Hello friends! This intro never sat right with me and so I reworked it a bit! I'm much happier with the result and I hope that you are as well! Please let me know if you see any typos, awkward prose, or general weird bits! Thanks for reading!
There are some people who live their lives blissfully unaware of who their soulmates are. Sure nearly everyone was born with a soul mark in the form of the first words their soulmate will speak to them, but they simply don't care to find them. Many pokemon trainers around the world take this stance on the matter. They have their titles, their pokemon, and that is enough for them.
Leon was not content with only his title and his pokemon. While he was extremely pleased with what he had managed to achieve in his 23 years of life, he couldn't help feeling that he was missing something. When he became champion of the Galar region at the tender age of 10 years old he couldn't wait to dive head first into the world of battles, awards, fame, and glory. But in doing so he grew more and more distant with his family, friends, and everyone else who had helped him reach that point.
He never tried to drive a wedge between himself and his parents but it was simply that by the time he noticed the growing gap between them his parents were absorbed in the surprise baby that they had had after he was made champion and he was far too busy to leave Wyndon for more than a few days every few months. So instead he turned to the friends he had made along his path to being champion only to find that they had also moved on with their lives. He still loved his family, adored his baby brother, cared for his friends, and tried to keep in touch with all of them as best he could. But that didn't change the fact that while Leon was proud of all he had achieved behind his gleaming smile and iconic pose he was lonely.
Being a kid who was never afraid of dreaming too big or aiming too high helped Leon tremendously as he fought his way through the gym challenge and into the championship tournament. But that mentality also had the added benefit of turning Leon into a bit of a hopeless romantic. He had had his soulmark since before he could remember and had spent countless hours staring at the words imprinted on the back of his left calf. The words were written in a straight line going from just under his knee to right above his ankle, "Thanks, I try." they said. The words were written in a scribble of harsh lines and sharp angles, and they were the source of endless aggravation for Leon.
Given he was a generally upbeat person who was quick to compliment anyone and everyone, hearing the words "Thanks, I try" had become a nearly daily occurrence for him. Which led to him questioning if every trainer, employee, and random person on the street could be his soulmate. Yet despite this, in 13 years he still had yet to meet his soulmate.
But even with the constant disappointments Leon still can't help but feel a surge of hope every time someone said those words. Maybe, just maybe he'll find that one person who was meant for him…
Bright lights. Deafening crowd. Cocky smiles.
An exhibition match between the champion of the Galar region, Leon and the champion of the Indigo League, Leaf. Both achieved their status on their first try at age 10. Both have defended their titles for 13 years. Both remain undefeated.
A woman was jostled by the crowd rushing around her as she excitedly spoke about the exhibition match about to begin, "We are coming to you live from Wyndon Stadium where the match between our champion Leon and the champion of the Indigo League, Leaf, is about to take place! We've tried several times to get a comment from the visiting champion but she has been quite elusive about giving comments on this match. Is this playing coy a strategy to try and get in Leon's head? Or is this stranger just too focused on the monumental challenge ahead to show her face? We're about to find out as the match is about to begin!"
With that final comment the camera feed cut from the bubbly news woman to the pitch where the champions were about to appear.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Please join me in welcoming back our undefeated champion Leon!" The announcer said over the speakers in the stadium and was nearly drowned out by the cheers of the crowd.
Down on the pitch Leon smiled and waved to the countless fans that had gathered to watch him as he jogged out onto the field. But before he could reach his spot on the field the lights dimmed and once spotlight was shone on the far end of the field.
"Now the challenger for today's match joins us all the way from Kanto. She is a woman who is not only the champion of a single region but both Kanto and Johto! Please welcome for the first time ever, Leaf!"
The crowd roared once again as they stared at the spotlight being shown on the opposite side of the field, waiting for the challenging champion to appear.
