Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“What do we do?! What do we do?!” Venam continues to spout in a panic while pacing back and forth in the kitchen.

“Bitch, calm down!” Amber snaps, although in a bit of a panic herself. “I'm looking up ways to help right now. You could be doing the same yourself!”

“Oh Arceus, we are so FUCKED! Let's pray that Aelita doesn't find out about this.”

“What shouldn't I find out about?” A voice calls out from the entrance of the kitchen.

Both of the punk girls instantly froze. Their heads slowly turned towards the direction of the voice, dreading who they're about to see. Standing just a few feet away, Aelita stood with a confused yet curious look on her face. Besides just her though, right behind Aelita also stood Erin, and the white haired girl wore her own curious look, but also an expression of annoyance, already sensing that somethings arise.

“What did you two do?” The oldest of the group asked with a glare.

“N-Nothing…” Venam squeaks, any confidence in her voice is nonexistent.

“Nothing?”

“Nothing at all.” Amber concluded.

“And why shouldn't I find out about it then?” The Sheridan girl chimed in.

“Uh… that was just a slip of the tongue.”

“Un huh… well if that's the case, I'm just going to go look for Jericho then.” 

“NO!” Both Venam and Amber cry out as Aelita begins to turn away.

Aelita stops in her tracks and turns back towards the two other girls, her eyebrow raised with suspicion. Erin, who was still lingering by, folded her arms and continued to cast her gaze of annoyance at the two of them.

“W-We mean, uh…” Venam takes the lead, “y-you just missed him. He just headed out on another one of his side-quests.”

“But me and him had plans for today.” Aelita confessed. “We were planning on having lunch at Mika's Café, and then head off to go see the new Pummel Bros movie.”

“Y-Yeah, he said this was extra important, and to give you his regards-”

“Venam, stop that!” Amber scolds.

“W-Wha-?”

“I'm not going to stand here and let you slander my brother, making him out as someone who would flake on his girlfriend!”

“Ugh… alright, fine. But you tell them the truth then!”

Turning to face her cousin and Melia's older sister, Amber could feel a lump in her throat forming. She tries to collect herself as she walks up to Aelita, but even as a performer, with all eyes on her, Amber couldn't muster even an ounce of confidence.

“Alright, look…” she sighs, “me and Venam were making some… special brownies.”

“Oh for the love of...” Erin groans, already knowing where this was going.

“What are ‘special brownies?’” Aelita asks, clueless.

“She means pot brownies. They're made with marijuana.” Erin rolls her eyes.

“But that's a drug! Jericho wouldn't touch stuff like that!”

“I'm getting to that.” Amber tries to calm the now anxious Aelita. “Okay, so, after they were done, we left them alone briefly to cool, while Venam and I went up to her room to pick out some music to listen to while we ate. We thought we were the only ones in the apartment at the time, but it would seem that Jericho was around. He must have come into the kitchen and saw the plate of the brownies and helped himself to one, not knowing what was in them. Well, by the time we came back down for them, we ended up finding Jericho and an empty plate.”

“He ate the whole plate?! Why would he do that?”

“We assumed his high came on a little quickly for him, and when you're high, you tend to get a case of the munchies. He probably ended up having another one because of that, got more buzzed and got the munchies again. This probably repeated until he finished all 10 of the brownies we made.”

“I can’t believe this is a situation we have to deal with now.” Erin says, her face in her palm. “Just how much pot did you two even put in those things?”

“That's the bad part…” Venam reluctantly joins in. “The bag of edibles we baked into the brownies said 100mg, and there were ten of them in the bag, so we thought it meant 10mg each.”

“I don’t like where this is going.”

“Well… after we found him stoned off his ass, it was only then that we saw on the bag that it was 100mg per serving.”

Hearing that, Erin became dead silent, only lifting her head up and gave a deathly stare of sheer horror and anger.

“I-Is that a lot, Erin…?” Aelita inquired, scared of the aura the tactician was emitting.

