BossCar
Pokémon Trainer
- Pronouns
- He/His
There's No Better Team
Rating: T
Genres: Romance, Fluff, Friendship, Slice of Life, Humor, Adventure
Rating: T
Genres: Romance, Fluff, Friendship, Slice of Life, Humor, Adventure
Chapter 1: Born to Be a Winner.
Barberini Stadium, an artistic and architectural marvel that encompasses three city blocks amidst the congregation of its fellow historical buildings within Angel City. The well maintained battlefields, the opera house-like seating arrangement, the lavishly decorated interior, it's rare for someone to see it without being in awe. The sky piercing skyscrapers of downtown loom large in the distance, the city concocting a fusion of its past and present.
The finals of a local three versus three tournament is taking place within one of the stadium's ten large outdoor battlefields. The moaning wind's muffled by the rumble of the cheering crowd within the multi-floor seating area. The seating area itself is a mostly covered, but it's got large openings in the middle of each section. Opera's a fitting way to describe the volume of the roaring occurring within the battlefield.
A Salamence soars through the air, the sunlight illuminating the red on his crescent-like wings. He veers left and right to avoid a blizzard of dark brown stones from a Tyrantrum. A few of the stones manage to strike Salamence's legs, making him grunt. He keeps himself in-flight, his roar making the ground tremble.
On the left is the tri-colored dragon's trainer, Valen. His black hair is slightly slicked back, pointy ends rubbing against his forehead. There's a gleam of pride in his eyes, a testament to how he's been feeling as of late. His black Guzmani suit jacket has the BW Agency logo emblazoned on the upper sleeves and the back respectively.
Standing on the opposite end is Rexford Ryujin. Valen's gaze moves from Rexford's maroon beanie to his dark green jacket. Rexford thought that he had the upper hand against Golisopod, but Emergency Exit caused Salamence to come out. He still has Golisopod left, while Rexford's down to his last of his three. The guy's quite arrogant but he's packing a formidable tournament record.
"Your chances of winning are going to become extinct!" Rexford boasts, his tone gruff. "It's chomping time with Ice Fang!"
Tyrantrum charges in like a battering ram, his teeth covered with a frost white glow. Salamence flies higher, but Tyrantrum uses the tallest rock pillars as jumping pads. It seems like Tyrantrum will be landing a blow...or will it?
Valen fiddles with his hair's thin pointy ends, which lie above his forehead. Gotta wait for the right moment...wait for it...wait for it...time it right…
Now!
"Counter with Iron Tail."
Tyrantrum tries to sink his teeth into Salamence's right leg, but is left stunned when the Salamence evades with a mid-air back flip. Salamence soars higher, his tail glowing silver. He dives down like a space shuttle upon re-entry, performing a second mid-air backflip. His tail slams into Tyrantrum's back, the theropod bellowing upon impact.
"C'mon, you're an apex predator!" Rexford's feet are spread out as he tightens his fist. "Show them what you're made of!"
Tyrantrum lifts up his chin and unleashes a blaring battle roar. Salamence returns the favor with his own mighty roar, the two dragons glaring at each other.
"Slice em and dice em with Dragon Claw!"
Tyrantrum leaps up, his claws glowing dark brown. He repeatedly strikes Salamence everywhere that he can. This onslaught forces Salamence dragon to land, his eyes shut and his teeth clenched.
Tyrantrum's eyes glow blood red, his roar sounding like a blaring horn. He hurls himself towards Salamence, who appears destined to take another series of brutal blows. At the last second, Salamence narrowly avoids the vicious Outrage attack by taking flight and veering sideways. Tyrantrum can't stop in time, the theropod dragon slamming into a formation of rock pillars. Tyrantrum shakes off what just happened, stomping his feet as he awaits another command. Salamence sends a gale hurling at Tyrantrum, roaring that he's gotta do better than that.
"Cool their jets with Hydro Pump."
Salamence launches a torrential stream of water, but Tyrantrum hastily digs a giant gape and jumps into it. Dig won't do anything to Salamence, but it's a nice evasion tactic. That said, it's not gonna be enough. Salamence spits out another torrential stream of water into the gape, the field exploding into a synchronized formation of geysers. The attack blasts Tyrantrum out of the ground and high into the guy. The theropod dragon crash lands into another set of rock pillars, but he attempts to pick himself up.
Valen holds a red rose in front of his face. "It's time for la grande finale." He clenches the stem in-between his teeth, snapping his fingers. "Use Dragon Pulse."
A white sphere of energy forms within Salamence's mouth. Salamence launches the sphere, which morphs into a dragon-shaped beam. The beam evolves into an enormous white dragon with blue eyes, large wings, and a lengthy tail. A mighty gale moans alongside a thunderous boom, the dragon formation crashing into Tyrantrum. Tyrantrum is sent hurling behind Rexford, his rough landing shaking the ground.
"Aw man, I'm the one who went extinct!" Rexford bellows while recalling his Tyrantrum. "But Tyrantrum fought like a champ!"
The crowd's apparently filled with Loudred, because that's one heck of an uproar. He waves to then and gives a thumbs up to Rexford, who gives one back. He strides toward Salamence, who just launched a Flamethrower into the air.
"That's my boy." He pats the dragon's head. "Are you a good boy, though?"
Salamence closes his eyes and nudges Valen's chest, an indicator that he wants more head pats. The good boy gets enough pats to satisfy a dozen Lillipup, as evident by his big, doofy grin.
"Yep, you're a good boy."
Valen dreamt of owning a Salamence when he was younger, but he never expected this would happen. His Salamence's one of those big dog Pokémon who think they're little puppies.
The origin of Salamence's been difficult to pinpoint for his mom and other Pokélogists. In the absence of hard evidence, it's led to a believable theory about ambition—Bagon and Shelgon are among the most ambitious of unevolved Pokémon. The drive to reach greater heights is what the founder of what predated Angel City had. It's what the squad and him have, and many in this fired up crowd must have dreams of their own.