Down in the tunnel that led onto the field a short woman stared out at the field and the thousands of people in the stands and froze. She fisted her trembling hands into her oversized, Blastoise themed hoodie and took a deep breath. She took a hesitant, trembling step forwards and forced herself to begin walking out onto the field. Once she emerged from the tunnel the voices of the crowd seemed to die in an instant. Instead all she could hear was the pounding of her heart in her ears as she stared out at the largest gathering of people she had ever seen in her life. But through the panic that nearly blinded her she made out a speck of purple on the far side of the field. As she focused on that speck she felt herself begin to calm enough to fully walk out on the field and take her place so that the battle could begin. Without thinking, or taking her eyes off the spot of purple, she reached for her first pokeball and threw it out onto the field.
The announcer was quick to pick up on his commentary of the match as he said, "And they're off! Leon opens with Aegislash as Leaf brings out Arcanine! It looks like this is going to be quite the match folks!"
As the battle wore on Leon and Leaf traded knockouts as they wore down the opposing team. But as they fought Leon's brow furrowed for a split second as he noticed that Leaf seemed to almost struggle at some points in the battle. Points where someone with her experience should have been able to deal with effortlessly. She seemed off balance, almost as if she was missing a central part of her team.
"This is it. Both Leon and Leaf are down to their final Pokemon. Leon brings out Charizard and Leaf, Dragonite. Who will be the victor? Who will taste defeat for the very first time? No matter what the outcome of this match it will be one for the history books!"
The crowd waited with bated breath and the two champions fought tooth and nail with their final Pokemon but just as both seemed ready to faint they charged in for one final attack. Both Dragonite and Charizard roared loud enough to shake the foundation of the stadium as they charged at each other across the field and-
"I-I can't believe it! It's over! It's all over. And it's a draw! Both Dragonite and Charizard fainted at the exact same moment! I can't believe this! For the first time ever our champion Leon has been battled to a draw!"
As the announcer's voice was heard across the stadium and the referee gave his official ruling Leon stared in disbelief at his fainted Pokemon. Never before had he not won a battle. Never before had he even come so close to losing. He may not have been declared the loser but he didn't win. He was the unbeatable champion but he couldn't beat her.
After the match ended both Champions hurried to their respective waiting areas to heal their Pokemon and generally recover from the match. Leon had quickly gathered his things from his private room before hurrying to the general use one. He had hoped to catch Leaf before she left the stadium for the reception planned for that evening. He hoped to have a chance to speak to the person who he didn't defeat in private before putting back on his Champion grin for the cameras.
Leon quickly knocked on the door and opened it after a second with no response.
"So that was some match." He said as he walked into Leaf's waiting room.
Leaf, who was sitting with her back to him, felt a shiver run up her spine and without thinking said, "Thanks I try."
Leon froze in the middle of the room as he heard her say that. Leaf turned to look at him with wide eyes as he didn't say anything else.
All thoughts of what he had been planning to say fled his mind as he cleared his throat and said, "We, uh, we've never spoken before have we?"
Leaf shook her head. Leon nodded and said, "Oh, ok. Did I, uh, say your words? Because you sort of, kind of, said…"
Leaf nodded at him as her eyes grew even wider.
"This makes so much more sense now." Leon said as a smile started to creep back onto his face.
Leaf smiled as well as a light blush started to spread across her cheeks. "What are you shocked that the person who almost broke your unbeatable win streak is your soulmate?"
"Well sort of. But also not really because if you're that good then clearly you love Pokemon as much as I do."
"Yeah, I guess we do have that in common." Leaf said with a smile.
"Hey so I know that we were supposed to go to that reception thing after this but, do you want to go get dinner with me instead? I- well I'd like to try to get to know you without all the prying eyes."
Leaf hesitated and said, "I would love to, trust me I want nothing less than to go to that thing. But won't we get in trouble for ditching? I mean they did kind of set this whole thing up for us."
Leon shrugged and said, "They set it up for PR, besides they'll have more to gossip about if we don't show up." Then he reached out his hand and said, "So you coming with me?"
Leaf smiled and took his hand.
