Chapter Ten
In Which Getaway Car Is Sent To Print
Somewhere in the back of her mind, Cynthia knew it was selfish on her end to be thankful they were reshooting the scene they were on. Elizabeth revealing her personal car to Scarlet and offering to take her on a ride– a section filled with innuendo and pushing Diantha up against the car's door. The scene had been filmed weeks ago, but was among a few that were slated to be reshot due to the noted improvement on their "set chemistry".
Nobody needed to know precisely why their set chemistry had improved.
It didn't stop Cynthia from worrying that someone had figured it out, but to her and Diantha's knowledge, they were still –somehow– flying under the radar.
Diantha approached her with a saunter in her step, eyeing her carefully. "Elizabeth Park, are you getting soft on me?" she asked, a quirk on her brow.
Cynthia carefully moved around her, corralling her back against the car's door, pressing against her, but at just enough of an angle to convey that Scarlet had an out if she wanted it. She reached around Diantha as she leaned in, never breaking eye contact. "Call it what you want," she said.
Just as Diantha started to tilt her head up –Scarlet starting to give in– she flicked the lock, and stepped away.
With a low, satisfied, laugh, she began to walk around the car. "Let me take you on a ride, Kiss of Death," she said, heading for the driver's side. "I'll make it worth your while."
With a shallow breath, and hard blink, Diantha composed herself, turning around to open the door. "I guess I can indulge you just this once," she said, sliding into the seat.
"And cut!"
The main point of the take had been getting angles more focused on Scarlet when composing herself. With the focus being on such a minor detail, Diantha knew they were within the last few takes.
She looked over at Cynthia. "That went well," she commented.
Cynthia nodded, putting a hand up on the steering wheel. As the camera operators backed away, called over by Tom, she leaned over the center console, keeping her voice down. "About how many more takes do you think he wants?" she asked.
Diantha hummed, leaning over in her seat. "I can't imagine many more," she said. Her hand fell to the side, a playful tap to Cynthia's hand. "Eager to be somewhere?" she teased.
She shrugged. "Just curious," she said, cutting herself off when she noticed movement from Tom and Lita.
Tom clapped his hands together, loud enough to echo throughout the set. "Alright! Send it to print!"
That wasn't a phrase Cynthia had heard, and when she turned to Diantha to ask what it meant, the smile that greeted her told her all she needed to know.
"Congratulations, my dear. You just finished your first film," she said, elation working its way through her veins.
They were done. Getaway Car had finally come to a close. Nothing left to reshoot– all with two weeks to spare. Two weeks to spend however they liked.
A lightness fell over Cynthia, as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. So focused on simply getting through the project and spending as much time as she could with Diantha, she hadn't even considered what the actual end of filming would be like. She supposed she had expected a larger crew, rather than just the reshoot crew which was maybe ten people including herself and Diantha.
Following Diantha's lead, they got out of the prop car and made their way over to the directors. Tom and Lita had both finished their rewatch of the clip, excitedly talking amongst themselves as the ragtag crew surrounded them.
Many closing words and thank yous exchanged, the focus shifted to where they were going to throw an impromptu wrap party. Something both Cynthia and Diantha knew they would have to at least make an appearance to before they could sneak away to celebrate on their own.
While they ironed out all the details, Cynthia and Diantha were pulled aside, offered one last chance to see the pokémon they had been acting with over the past few months.
The second he was out of his capsule, Tango let out a loud whine, his nails clacking on the cement flooring as he padded up to Cynthia. His cheeks weren't very full, meaning he had either not packed any snacks to begin with, or had eaten them already out of emotion.
Kneeling down, she offered a hand out to him, feeling herself choking up. "I'm really gonna miss you, buddy," she said, the choke even stronger when she saw how watery his eyes were getting. "Don't start that," she said, her own voice wavering.
Camila laughed, her Pansage mimicking the sound from her shoulder. "He's been blubbering all morning. I think he knew ahead of any of us that today was his last day."
That certainly didn't help Cynthia not wanting to cry. Not around so many people –and while, sure, hardly anyone was even paying them any mind, she didn't want to…but with Tango looking up at her with those sad, sad eyes, it was becoming quite the challenge.
He placed his nose in her palm, a warm exhale as he whined.
"Don't tell Diantha, but you were my favorite co-star," she said as a joke.
His tail wagged slowly as he reached up to grab her hand.
Diantha and Camila both laughed "You're stage whispering, darling," Diantha teased, not taking her eyes off the two Kirlia in her lap. She was hardly offended, knowing just how strongly Tango had become attached to Cynthia throughout filming. He had been drawn to her from day one, and so none of it was a surprise to her. She had expected a tearful goodbye from the beginning.
Cynthia smiled, finally getting one from Tango in turn. His eyes were still watering, but he had stopped whining.
"You know," Camila began, pulling out her own phone. "If you want, you can leave your contact info with me and I can pass it along to his owner," she offered.
Cynthia looked to Diantha for confirmation.
"It's fairly common practice. I've done it a few times," she said. Granted, it had been a number of years since she was able to do so. More often than not, she would give a way to contact Kathi Lee instead.
Cynthia nodded to Tango before standing back up to be more at level with Camila. "Yeah, let me give you that," she said. It was as simple as giving her phone number, her timezone, and any days or times that were off limits for contact.
By the time they had wrapped that up, a venue had been decided on, and the extended cast and crew had been told where to meet. With one final goodbye to all the acting pokémon, and returning the flight pass for Braviary, Cynthia and Diantha headed out together, not far behind the rest of the crew.
"How are we feeling, my darling?" Diantha asked, typing something into her phone as they walked.
She shrugged. "Honestly– not sure. Feels…odd," she said, taking one last look around the studio warehouses. It probably wouldn't be until she was actually back in Sinnoh for it to really sink in.
"That's how I felt after my first project. Even now, depending on how long it took to film, it can feel that way," she said before scowling at her phone.
