A/N: Although I am a die hard blanchexspark and polyamorous Team leaders supporter I had the cutest dream ever about an OC and Spark. They had such a cute romance that I had to put it on paper! This is rated T at first but will quickly change to M as the story goes on.
Some background: Since not much is known about the Gym Leaders or their pasts (Like is Blanche They or She? What was their past like and what is their age? ) I am taking some liberties. If later on something becomes cannon- I will probably too lazy to change it. But for now, Spark is 23, Blanche is 26 and Candela is 25. Also I am down for Blanche being They- I will try my hardest to make sure I use the right pronouns but I have a nasty habit of writing fiction when I am dead tired at 3 am so if there is a typo in their gender I apologize and meant no offense.
No Triggers warnings in this chapter.
Won't you be on my Team?
"Did you hear the Team Leaders are gonna be in Red Rock soon!"
Though she didn't know this voice her interest perked. She shifted slightly in the couch adjacent to the Cafe. She stopped reading 'Ashes of the Fairy' in her lap and tuned in more closely. To avert any indication she was eavesdropping she decided the section titles in the bookstore were fascinating. Though she never did understand why Romance was one of the largest sections, but she digressed.
"What? No way, you mean we could meet Blanche!?" said a high pitched voice that almost hurt her ears listening.
"Chayeah, we could finally join Team Mystic!" the other, a deeper woman's voice.
"Do you think the Team Leaders will be nice? Or do you think we'll be talking to mostly the Callers."
That's when she decided to tune out and go back to her novel. 'Caller' she mocked in her head, 'They just as annoying as those phone salesmen that try to set up shop by Pokestops or in malls.' she tucked her bangs behind her ears but couldn't focus on the words.
A pair of cute heeled boots enter her view. Then a familiar voice said, "Chloe, are you getting that book or what?" She glanced up through her glasses at a woman who was sporting thick plastic glasses, well managed but natural make-up. Her tights were black and her dress was a floral print and her bag matched the pink and brown tones in the floral pattern of her dress. She had two shopping bags and three books tucked in her free hand.
"I take it you found something good eh Jessica?" Chloe said pointing towards the bag that said "Gorgeous" in pink bold letters.
"Yeah but we better go home before I spend any more." Jessica mumbled glancing down at her bags.
"Was there a clearance sale at Gorgeous?" Chloe said, getting up from the comfort of the cushions and winding their way through the maze of neatly stacked books. Down the spiral stair case and into the main entrance were the non fiction works were and the best sellers. Chloe dreaded going outside into the 100 degree heat and would rather relish in the clean store and admire it's minimalist décor in the Air Conditioning.
"Yeah, I wouldn't go in otherwise- it's like they're punishing me for being plus sized by charging an arm and leg for clothes!"
"To be fair, they charge an arm and a leg for all clothes, it's why we default to Sera's." Chloe said. They strode out from Farms and Nobles bookstore and into Jessica's car to leave the Strip Mall. She grabbed the lint roller from the glove box and began to clean off her dark jeans and black graphic tee, it had a Persian with words saying, 'I can't come into Work today my Persian is comfortable.'
"Getting all dolled up for the Team Leaders?" Jessica asked and put on her prescription sunglasses.
"Nah, Nyx just got hair all over me," Chloe started and then groaned. "No, don't tell me you want to go?"
"A chance to meet my Team Leader? Yeah, Of course I am going- don't worry, I will be there as your security blanket."
"I hate crowds."
"I know- that's why I am your security blanket."
"Does this mean I am driving?"
"You know me so well- can you also call for Pizza tonight?"
"Yeah." Chloe said with a smile looking out the window as they drove to their abode. Nyx, a Purrlion, jumped from the window sill and greeted Chloe, followed behind her was a Meowth. This Meowth listened first before heading forward and cooing towards them. From the back of the house a Purugly trotted towards Jessica. They feed the pokemon and began to do dishes left in a pile in the sink from a few days ago.
