TEEN: Teebs Drabble Thread

[Teebs96]

Okay. So I've decided to post a number of the ficlets/stories/drabbles I've made over the years into this thread of mine. I think if I wrote a longer, singular story it would get its own thread, but that's besides the point.

Most of these posts are going to be centered around Plainhive (shocker), and a lot of them occur in my verse, so sorry if they're a little scattered. But I think a lot of people here would enjoy these, so the fics will begin in the next post!

Nothing explicit obviously, the closest you're gonna get is maybe some heated emotions and swears but it'll be mostly fine. Though, the teen rating stays.

Note; these were already posted on my AO3/fanfic.net account, so if they're old to you.... Sorry! I'll also try to include a little disclaimer before each drabble/ficlet to give more context.

 

[Teebs96]

These first two posts are pretty much how I think their relationship started. This is the first in the story, back to back.

The first day.

Spoiler: this one's kinda long

The rain gently beat on the wood of the house. It was turning dark outside, from a mixture of both the sun setting and the clouds forming overhead. Both the purple haired Gym Leader of Azalea, and the Normal-Type Leader from Goldenrod, were here at his home. They would stay safe and dry from the rain, which was fine by Bugsy. He found that the background noise of the water droplets was a great way to help him study. But Whitney had a problem.

She's madly in love. She has been for at least half a year. It's crazy. They've been Leaguemates for as long as she's been a Gym Leader. And she always thought he was a good guy. But lately she felt a unique desire turn in her. He wasn't just a good guy. He was a responsible guy. Someone who had their head on straight. He had a plan. A vision for his future. Something she didn't really have.

But most of all he was ADORABLE. Whitney always considered herself the queen of cute. Her own city calls her The Incredibly Pretty Girl for crying out loud. If someone was cute, she deemed it as law. And Bugsy was more than cute. Here she was, making a whole scene about infatuating people and their Pokémon with her cuteness and Attract. And now here she is. Head over heels for this boy with adorably purple hair, such a tender voice, a sweet set of le-

"It's crazy how much our information changes you know? What's true one day could be only half true next, and then a year after that, who knows?"

"Ain't that the truth." She looked at him, having to hold back a swoon from her mouth as he spoke. Here she is at his place, studying with him. Whitney's twintails flickered with excitement. He's currently turning around to try and thumb through books on his extensive bookshelf, looking slightly out-of-place in his mostly traditional Johtoian home. She can't help but watch. See how his shoulders flex as he reaches up to grab a book. How his hair sways with every little step. Seeing him go tip-toe to reach a book that's just gently out of grasp. She really should be helping him when he does that, but Whitney found herself immobilized by love.

Four months. She's been seeing him for four months. And she's been crushing on him for two longer. And he thinks they're still just friends. She keeps dropping hints and clues here and there, but he doesn't pick up. But she knows. She can tell some gears are turning in his head. She can tell the way he turns his head sometimes, the way his cheeks get just a bit of rose pink on it. There's gotta be something though. Something she can use as a breakthrough.

She felt nervous herself. This wasn't the common way to go about it, after all. The guy is supposed to tell the lady he loves her, right? Not the other way around? Isn't she messing this all up? Oh no. She can't mess this opportunity up.

Her heart burned with the thought. She just wanted closure. Six months of just thinking about him, not being able to do any more than that. It hurt. She'd rather the book be closed forever than never be able to turn a page. Tonight she'd do it.

It was about 7 PM. They've been here since at least 2, and they even had a dinner together. In some way, she loved to just hear him prattle on about whatever Bug-Type he had in mind. Whitney knew that he never had anyone to talk this much about bugs to. Or at least not somebody new. She even learned a thing or two there, but his voice, his enthusiasm, was music to her ears. And he's going off again, talking about…

"...And that's why Yanmega could only evolve when learning that move. Maybe that Kukui guy is right, you know."

"Yeah…" Whitney let out a dreamy sigh as she stared at him. She couldn't help it. She soon felt a twinge as her eyes adjusted. He was frowning. Oh no.

"...Am I boring you, Whitney?" Bugsy asked back. He looked just a touch peeved on his face. His eyes were going back to his book. He was afraid he bored her finally.

Whitney practically yelped and jumped towards him. "No no, I-I was just-"

"Why do you listen to me talk?" He asked, a slightly raised eyebrow. His eyes turned back to her and he seemed dejected. This was a feeling he was used to.

Whitney wanted to cry right there at the idea that she accidentally ticked him off.

"Because…"

She stammered, looking at his face slowly getting more sulky and sullen, with a hand outreached on his open book. Aha.

She gripped his hand with both of her's. She held it gently, like a bouquet. His eyes immediately went wide, and a blush came on his face. His frown turned quickly into a face of confusion.

"I love you, silly." She looked at him, into his face, as her own cheeks grew rosy. She chuckled, her head falling downward and then back up. "You didn't notice?"

His eyes darted all over the room. Bugsy's heart began to beat like a Rillaboom off his rocker. His hand was already getting sweaty. Then he focused back on her. "...You weren't trying to just be nice?" Is she joking?

"Bugsy, nobody tries to 'just be nice' for four months. You're my friend, no matter what, but…I've been in love with you since…well. Gosh, I think it's been six months now."

"Whitney, I…" Bugsy grew a smile. That made Whitney smile too. "I've felt the same way, but… I didn't know how to say it." He's always had a crush on her. But ever since they started hanging out, she'd been more captivating than ever. Her hair, her smile, her enthusiasm? His lips began to quiver about it. Part of his mind was telling him that she's still just trying to be friendly, and that maybe this is a prank, or something.

She couldn't help but give a high-pitched series of laughs. She held his hand in just one of hers now, using her other hand to clasp at her cheek. "Well. Guess that made two of us, huh?"

That worry he had began to fade away. Bugsy nodded. "Yeah… I mean." He let out a sigh, genuinely feeling relieved. "Whitney, everyone had a crush on you. Or, at least that's what I understood. I just felt so… out of your league."

The Normal-Type expert scoffed. "League Shmeague!"

"So then, why me?" He asked, looking as curious as he usually does when looking at bugs. A smile was beginning to curl back onto his face.

Whitney pursed her lips. "...Because you're not afraid to show people who you are."

He looked confused, but that sappy line made his face glow bright pink. "...W-what?"

"I mean it!" She shook his hand. "So many people over in Goldenrod just… wanna get with me. Like to get something from me. Just to get likes on some social media, or because they think I'm hot, or something! And…" She pursed her lips. "... You're not like that. You're someone with a goal. A mission. And you're not putting on a face for anybody, and… deep down, I really admired that."

The boy nodded slowly. He sort of understood it, but he still felt like this whole thing was a dream. He sighed. Happily this time. "... I've always loved how you acted, Whitney. I mean, shucks, you're so… active. You do everything to your fullest. It kind of inspired me to study more, become a Professor sooner rather than later."

Whitney sniffed. She felt a tear welling up in her eye. "You mean it?"

Bugsy nodded.

She turned around his desk to throw herself to him, holding him in a hug. She reactively kissed him, making Bugsy's hair stand on end as he felt a jolt go down his spine. This was the first time anyone not related to him kissed him. He closed his eyes. He never felt so wanted in his life. Slowly, his arms raised up, and found themselves latched above her hips. She raised a leg up, and she pulled back from the kiss, resting her pink hair on his purple bangs. Her hands came up to rub at his temples and cheeks, fingers delving into his thick velvet hair.

"I've wanted to do this since I had my eyes on you. Just play with your hair." Whitney spoke with a kind sigh. "You have the cutest set of hair~!"

Bugsy began to laugh a little bit, and feel a truly earnest smile come on his face. Mouth open, teeth showing. It was the most wonderful little smile Whitney had seen yet.

She couldn't help but to cup his cheeks and bring her face in close and laugh. Even if she had to crane her neck down a bit. Bugsy had never been so touched, held so closely before. He didn't want this moment to end, but next thing he knew he was being thrown onto the couch with her.

This was a bit much for Bugsy. He felt like he was being tossed into the deep end. But Whitney just wanted to get off her feet for a bit, it seemed. She just held her arms around his torso while resting her chin on the top of his head. She even kissed the top of his head. She did this because she was afraid. She thought that all this time spent building up this crush could've gone to waste. The Goldenrod Gal really thought that she could've messed this up like she did last time. But she didn't. And she was so glad.

"Bugsy…" She spoke, and he silently turned his head up to try and get a better look of her. "Bugaboo…" She said again; her own little pet name for him.

The poor Bug Catcher felt like he could just melt and turn into a pile of goo like a Ditto. A little nickname? Like lovers' do?! He couldn't believe it. He never knew he could have something like this. He just swooned, hiding his mouth in Whitney's arm, and she couldn't help but to quickly giggle and cheer to herself. She could tell exactly how he was feeling. Her boyfriend was so damn adorable.

Azalea Town's Gym Leader felt his head spin. He'll have to find a petname for her.

 

[Teebs96]

The Next Day

Spoiler: The National Park as a setting is almost cheating.

It was an unusually calm day at the National Park. Usually there would be gaggles of people bustling around; Trainers looking for a new battle, Picnickers and Hikers hanging out, perhaps Bug Catchers wanting to try the contest. Bugsy frequented this location a lot as a result of the Bug Catching Contest, so when it was time for his first date with Whitney, he knew it as the perfect place he could take her.

As they held hands and their feet stepped on the ceramic flooring, he could hardly keep his eyes off of her. She was mostly the same. Mostly.

"...Would it surprise you if I told you that I actually don't come here very often?" Whitney spoke, looking at what she thinks is a Furret on a near-by tree branch.

"Really? I would've expect someone like you to get out a whole lot." Bugsy replied.

"I mean, I do! Just… mostly within Goldenrod City y'know. There's always so much to do there and I have so many connections in there that it's really hard to find a reason to leave it some days." Her fingers gripped around Bugsy's hand. "But I have a good one right here."

