Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Childe was relieved to say goodbye. The crew of the Crux had been a rowdy kind, one Childe usually would hang out with. But he had vowed to himself to remain distant from the crew. He only talked with captain Beidou at times, mainly about the journey progress. It was quite the journey from Unova to Sinnoh, which would be much faster if my flight. But way less conspicuous, especially after what happened in Hoenn.

The Crux moored in a small alcove, miles away from Canalave City.

“Do you need a boat?” Beidou asked, stepping next to him.

She looked every inch a pirate, wearing an eye patch over her left eye and brightly coloured clothes. Her brown hair was tied together in a loose braid. If he hadn’t seen the official trading papers with his own eyes, he would have thought the Crux was a pirate ship. Not only did Beidou look the part, but she was also illegally bringing people into Sinnoh. It was a crime to just sneak into a country. Yet, here he was, a very dangerous member of the Fatui. And there was Kazuha. Childe knew very little about him. He didn’t look older than sixteen, with pale hair and delicate features. He had fled his home region Johto, where they banned the ownership of Pokémon. Childe always had seen him with a purple Vivillon, the two attached to the hip.

Childe checked the water below them. The waves were gentle; the only issue was the large drop.

“I’ll be fine. I just need a rope ladder.” He touched one of the Pokéballs at his hip.

Beidou nodded. “We’ll head to port tomorrow, exactly on time. Nobody would suspect a thing.” Her gaze wandered. Childe noticed that she was looking at Kazuha, standing at the bow, balancing on the bowsprit. The purple-coloured Vivillon was still resting on the back of his head, throwing off his silhouette.

“Could you take him with you?” Beidou asked. “I’m not sure how Ningguang will respond, and I don’t want to risk it.”

While Childe didn’t know Kazuha well, he knew all about favours. If he did this for Beidou, it would be easier for her to keep quiet.

They left at sunset when the sun was disappearing below the waterline. The sea was coloured pinks and yellows, looking very pretty. The crew seemed sad to see Kazuha going, Childe easily forgotten.

He released Mavka into the water. She looked like some ancient sea creature, with her large shell, flippers and long neck.  With the help of the rope ladder, Childe got on her shell with ease. Kazuha took a bit longer, the fading light showing a slightly pinched expression on his face. Kazuha wasn’t too sure-footed on Lapras’ back. Childe grabbed his arm, making sure he wouldn’t fall in the water.

“You might want to sit down. The water is calm enough,” Childe gently touched Mavka’s neck, enough for him to maintain his balance.

Chide gave her a few instructions, and she was off. She swam at a leisure pace, slowly leaving the ship behind. He saw Kazuha looking back longingly, clearly missing the crew. He kept staring ahead, noticing the forest getting closer. He also noticed the many lights of Canalave City, still burning brightly despite the late hour. It would be impossible to sneak in there unnoticed, even in the dead of night.

***

“Will you be okay on your own?” Childe asked. He didn’t like the idea of leaving this kid behind. Refugee or not, he was still a kid.

The forest hid them from view, but also the light. Kazuha was hard to see, which made his expression hard to gauge. The Vivillon was fluttering right above him, its wingbeats harmonising with the rustling of leaves and the scuttling of animals.

“I’ll be fine,” Kazuha said. Adjusting to the darkness, Childe saw that he looked a little pale. “I’ve been travelling alone for years.”

Kazuha wasn’t a good liar. However, he clearly wasn’t interested in travelling with Childe. Admittedly, the feelings were mutual. Kazuha would be more of a liability than anything else.

Kazuha unclipped one of the Pokéballs he had attached to his cloth belt and released it. Childe immediately recognised the Pokémon from back home. The buck-like Pokémon stood proud and tall, its antlers decorated with unfamiliar leaves. They had seven points, and the vibrant colours ranged from red to yellow. It was a Sawsbuck, originally coming from Unova.

“This is Mebuki.” Kazuha patted the flank of the Pokémon. Mebuki nuzzled his trainer’s head affectionately. “He’ll keep me company—I promised Beidou that he would look after me.” Kazuha climbed on Mebuki’s back with practised ease.

“I wish you good luck,” Childe said, wondering what Kazuha even was planning to do here. Maybe he had friends, though Childe never heard one being mentioned during the journey.

“Thank you,” Kazuha said, nodding his head curtly. “Let the winds lead you.”

Childe blinked, caught off guard by Kazuha’s words. The young man disappeared by the time Childe had found his footing. He recognised the saying, but it wasn’t common to either Johto, Unova or even Sinnoh. It belonged to Hoenn, the land of the free.

He took out a torch, turning it on and casting his surroundings in light. He was going to camp near the forest edge for the night, the late summer heat enough to sleep outside. Then, it was time to visit Canalave City in the morning, wondering what kind of challenges it would bring.

***

Nobody batted an eye at Childe as he strolled through the gates of Canalave City. The port city was bustling with life, ships mooring and leaving all the time. Pastila, his Emolga, was perched on his shoulder. Seeing as people would notice him anyway, he might as well distract them with something cute. Pastila looked innocent, with her big, black eyes, small nose and squeezable cheeks.

“Aww, she’s so cute,” a woman cooed, pinching Pastila’s cheeks. Childe felt Pastila dig her claws in Childe’s shoulder, sending electricity down his body. “I’m sure that the ladies love you.”

“They sure do.” Childe gave the woman a wide smile, lying through his teeth.

Nobody eyed Childe suspiciously. A few men glared daggers at him, and women and kids kept flocking to him, wanting to meet Pastila. Emolga wasn’t native to Sinnoh, so it was likely many had never seen her species. Pastila didn’t like meeting people unless they offered her food. Right now, her cheeks were stuffed, munching happily on a few berries. Juice stained Childe’s shoulder.

Childe finally reached the library. The building was grand. It was a couple of stories high and had a beautiful backdrop of the sea. A paper was taped on the glass doors, telling Childe that there should be no shouting, running, eating, and Pokémon out of their ball.

“Pastila, you aren’t allowed inside,” Childe said. He helped Pastila up on the roof and tossed a paper bag at her. Childe heard paper ripping, and Pastila took out an Oran berry. She immediately stuffed it into her mouth, adding several others. She truly had an endless stomach.

“Don’t leave with strangers!” Childe shouted at her. Pastila ignored him and kept eating her reward.

He entered the library and shot the receptionist a brilliant smile. She blushed and didn’t reprimand him for dragging dirt into the library.

The library was bustling with life. Every inch was filled with tables, chairs and shelves. The pathways between the shelves were fit for just one person. Childe dreaded having to comb through hundreds of thousands of books. He might have had to ask for help.

The librarian looked harried. Her black curls looked wild, there was a smudge of ink on her left cheek, and her glasses kept sliding off her nose. Stacks upon stacks of boxes were behind the desk, some unpacked but most still taped shut. Childe approached the desk, putting on his most disarming smile. He had learnt that women like men who smiled, but not in a creepy way. He had practised a lot in the mirror.

“Hi,” Childe greeted. “I’m looking for a book.”

The librarian looked up in a hurry, her glasses slipping off. They bounced on her chest, the cord saving it from falling on the ground. It clearly had happened before.

“If you have a moment,” she said apologetically, putting her glasses back on her nose. “I have to unpack these books, and my staff is sick and...” her eyes lit up, spotting someone behind Childe. “Mister Zhongli, could you give me a hand?”

Childe looked around, wondering who mister Zhongli was. Zhongli wasn’t the elderly gentleman Childe had expected. Zhongli could’ve stepped off the pages of one of those tasteful adult magazines Childe hid underneath his mattress. He was tall and slender with bright amber eyes. His dark brown hair looked effortless, tied into a low ponytail. He wore a white dress shirt, with a brown waistcoat, pressed slacks and dress boots. A long, brown coat was draped over his arm. Belatedly, Childe noticed the Pokéballs clipped to the sash, a green charm dangling among the minimised Pokéballs.

“Everything okay?” Mister Zhongli asked, his voice deep and kind.

“Just a lot of orders, my staff is sick, and this gentleman is looking for a book and...” the librarian let out a sigh that Childe could feel in his bones. She likely was running on coffee and three hours of sleep.

“I could help out if mister...” Mister Zhongli turned his amber eyes to Childe.

“Childe.” Childe was, thankfully, a professional and didn’t stutter or act like a schoolboy. He was in his mid-twenties by now; he could keep it together.

“If mister Childe doesn’t mind,” Zhongli finished.

He was perfect. Zhongli looked wealthy, helpful and familiar with the library. Childe could use him to his benefit.

“If it doesn’t trouble you,” Childe said, switching from charming to polite. He had been taught to be like a Kecleon, adapt and change.

“I’ve the time; I’m waiting for an order, so I might as well help out instead of sitting around.”

The librarian looked relieved and promised mister Zhongli that his order would be ready soon. Zhongli beckoned Childe to follow him, leaving the librarian to do her own thing.

“What books are you looking for?” Mister Zhongli asked.

Walking side-by-side, Childe realised they were the same height. Zhongli looked more imposing, statuesque. He might as well be seven-foot tall.

“Mythology about Sinnoh,” Childe answered.

Zhongli’s eyes lit up in excitement. “I didn’t expect you to be someone that would be interested in mythology, mister Childe.”

“It’s for my younger brother,” Childe lied smoothly. “He loves stories, and seeing as I’m here anyway, I might as well return with stories to tell.”

Zhongli gathered a few books and picked a table tucked in a corner, far away from prying eyes. Childe had hoped to ask Zhongli questions, trying to figure out the region’s current ongoings. Being a rich man, Zhongli likely had a lot of influence. But the moment they sat down, Zhongli grabbed one of the books and started talking.

Childe hadn’t accounted for the fact that Zhongli was a nerd. The stories about Sinnoh and its past flowed off his tongue. His voice was pleasant to listen to, and Childe figured the man would make a great storyteller. He talked about the creator of the world, Arceus. The creators of space and time: Palkia and Dialga. Then the story becomes more technical, talking about Pokémon that once roamed around Sinnoh but no longer existed. The remains that were dug up, how it told the history of this region. Childe had utterly lost track of time.

“I came here to pick up a book from Hoenn,” Zhongli said, fingers drumming on the cover of a book named ‘the peculiar power of the Gracidea flower’. “It’s about the Pokémon that lived in the past and the fossils they’ve found. I’ve been really fortunate to receive such a fossil and have been able to revive it.”

Zhongli clearly had no regard for the rules. He unclipped one of his Pokéballs, let it grow to full size, and released the Pokémon inside. Childe looked at the Pokémon, utterly confused about what it was supposed to be. It looked like a plant with eight petals. It wasn’t even tall enough to reach the table. Its head was purple coloured, swaying with the help of the thin, yellow stem.

“It’s a Lileep,” Zhongli said proudly. “It lived in the warm seas of Hoenn. It had been extinct for over 100 million years, yet the fossil remained intact. It uses the petals to catch prey.”

Zhongli rummaged through his coat pockets, finding something and tossing it to the Lileep. The Pokémon snatched it from the air and swallowed it in the darkness, its yellow eyes staring up unblinkingly. Childe was horrified. He knew that he walked around with a Cofagrigus, a terrifying Pokémon, but it was supposed to look terrifying. Plant-like Pokémon usually looked cute, not as if it could swallow Childe whole if it was large enough.

Zhongli returned the Lileep to its Pokéball, finally allowing Childe to steer the conversation in a different direction. “You’re a researcher?” he asked

“No?” Zhongli sounded genuinely confused. “I’m the director of the Oreburgh Mining Museum.”

Childe felt Zhongli’s usefulness slip between his fingers. Zhongli wasn’t the influential, rich man Childe had hoped he would be. Zhongli was a nerd that loved history and likely spent his weekend in the Oreburgh mines, looking for a long-lost history of Sinnoh. But the Tsaritsa wouldn’t have picked him if he couldn’t do this. He would figure out who the new champion was and take them out, even if it took a bit longer. It would be foolish to think he was this lucky first try.

“I’ve heard good things about the Oreburgh Mining Museum,” Childe said. “They’ve a huge collection of fossils.”

There was a spark in Zhongli’s eyes that made Childe’s heart thump a little too loudly. “I could show you around if you’re interested?”

“I would love to.”

Zhongli offered his hand. Childe only now realised that the man wore gloves. “It’s a deal?”

Childe shook the man’s hand. “It’s a deal.”

***

Pastila landed gracefully on his shoulder the moment they stepped outside. Childe scratched her head, feeling her soft cheek nuzzle against his chin.

“She’s yours?” Zhongli asked.

“Yeah, this little demon is mine.” Childe realised too late that his grin was a little too feral.

Zhongli didn’t notice. He was busy digging through the pockets of his coat. Childe liked that coat. It looked like it was made for him, showing off his strong shoulders, tucking in around the waist and flaring out. It made him look even longer. The sparkly pink pouch Zhongli dug up from the depths of his pockets did not fit in with the picture. Childe worried he was hallucinating.

“Does she like sweets?” Zhongli asked, untying the ribbon.

“I call her Pastila for a reason,” Childe said, still eyeing the sparkly pouch. “It’s a type of sweet from Unova.”

A horribly pink cookie was pinched between Zhongli’s fingers. Pastila was definitely interested, her nose twitching.

“What is that?” Childe asked, holding Pastila back from snatching it up. Maybe it was something dangerous.

“A poffin. My son and his friends made it, but his Pokémon don’t like sweets, so he sent it to me. However, mine aren’t the biggest on sweets either, and the ones that are, are on a diet.”

Childe let Pastila go. The Emolga glided over to Zhongli, sitting on his shoulder and letting him feed her. The poffin, which was rather large for such a small Pokémon, disappeared into her mouth within seconds. Zhongli scratched her under the chin.

It was that they were still loitering outside the library, or Childe would’ve promptly walked into something. Pastila only accepts food from the perch on Childe’s shoulder, looking down on the rest as if they were peasants. She didn’t like people touching her, especially not strangers. Yet there was this guy. Not to mention that Zhongli just told Childe something significant. He had a son, which likely meant he had a wife. Though the wedding ring was missing, so he might be a single parent. Nonetheless, the information had great value if Zhongli was actually his target

“She doesn’t seem like a demon,” Zhongli remarked, letting Pastila nuzzle his cheek.

“Because you feed her,” Childe murmured. While it wasn’t a lie, he felt a little betrayed that she liked a stranger so much. He had to fight tooth and nail to win her trust.

After Pastila got several more poffins, she decided that it was enough and returned to Childe’s shoulder.

They started to move, mixing in with the crowd. A few people greeted Zhongli, recognising him. Childe wondered why a museum director was this popular.

“I’m not sure what your plans are, mister Childe,” Zhongli said; the way he said Childe’s name made his stomach swoop. “But I’m returning to Oreburgh.”

Childe had planned to stay the night, then hire a bike and head towards Jubilife City. It was a bustling city where Childe likely could find more information on the champion’s whereabouts. However, if he told Zhongli he would be staying, that was a lost opportunity. Childe didn’t have many means of transport; his Stoutland, Mister Snuffles, was at home keeping an eye on his siblings. His only means of flying was a group of feral Hydreigon that only respected him and nobody else. The government would’ve him in chains before he could blink if they showed up, if they even would. It wasn’t as if they could read letters.

“You did promise to show me around the museum,” Childe said. “Though, I might need a ride. I fear Pastila can’t carry me.”

“Shamo can fit us both,” Zhongli promised.

Zhongli did not explain what kind of Pokémon Shamo was. He just headed towards the city gates, and Childe followed him. A few more people waved at Zhongli. He waved back but didn’t engage in conversations. Instead, he kept up a steady stream of chatter. He was talking about the history of the city. To Childe, it sounded as if Zhongli walked these streets centuries ago.

The crowd dispersed, and the first trees started to line their pathway. Zhongli’s words were carried by the wind, creating a gentle murmur among the trees. Childe tried to figure out a plan. He might convince Zhongli to see more parts of the region, all in the name of research. All Childe had to do was figure out what would be a fitting story to tell. Being flown around would save him so much time and money.

Zhongli stopped as the bustling of the city was gone, the people far and between. In the distance, Childe could hear a Pokémon battle happening. He recognised the shouts of the trainers and the collision of elements.

“Here will be fine,” Zhongli said. “I would recommend returning Pastila to her ball.” It was fun to hear Zhongli stumble over Pastila’s name.

Pastila got little say in the matter. She disliked returning to her confinement, but Childe had no choice. Emolga’s weren’t strong fliers, seeing as they mostly glided. Whatever Pokémon Shamo was, it was unlikely that Emolga could keep up. Especially if they wanted to travel at a proper speed.

He knew that Staraptor was the most common flying Pokémon in Sinnoh. Childe imagined that it fitted someone like Zhongli. However, the Pokémon Zhongli sent out looked nothing like the eagle-like Pokémon. A Flygon stretched out its wings, its tail sweeping lazily. Being a creature of deserts, Flygon was an unlikely Pokémon to encounter in Sinnoh. The region was known for its extensive mountain ranges and sweeping forests. A riding harness for two was strapped to its body.

Zhongli climbed on Shamo’s back with ease. “I hope you don’t fear flying,” he asked.

Childe had to unlearn his fear for heights at the age of fourteen when a Hydreigon had snatched him up to feed him to its children.

“I’m good with flying.” Childe took Zhongli’s offered hand and sat down on the front seat.

Zhongli’s arm snuck past him, picking up the reins, urging Shamo to take flight. Canalave City and the forest grew smaller below them. The wind got a little nippy, stinging Childe’s cheeks. From up high, Sinnoh looked entirely different from Unova. The Unova region were three islands connected with bridges, often segmented into parts. Sinnoh looked like a giant forest where people randomly added cities, with Mt. Coronet splitting the island in two.

The Flygon seemed to have no issue carrying them, flying through the clouds toward Oreburgh City. Zhongli was clearly a skilled flier, using one hand to keep a hold on the reins, the other resting on Childe’s hip. Childe focussed on the passing landscape, refusing to even acknowledge Zhongli’s presence. He wasn’t quite sure if the attractiveness part about Zhongli was actually a bonus or more like a curse. Nonetheless, he might have to figure out a plan B.  

***

Shamo landed on the outskirts of Oreburgh City. Immediately, they were swamped by kids, all calling Zhongli’s name. Childe took in the kids,  realising the majority was very young. A few of the kids had Pokémon— Starly’s, Bidoof’s and Budew’s—but most kids had none.

“Can we see Arias?”

“No, I want to see Amphirite!”

Childe heard several more names, including Shamo’s. He watched Zhongli lowered himself to the ground, approaching the crowd. His smile was polite, his hands held up slightly. A partially defensive state.

“I’m sorry, it has been a long day. Another time.”

The children whined and groaned, pleading for just one head scratch, one pat, one second of seeing their favourite Pokémon. Zhongli sighed, folding his arms and looking down sternly. “It’s almost dinner time. Your parents will worry.” He sounded like a father. Not like Childe’s, who hardly could keep order in the household, but like a well-meaning father. The ‘it would disappoint me if you don’t listen, but I will still love you’ kind of father.

The crowd around Zhongli disappeared, the children heading towards their homes. A few of the parents stood outside, smiling as their children came running. They waved at Zhongli before disappearing inside with their kids. Childe wondered if these kids were friends of Zhongli’s son. For how much Zhongli talked, Childe knew surprisingly little about him.

Childe finally climbed down from his perch, feeling slightly disoriented on the solid floor. Flying was such a different feeling from walking; it was something Childe never got used to. Shamo was returned to her Pokéball after being told that she did a good job.

“I apologise; they can get excited at times.” Zhongli was tugging at his gloves. Childe wondered what secrets were hidden underneath?

“It’s okay; kids can easily get excited.” Childe knew. He had three younger siblings who begged to see his Pokémon the moment he came home.

Zhongli stopped tugging on his gloves. ”Would you like to accompany me for dinner? I know an excellent place.”

Diners were a great place to learn things. People spoke freely about, without a care in the world. Having someone to accompany him would make him look less suspicious. Not to mention he was famished. His last meal had been onboard the Crux, where he had dined alone. So he welcomed the company and the opportunity to learn more.

“If you insist.”

***

Childe quickly figured that Zhongli was well known among anybody within Oreburgh City. During their short walk to the restaurant, several people had stopped them for a quick chat with Zhongli. Not all of them could be the parents of his son’s friends, seeing the different ages. Childe checked out the poster that was taped on the restaurant door. It read that Wanmin restaurant brought a new twist on an old classic. They were greeted by the chef once they got inside, Zhongli even by name. The man even brought them to an empty table.

Was Zhongli some kind of celebrity? Ordinary people didn’t get stopped on the street by random people, though all they had done was chat. No autographs or quickly snapped pictures. There were also no people following them around, whispering behind their back. Here, a few people acknowledged Zhongli, but none of them came by to say hi.

“Xiangling will be with you two shortly,” chef Mao said, handing them two menus before leaving.

Childe could make no head or tail from the menu, so he opted to observe the restaurant. From their seat, Childe had a clear view of the kitchen. It was filled with primarily humans, though he spotted a few Pokémon helping out. A Slugma was sleeping in the fire, keeping it constantly going. A Chimecho, its bell ringing gently, floated around, lifting pans and plates from their spots. The employees just walked around them, used to their presence.

“I’ve got your drinks.” A young voice cut through the silence.

Their waitress, Xiangling, if Childe remembered correctly, had arrived with two cups of steaming tea. She couldn’t be older than sixteen, wearing an apron over her uniform. Her hair was almost black, braided back to reveal a pair of bright, golden eyes. She looked like a younger, female version of chef Mao.

“Thank you, Xiangling.” Zhongli closed his menu. “I’ll take the usual.”

“Of course, mister Zhongli.” Xiangling turned her smile on Childe. It was disarming to see someone that looked like they genuinely liked him. “What can I get you?”

“What do you recommend?” Childe asked.

Xiangling’s face lit up. “I’ve been practising our Jeuyun Gouba recipe. It’s a delicious stir-fry with some ham and a little kick to it.”

Childe nodded, not portraying the fear he felt when he heard ‘a little kick to it’. Xiangling disappeared with their order, and Zhongli started a conversation once again. This time, Zhongli decided to ask questions, not allowing Childe to only half listen. He lied through his teeth that he was on vacation to take time off from his hectic consulting job back in Unova.

“Nothing with Pokémon?” Zhongli asked.

“No, why?” Childe asked, unable to hide his weariness.

Xiangling returned with their food, interrupting Zhongli’s answer. Jeuyun Gouba smelled divine, the smell of well-cooked meat immediately hitting his nose. Though what also struck him was the spiciness. Even the scent caused his eyes to water. He was going to die. Childe looked for a fork or spoon but couldn’t find either; there were only chopsticks.

Zhongli had already unwrapped the chopsticks from the napkin, holding them daintily. All Childe had to do was mimic Zhongli, right? How hard could it be?

“To get back to your question, it’s just how you behave around Pokémon. You and Pastila seem close, and unlike most, you weren’t phased by seeing Shamo.”

Zhongli took pieces of ham delicately out of his bowl, and Childe tried to mimic him. His own piece of ham slid back into the bowl seconds after. That was fine. He was a quick learner. After several attempts, completely ignoring Zhongli’s question, Childe groaned in frustration. He ended up stabbing a piece of fish and shoving it in his mouth.

Heat stung his tongue, and Childe reached for his cup of tea. He drowned half of the lukewarm drink, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Childe was going to die, either by starving or burning up from the inside. He barely had tasted the meat.

With tearful eyes, he gauged out Zhongli’s reaction. The man was hiding his mouth behind a gloved hand, his eyes turned up a little. The bastard was smiling.

“Apologies,” Zhongli said, removing his hand. There was still a smile tugging at his corners. “You just reminded me of my son learning to eat with chopsticks. He had no patience, kept on stabbing most of the food.”

His son, right. Childe must look like a child towards Zhongli. He took another sip of his tea.

Childe finally gathered his wits to answer Zhongli’s question. “But to answer your question, I never finished trainer school, so I’m not allowed to challenge the gym leaders.”

The ‘why’ question never came. Zhongli picked up another piece of pork and offered it to Childe. Childe eyed it wearily.

“It’s not spicy,” Zhongli promised.

Childe let himself be fed like a child. Zhongli’s dish tasted mild, but it tasted good, and the texture was soft and soothing against his burnt tongue. He let out a groan, munching on the meat.

“You don’t have…” Childe pressed his hand against his mouth, realising he had a mouthful of food. Zhongli didn’t listen, swapping their dishes.

“I can handle the spices just fine,” Zhongli reassured him. “The next time, you can order something else.”

Zhongli dug into Childe’s old dish with no problem. Childe clumsily started to fish food from the bowl, stuffing his face. As his hands got sweaty and the dish cooler, Childe tugged off his gloves and started to pick food out of the bowl. He slowly turned into a barbarian, eating with his hands and talking with a mouthful of food. But it was the best food he had in weeks, and nothing would be more embarrassing than him trying to use chopsticks.

They finished dinner, Xiangling picked up their dishes and returned with the bill. Childe had noticed that she didn’t serve anyone else and spent most of the time in the kitchen. Zhongli must visit this restaurant very often. The dinner had been a waste of time. Not only did Zhongli talk a lot, but the people in the restaurant talked about nothing interesting. Raising a baby, training their Pokémon, tomorrow’s weather. The word ‘champion’ wasn’t even mentioned, and Childe had been straining to hear anything worthwhile.

Zhongli was digging through his coat pockets, piling things on the table that shouldn’t even be in his pockets, to begin with. The beat-up smartphone, some Pokéballs and revival items made sense. But then there were colourful rocks, scraps of paper, a pencil stump, a pocket knife and two packages of glitter. Childe involuntarily shuddered at seeing the glitter, knowing how hard it would be to clean.

“I apologise,” Zhongli said. “It seems I’ve forgotten my money.”

No money. Zhongli, who looked like he was made of money and had a son, didn’t have money on him. Childe didn’t leave the house without money. Zhongli returned his things to the many pockets of his coat; his cheeks flushed a dark red.

“You can pay me back next time.” Childe took out his own wallet, counting the money he needed.

He caught Zhongli staring at his wallet, a frown creasing his forehead. Then Childe realised he wasn’t staring at his wallet but eyeing his hands. Childe’s scarred, partially burned hands and the faint freckles. He dropped his wallet and quickly put his gloves back on, hiding his past.

Childe flagged down one of the waitresses when he finally got the money. The woman didn’t look much older than Xiangling and seemed surprised.

“Oh, I apologise, mister Zhongli; we already put the money on your tab.” The waitress bowed curtly. “But we can take it off again.”

Zhongli smiled sheepishly. “Thank you.”

Childe realised that this wasn’t the first time Zhongli had forgotten his money. It likely happened so often that the restaurant had a tab for him. He wasn’t sure whenever it was endearing or worrisome. Zhongli had a son, after all.

The waitress collected the money and wished them a good evening. They left the restaurant, entering the chilly night. Childe found it refreshing, taking in a deep breath. Oreburgh City smelt like earth, dirt and food from the restaurant.

“Should I escort you to the Pokémon centre?” Zhongli offered his arm as if Childe was his date.

“I should be fine.” Childe had noticed the red, pulsing sign that marked the building as a Pokécenter on their way to the restaurant. A Pokémon centre, shorted to Pokécenter, offered a place for trainers and travellers to rest.

Even though they didn’t know each other for long, Zhongli seemed the kind of man Childe would grow fond of, and that was a dangerous thing. Right now, he could get rid of him. Say goodbye, sleep a night and travel to Jubilife City. It would be the smart move. After all, he could find someone else to use. He turned to leave when Zhongli grabbed his arm. Childe saw panic flashing in his eyes, causing Childe’s heartbeat to spike. Had Zhongli realised who he was? There was no way, right?

“Could we exchange numbers?” Zhongli asked, fishing his phone out of his pocket. “I did promise you a tour of the museum.”

Childe mentally sighed with relief. He agreed to exchange numbers, adding Zhongli under ‘Mister Zhongli’, though he wouldn’t be texting him. There was only so much he could handle, and would quickly become a problem.

Chapter Text

Childe woke up to one text belonging to his younger sister Tonia. Zhongli wasn’t asking if he had time for a tour, nor the Fatui asking for updates. He was a free man.

He used the same strategy as yesterday. Pastila was perched on his shoulder, scanning the crowd. He did catch the attention of a few kids, who thought that Pastila was the cutest thing ever, but the adults didn’t seem to be interested in him. Maybe being associated with Zhongli turned out to be beneficial. Childe ran with it.

He was looking for a place where he could rent a bike when he saw a crowd gathered around the gym entrance. Stepping closer, Childe saw that there was a message taped to the glass doors. Towering over most people, he saw that the notice read that there would be practice matches.

The doors were opened, and the crowd entered. Childe watched, wondering if it would be worthwhile checking out. It couldn’t hurt to scope out the gym leaders nor other strong trainers. These were the people that stood in the way of the Fatui’s plans.

Nobody batted an eye at Childe and Pastila. The inside of the gym was a rocky field with high stands for the spectators. The place for the referee was encased in glass. A few people stood on the rocky field. Childe only recognised Zhongli. Zhongli wore a similar outfit to yesterday, though he opted out of his waistcoat and his dress shirt was a soft brown colour. Childe felt foolish for not realising that Zhongli had some battle prowess; nobody would just casually carry around a Flygon

After the introductions, Childe turned to leave. The gym leader wasn’t there, and Zhongli would only be refereeing and ‘giving advice’. The battles would, most likely, be amateurish and not worthwhile watching. Childe only stopped his retreat when he heard the crowd laugh. It wasn’t too busy around the exit area, so he stepped to the railing and looked down on the field.

The boy couldn’t be much older than sixteen. He had tripped over his own feet, having landed face-first on the ground. Childe felt bad for the kid. It took guts to battle in such a public display, even if his opponent was just a trainee. The kid got up. His forehead was bruised, but he was still smiling brightly. His ash-grey hair was a mess, and his eyes a brilliant green shone with excitement.

It was a two vs two battle, with the trainee’s first Pokémon being a Bidoof. Childe expected the kid to have a similar Pokémon. Bidoof, Starly and Budew were very popular starter Pokémon, especially for those who couldn’t afford to get one of the more exclusive starters. The kid threw his Pokéball dramatically, shouting the name ‘Silver’. An Absol landed elegantly on the floor, stretching its limbs like a cat.

“What Pokémon is that?” a girl beside him asked. The guy she was with shrugged.

“It’s an Absol,” Childe answered. The couple jumped, looking at him wearily. They hadn’t noticed him at all, expecting themselves to be totally alone around the exit where the view wasn’t too great. “It originates from Hoenn. Very rare, doesn’t like people that much. The kid must be a decent trainer.”

The guy snorted. “A rare Pokémon doesn’t make him a strong challenger. I think Jack will wipe the floor with him.”

The boyfriend had been right, that a rare Pokémon didn’t make someone a strong trainer. However, Childe believed that the relationship between Pokémon and the trainer was even more important. This guy, Bennett was his name if recalled correctly, had gained the trust of a very skittish Pokémon.

Bennett’s second Pokémon hadn’t even entered the field when Jack’s Geodude went down from an iron tail. The kids’ fighting was still clumsy, and Absol did a lot of the carrying, but he had potential.

The next battle didn’t look as promising, so Childe turned around to actually leave. His way was barred by a Vibrava, which hovered right in front of his face. The girl behind him squeaked, stuttering the word ‘bug’.

“It isn’t even a bug,” Childe muttered. Vibrava was clutching a piece of paper in its claws. Childe gently pried it from its feet, and the Pokémon let him.

Zhongli’s penmanship was pretty. His letters were elegant but still very readable. It wasn’t as long as he had expected, figuring that Zhongli could do nothing in small measures. ‘Up for a demonstration battle?’ the letter read. He was surprised that Zhongli had noticed him, seeing as he had kept his gaze on the match the whole time. Childe should have taken the opportunity and left.

“I don’t have time for this,” Childe grumbled as he wrote ‘yes’ on the paper. The Vibrava flew off, likely delivering the message to Zhongli. Childe wasn’t going to say no to a good fight.