"Everything okay?" Cynthia asked.
She shrugged. "It's– it's fine. The place they picked is a crowded one, though. Very touristy." She had heard the name Pier 17 before, but she had never bothered looking into it. A recently renovated cargo pier that had been turned into a line of open air restaurants with shared seating, and places to battle using restricted movesets.
Sliding her phone back into her purse, she looked up at Cynthia. "I'm frustrated because you and I are going to have to be…more careful, I suppose."
"That's fine. Can't imagine they're going to demand we be there too long," she said.
Diantha hummed. "Well– I had hoped that once we got to this point, you and I could have our own after party," she said, a certain emphasis leaving Cynthia warm.
Walking just a bit closer, the swing of her hand as she brought them up to cross, she just barely brushed Diantha's hand. "Nothing says we still can't."
Continuing to tease one another in a similar fashion, it quickly turned to teasing Diantha for calling the subway 'metro' –which Cynthia was guilty of as well.
When they hopped off the stop closest to the piers, Cynthia felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. A quick glance, the preview text was from her sister, accompanied with a too-close picture of one of her pokémon.
CALL ME
She withheld a laugh, grabbing Diantha's hand without thinking. "I need to call my sister real quick," she said, a split second of confusion when her hand was quickly dropped.
"That's fine," Diantha said, stepping off to the side with her by the metro's entrance by some benches.
Barely one ring and Kay picked up.
"You better be near a pokémon center or somewhere you can pick up a pokémon. I'm gonna hurt this noisy hooligan," Kay said, a laugh in her voice.
Cynthia briefly glanced around, getting her street bearings. They weren't too far from one. "Yeah– I'm near a center. Let me look up their transfer code, and I'll text you. Sorry– didn't realize they'd send Koa back so soon." She had sent him to Alola for specialized training, and the trainer's estimate for returning him was still a few months out.
"I've got a migraine and this noisy-ass boy is not helping," she said with another laugh, a shuffle on her end that sounded familiar in pitch. A grumble.
"Give me like…ten minutes," she said before exchanging a quick goodbye. She looked down to Diantha. "Sorry– did you want to go ahead of me? That way we're not showing up together, or…?"
Diantha shrugged. "No– we should be fine showing up together. You just have to be careful about grabbing my hand, I guess," she said, quicking tacking on, "I'm sorry."
Cynthia shook her head, pushing her hair back up over her shoulder. "Don't worry about it– I get it. That was my fault– habit."
Diantha breathed a laugh, walking next to her as she led them towards whichever pokémon center she had in mind. "You say habit like it's something I don't like." Quite the opposite, really. As simple as it was, just getting to have a hand on her partner whenever possible was among her favorite forms of affection. Wanting to move past the discussion, though, Diantha quickly followed up with, "What pokémon?"
She about said what he was, but stopped herself at the last second. "How about I just show you?" she asked.
Diantha wanted to laugh –clearly she wanted to show off a bit. Whatever pokémon it was, it was one she was proud of…and who was she to not indulge her? "Alright," she said with a soft laugh.
Looking up the transfer code to the pokémon center ahead of getting there, by the time they arrived, he was already waiting for her. There had been a smaller center closer, but the one she chose had a small greenspace attached to it. Nothing more than a small patch of grass with some flower planters separating it from the main sidewalk.
More than enough space to at least let him out.
She stepped ahead of Diantha, releasing Garchomp in the same motion. "Might want to keep back just in case. He can be…" She looked to Garchomp, trying to think of an appropriate descriptor. "Rowdy," she decided.
Garchomp snorted, already figuring who she was talking about.
Diantha breathed a laugh, keeping in her spot by the planter. "Fine."
Cynthia held the luxury ball closer to eye level, a warm energy under her hand. "I know it's been a while, but…you need to behave, okay?" she said.
Tossing the poké ball up, in a flash, her pokémon appeared with a roar, his scales clanging rhythmically as he shook himself off. Garchomp stood by, waiting for an order.
To Diantha's surprise, a large, brawly Kommo-o.
He looked down at Cynthia, but before he could let out another roar, a quick hand gesture had Garchomp up in his face. A low growl that Cynthia and Diantha could more feel rather than hear.
Without any further fuss, he lowered himself, shaking himself off one last time.
Cynthia smiled, stepping toward her pokémon, reaching a hand up to his snout. "Good to see you again."
He grumbled, pressing into her.
She looked back at Diantha, an invitation to approach as well.
He tilted his head as he looked down at her, the turn jingling his scales. At such a pleasant note, Diantha almost wanted to liken him to a walking wind chime. "I remember you mentioning him," she said, resuming her spot next to Cynthia.
"My newest pokémon. Hatched him…" She paused to think of the timeline. "Two years ago? Sometime when I had been invited to the opening of the Battle Tree in Alola. He only evolved into Kommo-o back in December."
Diantha nodded, smiling when he leaned down to offer his head to her. She reached out to run a hand along his jaw. "Right, and you said he needed special training."
"Too many of his moves I didn't know how to help him with. Thankfully, there were a few trainers in Alola who were able to help me."
Diantha took her hands back, looking back to Cynthia. "Any plans to add him to your main team?" she asked.
She nodded. "I plan on having him in rotation. Maybe not immediately. After so much time apart, I'm sure we'll need some time to get back into rhythm with one another."
Kommo-o stepped back, looking back down to Garchomp. He butted his head against hers, Garchomp returning the gesture enough to push him off, getting a soft laugh from Cynthia. "From the day he hatched, he's always been eager to take her on."
Diantha laughed in turn. "And she wouldn't go easy on him for a second, would she?"
She shook her head. "Not even a bit," she said with a laugh. "If he's going to beat her, he's going to have to really fight for it."
As if to respond, Kommo-o snorted, pounding his fists together. Garchomp snorted a response of some kind, turning her head from him.
Cynthia stepped forward, putting a hand out to him. "She's not in the mood to battle, bud."
