The alarm on her phone chimes to life and Lily groans, tired eyes cracking open enough to stare at the screen and turn the infernal ringing off. She drops it back on her comforter, sighing at the drowsiness weighing down her limbs. Shifting around under the blankets, she realizes she's in her dorm and not waking up in her bed at home. There's a sense of relief but also heartache.
Morning light from the windowpane spills into the room, illuminating her surroundings with muted colors. Albeit she is groggy; there's a certain peaceful stillness that she enjoys about waking up early. There's a temporary lack of expectations when no one is awake. Sitting up and stretching, she stands up before she can think twice about it and heads to her dresser to dig through. And then she's in her bathroom, brushing her teeth and getting ready for her jog that she really wants to bail on at the moment. She's always been in favor of enjoying lazing about under the covers.
After a few minutes, and already a dozen times of refusing to give in to sloth, she exits the bathroom wearing a gray cap with her hair tied up, a matching graphic t-shirt, and leggings. Skitty, who is also now awake, drags herself out of her bed and arches its body into a full stretch. "Nyaaaa..."
"Good morning, Skitty," Lily greets, amused at her partner also feeling sleepy and lazy this morning. Seems like they'll suffer together. "Wanna come for a jog with me? Training is starting bright and early! 'Cause I'm an idiot..." She tacks on the end.
Skitty agrees with a, "nya, nya," not opposing, and takes a few bites and sips of water from her food bowls, while Lily chugs some water to get rid of dehydration. She'll eat when she gets back, or maybe they can stop by a food truck. Rubbing the bleariness from her eyes and putting on sneakers, she grabs her black cross-body bag and tucks her phone, keycard, wallet, and Skitty's pokéball into it. All ready. Skitty follows her out of the dorm building and begins to perk up as soon as they step out into the sun. Despite it being summer, the early morning is fresh and ideal for exercise.
"Let's do a lap around the perimeter of the university." Even just saying it makes her want to groan, but she's still trying to power through. Lily does a few stretches when they reach the sidewalk, preparing her muscles to exert more than they have in an admittedly long time. "It'll be a good way to become more familiar with the buildings and eventually we will loop back right here."
Skitty chirps in agreement and they both take off in a paced jog on the sidewalk. It seems the movement spurs on an extra burst of energy for Skitty, and she bounds ahead, jumping and tumbling with glee. She's glad but jealous someone seems to feel good getting some exercise. For Lily— not so much, it's the complete opposite. She's way more out of shape than she initially thought. It's almost concerning how fast her heart starts beating out of her ribcage. But if she's going to expect Skitty to get better, she's going to need to get better too. So they stick to the plan, regardless of how much she wants to shred the plan and incinerate it in a fire.
Despite feeling like she's about to throw up her lungs, Lily tries to take in the scenery of Pokéversity. Classy brick buildings are framed by old trees with fresh mowed lawns and flowerbeds. Most of the main roads that students take to classes are paved with sidewalks, but some smaller trails veer off through the forests and over a small river that flows right through campus. This morning it is quieter than it will be in a few hours as the rest of the student body moves in. During the entire jog, she doesn't see much staff or students whatsoever. It's just her and Skitty and the occasional movement of Starly pecking at the dewy grass for food. You know, because they're a couple of psychopaths.
Jogging was a terrible, stupid idea. Lily wants to slap past her for thinking this is what she should spend her Saturday morning doing— dying by asphyxiation so maybe her Skitty can move faster. She's a moron: but yet, to prove she's an even bigger moron than she thought, she continues to move one foot in front of the other.
It seems like hours of suffering when they finally round back to the dorm, but looking at her phone reveals it's only been a half an hour. Her t-shirt is soaked with sweat, ringing her back in gross wetness, but now that she's stopped and is catching her breath, she feels somehow good. Maybe her body needed to release some tension. Skitty, on the other hand, is still raring to go— bouncing around like a Spoink on a trampoline— now that she's fully awake from the exercise.
"I'm pooped, I don't know how you can still go on," Lily says, but smiles down, approving of her Pokémon's great stamina. "Well, good news is we have battling scheduled for later today, so you'll be able to have even more fun."
She bunches up her shirt to use it to wipe away the beads of sweat on her face and realizes she's starving. Since she's sweaty and disgusting, she's going to stick with her idea to make a quick stop by a food truck, but later in the week she desperately needs to go grocery shopping. She needs to have food even if the dining halls aren't open yet. Remembering seeing a truck when they jogged past, Lily and Skitty head there to see if it has opened yet.
To their luck, it has, and Lily pays for a delicious veggie wrap and buys a cooked Magikarp fillet for Skitty, who gobbles that up with fervor. They head back to the dorm together so Lily can shower and Skitty can get some water, Lily taking bites from her wrap as they head up the elevator.
