Ch.19

Secret Revealed

Pokemon is the property of its respective owners

Maris waited, and waited, and waited for Dmitri's response with bated breath while nuzzling her head into his chest for what might be the last time.

"Oh! I love you too Maris!" Dmitri responded happily as he wrestled one of his arms free and patted his lifelong friend on the head.

Maris released her grip on Dmitri with an annoyed huff, but quickly picked him up by the shoulders and shook him violently.

"(THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT YOU IDIOT!)" Maris screeched at Dmitri with a heavy blush on her face while Dmitri just tilted his head to the side like a lillipup.

"Wait, you don't love me, or you do?" Dmitri said confusedly as he gave Maris a strange look.

"(I do, but not in the sibling way,)" Maris replied hurriedly as she was slowly losing her patience.

"So you love me like a mother loves a son?"

"(No.)"

"Like an aunt loves her nephew?"

"(No.)"

"Like a grandma loves her grandson?"

"(No.)"

"Like-"

"(NO! Could you please shut up and let me say what I want to say?)" Maris yelled furiously at her crush whose eyes widened in shock at her tone causing him to slowly nod to her request.

"(Dmitri, could you stop being a f******* slowpoke and stop dodging the subject. You know damn well know what I'm talking about right?)" Maris accused Dmitri who looked down at the ground dejectedly and nodded.

"…Y…Yeah," Dmitri sadly responded to Maris's accusation.

"(Okay, then tell what I want to hear Dmitri. Tell me what you've been hiding all these years as well,)" Maris ordered her best friend as she put him down and narrowed her eyes at him with her paws on her hips.

After a few tense moments of feeling like Maris was drilling holes through his eyeballs, he smiled that warm smile Maris liked about him and revealed his secret as well.

"Maris, I love you too," Dmitri said cheerfully causing Maris to smirk at him with teary eyes and shake her head in disbelief.

"(There; was that so hard you flipping idiot?)" Maris mocked joyfully at Dmitri who rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"So, how are we going to work this out Maris?" Dmitri asked Maris uncertainly as she interlocked one of his arms with hers.

"(Simple, we just keep treating each other like we always have, but a bit more intimate okay?)" Maris answered his question simply as they walked back to the pokemon center arm-in-arm with hearty grins on their face.

Meanwhile

"They aren't back yet, should we go looking for them?" Catherine asked concernedly as she threw a pillow up in the air and caught it as it was falling down.

"I think they'll be fine. Even when Dmitri and Maris argue, they usually make up in a few hours or a few minutes depending on the severity of their bickering," Delia reassured Catherine who hugged the pillow close to her chest and reluctantly nodded.

"(They're not arguing Delia. They're just confessing mutual feelings about each other,)" Luka stated as Delia's eyes lighted up and shook her head in disbelief.

"I knew she'd be able too. Once that girl has her mind set on something she's an unstoppable force," Delia replied in a mix of joy and amazement as she faced the window and folded her arms.

"All it took was a little threat…and an unexpected head injury to spur her into action. I'm glad you guys are finally together my beloved brother and sister," Delia thought to herself proudly as Catherine looked at her two friends with a bewildered expression.

"Whoa, guys back up. What are they talking about exactly?" Catherine asked her friends unsurely as Luka rolled her eyes and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her.

"(Why don't you let Maris and Dmitri explain it to you?)" Luka said coolly as the door opened as soon as the aura pokemon stopped talking.

Catherine's eyes widened in shock as she saw her two companions enter the room with both of their arms locked together, but her surprise eventually turned into joy as she clasped her hands together while her eyes beamed with joy.

"Oh wow, so you guys are boyfriend and girlfriend now right? Well, I'm glad that you two decided to enter a relationship with each other," Catherine stated happily as she gave Dmitri and Maris a big, bone crushing hug.

"(Ah…C…Catherine. Air!)" Maris wheezed out causing Catherine to quickly loosen her grip on them and sit back down on the edge of the bed.

"So what now Luka? Do we find someone for Delia?" the former heiress playfully teased Delia who just shrugged and folded her arms casually.

"I would only enter a relationship if I wanted too, not because people say it's required of me. If I do, I hope I find the right girl or guy," Delia replied casually causing Catherine's eyebrows to raise a little.

"Girl or guy?" Catherine repeated confusedly.

