Author's note
Hi there! It's your G-rated Gardevoir friend back to writing things! Now, you may be asking: why is the author's note at the beginning? Well, that's because I'm gonna warn all my straight readers that there's a lot of gay fluff in this chapter. For those of you that know what happens in Mauville City, you'll know why. Feel free to skip (even though there's no sex) when a certain someone shows up. You have been warned!
End Author's note
"It was night time in Dewford when it happened. We were exploring off the path in the mountains when we ran into a haunted cave." May was in the middle of telling the story of Crux's evolution, the pokemon in question gliding steadily across the ground beside her as she did so.
"A haunted cave?" Seth stammered.
"Yeah! There were ghost pokemon all over the place. They fight so differently than other pokemon; they stick to the shadows and fight you with trickery. You're lucky if you can even tell what species of pokemon you're dealing with," May answered even as she chuckled a bit at Seth's nervousness. "Crux was the only one who had any experience with his own kind, so I had to rely on him to fight them off. But then one of them got sneaky and attacked me rather than him."
"What happened? You weren't hurt, were you?" Seth didn't like the idea of anyone or anything trying to harm May.
"No, all they did was put me to sleep with some kind of hypnosis. I remember the air starting to smell strange, and then my vision fogged up and I got all sleepy." May related. "So I passed out, and I'm not sure what happened after that, but Crux became really angry. When I came to, there weren't any more ghost pokemon and he was a Dusclops!"
Seth glanced at Crux, who had remained silent throughout this whole conversation. The ghost showed no signs of acknowledging May's words. It was strange to think that a pokemon so eerie would get so riled up over its trainer. It was sweet, in a way.
"That's relieving. Ghost pokemon are scary; I'm glad I didn't run into any when I was looking for Steven." Seth expressed with a shudder.
"I'm still jealous you got to see him battle. I never thought Steven of all people would be in Dewford," May grumbled. "I think he's far above me right now…"
"You have no idea." Seth interrupted.
"...so I wouldn't have challenged him, but I wish I could have seen him thrash a few people," May continued with a smirk. "Seems like he left an impression on you, though."
"He was really cool and very kind to me, despite him being worlds above me in both skill and status," Seth related. He still couldn't believe Steven acknowledged his progress as a trainer and gauged him as a potential adversary. The thought still made him giddy. "If I didn't have that errand in Slateport, I'd have tried to talk to him some more."
"Mhmm…?" May stared at him mischievously. "Setting your sights pretty high, eh?"
"Oh no, I can't even imagine being strong enough to…" Seth thought she was talking about his progress as a trainer, but then he saw her face and understood her true meaning. He colored. "May! I had no intentions of the sort!"
The sounds of her musical laughter filled the air, while Seth tried to dislodge the dirty thoughts about Steven that she'd just forced into his head.
The sun had long since ducked beneath the horizon as they'd traveled across the land bridge towards Mauville, the cycling road towering in the sky above them. Normally Seth would have set up camp by now, but with the lights of the city looming on the horizon, he and May decided to push forward for a few more hours until they could enjoy proper accommodations.
"What's there to do in Mauville City?" Seth questioned as the two of them continued towards the city.
"There's a lot! This is a pretty historic town if you enjoy things like that. There's Mauville Castle, an old stronghold of some ancient feudal lord or another. I think they're still holding tours for it." May revealed. "It was pretty damaged in an earthquake a few years back, so I don't know if they'll let you inside while they're repairing it."
"That would be really cool to see. I've never seen a castle outside of illustrations." Seth felt himself grow excited at the thought. "Anything else?"
"Well, there are parks all over the place you could go visit. I know I want to go to the Mauville Shopping Center to try and find new outfits for contest runs," May continued. "There's also the Game Corner if you're into gambling."
"I've never tried, but it might be fun. I do have some spare money to burn." That was an understatement. Seth had no idea what to do with all of his money. "What will you do once we get there?"
"I'm going to register at the gym and then I'll see what kind of pokemon I can catch! I've learned that I can just rely on Crux to beat everyone anymore," May gave him a pointed look at that. "What about you? Are you going to do your usual thing?"
"Mhm. I want to walk around and explore a bit. Like I said I might wait to challenge the gym until I've visited Verdanturf Town," Seth replied.
"Alright! So we'll split up after we find someplace to stay." May decided. "Wouldn't want to keep you from your friend, after all."
"Sounds good!" With that, their conversation finished, and they reached the outskirts of the city at long last. After finding a suitable hotel, their day finally came to an end.
The following morning, Seth awoke in the hotel to find that May had already left. Upon checking his PokeNav, he discovered a short message from her explaining her absence; unable to wait, she'd already set out into the city to register for her gym challenge and to explore the surrounding routes for pokémon to see and potentially catch.
"Hey," Seth whispered to Kyra, who was curled up beneath one of his arms. He lightly brushed the hair away from her face, prompting her to slowly open her eyes. She blinked up at him, and then she let out a silent yawn. He chuckled softly at the cute display and he pressed his forehead to hers briefly. "Let's get to it, okay?"
Seth climbed out of bed, waking Princess in the process. The serpent lifted her head and crooned softly. Seth smiled and reached out to stroke her chin. "Good morning, Princess."
That left only a single pokemon he hadn't greeted. Seth looked around until he found Summer curled up atop an armchair in the room, looking as if she'd just awoken. She wasn't comfortable enough with him to sleep in the bed with him, which Seth supposed only made sense. He retrieved a small selection of berries from his bag and lined them up in a row a few feet away from the armchair.
"Here, Summer. I have some snacks for you if you want them." Seth offered. Summer watched him closely, not making any move to accept his offering just yet. "I'm going to go and take a shower, okay?"
Seth moved to the bathroom to give Summer some privacy, with Kyra following him close behind. Sure enough, the moment the door closed behind him, he heard the pitter patter of paws on the wooden floors.
"She's a shy little thing," Seth remarked to Kyra, who nodded. He stepped into the shower, started up the water, and started to clean himself. "Oh well. I hope she'll open up to us in time."
Once Seth was ready to go, he recalled Princess and Summer to their pokéballs, and then allowed Kyra to hop up on his shoulders as she was so fond of doing. Leaving his travel gear in the hotel, Seth stepped out into the streets, eager to explore the new city.
