Hiiiii, I have a request for the newly arrived Indigo Disk-
A really happy ending for Kiki where after the whole DLC, he then starts to make amends with the BB Elite 4, his sister and protag which eventually gains him Ogerpon's recognition, prompting her to wanna go with him as an extra treat after all his angst (quq)
Yessss we gotta give him the happy end he deserves <3
.........
Setting up a small picnic within the Terarium, you brought your current Pokémon team out to play, deciding to take in the beautiful coastal biome and its warmth.
Even though you knew it was all artificial, it didn't make much of a difference to your companions. They happily frolicked in the sand and grass, although some opted to take a nap under the sun after a hard day of battling.
Meanwhile, you were fixing up a sandwich for everyone to share, deciding to add a little bit of spice to it (at Crispin's suggestion, of course). You didn't want it to be too flaming-hot for your Pokémon--or at least none that were fire types who could handle the heat.
However one in particular just seemed to be hungry for anything, as upon hearing a crystalline trill, you looked down to see Terapagos at your feet. It was gently pawing on your leg, eyes sparkling as it wondered what you were cooking up.
"Hey, little guy." You cooed, reaching down to pat its head before you scooped it up, allowing it to climb into your lap. "Smells tasty, huh? I bet you're super hungry after sleeping all those years."
It only responded with another happy trill, and you just sighed.
Who would've known this would be the legendary "Hidden Treasure" of Area Zero Heath and [Turo/Sada] sought after, the creator of the Terastal Phenomenon...
And the Pokémon that put up one hell of a fight against you, Carmine, and Kieran?
Speaking of whom...
It's been roughly a month since those events down in the Underdepths, and for the most part things have been looking up for both you and him. You were just happy to see that spark return to his eyes...
The spark he had once lost...mainly because of you.
Part of you would always remain guilty over unknowingly setting him down such a dark path--obsessing over defeating you in battle to the point where he didn't care who got hurt in the process.
He didn't wanna be that weak little kid you kept beating back in Kitakami anymore, always bragging about how much he's changed and demanding you to never hold back.
But after being humbled in front of the entire school, he was willing to do anything to have at least one victory against you.
Even if it meant utilizing a dangerous legendary Pokémon he had little understanding of....
He tried to control it, and as punishment it attacked him directly.
Arceus only knows what could've happened if your 'raidon didn't absorb the blast in time, and that selfless act made him feel all the more guilty for the way he acted towards you.
He idolized you, hated you, and yet.....you saved his life when you could have just saved yourself, his sister, and Briar instead.
He cried like a baby the whole way home, overwhelmed by everything that's happened from last year up to now, yet you comforted him and didn't tease him once.
After returning to Unova, he made a promise to fix things between you and everyone else he hurt, finally letting go of his envy and deciding to start fresh with you. His request to be your friend again had you laughing, much to his confusion..and a little worried you were making fun of him.
Then he almost sobbed after you explained that you've never considered him an enemy at all.
Despite everything, you never stopped seeing him as a friend.
Sometime later you went home to Paldea, although not without exchanging rotomphone information with him so you could have more chats.
Yep. Kieran finally got his own phone, but being from the countryside made him only somewhat familiar with the basics. You and Carmine helped him with that, of course. He loved the camera function and would often send you photos of his Hydrapple doing something cute.
They're mostly blurry, but he's getting the hang of it.
You eventually went back to the BB Academy to further your studies of the biomes, and winded up taking a small picnic break within the Terarium. No rules said you couldn't, and Drayton did insist that you didn't overwork yourself...
Which is funny coming from the guy who had to repeat classes, although you took his advice.
"Roto-to-to-to~"
Your eyes lit up as you received an incoming call from Kieran, and you greeted him with a smile, waving. "Kiki! How's it going?"
"Hey, [y/n]." He smiled back, and then he blinked upon realizing how familiar the background behind you was. "Wait..you're back in Unova? In the Terarium?"
"Uh..yeah! I was gonna surprise you, but I guess it's too late for that now." You awkwardly chuckled. "How are things going with the League?"
"Better than..I thought, actually." He sat back in his chair, tying his hair up. "Drayton and I are finally on speaking terms again."
"Oh that's great!"
"Mhm. We both felt kinda bad about how we treated each other with the whole "ex-champion" thing...said some stuff we didn't mean. Last week we were avoiding each other, and now we're having casual Pokémon battles to ease the tension between us."
"I'm glad to hear that." You nodded, taking a bite out of your sandwich.
"I..really do owe you one for bringing the club back together. I've been so bitter and didn't realize how much it was hurting Lacey and the others...not to mention how many people I wrongfully kicked out. I promise I'm gonna get all of them back into the club. I swear."
"I fully believe you. Just don't run yourself dry trying to patch up everything with everyone, okay?"
Kieran nodded in understanding, although he suddenly went quiet. You wondered why until you realized he could see Terapagos, who was currently climbing onto the table trying to get some lettuce.
"Heyyyy that's not for you, you little scamp." Teasingly, you scooped it up again, keeping a gentle grip on its belly and shell before you looked back at your friend, bashful. "Don't mind Terapagos. It's always hungry."
"I see." He chuckled. "You've been taking care of it well?"
"Yep, but have you been taking care of yourself, too?"
"...yeah." He muttered. "Carmine's been getting on my case about properly eating and sleeping again. Don't tell her this, but I appreciate it more than she realizes. And..I'll admit I was turning into a jerk like she used to be, and that's not something I want..."
"Well sounds like you're doing much better now..don't beat yourself up over it." You reassured him.
His shoulders relaxed. "I'm..trying not to....so [y/n], do you think we could meet up in person? Like at your dorm? I...feel like we haven't talked face-to-face in a while."
"Sure! I got nothing planned later so....see you in a few hours?"
"Sounds good." He smiled. "See ya."
The call ended as your rotomphone dropped back onto the table. You picked it up and stared at the case, feeling giddy about seeing him again after so long.
And to think when you first arrived here..you felt nothing but tension whenever he was in the same room as you, feeling the negative vibes rolling off of him like an aura of Bitter Malice.
You were glad those days were gone and he was your friend again.
"Pon?"
"Huh? Ogerpon..? You were here the whole time??" Surprised, you glanced over to see the grass legendary sitting on the ground beside you, being sure to stay clear of the camera view. She lowered her mask and looked at you with a knowing smile.
Considering the way Kieran freaked out when you brought her into the championship battle (not to mention him doing everything in his power to knock her out)...you would've thought she'd never wanna see or hear from him again--especially since her "betrayal" was still a fresh wound.
Yet apparently she was listening to your entire conversation with him, and had this understanding look to her starry eyes.
"Pon, ponnn?"
"Huh?" You blinked. "You wanna..see him, too? Are you sure?"
She hopped to her feet, nodding eagerly before pointing in the direction of the academy.
"Okay. Maybe..it'll be a good thing." A smile appeared on your face, although in the back of your mind you hoped that seeing her again won't scare Kieran too much.
...........
"Okay, so the Golurk congregate here....and they're usually guarding the Goletts.."
Back in your dorm room, you were just jotting down notes about recent Pokémon outbreak sightings. Ogerpon was sitting on your countertop, swinging her legs while munching on a bowl of her favorite berries you've found for her throughout Kitakami.
Right as she finished the last one, there was a knock at the door, and you both immediately knew who it was. She was a little nervous, but you reassured her that things will be okay before you went to answer it.
Sure enough Kieran was on the other side. He's never been to your dorm until now, and as he walked in was surprised and intrigued by all the stuff you had hung up on the wall.
"Excuse the mess." You chuckled, closing the door.
"Don't worry, my dorm's worse." He shyly smiled back at you, although his expression faltered as his gaze went to a certain legendary..
He immediately tensed up, not out of anger.....but like he was expecting her to use Ivy Cudgel at any given moment. "What's the Ogre doing here--wait, no..that sounded rude. I'm sorry."
"No, no. It's fine. There's actually something we've been meaning to talk to you about."
"..oh?" Turning back to you, he tilted his head.
"So Ogerpon overheard our little chat earlier, and she wanted to see you."
"She did?"
"Yeah," you nodded, feeling your heart start to race with anticipation. "And..um...maybe it's easier if she explains."
Kieran was confused as you gestured to Ogerpon, but his eyes went wide when she approached him. With no mask on, she wore a confident expression as she handed him...
A pokeball?
No..
It was the pokeball you caught her in.
"What is this? Some new trick you taught her?" Looking to you for an explanation, all he could see was your smile. "Why isn't she...afraid of me?"
"Because she knew you were trying to make amends with everybody." You patted her head, beaming. "I think she finally recognizes you as a strong Pokémon trainer, and...she wants to be yours."
".....huh?"
"She wants to be yours." You repeated, watching as he tried to process this information. And his jaw damn near dropped to the floor, but he closed his mouth and shook his head.
"Y-You're joking, right?"
"Nope. We both decided that she's ready for a new partner. Someone who's believed in her side of the story since-"
"No, no, no..I..I-I can't do that.." He shook his head frantically, backing away from Ogerpon. "I'm sorry. But she's yours, [y/n]. She chose to go with you. You passed her test and...I didn't. I was being stupid and selfish and-"
"I think I was being more selfish."
Looking up at you, he blinked a few times.
"Listen, I know everyone likes to say such great things about me...but I'm not some perfect angel." You frowned slightly. "I lied to you, I stole the Pokémon you've idolized for years...and I hurt someone who considered me a friend. You called me out on that and you had every right to."
"........"
"If anybody here needs to apologize..it's me." Bowing your head, you sighed softly. "So I'm truly sorry for the way I treated you, Kieran. I'm sorry for never considering your feelings before. I wasn't a good friend, and I wanna be a better one. So I'm gonna make this right...both of us will."
You looked back up at him, seeing the shock written all over his face. Then you glanced at Ogerpon, taking the pokeball and instructing her to get her masks off the wall. She nodded and did just that.
"You deserve to know what her power is like. The masks, the TMs I taught her...you can have them all. No trades. No strings attached..except for us staying friends, of course."
Finally, Kieran found his ability to speak again, but he was already getting choked up. "[Y/n], the apology is...th-that's more than enough for me." His eyes watered. "I forgive you. There's no way I can take her from-"
"You're not taking her away. I'm giving her to you, silly." You chuckled.
