Chapter 17 - Difficult Times, pt 1
The intervening weeks between Wolf's arrival at the Sinnoh League and the commencement of the league itself passed smoothly. Wolf, with some nagging from Flannery, had actually made some effort to make a training schedule, although much like in Sunyshore the idea had been dropped pretty quickly. Even with the beginning of the league looming over him, he didn't regret the decision for one second. There was something he had to do which did cause much resentment among the group though.
"No!" Jazz howled, arms stretched out in a manner that suggested she was asking the powers that be why this was happening. "You can't do that Wolf! It's not fair!" The others were quick to add in their own objections, the only one not joining in was Lucky. She was busy cradling her egg gently, murmuring a song that her mother had sung to her when she was young.
"Look guys," Wolf began testily. This was simply not working, even with his explanations and his promises that things would return to normal after the league had finished. "I know you don't like it, but it's going to happen. I don't want you all tired out from sex when we've got a league to participate in."
"What happened to 'just try your best,' eh?" Ivysaur asked, to muttered agreement from the group. He sighed, hoping they could finish this argument quickly. This was beginning to grate on his nerves, and the preliminary rounds started tomorrow.
"How're you going to do that if you're not at one hundred percent?" he retorted, silencing the support for Ivysaur's point. "Besides, you lot aren't the only ones missing out. I'm not going to be getting any either." This point did more to settle the argument, and the mutinous whispers began to disappear altogether. "On top of that, you never had any problems with that in the other leagues."
"That was different, Wolf." Princess spoke up, one arm curled around Ninetales. "We weren't like that at the other leagues." Wolf sighed, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes for the moment. Briefly he wondered if any other trainers had to deal with this problem, before deciding that he didn't really care about other trainers. It certainly wasn't going to help him now.
"Look, just promise me you'll all wait until the league is over before you start rutting like crazy again." He asked, hoping that they'd at least listen to him. One by one they agreed, not wanting to break the trust Wolf had in them. Satisfied, Wolf relaxed again and began to dish out breakfast, not noticing Jazz as she picked up a familiar scent and turned to the door. Walking in were three humans she vaguely recognised, along with a Pikachu she knew well enough, if not intimately. Smiling, she wandered over to the front counter as she approached them, Pikachu turning to greet her as he picked up on her own scent.
"Pikachu, it's been a while." Jazz said, wandering over to stand next to the pokemon. He blinked in confusion at Jazz before he recognised her too.
"Jazz!" he replied happily, seeing that he knew someone here already. "How are you?"
"Pretty good, although I think the next few weeks are gonna be pretty boring." She grinned lazily, while he scratched his head at her statement.
"Boring?" he asked. "How would they be boring? It's the beginning of a league! That means there's going to be tons of battles!" Jazz rolled her eyes at his childishness, wondering to herself just how a boy could be so uninterested by feminine company. Further exchanges were cut short when the girl looked down at Jazz, recognising the Raichu.
"Hey, isn't that Jazz?" she asked, motioning down at the pokemon who looked back at her curiously. Jazz had spoken with Wolf before about this girl. What had he called her? Dawn?
One of the boys looked down at her, smiling broadly as he recognised her too. Without warning he dashed off towards where Wolf and the others were beginning to eat, the other boy shouting after him about booking a room. Pikachu and Jazz followed him, easily keeping pace with the boy's jogging.
"Hey Wolf!" he called out, and Wolf turned, a smile appearing that for what Jazz could see appeared rather bland. Wolf had talked about this boy too, saying that he was far too serious and that he needed to lighten up. She remembered that his name was Ash, and although Wolf didn't feel strongly about him either way she knew that he liked Ash a great deal more than the other young trainer, Paul.