He grumbled, disappointed.
"I'm sure someone will ask for a battle tonight. I'll see if you'll be allowed out at the pier. If not, we'll find a place to battle later." Depending on the size of the pier, he might be considered too large to be out. Even if he wasn't, she knew they would have to be careful about what moves they used, given they were in the city, and the majority of his moves were sound-based. With the risk of shattering glass, most were banned unless they were in an insulated stadium, or far enough away from downtown. "Go up for now, both of you."
They both allowed themselves to be recalled without protest. Minimizing their poké balls, Cynthia tucked the two of them into her coat pocket.
"I think he and Tyrantrum would play nicely," Diantha said as they began to make their way back to the piers. "He also can get a bit rowdy."
"Might have to arrange that one of these days," Cynthia agreed. Though, finding a battlefield that would accommodate Tyranturm's size and weight– they might need to head out of the city for that.
Maybe out in Undella…
Ahead of time, they looked up the weight limits for the piers, and were reassured Kommo-o would at least be allowed once they arrived. The pier itself was wider than most avenues in the city, lined on one side with restaurants and all their shared dining spaces.
The crew had all gathered in front of a restaurant named Emboarz, where behind the counter, a giant Emboar in an apron was helping manage the grill. The smell of charred meat and fries sat heavy in the air.
Diantha wasn't sure which churned her stomach more– the grill or the sight of Alexander in the mist of the crew. She knew he wouldn't have had much of a choice in showing up or not. It would have looked odd if he hadn't– but it didn't mean she had to be happy about it. The only thing keeping her from getting too upset was the knowledge that she wouldn't have to see him again until the premiere–if Getaway Car even ended up having one. Lady In Red did, but that didn't guarantee Getaway Car one.
Regardless, she would at least talk to Kathi Lee about ensuring she never worked on a project involving him ever again.
Tom, too, for sweeping it under the rug, she decided, watching as he waved her and Cynthia down without a care.
"If you order from Emboarz, first round's on me!" Tom told them.
Cynthia didn't miss the way Diantha had tensed up beside her as they approached the group, nor did she miss the way Alexander slipped out of sight right after. Like Diantha, she knew why he was there, but she still wasn't happy about it.
But, thankfully, filming was over, and she was done playing nice. She wouldn't cause a scene, because she knew Diantha didn't want that, but she wasn't about to let him think she was also going to sweep it under the rug.
"Hey, Diantha!" Lita said, coming to stand beside her. "With Getaway Car done, I was wondering if I could run an idea I had by you. A friend handed me a script she's been working on called Lavender Haze, and as I was reading through it, one of the roles– you instantly came to mind."
"Is this a project where you might be the main director?" Diantha asked, intrigued. Though, the title alone piqued her interest, regardless of it being something she would star in or not.
Lita nodded. "Yeah! See, here–"
With Diantha distracted, Cynthia figured it was as good of an opportunity as she was going to get. While, sure, she knew he was there simply because it would have looked more odd if he hadn't shown up, but still. She was going to at least ensure he had the sense to keep his distance.
Milling her way through the crowd, a trill caught her attention. Too pointed of a sound to be not directed at her.
Looking back around, a tug at her jeans brought her attention down to a Hawlucha –clearly not just any. Diantha's, made familiar by her large, curly head fathers.
Looking around again, Diantha hadn't followed her.
"What are you doing here?" Cynthia asked.
She chirped once, sharp, glaring in the direction of Alexander. Easy enough for Cynthia to understand.
Cynthia breathed a laugh, her hands falling to her side. "Wanted to come with me?" she asked.
She nodded.
Cynthia couldn't blame her, necessarily. They were both only wanting to protect Diantha, because even though he likely had the sense to not talk to her she wanted to ensure it stayed that way. "Promise you won't get physical? I'm only going over to talk. No bad press for Diantha, okay?"
Hawlucha looked away, a low, annoyed chirp.
"Eleanora," Cynthia said, her name as a warning.
Hawlucha looked back up at her, crossing her little arms with a flourish and a hearty nod.
Cynthia nodded. "Stay close. Don't want to lose you in the crowd," she said.
When she turned around, she stumbled as she felt Hawlucha jump up to grab onto her shoulder, poking her head up by hers.
Pulling her hair to the side, she breathed a laugh. "If I had known you were going to join me, I would have had you steal a hair tie from her," she said, knowing well there were a few loose ones in her purse.
She made a small chirp. Something of an apology.
Weaving their way through the crowd, she waited for an opportunity before moving in. Waiting for someone to leave just enough room by the railing–
Seizing her chance, she leaned up on the railing, making no sound beyond it. Even though she knew she wasn't there to cause a scene, adrenaline ran hot under her skin.
The person Alexander was talking to took notice of her. A tiny brunette woman with a noticeable spray tan. "Oh my goodness!" she said, Cynthia having to suppress her own laughter when Alexander jumped when he finally noticed her. "You're Sinnoh's Champion!"
Cynthia nodded. "Yes," she casually answered.
The woman looked back to Alexander, missing his anxiety. "So the whole cast and crew did show up!" she said, tapping Alexander aside to offer Cynthia a hand. "Sara Steele! Reporter with the Castelia Observer," she said, Cynthia internally grimacing at the name.
She'd seen magazines in the stores enough to know that it was about as trashy of a tabloid as Unova offered. A magazine that liked to "simply ask questions" and "pose hypotheticals".
"Nice to meet you," she lied.
"I'd love to pick your brain–"
Cynthia laughed, Hawlucha's claws poking through her shirt. "I have no clue how much I'm allowed to say, so it's safer for me to just decline."
Sara laughed, eyeing Alexander. "You and him both– but now I know there's more of you I can go poke around. Catch ya' later, Lex!" she said, disappearing into the crowd before either of them had a chance to say anything else.
He sighed, taking a long sip of his drink. "You know," he said over the rim. "I have half the mind to thank you for getting her away."
