They all looked at each other in silence.
Lori clenched and unclenched a hand while clutching her Frigibax’ ball close to her chest. Her glasses, cracked and crooked, clumsily clung together with patches of tape, slid down her nose. She opened her mouth, then shut it. Again and again a few times, never saying more than that initial “Bruno”.
He—this Bruno person—didn’t seem as distraught. “You caught a new Pokémon!” he beamed, stepping forward with enthusiasm. He tapped over on his Machamp’s shoulder and then signalled the Primape to ease its grip on the teary-eyed Frigibax. “But… mind recalling her?”
Celeste bit her lip, itching to jump into the conversation. But seeing Lori’s cheeks matching the shades of her hair gave her pause. Instead, she sought Luan. That was natural. Right? After dealing with a Legend and all the craziness of Four Island, they got close. On any other day, they’d be whispering and gossiping about… whatever this was.
On any other day.
Today, he looked away as quickly as he could. And not in the endearing, yet incredibly awkward way he always did with Delia, but like he wanted to be anywhere else. He shuffled closer to his trio of hovering Pokémon and simply kept looking away.
Give him space, let this go. That seemed like the rational thing to do. But Celeste just couldn’t let it slide, especially after seeing Luan’s Munna gently patting his head, urging him to distance himself even more. She adjusted Aria on one shoulder, wincing from the contact with her wound, and Dipplin (yep, they were still around) on the other, before bumping the free part of her arms with Luan.
“Ever seen someone this ripped before…?” She nodded towards Bruno and chuckled. Not her best conversation starter, but she was working with what she had. “He’s got muscles on his muscles. It’s like they dance when he moves!”
Luan remained silent, but at least he stopped moving away. Celeste, slightly discouraged, turned back to the others.
Bruno was trying to get Lori’s attention, waving his hand in front of her dazed eyes. “Heey, Lori? You there?” he called out, perhaps louder than necessary.
Still, quite the show. As he moved his arms, Celeste looked at her own and thought she couldn’t possibly have as many muscles inside her. Maybe she should hit the gym… Heh. Would they give her a badge for it?
With a glint in her eyes, she nudged Luan again. “Seems like his charm’s not exactly… working out.” She felt proud of the horrible pun, especially because he snorted.
Take that negative emotions!
The rush of joy Celeste felt was like a spark in her chest, flickering out as quickly as it flared. Luan caught himself with a jerk, his eyes darting away once again. What followed then was… more awkward silence, with Lori not answering Bruno, and Luan not answering Celeste. All the while, the Dipplin on Celeste’s shoulders started worming themselves about. Moments later, their trainer, the candy apple merchant, showed up, and he was… not happy.
Damn. Celeste had completely forgotten about him.
Before she knew it, those wriggly critters squiggled to her head, using it as a springboard back to their trainer.
What a strange Pokémon.
The candy apple man caught them easily with the tray, and immediately begun his scolding. He zeroed in on Lori, launching into a rant about how irresponsible trainers caught dragons, thinking that would make them powerful, but didn’t have the first clue on how to actually train them.
“And this only got worse after Lance became champion,” he said, flailing around. “Everyone thinks they can be a dragon tamer. Well missy, unless your last name is Blackthorn, forget it.”
Celeste felt her face twisting into a frown. Sure, maybe some trainers were in over their heads—her included. But Lori? No way. The man’s rant got through to her friend’s daze, at least. Lori’s eyes went wide behind what was left of her glasses, and she quickly recalled her Frigibax, tripping over apologies and offering him a potion that his Pokémon didn’t even need, but that he took anyway.
Even after all that, the guy kept grumbling and pointing fingers.
That’s when Bruno sidled up next to Lori, and somehow made his large shoulders seemed larger. “Are you a Blackthorn?” he asked with a silly smile on his face.
Candy apple man blinked. “Excuse me?”
Bruno gestured to the Dipplin. “You’ve got a dragon. And you said only a Blackthorn could handle them, right?”
The vendor’s annoyance hit a new peak, as he muttered about wasted time and missed sales. Even Aria, who’s usually all in for a sweet treat, turned up her nose with a sharp hiss.
What a jerk, Celeste thought as she watched him leave.