Bugsy couldn't help but blush. There was something magical about this. Just hanging around and enjoying each other's time. He quickly learned that he really needed this after spending countless hours letting trainers beat him up for the Hive Badge or being up to his neck in notes and books. His hand flexed back at her.

"Y-you're so pretty…" It was the first thing that came to his mind, and even so he couldn't help but stammer and choke. God, he thought. I'm so awkward. How can she be in love with me?

She doted a kiss on his temple. He could feel her breath as she exhaled against his hair. A shiver went down his spine. In all his time studying, Bugsy did remember a word of advice Kurt gave him. Love isn't about ignoring someone's flaws, it was about appreciating them, and the person behind them. So, he gave her a smile, understanding now that Whitney loved him even if he acted a bit weird at times. But she just seemed so damn flawless.

"Here, look, there's a bench in the shade." She pointed out, and raced him over to it. She went past a nice display bush in the center, and sat her pretty little self down. Whitney patted the open spot next to her expectantly. Of course, her boyfriend would follow suit, but on the way there, he saw the bush. Inspecting it, he pulled a single flower from it. He gazed back at her, and saw she was distracted with another tree.

"Gosh, I didn't even know leaves got that green…" She spoke aloud to herself, before turning her head to see Bugsy. He was holding for her a flower. This one had broad, strong white leaves, with a yellow little center in the middle.

"For you." He twirled it a bit in his hands, as she practically scream-yelped in delight. It caused Bugsy to be taken aback, but Whitney pulled him closer in. She wrapped him up in a hug. Sure, a flower being given like this was such a simple act of love that one might even just find it outright immature, but this is what Whitney wanted. She just wanted to see him love her back. Because she loved him.

"Awww, it's so sweet~! Omigosh, hold on…Here take a seat already, take a seat!" Bugsy did just that, as Whitney began to snap most of the stem of the flower off using her well-manicured nails. Then, she placed it into hair, right where one of her usual hair accessories would be.

"How do I look?" She asked, fluffing her hands up near her hair.

The poor Bug Catcher could only stammer. Not only was it such a nice gesture by her, but it looked so cute on her. This only made a light pink appear on Whitney's cheeks.

"Infatuated, aren't ya~?"

Bugsy just nodded, and Whitney giggled, throwing her arms on him and giving him a peck on the bridge of his nose. Now the Walking Bug Encyclopedia was practically overheating, a face as red as a Magcargo. Whitney almost thought something was up with him, so she leaned back. Giving him some space helped, as he began to speak.

"W-Whitney, I-I…" He swallowed his tongue. Today was also the day he wanted to try out the pet name, but she hasn't even so much as used her's today.

"What's up, bugaboo?"

Crap. Him and his big mouth… or brain, in this case.

"..." He inhaled deeply, and exhaled through his nose. "I'm so intensely happy that we're together. I really am. But it's a lot for me. I never really HAD love before. I never had a girlfriend, or a boyfriend, or anyone, you know. S-So I'm not used to this, I hadn't even THOUGHT I could be loved until you came around. S-so thank y-you, but also, sorry if I mess up and make things…weird." The Bug Catcher felt like he said it all in one breath, but he felt he made all of his words as coherent as can be.

"This is what I meant." Whitney replied flatly.

Bugsy looked at her.

"From yesterday. How you just would show yourself an' never act like you need to put on a face or some, like, fakeness or something." Whitney brought a hand up, holding Bugsy's chin, and stroking his cheek with her thumb. "I really admire that. So much. I'm sorry, I just realized, I'm pretty handsy, aren't I? I-is it too mu-"

"No!" Bugsy replied quickly. "...No. I love it. I love being touched by you." He leaned onto her, sighing happily. Some days he felt like his only friends were his Bugs. Not even books some days, Arceus knew they could give him such intense eyestrain. "Because I love you. I come here so often, but now that I'm with you, I swear I am seeing things I normally wouldn't. Like look at that." He nods his head as it rested on Whitney's side over to something in the distance. It would be two smaller shapes rubbing against each other. A Nidoran, of both the male and female varieties. "Everytime I come here, it's the Bug Catching Contest, so we'd be busy looking for Pinsir or Scyther. But all the commotion means the usual Pokemon aren't here. And now look. It's quieter, and they can enjoy a moment together."

"That's so nice…" Whitney spoke softly. "Like us, you know?"

He nodded in agreement. He sat back up, holding her hand. She looked back at him, and giggled, even lightly kicking her feet on the bench.

"...Hey. I'm sorry I didn't, like, notice your crush earlier." Bugsy spoke.

Whitney gave the back of his hand a little scratch. "Hey, don't worry about it, okay?" On one hand, she would've loved to be like this sometime earlier in Spring when it wasn't as warm now. On the other, these past two days have felt like the happiest she's been in a very long time, so it doesn't matter really. She kind of understands now; Bugsy is a bit different than her. She had infinite social experience and cues from being the talk of Goldenrod City. He was very different, always so busy studying all of those bugs of his. And trying to become a Professor.

"If it were up to me, I wouldn't change a single thing, Bugaboo."

Once again, Bugsy smiled, leaning his head onto her shoulder. "...You're my Queen Bee."

Whitney felt like one of those exploding barrels in one of those action movies went off in her head. She let out a loud noise. An indescribable one, only that one could tell it was of shock and exclamation. Bugsy recoiled. Oh no, did he upset her…?

"..." She looked at him, then latched him as close as she could. "That'sthesweetestthingI'veheardallyearohmigodIloveyousomuch!" She spoke rapidly, and even got to kissing his face several many times, alternating from his chin to his forehead and cheeks, moving with the same speed as a Dodrio would using its beak.

"W-Whifthneeyy!" He cried out, muffled from her face. He was happy she was so enamored with it, but… "O-other peophle could be watchink!"

"And I don't care!" She cried out, tugging him by his ascot up to give a single, more deep, sensual kiss on his lips. She cooed, and Bugsy instinctively closed his eyes in the kiss, his hands on the bend of her body. Only once she pulled away did he realize what he was doing.

"I feel like I could just hop on Mt. Silver and tell the whole world who my boyfriend is~! And nobody can stop me."

Bugsy just went with a carnation on his face and chuckled. She was so rambunctious. He was so studios.

And they both were the happiest they could ever be so far.

 

[Teebs96]

Hairdo

(This is partially a way to explain how he got a ponytail in my timeskip design for him.)

It was a lazy weekend day. At around 7 PM, the sky was setting and a light drizzle was outside in the spring. It was the perfect time for them to just stay in and get cozy, idly watching whatever was on TV. On Whitney's couch, she laid, with her boyfriend also laying on her. Dressed in casual clothes, they just stared at the TV, but what they really cared for the most was just the company of one another. It was surprisingly quiet for the two Gym Leaders to have a quiet day to themselves.
"Man. He's so cool." Bugsy said as he watched the technicolor superhero on the screen sling his web and swing from building to building.
"This dude's so popular but I've never actually watched it before. It's pretty good… but I can see why you like him." Whitney replied. "Well, then you'd probably believe that as a kid I had as many toys and posters of this dude as my mom would let me have."
"Hah. Remember that old boyband Oran Of My Eye? I was the same way with them." Whitney rolled her eyes a bit. Not exactly a phase of her life she was proud of.
"I remember going so far as to wish a radioactive Spinarak would bite me." Bugsy takes a sip of his glass of Moomoo Milk. That stuff was basically on the tap at Whitney's joint. "Glad you like it though." Whitney grinned. She was normally clutching around Bugsy, her arms touching his collarbone. But then she decided to raise them up, and felt her fingers sift and dive into Bugsy's hair. His hair was always so unique. It was somehow both messy and kempt. It always fell down in these strands, and they felt so thick and velvety to touch. Bugsy insists he never used any haircare, but Whitney refused to believe it at times. It was just so… soft and fluffy.
She let out a little giggle as she continued to rub at his head, eventually finding her hands stroking at his scalp. Bugsy was practically euphoric feeling this. He loved it when his girlfriend lovingly touched him, but his head was a particularly special area for him. For most of his youth, he was always bullied for his shortness.
That combined with a big head of hair made it a particularly easy spot for bullying. But now it was being touched by someone he loved. Someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He could almost purr.
Whitney kept stroking, fluffing his hair, feeling how it would run through her fingers. It reminded her of how she'd pet her Miltank, except she had short hair. Maybe it was closer to her Tauros's mane, then? But way less wiry and rough.
No. Bugsy's hair was so magnificent she couldn't even find a Pokemon to compare it too. He was just that cute. Meanwhile, the bug researcher was so enamored and at ease with the head rubs, that he could just…fall…asleep. It didn't take that much longer til Bugsy's eyes were closed shut, and a light snoring came from him. His head rested heavily on her chest, much to Whitney's bemusement.
"Bugsy?" She whispered lightly. She didn't wanna wake him up. His lack of a response meant that she didn't. She continued to look at him…and an idea came to her head. "I do have an extra scrunchee…."
After some time, Bugsy would wake up. "Mmmngh?" Whatever he was on was particularly soft. He stretched, extending his limbs as far as they would go. He realized he wasn't on Whitney, or her sofa, but on her bed. He shot up. "W-what happened?!" He was afraid he somehow slept the whole day away, and was now watching Whitney sitting in her chair, looking at herself in the mirror as she was doing her hair.

"Oh bugaboo! You're up. Don't worry, you were only asleep for like, half an hour." She was re-doing her twintails; Bugsy got to see a rare glimpse of his girlfriend without her hair totally done. He slowly sat up, resting his hand on some plushes on her bed to do so, namely a super soft Jigglypuff plush. "A-ah… Sorry. When you were rubbing my head, I… I got so relaxed I dozed off!" He laughed lightly. "It's so cute, how much you dig it." "It…it feels nice. Like really nice. Like I'm being appreciated, you know?" "Yeah! Mmmh. You're so adorable, Bugsy~."

