Owen Grady

I don't control the Pokemon. It's a relationship. Based on mutual respect.

[rangerowen-blog]

Linger Longer || Owen & Aurora

[rangerowen-blog]

trainer-aurora:

“Really?” Aurora raised her eyebrows in surprise. “They’re amazing. I love all water-types, but Wailmer and Wailord are some of my favorites.” She was suddenly felt an odd sense of determination to show Owen the wonders of the ocean. “Maybe our next date could be at the beach. The water-types that stay close to shore are usually really friendly, and there’s nothing quite like swimming with them.” Unfortunately, Wailmer did tend to stick to deeper waters, and unless you were a skilled swimmer, going out that far was dangerous. There must be boats to rent on the island, right? 

“I mean, yeah of course I have,” Aurora said with a sheepish smile. “He’s my brother, you know? I talk to him about my day, about things that make me happy, and well… Being around you makes me happy.” She averted her gaze to the Torterra, trying to ignore the nervousness that prickled her skin. However, any embarrassment that she felt melted away when she heard ‘manly bonding time.’ She fought back a laugh by biting her lip. She could practically picture the face Orion would make at the phrase. “I’m not really sure what manly bonding entails, but I’m sure he would go.” Because she’d ask him to. It wasn’t very often that Aurora pulled the twin sister card, but getting Orion to be a good sport about getting to know Owen would be one of those times. “I guess I’ll have to introduce you sometime.” 

“I kept thinking we should go to the beach,” Owen said, recalling the first time he’d driven Aurora past the beach and their conversation in his RV. “Maybe it’s been calling to us all this time.” 

Listening to Aurora talk about her brother always interested Owen because she lit up. He hoped she did the same when she talked about him to others. But then she actually admitted to him making her happy and a surge of joy gushed through his system. Owen liked making people happy in general, but most of the time he just pushed people’s buttons and got on their nerves. What Aurora might have found endearing, many others found less so, Owen was well aware of this. So the fact that she was telling the truth and he could see it clearly, especially in the way she turned away from him to focus on the Torterra. Owen didn’t mind. He could watch her freely without her knowledge, although he was fairly certain she could see him in her peripheral. “I would love to meet your brother,” he said softly, still watching her. “If he’s related to you, how different could he be?”

[rangerowen-blog]

rangeralastor:

‘You’re a cheap bastard you know that,” Alastor laughed. “Get yourself a beer and me a whiskey and maybe I’ll let you have a slice.”

Owen simply rolled his eyes and instead of moving to do what he was told, he raised his hand up to signal down a waitress and ordered drinks for the two of them that way. “When I’m not out in the field, I’m lazy. That’s how it works.”

[rangerowen-blog]

Linger Longer || Owen & Aurora

[rangerowen-blog]

trainer-aurora:

Aurora savored the affection, glancing up at Owen with a gentle smile. She felt an excited flutter in her heart. She’d always been a physically affectionate person with a family of people who didn’t like being touched. “I wouldn’t mind riding another Wailmer… Especially if you’re there.” Aurora was sure that everything would be better with Owen’s company. 

At the mention of her brother, Aurora let out a nervous laugh. “I’ve talked about you…um–” She bit her lip, trying to find the right words. “…Not necessarily every detail? He knows bits and pieces… He doesn’t know about the Tauros adventure, and it’s probably better for his own sanity that he doesn’t.” She couldn’t imagine the heart attack Orion would have if he knew, and she was positive he’d have some choice words for Owen if he ever found out. “But I’m sure he’ll like you.” She thought through some of the people she’d introduced to Orion in the past and internally winced. “…It might not seem like he does, but he will, I promise.” 

“Imagine that,” Owen said with a gentle smirk. “Not many people can say their ideal date is riding on a Wailmer. It’s a good goal, for sure. I’ve never even seen a Wailmer up close.” Now that he’d been granted the opportunity to kiss Aurora, and generally be in her proximity, being more than two feet away from her felt too far. Like a string had been tied between them and tugging too hard on it physically hurt. It was an exciting but incredibly taxing feeling, and Owen loved every second of it.

