I should be asleep but I thought of a really cool idea for AkaYona ladies week. I was playing around with concepts for Magical Girl AU because I adore the magical girl genre. The obvious choice was to make Yona a magical girl. But to do that I'd need to figure all sorts of things out to make it really work. Then it hit me. Take the idea of the witch in the woods, add a bit of a magical girl spin, and cast Kaya as the protagonist. I still need to think through some things but the basic concept and plot is in place. I'm excited to start writing it.
We’re almost to the end. But first, time for some more emotional fallout.
Title: Project ∞
Fandom: Pokemon, Pokemon ORAS
Ships: HoennChampionShipping
AO3, Previous Chapters
Chapter Fifteen - Fallout
“I liked the first time I saved the world better. It didn’t end with me in a hospital.”
May nearly backed out of the room the moment they walked in. There were way too many wires and medical machines. It brought up blurry memories and an underlying unease. The doctor noticed her expression and grimaced.
“Sorry, Miss Maple, but we need to run these tests.”
May took a deep breath.
“Let’s just get it over with.”
A few hours later, May sat on the edge of a hospital bed waiting. Her eyelids felt so heavy but nerves were keeping her awake. Her Blaziken, having already been given a clean bill of health at the Pokemon Center, sat cross legged by the window like a silent sentinel.
There was a knock on the door so May hopped up to open it.
“Still waiting?” Steven asked as he stepped inside.
“Yeah”, May sighed, “I liked the first time I saved the world better. It didn’t end with me in a hospital.”
“I recall that when you exited the Cave of Origins, you were nearly hypothermic and had to be wrapped up in blankets until you looked like a Metapod.”
“But not at a hospital, and I was fine by the next day.” May glanced out the window before turning back to him. “How’s everything going?”
“The League, Team Aqua, and Team Magma have the cleanup efforts handled”, he replied, “Once everything is settled in Petalburg, your parents are going to come here.”
May nodded but before she could say anything the doctor walked in.
“After all that testing and the information salvaged from Dr. Pascal’s plans, we have a diagnosis”, he stated. “Do you understand how mega evolution works? Specifically on the human end?”
“Only vaguely.”
May looked at Steven because she had a hunch he knew. He did not disappoint.
“Human energy is on a different frequency from pokemon. Keystones and mega stones translate that frequency so that it’s similar to the pokemon’s energy. Every time we use mega evolution, we’re using a little of our own energy to activate it. In the usual context, it’s as harmless as exercise but…”
May realized that Steven didn’t seem surprised. Then again, he’d been the one to shut down the machine and pull her out. He’d even asked her not to use mega evolution. He must have suspected this was the case.
On some level, hadn’t she known too?
“I was used to force Rayquaza’s mega evolution and balance two primal reversions for over a week…” May knew she was angry about being used like that but it was a distant anger, overwhelmed by bone deep weariness. “…How bad is it exactly?”
The doctor didn’t beat around the bush. “If you tried to use mega evolution right now, the strain could kill you.”
May glanced down at the keystone in her bracelet and then over at the matching mega stone bracelet her Blaziken wore. Blaziken had its eyes open now and was shifted forward in worry.
“Okay. No mega evolution for how long?”
“There’s no precedent for this situation”, the doctor replied apologetically, “We’re not sure how long it’ll take you to recover enough to be able to safely use mega evolution again.”
May’s face fell. “Oh… Alright.”
The doctor then spoke again in an authoritarian tone, “Also no strenuous activities at all for two weeks.”
“…When you say ‘strenuous’?”
“No battling, no contests, no unnecessary traveling or anything like that. I understand that is the bulk of what you do but if you push yourself too soon, you’ll make it worse.”
May sighed again, “This is going to be a boring two weeks.”
“You can always read”, Steven offered.
May half-heartedly glared at him.
The doctor went over more details; and, they decided to a schedule for checkups so they could keep track of her recovery. When they were done discussing and the doctor finally left, May looked at Steven expectantly.
“I need some fresh air.”
“Already trying to escape?”
“Are you going to help me or not?”
“Alright”, Steven replied and offered his arm.
As May took it, some of the color returned to her face.
She recalled her Blaziken to its pokeball before they wandered out into the halls. By the time they climbed the stairs and reached the hospital roof, May was obviously winded. Steven guided her over to the closest bench and then went over to the soda machine to buy a bottle of lemonade.
When he walked back over, May had that distant and not-quite-here expression. Steven sat down beside her.
“May?”
She blinked and turned to him. “I keep thinking about how stupid and arrogant I was to not tell anyone about Groudon. I knew you were back. I could have called you. Or I could have stopped by Lavaridge and got Flannery’s help…”
Steven mulled it over a moment before replying.
“…Team Aqua, Primal Kyogre, the meteor, and Deoxys... Again and again, you’ve been put into situations that for some reason or another only you and your pokemon could solve. Perhaps it was more habit than arrogance.”
May let out a bitter snort. “So saving the world is my bad habit.”
Steven responded by taking her hand.
“I’ll gladly be the first person to talk about how amazing you are but you’re still human. It’s okay to make mistakes and have moments of weakness.”
May stared at him for a long pause and then, like a dam bursting, tears spilled from her eyes. For a moment Steven sat frozen. However, he quickly snapped out of it and wrapped his arms around her. May gripped his coat and pressed her head against his shoulder as all the anger, fear, and self-criticism that had built up inside her over time spilled out in shaky sobs.
After a while the sobs slowed, fading as she seemed to settle. Steven shifted slightly and glanced down. Her face was red and splotchy but posed with the neutrality of a dreamless sleep; she’d cried herself to sleep. Seeing no reason to wake her just yet, he carefully shifted again so that they were both in a more comfortable position.
May woke up slowly. There was a pressure in her head and her eyes felt swollen. The bench she was laying on wasn’t the most comfortable of sleeping spots but it wasn’t uncomfortable either. However, the jacket draped over her was both a comfortable weight and cozily warm.
“I’d rather not leave until tomorrow.” Steven’s voice came from nearby. There was a long pause and then, “…Fine. I’ll be there in a few hours.”
May opened her eyes and sat up, tugging Steven’s jacket tighter around her. He stood half-way across the rooftop with back turned to her as he hung up his PokeNav Plus.
“You’re…leaving?” Her voice was more vulnerable sounding that she intended.
Steven turned around to face her, reluctance written clear across his expression. “I’m sorry. My dad needs me back in Rustboro.”
She made a noncommittal hum.
“If you don’t want to be alone, Wallace called earlier saying his niece wants to see you as soon as you’re up to company?”
That brought a small smile to May’s lips. “I’d like to see Lisia soon.”
Steven walked back over and sat down next to her, close but not close enough that their arms or legs brushed against each other.
“Lisia was the one who realized you were missing.”
“The Contest?”
Steven nodded.
“I’ll have to thank her”, May said as she fiddled with one of the metal sleeve cuffs.
Silence then fell between them; and, it wasn’t exactly a comfortable silence.
“I really am sorry”, Steven eventually said, “The last thing I want to do right now is leave you…But between the investigation and the press, my dad needs help dealing with it all… The League too is going to need someone making decisions soon, and none of us are willing to ask that of you yet.”
May sighed as she leaned back and looked up at the drifting clouds. “Isn’t this how it always goes? I save the world, you deal with the fallout… Though I suppose this time was a bit different.”
He had to save her first. Then he’d been with her the entire time while she handled Hoenn’s out of control legendries. Was it fair for him to deal with the fallout while she did nothing for at least two weeks?
