Deception - Gladion x Reader. [UNDER CO.]

Team Skull

Reader's POV

"Mom, I'm going out to train!" I called from the living room, crouched awkwardly on the floor as I tried to tie my shoelaces—while Shadow batted at them with his paws, claws lightly snagging the laces as though they were prey.

It was a new day, and he'd woken up full of energy.

Once I was finally dressed, I gathered everything I might need for the day and packed it neatly into my bag. Shadow's Pokéball went in last—more out of habit than necessity. He hadn't been inside it since our walk home yesterday. He'd slept curled at the foot of my bed, purring so softly that I actually slept better than I had in weeks.

Just as I was heading for the door, my mom appeared in the hallway and gave us a bright wave. I waved back, promising not to go far, and stepped outside into the warm island air.

Shadow trotted beside me as we followed the trail past the Hau'oli Beachfront and onto the familiar paths from the day before. We were heading toward the grassy patches near the Hau'oli shopping district—somewhere safe and steady to train—but our plans came to a sudden stop.

A group of three men blocked the road.

They were dressed entirely in black and white. Blue hair peeked out beneath white bandanas stitched with two dark circles—like cartoonish skull eyes. Chains hung around their necks, each ending in a dangling skull charm, and dark masks obscured the lower halves of their faces. They didn't look friendly.

Worse, they weren't just loitering.

They were harassing a woman—clearly frightened—who clutched her bag and a trembling Pichu to her chest. I crept a little closer, straining to hear what was being said.

"Hand over your Pokémon!" one of them barked—the man on the left, tall and aggressive.

"No! Never!" the woman cried, shrinking back. "W–Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

"Yo, seriously?" sneered the one in the middle. "You never heard of us?"

"We're Team Skull," the third added proudly, stepping forward. "The coolest, most fearsome team in all of Alola. We follow the boss's orders—and right now, that means taking people's Pokémon and sellin' 'em for cash, yo!"

That was enough.

I stepped out from behind the fence and marched up to the group, placing myself between them and the woman. "Hey! Leave her alone!"

The guy in the middle scoffed. "Ooh, what's this? Some little kid with no Pokémon thinks she's a hero?"

"Oh, I have a Pokémon," I said.

Right on cue, Shadow padded into view, arching his back and letting out a low hiss.

"Woooow," the man drawled, clearly unimpressed. "A little kitten. I'm shaking."

His laugh grated on my nerves, and his friends joined in like a bad chorus.

"You'll see just how terrifying we can be," I said evenly.

He tilted his head. "You really wanna battle us, kid?"

I nodded once.

"Fine," he said, smirking. "If we win, we take her Pokémon... and yours."

"And if I win?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes. "Then we leave you alone. But don't get your hopes up."

"Perfect," I said, fists clenched. "Prepare to lose."

I made sure the woman and her Pichu were safely behind me before the battle began.

The first grunt stepped forward—his only Pokémon a Rattata. Shadow wasted no time. One well-placed ember, a dodge, and a second strike ended the match quickly.

The next man followed with an identical lineup and met the same fate. Shadow, despite having barely trained, moved with fierce focus and natural instinct. I could feel our bond strengthening with each move, like we were already in sync.

The third grunt—the ringleader—finally shoved the others aside.

"Alright, enough. You may've knocked these two to the ground, but now it's my turn!"

He threw out his Pokéball, revealing a burly Alolan Raticate with sharp fangs and a wide, smug grin.

"Shadow, use Ember!"

The flames landed true, singing the Raticate's fur. It snarled and lunged forward as its trainer barked, "Use Bite!"

"Dodge and counter—Ember again!"

Shadow leapt to the side just in time and launched another burst of fire, hitting the Raticate square in the chest. The Pokémon let out a cry before collapsing, fainted.

The grunt grit his teeth and pulled out a second Pokéball. "Let's go, Salandit!"

The lizard-like Pokémon hissed as it appeared. This one was quicker, trickier. The battle lasted longer, but Shadow didn't give in. His claws dug into the dirt, his tail flicked with tension, and every move we made built on the last. In the end, with one final ember, Salandit dropped.

The grunt stood frozen, face pale with disbelief.

"W–Woah... This kid's crazy strong!"

He stumbled back. The others followed.

"Yeah! Let's get outta here!"

And just like that, they turned and ran—bolting down the road in the opposite direction.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

Relieved, I crouched down and scooped Shadow into my arms, pressing my forehead to his as he let out a proud little mew. He wriggled, then clambered up to my shoulder, where he perched like a tiny, smug guardian.

The woman approached, Pichu still cradled in her arms. "Thank you—thank you so much!" she said, smiling wide. "Please, I don't have much, but..."

She handed me a small wrapped candy and a Pokébean for Shadow.

"It's perfect," I said, offering a grateful smile in return. "Thank you."

We exchanged a final wave as she disappeared down the street.

And that was when I saw him.

Out of the corner of my eye—just off to the side, half-concealed in the shadows of the trees—stood a figure.

This time, a shaft of sunlight had slipped through the leaves, catching just enough of his face for me to see.

Platinum blonde hair, windswept and sharp.

Green eyes, cold and intense.

His entire outfit was black—jagged, torn at the seams—broken only by the occasional flash of red. Black capris, red trainers, and a hoodie slashed open at the chest, exposing more red beneath. The cuts weren't stylish in the traditional sense... but on him, they looked striking.

He didn't speak. He didn't move.

But he was staring right at me.

And I couldn't look away.

His gaze wasn't cruel like the Team Skull grunts had been—but it wasn't kind, either. It was something else entirely. Something unreadable. Something that made my skin prickle.

It felt exactly like the day before.

The eyes from the shadows. The chill at my spine.

It had to be him.

Was he watching me yesterday...?