"....I..I still don't know if I can accept that. I'm not worthy of her even looking my way anymore. I was disrespectful to her wishes, I stole her mask..a-and you're saying...she forgives me?"
"I think she's gonna let bygones be bygones. Isn't that right, 'pon?"
"Ponio! Pon!" With her masks together, Ogerpon gazed at you, nodding confidently. You could only smile back as you patted her head again, seeing that she was ready for a new adventure.
You've trained her well, helping her grow stronger than ever before as you've mastered her abilities with all four masks.
But now it's time that someone else had the chance to bond with her...
Someone like Kieran.
After sending her into the pokeball for the last time, you gazed at the purple-haired boy. His whole body refused to move, so you approached him and took his gloved hand, placing the device snuggly into his palm.
For the longest time, he stared at it, and then he looked back at you. "A-Are you sure I can't just...keep her for a day and then give her back?" He began to sniffle, face growing bright red. "Because if...wh-what if she doesn't-?"
"I want you to have her permanently." Knowing what was coming, you brought him into a tight hug, feeling him wrap his arms around you and rest his head on your shoulder. "Don't worry. She's gonna love you, Kiki." You rubbed his back. "She trusts you now. She's all yours."
All he could do was nod, your shirt getting soaked by his tears as he hiccupped, thanking you over and over again. He wasn't bawling loudly like before, but he still had a tough time keeping himself together; so you led him to your bed where he was more comfortable.
You're 99% certain this poor guy's never received a hug in his life, given how he refused to let you go. So you allowed him to hold onto you for as long as he needed or wanted.
At last you got out all of the things you've been meaning to say to him...and even Ogerpon got to apologize in her own special way by wanting to be his partner Pokémon.
You thought this would have been too much for Kieran to handle, but you could see he's grown a lot and that he was ready to accept this huge responsibility.
Terapagos will remain with you, and Ogerpon will be his forever.
After everything that's happened, it's what he deserves.
Had an angsty thought, what if while Kieran was visiting unconscious reader in the hospital, he fall asleep and had a nightmare in which the reader didn't survive. Thankfully he is woken up by the reader messing with his hair.
Oof yeah </3 I imagine he did
Anyways this is just an excuse to turn those headcanons into an actual fic so enjoy-
..............
The light reflecting off of Terapagos' gleaming stellar form was almost blinding. A jewel resembling its smaller form rested atop its head, while it hovered slightly above a platform that resembled a dome--with a ring icons displaying every type revolved around it.
Kieran could only stand there, shocked and awestruck at the true might of this "hidden treasure" he helped unveil.
It was beautiful.
Brilliant.
Powerful.
Too powerful, in fact, as it suddenly experienced an immense energy overload, its cries becoming loud crystalline trills as energy exploded from its body. The sheer force was enough to cause the ceiling to start crumbling, and the ground beneath everyone's feet to shake violently.
In its rage, the Legendary send out a huge beam of light, careening towards the closest thing it deemed a threat to its safety in that moment:
Kieran.
Time seemed to slow down as he froze, unable to move or send out a Pokémon in time to intercept the blast. He never expected this to happen..he didn't know terastalizing it would do this.
All he could do was stare in horror at the light as it-
"MOVE!!!"
Out of nowhere, he was roughly shoved out of its path, tumbling to the ground with a pained grunt. He was bewildered, and looked to see who could have possibly done that for him...
It was you.
You took the full brunt of the blast, consumed instantly by a blinding light that forced him, Carmine, and Briar to shield their eyes.
When they were finally able to look again, what they discovered left them all absolutely horrified:
Your whole body was terastalized, chunks of crystals covering your legs and keeping you rooted into the ground. You couldn't move, speak, or access any pokeballs.
The only thing you could do was look at Kieran, who remained on the ground with ragged, labored breaths. His eyes were wide with shock, the weight of his actions now sinking in.
This was all his fault.
He did this to you.
He never wanted this.
He only wanted to be like you...
"[Y/n]...no.." He attempted to crawl over to you, desperate to do something...anything to fix this. Any anger he previously felt for you had evaporated.
He could still save you.
But then Carmine ran over and grabbed ahold of his arms, dragging him away from you. "We have to move back!! Terapagos isn't done yet!!" She shouted.
"NO!! NO!! LET GO OF ME!! I HAVE TO HELP THEM!!!" He kicked and screamed, tears rolling down his face as he was forced to watch you get attacked by Terapagos yet again.
This time, it was the energy of a Zen Headbutt that succeeded in striking you...
And shattering you completely.
Only then did he go silent for a few moments, before his voice broke.
"N-No...please no....[y/n]!!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"N-No...please no..."
Back in reality, Kieran wasn't anywhere near the underdepths of Area Zero. He was in fact at the hospital back in Unova, where you were being monitored during your comatose state.
While visiting you, he ended up falling asleep at your bedside, and was currently having nothing more than a horrible nightmare of what could have happened down there..
You did push him out of the way of Terapagos' attack.
You did absorb the energy.
But it didn't put you in a terastalized tomb, nor did you get shattered by any Zen Headbutt.
By sheer luck (that somehow is always on your side no matter the situation), you survived and fought off Terapagos long enough to finally get its powers under control, capturing it.
All while lifting Kieran's spirits and pleading for his help, with your noble act being the ultimate proof that you forgave him even after everything he did. That pushed him to come to his senses, and he decided to stand with you, instead of against you.
However, none of that came without a price...as the moment you successfully caught Terapagos, you collapsed and haven't woken up since.
It's already been about a week since that adventure, and the doctors were left puzzled by the extremely high levels of tera energy stored in your body while monitoring your condition. They didn't know what to make of it, but they did deem you a hazard to Pokémon, as some of theirs began terastalizing on their own just from being in the same room as you.
As a result, only humans were allowed to visit you without pokeballs attached to their person.
Kieran visited you every day.
Even now, he still didn't understand why you did that for him.
Why did you save his life...when all he did was talk about how much he hated and envied you? He even used his only master ball on Terapagos the moment it looked at you, and only because he couldn't bear going through that same pain he felt with Ogerpon again.
The pain of not being chosen.
Then again..he never gave either Legendary much of a choice, either.
Why was he like this?
Why did he let himself get this bad?
Why did he hurt the one person who never expressed any hatred or resentment for him?
He didn't know...but he fears that now he'll never get the chance to say sorry. He's said it a few times, yet isn't sure if you're able to hear him.
You probably thought he still hated you.
If you didn't pull through and died believing that...he wouldn't know what to do with himself.
That thought alone made him lose even more sleep.
Yet somehow, despite all of his anxiety, exhaustion found Kieran rather quickly today. His arms came to rest of the bed while he nestled his head into them, closing his eyes as he let the monotonous beeping of the monitors lull him to sleep. He even decided to let his hair back down since he felt a migraine coming on.
While sleeping did stave off the headache...it didn't keep him from having that nightmare and mumbling incoherently.
It felt so real. Like you and him never left the underdepths.
Like you actually di-
"Ki..?"
Feeling a hand gently tousling his hair, Kieran's eyes snapped open and he sat up with a start, gasping loudly. His bangs swept in front of his face, but he shakily pushed them back as he slowly realized he was back in reality.
Then he saw your eyes gazing directly at him, and he began to think...
There's no way you would've woken up this soon.
No.
He was still dreaming.
His mind was just preying on his worst fear (your death, indirectly caused by him) and his greatest wish (you waking up), blending the two together.
Even so, he wasn't sure and pinched his hand. "Wake up..wake up....oww.." He winced, only to blink as another hand overlapped his.
"Hey...stop that." You spoke again, causing him to stare down at you and finally see your tiny, exhausted smile. He was totally shocked.
Holy shit. You were actually awake and talking to him????
He didn't know what to do, but soon enough one of the doctors swung by--alongside several assistants who quickly ushered him out of the room so they could properly check on your health and tera energy readings.
Miraculously, they've dropped down to zero, meaning Pokémon could safely be around you.
It was all just a matter of waiting it out, and it worked.
Kieran was utterly speechless as he waited out in the chair for about an hour or so, but when your doctor came out to assure him you'll make a full recovery...he beelined back to your room.
Despite still being hooked up to the IVs, you looked a lot better, sitting up and gazing at him with a smile upon seeing him enter.
He teared up as you beckoned for him to come back over to your bedside, and he sat down in the chair again, sniffling. "Hey..how are you feeling?"
"Better than I thought, actually..like I took a long nap." You chuckled softly. "They're gonna keep me here for a few more days."
"I-I'm just glad you're awake..and that you woke me up, too." He nodded. "Just had this..really dumb nightmare, and....I-I....."
Suddenly it was hitting him all at once, and his smile dropped. He bowed his head to hide the streams that were now slipping down both cheeks. His jacket had slid entirely off his shoulders, crumpled into a heap in his lap, but he took his arms out and just hiccupped softly, wiping at his tears.
"Kieran?" You frowned slightly, shifting closer to put a hand on his knee. "Was it..about what happened down there?"
"........."
"I imagine it was bad.."
"I-It was worse. I thought...y-you were gone." He buried his face into his hands, unable to keep himself from breaking down. It was too much. "I'm just.....I-I'm so, so sorry, [y/n]. This was all my fault! This wouldn't have happened if....i-if I wasn't so stupid and-!"
"Shh, it's okay." You gently pulled him into your arms, and he began sobbing into your shirt, clinging to you tightly. "You're not stupid. It's not your fault that Terapagos got out of hand...you didn't tell it to shoot beams at me."
"B-But..But if I hadn't terastalized it--" He was barely able to speak, let alone breathe. "--you wouldn't...b-buh...be here! How is this not my fault?!"
"Kieran, you couldn't have known what it was gonna do. None of us knew. Plus...Ms. Briar told you to do that. So I blame her a hundred percent."
"...wh-why?"
"Hm?"
"Why won't you blame me? Y-You should hate me after all I did....after all the things I said to you. I...I put you here.."
For a moment you were quiet, and you sighed softly. "Tell me something..does it look like I still hate you?" You gently pushed him back a little, allowing him to sit up and look at you.
His face was a mess of snot and tears, bangs sticking to his skin, yet he did his best to study your expression through blurred vision. But all he could manage was a shrug, lips trembling as he tried to keep them closed, afraid he'll start bawling if he spoke again.
Arceus, he felt so pathetic right now.