The city itself wasn't as large as Slateport, but was still sizable, with various city districts linked together by streets, sidewalks, and nature preserves. The city overall was nestled up against the bottom of Golden Peak, a smaller mountain that was ultimately overshadowed by the looming silhouette of Mt. Chimney to the north. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to call the peak merely a foothill of the latter.
The first thing he did was stop by a tourist center and pick up a brochure to tell him a little more about the city. While eating breakfast, he leafed through it, discovering the locations of various landmarks such as the pokemon gym, Mauville Castle, the Game Corner, and the mountain trails that led up the Golden Peak and Mt. Chimney respectively.
Furthermore, two pages of the brochure were dedicated entirely to an upcoming apartment complex referred to as "Mauville Hills," whose construction was being overseen by the gym leader himself, Wattson. The brochure described him as a genius electrical and architectural engineer and stated that the complex would be both luxurious and affordable. Seth read through the description with interest. A gym leader who also helped develop the city seemed like an interesting man.
There was so much to do Seth hardly knew where to start. In the end, he decided to head in the general direction of the gym first, keeping to the sidewalks despite how busy they were. Along the way, he passed through a large open-air food court where a number of trainers were facing off against one another for the right to be served first. Seth smelled the air; the food smelled delicious.
He decided against trying for it, choosing to instead buy himself and Kyra something simple from a hole in the wall breakfast place that didn't force him to battle. As he munched on a meal of fluffy pancakes, he stroked Kyra's head. "Don't worry, there'll be plenty of battles to come," he reassured her.
Once he'd finished eating, Seth continued on his way. Before long, the castle for which the city was most known for came into view at the top of a hill. He found himself at a loss for words.
It was an impressive structure, with architecture consisting of curved stone walls and wooden overhangs designed to keep out attackers back in the age of the samurai. It was no small wonder to him that such a structure drew so many tourists. Seth lifted his camera and snapped a picture. He resolved to see it up close as soon as possible; the chance to tour something so old and culturally significant was one he couldn't pass up. He only hoped that the aftermath of the earthquake May mentioned wouldn't keep him from doing so.
As for the Pokémon Gym, it was impossible for him to miss. Even if it weren't for the crowd of trainers standing in the park around it, the building's architecture was so eccentric in design that it couldn't help but turn his eye.
"Hey…" Seth turned his head to glance up at Kyra on his shoulder. He pointed towards the gym with a smirk. "Do you think he specializes in electric types?"
Kyra glanced over at the gym, and she responded with a soft hum and a shrug, a small smirk crossing her face as well.
The gym was colored a golden yellow and was modeled in the shape of lightning bolts. Each engraved lightning bolt was designed to appear as though it were shooting down from the generator at the top of the building and striking around the entrance in the form of pillars supporting a pokéball themed overhang.
"I guess that means Princess may not get much action here," Seth reasoned with some slight disappointment. He'd be at a disadvantage if he couldn't rely on his sturdiest pokemon. He was left with Kyra and Summer. Which reminded him that he needed to train with the latter and learn more about her abilities. Seth decided that he had better register for his challenge and set it for a date in the future so he could do just that.
Seth moved to enter but halted in surprise when he saw a familiar teen timidly standing in front of the gym doors.
"Wally?" Seth called out to him and broke into a brisk walk forward to join him, a smile crossing his face. The younger man yelped and made as if to bolt at first until he recognized Seth. "Is that you?"
"Seth!" Wally's face lit up like the sun, and he immediately moved to meet Seth halfway. When they reached one another, Wally's hands moved up as if to grasp Seth's, but then he halted himself. He dithered a bit awkwardly, as if uncertain how he should be greeting him. "Um...I…"
Seth's own awkwardness caused him to hesitate as well, but only for a moment. He reached out his own hands and grasped Wally's before the latter could fully retract them. Seth recalled that Wally had done the same to him before, just before they'd parted back in Petalburg.
"Oh!" Wally's eyes briefly widened and he blushed, his smile returning. "It's really good to see you again. I didn't think I would, with you being busy with the League and all…"
"Of course you would. I was actually planning to visit you in Verdanturf after challenging the gym here." Both Seth and Wally noticed other trainers looking at them, causing them to retract their hands nervously, both of them feeling embarrassed.
"Really? You were?" Wally seemed delighted to hear that.
"Yeah! I said I would, didn't I?" Seth reminded him. "Though I have to say, I didn't expect to run into you here in Mauville. What brought you all the way out here?"
"Oh...well…" Wally seemed reluctant to answer, the teen wringing his hands together nervously. "I'm not...really supposed to be here."
"What do you mean?" Seth asked. He noticed Wally looking distinctly more uncomfortable with every passing moment, so he gestured away from the gym. "We can talk someplace less crowded if you want."
"I'd like that." Wally gratefully accepted the invitation, and the two of them retreated away from the gym and the rest of the trainers. As they walked, Wally inevitably moved his gaze up to Kyra, who returned it with curiosity. "If I'm allowed to say...Kyra looks so cool and pretty now."
"Thanks! I only recently found out that Ralts can evolve. I was pretty surprised!" Seth responded. He chuckled as he felt the wave of bashfulness and pride coming from Kyra on his shoulders. "How's yours coming along?"
"Here, I'll show you." Wally retrieved his sole pokéball and released his Ralts into his arms. "I named him Dyna. It means…"
"Strong man." Seth finished for him softly. It was the same language and the same naming scheme that he'd used for Kyra. "That's a good choice."
"I'm sorry, I don't want you to think like I'm copying you or anything like that…" Wally immediately started to apologize. "But I thought that Kyra was such a cool name, and I wanted to do something similar."
"Hey, it's alright. I think it's sweet of you." Seth couldn't help but feel humbled that Wally had chosen to model his partner's name to be just like Kyra's, albeit masculine. He wondered just how much of an impression he'd left on this teen. "What do you think, Kyra?"
Kyra and Dyna gazed at one another for a few moments. Kyra eventually gave an indifferent hum and turned away. She didn't seem to have much interest in him.
"Makes sense, I guess. Kyra takes a bit to warm up to new pokemon," Seth remarked. He and Wally turned into a side alley between a cafe and a barbershop, where a bench was situated. They both sat down comfortably, the two of them safe from random passersby. Dyna hops onto the arm rail of the bench, while Kyra sits beside Seth. "By the way, how did you know I was taking the league challenge… if you don't mind me asking?"