Bruno placed his hands on his hips and muttered. “Would’ve been cool to meet a real Blackthorn… Oh well.” He turned, sharing a victorious fist bump with his Primape, who was practically vibrating with excitement, before trying to coordinate a similar greeting with Machamp’s multitude of arms. “Lori…?” he called again.
Lori kept her composure, her face an unreadable. “You’re playing hero, like always.”
He scratched his head, the corner of his mouth twitching up. “He could’ve been a Blackthorn.” But Lori’s glare gave him pause. “You looked like you could use a hand. It would be bad form not to offer it,” he said, and then, after a beat, he added, “It’s not like you to let the situation get out of hand like that.”
Lori turned her eyes elsewhere. “Well… it’s… I… Thank you for the help, Bruno,” she gave him a polite small bow. “It was kind of you. However, our friend is waiting for us, and—”
“Come on, Loori!” Bruno stretched her name. “Why do you keep doing this?”
She grumbled when he cut her off. Celeste, completely enthralled in the situation and… not thinking about how she messed up with Delia and Luan (yep, definitely, a hundred per cent not thinking about it), couldn’t help but to stare.
Bruno edged closer. “I haven’t seen you since… well, since Fran.” His volume rose with his excitement, and his eyes sparkled. “We’ve got so much to catch up on! You caught a new Pokémon! More than one, right? Is the dragon your sixth? Last time I spoke to Master, he couldn’t stop raving about how quick your Cryogonal is. ‘Gave him a run for his money,’ he said. I was so bummed I didn’t get to see your battle and… hey, you okay?”
Lori stepped back, shaking her head. “He… he told you about that battle?” Her voice wavered just slightly. “Did he tell you about…?”
With arms outstretched, Bruno seemed to eclipse even his Machamp. “Of course! He always tells me about the exciting ones!” he beamed. “Imagine it,” he suddenly turned to Celeste and Luan, “a Cryogonal faster than the fastest Hitmontop at the dojo. It left everyone dizzy! ‘Your friend is in excellent form,’ Master told me. Exciting, right?”
A nervous chuckle escaped Celeste and Luan inched a tad closer to her, both dwarfed by Bruno’s sheer volume of presence and voice. Yeah, he acted friendly, but he was really big, in case this was not yet clear.
Trying to find her footing in the conversation, Celeste piped up, voice hesitant. “Perl’s actually Lori’s seventh.” A quick, stern look from Lori told her she should have kept that to herself. Oops. Again.
“Seventh?” Bruno bounced on his feet and… did the ground shake a little? “Whoa, you’re past me, Lori. Time to step up my game,” he said with the nicest smile, but also… flexing his neck muscles.
Resting against the railing and although she was clearly looking for an outing, Lori let her shoulders finally relax as a sliver of pride peeked through her facade. “Yeah… seventh. But that’s all you’re getting from me,” she muttered, and Bruno seemed over the moon. As fast as it had come, her smile vanished and her shoulders tensed again. “So, about that battle… What exactly did your master say?”
“That you were great?” Bruno replied, tilting his head. “You know you’re great, right? Self-doubt doesn’t suit you.”
Lori shook her head. “I’m not… It’s just… How is your master? And you? You mentioned wanting to leave Saffron City Gym for your badges, but…”
Bruno latched onto her every word, then with zero grace dodged the heart of Lori’s worries. “Saffron!” he boomed. “Why didn’t I start with that? Hey, Eevee girl, Munna boy, come check this out too.”
Waving Luan and Celeste over, he fished out a gleaming silver case from his baggy joggers. Lori’s approach was hesitant, her expression filled with discomfort. With a flourish, Bruno popped open the case, revealing rows of Gym Badges, shining way too brightly. Not just two like Rey, and not even seven like Lori (not that she actually shown them to Celeste).
Nope. There were two full rows there.
Bruno, it seemed, would be participating in the conference next summer.
Lori’s eyes widened. “Bruno…” Her voice trailed off. Worry suddenly turning to something more intense. “Wait. Am I the one falling behind?”
He laughed. Proud? Probably. Also genuinely excited.
“I got this one two months ago,” he said, pointing to a heart-shaped badge. “I remember you wanted to avoid that place like it was the end of the world.”
