A/N: So, random question. If anyone is currently watching the anime now, what do you think would be Alain's team besides his Charizard? I'm just really curious on what you guys think.
Also, what would you name Ash's father? I once saw someone choose Victor as his name, but I'm not sure if I like it all that much for him.
Raichu jumped onto the top of a boulder and then turned around. "Come on, guys, stop lagging behind!" he encouraged. "Or else I'll say 'I told you so'!"
"For the last time, we're not lazy!" Jolteon snapped as he bounded to the top as well. "Besides, Electivire and I are showing the new guy around; what's wrong with taking our time to do that?"
The Mouse Pokémon opened his mouth and quickly closed it. "Fair enough," he conceded. "Still, we should move just a tad faster. It's been a while since we had proper exercise."
"You think he'll notice?" Electivire asked, finally moving past the bushes.
Both of the Electric types drooped their ears. "No, he's probably still tinkering with his new invention," Jolteon guessed. "You know him. He almost missed the new guy."
"A-are you really sure I-I won't be t-tossed out?" said new guy whispered, his eyes the only visible part as he hid behind a bush with his tail literally between his legs.
"Of course!" Raichu insisted. "Our Trainer may always be preoccupied, but he isn't neglectful. I mean, we still get fed and he still hangs out with us. We just...don't battle anymore."
Slowly yet timidly, his new teammate nodded and finally stepped out of the bushes as well. "I think I'm okay with not battling for a while, anyway," Luxray admitted.
"That must have been a pretty nasty beat down from the way you looked," Electivire pointed out.
Luxray sighed. "I don't understand why Sho even did it in the first place," he admitted. "I thought he figured me to be a good Pokémon."
They had barely touched upon the topic of Luxray's old Trainer ever since the Gleam Eyes Pokémon wandered to their home about a month before. But now it seemed Luxray didn't mind as much. Clearly he was still affected, but not to where he kept his mouth shut anymore.
"Well then screw him," Jolteon spat. "A human who treats Electric types - or, any Pokémon for that matter - like that doesn't deserve to have a guy like you."
There was a hint of a smile. "Thanks, Jolteon," Luxray said. "That really means a lot."
"Didn't you say something about how he changed?" Electivire questioned as the four Pokémon began walking again.
"I thought he did," Luxray replied. "He and his Raichu battled this one Trainer and got their butts handed to them the second time around, and he seemed to be much nicer." He sighed again. "Guess old habits really do die hard."
"Humans are stupid," Jolteon concluded, jumping over a small creek. "You just have to look in the basement to find a good example."
Even if it was cruel, sad, and even the tiniest bit pathetic on his Trainer's part, Luxray couldn't help but snicker.
Suddenly they heard the sound of moves colliding, and they looked towards the west where the noise came from. Curious, Raichu began to walk towards it. "Wait, Raichu, maybe it's not the best idea to go that way," Luxray cautioned.
He stopped and looked to the new member. "Don't worry, Luxray, we'll stick together," Raichu promised. "And we're not looking for a fight; I just want to see who's causing the noise."
"I say we look," Electivire agreed.
"Who knows, this could be interesting to watch," Jolteon piped up.
Again, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon sighed. "Fine, but if a fight breaks out, I'm not joining in," he decided.
"That's fine by us," Raichu told him.
With that, the Mouse Pokémon bounded off, quickly followed by the rest of the team. When they got closer to the sounds of battle they slowed down, not wanting to alert whoever was fighting. They crawled to the edge of the forest and peered over the bushes, watching as two Trainers were engaged in a battle.
"Alright, Torterra, use Seed Bomb!" the black haired girl commanded. Her Pokémon opened its mouth and fired at the Electabuzz.
"Protect!" the opposing Trainer shouted, and the Electric type created a green barrier around itself, successfully blocking the barrage of seeds. "Now use Brick Break!" The barrier went down, and Electabuzz charged.
"Giga Drain!" Torterra's mountains glowed green, and it fired vines right for the Lightning Pokémon.
"Dodge!" The vines missed as Electabuzz jumped out of the way, but the girl wasn't fazed a bit.
"Earthquake!" she ordered. The Continent Pokémon slammed down its front legs, and the whole earth shook, causing Electabuzz to be flung into the air. "Giga Drain again!" This time when the vines appeared, they wrapped around the opponent, and the girl grinned.
"I win," she sang.
"Damn it, Haley, we're training, not playing around," the other Trainer sighed as Electabuzz was lowered to the ground.
Haley chuckled. "Well, yeah, but I can have fun with it," she countered. "You're just pissed 'cause I kicked your ass twice."
"Did not," the boy huffed.
"Did too."
"Did not!"
"Did too." The purple haired boy growled. "Besides, Electabuzz looks tired. He already trained with Umbreon, so it's understandable."
The boy looked like he was about to counter to her suggestion, but then decided against it. "But what about Infernape?" he pointed out. "He needs training, too, and I don't have Nidoking with me. He's the only other Pokémon I have that knows Electric type moves."
"You can command Luxray," Haley offered. The observing team perked their ears. "She knows you well enough, Paul; it's not like she'll disobey you."
Paul nodded. "Alright." Then he turned a bit, possibly looking over at a campsite the Trainers had set up. "Luxray, you're on my side for the next battle! We're training Infernape!"
"Yeah, it's your turn to get beat up!" Electabuzz yelled.
