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Chapter Text

Darkness made way to the gentle light of the golden hour just as Yves’ confident strides took her out of the large cave that served as tunnel across the mountain. She blinked a few times, her eyes needing some seconds to get used to the orange-ish glow of the sun during its death’s moments, her pupils being used to the cave and its obscurity. Her feet touched the high grass and Yves could even feel its softness through her shoes. In her face got caught a smile once her eyes finally got a glimpse of what laid below the mountain, pink and peach glistening under the last rays of light that were a feast to the senses and a scene she would have loved to paint, if she had the talent for it.

“Look at that, Eevee,” she said, and perched on her shoulder, her beloved partner chirped happily, eyes shining with excitement that rivaled her own, “we are finally here! Rose Quartz City!”

The young pokemon trainer took a deep breath, the clear and clean air of the mountain filling her lungs and the scent of the forest invading her nostrils. After so many hours traveling through the congested air of the tunnel, she needed some fresh air as cleansing. One thing was for sure, her map wasn’t really accurate when it came to distances, because it didn’t seem like such a big walk to go through one side of the mountain to the other at first, but it was almost fourteen good hours. To say that she was exhausted was an understatement, as she could feel her eyelids trying to close from time to time. 

Still, Yves was too excited not to appreciate the beauty of Rose Quartz City from such a privileged and elevated place. With the sunset as a background that painted the skies of orange and purple, the city was literally glowing in pink. The houses and buildings rose from the ground, like a kaleidoscope with every variant of pink someone could ever imagine. On top of a hill situated in the middle of the city, shining in a soft peach colour, was her destination. The Pokemon Gym of Rose Quartz City. A determined glint took over her brown eyes, her gaze fixed on its marvelous structure. But it didn’t stop for too long on it, because as soon as her stare drilled holes in the quartz building, her pupils finally landed on a spot far away on the background that almost melted between the darkest colours of the sunset.

Mount Obsidian. Her final destination, the Pokemon League of Loonatia and her last stop on her way to become a pokemon master. But that would be taking her steps too far, she thought while her stare went back to the glistening pokemon gym. One shouldn’t sell the fur before killing the bear first.

“See, Eevee?” Yves said, taking her first steps down the slope and into the forest that surrounded the city, “the buildings are all made in pink quarzt. There is a very famous mine nearby, that’s why the city is called Rose Quartz City, too. Isn’t it pretty?” Her companion chirped from her shoulder again, and one of Yves’ hand rose to pet her partner’s head. Her fingers dug into soft silver fur and a smile full of love painted her lips.

They had come a long way, Eevee and Yves. Starting all the way back to Erythrite Town, at the other side of the region, both of them have grown in both closeness and strength. She still remembered the day her father asked her to go on a walk, only to run into a wild pokemon while they were at it. The Eevee’s fur wasn’t the commonly seen brown, but a silvery colour that had Yves mesmerized just to look at it. And its eyes... even if it was suddenly found by two humans, Eevee’s eyes didn’t show sign of fear. It looked straight at them, menacingly, almost daring. Yves was sure her heart was stolen in that very moment, as her tender eyes had never witnessed such a fire and passion inside a living being before. She was sure she wanted to spend all her days with that Eevee. And when her father caught it and gifted it to her, she felt like she could cry.

With Eevee at her side, Yves didn’t need anything else. And that’s the reason she never caught any other pokemon. It was just Yves and Eevee, Eevee and Yves, and that was enough. And luckily her Eevee was fearless and stronger than average, and her training did nothing but bring out even more of that strength, their bond and mutual love growing more every passing day. 

She didn’t need any other pokemon, nor she didn’t need Eevee to evolve. The sole idea of Eevee changing was repulsive to Yves. She wanted them to achieve big things together, through hard work and tenacity. And they were on the right path, even if sometimes it proved to be more difficult than others.

Yves touched the left side of her jacket, the hard texture of the little box that contained her badges pressed against her fingertips. It had been such a ride, to arrive to this point. All the way from Erythrite Town, crossing Amber City and defeating Yeojin and her Munchlax before arriving to Jade City and doing the same with Haseul and her Roselia. It was easy for Eevee, but soon enough the battles started growing in difficulty. Aquamarine City’s leader, Jinsoul and her Lumineon and Hyunjin, Citrine City’s leader, and her Luxray were tough opponents, but still they were not match for her well trained Eevee. Not even the Dustox of Ludlamite City’s leader, Gowon, or Choerry’s Crobat, in Amethyst City, were enough to stop them. 

They were close to being defeated in Rhodonite City during their match against Kim Lip, though, her Talonflame being the hardest challenge so far. But in the end, like the rest, it was overpowered by Eevee. She was astonished at her own pokemon, really. And soon, they would also conquer Rose Quartz City’s gym.

The forest opened in front of them and a few minutes later, Yves found herself walking through the city’s streets. Sunset was long gone and the clear sky was starless. The pink of the buildings, made of quartz, had dimmed down in the darkness, but she was sure it was just as breathtaking from afar. Her tired eyes fell on the peach coloured gym on top of the hill. She wanted to go there. Oh, how she wanted to go there at that very moment and demand a battle against the leader. But she was tired and Eevee was also exhausted, its chirping turning into a soft snoring as it nestled on her shoulder and drifted to sleep, its trust completely put on its master. They deserved a rest.

That’s why Yves made her way to the closest inn, and thankfully, it was well located. Restaurants, the pokemon center and a big shopping mall were close, and the way to the gym was clear and easy to follow. She rented a room for two days, and just as she got in, she left Eevee sleeping on the bed before going straight to the shower; after a whole day walking through a huge mountain, she needed one.

Fresh and relaxed after a well deserved shower, Yves stood next to the bed and, like every night before giving her conscience up to dreamland, she opened her badge box. In it, resting on black velvet and glistening under the light of the room, the seven badges greeted her. Trapezium badge, from Yeojin. Moss badge, from Haseul. Betta badge, from Jinsoul, and Light badge, from Hyunjin. Metamorphosis badge was handed by Gowon and Cherry badge came from Choerry. Her last acquisition, the one she got just the day before, glowed in furious red and black. Eclipse badge, by Kim Lip. Yves felt extremely accomplished. And hugging the little box to her chest, she sighed in content. She was ready and more than confident, the determined glint of her eyes screaming danger and power.

“Get ready, Rose Quartz leader. You are the next to fall.”

Yves opened her eyes at the first rays of sunrise that slipped between the curtains of her inn room. A smile took over her features almost instantly as a bubbling ball of energy was born inside her chest.

“Today is the day,” she muttered to no one, and at the sound of her voice, Eevee started opening its eyes. Yves’ hand moved towards its head, scratching behind its ears with her short nails. “Let’s go, Eevee. Morning run!”

That’s how both of them found themselves running through the unfamiliar streets of Rose Quartz City, following the rising sun and the pink rainbow it awakened on its path even before the city came back to life.

After an hour and already back at the inn, Eevee was feeding on a hearty high protein pokemon meal and, meanwhile, Yves was back in the shower. She got out of the bathroom just in time to see her partner finishing the last bites.

“Are you done? Was it good?” A dopey smile got painted on Yves’ face and she went through her backpack until she found a few pieces of pokemon candy for Eevee. “Here, dessert!”

While Eevee munched happily, Yves got ready for the day. She slipped into a black crop top and some also black shorts. Sneakers added determination to her steps and her trusted leather jacket boosted her already huge self-confidence. The moment her red cap was well secured on her head, a smirk grazed her features, her thoughts already on their upcoming gym battle. She was ready, and seeing the determined glint in Eevee’s eyes when it jumped on top of her shoulder, her partner was too.

So she exited the inn and just as she took her first steps into the now well illuminated streets, her gaze searched for the imposing peach coloured building, in time to see its massive doors opening, alluring and inviting her to take on the challenge. But first things first.

Yves’ feet guided her towards the Pokemon Center, in her mind the idea of Eevee getting some rutinary pre-gym battle check-ups. Her gaze drifted towards her pokemon, perched on her shoulder and looking around with a curious glow in its eyes. It was endearing to see and Yves couldn’t help it as she took a small treat from one of her pockets and offered it to Eevee.

The Pokemon Center of Rose Quartz City was just like the Pokemon Center of every other place she has been at, but instead of white concrete walls, it was made of a very soft pink coloured quartz, almost white, contrasting in colour with the rest of the buildings nearby. It was quite beautiful, Yves wasn’t going to lie, and the inside of the Center was even more gorgeous, quartz shining everywhere and giving it a fantasy look. Eevee chirped in delight from her shoulder.

Behind the reception counter, an also pink haired nurse welcomed her with a warm smile and Yves couldn’t help but to stare at her. Her features were soft and gentle, and she was tiny and delicate looking. The pokemon trainer could feel her cheeks warming up at the sight, a sensation that only became more prominent when the nurse spoke to her.

“Welcome to Rose Quartz City’s Pokemon Center! My name is Vivi, what can we do for you?” Her voice was soft and steady and Yves found herself smiling at the beautiful woman.

“Hi, yeah, I…” Yves fumbled a little with her words, her cheeks flushing helplessly for a second. Taking Eevee with utmost care in her hands, she left it on top of the counter, her fingers digging in its soft fur once again. “I would like to get her checked up, if it is possible. We plan on challenging the gym later today and I want to be sure that my buddy is healthy.” Vivi’s eyes fell on the pokemon on the counter and a big smile painted her lips almost instantly.

“Hello, Eevee, what a beautiful fur you have there, have anyone told you that before?” The nurse caressed the pokemon’s head and, both at the attention and the praise, Eevee even rubbed its head against Vivi’s hand in response. Yves almost melted at the sight and just then, the clear gaze of the nurse drifted to her once again, “only Eevee will get the check up?” Her brows were cocked in a question and Yves just nodded, “perfect then, I will be back in a minute for you to fill the form.”

Yves waved at her partner, who in return wiggled its silvery tail in excitement and, once alone, she sighed deeply. Before nurse Vivi returned, Yves took her chance to go to a expending machine that was nearby the counter and bought some sandwich as breakfast. It wasn’t much, but the nervousness of her upcoming challenge against the gym leader was enough to tie a tight knot in her stomach. She even wasn’t sure if she could finish the whole sandwich, to begin with.

“Ah, having breakfast?” Vivi’s voice took Yves out of her musings, and taking tiny bites, she went closer to the counter again, nodding. 

