Chapter Text
Kouji tugged the black shirt with a spray painted red R across the chest, over his head and looked at Yuki as he tugged his own shirt over his head. It was ridiculous. “This is the worst plan you’ve ever had, including becoming a Ranger and dragging me out to live on route 119,” he complained.
“You shush. I’m tired of those two’s dancing around each other,” Yuki said as he stuffed on a half mask, which served to cover the top half of his face, and his hair. “I know you are too!” he added when Kouji opened his mouth.
“So what if I am?” Kouji huffed. “We shouldn’t get in middle of Sho and Oikawa.”
“So you didn’t want to throttle Shoyo last time we seen him?” Yuki asked while his eyebrows rose high.
“And if I did?” Kouji asked sourly as Yuki stepped to him and stuffed the mask down over his eyes as well. He adjusted it as Yuki started skulking around the bushes they were hiding behind.
The two Sylveon behind them made noise of protest at being in the cage. Kouji lifted the mask and crouched next to it, putting his hands through the bars to pet their heads. “Sorry, guys, I know it must be horrible to be locked up, but you agreed to come with us to help get Shoyo and Oikawa together, right?” he cooed soothingly. They made identical noises and settled to take a nap.
“Shh!” Yuki rushed back to Kouji and crouched beside him. “They’re coming!”
“Why couldn’t we set up an easier plan for them to get together?” Kouji whispered.
“This was all I could come up with, without telling them outright to get together!” Yuki whispered back.
“I thought Oikawa’s plan would’ve worked a lot better than it did,” Kouji grumbled.
“Shoyo can be dense,” Yuki said with a forced chuckle, trying not to be mean to their bouncy friend.
“Dense is being nice.”
“I know.”
-The Day Before-
Shoyo had run up to them with Sylveon running behind him, and glomped onto them in a crushing hug. “It’s been so long!” he yelled as they struggled to stay upright.
“Shoyo!” They chorused after catching their balance and hugging him back.
He pulled back with a beaming grin on his face and then said, “I still can’t believe you guys came!”
“We wouldn’t miss your birthday for the world, Sho-chan!” Yuki said brightly.
“Ara ara?”
Hinata froze and he whispered, “No.” Yuki bit down a smile and looked over Shoyo’s head at Oikawa.
The taller boy slunk forward while Shoyo’s back was still turned to him and leaned down so he was face level with Shoyo. “Is it Shrimpy’s birthday?”
Hinata jumped to the side, as he couldn’t jump forward into his friends, with a steaming red face, hands held up in karate chop position. “No, you didn’t hear that, it’s not my birthday! What’s a birthday?! Whatever it is, it isn’t mine!” he squawked. Yuki opened his mouth but Kouji nudged him and shook his head. Hinata mechanically turned away from Oikawa’s amused smile and gripped the two’s hands. “Come on, guys, we’re not going to go to the Contest being held, and we’re not going to do anything with this birthday stuff in it! What’s he on about, he’s crazy!” he rambled as he dragged the two away from Oikawa.
As they grew further and further, Kouji had to stop them and say, “You know Sylv hasn’t followed us, right?”
Shoyo squealed as he turned back to see his Sylveon playing with Oikawa’s. He ran back, picked up his with her signature orange and black bow, and glared at Oikawa, “Stop trying to charm my Sylveon into not competing against you!” he yelled as he sprinted back to the two waiting for him.
Oikawa shared a look with his Sylveon and shrugged. “We’ll show them,” he said as he watched the trio rush off.
Yuki grinned at Shoyo as they sat at a cafe, “So are we really not going to go to the contest?” he asked.
Shoyo glared at his friend with a petulant pout on his face. “Of course we’re going to the contest,” he grumbled, only briefly stopping his sour expression when his parfaits arrived and he thanked the waiter.
When he started eating with a vengeance, Kouji asked. “Why?”