He's hopeful that witnessing him succeed can inspire them to seek out what they desire. When you're a known figure, you should utilize it for the greater good. Hilda's mom gave that life lesson at an acting course he took at age thirteen.
He tosses the rose towards Rosa and Hilda, neither of whom can sit still on the ornate seats behind him. The bud ends up making contact with Rosa's white and ice blue top, but Hilda grabs it before she can. Rosa's long bangs accidentally brush up against Hilda's face, which makes them giggle and titter respectively.
Rosa shoves her left elbow into Hilda's black waistcoat and white top, but Hilda returns the favor with the force of a silly Eevee. The duo proceed to leap out of their seats, giving Salamence a thumbs up while trotting towards his trainer.
"Good job!" Rosa and Hilda exchange a fist bump with Valen. "There's more awesomeness to come, so everyone better be on notice!" They press their backs together, their eyes glistening like their necklaces. "Another day, another fight, another chance to make things right!" Both of them raise a fist. "We will be heroes, we can make the world smile if we try!"
Classic balls of fluff, exuding vivaciousness and wholesomeness wherever they are.
A flick to the back of his head sends him back into focus. That matching blue jean jacket and capris is a great indicator—Melanie has more Valerie Versace clothes than anyone else he knows. Her long, wavy black hair goes down to her elbows, her curvy bangs caresses his shoulders.
Silver would've approached him too, but had to leave the stadium for an important matter. He watched the match on his phone, hence the congratulatory text he just sent.
Rosa steps out in front of him. "It's kind of incredible, isn't it?" She stares into the sky and clasps her hands behind her back. "Every trainer takes part in something that's been conducted for thousands of years."
"Well said." Valen paces forward until he's next to Rosa. "We get to stand where trainers like Champion Napoleon have stood."
Despite the current mood, there's something peculiar about how he's feeling. He's certainly glad about winning, but winning a tournament doesn't feel like much of an accomplishment anymore. His past accomplishments, such as winning the Calvanian Conference more than once, speak for themselves. His Pokémon and him enjoy batting, but they've got nothing more to prove.
He's a coordinator too, and Pokémon Contests are gaining more appeal to him now. They appeal to the passionate art lover in him. It's a fierce beast that's pounding to be released.
The glistening gold of the large trophy has all six of Valen's Pokémon staring in awe. They're so mesmerized that the hustle and bustle of the lobby and food court can't shake them out of it. What can is how proud they are of Valen. He had it rough not that long ago, but look at him now. He's giving out autographs and taking photos with numerous fan. He just threw a into a crowd of his female fans, a trainer with a Luxio catching it.
Salamence and Golisopod have called dibs on the cupcakes. Luxray wants credit too, but his teammates point out that he went down first. Except he took down that Kleavor and he went easy on that Armaldo.
Both Luxray and Golisopod spot a certain aquatic serpentine heading this way, choosing not to tell Salamence. Salamence catches them laughing and wants to know more, but a beautiful cry ignites a Flamethrower in him.
Upon further realization that Rosa's Milotic is right next to him, bright red takes over Salamence's face. He's trying to act cool…but…look at her…she's so elegant and gorgeous…and she's only got eyes for him. He's the luckiest dragon-he wasn't ready for a victory kiss!
Valen's Gengar waddles in their direction, the snickering Ghost-type having both random and sophisticated mischief in mind. He suddenly vanishes, then materializes on his back. One roll later, he stands up and closes his eyes. Behold his spooky and beautiful opera singing skills, humans and fellow Pokémon.
If his teammate's bizarro opera wasn't enough for Salamence, three of his four dragon bros have encircled him. Melanie's Dragonite attempts to push a frantic Salamence towards Milotic while Hydreigon and Garchomp block the two escape routes. Rosa's Aerodactyl, Hilda's Braviary, and Melanie's Swampert swoop in to provide backup for their respective teammates, but Swampert goes tumbling like a bowling pin. His folly in trying to be a Flying-type ensures a roasting session by the other Pokémon.
The eruption of banter does little to relax the nerves of Hilda's Umbreon—her head's tucked in-between her front legs. She wants to congratulate Valen's Luxray, but he's so handsome! He's so cool and majestic! Why else would her face make her look like she's a Flareon?! Uh oh, here come his trainer! Hide behind Rosa's Serperior!
Valen plops himself onto one of the fruitwood sofas. Salamence's now acting all cool in front of Milotic, hence her sparkling eyes and squealing. Reminds him of himself.
"Salamence, don't pass this up." he snickers. "You've got my approval for a date."
Now they're both blushing, mission accomplished. Another mission would be trying to figure out where Silver ran off to, but he'll turn up eventually. The hardest mission of them all is Hilda's Umbreon asking his Luxray out on a date. Luxray considers himself too proud and edgy to be called a kitten, but he's a softie for Umbreon.
"Luxray, you gonna pass up this chance?" he asks. "Come on man, she's really into you."
Luxray joins Umbreon in hiding behind Rosa's Serperior, much to the green serpentine's amusement. Both close their eyes, attempting a kiss. They jump back at the last second, Luxray darting behind the sofa his trainer's sitting in. Not before his trainer pets him, which makes him purr.
The others aren't around at the moment, he may as well check out the art for the umpteenth time. The sofas like they came out of a king's palace due to the opulent gold frames. The depictions of Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf on the red upholstery sofas entrance many who lay eyes upon them. Depictions of Mew, Celebi, and Jirachi decorate the white upholstery sofas.
