Chapter Five: Ups and Downs
"Vere is Craig?"
Behind the desk, the receptionist flinched at the sudden intrusion and looked up to find no one there. Puzzled, she shook her head and returned to her paperwork.
"Vere is Craig?!" the voice asked again, sounding irritated.
She flinched again and looked around, still seeing no one.
"I am down here," the voice said, sounding even more irritated, and the nurse realized that its owner was shorter than the height of her desk. "Now vere…is…CRAIG?!"
Finally, the receptionist stood up and looked over the edge of her desk to find a Steenee glaring at her with its tiny arms crossed. "Oh, hello there. You said you were looking for…Craig?"
The small life-form sighed in exasperation. "Zat is right; now vere-"
"Blue!" a new voice interrupted, and a young man along with a Gothorita hurried up to the desk. "We were supposed to all come in together!" He quickly bowed to the receptionist, checking her name tag as he did so. "I'm really sorry about this, Miss Hawthorne. My name is Kevin Hart, and I received a call that my dad is here? Craig Hart?"
Relieved that the Steenee's apparent owner had arrived, the receptionist's mouth twitched in a smile as she settled back into her seat and consulted her computer. "Yes, he is. May I see some identification?"
"YOU VILL NOT QVESTION-"
"Blue!" Kevin barked. "I know you're worried about Dad, but this isn't helping!" He quickly produced his student ID. "I'm really sorry about that; she's been really upset ever since we got the call."
"I see," Miss Hawthorne remarked with a sympathetic smile as she accepted the card and quickly checked it before handing it back. "Thank you, Mr. Hart; your father is in room 239; that's on the second floor, north wall. Will you need help finding it?"
"I don't think…DAMMIT, BLUE!" Kevin shouted as the Steenee abruptly hurried away. "Wait for us!" With an apologetic wave toward the receptionist, he and Amour gave chase.
The situation on the second floor was almost comical, with hospital staff plastered against the walls at the sight of a Steenee with a furious expression tromping down the hallway while randomly barking out 'Vere is two-sree-nine?' and 'Vere is my Craig?'. Close behind her hurried a young man and a Gothorita, the former of whom kept yelling 'Wait up, Blue!'.
The trio finally found Room 239 and Kevin reached out and grasped the handle, then took a deep breath before opening the door to the darkened room, more than a little worried about how his dad would look.
Craig Hart slept peacefully in the bed, and Kevin quickly put his finger to his lips in the universal sign for 'be quiet'. "Let's let him sleep," he told the other two. He then took the opportunity to study his dad. For the most part, he looked fine; the devices that monitored his status showed that his heart rate and blood pressure were just fine and that he was breathing normally, bringing no small amount of relief to the teen. "Thank God…" he breathed, finally letting a tear slide down his cheek.
"Kevin?" Blue said quietly, gently tugging on his sleeve while pointing to the top of the bed. "Please put me up zere; I cannot see him from down here. I promise zat I vill not vake him."
Kevin was momentarily taken aback; neither Blue nor Amour liked being picked up, so for her to make the request… "Okay." He checked for a safe place to set her on the mattress, one where she wouldn't disturb its occupant, then carefully lifted her up and placed her toward the foot of the bed.
As he released her, he heard a stifled gasp. "Oh, Craig…" Blue whimpered at the sight of her favorite human. "Vhat happened to you…?"
"What's the matter?" Kevin whispered, his concern spiking as he allowed himself to move to his father's side and saw… "What the…?"
Craig Hart's face was almost completely purple, with multiple bruises on his cheeks, forehead, and neck, and Kevin couldn't imagine who – or what – could have done this to his dad.
"Keveen?" Amour called quietly from his side. "I cannot see; may I 'ave a chair to stand on?" Kevin numbly nodded and found a chair to place next to the bed; Amour climbed on it and gasped at the sight. "Keveen…your father is purple…"
Any further conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and a man with graying hair and a doctor's coat entered the room. Seeing the trio, he quickly checked the clipboard in his hand. "Kevin Hart?"
"Yes, sir."
The man smiled affably as he crossed the small space to stand next to the bed, opposite Kevin. "I'm Doctor Keith Randall, and I'm your father's attending physician."
"How is he?" Kevin croaked, asking the question anyone in that situation would ask.