Not that she could help. As much as she hated it, May knew she would be useless to the League right now.
May also realized there was a little detail neither of them had addressed. She became suddenly hyper-aware that their hands were a mere centimeters apart. However, despite having clung to him and cried her heart out just a while ago – despite the fact that they’d kissed – she couldn’t bring herself to reach for his hand.
“Before you go… What are we?”
He was quiet a moment, contemplating how to answer. Steven then turned to look her straight in the eyes as a slight blush flushed across his face.
“I can’t pinpoint exactly when it happened or even when I realized it but I have been in love with you for a while now.”
May was fairly certain her heart skipped a couple beats. Her face was definitely burning.
“After we first met, I had a crush on you”, she replied, “Every time we met it became stronger and deeper. I knew I was in love with you after you found me near the Seafloor Cavern. I want to be with you…”
He took in her hesitant expression. “But…?”
“I want to be with you”, she repeated, “But I’m…not… My brain feels like it’s been scrambled. I don’t think I should rush into relationship yet.”
Steven leaned forward and lightly pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“We don’t have to rush. I can wait until you’re ready. It’s only fair after I made you wait so long.”
I did not plan to ever write for the YOI fandom but I got this idea and next thing I knew I was writing it. Also I don’t know how realistic this is because, while I’ve been researching, my knowledge of figure skating is limited. I’m hoping I hit the right range of impressive af but not completely unbelievable in terms of the OC’s initial abilities.
Title: Having The Faith To Soar
Fandom: Yuri On Ice
Ships: Gen
Warning: child neglect and minor character death
AO3
Chapter One - The Ice Tiger Of Russian Meets A Stray Kitten
“She’s pretty good. I always hate running her off the ice.”
“She’s terrible,” Yuri snapped as she fumbled the combination. However, the girl quickly pushed herself up and continued. “Who the hell is coaching her?”
“No one. She’s self-taught.”
During one of the worst weeks of Yuri Plisetsky’s nineteen years, he stumbles across an amateur figure skater and inadvertently becomes her mentor of sorts.
For Vera Kotova, who has been dreaming of figure skating since she was eight but never been able to scrounge up the money for proper lessons, it’s like an answered prayer.
(Or: local grumpy cat takes on a stray kitten apprentice)
Vera was eight years old when her life changed.
The house was unsettlingly quiet. She turned on some music – a song from some American Broadway that her father had always loved – to chase away the silence as she fixed a bowl of cereal. With food made, she then climbed on the cough and flipped through channels in search of cartoons. However, the sight of a sparkling outfit suddenly caused her to pause.
“Here’s Russia’s next generation, Yuri Plisetsky. He is skating ‘On Love: Agape’,” The tv announced.
Then the skater glided and twirled and soared like he was born to fly across the ice. Vera’s heart pounded, and her eyes were glued to the screen. The commentators seemed excited but all she could truly hear was the music. A longing bloomed in her chest.
Vera wanted that. She wanted to do that.
When the routine ended, Vera set her untouched cereal on the coffee table and then skittered down the hall. She wasn’t allowed to use her mother’s laptop but it’s not like her mother was there to stop her.
Vera watched the rest of the skaters while she googled and prayed that there was an ice rink nearby.
A Few Years Later
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
The condolences were repeated again and again. Yuri was sick and tired of hearing them. He’d cussed out Viktor and Katsudon when they’d called to check on him and said that dreaded sentence. Yuri was very tempted to repeat that – the offensive words on the tip of his tongue – but he swallowed back the bitterness when Lilia put a hand on his shoulder.
Funerals were awful.
It’s a small funeral; just the family, grandpa’s friends and neighbors, Yakov, and Lilia. As soon as they began tossing dirt into the grave, Yuri turned and stormed away. He ignored the burning in his eyes and how his vision was starting to blur.
“Yuri,” Yakov said as they caught up to him, “Take a few more days off.”
He whipped his head to glare at his coach in disbelief. “What?!”
“If you get on the ice now, you’re going to hurt yourself.”
Yuri huffed. He wanted to skate. He wanted to pour all his grief and anger into the ice until he couldn’t feel anymore.
Yakov stared at him knowingly. “I’m not letting you on the ice with that mindset.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to fly up?” That was the first thing Otabek asked when they skyped later that night, after the train ride back to St. Petersburg.
Yuri’s frown deepened. “…Focus on training. We’ll see each other soon enough.”
Otabek nodded but worry still creased his face. If anyone else was giving him an expression like that, Yuri would be tempted to throw something at them. Since it was Otabek and since Yuri couldn’t throw anything all the way to Almaty, he let it go.
Yuri switched topics after that and was silently grateful that Otabek went along with it. Talking late into the night about movies and the plan to visit the Beijing Zoo during the Cup of China helped him forget, if only for a few hours.
Yuri woke up the next morning before dawn. Pure habit had him nudging his cat over so he can climb out of bed. It wasn’t until he was brushing his teeth that he remembered Yakov had barred him from skating for the next few days.
Yuri muttered a string of curses at that.
He got ready anyway to go on a jog around the city. The way everyone was going about their morning business – ignorant that there was now a gaping hole in his life – only pissed Yuri off. He glowered at anyone who had the misfortune of glancing at him.
By the time lunch rolled around, Yuri found the idea of staying in the city sickening. He ate a sandwich mechanically – without tasting it – and then grabbed his keys.
On his first trip to Almaty, during the off season after his senior debut, he had convinced Otabek to teach him how to drive a motorcycle. He’d eventually bought his own as well.
Yuri hopped onto his bike and revved it. Then he drove away from St. Petersburg. If Yakov wouldn’t let him pour his grief onto the ice, then dammit he was going to pour it into driving far far away.
It’s only when he needed to fill up the gas tank that Yuri stopped. He pulled into some rundown gas station in a small town of somewhere hours west of St. Petersburg. The sun was starting to dip below the horizon, coloring the sky in red and purple. It’s picturesque enough that Yuri briefly considered taking a photo.
He didn’t.
Yuri was about to get back on his motorbike when he noticed the sign for an ice rink just down the road. He was slightly surprised a town like this even had an ice rink. While he had no intention to skate, like a magnetic pull, he couldn’t help but drive over to it.
Looking at it from the outside, it wasn’t very impressive. He parked his bike and went up to the entrance, skimming over the times on the door. Apparently the rink would close in about fifteen minutes. Yuri walked in anyway.
The inside wasn’t very impressive either. Not only was the building old but all the equipment was obviously out of date. Small town, Yuri reminded himself. The manager gave him an odd look from his place behind the counter. Yuri ducked his head, hiding his face beneath his coat hood.
“We’re closing soon.”
“I won’t stick around long”, he replied before marching straight toward the rink.
There was only one person on the ice. The skater was a young girl with earbuds in her ears and sweaty from exertion. She rose a slender arm to the sky as if reaching for something grander.
Yuri stopped dead in his tracks. He knew that pose. He recognized the choreography that she slid into. It was his senior debut short program, On Love: Agape. She shifted her momentum in time with the musical cues that Yuri couldn’t hear but still knew by heart and muscle memory even years later. The girl glided across the ice as light as a feather and yet there was a heavy weight to her movements. It was as if her skating was a prayer laid bare on the ice.
(In the back of his mind, Yuri thought of the way Katsudon drew people in so that they couldn’t look away.)
Yuri frowned. Despite that, the girl’s technical skills were riddled with mistakes. She barely managed the first jump, a single axel in place of his triple.
The manager walked up beside him. “She’s pretty good. I always hate running her off.”