"That's...also part of the reason I'm here," Wally admits shyly. "There's not a lot to do in Verdanturf, so I sometimes watch what comes on the TV. I saw your battle against Brawly. You were… really cool." Wally flushes upon confessing that, the teen gazing down at the bench with his hands between his legs.
"So that's why you weren't surprised by Kyra's new form. I keep forgetting my gym battles are televised," Seth recalled sheepishly. It only made sense that people all over the region were able to watch him battle. "Thanks, though. It was a tough battle. But how did that bring you to Mauville?"
"I…" Wally flushed further and mumbled something that Seth wasn't quite able to make out. When he prompted the teen to repeat himself, he gulped and looked up at Seth. "I want to be a trainer too...just like you."
As he gazed into Wally's soft blue eyes, Seth thought about how humbling it was to realize that he'd inspired Wally to this degree. Yet the road to being a trainer was a hard one; Seth was still a newcomer to the path as well, and he also had a glimpse of what the end of the road looked like in the man called Steven.
"That's great, but it won't be easy," Seth warned him. Wally nodded, but his eyes were shining.
"I know, but I think I can do it! I want to set out on the road with Dyna and get strong together while we explore!" Wally grew more and more excited as he explained. "I talked it over with Dyna, and he's into the idea too! So I came here, and I thought that maybe if I could battle Wattson, I could..."
Wally was cut off in the middle of his explanation by the onset of a coughing fit. Seth awkwardly sat there with the intent of waiting for him to continue, but when several seconds passed with no sign of him stopping, he grew worried.
"Hey, are you alright?" Seth asked anxiously. Wally appeared pale, and Seth could hear him starting to wheeze. Seth reached forward and grasped Wally's shoulders, the younger teen fighting hard to stay upright. "Wally!?"
Dyna, who had been leaping around frantically, lifted an inhaler from Wally's bag and telekinetically moved it over to him. Wally immediately grasped it and brought it to his mouth. Just like that, his fit called down, and he gulped in precious lungfuls of air.
"I'm alright. I just got too excited," Wally attempted to assure him despite panting heavily. Seth gazed at him suspiciously; Wally had always looked frail, but was there something more to it after all? "I'm sorry for startling you."
"I've never seen someone need an inhaler for getting too excited," Seth commented, much to Wally's embarrassment. "Is everything alright with you? Do you need to rest?"
"I'm okay now, I think. I'm sorry if I worried you." Wally said. When he managed to catch his breath, he looked up at Seth nervously. "I can explain. My body has been weak for most of my life, and sometimes it can get hard to breathe."
"That sounds rough." That sounded like some form of asthma to Seth, but he didn't know enough about the condition to make that judgment. Either way, he couldn't help but feel sympathy for the teen beside him. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"No, but the thought alone is enough. Thank you," Wally replied with a rueful shake of his head. "That's...why I shouldn't really be here. The air isn't good for me in big cities like this. My uncle told me I couldn't leave Verdanturf either...my family is probably worried about me."
"Did you sneak out?" Seth questioned. Wally nodded guiltily. "Well, I'm not going to snitch or anything. I don't know your family; I'm just happy I got to see you."
"I appreciate that. I feel bad about leaving them, but I can't get anywhere if I just sit around at home all the time. Even with Dyna, there's nothing to do, and I don't have any other friends," Wally explains. "But...because I found you and all...how should I start? Being a trainer, I mean."
"I'm still pretty new on the path myself. At first, I didn't even plan on being what you'd call a 'trainer.'" Seth lifted Kyra off of his shoulders and placed her on his lap, briefly kissing the top of her head. "All I really wanted was to explore the world with my pokemon. But ultimately, trainers see me as a trainer, so there's no escaping battle."
"Do you not like it?" Wally asks curiously.
"Not particularly. I didn't at first. I don't like pokemon getting hurt, but there's some satisfaction to be had in putting together a winning strategy. Besides...Kyra loves to battle and I love seeing her happy, so…." Seth admitted. A wave of affection passed to him from Kyra, who turned to face him on his lap, her arms pressing against his chest. He felt the tiniest hint of lust from her as well, causing him to slightly panic due to Wally's presence. "Maybe later, Kyra."
"That sounds wonderful. You must be very close to your pokemon." Wally observed with admiration. "I still have a lot to learn if I want to make Dyna happy too. It's hard when he doesn't speak."
"We have a bit of an advantage with our pokemon. As a Ralts, they can feel what we do, and when they get close to evolving, it becomes a two-way street. I can feel what Kyra does now as well." Seth revealed as he gently stroked Kyra's hair. "It makes communicating easier, though there are still times I'm not quite sure why she's feeling what she is."
"Oh, I never knew that. Dyna can feel what I do?" Wally glanced back to the Ralts in his lap, who nodded in response. "Wow. That's so cool. It's a little funny though."
"What is?"
"Sometimes I wish that I could do something like that with people too," Wally admits, sheepishly. "I'm always so shy; it's hard to express what I'm feeling."
"Hah. I can relate." Seth remarked. "Though I wouldn't expect to hear that from someone who lives here in Hoenn. With all the social freedoms this region has compared to where I'm from, you'd think it would be easier to be outgoing."
"Maybe, but...I don't get to leave Verdanturf often. I'm not well, so I could never do anything with the other kids." Wally confessed. As Seth gazed at him with sympathy, the teen looked up at him shyly. "That's...why I'm so happy I met you."
"It's funny. My situation is a little similar. I can't say I understand what it's like to be cooped up inside like you, but I didn't have many friends either." Seth felt it was only right he share something about himself in response to Wally. "I didn't like pokemon battles, and that's almost unheard of in a world like ours. Even if I did, I figured I'd get overshadowed by my father anyway, who could stand up in the world of the professionals."
"So I wandered around a bunch on my own. I did befriend one talented trainer called Jasmine, but she was often busy being a trainer herself," Seth finished. "It's honestly refreshing to meet someone like you who thinks I like I do. Loving pokemon, as opposed to loving pokemon battles."
"I'm happy to hear that. Though...I do still want to try battling sometimes." Wally admits. "By the way...while I have time...there's something I want to do, if...if that's okay."
"What's that?" Seth asked.