"Ash." Wolf offered his hand to the approaching trainer, who shook it enthusiastically. "I wondered when you'd show up." Ash didn't take offence at the remark, a relief for the older trainer especially since he wasn't offering any. Once Ash let go of his hand Wolf waved at the seat opposite him, encouraging him to sit down. He did so, sliding over when Brock and Dawn came over to join them.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Brock asked, casting an appraising look over Wolf's pokemon. "They all look healthy, so whatever you're doing must be working." Wolf nodded his thanks, about to reply when he noticed Dawn moving over to have a closer look at Lucky's egg.
"Oh wow Lucky!" she exclaimed, eyes lighting up as the Lucario turned to look at her. "You're going to be a mum? That's so cool!" Lucky beamed, stroking the egg gently with her paw.
"Thank you, it means a lot to me." She replied, keeping her eyes on her egg to make sure nothing was wrong. Wolf perked up inwardly, unable to help but share in Lucky's pride. It was his child as well, after all.
"I take it you all know each other then." A voice came from behind them, Flannery moving to stand next to Dawn and Lucky. Before anyone could react, Brock leapt out of his seat and took one of her hands into his own.
"My dear," he purred. "I cannot lie to you, for my passion burns more brightly than-" Croagunk stopped mid poison jab, watching in surprise as Wolf grabbed the back of his collar and dragged him away.
"Right, that's enough outta you." He said, playing the part of the boyfriend of the couple they'd all agreed he and Flannery would act as. The gym leader was relieved as Wolf pulled him away, giving a short laugh that was thanks as much as it was embarrassment.
"Sorry, but I think Wolf is gonna douse that passion of yours. He's my boyfriend, after all." She said, almost apologetically. The corners of Lucky's mouth twitched as she restrained her temper. She knew that it was important for people to know that Wolf had a girlfriend as much as it was important for them to think his girlfriend was human, but it couldn't stop how she felt. She knew she was becoming more possessive of him, something that had only happened as of late. It must be because of our child, she thought to herself. This was never a problem before, but now I have issues with him being with other girls.
Making a mental note to talk to him about it later, she turned her attention back to the conversation. So far they were just talking about how the league was going to work, something about the preliminary rounds. She tuned them out, turning her attention back to the egg. Lucky didn't need to concern herself with the details, just be ready to battle. Unconsciously, she scooted closer to Wolf. Even while he was talking to the others, even surrounded by people, she knew that he loved her. She rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and simply enjoying his company.
***
As Wolf had predicted the week�� before, the preliminary rounds had been of little challenge to the team. Each of the competitors had been organised into groups of four, then put into their own mini league to determine who would be advancing to the league proper. Instead of picking pokemon to counter weaknesses in his opponents, Wolf had simply put them into two teams of three and trusted their own abilities to carry them through. He wasn't proven wrong, passing through all three rounds with a very high percentage of one hit knock outs.
As with any other league, the sixteen trainers who had made it through to the league proper were given a full day off from battling to allow their pokemon time to recuperate. Many of them used the time to refresh themselves on strategy, get in some last minute training or gather what information they could on those they would be facing while the league officials sorted out who would be facing who in the first knockout round.
Normally Wolf preferred to let things unfold in front of him and deal with each situation as it presented itself, although Lucky had insisted that Wolf at least do some research on the topic. Giving in without too much of a fight, he was now sitting in front of the laptop that all the trainers had installed in their rooms, having taken the thing out onto the balcony so that he could enjoy the sunlight and the breeze. It also allowed him to watch as Flannery and the rest of his pokemon spent the day outside, her pokemon also joining the fun. Wolf smiled wistfully at the group before turning his attention to Lucky. She had elected to stay with him while he looked up who had made it through to the league, keeping him company. He was grateful for the thought, a warm smile appearing on his face before he looked at the screen once more. The list had finished loading, and he tried to focus on the task at hand and not let his mind wander.
"Let's see..." he muttered to himself, scanning each name. "Don't know him... don't know him... don't know her... Ash made it through... I can't believe someone would name their kid that... the meat head made it through too." Lucky looked up, divining his meaning at once. Wolf had once remarked at just how opposite Ash and Paul were, but at the same time being very alike. He often said that they both needed to lighten up, but he at least held some respect for Ash due to the younger trainer's habit of caring for his pokemon. Lucky felt it was wise not to mention Paul around him at all, lest Wolf start ranting about him.