She, however, didn’t respond to the question, the girl merely kept her icy stare on the two girls in front of them.

“Where, the FUCK, is Jericho.”

“He should be out in the living room, experiencing what it’s like becoming one with the couch.” Venam replied, hiding her fear behind a joke.

Erin and Aelita exchange glances at one another, before bringing their attention back to both Amber and Venam. The look on their faces only showed that to worry and panic.

“We passed by the living room before coming in here and confronting you two. There was no one out there.” Aelita stated.

This time, it was Amber and Venam’s turn to exchange glances, before hastily rushing out of the kitchen and into the living room. When they got there, they saw that the spot they had seated Jericho, was completely empty.

“Oh shit…” Venam, bringing her hands up to her head.

“Where the fuck did he go!” Amber panics in turn.

“Did you two seriously lose my boyfriend?!” Aelita joins in on the panic. 

“Everyone just shut up and calm down for a second!” Erin yells out over everyone’s hysteria. “Look, me and Aelita didn’t see him as we made our way up here to the penthouse, so that means he hadn’t left the apartment and should be around here somewhere. What we’re gonna do, Venam and I will check upstairs in all the bedrooms, Amber and Aelita, you two will search the rest of this floor. Understood?”

“Yes!” The three other girls all said together.

Breaking away into two groups, the four girls all began searching restlessly for Jericho. With the penthouse being so large, it would take the girls a bit of time to properly comb through the entire place, even with two teams doing so. It would take the girls a few moments, but eventually they would manage to cover the entire place and find nothing. The group decided to converge back in the living room, with both teams unsuccessful. Erin groaned, trying to think of what to do next, but couldn’t think of anything else besides the most obvious. Sighing heavily, Aelita slumps down on a chair and brings her hand up to her head. As for Amber and Venam, the two of them are pacing back and forth, mulling over how much trouble the both of them are in, rather than their missing friend.

“L-Look…,” Venam breaks the silence, voice shaky, “Jericho is known for disappearing every now and again, s-so maybe he’ll show up on his own in due time…”

“The only problem with that, is that he is currently DRUGGED, because of YOU!” Aelita snaps, getting to her feet.

“It wasn’t on purpose, he was the one who swiped our brownies! Why would he even eat something that wasn’t his?”

“Like you’re one to talk about eating other people’s food! Besides, he has a sweet tooth and probably thought that the brownies were made by Ren, who always bakes stuff for everyone!”

“Okay, both of you stop with the shouting! Venam, sit down and shut up. Aelita, sit down, calm yourself, and don’t you dare revert back to how you were when you were under that damn curse! I am not dealing with that bullshit again.”

“U-Um… G’day, hope I’m not interruptin’ somethin’?”

With all their attention snapped toward the doorway out to the balcony, the four girls are all greeted by none other than the tall freckled adventurer and cartographer, as well as Aevium’s Flying-type Gym leader, Talon. He stands in the doorway awkwardly, not sure as to what he just walked in on.

“You’re Talon, the Gym leader, right? How’d you get here?” Erin asks, confused by the new presence. 

“Oh, I flew in on my Braviary here. Sorry, it’s a bit of a habit for when I come to visit Huey ‘n Lavender.”

“Okay, and what are you doing here? Huey and Lavender are both at Axis High right now.”

“I know, but they’re not why I’m here. Ya see, me ‘n Braviary were casually flyin’ about the city when we happened to spot this bloke.” With him and his Braviary stepping aside, the two of them reveal a familiar Aevian Volcarona, and on its back, Jericho, whose eyes are half opened and bloodshot.

“Jericho!” Aelita yelled, rushing over and pulled him off of Volcarona, who happily allowed Aelita to do so.

“I spotted them flyin’ around aimlessly, doin’ loopty loops ‘n what not. Flew over to greet them ‘n was able to tell instantly that he wasn’t in the right mindset, especially when instead of answerin’ me, he just mimicked what I said and started laughing. So, I then coaxed this beauty of a Volcarona into followin’ me back here in hopes that some of his mates might be present, and here you all are.”

