Chapter Text
Rarely did I ever wake up in bed. While I slumbered, Ivor would sneak out for his morning workout, incredibly careful to not wake me. By the time he would come back, whether from just lifting some weights at the Justice Dojo to running entire laps around Lumiose, I would still be fast asleep in his bed. Way too full of energy to just get back in, he'd scoop me up into his arms and just carry me while he did whatever else he needed to do; whether that was laundry, cleaning the apartment, or making breakfast. So many times have I been woken up by him basically shoving some bacon and scrambled eggs into my mouth, not that I'd ever complain.
But something felt off when I woke up alone. Ivor wasn't beside me, I wasn't being held by him, he was just… gone. Dior's gone too? I swore he was sleeping on the bed with us… His Luxury Ball wasn't on my sidetable either? "Ivy?" I rubbed the grogginess away from my eyes as I rose from the bed. I made my way to the living room, hoping to see Ivor and Dior, instead catching Gwynn and Canari knocked out cuddling on the couch. I slumped down on the opposite side of the couch, taking out my phone to text Ivor, but as I typed out a message, the front door opened up.
"Hey, princess!" Ivor beamed. He tried to be somewhat quiet to not wake his sister and her girlfriend. His hands were full of paper grocery bags, Dior himself carrying a little bag in his mouth. "What are you doing up so early?" He set the bags down on the kitchen counter as Dior ran up to me, jumping up onto the couch and on my lap. "Can you open that bag for him? There's a little treat inside, and he's been such a good boy waiting for it." Ivor asked of me while he put groceries away.
My hand drifted towards the little treat bag from Nouveau Café. Inside was a small cup of whipped cream with a little biscuit on top made with love and care by Grisham. I opened the lid of the cup and held it out for Dior, who quickly gobbled up his treat. "So… what's all this about?" I asked Ivor.
"What? What do you mean, Buneary?"
"Like… usually it's Gwynn and I who do the grocery shopping, you know? I'm just a little confused, I guess."
Once all the groceries were put away, he joined me on the couch. "I just wanted to be a good boyfriend and brother, that's all." His empty hands impatiently grabbed at my hips, pulling me onto his lap. "Come here… good girl." Dior— now done with his treat, joined us in our little cuddle puddle, his little head and paws resting on my thigh. A tiny dollop of whipped cream remained on his purple little nose.
"Well, I really appreciate you for it, and I'm sure Gwynn will too. Thank you, Ivysaur." His smile grew into a big toothy grin that pushed his cheeks all the way up into his eyes. Hesitantly, I asked "Is all this… because of last night?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Like… you know… you just got so in your head… I don't know why, I just…"
"Buneary, me getting the groceries has nothing to do with that—"
"I know, I just… You seemed so out of it, it really scared me. I just thought… maybe this did have something to do with that… I was scared about you, Ivy. I really was…"
"I appreciate that, bunbun, I really do. But there's nothing to be afraid of. Your man can handle anything the world throws at him, don't you worry." He reassured. "Now… gimme those lips." His hand cradled my head, pulling me closer to his face. Our lips brushed together with a quick breath before locking in a cute kiss. I briefly moaned into him, his lips incredibly soft despite the harsh cold air outside. He caught the mewl, swallowing it with pride. "Good girl…"
Before either of us could get too into it though, I noticed Gwynn twitching slightly underneath her pile of blankets on the opposite side of the couch from the corner of my eye. Our lips parted ways, and I rested my head on Ivor's chest as Gwynn slowly woke up. "Ngh…" She rubbed the sleep — and marijuana — from her eyelids before noticing us. She chuckled softly before yawning. "'…sup, nerds?"
Ivor chuckled, his warm laughter rumbling through my body. "We're okay. How was last night?" Ivor asked.
"Heh…" Her gaze fell to Canari, still sound asleep, softly snoring into the blankets. "Pretty good… Can't go wrong with a scary movie night." A sly smile pricked at the corner of Gwynn's lips. "What'd you losers get up to last night? You battled in the royale, right?" She slumped back down on the couch.
Ivor's thigh began to bounce nervously as soon as she said that… Oh boy. "We… we did good! We almost got enough points for a ticket. We won what, like… 12 battles, right, Ivy?"
He was completely silent. His grip on my hip grew ever tighter.
"Uh… but we weren't able to win in our last battle."
"Who'd you lose to? Must be someone good to win against you."
"Jacinthe… and Lebanne…"
Gwynn's eyes widened. "Shit… Ivor, you okay, man?" She scooched closer, her hand brushed against Ivor's. "I'm sorry. I…" Her gaze shifted to me and back to Ivor. "I… Look, whatever dad said, he's not right."
