"Gohan," his voice was gruff, and serious, "I need to speak with you."
Gohan's curious eyes met the eyes of his master.
"Of course. What is it, Piccolo?"
Piccolo shifted uncomfortably, and placed his hand on the back of his neck.
"It's about Mollie."
My heart ached. I knew he disliked me. He'd been cold to me since our first meeting.
"She's great, isn't she? She's fantastic with her Pokémon, and Pan really seems to like her. I sure hope she sticks around."
The wiggling lump in Gohan's arms squealed at the sound of her name, and she flung her arms around her Father's neck.
"Papa will play with you later, okay Pan?"
Pan snuggled back into her Father's arms, and yawned sleepily.
"So, what's the problem with Mollie?" Gohan questioned.
My stomach knotted as Raichu hopped onto my shoulders. I pressed my finger to my lips to signal her to keep quiet.
"I'm not sure why, but she's been on my mind lately. My thoughts are very distracting, and I need them to stop." Piccolo explained.
Gohan was silent, and then began to chuckle.
"What's so funny?"
"Piccolo," Gohan stifled a laugh, "Is it possible that you've got feelings for Mollie?"
Was that even possible? My heart jumped in my chest, and my legs wobbled. Raichu turned her head as she looked at me.
"What exactly do you mean by feelings?"
Gohan chuckled again.
"Sometimes when you meet someone, and spend some time with them you start to feel a certain way about them. It's confusing at first, but when you come to the realization that you've found your special someone it's actually kind of nice."
Gohan sighed as he looked down at the now sleeping baby in his arms.
"What do I do if I'm experiencing these," Piccolo paused, "feelings?"
"The best thing to do is to talk to Mollie. She said something about watching for a certain Pokémon up in the mountains tonight, but I think she was going to ask Dad to accompany her."
"Your Father?! W-why?"
There was a hint of panic to Piccolo's voice.
"Mollie heard that there were bad people hanging around that area, but her boss wanted her to go up there anyways. She was going to ask Dad for protection."
"I'm going to talk to her." Piccolo responded.
Oh shit.
"C'mon. We have to make ourselves look busy." I whispered to Raichu.
She hopped off of my shoulders, and followed close behind as I sprinted to a clearing not too far from where we were hiding.
"We'll make it look like we've been training. Piccolo probably won't be too happy if he knew we were eavesdropping."
Raichu nodded.
"Use Iron Tail on that Boulder, and try your hardest to crack it."
Raichu sprang up, and lifted her lightning bolt shaped tail behind her. It became aglow in a silver light, and she descended quickly, striking the boulder before her paws hit the grass. The two of us watched for cracks with bated breath.
"What are you doing?"
Piccolo's voice made my whole body tingle, and I felt my cheeks get warm. I spun around, and he stood behind me. His cape was blowing in the breeze, and his eyes were focused on me. Raichu returned to my shoulder, and nuzzled into the nape of my neck.
"Oh," I looked away bashfully, "trying to improve the strength of Raichu's Iron Tail."
His normally green skin now had a faint pink blush running along his cheeks, and he seemed to be slightly sweating.
"Are you okay?"
I took a step towards him, and his body stiffened.
"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. I just," he cleared his throat, "wanted to make sure you didn't need anything. You know, being in a new place and all."
I fought the urge to smile.
"Are you free tonight?"
The words came tumbling past my lips before I had a chance to stop them. Piccolo's eyes grew wide.
"Tonight? I…um…well, I-"
I giggled, and the pink on his cheeks turned a light red.
"It's alright if you're not. I was just hoping to ask you for a favor."
"You know," I started as I dangled my feet over the rocky edge of the mountain, "I've never met anyone like you. You're different. I like that."
His body stiffened, and a deep red blush spread over his cheeks.
"Y-you like that?" he stammered.
I nodded, and couldn't help but smile. It was hard not to while I was around him.
"Is that okay?" I questioned in a mocking tone.
His eyes made contact with mine for the first time in a while, and his stoic demeanor returned.
