Chapter Text
[ Ecruteak City ]
“I’m moving to Viridian City .”
Jeongin snaps his head up, pausing mid belly rub to the little Eevee kit that’s squirming in his hand. She’s already a tiny thing, but in Jeongin’s large hand, she looks, as Beomgyu would put it, ‘smol’. The Eevee squeaks and nips at his fingers, demanding more belly rubs, to which Jeongin, still slack-jawed, obliges while staring at his best friend Seungmin. “What did you just say?” he asks incredulously. “You’re moving?”
Seungmin nods, a shy smile on his lips and he fiddles with a ring on his left middle finger. Beomgyu, Jeongin’s other childhood friend and one of the five Gym Leaders of Vermillion City shares a look with Jeongin, telepathically communicating their disbelief at how shy and cute Seungmin is right now, when the older man seemingly wears a look of utter indifference all the time. “Yeah,” he confirms, his smile widening. “My boyfriend, Jongho, he’s… he’s a Trainer at the Viridian City Gym and we’ve been dating for a while, almost a year. We wanna take the next step so I’m gonna move to Viridian City.”
Boyfriend?
Seungmin had a serious boyfriend?
He remembers Seungmin mentioning a guy named Jongho a lot, but when pressed Seungmin would clam up and deflect, changing the subject so Jeongin never thought anything of it. He was a trainer at a Gym in the Kanto Region? That was… so far away. While Johto , their home region and Kanto were very closely connected - being the only regions that shared a Champion and a League - they spanned quite a lot of distance and travel was difficult, though trainers who had the necessary Pokémon could traverse longer distances for far cheaper than it would for normal folk. There was always talk of creating a trans-regional railway or something, but there was never anything coming of it, making travel between the regions a pain in the ass unless you were a Trainer with strong Pokémon with abilities like Fly.
This Jongho guy is a Trainer, and apparently he’s not just any Trainer, he was a Trainer at a Gym. That wasn’t a small position!
In order to challenge for the Indigo League Championship , Pokémon Trainers have to travel throughout the region and collect a badge from each of the eight Gyms - large buildings staffed by strong trainers that usually specialize in a specific Pokémon type - by solving a puzzle that spans the entire length of the building’s main floor and defeating the Gym’s Trainers before reaching the Gym’s Leader aka the Strongest Trainer as chosen by the Region’s Champion. Some of these puzzles are quite elaborate and difficult, others are more simple and are mere formalities and the real test comes from challenging the Trainers and Gym Leader with their team of Pokémon.
Ecruteak City , their hometown, is home to a Ghost-Type Gym, run by a man named Morty and staffed with five trainers that serve as tests of any hopefuls that hope to receive a badge and continue on their way throughout the Johto Region and challenge the Champion. The current Champion for both Kanto and Johto’s combined Indigo League is a man named Kim Hongjoong, and he has held the Championship for over ten years - it would be no small feat to challenge him, let alone defeat him.
A Gym in a City meant that it would attract tourists, Pokémon Trainers of all ages, skill levels and backgrounds, and anyone who worked at a Gym was looked upon quite favourably by not only the citizens in the City but around the Region. There was a level of respect and influence that came with the position of Gym Leader or Gym Trainer, and many aspired to be one or the other. Seungmin’s boyfriend is a trainer at Viridian City Gym? That’s the last Gym before challenging the Indigo League in Kanto’s route. That’s… pretty impressive.
Why is this the first time Jeongin’s hearing about this?
“Wait, boyfriend? Your long-distance one?” Beomgyu asks, blinking wide. Seungmin nods, a bright smile on his lips. “Jeez, I didn’t know it was that serious! Congrats, man! When’s the big move?”
“Ah, a little ways out yet,” Seungmin answers, rubbing the back of his neck. “I need to find a place first - Jongho’s living at the Gym with the others - and I need to get a job set up and all that; I don’t wanna move and not have anything there since my savings aren’t that great. But the decision has been made! It’s a huge weight off my shoulders. – Eh? Jeongin? Are you okay?”
