At last, all of her classes were over. She had been thinking about the planned outing she had with Drayton all day. Or however much of an outing it could be, considering the Terarium was still a part of school grounds. It was easy to ignore that detail though, since it emulated environments existing around the world above so well that she still sometimes forgot that the park was miles underneath an ocean.
On her way to her dorm, Alysa shot a message to Drayton.
[ Gonna head out to the Coastal Biome in 15 ]
... ... ...
The Drayster: [ Sounds good, I'll meet u there ]
Her heart was beating much more quickly than usual this time, she noticed. She blames what went down earlier in the week. Alysa still couldn't believe she was ganged up on in the clubroom like that.
The Drayster: [ Btw, where did u wanna set up the table? ]
Right, she had to actually pick a spot in the biome huh? The beach directly bordering the border with the Savanna Biome was the first thing she thought of. It'd be good enough, if they settled in the further off section where not too many students loitered. She wanted them both and their pokemon to have plenty of space, where the chances of them getting disturbed was low.
[ How about the largest beach? ]
... ... ...
The Drayster: [ That works ]
Unlocking her door, Alysa immediately put her bag aside and opened her closet to grab her picnic set. Even if her nerves were on full force, she didn't want to think about anything else but their outing. There weren't any more classes for the day, her homework could wait, and there was little need for studying. Nothing should get in the way.
While she rummaged through her cabinets for other miscellaneous items they could need, Alysa pondered what kind of food Drayton would show up with. He's a big eater and a lover of snacks, so maybe he'll bring quite the spread.
There were only a handful of students on the beach, and they were all far off in the rest area. Perfect.
Her Salamence watched with interest as Alysa got to work, opening her very heavy picnic bag and pulling the foldable wooden table out. She made sure to first lay out a thick rubber pad that the table and chairs would sit on, to help prevent their legs from sinking down onto the sand. After a few minutes spent on straightening out her Fairy Pokemon themed tablecloth, dishes, and cutlery, something above blotted out the light around her.
A Dragonite descended from the air and landed on the sand, stirring up a short-lived gust. The dragon's goofy smile drew out a softer one from her, as did the boy who slid down off of the pokemon's back.
"Hi." Drayton met her gaze, and the affection painted all over his face rivaled the warm temperatures cloaking her. He stretched before stepping forward, and patted the container his pokemon was holding in her arms. It was a giant white cooler.
"Brought the food, just like I said. Didn't skimp out on anything either."
"What exactly did you pack, then?" Amused, she stepped aside to allow Dragonite room to waddle-walk over to the table, where she placed the cooler down by. Drayton unlocked the clasps and pulled it open.
She went star-eyed. The cooler was stuffed with various foodstuff surrounded by ice: sandwich ingredients, different types of drinks, and many ice cream treats. It looked like a miniature store almost!
"Wow...! You really didn't skimp on anything..."
"Only the best for you."
Her breath got caught in her throat. Drayton showed no physical reaction to her wide-eyed expression at all, choosing to survey the beach. Dragonite and Sally already started to play with one another, splashing about in the rolling tides.
"Did you want to eat something now, or wait til' later?"
"...L-Later, later is good..." Alysa covered her face, trying to reel in her composure. When Drayton says things like that, how was she supposed to take it? Carmine's words from before echoed in her head, but she still struggled to find any truth in them. She did choose to peek at him in this moment, and to her horror, Alysa did notice how clean Drayton appeared.
His clothes looked wrinkle free. His hair had a strong luster and was neatly combed. The wind blew in from his direction, carrying a soft, woodsy fragrance to her nose. It surely wasn't coming from anything else around, outside of...Drayton. She's smelled this odor before, mainly from his jacket. Before she thought it wasn't anything special, but now, Alysa dared to believe that it was cologne.
Drayton didn't seem like the type to wear that. But what if...he really was trying to physically be his best when in her company?
The sound of pokeballs opening stopped her rapidly moving train of thought to a screeching halt, but she welcomed that. Drayton sent the rest of his team out to enjoy the peace, and Alysa did the same with her own.
"Let's take a load off, then." He went to sit down at the table, and Alysa followed his lead, not wanting her internal confusion to ruin the nice atmosphere. Seeing their pokemon co-existing with one another in the same space did wonders in helping her to calm down.