He blushed deeply. To have a woman so heavily associated with the word 'cute' to call him that; even now it felt like the highest of praise. "I hope you don't mind me doing your hair." Bugsy shook his head. Then he realized exactly what she said. "Wait, you what?!" He touched the back of his head. That was definitely different. "Lemme see." He got up and stood by Whitney. He had less hair in the front. A lot more in the back. He turned to the side. Whitney managed to take his voluminous head of hair and turn it into a ponytail. "W-woah…" Bugsy was shocked. Not once in all his time of being on this Earth did he ever consider a new hair do. So to see one, done so well, by Whitney… He began to smile brightly.
"Whit, this is cool!" He really dug it, giving her a hug. She pecked his cheek. "I think you should try it now and then! It'd be funny to see what Mort' or Falkner would have to say about it." Bugsy nodded. His bangs however were a bit messy. They got messed up in his sleep.
"...Hey Whitney, look." He held his hand in front of his face. "Remind you of anyone?" "Mmmnh. Oh! That kid from Alola, right? The really edgy guy?" "You're about to feel my rage!"
"...I think that's someone else." The two burst out into laughter, and once Whitney got her twintails back into tip-top shape, she indulged him in another smooch. He couldn't help but smile. He thinks he'll keep the ponytail when he goes home tomorrow.

 

[Teebs96]

before I keep posting I wanna say that the previous posts had really bad syntaxing and paragraphing (I made these on mobile; lesson learned!) and now they're fixed to not be endless walls of text.

Anyways, onwards!

Late Night
Bugsy groaned as he slowly awoke. The room was still dark. He wasn't in his own bed. He turned. He saw the familiar pink hair of head he had came to love. Not wanting to wake her, he slowly stood up, ignoring the creak of her bedsprings, as he made it to the restroom. Nature called; that's why he was up randomly at 2 AM.

Once he was done with his business, he looked in the mirror. His hair was messy; he'll fix that in the morning. Taking a quick swig of water, he flicked the light off in the bathroom and made it back to bed. He sat there. He remembered, he had a dream.

It was of her again. He curled up with his knee to his chest, himself only wearing a light white plain tee and his boxer briefs. She looked pretty, even now, sleeping, drooling on her own pillow. She never really didn't look pretty in his mind. He rested his head against his knee. He can't remember exactly what that dream entailed, but his mind ran off.

He figured, he was lucky. So incredibly lucky. That her of all people came up to him to confess her love. In retrospect, he probably never would've done that himself. He would've been far too nervous, or just as likely, far too busy in his studies to notice. In a way, he gently cursed himself. Sure, Bug Pokemon, the academics, all of it was his passion. She wouldn't change that. But there was a chance where she might've never gotten the opportunity to do so.

He hated dwelling on that.

Even Whitney herself told Bugsy that he should focus on the present and how you can do it to shape the future. Not the past; you can't change it. But his curious mind couldn't help but think. His chest inflated a bit with an inhale, before he let out a gentle exhale through his nose.

All these books he read. All the knowledge he gained. And yet, she was still right. No point in dwelling on the whys and wherefores of the past that never happened. He gazed at her still, just admiring how she slept. She was almost a different person when her twintails weren't done.

She rolled in bed, much to Bugsy's fear. He didn't wake her up, right?! No. Her eyes were still close shut, with a little bit of drool on her lip. "Mmmnh…Bugsy…." She spoke, having a wonderful dream. She held onto a pillow with her two arms, clutching onto it for dear life. She even began to kiss it, stroking the pillow.

Bugsy chuckled. He should be getting back to sleep. All he needed to do was smoothly replace that pillow in her arms with himself.

 

[Teebs96]

(This one is based on the Expeditions from Pokemon Masters. It's also a teensy bit more... steamy I guess, hehe.)

Expeditions
"Why do we even have to go hunting for this stuff?" Silver grumbled loudly as he bet over to pick up an orange rock.

"Aw don't be such a sourpuss Silver! Expedition hunting and digging can be very fun! And rewarding. We can take these back to the Lodge and synthesize some goodies." Ethan quipped back, as cheerful as ever.

"And then what would we make?" Silver snapped back. Ethan didn't have a good answer, so he merely shrugged. Silver groaned.

"The history in these ruins is incredible…" Kris was awestruck staring at the gigantic bell that had lodged itself onto the grounds of the ruins. "I really wonder who… or what, caused all this damage."

"It could just be the passage of time." Silver commented. "As for what happened between then, only Celebi could tell you. And Lyra isn't here right now." He continued to dig, while Ethan himself was excited to have found a set of Lodge Stones someone had left behind.

"Well, this is a pretty good haul so far, I'd think." Jasmine clapped her hands together softly, fingers interlacing one another as she held her hands. Still, there was something nagging at her. "Problem is, for all our discoveries, I think we've lost Whitney and Bugsy."

"These ruins are pretty labyrinthian in some spots." Kris added. "I hope they're not lost…"

"Aw I'm sure they're fine. There's no Team Break around here. And if there was, we'd hear it. Plus, they're Gym Leaders! They can handle their own in the meantime." Ethan chipped in.

"Tch. Whitney, probably. The bug kid doesn't do well around rocks." Silver smugly smirked, until he let out a small 'ow' as Ethan lightly punched his shoulder.

"Well, you three stay here. I'll go look for them, if anything happens I have Steelix and Celesteela with me. I should be fine." She waved at the three before heading off deeper into the ruins.

"Hello, Bugsy? Whitney?" Jasmine kept moving through the dilapidated rocks and walls, finding plenty of pebbles on the ground. Her intuition with rocks told her that these were recently kicked here, and definitely 'fresh', so to speak. She closed her eyes and listened intently. She heard… wetness? Almost like… smacking. She began to run, fearing that perhaps the two had been under attack by Team Aqua, perhaps!

She ran into a small area that looked like it was once a stadium. Perhaps even a colosseum of sorts. There was a giant pillar in the middle. She began to walk forward, feeling a sort of odd, airy vibe to the place. There used to be dozens of hundreds of people in the stands… and now, nothing. Not even Ghost-Types as far as she could tell. Oh, why oh why couldn't Morty be here? She moved closer to the pillar, and the wet smacking noise grew louder and louder. Now she was convinced this was something else, but with no Whitney nor Bugsy in sight, she persevered. She turned around the pillar, and saw…

"Whitney?! Bugsy?!" She gasped, and the two were clinging to one another. Whitney's eyes were closed before they shot open. Bugsy's hair stood on end and he yelped as he quickly turned to face Jasmine, heart racing and chest pounding in fear. Whitney held him close; her lips were wet and shiny, and there even was a bit of spit on her chin. She looked a bit sweaty too.

The two were very obviously just making out.

Jasmine let out an exasperated, annoyed, but ultimately glad sigh. "Oh my word, you two lovebugs couldn't have found any less scary of a place to make out?!"

Whitney giggled, adjusting her hair which had grown a bit frizzy from all of the action they were taking part in. "S-sorry! We just sort of held hands and wandered a-and here we are now! Ya found us, Jazzy!" She giggled, but Bugsy was very red in the face.

"...I…W-we…S-Silver is a big mood killer you know, and sometimes Ethan really likes to barge in, so we just wanted some privacy." Bugsy's face looked as sheepish as could be. Jasmine just groaned.

"...I mean I get that…but why did you two even come to the expedition if you just wanted to kiss each other the whole time?"

"Nice to stretch our legs." Whitney added.

"T-there's something romantic about this arena. I mean, look up." Bugsy commented.

The colosseum had no roof. The pillar was attached almost by a connecting shaft towards the curves of the upper part, but otherwise one can easily see the starry sky if they gazed up at this time of night. Plus, given how far away they are from the rest of Pasio's civilization, there was very little light pollution.

"O-oh wow…" Jasmine blushed as she was gazing upon the pretty sight. The night sky glittered and twinkled like Silverpowder. Here they were, so busy looking at the ground, when they really should've been looking up.

"...Well, I was worried for you two, and the others didn't know where you we-WOULD YOU TWO STOP IT FOR A SECOND?!" Jasmine showed a rare moment of anger as Whitney gripped Bugsy by her collar and went in for seconds. She pulled back with a guilty giggle while Bugsy's face was bright red, again.

The three began to trek back to safety, while Ethan was excitedly showing Silver the new items he had found.

"What do I look like, Steven Stone? Unless it's a Dusk Stone, it doesn't interest me." Silver's head was resting on his hand as he saw the three figures appear from under a stairwell.

"H-hey everyone! S-sorry for the hold up." Whitney apologized.

"Y-yeah. We…were doing things." Bugsy admitted.

"Figures." Silver stood up, about ready to leave. Kris and Ethan would join as well, with Jasmine just trying to pass the whole thing off as to not raise suspicion.

"Whitney, are you okay?" Kris asked.

"Mmm?" Whitney turned to face her, and Bugsy felt his heart sink just a bit as he realized something he had done.

"Your neck! It has a red mark on it! Did a Pokemon bite you there? It almost looks like a Leech Life bite."

Whitney, Bugsy, and Jasmine all brought a hand up to their faces in shock. To phrase it like THAT of all ways… Silver just rolled his eyes, uninterested in the conversation at hand.

Ethan was just happy to have some trinkets.

 

[Teebs96]

Evolution
The two stared at each other as they both shared the bench again at the National Park. It was about 3 PM on a Saturday. The sun was warm, but not too hot, shining over the two lovers. They were so enraptured with one another that they almost couldn't find the right words to say. It was the most romantic the two have felt in a while, and it really was just a silly mundane moment. And yet, Bugsy's brain was honed in on making sure his vocabulary could come through this time. This felt like such a special moment, and his brain was working overtime. That being said, it was hard to focus when staring at the love of your life giving you such a smitten look. But he blinked, and he finally began to speak.