“She’s terrible,” Yuri snapped as she fumbled the combination. However, the girl quickly pushed herself up and continued. “Who the hell is coaching her?”
“No one. She’s self-taught.”
Something twitched inside Yuri. She was butchering a scaled down version of his program but for her to be good enough to even attempt it without coaching…
Yuri’s frown deepened as he watched her struggle through the program, absentmindedly noting all her faults. Finally she entered the ending pose, clasped hands raised to the heavens.
The manager glanced at his watch and then yelled, “Vera! It’s about closing time!”
The girl dropped her arms and turned to look at them with a pout. She then glided over and yanked her earbuds from her ears. She eyed Yuri warily as she slumped onto the nearest bench and began unlacing her rental skates.
“Brat,” Yuri said, “What’s this I hear about you not having a coach?”
She glanced back up at him and stared intently. Yuri wasn’t surprised when her hazel eyes went wide in recognition a split second later. She yelped and leaped into the air like a startled cat.
Yuri looked down at her and managed to hold back a laugh. The girl pinched her cheek.
“Ouch. Okay, not dreaming.” She then looked over to the manager. “Why is Yuri Plisetsky here?”
The manager’s jaw dropped as he spun to Yuri. “Yuri Plisetsky?!”
“I was passing through and happened to stop here,” Yuri answered with a shrug, “I saw you skating.”
The girl’s face went bright red, and she suddenly found the floor very interesting.
Yuri then listed off every single mistake she made: the barely savaged landing of her single axel and the other jumps she’d messed up, her bad posture during the basic spin she did, and the missteps during the step sequence.
She stared back up at him wide-eyed. Water pooled in the corner of her eyes.
Yuri paused mid-sentence. Shit, Lilia would murder him if she heard he’d made a little kid that was clearly a fan of his cry!
The girl rubbed her face and scrambled up to dart away. Yuri was about to call out to try to salvage the situation; offer a selfie or autograph or both. However, the girl didn’t go far. She stopped in front a beaten and battered school bag to pull out a notebook and pen.
Then she came back.
“Um, can you repeat that please? I want to take notes…” She asked, looking at him in a way that reminded Yuri of how his cat would just stare when she wanted something.
“I will, but first I want to know why you don’t have a coach?”
A look of sad resignation passed across her face. “…Can’t afford one.”
Yuri remembered what it was like to be unable to afford things he wanted. He’d originally only gotten lessons because an old friend of his mother’s had agreed to coach him at a discount. Up until he won his first competition at least.
Eventually he’d been able to support his family and career through prize money and sponsorships but if he didn’t have that initial connection… He probably wouldn’t be where he was now.
“Can you come back here tomorrow?” Yuri asked.
She frowned, thinking for a moment, before nodding.
“Good. If it’s okay with your parents, I’m going to give you a private lesson.”
For the briefest of seconds a dark cloud covered her eyes, but then she lit up like a Christmas tree.
Yuri found a cheap motel nearby. The second he shut the door to the room, he pulled out his phone to call Yakov. His coach answered on the second ring.
“Yuri?”
“I need you to come to-” He paused and had to look up the name of the town before relaying it.
Yakov let out a long, tired sign. “Please tell me you didn’t do anything stupid?”
“What? Do you think I’m in jail?”
“…..”
“I’m not!” He shouted before taking a deep breath. “Look, I found this kid with potential but no coach. I want you to come watch her skating and see what you think.”
After getting back to the house, Vera had jumped and danced around until she’d finally burned enough excited energy to fall asleep on the couch.
When she woke up the next morning to the beeping of her alarm, the lights were still on. The house was silent and empty. Vera frowned. Her mother hadn’t come home again.
Vera pushed herself off the couch to get breakfast and then get ready for the day. The promised skating lesson later on put a hurried edge into her step. It was still hard to believe that the afternoon before had been real! THE Yuri Plisetsky had offered to spend a few hours teaching her!
…There had to be a catch, right? World famous figure skaters just didn’t teach random kids for an afternoon, right?
Vera decided that she didn’t care. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. But first she had to get through the school day.
Yuri was waiting at the ice rink when the girl, Vera, bounded inside. She stopped short about a meter in front of him, bouncing on her heels and staring at him.
Fuck. What had he been thinking? Yuri wasn’t a coach; he had no idea how to teach figure skating. He could give tips to other advanced skaters but this was different…
She continued to stare with those big kitty-cat eyes, waiting for him to say something.
Screw it, Yuri thought with a huff, it was just for an afternoon.
“Go get your skates on,” he said.
She nodded and hurried to comply. Soon enough Vera was on the ice, while Yuri hung back and gave her instructions. Not to keep Yakov’s order to stay off the ice but because he didn’t have his skates and really didn’t want to use old, smelly rentals.
“Remember what I said about your posture. Fix it.”
“Hold your arms closer. There, like that.”
“Lift your leg higher before going into the jump.”
Vera listened to him like she was lost in a burning desert and he was offering water. Now that she had explanations for what she was doing wrong, it was obvious how much focus she was putting in to fix the problems. Sweat beaded for forehead; and, her muscles were straining from the effort.
“Take a breather,” Yuri said after a few more minutes.
Vera turned to him with an expression that was oddly familiar. “I’m not tired yet. I can keep going.”
Yuri picked up a water bottle and held it over the rink wall toward her.
“You need to stay hydrated.”
She pouted but skated over and took the bottle from him.
“Have you ever thought about competing?”
Vera nearly dropped the water bottle at the question. She then took a long drink before forcefully setting it on the side of the rink.
“I can’t afford it.”
Yuri frowned. “But if you could, is that something you would want?”
Vera glanced down at her feet as her ears turned red. Her voice was a whisper, “I just…want to skate like you do…”
Yuri knew he had become an inspiration and aspiration for kids the world over, but how the hell was he supposed to reply to that?
He was saved from coming up with an answer when the door was pushed open, signaling Yakov’s arrival. He gave Yuri a stern glare before turning his attention Vera. She looked at him hesitantly, almost like she hadn’t decided if he was a threat or not.
“This is my coach, Yakov.”
“...I know.”
“And this is Vera Kotova.”
Yakov glanced between them and then raised an eyebrow. “Let’s see it then.”
“Ready to run through the whole thing?” Yuri asked.
Vera nodded and then glided toward the center of the rink. Yuri moved over to where his phone was plugged into a speaker and hit play. The moment the music began to drift across the rink, Yakov recognized it.
“This is-!”
“Watch.”
Yuri had been a little worried that skating in front of him and his coach would make Vera too nervous to do well. However, once she began to skate, it was as if her world had fallen away to nothing but the ice and the song.
A few hours’ worth of guidance would never be enough to iron out the bad habits she’d unintentionally formed. That would take months of hard work under the tutelage of a good coach. However, it was enough for her to smoothly land the first jump. Her one foot spin was just a little tighter too.
Next up was the combination. Her momentum as she leapt into the salchow had a note of elegance. However, she slipped the landing of toe-loop. Her hand touched the ice but she didn’t let it faze her and continued without missing a beat. Her next jump, another toe-loop, was flawless and led seamlessly into the step sequence. While it was a simplified version, her feet moved with the grace of someone who poured their entire being into each motion.
“You said that she’s self-taught?” Yakov asked as if he couldn’t quite believe it.
“Unless you count the tips I’ve given her the past hour or so.”
“Hmm.”
Vera shifted into the last spin. It was a little sloppy; the exhaustion catching up to her. Then finally she reached for the sky as if pleading to the heavens.