Magnificent buon frescoes by the Calvanian Fresco School of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries cover the walls and the ceiling. The paintings are separated by long, protruding panels that are filled to the brim with ornamentation, much like the interior of Parfum Palace. Both his favorite frescoes and his favorite sculptures depict dragons. They're all great works of art that he could gawk at for hours, but he's loved dragons since he first watched The Dragon King at age four.
Nobody needs to know that he frequently ran around in a Salamence costume afterwards. That's why they started to call him cute, but did they do a proper analysis to determine the validity of their hypothesis? Did they get their findings peer reviewed by people who don't think that he's cute? Did they consult historical writings on how classy and cool he is? He thinks not, and yet Rosa and Hilda were pulling his cheeks after they saw the footage. Just remembering that moment is making him do an impromptu Charmeleon impression.
He snaps out of debating himself when his Typhlosion nuzzles her face into his midsection. He pets her, relieved that he didn't became dorky for the umpteenth time. Nobody saw that, right? Besides the terrifying Gardevoir that's taller than him? Oh nooooo, now she's caressing his left cheek. This is equivalent to Rosa bopping him with her feet in terms of scariness.
A nudge from Melanie's right elbow causes him to smirk. Guess his luck had to run out eventually. She's got a giant gift shop bag wrapped around her other arm. Must be filled with Lance and Clair merch, plus numerous posters.
Melanie's smile lights up her face. She rummages through the bag, accidentally confirming what Valen assumed when a Clair poster near falls out.
"I saw this poster of Leonardo da Vinti's sketch of a Poké Ball, so I got a copy for you too."
He peeks into the bag, narrowly avoiding her attempt to nudge him forward. Both copies of the famous drawing of an apricorn-shaped device carefully placed into frames.
"Also, do you read the draft I sent you?!" She interlocks her fingers under her twinkling eyes. "Did I knock it out of the part?! Did I depict Victorian Wyndon like a boss?!"
"You've got a knack for historical fiction."
Melanie squeezes her eyes shut, nearly breaking out in loud elation. "Keep telling me how awesome I am!" She fist bumps with him. "I'll return the favor!"
Trotting that's all too familiar to him is heading their way. The infinite amounts of energy they radiate indicates that they're right behind Melanie and him. They make him bend forward with them, his eyes leveled with the lower half of Rosa's black leggings. Melanie's watching all of this with an amused expression.
"Everybody wants to be a master, everybody wants to show their skills!" Ross and Hilda cheer, making Valen spin with them. "Everybody wants to get there faster, make their way to the top of the hill!"
He doesn't quite get why they do this, but that's not important. Their bubbly and sassy voices are mellisonant, their eyes gleaming with their unconditional affection for him. When the seed of true love blossoms into a flower, a truly beautiful image enters one's life.
Now they're proudly displaying their favorite necklaces for the fans to see. They wear those diamond-lace necklaces everywhere. One's got a emerald with a Serperior engraving, the other's got a ruby with an Emboar engraving. Melanie wears her necklace all the time too. She doesn't have a Samurott, but he didn't want to leave her out.
"Are you ready for the contest?" Hilda tilts her head leftwards. "Don't forget that I reserved a spot for you in advance." The tips of her left fingers are in front of her grin. "I planneeeed aheeeeeead!~"
Valen shrugs with an amused smile. Why would he forget about the first contest he's entered in over a year? He's been eager to return to the stage, but the lingering uncertainty has created a peculiar paradox. Testing the waters is a good start in making his decision.
"Heeeeey, snap out of it!" Hilda gently thwacks him with a rolled up poster, tittering at his perplexed expression. "You need to see how amazing the agency's Pokémon actors are for the umpteenth time!"
Melanie pushes his head towards Hilda's phone, ensuring that he sees the advertisement for a local performing arts theatre. A Tsareena and Inteleon are performing in a Shakespearean-like play. Well, aside from the massive sass of the Tsareena and the secret agent vibe of the Inteleon. He also doesn't remember Roland leaning up against a wall to look for Justine in the classic Shakespearean work.
Hilda can be headstrong about her occupation, but she can put her money where her mouth is. Her creative and management precocity became widely known when her musical idea became a smashing success.
"We want to visit where the contest will be held." Rosa smiles with her eyes closed. "We want you to come too." A faint giggle emits as she clasps her hands in front. "Pretty please, sweetie?"
"I'd like to change into my casual clothes first," he says. "Among other tasks I've gotta do." Phew, he didn't blush over ball of fluff's cuteness.
"That's fine, Val-Val."
Hilda kisses his right cheek and head towards a crowd of trainers who've already noticed her.
"Hmph, they should be gawking at me," Rosa jokes. "I'll be internationally known for being an awesome trainer and painter." She rests the tip of her left fingers on her forehead, her other hand on her hip. "And I wouldn't say no to a film or theatre gig."
"Eat your heart out, Rosa." Melanie runs her right hand through her black hair. "I'm going to kick your butt more times than you can count."
Hilda's handing out business cards, but she's not about to remain quiet. "Sillies, I'm the most awesome among us!" Her team want to help her out with the cards.
Valen and his team are having too much fun watching them debate over who's more awesome, but Salamence's looking around as if he's up to something. Rosa's Pokémon and Melanie's Pokémon seem to be roasting each other. Except for Hilda's Starmie—it's angrily poking all of them for some reason.
Silver's finally made his anticlimactic return. His Kommo-o and Aggron seem to be egging him on. What in the world was he up to? Why does he have a faint glimmer of nervousness on his face?
Heh, his phone's exploding with messages like it's evolving into an Electrode. Jacques couldn't make it due to the filming of his latest movie, but he was able to watch the finals on his phone. Rui, Skyla, and Jacques have congratulated him and here comes Team Skull.
There's Louis and Loïc, two cousins who usually disagree with each other on half the things they debate on. Most recently, they've been debating on who was more influential between Jorgel van Eyck and Giotto di Buonacorsus. Calem and Serena just popped up too, the latter just has to compliment his sense of style.