"Whitney?"

"Yeah, Bugsy?" She replied with her expression unchanging.

"I remember for the longest time, I would wish I could… I dunno. Evolve. Evolve like how a Metapod or a Kakuna does. Become a better me, you know." For a second, he'd remember those moments where he yearned to be taller. Stronger. Smarter. Less reliant on others. Bugsy took in a deep inhale, and continued. "I remember whining, how I'd want to finally get the book at the top shelf without my net, or grow wings, or something, but… I guess becoming a Professor would be an evolution. But no."

He puts his hands on her's. He firmly gripped at her hand. The hairs of her neck stood on end.

"Falling in love with you was my evolution. And I'm never looking back."

Whitney looked at him as her smile began to change into an expression of shock. A growing pink blush would race from her cheek, across her nose, and to her other cheek. Her lips began to quiver. Suddenly, she threw herself onto him in a tight hug, smooching his forehead before letting her head rest on top of his shoulder. One hand would find itself buried in his purple forest of hair behind his skull. The other would be on his back after her arm was tightly wrapped around his midsection.

"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me…"

She was crying. Softly. Silently. Not at all like her usual loud whiney cries she'd make when losing a battle. This was an earnest cry from the heart for her, and even Bugsy knew that. As her tears dampened his shoulders, he just gently wrapped his arms around her in a hug. It didn't take long for Whitney to smooch him on his lips, the two tasting one another, before resting her forehead on his, and giving his cheek a rub. Even though her face was a little wet still, she was smiling as bright as a Sun Stone.

Sometimes, you just say the right thing.

 

[Teebs96]

Enter Aaron

Some of these stories will also explore the character relationships that exist in my verse!

Spoiler: tee hee

"Urgh! Not again!" Aaron cursed himself as he lost to Bugsy. His Drapion buckled and collapsed as Bugsy's Scyther panted and collected its breath.

"Well, at least we gave it a run for its money. Come back, Drapion." The red beam recalled the Dark-Type back to the ball, while Bugsy ran up and hugged the mantis ninja. It happily screeched. And soon it returned back to its confines.

After they set their balls in the machine to heal the Pokémon inside, the two bug bros took a small stroll around outside, chatting and discussing idle things. Bugsy was here from Johto on a League-endorsed sabbatical; doing a bit of study on the Bug-Types of the Sinnoh region, with Aaron being his "tour guide" of sorts.

"I haven't done too much work on it, but I was writing a small section in the report about faux-bugs as I like to call them. Pokémon like Drapion and Flygon. Pokémon that look like Bug-Types and can even mate with them sometimes, but aren't." Bugsy slurped up his ramen as the two sat at a simple outdoors bench and chair. The two sat right outside the Pokémon League castle, looking not far from the water in front of it.

"Mmmnm. So you're that dedicated to bugs, eh?" Aaron replied, chomping into his meatbun.

Bugsy nodded. "I'm gonna learn as much as I can about all Pokémon, but old habits die hard."

Aaron smirked. "For me, Bug-Types are mostly about the vibes. Looking graceful while being powerful as all get-out. That's why I love 'em. But you already knew that." He coolly leaned back in his seat as he took a bite. "Mmmph. And I guess that applies to Pokémon that look like bugs but aren't, like Drapion."

"Exactly why I came here to battle you."

"Yeah, and you kicked my ass." Aaron chuckled. "I'm either off my game, or you're on your A-game, or both."

Bugsy laughed a bit sheepishly, always bashful around compliments, as a pink petal from a near-by tree fluttered by. It reminded him of someone so his eyes were transfixed on it. For maybe a moment too long.

"Uh, earth to Bugsy? You dropped your noodles!" Bugsy whipped around when Aaron got his attention. Sure enough, he cursed as his dandan ramen spilled through the grate table. Fortunately none spilled on him, but it's never nice to let oily food go to waste.

"Argh, sorry…" Bugsy took a napkin and began to wipe up the mess, and Aaron was just laughing.

"Haha. What's up man? Something on your mind?"

Bugsy came clean. "Someone, actually."

"Who?"

"Whitney."

Aaron scoffed. "Her and her Miltank getcha again?"

Bugsy looked at Aaron as he took a bite of his meat bun. "She's my girlfriend, you know."

Aaron began to cough and choke a bit on his food. After pounding his chest and gulping, he was able to breathe once more. "O-oh, sorry, I uh, didn't know, and I-"

"It's fine." Bugsy couldn't help but laugh. He's heard the sentiment before a few times. He reminisces of one time Whitney and him were out in the National Park. They were having a stroll, and there was some rude heckling Acetrainer.

"How did HE get with HER? Must've been a fluke or something." He was going on and on about rude implications. Whitney just pouted, clung to Bugsy, and kissed him. For a long time. It left him breathy and sweaty afterwards. He blushed at the memory of it. But now here he was in Sinnoh, and she was in Johto. Which meant he couldn't see her face, or hear her giggle, or-

"EARTH TO BUGSY. I was talking to you! Gee, you two must be some couple if she puts your mind in the gutter that easily." Aaron chuckled, having now stood up to throw their food trash away.

Bugsy shook his head, waking back to reality. "A-ah, sorry. What did you say again?" He blinked as he stared at the Sinnohian.

"How long have you two been together?"

Bugsy thought for a second. "It has to have been about a year or so now."

"A whole year? And I never knew?!"

"The League over in Johto isn't exactly fond of two Gym Leaders having a relationship. I have a feeling they know but we try to keep it a little bit quiet. I think all the other Leaders in Johto know, some of them in Kanto, and when Whitney and I took a trip to Paldea, word got out there, too."

Aaron smirked. "You must've been a smooth operator, not asking me for any tips~." He joked, but Aaron put a lot of investment in his personal beauty. He wanted to be just as gorgeous as the Bug-Types he raised, he claimed, and it got him a bit of a reputation of being an object of desire in the region.

The purple haired expert couldn't help but laugh at the thought. "If anything, she was that… but uh, yeah. She's…" Bugsy brought his hand into his palm and rested his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand. "The best." He inhaled, then exhaled slowly.

"You have a nickname for her yet?"

Bugsy smiled. "Sometimes I call her my queen bee." He smiled brighter. "Sometimes she's my honeycomb."

Aaron found himself laughing too. "Spoken like a true Bug-Type aficionado! Wouldn't expect any less from y-"

"And one day I'll call her wifey."

Aaron recoiled. Out of happiness, yes, but he wasn't expecting Bugsy to just put and say it like that. "Woah! Hold it there Volbeat, didn't you say you wanted to become a Professor and everything before making her your Illumise or something?"

Bugsy sighed again, this one more wistfully. "I mean, yeah. That's why I'm here." He plopped his hands down on his lap. "Away from her."

Aaron put a hand on his back. Any frown Bugsy had suddenly melted away as he looked up to his friend.

"Hey. I know it's hard. But you'll get that PhD in no time. Think about it. Today you studied Vespiquen, saw Drapion in battle, what's next on your docket?"

Bugsy smiled. "Thanks Aaron. The League wants me to do some studies with Rowan. I should get going."

Aaron gave Bugsy a thumbs up. In doing so, he checked out his Pokétch. "Ah, good timing, my boyfriend wants to hang out. Guess his Infernape is itching for a battle."

Bugsy retrieved his Pokémon from the healing machine, and held up the ball that his League-Assigned Charizard was in.

"Oh, Aaron, two more things."

"Yeah Bugsy?"

"One, can I ask you for fashion tips sometime?"

Aaron couldn't help but be flattered. "Tch, any time!"

"Two, am I good to send you a wedding card when the day comes?"

Aaron went wide-eyed, but he knew exactly what to say. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, Bugsy."

The two exchanged a fist bump. "Don't worry, I'll invite Flint too. See you around, Aaron." Bugsy summoned the Charizard, straddling up on it, as its wings flapped and took them away. He waved goodbye to Aaron, and as he disappeared in the horizon, the Elite Four member crossed his arms. The wind of the wingbeats sent his hair swaying.

"Love is such a beautiful thing."

 

[Teebs96]

For this one I wanted to try writing from the perspective of Pokemon. Remember that pokeani episode where it was that island of Pokemon and they talked and they had subtitles? Yeah, like that!

Battle
"Gah. Today was a good day of training." Scizor thought to itself, looking upwards at the blue leaden sky that spring brought. Just outside Bugsy's house, he was allowed to roam free and chill out. He needed the time to cool his steel off, anyhow.

"Oh, hello there!" Milty, Whitney's Miltank, had appeared from around the corner. Whitney and Bugsy were training their Pokémon together, namely their two aces. Once the fighting was over though, the two were just friendly with one another. They spoke to each other, in the way two Pokémon were naturally able to.

"Hello Milty." Scizor gave a smile to the waddling cow. "Your Fire Punch has been getting even stronger."

Milty posed, playfully flexing one of its arms. "Yup! Practice makes perfect. But you would know about that, given your Bullet Punches, right?"

If Scizor could blush in a way that would show up on its crimson red exterior, it would. "Flattery is appreciated, but it won't help you win the next battle. Remember, I was the victor this time."

Milty let out a bleating moo. "Aw, you gotta remember to have fun with it sometimes! I wouldn't Rollout nearly as fast if the battle was all work and no play for me."

Scizor gave it some thought, raising a claw up to his head. "Perhaps you're right. I'll keep that in mind. Fun."

"No, you are!"

"Nuh uh, you are!"

There was a commotion the two Pokémon could hear by an open screen door. Scizor was concerned, and began to flap its wings and hover over to check it out. Meanwhile, Milty, who knew better, took it nice and slow.

"Huh?" Scizor thought to itself, before realizing what it was looking at.

Whitney and Bugsy were holding each other's hands, sitting on his couch, and leaning back and forth against each other, swaying to and thro like a pendulum. Whenever one spoke, they leaned forward, and the other leaned back.

