Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Just make sure you get home safely, okay? I saw on the news today that there've been some disturbances -" Glenn's sentence was cut off by the phone slipping out from between Atlas' ear and shoulder.

"Awe, damn it," he muttered as he stopped fiddling with the bike lock. He quickly picked the phone back up to hear Glenn still worrying on the other side about a Bewear sighting he saw on the news. "Yeah, don't worry! I'm staying on the cycling streets for the most part anyway, and aside from that, you know I'll have Yanmega here by my side to keep me safe." Hearing it's name, Yanmega glanced over at him lazily from the railing he was perched on. The setting afternoon sun was still burning brightly enough to keep him warm. He looked a little sleepy.

"I know, I know, it's just...." Glenn's deep voice sighed again on the other end of the line. He started to finish his sentence before he was cut off again with a chuckle from Atlas.

"You worry about me, I know." He grinned like an idiot as he wound up his bike chain and put it away in his backpack. "You don't have to worry so much though! How many times have I made this trip?"

"At least a hundred. And normally I wouldn't be as worried, but with all of the disturbed Pokemon lately... I just don't want anything to happen to you!" Glenn's voice got a bit softer then. "You're the only you I have!"

Atlas blushed, hopping on his bike. "I know. And I'm going to make sure I'm still here in one piece for you, every time." He stuffed his backpack in the basket on his bike, and motioned for Yanmega to come take a seat on top of it. "A- Anyway, I'm heading out now. I'll text you as soon as I get home, okay?" He couldn't keep himself from giving a lopsided grin. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, bye," Atlas laughed to himself again as he hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket. He let out a brief grunt as he started to pedal away from the courtyard and up the hill, toward the cycling road that hugged the forest.

I'm so lucky to have such a loving boyfriend, he thought to himself as he felt the wind rush through his hair. Maybe I should pick up a gift for him for when I see him again on Wednesday...

He drifted off into a quiet contemplation, pedaling absentmindedly as he thought up cute gift ideas.

Maybe a new pair of gloves?

Glenn was always complaining how rough his hands were from flower maintenance, and how uncomfortable they must be whenever they held hands. Not that Atlas paid any mind to that, of course, but he considered that it might have been a hint for a present. Yanmega clutched onto his backpack, letting his wings flutter in the wind behind him. The sun continued to set to the right of them, casting the shadows of the trees ever nearer, and the sounds of Taillow and Kricketot song filled the evening air with a pleasant melody. Every so often, another cyclist would pass by and give him a cheerful wave. It never hurts to be friendly to a pro, after all. To his left, the shimmering waves of the sea made gentle swishing noises as they lapped against the shore.

Wait a minute. Where am I?

He skidded to a halt, his thoughts of Glenn's uniquely floral musk stuttering out of existence as he suddenly became aware of his surroundings. He was no longer on the seaside cycling road. At some point he must have branched off onto a beaten path, leading into the forest and through the tall grass, considering he was now in a small clearing surrounded by trees on all sides. The sun was on its last shreds of twilight now, and the buzz of Volbeat and murmurings of Caterpie were faint in his ears. His Yanmega woke from his basket nap, and blearily took note of his surroundings.

"Sorry, pal. I must have stopped paying attention to where I was going." He let out a soft, resigned chuckle as he turned the bike around to head back out onto the main road... but there was no clear path back. He cursed under his breath. "I guess we're lost now, huh?"

Yanmega fluttered up into the air and scanned the area, letting out a brief chirp. He turned back to look at Atlas, letting out an assertive buzz that he could only interpret to mean something along the lines of, 'Stay here', then he shot up into the air high above the trees and disappeared from sight.

Atlas sighed and popped out his kickstand before stepping off his bike. He opened his backpack to quickly survey its contents. "Let's see here... I've got a couple of berries, my phone charger - not that it does me any good here - an antidote, some bandaids... Half a granola bar..." He zipped the bag back up with an uneasy puff of his cheeks. "I guess it's a good thing I ate before I left." Straightening back up, he dusted off his shorts and placed his hands on his hips. "Well! I can't be too lost. It won't be long before I'm back on the road and on my way home." He beamed with false bravado and surveyed the area while he waited for Yanmega to return. "I wonder if he's found the way out yet? It shouldn't be too long n-"

Snap.