Lori’s eyes shot up, first to Bruno, then more embarrassedly to Celeste and Luan as if she owed them an explanation. “Fuchsia Gym isn’t in Fuchsia City. It’s nestled deep within a forest… a thicket? I’m not sure how to describe that place other than horrible. And their Gym Test…” She paused, shuddering. “Suffice to say, I was glad to do it only once.”
Celeste peered over at Luan, who was all eyes and ears for Lori. She had so many questions, but Bruno’s voice filled the silence before she could say anything.
“Hah! First try? Not like you’d be slowed down by some Venomoth, right?” he said, and by the Legends, his grin was infectious. Not even Lori could keep a steady face at him.
Two friends sharing a moment. It was nice. Usually Celeste would let them be (who was she kidding), but she had some intrusive thoughts. “A V-Venomoth?”
Please, let this be a Bug-Type Gym. Say there are only Bug-Type Gyms in Kanto…
The answer came with Lori’s apologetic shrug. Not a Bug-Type Gym then… Instead of everyone focusing on convincing Celeste that the Gym challenge was still worth it, Lori’s attention returned to Bruno, and her eyes fell back on his badge case.
Her finger hesitated over the last badge on the bottom row. It was the simplest of the set, a plain, golden disc with a subtle, embossed ring in the centre.
“The Marsh Badge,” Bruno’s voice lost some of its earlier boom. “I… did it last…”
Her attempt at a comforting smile was faint. “Revenge?”
“Does that sound like me?”
“I don’t know… Isn’t your purpose in life to beat a person who beat your Master that one time?” Lori offered, her shoulders dropping slightly. “But, no. I don’t think this is like you… I just wish it were.”
Turning to his Pokémon for some semblance of guidance, Bruno found only confusion. Primape scratched its head, sharing a glance with Machamp, who clutched his grocery bags a bit tighter. There were some context missing there, and that left Celeste—and possibly Luan—even more confused.
“I don’t get what happened with us Lori…” he finally said. “Or what’s going on now.”
His words earned them a weary sigh from Lori.
“I… We’re in a hurry,” she said, gesturing vaguely towards Celeste and Luan. “As I said, our friend is waiting and…”
As Bruno closed his badge case, he hesitantly stepped closer. He was big, and Lori was small—even with the heels she insisted on wearing and the very flat sandals on his feet. Yet, despite the size disparity, side by side, they seemed to measure up to one another. Equal footing. Equal stature. If only in each other’s eyes. To Celeste, Bruno was still just a stranger who hadn’t yet earned a pedestal as high as Lori’s.
“Come on... Talk to me.” Bruno’s smile was more reserved now.
She averted her eyes. “We’re leaving early tomorrow… Off to Cinnabar. What was that you said about stepping up your game?”
His expression softened. “Cinnabar? So… you’re at seven?”
“Badges and Pokémon. Seems I’m only ahead in one category.” She tried to smile. Smirk even. “Serves you right that I’m ahead on Pokémon, however.”
“Oh… let’s not go there!” Bruno lifted his arms in mock surrender. Then, taking a step back, “You sure you don’t have some time to catch up? It’s… It’s been ages.”
Lori paused, her eyes closing briefly. When they opened, they were unsure, pleading, and directed at Celeste.
Did she want…?
Celeste held her breath and waited a moment, just to make sure of it. Also, to try to understand what was going on. There was tension, but not the romantic kind. There was care, but hesitation. There was an entire story that she didn’t know.
And by the Legends, she wanted to pry.
Yet, one glance at Luan, still not looking her way, and she curbed her curiosity. She’d meddled enough. It was okay, she wouldn’t push it. She… wouldn’t try to fix it.
At least not for now.
Lori nodded, silently granting Celeste permission to proceed. “So… Uh… Bruno… we’re throwing a slumber party tonight…”
—*——*—
“Another person is coming?” Delia’s frown deepened as she flipped through her grocery lists again. She’d been angry since they regrouped at the plaza and all the way back to the boat. She wasn’t bothering with hiding it this time. “I didn’t plan for it. What if he doesn’t enjoy anything we’ve prepared? And how much time do we even have until he arrives? It’s getting pretty late already…” Her eyes found Lori. “You say he’s your friend?”
Lori’s shoulders slumped. “In a manner of speaking.”
Celeste caught the brunt of Delia’s exasperation next. “You had to invite someone else at the last minute, didn’t you?”
