Dragon's Gate | Pokémon Fanfiction

11 | Noctowl Business

A shriek did the job.

Gary's tinged face sent immeasurable pleasure to Addy as he let go of her. She believed he would give up at last, but he was clingy and would not leave her alone. So she gave him the humiliation he deserved.

"Are you stalking me?"

"No," Gary said. "I came here to rest."

Addy arched a brow and crossed her arms. "Really?"

Gary shook his head and pointed to their cabin. "Your scent led me here." Then, he pointed to the one next to theirs. "That's my cabin."

Icarus slammed zir wings onto his head with a victorious smile. Constance held zir back before zie could deal too much damage and make Gary faint. The last thing they needed was to hand over this supposedly strong trainer to Nurse Joy. With the way he was acting, Constance was reminded of the Weedle who could not even resist a Poké Ball when healthy.

But that was supposed to be part of an educational program aired on the Teachy TV for children, and no, Addy wasn't that Poké Ball. The girl didn't want to catch Gary in her arms when he suddenly collapsed onto her. Still, she did, and with some concern at that.

"Ha..." Gary wheezed and gradually opened his eyes. "You still love me."

Addy released her clutch on him and his head hit the floor. "Don't take it the wrong way. I'm here for a learning journey, not a babysitting gig."

Gary frowned. What learning journey did she sign up for without telling him? A glance at the old woman (her very peculiar companion) told him that she must be Addy's teacher. Gary crawled over to Constance's side and looked up.

This woman was decidedly plain, but she knew how to take care of herself, as evident from her clear skin, albeit wrinkly from old age. The last time he saw such an old granny was the time he battled the Ghost-type specialist Agatha, Gramps' ex-wife. But this woman here was so much pleasanter, with the beautiful feather adorning her fedora, the kind eyes locked on his...

Gary purred. "Teach, can I join your learning journey?"

Constance facepalmed. First things first, she had decided, upon stepping onto the cruiser, that the Oaks would no longer be of any concern to her. She claimed afterwards that these nuisances were Noctowl business, and Addy agreed, liking the pun.

Of course, she declined his request.

But damn! Boah, this guy's a persistent one. He kowtowed to her thrice as if this was the world of martial arts and he would love to be her disciple. He grovelled at her feet and complimented her looks, her aura, her confidence in travelling with a Magikarp, her fashion sense...

Constance flicked her wrist and told him to get up. Gary Oak was on cloud nine, feeling light like a Mega Altaria. After all, what often succeeded this scene was none other than the acceptance of the disciple!

Maybe it was Constance's soft heart skipping a beat, or her deep concern for the younger generations, or her the thought hammering into her head that she had lots of time on the cruise, or all of the above, that prompted her to take his hand and stroke his fingers.

"Are you sure?" Constance asked him. "It's a soul-searching journey. There are no badges to collect and all the battles..." Constance moved his hand to his thumping heart. "... are here."