That's My Girl
5
A/N: This Fan Fiction is based on the Galar region and games (Sword/Shield) featuring CanonXOC It is based on the GAMES not the anime/manga. And to clarify confusion (because I know I have written multiple fic based on these games XD ) This is a completely different and separate story from the other Sword/Shield fics I have written. They are not connected and they do not interract.
It was an early morning rise. Nouii had just finished lacing up her boots while Drumstixx keckled away on her shoulder. With a smile at her lips she gave it a berry as a treat. Making her way out the door the clattering of a Wooloo roughly rolling against the fencing near by caught her attention.
"In there, Drum Stixx..." she said softly as she pointed to the wooded path that was blocked off by the gate, "Lee told me about that place..." she blinked, "He said I should never go in there..." she explained this to the little monkey as she recalled the eventsnts of the previous day...
...
It was just after the party... Hop and Nouii were beginning to feel exhausted after the day's activities...
"Well I'd say it looks as though a couple of Trainers-To-Be are ready for a good night's rest." Leon grinned as he caught the balance of a heavy eyed Nouii wobbling in sleep.
"It's gonna be strange not having you at home any more, Lee." Hop grinned with sleepy eyes while his brother shrugged.
"Hey all is well Hop, If you ever need me now I'll just be right next door." he chuckled, "But I really must go...I should help Kalia and Nouii settle into our own home and let the lass get ready for bed...and honestly Hop...you should do the same,"
"Yeah, yeah." Hop yawned, "Goodnight Lee...see you tomorrow!"
While she was indeed tired, and only more so after having helped her mother and boyfriend lug in the last of the stuff the movers had delivered, Nouii was taken by a brand new energy as she ran around to explore the house.
"I'm sorry that it's nothing much too fancy." said Leon, "But you do get your own Nouii...I hope you enjoy the bed." he chuckled.
"I LOVE it!" the girl plopped herself onto the welcoming matress and nestled into the softly stuffed pillows that cooled her as they took the shape of her head. She giggled and ran around to explore the exterior more. A chuckling Leon leaned against the door frame as he watched this ever excited child.
"I think you're out doing yourself far too much, Lee." Kalia chuckled.
"You think so? I feel maybe I am not doing enough..."
He really wanted this child to like him... and for her to be happy leaving here with him and her mum...
"Ooh! Check it! A forest path! We should explore it a bit what do you say, Drum Stixx!?"
"KeKe~!"
Suddenly Leon's face paled and he instantly panicked, and without meaning to, he startling her with a sudden shout-
"DON'T!" Leon snapped so suddenly it even startled Kalia, along with her daughter.
"I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout like that..." he said softly as he approached the girl, "Just...you shouldn't go in those woods...ever, okay?" he said to her placing two gentle hands on her trembling shoulders.
Trembling?
She was frightened...
Is she afraid of me?
Leon bit his lip as he tried to shake such thoughts out of his mind...this isn't what he wanted at all...
"In there..." he went on to try and explain, "That's the Slumbering Weald..." he stated, "It's full of madly strong wild Poke'mon...and it's forbidden, even to Hop." he stated, "That's why we keep the gate shut...all right?"
"Do mind Lee, dear." said her mother, "He knows this place better than we do...this isn't Alola you know..." she blinked, "You can't just explore every knook and cranny without knowledge and expect that you will be safe...he is just trying to look out for your best interest in this new region...since it is his home, after all, you'd do right to listen to him...okay?"
Nouii nodded.
"Okay..." she said softly.
"...Right then." said Leon, giving the girl's shoulders a gentle squeeze.
She's still shaking...
He thought to himself.
"...Come on then." he said softly, "Let's settle in, hm?"
...
I didn't tell Uncle Kukui that I got yelled out on my first day of meeting Lee...
She thought to herself.
Mom really likes him...and I know she really wants this to work...
She narrowed her golden eyes sadly.
But...to think, I've angered him already...
She sighed.
...What if I ruin this?
...Just like I've ruined all of my mom's other relationships...