"Why wouldn't it be?"
I chuckled, and his eyes grew wide.
"Just making sure."
He remained silent, but kept his eyes on me.
"Mollie."
My heart fluttered when he spoke my name.
"Yes, Piccolo?" I answered.
For a moment it seemed as if he were frozen. The blush spread to his pointed ears, and he directed his gaze away from me.
"Why did you request that I stay with you?"
His voice was cold, yet yearned for a straightforward answer.
"Maybe," I hesitated, "I wanted to spend time with you. Alone."
He half smiled.
"I could have asked Goku to stay with me instead." I said, playfully.
The smile disappeared, and he quickly turned towards me.
"No. It's okay. I'm glad you asked me."
The wind blew a chilly breeze around us, and I shuddered.
"You're cold."
It wasn't a question.
"I'm okay." I responded as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
He sat beside me, close enough for me to reach out and touch, and wrapped his white cape around my shoulders. I wondered if this was an invitation to move closer.
"Thank you."
Piccolo remained statuesque at my side. Every so often he'd glance at me, and then quickly turn his gaze away. The wind blew heavier, and I shielded my face from the cold.
He angled himself so that I was protected from the sharpness that accompanied the freezing breeze. I leaned into him, and sighed as a warm sensation filled my veins. I hardly noticed that his body had began to tremble, and I looked up at him. His eyes were wide, and he seemed to be deep in concentration.
"Sorry," I took a step back, "you're just ridiculously warm."
His gaze fell on me.
"It's okay," he said in a hushed tone, "I-I liked it."
I smiled coyly as I turned away from him, and felt my cheeks flush.
"I did too." I admitted.
Tiny bumps had formed on the exposed skin on my arm, and my teeth began to chatter. I took a step towards him, and he covered my shoulders with his cape in the same gentle fashion.
"So, what exactly are we looking for?"
The icy tone of his voice made me shiver.
"Minior. They're a meteor Pokemon. They've only ever fallen in the Alola region, but there's been reports that they're starting to fall here as well."
Ninetales nudged the back of my hand with her nose, and looked upwards. I felt my breath catch in my throat. Hundreds of radiantly colored, star shaped Pokémon danced rhythmically in the deep blue sky.
"Are those-"
I nodded.
"The Minior. They're beautiful, don't you think?"
"Yeah," he started, in an odd sort of tone, "they really are."
His voice sounded distant, and almost nervous. His gaze had fallen on me, and the blush had returned to his cheeks.
"Mollie, I-"
I stepped towards him. My body started quivering, but not because of the cold.
"I think I understand how you're feeling." I admitted.
My heart began to beat rapidly in my chest.
"You're afraid because you've never felt such intense, strong feelings for anyone. You're confused because you're not sure what they mean, or how to deal with them. Your people have never felt what you're feeling. Everything you're feeling right now with me makes perfect sense."
His eyes narrowed.
"You overheard my conversation with Gohan, didn't you?"
My stomach fell. Busted.
"Maybe just a little."
He groaned, and turned away.
"This is so goddamned embarrassing." he mumbled under his breath.
"I'm glad I did. Because I'm just as confused, and afraid as you are. Because I've never felt so strongly about anyone either."
He turned back, a quizzical expression was plastered on his face.
"What about Raihan?"
I chucked, and his expression changed to one of confusion.
"Raihan is my best friend. I met him when I was participating in Galar's Gym Challenge. All of the other girls, and even some of the guys, swooned over the great Gym Leader of Hammerlocke. I, on the other hand, wasn't looking for that kind of a relationship. I wanted a battle, not a boyfriend. I didn't make myself noticeable to him, yet he seemed to notice me.
"We battled, and I won fair and square. Usually after the battle is finished the Gym Leader will shake your hand, and present you with a badge as proof that their Gym had been conquered, but that wasn't the case with Raihan. He closed his Gym after our battle, and showed me around Hammerlocke. He took the time to get to know me unlike anyone else ever had before. He asked me the most outrageous questions, and listened when I answered.
