glancing at her own gym, winona couldn't help but think of the designs and the infrastractures of the other gyms she has visited and for a moment, she felt like she is getting left behind.
oh, it's that familiar feeling again, getting left behind.
she knows it all too well.
she remembers the chaoticness of skyla's gym, and the uniqueness and thrill of elesa's.
winona thought about it. maybe she could improvise a better puzzle while still making it fun and exciting for challengers.
she'll get to it soon when she gets the time to.
and in that moment she got lost in thought, she remembers a moment in the past she never fully buried from her memory just because she always held onto it like it was all she ever had.
it was always with wallace.
and where she stood now, she stood even then. the same exact spot. it's just that wallace is no longer with her.
and as much as she wanted to, she can't.
and they had so much dreams for each other. for their futures. for theirselves.
she remembers wallace talking about renovating her gym and making it so that it matches her strong and graceful energy. she clearly remembers how excited and happy wallace was back then. he even drew her a little rough sketch of what her gym will look like. it was like a little wonderland. exactly how winona wanted. it's like wallace drew how she wanted her safe space to look like. it even had giant umbrellas made up of large feathers and big puffy cottons. and wallace wanted the challenge of a trainer floating down using the giant umbrella and opening the floor using the spatial and patterns puzzle on the walls to let the trainer continue floating downwards.
and she kept that little rough sketch on the second drawer of her bedroom's nighstand. kept it like a little reminder to do her best everyday to reach her dreams.
winona couldn't help but smile at the memory.
but her little daydream was cut short when her junior, birdkeeper anthony, ran towards her, huffing, sweating, with his little taillow following suit.
"what's wrong, anthony?" she asked calmly.
"winona, you have to go to the weather institute!" he said, still catching his breath.
"why? what happened?"
"some goons stole castform and held the scientists captive," and that was all she needed to hear. she called for altaria and quickly flew away to the weather institute.
true to his words, winona saw the scientists huddled in a corner, while four goons stood in front of her, with their leader gripping at the poor castform tightly.
"let that pokemon go," she said in a calm yet firm tone.
the leader laughed.
"did not even care who we are, eh? this pathetic thing is ours now! we need this thing to make a fortune,"
"i do not care about either of your identities. all i care about is the safety of the pokemon so you better hand me castform or i have to take matters to my own hands," winona replied, getting ready for a possible battle.
"and i don't care you're fortree city's gym leader. you're nothing but a low, dumb fuck of woman to even be considered a leader. i could easily crush you between the fangs of my pokemon!" he sends two pokemon out, a houndoom and a mightyena.
winona glanced at the big man's hairy arm. he has a familiar bracelet. and in that moment, she knew he'll mega evolve his houndoom.
"now that's not how you speak to a lady," she heard someone from behind speak, "most especially fortree city's most feared trainer,"
winona froze.
she knows that voice.
she knows it like an old favorite song, forever on repeat.
that voice that could easily send sweet shivers down her spine.
smooth. silky. terrifying.
there's this fear of looking back.
but she did anyway. and all the pain she took several years just to hide came crashing back in.
"wallace?"
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can't we just go back? | pokémon
Fanfiction❝do you ever regret leaving?❞ being the gym leader of fortree city has its fair share of challenges and winona is always up for it. she has always been one to stick with her decisions but when the news of the new champion, which happens to be her ex...
