Hey all! Sorry for missing an update last weekend. It's a miracle I'm getting this up tonight. I hope you all enjoy chapter 76. So many of you have been wanting this chapter so here it is! Enjoy 3

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 76, I choose you!

Bonding Time

Yamaguchi had done well to calm himself on the first day of their travels. The dreams he'd had and the run-ins with the evil team still lurked in the back of his mind, but with life back to being relatively normal he was able to push his worries to the side. Being on the road again, just him and Tsukki, was something he hadn't realized he'd missed so much. Company with others was always fun, but he was never really able to relax like he can when it's just him and Tsukki.

Their first day ended with them camping by a small stream. It was warmer now that summer was almost in full swing so staying up late and enjoying the starry sky around the campfire with Tsukki was something they could take their time doing. The next day they found themselves at a nice pokemon center along the path. Tsukki, wanting to do a bit more training before arriving in Shalour City, decided they'd stay the night at the Center's Hostel.

"Your most recent performance truly was amazing, Yamaguchi," Shimada praised from the other side of the PC screen. "I wish I could have been there to see it live."

"It was thanks to all the help I got," Yamaguchi said with a small blush to his cheeks.

Shimada smiled at his shy student's reaction to his compliment. "So, what's next on the agenda for you two?"

Yamaguchi paused for a moment as he considered the question. "Well, we are due to arrive in Shalour City for Tsukki's next gym battle tomorrow, and after that I'm not too sure what our plan is."

"Have you looked into your next showcase?" Shimada asked as he relaxed in his seat. As he did so, his Leafeon leapt into his lap for a cuddle.

"I've done a bit of digging," Yamaguchi nodded as he watched Leafeon's swishing tail through the screen. He stroked Eevee's fluffy fur as he thought. "I saw a few of interest but before I join my next one I think I want to train Eevee up a bit more."

"Not a bad idea," Shimada nodded in agreement. "Has she come out of her shell at all since her last time on stage?"

"She's a bit better since participating in the camp," Yamaguchi hummed, running his fingers through her soft mane. "But I'm not sure how to tell when she's going to be ready for the stage again."

"Well, I can send you some tips on how to get a timid Pokemon used to crowds like that," Shimada replied. "The best way is exposure, but there are little ways each day to help her get more used to people watching her."

"Thanks. That'd be much appreciated," Yamaguchi smiled.

"Anything for my number one student," Shimada beamed.

A moment of comfortable silence hung between the two before Yamaguchi was reminded of something.

"Hey, so how come you never told me how famous you and your family were?" Yamaguchi said, sending an accusing look through the screen.

Shimada gave a small chuckle. He didn't look too surprised by the question "What brought this on?"

"Everyone at the camp practically fell out of their seats when they found out you were the one I got Eevee from," Yamaguchi pouted. "I had no clue."

"My family isn't that famous," Shimada shrugged. "And I haven't participated in a showcase for years so I assumed everyone forgot."

"Well, a heads up would have been nice," Yamaguchi only pouted more as he said this. He had felt like such a fool that night. "By the way, everyone wants to meet you."

"Well, they'll just have to make an appointment," Shimada joked. "But my schedule is pretty full with my current student."

Yamaguchi gave another small pout though he knew Shimada was joking.

"So, was there anything else you wanted to talk about other than my fame?" Shimada asked with a small chuckle. "I've got time today."

Yamaguchi only pouted more as the small fame comment. He then thought for a moment. He was unsure about mentioning the feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him he was being tracked by that evil team. He juggled mentioning it for a moment and Shimada could see the worry on Yamaguchi's face.

"You know you can tell me anything," Shimada sincerely said. "I'm here to help you."

Yamaguchi hesitated for another moment. He knew the concern of the evil team was all in his head. "I guess I'm just still worried about not getting enough keys in time," he half lied. It was true that this was a worry that often plagued him, though it wasn't the culprit of his concern today.

"That's something all showcase contestants worry about," Shimada hummed in agreement. "I still have nightmares about it even though I'm not doing showcases anymore."

"Yeah, I figured as much," Yamaguchi said with a weak chuckle. "I just figured if I lose too many times all these wins will be for nothing."

"I know losing a showcase can be pretty disheartening but never let it get you down," Shimada said. "You have the talent so if you keep on going you're bound to get all five keys."

Yamaguchi gave a quiet nod. Despite Shimada's insistence, Yamaguchi wasn't so sure he fully believed in himself in the same way.

"Getting down on yourself will only make your nerves worse," Shimada gently scolded. "But I know some useful exercises to help train yourself to not think like that."

Yamaguchi looked up in interest. He often didn't know what to do when his mind got the best of him.

Shimada gave a confident smile at seeing the interest in his pupil. "With a bit of practice, you'll see your true potential just as clearly as I do."