Jeongin starts, guiltily hugging the Eevee to his chest as he’s been caught with a blank expression on his face that is steadily sliding into panic mode. “Ah, yeah – of course! That’s great news. But… we haven’t even met the guy yet. How do we know he’s good for you? Isn’t he supposed to meet the family first?”
There.
That sounded like something a friend would say and not a friend who is panicking about his friend’s major upheaval that will upend his own life and leave him alone forever in a small town.
One gold star for Yang Jeongin.
Seungmin rolls his eyes. “Whatever, Mom. – But that is a good point… I want Jongho to see Ecruteak City and our farming village. I know he’s passed through on his Trainer Journey but it’s not the same. Maybe I’ll bug him to come out while I get all the other stuff sorted out.”
“It’s decided then!” Beomgyu claps his hands together. “We’ll threaten the boyfriend! Sweet. I’ll give him the ‘if you hurt my best friend I’ll kick your ass so hard Giratina will have to boot you out of the Distortion World !’ talk. I’ve been wanting to do it since I saw Taehyun threaten his brother’s boyfriend.”
Jeongin stares at him, in complete disbelief at how quickly and easily Beomgyu’s been able to adapt and accept the situation. Then again, he moved away to Vermilion City a while ago; it doesn’t impact him nearly as much as it’s going to impact Jeongin. “What are you talking about? And aren’t you going back to Vermillion City soon?”
It’s hard to keep his souring mood under control; he thought Seungmin would be bitchless with him forever in Ecruteak City after Beomgyu left for good a half a year ago to take over the Gym with his four best friends. Jeongin thought they were best friends. He quickly shakes his head - no, he told himself he wouldn’t be bitter or petulant about Beomgyu’s move; it was a great opportunity and Beomgyu would be stupid not to take it.
He’d told himself at the time that it would be fine, because Seungmin was still living in Ecruteak despite going on trainer journeys every month or so. Things had been going well as Seungmin helped with his family’s farm - the best producers of Johto Apples in the region! - and even helped Ecruteak City’s Gym Leader, Morty from time to time whenever one of his trainers was out sick. Jeongin had thought that Seungmin would do something there! He seemed to be having a lot of fun at the Ecruteak City Gym and Morty loved him! There’s a lot of prestige to being a Trainer at a Gym!
What happened to their promise?
“We’re going to stay together forever!” Beomgyu said breathlessly, looking up at the sparkling sun as they stood at the apex of the Bell Tower’s rope puzzle - three of the youngest to ever complete it on their own power. No one was allowed to enter the tower period without the express permission of one of Ho-Oh’s Priests or the Emissary himself.
An Emissary was a chosen Representative that essentially was an extension of the God-class Pokémon, able to wield their power and be tied to them both in body and in spirit. For some of these Legendary Pokémon, their Emissary was merely a caretaker, a companion. For a God like Ho-Oh, his Emissary was an influential cultural figure that wielded considerable physical and societal power. Those chosen by the Emissary to help him or her were called their Priests - depending on the God and their Emissary, the Priests were also bound to the God and made to be immortal, but it was rare.
Only a select few could enter the Bell Tower itself and attempt the puzzle due to this requirement and even then, a staggering 90% of those admitted failed due to the physical and mental difficulty of doing so. Jeongin, Beomgyu and Seungmin did it when they were 16 years old and they had done it together.
The Sun temple, located behind the Bell Tower was gorgeous and hallowed, but nothing compared to the apex of the Bell Tower, known for the four giant golden bells that anchored each end of the rooftop. While a massive, ornate statue of Ho-Oh was the crown jewel of the Sun temple, able to be seen from afar, the rooftop temple had a power and gravitas that Jeongin remembered to this day. It also had a truly impressive golden perch that was fit for a God…he can still remember when High Priest Bang Chan told him that whenever Ho-Oh returned to Ecruteak, this is where he would sit.
“Forever?” Jeongin asked, frowning. “What if… something bad happens?”
Seungmin shook his head and held up the little rainbow feather that they had been given to commemorate the herculean task of reaching the top of the Tower. “We’re always going to be together,” he said. “We’re never going to be alone. I’m always gonna be with you, Jeongin. Beomgyu too.”
