As the trio of teens approached the door, Croagunk, who was dawdling behind them, ran up the driveway and jumped at the door, attempting to get inside. "Okay Croagunk, I know you're excited to see dad, but I have to open the door first." Copycat said as he kneeled in front of his dad's Pokemon. "Croagunk acts a lot like a Growlithe, but that doesn't make any sense." Olivia thought out loud. "Well, Growlithes act the way they do because of the type of love they have for their trainers. Croagunk also shares this same love." Copycat explained. "I share a certain love for someone, and they can be my master if they want." Leo murmured to Olivia, nudging her on the arm. "Stop." She told him, pushing him against the wall of the house.
Copycat shot Leo another dirty look, then put his hands in his pockets, looking for his keys. Once he found them, Copycat put key after key into the door of his house, each one proceeding to fail. "Alright, last one." Copycat grumbled. To his surprise, the key went into the hole completely. Copycat then turned the key, which then opened the door into his house. "Dad, I'm home!" Copycat hollered as he entered the house, Leo,Olivia and Whismur following right behind him. "I'll be right down!" A voice said. It was like that of Copycat's, but deeper and hoarser. "Sorry, my dad can be a bit flighty." Copycat said as he turned to Olivia and Leo. Olivia giggled a bit at this. "I completely understand," Olivia said, smiling. "My dad is the same way."
After waiting around for a few minutes, the teenagers heard someone coming down a stairway. "That would be my dad." Copycat said with an embarrassed smile. A man emerged from a hallway, looking out of breath. He was tall, with tan skin and spiky brown hair, which was littered with gray patches. Croagunk jumped to his side. He spotted Leo and Olivia, to which he made a puzzled face. "Zakary," He said, looking at Copycat. "Who are these people?" Copycat's dad put his hands on his hips and began tapping his foot, waiting for a response from his son. "These are my new friends; Olivia and Leo." Copycat explained, gesturing to the two other teens. "Oh, well it's good to know that my son is making friends," Copycat's dad said, looking at the two. "Call me Brock, or Mr. Harrison. Whichever you prefer." Brock told the two kids. "Hey Zakary," Brock said to his son. "That Olivia is very cute. Don't let her get away." He whispered, winking to his son. "It's not like that!" Copycat replied defensively. "Sure, that's what they always say."
"So, Zakary, I knew you had an unusual nickname, but why?" Olivia teased. "Well, that's a simple one," Brock answered. Zakary likes to be called Copycat because of his imitations of Pokemon as a child. The name stuck, and he still uses it today." Olivia giggled at this s bit. "Really? That's adorable!" She teased, blushing at her own remarks.
"Hey dad?" Copycat asked, trying to get his father's attention. "Yes, son?" He replied. "Um, would it be okay if Olivia and Leo spent the night? See, they're not from around here, so they don't have a place to stay." Copycat explained. Copycat, Olivia, and Leo were all crossing their fingers, waiting for the verdict.
"Sure." Brock replied.
"Really?" The three asked in unison and shock. "Yeah, I don't see a problem with it. Zakary, you're fifteen. I trust you. And what kind of representative of Lumiose would I be if I didn't let your friends stay," The group cheered in joy. "But be aware, Zakary, it's up to you to come up with the sleeping arrangement." At this last part, Brock gave his son a wink, as if to say: go for it champ. "And dad… One more thing." Copycat blurted out. "C-could you referee a battle?" He asked. Brock's "eyes" lit up with joy. "You have a Pokemon?" He squealed. "Yes, dad." Copycat replied, practically falling to the floor in embarrassment. "Who did you choose?" His dad asked. "Come out back and I'll show you." Copycat said with a smirk. He looked at Olivia, who was staring at him, giggling. They exchanged winks before going outside, into Copycat's backyard.
"So, can I see it?" Brock said with excitement. "Yes Dad," Copycat said with an annoyed tone. He reached into his pocket to pull out a red-and-white ball. "Go, Flygon!" Copycat shouted as he threw the ball into the air. It opened, releasing Copycat's dragon friend. "Gooon!" It screeched. Brock practically fainted in awe when he saw the magnificent beast. "P-Professor Sycamore gave you that?" Brock asked, confused. "No, Olivia helped me catch it. She's already a pro trainer." When she heard Copycat's compliment, Olivia turned a shade of red she thought was not humanly possible. "Speaking of which, what happened? You've been gone for so long!" Brock asked worriedly.
