Waking up to a throbbing headache and sore bruises all over was definitely not how Paul expected to wake up. Then again, some part of the trainer didn't even expect he would wake up ever again––since he was pushed from the cliffside, feeling the razor-sharp wind whip at his face, falling down at an impossibly rapid pace––he had been headed towards certain death.
So, why am I here?
The purple-haired teenager recognised the sea of white. The colourless ceiling and the dull blue curtains, the thin cotton blankets and the simplistic spot pattern sewn into the sheets. He was in the Pokécentre.
Paul certainly did not remember arriving, getting his injuries examined and being settled into a bed; it would have been impossible to travel to one from his location on his own, being unconscious in the middle of nowhere. Meaning that someone had miraculously come across his injured body and was decent enough to bring him to safety.
Damn.
That was a close call. He was lucky that some random stranger had stumbled upon him before it had been too... late. Paul hated to admit it but he owed that person his life. And he didn't like owing people. Not one bit.
More than anything though, the fifteen-year-old leaguer was more annoyed at the fact he had been in such a ridiculous situation in the first place. Why did he even fall off, it was so stupid—
And then––Shit! My Pokémon––!
He rushed to pull the blankets off and squirrelled his way out. His Pokémon! Fuck, fuck! How could have forgotten about them for a second! More than half of his team must've been left on the cliffside. If there were hunters, smugglers, Team Galactic––they would kill to get the wood from Torterra's shell. Or use Elekid as a source of electricity. Or pelt Weavile's soft fur. Or...
Nah, there was nothing from Zubat anyone would want. They were common pests in caves, their numbers booming.
But the point still stood; they could be still there, by themselves, in the wilderness. He knew they could defend themselves against the native Pokemon in that area. But from nefarious humans who would stop at nothing to get what they want?
He had to get over there. Now. Who knows how long it had been since he had passed out, resting in bed was not an option. Paul moved despite his muscles groaning in protest, using his shaky arms to support himself on the wall.
"I'm coming in––whoa!" One of the Pokécentre nurses had walked in, clipboard in hand, most likely for a check-up. Of course, he didn't have time for that. "What in the world do you think you are you doing?! You just fell from a hundred-metre cliff! It's a miracle that you survived, let alone escaped with only some bruising!"
The trainer (a terrible one at this rate, who lost their Pokémon? Not even that idiotic dungus with the Pikachu could manage to do that) made no movement to suggest he had heard her. Instead, his thoughts were focused on getting the hell out of there and finding his Pokémon.
"I swear to Arceus, if you don't get back in the bed, I'll make you!"
"My," Paul rasped. By Dialga, his throat was parched, "My Pokémon."
"Your Pokemon?" She repeated, astounded, "Oh yes, your Pokemon! They're in great condition. They were quite worried about you, actually, and refused to leave you alone."
She paused before giving a small smile. "Worry about yourself before your Pokémon first, okay?"
What.
"Especially that Zubat of yours. You're lucky to have such a smart and caring companion. It flew over fifteen kilometres to Hearthome, back to you and then here again in order to get you help. Goodness me, I have never seen such intelligent Pokèmon and I've been nursing for a decade," The woman continued, ushering the young man back to his bed, "Zubat's been battling trainers for money outside, the clever bat. There's a whole crowd right outside the Pokécentre just waiting to battle it."
Now that caused Paul to raise an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"
"Anyway, I'll bring your Pokémon over now. They'll be glad to see you." The nurse said once she had seated the purple-haired teenager onto the bed, "Now don't move. And I mean it!"
She glared that I-will-seriously-kick-your-ass-if-you-don't-listen-to-what-I-said look, one that even made the stubborn boy give a second thought, before leaving the room. Her quick, steady steps resounded with great clarity as she left and once again, Paul was alone in his temporary room. Well, at least his Pokémon were fine?
He was left with just about a million more questions though.
That pesky little Zubat... saved me?