"Can we do something in town? T-Together, I mean." Wally stammers, turning a light shade of red. "I know you're busy and all, but I thought...since friends are supposed to do things together…"
"Yeah, sure. I can put off registering at the gym for a while longer." Seth agreed instantly, much to Wally's delight. "There are a few things I wanted to do while in town. Take Mauville Castle for instance. Wanna go see if they're still offering tours?"
"Yes! Absolutely!" Wally's excitement shot through the roof, his eyes shining with happiness. He placed Dyna in the crook of one arm and stood shakily, reminding Seth that he'd need to look after him during this excursion. "Let's go!"
"Heh, slow down there. The castle isn't going anywhere." Seth teased him, standing as well. He lifted Kyra by her waist and allowed her to hang down his shoulders once more, and then he and Wally entered the streets once more. Glancing at the map, Seth quickly determined the fastest way to get to the castle. "This way!"
"Okay!"
The sun hit its zenith as the two of them made their way through the center of town. It was lunchtime, so it was more crowded in the streets than ever before. It quickly became hard to keep track of one another on the narrow sidewalks, which led to them getting separated by people more than once.
"Hey...um...Seth?" Wally said softly. The two of them had just managed to reunite after a particularly large group of trainers and salarymen had split them up. Wally flushed, taking several seconds to build up the courage to ask what was on his mind. "Do you mind if I...I mean...just so we don't keep getting separated...I…"
Seth waited patiently for him to finish, even as Wally's blush grew more noticeable.
"Can I h-hold your hand?" Wally finally managed to ask, his voice barely audible above the chatter of the city crowd. Seth blinked, surprised, and then found himself feeling shy as well. He guessed it would make sense to do so so they didn't lose one another in the lunch rush, but at the same time, the connotations of such an act weren't lost on him.
He took one look at Wally's face and his doubts disappeared. The teen was looking at him with a mixture of embarrassment and hope, the tips of his index fingers pressing together nervously. There was no possible way Seth could bring himself to say no to him, even if he'd wanted to.
"Yeah, good idea. Here." Seth acquiesced softly, reaching out a hand to him. Wally appeared surprised at first, as though he'd expected to be turned down. But then his face lit up like the sun and he gently grasped Seth's hand with both of his. "Now you can stay close, right?"
"Yeah! Thank you!" Wally's voice brimmed with joy, such that Seth didn't regret his answer in the slightest. The two resumed walking, though Wally was now so cheerful Seth could hear him humming a quiet tune.
This would mark the first time Seth had held the hand of anyone other than his mother when he was a child. Supposedly couples did it when they were close enough, so that made the fact that he was holding hands with a boy strange to him...though it wasn't altogether unpleasant.
The walk was long, and their pace was slower than to what Seth was used. The exertion was clearly hard on Wally; every so often he'd have to stop and catch his breath. Every time, he'd apologize profusely, and Seth would need to reassure him. Seth was in no hurry, so he didn't mind taking it slow for Wally.
Eventually, the two of them stood before Mauville Castle, the towering embankment engulfing them in its shade. Now that they were this close, the damage from the earthquake May mentioned was easily spotted. The gate had collapsed and one of the inner walls was in pieces. To keep the site secure, a ramshackle gate had been constructed to bar the way.
"Hm, that looks like a ticket office." Seth pointed out the smaller building beside the gate that looked to have been constructed rather recently. It was large enough for maybe three people to stand inside, and there was a window out front through which a woman was accepting payment from people who'd walk up to her. "Let's see if we can't get in."
"Oh...I don't think I can afford to pay for a ticket." Wally admitted. "I only brought enough to pay for a few meals."
"Don't worry about that. I may have come into possession of a small fortune." Seth said with a hint of a grin. "I don't know what to do with it all, to be honest. So I'd be glad to pay for you."
"A small fortune? How? Does being a trainer pay that much?" Wally asked with interest.
"Well, if you're good, you can sustain yourself easily enough. There are always trainers willing to bet on their battles. If you find someone who's confident and rich, you can make a killing." Seth recalled the one man he'd met outside of Rustboro that had been such, and Kyra had thrashed his pokemon six ways to Sunday. "But I got my money by doing a few favors for Devon Corporation."
"Really? I guess that would explain it. But how does a trainer get into the confidence of a big company like that?" Wally inquired.
"Luck, really. Whether it's bad or good luck has yet to be seen." Seth said. He noticed Wally's confusion at that and realized he'd said too much. He didn't want to worry the teen with tales of his run-in with Team Aqua...and how their leader was now very interested in recruiting him. "Point is, I'll pay this time. Maybe when you become a trainer, you can pay me back."
"I like that. Thanks again! You've been so nice to me." Wally followed him close behind, still clutching his hand, as Seth approached the ticket kiosk.
"Don't worry about it. It's nice seeing you happy." Seth made eye contact with the woman behind the window, who smiled at him. "Are there still tours going on for the castle, what with the earthquake and all?"
"You're in luck. They're actually gathering up a group for one that starts in ten minutes. They won't let you go too far inside though, because the masonry is still a little unstable," the woman answers. She notes how Wally's hand was clasping Seth's, and she tapped the screen of the computer beside her. "Will that be two tickets for you and your boyfriend?"
"B-B-Boyfriend!?" Wally turned about nine shades of red in an instant, withdrawing his hand from Seth's to cover his face. "I'm not...with Seth...I mean...we're not…"
"Y-Yeah...um...two tickets please." Seth forced himself to ignore the heat swiftly rising in his face at the implication. He fumbled with his wallet to get the money he needed. "I-If you don't mind."
"Not at all. I'll ring you up for the tour!" The woman couldn't help but chuckle at the display. Her computer whirred, printing out two paper bracelets marked with serial codes for the two of them to wear. "Sorry about that. I didn't realize you two were at that stage."
"Stage?" Seth blinked, not understanding.
"Don't worry about it. You two have fun on the tour!" The woman passed them their bracelets and waved them along.
Seth slipped on his bracelet, and then passed his to Wally, who was looking anywhere except at him and the woman. "Hey. You coming?" Seth gently asked. His voice seemed to snap Wally out of his embarrassment, the teen nodding and accepting his bracelet. Seth reached out for Wally's hand once again and pulled him along to where the group was getting set up. "Alright, let's go see this castle!"
"O-Okay." Seeming to recover, Wally nodded, and then the two of them joined the tour group.
