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littlemisspascal · 7 months

Text

Bitter Ends Turn Sweet in Time

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Female Reader

Word Count: 7k+

Summary: There’s not a single day in a whole year that isn’t bookmarked by a memory of him. And you, you remember all of them.

Rating: T

Warnings: Pokémon au (but not 100% true to canon, just elements + some characters), time skips in non-linear manner, fluff, angst, bittersweet ending, storms, language, Reader and Frankie are same age + grow up together, high school au ish(?), inspired by 500 Days of Summer + Song of Achilles' 'name one hero who was happy' scene + this quote by photographer David Alan Harvey:

"Don't shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like."

- Reader has no official name and no physical traits described in detail. However, she is mentioned to have hair, a career, wear a dress (no description), and eat sandwiches

Author Note: I've been wanting to write a Pokémon au for a long, long, long time and I've also been wanting to write a non-linear fic for a long, long, long time as well so this is the result of both those wants combining forces *awkwardly throws it into the universe* It is what it is.

-- all moodboard photos found on pinterest

-- shinx, luxio, luxray // pikachu photo references

Special thanks to @beecastle for beta reading and encouraging me through my breakdowns 💜

Day 1,695

Luxray’s a silent wall of black and blue fur for your body to brace against as the sky bleeds a deep shade of orange, and you know he knows. Doesn’t even have to use his x-ray vision to confirm what’s etched into every line of your expression. Anguish—when it’s real and unbearable and deeply-rooted—is impossible to hide. Everyone who looks at you will know.

Everyone except the one pair of brown eyes that’ll never look your way again.

“I’m such an idiot,” you say quietly, and it’s embarrassing how thick the lump of emotion is lodged in your throat. You wipe at your nose with your sleeve. “So damn stupid.”

Luxray lets out a low growl, chiding in nature, as if to say don’t talk shit about yourself.

“He was never going to stay,” you continue, ignoring the vibration rattling your bones. “But I got my hopes up anyways. What we’ve accomplished these last few weeks together, I thought there was a chance…a slim one, you know? That maybe–maybe we could actually stick together this time.”

And you don’t realize you’re crying until Luxray’s twisting his head to nuzzle against your temple, encouraging you to bury your face into the thick fur along his chest and shoulders. With your eyes squeezed shut, you can almost block out the all-encompassing numbness emanating from the cavity your heart used to reside in.

“He’s gone…” you choke out through sobs, grabbing fistfuls of Luxray’s inky black mane. “And I think it’s permanent this time.”

Day 1

The first day of classes at Uva Academy is a whirlwind of meeting teachers, racing from one floor to the next against the clock, and making sure you never lose track of Shinx in the chaos of it all, but when the last bell finally rings, you feel no sting of regret about coming here.

You split a sandwich with Shinx underneath a tree in the school courtyard, brain buzzing with the overload of information absorbed throughout the day. Maybe signing up for a full schedule of classes was a bit excessive, but unlike most of your fellow students who have some semblance of a plan for their futures your next steps are plagued with uncertainty. There are so many paths one can take with their Pokémon—the course of a Trainer, a Coordinator, a Professor, a Ranger, the list goes on and on—you don’t know which direction to take.

When you lock eyes with a boy with brown eyes across the yard, there’s nothing special about the moment. No sparks, no forgetting how to breathe. He’s just a boy with a Pikachu on his shoulder and a dimpled grin on his face.

“I saw you in Mr. Jacq’s class,” he says in lieu of a greeting when he draws closer, purple Academy tie loose and crooked around his neck. Recognition stirs in the back of your mind, a flash of dark brown curls towards the back of the room spotted before taking your seat at the front.

Actually, now that you think about it…

“Weren’t you in Ms. Dendra’s class too?” you wonder, passing the last bite of sandwich to Shinx, his little body wiggling eagerly. “And Ms. Raifort’s…?”

“Yeah, I, uh, I don’t really know what I want to do yet.” He scuffs at the ground with his shoe, grin turning a bit crooked at the corner, strangely endearing in its awkwardness. “I figure life’s short, you know? Why not try as many things as you can when you have the chance?”

“Right,” you agree, finding yourself smiling back. “Nothing wrong with making memories.”

"I'm Frankie, by the way."

“Nice to meet you Frankie,” you say, shaking his hand. It’s warm in your grip, firm and secure, thumb grazing over your knuckles. “Looks like we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

And so it starts after that—the counting of days. Days when you see him in class, when he smiles at you, when he does homework with you in the library, when he and Pikachu have a battle against you and Shinx–winner buys lunch. It’s a subconscious quirk you keep to yourself. Even after he’s gone, chasing after legends to the far corners of the earth, you still continue counting days.

Days when he crosses your mind. Days when you leave the door unlocked in case he stops by. Days when you swear you catch a whiff of his citrus shampoo on the pillowcase despite the impossibility of it.

There’s not a single day in a whole year that isn’t bookmarked by a memory of him. And you, you remember all of them.

Day 183

“I want my name in one of these books,” he tells you, Ms. Raifort’s assigned reading on the lost explorers of Area Zero spread out in front of him.

You look up from the text, fatalities and disaster and other sharp words with teeth still swimming in your head. “It won’t be easy.”

You’ve only known him six months—long enough to be certain you’ll never meet anyone else like him, but too short to realize the hidden depths of his stubborn ambition.

“No,” he agrees, mouth curling up at the corner, “but it’ll be one hell of a story.”

Day 8

The air is heavy with the sharp, pungent scent of ozone as thunder rumbles overhead. You take in the ominous black clouds, adjusting the hood of your yellow coat to better defend your hair against the pattering raindrops. Doesn’t do much to ward off the chill of the wind though.

Shinx is darting about the meadow in zigzagging lines, wet to the bone and having a blast. Pikachu follows at his heels, electricity sparking from the red circles of her cheeks before fizzling out harmlessly. If there’s any rules to this game they’re playing, you haven’t a clue. Still, their obvious excitement over the weather has you smiling despite the numbness of your toes in soggy shoes.

To your left, Frankie watches the pair of Pokémon nimbly leap over a puddle, studying their graceful movements. His dark hair is flattened against his head, curls beaten into submission, but there’s something in his eyes, a sort of wistfulness that snags your attention like a moth to a flame.

A bolt of lightning burns a gleaming white strip across the gloomy sky, halting Shinx and Pikachu’s play as they elicit squeaks of awe, but you can’t stop looking at Frankie. He’s grinning now, a wide and ecstatic thing with his head tipped back, rain streaming down his face.

“Amazing, isn’t it? Seeing one of nature’s tantrums,” he says, voice low and wonderstruck. “My mother always said it takes someone extra special to train those who can summon such raw, uncontrollable power on cue.”

You’ve never thought of yourself as someone unusual or remarkable. Looking at him though, soaked and shivering and absolutely beaming, you think if anyone’s extra special in this world it’s him.

Day 1,987

It’s a long time before you can look through photos of him without a wound violently tearing open in your chest. Longer still before you can hear his voice on the phone. He calls more often these days, mostly because you’re knee-deep in another mystery and only a little because he misses you, and that’s okay. You can smile at his jokes and it feels real. You can love him and know better than to be in love with him.

You stay busy. You photograph every inch of the nature park on Florio, even convince Professor Mirror to let you take the NEO-ONE to some of Lental’s other islands for further research. You spend hours clicking through photos on your computer, frowning at blurry ones, printing some out for the Professor to take a closer look at as well as a few for your own personal collection of albums.

Your coworker isn’t an intimidating figure by any means, but something about watching him study and scrutinize your pictures never fails to make your hands shake and feet shuffle. Even after all these months, practically living inside each other’s pockets at the Laboratory of Ecology and Natural Sciences (or L.E.N.S. as the Professor affectionately calls it), studying the Illumina phenomenon and all its effects, there’s a part of you still terrified it could all come crashing down.

“You’re too hard on yourself,” Professor Mirror tells you, glaring disapprovingly over the frames of his glasses. It’s not the first time you’ve heard that remark and it won’t be the last either.

“More analyzing the photos and less analyzing me please,” you reply, nodding your head at the small stack in his hands.

He grumbles under his breath, but resumes evaluating the latest shots of your walk along Blushing Beach. There are Wingulls performing loops in the air, an Exeggutor snoozing beneath a palm tree, the splashings of a pair of Corsola playing in the waves. Luxray looking at the contents of a tide pool. A Pikachu eating a fluffruit after you’d scared her by your loud gasp, mistaking her for another of her kind. You don’t mention that tidbit to your coworker though.

That should be the last one, except then Professor Mirror’s letting out a surprised little hum, holding up a photo you never intended anyone else to ever see. Not even the subject. Especially not the subject.

It’s from your sophomore year at Uva Academy. You would call the picture ugly, edges a bit hazy due to your unsteady hands, still learning the tips and tricks of photography, except it’s Frankie. And he’s looking at you behind the lens with a fondness so sweet it makes your teeth hurt, holding a newly evolved Luxio to his chest, with windswept curls your fingers will always long to tame.

You should’ve thrown it out a long time ago. The man in the photo isn’t the same man who will call you later tonight from half a world away just to ask how your day went and if you’re willing to admit you need his help with the Illumina project. But you’ve always been too sentimental for your own good, holding onto things until there are only scraps left, slipping through the gaps of your fingers.

At the very least, you shouldn’t have reorganized your albums so close to your work station.

After what feels like the longest stretch of silence of your life, Professor Mirror finally says, carefully neutral as if wary of provoking a negative reaction, “Someone special, I presume?”

“It’s complicated,” is all you offer in response, snatching the picture back and telling yourself the ache behind your ribcage is a side effect of a papercut.

Day 389

Uva Academy teaches you battle strategies, the effects of Berries and how to better understand your Pokémon amongst other vital lessons to prepare students for a career outside the ancient brick walls and dorm rooms.

It’s Frankie who teaches you how to find beauty in thunderstorms, how to enjoy each day like it’s your last, how to dream a little bit bigger, a little bit bolder—or maybe that’s something you teach each other.

On the weekends you head into the city center together, trying different eateries and watching fellow students challenge each other on the plaza battle court. Afterwards you’ll walk along the cobblestone streets side by side, sometimes discussing classwork or pointing out items in shop windows, but usually the time is spent in companionable silence. Just sharing the same space.

You buy your first camera acting on pure impulse, drawn to it inexplicably and handing over money to the salesman in a matter of minutes. It fits in the palm of your hand, heavy and solid, buttons and knobs staring back at you, waiting to be pressed and manipulated. For the first ten or so minutes of ownership, you simply hold onto the device, studying its shape, its lens, fingertips running over the bumps and grooves.

