Emilia woke the next day to the sound of bacon sizzling in a pan. She sat up, blinking, bleary-eyed as the light hit her vision. She was in her room. The pink and blue shape of Hattrem was standing over her, peering down at Emilia as she slept, propped up by her own hair and dangling from her ‘witch’s hat’ by her head.
Pokemon were weird.
“Hattrem, what are you doing in my room?” Emilia rubbed her eyes to clear her vision. It only made things more blurry.
“Hat!” Hattrem chimed, fixing Emilia with a smile.
“I can’t understand you,” Emilia grumbled, “Hey, wait, what am I doing in my room?” The last thing she could remember was…
A spike of humiliation swept through her and she could feel her face heating up. Oh no. She scrambled to check her phone.
“Hat!” Hattrem complained. Her little arms reached up to the sides of her head as it shook back and forth in annoyance.
“Sorry,” Emilia said, fumbling with her phone as another wave of embarrassment hit her. Bad enough that she was feeling it, worse that a pokemon had to feel it as well.
Her phone told her two things. The first was that it was just past ten. That was later than she was planning on sleeping. By several hours. The second was that Cashe had not responded to her embarrassing text. A surge of relief flooded her. Maybe he hadn’t seen it. The relief was short lived, however, as another thought occurred to her.
Maybe he was too busy to see it. Too distracted.
That thought sent her emotions into another spiral that only ended once Hattrem made another voice of complaint.
“Sorry,” Emilia muttered again, getting out of her bed. She was still wearing her clothes from last night. She frowned and gave herself a sniff. Good enough. She would shower and change before heading off to her match.
Predictably, Cashe was in the kitchen, cooking bacon and eggs for a late breakfast. He was smiling and chatting with his disgruntled looking Sneasel, who was sulking in the corner of the small kitchen, his arms crossed. Ivysaur and Primeape were also present, with Primeape taking up Emilia’s chair at the kitchen table while Lindon tried to teach her how to play the board game from last night. She was showing remarkable restraint as she was losing quite spectacularly, but then again, she might not even understand that, considering. Ivysaur was lounging in the middle of the floor, like an enormous potted plant.
“Bacon is people food,” Cashe laughed, wagging a finger at Sneasel, “I told you the treats would be ending once we started training properly. I warned you.”
“Sneasel,” Sneasel turned away from Cashe like a petulant child and sat on the floor beside Ivysaur.
Cashe smiled at his pokemon and looked up, noticing Emilia for the first time, “Emilia, just in time for breakfast.” Cashe sent her a shining smile so bright it stopped her in her tracks, “Hope you had a good sleep. Hattrem didn’t bother you did she?”
“No, she just stared at me, I think,” Emilia gave her mind a little shake and continued forward, taking Cashe’s seat since Primeape was in hers, “What was she doing in there anyway?”
“I brought her out so Lindon could meet her in her new form, but he was so excited that she couldn’t stand to be around him so she ran off to your room.” Cashe laughed and took the pan off the element, sliding the contents onto several plates.
“I still don’t think that was why she ran away,” Lindon grumbled, “It was probably Primeape getting mad about something.”
“You’re chipper this morning,” Emilia observed about Cashe. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Cashe was all comfortable smiles and relaxed shoulders, with none of the usual tension present in his body language. To see him like that was refreshing, but…
She swallowed her nerves with some difficulty, “I take it last night went well?”
“It really did,” Cashe said with a happy sigh. He looked over at her, “Thank you for suggesting that I go out. You were right, I needed it. Not that I think you and Lindon are stifling,” he added quickly, “but it was good to forget all the stress and just have fun again.”
“That’s great,” Emilia said, schooling her expression. Just great. Now he was going to go out in every new city. Become one of those trainers. More concerned with fame than pokemon. She stopped herself from shooting Lindon a furious glance. Why had she listened to a twelve year old trying to give life advice? She was an idiot. And so was he. What was he doing trying to teach Primeape board games? He should be on his knees apologizing to her. That little basta-
“We should go out together, once we are back in Hau’oli City. Make it a proper celebration for our wins. Once you two win, that is.” Cashe continued, placing a plate of steaming breakfast in front of Emilia before kicking Primeape out of her seat, “Just me, you, and Lindon, and have some fun. Get to do something without being trainers or anything else, you know?”
-ngel. Bastangel? Emilia stopped herself from glaring at Lindon in suspicion to smile at Cashe.