"I thought that meeting would be the first, and the last, but it wasn't. We got closer, and I could sense that he wanted something more than friendship, but my heart was set on Pokémon research. He accepted that answer, and vowed to support me wherever my journey took me. It ended up taking me here, and I'm glad it did because this is where you are."
Piccolo remained silent, but his demeanor had softened.
"I have a suggestion." I sighed, feeling a sudden surge of confidence.
"Yeah? What is it?"
Curiosity danced in his eyes.
"What if, " I inhaled, "we kissed?"
His eyes widened, and a bead of sweat dripped down the his cheek.
"You-," he pointed at me, "you want to kiss me?"
"Mhm." I nodded.
He closed his eyes, and looked as if he were having an internal debate with himself. I suddenly felt very insecure, and felt my heart leap into my throat. Of course he didn't want to kiss me. He was a Namekian. He doesn't experience romantic feelings, and why would he feel them for me even if he did?
Ninetales seemed to sense my inner struggle, and trotted to my side. Her bright red eyes were full of concern as she searched my face, and whimpered.
"Mollie."
Piccolo's deep voice cut through the silence like a knife.
"Look, I'm sorry for suggesting we kiss. It was stupid, and I'm not sure what I was thinking. I probably wasn't thinking to be completely honest. I just-,"
"Mollie." he called again.
"S-sometimes I don't think, and I blurt things out. I get overexcited, and my mouth moves faster than I'd like it to."
"Mollie."
His voice was louder this time.
"Yes?"
He grasped my chin, and gently pulled my face towards his. He bent down, and pressed his lips to mine. For a moment I feared that my knees were going to buckle. The world went silent, and for a beautiful, serene instant it felt as if Piccolo and I were the only two beings on Earth.
"Well, well. What do we have here?"
A short, squat man in a dark outfit emerged from the inky blackness. His large, bulbous nose nearly hid his two almond shaped eyes. His hair, which was stuffed lazily under a baseball cap, was frizzy, and wild. His appearance was similar to that of a circus clown. Piccolo stood in front of me protectively.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked gruffly.
The man laughed in a nasally, obnoxious sort of way, and casually took a step towards us.
"Just a spectator of the Minior if you need to know. My boss sent me here to do some research so I'll be taking a few along with me."
"You can't." I exclaimed, stepping away from Piccolo.
"Oh? And why not, pray tell."
"You'd be compromising the Minior's safety, and that's not fair to them, or the people that will come together to watch them fall."
The man snorted.
"Don't you worry your pretty little head, Miss. I'll be sure to take good care of then."
I took a step forward, and Piccolo made sure to stay close.
"I won't let you take any of them."
Ninetales trotted to my side. Her ears were back, and her tails were pointed upwards.
"Is that your Ninetales?" the man questioned.
"It is."
The man's eyes seemed to disappear as he squinted.
"I'll tell you what. We'll have a battle. If I win," he laid his hand over his chest, "I get to take the Minior without any back sass from you."
"And if I win?"
This caused the man to break out in hysterical laughter. He snorted several times, and slapped his knees before wiping away tears of joy.
"That won't happen, but if it does I suppose I'll have no choice but to leave here empty handed."
"Fine," I agreed reluctantly, "but I'm not using Ninetales."
The man's smug smile disappeared, and a look of confusion replaced it.
"Mollie, don't."
Piccolo looked down at me uneasily.
"He's not ready. You have no control over him."
My fingers curled over the smooth edge of the Pokeball in my hand.
"Trust me." I smiled.
The ball burst open with a brilliant glowing light as it soared through the air. A dark, malevolent figure emerged, and stretched it's massive black wings.
"Let's go, Shadow." I called.
The beast swung his reptilian head in my direction, and snarled. His angry, blood red eyes focused on me, and the flame on his tail burned brightly against the obsidian sky.
"Leave it to a pretty girl to have shiny things." the man chortled.
