Hey all! I am back from being away. I decided to put a chapter up since I wasn't around last week and I have the time now. I hope you enjoy chapter 10. This was a fun one to write.
I'd like to think my beta reader heichousheadphones ( ) for taking time from their busy day to help me with my horrible grammar and for also helping me go through the thinking process while writing this little fic.
Chapter 10! Here we gooooo!
The Cottage
As tears trickled down Yamaguchi's freckled cheeks his eye lingered on the purring Sylveon. All his sorrows seemed to subside as Sylveon soothed him gently with her ribbon like feelers. Confusion only mildly set in as his tears all together stopped. Sylveon was extremely rare to find in the wild. Who did this Pokemon belong to?
"Sylveon, where did you go?" came a voice from around the cottage Yamaguchi sat beside.
It was in that very moment that Yamaguchi realized he was sitting on a crate beside a very small and quaint cottage. Panic set in as he realized he had trespassed on someone's property. Before he could take any action on his panic the owner of the mystery voice came into view.
A man looking to be much older than Yamaguchi with short black hair and a kind smile came from around the corner. He wore stylish red thick framed glasses upon his nose and a kind smile upon his lips. He had a striped purple and white shirt with brown slacks and over his waist was a green breeders apron. At the man's heels was a Glaceon and Espeon both of whom looked on at Yamaguchi in curiosity. Once again, Yamaguchi found himself quite speechless as the man and his Pokemon approached.
"Looks like Sylveon found you first," the mad jokingly said with a kind smile.
Yamaguchi looked to him with his mouth agape. He had meant to ask what he meant but the question got lost in his throat.
Seeing Yamaguchi's blatant confusion the man gave a small chuckle. "We heard you crying from inside," the man clarified kindly. "My name is Shimada Makoto, by the way."
At this Yamaguchi felt his face go beet red. Had this man, Shimada, really heard his loud blubbering? "S-s-sorry!" Yamaguchi barely got out. Embarrassment wracked his body as he felt too shaken to look Shimada in the eye.
"No worries...umm?" Shimada waved off as he prompted Yamaguchi to introduce himself.
"Y-Yamaguchi," Yamaguchi almost shouted, still far too embarrassed to have any sort of control over his voice. "Yamaguchi Tadashi!"
"Well, then, Yamaguchi, care to come in for some tea and snacks?" Shimada kindly offered. "I promise the chairs inside are much more comfortable than the gardening crates, and you can wash up a bit if you'd like."
"O-Okay," Yamaguchi found himself saying without really meaning to. He rarely every accepted such invitations from strangers but something about this Shimada set him at ease, or perhaps it was Sylveon's soothing aura?
Shimada kindly smiled as he gave an approving nod. He then led Yamaguchi and the three eeveelutions into the small cottage. Once inside the small house Yamaguchi found a quaint kitchen with a dainty table and chairs. The kitchen lead into the hall that Yamaguchi assumed held the bedroom and bathroom of the house.
"Feel free to take a seat," Shimada said as he motion to the ornate kitchen table and it's equally decorative seats.
With a silent nod, Yamaguchi slipped into one of the four cushioned seats. Shimada had been right, these seats really were more comfortable than the crate outside. The Sylveon from before made himself comfortable in Yamaguchi's lap, curling up just right to fit snugly. Unconsciously Yamaguchi stroked at the fairy type's large ears.
"You'll have to excuse him. He doesn't understand personal boundaries," Shimada chuckled as he poured hot water into a teapot.
"I don't mind," Yamaguchi waved off a bit too quickly.
"He's always attracted to those in distress," Shimada carried on with a sigh. "Seems to always want to help those who are feeling burdened. I suppose it's in his nature."
"It's quite nice, really," Yamaguchi insisted as his nerves bagan to really ease off. "It's doing wonders for me right now," he admitted shyly.
"So, was it a bad break up?" Shimada asked as he placed a tea cup in front of Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi felt his cheeks go red once more at the mere idea. "N-no!" he squeaked.
"I expected as much," Shimada chuckled as he poured tea for Yamaguchi and himself. "Could it have been a battle gone wrong then?" He asked, this time his tone less joking.
