EVERYONE: Pound(One-Shot)

[Jewel the Quaxly]

A/N: This is a bit of an old one, so the writing is rather off, but I thought I'd share it here! Hope you like it!

It was the smallest of gestures that could really make a difference to someone. From saying hello to giving hugs daily, there was no limit to what kind of small gestures could make one become emotional.

But for Talonflame, it was the move Pound.

Though, he supposed, over time, that move simply became a movement, rather than an actual move.

Pound was the move Froakie knew. Or rather, Greninja, now.

Talonflame could easily recall how many times he had gotten smacked on the top of his head by the water type, who seemed to have no questions on keeping him in line, whenever said flying type would cross it.

From making rude comments, to insulting people for no reason, to straight up making idiotic mistakes in battle...getting hit on the head by Greninja simply became the norm for Talonflame.

Every time he would get hit, he had complained about it. And why wouldn't he? After all, who likes getting hit on the head on a daily basis? The ninja had done it ever since Talonflame was a Fletchling and had first joined Ash's team.

He could vividly recall their battle, where few words were exchanged, but many blows were.

And then, a mere few days later, after his and Pikachu's loss at Viola's gym, during training the following night...Greninja, a Froakie back then, had smacked Fletchling on the head.

Fletchling hadn't taken any offence at Froakie's playful smack, though he began to later on. While some part of him admitted that he actually liked getting hit by Froakie all the time, he knew he could never actually say this out loud to his friend, because he would once more be labeled as a "tsundere" by his teammates.

Specifically Pikachu, which only made sense as the mouse was from Kanto, and "tsundere" was- apparently-a Kantoneon phrase.

Talonflame still hadn't figured out what a "tsundere" meant, though he knew he would only get called that when he would hide any feelings of appreciation or care for others. Especially for his friends.

But Greninja, to Talonflame, was more than just a friend. He was his best friend, and someone who he considered...a brother, as strange as it was.

Which was most likely the reason why Talonflame had felt a subconscious attachment to Greninja's habit of hitting the bird to keep him in line. He was so used to it, that the daily smack on the head just felt a part of his life, as small as a gesture as it was.

But again, even the smallest of gestures could make one become completely emotional.

Such as when those gestures would wiggle their way out of your life forever. Such as right now, this very moment, when Talonflame was called out of his Pokeball by Ash, along with Noivern and Hawlucha.

Holding back tears, Ash had given his pokemon the rundown of the situation, about why Greninja had to leave with Squishy and the other Zygarde Core. Talonflame had noted that Pikachu had looked just as upset as Ash did on said trainer's shoulder and that Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Dedenne all held bittersweet expressions.

Talonflame couldn't help but feel the same.

Ash had finished his explanation with a sad smile, and told his pokemon to say their goodbyes to Greninja.

One by one, the team said their departing words to their dearest friend and teammate. Hawlucha had gone first, the two exchanging an emotional goodbye, having earned one another's respect after that fateful day in the forest. Noivern had gone next, though the dragon type didn't have much to say, as he didn't know Greninja all that well, but he still admired the water type for his strength and determination, which the ninja had appreciated. Pikachu had gone after seeing Talonflame's hesitation and held a teary conversation with Greninja, thanking the water type for all that he had done for everyone and everything that made him a great teammate.

And finally, it was Talonflame's turn.

***

"So..." Talonflame ruffled his feathers awkwardly. "You're leaving. The team."

Greninja held his gaze to the ground, his arms crossed. "Pretty much, yeah."

"Oh." Talonflame replied, voice holding no emotion, though his heart couldn't help but clench slightly. The flying-fire type let out a nervous snicker. "Bet you're dancing in joy that you won't have to deal with any more of the crazy travel shenanigans we get into with that trainer of ours..."

"I dunno." Greninja replied quietly, humoring the other pokemon, as he always has. "I kind of liked those crazy 'shenanigans'. They were...fun." Greninja had hesitated on that last word, though Talonflame could've sworn he saw the frog smile through his long pink tongue wrapped around his neck.

