"What happened to all of you guys? Why are you all wet?" Allen asked, confused as the rest of the operatives, along with Riven and his pokemon, trudged out of the building, soaked head to toe and dripping. "A lot of water types?"
Riven reared his head towards him, unable to muster up the strength for a smart remark. In comparison, Allen had gotten paired up with Caitlin, who- as Grimsley predicted- steamrolled through everything with her psychics. He placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder, smiling tiredly.
"No," he managed with a half groan. "Something, something water explosion… I'll just, uh, let you… explain all of this to him. I'm going over there to have Aine blow dry me off."
"Wait, who's him?"
"Grimsley," Riven explained, pointing towards the building. "He's still in there, unconscious from drowning."
"Drowning?!" Allen repeated, dumbstruck and about to go barreling in there to see if the Elite Four member was dead.
"Yeah, technically he did but he's fine, don't freak out… why can't people keep their hands to themselves instead of touching shiny things?" The gym leader shook his head, frowning. "Guy drowned the same way Gale got torn to shreds by winds and Will burned alive."
He turned to leave, patting Allen's shoulder twice, reassuring smile on his face.
"You got this, right? Because I'm a little tired of explaining it over and over. Grimsley's an Origin now, Allen. A water type. You should check out all the cases they brought back, they're not full of pokeballs I know that much."
The operative's mouth hung open as he switched in disbelief from the building(which still had water flowing out of it), to back to Riven, who was indeed getting blow dried by his Blaziken and some winds that his Absol kicked up. Some of the other UFOs were doing the same, grumbling about getting soaked.
The media showed up as usual when something tended to explode, and began to try and conduct interviews with the operatives and tried to get ahold of Riven.
He almost escaped.
Allen examined his boots and frowned, looking at the water still seeping out from the building entrance.
"Damn this," he muttered as he sloshed through the knee high water, coming to a half destroyed room that had been blasted to hell by what looked like a psycho cut. In it, Grimsley was holding his head, white in the face.
Around him, bits of water spiraled and swirled, flowing in unnatural patterns as he twirled his fingers in disbelief, wide-eyed. It wasn't a common occurrence to see an Elite Four member absolutely fascinated and yet petrified, or surprised, for that matter. Grimsley was all of them and more.
God, explaining this would suck. And no doubt if Grimsley was an Origin now, the entire Elite Four would know and by extension, so would the champion. He knew that the raid was too good to be true, although he'd heard that Black City had the most resistance, oddly enough. There were some casualties on their side, which made him feel worse.
Grimsley looked at him when he stopped sputtering at the dancing water. "P-pershing, was it? Do you mind telling me… what in the world just-just happened to me?"
He moved his fingers and a weak jet of water slapped Allen in the face.
"Let's get somewhere where the water isn't," he said, wiping his face with his palm. "I'm going to hate this."
After what seemed like far too many interviews from reporters(who the hell worked early morning?), Riven left home, upon which he faceplanted into his bed and passed out for several hours. When he woke up to a buzzing holo caster, he answered groggily.
"Hello?"
"Riven, you up?" Gale's voice came through, slightly jittery and nervous. "I called you three times and figured you were asleep."
Riven checked the call history and saw that she had, once in the morning and twice before he picked up. "Ah, right. Sorry. I was pretty tired."
"That's okay, I hope you had a good rest. I couldn't, not really."
"What happened?"
"It was Will… Black City was bad. Really bad. It's dark enough there and in that sector all the lights were busted, we were completely in the dark. People died."
Riven grimaced, imagining it already.
"Night battles are always hectic in open combat, especially when you can't see in the dark. We never really had those problems, but there was a reason the Roses never tried to indirectly fight us in the nighttime. What happened to him?"
"He used his abilities again. I think he killed some people. Quil came back covered in blood and ash. It's getting to him and I'm worried."
"So am I," Riven replied truthfully. "I hate to say that it gets easier but… he chose this. So did his sister. That's what the UFOs have to go through. Tough job. They deserve more respect than they get… Are you alright, Gale?"
"I'm… fine, just a bit shaken. That was my first time seeing something like that. I wasn't down there with them, but I could see the battle happen. I've never heard so many gunshots go off in my life."
She made herself breathe.
"I just… I just want to get away from the HQ today. I don't want to train, either. Will feels the same way. He called his brother afterwards and left home, I haven't seen him since the morning."
Nodding, Riven got up, pouring a glass of water to soothe his throat. He hesitated for a moment as a moment of silence dragged on. "Umm… Gale?"
"…Yeah? Sorry, I spaced out."
"That's normal after an engagement. I just wanted to ask… Are you doing anything?"
"No, why?"
"Well… they do say Nimbasa is the city of entertainment. Maybe it could take your mind off things? They did assign you a psychic right?"
She stuttered for a moment, stunned to say the least. "W-well, yeah. I can't just use Trilly to teleport me anywhere, that's illegal!"
"Gale, we're walking superweapons. I think you're fine. Can't you convince Trilly to teleport you over here? I can meet you at the gym, there's plenty of places in Nimbasa to help you get your mind off things."
"But don't you have to be there?"
"It's closed today because of the raid."
"I guess it would be good… All I've been doing is training. Alright, I'll try." She seemed unsure, but after some prodding from Riven, she released the assigned Xatu, Trilly, and proceeded to try and convince her to teleport her over Nimbasa.
No, Trilly replied curtly. I am not allowed. This was stated explicitly to me.