"Salamence, I can feel you breathing down my neck."
Since everybody else's preoccupied, Salamence decided to claim the pets for himself. With a big silly grin, Salamence plops his head onto Valen's lap for head pats. Ask and he shall receive.
Causal or former, Team Skull's Valen has gotta rock the logo. That's why his black jacket's got it on the back, plus why his gunmetal gray shirt has it on the front. The chatter amongst these people, plus the melodies of Starly and Pidgey perched atop trees with lush foliage, occupy the air around them. Standing proudly in front of him and the crazy wholesome minds is a low-slung, castle-like building, a sea of trainers flowing in and out of it. The rugged look makes it stick out like a sore thumb from its neighbors, but in a good way. It was designed and constructed decades prior to the rest of the district, and the architect wanted it to resemble Galarian Siscianesque architecture.
"Ferguson Competition Hall, eh? Great minds think alike."
A pair of giant cylindrical columns rest on all four corners of the structure, hexagonal columns decorating the front. Having seen the rear end of the arena before, he knows it's got the same finish. The main entrances and exits are giant gapes with arches on top. Coupled rectangular windows dot the exterior. The larger and smaller windows are in the bottom and top rows respectively.
"Wake up, sweetie!"
"Hehe, he always does this!"
Rosa's dazzling long hair dances as she twirls, her shoes rustling the lush grass to life. Hilda decided to leave her hair as is, much to Valen's relief. They're right about looking awesome, but he's seen them with their hair down countless times, so why does he get dorky upon said sight? Why is said dorkiness more inconsistent than Silver's crush denial? Can he make sense just once?
In typical Rosa and Hilda fashion, they whip out their phones and began taking pictures of themselves. Several photos while facing the camera, several more photo while looking back with a wink.
Oh, he better pick up the pace before the crazy wholesome minds leave him in the dust. Nevermind, they're now pulling him into the arena themselves. He can't escape their mighty grasps. He'll just look at the cream, almost gold-like, finish of the interior walls.
"It's time for the cutest and prettiest queens to kick some butt!" Rosa bends her elbows, tightening her fists. She makes punching motions. "Wham bam pow!"
Hilda spins to check out the crowd. "Hehe, it's so big!"
"That's what she said."
"Oops, Val-Val got me!"
Valen watches them dart off into the crowd, the latter handing out business cards. Heh, Skyla's texting him a bunch of smile emojis. She's now sending pictures of herself at the aerospace museum in Didacus City. Everybody's going to see these pictures, assuming they haven't already.
The interior of the lengthy building is mostly contemporary to when it was constructed. The main exception is due to the development of this neighborhood during the Victorian era, hence the mid to late nineteenth century furniture. Numerous plush armchairs from the turn of the century are scattered throughout the lobby. Made out of mahogany, each one is finished with plush leather, a glided bronze mount, and Luxray-like paws under each leg.
His head feels clear like the sky, contrasting how he felt not that long ago. He'll never forget the loyalty those around him showed when he was at his lowest point. Now, frisson and conation zoom within him like bullet trains.
They've made their way to the battlefield closest to the main stage. Each of the four battlefields have their own section, just like a traditional battle arena.
Valen relaxes on a walnut sofa, observing Rosa and Hilda's tag battle. A few trainers are seated in the bleachers, others choosing to stand. Several of these onlookers are discussing how surreal it is to see Hilda and Rosa, two big social media stars, out and about like this.
Melanie's nowhere to be seen, but he knows what's going on. For now, he's going to enjoy seeing Rosa and Hilda kicking butt with their Serperior and Braviary respectively. Good choices for going up against a Golem and a Toxicroak. More trainers have entered through the arched entrance, but it should be ten times more because it's Rosa and Hilda. He's their number one fanboy and it's a badge of honor. Yes, they won the battle! That's four in a row for each! Everybody better accept those business cards!
Before he can blurt anything out, he slaps his mouth shut. His face becomes as red as a Tamato berry. Melanie's sassy laughter indicates her presence, and now there's hands over his eyes. Her Scizor and male Pyroar are laughing, but he's gotta be all indifferent and cool.
"Hmph, I didn't know we were playing hide-and-seek."
"You were a pain to find when we played it as kids." Melanie presses her lips against the back of her head. "I'll let you off the hook this time."
Shrug it off, continue to act cool. Pretend that the trotting of wholesome doom isn't getting more apparent.
Rosa surprises him with a kiss on the lips. She wags a finger, her other hand on her hip. "We want the truth."
Her Hydreigon nods, recalling how similar his dragon bro is around Rosa's Milotic. The humans act in weird ways, but his trainer's got a point.
Wait, he can gawk at the classical-like sculptures that surround them. Steven Stone's the one who crafted that massive Metagross vs Salamence marble sculpture! Quickly, zone out! Zone out!
Annnnd that plan just flew out the window because they're all up in his face. At least Super Brooder came out of nowhere at the right time.
Silver plops himself onto the chair left of him. His Feraligatr's snickering over his attempt to hide his phone. He's fumbling with it, but he's trying to put on his tough guy act.
"What's up with you?" Melanie places her hands on her hips, her grin playful. "Lost one too many battles?"
"I kicked enough ass for now." he groans over his text messages. "I'm the strongest, why would I lose?"
He's right, he's the strongest at being a dunce. She enjoys seeing him try his hardest to act big and tough.
She'll give him fashion props, his navy blue and red jacket are cool. They go will with the black shirt that's barely visible. His jeans are sweet too. He stills need to wear that purple suit, they all know he's got it stashed somewhere.
"Valen, can you give two free copies of your books to Kris?" Silver crosses his arms, his hair pressed against the headrest. "In exchange for her to stop nagging me?"
"Heh, you're too scared?"
"Be quiet, I'm never scared."