Snap.

The sound of crunching twigs and leaves startled him into silence. He quickly glanced around the small clearing he had ended up in, looking for any sign of danger. Whatever it was making that noise, it was something heavy.

Atlas reached for the minimized Pokeballs on his belt. His partner may be out scouting up in the air, but he still had a few other friends to rely on in case things got hairy. His thumb traced around the button of Parasect's ball - and then he hesitated. If this unknown creature drawing near was a potential threat, he didn't want to alert its attention by calling out a Pokemon. He decided to wait, guarded in silence and ready to take action.

Crunch. Snap.

Snap. Crunch.

Snap.

The sound grew nearer and more frequent. Whatever it was, it was definitely coming closer. As he strained his eyes, looking through the dusky light between the trees, he suddenly recalled Glenn's worried warnings earlier about the disturbed wild Pokemon. It was a phenomenon that had been occurring with much more frequency lately. Wild Pokemon were suddenly starting to act strangely.

Aggressive to humans, he thought.

It was unusual for wild Pokemon to outright attack people. For the most part, they coexisted in peace, only battling for sport.

I guess things are different these days...

Palms starting to sweat, he tightened his grip on Parasect's ball and maximized it, all the while straining to see. 

I can't see anything out there-

Wait.

The crunching footsteps were very close now, and he realized they were coming from behind him. He spun around quickly and looked up to see a giant, dark brown form towering over him.

Ursaring.

"Parasect, go!" He leapt backward as he launched the ball into the air, and it burst into a flash of red light as a large insectoid form took shape.

"Praaaaaaaas!" The bug screeched as she clicked her pincers in as menacing a fashion she could muster. She adopted a defensive stance between her trainer and the monster looming over them. 

The Ursaring let out a deafening roar. It had a dark look in its dead, black eyes. They seemed unfocused and blind, as if it were hellbent on fighting the first thing it came across. This thing was clearly not in its right state of mind. It lunged forward and swung one of its giant paws down toward Parasect Its claws raked uselessly against the tall grass as Parasect skittered out of the way. Many runs with Atlas in preparation for a marathon had made her much faster than her bulky frame would imply.

Parasect dug her claws into the ground for support as the giant mushroom on her back swelled and exploded in a cloud of golden spores. She didn't hesitate or wait for Atlas to direct her - this wasn't a normal battle after all, and she had fought alongside him for long enough to have a general idea of what action he would want her to take against a wild Pokemon. Hurriedly, she scuttled toward the Ursaring and nipped at its feet with her pincers, before taking a few steps backward and away from her trainer.

Atlas registered that she was trying to lure the Ursaring away from him and to capture its attention for enough time to get away. He was glad she seemed to have the same idea he did; he didn't want the battle to drag on for too long, as he couldn't tell how powerful the Ursaring was or even if it would stop fighting after knocking Parasect out. He scanned the area looking for an escape route. The general direction that he had come from was blocked by the battling Pokemon, and the small clearing only branched out into smaller pathways covered in brush and tall grass that would tangle in his spokes. I can't just leave Yanmega behind either, he thought to himself.

The Ursaring let out a horrible hacking cough as the spores clung to its fur and face. It turned toward Parasect and pawed frantically at its nose, trying to wipe away the spores, but it was too late. The spores began to create static against its fur and its movements became slower as the paralysis set in, locking its joints and muscles into place. It gave a muffled snarl in a fit of rage and glared down at Parasect.

Parasect shivered but stood her ground in front of the Ursaring. She paused for the moment, seemingly weighing her options, before quickly burrowing into the ground. The Ursaring adopted a defensive stance, its legs unable to carry it away from the spot Parasect was undoubtedly going to strike.