"Please?" Gale pleaded. "Just this once?"
That's what every human says. I've learned not to trust them. She turned her head, closing her eyes in a birdlike hmph. As Gale looked defeated, the Xatu opened an eye, curious. However, I'm open to hearing why you want to visit this dark creature.
"Trilly… he's a friend. And he's not a creature! He's a guy. A human male? He doesn't have claws or fangs or scales or anything."
The Xatu looked unconvinced. She donned a bird grin that was far more mischievous than Gale thought a Xatu was capable of. Xatu were more seers and less mindreaders, so that was a plus. Implications weren't mindreading, unfortunately.
Ah, so that's why. Because he is a human male? Will you two breed and make a horrible dark monster baby?
"N-no… why are you so against him? Not all dark types are asses. You like Yukiko just fine, and she's a ghost."
Yukiko is polite and keeps her cold fair enough away from my sensitive wings. She's far more agreeable than any dark type I've known. Unrefined, foul creatures they are. But I guess if you care for that… thing, then I suppose I can't stop you from making hybrid dark monster children. As if human children aren't annoying enough.
Gale smiled, ignoring the snide comments and hugged the Xatu. The psychic bird shifted awkwardly as she tried not to poke Gale's sternum with her beak. "Thank you! Wait, can't you see into the future?"
Suddenly, she didn't want to know, but the question had been asked. The Xatu huffed indignantly.
But I refuse. The future is terrible. It's always terrible. I don't want to see it, it depresses me. I don't like being depressed, that's what humans are for.
Gale giggled at that. "So that's why you move more than most Xatus, they're usually statues."
Yes. Now, where do you want to go?
"Nimbasa, please. Outside the gym but wait, I need to change first. I can't go in my uniform. What should I wear?"
Why ask me? I don't know what humans like. Nor do I understand how they court each other. For us it's simple, for you humans it can take forever. Just get on with it already. Put something on, stop deciding on what looks cuter! The creature has no taste in finer things, anything will do!
Eyeing a dress in the corner of her room, Gale slipped into it and with a nod of approval, was teleported to the front of the Nimbasan Gym.
Riven jumped back when a girl and a bird suddenly appeared in front of him. He was dressed fairly casually, wearing his hair down instead so people wouldn't recognize him too much. Simple dress shirt and some pants.
Gale righted herself from the teleportation's dizziness and waved at him. He waved back and hugged her, partly glad she was okay and partly because he was happy to see her. The dress she'd chosen was fairly casual as well, but it did look nice on her. He doubted anything could look bad on her, except maybe a trash bag.
The Xatu beside her, on the other hand, was glaring knives at him.
"What's her problem?" He asked. "She looks pissed."
"Uh… she's fine," Gale assured, despite getting bombarded with telepathic messages from the bird. They ranged between human idiot, dark monster, ugly, stupid, disgusting, or some variant of repugnant. Riven heard absolutely nothing, shrugging it off. Xatus were always fairly strange. Gale apologized for the sudden entrance, while the Xatu turned her neck and refused to.
He shook his head, waving it off. "No problem. Ready to go? You look nice today, Gale." She actually went and applied makeup as well, he noticed. Her eyes stood out more than normal, which was oddly mesmerizing to say the least.
"Again with the compliments," she giggled. "By the way, is this a date? It is isn't it?"
He flushed a little, scratching his cheek. "Something like that. It's whatever you want it to be, Gale. So I guess."
She beamed, turning a shade of red. That reply absolutely frustrated her.
"By the way, happy birthday. I know it's tomorrow, but I just wanted to tell you today since the gym's open tomorrow and I won't have the chance."
"You remembered?"
"Yeah, of course. I'm not that forgetful." He sighed, embarrassed. "I would have gotten you a present, but I didn't know what to get-"
He was silenced as gray eyes stared back at him, serious in a way that wasn't threatening but… different somehow. "You don't have to buy me anything, Riven." She eyed him, pausing as she deliberated. Trilly stood there, no doubt reading her mind. She waved a wing, nodding then raising her other one to bring them together. Then she mashed them against each other furiously.
Go for it, he's a stupid dark monster if he doesn't realize it.
Gale smiled, laughing. She turned back to Riven, who looked utterly confused. "There's only one thing I want for my birthday, now that you mention it."
"What's that?" He asked, blinking.
"An answer."
"What are you talking about-"
Mustering up her courage, she grabbed his shirt by the collar and brought his face down, pressing her lips to his. Blue and brown went wide as saucers, overcome by the suddenness of the action. When they parted, Gale shakily breathed, scarlet red. Riven was the same shade, no longer standing cool and strong. He was just like any other guy, and for all his paranoia, he never prepared for that.
His lips tingled.
"I want an answer," she repeated, swallowing. "Will you go out with me then?"
She received her answer as a hand pulled her in by her waist and pressed her against his body as he leaned down and returned the kiss.
"I think you have yourself a deal," Riven grinned as they broke apart, "Pecha lipstick. You sly, sly girl. You planned this, didn't you?"
Gale laughed as Trilly rolled her eyes.
"I have for a long time," she admitted, looping an arm around his.
Very short chapter and happy new years for everyone. I'll expand more on this in the next update, this one was just a treat chapter, but I hope it did the job. Although it's not full of the usual stuff, our characters need a chance to unwind too, and maybe find some happiness.
Just like all of you soured and jaded people.
No, I'm kidding. Happy new years.