Valen should know that Kris is just a friend-screw it. Even he can't hide his grin. She's a Snorlax-sized pain in his ass, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Not that he'll be admitting that anytime soon.
She's been jumping for joy over her apprenticeship...and they can be together in person...forever...as friends! Yep, fake Silver's got the crush here!
Silver breathes a sigh of relief, then he gives Valen several hard pats. "Having friends isn't so bad after all." He exchanges a fist bump with Melanie.
"You don't say?" Valen quips. "I figured that it'd take me a while to return to the pro circuit." He closes his eyes, a lopsided grin forming. "You were one of the major players in proving me wrong."
"Give yourself some credit too—you remember those words?"
"Of course I do." Valen crosses his arms, his gaze aimed towards the ceiling. "'Fate has a plan for the two of you, that's why this encounter happened.'"
"You were right on the money."
If somebody told early teen Silver that he'd have friends like this, he'd have shrugged it off. If they said that Kris and him would become close, he'd have sneered at them. He couldn't have imagined that he'd be surrounded by people like them.
A crowd spontaneously erupts with commotion. The name Ragnar Asgard Phoenix is being passed among the assembly of trainers. Ragnar's already spotted Silver, Melanie, and him. He usually stands out due to his trademark white suit, matching pants, and gray tie, but he's donning black sweatpants and a casual black shirt. The latter's got a cool image of Ho-oh on it.
All of his silk clothes, suit included, were tailored made by Wallace himself. Melanie's already well into sparkly eye mode over them.
"My old rival's here, eh?" Ragnar yanks a Poké Ball off of his belt, then holds it out in front of his chest. "Guess my plan's changed."
Valen raises a brow. "Is that so?' He slowly gets on his feet and folds his arms. "Are you challenging me to a battle?"
"We're long overdue for another match." Ragnar rubs the front ends of his silky black hair. "You up for it?"
Valen slams his right fist into his left hand. "I'm the big bad trainer who beats you down and beats you down without ever letting up!" He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a Poké Ball of his own.
Hilda's still interacting with potential clients, but she's hearing everything. Valen, one of her first clients to achieve fame. Ragnar, one of the Calvanian division's first clients. Not to mention the fact that Rosa and Melanie are clients too. It's a small world out there, but all awesome battles need a dose of Hilda Odelle White, so she waves at the crowd of her fans and future clientele and trots off.
…Battling's so much fun, isn't it? Perhaps that's why she questions whether she should leave the agency one day. Perhaps she should fully focus on battling again at some point, but not before testing the waters with a hugely ambitious project. It's a longshot, but she won't know until she tries.
The crowd has increased in size, a sea of chatter flowing within the assembly. A few more onlookers enter through the arched entrance, many are still surprised over his return.
Both Ragnar and him have fans in the crowd. Fans of Rosa, Hilda, and Melanie are present too, and those three are having a blast signing things and posing for photos. Even Silver the Punisher's got a few fans around him, despite cheering not being his thing. He rarely uses that moniker of his to begin with.
Rosa and Hilda are rallying his diehard fans, while Melanie tries to hide the fact that she was the head of his domestic fan club. She's not doing that great of a job, as evident by the laughter of her Scizor and Pyroar.
He's had many battles and contest performances here, a place that first opened its doors in 1810. Just look the remnants of old wear and tear on this field. Who were the first Pokémon to duke it out here two hundred and ten years ago? Who were the first Pokémon to put on a grand performance here?
"I'll use this Pokémon."
Ragnar tosses the ball into the air, a thud echoing as Blastoise lands on his feet. Blastoise bangs his chest as he lets out a battle cry. He quickly realizes who his trainer's opponent is, acknowledging Valen with a nod and vice versa.
Valen's eyes contain an inner glow, and confidence leaks out of his lopsided smirk. "The empress shall bring order to this chaotic world!"
Up in the air the ball goes, out comes a smirking giant. Gardevoir doesn't make a sound as she leaps out with her arms folded. She towers over Blastoise, her eyes emitting an ominous gaze. Everybody gets used to her "sinister" battle vibe eventually—it's not stopping her from giving Valen trainer a loving smile.
Gardevoir and Blastoise greet each other with a wave, the former waving at Ragnar too. He acknowledges her with a smile.
"Let's get this battle started." Ragnar announces, rubbing his hair with his eyes closed. "Blastoise, use Shell Smash!"
Blastoise's shell glows bright blue. The evanescent energy makes a loud cracking sound as it breaks into smaller particles.
Glowing blue icicles envelop Blastoise's fists. He dashes towards Gardevoir, who lowers herself to prepare for a jump. Blastoise's left hook misses, but his right hook clobbers Gardevoir's left side, the sharp icicles jabbing her. She slightly wails, nearly tripping.
"Use Aura Sphere."
A light green oval of energy forms in front of Gardevoir's mouth. She launches it towards Blastoise's face, his head forcefully turned upwards upon impact.
"Skull Bash!"
"Counter with Reflect."
Gardevoir's eyes glow light blue, a circular barrier materializing in front of her. Blastoise tucks his head in and launches himself towards Gardevoir. He tries his hardest to break through, which pushes Gardevoir backwards. Bang after bang, slam after slam, nothing is getting past the barrier. Even more problematic is that Blastoise's within close range for an attack.
"Magical Leaf."
Gardevoir's eyes glow green, a storm of crescent shaped leaves materializing due to her telekinetic powers. The leaves slice through the air and pelt Blastoise. A second set of leaves is now careening towards him.
"Gyro Ball!"
Blastoise tucks his head and limbs into his shell, his body glowing metallic blue. He rotates as fast as he can, repelling the leaves while veering towards Gardevoir. The attack flings her onto the ground so hard that the battlefield cracks. Gardevoir picks herself up, just as small metallic blue orbs of energy begin to gather gather within both of Blastoise's cannons. He shoots out two massive beams, which merge together and blast into Gardevoir. She's sending careening into the wall, but she leaps off the wall with her feet.