He rummaged around in his satchel, and brought out a yellow, and black ball.
"Now you'll see what true power is. Come out, Dragalge."
His Pokemon was lanky, and thin. It's sleepy, red eyes locked onto Shadow, but Shadow's eyes were lingering on me. His upper lip curled, and exposed his two glimmering, pointed fangs. The squat man began laughing obnoxiously.
"You don't have a handle on your Charizard. This battle would be completely one sided. I'd hate to see such a beautiful face tarnished by sadness once I crushed you."
Shadow snarled as he turned toward the man.
"Shadow, use Flamethrower and show this asshole what we can do."
With one beat of his colossal wings he loomed over me. Intensity, rage, and hatred burned brightly in his eyes. Yellowish orange embers were aglow in his gaping mouth, and he lowered his head so that his horns were at my eye level.
"Mollie, look out."
I felt an arm wrap around my waist as Shadow spewed scalding flames in my direction. He roared victoriously, and lifted his head towards the sky as he unleased another pillar of flames above him.
"Are you alright?" Piccolo asked, his voice full of concern.
I nodded.
"Yeah," I attempted to hide the fear in my voice, "I'm okay."
He sighed.
"Thank goodness."
His eyes softened as he looked at me, and I felt the tension in my body disappear. I knew it wasn't the right time, but I really wanted to kiss him again. I leaned into him, and felt his grip on me tighten.
"Hey, uh," the squat man yelped, "I hate to break up your romantic moment, but Charizard is still out of control. I'm not entirely sure you're aware."
Shadow turned his eyes back to us, and readied himself for another attack. Ninetales lunged forward, and bared her teeth.
"Fighting fire with fire wouldn't make much sense." The man complained.
Ninetales turned back towards me.
"He's an idiot, but he's right." I sighed.
I touched her forehead to mine, and nuzzled into her soft fur.
"Stay at my side. I'll keep you safe. I promise."
The squat man sauntered up slowly, and kept his tiny eyes on Shadow.
"Please," he said in a quiet voice. "let me help."
The look on his face was one of remorse, and pleading.
"I'm not a bad person. I never wanted to steal the Minior, but my boss ordered me to. Please, let me make it up to both of you. Dragalge knows Water Pulse, and Aqua Tail."
Piccolo kept his eyes on the man. His brows were furrowed in contemplation, and he kept his hands balled into fists. He stood near me, but he didn't seem the least bit intimidated by him.
"You were right."
The man looked over at me.
"Ninetales is strong, but not as strong as Shadow. I have another Pokemon that may be able to help."
I grasped the last Pokèball in my arsenal from my satchel, and threw it with a hopeful heave.
"Let's go, Raichu."
Raichu pointed her lightning shaped tail towards the sky as sparks crackled out of the electric sacks on her cheeks.
"Dragalge, use Water Pulse." The man commanded.
Dragalge directed its long, thin mouth towards Shadow and drew its head back. Ripples in the shape of large circles were blasted in Shadow's direction. He turned his eyes towards us, and propelled himself into the air with his enormous wings.
"Raichu, Thunder Wave."
Raichu dashed forward, and shot a small jolt of electricity upwards towards him. It wound around his body as if it were a great, glowing snake, and brought him to the ground. He shuddered, and stumbled as he tried to lift himself. His clawed feet dug into the ground as he steadied himself, and then he collapsed.
"Shadow, return!"
A beam of red light shot out of the Pokèball I held in my quivering hand, and surrounded Shadow. The ball felt red hot in my hand, and I tossed it back into my satchel as I attempted to slow my heartbeat. The squat man inhaled, and then fell to the ground as he exhaled. His eyes were full of relief.
"Nice job."
Piccolo's eyes were wide as he stood next to me.
"Hey. What-"
He wrapped his arms around me, and pulled me into him. The side of my face rested gently on his chest, and I closed my eyes as an instant comforting feeling spread through me.
"I'm sorry." I whispered as he held me.