There was a moment of silence before Vera let her arms drop and turned to them, red faced and panting for breath. This time Yuri held back his critique (for now) and settled for an approving nod. She beamed as she skated back over to them.
“Are you sure you never took lessons?” Yakov commented.
Vera shook her head. “This rink used to have a coach but I could never afford lessons and then he moved…”
“Are you’re parents here? We might be able to work something out.”
“Really?!” Her excitement then faded into a grimace. “I can call my mom.”
Not bothering to remove her skates, Vera thumped over to her bag and pulled out a cell phone from the side pocket. She fidgeted as the other line rang. Eventually she signed as she looked back at them.
“Sorry, it went to voicemail.” She then turned away from them to speak into the phone. “Um, mom, could you come down to the ice rink before it closes? There’s, ah, a coach here that wants to talk to you. Please?”
Vera hung up and turned back around with a smiled that seemed forced. “She’s probably covering an extra shift for someone at her work.”
“Alright, we might as well go over your mistakes while we wait,” Yakov announced, “Yuri, get on the ice but no quads.”
“I don’t have my skates,” he flatly replied.
“They’re in my car.”
So while they waited, Yuri went through his practice. Part the way through Vera called out asking for him to do a triple toe-loop. On a whim, Yuri did the jump. Vera then called out another and another.
Until finally she asked, “Can I try a double?”
Yakov sighed the sigh of a coach whose students rarely listened to him. “All athletes need to understand their limits and know when to stop before they hurt themselves.”
“Why are you looking at me”, Yuri demanded.
Yakov spoke again to Vera, “You need to build on your basics more first.”
She huffed but reluctantly nodded.
It was almost closing time before the manager brought in Vera’s mother. She had a too large coat over a waitress uniform; and, the same shade of not quite blond but not quite brunette hair as her daughter. She glanced around the rink with a deepening frown before walking toward them.
“Vera! Why did you call me at work over this?” She sounded annoyed. Like her daughter’s hopes and dreams were something trivial that should be cast aside.
Yuri hadn’t been oblivious to all the sad and dark expressions that had passed over Vera’s face whenever her parents were mentioned. Even now she wore a mask of blank resignation, as if she’d been fully expecting her mother’s reaction.
Did the kid have anyone who cared enough to support her? Something inside Yuri snapped at that thought. He growled and stomped his foot down.
“Your daughter has the talent and drive to become a world class figure skater! Like hell will I let some old hag let that type of potential go to waste in some stupid backwater town!”
“Yuri!”
Yuri whipped his head around to glare at his coach.
“Let me talk to Mrs. Kotova, privately,” Yakov ordered.
As his coach led the rather stunned woman off, Yuri felt a tug on his coat. He glanced down to meet Vera’s hopeful eyes.
“Did you really mean that?”
Yuri smirked. “I don’t spend time giving advice to just anyone.”
“When I told you to take a few days off,” Yakov said later, after most the details had been figured out, “I never imagined you’d find a stray to adopt.”
“Shut up.”
Vera was eleven years old when her life changed again.
Sorry this chapter took so long. This chapter and the last were the most difficult ones because of the action sequences and trying to balance May and Steven’s point of views. But I’m super happy with how this turned out! I hope you guys enjoy it!
Title: Project ∞
Fandom: Pokemon, Pokemon ORAS
Ships: HoennChampionShipping
AO3, Previous Chapters
Chapter Fourteen - Pyroclast
May had once showed him Kyogre’s primal reversion. It had been breathtakingly awe-inspiring yet it didn’t match the sheer fear inducing intensity of this moment.
“Kyogre would be the easiest to calm. Think you and your team could distract Groudon for a few minutes?” May said. He could practically hear her wincing.
Steven shifted as he glanced down to see Kyogre ramming a giant wave into Groudon. Groudon responded with a burst of earthen blades and then a blast of fire. He frowned as ideas to pull off such a risky distraction raced through his head.
“…Five minutes tops. Maybe less.”
“That should be enough…”
At that moment Kyogre happened to notice them and – as if wanting to prove May’s former declaration wrong – shot an Ice Beam up at them. Latios tried to dodge but the chilled attack grazed its wing. They were sent spiraling wildly. Steven was flung off during the first spin. The wind rushed through his ears as he reached for a pokeball and called out his ever trusty partner. At the same time he grabbed his mega stone pin and pressed it to his lips.
A bright flash of light filled his vision. Then Mega Metagross’s claws grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him safely onto its head.
“Thanks, Mega Metagross.”
“Meta!”
Steven then glanced around to find May. He let out a sigh of relief seeing her very easily spotted yellow Altaria and then gave her a thumbs up. She smiled and nodded before having her Altaria hit Kyogre with a Solar Beam.
With one super-ancient pokemon distracted, Steven turned his attention to the other.
“Let’s get in a little closer”, Steven told Metagross as he reached for another pokeball. His Aerodactyl came out with a screech. “Ice Fang!”
“Dactyl!”
The fossil pokemon swooped down at Groudon, dodging a plume of fire, and bit into its arm. Groudon swung it off before hurling a wave of rocks and boulders at it. While Aerodactyl attempted to dodge the attack, Metagross hovered low enough for Steven to step onto the islet.
“Zen Headbutt!”
Mega Metagross then barreled toward Groudon with psychic power building up around its head. The hit was hard enough to briefly knock Groudon off balance. Then the super-ancient pokemon slammed a foot down, sending earthen blades from the ground.
Claws gripped Steven’s shoulders as Aerodactyl pulled him up before the attack could reach him.
“Metagross!” His eyes darted in search of his partner through the dust.
“Gro..sss…” Metagross tried to get back up but quickly collapsed in a heap.
Steven quickly recalled it to the pokeball. “You did great. I was asking a lot of you.”
“Aero!” Aerodactyl screeched in warning as Groudon hurled another wave of rocks at them. Knowing there was no way Aerodactyl could dodge all of those while carrying him, Steven reached for another pokeball-
May’s Altaria suddenly flew between them and the attack. A steely sheen covered its normally cloud-like wings as it cut down each rock. Though relieved to see her pokemon was alright, May’s absence brought a troubled frown to Steven’s face.
However, he didn’t have time to worry as Groudon followed up by shooting lava plumes up at them. Both flying pokemon were able to dodge but the wave of heat still seared across Steven’s skin.
“Drop me on Sunshine”, Steven called to Aerodactyl, “Then Ice Fang again.”
“Dactyl!” It quickly flew toward the Altaria and dropped Steven on its back before charging at Groudon.
“Get ready to use Solar Beam.”
“Al-ria!” It cried as it began to absorb sunlight.
Down below Aerodactyl once again bit into Groudon with icy power. The super-ancient let out a roar and swiped at Aerodactyl.
“Now!”
Altaria let loose the solar power it’d collected in a bright beam.
Then something strange happened. An intense sensation of power radiated from Groudon. That power seemed to crystalize around the super-ancient pokemon, effectively shielding it from the Solar Beam. A single symbol burned at the center:
Ω
The sight filled Steven with dread.
“Primal reversion…”
The orb of power shattered to reveal Primal Groudon. Lava seemed to flow through its body; and, the heat it gave off was so intense that the water around its islet began to boil.
May had once showed him Kyogre’s primal reversion. It had been breathtakingly awe-inspiring yet it didn’t match the sheer fear inducing intensity of this moment. Mostly because Primal Kyogre had never stared at him like it wanted nothing more to squish him and his pokemon beneath its foot.
Steven had barely shaken himself out of shock when the super-ancient pokemon once again hurled a volley of rocks and boulders at them.
