After an awkward night's sleep, I woke up with a start when I heard the zipper on the tent open and close. After affirming that Shinobi was still awake, I carefully pulled my way out of the sleeping bag and put my clothes back on. I slowly unzipped the tent door and crawled outside, zipping it back up afterwards. When I got out, Azure was sitting on the grass outside, deep in thought. She was thrown out of the deep thought when I sat down next to her.
"Doing alright?" I asked her, rubbing the perpetually-wet fur on her hatless head.
"Yeah. Just thinking." She replied, moving away from me slightly.
"What about?" I reduced the distance between us back to what it was before. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I don't want you to think I'm pressuring you." She sighed a little.
"Well, considering that it's about you, I think it would be better if I didn't tell you. I can't risk telling Shinobi, and Cinder is too much of a tattle. It would be safer if I kept it to myself." She explained, putting one arm to her face and wiping some sweat off of it.
"Why can't you risk telling Shinobi?"
"Because she has ... quite close connections to you, to put it in a way I hope you can understand." I rolled the words around in my head before arriving at a worrying conclusion.
"Azure, there's nothing going on between us." She gave me a look that seemed to say that she didn't believe me. "I'm serious. There's no deeper connection there. She wishes there was, but-"
"What do you mean, she wishes there was? Is she in love with you?" She pressured.
Oh shit, I've really done it this time.
"Look, Azure. I'd rather not talk about it." She chuckled a little and rested one of her arms on the hand I had on the ground closest to her.
"Look at us. So many secrets, such little time." Her words left me confused.
"What do you mean, 'such little time'? What are you hiding now." She looked me straight in the eyes. "Azure, you're scaring me. What's going on. Please, tell me. I'm begging you."
"So, she really didn't tell you. Well, according to the avian grape vine, apparently Shinobi is planning on asking for permission to leave the group." She seemed surprised that her statement wasn't shocking me. "You knew that?"
"I accidentally listened in on one of Shinobi's and Cinder's conversations, in which she revealed both her romantic interest in me and the difficulty of her decision as to whether or not she wanted to leave and go back to the wild." I explained.
"Ah. Good. Well, apparently she's going to stay with you long enough to evolve, confess her feelings for you and then ask to leave." I felt a few tears form in my eyes.
"Why? Why would she tell me how she feels and then immediately leave?" I asked, trying not to let my emotions fly in front of her.
"Well, after how badly she did in the Gym battle yesterday, she's started thinking that her affections for you are getting in the way of her battles, and because of that she's holding you back." I looked at her confusedly. "She's not far from evolving. If it doesn't happen today, it'll happen tomorrow. You really don't have much time with her. Treasure it. Make it last." I got back to my feet and started using the tent zipper repeatedly to get Shinobi's attention.
"Okay, I'm getting up!" She yelled from inside the tent as I started unhooking the tent pegs, lifting the tent off of her.
Within time, we were all packed up and ready to go. I decided that since the atmosphere around the three of us had grown rather awkward, we'd go back and get Cinder, in hopes of getting some light-heartedness around us. We ended up entering the Gym before opening hours and walking through the secret passageway, now having the painting replaced with a far more disposable one of a Weedle. Fuck Weedles. We went down the spiraling staircase and saw Cinder panting in front of a downed Vivillion. Apparently, her training had been so vigorous that she had gained enough battling experience to evolve into a Fletchinder.
With the whole team back together, and after explaining the baseball cap and Azure's evolution, we were back on the road. I had been reliably informed that Route 4 was basically just a straight shot to the next city. The road, however, was filled with gardeners, roller-skaters and annoying small children. Oh, joy of joys. In addition to some admittedly helpful battle experience, it had the unfortunate side-effect of making me have to face just how little time I could have had left with Shinobi. She was acting far more affectionate towards me, giving me occasional kisses on the cheek and whispering things into my ear in the down-time between battles. In addition to what she had asked me for last night, I knew that she was getting ready to confess her feelings properly to me. I didn't know what she planned on saying to me or what she was going to ask me to do, but I had a pretty good idea that it was going to be something that if anyone found out that it happened I would get arrested. I had to face the very real possibility that she was going to go all the way with me. However, I came to the realisation that I wasn't dreading it. Quite the contrary, in fact. I knew that I was in love with her too, even if I wasn't going to let that on. Instead, I decided that I would hold on to my feelings and see if she was really going to leave. However, I didn't have to wonder for that long, as a short ways from the gargantuan Lumiose City, Shinobi became enveloped in a strange glowing light. She seemed to phase off of my shoulder and re-appear next to me, far taller and looking completely different.