The doctor glanced at the Steenee on the end of the bed before shifting his gaze to his patient. "He's not as bad as he might look. From what we can tell, he was likely beat up. No broken bones or anything; mostly blunt trauma and mild abrasions typically associated with said trauma. The police will be along later, when he's ready to talk about what happened." He blinked, remembering who he was talking to. "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Hart; if this is too much, I-"
"No, it's fine," Kevin replied, setting his jaw. "So you think someone beat up my dad?"
Doctor Randall opened his mouth, then paused. "My job is just to determine the nature of his injuries, so I said more than I really should have," he said with an apologetic look. "Hopefully the police will be able to figure out what happened."
Kevin said nothing, anger clenching his jaw and preventing him from speaking further.
Blue had no problems, however. "You sink he vas beat up?" she hissed, anger clear in her tone.
The good doctor twitched at the unexpected vocalization. "W-We can't be certain at this time…" he managed through his surprise. "…but we've seen enough situations like this that the possibility of assault will be in our report."
"And vhat vill be done about it if he vas attacked?" Blue followed up, her agitation growing. "I vatch TV and see vhat happens; bad guy gets caught, bad guy gets let go." She crossed her arms with a snort. "You humans are so soft on your bad guys."
"That's enough, Blue," Kevin gently admonished. "Let them do their jobs."
Blue was still fuming when the doctor left the room though she settled down shortly thereafter, and she carefully sat down on the end of the bed and studied her favorite human's face as he slept. Nearby, Kevin settled into the nearby chair, with Amour in his lap. "S-So I can see your father better," she explained as she snuggled against his chest.
"Um, o-okay," he replied, the memory of their kiss and accompanying psychic connection still fresh in his memory. In spite of his discomfort, though, fatigue from the excitement of the day overcame him, and the three of them joined his dad in sleep.
Craig's eyes flickered open, and he immediately became aware of multiple pains throughout his body, reminding him of where he was and why he was there. "Ugh…" He looked for his tray and the cup of water that the nurse had brought him before he had fallen asleep, and he saw his son sitting in a chair near his bed. "Oh, son…so they called you…" He noticed that the Gothorita was in his son's lap, and something about the way she was snuggled up to the teen reminded Craig of how he and his wife used to snuggle.
He sighed, unsure of what to think of the sight, and felt an unusual pressure on his chest at the same time he noticed a sweet, fruity scent in the air, and he looked down to find Blue lying face-down on his chest, fast asleep. His first instinct was to fling the creature off, but his better nature reminded him of all the things she had done for him and his family. So, he sighed again in resignation as he carefully reached for the TV remote, intending to watch the news while he waited for the others to wake up. As the television flickered to life he quickly found and pressed the button to turn the volume down, intending to use the closed-captioning feature to get his daily dose of news.
The movement jostled Blue ever so slightly, and Craig felt her stir. "My poor Craig…" she murmured as she nuzzled his sheet-covered chest. "…bury zem…"
In spite of the pain in his face, he smiled at her words. "You're a little spitfire, aren't you?" he murmured to her sleeping form. "Thanks for caring." Deciding that the news could wait until later he turned the television off, closed his eyes, and drifted back to sleep.
"This just in: reports of the abuse of Pokémon have begun to spread throughout the region…"
The quartet watched the hospital TV in shock as footage was shown of a young man with his head covered, being escorted from his home in handcuffs; behind him, the father could be seen with his arm around his wife, whose face was buried in her hands.
"…the trainer's Pokémon were taken into protective care," the reporter continued as the footage showed a Kirlia, a Hatterene, and a Lopunny being led to a van by Professors Oak and Rowan while Sycamore and Kukui looked on, "and our reporter-on-site has told us that the professors will be determining the type and extent of the abuse. Currently, it is believed that the trainer had been 'grooming' the Pokémon in question for intimate relationships. Further details will be released as they become available."
"I'm gonna hurl…" Kevin groaned at the sight. "Who could do something so awful and betray their trust like that? I mean, a Buneary won't even evolve to a Lopunny without a lot of trust!"
Blue glanced over at Amour just in time to see her cast her gaze to the floor; they both knew that Kevin would never mistreat the Gothorita, but it also meant that he would never pursue her as she wished he would.
"That is pretty messed up," Craig agreed, then found his gaze drawn to the Steenee still resting on his chest, watching the TV. "Not that I think you'd do anything, son, but be careful; we don't need people getting the wrong idea about you."
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Kevin muttered as he absently gave Amour a squeeze. "Bare minimum, I wouldn't want our family broken up."
