A quick and light chapter to satisfy you guys! Don't worry, I haven't given up on this story just yet. Uploads will be slow, however this story will be completed by September at the absolute latest, with there only being about 10 chapters left.
Via woke up to find her shared room empty, as Samantha, (Who had been established to be her roommate) and her other bunk mates were missing. She hopped out of bed and walked into the bathroom, taking off her headscarf and looking in the mirror.
Her long deep red hair was held up by a set of curl rods that she meticulously took out, making sure not to nick herself. She picked up her hair brush from the bathroom mirror's drawer and began to gently stroke through it.
Vye had woken up and walked into the bathroom, walking under Via, who looked down in surprise, raising her arms.
"Oh! You want me to brush your fur?" Via asked.
Vye nodded, putting on a red scarf and taking Via's purple hair bow from the shower rack, hopping onto the sink and handing it to Via.
Lifting up her tail, Via began to brush Vye's fur just as gently as she had to her own prior.
Via yawned after she'd finished, quickly cleaning up the room and dressing herself.
"I wonder where the boys went?"
Retsuko had a rather stressful morning on the contrary of Via.
Daffodil had woken him up early again and put him through a grueling workout with Kaz and Ku'u that he'd wondered how he'd even survived. He knew he was fairly out of shape but to think that he'd have to endure that hell for the foreseeable future?
Retsuko barely made it back to his apartment, with Ku'u having to drag his body weight to his room.
I'm back, kyu-" Retsuko said but paused when he opened the door to find Kyu completely naked and surrounded by their cabin mates, who were also naked and fawning over him.
Kyu was draped over a bench receiving massages and back rubs while two other boys stood in front of him doing a sort of sexual dance.
"Hey... Retsuko." Kyu said inebriatedly, holding up a glass of wine to his friend.
"HOLY SH!T KYU, PUT SOME f*CKING PANTS ON!" Retsuko screamed.
Kyu let out a hearty laugh which reminded Retsuko of his tortuous morning, which exterminated the last bit of energy he had, giving up caring and plopping down on his bed.
Ku'u covered Kaz's eyes as he watched the erotic spectacle in pure disbelief, and Kaz slowly attempted to move the much stronger Pokemon's wing to catch a glimpse, to no avail.
Retsuko rolled over on his bed.
"Dude what the hell are you doing and why in ARCEUS'S name are you doing it in our cabin?" Retsuko asked, earning a giggle from Kyu and the other boys.
"What can I say…" Kyu said smugly, looking at a boy next to him and kissing his forehead.
"I've got fans around the globe, even this secluded mountain isn't an exception." He said.
Retsuko grabbed his pillow and covered his face but not before putting Kaz and Ku'u back into their pokeballs, covering the top of Kaz's to refrain her from seeing it through the translucent cap.
Retsuko sighed, opening up his phone but was immediately met with a whack in the face, as Master Daffodil burst into the room, shaking the building and knocking Retsuko's phone out of his hand.
"KYU! WHAT IS THIS NONSENSE, BOY?" Daffodil shouted, enraged at his grandson.
Startled, Kyu made a loud "EEP" sound and the rest of the boys flocking around him fled in fear.
Daffodil looked at Kyu with a vain and disappointed expression.
"Disgracing yourself like this… Feeding into sin as great as this is not suitable for that of a Gijinka, There's only one way for you to repent." He said.
Kyu's eyes widened as Master Daffodil sentenced him to his next brutal assignment.
A screech could be heard across the village of Kyu's dismay and Via rushed Into the room right as Daffodil left.
"What happened?" Via questioned, awkwardly stepping around Daffodil as he exited with a wink.
"Abstinence training..." Kyu said in-between sobs.
"Dude..." Retsuko and Via both said, a hint of secondhand embarrassment lingering in the air.
After Kyu's Fiasco, Retsuko had fallen asleep as Ku'u and Kaz entertained themselves with a board game that had been sitting in the drawers of the room.
Hearing a knock on the window, Ku'u perked up and glided over to the entrance, sliding the window open for Master Daffodil to climb into.
"Bui?" Kaz questioned, as the master made his way inside.
Smiling, he pointed to the then asleep Retsuko.
"Sorry for the late night call, but I figured I would summon the presence of you and your partner." He explained.
The moon hung low in the night sky, casting a silvery glow over the rugged terrain as Daffodil led Retsuko to a secluded mountain stream near the cliff. The air was crisp, filled with the soothing sound of rushing water and the gentle rustle of leaves in the breeze. Retsuko followed Daffodil's lead, barely awake, as Kaz and Ku'u followed behind them.
