Beyond the Battlefield: Happy Snaps
by neptunesxdaughter
PITCH PERFECT AU
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Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or Pitch Perfect. :)
Rating: T.
Genres: Romance, Friendship, Humour, Drama.
Cover: None at the moment.
Warnings: A bit of language, perhaps untrue facts.
Type: Multi-chapter.
Inspiration: Another story that I'm working on, actually. And the Pitch Perfect movie.
Summary: All Misty wanted to do was to go to uni to complete a course to become a photographer, not compete on some battling team that is made up entirely of girls in order to compete nationally and against the boys' team from the same school. She wanted a normal experience, not this. Oh, Mew, help?
Pairings: [mainly] Pokeshipping, Ikarishipping. Maybe others later on.
"Like, Misty, are you absolutely sure that you want to go?"
A young redhead rolled her oceanic eyes at the question, dropping the suitcase at the front door to their house. She didn't bother wincing when the rubber wheels almost screeched against the white, marble floors, only adjusting the strap of her camera bag around her shoulder and gently placed her laptop case gently beside her luggage. She turned to face her oldest sister, who was dramatically trying to hold back tears while she watched Misty get ready to load her things into the boot of the taxi that was waiting outside their home.
"I'm really sure; this is a good opportunity for me. I know the university is far away, but I'll call as often as I can, okay?" Misty replied, sending Daisy a small smile. The blonde girl dropped the tissue she had been clutching onto and drew her younger sister into a hug before pressing a kiss to her cheek in farewell. "I'll miss you, Daisy. Say goodbye to Lily and Violet for me, okay?"
Daisy sighed, and slowly let her go, picking up the laptop bag and slung it over her shoulder while Misty reached for the handle and began dragging her suitcase towards the yellow car where a man was waiting with the boot open. "Are you ready to go, miss?" he asked kindly, gesturing for Misty to hand him the suitcase which she did.
"Yeah, thanks for waiting."
She stepped inside the backseat and wound down her window, seeing her sister place the laptop bag next to the suitcase, looking so forlorn that it didn't match her beauty. "I'll call you tonight, Misty?" she asked, stepping up towards the window to say a quick goodbye before the redhead left Cerulean City for the semester.
"Alright, but try not to call me too much. I'm eighteen; I can take care of myself."
The driver slammed the door shut to his spot inside the car and started the engine, signalling for Daisy to step away. Misty yelled out a last farewell before all Daisy could see was a cloud of dark smoke and the car in the distance.
The redhead looked out the window behind her, staring sadly as her hometown became smaller and smaller as they drove further and further away. She would be okay, right?
She decided to do something productive because she was going to be sitting in the car for a good three hours. Taking out her iPhone and her ear buds, she set her music playlist on shuffle and attached the speakers to her ears, hitting the play button and waited as a Simple Plan song began to echo through her ears.
Her camera was touched next, gently cupping it in her hands as she changed the lens and began to take pictures of the landscape of the busy highway they were driving down. The sight was honestly nothing special, just a few cars here and there that looked like they were competing with the taxi when it came to speed. She didn't pay any mind to that. What really caught her attention was the sky, the intriguing colour of blue and the way the birds circled it as though they were skating across the fluffy clouds that dotted the skyline.
It was nice to focus on something peaceful for a change, instead of the underwater shots she usually took in the aquarium her home had to offer and shots of her sisters modelling or water shows. With the course she was taking at the university she was heading too, it gave her freer reign to do whatever she wanted. Plus, her sisters wouldn't be around to spoil her fun.
With strumming of electric guitars and banging of drums in her ear, it didn't really match the mood she was trying to capture, so she scrolled through her playlist and quickly settled on a more quiet song, and quickly, her head was in the zone of relaxation and peace, her head lulling slightly. She sighed, packed her camera away and closed her eyes softly, allowing the music to take her away into dreamland.
With strumming of electric guitars and banging of drums in her ear, it didn't really match the mood she was trying to capture, so she scrolled through her playlist and quickly settled on a more quiet song, and quickly, her head was in the zone of relaxation and peace.,
her head lulling slightly. She sighed, packed her camera away and closed her
eyes softly, allowing the music to take her away into dreamland.