(You’re a damn liar, Kim Seungmin,) Jeongin thinks darkly. What good was a promise made to the Sun God when he was going across the region for dick?
No matter what Jeongin thinks, Seungmin is moving and Jeongin’s going to be alone. He’s never been alone; the three of them had been friends forever. Jeongin, Beomgyu and Seungmin had grown up in the immediate outskirts of Ecruteak City, having been born around the same time and in an older town like Ecruteak where the median age is skewing a bit older, it was a lifeline. Johto had a more old-town feel throughout the region, whereas Kanto was a bit more modern, more forward in terms of technology. Goldenrod City is an outlier, being bigger than even Saffron City and Celadon City in Kanto. It would be one thing if Seungmin and Beomgyu lived there - it wasn’t hard to take the train - but it was so much harder to get to Kanto and Seungmin would be going further east than even Beomgyu. They’d be closer to one another, but further away from Jeongin.
It almost feels like it’s on purpose.
“Yeah, but they don’t need all five of us at the Gym to take on Challengers,” Beomgyu answers, flopping back on the beanbag chair. “With the five of us there we can cycle off being the main challenge and the way the puzzles are set up it works no matter if all five are there or if there’s four or three or even two and one. It’s great!”
Seungmin smirks. “So you can slack off?”
Beomgyu eyes him. “Stop slandering my good name!”
“What do I need to do that for when you do it so well on your own?”
“RUDE.”
The Eevee in Jeongin’s palm squeaks and nuzzles against his hand and Jeongin is barely able to stop himself before saying, “well, just be glad he’s finally visiting us instead of following that model guy all over Vermillion City. His simp-itis is real embarrassing.”
“Oh I forgot about his crush on Lim Jimin,” Seungmin laughs, shoving Beomgyu who moans and covers his face in his hands. “Didn’t you follow him around and go to all his fashion shows last year? It was so obvious a fashion blog was documenting your travels.”
Jeongin laughs so hard he nearly falls out of his chair. “I forgot about that part!” he wheezes, barely avoiding Beomgyu’s kick. “But … I did hear that he’s thinking about moving to Vermilion City.”
At this, Beomgyu perks up. “Really?”
“No! Why would I know that?” Jeongin counters, this time falling off his chair when Beomgyu kicks it, tumbling to the ground with the Eevee safely in his arms. The Eevee finds this all incredible, making happy little sounds as she snuggles the blond boy. “You’re probably out of luck. I think he’s dating that singer guy. Bain, or whatever.”
“I refuse to believe you.”
Seungmin snorts and pushes himself up, scooping up the Eevee that’s jumped out of Jeongin’s hands, placing her on his shoulder. “Come on, losers. I wanna get a charm from old lady Lee’s shop. She makes really nice ones this time of year.”
Jeongin blinks. “For who?”
“For Jongho, who else?” Seungmin replies, petting Eevee’s little head. “Maybe we can get one for Beomgyu so he can stop being so chronically bitchless. But that might be magic that is too powerful for this mortal realm.”
“I hate you!” Beomgyu mutters, but there’s no bite in it, especially since Beomgyu’s the one who’s usually roasting them and he knows it. He reaches over and grabs Jeongin, hauling him up to his feet despite Jeongin’s groan. “Come on, I need you there to be chronically bitchless with me.”
Jeongin makes another loud whine, but gets to his feet. “Fine!” He agrees. “I wouldn’t have taken you for the traditional type, Min.”
Seungmin shrugs as he walks over to the front door, pulling on his sneakers and tying the laces with ease. “It’s customary to buy a charm for someone visiting Ecruteak for the first time,” he answers, “plus, I like talking to Old Lady Lee. She’s fun.”
Jeongin can’t argue with that; he’s spent many years talking with the old lady at her little charm shop, listening to her stories. It would certainly brighten his mood and maybe he can pawn off the Eevee that’s on Seungmin’s shoulder because she’s a goddamn traitor. He hasn’t seen her in a while, though, and the charm shop hasn’t been open. It’s a fifteen minute walk to Ecruteak City proper from Jeongin’s house, twenty if they dawdle - which they do, because Seungmin and Beomgyu get into it over Beomgyu trying to get Eevee’s attention and failing miserably.