They arrive home and Lily slings off her bag, moaning at the cool AC of their room as she kicks off her sneakers. Skitty heads straight for her water bowl, lapping like she has just run through a sweltering desert instead of just a college campus. She leaves Skitty to it and takes a quick shower and changes into some sweat-free clothes.
When they came back, Lily assumed she would want a nap after their run but it's bizarre that she feels awake. She asks Skitty if she would like to check out the building's battlefield to practice, and Skitty bounds out with her again, eager to try something new. It seems like progress from yesterday when she was hesitant to leave the dorm. They pass the stairs down to the indoor pool while looking for the battling area, and Lily is certain she wants to go swimming sometime soon.
In the back of the building, Skitty and Lily find three empty dirt-packed battlefields. They stroll over to one and Lily stands on it, realizing this is her first time on one with her own Pokémon. Adrenaline fills her as if there is a whole crowd watching, anticipating their battle against a nameless opponent. Skitty is scratching at the dirt with her paws, not quite understanding the moment is pretty monumental to her trainer. A delicate breeze goes by, playing with her still-wet hair from the shower. Being outdoors and ready to train for the first time feels amazing.
"Okay, Skitty, are you ready to show me some of your moves?" Skitty looks up at her from her digging and chirps in agreement, making a stance to show she's ready. Lily clenches her fist, excitement bubbling over.
"Let's just see your basic moves and techniques, first. Skitty, use attract!" Skitty does an excited dance and strikes a cute pose, a shower of pink hearts skittering through the air. How pretty.
"Now Skitty, use double slap on all of the hearts!" Skitty's tail glows pink, and she begins to twist and leap with power, smashing all the hearts so they break apart into pink sparkles. Lily realizes how much fun it looks like Skitty is having using her moves. The high energy is palpable and she can feel her own enjoyment rising.
"Skitty, show me double team!" Skitty cries out and dozens of copies scatter across the battlefield: she can't tell which one is the real one. "Great! Now use disarming voice!" Her copies merge back in to reveal the real Skitty, and she shrieks a loud "nya!" and pink, glowing rings of hearts slam against the ground.
"Wow, Skitty, those moves look amazing!" Lily compliments and Skitty hops up and down, happy to be praised. Wow, did Skitty's moves impressed her way more than she thought she would be. "It'll be very different while battling an actual opponent, but for a contest appeal, those pink, glittery moves combined with your show of power and speed will be excellent to see!"
Lily strokes her chin, thinking. "For appeals, I have some ideas, but I think for today we should focus on practicing battling so we can improve your dodging skills and power." Skitty sits down, beginning to groom herself after spurring up so much dirt. "I wonder if May or Dawn are awake..." she says to herself. Probably not, it is a weekend and she's probably the only one crazy enough to not be sleeping in.
The back door on the building creaks open, and the Lily turns to look at the source of the sound. Out steps a boy with spiky brown hair tailed by an Eevee. Skitty suddenly takes off towards them, unable to contain herself, and Lily's feet stutter before she stumbles after her.
"Wait Skitty!" Lily calls, but Skitty doesn't wait for her and instead begins sniffing at the Eevee, who reciprocates despite being ambushed. She's never seen Skitty so excited to see another Pokémon like that. The boy chuckles at her Pokémon's antics, and Lily's face flares red in embarrassment as she approaches. She doesn't want to look like a trainer that is out of control of her Pokémon's behavior.
"I'm so sorry! I've never seen Skitty act this way!" Lily apologizes, trying to avoid eye contact with the guy. It's easy to see he's handsome from a glance, and she doesn't want to turn any redder than she already is. Why today? Her mood has improved since yesterday and the last thing she wants is to throw a humiliating encounter with a cute guy in the mix.
"It's alright. Aw, look at this sweetheart," he squats down to Skitty's height, and Lily is unable to stop him quick enough when he reaches out to pet her. Astonishment goes through her as Skitty doesn't flinch away, and instead leans into his touch. He smiles, green eyes softening around the edges.
"How did you do that? I-I mean..." God, she can't pull herself together. She wants to crawl under a rock and die. He glances up at her, and Lily's eye fixates on the teardrop pendant that dangles from his neck when the light catches on it. Her only wish is that she had put on something more stylish and her hair wasn't limp and wet from her shower. Being caught looking her worst in front of an attractive guy is a nightmare.
"Are you new around here?" He asks, standing back up to his full height, leaving Eevee to interact with the hyper Skitty. "I haven't seen you before." He's much taller than her, and it makes the sensation of her shrinking into herself more real.