“Yeah, I haven’t had the chance to eat yet, though I am not really hungry. Too nervous to eat, too, but I need it for later. Gym battles are exhausting,” Vivi’s gaze was again warm and comforting and the pokemon trainer blushed under her stare.

“It is good, you are doing the right thing,” the nurse pulled out some documents and a pen, handing them to Yves with a smile, “please fill them and sign them once you are done eating.”

Yves munched more eagerly and, after a few big bites, her sandwich disappeared from her hands. She grabbed the pen and started filling up the already more than familiar documents under Vivi’s attentive stare.

“Ha Sooyoung, oh, pretty name,” commented the nurse then and, again, blush took over Yves’ cheeks.

“Thank you… But I go by the name of Yves, so you can just call me that, too,” Vivi blinked in surprise and a tender smile made its way on her lips, nodding.

“Yves, huh? I understand, you wanted a matching name with your pokemon,” Vivi chuckled lightly, looking around the empty Pokemon Center. It was very early in the morning, so they were the only two in the reception area. “It’s cute, but… Do you really plan to challenge our gym with only Eevee?”

Yves’ eyes sharpened and a little frow of determination bloomed between her brows, nodding firmly her head as she answered, “yes, that’s the plan. Eevee is strong, too strong for an Eevee, and we have defeated every other gym without any problem.” There was fire inside of Yves, burning and turning all that nervousness and uneasiness into ashes only for an even more passionate confidence to flourish there, “this one won’t be different and once we get this badge, Olivia, all the way in Mount Obsidian, will be fearing our arrival.” The tone of her voice was almost arrogant and she knew it, but Yves didn’t really care at this point. After making it this far, she could allow herself to be arrogant, if she pleased.

“I see…” That was all Vivi said, taking back the filled up documents from Yves’ hands. “Our Chuu is really strong, though…”

“I don’t care, Eevee and I are way stronger, I am sure of that.” Vivi opened her lips to answer back, but no sound came out of her mouth as one of the other nurses brought back Eevee in her arms.

“Here you go. Eevee is healthy and strong and her fur is so pretty and soft. She is such a beautiful lady, you must be proud of your pokemon, miss.” Eevee jumped on the counter and from there, it jumped again on its place on Yves’ shoulder, who took a new treat from her pocket and offered it to her partner with a smile.

“I am, indeed! Well, I better get going, then. Thank you so much for your service,” Yves dipped her head as farewell, a big smile making her teeth to shine under the lights of the reception hall, the fiery fire of passion and determination flashing in her eyes. “It was nice talking to you, Vivi. I’ll be back later to show you my new badge. Have a good day!”

And with that, Yves and Eevee left the Pokemon Center. Again alone in the reception hall, Vivi leaned against the counter, placing her elbow on it and her chin on her hand just as a deep sigh escaped from her lips.

“The higher you fly, the more the fall hurts,” she muttered under her breath, her gaze falling on top of the messy penmanship of the pokemon trainer, “that girl is going to have a rough time.”

Up close, the humongous building that was the Pokemon Gym of Rose Quarzt City was even more imposing and how it glistened under the sun, in a peach coloured show of light and glows, was something almost mesmerizing and Yves stopped for a second to appreciate it, basking in its beauty. The massive titanium doors that lead inside were open, inviting and, exhaling a long sigh, Yves made her way into the gym.

Darkness engulfed her the moment she advanced a couple of meters and she felt Eevee stiffening on her shoulder, so she was fast on placing her hand on top of its head, scratching behind its ears just to help her partner to relax.

“It’s okay, Eevee, it’s okay,” Yves’ voice was soft and reassuring and, just as Eevee started to calm down on top of her shoulder, the lights of the gym turned on, like spotlights on a stage, and Yves was in awe at the simplicity but beauty of the battle grounds she found before her eyes.

It was stupidly simple, really. Trees grew around the area, lush, green and fresh, and grass covered the ground. It was nature encaged in a building made of pink stone, some of which also came out of the floor, like celestial pedestals of quartz that glistened furiously under the sharp white lights of the room.

She kept advancing, entering the arena with confident strides and, once she reached the middle, her voice boomed around the gym, the echo repeating her message to infinity.

“My name is Yves. I am here to challenge the leader of the gym in an official match for the Obsidian League badge.”

And then she waited, one, two, three beats, until the soft sound of steps over grass took over her ears. Her sharp eyes took in the figure that came out of the woods surrounding the arena, and her left brow lifted unconsciously. In front of her appeared a girl who had to be, for sure, younger than her for at least a couple of years, but the childish look of her clothes and her soft and round features made her look much more younger. Her hair was red, styled in two long pigtails that fell over her shoulders. She was wearing some kind of maid uniform, all soft pink and white, with small pastel blue details here and there. Her eyes were a calm chocolate sea and her full lips were drawing a straight line while she kept her poker face on. Her cheeks were round and smooth looking, and were somehow flushed in blush. Yves could tell her make up was minimal and she was, honestly, the cutest girl Yves ever laid her eyes on.

“Are you the one that wants an official match?” The girl’s voice was like butter dripping from her eardrums, velvety and smooth, and Yves blinked a few times in response to the sound before nodding with determination.

“Yes,” was all she said, and the girl nodded in return, folding her hands in front of her abdomen.

“My name is Chuu and I am the leader of the Pokemon Gym of Rose Quartz City. And I shall grant you that official match you desire.” The girl, Chuu, dipped her hand into one of the pockets of her maid apron and from it she took a round badge. Yves’ eyes sparkled at the sight and Eevee chirped from her shoulder. The badge was a soft pink colour, and its shape was an hybrid between a heart and a circle, “this is the Peach Badge, one of the eight badges needed to be granted access to the Obsidian League, the official Pokemon League of Loonatia.” Chuu’s voice was solemn, as if no matter how many times she had said the same words, she still regarded them with the same enthusiasm and respect. And just like that, the badge, which now Yves knew had the shape of a peach, got lost again inside Chuu’s apron pocket. “Defeat me, and it will be yours.”

An arrogant smirk made its way on Yves’ lips when she heard the last statement and she changed her stance from one foot to the other, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I want a 1vs1 match, if it is possible,” Yves requested and Chuu blinked in surprise for a few seconds, though not enough for her poker face to slip completely. She schooled her features fast and, simply, nodded once again.

“As you wish.”

A wave of sardonic laugh bloomed in Yves’ throat and just then, Eevee jumped from her shoulders until it landed on the grass. Chuu’s nonchalant expression didn’t change.

“Get ready to bite the dust then, Chuu,” Yves’ smile was large and menacing, all white teeth and danger as she took a few steps back to her side of the arena. At the same time, Eevee bared its teeth. Still, the only response they got out of the cute gym leader was a click of her tongue.

“You are too cocky,” that’s the only thing she said before taking one of the six pokeballs that were hung on her apron. “Let’s go!” Chuu’s voice raised as she threw the pokeball a few meters ahead and, once the sphere touched the ground, it opened in a flash of light and in front of Yves and Eevee, a majestic Sylveon made its appearance. It was such a sight to behold, and then Yves understood the colour palette behind Chuu’s own outfit, as it matched with Sylveon. She could relate to that, after all her pseudonym was thought to make her match with Eevee as well.

It was then when a second voice boomed around the arena, which Yves supposed it to be the mediator of the battle.

“Okay, so challenger, leader. This is a 1vs1 match, Eevee vs Sylveon. You already know the rules. There are not extra rules applied to this battle. May it… begin!”

“Eevee, you already know what to do! Body slam!” Yves roared then and Eevee, with a small roar on its own, got into motion. 

Chuu watched the smaller pokemon charging towards Sylveon, her face still not reflecting any kind of emotion, “Sylveon, left.”

The pretty pokemon moved to that direction the moment Eevee got close enough, its pinkish fur sparkling suspiciously under the lights of the gym as Eevee missed its target completely.

“Syl,” was all Chuu said, calmly, and the sparks on Sylveon’s body became even more intense, as if every existing constellation danced on its fur, “Hyper voice.” 

It was… a monstrosity. A noise so sharp and painful that even Yves had to cover her ears with her hands, eyes closing in reflex. All that energy coming from that pokemon, like a tsunami of sound waves barrelling against them. It was like colliding against a concrete building. She could even listen to the cracking of some of the quartz pedestals that decorated the arena. And suddenly there was no more noise. And the silence tried to engulf her, but her eardrums were on a party and they rumbled with the remaining energy that made the air around them vibrate, softer each passing second.

And then Yves opened her eyes. And there, in the middle of the arena, her beloved partner, her silver Eevee, laid unconscious and without moving. Panic kicked in and she ran over to her companion, cradling its tiny body between her arms while tears made of frustration, worry, confusion and fury pooled her eyes and tried to break free from the prison of her eyelids to run down her cheeks.

Chuu watched it unfold, and just as the first tear took its one and only breath of fresh air, she turned away, walking into the trees where she came from, Sylveon trailing after her master. Chuu only left behind a few words and Yves’ broken dignity and self-esteem.

“You are too conceited and go on the offensive without thinking. That way you will never defeat me. Good luck next time.”

And just as Chuu was out of her sights, Yves’ first sob broke free.

Tears were still blooming from her eyes while Yves rushed down the hill towards the Pokemon Center with a still unconscious Eevee in her arms, and once her pokemon was already under the nurses’ care, they were still dripping in a suicidal free fall that ended on the cold skin of the pokemon trainer’s bare thighs.

She felt too many emotions at once, frustration, worry and anger being the most prominent ones. She felt frustrated at their defeat. Most of all, she was worried about her beloved pokemon. It was the first time Eevee had been defeated and seeing her partner there, out cold and without moving a single muscle in the middle of the grassy arena was something she found horrifying. It was scary, and in her mind was even formed the idea of Eevee dying and she felt something breaking inside. It was an unbearable terror.

And she also felt angry, terribly angry. At herself for not being good enough, even though she was always confident in their teamwork. And she was angry at Chuu. How she loathed her, just after an interaction that didn’t even last 10 minutes. She was so… cold. Her eyes were made of ice and they didn’t reflect any bit of emotion and it was just too unsettling. Despite her cute outfit, her pretty childlike features and the softness of her voice, she was merciless. Her words back in the gym were condescending and Yves hated every syllable.

The pokemon trainer closed her hands in tight fists, jaws clenched in an attempt to release some of that frustration that was eating her inside. She was going to make her pay for everything she was making her feel and for the pain she made Eevee go through. She was never going to forgive her.

