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It was weird, being back at the academy. Not being here for so long, not wearing the uniform in forever. It made him a bit self conscious. Without his mask he felt… well… bare. Like something was missing. On colder days, he would wear a thick scarf to hide half of his face in. At least no one would judge him then. The classrooms would always get colder than outside sometimes. The bullying is to a minimum now. He’ll admit that he appreciates all the work Director Clavell has put in to push the school to be better. Reconnecting with the big boss- or- Penny- was also a nice touch.
Being welcomed back wasn’t the worst. Atticus has to admit it might just be his paranoia. The bullying was severe. Even though he knew he was safe now, it was hard not to rush to a crowded area to make sure he didn’t get jumped or pushed against a wall if left alone. Rushing to a classroom with a teacher present and if there was no teacher there yet, he would run off and hide in the bathrooms, wait a little while, before checking again.
It was something he was used to. It was hard to break those habits. It scared him. His friends seem to be dealing with it a bit better than he was. They still talked to each other, hanging out at each other’s dorms whenever they were free to catch up and stay close. Even inviting Penny. Director Clavell trusted them not to come up with another ambitious scandal or a repeat of Team Star.
They were ok.
Sometimes, Atticus isn’t.
But that’s just paranoia… right?
He was left alone for a lot of his life, he knew how to handle it.
It was one of those days. The paranoia is getting a bit too much. Anxiety skyrocketed. He was fidgeting and twitching in his seat in class, fiddling with the collar of his uniform and trying to tug it over his mouth.
So he decided he needed a break.
At the end of the day however, he didn’t go back to his dorm, or anyone else’s dorm. He went outside to a roaming field.
Not a lot of the Pokémon here were aggressive as long as you didn’t aggravate them. So he didn’t, and the wild Pokémon let him stay and relax.
In his cross body bag, something shivered. Atticus perked up and turned to the bag, opening it and pulling out the shaking pokéball.
Out came a Frogadier.
It hopped in front of him by his feet and let out a soft coo, closing its eyes constantly.
Atticus exhaled sharply through his nose with a smile. He wasn’t sure if Frogadiers were very common around Paldea. One day, this Frogadier sort of just showed up. It was shy at first. Avoiding him and tensing up whenever Atticus tried to get close. After a week, Atticus saw it coming closer and close to him whenever he came to this field to the point where it gave him a pokéball. And surely enough, that was the pokéball the Frogadier was caught in.
Atticus presumed it was caught by someone else, but the Frogadier stole its own pokéball from its former trainer and ran off.
Atticus isn’t sure why. Frogadier didn’t want to expose that much just yet. It seemed like a painful memory.
Once the Frogadier was in his possession, he asked around about this Pokémon. He was told it evolved from Froakie. And Frogadier can evolve into Greninja.
He wasn’t too familiar with those Pokémon. But his teachers urged him to continue training it, learn about it, and of course, his biology teacher practically begged him to tell him more as soon as he learned something new. To which he will oblige.
It was exciting. It was nice having something to work and focus on. And it made him even more excited when he figured out that this Frogadier’s Tera type was poison. He was familiar with poison types, he could work this out…
Well. Sort of.
Frogadier is stubborn sometimes. Especially in battle. Even though Frogadier chose Atticus, Frogadier made it clear to Atticus that it can leave when it wants as it did before and has its own mind and will. It was inspiring, for sure, maybe a bit frustrating. But as days go by, it’s been a month now, Frogadier still hasn’t left. It’s getting easier and easier for them both to learn about each other.
Atticus squatted down and set his hand on the side of Frogadier’s head, rubbing small circles with his thumb on its cheek. Frogadier let out another satisfied coo and opened its eyes, tilting its head and looking at the young trainer with a curious gaze.
Atticus hummed and shrugged, “Overwhelmed, I found myself today,” he uttered, lowering himself on the grass to where he was sitting, crossing his legs.
Frogadier did the same across from him as Atticus removed his hand from its face.
“I’m unsure of what caused my head to be lost,”
Frogadier set its webbed hands in between its crossed legs, looking up at Atticus and letting out a few soft coos, nodding its head.
It was Atticus’s turn to tilt his head,
“Thyself cannot find thy sense?” He asked, “What hast thou troubled?”
Frogadier shrugged with a yip. And Atticus sighed with a smile,
“Of the same feather on thy Talonflame, we are,” and he leaned back until he was flat on his back, lifting his knees and setting his feet flat on the grass, staring up at the sky.
Frogadier let out a low grumble. After a short while of silence and its trainer still on his back, it crawled to the side of Atticus and lay down next to him, staring up at the clouds.
