Story Notes:
I feel I should mention that I made somewhat of an effort to write in the "internet style" where there are generally gaps everywhere. It's not something I'm used to since I tend to write my stuff as a text wall. Figured I should mention that for those of you unfamiliar with my work, and those of you who read it and go "WTF with this gap here?"************************************************************
Cleared Vision
Sophia got up the next morning still tired, having spent the entire night thinking about Kane's admission. It certainly explained why he had allowed himself to be captured by the dropped poke ball, but it had raised several awkward questions for the Marowak. How did it happen? What would Ana think? Would they be able to keep it to themselves? Most importantly, could Sophia accept it?
She glanced over to where Kane was still asleep, curled up on the ground on Ana's other side, her eyes narrowing. She still had no idea of what Kane was like, the Charmeleon refusing to speak anymore that night after telling Sophia that he was in love with Ana. He still was far too unsavoury for her tastes, and it bugged her that he might not really be in love.
The Marowak got up from where she was lying, casting a single anxious glance over the pair of them. Plusle and Sentret were there as well, and Kane had no chance of communicating his feelings to Ana without her help. That eased her mind enough, realising that she could keep them apart until she was satisfied with Kane's motives. Perfect.
Figuring a short walk would help settle her down, Sophia wandered off into the forest at a leisurely pace. Many of the forest's pokemon were waking up as well, the Marowak noting a flock of Pidgey beginning their own day. They were nestled in an apple tree, each bird moving to a nearby fruit and pecking at it while it hung off the branch. Underfoot there were many more apples, Sophia prodding at each in turn to see if any were fresh until one fell from the tree not too far from her.
Stomach growling, Sophia started eating the recently fallen fruit and tried to think of how she would satisfy her curiosity.
***
"Ana sent me to find you."
Sophia shook her head to focus, turning to see Kane stomping through the growth toward her. She waved him over, gesturing for him to sit down in front of her. He shifted awkwardly, not taking the invitation.
"She wanted me to bring you back right away." He said, trying to make his concerns known.
"Does she know how long it's going to take you?" Sophia replied, indicating the spot again until Kane finally sat down. She stared intently at him, wordlessly letting him know that they weren't leaving until she said so, before she continued. "I want to ask you a few questions first."
"Uh... okay." He said, grimacing. She didn't waste any more time, her eyes boring straight into his.
"You say you're in love with Ana." She began, not once letting her eyes off him. "How did you come to be that way?" Kane's jaw dropped, the Charmeleon staring incredulously at her.
"Well," he began cautiously. "I saw her at the pokemon centre." Sophia nodded solemnly, before launching into her next question.
"What do you like most about her?" she said.
"Uh... that she's beautiful, I guess." He replied. "Oh, and her voice." Sophia was now pacing in front of him, gazing off into the forest.
"Interesting. What can you tell me about her?"
"She's a trainer, she's pretty, and..." Kane trailed off, unsure of anything else to say. Sophia kept silent for a moment longer before snorting in disgust.
"In love my ass." She sneered, looking at him in contempt. "You're just lusting after her you damn pervert." The Charmeleon rose to his feet, claws clenched into fists as he glared at her.
"What?!" he yelled, wanting to rush her and beat the smugness out of her. Sophia simply stared back at him, one eyebrow raised underneath the skull.
"If you were in love with her, you'd know more about her than that." She said, setting off back to the camp. "Once you get to know her, if you still 'love' her I'll help you." Now it was Kane's turn to snort, unwilling to let her be right.
"Since when do I need your help?" he challenged, the Marowak turning to glance pityingly at him.
"Since she can't understand you." Sophia answered, turning back to the camp. "Which means if you want to impress Ana, you have to impress me first." Kane stared after her, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. She was right, and there was nothing he could do about it no matter how much it annoyed him.
***
Kane may have received a great deal of thanks from lovers in the past, but if there was one thing he could do better than pleasure girls is was procrastinate. A week had passed since Sophia had put her terms on anything the Charmeleon wanted to do with Ana, and he hadn't even attempted to do anything about it. Whether it was because he was afraid he had made a mistake in joining Ana or unwillingness to admit anything to Sophia was unclear, but he spent the entire week doing very little as a result.
