DISCLAIMER: I don't own Mystic Messenger or Pokemon, along with their respected characters. Mystic Messenger belongs to Cheritz, and Pokemon belongs to the Pokemon Company and Nintindo.

Oh, boy, I don't know where to start with this... Originally, I wanted to make this more than just a oneshot, but long story short, decided not to because I just don't think I made MC interesting enough...along with the fact that the backstory I had in mind for her created some glaring plotholes, and the only way for me to get around them would be writing some over the top emotional drama...I really didn't want to have to do that.

Aside from that, this took WAY TOO LONG for me to revise; no matter what I did, I just wasn't happy with it. It actually got to a point to where I had to ask others for help, and I even used Grammerly, (although, don't have the premium because you have to pay money to unlock those options). I just haven't felt very confident in my writing lately, so I've started to take things more seriously with my grammer and whatnot. This is mostly written in present tense, but there are shifts to past tense where I feel it's necessary.

I still don't think this is even good, there's bound to be mistakes I missed, but I still published it because of how much work went into it. All I can say is I tried...I'd be happy if there's at least someone out there that likes this. The feedback would be very appreciated.

Merry Christmas, everyone! And I hope you enjoy this little mess for what it is...I'm really trying my best to improve.

UPDATE: Did some more revisions on this. Hopefully, it's better now.

A Different Kind of Paradise

"Hello! Welcome to Aether Paradise! We hope you enjoy your time here," MC smiles and waves to visitors as she stands behind the service counters, "We also offer free check-ups to all visitors' Pokemon visiting our facilities today!"

The young woman smiles as the last of the attendees passes, and then her cheerful expression dissolves quickly, and she sighs; she removes her hat and wipes the sweat off her brow. It's just after lunchtime, so of course, the place floods with visitors again. The Aether employee's stomach reminds her of that once it growls painfully, and she groans in annoyance. At times like this, MC wished she got herself a malasada amidst the lunch rush, or at the very least something sustainable. But, no… She doesn't because she never has the time to, anyway…not when her boss Lusamine practically floods her with work.

When the girl's stomach growls again, her shiny Leafeon stirs in his sleep, opens his eyes, and chirps at the sound. He then leaves the comfort of his soft Poke' Bed, and leaps onto the counter beside her; his concern for his trainer shows in his dark brown eyes.

The brunette only smiles at him, and then she shakes her head gently and pets her Pokemon partner on the head. "Really…I'm fine. Thanks, though, bud. I'll make sure to eat something as soon as I'm done with this Slowpoke report. You know the deadline is today." Her Leafeon purrs as she strokes him softly, and he agrees to her words, although she still knows he remains unconvinced.

MC sighs tiredly, and then reaches for a small bowl of Poke' Beans on the service counter; she scoops up two of them in her outstretched hand and offers them to her beloved partner. The verdant Pokemon sniffs both offerings, and he's content when he takes them into his mouth.

Once he returns quietly to his Poke' Bed, the employee turns her attention back to the monitor; as she settles in her little space again, MC surprises herself once she feels slightly empty, but she soon fights this off. She sighs and opens up the document, and when it fills up her screen, she taps away at the keypad in front of her. In the past, people had told her that she lived her life to the fullest… But she knows this is anything but true, and MC only scoffs at their words; the sad reality of it all is that this is her life, she works nonstop, like a real workaholic.

MC moved to the Alola region six months ago, and because it was expensive, she wasn't left with very much when she got here; due to her circumstance, MC had nowhere to go, she needed a place of her own in Alola.

Poke'dollars were also more scarce to MC since she hadn't preferred the idea of how other people battled with their Pokemon. Instead, she was the exact opposite: she raised and cared for Pokemon, and unlocked their hidden potential that way. Ever since she was little, she followed in her mother's footsteps; her mother was a Pokemon breeder, and when MC found enjoyment in that too, she just developed a similar preference to her mother's.

This is one of the reasons why she now works for Aether, and she stays here thanks to Lusamine, but with a catch: basically, her boss has her on a chain. With no roof over her head, the brunette works endless hours for Lusamine and stays here in return.

From the corner of her left eye, MC makes out a blur of white hair and groans internally.

