You'll probably notice some changes in my separators and grammar. I'm slowly shifting how I write, and once we reach chapter ten, I'll go back and adjust all of my chapters to fit this format. Also at chapter ten, I think I'll put something of a 'patch log' as the first chapter, as well as a deeper explanation on what this story will be, what it will involve, and so on and so forth to give everyone a better idea of what they're in for, since I've gone ahead and actually written down something of a plan for this fic, and hopefully series. Thank you all for your patience, and your support! I know that when that log comes up, it might turn some of you off to what my intentions for this story are, but I thank you anyway for sticking around as long as you have! If you happen to dislike it to the point you no longer wish to continue reading this one, I hope you find another fic more suited to your tastes. For now, though, please enjoy!
I*A*C
It was inevitable that the events of the past would catch up with them after they made it to school on Tuesday. Tai had been upset all morning, even though he tried his best to hide it. Silly boy; Lusamine knew him well enough to know when he was unhappy about something, even if she didn't know exactly what. He might think himself a stone wall of emotion, but the girl knew better. He still hadn't told her what had happened to make him so upset Sunday morning, as well as why he wasn't welcome in the Alahi household, but Lusamine was certain that it involved Emmi, or Kanu, or both of them. Maybe even his trip to Wela Volcano on Friday. Yes, that seemed like the most likely scenario in her head. Something had happened on the volcano and Tai had been unjustly cast out for it. Well, she wasn't about to let Kanu bully him for whatever happened!
It had all started so nicely, too. Lusamine had been woken up, and she waited for Tai to wake up too so they could go to the dining room table together. They ate a nice, delicious breakfast, talked about the games they played the day before, and then Tai realized they had to go to school. His mood had soured after that, despite trying to hide it behind a smile. Even when Victor had helped them pick out promise rings on the way to school, Tai had been oddly quiet. Lusamine slowly pieced everything together over the course of the car ride from there, getting angrier and angrier the more she thought about it.
So, by the time they had begun walking into the school building, Lusamine was fuming mad, which seemed to make Tai's mood even worse. The girl stormed through the hallways, dragging her best friend with her as people got out of her way, realizing that an angry Lusamine was not someone they wanted to mess with. Tai trained her Lily, and they knew it, and that set her apart from almost everyone else.
Lusamine slammed the door open to Class D1, scanning the room of shocked faces for two in particular. Her eyes narrowed as she found them. "Emmi Alahi and Kanu Kaukana, I challenge the both of you to a Pokemon battle!" Tai's hand squeezed hers.
"Lucy, what the heck are you doing?" he hissed, dragging her closer to him. She turned to look at the boy. "What's gotten into you?"
"Something happened on Friday to make you upset, and I bet they had something to do with it!" Lusamine told him, confused as to why he was upset at her for this. "I'm going to battle them and make them apologize for it!"
"Apologize?" Kanu growled, attracting Lusamine's attention. He stood up from his desk, same as Emmi behind him. "He almost got me killed! The volcano blew up because of him! He almost died, too!"
"Yeah, he's been nothing but mean and selfish the entire time we've known him!" Emmi added. Lusamine felt Tai's grip slacken in her hand as he gently pulled away, shrinking back into the hallway. That made her even angrier.
"So what!?" Lusamine shouted back, getting up in Kanu's face. He looked surprised to be stood up to by a girl, but quickly regained his own anger. "You're alive, so that's all that matters! Some people aren't so lucky!"
"Yeah, well it shouldn't be that way anyway!" Kanu shot back. "He shouldn't be a trainer! He's too dangerous to be around!
"Lucy, please," Tai grumbled, trying to keep a straight face, but having trouble. "You don't have to do this. All this gets you is a fight, and it's not worth it."
"It's worth it to me," Lusamine nearly hissed back, glaring at her best friend. "You kept telling me about wanting to do things because you feel like it, well I feel like doing this fight right now!" The blonde girl turned and shoved Kanu, pushing him back into his chair as Emmi tried catching him to keep the boy from getting hurt. Kids around the classroom began to whisper and talk among themselves as the two most noticeable students in their class started fighting.
"Hey, who do you think you are, pushing Kanu like that!?" Emmi shouted at Lusamine, glaring at the girl. "We're not the ones who're putting others in danger! That's your boyfriend doing it! You should tell him to quit before he hurts anyone else!"
"Hey, th' lot of you need ta shut up an' stop this!" Paige had made her way from her desk in the back of the classroom, aiming to stop her friends from getting into a fight. Lusamine was certain the girl had no idea what was going on. "Just what th' bloody hell are you two fightin' about, anyway?"
"Guys, seriously, it's not worth it," Tai kept trying to argue, getting between Kanu and Lusamine and pushing them both away from each other. "Lucy, let's just head to our seats."
"I still challenge you," she ignored him, glaring at the two kids she used to call friends.