Nouii was soon startled from her throughts with a loud crash, Gasping at the sight of the broken fencing and the Wooloo wandering inside.
"O-Oh no, the gate!" she panicked and looked around rapidly, "Wh-What should I do...should I tell Leon!? I-" she stopped.
Lee left early this morning...
She remembered hearing him do so...
What if he's still angry with me?
I'll only make things even worse if I bother him now...
She whimpered as her golden eyes gazed through the opening path of the Slumbering Weald...as though beckoning her to wander inside.
"But...that Wooloo..." she blinked, "If there's really scary strong Poke'mon in there...it might get hurt and..."
I should save it...!
She thought to herself.
"It shouldn't be that far inside, right?" she gulped, "...I...I'm going in!" she huffed.
There's no way it could have gone in too far...!
I'll just hurry in, catch it, and hurry out before anyone even notices...I can do this!
With new found determination, she released her Grookey from her arms and let it crawl up to her head while she patted at her cheeks and forced herself between the trees.
XXXXX
Leon waited back at his old home at the breakfast table with a cup of tea in one hand while his cheek rested in the other.
I yelled at her...
He thought to himself.
I shouldn't have done that...was I too harsh!?
he remembered the girl's frightened face as she looked up at him...
And her trembling shoulders...
Do I...frighten her that much?
His eyes narrowed and squinted shut. He didn't mean to be so harsh on her...
He just panicked...
his memories faded into the later conversation with his girlfriend the previous night just before they were settling into bed...
...
He had felt so guilty...
"Calm down dear, it was an accident." Kalia cooed softly by his ear while she rested a hand on his shoulder...his face was buried in both his hands as he sat at the end of their bed.
"I didn't mean to yell at her like that- I truly didn't!" he stated softly, "I-I just...panicked...I...I got so scared to have her wander in such a place and then wind up hurt a-and-"
"I'm sure everything will be all right once you apologize and explain yourself in the morning..." she stated.
"She seemed...so afraid of me, Kalia...was I...too harsh?" he asked, "Am I some kind of monster...?"
"Of course not, Lee..." Kalia said softly, "Your portaective father instincts are just kicking in a bit early, that's all." she chuckled, "I warned you she was a bit of a wild one right?" she gave a sheepish smile, " You see...back home in Alola she is used to the Poke'mon all being friendly and playful, and being able to explore all over the place because everything is safe and the people are close, the community tight." she explained, "It's just a new adjustment for her, that's all...this whole thing is an adjustment for you both...I'm sure once you two find your common ground...everything will be just fine."
"Heh...it's true you did warn me..." Leon chuckled, "She reminds me so much of Hop...I guess I went a little spare..." he said softly, "I'll be sure to apologize to her properly in the morning...
...
But I haven't seen Nouii all day...
Leon thought to himself.
I did leave a bit early...but I asked her to come meet me here with Hop in the morning when she was ready...
he blinked and sighed softly.
Is she still upset with me perhaps...?
"Man...Chairman Rose wasn't kidding when he said stepping into fatherhood was no easy task..." Leon sighed.
"Oi, Lee!" Hop chimed in.
Oh, Hop..."Leon blinked, "Good morning." he said with a smile.
"...What gives, bro?" Hop blinked, "You look like someone just kicked your Lilipup..." the tounger brother sat himself at the other end of the table, "We are still getting our Poke'dex today, right?" he asked.
"Oh yes!" said leon, "I got up early so I could set up the appointment with the Professor..." he satated, "We're just waiting on Nouii at the moment..."
"yeah, what's taking her, I wonder?" said Hop, "You did say rise to shine early for this, yeah?" he blinked, "Didn't you see her this morning?"
"Well...yeah...about that..."
"Hm?" Hop blinked and narrowed his eyes, "Lee...do you know something?"
Leon sighed.
"I...I'm afraid I sort of...yelled at her last night and...I think she may...still be a bit upset?" he groaned and hoisted his face into the table, "...Why did I do that..."
"You yelled at Nouii!?" Hop gasped, "How come!? Why on earth would you do such a thing!?"