Copycat went on to tell his father all about Silph, Porygon-Z, Rotom, Flygon, Kathrin, and Ash. After around 40 minutes of storytelling, Brock spoke up: "I can't believe that all happened to you!" He exclaimed. "So you want to fight Leo then, correct?" Copycat nodded his head, Flygon doing the same. "Okay, well, what are we waiting for? Trainers, take your places!" Brock yelled. "Dad, it's late. You're going to wake up the neighbors." Copycat reminded his father. "Oh, right." He replied guiltily.
Leo ran across the field to the opposite end, where he would be fighting. Copycat took the side closest to him. "Flygon, are you ready?" Copycat asked his new friend. "Fly!" Yeah, bitch I'm ready. Are you? Can you handle me? "Alright, then let's do this!" Copycat exclaimed with excitement. Just before the battle was to begin, he felt someone touch him. "Huh?" He asked as he turned around. Before him he saw his gorgeous new friend, smiling at him like a goofball. "Hey… I just wanted to say," She moved closer to him, putting her lips centimeters away from his right ear. "Good luck, I'll be rooting for you." She whispered, sending chills down Copycat's spine. She moved away from his ears, backing away from him. "And one more thing…" She said to him. Olivia stood on her toes in order to reach Copycat's face, and gave him a short peck on the cheek. Embarrassed, Olivia ran away, while Copycat was ready to fall over.
Leo saw this entire scene occur. This is no longer just about spending the night. This is about her, and we both know it. Leo thought. "Go, Riolu!" The boy said in rage. "Dual Chop, go!" Leo commanded. Riolu's paws glowed violet as they did before, and ran head-on at the dragon. "Flygon, DragonBreath!" Copycat ordered. No way, I'll do things the way I want. The dragon Pokemon thought. Instead of releasing a DragonBreath as it was told, Flygon flew into the air and cloaked himself in a jade light similar to that of the move he used while defending Olivia against the perverted Tentacool. "It's Dragon Rush!" Olivia exclaimed in awe. "But that wasn't the move Copycat told it to use…"
Brock frowned. While this Pokemon was definitely powerful, it did not seem to listen to Copycat in the slightest. "Zakary has no badges, so it's no wonder Flygon isn't listening to him. Strong Pokemon disobey trainers they deem as unworthy." He muttered to himself.
Flygon, now cloaked in a jade inferno, flew directly at Leo's partner, bracing for impact. "Riolu, dodge and use Dual Chop!" Leo ordered. The blue canine-like creature jumped, which led Flygon to miss his powerful attack, crashing into a lampost. Riolu ran towards the dragon at an intense speed, and hit him with two powerful blows, leaving him severely injured. "Flygon, are you alright?" Copycat asked his Pokemon. Flygon slowly got up, nodding in agreement. "If we plan on winning this, you have to listen to me." He told his Pokemon sternly. Nigga. I will win this with my own brute strength. No little puppy dog is gon' take me out. Flygon thought. "Okay, go for Earth Power!" Copycat's dragon Pokemon roared as six miniature volcanoes arose from the ground, surrounding Riolu. "Riolu, d-do something!" Leo panicked.
Riolu closed his eyes and jumped into the air, shooting electricity to the ground in order to stay in the air. "What move is that?" Copycat asked Leo in disbelief. "I-I don't know!" He replied. Brock, who has been on many journeys, knew what this move was. "That's Magnet Rise. It makes the Pokemon immune to ground-type attacks." Brock explained.
Riolu, who was now levitating in the air, quickly hovered over the small volcanoes and to the other side of the battlefield. The six volcanoes proceeded to erupt, completely missing their target. "Great, Riolu, go for another Dual Chop!" Leo commanded confidently. "Flygon, Dragon Rush!" Copycat ordered, still panicking. The two Pokemon charged at each other, flying at astounding speeds. As Flygon's green fire was about to scorch Riolu, he crossed his arms to intercept, which resulted in a massive explosion.
A cloud of dust and smoke blanketed the battlefield, leaving the two combatants invisible to their trainers. "Flygon, get up!" Copycat encouraged his friend. "Riolu, come on!" Leo cheered on his companion. A green blur shot into the air, clearing the smoke as it passed. It was Flygon, hurt but not fainted. "Lygooo!" It screeched. Riolu still lie on the ground, not showing any signs of movement. "Riolu is unable to battle, the winner is-" Brock began. He was interrupted, however, by a bright light coming from the side of the field Riolu was on. "Huh?" Brock said in shock as he turned his head. Much to his surprise, Riolu was now standing, looking like nothing more than a white, glowing silhouette. "No way…" Copycat muttered in both fear and awe. "Riolu's evolving!" Leo exclaimed in excitement. "Copycat… Be careful." Olivia said under her breath as she looked in fear at the glowing Pokemon.
