There's a familiar ecoterrorist standing in the doorway of the gym, observing the usual motions performed at a trainer's challenge. It had been awhile since he had paid a visit to Sinnoh, and even longer since he had seen the blond who had once drunkenly settled on his lap on a night which felt like yesterday. However, being remembered from that night, and all that came after, seemed unlikely. Thus, he stayed rooted to his post, still observing. ( txifu / shiinseii )
He didn’t notice the familiarfigure at first, too caught up in a battle with a challenger who he wasn’tactually finding particularly challenging. It wasn’t until about half waythrough the battle that he noticed the man standing in the door frame. Volknertried to pretend he hadn’t noticed, but the sight of the man startled him sothoroughly that he ended up soundly losing the battle.
Never had he performed sopoorly – mistake after rookie mistake, his heart racing, squeezing –suffocating. His focus was shaken, his mind a mess, and his Pokemon sensedit. As Volkner faltered, so too did his Pokemon, falling one by one, untilthere was only Volkner and his blatant failure left standing. “This is the bestthe strongest gym leader in Sinnoh can do? Pathetic?” There was a sharp pang inhis chest – he felt like he was drowning, but it wasn’t the comment that stung.
Hefelt fragile, like the slightest brush would bring him to his knees. Worse wasthe fear that it showed – that the challenger noticed the way he was shakingever so slightly when he handed over the badge, how badly he wanted to ask them– a damned stranger – to stay, just so he wouldn’t have to face the figure inthe door.
Butthe trainer left, and then it was just the two of them, with nothing but open spacebetween them. He couldn’t breathe – there was a sickness inside him, an anguishthat gripped him, seeping into every fibre of his being, threatening to consumehis being.
Hadn’the poured his heart out to his man – shared fears and hopes alike? Hadn’t heloved him? No, no – he’d been so closeto forgetting, so close… and then it all hit him at once. All the feelings he’dpushed away, that he’d denied since the day he disappeared – and he wantednothing more than to run – to run and never look back.
Insteadhe froze. The helplessness weighed on him, his breath swelling in his chest,unable to escape. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe.
If hetook another breath, he was certain he would shatter.
