Japanese Title: Two Mysterious Strangers! Only For The Love Of Evolutions!
Translation: Ni Misuteriasu Tanin! Honno Nitotte Sono Ai no Chenji!
By: Pro_V
"Don't you do it!" Eevy snapped as Yovo opened his mouth to a branch of the tree, "You leave that alone."
"But I like to chew on sticks," her Umbreon gave her a scowl, "And this is just one giant chew toy to me!" he turned and started to jump for it, but she snatched him in midair, "What's the big idea?!"
"Stop it," she planted him in her lap and took out a bow, "Hold still."
"You're not putting that on me!" he flailed wildly and tried to pull away, "No! No bows! Please no!"
"Stop. You'll look cute in this."
"I don't wanna look cute! I wanna get away and chew on a stick!" he was too late and the green bow with gold trim was tied around his neck, "Oh geez!"
"Don't feel bad," Zovo scratched wildly at his neck, trying to remove the gold-trimmed red bow that was stuck on him, "Do we have to wear these?"
"Yes, you do. At least until I get a picture of you in front of the tree."
"Ooh," Lovo fell over backwards, "But I look so bad in red."
Eevy snickered twice as her Jolteon said just what she had, "I'm sure, but I don't care. You'll have to live."
"Green is not my color," Sovo frowned and dropped onto his chest and chin, "Yick."
"This bow is ugly," Novo tried to look down far enough to see the front of his bow, "Eww. And why's it green?"
"Because that's what you got. Vovo isn't complaining; why are you?"
"Because it's fun," Zovo drooped.
"I happen to like my bow," Vovo said proudly and sat up straight.
"Well, good for you," Eevy patted his head.
The Ovos slouched even farther towards the floor. The only plus side to this was they got Eevy all to themselves for a while as she took the Christmas photo she'd been wanting. Lance had been informally booted out so Eevy could have their full attention. Never mind the fact she had it anyway, but still. Lance had huffed out to the porch swing and now lay staring at the porch roof. The air was getting colder and every breath turned to a puff of smoke. The cold air got to him relatively quickly and he zoned in a matter of minutes. The footsteps stomping up the porch steps didn't even faze him, but the knocking on the door scared him senseless.
"Holy shit!" he jumped awake and rolled right off the swing and onto the snow covered porch, "Someone catch my heart. I think it went for a visit with the man on the moon."
The door swung open slowly with Eevy cocking an eyebrow at those who had come to call. A young woman stood nearly dead still, leaning on a guy looking only ever so much older than her. Both had the necks of their coats pulled all the way up and looked to be frozen like ice. A whimper from behind them caught Eevy's attention immediately. A Flareon struggling to keep its head up stood behind them, favoring its front left paw. Eevy made her own whimper before the guy scared her awake again.
"We realize who we're bothering," something in his voice latched onto her attention span, "but could we trouble you for a bit? You see, our Flareon, Torpedo, had some trouble with an Ursaring. The Pokemon Center is already pitch black and we were wondering if the elite of all trainers would be kind enough to help."
Eevy didn't really trust anyone anymore, but that poor little Flareon zapped her right through the heart, "Sure," she stepped out and hoisted the Flareon up, "Torpedo, huh? You just hang in there and we'll get you fixed up. Come on in here and sit. Avoid the Eons and Eevee as much as possible. Their mood is quite on the edgy side right now."
"Certainly, and thank you," he closed the door in Lance's face.
"Excuse me!" Lance barked, "Eevy! Let me in!"
"Good?" the woman asked.
"Good," he nodded back with a half-mouth smile.
*^~^**^~^*
Lance did not like these two. Nope; not at all. He kept out of their sights, yet eyed them constantly. He didn't quite understand why Eevy just let them in, but he did know she would never turn down an Eevee, or one of its Evolutions, in need. Torpedo came wobbling in the door, tipping slightly and still favoring that leg a bit.
"Must have been some Ursaring," Lance grumbled.
"Be nice," Eevy hissed, "Excuse him. Anyway, I'm pretty sure you know, but I'm Eevy," she put out her right hand.
He stared at her hand, narrowing is coal-black eyes at it, then hesitantly putting out his own right hand, "Pietro Padma," he snatched her hand, tight leather gloves constricting even her tough grip, "This is my wife, Paige."
"Pietro," Lance held back the laugh, "O-K."