Hinata looked at them and swallowed before saying, “I need to keep up to date with my rival’s performances.” His eyes screamed serious and the two shared a look. He continued, “I will defeat him one day, and if I don’t know how his performances are, how will I know what to do?” They sighed. He took a large bite of his chocolate parfait. “Anyways, I’m going in a disguise so he won’t recognize me if he happens to look into the crowd anyways.”
“What?”
Hinata pulled out a fake moustache and glasses from his pocket and the two did varying versions of a facepalm.
They wandered Lilycove, having an hour until the Contest began, where they bought various things that they were needing back home, and also gifts for Shoyo.
As they entered the contest venue, Shoyo put the fake moustache and glasses on and he gave them a serious nod to show he was ready. They laughed at him and dragged him to the spectator’s seats, vying for a front row seat.
The show started, lights dimming briefly as one of the judges allowed Oikawa to use their mic. He turned a grin on the crowd and said, “I know you’re here, and I just want to say that my performance today is dedicated to my Shrimpy!”
There were many screams from fangirls, wondering who this ‘shrimpy’ was, but also thinking he was the most romantic man in the world.
Hinata sat with his mouth dropped open. Yuki and Kouji sported matching shocked looks but then swiveled to look at Hinata, who hadn’t moved an inch. Sylveon let herself out of her pokeball and sat on Hinata’s lap to watch the performance. He still hadn’t moved.
Oikawa used Misty Terrain as his first move, then Double Edge which he then used to launch Sylveon into the air, where he used Captivate, Return, and Draining Kiss. Kouji had his face covered in pure second hand embarrassment. Oikawa used Wish as a final move.
Yuki had his mouth covered and he kept casting glances at Shoyo.
The crowd went wild and that seemed to snap Hinata out of his daze as he lurched forward, Kouji just barely snatching Sylveon out of harm’s way, “Is he challenging me?” he screeched.
The two on either side of his stared at him with long, dead stares as he fell back into his seat, clutching his hair and letting out an unintelligible scream.
Yuki pulled Kouji towards him and hissed, “I am done.”
Kouji could only sigh at his partner and nod slightly.
Later That Day
“Hey, Sylveon!” Yuki whispered from around the corner of the entrance of the cafe. Oikawa’s Sylveon looked up and around, hearing his name repeated. He went to the source and then chirped as he recognized Shrimpy’s friend. “Hey, boy,” Yuki said quietly, petting Sylveon with a grin. “I need to ask you a favour,” he added.
Sylveon made a questioning noise as he was petted.
“I need you to come with me and Kouji.” Yuki said as he continued to pet Sylveon. “It’s all part of a plan to get Sho–Shrimpy and Oikawa together,” he added as Sylveon started to pull away. Sylveon paused and tilted his head. Yuki grinned and nodded quickly, holding up a letter that was addressed to Oikawa. “We’re going to pretend you and Shrimpy’s Sylveon are stolen, and they’ll have to team up to rescue you…and then Shrimpy will realize he has feelings for Oikawa, too!” he was gleeful. “You in?”
Sylveon made a loud noise of agreement and Yuki panicked as he heard Oikawa’s questioning, “Sylveon?” He slid the letter into the cafe Oikawa was in and picked up Sylveon before running away.
Oikawa’s gaze from searching for Sylveon was diverted to the letter sliding to a stop a few feet away from him and his name neatly written on the top.
Picking it up with a scrunch of his nose, he opened it and pulled the white paper out.
We have your Sylveon. If you want to see him again, you’ll come to the outskirts of Lilycove tomorrow at 18:00. Do not bring Officer Jenny, or else!
Panic gripped him as he started yelling for Sylveon. He rushed down the road, yelling for him.
-0-
Shoyo had looked away for one minute! Just one! He looked around himself, still holding the meat buns and calling for Sylv. “C’mon, girl! I got you some, too!” he called loudly, wandering. Kouji held Sylveon under his arm and smacked his forehead as Shoyo bypassed the letter entirely, head swivelling back and forth as his eyes started watering and his voice became wobbly.