"What, are you gonna let a girl fight for you?" Kanu glared at the other boy. "I knew you were stupid and dangerous, but I didn't think you were chicken, too!"
"Shut up, Kanu," Tai growled, finally getting some fire in his belly. He stared at the other kid. "You don't want this fight."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure I do, chicken," Kanu shot back, getting up in Tai's face. "You almost got us killed on the volcano. Me and Moan. You almost got killed! Don't you care about anything!? You didn't even apologize!" Tai growled, clenching his fists.
"I wanted to!" Tai argued back. "But your dad-"
"Keep my pops outta this!" Kanu yelled.
"Yeah, stop blaming other people because you're a bad friend!" Emmi backed up Kanu, moving around the boy and shoving Tai back. Tai obviously hadn't expected that, because he stumbled back and fell onto his butt. "You didn't even try to make excuses after everything when you got back to my house! You ran away!"
"H-Hey, everyone...!" Paige desperately tried to calm everyone down, but quickly found that she had no control over the situation. "Let's all jus' calm down and-"
"How dare you push Tai like that!?" Lusamine shouted back at Emmi, pushing the girl flat on her rear end as well. "I oughta-"
"Enough." A strict voice silenced the classroom as Miss Luka stood in front of the class' door. Anger stretched across her face as she looked over the offending children in front of her. "Never in my time as a teacher have I ever been so disappointed in my students. All of you, sit down." Lusamine scrambled to her desk, watching as Paige and Emmi did the same. Kanu glared at Tai as he passed him by, with Tai giving the boy a sad look before walking to his desk. The very thought of Tai taking pity on Kanu made Lusamine fume internally. Even after all that, how could Kanu ever be in the right!? It was just wrong!
"I will be having words with each of your parents over the course of the next week about your behavior, today," Miss Luka scolded them, before taking a deep breath and letting out a sigh. "Now, alola, class." The classroom answered with a very somber and muted greeting in return, and that was the entire atmosphere of the classroom for the rest of the day.
Lusamine did her best to try and focus on her coursework, and her anger faded as time went on, but any time she looked up and saw Kanu and Emmi, her blood boiled. Even looking over at Tai didn't help, but he seemed to be a lot more composed than her as he looked through that book written by the late Professor Laventon. He seemed to be completely unbothered by the events at the beginning of class.
A part of Lusamine thought that he must be faking it, that obviously he was planning his grand and intricate revenge, but after talking with him over the last couple of days... was he, really? Could it be that he really just didn't care, or that he'd already moved on beyond the arguments? He genuinely seemed to have moved past them, deciding to focus his attention on something else. Lusamine stared at him and, for a moment, his eyes met hers. Tai gave her a small hint of a smile before going back to his book. Lusamine decided to follow his lead, focusing totally on the work in front of her. She could always deal with the two little traitors later.
It wasn't long until lunch came along. Lusamine and Tai sat together, obviously, while Emmi and Kanu sat together at another table. Paige was with them, while Mohn had decided to sit with Lusamine and Tai. Mohn was a... strange boy, from what Lusamine knew of him. He was also from Unova, and seemed to have something of a crush on her, if her manga was right. It was such a shame, too. If only Tai wasn't a factor in her life.
"I mean, I get it," Mohn interrupted her thoughts as he talked with Tai. "You did kinda risk all our lives... I mean, I wouldn't be here if... uh, you know, you weren't such a decent guy?" His glance at Lusamine did little to hide his true thoughts.
"Hm, I'm well aware of that, and I am sorry," Tai replied, picking at his lunch. "I was being stupid, and I know that. It's not gonna happen again. I've already decided I won't risk my friends' lives over something like that ever again."
"What about your own?" Lusamine asked, staring at her best friend. "You still want to go out and catch a Pokemon, right? Are you just going to go alone?"
"If I have to," Tai answered simply. It wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. "What's it matter if something bad happens when it's just me, ya know?"
"You'd be breaking your promise to me," Lusamine pointed out, taking a small amount of pleasure in the way her best friend grimaced at the fact. Mohn looked between them, utterly confused.
"Promise? What promise?" he asked. "Did somethin' happen?" Tai gave the other boy a sympathetic look. Seemed like he knew about Mohn's crush, too. His eyes met hers for a moment, and she gave him a nod.
"Ah, well, Lusamine and I made a promise to consider dating when we got older," her best friend admitted, pulling the bandage off all at once. The poor blonde boy looked heartbroken, and a part of Lusamine felt bad. "Sorry, buddy. I know that if I didn't exist, you definitely would have had a shot. Can we all still be friends?" Tai offered the boy his hand, and Lusamine was certain that Mohn would turn away from them. It left her surprised when the chubby boy reached over and clasped Tai's hand with his own.
"Yeah, still friends," Mohn replied, offering them a weak smile. "I mean, I never really had a chance, right? It was kind of obvious..."