"What do you think?" she asked him. He didn't reply immediately, taking a minute to quickly skim the battle results for each of the trainers.
"I think we're going to win this thing." He finally replied. "The only actual challenges I see are in Ash and Paul, and that may not even be that great."
"You think they're that good?" she said.
"I've never seen Ash battle, but according to his results he should be a challenge." Wolf said, scratching his head. "I expect Paul's been training non stop ever since you KO'd his Torterra as convincingly as you did, which means either they're a lot stronger than before..."
"Or?" she prodded.
"Or," he began. "They'll be so tired that none of you will have to lift a paw to win." Lucky smiled, putting one paw on his shoulder. He returned her smile, folding the laptop down now that he was finished with it.
"Then there's no reason to worry." She said, reaching up and stroking his hair. He brought his hand up to grip her paw, giving it a tender squeeze.
"So why are you?" he asked. She started, before letting an exasperated smile replace her old one. He was getting much better at reading her feelings.
"It's nothing to do with the league. It's about us." She said. He didn't reply, letting her get her thoughts in order. "Lately, I've been a little jealous of you and the other girls. I don't feel as open minded about it as I used to be." He nodded, seeing her point.
"You don't want me to be with the others?" he prompted, and she nodded.
"Not exactly, but it's sort of like that." She said. "Sometimes, Lucario mate for life. We have a child together, and that might be bringing out these feelings. If you don't mind, could we try being exclusive to each other for a while once this is done?" He nodded, moving his chair closer to hers so that he could wrap one arm around her shoulders. They fell silent, content just to look at their view of the sprawling forest and the setting sun.
***
"Gliscor, use night slash!"
Wolf smirked, rolling his eyes. The first two of his battles had been as easy as he'd thought they would be, and now he was enjoying his semi finals match against Paul. The stadium stands were packed, and the square outside the stadium entrance was crowded with people watching the match on the big screen. The matchup of Wolf versus Paul had brought everyone out to watch, the public believing that one of the two would be the overall winner. Sun shining, the crowd chanting his name and calling encouragement for his team and the clear annoyance of his opponent all came together to make sure that Wolf was having a truly enjoyable match. The crowd had initially been divided in their support of each trainer, although the fact that it was now four of Wolf's pokemon against the last two of Paul's had swiftly eroded most of the support for the younger trainer. Pushing all other thoughts aside, he watched calmly as Gliscor closed in on Serenity, the Gardevoir keeping perfectly calm in the face of such a savage attack. It was clear that this was becoming a last ditch effort for Paul; Gliscor had already taken great damage from Ninetales, and Serenity was freshly called out.
"When you're ready," Wolf began, enjoying how Paul's scowl deepened at such a lax approach to the battle. "Use psychic please." Serenity complied, raising one hand in her swooping foes direction. Her eyes began to glow a soft blue, and Gliscor was halted mid-attack as he was caught by her psychic power. He tried to break free, struggling against the invisible force that held him in place to no avail. Serenity was incredibly powerful, and in his weakened state her psychic power seemed almost god-like.
Waving her outstretched hand almost contemptuously, Serenity used her mind powers to fling Gliscor into the wall of the stadium, throwing up a cloud of dust and dirt from the force of the impact. Paul didn't even bother calling out to see if Gliscor could still battle, able to see the raw strength of her attack wouldn't fail to knock out his weakened pokemon. Once the dust had cleared and the result was official, he silently called back his pokemon. For a long moment he stood there, before withdrawing his final pokemon.
"Torterra, stand by for battle!" he yelled, calling out his most powerful pokemon. Wolf frowned as the pokemon appeared, under no illusion that Torterra would be as easy a victory as the first time. Lucky looked up at him, wondering just how he was going to approach Paul's final pokemon.