“How’s this my fault?” Celeste punctuated her indignation by waving her arms around, and when that failed, she sought Lori’s support. Not that it did her any good.
“I… I’ll go for a swim… to… train…” Lorelei began retreating. Now, of all times. “Celeste… she meant well. Bruno’s arriving at eight and he’s punctual. About the food, he’s picky, but polite. Just… don’t worry about him.” With a resigned glance at the sky, she added, “Best I leave before dusk.”
Great. Just great.
With those last words, Lori vanished onto the back of the boat, leaving Celeste stuck between Delia and Luan. “Sooo…” She bounced on her heels. This awkwardness between them was all just a little, tiny misunderstanding. They'd be over it soon. Right…? “We should start—”
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“Luan can handle the decorations,” Delia cut in, gesturing for him to rush. As usual, he did whatever she’d ask in a heartbeat. “I’ll figure something out for this Bruno person.” She strode towards the kitchen without a glance back, determination in her every step.
Celeste followed.
“Need a sous chef?” She offered a hopeful grin. “You wouldn’t believe how much I picked up on cooking today. Met this baker—he’s called Paul, and he’s super cool, and he’s even going to plan a diet for my Pokémon. He showed me these berry combinations and…uh…?”
Delia paused at the kitchen door. Her gaze was piercing and her arms crossed in front of her chest. “I need some space,” she said.
Celeste peered into the galley. “Doesn’t seem too cramped, but I could clear a table outside, chop some veggies and… that’s not what you meant, is it?”
“It’s not.” Delia shifted away. “Just… Today’s been… chaotic enough.”
“Hey, at least we didn’t have to deal with gangs of poachers, rampant Pokémon, or legendary birds. I… I should just… leave you to it, huh?” She bit her lip, watching Delia methodically unpack ingredients, each movement precise and accompanied by the sounds of clicking jars, creaking wood and the desire to be left alone.
Giving Delia that space was the last thing Celeste wanted, yet it was the best she could do now.
So… uh… what next?
—*——*—
Diaz Family Group Chat
Celeste
> Hey Mom and Dad. Spent the day on Two Island. Very cool market here, ended up having lunch in a Paldean Bakery and thought of grandpa. Can you believe they had churros? Good churros, not some knock off. Absolutely delish. Grandpa would approve. You too, dad. Oh yeah, also met a bunch Corsola yesterday. Did you know they’re not ghost in this part of the world? Anyway, just keeping you updated like you wanted. Also, not getting myself involved in anything dangerous or weird. We’ll keep on sailing to Cinnabar tomorrow. Will let you know once I arrive.
Sent Nov 13th, 06:28 PM - Read
Dr Otto Diaz
> Churros as good as grandpa’s, huh? He’d come out of retirement just to prove you wrong.
Sent Nov 13th, 06:30 PM
Cee
> That old restaurant he worked on would throw him a parade! What’s with the quick reply, dad?
Sent Nov 13th, 06:30 PM - Read
Dr Otto Diaz
> Poké-sitting while your mother’s at a meeting. How’d you change your nickname in here? I’m feeling left out.
Sent Nov 13th, 06:32 PM
Dr Otto Diaz
> I think I figured it out.
Sent Nov 13th, 06:35 PM
Dr Otto Diaz
> Actually, my screen is flickering. Is that normal?
Sent Nov 13th, 06:45 PM
𝒹ℝ. 𝓸𝐭𝐭ㄖ 𝒹𝒾α𝔃
> Help?
Sent Nov 13th, 06:50 PM
Dr Tianna Diaz
> Thanks for helping your father, dear. You know how he gets “excited” with new things. Your visit sounds delightful. Did you know Two Island market has quite the history?
>
> If you haven’t done so already, look it up.
>
> In the olden days, Two Island was called Agora Town (much better than the silly nickname locals give to it these days), and it served as an important stop on the trade routes between Hoenn, and some other islands around to Kanto and even Hisui.
>
> Quite interesting, really. Unfortunately, you can only carry so much in your backpack, or else I might ask for some souvenirs. I’ve heard it is an incredible place to look for antiques.
>
> Anyway, keep us posted about your journey. And heads up: we’re embarking on a two-week Crown Tundra expedition with my students soon. We might not respond quickly once you reach Cinnabar, but do keep us in the loop. In case of emergencies, reach out to Opal.
>
> Love, Mom.