"Oh, you're welcome," she said with a grin.
"I ain't anywhere near her– what the fuck do you want? It's cast and crew– I had to show up," he said.
She shrugged, reaching a hand up to absently pet Hawlucha's head. "No, I know. I'm just here to tell you to keep it that way. I don't care who else you talk to, or– whatever. Just stay out of Diantha's sight."
He set his drink on the railing, leaning back, as if to size her up. "What's your deal with her, anyways? You're worse than an overprotective boyfriend," he said, almost getting a laugh from her.
"It's a league and a woman thing. We look out for each other. I've dealt with men like you who can't keep their hands to themselves all my life." The second his eyes just barely flickered lower to her chest, she began to seriously weigh just getting it over with and decking him.
"How many times do I have to tell you it was a fucking accident?" he hissed.
Hawlucha's claw on her collar was just enough to keep her levelheaded. "Accidents only happen once or twice." She took her hand back from Hawlucha. "Let's make sure there's not another accident tonight."
More and more like her stage counterpart every day.
"Are you threatening me?" he asked, voice wavering, knuckles white on his glass.
She shrugged. "Why would I need to do that?" she asked.
He stared her down for a long second, before shaking his head. "An' when we have to go to the premier together?"
"You think I won't get invited as well?" she asked, her tone casual, as though it was a genuine question. "That would be pretty rude to ask me to do all of this acting only to not even invite me to the premier." Not that she even knew streaming service shows had premiers –but he didn't need to know that.
He didn't respond, so she continued.
"Besides, I already figured I would just put myself between the two of you all night if needed. I mean, hey," she said with a laugh. "That's basically what my character did anyway. It would be a whole bit."
He was not amused in the slightest as he looked just beyond her before rolling his eyes, pushing himself off the railing with a huff. "Fine," he hissed. Drink in hand, he pointed at her again. "Worse than a bad boyfriend," he reiterated.
She laughed to herself, watching him walk away into the crowd, heading for the other end of the pier.
Hawlucha dropped off her shoulder, making a jump for the railing, a triumphant trill.
"Thank you, Eleanora," Cynthia said. "Guess I needed your help, after all." If nothing else, she was a good subtle reminder to keep things civil. As much as she wanted to just deck him and get it over with –Diantha had made it clear it wasn't what she wanted. No bad press.
Hawlucha nodded, a small smile on her face.
"Let's get you back to Diantha," Cynthia said, motioning for her to follow.
Making their way back through the crowd, they were met halfway by Diantha herself, who was looking frazzled.
"There you are!" she said, scooping up her pokémon, holding her close. "You terrified me! I reached for your poké ball but you were nowhere to be found– I had no clue where you were! What do you have to say for yourself?" she asked.
Hawlucha crossed her arms, looking back at Cynthia.
"I went to take care of something while you talked with Lita, and she wanted to come with me," Cynthia said, not trying to go into too many details.
Diantha looked around, but they were seemingly ignored. Momentarily lost in the crowd. She stepped closer. "What did you say to him?" she asked, keeping her voice down, hoping Cynthia could still hear her.
"Who said–" she stopped when Diantha put what she could of her hand out to stop her.
"Cynthia– I am on the edge of being over-stimulated– please." Having Hawlucha back and knowing she was safe was helping– but only just.
"I just told him to stay out of your sight. He said he would," she answered.
Diantha regarded her for a long second. Her arms fell slack, Hawlucha jumping down. "While I– Look, I greatly appreciate it, but I do need you to be very careful with things like that. It could very easily get out of hand," she warned.
Cynthia nodded. "I'm sorry," she said. "But I do promise that she made sure I didn't do or say anything bad," she added, glancing down at Hawlucha, who trilled an agreement.
"Funny, because normally she's one to start a fight, not avoid one," Diantha said, a teasing edge in her voice as she looked down at her pokémon.
"We kept each other in line," Cynthia said, before laughing as she shifted her weight to one foot. "He did say I'm worse than a bad boyfriend, though," she said.
Diantha laughed in turn, reaching for her arm for just a second. "Oh, please, he clearly doesn't know what a bad boyfriend is." She was willing to bet that more often than not, he was the bad boyfriend.
Cynthia shrugged, taking a step to get them moving. "I'm just mad about how gay that sounds, but knowing it came from him."
She laughed again, taking another risk to bump their shoulders. "You know I wasn't going to say it, but–" she began. "Isn't that just a rehash of 'which one of you is the man'?"
Unable to resist, Cynthia bumped her back. "Obviously, we take turns," she teased, enjoying every second of the dusting of color on Diantha's cheeks as she resisted laughing.
"Should have put you in a comedy for your first film," she teased. "You're full of it, tonight."
Cynthia bit the inside of her cheek, refraining from responding with another even more raunchy comment. "Instead of saying what I want to, I'll just ask you what you got up to while we were gone," she said.
Diantha shot her a look that said she would ask later. "Lita gave me a copy of a script to look over, and then she and Tom had asked if the two of us would be willing to battle them. I told them it wouldn't be fair. I figured I could at least let them tag team me with Hawlucha, but then she was gone," she said pointedly, her pokémon immediately looking away.
"Could probably battle them with Kommo-o. He's not up to champion strength, but he'd still put up a good fight," Cynthia said.
Diantha hummed. "Unfortunately, my youngest team member is Brutus–" Her Tyrantrum "–And I think he might be over the weight and height restrictions," she said sarcastically. While the restrictions weren't terribly strict, a one ton, ten foot dinosaur was out of the question. "Hawlucha can temper strength at the very least," she said, looking down for confirmation.
She shrugged, getting a laugh from the both of them.
Cynthia reached into her coat, feeling for the specific texture of Kommo-o's luxury ball. "I can work with that," she said.
Returning to the main group, they were already gathered by one of the boardwalk's battlefields, a drink in everyone's hands.
