Pokémon Pokémon Crossing: The Gaiden Collection

[Cherry_BombBees]

Fic's not dead, just figured I'd post some one-shots I banged out between chapters!

Spoiler: The Waves are Crashing Down

Professor Nook yawned as he finished writing document on the evolutionary habits of Wurmple. Apparently, a Wurmple's evolution is determined even before the egg hatches, and it can vary on a regional habitat. Wurmple hatched in colder regions lean towards Cascoon and Dustox, where those in warmer regions lean towards Silcoon and Beautifly. Pokemon were quite the creatures, he thought to himself.

He wiped his tired eyes on his sleeve, then reached for a can of Brewster Yu and Ai Energy. It was a bizarre mix of cherry cola and espresso coffee. The taste was slightly metallic; no wonder the Poke Mart had it marked down for twenty Poke Dollars. Well, at least it was the only can he bought. Something on his shelf caught his eye. He reached up to grab it; it was an old picture of him and his wife at a concert. His eyes were a little pink, and Sable had a determined gleam in her eyes. Ah, that takes him back.

----​

With a calm smile on her face, Sable crept up to her boyfriend. She covered his eyes with her paws
"Guess who!~"

Tom Nook looked around the darkness, his tail wagging anxiously.
"Sable!" he yelped, almost spilling coffee over his laptop.

Sable moved her paws away and behind her back.
"Oops" she chuckled.

Tom Nook wiped some sweat off his forehead.
"Don't scare me like that, shortbread" he scolded her.

"Sorry!~" Sable stuck her tongue out, blowing a raspberry at him. "I just wanted to let you know that I got tickets for Totakeke's concert!"

"You did?"
Tom Nook gasped in surprise. Weren't those tickets....expensive? How could Sable even afford them?! Did one of her sisters have a cancelled date and pawned it off?

"Yeah!"
Sable gushed, her eyes twinkling in delight "The show's this Saturday at eight."

Tom Nook closed his eyes and smiled
"I'd love to go with you."

Days passed like the wind, and it was time to head out. Nook and Sable walked through the bustling streets of Slateport City, hand in hand as they looked for the concert stage. More white balloons flew from nearby buildings, bobbing in their spot. This had to be it!

A large crowd was nearby an outside stage, countless animals in white headbands and matching shirts. Nook and Sable scurried through the crowd, finding a smooth red bench in the middle. They sat down together, ready for this concert to start.

The curtains opened. A row of instruments was set up around him, framing him perfectly for the cameras. A white dog sat on a stool, with a relaxed demeanor on his face. He wore a skintight tank top and matching leggings, the fabric as white as his fur. It was a miracle nobody tried to arrest him for public indecency. He slowly strummed on a guitar, smiling as the crowd went silent in awe. A colorful stone dangled from the head of the guitar, twinkling in the evening skies.

"Hey all you cool cats and kittens, thanks for coming out" he said to the microphone, his voice as smooth as butter.

Three animals cheered, waving a large rainbow flag his way.

"We love you, KK!" a lone voice shouted from the back.

Totakeke chuckled warmly. His Hoenn audience was so endearing. It was a welcome change from the spilled drinks and stumbling patrons of Nimbasa City's theater.

"So, I'd like to take requests to begin the show. Anyone have a request?"

One of the animals, a black penguin with funky yellow eyebrows, hollered at the top of his lungs.
"Yeah, lose the shorts! Lose the shorts!"

Totakeke laughed again. It was obvious this fan had one too many shots of tequila.
"I'm afraid I don't have that song written yet" he said, humoring the plastered penguin. "But I do have this song. It's from my upcoming album, I Want It Free"

He stood up and tossed six Poké Balls into the air, releasing a peculiar bunch of Pokémon. A thin green insect Pokémon walked over to the violin, carefully picking it up. The red crustacean Pokémon scuttled to the left, gently picking up a pair of maracas. A large grey statue Pokémon hovered to the keyboard behind its trainer, while a cream horse Pokémon picked up a tambourine with its mouth. A cute yellow humanoid Pokémon, with large antennae and jaws on its mouth, picked up a shiny trombone. The last Pokémon, a blue bipedal creature with yellow pipes on its head, gently held the upright bass.

Totakeke snapped his fingers twice, then began strumming on his acoustic guitar. As in on cue, the six Pokemon played their instruments.

"Waaaaaves, crashing downnnn..." Totakeke's baritone voice vibrated through the speakers. "Splashinggg awayyyy, rippling apart...."

