"I don't want to get outta bed…" Kidd groaned as he nestled deeper under the covers. The warm quilt and cool bedroom made it impossible to leave, along with being sandwiched between his partners.
Benedict crawled out of bed anyways
"Well I smell somethin' good" he pointed out as he grabbed his clothes off the floor.
Kidd looked up from the covers. Togepi-print, huh? Very cute.
Tank rolled onto his side, nearly falling on top of Kidd. Yeah, maybe it was time to get up… Kidd snuck out of bed, looking at a poster on the wall. He tiptoed out of the room and made a b-line for the bathroom. Oh, good, the shower looked easy to figure out.
An hour later..
The sweet scent and sound of sizzling pancakes simmered from the kitchen.
Deirdre was in the same clothes she wore yesterday, except with a plain black apron over them. She whistled and broke out into song, tapping her spatula against the pan.
"It's a big big world but you know where to find me. We'll be together and we're gonna do it our own way!"
At one point, she shook her pan before flipping the pancakes in the air.
Oh now THIS was a perfect serve!
The boys finally left the guest bedroom, fully dressed and ready for breakfast. Oh, this was pleasant. The dining table was well decorated, from Sunflora-print tablecloth to the spread of toppings in the middle. Diced strawberries, fresh raspberries, sliced bananas and other fruits filled one of the dishes. Jars of sweet condiments, like chocolate hazelnut spread and authentic Viridian City maple syrup, were lined up next to the toppings.
"Morning boys!" Deirdre called out as she finished making another plate of pancakes. "Did you guys sleep well?"
Kidd poured himself an extra-strong cup of coffee, adding a splash of Moomoo Milk to distract from the bitter taste. Benedict yawned as he stretched in his seat, still groggy from last night. The same dreams kept coming back to him.
"I did, yeah," Tank said.
Deirdre finished cooking, then walked to the table with several plates of pancakes. She handed everyone a plate, then sat down to join them. The four animals decorated their pancakes, scarfing them down like a pack of Poochyena.
"So, what are you guys doing later today?" Deirdre asked as she drizzled more maple syrup to her stack.
Tank stuffed his face with pancakes before explaining, "We're going to Mauville City for Crossing Rider Con!"
"Crossing Rider Con?" Deirdre asked before gasping. "Oh, that toku show from Kanto! I remember watching Crossing Rider Explosion a little bit. That's the third season, right?"
"Yep!" Tank nodded. "Hey, did you wanna go too?"
"Oh, I'd love to," Deirdre smiled, then frowned "but I don't want to leave Oldale Town when there's a festival going on. Thanks for asking though."
"That's okay," Tank assured her. "Hey, if you want, I can send you some pictures from Mauville City!"
"Really?" Deirdre asked. "Oh, you're so sweet, Tank. Here!"
She handed him her Rotom phone. "Go ahead and put your number in here."
Tank quickly put his phone number in, handed it back, then cleared off the rest of his pancakes.
Benedict and Kidd sighed in relief, pleasantly stuffed from their stack of pancakes. Deirdre chuckled a little. She thought to herself, "making those pancakes is worth it, maybe I should open a pancake shop here!"
An hour later, the boys were on the road and ready to take on the day. While Oldale Town's festival was fun, it was time to move on and see what else the Hoenn region had to offer!
Route 103 was a sleepy little route. Wild Zigzagoon and Poochyena scurried through the grass, chasing a pack of Wingull. The heavy smell of saltwater polluted the air. Cool ocean water ebbed against the tide, with lost items washing up against the shore. Abandoned fishing lures, empty bait boxes and a stray boot floated on the surface and into the sand.
Tank cringed as he looked closer at the beach. Would it kill someone to pick up their trash after a day of fishing?!
Benedict ran onto the beach and threw one of his Poké Balls
"Asuka!" he yelled. "Let's go!"
"Gyaoooooo!" Asuka howled as she fell into the water. With a wide grin across her face, she splashed her tail against the water. A cool wave of water splashed into Benedict's face, soaking him from head to toe.
"Asuka!" Benedict laughed. "Now what was that for!"
"Gyara-gyara!" Asuka closed her eyes and snickered, fanning her tail in the water.
"Y'all ready to go?" Benedict asked his Pokémon.
"Gyao" Asuka nodded. She lowered her head, staying still as the three trainers climbed on top.
With the boys secured on top, Asuka dove deep underwater.
Radiant beams of sunshine glowed under clear blue water. Groups of wild Pokémon filled the water. Several herds of Magikarp flopped in and out of the water's surface. Pink and orange seaweed swayed through the water, tickling the surface of Asuka's underbelly.
Asuka stopped in her tracks to watch a colorful scene.
A Corsola floated in the middle of the water, waving hello with its stubby arms. A pink slug Pokémon sat on top of the Corsola, making a strange meowing sound. That was odd, Asuka noted. Perhaps that was a Pokémon imported from another region?
The Corsola pointed to the left. A Lanturn clicked and chirped in a strange rhythm, joined by a group of singing Clamperl. The bivalve Pokémon bounced up and down in the sand. Gradually, an Alolan melody formed in the air.
Dozens of Tentacool showed up, dancing behind the Corsola in perfect sync.
The boys held on for dear life, while Asuka shook her body to the infectious rhythm. Her tail formed a small tornado in the water.
A group of Pokémon joined the party; a dancing duo of Kinger and Qwilfish, a Pachirisu wearing a diving suit and flower, and an unamused Tentacruel getting poked by a Staryu. A Wailmer flailed her flippers around, slapping a Karrablast on the head.
The music gradually came to a halt. Asuka turned her head up and roared in delight. The wild Pokemon swam out of the way, allowing her to go through the Hoennian ocean.
The atrocious Pokémon darted through the cool water, stopping to poke her head out of the water. She waited for several minutes, looking ahead as the trainers caught their breath. "Gya?"
"I'm…." Benedict panted. "I'm fine, Asuka."
Asuka chirped again, "Gyara?"
"Yeah, I'm sure 'bout it, Asuka,"
Benedict assured her. "We're only halfway there!"
"Gyaooo!" Asuka howled before diving back underwater.
As she swam through the rest of Route 103, something caught her attention. The water's temperature gradually warmed up, while thick black smoke billowed in front of her.
A pair of Octillery wrestled in front of her, purposefully blocking her path to shore. Without hesitation, Asuka ducked her head and torpedoed through the water. The pair of Octillery flew through the water, both of them crashing against a large boulder.
Sand grew higher against the shallow water. Asuka stopped in her tracks, popped her neck above the water and lowered her head so the trainers could climb off. Water dripped down and onto the thick sand.