She must have been sleeping for a long while, because when she was woken up with a sharp jerk of the vehicle she was in, it seemed that they were only a few blocks from the university campus, if the beach shoreline was any indication. She looked startled, yanking the wire of her ear buds and turning off her music while the driver poked his head out the window and began cursing at a guy who must have ran across the road. He looked surprised and smiled, placing a hand behind his head sheepishly. "Sorry, old man!"
Misty looked through the glass of the window while the driver grumbled to himself, and saw that the guy had changed the direction of his gaze onto her. She raised her eyebrows in confusion, and his russet eyes widened before turning and running off. They must have been heading in the same direction because the taxi soon followed his path, but she lost track of where she went.
As the school came into view, she couldn't help but feel really excited. She glanced down next to her, checking that she still had her camera bag beside her and waited until the car came to a complete stop. "We have arrived at Indigo University, miss."
Getting her stuff out of the car was easy. It wasn't hard to lug it behind her, watching as the taxi drove off after he helped her retrieve them, but the tricky part would have to be finding her dorm room. "I wish May was here. At least I'd have someone to look stupid with." she sighed, rummaging through the pocket of her suitcase for the campus map and her dorm room key she had received in a package when her sister had gone to get the mail from the post office a couple of weeks ago. She really wasn't the only one who was curiously looking down at sheets of paper in her hands or scratching her head in confusion. The university was big, and it looked like there was a lot of departments. It seriously just looked like a maze.
The camera bag and her laptop case were dangling from her two separate shoulders while she wheeled her suitcase towards where more confident looking students were headed. Were those stalls she could see?
Maybe it was some sort of welcome to the freshman?
"Step up, step up, and join our elite cheer squad!" shrieked a bunch of preppy looking girls dressed in the university colours of dark blue, red and black. The captain, according to the label on the back of her uniform, was the one who was holding a loudspeaker in one hand and a pom-pom in the other. "You there," she said, pointing at Misty who inwardly groaned and walked over. "How would you like to join the Indigo Uni Gyarados' cheerleading team? Tryouts are later today!"
"Look, I'm not interested. I'm here to get through my course, not join any clubs." the redhead replied.
The other girl scowled in response. "You do know that these next few years aren't just about your education, right? It's good to make some memories as well, and I can guarantee you, that if you join the squad, you will make some awesome ones. You have a bikini-ready body and look quite athletic, so, you'd be perfect for it!" The cheerful demeanour was suddenly masked on again.
"No thanks."
Misty shrugged half-heatedly before walking off. So these stalls were here to represent the clubs that had opened up around campus? Perhaps there were some that had to do with her interests?
Her oceanic eyes scanned the lane once again, her gaze stopping when she saw the guy who had stopped her taxi earlier. A Pikachu was now perched on the top of a red and white baseball cap, and he was walking next to two guys; one had extremely spiky brown hair, a smug expression as he winked at passing girls, and one with caramel skin and dark brown hair, with a familiar lovesick look that she couldn't forgex; ever.
"Brock?" she called hesitantly, raising her hand to gain his attention.
The person turned around at the sound of the name, and she was greeted with the friendly smile that she hasn't seen in person for a only months. "Misty!" he answered excitedly. "What are you doing here?"
"I got into a Photography course." she said with a gigantic smile, motioning to the camera bag still on her shoulder. "I've been trying to find the main office so that I can get to my dorm, but I have no idea where it is."
"I'll show you around soon, but first I need to get Ash and Gary signing up for auditions."
Misty looked confused, tilting her head to the side. "Auditions?"
The guy in the hat, presumably Ash because now that she thought about it, the other male looked a lot like the renowned Pokémon professor, Samuel Oak, from Pallet Town, widened his eyes and his Pikachu let out a surprised "Chu!" He walked over to her and pointed at a group of guys, discussing a set of Pokéballs that was in the centre of their circle. "Auditions for the Boys Battle Team. They compete against other teams nationally, and I want to be on that team! It's the coolest group around on campus."
"There is a girls' team, señorita," Gary said, grabbing her hand and kissing it in greeting. "Are you a trainer?"
The redhead shrugged, noticing Brock's surprised expression. "I suppose." she replied, unconsciously touching her red knapsack that held about five or six Pokéballs of her own. "I'm not here to battle, though. I'm only here to complete my course and become a photographer. I don't want to battle anymore."
"Anymore?" Ash asked.
"Misty is, uh," Brock began. "How do I put this? She's in retirement now when it comes to battling."