Sable sighed as she leaned into Nook's side. She wished this song could last forever, but if she did, she couldn't get to the best part of the night...

In the crowd, several animals swayed in their spot, some of them holding up lighters. The flickering flames danced in the cold Hoenn night, glowing at the same shade as the horse Pokemon shaking its tambourine.

"When the shore ends, my love's unbounddddd..."

Tom Nook looked over at Sable. Her sweater was across her lap, covering up her paws.
"Aren't you cold?"

"I'm fine, Nook" Sable assured him with a smile. "I couldn't ask for a happier evening"

The gentle song came to a gradual close, stopping with one last guitar strum. Animals whistled and hollered in applause, some of them rattling their jewelry. To the confusion of some, several wolf women in the crowd tossed unmentionables on stage. One of the Pokemon-- Mawile, if Nook remembered correctly,-- picked up a lacy blue number with a bow in the middle.

Leavanny walked over to his teammate, slapping the frilly garment out of her paws. Totakeke smiled and chuckled; even on stage those two were goofballs.

"Anyone else have a request?" he called out to the crowd. Audience members shouted multiple songs, most of them ones that Totakeke had heard before. Were they trying to be comedians?

Sable raised her paw
"Ooh, ooh!" she stood on her tiptoes. "K.K. Chorale, please!"

The yellow spotlight turned to shine on her and Tom Nook. The audience fell quiet, even the rowdy penguin from earlier.

"My my" Totakeke softly gasped. "Is this a special occasion, perhaps?"

"It sure is!" Sable exclaimed. She turned to face Tom Nook, got on one knee, and pulled out a pink replica Poke Ball. She slowly opened the ball, revealing a brilliant silver ring with an emerald in the middle.

"Tom?" was all she asked.

Tom Nook sniffled, tears forming at his eyes and sliding down his glowing pink cheeks.
"Sable....." he choked, wiping away some of his tears. "Yes!"

He reached out and pulled Sable into a bear hug, tightly squeezing her by the waist.

----​

Nook sighed in content as he set the picture back down. Who knows what would've happened if he didn't go to that fateful concert?

 

[Cherry_BombBees]

Spoiler: And Just Enjoy Yourself

Ten years ago...

A Mawile fell to the ground, a rainbow light dissolving around her body. In a flash, she went from a Pokemon of pure power to one who was wiped of all energy.

The air was heavy as the crowd watched. Would she jump up? Did she have any fighting spirit left?

A referee counted to three, then pushed in his sunglasses
"Mawile is unable to battle" he announced.

Totakeke snapped his fingers, then returned Mawile to her Ultra Ball. He was eerily calm, like he downed a day's worth of sedatives. This was a pleasant surprise, he thought to himself.

"And with no Pokemon on the Champion's side.... You know what this means?'
A yellow gleam shone from his sunglasses
"Distinguished guests of honor......let's welcome our new champion, Apollo Hawkwind of Rustboro City!"

The crowd burst into applause. Some animals whistled and cheered, while others tossed confetti into the air. A few animals, those wearing Totakeke themed hoodies, sobbed in defeat, knowing his reign was over.

Apollo blushed as he returned Metagross to its Poke Ball. He smiled as he put the Poke Ball back in his hoodie pocket. The referee led him to a podium that rised in the middle of the field. Together, the two animals placed their hands on the podium. Camera crew filmed their faces, zooming in on their heads.

"Apollo Hawkwind" the referee, a white cat wearing glasses that obscured his face, said. "As Hoenn's Champion, how do you plan to change the region?"

"Well....." Apollo looked away. Sweet Arceus, he didn't even think he was going to beat Totakeke! "I'm hoping for more exploration!" he declared.

The camera crew were puzzled. Wait, exploration?

"There's a cave on Route 134 that deserves to be looked in!" Apollo explained, his eyes lighting up in a childlike wonder. "I know we can discover its mysteries if we can!"

The cat nodded in agreement
"Very ambitious. Our new champion, everyone!"

The crowd clapped again, some of them taking pictures.

"That's my boy!" Don boasted. "I knew you could do it!"

---

Several years later, in the Venus district of Lilycove City

"Aw come on, just give this place a chance!"
Frank begged him, dragging him closer to the bar.

Apollo looked away, making sure the paparazzi weren't on his tail.
"Frank, I know you want something fun for your 18th, but really, HERE in all of Lilycove?!"

"Apollo!" Frank stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry. "Don't ruin this for me! And besides, you'll find a guy you'll like!"