"Do you want me to go in?" she asked. Wolf smiled briefly at some private thought before shaking his head, looking at the Lucario with a lazy grin.
"Nah, I think Serenity can handle it." He replied, before turning his attention back to the match. Having to make Paul wait longer than necessary was strangely amusing to him. Once Wolf was seen to be paying attention, the referee motioned for the match to begin.
"Torterra, use leaf storm!" Paul called out, once again wasting no time in seizing the initiative. Wolf started at the attack, seeing that Torterra had indeed grown much more powerful since they'd last met.
"Serenity, get outta there!" he countered, trusting the Gardevoir to be able to avoid the attack. She deftly dodged the first pass of the attack, although neither her or Wolf were prepared when the attack curved back around for a second pass. She dodged again, cursing under her breath as the razor sharp leaves passed by much closer than before. Wolf frowned deeply as the process repeated itself yet again, wondering just what the younger trainer's angle was. It was only when he looked over at his opponent and noticed that a smirk had replaced the scowl on Paul's face that he realised what his plan was. By then, it was too late.
"Now use hyper beam!" he commanded, folding his arms in expectation. Wolf looked at Serenity again, seeing that his initial guess was correct. Having been forced to dodge around each pass of the leaf storm, Serenity was now surrounded by a maelstrom of blurred leaves. She had nowhere to go to avoid the incoming beam. Wolf was still in shock at the combination when Torterra launched its attack, the beam of destructive energy heading straight for her.
"Serenity!" he cried out. "Te-"
He couldn't finish the sentence before the hyper beam hit, sending great clouds of dust over the stadium. Wolf and Lucky shielded their eyes, the trainer hoping that Serenity had been able to decipher and react to what he had been able to utter. If not...
Once the dust had cleared, Wolf saw that she had. Able to divine his thoughts, she had reacted not to his command, but rather to his sudden grasp of the trap that had been set. Sensing her own peril, she had taken the only option left to her. She had teleported out of the storm, rematerialising right next to Torterra. Wolf smiled a little sadly. He had wanted to teach the younger trainer to have more respect for his pokemon, but this slaughter was far too one sided.
"We might as well call it here, Paul." He called out, especially since Torterra was still regaining his strength and Serenity was in position to deliver the final blow. Instead of acknowledging his defeat, Paul bristled at the suggestion.
"Who do you think you are?!" he yelled back. "I won't lose to some preening heart like you!" Momentarily taken aback at the outburst, Wolf's expression darkened. Paul could see that he couldn't win, but he simply refused to accept his loss graciously.
"Forgive me for this Torterra." Wolf whispered, feeling a little sick that he would have to knock out the pokemon where it wasn't necessary. "Serenity, use ice punch." She could feel her trainer's emotions as she moved into position, placing one hand on the continent pokemon's shell.
"Sorry." She murmured, before letting the ice punch freeze Torterra where he stood, ice moving from her hand to fully enclose the pokemon. The Gardevoir didn't look back as she returned to her trainer's side, barely listening as the officials called out the final results. As she drew close, Wolf drew her into his arms and held her, and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"I appreciate what you did, Serenity." He murmured, a small sentiment to help her through the bad feelings. She cuddled close while Wolf looked over at Paul, watching as the trainer walked away. Nurse Joy was next to him, and she appeared to be arguing with the trainer. Paul didn't seem to be moved by her attempts until a blonde haired woman jumped from the stands and had a word with him. Finally, Paul handed his pokemon to Joy and she hurried off towards the centre, evidently worried. Paul simply walked off, leaving the woman standing there. She turned towards Wolf and they locked eyes, before Wolf returned to the centre as well.
***
"You certainly have great talent as a trainer."
