Double Bubble Disco Queen

4

Harlan woke up in her bed, surprisingly. Exx was passed out on his mattress, and Raiju was asleep at the foot of the bed. What time was it? She checked her Pokédex.

4 in the morning. No wonder everyone was passed out. Everyone except her. Harlan got out of bed, noting how tightly she was tucked in, and tiptoed into the other room where Ember still was, though the TV was off and his area was clean. Harlan was careful not to awaken Selene, who was asleep in the middle of the room, right in her path.

Harlan didn't know what it was about him. He was so cute, but at what cost? She was on the edge about Blaise still, and the last thing she needed right now was a boy to mess her up. She supposed it was too late now. Ember had already messed her up.

She wasn't even here to see him but she stepped over Selene anyway, and to her surprise, he too was awake, scrolling through his Dex. "Ember?" she whispered.

Ember turned to look at her. "Good morning," he said. He smelled like coffee and it made Harlan want to cuddle with him, much to her own dismay.

"I won't bother you. I'm going to go for a walk," Harlan said. "It's cold as dicks but I don't care."

"You mind if I tag along?" Ember asked. He got up, and Harlan noticed he was in sleepwear. That only made him even cuter. She groaned internally.

"Sure, I don't mind. But get dressed. Like I said, it's fucking cold out there." Harlan took her coat off the rack and put it on, slipping into her Running Shoes. "I need to get a pair of hiking boots. These are built for grass and dirt, not snow..." she said absentmindedly.

Ember didn't bother to change but also put his own coat on. He put his hood up, and they both left the apartment. Harlan noted he'd taken her hand. "Don't mind me," he said when she looked at him.

"This little affair, it might not last long," she warned him.

"I know. With that in mind, I'll take every chance I get," Ember teased her lightly.

"You're so doofy," Harlan said affectionately, and they went out into the cold. It was snowing a little, and in the dark, it looked pretty. Harlan instinctively turned in the direction of her dad's Gym. "Um... you suppose he's back?" she asked Ember.

"Who, your dad? It can't hurt to look, I guess," he said. They went down the street to the Gym, only to find something strange when they got there.

Harlan let go of Ember's hand and tried the door to the Gym with both hands. "That's weird. Now the Gym itself is locked."

"That is unusual. Maybe he's out of town," Ember suggested.

"No... Dad wouldn't leave without saying bye first. He knew I was coming back. I called." Harlan, troubled, turned back to Ember. "Let's look around the Gym. You go around and I'll go the other way around. I have a feeling something strange is going on."

"Sure." Ember went to the left while Harlan stayed to the right. She was cautious, unsure of what she'd find, especially while she was alone. She let out Raiju, who lit up the area with her Flash, making Harlan feel a lot safer.

Harlan stopped to look at a black heap in the snow. It wasn't moving, but Raiju immediately grew hostile upon seeing it. Sparks flew from her fur as she stalked closer to it, giving Harlan a look of warning to not come closer when she tried to.

"What is it, Raiju?" Harlan asked.

Raiju sniffed the ball of fur, calming down as she realized it wasn't going to harm her or Harlan. She came back to her Trainer, who knelt in the snow a few yards away. "Hello?" she called out tentatively.

The heap of fur shifted, then stood on four wobbly legs. It resembled some sort of feral-bodied Necrozma creature, but it was obvious they weren't related. It growled at her and Raiju, preparing an attack.

"Raiju-" Harlan started, but Raiju was too fast. She leapt and used Shock Wave on the unknown Pokémon, who cried out and collapsed onto its side. Raiju landed in the snow, warily approaching the Pokémon. It yet again was motionless. Harlan dared to come closer, crawling on her hands and knees.

Raiju prodded the creature with one paw. Harlan sent her back, and sat with it until it opened its eyes again. It seemingly looked at her with its blank eyes. "Are you OK?" she asked, holding out a hand, but the Pokémon snapped at her. "Hey. Easy," she warned, mostly to her growling partner.

At that moment, Ember came around, with Selene. "I heard an awful noise, is everything OK?" he fretted, a rush in his step. Raiju and Selene sniffed each other as he knelt at the unknown Pokémon's side. "Who's this?"

"I don't know, but something tells me we can't just leave it here," Harlan replied. "It might freeze to death."

"It's a big Pokémon. Do you want me to carry it?" Ember asked. He ran a hand over its side, prompting it to growl. "On second thought... I'd rather not."

"No, it's fine. I think I can pick it up." Harlan scooped the creature into her arms. It growled a warning at her, but she ignored it. "Arc, you're heavy," she muttered to it, but managed to walk it back home with Ember, their two canid Pokémon partners in tow.