"Shut up," Eevy picked her book off the table and slapped it across Lance's unsuspecting face, "I'm sorry about your Flareon," she had to fight Zovo off for that one, "It looks like that Ursaring really did a job on him."
"Yes," it seemed Paige was quite the silent type.
"Yes, it did. We're a ways from home," Pietro nodded once.
"Are you from the Four Corners?" Eevy was overly curious for some inexplicable reason.
"Mahogany Town. Up past the Lake of Rage."
"Wow, that's a ways away," she paused, "Then what are you doing way out here on Gertan Rin?"
She noticed Paige squeezed his arm at that, "We just stay up there once and a while. When the weather's too bad to travel. We just wander to acquire certain…knowledge."
"Nomads with a base camp," the book gave Lance a good-sized paper cut on his left cheek that time.
"Well, you're welcome to stay a bit," Eevy gave a welcoming grin.
"What?!" that book slapped across his face again, "Sorry…"
Paige acquired a bit of a grin, "Thank you," quite the quiet little thing.
"That's very nice of you," Pietro's grin grew, "Thank you very much."
"Take your coat?" Eevy held out her hand.
He seemed to growl a bit at that, but handed it over just the same. There was more color than expected. A plain yellow shirt and khakis was more color than needed to contrast his pitch-black eyes and hair. The shirt, however, was a turtleneck, and he seemed to be quite finicky about keeping it pulled up to nearly cover his chin. It seemed he just let his black hair fly, but most of the muddled mess seemed to be directed to the right side of his face. Paige also seemed to favor that side with her light brown hair. For her it seemed about left side; 1/3 and right 2/3, but it was hard to tell. She kept it hanging on the right but tucked it behind her ear on the left. Eevy shrugged it off and took her coat as well. Her dark brown eyes seemed to only carry emotion when she spoke; which was very rarely. She crossed her right leg over her left and seemed to swing her hanging leg as a nervous tick. She wore a white turtleneck with a holly pin at the throat and dark blue bellbottoms with a holly pin on the outside of each ankle. Not once did she ever remove both hands from Pietro's arm. She always had at least one hand on his arm; even when removing her coat. She maneuvered it off her left while clinging with her right and vice-versa.
"Gloves?" Eevy awaited their gloves as well.
Pietro quickly crossed his arms and tucked his hands under, "No thank you," he puffed a bit.
Paige buried her white-gloved hands farther around his arm, "Thank you, no," she murmured.
"Oh," Eevy turned to Lance and shrugged before tossing the coats at him, "Go hang them up and get everyone down here."
"Yes, ma'am!" he fake saluted and growled out the door.
"Eevy," Sovo pulled on her pant leg.
"Not now. Return Ovos!" Eevy held up three Poke'Balls in each hand.
"But, Eevy, wait!" they tried to convince her otherwise, but they were too late.
"The Dragon Master seems tense," Pietro leaned forward, Paige's hands still not releasing his elbow, "Not getting what he wants?"
Eevy kept turned away as her eye colors tied themselves together, "Not exactly, no," she said in a low tone.
"Well," his smile was now more sly than anything as he leaned back again, "I can definitely see why he'd want it."
"Excuse me?" she snapped and spiraled around, ready to throw him across the room when the door opened.
Paige seemed to grow more and more nervous as more of the residents filed in. Especially with the addition of Will and Medira. Pietro's eyes weren't quite shifty, yet looked side to side frantically. They both seemed overly tense, but most just shrugged it off. Lance, on the other hand, didn't like this at all, and made note of it. Introductions were brief and as soon as the hand shaking was done, the couple again hid their hands and fidgeted with the collars of their shirts and with their hair. Will seemed a bit weary too, but no where near as bad as Lance. He was, however, the first to speak up.
"So," he stood directly behind Pietro, "How long do you plan on staying?"
"A couple of days," Pietro kept glancing back at him nervously, "Four at most."
"Uh huh," he dropped his hand on the back of the chair, right behind Pietro's neck.
"Mister Logos," he heard Eevy, but there was no sign of her mouth moving, "Hasn't anyone ever told you reading your guests' minds isn't nice? Do not do it."
"Yes, Eevy," Will stepped back and was silent to everyone but her.