Craig sighed as he continued to study the small creature on his chest; it was clear that she cared about him personally, though he had no idea why. After capturing her he had basically passed her off to Kevin, so she should have become more attached to him.
"Are you okay, Craig?"
Craig snapped out of his thoughts to find Blue studying him with a concerned expression. "I'm fine," he replied. "Just…have a lot on my mind."
"The cops are supposed to be here later, right?" Kevin asked.
"In about half an hour, yes," Craig replied after a glance at the clock. "After that, I should be released."
"Who did zis to you, Craig?" Blue demanded, her temper flaring again. "I vill find zem and I vill-"
"You'll do nothing of the sort," Craig interrupted sternly. "We have laws here, and I will not have you taking said laws into your own hands. Or paws, or whatever. I think I know who's behind the attack and I intend to tell the police everything I know, so I don't need any of you trying to play 'hero' and possibly making it so the perpetrators go free. Understood?"
The Steenee shrunk under the intensity of her favorite human's gaze. "I…I understand. I am sorry."
"Look…" Craig said, pulling a hand out from under the covers to rest it on her head and causing her to close her eyes blissfully, "…for what it's worth, I'm glad you're angry for me; that tells me that you care about me, and I appreciate it. Just…let law enforcement do its job, okay?"
"Okay." Blue reached out toward his face; fortunately, her self-consciousness jerked her hand back. "I…vill find vay to protect you in future, though; okay?"
Craig couldn't help but chuckle at her persistence. "All right, fair enough."
"Here you go, Dad," Kevin said as he held the front door open.
"Thanks," Craig grunted as he carefully stepped through the doorway and into his home; even though he was well enough to be discharged from the hospital, the bruises that nearly covered his body still made is uncomfortable to move.
"Go and sit in your chair," Blue ordered as she made her way to the kitchen with the bag containing Craig's prescriptions. "I vill pour you drink and give you your medicine."
"I can take care…all right, then," he chuckled as the kitchen door closed behind the Steenee. "Thanks." He grunted in mild discomfort as he settled into his favorite easy chair. "This is more comfortable than those stiff hospital beds," he grunted again, this time in satisfaction.
Kevin plopped onto the couch next to his dad's chair and studied him worriedly. "Are you gonna be okay, Dad?"
"I'm fine, son," Craig sighed. "You heard the doctors; nothing's broken, I'm just bruised, so I'm here to recover. Under the care of Nurse Blue, apparently," he chuckled while gesturing toward the kitchen, though the wince in his movement was hard to miss.
"Is zere anysing I can do for you?" Amour offered from her place next to Kevin, her expression matching her coach's as she unconsciously squeezed his arm.
"I just need some rest," he replied. "And as little excitement as possible, please."
Kevin took the cue and chuckled. "Sorry. It's just hard, seeing you like this."
"Zat is vhy I vill be doing everysing I can to take care of him," Blue replied as she entered the room with a tray containing a mug and a small cup with pills in it. "It is varm, but not hot; it should help you svallow pills."
"Thanks," Craig replied in what had become his default grunting tone as he accepted the medication and drink. "Ooooh, that's perfect," he noted in pleasant surprise after a sip from the mug.
"I am glad you like it," she replied, hopping up onto the arm of a nearby chair. "Now, police had to kick us out vhile you talked to zem, but I vant to know who attacked you."
Craig sighed as he placed the mug on the end table next to him. "I guess I could tell you…as long as you don't tell anyone else, or otherwise act on what I tell you."
"I vill not promise zat," Blue huffed matter-of-factly. "You are good man, and you vere hurt by bad people; I vill not just sit on my hands and do nossing."
A flicker of irritation crossed the Hart patriarch's face. "Then I see no reason to entrust you with the information."
"Dad, please…" Kevin said with his hands outstretched. "She already promised that she wouldn't attack anyone; you can take her at her word."
Craig shifted his glare to the Steenee's equally-annoyed look. Finally, he relented. "All right. The truth is, I was attacked by a Pokémon."
Three pairs of eyes widened, and the same number of gasps could be heard. "You what?!" Kevin blurted. "But…they only attack people who are carrying other Pokémon!"
"It was basically an attack dog for the people who were with it," Craig explained, then gestured toward the hallway. "I didn't have enough time to get a good look at it, but I think it was one of those four-armed things."