Apollo gulped, knots tying in his stomach.
What if these guys were part of the press and found out more about him?!
He took a deep breath in, as Frank led him into the bar.

There were men for miles. Elegant horses with perfectly tousled hair, burly bears in tank top and cargo shorts, chickens with spiky hair that could be seen for miles, and all the other species in between.

Several animals were dancing on the dancefloor, some of them already wasted.

"Come on!"
Frank dragged Apollo to the bar. He pulled his wallet out and slammed a few dollar bills down

"A Hunt's Ale and a Gorebyss cocktail please!"

"I'm on it, young man!" yelled the bartender, a brown bear with shaggy eyebrows and red flannel.

Frank flashed a cheeky grin at Apollo
"I can't wait for this"

Apollo blushed as he looked over his shoulder. A pretty wolf was checking him out. His navy blue fur stood out against all the rainbow flags on the wall. He sipped a comically large glass of red wine. Damn, was he classy. My goodness, was he wearing eyeliner?!

The rest of the night was a blur. While Frank went to party with some other fresh-faced eighteen-year-olds, Apollo found himself sharing a flaming cocktail with the wolf from earlier.

There was so much to that wolf; his name was Wolfgang Le Bon, and despite the classical music name, he was more of an 80s new wave guy, just graduated from Sootopolis University in journalism, loved Qwilfish meat but turned his nose up at Tentacool, has two Clamperl named Jupiter and Mars, used to do social media management for a influencer named Gracie Goodvibes, and just got over a nasty breakup. It was an understatement to say Apollo was head over heels. He could talk to him for hours!

----

The present day...

Bedsheets dangled by the edge of the bed. Clothes were tossed across the bedroom, and a window was opened even in the dead of night.

Wolfgang smiled as he relaxed in bed, pouring himself a glass of merlot.
"Apollo, you want some?" he asked.

"Sure" Apollo shrugged. "I promise I won't spill it this time"

Wolfgang set his glass down, then poured one for Apollo.
"That was last year, you goofball!"

"Yes, but you freaked out because of the sheets, when I could easily afford new ones" Apollo flicked Wolfgang on the nose. Perhaps it was time for another round...

 

[Cherry_BombBees]

Timeline: 3-4 months before the events of Fly Me to the Moon.

Spoiler: Second Hand News

Professor Nook laid his chin on his palms, humming in content as he looked out the window. From the bird Pokémon fluttering in the sky, to the pink and yellow flowers swaying near the faded brown sign, it looked to be the perfect day for going outside and studying the world around him. Empty houses lined the horizons, with animals going in and out like clockwork.

He wondered to himself, who would be moving in and out around this time of year? Would it be college students enrolled in any Hoenn university, families down on their luck but needing places to stay, or perhaps scorned lovers on the run from cheating partners?

An ear-piercing honk blared through the entire town, as an orange moving truck barreled across the road. Its' exhaust pipe sputtered and wheezed by the second, joined by a trail of heavy black smoke.

Nook jumped up in his office chair as he scrambled to pick up a pile of paper from his desk. While the honking was enough to make him want to throw rocks out the window, he couldn't help but wonder who exactly was moving to Littleroot Town.

When Times Go Bad and Rough
​

Camellia looked up in dread as she skimmed through the large brown envelope. Red marks littered each and every sheet of paper, some circles and others large 'X's. "What does this mean?" she asked.

The other animal behind the desk, a purple bird with pink streaks running down his face, scowled as he folded his wings together on the table. "Well I regret to inform you, Mrs. Pepper, but your son is a fucking dumbass."

Steam blew out of Camellia's nostrils as she slammed the papers back on the desk. Her face turned red as she slammed one of her hooves against the wooden surface. She stood up and glared at his face. "First off, Jō, you don't EVER insult my son that way. And second, have you considered that maybe, oh I don't know, HIS FRIEND GOT MURDERED?!"

Jō blinked twice before pushing his silver-framed glasses in. "I know, I KNOW. Leopold was another student of mine. Yes, it was tragic what happened, we're all reeling from it, BUT?

it doesn't excuse the fact that Tank failed every single entrance exam. Sure, there's been students who failed one or two, but all of them? Care to explain that?"

Camellia scoffed in disgust before asking, "Well, first: Did the instructors provide any accommodations?"

Jō frowned as he snatched back the envelope, folding it back shut. "Ma'am," he clarified. "At Fortree Middle School, we treat all our students equally. Everyone gets the same education plans, the same amount of time for completing exams, and no breaks until the exam is over. If a student sees another one getting special attention, then they'll demand the same treatment too. Is that too hard to get through your thick skull?"

