds his arms, fixating a stern gaze towards his longtime friend. "When you're ready, it's a full six on six battle between us."

"You may be top dog tonight, but-" Valen narrows his eyes, his mouth curving into a lopsided smirk. "The bigger they come, the harder they fall."

"Let's see how you fare in this battle against Calem."

"With pleasure." The world better watch out—this bad boy gentleman's coming back one day.

The battlefield closest to the gate's the one that Calem and Valen decided to use. Rosa, the others, and their respective Pokémon stand at the middle edge of the arena, their backs facing the gate. Calem points towards the arena's center with his right hand, grabbing a Poké Ball attached to his waist.

"Come on out, Charizard and Vaporeon."

He presses the buttons to let his two Pokémon out. Excitement builds up within Calem as he places the two Poké Balls back onto his belt. His Charizard's letting out a booming roar, sending shockwaves through the ground and air. His Vaporeon's letting out a happy cry, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She's a cutie, as per usual.

Valen turns to face Gengar, no words necessary. Gengar already knows what his trainer wants to do. They fist bump, with Gengar closing his eyes. The grinning Ghost-type vanishes into the ground, his purple form heading towards where the others stand. He materializes next to the other Pokémon. He greets Serena's Blastoise with a fist bump. He waves hello towards Silver's Crobat, who tries waving his wing. This causes the four-winged bat to blush while the other Pokémon laugh.

"I'll use these two." Valen grabs two of the Poké Balls attached to his Guzmani belt. Valen's smile evolves into a lopsided grin, narrowing his eyes at Calem. "It's time to ravage this battlefield with draconic fury!" He presses the buttons at the same time, letting out his Salamence and Gardevoir. "The empress has appeared to issue her decree!"

Gardevoir cackles, emitting a slightly ominous aura around her. She stares her opponents down with a glare, sporting a witch-like grin. Salamence lets out a booming and intimidating roar, sending shockwaves through the ground and air. Salamence and Charizard lock fierce gazes upon each other. The atmosphere and scene is like a western with dragons instead of cowboys

Gardevoir's demeanor changes into a more gentle one, waving at Charizard and Vaporeon. Salamence greets the two of them with a soft roar, which Charizard does as well. Vaporeon greets the two of them with a joyful cry. Vaporeon turns to look at Gengar, letting out another joyful cry. Gengar waves with his right hand, while Gardevoir addresses her fellow alpha Pokémon.

"Ready?" This battle won't be easy—Salamence makes every battle that much more difficult. Gardevoir and the others aren't Pokémon you want to underestimate either. Far from it.

"I'm always ready." Valen narrows his eyes, sporting a lopsided grin. "I'm the big bad gentleman who beats you down without ever letting up."

"Charizard, use Work Up," Calem commands. "Follow it up with Shadow Claw on Gardevoir. Vaporeon, use Ice Beam on Salamence."

Charizard lets out a roar, his body being evolved by a translucent crimson red aura. The aura vanishes seconds later, and Charizard's right claw glows jet black. As her teammate flies towards Gardevoir, Vaporeon fires off a frost white beam from her mouth. Salamence looks unconcerned, staring intently at his opponents. Gardevoir folds her arms, her grin still present.

"Counter with Reflect, counter with Flamethrower."

Gardevoir's eyes glow light blue, a circular barrier appearing in front of her. Salamence launches a swirling stream of blue flames from his mouth. Charizard attempts to strike Gardevoir with his claws, but the barrier ensures that she's unfazed by the attack. She cackles, telling Charizard to try again tomorrow. At the same time, Flamethrower and Ice Beam cancel each other out, causing a detonation. The smoke that fills the field evaporates within seconds, the gleam of Salamence and Charizard's glares becoming visible.

"Use Magical Leaf and Dragon Claw."

Gardevoir unleashes a flurry of crescent shaped leaves. Both of Salamence's claws glows royal blue, and he lunges towards Charizard. The leaves pelt Vaporeon, while Salamence slashes Charizard with both claws. Charizard almost loses balance, but remains in flight. Vaporeon stumbles backwards, but lets out a prideful cry seconds later.

"Use Ice Beam."

Once again, Vaporeon fires off a frost white beam from her mouth. Salamence's struck in his white underside, causing him to yelp. However, he's able to remain in-flight, demonstrating this by soaring in a circle. He can feel it, he can feel his trainer's passion. His will to fight's even stronger now. As the humans sometimes say, he's going to "clean up house."

"Now we're getting somewhere!" Calem bends his elbows, raising his fists. "Vaporeon, Shadow Ball! Charizard, Aerial Ace!"

A purplish black sphere of energy forms in front of Vaporeon's mouth, the quadruped launching it seconds later. Gardevoir's struck just under her lower jaw, but she's able to shake it off. Charizard flies higher, his whole body emitting a white glow with red-orange streaks. Charizard careens downwards like a missile, slamming Salamence into the ground within milliseconds. As Charizard flies higher, Salamence stands upright, both Pokémon snarling at each other.

"Thunderbolt and Hydro Pump."

Gardevoir fires off a powerful, purple lightning bolt from her head towards Vaporeon. Salamence unleashes a large and powerful jet stream of water from his mouth towards Charizard. Both Vaporeon and Charizard are struck in the face, sending them hurling backward. Charizard's body is enveloped by electricity. He nearly falls onto the ground, but he's able to land on his feet at the last second.

"Iron Tail!" Valen shouts. "Gardevoir, block Vaporeon with Thunderbolt!"

Salamence roars, his tail glowing silver. He lunges downwards towards Vaporeon and Charizard, hoping to somehow strike them both. Gardevoir's body is enveloped by purple sparks. She fires off a powerful lightning bolt towards Vaporeon.

"Vaporeon, intercept Salamence with Acid Armor!" Calem shouts. "Charizard, use Aerial Ace!"

Vaporeon's entire body glows violet. She darts in front of Salamence, right when the dragon swings his tail. The strike sends her reeling backwards, causing her to grit her teeth.

As Salamence attempts to push her further backwards with his tail, Vaporeon's able to maintains her footing. However, that doesn't last for long. Salamence swings his tail again, this time striking Vaporeon in the front of her body. Vaporeon yelps, nearly slipping and falling.

At the same time, Charizard's body emits a white glow with red-orange streaks. Within milliseconds, Charizard pushes Thunderbolt back at Gardevoir, crashing into her with his own attack. Gardevoir's enveloped by sparks as she stumbles backwards. She regains her footing seconds later, folding her arms. She tilts her head leftwards, letting out a teasing cry to ask if that's all they got. In response, all of the Pokémon either smirk or laugh.

"Thunderbolt on Charizard, Flamethrower on Vaporeon."

Salamence launches another blue stream of fire, striking Vaporeon in the face. She staggers, but regains her composure seconds later. At the same time, Gardevoir's body is enveloped by purple sparks. She launches another powerful lightning bolt towards Charizard, who's struck just under his lower jaw, the purple electricity enveloping his entire body. After the electricity vanishes, Charizard staggers mid-air, but he's able to maintain flight.

"Dragon Claw!" Valen and Calem command Salamence and Charizard respectively.

"Vaporeon, use Shadow Ball!"

"Gardevoir, counter with another Thunderbolt!"

Once again, a purplish black sphere of energy forms in front of Vaporeon's mouth. At the same time, the purple sparks appear yet again, Gardevoir firing off another lighting bolt.

Both of Charizard's claws glow light red, the draconic-like Pokémon letting out a booming roar. Both of Salamence's claws glows royal blue, the tri-colored dragon letting out a thunderous roar. Thunderbolt and Shadow Ball collide with each other, causing smoke to fill the field. The roars of Salamence and Charizard, plus the flapping of their wings, causes the smoke to be blown away within seconds.

Charizard and Salamence lunge at each other at a high velocity, engaging in an aerial sword battle. Both refuse to back down, bobbing, weaving, and blocking as they attempt to land a blow on the other with their claws. After multiple repeated attempts to land a blow, both Salamence and Charizard fall back. Both Pokémon snarl at each other, but smile out of respect seconds later.

"Shadow Ball!" Calem shouts. "Fire Blast!"

For a second time, a purplish black sphere of energy forms in front of Vaporeon's mouth. As Vaporeon launches the sphere, Charizard shoots out a powerful cluster of red-orange flames that transforms into the kanji for fire.

"Nope." Valen proclaims, folding his arms. "Hydro Pump and Moonblast."

Salamence shoots out a large and powerful jet stream of water from his mouth.

At the same time, Gardevoir places her hands in front of her. Her eyes glow light pink, a moon-like orb forming in-between her hands. Gardevoir swings her right hand back, then hurls the large glowing orb at her opponents like a pitcher. All four attacks collide, causing a massive detonation that results in a lot of smoke enveloping the battlefield.

"Air Slash."

Salamence flaps his wings, blowing a large chunk of the smoke away while sending a flurry of royal blue, disc-shaped blades. The flurry of blades slam into both Charizard and Vaporeon. They briefly shut their eyes, but both are still raring to go.

"Blizzard," Calem commands, folding his arms. "Fire Blast again."

Vaporeon fires off hundreds of oval snowballs. The snowballs blow the rest of the smoke away, relentlessly Gardevoir and Salamence. Immediately afterwards, Charizard shoots out another powerful cluster of red-orange flames that morphs into the kanji for fire. As the smoke's dissipated. Salamence shuts his eyes, while Gardevoir crosses her arms in front of her. The latter's gown blows backwards as both her and her teammate stumble backwards.

As the rest of the smoke clears, Salamence lands on the ground, bending on his legs. Gardevoir staggers from side to side, regaining her composure a few seconds later. She folds her arms and glancing at Salamence. She lets out a cry to ask the dragon if he's giving up so easily.

Salamence softly roars that he never gives up, he never surrenders. The will to fight hasn't left him. Several seconds later, Salamence re-opens his eyes, fixating a sharp glare at his opponents. He lets out a thunderous roar, shockwaves rippling through the ground and air. Vaporeon and Charizard exchange a smirk. Both are glad to be fighting these powerful opponents. It wouldn't be any fun if this was easy.

Valen decides to veer on the side of caution. "Heal Pulse."

Gardevoir fires off multiple glowing pink waves. The pink energy envelops Salamence, healing a large amount of damage. Several seconds later, the pink energy dissipates. Salamence lets out a thunderous roar. Then, he smiles at Gardevoir, softly roaring to thank her. In response, Gardevoir gives her teammate a playful wink.

"Charizard, Shadow Claw on Gardevoir!" Calem shouts. "Vaporeon, hit em with another Blizzard!"

"Too slow, Calem." Valen faintly laughs. "Switch, then use Mystical Fire and Iron Tail."

Salamence and Gardevoir swap positions, with Gardevoir's eyes glowing purple as she causes two flaming swords to materialize above Vaporeon. Salamence swinging its tail into Charizard's cream colored belly, while Gardevoir moves her hands to slam the purple flame swords into Vaporeon's back, slamming the quadruped into the ground while encircling it with several flaming circles, just as Charizard crashes into the ground on his right side.

Calem notes that the sky's still cloudless. "Charizard, use Solar Beam!" he commands. "Vaporeon, use Hyper Voice."

Charizard uses the flame on his tail to absorb sunlight, the draconic-like Pokémon being enveloped by a translucent red aura. Then, Charizard fires a massive, translucent read beam at Gardevoir and Salamence. At the same time, Vaporeon lets out a cry, unleashing a flurry of blue circles. Both attacks crash into Gardevoir and Salamence, sending them staggering.

All four of Pokémon pant, causing Valen to narrow his eyes and Calem to tap his chin. It's now or never.

"Do it again." Valen snaps his fingers. "Fuse to form Burst Stream of Destruction."

As smoke envelops the battlefield, a second white sphere of energy forms within Salamence's mouth, and Gardevoir's eyes glow light blue again. Salamence launches the sphere, which immediately transforms into the white dragon with blue eyes. Gardevoir hurls another wave of light blue energy, her gown flowing backwards yet again. As the attacks blow the smoke away, the dragon formation's surrounded by the light blue wave. The dragon's white glow envelops the light blue wave, giving it somewhat of a a monochrome appearance. The energy of the combined attacks crackle like lightning bolts.

Vaporeon and Charizard's mouth gape open when they see that the fusion's heading their way, neither having any time to counter. The fused attacks blast into Vaporeon and Charizard several seconds later. Both Pokémon are sent flying behind their trainer. Vaporeon tries to stand upright, but she stumbles onto the ground in defeat. Seconds later, Charizard crashes into the ground.

Calem's eyes widen, but he calms down seconds later., "You win some and you lose some." He sports a content smile, recalling his Pokémon. "You two fought well."

"That's my boy," Valen compliments. "That's my girl."

"He won! He won! He won!" Rosa and Hilda's eyes sparkle, placing their fists under their chin. "He's a trainer with a coordinator mindset!" They lock hands and jump around. "Go, go, go, go Valen!" they chant. "It's your birthday! We're gonna party like it's your birthday!"

"Yep, they're his biggest fans," Melanie responds, moving closer to Arthur's left ear. "Valen's secretly one of their biggest fanboys," he whispers. "He once went around with a sign that read 'y'all are stupid if you hate on Rosa and Hilda.'"

"Were these two always like this?" Arthur asks Melanie.

Arthur smirks, whispering, "Not surprising."

"Of course, I'm also one of his biggest fans." Melanie loves how Hilda and Rosa are still at it.

"Everything's awesomeeee!" Rosa twirls and Hilda jumps. "Everything's cool when you're part of a team!" "Everything's awesomeeeeeee!" They cheer, their backs pressed together. "Especially when we're hereeee!"

Amidst all the commotion, Valen's Salamence and Gardevoir look back at their trainer. The will to fight's fully returned to them. That means there's no longer any question about it—The trainer who raised them from a young Bagon and a young Ralts is now in full control of his life once more. Gengar walks towards his teammates, happily closing his eyes. Gengar exchanges a high-five with Salamence and a fist bump with Gardevoir. In celebration, the trio dart towards their trainer. Salamence exchanges a high-five with Valen, Gengar exchanges a fist bump with Valen, and Gardevoir wraps her arms around Valen's neck. This sight causes Rosa and the others to sport warm smiles.

"It felt nice donning this attire again," Valen muses, recalling Salamence and Gardevoir back into their Poké Balls. "Sorry, but they need rest," he tells the other Pokémon, who let out soft cries in response.

