A/N: Small content warning for reference to (pokemon) death, though it is fiction-based and not literally happening, later in this chapter.
—/—
Alysa had never woken up, and been slapped by such high energy. She felt lighter than a feather as she skipped and spun around her dorm, gathering her pokemon's dishes to prepare their morning meals. As she sent out the first few of her party to eat, a thought occurred to her. She grabbed her phone, to send a little message to her...boyfriend!
[ Good morning! ]
Yes, Drayton was her boyfriend now. The silly, funny, suave, handsome Tamer of Dragons was hers. HERS. Of all people on this planet. Alysa rocked to-and-fro as she stared closely down at her phone's screen, awaiting a potential response, even though it was just past 6am and he could easily still be sleeping. Mims, Rei, and Tari observed her curiously, able to sense the energy shooting off of her form and into the air itself.
She didn't have to wait long.
The Drayster: [ G'morning sweetie ]
Sweetie...! Reading the word had her bouncing on her feet, smiling wildly. How many pet names did he have for her? The zeal making her heart swell was looking forward to discovering the truth, and anything else she got to learn about the boy now that their dynamic has changed. She savored their friendship, but it was still very much a thing, just that them being a couple now was added on top of it.
They could do 'couple things' now! Like their planned movie date later today...
While she sent out the next set of her team to feed them, she pondered what pet names she could give him. She could use the same ones he's using for her, but something about that felt a little lazy. He deserved she putting in time to consider special ones. Then again, the idea of using them in practice...her heart was doing flips. Maybe she should approach that slowly and not get too far ahead of herself.
When she sent out Zarea to feed her, the little fox was surprisingly lively, darting around her legs while yipping. Laughing, she knelt down to pet her head when she came to a stop.
"I'm so happy to see you doing better," Alysa cooed. The Vulpix's behavior now was the total opposite of what it was. She had gained a little more weight to boot. She wasn't at the average weight threshold yet, but progress was still progress.
"Look at you, revving to go. Do you think you're ready to play with the others? I can fit a little bit of time in today."
Zarea barked, hopping up and down. That was a resounding 'yes'.
"That's good. Playtime will help your body get even stronger." She began pouring soft, dry pokemon food into the bowl placed down just for the Vulpix. Zarea dove in with no pause.
"Careful! Don't eat too fast," the girl cautioned with a giggle.
Lunchtime was here, and Alysa wanted to get to the cafeteria pronto. She resisted her urge to push the other students aside and rush through the stream leaving the classroom, but patience just barely managed to win out. The hall was crowded, it being difficult for her to even see the other side of it, but she trying for even a second was worth it. She spotted a familiar white pompadour poking up over there.
Now, she used a little more force to get by other students, emerging from the river. Drayton was leaning against a section of the wall surrounded by lockers with his arms crossed, characteristic sleepy gaze angled to the side at nothing in particular. She gasped, instantly pondering the reason for he being here right now. Could it be...?
She shuffled over to him. His eyes met hers, and upon realizing who she was, a smile stretched.
"Hey there." He stood up and greeted her. Her joyful feelings from earlier this morning were reborn.
"Hi..." She matched his smile. "Were you waiting for me?"
"Yup. Thought it'd be nice if we walked to the cafeteria together."
He reached a hand out, and it was like she didn't even need to think sticking her own out, she was holding his in the next half second. Drayton took the lead, Alysa falling into place next to him. Initially all she could do was goggle at him star-eyed, taking in how the hall's lighting bounced off of his hair, jacket, and cape, but then she noticed how weirdly empty the hall was all of a sudden.
Actually, the hall wasn't empty. A lot of the students that had been standing around or moving along the stream had backed off to the sides, many pairs of eyes on them as they strolled, with various people talking in quieter tones amongst themselves. While she's known to exist as a slightly interesting topic in the student body, never has it presented itself like this. Drayton continued to walk leisurely, unbothered, so she did her best to not be bothered as well. Easier said then done...
"How's your day been so far?"
He glanced back down at her from over his flared collar, blatant affection impossible to miss. Heat played at her cheeks. It was at that exact moment Alysa understood, for the foreseeable future, this boy was going to make her feel like she'd spontaneously combust.
"It's been...great." Oof, why was talking to him a little harder now? But not because he himself made her nervous. She wanted to retreat into her metaphorical shell and admire him from afar, finding him too blinding.
"I've been thinking about you during all of it."
"Yeah?" he chuckled, its merriment inviting her in. Forget staying in a shell, being up close and letting his light wash over her was much better.
"Glad to hear that, because it's been the same with me. That good morning text you sent got my day going right." His tawny skin deepened into the slightest shade of red.
Approaching breathlessness, her laugh was short but no less authentic. It was ridiculous to feel even giddier at knowing such a small thing like a text message impacted him, but she felt no shame in it. What things could she do to make him smile like this more often? Send him more texts in the morning, and at night before bed too? She could make that a habit.