Kingdra naturally joined Dragonite and Sally in enjoying the clear water, jovially retaliating with her own splash upon being greeted by the Salamence with one. Thea and Sceptile chose a more calm way to soak in their surroundings, lying down on the sand to bathe in the projected light. Then, there were the unexpectedly adorable pairs.
Lulu had taken a strong liking to Archaludon's shininess, and was happily hopping around his body. The steel-clad dragon looked exasperated, but was evidently unwilling to dissuade the much smaller pokemon from having her fun, as he permitted her antics. Tari observed close by, amused. Flygon and Mims were building what was probably a sandcastle, if they shaping a wet mound of sand hinted at such.
There was an odd one out of the bunch. Rei looked very nervous, primary head darting around to-and-fro. Alysa suddenly remembered how he got in these kinds of situations. When Haxorus stepped up towards him, the Hydreigon reacted how he usually did when scared.
He flew over towards Alysa, and hid himself behind her, all three heads hunching down to cower. It was a pretty comical sight, as his body was much larger than hers, so there wasn't much actual hiding he could do. Alysa shook her head, holding back a laugh and petting the dragon's head.
"Hey...it's ok..."
Drayton watched, an eyebrow quirked. "Gotta say, I've never seen a Hydreigon act like this. What's up with him?"
"He's always been...skittish, around other Dragon Pokemon. In battles it's different, but outside of them, he gets shaken a bit."
"Huh." Interest further piqued, Drayton sat up straighter. "Why's that? He have a bad encounter with one?"
"I think so? I first found him as a Deino on the mainland, years ago." Alysa kept up her affectionate treatment, soothing Rei enough to where he stopped cowering at least. "He was very malnourished and covered with injuries..."
"From competition, I bet. Wild dragons sure play around at all. Poor guy was probably traumatized..."
Drayton reached a cautious hand out to Rei, who sniffed it for just a second, before pressing his snout into the boy's palm. His discontentment was steadily fading.
"It's alright though. That's nothing to be ashamed of." He smiled. Rei perked up, and nestled closer to Drayton.
"So, what'd you do with him then, 'Lys? You take him to a Pokemon Center?"
Realizing he wanted her to continue her recollection, she gladly did so. "Sure did. Nurse Joy treated his wounds, and I took responsibility for getting him back to where he could survive on his own."
She giggled at the memory. "He got super attached to me though. Liked to tackle my legs. It was cute, but I definitely don't miss the bruises."
Drayton chuckled. "How'd he act with your other pokemon at the time?"
"For Dragon-types, I only had Tari and Sally back then. I didn't know other dragons made him nervous until he shied away from them. I guess he could just tell that they were dragons, maybe because of their vibe?"
"They do give off a specific energy." Drayton concurred. Rei was enjoying the teen petting him, as his eyes were closed. Alysa's smile grew stronger, as did the light feeling that filled up her chest.
"He came around to them eventually. I grew to love him a lot, so I caught him. He's been with me ever since. Very timid, but very sweet too."
"Heh. You know...it makes me happy, to know you treated his species so kindly." Drayton's warm gaze came to her, and she started to fidgeted with strands of her hair.
"Tons of people don't, because of how they look and act."
"I could never mistreat any pokemon, for any reason. Especially because of things they can't control." She sighed, averting her eyes.
"Same goes for people. I just...want to spread goodness in the world, you know?"
Alysa looked back at him, to see his expression had changed. His eyelids had slid downwards, and his smile was more...dopey. He resembled the template appearance of someone who was in love, that she had seen in commercials and infographics. The only thing he was missing was the cartoonish hearts floating around him.
But this was real life. And Drayton was looking at her in that matter.
"W-What?" She was beginning to sweat again. Drayton didn't answer her right away, causing her nervousness to spike.
"Nothing." His soft laughter ironically made it worse. How was he always so calm? She felt like she freaks out over anything and everything, but Drayton takes it all in stride. She was panicking over whether he liked her romantically or not, but he...he didn't care to not make her suspect such a thing.
Was he actively trying to get her to connect the dots? Was he just messing with her? Did he not know how he was coming off across a lot of the time?
Keeping her company in the cafeteria, inviting her to hang out with him, buying her snacks unsolicited, saying "Only the best for you" as his reason for stocking the cooler full...