As advertised, the tour took them inside the castle grounds and into some of the smaller buildings, but a lot of the grounds were cordoned off for reconstruction. As they went, the tour guide explained the history of the castle, as well as how it would be defended in times of war.
The castle had existed long before Mauville City did, and during a fierce conflict known as the Mandarin Rebellion, it had once withstood a siege lasting nearly two months. It wasn't until the main Imperial Army arrived that the defenders were freed.
"Whoa...I can't even imagine what that was like. They must have been so hungry and scared," Wally whispered to Seth as the tour guide continued to tell them the castle's history. "Do you think they used their pokemon to battle?"
"No doubt. They're too powerful not to use." Seth whispered back, and then they fell silent as the tour guide went on to the next topic.
The Mandarin Rebellion as a whole lasted for almost a full year...and had concluded with the end of the noble warrior caste of the time. The same rebellion's final battle had occurred in Lilycove City, at the foot of White Mountain. Seth made a mental note to visit that mountain when he eventually made it to that city.
The damage to the castle became much more apparent as they went further in. One of the castle walls had fallen, and several of the tigerfish ornaments that hung from the walls were missing. Two of the castle turrets were heavily damaged, and the roof was missing a large number of tiles. Interestingly enough, according to the tour guide, the tiles had been designed to fall off like that in the case of an earthquake, to prevent the keep from collapsing under their weight.
All in all, the castle was beautiful, but Seth couldn't help but wonder what it had looked like in its prime. At the end of the tour, the guide led them to an area where they were collecting extra donations for the reconstruction effort. It seemed like a good cause, so Seth gave them some of his for all intents and purposes endless money. It was much more than they usually received, and the staff was so grateful they presented him with a commemorative pin in the castle's likeness and a promise that they'd write his name in one of the tiles.
"You're very generous. Are you sure it was alright to give them so much?" Wally asked with concern as the tour group dispersed at the exit of the castle grounds.
"As I said, I have a small fortune. I'm always on the road too, so apart from buying supplies when I need them, I really have no use for so much money." Seth explained, waving a hand dismissively. "Besides, I'll win it all back if I can beat the Mauville Gym Challenge."
"I guess that's true. I hope they make good use of your money, then. It's a shame what happened to the place." Wally expressed. The two of them came to rest by one of the castle's exterior walls, to give Wally a moment to rest and catch his breath. After a short silence, Wally glanced over to Seth. "I'm...sorry about what happened at the gate. When the lady called me your b-b...when she thought you and I were...um…"
Seth watched the blush slowly return to Wally's face as he tried to get his words out. Once again...Seth found he could not get over how cute this teen was. From the way he held himself to the way he talked, to how shy he became when he tried to share his feelings...it was all too much for Seth to handle.
"Hey...it's okay. I didn't mind." The reassurance escaped him before he could think about what he was saying. Wally gave a light gasp, the teen looking up at him with shock.
"You didn't? But then...you sound like you...I mean…" Wally once again started to trip over his tongue as he tried to express his thoughts. In the end, he had to stop with a frustrated huff and take a deep breath. Then, he gazed at Seth with hesitant, yet hopeful eyes. "Seth...are you...I mean...do you...like b-boys?"
That question caught Seth off guard...and caused him to recall the question May had asked him yesterday when they were on the path to the city. As he gazed at Wally, he blushed. This close to him, Seth couldn't help but picture what it would be like to do to Wally what Brawly did to his pokemon. The lustful imagery caused his pants to feel uncomfortably tight...and it caused him to throw caution to the wind.
"S-Seth? I…!" Wally squeaked as Seth pulled on his hand, drawing him just close enough for him to capture the teen's soft lips in a gentle kiss. Seth's heart raced and his mind constantly repeated the same two questions over and over: why did I just do this? What if he doesn't like it? Yet...it felt right to him. It was just like kissing a girl, but his nose was filled with Wally's scent instead.
At first, Wally let out a muffled cry out surprise, but then, after he turned a deep shade of red, he went limp, the teen pressing his hands against Seth's chest lightly as he allowed the kiss to last.
Seth reluctantly broke away to breathe, the two of them both panting slightly. Seth searched Wally's face for a reaction, the anxiety he'd staved away by his forwardness hitting him all at once.
"W-Wow…" was all Wally could say at first, the teen bringing a hand up to his mouth as if to reassure himself that he'd really just been kissed. "That was my first kiss."
"I'm sorry…" Seth immediately apologized. "I shouldn't have been so forward, but I couldn't stop myself…"
"Oh no, please don't apologize." Wally surprised Seth by embracing him softly, the teen's head resting against his chest. "I can't imagine it happening with anyone else."
"You mean that?" Seth didn't know where this was going, but it was clear that there was some mutual attraction between the two of them. "I don't want to take advantage of you; I know you said you didn't have much experience with people."
"It's actually a little funny." Wally gave a little chuckle, and then the two of them separated, though their eyes never left one another. He shifted his weight from one foot to another, the teen struggling hard to fight off his nervousness. "My cousin kept telling me I was past due for this sort of thing...but I thought it would never happen. But you are my first friend and the one who helped me catch my precious Pokemon. Who else, if not you?"
"I guess so." Seth had to concede to that logic. "So you didn't mind?"
"Not at all. In fact…" Wally looked both directions as if to confirm that nobody was nearby, and then he leaned in closer. "I...wouldn't mind if you k-kissed me again."
Seth couldn't resist him. He met Wally halfway in another kiss, their hands lacing together. As his mind melted into a blur of happiness and lust, his only thought was that this felt very different than whenever he'd kiss May.
While they kissed, Dyna and Kyra were standing by the wall, the former gazing at the latter. Kyra opened one eye and glanced down at Dyna, whose eyes were shining up at her with admiration. She let out a soft huff and closed her eyes, completely disinterested. Dyna seemed disappointed for a moment...but then he started to squeak with panic and stare at the nearest street corner, his telekinetic grip tugging on Wally's pant leg.
"There you are!" A voice called out not long after Wally and Seth broke apart to investigate Dyna's distress. Wally froze and swiftly separated himself from Seth, and he gazed anxiously at the man who now approached them. "I've been looking all over the city for you, young man!"
"Uncle Trent," Wally said in a subdued voice, knowing that he'd been caught. The man approaching him shared a mild resemblance in his hair and eye color, but his facial structure mildly differed and he was much older and stronger looking. Seth could do nothing but awkwardly stand there as the situation unfolded before him.
