Little paws and an assortment of other feet skittered and slid about the laboratory floor, the chirruping of young Pokemon intermixing with those of the older, deeper growls that followed.
The laboratory of Professor Sycamore was at its busiest, the professor himself having locked his office door so he could better focus on his work. The scientists who spent every hour in that building, too, were busily conducting tests and scribbling down notes on clipboards, at times nearly tripping over the variety of Pokemon resident. Either belonging to the professor or to the scientists themselves, the currently most significant aspect of the day were the newcomers.
Earlier, some hours ago from that point, Lysandre had stopped by to have a word with Sycamore, or so his Pokemon managed to register, and before leaving he left the laboratory in the care of his team.
Pyroar lounged about in the corner, serenely, if not sleepily, observing the energetic play between Mienfoo and Charmeleon, the two skidding about the smooth tiling.
The sharp clicking and scraping sounds of claws contrasted with the soft, quick padding of furred paws, Pyroar opening an eye to observe his own companions.
Honchkrow sat leisurely upon the bulb on Ivysaur's back while Wartortle seemed nigh upon napping, the Pokemon blinking sleep out of their eyes at each other in silent agreement upon their shared feeling.
Lacking the same energy as their companions, Pyroar naturally a beast that was far more active at night, the great lion Pokemon made this evident by giving a large yawn, flashing sharp canines.
Eyes closing for just a moment, the world went dark, but the noise didn't stop—especially as Honchkrow shrieked a cawed warning in the lion's delicate ear.
About to give a bellow of pain from the sharp sound, Pyroar was interrupted by Charmeleon's mass smashing into the lion, the fire lizard giving a squawk of shock as they rolled over some ways in a tangle of limbs.
Thumping back to a stop, Charmeleon dizzied and Pyroar's temper rapidly flaring up, Mienfoo's lilting laughter at the sight of the two only encouraged Pyroar into shifting.
The floor shook with Pyroar's bellowing roar as he lifted up a grand paw to smack down onto Charmeleon's skull, lips peeled back and face contorted into an appearance of rage.
Bracing itself with gritted teeth and clawed hands sheltering its head, Charmeleon waited for impact—that never came.
Gently, and slowly, did it remove the clawed fingers that sheltered its eyes from his possible doom, noticing Pyroar's eyes focused elsewhere, its paw slowly lowered.
Curiously following Pyroar's line of sight, Charmelon found the other Pokemon, too, looking in the same direction, and he quickly found out why.
Hours before could Charmeleon remember just how on-edge Sycamore had become, the professor demanding peace and quiet at least within his office. He had booted everyone out and locked the door lest any one of his Pokemon attempt to creep back in to try and garner his love.
It had been a change from his atypically lax personality, but with his research on mega evolution at a critical point, it so seemed that he required the utmost amount of concentration to pore into his work.
But there he stood, a smile as bright as sunshine and eyes with matching warmth, though he certainly wasn't inviting his Pokemon over for a group apology for kicking them out of the shared space.
Rather were his eyes trained upon Lysandre standing in front of him who was leaning up against the neighboring wall, caught in casual conversation with the professor as the two surely discussed some matters of business and research.
Eyes lit up and looking far more relaxed than just that morning, it was difficult not to notice—the usually oblivious Charmeleon certainly able to speak for this as it looked around at his companions, trying to gauge their reactions.
Trotting over to Mienfoo, who was evaluating her trainer with hints of interest, Charmeleon poked and prodded at her until she, with an aura of annoyance encompassing her, snapped around to look at him.
"Char, charmeleon," he hissed, jabbing a clawed finger at the two men standing close to one another as they spoke in low voices despite the noise of machines computing data and scientists loudly discussing.
Mienfoo's look of anger gradually began to melt away as she glanced back to the pair of men that spoke as though they were in a far more private, perhaps even intimate, setting.
"Mien," she murmured in agreement, nodding slightly at the observation Charmeleon made.
They did look to be close, closer than what she had imagined—and by looking back at the others, she could see they thought the same.
Pyroar, slowly rising to his paws, padded over to the pair who stood there in wonderment, the older Pokemon settling back down onto his haunches.
"Pyyy," he rumbled, tail flicking side to side as he earned the attention of the younger pair, who gazed up at the lion with interest.
Already was he getting an audience, Honchkrow fluttering over with Ivysaur while Wartortle, who had long since fallen asleep, remained where he had dozed off.
Quietly, patiently, waiting until the group had settled, all eyes upon Pyroar, he fluffed himself out momentarily, absently thinking as he combed through his thick mane with his claws.
Finally did the Pokemon start speaking, settling his paws back down, tail curling about them with the tip still twitching, as his eyes scoped out the professor and Lysandre before back upon his companions.