She was getting a headache.
Drayton's Haxorus approaching the table caught everyone's attention. Rei's eyes widened, but he at least didn't fly away. Not that he probably would've, Alysa knew she was his safe place.
"You wanna say hi?" Drayton waved his pokemon closer. Haxorus snorted, tilting her head at the Hydreigon. Alysa gently pushed at Rei's back.
"Go on. Haxorus is very nice. All of Drayton's team is."
Rei was won over by his trainer's coaxing, as he lifted himself over the table and next to the Axe Jaw Pokemon. From by Archludon's feet, Lulu called energetically over to the pair. The two of them went over, and Alysa breathed a sigh of relief.
"He's giving them a chance. I'm glad."
"Heheh, yeah."
The two teenagers sat in a brief stretch of silence, watching their pokemon on the beach. Drayton shifted his arms, and slipped his jacket off, lying it on the table in front of him.
"Something wrong?" Alysa asked, and mentally bashed the order to not gawk at his shoulders and arms like last time against the walls of her head.
"Nah. Just getting a little hot. I'm not a warm weather kind of guy."
He laughed. Alysa squinted, and noticed some beads of sweat sticking to his forehead. Others were rolling down his face, before being brushed away by a hand. She hummed, reaching down to grab a large travel bag she had packed before leaving her dorm earlier.
"Here, I have a fan you can use." She offered the Swanna-themed hand fan to him. He accepted it with no hesitation, immediately using it to try and cool himself down.
"Thanks. You're such a sweetheart."
"Eh?! N-No...it's nothing."
His grin made her want to pass out. There, he did it again. Saying such loving things. He was going to drive her insane.
"Why'd you suggest the Coastal Biome, if you don't like the heat?"
"I knew you'd be better off in it, versus trembling back in my biome."
"You...You were thinking of me?"
"Heheh! To be honest, when am I not?"
One of Alysa's hand went to press against her mouth, as she desperately hid her face behind her hair. She was going to die, at this rate. Drayton HAD to be aware of what he was saying. There couldn't be any way he wasn't.
"But, anyway..." His change of topic spurred her to look back up. "I'm curious about the rest of your team. When and where did you meet them?"
Recounting the origins of she meeting her team mates was the perfect distraction. Prefacing by reminding Drayton of how her family often traveled to different regions a lot because of her parents' profession, Alysa detailed how she encountered her pokemon across five regions in total.
As she already talked about, she met Rei in Unova. In Kalos during a time before her family really started moving a lot, she had met Tari and Lulu – the former when he was a Swablu and the latter when she was a Cleffa. She had befriended Tari as a child out while exploring a route not too far from her hometown, but Lulu was more of a special case. She had stumbled across the fairy wandering about a rocky area, coming off like she was lost. The Cleffa line wasn't native to Kalos, but at the time Alysa didn't question it, since she befriended her very quickly.
She didn't mention this to Drayton, but she personally believes the pokedex entries for Cleffa regarding how it allegedly comes from space might be a clue...
Sally was a Bagon she met in Hoenn, that she had seen careen herself off of a cliff. She rushed to catch her, which triggered a confused reaction from the dragon, and then a hostile one. Her hair ended up singed, but Alysa didn't regret potentially saving the Bagon's life! Even if their species instinctively had the desire to fly, and Sally would for sure send herself off of more cliffs to achieve that goal.
What won the dragon over was how Alysa wanted to help her learn how to fly, but more safely than that. Every day, she visited the same route to locate her, and lift her up so she could flap her arms.
"I knew how she would only get to fly when or if-ever she evolved into Salamence, but I didn't want her to give up on her dream...or die trying to fulfill it." Alysa explained, laughing to herself. Drayton was listening to her every word, resting his head on his propped up arm while he used his free hand to fan himself.
After about two months, her parents announced that they were going to be moving soon. So, Alysa went to the route to say her goodbyes to Sally...but luckily the Bagon wanted to go with her. She promised her that Sally's dream would come true one day, and she would work hard with her to make it happen. It clearly did.