“Dodge!”
Both flying pokemon did their best but there were more projectiles than the previous attacks. One rock hit Aerodactyl, and Steven could only watch as his pokemon fell into the waves below.
“Taria!”
Altaria again used Steel Wing to cut through the rocks but one happened to blindside it. The rock slammed into Altaria’s side, knocking its balance completely off. Then they were falling too.
They hit the waves hard enough that it knocked the breath out of Steven. Thankfully they did not crash within the ring of boiling water. Steven quickly swam up to the surface and coughed out the water he’s almost swallowed.
He then frantically glanced around for his Aerodactyl. He spotted it nearly by, struggling to breach the waves and get back into the air. By how scratched up and injured it looked, Steven wasn’t sure it’d be able to. Even if it did, it was no longer in any condition to face Primal Groudon.
“Aerodactyl, return”, he said as he recalled it to its pokeball. He then turned to May’s Altaria. It wasn’t in much better shape than his Aerodactyl but May was the one with its pokeball. “Hang in there…”
Where was May? Steven wondered as tension twisted in his stomach.
“Talria!”
At the pokemon’s screech, Steven realized that Primal Groudon was preparing another attack. Flames sparked from its mouth as it built up fire in the back of its throat. The options he could see were to dive down or call out Skarmory to fly them out of the way…
Neither option seemed promising to Steven.
Then Kyogre suddenly breached the surface with an Origin Pulse ready. The blasts of fire and water struck, completely nullifying both attacks.
“Looks like we can’t get through this without facing primal reversion after all…”, May’s voice – raspy and worn – carried over by the wind, “I suppose Rayquaza’s power reached its limit… and with Kyogre calm again, the balance tipped…”
“May!”
When she turned to him, Steven was hit with another sense of unease. What little energy she’d regained at Ever Grande had already run dry. The color had once again drained from her complexion. Yet her expression was nothing but grim determination; her eyes were as deep and unreadable as the ocean reflecting the night sky.
“Sunshine, return”, she called, holding out its pokeball. “Thanks for the distraction, Steven.”
“Grrrrr!” Kyogre bellowed, glaring over at its primal counterpart.
“No, you can’t fight. If it’s you, you’ll only antagonize Groudon more.” She patted the top of Kyogre’s head. “Just get me over there, okay.”
Steven had a really bad feeling in his gut.
Kyogre let loose an Ice Beam and promptly chilled the boiling waters. Then it surged forward, creating a wave as it crashed into Groudon’s islet. The super-ancient pokemon let out an enraged roar.
May slid off Kyogre’s back and stepped on solid ground before silently returning Kyogre to its pokeball. Not once did she take her eyes off Primal Groudon.
“Groudon”, she said, “I-”
Its name had barely left her lips when Groudon spewed fire at her. There was a flash of light as Blaziken appeared. The pokemon grabbed May and then jumped high into the air, dodging the flames. They landed behind Groudon.
“Sky Uppercut.”
Blaziken let her go before rushing around the super-ancient pokemon. Before Groudon could react, Blaziken punched it square on its jaw. Primal Groudon swayed but then swung out an arm and slammed it into Blaziken. The pokemon went skidding across the ocean like a skipping stone.
“Torch!”
May winced. She wanted to rush to her partner pokemon, but that wasn’t feasible with a still angry legendary standing in between them. Her fingers brushed against her remaining pokeballs.
“Rikki, Retaliate!”
Her Zangoose practically leaped from its pokeball and into the attack. Once again Groudon stumbled back from the blow. It huffed, steam flaring from its nostrils. May hoped it was a sign that all the damage it’d taken was getting to it.
Unfortunately Primal Groudon still had plenty of fight left in it. All too fast – before May could even form a warning – it struck Zangoose the same way it’d hit Blaziken. May could only watch as once as one of her partners went soaring away, only to hit the waves.
(She really hoped Steven would prioritize rescuing her pokemon.)
Now only two of her partners were in any condition to battle…
May grabbed Pixel’s pokeball. Then her vision suddenly blurred as the ground seemed to sway beneath her feet. She could hear someone – Steven – yelling but it was distant, almost like she was underwater again.
The dizzy spell seemed to pass but the moment of distraction left her staring straight at Primal Groudon. Its eyes were directly on her as it built up the flames of its next attack. They erupted from its mouth and charged at her.
May instinctively covered her eyes, bracing for heat and searing pain.
The heat came. It felt as hot as back in the volcano where she’d first encountered Groudon a little over a week ago. However, the pain didn’t.
Cautiously, May looked up. It was bright; a brightness that mixed the red of fire with the blue-white of pokemon evolution. The changing form within the blue-white glow was unmistakably familiar.
“Junior?”
May realized that at the last second her Metang had escaped its pokeball. But there was no way any Metang could survive such an attack from Primal Groudon, so it had evolved.
The flames died down, as did the glow of pokemon evolution. What stood between her and Primal Groudon – what had just saved her life – was Junior the Metagross.
Her Metagross.
For a split second, May was too stunned to do anything.
Then she noticed the burn injuries searched across its metal body. Junior might have survived that attack but there was no way it’d survive another hit. She immediately scrambled to its side.
“You’re amazing”, May whispered and placed a hand on its head, not caring – barely even noticing – that the steel was hot.
“Me..ta…”
“May!”
Steven’s voice was a sharp warning. May glanced up to see Primal Groudon preparing its next flamethrower.
“Mett-” Her Metagross tried to move despite its pain.
Something inside May snapped. She felt on the verge of collapsing. Almost all her precious pokemon were seriously hurt.
“That’s enough, Groudon.” She stood back up on shaky legs and began to walk toward the Primal. “I know it hurts. I know you’re angry. I know you don’t like me… That you’re blaming me for capturing you… I’ll release you back into Mt. Chimney if that’s what you want.”
She continued forward slowly, never taking her eyes from Groudon’s. The super-ancient pokemon stared at her with fire sparking from its mouth. However, it had yet to attack her.
(May hoped that for the sake of her lifespan that Groudon wouldn’t attack.)
“But you need to calm down before your anger takes lives.”
Groudon narrowed its eyes. Above the sunlight seemed to get harsher.
“You were willing to learn to care”, May rebutted, “That’s why I was able to capture you after all… I’m sorry how it turned out… if I had known it was a trap…”
Primal Groudon took a step toward her. May’s heart pounded in her ears. This was so familiar and yet different from facing Primal Kyogre in the Cave of Origins.
“Please let’s try this one more time, okay?”
May felt it as the Blue Orb and Red Orb found a new balance. It was as if a tug of war that had been just on the edge of her consciousness had ended. Groudon’s primal reversion faded like cooling lava.
May reached for one last pokeball, the one she’d caught Groudon in. “Will you return? I’d like to make sure you’re okay.”
Groudon slowly gave a nod. Relief flooded through May as she recalled the super-ancient pokemon. It was over.
It was finally over.
May fell to her knees with an ‘oouf’. For a few seconds… Or maybe it was a few minutes? Time lost meaning as she stared across the newly islet and the blue waves toward the horizon.
“May!” Steven snapped her out of the trance by kneeling in her line of vision and placing a hand to her forehead.
She blinked. “My pokemon?!”
“They’re hurt but they should all be okay.” He took her hand and pulled her up. “I’m more worried about you.”
May didn’t have the energy to give even token disagreement.