“Ah, here you are,” Vivi’s voice brought Yves back and the trainer blinked the tears away before the nurse could see them. But to not avail, as Vivi offered her a paper kleenex to dry her face and a friendly pat on the head. “It’s okay, Yves. Everybody is set to lose a match, at least once in their lives. It isn’t the end of the world.” Yves’ jaws clenched even tighter, eyes turning sharp as she dried up her face.

“For us, it is. I was so… scared, I thought something bad happened to Eevee and- if something happens to her I’ll just…” Yves’ voice wavered for a second, worry dripping from the edges of every word.

“Eevee is okay, don’t worry. She is resting right now and you should do the same,” Vivi sat next to Yves in one of the many comfortable chairs of the reception hall, her hands folding on top of the white skirt of her nurse uniform. “She will be here until tomorrow morning, you should go back to the inn and rest and take a shower and take one day to calm down and think what you are going to do next. I promise we will take care of Eevee.”

Yves turned to look at Vivi, and she found the nurse staring straight ahead, across the room and out the glass doors. She stared at her for a few seconds before her gaze drifted towards the direction the older girl was looking at. In the distance, the peach coloured Pokemon Gym glistened under the midday sun. Her fists clenched again.

“You know, Vivi…” Yves’ voice was soft, though hoarse after all that crying, “you told me before that Chuu was strong.” Vivi nodded.

“Yes, I did.”

“You weren’t wrong, I just didn’t listen,” Yves sighed deeply, her body almost collapsing onto itself, “but she is not only strong. She's a monster. She is cold. She looks like a baby but she surprises you the moment she takes your head.” Vivi’s eyes moved then, her stare fixing on the lost gaze of the pokemon trainer. “I hate people like her. Acting like they are above everything else, like nothing bothers them. Condescending and icy. I hate them.” One of the corners of Vivi’s mouth twitched in the ghost of a smile.

“Perhaps you are just projecting…” It was a whisper, a soft murmur that wasn’t meant to be heard, but Yves’ eyes shot towards the pokemon nurse.

“Did you say something?” Genuine curiosity laced her voice and that gave Vivi the input that her little comment wasn’t heard, indeed.

“You know, Sooyoung,” Yves flinched for a second after hearing the older girl saying her real name, “you shouldn’t judge people that fast. Not without knowing them better first.” Yves clicked her tongue in distaste.

“I have no plans of knowing her better. Eevee and I will spend a few days training hard and then, the next time, I will beat her for sure. I don’t care about her bitchy attitude and I can’t wait to make her bite the dust.” Vivi sighed, standing up suddenly. She placed a comforting hand on top of Yves’ shoulder and gripped it softly as farewell.

“You should meet Jiwoo,” was all she said and Yves blinked up at her in confusion, but Vivi never elaborated, “go to rest and take some time to cool down. Give it a thought, Yves.”

And with that, Vivi left the reception hall to go back to work. Yves stared at her until her figure disappeared around a corner, her words running in circles around her mind with a single thought in the middle of her brain as her gaze went back to the glistening building on top of the hill, in time to see its massive titanium doors closing. 

Who the fuck was Jiwoo?

That question reverberated in her brain even louder as the day went by. Taking by heart Vivi’s words, Yves went back to the inn, though quite reluctantly; after all, she didn’t want to be away from Eevee for too long. But seeing how, even if she decided to stay longer at the Pokemon Center, she wouldn’t be able to see her partner, she decided to go, take a shower and extend their staying at the inn for a few more days.

She was at lost of what to do, her mind being a convoluted mess that prevented her from enjoying the pretty pink city. Sightseeing was out of the table for that reason. Still, she strolled aimlessly around the unfamiliar streets, all her pent up frustration and negative emotions jabbing insistently at the back of her mind. It was getting annoying, but who could blame her, anyway?

Her aspirations got crushed in the most sudden way; all she had built during her time with Eevee, travelling around the region and far from home, suddenly felt fragile, about to vanish and disappear in the air, taken away by the softest breeze.

The pokemon trainer grunted in annoyance, her fast defeat against Chuu being replayed over and over again like a broken record; and with each time the cold eyes of the leader of the gym and the way her Sylveon demolished Eevee in one single blow flashed in her memories, Yves’ fury and negativity became denser and more poisonous, like a polluted cloud floating over her head.

The only thing she was looking for now was a rematch against Chuu, to have a second chance to make her pay for the humiliation that meant to Yves such a stupid and fast defeat. She and Eevee were going to overcome this obstacle in their way to the championship, she was sure of that. Her hands closed in fists in the pockets of her leather jacket, determination running wild all over her blood. Once Eevee was discharged from the Pokemon Center, they were going to train and Eevee was going to become stronger and that stupid Sylveon wouldn’t stand a single chance.

A confident smirk painted itself on Yves’ lips, unwavering. This was only a misstep. They were going to be okay. They needed to. She was going to see Chuu cry in frustration just as she saw her that morning.

At that thought, Yves’ steps stopped and her teeth clenched as a deep wave of blush took over her face, embarrassment suddenly taking over. The pokemon trainer dropped to her knees in the middle of the street, citizens of Rose Quartz City that were walking by looking at her in confusion and curiosity. Yves buried her face in her hands and…

“I want to die!!! That was so embarrassing!!” The pedestrians flinched at the sudden yell, and even some mom took her kids away from the girl kneeling on the floor.

Yves would have been wailing at her embarrassment and misfortune for longer, but a gentle tap on her shoulder made her stop, lifting her flushed face to find in front of her the round face of a little girl. The girl was pouting and her eyes glistened in worry.

“To die is a bad thing…” The kid’s voice was soft and it melted Yves’ heart, “if you have a problem, you should find Jiwoo! She can help you! She always helps everybody!” The smile that took over the child’s face was big and toothy, with little dimples popping on her cheeks, and Yves blinked at her as the name rang a bell in her head.

“Jiwoo..?” She asked, voice laced with hesitation, and the kid could only muster a nod before her dad dragged her away from Yves, who only managed a wave of her hand as farewell before standing up again.

“Jiwoo…” Yves tasted the name in her mouth again, letting her tongue roll the syllabes slowly, and her curiosity overpowered, for a second, her feeling of embarrassment and frustration. “Oh my god, Sooyoung, get a grip…” After scolding herself in a low whisper, Yves continued with her stroll around the city, this time paying more attention to her surroundings.

The city was, indeed, gorgeous. Yves wasn’t really a fan of the colour, but the extense palette of pink shades and the way every single building made the city glow under the sun was mesmerizing enough for her to forget that fact. Each building was a masterpiece to look at, starting from the gym, with its peach coloured quartz walls, to the Pokemon Center, almost white. Even the market and the police station, each house was a little wonder and Yves was in awe.

It was then, when she started paying attention to the city, that she became aware of every sound she came across of. The conversations of the florist and her clients, of those two housewives that were at the butcher trying to find a good piece of meat. Or that group of children playing with their pokemons and a ball. All these conversations had something in common.

“Jiwoo, that girl… She is amazing. She came to buy some flowers for her mom, isn’t she sweet?”

“The other day I had a wasp hive at home, and you know how my son is allergic, right? Jiwoo came and helped us to take it down, she is great.”

“I wish Jiwoo was around, perhaps she and her pokemons would play with us too!”

“That would be so cool, but I guess she is busy these days.”

A frow appeared between Yves’ eyebrows, curiosity eating away every other thought available in her mind. She nibbled her bottom lip, looking at the children playing. She was tempted to go there and just ask about Jiwoo, something to satisfy what was devouring her from inside. But she didn’t want to come off as a creep, so she forced herself to walk away, faster, back towards the inn.

She had a lot to think about. She was worried about Eevee and had to think about a way to get them back on track, she couldn’t be there wasting time with a faceless girl infesting her thoughts, no matter how amazing she was supposed to be. On her way back, she passed by a jewelry shop, her fine ears catching again the end of a conversation between the clerk and one customer, her steps slowing down unconsciously.

“I am surprised you opened today after what happened the day before yesterday.”

“Yeah, me too, getting robbed is awful, but we can’t let that hinder our business, you know?”

“I know, thankfully that girl was around. She really is amazing, what a blessing for this city.”

“Tell me about it. When she showed up out of nowhere and started chasing the dude that took away our money… That seemed out of an action movie. Chuu really is the best gym leader we could get.”

“What would be of Rose Quartz City without her…”

The frow between her eyebrows deepened and Yves clicked her tongue loudly at the mention of the gym leader, her mood getting sour once again and curses being muttered under her breath and fading into thin air. God, she just wanted to get back to the inn, take a nice shower and just rest and sleep until the next day. Luckily, people around her would stop saying nonsense and she would be too preoccupied with Eevee not to listen to them anymore.

So she walked even faster and, in a matter of minutes, she reached the inn. Time went by slowly, just as every time you want it to pass sooner and she spent it tracing a new training plan for Eevee. She even went to buy the most expensive pokemon cookies she could find in the market. Yves was dead set on babying Eevee once her partner got discharged from the Pokemon Center.

And the night fell, and once in bed and ready to sleep, thoughts of Eevee’s unconscious body laying in the middle of the arena and Chuu’s icy eyes and condescending words mingled and mixed with the tales of a town that praised her and that faceless Jiwoo woman whose everybody was obsessed with. That night sleep didn’t arrive early, and when exhaustion finally took her consciousness into the realm of the dreams, only white noise on a black screen entered her thoughts; on a night without dreams and full of worries.

Hours later the morning broke the peace of her dreamless sleep as the first sharp rays of sunshine slipped through the curtains, and Yves’ first instinct was to turn around and bury her face in the pillow to just continue to sleep the morning away. But the thought of Eevee alone in the Pokemon Center was enough to make her jump off the bed and right into the bathroom.

She missed her partner. It had only been a day, but she missed Eevee dearly and she couldn’t wait to wrap her arms around its tiny frame again. And that’s how not even an hour later, Yves found herself on her way to the Pokemon Center, a jump in her step and a hopeful smile on her face. The moment she entered the Pokemon Center, Vivi welcomed her with a smile and a cheerful wave of her hand.

“Good morning, Yves,” said the nurse, as the pokemon trainer made her way towards the reception counter, waving back,

“Good morning. Is Eevee ready? Is she okay?” Worry laced Yves’ voice and Vivi’s smile widened as she nodded.

“She is. One of the other nurses will bring her here shortly. She spent a very peaceful night and rested a lot, so don’t worry too much, she is healthy.”