Talking to Drayton briefly helped her forget they were being gawked at like no one in the school had ever seen them before, but when they came up to a corner and Alysa's eyes left his to involuntarily scan their surroundings, a reminder presented itself harshly.
Carmine stood watching some feet behind other students, covered from head to toe in absolute horror. It was meant for the two of them no doubt, the taller girl never hid her disdain for the Top Elite Four member. Her expression was such a stark change from what she's been noticing that Alya did a double take, then averted her gaze to her and Drayton's clasped hands for comfort's sake.
"What's up?" he asks, not missing her seemingly-random change in demeanor. She chose to not mention Carmine.
"...I-It's just, lots of people are staring at us," she mumbled. In the corner of her eye, she saw him look around the hall.
"Good." His remark made her head snap fully to him. He looked so carefree.
"I want everyone to know the Drayster's been taken by the cutest, prettiest girl in school~."
Oh. Alysa was rendered speechless by that, so speechless that her thoughts even slowed to a crawl. She wasn't sure what was getting her more: being at the center of attention like this, or Drayton so freely giving her such heavy praise – even if it wasn't exactly the first time. It probably was a combination of both. Either way, she entering a daze at least helped to technically calm her down.
When they reached the cafeteria, many students seated at various tables were fortunately distracted by their friends to pay them much mind, but she still spotted some that latched onto them. Drayton gently tugged her along to get into the line with him.
"By the way, 'Lys." He quirked a brow. "Are you gonna challenge one of us tomorrow? Deadline's then, I think."
She had to take an extra second to think.
"Mhm. I'm picking Crispin first." Speaking of which, she probably needed to let him know that. The odds of him being completely unavailable for battle all day tomorrow were extremely low, but dropping a challenge request on the spot could be an inconvenience for him.
He grinned. "Fun."
As they neared the front, he asked her what she wanted from the menu. Alysa didn't think much of it, and was about to pull out her phone to pay for her tray, but Drayton moved a little faster. His Rotom phone floated upwards, and he paid the combined total of both of their meals. Surprised, she followed his lead while holding her lunch, and sat down across from him at an empty table.
"You didn't need to pay for me."
"On the contrary. You're my sweetie now, so it's my job to spoil you," Drayton smoothly countered. She was at a loss for words. Alysa looked down at her meal while trying to fight a big smile from forming. She tore open her plastic set of silverware.
"Your job? You say that like you haven't been spoiling me for a while now." The stacked cooler he brought to their picnic came to mind, as did the box of snacks he got for her.
"That was just because I felt like it. Now, I have a reason on top of that~." He stuffed fries into his mouth, winking at her. Alysa occupied herself via eating forkfuls of her pasta, trying to push down the fluttering in her gut with it.
"Anyhoo, about our movie date. You still up for it?"
She nodded, a little too fast. He pulled his phone out, dragging a finger over the screen for a few seconds, then pushed the device over to her.
"Pick out whatever flick you want. I'm sure I'll be fine with the choice."
Intrigued, she took the floating phone into her hands. The girl hadn't gotten the chance to look at a Rotom phone more closely, she still used the old phone she's had for a couple of years since it worked fine, but she was interested in the more advanced tech. Was there actually a living Rotom harbored in it, or was it more of an artificial intelligence designed after the species?
Either way she didn't want to hog his phone, so the fluffy-haired girl slowly scrolled through the list and filtered through genres – missing the look of sheer fondness Drayton was sending her way at seeing her wonder. The media-side of the academy distributed dozens of films it seemed, all of them either child-friendly or teen-appropriate. Naturally, there wasn't anything rated higher to be adults-only. Nothing catching her eye that much, Alysa was mulling over picking a film that looked semi-decent bare minimum, but then she came across a special one.
Amazed it just so happened to be available and in an Unovan version to boot, Alysa eagerly gave Drayton his phone back, pointing out her selection.
"It's one of my favorite films ever."
"En-tray?" Drayton read out the film's title, tilting his head. The pronunciation made her cringe, and laugh all at once.
"Entre." She corrected him when the bout ended, speaking the word effortlessly. He quirked a brow.
"It's Kalosian for 'between'."
"Ah," he blinked, lips curving in amusement. "I've never seen it. Or heard of it."
"It only released locally in Kalos and in Galar through a dub, as far as I'm aware. Did ok, box office wise." She reigned in her excitement, having not seen it in too long. "It's like a fairytale story, where a female Primarina can transform into a human lady."
"...Heh. I see why it's a fav of yours," he commented. "I'm down to give it a whirl."
Did he know how happy he saying that made her? There was no hiding her beaming face then. He did a few taps and swipes on the device's screen.
"Starts at 7pm tonight," he told her after pocketing his phone. Enthusiasm was coursing, but then, the reality that Drayton was paying for a lot settled in.
"Ok...how much did it cost to rent?"
"500 BP," he stated, speaking quickly when he saw her about to object. "Which is nothing. I get paid a ton of the stuff for being an elite."