“Well?” Frankie prompts, gentle voice breaking the silence, brown eyes flicking between your face and the camera. Pikachu echoes the question with a tiny pika?, sensing the fragility of the moment.

“I don’t know what to do,” you answer, shoulders curling with self-consciousness. At your feet, Shinx sits on your shoe and rubs his cheek against your leg comfortingly.

“Well,” he hums, a teasing smile growing on his lips as he presses a button. “Maybe start with turning it on first.”

“Shut up.” You swat at him, but there’s no real heat. “I meant, I don’t know what to take a photo of.”

“It doesn’t matter what the sight is,” Frankie tells you, grabbing hold of your hands and raising them up until the camera’s in front of your face. He steps back and you peek at him through the viewfinder, watching as he spreads his arms out wide with Pikachu still happily perched on his shoulder. “What’s important is how it makes you feel.”

You take a breath, taking a moment to hold the shutter button until it focuses, and then take the photo. No count down, no say cheese!—you simply heed his advice, focusing on how it makes you feel.

The preview screen asks if you’d like to keep the picture or delete it. Your thumb hovers over the buttons.

Focused on the way Frankie’s hair has a golden aura in the light, how Pikachu’s nose scrunches when she’s grinning, you nearly jump out of your skin when he’s suddenly at your side again, wondering, “What do I make you feel, shutterbug?”

Like I’m falling and flying at the same time, you think, quick and startling. A bolt of lightning amongst storm clouds.

You press save.

“Like spending a hundred bucks wasn’t a total mistake.”

Day 448

You take a seat in the cafeteria across from Yovanna and her Sylveon. You’re lucky she shares the same lunch hour as you. Even more lucky she likes you enough to also share her space. Her knack for securing a table each day despite the scrambling rush of hungry students is a gift from the gods. Or maybe it’s a perk of being the president of the Academy’s student council.

“You haven’t stopped smiling for days.” She points with her fork at your grin, a giddy, bubbly thing not even Ms. Tyme’s pop quiz last period could stifle. “Spill it. Who’re you crushing on? Is he a student here? You got a picture?”

“Not with me.” It’s a lie, ever since you bought your camera it’s been glued to your person and there’s always at least one picture of him stored within the device’s gallery of Luxio shots and library aesthetic and other things that make you happy. “He is a student here though.”

Yovanna drops her fork onto her plate, jostling the pieces of fruit waiting to be eaten. Sylveon catches a flying strawberry midair by jumping in her seat and landing neatly on four paws like it’s a regular trick to perform. “Shut up. It’s him, isn’t it?”

You feed Luxio a pickle off your sandwich, neither confirming nor denying.

But your grin does get a little bit impossibly wider.

“Aw man, I owe Santi twenty bucks now.”

Your eyes narrow shrewdly. “Did you seriously make a bet?”

“You two are joined at the hip, of course I did.” Yovanna leans back in her chair, arms behind her head, not a single hint of shame for her actions. “Santi said you’d realize you had feelings for him before winter break. I thought it’d take you until the end of the semester ‘cause you’ve got the self-awareness of a piece of concrete most days.”

“Rude.” She dodges the crumpled napkin you toss at her with a laugh.

“Hey, this is a good development. Now you just gotta keep the momentum going and tell him how you feel. You’re perfect for each other.”

Tucking back into her meal, she misses the brief slip in your smile.

“Yeah.”

Day 8

Ms. Dendra is the only teacher without a classroom, preferring to use the battlefield in the middle of the courtyard for her lessons rather than a whiteboard. She weaves along the line of students with her Medicham, offering suggestions and correcting forms to make the most out of their Pokémons’ moves. You keep one eye on her drawing steadily closer and one on Shinx pawing at the ground, charging up electricity in his forelegs. He still hasn’t mastered thunder shock yet, maybe Ms. Dendra can–

“Storm’s coming tonight,” a voice drawls behind you, a curious blend of casual and enthusiastic.

You turn around, finding Frankie standing there looking up at the sky. The dark gray clouds do seem indicative of bad weather, now that he’s mentioned it. Rain is definitely on its way.

And then he asks, a little sudden, “You ever seen one up close?”

A strange question. Still, you think about it, searching your childhood. All you remember are memories of cowering under the blankets in your bed and playing in puddles the next morning when the monstrous rumbling and harsh flashes had long passed. You’ve seen rain up close, felt the drops on your skin, inhaled the scent of petrichor deep into your lungs. But storms?

“No,” you shake your head, shivering as the temperature seems to drop. “Never.”

He hums, a bland note that could mean anything. At your feet, Shinx and Pikachu sit and stare at each other, little sparks of blue and yellow static crackling in the air between them like morse code.

“No wonder you’re having trouble with your partner. Can’t teach him about electricity when you’ve never seen it in action.”

“That’s not how training works,” you retort defensively. “Also storms aren’t exactly harmless, in case you forgot. They’re loud and dangerous and—”

“Beautiful,” Frankie cuts in with such firm conviction you reel back in surprise. “Absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful.” A pause follows, and you hate the smirk that grows on his face, how it taunts you, how it makes his eyes glitter with mischief. “Or maybe not. I could be lying. Only one way to find out for sure.”

A raindrop lands on your cheek. Then another on your arm. And another on your nose. It’s pouring now. Students are complaining about their lesson being interrupted and Ms. Dendra’s shouting for everyone to head back inside. Through it all your eyes remain locked in an intense staring match, neither one willing to surrender.

“Fine,” you reply with a sharp jerk of your chin. “Show me.”

Day 1,448

Your internship with Professor Oak is—good. It’s the start of a brand new chapter in your life, except the last chapter ended on a terrible note and the upcoming pages are terrifyingly blank if you fail to impress your new boss, so. Yeah.

You get along with the Professor’s other intern, a local boy named Will. He teaches you how to drive the ZERO-ONE around the sanctuary. You spend hours out on the trails, memorizing everything about the wild Pokémon who call the island home. You enjoy the assignments Professor Oak gives you, staying busy, filling up albums with photos and journals with research notes.

But when it’s quiet, when you’re staring up at the ceiling waiting for sleep to come…you’ve never felt more lonely in your life. Even with Luxray within reach, loyal and constant, there’s a persistent ache you can’t shake. A loose thread dangling in your mind, tormenting you, and you know if you were to tug on it exactly where it would lead.

Everything leads back to him.

Frankie hasn’t tried to call you. Hasn’t had any contact with you since graduation. Not even a postcard from whatever corner of the world he’s trying to accomplish his dreams.

You haven’t tried to call him either. And yes, it’s true communication is a two-way street, but he’s the one who left and took your heart with him. Why should you give him more of yourself? You hate yourself for even contemplating picking up the phone.

You hate yourself even more for wondering what your relationship would’ve been like if you’d gone with him. If it’d hurt less to just have stayed friends. If you’d been better off never knowing him at all. If, if, if…

Day 485

The problem is, you think your feelings for Frankie are just a little bit stronger than a crush. You’re pretty sure you’re in love with him. Or at least halfway there.

As much as you hate to admit it, Yovanna wasn’t wrong saying you have the self-awareness of a piece of cement. You don’t know for certain if the fluttery Butterfree sensation in your stomach or galloping heartbeat whenever Frankie smiles at you is love. But you are certain he’s gotten under your skin, triggering as many irritations as he is encouraging new ways of growth. You’re a better person, you think, simply by knowing him.

You also think it’s actually kind of scary to imagine something so strong and life-transforming could be anything else but love. Regardless, you hope it stays with you forever. This precious, nameless thing.

It won’t be until many days later—until you know what it’s like to kiss him, and hold his face between your palms, the heat of his breath tingling against your skin; until he’s fluent in myths and legends and fables, swearing he’ll be the one to make them truths and facts and verities; until you can’t picture a future without him in it, not a happy one, at least—you’ll realize you do love him. And he loves you, too, as it turns out.

But nothing lasts forever. Someone’s always got to be the first to let go.

Day 1,375

You receive an offer for an internship with Professor Oak in Pallet Town to help him complete his Pokémon Report by taking photos on a nearby island sanctuary. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime to work with such an esteemed researcher, but thinking about graduation creeping up, about leaving behind this realm of familiarity now that you’ve learned everything Uva Academy has to teach, it’s—moving forward is harder than you anticipate.

It doesn’t help that Frankie's becoming more and more restless, unable to stand still as if it physically pains him to do so. No matter how many walks around the city, how many storms chased after, he’s always looking out towards the horizon, aura so thick with discontentment it’s as if he’s physically cloaked in it.

Lately the only moments he seems to settle within his own skin are when he’s talking with Ms. Raifort, discussing ancient prophecies and ruins scattered around the globe. You don’t understand it, his passionate fascination–no, obsession with mythology. Why not let sleeping dogs lie?

Frankie won’t talk to you about the future, evading the topic like a cunning Nickit. Still you cling to his hand, to hope, to the belief love conquers all, until the morning of graduation he comes to your dorm room and stares over your shoulder rather than meet your gaze. Even Pikachu hides her face in his curls, ears lowered despondently.

You let him in, the beginnings of dread stirring in your stomach, sensing whatever he’s got to say will have irreparable consequences.

“Did you have breakfast yet?” You gesture towards the kitchen, an unspoken can this wait? laced within the question.

“Not feeling very hungry today,” he answers, glancing about the room aimlessly. No, it can’t.

“That’s a first.” You take a seat on the sofa next to Luxray, grounding yourself by stroking a hand along his back. “You gonna tell me what’s on your mind or are you gonna make me guess?”

At that, Frankie finally turns to you, and his torn expression fractures something delicate inside of you, coldness flooding your lungs.

“I’ve been thinking. About us.”

“What about us?”

“I love you.” There’s no sweetness to the words. No tenderness. They are words of blood, of pain, scraping against his throat on their way out. “I’ve loved you from day one and I’ll love you ten thousand more. But what I want, what you want—it’s not the same thing. And it’s only going to hurt the longer we keep pretending otherwise.”

“Stop, please don’t—” your voice cracks, the cold gripping your heart now. Please don’t say it. Please don’t do this. “We’re—we’re good together. You know we are.”

“We were,” he amends, voice so unbearably gentle it’s a jagged blade against your soul. “We were so good. But we’re not ready for what comes next. We’ve become thunder and lightning, one ahead of the other. Our timing is off, shutterbug.”

Day 765

It’s drizzling a little when you return to campus. You shiver in your wet dress, grimacing as you accidentally step in a puddle, thoroughly soaking your flats and bare feet. Hopefully you won’t slip on the stairs and break your neck. That’d be the cherry on top of this disappointing evening.

You just want to shower, put on your comfiest pajamas, and fall asleep as fast as possible.