For Sophia, Kane's inaction was highly entertaining. Each morning she would wake up and ask him when he was going to get it over with, perversely enjoying the strained way he waved her off with some pathetic excuse. She was beginning to feel quite vindicated, confident that soon enough the Charmeleon would admit his mistake and ask to be freed again.
Kane's sullen attitude and Sophia's smugness certainly didn't go unnoticed by Ana. On several occasions the trainer had attempted to find out what was going on, but all the Marowak would tell her was to ask Kane, and the Charmeleon would simply refuse to answer. Ana had the feeling that Sophia knew more than she would tell her. Finally, Ana had had enough.
"Sophia, Kane, could you help me with something?" she called out once she had finished setting up camp. The Charmeleon walked towards her as though he was heading for the guillotine, Sophia following him and looking quite lofty. Ana lead them into her tent, waiting until they had moved inside before she rounded on the pair.
"Seriously, what's going on?" she asked, not bothering to hide the irritation in her voice. "I know you don't exactly get along, but you've both been acting weird for the whole of the last week. Let's just get this sorted out." Sophia remained silent, simply directing her gaze towards the now very uncomfortable Charmeleon.
"Uh... I can explain..." Kane muttered, waiting until Sophia had translated before continuing. "It's just that... well... I wanted to get to know you." Ana raised an eyebrow at him, not entirely buying his excuse.
"Is that all?" she asked, feeling it more diplomatic to accept what he was saying for the moment. "We can talk about that now, if you like." Kane seemed to sit up and take notice, Sophia mirroring his interest while Ana began to talk.
***
"Owww!" Kane rubbed the back of his head, glaring reproachfully at Sophia as the Marowak brought her bone back up to her shoulder. "You could have just shaken me, you know." Sophia grinned at him as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, sitting up and waiting for an explaination.
"Maybe, but that was more satisfying." She smirked, gesturing for him to follow her into the forest. He took a quick glance around the tent to see that Ana and the little ones were still asleep, not having been disturbed in the least by his shout. He smiled softly as he watched her sleep, her expression peaceful, until Sophia raised the bone again. He scrambled to his feet, following the Marowak outside.
Sophia only lead him a short distance from the camp site, just far enough so that their conversation wouldn't be overheard. Once they reached a small clearing she gestured for him to sit down in the middle, Kane looking suspiciously at her even as he sat. Sophia paced slowly before him for a few seconds before she turned back to him, staring intently.
"I'm going to ask you a few questions about yesterday." She began, holding a finger to her lips when he wanted to speak. "If you can answer them correctly, I'll help you win Ana." His expression remained neutral, torn between anxiety for Sophia's quiz and excitement for the possibility of his prize. He nodded solemnly, taking a deep breath to calm himself.
"First question, why did Ana become a trainer?" Sophia asked, staring out into the forest with her paws behind her back.
"Because she wanted to live her own life, instead of what her family wanted of her." Kane answered. "It was her determination that kept her trying when things didn't start out well." Sophia nodded, though whether it was in relation to his answer or to thoughts of her own he couldn't tell.
"Next question, how many friends does Ana have?" the Marowak started pacing again, the Charmeleon's eyes tracking her.
"Just her pokemon." He replied. "She sometimes feels people can't be trusted, preferring the unconditional love she can receive from pokemon."
"What does she like most about each of us?" the next question came almost as soon as he finished answering the last, taking him off guard for a second.
"Uh, she likes Plusle because he's resourceful." He began cautiously, recovering his poise. "She enjoys that Sentret tries to cheer her up when she's down, and that you have a strong will and try your best all the time."
"And you?" she asked, one eyebrow raised under her skull. Kane hesitated, worried about repeating Ana's thoughts about him.
"She... she likes that I care about her..." he mumbled, feeling his face heat up as her words echoed in his head. She had said them innocently enough, but hearing her say it had shocked him. He knew that he acted in her best interests, but never thought she would think it more than a friendly gesture. Sophia nodded once more, before fixing him with a hard stare.
"Last question, and I want you to take your time on this one." She said, looking directly into his eyes. "Kane, do you love her?" He thought on this one, casting his mind back over the previous week. While he had been less sociable than he normally was, Ana had always tried to keep him part of the group. She had been caring about his needs, and had even allowed him to act as a bodyguard even though she had told him it wasn't necessary. She had always given him a great deal of license, and he respected her greatly for it. The more he thought, the more he realised how he felt.