Five hundred, plus what was surely at least two hundred for their lunches? Alysa puffed her cheeks out in a pout. As captivated as she was over Drayton's generosity, she didn't want him to go broke over her of all people.
Having low amounts of BP was obnoxious, since it annoyingly cut you off from the considerably luxurious aspects of the academy. Pokedollars only got you so far on school grounds. It was questionable why Director Cyrano even designed a pseudo currency in the first place, but she did like the ability to save her pokedollars... Plus, BBQs were fun things to do in one's free time.
Drayton reached over to poke a finger against one of her cheeks, chuckling. "Don't look at me like that. I'd dump a thousand BP on you. No – ten thousand~!"
She almost spit her food out. "T-Ten thousand?! That's way too much! I would not allow it!"
He laughed, her frantic display being just what he wanted to see. Alysa knew he loved getting reactions out of her, but unfortunately, she didn't have his level of composure. If his was at a mountain's peak, hers was miles underneath the Earth's crust.
There was a break of silence between them, somewhat filled by the clamor of the students at surrounding tables. Drayton seemed as if he was deep in thought as he ate, but he soon spoke up, his gaze upon her dreamy.
"Just wanted to say, your voice sounds even sweeter when you speak Kalosian."
The compliment didn't register until she fully took in his look. The dark skin of her face became flushed, turning a richer hue.
"It was just one word."
"Still. And I noticed your accent got thicker for a sec, when you switched back to Unovan." His eyes narrowed, lips of his smile exposing some teeth.
"It's pleasant to the ol' ears."
How flattering. This was the first time anyone has complimented her general voice.
"You should speak it more often."
"Huh...?" Her mind reeled for a few seconds. "Why? You can't understand it, right?"
"Correct. But I like hearing it from you."
Perplexed, she suppressed a snort. "Do you want me to just say words at random?"
"Sure! Why not mix it into your Unovan too? Spice it up," he grinned, shoveling more fried rice from his tray into his mouth. Alysa wasn't sure what to make of such an odd request, even though he claimed it was just because of how nice it sounded. Alysa could remember getting mocked for merely being Kalosian on too many occasions by her peers prior to Blueberry Academy, even if it was only her accent that initially hinted at it. It was why, through the years, she practiced so hard on mimicking how native Unovans spoke to hide it.
She loved her own heritage, but harassment didn't seem worth dealing with... yet Drayton wanted her to show it off? Be natural? She absolutely didn't want to do that with others if she didn't believe they understood Kalosian at least, but for Drayton himself...
"Ok," she answered meekly. "I'll do it more often. Just for you."
His happy face got brighter, and she immediately felt like she made the right decision. "Great."
It would be harmless in the end, so why not humor him? He'd miss the meaning of her speech unless she translated; this fact made an idea spring up in her head. It was silly and cheesy, but would provide a lot of entertainment. The girl filed it away for later use.
The elite made no further additions on the subject. Instead, Drayton inquired about what they should have to eat while watching the film later. Popcorn was a given, but he made it clear that if she wanted anything specific that he didn't already have in his dorm, she was welcome to request it. Alysa wasn't too sure she would, Drayton had done enough for her in one day as far as she was concerned.
Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Lacey and Crispin, the latter carrying a large orange lunchbox.
"Hello, you two!" Lacey appeared especially jovial in the moment. Crispin matched her, though his face was visibly reddened.
"The halls have been buzzing about you. Did something happen?" She and Crispin took their seats, sliding in next to Alysa.
"Nothing big. We just held hands on the way to the cafeteria." Drayton shrugged, while Alysa could feel her embarrassment perpetually climbing.
"Ah. That explains it." Lacey looked towards Alysa, as Crispin unzipped his lunchbox. "I should mention that we overheard some...rather jealous remarks. It doesn't seem as if everyone's a fan of you both."
No, Alysa knew immediately, they weren't a fan of her. Drayton was admired by many, and their walk down the halls together was a statement. She's lucked out so far by not dealing with potential bullying, maybe because she wasn't so obviously 'stepping' onto territory she likely didn't deserve in others' opinions. Who knows if that would remain in effect after today?
"Doesn't matter." Drayton's eyes hardened. "I'll deal with anyone dumb enough to step to us the wrong way."
Her heart fluttered again. This wasn't just the typical platonic protectiveness you could expect from any friend, Alysa got a glimpse into the ferociousness he showed Kieran in the clubroom before.
"Glad to hear it, but please don't start any actual fights," Lacey frowned. "That would cause more harm than it would help anyone."
"No promises." Drayton left it at that, eating more of his lunch. Crispin pulled out two wrapped baked goods; turnovers of some sort. Alysa noticed that he placed one of them down in front of Lacey. Did he make lunch for the two of them?
"What's that?" Alysa let her curiosity ask.
"Lacey was in the mood for calzones, so I made some," Crispin answered, face somehow getting redder. The girl in question picked hers up and unwrapped it.
"It looks and smells really good Crispin," she beamed, and immediately took a bite. The redhead boy looked so dopey then, enough to make the other girl giggle. Drayton too maintained his jovial stare. However, Alysa recalled something important she needed to bring up in the next second. Some anxiety slammed into her.