Ignoring the blossoming drama between one of his best friends and his little furry daughter, Jeongin exhales sharply and looks on ahead towards the Bell Tower which stands proudly in the near distance and the scaffolding and framework right beside it that will soon be the Brass Tower. It’s been years, long before Jeongin was born that the Brass Tower burned down, supposedly the tower that belonged to the Sea God, Lugia. Jeongin never thought too much about it until he began to see a strange, handsome man with silvery blue robes and kind eyes frequent the town and was told by one of the older residents that the man is Namjoon, aka Suijin, the Emissary of Lugia. His appearance had been the biggest news that hit the town in some time, until there was a fire in the Bell Tower, home of Ho-Oh and his Emissary, the Indigo League Champion, Hongjoong.
A lot happened in a very short amount of time, and Jeongin still can’t believe that it was happening in Ecruteak. It was a city that was permanently in the autumn season, with temperate weather and an eternal hue of golds, browns and reds. It was supposed to be that the most activity would be trainers coming to the city to challenge the Gym Leader, not for the Gods to be fucking around in his peaceful hometown. “I can’t believe the Bell Tower nearly burned down,” Jeongin comments, breaking up Seungmin and Beomgyu’s bickering.
Beomgyu blinks at the sudden shift in conversation, but soon nods. “Yeah,” he agrees. “I heard about it through the grapevine… did you guys ever figure out what happened?”
“Someone tried to assassinate Champion Hongjoong,” Seungmin answers, and both Jeongin and Beomgyu jump, startled. “I was talking to Gym Leader Morty about it,” he clarifies. “I don’t know anything other than that, though.”
Jeongin stares. “Who would be stupid enough to try and kill a demigod?”
The idea seemed positively batshit to him. No matter what anybody thought about Pokémon Gods and their place in the world, there was no denying that the Gods and their chosen representatives were not to be messed with, particularly one as powerful and as culturally significant as Ho-Oh. His Emissary, Hongjoong, has been the Champion for over ten years and he’s been Ho-Oh’s Emissary for even longer, making him an important figure not only in Johto and Kanto, but in the World. Thousands of people travel to Ecruteak City in the summer to pray at the main temple beside the Bell Tower for Ho-Oh’s blessing, and Jeongin’s been one of them.
Then again… if there’s anybody with any sort of standing and influence, there’s going to be people who want them removed. Honestly, now that he thinks about it, people who don’t want the Pokémon Gods involved in the lives of people could conceivably feel like they could ‘remove’ the ‘problem’ of the Gods’ Emissary as they were the Gods’ tangible connection to the world. But … it didn’t look like it worked, and Jeongin wonders what the fury of a demigod would look like considering that Champion Hongjoong has one of the most carefully crafted personas in the world. Any time that Jeongin has seen him, Hongjoong has been personable and kind. But who was he, really?
His heart aches as thinks about the near loss of the Bell Tower, reaching up and touching the token that sits around his neck on a chain, a memento of their successful trip up the Bell Tower that is now a necklace that he doesn’t take off. Beomgyu and Seungmin also have made the token into a necklace, and Jeongin’s heart soars every time he sees them - they achieved something wonderful together.
“Who knows,” Seungmin answers, shrugging. “But I haven’t seen construction begin and be completed so quickly - perks of being Emissary and Champion, I guess.” Eevee squeaks and licks his cheek.
“You’re a little traitor,” Jeongin says to the Eevee, who squeaks happily and nuzzles against Seungmin, looking back at Jeongin with a smug little look on her little face. “Why you little–” He grunts as he suddenly walks smack into Beomgyu’s back, as the older man has suddenly stopped short in the middle of the street. “Gyu! What the hell?”
Beomgyu points. “Old Lady Lee turned into a hot guy!”