“Thank you so much, Talon! I was really getting worried about him.”

“Ah, it was nothin’, I’m sure he’s found himself in worst situations, so he might’ve been fine without me. Although… Jericho, mate, get yourself some rest yeah. Don’t make your girl worry more than she has to.”

“Oi, mAtE, geEt yeSelf som reAst yE, hahahaha!” Was the only response Jericho gave.

“Jericho! I apologize, Talon. I’ll make sure he gets some proper rest.” Aelita insures, before picking Jericho up in a bridal carry and taking him back to their shared room.

“...I- I don’t actually sound like that, do I?” Talon looks over to Erin.

“N-No…” Erin responds, trying to stifle a laugh, “he’s just a high right now, so he probably finds everything a little funny.”

“About that, why is he even high right now? Jericho definitely doesn’t strike me as the type to use those types of substances.”

“Why indeed…?” Erin’s expression turned cold, casting her gaze back at the two girls that have remained silent this whole interaction, “Why indeed.”

“A-Again, we’re sorry about-” Venam starts, but is then cut off.

“Save your breath, I’m not involving myself any further. I would, however, recommend you both start thinking of some proper apologies for a certain someone’s girlfriend, and believe me, she probably cares more for Jericho than anything else. Now then, Talon, would you care for anything to drink?”

“A cuppa does sound lovely right now.”

As Erin and Talon both head off towards the kitchen, they leave behind Amber and Venam, both of which are dreading what’s to come. 

“Oh we are so fucked…”

Chapter Text

“Alright, so I have a few questions,” Venam states to the group consisting of Jericho, Aelita, Melia, and Amber. “Firstly, Grand Dream City is under a giant dome, right?”

“Last I checked, yeah.” Amber humored the question.

“And this dome, it artificially controls the weather for the city and can be whatever anyone wants?” Venam continues with her questions.

“I believe that’s true.” This time, it’s Melia who responds.

“Alright, alright…so then,” Venam readies her final question, “can anyone explain to me, WHY THE HELL ARE WE EXPERIENCING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM RIGHT NOW!?”

As if on cue, a flash of lightning illuminates the blacked out livingroom of the penthouse, followed by a loud crack of thunder. Outside, a torrential downpour is taking place—flooding most of the streets in the district. Inside, the group of five are huddled together on the couch. 

Clinging to the arm of Jericho, Aelita flinched at the boom. The Interceptor sets a hand on one of hers, offering reassurance that she is safe. She smiles and decides to distract herself from the weather outside. “M-Maybe they're just experiencing some technical issues with the system?”

“Why would it even be capable of something like this in the first place!” Venam continues to be sour, “It seems irresponsible to design something that can take out the power to the city.”

Amber scoffs at Venam’s choice of words, “It seems like a system you would design then.”

“Hey! I can be quite responsible, you know!” The brunette retorts, her matching brown eyes glare at the red head, “As a matter of fact, I took it upon myself to water all the plants back at HQ, because I noticed no one else was bothering to.”

Melia and Aelita look at each other in confusion, before turning their attention back to Venam. The both of them were unsure if she was being serious. Jericho on the other hand, sat there with a smirk growing on his face.

“Um, Venam…” Melia starts, looking at her girlfriend with her glossy grey eyes showing concern, “you do know that all the plants back at the base are plastic, right?”

“...What?”

Not being able to hold it back, Jericho began snickering, bringing his hand to his mouth to try and stifle his growing laughter. Although it was dark, it was clear that Venam's face was red from humiliation. Amber lets out a laugh of her own, but poison-type specialist pays it no mind as she instead shifts her focus onto the single male in the room. 

“Two weeks…” her voice low and stern, “For two weeks, I've been watering those plants, AND YOU JUST WATCHED ME AND SAID NOTHING?!”