Kevin bolted from his seat, startling Amour. "A Machamp? How could-?" He cut himself off with a thoughtful expression. "No, actually, that makes sense; as far as I know, only a Machamp would have enough control to pull his punches like that." He mulled over the likelihood. "Is it gonna be a problem for me to keep Goro, then? I don't want to…" He couldn't finish his thought, and Amour took hold of his arm as he slumped back into the couch.
"You can keep your Goro. Or Machamp." Craig sighed heavily. "I can't keep track of all this, but if you have one of those four-armed things, I won't be telling you to get rid of it or anything like that. It wasn't the one that attacked me, after all."
"Thanks," Kevin said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Zat is good idea…" Blue said thoughtfully to herself. "If Machamp did zis to you, maybe Goro could teach you how to fight."
"Hey, that's a good idea," Kevin exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "I don't know how he does it all cooped up in his Poke ball, but he's trained in all kinds of fighting forms; he could help you."
"I don't need unarmed combat training," Craig huffed, then winced. "I'm not interested in becoming some kind of vigilante."
A scoff from the Steenee drew everyone's attention, and they looked as one to find her staring at Craig with a look of disbelief. "Are you serious?" She scoffed again. "You vere just beat up, and now you vant to tell us zat you don't vant to learn how to defend yourself?" Craig opened his mouth to speak, but she talked over him. "Zis is not acceptable! My poor Craig vas beat up, but you don't vant to be able to protect yourself?"
"The police-"
"Ze police clean up mess after bad sings already done," Blue interrupted again, surprising the older man. "No, ve vill help you get better, and zen you vill start training vith-"
"Excuse me," Craig intoned, and his voice sounded dangerous. "This is my home, and I will not be told what to do in my own home. Is that clear?"
Blue shrunk back, but only briefly. "Zis is your home, but vhat good vill zat be if you are killed?"
"Blue!" Kevin cried, shocked that she would say such a thing.
Craig glared at the Steenee, who glared right back. "Kevin, please take Amour and go out for a bit; I need to have a talk with Miss Blue."
Kevin swallowed hard; he knew that the addition of a title to her name meant that something was about to hit the proverbial fan. "H-How long do you want us out?" he asked, anxiously glancing over at his team captain, who was still engaged in a 'glaring contest' with his father.
"Take your phone," Craig ordered, his gaze never leaving the fruit Pokémon. "I will contact you when it's…appropriate."
"C'mon, Amour…" Kevin said, giving Blue an uncertain glance as he quickly led the Gothorita to the door. "Let's…go to the store. Or something."
Craig watched as the pair exited the home, and he waited until the door closed before addressing the Steenee. "You will now explain to me why you saw fit to contradict me in front of my son," he demanded in a surprisingly even tone.
"Because I sink you are making mistake in not vanting to be able to protect yourself," she replied unapologetically as she crossed her arms. "I vould protect you all ze time if I could, but I cannot alvays be vith you."
"I don't 'alvays' need someone with me," he retorted, unintentionally allowing his anger to mock her manner of speech. "This instance was a warning to me; now that the police are involved, they're less likely to do it again."
"Does zis have to do vith one of your cases?"
He blinked in surprise at her perceptiveness. "From what I can tell, yes; they wanted me to back off, but that's not how I work."
"I know zat," she huffed. "You are good man."
"Then why can't you accept when I say I don't need combat training?" he pressed.
"Zis is not your last case, and zere may be others who vould threaten you," she replied, unflinching in her gaze.
He sighed, wanting to throw his hands in the air but also knowing that the motion would hurt. "Why do you care about me so much, anyway? Shouldn't you be Kevin's bodyguard or something?"
"Kevin is good boy, but-" She stopped herself with a gasp, and her arms uncrossed to cover her face as she slid off the arm of the chair and into the seat.
It didn't take a Pokémon professor to realize that something was wrong. "Hey, are you okay?" Craig asked in a more gentle tone as he tried to straighten to look over the arm of the neighboring chair. "What happened?"
All the previous bluster was gone as Blue slumped over in the chair; she looked even smaller than her actual size. "Craig?" she murmured. "I have somesing to tell you, but I am afraid."
Craig wasn't sure what to make of the sudden change in topic – let alone her change in temperament – but intuition had him following along. "Why are you afraid?" he asked, unconsciously matching her tone and volume.
"I…do not know how you vill take it," she admitted, still obscured by the arm of the chair, "…and zat…scares me."
He took a moment to consider what about himself could possibly scare the tiny yet powerful Pokémon. "Well… I can't think of anything you could say that would cause me to kick you out of the house, if that's what you're worried about. You've always been so good to my boy and me."