Benedict reached up to pet his Pokémon on her crest. Despite faint scars from her many battles, her rugged scales were pleasant to the touch.
"Great job Asuka!" he praised her before returning her to her Poké Ball.
Kidd walked over to a large boulder, set his messenger bag down and rummaged through it. Ugh, where were they?!
"Need help with something?" Tank asked.
"Yeah, I do," Kidd said. "I can't find the towels anywhere!"
Tank assured him, "I have them in my backpack."
"Oh thank Arceus" Kidd sighed in relief.
Tank smiled a little. He pulled out three towels; a simple navy blue one, a pink one with blue and white stars on the edge, and a green one with thick teal stripes.
After drying themselves off, the boys changed into new clothes. Tank had on a black shirt with a red collar and white logo on the chest, along with a stylish pair of beige dogtooth-print pants. Benedict wore a blue sleeveless hoodie, a dark blue t-shirt and baggy light blue pants. Kidd was dressed to the nines, wearing a teal crop top with a pink cherry blossom pattern, a white leather jacket, and ripped black skinny jeans.
Benedict tried to pull his hair into a bun, but got frustrated at his still damp hair. Why wouldn't it tie already?!
Kidd looked over, "Um, Benedict? Can I try something?"
"Huh?" Benedict turned around. "Um, sure!"
"Just trust me," Kidd assured him.
He held most of Benedict's hair, gently tying it into an elegant braid. A few strands came loose, but Kidd didn't pay attention to them. He pulled a hair tie off his wrist, using it to tie the end of his hair. The bright red and shiny white made him think of a particular Gyarados.
Tank looked up from his phone, "Hey, I didn't know you could style hair, Kidd!"
Kidd handed Benedict one of his compact mirrors.
"Oh, well," he explained. "I had to teach myself. My mom would yell at me if I even brushed up past her."
Benedict smiled as he looked in the mirror. Huh, he looked surprisingly elegant. The braid made him think about one of his favorite shows; a series about two brothers who messed with alchemy.
"Screw her," he said. "This looks awesome!"
Kidd was tickled pink. He placed a hoof on his chest "Aw, thank you!"
"So, you guys ready for Mauville?" Tank asked as he adjusted his backpack straps.
Benedict handed Kidd the compact mirror. "I am now!"
Kidd dramatically flipped his hair, "I've been ready since we got here!"
"Then let's go!" Tank cheered as he charged to the door.
Benedict and Kidd looked at each other and shrugged before following Tank inside. The boys stopped in their tracks.
Mauville City was completely redecorated. Energetic electric guitars and pounding drums boomed over the speakers, joined by smooth horns and baritone vocals. Party banners and balloons hung from the ceiling. Posters were plastered across the walls, reading "CROSSING RIDER CON". Several food vendors stood outside, most of them selling light food like crepes.
Teenagers and young adults walked through the hallway. Some were dressed in tight spandex and helmets obscuring their faces, while others wore black hoodies with a white logo on the chest.
Tank looked on his phone, "Hey, um, guys?"
"Yeah?" Kidd asked.
Tank stopped in his tracks,
"So I just checked online, and both the hotels AND Pokémon Center lodging are booked."
"What a shocker," Benedict deadpanned. "Yeah, I can't wait to sleep on the roof again."
"Benedict, please!" Tank assured him. "We'll find a place to stay!"
"Well I'm hopin' it ain't that one hotel"
Benedict shook his head, shrugging as the boys looked at him with a confused expression. "What? Inn n Out was NASTY!"
Kidd snickered as he held his hooves up to his chin.
"What's so funny?"
Benedict crossed his arms.
"Oh, nothing," Kidd said. "Just that the place you're thinking of? I bet it's already shut down."
"Oh, thank Arceus" Benedict sighed in relief. He looked over at the wall; what was in all the animals coming in and out? "Hey, is that part of the con too?"
"The food court?" Tank asked. "Oh, no, it doesn't have anything to do with the convention, but it's always busy!"
Kidd looked it up on his phone, "We're going in there."
Tank was caught off guard. "Already? Is there– oh, right, your croquettes. Shocker."
Kidd adjusted his scarf. "You know me so well. Let's go in there already!"
Benedict shrugged as he followed the other two inside.
It's an understatement to say that the Mauville Food Court was bustling. Trainers pushed and shoved each other in line, while their Pokémon were having a free for all.
A Machoke and Medicham wrestled on the floor, before a Sandslash smacked the duo with a foldable chair. Meanwhile, a Staryu snuck up behind a Pachirisu and kicked it in the back. Pachirisu snarled before grabbing its trainer's trumpet and chasing Staryu across the food court.
Two other trainers, a blond bat wearing green makeup, and a black wolf in a school uniform, punched each other on one of the tables. The bat let out an ear-piercing screech before stealing a child's toy roll roader and throwing it at the wolf's face.
An aquamarine penguin sat away from the commotion. She wore a large white straw hat, white oval sunglasses and a long frilly purple dress. Steam blew in her face as she slurped her noodles at a breakneck pace.
Benedict reached into his bag and grabbed two Poké Balls, but just before he could throw them, Kidd and Tank grabbed his wings at the same time.
"Awww come on, guys!" he complained. "Lemme guess, we're orderin' food before battlin', right?"
"Noooo" Kidd snarked. "We were gonna battle while you ordered for us."
"Order? I thought I was gonna steal someone else's food!" Benedict snarked back. He winked at Tank "Unless you wanna steal someone's ramen for us"
"Knock it off you two," Tank scolded them both. "Look, how about you two order while I get us seated."
"Sounds good to me," Kidd shrugged.
He walked to the only empty table, grabbing himself a seat. Before he could sit down, a firm arm grabbed his wrist and yanked him away.
"Hey!" he yelled.
Tank froze up. A goldenrod-yellow lion towered over him, holding on with an iron grip. His shaggy brown mane brushed against his wide shoulders. Deep scars trailed his rock-solid face, framing his magnificent brown beard. Despite the rugged appearance, an elegant robe adorned his body. Red fabric swished against his thighs, as did smooth white pants.
"Oy, outta my seat you runt!" the lion roared.
In mere seconds, the crowd stopped fighting to watch the commotion. Most trainers returned their Pokémon to their Poké Balls. Several animals whispered to themselves, mostly pointing out the audacity of a grown adult threatening a minor.
"I don't even know who you are!" Tank yelled back. He tried to wriggle free, but the lion just gripped harder.
The lion turned his chin up and chuckled. His accent was as Galarian as a greasy chip butty and drinking a tin in public. "You seriously don't know who I am? Well I don't know what to expect from a child, but I'll–"
Benedict and Kidd ran through the crowd, stopping in front of Tank and blocking him. They guarded him like knights protecting their prince.
