Happy holidays everyone who celebrates!
Juliana held a blue and white Pokémon egg in her hands, polishing the surface absent-mindedly with a soft rag. She'd been at Blueberry Academy for two days and it seemed that Kieran was avoiding her, but she couldn't figure out why. Carmine had been more than welcoming, but he was acting like they were strangers! She turned the egg, chewing her lip. Maybe it had been a mistake to come here hoping they'd both be happy to see her. At least she was able to make other friends so she didn't feel too alone.
"Whatcha got there? I'm pretty sure it's clean by now." Drayton drawled, breaking her concentration.
Case in point, the Dragon prodigy who insisted upon treating her like an old friend. Drayton seemed to want her to feel more at home, not that she minded much. He'd even struck up a friendship with her Miraidon, Sparkplug, who was notoriously wary. The only problem seemed to be his penchant for appearing out of nowhere.
"I'm not sure what it is quite yet. I looked away for two seconds and my Azumarill dropped it in my basket. If I had to say, it's either an Azurill or a Popplio."
"So that's what Crispin was crying about. Good to see you're taking my little challenge seriously."
"It's not exactly as hard as I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, it is difficult," She put a hand up, "But I can see how Kieran managed to get to champion."
"Ouch. You really don't pull punches, do ya?" Drayton laughed softly.
"I prefer the direct approach. So, is he always…like that?"
"Only since he came home from that festival. He used to be real low key. Under the radar, y'know?"
"That's how he was when I met him! He was such a sweet guy. And then the whole Ogrepon thing happened…" Juliana ran her fingers through her thick hair, a forlorn look on her face.
"I heard him and Carmine fighting about that when they first got back. Not any of my business, but I heard it."
"Carmine does have a big mouth. I didn't even want to leave Kieran out in the first place. I felt horrible about it."
Drayton rolled his eyes, not sure how to reassure the girl. Usually he would just flirt his way through, but he had a feeling that wouldn't work with this one. Instead, he sighed and reached out to pat her shoulder.
"I'm sure he feels bad about how things went too. You two will figure it out."
"Maybe. Thanks for trying, Drayton." She murmured glumly.
"You know me, Mister Helpful."
Juliana couldn't help but smile at his tone. It almost reminded her of Larry back home. The salaryman/gym leader was always giving her sage advice wrapped in a monotone facade. Setting the egg down, she rose to her feet to stretch before wrapping her picnic up. Sparkplug waited patiently for her to tuck it away before allowing the basket to be clipped to his harness. His freshly washed scales shone chrome in the sunset.
"Thanks for the company. I think we're gonna train up a little before bed."
"No problem. Don't forget to let a teacher know if you will be camping in the terrarium."
She nodded to him and mounted up, patting her steed to urge him on. The Miraidon trilled and sped off into the horizon, headed for the coastal area. Unlike his prehistoric counterpart, the silver dragon preferred the clear water and tropical warmth over the dirt and rocks of the savanna biome. If it wasn't for fear of corrosion, he'd probably never leave the beach! Juliana giggled softly at his obvious excitement, scratching the back of his neck.
"You did so well today! You deserve a sand bath, yes you do."
"You shouldn't spoil your Pokémon. It makes them weak and lazy." A familiar voice chided as they passed.
Sparkplug jolted to a stop, almost bucking his trainer off. He quickly did a u-turn to face Kieran head on, a clicking growl escaping his throat. His tail and antennae sparked threateningly, causing the champion to step back a little. To his credit, he managed to stay mostly composed aside from a recognizable glimmer of fear in his eyes. Juliana stroked her Pokémon on the back of the head, sliding off to stand beside it.
"You shouldn't throw stones unless you can back it up."
"You think you're still stronger than me? I'm not a pushover like I used to be."
"Oh, I have no doubt you've gotten stronger. But even I know that you don't stand a chance fighting him mano a mano."
Kieran's eyes widened as he took a reflexive step back. He quickly composed himself, eyes dimming a bit as he took on a bland expression. Juliana laughed softly, trying to hide it behind a cough.
"Something funny?"
"No. No, Mister Champion. Just thinking about something Drayton said."
He bristled at the mention of the other boy, acid bubbling in his stomach. Why was she still hanging out with that slacker? Well, duh, that's just *her*. She was too friendly to tell him to bug off and he was too thick to notice he wasn't wanted. Kieran had witnessed that first hand when his sister had butted in with them back in Kitakami. His mood dimmed even more at the memory of Carmine and Juliana bonding over keeping him in the dark.
"You should spend less time fraternizing and more time completing trials so we can rematch."
"Y'know, Kieran, if you wanna see me all you gotta do is say so." She gave him a soft, caring smile. It made his stomach sick.
"Stop acting like we're friends. You're just a means to an end."
He pretended not to see the hurt cross her features. Oh well, it was her own fault for assuming they'd still be okay after what she did. Not an ounce of guilt touched his soul. She returned to her spot on Sparkplug's back, looking down in shame. Turning around to leave, she spoke clearly.
"I never wanted to deceive you, Kieran. And if I have to beat you to prove my worth, then so be it."
With that, she took off toward the coastal biome. He stood, watching until she disappeared over the wall. Despite her departure, that acid still burned in his gullet. Thankfully, he knew just who to take it out on. Rolling a poke ball in his palm, the champion sauntered off in the direction he'd last seen a certain silver haired nuisance.
— Bonus scene –
Drayton muttered to himself as he healed his Archaludon up, ignoring Kieran's fixed glare. He'd been relaxing, minding his own business, when the champ stormed up and challenged him to a battle. Still, he would rather be his punching bag than some hapless student aide.
"Always fun to see you, Kieran." His tone dripped with sarcasm, expression bored.
"You're still weak. Haven't you picked anything new up?"
"Oh, so that's what this is about. You're mad I'm hanging out with the newbie."
"I don't give a damn who you hang out with. I just wish you'd learn something different." Kieran rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.
"Maybe I'll ask Juliana for some pointers then."
The dragon trainer cracked a smirk at the twitch in his junior's eye. Unfortunately it was short-lived. Without any warning, Kieran's hand smacked him sharply across the face. He winced, touching his cheek, and stared at the boy in shock. Sure, he'd been verbally abusive in the past…but this was kind of frightening. The darkness in his eyes was almost inhuman. Voice low, the champion hissed in his ear.
"Do your job. The sooner she's out of here, the better. "
"Aye-aye captain."
Jaw tense, Kieran headed back toward the academy and left the dumbfounded trainer in his wake.
—
A fire crackled beside Juliana as she brushed Ogrepon's fur, humming softly. The masked creature gazed up at her with a touch of concern.
"Pon~yo?"
"I'm okay. It was just a long day."
"Pon…"
"I promise, I'm really alright. C'mon, let's get some rest. Tomorrow we're going to be facing Amarys and you're the star."
The childlike Pokémon made a noise of excitement and hopped up. Bidding her goodnight, Juliana returned her to her ball. Then she walked over to lay on top of Speedbump, the Koraidon rumbling softly in his sleep. Sparkplug rested his head on her lap, eyes half closed. Smiling, she rubbed his antennae and leaned her head back.
"Goodnight everyone. Tomorrow, we've got a tough fight."
Patting her dragons, the trainer fell asleep.