"Yeah, kinda," Lusamine admitted, giving him a smile in return. "I'm glad you're ok, though. I'm sure there's plenty of girls who'd be interested in you. I'm just not one of them." Mohn nodded, sitting back down after letting go of Tai's hand. "We should decide what to do about Kanu and Emmi," she changed topic, glancing between her two friends.
"I'm guessing you're not dropping the who Pokemon challenge, thing," Tai mumbled, and Lusamine shook her head in reply. "Great. As strong as Lily is, she still isn't going to stand a chance against Kanu's Pokemon. His pikipek evolved into a trumbeak a few days ago, and he has a pair of Z-Crystals, to boot. Who knows what other tricks he's gotten over the last couple of days?"
"You think he's been trainin' the whole time?" Mohn asked.
"No doubt about it," Tai replied easily, glancing at the other table. Lusamine followed his gaze, catching Kanu looking away from them. "He was looking for a fight, today. Just like you, Lucy." The girl had the decency to blush when he called her out on that. "I'm certain he'll want to battle me as well, just to prove a point. He came to rescue me on Friday, so I'm sure he doesn't hate me, but I'm almost positive his dad stoked the fires, a bit."
"His dad?" Lusamine asked, not sure where exactly he came into play on all of this. Tai nodded, a frown marring his lips.
"I wanted to see Kanu on Friday after the incident. His dad got to me first. Demanded I stay away from his son and threatened me. On one hand I understand, but on the other," Tai grumbled a bit under his breath. "I'm certain he gave the Alahi family the worst possible version of the story, too. I was never given a chance to see Kanu, and by the time I returned to the Alahi residence, they'd already made up their minds about me." Lusamine felt anger spike in her again as Tai talked. How dare they!?
"That sounds really unfair," Mohn mumbled, shaking his head softly in disbelief. "They didn't hear your side of the story at all?"
"No, but again, it was my fault. I accept that," Tai replied easily. "So, all that being said, would it be alright if I borrowed your Pokemon to battle, Mohn?" Mohn was hesitant, and didn't answer for a little bit. "I understand if you don't want to-"
"Uh, no, it's not that," Mohn replied, laughing nervously. "It's just that Gladen's kinda picky about... well, everythin'. I know you've got a thing for getting along easily with Pokemon, but I think Gladen might be kind of an exception?"
"It's alright," Tai responded, not seeming bothered at all. "I can't expect every Pokemon to like me right off the bat, and you know yours better than I do. I'll figure something else out."
"I could have Victor bring you one of the Pokemon you've used before?" Lusamine offered, pulling her phone from her bag. Tai shook his head.
"Unfortunately, I don't think I'll beat any sense into Kanu by using an immensely powerful Pokemon against him," Tai argued gently. "It just wouldn't be fair."
"So what?" Lusamine argued back. "Who cares if it's fair? He's being a jerk, so you should just beat him! It's not like anything you do is gonna change his mind, anyway." Tai did seem to take her words seriously, giving them some thought. She could see some kind of plan formulating behind those beautiful grey eyes of his. Finally, like the good friend he was, he agreed with her with a nod.
"Tell Vic to bring Aggron," he finally told her. Her surprise was evident, and he laughed a bit. "If we're going to do this, we're going to do it all the way. No half-assing this curbstomp. Are you in?" He put his hand down on the table.
"To the end," Lusamine told him, resting her hand on top of his.
"Well, I guess if we're doing this," Mohn added, resting his on top of hers. "Please just don't take it too far, guys?" Tai and Lusamine shared a look, and the boy smirked.
"Tis a fine day to beat down the rabble," Tai spoke with a posh voice and accent, chuckling. "Let us show this knave what it means to be of an inferior breed."
"Ah, yes!" Lusamine joined in, a smile crossing her face. "Sh-Shall we, uh... Uhm... I can't think of anything."
"Or, and listen to me, here, I could just fight along with Lusamine?" Mohn offered, probably realizing trouble brewing when he saw it. Tai blinked, obviously not expecting the gesture. "I mean, Gladen and I are really strong too! So Lusamine and me can fight for you. W-Would that be ok, I mean?" Tai frowned, shaking his head as he sat back down on his seat.
"I really think it should be me battling," Tai insisted, giving Mohn an appreciative smile, regardless. "Thanks for offering, but this really isn't your fight."
"I was there too, you know!" Mohn protested still, taking both Lusamine and Tai by surprise. "I was on the volcano and... and when everything went wrong, I froze and wanted to hide! If I'd gone, maybe Kanu wouldn't have gotten hurt!" Mohn clenched his fists, shaking his head in frustration. "If I'd just been braver... If I'd just been better...! No, I will bebetter! I'm gonna battle for you, ok? So just sit there and accept it!"