He swore he was done being that crybaby kid from Kitakami. He should be comforting you instead.
But he couldn't help it.
"I don't hate you. And I never did." Pulling him back into a hug, you felt him return it this time. You just rubbed his back soothingly and rested your chin on his bare shoulder. "But I know you had your reasons for hating me. And...I wanna say I'm sorry, too. For lying, for betraying your trust..for making you think you're weak. I never should have undermined you."
"I-I forgive you, [y/n]. Just...don't ever do something like that again. I don't wanna lose you---uwaaahaaaa!!!"
"I promise, that's the last time." Tears brimmed your eyes as you held him close, glad that he was finally able to reconcile and make things right.
Both of you wish that it didn't take a near-death experience at the bottom of Area Zero and a week-long coma to make that happen...
But you don't regret what you did.
You'd endure another Tera Blast if it meant keeping him safe.
Ooo can I please request a drayton x reader, where the reader is really adventurous and reckless and is always putting themselves in harms way to have fun, despite his laid back personality, he absolutely worries about the reader, especially if they've been gone a long time, like bro just asks where they've been and why they disappeared for a couple days, and the reader was like oh, I was exploring with miraidon or practicing the new fly feature and training my team, bro was about to send out a search party for them lol. The rest of the BB league find it cute and amusing and poke fun of drayton, even though they were low key worried themselves. Oooft, sorry if this was a handful
Paldea, Kitakami, and the Terarium are all like huge playgrounds for you and your Pokémon...and oftentimes very dangerous ones at that.
As much as Drayton enjoys hearing about your adventures, he does show frequent concern about whether you're being careful or not while exploring.
But you're known for being quite the reckless trainer who loves taking risks and messing around all for the sake of "fun". And he gets it. He likes that carefree vibe you have.
It just worries him whenever you're gone for days at a time and nobody's heard from or seen you.
When you finally stop by the club room, Drayton asks where you've been and you'll say some shit like "oh I was bluetooth-ing my brain to my big pseudo-dragon legendary and beating up the local Dodrio population but I might've used the machine too long bc I got a killer migraine afterwards.......oh, and I flew up to that teraglobe thingy and found a cool bottle cap!"
"Sweet, that's worth a good----wait, how tf did you survive the trip up there???" He does the quickest double-take, shocked when you mentioned your 'raidon's new flying ability.
"Wanna take it for a spin?"
"...nah, I'll pass. I get motion sickness."
Lord help him if you're a shiny hunter.
You shared a story about the time you rushed headfirst into a Golurk outbreak zone on the steep slopes of the polar biome and damn near got hypothermia....
All because there was a slim chance that a different-colored one could be there and you wanted to catch it.
Man, and he thought Kieran was the crazy one...
Once, you got lost in the chargestone cave looking for a metal alloy for your Duraludon, and Drayton damn near sent out a search team (consisting of himself and all his dragons) to find you.
He's like "dude..if you wanted one you should've just asked".
"....but that's not as fun as risking life and limb to find it in the wild and wrestling with the nearby tera porygon for it :(("
As for the rest of the BB League, they're no strangers to your bizarre stories.
In fact they find it endearing how much Drayton worries about you or brings up your name during lunch.
Lacey and Amarys are the ones who usually tell him to chill, believing you're responsible enough and your Pokémon are strong enough to protect you....while Crispin's always like "I hope they don't forget to eat :O"
Then there's Kieran, who just looks at him like "hold on [y/n] did WHAT now????" and honestly getting a little jealous you didn't tell him those stories.
The one thing they can all agree on, though, is that he 100% has a crush on you...
hi hi hello im back with my ‘raidon beef bs!! can i get kieran and mc having some sort of argumentative confrontation when mc first comes to blueberry that almost gets physical before the mc’s alpha koraidon very angrily gets kieran to back off? -🧃
"[Y/n]..."
Looking to Kieran, your eyebrows furrowed at the hateful gaze he was sending you, teeth gnashed together.
You could tell he wanted to desperately say something to you--for having the nerve to show up at his school after what you did to him back in his homeland.
He was shocked that you came to BB Academy at all, before he saw this as his chance to show you how much he's changed and how strong he became. He even permitted you to challenge the Elite Four directly, growing impatient as he was ready finally crush you in-battle.
You, on the other hand, were a bit irritated at this new "persona" of his.
As far as you're concerned, he didn't need to do all of this. He didn't need to be petty and cruel to innocent league club members who don't live up to his standards. He didn't need to dismiss his sister so rudely and act like she once did.
Of course, you feel bad about what happened in Kitakami. Maybe you could've told him about Ogerpon much sooner and let him have a few wins...but this was too much.
Now he was being a straight-up bully. And you utterly despise those types of people.
"You better not go losing to anyone until our battle." Kieran huffed.
"Pssh, like I'd ever lose.." You lightly scoffed, deciding to match his energy.
Although when you looked back at him, you could see a forced grin forming on his face, spreading from ear-to-ear.
It could easily rival a Gengar's.
"Good. I'm not a little kid anymore. And you'll know it when I show you how the best of the best battle." He vowed, turning on his heel and preparing to walk away.
"Kiki!" Carmine gasped in outrage. "You shouldn't talk to [y/n] like that."
You were about to tell her not to intervene, as you didn't wanna see the siblings' relationship fall into further disarray because of this, but what Kieran said next broke the straw on the Numel's back for you.
"Shut it, sis-"
"Look, you can be mad at me all you want. But don't you dare take it out on everybody else."
His scowl deepened as he stared dead straight at you. "What did you say?"
"You heard me. "You stepped closer to him in challenge, fed up with his attitude. "And you're right. You're not a little kid anymore....you're a spoiled little brat who's mad that he didn't get what he wanted. When are you really gonna grow up and stop this charade, huh?"
For a moment he looked genuinely shocked that you're talking to him this way, but then his eyes darkened. "Don't. This isn't some charade. You made me like this-"
"Oh don't give me that. I didn't tell you to act like a bully. You did that to yourself. I was only trying to enjoy a nice trip away from Paldea until you decided to put me up on a pedestal." The words kept spilling out, and you didn't care that he was fuming more and more by the second. "Then you accuse me of ruining your life??"
"Stop it.."
"I get it, you wanna be like me. You wanna do what I can. But at least I don't go around throwing tantrums every time I lose-"
"SHUT UP!! JUST SHUT UP!!" Kieran suddenly turned around, hands grabbing the front of your uniform as he yanked you in close. His eyes were full of rage. "I'm through with being like you...I'm gonna be BETTER THAN YOU IN EVERY WAY!!! AND MAYBE YOU'LL KNOW HOW I FELT!!"
Although his screams initially startled you, and began attracting a small crowd, you tried your best not to show any fear.
But even so, this new side to him was terrifying to witness.
Maybe you pushed his buttons a little too much.
"Get your hands off me, Kieran." You warned firmly, gently grasping his wrists. "This isn't the time or place."
"In case it wasn't obvious, the battle court's right behind us. So it's the perfect place." He snarled. "And since you're so damn confident, maybe we'll just skip the Elite Four and get to the part where I kick--!!"
Before he could finish, one of the pokeballs attached to your belt popped open on its own, and from it emerged...
Koraidon.
Not the one who was your traveling companion who loved sandwiches, but the other member of its species: the alpha, the paradise protection protocol's defender--and now a very pissed off lizard who was able to jump out of its pokeball without your assistance.
Carmine, Drayton, and the other students gasped as it assumed its Apex build and scowled down at the boy, growling.
Suddenly Kieran didn't feel so high and mighty anymore, as he let you go and took a step away. An uncomfortable feeling of smallness and helplessness overtook him upon staring up at the Winged King's hostile gaze, a hand reaching for his Dragonite's pokeball on reflex.
You were stunned this Koraidon came to your defense quicker than the other. It must've somehow sensed the bullying behavior radiating from your rival.
'I guess it takes one to know one..'
The standoff continued for a few more moments...
Before Kieran surrendered.
"Fine. You made your point. The time for our real battle will come." His gaze went to Koraidon, his expression now cold and devoid of emotion. "Don't think you can always jump out to defend [y/n] like this. You'll see who's stronger."
It only snarled in response, while you remained beside it and frowned. "Kieran-"
"Looking forward to seeing you climb the ranks." Was all he said to you before he finally left you alone, the tension in the air still heavy as ever.
"Giiaa.."
"Thanks, buddy." You sighed, smiling a little as you stroked Koraidon's feathers. It relaxed its haunches, putting all four feet back on the ground so you could pet its snout. "Seems you've turned over a new leaf after all."
Hi there! So i hope you dont mind me requesting the BB league elite four members + Kieran with a disabled reader who used to be a former BB league elite four member themself (Romantic for Drayton and platonic for the others)
So basically, the reader used to be the fifth ranked member of BB league elite four but after Kieran became the BB league champion, they lost their rank to Crispin and now is the sixth ranked member. Though, they dont have any hard feelings and still see the elite four members as their friends
the reader had an accident when they were younger and now uses a wheelchair to move around. They have a gardevoir who they raised since she was a ralts and now helps her trainer with stuff (so maybe there’s something the reader needs but it’s on the top shelf, Gardevoir will then just use psychic and bring it down for them or maybe the reader wanted to try walking with a cane, if the reader fall, Gardevoir will catch them with psychic) and a Hisuian Braviary to help them get to places in the terrarium (if some hisuian pokemon still exist in this generation, who’s to say that Hisuian Braviary still exist as well)
With permission from the director, Gardevoir was allowed out of her ball to help the reader which then leads to a misconception where people think the reader is a psychic type trainer due to Gardevoir and Hisuian Braviary, when in fact they’re not. They are actually a ghost type trainer but they never bother to clear the misconception bc its funny to see people’s faces when people see their ghost type team.
Hope you have a lovely day/night btw!
- 🪷 anon
Oooh in regards to Hisuian Pokemon, I have a hc that they are extremely rare and got isekai'd to the present via space-time distortion bubbles (like opposite of how Porygon and Johtonian Sneasel were transported to Hisui)
Anyways these hcs sorta took off on their own haha, so they're under the cut!
.....
Drayton
Despite being wheelchair-bound for most of your life, that never stopped you from joining the BB Elite Four and becoming the fifth ranked member practically overnight.
Around that time, you and Drayton were dating, and during his champion days, he always tried to make time for you and put his duties on the backburner.