The light surrounding Riolu caused him to grow in stature. Spiky features were outlined, and the beadlike accessories on the Pokemon's head expanded and split into three on each side. The light faded, leaving a Pokemon that looked like a taller Riolu standing on the battlefield. "What Pokemon is that?" Olivia asked herself, taking out her Pokedex, opening it and pointing it at Leo's newly evolved partner. "Lucario, the Aura Pokemon. By catching the Aura emanating from others, it can read their thoughts and movements." The Pokedex said robotically. "Rukaaa!" It roared. "It looks really strong. I hope Flygon does okay…" Olivia said in concern. "Whis!" Her Whismur, who was sitting in her lap, cried in agreement.
"Riolu, I mean, Lucario, Magnet Rise and then use Dual Chop!" Leo commanded. "Counter with DragonBreath!" Copycat told his Flygon. Lucario used its paws to shoot bright blue waves of Aura at the ground, allowing it to float in the air. Now levitating, it obeyed his trainer's commands and flew toward Flygon, his spiked paws now glowing.
No way am I listening to him. Lucario will just dodge. Dragon Rush time! Flygon thought. He cloaked himself once again in a green flame, and began charging at Lucario. "No, Flygon, what are you doing? I told you to dodge because then he couldn't catch you off guard!" Copycat groaned in despair. "Lucario, dodge and then hit it!" Leo ordered calmly. The Aura Pokemon easily and swiftly dodged the cocky dragon, then flew at it from behind, hitting it with two fierce blows. Flygon went spiralling to the ground, eventually making impact. This time, he did not get up. "Flygon…" Copycat muttered as he returned his dragon into its ball.
"Flygon is unable to battle, the winner is Lucario, therefore, victory goes to Leo!" Brock announced. The two trainers walked across the grass, meeting in the middle. "Well, I gave my word to you. Leo, you are welcome to sleep here tonight." Copycat said as he held his hand out for his opponent to shake. "Thank you. I couldn't have done it without Lucario, he's so fast now!" Leo replied happily, giving Copycat's hand a firm shake, then moving out of the way to let Lucario do the same. "Rukaaa!" He grunted as he shook the loser's hand. "Good job Lucario! You're really strong!" At this, Lucario nodded in approval before jumping into the air, allowing Leo to confine him to his ball once more.
"Good job Copycat!" A sweet voice said to Copycat before a body pounced on him, throwing him to the ground. He looked up to see Olivia smiling at him. "Uh… Thanks." He managed to groan. "Are you okay?" She asked him. "Y-yeah, I'm fine." He replied, blushing. "S-sorry…" Olivia said to him, holding out her hand to help him up. He grabbed it, standing up as she tugged on his arm. "Thanks…" He told her, blushing again with his head down. Arceus, he is so cute! I just want to hug him and call him mine! Olivia thought to herself, screaming inside. "Um, so are you guys hungry?" Copycat asked the other two teens. "I guess so… I haven't really eaten all day but I don't need to eat…" Olivia replied shyly, not wanting to sound gluttonous. "Hell yeah I am!" Leo replied, practically screaming. "Where the food at?"
"Hungry so soon, Copycat?" A deep, familiar voice asked. He turned around to see his father standing before him. "Yeah, could you make dinner?" Copycat asked his dad. "What am I, your personal slave?" His dad scolded. "Well, I-" Copycat began. "I'm just kidding, I love to cook!" Brock cut his son off, laughing. "Thanks." He told his father, red from embarrassment. "Okay, I'll go make dinner right now. How about you figure out the sleeping arrangements?" Brock suggested as he walked through the door and into the house. "So, um, I have a plan." Copycat told his two guests. "What is it?" Leo replied. "Well, we have a guest room. Olivia, you can sleep there I guess. Leo, you can sleep on the couch." Copycat explained. "Why do I have to sleep on the couch?" Leo whined. "You're lucky I'm even letting you stay here." Copycat snapped back. "Ugh, fine." Copycat smirked at Leo's defeat, on more things than one. "Okay, I'll show you inside." He said to the two, walking his way into the house, Leo and Olivia following him. As they entered, Copycat turned to them. "You can take off your shoes here." He told them, taking off his converse shoes and putting them by the door. The other two followed, placing theirs near Copycat's. Suddenly, he felt a soft, light tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Olivia, her sweatshirt off and draped over her forearm. "Where should I put this?" She asked him quietly. "Oh, I'll take that." Copycat happily replied, taking her sweatshirt off of her, accidentally brushing the smooth skin of her wrist as he took it, sending chills down her back. "Thanks." Olivia shyly said, blushing intensely.
