Chapter Text
Sunscreen, phone, charger, water, running shoes.
That’s all I need to become the very fucking best.
I shout a goodbye to my dads, who have finally accepted that this is what I’m going to do the whole summer.
“Yurio, remember to buy food for Makkachin!” My dad shouts.
I sigh, but file the reminder somewhere in my brain.
I run down the staircase and nearly bump into the old lady from the second floor, who has no qualms shouting something in my direction. I don’t even bother apologizing anymore, since all that’s ever gotten me is more fucking shouting.
The hot July air hits me as soon as I step outside, but I’ve gotten used to walking miles in the heat this past week. As long as I have enough water and sunscreen on, I’ll be fine.
Wish I’d known that a week ago. When the game came out there was no time to think. I went out in the street without even taking my fucking keys, caught Pokémons until my feet hurt and my dads had to call and ask where the fuck I was and why I had locked myself out.
The worst thing was the sunburn I got. My skin is still peeling off my shoulders, and for once I agree with my dad for scolding me about not wearing sunscreen.
It’s still a couple of hours before I can collect my coins, so for now I decide on the best route for getting the most Pokéstops.
I figure I might as well try to change it from yesterday’s a little and explore new places in my city. Not that I’d ever admit it, but there’s some hidden gems in this shit-hole of a town, like the tiny park I discovered two days ago while trying to find a Dragonite.
I take my time walking and catching, spotting other zombie-like trainers with their eyes fixed on their screens. Some kids I recognize from my school, and I’m glad they’re too immersed in virtual reality to look up and see me. I graduated one month ago, so I can finally pretend they’ve never existed and move on with my life.
When it’s almost time to collect my coins, I consider again what the best route is. There’s six gyms in my radius, and three more off-screen in my district. The three closest to me are all blue, so I start defeating those after I plug my phone to the portable charger.
I don’t even have to take a look at the strongest trainer to know who it is.
DJBek.
My worst enemy.
He started showing up in all the gyms around my district and I swear he’s just as relentless as me. He’s at my same level as me, except he had to go and choose Team Mystic over Instinct, so now we’re stuck stealing gyms off each other’s noses every fucking day.
Fortunately he seems to stick to a morning schedule, whereas I’m more of a sleep-till-noon kind of person.
I stop at the supermarket to get dog food after I beat his ass, and when I get back home, I own a total of nine gyms and have enough coins to buy one more Incubator.
It’s my dad’s day off, which means he’s made his favorite food for dinner, katsudon, but papa refuses to let me sit at the table until I’ve gone and washed the sunscreen off my face.
“For fuck’s sake, I’m going to shower before bed-”
“Yurio, your skin can’t breathe with that stuff on. You’ll break out.”
He’s right of course, but I let out an annoyed comment as I head to the bathroom. I actually care about my skin almost as much as my papa, Victor Katsuki-Nikiforov, retired legend of ice skating, five times Grand Prix gold medalist, first of his name, mother of this blond-haired, green-eyed dragon, and certified drama queen.
I lock myself in the bathroom, and after a while my phone rings as I’m putting papa’s fancy face cream on. When I check it I see it’s Mila.
Mila: yuri!!! :* how r things????
Mila: u should have come 2 italy
I type out a quick reply.
Yuri: and thirdwheel the whole week?
Yuri: you really hate me don’t you
Yuri: install the fucking game btw
Yuri: you gotta help me defeat the level 10 gyms
I head out and sit at the table. Papa scolds me for using his expensive cream again and dad and I laugh it off.
“Yuuuuuri,” he tells dad. “It’s no cream for a kid.”
“Oi, I’m eighteen-”
“Victor, he didn’t get his love for skin care routines from me.”
I hide my smile in my hands. My parents are so weird and extra but I’d throw myself under a bus for them.
***
The next day, I help out dad in his tiny tea shop.
The only positive thing is that there’s a Pokéstop right there and I can use a lure while I wait for customers that just won’t come because they see tea store and stay the fuck away from it. If only they actually fucking read the sign that says “cold tea blends for summer”.
I’m catching the thousandth Pidgey of the day when dad reappears with two ice cream cones in his hands.
“Here you go. Any customers while I was gone?”
“None,” I reply in Japanese as he hands me my ice cream.
He switches to his native language as well, seeing that we’re alone. “I wonder what we can do to make them come,” he sighs.
We eat our ice creams in silence, while an idea starts forming in my head. I don’t want to tell him before I’ve done some more thinking, so I just make a mental note to remember about it later.
“Dad, can I go now?”
“Yes, yes.”
I’m almost out of the shop when he calls me back.
“Yurio, wait.”
What is it now? I look at him but he just gestures me to go back inside and sit behind the desk. I do as he says, hoping whatever it is it’ll be quick.
When I sit down, he says, “Don’t you want to put your hair up? It’s so warm outside.”
He starts braiding my hair and putting it up in a nice up-do, like he used to do when I was little. When I was less of a brat and actually allowed both of my dads to do nice things for me. I am filled with shame and sadness at the thought of my earlier teenage years and how badly I must have treated them. I’m not ashamed of them or angry at them anymore, not like before anyway, but at the same time I don’t know how to fix our relationship. I suppose letting him braid my hair without complaints is a start. Plus, I’ve always loved having my hair done nicely, but I’ve never been able to do it myself.
I thank him quietly and head out.
***
This asshole is starting to piss me off for real. He seems to be everywhere. He owns more gyms than he can even gain coins from, and I just don’t fucking get it. I bust my ass off every day to steal as many as I can, hoping that my Pokémons will still be there the next day, but DJBek just can’t give me a fucking break.
By now he must know me too. I’m sure he laughs his ass off to see my weak attempts at taking gyms back.
That’s why today I brought chalk with me. Logically I know I will gain nothing from this, but I just can’t help it. I just hope it won’t rain tonight before he can see it.
DJBEK. IT’S WAR.
-ICETIGR
I write it on the sidewalk, where one needs to stand in order to defeat one of the gyms in my district. An old lady side-eyes me, but I don’t give a fuck.
I go home feeling smug and accomplished like the little shit I am.
***
I promised papa I’d help him out with the kids at the ice rink, so I spend the next morning there. I keep the group busy while papa evaluates one kid at ame and takes note of everybody’s weaknesses.
Kids gross me out for the most part, but on the ice I find I can be ten times more patient than off it. When a little girl asks to see my jumps, I act like I don’t know what she’s talking about, until they practically beg me to see them. I skate towards the center of the rink to gain momentum and show off my jumps. The kids roar in excitement and I can’t hide my grin, even as papa scolds me from the other side of the rink.
I get back to the kids as I try not to think about how much better my jumps would be if I’d stuck with ice skating instead of ballet. A quick glance back at my father tells me he’s thinking about it too, like he has any fucking right to blame me for not wanting to be compared to him for the rest of my life.
***
I take a detour to where I left my message yesterday before heading home, not exactly sure of what I’ll find. I expect to only find my message, but my heart jumps when I see something’s been added with blue chalk.
*thumbs-up drawing*
-DJBek
A fucking thumbs-up. Just when I thought this shithead couldn’t piss me off more.
I grin all the way home.