Sent Nov 13th 07:24 PM
Dr Ottawott
> I did it! I changed it. My daughter is amazing!
Sent Nov 13th, 07:30 PM
—*——*—
“Yeah, that’s it. Now you just type in whatever you want.” Celeste brushed Powder’s fur, her gaze lingering on the horizon where daylight gave way to dusk. “Yeah, yeah… love you too, Dad. Bye.” The phone clicked shut and Celeste sighed.
In the distance, Lori still could be seen swimming with some of her Pokémon trailing behind. If this was training or not, she really wasn’t sure, but Glalie and Dewgong were blowing ice at one another. Powder leaned in with every attack that rose on the air, clearly interested, so they just kept watching in silence for a while.
“You’re growing into quite the battle maniac, huh?” Celeste said, resting her hands on her Pokémon’s puffs. “Hm… You know what? We’re not doing anything right now… wanna train? I have a bit of a thought.”
Powder’s response was a burst of enthusiasm, startling Celeste enough to nearly send her phone tumbling into the ocean. Shaking her head with a laugh, she watched as Powder took her stance with intent. They hadn’t even started yet. She waved around, calling over the other two Pokémon. Pat took his time to notice her, and even more to get to her, but it was Aria, head peering into the kitchen, who took the longest.
“What’s with you and food today?” Celeste asked as the Eevee finally trotted to join them. Aria’s response to that was to channel dark energy in her mouth as she snapped her jaw shut. “Oh, so the new move takes a lot of energy, is it?” She rolled her eyes and her Pokémon snickered.
Shifting her gaze back to the horizon, now swallowed by night, Celeste’s thoughts wandered to Lori. She was no longer visible, but splashes and the cool breeze gave away her presence. Training hard. Training every day. Training with purpose. Celeste could make it fun, just like the battle at the bakery. And when it was not, she would push through, because it would be fun to have more intense battles, challenges and adventures later.
As for today, the challenge was to figure out how she wanted this to go.
Since earlier, when Aria figured out Bite, Celeste had been thinking her entire team ought to get started on new moves. They could split training into honing into what they knew and working on new stuff. Training wasn’t just about repetition alone—she’d learned that already—it was about innovation, about pushing boundaries and exploring new horizons. Lori, with her structured approach, surely wouldn’t leave her team’s development to chance.
Yeah. New moves. Before she got to it, though, there was something else in her chest. “That battle today was so amazing, wasn’t it?”
Her team offered her blank stares in response, except for Aria, who lifted her head and let out a prideful scoff.
Celeste relaxed into the moment, letting Powder snuggle in closer, perhaps worried or perhaps anxious to get started. “I keep telling you that going for the Gyms is the way to go, but I think it’s more to convince myself than any of you. We’ll get stronger and we’ll have so much fun while visiting all those new places, and we can have tons of battles like today. We’ll be challengers. How fantastic is that?” Her eyes sparkled as she stared into her Vulpix’. Celeste wasn’t worried about it being hard anymore. The thought of pushing their limits, not just for the sake of victory but for the sheer joy of the journey, ignited a fire within her. “It’s just that even if we commit, and assuming we do great, my reasons still seem wrong. Mum will never take doing it for the joy of it as the answer to that question. What is it you want to do?”
Powder nuzzled her hand with more force. Of course. They were a team. ‘What is it you want to do?’ isn’t supposed to be only about her.
“I’d love to tell her that my Vulpix is really into battling, so we’re doing it. But I don’t think she’ll take it either.” Celeste sighed.
Aria barked at that, with Pat chiming in, his eyes wide and earnest.
Celeste snorted. “Okay, not just Powds. All my Pokémon really want it, then?” She got a tackle from Aria. “Yeah, yeah, and me too. But we still need a proper reason. What would you guys tell mum?”
Their replies layered over one another—Powder’s gentle yet high-pitched cries mingling with Aria’s louder barks while Pat contributed with some furious blinking.
That’s what you get for asking your Pokémon to talk.
Aria’s motivation she’d know for a long time. Ever the show-off, she wanted glory. She wanted to be the best of all Eeveekind—not just in battle, but at everything. Not ambitious at all… Powder was still young, but everyday she showed more interest in battling. Celeste didn’t know the reasons beyond keeping her and the team safe (and maybe a dash of trauma), but she was sure there was more to it. And Pat… doing that telepathy thing again would really help her figure him out, but whenever she tried, it was all just… blank. She was sure he wanted something on the same lines as the others, though.