"Yes, I do." He whispered, looking somewhere between happy and ashamed. Sophia stared hard at him, letting the words play around in her head as she considered his response. After what seemed like an eternity to him, she nodded.
"All right, I believe you." She replied, motioning for him to follow her back to camp. "I'll hold up my part of the bargain and help you win Ana."
She glanced over to where Kane was still asleep, curled up on the ground on Ana's other side, her eyes narrowing. She still had no idea of what Kane was like, the Charmeleon refusing to speak anymore that night after telling Sophia that he was in love with Ana. He still was far too unsavoury for her tastes, and it bugged her that he might not really be in love.
The Marowak got up from where she was lying, casting a single anxious glance over the pair of them. Plusle and Sentret were there as well, and Kane had no chance of communicating his feelings to Ana without her help. That eased her mind enough, realising that she could keep them apart until she was satisfied with Kane's motives. Perfect.
Figuring a short walk would help settle her down, Sophia wandered off into the forest at a leisurely pace. Many of the forest's pokemon were waking up as well, the Marowak noting a flock of Pidgey beginning their own day. They were nestled in an apple tree, each bird moving to a nearby fruit and pecking at it while it hung off the branch. Underfoot there were many more apples, Sophia prodding at each in turn to see if any were fresh until one fell from the tree not too far from her.
Stomach growling, Sophia started eating the recently fallen fruit and tried to think of how she would satisfy her curiosity.
***
"Ana sent me to find you."
Sophia shook her head to focus, turning to see Kane stomping through the growth toward her. She waved him over, gesturing for him to sit down in front of her. He shifted awkwardly, not taking the invitation.
"She wanted me to bring you back right away." He said, trying to make his concerns known.
"Does she know how long it's going to take you?" Sophia replied, indicating the spot again until Kane finally sat down. She stared intently at him, wordlessly letting him know that they weren't leaving until she said so, before she continued. "I want to ask you a few questions first."
"Uh... okay." He said, grimacing. She didn't waste any more time, her eyes boring straight into his.
"You say you're in love with Ana." She began, not once letting her eyes off him. "How did you come to be that way?" Kane's jaw dropped, the Charmeleon staring incredulously at her.
"Well," he began cautiously. "I saw her at the pokemon centre." Sophia nodded solemnly, before launching into her next question.
"What do you like most about her?" she said.
"Uh... that she's beautiful, I guess." He replied. "Oh, and her voice." Sophia was now pacing in front of him, gazing off into the forest.
"Interesting. What can you tell me about her?"
"She's a trainer, she's pretty, and..." Kane trailed off, unsure of anything else to say. Sophia kept silent for a moment longer before snorting in disgust.
"In love my ass." She sneered, looking at him in contempt. "You're just lusting after her you damn pervert." The Charmeleon rose to his feet, claws clenched into fists as he glared at her.
"What?!" he yelled, wanting to rush her and beat the smugness out of her. Sophia simply stared back at him, one eyebrow raised underneath the skull.
"If you were in love with her, you'd know more about her than that." She said, setting off back to the camp. "Once you get to know her, if you still 'love' her I'll help you." Now it was Kane's turn to snort, unwilling to let her be right.
"Since when do I need your help?" he challenged, the Marowak turning to glance pityingly at him.
"Since she can't understand you." Sophia answered, turning back to the camp. "Which means if you want to impress Ana, you have to impress me first." Kane stared after her, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. She was right, and there was nothing he could do about it no matter how much it annoyed him.
***
Kane may have received a great deal of thanks from lovers in the past, but if there was one thing he could do better than pleasure girls is was procrastinate. A week had passed since Sophia had put her terms on anything the Charmeleon wanted to do with Ana, and he hadn't even attempted to do anything about it. Whether it was because he was afraid he had made a mistake in joining Ana or unwillingness to admit anything to Sophia was unclear, but he spent the entire week doing very little as a result.
For Sophia, Kane's inaction was highly entertaining. Each morning she would wake up and ask him when he was going to get it over with, perversely enjoying the strained way he waved her off with some pathetic excuse. She was beginning to feel quite vindicated, confident that soon enough the Charmeleon would admit his mistake and ask to be freed again.