The lion blinked as he let go of Tank's wrist, "...Fine, I'll humor you little bastards just once. Elvis Crimson. I hail from Wyndon, and for your information, I've won seven eating competitions. So this seat is reserved for champion eaters only."
Benedict snorted. "I don't remember askin' y'all 'bout that."
"Ex-CUSE ME?!" Elvis' face turned white. "How dare you talk to me like that you cheeky bastard!"
Benedict lashed out, "Oi I'm the bloody bastard now, am I? And whose the one laying their dodgy hands on a bloke they never met?"
Kidd whispered, "I think this Elvis guy is screwed."
"You think? Benedict broke out in Galarian!" Tank hushed back.
Elvis tisked. "Are you making a mockery out of me, prick?"
"Oi y'want a mockery, huh?" Benedict pulled out a Poke Ball. "How 'bout us a cheeky Pokemon fight then?"
"It'd be quite a pleasure to beat the tar outta you, ya daft Miltank" Elvis flashed a sharp grin. He pulled out three Ultra Balls from his robe and held them up. He stepped backwards and held out the Ultra Balls, releasing a trio of strange Pokémon.
The first Pokémon was a strange insect with a red jewel adorning her head, the second was a black and blue lion with sparks flying from his mane, and the last one was a pair of floating swords joined together. While these Pokemon were obviously from another region, their typing looked relatively easy to figure out.
Benedict tossed his Poké Ball in the air, releasing Jojo for battle. Tank and Kidd joined him, respectively releasing Fern and Aquarius.
The three Pokémon roared as they posed in front of their trainers.
The boys looked at each other. Oh great, some Pokémon from another region. The one in the middle had to be the strongest, so dealing with the two on the side was their best bet to victory.
Elvis snapped his fingers, "Vespiquen, use Toxic!"
"Vespiiiii" The bee Pokemon hovered next to her battle partner. Her right arm glowed bright purple, with not a single goop of energy dripping down.
The boys gulped. Who was she going to infect first….
Vespiquen smacked the lion Pokémon on his head, her face unmoving as she infected him with a stream of poisonous purple energy.
"Luxx…luxray!" the lion Pokémon barked. While a deadly case of poison ravaged his body, pure unfiltered rage flooded him as well. He flashed a mouthful of indigo teeth, clawing the ground as sharp as possible.
The boys shouted as they pointed ahead,
"Jojo, use Blaze Kick!"
"Fern! Leaf Blade!"
"Aquarius! Muddy Water!"
The three Pokémon lunged at their opponent. A flurry of razor-sharp leaves, glowing orange flames and murky brown water blasted across the food court. Doublade stood completely still, letting the attacks pelt him without mercy. Despite the barrage of critical hits, he refused to go down without a fight. It was only a scratch after all!
"Doublade!" Elvis roared, baring his pearly white fangs. His mane rustled in the light breeze. "Slap them all with Aerial Ace!"
"Dou-BLADE!"
The sword Pokémon barrel rolled his body, using his swords to slap away the three Pokémon.
Jojo grabbed Aquarius and Fern by their arms, holding on tight as he skidded backwards against the tiled floor. Small red sparks flew from his legs, flickering into nothing. Yeah, maybe Doublade would be the real trouble. Fern and Jojo jumped down, standing next to their battle partner.
Elvis crossed his arms and commanded, "Luxray, use Ice Fang on Aquarius!"
Luxray formed a ball of icy white crystals, then swallowed it. Chunks of ice melted to fit his mouth, forming thin daggers over his canines. The air grew frigid as he charged towards his opponent.
Benedict gasped. Hey, this was just like battling that Slaking from Petalburg City!
"Jojo! Use Low Sweep to trip up Luxray!"
"Blazi-KEN!"
Jojo pulled his right leg backwards, then tripped Luxray on his own feet. The gleaming eyed Pokémon yelped as he flipped backwards, the ice in his mouth melting into cool water.
Elvis facepalmed. That tricky bastard set him up! "Doublade, use Shadow Sneak!"
Doublade threw his ghostly arms ahead, launching his shadow across the battlefield. The shadow emerged from the ground, formed a pair of ghostly black arms, and yanked on Fern's leaf.
"Vespiquen! Doublade!" Elvis yelled as he pointed in the air. "Switch positions!"
Tank snapped back, "Fern, use Pursuit to keep Doublade busy!"
"Grov-YLE!" Fern chirped and jumped in the air. His body glowed black as he stomp kicked Doublade's crest. The sword Pokemon screamed as he ricocheted across the food court. His pink arms faded away, a loud metallic sound clanging from the walls.
"Bladeeeee" Doublade hissed before completely passing out.
Elvis's face went dark. He looked away as he returned Doublade to his Ultra Ball. Maybe he should've gotten a Dusk Stone before arriving the Hoenn region… But this was no time for regrets. He had to make a stand somehow!
"Vespiquen, Luxray, fight together" he commanded. "No time for support. Each Pokémon for themselves!"
While Vespiquen glared and clawed at the air, Luxray turned his head up and roared.
The boys looked at each other, ready to improvise their plan.
"Here's what I'm thinkin', right?"
Benedict explained. "Vespiquen looks like a Bug and Flying type, right?"
"Yes, they are," Kidd nodded.
"Which is pretty dangerous for Fern," Tank pointed out.
"Yeah, but hear me out," Benedict pointed ahead. "Kidd and I are gonna team up 'gainst her"
Kidd gasped, "Oh, because Aquarius knows Rock Slide! Smart thinking!"
"That, and" Benedict winked. "Rock Slide hits all the Pokémon. Luxray ain't weak to rock moves, but the extra damage should give us an advantage!"
"Right" Tank said. "Let's do this!"
The boys high fived each other, ready to take this battle by the reins.
"Fern!" Tank smiled as he looked ahead. "Use Quick Attack and aim for her face!"
"Grov-YLE!" Fern charged forward at lightning speed. He slapped Vespiquen on the head, slamming her down several inches. The bee Pokémon resisted his strength, trying to stay in the air.
Elvis wrinkled his nose. How dare this child keep attacking him! He roared, "Vespiquen, Fury Swipes!"
"Vespiiiiiii…" Vespiquen hissed as her claws glowed a blinding shade of white. She threw her arms in a flurry, slashing repeatedly at Fern's chest. After the fourth slash, Fern hit Vespiquen's gemstone and backflipped away from her. The gecko Pokemon panted heavily, before he beckoned the two Pokemon to come closer.
The duo of Pokémon charged towards him, ready to double team this cocky lizard. Until….