"We suck at being adults." Jessica said.
Chloe washed and Jessica dried. When they had everything wiped down and put away, Chloe called for pizza. She went to her room to grab some cash for the tip when the Delivery driver would arrive. Her room had black and purple accents. Throw pillows being laid on by her Purrlion and Meowth. She opened her dark purple black out curtains to let in some of the last rays of light inside. She checked the incubators. Right now she had three going. She kissed them all, wrapped their plush blankets around each of them and made sure the settings were correct. "I don't know what you three will be but I can promise you will all be loved and will be strong and big."
She went to her drawer of pokeballs and let her charmander, squirtle and Abra out. They were fed and took to going in and out of their pokeydoor. She went out to their large back yard. One corner was a desert like corner, another was a soft meadow, next to that was a pond and a kiddy pool and last was a garden of veggies, herbs and flowers. She released her Ninetales that elegantly trotted to its corner in the desert joined by her roommate's Nintales and not followed far behind was her Sandshrew and Sandslash. Into the pound and pool she released her goldeen and horsea. And then her Eevee, Flareon and Vaporeon. Her roommate's pokemon included another Vaporeon, a magikarp, Clefairy, and a few bellspourts. Once feed and happy to roam around their large backyard she inherited from her father she was barely in time to answer the door for pizza.
"I thought I was going to have to talk to him," Jessica said. They tore into their pizza's ignoring the shameless begging of a few of their pokemon. "We're gonna have to stop by some Pokestops soon, I am running low on Great balls."
"Yeah, besides, we need more-..." their Eevees, her roommate's pikachu and their cat pokemon leaned in to listen to her every sound. "R-A-Z-Z-B-E-R-R-I-E-S."
They went to their separate beds, some pokemon found their beds in the living room and office. Others that were smaller or bigger cuddlers followed their humans into their rooms. Chloe's Meowth, Purrlion and Eevee crowded her in a bundle of loving cuddles that she happily lost herself in the queen size bed.
"We're gonna make it on time, clam down." Chloe said. She put on a black skirt, black tanktop and a white overshirt with black phanpys in a pattern in between black geometric patterns. They already had the morning feedings, checked on her eggs and then placed most of her pokemon back in their pokeballs -save the meowth and purrlion.
"But I want to beat the crowd- i'd thought you'd like that."
"Jessica, there is gonna be a crowd no matter what- the last time a Team leader was here was what? 15 years ago?"
"Yeah, you were like 10 and I was 9."
"Well the new Team Leaders are going to be there, they're in their twenties like us and I am sure there will be a big crowd even if we got there at 5 am, so there is no difference." Chloe said as she looked at their Star Wars clock in the kitchen that read 8:15 am. "But let's go, I'll do my face when we're in line for your Team."
"You're not even going to talk to them are you?"
"What for? They're all the same, squabbling, babbling jerks who bicker about their team being better and what not and use their pokemon to fight in gyms about said teams." she rolled her eyes and grabbed her keys.
"You might be surprised Chloe."
"I've been just fine without battling and teams, my pokemon evolve and train and spar, what more do I need?"
"The dream of being the very best that no one ever was?"
"You read too much Ash Kethcum novels."
"He's my Hero, what can I say? It's why I joined Valor!"
Chloe laughed and twirled her keys. They got into her white car and they drove into central town. They arrived with an hour to spare. The convention center was a large grey cement building with large windows. The lines where going from every double door entrance. "Open already?" Chloe asked the couple in front of them. Both women smiled and the woman with a sun shaped nose piercing and purple hair explained that they decided to open earlier because of the crowds and how hot Red Rock gets. "Make sense, I like your hair by the way."
"Thanks, Melissa prefers it green, but I needed a change!" the woman said as she kissed who Chloe guessed was Melissa.