As they reached the edge of the stream, Daffodil turned to Retsuko with a solemn expression. "Tonight, you will face your first test with Kaz," Daffodil announced, his voice carrying a sort of weight.
"Eh?" Retsuko questioned, barely receptive to what he was hearing.
"You must learn the ancient technique known as the Burst Stream. It's simple, really, all that's required is channeling a surge of burst energy and pushing it out."
Retsuko's eyes widened at the mention of such a technique.
Daffodil raised a finger and pointed to the waterfall, with a large stone in front of it.
"The key," Daffodil continued, "is to channel your energy into a focused burst and send it through the waterfall without disrupting the flow of the water. It requires precision, control, and a deep connection with your inner strength."
Retsuko nodded, yawning.
He looked down at Kaz who even then, in the middle of the night had determination shining in her eyes.
He knew that mastering the Burst Stream would not be easy, but he was ready to face the challenge head-on with her, to respect his newest addition to the team.
Slapping his cheeks to wake himself up, Daffodil guided Retsuko to a spot by the waterfall, where he sat with Kaz.
Moonlight danced on the cascading water, creating a mesmerizing display of shimmering droplets.
"Focus your energy," Daffodil instructed, his voice steady and reassuring. "Feel the power within you, like a roaring river waiting to be unleashed."
Retsuko closed his eyes, centering himself as he tapped into his inner energy. He felt it, a surge of power coursing through his veins, eager to be unleashed.
As soon as he attempted to tap into the energy, he lost focus, his eyes snapping open. As he prepared to ask Daffodil for more advice, he realized that his master had disappeared in front of his eyes.
"Oh. That's delightful…" Retsuko mumbled sarcastically.
With a deep breath, Retsuko extended his hands towards the waterfall, visualizing the Burst Stream forming before him. He concentrated, pouring all his focus and determination into the technique.
At first, there was nothing but the sound of the rushing water. Then, a faint glow appeared around Retsuko's hands, a sign that his energy was gathering.
Kaz, who sat directly behind him also started to feel the energy, as her Blue energy met the Orange energy that Retsuko seemed to generate.
With a shout, Retsuko released the Burst Stream, a concentrated beam of energy shooting towards the waterfall. But as soon as it made contact, the water seemed to repel the energy, causing it to scatter harmlessly.
Retsuko stumbled back, falling into the water, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The realization hit him like a wave - mastering the Burst Stream would be no easy task.
Kaz stood up, the burst energy still surrounding her body. She was able to contain it fairly easily, but it began to surge out of control around her, causing her to flail about.
Ku'u watched the spectacle and hooted in amusement, watching Retsuko crawl out of the water.
"I hate you." Retsuko said blankly to his avian friend.
Spitting out some water, Retsuko sat back down, his back to Kaz's.
"That wasn't a stream, it was more like a splatter." he noted. Kaz nodded, and assumed a meditation position again.
Daffodil watched silently from afar, his expression unreadable. He knew that this was only the beginning of Retsuko's journey towards mastering the ancient technique.
For the rest of the night, Retsuko trained tirelessly, repeating the process over and over again. Each time, he gained a deeper understanding of the Burst Stream, honing his control and focus.
At the first light of dawn, Retsuko stood before the waterfall once more.
"I need more control." he murmured, contemplating his options.
Looking at Ku'u who had fallen asleep, he snapped his fingers together as he formulated a plan.
Minutes later, he sat in a meditation circle with Ku'u and Kaz, eyes closed. Burst energy began to circulate around him and Kaz as he prepared to enter his burst form, and Ku'u's soul resonated with Retsuko's as if he were about to activate the Origin forme, bluish green energy surging from them both.
"Using the origin forme's connection with nature and the environment for control… And the raw energy of the burst… I can use them together to better get a grasp on burst energy!" Retsuko thought.
With a fierce cry, Retsuko unleashed what he thought was Burst Stream once again, however the form shattered before he could fully absorb both Ku'u and Kaz's separate power individually, knocking all three of them back.
Retsuko sat within the water, looking up into the air, sighing with defeat in his chest.
"I hate this."
2027 - Unova, Star City
As the sun cast its golden rays over the bustling streets of Star City, Kion and Saabrina delved deep into their research back at Saabrina's apartment, determined to unravel the mysteries that intertwined the Unovan government with the Paldea region and the Orakuru.
During their investigation, the big discovery that Kion had made was that the files hidden in the museum documented information about the Paldea region, specifically an alliance between their governments, and a protection order for a man by the initials J.J.