"Hey, Crispin? Can I challenge you tomorrow?"
"Wha-" He stopped his chewing of his own lunch, eyes widened. "Oh, right! Yeah of course you can! I'm free anytime after 1pm!"
"Ooh, you're picking him first?" Lacey was excited, though she did seem a little disappointed. "Darn. I was hoping you'd challenge me..."
"I figured it'd be easier just to go based on rank," explained Alysa. Lacey 'oohed'.
"That makes sense. That also means you'll be leaving Drayton for last?" she questioned with a laugh. The teen in question poked his lower lip out.
"Yeah, and it sucks. But it's alright...I get to watch 'Lys battle all of you first. Might help give me an advantage, eh?"
He smirked at her. Alysa made a noise of acknowledgment, seeing that he was right to an extent. As if he needed an advantage.
"True. But with you, I think I'll need to use a...special strategy." Less special, and more ridiculous. Alysa knew that Drayton's skills warranted a more complex plan than what she had on the board right now, but sometimes one needed to work smarter and not harder. Plus, it could end up being hilarious if it worked out.
Biggest roadblock was how his Archaludon had natural advantages against her entire team and would alone take considerable effort to knockout...she'd work out the kinks there later.
"A special battle plan? For me?" Drayton laughed. "Really making a guy melt over here~."
She failed to keep her smile at bay due to his flirtatious tone, averting her head as she finished up the rest of her pasta. The others enjoyed their food, and she lingered around for a few extra minutes to chat with them, but soon announced her other plans for the rest of the break.
"I wanted to squeeze in some training with Rubis. Zarea too, I think she's ready to get more active."
Drayton batted his eyelashes.
"Can I come with?"
So tempting, but Alysa managed to not buckle. "Not this time. I don't want to get distracted..."
"Oof. What, you think I'M distracting?" He put a hand to his chest, asking with a voice so heavy in fake surprise that she couldn't stop herself from chortling.
"Yes! Very much so." She shook her head, gathering up her trash. The stare of heavy affection Drayton shot her way was almost enough to make Alysa change her mind. "Besides, we have tonight for our hang out time."
She said her farewells to everyone at the table, getting up to slip her backpack on and pick up her trash to throw away in a bin. As Alysa walked away, she heard Lacey ask Drayton on just what they were doing tonight. She could feel herself getting antsy all over again.
At around 6:30pm, she was on her way.
Alysa checked her phone again for the text Drayton sent her for what number his dorm had as she walked through the academy's purple residential wing. She had to stop herself from skipping along, not wanting the few students she passed to think she was crazy or something. Her stomach did more and more flips with every number she passed, until she finally reached the correct one. '306'.
She knocked twice, and waited with baited breath.
"Whoooo is it?" She heard Drayton's voice ask from the other side of the door, but from his tone, she figured that he already knew it was her. Still, she answered.
"Alysa."
Footsteps drew near, and she heard the sound of the lock being undone, before the door opened.
"Ah~. So, my honey bunny." Drayton smiled down at her. Alysa was caught off guard by the sight of him, wearing a grey t-shirt and black sweats in place of his usual academy attire. However, she was more taken aback by what he called her.
"H-honey bunny...?" Alysa gaped at how astonishingly sappy the pet name was, but she'd be lying if she said it didn't charm her greatly. Almost sickeningly so.
"Heheh." Satisfaction showed in his eyes, Alysa understanding that he just wanted to surprise and fluster her yet again. He gently took hold of one of her hands to guide her inside his dorm, then shut the door behind her. Her non-serious displeasure didn't last, as Alysa took in the appearance of his living space.
It was...tidy! The floors were clean, his bed was even made, and there was hardly any clutter to be seen, aside from a box of snack bags sat on his counter with a few bags sitting around it. The decor in his room was quite pleasing, some posters depicting dragons he trained hung on the walls and some figurines of more Dragon Pokemon in a large display case next to his desk. He had a Lampent-shaped lamp, and a Goomy-shaped clock sitting on his nightstand. The air smelled nice as well, aromantic paired with a buttery scent...
Part of Alysa thought she should feel bad for expecting to see chaos, trash littering the floors along with dirty clothes, but who could blame her because of how Drayton carried himself on a daily basis? He didn't do anything that required too much energy, and last she checked, cleaning was one of those things.
Drayton watched her look around in amazement, lips quirking upwards.
"Expecting a pigsty?"
"Uhhh..." She spun around to face him, trying to swallow her guilt. To the girl's relief, he wasn't offended.
"I'll be honest, cleaning can be tough for me if there's too much to do. Luckily, I had a day to make this place look presentable. Took it one step at a time," he disclosed. "Plus, I'm not even in here that often, so the mess was manageable. Most annoying thing was just doing laundry."
That explained the fresh scent. Alysa was genuinely appreciative he did put in so much effort for her sake, touched that he didn't want her to be in a filthy space – especially on their first date.