“It’s such a relief to hear that, I barely slept last night out of worry…” And out of other reasons, but Yves wasn’t going to say that out loud. But still… “Hey, Vivi…”

“Mh?” Vivi hummed, going through some documents. Yves nibbled on her lower lip.

“Yesterday you mentioned something about this girl named Jiwoo…” That caught Vivi’s attention and she lifted her gaze to find Yves’ curiosity filled stare already looking back at her.

“What about her?” Yves looked away then, flustered.

“Well, yesterday while I was exploring around the city I kept on hearing people saying how great and amazing she is and it got me curious, that’s it,” a scowl formed on her face then and Yves muttered under her breath, but loud enough for Vivi to hear, “well, I also heard some good stuff about Chuu, but I couldn’t care less about her.” Yves looked back at Vivi and she found the nurse with a soft and small smile on her lips, one that she didn’t really know how to read. “Could you please tell me more about her?”

Vivi kept that gentle smile on her face for some long seconds, until she looked past Yves and out of the Pokemon Center, eyes sparkling like the quartz of the walls. And before the nurse could say a thing as reply, a familiar chirp took Yves’ attention away.

Yves’ heart fluttered the moment her eyes took in the figure of Eevee being carried between a second nurses’ arms, eyes glistening and tail wagging excitedly. And then it jumped and it ran towards its master, who could only drop on her knees and open her arms wide and inviting for Eevee to crash against her chest in a tight hug. Yves laughed, all giddiness and relief, the impact throwing her backwards as Eevee nuzzled its tiny wet nose in the hollow of her neck. 

“I missed you, I missed you so much, oh my god, I was so worried…” Yves muttered, burying her face in Eevee’s soft silver fur, and she was sure that Eevee even purred against her skin. The nurses looked at her from above and Vivi even let out a sigh of endearment at the sight.

“You both missed each other so much, it is so heartwarming to see,” Vivi commented and the nurse next to her nodded in agreement, and Yves took that as her cue to stand up from the floor, Eevee still clinging to her.

“We have never been away from each other, that’s why,” Yves responded happily, taking the pen Vivi was offering her and signing the documents of Eevee’s discharge.

And it seemed that everything else stopped to matter the moment she got reunited with her partner, because even her previous conversation with Vivi faded from her thoughts.

“Well, we better be going. Thank you so much for everything, really,” Yves waved at the nurses on her way to the exit of the Pokemon Center, “we have a lot of training to do if we want to take Chuu’s head in the next match.”

Eevee emitted a sound that dripped determination and that granted it a vigorous pat on top of its head by its master. Just as Yves crossed the glass doors of the Pokemon Center, Eevee perched on her shoulder as usual, she crashed into someone, being quick enough to grab onto them and preventing the person’s butt to kiss the floor. She came face to face with a girl that was on her way into the building, and she was fast to apologize.

“I am so sorry, I wasn’t paying attent-” Yves’ words got stuck in her throat.

The girl in front of her was shorter and, out of her maid costume and with her face almost naked of makeup, Chuu was even more breathtaking. Clad only in some denim shorts, a loose white shirt and a pair of flip-flops on her feet, red hair flowing freely down her shoulders, she stole Yves’ oxygen with one single blow. There was something else that was different, too, though Yves couldn’t pinpoint it at first.

“You…” was all she managed to say and the start of a growl was beginning to form in her throat.

And then Chuu smiled and it was all white teeth and light and Yves was blinded for a second, and for the second time in less than a minute, her words were stolen from her lips.

“It’s you!” Chuu’s voice was cheerful, just as smooth as she remembered during their match, and her eyes were sparkling and radiating so much emotion that Yves could only blink at her, confused at such an out of character behavior. This girl was completely different to the cold and ruthless gym leader she fought against the previous day. “I was wondering where you were.” 

After looking through her pockets, she took some pokemon candy and offered it to Eevee on the palm of her hand. Eevee sniffed it for a second, its gaze showing wariness towards Chuu for an instant, until it considered the treats were safe enough to eat. The cutest chuckle Yves’ had ever heard escaped from Chuu’s lips as the gym leader scratched Eevee behind its ears with her free hand as her partner feasted on her palm.

“It is such a beautiful pokemon, I’ve never seen this silver coloured fur before…” Chuu’s stare was tender and soft, and it seemed as if stars gathered in her pupils, looking how Eevee ate happily. “After our match yesterday I was worried about Eevee, I’m glad it is okay.”

At her words, something snapped in Yves, whose stare sharpened in a reproachful look, brown irises becoming hostile and wary. She took a step back, putting Eevee away from Chuu’s reach, and the tinier girl just blinked in surprise at the change of behavior.

“She is perfectly fine, we don’t need your concern.” She bit the air with every word and Chuu physically flinched, “it is your fault she ended here, in the first place.”

“I… It’s just-” Yves clicked her tongue with disdain and she was about to say something else, but Vivi cut her off before the toxicity of her frustration could spill into her mouth and roll out of her tongue.

“Ah, Jiwoo!” The nurse’s voice rang through the Pokemon Center and Yves turned to look at her so fast that Eevee almost fell off her shoulder. Chuu waved weakly at her. “I was wondering when you were going to pay us a visit.”

“Sorry, Vivi, I’ve been caught up with gym duty,” Chuu looked at Yves out the corner of her eye and Yves’ jaws locked tightly.

“You are Jiwoo?” Yves’ voice was as sharp as her gaze, and Jiwoo nodded under her stare, “but I thought your name was Chuu?”

“Chuu is my pseudonym as leader,” Jiwoo explained, looking away from Yves and into the Pokemon Center, “she is who I am whenever I am into official leader duty. Out of my costume I’m just me, Kim Jiwoo.” She shrugged and started walking towards Vivi. Yves looked at her from the door.

“I don’t care what’s your name, though,” Yves said, loud enough to be heard by the young gym leader. “All I know is that Eevee spent the night here because of you, and I hate you for that. You are just an annoying obstacle in our way, but we will obliterate you.” Yves pointed one of her fingers at Jiwoo, just in time as she turned around to face her, red hair flowing flawlessly in the motion. “In our next match, we will take your head.”

Yves’ eyes were cold, but there was no comparison to the icy sensation that crushed her bones at the change she witnessed happening in Jiwoo right in front of her. An emotionless mask took over her features and the temperature dropped in her pupils, the sparkles and the light giving way to a wall of nonchalance and indifference that even made Yves’ pointing finger to waver and shake in the air. That wasn’t Jiwoo anymore. That was the Rose Quartz City pokemon gym leader, Chuu.

“Words mean nothing if you can’t back them up with actions. As you are right now, you don’t stand a chance to win against me. I will crush you as I crushed you yesterday. So mind your words, because they always come back to bite.”

And with that, Chuu turned around and walked all the way towards Vivi, who looked at them with distressed and worried eyes. She never turned around again. And Yves dropped her trembling hand, a sense of dread and frustration taking over her being and her lungs functioning at full speed. And once she and Eevee reached the inn, she was still heaving, trying to get enough oxygen in her body; Chuu’s cold and menacing words resonating through her mind and Jiwoo’s bright smile warming somewhere deep inside. She was breathless. 

Her breath had been, literally, stolen.

Backpack hanging from her shoulders and her red cap well placed on her head, Yves made her way through the forest surrounding Rose Quartz City. It was deep and thick and so, so green that the city seemed even pinkier. The contrast was sharp and serene at the same time, both colours creating a comfortable palette in Yves’ eyes. She wouldn’t mind living here for a few months, if it wasn’t because her priority wasn’t to settle down, but to reach Mount Obsidian and get her final win.

But before she could finally leave the pretty pink city, there was an obstacle that needed to be eliminated. An obstacle made of flesh and bone and whose words still resonated through her brain, polluting her mind and driving her insane. It’s been a few days already since she encountered Chuu in the Pokemon Center and, still, she couldn’t get her out of her mind. It was maddening; she really wanted to defeat her, to wipe out of her face that cold look of superiority and condescendence and, perhaps, just be able to see Jiwoo’s emotion filled eyes once again. She was prettier that way, anyways.

Eevee ran around her, sniffing the trees and getting lost among the high grass only to appear again at her feet, eyes sparkling and full of enthusiasm. It filled Yves’ heart with happiness and overflowing affection. She watched every movement of her partner until they finally reached their destination as a big clearing opened in front of them.

The trees had been cut, leaving an extense space for her to drop her stuff and just get ready to work. There was a small rocky path that led to the entrance of the mountain they crossed a few days ago and that could take them all the way back to Rhodonite City. But Yves sat down on the grass, grabbed her backpack and out of it she took a small container of water for Eevee and a few snacks, and also a sandwich for herself, munching while her eyes took in the wonderful scenery that opened in front of her, feet dangling over a sharp cliff.

The quartz mine that gave its name to the city expanded under her feet, and at this time of the day, its activity was at its peak. A wide variety of strong pokemons helped their masters in the task of stealing from the soil the precious mineral, machinery loud enough to make Yves’ ears to buzz pleasantly. But more than anything, they way the sun, on its zenit, played with the raw quartz, was something that even in the city of the same name couldn’t be seen. It sparkled like stars exploding in the sky, bright, so bright, that Yves could stay there, frozen in time and just wasting away staring at it. She had always been a sucker for pretty things, anyway, at least she had that excuse.

She kept munching on her sandwich, lost in thought and her mind wandering to an unconscious Eevee, a pair of eyes that either glistened like diamonds or were able to freeze the air, and some hurtful and menacing words that were still engraved on her heart. She scowled at the memory that just didn’t want to stop replaying again and again and then took a more aggressive bite of her meal. She winced then, her tongue caressing her plump lower lip where her teeth sunk, the iron taste of blood exploding all over her mouth. She sighed then; it wasn’t good, it wasn’t good at all how this girl who she had only met twice in her life could keep her on her toes like this.

“She said I won’t be able to defeat her…” Yves’ clicked her tongue, throwing into her mouth the last piece of sandwich, her lower lip swollen with a tiny open wound. While chewing, she stood up, looking far away at the horizon, her eyes getting lost in blue skies and warm sun rays and mesmerizing quartz stones. “As if. Are you done, Eevee? Time to train! Let’s prove that Chuu girl that you are the strongest of them all.”

The pokemon glanced up to its master and, after finishing its meal in a few bites, its chirping came back full force. Eevee’s energy was soaring at that moment, the small pokemon almost vibrating on its place, little paws ready to pounce and run. Yves smiled, satisfied.