"....And you're the one calling my son an idiot," Camellia deadpanned as she shook her head in frustration. "Do you know anything about how ADD works?"

"I'm a school principal, not a psychologist," Jō calmly dismissed her. "It's nobody else's fault that Tank chose to fail his exams. Not the teachers, not his classmates, and certainly not me. If you can't accept that, then maybe he's not worth a damn caring about."

Seconds passed as the room went silent.

"You're disgusting," Camellia huffed as she swiftly stood up. Before Jō could kick her down even more, she death glared before heading out the door with a heavy slam.

Cool breezes and heavy foliage replaced sterile walls and glaring lights, welcoming her back to peace. Camellia buttoned up her blazer jacket before pressing her back against one of the buildings. She pulled out a black flip phone and dialed the house number, silent as she waited for someone to pick up.

"Hi, honey," she sighed. "The meeting went awful. Tank failed his exams because the principal and instructors refused to accommodate him. Yes, I told them about what happened to Leopold. They just didn't care. I should be home in a bit, okay? Love you!"

She shut off the phone, stuffing it in her pantsuit pocket as she wandered back home. The smell of baking bread caught her off guard, but there'd always be another day to pick up a loaf of shokupan. She unlocked the door, slowly pushing it open as she strolled back inside.

The living room was peaceful as usual; the family Rhydon sat on the floor, juggling several Geodude-shaped rubber balls. Hornsby glared as he looked up from his history book, while Rockwell listened to a bootleg Dancing Bears CD he bought online.

"Where's Tank?" Camellia asked as she locked the door shut, took off her heels and slipped on a pair of house slippers.

"Probably in his room like he's been for a few weeks," Hornsby snarked. Both his parents glared at him, forcing him to sink in his spot and go quiet.

Camellia sighed once she headed towards the hallway. The cheerful intro of Hana no Image played through the entire room, catching her off guard. With a heavy heart, she knocked thrice on the door. The music stopped just seconds before the first verse could start.

She pushed the door open, looking around the disastrous bedroom. Piles of crumpled paper scattered across the floor, joined by pillows and empty drink bottles and ripped up snack bags.

A pile of blankets shifted in their spot, with a white horn poking out from the side. "Mom, if you're going to yell at me, go ahead," Tank sighed underneath the comforter.

Camellia frowned as she sat on the bed, gently placing a hoof on the pillow. "And why would I yell at you?" she said.

Tank threw the blankets off his head, sitting up as he wrapped them tighter around himself. He looked over at the mirror on his wall and cringed; from greasy hair falling into his eyes, to the cherry pink acne dotted around his cheeks and dark heavy bags under his eyes. "The teachers and principal already yelled at me," he sighed. "What if you and Dad do the same thing?"

"Oh, kiddo," Camellia assured him with a firm pat to the back. "It's not our fault they refused to help you out."

Tank sniffled as he shivered under the blanket. "I don't know where to go from here," he sighed. "All my friends are going to different high schools and I couldn't even pass my entrance exams."

Camellia frowned, silent as she thought things over. She knew Tank like the back of her hand; sweet and imaginative, super energetic, could light up anyones' day, and always excited about Pokémon....Hey, wait a minute! She remembered a conversation at a party Rockwell hosted; didn't Tank want to go on a Pokémon journey when he turned eighteen?

"Hey, I was thinking," Camellia brought up. "You know how you said you wanted to go on a Pokémon journey?"

Tank looked back at his mom, still clutching the blankets. Since when did she remember that? "Yeah? When I turned eighteen, I would."

"Well," Camellia gently smiled. "How'd you like to go on one a little early?"

Tank's ears perked up. A vivid fantasy played in his mind; running across the Hoenn region, jumping into endless grass, with countless Pokémon traveling right behind him. All sorts of environments came to mind: surfing across the ocean, riding mine carts through the mountains, soaring in the sky, climbing up a scorching volcano. "Is there a catch?" he asked.

Camellia shook her head no.

"Awesome!" Tank clapped his hooves together, instantly perking up like a Rockruff when their trainer mentions a treat. He stopped to briefly sniff the air, cringing from the stench of his unwashed blankets. "You're the best, Mom," he grinned.

Camellia chuckled as she watched Tank hop down from the bed. "Love you too, kiddo," she stood up from the bed.

While Tank went off to take his first shower in a week, Camellia headed back to her office. She pulled out her laptop, turned it on and started writing an email to an old friend from her college days.