Kouji almost stepped out from behind the bush with Sylveon and handed her back over to Shoyo. Sylveon’s ribbons held his wrists and he looked down at her. She held a determined expression on her face and he sighed. Shoyo called for her again.
His resolve was about to break when pounding steps caught his attention and Oikawa nearly ran Shoyo over. Oikawa looked panicked, and angry, and extremely frightened. Kouji felt horrible. He snuck away before he was discovered or decided to call the whole plan off.
“Shrimpy!” Oikawa held the shorter of the two at arms length, taking in the tears collecting at the corner of Hinata’s eyes and the meat buns clutched in his arms. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly.
Shoyo sniffled, “My-my Sylveon!” he took a deep breath, “She’s gone! She’s not coming when I call her!” he wailed.
Oikawa’s grip tightened. “Yours too?!” he yelled. Shoyo’s lip wobbled but he refused to cry as he nodded quickly. Oikawa let go of Hinata’s arms and dug into his pocket, producing the letter. “Did you get this, too?” he asked urgently. Hinata shook his head ‘no’. Oikawa stood and ran his hands through his hair, eyes scanning their surroundings when he noticed the white against the dirt road. He stepped around the distraught Hinata and picked it up, reading Hinata’s name and returning to Hinata’s side, showing him the envelope. “You too,” he said softly.
Hinata dropped his meat buns to tear the envelope open and read the contents. He dropped the letter in horror. “She was k-kid,” he stuttered over the word, “Poke-napped?!”
Oikawa frowned deeply as he stared off towards the path leading out of Lilycove. “Mine was too.”
“We have to go get them back!” Hinata said hotly.
“Of course we do!” Oikawa scoffed, putting his hands on his hips and then looking down at Hinata. “Which pokemon do you have right now? We have to strategize our attack.” Hinata nodded his head fervently in agreement.
-0-0-
Yuki pressed the stencil down onto the black jacket and sprayed the red into it with a grimace. Once finished, he held it up for Sylveon’s inspection, to which he mewled approval.
Kouji arrived not a moment later with Sylveon wrapped around his head.
“What took you so long?” Yuki asked in exasperation.
“Sho was crying!” Kouji said defensively.
“So you decided to stick around and torture yourself?” Yuki asked incredulously.
“Well, no…I…Oikawa showed up, in a panic,” Kouji’s eyes travelled to the Sylveon laying in the grass behind Yuki and pulled Sylv off his shoulder to let them be together. “They’re both really worried,” he said quietly.
“Kou-chan, look at me,” Yuki said seriously, catching Kouji’s eyes and holding his attention. “We’re doing this for the betterment of all of us. After this, we’ll only need to get used to Oikawa being all lovey-dovey and Sho-chan’s pleasantly embarrassed face, okay, and not Sho-chan going on dangerous training journeys for weeks at a time.”
Kouji nodded his head, resolve still weak but stronger than it was before. “I just hate seeing Sho all…sad,” he admitted.
“Yes, so do I. That’s why I sent you to get Sylv.”
Kouji gave Yuki a long stare before smacking his arm and joining the two Sylveon in the grass. They wrapped their ribbons around him and snuggled into him. Yuki sighed as he started the second jacket. His phone beeped with a panicked message from Sho. He answered with soothing words and assurances, hoping his words didn’t give him away.
-Currently-
“Hinata,” Oikawa took Hinata’s shoulders and stared into his eyes, “This could be dangerous, so I just want you to know that I will try everything in my power to get our Sylveon back.”
Hinata stared at him for a long moment as his face slowly turned red. He nodded once. “But don’t underestimate me, Oikawa,” he said as he took a step back. “Just…you be careful, too,” he added as he glanced away.