“You know the drill, right? Strength and speed training,” Yves said, taking a chronometer from her backpack. She turned her cap around and with a decisive glint in her eyes, she looked down at her partner. “Rock type today, okay? And let’s see how many trees can you scratch in our usual intervals. Pay attention to my voice, I will let you know the change from here.” Eevee growled and its head made something akin to a nodding motion and Yves patted its soft silver fur adoringly for a moment, “let’s do good, I will treat you to a delicious dinner today,” at her words, the growling of her pokemon mingled with an overjoyed chirp that took a laugh out of her, “come on, let’s go!”

And just like that, Eevee took off in a maniac race towards the mountain and, not even a minute later, its growls and the impact of its attack on every rock type pokemon it found on its way could be heard all over the area. Yves sighed softly, her attention on her pokemon and the chronometer on her hand. She knew it was a harsh training, more so for a normal type pokemon like Eevee was. But her partner was terribly strong, stronger than many other pokemons they have faced with, and she trusted in Eevee to be okay and come out of every training session even stronger than before. It was for the sake of getting Chuu’s badge and make her eat her words, she reminded herself.

“Eevee, change!” The moment the chronometer hit ten minutes, Yves’ voice roared through the sound of the mine’s machinery and, not even five seconds later, Eevee speeded down the path to the mountain.

Clouds of dust signaled the way it went and the sound of sharp claws marring the hard bark of the trees took over Yves’ ears for a few minutes until the pokemon trainer made the time to stop with a movement of her finger.

“Okay, Eevee, stop!” Was all she said, and her pokemon, energy still bubbling in every step, ran all the way to her feet. A treat fell on its open and eager mouth and Yves was fast on going around the closest area of the forest, counting the marks of the trees.

The result had to be extremely satisfying, as the pokemon trainer placed a new treat on Eevee’s mouth and patted its head once again.

“Better than last time, Eevee, you are becoming as fast as a lighting!” Yves cheered for Eevee, and the energetic pokemon jumped on its place. “Let’s go again!”

And with that, Eevee repeated the process again and again, until the energy ran out as the sun walked its path through the sky, the blue palette changing into oranges and purples. At the end of the day, with an exhausted Eevee napping between her arms and their results improving every time, Yves made her way back to the city and straight to the inn.

After a hearty dinner and a well deserve shower, both Yves and Eevee nestled into bed, curling next to each other. And while Eevee fell asleep just as it hit the bed, Yves laid wide awake, pupils fixed on the darkness of the room and mind running wild.

The next day they would face Chuu again. And this time, they would defeat her. Her cruel words resonated through her being once again and the bitter taste in her mouth seemed impossible to wash away. She cuddled next to Eevee, forcing her eyes to close, and her last rational thought was the frustrating reminder of her unconscious friend among clouds of dust and two emotion filled eyes that sparkled like stars.

It felt as if just as she lost herself in a dreamless sleep, the sunrays filtering from the window started to rouse her again. Eyelids twitched softly and she opened her eyes to a new day only to close them again with a grunt of annoyance. Yves tightened her hold around Eevee’s tiny frame, burying her face on its soft gray fur to escape from the offending light.

She was tired, and she was sure Eevee was too and, at that moment, not even the Peach Badge, Chuu or Olivia crossed her mind, her consciousness falling down a black hole for a few more minutes. Until it was Eevee the one who started to stirr between her arms, and the raspy and wet caress of its tongue on her cheek was what, finally, made her open her eyes, the fog of sleep clouding her dilated pupils.

The morning rolled as usual, painted in routine and warm sunlight. Yves decided that it was going to be a relaxed day, that she wouldn’t overthink and wouldn’t let Chuu or anything that had something to do with her to trouble her mind. She kept her words true until a little after lunch, when a knot of nervousness started to tangle her insides and the weight of the impending match started to crush her shoulders.

Her steps towards the gym that waited for her on top of the hill, still glowing in pink and as pretty as the last time, were heavy with burden and anticipation. The big doors were opened wide and, just like a few days ago, the inside of the gym was a black shadow waiting to swallow her whole.

Her heart constricted with fear for an instant, the image of Eevee laying there, in the middle of the arena, haunting her. She didn’t want to go through that again. She didn’t want Eevee to go through that again. Her hands started to tremble then, and just as the thought of just turning around and leaving threatened to cross through her mind, her loyal partner nudged her cheek with its cold nose.

Yves turned to look at Eevee, and in its eyes she saw dedication, trust and endless love and determination. The knot untangled slightly, and a shaky smile made its way to Yves’ lips.

“I’m sorry, buddy, I am just scared…” Oh, yes, she was. Two unsettling cold eyes were driving her mad. And before she could act upon her runaway ideas, she took the first step towards the gym, with Eevee still rubbing its nose against her cheek in a comforting manner.

Again, darkness took her in its embrace, and just as it was beginning to feel suffocating, the lights turned on, bright and painful, and the same arena opened in front of her.

Her trembling steps guided her towards her side of the arena and there, without needing to call out for her again, she saw Chuu leaning against one of the trees that surrounded it. She was playing with one of the ribbons of her maid outfit, her pigtails and the small pout on her lips making her look even younger than what she guessed she really was.

Yves didn’t say a word, as she was at loss of them, and she just stared at the gym leader. Seconds dragged slower for Yves until Chuu lifted her clear chocolate gaze towards her. And without a single greeting, she left her spot under the trees and walked all the way towards her rightful place on the opposite side of the arena. Chuu bowed then, and her monotone and cold voice slipped through her lips, eyes still icy and emotionless.

“My name is Chuu, and I am the leader of the Pokemon Gym of Rose Quartz City,” her words resonated familiar in Yves’ ears and they did nothing to calm down the nervous hammering of her heart against her ribcage as Chuu took out of her apron pocket the soft pink badge. “This is the Peach Badge, one of the eight badges needed to be granted access to the Obsidian League, the official Pokemon League of Loonatia.” Just like in their previous match, the badge disappeared again into the pocket, “defeat me, and it will be yours.”

Her speech was the same as the one of their first match and it, somehow, irked Yves to not end. Everything about Chuu screamed nonchalance and boredom, as if the coldness of her stare had already seeped into the depths of her heart. It was something annoying to see, and to realize that, while she had spent days going insane about this match and about this girl, it was most probable that herself never crossed the leader’s mind, to begin with. It made her feel extra pathetic and a furious blush of humiliation took over her face.

“Don’t you know a different speech?” She couldn’t help but to blurt, and still the only change in Chuu was the slight tilt of her head towards one side.

“It isn’t needed.” It was all the leader said, one of her hands dropping towards the pokeballs hanging from her apron. “Here starts our second official match, Yves. 1vs1?” She asked and Yves was taken aback after hearing her name dripping from Chuu’s lips. Her voice was smooth and velvety, serene. It woke goosebumps with every syllable and she totally hated it. Yves gulped before nodding, not trusting her voice anymore. “Perfect.” The mediator’s voice boomed them, taking over every inch of the arena.

“Welcome back, Yves! Just as the last time, this is a 1vs1 match and no extra rules are applied. May the match begin, good luck!”

“Eevee, let’s go,” she nudged Eevee with her nose and her partner jumped from her shoulder towards the middle of the arena. And then she was rendered breathless when the first change in Chuu’s demeanor broke her cold façade. 

A small smile painted her features, eyes again glistening with galaxies as she waved at the tiny silver pokemon, which in return wiggled its tail, as if it was waving back. For a second, the gym leader broke her character and the mysterious Jiwoo could shine again. Yves gaped at the interaction, but in the time she took to blink, Chuu’s expression was back to the same mask of indifference that she was already used to see.

A sharp white glow exploded between them the moment Chuu threw her pokeball, and again, the majestic Sylveon graced the arena with its presence, fur still sparkling under the rough lights of the gym.

One second toppled on top of another and then Yves’ voice roared, almost desperate.

“Come on, Eevee, just as we trained! Body slam!” Yves didn’t think it was possible, but Chuu’s eyes turned even colder, her gaze trained on the pokemon trainer. And it was just then, that very exact moment, that Yves realized that the outcome of the match wouldn’t be different this time.

“Jump, Sylveon,” Chuu’s buttery voice crossed Yves’ brain, but she wasn’t registering anything of what was happening at that moment. And as if it was on slow motion, she saw the way Sylveon jumped gracefully, evading Eevee’s attack and making it lose its target completely. 

Sylveon’s fur was glistening even more aggressively and, up there in the air, surrounded by the strong white lights of the gym, it seemed as if an angelic halo took over it. A look of something akin to pity took over Chuu’s eyes, but her stare wasn’t on Yves, it was fixed on the small Eevee, a look that screamed a plea of forgiveness for what was going to happen to the tiny pokemon.

“Hyper voice,” it was like a sentence of doom falling over both of them, the sound waves hitting them mercilessly, dust flying around in dense clouds and quartz cracking loudly.

Yves fell on her knees again and, this time, tears didn’t wait for the clouds to dissipate to start pooling her eyes and running down her face. Her frustration was too intense to control them anymore, and somehow, the fact that Chuu decided to show some humanity towards her beloved partner, made her feel even more humiliated, as if she was the only responsible of Eevee getting knocked out for a second time on a row. And indeed, she felt that she was, and most probably it was the truth.

The dust settled down and, again, the image of Eevee resting unconscious on the arena graced her pupils. There was bitterness on her tongue and poison dripping into her mouth as she made her way towards her friend, taking its body again between her arms. Chuu stood there, looking inmenselly tall and ominous; Sylveon sitting at her feet with its sparkling fur and its clear blue gaze.

When Chuu made no move to leave, Yves swallowed what was left of her pride, which was very little, and lifted her face towards the gym leader; tear-filled eyes meeting frosted brown irises. 

“I told you, words always come back to bite,” at her words, Yves clenched her jaw, teeth pressing so hard she thought she could even break them. “You should change the way you see things if you want Eevee to defeat Sylveon,” after saying that, she put her hand on top of its head and the pretty pink pokemon nuzzled against her palm lovingly. “You should try evolving her, perhaps that way you could stand a chance.” Chuu turned around then, retreating back into the woods of the arena, just like the previous time.

“This is not the end! Do you hear me? We won’t stop here!” Yves’ voice threatened to break at every word, the bite of her tone sounding almost rude to her ears, but she didn’t care, at this point. She didn’t care at all. “We will get you, somehow!”

“Goodbye, Yves.” It was all Chuu said in response before getting lost between the dense vegetation and Yves’ hands closed into tight fists, every word, every look and every second spent in the gym and in Chuu’s presence stabbing her like a knife, drilling into flesh and taking more and more blood until leaving her exhausted.

