Loving Him Is Pink -- Bede x Avery (A Pride Month Pokemon Short Story)

Love At First Trample -- Bede

"Ahhhh!" I screamed, throwing my arms up in front of my face to protect myself as the Rapidash barreled down on me. I barely had time to register the fact that someone had shouted a brief 'Look out!' before it was right on top of me.

In a flash, Hatterene was at my side, eyes glowing with psychic power. Before my brain could register that she had just lifted the Rapidash up and over my head like it weighed less than a stuffed toy, the Pokemon went flying into the sand with a loud piff.

The Rapidash rose shakily, gingerly taking its time to get back on its feet again. The moment it was up, Hatterene made towards it, claw-like appendage bared menacingly, but I stopped her. Nickering and shaking the sand out of its mane, the Rapidash snuffled something on the ground I hadn't noticed before; An extremely tall trainer with silky, blonde hair who was wearing a purple uniform.

Groaning and sitting upright, their hair cascading down their back in a waterfall of gold, the trainer mumbled a string of incoherent words, spitting sand out of their mouth and rubbed their eyes. Noticing a very large top-hat resting a few feet away from me, I scooped it up and tapped the trainer on the shoulder.

"I believe you dropped this," I said flatly, offering it back.
"Thank-" the trainer stopped, sapphire eyes locked with mine. Instead of a woman, like I was anticipating, the trainer was an extremely tall male, with porcelain skin and a very noticeable pink tint on his face.

But it was his eyes that really made me come undone. As clear and blue as the ocean we were sitting by, they glittered with intelligence and power, enlarged by round, silver spectacles that were perched precariously on the end of his nose. I probably could have spent hours just studying them if Raihan hadn't let out a very loud and obnoxious wolf-whistle from behind us.

Clearing his throat, the trainer yanked the hat out of my grasp, dusted the excess sand off and placed it back on his head. "Thank you," he said clearly this time, his voice rich and tinged with a vaguely Russian accent. "I apologize on behalf of my partner. My Future Sight did not predict my Rapidash to charge onto the beach, and I hardly expect you to have seen it coming as well."

He has the funniest way of talking, I thought to myself, getting distracted by those eyes. "No, it was definitely....surprising," I admitted as the trainer rose to his feet. He was easily six feet tall, towering over my five-five frame, and his hat only added on to his tall, yet skinny stature. "Ah, it seems I've discovered what it was my partner was searching for," he laughed as he watched something behind me.

Turning, I saw his Rapidash and my own were examining each other, taking in each other's scent and speaking to one another in their own language. "You keep quite elegant Pokemon with you," he noted as Gardevoir and Mawile came over to investigate the newcomer. "Tell me. What is your name?"

"Huh?" I asked, watching his eyes move with the Pokemon. "Oh! My name. It's, uh, Bede."
"Bede," he rolled the word around in his mouth. "An elegant name, worthy of kings," he declared. I felt my face heat up at his compliments.

"Bede, who is this?" Opal asked, materializing out of nowhere behind us.
"I-I don't know," I murmured, watching the mysterious trainer's eyes move with the Pokemon. "Are you from the Master Dojo?" Kabu asked, jogging over. "Mister...."

"How rude of me, I haven't even made a formal introduction," he apologised. "My name is Avery. Yes, I am a senior member of the Master Dojo. I was sent by my master to greet the gym leaders, but I don't think they've arrived on the island yet."

"Is that so?" Opal asked, slightly amused that he hadn't made the connection yet. Me, I was a bit disappointed. He didn't seem as smart as I initially thought, now knowing that he couldn't even recognise a gym leader on sight. "Yes. I had assumed they would have arrived by now, but my fellow student, Klara, didn't say anything to Master Mustard. If she had, I would have been notified."

"Does he not realize what we're wearin'?"' Piers murmured to his little sister. Brow furrowing, his eyes widened behind his round, silver spectacles as he connected the dots. "My goodness, it is you," he gasped, apologizing furiously for not realizing us sooner. "You're fine, Avery," Milo smiled warmly. "Everyone makes mistakes. It happens!"

I could have sworn I heard Avery mumble, "Not when you do it in front of celebrities, it doesn't." Then, out loud; "I will be escorting you all to the Master Dojo, of course. Rapidash!"

At the sound of its name, the equine Pokemon nickered happily, trotted over to its trainer and proceeded to nuzzle his shoulder. "I already told you, I don't have treats with me," he sighed as his partner nibbled at his hair. Then, in a split second, he pulled himself up onto the Pokemon and straddled its wide back.

"We're going to escort the gym leaders to the Master Dojo. Follow Rapidash," he beckoned to us. "Ah, I almost forgot!" Something zoomed by the back of my head, and I stifled a shriek before seeing it was a Pokeball, drawn to the very tall hat our guide was wearing. There were six in all, circling his hat; little glowing moons orbiting a black, satin planet.

"Oh, wow," Raihan burst out laughing. "The majestic unicorn rider has come to escort us to Fairyland. What's next, a sing-along?" Narrowing his eyes at Raihan, the stranger's already stunning sapphire eyes began to glow with some strange power. At the same time, Raihan shrieked, yanked into the air by some invisible force.

He dangled upside-down by his foot, and Avery laughed at his struggle before dropping him face-first into the sand. I gaped at the strange, blonde man astride the powerful Pokemon. Just who was this Avery, who claimed to be an elite Dojo student?

"Now then. Does anyone else have anything to say to me?" Silence all around. "No? Good. Follow me, please, and do try to keep up with Rapidash. The Master Dojo is this way."