Another Flash Cannon is heading her way. Ahahahahahaha, as if Valen and her going to let that happen! She twirls like a ballerina and narrowly misses being struck again. Nope, she's not falling for another Gyro Ball either. Try harder, Blastoise!
Asgard raises a fist. "Clock them with a storm of Ice Punches!"
Icicles surround Blastoise's fists again, but Gardevoir taunts that Blastoise can't continue this for the duration of the battle. She slides around the field to avoid the punches, her galluptious movements resembling a figure skater. All that contest practice really paid off for her.
"Counter with Mega Kick!"
Gardevoir's feet are covered by a opaque white glow. Her gown flows like drapery as she leaps up and wallops Blastoise's fists into his legs. Blastoise slightly groans but is otherwise more surprised that affected. Two spheres of water appear in front of Blastoise's cannons. Blastoise aims the spheres at the ground and launches them. They disintegrate into waves that envelop all sides. converging onto Gardevoir like she's in a raging body of water.
It's time for her rapid fire combo with Teleport and Thunderbolt. She kneels, then she leaps above the waves. A purple glow envelops her and she launches a powerful lightning bolt from the top of her head. Blastoise gets a zap to the lower jaw, purple electricity surrounding his body.
She vanishes, then re-appears to launch another bolt. Again, Blastoise's body gets enveloped by electricity. Gardevoir repeats the process three more times, which causes Blastoise to topple forward.
"Psychic."
Blastoise staggers onto his feet, while Gardevoir's telekinetic powers causes a ominous sensation within the air. Light blue enshrouds Gardevoir's eyes, her smirk evolving into a witch-like, lopsided grin. She unleashes a tsunami of energy, her flowing gown blown backwards by the groaning storm of wind that has spawned. Blastoise's firing metallic beams again but they're obliterated before they merge. The wave makes Blastoise bounce like a ping pong ball, eventually vanishing and leaving him lying on his shell.
Ragnar's left speeches for a brief moment. This Gardevoir's Psychic attack is still a terrifying move to be on the receiving end of. Even Blastoise seems surprised as he pulls himself together.
"Gardevoir, we need to veer on the side of caution." Valen folds his arms. "Use Recover."
Gardevoir lovingly stares at Valen and nods, her begins to glow bright purple. The shimmering of the evanescent light obscures her figure. She heavily breathes for a few moments, then she folds her arms. Her smirk emits a stronger cockier vibe that it did before—both Valen and Ragnar have rolled up their right sleeves to reveal their Mega Rings. It's time to take this battle to the next level, just like they did in the finals of the Calvanian Conference.
"The torrential power of Mega Evolution will guide us to our destiny!"
Ragnar slaps his palm onto his Mega Ring, a mighty aura enveloping his Blastoise. Once it evaporates, Blastoise's appearance has changed. It shows off the massive cannon on his back, which protrudes past his head. Two smaller cannons near his hands accompany it.
"The empress has issued her decree." His tone is low-pitched and his eyes are closed. He quickly and sharply re-opens his eyes, exclaiming, "Cower as she casts her wrath upon this battlefield!" He taps his Mega Ring. "Gardevoir, Mega Evolve!"
Gardevoir cackles like a witch, her body obstructed by a intense glistening aura. Her elegant and flowing gown becomes longer, the spikes on the sides of her head becoming larger and curvier, her arms look like she's donning long gloves, among other changes in her appearance.
"Liquidation!"
A torrential downpour erupts from Mega Blastoise's cannons, the water encircling him on all sides. He briefly leaps as he rockets towards Mega Gardevoir.
"Fend Blastoise off with another Psychic."
The thick air returns alongside the light blue glow in Mega Gardevoir's eyes. Another tsunami of energy's unleashed, sending Blastoise crashing into the wall behind Ragnar.
"She managed to stop Blastoise in his tracks?!"
"Use Magical Leaf."
As Blastoise returns to standing in front of his trainer, a flurry of crescent shaped leaves materializes again. Gardevoir hurls them like daggers, but Mega Blastoise launches a cyclone of snowballs from his cannons. The snowballs overpowers the leaves and pelts Mega Gardevoir. She folds her arms and leans forward, her eyes shut. He'll need more than Blizzard, that's for sure.
"Use Hydro Pump!"
"Counter with Moonblast."
Mega Blastoise fires a gigantic torrent of water from the cannon on his back, smaller torrents being fired from the other two cannons.
Mega Gardevoir's eyes glow light pink, a burning moon-like orb forming in-between her hands. She swings her right hand back, then hurls the large glowing orb at her opponents like a pitcher. The ensuing collision causes a thick blanket of steam to envelop the battlefield.
"Another Liquidation!"
Mega Blastoise charges in, his body encircled by the thundering water again. He flings Mega Gardevoir behind her trainer, but a leap with her legs has her back in front of Valen in no time. Both Pokémon pant, commending the other for fighting well.
"You can't hide from destiny." Valen's gesturing at him to bring it on. "Blastoise, end this with Hydro Cannon!"
A gigantic torrent erupts from all three of Mega Blastoise's cannons, the ensuing combination resulting in a circular formation. Mega Gardevoir's eyes widen, her figure obstructed by the storm surge blasting into her. She goes flying behind Valen, moaning when her back slams into the ground.
She clenches her teeth with an almost menacing gaze. There's no way she's going down like this. She's an alpha, she carries that knowledge with pride. She'll follow in Salamence's footsteps. Right here, right now.
The thickness of the tense atmosphere weighs down on both trainers and their Pokémon, but Mega Gardevoir's cackling shatters the tension. She deeply inhales and exhales, mustering up the power to leap back onto her feet.