Valen and Calem exchange a fist bump, both sporting placid smiles. As the two of them walk towards the others, Serena darts in front of Valen. "You're both awesome, but it's Valen's turn for one of these!"

Serena wraps her arms around Valen's neck. "You'll be okay...it'll all be okay, alright?" She sports a tender smile, feeling him placing his left hand on her back. Then, she feels him running his right hand through her honey-colored hair.

"Thanks...thank you." Valen smiles. "That means a lot." Valen lets go of Serena and vice versa.

Hilda's feeing extra prideful. She folds her arms, tilting her head back. "When you have a manager as awesome as Hilda White, you're gonna go far." She grins, closing her eyes.

Gengar, Umbreon, Absol, Blastoise, and Crobat look at each other, sporting content smiles or grins.

Apparently, Couriway Town is based off of Molsheim. The race car factory and Bagatti Type 35 are references to the original Bugatti and the Bugatti Type 35. Ettore Bugatti was Italian. The area where Molsheim is located has got a history of going back and forth between Germany and France. When Bugatti was founded in 1909, it was a part of Germany. In 1919, it became part of France, and it still is to this day.
 
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BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
Chapter 30: The Show Goes On

Within the third floor of Valen's house, Gengar's relaxing on a sofa, watching his weekly morning cartoons. He still likes how the attic's been set up. What Valen referred to as the billiard room is big enough for even Salamence to relax in. However, his dragon teammate prefers to sleep outdoors nowadays.

Gengar happily closes his eyes, because today's the airdate for five brand new episode of Team CDS. Also airing throughout the next seven days are marathons of Team ACT, G.I. Gengar, Eevee Rangers, Crobatman Beyond, and Celebi's Tome. He hopes to watch at least some of this marathon. Even if he can't, he knows his trainer's got what the humans call DVDs of them on this floor.

Gengar thought this week couldn't get any better, but then he learned that four animated movies will be airing this week: The Dragon King, Mew and the Super Mystery Dungeon, The Pokémon World Before Time, and Gardevoir and the Pangoro. Gengar's heard his trainer say that these were among his favorites as a kid, hence why DVDs of them are also within this floor. Gengar and the others used to jokingly call their dragon teammate "Seto" and "Mokuba," the names of the Bagon brothers who star in The Dragon King.

As for Team CDS, the new episode has the trio sitting around a campfire, with Chandelure and Dusclops roasting Gourgeist over being part Grass-type and standing close to the campfire. Gengar's eyes light up when Chandelure uses Psychic to lift up what the humans call an acoustic guitar. As the light blue glow envelops the guitar, Chandelure uses the move to began playing what he calls the Chandelure Song Song.

Gengar sings along, his eyes gleaming. He fully believes that he can handle whatever speed it's sung at. Then, the singing uses Agility, causing Gengar to fall behind. Gengar starts to sweat, trying to increase his singing speed.

The singing becomes even faster, causing Gengar to feel like he's in what humans call a sports car. The Ghost-type's grin flips upside down, and he shuts his eyes. He flails his arms up and down, his face reddening as he attempts to recite the Chandelure Song Song as fast as the cartoon characters on-screen.

Several seconds later, Gengar's eyes widen, but it's too late. He slips and falls, his face meeting the sofa's leather upholstery. He could've just pass through the sofa, but he doesn't feel like it. Especially not with Gardevoir and Luxray roaring with laughter.


Rosa's dallying through the hallway, her grinning mouth showing her teeth. For some reason, she can't help but feel that the black walls and the white ornate patters are dallying alongside her.

"Walking down this endless highway!" she cheers. "I've got Valey, my friends and their teams beside me!" She stops to do a twirl, her long hair swaying with her. "We'll never give in, we'll never rest! We can conquer the ultimate test!" She hears Valen on the phone, so she decides to wait outside. However, she catches a glimpse of what Valen's been up to this morning. "So that's why he went back upstairs after breakfast." Her eyes beam like the shimmering sun's rays outside of the master bedroom's window. "To put our trophies and medals in their own shelf."

Rosa overhears Valen speaking to his great-grandpa, a man who's a legend in the art history field and art world overall.

"Are you sure you're now one hundred four, great-gramps?" Valen smiles, waving at Rosa. "You're acting like you're a lot younger than that." He watches Rosa rapidly wave back.

"Occasionally, I still drive the '34 Cheveron Master Coupe out here in the country," Roberto Beauchêne responds, his voice alternating between a hoarse tone. "Old age can kiss my ass."

"Yep, I've definitely got your genes." Valen recalls that this man came to all five of the Calvanian Conferences he's entered, four of which he took 1st place in.

"Of course you did." Roberto chuckles, clearing his throat seconds later. "I started studying art history in 1930, age thirteen."

As Valen and his great-grandpa talks, Rosa peeks at the furthest right bookshelf. It contains the sixteenth edition of his great-grandpa's first book. She's been told that after the cartoons were finished, he'd go straight back to reading said book, his third one overall.

Upon spotting him gesture to come in, Rosa makes her way into the room, her grin still wide. Despite that yelp, her silly boy manages to keep it together this time.

Rosa jumps onto Valen's lap, bopping his legs with her toes. "You remembered that you don't need to be nervous around me!"

"Hey, you're just that beautiful." Valen plays with Rosa's long hair. "I can't help it."

Rosa giggles. "I noticed the new shelf." She eyes the various ceramics, figurines, trophies, and medals that lie within this old and cool bookshelf. There's even some books within the bottom portion of it.

"It's the ebony one from my old room." Valen shrugs. "I like it, so I wanted to use it."

"That's fine with meeeee." Rosa eyes Valen's black Guzmani leather jacket and pants. She giggles, asking, "Going casual this time?" She eyes the BW Agency logo, recalling that there's where Melanie and Hilda went.

"Yeah, I gotta be me," Valen admits. "I also need to have the AC on full blast, because you warm the entire house with your presence." He winks, clicking a tooth one time.

"You're trying to make me blush, I'm sure of it!" Rosa closes her eyes, placing her fists under her chin. "I love how you drop similar lines on friends too!"

"Yeah well, you put the fine in fine arts," he compliments, winking back. "Cuteness and beauty are two of your strengths." He kisses her on the lips. "You're overpowered."

Rosa smugly smirks. "Mhm, keep going." She nods, closing her eyes. "Queen's orders."

"I don't need to be told to compliment a belle madame, ma reine." he winks. "Le gentilhomme who compliments you and compliments you without ever letting up."

"Ooooh, someone's busting out the Kalosian."

Valen glances at his backyard via the master bedroom's window. He smiles, watching both his Pokémon and Rosa's Pokémon hanging out. "I can't make the whole world a better place, but I can make somebody's world a happier place," he remarks. "That's one reason why I like acting this way—I don't care what others think if it brightens another person's day."

"You're truly someone special," Rosa compliments. "I want to see you make your full comeback, sweetie." She lovingly smiles. "I'm your number one fangirl, after all."

"I wanna see you become a bigger star, best girl." Valen smirks. "I'm your number one fanboy."

"Remember that it doesn't matter if we go out together or separately." Rosa caresses Valen's left cheek. "We'll always be in each other's hearts."

Valen nods. "I did promise you I'd tag along more," he admits. "I always keep my word as much as possible."

Then, Rosa notices not only Valen's sitting in the gold polychrome chair, the reddish brown mahogany chair's still here. "Oh nooooo, how'd I miss this?!"

"One's for you so you can join me." Valen taps the seat with his right hand. "Come on, sit with me."

"I can always sit on your lap." Rosa winks, then she darts behind him. "I also can do this." She peeks over Valen's shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Sooooooooooooooooooooooo, whatcha reading?"

"The rivalry between architects and trainers Gianluigi Bernini and Federico Borromini," Valen responds, showing Rosa the cover. "Seventeenth century, Ragulia region."

Of course, History Queen Roooosa knows that Bernini's team consisted of a Charizard, Lucario, Seviper, Obstagoon, and Persian. Borromini's team had a Venusaur, Zoroark, Zangoose, Pangoro, and Perrserker. Both Bernini and Borromini were genius artists and proficient trainers.

Rosa eyes the other two books on the desk. That's a Baroque and Rococo book written by his great-granduncle, and he also wrote that book on Early Baroque in the Ragulia region. She loves how he support his family by owning their books.

She glances at the bookshelf, eyeing the 20th century interior design book his mom wrote. Left of it is Mrs. Barsotti's concise book on depictions of Pokémon in art.

She eyes a few more of his mother's books, including the one on Mew and Celebi sightings she saw last time. Others include a book on the Delta Species abnormality on certain remote islands and a book on Sinnoh's Gothic Revival cathedrals. As she continues to look at each and every book within the bookshelf, her eyes glitter. "Ooooh, it's that book on cars from the 1920s through 1940s!" She spots her own books, causing her to raise her fists upwards. "Woo-hoo, you added all of mine to your shelf! I kept forgetting to ask you!"

"They belong with my books, just like you belong with me."

"You're too good at this!" Rosa's eyes glitter, drumming her feet on Valen's legs. "I just remembered that I showed you a movie about that rivalry!" She clasps her hands next to her right cheek. "The Rivalry in The Design!"

"Uncle Gabriel portrayed Bernini well, and your dad knows how to write a great historical movie." Valen exchanges a handshake and a high-five with Rosa.

"Yeeeeep, I was raised on painting, theatre and film since I was a young kid!" Rosa exclaims. "Hilda's mom played Unova's Queen Athena Elias really well in the movie I showed you afterwards!"

"Hilda's mom and your own mom taught me how to make blueberry pancakes and blueberry doughnuts for my ball of fluff." If it makes her even happier, it's worth it.

"Oh, battling too!" Rosa's eyes sparkle, recalling the sight of a Kingdra and Gyarados duking it out at the Unovan Conference. "I saw my first battle at age five, and it was soooooo awesomeeee!" Her mind veers towards Skyla's Gyarados and Clair's Kingdra, as history repeated itself at the Pokémon World Tournament.

"We've talked about this in the past." Valen pats Rosa's head. "I saw my first battle at age five too."

"Woo-hoo, we're both awesome!" Rosa attempts to twirl while on Valen's lap, but she begins to slip. "Help meeeee, I didn't think this through!"

Valen and Rosa yelp, the latter flailing her arms as the former wraps his arms around her mid-section, pulling her back onto his lap. They blink at each other, then they roar with laughter.

"You wanna go to the Calvanian Museum of Art?" Valen inquires, broadly grinning. He shows her a text message of Arthur asking to meet him there later today. "You're welcome to tag along with us."

""Ooooh, that's an awesome idea!" Rosa clasps her hands next to her right cheek. "Oh, I want to know more about the shelf with the sculptures and ceramics in it!"

She listens to what he's saying. She loves how he's always had high levels of passion, which is why ten out of tens like Battle Queen Rosa were and are drawn towards him. Who wouldn't love a charmer who's passionate about something?' She mentally giggles, recalling that the lovable idiot didn't realize that being the lone person quietly reading a book made him an alluring challenge.

Within Hilda's plush office at the BW Agency, Melanie sits in the center right armchair. Her arms are folded and her legs are crossed, a confident smile plastered on her face while she relaxes. The reddish brown leather upholstery reminds her of the armchairs her grandparents from her mom's side of the family has. Flekkebergen Town is a quaint and charming place within Norveg Province.

Her bestie's taking a while, she muses. Did Hilda finally concede that she's more awesome? Kidding, kidding! As if right on cue, she hears the door opening. Took her long enough, and she didn't even run into the door this time.

"I had to select good matches for new clients," Hilda tells Melanie as she strolls towards her desk. She exchanges a high-five with Melanie, entering the area behind her desk seconds later. She takes a seat, folding her arms on the desk. "I'll drop in on Rosa and the goofball eventually."

"Sounds good to me," Melanie replies, flipping her hair back. "I don't want Rosa to get jealous of me." The banter along them will never get old for her.

Hilda laughs, announcing, "Watch Expert Trainer Hilda work her magic!" She clasps her hands over her right shoulder. "I'll start have awesome posters of you made!"

"Ha, as if the warrioress is anything but awesome." Melanie runs her right hand through her elbow length black hair. "I'm just messing around." she chuckles. "Make sure you capture my obvious traits."

"I've always admired your confidence," Hilda compliments, faintly laughing. "Oh, I should try calling some publishers!" she cheers. "If we can get one of your novel published, I'm sure it'd be a hit!"

"Publishers can be tough to deal with," Melanie remarks. "Hence why I hope to self-publish one day."

"In that case, we'll just have to plan an event!"

Melanie smiles, her eyes gleaming with appreciation. "Thanks, but you don't have to do that."

"Aw, come on!" Hilda sports a broad grin. "It'll be fun!"

"Good point." Melanie gets up, exchanging a high-five with Hilda. "So, whatcha got in mind?" She sits back down, crossing her legs again.

"Barberini Stadium!" Hilda points upwards with her right index finger.

Melanie's eyes widen, her jaw dropping. W-Woah, chill out!" She rapidly waves her hands.

"You deserve a big venue!" Hilda points upwards with her right index finger.

"I don't need a venue that takes up three whole city blocks!" Melanie folds her arms, looking away.

"I also need to scout both the trainers and the arena!" Hilda folds her hands in front of her right cheek. "I'm gonna bring awesome contests into that arena, one way or another!"

Melanie rapidly blinks. "They already host-"

"I know that." Hilda laughs. "I meant that I'm resuming contest planning too." She playfully winks. "Don't underestimate how many different events we can pull off."

"Fair." Melanie watches Hilda browse the web.

"Aha, here's the number of the local Department of Pokémon League Affairs office!" Hilda exclaims. "Here comes Melanie Freyja Olsen!"

"Hilda!" Melanie's eyes bulge out. "What did I just say?!"

"Relax!" Hilda playfully winks. "I'll get lots of people on board!" She clasps her hands over her right shoulder. "We can't forget about the rest of the squad either!"

"Hmph, do what you want," Melanie responds, folding her arms. "Crazy." She closes her eyes, turning her head away again. "It's not like I wore the wrong jacket today or anything."

Hilda faintly laughs, eyeing Melanie's red denim jacket and her light brown top. "You aren't very subtle."

Melanie rolls her eyes, turning back towards her. "The duo's actually going to the stadium today-"

"Say no more!" Hilda jumps out of her chair so fast that the chair spins on its wheels and bumps into her. She frantically and rapidly grabs ahold of the chair. Both the chair and her go tumbling down onto a rug. "Why am I such a klutz?!"