He heard a tiny sigh. "Kevin is good boy, but I have never been able to see him as my trainer." She shrunk even more. "You have alvays been my trainer, Craig Hart."
"Your trainer?" The older man though back and realized. "Wait a minute… Is it because I was the one who caught you?"
"Zat is part of it," she acknowledged, still hiding in the chair's plushness. "Vhen I vas Bounsweet, I saw you and – even though I am not psychic Pokémon – I just knew you had good heart."
Craig's expertise as an attorney told him to let her talk, so he said nothing.
"And vhen I became Steenee, I vanted to help around house. Not just out of gratitude – though I really am grateful for you giving me home – but because…" she trailed off for reasons unknown.
"Because…?" Craig gently prompted, genuinely intrigued by her thoughts. "Why?"
"Because…" she squeaked in a voice full of tears, hugging herself as tightly as she could. "I…I love you."
Her admission was understandably surprising, but he remembered a bit of what his son had told him about Pokémon. "Okay, that makes sense; Kevin told me that you Pokémon love your trainers – or, at least, those you perceive as trainers – so it makes sense." He nodded with a grunt, satisfied with his analysis. "Well, thank you; I've never really thought about it, but I guess I love you as well; as I've said, you've been so good to me and my boy."
"No, zat is not right…" She sighed. "You remember vhen Amour and I called Missis Kimono and zen talked vith her at tournament?"
"I do. I wasn't there, but I know about it."
The Steenee somehow managed to shrink even smaller. "Vell, the feelings zat Amour and I vere talking about are not like those of Pokémon towards trainers."
An awful feeling gnawed at Craig's gut, but he tried to ignore it.
"From talking vith her, I believe that I love you not just as trainer…" She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. "…but as man."
The revelation hit him like a ton of bricks. "You…love me as a man? As in, romantically interested?"
"Da…" she squeaked after realizing that he wouldn't be able to see her nod.
Craig's heart swelled at the thought of being loved so dearly until he remembered from whom the love was coming. "Um…" He started to his feet and shuffled as quickly as he could toward the hallway; even though his body was protesting the movement, he really didn't want to be around anyone right then, let alone his apparent admirer. "I'm sorry; please excuse me."
Tears fell from the Steenee's eyes as she watched her favorite human disappear into the hallway; she really wanted to follow him, but for some reason her body wouldn't let her. "I am so sorry, Craig…" she whimpered, rocking back and forth in her seat as she held herself, the tears flowing freely. "I am so sorry, my vozlyublennyy …"
"Hey, Amour; what do you think of this?"
Amour looked up to where Kevin was pointing; a deep-purple-colored dress with small ruffles at the sleeves and at the hem hung in the window of a shop that they had just passed. After Kevin's dad had kicked the two of them out for his talk with Blue, the pair had decided to wander around one of the town's shopping malls. "It…looks nice, but…why are you showing this to me?"
"I dunno," he admitted, scratching his head. "I guess I thought you might like to wear something different than your usual?" He gestured toward her. "Don't you get kinda bored, wearing the same thing every day?"
The Gothorita blinked up at him. "But Keveen…I don't wear clothes."
The young man's face paled; he had completely forgotten that most Pokémon were, for all intents and purposes, naked. Any garments that they 'wore' were actually part of their bodies. "Oh…right…" He rubbed at the back of his neck; between the sudden realization and her confession the night before, he was having problems with looking her in the face. Or anywhere else. "Sorry, I guess I've gotten so used to seeing you like this that I forgot."
"It is fine," she replied while fighting an urge to cover herself with her hands. "Sank you for sinking of me, though."
He nodded, still unable to look at her. "So…you, uh…wanna get some ice cream?"
A smile spread across her face at the welcome distraction. "That would be wonderful."
They made their way quietly to a nearby ice cream shop. As they walked, Kevin tried to think of something, anything to talk about, if for no other reason than to get his thoughts off of the naked 'girl' walking next to him. He finally gave up, and focused on what flavors of ice cream he would choose.
The sudden drop in temperature from the shop's artificially-cooled air made them both shiver as they entered and made their way to the counter. They ordered and received their ice cream sundaes and found an unoccupied table to claim.
"I wonder how their talk is going," Kevin said, trying to start a conversation and rid himself of some lingering awkwardness.
Amour's eyes briefly lost focus as she thought about her friend's situation. "I sink that she was wrong in 'ow she treated your dad, but I also sink that she 'as the right idea."