"So I was walking down the street one day, you know just minding my own business right? When this little kid runs up to me and says he wants a battle. Well he looks like he's at most 7 so I figure 'alright I don't have anything better to do why not?' So I battle him. Or I tried to battle him. This kid opened with a Magikarp right? So I bring out Zap- uh, my Raichu, and take out his Magikarp. The kid doesn't even bat an eye and just brings out another Magikarp. Raichu takes it out and again the kid doesn't say a word, just brings out a third Magikarp. This went on for a solid 30 minutes but this kid really came at me with SIX Magikarps and was shocked when he lost. He didn't cry or anything, he was just genuinely confused about how throwing six Magikarps at me didn't work!" Leaf said as she and Leon sat next to one another in the sky taxi carrying them over the city.
After their talk in the locker room they had gone out to dinner in a fancy restaurant where Leon had managed to get a private room, while artfully dodging paparazzi, where they could talk without having to worry about any overly excited fans or media people bothering them. Then Leon had insisted that they take a taxi back to Leaf's hotel after she quite loudly expressed her new found love of Corviknight.
Leon laughed so loudly that he snorted as Leaf told her story about a challenger she had faced the week earlier. He rubbed his hand across his face as he said, "Oh I wish someone would do that to me."
"No, you really don't." She said with a laugh. "I didn't even know what to say to the poor kid. How do you tell a 7 year old that their entire strategy was garbage without crushing their dreams? I couldn't think of anything so I just tried to smile at him and ran away."
Leon shook his head as his laughter finally started to die down. The two smiled at one another before blushing simultaneously and turning to look out the windows of the cab. Leaf had been stunned by the beauty of the city from the first moment she arrived two days prior, but still found herself speechless as she gazed out at the lights of the city. Leon also found himself speechless and he hesitantly turned to look at her.
"It's so beautiful here." She said.
"Yeah, you are." Leon said before processing what had just come out of his mouth. "Uh- wait. That's not what I meant."
Leaf laughed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Her face was pink with blush but she still smiled as she said, "Don't worry I was including you in my complement as well. You easily make up a good 20% of the city's beauty."
"Only 20%?"
Leaf leaned in closer to him and her eyes darted up to meet his golden one as she said, "I guess I could go up to 80%."
Leon smiled as he leaned in closer to her as well. On the seat between them Leaf's hand bumped into Leon's. They both startled at the near electric shock they felt as they hesitantly twinned their hands together. Leaf blushed as her eyes darted down to his hands and back to his eyes. Leaf took a breath to speak and-
"Alright you two here we are!" The cabbie's voice tore through the silence in the cab leaving only awkwardness in its wake.
They immediately jumped away from each other and Leaf blurted out, "Well this is my stop!" as her blush went from pink to blinding crimson.
"Right." Leon said just as awkwardly.
They both climbed out of the cab and found that they couldn't make eye contact as Leon walked her to the door of the hotel.
He cleared his throat and said, "I- uh I had a really nice time tonight. I mean the battle was great but I also had a lot of fun talking to you. It's kind of rare for me to find someone to relate to nowadays."
"I had fun too. It was nice to get to know you a little better."
Leon smiled. "So did I convince you to stay a bit longer?"
"Well, maybe just a bit." Leaf said with a grin sneaking onto her face. "But I am actually really interested in the pokemon that are native to this region, and of course there's this dynamaxing business to look into. So maybe it wouldn't hurt to stick around for a little while. For research purposes of course."
"Of course. But if it's pokemon you're looking for, I have been accused of being a living pokedex a time or two. I could, maybe, show you a few places to catch some good ones?"
"Would that include more dinners and talking?"
"I think that could be arranged."
"Oh well in that case, how can I refuse?"
A smile bloomed on Leon's face as he said, "Great! Here let me give you my number so we can keep in touch."
They both pulled out their phones and quickly exchanged contact information before saying good night.
"See you around Mr. Unbeatable." She said with a smile before walking into the hotel.
Leon stared at the doors as they closed in stunned silence before throwing his arms up and shouting "Yes!"
At the same time Leaf only managed to keep her composure until she entered the elevator. Then, she couldn't keep her squeals and giggles of joy contained no matter how hard she tried.