***

It had been weeks that Childe felt this alive. Dirt, dust and pebbles flew past his face,  clinging to his hair and hitting the goggles he was wearing. Opposite of him, Zhongli stood as still as a pillar, drenched from head to toe. Women had gasped loudly when a big splash of water had soaked the man to the bone. Some were out of concern but most of them enjoyed how the clothes hugged Zhongli in the right places.

“Onyx, try to find solid ground,” Zhongli commanded. It wasn’t a shout, but it rang above all other noises.

The field had turned into a mud bath. His Rotom-Wash, lovingly nicknamed Menace, was flying around the field, blasting around water. If Menace could have laughed, it would’ve been cackling right now. 

Onyx, Zhongli’s Steelix, was trudging through the mud, struggling to find purchase. The Pokémon was enormous, making Menace look like a fly. A very pesky fly.

“Come on, Zhongli!” Childe shouted, finally hearing himself above the static of his ear and the pounding of his heart. “Is this all you can do!”

The taunt worked. It was a subtle shift in body language. Childe revelled in it. Zhongli knew he had the disadvantage to let Childe know his chosen Pokémon beforehand. But he likely hadn’t realised that Childe would be such a difficult opponent.

The words ‘finish it’ died on his tongue as he saw the Steelix make a sudden move. Instead of striking Menace, the Steelix slammed its tail against the ground, sending rocks up in the air. Then its tail was used to slam a rock towards Menace. Zhongli had said nought, giving Childe little time to form a counter-attack.

“Drop!” he shouted.

With a loud thud, a washing machine crashed against the ground. Menace, in its normal form, zipped between the rocks. He heard gasps from the crowd, but Childe took no notice. If Zhongli was quick enough then—

There was a window of seconds. Menace dove towards the banged-up washing machine at the same time Steelix was hurling its tail towards it. Mud flew everywhere, and Childe covered his mouth and nose. Wiping away the grime from his goggles, he saw a blue glow streaking away from Steelix.

“Blast it!” Childe shouted.

The Steelix was hit by a blast of water and crashed to the ground. There were sucking noises as Steelix tried to free himself. Still, the temporary referee blew her whistle and announced Childe as the winner.

Childe grinned and high-fived Menace. Menace shook most of the mud off itself, grinning wildly. “Good job, little one. They always underestimate the small guys.”

He returned Menace back into its Pokéball. Zhongli also had returned his Steelix and was now walking over to Childe. The man looked really good like this. His clothes were completely ruined, caked with dirt and sopping wet. His hair, almost black, was sticking to his forehead, cheek and neck. His amber eyes were sparkling.

“You fight well,” Zhongli said, offering Childe a hand.

Childe clasped his hand, holding it firmly. “So do you. You don’t seem the type to get down and dirty.”

Zhongli pushed his wet hair out of his face. “If I didn’t want to get dirty, I would’ve done contests.”

Before anything else could be said, they were ushered off the field and into the staff area. Childe figured that they had to fix the arena and make sure that the floor was solid again for the next fight.

The staff area was vast, with what looked like many hallways and corners. Childe had no idea where to begin. This could be the opportunity to snoop around if Zhongli would just go away.

“I’ll bring you to the showers.” Zhongli took Childe by the elbow, guiding him in some random direction.

Childe glimpsed several rooms during their journey, but nothing worthwhile. The locker room they ended up in was deserted. It wasn’t unlike what they had at the Fatui training facility, though Childe thought it looked nicer. No empty food wrappers or forgotten socks. It even smelled fresh, unlike the permanent sweat-stench Childe was used to.

“Just follow the hallway, and then you find the exit.” Zhongli stood in the door opening, arms folded and still looking like a drowned cat.

Childe dropped his things on the bench and sat down. “You’re joining me?” Childe teased

“I fear I still have duties to attend to,” Zhongli frowned, tucking his hands underneath his arms.

“Suit yourself.” Childe started to strip, dropping his muddy clothes on the floor. It took Zhongli a tad too long to leave and close the door behind him.

After a long, hot shower and scrubbing down Menace—he seldom had the room to do so—Childe snuck out of the locker room. Nobody was waiting for him, which meant that he had the opportunity to look around. He wasn’t able to find much. Only in the last office did he find interesting papers. Digging through drawers, he found information about the current gym leader and the past ones. He snapped pictures, going through the files until he heard footsteps. He pushed the papers back in the drawer, closing it, and he stepped into the closet. The office door creaked open, and he heard people talking. He should’ve brought his Elgyem along, then he could teleport himself out of here.

Keeping his breathing even, Childe waited for the people to leave. The conversation was mostly about the matches, especially Zhongli’s battle. Childe strained his ears, curious what they had to say.

“It was a thrill to see mister Zhongli fighting again,” the first person said.

There was a deep sigh from the second person. “I’ve never witnessed seeing him fight before. I’ve always been told he’s such a good trainer.”

Childe held his breath, waiting impatiently. But the rest of the conversation turned into mumbles, loud banging against shelves and curses. They finally left, leaving Childe alone, once again.

Leaving the closet, not for the first time, Childe decided that it was time to leave. It would be stupid to get caught right now. He followed Zhongli’s instructions and left through the staff entrance. By nightfall, Childe was halfway down the road to Jubilife City. He curled around a crappy campfire, missing the heat of Mister Snuffles’ warm coat. Even Pastila couldn’t cheer him up. She ended up settling down on a branch, grumpy with his attitude, but she still kept guard while Childe slept.

***

Jubilife City had been worthwhile. Gossip flowed freely in the city of news. The new champion was nicknamed Morax, male and on the older side. It has been years since someone collected all eight gym badges. It did narrow down his search, though he had wished for more. However, this Morax-figure was very secretive, with people unable to tell him more. The rest was speculation, the one more wild than the other. Childe tended to ignore speculations unless it were his own. He knew that people could’ve wild imaginations, especially when drunk. So he had left the city behind, moving on to his next stop: Eterna City.

***

Eterna City was a beautiful place. While Jubilife had been tall buildings and concrete, Eterna still had a lot of nature. The leaves on the trees were slowly changing colour, turning the scenery a lot fierier.

Childe had just left the hidden Fatui operation in a good mood. While the update was meagre, he was running a marathon. Being forced to go by foot or bicycle, the turn-over time would be months. But they had months to spare, especially after Signora’s blunder in Hoenn. They had to stay down low, making the authorities forget about them.

Zipping up his hoodie, Childe breathed in the gentle autumn weather. He knew it wasn’t a vacation, but he might as well enjoy his time here. His next stop would be Celestic Town. He had read that the town had ties to Sinnoh’s history. While he doubted the information would help him find the champion, it would help him understand this place better. He figured that any information would be useful.

Seeing as Eterna City and Celestic Town were separated by Mt. Coronet, Childe had chosen to go through the mountain. It was near impossible to go around the mountain, and flying was expensive. He headed towards the Pokémarkt, figuring that they sold the required gear there.

Childe was quick to recognise Zhongli, despite haven’t seen each other in almost two weeks. While Childe was good at recognising faces, this was a little too quick for his liking. Zhongli stood outside the Pokémarkt. He was frowning at his phone, an egg tucked underneath his arm. His hair was loose, falling down gracefully over his shoulders and framing his face. He wore the same kind of clothes as before, too put together for someone travelling.

“Ah, mister Zhongli.” Childe bit back his frustration. “What a surprise.”

Zhongli looked up with genuine surprise. “Mister Childe, it’s good to see you again. What brings you here?”

The word ‘business’ lay on the tip of his tongue, but that wouldn’t make sense. He was on vacation. He had to keep his story straight or risk being found out. “I’m heading towards Celestic town, seeing more of the local sites.”

“Oh, I’m very familiar with the ruins there.” Zhongli’s eyes lit up. “If you ever need a guide.”

Zhongli’s excitement made him almost say yes. Childe did like sightseeing, and Zhongli was a fantastic storyteller. However, Zhongli was a danger to his mission, which might be his only chance to prove himself. Signora had figured out who Hoenn’s champion was, had defeated him and allowed the Fatui to claim what they required. All the while, Childe was in Unova doing some low-ranking job.

“I think I’ll be fine, thanks for offering.”

Zhongli’s smile faltered.

“Why the egg?” Childe asked.

“Shamo finally laid her second egg, and I wanted to give it to my son, so we agreed to meet up here.” Zhongli looked at his phone. “Though he’s late.”

Childe cursed his curiosity. He really wanted to know what Zhongli’s son would be like. Would he be like Zhongli or like his mother? The idea of a small Zhongli seemed very endearing. However, it would be harder to get rid of Zhongli, which was a risk towards Childe’s plan.

He wished Zhongli a good day and entered the shop to pick up his equipment.

***

Childe was curled up against Mavka’s shell. The Lapras hummed soothingly. He had let Danica out of her ball, letting the Lanturn float in the small pool. The lamp attached to her head illuminated the cavern, even seeping into the darkness of the single exit. Pastila was curled up in the crook of his neck, her fur soft and comforting.

It felt as if his stomach was eating itself, though Childe knew it was all imagination. He could live without food for a while longer; he had done so before. It would be a waste to eat it now and be unable to keep it all down. He had been inside the mountain range for a couple of days, and everything had gone well. The map he bought was good and easy to follow. However, he should’ve existed hours ago. One wrong turn had left him lost, navigating the tunnels until his torch batteries died. Fearful of the dark, Childe had set up camp and tried to figure out his next plan.

His phone was near dying. While Pastila could recharge it, there was always a risk that she would blow out the battery. It wasn’t a risk he was willing to take, seeing as it was his only way out.

Moving his phone from one hand to another, Childe looked at the dark exit. He wasn’t going back out there, not without a good light source. Danica would create enough light, but she couldn’t leave the waters. Pastila was too small, just like Menace. The rest of his Pokémon were very much unqualified for the job. It seemed he was very unprepared for this whole thing, despite having weeks to prepare.

With twenty per cent left on his phone, Childe had only one option left. Call someone. While his contact list was overflowing, few could help him out. Not to mention only one of them was actually in Sinnoh. Bitterly, he realised that he was doing a poor job avoiding mister Zhongli.

His phone rang once, twice, and Zhongli picked up.

“Mister Childe?” Zhongli sounded puzzled. “I thought most people texted nowadays, though that might be my son hating to call people.”

Childe felt himself relax a little hearing Zhongli’s soothing voice. “I think it’s just your son,” Childe joked.

Zhongli chuckled. “Might I ask why you called? It’s already quite late.”

Childe checked the time. Late was an understatement. It was two in the morning. He had planned to leave this place around noon, well before the sun would set. Never before had he wanted to see sunlight so badly?

“I...” Childe’s voice trembled. Taking deep breaths, he tried again. “I got lost.”

“Lost?”

“In the mountains. I have no idea where I’m, and my torch died and...” Childe stumbled over his words, his voice shaking. He took several deep breaths, trying to keep himself together.

“Explain how you got there and where you are now.” Zhongli sounded so confident that Childe could cry.

The details were foggy, but Childe tried his best to recount his steps. He heard Zhongli hum and take notes, a pen scratching on paper.

“I think I know where you are,” Zhongli said slowly. “Most of the maps are accurate, but there recently have been some changes. I can imagine that a novice explorer easily gets lost.”

Childe let out a sigh, the tightness in his chest easing a little. “Right, uhm, any idea if you can send someone to fetch me? And how long will it take?

“I’m thinking of asking Azhdaha, though I don’t think he’s awake right now,” Zhongli was muttering, clearly not addressing Childe anymore. Childe had heard the name Azhdaha before but couldn’t remember in which context.

“An estimate of time would be nice,” Childe said, squeezing his phone a little tighter. The battery was dear dying, and the panic had kicked in.

“Within a day,” Zhongli said absentmindedly. “I’ll text Azhdaha and ask him, and otherwise, I’ll ask the exploration guild. They do all kinds of rescue missions.”

“That’s good to hear,” Childe said, though he didn’t feel all that reassured.

“I’ll find you,” Zhongli promised, finally sounding as if he was genuinely paying attention to the conversation. “So just sit tight.”

 He doubted that Zhongli would come out and actually find Childe himself, but there was something reassuring about Zhongli’s words. Childe figured that it was because Zhongli sounded sincere the whole time. He hadn’t called Childe foolish once or shown dismay at Childe’s incompetence of navigating a mountain. It was a kindness Childe wasn’t used to and feared because his metaphorical mask could only hide so much.  

***

Childe jolted awake when the earth underneath him shook. Dust fell down the ceiling, pebbles skittered across the floor, and he saw additional ripples in the water, once not belonging to Danica. He blinked, adjusting to the bright light. Checking the time, Childe ended up staring at a black screen.

Something popped out of the ground just before his feet. Childe shrieked, scrambling further onto Mavka’s shell. His Lapras barely stirred. Glancing down at the thing, Childe realised it was a Diglett. The Diglett looked up at him with unblinking eyes. Then it popped back underneath the ground and completely disappeared.

Childe heard footsteps before seeing the newcomer. The light reflected off the plastic and reflective stripes of what must be a safety vest. The newcomer wasn’t Zhongli. The man in question was fairly average looking, with glasses and longish black hair. He wore an orange safety vest and helmet with a lamp attached to it. Between his legs walked a Luxio, lighting the area around them. Though unremarkable, Childe, through he looked familiar.

“You must be Childe,” the man said cheerfully, approaching Childe.

Childe nodded. He finally realised who this might be. Zhongli had mentioned the name Azhdaha before, a name Childe had seen printed on maps of the mountain ranges in Unova. He had stumbled over the syllables while pronouncing them, wondering why a foreigner would help out mapping their tunnel network. Azhdaha was a renowned explorer who specialised in exploring mountains and mapping them. It wasn’t surprising to see he and Zhongli knew each other.

“You’re.” Childe wrapped his tongue around the name, trying to get it right the first time. “Azhdaha?”

He obviously had gotten something wrong, seeing the amusement on the man’s face. He wasn’t sure whenever it was the pronunciation or the person. A Diglett popped from the ground next to Azhdaha, making almost cooing noises.

“Yes, you did great.” the explorer returned the Pokémon to the ball.

“But you’re correct, I’m Azhdaha. Mind if I escort you out?” Azhdaha asked.

“Uh, sure.” Childe got up, his muscles stiff. He returned Mavka and Danica to their balls, letting Pastila stay on his shoulder. Just in case Azhdaha wasn’t who he said he was. Pastila, even for such a small thing, could be quite vicious.

Childe didn’t have to worry that it would be boring. Azhdaha talked in the same way Zhongli did, with a lot of passion. He was a bit wilder with his arm gestured and didn’t pay too much attention, occasionally bumping his head against a low ceiling. It didn’t help that the man was a beansprout, being a good couple of inches taller than Childe. It turned out that he had found his Diglett in these tunnels, though Childe hadn’t encountered one. Azhdaha and Zhongli were like two peas in a pod, very alike in manners and interests.

“I’ve asked if they can just close off this section, but the exploration club refuses.” Azhdaha pushed up his glasses, sighing deeply. “They believe that there are Gible’s here.”

Childe pursed his lips. “Aren’t they super rare?”

“They are. However, they only have been found in Wayward cave, which also isn’t a very fun place to travel around if inexperienced.” Azhdaha gave him a knowing look.

“I’m not stepping a foot in a cave ever again,” Childe said, meaning every word he said.

Childe had no idea where they were heading; none of it looked familiar. Admittedly, all he saw were stone, rocks and dirt. There were no landmarks. He looked down at where Azhdaha was waiting, the ground illuminated by the Luxio. He knew for sure that he hadn’t climbed anything, so this must be another route. He carefully let himself drop, feeling the impact on his knees.

“We’re almost there,” Azhdaha said. Childe finally spotted a new light source ahead. Azhdaha took the lead. His Luxio kept walking between the two of them, generating enough light for both of them.

The light source wasn’t the exit. Childe felt his heart leap a little as he saw Zhongli waiting for them. He was busying himself with his phone, the light of it barely noticeable. A blue Gastrodon was chilling next to him, emitting a bright light. If Childe was to guess, this would be Amphitrite. Letting his eyes roam over Zhongli’s figure, he realised that he was wearing something different than usual. Sturdy, well-worn boots, grey sweats and a thick jacket with an obnoxiously orange vest over it. The helmet he wore cast his face into shadows, making his expression hard to read.

“Found him,” Azhdaha said cheerfully. “It took me years to figure out these tunnels, and he found it on his first try.”

Zhongli stepped forward, his eyes roving over Childe’s body. “You’re okay?”

Childe nodded. “Mostly hungry and stiff. Thanks for sending help and even coming.”

“That’s good.” He heard Azhdaha say, though Childe only had eyes for Zhongli. “Well, I’m off. I’ve a conference in… An hour. I hope they have coffee.”

Childe thanked the man for helping him out, and all he got was ‘I owe Zhongli a lot, so it was no biggy’, and the man left, the Luxio lighting the path ahead of him.

“What time is it?” Childe asked. He wondered how quickly Zhongli had arranged this rescue mission. It couldn’t have been that long.

“Ten in the morning.” Zhongli stifled a yawn. “Azhdaha was awake when I texted him and was up for it. It isn’t like I couldn’t sleep.”

The ‘why’ left his tongue before Childe could stop it. He saw brief panic cross Zhongli’s face. Was Zhongli interested in him? Was that why he tried his best to remain in contact with him? Childe never had gone to such lengths for anyone unless it was for a mission. This would be very bad—Childe wasn’t looking forward to breaking this man’s heart. There was just no way Childe could date anyone, not right now.

“You just reminded me of my son,” Zhongli said softly. “If he would call me in dire need of help, I would drop everything if I could.”

It sucked that Zhongli saw him as this young man and not an equal. However, it would make things way easier.

“I’ll get you to Celestic town,” Zhongli offered. “If you don’t mind.”

Childe was ready to cling to Zhongli like a little child that clung to their mother's leg. “Please.”

The pace was slow, with Amphitrite the Gastrodon setting the pace. Childe didn’t mind. Zhongli’s voice droned on, telling him about the times he had spent exploring caves with Azhdaha. How he found his first Gible and how they got lost another time and Zhongli’s sister eventually found them.

“I still haven’t thanked you,” Childe said, interrupting Zhongli mid-story.

Zhongli looked at him owlishly. “I couldn’t let you be stuck in here. You sounded terrified.”

Childe swallowed, his throat dry. Now owed Zhongli a favour. Favours were things he took seriously. If Zhongli needed anything from him, anything and Childe would do it. Even if it meant he would betray the organisation he had dedicated his life to.

***

Childe never woke up in unfamiliar places. He never drank too much that he forgot. He never would stay the night at strangers, fearing that someone would slit his throat. The moment he woke up, he knew something was amiss.

The room was almost pitch black, and it was fairly quiet. He heard a few people, their voices muffled by the walls. He stumbled out of bed, shoving off the heavy load of blankets. The bed was too large for him—this entire room was too large for him. His feet landed on the plush carpet. Childe frantically touched the walls, only stopping once he felt the heavy fabric of curtains. He pulled them open, letting the sunlight pour in. By the looks of it, it was early noon. The streets were bustling with people. He at least wasn’t taken to some far-off place.

As expected, the room was rather large, much larger than a normal room at the Pokécenter. His bed was king-sized, with dusty pink sheets and pillows. There was a large wardrobe, and a desk was tucked in the corner. Someone, likely Zhongli, had draped Childe’s jacket over the chair. Next to the chair stood his boots and his bag. His Pokéballs were placed on the desk, next to a candle stump. He figured it was a guest room.

Childe sat down on the edge of his bed, trying to keep his breathing steady. He had no idea what was going on. From Mt Coronet, it was a three day trip to Celestic town. Childe had been feeling fine, sleeping well and eating whatever Zhongli cooked—though the man wasn’t the best chef. If Childe had been feeling better, he would’ve taken over cooking duties. He just couldn’t remember ever arriving in Celestic town. Had something happened? Or was this kidnapping? There was just one way to find out.

Having his breath under control, Childe got up again. Taking several deep breaths, Childe got up and tried to open the door. He pulled it open, taking care to make no noise. Peering into the hallway, he saw nobody standing guard. It looked like a small family home, with its appearance well-kept and loved. Grabbing his Pokéballs, Childe entered the hallway. He made sure his tread was featherlight, alarming no one. He needed to have the upper hand in whatever was going to come.

Once downstairs, he peered into a large living space. Zhongli was sitting on one of the couches, a steaming cup of tea in front of him and his nose buried in a book. An elderly woman was in the kitchen, messing with the kettle. Childe’s rabbit heartbeat finally slowed down.

Childe cleared his throat. Zhongli’s gaze snapped up, their eyes meeting.

“Ah, you’re awake.” Zhongli snapped his book close and got up. Childe resisted the urge to step back, flee. “You were running a very high fever, so I got you here for some proper bed rest.”

He couldn’t remember the fever. While he hadn’t felt the best, he had blamed it on tiredness and stress. However, Childe knew that at times, he could push himself too far. Stopping usually meant death. How Zhongli got him here, he didn’t know. Maybe a Pokémon carried him. What mattered the most was where ‘here’ was. Who was this older lady? Zhongli’s mother or grandmother?

The elderly woman joined them, shuffling a little. She had a sweet face with glasses perched on her nose. Her white hair was tied into a knot. She couldn’t be taller than Tonia, his younger sister.

“Mister Childe, this is madame Ping. She’s a family friend. Madame Ping, this is mister Childe. I promised to show him around the ruins here.” Zhongli was lying through his teeth with such an ease that it surprised Childe.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Childe made a curt bow.

Madame Ping looked him over. There was a sparkle in her eyes that unnerved him. “It’s nice to meet you, mister Childe. Zhongli doesn’t bring people over very often.”

Childe noticed the blush rising on Zhongli’s cheeks. The implication wasn’t lost on him either. It was one other thing he knew about Zhongli. If he only could be the champion, things would be so much easier.  

“I think it’s time to get out of your hair,” Zhongli sounded polite, though Childe noticed a tick tugging at the corner of his mouth. Was it frustration? Embarrassment?

Madame Ping waved away Zhongli’s remark. “You know you’re always welcome here, and let your guest eat first. He’s as thin as a nail.”

Childe disagreed with her. That he didn’t fill out his clothes didn’t mean he was thin. He was lean, which was all he needed. All additional mass would just be a pain to carry around. But Childe wasn’t going to say no to food. Zhongli’s cooking had been acceptable, but it wasn’t comparable to a good, home-cooked meal. Hi

“I’m not in a hurry,” Childe said innocently, offering Zhongli a wide grin.

“I supposed we can stay for lunch,” Zhongli admitted.

***

They had dinner in a small, family-owned restaurant. The staff recognised Zhongli, but it was more like acquaintances seeing each other again than friends. Childe managed to find a non-spicy dish and ordered that. It didn’t look as good at Zhongli’s dish, which smelled mouth-watering. However, Childe would rather have his mild dish than whatever spicy monstrosity Zhongli was eating. He likely would get sick.

They left madame Ping’s place after lunch, getting rooms in the Pokécenter. She had pulled Childe aside and told him that he was always welcome. A friend from Zhongli was a friend of hers. Childe had no idea what to do with that information; it wasn’t like he would be sticking around. His home was back in Unova with his family.

“So, tell me something about your Pokémon.” Childe tried to distract Zhongli while he fumbled with his chopsticks. It hadn’t gotten any easier.

Pokémon were always an easy conversation topic. They were such a big part of their world that at least everyone had an opinion about them. And Childe found Zhongli fascinating. The man clearly had a strong bond with his Pokémon, but he hadn’t shown any battle prowess aside from one battle.

“Arias, which is my Garchomp, was actually my starter Pokémon,” Zhongli smiled softly. “It’s an unconventional starter Pokémon. Very hard to catch. But Azhdaha and I were young and foolish. We grew up in Oreburgh, so we knew how to navigate mountains and mines. So one day, we decided to go to Wayward Cave and find ourselves a Gible. I don’t recommend catching a Pokémon with your bare hands.”

Zhongli took off his gloves. Zhongli’s hands looked well-cared for but not pretty. One hand had leftovers of a bite mark from the aforementioned Gible. There were scars, calluses on his fingertips and his palm. A funny feeling settled in Childe’s gut.

“You don’t have to show me.” Childe felt his chopsticks bow under the pressure of his clenched fist.

Zhongli shrugged and put his gloves back on. “I’ve seen your scars; now you’ve seen mine.”

The other stories Zhongli told were less reckless. He didn’t wrestle an Onyx to catch it, and his Gastrodon started to stalk him when she was still a wee Shellos. She even had managed to catch a ride when sneaking into his backpack. Childe did note that Zhongli didn’t talk about his Flygon at all. It made him wonder, but he wasn’t foolish enough to ask. It was best to let Zhongli steer the conversation.

When it was time to pay the bill, Zhongli once again patted his pockets, getting more desperate by the second.

“I thought I packed it,” Zhongli said. After turning over all pockets twice over, he sighed.

“I can foot the bill,” Childe said, already taking out his wallet. “See it as a payment for the tour tomorrow.”

Zhongli shook his head. “Give me a minute.” He took out his phone and called someone, not even bothering to head outside.

Childe heard the phone ring once, twice, and the other side picked up by the third time. The conversation was mostly one-sided, Childe struggling to pick up anything. He had the feeling that this might be Zhongli’s son or Azhdaha. It at least was someone used to Zhongli’s money-forgetting antics. The only audible thing he also picked up was the name of the Wanmin Restaurant.

“Well, I’m not there right now,” Zhongli both sounded and looked embarrassed.

The ‘where are you now’ followed. The back and forth wasn’t too interesting, and Childe stopped paying attention. The call ended soon after, and Childe was none the wiser why Zhongli had called either his son or Azhdaha. It wasn’t as if they could just pop in. It would be more useful to call madame Ping.

Zhongli ordered dessert to fill the time, and Childe indulged him. He was curious what Zhongli’s plan was. He was halfway through his ice cream when he saw a shadow appear in the glass of the front door. The figure jumped as if the person was too short to reach the door handle. When the door finally creaked open, Childe realised it hadn’t been a person at all. A Kirlia entered the restaurant. It had a pouch tied around its neck. The Kirlia looked around, spotted something, and headed in their direction.

Zhongli looked over his shoulder. “Oh, hi Alatus,” he said.

Alatus let Zhongli take the pouch from its neck. Zhongli searched through his pockets, found a glittery pouch, this time green, and took out a couple of poffins. These were orange in colour. He gave them to Alatus, who popped the first one in its mouth. “But don’t tell Xiao,” Zhongli told the Pokémon.

Alatus nodded in agreement. Zhongli patted the Pokémon’s head. “Tell him ‘thank you’, okay?”

After another nod, Alatus disappeared. Teleporting. That was very clever. Figuring that Zhongli had been here before with his son, the Kirlia knew where to teleport to. It also explained the extensive details Zhongli had given.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the parent?” Childe asked teasingly. “The one that provides the money?”

Zhongli looked unbothered, though some redness had risen to his cheek. “It’s my money. My son can access it, seeing as I tend to forget it often. It isn’t ideal, I admit that. But it works for us.”

Childe loved his siblings, sometimes more as a parent than an older brother. Yet, he would never give Teucer access to his bank account. He would buy things like cute clothes for his Pokémon and too many toys. Childe would be broke, no matter how well his job paid. But his son was apparently a responsible child.

After dessert, Zhongli paid for their meal. The rest of the money disappeared into one of his many pockets. The staff had been amused by the Kirilia’s appearance, it was obvious from their grins, but none of them made a remark.

While they now were even concerning dinners, Childe still owed Zhongli for the cave rescue. This would be an issue for the future, seeing as Childe couldn’t just distance himself entirely from Zhongli. They would always be tied together by that one favour Childe owed, even if Zhongli thought differently.

Chapter Text

Celestic Town ended up being a worthwhile visit. Childe hadn’t been the only tourist there, though he was the only one that got a private tour through all the ruins. He had felt the eyes of other tourists on him, likely simmering with jealousy that Childe had his tour guide all on his own. Zhongli knew the history of Sinnoh like the back of his hand. He told Childe stories about the volcanic creature Heatran, the Lunar duo and foremost, the lake guardians. The more Childe knew about Sinnoh’s history, the more he started to worry.

“What happens when they’re gone?” Childe had asked.

“The guardians?” Zhongli had frowned, rubbing a gloved hand over his chin. “As I mentioned, they are created to calm and control Dialga and Palkia if necessary. Without them, a spat between Time and Space will likely have disastrous results. However, there hasn’t been a sighting of them in decades. They avoid people and will remain in slumber until they’re needed.”

It all has been over a week ago. While it wasn’t his assignment, Childe brought this information to the Fatui. It would’ve been easier without Zhongli, but the man was like a piece of gum on the bottom of his shoe. Childe couldn’t get rid of him. Zhongli, still worried about Childe’s wellbeing, had promised to go with him wherever he went. So they spend the last week on the road, walking to Veilstone City.

Childe entered Northland Bank first, Zhongli trailing behind him. It was an actual bank but also a facade for the Fatui hideout here in Sinnoh. Hidden behind a well-established name, nobody blinked an eye at the foreigners that worked there. Their money was handled well, and that’s all they cared for.

While not having visited before, he had been in contact with the hideout before. The lady behind the desk was called Ekaterina if he recalled correctly.

“I would like to make a withdrawal.” Childe handed Ekaterina a letter. It contained his intel about the ruins and the lake guardians.

Ekaterina checked the letter, raised an eyebrow briefly before closing it and hiding it underneath the counter. She offered him a small smile. “Since it’s the first time here in Sinnoh, I require some paperwork from you, mister Childe.”

“I’ll be waiting outside,” Zhongli announced. He had been awkwardly lingering behind Childe, clearly unsure what he was supposed to do.

“I’ll catch you later.” Childe watched Zhongli leave the building, leaving him and Ekaterina alone.

“I thought you were supposed to find the champion.” Childe wasn’t surprised to hear that Ekaterina had been briefed on Childe’s mission, nor the shift in attitude. “Not flirt with strangers.”

Childe shrugged. “I haven’t had much luck. It seems that truly nobody knows who the new champion is.” Admittedly, Childe hadn’t been looking too much into it, with Zhongli stuck to his side the whole time.

“It doesn’t explain the eye candy.”  Ekaterina’s grin was almost feral. “He’s a very good looking man. Do you think he knows more?”

“About the champion? No.” Childe propped his elbows on the desk. “But he’s influential. People adore him. He has a large network and vast knowledge about Sinnoh’s history. Everything in that letter comes from him.”

“You’re the Harbinger here; you probably know what you’re doing.” Ekaterina didn’t sound too convinced.

“I do need to withdraw some money,” Childe said.

Ekaterina only raised an eyebrow at Childe’s request. After some paperwork, she returned with Childe’s money.

“I’ll make sure your information will be sent to the Tsaritsa,” Ekaterina promised. “Now, your boy toy is likely waiting for you.”

Childe grimaced. “Please never call him that ever again.”

Ekaterina grinned. “I can’t promise anything.”

Putting away his money, Childe left the bank. Zhongli was sitting on a bench, ankles crossed and reading a book. Childe had seen him reading the book the last week. From the cover, it looked about the fossils of Hoenn. It sounded like a boring read, but Zhongli seemed to like it.

“I’m done,” Childe announced.

Zhongli finished scribbling something in the margins of his book. After tucking a pencil between the pages, the book disappeared into his bag. “Did you get your money?”

Childe nodded. He let Zhongli take the lead, unfamiliar with the big city. Veilstone was large, exceeding in size from both Oreburgh and Canalave. The primary building material was stone. Everywhere he looked was stone, from garden walls to tall buildings—the large warehouse towered above the dainty shops, colourful flashes of light drawing in the customers. You could buy there anything you needed for your journey, from tents to Pokéballs to hiking equipment. It was the hub for any traveller.

“Did you know that most of the city was carved out of rock?” Zhongli asked. As usual, he launched into an explanation before Childe could say anything.

He had stopped minding it. It was very useful that Zhongli was incredibly talkative. While he did ask Childe questions about his own life, he didn’t expect Childe to fill in the silence. It was safer this way.

They passed the Pokécenter, and Zhongli suddenly halted. “I almost forgot. I’ve to grab something.”

