| May POV |
A crackle from the trees signals Rio's return. He bursts back into view, panting, with no Pidgey in sight.
"I lost it!" he huffs. "BUT I SMELL IT. IT SHALL BE FOUND! FOR JUSTICE!"
I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Rio, no."
Null ambles up beside me, giving me a soft headbutt in solidarity. I pat his mask automatically, too tired to question anything anymore.
Roxanne crosses her arms, surveying the ruined wall with practiced calm. "So, are we billing your dad for this? Or Devon? Or the League?"
I let out a groan so deep it shakes my soul. "All three, might as well..."
Rotom zips around us, overlaying neon text on the scene: "RIOLU TEAM TRAINING: CASUALTIES SO FAR — 1 GYM WALL, 47 TREES, 1 POKÉMON'S DIGNITY"
"Don't worry about it, it can be fixed easily, perks of being a rock type trainer." She shrugs with a smug smile as I feel a weight lift off my shoulders, one problem down twenty more to go.
As the dust settles and Roxanne casually waves off the destruction like it's just another Tuesday, I realize something.
My PokéNav is still in my hand.
On the screen?
Dad.
Staring.
Mouth slightly open, expression frozen somewhere between horror, confusion, and maybe deep parental regret.
There's this long, awkward silence.
"…You do remember I'm still on the call, right?" he finally says, voice faint like he's clinging to the last threads of hope that this was just a bad dream.
I clear my throat, trying to look like a responsible adult instead of someone whose team just demolished half a Gym. "Hi, Dad. Uh… situation's under control?"
Roxanne leans into frame with that infuriatingly calm smile. "Mostly. Nothing that can't be repaired. Might want to add an addendum to Ralt's report, though — something about 'may cause collateral damage when unsupervised with Rio involved.'"
Rio, panting like he just ran a marathon, pokes his head over my shoulder. "Hey! I am not that bad on an influence! And tell him we almost got the Pidgey!"
Dad just stares harder. "…What Pidgey?"
Rotom helpfully plays a shaky replay of the featherless bird fleeing for its life, Rio chasing it like an unhinged Growlithe, flames flickering at his paws.
"Its the same one that tried to kill me when I was like 3 days old!"
Oh well now that makes more sense...
Dad rubs his temples, like he's trying to massage the headache out of his soul. "Rio, you're a Lucario now. Let it go. Please."
Rio looks genuinely offended. "Would you forgive attempted murder?! That bird haunts me!"
Roxanne mutters under her breath, "At this point, I feel worse for the bird."
Rotom, ever helpful, replays the clip again, this time adding dramatic music and fake "MISSION FAILED" text over Rio's face as the Pidgey escapes.
Dad just sighs, defeated. "Okay. I'm booking you all for a joint therapy session. I'll… I'll call back when I've recovered from this."
The screen goes dark.
I exhale and glance at Roxanne. "... So, you sure we won't be paying any repair costs?"
She smirks. "No need, just treat me to a meal in the near future, oh and don't forget our rematch."
"Will do..." I say quietly before whispering to Rio "Beat her team's ass, no mercy."
| Rio POV |
Well that ended more peacefully than I expected. Sadly my dinner got away... Dumb tree, who planted it there...
I rub my snout as I almost relive the collision that left my head embedded into a Hoothoot's home.
Behind me, Null lets out a low whine, nudging me back toward May like "please stop making things worse."
May claps her hands to get everyone's attention. "Okay! New plan! Rio, no chasing anything. Combusken, no roasting the scenery. Ralts…"
Ralts tilts her head sweetly. What did I do?
"…no planetary destruction today, please."
"Yet."
"Rio please shut up."
My grin widens. "Hey, I'm just saying — when we meet a Tyrantrum going on a rampage, you'll wish she could send another dino-wiping meteor."
May's eye twitches. "Rio. Shut. Up."
Combusken, clearly inspired, starts pecking at the dirt like she's looking for a fossil to revive just so Ralts can obliterate it.
Ralts floats closer to me, face pink, eyes wide in alarm. I-I don't want to cause mass extinction…
I pat her gently on the head. "Relax, Stardust. No meteors today. Maybe tomorrow."
Roxanne sighs, rubbing her temples, but I catch the tiny smirk she's trying to hide. "Honestly, May, I don't know how you keep your sanity. You've got a living disaster movie for a team."
Null lets out a happy thump of his tail at that, like he's proud to be included.