Melanie places her right hand over her mouth, her face reddening and her cheeks puffing out. She's trying desperately to contain her laughter, but her resistance may not be very effective.

Speaking of Barberini Stadium, Valen and Rosa are already eyeing this seventeenth century Baroque masterpiece. They haven't visited Marsilius de La Ferrebouque Avenue in a while, but it remains one of their favorite areas within the megacity. Memories of this arena flood both of their minds as they stand in one of the eight large rectangular plazas that serve as entrances to this behemoth. All eight of these plazas as have the same massive sculptures: Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde. She eyes the set in front of her. They're placed in the center, leaving ample room in-between and around them for people and Pokémon coming in and out.

Little Kalos is a seven minute drive from the arena, causing Valen and Rosa to visualize Calem and Serena having one of their classic bickering battles. Both of them silently laugh, slowly making their way further into the plaza.

"Ten outdoor battlefields that are hugeeeeee, seven indoor battlefields that are smaller, and seven medium-sized ones!" Rosa grins over the fact that this info came back to her. "Three of the medium arenas are indoors, while the other four are outdoors!" She looks at the brochure she's holding, eyeing the aerial diagram that shows its trapezoid-like shape. "I'm sooooo awesomeeeeeee and smart!"

Valen's eyes are fixated on the massive twisted columns that act like towers. Each has a dome on a double drum resting on the top of a flat surface. Underneath each flat surface is a spiral scroll, or a volute. This indicates the presence of the Ionic order, its name originating from Ionia City within the Kasmenestias region. He's seen the use of the classical orders in an Early Baroque building before within the Kalos downwards. Tthe wide front entrance has smaller columns on its left and right, plus four more on each side. All of these have volutes as well. Furthermore, he recalls that the corners of each arena are topped with massive domes on double drums.

Valen grasps Rosa's right hand with his left hand, a warm touch enveloping said hands. They hold each other's hand tightly as they beginning towards the entrance. Little Kalos is a seven minute drive from the arena, causing Valen and Rosa to visualize Calem and Serena having one of their classic bickering battles. Both of them silently laugh, slowly making their way inside.

Few, if any, can step into this grand arena without halting in awe at the lavish interior and the bailiwick of the artists who worked on it. The arena's interior walls are lavishly decorated with ornante patterns, each opening into another section curves at the top. Frescoes that depicts battles and non-battling interaction decorate the walls and the ceiling, while various sculptures have been placed on various sections of the white marble floor. The architect, Olivier de La Ferrebouque, definitely made sure to find the best artists within Calvana that he could for this task. The leading fresco painter of the time, Ludovico Buonarroti, painted a large portion of the walls and ceilings. The painter Matteo Sanzio and the sculptor François Poulaillier were among the contributors too.

Rosa's favorite among the buon frescoes on the walls is is still the one depicting a Serperior and a Venusaur duking it out in a lush forest. She also likes the one of the eighteenth century guy patting his Persian on the head. As for sculpture, her favorite's the white marble sculpture of Dialga, Palkia, and Arceus.

Valen pats Rosa on the head "My favorite's the one with the dragons." Valen points towards the fresco depicting Salamence and Dragonite soaring above the mountains.

"Tee-hee, I knew it!" Rosa cheers, her attention moving towards the lounge area. "Everything's super old and cool, just the way I remember it to be!"

Each side has twelve fruitwood sofas, just as Rosa and him remember. In both cases, which are arranged in rectangular positions. The sofas on the left finished with red upholstery, and it's decorated by ornate patterns of Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. If his memory serves h well, this trio also appears often within certain examples of Baroque architecture, such as palaces. On the right side, the sofas are finished in white upholstery. This time, the ornante patters depict Mew, Celebi and Jirachi, also prominent in Baroque architecture.

Then, Rosa notices that a crowd's gathering around her. "Hiiiiii, everybody!" She twirls, rapidly waving. "Wherever Rosa goes, smiles follow!"

"Rosa Whitley's here!" A female trainer gushes.

She's not alone," a male trainer remarks, having noticed Valen.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen." Valen notes the dozens upon dozens of trainers present, which is normal for this massive stadium. He leans against the closest area of the wall, folding his arms. "The name's Valen. Team Skull's Valen."

"Wait, that Valen?!" The same male trainer shouts. "Valen The Reaper?!"

"That's right." He closes his eyes, sporting a lopsided smirk.

"It's great to see you again!" The same trainer rejoices. "You were awesome!"

"Merci," he replies, glancing towards his female fans. "The ladies love the name Le Moissonneur Noir the most, right?" he winks. "I've still got it?"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, you absolutely doooooooo!" Several female trainers squeal. "Welcome back!"

"Merci, madams."

"I need to get me one of them Guzmani suits," a male trainer with a Talonflame remarks.

"Every man and woman with style needs Guzmani clothes and accessories," Valen responds. "Bonus points if you get Guzmani clothes on the same day you seek out the BW Agency to assist you with your dreams." Now that he's done promoting, it's time for Rosa and him to recite their motto. He turns his body towards her. "Come here." He gestures with his right hand.

Rosa nods, holding her head up high as she strides closer to Valen. The two of them stand back to back seconds, closing their eyes.

"The queen's trouble." Rosa tilts her head back, folding her arms.

"The reaper's double." Valen leans further back, folding his arms again.

"To fill the world with jubilation." She re-opens and narrows her eyes.

"To put on shows that excite nations." He mimics Rosa's gesture.

"To promote the ideals of friendship and love."

"To shine as bright as the stars above."

"Battle Queen Rosa."

"Team Skull's Valen."

Rosa smugly grins, announcing, "We keep on winning at the speed of light!"

"We challenge you so prepare to fight!" Valen spins a Poké Ball with his right index finger, grabbing hold of it seconds later.

Suddenly, Hilda wraps her arms around their necks. "That's right!"

"I'm here too," Melanie calls out, striding towards Valen, Rosa, and Hilda.

"Damn, we've got a trio of fine as hell girls here." This male trainer earns himself a smack to the face by his unamused Tsareena. "What?"

"Homeboy, chill." A male trainer with a Lurantis laughs.

"They're way out of your league." Another male trainer snickers with his Clefable."

Rosa giggles at the three trainers, while Valen glances around to see how many trainers have gathered.

"Alright, who wants some?!" He slams his right fist into his left palm. "I'm the big bad trainer who beats you down and beats you down without ever letting up!"

Hilda faintly laughs, recalling that Valen's also the poster boy for Guzmani. He even helped her to get a business deal going with Guzmani and Team Skull Entertainment.

Valen and Rosa are well into a tag battle, standing on the left side of one of the medium-sized arenas that are indoors. Valen's Gengar stands atop one of the curved rock formations within the arena, while Rosa's Hydreigon floats nearby. Opposing them are a Galarian Slowking and the same Clefable from before.

"Gengar, use Shadow Ball!"

Gengar extends his hands in front of him, a purple and black sphere forming in-between them.

"Block it with Moonblast!" Clefable's trainer commands.

As Gengar's about to launches the sphere, the Galarian Slowking cackles as its teammate steps in front of him.

At the same time, the snickering Fairy-type places its hand in front of its body, and a glowing moon-like orb forms in-between them.

Rosa closes her eyes, wagging her right index finger. "Tsk tsk tsk, block it with Dark Pulse."

Pitch black energy gathers inside Hydreigon's main mouth. The three-headed dragon fires off a stream of pitch black circles. The attack knocks Clefable out of the way and onto the ground, then it strikes Galarian Slowing in its upper chest. Galarian Slowking's eerie grin flips upside down, the Poison and Psychic-type shutting his eyes. Gengar fires off the sphere, which slams into the Galarian Slowking's face. Galarian Slowking lets out a bellow, crashing into the ground.

"Aw, they got me." The Galarian Slowking's female trainer recalls her Pokémon.

"I'll win this on my own!" The male trainer proclaims. "Try using Moonblast again!"

Clefable gets back onto its feet, placing its hands in front of its body. Its eyes glow light pink, a moon-like orb forming in-between its hands. Clefable launches the large glowing orb towards Hydreigon.

"Gengar, jump over Hydreigon and counter with Sludge Bomb!"

Gengar leaps over Hydreigon like an acrobat, firing off barrage of brown sludge that glow purple. The attacks collide, causing smoke to fill the battlefield.

"Earthquake!"

"Sludge Bomb again!"

Gengar leaps into the air and fires off another barrage of brown sludge that's glowing purple, while Hydreigon uses all three of his heads to let out a booming and brutal roar, unleashing a flurry of white shockwaves. Both attacks blow the rest of the smoke away, striking Clefable at the same time. Clefable stumbles backwards, then falls onto the ground onto its face.

"...Well, that didn't work out," the male trainer sheepishly states.

As the male trainer recalls his Clefable, Valen and Rosa exchange a fist bump, while Gengar and Hydreigon grin at each other.

"You both fought well," Rosa tells their opponents, warmly grinning.

"I agree, you two did well." Valen sports a friendly smile.

"Thank you," the two trainers reply, making their way back into the chattering crowd.

"He hasn't lost his touch," A male trainer with a Golduck commends. "She's kicking ass as per usual."

"He's soooo cool!" A female trainer with an Altaria gushes. "I also aspire to be like Rosa!"

"They're both awesome!" A second female trainer cheers.

Valen and Rosa recall their respective Pokémon. Valen re-attaches the ball to his belt, while Rosa places her ball back in her pink purse.

Rosa looks up, sporting a smirk. "It's her turn." She points behind her. "I'm gonna go where Melanie is!" She darts off, exchanging high-five with Hilda as the latter strides.

"Let's gooooooo!" Hilda wraps her left arm around Valen's neck, pulling him downwards.

"...Is this necessary?" Valen rapidly blinks.

"Yes it is, Val-Val." She uses her right hand to take out a ball from her bag. "By the way, why the jacket?"

"...You really did forget, didn't you?" Valen earns himself a bop on the back of his head.

"Fine, you got me there."

Valen turns to face the next set of opponents. "Warrior of the sky rising through sacrifice." He grabs another Poké Ball from his Guzmani belt. "Fly and ravage the battlefield with your draconic fury!" He hurls the ball into the air to let out his Salamence, catching it as it falls back down.

"Garchomp's gonna slash your odds of winning, but no smiles are allowed to vanish when I'm around!" Hilda laughs, throwing her ball into the air to let her own dragon out, catching it afterwards.

"He's soooo cooool!" The group of female trainers from earlier squeal. "Get em, girls!"

Salamence and Garchomp unleash thunderous roars, sending shockwaves through the ground and air.

Valen and Hilda are well into their battle against a Walrein and a Glalie. Hilda's Garchomp is firmly on the ground, while Salamence's up in the air. Both dragons are having a blast going up against Pokémon who have the type advantage. It'll take a Golem load more than that to beat them.

Valen and Hilda cross their arms and press their backs together. "Dragon Claw!"

Garchomp and Salamence roar, the fins on the latter's arms glowing green while the former's fronts claws glow royal blue. Salamence dives down, Garchomp jumping high up over him. The dragons strike their opponents in the face before a counterattack is possible, causing both Samurott and Glalie fall onto the ground in defeat.

"We rock!" Hilda jumps, clasping her hands over her right shoulder.

"Yes, yes we do." Valen smirks, folding his arms. "Team Skull's Valen causing a lotta mayhem today."

From the smaller marble arena that's close by, Rosa's eyes glitter at the sight of these two winning another battle. "Go, go, go, go besties!" She twirls, her Milotic winking at Salamence. Both trainer and Pokémon giggle at the dragon's reddened face.

"Focus," Melanie tells her, folding her arms.

"Tee-hee, sorry!" She twirls to face the opposing trainers and their respective Pokémon, which are a Palossand and an Electivire.

"It's fine." Melanie smiles, exchanging a fist bump with Rosa.

"Milotic, Hydro Pump!" Rosa bends her elbows, tightening her fists.

"Quick, use Thunder Punch!" The male trainer shouts.

"Oh no you don't!" Melanie swings her right hand backwards, then swings it forward. She points, commanding, "Intercept with Agility and Iron Defense!"

Scizor moves so fast that he seems to vanish, re-appearing with his body glowing metallic white.

With Scizor blocking the Thunder Punch attack, Milotic leaps above him, launching a powerful jet stream of water towards Palossand. The attack strikes Palossand and goes through its gaping mouth. The sand castle ghost flattens onto the ground in defeat.

It's time for Melanie to strike the finishing blow. "Combine Agility with X-Scissor!"

Scizor crosses his arms to form a x shape. His arms glow metallic blue, then he lunges towards Electivire, moving so fast that it looks like he's repeatedly vanishing and appearing. Then, a smirking Scizor appears mere inches away from Electivire and slams it onto the ground.

Melanie and Rosa exchange a high five. Rosa's Milotic uses the fin at the end of her tail to mimic this with Melanie's Scizor. Then, they walk towards Valen and Hilda. As the four of them recall their Pokémon, a bunch of trainers crowd around them.

"You're sooo awesome, Melanie!" A female trainer exclaims. "You're soooo confident, cool, and pretty!"

"Of course I am." Melanie chuckles, running her right hand through her elbow length black hair.

"I want to be like you!" The same trainer announces. "You're a big inspiration for female trainers, and that applies to Rosa and Hilda as well!"

"It applies to male trainers too." Melanie runs her right hand through her elbow length black hair, playfully flicking Valen's forehead with her left hand. "Even the big bad reaper can't resist being a fanboy." She playfully winks.

"It's been too long, reaper!" A second female trainer gushes. "I love how Rosa and you are together!"

"I'm glad that you're still buds with these awesome gals!" A second female trainer exclaims.

"You're another one who treats their fans well," a male trainer remarks. "Thanks."

"Everyone's special in their own way." Valen brightly smiles. "Good people should never have to be forced to be anything but themselves."

"Can we take pictures with you?!" A group of female trainers request. "Rosa, Melanie and Hilda too?!"

Valen's eyes slightly widen, his mouth falling open. A few seconds later, his smile returns. "Sure, come on over."

He glances over to Melanie, who nods. Of course, he doesn't need to check in with Rosa and Hilda, especially since Hilda's already taken out her cell phone. A number of fans, both male and female dart over with their Pokémon. Hilda takes a series of photographs, planning to post them all as soon as possible.

"We'll be heading towards the Calvanian Museum of Art soon!" Rosa announces, pointing upwards with her right index finger.