Initially, none of the regulars bothered her much. But unfortunately, one of them became interested in her. Recently, her 'superior' Guzma flirted with her and since then, had never stopped. It was bad enough the way he dressed, but she cringed more at his words. He said things like, "Hey, doll," or "What's a cutie like you doin' workin' in a place like dis?" And all the other stuff she expected. Honestly, she wasn't even sure if he was serious with her, or if he just said all those things purposely, so she was ticked off.

Needless to say, if the brunette deals with him today, she'll scream; but she also risks her job if she's hostile toward him.

MC musters up her best business smile, and looks ahead of the service counter and expects Guzma. Instead, she finds a man who resembles someone out of a fairytale: his neat white hair gleams, which covers up his mint green eyes slightly with little wisps of pink. He wears a magenta colored coat, with a white dress shirt and gray vest underneath, and beige trousers. And a cravat; seriously, who in this day and age still wears a cravat? A blue rose adorns the right side of his coat, and he also wears a pair of black gloves, and she fiddles with her own white gloves at the sight of his.

He approaches the brunette at the service counter and the woman, who works the desk next to hers, eyes him lustfully.

"Good afternoon, miss…"

His presence transfixes her so much, MC fails to realize that the stranger holds out his hand to her. Awkwardly, she takes it. "H-hello! W-welcome to Aether Paradise!" She recites what she usually says, only this time, she stutters a lot more, "W-we hope you enjoy your time here, s-sir!"

"Thanks, I'm sure I will…" His eyes are full of humor, as he gauges her reaction. Slowly, the newcomer brings the woman's hand up to his lips and to her mortification, removes her glove and kisses her knuckles tenderly; her face becomes rosier than the tips of his bangs.

Immediately, MC retracts her hand and slips her glove back on, and it unsettles her with how some of the employees glare at her; she attempts to regain her composure.

Hahaa, yeah, I'm only helping out a visitor…seriously, though, who does THAT in public?!

Someone wolf-whistles crudely, and her face reddens more, but the man in front of her soon silences them. MC peeks toward the entrance, and realizes that he's not alone: behind the man stands four other figures, but unlike him, they wear hooded black cloaks. Their hoods are up, so this shrouds their faces.

Their leader clears the awkward atmosphere, "Ahem, I'm here to see Miss Lusamine…"

"And you have me, dear," A sultry voice rings through the air, and heels click loudly, as a tall and slender figure approaches them. After this, the woman flips her voluptuous blonde hair and shakes his hand confidently, "I'm Aether president, Miss Lusamine. And, why, you must be Ray. Miss Rika told me of your coming."

Temporarily, Ray loses the glow from his eyes at the last thing she says, and he corrects her hastily, "Ahem, Savior."

Savior?

MC notes the glint in his eyes, dark and full of hostility; she shivers at this and turns away furtively. Lusamine is undeterred by him, however.

"Oh yes, right, Savior. From what she's told me, she seems very fond of you, Mr. Ray. I look forward to working with you both."

He softens his mint green eyes at the admiration in her words, and says, "Yes, everything's all for paradise." He flicks his eyes briefly between Lusamine and MC, and the brunette blushes a dusty pink across her cheeks, and Ray lets go of Lusamine's hand.

"Gla-!"

A Pokemon cries in the air, and the sound startles MC. She glances back at Ray, as a beautiful Glaceon makes her way into his arms. "I'm sorry, princess…did you wait long?" He apologizes to the ice type in a way that melts a person's heart, and the female employees squeal after Glaceon licks his cheek.

"Hehe, I'm sorry for making you lonely…"

Lusamine eyes Glaceon, and then turns her attention sharply toward MC, who flinches in response, "O-oh, yes! Right! We also offer free check-ups to all visitors' Pokemon here." Her business savvy returns now, "I will gladly take her off your hands, Mr. Ray!"

Ray's face lights up once he notices her shiny Leafeon. A child's excitement emanates from him, and he smiles warmly at her, "Alright, take good care of her. She really means a lot to me." He handles his partner in such a way that MC almost thinks he actually hands her something made of glass; something so fragile, that if she hesitates and doesn't act carefully, it shatters.