"Well, Shinobi, looks like you finally evolved." Cinder said, landing on my shoulder in the place Shinobi used to occupy. "Guess that means you're walking from now on. What a shame." She teased, sticking her tongue out of her beak.
"Shut it, Cinder. She doesn't have to listen to you." Azure told her, leaning behind my head to make eye contact with the bird.
"Oooh, someone's fiesty." Cinder countered. "Besides, you should probably be walking too. You're so damn fat, I'm surprised Jack can even walk with you on his shoulder." With those words, Azure shot a jet of water at her, sending her barreling off of my shoulder and onto the cold hard ground. "Ow! Blasted Fire typing!" She yelled, flying up and landing back on my shoulder.
"Shut up, damn it!" I yelled, getting everyone to stop in place. "Shinobi, congrats on evolving. Azure, don't let Cinder get to you. Cinder, you're an asshole. Stop it." Everyone nodded. "Anyway, we're here." I pointed up to the gate to the giant city, everyone else staring up at it in awe whilst I returned them to their Pokeballs.
I walked inside the entrance to the city and was met with a very angry-looking Serena waiting for me. She grabbed my jacket and threw me to a nearby wall.
"Yes, it's nice to see you, too." I said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Shut up. Why are you here already?" She asked sternly, forcing me against the wall some more.
"Well, there's a Pokemon Gym in Lumiose City. Fill in the blanks." She laughed a little before applying more pressure. "Are you trying to kill me or something? If you are, make it quick. I've got an appointment in Hell in an hour that I don't want to miss." She let go of me and turned away. "I could've gotten out of that at any time, you know."
"Why are you incapable of taking anything seriously? How did you even beat the Santalune City Gym?" She bellowed, staring me daggers.
"To answer your first question, because unlike you I can take a joke."
"How is burning a book I gave to you as a gift a joke?" She shouted.
"It's a special brand of humour I've dubbed 'fuck you' humour. To answer your second question, magic. Expelliarmus, Shazam and whatever." She backed off slightly. "Any real reason why you were waiting to murder me at the entrance, or are you just comp-letely mad?" She sighed.
"The professor who told me to give you a Pokemon and Pokedex said that he wanted to meet you in person, for some stupid reason. Now come on." She grabbed me by the wrist and practically dragged me through the streets towards a small building. "Go inside." She let go, and I tried to walk away before she punched me in the stomach and pointed back to the building. Reluctantly, I walked inside.
After going up an elevator, I was met with a very tall and very French man.
"Hello! You must be Jack!" He proclaimed, grabbing me by the shoulder and dragging me round a corner. "I trust that you've been taking good care of that Pokedex I gave you?"
"Well, it hasn't exploded in my face yet, so I suppose that I have." He laughed.
"I like you already, Jack. It's nice to have someone with a sense of humour around here." He opened a small compartment on a machine with three Pokeballs in it. "Now, can I see what Pokemon you've caught on your way here?" I pulled three Pokeballs of my own out of my bag and passed them to him. "Well then, let's see what you've caught on your long way here."
"It wasn't exactly long. I passed through two tiny towns, some grass, a forest and a road. It wasn't exactly the longest of trips." He laughed again. Easily amused it seems. However, he eventually threw the three Pokeballs to the ground. He then bent down and then examined them all closely.
"You've got a fine set of Pokemon here, Jack." He picked up Cinder and smiled at her. "You must be Cinder! Your owner has told me a whole lot about you." He rubbed the feathers on her tail.
"So, you know my mother, then." I asked him, taking back Cinder's Pokeball and returning her to it.
"Who, Grace? She's an old friend of mine. When I heard that she and her son were moving to Kalos, I got back in touch and asked if I could give you a Pokemon and ... have you do some work for me. She told me that you wouldn't be interested, I changed her mind, and here we are. However, I wasn't expecting your strongest Pokemon to be a house pet. Shows how much I know." He laughed again. This man was starting to piss me off.
"Hey! I resent that!" Azure shouted up at him. He bent down and smiled his goofy fucking smile at her.
"Well, hello, little guy! What's your name?"