"Yeah, if I decide to date, that person has to be someone whom I really share a bond with, whether it's a girl or guy. Why, does that bother you Catherine?" Delia accused in a low tone causing Catherine to put up her hands calmly to placate her offended companion.

"No, not at all Delia. I didn't mean to offend you in anyway and if I did I'm truly sorry," Catherine told Delia sincerely causing Delia to smile and roll her eyes as she jokingly punched her friend in the shoulder.

Catherine pretended to fly back from the force of the punch and lightly hit the dry wall with a small thud. She slowly slid down from the wall until she was sitting down and stuck her tongue out with her arms lying limp.

"(And Delia wins by knockout!)" Maris joked causing everyone to laugh.

"Ow, you hurt my arm Delia! Oh, I don't think I can move it!" Catherine whined in a fake tone as she grew a grin on her face and got back up on her feet.

"So Catherine are you planning on facing the gym leader today or are you going to fight him or her tomorrow?" Dmitri asked Catherine who tapped her chin with her finger.

"I was planning on getting some training done, and maybe catching some more pokemon, before actually facing the gym leader. By the way Dmitri, Maris and Luxio are the only pokemon you have on hand with you right?" Catherine questioned her companion seriously as she folded her arms and leaned against the wall.

"Yeah," Dmitri replied hesitantly as he didn't know where Catherine was going with this.

"Then I suggest you catch another one before facing the next gym leader and training him or her. I don't know how you managed to win a 2-on-3 gym battle against Roark, but I don't think you'll be winning much matches if you just intend to stick with those two," Catherine said plainly to her friend who just grumbled and nodded.

"I should probably be catching pokemon too. I'll probably head down to the river and try to catch a magikarp," Delia stated simply as she grabbed her backpack, gave her friends a two finger salute, and headed out the door.

Luka, Catherine, Dmitri, and Maris all looked at each other with baffled looks on their faces before Maris finally spoke up.

"(Did she just say what I thought she said?)" Maris blurted out after getting over her initial shock.

"(So it would seem sis,)" Luka responded casually as she folded her arms and shook her head.

"Knowing Delia, that magikarp is probably going to be a gyarados in a few days," Catherine muttered dryly as she patted Luka on the shoulder causing the jackal like pokemon to look at her as she gestured with her head to the door.

"Well guys, me and Luka are going to go train our newbies so you guys have fun," Catherine winked at Maris and Dmitri causing Maris to grin and nod at her.

With Luka and Catherine gone, Maris dragged Dmitri down onto the bed so they were lying side to side with each other. Maris wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him so close to her they could feel the hot breath on each other's faces.

"(Dmitri, please stay with me like this for just a little while. I want to savor this moment for just a little bit,)" Maris whispered tenderly to her boyfriend as she closed her eyes and smiled widely.

"Okay Maris, if that's what you want," Dmitri kindly responded to Maris's request as he nuzzled her forehead with his causing Maris to slightly cringe in pain.

"Oh sorry Maris, I forgot that you hurt your head!" Dmitri cried out apologetically as Maris scoffed and rested her head on Dmitri's shoulder.

"(I'm fine; just don't rub it like that. It hurts like hell when it gets rubbed, but I can tolerate the pain when someone touches it,)" Maris dismissed her friend's concerns as she snuggled up close to him and slowed her breathing as she tried to get some rest.

"(Are you sure you're okay Maris?)" Dmitri asked his girlfriend in concern once more as Maris freed one of her arms and lightly flicked him in the forehead without even opening her eyes; stunning Dmitri as he looked at Maris with wide eyes before shaking his head and resting it on a pillow as he looked at Maris with a grin on his face.

The pokeball on his belt vibrated violently and popped open in a quick flash of light as Luxio materialized right next to Dmitri with a tilted head.

"(So, uh, Dmitri, you and Mrs. Maris are dating now right?)" Luxio timidly asked her friend as Dmitri smiled and nodded.

"(So, does that mean you're going to be my dad and Maris is going to be my mom?)" Luxio shyly asked Dmitri as he looked at Luxio with bewildered face.

"What do you mean by that Luxio?" Dmitri replied confusedly as Luxio waddled over to an empty chair near the bed and rested on it.

"(Well, you guys took me in when I had nowhere else to go and you guys saved me from that evil girl who was abusing me. I always thought those were the things parents were supposed to do for their children, you know, protecting them and stuff like that. But my parent's didn't give a s*** about me! They just left me out there to rot! I had nearly given up hope until you guys rescued me, healed me, and offered me a home. For that I'm eternally grateful. I guess because of what you guys did that I consider you guys my ma and pa because I always thought that's what parents are supposed to do,)" Luxio said thoughtfully as Dmitri smiled warmly at her and lightly stroked his hand over Luxio's head causing her to purr in delight.

