Work Text:
Once upon a time, there was a boy who craved love.
Abandoned as a child. Thrown away from the very people whom he sought love and protection from. He couldn’t remember his mother’s face, let alone his father’s. He had forgotten how they sounded like, how they were like. The world was cruel like that, he once thought. Disowned at the tender age of 9, the poor child had to fight tooth and nail in order to survive a world where humans and Pokémon exist as the strongest.
He wasn’t always alone. Some call it luck. Others call it fate. But for a child who was disgustingly dirty from head to toe and begging for his next meal, all he ever felt at that time was thankful when he saw that hand – his hand – reach out for him in the cold, chilly air of the dark alleyway.
He had served that man for 2 years. The child didn’t know what. He didn’t know why. But the powerful man saw potential in him and offered the startled child a chance of a lifetime. Of course, the desperate orphan took it. This powerful man saw potential in him, did he not? Once the child turned 16, he had made it his life mission to bend backwards for his saviour. Everything he did was for him. Every battle he had won was for the sake of the chairman. The child never sought anything for himself. He only thought, for him, for him, over and over again. The moment he received his very first Pokémon from him, for once in his life, the child felt needed and love.
He loved the feeling. Cherished it like his own breath.
He wished to feel it more.
But alas, nothing lasts forever.
The watch he so guarded with his life felt heavier around his wrist. The pink coat he wore like second skin scorched his chest until he felt he couldn’t breathe. Never in his life would the child think that he would be thrown away again, to be cast away like the trash he once thought he was. He thought of begging. He thought of dropping down to his knees and spreading away his shame if it meant being back under his protective wing.
But no. No.
The poor child was once again an orphan. And it was all her fault.
But before he could curse and cuss and lose his mind over the complete destruction of his plans, it was all her fault too that led him back to a path that shined brighter.
---
“Going out, dear?”
His head perked at the sound of a familiar voice. A smile curved such pretty pink lips. “Devina asked to accompany me to buy some stuff for next week’s league meeting.” A pink trench coat was snuggly worn on his body. “Apparently it’s Gordie’s birthday next week, so Mrs Melony suggested a surprise for her birthday boy.” A low chuckle escaped at the thought. To know such motherly love exists in this world; Bede found it pitiful he had never felt one since he was born—
“Oh?” Opal’s voice disturbed his lazy train of thought. Violet eyes focused on the elder gym leader. Her trusty umbrella gripped comfortably in her hands, Bede observed silently as she placed a seat on a sofa.
“I see you’re getting closer to that dear Devina.”
A single gulped slid down a suddenly dry throat at the sudden statement. He didn’t say a word, merely fixed his attention on fixing his coat.
He knew the old woman was smirking.
“Let’s see…” One lanky finger tapped her chin. “It has been 3 years, hasn’t it? Since you two first met?” Oh how well she remembered the child’s youthful appearance. She remembered the now champion before, so calm yet feisty. Though masked an air of serenity every time Opal looked at her, she knew the young girl held so much fire and passion it could melt a Dynamaxed Duraludon. It was no surprise that Devina became the new Champion of Galar who saved the region from the second coming for the Darkest Day.
It was a shame the girl liked to dress up in mostly black and red. She would have made a great fairy-type leader if she tried to cover herself in more pink.
Silence filled the living room when Opal brought her mind back to reality. She realized Bede hadn’t been replying to her curious question. Aquamarine eyes gazed at the tall young man. He was still transfixed on the collar of his trench coat. She saw his lips purse slightly in faint discomfort.
The smirk on her face grew wider. “She’s a nice girl, Bede.” One manicured nail casually traced on the hook of her umbrella. “She often visits me, even when you’re not around.” Sharp eyes caught the little jerk of his shoulders. “Though, I have to admit, she does sometimes ask whether you’re busy or not. It seems our little champion likes your company.”