Hello! I’m Vera Kotova, a self-taught amateur skater. Through an unlikely twist of chance, THE Yuri Plisetsky saw me skating and was impressed enough to call his coach! Now I’ve been whisked away to St. Petersburg so I can train under one of Coach Feltsman’s associates. Meanwhile, the Grand Prix Series continues with the Cup of China! I can’t wait to see Yuri skate again!
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Vera groaned and rolled over to reach for her noisy phone on the nightstand. The screen glared with a notification: Ballet Practice. Vera practically rolled out of bed and turned the alarm off.
Ever since moving to St. Petersburg, she had a very strict schedule to keep. Six mornings a week she had alternating physical training and ballet practice. Of course, she had school after morning practice five days a week. Her favorite time of day was the afternoon when she was able to practice ice skating.
“You might have some potential but you currently lack a solid foundation to build on,” Coach Feltsman had told her, “If you want to seriously compete, training needs to become your life.”
What else did she have in life anyway? A dead father and a mother that barely paid attention to her. Vera would gladly throw her body and soul into the only thing she did have: ice skating.
So, while her sore body longed to sleep another hour or two, Vera quickly got ready and left for the ballet studio. As she exited the apartment building, the sounds of the city – cars, people, seagulls – invaded her ears. The tall buildings and crowded streets were vastly different from the sparse town she’d lived in up until now. It was still a little overwhelming; she hadn’t yet felt comfortable wandering outside her bubble of apartment-gym-ballet studio-school-ice rink.
Maybe if she asked nicely when the season was over Yuri would go with her to explore the city? He did say he’d check in on her progress, even if he hadn’t been specific on when. But with the Cup of China quickly approaching and then the Grand Prix Finals after that… Then Nationals and then World’s… Vera wasn’t expecting to see Yuri Plisetsky again any time soon.
That was okay. She’d work really hard so that next time saw him, he wouldn’t regret giving her this chance.
Vera’s drifting thoughts cut off as she pushed the door open and entered the ballet studio.
The rink was strangely empty and quiet when Vera got there. She checked her phone and realized that she’d somehow managed to arrive a good fifteen minutes early. It was still unusual because this rink was typically open to the public right before the skating class. Maybe someone had booked it earlier?
Vera shrugged, not caring about the specifics, and went to put on her skates (that they were truly hers and not rentals still made her grin). She hadn’t gotten a chance to skate alone in weeks. There was no way she wasn’t going to take advantage of the empty rink.
As she skated out onto the ice, she put her earbuds in and stuffed her phone in her pocket.
Sic mea vita est temporaria, cupit ardenter caritatem aeternam
Vera hadn’t attempted skating Agape since moving to the city. Now she felt a difference in her skating. Her balance was even more stable; her motions were both more fluid and precise. She smiled softly before going into her first jump.
The sound and feel of blades against the ice as she made a perfect landing was beautiful and thrilling. Feeling even more confident, she continued to flow with the music.
Once she and the music came to a still, Vera blinked and realized that she’d gathered a small audience. Coach Lebedeva was standing rinkside with a bemused expression. A few of Vera’s rinkmates were there as well; their faces filled with a mixture of excitement and disbelief. One girl, who had her hair in a high ponytail, had her phone held up to take a video.
“Um…”
Vera’s cheeks felt a little warm; and, she wasn’t sure what to say. However, her rinkmates broke the silence for her.
“That was so cool!”
“I didn’t know you could land an axel!”
“How long did it take you to learn that?”
“Thanks. I first managed it about six months ago. And a few years,” she managed to answer.
Before anyone could say more, Coach Lebedeva clapped her hands to get their attention. “Alright everyone, stretch and get your stakes on. And, Anya, don’t post that video online without Vera’s permission.”
Anya guiltily put her phone down, shooting an apologetic smile, and then went to get her skates on.
Once the rest of her rinkmates joined Vera on the ice, Anya skated up to her, “Some of us are watching the Cup of China at my house later. Do you want to come?”
Vera wanted to say that she’d go but the words got stuck in her throat.
“…I can’t. I have to finish a project for school,” she lied.
“Oh, maybe next time.”
“Yeah.”
The awkward pause was broken as Coach Lebedeva instructed them into edge drills. As it could be expected from a group of pre-teens, the class was an organized chaos. Students laughed and joked while skating in every direction; and, the coach would call out corrections or glide over to help when someone was struggling. Despite all that, practice always seemed to go by quickly to Vera. Soon enough her rinkmates were heading off the ice. When Vera didn’t follow them, the coach gave her a look but said nothing. Vera took that as permission to continue and stretched into the Biellmann position again.
As parents arrived to pick up her rinkmates, she tried not to pay them any attention. However, it was impossible to completely block out the drifting chatter.
“Anya,” the voice was soft and sweet, “How many of your friends are coming?”
Anya listed off half the class. Excited giggles echoed across the room as Anya’s mother began ushering the group toward the door. Vera frowned as she switched the positions of her legs and went into a spin.
It was only after all her rinkmates had left that Coach Lebedeva’s called out, “That’s enough for today. If you practice much longer, you’ll miss the men’s short programs.”
Since the Cup of China didn’t start for another hour, Vera figured the coach was just saying that because she wanted to leave but couldn’t with a student still on the ice.
“I’m coming,” she replied as she skated off the rink.
That Seung-gil guy was about finished with his short program; the crowd cheering as the commentators exclaimed in excitement over the flawless combination he just landed. It was at that exact moment reality suddenly hit Yuri like a freight train.
“Yuri,” Yakov’s voice was distant, “Come on. You’re up next.”
He felt rooted to the spot, unable to move. The ground seemed oddly distant and blurred as well.
“Yuri?” A hand lightly placed on his shoulder. Lilia. “What’s wrong?”
Wrong?
Grandpa had rarely been able to come to his competitions but he always watched them on tv. Now, for the first time since Yuri moved up to the Senior division, Grandpa wasn’t sitting at home with the tv on to watch him skate.
A sob was building in the back of his throat. Yuri bit it back as a kernel of molten anger settled in the pit of his stomach. He absolutely refused to breakdown here and now! He could get through this! He could get out there and give one hell of a performance!
He just needed to move.
“Yura.”
He glanced around until his eyes found Otabek. His friend’s expression was as stoic as ever but Yuri knew him well enough read between the lines. There was no pity found in Otabek’s gaze, just the certainty that no matter what Yuri would give it his all. That he would soldier through.
“Davai.”
Yuri took a deep breath and then gave Otabek a thumbs up.
“It’s time,” Yakov said.
Yuri nodded and began walking toward the rink. He had a medal to win.
The next night found Yuri kicking the locker room wall and muttering insults under his breath. He honestly didn’t mind losing gold to Otabek but he lost silver to Seung-gil?! What the hell?!
“Between the gold from France and this bronze, your spot at the finals is secure,” Yakov stated from behind him, “You’ll do better there.”
Yuri glared at an invisible point. “I will.”
Hours later Yuri knocked on a hotel door. It took a minute for it to open and reveal Otabek. Seeing Yuri, he opened the door wider and shifted aside. Yuri walked right in and immediately sprawled on the couch.
“I’ve sat on more comfortable benches.”
Otabek simply nodded before nudging Yuri so that he’d make room. Yuri grumbled but complied. Then Otabek just waited for the rant he knew was coming.
“Yakov didn’t even lecture me! He always lectures me after I skate!”
“He’s trying to be sensitive.”
“Well, it’s weird! I don’t want him tip-toeing around me!”
Otabek hummed in response.
“It’s bad enough that Katsudon and Viktor keep calling to check on me,” he continued with a grimace, “Bleh! I swear if Lilia goes easy on me when we get back to St. Petersburg I’ll kick someone.”