"How so?"
The Gothorita gave herself a little more time to 'flesh out' her answer. "I would agree that your dad needs to be able to protect himself; if this 'appened once, it can 'appen again."
"True," he grunted reluctantly before downing a spoonful of his caramel-covered treat. "I guess I could talk to Goro about it." He chuckled. "Honestly? I think he'd love to teach Dad how to fight."
"He does sink 'ighly of 'im," she noted with a smile.
Kevin's eyes locked onto her smile, and he remembered… "Amour?"
She waited to see if he would continue, but all he did was awkwardly rub various parts of his head; the verbal pause was making her uneasy. "Ou-Oui?" she prompted somewhat nervously; she had an idea of what he wanted to talk about, but she wasn't ready for it. In fact, she realized she'd never be ready for it.
"Eh-heh…" He rubbed the back of his neck for the umpteenth time. "What was that all about the other night, when you…you know…said you…" Unable to meet her gaze yet again he looked to the side, his face nearly aflame.
She knew that he deserved an answer, but she simply couldn't allow herself to experience the full emotion, not in public. She also had to fight to the urge to run away, but she couldn't do that to him. Not again. "I…am sorry, Keveen. I did not mean to make you uncomfortable." She shifted in her seat. "Like I said then; I've felt this way for a long time but did not know what it was. I did not learn until I talked to Missus Kimono."
"I see." Kevin's eyes lost focus, and he absently took a bite from his sundae, the flavor not even registering. "I guess what I don't get is…why me? I'm just a kid; I'm only seventeen, after all."
"And I am only five," she countered with a giggle. "I don't know 'ow old that is in 'uman years, but…"
"That's true," he chuckled, finally able to look her in the eyes again. "Honestly, I don't know what to think of this. I mean, you have I have always been tight, of course; you were my first, after all." His eyes widened. "Pokémon, I mean! You were my first Pokémon!"
"I know that, Keveen," she giggled with a light blush. Then her expression turned serious once again. "And I am so glad that I was. If your first one 'ad been a Ralts, I…" She quickly grabbed a napkin and pressed it to her eyes.
"Amour?" Kevin prompted, suddenly concerned. "What's wrong?" He then remembered that Professor Gottum's wife had once been… "Oh."
"You see?" she nodded. "A Kirlia would be so much more attractive than I am. And a Gardevoir is so much more beautiful than a Gothielle. After all, Missus Kimono-"
"That's not true!" Kevin blurted as he shot from his seat. "You've incredibly cute, Amour!" The blood drained from his face as he realized that his outburst had drawn the attention of every other patron in the shop, not to mention some of the staff. "Well it's true, isn't it?" he demanded of his unintended audience. "Isn't Amour here cute?" Several voices replied in the positive, and a gray-haired couple seated at a corner of the shop smiled fondly at them. "See?" he concluded, his gaze darting around awkwardly as he reclaimed his seat.
"Th-Thank you," she squeaked, her face nearly the color of a plum. "But…do you really sink I'm cute?"
The expression on her face told him how she meant her question, and he faltered. "Well…" He gestured helplessly. "I've…never thought of you in that way before, so…I can't really answer that right now." He chuckled through his awkwardness. "Besides, you really surprised me with your…your admission last night."
"I am sorry…"
"It's not that," he said, reaching out to rest a reassuring hand on her tiny arm. "It's just that the whole idea is new to me, and… Honestly, I never thought any girl would be interested in me like that."
Hearing him allude to her being a girl brought a genuinely happy smile to the Gothorita's face. "You are wonderful, Keveen," she said, putting her spoon to the side to rest her hand over his. "You are kind, thoughtful, sacre-er, sacrificial…" She released his hand to dab at her eyes. "I admit that I would not 'ave noticed these things about you 'ad you not taught me about 'uman culture, but…" She could feel her heart rate starting to increase and had to resist the urge to share her feelings with him again in the same way she had when she'd first confessed. "When I sink of you, I cannot sink of life without you."
He stared at her with his brow furrowed, and for a moment she thought she'd said something wrong until he released her arm to dab at his own eyes. "Uh, sorry…" he chuckled awkwardly. "It's just… No one's ever said anything that to me before, so it…kinda hit me." He made a fist and tapped the top of it against his chest a few times as he coughed lightly. "Yeah. Right in the feels."