"Hi there Sable! I know, we've both been so busy. Hey, so one of my sons is going through a depressive episode. There's a lot going on, so I'll save it for the next time we meet up.

First. If you and the husband aren't too busy, we've been considering heading to Littleroot Town for a few weeks. I think leaving Fortree City for a while would be the best, clearing our minds and all that. Rockwell would sadly have to stay, he needs his physical therapy after all. Hornsby would want to stay for high school, so he can stay there. Luckily I can stay working online, it's not like I'm going off to Johto, heh.

Anyways. I heard rent is super cheap in Littleroot, so hopefully we can find a decent house there. Hope to hear back soon!

Camellia Pepper"

Days passed as Tank slowly got himself together. Whether it was cleaning his room again, playing with Rhydon when his dad needed to rest, or eating his beloved donburi rather than snacks and energy drinks, he felt like a cherry blossom tree blooming after a harsh winter.

The day finally came. Tank sighed as he packed up the last of his things and followed Camellia towards an orange moving truck. He waved goodbye to Rockwell and Rhydon, who both waved back with bittersweet tears in their eyes. Hornsby, however, rolled his eyes in disinterest.

Tank gulped as he hopped into the front seat, tightly holding his backpack in his arms. After buckling up, he looked over to the driver.

The driver, a large black bird with a shaggy grey beard, grinned as he waved hello. The nametag on his shirt read 'Carlo Vespa'. "I know this might be rough, but is there anything we can do to make the drive better, pal?" he asked.

"Could we put on some music please?" Tank suggested. "My dad got me into one of his favorite albums."

"Go ahead, pal," Carlo handed him an auxiliary cord.

Tank smiled a little as he pulled up the album on his phone; the monochromatic album cover depicted a large horse man holding an orb and a small bird woman in a flowing back dress. After hooking his phone to the sound system, he started up the first song.

Energetic acoustic guitar and harmonious vocals filled the truck's speakers, as the moving truck headed towards the Hoennian highway. While there was nothing to say and places being taken, Tank hoped to find much better things in Littleroot Town.

 

[Cherry_BombBees]

drabble:

Professor Nook laid his chin on his palms, humming in content as he looked out the window. From the bird Pokémon fluttering in the sky, to the pink and yellow flowers swaying near the faded brown sign, it looked to be the perfect day for going outside and studying the world around him. Empty houses lined the horizons, with animals going in and out like clockwork.

He wondered to himself, who would be moving in and out around this time of year? Would it be college students enrolled in any Hoenn university, families down on their luck but needing places to stay, or perhaps scorned lovers on the run from cheating partners?

An ear-piercing honk blared through the entire town, as an orange moving truck barreled across the road. Its' exhaust pipe sputtered and wheezed by the second, joined by a trail of heavy black smoke.

Nook jumped up in his office chair as he scrambled to pick up a pile of paper from his desk. While the honking was enough to make him want to throw rocks out the window, he couldn't help but wonder who exactly was moving to Littleroot Town.

 

[Cherry_BombBees]

Spoiler: Check It In, Check It Out Or the Sun will Never Shine

Seven years ago...

A whimsical winter wonderland welcomed trainer and Pokémon. Sailors and sea captains gathered on pristine ports, several of them having strange parrot Pokémon sit atop their shoulders.

Belladonna pawed at her trainer's shoe. The thick leather fabric felt warm on her sensitive fingers. "Croa?" she chirped.

Frank held out his wing, smiling as Belladonna wrapped her skinny hand around his wrist. "Nice city, isn't it?"

"Gunk, gunk!" Belladonna squeaked. Her eyes twinkled like diamond dust as she looked at the the cozy houses. The buildings were pressed tight against each other, like countless neighborhoods in Fog Bay City from another region. She'd never been there, but flipped through a book meant for Pokémon to read. It was a colorful city with a glimmering gold bridge, a cable car system, an abandoned prison on a small island and a thriving population of Johtonian immigrants.

Trainer and Pokemon strolled down the main street of Snowpoint City. A band known as Jubilife Delight jammed out in between street vendors. Frank and Belladonna stopped to buy some taro-flavored ice cream, then sat on a bench to watch the smooth jazz performance. Soothing saxophones and erratic drumming lulled them in, like a Yamper leading Wooloo through the fences.

Belladonna clapped when Jubilife Delight stopped their song. The keyboardist and pianist smiled at the small Pokémon, ready to start another melody.