The man carries a fondness in his mint green eyes that understands his partner, and as the woman brings the small Pokemon to her chest, her intuition tells her that the ice type receives a lot of love and care from him.

With his eyes, Ray signifies 'he'll be back,' and brings his right hand over his chest as he bows respectfully, "Thanks so much for your time, miss…now, excuse me."

After this, MC watches as Lusamine leads Ray and the rest of his colleagues away, most likely to the meeting room, and leave both her and Glaceon alone.

When they are out of sight, her stomach grumbles again, and this startles Glaceon who leaps out of her arms. The brunette sighs, and then kneels down and examines the Pokemon. She notices how Glaceon glimpses sadly in the direction of where her trainer went.

"Hey," MC smiles as she talks to her, "Mr. Ray, I mean, um, your trainer, will be back soon. Don't worry." Glaceon only stares at her with mistrustful eyes and whimpers, when MC removes her glove slowly. Cautiously, she holds out her hand and indicates that she means no harm, and Glaceon then sniffs her hand. After a few seconds, the ice type licks her palm, and she laughs at how the Pokemon's tongue tickles her hand. Her Leafeon awakens from all the noise and watches the two of them in amusement, as the newcomer's Pokemon piques his curiosity.

As she inspects the ice type, MC notices a few things: for one, Ray cares for the Pokemon meticulously, the creature's blue body shines as proof of this. The second is the collar around her neck: dark turquoise with white floral lace and small mint green roses made of diamonds embeds it. A blue rose similar to her trainer's tucks behind her left ear, and this matches the blue rose tag that dangles off the collar.

Hmm, fitting…but also expensive; I could never afford something like this…

Absentmindedly, MC traces her fingers over it, when she notices something strange about the tag. Behind the label of her collar is an unusual symbol: a mint green eye, almost like an Egyptian hieroglyph.

Odd…what a strange symbol… But, wait…why is there…?

There is also a phone number, but no address, which puzzles her; she assumes the phone number is his, but still…why no address?

This honestly makes no sense to her; clearly, Ray cherishes his Pokemon. She knows that much just from his earlier behavior, as well as the Pokemon's pristine condition.

So if he truly loves his partner, then why is there no address on her tag? Doesn't this only inconvenience him more if he ever loses her? MC imagines so…

Not that it's any of my business, but still…so weird.

"Leaf-?"

MC turns her head quickly and spots Leafeon, who's now much closer than before. He's calm as he approaches Glaceon with newfound curiosity; the ice type nods and the other Pokemon sniffs her, and his face lights up as he cries out happily. The fresh snow Pokemon sniffs him in return and mirrors his actions when she licks his cheek softly. The grass type shivers at the contact and MC laughs, as she notices the blush across her partner's cheeks.

Afterward, Glaceon plays with Leafeon, and this mesmerizes MC as she watches them.

"Hehe, how cute…"

Instantly, her body freezes, and her face slightly reddens once she recognizes the voice.

"M-mr. Ray! You're…back already?"

Now self-conscious in his presence, she turns around and fully faces him. Ray leans over the service counter as he smiles in amusement, but from the expression in his eyes, this also intrigues him.

"I am now… But still, it's amazing…I don't think I've ever seen her warm up to others so quickly before."

"Gla-!"

Immediately, Glaceon rushes over and greets him, and she purrs in content in her trainer's arms. "If you don't mind, I'd really love to see him…"

Ray's sudden request catches MC off guard, "Oh, um, sure…you can see him." She gestures for Leafeon who comes closer, and Ray's smile softens once the creature hops onto the service counter. His mint green eyes are empathetic as he observes him considerately, with an innocent warmth to them, free from all burdens.

Leafeon is quiet as he observes the man in front of him, and then Ray removes his glove and holds out his hand carefully; the grass type nods and gives him permission, and Ray strokes him gently behind his ear.

"Amazing…I've never seen an actual Leafeon before, only in books…" He holds a certain sadness in his eyes as he says this, but the emotion soon fades away as it changes into something else.

Why, though?

MC wonders about this as Ray slips his glove back on when he speaks up again, "But, your Leafeon…he looks different from all the ones shown in those books." His eyes are full of pure curiosity, "Did your Leafeon get a tan or something?"

Oh my God…did he really just…did he really just say that?