A lump began to form in my throat, and I nuzzled deeper into his chest to hide the tears that unexpectedly sprang to my eyes.
"I shouldn't have used Shadow. You were right. I have no control over him. It was a stupid move."
He held me tighter. I looked up at him, and my heart leapt as a smile crept across his lips.
"What is it?" I questioned, turning my head.
He snickered.
"Oh, nothing." he responded coyly.
He wiped a stray tear off of my cheek, and let his hand linger for a moment. The blush that had faded from his cheeks slowly reappeared, and his demeanor quickly changed to one of nervousness.
"Piccolo?"
"Hm?"
I placed my hand on top of his reassuringly.
"Let's take our time, okay? We don't have to rush anything. We can take it nice and slow. I'll be right here when you're ready to move forward."
The blush turned a deeper red.
"Mollie," he took my hand in his, "thank you."
I smiled warmly, and it almost felt as if a jolt of electricity went through my body as he kissed me. It was gentle at first, and then it became something more passionate. His grip on me tightened whenever his lips explored a new area of mine. His breathing became rapid, and his body began to tremble. My lungs ached as they struggled to inflate, and lightheadedness set in, but I found myself longing for our encounter to continue.
The kiss took another new, intimate turn. My hands touched every inch of his exposed chest, and he inhaled sharply. His claws pricked into my skin as he slid his hands to my shoulders, and pulled me into him. He pulled away gently, and looked down at me.
"S-sorry," he studdered "I just-"
"Wow," a familiar, yet irritating voice rang out, "that Charizard was a beast!"
My head spun as my eyes focused on the squat man. His baseball cap was now crooked on his head, and his unkempt hair was sticking up in various directions. He had scorchmarks on his clothes, and soot covered his bulbous nose.
"Thank you for the assist." I replied, "Are you alright?"
He broke into nasally, joyous laughter as he pranced to my side.
"Am I okay? Am I okay?!"
He grasped my hand, and pulled me into a quick, dizzying twirl.
"I'm wonderful!"
He released, and the dizziness I had already been feeling had been amplified. My vision became blurry as I stumbled, and then I felt two hands take hold of my shoulders. Piccolo stood close behind me, and scowled at the man as he steadied me.
"Perfect, you're uninjured. Now tell us who the hell you are."
The squat man ceased his spinning, and winked in our direction.
"The name is Nega, and I'm from Team Zero."
He shuffled his foot on the ground pitifully.
"I'm just a low level grunt. I thought if I stole a few Minior the boss would increase my rank, but," he picked up a broken bit of Minior shell off of the ground, "you're right. Interfering with the migration of the Minior would be unfair."
He held out the shell, and I took it in my hand.
"I'm not sure what you're reasoning for being up here is, but I'm sure you need this more than I do."
"Thank you." I replied breathlessly.
He smiled as he bowed his head.
"You battled really well. Your Raichu's electric attack was really powerful."
Panic flooded through my body as I searched the barren mountains around us for a sign of Raichu. I was unsure if she was injured after battling Shadow, and then, as if right on cue, Ninetales trotted to my side with Raichu perched happily on her back.
"Thank goodness you're both okay."
I scooped Raichu into my arms, and wrapped her in a gentle hug. The electricity that was emanating from her body was warm, and comforting.
"Thank goodness we're all okay."
Nega slung an arm over my shoulder, and I instantly felt uncomfortable.
"Wow," he whispered, "you're really pretty. We should get dinner sometime."
My stomach knotted in excruciating awkwardness. Piccolo grumbled something inaudible under his breath.
"Oh, thank you, but-"
Nega smiled, but sadness lurked behind his almond shaped eyes.
"You're totally crushing on that green guy, aren't you?"
My cheeks suddenly began to get warm.
"Yeah." I admitted.
"Well," he sighed, "how does he feel about you?"
I glanced at Nega, and he was sitting cross legged with his chin propped up on his fists as if he were enjoying story time.
"I-I'm not sure, but after the battle we-"
I stopped myself from continuing.