“I’d like that,” Emilia said, “A lot.”
“Me too!” Lindon piped up, between mouthfuls of food, “I want to see if we can find any of those movies Apollo always says are real, but no one’s ever heard of.” He fixed Cashe with a mistrustful squint, “I think you’ve been making things up.”
“I was thinking more of a day or two to explore the city, taste the local foods, see the sights,” Cashe said.
“You’re just saying that because I’m right,” Lindon muttered.
“We can look for movies, too,” Cashe relented.
“I want to find that romcom about sending mail,” Lindon said, “That one made the least sense.”
“You like romantic comedies?” Emilia said to Lindon.
“Yep!” Lindon said with a big smile.
“Speaking of mail that makes no sense,” Cashe said, his smile widening into a wry grin before he forced it back down, “I received a bit of mail that could be from a romcom.”
Emilia glanced at him, face slackening.
“You did?” Lindon said.
“Well, a teen romcom,” Cashe said.
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Emilia’s eyes widened.
“A teen romcom with predictable writing, actually,” Cashe corrected himself again.
Oh no.
“What did it say?” Lindon said, leaning over the table as Cashe took out his phone.
Cashe bit his lip, eyes locked on Emilia as he read, “Emilia, do not send a message. You are only going to embarrass yourself. Whatever excuse you thought of is dumb and you know it. Love, Emilia from a few hours ago.”
Lindon guffawed and Cashe’s eyes sparkled with amusement, the teasing grin threatening to break out on his face any second. Emilia could feel her face beginning to redden. He saw her message, after all.
“Really, Emilia,” Cashe said, smile fully returning, “I knew you liked me but this?” He paused, giving her a mocking look, “Kind of desperate. Might scare me off.”
Oh no. Oh nonononononono. This was so much worse than she thought it would be. He was supposed to be awkward and quiet about it and not talk to her using more than one syllable at a time until he processed it. Not tease her about their relationship. Wait.
Their awkward relationship. Their awkward relationship that Cashe refused to even acknowledge, let alone joke about. Until now.
Emilia fixed Lindon with a look. The laughing bastard was a genius. She would need to do something nice for him. As thanks.
“Why are you looking at me like that? It’s creepy.” Lindon said, coming out of his teasing laughter, “And how did you stop blushing halfway through blushing? I didn’t even know that was possible.”
Scratch that. She would do something nice for his parents. For having to raise such a precocious little brat.
***
Cashe sat back and relaxed in the plastic seats of the gym’s stands. Cameras were on the stage now, a reporter conducting a pre match interview with none other than Gym Leader Hau, no doubt discussing his gym trainer’s chances in the upcoming match. The stands were packed full for the match, bustling with energy, the complete opposite of the atmosphere before his own match.
But that was traveling with an Oak for you.
A smile tugged on his cheeks as he remembered the heated conversation he had with Moni last night.
“Are you alright?” Lindon said. He was giving Cashe a strange look, “You look weird.”
“I don’t feel weird.” Cashe said with a shrug, “I feel good.”
“Maybe that’s what’s weird,” Lindon said, frowning at him.
“How is that weird? I’m allowed to feel good,” Cashe said.
“I know that,” Lindon said, “But do you know that? You never looked like this before. My mom calls you tall, dark, and moody.”
“I think you mean brooding.”
“I know what she said.”
Cashe laughed and Lindon grinned, proud of his joke.
“So,” he said, “Do you think she can beat Gym Trainer Doug?”
“Yes,” Cashe said, with little hesitation.
Behind him someone snorted, “Doubt it.”
Cashe and Lindon turned in their seats to see a group of teenagers. One, a young man with dark red hair, shaved down to s short buzz, was looking at them skeptically.
“Gym Trainer Doug has three evolved pokemon, Electrode, Crocalor, and Palosssand, plus Mienfoo,” the teen said, “She’s out of luck if she thinks she can deal with that.”
“Emilia has a Bagon!” Lindon argued, “Plus she’s a tournament champion. How’s Doug going to deal with that?”
The red-headed teen had no response, but one of his friends, another young man with long brown hair, did, saying, “She won the True Rookie Tournament. That’s a tournament for rookies.” The friend flipped his hair back with a shake of his head, as though the statement made the entire tournament completely arbitrary, “Doug is the ace of the Third Circuit for our gym. He’s got actual experience, unlike all those rookies that Oak beat.”