Atlas took the opportunity to maximize another Pokeball. "Go, Illumise!" He tossed the ball as high into the air as he could, and it exploded into a shower of sparks as another of his faithful Pokemon materialized into the space above them.

"Miss!" the firefly hovered in the space expectantly, awaiting Atlas' orders.

"Fly up into the sky above us! Yanmega went looking for a path back to the road. I need you to go and bring him back!" With that, Atlas flung his backpack over his shoulder and popped up the kickstand on his bike. He had to be ready to get away at a moments notice. Illumise gave him a determined salute and shot up into the sky.

As the firefly took off, Parasect burst out from the ground directly under the Ursaring. She rocketed into the bear's stomach, digging her sharp claws into its fur and causing it to fall onto its back. As it fell, it raked its own claws against her underside and flung her off it. It then laid on the ground in a staticking heap.

Atlas ran over to Parasect and helped her upright. "You did great, Parasect. Thank you." He pressed her Pokeball onto her back, recalling her. With an eye on the fallen Ursaring, he quickly returned to his bike. There was nothing he could do now but wait for his remaining Pokemon to return.

The Ursaring struggled to get up and glared at him once more. It almost looked hungry. He wasn't sure how long the paralysis would hold, but he had a clear shot past it for now back in the general direction he came. He would have to trust Yanmega to guide him back to the road quickly, before it could charge after them. Any minute now...

He bit his lip and considered pulling out his phone. What if the worst happened - not that he would have service anyway - and Glen was left waiting for possibly days without knowing? He would call the police tomorrow morning if I didn't text him first, he thought with a low, dread filled laugh. His hand twitched to his pocket as the Ursaring slowly began to crawl to him, its joints beginning to free up and its movements becoming more fluid yet again. The panicked thoughts filling his head only became louder and more frequent. I'm never going to see Glen again, I'm going to get lost in the woods with more potentially hostile Pokemon, stranded from my own team, unless this Ursaring kills me first-

He hopped onto his bike and tensed his legs, preparing himself to careen off into the forest and stopping at another place of safety - becoming even more lost without two of his Pokemon to guide him. The Ursaring was about six feet away now, digging its claws into the grass covered dirt. Each labored pull forward seemed to give it more determination to move, and the paralysis seemed to have less effect.

Five feet. He gripped the handlebars of his bike. He was running out of options now. Fight or flight? What could he do against such a powerful creature?

Four feet. The monster bared its teeth, glinting in the low light. Flight. Definitely flight.

Three feet.

Fuck.

And with that thought, as if summoned by his fear, Yanmega and Illumise shot into the clearing like rockets. Illumise was emitting a sweet scented powder from her wings, and the clearing became filled with the harsh sound of loud buzzing. A swarm of Volbeat came blinking into the space and hovered over the party in a shimmering cloud.

Yanmega took immediate action, landing on a tree branch and beating his wings violently, creating a concentrated wave of incredibly loud sound. The Volbeat followed suit and the harsh buzzing became an impenetrable static focused on the Ursaring. It let out a silent roar, deafened by the din created by the insects as it clawed at its ears and crumpled back down to the ground.

Covering one of his ears, Atlas used his free hand to reach out a Pokeball and tapped it against Yanmega, recalling him. "You've done great! Thank you!" With his return, the Volbeat quieted and settled into the trees. With an intense ringing in his ears, Atlas turned to Illumise and found himself nearly shouting at her. "Thank you! Can your friends help us out of the forest?"

With a pleased beep, she nodded and turned to the Volbeat. The light on her abdomen began to flicker rapidly, and the Volbeat all fluttered into the air. One after another, they formed a blinking line down into the forest. Illumise settled down into the basket on Atlas' bike.

Atlas glanced over at the shuddering Ursaring on the ground, barely able to take time to feel pity for it; his heart was still bursting with adrenaline though, and so he wasted no time in following the Volbeat out of the forest.