"Very funny, Stripes," she replied with a huff. The hairs on Luxray's fur stood on end.
That voice, while slightly deeper than he remembered, still sounded extremely familiar.
The other members of his team noticed him suddenly going stiff. "Hey Luxray, you look like you've seen a ghost," Electivire observed. "Do you know that one?"
"I-if I'm right," he gulped, "and I have a good feeling I am, then I do, and it won't be pretty if she spots me."
"Why?" Jolteon inquired.
"Well let's just say our last encounter...didn't go so well," he stated.
Raichu and the others stared at him, wondering what he meant. Of course, they all assumed that perhaps the female Luxray had been a bully of some kind; seeing how timid their Luxray was, it wouldn't have been much of a stretch.
"We won't walk out, then," Raichu decided. "That way you don't have to talk to her."
"T-thanks."
Meanwhile, the two Trainers had their Pokémon all ready to go. "Ugh, Haley, why do I have to train with Infernape?" Luxray complained.
"Aw come on, Lux, this'll be fun!" the Fire-Fighting type insisted.
"And I need to fight Electric types," her Trainer added. "Volkner is an Electric type Gym Leader, after all."
The observers were surprised. "Wait, she's training for Volkner?" Jolteon repeated.
"Oh boy, this won't be fun," Electivire mumbled as the female Luxray began the battle with Thunder Fang.
"Should we tell them?" Raichu suggested while Infernape jumped over his teammate and used Mach Punch on her side. "It looks like that girl can understand Pokémon."
Luxray furiously shook his head. "Raichu, you promised we wouldn't walk up to them!" he squeaked.
His teammate looked at him, and after a minute of contemplation he nodded. "Alright," he promised. Luxray nodded a thank you, and then the four went back to watching the training that would ultimately prove to be worthless. They were definitely impressed, though, so much so that they didn't notice Toxicroak wandering through the forest, looking for some Mago Berries. Noticing the group, she walked over to Luxray.
"Um, excuse me," she said politely.
Unfortunately, Luxray was a bit jumpy, so he screamed as he leapt into the air and tumbled out of the bushes. The training stopped and they looked at the fallen Pokémon. Toxicroak gasped and hopped over to the Gleam Eyes Pokémon.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
He lifted his head and looked at the Poison-Fighting type. "U-um, n-no p-problem," he stammered.
"Hey, don't worry, we're not going to hurt you," the girl Trainer assured as she and the boy walked over. She knelt down and smiled. "My name is Haley. This is Paul." The boy nodded.
Infernape grinned. "Weavile, you've got some competition!" he teased. In the blink of an eye, a furious Weavile was chasing the playful ape around, and the Trainers sighed.
Meanwhile, Luxray was completely embarrassed and frightened. It wasn't just being called out; in fact, the real reason was much worse.
"Ignore him," the female Luxray advised as she joined them, which scared Luxray even more. "He's an idiot." Luxray couldn't even bring himself to nod, let alone speak, and this of course didn't go unnoticed. "Hey, are you all right?"
Luxray tried to say something, but his mouth wouldn't even open. He shrunk under the female Pokémon, and Haley turned to her. "Lux, do you perhaps know this Luxray?" she questioned.
"The only other Luxray I know is my mom," the Electric type replied. "I did know a Luxio, and..." She stopped to think, and Luxray began to slowly crawl backwards, away from the impending doom.
Too bad he didn't get too far.
"You," Lux realized with wide eyes. Then they narrowed in rage, and she snarled. "You!" Catching on that something bad was about to happen, Paul jumped and held onto her as tight as he could. That made the female struggle, snarling as she did. "Where's your worthless, piece of shit Trainer?! Where is he?!"
"Lux, stop!" Haley yelled as the feline began to struggle harder. The female Trainer held on, too, but even then the humans were being dragged along as Lux tried to claw at him, with every intention of ripping him limb from limb. "U-Umbreon, I need you now!"
"Ursaring, get over here!" Paul barked.
The two sprinted over, with six more Pokémon watching from behind. Umbreon went first, its eyes glowing blue as it used Psychic to lift Lux off the ground. The furious Pokémon continued to struggle, making it extremely hard for the Dark type to keep its grip. Luckily, Ursaring backed it up and fired a Focus Blast, hitting Lux directly and sending her flying. She crashed onto the ground but quickly sprang back up with the purpose of going for the terrified Electric type. Then Infernape slammed into her with Flame Wheel, and she was on the ground again. This time she wasn't so quick on her feet.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Infernape snapped.
But Lux didn't answer him. "He's mine!" she growled, and she charged at the cowering Pokémon.
Again she was denied as Electivire, finally having enough, sprang out of the forest and used Giga Impact. The attack sent her flying even farther than before and, as soon as she hit the ground, instantly knocked her out. A Staraptor flew over to Haley and dropped a Poké Ball in her hand, and the Trainer recalled her fallen teammate.
Everyone looked at her, and soon the tension in the air died. "I'm sorry I had to do that," Electivire finally piped up.
Haley stared at him. "What are you sorry for?" she responded. "Lux was the one trying to hurt your friend."
"She was completely out of control, Haley," Paul added. "That wasn't just her trying to hurt it."
"They know what I mean," she brushed off. Then she knelt down next to Luxray again. "Luxray, I am so sorry for all of this."
All of Lux's teammates nodded in agreement, but Luxray shook his head. "It's my fault, anyway," he stated guiltily.