It was a fine day. Clouds are fluffy and gliding. Atticus had his hands on his stomach, brows furrowed and lips pursed. He was still puzzled about his own emotions, as was Frogadier, but he felt a bit better out here. He had a feeling Frogadier did as well.
They were different, Frogadier was more confident and outgoing than he was, but despite minor difficulties and disagreements, they always somehow landed on the same page. They weren’t very different. Sometimes, it was like looking through a mirror, if a mirror reflected your conflicting emotions and not your image.
Ninjas had conflicting feelings, but they knew how to deal with them. Atticus was still learning. Maybe he wasn’t fit to be one just yet… if he can’t even handle a bit of confusion without being overwhelmed.
It made something in his chest sink. But he didn’t want to think about it anymore-
“Attie?”
Atticus’s eyes snapped open, he wasn’t even aware he had closed them and he immediately launched himself up and held himself steady with his arms behind him and hands against the grass. Turning his head and body, now leaning to the side, legs toppled over. His eyes were wide and brows furrowed. Frogadier already lept to its feet and crouched low in a fighting stance, narrowing its eyes.
Both trainer and Pokémon visibly relaxed from their tensed positions. Atticus exhaled slowly,
“Ladybird-“ he sighed, a small smile creeping up on his face. One of relief.
Giacomo cringed and bit the inside of his cheek, “Sorry- didn’t mean to spook ya- uh-“ the aspiring DJ stared at Frogadier, who was still crouched low and staring with narrowed eyes, “you didn’t come over to Mela’s and we were worried-“
Atticus shrunk in on himself and lifted a fist that hit it on the side of his head, gritting his teeth,
“Ah- I didn't mean to wound, my head is truly gone to have forgotten such occasion,”
Frogadier had eased. It’s seen and visited Giacomo and the rest of the former Team Star squad leaders before, but that didn’t mean it trusted them fully. Again, Atticus wasn’t sure why. Frogadier still wouldn’t tell him anything if it’s past or what had happened before it gave him its pokéball. Atticus decided he wouldn’t pry just yet. Frogadier wasn’t ready.
The Frogadier sat with its legs crossed next to its trainer. Giacomo had been slowly approaching until he was crouching low and down sitting in the grass next to Atticus,
“Hey, we ain’t mad at ya,” the ravenette insisted, “it’s only me here, I figured you might have had a rough day… didn’t wanna overwhelm you with loads of messages from the others. We know you wouldn’t go unless something was up-“
“Aye- but thou could have reminded me- thou bares knowledge of the guilt I feel when I vanish without tell,”
Giacomo simply shrugged with a soft hum. Atticus and Giacomo were close in Team Star. Recently, they’ve been learning a bit more about each other and even the rest of their friends could tell they were honing in on each other a bit more as of late. Atticus had opened up more to Giacomo than he thought he would. It was to the point where he had forgotten that the other even knew where to find him if he was gone after classes and not in one of their dorms or his own.
Giacomo looked back at Atticus after looking at his Rotom Phone and putting it away. Probably to confirm to the others that Atticus was in no danger or missing. That made his heart sink. He should have at least sent a message to them… how careless of him-
“Hey- not mad, remember?” Giacomo pulled him out of his thoughts. Atticus wasn’t aware he was even zoning out.
Atticus kept staring at the ground, brows knitted together.
With a low hum, he turned back around and laid himself back on his back, closing his eyes for a moment and laying his arm over his closed lids.
Frogadier blinked. Giacomo was tense, worried. Giacomo watched as the Frogadier looked at him, then at Atticus, before turning itself around as well and slowly set itself down on its back with webbed hands on its abdomen next to its trainer.
Atticus hides his frustration. He has a habit of doing so. Always conflicted with his emotions. Giacomo could somewhat relate. It started when the bullying began, when he became student president. But he’s older now, he knew how strange those rules were, but he wished others would have been kinder in their ways of letting him know how unfair he was. Instead, it resulted in relentless taunts. It was damaging. His father wished he told him sooner about it so he could help instead of turning to Team Star and rebelling against the Academy. Yet, dad was barely home, and Giacomo guesses that’s why his father holds some regret for not being there as much as he wanted to. But he now understood how harsh his father’s schedule was, being one of the elite four and a gym leader all in one. He was just some tired dude. Which… fair. Giacomo didn’t hold it against him for long. They had a talk, just the two of them, a few tears and rough patches, but eventually making up and hugging with promises to do better that were eventually carried out.
It wasn’t his father’s fault. He knew that now. And Giacomo learned from such mistakes he himself has made.
But Giacomo wasn't sure if Atticus had the same outlet he did. He wasn’t even sure if he had any family that was willing to listen… or any family that was even alive. Atticus would tense up whenever someone would ask about it. Rumors would go around that his parents left him, died, or he was dumped at birth. It made him furious that someone would spread something like that and assume. Giacomo wished he could help, understand, but Atticus wouldn’t budge on that front.