"Your father…? Ivy?" His grip on my waist has gotten even stronger.
Gwynn sighed deflatingly. "Ivor…" The siblings exchanged glances as if communicating silently.
Finally, Ivor relented with an exhale. His hand gripping my thigh trembled wildly. "So… um… growing up with our father… he put these expectations on us. Expectations that weren't realistic… He wanted us to be just like him, a strong, near undefeatable trainer. In school… Lebanne and I were two of the best trainers in the whole academy, but we never battled each other. On the final day of school, we finally battled… I lost. When he found out…" He hesitated, like just for a moment, the Earth stood still. "I… I can't…" No matter how hard he tried to hold them back, tears escaped from underneath his blonde eyelashes.
My hand reached for his, Gwynn's reaching for the opposite. "It's okay… you don't have to finish… So that's why you…"
"Yeah…"
"Losing to her again… it took you back there… with him…"
"Yeah… It's like… after all these years… I'm still not good enough for him."
"Dude, you're plenty good enough." Gwynn cut in. "Who cares what he says. He's a deadbeat! He never cared about us, why should we care about him."
Ivor sighed "Gwynn, you know it's not that simple—"
"—But it is! His words mean nothing to me. They should mean nothing to you too."
"I know…"
"Gwynn…" I sighed. She seemed to have gotten the message and backed off. "Ivy… your dad is wrong. You're a great trainer, losing two battles to someone else doesn't change that. I get it though… it's hard, unlearning what your parents told you. If you ever need anything… please, just let me know. I'm here for you, Ivy. I love you."
"I love you too, man. It really sucks seeing you so down on yourself like this. Like, that's totally my thing." Gwynn snickered to herself.
"Thanks, you two. It really means a lot… I… I've just got a lot going through my head right now. I love you both so much. Thank you, truly." Ivor's arm that was holding me in place on his lap squeezed me tighter in a loving hug. "You're the best girl I could have asked for, you know that, right?" He beamed down to me before turning to Gwynn. "And… you're okay, I guess."
Gwynn punched his shoulder, not phasing the big guy whatsoever. "Screw you too, dude." She scoffed in false annoyance.
"G-Volttt… come backk…" Canari whined grumpily. Her entire body was concealed by blankets, hiding herself from the morning light, all except for her hand, which pawed at the couch cushions with need.
Gwynn smirked to herself. She looked fondly over to her girlfriend. "Someone's grumpy. I'll take her to my room. See ya, nerds." Gwynn rose to her feet, immediately helping a sleepy Canari to bed.
Once we were alone, Ivor kissed my forehead tenderly. "I meant it. You're the best girl I could have ever asked for. Thank you, Buneary."
"Are you feeling any better?" I asked him.
"Yeah… Not perfect, but… better."
Another Multi-Battle night means another shot at victory. "You ready, Ivysaur? We only need one win this time."
"We got this! Justice will prevail!" He struck his signature pose, creating the letter J with his arms. What a dork.
I giggled to myself, he's just too cute. "Alright… see those guys right there? With the Pangoro and Krookodile?"
"Yeah, so what, we're gonna sneak up on them?"
"Exactly. Just follow my lead." I hunched down into the bushes, stalking forward towards the unsuspecting men by the Café Nouveau truck. Ivor followed close behind me, mimicking each step with extreme caution. The two of us released our Pokémon simultaneously, my own trusted Sylveon, and Ivor's new partner he caught in Hyperspace, a Lucario. Once in range, I silently instructed Sylveon to charge up a Moonblast on the Pangoro, Ivor coaching Lucario to hit the Krookodile with a surprise super-effective Aura Sphere.
In a blast of moonlight, the battle was already complete. My phone flew out from it's pocket, informing Ivor and I that we have enough points for a Challenger's Ticket. "Guess we were a bit overlevelled, huh?" I shrugged. Sylveon floated right on up to Ivor's Lucario, intertwining him between her ribbons in a soothing hug
"Maybe… Or maybe cause we're just the best trainers in Lumiose!!" The man's arms wrapped around my waist, hoisting me up into the air. Every second that passed, he pressed kiss after kiss onto my face, warming me up in the chilly December air.
"Ivy!!" I giggled as my legs wrapped around his waist. His body was so warm, I could just stay here forever.
Once outside of the Battle Zone, he set me down on the ground. Sylveon and Lucario chased after us, both emanating positive auras. "So… should we head to Quasartico?" I questioned.
"Yeah, probably… let's get a bite to eat first though, I'm starving after that intense battle!"