"You said your first curse word. I guess I'll have to tell Maris to tone it down a bit huh Luxio?" Dmitri joked with his electrical friend who grinned dumbly at him and pawed at him with electricity filled claws causing Dmitri's and Maris's body to tremble.

"(Not gonna happen Dmitri. I'm not changing how I talk just because sparkplug over here picks up on my language,)" Maris rebuked sharply.

"(Sparkplug huh? I…I like that name,)" Luxio mused to herself as Maris picked up her head and stared at Luxio quizzically.

"(Whatcha thinkin' about kid?)" Maris said curiously as she eyed her teammate with interest as Luxio shot her a toothy grin and shook her head.

"(I…I think I know what name I want to have now,)" Luxio said proudly as Maris gave her an odd look while Dmitri just smiled at her.

"Ok Luxio, what name would you like?" Dmitri asked his companion kindly causing Luxio to puff out her chest and grin at him.

"(I would like to be called Sparkplug from now own Dmitri. I just think it suits me,)" Luxio stated happily as Dmitri nodded and patted her on the head.

"(Are you serious kid? You do know that I was just coming up with the most random nickname that came to mind right?)" Maris said perplexedly as Sparkplug tilted her head at Maris and pointed at her with her paw.

"(But didn't you get your name after someone came up with the most random nickname too?)" Sparkplug countered as the martial arts pokemon nodded reluctantly.

"(Good point,)" Maris replied simply as she got up from the bed and did some stretches with Luxio trying her best to mimic her movements.

"(Maris?)"

"(Hmm?)"

"(Thank you…for everything,)" Sparkplug said seriously as Maris smirked at her and patted the spark pokemon on the back.

"(Of course kid, you're family now. Family always has to look out for one another,)" Maris responded warmly causing tears to come to Sparkplug's face as she stared down at the ground and grinned happily.

"You guys ready for some training?" Dmitri asked his friends as Maris smirked and pounded her fists together while Sparkplug turned her tail into iron and smashed into the ground with a resonating thud that could be heard throughout the entire pokemon center.

"I'll take that as a yes," Dmitri said nervously as Maris looped one her arms around his while Sparkplug strode along his side with a determined look on her face as Dmitri, Maris, and Sparkplug exited the room, brimming with confidence.

Dmitri knew they were receiving dirty looks, but right now, with things how they were, he could care less what others thought about their relationship as his spirit felt like it was soaring swiftly through the sky like a Pidgeot.

"From now on I'm not going to care whether or not people like my pokemon walking beside me. From now on I'm just going to do what I think is right!" Dmitri thought to himself with fire in his eyes as he clenched his other hand into a tight fist.

Meanwhile

"Ah, this river should do," Delia mused as she set down her backpack near a rock and clicked the pokeballs on her belt which sent out her entire team.

Dragonite took one look at the lake and faced palmed as he quickly approached Delia with a confused look on his face. Delia raised her eyebrows curiously as she rested her arms against her side until Dragonite unexpectedly grabbed her by her shoulders and hoisted her up in the air so they were staring into each other's eyes.

"(DELIA, WHY ON ARCEUS'S GREEN POKE-EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU NEED A MAGIKARP ON OUR TEAM!)" Dragonite yelled in confusion as he shook his friend to and fro like a ragdoll while Druddigon and Haxorus desperately tried to release his grip on their hapless human friend.

"(Dragonite, let her go if you know what's good for you!)" Haxorus roared at his companion as he tried to pry off Dragonite's hands off of Delia who looked like she was about to barf.

"(Dude, let her go! She looks like she's about to throw up and I don't know about you, but I don't want any chunks to get on me!)" Druddigon reasoned with Dragonite as this answer seemed to cause him to nod and gently put Delia down as the battle ace stumbled around for a little bit before collapsing on all fours near a tree.

"(Delia, are you okay?)" Dragonite asked his friend hesitantly as Delia struggled to her feet while leaning against the tree for support.

Delia clutched her head as she angrily stomped towards Dragonite who tentatively backpedaled away from her as she roughly jabbed her finger into Dragonite's chest repeatedly.