"You're cuter!" Whitney yelped.

"No, you are!" Bugsy responded.

They repeated this back and forth for a small little while.

"It looks like they're having their own sort of battle." Milty answered, giving off a sense of sarcasm that wasn't at all common in Pokémon speak.

"I hope my trainer wins." Scizor pondered.

Almost as if one cue with that thought, Whitney threw herself into Bugsy, pouncing onto him with hugs and kisses. They were sent into a flurry of giggles.

If Scizor could sigh, it would have. Human battles make no sense to him.

 

[Catz]

These are so good Teebs! I really like this one from the Pokemon's perspective, it certainly makes for a unique mini story

can't wait to see more!

 

[Teebs96]

Curveball! This one isn't Plainhive, but Vanvilleshipping (Trevor x Serena). I wrote this for pokemonshipweek this year!

Spoiler: The prompt was "Firsts"

His heart was pounding so hard in his chest he swore it was a Pangoro using Mega Punch. It was another day in Vanville. The whole gang was there. Calem, Tierno, Shauna, himself, and Serena. It was a wonderful auburn day, with the leaves falling off of the tree. He had his gift for her in his bag. He wanted to gift it to her, but consistently, he'd find a perfectly good moment to propose… and then he'd swallow his tongue. We were all having such a good time, he thought. He didn't want to ruin the mood, maybe make it awkward by asking her out on a date or something only to have her turn him down. The friend dynamic that brought them together was now betraying him. This would be ironic if his brain would let him think of such a thing.

"So then, I tell him, no, not electric, Eelektross!" Calem's joke was a home run with the group, making the others double over in laughter. And Trevor was so busy having chicken skin he didn't even notice the joke. Calem gave him a playful shoulder nudge to snap him out of it, but he felt the light dampness on his skin.

"Woah, Trevs, you okay?" He gripped the brim of his hat as he spoke to his friend. Trevor just nodded.

"Y-yeah, perfectly fine. Sorry, I was uh, thinking about Pokedex stuff." He stammered back.

Calem just smiled, but Tierno couldn't help but get a quip in. "You're looking kinda sweaty, bro. Maybe if you got a different haircut you'd ventilate a bit better."

Tierno laughed, but Serena came in for Trevor's defense. "Aw, lay off of him a bit. His hair style is cute and fashionable, you know."

Trevor swore that every vein in his heart clutched for just a second. Cute?! Then… maybe there really was a feeling being reciprocated?! Wait, is she just being nice? No, there's no way, right?!
"Here Trevor." Shauna handed him a handkerchief. "Wipe yourself down! I'd hate to see your sweater get stained."

"T-thanks Shauna." He patted himself dry, and sighed happily. He was glad he at least had one friend to make this a bit easier.

"Hey guys," Calem began to speak again, checking his watch as he adjusted the sleeve of his blue jumpsuit. "I gotta make a call with Sycamore. Break here for a bit?"

"Sure, I'll go practice my dance moves over there." Tierno hopped out.

"I'll go use the restroom. Be right back!" Shauna scurried off. Calem nodded, gripping his hat as he moved out to make his call. That left Trevor and Serena together.

She sat on the stone planter, in her usual attire. Stylish red hat with shades. Red skirt. Black top. And he was just Trevor. He sighed deeply as her eyes seemed to gaze off into nothing. He scooted close to her, and before he could clear his voice, his hand accidentally brushed against her hip, making her turn her head quickly to face him. He was paralyzed, staring right back at her eyes. Her face went from neutral to a slight smile.

"You look like you've had something to say since we all agreed to meet up here." Serena just giggled. Trevor's heart fluttered. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. With a silent nod, he reached into his bag and pulled out a heart-shaped box. With a flick of his wrist, he opened it up, and Serena went wide-eyed.

It was an assortment of Sweet Hearts. Some were plain. Some were covered in sprinkles. One was even drizzled with white chocolate; Serena's favorite. But it was as obvious to anyone that this was Trevor's way of confessing his love to her. Each chocolate was immaculately pressed and laid into the box. Normally, someone can only get one of these once a day in Camphrier Town, so to have a whole set meant that Trevor was dedicated. Serena's mouth curled into a soft shape, and a blush came across her cheeks.

"Trevor…" She took the Sweet Heart box into her lap and smiled brightly. "I… I don't even know what to say."

He sighed, thinking this is a good sign so far. But he couldn't help and say it.

"I love you, Serena."

She turned to him and smiled back. She brought a hand up and began to place it on his thick head of hair, her thumb and fingertips massaging his scalp.

"...I love you too, Trevor."

"R-Really?!" He almost burst with his response, before clutching his hands to his mouth. This just made Serena giggle. She was not oblivious to how fanciful she looked; she must've made Trevor extremely nervous with her style and grace, she thought.

"Yeah. Yes. I mean it. But why tell me now, hm? Why not sooner?"

"...I was always so intimidated. I always thought that maybe you'd, you know, have feelings for someone else, like Calem, or I dunno, Grant or something. And then I didn't say anything. I almost didn't even say it today because I was afraid of, you know, making things awkward."

"Were you afraid I was going to turn you down?"

"I was afraid to hear you say you were taken. But then my mind thought, that if you were taken, I'd rather find out than let the thoughts just rot in my brain. So…here I am."

The two stared at each other after he let his mind speak.

"Do you like the Sweet He-"

Before he could finish his question, he felt a warmth on his lips. She kissed him. Eyes closed, a hand on his shoulder. He stopped trying to speak. He just closed his eyes and felt her taste on his lips too. His first kiss. Eventually she'd pull back with a giggle and a wink.

"I'm sure I'll love them, but I'd rather share them with you, Trevor~." Serena winked yet again. "I'll save these for later once the rest are gone. Then you and I can have our first date. What do you say?"

Trevor smiled in earnest for the first time today. He nodded, and the two scooted up to each other on the planter, hands holding each other as their fingers intertwined.

 

[Teebs96]

This one is REALLY goofy; basically one day i kept looking for reference for ship art for bugsy and whitney and in all of them the guy was taller!!! what the heck!!! so i "vented" by writing this silly thing.

Whitney's Dream

“Ahhhh~.” Whitney yawned as she stretched her arms up on the rock she was sitting on. “Bugsy should be here any minute now~. Ugh, I can’t wait!”

The two had arranged for yet another date, this time on the rocky, breezy coast of Cianwood City. They picked this location because… Whitney can’t remember, actually.

“Heya Whit!”

She instantly jumped up from the rock and turned around when she heard his voice. “Buga…boo?”

Whitney turned around and saw Bugsy, alright. Except this time she had to look up.

“Honeycomb… everything okay?”

Whitney blinked. It sounded like Bugsy. Except maybe a tad deeper. But he was taller. Like, way taller. Normally Bugsy’s head would rest right at her chest level (much to her delight), but now, that’s where Whitney was. She remembered earlier playing with her Miltank; she was the same height as usual. So Whitney doesn’t think she shrunk, just that Bugsy got taller. Much more tall. We’re talking “He’s giving Morty a run for his money” level of tall, and Morty was just about the tallest guy she knew. Except maybe for Lance, but that could just be his hai-

“Whitney?”

Bugsy tried to get her attention by holding onto her shoulders. This snapped Whitney out of her height-measuring stupor. She gazed back at him again. He still had a pretty boyish face, but now his jaw was just a bit more defined. His neck just a bit thicker. But his grip was so much more firm! She could’ve melted…

“H-hey handsome~.” Whitney giggled. This was a fresh change of pace for her, and while she wasn’t sure WHAT was going on, she didn’t entirely mind this, either. She remembers sometimes she’d see some of her Gym Trainers with their boyfriends, either of the same height, or taller. They’d do cute things, like easily rub cheeks together, or lean into their boyfriends’ chests. She couldn’t do that with Bugsy. And she didn’t really MIND it at all, but now…

“I know you love me Whitney, but try not to lose your head in the clouds.”

“I could say the same thing of you, tall drink of water~.” Whitney giggled, twirling one of her twintails around in her fingers. Bugsy just blushed, and began to trek down the trail. Whitney blinked. He’s right though; she isn’t quite acting like herself. Does the height really change the dynamic?

“Are you coming?” He turned around, a few paces ahead of her, calling for her attention.

Whitney snapped out of it to jog ahead to her usual boyfriend, who was now mysteriously several heads taller than before.

Before she knew it, the two were sitting on a different rock, a much wider, flatter one that fit them well. She was cradled up by him, with his legs spread apart so she could nest in between them. She gazed back at him, seeing his purple hair sway from the breeze. He still wore the same outfit; green hiking top, green hiking shorts, the boots, the almost-knee-high socks. And it looked weird on him. She blinked. Looking at his face, she couldn’t help but notice that the hair was the same, but the look on his face wasn’t. He seemed to beam more of… not confidence. Almost cockiness. It was rather unlike Bugsy.

Then he hugged her. Oh my Arceus, he hugged her.

Whitney felt a warmth surge through her body. Both of her blush, and also from him. His arms, his torso, were just more muscular than what she was used to. And they protected her from the chilly breeze of the Cianwood City sea that much better. She really could melt right here. She swooned, pressing her head against Bugsy’s torso. It wasn’t soft; it was firm. Maybe this really isn’t her Bugsy, but it is a Bugsy all the same. Maybe that’s good enough.

“Bugaboo?” She asked, looking up at him. He had to bend over a bit to see her from where he was.

“Yeah, honeycomb?”

“I love you.” Whitney reached a hand up to stroke at his cheek, feeling the rigidness of his jawline.

“And I BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!”

Whitney recoiled. She felt something hard hit her head.

“BWAUGH!”

She woke up, shaking her head. Sun was shining into her room, and a painful welt was forming on the top of her scalp. She grabbed what fell onto her. It was her alarm clock. She was in bed, swaddled up in blankets after leaving the window open. She let out a relieved sigh. It was just a dream.