"S-Same with me!" Lusamine chimed in, standing in her seat. "I told you before that I want to do this! I... I don't exactly know why, but I want to do this for you. Because I l-like you! So you better not complain!" Tai blinked, looking between Mohn and Lusamine before a smile spread across his face. He closed his eyes, letting out a happy sigh.
"I guess when my two best friends are so driven to fight on my behalf, then I can't refuse," he admitted, and Lusamine and Mohn shared a smile at that. "Thanks, both of you. I'm glad I have friends like you."
"You're darn right you are!" Lusamine crossed her arms, a confident smile on her face. "Maybe Lily won't stand a chance on her own, but her and Mohn's Pokemon will definitely put up a good fight!"
"Gladen's been with me since I left Unova," Mohn added, "and we've been trainin' ever since Friday, and even before that! I promise you, we won't lose!" Tai grinned, resting his hand at the center of the table. "I'll show you that you can both rely on me," Mohn continued, resting his hand on top of Tai's.
"And I'll prove that even if we're not the strongest, Lily and I can hold our own just fine!" Lusamine rounded off, resting her hand on Mohn's. She looked at the two boys. "Uh, should we have a team name, or something?" The trio looked at one another before Tai spoke up.
"Let's save that for another time and focus on getting you guys a win," he told them, getting nods in agreement. "Alright, there's a few things you both should know about the way Kanu and Emmi like to battle," he told them, "and I don't know how strong they might have gotten over the weekend, so let's assume they're as strong as they can possibly be. First..." As Tai went about his plan, both Lusamine and Mohn paid extra attention to what he said. After all, if they were going to represent him in a battle, then they were going to do their absolute best.
The remaining fifteen minutes of their lunch was filled with discussion and strategizing between the three children as they got ready for the coming battle. Once the lunch bell rang, Lusamine figured she and Mohn were about as ready as they'd ever be. The trio stepped foot onto the playground.
A part of her wished that the kids that had already run outside would have lined up on either side on the way to the field they used for battle, like in her manga, but there was no such fanfare or tension. Instead, it was just Kanu, Emmi, and Paige waiting for them at the field, as well as a handful of other kids. Lusamine suddenly felt the pressure of having so many eyes on her. Sure, she'd battled before, but it was all for fun, those times. This time, she was battling for Tai's sake. If she lost, it would be like he lost. She couldn't lose here.
Lusamine met Mohn's eyes as she took up their place on the field, opposite of Kanu and Emmi. Paige stood on the sidelines, opposite of Tai. Just a few days ago, they'd all been such good friends... She clenched her fists, giving the blonde boy a nod, which he returned.
"Wait, aren't you gonna fight, you jerk!?" Kanu shouted at Tai, pointing his finger aggressively at the boy as he stood at the sidelines. "I thought I was gonna fight you and prove to you that you shouldn't be a trainer!"
"Then that was your mistake," Tai replied, giving Kanu a somber expression. "Mohn and Lusamine have offered to fight for me, and I couldn't possibly say 'no' to such good friends who've stuck by my side even after everything. I owe them so much, and I'm glad to call them my friends." Lusamine beat down the rising glee in her chest. It was so romantic and cool! He was just like the protagonist from 'Le Voyage Du Héros'! She focused back on Kanu, and he looked... sad...? It only lasted for a second, so she couldn't get a good read on him.
Was there more to this than she realized, though? If there was, Tai was surely aware of it. She gripped Lily's pokeball, getting ready for the battle. It could start at any moment.
"Whatever, you chicken," Kanu shot back. "I bet you're just scared because you knew you'd lose! Whatever, me and Emmi will just beat your friends, instead!"
"Like we'd ever lose to you two!" Lusamine shouted back. Mohn nodded in agreement as Lusamine threw out her pokeball. "Let's teach them a lesson, Lily!"
"As Taiyo's friends, we'll stand by him no matter what!" the boy added, throwing his own. "Gladen, it's time to battle!"
Shiny petilil and zorua arrived on the battlefield together in a flash of red, each one looking as fierce as they could.
"Tch, whatever. Your weak Pokemon won't stand a chance," Kanu grumbled, throwing his first pokeball out. "Let's show them how bad they're gonna get beat, Scratchy!" From Kanu's ball emerged not a yungoos, but a gumshoos. Lusamine frowned, seeing the fully evolved Pokemon before her. Tai had considered that it was possible, and had given them strategies based on that assumption, but Lusamine had dared to hope...
"Chiipii and I were able to evolve without your help," Emmi stated, last in line. "Maybe you were holding us back, you jerk!" Lusamine saw Tai's face twitch as he tried to stay calm, but she could tell that comment had hurt. "Let's show them, Chiipii!" Emmi sent out her butterfree, and Lusamine tried to ignore the grief in Tai's eyes at the sight. She knew he was proud of Chiipii and the progress that they'd made. Knowing they were so close...