“I get it, you’re all excited, but… look at Lori.” She made a broad gesture towards the sea. “She’s fighting for a cause. For the Lapras. And take Paul, who we’ve known for just a day. He’s so passionate that we already know all about how he wants to make food that helps Pokémon. What’s our big dream? Having fun, getting stronger, it’s great, but not enough.”
A quiet followed, and it was Pat who nuzzled her leg this time.
“I… just don’t want to mess this up…” Celeste whispered, drawing her Slowpoke into a tight embrace. His cool, damp skin should have been uncomfortable in the chilly air, yet it brought an unexpected comfort. For a moment, she let herself get lost in thoughts of fun adventures with her friends and wanderlust. Her mind filled with massive Gyms and winding cities until—
“…Don’t… be afraid… to move forward…”
Startled, Celeste searched Pat’s eyes. “Did you just…?” But Pat only yawned, his expression unreadable.
Regardless, the message was clear, and good advice at that.
Shaking off the moment, she rallied. “So for the actual training… We need to think about beating Fire-Types. Pat, you’re going to keep working on Water Gun because, duh, fire. But also, let’s figure out Confusion for real. Once you get the hang of this psychic stuff, control should be easier, right? Then Water Pulse will be super easy… you’ll be able to do something Lori called Hydrokinesis and Water Pulse can leave others confused and—I’m getting ahead of myself. For today, just stare at something and try to move it.” Celeste chuckled and rubbed her head. “Aria, against Fire-Types Dig and Sand Attack should work best, but you’ve already trained those plenty and Mia will kill us if we try Dig in here. I want you to work on Bite. For now, just try to control that Dark-Type smoky thing in your mouth. I’ll find stuff for you to break tomorrow.”
She paused, watching both Pokémon get started in their own rhythm. Well, she did ask for Pat to stare, so she watched him just stand in place… Powder was swaying her tails excitedly, and shards of ice swirled around her.
Celeste knelt beside the Vulpix. “The upcoming Gym’s gonna be a tough one for you. Right now, our best shot seems to be hitting them hard with Moonblast and crossing our fingers.”
Powder’s reaction was immediate. A frosty aura intensified around her and the ice crystals danced in the air with discontent.
“Hey, ease up,” Celeste said, her tone light but firm. “I might not have a solid plan yet, but that doesn’t mean we’re out of options. Ever watch Pat use Disable? You can learn that too…”
As she delved into the details, the creaking of wood against steel echoed louder than the waves and Aria’s dark wisps leaked on the air around.
Bitter work? Maybe. But who knows? Figuring out a new move was fun.
—*——*—
Celeste had barely an hour of training when Lori came back to the boat, soaking wet and with her posture more rigid than before. She was tense. She paused by one of the cushions Luan had scattered around the deck and he shot her a sharp look, but refrained from arguing.
Shocker.
“Put it higher,” Luan told his Pokémon. His Munna and Hoothoot were arranging fairy lights around the boat, while his Lunatone floated a table through the air. “Lulu, steer clear of the… puddle,” he added, with a nod towards Lori, who simply wrapped her arms around herself. “
“You’re allowed to complain, Luan,” she said.
He shuffled uncomfortably. “I… uh… I know… It’s no big—”
She sighed, redirecting her focus to her Glalie, who was bringing her a towel. “I’ll go take a shower.”
“Now?” Celeste couldn’t help but widen her eyes and jump into the conversation
“Eavesdropping again?” Luan muttered under his breath, turning away just as Celeste was about to retort. They were literally talking a few feet from her. This wasn’t eavesdropping.
“Well… now we know he can complain…” Celeste nudged Lori, who just stared flatly at her.
Oh… how fun their party was going to be…
Celeste took a deep breath. “You wanted Bruno to come, right?” she asked just as Lori motioned to leave. “I only invited him because I thought that’s what you wanted me to do, but… you know… I’ve been wrong before.”
“Yeah… I wanted to talk to him…” Lori said in a small voice and gestured inside the boat. “Like I said, he’s always on time… I really should—”
“Run and hide?” Celeste crossed her arms. “I think I got involved in other people’s business enough for a lifetime today, but I’ll bite and do it again. Why don’t you talk about Bruno?”