Chloe could already feel the temperature rising. She opened her half frozen gallon water jug and began to drink. The ice cooled her throat. They moved quicker than thought, eventually getting inside the foyer within 15 minutes. The rug was some sort of black color with an ugly green and red speckles mixed in. The poster on the wall advertised upcoming events, a jiggly puff concert (which she had to laugh at), a hitmonlee vs hitmonchan slapstick comedy act, Chicago the Musical production, and it looked like a magician pulling a pokemon out of his top hat. The room was starting to get stuffy with all the people, there were 'woo' girls, kids between the ages of 5-11 with sticky fingers and mouths from the cotton candy that was being sold, and lots of people who had already joined teams but wanted pointers or to meet their new Team Leaders.
It was an ensemble of primary colors, save the other 40% who were wearing either black and white or secondary colors. Once they entered the main hall Chloe's stomach dropped. There were so many people standing in lines or in hordes. She reminded herself to breath as she got closer to Jessica. Callers wearing official Team insignia and uniforms hollered to keep the peace, direct people to which area of the room they needed to go in the hurly burly. Gigantic posters of each team's legendary bird could be seen from miles. The room had been so huge it would have been able to fit all three birds and then some. Nyx forgot about putting on a face and instead decided to listen and jokingly mock the speakers and looped advertisements that played on the large scale televisions.
"Git binnerbellers razzbirriez." Chloe whispered to Jessica who snorted out a laugh. She shook her water jug and heard the empty space and felt her bladder complain. "You wait here for your Team Lady, I'm gonna find a loo."
"I'll be here!"
She left Jessica to brave the crowd. She heard bits and pieces of conversations, a proposal happened as well but she carried on, wishing the couple well. She steadied her breathing as she pushed through the throng. Not liking how she had to brush on people and wiggle through. The big room suddenly became smaller and she couldn't breathe until she pushed herself into the women's bathroom and into a stall. Once finished she stepped back out and found the Jessica wasn't were she had been. In fact, she couldn't find her best friend anywhere. A few missed calls later she lost her composer and darted for the inner courtyard. The concert hall was a circular building at hosted a grassy meadow and small pool for water pokemon as the center court yard that was big enough to access every theater and ballroom in the Concert Hall.
She found the shade of a Large tree and sat in it's shadow. She pulled took off her back pack and reached in. The ice packs did a great job keeping her cola and food cold. She opened her cola and unwrapped her sandwich. As she chewed she day dreamed with the stillness, drowning out the few people and their pokemon who came out for some quiet as well. Her peace was shattered when she was asked, "Can I sit here?"
"Uh, sure, I reckon that's fine." she said to the man standing before her.
"Thanks," he smiled like a sunny day. He sat next to her and took his gloves off. His hazel eyes met her blue ones. She wasn't about to complain that a handsome man wanted to sit next to her. He had blonde spiky hair a strong chin but soft eyes and features. She could tell he was fit (Like most extremely dedicated players). "Holy Snickerdoodles, is that Peanut butter and Banana sandwich?"
She blinked, then looked at her sandwich, "Yes- it's my favorite."
"No way?" he pulled out the same sandwich from his smaller back pack. He grinned like butterfly kisses. "Mine too."
"uh huh," she said. Bitting into her delicious sandwich, she turned to the sky.
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, I had a friend here who wanted to meet Candela- but I can't find her."
"Oh, then she's in ballroom 2, they moved Valor teams there and Mystic went to Ballroom 4 and instinct is still where it was originally, too many fights were breaking out- but we all went to lunch- I came out here to avoid the noise and to destress- I saw you sitting by yourself here so I decided to keep you company, if you had wanted or needed some."
"You don't like crowds?"