"Lily, use After You on Gladen!" Lusamine didn't wait another second, wanting to put these stupid jerks in their places for daring to hurt her best friend. "Then use Sunny Day!"
"Gladen, let's go with Taunt on that butterfree!" Mohn shouted immediately after.
"Chiipii, Poisonpowder, go!"
"Scratchy, time to Work Up!"
As the Ggumshoos began to flex and growl, hyping himself up, the butterfree began to fly over the two enemy Pokemon, readying the poisonous attack. However, before she could, Lily waved her little nubs at Gladen, who moved with a speed that Lusamine could barely track out of the way of the falling powder, barking and growling at the butterfree. Chiipii seemed to get enraged at whatever was said, canceling her attack immediately and attempting to dive-bomb the little zorua.
"Chiipii, no! Don't get close to the ground!"
"Lily, use Leech Seed!" Lusamine took advantage of the opening, and Lily expertly fired off her seeds at the descending Pokemon. The little sprouts wrapped around Chiipii, limiting her movements as well as sapping her vitality. "Great job, Lily!"
"Scratchy, use Fire Fang on the Petilil!" Kanu shouted, and the gumshoos obeyed, moving hastily along the ground towards Lusamine's precious Pokemon.
"Lily, get out of the way!"
"Gladen, Scary Face him!" The little zorua faced the charging gumshoos, and whatever he did, it made the bigger Pokemon hesitate long enough for Lily to get out of the way. "I got you, Lusamine!"
"Thanks, Mohn!" she smiled, giving him a thumbs up. "Ok, Lily. Let's counter with Sleep Powder!" Lily let out a happy squeak, puffing purple powder into the wat of the stumbling gumshoos as he passed her. The big Pokemon shook his head before collapsing face-down on the ground.
"No! Scratchy, come on, wake up!" Kanu shouted at his Pokemon.
"Chiipii, help him out and use Confusion on the little dog!" Emmi shouted. Lusamine blinked in confusion. Didn't Emmi know what type a zorua was? Evidently not, because Chiipii's eyes glowed, but nothing changed as Mohn ordered his Pokemon, and Lusamine did the same.
"Gladen, Hone Claws, then Fury Swipes on gumshoos!"
"Lily, Leaf Storm!"
Lily squealed with glee, unleashing a flurry of razor sharp leaves around the field as the little zorua swiped his claws together, then relentlessly clawed at the still sleeping gumshoos.
"Chiipii!"
"Scratchy, wake up, please!"
It was no use. Both Pokemon were completely overwhelmed by Lily and Gladen's combined power, and were unable to remain conscious. "Yeah, we did it!" Lusamine cheered, leaping up with joy and giving Mohn a high-five, which he returned eagerly. "You better give up, Kanu! It's about to be a two-on-one!"
"Don't count me out yet!" Emmi shouted back, pulling out a second pokeball. Wait, they hadn't planned for this! "Come back, Chiipii! You're up, Ruffy!" Her second pokeball released a small, red dog onto the field; a growlithe. This wasn't good... At the sight of the growlithe, both Lily and Gladen seemed to take a tentative step back, and even Lusamine felt an unnatural chill run down her back as the Puppy Pokemon growled in their direction.
"Get some rest, Scratchy! Let's go, Flappy!" Kanu threw out his second pokemon as well, and Lusamine looked over him with a critical eye, trying to see if he had any extra pokeballs or weird tricks up his sleeve as the trumbeak arrived on the field, letting out a triumphant sound like a war horn. This was it...
"Lily, use Leaf Storm again!" Lusamine shouted. She knew Lily wasn't about to get in another good hit, since her precious little petilil looked exhausted from that first leaf storm, but she wasn't about to go out without a fight. She turned to Mohn. "Get the growlithe!" she shouted at him.
"Right!" Mohn nodded, pointing at the little fire puppy, but Emmi beat him to it.
"Nuh-uh! Ruffy, use Flame Wheel on the petilil!" Emmi commanded as leaves began once again swirling around the battlefield, buffeting the trumbeak and growlithe. While some of them struck zorua, it wasn't nearly as many as it could have been. Still, the growlithe charged at little Lily, his mouth ablaze as he began to spin through the leaves.
"Gladen, Extrasensory the dog!" Mohn shouted, and the zorua obeyed without a second of hesitation, his little indigo eyes glowing brightly. The growlithe stopped in his tracks, held up by the Psychic-Type attack before he was... The best way Lusamine could describe it was shifted in a way that was completely unnatural, like a fresh painting that was smeared across the canvas. The growlithe howled in pain before falling to the ground, unconscious.
"Ruffy, no!" Emmi screamed, calling back her Pokemon.
"Hey, who said you could do that!?" Kanu snarled, and Lusamine realized she'd accidentally ignored him in favor of trying to make things a two-on-one. "Flappy, use Heat Wave!" The silhouette of the bird flew from behind where the trumbeak seemed to be, the one she saw first crumbling to the ground like sand. It'd used Substitute!