Childe followed Zhongli inside the Pokécenter. It was pretty crowded inside, the announcement board filled with advertisements about demonstration battles held in the gym within a few days. The gym leader himself would be there, too, showing off his skills. Childe wondered if he could sneak in and observe. He had checked out Eterna city’s gym leader before. She had been fairly unremarkable; admittedly, the demonstration had been for kids.

He listened in to a few teens talking, the mention of Morax catching his attention. The discussion mainly was the teens boasting about their skills and how easily they would beat him.

“I heard he’s a foreigner; that’s why he won. Lady Ningguang had never seen his Pokémon before,” a girl said, pouting a little.

“But that wouldn’t make sense; he must have gotten all gym badges here in Sinnoh. Lady Ningguang could’ve watched the matches beforehand,” a boy said.

“But what if they aren’t recorded?” another boy said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I mean, this Morax is very secretive. What if he doesn’t even exist?”

The girl frowned. “But why to lie about it?” she asked.

“Haven’t you heard what happened in Hoenn?” the first boy asked, now catching up with what his friend was saying. “They say that the Fatui defeated Barbatos; he even disappeared afterwards. Some people think they kidnapped him!”

It had been the plan to kidnap Barbatos. At least, that was what the rumour mill had been saying. But for reasons unknown—Signora was likely too embarrassed to admit she had failed—the champion had escaped their clutch. It wouldn’t have been a problem if he hadn’t alerted the authorities. It had made their mission in Sinnoh so much harder, with all eyes on them.

“Thanks for waiting,” Zhongli said, appearing out of thin air.

“Hmm?” Childe looked away from the teens. Zhongli was holding a Pokéball in his hand. From the looks of it, there was already a Pokémon inside.

“A Pokémon?” Childe asked.

Zhongli nodded. “Let’s go somewhere else.”

Without regard for personal space, Zhongli placed his hand on the small of Childe’s back. He was being steered out of the Pokécenter, and soon, they even were leaving the city. There were a dozen or so trainers present on the grassy field. Some of them were holding battles; others were practising moves or strategies. He was surprised that there were no more training facilities within the city if everyone was forced to practise in the wild.

“You might have noticed that I have quite a network,” Zhongli said, stating the obvious. At times, Childe wondered who didn’t know Zhongli.

Childe just nodded.

“Often, people ask me to rehome Pokémon. Not all of them are fit to be released back into the wild, but not all mesh with their trainer.” Zhongli held the Pokéball up to the sun. “According to its previous owner, this little fellow requires an experienced trainer, someone it can look up to and respect. It was meant as a starter Pokémon but wasn’t fit for it.”

At times, Childe wondered how Zhongli still had time for him. It sounded as if the guy had a hectic life. He helped out Oreburgh City in any way he could. He was the director of the museum, which couldn’t be an easy job. He also spent a lot of time researching, reading and Childe recalled he helped out the exploration guild. Not to mention that he was a full-time father. Yet, he was casually strolling alongside fields with Childe, just having spent a week on the road with him.

“Already found a home for this guy?” Childe asked. Maybe it was someone here in Veilstone City, though Zhongli hadn’t mentioned anyone by name from this place.

Zhongli shot him a shy smile. “I was thinking maybe you if you would have him.”

Childe tended to select the Pokémon he used carefully. Most were chosen because of their convenience, like fliers, teleporters or ride-Pokémon. A few were accidental catches, like Pastila his Emolga. She was neither a good flier nor a strong Pokémon. But he had gotten attached to her and brought her along wherever he went. It turned out that she was also great at making him look harmless.

“You don’t have to say yes,” Zhongli reassured him. “Maybe meet first and then figure it out?”

Zhongli handed him the Pokéball. Childe looked at it, trying to figure out what the Pokémon inside was. He was fairly up-to-date with the Sinnoh wildlife, but he didn’t quite recognise this orange blob.

He let out the Pokémon. Standing on two feet, the Pokémon didn’t even come to Childe’s waist. It looked like an orange water creature, with a yellow band around its neck, a pointy face and two tails that swept lazily. It had its little arms crossed and glared up at Childe.

Childe raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “You think you’re scary?” he asked the Pokémon.

It made a huffing sound, trying to look even meaner. It was too cute to look mean.

“It’s a Buizel,” Zhongli said. “I thought it might fit in with your team. I’ve seen you use mostly water and electric types.”

It was true. Childe somehow was attracted to these types of Pokémon. They were fast, resilient and tended to be very useful.

“It’s a little menace if you ask me.” It seemed that the Buizel took that personally, glowering at Childe.

Childe looked back at the little thing, keeping his face passive and almost cold. Over the years, he had learnt different means of bonding with his Pokémon. Sometimes, they immediately latched on to him. Other times, he knew that he had to earn their respect. But seeing as he was the boss, they had to earn his respect. He liked that Buizel didn’t budge, keeping up his defiant stance. He understood why this one wouldn’t make a good starter Pokémon, but Childe already liked him. He had personality, and he looked darn cute.

“Impress me,” Childe said. He walked over to a larger area of grass. He unclasped Pastila’s ball from his belt. “And you’ll get the respect you want.”

***

The poor Buizel didn’t stand a chance. It was a fierce little thing, but Childe could read its moves from miles ahead, and Pastilia had a type advantage. Childe crouched in front of the Pokémon, rummaging through his berry pouch, searching for a Sitrus berry. He offered it to the Buizel, who looked at him grumpily but ended up accepting it.

“You have the right spirit,” Childe started. “But you need to learn how to hone your skills. You might not be able to ever defeat Pastilia, but that’s because she’s trained with me. If you trust me, I’ll make sure you can defeat everyone here in due time.”

He held out his fist, waiting for the Buizel to mull over his words. The Buizel huffed but pressed its fist against Childe’s.

“Welcome to the team. I’ll call you Laska, now, Zhongli.” Childe got up, stretching his legs.

Zhongli looked up from his book. Childe still hadn’t quite grasped what kind of person Zhongli was. He forgot something as important as money, but he remembered to bring a blanket to sit on. Admittedly, Zhongli’s clothes looked too expensive to get dirty, which was the exact reason why Childe wanted to make them dirty.

“Would you mind helping me out with some training?” Childe gestured to the Buizel.

“Sure.” Zhongli took off his coat and vest, leaving him in a black dress shirt and slacks. He might be the best-dressed traveller Childe had ever seen.

Zhongli had brought his Vibrava along, which was a little odd. Why did he need a Vibrava when he had a well-trained Flygon? It was convenient for training; Childe didn’t want to put up poor Laska against a fully evolved dragon. It hadn’t escaped his notice that Zhongli had a strong team. There were Flygon, Steelix and Gastrodon. While he hadn’t seen the Garchomp, Childe figures the aforementioned Gible must have evolved by now. While not overly balanced, they were all strong Pokémon.

He kept an eye on Laska during the practice battle. Childe offered the little guy advice, complimenting him when necessary and scolding him when required. He needed to build trust with this Pokémon, and that requires time and mutual respect. If Laska couldn’t respect Childe’s advice, they were going to butt heads. But his eyes kept wandering over to Zhongli. There was something off about the man, but Childe couldn’t put his finger on it. He carried himself as an experienced trainer, someone who was confident in his choices. Childe had seen many young trainers blunder their way through battles, faking their confidence. But how did a well-accomplished trainer end as a museum director?

Childe got smacked with a handful of sand. He couched, wiping the grains from his eyes.

“You’re okay?” Zhongli called.

Spitting out a wad of sand, Childe wiped the sand off his cheeks. “I’m good.”

He made sure that Laska splashed Zhongli, giving the man a good soak. Even soaked, the man looked regal. However, there was a twitch of annoyance on his face. A couple of minutes later, Zhongli’s Vibrava redirected the water to hit Childe. Laska seemed to enjoy Childe’s suffering.  Childe was already regretting his choice.

As dinner time came around, Zhongli called it a day. Childe was grimy, soaked and cold. The night air had gotten a little nippy, and the clouds blocked out a lot of the sun’s warmth. His clothes clung uncomfortably to his frame. He had left spare clothes in his room, which meant he would be stuck like this for a while.

He wrung the water out of his hair and clothes as best as possible. He saw Zhongli unbuttoning his dress shirt, shrugging it off onto the picnic blanket. Childe tried to be as subtle as possible with his staring. The man wasn’t rocking a six-pack as he suspected. Zhongli looked like someone who loved good food but didn’t slack on exercising. His love for exploration also showed, with several old scars running across his chest.

Zhongli put on a soft-looking sweater. The logo of Oreburgh City’s museum was printed on the back. It looked like something Childe could steal and walk around in. The logo disappeared as he put his coat on. How could this man forget his money but pack spare clothes, a picnic blanket and poffins in all flavours?

Childe rubbed his arms, trying to bring some warmth to them. It was a twenty-minute walk to the Pokécenter; he would survive. However, he wanted to steal Zhongli’s sweater. Only a few guys were tall enough where Childe could steal their clothes.

“You’ll catch a cold like that,” Zhongli remarked, obviously noticing Childe’s shivering.

“I can handle the cold,” Childe said defiantly. “I grew up around the snowy parts in Unova.”

Zhongli sighed. He shrugged off his coat and draped it around Childe’s shoulders. The coat was heavy and smelled strongly of earth and dirt. It was a little tight on Childe, but not so much that he feared ripping it.

“I know a good restaurant in the area,” Zhongli said, acting as if it was normal to give coats to near strangers. “We can get freshened up and go there.”

Childe just sighed. How did Zhongli make everything feel so easy? Almost everyone he knew was on their toes around him, always slightly on edge. The ones that didn’t feel that way tended to flounder around him, unable to match wits. But here was Zhongli, who seemed immune to Childe’s teasing, who knew where to stop prying and let Childe be.

***

Dinner was a quiet affair. Childe was exhausted; the days had been long, and the hot shower had made him drowsy. It was that they served less than staller food at the Pokécenter, or he would have just grabbed something and stayed in for the night. But Zhongli knew his food and had offered to pay. It helped that Zhongli was great company.

Zhongli was picking at his food, picking up a piece of fish before dropping it back into his bowl. It reminded Childe of his youngest brother being forced to eat his vegetables, as if picking it up made it miraculous disappear.

“Not hungry?” Childe asked, pointing his chopstick at Zhongli. He flicked rice all over the table.

“Not a big fan of seafood,” Zhongli admitted, dropping another piece back in the bowl.

Being an adventurous eater, Zhongli just had asked the waitress to surprise him. It had backfired.

Childe tried to pick a piece of meat and watched it slowly slip from between his chopsticks. He quickly stuffed it into his mouth. “Just feed it to your Pokémon,” he mumbled.

Zhongli stared at him, his amber eyes unnervingly bright. Childe hid his mouth behind a hand, chewing on the piece of meat. The next time he visited Sinnoh, he would bring a knife and fork.

Not-so-subtly, Zhongli released his Lileep from its ball and hid it under the table. Then he started to fling fish pieces to the Pokémon, who caught it since Childe heard no splashing sound from wet fish on the stone floor.

Still halfway to go with his dinner, Childe pushed his side-dish towards Zhongli. He might as well eat something, and Childe wasn’t too big on greenery and spicy sauces. Zhongli accepted the dish, offering him a small smile. This man was unfairly gorgeous. It was surprising that he didn’t have a partner yet, even if he had a son. Children weren’t a dealbreaker for Childe, so there surely were others who wouldn’t mind.

They were nearing the end of dinner when Zhongli’s phone rang. While Zhongli seemed to know many people, Childe had noticed his phone rarely rang. It must be important, seeing the creased between Zhongli’s brow as he accepted the call.

Childe listened in, trying to figure out who was calling. The voice on the other side sounded boyish, but it was hard to tell with phone calls. Most words were gibberish, but Childe made out ‘problem’ and ‘Eterna City’. Zhongli seemed to grow increasingly worried; his lips pressed together tightly.

“I could come,” Zhongli offered. He shot Childe an apologetic look.

The ‘no, I’m fine’ was a little too loud and shrill. Childe had a gut feeling that this might be Zhongli’s son, though the man also seemed to be the type to come to anybody’s aid if they asked. He did so with Childe, despite barely knowing him.

“Give miss Yanfei a call,” Zhongli said. “She can help you out.”

Childe didn’t hear what the caller said, and then the call ended. Zhongli sighed, pocketing his phone.

“I apologise. My son ran into some trouble and wasn’t sure what to do.” Zhongli explained.

Childe just nodded along. He figured that Zhongli greatly cared about his son, which was a quality that he found wildly attractive. Though he wondered what the son of such a gentle, refined man could be up to. Eterna city wasn’t known for its high level of crime.

“I hope he’ll be fine.” Childe finished his meal. “You’re ready for the bill?”

Zhongli nodded and took out his wallet. At least, he tried to. The blank look on his face told Childe enough.

Sighing, Childe took out his wallet and started to count the bills. Maybe the Pokécenter food was a better idea. It at least was less expensive than Zhongli’s taste in restaurants.

***

One of Zhongli’s favourite places in Sinnoh was Solaceon town. While he had no direct ties to this place, he always felt at home there. It wasn’t a tourist hotspot, the people were friendly, and he was free to explore the ruins. His exploration license made sure of that. The ruins haven’t been explored much due to the population of Unown that lived there. Zhongli knew perfectly well that they were innocent, so he didn’t fear them.

Bubu, a freshly hatched Swinub, was dozing on his lap. Zhongli was brushing her; the bristles were soft enough that it wouldn’t harm the baby. He had been planning to pick her up sooner, but Childe happened. He had no idea where the young man was. When saying goodbye, Zhongli hadn’t been able to find a single excuse for why Childe should stick around. The man clearly was wary of him, probably suspecting that Zhongli had alternative motives to spend time with him. He had noticed the way Childe stared at him, trying to figure him out. He had let him go off to Sunyshore, wondering if he was doing the right thing.

“Did you know that Swinub’s are usually used for exploration?” Zhongli told Bubu. The Swinub made a snorting sound in her sleep. “They’re built for the cold, so they aren’t bothered by it. Because they have such a keen sense of smell, they’re able to find food underneath thick layers of snow. They also have been able to pick up the scent of humans, finding the spot where they’re snowed in.” Zhongli rubbed his knuckles on the top of Bubu’s head. “That’s probably going to be your job.”

He kept brushing Bubu, the motion soothing and easy. The last thing he wanted was for his mind to wander. He had been tasked to keep an eye on whatever important Fatui would show up. It had been Childe. Zhongli figured that this was Tartaglia, the eleventh of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. He wasn’t what Zhongli had expected. He was charming, good looking, clever and very much human. Though the clever part was debatable.

Bubu snorted loudly and wiggled her body. Zhongli sighed and continued his brushing. Things would’ve been much easier if Childe had been a woman, married or much younger. Zhongli didn’t have the iron grip on his emotions as he wished he had.

The peacefulness was broken by people yelling. Zhongli glanced in the direction of the noise, seeing two teens leaving the town. Zhongli had picked a bench on the outskirts on purpose, knowing that most people would just leave him alone. The people here were always kind to him, but he needed time to think and figure everything out.

Zhongli finally understood their shouts, picked up the familiar name. Xiao. It wasn’t a common name, and the teens seemed to be his son’s age, if not a little younger. Zhongli wondered if these were the friends Xiao had made. Xiao always had it about a girl named Lumine, a fierce battler, and a boy named Venti. Xiao often complained that Venti spent most time goofing around and singing.  

The girl had short, blonde hair with long bangs and amber eyes. There were white and blue flowers pinned in her hair. She wore a primarily white dress, beat-up sneakers, and she held a Marill in her arms. The other teen was a bit taller than the girl. He was dressed like an eccentric musician, wearing green shorts, a white blouse and a half-cape. It looked like he wore something green on his head. He had short, black hair with long, braided sides that were coloured a vibrant blue.

The teens had spotted him. The girl took the lead, taking long strides to reach Zhongli. “Good morning, mister,” she said. Her voice had a slight lilt to it. “We’re looking for someone. Could you maybe help?”

Bubu whined, but Zhongli ignored her. “Have you called the police?”

“I…” the girl looked at her friend, who was panting a little from catching up with her. “No, not yet.”

The two teens shared uncomfortable looks with one another. If these were Xiao’s friends, they probably worried about what happened in Eterna City. Xiao had sounded quite spooked during the initial call but never had told Zhongli much after.

“What does he look like?” Zhongli asked.

The boy had a very expressive face. His eyes, which were a startling blue-ish green, lit up. His voice was gentle and a little high-pitched. “Oh, that’s easy. He’s about this tall.” The boy held his hand up to his forehead. “He always looks grumpy, has dark hair and amber eyes.”

It did sound like Xiao. “Did you try calling him?”

The teens blinked, looked at each other, and groaned. The boy ruffed the back of his head, agitating the green hat he wore. The hat made a squealing noise and uncurled. Zhongli stared in astonishment when he saw a Shaymin climb down the boy’s head and settle down in the crook of his neck.

“I forgot my phone,” the boy admitted, smiling sheepishly.

“My phone battery has died,” the girl said. The Marill made an affirmative noise.

Zhongli wanted to ask questions, mostly about how they befriended a Shaymin. But right now, this wasn’t his priority. What if Xiao was kidnapped by the Fatui? He would have to tell Ningguang that things were going very wrong. She has promised that Xiao will be safe.

“Do you have his number?” he asked. Both teens shook their heads.

He knew that Xiao didn’t like to make their relationship obvious. Zhongli was well known in Sinnoh, and Xiao didn’t want to be in the spotlight and have people be nosey. In the past, Zhongli had gotten questions about his love life, his son and why he resigned from his gym leader position. Thankfully, he wasn’t interesting enough anymore, but Xiao’s distaste for fame had stayed.

“Give me a moment.” Zhongli looked up Xiao’s number and pressed the call option. He held his phone up to his ear, making sure that his friends wouldn’t hear. After the fourth ring, Xiao picked up.

“Did you forget money again?” Xiao asked, sounding grumpy.

“Not this time. I have two distraught teens standing in front of me, looking for someone named Xiao.” Zhongli noticed that his son’s friends were trying to listen in. “You can’t just disappear. Usually, you tell someone if you need some time alone.”

Xiao remained silent for a long while. He probably was trying to find the right words, finding a hole in Zhongli’s logic. A sigh eventually followed. “Did these two really go look for me?”

Zhongli looked at the teens, who were eyeing him hopefully. “Yup, I heard them shouting from all the way out of town.”

“What are you even doing there anyway?” Xiao asked.

Bubu made another whining noise, butting his free hand. “Had to pick a Swinub.”

“Of course,” he heard the resignation in Xiao’s voice. “Do they know”

Zhongli chuckled. “I didn’t tell them anything; that’s all up to you.”

“You guys do have the same eyes!” the boy said.

“Venti,” the girl hissed, shoving the boy. The boy stuck out his tongue.

Zhongli was proud to realise he had been right in assuming that these two were Venti and Lumine. They weren’t quite what Zhongli had imagined, but it was good to see that Xiao had caring friends.

“But where are you? Your friends are worried.”

There was a brief pause, then Xiao sighed. “In the ruins.”

Zhongli let his head fall back, letting out a sigh. It wasn’t surprising; Zhongli had done the same thing in the past. When it got all a little bit too much, he would disappear to somewhere quiet and abandoned.

“You want to come yourself, or should I bring your friends?” Zhongli asked.

“It probably takes you an hour to get here, so I have plenty of time to prepare,” Xiao muttered. “Please don’t tell them anything embarrassing.”

The call ended. Zhongli pocketed his phone and got up. He tucked Bubu in the crooked of his elbow. The Swinub was trying to snuggle up with his armpit, which was fine. When he was done, he would swaddle her in blankets and let her sleep.

“So, how well do you know the ruins here?”

The teens stared at him in confusion. “Not at all,” the girl, Lumine, admitted.

Zhongli clapped his hands. This wasn’t as different as giving museum tours. “Great, follow me.”

The teens followed him, looking confused. “Mister, why are we going to the ruins?” Lumine asked.

 “Because Xiao is there.”

“Xiao is hiding away in abandoned ruins?” the boy, Venti, asked in disbelief. “Aren’t there ghosts?”

“Maybe he scares them away,” Lumine whispered.

“The ruins aren’t haunted. The only Pokémon that live there are the Unown. They tend to avoid people, so I don’t expect them to bother Xiao much.”

He saw the kids’ eyes glaze over as he started to talk about the ruins. The few questions they asked were easily brushed off, and Zhongli led them into the ruins. The teens walked a little closer to him. Venti almost grabbed his coat. Zhongli found Xiao pacing around a room, his Ninjask zooming around. Zhongli watched the teens rush ahead. Venti pulled Xiao in a side-ways hug, Lumine joining him on the other side. Though he clearly looked flustered, Xiao didn’t push them away, even hugging them back. He wondered if she would be proud.

Chapter Text

Childe, once again, ended up at the Northland bank. His search for the champion had been fruitless, and without Zhongli for company, the days were long and tedious. Even training Laska had gotten stale, as most trainers were incompetent, and the wild Pokémon didn’t get the memo. Sunyshore city had been a waste of time—it wasn’t even accessible! Childe would have snuck past the guards if he didn’t have to be careful.

“Back again already?” Ekaterina asked, her grin predatory.

“Just need to withdraw some money,” Childe muttered. Pastila yawned loudly in his ear, nuzzling his cheek.

Ekaterina didn’t ask any questions and just handed him the necessary papers.

“I checked out your guy,” she said nonchalantly. “Your boy toy is quite the accomplished man. Seven gym badges, a well-renowned trainer, and he has co-written multiple papers with a certain Azhdaha about… rocks.” Her excitement whittled down at the end.

“I know about Azhdaha.” Childe waved off the information she offered. “Met him before. He’s just a big nerd like Zhongli.”

Ekaterina looked at him almost owlishly. “It sucks that you don’t have to research rocks.”

Childe shrugged. “If the Fatui ever requires it, I’ve learnt a lot by now.”

“Rocks aren’t really my love language,” Ekaterina said. “Anyway, seeing as you have time, the Tsaritsa wants someone to look into lake Acuity.”

“Lake Acuity?” Childe tried to remember where he had heard that name before. Likely, Zhongli had mentioned it.

“It’s a lake up north. Nobody wants to go there, seeing as it’s very snowy and cold. Thankfully, we have a Harbinger that has plenty of free time.” Ekaterina didn’t even try to hide her amusement.

Childe was unable to say no. He held out his hand, and Ekaterina handed him an envelope with the mission. It would be a long track up north, and Childe wasn’t looking forward to it.

“I might need more money,” Childe said. “I haven’t brought warm clothes.”

After more paperwork, Childe was handed a heavy bag with money.

“Good luck,” Ekaterina told him.

Childe was about to leave the building when he remembered the last dinner he had with Zhongli. There had been things that still bothered him, but he hadn’t dared to look anything up. Too much attention would risk him being caught.

“Do you know anyone called Yanfei?” Childe asked.

Ekaterina’s eyes grew big. “That woman is a menace,” she hissed. “She’s a lawyer that has been breathing down our neck for years. Please don’t tell me she has her eyes set on you.”

“No, I just heard someone mention her as a problem solver.”

“Lucky. She looks disarming, fairly cute, but she knows the law,” Ekaterina grimaced. “Her visits are a blessing and a curse.”

“I’ll get going,” Childe held up the mission paper as an excuse to leave. He didn’t know Ekaterina well, but he knew that tone. He imagined that he would sound like that if he had someone to talk with about Zhongli. Longing for the impossible.

“Say hi to your boy toy when you meet him again!” Ekaterina cackled.

***

Icirrus City was known for its cold winters. Childe had memories of ice-fishing during the cold winter months, breathing in the cold air. It seemed that he had gotten soft over the years. The track to lake Acuity was horrible. At home, he had a place to return to, a house that kept him warm. Here it was just the wilderness and a tent. Not to mention that none of his Pokémon wanted to accompany him; Pastila wasn’t even willing to come out of her ball. Mavka didn’t mind the cold; however, she slowed him down considerably and did little to keep him warm. A Lapras was simply not meant for land travel.

The cold stung his eyes, even hidden behind a pair of skiing goggles. Snow crunched underneath his boots as Childe followed the wooden signs. His hands were tucked underneath his armpits, his fingers numb. The signs told him that it was another day to travel for the lake, which was miserable. He thought he had avoided the worst part by flying towards the snowy area instead of going by foot. He still refused to set foot in the mountain again. However, flights were expensive, and people always asked questions. So he had just booked a flight over the mountain, mentioning he wanted to train here. It would be a good spot for training.

I should’ve brought Zhongli along, Childe thought. He at least could share his misery with someone. Zhongli likely would suffer even worse, probably refusing to dress appropriately. Childe imagined him walking around in his long coat and well-fitting slacks, refusing to give up his immaculate image. All there was to see him were Childe and the many wild Pokémon.

Several signs later, Childe caught a whiff of smoke. Stopping in his tracks, he looked around. Smoke curled up in the air a little off-route. Where there was smoke, there likely were people. Maybe even lodgings. The smoke was a white-ish colour, which meant that it was dried, good wood. Craving a warm bed and a proper fire, Childe headed into the direction of the smoke. Ten minutes later, he saw the wooden roof of lodgings peek above the horizon. Hurrying along, Childe was about the cry tears of relief when he heard screaming.

It sounded like a wailing pig, someone ready for slaughter. It sends shivers down his spine, the word ghosts popping up in his head. He wasn’t going to sleep in a haunted lodging, even if it was warm. He remembered the last time he had done sol it had been a small miracle he didn’t die of a heart attack.

The screeching got louder and louder as Childe finally stumbled upon the murder scene. It wasn’t much of a murder scene and more like a wee Swinub screaming on the top of its lungs, thrashing around. The shorter person that was holding the Swinub tried to calm it down. They were very unsuccessful. The taller person had their arms crossed. Childe couldn’t figure out for the life of him whenever these two were male or female. Both were bundled up, not unlike Childe.

“I don’t think she likes me much!” the person holding the Swinub shouted, voice still muffled by their scarf. “You might be able to calm her down.”

The taller person took hold of the Swinub, and it immediately stopped screaming. It snuggled up to them, trying to find warmth in their armpit.

Childe tugged his own scarf down. “Is everything okay over there!” he shouted, his voice scratchy.

Both people turned towards him but in a different manner. While the shorter seemed surprised by his sudden appearance, the taller person stiffened slightly; likely recognising Childe.

The taller person tugged down his scarf, revealing a red nose and cracked lips. “Childe?”

Childe recognised the voice immediately. It was a warm voice, perfect for storytelling. One that Childe had listened to for days. Even when alone, a little voice in his head explaining things to him sounded a lot like Zhongli. Like how nobody knows how the meteorites in Veilstone City got there, but nobody had bothered to move them. They were a fixture of the city.

“The one and only,” Childe said, the cold stinging his lungs.

The shorter person pulled up their goggles and tugged their own scarf down. “What a pleasant surprise. When don’t get many visitors here. I’m Dandy, part of the exploration guild.”

Childe covered the distance and shook the woman’s hand. “I hadn’t planned on visiting, but I saw smoke, and my frozen feet carried me there.”

Dandy giggled and turned to Zhongli. “Should we discuss things inside? I’m freezing.”

Zhongli nodded, and Dandy led them into the lodging. It was a large, wooden building. It likely could house a dozen, if not more, travellers. Wood was stacked against the side underneath a shelter, enough to get through winter, if not longer. The floor and walls were made out of the same colour wood as the outside, only less weathered. Dandy led them to a large living space where the fire was roaring.

Childe dragged the snow over the large rug and knelt in front of the fire. Tugging off his gloves, he held his hands as close as possible. Childe could weep from joy as the heat stung his hands. He would never take fire for granted anymore.

“I apologise for my friend,” he heard Zhongli tell Dandy. “I promise he does have manners.”

Dandy laughed. “He isn’t the first one. Not everyone has to means to travel by air like you.”

Childe pouted. He wanted to see how Zhongli would react in this situation, likely not as poised as he liked to be. Though he had surprised Childe already by actually dressing the part, opting out of style.

It took Childe quite a while to fully thaw out. He had stripped down to his thermal clothing, his boots and socks stood by the fire to dry. Dandy had made them all something some hot, Childe being stuck with a mug of hot Chocolate. Childe was secretly happy about it, it tasted sweet, and the smell of coffee made him a little queasy. His appetite during the travel has been poor.

Zhongli was wearing a thick, black turtle-neck and thermal leggings that fitted him really well. His hair was loose and a mess, his bangs falling into his eyes. His cheeks and nose were ruddy, making him look adorable. The Swinub, apparently named Bubu, was dozing in his lap, looking perfectly content.

“This little one was supposed to stay here,” Zhongli told Childe, completely unprompted. “But she seemed to have gotten attached to me.”

“I asked for Zhongli to pick her up. He does a lot for the exploration guild. I think half of Mt. Coronet is mapped by him and Azhdaha.”

Zhongli looked abashed, cheeks flushed an even darker red.

“He told me so before,” Childe said, offering Dandy a bright smile. “He got me out of a tight spot before.”

Dandy’s eyes lit up. “He’s quite something alright. Honestly, I can’t still believe he’s still single; what’s not to like.” She winked at him.

“I’m still here,” Zhongli protested.

Childe shrugged. “Don’t ask me. I’m surprised that women aren’t falling all over him.”

Dandy snorted unflatteringly but didn’t return the banter. Childe knew he was missing something. A glance in Zhongli’s direction didn’t help either. The man was looking down, petting Bubu. His expression was hard to read. Then he remembered sweet Madame Ping and her not so subtle look. It might not be the ladies that did it for Zhongli.

“Anyway, the dark is nearing, so I would recommend staying. There is plenty of space and good food—though I’m not the best chef.”

***

Dandy hadn’t wanted to let him go. She had offered him a job as a chef, mentioning that this was the best meal she had. Childe was sure she was exaggerating. Any decently home-cooked meal was better than the canned food they had. But Childe had a mission to attend to. He had thanked her for her hospitality and then dragged Zhongli outside.

“You did promise to bring me to Snowpoint City,” Childe told a scowling Zhongli. “And as far as I know, you’re a man of your word.”

“I am. I just don’t enjoy the cold; I didn’t grow up with much snow.” Zhongli wrapped his scarf a little tighter as if it would make a difference. 

It was hard to imagine that a good looking man was hidden behind all these layers of clothing. It was all very much unfashionable, and none of it even flattered Zhongli. The clothes weren’t matching. His coat was this army-green colour, clashing horribly with his mustard-coloured scarf and mittens.

Childe stuck out his tongue. “Well, not everyone grew up in a cave.” He finally tugged his scarf over his nose, blocking out the biting wind.

Zhongli just sighed. He covered his own mouth and nose before releasing Shamo from her ball. The Flygon stretched her wings, letting out a low grumble of annoyance.

“I know, but Arias isn’t fit for two-person travel. And it’s just to Snowpoint, which was our next destination anyway.” Zhongli patted Shamo’s neck comfortingly.

Shamo nuzzled Zhongli’s neck, completely unaware of her own size.

“Arias?” Childe asked, his voice muffled by his scarf. He didn’t recall hearing that name before.

“My Garchomp. His full name is Carcharias, but Arias is much easier.” Zhongli explained, his voice equally muffled. “And before you ask, I’m meeting with the gym leader. Her family are well-renowned exorcists. The exploration guild has been some issues with ghosts.”

“Remind me where I shouldn’t go,” Childe mentioned, shivering.

It was easier to get on Shamo’s back this time around. Zhongli’s bedside manners had been thrown out of the window, which was fine with Childe. He didn’t want to be babied and ‘made sure he was fine’ with this cold. He had flown before, and he wanted to leave this barren place behind.

They launched into the air surprisingly fast. Childe squeaked as he latched onto the saddle, fearing he would be swept away by the wind. He was pulled closer by Zhongli, his back pressed against the other man’s chest. Caged between Zhongli’s arms and tights, Childe felt entirely secure and very embarrassed. Maybe going by foot had been a better idea; it at least would be less embarrassing. Childe truly wondered if Zhongli knew what kind of effect he had on people—especially Childe.