"That's not true!" Jolteon shouted, jumping out as well. Raichu walked out after him. "She was being a bully; she wanted you to think that!"
"Look, pal, Lux is not a bully," Weavile defended with a growl.
"Yeah!" Infernape agreed. "She can be a bit brash at times, sure, but she's no bully."
"So you expect him to be?" the Lightning Pokémon retorted.
Infernape and Weavile opened their mouths to counter, but Luxray beat them to the punch. "No, I'm sure you don't," he stated. "But I was."
The whole group looked at him in disbelief, except for Paul, who was confused because he couldn't understand what everyone was saying. "Luxray, I find that extremely hard to believe," Electivire voiced.
"Yeah, so do I," the Gleam Eyes Pokémon admitted. "But it's true; at one very brief but crucial point I was. It's not really surprising why my little sister lashed out like she did."
"Sister?" everyone repeated in surprise.
Then Staraptor began fluttering its wings rapidly. "Haley, didn't Lux say something about her brother when we were on our way to Solaceon Town?" she remembered.
Her Trainer and the rest of her teammates thought about it. "That's right!" Haley finally exclaimed. "She said something about how-" She stopped. "Oh." Then she turned her head and looked at Paul. "Oh..."
Paul raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Um, don't worry about it," she assured.
"No, what is-" Now he stopped, and he closed his eyes with a long, exasperated sigh. "God damn it. No wonder she wanted to maul me back in Pastoria." Luxray stared at the purple haired Trainer, and then he stood up and walked over to him. Paul eyed the Electric type.
"Guess we both have some issues with being good brothers," he confessed. Luxray flattened his ears with guilt but nodded.
Everyone sat down, wanting to listen to Luxray's explanation. "We lived in the forest along Route 202 with our parents," he began. "And I was a huge coward, even more so than now. But Lux was always there to help me. I didn't mind it, but I also wanted to be stronger. Because... I mean, I'm the older brother, so I figured I should have been stronger. So when Sho showed up I... Well I... I-I turned my back on her. It was..." He sighed. "Horrible doesn't describe it."
As the Pokémon stared at him in silence, Haley silently told Paul what the Electric type said. He looked at Luxray - who rested his head on his paws and never took his yellow eyes off the male Trainer - and then back at Haley.
"Can I take Luxray's Poké Ball?" he requested.
The large group looked at him in confusion. "Why?" Haley asked.
"If there's anyone who knows anything about something like this, it's me," he explained. The girl still looked unsure. "Trust me. If she isn't talked to, she'll go on a rampage again."
Finally, she nodded, and she handed the Poké Ball to the purple haired Trainer. Without a word, Paul stood up and walked away.
There was silence as they all watched him go, and once he disappeared Haley sighed. "He wouldn't have to talk to her in the first place if I disciplined her more," she chastised.
"Haley, we couldn't have known how severe it was," Umbreon reasoned. She rubbed her head against her Trainer's leg. "She never told about it. And you're a good Trainer, so don't beat yourself up."
"Still..."
"No, Haley, it's my fault," Luxray repeated. "If I hadn't been such a bonehead, we wouldn't have this problem at all."
They all stared at him again, and finally Raichu put a paw on the joint between Luxray's leg and body. "Well, it happened," he stated. "So let's just move forward, alright?"
Luxray looked at him, and then he looked in the direction the other Trainer had disappeared. He deepened his frown. "Let's just hope that's a possibility."
...
Paul made sure he was far enough away where - if Luxray sprinted off to kill her brother - the group would have plenty of time to know she was coming. Perhaps it was stupid of him to not bring any Pokémon, but the reason he hadn't was because he figured it would make him seem hostile.
He let Luxray out, and she looked a little tired. When she realized she was back outside, she growled and went to run off, but Paul glared at her. The female Pokémon glared back, and for a while the two pierced each other's eyes before Luxray growled louder.
"Luxray!" She jumped at the authority in Paul's voice. "Unless you want everyone to gang up on you again, I suggest you listen."
Luxray nodded, but she looked offended, as if she believed Paul was making her out to be in the complete wrong. He sighed and knelt down to her eye level.
"Listen, Luxray, I know why you lashed out like that, but your brother has a reason for what he did, too. It didn't make it right, but you should know where he's coming from." She nodded again but still seemed offended, so Paul tried a different approach.
"You know who reminds you of him, right?" The Electric type blinked in surprise, and then with a sad look she pointed her tail at the Trainer. "Exactly. And after Haley told me what he said, I could see why. We were cowards, and we relied on our siblings for help. I loved Reggie when I was a kid; hell, if I had been crazy enough, I might have made a shrine." Then he offered up a smile. "Might, being the key word." Luxray couldn't force down the quick chuckle.
"But even then, I always felt bad. Reggie could have been doing so much more, and instead he always had to come back and check in on me. To realize that you're such a coward and you can't really do anything on your own... It's not a good feeling, Luxray. Not at all.
"But I say your brother had it worse," he continued. "At least I'm the younger brother, and I'm also eight years younger. Of course I would have to rely on someone. Your brother is the older one, though, and you two only seem a year apart. I'm not saying he went about it right, but at least realize he didn't do it for the sole purpose of hurting you and your parents."
The Gleam Eyes Pokémon nodded a third time, yet Paul still (understandably) saw a glimmer of hurt in her yellow eyes. He knew his next comment probably wouldn't change anything, but he wanted to say it anyway. "Besides, at least it only took him less than a year to realize he made a huge mistake."