Frigid air nipped at the duo. Frank mentally scolded himself for not bothering to layer up; he only wore a thin white hoodie, a purple tank top underneath, acid-washed black jeans, blue and purple converse sneakers, and his favorite navy blue varsity jacket with a black hawk logo on the chest.

Belladonna snuggled up next to her trainer, resting her cheek in the crook of his elbow. The varsity jacket's fabric smelled of black tulips and winter frost body wash.

A high-pitched scream caught the duo offguard.

Belladonna leaped off the bench and sprinted through the commotion. She slid across an icy spot before stopping in the middle of the street.

A lilac koala, dressed in a pink and beige dress and a red scarf, stumbled to get back on her feet. She pushed her long purple hair behind her neck, then reached up to her face. Where'd they go, where'd they, where'd they GO?!

A blue penguin Pokémon searched around the ground. "Piplup, pip....." He stuck his tongue out as he rummaged for something in particular.

"Croa?" Belladonna crossed her arms and titled her head. She looked down at her feet; a pair of red glasses! "Croa-croagunk!" she chirped as she held up the spectacles.

Piplup turned his head up and huffed. He snatched the glasses from Belladonna, then held them up to his trainer.

"Belladonna!" Frank yelled as he stopped behind her. "....Did I scare you, miss?"

"Huh?" the koala gasped as she put the glasses back on. Belladonna held out her hand and helped the koala back on her feet.
"No, not at all, mister!" she waved a hand in his direction, "Oh, your Croagunk is just the sweetest thing."

"Thanks" Frank said as he watched Belladonna waddle back to him, "I got her in Pastoria City as a birthday gift."

"Oh that's sweet," the koala smiled as she adjusted her glasses. Piplup tightly hugged her left leg, nuzzling his beak against her velvety fur. "Are you two entering the Sinnoh League?"

"Actually, yeah" Frank looked down at Belladonna. "I came to research some Sinnoh mythology, but that should be fun! Is that right, Belladonna?"

"Croa-croagunk!" Belladonna yelled as she pumped a fist in the air.

A year later....

Frank smiled at his pride and joy; the many Pokémon he befriended over the course of several months.

There was Rico, the faithful Hawlucha who he met in Hearthome City. Even though Rico was originally caught by a coordinator, the wrestling Pokemon found regular Pokémon battles as his true calling. After losing his fourth contest, Rico released himself and joined Frank's party after a bound of arm wrestling with Belladonna.

Then came along Kerokero, the timid-now-terrifying Poliwrath. He started as a crybaby Poliwag who was frequently bullied by a pack of Whiscash near Oreburgh City. Thanks to a combination of Belladonna's stealth and Rico's brutality, the Whiscash backed away. Owing thanks to the duo, Kerokero joined the duo and grew stronger with each battle.

Joel was a strange case for a Lucario. The aura Pokémon started as a haughty Riolu who roamed Iron Island and ruled it with an iron fist. Graveler and Onix ran in terror from his attacks. Frank had went out to research a duo of Pokemon: one of nightmares, one of dreams, but ended up on the wrong boat. After a battle that ended with falling stalactites almost killing Frank, Joel recognized the danger of keeping himself bottled up. Thanks to an unexpected evolution during a gym battle, Frank was able to claim another Gym Badge.

Cyclone the Hitmontop had his quirks, namely in the form of adding ghost peppers to every single thing he'd eat, even sweeter fare like Poffins. He was a regular at the Veilstone Gym, training with his former master: a bear who hailed from Saffron City. Unlike some of his companions, Cyclone was fully evolved when he befriended Frank. The bear saw great potential in the duo, hoping to watch them overthrow the current champion. But that day would never come.

Starkad was much, MUCH wittier than the average Machamp. Throwing flurries of punches wasn't enough to carry himself through the heart of Mt. Coronet, he needed his teammates to fine-tune his martial artistry. Brains over brawn was met with hell-thrusting throat chops, punching birds was easy thanks to sharpened stones, and magic was no match for bullet-fast punches as brilliant as diamonds.

With eight badges under his name, and after two weeks in Victory Road, Frank was ready to show the Sinnoh region what a Hawkwind was made of!

Hurricanes of blazing-hot kicks, underwater diving and freezing punches, dousing and smothered fires, and cunning wits overthrew the Elite Four like pure clockwork. Television cameras zoomed in, as Frank and Belladona faced their future opponent: a blonde unicorn wearing a silver crown and billowing teal gown. A pair of Cleffa hovered around her, chirping as they anticipated the match of a lifetime. Without words exchanged, the magical mare smiled and tossed her first Poke Ball; a blue landshark Pokémon with bloodlust in beady reptilian eyes.