Quickly taking his fork out of his mouth, Wolf turned to see the blonde woman standing just behind him. Now that she was closer, he could make out more of her features. Wearing a black coat over her matching top and pants, the only things that really stood out were the two slate coloured buttons and the slate zip on her jacket, decorations that matched her own slate grey eyes. Her face was framed by long blonde hair that ran to her thighs, a few black and yellow hair accessories near her temple. She smiled down at Wolf, and he grinned wearily back. His dinner companions also looked up, Ash smiling broadly.
"Cynthia!" he exclaimed, finishing the mouthful of food he had just in time to not spray her with chewed crumbs. "It's been a while."
"That it has, Ash." She replied, waiting patiently while the group shifted to give her room to sit. When they were ready, she slid into the seat in between Ash and Dawn and opposite Wolf. They were eating outside, enjoying the starry sky and gently blowing breeze as it stirred the leaves, the grass and a few stray strands of hair. Even as she joined them, Joy appeared carrying a plate of food and some cutlery for the newcomer. Flannery, on Wolf's right, arched an eyebrow.
"You'd think she planned this." She remarked dryly, getting a quick laugh from everyone except Ash, who was too preoccupied with his food. The pokemon weren't listening, all deep in their own conversations. Serenity was the only one eating at the table, sitting on Wolf's left. Lucky had allowed the Gardevoir to take her place for the night due to the events of the day, something Serenity was grateful for. She felt guilty having been forced to do what she had done to Torterra.
"You can't blame yourself for Paul's actions." Cynthia said abruptly. Everyone looked up at her to find her own soft gaze resting on Serenity, the Gardevoir still not entirely happy. Wolf put one arm around her slender shoulders, holding her close and letting her lean her head on his shoulder. "You did nothing wrong." Serenity quickly wiped her eyes with her hand, giving Cynthia a sad smile.
"Thank you." She replied quietly, feeling much better hearing the sentiment from someone who she didn't expect to give her comfort. She moved closer to Wolf, letting him hold her in a one armed embrace. Cynthia smiled at Serenity for a moment longer before switching her gaze to Wolf.
"Looks like you and Ash will be battling each other in the finals." She said, a look of intrigue on her face as she studied the pair. Wolf glanced at Ash, who had finished a mouthful and was now giving Wolf a confident smile.
"I won't lose this battle." He said, the challenge in his voice easy enough to pick. Wolf merely raised an eyebrow at the younger trainer.
"Funny, most of the opponents I've had over my time as a trainer said the same thing." He remarked, a cocky grin of his own appearing to match the one Ash wore. Nothing more was said on the subject for the night, the group instead spending the time simply as friends.
"No!" Jazz howled, arms stretched out in a manner that suggested she was asking the powers that be why this was happening. "You can't do that Wolf! It's not fair!" The others were quick to add in their own objections, the only one not joining in was Lucky. She was busy cradling her egg gently, murmuring a song that her mother had sung to her when she was young.
"Look guys," Wolf began testily. This was simply not working, even with his explanations and his promises that things would return to normal after the league had finished. "I know you don't like it, but it's going to happen. I don't want you all tired out from sex when we've got a league to participate in."
"What happened to 'just try your best,' eh?" Ivysaur asked, to muttered agreement from the group. He sighed, hoping they could finish this argument quickly. This was beginning to grate on his nerves, and the preliminary rounds started tomorrow.
"How're you going to do that if you're not at one hundred percent?" he retorted, silencing the support for Ivysaur's point. "Besides, you lot aren't the only ones missing out. I'm not going to be getting any either." This point did more to settle the argument, and the mutinous whispers began to disappear altogether. "On top of that, you never had any problems with that in the other leagues."
"That was different, Wolf." Princess spoke up, one arm curled around Ninetales. "We weren't like that at the other leagues." Wolf sighed, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes for the moment. Briefly he wondered if any other trainers had to deal with this problem, before deciding that he didn't really care about other trainers. It certainly wasn't going to help him now.