Medira watched them with a bit of nervousness. She trusted them, yet didn't. Anyone gutsy enough to come to the elite trainers' door couldn't be "evil". Pietro repositioned the right knee of his pants, causing the right sleeve of his sweater to slide up a bit, exposing a bit of his arm. Something there caught Medira's attention, but he quickly pulled his arm back and pulled his glove up and his sleeve down. She didn't dare speak what she was thinking and kept silent as the group filtered off to bed. Lance started to the left hallway, but Eevy quickly directed him to his own end of the hall. He slowed and peered in at Pietro and Paige, but kept walking. Pietro made sure the room was totally empty and rolled up his sleeves, showing the air around him just what Medira had hoped was not there; a serpent. He pushed his hair aside and started laughing that iced over snicker that drove Eevy nuts.
"Gullible bastards!" he managed to laugh out, "They fell for it like a boulder off a cliff!"
Paige moved her hair and sleeves, "Pathetic."
"I can already feel their weaknesses emerging! These people are pathetic!" he wasn't hiding his voice, letting that customary snake's hiss roll off his tongue as he laughed, "Anything for an Eevee Evolution. Good job for once, Torpedo. Drop the act and return!" his laughter slowed, "Ooh…There is more than one Red Rubeus."
What he'd been told to do was still filtering around that evil little mind of his…
"Pietro, dear cousin," bright red eyes centered directly on him, "I need a favor."
"Where are you?" Pietro looked side to side, "Show yourself if you want my help!"
"Fine," Peter formed from the darkness in front of him, "Happy now?"
"Elated to a minor degree. What do you want, Peter?"
"Your help with an important matter in the League City. I need you to invade the senses of a few of my friends. I need emotional weaknesses and I know how good you are at picking the emotions of another apart. Like a dog does a bone."
"I prefer as a snake does a mouse," that last word had a horrible hiss at the end, "As I eat them whole."
"Yes, well. I'll get you into the City, and all you have to do for me is pick me up a few little infirmities within the elite and their guests."
"And how, pray tell, do I do that?"
"You still have that wretched Flareon of yours. Have him act that he's all injured and weary. That Champion bitch won't turn down an Eevee or one of its Evolutions if it's in need of help. That silly wife of yours would add a nice touch too."
"And what do I get out of this?"
"Have you taken a head count of the libidinous little lovelies under that roof? I have. Seven."
"Seven?" that caught his attention, "Any blondes?"
"Two. But the one you are not to get near. You will leave the one with violet eyes alone. Touch her, and even your fire-proof skin will burn."
"That Evangelina girl. She's the Champion, correct? She lives there?"
"Yes," he nodded slowly and started pacing around him like a vulture or shark after its prey.
Pietro's smirk grew and he basically licked his chops and waved his eyebrows, "Oh…Goody-goody-goody! Taylor told me about that one. Says she's good."
"I wouldn't know," he cleared his throat, "But, like I said, don't touch the violet-eyed blonde. Cause all the mischief you'd like with the others or just around the house, but leave her alone. You can even bother her little boy-toy. In fact, I'd much prefer it."
"Don't worry. I've got someone else in mind," he gave a toothy half-mouth grin, "And hopefully somewhere else."
"You're married, remember."
"So what? It's never stopped me before and Paige couldn't care less. And when did that ever stop a Rubeus? And what happened to you that you suddenly care?"
"I don't, but they will. They won't care for you anyway. Every girl, teen or older, in that house has a boyfriend. Including your little treasure target. And I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but you'll have to get around Lance Ryujin for her. Along with Cain Tatosi and Victor Ryujin, and maybe even William Logos from what I've seen. Her brother and cousin are there too and I'd let Taylor Andiron have a run with her if I were you."
"Well, you're not me. Nor will you ever be. I have my ways."
"Just remember what your job is. If I see you screwing up or around, I'll just roast your sleeve off. They know the family mark, dear cousin, and they know the family hiss," he hissed right in his face, "Hide your voice and serpent unless you wish yourself dead."
"Don't worry. I'll find what gets them down, and maybe I'll even double it for you."
"You mean weaken them more? How?"
"Like I said, I have my ways."
"And what's in it for you?"
"Well, I recall you said something about your underground room getting destroyed. And I also recall you were holding the angel-girl for later. So, what's in it for me, is I get to keep her, without question, for my own purposes."
"Go ahead. Makes no never mind to me," he shrugged, "But you lay one finger on the violet-eyed blonde and you die. But keep in mind who you're dealing with."