Once Copycat found a hook and hung up the girl's coat, he returned to the two and cleared his throat. "Okay, while my dad cooks dinner, why don't you two two put your things down?" He suggested. Leo proceeded to take off his drawstring athletic backpack and placed it on the couch. Olivia stayed where she was, looking around, confused. With a chuckle, Copycat approached her. "Is there something wrong?" He asked. She looked down and scoffed. "Yeah, my luggage is on the plane." She replied. Remembering this crucial detail, Copycat facepalmed, laughing all the while. "I'll tell you what. How about I take you to Boutique Couture on Vernal Avenue to get some new clothes, then we can head over to the PokeMart to buy essential shit." He told her. "You don't have to do that!" She exclaimed, blushing. "Well, I should. On me." Olivia stared at him, wide eyed and motionless. "B-but Boutique Couture is the most expensive outlet in the world!" She yelled in awe. "My dad is a pretty well-known Pokemon doctor. He's the owner of the Pokemon Center Foundation." He replied sheepishly. "W-wow! Are you sure he'd be okay with you spending money like that?" She asked him, practically ready to faint. "Oh yeah, it's fine. Honest to god, we could go out and blow 10,000,000 ¥ and it wouldn't make a dent. Not meaning to brag of course…" Copycat assured. "Okay, I guess it's okay with me if it's okay with you…" She replied quietly. "How about after dinner?" He suggested. Olivia nodded with her bright red face. "Sure!" She agreed.
Suddenly, a firm grip grasped Copycat's wrist and tugged him away from Olivia and into another room. He was yanked onto a couch where he saw Leo sitting next to him, practically steaming with anger. "What?" Copycat asked him in an annoyed tone. "You win." Leo replied, bowing his head. Copycat gave him a confused look. "I concede defeat, Olivia is yours." Leo announced with a depressed tone. "What are you talking about?" Copycat asked him, still confused. "Well, it's obvious that we've been fighting over who gets to be with her for the past few hours. I give up. She's yours." Leo explained. "Has it occurred to you that maybe it's up to her on who she wants to be with? In fact, she could just as easily choose not to be with either of us. I'm not trying to influence her, I just like being nice. Yeah, anyone can see she's extraordinarily beautiful, but we barely know her. I'm not gonna try to get involved with someone I barely know, it's common sense." Copycat ranted. Leo chuckled at his speech, clearly amused. "I see the way you look at her, not to mention the fact that you just asked her out. Go for it. Just take it nice and slow." He told him. "You know what? Why not. I'll give this a shot," Copycat agreed. "But I did not ask her out!" He added angrily. "Whatever you say. Have fun, kiddo." Leo remarked as he began to walk towards the kitchen. He felt Copycat grab him. "Wait." He said. Leo turned around to face Copycat, confused. "We got off to a bad start. Can we redo this? You seem like a really cool guy, and a strong trainer," Copycat told the blonde teen. He leaned in closer, which caused Leo to jump back. "Whoa, no homo man!" Leo shouted. Copycat sighed. "No, I need to ask you something." He said in an exasperated tone. "Okay, shoot." Leo told him. Copycat took in a deep breath, sighed, and opened his mouth to talk. "Don't tell Olivia, but I'm planning on going to Hoenn to enter the Ever Grande League. Olivia told me that Flygon's home region is Hoenn, so perhaps collecting badges there will help me tame him. I was wondering if you wanted to travel with me?" Copycat asked. Leo looked at him in surprise. "I-I mean I guess that'd be cool. It's always good to have a companion. But why me? What about Olivia?" Leo rebuttled. "Well, I'm gonna ask her too, but I wouldn't feel quite comfortable being alone with such a pretty girl." Copycat explained, blushing towards the end. "Understandable." Leo replied laughing.