That wasn’t for now, though. Maybe some other time they’ll work it out together when they’re both ready.
It was rare to see Atticus so vulnerable. He was always so poise and in control. Suppose that’s what a ninja is, isn’t it? Apparently, Atticus was from a long line of ninjas. And hey, from what he’s seen, he believes it. He means it. In all honesty he could totally see Atticus doing badass ninja shit. He himself could hardly do a forward roll without getting dizzy-
He shook his head and furrowed his brows, damnit! He shouldn’t be letting his mind wander now of all times- about Atticus… again. His thoughts were mostly on Atticus nowadays, weren’t they? Not for any particular reason, of course, so he thinks.
Nevertheless, seeing someone like Atticus visibly ease up, not trying to cover up or put up that mask around him. He lets Giacomo know he’s troubled. Atticus wouldn’t willingly do that unless he was completely defeated or completely trusted someone. And Atticus let it be known now that Giacomo was one of those trusted few. It gave the ravenette butterfrees in his stomach- that someone so closed off chose to trust him and open.
Atticus wasn’t sure when Giacomo was also on his back next to him, hands resting behind his head as the two trainers and the Frogadier lay still in silence. Atticus wasn’t even sure when he removed his arm from his eyes and felt his face flush when he glanced over to his side and immediately snapped his gaze back up at the sky when spotting his close friend joining him and not prying.
It was the strangest feeling, wasn’t it? Something crawling around in his chest, making it tighten and ache when he was around the aspiring DJ. Frogadier no doubt sensed it about him a long while ago. Pokémon and trainer tease and fuss about it in private. Frogadier picks fun, but it was always light hearted. Frogadier has seen Giacomo more than the other friends of Atticus. The two of them would meet in one or the other’s dorm, just the two of them and no one else. Sometimes just to sit and be in each other’s presence. Safe to say, Frogadier could tell something was up, so could every other pokémon. They were observant creatures like that.
And for awhile, it was comfortable.
But Frogadier sensed unease from his trainer. Giacomo continued to stare at the sky with a wondering expression, lips pursed. Atticus was gripping his hands together, digging his painted nails under the knuckles of the opposite set of fingers. He chewed on the inside of his lip and would shut his eyes tightly before opening them again.
“Gia?”
“Hm?”
“Does thou inquire that… that hatred still lingers in the minds of others for what we once were?”
Giacomo shrugged, lifting a brow, still staring at the sky, “Maybe? But that was so long ago. If they did, maybe they’re just being petty, ya know?” He paused for a moment, “or maybe they’re just minding their own business. I- don’t think I think about it all that much anymore. I’m just here to go to school now, ya know?”
Atticus hummed lowly. He heard a shuffle next to him but kept his gaze elsewhere.
“That’s what’s bothering you, ain’t it?”
Atticus made a face, opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out, so he closed it again and shrugged with a sigh.
It was silent for a few moments longer.
“How’s the new guy?”
Frogadier let out a rumble. Atticus inhaled sharply, the corner of his mouth pulling up ever so slightly.
“Supposedly making adjustments accordingly to their new terrain,”
“Yeah?” Giacomo scoffed, “ain’t from here, is it?”
“Jacq says not,”
“Figured- any ideas or suggestions from how they got here?”
Atticus turned his head to Frogadier, who was staring back at him with half lidded eyes and a frown. Unamused. Atticus let a chuckle rumble in his chest. He shifted a hand from its tight grasp on his other, lightly running his hand over the Frogadier’s forehead. It grumbled, but didn’t mind the reassuring touch.
“They’re adapting. Time is being given to them when thou is ready,”
He heard another scoff, followed by a soft chuckle. Frogadier let out a soft croak before turning back to the sky and closing its eyes. Atticus hummed and turned himself round, now lying on his side. It spooked him when he found Giacomo already lying on his side and was facing him the entire time. He felt his face warm and his heart start beating against his chest. The two boys were now face to face. Atticus felt his shoulders tense, but when Giacomo didn’t mention anything of it and continued to smile- his tension eased. His hand rested on the grass, one into a fist and near his chest and one with its palm facedown. Giacomo’s hand was palm up, so close to his own.
Atticus desired for that contact. But he wasn’t even sure if he could. His heart practically aches for it. He wasn’t sure if it was the same for the other. He doubted it… but he’d like to dream. Two boys left to their own devices and they chose to do nothing besides be in each other’s company. Giacomo could be with the others right now, but he chose to be with him. And something about that realization made Atticus’s heart flip. Frogadier let out a low croak, something glittering in its eye as it glanced to the side at his trainer, then back up at the sky. Amusement.
And for now, everything was ok.