He nodded over to his dresser, where there was some parts of various items poking out of the drawers. "Folding though? Asking too much from me. I just stuff things wherever."
This made her giggle. "That's fair. But, thank you for this..."
"It's all good, honey bunny." He winked. "The movie starts in a few. I was just finishing up the popcorn."
Interest piqued, she slipped her shoes off to place next to his near the door, and observed him go into his kitchenette's area. She stepped around the large snack box to see Drayton at the stove, fiddling with a large pot. The delectable aroma must've been coming from there, and her mouth was already watering.
Then, her eyes admittedly wandered a bit.
Drayton did look...really good. He always looked good to her, but dressed in casual wear like this was an appealing change. It was a new way to perceive him, a different look to carve into her memory. Alysa's breathing turned harder, when her eyes continued to roam, going further down to a clearer outline of something she normally didn't get to see at all because his cape was in the way-
"Are you checking me out?" Drayton was peering at her in his peripheral vision. She couldn't see his grin, but she knew it was there.
"...M-Maybe." Caught red-handed, Alysa tried to save as much of her dignity as she could and scampered over to the couch, skin burning from the sound of his laughter. She planted herself right down, willing her racing heart to settle. She had some nerve doing that sure, but hey, they were together now. There was nothing wrong with being more open about her admiration of him.
Drayton soon approached, toting a cheeky smile and a large bowl filled with popcorn. "You want anything else aside from this and something to drink? I can order whatever."
She tried to ignore that sly look on him, and thankfully his words gave her a brief diversion.
"Order?"
"You don't know? Students can order food from the cafeteria to have it prepared, and have it delivered to their dorms. It's handy if you don't feel like going out, or can't."
"No, I didn't. That's convenient." What else did she not know about this place?
"Yup! I do it every now and then. Only con is that it costs more BP to order than it does to go in person, but you already know that's not a problem for me." He placed the bowl down next to her on the couch.
"So, don't be shy~."
"I-It's fine, really." Remembering how he's splurged on her enough today, Alysa was adamant on him not spending even one more BP. "I'll just have...soda, or something."
"If you say sooo. I have cases of Berry Blast and Phanta."
"Berry Blast is ok."
Drayton nodded, walking away back to the kitchen. The smell of the popcorn was too irresistible, so she decided to have a few of the fluffy kernels. In seconds, her tastebuds fired off on all fronts. It was buttery and salty in a beautiful balance. Without a doubt, this single batch beat all of the bland microwave popcorn she's had in her life so far.
When Drayton returned with two bottles of their drinks, he warmly regarded Alysa with her puffed out cheeks and munching. Her trance broken, self-consciousness reared its ugly head.
"Uh, s-sorry-"
"Go right ahead. I made a lot for a reason," waved Drayton, dispelling the paranoia quick. Alysa let out a deep breath, thankful over how it must take a lot to ick Drayton out. She accepted one of the offered soda bottles, taking a second to press the chilled plastic to her face in an attempt to cool herself down, while Drayton turned on the TV.
He entered a channel number with the remote, pulling up a screen displaying a PokeStar Studios logo. Underneath the symbol was a message of a film currently being queued for 7pm, and a thank you for supporting the studio's distribution project. Drayton went to turn off the lights.
"So 'Lys, I'm curious. When did you first watch this flick?" He picked up the popcorn bowl and sat down in its place right next to her, resting the dish in between them.
"Back home in Kalos on TV, years ago. I had just learned about what Primarina were at the time, so when I saw the first 2 minutes, I was hooked." Smiling at that positive memory, more tension left her body. It was late at night and she was home alone, the perfect environment for she to have a little peace...for once.
Drayton gave a closed-eye smile. In the moment, Alysa had started to feel the full essence of he being here. His softened countenance heartwarming. Their hands nearest to one another found their way together shortly, and their contact reminded the girl that yes, this was a date.
A true, official date. Both of them held affections for the other that went beyond the scope of a platonic nature, and their bond now recognizes that. Alysa doubted she would ever get over how flattering it was that Drayton saw something in her that he was truly drawn to. What they had was still in its beginning stages, perhaps a little shallow or simplistic, but that just made her look forward to the future – where there's a very possible chance for their connection to deepen further.
And then, there is what Drayton said before. What they had between them up until this point itself didn't have to change. They didn't have to become people they weren't, just to satisfy the other. Nor did she want that to happen, for either one of them. They could still be friends, and they were still friends. Yet, they each had interest in being more than just friends at the same time. These feelings could all co-exist together if they allowed it, and Alysa found something truly enthralling about that.
Alysa's daydreaming was brushed aside when Drayton lifted her hand upwards, wordlessly kissing her fingers. Her face shifted to something that teetered very close to lovestruck, when the TV's screen changed and Entre's opening credits begun to play.