Except when you reach your floor there’s a figure curled up on the floor outside your door, fast asleep with a snoring Pikachu curled on his chest.

“Hey, sleeping beauty.” You nudge at Frankie’s knee with your wet shoe, raising an eyebrow at him as he jerks awake, blinking rapidly. “What’re you doing here?”

“Oh, you’re back,” he says through a yawn, stretching his arms over his head. Pikachu grunts, displeased at the movement and sounds, and stubbornly curls into a tighter ball, forcing him to cradle her in the nook of his arm as he stands up. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I just–I wanted to make sure you got back from your date okay. How did it go?”

Your date, Tom, is in Mr. Hassel’s art class with you. He invited you to see a new photography exhibit at the city’s museum. He was nice, if a little overzealous, and seeing lovely displays of art seemed like a better way to spend the evening instead of once again hopelessly pining over your best friend. So, you’d said yes, changed into a nice dress, and swore off any and all yearning.

Except that’s exactly what you ended up doing anyways.

Every time a photo left you breathless, you’d instinctively turn to look for brown eyes that weren’t there. Every joke Tom made you’d compare it to one of Frankie’s. Throughout the entire evening, you couldn’t stop your thoughts drifting back towards the Academy, wondering what he was doing.

You weren’t surprised Tom cut the date short, correctly sensing your heart just wasn’t into it. Still stung a bit though watching him leave you behind to join up with some other classmates hanging out in the plaza.

“Poorly,” you answer with a slight grimace.

“Oh.” Frankie blinks, looking at a loss for additional words. He’s wearing the hoodie he got from his trip to Montenevera over the holiday break and sweatpants, warm and rumpled and cozy, a complete contrast to your entire wardrobe. “Did he–did he hurt you? Because if he did anything inappropriate, I swear–”

“What? No, no, nothing like that happened.” You shake your head, ignoring the flutter of your heartbeat, touched at his protectiveness. He’s still staring at you, and you know he’s not going to let this slide under the rug. “Relax, tough guy. Tom was fine. I was the problem.”

“Tauros shit,” he immediately rejects the notion. “You could never be a problem.”

The hallway feels too hot all of the sudden despite the icy raindrops still clinging to your skin. “That’s sweet,” you say, trying to flash a grin except the muscles in your face refuse to cooperate. It feels stiff. Forced. “You say that to all the girls?”

His mouth tugs upwards into a smile, dimpled and boyish. “Once or twice,” he says, “but I only mean it with you.”

It’s dangerous and stupid to get your hopes up, but there’s something about the quietness, something about his brown eyes and his nearness, that makes you take a leap of faith. Makes you think screw it and reach for his free hand, lacing your fingers together.

“I was the problem,” you tell him softly, watching his expression sober, “because I kept looking for you.”

Silence follows, interrupted by a quiet snore from Pikachu.

Then, just as softly, Frankie says for a second time, “Oh.”

You swallow, feeling like you can’t breathe. “Yeah.”

“Silly girl, you didn’t need to look.” He squeezes your hand, leans in just enough to bump his nose against yours. “I’ve always been here.”

Day 1,375

Later, you won’t remember the particulars of how the rest of the conversation played out. There are words, so many words. Angry and inconsolable, spat out through clenched teeth and pleaded with numb lips. Tears, too. So many damn tears it’s a wonder you don’t drown yourself.

You will remember how he looks at you though. Brown eyes deep and golden, reflecting the morning light streaming through the window. He’s beautiful, and you think that’s the final straw of it all, the definitive proof that even as he’s ripping out your heart you will never feel anything less for him than love.

No passage of time or miles of distance will ever change that. You know this like you know the sun will rise tomorrow, and the next day, and the one after that.

Still, this certainty doesn’t stitch up the gaping, bleeding hole in your sternum.

No, that self-healing won’t begin until many, many days later.

Day 610

In another life, if you hadn’t discovered your love of photography, you think you would have been a great astronomer. You know each of the constellations’ names, the best times during the year to spot them, even the tales assigned to them.

Tonight, the night sky is full of stars in every direction you look, not even the distant city lights strong enough to overpower their shine. You lie on your back in the soft meadow grass, hands resting on your stomach, the scent of wildflowers as thick in the air as the fireflies Luxio and Pikachu chase after. To your left, he mimics your pose, except he’s got an arm pillowed under his head, silent except for his breathing.

“There’s Kingler, cursed to hold up his heavy claw for eternity,” you say eventually, raising a hand to trace the starry outline with your fingertip. “Cubone’s next to him, forever mourning his mother.”

He remains silent. You turn your head to look at him, discovering he is deeply absorbed in his thoughts. Physically, you could easily reach out for his hand, but the blankness in his eyes suggests internally he’s half a world away. Somewhere you can’t follow. An irrational spark of jealousy burns hot in your veins, upset your presence isn’t enough of an anchor to keep him locked in the present moment.

You emit a quiet sigh, mentally rolling your eyes at your own childishness, and start to turn back to the sky when his voice catches you off guard, asking, “You ever notice they’re all tragedies?”

“Huh?”

“The myths behind the constellations.” He looks at you then, eyes dim with an emotion you can’t recognize. “Can you name one with a happy ending?”

You think about Pinsir, exiled due to his uncontrollable rage; Koffing, releasing toxic gases as he dies; Dugtrio, punished by an angry Groudon for gouging too many holes in the earth. The list grows longer, the tales grow sadder.

“No,” you say at last. “I guess not.”

He shrugs a shoulder, like it’s nothing, like his next words aren’t going to hurt something fierce. “That’s because happy endings are the biggest myth of all.”

Day 1,375

He kisses you. It is perfect and excruciating all at once. His hand is cupping your cheek, and his touch is so tender and intimately familiar you can’t stop yourself from indulging and it’s cruel of him to leave you like this. Shattered and wanting. Falling and flying.

But when Frankie’s right, he’s right.

This split in your paths has been a long time coming. You’d just refused to read the writing on the wall, content to keep counting the days, pretending the number would stretch on into infinity.

Infinity is just another word for forever though.

And there’s truth in that old saying: when you love someone—

“I love you,” he says again at the door. His eyes drift over your face, as if memorizing every detail. “And I’m proud of you. Remember that.” There’s the briefest of glimpses of tears in his eyes before he’s wrapping you in a hug, so tight your ribs painfully protest. You savor every second of it. “This isn’t the last of us. We’ll meet again, I swear it. One day, shutterbug.”

—you let them go.

Day 1,669

You’ve been dreading his arrival, dreading how he might look at you. What might be different. What, if anything, might be the same.

All communication thus far has been directly with Professor Oak. You haven’t heard a single peep even though your number’s stayed the same. Even though you know he knows you’re here.

Luxray stays close as the hour draws closer, trying to soothe your nervous energy. You stroke his mane, eyes flicking between your computer, the window, and then back again. The cursor blinks on the screen, waiting for you to finish adding the last details to the report you’ve been developing on the Pokémon signs you and Will discovered. Bizarre occurrences where the environment manifests the likeness of specific Pokémon—always the same ones in the same places. But why they existed and what they meant remained unsolved mysteries robbing you of sleep.

It had been the Professor's idea to invite another set of eyes to examine the clues after months of no solid progress. For every one step made forward it felt like the universe would shove you five steps backwards, the hidden connection remaining just out of your reach.

If you had known Professor Oak and Ms. Raifort were old friends, that she would’ve recommended her favorite pupil…well, you’re not sure if anything would’ve really changed. What fate wants, fate gets one way or another.

Frankie arrives at eventide, bringing the warmth of the fading sun into the lab with him. He looks…unchanged. Maybe a little broader, thicker with muscle from his journeys. But still familiar in all the ways that matter. You wonder if the same can be said for yourself.

He’s looking at you, and it’s—it’s less painful than you expected. No tight band wrapped around your middle, no spontaneous bursting of tears. He’s just a man with a Pikachu on his shoulder and a dimpled grin on his face.

“Hey shutterbug,” he says, and it feels abruptly like slow motion, like you’re watching through someone else’s eyes as he comes closer, closer, closer and pulls you into a tight embrace. His arms are just as strong as you remember them, memories of graduation screaming in the back of your mind and you’re in your dorm room again watching him walk out of your life with your heart in tow.

You want to…

(kiss him, hit him, hold him, scream at him)

You want too many things.

“Hey,” you echo lamely as he pulls back. If Frankie hears the faintest of quivers in your voice, he thankfully doesn’t show a sign of it. You shoot a small grin at Pikachu, mouth stretching wider when she returns it with a cheerful pika pi, waving her paw. “Ready to help solve a mystery?”

“I always wanted to make history.” He’s smirking that same damn smirk, an intense pang of nostalgia striking you. Your fingers twitch, wishing you had your camera. “But I think it’s better this way, yeah?”

“What way?”

Distantly, you’re aware of Professor Oak and Will watching the conversation ping-ponging back and forth, both smart enough to pick up on the unspoken something between you and Frankie.

“Making history together,” he says, as if it’s obvious. “We make a good team, you and I.”

The words bounce around inside your head for a moment. A good team. Is that all we are? is what you want to ask, but the answer’s a double-edged sword shoved between your ribs no matter how he phrases it.

So you swallow the question down and bury it.

“C’mon,” you gesture towards your computer, “I’ll show you what we’ve got so far.”

Day 128

Winter sweeps in, all frigid winds and frosted windows. Together you stay at the Academy during the holiday break. It’s days of no homework, snowball fights, and parka coats. Nights spent by the fireplace, hot chocolates topped with whipped cream, wishing you could bottle these memories in a jar and keep them on a shelf.

If Frankie knew about it, he would say Jirachi heard your wish, but it’s your opinion that fate’s just got a funny sense of humor. Either way, a few years down the line you’ll have the collection of memories you desired, almost all of them starring him. They won’t be kept in fragile jars, but in captured photographs unaffected by the withering flow of time. Little glimpses of a happy life, and how much you've lost.

Day 2,000

You kiss Frankie on the front deck of the L.E.N.S. the night before he’s scheduled to leave. It’s stupid and impulsive, but he’s just right there in front of you, bathed in starlight and high off the elation that comes with solving another Pokémon mystery, further securing his place amongst the pages of historic exploration, a legend in his own lifetime, and there’s no thoughts in your head so—you kiss him.

It isn’t your first kiss, but it feels like something new. He’s got stubble now, you’re wearing a lab coat—little details of proof you’re far from the kids you used to be. He smells the same though, like coffee and evergreens and fresh rain. The quiet, awed exhale of your name, like you’re something wonderful, something mythical come true, is the same too.

And for the briefest of moments, you can almost imagine you’re together again.