"Don't worry. I'll do my job and get my prize. I always do. After all, I am a Red Rubeus…
*^~^**^~^*
Paige continued to be nearly completely silent, but she did actually leave Pietro's side once and a while. Though it was usually to do something for him. Pietro was just walking by the door when it swung open and smacked him in the back of the head.
"Damn!" he growled and spun around, "Watch it, goof-off!"
"Hey, sorry man," Victor snickered, "Don't think I've met you. Victor," he snatched Pietro's hand, "Nice gloves."
"Pietro," he snatched his hand away and scowled while rubbing his wrist, then noticing Vic standing behind her brother, "Well hello there!" he smiled wide.
"Uh…hi," Vic gagged.
"I'm going to find Eevy. You just hang around here and chat," Victor started walking away with a light laugh and his hand in his pocket.
"No, wait! V! Don't!" she tried to get him to stop, but Pietro slapped his hand on the wall in front of her, "Ahehe," she looked back at him with a nervous smile.
"Hello. Don't believe we've met," he brought up his free right hand, "Hi. I'm Pietro Padma."
"Hi," she took his index finger between her index and thumb, "Victoria Ryujin."
"Ah, so you're related to the Dragon Master."
"Yeah. Lance is my brother," she started to duck his arm, but he moved it down.
"Really?" he continued, "Your older brother, I presume?"
"By a few years," she again tried to get past but he moved his arm into her way, "Good bye."
"No need to say good bye if you're not leaving, honey. Who's the Victor guy?"
"My twin brother. Move."
"Twin, huh?" he looked over his shoulder at the searching Victor, "Well, I can see who got all the looks and it isn't him."
"That's nice," she started to walk around to the other side, but his other arm came up to the wall, "I've got stuff to do. Move."
"Stuff can wait, sweetheart," his grin grew, "I'm here now."
"Yes, I can see that, but move," her eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"Say please," he waved his eyebrows at her.
"Please," she growled and shoved him out of the way, "Disgusting," she spat as she stomped away.
He whistled after her, "I'll keep my schedule open and my hands free!"
"Oh, God!" she hacked and slammed into the door beside her.
"Hehehe. Oh yeah. This job is gonna be finger-lickin' good," Pietro turned around and walked away laughing.
*^~^**^~^*
"Oh, Mistress. Where are you?" Victor wandered around the ground floor, "Miss Hikoboshi! Champion Mistress! Where'd you get to?"
"What's all the yelling about?" Eevy paused and stared at him, "Oh, it's you!"
"There you are!" he smiled wide, "Look up!"
"Oh no," Eevy moaned and looked slowly upward, spotting that dreaded Holiday plant swinging from the ceiling, "Oh no! Your big brother warned me about this."
"Come on! What's so different between me and Lance?" he shrugged, "Other than a couple of years age-wise."
"A lot."
"Oh, please! You even said I was cute."
"I was teasing your brother. It's my job to pester him."
"Well, I'm not teasing anyone when I say you're gorgeous. Come on. One kiss. What could it hurt? And if you haven't changed your mind, I'll leave you alone."
"I'm going to hate myself forever for this," she sighed, "Fine. One."
"Yes!" he cheered and snatched her hand, "You'll change your mind!"
"I doubt it," she shivered.
She was as stiff as a board as he pushed closer and kissed her. She kept him back with her hands shoving his shoulders and tried to hold out until she had the chance to push him away. He put his hands up through her hair and she had no choice but to grab his wrists. He stepped closer, moving in on her. She would have screamed when his tongue shot into her mouth had he not been so close and so forceful that she couldn't. She was overly thankful when his tongue left her mouth and even more thankful to find out his lips went with it. He pulled away slowly and stared her dead in the eyes. He moved his hands out to the sides but she didn't drop his wrists.
"Well?" he smirked and swallowed.
"Let me put it this way," she started, "On a scale of one to ten, your brother is a twelve plus. On that same scale, Taylor was about a seven. And on that very same scale, you're about a two."
"Huh?" he slouched and frowned, "Let me try again," he started to lean in for another.
"No," she cracked him across the face, "Leave me alone, Victor," she shoved him back and started walking away.
"Hey, come on! I'm not even a five?" he ran up beside her.
"You're not even a three," she snorted pointedly, "Now leave me alone."
"Please, Eevy! Just one more chance!"
"No, Victor! Leave me alone!"
"What's the problem?" Pietro wandered over, staring Victor down.