"Luxio, Thunder Fang!" The Spark (I know, super creative name, come on Nintendo!) Pokémon bared its keen teeth, the electric pulse flowing through its veins and into the mouth for a powerful bite. My opponent pounced into the air, completely focused on ripping out one of my wings from my body.
But not if I have something to say about it!
I tilted at a 45º degree angle with only a few centres to spare me from an excruciating wound. An uproar spread throughout the crowd; there were some that groaned in exasperation with inexperienced trainers wondering how an electric Pokemon was losing to a weak Zubat with a major type disadvantage. Most of the group burst into applause though. They were ecstatic, to say the least, if the ever-growing betting pool signified anything.
Yeah, it's a long story. I really don't know how it got to this-a massive crowd of at least fifty people, all surrounding a very limited space in a large circle like some street dance routine was taking place-but it was happening.
And I just so happened to be the main attraction. After all, it wasn't every day that a stray Zubat waltzed into a city, starts battling against trainers and wins.
I was actually getting something out of this though; a fair share of profit (people added ₽500 every attempt, depicted by the sign I had gotten the Nurse to write) and some valuable experience with fighting rare Pokèmon I wouldn't normally get the chance to in the wild. So, really, this was great.
"That all you got?" I taunted my opponent, performing my signature loopy loop in the air to further the psychological jibe. Evidently, it worked as the Luxio growled in visible aggravation and shifted his stance in preparation for another attack.
It was about time I got this wrapped up anyways. A simple Bite placed at the right spot would do the trick. The damage of all my previous attacks, combined with my favourite Confuse Ray, had accumulated over the duration of the match. Simply enough, Luxio didn't have much stamina left.
True to my logic, the Spark Pokèmon wavered. His trainer pleaded for him to get up but it was no use.
"Luxio is unable to battle!" The improvised referee-this middle-aged man who looked like he was having way too much fun doing this right now-called out, "The Zubat wins yet again!"
With that, the crowd really got riled up. Their loud cheering sent a buzz through my receptive ears; it was completely deafening yet somehow, got my blood pumping. It made my body shiver in anticipation. Battling, as I was quickly learning, was fun.
Wait, what?
I-wow, that's some revelation. I hated violence in my previous life, in all its forms. Yet somehow, right now, as a Zubat...
"Now, any more volunteers? Any trainers who think they can beat this unbeatable Zubat?" The referee hollered which sparked murmured chatter amongst the horde of people. And then there was a raised hand, sporting a familiar-looking purple sleeve.
"This whole mock-battle thing is now over! You can all go back to your mundane lives. Shoo!"
Uh oh.
The mass of people parted for a mop of purple hair I'd recognise anywhere, however, this time basic bandaging wrapped around the head. It had only been a couple of hours after the accident had occurred and honestly, I had forgotten about Paul for a good moment there. But then it all came crashing back down; unfortunately, like any other Pokemon, I had a gained myself a trainer... and mine was that grumpy-pants over there who seriously needed to chill. Plus, I deserved some fun after he nearly gave me a heart attack!
"Aww man..."
"Boooooo!"
"What the hell, man?!"
"Party-pooper!"
One kid stepped up, pointing an accusing finger at the purple-haired teenager, "Excuse me, what right do you have-?!"
"WELL, perhaps the fact that it definitely isn't your Pokemon out there but rather one of mine, battling without my consent. Go play kiddy trainer battles some other time." Paul snapped, "Come on, Zubat. We're leaving."
"Yes sir," I grumbled. It was probably just best to let him do what he wants. But there was just one little thing I had to do. "Um, Paul?"
"WHAT?!"
I directed my head at the... decent heap of cash piled on the floor. My battle winnings. And I wasn't just going to leave them there. Of course, as a Pokemon, I couldn't keep the money because I had nowhere to put it. Thus, it was only natural that the trainer who happened to capture me take my hard-earned cash. Such was the sad life of any Pokemon who belonged to a trainer.
Meanwhile, Paul was just about to lose it. He gaped, eyes flittering from his Zubat to the literal stash of money, before he simply face-palmed.