But in the end it’s just a kiss, not a time machine.

Day 1,762

“For someone with a new career, you don’t look very excited,” Will says, knocking his shoulder against yours good-naturedly. You try to summon up a smile, but it isn’t fooling anyone.

Professor Oak’s treating you both to a fancy dinner at a restaurant you can’t pronounce the name of, celebrating the news of your new job as an official field research photographer working alongside Professor Mirror in Florio. It’s an amazing step forward, resulting from the success of the Rainbow Cloud discovery with Frankie, certain to give your name another added boost of recognition in the photography community.

“I am,” you say, remembering how you’d nearly passed out when you received the offer. Another attempt at a grin yields better results. “It’s gonna be great.”

Will tilts his head, a knowing look in his eyes. “You’re thinking about him. Again.”

“Not intentionally.” Your lips curl into a rueful grimace, fingers twisting together in your lap. “He just…never leaves my thoughts.”

Frankie told you before he left he didn’t have a home, not anymore, too much of a restless spirit to stay in one place. You wonder if his answer would be different, if he knew it’s been 1,762 days and every one of them he’s spent occupying your head.

“Even when he’s gone and left you behind?” From anyone else, the question would’ve been harsh, but your friend’s eyes are kind, full of empathy.

There’s a second where you contemplate lying, but you can’t. Not to him, and not to yourself.

“Especially then.”

Day 2,000

“Sorry.” It comes out of your mouth stilted—not because you don’t mean it, but because your heart’s beating like a thunderstorm. A wildness you haven’t felt in years.

“I’ve never needed an apology from you.” Frankie looks at you softly, the brown of his eyes getting lost in the dark. “Two thousand. Can you believe it? Seems like just yesterday I watched you walk into class.”

You forget sometimes that he’s the sentimental type too when it comes to those he cares about. It’s why he doesn’t give Pikachu a Thunderstone, and why he only knows how to play one song on a guitar, his mother’s favorite. How sweet it is, to learn he must care about you to keep count, maybe even love you a little bit still.

“Frankie,” you start, dropping your forehead onto his shoulder. His nearness is a comfort as much as it is a distraction, but this conversation is long overdue by hundreds of days. “What are we?”

“You tell me.” A hand comes to rest on your waist, a searing brand through the fabric of your clothes. “What do you want us to be?”

You think about the question for a long moment, wondering what words pack enough meaning to give the answer it deserves.

What you want is another storm to chase, another constellation to trace. What you want is for your hands to brush during walks, never having to hear his voice on the end of a phone again because he’s right there by your side. What you want is everything that once was to align in perfect harmony with the immediate now.

“I want us to be together.”

“We are.”

“No, we’re not,” you murmur, staring down at the mud stains on his boots.

“Listen, shutterbug,” his hands move to your head, one tilting up your chin and the other gently palming your neck, forcing you to meet his gaze, “a lot can happen in two thousand days–”

“I know, I know.”

His fingers spasm, like he’s resisting the urge to tug on your hair, eyes sharpening at the interruption. “A lot can happen in two thousand days,” he repeats, and you hear it this time, the heavy weight in his tone. Rarely is he this serious. “We’ve changed, we’ve grown, we’ve been on opposite ends of the earth from each other. But tonight, of all places, I’m here and you’re here.”

And maybe it really is that simple. People say lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice, but twice now you’ve watched him go and twice he’s been brought back to you.

You reach up, wrapping your hands around his wrists, holding him there. “Do you think we’ll ever be what we were?”

“No.” He steps impossibly closer, lips brushing against your forehead. “I think one day we’ll be better.”

Better, you mouth the word. It feels like a promise, like a turning point.

“Yeah, one day,” you agree, heartbeat steadying, matching the rhythm of his beneath your fingertips. “It’ll be worth the wait.”

#frankie morales x reader #frankie morales x you #triple frontier fanfiction #pedrostories #my fic #my writing #frankie morales

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ecargmura · 25 days

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Pokemon Horizons Episode 46 Review - Terastal Debut

What I like most about this episode is that so much is given out and it’s explained so thoroughly. Instead of having the kids go on a Treasure Hunt like in the game, Liko, Roy and Dot enroll in Naranja Academy’s Terastal Course. It turns out that the school allows students from all over the world to enroll in the course to learn more about Terastal as permitted by Director Clavell and Chairwoman Geeta.

Dendra gives an explanation of how the course works. To study Terastal, students must defeat Gym Leaders according to their aptitude. There’s also a condition as students can only have two chances to challenge a Gym Leader and if they acknowledge their skills, they pass. Also, students cannot terastalize outside of battles not revolving around the Terastal Course; this means that regular trainer battles do not permit Terastalizing. Liko gets paired up with Katy, Roy gets paired up with Brassius and Dot gets paired up with Iono. The kids get camping equipment as they have to camp out for the course. Dot is definitely not amused that she has to touch grass for a while now.

There are so many characters introduced here that it’s insane. Alex and Lucca, Liko’s parents, return and are actually seen together. It’s sweet that she has loving parents. Given that Lucca is a teacher, she doesn’t seem to work at Naranja Academy and probably works elsewhere. That’s an interesting detail. Then we have Clavell who wears the Scarlet version of his outfit. Then there’s the Pokemon League members with Geeta and the Elite Four showing up. It’s crazy how they all just show up at the school like it’s normal business to patrol the school or something. There’s also the debut of Penny who has no lines. I guess she’s forced to work for the League in this iteration, but it’ll be cool if Team Star gets implemented into the story. Jacq and Dendra make their debuts as teachers. They still teach their respective subjects of Biology and Battle Studies. Dendra is the one who explains the course to the kids while Jacq tells them that he wants reports from them as they are still students at the end of the day. Nemona makes her reappearance with a newly evolved Pawmot. In her first appearance, her Pawmo was the butt of a recurring joke where it got sprayed by Brassius’s Doliv’s oil twice. Here, Nemona is now the butt of the recurring joke as her desire to battle Roy gets interrupted by staff and the school bell.

The biggest surprise in terms of character returns is Ann who has transferred to Naranja Academy to partake in the Terestal Course with her newly evolved Dewott. The battle between her and Liko was really well-animated. Liko and Ann were very strategic and used various tactics to one-up each other. My favorite part of the battle was when Dewott used Aerial Ace and its fists glowed up and tried to punch Floragato. I hope Ann battles more in this arc because it’d be a waste to not let her battle when she’s very capable.

Another surprise is the Explorers coming in to partake in the course too. Sidian and Coral arrive late, and use very terrible pseudonyms in order to pass as students. Fortunately, they were able to get in because Chalce is disguised as a teacher and was able to hack them into the database. The Explorers are doing this because they were tasked to keep an eye on Liko. There were two things I liked about the Explorers segment. The first is Coral laughing her head off when Sidian introduces them as Onigiri and Sandwich, which she then accepts. The second is the fact that Liko, Roy and Dot recognize them and isn’t suffering from face blindness that Ash and his friend suffered through for 25 years when it came to Team Rocket’s disguises.

Last but not least, the Rising Volt Tacklers are doing their own thing right now. Orla is in charge of the Brave Olivine repairs. Mollie and Ludlow are caring for Pokemon. Murdock is working at what seems to be Patisserie Soapberry as his outfit looks similar to Katy’s. Friede is going to research the Six Heroes as he has the Ancient Pokeballs and Lucius’s belt in his possession as Liko goes to take the Terastal Course. It’ll be cool to see what the other RVTs will be doing in future episodes.

As a whole, the entire episode was a very good introduction to the third chapter. The pacing was great in terms of squeezing in everything that was needed. The new opening and ending songs were great too! I think it’s amazing how they managed to get IVE, a K-POP girl group, to sing in Japanese for Horizons. Since K-POP is rather popular in Japan and they have been using KPOP groups for different anime openings for various animes, it was about time that Pokemon would do the same. It shows that this arc will be one to remember with the new changes! It does feel like the quality has stepped up here. I’m honestly hyped up for what’s to come. What about you?

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vulture-writes-stuff · 1 year

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I really love Jacq. He's relatable because he's scatterbrained and talks a lot. Anyways compulsively wrote this thing after getting a cute idea enjoy

Also this is going to be multiple parts. Just because this is like 3k words and nowhere near done.

Jacq X Male Reader

Being a teacher doesn't give Jacq much free time. And yet, he still finds all the time in the world to visit that handsome shopkeep who runs a bookstore in Artazon.

Reader is not the SV protagonist. He's a pretty normal dude all things considered - his only explicitly mentioned Pokemon is a dusk form Lycanroc.

Authors note: I've taken to using ____ as a replacement for y/n because I just don't like using that. If you're using an extension to swap words out, add four underscores and your name/OCs name to get desired results. I'm not entirely sure how pokedollar to irl currency works so I'm using google's Yen to USD converter. Also just using the yen symbol for convenience's sake.

Jacq was absolutely hopeless.

Sure, the Academy had the largest library in the region. And sure, he was already a relatively accomplished Pokemon researcher who created the Pokedex app.

But when his newest student Juliana had told him about a bookstore in Artazon, he couldn't help himself. The pursuit of knowledge led him to many things, even if it meant a slightly unconventional trip during a time when he didn't have class.

It wasn't too hard to find the place he was looking for. A sign above the door read "Pagebound" in neat lettering, with an opened book etched directly beneath it. From looking through the window, he could see the shop was quite cozy. Bookshelves were arranged in an orderly fashion, and there was even a little reading nook with bean bag chairs.

A bell chimed a merry note as he pushed the door open, taking a better look around. There wasn't anyone in the shop, not even behind the counter - he presumed the folks who worked here were tidying up or preoccupied with something else. The shop was open, perhaps it just wasn't too busy.

Jacq skimmed his eyes over the titles he could see. A collection of books he had heard of, but many he hadn't. Original works from Pokemon researchers that had been published and publicized, but perhaps weren't very popular. They could give some unique insight to Pokemon biology.

He could certainly see why Juliana had mentioned this place. It had a certain atmosphere about it that was irresistible, so pleasantly relaxing he wondered why he hadn't noticed it before.

Jacq heard footsteps approaching, and wondered if any employees had finally spotted him. Instead, he was greeted by an extremely unique sight. An orange-furred Lycanroc with lime green eyes and a shock of white, spiky fur arched in a crescent over it's head. It stared at him without so much as a peep, tail swishing back and forth languidly.

A dusk form Lycanroc. It took a moment for the realization to set in, and he nearly dropped the book he had plucked off the shelf. These were the rarest form of Lycanroc, only evolved at sunset - they were also said to be the strongest. Jacq had never seen one in person before. He'd seen various studies in reports and pictures of them sent to him through the Pokedex app, but those were nothing compared to the real thing.