***

Zhongli got quickly distracted by a middle-aged woman with long, icy-blue hair and piercing eyes. Childe snuck away, making sure Zhongli got no opportunity to follow him.  The mission-statement Ekaterina had given him had stated that Fatui grunts had set up camp around the lake, doing research and waiting for a Harbinger. It seemed that the few in Sinnoh couldn’t be bothered, causing Childe to be stuck with the job.

Lake Acuity wasn’t really accessible for the average person. The walls leading up to the lake was steep, the forest surrounding the lake dense. Childe was sweating underneath his clothes, his undershirt sticking to his skin, the top of his head boiling. Trudging through the forest, he sent Pastila ahead. She only complied because he bribed her with food.

The forest was deserted. Except for a few Pokémon, there was no human life. This clearly wasn’t a tourist spot,  which was fine with him. The fewer people there were, the easier it was to remain undercover. When forest made way for snowy fields, Childe finally picked up on the distant chatter of people. The Fatui had sent up a large camp. Large fires were casting shadows on the snow, tents were spread around. There were a few larger tents, but most were for single use. Likely to keep a low profile. All were in uniform, the thick coats keeping them warm. To Childe’s dismay, very few wore their masks. This wasn’t HQ where they would be safe.

He walked into the camp, and only a few of the grunts bothered to greet him. His frustration grew. What an incapable bunch.

Childe grabbed one of the grunts by the arm, startling the man. “Gather everyone at the largest fire,” Childe ordered. “I want a full report on the ongoings here.”

“Hey, you don’t…” the man’s face turned ghost-white, his eyes bugging out of their sockets. “Of course, my lord. I’ll gather everyone.”

The grunts assembled rather quickly, many of them putting on their masks, almost poking out their eyes. Like his mission statement had mentioned, there were fifty or-so grunts here. There was a combination of awe and fear written over their covered faces. Childe found it ironically. If they knew about his escapades in Sinnoh, they would lose all respect for him.

One of the grunts stepped forward, his stride confident. Probably the self-appointed leader before Childe had arrived.

“Lord Tartaglia, it’s good to see you here. I’m Vadim, the one in charge before your arrival.” Vadim bowed politely.

At times, Childe wondered if he was cut out to be a Harbinger. He knew that Signora would step all over this guy, making him cry. Scaramouche wasn’t much better, though he mostly just didn’t care about the lives. If one of the grunts died, it wasn’t his problem.

“The camp looks good. However, I walked in without anyone noticing me. Get some people on guard duty, just in case.”

Vadim nodded. Childe noticed something akin to relief on his face. Vadim’s report wasn’t too exciting. They had been tasked to keep an eye on lake Acuity, reporting anything that looked suspicious. They, however, weren’t even allowed to dip their toes in the lake. That was up to whatever Harbinger would show up.

Childe changed clothing, opting for a wet suit. It was a bit more chilly but much more practical. He had the suit imported from Hoenn, where they did a lot of scuba diving. They were better than the flimsy suits they sold in the stores. Not only was it more practical, but his regular clothes would weigh him down. The airy fabric that kept him warm would soak up all the water, weighing him down.

He let out Mavka. She gracefully glided into the water, floating close to the edge so Childe could step on her back. Danica was released directly into the water. The Lantrun let out a chattering noise, swimming around the vast expense. Pastila was still with him, perched on his shoulder.

It was just a dot on the horizon, but Childe knew that it must be the cavern his mission statement talked about. The place where Uxie could be found, at least according to the stories. What the Fatui wanted to do with the lake guardian, Childe didn’t want to know. He was here to do some observations and report his findings.

The water was calm as he stepped on Mavka’s shell. Gently holding her neck, Childe directed her into the direction of the cavern. Danica swam around him, chasing away anything that could be a nuisance to them. The few Pokémon he spotted underneath the surface didn’t seem too dangerous or keen to meet him, but better be safe than sorry.

A dark shadow passed underneath them, and Childe tightened his grip on Mavka’s neck a little more. The shadow passed another time before Danica started to chase it off, sparks of electricity dancing on the shallow waves. Ice started to surround Mavka, lifting her out of the water. She knew what to do when in danger; get out of the water before getting electrocuted.

Shuffling forward on the freshly formed layer of ice, Childe scanned the water for a sight of Danica. Not long after, her cute face resurfaced. People had laughed at him when he took a cute, little Chinchou as his starting Pokémon. Their Oshawatt, Snivy and Tepig were much cooler. Childe had found Danica himself, seeing as their family couldn’t even afford a starter Pokémon. He hadn’t lost a single battle during school. Her cuteness was a trap.

The trip to the cavern went smoothly, which was very worrying. Childe knew that the guardian spirit must have noticed him by now. He wasn’t being particularly subtle. Arriving at the tiny island, Childe stepped off Mavka’s back and tugged off the hood of his wetsuit. The land was covered in a thick layer of snow, entirely untouched. The place radiated a ‘fuck off’ energy, likely scaring away all wildlife. Pastila let out a low, rumbling noise of distress.

Leaving Mavka and Danica in the water for an easy escape, Childe released Menace from its confinements. According to Zhongli, the lake guardians were all psychic types. It would be helpful that have Menace there as backup. The guardians didn’t seem to be mean spirited, but Childe was entering their turf. Everything was fair game.

The cavern was spacious and eerily empty. There was a drawing of Uxie on the floor, spanning the entire width and length. Water dripped down from the ceiling, creating puddles on the ground. There was no sign of life.

Pastila whined, trying to wedge herself in the hood of his wetsuit. The feeling of dread crept up on him, settling in his bones. He took deep breaths, making sure he wasn’t suffocating. He couldn’t imagine anyone willingly going to this place.

He did was his assignment told him to do. Inspect the walls and floor, remembering every tiny detail. There was very little to remember, with no clues left behind. It didn’t help that his head started to hurt, his vision wavering a little.

“Leave!” the voice, almost robotic, echoed through the cavern.

Pastila shrieked, sending off sparks. Electricity bounced across the walls, almost electrocuting Childe. Taking a few steps back, Childe felt his foot slipping on the floor. Painfully he landed on his ass. His heart was somewhere lodged in his throat, threatening to escape.

“I mean no harm,” Childe stammered.

“Leave!” the same voice said again. “Now!”

Childe racked his brain, trying to figure out a way to appease this guardian. What had Zhongli told him again? Mesprit represented emotion, Azelf willpower and Uxie… what did Uxie represent again?

They were somewhere between Celestic town and Veilstone city. Due to the nice weather, they had opted to walk to the next place and not fly. They were setting up camp for the night; Zhongli’s never-ending rambling had gotten almost soothing.

“I would love to meet the lake guardians one day,” Zhongli admitted.

Childe wondered why. While Childe wanted to measure his strength against a legendary Pokémon one day, the lake guardians didn’t seem too threatening.

“Especially Uxie,” Zhongli continued. “The representation of knowledge. I wonder how much it knows, how much it has seen.”

Knowledge. Uxie represented knowledge.

“In Unova, we also have a group of guardians.” Childe tried to unscramble his brain. “They’re called the Swords of Justice. There are actually four of them, unlike the lake guardians. They have the same job, though, protecting the Pokémon in Unova.”

He kept on prattling, remembering all the storybooks he had read during his childhood and the ones he read to his siblings. The headache lessened, and his vision sharpened. He continued exploring, mentally noting anything that looked out of place, though feeling it was unnecessary. When his voice was hoarse, Childe left the cavern. The feeling of dread had settled deep in his bones. It wasn’t just this place that made him feel awful, but also his finding.  What was he going to report?

***

Laska jumped out of the water, landing gracefully on the beach. The Buizel looked smug as Childe dragged himself out of the water, leaving deep grooves in the sand. He had pushed his body a little too far, trying to keep up with Laska’s swimming. He stood no chance, but it was good to keep himself fit. The trudge through the snow and the exhaustion that had followed had left him feeling horrible. He couldn’t believe how much he had let himself go, getting adjusted to a comfortable life.

“I know that you are a good swimmer; stop being smug,” Childe scowled, sitting down on the sand. He tugged off the hood of his wetsuit, fluffing out his messy hair. “Stop rubbing it in.”

He watched Laska jump back into the sea, creating an orange blur among all the blue. Childe had purposely gone to Pastoria City. Both because he could gather intel here, at least he hoped to, but primarily to train Laska. The sea here was perfect for exercising. It made him feel like he had a purpose.

There were a few other visitors to the beach, each minding their own business. The only ones who had spoken to him had wanted to talk about his Buizel, how cute he was. Laska had been bashful over the compliments, which seemed so unlike him.

“Cute Buizel you have there.” The voice sounded mocking. Childe sighed. He was waiting for someone to mock him for having cute Pokémon.

“Yeah, well, he’ll…” Childe turned his head, caught the man’s gaze and stopped talking. “Kaeya?”

Kaeya’s one good eye looked back at him, mouth slightly open. “Ajax, what are you doing here.”

Childe made a hushing noise. “Don’t use that name.”

It wasn’t good that Kaeya was here. He knew that sooner or later, the authority of Hoenn would join the ones from Sinnoh, but Childe hadn’t expected to run into one. Especially not the one that actually knew him. Childe couldn’t be trusted around alcohol and Kaeya’s silver tongue.

Kaeya sat down next down to him, taking off boots and rolling up his pants. “I don’t want to know why you’re here.”

“I wasn’t planning on telling you either.”

Kaeya nodded. “The Buizel is yours, right?”

“He is.”

“Does your boss know that you’re playing around with Pokémon while on the job?” Kaeya asked, clearly teasing him.

“As long as I send her updates, she doesn’t care.”

Kaeya yawned. “I would recommend keeping a low profile.”

He watched Laska jump out of the water, making summersaults and diving back in. Childe already knew that his other water Pokémon wouldn’t be able to keep up with him. “Seeing as you didn’t know I was here, I am doing a good job of that.”

They had talked before, even exchanged numbers. But it was always when they were off the job, seeing as they were on opposite sides, especially after the incident in Hoenn. Childe was surprised that Kaeya didn’t arrest him on the spot, though he was innocent. He hadn’t been there when everything went down, and being part of a criminal organisation didn’t mean he necessarily was evil. Childe had done his best to keep himself out of trouble.

“How do you like Sinnoh?” Kaeya asked.

Childe snorted. “I could ask you the same thing. But I actually do like it here. There is a lot of history, though the snow is miserable.”

Kaeya laughed loud and heartedly. “You trudged through the snow, on your own volition? What did you do to make the Tsaritsa mad?”

Childe wasn’t sure. He knew he was slow with his process to figure out who the champion was, but there was no hurry to it. The Fatui were still scouting the area. A well-executed plan required months of planning. He had figured that most other Harbingers had been unbothered to do the task and that someone had to do it.

“I just hit a draught,” Childe muttered.

“Luckily, we aren’t getting any further either. Not any chance that you could help us out?” Kaeya bumped shoulders with him, making their conversation achingly friendly.

“I doubt it,” Childe answered. Laska finally decided to leave the water, walking up to Childe and curling up in his lap. Childe rubbed his head.

“He seems very friendly,” Kaeya remarked. “I know most wild Pokémon take some time to calm down.”

Childe knew he was right. He had been fortunate with most of his Pokémon. It was why most people got a captive-bred Pokémon as a starter, seeing as they were much easier to work with than wild-caught.

“Got him from a friend. He figured that my training method would fit Laska well.” Childe purposely left out Zhongli’s name. It wasn’t wise to tell Kaeya who he associated with, even though Zhongli was very much an innocent bystander.

“Laska, that is such a cute name,”  Kaeya teased. “But honestly, I think you could train any Pokémon. It’s a shame we aren’t on the same side.”

Kaeya put his socks and boots back on and got up. He wiped the sand off his pants, still looking well put together. Kaeya knew how to dress well, even if it was clearly an off-duty outfit.

“If you ever change your mind,” Kaeya said. “You have my number.”

Childe remained sitting on the beach, ignoring the rumbling of his stomach or the rising tide. The sun was setting, the colours beautiful and reminding him of home. He suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness, emphasised by the empty beach. He wished that Zhongli was here, even though all the man knew were Childe’s lies. It would hurt less than having to face the truth.

***

He had been told that route 212 wasn’t the most tourist-friendly route. Childe had taken the advice to heart and had gone by foot, not hiring a bicycle. Within a couple of days, Childe had lost his favourite boots to the swamp. His damp and muddy socks were stuffed in his bag, smelling worse by the day. The forest was equally bad. It was dense and hard to navigate. What should’ve been a week travelling to Hearthome City was now turning into a nine-day trip. He would never take a shower for granted ever again.

The first sign of life that wasn’t from a Pokémon was the sound of music. Childe thought it was a flute, though he wasn’t an expert on music. Following the music, he eventually stumbled upon a clearing. Having thread lightly, the stranger hadn’t noticed him yet. Childe saw Kazuha—the stowaway from Johto—sitting on a lodge. The purple Vivillon was gently fluttering around him, not disrupting the music. Kazuha was playing something that looked like a lump of wood.

Kazuha looked well. His hair was a little longer and wilder. The already light colour now looked white, making the strand of red stand out even more. His features were soft, but there was an unmistakable hint of sadness to the expression.

When he stopped playing, the Vivillon whined softly. “I know,” Kazuha murmured, reaching out his hand to touch the Vivillon. “I miss him too, princess. We’ll get him back, I promise.”

Childe cleared his throat. The softness of Kazuha’s face turned into sharp lines. It softened a little when he saw it was Childe, but he still kept his guard up. Understandably so.

“I just heard you playing music; I haven’t seen another human being in days,” Childe smiled, trying to salvage the conversation.

“There aren’t many people in this place,” Kazuha admitted. The Vivillon settled on his back, once again looking like a giant ribbon.

“How’s everything going?” Childe asked.

“I miss home,” Kazuha said, turning the wooden instrument around in his hands.

“You could go back,” Childe joked.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Kazuha admitted. “I’ve unfinished businesses there.”

Childe was both curious and slightly frightened of what unfinished businesses Kazuha had. From experience, unfinished businesses tended to be nasty and not a lot of fun. Being stuck with his own issues, Childe wasn’t so keen on the idea of being dragged into Kazuha’s mess.

“Can I skip?” Childe asked.

Kazuha managed to crack a slight grin. “I’ll find someone else; it will be hard enough to even get back into Johto. Everything going well for you?”

“It could’ve been better,” Childe said, lying through his teeth. Honestly, nothing went right as of now. He was none the closer to finding out who Morax was, and he didn’t like the direction everything was going. The Fatui’s mission has been to create a better life for the Pokémon. Childe started to wonder if they were actually heading in that direction. He has been wondering a lot lately, being stuck with his own thoughts.

Childe regretted not getting to know Kazuha on the ship. While he didn’t need to be best friends with Kazuha, it could have been helpful to be on friendly terms. He could’ve asked Kazuha questions about what he had seen. But now, it would only create distrust. Beidou likely had told the young man who Childe was.

“I’ll leave you be,” Childe said, taking a step back. “I would recommend staying away from the lakes.”

Kazuha looked utterly confused, and Childe made a run for it. It was time to find civilisation again and find that shower he so desired.

Chapter Text

Northland bank became his favourite place to be. While he time with Zhongli, more than he liked to admit, he always has to hold his tongue. Zhongli wasn’t allowed to know who he was. Then there was the Fatui. His fellow Harbingers sucked, and grunts either tried to sleep with him to get up the ranks or looked up at him. None of them treated him as an equal. Which left Ekaterina, who didn’t give a shit that he was a Harbinger and knew about his mission.

“You really suck at your job,” Ekaterina remarked.

Childe sighed. He was leaning on the reception desk, looking past Ekaterina. She was sorting through some ‘secret’ documents as if she hadn’t just complained about the pompous bastard they leant money to. She was as qualified for her job as he was for his. “Yeah, well, I have little to work with, seeing as Signora broadcasted our plans.”

Ekaterina offered him a very judgemental eyebrow raise. Technically, she had to wear her mask. But Childe wasn’t the one for protocol, seeing as he frequently wasn’t even wearing his uniform. “You’re sure you aren’t busy with other things?”

As to prove her point, Laska tugged his pant leg. After Pastila, he had vowed that his Pokémon would always stay in their ball. But Laska was really good at looking sad. Childe was a weak man, especially concerning his Pokémon.

“It’s better than sleeping around or drinking my frustration away,” Childe remarked.

Ekaterina snorted. “I think you happily would sleep with Zhongli if the feelings were reciprocated.”

Childe wished it was this easy. If all he wanted was to sleep with Zhongli, he might have gotten it over and done. However, Zhongli didn’t seem attracted to him, and Childe liked Zhongli a little too much. There was something so comforting about Zhongli’s presence that made Childe feel at ease. It was a foreign feeling to him, feeling safe and comfortable.

The door was pushed open, and Childe turned his head slightly. A tall woman in a black suit strode in, her heels clicking against the stone floor. Her blond hair was piled up on her head, her lips painted a blood red. Childe’s blood ran cold. Speaking of the devil herself, Signora.

“Ah, Tartaglia,” Signora spoke with a sneer. Some lipstick was smeared on her teeth.

“Signora,” Childe replied coldly, completely turning around.

Laska bristled, stepping in front of Childe. The Buizel didn’t even reach his middle and was even smaller compared to Signora.

“Cute.” Signora strode towards him, her stride confident. “It seems you’ve gotten a new friend.”

Laska straightens his shoulders, taking a couple of steps forward. Signora turned up her nose and kicked Laska. Childe caught the Buizel, feeling like someone had stabbed his heart. He cradled the Pokémon close to his chest, glaring at Signora.

“There was no need for that,” Childe snapped at her.

Signora rolled her eyes, sighing. “Little boy, please stop your whining. Now.” She put her hand on her hip, her sneer looking almost bloody due to her red-stained teeth. “I heard interesting things about lake Acuity; I would like to have a word with you.”

Childe knew he had no choice. He handed Laska to a worried-looking Ekaterina, flashing her a reassuring smile. He wished he felt as confident as he probably looked.

***

Childe quickly learned that Zhongli was an awful texter. Had he sent Zhongli a text with the request for a museum tour, the only excuse he could find to meet again. Zhongli texted like a grandfather, spending over ten minutes composing a well-articulated reply with complete sentences and punctuation. Childe had stared at the reappearing speech bubbled, wondering if Zhongli was writing an entire essay. Zhongli had offered to fetch Childe, but he had declined. Hearthome City was just a three-day bicycle trip away from Oreburgh city, and it had yet to snow. The early winter weather was fairly mild, much better than back in Unova.

Pastila was sitting in the basket, munching on berries as Childe rode into the city. Nobody seemed to recognise him, which was fine with him. He stopped the bicycle at the museum, kicked the stand and locked it. He picked up Pastila, settling her on his shoulder. He untied his luggage, slinging the large bag onto his back. He had arrived with very few things, but his stay had caused his possessions to grow. His snow equipment alone had required a bigger bag. Before he knew it, he couldn’t carry it all with him anymore.

It was in the middle of the day, which meant that it was teeming with tourists. Childe entered the mining museum, stepping in line. He unzipped his coat a little, letting his sweaty skin breathe. The line moved slowly, the visitors putting their luggage in lockers. Childe figured it was to avoid theft.

When he arrived at the front desk, the lady smiled brightly at him.

Childe cleared his throat. “I’m looking for mister Zhongli.”

The lady looked him up and down, her eyes bright with excitement. “I’ll call him in, just stand off the side and wait.”

As mentioned, she called Zhongli in by walky-talky. The man in question arrived not much later. He wore his usual slacks, but the sweater he wore looked soft. It was a green colour, which was an unusual colour for him. Childe had mostly seen him in blacks, whites and browns.

Pastila, unprompted, jumped off his shoulder and launched herself to Zhongli. She clutched onto his sweater, scuttling up until she was sitting on his shoulder. Zhongli started at him with big eyes.

“She missed you.”

Zhongli carefully patted Pastila. “I, well… I don’t have any food on me for her.”

“I think you’ve won her trust by now. Now, about that tour?” Childe rocked on his heels, forcing a smile on his face.

“Of course, follow me.” Zhongli turned around, heading towards an entrance that clearly said ‘employees only’. Childe followed him, ignoring the stares he got from other people.

Pastila stuck with Zhongli the whole time. There had been very few people Pastila liked; if someone was a good judge of character, it would be her. Childe wasn’t sure how it made him feel. Was this Pastila’s way to say ‘please pick this guy’? Or did she just genuinely like Zhongli.

“How is Laska doing?” Zhongli asked. They just passed an exhibit of ancient fossils. While Zhongli had known plenty about mining and rocks, it was the fossils where he truly shined. He even pointed out a couple of fossils and remains that he found himself, his name proudly displayed underneath the description.

“He’s doing well.” Childe tried not to remember a very dejected looking Laska when he had returned from Signora’s interrogation. “He’s just a little protective.”

Zhongli looked up from examining a glass case with old mining equipment. Childe wondered if he hadn’t seen it all a thousand times over by now. His gaze was frustratingly gentle. “It seems I made the right call giving him to you.”

Childe grimaced. He still wasn’t sure if it had been the right choice. There was, however, no going back.

“Let’s go over there.” Zhongli headed for another exhibition, already starting to prattle about it. Childe followed him, watching Pastila drowsing on Zhongli’s shoulder.

“Azhdaha and I found half of these things accidentally.” Zhongli pointed at near identical-looking rocks. “I think we were fifteen? I think that there were times that we spent more time in caves than outside of them.”

Childe hated the pang of jealously he felt. He wished that he had a childhood like Zhongli, exploring with a friend, doing stupid things. He would’ve tried to see who could last the longest out in the snow or who could catch the biggest fish. However, wishing would get him nowhere. No magic could turn back time.

A few more exhibits were about rocks, and they bored Childe to tears. Even Zhongli’s excitement couldn’t keep him excited. The next display was small. Childe noticed the name sign ‘Unova’ attached to the glass case.

“You’re probably more familiar with this than I’m.” Zhongli stepped aside, giving Childe full view.

Childe couldn’t say he recognised a lot of the things inside the case. He wasn’t much of a researcher, preferring to spend his time battling and becoming stronger. He did recognise one object, a golden mask with a human face.

“It’s a Yamask,” Childe said, surprised. “But where is the rest.”

Zhongli shrugged. “We’ve waited months before displaying the piece, hoping that its owner would show up. But I fear the mask is all that’s left. You’re familiar with the Pokémon?

“I’ve a Cofagrigus. I met him in an abandoned hut. He scared the life out of me—but we bonded through a fight, and he wanted to stay with me.” As he told Zhongli, Childe realised he had a thing of picking up stays. Nearly all of his loyal companions had been accidental acquisitions.

Zhongli’s eyes lit up. “Do you have him with you?”

Childe nodded. Zhongli took his arm and almost dragged him towards the ‘employees only’ area. He could imagine the skip in Zhongli’s step. There were still times he forgot that Zhongli was a complete and total nerd. The man dressed stylishly and smart; however, talking about finances and business didn’t excite him. But the moment they talked about history, or Pokémon, Zhongli was like a child getting his first Pokémon.

The storage area was well lit and entirely deserted. Boxes were piled up high, empty glass cases stood gathering dust. Zhongli was rubbing his hands together, waiting eagerly.

Bauk was released from his confinements. The gold of his coffin-shaped shone in the light. He stretched his arms as if he had been a human, just woken up from a slumber. An average Cofagrigus was about 5’7”. Childe’s was on the larger side, fitting Childe in his entirety. It had come in handy in the past, as he needed a quick get-away. Most people saw Bauk and ran in the other direction, fearing the worst. The Pokémon was, in fact, reasonably mild-tempered, especially since Childe fed him plenty of gold nuggets.

“He’s beautiful,” Zhongli said. “Give me a minute, let me grab something.”

Zhongli opened one of the boxes, rummaging through it. Bauk gave Childe a curious look.

“No, he’s not edible,” Childe sighed. He had gotten rid of a few difficult people before using Bauk. However, the Cofagrigus always ended up spitting them out. Perfectly alive, but also traumatised.

Childe saw Zhongli return with a couple of golden nuggets. They were a little banged up and scratched, but Childe saw Bauk’s eyes lit up all the same.

“If I remember correctly, this Pokémon is very fond of eating gold.” Zhongli offered the golden nuggets to Bauk. Without waiting for Childe’s permission, Bauk used one of his shadow hands to grab the nuggets and toss them into his toothy mouth.

“Ask the next time,” Childe scolded. Zhongli chuckled, waving off his concern.

The way Zhongli interacted with Bauk was really fascinating. He looked like a scholar, taking notes on his phone. Each word seemed to be painstakingly typed down, likely aided by Zhongli’s lack of typing skills. But he was also kind towards Bauk. Few people weren’t terrified of his Cofagrigus. Zhongli talked to him as they were equals, asking questions, explaining theories, even at one point clearly meaning to check out Bauk’s inside.

“Might better not do that.” Childe pulled Zhongli back. “I only trust him with my own life, no offence.”

Zhongli seemed disappointed but seemed to accept Childe’s wish. He kept fawning over Bauk, which remained a sight to be seen. It appeared that Bauk didn’t know what to do with this attention; at some point, he even looked bashful.

Childe wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but Zhongli’s excitement was disrupted by a knock on the door. A woman’s head appears, offering an apologetic smile. “Mister Zhongli, your scheduled lecture is in ten minutes.”

“Oh, is it that late already.” Zhongli checked his phone, looking at the tiny screen in disbelief. “I hadn’t expected this to last this long.”

“I’ll be there in five.” The woman nodded and disappeared.

It was ridiculous, but it warmed Childe’s heart to see Zhongli bow, thanking Bauk for his time. Pastila squeaked sleepily. Zhongli carefully picked up the Emolga from his shoulder, handing her back to Childe.

“I apologise. I should’ve been the one giving you the tour, not you letting me fawn over your Pokémon.”

Childe gently put Pastila in the hood of his sweater, knowing she would enjoy the warmth. He returned Bauk to his ball. “It’s fine. Bauk isn’t used to all the attention; I think he enjoyed it.”

“He’s well behaved,” Zhongli remarked.

Childe wasn’t so sure, seeing as Bauk was ready to chomp off Zhongli’s hand for the golden nuggets.

“I’ll lead you out,” Zhongli took, once again, the lead.

It felt as if they just had finished their date. They stood outside, both smiling awkwardly. People were eyeing them curiously, a few children pointing at Zhongli. While Childe was warm and cosy in his coat, Zhongli looked a little cold in just his sweater.

“I’m still apologetic for hijacking your tour,” Zhongli said. “If you ever want another tour, I would be up for it.”

Childe sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

***

Childe was embarrassed to admit that the best date he ever had—and he had been on many dates—wasn’t actually a date. Zhongli had invited him for some practice battles, which was right up his ally. It wasn’t romantic, with hundreds of feet between them, but Childe relished in the adrenaline of combat. None of his dates had ever invited him for a practice battle as a date. More often or not, the men and women Childe flirted with wanted to go out to lunch or dinner. Low-key, chill, boring. Admittedly, he might be biased because it was Zhongli. Passionate, outspoken and undeniably authentic. There was nothing high and mighty about the man, which was refreshing.

Childe found himself inside the Oreburgh gym once again. It was hard to believe it almost had been three months since he had seen the demonstration battle. He never had used the information he found during this visit. He hadn’t even bothered looking at it after his narrow escape.

They had decided on a double battle. Laska and Pastila were on the field, facing equally small opponents. Zhongli had chosen Bubu, his recently acquired Swinub, and Lileep. Zhongli had yet to name the Pokémon, not getting any further than ‘fish eater’. Childe found it a little too literal and had voted against the name.

Rain was pelting down on the field. Laska thrived, skipping and sliding over the water like an ice skater. Bubu wasn’t too happy about it, nor Pastila. She floated between the clouts, raindrops rolling down her waterproof coat. The Lileep was swaying gently, moving as much as it had done before. Childe was, admittedly, a little creeped out by the Pokémon.

“Ancient power,” Zhongli ordered.

Rocks on the field started to float, pelting themselves towards Pastila. Childe answered with the move Aqua Jet. Laska burst through the rocks with ease, showering the floor with small chunks of rock. Bubu squealed loudly, running off the field to hide behind Zhongli’s legs.

Childe tried not to stare too much. Zhongli had opted for different clothes than before, and it was hard not to stare. The man wore running attire, which all fitted him a little too well. Not to mention he wore his hair partially braided back and the rest in a bun. This man could do no wrong in the looks department. Though, the small pig hiding behind his legs looked very much out of place.

A well-aimed Water Gun blasted the Lileep away. Bubu hadn’t left the safety of Zhongli’s legs, poking her little nose between the man’s legs.

“I guess I should give you more difficult opponents.” Zhongli’s voice carried over the field. “I fear these two don’t work.”

Childe smiled, giving Zhongli two thumbs-up. Zhongli returned his Pokémon to their balls, grabbing two others. But before releasing the Pokémon, Zhongli’s phone rang. The sound was harsh in the otherwise quietness. Childe whistled for his Pokémon to return.

He heard nothing about the call, though Zhongli’s face grew more worried as time went on. Childe just mindlessly patted Pastila, who had landed on his shoulder and was busy grooming herself.

Zhongli ended the call, looking troubled. “I fear I’ll have to end this practice battle early.”

It was disappointing but not surprising. Returning his Pokémon back to their balls, Childe stretched his taught limbs. His body always clamped up during these kinds of things, the battle setting him on edge.

“It was at least good practice,” he told Zhongli as the man walked up to him. The worry hadn’t left his features. “Need any help with whatever is going on in that pretty head of yours?”

Zhongli seemed to be stunned into silence. Childe felt proud. At times, it seemed that nothing could stop Zhongli from talking.

“There is something I have to investigate. I could use your help if you don’t mind.”

Childe shrugged. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do. His lead on Morax was non-existing. He might as well give up or ask the Tsaritsa for a different assignment. “Sure, though I’m not sure if I can help you with anything mining related.”

Zhongli’s eyes lit up, softening his face a little. “There is something I have to check out at Lake Verity. It’s fairly close-by, so it shouldn’t take long.”

Fear seized him by the throat. This was the moment he had been dreading. Now he had to make a choice. Was he going to aid Zhongli in stopping the Fatui, or would he make himself scarce? He could send out a warning that somehow, the authority of Sinnoh had figured out what they were doing. Though, why would Zhongli be involved? Wasn’t this something up to the elite four and Kaeya’s people? Zhongli was just a museum director.

“I… sure.” Maybe he could just bluff his way through this entire thing. Maybe the others would think he was still playing his part, making sure his cover wasn’t blown. Maybe this way, Childe could figure out what Zhongli’s secret source was and nip it in the bud. He didn’t want Zhongli to be involved, no matter how strong of a fighter he was.

***

Childe wasn’t surprised to see that the Fatui had set up camp close to lake Verity. What surprised him was that they were already breaking down camp. There was no Harbinger insight. A foot-soldier was giving out the orders. They were wearing their masks, looking around shiftily. Goods were tied to large baskets, which were connected to large bird-like Pokémon. There were various Unova natives, with Braviary, Mandizbuzz and Unfezant the most common ones.

“They’re in a hurry,” Zhongli remarked, lowering his binoculars. “Do you think we still have time?”

Childe looked away from the camp, zooming in with his binoculars to the cavern. From a distance, they hadn’t been able to make out anything. But now Childe spotted the few grunts waiting outside, flying Pokémon at the ready. It was a pair of Braviary and a single Volcarona. The Volcarona, a fire and bug type, was a little too well-behaved to be this close to water.

“There are still two grunts at the cave with flying Pokémon,” Childe debriefed as he lowered his binoculars.

Zhongli’s face disappeared behind the black binoculars briefly, the frown between his eyebrows increasing.

“A Volcarona,” Zhongli muttered. “Those are fairly rare. I think we have to check it out.”

That wasn’t what Childe had wanted to hear. He knew to who this Pokémon belonged, and Childe very much wasn’t looking forward to seeing her again. She wouldn’t buy his ‘I’m just playing along’ act. She would sniff out his lies and expose him for what he truly was; a failure. Not quite a traitor yet, but he was getting awfully close. 