Benedict jumped ahead and guarded Tank with his right arm, "Jojo! Use Blaze Kick on Vespiquen!"
"Blazi-!" Jojo cawed as he jumped onto his left leg. Red and yellow flames formed around his right leg.
"KENNNNNN!"
The blazing Pokémon swung his leg in the air, kicking Vespiquen's waist. The beehive Pokémon howled as she wrapped her arms around her slender stomach.
"Luxray," Elvis's voice was eerily calm as he adjusted his robe. "Thunder Fang."
"LuxRAYYYYY" Luxray lunged forward and clamped his jaws down on Jojo's left leg. Jojo punched and kicked the lion Pokemon, but despite his attempts, Luxray clamped down harder. Pure blue electricity pulsated into Jojo's body, while thin yellow rays formed around his entire body, freezing him in his spot.
"Bl-blaziken…"
Jojo groaned as his body movement slowed down. Luxray finally let go, running back to his battle partner.
Fury flooded through Kidd's body. The nerve of this so-called king! He hollered, "Aquarius! Rock Slide!"
"Marsh-TOMP!"
Aquarius crawled on top of Jojo, sitting atop his shoulders. She held her arms up, and between her flippers, formed a boulder the size of her entire body. The mudfish Pokemon threw her arms back, then hurled the boulder at her opponents. Like a rocket shooting through the stratosphere, the boulder broke into thin daggers.
While Luxray moved fast and dodged the rocks, Vespiquen wasn't so lucky. The boulder fragments pelted her entire body, slamming her into the ground. A brown and green mushroom cloud formed in the air, blocking everything in sight.
The cloud dissolved in thin air, revealing the inevitable.
Vespiquen laid on her side, not a single muscle able to move.
Elvis gritted his teeth as he returned Vespiquen to her Ultra Ball. His subconscious told him to accept incoming defeat, but he refused. Just because a bunch of brats got in his way doesn't mean he owes them anything.
Luxray roared at the top of his lungs. Even as poison ravaged his body, he would defend his trainer's right as the eating champion.
The boys looked at each other again.
Benedict suggested,
"So, what are y'all thinkin' we do? Go out all on Luxray?"
"No way"
Kidd said. "I was thinking that we'd stall him until he passes out from that poison. I think that Vespiquen gave us a free shot, non?"
"That's ridiculous!" Tank pointed out. "Luxray got poisoned on purpose! It's the ability Guts. If a Pokémon has a status condition like a burn, its attack is WAY stronger. We've gotta take it out before it even thinks about knocking out our Pokémon!"
"Right!" Benedict got fired up.
Kidd stepped forward, ready to take initiative, "Aquarius! Use Mud Shot!"
"Marshtomp!" Aquarius clapped her flippers. She took a deep breath in and held her flippers out, blasting a wave of concentrated mud at her opponent.
Luxray charged through the field, closing his eyes and slowing down as the mud pelted against his face. He stopped as the last of the mud dripped onto the floor.
Paralysis? No problem!
Benedict shouted, "Jojo! Use Blaze Kick!"
"Blazi-"
Jojo pulled his left leg back, but yelped when the electricity pulsated in his veins.
He could barely take a step backwards.
Benedict facepalmed into both wings.
Well this was just his luck!
Elvis nodded at his final Pokemon, "Luxray, use Ice Fang!"
"Lux….luxray!" Luxray shook himself clean. His mouth glowed bright blue as he jumped over the mud and bit down on Fern's right side. Sheer blue and white crystals formed on his body and dug into his skin.
Tank gulped. Ugh, why do so many Pokemon know Ice Fang! Wait, there's a way to get out of it! "Fern! Free yourself with Leaf Blade!"
"Gro-VYLE!" Fern's arms glowed a bright shade of forest green. He pulled his right arm back and slapped Luxray away from him.
Luxray landed on his feet, chuckling as he glared down at the other Pokémon. He winced as more poison flooded his body, but refused to back down already.
Fern panted as he dragged himself across the battlefield. The crystalline white shards dug into his skin, slowing him down with each step. He fell onto all fours, struggling against the floor beneath him. But he refused to let this royal pain get the last laugh!
"Grov…groVYLE!" he roared before a gleaming blue light engulfed his entire body.
His height doubled, shooting up like a sprout. The blades on his arms grew longer, while his tail fanned out into a wider shape. The leaf on his head shrunk into his body, forming two short crests instead.
The blue light shot away from Fern's body, forming small fireworks in the sky. Compared to his past form, Fern looked more dignified. The freezing white crystals melted into nothing.
"Scep-TILEEEEE!" Fern howled as he flexed his arms.
The boys cheered like a group of Galarians at the Wyndon Stadium. But this battle wasn't over yet!
"Fern!" Tank cheered. "Let's finish this battle with another Leaf Blade!"
Fern stood his ground, shaking no at his trainer.
"Huh?"
Tank tilted his head. "Well, Fern, what move do you wanna use then?"
"Scep-tile!"
Fern barked as he karate chopped the air. Blue and purple energy glowed around his forearms.
"Is that-" Tank shook his head clear. Oh! "Yeah! Fern, use Dual Chop!"
"Scep-TILE!" Fern roared as he charged towards his opponent. He karate chopped Luxray's chest twice, roaring as his opponent skidded backwards from both critical hits.
"Luxxx…" Luxray hissed as he stumbled on his feet, the poison completely overflooding his body. He tripped on his own paws and fell on his stomach. "Rayyyy."
Elvis refused to believe it. His Pokémon weren't native to Hoenn, so he was supposed to have the advantage! Guess even he had more to learn about Pokémon.
His face turned dark as he returned Luxray to his Ultra Ball, frowning as he placed the Ultra Ball in his pocket.
The boys returned their Pokémon to their Poké Balls. They wanted to celebrate their victory, but noticed how unnerving Elvis' face was. Was he overwhelmed? Disappointed? Even feeling anything?
Elvis took a deep breath in. Steam blew out of his nostrils. He walked up to the boys and… held out his right paw?
"Boys…" he sighed. "Thank you for the good battle."
Tank grabbed his paw and firmly shook it. "You're welcome?"
Kidd looked at Benedict. "And here I was thinking that he'd flip out."
Benedict rolled his eyes and nudged him with his elbow.
"Ow" Kidd deadpanned.
Elvis looked away in complete embarrassment, "I might regret this, but… lunch is on me."
"Really?" Tank gasped. "Oh, thank you sir!"
"You three need to REALLY see why I'm the champion eater"
Elvis bragged before heading to the Mauville Ramen Bowl. He slid the cashier a voucher.
"Excuse me. Which regional ramen do you recommend? Rustboro-style, Lilycove-style or Ever Grand-style?"