"Look, just promise me you'll all wait until the league is over before you start rutting like crazy again." He asked, hoping that they'd at least listen to him. One by one they agreed, not wanting to break the trust Wolf had in them. Satisfied, Wolf relaxed again and began to dish out breakfast, not noticing Jazz as she picked up a familiar scent and turned to the door. Walking in were three humans she vaguely recognised, along with a Pikachu she knew well enough, if not intimately. Smiling, she wandered over to the front counter as she approached them, Pikachu turning to greet her as he picked up on her own scent.
"Pikachu, it's been a while." Jazz said, wandering over to stand next to the pokemon. He blinked in confusion at Jazz before he recognised her too.
"Jazz!" he replied happily, seeing that he knew someone here already. "How are you?"
"Pretty good, although I think the next few weeks are gonna be pretty boring." She grinned lazily, while he scratched his head at her statement.
"Boring?" he asked. "How would they be boring? It's the beginning of a league! That means there's going to be tons of battles!" Jazz rolled her eyes at his childishness, wondering to herself just how a boy could be so uninterested by feminine company. Further exchanges were cut short when the girl looked down at Jazz, recognising the Raichu.
"Hey, isn't that Jazz?" she asked, motioning down at the pokemon who looked back at her curiously. Jazz had spoken with Wolf before about this girl. What had he called her? Dawn?
One of the boys looked down at her, smiling broadly as he recognised her too. Without warning he dashed off towards where Wolf and the others were beginning to eat, the other boy shouting after him about booking a room. Pikachu and Jazz followed him, easily keeping pace with the boy's jogging.
"Hey Wolf!" he called out, and Wolf turned, a smile appearing that for what Jazz could see appeared rather bland. Wolf had talked about this boy too, saying that he was far too serious and that he needed to lighten up. She remembered that his name was Ash, and although Wolf didn't feel strongly about him either way she knew that he liked Ash a great deal more than the other young trainer, Paul.
"Ash." Wolf offered his hand to the approaching trainer, who shook it enthusiastically. "I wondered when you'd show up." Ash didn't take offence at the remark, a relief for the older trainer especially since he wasn't offering any. Once Ash let go of his hand Wolf waved at the seat opposite him, encouraging him to sit down. He did so, sliding over when Brock and Dawn came over to join them.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Brock asked, casting an appraising look over Wolf's pokemon. "They all look healthy, so whatever you're doing must be working." Wolf nodded his thanks, about to reply when he noticed Dawn moving over to have a closer look at Lucky's egg.
"Oh wow Lucky!" she exclaimed, eyes lighting up as the Lucario turned to look at her. "You're going to be a mum? That's so cool!" Lucky beamed, stroking the egg gently with her paw.
"Thank you, it means a lot to me." She replied, keeping her eyes on her egg to make sure nothing was wrong. Wolf perked up inwardly, unable to help but share in Lucky's pride. It was his child as well, after all.
"I take it you all know each other then." A voice came from behind them, Flannery moving to stand next to Dawn and Lucky. Before anyone could react, Brock leapt out of his seat and took one of her hands into his own.
"My dear," he purred. "I cannot lie to you, for my passion burns more brightly than-" Croagunk stopped mid poison jab, watching in surprise as Wolf grabbed the back of his collar and dragged him away.
"Right, that's enough outta you." He said, playing the part of the boyfriend of the couple they'd all agreed he and Flannery would act as. The gym leader was relieved as Wolf pulled him away, giving a short laugh that was thanks as much as it was embarrassment.
"Sorry, but I think Wolf is gonna douse that passion of yours. He's my boyfriend, after all." She said, almost apologetically. The corners of Lucky's mouth twitched as she restrained her temper. She knew that it was important for people to know that Wolf had a girlfriend as much as it was important for them to think his girlfriend was human, but it couldn't stop how she felt. She knew she was becoming more possessive of him, something that had only happened as of late. It must be because of our child, she thought to herself. This was never a problem before, but now I have issues with him being with other girls.