“Who doesn’t?” He quipped quickly – a little too quickly. One breath was inhaled sharply, then held for a few seconds before Bede exhaled slowly. “I mean—” Still not deciding to look at Opal in the eyes yet, he turned his attention to the tuff of fluffy white hair. “I’m a delight to be with. Anyone who gets to spend even a little time with me is considered a treasured moment.” His hair was getting longer, he realized. Momentarily, he brought his mind to whether or not he wished to tie some of his longer strands to a tiny ponytail.
“Rest assured, Devina definitely treasures every moment she has with you.”
Hands froze on the spot near the back of his neck. Irises shrunk slightly, but Bede managed to stop himself before looking at Opal in a baffled manner. Pink lips trembled once, then tightened hastily to prevent any mistake from being verbalized.
Opal found it as a sign to continue. “I can see she cares about you, dear.” Aquamarine eyes looked at her manicured nails for a few seconds. “And I can clearly see you care a lot about her.” Her smirk softened, curled to a warm smile. “I may be old, dearie, but I’m still sharp as a Noctowl. And in all my years of living – both in and out of the theatre – I can see that you two wish for something more than just friendship.”
Bede remained silent. His arms now plopped rigidly by his sides. Violet eyes glanced to the left, to the right. “Mmm…” was all he responded. He knew heat had zipped straight to the fair skin of his cheeks. The young man wanted nothing more than to tug the collar of his coat higher, but he knew by doing so would earn a hearty laugh from the elderly.
His heart raced faster at the image of the smiling champion.
Slowly he exhaled again, once and twice before he spun his heel. “Thank you, Miss Opal.” He truly didn’t know what to say. “I uh…I better get going.” One hand making sure that all his team are tucked inside their shrunk Pokéballs, Bede nodded at her and began walking towards the door.
“You know, I’ve never had children of my own. Human children, I mean.” He heard her. He proceeded to march faster.
Sadly, he wasn’t fast enough.
“I would love to have grandchildren of my own someday.”
Bede swore he wanted nothing more than to wrap himself into a cocoon when he heard Opal’s rambunctious laughter.
---
Arceus, he hated that his face burned every time he’s reminded of Opal’s words.
“Sheesh…” Left and right he shook his head for the fifteenth time. Though heart now beating at a calm pace, Bede groaned silently at the traitorous colour in his cheeks. It didn’t help that the elderly’s words echoed clearly in his mind.
“I can see she cares about you, dear.” Like a bell it rang in every corner of his brain. Every time Bede tried to shake his head, the voice only chimed louder and louder like some annoying mantra.
“Cares about me…huh…” Finally, he decided to give up. Decided to let his thoughts wander in dangerous territory. Hands tucked warmly inside the pockets of his pink and purple trench coat, he swayed back and forth, and back and forth, honestly dumfounded as his mind led him to a future that put his heart on the line.
He then remembered her smile.
She smiled often, Bede took note of that about her. For the years he’s known her, not once had Bede ever seen the champion without a brilliant shine of a smile. She rarely spoke much when they first met. But fast forward to the many months and days and Bede soon found out she had a lot of stories to tell and a lot of laughter to bring.
It brought a tiny smile to his face.
“She cares about me…” The words mumbled without a second thought. Cheeks were now filled with swirls of red, but Bede more or less acknowledged it as he tucked his chin inside the coat’s collar.
It’s been a while for him to be cared so…lovingly.
Before he could let his fantasies run wild, Bede was instead jolted back to reality to hear some ecstatic screams. Quickly he looked up, eyes widened in surprise at the crowd piling around someone not far from where he stood.
He then noticed a pair of long, white, fluffy ears. Like a Boltund, he straightened his back and perked himself to a lively stance; he recognized those ears anywhere.
And most of all, he definitely recognized the trainer who had such a Pokémon with those pair of ears.
“Devina…” Her name lulled so softly without him realizing it. Joy lit up in a pair of sparkling violets. Hands removed from the comfort of the coat’s pockets, he proceeded to walk towards her.
He walked and he walked. The crowd grew bigger and bigger. The smile that was plastered on his face started to falter. The beat of his heart grew faster, harsher. Violet eyes could only see her, focus on her. But as Bede approached the frantic fans, he felt his breathing hitch inside his throat.
