Pokemon: Blood Curse

Chapter 17: A blonde's Envy

I'm glad Meigu bought a phone for him, but I wonder why he picked something so simple. Maybe it's because it'll be Mewtwo's first time owning one? Whatever, I just hope this way, I can call and check up on him every once in a while. Faint, content, a smile broadened on the brunette's face when she pondered. Her knees pressed together neatly and her eyes gazed upon the boxed device. It wasn't noticeable to Matsuo who kept begging another Pokemon to help train Hornet.

"Alright! One of my Pokemon finally decided to help. My Hitmonchan, she's sort of excited to fight a bug Pokemon so I told her to make sure not to use Fire Punch on him, since he needs to train and not get clocked out right away, haha!~" Nervous, Matsuo was, as he chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Hitmonchan? Does she have a name too?" Curious, her hazel hues blinked after she adjusted her pant leg, which curled up her shin no thanks to her cross-legged position. The grass she sat in was rather soft under her fingers when one hand rested on the ground, it was nice and warm inside his Private Dojo. The temperature helped her relax a little from the trek, for the cold of Fall made it difficult to so much as stay warm; her cottony pants did her little justice.

"Ah... Well, she's new and doesn't have as much experience in battle as my other Pokemon but- she's always eager to take on new challenges. I've yet to come up with a name for her and I honestly don't know if she'd appreciate it or not," His finger scratched his cheek when he looked over to Hornet, he saw how the Beedrill and Hitmonchan drew closer together in the middle of the arena.

"What about..." Trailing, pondering, a finger pressed against her lip as she thought long and hard. There could be many names to choose from, ranging between cool ones and pretty ones, but the first two that came to mind after a minute seemed to catch her attention. "Why not Bailey or Mazie?" The moment she suggested those names, she watched the buff man hum questionably and look to the ceiling of his dojo in thought.

"Bailey doesn't seem right. Mazie... I'll have to ask her about it when she's done with Hornet. It's best to let the Pokemon choose what they would prefer to be called, right?" With a thumbs-up and a bright, toothy grin, he looked at her. His positive energy radiated from him like a warm sun on a comfortable Spring day, an energy Marceline was rather addicted to now.

A cute giggle escaped her lips when she averted her eyes, for the smile that curled up was barely hidden behind her long, wavy, brown bangs over her one eye. She didn't see the expression he donned when she did that.

Why is she so cute?! Matsuo did his best not to show it, but his faintly red cheeks proved how much he adored her attempt to hide. If anything, deep down, he wished she wouldn't so he could see her smiles and lit-up eyes more.

"Y- Yeah... It'd be respectful in a way. Anyway- um..." Her heart nearly skipped a beat when he sat down next to her, with his legs crossed, and gave her a hug around her opposite shoulder. The feel of his arm around her, his smell, and his closeness were enough to cause her face to heat up.

"Thanks for the suggestions! I'll ask her! Is it alright if we hang out at your Treehouse later?" He didn't have a clue, the fact that he was close to her didn't even register since he was so excited and full of energy for today's plans.

Her stiff posture and hilariously bug-eyed hues were enough for anyone to see how flustered she was. "S- S- Sure! N- No problem!" Nervously, she inched out from under his arm and away from his large frame, they didn't even realize that a pair of unsettling eyes observed them from the shadows.

"Hey- what's wrong?" His large hand gently grasped her shoulder and tried to stop her, however, when he leaned over to get a better look at her face she almost fainted from their proximity.

Funnily enough, she whimpered and whipped her head to the side to not look into his delicious brown eyes. Her heart continuously pounded in her chest, she wanted so badly to distract herself from their closeness. "N- Nothing's wrong! I'm- I'm just a bit warm, that's all!" Marce did her best to reassure him, which was successful considering he sat up straighter and gave her a kind grin.

