Work Text:
Route 9 smelled better than anything Aelita Royer had smelled in her entire life.
While she missed the peaceful breezes and soft scents of her hometown of Sheridan, the events of the past few days really gave her a new perspective on the area surrounding the Rose Theatre. Autumn had brought out a beautiful gold in both the leaves and the grass in the area, making it remind her somewhat of Goldenleaf, if a little less spooky. The air had an almost cinnamon smell to it, and the colder air kept her nice and alert. Melia had wanted to give her a jacket before she left, but after wearing that robe disguise for so long, Aelita needed to feel the air on her skin again. It kept her aware and focused.
As Aelita walked down the entrance steps and onto Route 9’s road proper, she smiled at the memory of Erin looking at her in disbelief when she saw her sleeveless outfit. “It’s almost winter and you’re wearing that for your trip? I hope Alain and I didn’t get rid of your common sense along with that curse”. Aelita couldn’t help but laugh at her for saying that, and even Erin had smiled afterwards. It felt so good to be herself again, to not have to see every comment or remark from someone as an argument waiting to happen. Though as she started walking towards the train, she started to feel a little sad. She almost felt like she just got back, and already she was saying goodbye everyone. It needed to be done of course, she needed to visit Aevium’s purifying springs and get all of her real memories back, but she found herself remembering her goodbyes to Melia, Erin, Cella, and of course-
“Leaving already?”
Alain.
Aelita turned around, grinning already at her dearest friend. Alain closed the door behind them, putting their hands in their jacket pockets as they looked at Aelita, neutral expression on their face.
“Of course! Early Pidgeot gets the worm! I want to get started as soon as possible.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you sound like an old lady sometimes? Who says ‘Early Pidgeot gets the worm’ anymore?”
Aelita had missed this so much. “What can I say, Cella was a good influence on me. I’m sure she’d help you learn how to get up before ten if you asked her.”
“Ew. Pass.”
Aelita laughed, and Alain chuckled. She was going to miss them. But with everything happening in Grand Dream City, they were needed elsewhere. Just a fact of life when your best friend was one of the strongest Pokemon trainers around.
“Do you want to walk to the station with me? I want to catch up on some stuff before I head out.”
Alain’s expression went back to neutral at that. Were they okay? They weren’t mad, Aelita had seen them mad. This seemed more… sad? Resigned?
“Yeah, sounds good.”
With that, Alain started walking in step with Aelita towards the Route 9 train station. Alain was quiet, as per usual, which left Aelita content to soak in her surroundings for what felt like the first time again. Though in this case, it only brought into focus how absurdly out-of-place Alain looked in this forest.
“Alain, I have to ask, where did you get the new outfit and hair? I love it.”
Alain stood up straighter at that, rubbing the back of their head with their hand. “Oh, this stuff? Got it in the past last time I time traveled. Melia had some stuff lying around and insisted on me and Venam changing things up. Melia wanted to wash out all of Venam’s hair dye, and Venam being whipped as hell, she went along with it. So I decided to change up my hair too.”
Aelita snickered at that. “Hehe, Melia can be persuasive when she wants. I think the blue and purple really works on you, so do the jacket and boots. Though the ripped leggings-“
Alain looked at the sky and groaned. “Oh Arceus, not this again.”
“I’m just saying! Walking around rough terrain in ripped leggings is tough! I think some tougher pants could really tie the look together!”
“The day I wear jeans is the day I give up Prodigy. And you know how she’d feel about that.”
Aelita thought back to the day Alain’s beloved Charmeleon had evolved into the Charizard she knew today, right after defeating Narcissa for their fourth gym badge. It was one of the few times she had seen Alain cry.
It was the only time they were tears of happiness.
“Oof, you’re probably right. No need to anger your ace.”
“Good instincts.”
“I like to think I’ve honed them well, all things considered.”
Aelita was surprised to see Alain look directly at her. “You’re one of the best people I know. I hope you don’t think for a second that you aren’t.”
Aelita was taken aback at their sudden seriousness. “Well, like I said, all things considered. It’s been a rough few weeks, but we got through it. I know I can always count on you when the going gets tough.”
Alain stared at her for longer. They weren’t even blinking. Then they suddenly smiled. “Well, yeah. But only if I can count on you too. We’re partners after all, I can’t take all the glory.”
Aelita laughed, and lightly punched Alain’s shoulder. “No way, I don’t train as hard as I do for nothing. I’ll be keeping up with you the whole way!”
“I’ll keep Chopper nice and limbered up for when you get back, so don’t slack, or she’ll know.”
“Hahaha, I’ll hold you to that. Never saw my morning workouts involving sparring with another trainer’s Pangoro, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
“Well, you don’t have to-“
“Oh! Sorry Alain, looks like the train is still here.”
Alain turned to look where Aelita was staring. Somehow they had both gotten to the small train platform so quickly, and the train was boarding. A part of Aelita was almost disappointed.
“I was expecting to have to catch the next one. Looks like I can head out sooner than I thought.”
“Oh. Do you have to? You were planning to take the next one anyways.”
“I know, but I want to get started as soon as possible. I need to get Vivian’s and Taelia’s memories.”
“Right. Yeah.”
Aelita turned around to look at Alain. They weren’t looking at Aelita, or the train. There were looking south towards Grand Dream City. Alain then took their hands out of their jacket pockets and rubbed them together.