Kane's sullen attitude and Sophia's smugness certainly didn't go unnoticed by Ana. On several occasions the trainer had attempted to find out what was going on, but all the Marowak would tell her was to ask Kane, and the Charmeleon would simply refuse to answer. Ana had the feeling that Sophia knew more than she would tell her. Finally, Ana had had enough.
"Sophia, Kane, could you help me with something?" she called out once she had finished setting up camp. The Charmeleon walked towards her as though he was heading for the guillotine, Sophia following him and looking quite lofty. Ana lead them into her tent, waiting until they had moved inside before she rounded on the pair.
"Seriously, what's going on?" she asked, not bothering to hide the irritation in her voice. "I know you don't exactly get along, but you've both been acting weird for the whole of the last week. Let's just get this sorted out." Sophia remained silent, simply directing her gaze towards the now very uncomfortable Charmeleon.
"Uh... I can explain..." Kane muttered, waiting until Sophia had translated before continuing. "It's just that... well... I wanted to get to know you." Ana raised an eyebrow at him, not entirely buying his excuse.
"Is that all?" she asked, feeling it more diplomatic to accept what he was saying for the moment. "We can talk about that now, if you like." Kane seemed to sit up and take notice, Sophia mirroring his interest while Ana began to talk.
***
"Owww!" Kane rubbed the back of his head, glaring reproachfully at Sophia as the Marowak brought her bone back up to her shoulder. "You could have just shaken me, you know." Sophia grinned at him as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, sitting up and waiting for an explaination.
"Maybe, but that was more satisfying." She smirked, gesturing for him to follow her into the forest. He took a quick glance around the tent to see that Ana and the little ones were still asleep, not having been disturbed in the least by his shout. He smiled softly as he watched her sleep, her expression peaceful, until Sophia raised the bone again. He scrambled to his feet, following the Marowak outside.
Sophia only lead him a short distance from the camp site, just far enough so that their conversation wouldn't be overheard. Once they reached a small clearing she gestured for him to sit down in the middle, Kane looking suspiciously at her even as he sat. Sophia paced slowly before him for a few seconds before she turned back to him, staring intently.
"I'm going to ask you a few questions about yesterday." She began, holding a finger to her lips when he wanted to speak. "If you can answer them correctly, I'll help you win Ana." His expression remained neutral, torn between anxiety for Sophia's quiz and excitement for the possibility of his prize. He nodded solemnly, taking a deep breath to calm himself.
"First question, why did Ana become a trainer?" Sophia asked, staring out into the forest with her paws behind her back.
"Because she wanted to live her own life, instead of what her family wanted of her." Kane answered. "It was her determination that kept her trying when things didn't start out well." Sophia nodded, though whether it was in relation to his answer or to thoughts of her own he couldn't tell.
"Next question, how many friends does Ana have?" the Marowak started pacing again, the Charmeleon's eyes tracking her.
"Just her pokemon." He replied. "She sometimes feels people can't be trusted, preferring the unconditional love she can receive from pokemon."
"What does she like most about each of us?" the next question came almost as soon as he finished answering the last, taking him off guard for a second.
"Uh, she likes Plusle because he's resourceful." He began cautiously, recovering his poise. "She enjoys that Sentret tries to cheer her up when she's down, and that you have a strong will and try your best all the time."
"And you?" she asked, one eyebrow raised under her skull. Kane hesitated, worried about repeating Ana's thoughts about him.
"She... she likes that I care about her..." he mumbled, feeling his face heat up as her words echoed in his head. She had said them innocently enough, but hearing her say it had shocked him. He knew that he acted in her best interests, but never thought she would think it more than a friendly gesture. Sophia nodded once more, before fixing him with a hard stare.
"Last question, and I want you to take your time on this one." She said, looking directly into his eyes. "Kane, do you love her?" He thought on this one, casting his mind back over the previous week. While he had been less sociable than he normally was, Ana had always tried to keep him part of the group. She had been caring about his needs, and had even allowed him to act as a bodyguard even though she had told him it wasn't necessary. She had always given him a great deal of license, and he respected her greatly for it. The more he thought, the more he realised how he felt.
"Yes, I do." He whispered, looking somewhere between happy and ashamed. Sophia stared hard at him, letting the words play around in her head as she considered his response. After what seemed like an eternity to him, she nodded.
"All right, I believe you." She replied, motioning for him to follow her back to camp. "I'll hold up my part of the bargain and help you win Ana."