Gary grinned. "So you are a trainer!" he exclaimed, before realisation donned his features. "Wait, I know you..."
"That's why I don't want to battle anymore. Brock, can you hurry up and show me to my dorm?"
Ash just stared at the girl in utter bewilderment. Not battle? There had to be something severely wrong with her for her not to battle anymore. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with her, now that he was raking his eyes over her form, other than the fact she was carrying two oversized bags on her shoulders. Pikachu leaned over his trainer's head to gain his attention, unsure of what Ash was really thinking.
"Pikapi?"
"I'm okay, Pikachu." he replied, trailing after the others who had already begun to walk off.
Misty climbed the stairs of the building that Brock had directed her too wearily, still unsure if she was headed in the right direction. This place really needed to ensure tour guides to the freshman so that they could memorise their way around while being shown around. A small hallway came into view, the other side revealing the sky line and seashore through the square windows that lined the wall, while the other one had the occasional door to signal dorm rooms. This had to be it.
She checked her piece of paper and grabbed her room key, and let out a heavy sigh. Time to get this over with. Hopefully her roommate was nice.
The doors were white, and in the middle, a metal plate was nailed to the wood with a number engraved into it. Her gaze passed over these numbers, hoping to see the one that housed the room assigned to her, and gleefully cheered (inwardly) when she saw hers.
The glorious number; 319.
She slid her key into the lock, turned it, and when she heard the click, opened the door slowly. She let out a surprised yelp as she was tackled into a bear hug by a more petite girl of shorter stature than herself. "You're Misty, right? It's so great to finally meet you! I'm Dawn, your roommate, and I just know that we're going to be great friends!"
Misty slowly drew away from the girl to get a good look at her. She had thick, midnight blue hair that was covered in a white beanie, and bangs were decorated with two, yellow barrettes. She had a large, charming grin gracing her lips and her eyes seemed to be the same colour as her hair.
"Um... It's nice to meet you too. I'm Misty... but you already knew that." she replied awkwardly, slowly moving towards the unoccupied, albeit blank, opposite side of the room. The walls on Dawn's side had been left white as well, but you still tell that the girl had a colourful and fun personality. Her walls were absolutely covered in posters of her favourite music artists and idols and popular events, and she had also a cork-board above her desk that had majority of it hidden by ribbons. Perhaps she was a coordinator? The girl also had pink bed covers with little hearts dotting it here and there, and on her shelf under the window sill were a collection of plushies of cute Pokémon. There were also a number of picture frames hanging from the walls and a couple next to the lamp and her mobile on the bedside table. "Whoa."
"Sorry, too much?" Dawn asked self-consciously, absentmindedly glancing at her plushie collection.
"No, it's awesome."
The blunette smiled in response. "Glad you think so. Personalise your half of the room any way you want." she explained, pointing at the walls.
"I might set up my stuff first, actually." Misty replied, dumping her suitcase onto the mattress of her sleeping area, opening it and retrieving a graphic tablet and stylus, a couple of sketchbooks and a large pencil case. She placed these gently on a desk on her side of the room, and then put her camera bag and laptop case on it as well.
"Are you an Art student?"
"I'm here to complete a Photography course. I'm triple majoring in Photography, Battling and Creative Writing."
Dawn's smile seemed to grow wider. "You're a trainer? What kind of Pokémon do you have?"
The redhead removed the knapsack from her shoulder as well. "I specialise in Water type Pokémon because not only are they my favourite type, but because my home town is right near the water. It's kind of part of my heritage and who I am as a person."
"My starter Pokémon was a Water type. I'm from the Sinnoh region, so I began with my Piplup."
Dawn was startled when Misty practically leaped over towards her, her eyes practically shooting stars at the very mention of the penguin Pokémon. "You have a Piplup? They are so adorable!" she exclaimed in excitement, all dreamy-like. It was kind of creepy the way Misty was fawning over the very thought of a water-type Pokémon. "I wish I had one!"
"Would you like to see mine, Misty?"
"Yes, please?!"
The younger girl reached for a small Pokéball on her beside table and pressed the central button in order to enlarge. "Okay, Piplup, spotlight!" she called. The two girls waited as a flash of light appeared from the sphere and eventually shaped itself to reveal a well-groomed and very happy Pokémon, with a shower of bubbles appearing to decorate its entrance more. Misty noticed a sticker on the red and white sphere as well, as it was decorated with a number of bubbles, which explained the fancy entrance.