Luxray hung her head and stared at the ground as if she was supposed to feel guilty, and Paul frowned. She had everything reason to be angry, but she just went about it the wrong way.
Then he had an idea, and he smiled. Slowly, as to not alert her, he moved his hand behind her ear and began to scratch there. The Gleam Eyes Pokémon flinched in surprise but then quickly relaxed into his touch. She let him pet her for a while until she realized that it was straying them from the topic at hand. She narrowed her eyes at him, and Paul just smirked.
Of course he knew. Jackass.
"Feeling calmer?" he asked. Luxray nodded, and then she moved a bit closer so she could rub her cheeks against his. Paul tried to hold a chuckle as her fur tickled him. "Careful, we might get made fun of again."
"Or they can learn how to mind their own business," Luxray barely muttered. Of course, Paul didn't know what she said, but her tone alone made him laugh lightly.
It was well known that Paul was a Trainer. It was also well known that he didn't interact with his Pokémon in a...friendly manner. Sure he had gotten better over the past year, but they weren't going to be treated like pets anytime soon. Luxray was the only exception, and that was something that caught everyone off guard. She wasn't even his Pokémon, but he would treat her like his pet, and she actually didn't mind. One time Haley asked - with a completely straight face - if he wanted to trade Luxray and Electabuzz, to which Paul and Luxray weren't amused.
That was far from the only joke, though.
Everyone made an observation about it at some point, with Infernape (of course) being the main provider, and he was known for making the situation extremely embarrassing. Though the most embarrassing time was hands down the first time.
And funny enough, it was the person neither of them expected.
XXX
Haley decided that the day would be dedicated to training for the Gym Battle against Roark. Paul didn't mind since he actually wanted to relax. For once, he really didn't want to train. And as he watched his traveling partner train her Pokémon, he decided it would be okay if his trained alongside hers. So now with a complete excuse to lie on his back, he did.
Meanwhile Shinx, since she didn't need to be trained for the battle, made her way over to lie down as well. As she walked she glanced at Paul, who had his eyes closed as his head rested on his arms.
I don't understand why she thought it would be a good idea to travel with someone we just met, the little Electric type criticized as she found a nice sunny spot and began making it comfortable to curl up on. Whatever. Humans are stupid. If he does something to hurt us, it's on her.
When it looked like he was going to open his eyes, Shinx realized she was staring, and she hadn't meant to. Immediately she plopped down with her back to him and squeezed her eyes as tight as she could.
The teen looked rolled his neck to stretch it, and as he did he noticed the Flash Pokémon curled up. He huffed.
Seriously, she just lets her Pokémon wander off in the middle of training? he questioned. Even if it's not participating, it could still use some training. Then again, this Shinx is different from the rest of Haley's team. It seems less...open. So is it just hard to control and she decided not to bother?
Then her head twitched, and Paul instantly looked away. He hadn't even really noticed he had been studying the Pokémon. Boy, wouldn't that have been embarrassing if he got caught.
Unbeknownst to him, Shinx had an inkling he had been looking at her. I could have sworn I felt his eyes on me, she thought. Then again, I could just be paranoid. I have been quite a bit lately. Maybe it's just my imagination.
Suddenly the wind picked up just a bit, and she noticed he shivered just a tad. Even with a jacket? Man, humans really are weak. They're just- Oh man!
Once again she whipped her head back around, thinking his head was moving towards her again.
Actually, he was, and he noticed her shuddering. Is it cold? Or... Was it actually looking at me and now it's afraid? But... Why would it care? It barely cares about its Trainer, or it seems that way. He shivered again.
Damn, it was never this cold before. Stupid Hoenn and its hot climate. Even with my jacket I can't take the cold anymore. And yet somehow Haley's prancing around in a t-shirt and a skirt. How the hell does she-
At that point Shinx had turned her head again, wanting another look, and this time Paul didn't catch it. So the two ended up finally meeting eyes, and for what felt like forever they just stared at each other with wide eyes, each of them realizing they had been caught. Their brains had shut down and their voices had failed them, and while they tried to look away they just couldn't.
Finally Paul shivered a third time, breaking the trance as Shinx snickered. "And what do you find so funny, Fur Ball?" Paul grumbled.
Fur Ball? Shinx repeated, taking offense. Angry and without really thinking about what she was doing, she ran over to him, pounced on his chest, and glared right into his eyes.
Of course, while Paul was surprised, he wasn't fazed. First, he loved getting other riled up. Second, Shinxs were just (admittedly) cute, and since she was angry, she looked adorably pissed rather than threatening. So he just smirked.
"What? I'm not wrong," he stated. "You have fur, and you were curled up as tight as a ball. Doesn't that make sense?"
Shinx blushed but snarled; yet Paul still wasn't intimidated. "Aw, look at you, trying to act tough," he teased as he poked her nose.
Before the Trainer could take it away, Shinx snatched it with her teeth, biting down hard enough to hold but not break skin. But even then he refused to stop smirking. The little Pokémon growled again, and when she did her tongue accidentally ran over his finger.
Out of all things, that got him to react.
He yelped quietly and immediately clasped his other hand over his mouth. Shinx stared at him with a confused look, and then she realized he was ticklish. Now she smirked...sort of. Her mouth was still on his finger, which she quickly flicked her tongue over. His eyes went wide as he tried not to laugh, especially when she began to repeat the motion over and over.