“Yeah, and we all know about Bagon,” the red head said, joining back in, “It’s all over the pokenet. It’s basically a baby, right? A baby Bagon?” He laughed, “I don’t think Doug will have any trouble with a baby Bagon.”
Cashe smiled at the pair, “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how the battle goes,” he said. He turned back around, pulling at Lindon’s shoulder as the boy tried to continue the argument.
“Apollo!” Lindon complained, “You didn’t back me up at all!”
“You don’t argue with teenagers,” Cashe said, “It’s a losing proposition. Even if you’re right, at the end of the day, you’re still arguing against a teenager. Too many hormones to make any headway.”
Lindon frowned. “I’m going to be a teenager soon.”
Cashe grinned, “Just wait, you’re going to start thinking you’re winning all the arguments we have, but when you do, remember this conversation.”
“But what if I am actually winning all the arguments?”
“You won’t be,” Cashe said, “Now, hush. Look, Emilia is coming onto the stage.”
***
Blue scowled at the small desk of the room he and Julius were given. Someone, probably Red, had let it slip that they were at least partially responsible for the havoc around Axew’s Eye and Lake Axewell. It was inevitable that they would return to civilization after their field lab was destroyed, and upon arriving at Motostoke, several very grumpy rangers were waiting for them, pulling them aside ‘to have a word’.
‘A word’ ended up being several, very choice words, thrown at them over and over. Blue only managed to end the tirade by claiming to be pursuing ‘important research that cannot be discussed’. He had the small advantage of the statement actually being true, and with Julius backing him up, their gracious hosts provided them with a lab to complete the final phase of their research.
The lab in question looked suspiciously similar to a temporary holding cell with a couple of desks and chairs instead of benches and beds, but at least they were allowed to leave whenever they wanted. They were accompanied by a Poke Ranger, of course, who watched them like hawks, but at least they were not forced to stay in the room. Not that anyone would know it, thanks to the way Julius complained.
“How is this ethical?” Julius said, distracting Blue once again from his attempted analysis of the date. Blue looked up from the desk and spun around in his seat top face Julius.
“They could at least bring us coffee,” Blue agreed, “I mean they are just standing around. He glanced at the door to the room where two Rangers stood outside like a pair of hired thugs. Except hired thugs would make themselves useful.
“I need a few minutes of privacy a day, at least!” Julius continued, “The conversations I have with my girls are not supposed to be overheard by strangers!”
“No one is listening in while you whisper sweet nothings,” Blue lied, rolling his eyes. The man was too smooth. “It’s awkward enough hearing only your side of the conversation. No one needs to hear the other side.”
“It’s an indignity!” Julius pronounced, “We should not be subjected to something like this!”
“Hold on,” Blue said as his pokedex began to buzz, indicating an incoming call. Hopefully it wasn’t Misty. He really didn’t want to whisper sweet nothings in front of Julius. The man was so eloquent, Blue would look pathetic in comparison.
Blue checked the name on the incoming call and frowned. What was he doing contacting him?
“Hello?” Blue said, “Is everything all right?”
“Who is it?” Julius said, “A League Official? Please tell me they have asked the Rangers to relax a bit.”
“It’s not the League,” Blue said, holding a hand over the microphone. He turned to the call, “Well?”
Blue nodded and raised an eyebrow as the person on the other end of the line spoke. “An egg? How do you figure?”
He paused and looked around the small room, “It’s not feeling like that right now.”
“Tell whoever it is to contact the Kalos Pokemon Lab and to tell them to send some assistants over here, at least!” Julius said.
Blue waved him off, “How do I owe you a favor? Oh, huh, well- no, I. Okay. I guess.” He frowned, “Hey!? How did you do that?” Blue grunted, “I don’t know what that is or what that has to do with convincing me to-”
“I have the Kalos starters,” Julius said, “I’ll trade starters for assistants. Three assistants for one starter.”
Blue shook his head at Julius and made a shushing motion with his finger, “I’m a bit busy right now, so-” Blue’s face twisted with guilt and he sighed, “Fine. I'll see what I can do.”
He hung up, putting his pokedex down on the table of the ‘lab’.
“Well?” Julius said.
Blue sighed, “I’m going out. I have to do someone a favor.”
“Now?”
“Yes, now,” Blue said, grabbing a few things before heading out. He got to the door and paused, looking back at Julius, “By the way, do you know what a pitch book is and where I can read one?”
*****