"Lily!" Lusamine cried out, panicking as she struggled to find a way to avoid the Heat Wave.
"Gladen, use Sucker Punch!" Gladen burst forward as the trumbeak reached the apex of his height and began beating forth hot flames and air towards the duo on the ground. It was enough to cause damage, but with Mohn's quick thinking, trumbeak was forced to end the attack early as the zorua slammed himself against the bird. "Now Fury Swipes!"
"Flappy, Rock Smash!" Kanu shouted after Mohn. The little zorua was only able to get a few good hits in before the trumbeak grabbed in his talons, plummeting to the ground.
"Lily, use Leech Seed!" Lusamine took the opportunity for what is was, internally apologizing to Mohn for not instead trying to break Gladen's fall. The little bulb once more shot out her seeds expertly, landing them onto the bird right after he'd slammed the zorua onto the ground, leaving him unable to battle. Mohn withdrew Gladen, leaving Lusamine and Lily against Kanu and his trumbeak. Despite that earlier Heat Wave ending early, Lily still had taken a beating, and now she was in big trouble with her little Pokemon so exhausted.
"Let's finish this!" Kanu yelled, the band on his left wrist shining a bright red. He crossed his arms in front of his body. "You were never gonna win from the start!" He moved his arms around, waving them upwards like a rising flame as heat and power began flowing off of him. Lusamine stood, stunned. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't do a single thing as she stood paralyzed under the massive amount of pressure resting on her shoulders. The overwhelming power gathering in front of her. "Flappy, use Inferno Overdrive!"
The light and power flowed from Kanu, enveloping his Pokemon as the tumbeak screeched with pride and authority. Lusamine had always heard of the power behind Z-Moves, but this was far beyond what she could have ever thought possible! Flames licked at the bird's beak as he charged forth, enveloping himself in a massive ball of fire straight at her little Lily. Her precious Petilil that her daddy had bought for her, and that Tai had helped her train.
Lusamine snapped out of her awe, grabbing Lily's pokeball. "Lily, come back!" she cried, returning the little bulb before the move could destroy her. The trumbeak stopped on the ground, waves of hot air rushing past Lusamine as the attack tried to find a place to go. She felt her skin singe as the power flowed beyond her and across the fields behind her. After the attack ended, she looked up. Kanu had a frown on his face. "I give up," Lusamine mumbled, realizing slowly that she'd lost. She and Mohn had lost. "You win. Please..."
The kids on Emmi and Kanu's side of the field cheered and congratulated the boy as Emmi made a face at her. Kanu wouldn't stop frowning at her. Lusamine's legs felt weak. She'd lost. She'd let Tai down. She stared at the ground, flinching when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder.
"Hey," Tai's voice, sweet and calm, sounded like the chimes of death to her. "It's alright. We'll just-" Lusamine ran before he could finish talking, trying her best not to cry as she moved towards the doors of the school. "Hey! Lucy! Wait, come back!" She couldn't. She couldn't even dare to look him in the eyes. He'd done so much for her, and now when he needed her, she'd failed him.
I*A*C
Things were quiet at the Balsam house that day. When recess had ended, I'd learned that Lucy had gone home early. Frustration filled me at the thought. At her. At me. At Kanu. Things had been going so well, so of course things had to go to shit not long after. A part of me understood, of course. Lucy was embarrassed. She'd gone out of her way to help me, promising to win, and she'd instead lost. Mohn was equally devastated, but after a bit of a pep talk, he promised me he'd get stronger so he wouldn't lose the next time. The guy was simple like that, which I could appreciate. Lucy, however...
She'd locked herself in her room as soon as she'd gotten home, Vic had said. She didn't even come out for supper that evening, and one of the maids, Ashu I think her name was, had taken supper to Lucy's room. If Aster blamed me, then he was silent about it. He simply told me to give Lucy some time to sort out her feelings. So, I sat down outside of her bedroom door.
It's funny, despite being here, I'd never actually been in her room. Even yesterday, we'd spent most of the day in the theater, and then the rest of it out in the garden. I wondered what her bedroom looked like. Would it be pure white and clean, with a silken sheet bed and a tidy floor? Or would it be covered wall-to-wall with manga, and an unkempt bed covered in Pokemon plushes?
I watched as the butlers and maids passed me by as I sat down at the wall to the left of Lucy's door, giving them each a small wave as they did. I didn't want them to think I was depressed, as well. No, I would just sit here until Lucy decided she wanted some company, and I'd be here for her. I spent the time reading the last of Dr. Laventon's memoirs, then figuring out how my new phone worked. I really hadn't taken the time to mess with it since it had been left for me with a note on my bed, last night. It was a phone, pure and simple, with a voice recording function, text messaging. No fancy apps quite yet; the only one of note was an app for SmearTube, Regdon's equivalent of Youtube. The website was still in its 'cute cat videos' stage, with shaky, amateur cams, most videos being funny moments with household pets, or recordings of adventurers and trainers going out and exploring.