“What the hell are you…” Jeongin trails off as he moves out from behind his friend, stopping short as he sees that instead of Old Lady Lee in her traditional clothing at the little Charm Shop, there’s a handsome young man a bit older than Jeongin with sharp, almost feline features in a lovely, sapphire blue and white traditional Ecruteakean outfit. “Well that’s definitely not Old Lady Lee.”
Seungmin rolls his eyes. “Nothing gets by you geniuses. Come on.” He heads off ahead, making sure that the Eevee on his shoulder is safe as he reaches the front of the shop/stall. “Good Afternoon,” he greets.
The man doesn’t respond, his eyes trained on the Eevee on Seungmin’s shoulder. “She’s so small,” he says abruptly.
Blinking, Seungmin nods and lightly taps the little Pokémon’s nose. “Yeah, she was the runt of a recent litter; we’re taking care of her until she gets a bit bigger. Jeongin, what did you name this one?”
Startled to be brought into the conversation when he’s been busy staring at the handsome man, Jeongin looks caught. “Ah, I named her Pipi.” The man’s handsome face looks surprised before he collapses into a fit of giggles, hunching over the display for his charms. It’s a wholly inelegant laugh, but it’s one that’s strangely endearing and heat rises to Jeongin’s face, as his shoulders hunch up to his ears. “What?!”
“Oh, sorry, I must have misheard,” the man says, though the barely-restrained look on his face tells a different story. “Are you trainers, passing through?”
Seungmin shakes his head. “No, we live here. Well, Jeongin and I do. Beomgyu lives in Vermilion City.” He makes a little ‘whoa, we got a badass over here’ gesture with his hands, and the man laughs again, causing Seungmin to blush. “Are you covering for Old Lady Lee?”
The man looks surprised, then his expression changes, and a small smile creases his lips. “Something like that,” he agrees. “My name is Minho. It’s nice to meet you, Pipi, Beomgyu and Jeongin. Sorry - I didn’t catch your name.”
“Oh, sorry; I’m Seungmin,” Seungmin says, scratching Eevee’s chin.
Beomgyu pokes his head in, hanging off Seungmin and barely noticing when Pipi jumps onto his head, burrowing into his shaggy brown hair. “These are pretty cool, did you make these?” he asks, blinking owlishly.
Minho nods. “Yes, they’re my first attempts so they’re discounted a bit. I wouldn’t feel right selling them for full price when they’re not perfect.”
Quietly, Jeongin picks up one of the temple charms, admiring the stitching on the patterned fabric, a small smile coming to his lips as he runs his thumb over the ornate bow that ties the charm’s pouch-like opening together. It feels solid, different to Old Lady Lee’s charms, but still pretty, definitely more modern with a fun flair. Jeongin’s eyes trail down towards the rest of the charms, and a pattern slowly forms in his thoughts. “They look really pretty,” he reiterates, echoing Beomgyu’s earlier assessment. “They’re coloured after different Pokémon, aren’t they?”
The smile that graces Minho’s lips opens up his whole face, and Jeongin blushes darkly, busying himself with a pair of charms that have the same colour of Eevees - cream and brown. “Yeah, that’s right,” Minho confirms. “These ones are supposed to be Ho-Oh and Lugia coloured, and these ones are just from Pokémon I like, such as Skitty, and ones that are pretty popular, like Pikachu .”
“Aw, this one is Raichu coloured! Tae would love it,” Beomgyu says, a soft smile coming to his lips as he looks at the charm in the warm rays of the sun. “She’s so fat and cute. I love her.”
“Don’t call her fat,” Jeongin chastises.
“Fine, she’s fluffy,” Beomgyu replies, nose turned up, “she’s adorable no matter what her size and she knows that and I know that.”
Seungmin rolls his eyes but there’s a smile on his lips as he picks up the pair of Charms he wants to share with Jongho, Beomgyu and Jeongin following suit. And if Jeongin’s fingers brush against Minho’s a little bit longer than anticipated, then that’s no one’s business but his own. They bid goodbye to Minho, allowing him to pet Pipi - who also falls in love with him, the little traitor - and the trio begin the walk back to the Yang family estate. “I don’t know what he’s talking about,” Seungmin says, “these charms are really cute.”