Like clockwork, the landshark mowed through all six Pokémon without as much as breaking a sweat.

For the unicorn, that day was another Tuesday in her busy life. But for Frank? Pure and utter humiliation. Glaring cameras zoomed in on his face, capturing every tear that poured down.

Everyone back home had to be let down, right?

Right?

Six months before the present...

Years passed after Frank stormed out of Sinnoh. As much as he wanted to stay out of there, someone close to him invited him for a week at the Battle Zone.

A cheerful blue kangaroo waved to trainer and Pokémon, beaming in joy as the boat sailed to shore.

Rooney O'Sullivan was a trainer Frank met back in Lilycove City. The two hit it off at a bar in the Venus district, just days after Frank's big eighteenth birthday. Aside from partying like crazy at bars, they both found an interest in Pokémon mythology, then a relationship that stayed strong for three years.

The two trainers laughed in delight as they hugged each other and spun in a circle. Belladonna giggled while Rooney's Flaafy rolled his eyes. Other trainers were watching them, you know!

Rooney stopped spinning and clasped his paws around Frank's wing, pressing his claws into the old varsity jacket fabric. "We need to check out EVERYTHING while you're here!"

Frank winked, "Well you're the one who knows about this island!"

The two trainers roared in laughter. If only every day on the Battle Zone had been this joyous. But what they don't know is that tragedy would ensue at Stark Mountain...

 

[Cherry_BombBees]

Spoiler: Bubblegum ☆ Stardust

A hand pushed the DVD into the slot. The DVD player whirred as it read the disk. Energetic music played from the speakers as the documentary started up. Pictures of tours and girls in costume flashed the screen, stopped by a large pink cutesy logo.

☆ Bubblegum Stardust ☆

Behind The Music: The Diamandis Sisters​

Part One: The Early Life of the Diamandis Sisters

On January 22, twin sisters Francine 'Karat Gold Franny' and Christina 'Sparkling Chrissy' Diamandis were born in the Blooming Hills Hospital, located in Rustboro City in the Hoenn region.

The sisters had a peaceful childhood, often spent drawing, playing with their toys and watching the former Champion Totakeke's matches on television.

"I think it was Pointed Love that got me into music," Francine smiled as she waved to the camera. "I loved watching Esther sing both the opening theme and credits, and it was so magical. I could be my own rabbit, not be lumped in as a Diamandis twin. And look where I ended up." she chuckled.

Chrissy shrugged as she tugged on her hoodie strings. "Pointed Love was too girly for me. We would wrestle all the time for the remote-- I wanted to watch Princess Rocketboarding instead but you know how older sisters are, so I would end up missing out stuff like the Raging Wizard Brain Swap arc."

But while their childhood was peaceful, it was when the sisters turned thirteen that everything would change.

Part Two: The Rise of Sparkling Karat Gold

"We both passed entrance exams for the high schools we wanted to enter, but our mom had different plans," Francine explained as she showed a certificate written in kanji. "She has a few sisters in the music industry and wanted to impress them, so she pulled us out and put us in music school.

Chrissy pursed her lips as she looked away from the camera. "I wanted to be a mangaka," she sighed. "But we got sent to Star Palace Idol Academy instead."

A year was spent training the sisters in singing, performing, choreography, and to Chrissy's insistence, letting her design the single and album covers. The Diamandis duo would soon appear on star talent shows, always met with voracious applause.

On August 28, Francine and Chrissy would debut on the charts with their first single, The Lumiose Café. Written and composed by K.K Slider, the single would reach #3 on Hoenn's Hot One Hundred and be featured as a jingle for Brewster Café.

Chrissy rubbed the back of her neck. "I didn't think the single would get that popular," she confessed. "But I think having that music video helped too."

"Our manager had us wear these matching short dresses, and no, we weren't allowed to wear shorts underneath" Francine held up a photo of her and her sister in huge fluffy dresses scattered with polka dots. "It turned out the fans loved that look best so we had to wear them for most music videos. Singles, sure we could anything, but the audience wanted polka dots."

Three more singles would release over the year: Eclipse of the Waltz, Love You Forever and Fly Away. Two more albums would drop: The Diamond In The Flesh and Sparkle Heart. Often seen in jingles for businesses, the songs would reach as high as #2. But it wasn't until their biggest single, Eternal Bubblegum Smile, that things took off for the starlets.