"It lasted two seconds??" What is he even talking about?? "But… sure! Can we go to Nouveau Café? I think Grisham has a new favorite customer!" I snickered, holding out Dior's Luxury Ball for Ivor to see.
"Of course, Buneary. A little treat for all of us, on me."
"Who's a good boy?! Who's a good boy?! You are! Yes, you are!" Grisham practically became a different person around Dior— no longer was he stoic and brooding, but doting and absolutely obsessed with my Furfrou.
Griselle, on the other hand, remained the same as always; no-nonsense, gruff with a steely exterior, even after all we've been through together. Not that it was a problem, I've always appreciated her sense of tough love. "Here's your usual Wooloolong tea, miss. And your chocolate croissant and Burn Up roast latte, sir." Her delivery dry as ever.
After giving Dior seemingly enough attention for now, Grisham prepared a small cup with a generous portion of whipped cream topped with a flame shaped biscuit. He ducked down to face the Furfrou, placing the pup-cup right in front of his paws. Dior immediately began to devour all of the sweet cream with gusto, tail wagging the entire time. Ivor's arm made it's way around my shoulder, pulling me close as we watched our beloved pet get so incredibly spoiled. The man ripped his croissant into two, the delightfully bittersweet chocolate oozing out in a warm pool of perfection onto the plate.
"So, who are you hoping we get paired with for the reward match? I want it to be a tough challenge! The harshest battles really turn into the sweetest victories, especially with you by my side, Ivy!" I cheered him on.
"Hm… Honestly, it'd be fun to face off against Gwynn & Canari. We got the type advantage against Philippe & Corbeau… and I think we could hold our own against Emma & Urbain! So… any of them!"
"Whoever it is, I know we can come out victorious!"
"I hope so..." His face fell and his leg started to bounce with nerves. It's all so weird, he's never anxious like this… unless he's thinking about— I swear to Arceus if we get matched with Jacinthe & Lebanne…
I placed my hands in his, his warm fingers wrapping gently around my wrists. "I know so. We're gonna win this and get that reward, I know it. No matter who it is, trust me."
"Thank you, Buneary… I really appreciate you." He leaned down slightly to press a chaste peck on top of my head. "So… do you want the other half of the croissant?"
Silly guy. He can never stay in his head for too long, I guess. "Yea, I do. Bon appétit!"
"Ah, yes, I see you have a Challenger's Ticket. Would you like to take part in a reward match?" The man behind the desk asked us. The interior of Quasartico's HQ always felt off to me. Like it's trying so hard to seem futuristic and clean yet also approachable and green. It just ends up feeling corporate and soulless, the very essence of gentrification. Ivor himself absolutely hated the place, the building and company as a whole representing everything he despised. His hand squeezed mine tightly, ready to get out of here and onto the battle court in an instant. After a quick nod from the both of us, the man said "Then let's see who your opponent will be!" in a fake enthusiastic customer-service type voice.
My RotomPhone flew out from it's pocket, hovering before me. A picture slowly loaded in opposite of the picture of Ivor and I. We're battling against… Jacinthe & Lebanne. Great… just our luck. Ivor's hand somehow squeezed mine tighter. If he squeezed any more, I feel like every bone in my hand would shatter. "All right! Let me call your opponents to the battle court, and then you four may begin at once."
Ivor instantly pulled me out of the building the second it was socially acceptable to do so. "Buneary… we gotta strategize. I don't know if I can handle another loss to Lebanne."
"Don't worry, Ivy, we got this!" I reassured. But what should we do… "Hmm… Oh! Jacinthe tends to lead with her Carbink, and it's super weak to Steel! Lead with your Lucario, and hit it with a big Flash Cannon!"
His entire face lit up, my words finally getting through to him."I like the way you think! You should lead with your Sylveon then, to handle Lebanne's Noivern and support our team!"
"Your Lucario should then outspeed Jacinthe's Clefable, so you can take it down with some big damage before it casts a Mystical Fire."
"Gotcha. So how do we deal with Jacinthe's Mawile and Lebanne's Dragalge? I feel like that's our blindspot right now."
"Jacinthe doesn't mega-evolve her Mawile, so Lucario should be able to take it down easy with a good Blaze Kick! Gardevoir can take the Dragalge with Psychic!"
"Perfect! And for Lebanne's Garchomp, Lucario can wail on it with some Ice Punches!"
"Wait a sec, we may want to be a little more careful. Getting hit by that thing's Earthquake could be fatal. Hm… Oh! Your Gallade! It learns Triple Axel, right?"
"I just taught him it yesterday, actually! So we're all set?"
"Yup!! I can't wait to see the look on Jacinthe's face when she loses! Ah!!" I squealed in delight.