"Nah, I love people and events, but since I am me- I get the butt end of a lot of jokes- I think it's cuz I am the youngest." She had no idea what this tangent was about. Youngest of his group? Of the Instinct district team? Youngest of his siblings? He must have noticed her confusion. He laughed, averted his gaze to the triangle pendant he wore. "Well, seems I need to introduce myself, I am Spark."
she felt the heat rush to her cheeks. "Oh, I didn't realize-" she silenced herself with the rest of her sandwich and attempted to find her way out of the conversation. The last thing I need is for this guy to flirt me into his team, she thought to herself. "Welp, that proves how oblivious I am."
He laughed. A laugh of gold that sang into the air. So infectious she caught it. "So who are you, Miss Oblivious?"
"Chloe."
"Blossom, young green sprout! how elegant!" he wiggled his eyebrows.
She chuckled and said, "Yes, no one has ever gotten that right away."
"Well, you can just say I'm a lot smarter than people think." there was a deep pitch in that, the sunny smile faltered for a moment but sprang back in seconds. "What do you like about Pokemon?"
She did her best to resist the eyes roll- I knew it! She thought, she bit into her apple with more vigor than intended. The Tart tang of her Granny Smith Apple seemed more bitter. "I am more into loving and caring for eggs and pokemon than I care for Teams and gym battles and silly bickering."
"So you think we're all about the glory and guts?"
"What else can I think when your district teams are at each other's throats?" she countered.
Spark smirked, "Wanna make a bet?"
"I don't gamble."
"Maybe this once?"
"What's this then?"
"If I can convince you that Instinct is different from the rest, will you join?"
She thought of it for a moment, "How?"
"How would you want me to prove it?"
"I need to see you daily, not just once in awhile where you can act it out- how long are you in town?"
"The three of us are here for the month."
"Then Deal only if- you spend some free time with me everyday- if you can show me Instinct if worth my time and effort- I will join your team and even become a Caller if I believe enough." she held her hand out, "Deal?"
He mocked contemplation then shook her hand, "Deal, Miss Blossom."
"Oh god, don't call me that." She said and laughed as she averted her eyes to her black flip flops with bows on them.
"How are your eggs?"
She paused, "I beg your pardon?"
"Your Pokemon eggs, how are they doing?"
"They need a walk, I was going to wait for the sun to go down and go to the park to walk one." she said, She wanted the blood in her cheeks to go down- why did she think he was talking about her human eggs.
"Then we can start there, I have some to walk as well- but it's so hot here." Spark said. He took off his leather jacket to reveal his orange sleeveless shirt.
"Yeah, leather is not something to wear here- I reckon it's gonna get close to 103 today."
Chloe noted he looked mildly disappointed and relieved, I think he really wanted to hatch his eggs- he seems so depressed that it's gonna be hot, she thought to herself. Much to her chagrin, two girls and a guy noticed Spark and squealed over to their corner of Zen. She cringed as the cooing and gushing ensued. While Spark was sufficiently distracted she made her move, "Wait!" he called after her, "Wait please wait, I don't know your number how will I find you?"
"Meet me at Tara's Park, in the Rose Garden at 6pm!" She called after and made a run for it with her backpack pressed closely to her chest.'I shouldn't have bailed on him- but I am sure he's used to it.' she guilt-ed herself until she ran into Ballroom 2 and scanned the room for Jessica.
"Hey, I saw your missed calls did you get my text?"
"Oh." she pulled her phone from her back pocket and glanced at the 5 text messages from Jessica. "Sorry."
"Meh, lets go home, I'm exhausted."
"Didya get to meet Candela?"
"Yeah, she was so cool- we even have a picture together." they pushed their way out of the ballroom- once they were in the hall it felt cooler, lighter and much less stuffy. She showed Chloe her photo of her and Candela making peace signs and posing cutely.
"That's gnarly!"
"yeah- what happened to you?"
"I meet Spark in the Center Courtyard- we apparently both like Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches."
"Huh, he seems like a foodie."
"Yeah, we're meeting tonight at Tara's Park."
"Really? Cool- you gonna walk one of your eggs?"