Their journey began in the Castelia University library, where dusty tomes and ancient scrolls held secrets waiting to be discovered. Kion, who refused to admit that he was a history nerd, pored over ancient maps and manuscripts, searching for any hint of a connection between Paldea and the Orakuru.
Meanwhile, Saabrina delved into the archives of governmental records, scouring through bureaucratic documents and diplomatic correspondences for clues.
Days turned into weeks as they pieced together fragments of information, drawing connections between historical events and political agendas. They uncovered whispers of a long-standing alliance between the Unovan government and the Paldean rulers, dating back centuries.
As Kion and Saabrina delved deeper into their research, their findings caught the attention of Sir Shino.
Saabrina, who was one day so deep in thought about the incident and it's connection to all the lose ends had muttered it directly in front of Sir Shino, who started to grow suspicions about her connection to the perpetrator of a break in and cyber attack that had happened recently/
Feigning intrigue by Saabrina's knowledge and perceptiveness, Sir Shino approached her after a meeting, his demeanor both curious and guarded. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," he began, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity. "Your insights into the Orakuru and its connection to Paldea are quite remarkable."
Saabrina's eyes widened, realizing she'd mentioned something about her investigation with Kion out loud.
Facing the threat in front of her, Saabrina could only come to one conclusion.
He knew.
2027 - Sinnoh, Oracle Village
Retsuko opened his eyes and found Via resting peacefully in his arms.
Music was playing in the background; some random song from a playlist that Retsuko and Via had liked to share with each other.
Via opened her eyes slowly and blinked twice.
"Morning," She greeted, still half asleep.
"HOLY SH!T!" Retsuko exclaimed, as his eyes widened in sheer shock, jumping out of his bed and tripping into the wall.
"Hey… Why'd you move?" Via whined, slowly waking up.
She carefully covered her mouth to yawn and Retsuko pressed his hand against his chest to calm himself down.
His heart was beating incredibly fast and his skin was much warmer than usual.
Via looked at Retsuko innocently, wondering why he'd had such a reaction to the situation, and her face grew red in embarrassment as she realized.
"O-Oh. I'm so sorry, I completely forgot that you're not comfortable with that type of stuff, I-" Via apologetically rambled but Retsuko stopped her.
"It's… It's fine." Retsuko said, cracking a slight smile.
Via sat up from the bed with a panicked expression.
"Wait Retsu, before you kick me out, I just want to explain that I came here to hang out with you, and Kyu was nowhere to be found, and you looked so cozy sleeping that I got tired, and before I knew it I was climbing into bed with you and HOLY ARCEUS!" Via rambled, getting progressively more flustered the more she remembered what had occured.
Retsuko smiled fully this time, walking closer to Via.
"Like I said Vee, It's fine. Actually…" He said, climbing onto the bed next to her.
"Do you mind if we stay like this? Just for a little longer?" Retsuko asked.
Via's lip quivered slightly and she could tell that her face was as red as a tomato berry, but Retsuko's innocent expression kept her grounded.
"I'm glad that you're more comfortable now." She said, snuggling up closer to him.
Retsuko wrapped his arms around her awkwardly as the music continued to play in the background.
""This… Feels so nice. I can feel her warmth." Retsuko thought.
Via rested her head on his shoulder as a different song came on, this time "Darwin's Room" by Draco.
Her skin feels so soft. Her hair is so smooth and silky." He noted.
Retsuko caught the hint of a scent that resonated with him for some reason. He couldn't describe it.
"Sh!t, she smells incredible! I can feel the warmth of her body as it's pressed against mine. She feels so delicate in my arms. Like she's comfortable. Like she trusts me… Ugh, I sound like a creep right now."
Retsuko looked down at the girl, who looked back up to him and smiled.
In Via's mind, her thoughts raced frantically.
"Since when the hell is Retsuko so attractive, Arceus f*ck!" She questioned as her eyes met his.
She kept her poker face and focused on the music to try and stop her mind from slipping to something else.
"Wait, when I woke up did I say 'Morning?! What was I thinking, that's so weird, he must think I'm a weirdo, why the heck did I say that it's so cringy!" She wailed mentally.
Retsuko turned to Via as the flow of the song switched to a slight rap.
"It's weird. We've always shared our music with each other but It's never been just the two of us, chilling, listening to music. I've always wanted that with you. To just be here. At the moment." Retsuko mumbled.
Via began stuttering frantically, unable to process the sheer rush of emotions that flooded her head.
Retsuko inhaled as he slowly drifted off to sleep.
"I see…" He thought.
"This is the warmth that I'd been desiring."