“Are you sure about this?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Are you sure you have to go? I, er, we could really use your help for whatever is happening with Nim in GDC. And Melia and Erin would be happy to have you, you know that. And I…”
Alain didn’t seem to know what to say next. They kept rubbing their hands together, looking at anything except Aelita. Aelita took a step towards Alain and put her and on their shoulder, focusing them. She hadn’t seen them this distracted since the aftermath of Blacksteeple. She knew she needed to focus her friend.
“Alain, what is it? You can talk to me.”
“I just… I don’t want to lose you again. We just got you back, really got you back, and now you’re leaving, and I know you won’t be gone long, but I don’t want you to-“
Aelita grabbed Alain by the shoulders, making their eyes grow wide. Then she hugged her best friend as tightly as she could.
Alain had always smelled like ash, likely from being in close proximity to a Charmander, then Charmeleon, then Charizard for so long. They smelled like burning cinders, like a dying fire, like a fireplace in a home.
Alain smelled better than anything Aelita Royer had smelled in her entire life.
Aelita hugged even tighter, probably too tight, then let go. Alain looked stunned, and surprisingly pink around the face. Yeah, definitely hugged them too hard.
“I know Alain. But this is something I have to do, not just for me, but for Vivian and Taelia. For my mom and my dad. But I promise, once I’m done, I’ll come back, and won’t leave, and you’ll probably be begging to get rid of me.”
Alain stared at Aelita, then slowly smiled again. A sight Aelita would never tire of. “I know you will. And I bet you’ll be begging to get rid of me once you get back.”
Aelita chuckled. “Never, and you know it.” She held out her fist for Alain. “Until then?”
Alain responded to their old gesture with their own fist bumping hers. “Until then.”
Aelita grinned at Alain, then sprinted up to the platform, vaulted up onto it, and managed to get through the train’s closing doors, but not before hearing her best friend yell “Show off!”. For once, she thinks she’ll skip some meditations, just to make the journey end quicker.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“‘And I bet you’ll be begging to get rid of me once you get back’. What the fuck was that, just stop beating around the damn bush and tell her already. Stupid…”
Alain sighed as loudly as they could, watching the train depart. Now probably wasn’t a good time to tell Aelita how they felt, but it increasingly felt like there would never be a good time, or even an okay time. And there was no guarantee Aelita would come back, given how dangerous Aevium always seemed to be.
Alain started walking back to the Rose Theatre, kicking a small rock on the way. “Maybe once she gets back everything will be better. Venam and Talon will be cured somehow, Team Xen will be gone, and hey, I’ll even be the Aevium League Champion. Sure, everything will be great, just peachy.”
“It’s one thing to be a lovesick Houndour, but it’s another to be delusional.”
Alain whipped around, hand already going for Prodigy’s ball, but what they saw made them groan. Erin was leaning against a tree with her Absol, eating a bowl of eggs over rice, hidden slightly behind some brush.
“Damn it Erin, I almost fried you. How long have you been there? I didn’t even hear you.”
“Long enough to see you and Aelita talking near the train there. Solve and I have a lot of practice staying quiet, can’t convince people to let him into libraries otherwise.” Erin took the opportunity to scratch Solve behind his horn. “Was going to bring her some breakfast before she left, but I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt your little performance there.”
Alain glared at her. “Since when has being rude ever stopped you?”
“Since never, but this was just too much. I love Aelita, but she really can be as dense as an Onix sometimes. Even I could see what you were trying to say.”
“Yeah yeah, you can read everyone so well. Did you bring any extra breakfast at least?”
Erin joined Alain in walking back, Solve trailing closely behind. “Sorry, Solve got hungry on the way here. I’m sure they have more back at the Rose Theatre. And you can stop trying to change the subject.”
“I think I have a few more attempts in me.”
“Nope, not with me. So, why is it so hard to tell her to stay, or that you love her? Aelita wouldn’t be upset, and you know it. She might even feel the same way.”
Alain laughed despite themselves. “Come on, it’s not that simple.”
“Why not? ‘Aelita, I love you, and I’d like to date you’. There, easy.”
“Thanks for the script. Speaking from experience?”
Erin gagged. “Ew, no. I’ll stick to the odd romance novel, much less gross. It’s just one sentence, why is it so hard?”
Alain stopped walking, Erin stopping with them. They looked at the sky, with the occasional pokemon flying by. “I don’t know. I can fight legendary pokemon, stare down the leader of Team Xen, I’ve fucking time traveled. But this, I don’t know. It’s hard, and I’m terrified. What do you want me to say?
Erin plopped a bit of egg into Solve’s waiting mouth. “I want you to admit you’re being stupid.”
“Fine, I’m being stupid.”
“And that you’re overthinking this.”
“That’s rich coming from you.”
“I think about things just the right amount. Why spend more brain power on things that are already settled.”
“You’re impossible. But okay, I’m overthinking this.”
Erin then grinned evilly at Alain. “And lastly, admit that Solve is cuter than Prodigy.”
Alain grinned back. “I would rather die.”
“Two out of three then. Not a passing grade.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re annoying as fuck.”
“More than you’d think, but less than you’d probably hope.”
They laughed together as the Rose Theatre came into view. Erin finished the last of the rice, then balanced the bowl on Solve’s head. “Alright, being serious though. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. You and Aelita care about each other, that much is obvious to anyone with working eyes. Once she gets the memory bullshit sorted out, just ask her to dinner or something. Watching you dance around your feelings is more painful for me than it is for you, I promise.”
Alain chuckled at that, opening the door to the theatre. “Well I guess I’m sorry for hurting you with my feelings, but now that I know they cause you this much pain, I think I’ll wait a bit longer. Can’t hurt, right?”
Erin groaned, Alain laughed, and the door to the Rose Theatre closed.