He knows you value your independence and will only help you out with stuff if asked.
But usually it's your two psychic types that assist you. They don't battle much, but rather work as your medical support Pokémon.
Gardevoir, a sweet lass you've raised since she was a Ralts, uses Psychic to retrieve things for you that are just a little out of your reach in the store.
One good days, you could walk around with a cane...but if they turn bad (ie your chronic pain acts up) she'll use Heal Pulse as a temporary remedy.
She also pushes your chair around in case your arms get tired, taking you around to accessible spots.
Director Cyrano gave you permission to let her stay outside her pokeball 24/7 so she can properly work.
You also have a Hisuian Braviary--who literally travelled across time and space to meet you--that flies you around the Terarium, letting you climb on their back while their talons securely hold onto your folded chair.
With those two often out and about, there's a common misconception about you being the Elite Four's psychic specialist...when in reality you have a ghost type team.
Many challengers find that out the hard way when they clear your trial and send their ghosts against you....only for you to reveal your own ghostly duo that hit back twice as hard.
Drayton loves watching your matches from the sidelines and laughs every time he sees their shocked faces.
He even proposed an idea that your team should remain a mystery up until the moment of battle.
All is well until Kieran comes along and dethrones him, which demotes you to the sixth ranking member..while Crispin takes your spot.
It wasn't exactly a position you liked, since it's on the cusp of disqualifying you as an elite member.
But you weren't mad at anybody over this...if anything you had to make sure Drayton didn't get too mad at Kieran.
Eventually, though, he learns that he could spend more time with you and has less responsibilities on his plate (ofc he's still petty, as we all know during Indigo Disk).
Despite his lax personality, he wants to do all he can to support you and defend you from harassment.
This man would definitely find excuses to carry you around.
"Oh why don't cha give your Pokémon a break and let me help you over here?" He suggests and you end up accepting his offer, letting him carry you from your wheelchair to the sofa in the club room...which is literally five feet away.
Still, you let him do what he wants.
Plus getting to cuddle is a nice bonus.
Kieran
You once knew him as this sweet shy kid who used to be scared of your Hisuian Braviary, always asking if they're gonna hypnotize him.
"No, Kiki..they just help me get around places."
"...a-are you sure? Because they're starin' at me kinda weird.."
"That's how they normally are."
Plus he (like many students) falsely believed you had a psychic team when you're actually the Elite Four's ghost-type specialist.
He admired that "element of surprise" you brought to the table and dreamed of the day he could challenge you himself.
But one trip to his hometown and back later...he's suddenly the Champion, a shell of his former self, who only sees Pokémon as tools for battle.
You wonder what happened to him, although apparently he had a bad falling out with some exchange student and took his angst out on everyone at BBA.
Getting you knocked down to the sixth rank was something he never really apologized for.
Despite that, he didn't tolerate people who talked shit about you, your ranking, your medical condition, or why your Pokémon get to roam more freely than their own.
"At least [y/n] is still out there training their team every day. At least they're turning their hardships into strength. What's your excuse?"
"I-I didn't mean any offense, Kieran! Listen, I'll apologize to them and-"
"Oh, you will...after we have a battle so I can assess your strength. No potions. No moves that boost attack, speed, or defense. If you lose, you resign. You have one hour to prepare."
Sometimes, you're not sure if he's genuinely looking out for you...or if he just wanted an excuse to bully club members around.
While he's aware that Gardevoir and Hisuian Braviary are mainly your medical support 'mons, he still thinks they can always try out battling.
"They could be the ones who help you climb the ranks again [y/n]. Surely you're tired of being in last place, aren't you?"
Yet the advice he believes is helpful is usually unwarranted half the time.
You could just be casually talking to a friend about how your opponent out-sped you and/or used Light Screen/Reflect...
Only for Kieran to barge into the conversation with "well maybe you should've taught Braviary Tailwind/Defog..but I guess you don't have the time for that" or something passive-aggressive that just makes you both uncomfortable.
Your psychic types are honestly annoyed by his new attitude..and you're just disheartened by how he acts around Drayton now.
You and him dating never bothered Kieran before, but now he just glares at your bf 24/7 and scoffs loudly if you're talking about anything except battling.
Despite everything, you knew he was going through something difficult, so you tried not to take his words to heart. You still saw him as a friend.
Someone who was just misguided in his ambitions.
After his humbling defeat and adventure into Area Zero, he comes back with extreme guilt, with you being the first elite member he apologizes to.
He especially feels shitty for distracting your psychic types from doing their jobs properly with his constant nagging to battle them.
But you forgive him, thanking him properly for all the times he's stood up for you.
And you do end up taking some of his unsolicited advice.
You invite him to a friendly double-battle when he returns from break and brought out Braviary and Gardevoir, using Tailwind and terastalizing one of them into a ghost type.
It turns out that whenever they're not working, they battle in perfect sync.
Crispin
In the beginning, this chef boi wondered how your two psychic types help you with your daily life, and you just explain everything as simply as you could to him during a picnic.
"So Gardevoir pushes me around, retrieves stuff I can't reach, and helps me manage my pain. Braviary just flies me around the Terarium....any questions?"
"Just one......do you use Braviary because the taxis here don't accommodate your wheelchair?" He assumes, already starting to fume. "How outrageous! That's not-!"
"Calm down, Crispy..they do. I'm just saying that I'd rather fly with Brave most of the time. It's not only convenient, but more fun for me."
"...o-oh, right. Sorry for getting all fire-up back there.." He gushes.
After learning how hard they work, he absolutely wants to make sure they're fed well everyday! Snacks alone won't sustain them. He knows this for sure.
So he's always cooking them up something, often wanting their opinion on the meals and sandwiches: are they too spicy or not spicy enough?
The same goes for your ghost types, too (especially if you have a Chandelure, Ceruledge, and/or Skeledirge on your team).
But after Kieran becomes the new champion and Crispin takes your rung on the League's ladder..he feels really awful and constantly apologizes for pretty much replacing you.
He should feel good about climbing closer to the top, but he doesn't, as he cried over the possibility of you hating him forever or resigning from the club because of him.
When you confronted him, he tried blaming the onions.
But your Gardevoir--one of the most emotionally-intuitive Pokémon out there--saw through his lie, and you had to reassure him he was still your friend.
You kept telling him you weren't mad....until you almost got mad fr because he wouldn't stop asking if you were 100% sure of that.
To prove it you, your psychic pokemon, and your ghost team all split one of the spiciest sandwiches he's ever made.
By the time it was finished, you were convinced you just learned the move Flamethrower.
Yet seeing that bright smile return to Crispin's face made it worth the agony.
Lacey
She loves hearing that you have a Gardevoir (or just cute ghost Pokémon in general).
If you have a Mimikyuu on your team, that's a plus in her book.
But regardless, she's the first to give you a warm welcome into the Elite Four, explaining the criteria and tests you had to pass in order to be accepted as a member.
Yet even outside of battle, she quickly discovers that your ghosts are still mischievous at best--always playing pranks on her fairies with moves like Phantom Force, Shadow Sneak, Astonish, and Poltergeist.
Ofc they never mean any harm, but when she hears Whimsicott squeal in fright, she's quick to come to its rescue and scold the perpetrator.
If you have a Gengar, it just laughs and mocks them both until it hears you roll up like "that wasn't very nice, y'know...apologize to Lacey and Whimsicott right now, please".
Even if it's a little defiant, a glare from Gardevoir or Hisuian Braviary is enough to make it relent and apologize.
Speaking of whom, seeing an ancient variant of Braviary did frighten Lacey upon first meeting them (especially with their hypnotic-looking faux flaming "eyes").
But over time she grows to like them, seeing how obedient and gentle they are with helping you get you around the Terarium.
If you have any decal on your chair, she'll suggest adding a few more things to make it "cuter". Like stickers of fairy types or a soft pillow for your back.
When you get demoted to the sixth rank in the League, she bought you those exact things to cheer you up, feeling bad that things turned out the way they did
But you expressed zero grudges towards anyone and appreciated her kindness.
Her Granbull always offers his tummy to you should you wanna rest somewhere--even though this makes Braviary a little jealous bc they're supposed to be your favorite resting spot.
Their rivalry is amusing, but Gardevoir often has to come to her fellow psychic type's rescue.
Meanwhile you're just sitting back and snickering at their banter, while poor Lacey begs you not to encourage this behavior.
Amarys
When you both first met, you found her personality rather off-putting, assuming she was doubting your capabilities of being an Elite Four Member despite passing all the tests.
She never seemed happy for you, her face always blank.
Growing up, a lot of people have pitied you, given you odd stares, or thought you would've given up being a Pokémon trainer...and some even asked outright insensitive questions about what happened to you--and seeing how Amarys acted kinda brought some of those ugly memories back to the forefront.
But once she realizes this, she apologizes straightaway for giving you such a bad impression, clarifying that she fully believes in your battling abilities.
Since then, you've formed a better friendship with her.
She asks you respectful questions about your wheelchair (ie if it's made from any strong alloys, how well it gets you around the Terarium's biomes, etc.) and how Gardevoir and Hisuian Braviary aid you in your daily life and listens well.
Learning that you actually battle with ghost types despite the misconception circulating around the school wasn't too surprising.
If anything, Amarys believes that was quite strategic on your part.
It's no wonder you have a lot of victories under your belt.
Even after getting demoted to the sixth rank, she's impressed you're still able to bounce back from such defeat..and that you didn't hold it against Kieran or anybody.
She believes he could learn a lesson or two from you and not take his loss against Florian/Juliana so hard...but knows that's not her place to speak.
I've been thinking about this for a while. May I request Kerian battling a "snow on Mt. Silver" Reader? Reader was the strongest trainer at Blueberry academy and champion of the BB league until they willingly handed off the title to Drayton and climbed to the highest point in the polar biome to wait for a strong challenger. Kerian, upon becoming champion, gets wind of them and decides to battle them. Things go bad quickly as reader is a ghost/corpse. Kerian does get rescued but is traumatized.
Oh this is a GOOD concept,,,give him that near-death trauma waaaaay before he even learns about terapagos
Also ik the weather conditions in the terarium are all simulated, but let's just say it malfunctioned and resulted in an actual blizzard at the very peak of the polar biome that killed reader + their Pokémon off (yet no one knows this)
......