She was transfixed as soon as the familiar opening track started accompanied by the opening credits over a scene. A Primarina colony was sitting on a rocky shore underneath the light of a full moon, singing in harmony. However, one Primarina was isolated from the group, staring despondently out towards the sea. She feels detached from her kin, unable to join in the harmony from a lack of passion towards their lives subjected to the sea's whims. Later on, while the Primarina is swimming alone and lamenting her loneliness and fears of the future, a mysterious underwater current stirs up. Her pelt is seemingly pulled from her frame, cloaking her body in an aura and transforming her into a human as she falls unconscious, only to wake up on an unknown beach nearby a town.
Though the music's composition was different compared to the Kalosian version, nostalgia filled Alysa from head to toe. She absent-mindedly ate handfuls of popcorn as the movie goes on, occasionally brushing her hand against Drayton's as he did the same. Soon, the Primarina-turned-woman meets a man who's one of the townspeople, and they undergo the old trope of falling in love.
Alysa smiles at how cute the two honestly are; the man puzzled by the woman's lack of knowledge about human things and some of her inhuman quirks, but he finds her delightful nonetheless. The woman, having only heard of humans in stories her elders passed down in the colony, is floored by how kind and sweet the man is. He houses her in his shack home filled with various fishing equipment and the two grow closer overtime, but eventually, the woman discovers her Primarina pelt on a more remote part of the beach.
Not wanting to lose it but afraid of what the man will think, she brings it home but hides it in an old chest. However, it seems coming into contact with her pelt has flared a deep longing for the sea, and she questions just what she should do with her life now. The woman suspects that if she puts her pelt back on, she'll transform back into her true state and lose her human form forever – thusly the man too. If she stays a human, she's fearful that her separation from the sea may one day drive her mad – an irony due to how much she wanted to leave it earlier in the movie, and it being the reason why she even turned human. She continues to interact with the man, and their relationship gets more serious.
There's a montage of the couple having many moments of intimacy. It's during this time that Alysa feels movement on the couch; Drayton has inched closer to her. She doesn't hesitate to return the notion, and sinks into the warmth he emits as the teen wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her close.
The montage ends with the man proposing. Things appear to be looking up for the woman, and she believes her love for her soon to be husband will be enough to overpower the sea's influence. Yet, things take a sudden ominous turn. Due to not being allowed in one part of the house as her fiancé claimed there were a lot of dangerous tools inside, the curious woman manages to enter the room after discovering the door ajar.
As it turns out: the man has a side career of being a Pokemon Poacher, where he hunts and kills certain aquatic pokemon that are under national protections for a high price. One of said species being Primarina and its previous evolutions.
"Figures." Alysa heard Drayton mumble, scoffing. She tittered, sipping on her soda. The woman's thrown into a dilemma at that point. She begins fearing for her life, though her fiancé isn't aware of her true nature. Half of her also wants to still be with him because of this, as he treats her so well. Her life with him is promised to be easier and safer compared to living out at sea yet again, so long as he never discovers her identity. Additionally, she believes there's a chance she could get her fiancé to change his ways and abandon the horrid profession.
The woman faces perpetual uncertainty, and struggles to choose a side. It all comes to a head when, on the night of a full moon, the woman becomes unable to resist the sea any longer. She takes her pelt and returns to the beach's remote section to put it on, knowing she can't stay any longer and that it was probably best for she to leave her fiancé before he found out the truth. She takes a moment for one last song, filled with as much sadness as her first song in the movie, if not more. Just as the Primarina is about to depart and disappear beneath the waves, her attention gets grabbed by a sound in the distance.
She's face to face with her fiancé, who has a gun pointed right at her. She has no time to react before the trigger is pulled, and her body falls lifeless down into the blood-splattered sand with the shot ringing hollowly in the air.
Drayton made a noise of surprise, having not expected that to happen. Remembering she also had a similar reaction the first time, Alysa presses a hand over her mouth to hold back her laughter.
After the fact, the man preps the Primarina's corpse for sale and ships it off. Days later, as he's conversing with a fellow fisherman, he tells them how his fiancée vanished and hasn't returned yet. He grows more and more worried about her by the day.
The movie ends with the man returning to his shack on the night of the next full moon, and seeing a ghostly image of the Primarina's human form standing at a distance away on the beach, with waves washing across her legs. When the phantom turns towards him, and he blinks, it's gone.
... ... ...
"Man." Drayton whistled when the ending credits started rolling. "Didn't think things were gonna get that dark."
"I was wondering if the twist would work on you," grinned Alysa, finishing up the rest of the popcorn.
"Heh. I was expecting the typical 'happily ever after' ending to be honest. Like most fairytales apparently have."
"The baby-fied ones, yeah. The best fairytales are the ones that're dark like this, and have tragic endings," Alysa nonchalantly replied before drinking more of her soda. When Drayton remained quiet, she turned to see him staring at her disbelievingly.
"For real? You dig stuff like that?"
"Well, it's not that I love them. Good endings where everything's perfectly ok and everything works out can be nice, if they feel earned. From what I've noticed, tragic endings are usually more engaging emotionally...and they feel more realistic too."