The two chatted for a good hour. Shimada walked Yamaguchi through several calming exercises, and Yamaguchi filled almost five pages in his notebook in that period. He wasn't so sure if it would actually work for him, but he'd definitely give it a try. Shimada was a professional after all.

With lunch just around the corner, the two trainers bid each other farewell. Yamaguchi promised to update Shimada on his training and Shimada said he'd send some more practice material his way. By the time the two said goodbye Eevee was now fully awake, begging her trainer for lunch.

"I know, I know," Yamaguchi cooed as he ruffled Eevee's head. "Sorry I'm late."

Eevee gave an impatient squeak in reply, and with that Yamaguchi headed back to the room he and Tsukki had booked for the night.

Tsukki was going to be out for the whole day training leaving Yamaguchi alone for the day. He divided out lunch for his team before calling everyone out. They had all taken notice of his lateness but none gave him much attitude. Riolu and Swirlix dug right into their meals while Brionne and Eevee were more dainty about it. As usual, Jangmo-o ate off to the side, not interacting with anyone in the room. This was how she normally ate her meals. Yamaguchi would serve her a bowl of food and without so much as looking at him she'd drag it off to a corner before demanding to go back into the ball.

As the Pokemon ate, Yamaguchi munched on his lunch of rice balls he had made that morning at their camp. Swirlix and Riolu begged for more food, as they normally did after finishing a meal, and won themselves a Pecha berry each. After her meal Eevee made herself comfortable on Yamaguchi's bed for a nap while Brionne checked up on Jangmo-o. Out of everyone on Yamaguchi's team, Brionne was the only one Jangmo-o seemed to like.

Yamaguchi watched as Brionne conversed happily with the brooding dragon type. Jangmo-o gave a few grunts before turning tail on Brionne in search of her Luxury ball. She normally helped herself back into her ball once she was done eating, but today Yamaguchi had made sure to hide it for from today onward he wasn't going to run from Jangmo-o anymore.

Jangmo-o rummaged through Yamaguchi's bag. Yamaguchi tensely watched as she removed everything from the bag, each moment she seemed to show more and more frustration. Once the bag was empty she scanned the room, checking over each item before zoning in on Tsukki's bag. Riolu watched curiously from Yamaguchi's lap as she began to dig through Tsukki's bag. With a happy bark, Brionne joined her.

Yamaguchi sat stiff. It was only a matter of time that Jangmo-o turned on him demanding her ball. He wasn't going to relent today. He wasn't scared of her. She was also part of their team!

Swirlix made herself comfortable on Yamaguchi's empty bag as Jangmo-o threw the contents of Tsukki's bag all over the room. Yamaguchi had warned Tsukki that this might happen. Jangmo-o gave an angry growl as Tsukki's bag also came up empty. With all bags now searched and her Luxury ball nowhere in sight she turned on Yamaguchi. Her angry red eyes focused on him. Riolu gave a small defensive bark but Yamaguchi calmed her down.

"Sorry, but today we're starting your training," Yamaguchi said, doing his best not to flinch when Jangmo-o snarled.

Brionne gave a joyful bark at this while the rest of the team looked unsure about the idea of training alongside Jangmo-o.

"Whether you like it or not, you're part of our team!" Yamaguchi smiled, as he did his best to show excitement and not intimidation.

Jangmo-o gave a growl as if to say 'yeah right' before she feverishly searched the room for her ball.

"There is no use in searching. You're not going back into your ball until training is over," Yamaguchi said with a stiff nod.

Jangmo-o turned on him, growling once more as if to challenge him.

Yamaguchi wasn't going to falter. "Now come on. We're all going to go berry picking," he said as he headed to the door. The rest of his team cheered for it was one of their favorite boning activities. It always ended in a fresh dessert after dinner.

Jangmo-o didn't head to the door. Instead, she headed to Tsukki's bed. Leaping up on it she curled up into a ball as if to say 'I'm not going.'

"Now, none of that!" Yamaguchi scolded, half knowing this was going to happen. "We are all going to pick berries so come on!" he said as he scooped her up. He knew this was a bad idea for the next thing he felt were her sharp teeth sinking into his arm.

Riolu and Eevee gave yelps of concern as Yamaguchi squeaked in pain. Even Brionne barked in worry. Despite her teeth breaking his skin he didn't let her go. If he let in now then she'd learn that biting got her what she wanted and he couldn't have that.

"You're coming with us," Yamaguchi said, holding Jangmo-o in his arms. Her teeth only sank deeper causing him to flinch. "Brionne, get the door!" he said through gritted teeth.

His whole team was looking on in worry, but despite this Brionne opened the door for him. With the angry Jangmo-o still biting into his arm, Yamaguchi led the team down the hall and out of the Pokemon center. The few trainers in the lobby looked on in concern at the blood that was now pooling on Yamaguchi's shirt but no one said a word.