“Maybe he doesn’t think they’re as good as the old lady’s?” Beomgyu asks, scratching his cheek. “She’d been making them for years, right? You can’t get that good overnight. He seems new… I think he might be from Goldenrod.”
Jeongin blinks. “How can you tell?”
Beomgyu grins. “His accent. It’s so obvious; can’t you tell?”
“He was too busy staring holes into his head,” Seungmin snickers. “Did you fall in love at first sight or something?”
“Get bent!” Jeongin snaps, flustered. “No, I was trying to figure out if I’d seen him somewhere before!”
A positively feral look crosses both Seungmin and Beomgyu’s faces. “Is it because he’s been running through your head all day?” Beomgyu asks, barely able to keep his shit together. “Were you dreaming of him?”
“No!” Jeongin groans, clawing at his face. “ Arceus above, I wish you two would get your brains eaten by a Gengar or something! No, they’d probably starve because there’s nothing in there!”
“Aww, Imie!” Beomgyu coos, throwing his hands around Jeongin. “I love you!”
“I don’t love you!”
“Pipi does!”
“Vee!”
“Pipi is a TRAITOR.”
“Vee.”
“See! She admits it!”
🍁⛩️🍁
Jeongin sighs heavily and wipes his brow, adjusting the brim of his baseball cap. He reaches around to reach for his can of sunscreen, spraying another layer of protection on his sweat-slicked body. It’s hard work, maintaining the farm in addition to the Eevee pen where their little babies run around and raise their numbers, but Jeongin loves it. He loves seeing an empty plot of land be filled with vegetables and the bushes filled with berries for poffins. Their berry plots are engineered for the best values in order to give their Eevee the best chance when they are released into the wild.
The Yang Family have been farmers for generations, and only within the last two or three generations have they turned towards Eevee conservation. They were approached by the Indigo League and Professor Elm , who in exchange for agreeing to help, would give the family support and protection in this bid to increase the numbers of the rapidly dwindling Eevee population. People would hunt and capture them for their fur, for pets that they couldn’t take care of and later abandon when they evolved into something they didn’t want, or worse, by fringe researchers trying to use the Eevee’s ‘unstable’ genetic code to figure out the secrets of life.
It was honest work and Jeongin liked to think he was helping make a difference in the world. His family works closely with a family in Kanto, the Chois, to ensure that they aren’t releasing too many Eevee in the same area and coordinating best practice efforts. Before he became Viridian City Gym Leader, Jeongin knew Choi San very well, as the youngest son in the Choi Family was always going this way and that on his travels. San is a lot like Beomgyu - outgoing and funny, but he was quiet and thoughtful as well, which Jeongin appreciated. He was also one of the few trainers that had a competitive team of just Eeveelutions. Most that went into the competitive stream didn’t use Eeveelutions, instead opting for harder hitting and sturdier Pokémon. Eevees had high utility and required strong technique and cunning but they were a lot like glass cannons - it didn’t take much to take them down.
Jeongin had thought about having a full team of Eeveelutions himself, but he never quite picked up the aptitude required nor did he want to be in competitions. He has his Trainer’s Licence which allows him access to Pokémon Centres and PokéMarts , which has come in immeasurably handy when it comes to their Eevees’ health. He has, however, amassed a small team of Pokémon that Seungmin jokes look a little too much like their Trainer: a Zorua , a Ninetales , a Nickit , and a Fennekin . The Ninetales had actually been with him the longest, and Jeongin remembers meeting her as a Vulpix - he had mistakenly thought she was one of the Messengers of Emissary Hongjoong, but she was, in fact, a wild Vulpix that wouldn’t stop following him around. When Beomgyu and Seungmin went on their Pokémon journeys, they’d bring back a Fox Pokémon for Jeongin - that’s how he got the Zorua, the Nickit and the Fennekin.
They’d spend hours debating whether or not Eevees could be considered ‘fox-like’ Pokémon, and Jeongin stubbornly insisted they weren’t foxes, they were Eevees. Jeongin’s heart clenches in his chest; those times are going to be few and far between now. At least with Beomgyu in Vermilion City, Seungmin was here and the two of them would keep each other company while video-calling with Beomgyu. But now… Seungmin is going to Viridian City, and they’ll be able to see each other more but Jeongin’s going to be all the way on the eastern side of the Region, in a hella rural town that could barely be called a city.