At some point as I sat in the hallway, I felt the wall shift behind me, gently pressing back against my weight. I smiled, leaning my head back against the wall when I'd felt it. "I'm here whenever you want me," I told the girl sitting on the other side of the wall. I heard a soft, yet sharp, gasp from the other side of the door. "I don't know what's got you so upset, but I promise you that you didn't do anything wrong. I hope I haven't done anything wrong, either." Yet, even saying those words, I knew I had. I don't know if it was what Lucy was upset about, but the lingering thoughts annoyed me.
Even if they'd volunteered for it, Lucy and Mohn had been forced to fight on my behalf for a battle that was aimed at me. They and their Pokemon had taken the blows meant for me. Yet I'd seen the emotions in Kanu's eyes. His frustration, his sadness, his anger. All of it was directed at me. I knew he didn't hate me. Emmi might, but Kanu was a good kid, despite his rough edges. He'd never turn his back on a friend, and his reaction to what I'd said only confirmed that for me. Despite it all, I think he still considered me his friend. God, I hoped...
I needed to be better. I had to get my own Pokemon soon, and make sure nobody else had to fight my battles. Not only that, but Kanu was right when he said I'd put everyone at risk at the volcano. Maybe if I'd been able to get away sooner, or even fight my way past the Totem Pokemon, there would have been less risk and people wouldn't have gotten as hurt. I looked down at the phone in my hands. Well, there was definitely a way I could do the latter. With the former...
Summer break. That was about a week from now, so it was plenty of time to prepare. I'd have my first Pokemon by the end of summer break. Invigorated, I looked up exercise guides on SmearTube, trying to find something coherent and that wouldn't completely murder me given my age and stature. Even if it wasn't ideal, I could always change the regimen to match my physique. It wasn't like I was unfit, since I'd made it a point in this life to actually do some cardio once I was able, but I could do even better. It took me a bit, but I found a series of videos made by someone called Lieutenant Burg, who apparently lived in Sinnoh in Snowpoint City. It reminded me that the regions all had militaries... Something I'd have to look into, later.
"Lucy," I spoke again after what must have been over an hour of silence. "I'm going to get stronger. So you don't have to keep fighting my battles like you did, today. I promised I would protect you, but I can't do that if I'm still this weak." I smiled, feeling the wall shift from the other side. "You're my best friend, you know that? So don't feel like you have to burden yourself for me. We'll keep each other safe, and hold each other high, got it?" I slowly stood up, brushing off my pants. "I'll be here whenever you need me. All you have to do is call." With those words, I made my way out to the garden. I'd spent the last five to six years honing my mind, it was now time to hone my body.
Lucy sat against the wall of her bedroom, on the right side of her door. The room was dark, since the sun had set a long time ago. She stared straight ahead into her dark room, the massive window on the far side leading to a balcony, where she could see the full moon hanging in the sky. Dried tears stained her cheeks, and the same words kept repeating themselves in her mind. Useless rich girl, they'd called her. Dumb blondie with cooties, they'd say when she tried to talk to them. Weirdo with a weird Pokemon, they'd whispered behind her back when her daddy gifted her Lily, and she'd showed it off to the rest of them. Those words, among many others, reverberated within her skull. All because she was different. Because she loved Johtonian manga and art and music. Because she didn't like the same things her peers did. Because of stupid Unovian pride.
The other kids all liked rock and jazz and pop, and Lusamine loved idol shows, Johtonian folk music, and foreign animation. The other kids liked to wait for the biggest movies to come out in theaters, while Lusamine loved sitting down and playing the piano; admiring the sharp, yet gentle sounds could create a plethora of different pieces of music. Lusamine loved the open countryside, while the other kids loved the crowded, cramped streets of Castelia City. She just didn't belong.
Alola had been a breath of fresh air for her, a chance for a new start. She loved the bright sunshine and the lush trees and grass of the region. When she and her family had sailed in, the first thing she did was play in the garden, discovering all sorts of new Pokemon friends to play with! When she realized she'd be going to a new school, she had been determined to make a good impression. She'd planned out every word, every action, and she knew she'd be the most popular girl in class, just like Haruka from School Life! My Runaway Romance in Trainer School.
Though, of course, no plan lasts first contact. She'd humiliated herself first thing, and all her careful work went out the window because she'd just been nervous. But then, some boy in the back of class had stood up for her, defending her. She didn't know who he was, or why he'd done it, but all she knew was that he had to be hers. If she was Haruka, then he had to be her Muken. The cute boy who skipped classes, caused trouble, and had the eye of every girl in school. He certainly looked like he fit the bill at the time. His school shirt had been messy, his hair was all over the place, and out of all of his friends, he only had one boy among them!