Wait. She checked the alarm. 8:30 AM.

“Crap! The Pokeathelon starts in 45 minutes!” Whitney began to get ready, and in a blazing quick whole of 7 minutes (she timed herself), she got tidy, brushed her teeth and did her hair. She was just about to run out the door, before she bumped into something just moments outside of her front door. She recoiled, feeling the pressure on her chest, before rubbing it off and seeing who it was, and gasping happily.

“Bugaboo!”

He fell onto his butt from the sudden collision. He groaned, but otherwise was okay.

“Practicing your Barry impression today, Whit? You were running late so I thought I’d-”

Bugsy’s sentence was cut off by Whitney hugging him warmly. She pressed him into her body, with her arms wrapped around him, holding him closely like a girl would their favorite oversized plush. The sudden tender affection made Bugsy blush a scarlet across his face. Soon, Whitney would pull him back so she could bend forward and kiss his lips. This made the walking Bug-Type encyclopedia blush even further.

“Mmm. So glad to see you like this.” Whitney smiled, her eyes in a sincere, half-lidded look.

“Y-you too…w-wait, like this? What do you…mean?” Bugsy asked quizically.

“Hehe, let’s just say I had a bit of a funny dream. I’ll tell ya later, let’s head over to the ‘athelon!”

The two scurried for the busy Sunday they had planned today. As they jogged to warm their bodies up, Whitney looked at Bugsy. Down, this time. And she thought to herself, no, it really is better this way.

 

[Catz]

Teebs you do not disappoint I swear these are absolute masterpieces.

Keep making these please they give me so much joy I desperately need.

 

[Teebs96]

Teebs you do not disappoint I swear these are absolute masterpieces.

Keep making these please they give me so much joy I desperately need.

aw thank you so much that means a lot to hear coming from a writer like yourself <3

i'll post some more here tonight.

 

[Catz]

yess, my night will be fulfilled !!

 

[Teebs96]

This one was for my Twitter mutual. This is Gizzardshipping, Steven Stone x Falkner. Rare as all get-out, but I remember wayyy back I randomly had a fic of this lying around, so I remade it for them!

The Blade

Spoiler: the fic

"Every single time." Falkner smoldered as he sat on the rocks of Whirl Island. He felt, for lack of a better term, absolutely terrible. His proposal to Morty didn't go out so well. The one other man in all of Johto he respected. And he didn't make the proper time to see him. His disciples, Bugsy and Whitney, were smitten with one another and seeing them together made him feel as queasy as jealousy. It made him feel petty, immature, and not better at all. And then there were those visions of his dad happening again. He clutched at his arm hard. If he wasn't gripping at where his traditional outfit covered his biceps, there was a very good chance he'd sink into his skin.

Nobody respected him. Not his colleagues. Not his father. Especially not the league. And he didn't feel worthy of respect. His friends don't give him the time of day, and nobody appreciates the effort he put in to be where he was. He felt transparent. He felt useless.

And then he felt windy.

The wind wasn't the natural breeze of the islands. It was air fluttering down on and above him. As he stared up, he saw a shape familiar to him; a Skarmory. But this one belonged to a trainer. He couldn't see with the sun in his eyes, but as he put his hand up the visage became more obvious. It was Steven Stone.

The Champion of the Hoenn Region. A perfect man that one nary existed in Johto, for most of Falkner's own admittance. Powerful, knowledgeable, and dashing. Falkner was taken aback. In his lowest moment, suddenly this champion comes and graces his presence. Why?

"Hello, Falkner." Steven adjusted his tie as he hopped off his Pokemon. He gave the raptor a few strokes on its beak, which squawked happily.
"H-Hello, Steven." Falkner put on his best smile and a hand out. Steven shook it firmly.

"I'm very happy to see you here." He began to trace around the briny rock the two stood on. Falkner just watched intently as the Champion stroked his chin using just his index finger and thumb. As if though he was scanning the surroundings besides them for any potential leads.

"Not only are you here when I want you to, but I can probably take a rock home, too." He laughed, turning to his blue-haired cohort.

"What brings me to your attention?" Falkner asked, arms crossed now, still incredulous.

"Well." Steven began to speak. "I was there when you battled Winona in Hoenn."

"The sparring match we had a week ago?" Falkner raised an eyebrow. "You were there?! I would've offered you a handshake if I had known."

"Oh, it was important for you not to know." Steven smiled. "I watched in the deep forest of Fortree. And that's because both Winona and you would've battled differently had you both known I was there. I wanted to see you at your truest self, and I must say, you did handsomely."

Falkner blushed, and even trembled a bit. His mouth grew as dry as cotton, taking a gulp that barely had any saliva on it.
"R-really?"

"Ah, so she was right about that too." Steven frowned lightly.

"W-what? What do you mean?!" Falkner's voice grew cracky and ragged.

"Winona. She was right. You do have a self-esteem issue." Steven put a hand out. "Sorry, that might have sounded rude. She told me a bit about yourself after you left for Fortree, when I made myself known to her. She said you loved to hang out around the water in Johto when you're upset… which you seem to have told her happens a lot lately. She said you didn't believe in yourself."

Falkner looked down and to the side. "...Because other people don't believe in me."

Steven raised another eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I… I wanted to confess my love to Morty. A-and I did recently. And it didn't… go well." He huffed, clenching his fists. "A-and the damn girl and her bug boyfriend, I-I raised them, but now it feels like they're more busy playing tag than being trainers any more, a-and I…"

Falkner felt tears well up at the corners of his eye at the idea of having to mention his dad to someone else, but then he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. It was Steven.
"I understand." Steven smiled at the Johtoian. Falkner was once again stunned.

"Believe it or not Falkner, but I wasn't just handed the Champion's title." Almost playfully, Steven began to strut around, occasionally taking dips as he knelt to examine the craggy rock below them. "I had to work hard, too. And my father didn't believe I could do it."

If Falkner was wearing a collared shirt, it'd be getting extremely steamy right now.

"And I didn't even get his recognition until I DID earn that Champion's title. And even now, I wonder; do people know and care for me for my title, or for my efforts?" He examined a rock before flicking it away. Falkner was just stunned. Surely, someone like Steven would be happy with all of the potential fans he had, right?

Steven turned around. "That's why I make an effort to appreciate the efforts of my colleagues. Truth be told, I wanted to examine Winona's battling, but yours is what caught my eye. You're a very talented trainer, Falkner."

Falkner's heart swelled as he heard this. This wasn't just a compliment at when he needed it the most; it was one from a trainer he held in very high regard. A warmth spread across his chest; the same he initially had for Morty.

"I wanted to give you a gift, to cheer you up. Skarmory?" His pet Pokemon squawked, raising up a wing, showing it was holding a long, black package in its blade-like feathers. Steven retrieved it.

"Here. I want you to have this. It's a little much, but you know me. Stones are more my thing than whatever this is." He clicked the edges open and the case swung apart, and it reflected a strong light to Falkner's eyes. He recoiled, but once he was able to see what it was, his lungs quickly forced in a deep breath.

"This is…" Steven was about to explain until Falkner cut him off.

"An ancient traditional Skarmory katana." His hands went to examine it. He wanted to just grab it and feel it, but just seeing it, even with its protective wrapping, was breathtaking.

"Mmhm. I figured it'd be much more appreciated in your hands than on my shelf in my villa!" The Steel-Type expert laughed. "I thought it was fitting as well. We both have an appreciation for Skarmory. I mean, it certainly gave Winona's Tropius a run for its money." Steven smiled, before realizing that Falkner was now looking at him rather than his gift. "D-do I have something on my fa-"

"Steven. You came to me at a time when I was at my lowest. I genuinely did not have a good foreboding in my chest. But now here you are. Coming to me, taking time out of your day, just to check up on me. When I felt like I was all alone again. And now I'm not." Falkner let his confession out all in one sentence. Falkner cooly had a hand on his hip. His usual attitude for the most part had fortunately returned to him.

Steven stammered a bit, his steely cool composure being disturbed. "A-ah, Falkner, I'm extremely happy to hear that." Steven closed his eyes and smirked as his handsome face glowed a light pink. "You and I never talked too much together. I hadn't figured how brazen I might've been just swinging by and-"

"No no! It's no hassle at all. Trust me. I truly appreciate this, from the bottom of my heart." Falkner closed the case and procured it from Steven.
"And don't worry. I'm sure you're still friends with Morty, and Whitney, and Bugsy, and I'm sure they still re-"

Suddenly, Steven felt a pressure around his torso. Falkner went up and hugged him. Maybe this wasn't the time to run his mouth. Steven just smiled, and hugged Falkner back. They stayed there for a bit, feeling their warmth against one another. Steven suddenly understood.

"I will cherish this item with all my heart, Steven." Falkner broke the hug and even bowed, making Steven throw up his hands a bit.

"Ah, I'm glad! But please, no need to bow." These old Johtoian traditions always made him awkward. "That being said; why don't we exchange contact information?"

The two shared their information by their devices. Storing them away, the pair spent an awfully long amount of time staring at each other. And smiling.

Steven's device beeped at him. "A-ah, Drake is calling me. I'll have to depart for now, Falkner." Steven held out a hand.

Falkner brought his hand in, but as he did so, Steven suddenly took his hand and tugged him in, surprising him with a forehead kiss. Saying nothing more, Steven hopped onto his mount. Saluting his Gym Leader friend, Skarmory began to rise high up into the air.

Falkner watched as the bird became a small blip against the blue sky. He slapped himself. He took in a deep inhale. That was the unmistakable brine of the Johto waters. This actually happened. He felt lightly numb. He wasn't sure how to process everything. Holding the case in the underside of his arm, and looking at his device, he had a new goal to achieve.

To set up a date with a Champion.

 

[Catz]

YESS It was SO worth it to stay up to see this, you have blessed me once again with the bestest things to read, all the feels I'm getting are absolutely immaculate.

