Guzma X Reader

Changing for the Better

Changing for the Better

______________________________

Guzma's POV:

"I hate coming to the market." I thought to myself. If my mom didn't need stuff for dinner I wouldn't be here. There's so many people, so many people with opinions about me. I don't even have to look at them to know that they are staring. Ever since I moved back in with my parents on Melemele my mom has made me do all of her shopping, she's my mom so I can't say no. She's getting older and it's harder for her to get out, and she deals with me living with her so it's the least I can do.

I walked up to a vegetable stand to get some leeks, broccoli and carrots for the stir-fry mom wanted to try from the cooking show she was watching. I picked up what I needed and went to the clerk to pay. I could already tell that this what not going to be good.

I set the produce on his scale so he could get me the price "How much do I owe ya?" I asked. I didn't look directly at him hoping he wouldn't recognize me. Boy am I dumb.

He grabbed my produce off the scale and put it back where I found it "Sorry but I don't do business with gangsters." His tone was cold.

I should have known. "Awe common man. I'm not like that anymore." I said with a shrug.

He got visibly angrier "I have the right to refuse service to anyone. Especially you, Guzma!" He said it loud enough that the other shoppers began looking this way.

I could feel the anger building inside me. These damn people didn't know me. I am not my past and I was actively trying to change. I even started going to anger management. "Please, it's for my mother." I hoped that telling him it wasn't for me he would drop it. Boy that was a stupid thought.

The man then grabbed his walking cane and held it like a weapon "I don't care who it's for! You aren't doing any business here!' he was yelling at this point and causing a larger scene.

My calm hands turned into fists and I started to grit my teeth. "Deep breaths, Guzma, deep breaths" I thought to myself. "You cannot make this worse"

The man then held his cane higher in a stance that looked like he was ready to swing at me from across the counter. "Leave NOW!" He screamed at me. I took in a big deep breath turned and left. There are dozens of other produce stands in the market. I can find what I need elsewhere.

I walked for a while assessing each stall owner as they looked at me. I knew that going to anyone who remotely knows who I was would be a huge mistake and I was already at my breaking point. At the end of the stalls I saw a familiar face. It was the sweet elderly farmer lady. I can never remember her name; I'm bad with names. She knows about my past and what I've done, but she doesn't care. She told me once that I truly looked like I was changing. She was diagnosed with stage three-breast cancer a few months ago so she doesn't come to the markets as much anymore.

As I got closer to her stall, she noticed me "Oh Guzma is that you, Sweetheart?" She started to wave me over. A wave of relief came over me. Finally someone who won't treat me like garbage.

I walked over to her stand and noticed that she had everything I needed "Boy am I glad to see you. None of these other jerks with let me shop at their stalls." I started grabbing what I needed and putting it on her scale.

As I set the last thing on the scale, she put her hand on mine "Oh sweetheart they just don't see what I see. They will over time, you just need to be patient." Her voice was so calming and reassuring.

A let out a small chuckle "Well I sure hope so for my mother's sake. How am I supposed to do her shopping when no one will sell to me?" She laughed at my comment. I looked her up and down. She was getting thinner and she had lost a lot of hair. "How are you feeling?" I asked her.

I could tell she didn't want to tell me the truth. "Oh the doctors say I'm on the up and up!" she stood proudly as she said that.

She was an exceedingly kind soul and didn't like to make others worry. We chatted for a while and then parted ways. It occurred to me that this could be the last time I see her. I sure hope it's not. A wonderful lady like her deserves everything in this world, unlike me.

I started making my way back home from the markets. It was a little after noon, so Hau'oli City was getting busy. Tourist season has begun, as there was a larger amount of people in the city. As I was about to turn the Pokémon Center to get home, I noticed a h/c girl sitting on a bench with a Fennekin in her lap. She was looking right at me. Then suddenly she stood up really fast dropping something and that really upset her Fennekin. The thing started crying like a baby! She finally realized it and then cradled it like a baby. From that I could tell it was a very spoiled Pokémon. I feel like I had seen her somewhere before. I shrugged off the feeling and started to continue home.

As I approached my house my mom was waiting for me on the porch. "There you are! I was starting to worry about you!" As I walked up the steps to the house, she pulled me down to her level and wrapped her arms around my shoulders and kissed my cheek several times, this was a habit she never dropped. I was always her little boy even though I was 29 years old now.

"Maaaaa stop. I'm a grown man!" I said to her with a bit of a whiny tone in my voice.

She then pinched the cheek she was kissing "Oh but you'll always be my Guzy-poo" I hated when she called me that. She finally stopped and started asking about the market.

We were talking about my market adventures when out of the corner of my eye I saw the h/c girl with the Fennekin walking toward our house. What was she doing? She was holding her Fennekin in her arms like a little girl would hold an oversized doll, and then she noticed me.

I don't think she knows that I saw her. She looked shocked for some reason and quickly hid behind a large palm tree. She even made a small squeak sound as she went to hide.

I held out the groceries to mom "Can you take these?" I asked her as I began to walk down the stairs. I had no idea who this chick was or why she came her or why she was even hiding. After what happened at the market I was in no mood for games. I started to walk down the path to her.

I peered around the tree and she was obviously flustered, and she was tightly gripping her Fennekin. I don't know why but my dominating personality faded as I looked at her.

I decided to still try to be stern, since I have no Idea why she was stalking me "Is there a reason yer hiding, Kid?"

I must have startled her good because she screamed and jumped down and huddled into her Fennekin. Jeez I really have a way with the ladies.

"Hey are you okay?" I started to reach down to touch her on her shoulder when she sat up a bit and turned and looked at me. I finally recognized her. She was the Kalos Pokémon League Champion. I remembered her from the cover of a magazine, my pops loves the Pokémon league and gets their monthly issues.

The question was "Why is she here?"

______________________________