Hilda steps backwards, actually keeping her balance this time. "Aieeeeeeee, I picked the wrong time to do this!" She shuts her eyes, bending her elbows upwards in front of her face. "I want to see her in person!"

Valen snickers, Rosa giggles, and Melanie rolls her eyes. Typical Hilda at work, but that's a reason why they love her.

While the others chat, Valen realizes that he hasn't taken a peek at the buon frescoes that decorate the ceiling. Lugia and Ho-oh soaring within the clear skies, Rayquaza emerging to quell the clash between Groudon and Kyogre, Xerneas bringing a forest back to its lush life, these works still inspire awe and admiration more than four centuries later. Like Michelangelo Bellincioni and the Sistine Hall, one man painted just about every fresco above everybody. That man was, of course, Ludovico Buonarroti.


Rosa looks on in awe at the massive museum that towers before Valen and her. She assess the giant dome atop the center roof, a double drum located underneath it. The sculptures of Mew that decorate the front center, front left corner, and front right corner of the building are super cool, but that applies to Celebi and Mew's other besties too!

Valen tugs Rosa via the ice blue sleeve over her right arm, causing her to bop him on both cheeks. They exchange loving smiles, beginning to make their way towards the entrance.

As the duo slowly walk inside the building, Rosa halts to assess the two sets of four columns that're on each side of the door. Like with the arena, volutes are above them. Upon entering the building, she halts to twirl around. Lots of people, as per usual. Her eyes glittering over how in addition to the arena, the interior walls are ornante. She still loves that this museum adheres sticks to Baroque interior styling. She notes that the the art remains the focus, as the dozens of people already past the lobby are staring at the art pieces. She twirls again, making sure that everyone's enjoying themselves. Much to her delight, they are.

Once more, Valen tugs on Rosa's sleeve again, causing her to bop him on the cheeks again. As they approach the front desk, the the male and female receptionists look directly at them. "Valen, Rosa, long time no see."

"Hey, is you-know-who around?" Valen rests his left elbow on the desk.

"Yes, she's around," the female receptionist replies. "Please wait one moment." She turns around, walking into the short hallway behind the desk. She opens the last door on the right, stating, "Director, those two are here."

"Nice to hear from you in person again, Rosa," a woman with short black hair greets, walking out of her office. "And I'm glad you're doing better, honey."

"Mom!" Valen's eyes light up, watching his mom follow the receptionist. Then, he sees that one of his mother's Pokémon is out of his ball. "Hey there, Poliwrath!"

"Mrs. Barsotti! Poliwrath!" Rosa's eyes gleam, eyeing the older woman's maroon blouse.

As the receptionist returns to her spot, Professor Beauchêne-Barsotti walks out of the area, standing in front of Rosa and her son. Arthur spots them at the same time, and he makes his way towards them.

"Honey, who's your new friend?" Professor Beauchêne-Barsotti turns towards Arthur, the latter strolling closer. "I'm Professor Veronica Beauchêne-Barsotti."

"I am Arthur Bennington." he bows. "I've heard of you. Researcher, historian, curator, and former pro trainer."

"That's correct." She turns her attention back towards Valen. "Also, someone that you know very well has decided to move back here." She glances toward the direction of her office. "Should be coming into the lobby any second now."

"Your timing's eccellente, Monsieur Valen." A familiar accented voice calls out from the corridor behind where Valen's standing.

As he hears the echoing footsteps of fancy shoes getting closer, Valen's mouth drops open. There's only one person he knows who combines Galarish, Ragulian, and Kalosian like this. Then, he feels someone wrapping their left arm around his neck.

It's him, it's cousin Jacques.

He embraces his cousin, someone who's like an older brother to him. That's why this hug feels so tranquil, so placid. A few pats on the backs later, Valen releases his cousin and vice-versa. Much to his amusement, Arthur's got an abnormally shocked facial expression.

"You're the cousin of sculptor Jacques Beauchêne-Bernini?" Valen's quite the intriguing bloke.

Valen wipes his eyes, sporting a smile. "Sculptor, actor, trainer, and coordinator." He exchanges a fist-bump with Jacques. "He's like my older brother, but he moved away when I was about seventeen."

"I went to go study at Das Bauhaus and the Lumiose Art Institute, but we kept in touch," Jacques explains. "I've been wanting to move back here once my career took off, but I was also born and raised in Angel City."

"Lesser known is the fact that art is another huge thing here, albeit art exists wherever people do." Valen shrugs. "You could even call natural elements 'nature's art.'"

Rosa looks at Jacques' blue Valerie Versace suit and matching pants. Then, she imagines Valen wearing a black Guzmani suit and pants. "However, you two are sooooo obviously related to begin with." She giggles, now looking at the black shirt Jacques is wearing underneath.

Professor Veronica Beauchêne-Barsotti turns her head towards the two receptionists. "I'm going to give them a tour, since they haven't been here in a while." She turns her head towards Arthur. "I don't think you've been here before."

"Correct." Arthur smiles, glancing towards Valen. "I must say that your son's knowledge is remarkable."

"Thanks, but of course he is. I'm his mother, after all." Professor Beauchêne-Barsotti laughs. "My son and my nephew could explain all of these exhibits with ease."

The group strolls through the main corridor, walking past a docent giving a tour to multiple visitors. They eye many paintings present, which are illuminated by a bright light.

As she walks, Rosa rubs her hand on the railing that separates the art from the viewers. "Sooooo, what do we look at first?"

"We'll have to be picky," Valen informs. "Otherwise, we'll be here studying these for the rest of the day, albeit there's nothing wrong with that."

"That's my boy." Professor Beauchêne-Barsotti pats her son on the head, her Poliwrath exchanging a fist bump with him.

"What's your take, Monsieur Arthur?" Jacques glances to his left.

"I am not super knowledgeable about the elements of specific works or styles," Arthur admits. "However, I can certainly appreciate the pieces."

Jacques and Arthur study a portrait that features a Galarian nobleman with long curly hair, a Boltund and an Arcanine on his left and right respectively. The former happily pants, looking directly at the man. The Arcanine's narrow eyes feel like it could penetrate the soul of the viewer, and its mouth open like its snarling. Behind him and his Pokémon are massive statues of Zacian and Zamazenta.

"Endymion Ferguson by Wilfred Dobson, 1642," Jacques remarks.

"Founder of the Galarian Conference, and the grandfather of Nikolaus Ferguson," Arthur comments, his eyes meeting the eyes of the depicted man. "Quite the stern bloke."

"More Baroque," Valen comments, eyeing the paintings left of the Dobson paintings.

"Honey, this is the museum's Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo section," his mother teases.

Valen's face faintly reddens. "Oops, must've slipped by mind." He quickly turns his attention to a room and walks into it.

Much like the 17th century Galarian Baroque paintings, these paintings from sixteenth century Ragulia evoke a feeling that the people and Pokémon are coming alive. It's like they're playing this game and reciting this musical in the same room. There's enough light to see the finer details, but there's still a shadowy feeling, like it's taking place in dark rooms with a lit candle.

The panting on the left depicts three people around a table. Two people are sitting and playing a card game, while the third one stands. The person closest to the viewer, a man seemingly in his twenties or thirties, is facing away. He's wearing a gold doublet and blue shirt, typical sixteenth century attire. A Hoopa's hovering close to him, but it's hidden from the other two people. The Hoopa's got a devious grin, sneaking two playing cards into the man's pocket. As the second man and his Haunter taunt their opponent with grins, the scowling man reaches into his pocket for the cards. A bearded man and his Slowking stands on the second man's left, his forehead wrinkling as he cocks a brow.

The painting on the right depicts four boys gathered in a room that may be a bit too small. Three of the boys are playing a lute, a lyre, and a harp. The fourth boy's the closest to the viewer, and he's facing away. He's got some type of paper in front of him, presumably the song lyrics. Two Meloetta, one Aria Forme and one Pirouette form, joyfully dance in-between the four.

"Hoopa and The Cardsharp and Meloetta and The Four Musicians by Marcantonio Matteo da Caravaggio, 1594 and 1595."

Rosa spots a painting of a Charizard standing on a grassy field outside of Neapolita City. "Caravaggio's famous Charizard painting's here too." She notes the night sky above, stars and a full moon being the main usage of light. "The Ferocious Charizard from 1608." Her eyes meets the ferocious glare of the Fire and Flying-type, the Pokémon leaning forward like its ready to fight, the city's Baroque architecture within the background.

"Both," Jacques remarks, eyeing the painting to the left. "Charizard Versus Venusaur from 1609."

He studies the Charizard first, its legs wrapped with Venusaur's Vine Whip attack. The Charizard's launching a Flamethrower towards Venusaur's head. He turns his attention to the Venusaur, who's trying to yank Charizard out of the sky. No sky's depicted in this one the Pokémon are duking it out in a slightly dimly lit battle arena. The trainers stand behind their respective Pokémon. Charizard's trainer wears a gold doublet and a black shirt, while Venusaur's trainer wears a dark red ornate coat with a white puffy collar.

"Speaking of Dobson, it's fitting that Portrait of Marsilius de La Ferrebouque from 1630 is here too." Valen studies the portrait of the flamboyant man, who was sixty six years old when it was commissioned. His clothes are finished in bright red with ornate patters, his Arcanine proudly howling in the background.

Professor Beauchêne-Barsotti turns to her son, giving him a teasing smile. "You brushed up, didn't you?"

"Yep."

Rosa pats Valen's back. "Sooooooooooooooooo, it's time to quiz big booooy," she teases. "How did the older city come to be, hmmmmmmm?"

"An offspring of the Kalosian Renaissance." Valen earns himself yet another double bop to both cheeks.

"That's what you get for not saying more." Rosa winks. "Speak, you bad boooy. Queen's orders."

"Marsilius de La Ferrebouque began planning his vision of an 'artist's city' in 1580 at the age of eighteen, hoping to make it a reality one day." Valen folds his arms, smugly smirking.

Rosa notices a sign on her left that informs where each corridor leads. There's over two million works housed within this museum, that's one reason why it's her favorite date location.

Rosa's eyes glitter at the amount of old and cool ceramics and artifacts right in front of her, resting in various rectangular display cases on the second floor. There's definitely more here than she remembered.

The first thing she notices is a baluster-shaped coffee with a dome base. The pot's finished with a depiction of Blastoise, Feraligatr, and Swampert in underglaze blue. Left of it are a set of six goblets. The trumpet-shaped base and the bell-shaped bowl depict the Oddish line freckling in a flowery meadow. Other bell-shaped bowls depict the Snivy like, the Bulbasaur like, and the Rowlet line.

A quick glance to another part of this area causes Rosa to dart towards a bunch of clay sculptures. These depict various Dragon-type Pokémon, such as Salamence, Garchomp, Hydreigon, Dragonite, and Kingdra. It's been a while since she's seen terracotta in person.

Professor Beauchêne-Barsotti steps in front of the group. "These are from from the Accrana region," she states, moving her right hand from the furthest left sculpture to the furthest right sculpture. She glances at the group, stating, "Like the Draconid people of Hoenn, the Drakkon people of Accrana and neighboring regions constructed altars for Rayquaza." She glances back at the terracotta sculptures. "They made these to depict the various dragons they witnessed."

Rosa shifts her focus to a terracotta sculpture of Rayquaza. The information plaque explains that this one was found at a Draconid excavation site in northwest Hoenn. Much to her shock and amazement, Dr. Steven Stone led the excavation. In other news, the sky's blue and she's cute. Other Rayquaza sculptures are present, these ones created by the Drakkon people. Rayquaza masks of the Drakkon people are present too.

There's a pair of clay pots to its left. Southern Osiris, circa 3000 BCE. Woo-hoo, old and cool bestie pots! She loves it when ceramics and paintings and sculptures are together being besties! Ooooh, more bowls from Osiris! Those clay figurines of Hippowdon and Lucario are also from Osiris, but circa 3500 BCE instead!

The Orient region and the Ishtar region are represented here by bowls too. Those bowls have depictions of various Pokémon that can be found in deserts, such as Krookodile. Arbok, and Drapion. The professor's Poliwrath is keenly studying a figurine of its species.

Rosa overhears Valen discuss sculptures and figurines with Arthur and Jacques. Ooooh, they've gone into classical sculpture! Kris would enjoy that discussion! Tee-hee, Silver would pretend to be disinterested, but he can't say no to Johto's Rosa!

"He's much better than he was that day," Professor Beauchêne-Barsotti comments, walking towards Rosa. "He really did miss you—he broke down crying."

"I'm glad...so glad that he's okay."

Rosa's heart thumps, her right hand placed over it. This isn't due to fear or worry. No, her heart's thumping with the love she's had for Valen for years, both platonically and romantically. This museum's special to her, this is where their second meeting took place.

Two kids, age seven, learning as much as they can in one go! Tee-hee, they even had a fun little compeition going! She won, so he had to pretend to be a patron! The game was that he was commissioning a painting from her, a famous painter! They even used historically accurate play money!

So many precious memories, so many more to be made. They're on an awesome quest and she wants the whole world to see that they believeeeee! They're gonna be the very best, and all they've got to do is believe in them!

Rosa's strolling down the neighborhood's cobblestone sidewalk, her left hand grasped by Valen's right hand. As Valen and her turn rightwards, she notices that he's now struggling to smile. He did good today, what's going on? What has him worried now?

"...I still don't understand why my paranoia was so extreme regarding Hilda," Valen admits, his voice shaky. "It just doesn't make any sense."

Rosa takes a deep breath. "It was an irrational fear, so it'll never make sense."

As their house comes into view, they note that Hilda and Melanie are waiting for them.

"Heeeeey, over here!" Hilda calls out to the duo, darting towards them.

Melanie sneaks up from behind and wraps her arms around Valen's neck. "There's no escape." Melanie playfully winks.

"You really are a giant Growlithe puppy." Melanie chuckles.

Melanie lets go of Valen, and Valen turns to face her. Valen places his right hand on Melanie's back, running his left hand through her elbow length black hair. As he pulls her closer, Melanie wraps her arms around his neck.

After a couple of minutes, Melanie and Valen let go of each other, but the trio of women note that Valen's smile has become somber.

"Alright...it looks like the show goes on...some nights...'till the morning I cried so long." He lifts his chin, eyeing the setting sun casting an orange blanket upon the area. "Anybody ever wonder if they'd see the sun up?" He turns towards the trio, now broadly smiling. "Now my future's come up. The show goes on."

Rosa, Hilda, and Melanie smile back, nodding their heads. Then, all four hear the echo of footsteps getting louder and louder.

