Pokémon: Hoenn Travels.
-The Important Stuff:-
1) I am not at all affiliated with Game Freak nor Nintendo, or any other companies that write/produce Pokémon.
2) I do not own any part of Pokémon.
-A Waiver:-
1) This is not a direct steal from anything already Pokémon-related that exists, not the show or a game or a novel/book. It is my own creation, therefore I may bend the rules a little bit to fit my needs.
2) The names of Professors, Gym Leaders, and Cities were taken from Ruby Version.
Chapter Twenty-Five:
The Beginning
Spring had finally settled over Ecruteak upon my return. The sun was shining brightly and all the snow was gone from the ground, but a cool breeze still meandered its way through the air. Even though I had just returned the day before, it seemed like my Hoenn adventures had been weeks before, a distant memory. I had only been gone from Ecruteak for a few weeks, but everything felt changed, different.
I had decided to let Catherine Ross continue to teach for another week. It would give me time to acclimate back to Ecruteak time and it would finish out the hours she needed for her internship. My mother had already left for Kanto, promising she would call and get all the highlights of my trip when we both weren't so tired.
It was difficult to get back into my routine. I had slept in late and I had found that I had no food in my house for breakfast when I finally did rouse myself. I spent my morning going to get groceries and running the errands that had fallen by the wayside while I had been gone. By late afternoon, I had been so exhausted that I ended up napping on the sofa accidentally.
When I awoke in the early evening, hungry and discombobulated, I didn't have the want or the motivation to cook.
"Luma," I called for my Pokémon, but she wasn't in the room.
I stood, stretching my arms over my head. I found the front door to my house cracked opened. I dropped my arms and pulled it further open, finding Luma standing out several paces from the front door. Her nose was lifted into the air and she was inhaling deeply. The tips of tail were vibrating.
"Luma?"
She glanced back at me, a smile present in her eyes. "Sorry, it's just so pretty out here," she commented finally. "I didn't realize how much I missed Ecruteak."
"Is everything okay?"
She wandered back to me, wrapping herself around my legs and purring loudly. "Everything is fine, Rowan. You going for dinner?"
"I thought I would go get food from the restaurant up the road," I agreed. "You want to come with?"
"No," she purred. "Bring me meatballs back?"
"Of course."
She padded back inside, I followed her to get my wallet and keys. I promised her I would be right back and left my house, heading from my house and into Ecruteak proper. As I was passing the Pokémon Center near the center of town, I happened to glance south and down Route 37 that led toward Goldenrod. A small sadness filled me; a sadness that missed adventure, that missed excitement.
That missed Doug.
I took in a deep breath, glancing away quickly. However, I had to pause and do a double-take. There was a person sauntering up the route and toward Ecruteak. What caused me to pause was the Pokémon trotting at their side.
My eyes went from the Umbreon and up to the person. The tall man with dark hair atop his head and his left arm slung across his chest. "Doug?" I whispered.
The person seemed to notice that I was watching him; he momentarily paused. When he started walking again, his pace was undoubtedly faster.
As he neared, my thought was confirmed.
Douglas Evergreen, Champion of Johto and Kanto, had just sauntered back into Ecruteak City. He came to a stop right in front of me. Phantom however, moved around me and continued further into the city, heading for my house.
"You came back." I softly spoke.
"Well, yeah," he said. "I had to."
"You had to?" I repeated.
He shrugged. "I won, you owe me dinner."
"I do owe you dinner," I agreed, then chewed on my lip, watching him warily. "Are you staying?"
He shrugged, throwing his right hand dismissively. "I gave it up."
His words caused me to pause. I arched my eyebrow in his direction, waiting for further explanation. When it didn't come, I pressed him for more information. "You gave what up?"
His eyes dropped to the ground and he shook his head. "Until you said it, it didn't occur to me that it was something I could do. I thought because I was good at it, I didn't have a choice, even though I didn't enjoy it, even though it wasn't the life that I wanted." He took a deep breath. "I gave up the Champion title."
We stood, silently facing each other as the words settled over me. I was trying to comprehend what it meant, if I truly understood what it meant.
"Rowan," he breathed. "This is what I should have done five years ago, and I am sorry it took me so long to realize that."
I reached out, grabbing handfuls of the shirt he wore. I pulled him toward me, a movement he obliged, while simultaneously pushing myself up onto my toes. My lips met his quickly. I could feel him smiling as his hand came up to the side of my face, cupping my chin. He returned the kiss, softly at first. However, it deepened as I leaned into him and his hand moved from my chin and to the back of my head. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding myself closer to him.
When the kiss ended, his face stayed close to mine. He whispered, his lips still brushing against mine as he spoke. "So, can I stay here with you?"
We shared another kiss, but I responded with a single word. "Please."