"Have you heard from [y/n] lately, Drayton?"
"Nope. Last time I checked, they're still chilling at the Polar Biome peak, waiting for a "worthy challenger"."
"Was that pun intended?"
"...maybe, haha. But y'know, I kinda miss seeing their face around campus. I mean..they were our club's first champion, and to this day I still don't know why they handed the title over to me and bailed on-"
"Hold on, there was a champion before you and...you didn't even fight them for the title? No wonder I was able to beat you so easily."
"Oh great, just the person I hoped to see." With a dry chuckle, Drayton turned his head only slightly upon seeing Kieran approaching the clubroom's table with a deep scowl, eyes bleak.
Of course, the new champion of BB Academy believed he had every right to barge into the Elite Four's conversations--given he was having a bit of a "power trip" ever since gaining the title yesterday.
But the dragon trainer elected to ignore him, instead turning back to the others. "Anyways..I'm sure [y/n]'s already moved onto better things. No way could they still be up there after all that weird stuff happened with the weather."
"You mean..the time there was an actual blizzard in the terarium??" Lacey gasped, before shaking her head and making an "x" pose. "Bzzzt. Nope. Impossible. They sent a search and rescue team in case anyone in the outdoor classroom got stranded up there. And they didn't find a soul!"
"Yeah!" Crispin nodded in agreement. "I get they were the strongest trainer in this entire school, but why would they risk-?"
"I'm sorry, they're the strongest? Why am I only hearing about this [y/n] now?"
With a small yelp, he turned to the purple-haired boy. "Wah!! I-I totally forgot you were here, sorry.." He mumbled, slightly cowering under his harsh gaze. "Obviously you're the strongest! [Y/n]'s not important..d-don't worry about them. They're history-"
"But you all seem pretty convinced they're still here." Kieran's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the group. "And you just told me where I might find them." He clenched his fists, already shaking with anticipation.
"Easy there, champ.." Drayton huffed in annoyance. "It's only a rumor that they're still hanging around. They weren't much of a talker, so we have no clue where they are. Could be in another region for all we know."
"..........."
"Don't tell me....you're thinking about charging up that mountain all by yourself to see if they're there, are you? That's suicide."
"I have to agree with Drayton." Amarys nodded. "The staff is still trying to determine the cause of the anomalous weather patterns. We aren't banned from venturing up there, but until they can find a solution, it's ill-advised."
"Exactly!" Lacey joined in. "I heard one of the rescue team members had to get treated for frostbite. And it wasn't from some ice-type Pokémon, but the blizzard itself. This is serious, Kieran!"
"....I'll be fine. Your scare tactics won't work on me."
"Huh?! But we're not-"
"Enough. I'm gonna go find them myself, seeing as you're all too cowardly to do so." The champion sneered. "If a worthy challenger is what they're after, then I'll give them one. I'll let them know there's a new champion in town..and that he's the strongest trainer in this academy. Not them."
With that, he turned on his heel and left the room, mumbling under his breath things that made the four feel uneasy.
"How pathetic. The Elite Four..scared of a little snow and ice? Whatever. I'll show them. I'll show [y/n]. I'll show them ALL..."
After the doors slammed shut behind him, they felt the tension still lingering in the air--as did every other club member who was hanging out on the sofas and by the BP computer.
"Man." Drayton broke the silence, sitting up to stretch his arms. "That kid catches wind of some random stranger who's just a little stronger than him, and boom. He's obsessed. Hope he doesn't get himself killed up there."
"Should one of us go after him?" Lacey muttered in concern, her gaze not leaving the doors.
"I-I think that would make him angrier.." Crispin shook his head. "He's got an Incineroar, so maybe it'll keep him toasty."
"That is true. He could also either confirm or deny [y/n]'s presence atop that mountain." Amarys spoke up. "I only hope he properly prepares himself for the long journey..and that no other weather anomalies arise.."
"Cinn.." Huffing, the Heel Pokémon remained beside its trainer as the two made their ascension towards the summit. They couldn't see any rest spots nor healing centers below them due to the snowfall being so heavy.
Even the teraglobe was barely visible.
Yet Kieran was persistent as ever in his goal, keeping his jacket zipped up and Incineroar close to him. He didn't care about the fact his hands were already growing numb, nor the cold biting at his legs leaving them weak.
He was the new champion. He had to let everyone in this school know and defeat whoever could threaten the position he worked so hard to achieve.
If not [Florian/Juliana]..then it was you.
You're someone he's never even met, but knowing you were the very first BB League champion and had a big-enough ego to come up here and wait for a strong challenger...was something he couldn't turn a blind eye to.
No.
Not if he wanted to be the best in this entire school and eliminate any competition.
Absolutely nothing was gonna stop him.
Not even the fact that his Incineroar's flames were struggling to stay alive, gradually exhausting the feline as it struggled to keep up. It began having chills itself, although it knew better than to disobey its trainer when he demanded to keep the fire going.
Surely it can tough it out for him, right?
After what seemed like an eternity, Kieran finally reached the top of the mountain and saw you: the lone figure waiting for them both. Much of the snowfall had already cleared up allowing him to see you in a cap that concealed your eyes and a BB Academy uniform.
You were looking at something up in the sky, until you heard the sounds of shuffling and turned around, looking down with surprise at the challenger.
This kid...came up all this way to see you? Impressive.
His Incineroar looked a little worse for wear, the flames around its belt dying out, yet it stuck close to its trainer's side as he stared at you with a cold hard gaze.
"Are you [y/n], former BB League Champion?" He questioned.
"........."
"Not much of a talker, huh? Guess they were right. I'm Kieran, or better yet..Champion Kieran."
Although you barely gave a response aside from a slight tilt of your head, he just smirked. "Yeah, you heard me. I'm the new champion and president of the League Club, not that dumb dragon tamer. Because unlike him, I worked hard to earn this title. I don't wait around for things to be handed to me on a silver platter."
".........."
"You think being champion is a joke? Something you can just pawn off to somebody when you get bored of it?"
"........."
"I thought so. That means you never deserved the title to begin with.." He scoffed, irritated by your silence. "Anyway, they said you were the strongest, but I'm here to change that!" Pointing up at you, he shouted over the wind. "You wanted a worthy opponent..well HERE I AM!!! Incineroar, Porygon-Z...show them the power of a true BB League Champion!!"
He took out his Virutal Pokémon's pokeball, ready to send it into battle.
But it didn't come out after he tossed it to the ground.
"...huh?" Confused, Kieran picked up the pokeball, wondering why it wasn't opening. Then he noticed frost coating the button, practically icing it over entirely. "No, no, no.....what is this?!"
For some reason it was jammed, and he discovered that all the other pokeballs in his bag were like that, too, rendering them inaccessible.
But how?
It shouldn't be possible for all of them to freeze simultaneously...their insulation should be top-tier.
Brushing off his worries, he glared at you. "Whatever. I can win a single-battle, too! I've developed strategies for this. Incineroar, it's all up to you now"
Nodding, the Heel Pokémon cracked its knuckles and stepped forward. But as it looked at you, it began shivering all of the sudden, feeling a drastic drop in temperature as the flames on its belt struggled still.
It wasn't just the weather giving it chills..but you.
Something about you just seemed...off, but it couldn't exactly tell its trainer what that was. Nor would he probably care.
Whether it liked it or not, it had to win this battle.
Wordlessly, you stepped down so you could fight on equal ground and took out a single pokeball. It was covered in frost, with much of the red paint faded, and it looked awfully damaged--especially the button.
Yet somehow it was functional as you sent out your first Pokémon.
And the sight of it was so grisly, Kieran felt genuinely nauseated, unable to do anything except stare in shock.
"Wh...What the..."
It appeared as a sickly frostbit creature, with its colors dull and empty sockets in place of its eyes. Not to mention the heavy wounds littering its body, which seemed fresh. It's like you ran out of healing items and never bothered to look for any more.
And its cry was pained.
Considering how much Kieran himself loved and treasured Pokémon, he was gravely concerned and had second thoughts about fighting one in such a horrible state...
But that little voice in his head told him that refusing to fight your team would make him look weak. You'd probably think he was weak for backing down.
And he refused to do that.
Why was he suddenly so afraid? You were only trying to scare him, just like everybody else...and he was fed up with that.
He came this far. He had to finish this.
"You...think your Pokémon can battle in that condition? Looks like they can barely stand." His eyebrows furrowed. "No matter. Once I beat you, I'll take them off your ha-"
"Struggle."
A hoarse whisper escaped your lips, stunning him as he realized you could actually speak. But then your Pokémon suddenly threw itself at Incineroar, attacking and taking a good deal of recoil damage as it fainted soon afterwards.
Or rather...
It simply dropped to the ground and ceased all motions, with you making no move to recall them. Instead you just sent out your next party member.
Kieran tried not to think about why they did that, and just scoffed at your strategy. "Really? This is what the "strongest" trainer is capable of? I expected better..I'll beat you in no time at all."
Yet you didn't seem fazed by anything he said, as you commanded your Pokémon to use Struggle, too.....and every other one after that did the same thing.
What frustrated him the most was how they all managed to outspeed Incineroar, forcing it to endure every hit without getting a chance to retaliate. It felt so unfair, and he couldn't do anything except sit and watch, feeling his blood boiling more with each passing second.
He didn't know why you exhausted all of your team's moves, why you wouldn't give him a chance to strike back....or why you're even up here at all and allowed them to get this bad.
But he knew one thing.
He wanted to get off this mountain soon.
The snowfall was growing heavier again, the howling wind picking up as the temperature kept dropping.
"Stop! Just stop for a second!!" He snapped as you readied your final pokeball. All you did was pause and stare at him. "You haven't given me a chance to attack yet! And I'm locked out my pokeballs...this isn't fair! You're cheating!!"
"..it's almost over."
He tensed, wondering why you spoke those words so ominously. But he took that as an insult and scowled. "For me? No...it's almost over for you. You're down to your last Pokémon..and I still have all of mine. I'm putting an end to this pathetic "struggle strategy" of yours right now."
".........."
"What a joke this was. Everyone says you were the strongest trainer..but you're just another obstacle in my way."
Hearing that saddened you a little, almost making you regret what you're about to subject this hapless champion to next...but you will end this one way or another.
You couldn't tolerate his arrogance any longer.