She picked up her spoon again as she watched his antics with an adoring smile before forcing herself to become serious again. "Listen, Keveen; take as much time as you need. I will not leave you unless you ask me to."
He stared at her again, raising her anxiety level again until he sighed. "Well…I guess we could try, if you really wanted to."
The newly-retrieved spoon fell from her suddenly-trembling hand to clatter onto the top of the table. "Wh-What…?" she squeaked, her eyes wide.
He looked around awkwardly. "Well, Professor Gottum and Miss Kimono somehow made it work, so…" he glanced her way, unable to fully meet her eyes. "I don't know how it would turn out, but I'm willing to give it a shot."
"Oh…" she breathed, tears rapidly filling her eyes. "You mean that…you and I…?"
He smiled, feeling somewhat emboldened by her reaction as he covered her hand with his. "I don't know how I'm going to explain this to Dad, but…" He straightened in his seat and set his jaw. "If you're okay with me, I'll date you."
No one had ever seen a Gothorita cry before, so it was a real first for everyone in the ice cream shop.
The Hart dinner table was unusually quiet again, the second time that week. "Pass the salt, please?" Craig requested, to which Blue silently handed him the appropriate container. "Thank you."
"So, um, Dad?" Kevin said, and Amour's heart leaped to her throat. "Did you and, uh, Blue get everything worked out?"
The Hart patriarch gave a sideways glance at the Steenee, who cast her gaze to her plate. "In a manner of speaking, yes."
Kevin looked over at Blue, who didn't return his gaze. "That's…cool," he replied as Amour focused on her breathing.
Out of the corner of her eye, Blue noticed the Gothorita's distress and looked across the table. "Are you okay, Amour?" she tried thinking to her friend. She was suddenly assaulted by a barrage of emotions and had to resist the urge to grab her head.
"I am so sorry!" Amour thought back as the cacophony abruptly ceased. "I thought that Keveen was about to tell 'is dad about us!"
That, of course, got the Steenee's attention. "Vhat about you two?"
Amour didn't say anything, but Blue saw her nod ever so slightly. "Keveen and I are…together now."
A clatter disrupted the silence of the meal as Blue fork landed on her plate. "Sorry," she murmured aloud. "You are dating?" she sent to her friend.
"Oui," Amour replied with a brief yet adoring smile toward their coach. "I did not sink 'e would agree. And so suddenly!"
"Vell, good for two of you," Blue said, though with a heavy heart. "I vish my talk vith Craig had gone so vell."
"What 'appened?"
"I told him about my feelings for him, and he left room," she replied with a visible sigh.
"You okay, Blue?"
The Steenee jerked with a gasp at the sudden change in forum, and she looked to her coach, who was studying her with a concerned expression. "I…I am fine, sank you."
A sigh from the head of the table drew everyone's attention. "Listen…" Craig started, rubbing at his temples, "…I've given it some thought and have decided that it would be a good idea to train with…" He tried to remember the name but failed. "…that four-armed Pokémon of yours? Gerardo or something like that?"
"It's 'Goro'," Kevin chuckled, though trying not to be disrespectful. "He's a Machamp."
"Goro the Machamp, Goro the Machamp…" Craig repeated, committing the information to memory. "I guess if I want him to teach me, I'd better learn my new teacher's name, right?"
"Right," Kevin replied while exchanging relieved smiles with his teammates. "How do you want to do this, then?"
"Kevin, please bring Goro out after dinner," Blue said before anyone else could open their mouths. "Ve need to make sure he is okay vith zis. Zen, if he is, ve will have him talk vith Craig."
Kevin opened his mouth, only to close it as he looked to his dad in anticipation of another 'explosion'.
Surprisingly, it never came. "That sounds reasonable," the Hart patriarch agreed. Then he looked across the table to meet his son's gaze. "Would you be willing to bring him out after dinner? If he hasn't been asked about this, he should. If he'll consent to teaching me, then of course I'll want to talk with him." He blinked. "Wait… Can he speak our language?"
"A little bit," Kevin replied. "I've learned how to 'read' him, and Amour could mind-speak with him if needed," he added, reaching out to cover the Gothorita's hand. "If you're okay with it, of course."
"O-Of course, Keveen," Amour replied, trembling from the unexpected contact.
Craig couldn't help but notice the gesture, but decided to say nothing. For the time being. "Anyway, thank you Blue; for your insight as well as your tenaciousness."
"Vhat is 'tenny-shun-us'?" Blue puzzled.