“I just… We were friends, but… It was my fault… I couldn’t talk to him about this one thing and the more time passed the more awkward it became… I—” Lori’s breath caught in her throat. “He’s here!” she blurted, bouncing on her feet, way faster than Celeste had ever seen her moving. “Just… give me a moment to think of the right apology. You’re great at keeping the mood up, and Bruno… he’s friendly like you. Please?”
Celeste managed a nod. “Fine…”
As the clock struck eight, Bruno strode down with his Machamp in tow. Lori had already vanished and the murmurs of preparations could be overheard from the kitchen.
She waved at him, a smile plastered on her face, as she pretended she wasn’t somehow feeling intimidated. Luckily, the moment he set foot aboard, Celeste’s Pokémon joined her side. Powder, in particular, stared up at the Machamp with pure awe—maybe recalling the Machop they’d met in Vermilion?
Bruno, catching her smile (unsure as it was), returned one of his own. His eyes sparkled when he saw her Pokémon, and he immediately began to praise them, saying her team was cute, but not in a condescending way a lot of people (Rey) did. And he wasn’t just being polite either. Apparently, he found them “cool”.
“Uh… the others will be here soon.” Celeste gestured vaguely towards the cushions around the deck. Bruno, diving into the spirit of the gathering, handed her a small box, saying this was his contribution to the party. Inside there were these dumpling thingys that didn’t seem at all appetising.
“Rage Candy Bars,” he said excitedly. “They’re a specialty from Mahogany Town. This is the only place in Kanto I can find them, so I’m always around to restock.”
Celeste blinked at the dumplings a few times. “Wait, did you call it a candy bar?”
He shrugged. “Ask people from Mahogany. All I know is they’re delicious.”
People from Mahogany, huh? That would be Luan and probably Mia. She never asked where she was from, but Mahogany was a good assumption. “People from Mahogany aren’t really talking to me…” she muttered dryly, eliciting a puzzled glance from Bruno. She gave him a half smile and bit into one “candy bar”. The rage part of the name suddenly made sense. Anyone would be angry eating something so bland.
“Not a fan, huh?” Bruno’s eyes twinkled with amusement.
“Was I that obvious?”
He laughed it off. “They give you a great energy boost. Perfect pre-gym snack.”
Like that was an excuse.
As they settled into that conversation, and Celeste realised that she knew absolutely nothing about working out, she circled back to what she knew they had in common.
Pokémon.
This guy had all badges. She wasn’t going to lose the opportunity to ask tons of questions.
“So… are you a Fighting-Type Specialist?”
Bruno answer with the biggest nod. “How’d you know? Did Lori tell you?”
Celeste grimaced. He wore a black belt and hung out with a Machamp and a Primape. She’d be weirded out if he was anything else. “Lucky guess?” she then said sheepishly.
“I used to train on Saffron’s Gym… I mean the Fighting Dojo,” he explained. “Good times. That’s where I met Lori. Back then, she was reeeally against travelling with other people. I’m glad she’s more open these days.”
Saffron Gym, huh? Celeste recalled his conversation with Lori earlier. “The one you left for last was the Gym you trained?” Celeste could’ve been a Gym-Trainer too, if she wanted. Aunty Opal’s would take her in, even with the Slowpoke. That was a thing she thought about several times, despite not admitting it. But Bruno’s idea seemed better yet. She could do like him and challenge Opal once she got super strong. Image it: Powder vs. Alcremie… G-Max Alcremie. Yeah… maybe not for a long time. Still… “Sounds kind of amazing to go full circle.”
Bruno gave her a short smile. “It was a nice dream. To challenge Master right in the end in a full six-on-six official battle. Would’ve been something, I tell you.”
“Would have? You said you got the… was it the Marsh Badge?”
He nodded. No enthusiasm this time. “Well, the Fighting Dojo isn’t Saffron’s main Gym anymore. We used to hand over the Fist Badge there. I got the Marsh one from the new Psychic Gym…”
Celeste blinked. “Is that a thing that can happen? Gyms changing?”