Suddenly, his steps halted immediately.
Pupils shrunk to dots. Eyes widened in sheer fear. His heart that once beat in ecstatic glee now beat for a whole different reason. And that reason alone was something he swore never to feel ever again.
Déjà vu swallowed the young man whole.
He saw him. The man who disowned him as if he was a piece of trash.
Ah, wasn’t this scene familiar?
The crowd remained the same, but Bede didn’t see the champion standing awkwardly inside it. No. He didn’t even see the Cinderace that stood loyally beside his fumbling trainer.
He saw the chairman. He saw the secretary.
Ah, her back was facing him. Just as his back was once.
Mouth parted open, yet short gasps escaped what were supposed to be words. He tried to call her name, to catch her attention he so desperately craved. One hand strained achingly by his side. Curled fingers tightened to fists when all he could hear was the excitable chants of “Devina! Devina! Devina!”
Ah. He wondered if the heavy weight in his chest was his broken heart.
“I’m sorry. What was your name again?”
He flinched disgustingly at the memory he so sorely hid from the back of his mind.
Unable to bear the emotional turmoil he was feeling right now, Bede quickly turned his heel and marched away from the scene.
---
Sometimes Ares pitied his trainer.
There were people crowding her again. Humans are weird, he casually thought, giving minimal space for Devina yet at the same time providing protection from those who were a bit rowdier than usual. His trainer seemed quite restless, a bit nervous. Her smile still beamed brilliantly for the people around them. After all these years of knowing her, the Cinderace was still in complete awe at how well Devina hides her emotions behind such masks.
A familiar scent suddenly snatched his attention.
White fluffy ears perked upwards. Quickly he looked to the right, sharp sight spotting none other than the person his trainer was so excited to meet today. That was the whole reason they were in Ballonlea in the first place. But alas, the second Devina reached the magical town, she was soon swarmed by a flock of fans who, ironically was causing her stress at the moment.
‘Bede!’ Ares chirped, one paw lifted and waved in hopes it caught his attention. But to his dismay, the young gym leader had turned and walked away. ‘Uh oh.’ He knew Devina would be devastated if she and the cocky leader didn’t meet up today. Nonchalant as she was regarding anything emotional, the Cinderace could never be fooled by the feelings she deeply held for the fluff-haired human.
He wanted to jump out of the crowd and tug Bede towards Devina. But he didn’t want to leave his beloved trainer either.
Orange eyes stared at his still fumbling best friend. Pity turned to annoyance. The people around them were getting irritable, but Ares knew damn well Devina was too nice a person to scoff these people away.
So, with Plan B in mind, he nimbly sought out Hilda’s Pokéball that was clipped onto the belt of her denim jeans.
---
He was a fool.
A complete and utter bastard of a fool.
After what felt like forever, the young leader soon found himself alone in Glimwood Tangle. Fatigue overpowering the agony that claws deep within his heart, Bede finally plopped down a random spot and dropped his head onto the top of his folded knees.
He knew his Hatterene was fuming at the foul feelings he felt right now. As much as she tried to be empathetic and kind nowadays, Bede almost had half a mind to release the Pokémon and order her to beat the absolute shit out of him.
A heavy sigh slipped weakly between quivering lips.
“What am I doing…?” A laugh, so cold and disheartened, slipped between the sigh of a question. Both hands were placed on his head, fingers pressing inside the puff of fluffy white hair. “What the bloody hell am I doing…?”
He still remembered how fixated she was on the crowd around her. Just like him. He still remembered how cheerful she was while talking to her fans. Just like him. He still remembered how lively her laughter was when she signed some autographs. Just like him.
Him. Him. Him.
The ache in his chest only worsened.
That’s right… His mind echoed dully. She’s the Champion. She is practically the hero of Galar. Of course she would be crowded by people 24/7. Of course she would cater to her fans wherever she goes. The pads of his fingers pressed his scalp. Of course… Of course…
She wouldn’t give a second glance at me…
His vision blurred.