"There ya' are!" Lita greeted, tipping her bottle towards them. "Tom and I were talking," she began, turning to him.
He nodded. "It might be fun and all to have you two rip us apart, but figured it'd be more fun to watch you two battle," he said.
They looked at one another, Diantha's grin stirring Cynthia's stomach. "Up for losing a second time?" she asked.
Cynthia laughed. "Finally dropped the modest act, huh?" she asked.
She merely quirked her eyebrows, not commenting on it. "Two of my pokémon are over the size limits, so how do you want to do this?"
Cynthia shrugged. "How about a one-on-one?"
"Ace, or…?"
She tapped Kommo-o's poké ball, expanding it. "I'm going to stick with Kommo-o. He needs to burn some energy," she said.
Diantha nodded, looking back down to Hawlucha. If Cynthia wasn't going to use her ace, she wouldn't either. She'd make up for the unfair advantage she had been given to her later. "Eleanora dear, go up for now," she said, returning her back to her poké ball. "I can't use Tyrantrum, but I think a dragon battle sounds like fun."
"I'll agree to that," she said.
Once given the all clear by one of the field attendants, they assumed their spots. By then, most of the cast and crew had gathered around, and a quick survey of the crowd told Cynthia that Alexander had at least kept his word.
"Come on out, Koa!" In a flash, Kommo-o was released, letting out a thunderous roar.
"Your time to shine, darling!" Diantha said, a quick toss of a poké ball. Goodra landed in front of her, shaking herself out with a cheerful, goopy call.
Even though Cynthia had said he was new, and not up to champion strength, Diantha knew better than to underestimate him…but she also was very confident with the move that Goodra had. "Let's start off strong, Hydro Pump!" It wouldn't be super effective, but she needed to at least get a feel for his moves and for whatever Cynthia was planning…Along with putting on a good show.
"Head on," Cynthia directed, Kommo-o putting his arm up to shield himself from the attack as much as he could.
Admittedly, he wasn't the best pokémon to use in their current situation. Most of his special moves were loud and very likely banned. They'd have to be physical. The second Goodra let up, she called for a move. "Scale Shot!"
Not bothering to shake off all the water, with a hefty swing of his arm, brightly colored holo-scales flung off him, hitting Goodra in succession.
With a shake, she looked back at Diantha, nodding that she was still fine.
"Dragon Pulse, darling!" Diantha ordered.
"Work Up!" Cynthia said, hoping to use the time to buff his attack stats while Goodra built up her attack.
With a stomping of his feet and a loud, snorty shake of his head, Dragon Pulse hit him in the cheek as his move took effect. Kommo-o shook himself off, pounding his fists together with a roar, nowhere close to being out for the count.
"It'll take a lot more than that to rattle him," Cynthia said, her pokémon nodding in agreement.
"Darling, I figured that would be the case," she said, her grin apparent from even across their small field. It was a touch sooner than she thought she would need to, but with a heightened attack stat, she needed to act now before they could get any further ahead. Goodra trilled in anticipation, looking back at her trainer. "My dear Goodra, show him some love!"
Goodra rushed him like she was going to attack, Kommo-o bracing himself, but she stopped short, standing up as tall as she could, just barely getting her face level with his.
As Cynthia registered the move Diantha had called for, it was too late.
A sound that could only be described as a goopy purr, Goodra nuzzled into his neck, bringing the beast down to his knees and pulling out a whiny sound from him that Cynthia had never once heard from him. A slight shimmer around Goodra's eyes and his face –she had used Attract.
"Shake it off, Koa!" she called, hoping his name would help ground him.
As Goodra backed away, Diantha was certain their victory had been sealed. Kommo-o looked in no shape to fight back, a half-lidded gaze and slouched posture –perfectly enamored. "Hit him with a Power Whip, darling!"
With a wink, Goodra reared on Kommo-o, smacking him hard with her glowing green tail. He growled as he was sent back towards Cynthia, shaking his head.
"Come on. Don't let her bully you like that. Use Outrage!" It was their only hope. Had it not bee 1, she would have swapped, but they didn't have that luxury. She needed to get him on a rampage to break through the attraction.
He shook his head, refusing to act.
"What a sweet boy," Diantha teased. "Show him your Dragon Pulse!"
Hit head-on once again, the battle was decidedly not in their favor. "You gotta use Outrage! You–" An idea. "Show off how strong you are! A champion's pokémon won't be impressed by a pushover!"
He looked back at her, unsure, then back at Goodra.
"Hydro Pump!" Diantha called while he was stuck in his indecision.
Mindful that they were still on a boardwalk, surrounded by people, Goodra narrowed her range, sending a strong spray at him.
Whether it was Cynthia getting through to him, or something about the water giving him clarity, a red aura surrounded his body. He stuck out his armored arm to block the attack. The second she let up, he lunged.
Taken by surprise, Goodra had to take the attack.
Thinking on her feet, the best Diantha could come up with was to stall him out. Confused and attracted –if they could wait it out, they would be safe.
"Hydro Pump again, but this time on the boardwalk!" she ordered, hoping the gamble would pay off.
Kommo-o continued on his rampage, Goodra having to work around him. All the while, Cynthia tried to figure out the odd call.
The section of the boardwalk became drenched with her move, and just as anticipated, before Kommo-o could land another hit –he slipped. No longer having traction on the wet wood, he fell, his scales clanging loudly.
"Shit," Cynthia said under her breath.
Stuck in his Outrage, nothing she could order would help.
A quick sigh of relief, Diantha felt confident the battle was back in their favor. A slippery boardwalk would mean nothing to Goodra. "Go for another Power Whip!"
Running right up to him, she smacked him once more, the beast struggling to get a footing.
"While she's close!" Cynthia called.
Momentarily breaking through his infatuation, he reached out, grabbing a hold of her tail, holding her in her spot. Before she could react, he sat up as best he could, slamming his head into hers.
She stumbled back, dizzy from the strike.
"Goodra!" Diantha called.