It wouldn't be until a solid forty minutes later, when he was back on the calm cycling road that he would feel somewhat calm again. As he pedaled, he listened to the sounds of the waves crashing on the lake, and he thought about the look in the Ursaring's eyes as it attacked him. Those were not the eyes of a normal Pokemon. He had never seen a look like that before, not even on an agitated Pokemon defending its young or territory. Those Pokemon had a burning life in their eyes, a reason for fighting. That Ursaring... simply did not. That look haunted him for the rest of his journey home, until he locked his bike up on the patio outside of his apartment and walked inside.

Ring, ring.

Ring, ring.

"Hello? Atlas?" Glenn's deep voice answered the phone, sounding groggy with sleep. "I was just about to fall asleep! What took you so long, Slowpoke?"

Atlas took a moment to answer, wondering if he should burden his partner with the events of the evening. He let out a light-hearted laugh instead. "I know, sorry! I decided to take a break on the way back and play in the lake with the Surskit. You know how I am."

He paused again. "I should have called. I didn't want to worry you."

It was a few seconds before Glenn responded, his sleepy voice sounding heavy and labored. "That's okay...! I figured it was something like that. I wasn't worried, for once."

Atlas could hear the smile in his voice and he couldn't help but smile as well. "I'll let you get some rest. I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Of course. I love you."

"...I love you too."

"Good night, Atlas," Glenn slurred.

"Good night, Glenn." Atlas hung up the phone and went to get ready for bed. He let out his Pokemon and watched them snuggle up into their beds, and went to go brush his teeth. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw a small cut on his cheek that he hadn't noticed before. I guess I got that earlier...

As he turned out the lights and crawled into bed, the only image that flashed into his mind was that of the soulless look in the Ursaring's eyes.

He couldn't help but shiver.

Chapter Text

Atlas let out a cry as the soapy water suddenly splashed out against his face.

"Parasect! Stay still and let me wash you!"

He chuckled to himself as he dried off his face with the edge of his sleeve.  Parasect continued to shake off the suds coating the growth on her back as Atlas futilely attempted to work up a lather with his brush. It seemed like every time he made progress washing the dirt off of her back, she found some way to get even more on the side facing away from him.

"Now hold still! The easier you make this for me, the sooner it will be over for the-"

 Atlas stopped abruptly as the insect knocked over his bucket of bubbles. "Well, now you're just being difficult," he pouted somewhat lamely. Parasect shook off the water with a shrug and ambled slowly across the grass toward Glenn, who was jogging over from the far side of his Gym.

"Need a hand?" he called out, beaming from ear to ear. As was the norm for him, he was wearing his standard athletic uniform and was carrying a soccer ball under one arm. He had some dirt and grass stains on his knees, and his shirt was half untucked from his shorts. "From the looks of it, she's been the one giving you a bath, Atlas!"

Running his free hand through his cranberry-coloured hair, he let the ball drop to the ground and looked down at the insect making her way toward him. He knelt down and extended an open palm out to her and let her rub her face against it.

Atlas righted the bucket and dried his palms on his shorts. "From where I'm sitting, it looks like you need a bath more than either of us. Were you playing soccer with your team or were you rolling around in the dirt?" He couldn't help but let a goofy grin flash across his face at the mental image of his boyfriend playing around with his Pokemon in the mulch and grass on the floor of his Gym.

Glenn smirked. "Why can't it be a bit of both? Sometimes you've just got to have a bit of a tussle in the dirt," he said, patting Parasect and giving her a scritch under her mandibles, "Isn't that right, old girl?" Parasect gave an affirming chirp, and then turned to waddle away, seemingly losing interest in pets.

Glenn straightened back up and made his way over to Atlas, holding out his hand to help him up. "Thanks for waiting around for me. I didn't expect this morning's game to go on for so long! That new kid is really something on the field."

Atlas raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that so?" He ran his fingers over the back of Glenn's hand, feeling the warmth and texture of his skin. "This is that new Gym member, right?" He let his mind wander and drift to memories of holding hands with Glenn for the first few times, each time finding himself surprised at how soft and gentle his touch was, in a sharp contrast to the calloused surface of his palms and his firm, steady grip.