"Alright... Just don't be afraid to talk to me, if you need to," This time his strong hand patted her head and ruffled up her hair a little, which earned him a cute wince.

~~~

In the arena, Hornet dodged an incoming punch from the Hitmonchan who was just as focused on hitting him. Weave, swerve, left and right, Hornet was training his body to move on its own. When he thrust a stinger toward Hitmonchan, it missed entirely and left him open to the fighting Pokemon's right hook.

Haaaa! Up came her fist under his chin, sending him into the air and watching him crash land. Instantly she jumped back, several times, to evade a spray of his Poison Sting from the distance. This time Hitmonchan decided to trek the boundaries of the arena, sticking close to the edge of it and running around. Slowly and carefully closing in on the Beedrill, she leaped into the air to avoid a Fury Attack when he lunged at her. You're a lot better than I thought! Cheerful and excited, she landed right behind him and gave him a closed-eye smile.

Thanks! I haven't trained in a while. I owe a lot to Marceline so I want to become stronger to protect her when she needs it! She saved me, after all! Cutely, as if his old Weedle expression returned to his otherwise insect-emotionless face, he swayed from side to side happily and chuckled.

You respect her a lot, don't you? Well... You have a lot to learn and so do I! Do you want to be training partners? I don't mind bug Pokemon. Curiously she tilted her head and blinked, with a lift of her fists to prepare for another possible strike.

Yes! With a quick and simple answer, his speed picked up, and flew straight for the Hitmonchan. Stingers readily pointed to thrust, he missed her by an inch when he saw her step to the side like a Boxer. A sharp pain in his stomach let him know that she had used a Mach Punch. It was swift and precise, almost as if it were perfectly timed.

Her Mach Punch made him fall onto his side and buzz out a groan. Are you okay? Concerned, the fighting-type Pokemon squatted down to his head and poked at him; she hoped she didn't go too far.

I... I think I need some Fresh Water. Hornet spoke with comical spiraling animations in his eyes. He didn't see the Hitmonchan's feet jog away toward Matsuo and Marceline since his face was almost into the ground.

The Hitmonchan soon reached the two and paid them no mind when she saw Matsuo's position, for she stepped over to a bag she saw near Marce and stared at the brunette. Hello! I don't know if you can hear me, but may I have some water? Eyes closed and shy tints on her cheeks, her covered fists pointed at the bag.

"H- Huh? O- Oh- okay," Quietly Marceline blinked and awkwardly reached into the bag that sat a little behind her back. Not too much longer did two Fresh Waters come out, it made her smile when she saw the Hitmonchan grin happily and take them.

You can understand me? Questioned the Fighting type, curiosity piqued as she kept the same smile plastered.

"Yeah... Sorry- if it's unsettling or strange, at all," Nervous, Marceline's finger scratched at her cheek. She didn't want the Pokemon to feel afraid of her but deep down she knew better. For the past days to a week now, she has been getting used to it all and it's been less awkward for her. "Also, Meigu wanted to ask you something," Still yet with her burning red cheeks, the brunette never spared him a glance after the back of her hand patted at his shoulder, to get his attention.

"Ah! Yeah, that's right! Hitmonchan? Would you like a name? Marceline gave me some suggestions," Brightly smiling, he stood up and drew closer to his Pokemon in hopes of acceptance. The eager nod from her only made his grin broaden and giggle. "Alright, how does... Mazie, sound?!" His excitement was enough to make him lift his arms into the air, both fists tight and his pearly whites proving his joy.

His Pokemon's cry of sheer delight let him and Marceline know that she loved it. Jumping up and down, with several nods of her head, the elated expression, made the energetic aura she had increase. Her covered fists were careful to shift the Fresh Waters into her one arm and lift her free hand to her trainer.

"I'm happy you love it!" His fist excitedly bumped against hers, before he watched her sprint back to an exhausted Hornet with a skip in her step. "That's so cute. I guess you could say she's a little older than Wrestler but, she still has a bit of a childish personality," Almost like a Fatherly gaze, he stared at her distant form who helped the Beedrill sip some water and support his balance when he stood.

"You're... Like a Dad to these Pokemon aren't you?" Finally, her embarrassment subsided when he gave her some space. She couldn't stop staring at his frame from the side, watching as his hands were clamping to his hips and exposing his defined biceps. Quickly she had to look away, lest her face turn red and return her nervousness.

However, she wasn't the only one, for the buff man stiffened after her question and awkwardly laughed. "Haha, I guess you can say that. A lot of the Pokemon here have some sort of dark past, if not- a lonely one. Besides, Mazie was just a simple Tyrogue who wanted to get stronger for the thrill of it. She never really had any serious trauma or bad past. For all I know, she could have, but I didn't see anything bad when I met her so... She's a good Pokemon," From a nice and satisfying stretch, he was about to sit down when a familiar voice rang in his ears.