"What's it to you?" Victor stared him right back.
"It's a lot to me," Pietro leaned into his face, "I can't let the person responsible for saving my Flareon get pestered, now can I?"
"Yeah, whatever," Victor stood straight and puffed at him, "See ya' around, Eevy," he turned and stomped out.
"Well," Eevy murmured, "I suppose I should thank you. He's just over-eager, but thanks just the same."
"No problem," he put his hand on the wall to his left and leaned on it, "Care to thank me a little more?"
"How can you be so polite at points and so rude at others?"
"Hey, when I spot something I want, I make a move. And you, I daresay, I want."
"You, my guest, are married."
"Never stopped anyone before," his smile widened, "Paige doesn't care."
"But I do," she started to walk by but he put out his arm and pushed her back.
"Come on. Don't be so tense. No reason to be. Perhaps I could even help loosen you up."
"Or maybe not. I'll thank you to stop coming on to me for the remainder of your stay here and any points after that," she shoved past and walked away, not even giving him a second look.
"I can wait. I always get what I want. No woman can turn a Rubeus down forever."
*^~^**^~^*
"What was going on with you and Victor and Pietro?" Lance glared at Eevy from her desk chair as he sat in it.
"Absolutely nothing," Eevy shook her head, "Your brother played his mistletoe games and Pietro stopped him."
"I saw him touch you," Lance puffed, "I was on the stairs when he pulled you back. What were you doing?"
"I did nothing. I said something and he didn't quite hear me, so he asked me to step back and say it again," such a liar!
"Looked more like he was pushing his luck to me," he stood up and leaned over her, "You'd tell me if he was, right?"
"Of course I would," she pushed his nose, "And he wasn't."
"I'll trust you, Eevy. But you've got to swear you're being honest."
"I swear," she pulled him down by the shirt and kissed him, "Your brother, on the other hand, he got pushy."
"Really?" his eyes narrowed, "Pushy how?"
"He kissed me and tried to get me to fall for him. It didn't work. I told him on a scale of one to ten, he kissed a two and you do a twelve plus-"
"If either of them lays one hand on you, I'll snap them in half. You are officially my girlfr-"
"-And that Taylor was a seven…"
"Excuse me?" he huffed down at her, "You actually remember his kisses?"
"Eh," she turned bright red, "Sorta…"
"Oh that's just lovely!" he stood up and turned around, crossing his arms, "Disgusting! That's gross!" he paused, "I thought you said you two were never close-close."
"We weren't that close!" she flailed, "Kissing, yes. Leaning against each other, once and a while. But anything more, no way! I've thought about going farther with you than I ever went with him!"
"Honestly?" he looked slightly over his shoulder.
"I swear!" she shrieked and sat up straight.
"I'm going to believe you," he turned around and leaned on the bed, pushing into her face, "This once. But if I ever hear his name-"
"Never," she put her arms around his neck, "I love you too much, Lance."
"Cute," he leaned down and kissed her, pulling back slowly, "Just like you."
"It's easy to tell the weaknesses of these two," Pietro stood outside the door and narrowed his eyes, "Each other and their relatives. I'm sure I could play on this old flame too. Peter did tell me family and loved ones seem to be the focus of their emotions, and that a certain Elite member has a serious problem with such things. I propose I work on him next."
A bright green-white glow caught his attention from the window, but there was nothing there when he looked. The Forest Spirit ducked below the window and fluttered for a moment. It didn't like these two newcomers any more than Lance did. The little Spirit could tell that the Psychic Master wasn't exactly thrilled with them either and also that the Dragon Master's younger siblings despised Pietro. It could sense the Medio Mistress had some kind of reaction to something on his right arm, but it couldn't tell what, and it knew that as long as that Flareon kept up the act, there would be no reason for the Champion Mistress to start wanting them gone. As the Mistress had said many times, she'd grown to be used to the come ons and flirts. So, therefor, she felt no need to feel any annoyance towards Pietro Padma, except that he was married and didn't seem to care. As long as this went on, the entire house was in danger in more than one way.
The Next Chronicle:
Taking The First Shot
Notes
Whee...Another weird one. But this one I didn't do completely on my own. The idea for Paige and Pietro came from rainflower. She does so much to help it's scary o_O She's a real big help, and an inspiration, so go and check out her stuff too. ^_^
*^~^*Pro_V*^~^*
-=O~Her Pokemon~O=-