Mims' story was fairly simple. In Alola, Alysa chose to explore the abandoned store on Ula'ula, just to see if the talk about a "fake Pikachu" species was true. She found Mims alone in an aisle, trying to draw in a tattered book with broken pens. Satisfied that she found a "fake Pikachu", Alysa let him be, but not before taking out some crayons from her handbag to give to him. Next thing she knew, later that night Mims crawled out from under her bed, toting her crayons and the book.
He had mysteriously followed her to the hotel her family was staying in, which did concern her, but her unease was dashed when he just wanted her to color with him. They became friends pretty much instantly.
Lastly, her Galarian Rapidash: Thea. Galar is the last region her family moved to, and what Alysa thinks her parents and brother are still in. Thea was a Ponyta when they met, in the depths of Glimwood Tangle. Alysa admits it wasn't wise to explore such a place without another person to go with her, but she was determined to reach Ballonlea, just to see it. She's thankful she took the risk of getting lost for who knows how long, because she found Thea lying injured by a tree.
One of her legs had a bad gash on it, but despite the pokemon's attempts to heal it with her own power, it wasn't working well. She managed to approach Thea and treat the wound with a Hyper Potion. She felt better and was happily prancing in circles around Alysa in no time.
Thea chose to accompany her on the journey to Ballonlea, and didn't want to leave her side afterwards. She went with her back to Stow-on-Side, and the next day, back to Hammerlocke where her family was staying in a hotel. They spent a good amount of time in the Wild Area, with Thea allowing Alysa to ride on her back. Needless to say, they became inseparable.
Finally done with her tales about 30 minutes later, Alysa took a breather.
~x~
Drayton was tickled by everything he heard, seeing that none of her pokemon followed the normal criteria of being caught by a trainer: namely subdued after a battle. Some were more unconventional than others, but in general, her meetings with each of her team members were unique – built upon a genuine bond.
"That's...heartwarming. All of it is." He spoke in an introspective manner. Alysa giggled – a sound that was music to his ears – and moved some of her hair out of her face after a gust of wind lessened.
"You think so? I feel like people would think it's all cheesy, or maybe think I'm lying."
"They have no sense of imagination then. There's always other ways to earn a pokemon's friendship, and you've proved it a bunch of times."
Drayton looked towards his pokemon, taking a break from fanning himself. His own stories with them paled in comparison to hers, but he knew she wouldn't see it like that.
"I met and caught most of my pokemon here in the Terarium. Archaludon, I got back in Opelucid when he was a Duraludon. One of my aunts was visiting from Galar and gave him to me as a gift. Raising him is what got my grandpa to bestow my cape onto me, actually."
"That's lovely."
His attention gravitated back to her, like it always did. Her look of awe and joy was so infectious, Drayton could feel his spirits lifting even higher. Another break of silence passed, but it didn't last long.
"Um...if you don't mind me asking..." She trailed off. He always wanted her to feel comfortable enough to speak her mind, no matter what, so his urging was instantaneous.
"Shoot. What do ya wanna know?"
"...You used to be the club's champion, right? How long ago was that?"
Her tone was wary and hesitant, but he could tell it wasn't for her own sake. She didn't want to offend him. Fortunately, this topic wasn't one that bothered him much.
"Last summer break. So, it hasn't been that long." He leaned back in his chair. "Why do you ask?"
"Eh...sorry, it's just...I'm trying to visualize what the League Club was like, before Kieran was champion. It was more lively, I know..."
"It looked real different, for sure. Not to toot my own horn, but when I was champion, I tried to not things get too serious. Being worried about losing can take all the fun out of battling, ya know? So I wanted my clubmates to just focus on having fun. Kieran was included in that."
She looked more curious. "How long has Kieran been a member?"
"A few years. He joined a year after I did, with Carmine. I remember when she introduced herself and him to me and a few other members. Heh, he was shaking like a leaf behind her."
Drayton shook his head, feeling that nostalgia coming on. Carmine hasn't changed in the slightest, but Kieran was a completely different person then. It's weird even, to think about what he's like now.
"Y'know, it's kinda funny...your personality was like his. Originally." The fact crept out of the woodworks. Drayton could feel his smile stretching out, getting broader at Alysa's curious look.
"How so?"
"He was real shy, and skittish. Socially awkward, you could say. Sweet as could be though, once he got past the nerves."