Knowing he had to make her stop before he made a fool out of himself, he clenched his teeth together as he tried to find her own ticklish spot. Luckily for him, he started behind her left ear, and she instantly stopped.
Now he started scratching there, thinking she would start laughing, but instead she seemed calmer. In fact, she curled up on his chest and closed her eyes as he continued to scratch, and Paul found himself not minding.
Actually... He kind of liked it.
Her fur was soft and she was warm. Smiling just a tad, he put his free hand back behind his head and closed his eyes as he continued his motions.
They were so relaxed and content, though, neither of them knew of the impending danger.
XXX
CLICK.
Both Luxray and Paul looked towards the sound of the digital camera, seeing Haley once again behind it. The female Trainer looked away from the screen to meet their eyes, and then she smiled.
"Sorry," she apologized again. "You know I can't resist."
Paul huffed quietly and put on a small smile. If he had actually caught her that first day, there wouldn't be any pictures of him and Luxray relaxing together. Funny enough, Haley loved the first picture more than any other one, even if the Flash Pokémon had almost mauled her over it. The more time that passed, though, the more Paul came to like it, too. Not only was it actually kind of cute (even if that was one of the most embarrassing things to admit), but it was also the first time Paul looked relaxed in years.
"So, did you come over here just to pester us like always?" he questioned.
Haley shook her head, and then she took a big breath in order to calm herself. "Lux," she began, "I... I think it would best...if you try and talk to your brother. I know it's...hard, but I think it'll do you both good."
Again, both of them stared at her, this time with surprised expressions. Finally, Lux sighed. "Sure," she agreed. "And I promise I won't tear his throat out. Does that make you feel better?"
"Yeah," Haley breathed out, nodding. Then she turned her head. "Luxray, everything's okay!"
A couple of seconds later, her brother ran over but stopped just behind Haley, his tail between his legs. He visibly gulped and stared at his sister with apprehensive eyes. Lux sighed again and turned towards the ocean. She flicked her tail, telling him to follow, and she began walking. Tentatively, Luxray followed her.
The Trainers watched as he finally caught up with her, and then Haley walked over to Paul, and he noticed she looked extremely nervous. He wasn't surprised. "Don't worry," he assured her. "Nothing's going to happen."
"Really?"
He sighed. "Well... Guess we'll see."
...
Luxray was surprised Lux hadn't said a single word. They just kept walking. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was telling himself to run the other way because she was probably taking him to a place where his screams couldn't be heard. But then, on a hill that overlooked a beach, his sister stopped and sat down. He stopped a few feet behind her, tilting his head in confusion as she looked out at the ocean.
"So, all of this drama so you could be stronger," she stated.
Immediately his head and ears went down. "W-well, yeah," he mumbled quickly. "I mean, what younger sibling wants to be taking care of their older sibling? I thought you would stop wanting to be around me because I was such a waste of-"
Her harsh sigh cut him off. "Idiot, what about me screamed at you that I would start hating you?" she brought up. "If anything, I was just confused as to why the roles were reversed, but I didn't care. It was when you left that I started hating you." She growled a little, and her tail lashed once.
"I mean, I don't think I would have cared if you went with a Trainer. Hell, for all I care, you could be Haley's Luxray, and I don't think I would be giving a damn other than just missing you. But out of all the Trainers, you chose the asshole. Yeah, nice job on that." He flinched and expected her to jump at him, but then she continued, still staring at the ocean.
"And yet despite that and despite earlier today... I don't think I would change a thing."
Okay, wait... Did he just hear that right? "What?"
"You turned the entire forest, our parents, and even me into a bunch of paranoid fucks, and yet I don't think I could bring myself to picture events turning out any other way." Lux finally turned her head to meet his eyes. "As much as it angered me - and still does - we did...learn something, I guess. And I'm quite selfish; I couldn't even begin to imagine another Pokémon in my place, with my team members, not even you."
One of his claws absentmindedly began drawing lines in the grass. "I... I-I guess I really couldn't imagine another Pokémon in my place either," he admitted. "And really, I've only been with them for a month."
"You look stronger," Lux observed as she finally moved, circling around her brother. Luxray kept a curious eye on her. "Sho... Sho did good, I guess."
"U-um, thanks," Luxray responded. "B-but really, my current Trainer polished me up."
She nodded. "Look, I'm..." She breathed in. "S-s... Sorry...for my outburst back there."
But he shook his head. "It was...extreme," putting it lightly, "but understandable. I mean, I did yell at you, mock you, stab you in back, beat you up, and head butt you into a tree...twice."
"All in the course of around five minutes," his sister added.
"Five minutes," he repeated. He huffed, and for a while the two stared at each other in silence. "So, um, a-are we cool?"
Lux scoffed, but she was also smirking. "We're...better than before," she decided.
That was better than nowhere, and Luxray was completely okay with that. He smiled. "Okay."
His sister nodded, and then she bit her lip as she eyed the ground. After a few seconds she looked at him again.
"I... I missed you," she admitted.
Those were words he thought he would never hear, and he almost cried from how happy he was. "I missed you too," he responded. Lux stared at the ground again, but he could see her small smile. Deciding to end her embarrassment, he changed the subject. "Then, are we going to head back?"
There was a small sigh. "Yeah. I'm sure Haley's creating a trench from worrying so much."
He chuckled. "She's a nice person," he concluded.