May groans, looking at the gaping hole in the Gym wall. "You know what? Fine. We're cleaning up first. Rio, you're on rock duty. Combusken, help him — no burning anything. Ralts… just… sit there and look cute."
Combusken's head snaps up. "Bwak?!"
I give May a salute. "Aye aye, captain. You'll see — I'll build a better wall than the one that was here before. A perfect wall. A wall that would make this gym great again!"
And five minutes later, Null is dragging me out from under a pile of rubble after my cursed-energy rock stacking goes about as well as you'd expect, with a dozen ghost types shuffling in from out of nowhere.
I wave them apart, literally, the Ghastlys' forms getting dismantled and set ablaze almost instantly. And get dragged away by Roxanne and May as a group of Gurdurrs and geodudes shuffle in with their trainers, ready to patch up Ralt's collateral damage.
Eh, free breakfast, might as well follow them quietly...
I should not have come here... Arceus give me strength...
Roxanne pokes at my shoulder with a grin. "Seriously, Rio, this new pink fur? It's… something else. Didn't know a Lucario could pull off cotton candy chic."
Please just kill me already...
May snickers. "I know right? At first, I found it a bit weird it definitely stands out. Like a walking neon sign, but honestly? It started growing on me."
God... Do I really deserve this?
Roxanne leans in closer, absolutely beaming, like she's found her new favorite toy. "It's adorable! Oh — I should get you a matching scarf. Or maybe a bow. No, no, wait — a tiny hat!"
I sink lower in my seat, ears flat, face burning hotter than my divine flame. "I beg of you... spare me this torment…"
May's laughing now, wiping a tear from her eye. "A bow. Yes. Bright pink. Make sure it sparkles."
Why.Why must I suffer so.
Null, ever loyal, tries to nudge between us protectively, but even he can't save me from this nightmare.
Roxanne smirks, crossing her arms. "You owe me, remember? Wall destruction tax. Breakfast with me and mandatory fashion consultation."
I slump forward onto the table. "Arceus… smite me…"
Rotom zips in, screen flashing a crude drawing of a Lucario in a frilly pink dress. "New form unlocked: Lucario-CottonCandy Mode!"
I let out a groan that could shake Mt. Coronet.
I let out the heaviest sigh of my life — the kind of sigh that carries the weight of a thousand torments, of shattered pride, of pink-furred humiliation.
And as if the universe finally takes pity on me, or maybe my cursed energy just snaps, the pink and red glow fades. The cotton candy sheen recedes like a bad dream, leaving behind my normal shiny form — sleek black and gold, dignified at last.
Roxanne freezes, staring. "...Oh."
May blinks. "Aw. I was starting to like it."
I straighten, brushing imaginary dust from my arm, trying to act like I totally planned that. "Good. Now we can never speak of this again."
Null thumps his tail approvingly. Even he looks relieved.
Rotom, of course, captures the exact moment of transition and plays it on loop. Over. And over.
I close my eyes. "I hate this team."
Roxanne blinks in confusion, still wondering what happened "Are we not going to talk about what just happened? Hello?"
"Eh, not the weirdest thing that happened to me, its probably just because I stopped actively running my aura through my body." I shrug, internally happy that I am no longer the furry equivalent of Princess Bubblegum, and steal one of Roxxane's pancakes.
Roxanne stares at me like I just grew a second head. "You can change colors with your aura?"
I chomp down on the stolen pancake, chewing with exaggerated slowness. "Apparently."
May folds her arms, trying to look stern but failing because she's grinning too much. "You're unbelievable."
"Thanks," I say through a mouthful of pancake, reaching for a second slice. Combusken leans down and steals it first, crunching it whole like a snack chip. Traitor.
Roxanne sighs, finally slumping back in her seat. "But I loved it when you were pink... Humph, you owe me double for the damages now!"
I smirk, wiping syrup off my muzzle. "Hey, I'm the reason you're getting free entertainment with your meal."
Rotom helpfully projects a GIF of me flickering between pink and gold like a malfunctioning neon sign. May laughs so hard she nearly drops her fork.
I glare at Rotom. "Delete that."
Rotom: "Unable to comply. Too iconic."
Arceus, give me strength…
Word Count: 1551
I liked it when you were pink too :(
MC: Fuck off
Alright, rainbow it is!
MC: YOU ARE NOT ABOUT TO TURN ME INTO ZESTY LUCARIO!