"Yes, I'm a freshman, I moved in yesterday," she says in return, clenching the fabric of her shorts between two fingers. She both loves and hates his attention on her.
"Ah! So you just got this Skitty. Nice to meet you, I'm Gary. Gary Oak."
"I'm Lily. And this is my Skitty." They both look down as Skitty and Eevee begin to play chase and tussle around in the grass. "Wait... Oak? As in, Professor Oak?"
Gary nods. "I'm his grandson," he says, crossing his arms and leaning up against the brick building.
"Sorry, I'm sure you get that question a lot," she follows up, and he waves her off as if to say she doesn't need to apologize. He's so cool and collected. The exact opposite of her.
Lily looks down at the blades of grass beneath her feet, considering the question she wants to inquire him about. She asks before she dwells on it too much.
"How did you... how did you pet Skitty like that?" She asks him, and Gary looks at her strangely.
"Have you not been able to pet her yet?" Lily can feel her cheeks begin to burn again. How pathetic of her. Yup, she's drowning herself in her bathtub after this.
"Well, no..." she responds truthfully. "I was waiting for her to become more comfortable with me before I tried. She ran away from my friend when she tried to pet her," Lily explains. "And the card with her description on it... she has a tough past and I didn't want to pressure her."
"But you can't know how she'll react until you try," Gary replies. "I may be disarming because I've interacted with Pokémon so much, especially helping out at Gramp's lab, but Pokémon can sense intentions, too. She knows you've given her space and respect." He gives her a sideways smile. "Now you've just gotta try."
Her heart beats faster at Gary's presence, and she groans internally because knowing her stupid self this is definitely going to turn into a crush by how she's reacting to him.
"Okay," she says, timid, his eyes on her are making her nervous. "Hey Skitty, come here for a second!"
Skitty hears her calling her and pauses mid-scuffle with Eevee. She bounds over, mewling. "Nya, nya, nya!"
Lily lowers herself down to Skitty's height and reaches her fingers out, hand hesitating in the air. And then, Skitty closes the gap, rubbing her head against it: and Lily's heart bursts at finally getting to pet her. It's unbelievable how soft she is, it's like she's wearing a pink cloud. Lily smiles, eyes becoming shiny with relief as she scratches Skitty behind the ears, and gets a happy mewl out of her.
"See, you just had to trust yourself," Gary confirms, she almost startles at his presence, forgetting he was there for a moment. Lily looks at him with her glossy eyes.
"Thank you," she says, sincerity in her voice as Skitty goes bounding off again. "This new training thing is... a lot."
"Yeah, at first it is," he says, watching Lily raise from her crouch. "When my Blastoise was a Squirtle, I had no idea how to handle him, as he was nothing like the other Pokémon at the lab. He was serious and competitive. With evolution, he's mellowed out, but it was stressful as a new trainer."
"You have more than just Eevee?" Lily asks, staring at the Eevee in question run away from Skitty's chasing.
"Mhm, I'm a sophomore," he says. "I'm a researcher and battle major."
Lily smiles at what he's saying but smiles into the open air instead of at him. "That's an interesting combination."
"I'll say, it's hard sometimes."
Lily puts her hands in her pockets. "I'm going to try my luck at battling, too, but also contests." Gary nods in approval.
"You can do it," he responds, "my roommate Ash does battling and Drew does contests and they can manage well. Doing two programs is a challenge but very doable." He tacks on the end: "and they're idiots."
Lily cracks up. Eevee and Skitty bound closer to them, having already explored the other parts of the yard. Gary is watching them too, and Lily grapples for something to say to keep the conversation going. She's starting to relax into this conversation.
"How long have you had Eevee?" Lily inquires.
"Just got him a few days ago," he says, both of them taking in the sight of Skitty batting at Eevee with a paw, before taking off in the other direction. "Since I was able to move in early because of volunteering to help with freshmen move-in day, I got lucky that the lab is interested in conducting an Eevee-centric evolution study and was looking for possible trainers to help."
"That's an amazing opportunity," Lily says, envious of him having such an adaptable partner on his team.
"Yes, and it's a great experience to put on a resumé for when I graduate."
Lily nods, agreeing. "Now that I'm thinking about it, I think Skitty was so excited to see your Eevee because I just bought her a blanket with Eevees on it." Now it's Gary's turn to laugh. "Seems like she's a fan."
"Pokémon are so funny with what fixations they'll get. Eevee is obsessed with this shirt I have and I've just given up and let her keep it." Lily smiles at the thought of her carrying it around and snuggling with it. How precious.
"I haven't tested the theory yet, but apparently Skitty likes socks."
"She looks like she likes socks."