"It's 'tenaciousness'," Kevin chuckled. "And it's a good thing,"
"It refers to a willingness to carry on in spite of difficulties," Craig added. "Difficulties such as a prideful old man."
"You are not old man!" Blue protested. "But I sink I understand. Sank you."
"No, thank you," Craig countered with a lopsided smile. "And I apologize for being such a hard-ass."
"Forgiven and forgotten," Blue replied with a smile, all the while resisting the urge to hug her favorite human.
"I'm turning in," Craig grunted as he carefully made his way to his feet, with Blue fussing over him the whole way. The conversation with Goro had gone well, and the Machamp was more than happy to teach his coach's father how to fight. "I've got a lot of healing to do, and not a lot of time to do it. Turn off the TV when you're done."
"They're not gonna make you go back to work tomorrow, are they?" Kevin asked as Amour looked on worriedly.
"Probably not," Craig replied, "but I'd like to at least plan on being there; if I'm still feeing this crummy in the morning, though, I'll give them a call."
"I vill help you to your room," Blue offered.
Craig briefly regarded his temporary nurse before sighing. "All right, but I'm dressing myself."
"O-Of course," she replied, a blush coloring her cheeks.
Kevin and Amour watched as the pair butted heads until they disappeared from sight, their voices cutting off as the door to Craig's room shut. Kevin then felt a slight pressure on his hand and looked to find Amour's hand covering his... as much as it could, at least. After a brief but thoughtful pause, he adjusted his hand so he could hold hers. "This feels kinda weird."
"Does zis bother you?" Amour asked worriedly.
"I don't know," he admitted with a chuckle. "It could be just because I've never been with a girl before."
Her heart fluttered at being referred to as a girl, and she blushed lightly.
"Anyway, I'd better get to bed; it's been a busy weekend, and I've got school tomorrow." He got up from the couch, and she could feel the reluctance as his hand slid from hers. "Need anything from me before I turn in?"
Dozens of ideas crossed the Gothorita's mind, most of them involving kissing, but she somehow managed to shake her head. "I will see you off, then turn off the lights and go to bed myself." She hopped down from the couch, then looked up and realized that she couldn't reach his hand; height difference and all. "I do not like zees," she huffed with a stomp of her foot. "I cannot reach your 'and."
He smiled down at her grumpy expression before an idea crossed his mind; he wasn't sure she'd go for it, but… "How about this?" He picked her up, causing her to squeak as he carefully sat her on his bent left arm, making their eyes nearly level to each other. He then took her hand in his free one. "Will this work?" he asked as he looked into her shocked face with a smile.
At first, all she could do was squeak again, but she quickly found her voice. "Keveen…? If I am this close to your face, I may not be able to stop myself from k-kissing you."
"I'll risk it," he chuckled. "Unless you really don't like this."
"I…like it a little too much," she admitted, unable to drag her gaze from her favorite human's face.
Kevin's face was a little wetter by the time he set her back down next to the door to his room. "'Night, Amour," he said as he lowered himself to one knee to kiss her on the forehead. "See you in the morning."
She stood before him, still as a statue, with her eyes closed until she shuddered with a gasp. "That was…wonderful…" she breathed. "G-Good night, mon cher."
"'Mon cher'…" Kevin repeated, looking up as he turned the phrase over in his head. "I don't know what it means, but I like the way you say it."
Amour returned his wave somewhat numbly, unable to move again until he had entered his room. "Good night, my beloved…"
Inside his room, Kevin closed his eyes and leaned against the door and sighed. It had been a very busy weekend; winning the tournament, learning about Amour's feelings for him, getting the call about his dad… He sighed again as he slid to the floor and rubbed vigorously at his face. "She loves me…" he murmured.
He got up again and changed out of his daywear into his nightwear and fell into bed; he'd normally brush his teeth, but he was too tired and he figured that missing one night wouldn't hurt him. A silly smile spread across his face as he remembered her confession of love, of their awkward time at the ice cream shop, of holding hands, of-
"…it is believed that the trainer had been 'grooming' the Pokémon in question for intimate relationships…"
"Not that I think you'd do anything, son, but be careful; we don't need people getting the wrong idea about you."
Kevin's eyes widened, and even though it had been whispered, the word 'shit' seemed to echo off the walls of his room.
Mini-glossary:
Vozlyublennyy (возлюбленный) – Russian for 'beloved'
Mon cher – French for 'my beloved' (as indicated in the narrative)