She did feel a bit nervous to admit such things, but Drayton now looked more intrigued than anything.
"When you put it like that, it makes sense. How can a good ending feel 'earned' to you?"
"It's hard to explain. The types where there's no way things can go back to the way they were, but the characters act as if they can, annoy me the most I think," she huffed.
"Especially if a character goes through a lot of terrible stuff, but it all gets brushed under a rug and forgotten. Sometimes when you get hurt, and you can't overcome the pain, there's nothing you can do but just live with it...ya know?"
She faced him. Golden eyes were narrowed in an introspective manner.
"I get it, but you're talking about all this with a sense of familiarity. You have personal experience?"
Alysa froze, blinking at him. Her dazed state went away just as quickly as it came.
"Kind of? In a way. But-" Her demeanor changed, looking away. "I've mainly seen it from movies."
Drayton's mouth twisted. He frankly didn't believe her, but he knew better than to be emotionally invasive. He wouldn't want it done to him, so he doesn't do it to others – not that he usually even cared enough about someone else's business to be nosy like that in the first place...
"How do you feel about it? The movie." Alysa spoke up after the pause, pink eyes keenly viewing him. Drayton managed a genuine smile.
"It was cool, and the twist did make it a lot more interesting. Music was nice too."
"I'm so glad you liked it! The music they used was good, but I remember the Kalosian version having a better soundtrack...or maybe I'm just biased?"
"Nothing wrong with that." He rubbed small circles against her waist. Her smile grew, and it spurred Drayton to lean in and plant a kiss to her forehead. Heat welled up in the spot.
"Thanks for suggesting it. I'm happy I got to check out something that makes you happy."
His response was a giggle from her, and it made him give her more kisses after. Since he received the movie well, she had drifting thoughts towards introducing him to more of her personal interests. On the topic of fairytales, there was a specific book that was a favorite of hers, but she wanted to see if she could somehow find it and show it to Drayton in person.
Alysa allowed herself to be pulled so close that the boy could press his lips firmly against her cheek.
"Do you like kissing me...mon chéri?" She chose to be bold and ask, while taking the opportunity to shine a small spotlight on what they had discussed earlier during lunch. Alysa was frankly surprised at herself, for how easy the term of endearment came out as she observed him.
Drayton paused, keeping his lips to her skin. They traced a smile into it.
"It's one of my favorite things to do." The low rumble of his voice made tingles blitz down her spine. He brought his other arm around her, nudging her to slide over and sit on his lap. One of her hands came to rest on his chest, where she could feel the subtle rhythmic thump of his heart against her palm.
"You're just so lovable."
"Me?" It took a moment for the word to set in, and it brought a veil of warmth with it.
"You think so?"
"I know so." Fingers weaved into the hair at the base of her skull, brushing and kneading her scalp. It was the most soothing thing she may have ever experienced, and it before she realized it, the girl had laid her head against his collarbone.
"You're precious. Whenever I'm around you, I just want to hold you like this. Kiss you til your face matches your eyes. I've daydreamed about it a lot..."
He held his lips against her temple. "...Whenever I'm with you, everything feels right."
Alysa wasn't sure if her chest could bear more of this, her heart could only take so much. Bliss quieted the usual franticness of her thoughts, lulling her into tranquility that rarely visited. Drayton playing with her hair and rubbing more circles on the small of her back was almost hypnotic.
"I can say the same about you." Her eyes closed. "No one's ever brought me comfort like you. You make me feel...wanted."
Feeling unwanted was nauseating and distressing, but if you felt it on a regular basis, you grow desensitized after a certain point. It becomes your new normal. You expect to be looked at like you were invisible. That you may as well not even be present at all. When you go through life with that expectation, it stops feeling as bad. It's even numb.
But when you first get a glimpse of someone actively wanting you and you specifically to be around them, it's world-changing.
"You and...the others." She adds on, recalling all of times that the other elites have welcomed her to spend time with them, to hang out in the clubroom.
"You are wanted," chuckled Drayton. "You just being you, it's so hard to not care. I can promise you that Crispin, Amarys, and Lacey all adore you. Not as much as I do, though."
She laughed, and for some reason, her vision was suddenly blurry.
"You're...you're so sweet to me."
"Nah, you take the cake there. It's why I call you 'sweetie' and 'sweetheart'. You might as well be made up of sugar~."
The liquid running down her cheeks solved the mystery: she was crying. But, she didn't feel sad at all right now. Not wanting to make a scene in their private space, Alysa quickly wiped away the tears.
"You've spoiled me so much though..."
"Because you deserve to be spoiled. That's all."
If he kept going at this rate, the waterworks would be fully unleashed.
"How can you be so sure?"
"...The Drayster just knows."
He knows something, alright. The depth behind that statement couldn't have been meaningless, but she wondered just what it was he had pieced together. Did it matter, though? She felt so cozy, so safe, that nothing did. Nothing except the boy holding her, caressing her, right now. The boy that she herself needed to start doing more for. She couldn't keep taking from Drayton, even if he didn't see it that way, without giving an equal amount in return. She being happy is what makes him happy, and the vice-versa also applied.