A very obnoxious voice that rang through the air, made the man stiffen and Marceline twisted her head around to see where it came from. Across the distance and through the soft grass with her sunshine yellow sneakers, came Avel Magnollia; waving her hand high above her head.

"Hey! Matsuo!" Behind Avel was her Machamp, who was jogging along with those same bracers on his wrists. "I'll let my Machamp have his lessons first, before my Lopunny!" As she exclaimed, the closer she got the more noticeable her frown became. Those green eyes fell onto the brunette only to quickly replace the disappointment that showed for a second, with a cheery smile.

"Alright, alright-" For once, there was visible annoyance when he sighed and fully faced her. "Let's go to another arena. Marceline's friend, the Beedrill she named Hornet, is training with Mazie- my Hitmonchan," This time he glanced at the brunette with an apologetic frown and returned his attention to the blonde.

Marceline... Marceline. That name, why does it sound so familiar? She looks kind of familiar too. I've been trying to remember where I've seen her or heard her name from, since yesterday in his Lounge. Who is she? Suspicion filled Avel's eyes when they narrowed at the said woman, who appeared rather uneasy by her presence.

"Th- That's fine. I wouldn't mind watching you train her Pokemon, either," Awkward, was how she felt when she scratched at her cheek. Feeling the blonde's green eyes on her spiked her anxiety as if knives were pointing in her direction. Her gaze peeked at Hornet who she could tell was already exhausted. Watching him heavily breathe, his sluggish movements, and how sloppy his thrusts were becoming, it was evident he was at his limit. "H- Hornet!" Careful not to trip, she jogged toward the Beedrill and used her arms to support his weight. "You don't want to overdo it, okay? Any longer and you'll pass out," Worry over the childish insect drove her into protectiveness, and saw his head lying on her shoulder.

I'm sorry, Marceline. I'm just eager to get stronger! Comically crying, his bug eyes watered with emotion as the brunette chose to move him onto her backside and carry him across the arena.

Thank you, Miss Marceline, for letting him spar with me! Happily, Mazie beamed and waved her gloved hand at the two. It wasn't long before she too walked away from the arena and went about her own business elsewhere; the Hitmonchan hardly gave the woman much room to reply.

"Sure, um... Maz-" The moment she turned around to answer, she frowned. Nonetheless, her feet trudged through the grass and reached the spot where she once sat. "Here you go... And no, Hornet- don't be sorry. You're fine," Into the grass she put him. With kindness in her hazel hues, the brunette couldn't help but pat his head and watch him push into her hand. From the bag nearby, her pale hand reached in, and out came a small bottle of honey which she knew was one of his favorites.

However, when her ears caught the sound of Avel's Machamp's Pokemon cry she stared at his strange behavior that somehow seemed familiar. Wait a minute... Is that... Very slowly recognition hit, for her gaze lit up upon the memory of that Machamp from the public gym a week or so ago. The very Pokemon, who the blonde she saw before trying to pull him back, are the same.

Hey, beautiful.~ I saw you before lookin' at me in the Gym from outside! The Machamp, who stood next to the buff man and Avel, ignored their conversation. The said Pokemon moved his way around to stand in front of the woman so he could be face to face, as clear excitement lit up his red eyes. With his large smile and one set of arms clamped onto his hips, he couldn't break his gaze from her. His attention kept bouncing from her soft hair to her colorful eyes, and adorably shy expressions.

"H-... Hi. I wasn't looking at you, I was only looking at the majority of people in there a- and... the Pokemon. They were all enjoying themselves... Th- That's all," Rubbing her arm shyly the nervousness began to build, so to her, avoiding eye contact felt like the best thing to do. Why is the Machamp acting like this? She started to feel worse, for her eyes looked everywhere else except toward the Pokemon in front of her. She was trying to focus on other things, to not seem rude.

You were staring at me though. I know you were. How could you possibly ignore these muscles?!~ Suddenly, the Machamp began to flex and pose in front of her, he didn't even try to hide his red cheeks. He did as most Machamp and any of his previous evolve forms would do, flex to impress. Deep, clear, and eager, his Poke' voice was as he continued to grunt upon each pose.

Amid the conversation, Matsuo glanced at Avel's Machamp as the said woman continued their chat and saw how uneasy Marce looked on her face. The gesture of rubbing her arm, averting her attention a lot, and stuttering, the very sight unnerved him a little. He didn't care if it was rude or not, he trudged over to the large Pokemon and patted his bicep to get his attention. "Come on, let's get to your training. I'll begin with the basics and see what you know first," An aggressive motion when he gripped onto the Pokemon's wrist, proved the bit of anger he felt. Quickly he yanked him back, dragged him away from Marce, and gave her a smile to reassure.