Oikawa held back from clutching his chest. He took a breath and then said quietly, “If we make it out of this, do you…do you want to go on…on a d-date? With me?”
Hinata stared at him, pink face turning red at the question. He looked away from Oikawa briefly before looking back and nodding. “Okay.”
Yuki looked over the bush at the pair and then turned to Kouji. “Wait! Doesn’t Team Rocket have this thing they say before they start trouble?” he hissed Kouji joined him in watching them..
“I don’t know!” Kouji said quickly. “I’ve never had an encounter with Team Rocket, have you?”
Yuki made a face, “Once, but Officer Jenny and her Arcanine defeated them before they could finish that thing…” he scrunched up his nose and thought back, “It was something like ‘prepare for trouble, blah-blah-blah,” he flapped his hand and then shook his head. “Let’s just wing it.”
They carried the cage with the two Sylveon carefully to be more in the clearing, deposited it to the ground and unlocked the cage door. They turned to the whispering couple and both laughed dramatically.
Oikawa and Hinata turned to them, hands going to the pokeballs at their waists. Oikawa squinted at their outfits but shook his head and pulled his first pokeball off his belt and snarled, “Give our Sylveon back and we won’t hurt you!”
Hinata hopped around behind him, yelling, “Yeah, yeah!” as he waved his fists in the air.
Kouji and Yuki barely refrained from smacking their foreheads. Kouji stepped forward, “I’d like to see you try make us!” he glanced at Yuki.
Yuki joined him at his side. “We’ll defeat you and take the rest of your Pokemon, too!” he added on.
Kouji said in an undertone, “Good job,” as he released his newly evolved Beedrill from its pokeball. “Now, Beedrill! Tailwind to start and follow up with a String Shot at them!”
Oikawa released his Pyroar. “Pyroar, use Heat Wave!”
Yuki released his Azumarill, “Use Protect!” he yelled. Azumarill looked confused at seeing Hinata as the opponent but did as she was told.
Hinata paused at the familiar pokemon, only shaking his head to clear any thoughts as he released his Ninetales. “Use Flamethrower!” Ninetales did as told, aiming at Beedrill.
Azumarill used protect again, then Water Gun, hitting Pyroar in the chest.
The two shared looks and nodded. Yuki said, “Azumarill! Use water sport!”
At the same time Hinata and Oikawa yelled, “Flamethrower!”
The two were crisped and called their Pokemon back. “We’ll get you next time!” Kouji yelled as they ran off, leaving the Sylveon to get themselves out.
Oikawa faltered at that and turned to Hinata. “Wasn’t that too easy?” He asked.
Hinata was too busy running to his Sylveon and hugging her up, blubbering his happiness as she cooed back at him.
He caught his Sylveon and nuzzled him back, looking at Hinata and his two Pokemon. He called back Pyroar and Sylveon into their pokeballs as he crouched down by Hinata. He rolled the pokeballs from hand to hand. “Hey,” he said quietly.
Hinata sat up with Sylveon on his head, his face overjoyed as he said, “Yeah?”
Oikawa looked to the side and said with a pout, “About that date?”
“Ah, right!” Hinata flushed and covered his cheeks. “Did you want to get dinner?” he asked.
Oikawa nodded slightly, still looking embarrassed as he said, “Tomorrow?”
Hinata used Sylveon to hide his face as he nodded. “Want to meet at the pokecenter at 5?” he asked.
“Alright, Shrimpy,” Oikawa stood and put his hands on his hips. “Tomorrow at the pokecenter at 5,” he pulled Hinata up to stand and took a breath as he leaned down slightly and said, “Don’t be late,” like he wasn’t fighting every instinct to run and be embarrassedly happy.
Hinata nodded, his face aflame as Oikawa strutted away.
He pulled out his phone to immediately call Yuki and Kouji with the news, and also to yell at them for not running to his aid when Sylveon was taken. He hugged her to his chest again and walked in the direction Oikawa left to.