"How on Earth-nope, I'm not even going to bother."
Hearthome was also known as the City of Love. Because, well, it's kinda said in the name. But also, while not based on France back in my old world (that would be the entire region of Kalos), it was considered the 'fashion capital' for good reason. You could just plop the Eiffel Tower smack bang in the middle of the city and it would practically be the Pokemon version of Paris.
However, most notably, Hearthome City had a gym which meant a gym battle.
And as a trainer attempting the Sinnoh league, it was only natural that Paul's first goal after retrieving all his Pokèmon the afternoon after getting injured would be to head straight to Hearthome Gym and challenge Fantina.
Because, you know. HE'S A FREAKING IDIOT!
I was ready to have a riot; dig my teeth straight into his collar and drag him to the Pokecentre myself. There was also that tiny part of me whose interest was perked... what were Gym battles like? It would be the first time I experienced one ever since I became a Zubat.
Challenging Fantina at this time would shift the course of the entire journey. As a Diamond fan, I didn't get to challenge this gym until later in the game. I don't think Ash did either in anime either. But Paul... he might actually be following the Platinum plotline. There was only one way to find out...
So, as you would've guessed... curiosity killed the Zubat.
The gym, as the games illustrated, was huge. It wasn't as plain though but rather the opposite, having European styled castle walls and that fancy black decorative fencing with all the swirls. There were large rectangular windows and old-fashion lanterns hung up every second window. A cobblestone path led up to large wooden doors, at least double Paul's height. Honestly, the perfect vibe for an elegant Ghost-type gym leader for Fantina.
Without any hesitation, Paul strutted through the entrance. He was immediately greeted by the receptionist that was seated right by the doorway, behind a sleek wooden desk.
"Greetings, challenger." The man said, "Do you have a booking?"
"One-thirty PM, Paul Valentino." Paul recited and held out his Pokedex-wait.
Paul Valentino?
Valentino?!
That was his last name?
...Oh my freaking God.
I can't believe it. I had always referred to him as Paul Shinji, combining his English and Japanese names together because everyone else seemed to do so. But now, learning that his last name was... Valentino.
"PFFTHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" My whole body shaking of laughter, "Oh Arceus, that is actually the most embarrassing last name I've heard in real life! I thought Steins was bad. Hahahahaha!"
"Is... your Pokemon okay?" The receptionist couldn't help but ask, seeing the Zubat being docile at one moment and then become batsh*t insane the next. It started flying circles and shouting loudly as if it was laughing. But Pokèmon don't laugh, which had made this all the more unsettling.
Paul's eye twitched-oh, why did he capture this nuisance again-and he let out a utterly defeated sigh, "This is. Normal. Behaviour."
Cue more laughter from everybody's favourite residential Zubat, trying to get over Paul freaking Valentino's last name. It sounded like it came straight out of Pride and Prejudice! Or even, Twilight. "HAHH... Oh, hah, that's hilarious! Hahahaha..."
"Don't mind it."
The trainer didn't know if he was telling the receptionist or himself that.
"Uhh," It was clear that the receptionist was having a hard time keeping his eye off the still-laughing bat Pokemon but with a cough, the man continued where he left off, "When you enter the room, it'll be pitch black. You'll be given a flashlight though so no worries! That goes for the Gym trainers as well."
Paul nimbly caught the flimsy-looking torch that was thrown in his direction. It felt light in his hand, and when he tested it, the light was already waning.
"You'll need to find a blue tile in each room and memorise the mark on it. Then, head for the red door with the same mark. They'll be on the opposite wall to you from the entrance. It's easy to get lost but you'll be fine " The receptionist gave a reassuring thumbs-up, "Good luck, champ-to-be!"
"OOoooOOOoooOO" This place was a freaking haunted mansion! Realistic props and the eerie music played in the background which just added to the dark atmosphere. It was just as dark as expected with a maze of stone intimidating Duskull course, it was nothing for my brilliant twenty-twenty night vision.