Yamaguchi deflated at the question. He gave a small nod as his eye stayed fixed on the rippling tea in his cup. He heard Shimada give a knowing hum as he sat down.
"Gym battle?" Shimada quietly asked.
Yamaguchi gave one nod of confirmation, not daring to look away from his tea.
I calm yet somber silence hung heavy in the small kitchen. Only the ticking of the kitchen clock filled the air.
"A loss is never an easy thing to swallow," Shimada admitted, his tone somber. "But the most important part is-"
"Picking yourself back up and carrying on," Yamaguchi finished as he looked up from his tea. He held an expression that read he had heard this exact same thing many times. This won him a small chuckle from Shimada.
"Yeah, I heard that a lot when I was your age, too," Shimada admitted with an almost dreamy look to his eyes. "I always hated it."
Another beat of silence filled the kitchen as Yamaguchi's expression changed to mild interest. Now that he thought of it, he had no clue who this Shimada man was. For all he knows this guy could be really dangerous. His expression must have been obvious for Shimada answered in good nature.
"Hearing you crying out there and seeing you behind this cottage reminded me a lot of myself when I was your age," Shimada gave another wistful sigh as he spoke.
"R-Really?" Yamaguchi questioned in disbelief. He looked on at Shimada in pure curiosity. A man who seems to have his act together could not possibly be as pathetic as himself.
"Yeah, when I went up against my first gym battle I lost horribly," Shimada carried on, laughing at the far of memory he spoke of. "My three Pokemon were knocked out by one of the gym leader's Pokemon. It was a disaster."
Yamaguchi questioned weather this was more than just a coincidence. Could Shimada really have experienced the same thing as himself or was he lying to make Yamaguchi feel better? "The same happened to me…" Yamaguchi found himself whisper.
"You don't say…" Shimada looked to him in his own state of disbelief. "Small world I guess, thought it was not this gym I lost to."
Yamaguchi fidgeted uncomfortably as he ached to asked Shimada a question. Shimada waited patiently, allowing the younger shy trainer to work up the will.
"W-What did…" Yamaguchi started hesitantly as he seemed to almost second guess himself. "What did you do?" he finally got out, less fidgety now that the question had been asked.
"Cried," Shimada admitted with no shame. "I also really thought about what I wanted," he carried on almost wistfully. "I hated battling you see, but I also felt like there was something out there for me. Like I shouldn't give up."
Yamaguchi could not relate more with what Shimada had said. He felt his heart pound as he leaned forward in interest. It felt almost comforting to have met someone who had experienced a similar disposition as his own. "Did… Did you ever beat the gym?" He found himself asking.
"Nope," Shimada replied once more with little to no shame.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Yamaguchi corrected quickly, fearing he had possibly struck a sore nerve. Little did he know it was quite the opposite.
"I quite the league so I had no need to battle the gym again," Shimada almost sounded proud as he elaborated.
This peaked Yamaguchi's curiosity once more. Most people were not proud to be quitters. His confusion cause Shimada to laugh in good nature.
"I hated gym battles, so why bother doing them?" Shimada carried on with a shrug. "After taking time to think about it, I realized there was a lot more out there than just the league for a trainer to get involved in. So, I quite the league."
"Wow," Yamaguchi hummed in admiration. "What did you end up doing?" He asked before he could stop himself.
"Oh, I thought it was obvious," Shimada laughed as he motioned to a small shelf holding several shining trophies. Under the trophies were a few glittering shiny ornate keys. "I took up Pokemon Showcase," he said with a large smile.
"Pokemon Showcase?" Yamaguchi echoed as he racked his brain as to where he had heard of it before.
"Yep," Shimada said with a proud nod as he looked to all of his trophies and keys. "It's where both Pokemon and trainer work in unison to put on a spectacular show."
"Is there… battling ever?" Yamaguchi reluctantly asked.
"Nope, not at all," Shimada hummed. "But it really taught me how to become synced with my Pokemon, and before long I think I could have taken on that gym again and won if I wanted to," he spoke with a small shrug at the end. "I found it to be the best option for a trainer like me, who hated battling."