A few minutes passed by as we waited on the court. I swear I could hear the clicks and clacks from Jacinthe's pumps from miles away… but maybe that's just trauma speaking. Finally, the women of the hour arrived fashionably late.
"Bonsoir, my friends! It seems the battle gods' divine powers have arranged yet another match for us!" It's nearly 3am, why is she so high energy… It's hurting my head…
"Ready to lose again, Ivor?" Lebanne taunted. Jacinthe's head snapped back to scold Lebanne's attempt at trash talk. "I—I mean… to another great battle!" Jacinthe nodded curtly.
"Let's do this! This time, justice will reign supreme!" Dear Arceus, I love this corny ass white boy.
The four of us released our Pokémon in sync, Ivor's Lucario, my Sylveon, Jacinthe's Carbink, and Lebanne's Noivern.
Ivor clutched at the Key Stone within his fingerless glove, making it and the matching Lucarionite on his Lucario glow with a menacing aura. Lucario metamorphized, shattering through it's prismatic chrysalis with a single strike. Mega Lucario was finally here. "Lucario, Iron Tail the Carbink! Now!" Lucario responded with a single affirming nod before dashing over at supersonic speed to the Carbink. In just a blink of an eye, the poor Jewel Pokémon was done for. Meanwhile, Sylveon struck Lebanne's Noivern with a full power Moonblast. The battle's in our favor! "We can do this, Ivy!" Ivor nodded in affirmation.
Next came Jacinthe's Mawile and Lebanne's Dragalge. With a single wordless nod, like we were communicating telepathically, Ivor stepped back as I recalled my Sylveon. Soon after, I threw out my Gardevoir. The Key Stone on my Mega Ring began to glow in sync with the Gardevoirite attached to a little tiara I affixed to Gardevoir's head. Mega Energy surrounded the two of us, swirling in our synergistic energies. Gardevoir's flowing skirt flared out into a breathtaking ballgown, her chest spike split into two to resemble a heart, and her arms donned a stunning pair of evening gloves, always a flair for the dramatics. She readied herself with a hand to her chest and a deep breath before unleashing a sickening screech of fae energy, dealing super-effective damage to the Noivern, taking it down, and some chip damage to the Mawile, softening it up for Lucario to come in with a fiery kick from it's powerful legs.
Then came their final Pokémon, Clefable and Garchomp. As they mega-evolved in unison, Ivor withdrew Lucario for his Gallade. Garchomp shook the ground around it, knocking Gardevoir out of her focused state. Gallade gallantly stood strong in front of the hurt Pokémon, shielding her from any other attack as he readied Triple Axel. His legs began to freeze over, crystallizing with frost. Like a principal dancer, he kicked effortlessly into the draconic beast, almost floating stylishly as he unleased kick after kick. Overwhelmed with Ice-type damage, Lebanne recalled her final Pokémon. Ivor did it, after all these years, he finally beat Lebanne! Not to get to excited though, there was still Jacinthe's hovering Clefable waiting there. Ivor switched Gallade out while Gardevoir let out another shriek, hitting the opposing Fairy-type for some good damage. Once his Lucario was out again, he delivered the final blow, a devastating Iron Tail imbued with it's very own steely aura. "Ivysaur! We did it! We actually did it!!"
"Yes, Buneary! Yes!!" The muscular man scooped me up from the ground to celebrate with a spinning hug.
"Oh-ho-ho! What a battle! Alors, my dearies, it has come time for us to retire for the night. And a most heartfelt congratulations on your victory! Bonne nuit!" Jacinthe sashayed away from the battle court and onwards to Hotel Richissime.
Lebanne stayed behind on the court. Once Jacinthe was barely out of earshot, she stepped forward. "Yo, Ivor, that was really fun! Congrats on the win. I'll get you next time, though!"
"Thanks, Lebanne. That… means a lot." Whispered Ivor.
"And you too, kid. I always love battling with you. Alright, I gotta go! Good night!" She bid us adieu, joining Jacinthe back home.
"We really did that, huh?" He seemed in awe of himself. His garnet eyes glimmered with true joy for the first time in a while.
"We sure did! I'm really proud of you, Ivy. Truly. You led your Pokémon so well." Our eyes met. He looks so cute when he's like this, I could just kiss him.
"I wouldn't have done that great without you by my side, my secret weapon! You were the brains, I was just the brawn!" His hand came down to my head, patting it gently.
"We really are the perfect team, huh?"
"We sure are, Buneary, we sure are." His head leaned down, lips ever so slightly parted before locking with mine. Two lovebirds in the gentle snow of Lumiose. Together, we could do anything.