Paul, the poor human, was grumbling while storming through the narrow pathways. His only light source was dying out, he had no idea where this stupid 'blue tile' was and he had already battled with the seventh trainer in a row.
Getting to the gym leader would be more a challenge then battling said gym leader apparently. I watched the trainer as he circled around the same roundabout yet again. Paul had refused my help when I tried to help him before so I left him to his own devices. And clearly, they weren't working out.
In the first trip, he had gone through the wrong door. Second trip, he did the exact same thing as the previous round. Third trip, I decided to help the clueless boy out. It was fun laughing at Paul's misery the first two times but it was getting old real quick. I pointed to the star door-having seen the blue tile near the door which we had entered from-but noooooo! Paul refused to listen to me. It honestly serves him right, having to go through the dark maze for the fourth time in a row!
This led us to the current events with Paul agitatedly pushing pass a poor trainer whom he had already beaten in his second round. The purple-haired dumbass turned another left into an empty fork in the road and just as he was debating on which path he should take...
...his torch died.
Pitch blackness fell upon us and for a moment, there was silence.
"Paul-"
"Don't." He muttered.
"-your luck is absolutely terrible, you know that?" I finished, trying not to giggle. Paul tried to elbow me yet missed by a mile and hit empty space instead. He was quite literally 'blind as a Zubat' (pun completely intended) and had to rely on his other sense to get by, mainly his hands to get a feel of the wall. Already, he heading towards a dead end.
It was such a sorry scene that out of the graciousness of my heart, I decided to take pity on him. I tugged on his arm on into the other direction. He followed my lead without complaint (suprisingly). I had to slow down when I realised I was going a bit to fast and the human stumbled on the concrete but we made it to the end with relative ease.
There were dim lanterns by the side of each door. Paul's vision should've come back to him and so my job was done. Except, he just kinda stood there on the spot giving me a side-eye. I got fed up rather quickly and pushed to the star door.
I murmured impatiently, "Well, go on! Open the door!"
Paul readied himself, checking his belt and supplies, before finally placing a hand on the handle and opened the door.
He made his way to a square outlined for challengers. The hall was much larger than I expected with walls stretching across and even upwards to a high-rise ceiling. The stone brick plated the floors as a rectangular box the size of a tennis court outlined the battling space.
Fantina stood with all her glory on the other side, arms on hips fashionably; her royal purple dress flowed gently to the ground and sparkled brilliantly despite the faint light. A yellow "X" was attached to the side of her waist and she wore white gloves that extended to her elbows. And in reality, her hair-do was just as amazingly over-the-top as I had remembered.
AHHHHHHH, IT'S FANTINA! SHE'S SO BEAUTIFUL AGSIUGSUDHK!
"Bonjour, challenger! Je m'appelee is Fantina!" The Gym Leader greeted. Her thick French accent coated all of her words yet it was still as cool as I imagined, "And you are Paul Valentino, non? With two badges at that."
"Yes."
"In that case," She clicked her fingers dramatically and a podium rose from the ground beside her. There were three Pokeballs and each had their own slots, "These shall do. You wish for za battle, correct? And zhat I shall provide, three on three!"
A robotic voice sounded from the speakers above "Paul Valentino from Veilstone City VERSUS Fantina the Gym Leader. The match shall start in three... two... one!"
"Let'z a go, Haunter!" / "Mukrow, stand by for battle."
Both Pokemon appeared in blazing red light; Haunter, the first ghost-type Pokemon I had ever encountered, was almost see-through. Their body was tinted a purple colour and it possessed 'hands' which were separate from the main section.
Fantina yelled out her first command, "Haunter, Shadow Claw!"
"Dodge and use Pursuit!"
Haunter's misted hands began to take the shape of several pointed edges as it rushed over and took a swipe at Mukrow. The bird moved out of attack range before chasing his opponent in a shadowy blur.