"Yeah- he said he needed to do it too." Chloe said and shrugged her shoulders. They were greeted with the heat of 3 in the afternoon like a punch to the face. They got into Chloe's white ford focus and drove to their home in the suburbs of Red Rock. She prepared her eggs for walking, she had one on her back and two cuddled in her front. She felt like a mom with triplets and soon she would be, with whatever they were. She put leggings on under her skirt and changed into her sneakers. She ate and refilled her water jug.
"You know, I think you'd fit in with Instinct, they're all about Breeding and raising Pokemon and that's right up your alley." Jessica said while cooking food for the two of them. They ate their fried rice and chicken as they spoke more about Jessica meeting Candela and some of the stupid things that happened at the Rally. Before she knew it, the time had come for her to meet this Team Leader of Instinct at the park. She got there with 20 minutes to spare- she had her social anxiety to thank for that.
The sun set behind the mountains, the sky streaking with pink, orange and gold, watched the mountains turn from blue and green to purple and black. 'I hope he can find this,' she thought as she got out of her car and walked immediately from asphalt to dewy grass. She weaved in and out of a few scattered trees and onto a sidewalk. She crossed over a deep pass on a cobblestone bridge and passed the bathrooms and memorial statues. Tara's park was a large park that spanned 17 acres of grassy meadows, man makes lakes, with a small water fall and babbling brook, and three or so mini parks within the park, including the Rose Garden that she ambled to. A cobblestone path went to the central Gazebo that was encircled by various colored roses. She smelled the purple ones, then the white ones, she felt a yellow rose petal under her fingertips and then felt guilty for it- she knew that the petals will wilt if exposed to too much oil from her skin. The aroma settled gently into her nose like an Eevee into a blanket. Her stomach churned for a second, she knew Jessica would release and fed her pokemon but she missed them. She sighed, she needed to get out more. Since she was early she began to walk the outer circle of the rose garden and read the memorial signs on the benches. She ran her hand along the gate and looked out to the rolling hills of green grass and the man-made lake that she usually found goldeens or Staryus in. She spotted a man wearing a plaid shirt and jeans, he waved to her and flashed a sunny smile to her. He was leaning on the open gate and smelling the air. He had a small black backpack on his back and a maroon baseball cap taming the wild strands that seemed to want to throw the hat off.
At first, she wondered why there was a strange man was pulling himself up off the gate and coming towards her. She felt herself begin to unconsciously move into her ready position that they taught her in Krav maga. He waved to her and said, "Hey Chloe." his deep hazel eyes and voice clued her in, to which she scolded her brain for forgetting a person she met literally a few ours ago.
"I see you don't always wear yellows, oranges and leather jackets." She said and nudged her head towards the gazebo where they sat among the circle of concert benches.
"Haha, want to know a secret?" he winked.
"How do you know I'll keep it?"
"I just know," he said, "My favorite color is actually purple."
She wanted to let him know, that was her favorite as well, but she needed to keep her distance for now. "Huh, top secret, eh?"
"Yeah, hence the disguise!"
She laughed at that. It was hard for her to sit with the eggs around herself, so she stood. He stood with her. She said, "Well, lets walk the track, goes around all 17 acres of this Park, it's a few miles, maybe I can get them close to hatching."
"We could just run 10KM?"
She stared at him as if he had 7 heads, "Um, no, I don't run- besides- even if it's not a proven fact, I feel more bounded with my Pokemon when I walk them instead."
"Huh, I..." he said, he averted his eyes to her eggs and patted the one of her back, "I never thought of that, I have just always been so excited to see them grow- huh, I should try that." He took an egg out from his backpack and wrapped it and they headed towards the sidewalk that started the track. "So tell me about Red Rock, it's a decent sized City, has a small town feel to it for some reason but, where are the good restaurants, what is there to do here?"
It wasn't that it was a hard series of questions, it's just Chloe never thought of these things. She must have been silent for too long because he spoke up.