"I recommend the Evergrand style myself"
The penguin from earlier spoke up. She walked up to the counter, adjusting her sunglasses.
"Thank you ma'am" Elvis bowed to the penguin. "Are you a champion eater too?"
She smiled,
"Not a champion-level eater, just an elite ramen aficionado. You can call me Laurie Coldstone. I don't normally look up from a good lunch but your battle blew me away."
After the group ordered their ramen, they sat together at Elvis' section. Laurie stayed quiet as she added lots of chili oil to her ramen, then slurped down the whole bowl without as much as a choke.
Benedict looked at the chili oil bottle. Wow, half a bottle in one bowl?! "That's…"
"Spicy? Oh yes," Laurie said as she set her bowl down. "Well when you work with Ice types all day you need to mix it up somehow!"
"Ice types huh?" Tank asked. "What made you want to train them?"
Laurie whispered, making sure nobody around would hear her. "Well, they're common in my home region of Sinnoh, so naturally I'm close to them. Do you train a specific type too?"
"Yeah, I do," Tank nodded. "I train grass types. The ones in the Hoenn region are great, so I guess they just came to me."
"Interesting" Laurie noted. She wanted to say more, but her phone went off. Great. "Sorry everyone, but I have to head out" she said before grabbing her phone and running out of the food court.
Elvis and the boys looked at each other. Well, that was sudden.
"So" Elvis asked. "Where're you kids staying at?"
The boys shrugged at each other. Benedict continued to slurp his ramen, listening in on everyone else.
"We couldn't find a place,"
Tank explained. "All the hotels and the Pokemon Center are booked. Crossing Rider Con's in town."
Elvis raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure every hotel's booked?"
"Yeah?" Kidd said. "We just checked two hours ago."
Elvis tisked the group, wagging a finger at them. "You know not every hotel's found online. Right ?"
The boys looked at each other with a strange look.
Did this guy know what he was talking about, or was this some dumb joke on his part?
Elvis grabbed his ramen bowl, then gulped down the broth. He slammed the bowl down with a heavy groan.
"Believe me, there's this place that nobody knows about, including half the residents. Only champion eaters like myself know the best places when traveling the world."
He passed them a paper. It read, "Teal Turtwig: First floor, on the Route 118 side. Look for a blue door."
"Oh, thank you sir" Tank said as he took the paper. "Anything else besides a blue door?"
Elvis whispered.
"There's a Turtwig carving on the door. It's not painted"
"Got it"
Tank nodded as he gently folded the paper and put it in his pants pocket. "Thank you"
The boys walked through the aisles of Mauville City. More and more animals walked about in spandex suits. Tank thought about swinging by a boutique to get an outfit for cosplaying, but shook it off. He already had enough clothes in his backpack. He looked at the paper Elvis gave him, then looked back up.
"Are y'all sure that Elvis guy wasn't playin' some prank on us?" Benedict asked.
Kidd pointed out, "Does he look like the type of guy to prank a bunch of fourteen-year-olds after losing to them?"
"Guys, please" Tank said as he looked up. Huh. There was a row of blue doors ahead. He squinted as he looked at the doors. None of them had a carving whatsoever, unless…
He walked closer to the one in the middle.
Oh, that's the carving, with the leaf on its head! Its lines were as thin as a row of coke.
The boys headed inside, surprised at how pleasant it was inside. Colorful psychedelic music played on the speakers. Cute green turtle Pokémon were painted on the walls, while huge stuffed animals laid on the couches. Fluffy rugs lined the wooden floors. Plastic toys and fake flowers sat on top of the wooden reception desk. For some reason, the place faintly smelled of Skunky.
The receptionist, a black and white antelope, waved hello. Despite his dreary blue eyes, he was in good spirits. The dog tags around his neck read 'Zell Garcia'.
"Oh, welcome to the Teal Turtwig!"
He greeted the boys. "How many rooms would you gentlemen like?"
Tank pulled out his wallet, "Just one please."
"And will that be a one, two, or three-bed suite?" Zell asked.
Kidd jumped up. Wait, they had options?! Benedict was on his phone, reading the Oldale interview from yesterday.
Tank looked at his boyfriends, then back at Zell. "Only one bed, please."
"Certainly," Zell said as he scribbled in a notebook. There were three of them, but only wanting one bed. Either they were college students on a budget, or a bunch of kids wanting to re-enact their favorite fanfiction. Zell shrugged it off; why should he care so much, as long as there's more guests here he gets paid!
While Tank paid for the hotel room and got the key,
Benedict and Kidd looked at the art on the wall.
Kidd had a puzzled look on his face, "Is that a Unovan thing?"
He pointed at one of the paintings; an old-fashioned van with flowers painted on the side, with a Blastoise driving said van. A group of Vileplume followed said van.
"Oh, that?" Benedict explained. "Yeah! Well, this is what I learned back home, but there was a huge festival in Mistralton City an' it was 'bout peace an' stuff."
"Interesting," Kidd noted. He didn't learn much about Unovan culture back in Lumiose City, but just seeing this mural relaxed him. "Did you go to that festival?"
"Yeah, I found a Celebi an' time traveled back there" Benedict snarked. "Nah, it was way 'fore either my ma or pa moved to Unova."
"Guys!" Tank yelled as he jingled the hotel guy. "Let's check out the suite already"
Benedict and Kidd looked at each other and shrugged.
Tank led the way. After a few minutes of banging on the door and jiggling the key, he finally got the suite open.
The hotel room radiated a comforting energy. Gentle green paint lined the walls, with yellow flowers painted near the door. Thick fluffy blankets lined the single bed, and the smell of floral incense wafted through the whole suite. A television stood on a wooden table, with a small card reading "Now including: Silph Prime. Enjoy" in black ink.
While Benedict and Tank sat on the bed, Kidd opened the curtains to look outside. A colony of wild Wingull and Pelipper flew outside, dancing above the serene beach of Route 118. Crystalline sand sparkled under the setting sun, while the waves gently ebbed back and forth. A group of young animals played on the beach. Dark blue shark fins popped out from the ocean surface.
"No freaking way!" Tank gasped in surprise.
Kidd looked over from the window.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Tank bounced in his spot.
"Silph Prime has every single Crossing Rider season! You guys wanna watch the first season?"
Benedict looked at the screen. The main characters did look pretty awesome.
"Sure!" he said. "I'll watch an episode to see if I like it or not."
Kidd pulled out a snack mix bag, along with several extra-large bottles of ramune. He joined them on the bed, getting comfortable under the covers.
"So" he asked as he handed everyone a ramune bottle. "Are all the Crossing Rider seasons connected?"
