"Helen," Avery tried to speak up...for the fifth time.
"I know, I just need a minute." Helen interrupted and plonked her head back on the table.
Avery just grumbled semi-silent profanities under her breath and took another sip of her tea, waiting for her friend to spit it out. Avery was a trainer of the 'delinquent' category. A title she had earned when she had been kicked out of the Ace Trainer's academy for breaking a man's nose. At least that was what the high-ranked academy liked to say.
The man had been a teacher...a teacher who thought he had the right to make a sexual pass at her flat ass.
Helen was Avery's first, and last, student. One that had asked, no...begged, Avery to train her so she would have a shot at making it into the Academy. Avery had said yes once Helen offered to cook for her on the weekends and two days of the week at most if she felt like it. Helen was only a few months younger than Avery and the two eventually became great friends.
However, Avery was not a patient person by nature, and Helen's skittishness was testing the limits of Avery's will.
Helen had frantically shown up at Avery's door in tears, blurted that she had urgent news, dragged the former ace to the local café, and for the last fifteen minutes had been trying to calm herself with deep soothing breaths.
Avery grumbled once more under her breath, "Helen, you're wasting my time." Avery sighed, "What is so momentous that you can't just tell me outright?"
"I'm sorry 'Eve," she whimpered, "This is just really hard for me to say."
"Why?" Avery demanded, deliberately using her 'sensei-demands-an-answer' tone.
"I was born in the Johto region remember," she answered quietly, "If I did this when I was in my hometown I would be thrown in jail or even banned from the region! It's terribly scandalous and...I...I don't..." Helen whimpered pathetically.
Avery sighed, giving her friend the best look of sympathy she could manage. Helen had come to Kalos straight from Johto. The transition was much more frightening in her case as Johto was much more strict and traditional when it came to their region-wide rules. The same could be said for its sister region and parts of Sinnoh. While Avery wasn't too sure about Hoehn region, she had heard they were a little more modern and lenient with their rules.
"Helen, just calm down. You're in Kalos, not Johto. Things are a lot different here." Avery reminded her.
"You're sure...you're not gonna look down on me if I tell you...?" Helen asked softly.
"How about you fess up and then I'll make my own opinions."
Helen regarded her friend with eyes full of indecision. "What the hell do I have to lose." Helen growled.
Tossing a few bills on the table, Helen dragged her friend over towards the entrance to the next route where a natural hot spring lie hidden behind the trees.
"Okay, promise you won't laugh." Helen demanded as she paced along the edge of the spring.
"Yeah, sure, whatever." Avery agreed and began stripping down to her dainties.
Helen groaned, having never quite gotten over the appall that came with knowing her friend was the closest it got to pure, unadulterated, shamelessness.
"Right now, you have to swim right now?" Helen groaned.
"I wanted to," Avery shrugged and hopped on in.
"You're unbelievable." Helen sighed.
"Oh well," Avery grinned and paddled over to her friend.
"So~ spill it already. What's this scandalous crime you've committed."
"W-well..." Helen gulped.
Avery rolled her eyes and tried another tactic, "Helen," she said loudly, "I practically soiled the good spotless name and record of a long standing Ace Trainer academy that was considered on of the best in nearly every region. Your little scandal isn't gonna faze me."
To Avery's relief Helen gave her a grateful smile in return and took a much needed deep breath. "Okay, okay..." She stole up all her courage and blurted, "Ihaveaboyfriendbuthe'salsokindofapokemon!"
Helen held her breath, waiting for Avery's reaction as the ex-ace just blinked at her.
"Uh...ya wanna say that again in English dearest?" she teased with just the tiniest twitch of a smile.
Helen groaned and repeated, "I have a boyfriend...and he's kind of...a...Pokémon." she admitted and hung her head.
Avery just kind of stared at her friend for a moment...and then promptly burst out laughing.
Helen shrieked in rage, "What the hell?! Why are you laughing?!" she snapped angrily and with a hint of heartbreak to boot.
"O-oh my A-Arceus!" Avery cackled, "That's it? No murder or stealing, just dating?!"
Helen kind of stood there, not sure what to do... "I don't...is...why are..." she rambled.
"Helen," Avery snorted as he laughter died down, "Dating a pokemon isn't some scandalous crime in Kalos. It's legal and well practiced, much like Unova."
"B-but..." Helen whimpered.
Avery sighed, "Look, I now Interspecies Dating is like the ultimate frown upon and disownment inducer back in your home-region, but not here in Kalos. You should know that by now." Avery paused and then gave Helen a sly smirk, "Well...unless it's a Tentacruel. Then I have the right to take you to the Battle Chateau and have every snobbish aristocrat smack you properly with a white glove." she smirked devilishly.
Helen gave a horrified cry of embarrassment. "Sh-shut up." she blushed, "N-No...he's not a Tentacruel."
"Good..." Avery paused when she saw her friend was still upset, "Helen, what's wrong. Is there something else?"
"You...you're the only one I can tell." she whimpered.
Avery gave the girl a confused look as she sat down and removed her shoes to soak her feet in the spring. Seeing her friend's confusion, Helen just sighed, "My family doesn't believe in Interspecies...mostly because of their parents. But I know they'd do something if I told them. When my brother Alan told them about the Gallade-."
"Wait...Gallade?" Avery interrupted.
"He's gay," Helen elaborated, "And the best big brother ever."
"Oh, that makes sense." Avery mumbled, "You should have told me that. I was wondering why he never called me back."
"I don't think his preferences were the only reason," Helen teased and dodged her friend's annoyed swat.
"Shut up and continue," Avery growled playfully.
"Right, but yeah, when Avery told them about Gallade they instantly separated them...or tried to. Gallade found his way back and the two managed to leave for Unova the moment Alan managed to convince mom and dad to let him out of the house for some fresh air."
"Do you know how they're doing?" Avery asked.
Helen nodded, "If he letters are anything to go by they're still together and quite happily in fact."
"So your family can't know, so what? If he makes you happy, then go for it."
"You think so?"
"Of course, your happiness comes before someone else's opinion. I taught you that a long time ago."
"Yeah, I should have remembered." Helen nodded.
"Pay attention then," Avery chided playfully, "Hey, what species is he anyway?"
"Hm? Oh, he's an Alakazam." Helen answered, "He calls himself Vern."
"Oh, right...I forgot they could use Telekinesis."
"Yeah...it's handy."
"So...he treats you right?"
"Of course, he's a little wary. He's never dated a human before."
"Can I ask how you two met?" Avery pressed, "I mean, you basically just said interspecies is new to both of you."
"While I would love to entertain you with that story it'll have to wait. I have a date with him and I want to look presentable."
Avery just rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I got it." She shooed her away, "Have fun okay."
"Will do-."
"BUT NOT TOO MUCH FUN!"
"Avery!" Helen whined.
The former-ace just laughed and waded further into the spring.