"I've never thought of trying something other than the league," Yamaguchi admitted aloud. Shimada's way of speaking about Pokemon Showcases ignited a small flame in Yamaguchi. "Do you still perform now?"
"Not as of recent," Shimada admitted. "I'm mostly retired now and have spent my time delving into breeding to be honest but I do get involved with competitions on occasion."
"You do breeding, too?" Yamaguchi asked in awe. He felt impressed at the man's accomplishments.
"It's kind of a family business to be honest," Shimada chuckled, enjoying Yamaguchi's enthuseasum. "It's a good thing I'm interested in it. I do plan to take the business over from my parents some day."
"What have you bred?" Yamaguchi asked as he unconsciously stroked the head of the now sleeping Sylveon.
"Well, these three guys are an example of what I've bred," Shimada replied as he looked to his Espeon who was sitting in the window sill looking up at the setting sun.
"You bred these three?" Yamaguchi gasped. He had heard Eevee breeding was no easy task.
"It's one of my family's specialties," Shimada nodded. "We've also dappled in fairy types, mostly my mom, and on occasion, starter pokemon for the professor," he rambled on in a comfortable hum. "Now that's enough about me, what about you, Yamaguchi?" Shimada chuckled before taking a sip of his tea.
"M-Me?" Yamaguchi squeaked in shock. "I've never bred in my life!"
"No, I don't mean that," Shimada laughed arily. "What's going to be your next move?"
"Oh," Yamaguchi half deflated. He looked to the side in mild avoidance of the question but Shimada did not relent. "I…. I suppose try again?"
"Hmmm…" Shimada simply hummed in reply. "I'm not telling you to join a Showcase or anything, but keeping an open mind can really lead you to a happiness you might have never known existed."
The idea of trying something outside of the league was more than tempting for Yamaguchi. Not having to stress over these gym battles sounded like heaven. But something within Yamaguchi, most definitely his stubborn pride, made it hard for him to give up on the league.
"Yeah…" Yamaguchi replied in far off thought. The idea of going back to Viola's gym was not the least bit tempting.
"But do think about it. There is more to Pokemon than just battles. If you do decide to try something else feel free to reach out to me," Shimada kindly offered, his eyes fixed on Yamaguchi.
"Thank you," Yamaguchi replied with a bit of hesitation. "But why have you been so kind to me?" he asked as he looked to Shimada in a mix of grateful surprise.
"I guess I just see a kindred spirit in you," Shimada softly admitted.
Yamaguchi could not help but smile. It wasn't often strangers were so kind to him. He felt himself very lucky to have stumbled upon Shimada like this.
The two spent the rest of their time sipping on tea and munching on cookies. Shimada told Yamaguchi of his time as a Showcase Performer while Yamaguchi shared tidbits about Poni Island and his life in Alola. The atmosphere was calm and pleasant and before long Yamaguchi felt as if he had known Shimada for all his life. It was almost as if the man understood his plight to the core.
Time passed quickly as the two chatted and when Yamaguchi looked out the window he realized that the sun was close to setting. His conversation with Shimada had been so engaging he hadn't realized how much time had passed. Reluctantly he told the man he had to go. He didn't want to worry Tsukki and the others.
"Reach out to me if you ever have anything you want to talk about," Shimada insisted as he handed off his contact to Yamaguchi.
"Is that really okay?" Yamaguchi asked as he took the paper with the contact information. "I wouldn't want to be a bother."
"None at all," Shimada gently insisted. "It's my pleasure to help out blooming trainers."
Yamaguchi could not help but feel his cheeks go pink at the man's kindness. "Th-thank you," he shyly replied.
"Take care of your self, Yamaguchi. And don't rush things," Simada said offering up his final bit of advice. "There are many options out there, just remember that."
"R-Right," Yamaguchi replied with a shy smile. "Thank you again, for your kindness."
"Not a problem at all," Shimada insisted once more.
With that Yamaguchi waved his goodbye and headed away from the small cottage. The sun was now far over the horizon and stars were beginning to dot the sky. He had spent the whole afternoon with Shimada, though it felt as if no time had passed at all. Yamaguchi hoped Tsukki wasn't worried over him. The mere idea of Tsukki being worried over anyone seemed almost unfathomable.