"I seemed to have missed the party," Silver comments, catching everybody's attention.

"Huh, I wasn't expecting you," Valen remarks, watching Silver saunter closer to him and the others.

"Rui's in town." Silver folds his arms, closing her eyes. "She decided to settle here."

Valen smirks, placing his hands in his pockets. "Hmph, took her long enough." He closes her eyes. "Now I can finally repay her," he states. "She patched up my wounds, then make sure that I fully recovered." His mouth curves into a soft smile. "Heh, she's similar to Rosa...so it was kinda like Rosa was actually there."

Hilda's smile vanishes, a frown taking its place. Her eyes water up, whimpering, "You...were wounded?" She tugs her arms. "You were…in pain?" Her black waistcoat and white top break the fall of her tears.

"Shit!" Valen backs up, a shiver going through him. "Hilda, I'm so sorry!" His head begins thumping. "I forgot that you didn't know!"

It broke again, Hilda's heart broke into small pieces. Hurt, he was hurt. She wasn't there to hug him, she wasn't there to console him. Why did he tell her that he was okay while he was in Orre?

"….Hilda?" Valen's voice quakes. "Are you-"

"Why'd you lie?!" She blurts out at the top of her lungs. "Why do you have to suffer so much?!" She nearly crumples to the ground while clutching her midsection.

All she want is for him to be happy, all she wants from him to see that precious sweet smile! Why is that too much for ask for?! Stop it already, stop hurting Val-Val! He doesn't deserve this! Hurt her instead so he doesn't have to endure more pain! Let her suffer in his place!

Valen's not going to make the same mistake again. He takes a deep breath, placing his right hand on Hilda's left shoulder. "I'm doing better now," he reassures. "Yeah, I had it really rough, but I feel much happier now...much more optimistic too."

"…I'm sorry." She wipes her eyes. "I trust you," she affirms, rubbing his shoulders. "You wouldn't have lied without a good reason."

Upon seeing that the the others are smiling themselves, Valen breathes a sigh of relief. "Fate really had another plan for me...the sun rose on my future instead." He looks Hilda in the eyes. "I trust you too, Hilda." Without hesitation, he sweeps her into an embrace, placing his right hand on her back. "I'm also sorry." He runs his left hand through her dark brown hair. "I'm sorry for everything I've done wrong." He feels Hilda wrapping her arms around her neck.

"You don't need to apologize when you've already been forgiven." Hilda kisses Valen on the top left side of his head. "It's not your fault, and I know you trust me."

She can still feel a slight quiver within her, but he's doing better. She shouldn't dwell on the past, not when he's back in her life.

Le Moissonneur Noir=The Black Reaper
Merci=Thanks.
Ma reine and amies basically mean "my queen" and "female friends."
 
Last edited:

BossCar

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/His
I've made some tweaks to Rosa and Valen's backstory. The main one's that they've known each other for longer now.
Rui's been bumped to major cast because of her increasing role in Valen's backstory, so she's gotten a brief cameo at the end of 18(via phone call), plus text messaging in 22 and 26. She's also been mentioned more in previous chapters.

Chapter 31: Rui’s Gon’ Give It To Ya!

A flock of Pidgey, Pidgeotto, and the lead Pidgeot that soar above in the late morning sky, eyeing the people Pokémon below. Within the light traffic, an orange-haired young woman cruises down a road in a black sedan, the angry growl of its engine roaring through the air. The woman's got a confident and lopsided grin on her face. Her blue and pink jacket will be familiar to those who know her, except this is her second one. She had to get a second one with Team Skull's logo on it—Team Skull's awesome.

"Prepare for Rui, her Pokémon, and her 1992 500E!" She sticks her tongue out, her boastful laughter filling up the car's interior.

Rui exchanges a grin with a trio of Haunter, who seem to enjoy her attitude. Then, she turns rightward into a public parking lot, finding an empty spot seconds later. She pulls into the spot. She takes the keys out of the ignition and places it inside of her jacket. She opens the door and steps out.

"Been a bit, Rui."

Rui's eyes light up, rapidly turning to see the owner of this familiar voice. She sees Silver and his Zoroark leaning back against a gold station wagon with a cream roof.

"Looks like you've got another one, Silver." She inches closer, the gaze of her smirking face darting around the classic vehicle. "This time, it's a Nova II Wagon."

"I like both old and new." Silver shrugs, his eyes meeting her pigtails. "I also like wagons."

Zoroark taps Rui's right shoulder. In response, Rui exchanges a fist bump with him.

Silver's got his eyes fixated on the car's badge, which is a three-pointed star enclosed in a circle. He's glad to be talking like this with Rui. She was in a pretty rough state, but now she's trying to reclaim her life. He can't contain it, he can't contain the joy he feels.

Rui's smirk evolves into a tender smile, and she wraps her arms around Silver's neck.

Silver fights back a few tears, wrapping his arms around Rui's upper back. "I'm glad to see you again."

"Likewise...thanks for everything you've done for me." Rui sheds tears, resting her chin on Silver's left shoulder. "You two even found me a place to stay."

"Are you actually okay, though?" Silver whispers, his voice emitting concern. "How're you feeling?"

"Yeah...feeling better." Rui faintly smiles. Her smile flips upside down seconds later. "I wish it turned out differently...I hate how he suffered as a result...I helped him physically...but hurt him mentally." she winces. "He really did think that Wes and him would become friends...look what happened."

Silver lets go of Rui and vice versa. "He's getting better."

"Yeah...feeling better." Rui faintly smiles. Her smile flips upside down seconds later. "I wish it turned out differently...I hate how he suffered as a result...I helped him physically...but hurt him mentally." she winces. "He really did think that Wes and him would become friends...look what happened."

Silver lets go of Rui and vice versa. "He's getting better."

"I know, but it's more than that...I feel so ashamed." Rui looks Silver directly the eyes, a pained look plastered on her face. "He was in even worse shape than me...and he was already spiraling into depression when it happened."

"Rui, he doesn't blame you." Silver glances towards the sky. "He's never blamed you, he doesn't even blame Wes."

"I still need to apologize to him directly," Rui asserts, furrowing her brow. "It's the right thing to do."

Silver faintly smiles. "Come on, let's go meet up with Kris." He tilts his head to his northeast. "Couple others waiting for you too. Maybe that'll help."

Rui, Silver, and the latter's Zoroark walk past all of the parked cars and onto a concrete walkway.

"I'm trying to cement my own identity," she tells him. "It's hard after being with him for years, but I've got to," she laments. "I can't focus solely on what happened."

"...What's your progress?" Silver asks. "You had it rough too."

"So far, so good." Rui presses her lips together. "But I still have a long road ahead of me." She furrows her brow. "That's why I've been traveling again, why I joined Team Skull, why I got that car, and so on."

Silver faintly smiles. "So, how's your team?"

"They're doing good," Rui responds. "Two of those purified Shadow Pokémon are still with me." Rui glances down at her jacket. "If only people would stop overreacting to that one."

Silver slowly blinks. "Which one?" He only recalls Heracross.

"I'll tell you soon enough." When Silver looks away, Rui rolls her eyes. "It's a legendary, they say. It's a big deal, they say."

Outside of the house, Valen's checking to see if his classic motorcycle's still in good shape. His Pokémon watch from the front yard, all smiling or grinning.

Rosa, Hilda, Melanie and Arthur are also present. All smile as they watch Valen's eyes light up. It seems that the bike's in good shape, despite being in a shed for a while.

He takes a seat on the black bike, gripping the handlebars. Then, he starts it up, its roaring engine echoing throughout the air. "This baby still runs like a champ!" He revs his motorcycle a few more times.

"A 2010 BMV R2000 RT, better known among his fans as The Reaper Cycle!" Rosa twirls. "He's also got an old and cool BMV R35 from 1947!"

"He's awesome!" Hilda cheers. "We're all awesome!"

"We're all born to be a winner!" Rosa and Hilda shout, exchanging a high five.

Valen steps off of his bike. He folds his arms, looking directly at Unova's crazy wholesome mind duo. "You two brought the world a duo that the fans trust." he smirks. "Even if they can't stand us, they'll never slow your plans up."

"We're unstoppable! We're unconventional! We're unforgettable! We're undeniable!" Rosa and Hilda affirm, their eyes gleaming. "We're on the road to become the greatest Unovan duo! We won't quit until we're number one! Gotta be number one! Number one, number one!" They cheer while winking. "We keep on trying, and then we try some more!" Rosa snaps several pictures of Hilda and herself. "To stay together, and find a place worth fighting fooooor! We're on the road to victory!"

"Bonjour," Jacques calls out, his Charizard and Sirfetch'd greeting everyone with a roar and a cry respectively.

"Long time no see." Valen exchanges a fist bump with the two Pokemon.

Jacques glances towards Melanie and Hilda. He closes his eyes, proudly smiling. "Well well, it seems my cugino has retained his friendships with these belles."

"Don't play around with us." Hilda laughs.

"We know you showed him how to be a gentleman." Melanie chuckles.

"I did, but my cugino already had a knack for it." Jacques shrugs. "Many of us in the family do, Signorina Melanie." Him, his Charizard, and his Sirfetch'd turn towards face Hilda. "Signorina Hilda, I'd be glad to assist the BW Agency in any way that I can."

"I'd be most honored if you were to assist my cousin and vice versa, Madame Manager," Valen adds, slightly bowing. "If they can't see the benefit of Hilda being a ten outta ten in looks, talent, smarts, and personality, then it's their loss." He earns himself a triple bop to the forehead.

"Both of these blokes are proper gentlemen," Arthur comments. "Much better than the knobs I had to put up with in Galar."

There was Reginald, who boasted as he drove around in his dad's Roles-Royce Phantom, finished in the most repulsive shade of green that he's ever seen. His brother, Patrick, thought money could buy himself the skills needed to beat Leon, only for Leon to sweep the knob's entire team with his Dragapult. The rumor about their their mum and dad being under investigation by the GCA for ties to Chairman Rose didn't help his view of these two twats.

"We've gotta spread the word far and wide!" Hilda clasps her hands over her right shoulder. "The Black Reaper's back, and his cousin's gonna sculpt you into one of our fans!"

"I like that, signorina Hilda."

"I need to scout too!" Hilda's eyes gleam with euphoria. "I've found some great local talent lately, as have others among the staff!"

"Speaking of need-" She turns her body to face Valen, inching closer. "You're forgetting something." She playfully winks, wagging her left index finger. "Where's my hug"

Valen shrugs again. "Come and get it, manager."

"Gladly." Hilda dashes towards Valen, wrapping her arms around her neck.

"Heh." Valen places his right hand on Hilda's back, running his left hand through her dark brown hair. "Crazy wholesome mind."

"You two idiots need to stop stalling." Rosa giggles. "I already said that platonic kisses are okay with me."

Hilda kisses Valen on the top right side of the head. "Thank you so much for helping me out." she whispers. "You're one of the biggest reasons why the agency became bigger and famous...and you even helped me with the money."

Valen kisses Hilda on the top of her head. "Thank you for being the one who made my dreams a reality."

Valen and Hilda let go of each other, the former noticing that the latter's eyeing all of the houses.

Hilda turns her head towards Valen. "Can you promise me one thing? Please, Val-Val?"

"Sure." Something about that gaze makes Valen calm. He's not surprised this time, because he now knows that there was nothing to be afraid of. Those blue eyes of hers gleam with her unconditional love for him.

"If there's ever an answer to why you were afraid of me, please tell me what it is." Hilda winces, tugging her arms with the opposite hand. "Nothing hurt me more than knowing something made you afraid of me." She looks down at her black waistcoat. "I know you didn't ask for that to happen, but I just don't get it."

"Sorry, I...I don't know myself." Valen's voice emits a dull tone. "I began isolate myself...then I became more and more paranoid...but it was an irrational fear."

"I won't force you." Hilda rubs Valen's shoulders. "Like I told you that day, you've already been forgiven."

"If there's ever an answer, I promise that I'll tell you." He kisses her forehead. "I want the infectiously energetic Hilda, so bring her back to the surface."

Hilda grins, bopping Valen on the forehead. "She's baaaack, and she demands to see your wardrobe!"

"Fine, come on." Valen turns towards his house, with Hilda darting next to him. He raises his left hand towards Rosa, Arthur, Melanie, Jacques, and Jacques' two Pokemon. "We'll be back outside soon."

"Do you think he remembers?" Melanie inquires, her hands loosely hanging behind her back. "That a vee was discussed multiple times?"

"He's starting to remember his own feelings for Hilda." Rosa looks directly at the three story house, glancing upwards towards the second floor. "I was okay with vee, and I still am."

"These signorinas knew that my cugino was a gentleman from the start, am I right?" Jacques jokes, hoping to lighten the mood. His Charizard folds his arms, tilting his head back. Sirfetch'd smirks, also tilting his head back.

Rosa nods, her mouth curving into a grin. "He wasn't the only one who was crushing hard." she giggles. "He knew that I'm Unova's cutest girl, because he's a smart booooy." She playfully winks, wagging her right index finger.

She looks back at the house, her smile becoming sultry. Skyla said he can be sweet and spicy, and that's still true. Bad bad bad, her sweetie's a baaad booooy.

As Silver and Rui walk down the concrete pathway, the latter's got headphones in her ears. The volume isn't too loud so she can still hear Silver talk. "'If I don't like you, I'll use Dragon Rage! Bodying emcees is like finding Zubats in a cave!'" Rui bobs her head, clenching her teeth. "'Look, the new Hau ain't leaving so get used to me! OGs see me and see the the trainer they used to be!'"

"Still reciting Hau, eh?" Silver faintly smirks, his Zoroark cackling.

"Hau's got bars for daaaays!" Rui boasts. She places her fists on her hips. "Hahahahahaha, I beat trainers like Hau bodies emcees!"

Silver rapidly blinks. "Uh, you do realize that Hau's also Alola's champion?"

"How dumb do you think I am, Super Brooder?" Rui jabs Silver's right side with her elbow. "I happen to collect trainer cards, and I have a signed one by him."

"You're an insane person," Silver retorts. "You want trainer cards that are worth five to six figures."

"You want trainer cards that are worth five to six figures," Rui mimics in a deep gruff tone, giggling while Silver grumbles. She's yet to drop info on R203 Bartholomew S. Stone, the most expensive of them all.

"If you were from Johto, it'd be the Four Stooges of Johto." He's screwed if Rui knows about how he feels about—Kris and him are just friends.