She buckled over, panting hard, but still not out for the count.
When Kommo-o stood up, seemingly no longer slipping about, he swayed as well, dizzy from confusion.
Both Cynthia and Diantha realized that it was anyone's game at that point. Whoever landed the next hit was going to be the victor –and Cynthia was at a severe disadvantage.
Goodra feebly stood up, glancing back for an order.
"Breathe, Koa," Cynthia said, trying her best to keep them both calm. All he could do was grumble in response.
"Dragon Pulse, one last time!" Diantha ordered.
"You gotta go for a Scale Shot!" Cynthia countered.
The attacks collided with both of them, knocking them both completely back to their trainers.
With bated breath, everyone waited to see who would be the first to move, but after a few tense seconds, neither pokémon made a motion to get up. A tie.
Kneeling down to Goodra's side, Diantha checked over her pokémon, but no serious injuries beyond maybe a bruised ego. "Good show, darling," Diantha said as she cracked an eye open once more.
A jingling of scales, and the two looked up. Kommo-o was scrambling to get up, swatting away Cynthia's hand as he scrabbled his way across the boardwalk. More shyly, he approached, body hunkered low to be less imposing, with eyes intent on Goodra. He was wanting to make sure he didn't actually hurt her.
Diantha laughed. "My, you are a sweet boy, aren't you?" she asked, watching as Goodra sat up and smiled at him, getting a soft cooing from some of the crowd still around them.
"When he wants to be," Cynthia said, approaching, mindful to not slip on the boardwalk as well.
Something Diantha had certainly heard before.
Standing up completely, Goodra trilled, eagerly nuzzling into Kommo-o's neck again, this time with no added Attract.
He grumbled low, turning back to Cynthia, moving behind her and burying his face into her hair, making her lurch forward. "What are you doing?!" she asked, stumbling.
"A shy boy, too!" Diantha said, sharing a laugh with Goodra.
Cynthia turned around, grabbing his scaly face. "Get out of my hair!" she said, getting a laugh from Diantha and Goodra both. "I thought you got over that after evolving from Hakamo-o!"
Pushing on, Goodra trilled at Kommo-o, forcing him back some more. It at least got him out of Cynthia's hair.
"Big baby," she said, already feeling the knot in her hair.
Jeans wet at the knee, Diantha stood, watching their pokémon. pokémon flirting wasn't her expertise, but she was pretty sure Goodra was laying it on thick for the poor boy. "She's a fussy lady– can't say I've ever seen another pokémon get her attention like him."
"He's still young– I don't think he knows how to respond to flirting," Cynthia said with a laugh, watching Goodra make circles around him. At least the battle hadn't left either of them with any hard feelings.
Offering her hand out, Cynthia said, "Good match, by the way," she said.
Diantha took her hand, a quick squeeze before letting go. "Same to you, darling. For such a new pokémon, he handles very well."
For a while longer, they watched their pokémon badly flirt with one another, and talked with some people who approached them both. Some recognized them as champions, many just saw them as strong trainers. The beauty of such a large city. Some of their, now former, coworkers joined them, Lita offering to buy them both a drink as a reward for their match.
"Cynthia! Diantha!"
Turning at the sound of her name, Cynthia smiled at the sight of Kara and Katie, glad to know the invite had been extended to the PAs as well. "Hey!"
Kara let go of Katie's hand to step forward, down at her side, her Scorbunny bouncing on his heels. "This is probably stupid– and you can say no since you just battled– but I've been wanting to ask you both for a battle!" she said, her grin stretching one freckled cheek to the other.
A surprise of a request. "What changed your mind?" Cynthia asked, thinking back to all the instances where Kara had declined battles with anyone.
She glanced back at Katie, who merely nodded her encouragement.
"Just…" She shrugged lightly. "Trying to get better about not letting my fear of failure ruin everything. I might only ever get this one chance to battle you both, so I gotta take it!" she said.
"Can't say I'm going to say no to that," she said before looking at Diantha.
She nodded. "I've got at least one more battle in me. Are you looking for a double battle?" she asked.
Kara looked back at Katie, who nodded again.
"It's not much," Katie began, her hand shooting for the back of her neck. "But I do have at least three gym badges. I don't consider myself a serious trainer, but I do like to challenge the gyms if we get to go to a location with one."
Diantha nodded. "I think the two of us can temper ourselves enough for it to still be fun," she said. It would be their first double battle fighting on the same side, and that alone would provide a challenge.
Wanting to give them at least a small edge, Cynthia went with Roserade, Diantha choosing Gourgeist to offer the same. While it was clear that Katie and Kara had battled together plenty of times beforehand, it didn't take too long for Cynthia and Diantha to fall into a rhythm of their own.
To their credit, Kara's Scorbunny and Katie's Scrafty both put up a good fight, both getting in attacks and combinations that would surprise both champions. In the end, though, the victory went to Cynthia and Diantha.
As the evening went on, the flow of people continually moved, showing no signs of ever truly sleeping. Around sunset, enough of their coworkers had finally left that it was appropriate for them to finally take their leave without causing any stir.
"Let me at least walk you to the metro," Cynthia said, knowing it was a flimsy excuse at best. Diantha didn't need an escort –especially when her signature pokémon could teleport her around the city without issue.
But nobody raised an eye, simply bidding the two goodbye, and telling them to keep an eye out for an invite to the premier.
It wasn't until they were on the metro and sure that nobody around them was even aware of who they were did Diantha put her arm through Cynthia's. "I'm so sorry, my darling," she started, confusing Cynthia. "I feel like I've been rebuffing you all night."
She shrugged with her free shoulder. "It's okay– I'm not upset."
"Are you sure?" she asked, looking up at her.
Taking the opportunity, she kissed her forehead. "Promise. There were a lot of people there– and enough of them knew who we were. Better to play it safe."