Your final Pokémon's appearance completely wiped the smug look on Kieran's face, as his eyes widened upon seeing a Pikachu in the most horrific condition--one that didn't look anything like the others on your team.
Its fur was totally white with a layer of frost coating it; and it was missing a leg, ear, and part of its tail...as though something had torn and chewed at various sections of its body. And its wounds exposed its muscle and bones, yet somehow it was still able to stand on its own.
But the most terrifying thing was its lack of a cutesy smile typical to its species. Instead there was this creepy grin stretching from ear-to-nonexistent-ear. And it just stared at him with those pitch black eyes, giggling.
His hands shook with genuine fear, before he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.
Yet both of you were still there when he looked, ready for battle.
Suddenly he didn't feel so high and mighty right now. His heart pounded and his throat felt dry, eyes stinging from the cold.
He felt as though he wasn't supposed to be here.
He shouldn't be here.
He didn't want to do this anymore.
He wanted to go home.
It was so cold...
But he needed to finish this.
"I-Incineroar, use-"
"Pain Split."
'Wait...Pikachu can learn that?!' His eyes widened in shock, but at the same time he was relieved you finally did something new-
Only for your Pikachu to screech and attack his Pokémon with that move, biting into its arm and causing the latter to roar in agony. He could only watch, horrified as blood splattered all across the snow.
By the time he managed to recall Incineroar, it had already fainted from the attack.
However your Pikachu did, too, laying among the other bodies of your Pokémon...who he now realized were in fact deceased. He could barely see them since the snow covered most of them.
But the morbid images would never leave his head.
He still didn't understand.
What have you become?
What are you?
"It's over."
Looking up, Kieran screamed upon seeing your uniform now covered in blood, the frostbite having eaten away at most of your flesh. You looked like some zombie, with exposed bones and hollowed eyes much like your Pokémon--gazing at him with that same sadness they held.
Now it finally hit him.
All this time, he wasn't battling some BB League ex-champion. He was battling the victim of that weather malfunction the four were talking about.
The one who never made it down this mountain alive.
You were already dead...and wanted him to suffer the same fate as you.
He blinked, and you were suddenly in front of him, grabbing the front of his jacket with two hands and staring at him. And all he could do was stare back in terror, unable to look away.
"Destiny B-"
"NO!! NO!! STOP!!! GET AWAY FROM ME!!!!!" Screaming as loud as he could, he lost all composure as he tried pushing you off of him, hitting your jaw and dislocating the bone.
You dropped him to the ground, and he sobbed, wrapping his arms over his head as he begged you to leave him be.
"L-Let me go home, please pleasepleaseplease-"
"Kieran?!!!"
With a sharp gasp, he looked up to hear the voice of Lacey, before seeing her, Carmine, and the other Elite Four members rushing towards him. They were all bundled-up, with Crispin's Magmortar and Heat Rotom keeping them warm.
"It's [y/n]!!" He shouted, pointing to where you stood. "Th-They..they're right there!!"
The group stopped, appearing confused as they looked all around, seeing nothing but snow.
"Wh-Why are you all standing around?!"
"Kieran..there's no one here except us." Crispin muttered.
".....huh?" Blinking, he looked back and realized you have disappeared entirely, not leaving behind a single trace of your presence. There weren't any blood or footprints in the snow, nor any frozen bodies of Pokémon lying in it.
It's like he was battling a hallucination all along.
But it felt so real..
"But I....I-I..."
"Only you would be insane enough to risk your life coming up here," Carmine huffed, kneeling down. But as soon as she saw the true terror in her little brother's eyes, her heart sank..wondering what he witnessed. "Kiki..?"
"...i-it was them...[y/n]..." He mumbled shakily, his arm still stuck in a pointing position. Tears streaked down his face, the cold wind making his cheeks sting like hell. "Th-They were right here..and...and they...they tried to-"
"Listen, I get you really wanted to meet them and battle them...but they're not here. They're long gone. Now c'mon. We need to get you off this stupid mountain." Picking him up was no problem for Carmine, given how he was light as a feather. He just clung to her, allowing himself to be carried on her back.
The four were astonished that he actually made the journey up here, with Drayton wondering if he was really that desperate to battle you that he came up here, realized you weren't around, and just...made up a scenario in which he wins anyways.
Instead, the poor kid seemed traumatized by whatever he saw...or believed he saw.
After making it safely down the mountain and getting treated--alongside his Incineroar--Kieran's detailed account of what happened led to another rescue team heading up the summit, just in case they may have missed something.
They had fire types and ground type tirelessly shoveling through the snow, digging in the exact spot where he battled you, but there were no signs of you anywhere.
Even so..he refused to believe it, and still had reoccurring nightmares of that encounter and how it might've ended if the others didn't show up in time.
Soon enough he got back on-track to training his Pokémon and becoming stronger everyday, but other trainers noticed how carefully he treaded throughout the Polar Biome..
And how he avoided going anywhere near the tallest mountain in that zone.
For he believed you were still up there, waiting for him.
Could I get Drayton, Kieran, Carmine, and Lacey reacting to a reader that raises mostly female Pokemon, gives a lot of them human-sounding names, and affectionately calls their team The Girls? Like, "Yeah, me and the girls are gonna chill out in my dorm later, if you'd wanna come over!" Or maybe, "I just got back from a picnic with the girls, and I swear Claire was gonna bite Maggie's arm earlier! Turns out she was just hungry though, and so I gave her some of my breakfast sandwich to chill her out. Yeah, ham, egg, and cheese with butter and pepper, maybe some hot sauce if you're into it - that recipe really does the trick!" After a confused look and some funny questions, it comes to light that Claire is a devious little Gliscor that was mere seconds from using Fire Fang, and Maggie is a shiny Meowscarada that's prone to getting the zoomies after a nice bath. "That's just how I name my Pokemon? Did you think I was talking about people earlier??? Oohhh now I get why you were looking at me weird! Yeah, you wanna meet them? I think they'd like you." And the girls, all six of them in the party (more names and species can be inserted) turn out to like the other person - even with their eccentric personalities at play. After all, "A friend of (y/n) is a friend of mine."
Hghshf I see this and all I think of is Reader leading a team of fem pokemon shouting "let's go lesbians lets go!!!"
Also along with Claire and Maggie, I'll include these 'mons (some inspired by my main team):
Evelyn: Comfey, spends less time in her pokeball and more time hanging around Reader's neck
Trish: Ceruledge, cleaves through tera dens but is picky about which spots on her armor get cleaned
Clover: Shiny Scrafty, likes finding trouble and defends her gal pals with her life
Queen: Bisharp who girlbossed her way into becoming a Kingambit. She likes wearing flowers in her hair.
..........
Drayton
You were turning into quite the social Beautifly at BB Academy, making a lot of friends in the League Club--including the Drayster himself.
Apparently you have your own little "circle" now, too, only ever referring to them as "The Girls" in conversation.
One day you ask Drayton if they could visit the clubroom, which confuses him a little considering you didn't need to ask for his permission.
But he doesn't think about it too deeply.
"Sure. I don't mind meeting them." He smiles.
"Sweet! You're gonna love Claire and Maggie. They're the best."
"Oh will I?" He raises an eyebrow, now fully intrigued. "Well..I'm looking forward to it."
When you show up to the clubroom the next morning he looked very confused as he didn't see your girl friends accompanying you, asking if they suddenly bailed.
It takes you a few seconds for you to finally understand...
"Wait--oh my gosh, you thought...oh no, no. They're my Pokémon. Lemme show you." You toss out two pokeballs, and Drayton is surprised to see that you have a Shiny Meowscarada and a Gliscor.
As he quickly finds out, while you do have a competitive team, your casual team consists of all female Pokémon who you call "The Girls", having raised then since they were little.
And you decided to give them all human-sounding names.
"This is Maggie and Claire. I'm SO sorry, Drayster...you must've been super confused.."
He just laughs it ff. "It's all good. It's actually pretty cool that you gave 'em human names."
"How could I not?" You chuckle as you hug Maggie, your grass ace purring was she wraps her arms around you. "Meowscarada's kinda a mouthful, and she responded to "Maggie" so I settled for that."
"Cool, maybe I can start calling Archuladon "Archie" or something...that's kinda a mouthful, too." He jokes.
Although The Girls were initially wary of him flirting with you and trying to snag your attention (then again, they're wary around boys in general), they eventually grow to like him.
After all, any friend of yours was a friend of theirs.
Kieran
Since you two shared a class he was falling behind in, you offered to help him study for an upcoming test.
"Oh! Are you sure it's no problem, [y/n]? I can always borrow your notes and give them back-"
"No, no it's fine! I've actually been meaning to introduce you to The Girls but couldn't since you were on break. They're just chilling in my dorm right now if you wanna meet them!"
Immediately, his brain shortcircuits.
"The Girls? Ah..wowzers....y-you sure they don't mind a boy coming over?" He fidgets with his hair, blushing at the thought of these friends of yours giggling and teasing him.
Surely they've heard all about him...but then again, his name was still pretty well-known at the Academy and his reputation was ever fluctuating.
He's understandably nervous about meeting new people (considering how strongly Nemona approached him back in Kitakami, demanding a battle).
But you reassured him they were cool, recalling a funny story to help him feel less anxious as you both walked to your dorm.
"So we're just having a picnic in the coastal biome, right? And I swear to Arceus, Claire was this close to biting Maggie's arm off. I didn't know what got into her...but, as you might've guessed, she was just hungry and impatient. Such an overdramatic baby. But anyways I split my breakfast sandwich with her. It was an easy recipe: just ham, egg, cheese, some butter, pepper, and hot sauce--which she actually really loved, and.......what's that look for?"
Kieran just has this SUPER confused expression the whole time you're talking, wondering why you're describing your friends as if they were Pokémon..
But after opening the door to your room, he discovers that's because they are your Pokémon. Your casual team, in fact.
He sees Maggie laying across your bed, playing with a yarn ball, Evelyn healing a scrape on Clover's arm, and Claire showing off her Fire Fangs to Trish and Queen.
"I'm back, ladies! We have a guest! So play nice, okay?" You clap your hands, spinning around and seeing the look on your friend's face. "What? You thought I was talking about humans this whole time?"
"...yeah...you got me. And here I was, all nervous for nothin''." Kieran does his signature "slump of defeat", feeling super embarrassed.