“I think Arias could get us there, though he isn’t too fond of water.” Zhongli looked a little ill as he was staring at the calm water ahead of them.

Childe let out Mavka. She floated in the water, letting out soft, melodic sounds. They were far enough from the camp to remain unnoticed unless someone was on the lookout. But even if they were, they would keep an eye on their back; the forest. Childe stepped on Mavka’s shell, offering out a hand to Zhongli. Zhongli turned chalk white, his hand shaking as he took Childe’s.

“Just hold onto her neck, gently.” Childe guided Zhongli’s arms to Mavka’s neck. “Maybe sit down, which helps with your balance. You’ll get a little wet, but you should be mostly fine.”

It was odd to see Zhongli, who was always so poised and elegant, clinging to Mavka’s neck like it was a lifeline. He ordered her to head towards the cavern. He let Danica out in the water and Laska onto Mavka’s shell. If Signora was there, Childe wasn’t going down without a fight.

They moored out of sight of the entrance and the camp. Zhongli was the first one to step foot on land, looking relieved. Childe followed him with ease, jumping of Mavka’s back and telling her to stay. Laska followed him.

“Let’s go; we might still catch them.” Childe took a step, feeling perfectly fine, and then he collapsed.

Gripping his head, Childe was hit by a sea of emotions. His heart ached at the feeling of betrayal; tears spilt at the pain that coursed through him. He tried to breathe, feeling like all the air was being taken from him. He tried to figure out what was happening, but his brain was too busy shutting out the pain. Uxie’s place had felt dreadful, but not like this. It had been gradually, not a punch to the face.

He heard Laska’s whine, felt the gentle touch of Zhongli’s hand on his back, but it all felt so distant. The accusation of ‘betrayal’ was chanted repeatedly in his head, adding to the overwhelming feeling. All Childe wanted was for it to stop, that he would faint. He had underestimated the power of the lake guardians, though he wondered why him. If they were this powerful, couldn’t they get rid of everyone with ease?

“Ah, I knew I smelled betrayal.” Childe looked up. His vision swam, unable to bring the woman in focus. He still recognised Signora, both by the tone of her voice and her towering figure. “Though you don’t seem to be in a state to actually fight.”

Another wave of emotions crashed over him, making bile rise in his throat. He squeezed his eyes close, pressing his forehead against the wet dirt. This must be Mesprit’s doing, but Childe didn’t know why him. Why couldn’t it just assault Signora and send her to her knees?

As the pain was getting too much, the cry for help too strong, Childe felt himself lose consciousness. He saw a bright flash, a high-pitched scream and then there was nothing.

***

Cold water hit Childe’s face, sending him gasping for air. He squeezed his eyes shut against the bright light. His head was throbbing, the pain near unbearable. His body felt as if he had spent the entire day working out. He had been completely useless, letting Zhongli fend for himself. Against Signora, he likely would have little chance. Even Childe was wary about her battle prowess, knowing she wouldn’t be an easy opponent.

“You’re okay?” Zhongli’s hand felt clammy against his face, though it could be his own sweat that made it so.

“Hurts,” Childe croaked. “Where’s Signora?”

The same hand gentle pushed his hair out of his face, stroking it. “She fled. Laska scared her off.”

Childe opened his eyes, staring at the harsh sunlight. His vision was still blurry, though it got better little by little. “Help me get up,” he asked.

Zhongli got him up in a sitting position. Childe felt bile rise up his throat, and he vomited, aiming for the lake. He felt numb. Why had Mesprit called to him? Had the Pokémon realised that he had been at fault for figuring out the secret about Uxie? Had it wanted to punish him? But then why the cry for help?

“What happened?” Zhongli asked, his hand resting firmly on Childe’s back. “You just collapsed.”

“I think Mesprit called for help, but…” Childe rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the pain.

“It likely projected its emotions on you, overwhelming you. Mesprit is the lake guardian that represents emotions.” Zhongli sounded a little shaky as he theorised.

“But why me?” Childe asked.

“I don’t know,” Zhongli admitted. “However, I think it had good reasons. You’re a very trustworthy person.”

Childe wanted to cry, but he was just too exhausted for it. Something wet stung his eyes, but that also might be the dirt on the breeze. Blinking, Childe looked at the water. The sun had been covered by clouds; the wind had picked up. The water was restless, waves crashing against the shores, leaving white foam behind.

“We’ve to get out of here,” Childe said. “The water only will get worse.”

Rain started to pour down, soaking them to the bones in seconds. He heard Zhongli curse. “I can’t fly us out; Shamo and Arias don’t handle the rain well.”

Wetting his lips and mouth, Childe pushed his dirty fingers between his lips and whistled. He heard Mavka call back, her voice carried on the wind.

“Where’s Laska?” Childe asked, taking a good look around. It was just him and Zhongli, the little orange thing nowhere to be seen.

“He went after Signora,” Zhongli explained. He helped Childe get onto his feet. Childe felt like a newborn baby, being supported by their parent.

He might have to explain to Laska that there was a thing as being overprotective. What if he got hurt? Childe wouldn’t be able to protect him, not right now.

Mavka came into view, rocking on the waves. Danica followed her, casting a pale light in the otherwise dark water. Unstable but with confidence, Childe stepped on Mavka’s shell. He had done it so often, he knew that the only thing that could knock him off would be a hurricane. Zhongli followed. Though Childe was the one that actually fainted, Zhongli looked like he was actually on the brink of collapsing. His clothes clung to him, his face ghostly white, lips pressed together tightly.

They headed towards the shore. Zhongli clung to Mavka’s neck tightly, sitting down between the spines on her shell. Childe used her neck to anchor himself. He had to keep an eye on things, making sure that things wouldn’t get any worse. If they did, it was up to him to keep them safe.

A scream caught in his throat as something jumped onto Mavka’s back. Childe almost kicked off the Pokémon before recognising its vibrant orange colours. The events of what happened before returned. A flash of light, Signora’s scream. Laska, now evolved in a majestic Floatzel, had his muzzle covered with blood. It seemed that Laska had gotten his revenge, leaving a mark on Signora she wouldn’t forget soon.

“Good boy,” Childe told him, patting his head. Clumsily, feeling the ball slip and slide between his fingers, he returned Laska to his ball. He did the same with Danica, who was swimming alongside them. He wasn’t sure how this storm would play out, and he didn’t want to risk their safety.

Lightning flashes across the sky, followed by a boom. The waves got worse, and he heard Mavka whine, obviously worried.

“It will be okay, girlie,” Childe patted her neck reassuringly. “I trust you.”

Mavka let out a high-pitched whine, and Childe looked up, noticing the large wave heading towards them. Lightning flashed. “Breach for impact!” Childe shouted, his voice drowned out by another large boom.

For the second time today, he was engulfed by darkness.

***

Zhongli didn’t like Slateport City much. It was teeming with life, the docks busy from sunrise to sunset. He watched sailors carry around the material, loading up large cargo ships to export to other regions. It was also teeming with Pokémon. Machamp and its evolutionary line helped with loading up the gear. Other strong Pokémon joined in the fray. There was also a plethora of water-type Pokémon floating in the water, cleaning off muck and other dirt from the hulls.

Xiao tugged on the sleeve of his pant, looking up at him with big, amber eyes. “When are mum and dad getting back?”

Zhongli ruffled Xiao’s black locks, earning him a shrill ‘hey!’. “Not for another hour. You were the one that wanted to come early.”

Xiao pouted. Any other child would’ve walked off, playing around with the Pokémon, but Xiao kept clinging to his leg. Guizhong had always said that the boy was just a small version of her husband. They looked alike and acted the same, though Zhongli’s brother-in-law had outgrown the worst of it.

One of the dockworkers approached Zhongli. He carried a clipboard. A Skitty was following him around, butting its head against the man’s legs. “Leaving today?” the man asked.

“No, we’re here to pick up this guy’s parents. They should be returning soon.” Zhongli patted Xiao’s head gently.

They ended up talking some. Xiao ended up playing with the Skitty, using a broken off string to entertain the pink-coloured Pokémon.

“He’s good with Pokémon,” the dockworker remarked. “Does he has one of his own already?”

Zhongli nodded. “This year’s starters were just handed out. He got a Treecko.”

“Ah, the little green dude. My daughter got a Torchic last year, loves it to pieces.” The man’s eyes brightened.

They talked a bit longer when the buzz of activity shifted. Confused murmurs rose among the working men. Zhongli looked around, finally spotting what other dock workers had seen before. A dark shape came zipping from the sea. While there were plenty of Wingull’s and Pelipper’s, the flying pattern didn’t match up. The Pokémon finally came into sight. It was an oddly coloured Ninjask, the colour of its wings yellower than usual. Dread pooled in Zhongli’s stomach.

The Ninjask zoomed towards Zhongli, almost colliding with his chest.

“Shade?” Zhongli asked, catching the Pokémon before it toppled to the ground. The Ninjask’s body felt damp.

Shade buzzed weakly, its pincers tugging on Zhongli’s sleeve.

“Where did that Ninjask come from?” the man with the clipboard asked. “It has such an odd colour.”

“Could you…” Zhongli swallowed, keeping his composure. He saw Xiao looking at him curiously, the Skitty forgotten. “Could you check in on the comps? St. Venessa?”

The dock worker nodded and hurried to one of the official-looking buildings. The Skitty ran after him. People were looking at him, almost crowding around him. Zhongli felt like someone was stealing the air from his lungs. He wanted to pick up Xiao and run away from the watchful eyes.

Shade was still clawing at his sleeve, ripping the fabric. Zhongli had other worries—the shirt could be replaced. He crouched down, beckoning for Xiao to come closer.

“What’s Shade doing here?” Xiao asked.

“Maybe your dad wants to let us know they’re here soon,” Zhongli said, handing over the Ninjask. “I trust that you can take care of him.”

Shade calmed down, being held in familiar arms. Xiao held him close to his chest, looking at Zhongli with big eyes. Zhongli realised that he hadn’t been able to hide his panic from his nephew.

“Hey, things will be fine,” Zhongli ruffled Xiao’s hair and got back up.

Since his conversation with Xiao, the dock had changed. Boats were being prepared for take-off; there was frantic shouting among the dock-workers. The crews had stopped to watch, trying to gauge out the situation. Zhongli looked around, trying to find someone to talk with. Maybe he could play his gym leader card, forcing them to listen to him. He might be from Sinnoh, but the title held respect everywhere.

He spotted the man with the clipboard talking with a man wearing a yellow safety vest. They were standing close to the docked boats. Zhongli noticed that they were painted a brilliant orange colour, signalling their purpose.

“Let’s go.” Zhongli picked Xiao up, holding him against his hip. The boy had yet to get a proper grow-spurt, being still on the smaller size.

“I can walk myself,” Xiao grumbled, but he didn’t squirm too much. He wrapped one arm around Zhongli’s neck, holding Shade between them.

“We haven’t been able to contact them,” the man with the clipboard told Zhongli as they arrived. “Nor other ships in the vicinity. We think it’s the thunderstorm that hit them.”

Zhongli swallowed nervously. A thunderstorm shouldn’t be too much of an issue. The ship that carried his sister was large, not easily turned over by large waves.

“We’re sending out rescue ships soon.” The man in the yellow safety vest patted one of the orange ships. “In case one of the ships did spring a leak, we could get everyone to safety. Most of us skippers know how to handle a storm.”

Zhongli watched the boats reading themselves to leave the docks when a large dot appeared on the horizon. Was it St. Venessa arriving at least? Checking the large clock on the dock, this was around the expected time. Maybe his brother-in-law had sent out Shade as a ‘we’re back soon’, and Zhongli had been overthinking.

There were gasps and exclamations of surprise when the dot came into focus. The skipper Zhongli stood close-by cursed loudly. He knew why. A Flygon was flying towards them. There was nothing but ocean behind the creature, which wasn’t its usual habitat. Flygon’s thrived in the desert, burrowing underground as a Trapinch and kicking up dust clouds in its later stages.

Xiao twisted his head, looking at the sea. “Isn’t that Shamo?” he sounded so relieved, it broke Zhongli’s heart.

It was Shamo indeed, crashing on the docks. The Pokémon was spent, water clinging to her body. The lifeboat she was pulling, attached by a thick rope, came to a halt against the docks. Zhongli’s eyes roved over the people, spotting children, the elderly and a few younger men and women.

Nowhere was a head full of ash brown hair that belonged to his sister, nor the messy black strands that always fell in his brother-in-law’s eyes. The very same hair as Xiao’s.

“Where is mom?” Xiao asked, tearing up. Zhongli gently stroked Xiao’s hair with his free hand, blinking away his own tears.

“She might come later,” Zhongli said. “I think she sent the weak and young ahead, making sure that they won’t slow them down.”

It had been a lie. There were only eight additional survivors from St. Venessa. Zhongli’s eyes scanned each person, feeling like his world was crumbling down with each person he saw. No ash brown hair. No mop of messy, black hair. Tears strung his eyes, his throat started to close up. He couldn’t breathe. He had to breathe. He had to be there for Xiao, who was just orphaned, who had lost his whole world. But what could he do when he was clawing out of the rubble of his own crumbled world?

Chapter Text

Childe dragged Zhongli’s body onto the shore. Kneeling behind Zhongli’s body, Childe tipped his head back and listened for breathing. There was nothing. He should’ve known that Zhongli wasn’t a strong swimmer; it would’ve explained his hesitation towards the water.

Not waiting any longer, Childe started to perform CPR. Water and sweat ran over his face as he counted to thirty, making sure he pushed deeply. He felt Zhongli’s ribs underneath his hands, fighting against his push. After thirty seconds, he stopped, tipped Zhongli’s head back and blew in air. He saw Zhongli’s chest rise, which was good. After another round of compressions, Childe checked Zhongli’s breathing. Still nothing.

His muscles were getting stiff, the cold water biting his skin. He heard Mavka’s low wail, likely noticing his distress. He breathed in air, once again, and forced himself to continue.

“Eleven, twelve, thirteen—”

Zhongli coughed up water, curling up and clutching his chest. Childe could weep, hearing Zhongli’s gasping breaths.

“It’s okay,” Childe said, stroking Zhongli’s hair. “You’re fine.”

Rather than letting Zhongli roll in the dirt, Childe hauled the man up, so his head was lying in Childe’s lap. Zhongli’s eyes were shut, tears rolled down his cheeks and dripped on the already wet earth.

“Everything is fine,” Childe repeated once again. “I promise you.”

Childe felt like a frozen statue by the time Zhongli had pulled himself together. The rain had yet to stop, the cold settling into his bones. Helping Zhongli up, he saw the man hold his ribs, grimacing in pain.

“At best, they’re just bruised,” Childe told him gently. “But first, let’s go back to camp.”

Unsure of the weather and whatever was going to happen, they had set up camp beforehand. It wasn’t much. A small tent, wood for a campfire and a tarp tied between treetops. Childe was relieved by this foresight. He helped Zhongli sit down and change out of his wet clothes. His chest was covered in blotchy red that would turn a blue-ish colour in a couple of days. It was soon covered by the soft-looking, Oreburgh museum-themed sweater.

“You could’ve told me that you couldn’t swim,” Childe said as he poked the fire, trying to warm them up. The smoke struggled to escape due to the tarp, but keeping them dry was essential. “I would have kept a hold of you.”

It was the first time Zhongli spoke. His voice was scratchy, missing its usual warmth. “I can swim; I just… panicked.” He wiped away the dried-up tears. “I… not right now.”

While Childe was dying with curiosity, he let it slide. He had to make a decision. Figuring that Zhongli had been clued in about the Fatui whereabouts, it meant that the other lake guardians weren’t much better off. The plans were set in motion, and time was running away from him. A decision had to be made soon, or Childe would be left floundering.

After a measly dinner, Zhongli had retired to the tent. The rain hadn’t stopped yet, which started to become concerning. He figured it had something to do with Mesprit’s disappearance. When Zhongli was asleep, he dug up Zhongli’s phone. Unsurprisingly, the man didn’t have a password. What was surprising was the last number Zhongli had called. It was his son. Childe copied the number into his own phone. He wasn’t sure why a kid was involved in fighting crime, but Childe had no idea who else to turn to. Zhongli wasn’t an option, and the authority would throw him in jail. So now he had to rely on a sixteen-year-old, or whatever age Xiao was. Sixteen already seemed old, making Zhongli likely to be in his mid-thirties at the youngest. A bit too old for Childe’s taste.

I recommend checking out the Northland Bank in Veilstone City, Childe typed, sending it off to Xiao.

Who the fuck are you, was the reply message. Fair enough, Childe would react the same. 

Doesn’t matter; just check it out.

Childe tucked away his phone. He was exhausted. His muscles were stiff, and he felt a fever coming up, his head stuffed with cotton. But there was no time for being sick, not right now. Only when he was done, he could lie down and suffer.

He released Bauk the Cofagrigus from his ball. “Keep an eye on us, will you?”

Bauk saluted and merged into the shadows, disappearing from sight. He hoped that no poor hiker accidentally crossed their paths, seeing as they would get the scare of a lifetime.

***

Zhongli looked reborn the morning after. Even though his ribs were obviously bruised, he looked well-rested. He had even put on his good clothes, something that didn’t fit in with the forest they were camping in. He wore his hair in a simple ponytail.

“Slept well?” Zhongli asked, sitting down next to Childe. He had laid out a towel to keep his behind dry. The rain had stopped, though the ground was still sopping wet.

“Fairly decent.” It was a complete and utter lie. Childe had laid awake, listening to Zhongli’s steady breathing. Only when he had lied down, knowing he was safe, the seriousness of the matter had hit him. He had almost lost Zhongli.

Childe knew that he technically was a criminal, or at least helped out criminals. He always believed that it was for the good of the Pokémon. The Fatui would create a world where Pokémon didn’t have to fear humans. However, killing innocent bystanders went too far for him. He didn’t mind kicking or punching some douchebag. Sometimes even torture them a little if absolutely necessary. He had done so before. But if the Fatui had no qualms about hurting innocent bystanders, Childe wasn’t so sure anymore. He couldn’t imagine just letting someone drown because they were on opposite sides. And there was the matter of the Pokémon themselves. Was it worth letting others suffer for the greater good?

Breakfast was an even sadder affair than dinner. It was stale bread and old protean bars Childe had found in his bag. But Zhongli was in good spirit and kept on rambling. Childe figured he was compensating for what happened yesterday.

“Can I ask you for a favour?” Childe asked, interrupting Zhongli mid-sentence.

Zhongli turned his head, meeting Childe’s gaze. This man was just so unfairly good-looking. But not just that, he looked at Childe with such kindness that it was almost suffocating. “Sure, what do you need?”

Childe swallowed nervously. It was ridiculous that he felt like a schoolboy with a crush. “I need to borrow Shamo.”

Zhongli barely reacted to the question. “Sure.”

“Really?” Childe asked, surprised.

“Of course you can borrow her,” Zhongli got up, dusting the non-existent dirt off his clothes. “Are you in a hurry?”

Childe looked up, feeling so small next to a standing Zhongli. “Yes.”

They broke down the camp, packing their supplies. It was a short walk back to the shore, where there was enough space to release Shamo from her confinements. Zhongli was still holding his ribs, though he did mask his pain reasonably well.

“You’ll be fine getting back yourself?” Childe asked, catching Zhongli letting out a loud wheeze.

“Arias can carry me,” Zhongli said, patting one of his Pokéballs. “Now, let’s get your ride ready.”

Shamo didn’t seem too concerned when Zhongli handed Childe her Pokéball. The Flygon curled up on the ground, basking in the warm sun.

“Thank you,” Childe said, cradling Shamo’s ball close to his chest.

Zhongli shook his head, wincing a little. “I should be thanking you.”

Childe wasn’t sure what to expect, but he didn’t expect Zhongli to lean in, pressing his lips against Childe’s forehead.

Childe felt like he had just finished running a marathon. His heart was trying to escape his ribcage. Heat stained his cheeks and forehead red. All thoughts just flew out of the window, leaving his mind blank. That kiss was totally platonic, right?

Zhongli smiled at him softly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. There was no way that this was platonic. But why now? This was the worst possible moment to discuss this. Did Zhongli even know who he was? What he had done in the past? A respectable man like Zhongli shouldn’t be associated with a criminal like him.

“I, uh…” Childe stammered. “I should be going.”

Childe climbed onto Shamo’s back. It was a struggle, with his muscles being stiff and sore. He put on his safety goggles, tightened the scarf around his throat and picked up the reigns.

“Let’s go,” he told Shamo. She flapped her wings, quickly taking off. He watched down, seeing Zhongli wave at him.

There were officially no going back now.

***

If there was one thing Childe regretted not bringing to Sinnoh with him was a flier. Not like Pastila, but a proper flying Pokémon. It was a long flight to Veilstone City. What would have been weeks on the road was now a casual, three-day flight. Shamo was very well behaved and seemed to have no trouble following Childe’s instructions. Sinnoh was truly a beautiful region, especially Mt. Coronet was breathtaking.

Landing on the outskirts of the city, Childe gave Shamo a good head rub. She made a loud rumbling noise, sending a few Pokémon scattering. Returning her to her ball, he sent out Pastila to accompany him. He wasn’t sure what to expect, and he knew that people underestimated her big time.

Veilstone City looked like it had done before. The streets were bustling with life, people greeting him kindly. A few women stopped to coo over Pastila. There was no snow yet, which felt surreal. Back home, they would be neck-deep in it. It wasn’t uncommon for Childe to shovel themselves a pathway, to leave their house to watch the new year celebrations. While this wouldn’t be his first new year away from home, this one hit the hardest.

“Are you from around here?” one woman asked. Childe immediately wiped the melancholy look off his face. She was cute, quite a bit shorter than him. By the looks of it, she was his age, if not a little older.

Childe smiled at her. “Was it that obvious? Is it the dialect or the Emolga?”

The woman giggled. “I think it’s both.”

“What’s the city like?” Childe asked.

The woman talked with much gusto. Her favourite shops and restaurants, the gym leader and the game corner.

“Is there much of a nightlife here?” Childe asked.

“Of course. The game corner is very popular, and often, people afterwards go visit the local pub.” The woman grimaced. “Not my favourite type of tourist, but overall, Veilstone is a great tourist spot. You can’t go wrong here. New year is a large celebration here.”

The city didn’t look that festive yet, but he remembered they celebrated the new year in early February here. He wondered if he would be here around that time. There wasn’t much time left, he supposed.

They spent lunch together. She was a lovely woman and talked for two. Childe, however, wasn’t all that interested in it. He got what he wanted from her. The Fatui hadn’t made themselves known, still laying low. Nor was there much authority running around, or the lady would likely have mentioned it. It meant he still had some time, even though it was less than he wanted.

“Thank you for lunch,” she said as Childe paid the bill. “I had a lovely time, but…”

Childe felt his cheeks heat up. Was he that obvious about using her?

“Clearly, you have someone else on your mind. Is she cute?”

Somehow, Childe managed to almost choke on his own spit. “What, no, it’s not that. I apologise for being poor company.”

“I’ve been on a lot worse dates, believe me.”

Childe felt a little guilty after the supposed date. He knew that flirting was a part of his strategy, and there was nothing wrong with it. There was no promise of romance. However, Childe had been imaging Zhongli sitting opposite of him most of the time instead of the woman. He couldn’t even remember her name. She was more helpful than Zhongli. Zhongli would’ve talked about when the game corner was built and the several generations of gym leaders that held the title. Completely useful for his research, but oh so genuinely Zhongli.

Heading straight to Northland Bank, Childe looked at his reflection. It was a surprise the woman even wanted to talk to him. He looked like a mess. His cheeks and nose were red, his hair was a birds nest. Smoothing out his hair and rearranging his scarf, Childe gathered his bravado and entered the bank. He passed Vlad—the daytime guard—who just gave him a subtle nod.

Ekaterina sat behind her desk, picking at her fingernails. She only looked up briefly, clearly uninterested in his appearance.

“I heard that Signora got into a scuffle recently,” Ekaterina said, sounding bored. “They actually had to call in a doctor. It must have been mortifying for her.”

Childe made a mental note to offer Laska some snacks for his good deed. It hadn’t been helpful, but very satisfying. It had felt like revenge, both for him and Laska.

“No idea what you’re talking about.” Childe kept his face neutral. “I need to make a withdrawal, sent to this address.”

He handed her a piece of paper. Ekaterina looked at it, a frown creasing her forehead. “In Hoenn?”

“Yeah, to a friend.”

Ekaterina nodded. “How much do you want to send over?”

“All of it.”

“Pardon,” Ekaterina blurted. “All of it?”

“All of it,” Childe confirmed. “Also, I would like it to be delivered in person. I think a crew of four would work just fine.”

Ekaterina squinted at him, her lips pursed in dismay. “Is this a joke to you?”

Childe handed her a second slip of paper. Ekaterina read over it, her expression remaining reasonably neutral. “I see. Consider it done.”

“Thank you, Ekaterina,” Childe said.

“Don’t thank me yet, you idiot,” Ekaterina muttered. “Also, please go shower; you look like a mess.”

“Will do, boss.” Childe saluted.

Childe ignored the not-so-kind words Ekaterina muttered under her breath as he strode out of the bank, planning his next move.

***

“Ajax, you know they can trace back what numbers I’ve contacted?” Kaeya sounded tired, though Childe hadn’t called at an unreasonable time. It wasn’t even dinnertime yet.

Childe had taken Ekaterina’s advice and took a shower, freshening himself up. He felt like a newborn, no longer carrying the grime and sweat of days of travelling. Now he was sitting on his bed, Pastila snoozing on his pillow.

“You could’ve blocked my number a long time ago,” he answered, letting himself fall back on the soft sheets. “And you told me to call.”

Kaeya grunted. “That’s fair. Now, why did you call me.”

“I might have done something stupid.”

Childe felt a little smug about the sigh of defeat that came from Kaeya. “And will you tell me what stupid thing you did?”

“I send all my savings to your place.”

Kaeya coughed loudly. “All your savings?”

“Yup.” Childe stared at the bland, white ceiling, wondering if he had done the right thing. “You know, just in case something happens to me. You can keep most of it yourself, though it would be nice if you send some to my siblings.”

“Shit, you’re serious. Okay, you know that I’m not home. I’ll tell my housemate,” Kaeya sighed loudly. “Are you an idiot?”

“Likely.”

Another deep sigh. “You better not die on me; I don’t want to tell your siblings that you’re dead. If you could just tell me what you’re going to do, I could help you out.”

“Can’t tell you, chief. I want to do things on my own, not having a group of overeager gym leaders barging in and messing with my plan. You weren’t too successful in Hoenn.”

“You’re such a dick,” Kaeya grumbled.

“No, I’m cautious.”

Kaeya sighed. “Okay. I’ll let my housemate know that the money might come sometime soon. Don’t blame me if she steals some of it.”

“See it as a payment for keeping quiet.”

***

Childe quickly realised that he shouldn’t be going with retirement soon. Even though Hearthome was a lively city, Childe quickly got bored with everything. Contests become boring after a few watches, especially the lower-ranked ones. The master-ranked ones, however, showed ingenuity and knowledge. It was almost like a choreographed fight.  Amity square—which was this large park—was fun until the kids drove him crazy. He loved kids, but there was only so many times he could handle kids asking if they could pet his Pokémon. Pastila, at one point, had looked ready to bite one of the kids. New year had been pretty uneventful, the celebration limited to the foreign trainers staying in the Pokécenter. It had been fun, though, spending time genuinely celebrating something without anyone knowing him. He was just Childe to them, the adventurer from Unova.

“If you want to contact the lawyer’s office, calling them is quicker,” the postman said.

Childe cursed under his breath. Of course, this guy recognised the address. He likely worked for this place longer than Childe had been alive. “I have to send some documents,” he lied through his teeth.

The man just shrugged. After Childe paid for express delivery, the letter was tied to the leg of a Swellow. There were only a few Swellow’s in the aviary. The most common Pokémon were Pelipers, who were known for being reliable postmen but averagely slower. A Swallow was reasonably fast but much harder to train.

“It should arrive tomorrow,” the man promised.

Childe nodded, smiled, and left the post office. After ordering take-out, he returned to his bedroom in the Pokécenter. The in-office nurse waved at him, clearly recognising him. Childe had been there for at least two weeks, if not longer.

Upstairs, he was greeted by a lazily snoring Laska. Pastila was nowhere in sight, though Childe had a sneaking suspicion she might have settled down on top of the wardrobe. Menace stood in the corner of the room, looking like a beaten-up washing machine. Childe knew that the Rotom was waiting for the moment some poor soul decided to break into Childe’s room and give them the scare of their life.

“It’s time for dinner,” Childe announced. “And no, you aren’t getting mine.”

After feeding all his Pokémon, Childe tucked in himself and turned on the small television.

It was some dumb gameshow Childe barely listened to. He texted Zhongli while he was trying to master the chopsticks he had been given. He didn’t get further than pinching bits of noodle between the two sticks and stuffing it in his mouth. Why was he so terrible with this? He had been here for months; by now, he should’ve figured it out.

When should I send Shamo back? Childe texted, stabbing a piece of egg and stuffing it in his mouth.

Zhongli took his sweet time to reply. You don’t have a flier yourself, right? Just keep her for a while; I know you’ll give her back in due time.

Childe groaned. A piece of chicken slipped from his chopsticks, and Laska snatched it up, darting out of reach to eat it.

He finished his dinner as the game show ended. Throwing away the container, Childe let himself fall onto the bed. He should’ve stormed into Northland Bank, guns blazing. That actually would’ve been fun instead of this. This was more Signora’s work method. Prepare behind the scenes, swoop in, snatch what you need and leave.

“Gods, I’m so bored.”

***

Nothing happened in the next few days but for an unfortunate incident. Some drunk teen had thought Childe’s room was his and just had barged in. Childe had been watching a movie, yet having to lock the door. The teen had gotten the scare of his life when Menace woke up, chasing the poor teen down the hallway. Childe eventually managed to stop the Pokémon from terrorising the kid any longer, though it required some bribery.

But finally, after waiting for way too long, Childe turned on the television to see some good news. There was a live feed from Veilstone City, where the camera was pointed at Northland Bank. It was swamped by task-forced. Childe recognised the purple-haired lady that was giving orders as Keqing, one of the elite four members. There were also people from Hoenn, Childe identifying Kaeya and another gym leader: Jean. While never met before, Childe knew that Jean was a force to be reckoned with. While not the best fighter, she was smart and held the respect of many.

“Northland Bank, an establishment which has been here for many years, turns out to be a cover for something much more sinister,” the lady from the news station told the camera. “All these years, a criminal organisation called the Fatui were running their operations behind the scene. While initially known as a Pokémon rights group, the Fatui’s true intentions were exposed in Hoenn. The whole region was left in chaos after the Fatui managed to catch the legendary Pokémon Groudon, Kygore and Rayquaza. Barbatos, the current champion of Hoenn, has been missing for months since that attack. It’s believed that they might hold him here. However, the authorities are still working on rounding up all the people.”

“Fucking finally,” Childe fist-pumped the air. Pastila grumbled sleepily.

The news reporter told the public more about the Fatui, getting most of her facts wrong. They neither had captured Barbatos nor Rayquaza. Believing the gossip, Barbatos had escaped on the back of the ruler of the sky. “There are ten Harbingers who work directly underneath the Tsaritsa…”

“Boo,” Childe called, throwing a piece of food at the screen. “There are eleven; how dare you to forget about me.”

Eventually, the news reporter managed to get a quick word in with Keqing. She had a Gengar at her side, grinning menacingly. For a cute looking woman, the Pokémon seemed to be out of place. Childe liked her already.

“We got an anonymous tip,” Keqing told the reporter. “So we decided to investigate.”

“Who did you think that sent that tip?” The reporter asked, shoving the mic into Keqing’s face.

“I fear that this is something I can’t answer. Even if we had an idea who it was, speculation would only bring them in danger.” Keqing said, trying to brush off the reporter.

The reporter let out an ‘ooh’ sound. “So you think it’s one of their own that ratted them out?”

Keqing shrugged. One of the law enforcers waved at her, beckoning for her to return. “That’s all I can answer. We’ll release a press report tomorrow.”