Tank shook his head as he carefully opened his ramune, "No, except for the movie specials. But they don't have those on Silph Prime yet" He clicked on "Crossing Rider Go Episode 1: Fighting Evil? But I'm Only Fifteen!"
The theme song started up. Heavy drums and loud horns blasted from the television speakers. The television screen showed five animals transforming into superheroes to take on a black shadowy figure.
Tank trembled in excitement. Just listening to the opening took him back to elementary school; countless lunch periods re-enacting action scenes with friends, afternoons spent drawing the main characters, getting merchandise for his birthday.
The first episode easily lulled him in:
An average white cat walked down the Celadon City department store. During his walk, he picked up a glowing black bracelet with a red '1' engraved in the middle. He put the bracelet on, and a voice spoke to him. He was a Crossing Rider?! Now what was that! The cat's ears perked up; what was going on? Chaos broke out in the store, as a group of evildoers wrecked one of the stores and tied up innocent children. This was wrong!
The cat held up his fist and yelled, "Crossing Rider! GO!" before transforming into a red spandex-clad superhero. Electric guitar played as his transformation finished.
"Celadon City!" he boasted. "I am KID CAT, the Crossing Rider of Fire!"
He jumped in front of the evil tigers. "You! Unhand those innocent children!"
Tank stuffed his face with snack mix, still in a trance.
Benedict and Kidd looked confused at what was going on.
"Never!"
the lead tiger laughed. "What are you and your little flames gonna do?"
"I'll show you what my flames can do!" Kid Cat boasted before tackling them in a fight. Burning hot flames exploded behind him with each punch and kick. "HYAAAAA!"
Minutes passed as Kid Cat barreled through the department store, throwing hands with everyone around him. Eventually, the episode ended, leading to credits showing every Crossing Rider posing to a catchy rock melody. Tank took his hoof out of the snack mix.
"So, what'd you guys think?" he asked.
"I don't get it," Kidd tilted his head. "If the show's called Crossing Riders Go, why does the first episode have only one of them?"
"Well" Tank explained. "They can't just start with the whole team at once, that'd just be ridiculous! Kid Cat has to meet the other Crossing Riders before the whole team can form!"
"Ohhhhh" Kidd gasped. "Well, put the next episode on! I need to see the whole team form!"
Benedict shrugged. "Same. This first episode was kinda weird, but it gets better, right?"
"Of course it does!"
Tank struck a pose before he put the next episode on.
Hours passed as the boys kept watching Crossing Rider Go. Each episode only got better; stronger choreography, characters got more fleshed out, and sometimes the main cast would even lose battles but learned to take it in stride. By the time the boys finally fell asleep, they made it to episode twenty-six, the beginning of the Angel Grove arc. The television kept running.
To the surprise of nobody, Tank woke up first. He groaned as he looked at the television; episode thirty-eight?! How long did the television stay on! He turned it off, then looked at the bed. Ew, there were crumbs everywhere. Well, at least everyone finished their ramune last night.
Tank crawled out of bed, making sure not to step on Kidd. He checked the time; phew, it was only six-thirty AM. The convention wouldn't start for at least four hours.
He stepped out of the suite, then headed to the lobby. Aw man, no free breakfast? Oh well. Not a single animal was in the lobby, not even the receptionist. That was odd. He sat down on one of the couches, pulled out his phone, then began texting.
—-
"Hey Professor Nook! Crossing Rider Con's here!"
"Yes yes, I heard! And let's just say I'm bringing a surprise there, hmm?"
"Can't wait to see it!"
—-
Tank shoved his phone back in his pocket. He pulled out his sketchbook, then started working on another drawing. This time, he drew the Crossing Riders facing off against a villain from one of the episodes he watched: a pink lizard, a purple squid and their wisecracking Meowth.
The boys walked through a particularly busy street, making sure not to lose each other.
Kidd stopped in his tracks. One of the buildings caught his attention; a door with a sparkly red ribbon.
"Hey, I got something to take care of," he told the boys. "Trust me, I'll be back."
He walked inside, then went to the counter.
"Oh, excuse me!"
he waved to the receptionist.
The receptionist, a purple horse with strawberry blond hair and sparkling black eyes, smiled. The nametag on her chest read "Cleo Shoichet".
"Oh, hello sweetie. How can I help you?"
Kidd pulled out his contest pass.
"I'd like to enter a contest please"
"Which one?" Cleo explained.
"Because today's a cleverness contest while tomorrow hosts a toughness contest"
Kidd got flustered. He knew exactly which one to go for.
"Can I sign up for tomorrow's contest?" he asked.
"Of course, dear," Cleo smiled. She took the contest pass and inserted it into a reader. "Which Pokémon are you planning on using?"
"My Marshtomp,"
Kidd explained. "She's my best Pokémon for battling, so I figured she'd be great at showing what a tough cookie she is."
"That's a good choice," Cleo noted as she finished registering him for tomorrow. She handed back his contest pass. "Well, you're signed up. We'll make sure to see you tomorrow!"
"Oh, we will. Thank you so much!"
Kidd bowed to her. He waved to her as he headed back onto the streets.
Benedict and Tank sat at one of the benches, sharing an order of taiyaki.
"What's that?" Kidd pointed at the sweet treats. The pastries resembled Magikarp, and were filled with a sweet red paste. He sat down to join the group.
"Oh, these?" Tank said in-between bites. He grabbed another one and handed it to Kidd "They're taiyaki! Here, try one."
Hm… Kidd took a large bite, surprised at how good the filling was. The sweetened red bean paste and the flaky crust made for a pleasant combination.
"This is amazing"
"Told you he'd like it" Benedict whispered to Tank.
Tank stuck his tongue out, snorting as he wiped some bean paste off Benedict's face.
Mauville City's convention center was completely transformed. Banners billowed from the ceiling, while countless tables were set up across the center. Some vendors sold action figures and plastic masks, while others sold fancomics and homemade merchandise. Cosplayers strutted across the floor, ranging from individuals to entire families. A few vendors were tucked away behind a red rope, with a sign that read "18+ ONLY".
"This…..is….." Tank squeed. "I wanna do EVERYTHING!"
"Um, Tank?"
Kidd pointed out. "We need to buy the tickets first."
"Oh, right," Tank chuckled, his face burning up in embarrassment.
After the boys bought their tickets…
"Enjoy the con!" the ticketmaster called out.
"Thank you!"
Tank yelled back. He looked back at the duo. "So, where do you guys wanna go first?"
Kidd shrugged. "I was thinking of checking out some art."
"What, to steal more buttons for y'alls bag?" Benedict snorted.