This reaction was enough to send Jericho over the edge, causing him to let out a loud and bold hearty laugh. For someone as normally quiet as Jericho, hearing his rare bellowing laughter is usually uplifting, but for Venam right now, it only added to her embarrassment.

“HAHAHAHA! I-I'm sorry, it's just-hehehe, I just wanted to see how long it took you to notice.” All composer was lost on the Interceptor, as he turned into a giggling mess. He leaned heavily against Aelita, who held him in her arms as he tried to collect himself. The Sheridan native didn't have any qualms about this though, instead, she was happy to see him like this, even if it was at the expense of Venam. 

Melia, rubbing Venam’s arm—comforting her, looks at the scene with a smile, even letting out a small chuckle of her own. She then brings her attention back towards her girlfriend, “Wouldn’t you have noticed when the pots started to overflow with water?”

“But they didn't!” Venam now pouts, “I thought they were actually drinking up the water.”

“Jericho…?”

“I- I dumped the water out every time she was done.” He admits in-between soft spurts of laughter.

“Ha! He was committed to screwing with you!” Amber spats.

“Damn you, Jericho,” Venam says with a huff, crossing her arms and sinking into the couch, “first it was an oran berry filled with wasabi, and now this. I'm 0 and 2 now, so you best watch your back.” 

After his laughter finally subsides, Jericho takes in a deep breath and sighs, finally leaning off of Aelita. The latter missing his presence on her immediately, and he is quick to notice, putting his arm around her to reassure her of his closeness. Aelita feels her face grow warm at the action, and it's as if Jericho can read her thoughts, as he leans in and gives her a peck on the cheek.

“Guess we didn't need power to have ourselves a good time after all?” Melia tries to keep conversations going.

“I suppose,” Amber scoffs, “but I brought my guitar and amp so that we could have ourselves a jam session.”

“Oh man, we could have totally taught Aelita how to play drums!” Venam pitches, excited by the aspect of a jam session. “She'd be perfect on those, and Melia could have been our vocalist! Mr. Jack-of-all-Trades here could fill in any other positions.”

“Ain't that the truth. I tried teaching him guitar a while back, and he picked it up almost immediately. It was both impressive and annoying.”

Jericho just scratches the back of his head and lets out a small chuckle. “You're just a good teacher.”

Like every time she receives a compliment from Jericho, Amber couldn’t help but get slightly giddy from her older brother figures comment. A subtle blush matching her hair appears on her cheeks.

“Ooh, I think Jericho and Melia would harmonize perfectly together on vocals!” Aelita perks up, also excited by the idea of this theoretical band.

Jericho is surprised by Aelita’s suggestion, almost embarrassed by the pitch. “I don't sing though, Aelita.”

“Huh, but what about those little lullabies you're always singing to Luma and the rest of your Pokémon?”

“...You hear those?”

Suddenly, all eyes were on the green clad male, each filled with surprise at this revelation. Jericho freezes for a moment, realizing there’s no escape. “They’re just… soft little tunes. Nothing serious.”

Aelita clasps her hands together with stars in her eyes. “They’re beautiful, Jericho! You should sing them for real sometime!”

Venam leans back on her hands, grinning wide. “I knew that wasn’t my imagination. One night I swear I heard something so sweet I thought I was dreaming.”

“Well, looks like we’ve got ourselves a band after all,” Amber declares. “Jericho’s on vocals and rhythm guitar, Melia’s our lead singer, Venam’s on bass, and I guess I’ll take lead guitar.”

Aelita beams. “And I’ll learn drums!”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Jericho laughs. “When did we officially agree to this?”

Venam shrugs. “The moment you didn’t deny singing lullabies was false.”

Melia shoots him a sly smile. “Too late, rockstar. You’re in it now.”

“Alright, one jam session. But only because you all peer-pressured me into it.” Jericho gives in.

“Hell yeah!” Venam cheers, throwing a fist into the air, only for another loud boom of thunder to send her recoiling. 

