Desolate [Pokémon Arven x Protagonist]

Treasure Eatery

We walked down the hallway awkwardly beside each other, two single students dressed up for a special occasion during the warm afternoon, about two feet apart. I wasn't sure if I wanted to hold his hand as we walked shoulder-to-shoulder. It felt like the whole school was watching us. Most students didn't wear their uniforms on the weekends, but we were elaborate and attractive. I wondered if anyone else thought we were dating. We were surely dressed as such.

We waited until we were at the bottom of the steps to let out Koraidon. "So how does this work?" Arven asked.

I hopped onto Koraidon's back, boots making my kneecaps slightly harder to bend. "It's exactly like riding a cyclizar." I patted Koraidon's back behind me which had enough room for at most three more riders. Arven's bangs fell over his face, and he brushed it back as he blushed. I also realized what had to happen, and I held and adjusted Koraidon's whiskers to try not to think about it. Koraidon squatted down to let Arven on behind me. I heard him balance himself before feeling his arms around my sides. I jumped.

"Sorry!" Arven pulled back.

I tilted my head behind my shoulder. "It's okay. I'm just not used to riding with anyone."

"Okay...." Arven put his arms back around me and crossed them across my stomach. I felt him leaning into me and squeezing my waist. I felt my breathing quicken as my ribs tickled each other. I felt frozen, feeling his chest against my upper back. I felt his heart, too, beating as fast as I noticed mine was. He was wearing cologne, too, a very pleasant and faint fragrance.

I showed Koraidon my map, pointing out Medali on the other side of the island. "Try not to jump too crazy," I told him.

"Jump?" Arven barked. Koraidon blasted off, shooting through the grassy field. Arven cursed and crushed the breath out of me.

"I'd like... to breathe...." I croaked.

Arven loosened his grip. "Sorry. Again."

"Hold onto his belly with your legs," I advised. "It doesn't hurt him." He winced and buried his head into my shoulder blades.

I looked out into the field and realized we were heading straight towards the crater instead of around it. I tugged on one of Koraidon's whiskers to ask him to turn, but he was adamant on going forward. "Koraidon, where are you going?" He didn't answer me.

"He still doesn't listen to you?" Arven asked.

"He's never acted up like this. Koraidon?" He began to speed up. I tightened my grip on his whiskers and body. Were we going to crash? I watched as the steep walls of the crater grew closer. I pulled back on his whiskers firmly, demanding him to stop running. Koraidon shook his head, causing me to almost let go of one of the reigns. "Koraidon!"

"What's going on?" Arven said, peeking over my shoulder. I tensed feeling him beside me. Koraidon jolted and leapt in the air. Arven must've said every curse he knew as we ascended.

"Koraidon! I told you not to—" My eyes flicked shut as we both slammed into Koraidon's back, pausing in midair. I opened my eyes slowly. Koraidon was attached to the rocky cliff face with his massive claws. "Are you climbing?" Koraidon inched his way up the mountainous cliff.

"You didn't know he could do this?"

"Did you?"