Childe turned off the television. He got up from his bed, grabbing clean clothes to change into after a shower. He figured that he wouldn’t have to stay here for much longer, and he really needed a shower. He had been neglecting his hygienes, struggling to even leave the bed. Waiting really wasn’t his style.

Two days later, in the middle of cleaning packing his things, Childe’s phone rang. Checking the number, Childe was relieved to just see Zhongli’s name. Maybe he wanted to do another museum tour.

“Hello, Childe speaking,” Childe answered, tucking his phone between his shoulder and cheek.

“Good morning,” Zhongli greeted, his voice warm and soothing. “I need your help with something.”

Childe chuckled. “Please not another lake Verity. I think I lost five years in one day.”

The silence stretched uncomfortably between them. Zhongli never struggled with filling the silence.

“It’s something else… never mind, it might be better for you to stay put.”

“Hey, don’t say that. I can help!” Childe protested.

Another pause that felt just a tad too long. “It’ll be dangerous.”

“I’m not going to say something as cliché as ‘my middle name is danger’, but I can handle danger. Boredom, on the other hand, doesn’t suit me.”

“Okay, meet me in Oreburgh City. How long do you think it’ll take?”

“I think somewhere around three hours if Shamo picks up the speed. I’m in Hearthome.”

“Hearthome?” Zhongli asked, surprised. “Not in Veilstone?”

“No, why?” Childe asked.

“Nothing,” Zhongli sighed. “I—well, be safe, okay?”

Zhongli ended the call before Childe even could answer. Childe frowned at his phone. Had Zhongli figured him out? In the worst-case scenario, he had figured out who Childe was and wanted to talk to him face-to-face. It wasn’t ideal, but Childe knew he could take on Zhongli in a battle.

“I guess we’re leaving sooner than expected,” Childe told a very unimpressed Pastila. “If you only could help me pack.”

Pastila closed her eyes, making herself at home on Childe’s pillow.

“Very useful,” Childe remarked. He stuffed another piece of clothing in his bag, wondering if it all was going to fit. When did he get so comfortable that he couldn’t carry all he needed on his back?

Chapter Text

They soared above the mountain range. Childe took in the snow tops, reaching out to touch them. It was a tight fit on Arias’ back. Zhongli hadn’t lied when he told him that the Garchomp wasn’t really fit for two-person travel. But he was faster and didn’t struggle with the sharp twist and turns of the mountain range. Flygon would’ve smashed into one of the peaks by now or had to fly higher, making it hard to spot anything out of the ordinary.

“There,” Childe shouted, pointing towards the west. The air seemed to move around there as if it was asphalt baking in the sun. Zhongli had asked him to mention anything out of the ordinary.

Zhongli steered Arias in that direction. He had barely spoken a word since Childe had sought him out. Childe had handed Shamo back, Zhongli had just thanked him, and that was it. Leaving his things at the museum, Childe had climbed on Arias back, and they left. Zhongli had looked tense the whole time. His clothes looked stiff, almost as if the high collar was suffocating him. He wore his hair in its low ponytail style, which was Childe’s least favourite hair-do on him. It didn’t do his beautiful features any favours.

It was when they landed realisation dawned upon him. He immediately spotted Signora and several other high-ranking officers. There was no other Harbinger insight, which was a surprise. Childe had expected more than a two dozen-or-so field-grunts and Signora for such a critical mission. Some field grunts were guarding a cave entrance; others were dragging two large, red chains around, positioning them on specific spots on the ground. The entire summit was one giant slab of rock; there was nothing out of the ordinary. Zhongli’s sharp intake sent his heart rate spiking.

“I’m sorry,” Zhongli whispered before he easily slid off Arias’ back. Childe followed him more clumsily, his hand moving to his belt. He had no idea whenever Signora had realised foul play, but he wasn’t risking it.

“Stop this at once.” Zhongli’s voice was cold, a sharp contrast to what Childe was used to. He looked commanding, towering over Childe while they were the same height.

“Really?” Signora sneered. “On what authority?”

Zhongli made a sweeping motion with his arm. He looked every inch someone what authority should look like. It made Childe feel uncomfortable as if he was watching a stranger. Was the Zhongli he knew a lie?

“As the champion of Sinnoh, I must protect its civilians. Releasing time and space will only cause them pain and suffering. So stop now before it’s too late, and we can talk.”

Childe’s heart shattered the moment Signora burst out laughing. “You’re the champion?” Signora said mockingly. “You must be having a blast, playing with little Tartaglia like that.”

She pinked away a tear in her non-covered eye. “Though he’s kinda an idiot, so I’m not surprised.”

“Hey,” Childe protested. “I’m not an idiot.”

Signora looked at him, her single eye cold and piercing. “You’re an embarrassment. You’ve been with him the whole time and never realised. Though I guess you served another purpose, and that’s distracting him. I guess your boyish looks are useful for something.”

Zhongli didn’t rebuff Signora’s claim, so Childe figured it was true. Had Zhongli known the whole time who Childe was? Was this the reason why he wanted to spend time with him? It was unreasonable to call it betrayal, seeing as Childe had lied the whole time. But he hadn’t acted differently.

Their conversation was rudely interrupted by the floor shaking. Arias growled low and menacingly. Signora’s Volcarona fluttered its wings nervously, creating distance between itself and the ground. Childe unclipped Menace’s ball from his belt. The Rotom was one of his strongest Pokémon—especially against that Volcarona.

The red chains started to glow, causing the distortion in the air to worsen. Childe watched the air tear itself apart, a pink claw reaching out, gripping the edge. Childe remembered Zhongli’s stories and knew that this could only be one Pokémon. Palkia, the Pokémon of space.

“It seems that you’re a bit late, little champion,” Signora gloated, watching the Pokémon emerge with glee. She didn’t even see them as a threat.

As Palkia hauled itself from the rip of space, one red chain wound itself around the Pokémon, capturing it. Palkia’s screech sent rocks cascading down the mountain and snow to slide down; some of it landed on the summit. One Fatui grunt narrowly escaped being snowed in. The creature of space had little sympathy towards the humans; it kept swiping at the chain, trying to destroy it. Nothing worked; it just got tighter and tighter until the Pokémon could no longer move.

“Then I have no other choice than arrest you,” Zhongli said, sounding calm and collected. Childe couldn’t believe him; he felt ill from all this. How could he be so indifferent about it all?

In a flash, the summit suddenly was crowded. Zhongli took no time sending them orders, catching the Fatui off guard. Childe could hear little above the heavy wingbeats of Shamo the Flygon, but he saw how the Pokémon dispersed. Garchomp shot towards Palkia, followed by Shamo. Signora’s Volcarona was intercepted by Zhongli’s Gastrodon, hitting it with a blast of water. Zhongli’s Steelix swept away most of the grunts Pokémon, towering well above all of them. Childe could not believe that he never realised that it could’ve been Zhongli. The way he fought was champion-worthy. He had been such a fool.

Childe released his own Pokémon. Though Mavka and Pastila seemed confused, they didn’t waver a second. At his command, Mavka blasted ice at a grunts Pokémon. Laska tackled a Watchog, seemingly thriving in the chaos. Bauk and Menace were the same, manoeuvring the many bodies as if it was a game. Menace especially; the Rotom would’ve been cackling if it could. Good. Even if Zhongli had betrayed his trust, he wasn’t going to let Signora win. Not at the cost of these Pokémon.

“Pastila, with me,” Childe shouted, waving at the floating Pokémon. He ran towards the red chains which were supposed to ensnare Palkia and Dialga. Palkia was still struggling, but its movements were limited. Dialga, however, was still clawing at the rip in time it had created.

Zhongli had told him before that there were three Pokémon of creation. Palkia and Dialga represented space and time. They tended to butt heads, not liking one another. But it wasn’t them the Tsartisa was after. Why else not immediately capture them? Because it was Giratina she was after, and likely, the creatures of time and space acted as bait.

Garchomp was wrestling the Dialga back into the pocket of time. While smaller, the shark-like Pokémon had the upper hand. “Discharge,” Childe shouted. The creature of time flinched at the electric shock, retreating a little. “Again!”

It was working. Together with Arias, Childe managed to push Dialga back into the rip of time. Pastila was getting tired, he saw that, but just a little more—

Shamo, who kept Palkia in check, was tossed aside with a well-aimed swat. Then it lunged towards Dialga, pushing Arias out of the way and sending Pastila tumbling down. Childe made a mad dash and caught her tiny body in his arms, holding her close to his chest.

“That was a close call,” he muttered, stroking Pastila’s head.

Dialga fully emergence from the rip in time, throwing itself against Palkia. The second red chain started to wrap itself around the Pokémon, capturing it. Flygon and Garchomp tried to pry the chains away with little success.

An explosion sent the ground shaking, drawing Childe’s attention. Rocks and snow tumbled down from around the cave entrance, and the Fatui-grunts standing guard scattered. Then, three people came stumbling out of the cave.

They were an eclectic bunch. All three looked barely older than sixteen, all short. One of the teens had vibrant blue hair and green clothes that looked like a mix of a circus performer and a musician. The girl wore a dress that once had been white and had short, blond hair. An Azumarill followed her on her heels. The last teen, another boy, had mostly black hair, wore simple black clothes, and was accompanied by a Gallade.

“Xiao, wait—” Zhongli’s voice died as he jumped out of the way of a fire attack. Childe saw Signora grinning, her gaze flickering between the teens and Zhongli.

It finally clicked. This is how Zhongli had known about the Fatui’s whereabouts. After Childe had given Xiao the tip about Northland Bank, he must have told Zhongli.

“Menace, protect the kids,” Childe shouted at the same time as Signora sent her Haxorus hurdling towards the group. Menace wouldn’t be able to do much.

“Mavka, ice—”

One of the kids—the serious looking one—was one step ahead. His command wasn’t audible above the noise, but Childe saw the blur of movement. Something blue-grey hurried forward, sending the Haxorus sprawling, knocked out. Once stopped, Childe noticed that the Pokémon was a Weavile. Stubborn, prideful and speedy.

“Childe, try to free them!” Zhongli shouted. He was hurrying towards the teens, his Pokémon creating a path for him.

He knew it was useless. Palkia and Dialga were entangled with the red chain. Both had stopped struggling, and nothing had worked. How would Childe do what two dragons couldn’t have managed?

It was a fruitless endeavour, but Childe figured he might as well try. Zhongli might have had a plan—Childe hoped he had one. Childe attempt at getting closer to Dialga was thwarted by a swipe to his head. “Hey, stupid, I’m trying to help!” Childe shouted, dodging the claw.

Dialga didn’t seem to care much, trying to swipe at Childe again. Childe’s colourful curse words didn’t seem to bother it at all. Finally catching hold of the chain, he tried to pull it apart. It burnt his hands, even though the gloves. He let go, giving Dialga’s leg a good kick. Did Zhongli even know what to do? Tears of pain welled up in his eyes. He could do nothing.

Then, something changed. A subtle, gentle tune of a flute floated among the battle cries. He cocked his head, wondering if he was hearing it right. He ended up never finding the source of the music. A flash of orange caught his attention, growing brighter and brighter.

“Oh shit,” Childe cussed, bracing himself.

The Dialga caught the brunt of the force, but the explosion sent Childe flying. He landed painfully, sliding over the earth. He struggled to gain purchase, fingers digging into the hard earth until there was nothing left to hold on to. He was sure that it had been Signora who happily had blasted him off the mountain. If she hadn’t realised before, now she surely knew that Childe wasn’t letting the Fatui win. So she might as well get him out of the way.

As he was falling, he came to the horrifying realisation that Pastila was still in his hood. If he landed on his back, she would be crushed. She squealed loudly as Childe tore her from his food.

“Fly,” he said weakly, letting her go. 

Childe gasped for air as he came to a sudden halt. He saw Pastila floating in the air, looking at him with big eyes. And then there were three more figures. The lake guardians were circling above him, looking smaller than he remembered.

“We heard your call,” one of the lake guardians said, its voice unfamiliar. Was this Azelf?

“I see that we’re just in time,” this time, it was Uxie talking. Its voice was kinder this time around.

Mesprit left the group, now hovering directly above Childe. “Thank you for saving us,” it told him.

“It wasn’t me,” Childe said.

“No, but would they have found us without you?”

The guardians disappeared, and Childe saw the world around him distorting. He squeezed his eyes shut; his ears popped, and suddenly, the noise of battle returned. Childe landed on hard ground, but the landing itself was gentle. Opening his eyes, he once again saw the lake guardians. They were flying around in circles; the air was filled with static energy. Then, he heard something shattering, the lake guardians disappeared, and a loud explosion shook the earth. The soft music stopped.  

Two Pokémon appeared out of thin air. The creatures looked alike. They were shaped like planes; one was coloured red, and the other was blue. After flying a few circles, they dove down, out of sight.

“Childe, you’re okay?” He felt a hand touch his shoulder.

“I’m fine,” Childe croaked. He must have been screaming during his fall—it would be the most sensible thing to do.

Zhongli helped him sit upright. The twin planes had launched themselves at Palkia and Dialga, splitting the two apart. Even though freed, they were too slow to intercept the new arrivals. The rest of the battles had stopped, frozen by the sudden events.

Something landed hard on his head, nails digging in his hair.

“Ouch, that hurts.” Pastila let out very angry squeaks, tugging his hair for good measure.

“How are you still…” Zhongli was crouching in front of him, his amber eyes wide. He looked like he had done back at the lake, his complexion chalky, sweat beading on his forehead.

“The guardians saved me,” Childe explained. It was the only thing that made sense.

The smile on Zhongli’s lips was faint. “I had hoped so. Not that they would have to save you, but that they would listen to your call for help.”

The gentle quiet was broken by a loud voice. “You guys came!”

The twin planes flew low over the summit and called out to the person. Their voices sounded kind. Then they once again took to the sky, busying themselves with bulling Palkia and Dialga.

“What are those?” Childe asked.

“You don’t know?” Zhongli asked, surprised. “They are Latios and Latias; they are the eon duo of Hoenn.”

Finally getting back up on his feet, Childe felt shaky. It was hard to believe that minutes ago, he was nearing death. Pastila was still clutching his air, refusing to let go.

The summit was a mess. Pokémon lay fainted on the ground, Fatui grunts were either nursing bruises or were equally knocked out. Only the well-experienced fighters managed to hold their own against the onslaught of Pokémon. The remains of the chain were scattered on the ground, no longer glowing. Among Zhongli’s and his Pokémon were newcomers. A Togekiss and a second Flygon—coloured blue—had taken to the sky. The girl’s Azumarill, despite its cute appearance, was pummelling into a much larger Beartic. Menace had listened and kept zipping around the teens, blasting enemy Pokémon aside with frantic joy.

Then his stomach dropped. He watched in horror as pieces of chain melted away, staining the ground black. The blight grew in size, creating a sizeable black spot. For a brief moment, he wondered if he was hallucinating. He tugged Zhongli’s sleeve. He watched red eyes appear and reappear in the middle before a fierce grin followed. 

“This isn’t good,” Childe said as Giratina, the Pokémon of antimatter, started to emerge in their dimension.

***

Giratina was a Pokémon that Childe would love to fight. The Pokémon sent his heart racing, sweat prickling the back of his neck. After several gasps and exclamations of fear, the summit had gone eerily quiet. Childe could hear his own shallow breathing, just like Zhongli’s. Pastila whined pitifully, finding refugee in his hood. He found mild satisfaction in even seeing Signora scared, her manicured nails digging into the arm of some poor grunt.

“I’m going on a limb and guess that this isn’t good,” Childe said, leaning against Zhongli. Having Zhongli there somehow made him feel a little more level-headed.

“It’s not,” Zhongli said. “Giratina is the only Pokémon that can open and close that portal; if the Fatui captures the Pokémon, we’re in big trouble.”

Childe licked his lips nervously. He wasn’t sure if Signora could capture the Giratina. Especially not with her Pokémon weakened or defeated. “Are you sure that there isn’t any other way? Like, you’re the history expert; there must be an adversary to Giratina.”

“There isn’t, really. Dialga and Palkia don’t really bother with it, nor the lake guardians. None of the other mythical creatures here is associated…” Zhongli groaned and hit his forehead. “Shaymin. I feel foolish for not remembering sooner.”

Like with Latios and Latias—he wasn’t even sure which colour was which Pokémon—Childe had no idea what Pokémon it was. Zhongli had talked a lot about the legendary creatures, but Shaymin didn’t ring a bell. He wondered what kind of mighty Pokémon could defeat Giratina.

Heavy wingbeats announced the arrival of a new Pokémon. The Giratina was still emerging when a Hydreigon and its rider landed on the summit. Childe instinctively took a step back, making sure he was far out of the range of its snapping heads. The rider landed behind the line of Fatui-grunts, showing their allegiance.

“It’s the Tsaritsa,” Childe hissed. She was the only one who would use a Hydreigon. While Childe had earned the respect of a wild flock, after months of barely scraping by, he hadn’t wanted to align with them. They were vicious Pokémon and, if not trained well, very mean-tempered. It wouldn’t suit his approachable persona whatsoever. But the Tsaritsa had one, bestowing fear on anyone who defied her.

The Tsaritsa barely looked at what was going on around her. Her white hair spilt from underneath the hood that kept her warm during her flight. Instead of her usual impressive robes, she wore riding clothes. Unlike Signora, who had gone for style over substance, the Tsaritsa had taken a practical approach. It was a painful reminder that she was still very much human.

She said something to Signora, whose grimace turned into a smile. Then she strolled to the blight, where Giratina was still emerging from.

“At last,” the Tsaritsa spread her arm in triumph. “The last piece of our puzzle. With Giritana in our possession, we have everything to create a new world. Land and water, space and time, and antimatter. Not having the sky is unfortunate, but not impossible for our cause.”

In the corner of his eye, Childe saw Signora flinch. The Tsaritsa clearly hadn’t forgiven her blunder in Hoenn. Childe wondered about space and time, seeing as the two were nowhere to be seen. Maybe once they had Giratina, it would be much easier to catch them. Or Signora hadn’t told her yet, figuring she could deliver all three Pokémon on a silver platter.

“As the champion of Sinnoh, I demand you to stop,” Zhongli shouted, his voice carrying his strength and resolve. Childe did pick up on the hint of panic in there.

“Then stop me yourself. Champion against champion; if you have what it takes,” the Tsaritsa looked unimpressed. Her pale eyes had landed on them, widening slightly as she spotted Childe. “Ah, I see that Tartaglia is with you,” she sounded genuinely saddened. “You were my favourite, you know? But I knew that sooner or later, your heart would betray us.”

The rest happened in a blink of an eye. The Tsaritsa beckoned, and her Hydreigon launched itself at Giratina. Screeching, Giratina withdrew back into its own dimension, but not before her Hydreigon and sunk its teeth in Giratina’s shoulder. The two Pokémon disappeared and—

The Tsaritsa jumped. Childe stared at the black hole, eyes wide. He couldn’t believe she just jumped right in, without back-up or anything. She must be confident.  

He only looked away when he heard footsteps approach him and Zhongli. Childe saw the group of teens running up to them. Childe figured that the scowling-one was Zhongli’s son. While they didn’t look alike, save for the same eye colour, the way he carried himself reminded Childe of Zhongli. Not to mention that the other boy could hardly be Zhongli’s son. He was clutching a flute; his startling blue-green eyes were bright with mirth. He wore a furry, green hat that, on closer inspection, moved. All three of them looked dusty and sweaty.

“We got to do something,” Zhongli’s son, Xiao, said, not even offering Childe a glance. “Can’t you go after her?”

Zhongli hesitated. Childe knew he had to say yes. He was the champion, it was his job! But something was holding him back. Childe wondered if Zhongli thought he couldn’t defeat the Tsaritsa, especially with his weakened Pokémon. Maybe if he borrowed some of Childe’s Pokémon, he could manage.

“It’s too dangerous,” Zhongli told Xiao. “It’s hard to catch Giratina, and there is no other way out.”

Xiao frowned. “But we’ve a Shaymin—you’ve told me before that it can open and close the portal with Seed Flare.”

Childe realised that the green fuzzball on top of the eccentric-looking teen’s head must be Shaymin. The creature groaned, unfurling itself. It looked like a tiny, grass-covered hedgehog with flowers on its head. It was adorable, but not a Pokémon Childe imagined that could stand toe-to-toe with a creature like Giratina. Giratina likely could swallow the entire thing whole without even chewing. Childe reached out his hand, letting the small creature sniff his fingers. Then it butted its head against Childe’s hand, demanding pets.

“Don’t touch him,” Xiao slapped Childe’s hand away. His golden eyes were wide with fear. Did he think that Childe was the bad guy? He wasn’t going to kidnap the Shaymin; he just was curious.

The other teens looked aghast. “Xiao, he was just petting her,” the girl said.

“Yeah, and you know Shay doesn’t like anyone,” the eccentric teen said. “Remember her trying to scratch Lumine’s face?”

It didn’t go unnoticed to Childe that Xiao had mentioned ‘him’, but his friends clearly called the Shaymin a she. Xiao’s face turned red, muttering an apology.

“Not right now,” Zhongli said, his voice demanding no-nonsense. “Give me the Shaymin, and I will go after the Tsaritsa. Childe can look after you three until it’s over.”

Xiao huffed, glaring at Childe. “No, I don’t trust him.”

“Listen, I don’t blame you.” Childe held up his hands. “But Zhongli is our best fighter. If someone stands a chance against her, it would be him.”

He knew the flaws in his argumentation. Zhongli could take her on if he had a good team with him. But with most of them obviously weakened and Bubu the Swinub, Zhongli wouldn’t stand a chance. He caught Xiao’s gaze, spotting the same scepticism in his eyes.

“That’s why he’s needed here,” Xiao said matter-of-factly. “The Tsaritsa is just one person, but as soon as more Fatui grunt join, there is no way we could win. Keeping them out of that place is the only way to defeat the Tsaritsa.

Childe caught on. The three teens had their eyes set on defeating the Tsaritsa themselves, likely fairing much better than Zhongli. Not only did they have a Shaymin with them, but at least two of them seemed experienced fighters. Especially if this was the trio that managed to bust out the lake trio. Breaking into the HQ couldn’t have been easy, especially going in blind.

“Is there back-up coming?” Childe asked Zhongli.

Zhongli frowned. “I… forgot. I was in such a rush to get everything ready; it slipped my mind completely.”

“We asked some friends for help,” the girl, Lumine, said. “They may have asked the authorities for help.”

He looked at Xiao, giving him a tiny nod. He took Zhongli’s arm, the touch gentle. “Listen, we have to do something.”

“I know, but—”

Xiao grabbed the boy’s wrist and ran off. Lumine ran after him, clearly having been waiting for this. Their Pokémon followed. They ran towards the portal with no hesitation in their step.

“Stop!” Zhongli shouted, trying to run after them. Childe kept a tight grip on his arm, keeping him back. He ignored Zhongli’s ‘let me go’ and ‘my son’, though he felt terrible. He would’ve done the same if it had been his own siblings.

“Stop them,” Signora screamed. Childe felt his heart stop briefly, fearing the worst.

The teens own Pokémon stopped most of the grunts that jumped into action. Xiao’s blue-coloured Flygon blew them back. Menace blasted Signora’s Volcarona out of the way, still tailing the teens.

“Zhongli, we have no choice,” he pulled the man close so that they came face-to-face. Zhongli’s cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were wide in panic. “Your Pokémon aren’t up for it. It’s irresponsible, I know, but they are competent teens. They have a bigger shot to stop the Tsaritsa than you do.”

Zhongli stopped pulling. Tears shone in his eyes, and he looked at Childe with betrayal. The conversation that should follow was put on hold by reinforcements. Dozen-or-so grunts exited the cave, stumbling upon onto summit. Childe never had seen such a sad-looking bunch. Covered in dust and grime, battered and bruised. But they were clearly angry, and angry opponents were the most dangerous ones.

“Come, let’s make sure that they don’t get close to that portal.” Childe whistled, gathering up his Pokémon.

The set-up felt like a chess game. Zhongli and Childe, with their nine pieces, guarding the king. Pastila was out, refusing to leave the safety of his hood. Danica was useless on the land, flopping on the ground like a fish out of water. On Zhongli’s side, Bubu the Swinub was returned to her confinements.

Their opposition played by different rules. They had no king to defend; they just had to seize theirs. Signora, their queen, got all of the Fatui in check. The newcomers added a large number of Pokémon. Childe figured there were at least fifty. Not all of them were equally strong, but sometimes, numbers were all you needed.

“What do you think of our odds?” Childe asked.

“Not impossible, but not favourable.” Zhongli tried to look tough, his shoulders squared, his head held high. Childe noticed the slight tug at the corner of his mouth and the wrinkles on his forehead.

“I can deal with unfavourable odds,” Childe said, feeling the hum of excitement underneath his skin. He liked fighting against the odds; it made a battle so exciting. It distinguished the strong and the weak, the clever and the mindless. “Though I’m not sure if they know that.”

Chapter Text

From nine Pokémon, they quickly went down to six. A well-aimed Ice Beam send Shamo the Flygon tumbling down. Arias the Garchomp was next, dropping from sheer exhaustion. In Childe’s court, Menace went out with the last hurrah. It dropped its washing machine on top of Signora’s Volcarona, sending both Pokémon back to their balls. Their already low odds had decreased even more.

The defence around the portal was stretched thin. Zhongli’s Steelix covered most of it; its massive size ensured they still had a chance. But the Fatui had brought along strong Pokémon, which had been battering away at the poor Steelix. They were running out of time; soon, they wouldn’t be able to physically hold them back.

“I’m not sure how long we’ll be able to hold out!” Childe shouted, following it up by ordering Mavka to shoot an Archeops out of the air with Ice beam.

“I know that,” Zhongli shouted back. He looked gorgeous when he was fighting. There was a confidence about him, a sureness that he knew what he was doing.

Maybe Childe had made a mistake, sending the kids down there. Four people up here was better than just two, though he wasn’t so sure about their battle prowess. Quantity of quality wasn’t always the best.

“Bauk, Shadow Ball that Sigilyph,” Childe shouted. The flying and psychic Pokémon crashed behind the line of battlers. Childe noticed an Audino hurrying over to the Pokémon, trying to fix it up. Then he saw its head tilt slightly, its ears twitching.

“Something is coming!” Childe called. Zhongli stiffened slightly, trying to hear what Childe supposedly heard. Seconds passed, and he finally heard what the Audino heard first; whirling propellor blades. A helicopter. No, multiple helicopters. The whirling of the propellors wasn’t in sync.

The helicopters stopped above the summit, the doors being pulled open one by one. The Fatui grunts looked up, hopeful. Despite fighting a winning battle, it was better to get as far away from here as possible. Childe figured that the Tsaritsa could save herself, but this many grunts as an entirely different matter. The sky was their only way out without being caught.

Childe saw someone step into the opening of the chopper and jump out, releasing a Pokémon mid-jump. A kid—it had to be a kid—clumsily landed next to Childe. The Pokémon he was holding onto was a Honchkrow, which seemed to be very tolerant about the kids mistreating.

“We’re here to help,” the kid said, beaming up at Childe. He looked vaguely familiar, with pale blond hair and brilliant green eyes.

More people joined the fray. Some used teleport to get down; others used flying types to get on the ground. Childe recognised Kaeya and Acting Grand Master Jean. It wasn’t hard to notice the past champion. Nigguang looked every inch the champion she was; confident, regal and dangerous. More officials joined the fray, though the teens caught Childe’s attention. They must be the peers of Xiao and the rest, seeing as most couldn’t be much older than sixteen. He couldn’t believe the authority let them join.

“Where are Lumine and the rest?” the green-eyed boy asked.

“There,” Childe pointed to the portal that led to the Distortion World. “We’re trying to buy them some time, though we’re very much outnumbered.”

Despite her best efforts, Signora couldn’t win against the onslaught of new and well-rested Pokémon. No longer did Childe’s Pokémon have to shoot Pokémon from the sky. Several Pokémons had taken to the sky, including a Salamance. Zhongli and his thinning ranks quickly were filled up with Pokémon from all over the world, some Childe only had read about. Laska was being dwarfed by two Ninetales, which attacks sent most opponents scattering. Several of the large Pokémon pounced on the grunts, scattering their formation. One grunt started to cry when a Luxray sunk its teeth in his leg and started to drag him away. A Persian sat on top of Signora, cleaning its ears. Among the chaos, Childe spotted pale hair and an unusual looking Sawsbuck.

When the dust finally settled, the summit was a mess. There were large craters on the floor, and pieces of mountains had collapsed. Snow had started to fall, slowly covering up the marks of battle. Childe watched Keqing and Jean gather their people and cuff the Fatui grunts.

Seconds later, the teens re-emerged from the black hole. They looked tired and worse for wear but very much alive. The Tsaritsa was with them, her head kept high despite the apparent defeat. There was an explosion of grass and flowers behind them, and the hole started to shrink, closing the Distortion World.

His thoughts barely caught up with what his body was doing. He spotted Zhongli making a beeline to Xiao, and he was right between the two of them. He started to run, intercepting Zhongli. This likely would be the last time they saw each other, Childe being put away from crimes he didn’t commit nor stopped. He was guilty by association. He ended up catching Zhongli’s wrist, halting him.

“Childe, not right—”

Childe threw his arms around Zhongli’s neck and kissed him. Never before had he wanted to kiss someone this badly. Not just because Zhongli was attractive, but because Childe never had felt so at ease before. Around Zhongli, it didn’t feel like he had to pretend. And whenever it was mutual or not, he wasn’t going to let this chance go.

Seeing as Zhongli didn’t immediately reject him, he moved his hands away from Zhongli’s neck. One rested on his cheek to just angle his head right, and the other rested on Zhongli’s hip. Then, he felt a strong arm wrap around his waist and fingers buried into his hair. Zhongli kissed back, sending Childe’s heart into overdrive.

Childe was out of breath when they finally parted. His brain felt like scrambled eggs, struggling to think of anything but Zhongli’s long fingers and chapped lips. Finally remembering he was about the be arrested, he fumbled with his belt, unclasping the chain that held the cluster of Pokéballs.

“Here, keep them safe.” Childe pushed them in Zhongli’s arms. “Please.”

Zhongli frowned. “Childe…”

“Please,” Childe begged. He didn’t want them to end up in unloving homes. Zhongli would take care of them, love them as his own.

Zhongli nodded.

Someone tapped him on his shoulder. Childe turned around, seeing Kaeya standing there. He was holding a pair of handcuffs, twirling them around on one finger. He looked tired, his hair falling down his shoulders. His hair tie must have snapped at one point during the fight. One of the Ninetailes was trailing the man, its coat silver in the sunlight.

“You’re under arrest for an attempt at endangering the citizens of Sinnoh,” Kaeya said. He sounded apologetic.

Childe sighed. He let Kaeya put the handcuffs on him and guide him to one of the choppers. He hoped that he wouldn’t have to share it with Signora. She wouldn’t hesitate a murder attempt. He still could get a plea deal by throwing her and other Fatui-members under the bus.

He was pushed into the chopper, where Kaeya joined him. He recognised Nigguang and Keqing. The lady in pink was entirely unfamiliar to him. They clearly considered him a dangerous criminal, having three excellent trainers on guard duty. The odd thing was that they didn’t close the door.

“Before we leave, I have a couple of questions for you,” Nigguang said, crossing her legs. She looked poised, with long, pale hair and a delicate face. The smile on her lips was slightly feral. Ekaterina would like her if they were on the same side.

“I want a lawyer,” Childe said, crossing his arms.

“That’s why Yanfei is here. She will represent you in court.”

The lady in pink smiled encouragingly at him. Childe realised that this was the Miss Yanfei Ekaterina had mentioned before. It made him feel a little better, though he wasn’t sure why they had given a lawyer. Surely, Signora wouldn’t have one, nor the Tsaritsa.

“I still have the right to not answer the questions,” Childe said, enjoying the frustration on Ningguang and Keqing’s face.

“Our first question is about the Northland Bank employees. When we seized the building, they were all gone. Are you aware where they are?” Keqing asked.

Childe shrugged. “No idea.”