This sweet marshmallow boy…

MC laughs, and as this comes out of her mouth, she embarrasses the man in front of her, "H-huh? Did I maybe…did I maybe do something wrong?" His face flushes adorably, but there's a little bit of guilt in his eyes; when the employee notices this, she stops. Glaceon, now restless, soon joins Leafeon on the service counter.

"Oh, no!" She assures him, as she wipes away a stray tear from her eye, "It's just that he's shiny, he was born like this."

"Oh, um, yes… Of course, I knew that already, I just wanted to be sure." Ray pauses slightly, and then he claps his hands together suddenly as he remembers something important, "Oh, yes! Right. How thoughtless of me; here I am talking to you and petting your Pokemon when I don't even know your name…"

The brunette's face heats up once she realizes this as well, and she finds it awkward as she introduces herself, "Oh, um, it's MC…"

"MC?" He gives her a quizzical gaze as he says this. "MC…" He repeats the name again for good measure, as it rolls off his tongue in confirmation. This unnerves her a little, when Ray smiles softly again, "MC…it's a funny, yet beautiful name."

It burns her ears considerably once she hears these words, and she slowly starts to dislike the effect he has on her. "T-thank you, but Mr. Ray…"

"Please, call me Ray."

Am I really allowed to do that?

"I mean, Ray…it's just that, you seem to know my partner really well."

His face reddens a little at her words and brings a rosy glow to his once pale cheeks, and she assumes he takes them as a compliment; clearly, she similarly affects him. Nervously, he fidgets with his gloves, eyes downcast and he hides them beneath the pink tips of his white bangs. He glimpses at her and their Pokemon as he speaks up hesitantly, "I guess you could say I've always had a way with grass types…and…flowers…"

And yet, you have an ice type…

MC notes how differently Ray acts from before, his voice soft-spoken as he continues, "I just…understand how they feel…what struggles they face…and what I can do to help them bloom; I really want to help them bloom."

Ray's words are cryptic and almost desperate, but MC still understands them; it's natural when you genuinely want something. MC knows this better than anyone else, but this is also real life. It doesn't work like in the fairytales where Cinderella just dreams and wishes for her prince, where a fairy godmother comes to her aid magically, and then she lives 'happily ever after.' No, MC also believes that effort needs to be put in dreams for them to come true, with still a little bit of hope.

Maybe at one point in her life, MC believed in the other option, like most girls her age. But she just became much more cynical as she grew up, and because of that, her viewpoint changed.

This saddens her a little as she remembers.

While MC loses herself in the memory, it encourages her, and she replies to his words, "I'm sure if you work hard enough, you'll find someone who understands you." Ray widens his eyes, and she bites her lip and hesitates, as the courage she feels from earlier fades away slowly. She strokes her Leafeon and regains this, "You want…someone who understands you, right? Someone who cherishes you and acknowledges you…because you find it hard to do yourself."

The man's breath hitches and her face heats up, as she just realizes she practically spouts all of this out…to a stranger she just met.

Ugh…why…

She's desperate as she wants to hide her red face from him when her stomach growls; her Leafeon scrutinizes her pointedly as if he scolds her mockingly with his dark brown eyes, and MC almost imagines that her father is here.

Ugh…now's not the time, stomach!

Briskly, Ray's demeanor changes at the sound, and he laughs, and then regains his composure as he reaches for something in his coat pocket, "Oh, yes, that reminds me…"

His action flusters the woman more, "O-oh, no! You don't have to pay me anything!" She waves her hands vigorously in slight protest, "The service is free!"

"Yes, I'm well aware of that, but you are still hungry…" He takes out a small brown cloth bag from his pocket, and the smell of it perks up both Leafeon and Glaceon, "These are Oran berries, they're fresh as I grew them myself," he holds the bag out to her, "Please, take them."

Ray's pleasant voice tantalizes and rings sweetly in her ears as he cajoles and beguiles her, it's as if MC is under a spell; his mint green eyes speak volumes of his kindness, with a hint of something else. Excitement, maybe? This both touches her, and makes her slightly iffy, and causes a conflict within her.

As she hesitates, the man's expression falters, and he seems a little…hurt.

"You…don't trust me?"