Ragnar steps bac with a wide-eyed stare. "Hydro Cannon didn't take her down?!"
"I guess fate had a different plan for you," Valen teases, his grin lopsided. "Combine Psychic with Thunderbolt to form Thunder Force."
The ominous sensation is the most intense one yet. Gardevoir eyes glow as she fires off a megatsunami of energy. She follows it up by firing a purple bolt into the center of the wave. The ensuing fusion gives her Psychic attack a lavender blue finish, electricity crackling on the outside and inside.
A gale shrieks as Mega Blastoise's slammed into the wall, multiple bolts converging onto him simultaneously. He's obstructed by the thickness of the electricity. After the fusion disperses, Blastoise topples face-first onto the ground, which cracks upon impact. Both Gardevoir and Blastoise morph back into their normal forms.
"That's my girl."
Gardevoir's angelic cry fills up the air around her. Those words from her trainer are a bigger victory than any battle can hope to be.
Ragnar sighs with a smile as he calls back his Blastoise. "Get a good rest."
He re-attaches the ball to his his belt, observing Gardevoir caressing Valen's left cheek. He approaches Valen and Gardevoir, exchanging a high five and a handshake with both.
Rosa and Hilda dart up to Valen, the duo embracing him and vice versa. It's nice to receive a pair of hugs after a battle well fought.
Here comes Melanie, who looks a little perplexed. Silver must also be wondering what happened—he didn't use Recover in his full battle against him a little while ago ago. Nor did he use it in battles prior to that one.
Rosa and Hilda nod in encouragement, their adoration for him beaming through their smiles. The three of them went to Kalos a week after the full battle and he used those moves over there.
"...Alright, I'll tell you." He deeply inhales and exhales. "That's one reason why I felt weak." He scratches the back of his head. "Some moves kinda slipped my mind because it got distracted by doubt and cynicism." He raises his right fist with his elbow bent. "But I'm back on track now."
Melanie's smile is all that he needs to see from her. Silver too, he can't hide it. He's still a little ashamed about that pessimistic mindset, but he's since learned why he shouldn't hide how he feels from those who care about him
Valen calls back his Gardevoir, but not before she gives him a peck on the top of his head. He waves to his fans, while Rosa and Hilda high fives each and every one of them.
An orange-haired woman's waving at him and the others while running towards them. Her blue jacket with a white outline and the pinkish top underneath earns her a thumbs up from Melanie.
"It's ya girl, Rui!" She sticks up both pairs of index and ring fingers. "I watched that badass battle like a sneaky Sneasel!"
Valen and Rui fist bump, but the former has something on his mind. "I don't wanna spoil the mood, but you've kinda been absent as of late."
"Sorry about that." She does a hard swallow, her mouth slightly twisting. "I was looking into these rumors about a trainer kicking butt with a Naganadel...you already know why."
"I've heard about this too," Hilda adds, her thumb and right index finger on her chin. "He's got one?"
"Yeah...he snagged it from Cipher." Rui slowly moves her hands behind her back. "How many trainers have a Naganadel?" She taps her right foot on the ground. "I'm a little bit worried that this won't go well."
No, this won't help her. She lifts her chin up, a gleam of determination in her eyes. Look at their encouraging smiles, she needs to get her own back onto her face. That's how she'll greet Wes the next time they meet. She can't wait for him to see how great these people are.
Today was an action-packed day, but now it's time to spend the evening with two of the many books within the personal library. The word many is probably an understatement when there's five bookshelves filled to the brim. Rosa's books are among them, but Hilda's decided to keep her Eevee Ranger comic collection in her gaming and action figure room.
The display case contains ceramics, figurines, and numerous trophies and medals that the trio have won over the years. Can't forgot the photos, lots and lots of happy memories captured in those photos. At the top of the self is a 1/4th scale version of Salamence Atop a Rock by Gianluigi Bernini, a sculptor so adept at bringing marble to life that he turned AZ into a sympathetic figure. This rendition of a Salamence shooting a Flamethrower into the sky was crafted by Valen's cousin, Jacques Beauchene-Bernini.
Numerous paintings prints greet everybody who enter the master bedroom, da Vinti's Mona Gardevoir among them. This famous portrait of da Vinti's Gardevoir depicted her with her arms folded, hence why his own Gardevoir does it.
In lieu of that da Vinti poster Melanie got him, he's chosen to read a monograph on Leonardo da Vinti. It's one of the classics among early to mid-twentieth century art literature. Next to his upper right leg is a selection from Leonardo's vast notebooks. He's also in the mood for the writings of Professor Charles Laventon, a man who credited both Leonardo and Professor Claus Golter as being his biggest influences.
Here comes Gardevoir, checking up on him on behalf of the whole team. She caresses his left check and gives him a peck to the top of his head. Gardevoir's an artist who uses her psychic powers to conjure up images. A show-stopper performance is bound to cause a galluptious atmosphere.
Gardevoir teleports herself out of the room, just as Rosa strolls in. She plops two items on the mahogany desk, then teases him with a coy smile and wink. Rosa jumps onto his lap, staring deep into his eyes. Words? Who needs words here?
The warm and gentle touch of her arms around his neck soothes him. He plays around with her long hair, his other hand on her back. He basks in the endothermic air around them, a tingle on his lips when she kisses him.
Time has come to a halt, his body feels like a feather. He truly is lucky, he'll permanently store that knowledge within his heart. Eternity is how long he wants to kiss her for, but she seems to have something to show him.
"Nooooow, follow the leader." She pulls him towards the desk. "I designed a poster for the BW Agency."
Does he have a choice? Her grip's too powerful due to dangerously high levels of cuteness. The obvious aside, Lisia and her Altaria are standing in between Hilda, Rosa, and their respective dragons. The quaint coastline of Lilycove City resides in the background. Above them is the BW Agency's logo, as well as a blurb about co-hosting and a partnership. Let's see what they've got in store for Calvana.