Faint tints of red, astonishment, Marce wasn't expecting Meigu to pull him away like that and not struggle, due to the Machamp's weight. It was hard to not notice the definition in the buff man's muscles when he used his strength to do so, she had to snap herself out of it to focus. Did he know how uneasy I was feeling? Her thoughts echoed, when she looked down at her feet, only to rise back up and view the blonde.

"I knew I saw you from somewhere before... Yesterday when I met you in the Lounge, you looked familiar. I saw my Pokemon flexing at you at the Public Gym but even then you seemed as if I knew you from somewhere. Marceline Shade... A unique name. The school I went to before had someone with the same name... And she was a freak of nature," Cold green eyes looked over her tan shoulder at the brunette. "You're her, aren't you?" Her question sounded more like a statement, the careless glint cast a shadow over her eyes that many would assume to be evil.

"N- No, no no, y- you're wrong! Um... My name c- can't be all that unique! You have the wrong person!" Frantic, and nervous, with her hands up in defense, she stood up and ignored the confused stare from Hornet.

"No one needs a freak like you. Go back to your imaginary friend and leave me to Matsuo. You're a monster and you always will be... No one likes monsters," Hasty but angry steps, Avel trekked ahead to catch up to her Machamp and the buff man.

Alone with Hornet now, hazel eyes stared with disbelief into the space in front of her. Frozen, speechless, memories were recalled from her High School years when people insulted and bullied her. Images in her mind where she was ganged up in the girl's bathroom, flashed. Avel stood in front of her at that time with a piece of paper in her hand and kneeling to her eye level, with the most hateful look in her eyes. Another piece of her memory, when rumors had spread about her killing others in her school, Avel was the start of it all and she knew it. With the many death threats and social distancing, everything she had gone through was returning to her as if it were just yesterday. Tight fists to her sides clenched upon the painful memories.

It soon came to an end, when Hornet poked his stingers gently at her arm to get her attention. Quickly, with a jolt and a blink, she looked to her side to see a genuinely worried Beedrill. "I- I'm... I'm fine," A fake smile was all she could muster and used to hide what she felt. Though her body betrayed her when a silent tear trickled down her cheek, it was just for a second, before she used her sleeve to wipe it away.

Miss Shade! I hope you're watching me! Shouted the Machamp who she turned around to see flexing, showing off, and posing, just to earn himself an abrupt fist to his gut.

Gasping, mouth agape, and taken aback, Marceline was indeed watching when he received the hit. A heavy thud echoed from the sheer amount of weight from his muscles when he flew back a couple of feet, however, it wasn't enough to knock him out.

The other arena they stood in wasn't that far from the one that Hornet and Mazie were in. "Focus! Stop trying to show off and pay attention. I also have a Machamp and he's a lot more disciplined than you are," Harsh, anger became evident when he warned the Machamp and kept his fist in place. Unmoved, no stir in his stance from the strike he made, he kept himself as stiff as a statue which caused his muscles to become more defined.

Marceline could tell something was agitating him, it was rare for him to be so upset. Nonetheless, her attention returned to the Machamp's dumbfounded form as she watched him stand back up and return to his spot.

This time the Pokemon took it seriously, he wasn't even aware of Avel's gaping mouth and nervous sweat.

Time flew by during the basic training session. Marceline's feet quickly jogged toward Matsuo with a few bottles of Fresh Water in her hands, followed by Hornet who didn't seem all that pleased to be near Avel anymore. "You... Took so many blows from him. What was it? Close-Combat? He hit you so many times but y- you kept your arms up in defense. Are you okay? Nothing's broken, right?" Purely worried about his well-being, her eyes examined his skin for any kind of damage and offered him one of the Fresh Waters.

Delighted, he beamed with a bright smile after he took the water and laughed. "I told you, didn't I?! I have a Machamp, I could even take on a Pangoro if I wanted! Look- no bruises, nothing is broken," Fully facing her, both forearms were lifted to show that he was fine, and even opened his Martial Arts gi to prove nothing was in pieces.

That alone was enough to cause her face to turn crimson, for she quickly whipped her head away and lifted some water to the Machamp. "A- Alright. I was just concerned," Flustered, she ignored the buff man when he chuckled to himself and watched the Pokemon accept the drink.

You're so kind, thank you! Cheerfully, the Machamp's poke' cry rang out, and easily twisted the cap off to take a sip. Are you worried about me too? Did you like what you saw?~ Winking, blushing, he used two of his arms to flex while he drank and was enjoying her nervous behavior when she took her eyes off of him.