MC flinches at his words; he sounds like he expects this, his voice bittersweet, with tinges of regret. His sullen face appears mildly bleak, but he hides it weakly from her with a smile. While her initial reaction is justifiable, MC still feels guilty, and thoroughly reconsiders his words…

While it was true that he was practically a stranger to her, MC still allowed the man to pet her Pokemon, and she also gave her name willingly to him when he asked. She even listened to him as he confided in her. When she really thought about it though, she did all those things and hardly gave either of them a second thought. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

MC sighs, and she explains herself honestly to him, "No, that's not it, I just…I guess you could say I'm just not used to being shown any kindness here." While her answer is feeble, it's still the truth. Aside from Miss Wicke, no one else here at Aether is genuinely kind to her: Faba is much too full of himself, and only looks down on her as if she were nothing. The other Aether employees are polite enough, but there's a certain coldness to them that only isolates her from them.

And Lusamine, the only truly 'kind' thing she did for her, was when she offered her a place to stay.

After she says this, MC proves her words when she smiles reassuringly at him, but this only darkens Ray's eyes as he mutters something under his breath.

"You poor thing…"

"Um, what was that?"

Immediately, Ray's eyes return to normal, "It's nothing," he flashes her an innocent smile and practically shoves the bag into her hands, "It's important that you eat well." He flusters MC again once their hands' touch, but she's at least thankful that gloves are a part of her work uniform.

It feels like an eternity once he finally pulls away, and he gazes at her now with some unfathomable emotion and surprises her by what he says next, "Thanks for trusting me, MC…and for listening to me, too; my voice is very small, so not a lot of people hear it, but you did…you understand me, and I want to understand you, too…MC, thank you."

The brunette's mind reels. MC's taken aback by what he says as she blushes, and then she scans the room quickly. Thankfully, no one hears him because no one's around them, which is good for them, but this still frustrates her.

How can he just say things like that in public?!

Hastily, she forgets about the Oran berries when she covers her face up with her hands, as Ray gestures to Glaceon; the ice type gives him an affirmative chirp as Glaceon turns to Leafeon, and licks his cheek softly, and the grass type shivers as she leaps away from him.

As they leave, the man turns his head and gazes fondly at her, and his mint green eyes glint with promise, "See you soon, MC."

MC and Leafeon watch as Ray and Glaceon exit the Aether building.

Ray walks out of the Aether building calmly with Glaceon, but his mind is anything but calm; this excitement is foreign to him, he's never like this, especially over some person he's just met. It embarrasses him a little, but still…

She actually understands me…!

Honestly, no one but his Savior and Pokemon actually understands him, but now an additional person also does, and this warms his heart; while it actually terrifies a part of him that she can see through him, it also thrills him.

Ray closes his eyes slowly.

He remembered the face she'd made after he kissed her hand, his lips against her soft, delicate skin.

Then he opens them up again and blushes at the memory; honestly, he's never been one to do anything so bold before, as he's usually quite timid and shy. Is it the elixir? Or is there just something about her facial expressions and reactions?

I wonder what kind of face she'll make…after she's truly been saved by entering the paradise? I can be the angel that leads her there. Someone so pure as her doesn't deserve to be tainted. MC will be so happy under my care, and she'll never leave me…

He widens his eyes at the words of his wayward subconscious and then shakes his head immediately, but a part of them aren't wrong; a part of him actually wants all of those things with her…if he just takes her back to Magenta with him…if Ray only showers MC with all the happiness and kindness she deserves…if he just shows her what true paradise is like once he cleanses her with the elixir…

When Ray's heart beats wildly in his chest, he knows he gets way ahead of himself; Ray knows he still needs his Savior's approval, and for such a rash decision so soon, it's improbable of her to say yes…and this slightly pains and frustrates his already uncontrollable heart.

She doesn't have to know yet…with time and persuasion, I'm sure Savior will understand.

Yes, once he learns a little bit more about MC, perhaps he'll tell her then; maybe Ray can even do a background check on her once he finishes up all his work back at HQ. Being the skilled hacker comes in handy at such times, but a part of him also just wants to get to know her gradually over time.

Yes, I'll get to know her, and once I do…we'll happily live in paradise together.