“Sometimes.” His voice sounded slightly resigned. “Saffron changed when the Psychic Academy gained popularity. I mean, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing bad with the Psychics… It’s just that people chose them over us because levitating stuff with your mind and all those fancy moves they do looked cooler than plain old punching and kicking. So, yeah… when they got big enough, they applied for the official position, and since there can only be one Gym in each City our position was challenged. Two years of hard work, but in the end we lost it anyway.”
Celeste offered a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry…”
Bruno waved off her concern with a broad grin. “Hey, it’d be bad form to talk ill of other Gyms. Master says they train just as hard as we do and deserve their shot. Besides, the new Gym Leader’s a stand-up guy. Really. Even brought his daughter to watch my match.”
“I’m still sorry you couldn’t have the battle you wanted,” Celeste offered.
Her attempt at consolation brought a genuine smile to Bruno’s face. “It happens, things change, but we have to keep pushing forward,” he said. “And it isn’t always bad. Take Viridian, the leader there retired, and since he had no replacement, it ended up closing down.”
That piece of news caught her off guard. Didn’t Surge tell her to try Viridian Gym after she went to Pallet? She really ought to look this stuff up… “You mean there’s no Gym in Viridian City?”
Bruno seemed unfazed. “Last I heard, the League opened a new one. Dunno if it’s still Flying-Type, though. Word is the previous leader was training his daughter to succeed him, but they had a big fight and she moved to some tree city in Hoenn with half the Gym trainers under her wing,” he explained. “I guess that’s not a big deal for you, but I’m glad I fought there. It’d be a bummer if I missed the chance to battle the birdies.”
Celeste couldn’t help but snort. “You like the Gyms you’re at a disadvantage?”
He happily bounced forward, like some child with overgrown muscles. “Those are the best!”
Arceus, how the hell did Lori meet this guy?
—*——*—
One by one, the others moved toward the deck.
First came Delia, armed with a lot of dishes. For all her planning, and the whole deal about having an extra person, the quantity seemed excessive. She sat the furthest from Celeste as possible. Next came Luan, balancing a speaker and an acoustic guitar with his usual clumsiness. He moved slowly to Delia’s side and mumbled something about being able to play something if they couldn’t find anything good on the radio. Delia’s cheeks flushed a subtle pink at his suggestion, though when Celeste smiled at the scene, she turned right back to the angry glares.
Did… she know Luan was crushing on her?
They fell into an awkward silence, leaving poor Bruno to figure out why no one was talking anymore.
“So, all of you are trainers?” Bruno tried to bridge the silence, nodding towards the Pokémon flying above them. “Psychic-Specialist?”
Delia just shook her head, eyes drifting to her Shellder. “Being a trainer is not my path in life.” Was this the first time she admitted this out loud?
Luan, gripping his guitar but never playing, spoke very low. “Menace… Hoothoot isn’t Psychic…” he started, only to be cut short by his Pokémon indignant squawk. She didn’t peck him as much these days, but still had as much of a temperament as before. “…and next one won’t be psychic either!” he finished louder.
Their attempts at conversation faltered, dissolving back into silence until Luan let out a squeal at the sight of the Rage Candy Bar. Still, that topic didn’t move forward either.
Lori finally arrived after a few more bouts of failing to be sociable. Rather than offering them all some mercy, she only solidified the mood of their “party”. She greeted them formally and moved to sit between Bruno and Celeste with the rigidity of a Rock-Type.
She kept staring at the heater that sat in the middle of them all. “Shall we begin with the… partying?”
Would it be okay if Celeste screamed?
Bruno rubbed the back of his neck and shot a puzzling look to Lori, to which she offered a very vague, “They had a fight early. Over a… misunderstanding.”
After letting out a laugh, he insisted on whispering despite everyone hearing him like he was on speakers. “We know something about that, don’t we?”
Lori didn’t seem as enthralled. “Bruno… about the Dojo… I—”
Her words were left unspoken as Luan found his courage and began to play. Or maybe he just decided that whatever was happening was worse. His fingers moved through the slabs of his guitar, surprising Celeste. She didn’t expect him to be good, and much less for those sweet melancholic notes to drift under the moonlight.
Bruno, seizing the moment, leaned forward, his whispers now completely different. “You know, I have a story for you.”
Lori raised an eyebrow at him. Worried. Wary.
He nodded back at her. “I call it the Crabominable and the Snow-woman.”
Suddenly, all eyes were on him.