"That boring huh?"
"No, actually Red Rock is great, I just never really thought about things like "tourist attractions" and what to suggest to a visitor."
"Lived here all your life?"
"Yeah, well- I did live aboard for a year- but mostly been here."
"Do I need to start carrying around a 'Jug-o-Water' as well?" he pointed at her jug that she held lazily in her left hand.
"hahaha, you should drink more water here, but you don't need to follow my lead- as for the name, it's a joke from awhile ago."
"You act like you're so old."
"I'm 25- I am not that young either."
"That;s still not old!"
"haha, okay, okay, let me think," she glanced from the stars to the sidewalk as the cars passed by and the buildings changed from residential to businesses. "Well, if you like Greek Food, there's Crete cafe a few intersections down this road," she pointed to the road behind them called County Club. "If you guys are looking for something to drink, 6th ave is the place, tons of bars and clubs especially around the URR-"
"The "URR"?"
"The University of Red Rock," she said waving in the general direction of the large college campus. "If you don't like crowds or loud music like myself there's a few good bar and grills around here I recommend, the Green Garter being one of them, that's also down the road as well- every Saturday there is a Drag Show on 6th ave, and the there's Oedipus Books on 6th Ave to."
"Blanche would like the bookstore,"
"It's a good one!"
"Are there museums? I think Candela and Blanche would want to go there."
"awyeah, loads of them Downtown and on the outskirts- we even have a Wild West Town."
"HA! Candela would love that!"
"and soon there will be Red Rock Meet yourself, there's food from all over the world and different regions and countries, there's dancing and singing and booths."
"That sounds like something I could get into!" Spark said as he rubbed his hands together, while still hugging his egg.
"I reckon you should make a sling." She said and pointed to her three slot sling she held her three eggs in. It was soft cloth that had mint green and pale lavender shapes on a white background.
"Uh- you made that?"
"Yeah- why?"
"Well, I'd have to hire you to make me one, cuz there is no way- I can knit but that about it."
"You knit?"
"Yeah- I can't make a sweater for the life of me, but, I made this blanket- this is just yarn since it's already warm here, but I have made some of wool for when we're North."
"We can't be friends."
"What- why?"
"I crochet and we both know about the stitching wars of old." she winked and watched the wrinkles his furrowed brows made soften into laugh lines.
"We can break the rules for the sake of Pokemon!"
They spoke for longer than she realized. She looked at her cellphone at the end of their third lap which she counted by her parked car and gasped. 10Pm? "Oh, I should go."
"What are you going to turn into a Pumpkin at Midnight?"
"No, ahaha, I've just been gone for awhile- where do you want to meet tomorrow?"
"I don't know this place very well, where do you suggest and I will look it up."
"Oh, I am being ridiculous, here's my number." they exchanged numbers and she said, "meet me at the Golden Sun!"
She drove home. Jessica was at her laptop in the office, she greeted Chloe, "Did the eggs hatch?"
"Nah, there close but not yet." she kissed the two eggs in front and began unwrapping them from herself and kissed the one that was on her back so it didn't feel left out. She placed them back in their incubators and tucked them in. She snuggled and loved on her Pokemon while speaking to Jessica. "You know, I thought he was gonna argue with me when I told him walking the eggs was better than running them, and he seemed to take it into consideration- he knits too."
"ha, you guys can have a stitch 'n' bitch." Jessica said.
"Well, I'd rather have that- I am dreading when he's gonna start selling his team to me- so I am just enjoying how distracted he gets."
"Well, I am going to bed, we both have work in the morning."
"You don't have to tell me twice, I am so ready for snuggles!" Chloe went to bed, nestled between four pokemon and happy where she was and ready for an adventure to come.
A\N: I am contemplating making the second chapter of this in Spark's POV and alternating. What do you all think?
Happy Reading!
-NecromancerLuna.