"Yep! A rookie looking to make a name for themself in the upcoming challenges," Glenn responded. "I figured I'd take them on, considering we share a type specialty." He pulled Atlas closer as he spoke and went to embrace him before suddenly stopping and wrinkling his nose in dismay.

"Oh, you're all wet! I forgot." With his free hand, Glenn pulled off the towel draped around his shoulders and wrapped it around Atlas, then brought him in close.

"I missed you," he sighed contentedly. Atlas sunk into his embrace and took in Glenn's unique earthy scent, blushing heavily. Even now, he found himself unused to such intimate contact.

"I missed you too," he muttered into Glenn's ear.

They held each other for a moment longer, taking comfort in the embrace, before they returned to the present and noticed that someone else had arrived on the scene.

It was a short, slender girl in her late teens, dressed in the uniform of Glenn's Gym. She cleared her throat awkwardly and produced an envelope from a folder she was carrying. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Captain, but this was dropped off at the front for you." She handed the envelope over to Glenn, who looked as relaxed as ever.

"Don't worry about it," he said with an easy smile. He cast his eyes down at the envelope and then back at the girl. "Do you know who brought it, Jennifer?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Not waiting for an answer, he slid his thumb under the flap and tore the envelope open, revealing a folded sheet of pink paper. A pleasant scent drifted through the air.

"No, I didn't see their face, sorry. It sort of just appeared on the desk while my back was turned as I was setting up the challenge schedule for the week." She paused and looked quizzically at the letter. "Whoever it was must have had some pretty feminine tastes, though." She wrinkled her nose and then turned her attention back to the folder in her hands. "Well, I have some more paperwork to get to, so...."

She shifted uneasily. Glenn dismissed her with a lazy wave of his hand, already engrossed in the letter. "That's fine, thank you," he said, without taking his eyes off the paper. Jennifer smiled and nodded somewhat at Atlas before turning around and heading back the way she came. She looked a bit tired.

Atlas finished toweling himself dry and came up behind Glenn, snaking his arms around his waist. He let his chin rest on Glenn's shoulder, attempting to sneak a glance at it. It was written in a metallic gold script, difficult to make out. Jennifer was right, the sender was definitely someone effeminate.

"Well, what is it?" he inquired.

Glenn let out a dissatisfied grunt as he folded the letter back up and returned it to the envelope. "It's from Audrey," he replied, turning his head slightly to look at Atlas. "She wants me to come to the capital to make an appearance and help promote some event they're setting up for the League." He ran his hand through his hair again and looked away in discomfort. "I know you're probably busy, but..."

He trailed off for a moment.

"I'd really like it if you could come with me. It would only be for a few days, and we haven't been able to spend much time with each other recently." He looked back at Atlas with wide, pleading eyes. 

Atlas felt the urge to mess with Glenn bubble up inside of him, but looking into the adorably hopeful gleam in his eyes quashed it flat. He knew he couldn't pretend that any work he had could possibly take precedence over his partner.

"Of course!" he grinned. "You know I would love nothing more than to take a trip with you." He gave Glenn a quick squeeze and looking at the obvious delight in his eyes, couldn't resist giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Immediately after, however, he felt a warm glow take over his cheeks and he quickly let go of Glenn.

He fiddled with the towel around his shoulders and feigned nonchalance. "When do we have to leave? Should I call my Gym and let them know I'm unavailable effective immediately?"

Glenn beamed from ear to ear. "We should head out tomorrow morning if we plan on getting to the capital before Friday. From the sound of it, Audrey would like me to be there for the preparations on Saturday." He seemed to suddenly be vibrating with excitement, now that Atlas was coming, and Atlas couldn't blame him. How long had it been since they had been able to spend days of uninterrupted leisure time together? At least a year, surely, as that was when the League challenges had gotten more intense. It seemed like all their free time was spent training for either their respective sports, or for facing future challengers.