"Wait a second, why am I talking to you about any of this?"
This caused him to explode into yet another bout of hysterical, nasally laughter. He rolled onto his back, and kicked his legs in the air. It took him several minutes to compose himself, and then he brushed the dirt off of his pants.
"You're cute. If things don't work out with you and the green guy, look me up. C'mon, Dragalge."
He motioned towards his Pokémon, and it drifted beside him obediently.
"What a creep." I shuddered.
Piccolo was standing behind me silently. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his eyes were on me.
"For the record," he started, "I think you're stubborn, and obnoxious, and you act quickly without thinking of the repercussions."
There was a dull, stabbing pain in my chest. He took a step forward, and placed his hand on my cheek, and the pain quickly diminished.
"You're also set in your own ways, and you will fight to protect what you believe in. There's just something about you that's so incredible, and at first I had no idea what I was feeling. I've never experienced anything this, and it's because of you."
And then, without missing a beat he kissed me. It was a passionate kiss that was full the most intense emotions I'd ever felt. I felt my stomach drop as if I were at the highest point on a roller coaster, and preparing for the decent. The kiss ended, and my head felt light. When I was able to regain my bearings I looked up at him.
"Thanks." I whispered.
"For the kiss?"
I chuckled.
"Sure. Let's go with that."
He looked down at me with extreme annoyance flickering in his eyes, and grumbled under his breath.
"Stop being so goddamned secretive, Mollie." he snapped.
"You're cute when you're angry." I giggled.
He made an odd sound in his throat, and his eyes widened.
"Piccolo?" I called out to him.
The crimson blush returned with a vengeance. He was very clearly flustered, and guilt bubbled in the depths of my stomach.
"Y-you called me cute." he mumbled.
"Yeah," I replied, "sorry if it made you uncomfortable."
I fidgeted my fingers, attempting to dispel the burning feeling that was rising in my chest.
"Nobody has ever called me cute before."
His voice was distant, and soft. It almost seemed like he was speaking to himself rather than to me.
"Well," I stepped towards him, "I happen to think you're very cute."
I pushed myself up onto the tips of my toes, and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. He inhaled sharply, and put his hand on the spot where my lips had previously touched.
"Yo, Mollie, Piccolo. You guys alright?" a voice called.
Piccolo lowered his hand, and sighed loudly. His angry demeanor had returned, and he wasn't trying to hide it.
"Goddammit, Goku." he mumbled.
Goku landed next to us with a thud, and flashed a wholehearted smile. Raichu leapt up on his shoulders, and nuzzled his cheek affectionately. He chuckled, and gave her a quick scratch under the chin.
"Whoa, Piccolo your cheeks are really red. Are you feeling alright? You're not sick, are you?" he remarked suddenly.
"N-no," Piccolo insisted, "I'm fine."
I turned away to hide the smile that was growing over my lips.
"Hey, Mollie," Goku directed his attention towards me, "did you find what you were looking for?"
"Yeah," I glanced over to Piccolo, and felt my face get warm, "I'm pretty sure I did."
Howdy ya'll! Look who's writing again! Yep. it's me!
I haven't abandoned my other wip. This idea has been bouncing around in my head for months, and I felt the need to write it before it disappeared. Piccolo is also my absolute favorite Dragonball character, so I decided to pair him up with my OC (plus, duh he's such a handsome boi.) I wasn't originally going to share it, but now I'm curious on what the feedback would look like.
Alot of the chapters are going to start with flashbacks to fill in some of the plot holes. I had a completely different beginning, but then decided to write the middle first and really became obsessed with how it turned out. This caused me to hate my original beginning, and start with this. I had a lot of suggestions to just start here, and fill in blanks with flashbacks which is what I did in the beginning of this chapter.
I do have another chapter started, and I'm hoping to post it if I get more positive feedback than negative (which you know this is FFN so I'm sure I'll get SOME negative feedback ;D)
Anyways, hope you enjoy. Comments are welcome!