"Dragonite, don't ever do something like that again!" Delia screamed furiously at Dragonite who fell on his butt from her tone and vigorously nodded.

"(S…sorry Delia, I didn't know it'd make you dizzy!)" Dragonite stuttered fearfully as Delia got right in his face and put her hands on her hips.

"What the hell do you mean you didn't think it would make me dizzy? You honestly think that shaking me side to side like a ball on a string wouldn't give me motion sickness?!" Delia irritably shouted at Dragonite.

"(She's got a point bro,)" Druddigon said matter-of-factly as he timidly poked his claws together.

"Just fine, whatever! I forgive you! Just don't do that again or else I might throw up on your face," Delia said in an annoyed tone as Dragonite cheerfully clapped his claws together and pulled Delia into a big hug which she didn't try to fight out of as she smiled and lightly punched him in the side causing him to let her go.

"While I go get a Magikarp from the river, you guys just do some light sparring with each other okay? I don't want to see you guys trying to knock the other guy's lights out or whatever you call it. You guys spar for about…2 minutes and then switch sparring partners," Delia ordered her team as Druddigon and Dragonite nodded in affirmation while Haxorus and Hydreigon glared at one another.

"I'm serious guys, no going all out against one another. We'll go full contact later," Delia assured Haxorus and Hydreigon as the axe jaw pokemon nodded reluctantly to her request while Hydreigon just snorted and turned his middle head away from her.

"However, if one of you guys do decide to go all out despite me saying not to, then I give you permission to fight him with equal force," Delia stated coldly as she glowered at Hydreigon the entire time she said this.

"(Sounds good,)" Haxorus replied as he cracked his neck and shoulders and dropped into a fighting stance against Hydreigon who grunted and turned to face him.

"(No! I want to face Haxorus first! Why do I always have to face Druddigon whenever we spar? Um…no offense by the way dude)" Dragonite bashfully said to Druddigon as the cave pokemon just shook his head at him.

"(Delia, are you sure you don't need help?)" Haxorus asked his companion worriedly.

"Yes! I'm sure!" Delia snapped at him as Dragonite, Druddigon, and Hydreigon started to argue about who should fight who.

Delia ignored their bickering as she rolled up her pant legs to her knees and stepped into the water as she felt a chill go up her legs. Delia slowed her breathing and entered a meditative trance as she waddled through the chilly water with the utmost determination to find the pokemon she was looking for. Delia stopped in her tracks, and waited, and waited, and waited, until she saw a flash of red in the corner of her eye. Without hesitation, Delia quickly thrust her hand into the water and grasped the surprised pokemon as she hoisted it up in the air by its tail causing it flop around futilely in a desperate attempt to break free.

"I don't care what level it's at. I'm still going to train it…if it lets me," Delia thought to herself until the magikarp in her grip suddenly banged its head against her chest causing her to wheeze slightly.

"Sorry, but you're not getting away from me," Delia told the terrified pokemon as she took a pokeball from her belt and gently tapped it against the magikarp's head as it was sucked into the pokeball in a flash of red light.

Delia watched her pokeball stone faced as it rumbled and tumbled violently in her hand for what seemed like forever until she heard the infamous ding and breathed a sigh of relief as the rumbling finally stopped. Releasing magikarp into the water, it tried its very best to flop away from her, but all it succeeded in doing was getting a chuckle out of the battle ace.

"Magikarp, I assume you know why I captured you?" Delia asked her captive calmly until magikarp forcefully tackled her causing Delia to stumble backwards.

"I'll take that as a yes," Delia muttered in pain as she clutched her bruised gut.

"(Stupid girl! You will not force me into those gladiator death matches you humans are so fond of having!)" Magikarp yelled angrily at Delia who crouched down so she could look at her pokemon more intently.

"I won't force you to do anything you don't want to, so I'll give you two choices. You can say no and I'll gladly smash this pokeball so you'll be free or you can stay with me so I can make you strong," Delia told magikarp sincerely as magikarp's flopping only intensified.

"(Why did you capture then if you were going to give me the option of releasing me anyway?)" Magikarp shouted indignantly at this stupid girl as Delia shrugged and put her hands on her knees.

"That was just to make sure you would hear me out first," Delia responded bluntly causing magikarp to spring up and smash its body against Delia's face with a sickening crack.

Delia grunted as she tenderly put one of her hands to her nose to stop the bleeding as the liquid of life dripped slowly into the water below.

