[ @esperandotte ]
Six years.
It’s a damn long time.
That’s a wait you’d end up demanding satisfaction from quite early on, even before you know how long it will end up being before it’s over.
Demanding satisfaction from Liz was never unfamiliar to him, and if she was still the same person he came to see as the only one worthy of being his rival, she’d more than meet his expectations.
His venture towards Professor Sycamore’s lab was driven by intent to make sure he’d meet hers, too-- Mega Evolution seemed like a fine way to ensure a new challenge for both of them.
What he didn’t expect, though, was catching a glimpse of something too far away to see...
Yet, he felt he knew what it was immediately.
Was he mistaken? Was it wishful thinking? Even as he asked himself this, though, he felt that familiar pull. His legs were already in motion-- he was probably bumping into people but he’s got a one-track mind and it wasn’t too busy there anyway-- his pulse quickened, something was being kindled in him that hasn’t burnt gloriously in quite a while.
Somewhere within his pocket, he sensed Meganium and Weavile could feel this too. He still feared he was imagining it, getting too hopeful, but like hell was that going to stop him, not when it could be just within reach...
Suddenly, he halted-- what he’d only caught a glimpse of before now stood clearly in sight, and all his doubts were crushed. She could get a different body, different hair, a different face-- he’d still recognize her anywhere, for the way his adrenaline peaked, for the way he couldn’t sit still until he demands she battle him and they fight until they can barely move.
... And just as suddenly, every thought he’d had and every feeling he’d felt during those six years of looking for her, however fleeting, all came rushing back at once, filling up his brain, pouring gasoline on a desperate fire that was already roaring in his soul. It had been so long he’d become unsure whether he hated her guts or hoped he could make her smile, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to do.
Anger is the solution he settled on. It’s the one he’s most familiar with.
His jaw clenched, and in case the bone beneath his skin wasn’t visible enough, his lip rose over gritted teeth. Knuckles turned white, muscles tensed-- but while his eyes burned, something flashed that may threaten to extinguish the flames. He buried that quickly, though, and reached for Meganium’s Pokeball.
“You!” he shouted, arm raised and ready to throw-- “Battle me! Right here, right now! I’m not taking no for an answer!”
Meganium burst from the ball, landing on the ground already poised to attack.
“If you don’t take this seriously, I’ll--” He fumbled for a moment, frozen in place with a finger pointed angrily at Liz.
“... I’ll, uh...”
He’s... he’s gotten rusty on his pre-battle threats.
He shut his eyes to give his head a quick shake before continuing, his tone getting even more aggressive when he did. “Rrgh, I’ll come over there and make you, how about that?! It’ll serve you right for making me wait so long to stomp you again!”