/Imie, Imie!/
/Imimimimimie!/
/Wake up, wake up!/
Startled out of his thoughts, Jeongin looks down at the gaggle of Eevee that are swirling around his ankles, all of them chattering at different levels of coherency. One of the many reasons that the League and Professor Elm sought out the Yangs was their ability to speak to Pokémon and understand them. Jeongin’s ability was a lot stronger than that of his mother and father, and even his grandparents. He could understand the Eevees when they were as young as kits, and spent the majority of his time teaching them how to understand human body language and the different cues so they could keep themselves safe.
“What? What are you all so hyper for?” Jeongin asks, slipping his sunscreen back onto his belt.
/We met a new friend!/ one of the older Eevee says, running around him in a circle. /New friend, new friend!/
/New friend, new friend!/ the other Eevee chant, and if Jeongin wasn’t so dehydrated, he’d think he was witnessing a cult form right in front of his eyes.
“...A new friend?” he asks cautiously. He braces the hoe up against a nearby tree and takes off his gloves, tucking them into his back pocket before plopping down on the grass and letting the Eevee scurry around him. “What do you mean a new friend?”
They continue to chant about a ‘new friend’ for a little while longer before Jeongin sighs and pulls one of them up out of the pile, poking his nose. “Hey,” he says, huffing. “I’m talking to you. What do you mean you met a new friend?”
The Eevee squeaks and kisses his finger, making Jeongin’s heart melt. /We have a new friend! They’re really nice and really weird./
“Wait, weird? Weird how?”
/I dunno! They talk funny. But they made really yummy poffins! I tasted them to make sure they weren’t poisonous!/
Jeongin raises an eyebrow and smirks, rubbing the Eevee’s tummy and getting a squeak of surprise in return. “Didn’t I teach you not to take Poffins from strangers?? Did you all take one from him?”
/Yep!/
/They were so good!/
/Can we go back? Maybe he’s still there!/
“Oh Arceus, not an ounce of self-preservation amongst any of you,” Jeongin groans, reaching down and setting the Eevee on the ground, ruffling the fur of every single Eevee he could get his hands on. “What if they were trying to steal you!?”
One of the Eevee huffs. /You worry so much! He was super nice!/
/And he’s weird, like you!/
“Oi, what do you mean like me?”
/Imie is super weird!/ giggles one of the baby Eevee, rolling around in the dirt, ruining his clean fur. /Weirdo, weirdo!/
“Oi! Can you just tell me what you saw, or what?”
/He gave us food, what more do you want to know?/
“Literally anything?!”
“Are they bullying you again? You know you’re older.”
Startled, Jeongin whips his head around and sighs, seeing Beomgyu walk over, hands in his pockets and shaggy hair tied up in a loose bun. He’s got a little bag with a handmade stamp on the front, wrapped around his wrist with cute red rope and dangling gold thread. “Shut up,” Jeongin mutters. “Where were you? Did you go into town?”
Beomgyu nods, sitting down beside him. “I figured I’d go and get charms for the other guys and Lt. Surge ,” he explains, setting the bag down gently. “It was such a shit-show, though, the shop was swamped.”
“Huh? The shop was?” Jeongin asks, blinking. “Was there something going on at the Bell Tower or the Sun Temple? Usually when Emissary Hongjoong is doing a ceremony or something a lot of people come in.” He curses under his breath, “if he did, that’s a missed chance to go in and sell vegetables and berries at the market.”
His friend shakes his head as he carefully opens his bag, unbothered by the Eevee climbing all over him as they try and get his attention. Beomgyu takes out the charms, which are all different colours and Jeongin smiles, seeing that his friend has picked up charms that closely resemble his friends’ ace Pokémon. “Not a ceremony or festival or anything,” Beomgyu says, carefully loading the charms back into the bag, “but I did see Emissary Hongjoong talking to the charm shop guy.”