"Haters gonna hate!" Rui boisterously laughs, resuming her jam session.

"Gotta put this on hold," Silver tells her, tapping her left shoulder. "We're here."

"Oh, my bad." Rui pauses the song, removing her headphones.

Silver's gaze fixated on the grassy arena in front of him. "Time for your grand entrance." His Zoroark and him notices that Leaf and Kris are well into a battle, with Brendan standing behind the former.

Rui's eyes light up ad she he watches Leaf's Ninetales use Agility. The multi-tailed quadruped moves so fast that she seems to appear and disappear. Then, Ninetales launches a red-orange stream of fire at Kris's Ampharos, which falls onto the ground seconds later.

Rui watches them commend each other on a good battle, both recalling their Pokémon and putting their respective Poké Ball back into their bags.

"It's ya girl!" She holds her hands in front of her face, her index and ring fingers pointing towards each other.

"Rui!" Leaf and Kris smile, waving their right hands. "Hiiii!"

Rui darts up to the trio, Silver and his Zoroark sauntering behind. Silver's got his hands in his pockets, a faint smile plastered on his face.

"Sup, homegirl!" Brendan grins, extending his right arm outward.

"Sup, B!" Rui exchanges a handshake and a high-five with Brendan. "Body anybody in battle rap lately?"

"Hell yeah I did!" Brendan proudly shouts. "And I ain't taking an L today!"

Rui jumps backwards. "Tackle hug time!" She charges at everyone like she's using Take Down.

Zoroark's eyes widen, leaping out of the way. Let his trainer and the other humans deal with this.

Kris, Leaf, and Brendan panic, rapidly turning their heads to look for a shield. Then, they all stare at Silver, grabbing him. They throw him out in front of them. "You deal with this!"

Silver's eyes widen. "Hey, don't drag me into-"

"Get wrecked by my hug, scrubs!" Rui laughs, ramming her entire body into all four of them. Silver grunts and the others yelp as the topple onto the grass. Rui extends her arms as wide as possible to embrace them all.

"We're happy to see you too, but this type of greeting isn't necessary," Leaf scolds, her eyes flat like a table surface.

"Oh?" Rui narrows her eyebrows, letting go off them. She rapidly stands back up, sporting a lopsided grin as she watches her friends get back up. "How about you show me how tough you are?" She tilts her head leftwards, cracking her knuckles. "Battle me."

Leaf, Kris, and Brendan narrow their eyes back at Rui, each taking a Poké Ball out and pointing it at her.

"Which one do you want to fight first?" Kris grins.

"Come on, pick." Leaf giggles. "Which one of us do you think you're tough enough to take on?"

"You think you can beat The Notorious Brendan?"

"No need to pick—I can take on all three of you at once." Rui points at Kris, then Leaf, then Brendan. "Face me in a triple battle."

"Rui, are you sure about this?" Silver asks, his mouth halfway open. "One trainer against three doesn't seem like a smart idea," he remarks. "These three aren't slouches."

"Pfffft, please," Rui scoffs, waving her left hand dismissively. "I just got back from conquering the Battle Frontier in Sinnoh."

Kris turns her heads towards Silver. "How about you?" she asks. "Not going to battle."

"I'll sit this out." Silver shrugs. "She said triple battle."

"Fair point."

"We need to go to an bigger arena!" Rui announces, placing her fists on her hips. "Ya homegirl's too big of a storm to fight here, hahahahahahahahahaha!"

Everyone stares at Rui with flat-eyed expressions, wondering how long she's been acting like this.

Within a large stadium, Rui stands on a battlefield's left end. Kris, Leaf, and Brendan stand on the right end. All four still hold their respective Poké Ball in their hands. Silver and his Zoroark sit in this outdoor battlefield's outskirts, both having chosen the right center.

Before the battle can start, Kris realizes that she missed what arena they're in. It's Bonvouloir Arena by Janet Morgan! She awes around the magnificent interior. Her gleaming blue eyes fixate on the geometric shape patters and Pokemon prints that decorate the lavish silver and crystal walls.

"Chilling out with the squad in the field!" Brendan shouts, causing Kris and Leaf to giggle. "Finding trouble cuz our opponents need Burn Heal!"

"Hee hee, here's Tyranitar!" Leaf twirls, throwing her Poké Ball into the air to let her strongest Pokémon out.

"Get your game on, cuz here comes Sceptile!" Brendan throws his Poké Ball into the air to let his starter out.

"I'll use Ursaring!" Kris presses the button on her Poké Ball to her Normal-type out. "First Pokémon I caught after getting my Chikorita!"

Rui tilts her head left and right, cracking her knuckles. She grabs two Poké Balls from inside of her jacket, one in each hand. "I'll use Talonflame!" Rui announces. "And Heracross!"

She presses the buttons on the two Poké Balls to let them out. She re-attaches the Poké Balls to her belt, sporting a lopsided grin as she grabs a third. Her Talonflame and Heracross smirk, knowing who's coming out to play.

Rui throws the ball into the air to let him out. Her Suicune appears mid-air, landing on all fours. He lets out a prideful howl.

"A SUICUNE?!" Silver, Kris, Leaf, and Brendan scream, with Brendan nearing falling on his bottom.

Zoroark, Ursaring, Tyranitar, and Sceptile stare at Suicune, their jaws having dropped. Other onlookers and their Pokémon gather around, chatting among themselves.

Rui folds her arms, fixating her displeased glare towards everybody. "Why does everybody always act like this when I call out Suicune?!" she yells. "Even Valen acted this way, and he's usually chill!"

"It's a Suicune, Rui!" Kris, Leaf, Brendan, and Silver shout.

"It's a Suicune, Rui." Her voice emits a snarky tone.

"It's a Legendary Pokémon!"

"It's a Legendary Pokémon." Rui motions her right hand like a mouth opening and closing. "First one gon' flop, then the other two gon' fold!" She folds her arms, tilting her head back. "When I win, can't say you weren't told!" She sticks her tongue out. "Rui's gon' give it to ya! She gon' give it to ya! We gon' smoke all three of ya!"

In response to their trainer's words, Talonflame lets out a booming prideful screech, Heracross lets out a deep confident cry, and Suicune proudly howls.

"Bring it on!" Brendan, Kris, and Leaf sport confident grins.

"Don't play with Rui, or you're gonna get burned!" She turns her body rightwards, pointing at the trio and their Pokémon. "Talonflame, Flamethrower on Ursaring! Heracross, Brick Break on Tyranitar! Suicune, Extreme Speed on Sceptile, then fall back and use Calm Mind!"

A translucent deep blue aura envelopes Suicune's body. It lets out a proud howl, lunging towards Sceptile. Suicune moves so fast that all anyone sees is a blur. When Suicune re-appears, he crashes into Sceptile. As Sceptile staggers, Suicune falls back and closes his eyes. A light blue aura envelops his body for a few seconds. After the aura vanishes, Suicune opens his eyes and howls.

At the same time, Talonflame launches a red-orange stream of fire towards Ursaring. Heracross extends his wings while his right hand glows white. He lets out a excited cry, flying towards Tyranitar.

"Ursaring, block Heracross with your own Brick Break!"

Ursaring snarls, his left hand glowing white. He jumps in the air, landing down in front of Tyranitar. Both Heracross and Ursaring slam their glowing hands into each other sides, neither giving an inch.

"Tyranitar, block that Flamethrower with Dark Pulse!"

Tyranitar fired off a stream of purple and black circles. Flamethrower slams into Dark Pulse, the ensuing collision causing a detonation.

As smoke fills the field, Brendan makes his move. "Jump up and use Solar Blade!"

Sceptile kneels, then leaps up into the sky. The four leaves absorb the sunlight, resulting in them glowing bright yellow. The glow extends outwards, forming into massive blades. The intense glow increases visibility, allowing Sceptile to aim his attack accordingly.

Sceptile dives down, slashing all three of the opposing Pokémon with the massive blades. Suicune and Heracross kneel, while Talonflame's able to stay in-flight.

"Tyranitar, provide backup Stone Edge!"

'Ursaring, use your Stone Edge too!"

Tyranitar and Ursaring roar, slamming their hands into the ground. Giant pillars of brown rock spring up, just as Sceptile charges downward. The smoke's blown away by both attacks as Sceptile nears Heracross and Suicune. All of the rock pillars slam into Rui's Pokémon, which causes Talonflame to plummet down.

"We're coming for you!" Kris shouts, turning sideways and pointing at Rui. "Ursaring, Close Combat on Suicune!"

Ursaring's eyes glow metallic brown. As Suicune pulls itself together, Ursaring charges towards him as fast as he can. Ursaring snarls, punching and kicking Suicune over and over again. Eventually, Ursaring falls backwards. Suicune pants, then smirks. He howls that if this is all they've got, maybe he should go easy on them. Tyranitar and Ursaring snarl, while Sceptile folds his arms and smirks.

"Suicune, use Liquidation on all three of them!" Rui shouts. "Heracross, fall back and use Bulk Up!"

Heracross flexes his arms, his body glowing crimson. At the same time, Suicune's enveloped by a oval-shaped orb of water. He howls again, charging at Sceptile, Tyranitar and Ursaring like a high-speed train. One by one, Suicune slams into each of them as fast as he can, sending them stumbling backwards. Tyranitar falls onto the ground his right side, Ursaring falls on his back, and Sceptile kneels.

"Sceptile, Thunder Punch on Suicune!" Brendan shouts.

Sceptile stands back up, his left fist becoming enveloped with crackling electricity. He howls, lunging towards Suicune like a shinobi in combat.

Rui grins, clenching her teeth. She wags her finger. "Tsk Tsk Tsk, Agility, and Ice Beam!"

Suicune moves so fast that it looks like he's disappearing, then appearing. Sceptile's gaze darts around as he tries to find an opening. Then, Suicune re-appears within close proximity, firing off a frost white beam from his mouth. Ice Beam strikes Sceptile in the face, causing him to lean backwards and yelp. He stumbles, but manages to remain standing.

"Tyranitar, Stone Edge on Talonflame!" Leaf raises her right fist upwards.

"Ursaring, Mega Punch on Heracross!" Kris mimics Leaf, but uses her left fist.

Tyranitar slams his hands and tail onto the ground, giant rock pillars sprouting up seconds later. The pillars converge and slam into Talonflame, causing the large avian to yelp. He loses his mid-air balance, falling onto the ground. At the same time, Ursaring's right fist glows white. He lunges towards Heracross, slugging the bug in the face.

"Talonflame, you can do it!" Rui encourages, bending her elbows in front of her. "You too, Heracross!"

"Ursaring, Fire Punch on Heracross!" Kris jumps, closing her eyes. "We've got this in the bag!"

Both of Ursaring's fists are enveloped by red flames, and he lunges towards Heracross.

Rui cracks her knuckles. "No, you don't have this in the bag." she snickers. "Heracross, Iron Defense."

Heracross smirks, crossing his arms. His body's enveloped by a metallic white aura. Ursaring snarls, trying to slug the blue bug with his fists like a boxer in a ring. Heracross is pushed backwards, but he's able to maintain his footing.

Rui narrows her eyes, proudly smirking. "Gotcha where I want ya, Kris." Her smirk evolves into a lopsided grin. "Use Close Combat."

Heracross' eyes glow metallic blue. The bipedal bug charges at Ursaring within milliseconds. Then, he repeatedly slugs and jabs Ursaring with his fists and horn. Eventually, Heracross jumps backwards. Ursaring staggers, tripping and falling onto his back.

"Switch it up!" Rui sticks out her index and ring fingers on both hands, sticking her tongue out. "Heracross, use Megahorn on Sceptile! Suicune, Hydro Pump on Tyranitar! Talonflame, Brave Bird on Ursaring!"

Heracross' horn glows bright green. It kicks its feet on the ground, then lunges at Sceptile. Heracross rams his horn into Sceptile's upper chest, sending him staggering backwards and falling onto his back.

Suicune launches a powerful jet stream of water, blasting Tyranitar in the face. The armored bipedal stumbles backwards, but he's able to maintain an upright position.

Talonflame lunges downward, his body burning up like a rocket in the atmosphere. He crashes into Ursaring, sending the Normal-type hurling behind Kris and crashing face down onto the ground.

"Now, Flamethrower on Sceptile and Megahorn on Tyranitar!" Rui's got an ear-to-ear grin. "Suicune, Scald on Ursaring!"

Suicune launches a beam of boiling hot water, steam emitting from the beam on all sides. At the same time, Talonflame launches a red-orange stream of fire. The former slams into Ursaring's face, causing boiling water to surround him and inflict additional damage. Ursaring bellows, falling onto the ground face down. The latter slams into Sceptile's face, sending him staggering backwards.

Meanwhile, Heracross' horn is glowing bright green, and he jabs Tyranitar in the diamond-shaped section of his chest. Tyranitar bellows, falling onto his back. Sceptile manages to remain standing, while Tyranitar gets back onto his feet.

"Scald again!"

Another beam of boiling hot water is launched by Suicune, crashing into the kneeling Ursaring's head. Ursaring tries to get up, but he slams onto the ground.

Kris folds her arms, grumbling under hear breath as she recalls her Pokémon. A smile appears while she stares at the ball. "Ursaring, you fought well." She places the ball in her beige shoulder back.

She walks towards Silver, taking a seat on his left. Silver offers Kris a fist bump, and Kris accepts it.

"You're not getting off that easy, Rui!" Leaf extends her elbows out front. "Use Stone Edge, then use Brutal Swing!"

Once again, Tyranitar slams his hands and tail onto the ground. Giant rock pillars sprout up and crash into Talonflame. As Talonflame falls, Tyranitar charges in, his tail glowing pink. Tyranitar swings his tail, slamming Talonflame onto the ground.

"Sceptile, Thunder Punch!"

As Talonflame gets up, Sceptile lunges at the large avian, his left fist enveloped with crackling electricity again. Sceptile slugs Talonflame with an uppercut, sending the avian falling back onto the ground. Talonflame attempts to stand upright, but falls back into the ground in defeat.

"You were great, Talonflame." Rui recalls her Pokémon, placing the ball inside of her jacket.

"High Horsepower!" Leaf points at Heracross. "Goooooooo!"

Tyranitar roars, his entire body being enveloped by an orange aura. He charges at Heracross at a rapid pace, the ground shuddering as his feet thump down on it.

Suicune bends lower in an offensive position, but Sceptile and his trainer are ready.

"Block Suicune with Leaf Blade!"