His eyebrows raised at her revelation and his mouth formed a distinct “O” in surprise. “So you’ve talked about me to him, huh?” he teased. He wished he had someone to talk to about Aurora. He had Alastor, but Alastor didn’t want to talk about anything. Including whatever mysterious guy he’d been seeing. He had Blue and Claire, though. “He’ll like me,” Owen said, confidence dripping off his words. “Everyone likes me. I could take him out somewhere. Show him something cool. Manly bonding time.”

[rangerowen-blog]

rangeralastor:

“You underestimate me if you think I can’t eat this by myself. Get your own,” Alastor smirked as he picked up another piece of pizza.

“But that costs money,” Owen whined, taking a seat before proper invitation. He flipped the chair around so that he could rest his arms on the back. “It’s easier to just steal yours.”

[rangerowen-blog]

delinquentemori:

“Apparently,” Emori replied with a grin. “I met him once. He seemed cool, but everyone says he’s a total hardass. Do you work under him?”

Owen snorted. There was so much he wanted to say. That Alastor only wished Owen worked under him. That Owen wasn’t a bottom. But he was a good bro. Sometimes. “Nah, we’re more colleagues. I receive missions from Safari Master Carter or whenever Smith decides he doesn’t wanna do shit and I have to, instead. You met Smith, yet?”

[rangerowen-blog]

delinquentemori:

“Hell yeah,” Emori said with a grin. “As if there was any doubt.” She laughed lightly. “Seriously though thanks for taking me out because talking about that was pretty much the whole interview part.”

“For real, huh? It’s changed a lot. I had to take a written test. Must be the Pokebies thing. Got the island changing in ways I never knew. Congrats, though! You workin’ with Moody?”

[rangerowen-blog]

Linger Longer || Owen & Aurora

[rangerowen-blog]

trainer-aurora:

Aurora smiled and ducked her head shyly. “I think the Wailmer did all of the hard work. I mostly just tried not to fall off.” She wasn’t used to being complimented on this. Her family had been furious when it happened. So furious that they’d removed her freedom and made Orion accompany her whenever she left the house. She started volunteering at the Space Center so she didn’t hinder his life more than she already had. Owen’s reaction was certainly different, but it wasn’t unwelcome. “I wish I could tell you that I’ve done other really awesome things, but that’s about as high as the bar gets for me,” she joked with a laugh. “Unless you wanna hear about the spoiled Pokemon that I deal with at work or embarrassing childhood memories of my brother, my stories go downhill from here.” 

Owen just laughed and tugged her close, placing a chaste kiss to her forehead. “I still think it’s wonderful,” he said more to the top of her head than anything, so he took a step back, allowing him to look her in the eyes. “Because if you haven’t noticed, I prefer a little bit of Pokemon excitement in my life. If it’s a scenario you ever care to repeat, I wouldn’t mind at all, repeating it with you.”

He let out a soft chuckle as he turned back to the Torterra before them. “You know, I wouldn’t mind hearing daycare or brother stories. I’ve actually yet to meet that brother of yours. You don’t think he’d hate me would, ya?” He glanced over at her, a bit concerned. “Does he even know the kinds of trouble I’ve gotten you in to?”

[rangerowen-blog]

icyfloweraurelia:

Aurelia was riding Glory in one of the fields enjoying herself. She had to smile and laugh at the speed and happiness of the feeling of riding the ponyta. It’d originally been just for exercise for Glory but now it was fun for both pokemon and trainer. She laughed and held tight to the fire horse heading for a stream she knew of. She saw shadows of what she thought were people there and instructed Glory stop the mood broken as she sat straight the smile being forced from her face as she  looked over the people. She’d been caught she didn’t like it.

