Chapter Text
"Settled? All right. Let's not keep Victoria waiting," Ame said, her tone brisk as she led them down the steps.
"Oh, you four are back! Which Pokémon did you pick, Azumaru? Oppa?" Victoria greeted them, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Azumaru jumped off Cookie and dashed toward Victoria with excitement, holding Hero up like Simba from The Lion King. "Looook at my baby! Ain’t she pretty? Her name is Herooo! She’s a Chikorita, and she’s amazing—look at her, my babyyy!" he gushed, his voice filled with pride and adoration.
Oppa, on the other hand, gave a quiet nod, their usual calm demeanor in full force. They gestured toward the Rowlet perched on their head, using Xyr hat as a nest. "Rowlet. I named him Prince. He’s beautiful," Oppa said softly, their words carrying a quiet reverence.
"Rrrow," Prince chirped, his voice almost as soft as Oppa’s.
"Oh! A shiny Rowlet—how cute!" Victoria exclaimed, her face lighting up with genuine approval. "I already know which Pokémon I’m going to choose, so—" She glanced up at Ame, who nodded in response.
"Well then, shall we?" Ame asked.
Victoria returned the nod. "Okay! Wait here for me, Azumaru, Oppa!" She and Ame walked back up the stairs, leaving the two alone.
Just then, a voice called out, "Heyyy, you're cute."
Azumaru and Oppa turned toward the voice, both looking confused.
"Huh? What did you say, mister? Did you call us?" Azumaru asked, his tone filled with suspicion, though there was a playful edge to it.
The boy scratched his cheek and glanced around nervously. "What? Haha, no—I didn’t say anything!" His eyes shifted uneasily before he added, "Uh, hey, was Ame just here?"
Oppa shook their head, their gaze steady and calm. "She’s with someone else."
At his words, the boy smirked. "Ohhhh, so she’s with someone else. Kay~" He grinned. "My name’s Cain. How about you tw—"
"Azumarruu!!! That’s my name! And Oppa is my friend! Nice to meet yah, Canan!" Azumaru declared proudly, cutting Cain off.
Cain blinked, a faint chuckle escaping him. "A-Azumaru? That’s a cute name. And Oppa… pretty name~" He glanced at the Pokémon beside them, his expression shifting to one of disbelief. "By the looks of it, you two just got your Pokémon." His gaze landed on Rowlet and Chikorita, and then froze. "……Holy Arceus, that is a big Grimmsnarl."
Azumaru burst out laughing. "Yeah-hahaha! Cookie is super duper big and strong! Just like Goomy!"
Oppa simply nodded, their expression unreadable.
Cain blinked, still staring at the massive Grimmsnarl. "A-ah… Are you two going to challenge the league?" he asked, his voice tinged with awe.
"YEAH, we are! Is that why you’re here, Canan?" Azumaru asked eagerly, bouncing on his heels.
Cain shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I was just coming here to resi—err… to start over." He fumbled with his words but quickly regained composure. "I figured I’d, uh, try taking on this league instead. Sooo, Oppa… how about a battle? If it’s your first time, I’ll be gentle~"
Azumaru gasped dramatically, throwing his hands up in mock horror. "Canan!! Bad! No flirting with Oppa! Xe is innocent!" He lightly smacked Cain’s hand away.
Oppa tilted their head in confusion. "…?"
Cain chuckled, clearly amused. "Oh my, you really are innocent, huh? Oppa, let’s have a battle." He pulled out a Poké Ball, his expression more playful now.
"I will be the Refff! Let’s gooo!" Azumaru cheered, his excitement palpable.
"On one side of the room, we have Oppa!" Azumaru announced with dramatic flair. "And on the other side, we have Cain! This is a one-on-one Pokémon battle—let’s begin!" He gestured grandly as if they were in a stadium.
As soon as Azumaru finished speaking, Oppa gently woke up Prince, while Cain sent out a Nidoran.
"Prince, use Tackle," Oppa said softly, their calmness a sharp contrast to Azumaru's enthusiasm.
Prince fluttered up and dashed toward Nidoran, landing a solid Tackle that knocked the smaller Pokémon back.
"Nidoran, Cut!" Cain called out, his voice sharp and focused.
Nidoran darted forward, using its horn to land a sharp Cut on Prince.
"Cut one more time, Nidoran!" Cain commanded.
"Tackle again," Oppa instructed calmly.
Rowlet chirped and dashed again, but Nidoran struck first with another Cut, making Prince stumble slightly. However, Prince managed to land a solid Tackle in return.
"One more time! Cut!" Cain urged.
Nidoran charged at Rowlet but missed this time.
"Now, Tackle!" Oppa ordered.
Prince swooped in again and slammed into Nidoran harder than before, sending it tumbling across the battlefield. The Pokémon twitched once before finally fainting.
"Nidoran down!! Prince wonnn! Yippee!" Azumaru cheered, jumping around excitedly.