"Hello there!" He greeted with an excited whisper, patting his jacket on search of his notepad. "What are you doing here, huh? You must have a trainer nearby, you're far from your usual reported habitats..."

The Pokemon continued to stare him down, completely unphased by his talking. Jacq wasn't even sure why he was talking to a Lycanroc, it couldn't respond to him.

"Look at you, aren't you just gorgeous?" Jacq was frantically scribbling down notes, along with a crude sketch of the Lycanroc itself. It was absolutely fascinating to see one so close, and get a proper look at it. The unique blend of features from midday and midnight Lycanroc made for a very interesting specimen. He wondered briefly what its mane felt like - would it be like the rocky, jagged mane of a midnight form, or the softer, more sleek mane of a midday form?

He reached forward without thinking, but stopped himself in his tracks. He would rather keep all of his limbs. Lycanroc had a reputation for being aggressive towards those they didn't trust, and sticking his hand right near its mouth full of very sharp teeth was a gateway to disaster.

"Oh, a customer." Jacq jumped as someone spoke, briefly wondering if the Lycanroc had, in fact, responded to him. His eyes darted around for a moment, before finally landing on the actual origin of the voice.

And there he stood, perhaps the most handsome man Jacq had ever seen. He had a casual sort of smile on his face, hands stuffed into his pockets as he approached. The Lycanroc wagged its tail happily, turning to approach the stranger.

"Sorry if she caught you off guard. She's mastered her mean look, but she wouldn't hurt a cutiefly." He gave the Lycanroc an affectionate pat on the head. Jacq was speechless, still crouched down awkwardly with his pen held loosely in hand. A glimpse at the other's nametag told him their name was ____ - it looked like they were the only employee.

"...Ah! N-No, no, not at all, actually!" He spluttered, nervously fumbling with his coat as he got up. "I've just never seen a Dusk Lycanroc in person, is all, I got distracted taking a closer look at her- er, I was just, ah, making notes for my own research!"

____ watched with vague amusement as Jacq explained what he'd been doing, evidently not too bothered by how close he'd gotten to his Pokemon.

"Don't stress, really. You aren't one of my regulars, so you've never seen her out and about. Most people are as surprised as you are." ____ shrugged with a cute laugh, one that made Jacq's heart skip a beat. "So you're a researcher?"

"No! W-Well, I was, It's not my main focus anymore. I used to do that for a living, but, uh, I- I teach at the Academy in Mesagoza. Biology, to be specific. I still, uh, indulge in some exploration from time to time though!" Jacq stumbled over his words, trying to stuff his notepad out into his pocket. He, of course, missed, dropping it on the floor. "I developed the Pokedex app, so I mostly get my information through others nowadays - but, uh, one of my students recommended this place to me, so I thought I'd take a look!"

He didn't mean to talk so much, but he did that when he was nervous. The Lycanroc ambled forwards, gently picking up his notepad and offering it back to him. Jacq took it back with slightly trembling hands, successfully putting it back where it belonged this time.

"Biology, eh?" ____'s eyes glittered. He flicked a hand casually towards the shelves to his left, to a variety of thick, dusty old books. "I have a good collection of self-published works by lesser-known researchers. I'm sure I'd you wanted to learn something new, one of those would help. Though I'm sure the Academy's library will already have something better."

"Oh! That'll, uh, that'll be perfect! I'll take a look, thanks in advance." Jacq adjusted his glasses a little, consciously aware of them sliding off his nose. ____ nodded, before strolling off.

"I'll be in the back, shout if you need a hand!" He called, a door clicking shut behind him. The Lycanroc padded casually alongside Jacq as he perused the shelves - a few of the titles he recognized from his own studies, but a large variety were brand new to him. The one that caught his eye was one he'd never seen, entitled 'A Study on the Noble Phenomenon.' He recalled Raifort mentioning the concept of Noble Pokemon once - in ancient Sinnoh, inhabitants revered exceptionally large and powerful Pokemon as guardian deities.

Jacq took the book off the shelf, taking a moment to skim through the pages. The book itself seemed to dive into why these Pokemon became as strong as they were - the primary theory seemed to be that they were descended from Pokemon with significant power, belonging to one of the first Pokemon trainers in history.

It was fascinating to look into - it described Pokemon that no longer existed, and drew links between those ancient Pokemon and modern Pokemon. He sat down in the little reading nook ____ had presumably set up himself, sinking comfortably into one of the assorted bean bag chairs. He didn't have long to stay, but it wasn't like he couldn't get comfy while he was here.

Lycanroc situated herself on a particular cushion in the corner, one that was distinctly more worn than the rest. It was far too small for her, her legs hanging off of it at awkward angles, but she looked very cozy. Who was he to judge?

He certainly hadn't realized how long he'd been there until his rotom phone beeped - a reminder that he had a class starting soon! He'd gotten lost in his own thoughts for too long! Jacq hurriedly got to his feet, quietly thanking the fact that ____ had returned to his spot behind the counter.

"How much for this?" He asked, setting the book down. It thumped loudly on the wooden counter, which woke Lycanroc up. Oops. ____ took a look at the book, glancing briefly at the spine.

"¥1800." He came up with that price fairly quickly. It was a remarkably good price for a book this size, especially considering it didn't seem all too common. ____ chuckled softly, perhaps noticing his expression. "I offer a unique discount to cute biology teachers. Consider yourself lucky."

Jacq felt his face burn, stuttering incoherently for a moment. Had he heard them correctly, or was this some lucid daydream? Was the Lycanroc secretly a Hypno in disguise? He dug his wallet out of his pocket, handing over the money with a hastily mumbled 'thank you.'

"Thanks for shopping with Pagebound, we hope to see you again." ____ grinned like a Nickit, watching Jacq leave in a hurry. "...Ahh, Lycanroc. Do you think we'll see him again?"

The Wolf Pokemon snorted, rolling her eyes in a human-like gesture before standing. She turned around multiple times on her cushion, softening it to her liking, before plopping back down.

"Well, I sure hope so." ____ gazed at the door where Jacq had been a few moments earlier, chin propped upon his hand. Things got lonely around here... It would be delightful to see Jacq again.

Jacq already wasn't fond of taking the stairs up to the Academy, but it was made significantly more unpleasant because he had to sprint up the stairs. He was completely out of breath by the time he got to his classroom, the bell chiming merrily to announce the start of class the moment he closed the door behind him.

"Ha... Good timing by me!" He joked breathlessly, earning a few chuckles from his students. Jacq dropped the book on his desk, leaning on it for a moment to catch his breath. Thankfully, it didn't take too long to regain his composure - he would've gotten an earful from Director Clavell if he had spent his entire class doing nothing. "So, I presume we all remember our last lesson about regional forms."

...His encounter with Lycanroc earlier had given him an idea.

"While some Pokemon change depending on the region they make their habitat, some have a variety of forms that aren't exclusive to one location. Let's use Meowstic as an example - while both variations evolve from the same Pokemon, Espurr, they look completely different and even learn different moves depending on their gender." Jacq gestured as he spoke, fixing his glasses out of habit. "Another excellent example of this phenomenon is Lycanroc. Can someone tell me how many forms Lycanroc has?"

Predictably, Juliana's hand shot up without a moment of hesitation. She was rather soft-spoken, but she still had a habit of being the first to answer any of his inquiries. And, most of the time, she was correct.

"There's three," She answered when he looked at her. "Midday form, Midnight form, and Dusk form."

"Correct! Not many people know that Lycanroc has a third form!" Jacq set his hands on his hips. "The form a Rockruff will take depends on the time of day it evolves. Not only will its appearance differ, its disposition will change too! Each form has its own strengths and weaknesses, but the Dusk form is widely regarded as the strongest form - however, it's also the rarest. Only certain Rockruff can evolve into it, and they'll only evolve during the sunset. Interesting, huh?"

Jacq spent the rest of his class explaining form differences, explaining changes that only effected appearance versus changes that effected a Pokemon's capabilities. He found himself trailing off a bit each time he thought about that Dusk Lycanroc, mind wandering back to ____. Sure, he could get as many books as he liked here at the library...

And yet, he still found he wanted to go back.

He waved his students out as the bell rang, distinctly aware of Juliana's knowing smirk but choosing to pretend he didn't notice. The moment the door shut behind the last student, he slumped over his desk, head in his hands. All it had taken was one interaction with ____ to make him feel like a hopelessly enamored schoolboy.

He briefly checked the time on his rotom phone, consciously aware of the fact that he had several more classes to teach today. Perhaps he could stop by again another day, there was a variety of other books he wanted to take a look at... And, perhaps he could get to know ____ better.

Jacq sighed, taking his glasses off to clean them. He was absolutely hopeless.

A few days had passed, and Jacq couldn't get ____ off his mind. He'd already finished the book he'd bought from them, but he found himself going back through it over and over. It was an interesting read, but that certainly wasn't the only reason he continually returned to it.

He finally surrendered. When his classes were done for the day, he was out as quickly as his students were, rushing through the halls as fast as he could reasonably go without knocking anyone over.

Going down the stairs at high speeds was much easier than going up - albeit, carried a greater risk of falling over. The moment he arrived in Mesagoza's plaza, he pulled out his phone to call a flying taxi. Artazon wasn't too far away and he could've walked, but he just knew he would get distracted watching wild Pokemon or get tangled up in a battle and forget where he was going in the first place.

Walking into Pagebound again was oddly relaxing, the atmosphere of the cozy store weighing pleasantly over him like a thick blanket. He spotted ____ working out of the corner of his eye, organizing books on the shelves.

"Welcome, feel free to take a look around and ask me if you need help." He said, not turning just yet. Jacq perused through the books once more, though his attention never lingered on one for long. He continually returned his gaze to ____, mind ablaze with thoughts. How should he approach? Small talk, just saying hello, asking for help? Overthinking was a pain.

He wasn't aware of the fact that ____ had noticed him already, stealing brief glances whenever he happened to look down. Lycanroc watched the pair as they gazed longingly at the other, eventually tiring of their shenanigans. She padded through the neat aisles towards Jacq, giving his coat a sharp tug with her teeth right as ____ looked at him.

Jacq startled, briefly looking around to see what had tugged his coat... And spotted ____ staring. The two made lingering eye contact, standing awkwardly on the spot, before they both quickly turned away to pretend they hadn't just stared at eachother. Lycanroc almost snickered as she plodded off again.

After a few more minutes of meaningless browsing, Jacq approached ____. He might as well try, even if he made an absolute fool of himself. Jacq gave himself an internal pep talk - walk up and ask him if he'd like to have a coffee sometime! Easy peasy! He took the time to fix his hair a little, even if his attempts were fruitless, finally clearing his throat to get the other's attention.