His smile somehow makes him all the more handsome, he thought to himself. He wanted to look at nothing else. He would drown in it, if he could.

Fortunately, he knew just the way to make it brighter. "In the meantime," he said, picking up the soccer ball, "Would you care to play for a bit?"

Glenn let out a lighthearted laugh and flashed his most brilliant smile yet. "You know I would!"

There it is.

What had started as a quick pick-up game turned into a long and intense battle for the ball.

Atlas flopped down onto the grass, panting heavily. Next to him lay Parasect looking similarly exhausted, the growth on her back heaving in time with his breath.

He turned his head to look at his other Pokémon strewn about the grassy field. Scolipede was stretched out fully in the grass, his antennae drooping. Yanmega was perched on the giant centipede's back, unable to fly any longer. Behind him, his Spinarak sat on top of their team's goal, her webbing strewn every which way and tangled in the net.

He shifted his gaze to look at Glenn, who was dabbing at the sweat on his forehead with his jersey. They made eye contact and Glenn grinned.

I don't know what I expected, Atlas thought. Of course he isn't tired, look at him. Not only does he do this for a living, but he was already warmed up, too.

He looked over at Glenn's Pokémon, who also looked as if they were barely tired. His Pansage was rolling around in the grass, batting the ball up in the air with his legs, while his Skiploom bounded around happily. When he considered that this was often how they trained for future matches, it made sense that they would mop the floor with Atlas and his team.

Glenn bounded over and laid down in the grass next to Atlas, placing his arm over his stomach and looking at him with a look that could only be described as adoration in his eyes.

"You've gotten so much better! Have you been practicing in your own time?" he said as he reached for Atlas' hand.

"You know I haven't," Atlas replied with a hint of snark. "It's possible you've rubbed off on me a bit, though."

He paused, blushing a bit, and out a quiet snort. "Well, maybe only a few times," he muttered. 

Glenn's face split open in a wide grin and he let out a quick burst of surprised laughter. "That's enough out of you," he said while sitting up quickly. "Let's hit the showers, bud." He squeezed Atlas' hand and helped him get up.

The two of them gathered their Pokémon and then headed down the cobblestone path leading from the Gym's indoor field to the main training area.

"It's starting to get dark," Atlas noted as they passed the pathway leading outside to the arboretum. The fading sunlight filtered in through the glass ceilings and painted the foliage in the building a dusky orange. He could see the trees and gardens outside blowing gently in the wind, with bird and bug Pokémon fluttering about in the well-maintained flora.

"I should probably head back to my apartment to pack, huh?" He groaned internally at the thought of leaving Glenn so soon after only spending so little time with him that day. Fortunately, the town he lived in was but a short bike ride away, and if he hurried, he could make it there, pack his bag, and make it back before it got too late.

Glenn glanced up at the sky. "Shoot. I didn't realize how long we had been playing. I'm sorry, Atlas." He looked crestfallen and gave Atlas' hand a quick squeeze. "I guess you probably should head out, then.” Worry began creeping into his voice. “Do you think you'll be okay on your own?"

"Hah! It's just a quick bike ride," Atlas said with a snort, but then the memory of his encounter with the wild Ursaring suddenly resurfaced in his mind, and for a second, he stopped cold.

He gave Glenn what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Nothing bad has ever happened to me on the way from your place, has it?"

He continued on, avoiding Glenn's eyes. "We'll be fine, and back tonight before you even notice we’re gone."

They had arrived at the locker rooms branching out from the lobby of the Gym.

"Now you know that isn't true." Glenn replied as he pushed open the door. "Why, I miss you already!"

His usual easy-going smile reappeared on his face as he pulled Atlas into the locker room. "You're right. I guess I'm just worried over nothing again."

Atlas tried to push the fear of encountering another wild Pokémon out of his brain. "Exactly," he said, trying to reassure the both of them.

Even as they showered, however, the thought remained - and he couldn't quiet his fears quite so easily as his boyfriend.

He knew, after all, that they weren't unfounded.