Kidd huffed, "Don't be ridiculous, Benedict!"
Tank grabbed Benedict's wrist. "Dude, just follow me!"
While Tank and Benedict ran through the convention, Kidd made his way to the artist valley. One of the booths caught his attention; a pastel-colored booth with countless fanart lining the table. One of the drawings depicted the Crossing Riders with their own Pokémon. The sign on her table read; "Cherry Bomb Borders: Freelance Artist".
A black and white border collie sat at her booth, neatly adjusting her business cards. She wore a fancy blue flower crown, along with a frilly pink lace dress.
"Oh, can I help you?" she asked, with a cheery smile across her face.
Kidd looked through a box of buttons.
He smiled when he picked one out; it was the Crossing Rider logo with a rainbow background.
"How much are your buttons?" Kidd asked as he showed her the button.
"Just three-hundred Poke Dollars"
the border collie– Cherry Bomb– explained. "I take cash, card, anything really."
"Perfect!" Kidd said as he pulled out a few Poke Dollar bills. Cherry Bomb put the bills in her pocket, then handed him a business card. Kidd beamed in happiness as he placed the pin on his messenger bag. He went to check out more artists, hoping to find more cute merchandise.
Meanwhile…
Tank stopped at the guest celebrity section. Countless animals lined up to meet their favorites; writers, musicians, costume designers, and of course, several Crossing Rider cast members themselves. However, the original Crossing Riders were nowhere to be seen.
Benedict pointed out something strange. "Hey Tank, how come nobody's lined up for her?"
Out of all the booths, one of them had no line whatsoever. A yellow rabbit sat at the booth, frowning as she adjusted the red mask on her face.
"I'm not sure. I haven't watched her season" Tank shrugged before perking up. "Oh hey, it's the songwriter from Crossing Rider Stardust!"
"Well I'm sayin' hi to her" Benedict said. "I'll catch up in a bit!"
He headed over to the rabbit's booth. "Oh, howdy!" he waved to her.
The name on the table read "Mira Tsukino".
Mira gasped and jolted up, "Oh my Arceus! Sorry, you just caught me by surprise."
"Really?"
Benedict asked. "What happened?"
"Oh, well" Mira shrugged her shoulders before explaining. "The rest of my co-stars couldn't come by, and my season just happens to be the least popular one."
Benedict tilted his head.
"Which season was y'all's?"
"Crossing Rider Comets. The fourth one. I was the main star" Mira chuckled from her pun. "Which was part of why the fandom didn't like it"
It didn't take an Alakazam to figure out why her season failed.
"That sucks," Benedict said.
"Yeah" Mira shrugged her shoulders. "But aside from that, the convention's been fun. The other Crossing Riders are really nice, and the few fans I get are such sweethearts"
Benedict pulled out a small notepad.
"How 'bout signin' for a new one?" he asked.
"Of course" Mira perked up. With new joy in her heart, she carefully signed her name, adding a small comet next to her signature. "Enjoy!"
The boys wandered around the convention. Tank occasionally stopped to take several pictures with cosplayers. Fortunately, most of the cosplayers were more than happy to get a picture. The few that refused weren't worth anyone's time.
Tank stopped in his tracks. No way, someone's cosplaying as Big Top, and got down every detail to boot! The spandex was the right color, every detail meticulously painted on the helmet, even the visor was the right shade of blue. He looked just like a tanuki version of his favorite Crossing Rider. Wait a minute; a tanuki?! Could it be…?
The cosplayer turned around. A cheery smile spread across his face, as he slowly pulled off his helmet.
The boys gasped in surprise. Tank's eyes sparkled.
"...Professor Nook?!" he yelled. "You cosplay?!"
"What?"
Professor Nook chuckled. "You thought I wasn't the type to cosplay, hm? I just thought it'd be fun to break out the costume"
Kidd looked confused.
"Um, Professor Nook. Where are Timmy and Tommy?"
"Oh"
Tom Nook explained.
"Those two said it'd be embarrassing if they came with me, yes yes. So, they're staying at Sable's."
Benedict shrugged,
"That's their own problem. The cosplay kicks ass!"
"Oh, you boys are too kind,"
Tom Nook chuckled. "I'm sure the boys will appreciate my cosplay skills when they're older"
"How long are you staying in Mauville for?"
Tank asked.
Nook shrugged.
"Oh, just for two days. I might as well get the most of my ticket, yes yes."
"Attention everyone!"
a feminine voice boomed over the intercon. "The Crossing Rider Go Q&A booth is now open!"
Like a pack of Rhyhorn, countless animals stormed to the back of the convention. Professor Nook rushed through the crowd, glaring at anyone who dared to cut in front of the boys. At one of the tables, five animals sat together. All of them had a card in front of them, along with a large water bottle.
The cat tapped the microphone, oblivious to the screeching sound of reception.
"Okay, we're ready!"
he cheered. "Welcome everyone to Crossing Rider Con Mauville City Edition!"
Whistling and applause echoed from the crowd. Several voices shouted,
"We love you Kid Cat!"
"Hello from Goldenrod City!"
"Do a flip!"
The cat– Ichiro Mochizuki– chuckled. Even after being off the air, seeing his fans was always a delight.
"We're more than happy to take questions. Who'd like to start first? Yes, you in the black shirt?"
A green squid waved hello to the group.
"Hello, big - huge fan, actually! My question goes to Ichiro first: when you broke your legs, and there had to be a body double to act as you, were you ever afraid of never being Kid Cat? Did you have high hopes to recover quickly and come back?"
Ichiro nervously tapped his fingers against the table. "Well…At first, I was scared that I would have to get my legs amputated," he explained. "If we did, that would've been an arc and a half to rewrite. But luckily, Celadon doctors know what they're doing, and I made a great recovery. Also– about those body doubles, those were my two triplet brothers. I was lucky they were more than happy to help"
"Another question, this one for you all: what would you consider to be your proudest moments working on this show?"
"Let's see…."
Ichiro took a minute to sip from his water bottle.
Clover, the gorilla, slammed a fist on the table. "I was the reason the series even got a Galarian dub! So many Unovan kids sent us mail that it flooded our mailboxes, and it was kickass!" She struck a pose with a beaming smile on her face, then whispered to a cameraman. "No, I'm not gonna watch my language!"