"I'm very upset with you. Do you know how hard it was to find you? Mauville City is a big place!" Trent expressed as he came to a halt in front of the two of them. He didn't even acknowledge Seth's existence. "We were worried sick that you might end up having an attack where nobody could find you!"
"I'm sorry…" Wally murmured.
"I told you many times you weren't to leave Verdanturf Town, and then you went and snuck out without telling anyone!? I don't understand when you became so rebellious!" Trent's temper was beginning to rise. "Is this because of that fool notion you had of challenging Wattson?"
"I want to become a trainer!" Wally answered fervently. "How am I supposed to get any better if I can't get any experience out on my own? I know you mean well, but I just can't stay cooped up in Verdanturf all the time!"
"You…!" A vein bulged in Trent's forehead, but then he took a deep breath. "Wanting to be a trainer is all well and good, but you don't have the constitution for it. You need to accept that a lot of things in life are out of reach for you. I don't want to see you hurt...and I certainly don't want to see your pokemon thrashed around by Wattson."
"There's gotta be something I can do…" Wally looked to be getting beaten down by his uncle's logic. "I finally found something that I want to do...but…"
"I know. We'll talk about it later, once we return home. Come on, I parked the car a while back." Trent decided. He then finally looked over at Seth. "You clear out of here. As a trainer, you should be ashamed of yourself for picking on someone so inexperienced."
"You leave Seth alone! He didn't do anything wrong!" Wally shot back with a voice full of vigor for the first time since his uncle arrived. So much so, that both Seth and his uncle recoiled; having never heard the teen sound so assertive before. "He's the reason I have a pokemon in the first place!"
"Oh, so you're the one Wally keeps talking about," the man turned his full attention to Seth. "Seems like you've left an impression on my nephew."
"We're friends, yeah. I met him back in Petalburg City, and I helped him catch his Ralts." Seth related, unsure if he had any place in a family argument like this. However, at the same time, Wally always talked about how lonely he was; and it didn't make sense that he'd be lonely if he had an uncle and cousin living with him...unless they didn't pay much attention to him. That someone like that would then start trying to tell Wally how to live was rousing his temper like a dull ember burning deep in his chest. "It's probably not my place, but I think you should let him do what he wants."
"You're right; it isn't your place." Trent's eyes hardened, causing Seth to flinch. "In fact, your place is nowhere near my nephew. He's a sickly boy, and he doesn't need someone like you coming along and filling his head full of nonsense about being a trainer."
"I did no such thing. Wally decided to do that on his own. All I did for him was something you clearly weren't." The barbed words left his mouth before Seth could stop himself.
"Excuse me?" Trent said, stepping closer to Seth. The moment he did so, Kyra appeared in front of him in a flash, her eyes glowing as if to dare the man to get any closer.
"Maybe I don't understand your situation. But I do know that Wally isn't happy with the way things are. He wouldn't have come out here otherwise," Seth snapped, any hesitation about getting involved disappearing. "If his well-being is so important to you, shouldn't you take his happiness into account?"
"I think you need to butt out. I'm not about to take advice from a total stranger on how to take care of my family." Trent wasn't backing down. "I'll thank you to stay away from him from now on. Understand? You aren't to see Wally again."
"Uncle, no!" Wally looked more distraught than ever after hearing that. Yet Trent was unmoved by his cry. The teen fell to his knees, clasping his face with his hands. "I never wanted this!"
"Make me." The challenge left his lips without hesitation. Seth was past caring about his shyness, or how bad this could get. Compared to facing down Archie, Wally's uncle was nothing. "Are you a trainer at all?"
"Pardon?" The man blinked, taken by surprise by the question. "I was. I took the league challenge myself, once upon a time. What's that matter?"
"I happen to be Wally's friend, and I don't make a habit of abandoning my friends. But if you want me gone so bad, let's make a wager on a pokemon battle." Seth glanced down at Kyra, feeling her lust for battle rising at his words. It did wonders for his confidence to know that Kyra was behind him in this decision.
"Are you serious!?" The man demanded incredulously. "I could just call the police to make you leave!"
"You could. But I'd advise against that. Last I checked, Wally is of age. Legally, you can't stop him from associating with me, if that's what he wants to do." Seth found himself suddenly grateful for the schooling his mother made him go through back in Olivine City. "So yeah, call the police. I happen to be able to afford very good lawyers. That's a case you won't win. So honestly, a pokemon battle is the better option for you."
"Seth...you don't have to go so far," Wally whispered as he watched the staredown between the two of them. Despite saying that, there was a hint of hope in his eyes.
"Grr...you cheeky little...fine. If I win, Wally comes home with me and you will stay away from us in the future. Got it?" The uncle acquiesced with bad grace, reaching for the pokéballs strapped to his side. There were three of them, the same amount as Seth.
"Yeah. And if I win, you let Wally do what he wants, and I'll keep being his friend." Seth reached out a hand. "If you agree, shake on it."
"Fine. You've got some gall for a random trainer." Trent shook Seth's hand roughly, and then immediately backed away. "Let's move someplace with more room. I don't want to risk damaging the castle."
"Agreed." With that, Seth, Wally, and Trent relocated away from the castle to the nearest park, where several other trainers appear to have had the same idea and were in the middle of their battles. Trent and Seth stood several meters apart to give themselves a sizable arena in which to battle, while Wally nervously stood off towards the side, clutching Dyna anxiously.
Trent bounced his first pokéball in his hand briefly, and then he released the inhabitant out onto the ground before them to reveal a strange spherical pokemon shaped like a cactus. Two baleful eyes gazed out from behind its thorny carapace, and it stretched out its arms, thorns emerging from its skin. Seth quickly scanned it to determine its species: a Cacnea, a pokemon typically found in deserts.
"Kyra, you're up." Seth knew that even though Kyra didn't have a real advantage as far as types went, her psychic power was more than enough to handle anything Cacnea could send at her.
"Cacnea, set up," Trent ordered. Cacnea responded by sending out root-like tendrils into the ground, fixing it in place. However, a few seconds later, thorns erupted from the ground all around the field, making it perilous for anything to approach. "Now, attack from a distance!"
"I leave it up to you, Kyra." After training together with her, Seth had a good idea that Kyra could more or less handle herself in battles with less skilled trainers. She likely wouldn't need his direction for this battle.