Doesn't help that the Girls are snickering and giggling at him, too.
"Hush, Girls. He's shy." You lightly scold them, before reassuring him that you've definitely confused more people than just him.
After that clarification, he absolutely wants to introduce his Gliscor to Claire, thinking the two would get along great (considering his own companion liked to be fussy during picnic breaks, too, maybe he'll use that sandwich recipe you mentioned...).
You wind up doing less studying and more of showing him videos of Maggie getting the "zoomies" after her bath, Trish sparring with Queen, and other things The Girls have been up to lately.
Least to say, he was glued to your rotomphone for a while.
It baffles you how this guy--former BB League Champion Kieran--still didn't have his own.
Carmine
While visiting her and Kieran during their break, she hears you talking about a group called "The Girls" that you've brought along.
And she's confused bc she swears her brother only bought one ticket for you...
So she assumes these "girls" are some filthy rich students back at BB/Uva/Naranja Academy, getting a little jealous as you talk about them and the shenanigans you've been up to before coming to Kitakami.
"Already replacing me, huh?" She teases lightly, although Kieran tries telling her to lighten up a little.
She gets defensive quickly.
Tbh she'd rather do the mochi-mochi dance again than ever admit she's jealous of your new "friends".
You, on the other hand, are clueless and wonder why she's acting so aloof...but then again, the siblings did tell you about the mayhem Pecharunt caused literally the day before you flew in.
Maybe that was it.
When you invite Carmine to a picnic, she's bolting over to your location, ready to square up and see what these "friends" of yours are like...
Yet all she sees are your Shiny Meowscarada, Gliscor, Shiny Scrafty, Comfey, female Kingambit, and Ceruledge playing around or mediating in the grass, and no humans other than you two.
"Where are they?"
"Where's...who?"
"Maggie, Claire, Trish..all these "buddies" of yours." She blinks as the three Pokémon in question turned their heads to her. "....don't tell me I'm looking right at them."
You nod and that's all it takes for her to start fuming, realizing she was jealous over Pokémon (but at the same time, she's relieved they're not humans).
"Why didn't you just say they were Pokémon????!!!" Her hands shake. "Do you have any idea what-?!"
"Woah there." You put your own hands up in defense. "You thought I was talking about people this whole time?"
"Yeah!! I mean--you gave them people names so I just assumed!"
".....ohh, I'm sorry, Carmine." Finally understanding, you awkwardly laugh a little. "Now I know why everyone gives me weird looks when I talk about them.."
"You think????"
The Girls have stopped their current activities, entertained by the squabble between you and her.
But after all of that's cleared up, Carmine gets to know your casual team a little more personally.
And they grow to like her, too, after initially disliking how she yelled at you--even though you told them all that's how she usually is.
Lacey
When you tell her about your casual team, she's under the impression that you have little sisters because of their human names and the fact you only call them "The Girls".
Even more surprising is when you mention having six of them, and she wonders how tf you have so much time to take care of them AND time for BB League activities.
If she gets the feeling you're overworking yourself and you ask if you could organize stuff in the club room, she'll be like "nope 🙅♀️ nuh-uh, we'll take care of it, go home and take care of your family they are the most important thing!!!!!"
You're confused as hell, but take the day off anyways.
One day, she asks if she could see them some time, and you're like "????? okay!" and arrange a hangout in the Terarium.
When Lacey arrives, she's perplexed when she only sees Pokémon with you...but can immediately tell they're all girls.
And only then does it click.
"Oh! "The Girls" is what you call this Pokémon team?"
"Yeah! I told you, didn't I?"
"...I thought you were referring to your sisters."
You blink, before chuckling at her confusion, realizing why she might've thought that. "Oh, well..in a way they are my sisters."
When she spots Evelyn hanging around your neck, she just coos at how adorable the Comfey is.
And somehow, Queen (a Pokémon notorious for being a fearsome leader) managed to look cute with all the flowers in her hair--which also impresses her.
As long as she doesn't use any steel attacks on Granbull, Lacey is cool with her.
Now that she fully understands, she loves that "girl power" vibe you have with your casual team, especially since they're pretty strong in battle, too.
Hey, I wanted to ask if you could write Kieran x gender neutral reader. Maybe they were friends when younger, and they met again after the indigo disk plot. But now the reader went from shy with long hair to extroverted with a more goth punk style and short hair. They go to Blueberry Academy with friends, and Kieran is kinda jealous of them, like MC, for it being so easy for them to make friends. So they have a sit down and talk it out with maybe a bit of romance sprinkled in.
I hope this isn't too long!! I really love your writing.
Aw thank you! This is fine and I decided to give Reader a Toxtricity as their partner Pokémon
..........
"Uwaaahh...uhuuuhuuh.."
"H-Hey, um...are you okay?"
Sniffling, the young boy looked up from his knees to see you standing over him, concerned. He tried wiping away his tears, but they just kept coming as he recalled some rather mean words spoken to him.
"I'm..f-fine.." He lied, clutching the broken pieces of his ogre mask.
"Are you sure? Because you're sitting all alone here, away from the festival with a broken mask.." You quietly pointed out, frowning.
"...the..jerks over there did it." He finally admitted, his gaze going to the fenced area where some kids were hanging around. "I-I thought they were my friends...and then they called me stupid for likin' the Ogre from those stories..."
"What? They sound like real bullies."
"A-All I said was that....I didn't think it was a bad guy..and then they...they told me they didn't wanna be my friend anymore...a-and now...I-I don't have ANY friends!! WAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!"
Although you were startled by his bawling, you couldn't help but feel bad for him. Leaving him alone certainly wasn't an option, so you sat down beside him, noticing the small Sentret that was trying to comfort him.
"There, there.." You awkwardly patted his back, feeling your face growing warm. Hopefully this wasn't too weird and you were actually helping this poor guy. "I don't have any friends, either. But I can be yours...i-if you'd like."
With a small hiccup, Kieran looked at you, his golden eyes large and full of tears. "Y-You wanna be my friend?" He sniffled. "Even though I like the "bad guy" of those stories?"
"I don't think there's anything wrong with that." You nodded softly, offering him a tiny smile. "I can relate to the Ogre, too. How lonely it must feel up there in the mountains..and um...how it just wants to be accepted."
He smiled back a little, although he was still depressed over the current state of his mask as he kept staring at it.
"Could I...buy you a new one of those? And a candy apple if you're hungry?"
Blinking, he gazed back up at you, stunned by your generosity. "Y-You don't have to do that.."
"But I want to. I just got my allowance so..I don't mind it." You shrugged, before you heard a familiar cry and looked to see your Toxel hobbling away from the festival grounds...
With candy razz berries on a stick.
"Oh no! Tox.." You bemoaned, huffing as the little baby Pokémon innocently waddled into your arms. "You can't wander off like that..a-and you certainly can't be stealing! You know we gotta pay for this, right?"
"Taahaa.." They cooed, already munching on the sweet treat.
"....fine..I'll let this slide because you're a cutie."
"Is that..a Toxel?"
"...o-oh!" Embarrassed, you turned back to Kieran and showed him Toxel. "Yes..sorry. This is my partner. We've been training a lot lately..but...as you can see, they've got ways to go. Haha.."
"You've done Pokémon battles? Wowzers.." He gazed at it in awe.
"Yeah..have you?" You asked.
".....no. I-I don't know anything about them. They're cool to watch but..I don't think I'll ever be strong enough to fight one myself.." He sighed, petting Sentret on the head. "I'm scared of Sentret getting hurt..e-especially by those..rude people."
At this revelation, your shoulders slumped. "Look....I get it, but if they see that you're afraid to battle, then...they'll just keep pushing you around."
"I know. I-I don't wanna be afraid anymore. But...my grandparents think I'm too young to be a trainer, a-and my sister thinks I'm too weak to even try...so I don't see a point..."
"..my own family doubted me, too." You remarked. "It was hard for Toxel and I, but..we had to go against their wishes. We had to become strong enough to stand up to our bullies..and we did. Now they fear the day this little sweetie grows up into a strong Toxtricity."
With a small coo, Toxel giggled and nuzzled your cheek with their forehead so they didn't accidentally shock you. "Taaaaataaa.."
"Yep." You giggled, before glancing back at Kieran, who looked extremely inspired by your words. "Maybe your Sentret will become a strong Furret someday, too. But...you'll have to train it first."
"And..wh-where do I start, if I may ask?" His voice became even quieter than yours.
"How about after the festival? You and I can have a practice battle."
He blinked. "..l-like tonight? With you?"
"Sure...if you're not busy, of course-"
"Oh no, I-I can definitely do that tonight!"
"Great! We'll just..go over the basics, that's all." You hopped to your feet as Toxel climbed onto your shoulder, and you offered your hand to the boy. "Also I'm sorry for not introducing myself. I'm [y/n]."
"Kieran." He had a shaky smile on his own face as he took your hand, letting you pull him up. "Th-Thanks for cheering me up...I think I'm ready to go back into the hall."
"Alright." With a small chuckle, you tied up your long hair before donning your mask, taking his broken one.
"C'mon, Kieran. First stop is the sweets shop...which candy apple do you like?"
.
.
.
.
"....and in Galar, Toxtricity had the power to Gigantamax. And they could turn into this awesome creature with a HUGE radio tower on their back. Oh, and they attack with a guitar made out of electricity!"
"Oh my Arceus!"
"That is sick!"
"We NEED to take a trip to Galar next year."
"Bro, maybe Piers can give you some more fashion tips. Because the punk is rocking."
"Thanks, haha..maybe I will."
As Kieran walked through the doors to the League Club, he heard the laughter and chatter of a group of people who were gathered at the table. Seeing new faces always caught him off-guard, considering how he somewhat left the organization in shambles..
He wasn't expecting so many to join, let alone scrap together enough BP to change the room's layout and usher in new additions--like that itemizer machine..
But it seems the rest of the Elite Four, plus Florian/Juliana, managed to rebuild the foundation and keep it alive. And even he thought this was for the best, as his burdens as both champion and leader were finally lifted from his shoulders.
While he hated that Paldean for "dethroning" him at first...he was actually relieved.
Now he was spending his time trying to make amends with everybody, feeling ashamed for the way he acted towards them--especially to the club members he took his anger out on. He kicked out one guy all because he couldn't meet his impossible standards.