“On the same day, your bank account has been emptied.” Keqing continued, shooting him a stern look. “Do you think they stole it and left the region?”

“It would be the smart thing to do,” Childe said, offering them a very unflattering grin. “It would settle them for life.”

Childe was relieved that Kaeya hadn’t snitched on him. He had been right in trusting in Kaeya, even if it had been a significant risk.

The next question caught Childe off guard. It was an entirely different topic, one that didn’t befit a supposed interrogation.

“During our raid of the HQ, we’ve found these in Signora’s personal living quarters.” Nigguang took out a bag, untied the string and showed Childe the Pokéballs. “We wonder if you know who these belong to.”

Childe recognised a couple of the Pokémon; an Altaria and a Skarmory. The trainer likely hailed from Hoenn. The balls were decorated with colourful stickers, which wasn’t Signora’s style. There were music notes, names and other cute-ish things. The thing was, Signora didn’t keep trophies. So it meant that this wasn’t a trainer that she had defeated; it was a trainer that had beaten her.

There was one person that had thwarted Signora recently. “They might belong to Hoenn’s champion. She likely kept them as a reminder.”

Ningguang frowned. “I fear we don’t know where he is. We believed that the Fatui have him.”

“They don’t,” Kaeya said softly. “Jean told me he got away, but for his own safety, we never disclosed the details.”

“But then you know who he is,” Keqing said, frustrated. “Tell me who it is.”

Kaeya crossed his legs, looking far from impressed. “The only people who know who Barbatos is are my brother and Jean. You would have to ask Jean unless you want to have a pleasant conversation with my brother.”

Childe pondered. He wasn’t surprised that only a few people knew who Barbatos was. The young man only had been the champion for two years and was pretty young. Maybe in his early twenties? He would’ve guessed that Kazuha was the champion, but somehow it didn’t feel right. Kazuha still had his Pokémon. Childe likely had all the champion’s Pokémon in his lap. Barbatos probably had brought his strongest Pokémon into a battle against a Fatui Harbinger.

“We’ll ask Jean when we’re done here,” Ningguang said, already looking tired. She only had joined the fight at the end, leaving most of the battling up to him, Zhongli, and a trio of teens. There must have been a lot of behind-the-scene things Childe wasn’t aware of.

He looked at the Pokéballs once again, and realisation struck him. While Xiao and Lumine had been fighting, the other teen hadn’t fought at all. He hadn’t shown any other Pokémon but for his Shaymin, and even the Shaymin barely had fought. Then he remembered the sudden music, the eccentric-looking boy carrying around a flute. The legendary duo showing up, summoned by someone. How farfetched would it be for the champion to have a friendship with legendary Pokémon? He knew very well that the Raiden Shogun kept an iron-fisted reign on Johto with the help of Mewtwo, another legendary Pokémon.

“Listen, it’s really farfetched, but I might know who Barbatos is,” Childe said, feeling a little giddy.

Ningguang looked far from convinced. “You didn’t even realise that Zhongli was the champion, and you suddenly know who Barbatos is? We’re in Sinnoh, not Hoenn.”

“And where would he find his stolen Pokémon?” Childe got up and was immediately pulled down by Kaeya.

“Listen, let’s give him a chance,” Kaeya said. “Who do you think it is?”

Childe licked his lip nervously. “Well, one of the kids?”

“He can’t be older than sixteen,” Keqing grumbled.

Against Ningguang’s wishes, Kaeya helped Childe up and out of the chopper. Childe looked around, seeing that very few people were still left. All authorities had left, including Zhongli. A couple of teens were hanging around, talking with one another. He saw Lumine, Kazuha and Xiao chatting quietly. The other teen stood further away, talking to the twin plane-like Pokémon.

“Let’s give it a shot,” Kaeya said. Childe was still handcuffed, and without Pokémon, he wouldn’t get anywhere. So he just nodded, gripped the bag with Pokéballs tighter and walked over to the kid.

“Excuse me,” Childe cleared his throat. The teen turned around. The Shaymin was sleeping in the crook of his arm, snoring softly. The teen looked surprised to see him here. “I think these are yours.”

Fumbling due to his restrictions, Childe managed to place the bag in the boy's hands.

“Listen, criminal or not, I never think it’s right to take away someone’s family,” Childe said, trying to get his hands in a comfortable position.

The teen took one look at the Pokéballs, and tears sprung in his eyes. He untied the bag, took out all six Pokéballs and attached them to a sash. They seemed right at home there. “That’s them alright,” he said, his voice shaky. “Thank you.”

Even though Childe was cuffed, a clear sign of him being a criminal, the teen hugged him. Childe awkwardly stood there, letting the teen do whatever he wanted. Maybe he should stop calling this guy a teen. While younger than Childe, he must be at least in his early twenties to be the champion. He didn’t look the part, though—he easily could’ve passed as sixteen, if not younger.

Childe returned to the chopper, stepping aboard without looking back.

He got an encouraging smile from Yanfei as he took his seat. They must have been watching him, making sure he wouldn’t do something dumb and run. Kaeya clipped in his harness, ensuring he wouldn’t accidentally fall out. They closed the door, and Keqing told the helicopter operator they could leave. The propellors started to whirl, and slowly, they left the Mt. Coronet summit. Childe looked out of the window, watching the few remaining dots becoming smaller and smaller. Soon, everything would be covered in snow, all traces of their fight soon to be forgotten.

They had made several stops. Childe had no idea why they stopped but refused to say anything else. Often, it was Keqing that left the chopper to do whatever business they had. It was well into the night when the helicopter landed for its final destination.

The door was opened, and Kaeya helped Childe get up. He figured that this was it for him. Time to go to prison. Maybe he could get out with a light punishment. He had no qualms about exposing the entirety of the Fatui if he could go home earlier.

The snow underneath his boots crunched. It must have snowed here too, which was surprisingly fitting. “I’m surprised you haven’t searched me yet,” Childe said teasingly. “I could be carrying a knife or Pokémon. Is this how you treat all your prisoners?”

He heard snow crunch underneath an additional pair of shoes. “No. There is no way we wouldn’t have searched Signora when taking her in custody,” Ningguang said.

Confused, Childe looked around. There was no building in sight. In the distance, there were soft lights that obviously belonged to a village or city. But that was quite the walk.

“This isn’t a prison,” Childe said, feeling ill. It was the perfect spot to execute him. He wouldn’t know why, but the circumstances were ideal. Late at night and people in power who could turn a blind eye.

“No, it isn’t. You also aren’t our prisoner. We just wanted your Fatui friends to think that,” Ningguang explained. “Kaeya, if you would be so kind as to uncuff him.”

The handcuff slid off. Rubbing his wrists, Childe wished he still had his Pokémon on him. Bauk would come in very handy, or even Pastila.

“We figured that it was you behind the anonymous tip to check out Northland Bank. Not to mention that mister Zhongli speaks very highly of you.” Ningguang sounded pained to say those things. Childe found her expression hard to read.

“And we have no evidence that you actually committed crimes,” Yanfei piped in from the dark. “Aside from sneaking into the country, that is. So as long as we don’t have any reason to put you away, we won’t.”

Childe was a little overwhelmed. He didn’t understand why they turned a blind eye to him. He was a Harbinger, someone that was high up the ranks. He was perfectly aware of what was going on within the organisation, knew about the less-than-savoury things that happened. Only when he got involved could he no longer turn a blind eye.

“While I don’t agree with Yanfei,” Keqing said. Like Yanfei, she was just a disembodied voice. “I’m aware of what you put on the line to help us. I can at least wait until the trials have ended to see if you’re guilty or not.”

It was more than Childe could’ve hoped for. It, however, didn’t explain why he was here. “Then why am I here?”

It was Kaeya who answered. “We figured it was for the best that someone would look after you. You’re a valuable asset to the trials, and it would be unfortunate if the Fatui got you first. So you’ll be staying with someone for the time being.”

“Who?”

The question felt unnecessary. There was only one person that was insane enough to house a criminal. As if summoned by Childe’s realisation, the quiet night was disrupted by loud wingbeats. A large creature landed close by, the moonlight only painting its silhouette. Childe immediately recognised it as a Flygon. Likely, Zhongli’s Flygon.

The rider got off the Flygon’s back and finally came into view. Zhongli looked entirely washed out in the moonlight. His hair looked silver and, his face was as white as snow. He looked tired. The sweatpants looked completely out of character for him.

“I apologise for being late,” Zhongli said.

“You’re perfectly on time,” Ningguang said, checking her phone. “Now, I assume you’ll keep an eye on him?”

Zhongli nodded. “Am I allowed to tell him anything?”

Ningguang looked mildly annoyed. “While I would rather not inform a criminal about our plans, I understand the situation. You’re free to tell him whatever you deem necessary.”

“Thank you, lady Ningguang.”

“No, thank you, mister Zhongli.” Ningguang offered the man a quick nod. “We’ll keep in touch. Now, we’re returning to the headquarters because I’m exhausted, and tomorrow will be, for the lack of better words, a shitstorm. Goodnight.”

Ningguang disappeared back into the chopper. Kaeya followed after shooting Childe a thumbs-up.

He hadn’t expected to ever see Zhongli again, which immediately made everything awkward. Was Zhongli going to say anything about the kiss? Or was he kind enough to ignore it all? Not to mention that there were many questions left between them.

“I want to explain myself,” Zhongli said, not meeting Childe’s gaze. “However, I think it's favourable to return home first. Your Pokémon are inconsolable, and they would like to see you again. Not to mention that it’s cold.”

Zhongli had been the foolish one that had put on a fairly thin coat. Childe wasn’t cold, but he let Zhongli get away with this excuse. Zhongli got back on Shamo’s back, offering his hand to Childe. Childe took it, allowing the man to haul him up. The Flygon let out a chirping noise, likely recognising him.

“Hi girlie,” Childe said, patting the Flygon’s neck. “At least someone is happy to see me.”

***

Zhongli lived above the Oreburgh mining museum. It wasn’t quite what Childe had expected. It looked homely. It was well-furnished and filled with pictures, collectables and books. The fireplace was dormant, though the mantlepiece was cluttered with many picture frames. Zhongli’s bookshelves were bursting at the seams; the books were double stacked, laid flat, and some were shoved on the top. He noticed that the coffee table was filled with notes in an elegant scrawl. There was no Pokémon insight. The shared living-dining and kitchen space only had three doors: likely two bedrooms and a bathroom.

“You can sit down on the couch if you want; I will fetch us a drink, and then we can talk,” Zhongli headed into the small kitchen, reaching for the kettle.

Childe didn’t mind. During the short flight, neither of them had talked. It was a relief to not have to talk about the kiss or whatever else Zhongli would want to talk about. On the couch, Childe spotted the first Pokémon. Bubu the Swinub was nestled into the corner, covered in blankets. Next to her spot was, surprisingly, Childe’s luggage. Of course, Zhongli had kept it. But it still felt weird seeing it here. Feeling restless, Childe decided to check out the pictures instead of sitting down.

They looked to be family pictures. The first one was of a couple and a baby. Childe immediately saw that Zhongli was a split image of his mother. The same soft smile, amber eyes and brown hair. His father wore glasses and looked a little goofy, wearing a tea-stained button-up and slacks that frayed at the edges. They seemed really happy.

The second picture was Zhongli as a toddler and just his mother. In the next one, Zhongli seemed to be about eight years old, standing with his mother and another boy his age. Childe figured that this was a younger Azhdaha. The two boys seemed to be as tight as thieves. The following picture had even more people in it. The boys weren’t much older, but the girl that joined them was. She seemed to be around sixteen years old. She had ash-brown hair and kind eyes. She looked a lot like the woman that stood arm-in-arm with Zhongli’s mom.

There was a picture of Azhdaha and Zhongli and their first Pokémon: two Gibles. Though it was a static picture, Childe imagined the two Pokémon squirming a lot. There was a wedding picture of the two older women. And then there was another family picture. Zhongli and Azhdaha looked a bit older, likely in their early teens. The teen—by now an adult—was accompanied by a man. He didn’t make eye contact with the camera, down at her. He had messy black hair and golden eyes, not unlike Zhongli’s, and held a bundle in his arms.

It was fascinating to see everyone growing up. Azhdaha and Zhongli shot up in height, surpassing the younger woman. Zhongli’s hair remained uncharacteristically short, never reaching past the nape of his beck. The baby grew up, becoming a toddler and then a primary schooler. He looked a lot like his dad, with messy hair and golden eyes.

“You’ve found the pictures,” Zhongli remarked.

Childe quickly put the picture frame down, the wood thudding against the stone. He sighed in relief when the glass didn’t shatter. “I apologise; I shouldn’t have.”

“It’s fine; I understand why you’re curious. It isn’t as I’ve told you much about my family,” Zhongli said.

Now he mentioned it, Childe realised it was true. He did talk about his childhood and Azhdaha, but never about his parents or supposed sister. He had mentioned Xiao at times, but it wasn’t often. For all he talked, Zhongli had kept a lot of his personal life close to his chest. Childe realised that he actually had been played for a fool the whole time. He just had never realised that Zhongli didn’t truly trust him.

“These two are my parents.” Zhongli pointed to the first picture. “My mother is a historian. My dad was an archaeologist. I don’t remember much of my dad; he passed away when I was young. However, he was close friends with Azhdaha’s mother, so it was only natural that the two of us would meet. He was my best friend and like a brother to me; I think I spend almost as much time in his household as in my own. And then, my mother got remarried, and I suddenly got a sister. Guizhong was much older than me, but I thought she was cool. Especially since she was willing to accompany us on many excursions before we were sixteen.”

Childe felt a stab of jealousy. Not even because Zhongli had a childhood best friend or an older sister that looked after him. He had a very loving mum who didn’t abandon him when her husband died. She continued and even remarried; they all looked happy in the pictures. Childe couldn’t remember a picture of his dad being happy after his mother’s death.

“Then Guizhong got married, had a baby, and I became an uncle at thirteen. I remember telling Azhdaha that kids sucked, and he would never lose me to a child.

And yet, Zhongli had a teenage son. Xiao had to be at least sixteen, making Zhongli well into his thirties. He watched Zhongli pick up another picture, one taken at a port. There was Zhongli, Guizhong and her husband. The little baby looked to be about eleven years old, holding a Treeco in his arms. Zhongli looked to be in his mid-twenties. Childe finally realised that the boy not only looked a lot like his dad, but he was just a younger version of Xiao.

“Xiao is your nephew, isn’t he?” Childe asked.

Zhongli nodded. He looked at the picture with sad, damp eyes. “He is. My sister and her husband died several days after this picture was taken. It has been eight years already, and yet…”

He wasn’t sure whether it was appropriate or not, but it felt like the right thing to do. Childe carefully hugged him, resting his chin on Zhongli’s shoulder. Zhongli hugged him back, pressing his nose against Childe’s exposed neck. It was a really good, proper hug. Childe felt his body turn into jelly, exhaustion catching up with him.

Zhongli was the first one to pull back. His eyes looked a little red. “Thank you, I needed that,” he sniffed a little. “Tears won’t bring them back, and I don’t think Guizhong wanted to return, knowing what difference she could’ve made. I think I didn’t do too bad raising Xiao.”

Childe didn’t pry. He knew how mentally draining it was talking about the death of a loved one. He remembered how hard it was to explain it to his youngest brother, who had been fairly young when it happened. He picked up the picture Zhongli had put down, looking at the happy family.

Aside from the people, there were a couple of Pokémon. There was, of course, the Treeco, who looked grumpy and not very happy. A wee Shellos was sitting on Zhongli’s shoe, very content with its position. But it was the large, green creature that was just out of focus, curled up behind the four humans.

Childe swallowed nervously. “Whose Pokémon was Shamo?” he asked.

“Ah,” Zhongli grew a little misty-eyed. “It was Guizhong’s. After, well… let me just tell you.”

And Zhongli told him about the day his sister and her husband died. They had settled down on the couches, Childe holding a steaming cup of cinnamon tea. The sweet smell was surprisingly comforting. In the end, Childe’s heart ached. Even though Zhongli had been twenty-four when it all went down, nobody is truly prepared for parenthood. It was hard to deal with your own grief and have to raise a traumatised child.

“But if Shamo was your sister’s, why give her to me?” Childe asked.

Zhongli traced the rim of his cup, not meeting Childe’s gaze. “Because I trust you. Back at the lake, the way you care for me… I knew you were a good man.”

The story was like finding the missing puzzle pieces. It explained so much about Zhongli. His fear for water. How distressed he was when Xiao wanted to take on the Tsaritsa. He could’ve lost the last piece of his sister today, and it would’ve been Childe’s fault.

“How did you know who I was?” Childe wondered if captain Beidou had sold him out, but he had a gut feeling she hadn’t. She didn’t seem to type to do so.

“We had intel that a Harbinger would appear, sooner or later. When I spotted you, I realised that you must be the one I’ve been waiting for,” Zhongli explained. “However, you weren’t what we thought you would be. Ningguang suspected that you would spearhead the operation, not be here to find the champion. You weren’t a threat.”

All of it seemed to make sense, but for one thing. “If I wasn’t a threat, why did you try to stick around me? You weren’t subtle.”

Zhongli’s cheeks coloured red. He still didn’t meet Childe’s gaze. “It’s embarrassing to admit, but I had fun spending time with you. It was easy to be around you, so I decided ‘why not’. Maybe something useful would come out of it.”

Oh. It wasn’t what Childe expected. There were very few people who called spending time with him fun of all things. “As the champion, shouldn’t you be busy trying to keep Sinnoh safe?”

“Ah, yes. Honestly, I did a poor job at being a champion. It doesn’t come naturally to me; it was a role I had to play. It was that it was essential, or I would never have agreed.” Zhongli spends a long time taking a sip from his tea. “Ningguang feared her safety but didn’t want someone incapable taking over her title. She figured that I would suffice; it was Xiao that ended up convincing me.”

“Back at the summit, you made a convincing champion,” Childe said, remembering that moment. The man who had ordered Signora to stop was different from the Zhongli he was currently talking with. It made his head spin; who was the real Zhongli?

“Like I said, acting. I practised. The last thing I wanted was to see incompetent,” Zhongli grew flustered, his fingers fidgeting with the laces of his sweats. “I’m not good with people if you haven’t noticed yet. At times, I wondered why you were so willing to have me around.”

Zhongli’s self-deprecating laugh was something Childe never wanted to hear again. It hit right at home, making him feel uneasy. Childe knew that Zhongli, upon knowing him better, wasn’t conventional. He struggled to read the room at times, talking for way too long, not picking up on minor annoyances of others. Zhongli was also someone who didn’t judge. He had seen all of Childe’s quirks, the slight manic grins, and he never battened an eye. He did not care that Childe wasn’t ‘conventional’, something Childe wasn’t used to. There was always someone that had to sneer at him. Signora thought he was too emotional; his father thought he was a waste of space because he wasn’t his mother?

“Because you didn’t mind having me around,” Childe said softly. “You might not have noticed, but the life of a Harbinger is fairly lonely. People often don’t want anything to do with me.”

Finally, there was silence. Childe hadn’t expected the conversation to feel this personal. He had expected Zhongli to explain their plan, and that is. Send Childe off to bed and act as if nothing happened the day after.

“I know that there is more to talk about,” Childe said. “But it has been a long day.”

Zhongli nodded. Childe wanted to say more, ask more questions and get more answers. He wondered if he was overthinking everything, coming to the wrong conclusions. Zhongli’s feelings could be platonic, and if they were, Childe would respect them. Even if it would break his heart, he simply couldn’t kick up a fuss. The man had opened his home to Childe, risking his own safety for Childe’s comfort.

“I fear I have no spare room. While Xiao isn’t home, it’s his place,” Zhongli explained.

“I’ll take the couch, no worries,” Childe said, flashing Zhongli a smile. Zhongli looked relieved.

“I’ll get some blankets and a pillow,” Zhongli said, getting up from his seat. Childe finally eyed the couch he was sitting on, realising he would never properly fit. He hoped that sheer exhaustion would lull him to sleep.

Chapter Text

If the floor had been carpeted, Childe would have slept on it in a heartbeat. The couch was too small for him. His legs were tucked to his chest; it was the only way he could comfortably lay his head to rest. It did little to lull him to sleep; he officially gave up when his body started to ache.

Unfolding his legs, he groaned as his stiff muscles were forced into a different position. He let them hang over the armrest, the could apartment biting his exposed feet. He should ask Zhongli if he had an air bed or a thin mattress, anything but this small couch.

“At worse case, I’ll have to share a bed with Zhongli,” Childe told the ceiling, wondering if Zhongli even had a large bed. Not having a partner didn’t require him to have a large bed.

He amped himself up, getting up from the couch. There was nothing wrong with some platonic bed-sharing. He grabbed his blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders. Then he removed his phone from the charger and shuffled towards the bedroom door. The light of his phone torch seemed ridiculously bright in the dark. He knocked on the door and carefully opened it. Zhongli had told him before that he was a heavy sleeper, so knocking wouldn’t cut it. If he needed something, just enter.

The room was dark until a bed light was turned on. Zhongli looked half-asleep in the pale yellow light. His hair hung in a messy braid over his shoulder, his shirt sleep-rumbled and very soft looking.

“Xiao,” Zhongli yawned, rubbing his eyes. “Can’t sleep?”

Childe coughed awkwardly. “Not Xiao, but yeah, the couch is a bit small. Do you have something like an airbed?”

Zhongli sat up a little straighter. He looked a little flustered, the colour of his cheeks darkening as he spoke. “I—uh, my bed is large enough for two. We can fix your sleeping issues tomorrow,” Zhongli finished with a yawn.

Childe started to sweat a little. “Okay, I’ll just grab my pillow and will, you know.” Childe made an awkward hand gesture to the empty side of Zhongli’s bed. “I probably will fall asleep pretty soon; I’ve learnt to sleep on the fly.”

After fetching his pillow, he placed it on the edge of the free side and lay down. Curling up into the blanket, Childe felt a sense of relief that he could finally stretch his legs. He carefully placed his phone on the rug, figuring that he would find it in the morning.

Hours passed in a blink of an eye. Childe groggily opened his eyes as he heard his phone ringing. He always had his phone muted during the night but for a select few. Blinking drowsily, Childe leaned over the bed’s edge and tried to find his device by touch. The ringing had stopped by the time he had found it. He saw that Tonia had called. She never called, only texted. So it must be important. Calling back, it didn’t take his sister long to pick up.

It was already morning in Unova. Tonia’s red hair was a mop of messy curls, clearly unkempt. She was still wearing her pj’s, Childe recognising the pink frill of her favourite shirt. Her eyes were bloodshot, and at the sight of him, tears sprung in his eyes.

“Ajax, you’re okay?” she asked, her shaky hands causing the screen to shake.

“Tired, but fine, why?” Childe asked, yawning.

“Because,” she whispered, looking behind her shiftily. “I know what work you do, and dad had turned on the news. They said that the Tsaritsa had been arrested and several other Fatui members. Please tell me you’re safe?”

She had started to cry in earnest. Childe felt bad for her. The responsibility of the household had felt on her shoulders when Childe left. She was already seventeen, but no seventeen-year-old should take care of two younger siblings and an incompetent father. Not to mention that she was busy with her education. Childe resented his older siblings for not coming back when they needed help.

“Tonia, I’m safe. I might not come home anytime soon, but I’m not in jail if that’s what you’re worried about. It isn’t like I can have my phone in jail,” he reassured her.

He should have realised that sooner or later, the news would reach Unova. It was not a small thing, another region’s champion being charged for the attempted destruction of their world. Childe should’ve called his siblings beforehand, but it had been the last thing on his mind when everything was going down.

Behind him, Zhongli groaned and draped an arm around his shoulder. It didn’t feel purposeful, more like Zhongli stretching his limbs. “It’s too early.”

Tonia gasped. Childe saw the cogs turn in her head, likely putting two and two together. At least, her two and two.

“Ajax, are you whoring yourself out?” she asked, scandalised.

“First of all, never use that word again,” Childe said, feeling his cheeks heat up. “And the answer is no. The couch was tiny, and he’s a friend, okay? I’ll call you back later; it’s still fairly early here.”

Tonia nodded, her curls bouncing. She still looked distressed, but there was no way he could make the situation better than it was.

Childe ended the call, tossing his phone back on the ground. Zhongli’s arm was still partially draped around his shoulder, feeling a little too intimate.

Zhongli finally removed his arm. “Have you done it before?” Zhongli asked sleepily. “Sleep with others?”

Childe rolled onto his other side. Letting his eyes adjust, he could vaguely make out Zhongli’s features. His cheek was mushed on the pillow, making his face look rounder. He looked really soft.

“For favours? No. I always believed that I could get up the ranks on my own merits, not by fucking my superiors.”

“Your sister sounded certain,” Zhongli pressed on.

There was a time and place for anything, and this definitely wasn’t the time to talk about Childe’s sex life. Especially since they were sharing a bed and Childe could count Zhongli’s eyelashes.

“I find men attractive. It wouldn’t be farfetched for me to sleep with them, especially men as handsome as you.” Childe slapped his hand in front of his mouth, acting as if he was yawning.

Zhongli turned away for a bit, turning on the bedside light. The room suddenly bathed in light, hurting Childe’s eyes. He blinked, struggling to bring Zhongli into focus. Zhongli looked flustered, his cheeks and the bridge on his nose slowly turning red.

“You find me attractive?” Zhongli asked.

“Yeah, well,” Childe stammered.. “Can you blame me? You dress well and look good.”

It was very artificial and maybe even unkind, but it was the only way to throw Zhongli off his scent. Even if there was something between them, Childe wanted to keep his feelings close to his chest.

“I understand,” Zhongli said softly. “I mean, I figured that at least I had my looks going for me.”

Childe’s attempt to shield his own heart had clearly backfired. He reached out a hand to gently touch Zhongli’s cheek, only to change his mind and just tuck some hair behind his ear. “You’re more than just your looks, you know? You should just ignore whatever stupid stuff comes out of my mouth. ” He withdrew his hand, worried if he overstepped his boundary.

 “I… I mean, what else is there?”

Childe wondered what happened to Zhongli to make him feel this way. He had friends and family that clearly adored him; he must realise that there was more to him than just his looks? If only Childe was good with words. He always charged into battle head-first, not waiting and considering. But right now, he had to carefully pick his words.

“To be crude, I think you’re wasted as just arm candy. You’re a good looking man, but I know dozen-or-so more men that are very handsome. What I adore about you is that you don’t pretend. You’re Zhongli, a big nerd that loves rocks, fossils and history. A father that put everything on hold for his son, a friend others can rely on. People trust you to rehome Pokémon or pick up freshly hatched Pokémon from the day-care and take care of them. When I was with you, I never felt like I had to pretend. I could be me, even if my ugly sides were undesirable. Because you showed yours too, waving them off with mild embarrassment. You told me before that you liked spending time with me, that it was fun. It was the same thing for me. You were no use to my mission, not really, but I kept being drawn back to you. Because I didn’t have to put on a fake smile and charm your pants off to get along with you. I could be myself around you, and I think many people feel the same.”

Childe kept on adding things, trying to remember the good qualities about Zhongli. He felt his face heating up as the words kept pouring out. It felt as if all the feelings he had for Zhongli, all bottled inside him, were finally allowed to be free. It might be thinly veiled as an argument why Zhongli was more than just his looks, but so be it. It was actually a relief to finally let everything out.

“That kiss wasn’t a distraction?” Zhongli blurted out, cutting Childe off. “I assumed it had been to distract people from noticing you giving me your Pokémon…”

Zhongli trailed off, and Childe saw him putting up a mask. Something he only had done once before, back when he took up the champion role. It was a way to hide his emotions, something Childe was an expert in.

“It wasn’t,” Childe admitted. “I assumed it would be the last time we would see each other, so I took the opportunity to kiss you.”

He waited. Waited for Zhongli to make up his mind. All his cards were played. While the ‘I love you’ wasn’t said outright, he assumed he had portrayed his feelings well enough.

“I’m… not always the best at picking up these things,” Zhongli admitted. “Is this a love confession, or am I reading too much into it?”

It wasn’t the reply Childe had expected. “It’s a love confession,” Childe said with conviction. It was time to stop dancing around the subject and be honest. He could tease Zhongli about it later if he felt like it.

Zhongli beamed at him. Childe could trace the laugh lines with his fingertips, smooth out the crowfeet. How as this man not taken? Who in their right mind would let a man like this walk away? Childe knew he would never let him go.

“I was worried I was reading too much into things, but it seemed I was right.” Zhongli gently placed his hand on Childe’s cheek. It felt oddly intimate, maybe because they both were so used to wearing gloves. “I’m glad, though, are you sure? I’m a busy man, and there is Xiao. I can’t spend all my time running around Sinnoh anymore.”

Childe placed his hand over Zhongli’s. “You know that I’m part of a criminal trial, right? And you question if I make the right choice?”

Zhongli kissed him briefly. Childe grimaced, the smell of morning breath hitting him in the face. Zhongli buried his nose in the crook of Childe’s neck, chuckling softly.

“Maybe we should brush our teeth first,” Childe suggested, turning onto his back, so there was more room for Zhongli to drape himself over him.

“Can I ask you something?” Zhongli’s voice was muffled.

“Of course.”

“Can I call you Ajax?”

Childe looked up at the ceiling, surprised by the question. He had used the name Childe for months now. He almost liked it more than Ajax, seeing as everyone he met here knew him as Childe. And while Childe and Ajax were the same people, his father had never called him Childe, nor Signora, or even the Tsaritsa.

“You can, though I’ve grown attached to the name Childe,” he admitted. “Can I call you Morax?”

Zhongli snorted. “Absolutely not.”

***

Zhongli was frowning at the couch where Childe tried to sleep on. It was a lovely couch, but only a two-seater. The other couch was even smaller, looking more like an oversized loveseat.

“I understand why you can’t sleep comfortably on here,” Zhongli said. Childe spotted the grin from miles away.

“What’s so amusing?” Childe asked, stifling a yawn. “Tried to get me into your bed?”

Zhongli shook his head. “Just help me with this.”

They moved the loveseat and coffee table out of the way. Then Zhongli removed the cushions from the couch and pulled out a bed frame from the bottom. In seconds, a decently sized bed stood there. “I had assumed you knew, seeing as you offered it. Azhdaha bought it for me, seeing as he often likes to crash here. It’s a little tight for him, but a larger couch simply doesn’t fit here.”

Childe was ashamed he hadn’t realised that it was a sofa bed. No way that Zhongli would actually let him sleep on a couch that was about ten inches shorter than he was.

“I should’ve mentioned it,” Zhongli admitted.

They had a quiet breakfast, the silence almost uncomfortable. Zhongli was picking at his food, a breakfast Childe had spent quite some time on. It didn’t help that Zhongli had a limited food stock; half of it expired.

“Okay, what’s wrong? Do you have regrets?” Childe asked.

Zhongli stopped picking at his food. “No, it’s not that. It’s just… I completely forgot that I’ve been trying to get Pastila down from a wardrobe, and I think she’s still up there.”

Childe hardly could smother his laughter. “Pastila does that often, hiding up high spaces when she’s grumpy.”

“But it’s dark and dusty up there,” Zhongli said. He looked genuinely guilt-ridden.

“Do you have some sweets for Pokémon?” Childe asked.

Zhongli nodded and went to fetch a bag of poffins. They were the sparkly pink ones that Zhongli had fed Pastila during their first meeting.

Pastila was in Zhongli’s bedroom. Childe wasn’t surprised that she completely had ignored them, though it made him happy that they just had cuddled and slept.

Childe finally took the time to take in Zhongli’s bedroom. The bed was a mess, their blankets piled up on the mattress. The rest of Zhongli’s bedroom looked like an antique store. Bowls, vases, clay dolls and whatever could be dug up from ancient times. Not to mention the many rocks, gems and parts of fossils. There were more pictures of his family and friends. There were also books, some brand new and others ancient. His desk was piled with paperwork; pens were everywhere in the room, some wedged between book pages, others hidden in nooks of the bookshelves. On the single nightstand was another pile with books, which looked like romantic reads, an old alarm clock and a pair of reading glasses.