She hated Chuu. She hated this situation. She hated the humiliation and the impotence. And, while clinging to Eevee’s unconscious body as she started her way down the hill and towards the Pokemon Center, she hated herself too.

The city was boiling with activity hours later. Alone again, with Eevee resting in the Pokemon Center, Yves walked around the streets without a certain destination, gaze fixed on the pavement, unaware of the pretty pink buildings that, to this moment, never failed to catch her attention with their beauty.

White noise in her mind, she wasn’t paying attention to where her steps were leading her to, too lost in recent memories that were painful like an open and bleeding wound, blood dripping from her heart and her broken confidence until it splashed at her feet, a crimson waterfall that drowned her thoughts and asphyxiated the remainings of her shattered pride.

Her hands where deep into the pockets of her oversized hoodie, clenched into fists around its fabric and, though she couldn’t see them, she was sure her knuckles were white and tight; and the frow between her eyebrows was deep, lines marring the soft skin of her forehead in a scowl that, after so many days, she was starting to think was permanent.

She was tired of feeling like this, honestly, it was starting to become almost exhausting for Yves. To feel this humongous sense of dread and negativity, defeat falling like a rock the size of the moon on her shoulders and its weight making her collapse in frustration and impotence. She didn’t know what to do anymore.

So she just kept walking the streets of a now more familiar city, the sun starting to drop on its way through the sky towards a sunset. Yves closed her eyes as a sigh escaped her lips, trying to expel out of her body everything that was a burden. She wanted to exhale Chuu away from her thoughts that way too, to obliterate the refreshed memory of her icy eyes and Eevee’s immobile form from her mind. But that wasn’t that easy. Yves just didn’t know what to do next, what could be her next step and how to tackle this situation she was stuck in.

Vivi’s words resonated through her brain, clouding everything with a pitying tone that she learn to despise after a second defat. The film of her mind rewinded to a few hours back, while her feet continued to devour the pavement with long but lost strides.

The way the nurse’s eyes took in the battered shape of her partner, getting bigger in acknowledgement; the way they took Eevee away to make it feel better and the way Yves could see in her expression how sorry Vivi was for her and her pokemon. She didn’t like that. But she was lost in a crossroads of posiblities of what to do, and even though she hated it, that was the predicament she was in and she needed a hint for her to figure out her escape route.

“So, what happened?” Was what Vivi asked.

“The same thing,” was what Yves answered, dejectedly, “KO in one hit. I don’t understand. Eevee is stronger than that.”

“What I don’t understand, though…” Vivi said, tentatively, “is how did you even make it this far only with Eevee.” She didn’t want to offend the already easy to trigger trainer, but she really couldn’t hold it in.

“Because Eevee is strong, the strongest pokemon I’ve ever encountered, and everytime we train she keeps becoming more and more powerful,” Yves fisted her hands on her lap, “if she could land a single hit on Sylveon, it would be a knockout victory for us as well. That has been our way all this time. Sylveon is just too fast.”

“And have you thought on giving Eevee an evolut-”

“No.” Yves’ voice was sharp, cutting the air with the bite of her words, and her eyes turned to Vivi with the same intensity in her gaze, “I won’t evolve her. Chuu told me the same thing, and even if I didn’t want to evolve her before already, that just made me despise the idea even more, so please, don’t even suggest it. It is insulting enough she even thought about saying that to me, as if she was making fun of me.”

The nurse nodded in acceptation, lips pursing in a contemplative manner. She placed one of her hands on Yves’ shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze before standing up when she saw the doors of the Pokemon Center opening with a new trainer searching for aid.

“You know, Yves. Jiwoo isn’t a bad person, you should consider her words.” And with that, the nurse left her side to attend to the newcomer. Yves sighed, exhaustion making her feel vulnerable and small.

Present time Yves clicked her tongue with disdain at her memories, the scowl of her face painting new dark shades on her expression. Vivi was just like the rest of the city, madly in love with a girl that was like an iceberg. Yves was wary and resented Chuu, there was no way in hell she would listen to her advice, not in a thousand years. Everything the leader did seemed to Yves only a way to make fun of her, to rejoice in the cruel way she had to defeat her and how much it affected her.

Yves blinked and, for the first time in long minutes, she lifted her stare from the grayish pavement. There was a ruckus at the other side of the road and her brows furrowed in annoyance when she saw the source of all the noise.

Chuu… No, better said, Jiwoo was glowing there, in the middle of a group of people who surrounded her as if she was a celebrity. And perhaps she was, or at least it seemed so. Children wiggled their arms in the air and aimed to take the girl’s hands as she tried to walk down the pavement in the opposite direction as Yves. Adults smiled big and bright, but they were no rival to the light that emanated from Jiwoo herself. Her eyes were almost closed in perfect crescents and her smile was big and sweet, all teeth and happiness.

Her red hair was loose and it fell on soft waves down her back and her shoulders, and her crispy bangs were on place. And she was wearing the most basic outfit, just a white shirt and a denim jacket and some jeans, but she was glowing indeed. It had to be what love did to you, Yves guessed. Because there was no doubt these people were smitten and they cared for their gym leader.

Yves looked around her on her side of the road. People evaded her like the plague, but she couldn’t blame them, could she? After all, her negativity must be seeping out of her like toxic gases, the scowl adorning her face preventing people from even nursing the idea of getting close to her. She couldn’t blame them at all.

She looked again across the road, looking how Jiwoo stopped to talk with an elderly woman in a wheelchair. The way the girl crouched down and listened attentively to whatever the woman was saying was almost endearing. Or Yves would have felt endeared by it if it wasn’t Jiwoo the object and cause of her frustrations.

Suddenly, even the open and wide road felt narrow, constricting, and Yves had the urge to run away. And so she did. Long and fast strides took her into the shopping mall, giving her back to Jiwoo and the group of admirers she amassed everywhere she went, in time to miss the way the gym leader looked at her retreating back as well.

Yves’ feet took her deep into the shopping mall and before she realized, she stopped right in front of a pokemon store. She gulped and, then, entered the shop. Every kind of treats and beverages for pokemons adorned the shelves, accessories and even cute pieces of clothing could be seen hanging off the walls. It was a trip, colorful and with an immense variety. And then her eyes fell on them. Near the counter, perfectly lined on dark velvety fabric, sparkled some evolutionary stones in all colours and shades. And both Chuu and Vivi’s words resonated through her mind again, the advice and suggestion getting louder each second she spent there, looking at the stones through the clear glass they were caged in.

“You should try evolving her, perhaps that way you could stand a chance.”

“And have you thought about giving Eevee an evolutionary stone?”

Yves fiddled with her hands, fingers twitching and intertwining with one another in a gesture that screamed nervousness and indecision, eyes moving frantically from one stone to another, red mixing with green and yellow in between. Until the clerk made his appearance behind the counter and, with a polite smile, he cut her reverie.

“Can I help you with anything, miss?”

Yves gaped at him, at loss of words for a second and, finally, with a dejected sigh of surrender, she signaled one of the stones, which the clerk happily took out for her. She paid and with a thank you that sounded like a whisper, she made her way out of the store. She stood there, in the middle of the mall, a stone wrapped in pastel coloured paper in her hand and her heart at her feet.

Suddenly, she felt too tired to even stand up anymore, everything crashing down on her like an icy waterfall. She just wanted the current to take her away as well. So Yves made her way towards the entrance of the mall, hoping to get lost between the sea of people that ventured out at the same time. In moments like this, she just wanted to feel that she was able disappear, at least for a few minutes.

And perhaps fate was playing a twisted game with her, because just as she took the first steps out of the massive building, she came face to face with non other than Jiwoo herself. The gym leader was perched on the arm of a young man, attractive and charming, and Yves felt something churning and turning in the pit of her stomach, her insides tangling and tensing with fire and fury as a sour taste seized her mouth. Her fingers tightened around the stone she carried in her hand, placing it behind her back in shame and fear of being discovered and made fun off again.

Recognition flashed in Jiwoo’s expressive eyes, and her pretty full lips opened in an attempt to speak, but Yves didn’t give her that chance. She just strided past her, shoulder bumping against the one of the smaller girl. It was a brusque impact, but she didn’t care. She heard protests, the deep voice of Jiwoo’s companion calling out for her, bite and distaste on his voice.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?”

“It’s okay, Minhyuk, don’t worry!” She heard Jiwoo’s voice as well, getting fainter the faster she walked away.

“She didn’t even apologize, how rude…” 

“It’s fine, I’m fine, see? Let’s go inside, come on.” And with that, Jiwoo’s soft voice vanished in the fresh mountain breeze that sweeped Rose Quartz City.

But now, with the new found silence of the absence of Jiwoo’s voice bathing her ears, her fast strides didn’t stop. And they took her around main streets and dead ends, until she ended up in a large and deserted park. She sighed again, she already lost the count of how many sighs she had birthed that day only.

The sunset was melting the sky in a dark kiss that glowed of orange and purple and she sat down on a lonely bench near a dry fountain. Not too far, she could see the inn shining in pink under the lights of the dying day, but she was too exhausted to even walk there, at least for now. She slumped on the bench, paper wrapped stone resting forgotten on her lap.

This was too much, she thought. A lot was going on in her head and she didn’t understand half of it, nor she did like it. It was poisoning her little by little and, in the process, it was hurting Eevee as well. A remorseful laugh was born in her lips then, eyes opening towards the first stars that started to scratch the newly black painted skies.

“Should I just give up?” She said out loud, and tiredly, she let her eyelids drop.

When she opened them again, darkness engulfed most of the city. Yves was confused and lost for a second, and as if it was an automatic response, her fingers closed tight around the stone on her lap. It was cold, the night brought with its dark veil a drop in the temperature that got Yves’ skin bristling in goosebumps.

But if you asked her at that exact moment, she would say that the source of that drop was no other than Jiwoo. Jiwoo, bright Jiwoo, who was frozen inside and her eyes could die at her own will. Chuu, merciless villain of her nightmares. That denim clad girl who looked at her with eyes sparkling like a midnight sun, who looked at her with chocolate irises screaming pity and a remorse that, Yves was sure, she didn’t really feel.

Yves felt bile rising up her throat at the view, she felt pathetic enough already to be seen by Jiwoo in that state; there, alone and lonely, sat on a bench in the middle of a deserted park. What was Jiwoo doing there, in the first place? Was she following her? Was her plan to haunt her until driving her insane for real? The cute girl was so sick and twisted and Yves was literally the only one in that damn city that was clever enough to see it.