There wasn’t a rule against trainers roaming the island with their Pokemon. It was encouraged, after all, so when Owen heard the lone galloping of hooves, he could only assume it was a single Pokemon and not a herd. Horse-like Pokemon tended to travel together. Blue and Claire stopped their water-fight in the stream as they all looked up to see a glorious Ponyta being ridden by an equally glorious trainer. Owen stood up from where he was crouched by the stream and stretched. “That’s a beautiful Pokemon you have there, ma’am. Mindful of the water, now, y’hear?”

[rangerowen-blog]

delinquentemori:

“That’s right,” Emori said with a proud grin. “You’re looking at Ranger Emori now.” She apparently reported to a guy named Alastor Moody, who she remembered kindly replaced her sandwich after it was stolen from his ninetails, so he couldn’t be the worst boss ever.

“What? Yeah? You got in? Alright!”

[rangerowen-blog]

Linger Longer || Owen & Aurora

[rangerowen-blog]

trainer-aurora:

Aurora was surprised when she was suddenly spun around and facing an excited Owen. She couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. “Yep. But I only did once, it’s not like I’m secretly a Wailmer expert,” she replied. It was the very incident that had been the final straw or her parents, the one that made them decide if Aurora was going somewhere, Orion was to accompany her. “There’s a lot of shallow water and caves around the main island, and usually you’re not supposed to go beyond them because there’s a lot of Sharpedo and Tentacrual in the deeper waters but, uh…” She smiled sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders. “One day I did. I swam out really far and got swept up in a strong current. Thankfully I wasn’t alone, I had a Lanturn that I was friends with who was swimming with me, but the currents were too strong for me to make it back to the main island. That’s when I met the Wailmer and it’s the one who got me back home.” 

Owen listened to Aurora’s whale tale with rapt attention. If there was one thing Owen couldn’t handle well, it was the ocean. He liked the beach and he didn’t mind being on a large ship, but the idea of swimming far from the coastline and knowing he was a small blip in an expansive sea with monstrous possibly undiscovered Pokemon lurking beneath him gave him the heebie jeebies... and Owen prided himself in being brave, well-adjusted, and unafraid of anything. “That’s amazing,” he said, completely in awe. “And you’re playing it off like it’s nothing, but you rode a Wailmer. I’d have drawn the line at the Sharpedo and Tentacruel to be honest. It’s one thing to have the backing of a bike or an RV or my own two feet on dry land, but water?” He shook his head. “Water Pokemon out-swim me a thousand to one.” 

[rangerowen-blog]

Linger Longer || Owen & Aurora

[rangerowen-blog]

trainer-aurora:

Aurora didn’t consider herself to be a reckless or brave person — despite what her parents would say — and this was a prime example of that. She was sure that if her family were here, they’d be adamantly against the idea. However, Aurora didn’t make a habit of doing things that would put herself at risk if she wasn’t sure that she’d be able to handle whatever consequences may arise. She ran her palm over the smooth skin of the Torterra’s head. It truly was a gentle giant. Despite the power it clearly wielded, she couldn’t sense a hostile bone in its body. Besides, even if it didn’t enjoy having a passenger on its back, Owen was here to help. “Alright,” she said with an excited smile. “I’ve ridden a Wailmer, now let’s see if I can ride a Torterra.” 

“Woah woah. Woah.” Owen held out his hands in awe. He reached out to spin Aurora toward him, his hands resting gently on her shoulders, his face a mask of disbelief. “You’ve ridden a Wailmer? I need more details. I’ve never even ridden a Wailmer.” Riding a Wailmer was suddenly on his bucket list. He never spent too much time out on the beach or in the water. His domain was mostly terrestrial. He couldn’t get the image of Aurora standing on top of a Wailer’s back, riding it almost like a surf board. It was funny in a way, but also awe-inspiring. Like she’d somehow conquered a world Owen could only barely touch.