Talonflame ruffled his feathers as a brief silence settled between the two. "I'm not the best with words..." Here, Greninja snorted slightly, almost as if saying, 'yeah, no kidding'. Talonflame ignored this and took a deep breath before continuing. "...but I'll try my best. I..." Talonflame glanced at his other teammates, minus Goodra, who was currently at his home in the wetlands. "I really...Well...I think you're a really great friend." The bird finished lamely.

Greninja stared.

Talonflame turned a shade of red, though it would be incredibly difficult to tell with his already red feathers. He let out an exasperated statement. "I tried, okay! And...well...I really think of you more as...well...a brother." Talonflame paused. Had he really just said that?

After re-winding the entire scene in his mind, he confirmed: yes, he had. 'Ah, fantastic...I'm never going to hear the end of this...' He glanced at Pikachu, expecting an amused look, but was surprised when he saw the mouse letting out a soft smile.

'Continue.' The electric type mouthed, causing Talonflame to look back at Greninja, who seemed slightly taken aback by Talonflame's comment.

Talonflame took a deep breath and drove his point home. "Okay, enough of this crap...you know I've never been good with words, so I'm not going to pretend I am. I never have been. That's just me. And you..." Talonflame took what felt like his hundredth deep breath throughout the conversation. Did he need to get Nurse Joy to check him out or something? "You...you're you. You're Greninja. You're the 'mon who...who faced Alain's Charizard head to head and nearly beat him. You're the pokemon who I worked best with against Olympia's meowstics. You're the pokemon who's insanely loyal, even when it means being an idiot." Talonflame looked at a stunned Greninja dead in the eye and finished his rambling speech. "You're the pokemon who I consider my brother."

There was a dead silence.

Greninja looked stunned beyond words, his eyes wide with shock. He blinked a few times before he finally shut his eyes and muttered. "Oh, you..."

He then raised up one of his webbed hands...and smacked Talonflame on the head.

This time it was Talonflame's turn to be stunned as he watched Greninja retract his hand. "You're such an idiot." The frog said softly. "And honestly...as annoying as you are...I would love to have you as my brother." Greninja paused before continuing. "So, even if we won't see each other again in a while...I'll still think of you as my surrogate brother...no matter what."

Talonflame gaped at Greninja before everything fully registered in his head. Greninja had always hit Talonflame on the head, but this time...

With Greninja leaving...with Greninja declaring he thought of him as his brother...with it just hitting Talonflame that would be the last time Greninja would send him a playful smack...

Everything just became too much, and for the first time in that arrogant and tsundere bird's life...he cried.

And he wasn't just letting out silent tears...no, he was bawling. Tears streaked his face as he choked and sobbed, a small part of him flushing in embarrassment at the fact that everyone was watching him. Though, he knew, they were feeling just as upset as he was.

"Talonflame..." Ash muttered under his breath softly. The raven-haired trainer had recognized the gesture. Greninja had hit Talonflame before, and since he never saw the two fight over it, he had always thought it was simply playful. But seeing it now...and seeing Talonflame's reaction...Ash smiled as he walked towards the bird and stroked his feathers softly. "It'll be okay." He whispered before looking up at Greninja, who surprisingly enough, had tears pricking in the corner of his eyes. "We'll see each other again someday...right?"

"...Right." Greninja replied softly, nodding.

Talonflame continued sobbing, heeding their words before forcing a smile. "...right." He agreed as well...tears continuing to flow, similar to that of a waterfall, that which refused to stop flowing over his cliff of emotions...

Even the smallest of things could mean a lot to someone. It didn't matter what, because no matter what it was...those small things in value were actually worth a lot more...especially to the people who felt emotional over those small gestures.

In Talonflame's case, as indirect as it was, it was the move Pound. Specifically by Greninja, the one whom he thought of as a brother.

And that would never change, no matter how many tears he shed in his trainer's arms at the moment of goodbye.

 

[Welkamo]

Ooooh another oneshot.

From saying hello to giving hugs daily, there was no limit to what kind of small gestures could make a person become emotional.

But for Talonflame, it was the move Pound.

Talonflame is a person?

Pound was the move Froakie knew. Or rather, Greninja, now.

Ahhh it's an anime oneshot.

Fletchling hadn't taken any offence at Froakie's playful smack

"at" should be replace with "for".