Why would she even care about him in the first place? If anything, he was the one who acknowledged her as a rival. He was the one who went out of his way to empty his schedule just so he could see her. He was the one who put some stupid, idiotic, blind hope that maybe – just maybe – she would feel the same.
He was truly a fool.
She wasn’t the man he once idolized. No. She was much, much worse.
Anger and shame and sorrow and heartbreak punctured holes in his withering heart. Unable to face the nightmare that might turn to reality, he just remained in his seat. Quietly and woefully. The sounds of Pokémon in the woods filled the heavy silence. One hand weakly plopped between his legs. The other now loosely tugged the curly strands of pure white.
“Devina definitely treasures every moment she has with you.”
How he despised hearing that right now.
A chuckle, so bitter and cold, puffed through quivering lips. “As if…” Finally, the other hand dropped to the ground in a low thud. Anger replaced shame. Then anger melted into a puddle of sorrow. The pain in his heart wasn’t going away anytime soon, and Bede opted to just let the anguish eat him away for the rest of the afternoon.
He wondered if the reason for his warm, wet cheeks were because of him.
Feeling pathetic like the first time he was disowned when he was 16, Bede limply stood up and shoved both hands into the pockets of his coat. He hated this feeling, this pain. Sucking a deep breath and shaking the little tears away from his face, Bede began walking deep into the woods—
“Bede!”
…Or so he thought, until he heard he voice he so deeply missed.
Was he hallucinating, he wondered? For a brief moment, Bede actually concluded that he had gone crazy enough to imagine the lovely voice in his head. But all that disappeared like dust when what he felt next was a gust of harsh wind.
Words were void from a face of pure stupor. He turned around, then raised both arms as a shield when he felt wild wind blowing in his direction.
The sound of a Corviknight rustled the mushrooms and leaves nearby. The first minute, Bede felt as if he was about to the thrown backwards. Fortunately, once the metaphorical clock ticked its next minute, the young man managed to stand his ground when he felt the wind was no longer blowing at him.
Bright red light beamed momentarily. Though vision was now clear of any tears, confusion now stirred his mind to properly convey the situation that just happened—
“Found you!”
Everything happened so fast, yet the world around them slowed down immediately right at the same time.
Arms that were raised in self-defence now stretched to the side when he felt something – someone – pouncing on him. One step, two steps were taken due to the low impact. Though the lights in Glimwood Tangle were never bright to begin with, Bede managed to see the perpetrator of this little chaos that was happening in a span of 3 minutes.
And by Arceus, he was sure as hell he was dreaming now to feel the one person he craved hugging him like a lock.
She was tiptoeing, he realized that when he felt her face nuzzling the side of his neck. “D-De…!” All emotions that he felt literally 5 minutes ago had exploded into a range of wild bafflement. “Devina?!” His arms still remained apart, though fingers now subconsciously twitch to return such a tight hug.
She was here.
She was here. She was here. She was here.
Just as fast as her hug happened, it – sadly – ended all too quickly. He saw her fumbling with her red glasses. He saw her looking down and mumbling something incoherent and bashful.
“Uh…” Finally, a voice, so meek and sweet, chirped its way into his heart.
Taking a deep breath, Devina finally looked at the stunned man. “Hi…” Oh, what a fool, she must thought. “I ah…” What would she say? What would she do? She didn’t have a valid excuse to hug him like her life depended on it. If anything, the reason that brought up the desire to wrap her arms around him was that she missed him. Terribly.
Oh, a valid reason indeed, and a terribly embarrassing one.
Luckily, his stupor allowed her to recollect some senses. “I’ve been looking all over for you!” Concern was masked with short laughter. Teeth nipping the insides of her cheeks, the young champion put both palms together to a single clap! “Where have you been?”
Honestly, Bede stopped functioning for a while the second he heard, “I’ve been looking all over for you!”
She was…looking for…me?