She hummed, not satisfied. "I'm just– I suppose I'm worried it might come across as trying to hide you– which– I guess I am–"
Taking her arm back, she put it over her shoulder, bringing her in. "Hey– you're not hiding me in the way I know you mean."
Diantha still wasn't convinced, but in favor of not having such a heavy conversation on the subway of all places, she put her arm around Cynthia's back, holding her tightly.
"I know things aren't ideal right now, and there's plenty of conversations we need to have, but this is the game we have to play for now. I don't hold it against you," Cynthia said.
While there weren't necessarily any perfect words for the situation, it was enough to at least let some of Diantha's anxiety take a side step for the time being. In comfortable silence they rode the final few stops until they were nearest her apartment.
The building was mostly quiet by the time they got inside, and thankfully someone had just stepped out of the elevator, leaving them no wait to step in.
As the doors closed, Diantha nestled herself right into Cynthia's side, a content sigh escaping her as she was welcomed back in. Across from them, their reflection in the doors was nothing more than a blur of mostly black and white. The elevator was comfortably warm, the mechanical hum of their ascent soft and low.
Unova was never a region Cynthia necessarily felt strongly for one way or the other. Sure– she loved her friends that were in the region. She loved the vast history of the region. She loved visiting –but only visiting.
Normally, by the end of her trip, she was thoroughly ready to be back in Sinnoh.
Instead, by the happenstance of getting picked for a role she still wasn't convinced she was actually suited for, she had found a whole new appreciation for the region, and Castelia City in particular.
Though, as she glanced back at their fuzzy reflection, she breathed a laugh without meaning to. Maybe it wasn't the region or the city, necessarily, but the person she was associating with those.
"What?" Diantha asked, not moving from her spot. She just barely felt Cynthia shrug.
"Nothing, I was just–" She shrugged again. "I was thinking how originally I was dreading this project. From the moment I said 'yes' to acting, I was dreading it. I even asked my manager a few times to try to pull me from it, but she refused to let me back out. I'm glad she didn't let me, and I'm really glad I went through with it. Might have genuinely been one of the best decisions I've ever made."
At the very least, had she not they wouldn't be where they were. Things would have likely resumed the exact way they were at the previous meeting –stuck in a mutual "She wouldn't want anything to do with me" mindset, continuing to pass one another by.
Diantha pulled back just enough to get a better look at her, warmth crawling up the back of her neck. "Really?" she asked.
Cynthia nodded, feeling no need to over-explain.
Leaning in, Diantha placed a kiss on her shoulder, lingering in the spot. If she pulled away, she risked there being enough space for the word she was desperate to hold back to come tumbling out…
By the time they reached her floor, she had enough time to collect herself, pulling away without fear to find her key in her purse.
Once inside, shoes and purse discarded by the door, Diantha slipped back into Cynthia's grasp, pulling her down for a kiss. Soft and warm– relief. "Wanted to do that all night," she said.
"Been wanting to do that all day," Cynthia said before snagging another. Earlier in the day, she might have been more fervent about it. Wanting to get her hands on her and finally get to have their own 'after party', but instead, she was content to simply hold her in her arms. Worn out from the long day, content to be home together.
Resting her head on Cynthia's shoulder, the two of them stood there in the entryway, in the faint lighting from the lamps they had left on that morning. The building below them moved faintly in its neverending sway. Above them, they could faintly make out the sounds of her neighbors moving about, the claws of whatever pokémon they had clicking on the floors.
"Hard to believe it's over," Diantha said.
"Almost doesn't seem real," Cynthia said, for a multitude of reasons. Acting had never been something she had seriously considered in the past. Castelia City had never been her favorite of all the cities and towns in Unova. Diantha was simply just another champion who she hardly knew. Falling in love again –a thought she was finally willing to fully admit to herself– was not even a possibility in her mind.
But now…
She had successfully completed an acting gig. Castelia City was one she was finding herself wanting to spend all her time in because there seemed to be always something new to do. Diantha was someone she was intimately getting to know. Someone she was absolutely falling in love with.
In the back of her mind, she knew she had closed herself off due to her previous relationship. It wasn't until the realization of just how open she wanted to be with Diantha that she was even willing to face it.
Briefly, she wondered where they would have been if they had been able to have their battle at the previous year's international meeting, but she just as quickly decided it didn't matter. She was perfectly content with how they did meet; rocky start and all.
"It probably won't start to feel real until about a week after we haven't had to go back on set," Diantha said, failing to suppress a yawn.
Yawning in turn, they both ended up laughing, Diantha pulling away first.
"I hate to be a bore, but– I'm exhausted," Diantha admitted.
Cynthia shrugged, leaning down to press a kiss to her hair. "We've got time, don't even worry about it. I'm tired too."
While it was true they did have time, it was still fairly limited.
"We should probably talk tomorrow about what we want to do from here," Diantha said, stepping out of her grasp.
She nodded. "Sounds good."
From there, the two went about the nightly routine they had built together, working around one another to get ready for bed.
As Cynthia worked on removing her makeup, she was positive she wasn't going to put any back on for as long as possible. Having someone in her face for it nearly every day for almost three months when previously she rarely wore any— she was over it. Absolutely over it.
By the time they both crawled into bed, she was grateful for the quiet night in. It had been a long day, and to be able to simply curl up next to one another was just as good, if not in some ways better, than anything else.
After a long day of being around so many other people, it was nice to recharge from it all with someone who didn't continue to drain her social battery. With a content sigh, Diantha threw an arm over Cynthia, leaning up to kiss her cheek. "You know, maybe it's selfish, but I do love it just being the two of us," she began, a twinge of regret for not thinking her words through. "Which, again– not out of some sort of wanting to hide you thing–"
"No, I get it," Cynthia interrupted, not needing her to justify her own feelings a second time. The thought of Diantha wanting to hide her hadn't even crossed her mind. They were in a precarious situation. She understood that from the moment she caved in her dressing room. "The second you say anything, it puts us in the spotlight."