"I also finished my latest painting!" Rosa grabs the canvas that lies on the furthest end of the desk. "I call it Pokémon Cupcake Date!"
The verisimilitude of Rosa's work never fails to amaze him. A grinning Salamence and a smiling Milotic munch on cupcakes together within a large luxurious room. She used yellow ochre for the gleam in both Pokémon's eyes, the colors used for their bodies ranging from ultramarine blue to red ochre. A large dining table draped in cloth peeking in from the furthest distance, a similar cloth underneath the two Pokémon. That, plus, the antique furniture is concealed by dim lighting. However, enough is shown for him to deduce that she's loosely based this interior off of Aenos Palace, a crown jewel left behind by the Ancient Unovans.
She's utilized a dramatic presentation of light and shade, chiaroscuro, to turn the painting into a theatre play. In order to better achieve this, she used an red-orange background. A large chandelier is one of only two visible source, its placement directly above the Pokémon. A candle's the second source, the placement between the Pokémon giving the scene a romantic vibe.
Rosa's chiaroscuro bears a remarkable resemblance to the iconic style of Marcantonio Merisi da Caravaggio, the highly influential master of Ragulian Baroque painting. The rich dark browns used within the darkened aesthetic indicates a pinch of Rembrandt Aendriessen van Remis' painting style.
"Excellent work." He kisses her on the lips. "Odin Phoenix better watch out—this might be mistaken for an Old Masters work."
"Oh stop it." Rosa blushes and looks away, waving a hand in his face. "You're too much."
"I know, Rosa." He takes another look at her work. "I know."
Rosa was five when she was first mesmerized by the work of a High Renaissance legend, Raphael Sadoletto da Urbina. The location was the Aspertia Gallery, the work was Galatea's Battling. This depiction of history's first known female champion entranced her to the point of her pretending to be Galatea via her Pokémon plushies of Golurk and Absol. She's thought about using one of her middle names, Rafaela, as a painter pseudonym.
Her calling as a painter began to reveal itself shortly after her sixth birthday. It was at the Metropolitan Gallery of Art in Castelia City where her blue eyes gazed upon Caravaggio for the first time. Later on, Caravaggio's work joined her scriptwriter father to spark an interest in film and theatre.
Art also brought a certain someone into her life, and he's standing right next to her. Tee-hee, if only he'd play Raphael in a movie where she'd play the painter's most adoring fan, Princess Lucreiza de' Ragonesi!
"Daydreaming about being the world's hottest contemporary painter?"
"Oh come on!" Rosa's face reddens again. "You don't have to make be blush every single time!" She nearly tears up while clutching her ribs. "Lovable idiot!"
Their laughter fills up the master bedroom and flows into the hallway. His Gardevoir and her Serperior briefly peek into the room, their faces glowing with adoration.
Both Valen and Rosa unknowingly ponder the same thing. Maybe it's time to shift gears to a certain extent, not that they've ever neglected art. Why would they deny their passion? Why would they ignore what glued them together?
Hilda trots into the master bedroom with a silly grin. Even when she's not in her office, she makes sure everything's in odder at the agency.
"Good job on getting another big name client, I'm proud of both of you."
Hilda tilts her head leftwards, the tips of her right fingers above her mouth. Rosa's hands are clasped next to her right cheek, her left foot slightly above the floor. Whenever he's proud of them, it goes into their hearts and remains there.
"Hilda's daydreaming about her already achieved roles of world's hottest talent agent, and manager. A double cheek bop from her isn't enough to stop him. "And trainer." A forehead bop isn't enough either. "Can't handle the truth?"
"Hehe, you just want to look cool in front of us."
Rosa narrows her eyes, pointing her right index finger sideways with her thumb sticking out. Is he going to act all cute and dorky? Is he going to bombard them with compliments? Get their latest trainer trading cards?
"Heeeey, maybe he's been a bad boy." Hilda grips the color of his gunmetal black shirt, her sultry gaze locking onto him. "Let's see if he can handle me tonight."
Valen faintly yelps, diverting his attention to Hilda's denim shorts and Rosa's black leggings. Except that's bad idea when taking the exit for Dorky Avenue. They look so good in their favorite outfits! Not to mention they're easy in the eyes! Why'd she have to go there while giving him that adorable face?! Why is Hilda making the same face? They're also beautiful like a Bernini sculpture! He could go on and on, why must they tease him so?!
He spontaneously calms down, blinking rapidly. He sighs, his arms dangling by his sides. "...I'll never live these moments down." He lowers his head, his right palm plastered onto his face. "I'm such a dork."
"Heeeeey, don't be like that! You're our favorite dork!"
"Alas, thy queen knew thou well!" Rosa trots out of the room, blowing a kiss at Valen. "I'll test you after Hilda!"
Luxray's shrieking and Umbreon's stammering are good indicator of what's going on within the second floor. Rosa's giggling is now coming from the same direction. Hilda and him can even hear her making kissing noises, which makes them silently crack up.
A warm tingle jolts Valen when Hilda's lips meets his lips, her arms encircling his neck. He places his hands on her upper back and tilts her back. The endothermic atmosphere gives an encore, the sensation of time stopping following in its footsteps. Weightlessness makes it a trio.
Hilda and him lock gazes, words aren't needed between them either. Well, except for a few.
"Is that it, Val-Val?"
"Don't test me."
As they resume pressing their lips together, Valen muses how he managed to pushed past his fear. The only way to ease his fears was to move forward, and it was more than worth it. The sun shining on his future will never set. Bet the shadows didn't count on his return. It thought it had it all under control, but he's taken back what it stole.
Give it up cuz now he's back.
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Maybe the transitioning need to be smoothened out too.