It was the moment Jiwoo made the attempt to get close to her that Yves snapped. And as Jiwoo took a few steps in her direction, Yves got into motion. She almost jumped from the bench and, once on her feet, she did what she does best. She ran away, fingers clawing at the stone and blush taking over her face in a wave of embarrassment that hit her like a truck.

She ran and ran the few streets that separated her from the inn, and she never looked back. She made it into her room and once there she threw the stone hazapardly on the carpeted floor before throwing herself on the unmade bed, Eevee’s absence slapping her across the face with fury. She felt like crying again, overwhelmed by too many emotions at once.

Yves ran and never looked back, and so she failed to see the way Jiwoo’s always bright eyes dimmed as she followed her with her stare, clouded in confusion and pity and regrets.

A couple of days after Eevee’s discharge of the Pokemon Center, both the trainer and the pokemon fell on a hard training routine. Despite Chuu and Vivi’s words, the evolutionary stone she purchased was still unused and in the depths of her backpack, where Yves couldn’t see it, where her own weakness couldn’t embarrass her again.

They woke up at sunrise every day, and both Yves and Eevee went on a morning run that would led to an abundant breakfast. And once their energy was at full potential, both of them walked together deep into the forest, to their usual training place, that clearing among the trees with the quartz mine at its feet.

That sunday wasn’t an exception, and after their morning run and their hearty breakfast, the pair headed towards the forest. The sun was shining bright and the sky was a vibrant blue made to lift the spirits of whoever walked under its immensity. It was a warm day, as well, so Yves opted to just wear some comfortable training shorts and a crop top which message fitted perfectly her mood: “”it’s a beautiful sunday to leave me alone.” She had never related to a shirt that much before.

Once they reached the clearing, they jumped into motion, with Eevee sprinting all the way up towards the mountain, its objective being again those hard rock type wild pokemons that seemed to love living there, between the mountain and the gorgeous pink mine. And while Eevee engaged in KO after KO with those tough opponents, Yves trained as well.

She just couldn’t keep calm and quiet waiting for Eevee, she needed to do something too to take her mind away of the thoughts of remorse and guilt towards Eevee that tried to swarm her head the second she let her guard down. The days after Eevee’s discharge, Yves didn’t really know how to face her partner, and she was a nervous and fumbling mess around her beloved pokemon. Again, she resented Chuu for that, for the way she felt how her relationship with the most important living being in her life was getting strained. Until Eevee just jumped on her and nuzzled its tiny wet nose into the hollow of her neck with a soft cry that was a wail of longing and fondness.

That day some tears were born in Yves’ eyes, and none of them left the privacy of their room, where they napped and cuddled next to each other. Yves breathed Eevee in, nose deep into soft silver fur, and the feeling of relief that spreaded through her body was too great to describe it. She just wanted to protect her partner, to keep it safe and sound and to prevent it from getting hurt again.

And that’s the reason these training sessions started, hard and time and energy consuming, but they were aiming for Eevee to get even stronger and faster and, perhaps, in their next match, Chuu would be the one defeated then. Yves’ jaw locked with determination as a strong exhale escaped her nostrils as she went up in a sit up, elbows touching her knees.

Minutes toppled over each other and already three hours into their training, Yves was already a sweaty mess, even if she was protected from the harsh sunlight thanks to the shelter that were the treetops. Up there, at the feet of the mountain, Eevee kept slamming pokemon after pokemon, its growls and grunts mixing with the silence of the mine machinery in that lovely sunday.

She sat next to a tree and rested her back against the trunk. The feeling of the rough bark prickling her skin through the flimsy fabric of her crop top and on her exposed midriff was, in some way, comforting. Yves closed her eyes and wiped the sweat of her forehead with the back of her hand, her chest heaving as she tried to regain her breath after that one and more intense interval of sit ups.

Her muscles were burning and so were her lungs, but her mind was so deliciously quiet and calm that she didn’t regret it. She took a deep inhale of the fresh and clear air of the mountain, lost in the relaxing atmosphere and the silence of the woods. Until there was no silence anymore and the peace was broken mid-inhale the moment footsteps over grass and leaves took over her ears.

Yves opened her eyes then, turning her head towards the sound and, just as she started to exhale that deep breath, the air got stuck in her throat in a violent cough, at the same time a feeling of confusion, anger and distaste began to form in the pit of her stomach.

Jiwoo’s big bright eyes looked at her from the trees, one of her hands grasping at the strap of her bag while the other held a small fan to her face, flushed in red because of the heat of the day. She was clad in some simple white shorts and a checkered blouse that left completely exposed her shoulders and her collarbones, not that Yves looked that way, anyway. On top of her head, a cute straw hat protected her face and her red hair from the harsh caress of the sun.

Yves grunted in annoyance, clearing her throat after her coughing fit and, with a jump, she stood up, looking at the cute girl in front of her with sharp eyes trained on her wide and expressive chocolate ones; chest puffing almost defensively.

“What the hell,” she muttered through pressed teeth, and Jiwoo blinked a few times in response to her words, “what are you even doing here? Are you following me?”

At that, Jiwoo could only click her tongue, her eyes rolling. She crossed her arms over her chest, the fan long forgotten still hanging of her fingers.

“Why would I even follow you, in the first place?” Yves gaped at her, the buttery voice of the gym leader sounding nonchalant and annoyed. And if Jiwoo’s stare dropped for a second towards Yves’ exposed midriff, the pokemon trainer didn’t even realize, as her attention got caught by the figure of the leader’s pokemons blurred by the vegetation.

“I don’t know, you tell me. I keep running into you in town, and now you find me even here?” Her words were biting the air with every syllable, and Jiwoo could only rise an eyebrow at the hostility, “too much of a coincidence, if you ask me. What do you want?”

“Not everything I do is about you, Yves.” Jiwoo spat then, lifting her fan again towards her face, “I’m just taking a stroll around the forest with my pokemons on my day off. I’m sorry I’m an eyesore to you, but you are not my priority nor my reason to do stuff.” A chill ran down Yves’ back at the tone the gym leader used, but still, Jiwoo’s eyes didn’t lose their spark and brightness. She just seemed… tired. 

And for a second, Yves had the need, the urge to apologize for her words and for her rude behavior. She deflated then, stare dropping towards her feet, but still it wasn’t enough to tear an apology out of her lips. And with a most composed tone, she said.

“Then, please, just do as my shirt say and leave, Eevee and I are training,” Jiwoo’s own body language relaxed, understanding flashing in her pupils. 

But before the young leader could say or do something, a cloud of dust made its way down the path towards the mountain, and the small silver Eevee made its appearance, as if it was just summoned by its master. And, just as if she was indeed holding the all the stars of the universe in her, Jiwoo’s expression brightened even more, if it was possible.

The girl crouched while she rummaged through the pockets of her shorts, fan hanging from her wrist, and finally she extended her arm towards Eevee with a treat on her palm, her eyes forming crescents and the smile taking over her face. Yves wouldn’t admit, not even a thousand years, that it was the cutest sight she ever saw, but it, perhaps, was.

“Hello, Eevee, it is good to see you!” Jiwoo exclaimed, and when the silver pokemon came close to her to eat the treat she offered, she placed her free hand on its head, scratching on top of it, “I am glad to see that you are full of energy.”

Her words sounded sincere and Yves gulped, taking the sight in before looking away. Annoyance and anger and disdain mingled with tenderness and relief and she really wasn’t sure where these two emotions came from, so she fought hard and brave, like a knight wielding a sword slashing away the demons or the angels, she wasn’t sure anymore.

“She really is the prettiest pokemon I’ve ever seen,” Jiwoo’s voice caught her attention once again, and Yves re-directed her gaze towards her, only to find her already staring back, eyes serene and bright and so, so deep that one could get drown in them without even realizing.

Jiwoo must have seen the conflict in Yves’ own eyes, because she just stood up after giving Eevee a second treat, bowing slightly her head, her voice firm and warm.

“I’ll leave, I’m sorry I bothered you,” she said, and at her now retreating form, Yves kept silent, following her with her gaze until she got lost again among the trees. 

And for once, the sight of Jiwoo disappearing between thick trunks and vegetation didn’t make tears flow and bitterness to take over her tongue. She just felt exhausted as the tension seeped out her body in an instant, taking away with it all her remaining energy. She sat down on the grass again, and Eevee didn’t take more than a few second to climb on top of her lap. Her fingers buried in soft fur and a weak smile took over her features, eyelids fluttering closed again.

“I think we deserve a good rest, Eevee.”

But their rest elongated for a few hours, dreamland welcoming Yves and Eevee under the shadows of the trees, and when they opened their eyes, the harsh sunlight had dimmed into a soft orange glow that painted the skies with fire and ashes, so they decided to call it a day and just go back to the inn; after all, tomorrow would be a whole new day to go back to their training.

With that idea in mind they dived into the forest the next day and, thankfully, the sun wasn’t the merciless punisher it was the day before. The sky was covered in a thick blanket of grey clouds and the warmth that seeped between them was gentle and soft.

They fell into their usual routine, trying to get back on track after a lost afternoon; and soon enough, the intervals of Eevee defeating rock type pokemons before getting on with the speed exercises were becoming shorter and shorter, a proof of the improvement of the tiny silver pokemon. On the other hand, Yves never felt as healthy; her lean and fit body getting stronger and more resilient after hours working out with the sole purpose of emptying her mind.

Everything was going perfectly that monday afternoon, the weather was nice and they were motivated. Until again soft steps over grass and leaves took over Yves’ ears and a deep frow appeared between her eyebrows the moment she could make Jiwoo’s silhouette coming out of the trees.

Her body tensed by reflex and she stood up from her pushup position, her arms tingling as the blood flowed freely again through her veins. She crossed her arms over her chest then, a pointed and unwelcoming stare drilling into Jiwoo’s cheerful face, that one that irked her to not end. The way the gym leader was always the embodiment of happiness and positivity when she was so… not any of that was, by any mean, infuriating.

“You again? Are you going to tell me that you are not following me today as well? Because I won’t believe you,” Yves spat bitterly, her gaze fixed on Jiwoo’s brown eyes and refusing to take in how cutely the leader was dressed that day; clad in some shorts that were invisible under the oversized white hoodie the tiny girl was wearing and with a little bow tying her hair up in a ponytail. Yves grunted softly, to herself, at the vision.