"...Oh." Drayton was being honest, but he also intended on the compliment there, which she probably understood based on how she averted her eyes. "Actually, I remember Lacey saying something like that once. About Kieran. It's weird to think about."
"I don't blame you for feeling that way. Something happened on this Kitakami trip he went on, but he's refused to speak a word on it. Him and Carmine."
"Kitakami trip?"
"Long story short, Blueberry's this sister school to an old academy in Paldea. Uva is it's name I think. Both schools held a joint field trip to Kitakami. Kieran and Carmine both went, since that's their home country."
"Oooh." She appeared intrigued, and it was a rather cute look on her if he had to be honest.
"I see. So you've asked Carmine about it...?"
"Heh! I gave it an honest attempt. She accused me of wanting to use the info to harass Kieran, but that was far from the truth. Didn't try to convince her otherwise though, Carmine usually never believes anything I say." He shrugged. Though he liked feigning ignorance to get on her nerves, he wasn't blind to the girl's obvious disdain. It was amusing most of the time, but others, it was frankly a hinderance.
"She did mention something about a girl named Juliana though. Said she's from Uva, and she met her on the trip. Carmine talked about her like they were besties. Pretty good battler, apparently. Blitzed through the gyms in Paldea like they were nothing."
"That's cool. I wonder if Kieran befriended her too..."
Neither of them had the answer to that, and while Drayton did have his suspicions, he'd keep them at bay for now. Jumping to conclusions wouldn't do anything beneficial.
"Who knows. Regardless, it's frustrating to know that something went wrong, but there isn't really anything you can do about it." One of his fingers tapped against the table.
"Maybe I...or all of us, could actually help Kieran. But as things stand, I think the only way to try and snap him out of this madness for power is to take the championship title from him. Before he beat me he still wasn't like his old self, but ever since he got it, it's just made him worse."
"Have...you tried, to take the title back?"
"Mhm. A couple of times, since being Rank 2 in the club makes it easy. I've lost every battle against him though." He sighed. "I don't know what happened, but I guess I lost my touch. Kieran is just the best now, even if he's been driving our club into the ground."
"Hmm..." Alysa fidgeted with her fingers, and Drayton tried to think of a way to soothe her nerves. She was often so easily agitated.
"Has Kieran tried to demote you? Since you've lost to him repeatedly?"
"He tried, but unfortunately for him, I still win against my fellow elites. So, Rank 2 is just where I live now, I guess."
He laughed. Alysa still seemed on edge, so the teen slid over on the wooden seat to sit right by her side. Drayton placed a gentle arm around her shoulders. She peeked up at him with wide eyes.
"What's on your mind? You're tense."
"You can tell?" She blinked. His head tilted downwards, smiling lightheartedly.
"You make it obvious. I'm not the only one who noticed either."
Behind her, Tari was flying up, landing gracefully on the table. He nudged Alysa's cheek with his beak, cooing quietly. Alysa brought the Altaria closer in a half-hug, and Drayton could sense a lot of the strain in her vanish.
"Sorry, I'm a big ball of anxiety. Always have been. Tari's like my emotional support pokemon, in a way."
"I'm glad you have support." He rubbed her shoulder, and to his delight, Alysa leaned in closer to him. Was she aware of her action?
"To answer your question, I'm...thinking about maybe...challenging Kieran. Eventually."
"That so?"
Not a lot of things surprised him or caught him off guard much, but that did. Alysa noticed his change of tone, her resulting laughter soft and airy.
"I don't know if I'll strive for it, but it's been on and off my mind. I know I'll have to climb further up the ladder first, which I'm not looking forward to..."
"You nailed the tournament we just had. If you win the next one, you'll jump up to the near top then and there. Especially if our Rank 6 member participates, and you beat him. He's just below Crispin on the ladder."
"What's his name?"
"Zeph. He's a nice guy, but last time I heard, he had a bad argument or something with Kieran. So, of course he hasn't really been doing club stuff."
"Makes sense..." Her head tilted. "I have to reach the Rank 6 spot to get to challenge you and the others, right? And if I win against you all, I get to challenge Kieran..."
"That's right, as dictated by our glorious rule system." He laid the sarcasm on 'glorious' heavy, and as he intended, it made her giggle. She kind of wanting to climb and potentially face off against Kieran though, what an event that would be.
It was honestly exciting.