The four leaves on Sceptile's arms merge into two each, both glowing light green. Sceptile lunges towards Suicune at a rapid velocity.

At the same time, Leaf's Tyranitar rams into Heracross, sending the bug hurling behind his trainer. Heracross slams into the ground on his back. The blue bug grunts, trying to stand upright.

Rui turns her whole body towards Heracross. "Don't give in!" She shouts, turning back towards the battle itself "Ice Beam!"

Suicune fires off a frost white beam from his mouth towards a rapidly approaching Sceptile.

"Not this time, homegirl!"

Sceptile jumps up in the air to avoid the front white beam, doing a mid-air backflip to avoid subsequent Ice Beam attacks. Then, he jumps down while above Suicune. He crosses his arms, extending them outwards again as he slashes Suicune on the back with the glowing leaves.

"Mega Kick!"

Sceptile's right foot glows greenish-white. He swings and slams his foot into Suicune's midsection on the right side. Suicune shuts his eyes, stumbling but remaining upright on all fours.

"Bullet Seed!"

"Dark Pulse!

Sceptile and Tyranitar open their mouths. The former fires off a barrage of glowing yellow seeds, while the latter launches a stream of purple and black circles. Both attacks strike Suicune in the face, sending him falling onto the ground. These opponents are much stronger than he thought.

Heracross is still attempting to get up, his right eye closed. Suicune stands upright, glancing behind him and his trainer. He calmly tells Heracross that he's got this. In response, Heracross grins.

"Suicune, let's get em!" Rui jumps up, raising her right fist. "Hit em with another Ice Beam! Heracross, Megahorn on Tyranitar!"

Heracross is finally able to stand upright. Once more, Heracross' horn glows bright green and Suicune launches a frost white beam from its mouth. Both attacks strike their targets at the same time, and both Tyranitar and Suicune are sent stumbling backwards.

"Now, Shadow Ball and Close Combat!"

For a second time, Heracross' eyes glow metallic blue. He lunges towards Tyranitar, repeatedly slugging and jabbing the armored bipedal with his fists and horn. At the same time, A blue-black ball forms in front of Suicune's mouth. Suicune leaps upwards, firing the sphere towards Sceptile. Just as Sceptile pulls himself together, the sphere slams into his upper chest.

As Tyranitar remains kneeling, Rui uses it to her advantage. "Megahorn on Sceptile, and Scald on Tyranitar!"

Heracross' horn glows bright green, the blue bug ramming his horn into Sceptile's upper chest seconds later. At the same time, Suicune fires off another beam of boiling hot water from its mouth, which strikes Tyranitar's upper chest. Tyranitar and Sceptile crash into the ground.

Tyranitar's able to stand upright, but Sceptile's down for the count.

"Seriously?!" Brendan blurts out, holding his right arm in front of his chin and swinging his left arm backwards. "I was on a win streak for the last two days!"

"Aieeeeeeee, what in the world is this?!" Kris yelps, placing her hand over gaping mouth. "How'd she beat both of us?!"

"Emperor Palpameanie, why didn't you tell us that Rui was this strong?!" Leaf chastises Silver, placing her hands on her hips.

"You never asked." Silver shrugs with a half-hearted smile. "Not my problem."

"This time, Big B took an L." Brendan recalls his Pokémon. "But tonight, he'll bounce back." He re-attaches the ball to his belt. Then, he walks towards Kris and Silver, taking a seat on the former's left.

"This has been one hell of a battle." Silver glances around at the large crowd. "They seem to be enjoying it too." He turns his attention back to the battle."

"Use Outrage!" Leaf shouts.

Tyranitar's eyes glow metallic black, an aura of the same enveloping his entire body. Tyranitar lets out a thunderous roar, lunging at Suicune and Heracross at a rapid pace. Before Rui can counter a command, Tyranitar repeatedly slashes Suicune and Heracross with his claws.

Eventually, Tyranitar relents. He wobbles around in a dizzy trance, while Heracross crashes onto the ground.

Rui closes her eyes, recalling Heracross. "You did good." She smiles, reattaching the ball onto her belt. Then, she fixates a fierce glare at Leaf and her Tyranitar.

"It's come down to Tyranitar versus Suicune!" Leaf turns leftwards, raising a fist in front of her face.

"Suicune and I are gonna win this!" Rui turns rightwards pointing at Leaf.

"Use Dark Pulse!"

Tyranitar snaps himself out of his dizzy trance, firing off a stream of purple and black circles at Suicune. As he attempts to fully regain his composure, Suicune's struck in the face, the quadruped stumbling backwards. Suicune glares at Tyranitar, howling that he's going to come out of this as the victor. Tyranitar cackles, wishing Suicune luck.

"Use Brutal Swing!"

Tyranitar charges towards Suicune, his tail glowing pink.

"Agility, then Scald!"

Tyranitar swings his tail, but Suicune rapidly vanishes, then re-appears. Suicune repeats this pattern several times, running in circles around Tyranitar. As Tyranitar looks around, a beam of boiling hot water slams into the diamond-shaped section located in the middle of his chest. He bellows, while Suicune bends on all fours. Suicune howls that he's got this in the bag.

"Liquidation!"

For a second time, Suicune's enveloped by a oval shaped orb of water. The quadruped leaps up into the air, then dives down towards Tyranitar. Suicune crashes into Tyranitar, sending him staggering. Tyranitar almost falls on his back, barely managing to keep his footing.

"Focus Blast!"

As Suicune falls back, a light blue orb appears in-between both of Tyranitar's hands. Then, Tyranitar launches the orb of energy, which strikes Suicune in the face.

"Use High Horsepower!"

Tyranitar's body is enveloped by an orange aura.

"Counter with Liquidation!"

Suicune's already regained his composure, his body being enveloped by a oval shaped orb of water once again.

Both Pokémon howl and lunge towards each other, a loud bang echoing as they collide. Suicune and Tyranitar refuse to give an inch, falling back. Then, they ram into each other again, and repeat this process. Both Suicune and Tyranitar slam into each other on the left, on the right, and diagonally multiple times. They cause more and more smoke to envelop the field each time.

This reminds Silver of the time Valen's Salamence took on Drake's Salamence at an event that Hilda planned. It was collision after collision with Dragon Rush, with neither giving an inch. Valen and his Salamence lost, but Drake couldn't use his Salamence for the next several battles. That's how much Valen's Salamence wore him down.

Returning his focus to the present, he smirks when he sees that Suicune and Tyranitar are still crashing into each other with their respective attacks. Eventually, both Suicune and Tyranitar cease their collisions, falling back in front of their respective trainers. Suicune and Tyranitar pant, both of their trainers feeling like it's taking eternity. Then, Tyranitar falls face down onto the ground.

Leaf softly smiles, stating, "You did great, Tyranitar." She recalls her Pokémon. "This was a great way to end this vacation." She places the ball back into her yellow crossbody bag.

Rui cocks a brow. "End your vacation?"

"We'll be returning to our home regions tomorrow," Leaf informs. "It's been fun, but we've got to back home." She glances around the area, a broad smile plastered over her face. "We'll be back, though."

"When they heard you were in town, they wanted to see you before they left," Silver tells Rui.

"I'll explore more of Calvana next time." Brendan's gotta go to Unova next to record a song with Hilbert. That Curtis guy made a smooth beat for the song. If they don't know, now they'll know.

"I got to check out both Little Kalos and Little Johto!" Kris cheers, her eyes gleaming. "I even made new friends, and I've been geeking out with one via text messaging!" She takes out her cell phone, showing everyone how many text messages Valen and her have shared. She also shows the group chat between Valen, Rosa, and herself.

Rui's eyes moisten up, fixating her gaze at all four of them. "Thank you...thanks for being my friends."

Rui, Kris, Leaf, and Brendan exchange a high five, but Silver isn't really into that. He's way too cool for that or something. Clearly, it has nothing to do with him liking Kris. Pffft, what a load of Trubbish.

Humph, the crowd's taken a keen interest in crazy Rui and her Suicune. She tilts her head back, striding towards them. Suicune copies Rui, following behind her.

While the others interact with the crowd, Kris turns her body towards Silver. She wraps her arms around Silver's neck, giggling at his wide-eyed stare. As warmth flows through him like a stream, Silver closes his eyes. He warmly smiles, placing his right hand on Kris' back, and his left hand on the back of her head. Silver's Zoroark watches this sight with a broad smile on his face.

As Kris and him let go of each other, Silver remembers that even he enjoyed that event. He was impressed that Hilda got so many Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and champs to gather in one location. Cynthia, Steven, Lance, Leon, Clair, Misty, Grimsley, and others were all present, chatting and battling with each other and numerous other trainers. Of course, Hilda made sure that there was food, drinks, carnival games, and art as well. That's when he saw her in a different light. She's not all talk—she can put her money where her mouth is.

The funniest moment for him was when Hilbert and Hilda met. Hilda was talking to reporters from The Unovan Times when he shouted that he'd be a multi league winner like his mom and a singer/acoustic guitar player like his dad. This is also where Valen first met Skyla, the former being drawn towards her confidence and liveliness. His first comments sent Skyla over the moon.

"I was allured by your personality, Madame Skyla."

Skyla was charmed already, inviting Valen to sit with her. Maybe if he charmed Kris like that, Kris would finally give him a-would finally keep quiet.

"It would be an honor to befriend you."

Skyla was giggling, the pet name of airhead being used for the first time. Valen loved and still loves sass, and Skyla packs a wallop of sass.

"I bet your airline's called Hot Air because damn you're fine."

Now this was one heck of a finisher. Skyla was blushing like she'd become a Flareon. Silver still doesn't understand how Valen became so good at this. Maybe he could help out with Kris, such as giving him advice on how to ask that annoying…ly cute person out on a date. Hypothetically speaking, since the improbability of him liking Kris in that way is the size of a Snorlax.

It's a calm late afternoon, and Valen's having a chat with Rosa. The duo sit at a picnic table within the neighborhood park. As their trainers converse, Valen's Salamence and Rosa's Milotic relax, the latter within a pond. Milotic winks at Salamence, then rests the right side of her head against the left side of the dragon's head. Salamence's face reddens, hoping that their trainers won't see this.

Salamence rapidly gazes around for a way out of this, grinning when he sees a large berry on the ground. He softly roars to tell Milotic about the berry. Milotic lets out a delighted in response. Salamence goes to grab the berry, breathing a sigh of relief.

Rosa glances back, noting that Salamence and Milotic are sharing the large berry. She giggles, tapping Valen's left forearm. "Check out these lovebirds."

Valen glances back, his mouth curving into a lopsided smirk. "Hey Salamence, you didn't mention that you were going on a date."

Salamence's eyes widen, his jaw dropping. He blushes, jumping backwards. He feels the pond's water splashing onto his hind claws. causing him to yelp and fly out of the pond's edge. He nearly stumbles as he lands back down. This causes Valen, Rosa, and Rosa's Milotic to laugh.

"He took down Noland's Articuno and Brandon's Regirock, and yet he acts like this." Valen chortles, watching Salamence returning to munching on the berry.

Then, Rosa nudges Valen with her right elbow. "Sooooo sweetie, I'm sure you know that I've got more books-"

"Another bookshelf's on the way." Valen bops Rosa on the top of her head." After all, there's no such thing as having too many books."

Valen and Rosa share a laugh together. Then, they overhear Calem and Serena bickering in the distance. They fixate deadpan stares at Calem and Serena, their eyes flat like the pancakes Mrs. White makes. They're good pancakes, okay? Both mischievously smile, because if these two are going to bicker in front of them, then they're going to have fun with it.

"When do you think they'll finally realize that you're supposed to get married before you bicker?" Valen jokes in a lowered tone.

"You remember Gloria?"

"She really wanted my autograph, which made me happy."

"Well, Gloria and another friend named Hop said that their champion, Hop's brother, has got a better chance of not getting lost." She giggles, drumming her feet on the grass. "Hop said that one time, he nearly got on the wrong plane and would've ended up in Hong Kong City."

"How much better are the chances?" Valen laughs under his breath.

"Twenty four percent," Rosa jokes, sticking her tongue out in between her teeth.

Valen and Rosa snicker, trying to contain their laughter. These kind of moments will always be among their most precious.

"Pssssst, Rosa." Valen's smile evolves into a grin. "I thought of something funnier than twenty four."

"Let's hear it." Rosa tries to contain her laughter.

"Pfffft, twenty fiveeee."

Rosa's eyes widen, both of their faces reddening. Valen and Rosa desperately try to prevent themselves from chortling loudly, banging their fists on the table while kicking. They cease upon feeling a certain somebody wrap her arms around their necks, and she's making their heads touch.

"You're way too adorable with her, Valen." Melanie gives Valen a kiss on the back of his head. "I still ship it."

"I'm not adorable." Valen notices that Arthur and Jacques are here too. "Had fun with Empress Bossy Butt?" He earns himself a flick to the forehead.

Melanie stands upright, placing her hands on her hips. "The paparazzi thought that I was Jacques' girlfriend." She looks away from everyone. "No offense."

"None take, signorina Melanie," Jacques assures. "My cugino has been a gentleman to you for many years."

"Who needs a boyfriend when you've got this lovable doofus?" She gives him another kiss on the back of his head.

Calem and Serena approach them, having stopped their bickering. They wave towards Jacques, who waves back. It's been a long time since they've seen him.

"We wanted to inform you that we'll be going back to Kalos," Calem tells them.

"Yeah, I figured that this would happen soon." Hilda scratches the back of her head. "That's why I wanted everyone to see the agency, but that didn't pan out." she shrugs. "Next time."

"We'll be leaving by the end of the week, but don't get too comfy." Serena teasingly smiles. "We'll be back before you know it."

"It was great to see you again, and I trust you too." Valen warmly smiles. "I'll make sure to keep in touch this time."

Calem and Serena nod, and Valen exchanges a fist bump with them. Melanie and Rosa decide to join in.

Salamence and Milotic watch this, glancing at each other while smiling. Milotic lets out a soft cry, congratulating Salamence on getting his trainer's real self back. Salamence closes his eyes, roaring that he's just too good.

"Heeeeey, having fun?!" Hilda calls out. "Look who I ran into while taking a stroll!" She darts towards Valen and the others.

"Guess who's baaaaack?!" A familiar voice calls out. "I'm baaaaack, tell your clique!"

Valen's mouth falls open. "No way...that voice-"

"It's ya homegirl!" Rui waves.

"Rui!" Calem, Serena and Rosa wave back.