 

[Teebs96]

This one is for our good user @sleepwick , I wrote this for them a little while back. Damselshipping (Sonia x Sordward)

This one takes place a little bit on the way to my timeskip verse, but I don't think the timing truly matters, hehe.

Spoiler: did you know his jp name is just soddo. haha like he's wet or something. sodding wet.

“So, Sordward. You have found yourself in Sinnoh.”

The tuxedo-wearing man bit his lower lip as he found himself inside of Celestic Town’s musical hall. It was a place mostly for the townsfolk to recreate old Hisuian rhythms, but there was a grand piano on stage. Sordward had mostly
wandered here, being dragged along by his wife to a town to meet up with some co-workers. He normally felt like a fish out of water outside of Galar, but normally his confident attitude would prevent him from feeling too bad about it.

Not today. His wife had a way of changing his personality, he felt. Mostly for the better, but he did miss his old arrogance at points. He needed something to distract him, and he saw the piano on-stage. His usual smirk came across his face.
“Well, if nobody’s using it, what’s the harm anyhow?”

Making his way on-stage, stomped up the steps. He bowed to an empty audience, his blade-like hair swaying as he did so, then began to take a seat at the piano chair. His fingers took position.
“I don’t normally play without gloves… and it has been a while… But, here goes.”

C. C-Sharp. C, C-Sharp, D, D-Sharp. A-flat. Then his fingers began to dance. He felt his old muscle memory course through his arms, and he closed his eyes, losing himself to the music.

“Chorus of the Sun Beautifly? I haven’t heard that track in a while.”

Sordward yelped out, his hands slamming all the keys in shock as he turned around to see a blonde woman in black.

“C-Cynthia?! I-I’m so sorry madame, I-I was just-”

“Playing the piano. You don’t have to worry. That bow you did earlier was cute.” Cynthia giggled as she held a hand to her face, a crack in Sordward’s steely resolve showing on his face.

“W-well, I admire a woman who can appreciate a good piano ditty. You play some yourself, don’t you?” Out of respect, Sordward stood up, and bowed. Cynthia stepped back with a confused look on her face; both because she was taken aback by such manners, and also because she didn’t want Sordward’s hair hitting her with a Slash attack.

“Y-yeah! You’re one of the twins from Galar, aren’t you? Leon must’ve told you all about me.”

“On the contrary madame, it wouldn’t be Leon’s lips that told me about yourself; it was my wife.”

Cynthia nodded, then looked… oddly concerned. “Wait. Wife? When did you get married?”

“Ah, not long ago. Sonia had to come here so I accompanied her to-”

“SONIA IS YOUR WIFE?!” Cynthia now looked shocked beyond pale.

“...I get that a lot. But alas, here’s my ring.” Sordward posed, holding up his backhand as if though he was holding a traditional Hoenn fan. Indeed, in the scant lighting of the stage, his ring twinkled.

Cynthia was regaining her composure outwardly, but internally she was screaming. Sonia had come over, alongside Bugsy, for the three to have an academic discussion. She could totally see how Bugsy and Whitney came together, but Sonia and Sordward?! She coughed into her hand.

“U-uh, sorry, had some Farfetch’d soup for dinner. Acid reflux.” She shook her head, only to see Sordward give her a bit of a scornful look. Did her lie backfire?

“Wasn’t aware you partook in such delicacies, Cynthia. You know I have a Sirfetch’d, correct?”

Cynthia felt like she fell off a cliff.

“Good thing it was just a Kantonian Farfetch’d you ate!” Sordward then began to belt out some laughs, which made Cynthia feel less embarrassed and ashamed and moreso sour. But it was a better emotion than before. Somewhat.

“A-anyhow, uhm, Sordward,” Cynthia crossed her arms and dipped her head to the left. “Going back to our first topic; yes. I do play the piano. And I gotta say, you’re quite good at it. Are you classically trained?”

“Well, you could say that.” Sordward’s toothy smirk returned to his face. Cynthia already hated it. “My mother practically beat it into me, and at the time I loathed her for it, but ever since her passing I’ve always felt like I should’ve thanked her instead. So now I try to keep my skills sharp with it. Wish I could’ve played more, however. Curse my early on-set arthritis.” He rubbed his hand, inspecting it like it was fine glassware.

This man was just emotional left and right hooks back and forth, Cynthia thought. “Oh. My, that’s actually quite noble of you. Well, I’m sure she’d be happy to hear you play.” Cynthia smiled, maybe now understanding a little bit of what Sonia saw in him.

“Mm. Thank you, madame. Oh, I must ask; have you seen my wife? Part of the reason I’m even here to begin with was because I wandered in here, like a lost little Litten, and just sort of stumbled into here!”

“Oh, Sonia? She’s currently taking a stroll with Bugsy. I stayed behind because I wanted to check the library for a bit, but then I heard piano playing, so I came inside. They should be getting back anytime soon.” Cynthia checked her Poketch. “Yeah, it’s about 10 past 3.”

Sordward smiled. “Well, then if you don’t mind; continue to admire my piano playing until they arrive?”

Cynthia snickered softly, this time with earnest admiration for the guy. “Please. Be my guest.”

Sordward turned around and took a seat again, and resumed playing Chorus of the Sun Beautifly. Having an audience this time, Sordward got very into it, and Cynthia couldn’t help but smile and listen to the tune that was being played.

The doors of the hall began to open wider. Neither of them could hear it because of the piano playing going on. A certain guy with violet hair and a labcoat began to walk in, and behind him was a woman with hearts in her hair. Sonia heard the piano being played, and couldn’t help but chuckle to herself.

“Oh, poor Sordward. You let him near those ivory keys and he goes crazy.”

Bugsy turned around and did a double take. “Wait. You know him?” He was transfixed back on Sordward’s hair.

“Oh, he’s my husband, Bugsy.” Sonia raised her hand to show her ring.

“THAT MAN IS YOUR HUSBAND?!” He shouted, his voice ringing across the studio halls, once again causing Sordward to keyslam the piano in his shock. Cynthia couldn’t help but begin to laugh, feeling vindicated for her outburst earlier.

“I wonder if people will ever stop doing that…” Sordward grumbled.

 

[Teebs96]

In my verse, Gym Leader relationships in Johto specifically aren't exactly treated well. This is mainly due to the Johto League (and the entities who run it) being old codgers who fingerwag constantly about rules, being proper, etc. The idea is that it mimics Japan's real life conservative government. Thus, Whitney and Bugsy (and also Falkner and Morty) have to keep their relationship on the down-low. So, for this fic, she opens up to her Gym Trainers about it.

Let It Out

Spoiler: this one gets a wee bit emotional!

“So anyways, Jasmine tells me that she wanted to get a THIRD Steelix. A THIRD! I told her you’d find me wearing Clair’s cape before finding another Metal Coat, those things are impossible to come by!”

Whitney’s banter sent all the other ladies into a small uproar of laughter. They were all her Gym Trainers; the foes that the Trainers must defeat before they’re considered worthy enough to battle Whitney and her team. The Goldenrod Gym was unashamedly a girls’ club; it was a hang-out for all the ladies in town, even if they weren’t Gym Trainers, or even trainers at all. Whitney liked that sort of vibe; she hated how stiff and uptight and proper the League wanted everything to be. On chill Fridays, they all went into the City to try and find a light snack for them to munch on in the early afternoon before dinner.

“Wow Whitney, you’re so funny.” Carrie spoke out, saying this with zero irony. Her voice just had a bit of a fry to it that made her sound quite robotic.

“I’m sure Jasmine can import one. She’s a Gym Leader, she can just buy her way out of most of her problems, like I do!” Victoria winked and fluttered her lashes, obviously showing off the wealth a Beauty often had.

“S-she’s not the most well-off person just because she has a job, Vic…” Samantha, the other Beauty who was a bit more level-headed, brought Victoria down to Earth again.

“Well, anyways! Whitney, there’s been something on our minds!” Lois the Lass spoke up. She was Whitney’s right-hand woman when it came to the Gym.

“E-eh?” Whitney looked shocked, genuinely unsure of what she was going to be asked next. “L-look, if it’s about a raise, I’d love to, but the League has my pocketbooks a-and-”

“No.” Cathy piped up. She was the Gym Trainer who most often told the challengers to be patient, and wait for Whitney’s waterworks to die down after a loss. “You know what we’re talking about.”

Whitney chuckled nervously. “I-is there some food on my face or somethin’?”

Rita grunted, clapping her flip phone shut. “Your boyfriend. That’s what we’re all dying to hear about.”

At this point in time, Whitney and Bugsy had only just recently become a pair. Due to the regulations and restrictions The League likes to impose on their Gym Leaders, the two kept their relationship under wraps for the time being. However, in Goldenrod City, gossip was its own currency, and all the Gym Trainers wanted their piece of the pie. They all leaned in, each with a smile on their face; some mischievous, some sincere in curiosity.

“H-hey, girls, m-maybe please don’t pry into my private li-”

“Hey, we told everyone about when Cathy was dating that Ricardo guy.”

“Or when Bridget sent that love letter to Clair and got a letter back.”

“Or when Mika went on a date with Gloria. Not the one from Galar, but you know the idea.”

The Gym Trainers always did a mock ‘round table’ of discussion for their romances, and Whitney oftentimes was a part of these too. She was feeling her stomach turn a bit; they were right, it would be unfair for her to stay mum on her love.

“Unless… the rumors are true and you are dating that Ethan guy.”

Whitney felt a knot in her chest, and she felt like she had heard some glass break. “Th-that’s not a rumor, is it?!”

“Only if it’s the truth!” Rita snapped back, sending the other Trainers into fits of laughter.

“I-it isn’t?! Jeez, where do people come up with this stuff, after a Rage Candy Bar coma?” The pink-haired Gym Leader let out a huff and crossed her arms. “Everyone, follow me.”