“Guess we'll need to wait for this storm to end first.” Melia hugs a startled Venam. “This has been kinda fun though, like… a moment out of time.”

Amber nodded, resting her guitar in her lap. “All thanks to the blackout. Honestly, I’m not even mad we lost power.”

Just then, the front door creaked open, letting in a pair of damp figures. Ren and Erin stepped into the room, both blinking at the sight before them—half a dozen people sitting in the dark.

“…What in the world did we just walk into?” Ren asked, tugging off his jacket.

“A cult,” Erin deadpanned. “Definitely a cult.”

Ren squinted at the group. “And why are you guys sitting in the dark anyway?”

Amber blinked. “Uh… the power’s out?”

Aelita nodded quickly. “We assumed it was the storm.”

Without saying a word, Ren walked over to the wall and flipped the nearest switch.

Click

The lights flicked on instantly, revealing the room in full color, along with lightening up several surprised, sheepish faces.

There was a pause.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me,” Melia muttered.

Venam groaned and buried her face in a pillow. “Don’t talk to me.”

Amber flopped backwards onto the couch, her blush now visible under the warm glow. “Unbelievable.”

Erin raised an eyebrow. “You guys are something else.”

Jericho chuckled, the sound low and amused. “Guess we were having too much fun in the moment.”

“Or maybe we’re all just really dumb,” Amber muttered from the floor.

“Why not both?” Melia said, laughing as she leaned back with a smile.

And as the thunder rolled on outside, the lights now bright above them, the group settled into the warmth of their strange little moment—now with full visibility of just how ridiculous, and wonderful, it all really was.

Chapter Text

Aelita awoke with a quiet yawn, sitting up and stretching her arms high above her head. As she arched her back, a faint tug at her hair made her pause. It wasn’t painful—just a gentle pull, as if a few strands had snagged on something. And Aelita already knew exactly what that “something” was.

With a soft sigh, the Sheridan native turned to the figure still sleeping beside her.

Jericho, her boyfriend, lay on his side with one arm draped loosely around her waist. Even in sleep, the Interceptor had found a new quirk: his lips were gently clamped around a lock of her hair, nibbling absentmindedly as he dreamed.

“I knew I shouldn’t have gone back to that cheri-berry shampoo,” Aelita muttered under her breath.

Carefully, she took hold of her hair and gave a slow tug, trying to free it from his mouth while using her other hand to poke at his cheek.

“Hey… Jericho. Wake up.”

A groggy groan escaped him as he blinked his eyes open, releasing her hair with a lazy yawn.

“Mm… morning, Lita…”

“Good morning,” Aelita said with a soft smile and a hint of exasperation. “Come on—it’s time to get up. We’ve got training today.”

“Ugh… can’t we pull a Venam and ditch for once?”

“No, we cannot. And you know what happens to Venam when she tries. Damien would have our butts.”

Jericho cracked a sleepy grin. “No! Only I can have your butt.”

Aelita froze, cheeks flushing pink. She couldn’t tell if he was still half-asleep or just being his usual teasing self.

“J-Jericho…!” she sputtered. “G-Go take a shower and wake up. I’ll be waiting in the kitchen with breakfast, okay?”

“Okay,” he yawned, rolling out of bed and shuffling toward the bathroom. “Love you.”

Aelita giggled despite herself. “Love you too.”

Once he disappeared behind the door, Aelita slipped out of bed, dressed quickly, and headed for the Administration’s kitchen.

The warm smell of breakfast greeted her the moment she stepped inside—rich eggs, sizzling spices, and toasted bread. Sure enough, Ren was at the stove, plates already lined up and waiting.

“Morning, Ren,” she greeted.

Ren glanced over his shoulder, dark hair falling into his eyes. “Hmm? Oh—morning, Aelita.”

“I thought I was an early riser,” she said with a small laugh, “but you’re always in here before anyone else, cooking for the whole crew.”