"Nuh-uh! Haunter use Confuse Ray!" The colourful orbs that danced around. Confuse Ray was a move I was familiar with and love to use. In this case though, it was more of a negative thing though, taking a toll on my teammate. "Then, Sucker Punch!"
In a dizzy-spell, Mukrow flew unevenly midair when Haunter barged in and punched him straight on the beak. The feathered Pokemon let a groan from the hard blow and I couldn't help but wince at the sound. For a Ghost, Haunter packed a hard punch!
"Shake it off and use Assurance!" Paul countered.
Ohhh, that was a good move. Assurance dealt double the damage if the user experienced some damage beforehand. And that was enough to turn the tide as magical hands appeared and began hitting around Haunter.
Fantina's Pokèmon strained to get back in the air...
But ultimately fell down into a heap onto the ground. There was a distinct pause and a silent count down before the speakers blurted, "Haunter is unable to continue the battle. The score is 2 to 3 with the challenger being in lead."
"You did well, my friend," The woman praised to the unconscious Ghost in a sincere, quiet tone. The Pokeball's red beam engulfed the Haunter as Fantina returning it to's capsule. "Pas mal Paul! Now how will you fare with moi Duskull?"
The next Pokemon appeared to be a lot more menacing than the playful Haunter. The dark grey creature had a bone mask for face, shaped like a skull as the species name suggested. He levitated off the ground, up and down.
"Oohohoho, Future Sight!" The gym leader ordered.
While Duskull was preparing his move, Paul took the chance to catch his opponent off guard; another Pursuit followed by a Wing Attack before Duskull managed to get back on track and went completely defensive.
Attack. Dodge. Attack again. Dodge again. It was like watching a dance, both trainers went back and forth without relenting.
It was then when Mukrow started heaving out of the blue as if the air had been knocked out of him. I had been watching intently at the exchange of blows and not one of them had landed on the other Pokemon... so how?
Wait... that Future Sight from before!
Mukrow had already been handicapped from the previous battle and was dizzy from a Confuse Ray. And that last move caused ample damage. I eyed his wavering form and gulped; as much as I hated to say it, I don't think he was going to last much longer.
Paul must have realised this as well and began to switch tactics, "Return!"
"Not so fast!" Fantina cried out, "Pursuit!"
The challenger clicked his tongue as he recalled his Pokemon, now fainted and unable to battle. The robotic referee called out a draw as Paul drew out his next ball-well, more like dragged the Pokemon out.
"Me?!" I cried out loud, "You want me to go into battle?!"
If I thought about logically, a Zubat was a decent choice. I was the only Pokemon that could pull off a dark move in the party now that Mukrow was unable to battle. The move Bite would be super affected against Ghost-types. My species ability Inner Focus also meant I wouldn't flinch against any Ghost moves either.
HOWEVER.
And there was a huge HOWEVER to this situation; Paul and I did not get along with each other. And that was a complete understatement. I never listened to any of his orders and he was a terrible trainer. Not to mention the only actual battle I had been in was the one with Cynthia, the freaking Champion and she wiped the floor with me.
"Seriously?! Have you gone insane? I think you have gone insane. Why would you ever even consider sending me off into battle?" I whined indignantly but it was no use. The trainer's mind was set.
Paul rolled his eyes and quite literally yanked me by wing into the middle of the field. Which was why I found myself staring into the deep, endless pits that were Duskull's eyes. They were completely black and hollow with the exception of a single red sphere that glowed ominously.
"Uhh... hi there? Please don't kill me." I squeaked.
Duskull didn't say anything. It stood silently and drilled into my skull with that one eye.
This is so unsettling...
All of a sudden, the other Pokemon sunk into the ground and just disappeared. Mouth agape, I had been watching the entire time. I spun around frantically but it was nowhere to be seen.
What the hell?! Where did it go?!
I attempted to calm my nerves and get my brain thinking. Of course, "Concentrate!" would be the thing Paul says right after I began taking deep breaths. Instead at snapping at the purple hair blob, I shut my eyes closed and start to listen.