Part Three: Falling Stars

"When our manager released Eternal Bubblegum Smile, we thought it'd do as well as our other singles," Francine crossed her legs. "We had just turned eighteen and our manager said we were starting to get a little old, but the fans and sale numbers said otherwise!"

Chrissy winced once Francine mentioned the manager. "Yeah. I don't think eighteen is old. We were only getting started!"

Tours take their toll on the duo, promoting Eternal Bubblegum Smile in Kanto and Johto and even Sinnoh. Idol meet-ups, autographs, flashy photography. Occasionally, fans would send lewd letters, mostly to Francine but Chrissy would get her share too.

"Just when the tour ended, our manager asked us to compose lyrics for a model set to debut as an idol," Francine set down her photo to show a new one: a blue cat girl with short hair and wearing a pink collared dress. Her voice tensed up as a single tear rolled down her eye. "This was Rosie Hanaya. She was -hic- she was only seventeen."

An actress in the hit movie Come Together In The Forest, Rosie co-starred with other Hoennian celebrities including model Margie Pillai, former Gym Leader Whitney Somma, K.K. Slider and Champion Apollo Hawkwind.

"We wrote and sang the ending song for Come Together," Chrissy said. "Of course," she shook her head. "After what happened, the song and the movie itself became lost media."

While the movie itself was a modest hit, it was only released in select theaters across Kanto, Johto and Hoenn. Weeks before Rosie was set to debut as an idol singer, tragedy would strike. On December 16, Rosie jumped from the top floor of the Celadon Condominiums.

"I don't know if she was overworked to the point of exhaustion, or depressed from how the industry treated her, romantic troubles or her manager doing the worst, but" Francine sniffled. "She didn't say anything to us about how she really felt."

Crisis spreads through Kanto. Tasteless photos spread online, word gets out through social media, more and more teenagers following her to the Celadon Condominiums. When the place closes, others flock to the department store or the hotel. The industry, however, is quiet.

Chrissy gritted her teeth as her fists shook in fury. "Our manager, her manager, the industry didn't say a damn word!" she screamed. "Instead they were all about promoting two new singers just to shut everyone up!"

Cece and Viché Poirot AKA the Fresh Sisters. They debut with High Color Sink, a generically sweet pop song about love. Somehow, they reach the top of the charts. They play up an obnoxiously cutesy act for cameras, for music videos, and for interviews. Nothing is mentioned about other singers to them, not even the Diamandis Sisters.

"That's when I knew we were done," Francine shook her head. "We quit just a week later. I think Eternal Bubblegum Smile was a good last song."

"Same here," Chrissy nodded once. "I don't want to go back to the industry, now that I have something better to look forward to."

Part Four: Where are They Now?

The screen showed a scene in Mossdeep City. Chrissy and Francine, now in brand new outfits, smile as they face off against another trainer. A pair of Pokémon pose in front of them; a Gardevoir in a billowing black cape, and a Gallade wearing a fluffy scarf. A pair of iridescent jewels hang from the knots, gleaming under the afternoon sun.

"Beyond evolution! Mega Evolve!"

"Both our Ralts were gifts from a dear friend," Francine held up a photograph of K.K. Slider performing on stage. "Totakeke is one of the few musicians I regularly talk to after we left. The fact that he reached out shows that he really cares. He always had."

Chrissy wiped her eyes with a cherry blossom print handkerchief. "We thought we'd just be trainers, but another friend of ours reached out. Our good friend Whitney, she was a gym leader, but was about to have her first child. We knew her from the movie we worked on, and she thought we'd be a good fit for Mossdeep.

Word got out. While Whitney was allowed out of the spotlight to raise her child, the Diamandis Sisters renovated the Mossdeep Gym. Soon, they'd be known for their iconic double battle style. But it was when Apollo contributed that they'd be some of Hoenn's most revered Gym Leaders.

"Apollo? Yeah, we knew him from the movie too," Francine explained. "Such a gentleman. He gifted us Key Stones after one of our best battles yet. Of course, I heard he gifted them to other Gym Leaders, and even the Elite Four!"

"We're grateful of course," Chrissy smiled for the first time since the first act. "Everyone's been so respectful, and I don't regret being a Gym Leader. Sure I wanted to be a mangaka, but I can be a mangaka any time of my life. Hey, maybe my time as a Leader could give me some ideas!"

☆ Bubblegum Stardust ☆​

Fin​

The DVD popped out of the player, the room quiet as the pair of hands placed the DVD back into the case.