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"Ah man, what a lousy day." Kagami yawns and throws another log onto the fire.
And he'd been all fired up when the day began, too. He'd started the day all bright eyed and with a belly filled with food. Spending the night at the Pokecenter meant healthy Pokemon for the road and a proper nights rest indoors for once. After a month on the road and sleeping in a tent (rain or shine or typhoon) it'd been a luxury.
He'd been optimistic about the day. The trail he'd travelled along earlier is well known for being your best bet at finding an Abra.
Only Abra are a pain in the ass to catch, always teleporting away instead of fighting. He'd almost caught one too, but then he was interrupted by some ghost like boy. It'd only been a moment, but the Abra disappeared away, leaving Kagami to grip his Pokeball too hard while his Growlith eyed him with pity.
Kagami is suddenly alerted to some rustling to the left. His hand goes to the Pokemon hooked onto his belt, callused fingers barely brushing the smooth surface of where his Growlith resides.
Tension leaves his shoulders when he sees who it is, annoyance grating his nerves instead. "Oh," he growls, "it's you. Here to sabotage me again?"
The ghost like boy from earlier blinks at him with unnervingly clear blue eyes. "Not in the least. I wanted to apologize for earlier," he says, coming closer to the light of Kagami's fire. "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. I hope I can make up for my earlier intrusion."
Kagami eyes Kuroko over, and snorts. Weakling."You're intruding now."
"Ah," he sounds, coming even closer with the audacity to sit on a rock opposite of Kagami. He offers a knowing smile as he watches Kagami from the other side of the fire. "I apologize for that, too."
Kagami sighs, tired and disappointed from today, all he wants to do is sleep. "So what do you want?"
"Did you ever manage to catch an Abra?"
Kagami shoots him a dirty look. "What do you think?"
"In that case." Kuroko reaches into his pocket and pulls out a funny looking Pokeball. It's blue and white instead of the well known red and white. "This is for you."
He eyes it suspiciously. "What's that?" Kagami asks.
"This?"
He flicks the ball just to the right of the fire, midway between the both of them. Light flashes as the ball opens. When the light fades an Abra sits there, looking around, cute as a button.
"Oi, oi! What's this supposed to be?" shouts Kagami and stands. The little Abra squeaks in alarm and scampers away to hide behind Kuroko's leg.
"It's an Abra," Kuroko says plainly. "I wanted to make up for earlier. He's a bit shy and doesn't like loud noises, though. So do try to keep your voice down when he's out." The Abra rubs his head against Kuroko's jean clad calf while Kuroko pats it on the head. "I caught him later today, just after meeting you. His favourite food is watermelon."
Kagami falls to a sitting position, absolutely floored. "You want to give him to me to make up for earlier?"
"That is correct."
The Abra tries to wiggle its way into Kuroko's lap only to fall to the grass with a quiet thud.
Kagami barks a laugh. "You keep him, he's seems to like you anyways."
"But-"
"Nah, don't worry about it." Kagami waves dismissively at him. "Doesn't mean much to me anyways if I don't do it myself. I'm not gonna accept your charity, got it? Feels like you're looking down on me otherwise."
Kuroko's smile is small, but it's the most genuine one Kagami's seen in a while. "I understand."
They have small talk, then. Kagami introduces himself and invites Kuroko to stay for a night around his fire. He doesn't mean to, but he ends up telling Kuroko about his dreams and aspirations of becoming a Pokemon Master and travelling all over the world.
"I think it's wonderful," Kuroko tell him, "to have a dream."
Kagami cocks a brow. "Don't you have one?"
"I did once, I think," he says, smile small and sad. "But things change, and even though there is something I'm working towards at the moment, I don't know if that will lead me to my dream."
Before Kagami can ask, Kuroko changes the topic. "So if you want to be a Master, that means you have to defeat the Elite Five."
"Wait a second. Elite Five? I thought it was Four."
"They've changed it recently. The newest member is Kise Ryouta. He's the weakest of the five, but no one can deny that he's a genius."
"Why'd they change it?"
"Officially they claim that they want to add to the challenge. They believe that if you're to become a Pokemon Master you need more endurance and better foresight when it comes to planning."
"It doesn't sound like you believe that explanation."
"That is true. I don't."
"Why's that?"
"Looking at the statistics, it can be easily seen that the challenge level does not need to be raised. Never once has anyone made it through while they were the Elite Four. Those four that succeeded the last group are on a level above everyone else. They are the hardest league to defeat worldwide."
Kagami suddenly grins to Kuroko's surprise. The fire and determination blaring in Kagami's eyes is brilliant, and Kuroko can't help but be entranced.
"I'm glad to hear that," Kagami laughs, and it's absolutely wild and free, so abundant in joy that the night breeze can carry it along for miles around.
"Why is that?" Kuroko asks, curious with his breath caught in his throat.