Whitney began to walk, and like a certain space explorer, the Trainers followed her like a group of rather-carrot-inspired alien creatures. They made a scene with their constant gossip, but the other denizens of Goldenrod City knew not to butt in too hard. Whitney would lead them to behind the Radio Tower; the smallest semblance of privacy she could find in the bustling city.

“Okay…” Whitney inhaled, chest expanding before she let out a slow exhale. “I know if I say this, it’s gonna be all over town. And the League is NOT gonna be happy with me.”

The girls all leaned in, waiting with bated breath.

“But rumors of whom I’m datin’ are even worse! So if y’all MUST talk about this in the Underground, PROMISE to tell what I tell you and only that much, okay?!”

“Just let it out!” Lois added on.

They all nodded, anxiously awaiting their answer.

“...Two months ago, I asked Bugsy out, and he said yes.”

The Trainers all erupted into noise, with Whitney using various hand motions to try and hush them and calm them.

“Bugsy?! Really?!! W-why not Falkner or Morty?”

“Aw he’s so cute! He’s a bit of a nerd and I heard he had a crush on Erika though.”

“Whitney, isn’t he way out of your league?”

So many comments, and so little time. And little too was Whitney’s patience. So, with a stomp and a hand gesture, she managed to get the whole gang to quiet down for a bit.

“I can answer all of your questions one-on-one another day! For now, I…” She shook her head. “I’ll just tell you this much. I’ve had a crush on him for months now.” She crossed her arms. “He’s… he’s adorable, alright?” Her voice falters a bit. Now she isn’t quite speaking at the top of her lungs over the commotion, but it’s clear that her tone is getting a bit tender.

“He’s sweet. And he’s honest. And smart, too.” Her voice begins to raise a bit in both excitement and pitch. “I can’t believe there was a part of my life where I knew him and DIDN’T fall in love with him. He…” She puts up a hand to rub at her temples, before looking at her audience, whom were all watching expectantly.

“He’s the kind of guy that is someone you can spend your whole life with, I know it. I-I mean, he’s so dedicated in everything he does. A-and I know he really only Gym Leads and researches, but for cryin’ out loud, he’s trying to become a professor! I… I don’t really have… any aspirations.”

Whitney choked a bit on her spit. “I mean, I never had any plans for the future. M-me becoming a trainer was sort of a spur-of-the-moment sorta thing, y’know? J-just saw Pokemon, thought they were cute, and bam. Next thing you know, I lead the Gym of the biggest city in the region. B-but it’s because of that that I get to meet him! Bugsy! He has a real goal in mind. A-and there are nights where I lay in bed thinking about him, knowing I should sleep so it’ll be tomorrow and I can see him… but it’s so hard to sleep when you’re in love as I am~!”

Whitney’s voice had crescendoed, clasping her hands on her cheeks and skipping onto one leg with a swoon. Some of the trainers swooned right back.

“H-him and I had a few dates already. National Park. Lake of Rage. Route 34. And I can just tell…” She balled her hand up into a fist and gave it an energetic shake. “That everything with him is going to be alright. That we can be together for… well, forever, I guess.” She chuckled a bit with that phrase. “Kinda cliche, I guess…”

At that moment, all the Trainers, Lasses and Beauties, began to erupt in squeals of delight and jealousy and swoons and admiration.

“You two sound adorable together!”

“You’re hitting it off well. That’s awesome.”

“I’m so jealous!”

Whitney scratched the back of her head and chuckled softly as a small bit of pink crawled up on her cheeks. But then she looked a bit stern and got her crowd control act back up again.

“A-anyways. That’s that.” Whitney reiterated, even though she definitely gave a pretty thorough script down of her thoughts. “So if you are gonna tell your friends, and if word does get out… aw who am I kiddin’, it WILL get out. At least you have the truth. And just promise me, all of you, that ya tell the truth and try your best to get those rumors of me out of people’s mouths, alright?”

The trainers all agreed in unison. That made Whitney feel good.

She sighed, and happily lead them all back to the Gym. She was in a bit of a hurry, though. After this, she still had to head to the store to get some popcorn and sodas before she spent the night at Bugsy’s place.

 

[Teebs96]

This one is a little more emotional for me, and I sort of have it as a companion to the previous entry.

Thanking

Spoiler: guest starring some honorshipping!

“Hey Falkner, I’m glad you could make the time for me.” Bugsy sighed, having strolled with his blue-haired buddy in Route 33.

“It is no hassle to me.” Falkner added, both of them having some free time at the moment. “What ails you?”

Bugsy slumped a bit. He wasn’t sure how much Falkner would get it given his preferences, but…

“Whitney. She’s been in my head constantly.”

Falkner rolled his eyes; not out of annoyance, but almost in way that reeked of “I totally knew it”. He casually let his back rest against a tree, and nodded. “I see. Go on.” Falkner didn’t have a taste for women, but he’d try his best to help his good pal.

“She’s…” Bugsy scratched at his temple as he tried to find the word. “How do I say this? She’s… great. Perfect, even. We haven’t even fought and we’ve been together for a couple of months. Whenever we hang, she’s so happy and always smiling, a-and it’s infectious, you know, s-so I can’t help but smile.”

Falkner nodded. Having mentored both Whitney and Bugsy in the art of Gym Leading, it was a little amusing to him that they’d end up being lovers. Especially lovers as glued to each other as they were, but he figured that Whitney would cling onto anyone like static if given the chance.

“So what’s the issue, then?” Falkner added.

“I-...I want to repay her, somehow.”

Falkner scoffed. “You know love isn’t a transaction, right?”

Bugsy shook his head. “N-not like that! I mean, really, I… She’s changed my life, you know. A-and to have someone be that kind, that nice to me… I don’t want to be just a taker and not a giver.”

Falkner knew Bugsy’s altruism quite well. It was the reason why he recommended him to the League. But he felt oddly puzzled by the mindset of The Walking Bug-Type Encyclopedia.

“What makes you think you’re not a giver?”

“Because she’s sort of still… the same?” Bugsy sighed. “She’s still Whitney. But I feel different. My days go by differently, but she’s the same, you know, jumping, laughing, running gal. Gosh, I love her so much. You know the other day she literally vaulted over a planter when I was visiting her in Goldenrod? It looked like she was just practicing on the Pokeathelon just for m-”

“Don’t get distracted.” Falkner’s eyebrow twitched a bit. As much as he did support the two, the overly saccharine stories of their relationship got on his nerves just a tad.

“R-right. I meant to say, she’s… really, really changed me. For the better. I mean, before her, all I would do is study, and do Gym Leader duties.” Bugsy mulled about as he shook his head back and forth with his words. “Study, Lead, Study, Lead. I mean I wasn’t UNhappy or anything, but… I’m so much happier now, you know.”

Falkner silently nodded, wanting to listen more of what his friend and former student had to say.

“Whitney, she like…” Bugsy sighed, gripping at his bangs as if he could yank both the thought and words out of his brain. “She came into my life. Almost like, out of nowhere. A-and now I want to marry her. Ever since her and I got together, things just feel… better. Just, better. Food tastes better, the days are breezier, the trees in the Illex Forest look greener, even looking at my darn papers give me less eyestrain.”

Bugsy stopped his rambling a bit to take in a deep breath, and then exhale. His eyelashes flicker a bit as he blinked.

“How do you even begin to thank someone who’s helped you that much? How do you even start to like, tell this person that they gave your life not just, meaning, but something to look forward to. I could still be a professor without her, but now that she’s here in my life, I don’t ever wanna imagine her not being here. Do you know what I mean?”

He looked up at Falkner, hoping his good pal would have an answer. Bugsy was shocked to see Falkner had a deep redness on his face and was slightly gasping now and again, as though he was fighting back tears.

Falkner had heard Bugsy’s words. Every last bit. But they rang true with him just the same. Ever since he got to finally hug Morty that one day, it felt like his entire world had shifted. Perhaps him and Bugsy were more alike than he thought. His cerulean-blue hair swayed as he shook his head and the bird keeper regained his composure.

“Yes. I know what you mean.” Falkner crossed his arms. It was easier to hide his balled fists this way. “I remember how I felt before I was in a relationship, and it didn’t feel nearly as good as I did after it. But to thank… I think you might need to start looking at it in a different attitude, Bugsy.”

The purple-haired trainer blinked. Falkner continued.

“Whitney came to you because she wanted to. She outwardly saw you and gave you a chance. And while you can thank her for that, I think if you are this much happier, if you really do feel that way, share some of that with her.”

Falkner smiled, relaxing his posture and walking up to Bugsy. As he did so many times before, when he trained the boy from Azalea how to become a Gym Leader proper, he put his hand on Bugsy’s shoulder. That familiar touch made him smile quite a bit.

“As they say. Actions speak louder than words.” Falkner smirked. An earnest smirk. He was proud of himself for this, a feeling that has become more and more familiar to him these past few months.

Bugsy nodded in agreement.

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. I’m going to go… see Whitney right now. She might be busy, but I don’t think she’d mind me dropping in!” He spoke with a chuckle; Falkner gave a supportive grin and freed his hand from Bugsy’s shoulder.

“Thanks Falkner! I always knew I could count on you.” Bugsy let a Poke Ball fall from his hand to release one of his many bugs; this time a Venomoth he could ride on for flight. “Sorry! I’d love to hang more and chat, but-”

“Don’t worry about it. I totally understand. I think I have someone to meet, too.” Falkner glanced up at Bugsy on his Venomoth, and gave his head tilt to dismiss the younger Trainer. Bugsy smiled, and Venomoth and him began to fly North towards Goldenrod.

Falkner watched as Bugsy and Venomoth began to shrink into the horizon. He closed his eyes and tilted his head down, but unlike his usual demeanor, his smile never left his face. He turned around, and just like Bugsy, let loose a partner; his faithful Pidgeot. He climbed onto the back of the bird, and began to high-tail it to Ecruteak City.