It was rather quiet. Nothing but breathing, flickering candles and the sound of my own wing beats. I strained my ears harder and let my instincts take over.
Just as Duskull phases out of the floor and ambushes me from behind, I spin around and spam Air Cutter in that direction. Gotcha! Some splices of air must have hit as I hear an echoed grumbling from my enemy. However, I needed something a bit more to finish Duskull off.
"Bite!" Paul orders and I roll my eyes; I had been thinking about that way before he had said it! My jaws slammed shut on... what was that? It's cold and light and really really weird.
Either way, it did the trick. I get a first-hand feel of the pulsing spasming until it abruptly dropped. I flew up higher to avoid getting in the way of the fall and stared at the result of my own actions. "Duskull is unable to continue battling. The score has become 1 to 2 with the challenger in the lead."
Hurting fellow Pokèmon felt off-putting, regardless if it were a friendly match or something more serious. I couldn't get rid of that bad taste in my mouth.
"Tres bien, Paul, tres bien!" Fantina said as she returned her fallen companion, "My last Pokemon already. Beware though, this iz moi trump card!"
Wow, already on the boss level.
Mismagius had the appearance of a medieval witch with a crooked cone-like hat on top of its face and a flowing veil for a body. She stared me down under the brim of her tuft with piercing yellow eyes and shivers ran down my spine. Yeah, I really don't like battling against Ghost-type Pokèmon.
"Confuse Ray!" Overhearing Fantina's orders, I was able to mentally prepare myself against the woozy feeling and get away with being just slightly disorientated. Though, there was no time for breaks as the gym leader instructed, "Magical Leaf."
A dozen or so standard leaves solidified in the air. They were sent flying at me in a barrage of arrow yet. As swift as they cut through the air, they were no match for my speed.
I tilted my wide wings at an angle and the leaves whizzed passed me. I gave a little smirk at my fashionable little show and turned my attention to the 'magical' Pokèmon, eying for any weak spots. All thought proceeded to crash and burn as I felt a multitude of razors graze my skin.
OUCH OW OW OW OW! GAH, that hurts!
The leaves had made an impossible U-turn and came parading down. And caught off guard, they nicked me pretty good, even if grass-type moves were supposedly ineffective to a flying-type Pokemon like me.
I was about to wonder how on earth did that Mismagius do that when I came to a realisation. Ohhhhh. Magical Leaf. This special move ensured that the attack would never miss.
And that meant a whole lot more pain for lil' ol' me. Arceus, this was going to a bit more difficult than I thought.
"Shadow Ball! Fire in repeter!"
"Zubat, dodge it!"
Like you need to tell me that!
Spheres of pure dark energy were shot like soccer balls across a field and it was a challenge to avoid those attacks, especially with my cuts on my body being a lot more painful than I would've liked. Miraculously I didn't get hit by a single one Shadow Ball and I took the opportunity to land a hard bite.
From my position, clamping down on the main body of Mismagius, we shared a rare moment of eye contact. She did not look at all impressed and glared at me with a cool, reserved expression.
"Oh boy," I mouthed quietly to myself before I found myself flung to the other side of the court, tumbling on the cold concrete. I was completely outmatched in terms of strength; my puny body was just no capable of creating enough force to do any proper damage.
However, if this match ended up being a contest of stamina... I'll at least have a chance.
"Mismagius use Psychic!"
My opponent began to almost radiate a purple aura as she levitated higher and set her sights on her target. That being me. I felt myself lift off the ground despite the fact that I wasn't making any effort in moving my wings at all and it was then that I realised; what the actual hell, Psychic Pokèmon are such actual cheats. How the hell am I supposed to get out of this one?!
Repeatedly, I was forcibly moved into the air and slammed into the ground, the walls, the ceiling-you name it. I was surprised that I didn't have a concussion at this point but I was certain that my health was whittling away.
In a desperate attempt to escape this brutal onslaught, I began batting my wings with every ounce of effort I could muster. Which... might actually be working. I flicked one eye open to check on Mismagius and surely enough, the Pokèmon was struggling to control my body.