Cacnea lifted its arms and unleashed a hail of thorny spikes towards Kyra...whose eyes weren't even open. Humming a small tune, Kyra lifted one leg and twirled from side to side, weaving through the thorns without even looking, taking not a single hit in the process.
Yet Cacnea was being clever. While she was distracted with the thorns, it snaked its tendrils through the earth. When they reached Kyra, they erupted from the ground and lashed out at her furiously. Kyra glanced up at the first tendril that swung through the air towards her. She lifted an arm and conjured a circular barrier just large enough to block the attack, and infused it with just enough energy to repulse it.
As for the second tendril, Kyra grabbed it with her telekinesis… and promptly tied it to the first tendril, forming a knot. Seth had to stifle a chuckle. This Cacnea was proving so little of a challenge for her that she was playing with it. Another wave of thorns flew towards her, but Kyra simply swept them aside with a wave of her arm.
"How does that little thing have so much psychic power?" Trent marveled with shock. "Cacnea, attack with force!"
Cacnea spent several seconds withdrawing its tendrils with difficulty, which Kyra allowed while she took a moment to yawn. Then, once it had done so, it began to inhale...and the cactus grew in size by several times. With a loud cry, Cacnea barreled across the field and brought one arm crashing down upon the ground. Yet Seth quickly detected that despite the increase in size and power, it wasn't moving very fast. Kyra simply wasn't there anymore by the time the arm slammed into the ground.
Instead, she had teleported in midair and was beginning to fall. As she did so, Kyra brought both arms to her head and sent a burst of psychic energy towards Cacnea's eyes. It was a mental attack, leaving the Cacnea confused and unable to maintain its larger size. Kyra didn't even give it time to fully shrink. She executed a midair twirl and blasted the Cacnea back with so much force that it was knocked clear across the field and into a tree, knocking it out instantly. Kyra landed gently on the ground and then gave a modest bow.
"Wow, Kyra is so strong!" Wally couldn't help but sing her praises after that. Dyna chirped excitedly from his arms as well, both of them inspired by the battle.
"It's a freak of nature is what it is," Trent grumbled as he recalled Cacnea to its ball. "I'm not done yet. I'm finished scouting. Get out there, Whismur!"
Seth scanned the spherical pokemon that now appeared and recognized pretty quickly what was about to happen. Indigenous to the cave systems between Verdanturf and Rustboro, Whismur were quick to scream at a level that could damage the hearing of any who heard them.
"Kyra, incoming sonic attack!" Seth warned and plugged his ears, just as Trent let out his order. Sure enough, his Whismur opened its mouth and screamed. Any birds in the trees nearby scattered, and any nearby trainers cried out and covered their ears as well.
Kyra winced in pain, but the moment she heard the Whismur's voice, she opened her mouth as well and released an odd echoing cry. Seth had seen her do something like that before, but this one sounded different. And as the waves from her voice collided with Whismur's...they surprisingly canceled out, rendering its sonic attack useless. Trent's mouth dropped open.
The Whismur suddenly couldn't hear itself, so it stopped screaming briefly. It then tried again, only for it to get canceled out again. It brought its arms to its mouth as if checking to see if there was something wrong. Once it was satisfied that its voice was in working order, it glanced up...to see Kyra standing directly in front of it.
"Move, you screaming imbecile!" Trent yelled, but it was far too late. Kyra lifted an arm and telekinetically slapped the Whismur aside, knocking it out before it even hit the ground. Kyra blinked slowly and blew on the tip of her arm. "This is ridiculous! What is that Kirlia made of!?"
"Her name is Kyra, and she's way more than you could handle." Seth boldly stated, his confidence bolstered both by Wally's shining eyes and Kyra's mocking attitude. That was two for one, and he doubted Trent had anything that could match up to her.
"We'll just see about that. She's got to be getting tired. And I still have my ace." Trent recalled Whismur and brought out his final pokémon: a four foot tall bipedal green creature with a large lilypad atop its head. Seth's Pokédex labeled it as a Lombre. "Lombre will finish this."
Seth wanted to point out that he still had two pokémon remaining and that both of them were stronger than each of Trent's other pokemon, but he was never one for bragging. "Do it, Kyra."
It was over in an instant. To Trent's credit, his Lombre showed an exceptional amount of control over both water and grass type moves, unleashing a furious wave of watery blasts and leafy strikes from a distance, avoiding the reach of Kyra's telekinesis. It was clear that Trent had spent most of his time training Lombre as opposed to his other pokémon.
Yet Kyra could match him projectile for projectile, conjuring her own leaves to counter his and hurling everything nearby that she could use...before finally landing a hit with a nearby park bench.
Trent gazed at the fallen form of his Lombre for several seconds. He let out a heavy sigh, and he retrieved his pokémon and straightened up. Wally remained quiet, nervously glancing between his uncle and Seth.
"You're very strong. You humiliated me," Trent admitted after a long pause. As he spoke, Kyra moved back towards Seth...where he noticed that she was absolutely exhausted, despite how easily she'd won the fight. "Fine. You win. I won't be called a liar. I'm still opposed to Wally overextending himself, and I still think that what he's doing is extremely reckless. But I do recognize that he's found himself a decent friend."
"Thank you. I'm sorry I got in the middle of the two of you, but I just had to say something," Seth replied, pleasantly surprised by how gracefully Trent was accepting his defeat. That being said, Seth also knew that he'd said some harsh things to Wally's family. "I hope this doesn't impede our relationship going forward."
"You've got a serious mouth on you, and you're lacking in respect for your elders. But you put your money where your mouth was, and I can at least respect that." Trent conceded grudgingly, much to Seth's relief. He turned towards Wally. "Well, I guess do what you're going to do. But if you insist on challenging the gym here, I'm going to stay with you."
"Actually...I think I'm going to go back home with you, uncle." Wally's words were the exact opposite of what both Trent and Seth had been expecting, the two of them looking between one another with shock. Wally swallowed nervously, the young man gathering his courage. "Seth...I can't thank you enough for sticking up for me. I've only known you for a short time, but you were willing to go to court just so I could be free to do what I wanted to do. That really means something."
"Yeah...don't mention it," Seth said, embarrassed.