"A simple no would have sufficed," Delia told magikarp tersely as it only glared at her in response.

"(Well, I say no then! I would rather die than be forced to fight against my own will, especially with a filthy human girl!)" Magikarp shouted furiously at Delia who nodded in response and took the pokeball of her belt.

Crushing it in her hand into a million pieces, she stood up and calmly walked back to land.

"I wish we could have worked something," Delia told magikarp sadly as it continued to glower at her intensely.

"(I don't!)" Magikarp retorted as it finally managed to splash away from her as Delia just watched it get overwhelmed by the river's current.

Shrugging, Delia returned to her team as Haxorus immediately ran up to her as soon as he saw blood dripping down her hands.

"(Remove your hand,)" Haxorus ordered Delia who shook her head and made her way to her backpack.

"Its fine, I'll patch myself up," Delia assured her friend who shook his head furiously and grabbed her wrist as he dragged her to a nearby tree.

Unable to match his strength, she went along with whatever he was doing as the axe jaw pokemon stopped in front of the tree and gently shoved her towards it.

"(Sit,)" Haxorus commanded calmly as she reluctantly nodded and sat down on her butt leaning against the tree as she impatiently tapped her foot on the ground.

Haxorus returned with the first aid supplies as the rest of her team looked on in concern, but Delia waved them off and mouthed the words "I'm fine" to them.

"(Now then, remove your hand,)" Haxorus ordered once again with barely contained rage as his friend grunted and did so.

Haxorus went to work as he cleaned up whatever blood was left over from her face as Delia restlessly tapped her foot on the ground causing Haxorus to put one of his claws on top of her foot. Delia rolled her eyes and folded her arms as her friend shook his head at her.

"(Honestly Delia, I don't know why you insist on not being treated at the pokemon center for your wounds. They would heal much faster if you simply let Nurse Joy treat them instead of just letting them heal naturally,)" Haxorus scolded Delia solemnly.

"I like it that way; my injuries remind me of my failures so I can improve upon them," Delia retorted stubbornly as Haxorus growled and roughly dabbed a cotton ball in the disinfectant.

"(It's stupid.)"

"It's necessary."

"(NO, IT'S F****** NOT!)" Haxorus roared furiously at Delia whose eyes widened in shock at his tone and gently rested her hands on the grass.

"What do you want from me Haxorus?" Delia asked her friend angrily as he fiercely wiped away more blood off of her face causing Delia to cringe in pain slightly.

"(I want you to stop being so stubborn and let people help you! You said you would, but I knew it was only for emotional problems and not physical ones, like that wound on your head!)" Haxorus shouted bitterly at Delia who snorted and turned her head away from him.

"I already told you it was an accident," Delia seethed between her teeth as she clenched her hands tightly.

"(No, I heard everything from my pokeball you idiot! I know Maris attacked you on purpose and you were just defending yourself!)" Haxorus shouted at Delia who looked him in the eye with a serious expression on her face.

"Again, what do you want from me?" Delia questioned Haxorus as he finished up what he was doing and helped Delia to her feet.

"(I want you to accept help whenever you need it and not just when you feel like it,)" Haxorus told Delia who sighed and nodded.

"You're right, I need to accept help when I need it and realize I can't do everything on my own," Delia said maturely as she buried her face in her palm as Haxorus pulled her into a hug and hoisted her up in the air.

"(Whenever you do help, you know will always be there for you,)" Haxorus said to his childhood friend seriously as he sat down on the ground and tenderly rubbed Delia's head as she buried her face into Haxorus's chest.

"(Aw, group hug!)" Dragonite cooed as he hugged Haxorus from the left while Druddigon joined in and hugged him from the right with happy grins on their faces.

Hydreigon just stared at them oddly as he just continued to watch his teammates hug one another with a blank expression on his face causing Delia to grin evilly at him.

"After him!" Delia cried out cheerfully as the mass of bodies chased after Hydreigon despite still being in a group hug causing Hydreigon to chirp in confusion.

Dragonite, Haxorus, and Druddigon pulled their disgruntled teammate into the group hug which he strangely didn't resist as Hydreigon slowly grew a grin on his face and wrapped his arms around his teammates.

Delia didn't mind to be in the middle of all this, despite how warm it was getting and because of the fact that her arms fell asleep. She didn't mind any of that as long as her team was happy. She knew this wouldn't last forever, but she was going to enjoy it for as long as she could as she closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep.