Hey all! I hope you're ready for chapter 75. There is going to be drama and I know we all love drama. What new things will be revealed to us now. Let's find out!
This chapter was beta read by my regular beta reader Killer Squids. You can find their work on AO3 here ( /users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name crow-forest. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.
Any Artwork you may see associated with this fic (on AO3, or Tumblr) has all been created by my good friend SlothyClaws. That is their instagram also have a website ( .com). They do commissions and their commissions are open to anyone that is interested. Go and give their page a look if you are interested
Chapter 75, I choose you!
Parting Ways Again
It was very odd. When Yamaguchi woke up he didn't feel alone. He cracked open an eye and scanned the room. It was the same laboratory as before with the glowing screens and the strange machine in the corner. The only thought that crossed his mind was 'I'm still here.' But this thought wasn't really his own and he somehow knew that. He was alone in the cage, but not alone at the same time. Someone else was there with him and he just couldn't see them.
He sat up, scanning the room a bit more. It was definitely empty and the door to the room sat ajar with the hall pitch black. He was still scared, but not as scared as when he first came here. He had become a bit numb to the situation. This numb feeling worried him.
"Are you okay?" Yamaguchi asked, not really sure who he was talking to.
Oh, it's you? I finally reached you again.
"What's going on?"
I need help. Can you get me out of here?
"I can try. Where are we?"
I'm not sure. They brought me here but I don't know where 'here' is.
"Who brought you here?"
Those people with the masks. They brought me here a while ago.
"Why did they bring you here? What for?"
I have no clue but it feels like something will go horribly wrong if this continues.
A long moment of silence passed. Though the two of them talked, their voices did not fill the air. The laboratory was quiet in a very eerie sort of way. Yamaguchi felt like this silence could be disrupted at any given moment. His eyes shot to the door, hoping no one could come through it.
"I'll get you out." Yamaguchi decided, though he wasn't even sure if he could accomplish such a task.
Will you really do that for me? I've been so alone for so long I thought no one would come.
"Yes, I promise I will save you so just wait."
I will be waiting.
Another moment of silence passed, the laboratory still just as eerie. Yamaguchi had no clue what was going on. He had no clue why he had promised to save whoever this was. He didn't even know if this was real.
"Who are you?"
You don't remember me? We've met before.
Yamaguchi thought for a long moment. He'd had a dream similar to this before.
Not the dreams. We met a long time ago. Do you remember? We were friends back then.
"Friends?" Yamaguchi couldn't recall any other friends from his past other than Tsukki. Had he been friends with someone else? "Tsukki is really the only friend I've had until recently."
I'm not a human friend.
"A Pokemon friend?"
Do you remember?
Yamaguchi couldn't remember, at least not at the moment.
It's alright if you don't. It was a long time ago.
The voice sounded so disappointed and Yamaguchi felt horrible.
"I'm sorry."
Hush, be quiet!
Just then a sound could be heard from the hall. A moment later, light flooded through the door. Yamaguchi felt mild panic.
We can't let them know you are here.
Panic filled Yamaguchi even more. If they knew he was here what would happen? Would they capture him too? All of a sudden it dawned on him that he wasn't in the hotel room anymore. Where had Tsukki gone? How did he get here? Why was he in a cage?
"They are figuring more and more out each day, so we may have to move locations soon," Came the familiar voice of the Boss.
Yamaguchi felt his heart run cold. He didn't want to see him. Not now!
"We will get things ready to move as soon as possible," Admin Mika replied.
Yamaguchi couldn't see the two but they must have been just outside the lab door. His eyes were fixed on the ajar door. He hoped they just passed on by and didn't come in. At first that seemed to be the case as their footsteps passed by the door.
"What's wrong, Drowzee?" Mika asked as the sound of walking halted.
A moment of silence passed. Yamaguchi almost jumped out of his skin as the Drowzee stepped into the room. The light from the hall flooded the entrance causing heavy shadows to fall upon the Drowzee's face. Its eyes were fixed on the cage as if it could see Yamaguchi standing right there. It didn't budge an inch as its eyes bore into Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi wanted to scream and shout but found he had no control over his own body. He wanted to hide, to get as far away from this place as he could.
"It seems we have a visitor tonight," The Boss purred as he entered the room. His snake-like eyes peered through his mask at the cage Yamaguchi was in.
"So it really was reaching out for help through dreams?" Admin Mika hummed, sounding almost annoyed. She looked to the cage as well but she didn't seem to realize there were two entities in it.
A dream? Was that what this was? Yamaguchi had been brought here through a dream?
"I had my suspicions. It is a Psychic Pokemon after all," The Boss replied as he approached the cage. "You've done a fine job sniffing this out, Drowzee," he praised, giving the Drowzee a pat on the head as he passed by. When he approached the cage his eyes gazed past the Pokemon within and right to where Yamaguchi was.
Yamaguchi felt horror. Those eyes, that smile and that voice. He saw them today at the aquarium. Was that really Daisho behind the mask? The sudden realization petrified Yamaguchi. The boss, he knew who he was, didn't he?
"I met someone today," The boss hummed, his eyes never leaving Yamaguchi. "It was that trainer who won the fossil showcase. Isn't he the same one who's been a thorn in your side, Admin Mika?"
"I swear he's onto us!" Admin Mika grunted. "He probably worked for that detective and bratty girl that's been on our tail!"
"I wonder if that's true," The Boss hummed. "Why don't you tell us yourself, Yamaguchi Tadashi, are you here just to get in our way?"
How did he know it was you?!
Yamaguchi felt the need to scream. How did the Boss know his name? The sound of it leaving his lips almost gave Yamaguchi a heart attack. This team? Had they really been after him this whole time? Was he really somehow connected to this whole mess? This was just a dream, right? But it felt so real.
Panic filled Yamaguchi. His vision of the room blurred as he struggled to pull away. He needed to get out. He needed to get away from this man. They knew who he was and it horrified him. This must be a nightmare. It must be!
"I'll see you again soon, Yamaguchi," The Boss smoothly laughed.
No!
A silent scream left Yamaguchi's mouth as the Drowzees eyes glowed. He felt as if he was being pulled apart and thrown far away. It hurt and he was scared. Tsukki, he wanted Tsukki. He needed to be with him now.
A horrified scream filled their hotel room as Yamaguchi trashed so hard he fell from the bed. Both Tsukishima and Eevee shot awake at the sound of the freckled trainer's screams and cries. Tsukki fumbled with the light switch before shooting out of bed to address his terrified boyfriend.
Gently scooping Yamaguchi up, Tsukki coaxed him awake. "Yamaguchi, wake up. It's just a dream."
Though he was still asleep, Yamaguchi was sobbing. This concerned Tsukishima. Eevee gave a very worried whimper from the bed as she watched her master cry.
"Yamaguchi, wake up," Tsukishima tried again, this time with a bit more force.
It worked. Yamaguchi's eyes cracked open. They were filled with tears. "T-Tsukki," Yamaguchi hiccuped. His horrified voice sounded almost relieved. Without another word, Yamaguchi threw himself into Tsukki's arms, holding him desperately. "I was so scared," he sobbed into his boyfriend's shoulder.
Tsukishima was struck silent from the shock. Yamaguchi was known for having night terrors. He had been since they first met, but he's never seen Yamaguchi so upset after a nightmare. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. "Yamaguchi, it's okay. It was only a dream," he decided on, the words falling a bit hollow.
Yamaguchi shook his head in against Tsukki's shoulder. "I-it was j-just too real," he replied between broken sobs. "Th-They k-know who I a-am."
Tsukishima was confused. What was Yamaguchi talking about? "Who knows who you are?"
"T-The b-b-boss," Yamaguchi replied, still too upset to say much more.
"Boss?" Tsukishima whispered. It took him a moment to realize what Boss Yamaguchi was referring to. He released a small sigh as he pulled Yamaguchi away from his shoulder. He examined his boyfriend for a long moment, brushing a few tears from his eyes. "Yamaguchi," he started, trying to keep his voice as gentle as possible. "That evil team has nothing to do with us. They aren't after you. You probably just had this nightmare because of what happened at the research lab today."
Yamaguchi gave a small hiccup. He only looked half convinced. "He knows who I am Tsukki. The Boss knows me. He said we'd meet again."
Yamaguchi was obviously very worked up at the moment. Scared tears still spilled from his eyes. There was no point in arguing with him until he has calmed down.
"Hey, let's get back in bed," Tsukishima decided, being gentle as he scooped Yamaguchi up. His boyfriend was shorter than he was but still considerably tall so the task was always a bit awkward.
Yamaguchi didn't protest. He snuggled close to Tsukki, soaking up the security of having him by his side.
"How about I read a bit to you about Tyrunt. I need to look into the types of food he eats anyways," Tsukishima decided. Reading about fossil pokemon always calmed Yamaguchi down.
Yamaguchi gave a small nod and he plastered himself to Tsukki's side. As the two settled into bed, Yamaguchi rested his head on Tsukki's shoulder. Tears still spilled from his eyes, but his sobs had stopped. Tsukishima's calm, even voice grounded him. As the moments passed, the dream became more and more foggy to him. Had it really just been a dream? It felt so real and the location seemed familiar. Was there really some sort of Pokemon calling out to him, or was he just stressed out over the day's events? Maybe Tsukki was right. Yamaguchi was just spooked and it manifested in a stress dream.
While the dream blurred in his mind certain elements of this still hung clear. The little voice in his head asking for his help. The way the Boss looked at him. The fear he felt as the Boss spoke his name. It just felt too real to be a dream. He'd had night terrors all his life, but none of them had haunted him quite like this one currently was.
Yamaguchi wiped the tears from his eyes as he gave a sniffle. He felt a bit better now that he had been allowed to calm down. As he nuzzled his cheek against Tsukki's shoulder he felt safety wash over him. He was with Tsukki. He was going to be okay. It was just a dream, and come tomorrow he doubted he would even remember much of it.
As Tsukki's voice calmed him, Yamaguchi began to relax. His tears subsided and his mind cleared a bit. Fear hung heavy in his body, as it often does after a nightmare, but he felt secure and safe. As he began to relax his eyelids felt heavy. He was a little scared to go back to sleep. What if he dreamt of that place again? He was exhausted from all that crying. The security of having Tsukki by his side allowed him to relax. Before long his eyes shut and he was sound asleep once more.
Upon realizing Yamaguchi had fallen back to sleep, Tsukishima placed his tablet on the side table. He shifted just enough to turn off the lamp, making sure not to disturb Yamaguchi as he did so. Settling back down in bed, he planted a gentle kiss on Yamaguchi's cheeks. He was worried for his boyfriend. Perhaps all of this was too stressful for him if he was having such horrible dreams. He promised then and there that he'd do everything he could to protect Yamaguchi.
As Tsukishima wrapped his arms around Yamaguchi he felt sleep overtake him too. It had been a long day and tomorrow they were to start their journey once more. He half wondered if they'd be able to wake up in time to check out. The thought of paying extra annoyed him but he couldn't bring himself to be too upset with Yamaguchi. As far as Tsukishima was concerned Yamaguchi was not a magnet for trouble but he hoped his boyfriend would be able to catch a break soon.
With Yamaguchi held tight it wasn't long before Tsukishima too fell into a deep sleep. With Eevee burrowed securely between the two trainers, the three slept soundly through the rest of the night. Yamaguchi's dreams were normal, and when Tsukishima woke him the next morning he still felt a bit shaken but the dream felt so far away, almost like a memory from the past.
They had somehow made it up in time to check out. Yamaguchi was a bit quieter than normal and Tsukishiam couldn't tell if he was still scared or just tired. Even Yamaguchi himself couldn't tell why he was so quiet. It wasn't long before they were joined by the others in their group for one last breakfast.
As the group ate their final meal together they told jokes and laughed. They talked about what they would do next and how they'd miss seeing each other. They promised to meet up again and keep in touch, though Tsukki wasn't as enthusiastic about this as the others. Yamaguchi was happy to be with his friends, laughing and enjoying the company but the dream from last night lingered, making it hard for him to truly smile.
As breakfast finished the group prepared themselves to say goodbye. The older trainers walked Yamaguchi and Tsukishima to the forest's edge. Kuroo and Bokuto showered Tsukki with praise and affection as they wished him luck on his gym battle. Yamaguchi couldn't help but smile at the friendship Tsukki had found despite how much he resisted it.
"I'm going to miss having you around," Sugawara sighed, sounding like a mother with an empty nest.
"Thanks for all the help, Sugawara," Yamaguchi smiled, doing his best to shake off the weird lingering feelings that had been following him since the morning.
"Hey, anytime," Sugawara smiled. "You can always reach out to me if you have something on your mind."
"Right…" Yamaguchi replied, doing his best to smile.
Sugawara examined the fake smile. Yamaguchi knew the older trainer could see right through him.
"You all right, Yamaguchi?" Sugawara asked.
"Y-Yeah," Yamaguchi quickly replied, his voice cracking a bit.
"It's not good to lie to your mother," Sugawara frowned.
A loud laugh from Bokuto and an angry shout from Tsukki could be heard from just beside them but Sugawara's eyes didn't budge from Yamaguchi. The pressure Sugawara exerted was too much for poor Yamaguchi.
"I guess I just had a bad dream last night," Yamaguchi fidgeted. "It was about that evil team coming after me. They knew my name and everything."
Sugawara looked a bit surprised by this answer. He had expected Yamaguchi's worries about his showcases but this made sense considering that Yamaguchi had run-ins with them a few times. "I understand why you might have such a dream," Sugawara softly comforted. "It may seem like your multiple encounters with them are not just coincidences, but according to officer Jenny many trainers have run into them in the past month or so."