Valen turns his head away to wipe his slightly watery eyes. He was so worried about her, but she managed to pull through. She didn't lose her identify like he did.

Rosa cups Valen's cheeks with her hands, turning his head towards Rui. She bops him on the forehead, stating, "Come on, you're the one who should've greeted her first."

"Team Skull's Valen, I know you can hear your homegirl!" Rui raises her hands next to her cheeks, sticking her index and ring fingers out. "Where's the big bad trainer that we all know and love?!" She sticks her tongue out. "Come on, Valen the Reaper!"

Valen briefly closes his eyes, his mouth curving into a broad grin. When he re-opens his eyes, they gleam with joy. "It's ya boi Valen!"

Rui leaps over the wooden table like a kunoichi. She dashes towards them. "Quintuple tackle hug attack!"

Calem, Serena, Rosa and Hilda push Valen out in front of them, yelling, "You deal with this!"

Valen's eyes widen as he clenches his teeth. "Oh no no no no no-"

Valen, Rosa, Hilda, Calem, and Serena yelp as Rui causes them to fall onto the grass.

"Not this again!" Serena and Calem shout.

"Rui, what did we say about knocking people over with tackle hugs?!" Hilda and Rosa scold, while Valen decides that it's nap time.

Rui sticks her tongue out. "What're you two gonna dooooo about it, huh?"

"Get your butt over here." Valen sweeps Rui into a warm embrace. "I'm glad you're doing better."

Rui wraps her arms around Valen's neck. "...Thanks...thank you...I'm so glad that you're okay." Tears begin to stream down Rui's cheek. "I'm so sorry for making your anguish worse."

"No, you didn't do anything to make my issues worse." Valen softly smiles. "You're my-our friend."

"Thank you...all for you." She lets go of Valen and vice versa. "You're great friends."

Maybe Wes will see the light. Maybe he'll get to have these awesome people surrounding him too. Their story isn't over, not if she can help it.

Rui turns to Melanie, Arthur, and Jacques. "My name's Ruihea, but everybody calls me Rui." Rui's jaw drops, realizing it's that Jacques. She backs up, falling down on the grass onto her back. "No waaaaaaaay! She sits up, turning towards Valen and Rosa. "Why'd you keep this info from me?! I love his movies!"

"Dunno." Valen and Rosa shrug, laughing with the others. They note that Milotic and Salamence are also laughing.

Signorina is an Italian term used to address unmarried women.

Cugino=male cousin.
 
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Sinderella

Angy Tumbleweed
Staff
Location
In Guzma's Closet
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. sylveon-shiny
  2. gothitelle
  3. froslass
  4. chandelure
  5. mimikyu
Hey hey, here for Catnip! I'm sorry for the late review; Rona kinda got me fucked up. I was excited to roll this because you talk so much about it, I wanted to see what was up, so I've got some thoughts on chapter 1. I will say this is very critique packed, and if I come off a little too strongly, please let me know, but I do apologize in advance if I do.

I particularly enjoy your attention to detail in this chapter. It is very very clear to me that you thought long and hard about the scenery, the things going on around Valen, and everything in-between. Cracked a few grins here and there at the mention of Guzmani, because MY BOY, AYYYEEEEE.

It seems to me like you've got a solid characterization of most of your characters. I say most, because truthfully, I found that Valen's character fluctuated quite a lot throughout this chapter--granted they were in pretty trivial ways, but they were still noticeable enough to pull me from the scenes they happened in. For example, when he's talking to Melanie, he shows up pretty standoffish, a little hesitant...and he rubs her shoulder at one point? I know he cares for her, but being that he was already so hesitant to talk to her in the first place? I found it hard to parse that he'd tenderly rub her shoulder, even if he did feel bad.

Another thing I noticed is that you do A LOT of showing and not telling. You talk a lot about things in this chapter that I feel would hit better if they were mentioned through dialogue, or shown in action. For example, how Dimitri thinks about Valen's day? You give us a paragraph describing how Valen spends his day, when I'd have much rather seen it happen. This is a slice-of-life fic, that's what people are here to see. Show me how much of a bookworm he is by describing the overflowing bookshelf he has it home, show me how he examines the paintings in the lobby so closely that his nose is nearly touching the frame and another security guard ribs him for it. I don't want a summary, I want to see it.

I mentioned you have an eye for detail, but at times, I noticed you went into almost too much detail. For example, how you described the outfits of every new character? Even how you described the outfits of mere passersby. I can parse him noticing Guzmani brand things a little easier because if Valen is buddy-buddy with Guzma, I can see him being like "aye repping my homies brand", but the other things? Like telling us the specific brand of Melanie's jacket, then throwing in the little tidbit that she'd gotten for it for her 17th birthday? It didn't add anything to the story, so we didn't need it. You can stick to simple descriptions, and more often than not, you don't even need to describe what people are wearing unless it's somehow important for the story; as a personal example, in my most recent chapter of WSBS, I described Odette's dress solely because she was internally complaining how uncomfortable she was in it, but it was the only designer dress her mom had that fit her. So, if you wanted to do something like that, perhaps Melanie gets cold and picks up her flashy jacket because it's the only one she has on hand? Stuff like that.

This also goes for the way you describe buildings--your eye for architecture and interior design really comes out here, and it's so impressive how you can go off on these architecture types like nothing--but we don't need two paragraphs describing the buildings Valen's looking at. You can get the point that Valen's an architecture buff across by condensing it all into one sentence about him admiring one particular building, as he does every day, then moving on to the next thing.

Lastly, critique wise--take this one lightly, more because it's super nitpicky--the pacing for the argument scene was a little weird to me, and this might just be personal preference. I don't really know how to adequately word this, but I feel like we got to the climax of the argument way too fast. Like, I feel as if Valen saying "I have trust issues" should not have been enough for Melanie to start crying and freaking out over how he's changed; at the very least it didn't strike me as enough, you know? Maybe that part where he starts to panic about talking to Hilda could be the breaking point, where Melanie finally realizes "oh crap this is wrong" and then wigs out as she's trying to comfort him? I don't quite know, I just do know that the stakes did not quite feel high enough to constitute Melanie getting that mad, and them fighting that hard over it. Again, though, take that with a grain of salt, as it's most likely just my personal nitpicky preference!

I do have to say, I'm really impressed with the way you decided to write this in present tense--I don't see a lot of stories that function in the present, and you honestly pull it off really well! You're a needle a haystack, my friend, and that is quite awesome. I'm glad I got to start this, and I hope to be back for more!

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With that said, he likes the fact that a number of people are rocking Guzmani jackets with Team Skull's logo on the shoulders and/or the back.
Delete "and/or."

At least he gets to see great examples of architecture. In fact, why keep walking when he can halt and study the work of famous architects such as Ludwig Maus, Zaha Hammad, and Preston Johnson?
This is an example of showing a little too much. Maybe just mention one name?

He moves to the right of the flowing foot traffic, looking upwards at these juggernauts. The High-Tech skyscrapers seem to be finished in steel or aluminum. One of the International Style skyscraper's finished in bronze metalwork and dark amber-tinted glass. Another is finished with a greenish glass wall. The Modernist skyscrapers are finished in colors such as Heritage Blue and Anchor Gray. All of the Art Deco skyscrapers have a sharped-edged appearance and geometrical ornamentation. They're finished in colors such as Jazz Age and Glove White.
His eyes dart towards a trio of towers that stand out due to their unusual roofs, which heavily slope down to the front of the structures. This is a clear example of Postmodernism, a style known for designs that greatly stick out. Close to this trio is a Neo-Futurist skyscraper. He notes the aluminum construction and the glass facade. Arguably the most notable feature is that it curves downwards on the front and rear sides.
So this is what I was talking about in my notes--you can condense this down to one sentence and Valen being an architecture buff would still get across!

straightening out her elbow length, black hair that's almost as straight as an arrow. She's got to maintain her appearance.
You can just say "black hair," that's plenty!

Unbeknownst to Valen, Melanie isn't too far from his current location. She's currently residing within the middle floor of a suite that happens to be on the same road. She rarely uses suites, but they do come in handy.
I don't quite understand what the point of mentioning that Melanie being in an apartment on the same road was adding here, unless they were supposed to meet by accident. You can probably nix that.

For Valen, it's photos of Cyndaquil, Quilava and Typhlosion. For her, it's photos of Mudkip, Marshtomp and Swampert. She flips to the next page, now glancing at photos of Valen, Rosa, Hilda, Silver, and herself. He must've contacted Silver, right? What's going on with Hilda?
Can just mention "Valen's Typhlosion through the years,a nd even her Mudkip" or something of the sort.

Melanie stands up and straightens out her blue Valerie Versace jean jacket, which matches her blue jeans and her azure shirt underneath. She recalls that he got her this jacket for her seventeenth birthday.
Like I said in my notes, too much going into outfit descriptions. Keep it short and simple. Why is it important to know she got it for her 17th birthday?

Silver would probably complain about something, but he's a nicer person than he seems.
These two clauses don't go together in my humble opinion. People can complain and still be nice? You can cut what comes after the period.

"I better take the back entrance."
hmmmm why? rabid fans???

Valen keenly eyes all of the computer monitors. Security's been his duty ever since he got indentifenly sidelined from his previous job. All he's got to do is sit there and watch all these monitors, looking for troublemakers. Little interaction with anybody else here, and uses his longest break to eat lunch and eye the paintings within the lobby. Afterwards, he goes straight home, spending the rest of the day reading books, watching documentaries, and chilling with his Pokémon. He's been an avid reader since the age of six, and that won't change.
A case of a lot of showing and not telling--instead of this, maybe dedicate the chapter to his day before his Melanie meeting?

You refuse to take a single day off, and you've been coming way too early."
The "days off" thing I can swallow just because of corporate possibly being like "labor laws ahhhh!" but the complaining about "coming in early" was a little weird. I feel like an employer would like a worker that showed up early? Unless there's some payroll bullshit going on?

Is it a coincidence that Dimitri's saying this when the walls around them are finished in black? Or, does fate have another plan for him?
But...aren't the walls around him always black? Why does it make a difference today?

Dimitri never talks about his own personal life, so why's he doing all of this?
Try "Dimitri never talks to him about personal matters."

feeling like he's in a lose-lose situation.
Why does he feel like that? I need more thought process.

Melanie recalls that Valen's a big fan of old architecture, and he'd gush about how cool it was to live in a Neoclassical area of the city.
SHOW me this.

She likes the color combination of his clothes—a black Guzmani leather jacket with a copper shirt from the same brand underneath. He's also wearing black leather pants, meaning his attire hasn't changed much.
Again, lots of unneeded emphasis on his outfit. Maayyybbeeee focusing on the jacket just to be like "this guy and his fucking bromance with Guzma I stfg" but other than that, nix this.

Her brown eyes light up as she watches jumps off his Salamence.
Valen tells Melanie, jumping off his Salamence.
Repeated actions here.

He saunters over to the bench
As he sits next to her on the bench
Repetition of bench unneeded

"Look, I've got trust issues now." Valen refuses to make eye contact with Melanie, his eyes glancing towards the right side of her blue jean jacket. "It's not you, it's me."

Melanie gasps, her eyes becoming watery. "No...is that why...nobody's heard from you?" She feels pain within her gut.
This is what I was talking about in my nitpick. I feel like she reacts to that statement like he just told her his Salamce got shot and killed.

"...Are you okay?" Valen asks, his voice emitting concern. He attempts to rub her left shoulder.
This is the break in character i mentioned, it just seemed really out of place considering he was so standoffish moments before.

"Of course, come on back,"
Again, struck me as a little OOC how gung ho friendly this response was. I'd expect something a little more somber out of him.

She also knows he's lying about his achievements, but she doesn't understand why.
How does she know that???

"It started off rough, but it looks like I got through to him," she muses. "To an extent."

"Maybe there's still hope for me after all."
Were they thinking this, or saying it? Who was thinking/saying what? If these are thought processes, you only need the italics, not the quotes.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Age six."

"How about reading?"

"Do you really want to go down that road?"
I need a couple tags here, it took me a second to figure out who was who.

Valen sheds a few tears, a feeling of heaviness overcoming him.
I would like to see some more description on why he was crying? How he felt?

"Are you okay?!" Melanie rapidly stands up, her mouth falling open. "What's wrong?! Are you scared of something?! Do you need help?!"

"Hilda's going to k...kill me." he winces. "I'm scared...more scared-" He takes several deep breaths to calm himself down. "I dunno what happened, but I've become terrified of running into Hilda."

"...Nobody deserves this paranoia, nor this pain." Melanie bows her head, feeling pain within her gut. "How about Silver?"

Valen takes a deep breath, hoping to calm himself down. He doesn't want his fears and problems to drag others down with him. "Last person I contacted."

"...Why...what did you do to deserve this?" Melanie whimpers. "It's not right...you've always been a kind-hearted person."
I think this should be the breaking point of the argument, somehow.

"I'll see you around, take care." Valen glances back towards Melanie and Dragonite. "Don't end up like me—I'm not recognizable when I look at myself in the mirror."
Again, that "I'll see you around, take care"--tad OOC. Maybe just "See you around" and she looks at him dubiously and he goes "I promise, no ghosting again."

Melanie dares Rosa to top her recent win streak of four first place wins in a row, to which Rosa tells her that her challenge's accepted.

Then, Melanie gets a notification from a group chat. It's Hilda, and she's apologizing for her absence. Melanie texts her not to worry about it. Hilda texts that all work and no play isn't her style, so she was meeting with her fanbase. Melanie asks if she scouted any good talent, chuckling when a barrage of grin emojis is sent her way.

Apparently, Silver's finally decided decided to come out of hiding. He texts in all caps, demanding that the trio save him from The Three Stooges of Johto. They want him to try on a shogun outfit for a kabuki play. Rosa and Hilda send a flurry of laughing emojis, with Rosa telling Silver to send them her way. She's a theatre and film girl, after all.

Rosa texts that she can paint and draw too, so she can also draw and paint Silver in a shogun outfit. Silver sends a text with twenty red angry face emojis. In response, Rosa sends a text with grin emoji. Silver texts a red angry face emoji, Rosa responds with a grin emoji, and the cycle repeats over and over again.

As she watches this epic clash of emojis, Melanie remembers that Valen loves silliness like this.

Valen's still in there somewhere, but can he take back control of his life? Yes, yes he can. He's wrong, he's absolutely wrong.
This exchange would read better if it was written out!
 
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