"It's no fun making it to the top of the world if the challenge isn't a good one. So I say, bring it on." Kagami grins absolutely feral.
"I'm glad I met Kagami-kun." Kuroko pets the Abra sleeping in his lap. "Those five need a challenger like you, whether they know it or not. Midorima-kun allowed Kise-kun aboard in the first place because he got tired of battling people that he didn't consider a challenge. Now they have to beat Kise-kun first before they fight him. I don't believe anyone's beaten Kise-kun yet."
Kuroko's word ring in Kagami's head. "Kuroko, are you saying you actually know the Elite Five?"
The wind brushes Kuroko's fine blue hair into his deep blue eyes. His eyes slant and his mouth tilts in a way that makes it look like he wants to cry, but lost the energy to do so long ago. Kuroko's whole being goes suddenly still, unnaturally so, to the extent that it appears that he no longer moves with the rest of the world, everything moving around him like he doesn't exist.
"I know them," he says at last, "we were the best of friends. What's precious to me was lost in that group. I just want it back."
Kagami tries to find and make sense of the words stuck in his throat, when a sudden explosion sounds from behind.
"Found you Kagami-kun," a female voice declares from behind.
"Are you prepared for us?" A male voice follows.
Kagami rolls his eyes and turns around. "Oh no, not you two again."
"Prepare for trouble," a female with two clips in her hair says.
"And make it double," continues the male.
"You're treating this like it's a common occurrence Kagami-kun," notes Kuroko. Who is baffled like Kagami isn't.
Kagami grimaces. "It is. Unfortunately. They're annoying as hell."
"To protect the world from devastation," the female keeps saying as if Kuroko and Kagami are listening. Striking what she believes to be a dashing pose.
"To unite all people within our nation." The male follows suit, going into a pose that took him all night to think of.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Aida."
"Takao."
"Team Rocket blasting off at the speed of light."
"Surrender now or prepare to fight."
"Kagami-kun," Kuroko tells him in all serious, "you have the oddest and most alarming stalkers I've ever seen."
"Would you go away? I'm not in the mood right now."
"Don't be silly!" says Aida. "Today is the day we get your Growlith. Now hand him over. He'll be going to a better place. I'll train him into a fine specimen of a Pokemon. Team Rocket aspires to improve Pokemon through physical research and training."
"That sounds pleasant," comments Kuroko. "But why are you resorting to stealing?"
"Doesn't it make us seem more mysterious?" asks Takao, striking another poise.
"Aren't you missing that talking Pokemon you always have with you?" Kagami asks.
"He's taking a vacation," sniffs Aida. "But that's not the point; give us all your Pokemon."
"They'll be much happier with us. Isn't that right Aida?"
"Of course it is Takao."
The Abra stirs awake from all the loud noise and starts to cry. It clings to Kuroko and sobs into his shirt. Kuroko's expression darkens. "Kagami-kun," he says, "Do you mind if I get rid of them?"
"Go ahead." He yawns.
Kagami can only stare in shock and awe as Kuroko calls forth a Pokemon he's never even seen before. His Pokedex doesn't even know what to make of the pink catlike Pokemon that floats around gaily.
The Pokemon does a back flip in the air before sending the duo flying with a flick of its tail and flash of pink light. "Mew," it chirps happily and floats back to Kuroko's side.
"Team Rocket is blasting off," their two voices trail off far into the distance as they soar away.
"Thank you Mew," Kuroko says, offering the Pokeball for it to return to. It touches it's nose to the ball and disappears with a happy chirp.
"What the hell was that?" Kagami is left feeling like he's been struck by pink lightening, excitement tingling through every inch of his body.
"That was Mew."
"You," Kagami blinks, "you're really not what you seem. Who are you?"
Kuroko becomes suddenly tired, the weight of his past spreading along the plains of his back and shoulders. "I was the Pokemon breeder for the Elite Four and then Five. My skill was catching unusual Pokemon."
Kagami says nothing and waits for him to continue.
"My presence is hard to notice in the first place, and these Pokeballs," he holds up the funny blue balls from earlier, "are able to capture the toughest and healthiest Pokemon, almost like the legendary Masterball. The trick with these ones are that that user has to be holding onto it when touching an unaware and non-hostile Pokemon. These Pokeballs were made for me specifically. It's how I caught this Abra so easily. I left, because I'm no longer needed, and I hope to make them love Pokemon once more."
There's a telling silence permeating the air, but Kagami smashes through it the way he smashes through everything else.
"So what are your plans now?" Kagami asks, because he needs to know.
"At the moment," Kuroko smiles, "I'd like to help Kagami-kun defeat the Elite Five. If you'd let me."
Kagami laughs. "Something tells me you'll be useful to have around."
"I'll get you to the top," Kuroko agrees.
"I'll do it," he announces, with all the conviction of the world, with all the conviction Kuroko used to see in Aomine. "I'll defeat your old buds and become a Pokemon Master."