By the time Yamaguchi made it to the small grove of berry trees in the forest Jangmo-o had released his arm and had gone boneless in his arms. She was now using the dead weight tactic to slow him down but Yamguchi was not going to give in. Eevee and Riolu shot her dirty looks anytime Yamaguchi wasn't paying attention. How dare she hurt their beloved trainer's arm?

"Swirlix, Riolu, and Eevee, you three can search that end of the grove while we search this end," Yamaguchi said, not yet placing Jangmo-o down for fear she would run off.

The three Pokemon looked to his bleeding arm in concern. The bite wasn't that bad but they couldn't help but worry for their trainer.

"I'll call you three over when we are ready to head back," Yamaguchi smiled, brushing off their worry. "We can have cake after dinner tonight if we get enough berries."

Even the promise of cake didn't seem to calm their concerns, but they did as they were told.

Once the three were off Yamaguchi turned his attention to the pouting Jangmo-o in his arms. Brionne gave a worried bark as she waited for Yamaguchi's command. "Now, I'm going to put you down and together we will find some nice berries for dessert tonight," Yamaguchi explained. "No running off, okay?"

Jangmo-o didn't react, only pouting at the sky behind Yamaguchi.

With a heavy sigh, Yamaguchi placed her on the floor. Jangmo-o melted into a puddle, as she glared daggers at the forest. Yamaguchi half wondered if he was pushing her too much at once. Brionne gave a small encouraging bark as she gave Jangmo-o a gentle nudge. Jangmo-o glanced her way for only a moment before carrying on with her pout.

"Let's get to picking," Yamaguchi said as he placed the basket beside Jangmo-o. "You can man the basket while we pick."

Jangmo-o glanced at the basket but didn't make a move to take it. Well, at least she was here with them getting fresh air and sunlight.

Yamaguchi and Brionne took time picking berries. Yamaguchi made sure to keep an eye on Jangmo-o as they worked. The grumpy dragon didn't move from her spot on the forest floor. She sat beside the basket and pouted, not bothering to look at anything in particular. Thankfully, she looked more stubborn than miserable.

Yamaguchi didn't blame her for being as angry as she was. He had done very little up until now to try and bond with her. Back in Alola he had been too scared of her to really do anything. Jangmo-o had spent most of her time with his grandma. She had hated him since the day he caught her and he was the only one to blame for not having done anything until now to remedy that. Perhaps his grandma knew he needed to get over his fear of her before Jangmo-o could truly be happy and that's why she had insisted he bring her along to Kalos. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

Yamaguchi's injured arm ached now that the bleeding had subsided. It was swollen and red around the bite wound and he knew he needed to do something about it or it could get infected. With a bit of Brionne's help he flushed it out and wrapped it with a bit of extra cloth from his bag. All the while, Jangmo-o didn't show an ounce of remorse. Honestly, Yamaguchi probably deserved the bite after the way he had neglected her.

It was late afternoon by the time their baskets were full. Riolu, Eevee, and Swirlix had returned with just as many berries. Yamaguchi couldn't help but feel proud of his team's hard work. He was even relieved that Jangmo-o hadn't tried to run this whole time.

With the angry boneless Jangmo-o in his arms, Yamaguchi led his team back to the pokemon center. The others took turns carrying the basket of berries as they followed after their beloved trainer. Jangmo-o pouted all the while, though she now looked more tired then angry. Perhap a few more outings like this would help to open up her shell.

Once back at their room Yamaguchi placed Jangmo-o on his bed only for her to get up and make herself comfortable on Tsukki's bed. She turned her back to him and the rest of the team as she curled into a ball. Perhaps she had had enough for one day.

Not wanting to push her too hard at once, Yamaguchi left Jangmo-o with Brionne to nap as he took the rest of his team to prep the berries and make cake for after dinner. Riolu and Eevee were still pretty new in the kitchen but they were catching on pretty fast. Riolu loved to stir the ingredients while Eevee seemed to get a lot of joy pouring things into the bowl. It was finally nice that the two got along so well and Yamaguchi wondered if he'd ever be able to get through to Jangmo-o in the same way.

By the time the cake was finished, it was time for dinner. Tsukki was already back in the room when Yamaguchi arrived with cake in hand. Jangmo-o sat at the foot of Tsukki's bed, curled up asleep. She didn't hate Tsukki nearly as much as she hated Yamaguchi.

Tsukki eyed the cake as Yamaguchi placed it on the table. "I see you've been busy today," Tsukishima said, as he scanned Yamaguchi over.

"Yeah, started my training with Jangmo-o," Yamaguchi laughed as he took a seat at the table. "The cake is for after dinner," he added as Tsukki eyed the cake. "How was training for you?"

"Fine," Tsukishima shrugged as he eye's landed on Yamaguchi's poorly wrapped arm. "What happened?"