To this day, Talonflame still hadn't figured out what a "tsundere" meant

"To this day" seems like a weird phrase to use in past tense.

Specifically Pikachu, which only made sense as the mouse was from Kanto, and "tsundere" was- apparently-a Kantoneon phrase.

To this day, Talonflame still hadn't figured out what a "tsundere" meant, though he knew he would only get called that when he would hide any feelings of appreciation or care for others. Especially for his friends.

Oooooooh Talonflame is a tsudere.

But Greninja, to Talonflame, was more than just a friend. He was his best friend, and someone who he considered...a brother, as strange as it was.

AHHH I LOVE FOUND FAMILY

Holding back tears, Ash had given his pokemon the rundown of the situation

"Pokémon" should be capitalized. (It should also have an accented "e", but I understand that some keyboards make that difficult.)

Hawlucha had gotten first

"Gotten" should be "gone".

thanking the water type for all that he's done

"He had" would be better than "he's".

Greninja held his gaze at the ground,

"At should be replaced with "to".

Talonflame ruffled his feathers as a brief silence settle between the two.

"Settle" should be "settled".

He glanced at Pikachu, expecting an amused look, but was surprised when he saw the mouse letting out a soft smile.

Awwwwww

You're the pokemon who I worked best with against Olympia's meowstics. You're the pokemon who's insanely loyal, even when it means being an idiot." Talonflame looked at a stunned Greninja dead in the eye and finished his rambling speech. "You're the pokemon who I consider my brother."

"Pokémon" and "Meowstics" should be capitalized.

This time it was Talonflame's turn to be stunned as he watched Greninja retract his hand. "You're such an idiot." The frog said softly. "And honestly...as annoying as you are...I would love to have you as my brother." Greninja paused before continuing. "So, even if we won't see each other again in a while...I'll still think of you as my surrogate brother...no matter what."

Awwwwwwww I'm soft for surrogate brothers

Greninja had always his Talonflame on the head

"His" should be "hit".

With Talonflame finally realizing that just now had been what could possibly be the last time he would ever get a playful smack on the head by Greninja...

I don't know why, but this sentence feels a bit off.

Everything just became too much, and for the first time in that arrogant and tsundere bird's life...he cried.

And he wasn't just letting out silent tears...no, he was bawling. Tears streaked his face as he choked and sobbed, a small part of him flushing in embarrassment at the fact that everyone was watching him. Though, he knew, they were feeling just as upset as he was.

Okay one of my favorite tropes is characters who usually don't cry all of a sudden opening the floodgates and just. Sobbing.

"...right." Greninja replied softly, nodding.

"Right" should be capitalized.

The wording of this oneshot sometimes felt a bit awkward, but other than that, it was a really sweet story with a lot of tropes I like. Good job.

 

[System Error]

Hm, realized I have nothing of yours on my list, but oh look a one-shot, don't have to jump into Insurgency when I have too much on my plate right now. Maybe later, but for now, one-shots. Hopefully I can blitz this in four minutes as that's when my pizza is ready.

- Huh, looks like we're an animefic.
- I mean masochists like getting hit on the head
- B-b-baka!
- Man the anime was stupid about Greninja's release. It gained all its power from Ash!! As everyone has complained about
- BROOOOOOTHER!!!
- Pika being pretty chill, different characterization, I like it. Very different twist on the normal Pikachu, and sensible as the oldest member of the team
- And pouring his heart out! I like that long paragraph where he does so.
- There goes the tsundere part. Although from the ninja calling him an idiot, I wonder who the real tsun one is.
- You know not enough cross team interactions seem to be written in fanfic. That or they bleed together too much. And I'd say more release worries too, but few release them in fics for good reason - because the reasons are often flimsy
- Funny how one little thing, even if arguably abusive, can be what you remember someone by, and miss when they are gone.

Yes, did it within the time I wanted to. Nice little one-shot here. I feel it could've been more if you wanted, like going into detail on each other Pokemon. I imagine Pikachu would have some interesting things to say, seeing so many of his teammates go or get yeeted to the lab. Still, was good for what it was, and there certainly is nothing wrong with only focusing on the one conversation. Thumbs up here.