"So, ah, ____-" Jacq's voice caught in his throat when ____ looked at him. The shopkeep was still a little flustered, visibly blushing. Jacq felt his brain completely empty, his comprehension of speech dissolving into a mushy pile of words. He fumbled with his glasses for a moment, trying to remember what he was going to say... Before grasping at straws. "Err, well- I was, uh, wondering if you'd- w-want to... to... Come by the academy?! I, uh, I think Lycanroc is fascinating and- a-and I'd like to show her to my students! We did a lesson on a-alternate forms, and I think- w-well, seeing an example in person would help! Especially since she's so docile and-"

Jacq paused when he saw the way ____ was looking at him. He looked equal parts bewildered and amused, fidgeting with the pen he had tucked behind his ear.

"I'd love to. I-If the director is okay with it, anyways. Lycanroc is really good with kids, I'm sure she'd love them." ____ smiled, brushing a loose strand of hair out of his face. "I don't want to get you in trouble, so..."

"Right, right! I-I can ask, definitely! I'm sure he'll allow it- I mean, he's- well, he's strict, but he'd never deny a good learning opportunity!" Jacq was giddy with glee. He'd forgotten what he was originally going to ask at this point. "I'll, ah, come back tomorrow and let you know! Same time!!"

"Great. I look forward to it, then." He giggled, giving Lycanroc a loving pat on the head when she approached him. Jacq grinned brightly, making a mental note to visit Director Clavell as soon as possible, and bustled out the door.

Jacq was certain he could've sprinted all the way back to the academy with the adrenaline that courses through him - he had done it! He may have forgotten what he was originally going to ask, but he'd asked something nonetheless.

He'd probably spent more on the taxi just this month than he had spent... Ever. At least it was a good mode of transportation. Instead of returning to his classroom or the staff room, he made his way up towards Director Clavell's office. The two had worked together for a long time before coming to the school, he was almost certain he could convince him to allow a guest speaker.

"Director Clavell?" He asked as he opened the door, checking inside to see if he was even there. Clavell sat behind his desk, occupied with whatever paperwork he needed to do. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

"Not at all. What can I aid you with?" Clavell placed his pen back in the inkwell, folding his hands nearly in front of him.

"Good- er, I have a request. See, I've met this fellow who owns a very peaceful Dusk Lycanroc-" Jacq saw Clavell lean forward a little, obviously intrigued. "I was wondering, could I, uh, invite him to speak for my class? I-I just think seeing such a rare Pokemon could be a great learning experience, but I wanted to- to ask you first, you know?"

The director considered this for a long moment, casually rubbing his chin. Jacq was worried for a moment that he might decline, preparing to offer his best justification-

"I don't see why not." Clavell finally decided, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Provided the Lycanroc remains in its PokeBall in the hallways." Jacq nodded, fumbling excitedly with his Rotom phone. He couldn't exactly call ____, but it was exciting news nonetheless.

"Of course! Thank you, director, you won't regret this!" Jacq brushed his coat off, turning around and leaving the director to his work. The rest of his day was spent eagerly awaiting the next day, the hours dragging by so slowly he feared he'd lose his mind.

When his classes were over the next day, he rushed out again, following the same path he'd taken the day before.

The bookshop was empty again, though Jacq saw Lycanroc's mane poking out from behind the front countertop. He approached warily, concerned about startling her - but she seemed to notice him before he got close, slinking around the corner and padding up to greet him.

Lycanroc was far more welcoming than she'd been before, thick tail wagging as she rubbed affectionately against his leg. He cautiously gave her a pat on the head, a touch which she seemed overjoyed to receive.

"Seems like she's warmed up to you." ____'s voice came from behind, and Jacq nearly jumped out of his labcoat. "Sorry, guess I startled you again. Did you hear from the director?"

"I-I did! He said you're free to come by anytime, as long as Lycanroc stays in her ball in the hallways - er, I'm guessing because we're not technically supposed to have them out indoors." Jacq continued to pet Lycanroc, running his hands along her mane. It was an odd mix of smooth and coarse, a texture he certainly hadn't anticipated.

"Great. I'd be happy to come by tomorrow, if that works for you." ____ offered, clearly amused by Lycanroc's desire for many pets.

"Yes, that would be perfect." Jacq stood up, brushing orange fur off of his shirt. "I can contact you before my classes start for the day!"

"You'll need my contact info first, though." The other mused, strolling off for a moment to pluck a book off the shelves. He grabbed a bookmark from the countertop and scribbled something onto it, tucking it between the pages before he offered it to Jacq. "My number, and a book on the house."

"Oh, you don't need to-"

"Ah ah. I don't want to hear that, mister. Consider it a gift." ____ interrupted Jacq before he could protest, pushing the book into his hands. "I look forward to your message."

"Y-Yeah… I should, uh, probably go get things ready-" Jacq pointed to the door. Lycanroc distinctly pouted.

"Don't let me keep you." ____ winked, before returning to what he'd been doing before. Jacq jogged out the door, rounding the corner before he simply slumped against the wall with the book clutched to his chest.

Oh, Jacq was absolutely hopeless.

I love this man and his dumb glasses

#fanfic #x reader #writers on tumblr #pokemon x reader #x male reader #pokemon jacq x reader #mr jacq x reader #pokemon scarlet and violet #scarlet and violet #no spoilers #pokemon x male reader #part one

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biology-with-jacq · 2 months

Text

Hello, hello!

My name's Jacq! I currently work as a biology teacher at Naranja-Uva Academy.

I joined Rotomblr to share my knowledge on Pokémon and learn more from others! I'm usually busy with work or research, but I'll gladly answer any questions I get here. Always feel free to message me if you need help with anything! Or if you'd just like to share a Pokémon fact you like!

I hope everyone's ready to learn some new things with me!

You can find out more about me below.

I've been interested in Pokémon for as long as I can remember. I know the most about all the Pokémon that live here in Paldea, but I like to study Pokémon from other regions too!

I have 9 Pokémon of my own. Here's a list of them:

Farigiraf♀ (my ace, hehe)

Arcanine♂

Lurantis♀

Swalot♂

Gulpin♀ (Not a battler)

Mudsdale♀

Kantonian Slowbro♂

Galarian Slowbro♂

Victreebel♂

I also sometimes help my students care for their Pokémon!

I think that's about all I wanted to share, if I'm not forgetting anything... Ah, there's the bell! Gotta go back to class! I hope everyone enjoys my blog!

// ooc info below

Pelipper mail is on, magic anons are off.

I like and follow from my main rp blog @castelia-pidove!

I accept asks/interactions from canon characters, OC's, legendaries and sapient pokemon. Anyone's fine.

I may not respond to asks that mention any potentially triggering topics.

Please discuss with me if you want to engage a plot, but I don't guarantee I'll agree. I don't do anything high-stakes and likely won't be participating in major events.

This blog is SFW!

Also, keep in mind English isn't my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes.

Thanks for reading!

#pinned post #introduction #pokemon rp #pkmn rp #pkmn irl #pokemon irl #rotomblr #pokemon #jacq rp #jacq pokemon

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triniteevee · 1 year

Text

Laundry Day

jacq x reader drabble

(notes: sadly there is no fucking in this but rating it as nsfw because jacq is not safe in any context please !! mdni !!, perv reader, perv jacq )

jacq’s laundry day habits are becoming a problem

Coincidences can be cute. Like running into Jacq in the staff room when you get your morning coffee, or when he draws your name for the Secret Santa. Little things like these felt like the universe putting the two of you together. It felt nice. As though Arceus himself was giving you his blessing.

Moments like now, however, felt like a curse.

You recite a few choice words in your head when Jacq walks in the laundry room. It wasn’t that he was like a pig or anything. It was just… his choice of dress during laundry day.

Jacq is one of those simple minded individuals who wear a uniform of sorts in their daily life. His wardrobe consists of mostly violet and purple pieces, and he’s happy about it. The thing is, when he runs out of his signature look, he wears it.

It being a well worn tee and gray sweatpants.

Your hands curl into fists, as he walks into the room with an easygoing smile on his face. A chipper, “good morning!” thrown your way.

Your voice is shaky at best when you return his greeting, but good ol’ Jacq takes it in stride — that or he really lives in his own little world, blissfully unaware of the effect he has on others around him.

Your shared box of detergent sits to your right, and your brain is too fried to think of moving it closer to him. No matter to Jacq! He simply reaches over, his arm flexing as he grabs it. You die a little inside at the sight.

How the hell did Jacq get so jacked anyway? He practically lives in the Biology Lab. You make a mental note to rummage through there to look for any hidden dumbbells.

Your thought process is interrupted when the man himself starts speaking. Seeing as you’re the only other occupant in the room (Thank Arceus for that), you figure he’s speaking to you.

“Anyway, I’ll be sure to pick up some more at the shop tomorrow.” You couldn’t help glance at his sweatpants — rather, what’s fighting to stay constrained inside. How does he not realize how indecent he looks like this? “I didn’t realize I’d have such a big load today.”

You choke on your own spit. Jacq, no.

A traitorous voice whispers, Jacq, yes.

The words leave your mouth before you even realize it. “I can take that load.” You curse Arceus, Mew, Giratina, Palkia, Dialga— really, any deity you could think of.

Jacq smiles serenely, and pats your shoulder. “That’s alright. Don’t worry about it.”

Right.

Of course, it wasn’t a come on.

The room has gotten considerably hotter since he’s walked in. You combee-line it out of there with a mumbled bye thrown in Jacq’s direction. There was no way you were gonna make it out safely if you spared him another look.

Jacq’s eyes trail after your retreating figure and he lets out a sigh. Did he make you uncomfortable again?

Oh, well.

When he hears the bell chime that alerts him your load is finished, he takes your basket and fills it with your clothes. If you still haven’t noticed the number of your undergarments are dwindling, then you won’t notice if he helps himself to another.

If he wakes up early next week, he’s definitely gonna grab one before you put it in the wash.

#jacq x reader

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asheshq · 2 years

Text

Congratulations, Mel!

You have been accepted for the skeleton character Jacq Bell, with the faceclaim Dominique Provost Chalkley! Oh, this was a treat. I know that we’ve .... as a group (I won’t take all the blame here) ... been really excited since you told us you were considering Jacq, but I definitely know I speak for everyone when I say that they are going to make SUCH a splash upon their return to our slice of the universe. It’s good to have you back, Jacq, I don’t care what anyone else from your past says – I think you’re an icon, and I can’t wait to see what you get up to. Please submit your url within the next 48 hours and review our checklist.

Welcome to AshesHQ!