She nodded. "In the spotlight and under a microscope." She took a deep breath, feeling an emotional weight come over her. "And I suppose I worry that once you see what it's like in that life, you'll realize you don't want any part of it. Who I am in Kalos is nothing like here."
Without missing a beat, Cynthia answered. "I'm genuinely not worried about it."
Diantha hummed. "Here in Unova, I…" She hummed, in thought. "I would barely consider myself a B-List celebrity. In Kalos, if I am out of my home, Gardevoir is out with me at all times in order to keep me safe. There are times when I have to have a whole bodyguard detail. It's rare, but it does happen. Being with me…isn't easy," she said.
Cynthia shrugged. "It may not be easy, but I think you're worth it."
Tucking herself back under her chin, she took another deep breath, trying desperately to commit every note of her perfume to memory. "You're trying to make saying goodbye as hard as possible, aren't you?" she said.
"More like just trying not to think about it. Would rather just–" She paused to yawn. "Would rather enjoy the time we do have just in case it doesn't work out."
Diantha hummed, hand pausing in her hair. "If it doesn't?" she asked, instantly chastising herself for even doing so.
To her surprise, Cynthia shrugged. "It'll suck and I'm sure I'll be annoying and mopey about it for a while, but– it won't be the end of the world.I don't have any regrets with you, so…" She shrugged again.
"You don't?" Diantha asked, surprised.
Cynthia shook her head, reaching up to pull her hair out from under her shoulder. "Can't think of any. After years of wanting to get to know you, I got to. After being so convinced you wouldn't want anything to do with me, I found out it was actually the opposite," she said, the both of them laughing lightly. "And– I know this is melodramatic, but there's been this worry in the back of my mind that I'm too much of a mess for anyone to feel anything for, and I worried maybe I didn't have those emotions in me." She shrugged with one shoulder. "It's not always a bad thing to be proven wrong."
Diantha's gut-reaction was to say the opposite; that she would put up a good front at first, but be devastated in the long run. Inconsolable to the point where she doubted she would have the ability to take another film project for at least a year –if not longer.
But thinking about it, she realized that maybe she did feel the same. It would hurt, naturally, but her added pain would be from the mixture of her pain from Mel, not all associated with Cynthia. If things didn't work out in the end, it would hurt, it would leave her down for an unknown amount of time –but it wouldn't be the end of the world.
In a moment of vulnerability, Cynthia kept talking. "Do you remember when I said the only scandal I've had as a champion was my twenty-first birthday?" She asked, seemingly taking the conversation in a completely different direction.
"Yes," Diantha said after a moment of thought.
"The only people who know about this are my sister, Steven, and my old therapist. The public just thought that I got carried away drinking for the first time– but what actually happened was, that morning, I came home to the apartment I shared with my boyfriend and caught him in bed with another woman."
Diantha's frown ran deep, hand coming to a rest at her cheek.
"My grandmother had passed recently, too, so– needless to say, I was an absolute wreck. I decided that since I could legally drink, I was going to drink until I completely forgot about it. Got absolutely fucked up, made myself sick, and…decided I wasn't ever going to feel something that strong for someone ever again. If he could do that to me, what was stopping anyone else from doing the same?"
"Trust me, my darling– I understand that all too well," she said, feeling her heart lurch in her chest, worried it was Cynthia's way of telling her she was worried still for them.
When a smile tugged at Cynthia's lips, she felt her worry starting to ease. "I was closed off and unwilling to really entertain the idea of feeling that strongly ever again, but…then I met you," she said, taking a second for a deep breath. The need for sleep was quickly catching up to her. "I don't even know how you did it, but you opened me up again, and I…No matter what happens, I'll always be thankful to you for that."
Again, the word was dangerously close to coming out of her mouth. She wanted to say love. She wanted to simultaneously declare her love loudly and proudly– but quietly in a whisper, as to keep it between them, because she liked it being just the two of them as well. She liked the quietness they had built together. She enjoyed the mini world they had carved out in Unova, a region that wasn't either of their permanent homes.
But she refrained– if only because if she was going to say it, she wanted at least a better backdrop. Tired, in bed wasn't the picture-perfect idea in her mind.
Diantha, similarly, was faring no better. "I'm pretty sure you're the only thing keeping me from completely closing myself off– and I don't say that to put any pressure on you–"
Cynthia lightly laughing derailed her. "Babe, you don't have to always…I don't know– preemptively– fuck, I can't think of the wording."
"Make sure I'm not being misunderstood?"
She reached up to brush her hair away. "Yeah, that."
"Understand it's a byproduct of…my words constantly being construed in the worst possible ways if I'm not very clear," she said, leaning up to kiss the bridge of her nose.
Cynthia snagged her in a quick kiss. "I won't negatively fill in the blanks if you don't. If I get worried about something you said, I'll say it. Even if it scares me," she said.
Diantha's heart skipped another beat. Could it really be that simple? "I can't say I'll get it right every time, but I am willing to make that effort for you." Effective communication was certainly something that all of her past relationships lacked, but for Cynthia…she would put that effort forward.
"That's all I ask," Cynthia said, snagging another kiss. "I know I won't be perfect at it, either, but…it's an effort I'm willing to make for you." And sure, she knew that, naturally, any relationship required effort on all sides, but the nature of what their relationship would entail was a specific kind of effort. Long distance required effort. Both being mentally ill in varying ways required effort. Busy, prominent lives required effort.
Even as terrifying as it all seemed when spelled out so plainly, it was all still an effort she was willing to make. In the face of the warm affection –and sleep-weary courage– the fears paled in comparison…
AN:
lol uh. hey. been a minute :)
one small thing, chapter titles have been changed so it ends on chapter 13 bc i am Nothing if not On Brand :)
BUT since FFN makes it too difficult to change that, i'm calling this 10 on here regardless
also, since last updating i go by kellyn now [he/him]
hope you've been keeping well
-Kellyn