"This probably seems rude after all that effort. But...I learned something by watching the two of you battle." Wally continued, his voice stabilizing the longer he spoke. The fact that both Seth and Trent were listening to him so intently did wonders for his self-confidence. "The truth is, I'm nowhere near ready to battle, much less challenge a gym leader. It's clear that there's more to being a trainer than just telling your pokémon to battle. You both have clearly worked very hard to develop your pokémon and your strategies, so it probably must feel insulting for someone as inexperienced as me to think I could hold my own."
"Wally…" Seth uttered, impressed with what he was hearing.
"S-So...I've decided I'll go home for now. I have a lot of work to do if I want to catch up." Wally gazed into Seth's eyes. "I...I know it would be too much for me to call myself your rival...but I want to at least call you my goal. Is..is that alright?"
"Of course it is. I'm honored that I've inspired you to this degree." That was an understatement. Once again, Seth felt humbled that he'd made such an impact on Wally's life. "I guess I'll be going on ahead. I can't wait to see how you and Dyna develop."
"I have no objections. This is a mature choice you're making, Wally. There's nothing wrong with taking things slow." Trent said. "Alright, so shall we get moving? We're running out of time in the day."
"Yes, I'm ready to go home. But...would you give me a moment to say goodbye to Seth?" Wally asked hesitantly.
"Go ahead. I'll go pull up the car, then." Trent nodded, and then he made his retreat, leaving Seth and Wally alone.
Wally looked up at Seth. "Sorry...that was a little intense," the teen apologized. "Saying all of that…"
"Hey, it's alright. I probably shouldn't have gotten so riled up in the first place. But...I…" Seth turned slightly red as he forced the next sentence out. "I was also annoyed that we were interrupted."
"Oh! You mean when we were k… I mean..." Wally's complexion soon mirrored Seth's own, the teen shuffling his feet awkwardly. He took a breath. "Me too. D-Do you think he saw us?"
"If he did, he didn't say anything." Seth didn't like the idea of someone else knowing of his budding relationship with Wally before he'd come to terms with it himself. The two of them drew closer. "You're sure you're alright going back home? I know you don't like it there."
"I'll be alright. Verdanturf is a lovely town. It's just lonely." Wally and Seth clasped their hands together affectionately. "Will you still come to visit?"
"Absolutely," Seth said instantly. He didn't even have to think about it. "You could show me around, and maybe I can give you and Dyna a few pointers."
"I'd like that a lot," Wally said softly. There was a small silence as the two of them smiled at one another. Seth found his attention drawn to Wally's plush lips, the desire to kiss him again coming over him. "W-Well...I should probably get going."
"Hey, before you go...is it okay if I k-kiss you again?" Seth asked before he could stop himself. Wally blinked, his blush returning.
"M-Mhm." Wally gave a slight nod, tilting his head up to meet Seth as the latter closed the distance between them. Their lips met once again, a thrill running through Seth's body. Seth's arms slowly snaked around the shorter teen's chest, holding him close. Wally gave a muffled squeak, and then he hesitantly reached up to hug Seth's neck. When they broke away, it was reluctant. By the warmth of his body and the tightness in Seth's pants, he knew he wanted more. "Can… can we do more of that when you visit?"
"I would like nothing more," Seth answered breathlessly.
After one last hug, Wally picked up Dyna and left to join his uncle in their car. Seth watched them leave until their car was out of sight. Then, he let out a sigh and went to set on a nearby bench with Kyra...who appeared just as exhausted as before, as though she'd gone through a rough training session.
"Are you alright? You're not usually this exhausted after a pokémon battle. Especially not one that you won so easily." Seth asked curiously. Kyra looked up at him and shook her head. "No? To which part?"
Kyra attempted to communicate through a series of gestures, but when it was clear that her meaning wasn't getting through to Seth, she tried a different tact. She pointed at her eyes with one arm and then produced a small flash of light with her other arm.
"Flashing eyes...foresight? You were using foresight during that battle?" Seth quickly put two and two together. Kyra nodded emphatically. "Were they so tough that you needed to?"
Kyra shrugged. Seth gazed at her, perplexed. What was she trying to say?
"Well, that would explain why it looked like you had no trouble. But it's reckless to overuse your foresight. It takes a lot of psychic energy, doesn't it?" Seth recalled. Kyra nodded, and then she punched at the air a few times. "Unless...did you really want to humiliate Trent with overwhelming force?"
Kyra squeaked, nodding. Seth chuckled, and then he picked her up and placed her on his lap. He gently combed through her sweaty hair with his fingers, enjoying the feeling of contentment flowing from her as a result.
"Thanks for getting all fired up for me. I feel a little foolish for sticking my nose in their business, but...that Wally is too cute for his own good. I couldn't let Trent walk all over him," Seth confided as he leaned back against the bench. He licked his lips, still able to taste Wally upon them. "I guess I like boys too. What did May call that? Bisexual?"
Kyra hummed to show that she was listening but made no other meaningful response. Seth sighed and moved his mind to the future. There was still some time before sundown, and he still needed to register for the gym challenge.
"I have a lot to think about. But I'm starting to get hungry, and you need to rest. Shall we get going? I'll carry you so you don't have to walk," Seth offered Kyra his shoulders - an offer she eagerly accepted, the Kirlia hopping atop him with her legs around his head.
Once he'd gathered all his belongings, Seth shelved his thoughts for later and made his way back into the city.
Author's note:
Aaaah! I just love Wally so much! This chapter was a lot of fun for me because once Wally was in the picture, my shipping senses went nuts and I typed up a storm! That being said, it was such a struggle to keep things realistic given the setting. In the real world, one doesn't go from meeting someone to kissing them by the second meeting. Unless you're at a bar and/or specifically looking for a hookup. But in this world, trysts like that are pretty common if people have time and they're mutually attracted. Also, this is a smut story and I REALLY shouldn't be trying so hard. .
Lastly, I want to talk a bit about Mauville Castle! Mauville in the real world is Kumamoto, and there is a castle there. I was pretty excited to read that the castle was part of the Satsuma Rebellion at one point. I'm a bit of a Japanese history nut (Especially the warring states period), so I jumped on the chance to include a bit of background into the history of the world I've created. Now imagine my reaction when I realized that Shiroyama is in Lilycove. *Sabaton noises in the distance*
Anyway, sorry for taking so long! I finally finished the RP I was GMing for (rip 6 months of my life), so I've more time to write. Please leave a review for me! I love them!