Chapter Text
“Come ooooon guys!” Hinata yelled back at his two friends. “I need to find an Eevee!”
Kouji crossed his arms behind his head as he sped up to match Yuki and Shouyo’s strides. “Why do you need to find an Eevee, anyways, Sho?” he asked with an exasperated look as Hinata found a patch of tall grass and dived into it.
“I want an Umbreon!”
The two gave him confused looks. “Why an Umbreon?” Yuki asked.
“Yeah, I can see a Jolteon or Flareon–but a dark pokemon?” Kouji questioned.
“I already have my Joltik and I have Vulps, I don’t need another electric or fire,” he replied easily, waving them off as he started crawling through the grass.
“I think a Sylveon would suit you much better, Shrimpy,” came a new voice.
Hinata’s head popped out of the grass and he scowled at the boy in front of him. “What do you want?” he asked. Kouji and Yuki looked at each other in confusion, never meeting the other before.
“I’m on my way to the Mauville gym. What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Isn’t it obvious, Oikawa?” he disappeared into the grass again to hide his red face. “I’m looking for an Eevee to raise into a Umbreon, and then we’re going to defeat you!”
Kouji and Yuki shared surprised looks.
“Oh? And how will you do that? You’re already behind on gym badges-.”
“I’m going to beat you in Contests, oh Grand King,” Hinata replied with minimal stuttering.
Oikawa smirked down at the trio. “I’d like to see that, Shrimpy,” he said and then turned to leave. “I’ll be waiting,” he added as he waved.
Hinata didn’t reply, and when he spoke, it was quiet as he asked. “Is he gone?”
Yuki smiled gently and went to meet Hinata in the grass. “Yes, he’s gone, Sho,” he knelt down and patted Hinata’s head. “Who was that?” he asked. Kouji joined them in the grass and crouched down, holding his bug catching net across his lap.
“He’s one of the Kalos contest champions…” Hinata crinkled his nose. “We battled and he beat me pretty badly…I’ve been trying to figure out a way to beat him since,” Hinata said with a huff, his lips pouting dramatically. “That’s why I’ve got to get an Umbreon!”
“Why an Umbreon?” Yuki asked in exasperation.
“Because they’re cool!”
“Are you going to go against Oikawa in a Cool Contest?” Kouji asked.
Hinata sighed, “He’s usually in the Beauty Contests, or the Cleverness Contests.”
“Vulpix is beautiful! Why not use her?” Yuki asked.
“Vulpix hates crowds, though!” Hinata whined.
“Ah, right…”
Kouji stood, put his net on his back, and held out his hands for his two friends to help them up. “Let’s catch us an Eevee, then.”
-0-0-
Hinata, while surprised, was not disappointed. His Eevee had been affectionate to the nth degree, often cuddling and playing with him as they battled and grew closer. He had panicked slightly when Eevee learned Moonblast and evolved into a Sylveon, but he only persevered with a new resolve. Especially after Oikawa would pop up randomly during their training sessions and taunt him.
Kouji and Yuki were only slightly exasperated every time his resolve would strengthen and he’d go on a training spree, leaving their town for days at a time with nothing more than his backpack and pokemon.
They shared a plethora of looks through Hinata’s journey.
“Do you think Shoyo realizes that Oikawa is flirting with him?” Yuki asked as he searched through the grass for an evolution stone.
Kouji let the Caterpie he caught in his net go and watched it crawl away as fast as it’s little legs could take it. It was too small. “Probably not.”
“We should tell him.”
“He wouldn’t listen,” Kouji said with a shake of his head. “Oikawa is his rival, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, we’d have to do something that’d make them…work together,” he made a face at the thought and went back to searching for a special Caterpie.
“Like what?” Yuki asked.
“M’dunno,” Kouji shrugged in a noncommittal manner. “D’you really want them together that badly?” he asked as he peered at his friend.
“It’s getting sad,” Yuki said as he stood and dusted his Ranger’s pants off.
“For Sho or Oikawa?” Kouji asked with a snort.
“Both.” Yuki stuck his bottom lip out, “Did you see Oikawa’s face when Shoyo called him a Tyrunt?”
Kouji laughed, “Yeah, it was pretty sad, but you gotta give Sho credit for thinking of the royal heir species of pokemon as a burn.”