By the time Yamaguchi made it to the Pokemon Center the sun was fully set and the sky was decorated with a million stars and a bright half moon. The lobby to the Pokemon Center was quiet with only a few people milling about waiting to see Nurse Joy. Yamaguchi made for the room he, Tsukki, Hinata and Kageyama had been staying in the night before. As he walked he contemplated what he would say when he returned. He knew Tsukki probably would not ask too many questions but something told him Hinata and Yachi would be a different story. Fortunately for Yamaguchi, he did not have to wait long to forget about these trivial worries for when he opened the door to the room he was met by only Tsukki.
Tsukishima sat upon the top bunk as he flipped through a informational book on dragon types. Other than him, the room was absent of any other people. Yamaguchi stepped into the room closing the door quietly before realizing all of Kageyama and Hinata's belongings were gone. His confusion must have been noticeable for he next took notice of Tsukki looking directly at him from over his book.
"They left a while ago," Tsukishima simply explained. "Said they had to leave due to a tight schedule or something stupid like that," he carried on in a low grumble.
"Oh, right," Yamaguchi almost whispered as he felt an odd sense of mild disappointment. It was silly of him to think they would have hung around. They really are still strangers to both Tsukki and himself.
"Have you had dinner yet?" Tsukishima asked as he placed his book aside.
"No, not yet," Yamaguchi replied, looking up to find Tsukki studying him from his perch. Tsukishima's sharp amber eyes seemed to be studying Yamaguchi carefully. It was almost as if he were making sure Yamaguchi was not an imposter. Yamaguchi shifted uncomfortably under the gaze, missing the hint of worry in Tsukishima's eyes.
"Me too," Tsukishima answered only after he seemed satisfied with Yamaguchi's condition. "I haven't had dinner yet, too," he clarified.
"Let me put my stuff down and we can grab a bite somewhere," Yamaguchi suggested, doing his best to show all was well with a small smile.
Tsukishima gave a small nod in confirmation but did not speak. This was something Yamaguchi was more than used to. It only took him a minute or so to sort out his things. As he and Tsukki walked to a nearby diner he gave his best friend vague details of where he had been this whole time.
It was late morning by the time Yamaguchi and Tsukishima found themselves leaving the Pokemon Center. Yamaguchi was happy to find that both Popplio and Swirlix were back to full health and equally happy to see him. He apologized to the two several times, both Pokemon showering him with love and care the whole way. They had spent a long while carrying on in such a manner before Tsukki made Yamaguchi call them back into their balls so they could be on their way.
Yamaguchi had decided the night before that they should carry on to the next town. Just because he was being indecisive did not mean Tsukki should suffer as well. They could always come back for Yamaguchi's gym battle. Besides, Yamaguchi had found himself pondering his career options often since his chat with Shimada the night before.
As they left the small town, Yamaguchi caught sight of the small cottage where Shimada resided. His eyes lingered on it long enough for Tsukki to notice. Part of Yamaguchi wanted to thank the man but another part of him felt he had burdened Shimada enough. As he and Tsukki rounded the corner he released a heavy sigh. Leaving defeated was never easy.
It was Tsukishima who noticed it first. He stopped in his tracks turning, his expression nothing but confusion and mildly annoyed. "Is someone calling your name?" he asked.
Jarred from his thoughts Yamaguchi looked up only to hear his name was indeed being called.
"Yamaguchi, wait!" Came the familiar voice of Shimada.
"Shimada?" Yamaguchi questioned as he turned to see the man jogging after him with a package in his hands.
"Thank goodness I caught up to you before you left," Shimada huffed and puffed as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Shimada, is something wrong?" Yamaguchi asked in worry as he placed a hand upon Shimada's shoulder.
Shimada made a motion to show he was fine before huffing some more.
"Who is this?" Tsukishima asked flatly.
"The name is Shimada Makoto," Shimada answered before Yamaguchi could.
Tsukishima looked from Shimada to Yamaguchi with a very sceptical expression. Ot was almost as if he thought Shimada to be dangerous.