Yamaguchi fidgeted on the spot. He had heard many people tell him the same thing. He knew his worries were probably absurd and just paranoia and nothing else. He gave a small nod despite not looking too convinced.
Sugawara gave a small worried sigh. It was hard to see Yamaguchi so down. "Hey, if they come after you again just know you have lots of people who'd be there to beat them up," Sugawara said with a small laugh.
The two looked over to see Kuroo and Bokuto attempting to give Tsukki a goodbye hug. All the while, Akaashi was trying to keep them calm. Knowing he had such great support and Tsukki by his side did make him feel a bit better. These worries were silly. There was no way the team would target him.
"I think just having Kuroo and Bokuto hoot at them would scare anyone off," Yamaguchi jokes, releasing a small chuckle
The two shared a good laugh as they watched Kuroo and Bokuto successfully hug Tsukishima. Yamaguchi felt better but he still had this lingering feeling in the back of his mind. In the dream, someone was waiting for him. He wondered if that had any meaning to it. He decided that not mentioning it would be for the best.
"Would you two stop that?" Tsukishima shouted with an angry thrash. His cheeks were pink with embarrassment.
Kuroo and Bokuto both backed off though they didn't look sorry in the least.
"They grow up so fast, don't they, Bokuto?" Kuroo sighed, though his smile stayed upon his face.
Bokuto wiped a fake tear from his eye. "One second they rely on you for everything and the next they won't even share a hug."
Tsukishima gave a flustered grunt at this. These two were just too much. "Are you ready to go or what?" Tsukishima barked at Yamaguchi.
"S-Sorry, Tsukki," Yamaguchi apologised as he stifled a snicker. He rushed forward to join Tsukki. "I'm ready to go whenever."
"Then let's get out of here before these idiots decide to join us," Tsukishima snapped.
"Y'know… That's not such a bad idea," Kuroo hummed.
"You're not invited," Tsukishima barked.
Yamaguchi was going to miss such lovely moments but could tell Tsukki was more than ready to have some alone time. "We'll see you again soon, Kuroo," Yamaguchi cut in.
"Oh, how I'll miss you, sweet Yama," Kuroo sighed, taking him into a large hug.
A moment later Bokuto and Sugawara joined the hug. Yamaguchi made a muffled sound as he found himself being smashed between the three. Eevee squeaked from his arms having also been caught up in the hug. Yamaguchi felt safe in this hug. He and Tsukki really did have friends to rely on no matter what happens.
"Always stay sweet, Yama," Kuroo sobbed.
"O-Okay," Yamaguchi's muffled voice could be heard from the center of the hug.
The next thing Yamaguchi knew he was being yanked from the hug by his shoulders.
"We're leaving," Tsukishima announced with a small pout.
"Not so good at sharing, are you?" Kuroo teased.
Tsukishima only huffed as he turned towards the forest.
"Thank you all again for everything," Yamaguchi once more said with a genuine smile this time. "See you all soon," he added before following Tsukki who had already headed off into the forest.
"You two take care," Akaashi called after.
"Keep in touch," Kuroo shouted, with a wave goodbye.
"Contact me anytime," Sugawara remined. "Take care."
"Don't forget me!" Bokuto cried loudly.
"Like we could," Tsukishima mumbled from beside Yamaguchi, not bothering to look back.
"Bye!" Yamaguchi called out one last time before fully turning on his heels towards the forest. He was really going to miss everyone.
As the shouts from Bokuto and Kuroo faded, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima walked closer and closer to one another. Soon all they could hear was the sound of the forest. It's relieving to be back with Tsukki again, traveling just the two of them to their next destination. As the two walked it wasn't long before they took each other's hand. It was a new way for them to travel, but both trainers quite liked it.
Author Notes:
Yamaguchi pormissed Sugawara he'd dedicate more time to training Jangmo-o and he wasn't going to go back on that. Now the problem was getting Jangmo-o on board with the bonding sessions. Stay tuned for the next chapter, Bonding Time!
Hey all. I want to thank everyone for the follows, bookmarks, kudos, reviews and comments. I love to hear from my readers so please leave some feedback for me down below .
My move is happening in just two weeks. With each day becoming more busy getting ready to move I have less and less leisure time to write. I'm hoping no later than June everything's back to normal.
I hope everyone is taking care. I know many places are promoting self isolation with the spread of the CoronaVirus. The country I currently live in isn't doing too much in terms of keeping the virus a baye so I am a bit worried. I hope everyone is washing their hands and being responsible about going out.
That's all for now. See you next chapter!