"I didn't mean to~!" Leon groaned, "She was getting a bit too close to The Slumbering Weald and I just-panicked!"
"Sounds like you had a dad, moment." their mother chuckled.
"A what?" Hop blinked curiously as his mother came in with two more cups of tea, placing one before Hop before seating herself.
"It's not uncommon...especially with new parents." she explained, "...And more so when it's a child from another marriage." she stated, "You want so much to do right by the girl for her mum's sake, because you care so much about her, that you've developed an over protective concern for her child as well." she chuckled," It's an easy thing to get carried away with worry not...just apologize and all should be well." their mother smiled as she sipped her tea.
"Well...that's the thing I did-I mean...I want to..." leon groaned, "I was wanting to apologize to her properly this morning but she was still sleeping when I left, so I..."
"So then we go wake her up!" said Hop, "She might just still be asleep, yeah?"
"Well...maybe..." Leon blinked, "It IS a bit of a time jump from Alola to here in Galar..." he pondered, "She might just still be sleeping you may be right."
"Then let's just go get her!" Hop grinned, "You'll apologize then all will be well and we will be able to move forward."
"Hmmm..." Leon pondered, "His brother was always a breath of positive light...and he smiled.
"All right then, Hop, we'll do just that." he said standing carefully from the table, "Thanks mum." he smiled.
"Come on let's go- let's GO!" said Hop. It seemed the boy was in a rush. he was always in a hurry to one place or another.
"Haha All right Hop, I'm coming already!" Leon chuckled.
XXXXX
"Oh, good morning, Hop." said Kalia, "I'm afraid Leon left already-"
"Good morning, Love." said chimed Leon as he wandered in with a grin.
"...Or he's just coming home." she chuckled giving him a smile, "Good morning dear."
"Good morning, ~" Hop chimed, "We just came here to get Nouii." he stated, "She was supposed to meet with us earlier this morning but we thought maybe the time jump got to her that that perhaps she was still lazing about in bed." he chuckled.
"What? Nouii?" Kalia blinked, "Dear, Nouii left here hours ago..." she stated, "I thought she had already gone off to meet with you two."
"What?" Hop blinked and looked up to leon who seemed just as confused as he was.
"Wait...you mean she didn't make it to you...?" a waver of concern sounded in Kalia's gentle tone and Leon's eyes had begun to widen.
She's not home...
But she never made it to me...
Where could she be!?
"That's odd..." Kalia said softly, "It's a straight path from hear to your mother's house...you can see it from the window...she couldn't have gotten lost...where could she have possibly gone between here and there? "Nouii?" Leon began to panic as he called for the girl from her bedrron, "Nouii...it's Lee..." He gently pushed it open...but the girl really was gone. Not a trace of her or Grookey...just a slept in, roughly made bed.
"Where on earth..." he looked around and Hop began searching around as well.
Maybe I really did upset her something fierce when I yelled at her the other day...
Maybe she ran away...
What do I do!?
Leon had begun to internally panic. Taking notice of his brother's concerns, Hop decided to chime in.
"Hey, Postwick isn't that big." said Hop, "She can't be far, yeah?" he stated, "The fursthest she would be able to wander off on her own would be to Wedgehurst...Maybe she just needed to let off some steam and decided to go train with her Grookey for a while between here and there."
"Yeah..." Leon sighed softly, "Yeah maybe."
"Come on then!" said Hop, "Let's have a look!"
"Right." Leon nodded.
Though by the time they reached outside...they didn't really have a chance to look very far.
"Lee, look!" Hop gasped as he pointed to something of concer, "Th-The gate!"
"What!?" Leon gasped as he followed his little brother's gaze, hazel eyes wdiening, "It's broken..." he whispered followed by a gulp, "...She wouldn't have gone in there right" After I told her not to?"
Why would she break the gate!?
Is this rebellion!?
"Only one way to find out!" said Hop, "Let's hurry!"
"Hop what are you doing!?" Leon called out and hurried after him.
To be Continued...