And to hell if I wasn't going to take advantage of that!
In one fluid movement, I pushed my whole weight to the left direction and began flapping those wings. Mismagius was unprepared for the sudden force but clung on to me with as equally intense force-which was exactly for what I was hoping for. I flew in circles, over and over again, dragging the Ghost-type along for the ride.
The result?
Mismagius, having gone through a maniacal tea-cup ride had officially been confused without a single 'move'. Poison Fang along with a flurry of Bites and the magical Pokemon was K.O. for good. There was no recovering from that in a long while.
Silence. Complete and utter disbelief wrung through the air, both trainer and gym leader looking stunned to the very core. I awkwardly floated about waiting until something would happen.
It wasn't until the AI referee broke the silence, having needed a moment to process the previous events, "Mismagius is unable to battle. The challenger, Paul Valentino, has defeated Fantina the Hearthome Gym Leader."
"Magnifique!" Fantina said once she had snapped out of her trance, "Fantastique! Truly exquisite! The way that you and your Zubat battled was tres bon! But to me it zeems that you are the one who'se trained and zee Zubat the trainer."
Paul visibly flinched hearing the last part of her statement. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. The trainer might've won but that didn't mean he had earned it. He had no control over Zubat and no control over the outcome. And that's what irritated him the most.
"I reward you with this Relic Badge! This is for your victory! And as a gift, take this technical machine. It is an expert guide on teaching Shadow Claw." Paul snatched the badge out of Fantina's hands and curled his hands into a first. The technical machine was treated with a bit more care but abruptly shoved into his back pocket.
Fantina continued to speak, "I'm sure you will achieve many great things in the future. Perhaps if you're interested, look at the contests? I judge often at the hall."
"No thanks."
"Non? Ahh, oh well. Bonne chance whatever you may do!"
I felt a little out of place as we exited the Gym. Paul was quiet, brooding on something I couldn't quite understand. We had won the battle and he had got the badge. Wasn't that all that Paul cared about? Winning?
Perhaps I didn't understand him as well as I thought I did.
With a heavy sigh, I placed myself on top Paul in a comfortable perching position, waiting to get the usual reaction of profanities and the wild swinging of arms. I got none of those which is surprising, I know.
Paul didn't bat an eyelash, as if he didn't even notice I was there. Except he definitely did. I could tell by the pause in his step which was only followed by a couple of quick paces. This new change of character was rather odd and I found myself pondering over it for a few minutes before dismissing the thought.
Mr Valentino is odd by nature. Purple hair, bratty attitude. Nothing unusual there.
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... Damn. Calling him that sounds so weird.
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A/N: I'm like three weeks late but HAPPPY NEW YEARS everyone! I know this is late but I hope this update can count as an extremely belated gift for the new year!
Anyway, this story on Quotev has just hit 300 hearts! There's still time to vote on what the special will be! If you would like to read the special chapter, that'll be exclusively on Quotev so go ahead and check that out! There's still time to vote on what the special will be!
Also, you guys are just so wonderful! Looks like my audience has expanded nearly double last time I checked and for that, you have my eternal gratitude! Everyone's reviews are just so positive and yeah, it makes me have butterfrees in my stomach :D
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Response to Reviews:
Blaze2121 - Paul catching a new Pokèmon does sound pretty cool, I'll have to think about it. Thanks for the review, Blaze!
imaginair - I'm glad that you're enjoying this fanfic! Paul's bit of a prickly guy but even then, I think that everyone will get along one way or another. Thank you for reading!
davir213 - Mega Evolution? Count me in! And thanks for reading, davir!
DuskenWillow - Aww... you make me blush! I'm thrilled that you find this fanfiction interesting! I know it's been a while since you wrote your review, but I hope YOU have a wonderful day!
Animadow - I try my best to make One in a Million a comedic read so I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thanks, Animadow!
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This update would've been ONYX-pected, huh?