Otabek’s mouth tugged up ever so slightly, unnoticeable to everyone but those that knew him best.
“Not Lilia,” he said.
Yuri gave him an incredulous look. “Hell no! I don’t have a death wish!”
There was a beat of quiet as his word choice sank in. Then Yuri rolled off the couch and ended up face down on the floor.
“The carpet is more comfortable than that stupid couch. Someone should complain to the hotel.”
“I’ll be sure to mention it,” Otabek replied, his voice so flat that it was impossible to tell if he were joking or not.
“Good.” Yuri pushed himself back up and leaned against the couch. “We’re still going to Beijing Zoo before the exhibition show tomorrow, right.”
Otabek nodded. “You’d disown me if I tried to back out.”
“Damn right I would.” His eyes suddenly went wide like he remembered something important. “Oh! Watch this.”
Yuri then pulled out his phone and swiped until he found the video he wanted. Otabek leaned over Yuri’s shoulder as he started the video. It was of a young girl skating with familiar movements.
“The kid you mentioned?”
“Yeah. Yakov’s friend sent the video yesterday,” Yuri answered, “Would you believe she’s only been formally training for less than two months?”
Otabek watched to the end before replying, “Then she has overwhelming natural talent.”
“Right!”
The students were gathering their things and trailing out the door when Vera’s phone started playing Allegro Appassionato in B minor. The teacher gave her a disapproving look but couldn’t say anything since it was time to leave. Vera stuck her tongue out once the teacher glanced away. She then unlocked her phone to see a text:
Vera let out an excited noise that earned her a few odd looks from her classmates. She didn’t notice though as she quickly gathered her stuff and zipped up her coat. Then she was out the door.
The air outside was chill; and, the ground was damp from it drizzling earlier in the day. Vera’s breath turned to mist as she glanced around. It didn’t take long to spot Yuri. He was leaning against the fence with his hoodie pulled over his head and scrolling through his phone.
“Yuri!”
He looked up as she sprinted over to him.
“Didn’t you just get back from China? I watched your programs!”
“We got back a few days ago,” he replied, “Come on. Yakov will yell if we’re late.”
Yuri began walking down the sidewalk; and, Vera had to practically jog to keep up with his long strides. She filled the walk with questions about his trip. While Yuri was happy to answer general questions about China, his replies about the competition itself were short and sharp. Vera fell silent after a few minutes.
It didn’t take much longer for the building to come into sight; its sign had ‘Sports Champions Club’ spelled out around the flag. There were a few people milling outside the entrance but they weren’t dressed to skate or workout. Yuri suddenly stopped in his tracks. Vera stopped a step later and looked back at him questioningly.
“Da-” He glanced at Vera and made an annoyed sound. “Tch. Can’t the reporters let me train in peace.”
Since they had yet to notice him, Yuri grabbed Vera’s hand and started walking.
“We’ll sneak past them and go through the back.”
He led her around the side of the building to an ‘employees only’ door. Either someone had left it unlocked or it’d been purposely left that way for this situation. Whichever reason, they were able to get inside without any issues.
Once they’d passed through a storage area, they entered the main lobby. Vera blinked as she took everything in. It was large but not overly crowded; just a few employees going about their work and a group of men with hockey shirts talking to each other. An employee greeted Yuri and gave Vera a curious look but everyone else ignored them.
They entered the rink then. Only Mila (THE Mila Babicheva!) was on the ice, spinning and jumping as she practiced what Vera recognized as her short program for the season.
“Woah.”
“There you are!” Coach Feltsman shouted.
Yuri joined his coach by the ice, while Vera trailed behind him. He began stretching as he replied, “There are reporters out front again.”
“It’s because you refused interviews after the Cup of China.”
“They can stay out of it,” he replied darkly.
“You won’t be able to dodge them forever.”
Vera, feeling a little lost by their argument, went back to watching Mila skate. How cool was it that she would be sharing a rink with both Yuri Plisetsky AND Mila Babicheva, if only for a day?
Mila’s short program practice run soon ended. She glided over and grabbed a water bottle, listening while Coach Feltsman critiqued. However, she soon spotted Vera and leaned over the rink wall.
“So this is the little kitten you’ve adopted, Yuri,” she said with a wide grin.
Vera blinked. “Kitten?”
“Shut up, hag!”
“I can still lift you.”
Yuri groaned in annoyance. Mila turned back to Vera.
“What’s your name?”
“Vera Kotova.”
“Kotova, huh?” She laughed. “See, she is a kitten.”
Yuri rolled his eyes and went to put on his skates, grumbling all the while. Mila continued smiling after him.
“…Um,” Vera said as she tapped Mila’s arm to get her attention, “You’re my favorite female skater.”
Mila stared at her a moment before shouting, “Yuri! Yakov! We’re keeping her!”
Yakov just shook his head at his students’ antics. “Mila, work on that step sequence again. Yuri, warm up.”
Mila returned to skating, while Yuri finished lacing his skates and went to the opposite side of the rink. Vera stood there not sure what she should do until Coach Feltsman snapped at her.
“What are you waiting for? Stretch and then get your skates on.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
It wasn’t long before she too was on the ice, working on basic drills before she moved on to practicing her jumps. Maybe it was because she had been watching Yuri and Mila practice out of the corner of her eye but a thought suddenly popped into her mind: What if she tried a double?
With that idea urging her on, Vera jumped higher and spun faster. A full rotation… 540 degrees… a full 720 degrees! Vera’s heart leapt in excitement for a split second. Then her blade landed wrong. She tried to counter-balance but it was too late. She hit the ice with a solid thump.
“Ow.”
The sound of blades gliding to a stop echoed in her ear. When Vera looked up, both Yuri and Mila were staring down at her in mild concern.
“I’m okay,” she said as she scrambled up.
“Vera!” Coach Feltsmen yelled from the side of the rink, “Have you been given permission to start practicing doubles yet?”
Vera glanced down guilty. “…No.”
The coach’s frown deepened, while Mila snickered.
“You fit right in.”
Vera blushed at the compliment.
“You botched the landing because your foot was angled sloppily,” Yuri commented.
She nodded and then glanced back over at Coach Feltsman with pleading eyes. “Can I try again?”
He stared at her a moment before answering, “We might as well see if you can manage a half decent double salchow before practice is over.”
I really struggled with this chapter but I’m happy with how it’s turned out.
Also May is hardcore af and has no fucks left to give.
Title: Project ∞
Fandom: Pokemon, Pokemon ORAS
Ships: HoennChampionShipping
AO3, Previous Chapters
Chapter Thirteen - The Sky and Sea
“Alright!” Steven agreed, despite the nudging thought he was not going to like some unspoken part of her plan.
By the time they walked outside again, the sun was once again glaring so brightly that it hurt their eyes.
Steven shielded his face. “So this is Primal Groudon’s power…”
“All it’ll take is a shift of winds, and the extreme will change again”, May said, her tone echoing the knowledge as if the super-ancient pokemon had told her themselves.
“Let’s get in the air before that happens”, he replied.
He pulled out his flute and called the Eon pokemon back to them. Both Latios and Latias re-appeared quickly. May immediately hopped onto Latias’s back, very aware of Steven cautiously watching her.
“May”, he said, “Promise me you won’t attempt to use mega evolution.”
May was about to say that she couldn’t promise that but then she paused and looked at him. Steven was frowning and practically radiating worry. Not for the situation but for her.