“Heh, guess it’s just habit,” Ren replied with a small shrug. “My mom was never a morning person—and honestly, I wasn’t a big fan of her cooking. So I started making breakfast for her, myself, and Reina. Just kind of… stuck with it.”

“Ugh… how are you people even awake at this hour?” came a tired groan from the doorway.

Venam shuffled in first, her brunette hair a sleepy mess, still dressed in a loose tank top and sweatpants. Her bare feet slapped softly against the kitchen floor.

Behind her trailed Melia, clinging to the back of Venam’s shirt with one hand while rubbing at her eyes with the other. Like her girlfriend, Melia hadn’t bothered to change—just an oversized T-shirt draped over whatever may or may not have been underneath.

“Well, good morning, sleeping beauties,” Ren said with a half-teasing grin.

“Morning, everyone,” Melia mumbled through a yawn before collapsing into a chair beside Venam.

“Is breakfast ready yet?” Venam asked, her voice heavy with another groan. She clearly wasn’t built for mornings.

“It will be in a minute. Patience,” Ren replied, turning his attention back to the stove.

“Please tell me there’s coffee,” came a bleary voice from behind them.

Erin shuffled in next, dressed in dolphin shorts and a plain white tee, her hair sticking up in stubborn tufts.

“There’s a fresh pot over there,” Ren said, nodding toward the counter. “And good morning to you, Erin.”

“Yeah, yeah… mornin’, mornin’,” she muttered, fighting back a yawn as she made a beeline for the coffee maker.

“My, is it really that hard for some of you to wake up?” Another voice cut in—smooth and amused.

Crescent entered with crisp, effortless poise, already dressed and ready for the day. Compared to the pajama parade before her, she might as well have been from another world.

“I’m too tired to snap back at that,” Venam admitted, resting her forehead in her palms. “Where’s Jerry, anyway? Aelita, where’s your boyfriend?”

“I made him take a shower to wake up,” Aelita said while filling a kettle for tea.

“Damn, couldn’t let the poor guy sleep in a bit?” Venam smirked.

“Not when he tries to eat my hair in his sleep.”

That earned a round of soft chuckles from the group.

“He does that?” Venam barked out a laugh. “What is he, a Snorlax?”

The kitchen filled with light giggles and the comforting scent of breakfast, a gentle warmth settling over the sleepy morning crowd.

Melia, still fighting off sleep, tilted her head and posed a question.

“You know… if Jericho were actually a Pokémon, what do you all think he’d be?”

A few thoughtful hums passed around the table as everyone paused to consider.

“For me,” Melia continued, “I’d say Dragonite. He’s incredibly kindhearted and will do anything to help someone. But when he gets mad—like really mad—you’d better pray you’re not on the receiving end of that fury.”

“Huh. I see that,” Ren said, leaning against the counter, “but I’d go with Arcanine. Same idea as you, Mel. Jericho’s loyal to a fault, fiercely protective, and there’s just this… fiery aura about him. Strong, dependable—a perfect companion for anyone.”

Crescent let out a small chuckle. “Good thing he’s not here right now. You two would be giving him the biggest ego boost.”

“Well, what about you, Cres?” Melia shot back with a playful grin. “Your turn.”

Crescent closed her eyes, thinking longer than anyone expected. After a quiet moment she dipped her head.

“Hmm… I’d say Gallade.”

That earned a few raised eyebrows.

“What makes you say that?” Erin asked, sipping her coffee.

“I suppose I agree with both of you in part,” Crescent replied smoothly. “Jericho is unfailingly courteous and unusually aware of other people’s needs. A knight, really—someone who serves for the good of others. And I’ve seen him practicing swordplay with his Samurott’s blades.”

“Yeah, alright,” Ren said with a nod. “I can see that.”

“Same here,” Melia added.

“Well,” Crescent said with a faint smile, “I’ve shared my peace. How about our dear tactician?”

She gestured toward Erin. “Someone as analytical as you must have an interesting take.”

Erin met her gaze and set her cup down. “Absol.”

The single word drew a few curious looks.