#ashesaccepted #jacq bell #mel

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speckle-peony · 1 month

Text

//tw: depiction of seizures/convilsing, body transformation.

[ID: A video, filmed in portrait mode. Watch it?

A group of students are around a table by the door of the biology room. One of the students is trembling slightly. On the table itself is a bunch of science equipment.

In the background, at the teacher's desk, is Professor Jacq. He's focused on the papers in front of him.

As the trembling student pours an orange solution into a bubbling purple one, the solution turns into a deep gray color. The other students around the table ooh and aah at the sight. Behind them, a human Speckle walks into the room.

Then, a loud popping noise comes from somewhere else in the room, causing the trembling student to accidentally throw the flask of gray solution into the air.

It lands on Speckle, shattering the glass, and covering them with the solution. They immediately drop to the ground, body convulsing in strange ways.

Screams come from many of the students.

As the camera runs to the scene, Professor Jacq bolts up from his desk and pushes away any furniture near Speckle, then kneels down next to them, a new pair of rubber gloves already on his hands.

Jacq releases his Farigiraf. "Psychic, hold them in place, try and make sure they don't hurt themself." Farigiraf does so, holding them in place a couple inches above the floor.

Speckle appears for shrink in size, their nose growing out, and their ears growing long, as light brown fur starts to grow on their body. Their hair completely changes color from a dark brown to the same lighter brown as their fur.

By the end of the minute, a Smeargle with ill-fitting clothes hanging off their body is left held within Farigiraf's Psychic. They've stopped flailing around, but they're breathing extremely heavily, sweat dripping down their face.

"You can put them down now." Farigiraf slowly lowers the newly turned Smeargle down onto the floor. Jacq moves over them, afraid to touch them.

Then, Speckle's eyes fly open, wide in panic. They immediately attempt to scramble away from Jacq, doing so unsuccessfully because their new paws are stuck in their loose-fitting pants.

They successfully wiggle out of their pants, Poké Balls clattering to the ground, and then their gauntlets, with metal, a Z-Ring, and a Dynamax Band hit the ground.

Their head swings around, looking at everyone in the classroom starting back at them, and they turn and run on all fours out the door. A Keystone necklace slips off of them as they leave.

The camera moves out into the hall just as the bell rings. Speckle is seen running down the hall, just as crowds of students exit their classrooms and go into the hall.

End video.]

#//if there's any triggers i missed please tell me! i'll add them asap #eebydeeby irl #pkmn irl #pokeblogging #pokemon irl #rotomblr #rotumblr #writing

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agoldengalaxy · 1 year

Text

An Applin a Day

read on Ao3

words: 3554

"Wait.” Nemona blinks dumbly. “Penny!” she exclaims, making the other girl nearly drop the book in surprise. “You’re from Galar, too!”

Raising a brow, Penny stares at her, somewhat unimpressed. “Yeah. Glad you remember that.”

“No, no, that’s not what I mean. Look!”

Penny sighs, looking down at the page. This time, when she gasps, she actually does let go of the book - leaving Arven to scramble to catch it, looking over the page himself. A rare smile pulls at Penny’s lips. “You’re going to give her an Applin?"

Nemona’s knee bounces restlessly, her chin in hand as she stares out the classroom window. She usually loves biology class, but she can’t help but feel fidgety. Tonight, she gets to battle Juliana, her true rival, her best friend. That’s all well and good, as Juliana is almost always up for a Pokémon battle, but the reason why she’s restless isn’t just from excitement this time.

“Psst. Hey.” A whisper catches her attention behind her, and Nemona glances over her shoulder. Juliana is pointing at a post-it note on the edge of her desk. Scrawled in neat handwriting, it reads, You okay? :)

Her heart flutters as she grins, lifting her gaze back up to her friend. She nods, whispering her answer so Jacq does not hear. “Si, si, just excited!”

Juliana seems reassured by that answer, a smirk appearing on her face. “You’re going down,” she murmurs, and Nemona has to turn around to hide the blush that creeps up her neck, gripping at a fistful of her skirt.

It’s even harder to concentrate for the rest of class. Nemona wonders if she’ll ever get rid of the hotness in her face when the bell finally rings and Jacq dismisses them. As they pack up, his gaze falls on her. “Oh! Nemona, would you mind sticking around for just a minute?”

Her heart sinks, wondering if she might be in trouble. She puts on a smile. “Sure, Mr. Jacq!” She glances toward Juliana, still smiling. “Go, you don’t have to wait. I want you to be fully prepared tonight!”

Her rival seems to hesitate a moment, but ultimately decides to agree. She smiles, adjusting her hat and bag. “I’ll see you in the courtyard later. Bye, Nemona. Bye, Mr. Jacq!” She waves happily as she leaves, and their homeroom teacher waves back. Nemona, keeping her chin high, approaches him with her usual energy as best she can.

“Qué pasa, teach?”

Jacq gazes at her, his eyes large and full of quiet understanding behind his hexagonal glasses. He tilts his head. “Are you okay?”

Furrowing her brows, she tries not to panic. There’s no way he can know, right? “Okay? Of course I’m okay. I’m more than okay. Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“Well, you’re usually not so distracted in my class,” he replies with a chuckle, not unkindly. “Something’s on your mind, huh?”

Her heart skips a beat. “I-I’m just excited for tonight, is all! Juliana agreed to give me another all-out Pokémon battle.”

She can’t help but wither slightly under his gaze, as if he can read her mind. He smiles warmly. “Ah, I know you love those battles. But, if I may, I have some advice that might help you out.”

“A-Advice?”

Smiling as though he has a secret, Jacq stands up and walks toward his bookshelf, looking though it for a moment. “Ah.” He pulls out a purple-bound book, moving back to sit on the edge of his desk beside her. Holding it in his lap, he tilts his head. “Did you know I’m married?”

The question seems to come out of nowhere, but she’s too caught off guard to think about it too much. “ Married?!” The question rips from her throat, and suddenly her worries about Juliana disappear for a moment. “R-Really? To another teacher? Are you married to Ms. Raifort?!”

“No, no,” Jacq laughs good-naturedly, shaking his head. “No, my partner’s not a teacher. I met them when I was studying in Galar a few years ago. They’re actually a farmer.”

“Whoa, cool,” she muses, still unsure of why he’s talking about this, but too interested to care. “Was it love at first sight, Mr. Jacq?”

He smiles, reaching up to adjust his glasses. “Not quite, I’m afraid. They didn’t like me at first, you see. I spent a lot of time working on the beginning of the Pokédex app back then, but when my time in Galar was running out, I realized just how special they were. They’re a wonderful Pokémon Trainer, and they taught me a lot about nature. I couldn’t stop thinking about them, I could barely eat or work or sleep. I wouldn’t ever meet someone like that again, so I had to do something to show how I felt.”

Nemona blinks, looking curiously at him. “What did you do?”

With a soft blush rising against his cheeks, he turns to the book in his lap, opening up to a dog-eared page, and flips it around for her to see. She looks over the pictures while he explains. “One of the oldest traditions in Galar is to give an Applin to the person you love. So, I searched all the trees I came across for an hour until I found one. I caught it, and presented it to my partner. They knew of the tradition, being Galarian themself, and it meant a lot that I’d done that just for them.” He sighs. “We got married a year later, and now we live here.”

“Wow,” she murmurs. “I had no idea, Mr. Jacq. You don’t ever really talk about yourself.”

He chuckles, clearly amused. “I know, I know. I don’t think Director Clavell would like it much if I spent most of class talking about my personal life instead of teaching.”

“So, why are you telling me all this? Oh, is your partner coming to visit the academy?” she asks, suddenly excited by the prospect. “I’d love to show them around, if you’re too busy or something! I am student council president, after all!”

Closing the book gently, Jacq shakes his head. “No, no, it’s nothing like that, although I’m sure they’ll want to tag along to see the next Ace Tournament. I was explaining this to you because I have a feeling you are going through something similar right now.”

Her heart skips a beat again. “Similar…?”

“I recognize that far off look in your eyes, Nemona, and I know you are in love. I thought I might offer some advice to you. Tell your friends. Don’t keep it bottled up inside. It will only end up exploding in your face someday. You don’t have to catch an Applin, but you should act on your feelings.”

Heat creeps up to her cheeks again. She hides her face in her hands. Is she really so obvious that her homeroom teacher can tell so easily? “Ay, dios mío, Mr. Jacq!” She wants to deny it. She wants to leave and never return. But…she can’t help but think he has a point. If it worked for him, maybe it could work for her. Sheepishly, she lifts her head, finding him looking at her with slight pity. “…What do I do if she doesn’t feel the same?” she asks, her voice uncharacteristically small. “She’s my rival. She’s my best friend.”

Jacq stands up, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure you’re her best friend, too. If your feelings aren’t reciprocated, that, at least, won’t change.”

Nemona looks up at him, taking in his expression. He’s always been kind, but there’s a certain warmth in his expression now that she hasn’t seen before, like he truly understands what she’s going through. She lets out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding and moves forward, embracing him.

“Gracias, Mr. Jacq,” she murmurs into his chest, squeezing her eyes shut. “Thank you for looking out for me.”

She can feel him stiffen beneath her, but he soon relaxes to return that embrace. “I’m glad I could help.” Though her chest bursts with fear, she notices there’s an undeniable excitement there too, not unlike the feeling of getting into a really good Pokémon battle. Perhaps he’s right.

A few moments later, she pulls away from him with a new sense of determination. “…Can I borrow that book?”

***

“Would you stop pacing? You’re making me nervous.”

Penny, sitting on the edge of Nemona’s bed, grips at one of her backpack straps as she watches Nemona walk back and forth, holding a book so tightly in her hands that her knuckles are white. Penny glances toward Arven, who’d made his home at her desk chair, straddling it to lean his arms against the back of it.

He agrees with her. “You told us to come over right away, and that it was important, and you’ve barely said a word. What’s so important? C’mon, don’t tell me you’re scared.”

“Scared?!” Nemona stops in her tracks, hugging the book to her chest. She sighs, her shoulders sagging as she looks down. “Sí, sí, you’re right. Okay. Here goes. Don’t laugh. I…have a crush on Juliana.”

She expects exclamations of surprise, or laughter. What she doesn’t expect is complete silence. Penny breaks it first. “That’s it?”

“What?” Her head snaps back up to look up at her friend, who looks thoroughly bored. Arven has an amused grin on his face.

“We knew that already, prez,” he continues, his grin widening a little at the look on her face. “You’re pretty obvious.”

Letting out a low groan, she places the book on the desk and sinks down onto the floor, laying face-down on the wood below. “You have to be joking.”