"And she's my Trainer," Lux stated with a smile. They began to head back at a brisk pace, not wanting to keep the others waiting.
Good thing, too, because there was a commotion currently underway.
"For the last time, no, you can't have my Electabuzz!" Paul shouted. The siblings looked at each other with confusion. "I don't care if you have a Flaffy, I don't care if you have a Magnemite and a Magneton, I wouldn't care if you had a damn Zapdos! The answer is NO!"
"Aw, come on, man, it's a good deal," another Trainer calmly replied.
Every expletive the two Luxrays could think of popped into their minds.
"Buddy, I suggest you never get a job where you have a boss," Haley snapped. "Clearly, you don't listen well, and listening is - unfortunately for you - required. Who the hell do you think you are, anyway?"
The other Trainer grinned. "Name's Sho, lovely miss," he introduced.
It was like a ticking time bomb was nearing its final seconds, and then it exploded. "YOU!" the entire gang exclaimed.
"You're the reason I almost had a murder on my hands!" Haley hissed.
Sho looked confused. "And what do ya mean by that?" he questioned.
"If I say Luxray, what's the first thing that comes to mind?" the girl egged on.
He thought about it, and then he snapped his fingers. "Ah, right, I had one not too long ago," Sho said.
"Yeah, and that Luxray happens to be the brother of mine, which meant she almost tore him apart!" Haley spat.
"And how's that my fault?" the dark green haired boy brought up, starting to get annoyed. "If you can't train your Pokémon, don't put the blame on me."
"You turned a whole forest on its head and split up a family in the worst way possible because you can't control your Pokémon!" Paul cried. "Look at your Raichu and Pichu right now; they know what's going on, judging by those evil smirks!"
"Pal, you and I are done negotiatin," Sho retorted. "Me and the littl lady here seem to be in an argument."
"No, I agree with Paul," Haley replied. "Your Pokémon did something to Lux, and you better tell me what it is, cause I'm not in a good mood for games."
"Look, I don't know what sort of beef you have with either of them," the Electric type Trainer stated.
"Bullshit!"
"I'm tellin the truth here!"
"Fine, be that way, asshole! See if I care anymore!" Haley huffed as she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Now how about you just leave; trust me when I say you aren't welcome here."
But Sho had other plans. "Not just yet," he began. "First, no one insults ma man Raichu without payin for it. Second, I'm suddenly interested in this Luxray of yours."
"No Pokémon of mine is up for trade, especially with you!" Haley countered. "I already have an Ampharos back at home, and neither Magnemite nor Magneton or a combination of either will compare to Lux, understand?"
"Oo, now I'm really interested."
"Seriously, invest in a self-made business, because no one is going to hire you."
"Come on, you're not actually thinkin of backin out of this, are you?" Sho taunted. "Cause not only do you sound like that guy with the Pikachu, but it also means you got no spine."
"Then Ash is a smarter man than you!" Haley spat. "For the last time, no deal."
"Haley!" Everyone looked over at Lux, who ran over and got into a battle position in front of her Trainer, facing the other one. "He obviously doesn't listen, so let's just shut him up the only way that seems to work on him." She growled. "Besides, I've got bones to pick with that Raichu."
Haley looked at her Pokémon, and then at Sho. "Fine," she agreed. "Your Raichu versus Lux, Sho."
"And if I win, I get me another Luxray," the teen chuckled.
"You'll only win in your dreams," Haley promised.
The two teams got into place for battle, with Sho and Raichu looking very arrogant, and Haley and Luxray looking very determined. "You can do it!" Weavile encouraged.
"Lux, don't let them get to you!" Infernape advised
"Sis, beat them, I know you can!"
Lux smiled at the last one as the other Pokémon voiced their own bouts of encouragement. "Let's do this, Haley." Her Trainer gave a curt nod.
"Ladies first," Sho offered with a small hint of a condescending tone.
She ignored it. "Gladly. Lux, use Iron Tail!" Her tail glowed silver and she charged at the Mouse Pokémon.
"Counter with you own Iron Tail!" Sho commanded. Raichu's tail glowed as well, and it jumped into the air.
"Dodge it!" Lux sidestepped out of the range of its tail and then connected her own tail with its stomach. Raichu flew backwards. "Now use Thunderbolt!" Lux shot out a bolt of electricity, which hit dead on. "Use Iron Tail again!" The Gleam Eyes Pokémon raced towards her opponent again.
"Get up and use Volt Tackle!"
Quickly Raichu responded, and it sprinted towards Lux while electricity coursed around it. Lux was taken by surprise, and the attack hit her full force. She slammed into the ground, and the effects of the attacks from her teammates earlier in the day weren't helping any. The Electric type struggled to her feet, and Raichu snickered.
"Seems you haven't changed much," he taunted as Lux finally stood upright. Her yellow eyes glared and her lip curled up to reveal her menacing fangs. "Aw, but you seem to have a backbone now. You're not a complete wimp like you were last time. Of course, that's not really saying much."
Rage spread throughout her entire body. She snarled and her claws extended instantly. But before she pounced so she could rip him to shreds, Paul shouted, "Luxray!" Once again drawn to the authority in his voice, the Gleam Eyes Pokémon calmed down just barely to look at him. "It's obviously trying to rile you up. Don't let it."
Lux stared intently at him, and after a few seconds she took a deep breath. Paul nodded, and then he looked at Sho.
"Seriously, control you Pokémon. This is a battle, not a dissing contest. You just look pathetic otherwise."