“From what I’ve heard about him,” she went on, crossing her legs, “he just… appeared in all of our lives one day. And with him came a storm of trouble.”

Aelita opened her mouth to protest, but Erin raised a finger, signaling she wasn’t finished.

“I don’t mean he causes the trouble. Absol are seen as bad omens because they warn of coming disaster, not because they create it. That’s Jericho to me—wherever he goes, something big follows. But when it does, he’s always the first to act and protect the people around him.”

The table fell into a thoughtful silence, the soft clink of coffee cups the only sound as everyone considered her words.

“You know,” Venam spoke up at last, “if you ask me—”

“Oh, this ought to be good,” Crescent cut in with a half-hearted mock.

“Piss off, would you!” Venam shot back, flipping her the finger. “I actually put thought into this!”

That earned a few snickers around the table.

“Anyway,” Venam continued, undeterred, “if you ask me, Jericho’s a Sylveon.”

The room went still at the unexpected answer. Venam didn’t seem to notice—or care—as she pressed on.

“Jericho’s a great friend. Supportive to a fault. He’ll indulge your antics, but he always keeps an eye on you, makes sure things don’t get out of hand. He hates conflict but he’ll put his foot down if he has to. And… he’s always there when you need to vent. Arceus knows how many times I’ve unloaded on him, and he just sat there—no judgment, no interruption—actually listening. Caring. I’m not sure I’d have gotten as far as I have without his constant reassurance.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…What?” Venam finally demanded, looking around. “Why are you all staring at me like that?”

“Well…” Melia said gently, “that was just… really profound.”

Venam crossed her arms, cheeks coloring. “Could you not stare, though? You’re making me feel embarrassed for saying it.”

She jerked her thumb toward Aelita. “Anyway, let’s hear from his girlfriend. I’m sure her answer’s more profound than mine.”

Every eye turned to Aelita, who quickly realized escape was impossible.

“Um… well,” she began, fumbling for words, “you’ve all already said so many true things about him. Honestly, I see Jericho in so many Pokémon. He’s stoic like a Lucario, protective as a Kangaskhan, caring as an Audino… maybe even as mysterious as a Mew.”

A soft smile crept across her face as she rested her chin in her hands, her thoughts spinning warmly.

“Hehe… you know, I don’t think there is just one Pokémon that could represent him. If Jericho were a Pokémon, he’d be his own thing—something no one’s ever encountered before.”

The room fell quiet again—then, almost at once, everyone broke into easy laughter.

“You know what,” Ren said with an approving nod, “that probably is the best answer.”

“Yeah,” Venam added, smirking, “and he’d definitely be a Legendary, too.”

“That’s our Jericho,” Melia murmured, leaning back in her chair. “Truly one of a kind.”

“Morning, everyone,” came a familiar voice from the doorway.

“Jericho!” Aelita nearly jumped out of her seat at his sudden arrival.

“About time you showed up, dude,” Venam teased with a grin.

Carrying a plate of food, Aelita hurried over to meet him. “What took you so long? Your breakfast is practically cold.”

“I, uh… may have fallen back asleep in the shower,” Jericho admitted with a sheepish rub of the neck.

Melia and Venam burst into laughter, Erin chuckled behind her coffee, and Crescent only rolled her eyes. Aelita sighed through her nose but couldn’t hide the loving smile tugging at her lips.

She guided Jericho to the table, settling beside him as he immediately dug into his plate. Aelita finished the last bites of her own meal, quietly content to simply sit with him.

“If you’d like, I can whip up something warmer real quick,” Ren offered, already reaching for a pan.

Jericho paused just long enough to take a long swig of orange juice. “No need, Ren. Cold or hot, your food’s always great.”

“Maybe you are a Snorlax after all,” Aelita teased, laughing as she wiped a crumb from his cheek.

The table filled with soft laughter once more. Jericho barely looked up, happily focused on his meal, surrounded by the friends he cared for most—and the morning felt perfectly complete.