"Just a small bite from Jangmo-o," Yamaguchi shrugged. He had been trying to ignore the throbbing in his arm all day.

Without a word, Tsukishima got up and strode over to where Yamaguchi sat. He pulled a chair over, sat across from Yamaguchi and without asking took his injured arm. Gently he unwrapped the fabric. Yamaguchi gave a pained yelp as his arm stung in pain.

"It's already infected," Tsukishima frowned. He wasn't surprised that Yamaguchi hadn't gone to see the nurse after getting the bite but he was still pissed off.

"It's not that bad," Yamaguchi replied, failing to hide his pain.

"First aid clinic now!" Tsukishima demanded.

"But dinner," Yamaguchi weakly argued.

"Now!" Tsukishima didn't relent. Like he was going to allow his boyfriend to sit around with an infected arm.

Yamaguchi pouted as he stood up from his seat. "Fine!"

Tsukishima called out Salazzle. "You and Brionne are in charge while we are gone."

The two Pokemon nodded in understanding. Eevee rushed to Yamaguchi's side squeaking in worry.

"I'll be back soon, then we can have dinner and cake," Yamaguchi cooed gently, giving her head a stroke.

Eevee gave another worried squeak before turning to glare at Jangmo-o.

"Now, none of that," Yamaguchi scolded. "You all got along while we're gone."

Eevee and Riolu pouted as Brionne barked as if to say 'I have everything under control.'

With that Tsukishima led Yamaguchi out of the room to the first aid center at the Pokemon Center. Yamaguchi could tell that Tsukishima was upset with him but he mostly ignored it. Once they reached the center, Yamaguchi was treated and given some antibiotics to treat the infection. The nurse commented on how bites from certain pokemon infect quickly and should be treated right away.

"I wish you would take better care of yourself," Tsukishima grumbled as they headed back to the room.

"I'm fine, so no harm done," Yamaguchi shot back. At the time he didn't want to stop his training with Jangmo-o, but he did learn his lesson about bite wounds.

Tsukishima was pretty angry for the rest of the evening. Yamaguchi didn't try to push his boyfriend too much. Tsukki always got like this when Yamaguchi was too reckless but Yamaguchi knew Tsukki would warm up once dessert was served.

Eevee and Riolu were extra cuddly with Yamaguchi that night. They doted over their injured trainer, treating him as if he had almost died. He hoped this didn't cause problems with their relationship with Jangmo-o.

After dessert, Yamaguchi finally allowed Jangmo-o back into her ball. She wasn't as grumpy as before, but still refused to look Yamaguchi in the eye. She still didn't seem too remorseful for having hurt him but Yamaguchi was okay with that though he did hope she'd refrain from biting him tomorrow.

With all Pokemon back in their balls, beside Eevee, Yamaguchi made himself comfortable next to Tsukki on his bed. He cuddled up close to his boyfriend, ready for a bit of snuggles before sleep.

"I'm still mad at you," Tsukishima grumbled, though he didn't push Yamaguchi away.

"Sorry, Tsukki," Yamaguchi sighed, before placing a small peck on Tsukki lips. "I'll be more careful next time."

"The next time you get a bite you better treat it," Tsukishima scowled, before kissing Yamaguchi back.

Yamaguchi smiled against Tsukki's lips. He was always surprised by Tsukki's sudden shows of care.

"You're too reckless sometimes," Tsukisima scolded as the two nuzzled close.

"Not reckless," Yamaguchi half pouted.

All Tsukishima could do was sigh. How many times had they had this conversation since starting this journey. Back in Alola he never noticed how reckless Yamaguchi could be.

"Well better take it easy until that infection is gone," Tsukishima sighed into the top of Yamaguchi's head.

"Yes, sir," Yamaguchi calmly mumbled into Tsukki's neck. He felt the pull of sleep tugging him down.

Tsukishima replied with a gravelly hum. He knew Yamaguchi was making fun of him, but he couldn't bring himself to be angry anymore. He was just happy Yamaguchi was fine. He'd just have to keep a close eye on him from now on. He held Yamaguchi close as they both drifted off to sleep, the second bed in the room left forgotten.

Authors Note:

Finally the two have made it to Shalour City but where is Korrina and who is this old man!? Oh-No, Riolu! What has she got around her neck!? Stay tuned for the next chapter, The Evolution Stones!

Hey guys! I want to thank you all so much for following, bookmarking, commenting, giving kudos and leaving reviews. I love to hear from my readers so please do leave a comment or review if you have time 3

Yep, so this is the weekend I make my move and may not have time to post chapters for a month or so. I'll need to get the internet in my new place set up before I can post again. I'm sorry to make you all wait so long but I promise this isn't over yet!

Well, I hope you are all taking care during this crazy time. Everybody stay safe! See you next chapter!