“We wouldn’t joke about matters of the heart.” Although she can’t see her face, Nemona thinks Penny must be grinning right now. The bed creaks and footsteps move past her, the sound of pages being leafed through filling the air. “Oh, this one’s dog-eared. Disrespectful. Nemona, you’re a heathen.”

Quickly sitting up, she shakes her head defensively. “It’s not mine! It’s…oh, nevermind that. Wait.” She blinks dumbly. “Penny!” she exclaims, making the other girl nearly drop the book in surprise. “You’re from Galar, too!”

Raising a brow, Penny stares at her, somewhat unimpressed. “Yeah. Glad you remember that.”

“No, no, that’s not what I mean. Look!”

“Wait…” Arven’s brow furrows, and he doesn’t look up from the book. “Giving an Applin is a sign of love?”

Getting to her feet, Nemona tries to ignore the way her face heats up this time, trying to seem confident in her decision. “Juliana’s from Galar, so…so I think it would be nice. Right?”

Nodding some approval, Penny steps forward. “Yeah, she’d probably like that. Only problem is, none of us have an Applin.”

“Don’t worry about that.” Arven stands up, shutting the book with a satisfying, resounding slam. He places it back down, smiling at the two. “I know a place. My dad used to research them.”

“Too bad we won’t have Miraidon. I don’t like Fly Traveling…”

“A-Are you sure?” Suddenly, Nemona feels small again. “You guys don’t have to help…”

Her friends exchange a look. Arven sighs, smiling warmly. “Sure we do. You’d do the same for us. Plus, seeing you like this is kind of depressing.”

“Exactly what I was thinking,” Penny agrees, shaking her head. “Come on, Nemona. We’re your friends.”

Jacq’s words echo in Nemona’s head. Tell your friends. Don’t keep it bottled up inside. It will only end up exploding in your face someday. As if through magic, the weight on her chest lessens slightly. She smiles, genuinely. “Thank you.” With a newfound strength, she turns to Arven. “Lead the way, amigo.”

***

The warm sun filters through the tree leaves, leaving gold patterns along the grass and pathways. Different varieties of Pokémon frolic through Tagtree Thicket, playing tag, eating berries, or napping under the trees’ shade. Arven, with a hand on his forehead, keeps his eyes tilted upward, searching for a speck of red. Nemona chooses to do the same, while Penny huffs and looks around the grass, just in case.

“It feels like we’ve been walking for hours,” she complains. “Arven, are you sure there are Applin here?”

“Yes,” he answers, though he sounds less confident than he had the last time he’d been asked that question. “My dad used to find them here. A-And the Rotom Phone wouldn’t lie about habitats!”

“He’s right. We just have to trust him!” Nemona announces, because she doesn’t have much more of a choice. When the sun sets, she has to meet Juliana in the courtyard for a battle. There’s only a little more daylight left.

Her ears perk up as she hears a very quiet rustling. She stops in her tracks, which makes Penny walk right into her. “Ow! Why’d you stop?”

“Shhh!” Nemona looks around wildly, focusing in on a certain tree branch. Quietly, she steps closer, avoiding a twig on the ground, and finds exactly what she was hoping to find. A grin spreads across her face as she reaches into her bag, pulling out one of her Poké Balls. With all her might, she throws it, and it makes contact with the Applin, catching it off guard. “Yes!”

Out of her Pokéball emerges a Tinkatuff, her most recent catch. She’s not nearly as good at catching Pokémon as she is battling, but with Juliana’s help, she’d been able to add more to her Pokédex. Today, she’d have to use what she’d taught her to catch one for her. The Applin hops down from the branch, landing quietly in the grass below. It bellows, immediately on guard. Nemona knows she can’t go all out here, or the Applin will faint. Tinkatuff looks over its shoulder at her curiously, waiting, putting all of its trust into her.

“C’mon, Nemona! You can do it!” Arven shouts, pumping his fist.

“You gotta catch this one! We might not find another if you don’t!” Penny adds, but after a swift elbow from Arven, she groans. “Just work with Tinkatuff, and you’ll be fine!”

Breathing in, Nemona places her hands on her cheeks, slapping them gently. “Okay. Vamos.” She gives Tinkatuff an encouraging smile. “Okay, mi amiga! Use Play Rough!”

Tinkatuff lets out a cry and rushes forward, and when the Applin retaliates, Nemona’s Pokémon is barely hurt. She fumbles in her bag for a spare Poké Ball, remembering Juliana’s words of encouragement when she had caught the Tinkatuff. Just breathe, Nemona. Relax.

She throws it. It soars through the air, seemingly in slow motion, but much to her delight, it opens up and pulls the Applin inside. The Poké Ball lands on the ground lightly, and as it shakes, all three onlookers hold their breath. It feels as though an hour passes before the resounding click finally fills the air. Nemona stares at it for a moment, dumbfounded. Then, a loud whoop escapes her. She rushes over, scooping Tinkatuff up into her arms, speaking rapid Spanish encouragement as she pats its head and belly. Tinkatuff seems to thoroughly enjoy the attention, while Arven steps forward to pick up the ball that holds the Applin.

After making sure it’s received all the love it deserves, Nemona recalls Tinkatuff back to its ball, then walks up to her friends in incredibly high spirits. “I can’t believe I caught it!” she muses, taking the ball from Arven gently. She releases the Applin and it sits in the grass, small, wounded, and shaking with fear. “Hola!” Quietly, she bends down, reaching into her bag. “Here, this’ll make you feel better.” Nemona gives it a Potion, and the moment it kicks in, the Applin perks up. “See, I’m not so scary, am I?” she chuckles, offering her hand. The Applin sniffs it, then hops up into her palm. With a wide grin, she turns around to present the spectacle to her friends.

“That’s a great Applin,” Penny says, unable to keep herself from smiling.

“You really worked in sync with Tinkatuff back there. I bet Juliana will be super happy,” Arven adds.

The weight of what she’s about to do suddenly crashes down onto Nemona. Her heart skips a beat, but strangely enough, when she looks into Applin's eyes, she just imagines the look on Juliana’s face when she had caught the Tinkatuff. Even if she doesn’t accept her feelings, Nemona knows her rival will be happy to know she used her advice to catch a Pokémon all by herself.

Placing Applin up on her shoulder, where it promptly dozes off, Nemona smiles and launches herself forward, pulling Penny and Arven into a hug, much to their dismay. “Thank you! Thank you! Gracias!”

“Wah! Nemona!”

“C’mon, prez! You’re squishing us!”

She can’t help but wonder what she did to deserve such wonderful friends.

***

When Nemona walks out on the courtyard, she finds it the emptiest she’s seen it in weeks. She can’t help but wonder if that’s her friends’ doing, or maybe the other students just know to clear out before the class president appears and asks for a warm-up battle. Tonight, she’s grateful for that. Her hand curls around the Poké Ball as she stands in the middle of the court, waiting. Her knees feel weak, and her heart gallops in her chest, making it hard to breathe. She closes her eyes, breathing in the fresh night air, listening to the sound of Nymble chirping around her. Thinking of Jacq and his partner, she can’t help but sigh. Jacq seems to really love them, and she knows he’s right; she has to tell Juliana the truth.

“Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so relaxed.” A familiar voice pulls her from her thoughts, and she opens her eyes. Her rival stands just a few feet away, a fond grin on her face. “Usually, you’re so amped up before a battle, you can hardly stand still.”

Nemona smiles slightly. She knows her so well. And despite what she’s about to do, Juliana’s right - she feels strangely calm.

“Well, before we battle, I actually got you something. S-So, if you don’t feel like battling after, I understand.” She holds out the ball in her palm, staring at it for a moment, noticing Juliana frown out of the corner of her eye. There’s no going back once she throws this. Taking a deep breath she tosses the ball, and Applin takes form on the ground in between them, looking up at Juliana curiously. “Um, Mr. Jacq told me about this Galarian tradition…” Her face heats up as a speechless Juliana kneels down, reaching out to Applin with one hand. “Have you heard of it? Ay, what am I saying, of course you have…”

Juliana gently picks up Applin, who seems quite content with its new trainer, its eyes betraying a smile. Nemona can’t really see her expression, even in the moonlight, so she pushes on.

“Ever since you came to Paldea, my life’s been so exciting. It’s been so much better.” The words start falling out effortlessly, and she can’t stop. “I realized recently that I don’t just look forward to our battles; I look forward to seeing you . I-I told myself that was normal best friend behavior, but I know it’s not. I think you’re amazing . I’ve been keeping it a secret because I…you’re my rival first, so if you don’t feel the same way, I get it, but I hope you’ll still battle with me and train with me and -”

“Nemona.”

She stops talking. Juliana finally looks up. She’s smiling and her eyes are full of tears.

“Juliana?”

As if in slow motion, Juliana steps forward, and Nemona’s breath hitches. Her smile is so raw, so real, Nemona can’t breathe. “I feel the same about you.”

Time freezes. Nemona thinks she must be dreaming, but the goosebumps rising up along every inch of her skin prove otherwise. “Y-You do?”

Nodding, her rival smiles even more, and envelopes Nemona in a tight hug, the Applin between them. She wastes no time in returning it, feeling like she can breathe again. “Giving me an Applin was very sweet. It reminds me of home,” she murmurs into her shoulder, tightening her grip, holding on so hard that it feels as though she’s afraid she might disappear if she lets go. Nemona blushes again.

“I’m glad you like it.”

They hold each other for a few minutes, and then Juliana lets out an incredulous laugh, pulling back and wiping at her eyes. “Okay, guys, stop hiding. I know you’re in there.”

A string of quiet curses rise up from a nearby bush as Penny and Arven stumble out of it. They bicker, blaming each other for being obvious, but they don’t get very far before Juliana continues to laugh loudly. Nemona stares at them blankly. “What are you guys doing?!”

“We wanted to make sure everything went smoothly!” Arven insists, his cheeks flushing a little.

“Yeah, and if they didn’t, we’d swoop in and save you from embarrassment,” Penny adds, which made Juliana laugh harder.

“You guys…” Nemona sighs, but she’s too elated to be annoyed. Instead, she joins in with Juliana and laughs, until all four of them are laughing. To everyone’s surprise, Nemona suggests they forgo the Pokémon battle for the night, and instead choose to go to the dining hall for ice cream.

And when they walk into biology class the next day, Nemona takes Juliana’s hand. She catches Jacq’s eye, returns his book, and smiles. He smiles back.

#pokemon #pokemon scarvio #pokemon s/v #pokemon nemona #pokemon arven #pokemon penny #pokemon juliana #pokemon jacq #I just wanted to add jacq bc I love him....#anyways nemona absolutely has a crush on the mc #if no one else acknowledges this I will #my writing #agoldengalaxy #my post

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