He deserved to be spoiled too, and she didn't care what anyone might have to say about it. But what more could she do for him that he couldn't already do for himself? This question carried substantial weight, but Drayton laying a hand on her face and guiding her to where he could kiss her forehead, brushed it away for the time being.
"We gotta have a date like this again soon," he mumbled. "Something bigger than just a movie date on school grounds though."
"What else could we do?" Her voice matched his in softness. "There's not much in the academy itself, is there?"
"Yeah. Which is why I'm thinking we head outside of the academy. Unova's a big place."
She pulled away slightly, to look at him in surprise. "Where would we go in it?"
"Castelia's a potential spot, since the school's ferries are routed to it. And there's a lot to do in the city." Drayton played with the ends of her hair.
"Don't worry about it right now. Your schedule coming up is packed, I know, so just keep it in mind for a future weekend."
Traveling to Castelia? With Drayton? There wasn't much persuasion needed, as it did genuinely excite her. The last time she stepped foot in Castelia to walk around, outside of the brief passage into it to get onto the school ferry earlier in the year, was years ago. It was for the sake of passing through, and she didn't have the best time doing so. The young trainer was quickly overwhelmed by the hundreds of people passing by, the loud sounds of traffic, and how skyscrapers as far as her eyes could see towered so high over her. Even Lumiose didn't feel as intimidating back home.
Her boyfriend accompanying her would make it a different story no doubt, with his presence and his greater knowledge of the place. Alysa laid her head back on Drayton, following his word to remember it for a later date. They cuddled in peace, and however long they remained that way was made apparent when a rolling wave of fatigue made her yawn.
"Sleepy?" the Dragon Tamer spoke up, sounding more tired than he tended to. Moving his head, he looked back at his nightstand.
"It is close to 10pm."
It didn't feel like it at all. Regardless, it was basically her bedtime, yet Alysa frowned at the thought of getting up. No, at removing herself from Drayton. Petulant, she clung to him, and grumbled into his chest.
"I don't wanna leave..."
"You don't have to." He cupped her chin to urge her to look at him.
"Do you want to spend the night in here, with me?"
Her eyes widened. "Is that allowed?"
"Technically, no. But the rule's almost never enforced, because no one wants to bother checking every night to see if all students are in their dorms. Only way to get caught is if you get seen leaving a dorm too early in the morning." He stroked her cheek, brows arching.
"So, the option's open, but only if you want to."
As long as they didn't have to worry about some random visitor during the night, she saw zero reason to decline.
"Yes, I want to." But, there was the matter of where exactly she'd sleep. The couch was an obvious choice, but Alysa wanted to test the waters. Based on that expectant gleam in his eyes...
"C-Can I sleep in your bed? With you?"
"Like I'd ever say no to that." Drayton brightened, smiling growing. She figured he'd be down for it, that he literally wanted her to join him. His bed looked miles more comfortable then the couch, and it would be just like cuddling with him some more...just while lying down.
"I'm not gonna touch you anywhere I shouldn't, ok? You have my word." Sincerity made the statement land and stick. Funnily enough, such a concern didn't even cross her mind until then.
"I know you won't," she expressed. Drayton was one of the people she felt the safest around by far, as he's done nothing to make her think twice. She knew that wasn't going to change now, not after how close they've become.
"And, I won't either." The girl added. His soft look turned even mushier somehow.
The teen gently ushered her off of his lap so he could stand, he taking one of her hands to help her up. Drayton turned the TV off, leaving the room only illuminated by the soft glow of the window panel. Together, they walked towards his awaiting bed, and her drowsiness grew denser. She yawned again as he pulled his plush bedcover back, and slid onto the mattress.
He rolled to the far side, stopping to face her. With a wink, he patted the empty space in front of him. Forever fond of his silliness, Alysa made sure to take her phone out of her shorts' pocket to place on his nightstand, and got into the bed next. As soon as her back touched the bedding and settled, Drayton pulling the bedcover over them both and her head sinking into one of the large pillows, she could barely keep her eyelids up. His bed mysteriously felt far more comfy than hers.
Drayton scooched closer until her head was tucked against his, sliding an arm underneath the pillow and resting his hand on her stomach. She took the liberty of using one of her hands to cup his. It was a very new experience, huddled up with someone like this. Her jitters were enough to cut away at some of her weariness, but the combination of Drayton's soft breathing, the fresh smell of his bedding, and the room's quiet did the job of hushing her nerves.
After a while, the room-temperature chill underneath the cover was overridden by their shared heat. She could tell Drayton's breathing slowed and evened out, signaling his fall into slumber. She moved her head centimeters just to see his face. His eyes were shut, handsome features lacking any amount of strain. He fell asleep next to her in no time at all...
Alysa relaxed, closing her own eyes and thinking only of his closeness The atmosphere would succeed before long, coaxing her to drift off into the best sleep she's had in months.