Chapter 9

I scooch myself from the center of my bed to the edge, sitting right next to Quil. He rubs my back and smiles at me. "Or, hey, how about I choose what you were next?" For some reason, that made me think this wouldn't go well. I raise an eyebrow, and look at him with confusion and slight disapproval. "Hmm… I guess we could give it a shot. Show me what you have for me." He pumps his fist and heads off excitedly to my clothing drawer. He digs through almost all the drawers, only to take out some dark blue jeans, a red and black plaid flannel, and a black shirt with some gray chains as a design. I nod. "Hm, not too bad."

I put on the clothes, and brush off any excess from my shoulders. "Lookin' good!" said Quil. I smiled at him and he pat my shoulder. With that, he wraps a wing around my shoulders, and leads us both to the front door. Before we head out, Lucario stops us. "Ethan, what did I say? Wear some warm clothing, and something with a hood. You'll catch a cold."

"Lucario, I'm 19. I can take care of myself." He crossed his arms, scoffed, and stormed off to the kitchen. "See you later, I guess…?" I sigh, and open the door. We both slowly walk out, and pace our way through the beachfront of Hau'oli City. The breeze was gentle, making my hair and Quil's plumage sway softly in the wind. I stared at him while his feathers almost seemed to have some kind of rhythmic synchronization with the wind. He takes a deep breath, and sighs happily. "Ah, fresh air… I've needed some of this."

"Yup, I do too for sure. All this is stressing me out…" Quil turns toward me, and tilts his head.

"All of what I'm doing…?"

"O-oh, no, what I mean is… Stuff with the Lycanrocs, and barely a couple of minutes ago, Salazzle pushed herself onto me…"
"Peculiar… She's probably in heat." He snickers.

"Heh, in heat. Get it?" I rolled my eyes.
"Yes, Quil, I do."
"Well, did you do anything with her?"

"No, nothing at all. I pushed her away and just quietly went off to my room… I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried for her." We both let out a collective sigh.

"Don't sweat it, Ethan. I'm sure she can take care of herself."

"Yeah, you're right…" And from then on, we began leaving the Beachfront, and onto the shopping district of Hau'oli City. Things grew silent between us as we walked along the road. I didn't know what to say, and neither did he, it seems. He kept his wing around me the entire way, gently caressing my upper arm. I then decided to break the silence.

"Hey, Quil, remember the first time I tried to make Pokepuffs with you?"
"A-ah, yes, the time where I slipped right into the bowl of batter." I chuckle and nod.

"And you were only trying to help, you clumsy Decidueye, you." I pet his head, and he smiles, shaking his head.

"Don't forget, I got you covered in it too. And you weren't exactly the cleanest, so who's the klutz here?"

"The one who fell directly into the bowl." He blushes, and gives me a sheepish smile. I can't help but laugh a bit when he looks like that. Not going to lie, but he looks adorable when he's blushing.

Silence fills the space once more, and now, I'm thinking I should be honest. Should I come clean? What would he say? He didn't exactly react when I told him Salazzle put her hands on me… Maybe he'll take it well. I open my mouth, then Quil quickly starts talking before I do. "What about that time when you became champion? Wasn't that somethin'?"

"H-huh? O-oh! Th-that! Y-yeah, it sure was. You were definitely carrying the entire team, though."
"O-oh, c'mon, I wasn't that powerful back then…"
"Oh, don't be so modest, Quil. You were insanely powerful! You even beat Moon's Decidueye. And she was an insane trainer."

"Oh yeah, odd to think she chose a Rowlet too…"
"It was, but hey, you triumphed! And I… No, we became champions of the Alolan Pokemon League!"

"I remember how you celebrated too. You brought all of us out from our Poke balls, and they registered us in the hall of fame with a huge group hug picture. And with you in the middle, with the happiest smile I've ever seen." He puts his hand on my hair, and rustles it about.

"A-aw, Quil, c'mon, quit messing with my hair!" He chuckles, and stops. Then my hair rests in its normal style.
"It always ends up going back to normal anyway. You're fine!" I brush a handful of my hair away from my face. I guess he's right about that. And another moment of dead silence between us… It's now or never, Ethan. Honesty, you've got this.

"Hey, what happened with your Slowbro? Remember him?" DAMMIT!