[rangerowen-blog]

Linger Longer || Owen & Aurora

[akselhaddock]

“Oh–” Aurora turned to look at Owen and then up to the top of the Torterra. She was sure it must be amazing to be up there. Nature was always beautiful, but nature on the back of a Pokemon seemed like an unforgettable experience. “I’m sure it’s incredible but…I’m much heaver than a Fletchling, Taillow, or Starly,” she replied. Torterra seemed very sturdy, but there was a big difference between housing the nests of a few flying-types and having a fully grown adult sitting on your back. Although, Owen probably wouldn’t suggest something that would be dangerous for either her or the Torterra. “Do you think he’d let me? He liked me enough to let me feed him, but climbing onto his back might be a different story.” 

[rangerowen-blog]

“Not sure,” Owen shrugged. He moved around to the side of the Torterra, held his hand out and gently reached forward to pat the patches of grass and the roots of the tree on its back. The tree must have been a great way for Torterra to store water and nutrients. He wonderied if hurting the tree on the Torterra would hurt the Pokemon itself, but he also didn’t want to try and find out. “I’m sure he wouldn’t notice, but I’m sure the worst that can happen is he shakes you off. And I if that happens, I promise I’ll catch ya.” He gave her a cocky grin, not knowing if that was even helpful or not.

[rangerowen-blog]

Linger Longer || Owen & Aurora

[akselhaddock]

Aurora really wasn’t that worried about the Torterra biting her. They seemed much more mellow than their pre-evolutions. However, she didn’t protest when Owen stepped forward first. He was a Ranger, after all. And besides, it was kind of sweet he was worried about her. She watched Owen feed the colossal Torterra with a smile. It was just like watching him interact with the Tauros, and the Luxray and Shinx. Aurora was a firm believer that you could see a person’s true character best when they communicated with Pokemon. Each time she witnessed Owen doing just that, it only further solidified her own desire to know him more. 

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the ground shaking beneath her feet. It was startling at first, but her shock soon formed into laughter. Orion always asked her why Pokemon liked her so much, and she always told him that it was because she had food. That was still the case. “I guess someone’s still hungry,” she said with a grin. She held out the remaining berries and felt the Torterra’s large tongue lift them from her palm. With the Torterra so close, she took the opportunity to gaze in wonder at the small forest it had on its back. She turned her attention to Owen with a bright smile. “Thank you for bringing me up here.” She let her gaze linger on him for a moment longer before she looked back to the Torterra. “And thank you for letting me feed you. I’m very glad you liked the berries.” 

[rangerowen-blog]

Amazed at Aurora’s unflinching ability to be perfectly calm and serene with every Pokemon she encountered, Owen simply watched her interact with the Torterra until her gaze finally met his own. He didn’t stop the tiny grin that formed on his lips as he watched her smile brighten up her face. “I’m glad I brought you here, too,” he said finally, continuing to watch her as her attention moved back to the Torterra. He reached a casual hand out to rest on the Torterra’s head and brushed it out, relishing in the smooth feel of the Pokemon’s green skin. “And I think I’m right in assuming this here Torterra feels the same.”

“You know,” he said, looking out over the back of the large Pokemon. “I always wanted to know what it was like on the back of one of these guys. Pokemon can live their whole lives up there. Bet it’d be like a gentle sway. String up a hammock between the tree and the spikes and call it a day. I could probably lift you up there if you wanted.”

[rangerowen-blog]

Linger Longer || Owen & Aurora

[akselhaddock]

“Yeah, I don’t think I would be as tolerant of the biting if they were stronger,” she replied. There could sometimes be a slight pinch if her skin caught on the point of the Turtwig’s jaw but, other than that, it didn’t hurt. Aurora looked up at Owen and laughed, bumping her shoulder playfully with his. “Well thank you, but I think you might be a bit biased there.” Even so, she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. She was certain the muscles in her cheeks were going to be sore tomorrow from how much being around Owen made her smile. “Hopefully the Torterra like the berries just as much,” she said, eagerly stepping closer to the larger Pokemon. “And hopefully they don’t show affection by biting. I think it’d actually hurt if they did it.” However, she couldn’t see the Torterra doing such a thing. They seemed far too serene and gentle. 