Hatsuko, the grey squirrel, smiled. "I think my proudest moment…oh, it was actually two. I was invited to Cerulean Hospital to meet a little girl with lung cancer. We were busy filming the first movie, but my father died of lung cancer, so I demanded to visit the young girl. Fortunately, she got better, and our company even sent her a Clefairy with Agent S cosplay"
The yellow horse, named Kohaku, looked away with deep red blush across her face. "Well, just seeing myself take on a new role. I used to be an idol singer, but it was too controlling for me. After the Poke Mart deal, I decided to take on acting instead. Sure, some fans had a problem, but those aren't the fans I care about. I don't even want to know where I'd be now without the Crossing Riders"
And last, but absolutely not least, was Kenzo, known as Big Top. "Oh, this is a loaded question. Well, like Kohaku, I had issues with control. I was the only elephant in my school growing up, so the other kids bullied me all the time. I wanted to do something about it, so I took on acting. I starred in a few commercials, but finding my break in Crossing Rider taught me that I'm more than my looks!"
With a nod, the green squid, named Cuth, looked at the other members and bowed, "You all were big, big influences in my life. So I want to just say thank you to not only Kid Cat, but to Rocket. You being the hotheaded character made me realize I had to fight for not only myself, but for my friends that need help. Agent S, I know this isn't new, but I had a huge crush on you growing up, but when my daughter and I watch the show, she says she wants to be just like you! Big Top and Filly, you both made my days just all around great! Just showing off all the toys, giving us kids something to play with, were always my highlights."
Hatsuko blushed.
"That's very sweet of you. And thank you for NOT sending the staff any weird letters"
Clover snorted and waved her hand.
"I've read those letters before. I'm lucky I didn't get any of those, just kids from Unova thanking me for being on the show!"
Kohaku blushed.
"All I got was hate mail," she confessed. "Yeah, it was NOT cool."
Kenzo patted her on the shoulder.
"I'd be more than happy to take more questions. Hey, wait a minute! What's that?"
A loud motorcycle blared from the speakers.
Drums and electric guitar boomed from the expensive speakers, along with powerful horns.
A white dog walked on stage, wearing a skintight white hoodie and matching track shorts. The keychain on his wooden guitar jingled.
"Hey all you cool cats and kittens!"
The white dog flashed a peace sign.
It was as if Arceus himself smiled upon the Hoenn region.
Commotion broke out across the entire convention.
Countless animals filmed with their Rotom Phones, while others took pictures first. The crowd packed themselves like canned Wishiwashi. A family of dogs squeezed in, with several other animals helping to get their kids up on their shoulders. The young puppies waved to everybody.
He sat down on the table, crossed his legs and strummed an upbeat melody before whistling. A circle of animals clapped to the rhythm, while an elephant pulled out a taiko drum.
"Crossing highhhhhh, crossing lowwwwww"
Totakeke's baritone voice boomed across the speakers. "The world depends on youuuuuu!"
The clapping grew louder, as several animals joined in to whistle.
"Smashing e-e-evil, in its fated path! Only heroes' worth can stop its wrath!"
Totakeke's voice burned with passion,
"With a mighty super smash, let's not get too rash!"
The Crossing Riders stood up together, then formed their iconic poses.
"No need to run or hide or disband,'"
Totakeke howled. Several glasses broke in his wake, "'cause you're in some good hands!"
"The world is asking you"
Totakeke stopped singing.
The crowd joined in to scream, "the CROSSING RIDERS GO!"
And with one last strum of his guitar, the crowd broke into celebration. The boys yelled as they hugged each other, while Professor Nook jumped up and down like a little kid again. While some cheered and threw confetti, others sobbed in pure joy.
"I love you K.K. Slider!"
someone shouted.
Totakeke beamed in happiness.
"Encore! Encore!"
several crowd members chanted. A dog howled, "ENCOREEEEEE!"
"Oh my," Totakeke murmured under his breath. Encores were common in his performance, but he only signed up to perform one song! Disappoint the fans, or break his contract?
No.
The fans signed up for Totakeke, and they're getting their beloved Totakeke!
He chuckled into the microphone,
"Some of you adults might enjoy this one. This one's called Numel by Numel, and was banned from Goldenrod Radio!"
He strummed a strange melody, whistling to the beat.
To the untrained ear, including the boys, this was just a funky desert-inspired song. But to several adults in the crowd, this was a deep cut. Several animals blushed hard, while others danced to the rhythm.
One by one, the Crossing Riders joined in, clapping perfectly to the rhythm. Clover bobbed her head and clapped the loudest out of the group.
The boys tried not to laugh; Professor Nook shuffled to the front of the crowd and joined a group of party animals. He shimmied his hips to the beat. A few younger women looked on in envy; why was he dancing so good for his age?! Lucky bastard.
"Numel by Numel"
Totakeke sang before whistling again.
Minutes felt like hours, as the rhythm took over. Several vendors stopped their booth to join in the fun.
Two white German Shepherds came on stage, wearing black tank tops and matching shorts. They wagged their tails as they tossed merchandise to the crowd; stickers, t-shirts, beanies and guitar picks.
Eventually, the song came to an end. As usual, the fans went ballistic. A pair of tigers scratched each other over a guitar pick, while Professor Nook punched anyone who tried to steal merchandise from the boys.
—-
Compared to the exciting day out, the boys' evening was relaxing. They curled up under the covers, finishing up the rest of Crossing Rider Go.
Tank groaned as he got comfortable under the covers,
"I don't want to get up..."
"Then don't"
Kidd deadpanned.
"But we ran outta food"
Tank pouted. "Seriously, how am I supposed to watch the finale without anything to eat?!"
Benedict held up a Poke Ball, then released Makoto.
"What are we thinkin'? Pizza?"
"Garde!"
Makoto saluted his trainer.
Tank shrugged.
"Eh. I was thinking more like chocolate covered popcorn. I'm sure they have some leftover from the con!"
"No way"
Benedict said. "We're better than day old popcorn. How 'bout some boba an' croquettes? Is that alright?"
Tank's stomach growled.
"Well please get some extra! You know Kidd's gonna take most of them!"
Kidd booped him on the nose.
"Oh, come on Tank! I'll take the ones with bell peppers"
Benedict tried not to laugh from how cute they were. He looked back at his Pokemon
"Makoto? Here"
He handed his Pokemon a piece of paper along with several Poke Dollars.
"Garde-voir!"
Makoto nodded as he floated to the door.
An hour passed. The door automatically opened itself.
Makoto hovered inside, carrying entire armfuls of food. His haul included cheesy croquettes, colorful boba tea, plenty of Tauros jerky, fresh buttery popcorn, and bagfuls of individually wrapped Galarian chocolate.
He tried not to laugh; the boys were already fast asleep, arms wrapped around each other.
Makoto carefully placed all the food in the mini fridge, pulled the covers over everyone, helped himself to some popcorn, then went back in his Poke Ball.
Another day of Mauvile-flavored excitement awaited the boys, as the journey continues.