Skitty comes bounding over to them, chattering, spinning in circles to get their attention. Eevee follows, swishing his tail as Skitty tries to convey what they want.
"What is it, Skitty?" Lily asks, and she follows her Pokémon as it runs over to the battlefield and begins jumping up and down.
"Seems like Skitty and Eevee want to battle," Gary says, and nervousness starts to flood her senses. She's never battled before, and now Skitty's put her in a predicament. Gary is a more seasoned trainer, and right now, he's the last one she wants to look bad in front of.
"Ahaha, actually, I've never battled before," Lily admits, color coming to her face again.
"As I said, just trust yourself." Gary heads to the opposite end of the battlefield, Eevee prancing after him. "Everyone starts somewhere."
Her heart rate picks up at his sweet reassurance, and Lily just knows now he must be popular with girls. She tries to not let herself swoon and instead focuses on trying her best.
"Just one on one? Skitty versus Eevee?" Lily confirms, and Gary nods.
"That is unless you want to try Blastoise on for size," he teases.
"Maybe next time," Gary smirks at her reciprocating his banter as Eevee gets into a battling stance, tail bristling, fired up.
Skitty settles near Lily, tail swishing in focus. It surprises her how laser-sharp her concentration is, she would have thought Skitty would be more distractible and ditzy while battling like her regular demeanor. Yet again her partner has surprised her.
"Ladies get the first move." Gary winks, gesturing his hand open, beckoning her to begin. The way he's holding himself gives off a sense of composure and confidence, while she feels like an anxious mess. No, she shakes her head to clear it. She's got this. Lily takes in a deep breath.
"Skitty, let's begin with double slap!" Lily commands, and Skitty is fired up with energy, tail glowing pink and closing in on Eevee fast.
"Eevee, sand attack," Gary instructs, and just as Skitty is about to land a hit, Eevee kicks dirt into Skitty's face, making it stumble back, blinded. "Now use bite."
Lily almost panics, but then speaks up, "Skitty, quick, use double team!" It's just in time— dozens of copies surround Eevee just before it sinks its jaws into Skitty. "Now, disarming voice!"
Gary's eyes widen, realizing it's a move that always hits. Skitty's temporary blindness is irrelevant. "Eevee, knock down those copies with Swift!"
Eevee manages to take down a few copies, but Skitty's move showers down on Eevee, who's unable to escape. He's pushed back after taking the hit, wincing in pain.
"You okay, Eevee?" Gary asks, and Eevee brushes it off, shaking out its coat. His gaze fixates on Lily, it's easy to read in his expression he surprised her. To be honest, she surprised herself. But she's not letting it go to her head. Gary can easily turn the tables.
"Continue using Swift!" Golden stars fly from Eevee's mouth, now successfully taking out the last of Skitty's copies. "Close in with quick attack!" Power springs Eevee forward, his form followed by a streak of light.
"Skitty, counter with double slap!" Lily yells, and Skitty connects with Eevee head-on, but is ultimately overpowered by Eevee's onslaught and tumbles into the dirt, the attack landing.
"Now, finish it up, Eevee, use bite!" Unable to get up in time, Skitty cries out as Eevee bites down, and she faints. Lily's lost.
"Skitty!" Lily cries out, rushing to her Pokémon's side. She picks up her limp form, and though weak, Skitty raises its head. "Are you okay?"
Gary approaches from the other side, Eevee peering over Lily's arms to make sure his friend is okay. "That was a great first battle. You had me on my toes."
Lily nods, and despite her disappointment, knows that Skitty faired well against a more seasoned trainer. She pets Skitty's fur soothingly. "You did do a great job," she praises her, and Skitty gives a weak "nya," content to rest in her arms.
"Eevee did great himself. That quick attack was impressive," she compliments back, and Eevee even lets her pet him between his ears. He chirps in delight.
Gary offers her a hand to help her stand up, and she accepts it, and he pulls her to her feet. He's strong. "Next time, maybe the tides will turn in your favor."
"Next time?" Lily accidentally says aloud. The idea of them hanging out more has her heart quickening.
Gary nods. "Yes, next time." He swings off his backpack, digging around before he pulls free a potion. "Seems like Eevee's already chosen his battling partner, and I also have no one to spar with this early in the morning."
Well, looks like Lily's going to have to become a morning person. She nods.
"I would love that." Their eyes lock until Lily breaks it, unable to handle the sudden intensity. Gary kneels next to her, wielding the potion. His proximity has her trembling.
"May I?" Lily nods and hands Gary Skitty. He begins to tend to her wounds, spraying the potion on the areas she seems to be hurt the most. His hands are large and gentle, and he's apologizing to her under his breath for the sting.
Man, she's screwed.