"Azure. Also, I'm a girl, don't touch the cap and if you try to pick me up, I'll break you." She calmly stated, much to the professor's surprise.
"Well, Azure. I won't, then." I double-taked.
"Wait, you can understand Pokemon?" I asked, putting Azure away to prevent any injuries.
"Indeed I can. I know you and Serena can, too. It's a rather rare gift to have, and one of the reasons why I wanted to give you a Pokemon. Speaking of, where's Shinobi?"
...
"Over here, pest." Shinobi whispered to him from behind.
"Gah! Why are you doing that?"
"Revenge, for the years of torture." She said, walking into view.
"What torture?" He asked, concerned.
"You kept me locked up in this fucking lab for years, running your damn experiments on me, never letting me go outside for fear that I'd run away, it was a living hell." She wiped a tear from her face as she yelled at him.
"I know. I regret my actions, which is why I had you given to this young man here." I was confused. "I knew that this boy would take you along, and show you a life that you couldn't live here." He continued, moving to hug her, but deciding against it.
"Wait, I don't get it. You mean me specifically?" He nodded. "Then why did you give me a choice?" He chuckled lightly before bringing me to a large window that occupied a large area of the building's eastmost wall.
"Ever hear of a little thing called fate, Jack?" I facepalmed.
"So, to work out the wellbeing of your Pokemon, you used ancient tribal crap. That seems about right." He laughed his obnoxious fucking laugh again.
"Yep. Anyway, I've kept you rather long. Why not spend the rest of the day exploring Lumiose? I've made reservations at a 4-star hotel for you! Kick back and relax." I returned an unwilling Shinobi to her Pokeball and made for the door. "One other thing. Don't bother heading for the gym. It's shut, and you'll never find it anyway." I sighed and went back down the elevator, leaving the building.
Outside, I spent almost the rest of the day buying shit I didn't need, which was to be expected in a city as large and bustling as Lumiose. I even had a complete change in outfit. I managed to convince the local clothing store that I was 'stylish' enough for them to accept my damn money. I eventually made my way to the hotel that the professor had said he had made reservations for, and as luck had it, he had. Not the best room, but who can argue with the price of free. I made my way up to the room and put my bag down, resting on the first proper bed I had slept in for days. After getting my energy back, I threw out Shinobi's Pokeball and prepared for the worst.
"Don't bring Azure and Cinder in here. I need to talk to you." Oh shit. Here it comes.
"Well, what do you need to talk to me about?" Maybe I'm wrong.
"You may have noticed that I've been increasingly more affectionate around you." Fuck. I'm not.
"Yeah, I have noticed that, actually. Care to explain?" No backing out now.
"I know what I'm about to tell you may not seem truthful at first, but I need you to promise to hear me out, okay?" Nod. Nod! Nod, you fucking head!
"Okay, I promise." I'm not ready for this.
"Jack, I think that I'm ..." Here it comes. She's taking a deep breath. Don't sweat. It'll only make things worse. "In love with you." There it is. Well, crap. She said it.
"What do you mean by that?" Please be wrong. Please be wrong. Please be wrong.
"I mean, in a romantic sense." No. No. No. Decline. Say SOMETHING, damnit! "I'm going to show you what I mean, okay?" Please don't. This is wrong. Illegal. Everything about this is wrong. All of it. Say no! Say it! It's not hard! Wait. Fuck. I think it is. All aspects.
"Um, okay." FUCKING MIND! "Even though I have a pretty good idea." Yeah. Sure. That'll lighten the mood. Idiot.
"Alright."
"You want to what?" I said in false disbelief, feigning shock as not to give up the fact that I already knew what was coming.
"Well, it's supposed to be the most intense way of showing your love for someone, isn't it?"
"I ... I guess so, but I really don't think this is the right way to go about things."
"Jack, if you love me back, then you'll at least try and humour me here. Okay?" She smiled slightly, but I saw something in her, something that looked like despair.
"Fine." She lit up slightly. "We'll give it a go and see where it takes us."
"Good. Glad to hear it." With a mischevious grin, she hopped on to the bed and reached for the light switch. No turning back now, I guess.
A/N: I went through this chapter multiple times, reworking things I didn't like, but somehow I'm still not happy with the final product. When you've planned out something quite far in your head, every time that plan changes you've got to go back and change things. Gets annoying after a while.
Cheese. There. That lighten the mood for you? Good. Enjoy the new chapter, ya sods.