[rangerowen-blog]

“I haven’t been bit by a Torterra, yet,” Owen said with a chuckle, “Although, I’ve also never been bitten by a Turtwig. I’d imagine a Torterra has enough jaw strength to snap bone, but I could be wrong. Haven’t done a lot of research on these guys, but they do know Bite and Crunch, so I imagine there’s some power to ‘em.” After saying so, he decided he’d feel much better if he went first instead of Aurora. If anything went wrong, he wasn’t sure how he’d handle it if Aurora had her hand broken. He removed a few berries from the baggie and crouched down low as he scooted his way toward the mouth of the Torterra. The Pokemon’s head was the size of his torso and Owen held his arm out as far as it could reach, palm flat and upward. Once the Torterra sniffed the berries, it opened its mouth to reveal a large pink tongue. Using the tongue, it scooped up the berries and pulled them into its maw. Delighted that the Pokemon didn’t actually use its chompers to take the food, Owen motioned for Aurora to follow but suddenly the Torterra grew impatient as it smelled the berries on Aurora. It turned slowly and stepped toward her, its feet causing the ground to shake with every step.

[rangeralastor-blog]

“How about you don’t blow off a mission. That’s all we need is some Pokemon terrorizing tourists and being declared a man eater.” It could happen. “But, I’ll see ya Friday — I gotta get this girl home and deliver some med supplies to the clinic.”

[rangerowen-blog]

“Shoot man, alright, I’ll see you then. Bring your drinkin’ game!”

[rangerowen-blog]

Linger Longer || Owen & Aurora

[akselhaddock]

Aurora took some berries from the bag with a grateful smile. One of the Turtwigs seemed to take an interest in her — and the food in her hand — and bounced up excitedly. She smiled and knelt down to greet the grass-type. She had worked with Turtwigs at the Daycare, so she wasn’t surprised when it happily ate one of the berries and then, as a thank you, gnawed lightly on her hand. “Well you’re very welcome,” she said with a laugh. She scratched lightly behind the twig on the Pokemon’s head and it wriggled happily from the attention. “The Turtwig at the Daycare always chew on my arm when I give them treats,” she explained, glancing up at Owen. “I once had one who was especially determined to show me how happy he was I fed him. I walked around with him hanging off of my wrist for fifteen minutes.” With one last affectionate nibble, the wild Turtwig removed her hand from its jaw and bounded off to join its friends. “I guess wild Turtwig are just as interested in gnawing on my arm.” 

[rangerowen-blog]

Owen watched in awe as Aurora fed the Turtwigs literally vibrating on the ground. She looked so serene as the Pokemon swarmed her that Owen had to take a backseat stance for a while. Indeed, the Turtwigs were so happy to be around Aurora they were ignoring Owen for the time being. “Chew on your arm, eh? It’s a good thing their little chompers aren’t all that strong, yet.” And yet, when the Turtwig released her, he couldn’t help but try to examine her arm for any damage. She showed no sign of pain and really, it probably felt no different than someone grabbing and holding onto her arm, but Owen’s sense of pain could be very different from someone else’s. “You know, it’s because you taste as sweet as these berries,” he quipped, unable to stop himself from flirting. “I can attest to that.”

[rangeralastor-blog]

“I don’t think that’s how it works,” Alastor laughed. “But – we’ll see. I have next Friday off if you’re free then.”

[rangerowen-blog]

“I’m free whenever, baby!” Owen said, raising his arms out wide. “I’ll blow off some mission for you. What’s the worst that can happen, right?” A lot, really. “You and me, then, man. Friday night. Let’s do it.”