"Really? I'm pathetic?" Sho smirked. "Missy over here has to have some punk tell her Pokémon what to do. Unless this is actually your Luxray."
"Hey, Dick, Paul and I are friends," Haley spat. "If any of his Pokémon were doing this I'd be telling them the same thing. What, do you lack friendship skills along with your hearing?"
Sho frowned. "If you'd stop with the hearin thing, we'd appreciate it."
"Only if we get some respect first," Haley shot back. "And I know just the way how. If you thought Lux only had Electric and Steel type moves, think again. Lux, show them why you don't mess with us with Ice Fang!"
The opponents, Luxray, and the rest of his team let out surprised gasps as Lux's fangs turned blue. From them, two light blue beams of energy raced towards Raichu, and they hit, causing some ice to form on his back. "No, Raichu!"
"Iron Tail once more!" For the third time, Lux made her tail silver, and she ran up to the Mouse Pokémon. She hit him directly twice, and he laid on the ground face down. He hadn't fainted, but he was very weak. Lux stopped in front of the downed Pokémon, and she glared down at him.
"Looks like the roles have been reversed," she observed. "Doesn't feel good, does it?" Raichu growled as best as he could. "I'm not going finish this; you're not worth it. Just make sure you and your Trainer stay away from me." With that, she turned around and walked back to her Trainer.
Raichu wasn't happy that she refused to end the battle properly. I'll show her. Getting to his paws, he charged a Volt Tackle and raced after her. Lux stopped and turned her head, her eyes wide.
But the attack never connected.
Luxray rushed out, his claws purple, and slashed at Raichu. The Mouse Pokémon was flung back, and he struggled to stand up. When he finally did, he was met with an angry older brother.
"Stay away from my sister," he growled. "She beat you fair and square, and you decided to cheat."
"She's the one who won't finish this properly!" Raichu accused.
"Because there was no point," Luxray replied. "Now there is, for me anyway." He charged up. "And I will show you what happens when you mess with someone I care about."
As soon as he finished, he released a powerful Thunderbolt, which Raichu wasn't prepared for. The Mouse Pokémon tried to resist it, but he couldn't take the attack and fell back to the ground, this time fainted.
Sho couldn't believe what had just happened. He opened his mouth to say something but ended up closing it. In the end he just returned his fallen Pokémon. Then he looked at Luxray.
"Well look at you," he began. "You've gotten a bit tougher since I last saw ya." However, Luxray wasn't too pleased with the compliment. He glared at his former Trainer, and his new teammates joined his side, glaring as well. Sho didn't seem to get it. "What's wrong, man?"
"What's wrong is that you abandoned him," Haley answered. "He found a new team as a result, one that clearly cares deeply for him." The three Electric types nodded. "So I would suggest you beat it, now. Unless you want us to take care of your other Pokémon."
Seeing as how sixteen Pokémon and two Trainers were glaring at him, Sho finally got the message and left, grumbling under his breath. When he was out of sight, Luxray flopped on the ground with a huge sigh of relief.
"I thought my heart was going to give out," he confessed.
"You were nervous?" Haley realized. Luxray nodded.
"Could have fooled me," Paul commented. The others swiftly agreed to that.
"Well, thanks, Luxray," the female Trainer stated with a smile. "That definitely helped us out, and it really means a lot, too." He blushed, and then his sister walked up to him. She looked at her paws, then at Haley, and finally at Luxray.
"Thank you," she finally whispered sheepishly. Luxray was still blushing, but he beamed, and from someone in the back Infernape and Empoleon laughed quietly. Lux heard it, and she desperately tried to think of a way to change the subject. "So... Uh... Haley! A-are we going to Sunyshore now or what?"
Haley did her best to conceal a giggle at her Pokémon's unusual flustered nature. "Of course," she responded. "We'll get you healed up, and then it's off to Volkner."
"We can take you," Luxray suddenly offered as he got to his feet.
"Oh, your Trainer is from Sunyshore?" the black haired human reasoned.
"I should hope so," Jolteon muttered.
Electivire sighed. "Jolteon, don't be rude," he scolded.
"What he means to say is yes," Raichu said. "See, we're Volkner's team."
"You're Volkner's Pokémon?!" Haley's team cried.
Paul's eyes went to each of the four Pokémon, and after he did it twice he sighed. "We really should have figured," he mumbled.
"So you'll take us to the Gym?" Haley asked in excitement.
"We can," Raichu told her. "But..."
"What?"
The Gym Pokémon looked at each other. "It'll be easier to explain if you see it," Electivire finally voiced. Everyone was confused but decided to not question it. Paul and Haley returned their Pokémon and quickly followed the four Pokémon to the beach city.
It was a pretty big city, with Jubilife and Veilstone being just barely bigger than it. But not even Haley, who always insisted on exploring the city, could bring herself to care. The two Trainers ran behind the four Electric types (and Haley almost went the wrong way in the process, since she didn't notice the moving sidewalks) to a grassy patch on the northwest side of the city and found themselves in front of a dome-like building with solar panels circling the top.
"Here we are," Luxray announced.
"Sweet!" Haley squealed. "I get to face the Gym Leader not even my brother could beat! This is going to be exciting!"
Again, the Gym Pokémon didn't look as enthusiastic. "We'd love to battle you, Haley," Luxray agreed. "But... Well..."