Immediately he shook his head. Air puffed in and out in harsh flows. At times like these, Bede was beyond thankful at the height of his coat’s collar. “I—decided to take a walk.” Left hand tugged the front of his collar higher. “I saw you being crowded by your adoring fans.” Arceus, it left a bitter taste on his tongue. “So I didn’t want to bother…” Violet eyes finally braved enough to cast a glance at her, “you…”
His breath was taken away to see such a lovely pout.
“I’m sorry…” Woe dripped so heavily that it pierced his healing heart.
Before Bede could take back his mistake, she continued, “It’s just. The second I stepped inside Ballonlea, I was being swarmed by people. Turns out there was a little meetup by my fan club and they were too excited for words when they realized they’ve bumped into me today of all days.” Fatigue rolled off her tongue. Man, just thinking about it alone was enough to drain the young woman.
Silence became his reply. He only listened intently, observing every nook and cranny of her face.
One hand then moved to touch her lower lip. “I didn’t mean to make you wait for so long. I didn’t mean to make you wait at all. I’m so sorry…”
Zip!
Another arrow shot through his now howling heart.
“It’s—!” He was in her mind all along. “How…did you escape?” He was too happy. Too gleeful to form a proper conversation. The only saving grace right now was the dim light of the woods that prevented her from seeing such a violent blush in his face.
“Ares helped me.” One hand casually scratched the back of her head. Giggles rang about at the sharp thinking of her starter Pokémon. “He released Hilda and next thing I knew, I was being brought up high in the sky.” It shocked her, she wasn’t going to lie. But relief mostly took over when she realized she was growing farther from the ecstatic fans.
She did shout a simple apology before flying off to find the one person she couldn’t wait to meet.
“When I found out you weren’t at our usual meeting place, I started to wait. But Ares then began tugging me and signalling me to follow him into…” It was during her explanation that she remembered she needed to breathe. “Glimwood Tangle.”
Both hands pressed against her speedy heartbeat. Silence once again enveloped them, save for the low, heavy panting by the young woman. “So uh…sorry.” She felt silly. Stupid. If she kept these emotions out of check for far too long, she knew her Hatterene would pop out anytime soon and start shaking her violently to calm the fuck down.
No one said a word afterwards. He remained in his place, staring and gaping like a dazed fool. She stood her ground, too nervous to move or look up into his sparkling eyes.
Maybe it was inappropriate? The hugging him, she meant. As much as they were friends for years now, Devina should keep it in mind that not everyone is as welcoming as Hop. Delicate fingers now intertwined together near her pouted mouth, she inhaled sharply before readying another form of apology—
Emotions froze and crashed when she felt her body being pulled in a warm embrace.
Well, wasn’t today an exciting day?
While she now lay in stupor, Bede took the opportunity to have his heart explode into a million fireworks.
“Devina definitely treasures every moment she has with you.” Opal’s reminder rang clear and true amidst the serene hums inside Glimwood Tangle. Both arms wrapped cosily around her, one arm caressed around her shoulder while the other snugged so perfectly around her waist. “I see…” Low murmurs brushed the top of dark hair. Heat now burned right to the tips of his ears, but Bede couldn’t care less as he mindlessly nuzzled the top of her head.
She smelled of vanilla and cinnamon. He desperately fought back the urge to pepper kisses on her head.
“Um…” Mumbles hit his chest. She could hear a rapid heartbeat. Was it his? Was it hers? She couldn’t tell. Hands still close to her own screaming heart, Devina held a meek whine when she felt their bodies pressed together.
“I didn’t wait long.” Was all she heard. Was all it took to send shivers down her spine.
Whether or not the two realized their actions were anything but platonic, they only remained in the comforting embrace. Devina was too embarrassed to point it out, yet unspeakably thrilled that it was happening. Bede was too engrossed in the fact that she did put his best interest at heart, and he couldn’t give a Rattata’s ass about dropping his dignity in front of her.
If it meant being able to have her all by himself, then so be it.
Giggles tickled his collarbone, causing him to shiver deliciously.
“That’s good…” she sighed. “Are…Are you okay, by the way?” she whispered.
Once upon a time, there was a boy who finally found love.
A smile shivered joyfully inside the strands of soft, dark hair. “Never better…”
END