1. my buddy andi @freedommouse has gifted us with a josh foley/julian keller fic ([link: here]) in this, the year of our luigi 2019
2. i made a discord server for josh/julian! check it out riiight [link: here]! we are small but we are mighty 💪 we will also talk about x men in general and whatevers clever in y’all’s lives
this was written for the prompt ‘wildlife and nature’ which could have been something beautiful but became this. it’s the most self-indulgent thing i’ve ever written which is saying a LOT but i almost made it so much worse, so, what i’m saying is enjoy i guess???
To this day, every American from age seventeen to twenty-five remembers summer of 2016 with a fondness usually reserved for youthful sweethearts and childhood pets. It was the calm before the storm, yes, but for those blissful warm days the nation was united by a force that brought them together in peace, engendered good will towards man in a way that would make Christmas jealous. This force was none other than Pokémon Go.
For Joshua Foley and Julian Keller, however, Pokémon Go threw a Mankey wrench into their contentedly contentious relationship. It was an exciting tool, in theory, to ratchet up a rivalry to new heights. However, when level five arrived, they found a problem, and her name was Candela, the super-hot Leader of their new--shared--team.
Sharing a team with one's worst enemy would make a lesser man quit, or at least knuckle under and switch teams. But neither of them was that lesser man, should you believe them at their word. So the game of fiery chicken went on, until level twenty was in the rearview mirror and it was much too late to turn back.
A blisteringly uncomfortable restless anger burned for as long as either of them could find any fuel for it. But, like that summer, nothing lasts forever.
"Nice," says Julian on September twenty-second, 2018. "Looks like we caught the eggheads with their pants down."
Josh swirls the earbud he isn't using around his finger. "About damn time," he says. "This should be quick." They reduce their jog to a slow walk as they pass the sponsored Northstarbucks.
"Ready?" Julian asks, tapping on his phone.
"After you, princess," Josh says, spinning the little circular photo of the store logo appearing on his screen. "Gotta rearrange my team first."
Julian rolls his eyes, coming to a practiced stop at the outdoor table at the very edge of the Gym's range. "It's like, one Venusaur. Just equip the Flareon with the ridiculous name and YOLO it."
"Me and Hotboy don't need to take that from someone who names all his Pokémon after his shitty OTPs," Josh replies, dropping into the chair opposite Julian and sending a Gift off into the ether toward David.
"Shhh, Zukaang, he's just jealous," Julian murmurs to his screen, deftly dodging his Nidoking back and forth.
Josh drums his fingers until Julian nods at him, and they take turns to make short work of the unfortunate single Venusaur guarding the Team Mystic Gym. After the Gym is turned and appropriately guarded, Julian offers Josh his hand, and Josh responds with the secret handshake they came up with out of pure necessity due to high-fives with metal hands being too painful, and definitely not because they are any kind of friends.
"The Gym in Li Park is Instinct, but it looks like there's a Raid ending in ten minutes anyway," Josh observes. "If we hurry we can make it."
"I'm already halfway there!" Julian calls, jogging backwards and giving Josh a cheeky wave.
"Goddammit, do you have to quote Spongebob every time we run?" Josh yells, scrambling to catch up.
"I have to quote Spongebob every time I do anything," says Julian seriously.
"Well, you better run or I'll be on you like ugly on an ape," Josh responds, and Julian laughs, turns his back on him, and starts on an all-out run.
"Is that a threat or a promise?" he calls out over his shoulder.
"Get back here and we'll find out!" Josh yells, and they laugh all the way to the next Gym. It's not summer 2016, but it's close.
