Redemption (Guzma x Reader)

Beach Day

Ten years after the Aether Foundation incident...

Guzma's POV

It's sunny out. I shifted uncomfortably on my faded black beach towel. All around us were happy, playful families and Pokemon. I pulled down as I watched Golisopod digging around in the sand, looking for treasure, no doubt.

"This is nice." Plumeria sighed.

I looked at her. It's been a while since we've gotten the chance to hand out. When we were younger, she carried her hair in four pigtails. Now she only has it in a single ponytail. The bright yellows and pinks still as prominent as ever.

"I guess so. " I huffed as I watched a mom yelling at her child for coming too close to us. "It's been so long since I've actually come out. I was really hoping that these Alolans would have forgotten everything by now."

Plumeria sighed. It has been difficult since Team Skull disbanded, she knows that more than anyone. Fortunately for her, Team Skull Admin Plumeria was not nearly as well known as the big bad boss, Guzma. I picked at the towel in discomfort.

"G, the doc said that the Team wasn't good for you. I'm sure as Hell seclusion wasn't what he had in mind either."

I shot a glance at her, "Well the episodes have stopped. Seclusion seems to work for me. It's not like anyone is complaining."

"I'm complaining! The kind of trauma you've dealt with doesn't just go away without serious help, and even then it never really goes away. You went to the doc once. Seriously, bro. This isn't a joke." Her gold eyes pierced daggers into my soul. 

I shrugged.

"Not'cha business, Plume." 

She tugged on my ear, I looked away in defiance.

"Dammit, woman, let me go!" I squirmed.

We both stopped for a moment to watch as a commotion began to bubble at the beach's entrance. People started hollering and cheering, what for I couldn't quite make out. I swatted at Plumeria's hand and squinted to see what was up. 

I just wanted to go home, not to be spotted by some hotshot and be harassed.

A Golisopod was the first to break out of the crowd, followed by a Gengar, a young woman, a Loupunny, an Arcanine, a Zoroark, and a Decidueye. My own Pokemon perked up to see another one of his kind. Something was very familiar about that team. 

"Hey, dork, you okay?" Plumeria flicked my ear.

"Just hush for a sec, okay?" I insisted.

I watched the woman walk our way with long, confident strides. Her long black hair swished around her lean waist. She had a beach ball under one arm and a duffel bag slung over the other. She set up her towel about 10 feet away from us. Onlookers that applauded her arrival now hesitated to talk to her. I swear I've got super powers. 

Her Golisopod and Loupunny brawled in the water as she put on sunscreen. 

"If you don't close your mouth I'm gonna put sand in it." Plumeria huffed.

"Plum, who is that? I know that I know her, but I can't quite put my thumb on it." Heat flushed through my ears as the woman called over her Pokemon to play ball.

"You're kidding, right?" She sounded generally surprised, "That's the kid that saved your chops from that psycho."

Memories of a dorky little girl with black braided hair storming the Aether Foundation and saving everyone from inside the Ultra Worm Hole flashed before me. I frowned and took a deep breath. That would explain why I didn't remember her, it took a decade to block out everything that happened there. Unfortunately, now that I knew, the floodgates burst open. But not in the way I feared.