"Piplup!" the penguin said, flapping its wings cutely.
"Aw, what a cutie!" Misty said, pulling the bird in for a hug while Piplup tried to re-gain its breath.
"Pip!"
"So, what Pokémon do you have on you at the moment, Misty?" Dawn asked as they walked through the lane together, looking at the stalls. The blunette, having admitted that she was there for a course that had her double majoring in acting and coordinating, had helped the other girl set up her Photography things on her desk before demanding that they go downstairs to check out the campus a bit more.
Misty shrugged. "Uh, my Starmie, Corsola, Psyduck, Gyarados and my sister's Dewgong."
"Whoa, that's so cool! How many sisters do you have?"
"Three, actually. Dewgong belongs to my oldest sister, Daisy, while Violet and Lily don't like training Pokémon. They've agreed to take care of my Goldeen, Kingdra and my Staryu while I'm away, though. Kingdra just evolved, so its a bit weary of who it'll stay with." the redhead explained.
"Did you say Daisy, Violet and Lily? Oh my Mew, you're a Sensational Sister!"
Misty glared at the girl, noticing that people had begun to turn around at the outburst, drawing further attention to the water-type trainer. "I might be, but don't go making a big deal out of it, okay? I'm here to get away from all of that, and because I want to pursue my dream. I've had enough of battling people and water shows. I just want to be myself."
"Right, right, sorry." Dawn said, trying to calm myself down. "But this is seriously is awesome. You're my roommate!"
The other girl winced as the coordinator let out yet another squeal of delight. "Yeah, yeah, let's just check out the other stalls."
The past various ones, none of them capturing the attention of either of the girls. They continued to just glance around, until Dawn finally gasped when she saw something she liked. "They have an acting club! Oh my gosh, I have to join!" she almost yelled, grabbing her roommate's arm and rushing over to the stall to where a young woman with an eerie aura about her was sitting next to a man with long hair and a baby blue mask covering his face.
"Welcome to the Acting Club stall." the woman said, clearly bored as she checked her manicure. She glanced up at Misty and Dawn, her green hair bouncing slightly. "I'm Sabrina, and this is Brycen." The other occupant of the stall raised his hand in greeting. "How can we help you?"
Dawn smiled back and grabbed a pen from a tin sitting on the table, and signing her name on a clipboard under quite a long list of other names. "I'd like to sign up for your club. I'm a freshman and an acting student."
Brycen leaned over to read her name. "It's good to have you on board, Miss Berlitz. Have you done any projects of your own?"
"I've starred in a couple of commercials and a couple of small roles in TV shows and a movie." she answered with a dazzling smile. "Nothing special."
Misty smirked, holding back a laugh as Sabrina looked less than impressed. "Whatever, welcome."
Dawn knitted her eyebrows together, but chose to ignore the coldness coming from Sabrina and began to walk away, a bounce in her step. "It's so cool that I actually made it here." she stated cheerfully. "What are you going to sign up for? Why not the Girls Battle Team?"
"I'm retired from battling, remember?"
"C'mon, just give it a shot. Apparently, they really choked last year because one of the members ended up spewing up on stage at the smell of a really stinky Skunktank because of its noxious fluids. It'd be great for the girls to win for a change. The boy and girls' teams are really competitive, and ever since the boys' team won last year, they haven't stopped teasing the girls'."
"You're really a fan."
"I've done my homework." Dawn laughed. "But seriously, give it a go. Who knows, you might like it?"
"I'm not even a very good battler. I haven't trained properly with my Pokémon for a couple of months, so they'd be a little rusty as well." Misty tried again, and grinned when Dawn pouted in defeat.
"We'll see about that."
A/N: I really enjoyed writing this, and I hope it receives positive feedback because I skipped homework to write this (probably a bad move on my part, oh well). What do you guys think? I haven't written a Pokémon fan fic in a while, so I'm probably a bit rusty when it comes to this fandom.
Okay, it's not going to be exactly the same as Pitch Perfect, but they do share some similar elements, like getting roped into competing for a team and yadda yadda yadda.
Word Count: 3,501
Please consider leaving a review, they're much appreciated. :) They keep me going. Thanks again for reading!