“She’s on top there,” Zhongli pointed to the large, ancient-looking wardrobe. “She had some food last night before I came to pick you up, but that’s all.”

It wasn’t uncommon behaviour for a very grumpy Pastila. She was the prime example of how Pokémon weren’t just mindless beasts; they had their own personality, habits and quirks. She just wanted to be left alone and sulk in peace.

“Pastila, I’ve got blankets.” Childe held up his sweaters as a peace offering.

He saw Pastila’s black ears and white face poke over the edge. She looked really dusty. When was the last time that Zhongli had dusted that wardrobe?

Emolga squealed and launched herself off the wardrobe. She landed flat against Childe’s face, sending him into a sneezing fit. Pastila whined and scrambled upon his head to be out of sneezing range.

Zhongli chuckled, and Childe looked up, watching the man quickly hide his smile behind a hand.

He pushed his sweaters on top of the wardrobe as Zhongli fed her poffins. She was quick to stuff her cheeks. Once eaten her fill, she scrambled back up on the wardrobe and made herself comfortable between Childe’s clothes.

“She’ll be fine in a couple of days,” Childe reassured Zhongli. “It’s the best to let her sulk.”

Zhongli nodded. “There is also the issue of your Rotom.”

Childe groaned. “What did Menace possess?”

“My washing machine, which I really need seeing as I’m behind on laundry.”

Zhongli had pulled a sweater over his sleep-crumbled shirt. He wore the same sweats as he wore yesterday. Childe liked the sweater; it had a large print of a Geodude giving the thumbs up. There was also the text ‘rocks rock’. He was sure this was a gift from Azhdaha.

Childe found Menace in a closet in the bathroom. It was obviously content with occupying Zhongli’s washing machine.

“Menace, we don’t possess working washing machines, you know that,” Childe told the Rotom, crouching down in front of the machine.

The face on the machine frowned.

“We soon will go to a junkyard and find you a new washing machine, okay? One you can bang up all you like.”

Rotom gave him a thumbs-up.

“However,” Childe looked up at Zhongli, who was looking down at him with unfairly kind eyes. Childe couldn’t believe how oblivious he had been. “Menace doesn’t like to stay in its usual form. Do you have something like a fan or a toaster it can possess? Something you can miss for a while?”

Zhongli returned with a toaster, looking happy to do laundry again. Menace sent the mechanism of the toaster up and down. The first time, the ‘dinging’ noise sent Childe’s heart rate through the roof. Menace knew what it was doing, terrorising them. Childe still heard it after closing the bathroom door. Menace might be his biggest regret.

“Should we finish breakfast now the issues are fixed?” Childe asked.

Blushing beautifully, Zhongli nodded shyly, and they returned to the small kitchen. The previous, stretching silence was now filled with Zhongli’s chatter. Childe realised it might be a very bad thing for letting Pastila get settled. Sooner or later, she wouldn’t want to leave.

***

His mum always told stories about love: familial, friendships, romance. She had told him that she and his father had been friends for years. She never had intended to fall in love with him; it had just slowly happened. Childe always wondered if he would’ve the chance to experience that kind of love, though it hadn’t worked out for his parents. His father might have loved his mother, but he obviously didn’t love his kids.

“I’ve been wondering, what would’ve happened if you hadn’t taken on the role of the champion?” Childe asked, looking up from his phone.

He was lying with his head in Zhongli’s lap. His thighs were surprisingly comfortable, making a perfectly serviceable pillow.

Zhongli was reading a book, not tearing his gaze away as he muttered an answer. “Then Ningguang would’ve been the champion.”

Childe sighed. “But that would’ve brought her in danger.”

Zhongli hummed. “They likely would’ve found someone else if I had rejected their request. What are you thinking?”

“I just imagine that, if it hadn’t been you or me that day in Canalave City, what would’ve happened to Sinnoh?”

Zhongli finally closed his book, tucking a pencil between the pages. His loose hair fell in a curtain around his face as he looked down, meeting Childe’s gaze. His reading glasses slid down his nose. “Would you like to elaborate?”

“It’s easy, isn’t it? If it had been any other Harbinger, they would’ve shaken you off a long time ago. And if it hadn’t been you, I probably wouldn’t have stuck around,” Childe explained, closing his eyes as he felt Zhongli stroke his hair.

“I mean, there could’ve been mister Kaeya. I know that Jean had suggested him. Or lady Nigguang was thinking of sending lady Ganyu or lady Keqing.”

“I think that even I would recognise the Elite Four members,” Childe said, opening his eyes to catch Zhongli’s soft expression. “And I actually know Kaeya. It would’ve ended in disaster.”

Zhongli pulled a faint expression of distaste.“Admittedly, I can’t imagine having a pleasant conversation with Signora.”

“I mean, I think it could be delightful. Especially if she would’ve figured out you were the champion. She can be charming if she needs to be,” Childe groaned, rubbing his eyes. “I can’t believe I never saw it. How could I’ve been so blind?”

Childe felt his hand being removed. Zhongli laced their fingers together. Zhongli’s hands were rough, the tip of his finger touching an old bite-mark. It was comforting to realise that he had found someone who didn’t care about the scars and the other ugly parts. “Because being a champion and gym leader is a role I play. Around you, I’m just myself, and that doesn’t match up with the perceived notion of how a champion would act.”

“Maybe for the better.” Childe squeezed Zhongli’s hand lightly. “I like you much more like this. Though you looked good with authority.”

Zhongli’s cheeks turned pink. It had become one of Childe’s favourite pastimes, getting Zhongli flustered.

“I like you the best like this.” Zhongli pressed a kiss on his knuckles.

Childe laughed. “Like what, in your lap?”

“As yourself.”

The answer was unexpected, and Childe felt his face grow hot. “You’re such a fucking sap.”

“Language,” Zhongli said automatically. His scowl turned into an embarrassed smile. “Wait, no, I apologise. It has been Xiao and me for so long, I’m still getting used to this.”

Childe used his free hand to stroke Zhongli’s cheek. “Have you told him already?”

“Yesterday. He visited the museum with his friends. He wasn’t too thrilled, questioning my taste, but he didn’t complain too much.”

“Didn’t expect that,” Childe admitted.

“I did. He has grown a lot since he left for his own journey. He did mention he wants to fight you.”

“Physically or…”

Zhongli sighed. “In a Pokémon battle. I’m not letting you fight my son.”

Childe wasn’t sure if Xiao had gotten the memo, but he wasn’t telling Zhongli that. He was just going along with what Zhongli suggested and see if he could salvage somewhat of a relationship with Xiao. Xiao didn’t have to love him, but it would be nice if they were on friendly terms. If not, he might as well end this relationship. He wasn’t coming between Zhongli and his son.

***

Childe found Kazuha at the end of the docks, where the Wingulls made most of the noise. He sat down next to the kid, far enough that he wouldn’t be hit by the Vivilon’s wings. He realised that they never talked, even aboard the Crux. It was a shame.

“How old are you anyway?” Childe asked in greeting.

Sending a kid into danger wasn’t really what Childe wanted, even if it was at their own volution. Previously, he had relied on Xiao to fix things. Although he had turned out to be nineteen, he might as well be sixteen. Sixteen-years-old shouldn’t bear the weight of the world on their shoulders.

“Twenty-two, why?” Kazuha asked, looking up at him wearily.

Kazuha didn’t look like someone three years younger than Childe. He still had a youthful face. His height, or lack thereof, didn’t help either.

“Perfect, it makes me feel better about what I’m about to do.” He reached into his pocket, finding the reply to a letter he had sent weeks before. He handed it to Kazuha. “I asked Beidou if she would be foolish enough to get you back into Johto. She agreed.”

Kazuha took the letter carefully. He skimmed it, his eyes darting from left to right.

“Thank you.” Kazuha folded the letter and put it in a pocket. “Though, might I ask why? You don’t own me anything.”

“You said that you wanted to go back home.”

Kazuha eyed him wearily. “But you’re with the Fatui, aren’t you? You must have a reason.”

Childe made a hushing noise. “I fear I’m no longer part of a criminal organisation. I might have thrown them under the bus to save my own skin. I currently left my full-time babysitter to have a chat with you.”

Kazuha snorted. Immediately, he tugged his red scarf up, hiding his smile. “And where is your babysitter?”

“Giving a lecture on rocks.” Childe gestured in the direction of the library. “I kinda snuck out. But she’s watching over me.” He pointed to Pastila, who was nothing but a lump in the hood of his sweater.

Childe thought it was nice to be here, even if Kazuha was still a near stranger. Anything better than being stuck inside the apartment, slowly growing crazy. He wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without Zhongli. Which wouldn’t have been a problem if Zhongli wasn’t behind on work. It turned out that he actually didn’t have time to run around Sinnoh with Childe. Childe had snuck out during Zhongli’s lecture, having heard it several times. He surely would be fine in the bustling port city.

Kazuha took out a wooden lump and placed it against his lips. Childe expected the shrill sound of a harmonica—one like his siblings liked to abuse when they were younger—but the notes were gentle and carried on the waves. It brought him back to the weeks onboard the Crux and the time they had met in the forest.

“Have you found someone to go with you?” Childe asked when Kazuha finished playing.

“Yes. She thinks her brother might be in Johto, and we figured it was easier to team up.”

“Oooh, is she cute?” Childe asked, nudging Kazuha’s side.

Kazuha didn’t even blush. He just stared at him blankly.

“Fine, no cute girls. Let’s exchange numbers, just in case. I might not be able to leave the house, but I have still many connections.”

They exchanged numbers. Childe knew that he had to return soon, but there was one thing he wanted to do. Just to be on the safe side.

“Take this with you; it might come in useful.” He pushed a friend ball in Kazuha’s hands. “Beware. Even without the Tsaritsa, the Fatui can still be dangerous.”

Before Kazuha could give it back, Childe got up. He heard Pastila whine at the sudden motion. “It was good seeing you again. Don’t forget, the ship arrives in a couple of days.”

He managed to sneak back into the library before the end of the lecture. He was there for the applause and the bashful smile Zhongli tried to hide. He hoped that he was wrong about the Fatui still going strong, but he was sure they had some hand in whatever was going on in Johto.

Chapter Text

Childe was only a little tipsy. The last time he had been drinking with Kaeya, he hadn’t stopped talking. Information was valuable and Childe was going to be tight-lipped tonight. Even if they were on the same side, he liked to keep his cards close to his chest.

“You could’ve warned me that there were people attached to the money. Rosaria gave one of them a good whack with an umbrella.” Kaeya was on his third glass Death After Noon, Childe’s treat. His cheeks were slightly flushed, but he didn’t show any other signs of intoxication. “I’m assuming that these are the missing Northland Bank employees?”

“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.” Childe took a careful sip of his own wine. It was a little too bitter for his taste. He knew he wasn’t fooling Kaeya, but he wasn’t going to admit anything, even if they were off-duty.

“Anyway, she says that Andrei is a bit of a dick anyway. She does like the rest, though this lady Katerina had suggested wasting your money to go out drinking. I think she gave my brother a heart attack.”

“Ekaterina,” Childe corrected.

“Close enough. Rosaria likes her. Admittedly, Rosaria likes most women.” Kaeya shrugged.

It felt odd that Kaeya told him these things so openly. Some of these things felt too personal, like mentioning his housemate by name and mentioning she’s into women. There could be only one reason why Kaeya did so. “You actually trust me,” Childe said, perplexed.

Kaeya stopped mid-sip, looking at him with his one good eye. “Yes? You betrayed your own organisation for what? This isn’t your home, nor your people. Nobody would’ve blamed you if you didn’t lift a finger. So seeing you do so says a lot about your character.”

He hadn’t really thought about it like that. He just disagreed with where this was going. He hated the notion of sacrificing a few for the greater good. The Fatui always had stood for the well-being of Pokémon, but was entirely removing the human race truly the right step?  People mistreated Pokémon, and humankind created cities where once had been nature. But there were Pokémon that were perfectly content living alongside mankind; some wouldn’t even survive without human intervention. He knew that Pastila wouldn’t have. If Childe hadn’t fished her up, she would’ve drowned.

“I mean, I’ve been for months. It’s hard not to get attached to this place,” Childe admitted after a long stretch of silence.

Kaeya raised a single eyebrow. “To this place or to Zhongli? Because you’ve mentioned Zhongli rather often.”

“I do not.”

“Yes, you do,” Kaeya finished his third glass. “We don’t text an awful lot, but I think Zhongli is at least mentioned once in each conversation. More so than anything else.”

Childe shook his head. “We live together, you know, because of the trials.”

Kaeya’s smile turned a little feral. He ordered his fourth drink, taking a gentle sip and sighing in pleasure. “Ajax, my friend. We could’ve put you under general protection. However, Zhongli had offered to look after you, seeing as it would be much more preferable than some far-off place with complete strangers. I think he very much likes you.”

“But that doesn’t mean that I like him. It’s preferable over strangers, but…” Childe ran out of words to say. Since when was he such a bad liar?

“You could’ve said no.”

Childe heard the check-mate in Kaeya’s head. Even tipsy, Kaeya talked him in a corner with ease.

“Yeah, well, it isn’t any day that someone falls for you,” Childe grumbled.

He could still hear Zhongli’s answer about what he liked the best about Childe. Not his looks, nor his smile or battle prowess. It wasn’t the money or the connections. Zhongli liked Childe for who he was. He, surprisingly, liked Ajax.

“The two of you would make a very handsome couple,” Kaeya mused. “Are you ever going to confess?”

“I already did,” Childe said proudly, watching surprise flicker across Kaeya’s features.

“You fucker. I was going to aid you in confessing, and then I could ask you a favour.” Kaeya groaned, drowning the rest of his fourth glass. “I don’t like owing favours.”

“I still owe you one for keeping quiet about the Northland Bank stuff,” Childe said. “So, what favour do you need? If it’s returning to crime, I fear I will have to decline.”

Kaeya waved off his concern. “It’s just, we’ve figured that you came here by ship. There was also another stowaway. They aren’t in trouble or anything, but Ningguang doesn’t like people to be here illegally.”

Childe smiled sheepishly. “I fear he left yesterday.”

“That’s aiding someone in criminal activities.” Kaeya ordered a glass of water. “Where is he going anyway?”

“Johto.”

Kaeya slammed the glass of water on the bar a little too hard. “Johto? What is he going to do there? Lose his Pokémon?”

Childe shrugged. “I didn’t ask. None of my business.”

Their conversation strayed away from work-related things, which was just fine with him. Kaeya was much more fun that way, though Childe hadn’t expected it to be about romance. Especially Kaeya’s romantic life, or lack thereof.

“You must meet enough people to find someone nice,” Childe said, starting his second glass of wine. This one was a lot sweeter and bearable. “You aren’t a wanted criminal, which will greatly increase your odds.”

“Oh, that isn’t the issue,” Kaeya said, ordering another glass of water. “It’s just… my guy is as dense as a rock. I’ve known him for years, flirted him with for years. But I don’t think he ever noticed it. To see that you have it all figured out in your relationship, it’s a little embarrassing that I haven’t managed.”

“Yeah, well, a relationship feels almost easy after you stared the end of the world in its eyes,” Childe said. “But if flirting doesn’t work, you might have to be direct. Tell him you love him and go from there.”

Kaeya contemplated Childe’s words. It was the first time Childe had given love advice, and Childe realised Kaeya actually took him seriously. He had no idea if this was why he and Zhongli had worked out. It might be because there had been nothing left to lose. He hadn’t expected to stay here and get a shot at a relationship, so Childe had gone for it. Figuring Kaeya was talking about a friend, it would hurt much more if things wouldn’t work out.

Childe looked over his shoulder as he heard the bell ring. He saw Zhongli strolling in, looking very much out of place. He wore black slacks, a brown dress shirt and a black vest. The buttons of his vest were a polished gold. He got several curious stared from other visitors.

He and Zhongli had agreed that Kaeya could keep an eye on him for the meantime but that Childe only would go home with Zhongli. At times, he felt like they were tethering on a power imbalance, with them being romantically involved, but Zhongli also being Childe’s so-called ‘babysitter’. It helped that they didn’t share a bed, Childe being banned to the living room.

“Has it been that long already,” Childe sighed, taking out his wallet and leaving a wad of cash on the counter. It would be enough to cover their bill and then some. “Kaeya, I…” Childe hesitated. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“It was fun. I usually have to drag Rosaria’s drunk ass home, so this was a nice change of pace,” Kaeya’s eyes fell on Zhongli, his smile grew a little wilder. “Have fun.”

Childe rolled his eyes. “Don’t drink too much, okay? And let me know that you’re home safe.”

“Yes mom,” Kaeya sighed, raising his glass of water in salute. “Now, go before Ningguang knows you’re out after curfew.”

Childe walked up to Zhongli, ignoring Kaeya’s childish remark. He didn’t even have a curfew. Lady Ningguang, thankfully, hadn’t bothered to contact him too much. If she required something, she would ask through Zhongli.

“You had fun?” Zhongli asked, taking his elbow. “Didn’t drink  too much?”

“No, I’m good.” Childe let himself be led out of the bar. They were in Sunyshore City. Zhongli had several lectures to attend, so he had dragged Childe along for the ride. Childe was just happy to leave the apartment.

The sea made the winter chill a bit more bearable, though he had no issue sticking close to Zhongli. Zhongli radiated warmth, helped along with the many layers he wore. It was odd. Back home, the water would’ve been frozen over, sea-fairing removed far from their minds. He and Tonia would take their younger brothers out for ice-skating. He wondered if Anthon had grown in the months he had gone; maybe he finally fit Childe’s skates.

“How was your lecture?” Childe asked.

He loved watching Zhongli’s face light up. “They found remains of sail fossils far up north, where the sea meets the ice. However, it’s a Pokémon that’s actually exclusive to Kalos. There are speculations that the two landmasses once were connected. While sail fossils are spread all over Kalos, the most common spot are the snow-covered mountains. There is even speculation that the mountains once were part of a whole, but they’re still comparing…”

Childe let Zhongli drone on, finding it hard to believe he had gotten this lucky. One day, it all had to come down, leaving the smouldering remains of what once was a happy future. But Childe knew that there was no use speculating over the future; all he could do was work on making the here-and-now the best he could.

***

Xiao was a very talented Pokémon trainer. Childe wasn’t surprised, seeing as Zhongli raised him. Xiao knew how to work his Pokémon; their limits and their shining moments. However, the lack of experience and knowledge was quite noticeable. Something Childe was going to make use of.

“Musho, use Fling.” Xiao’s Sceptile flung something at Emolga. Pastila dodged the item with ease, keeping the higher ground. The item landed on the flood with a loud splash. The rain kept pouring down, courtesy of Mavka the Lapras.

Childe frowned, wondering what use Fling had. Pastila knew it too, but that was advantageous for her Acrobatics attack. It increased in power when not carrying anything. Even if the Sceptile could learn the move, it wouldn’t be helpful. Neither Pastila nor Laska the Floatzel were weak to it.

“Laska, use Brick Break! Pastila, Acrobatics!” Childe shouted.

Xiaos’ Weavile struggled to avoid Laska. Weavile was naturally faster, but the rain had activated Floatzel’s Swift Swim ability, making Laska the faster one. But his attention was soon grabbed by Pastila, who let out a cry of pain as the Sceptile managed to swipe her away. It was odd, seeing as Pastila had been able to keep up until now.

“Bihu, use Leaf Blade on the Floatzel!” Xiao shouted.

The green Pokémon bolted towards Laska, faster than before. His brain hadn’t even caught up when he returned Laska quickly, releasing Bauk in his stead. Due to his sky-high defence, the Cofagrigus easily copped the Leaf Blade, grunting at the impact.

“Use Payback,” Childe shouted at the same time as Xiao shouted for Musho to dodge. But the Sceptile’s speed had dropped back to normal. The attack landed, sending the Sceptile flying. He smacked against the wall, sliding down with a wet flop. It took the Pokémon a lot of effort to get back up on his feet. 

Bauk was taken out by a well-aimed Night Slash. Then the rain stopped, turning the tides in Xiao’s favour. Laska would no longer outspeed the Weavile, so sending him back in would be pointless. He could set the rain back up, but that had no use either. Xiao only had a Weavile, Sceptile and Ninjask left. Water moves weren’t effective on them.

“Menace, it’s time for chaos,” Childe released his Rotom.

Xiao’s adrenaline-fueled grin lessened. When accepting Xiao’s challenge, he knew that the abundance of water-types would come back to haunt him. So when scouring the dump to find a new body for Menace, he had pointed out an oven. Laska and Mavka would cover the water type, and the other Rotom-forms wouldn’t be useful. The flying and ice forms were already covered. The grass-type was redundant with the water and electric-type Pokémon he owned.

“Pastila, whip up a storm, please. Menace, Overheat!”

Already tired, Xiao’s Pokémon didn’t stand a chance against the whirlwind of fire. His remaining Pokémon, an oddly-coloured Ninjask called Shade, fell within seconds after being sent back on the field.

He returned his Pokémon to their balls and picked up a clean towel, wiping the dirt off his face. They were allowed to fight in the Oreburgh gym, just a simple field packed with dirt. Which wasn’t an issue when you didn’t work with water-type Pokémon. Xiao’s Flygon had sent earth flying everywhere, and the rain had made everything muddy. Childe still wondered why people wanted to have fancy gym fields if the maintenance sucked.

He was halfway through his second towel—his face still felt grimy—when Xiao came walking over. The teen looked like a mess, having taken the brunt force of most of the mud-splashing. His clothes were caked with mud, and his hair, usually fluffy, was pushed back. His face was flushed, though he didn’t look too angry.

“What did you do to Musho?” Xiao asked, picking up one of the clean towels.

“Bauk’s ability is Mummy. When making contact with another Pokémon, the ability transfers over to the other Pokémon. Your Sceptile’s ability is Unburden?”

Xiao scowled. “What gave it away?”

“You usually don’t fling something away unless it has a purpose,” Childe explained.

“You fight well,” Xiao grumbled. “Though you have to watch your back; one day, I’ll defeat you.”

If Xiao kept his training up, and Childe would become lazy, it definitely could be a possibility. “If I stick around for long enough, you know. Zhongli might get tired of me.”

Xiao’s scowl softened. “I… while I think his taste might be questionable, I think you’re good for him. You treat him with the respect he deserves, and he likes you, and I think that’s all that matters. He deserves to find his own happiness, and I trust his judgement.”

This was beyond what Childe had hoped for. He imagined that it wouldn’t be easy for Xiao to suddenly have to share Zhongli with someone. Childe wouldn’t be happy if his father suddenly came home with another woman. However, he wouldn’t hate the other woman. He would hate his father for neglecting them for years but having no issue finding another partner.

“I’ll try my best,” Childe promised. “Now, are you interested in some advice on what you could’ve done better?”

He was surprised by the way Xiao’s face lit up. Childe had figured that they would go their separate ways after this battle. The question was more meant as a joke. He always asked his own siblings after a battle. None of them was particularly good at battling, preferring to watch.

Childe ended up paying for dinner, which most of it had gotten cold by the time they started. With nothing else to write on, Childe had drawn out most of the strategies on napkins, explaining team synergies, different strategies and the importance of knowing as much as possible. Xiao seemed to be genuinely interested, showing that likely, Zhongli had taught him in the past. The difference between their teaching was quite noticeable. Childe fought efficiently, but not pretty. Beauty was something save for the contests.

When Zhongli finally picked them up, he looked very amused at the mess they had made. “Might as I ask why neither of you bothered to get cleaned?” Zhongli asked, standing at their table with his arms crossed.

Childe hadn’t realised that they had forgotten to shower. He had started to talk about strategy, and Xiao had dragged him to Wanmin Restaurant. The people there had eyed them curiously, but they were given a table nonetheless, and nobody had said a thing.

“I’ll leave a large tip,” Childe said, feeling ashamed. He wasn’t the kind to get all fancy and dressed up, but dragging in mud was a little too much. They must smell awful.

Xiao gathered the napkins with notes while Childe counted out the money. Zhongli just remained standing there, looking very pleased with himself. Childe wouldn’t be surprised if this was exactly what Zhongli had hoped for, connecting Xiao and Childe through their love for Pokémon battles. Zhongli—well, actually Xiao—ended up paying half of the meal, which was more Childe could’ve hoped for. He should consider finding a job; he would be foolish to rely on just Fatui money.

“I call dibs on the shower,” Xiao said, glaring at Childe as he followed Zhongli out of the restaurant. Childe followed the father-son duo, slowly realising that this might be his future.

***

“You’re sure?” Childe asked again.

“Yes, I’m sure.” Zhongli sat up a little straighter. “It has been a long time coming.”

Childe sighed. “I do really like your hair. But in the end, it’s your choice.”

Childe brushed Zhongli’s hair, ensuring that all the knots and tangles were out of it. Aside from keeping the front part of his hair short, Zhongli hadn’t cut his hair in years. Childe made a low ponytail and started to braid it. It would be a shame not to donate the hair, seeing as it was long and healthy. Zhongli had agreed, especially since he wanted to go short anyway.

“Last moment to tap out,” Childe warned.

“I’m good.”

The brand-new hair-cutting scissors came in very handy. Zhongli had pretty thick hair, so getting through it was harder than expected. He put the braid to the side and ran his hand through Zhongli’s shorter hair, making sure that it all fell in place. His hair now reached the lower part of his neck and looked awfully uneven. Childe groaned at the idea of how much cleaning up he had to do.

“Do you have a preferred length?” Childe asked, combing through the hair, figuring out the layers and length. Zhongli really had a lot of hair. Tonia would love to play with it, even if it was this short.

Zhongli ran his own hand through the hair, tugging on the strands. “Preferably, out of my neck. When it’s longer, it isn’t much of an issue. But it’s itchy at this length.”

Childe started to even out the ends, ensuring that everything matched up with the shortest part in the back. He used a water bottle with a nozzle to wet Zhongli’s hair. This way, it would be even all-around. He had seen past pictures of Zhongli, where his shorter hair liked to curl up a little.

“Have you done this before?” Zhongli asked.

“I’ve cut my siblings’ hair,” Childe explained, using a comb to measure out where to cut. “When we were strapped for cash. My mum taught me.”

Short, almost black hair rained down on Zhongli’s floor. He had put newspapers underneath Zhongli’s chair, making the clean-up process much more manageable. It was a pain to get hair from the nooks and crannies of a wooden floor—even though it was easier than working with carpet. Carpet was a pain to get clean.

Zhongli hummed in understanding. Neither was as talkative as they usually were. Zhongli tended to move too much during speaking, which would ruin his haircut. Childe was focused on not messing up, seeing as he had to be looking at Zhongli’s head for the unforeseen future. It would suck if he had to look at the poor haircut every time.

“Might I ask why you haven’t cut your hair earlier? I can imagine it’s a pain to take care of.”

Zhongli sighed. “It’s… a stupid thing, really.”

“It probably isn’t. But you don’t have to tell me. It isn’t like I will stop cutting your hair if you have some piss-poor excuse.”

Childe was about to finish when Zhongli finally explained. “My mum always cut my hair, but she wasn’t too good at it. Then Guizhong did it. And when she died… I don’t like the idea of a stranger cutting it, especially so close to my neck.”

He stopped cutting, taking a steady breath. It wasn’t what Childe had expected. He had expected a reason like ‘too busy’ or ‘too lazy’.

“But you trust me?” Childe said, his voice a little unsteady. “A not quite official criminal?”

Zhongli gentle brushed his hand away, turning around in the chair. Childe put down the scissors.

“I don’t have the time to be fully involved in the case; my work doesn’t allow it. But I’ve seen that often, people don’t join criminal organisations to become criminals. The goal of the Fatui is appealing: creating a better world for Pokémon. And it pays well.”

Childe had his reasoning at the ready, having mulled over it before. “I’m aware. It’s the reason that for a long time, I turned a blind eye. We’re doing good by the Pokémon, right? But as a Harbinger, one of the Tsaritsa’s closest followers, I perfectly knew what they were doing. Remember, I wasn’t just a simple grunt. I’m Tartaglia, the eleventh Harbinger.”

Childe closed his eyes, only opening them when he felt Zhongli gently take his hands. “I apologise, but I did dig a little bit in your past. It was part of the research they were doing to give you ample motive why you were part of the Fatui.”

He gentle squeezed Zhongli’s hands. “Well, that is something I don’t have to tell you anymore.”

Zhong smiled softly at him. His wet hair awkwardly flopped into his face, making him look like an edgy teenager.

“When a country fails its people, others will make use of it. Unova struggled for years to have a stable ruling, wherein the rich became richer and the poor poorer. The Tsaritsa brought stability and saw all the broken homes, the people that struggle to get by, and took them under her wing. Her ideals weren’t wrong, just her methods. But she gave thousands of people a new lease on life, your family included.”

Why wasn’t Childe surprised that Zhongli had researched the history of Unova. At first, he hadn’t even realised that the Fatui were the bad guys. And when he had started to notice, he wondered how they got away with everything. Only when he had gotten old enough to understand the world, he realised that the Fatui got away with everything because they held power. When people are poor, they were happy to turn a blind eye. Childe was no exception. His mum’s passing left them with nothing. His father quit his job, leaving them to live on Childe’s paycheck. If he stopped, their lives would fall apart.

“It doesn’t excuse what I did, though,” Childe said, letting go of Zhongli’s hand.

“It doesn’t,” Zhongli agreed. “However, it explains why you did it, and I think it makes you a formidable man.”

Childe sighed. They had this conversation before, and they would have it until the trials were over. He was still waiting to hear him being charged ‘guilty’. That he would end up in jail, shattering the future he now had. Would life be so fair to give Childe happiness?

“Let me finish your hair; we likely will have this conversation next week.”

Zhongli laughed and followed Childe’s request. Childe finished trimming Zhongli’s hair, fixing up the bangs to be in proportion to the rest of the hair.

“I think I’m done,” Childe run his fingers through Zhongli’s hair, trying to shake out the loose strands. “Though, I have to check after you’ve taken a shower.”

Zhongli took a shower to get all the loose hair out, and Childe cleaned up the living room. He wrapped up the newspapers and tossed them in the trashcan. There was some sweeping work left, but very doable.

Not much later, Zhongli left the bathroom in a pair of sweats and a sweater—one that hung a little loose on him. Childe recognised it as his own. He had blow-dried his hair, making it look fluffy and very touchable.

“I think it’s even,” Zhongli said, tugging on a strand. “Though I used way too much shampoo.”

Childe walked up to him, running his fingers through Zhongli’s hair. “It’s as soft as it looks.”

He felt Zhongli take hold of his waist, pulling him a little closer. Childe could feel Zhongli’s smile through the kiss.

“What’s that for?” Childe asked, laughing as Zhongli’s chair tickled his cheek.

“Because I very much adore you,” Zhongli said.

Childe sighed, shaking his head. “That makes no sense. I just cut your hair, that’s all.”

“But you did so without question; you never required an explanation,” Zhongli said.

“Why should I. It’s your hair, not mine.” Childe let his fingers glide through the short locks. “Now we kinda match.”

Zhongli pressed a kiss on Childe’s brow, bringing Childe back to the day when he had made up his mind. He couldn’t believe how everything had turned out. That he got this lucky with winning the affection of this beautiful man.

“Aren’t you sure that I’m not the lucky one?” Zhongli asked.

“Have you become a mind reader?” Childe asked, gently bumping their noses together.

Zhongli chuckled. “No, but I can read you surprisingly well. You’re pretty much an open book to me.”

“Guess I’m lucky you like reading.” Childe ducked away, escaping from Zhongli’s grip. “Now, what about dinner? I’m famished.”

Before Zhongli could agree, Pastila decided to butt in and whine from atop a kitchen cabinet. She might not ‘understand’ many human words, but when it came to food, she knew exactly what to listen to.

Zhongli’s answer turned into laughter, something that melted his heart.

“Fine, you little pest,” Childe told Pastila. “I’ll get you your dinner.”

Pastila, peeking over the rim, puffed up her cheeks. It might have been a bad idea to let the Pokémon take reign of this apartment. But there was also something comforting about this, the idea that Childe finally had a place to call home. He and Pastila might be able to stay here forever.