"He's the man who helped me out last night," Yamaguchi clarified. "The one I told you about over dinner."
Tsukishima than gave a small hummm of confirmation only too look at Shimada in slight disapproval. Tsukishima was rarely ever receptive of new people regardless of the case. Yamaguchi shook the rude behaviour with an eye roll.
"I take it you must be Tsukishima?" Shimada said with a friendly smile.
"That would be correct," Tsukishima replied, his tone flat and slightly less rude.
"It's nice to meet you. Yamaguchi told me all about you," Shimada carried on light hearted.
"Did he now?" Tsukishima hummed as he looked to Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi looked back with a sheepish grin. Talking Tsukki's praise was a bad habit of his. "He barely mentioned you," Tsukishima replied after the long moment.
"Tsukki!" Yamaguchi snapped as he looked to his friend sternly. He hadn't a clue what had gotten into Tsukki. He had been acting odd since hearing about his ventures last night.
"I see. So that's how it is," Shimada chuckled, not offended in the least.
"You'll have to excuse him," Yamaguchi said reluctantly.
"He's just a caring friend," Shimada shrugged as he eyed Tsukishima knowingly.
"Was there a reason why you stopped us?" Tsukishima sharply asked, apparently not taking the comment too kindly.
"Oh, right! I almost forgot," Shimada gasped, unable to hide the grin on his face. He than placed the large box he had been carrying on the ground. "I have something I wanted to give you, Yamaguchi."
"Something for me?" Yamaguchi squeaked in surprise.
"Yeah, I was thinking about it all last night and I think you are the best person for it," Shimada carried on as he motioned to the box he was holding. "Go a head a take it out."
"R-really?" Yamaguchi reluctantly asked, not being used to such kindness by people he barely knew.
"Just open it already," Tsukishima grumbled.
Yamaguchi ignored the comment as he approached the box. The lid was only held shut by a piece to tape. Peeling back the tape and opening the flaps he looked in to find an odd large jar like contraptions. He released a curious humm as he lifted the contraption out of the box. Examining it he gave a small gasp.
"Is this a…?" Yamaguchi could not finish his questioned for inside the large jar was a Pokemon egg. He could not find the words to describe his shock upon receiving a Pokemon egg. Even Tsukki seemed shocked by the gift.
"Yup, it's a Pokemon egg," Shimada smiled proudly. "One I've raised so far myself and I'd like you to be the one to hatch it!"
"Me!?" Yamaguchi squeaked. "I- I've never- I couldn't- I don't know how," he sputtered as he failed to suppress the fluttery feeling of happiness that began to well in his stomach.
"I think you're the best person for the job to be honest," Shimada cut in, not leaving any room for rejection. "I'll also give you a bottle for feeding and other items you will need once it hatches."
"But… Why?" Yamaguchi asked, unable to understand why he'd receive such a precious gift from a stranger. Even Tsukki gave a hum in agreeance.
"I have my reasons," Shimada shrugged, his tone holding a hint of mystery. "Just take good care of this egg and promise me that while you care for it you really think about what it is you want to do next."
"I… I will," Yamaguchi replied before he could really think through what Shimada had just said.
"I believe in you, Yamaguchi," Shimada hummed, his tone full of an unexpected affection.
With much of his confidence reinvigorated Yamaguchi gave a confident nod.
So who saw it coming. Eventually Shimada had to come into the story at some point. I wonder what is going to hatch from the egg? What is Yamaguchi going to do about his future! All this and more will be revealed if you stay tuned!
From now on I should be able to post regularly again. Expect to see a chapter a week as long as things don't go downhill on my end.
I hope you are all enjoying this story so far. I know not a lot has happened despite it being 10 chapter's already. I hope to get things to pick up a bit from here on out. Do let me know if you ever feel like the story is going way too slow. Sometimes it's hard for me to tell.
That being said, thank you all for the kudos, follows, reviews and comments. I love to hear from my readers. It really lets me know how I am doing and such as a fic writer. It is also just a good way of encouraging me to get back on and work on the next chapter.
Well, that is all for now. See you all next chapter.