She closed her eyes for a moment of internal searching. The spark that was called forth from inside her whenever she used mega evolution seemed absent. She just felt… hollow.
“…I’m not sure I even could right now.”
His frown deepened. “That wasn’t a promise you won’t try it anyway.”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Not this time.”
“…I won’t attempt it”, she finally agreed, “But only because we don’t have time to sit around and argue over it.”
Steven accepted that with a nod and climbed onto Latios’s back. Then the two Eon pokemon took to the skies, soaring around Hoenn in search of the legendary trio.
Finding the first of the three super-ancient pokemon wasn’t very difficult. Rayquaza – still holding its mega evolution – twisted and twirled through the air above, the winds shifting with its every motion.
“Good. If we can calm Rayquaza first…”, May muttered as the gears in her head spun. She then pulled out a pokeball and tossed it toward Latios. Sylveon landed on the Eon pokemon just in front of Steven. “You distract Rayquaza so Latias and I can get it close!”
“Alright!” Steven agreed, despite the nudging thought he was not going to like some unspoken part of her plan. He then patted Latios’s head. “Let’s go.”
Latios shot upwards, flying higher to reach Mega Rayquaza. The air became chill; and, the constantly changing winds threatened to knock them from the sky. Still Latios climbed higher until finally they were in range.
“Luster Purge!”
Latios formed a ball over its head before flinging it right in front of Rayquaza’s face. It roared as the flashes of light temporarily blinded it.
“I suppose you know what to do”, Steven said to May’s pokemon.
“Syl!” It stood up, its ribbons lifting toward the moon. “Vee-on!”
A beam of pink moonlight hit Mega Rayquaza’s side. Already thrown off by the previous attack, the super-ancient pokemon began to thrash mid-air.
That was when Latias appeared, darting around the legendary’s serpentine body as it swiftly avoided the thrashing. The moment it got close enough Mega Rayquaza’s head, May leapt from Latias and landed on the back of the super-ancient pokemon.
Unhappy with the new passenger, Rayquaza lifted its head and roared. Meteors burning purple began to fall from the sky.
“Dodge!” Steven yelled as both Eon pokemon scattered.
Atop Rayquaza, May’s fingers gripped tightly to its scales as she struggled to hold on. Slowly she pulled herself closer to the top of Mega Rayquaza’s head.
“Rayquaza! This isn’t like you! Please calm down and let me help!”
Mega Rayquaza thrashed its head again. May took a shaky breath before placed her palm flat on its forehead. The legendary huffed but began to calm.
“See, that’s better”, she murmured as Rayquaza finally went lax, all its tension seemingly flowing out of its body.
“Can you use your ability to suppress Kyogre and Groudon’s primal power? It’s okay if you can’t. I know you’re exhausted from being stuck in your mega evolved form for so long.”
The air around Rayquaza stilled, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Then the winds slowly picked back up. May could feel it as the winds pulled away the primal power of the other two super-ancient pokemon. Once the primal reversions were suppressed, Rayquaza’s mega evolution shattered in a spray of light.
“Thank you. Get some rest now, okay.” May smiled softly as she pulled out the legendary’s pokeball and recalled it.
With the pokemon suddenly gone, May began to freefall. Latios dove in beside her as Sylveon’s ribbons wrapped around May and began pulling her over. Once she was close enough, Steven reached out for her hand and tugged her the rest of the way.
“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!”
“Sorry”, she replied, smiling sheepishly, “But it was the best idea I could come up with. And now Kyogre and Groudon should be easier to handle.”
Steven stared at her a moment before shaking his head and sighing. “Are you okay?”
“…I can hold out a bit longer.” May then glanced around. “Where’s Latias?”
Latios made a distressed whine, while Steven grimaced.
“Latias got hit by the Draco Meteor. It’s not too bad but… Latias is out of the fight.”
May took a deep breath. “…Alright. Let’s stop Kyogre and Groudon.”
“Hmm”, Steven hummed as he surveyed the horizon, “I’m going to make an educated guess that they are in that direction.”
May glanced over to where he indicated. Off to the east was a trail of newly formed islets, the ground still molten red and shimmering with steam. The waves around the islands were rough and choppy like the sea was trying to swallow the spots of land.
“Seems like a good bet”, May replied, “Latios?”
The Eon pokemon curved its flight and sped up in that direction. Soon they were circling a fierce battle between Kyogre and Groudon. Their respective elements of water and molten earth were hurled about as both attempted to expand their territories.
“Kyogre would be the easiest to calm. Think you and your team could distract Groudon for a few minutes?” May winced even as she asked. That was a huge request for someone who specialties were weak to fire and ground.
Steven shifted as he overlooked the battling legendries below, a contemplative frown creasing his face.
“…Five minutes tops. Maybe less.”
“That should be enough…”
At that moment Kyogre happened to notice them and – as if wanting to prove her former declaration wrong – shot an Ice Beam up at them. Latios tried to dodge but the chilled attack grazed its wing. They were sent spiraling wildly. May bit back scream as she lost her grip and was flung out into the air. Wind rushed in her ears; and, she scrambled to recall her also falling Sylveon. She then fumbled for Altaria’s pokeball. Its bright, fluffy feathers made for a relatively soft cushion.
“Thanks”, she murmured, clinging her arms around its neck.
“Taria!” Sunshine hummed in reply.
May then scanned around, letting out a breath of relief when she saw Mega Metagross had caught Steven. He gave her a thumbs up; she nodded in reply. The plan was still on.
“Let’s get Kyogre’s attention. Solar Beam!”
“Al!” Altaria charged its attack, sunlit power shinning off of its yellow feathers. “Ria!”
Altaria shot the beam, striking Kyogre in the side and away from its continent counterpart. Kyogre quickly resurfaced from the waves with large glowing beads of water. They’d definitely had its attention now.
May threw out another pokemon. “Andromeda, block it!”
Jellicent appeared in between them and the Origin Pulse, taking the hit. However, instead of it harming the Jellicent, it twirled around feeling refreshed.
“Grrre!” Kyogre huffed before diving into the ocean depths.
“Bring us lower”, May told her Altaria. It quickly descended until they were hovering just a few feet above the waves. “Andromeda, with me. Sunshine, go help Steven.”
Then May slipped off Sunshine’s back and jumped into the ocean. Cool water hit her. The choppy waves tossed her around. She tried to take a breath but ended up with a mouthful of seawater. Just as May began to question if this was as good of an idea as she had thought, Andromeda rose up beneath her and lifted her head above the waves.
May coughed up the water she’d swallowed, gripping tight to the crown of Jellicent’s head so she didn’t slip off.
“…Maybe I could have thought this out be- Watch out!”
The warning came too late. The Ice Beam struck, knocking them back and chilling the water. Once again May was spinning, hardly able to tell up from down. She caught a glimpse of her Jellicent and Kyogre struggling against each other through the bubbles.
May reached out, trying to swim closer. She needed to get to Kyogre. But the current was too strong, and her limbs were too heavy.
Really could have thought this out better, May thought as her lungs began to burn and her body began to sink deeper.
A splash of gold caught her attention. Kyogre’s eyes bored into hers, a flicker of realization.Then the super-ancient pokemon charged toward her.
(She’d never told anyone the full story of the Cave of Origins. How there was a moment when all her pokemon had collapsed. How it’d come down to just her – cold, exhausted, terrified – and Primal Kyogre. How the super-ancient pokemon began to attack her but then suddenly stopped short. They’d stared at each other for a long time before, for reasons May still didn’t fully understand, Kyogre simply allowed her to catch it.)