“Minho?”
“Yeah, him.”
Jeongin blinks. “Emissary Hongjoong was buying temple charms?” What would an Emissary need with run-of-the-mill temple charms? He was the person that people were praying to! Was it some kind of ego thing?
At first, Beomgyu doesn’t answer, seemingly waiting for something as he snatches up as many Eevee as he can, growling playfully and snuggling them all aggressively. They squeak and squirm around, trying to get one up on the Gym Leader. “Seems like it,” he finally answers, “actually, no, wait, he was making a request for a custom pair.”
“Minho takes custom orders?” Jeongin asks, peering at Beomgyu curiously. “I didn’t know you could do that.”
Beomgyu grins. “Well, neither you nor me are Emissary Hongjoong, so we don’t get preferential treatment because we’re plebs. It was hard to eavesdrop but it sounds like it’s for him and his boyfriend. Husband? I think he used the word soulmate.”
Jeongin stares at him. “You’re making that up.”
“Shut your whore mouth, I do not lie,” Beomgyu says, huffing. “Emissary Hongjoong had like, fucking stars in his eyes and he was talking about some guy named Seonghwa. Minho said he’d make the charms but it’d take a little while and Emissary Hongjoong paid him, like, upfront and it was a lot of cash.”
The older of the two - by like a month as Beomgyu would consistently point out - opens and closes his mouth a few times before shaking his head. “I don’t know why I thought Emissaries didn’t get into relationships, I thought they had to be, like, pure or something.”
Beomgyu shrugs. “The immortality thing seems like more of a deal breaker. But whatever – oh my god, what do you all want?!” he demands of the Eevees who keep nattering at him.
Jeongin sighs. “They’re saying they made a friend at some point and that he fed them poffins. I’m pretty sure they’re making it up as they’re not telling me anything else.” He picks up another one of the Eevee, one of the smaller ones, by the scruff of his neck and eyes him. “What did he look like?”
The Eevee blinks at him. /Like a human?/
“By Arceus,” Jeongin sighs. “Have I taught you all nothing?”
Beomgyu raises an eyebrow. “Why does it matter? Are all of them accounted for?”
“Yeah, but that’s not the point!”
“That’s entirely the point.”
“They might be casing the joint.”
“What joint???”
“This joint!”
“This is a farm and an Eevee Sanctuary, this is not a joint. Did you smoke one?”
“Ugh! Something weird is going on here.”
Beomgyu rolls his eyes. “You’re weird and they’re weird just like you because you’ve infected them with your weirdness. I don’t think there’s anything going on here. Maybe you should take a break and, like, get a hobby or something, like something outside of work. Volunteer at the Tea House or learn traditional dance from the Kimono Girls .”
Jeongin fights the urge to roll his own eyes and shakes his head. “Don’t talk to me like I’m some kind of weird empty nester!” he protests. “And I’m going to find out what’s going on here! The Eevee clearly don’t understand ‘don’t talk to strangers’ so I’m going to have to get to the bottom of this.”
“I am begging you to get a hobby.”
“And I am begging you to realize that you’re in love with Taehyun.”
“What?!”
“Nothing.”
With a side-eye worthy of the reigning Supreme Pokemon Contest Champion Hwang Hyunjin, Beomgyu snorts. “I promise you that no one is trying to steal your Eevee. When was the last time someone was stupid enough to do that?”
Jeongin eyes him. “We have to stay vigilant because the second we don’t, then someone is going to try something! Look at the Bell Tower! It’s one of the most sacred sites in Johto and someone went in there and tried to kill Emissary Hongjoong!”
“By Arceus, you’ve lost your mind. Come on, I’ll help you with the field before sundown. Maybe I should take you with me back to Vermillion so you can talk to actual people and not Eevee.”
With a grunt, Jeongin lets Beomgyu pull him up to his feet, and yanks out his farming gloves. “Fine,” he grumbles. “But I’m right about this.”
“You aren’t, weirdo.”
/Weirdo, weirdo!/
“All of you be quiet! No more talking to strangers, got it?”
/’Kaaaay!/