"Py, pyroar, pyyyy pyy," he started lowly, the eyes of some of the younger Pokemon—namely Mienfoo and Ivysaur, the current youngest of the group—widening at his thoughts on the two men that were too focused on their conversation to notice the conference of Pokemon.
The tip of Pyroar's tail twitched faster and faster as he kept speaking to the others on his thoughts on Lysandre and Sycamore, managing to finish within the span of a few minutes.
By this point was Mienfoo looking jittery and Charmeleon jabbering excitedly away into her ear, Honchkrow looking more so bored than exhilarated.
Ivysaur, intimidated by the seemingly adult concepts introduced, tentatively waddled off to go join Wartortle in his napping, Honchkrow, again, flying the short distance after him.
Left with the most hyperactive of the group to deal with, Pyroar gave a low sigh, knowing he had his work cut out for him.
"Pyy," he growled in slight warning as he stood up, bumping his side against Charmeleon, who only grunted in dismissive response.
Lysandre was stepping back away from Sycamore, but Pyroar, a purr rumbling in his throat, pushed hard against his legs.
The large Pokemon successfully shoved his trainer forward, Lysandre making a noise of surprise.
Nearly tripping into Sycamore, in reaction and to keep himself from tumbling to the ground did he snap his hands out, fingers gripping into the fabric of Sycamore's coat. Pyroar, purring and rubbing up against him still, Lysandre looked in confusion at his suddenly oddly-behaving Pokemon, to where his hands now gripped at Sycamore's shoulders. The professor himself looked surprised and unable to tell if his reflexive behavior had offended him, Lysandre rapidly began to apologize.
"Ah, apologies, Augustine," he tried, glancing back in a scolding fashion at Pyroar as he attempted to move back away. "Something seems to have gotten into Pyroar, usually he is not so strange—"
For a moment did relief come to Lysandre when seeing Sycamore's startled look warm back up into something forgiving, though it seemed everything was going wrong in that instance as that look turned, again, to shock.
Confusion lasted only for a second until Lysandre got the answer to why Sycamore looked so shocked when the professor was soon pushed into his arms, again the red-haired man reacting on reflex than anything. Grabbing onto Sycamore to keep him from falling, his eyes caught sight of Charmeleon baring its twin rows of sharp teeth in delight as its paws went from a pushing position to back at its sides.
The lizard scampered off before anything could be done to him, Sycamore already looking around in bafflement.
"Odd," he murmured, and Lysandre nodded in slight agreement, noticing the absence of Pyroar at the back of his legs. The lion was laid down nearby, and while giving the appearance of snoozing, his left eye was cracked open just enough to observe the pair.
Sycamore, realizing the fact he was hugging tight onto Lysandre, flushed red, caught off guard by everything.
"Sorry, sorry, I guess all of the Pokemon here are losing it—" he sheepishly began with a grin, trying to pull back until glancing over, facial expression going blank.
Lysandre, trying to process everything as well, simply looked over to see who next was coming to torment the pair of them.
He stared down at his little Mienfoo, who beamed up at the two, holding up a little daisy she clearly had plucked from outside to Sycamore.
Blinking, the professor slowly took it from her and almost immediately after did Mienfoo look at Lysandre long and hard, receiving only a baffled look.
Having not yet moved, Sycamore glanced from the flower in his hand to Lysandre, who, too, had yet to pull away his arms.
"… Did you set this up?" he curiously asked, Lysandre, who had not turned even the slightest shade of red, jerked his gaze back to Sycamore, startled and with a tinge of pink entering the apples of his cheeks.
Looking mildly panicked, a sight normally not seen, Lysandre glanced at his relaxed Pokemon and then back to Sycamore, fumbling with his words.
"Well, er, I don't think so but, hrm—"
His blushing, embarrassed look easily altered into a broad grin, Sycamore switching from embarrassment to giddiness without a second thought or any consideration for his prior sheepishness.
"You didn't have to go to such lengths just to ask me out, Lysandre. I'm flattered," Sycamore chuckled, admiring the daisy in his hand before grinning some more.
Glancing back in confusion at his Pokemon, Pyroar gave a low rumble and Mienfoo glared harshly, Lysandre clearing his throat as he looked back.
"… Yes, well, you deserve nothing less," he mumbled, only able to wonder what had gotten into the minds of his Pokemon. But he only seemed rewarded by playing along as Sycamore, playfully, kissed him on the cheek, a slight smile curling the corners of Lysandre's mouth.
It seemed to have all gone smoothly despite the odd beginning, Sycamore seeming far less eager to move away as the two smiled at one another—up until Charmeleon, giving some kind of battle cry, tackled Sycamore's legs in a fierce hug.
Mienfoo, with a delighted shriek, was prompt to follow as she launched into Lysandre's side, the four toppling over in a mess of angry and surprised shouts.