"O-oh yeah, him… I had to let him go back to where he came from… No matter how hard we tried, he wasn't ever battle-ready. He always took loads of damage, even when training… I couldn't just let him get hurt like that, so I set him free."
"Heh, look at Ethan over here, with a big heart. Think he still remembers us?"
"I'm not sure… I don't mind, as long as he's happy."
"I bet he'd appreciate that a lot, Ethan." I nod. Now's the time! I need to get this damn thing off my chest. It's starting to make me uncomfortable just thinking about it. But before I can speak, something inevitably stops us. I feel something wet hit my head. I look up, and it hits my forehead. And with a loud clap of thunder, my eyes widen. "Shit."

The rain began pouring insanely hard on both of us. It seems like we've been hit by a storm. I cover my head, and Quil does the same. He looks at me, and then toward the exit. "Ethan! Let's go to Verdant Cavern for shelter! Follow me!" Before I'm able to object, or say anything, he bolts his way to the gates of the city. I follow after him and use my flannel to cover my head up. As I catch up, we rest at the entrance of Verdant Cavern.

I bend down, and rest my hands on my thighs, gasping for air. Quil does the same. "I knew I should've… Worn my hood…" He walks over to a large rock and sits down in a little divet in the dirt. I follow suit, and sit down next to him. I take a deep breath, and try to dry off my hair. "Personally, I think you look great, regardless of your hood or not…"

"Heh, thanks, Ethan… And in my opinion, your hair looks fantastic in the rain…" I give him a sweet smile and nod.
"You flatter me, Quil…" I take another deep breath, and this time, let out a loud sneeze. I rub my nose and sniffle. "F-fuck, Lucario was right… M-my nose now feels all congested…" Quil then does the unexpected. He sets me on his lap, and wraps his wings around me, now cocooning me in his wings again.

"I got ya, Ethan… Let me warm you up." I blush and gently rest my head on his chest. I look up at him, and he looks down at me. He smiles, and gently rubs my back. "Ethan, if I may, why are your eyes so bright and golden?"

"O-oh, that… Well, I guess… It all started in a lab with my father fifteen years ago. They were studying a strange Zoroark, while it was incubated in a test tube… Of sorts, all hooked up to wires, and such… When no one was taking notice of it, it burst out of its containment, and immediately set its sights on me. It pinned me to the floor, grinned maliciously, and kissed my forehead. From then on, I had golden eyes."

"Wow, what a story… Well good thing too, I love staring into your eyes. They're so… Beautiful, in a way."

"Th-thanks, Quil…" Not a sound was heard in Verdant Cavern from then on, only the gentle pitter-patter of the rain outside. Not to mention the scent of wet grass and plants. That aroma always calms me down, not to mention the sound of the rain. I lie peacefully on Quil's chest. I listen closely, and I can hear his heartbeat. I don't think there's anywhere else I'd rather be, than here with him, in his wings. My own heart starts beating faster as his soft, feathery fingers run up and down my back. "Hey, Ethan? Can I tell you something…?"

"Yeah, what is it, Quil?" He sets his fingers on my chin and brings up my face gently to his own. He stares into my eyes.

"Ethan, for the last couple of months of being like this with you, you being able to understand me for the past couple of days, have been the happiest days of my life. I have to tell you how I feel."

"Yes, Quil…?" Oh my God, it's happening, he's confessing to me! My heart can't seem to take it, it's going faster than ever before, along with my own head is clouded with thoughts of him. Dreams of just being with the one I loved the most.
"Ethan…" He leans in closer, his beak slightly open. "I'm madly in love with you, and I would be the happiest Pokemon alive if you felt the same…" All I did, was lean into him, making his beak and my lips collide. His eyes widen, then slowly close once he figures out what's happening. He begins kissing me, passionately. I could feel the heat from him, emanating while we exchange our first loving moment. A full thirty seconds pass before I pull back, smiling. "I accept, Quil. I would also be the happiest if I was yours." I could almost see tears swell in Quil's eyes. He gives me a tight embrace. "I love you, Ethan… More than anyone in the world…"
"I love you just as much, Quil…" Then, the rain begins to gradually get quieter, and quieter, until it subsides. Quil gets up and offers his hand. I take it, and he helps me get up. He gently squeezes my fingers, while his loving smile and his affectionate gaze is set upon me. I can't help but return his smile. We both stroll out of Verdant Cavern, hand in hand. Now, my heart belongs to him, and his heart belongs to me.