As time went on, she got to know him. He was serious, but had a sense of humor that only appeared when he was really comfortable. He was reliable, and was a great battler, even if he for some reason didn't have a Pokemon of his own. He was friendly, but only to people who went out of their way to talk to him. He was scarily defensive of his friends, and even faced down a group of evil people to rescue her when she needed him most.
And now, she'd let him down. The one and only time he really accepted her help without any other excuses, and she'd failed him. She was weak. Just some useless rich girl who thought she could be something more. Yet, even as she heard him walk away from outside her room, a part of her doubted those thoughts. Sure, she wasn't very strong. She'd panicked, and given up when Lily was about to get hurt. But he didn't blame her. He didn't hate her. He didn't tell her they weren't friends anymore. Instead, he just... let her know he cared. That he was going to get stronger so she wouldn't have to.
"But, if you do that..." Lusamine whispered, not sure if she should smile or cry. "What will I do?" What if he didn't need her anymore? What if he realized she was too much of a hastle, and just left her? What if he began to think she was just some useless, weird girl with more money than skill or brains?
No, she couldn't accept that! That thought was more terrifying than even being kept captive by Team Solar! If Tai was going to improve himself for her sake, then she'd have to do the same for him! Even if it took everything she had, she couldn't just give up and let him leave her behind! Lusamine stood, clutching her hands in front of her as her mind raced for ways that she could be useful. To not be left behind in the wake of people like Mohn and Tai.
Her mind drew blanks. She couldn't think of anything. Slowly, Lusamine leaned back against her bedroom wall. What could she do...?
The blonde girl gently opened her door, peeking to see if anyone else was around in the hallway. Seeing nobody, she gently tiptoed her way down the hall to the garden, where she always went to relax and take some time for herself. Maybe the fresh air and smell of flowers would help her think. It only took her a minute to reach the garden door, and she walked through to feel the cool air of Alola's nighttime. Wind gently swept at her crystal-blue nightgown, the little plastic gemstones sparkling under the moonlit sky. She wandered over to the lake, seeing many of the garden's residents sleeping peacefully with one another. Even Blastoise was curled up in his shell on the shore of the lake.
As she made her way over, she heard the sound of someone shouting. It wasn't loud, and as she got closer, she realized it was coming from a pair of speakers, and from Tai's workshop tent. Lusamine deviated from her walk towards the lake, instead skirting it to head over to the tent where she heard the noises coming from. Moving ever closer, she realized that the shouting was that of a man, counting up every couple of seconds. She peered inside, seeing Tai on the ground and doing pushups as the man on his phone shouted.
"-And eighteen! And nineteen! And twenty! Now get your ass up and take ten, maggot!" The man on the phone shouted. He was dressed in white and blue military clothing, and had a buzz cut kind of hairstyle. "Remember to drink plenty of water, cadet! You've got five seconds, so make them count!"
"Yes, sir!" Tai shouted back, even though the man couldn't hear him at all.
"Now we're gonna work on four reps of jumping jacks, with ten jacks each! I don't want to see your feet on the Arceus-damned ground, cadet! Now jump! Jump! Jump! And one! Two! Three! Four!" The man kept yelling, and Lusamine did her best not to laugh as Tai responded as if he were right there in front of him. "That's the first rep done! Let me just take a moment to remind you to eat healthy while you're taking part in the Lieutenant Burg fitness school cadet! I better not hear of you snacking on any fried foods or chips!"
"Yes, sir!" Tai replied, taking a breather after the rep. Lusamine gently put the tent's flap back in place, taking a few steps back. So this was how Tai was going to improve himself? She smiled, imagining him ten years in the future with a fit body like Nomen. If this was how he was gonna do it, then he was gonna need a good diet. The stuff that they normally ate just wouldn't cut it!
That guy on the phone said something similar, right? Well, even if Lusamine couldn't be great at battling, or anything else, Tai was going to need someone to cook for him. The girl gently skipped to the door. Yes, that was a great idea! She could start with cooking and learning how to put together healthy meals for him, and then surely the rest would just slide into place. If he was going to work so hard for her sake, then she would do the exact same! Now... if only she knew how to cook... As Lusamine returned to her bedroom, she sent Vic a text to wake her up an hour early the next day.
I*A*C
And that's a wrap! A shorter chapter than normal, but I'll also be out of town this week since I'll be at a family reunion. I'll hopefully have a longer chapter next week, but we'll see how that goes. The chapter may be a few days late or so, depending on when I get back, but I'll do my best to get it up on Monday. Anyways, we get to see both Taiyo and Lusamine take their own courses in life after a loss that anyone could have seen coming. Anywho, I hope you guys liked the chapter. Please review, since it lets me know what you guys like about what I wrote, and feel free to favorite and/or follow since it's basically a less specific review. Hope you see you guys in the next one!