Kieran did make sure he was back in the club..but even so, it took a while for that kid to forgive him.
He knew it wasn't going to be easy. Some people were still going to be bitter over what he did.
Fortunately, he can now enter the club room without feeling like everyone was staring at him, nor could he sense the heavy tension from the Elite Four as he walked past them. They just greeted him like an old friend before going back to their discussions.
When he was about to introduce himself to your group, however, he froze up the moment your eyes met his own...
At first, he was bewildered by the gothic-punk attire you've managed to incorporate into your uniform, complete with spiky bands and makeup. He's never seen any other student here test the waters of the dress code like you did.
Yet that wasn't what shocked him, but rather...the person underneath all of that.
You looked awfully familiar...
Where has he seen you before?
Funny enough, you were asking yourself that same question as you stared back up at this guy, trying to figure out why he was giving you such an odd look.
At first it seemed judgy.
But then you saw those familiar golden eyes, the black hair with purple highlights....you only ever knew one person with those characteristics.
"No way..Kieran?"
"....[y/n]?" He murmured, stunned. "You..remember me?"
"It took me a second, but wow...it really is you!" You chuckled, leaning back in your chair. "I haven't seen you in years, dude! And I know what you're gonna say...yes, I know I look like a Team Yell member. But I just like the fashion back in Spikemuth. It stuck with me."
"Wowzers...you went to Galar...?"
"Oh yeah. Went there to study and ended up staying a bit longer than I meant to...but it was great." Smiling, you rubbed the top of your head. "I got myself a nice trim while there. It was a much-needed change. Speaking of which....I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair up." You raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah..it was..getting in the way." Kieran brushed back his bangs, still reeling from the shock of seeing his childhood friend here at his school after all these years.
Not to mention how you presented yourself as this confident and boisterous person. Were you really that same shy long-haired friend he knew back in Kitakami?
"[Y/n], you know this guy?"
You both glanced back at your friend group, and you nodded. "Yep. He's an old friend from the Land of Kitakami. Honest to Arceus I had no idea he attended this school..but then again I literally just enrolled today. Either way, it's a nice surprise. Glad to see you again, Ki."
"Same." He nodded, although there seemed to be a certain sadness in his eyes as he stared at the people surrounding you, shoulders slumped. "Anyways, uh...I wanted to welcome you all to the club. I-I'll be back later. Bye, [y/n]."
With a nervous swallow, he quickly turned tail and left the clubroom, while your friends wondered why he looked at them all that way...
You believed you already knew the reason..
But when you saw their confused gazed, you just smiled and shrugged. "Don't worry about him, he's shy."
"Shy? But that guy used to be this school's champion!"
"...no way, really?" Your eyes widened, resting your arms on the tablr as you leaned towards one of your friends. "Tell me more."
.........
At the end of the day, the club was ready to close up shop. Everybody else had left except for you and Toxtricity.
You volunteered to stay late, picking up the messes your friends left behind, such as the opened snacks and sodas (some of them being from Drayton, of course). Amarys did promise you some BP for all your hardwork and willingness to accept responsibility, so that was motivation enough.
Despite the way you look, you weren't always some rebellious punk.
Just as you have both finished and were about to lock the door..you noticed Kieran approaching from down the hall, and he looked rather serious.
Finally, this was your chance to talk to him.
"Oh hey, Ki."
"Hey, [y/n]..is it just you here?" His gaze went past yours, eyes darting around the empty room.
"Nobody but me and Tox." You gestured to Toxtricity, who nodded and smiled, strumming the organs on their chest.
"I see they're all grown up, too." He remarked, sounding a bit more relaxed after realizing nobody else was around.
"That reminds me..how's your Sentret doing?"
"He's a Furret now. And he's doing just fine...but not on my main team, anymore. He's more like...an emotional support Pokémon, I guess?"
"Fair enough." You chuckled as you wrapped an arm around your companion's shoulders. "I learned there was more to Pokémon than just battling. They can be your best buddy, too."
"Right.." Kieran nodded, his smile fading.
You frowned a little. "Listen..I know this is kinda awkward. We haven't spoken in years, and I still feel bad for moving out of Kitakami without-"
"No, it's not that...I'm happy to see you again. I just.." He sighed, looking down at the floor. "You said..today was your first day here, right?"
"Yeah."
"I can't believe you've already made so many friends. It must feel nice.."
You were confused at his rather sour tone of voice, although you were anticipating this sort of confrontation, recalling how often he struggled to make and keep friends--besides you, of course.
But even now, it seems those insecurities never left him.
"D-Did I say that out loud?" Suddenly he tensed up, appearing a little scared. "I'm sorry, you can ignore me. I'm...tired. I-It's been a long day, so I'm just gonna-"
"Wait, Kieran."
Before he could turn around and leave, you took ahold of his arm, and he looked back at you with shock. "They didn't replace you if that's what you're worried about."
"...it's not that, either."
"Then...what is it?"
"You'll think it's stupid...." He mumbled, shaking his head.
"It's not stupid if it's clearly bothering you. Look, let's just..sit down and talk about it, okay? I'm not here to judge."
He blinked at your proposal, but eventually decided to sit at the table with you. Toxtricity crouched down next to your chair so you could pet them on the head.
It took a few moments for Kieran to start talking, yet with your silent encouragement...he finally spoke up.
"How do you make it look so...easy?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean...you have all these friends now while I..." His voice trailed off, fists clenched on the table as he tried to keep himself calm. "..I-I can't name a single one other than you and Florian/Juliana. You'd think becoming champion and club president would make me super popular. But the truth is that it only made me feel more isolated. So how did you do it? How did you become so confident? Is there a secret or some code word I never knew about?"
"There's...no secret, Ki." You responded, your heart sinking. "Friendships just sorta..happen. Like ours did that day those jerks made fun of you at the festival of masks. I guess it was just....up to fate."
"...well I wish fate gave me the same luck as you." He bitterly muttered under his breath.
"Luck? No. That's...look, I'm not popular, and I'd never wanna be. Those people are my only friends here aside from you." You huffed. "I know I've changed since we last saw each other...but I'm still that same kid from before-"
"I barely recognized you, [y/n]." He bluntly pointed out. "We grew up together in the same place...but you went to Galar, changed your whole looks, and made so many friends here on your first day. Then there's me, who...h-hasn't really changed at all." His shoulders became slumped. "I've done things I'm ashamed of, and I'm trying to fix them, but I just feel...stuck. Like I'm never gonna move on from being that whiny little kid from Kitakami who keeps wishing he was somebody else.."
Your gaze softened a little, finally understanding his perspective. "Well..I personally don't see that anymore. I see you're trying to change for the better, and that's great. You should be proud of that."
Kieran blinked as your hand came to rest over his own, his heart skipping a beat. Yet he kept his focus on you and your comforting smile, despite finding it difficult to see the truth in your words.
He could feel that self-doubt festering inside him again.
"But..y-you don't know what I-"
"People here told me such awesome things about you, and I almost couldn't believe them."
He stared at you. "What? Really?"
"Yeah, dude! You never told me how your team uses a competitive setup with Rain Dance on the first turn...or how your Applin is all grown up into a Hydrapple. Hell, I didn't even know that was an existing evolution until today, so you taught me something new-"
However, you stopped rambling upon hearing a small sniffle coming from your friend. You then saw his lips trembling as he tried pushing back tears with his sleeve.
Internally you began to panic. "Ki? What's wrong?"
"I-I'm sorry. It's just....everybody here talks about my Pokémon and battle tactics all the time, but never about me." He whimpered. "I-I want people to like me for....me, you know?"
You nodded sympathetically, gently squeezing his hand. Guilt swelled in your heart as you never realized how lonely he must've felt since you left...and right now you probably made him feel ten times worse.
"You really are a great guy, though. Anyone would be lucky to get to know the real you."
"........."
Now you were a bit stumped on what to say next, as he was staring at the table now, sniffling like a little kid. And you began wracking your brain for any possible way you could cheer him up.
Then an idea sprung into your mind.
You were going to save it for a later occasion, but...now seemed to be the right time.
Even Toxtricity agreed with you, as they nudged your arm with a low growl, wishing you'd finally fess up and let him know how you truly felt about him.
Your heart was beating fast, but you pushed away the nerves and momentarily let go of his hand to retrieve a pokeball from your bag. He seemed too caught-up in his own thoughts to notice, still wiping away his tears.
"But y'know what could be better than having friends?"
With watery eyes, Kieran managed to look at you straight on. "What?"
You didn't say a word, instead turning his hand over and placing a love ball into his palm. He looked at you with confusion, before gasping as the device suddenly opened on its own to reveal....
A Shiny Applin.
"Wowzers.." He gawked. "So this is what their shinies look like??"
"Yep. Straight from Galar."
"The love ball is an interesting choice.." He remarked, watching as the Applin jumped onto the table and gazed at him. "But..while I appreciate the gift, I-I....don't really see how owning a shiny is gonna help-"
"Oh, so he doesn't know, Tox..." You whispered to your companion, who simply snickered back.
"Tahaahaa.."
"....know what?" Kieran's eyebrows furrowed as he noticed the smirks you and Toxtricity were exchanging, growing more and more confused and concerned. "Can someone explain?"
"In Galar, people give Applins to each other as a romantic gesture." You stated bluntly, feeling your face burn up....but you prayed he would finally get the hint.
It took him about five seconds, his jaw dropping. "What??? Y-You.....really see me that way?" His heart began racing all over again. "Why me, though?"
"I like you for you, Ki. And that's all there is to it." You leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, watching as his eyes went wide and his blush worsened. "Hm, I guess that shy little cutie is still in there after all."
"C'mon..stop that.." Huffing, he shrunk back into his jacket in a vain attempt to hide his flusteredness. "I-I do like you, too."
"I'm glad, and I promise..I'm sticking around for a long, long time." You looked to Toxtricity, who strummed a small riff on their chest. "I owe Tox one for finding that love ball for me. I was gonna save it for some fairy type, but...I think I found a better use for it."
All Kieran could do was smile and nod, taking your hands into his own. While he was still too flushed to properly speak, he was nowhere near as sad as he was before your confession.
You were right.
This was a LOT better than having friends.
Because now he had you.
While both of your looks and personalities have definitely changed, the love and care you had for each other never did.