Jiwoo had a basket hanging from her hand and a smile worth a billion dancing on her lips, and if Yves’ hostile behavior affected her somehow, she didn’t show it. Instead, she came fully out of the woods and stepped into the clearing, coming closer to Yves. The pokemon trainer’s eyes widened then and she took a few steps back, defensively.

“What are you d-”

“I brought some food,” Jiwoo cut her words, lifting her basket and pushing it almost into Yves’ crossed arms, who could only step back again.

Yves blinked in surprise at her words, her stare falling from the bright eyes of the gym leader towards the basket just to rise back to melt into her pupils once again. She was dumbfounded and beyond confused by Jiwoo’s actions, her preconceived ideas about the girl starting a rebellion in her mind against this new wind that tried to swept her brain like a strawberry scented tornado.

Yves’ sweaty forehead creased as her frown deepened, and trying to keep her cool, which had proved to be something very hard to achieve near the annoyingly cheery (and cold, at this point she wasn’t sure of what was the truth anymore) young woman, she pushed the basket back towards her, shaking her head.

“Why? I never asked,” the bite was back on her tone, and a steely gleam took over her irises, “what are you even doing here, to begin with? Just leave, Eevee and I are training,” and it was even more infuriating to see the way the already bright girl literally beamed when she heard the name of her pokemon.

“I came to see Eevee, of course. Where is she?” Jiwoo looked around then, perfect eyebrows rising at the same time in a questioning expression. Yves’ jaw locked and, to be honest, it stung a little, not to be the reason of Jiwoo’s presence disrupting their training two days in a row.

“She is training near the mountain now. Can you just leave? I don’t want you to see how we train, I plan on challenging you on an official match soon,” Yves said nonchalantly, trying to look less tense, less frustrated and less nervous of how she really was feeling. 

Jiwoo just opted to sit down on the grass, back leaning against the tree Yves rested just a day before, and without saying anything, she opened her basket and started taking out a couple of bentos filled with food. Suddenly the clearing filled with a delicious smell that made Yves’ stomach to roar loudly. The pokemon trainer was mortified and a warm blush took over her face, blush that only deepened when she saw the smirk that flourished on Jiwoo’s lips in response.

An assortment of meat and rice was in the bentos and a big salad was presented in front of the gym leader, and she even took out a small bag of expensive pokemon treats for Eevee, and Yves would be lying if she said it wasn’t tempting to just sit down and eat that wonderful looking food. But, though shattered, her pride was still the only thing she had left, so she decided to just ignore Jiwoo, who, instead, kept on emptying her basket.

“It doesn’t matter if I am here or not, Yves,” she spoke then, and Yves’ ears perked at the sound, “it won’t change the fact that you will, again, lose against me in our next match,” that made Yves to turn around sharply, anger exploding in her mouth like a sour bomb of resentment and frustration.

She found Jiwoo’s eyes, and they were clear and cold, sincere and convinced, and still as bright as the sun that was hiding behind the clouds. Yves fisted her hands, knuckles whitening in a ferocious grip as she glowered at her.

“And you dare to call me conceited?” Yves growled, skin vibrating. Jiwoo’s word crushed her more than battered dignity, and the way the leader held her gaze did nothing to soothe the fire that burned in her throat.

A bit of Chuu sprinkled Jiwoo’s whole happy aura, and the contrast was unsettling, to say the least. Like a frozen sun threatening to fall and consume everything on its way. Yves bared her teeth, ready to keep adding more fuel into the wildfire that was turning into ashes her inside.

“You have some nerve to come here and flaunt your good girl act two days in a row just so you could rub on my face that you have defeated me twice already. I wonder if the citizens of Rose Quartz are aware that you are a double faced bitch,” poison was dripping from Yves’ tongue and Jiwoo just stared at her from the grass.

“You should grow up a little and stop being a petty bitch yourself. Just shut up and sit down to eat the food, I wonder if you and Eevee are even eating properly,” Jiwoo took a green apple out of the basket and bit into it, the crunch noisy and annoying to Yves’ ears. 

The pokemon trainer was dumbfounded after Jiwoo’s… or should she say Chuu’s reality slapping words. Was she acting like a child? Perhaps. Did she have a reason to do so? In her books, absolutely. So she just looked at her for a few long seconds that died every time Jiwoo chewed loudly on her apple, just to end up exhaling a deep sigh.

“I really can’t stand you, I don’t know how you can’t get the hint,” she looked away, in the direction of the sudden silence up the mountain.

“Oh, believe me, I know that. I just don’t care,” a new bite was taken out of the apple and before Yves could retort, Eevee’s figure came skipping down the path to the mountain, but this time, it wasn’t alone. 

Jiwoo’s Sylveon kept it company as they both jumped and played all the way down. Yves’ brows furrowed at the sight, arms previously crossed over her chest falling in a confused and, at the same time, defeated gesture.

“Eevee, what are you doing?!” Yves exclaimed in a tone that screamed betrayal, and that took Jiwoo’s attention away from her apple, as a big dopey smile formed on her face to see the two pokemon playing together.

“Eevee, hi!!” Jiwoo waved her hand, and both pokemon made their way towards the leader, much to Yves dismay. “I brought treats for you, do you want some? I bet you are tired after training so hard!” Jiwoo’s voice was sweet and her eyes sparkled as much as Sylveon’s fur.

Eevee chirped in response, not even sparing a look at Yves before digging in. Jiwoo crossed her legs watching attentively how Eevee and Sylveon enjoyed the well deserved treats. Yves blinked at the interaction and, to be honest, she really didn’t know how to feel about it other than betrayed.

“Eevee, how could you…” Her voice was soft and the defeat was obvious in each syllable. Her pokemon raised its head to look at her with a happy chirp and came close to its trainer only to bite on her sneakers and pull towards Jiwoo and the food basket. The leader’s smirk widened and Yves rolled her eyes at her.

“Come on, Yves! Even Eevee wants you to sit your ass on the grass and eat the goddamn food. I promise I will leave after that, I need to go back to the gym soon, anyway,” Jiwoo shrugged and Yves ended sitting down, her back against the opposite side of the tree Jiwoo was leaning against to.

“I will eat, but only because Eevee wants me to,” even if she couldn’t see Jiwoo’s face, Yves’ cheeks sported a soft blush, slight humiliation bubbling inside her chest. Or that’s what she thought, anyway.

“Fine by me,” Jiwoo replied, and silently, she grabbed one of the bentos she prepared and brought it close to Yves, who took it carefully with a new sigh.

“I am still decided to end you during our next match,” Yves said, mouth full of food and taste buds throwing a whole party at the delicious taste. Jiwoo clicked her tongue, but instead of answering back, she remained quiet, enjoying her own food.

Her whole body was in tension, the presence of the gym leader at the other side of the tree was haunting, like a threat always present, like a bomb about to explode. Or that’s how she forced herself to feel, reminding herself that, despite everything Jiwoo had done for her and Eevee that day, she was still the same person who sent her pokemon straight to the Pokemon Center and the same person who crushed her without mercy, the one who witnessed her frustrated tears of defeat.

But still, Jiwoo’s aura was comforting, soothing in a way she couldn’t explain, and so, so different to her Chuu persona, like the two sides of a coin; a convoluted mystery that she would think of solving if it wasn’t because she had her own issues at hand as well. But, just as the food warmed her tummy, she let herself to get dragged by the pleasant sensation that was a simple meal under the fresh mountain breeze, and all that tension evaporated, little by little, off her body.

The minutes dragged slowly as they kept eating, clouds getting darker as the day passed by. Suddenly, once her stomach was as full as her bento was empty, Yves protested.

“I think you are just trying to boicot my training because you are scared of our next match, that’s why you keep crashing them,” at that, Jiwoo let out a giggle, and just like that, the leader started placing everything back in the basket.

For the first time since they started eating, Yves looked over at her, taking her figure in. The leader was calm, serene, and the expression of her face was welcoming and warm, framed just right by some strands of her long red mane that got loose from her ponytail. Her features were sharp, like the cutting line of her jaw and the path of her neck, and for the first time, Jiwoo looked like the adult she was instead of the child she always seemed to be in her official gym outfit. For one crazy instant, Yves wondered how old Jiwoo exactly was.

Jiwoo’s stare met Yves’ browns the moment she turned to her, hand extended in her direction and fingers moving, invitingly, as she asked for the now empty bento. It was like looking into a deep clear pond, she could see her own reflection on the surface if she focused enough, but focusing wasn’t really an option, it seemed, because Yves’ train of thought stopped on its tracks as those sparkling eyes sucked her in.

They locked gazes for who knows how long, until it was the leader the one who finally grabbed the bento directly from Yves’ hands, putting it inside the basket and breaking the eye contact. And just then, Yves let go the air she didn’t even realized she was holding.

Jiwoo scratched behind Eevee’s ears and, just like that, she stood up again, Sylveon rising from its place were it was napping near its master. Yves looked up at her, eyebrow lifting slightly.

“I don’t need to crash your training, Yves. As I told you before, I know you are going to lose again,” and again, everything came crashing down on Yves, her body almost breaking in halves at the sudden tension that crushed her mercilessly. Her jaw locked and her eyes got a steely glint as she kept her gaze trained on Jiwoo, “I know that, because you don’t use this,” she tapped one of her temples with her free hand, the other holding the basket, “and instead you keep relying on what has worked so far. And that’s your mistake.”

Jiwoo’s eyes weren’t cold as she said those words, and Yves really wanted them to be frosty and icy instead of the warm puddle of fresh rain that looked back at her. The gym leader directed her gaze towards Eevee, and for one last time, light took over her pupils as a smile got painted on her lips, waving her hand at the pokemon.

“See you soon, Eevee. Train hard, but don’t exhaust yourself,” said Jiwoo and Eevee chirped in response. 

She looked at Yves again, who glared at her with a newfound hostility after being, as she believed, blatantly insulted. Jiwoo nodded her head then, offering a small smile towards the pokemon trainer before starting her way towards the trees once again, her Sylveon following closely.

“I will make you eat your words, Chuu!” Yelled Yves then, all the anger and frustration coating every syllable and the echo of the mountain repeated her words to infinity.

Jiwoo didn’t acknowledged her words and just kept walking, and soon enough, her silhouette disappeared in the forest.

Fire was burning away in Yves’ eyes, and she jumped to her feet, fists clenching painfully. She looked down at Eevee and nodded with determination and a newfound passion; she would prove Chuu wrong, she certainly would.

And just like that, both Yves and Eevee got back to train, until the darkness of the night took the day away.