Unsanctioned (Gladion X Fem! Reader)

To The Top

"Cold..." I murmured softly as Gladion and I stepped on the path to the league. Despite wearing Gladion's tattered black sweatshirt, I still had to fold my arms in order to produce what little warmth I could.

A soft "Hm.." came from Gladion's lips as he looked to me in concern. He opened the small pouch on his knee and let out his Silvally, which let out a loud, gallant roar.

"Since when did Null evolve?" I chuckled softly to the stoic boy, who only bore a thin smile.

"He's got the fire memory on him, which makes his type fire," he explained. With the movement of his hand the Pokémon set a nearby patch of grass ablaze. We rode together on the metal elevator, neither of us attempting to strike up a conversation.

"That's cool and all, but my Arcanine will keep us warmer," I smiled as I tossed the ultra ball out to reveal the powerful Pokémon. "You wanna ride on it?"

"Beats walking," he smirked as I suited up in my ride gear yet again. Though it was probably a bit overkill, it beat possibly getting an injury. Gladion clung to me with insane grip even though Arcanine moved at a fairly slow pace.

"You ok there?" I chuckled as we stopped to fight the two Snorunt that hopped out at us. He only nodded, concentrating more on the fight at hand. We continued like that through the caves, night beginning to fall.

"Hello, you trainers!" A female voice shouted, diverting our attention from traveling the mountain. We turned and saw a duo of ace trainers standing nearby, clearly ready to battle. "How's about we battle together? Two couples, going at it?"

"Couple?!" I exclaimed, obviously flustered. "It's not like tha-"

"We would love to," Gladion interjected as he hopped off of the Arcanine. My face flushed beet red as the boy extended his arm out to help me climb off of the Arcanine.

"Go, Froslass!" The male trainer yelled as the ghostly Pokémon erupted from the ball. The female threw out her Alolan Persian, Gladion and I countering them with a duo of Silvally and Lycanroc.

"Rock tomb, Rufus!" I exclaimed, the Pokémon enveloping the Froslass in a pile of rocks. With that one hit, the Pokémon keeled over in defeat. Gladion took out the Persian, both of us completely annihilating the others.

"Wow!" The male trainer exclaimed. "You both work so well together! And what a cute couple, too!"

"We aren't dating ye-"

"It's because of the love that they have for each other!" The female yelled.

"You're both right," Gladion complied as they handed over their prize money. "We must be on our way now."

Once the couple was out of view, I turned to Gladion in anger and confusion. "'Couple'?!"

"Don't worry about it," he pleaded. We made it to the opening of the cave, still only about halfway towards the top. It was pitch black outside, the faint glow of the moon the only source of light. "Let's call it a night. It's late."

"Alright," I agreed. Gladion and I took shelter in the nearby corner of the cave, seemingly devoid of wild Pokémon and people.

Gladion reached into his pouch, pulling out two fluffy pastries. "You want a malasada?"

"You're too kind," I grinned as I accepted the dessert. Arcanine sprawled out on the ground, obviously tired from the journey. Despite his large size and intimidating looks, he really was just a big puppy.

"Wait here a second," Gladion ordered, and I nodded to him silently. After what felt like forever, he came back with a bundle of sticks and grass, placing them on the ground nearby.

"Arcanine, Fire blast!" I commanded, the tires Pokémon setting the wood ablaze. The cave instantly was engulfed in warmth, and I felt like I could rest easy. Once Arcanine reverted back into his restful position, I found myself lying down on his furry stomach.

"You must be really tired, eh?" Gladion chuckled faintly as I watched him crouch down next to me. I nodded and lightly pushed him down so that he was lying next to me.

"You know, you can make staying in this shitty mountain fun," I complimented. He turned a bright pink as he spun away from me, trying to hide his embarrassment. I inched closer to him so that I was spooning him, which only proved to embarrass him even more.

"What are you doing?!" He yelled, a childish giggle escaping my lips. He whipped back around with a glimmer in his emerald eyes, a mixture of anger and surprise apparent within them. "This is all wrong. You turn away from me."

"O-ok..." I stammered as I turned in the other direction. I felt his body wrap around mine, enveloping me in a warm pocket. I could smell the scent of his cologne, his breath smelling of the sugary Malasadas we ate earlier. I curled up safely in his arms as I drifted off, somehow finding relaxation in the dingy cave.

((Sorry that this chapter was a bit short lol but Happy Holidays!! Hope you're enjoying the story!!))