"Frankly, 'Lys, I'd love a chance to battle you. That'd be so fun." He snickered, and the sound was partly muffled by the fluffy locks of her hair he may or may not have been pressing his cheek against. She didn't seem to notice, or care.
"I think so too. Though, the idea of facing off against you is...really terrifying too."
"Heeeey, why's that? You scared of me?"
"Nooo." She drew the word out to mimic him, with a pout.
Drayton had to resist the 'not-so-random but still random' urge to kiss her.
"Not scared like that. I just know how good you are, and I don't want to look dumb."
"You of all people can never look dumb in front of the Drayster. Nor should you ever worry about that. I want to you to feel nice n' relaxed around little ol' me."
"That's...that's tough to do. I mean...you're you...and I'm me."
"What does that mean?" Drayton's smirk oozed amusement. "You phrased that like I'm up on a higher pedestal than you."
She didn't respond, but he knew he was onto something. He huffed in an exaggerated fashion, watching their teams of pokemon out in front of the table.
"Well, I'm not. I'm popular in the academy because of my League Club position, sure, but that doesn't mean anything. I'm just a person, like you."
"I...I know that. It isn't because of your status. Not really." She wiggled her fingers around in Tari's fluff.
"I think it's...uh...just the thought of battling you specifically. Standing across the court from you and all."
Air blew out from his nose in a snort of amusement. "I think I get it. You want to impress me, don't you?"
"Uh...!" She tensed up. Bingo.
"It's funny you're worried about that, when you've impressed me a lot of times already. I know you'll do it more, if or when we face off." He hummed, a thought occurring to him just then. He isn't sure what she'll say in response to it, and while he was a little apprehensive, what could be the harm?
"Speaking of which, have I impressed you much? Aside from that one time you called me cool, after I battled Crispin."
"...Yes, actually. A lot." Her shoulders relaxed. She looked away from her Altaria to peek upwards at him.
"I don't know how to put it into words but...I appreciate who you are. As a person. I'm really happy you suggested we hang out more."
It was a foreign feeling, the sensation of his heart starting to beat quicker. Along with the heat growing in his skin. Outside of when Alysa did call him cool, Drayton couldn't remember the last time it happened. He didn't care enough about most things these days for he to get rattled, or embarrassed. But Alysa was still proving that she did have a rather special effect on him.
He knew why by this point, yet it still felt surreal anyway. Not to mention how he had zero clue on how to approach this particular matter. As much as she's made it clear she likes him as a friend, he couldn't determine what lied beyond. But The Drayster was the stubborn sort. He would try to pick apart what he could from her, form a believable picture not filled with holes. Then, he could go forward with some kind of plan.
He's been feeling closer to Alysa, but there was still space that could be crossed – the gap closed even more. She liking him for him though...that hit. It hit deep. Only because he could tell she was being completely sincere. Was the girl even capable of lying?
"You flatter me." A quieter reply from him to acknowledge her words, but the silence between them afterwards was anything but awkward. He was honestly content to sit here with her for the next few hours, watching their teams have fun and relax in the peace, but...the boy's gut gave a rumbling reminder of just what this outing was.
"In the mood to eat yet? I'm ready to build a sandwich or two. Maybe three."
"Your stomach has to be bottomless..."
Drayton inched away, giving him a better view of her disbelieving yet tickled expression. Her freckled face was also a deep rosy hue, which he found to be so appealing. He could stare at her like she was a prettiest photograph, but he could hear the cooler calling his name!
"I'll start pulling some ingredients out, kay?"
She nodded. "I'll get some plates ready."
Tari trilled, waving his wings. Drayton gave one of his white cheeks a rub. "I see someone else wants to chow down too."
He got up to open the insulated container, sorting through what exactly he wanted. Laying out packs of lettuce, cheese, and various meats next to a hearty bag of bread, Alysa set out plates with cutlery. Hearing the clatter and seeing the foodstuffs attracted their other pokemon to come towards the table.
"Looks like we got a lot of hungry mouths to feed."
"No problem. We have all the time we need." Alysa's smile was whole and pure. It made his entire day feel so right.
"Hey, um, Drayton?"
Her face took on a different feel, but it was equally as warm. He matched it.
"Thank you for being here. I'm glad we got to do this."
"Me too."