"Welcome," came a female robotic voice from an intercom, making the two Trainers jump. "May I help you?"
"I'm here for my eighth badge!" Haley declared. "So I'd like to challenge Volkner to a Gym Battle!"
"Then please, help yourself," the robotic voice informed, and the box to the right opened up to reveal a huge collection of Sunyshore City Gym Badges.
Paul and Haley stared at the box, completely baffled. "What?" the girl questioned.
"At the Sunyshore Gym, we skip the battling and give challengers a badge," the voice explained. "Please, help yourself."
No one moved. No one said anything for a very, very long time. "What?!" Haley finally exclaimed. "Volkner doesn't battle?! What kind of shit is that?!"
"He got bored," Raichu informed, his ears flattening. "Trainers just weren't giving us any sort of challenge, and he found himself liking to ticker with machines more. So he started giving out badges."
"And the Pokémon League doesn't question it?!" Haley inquired angrily.
"Guess not," Jolteon grumbled. "Now we find ourselves having to go out on long expeditions just to get exercise. How do you think we found Luxray? He was stumbling around the city all bloodied and bruised. It was a miracle that we managed to drag Volkner's sorry butt out long enough for him to do something about it."
Haley stared at the Lightning Pokémon, her hazel eyes alit with fury. Finally, she looked back at the box.
"Do you record messages?" she asked through clenched teeth.
"Yes," the machine answered. "Audio and video."
"Good, then send this Volkner." She growled and then held up a middle finger, surprising everyone, especially Paul.
"My name is Haley Paige Sedai, and I want a battle with you, Volkner! So why don't you get that stick out of your ass and face me like the man you are! Unless you're too much a coward, and if you are, I hope whatever little inconsequential machine you're working on breaks!"
At the last word, she gave the box a hard kick and then spun around. She stormed off, grumbling something about how stupid he was and cursing up a storm.
Paul watched her go, and then he looked to the four Pokémon, all of whom looked downcast but couldn't exactly blame the girl for being furious at their Trainer. Then the team looked at the purple haired boy, wondering what he was going to do. He had to figure that out himself.
Of course he agreed that the idea was stupid. He was the one who got mad at Roark, Fantina, and even Byron for not being in their Gyms. But at the same time, he had to have his eighth badge. With the Pokémon League only two and a half months away, he didn't want to scamper around the region in a desperate attempt to find another Gym. So, against all of the voices shouting in his head...
He took the Beacon Badge.
With one last guilty but disapproving look at the four Pokémon, he ran after his friend, who had gotten quite far. Thankfully she had stopped, and after slight hesitation, she grabbed a Poké Ball and released Staraptor.
"We're heading to Canalave," she announced, holding back anger.
"Okay, but why did you bring out Staraptor?" Paul pondered.
"We're flying."
The two thought they died for a second. "What?!" the boy shouted.
"Are you serious?!" Staraptor squawked.
"Listen, I don't want to stay in this damn city any longer!" she told them. She took a breath to try and calm down. "And you need to have that battle with Byron. I don't feel like walking across the entire region. And besides..." She took another breath. "You..." Her voice went down a few notches from nervousness. "You were the one who said I should get over my fears, and you're right. So... Let's go."
"Y-yeah," Paul agreed, still not believing she was willingly doing this. Apparently she was more pissed than he realized. After collecting himself, he walked over to the bird. "We'll stop in Pastoria so Staraptor can get a break and you can get your bearings," he decided. "Just hold on as tight as you need. We won't let you fall."
She took a shaky breath. "Okay." She climbed onto her Pokémon after Paul, and then Staraptor took to the skies, leaving behind the Gym of Disappointment.
...
Later that night, Raichu ran down into the basement of their home, a bowl for Poké Food in his mouth. He entered to find his Trainer (surprise, surprise) with a welding mask on, hunched over the steel table and working on some sort of spherical object. Raichu's ears drooped but he called out anyway. Volkner stopped working and looked at the Electric type.
"Oh, dinner time already," he noted. Raichu nodded. "Well, guess I can call it a day."
Raichu watched as the blond haired man put away his equipment, and before the human could go up the stairs, Raichu tugged at his pants, coaxing him over to the monitors.
Maybe if he watches the recording, he'll want to battle again, he reasoned.
Confused but curious, Volkner let his first Pokémon lead him over, and when the Electric type pointed to the "messages" button, the man understood. He wasn't happy, but he understood. He pushed the button, and he watched and listened as the young girl with the red bandana cursed him out, her gloved middle finger catching his eye.
"A Sedai, huh," he commented. "Yes, her brother battled me once, if I remember." Ray was one of the last Trainers he faced, and while the green haired Trainer had been strong, he still couldn't win.
Perhaps his sister was exactly the same: all bark, no bite.
Volkner continued to watch as Haley kicked the box and stomped off, but he noticed the boy had stayed behind. "Hmm, he looks kind of familiar." He typed on the keys, and the video froze to analyze the Trainer. A bio came up. "Paul Shinji Zuckerman. Yes, now I remember. He's a Pokémon League regular. Interesting how he took a Badge; he doesn't seem too pleased." Then Volkner noticed the badges Paul had. "Desperation. So either the girl doesn't care, or she's taking on the Elite Four Run." Finally, he stood up. "Not my problem." He walked upstairs.
His Pokémon slouched in disappointment. Of course it didn't work, he thought. I just hope one of these days, someone will start his spark again. I don't think I can take this anymore.