"A- Avel, would you like some too?" The brunette needed to ignore the Pokemon, she should have ignored the blonde too after what she said earlier but to her, a peace treaty felt more desirable.

"No. I don't want your water," Disgust curled her lip when she saw the Fresh Water, just for a smirk to play across them and make her way over to the brunette. "Hey, Macho? She offered you some water before me, so wouldn't that mean she has a thing for you? She is... A creep, after all. I wouldn't put it past," With a harsh brush on her shoulder, her smirk fell and purposefully bumped into Marceline.

She was scheming something, the brunette saw it and behold the blonde's plans were underway. The said muscular Pokemon's face heated up, which caused unease for Marce and Meigu. Macho's hasted steps and excited, red face, all proved what was going on through his mind.

"Avel Magnolia, you need to leave... Now! What you said was rude and I will not tolerate such behavior!" Furious, Matsuo quickly got between the brunette and the Machamp before the muscular Pokemon could even get close. Those brown eyes full of anger and protectiveness reflected into green ones not far from him. "Just because you're paying for private lessons... That doesn't mean I won't return your money and cancel them. This is your first and only warning! One of my policies is to make sure everyone is treated with respect and that no drama is to occur. Am I understood?" Dangerous, dark shade veiled his eyes and exposed a side of him that hardly ever comes out.

"Y- Yes! Of course! A- And I can't help it, she just creeps me out," From an apologetic bow to her sides, fists clenched and blonde strands hid the scowl on her mouth. "I'll leave then," Hesitant, Avel did her best to hide the anger after she stood back up. Between him and Marceline, her attention bounced, not once did her fists relax. "Return- Macho," From her side, came the Pokeball, just to zap a red stream of light to the said Pokemon and have it return.

As silence befell them, their gazes lingered for a time, before they watched her walk away and head toward the exit. "I'm sorry, Marce. She was just a friend I made not long ago, through countless private lessons. That wasn't something normal coming from her, she's usually friendly toward everyone I teach or that she meets. Are you alright?" Purely worried now, he recalled that day when they shared each other's past and how they met their Pokemon.

"Y- Yeah... I'm used to it, it's okay. Maybe she was just tired? I get cranky when I don't get sleep. Or- maybe she was just-" Blinking curiously, from behind a tree not far from them, stood a dark silhouette that caught her attention. It was difficult to see with all of the branches and leaves in the way, her head tilting sideways to see better hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Hm?" Turning around, lifting a brow, he too couldn't help but see the same. "You! Come out, it's alright!" Friendly, his hand waved high, and his toothy smile broadened.

Across the field behind the two strode Prince and Torch, neither of them had noticed since they were focused on the hidden figure. When Torch stretched and stood next to his Trainer, he too noticed the silhouette.

That's someone new. Perhaps they sneaked their way inside the Dojo? Prince's Pokemon language reached Marceline's ears after his abnormal height stood just in front of her.

However, what they weren't expecting, was for a man in black and purple to come out of hiding. His pointy hair, Cheshire cat grin, and sharp red eyes raised caution in the Pokemon. His very steps gave such eerie vibes while his gaze screamed mischief.

As if upon instinct both Pokemon huddled close to Marce and took a stance, they knew something was off about him. "Guys, I just yelled at Miss Magnolia before she left, so please don't be rude. I don't know how he came in here without a pass-code, though... Just leave this to me," With a reassuring gesture of his hand, his feet trekked toward the stranger and offered him a handshake. "I'm Meigu Matsuo, it's a pleasure to me you..." Trailing off, he couldn't place a name, so he hoped the man would fill in the blank and introduce himself.

"Kuro... Just Kuro. I followed Marceline here and watched you train that other woman's Pokemon with your own hands. Impressive. It's almost as though you weren't human, yourself," His once mischievous grin fell when suspicion filled his eyes, for they bore deeply into brown ones that seemed to have a similar glint. I'm relieved I learned to how speak human, in the past... Otherwise, a meeting like this would've been impossible. Thoughts echoed as silence encased them both into a lengthy stare-down.

"Ah, you must be the friend she spoke of. Were you worried about her? If so, there's no reason to be! She's in good hands and I assure you- I won't do anything to hurt her," With a thumbs-up and a grin that could blind anyone from how bright they were, he aimed to ease any doubts Kuro possibly had.

It didn't seem to affect him, though. Kuro's gaze never left the buff man and his suspicion only increased. "I know you won't... Because I will be watching your every move," This time, rather quietly so only Matsuo could hear, his signature grin returned and his whispers carried hostility. From that, he watched the buff man drop his expression and return a more cautious but stern stare.