Cain smiled, picking up Nidoran and returning him to his Poké Ball. "Cute and talented~ Very nice! C’mon, let’s get our Pokémon healed up."
"I said no flirting with Oppa!!" Azumaru pouted, crossing his arms.
"Heh, sorry~," Cain teased, undeterred. "There’s a PokéCenter built in right over here."
They followed him to the other side of the Grand Hall, where Nurse Joy was waiting.
"Welcome! Allow me to heal your Pokémon," Nurse Joy said with a kind smile, taking their Poké Balls. After a short moment, she returned them with a bow. "Here you go! We hope to see you again!"
"There you are!" Victoria’s voice called out, and she ran toward them, Ame following behind.
"Sorry~ I kinda stole Oppa and Azumaru," Cain admitted, his grin wide and unapologetic.
"Oh, Cain… right, I forgot you were coming by," Ame said, her tone exhausted but fond.
"It’s okayyyy! While you were gone, I met Oppa and Azumaru. Me and Oppa had some fun~" Cain teased with a mischievous wink.
Victoria’s face flushed bright red. Azumaru immediately stomped lightly on Cain’s foot.
"H-had some fun?! S-so that’s the kind of person Oppa is…?" Victoria stammered, her face as red as a Haban berry.
Ame sighed, clearly unimpressed. "Cain…"
Cain chuckled, unfazed. "Nah, we just had a battle."
"Oh! That does sound fun!" Victoria clapped her hands together, eager to move past the awkward moment. "I wanna try out my new Pokémon, too! Oppa—"
Oppa shook their head, pointing at Azumaru. "Azumaru wants to battle. He’s 15, don’t overlook him because of his height."
Cain froze, clearly taken aback by Oppa’s words. Victoria looked shocked, blinking rapidly.
"He looks five…" she muttered, wide-eyed. "Ah… okay then. Azumaru, you up for a battle?"
"Heck yeahhh!!" Azumaru shouted, nodding so fast he looked like a vibrating machine.
Cain smirked, leaning against a nearby wall. "While you guys do that, I’ll get Cain registered as a challenger. Come with me, Cain." Ame ordered
"Ooh, yes, master~" Cain teased as he followed her, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"…Master?" Ame repeated, arching an eyebrow.
"Nothing~" Cain answered innocently as they left.
Victoria sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Uh… huh. Come on, then. Let’s battle!"
"My sensei said that learning to work and train together with Pokémon would be an invaluable step on my journey of personal growth. Azumaru, let's take these first steps together!" Victoria declared proudly, her tone full of determination and hope.
"Then I'll ref. On one side, we have Azumaru, and on the other, Victoria. This will be a one-on-one Pokémon battle. Begin," Oppa said softly, his voice a calm contrast to Victoria’s enthusiasm.
"Alright, Hero, use Tackle!" Azumaru commanded, his voice full of excitement as Hero dashed forward, ramming into Litten.
"Litten, use Ember!" Victoria countered, her voice steady as Litten launched a small burst of fire.
Litten’s Ember struck Hero in the face, causing the Chikorita to let out a pained chirp and stumble back.
"Ah! Hero, are you okay?" Azumaru asked, genuine worry in his voice.
Hero shook off the pain and chirped back before charging at Litten again with another Tackle.
"Litten, Ember one more time!" Victoria ordered, her voice sharp.
Litten launched another Ember, but despite the pain, Hero pressed forward.
"Hero, finish it! One more Tackle!" Azumaru shouted, his tone fiery with determination.
Hero, eyes burning with resolve, dashed toward Litten and struck it head-on. The impact sent Litten tumbling backward, and with a final twitch, it fainted.
"Litten is unable to battle. Hero wins," Oppa announced, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Oh, it’s over already?" Victoria blinked in surprise before smiling warmly. "You two are no ordinary trainers, are you..."
At her words, Azumaru and Oppa exchanged a brief, awkward glance before looking away, both a bit embarrassed.
"Heeey! Ame is waiting for you guys when you're done!" Cain called out, appearing nearby. "I'm all set, so I'm gonna hit the road. See ya~!" He waved before walking away.
"Oh? Was there more to do?" Victoria wondered, a bit confused.
The three of them made their way back to Ame.
"Sorry if we kept you waiting!" Victoria said, her voice filled with apology.
"No worries. I already took care of the documentation while you two were finishing," Ame reassured them. "So, all that's left is to give you these. First, a Pokédex—you know the drill. Second, a Pokégear. This device lets you check the map, listen to music, and access other functions. And finally, as a promotional bonus from Silph Co. take these running shoes." Ame sighed, clearly unimpressed with the corporate branding. "As much as I hate advertising, they are... convenient. And don't worry—you can run inside."
With that, she let out a small laugh. "You're all set!"
"I've got more damage control to run, so I'm afraid I have to leave you be now," she added, looking at them with a faintly sad smile.
"We'll be fine! Thanks for the help!" Victoria said gratefully.
"Good luck out there," Ame said before turning to leave.
Azumaru grinned, his energy back up. "Here we goooo!"