Making a mental note to talk to him about it later, she turned her attention back to the conversation. So far they were just talking about how the league was going to work, something about the preliminary rounds. She tuned them out, turning her attention back to the egg. Lucky didn't need to concern herself with the details, just be ready to battle. Unconsciously, she scooted closer to Wolf. Even while he was talking to the others, even surrounded by people, she knew that he loved her. She rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and simply enjoying his company.
***
As Wolf had predicted the week�� before, the preliminary rounds had been of little challenge to the team. Each of the competitors had been organised into groups of four, then put into their own mini league to determine who would be advancing to the league proper. Instead of picking pokemon to counter weaknesses in his opponents, Wolf had simply put them into two teams of three and trusted their own abilities to carry them through. He wasn't proven wrong, passing through all three rounds with a very high percentage of one hit knock outs.
As with any other league, the sixteen trainers who had made it through to the league proper were given a full day off from battling to allow their pokemon time to recuperate. Many of them used the time to refresh themselves on strategy, get in some last minute training or gather what information they could on those they would be facing while the league officials sorted out who would be facing who in the first knockout round.
Normally Wolf preferred to let things unfold in front of him and deal with each situation as it presented itself, although Lucky had insisted that Wolf at least do some research on the topic. Giving in without too much of a fight, he was now sitting in front of the laptop that all the trainers had installed in their rooms, having taken the thing out onto the balcony so that he could enjoy the sunlight and the breeze. It also allowed him to watch as Flannery and the rest of his pokemon spent the day outside, her pokemon also joining the fun. Wolf smiled wistfully at the group before turning his attention to Lucky. She had elected to stay with him while he looked up who had made it through to the league, keeping him company. He was grateful for the thought, a warm smile appearing on his face before he looked at the screen once more. The list had finished loading, and he tried to focus on the task at hand and not let his mind wander.
"Let's see..." he muttered to himself, scanning each name. "Don't know him... don't know him... don't know her... Ash made it through... I can't believe someone would name their kid that... the meat head made it through too." Lucky looked up, divining his meaning at once. Wolf had once remarked at just how opposite Ash and Paul were, but at the same time being very alike. He often said that they both needed to lighten up, but he at least held some respect for Ash due to the younger trainer's habit of caring for his pokemon. Lucky felt it was wise not to mention Paul around him at all, lest Wolf start ranting about him.
"What do you think?" she asked him. He didn't reply immediately, taking a minute to quickly skim the battle results for each of the trainers.
"I think we're going to win this thing." He finally replied. "The only actual challenges I see are in Ash and Paul, and that may not even be that great."
"You think they're that good?" she said.
"I've never seen Ash battle, but according to his results he should be a challenge." Wolf said, scratching his head. "I expect Paul's been training non stop ever since you KO'd his Torterra as convincingly as you did, which means either they're a lot stronger than before..."
"Or?" she prodded.
"Or," he began. "They'll be so tired that none of you will have to lift a paw to win." Lucky smiled, putting one paw on his shoulder. He returned her smile, folding the laptop down now that he was finished with it.
"Then there's no reason to worry." She said, reaching up and stroking his hair. He brought his hand up to grip her paw, giving it a tender squeeze.
"So why are you?" he asked. She started, before letting an exasperated smile replace her old one. He was getting much better at reading her feelings.
"It's nothing to do with the league. It's about us." She said. He didn't reply, letting her get her thoughts in order. "Lately, I've been a little jealous of you and the other girls. I don't feel as open minded about it as I used to be." He nodded, seeing her point.
"You don't want me to be with the others?" he prompted, and she nodded.
"Not exactly, but it's sort of like that." She said. "Sometimes, Lucario mate for life. We have a child together, and that might be bringing out these feelings. If you don't mind, could we try being exclusive to each other for a while once this is done?" He nodded, moving his chair closer to hers so that he could wrap one arm around her shoulders. They fell silent, content just to look at their view of the sprawling forest and the setting sun.
***
"Gliscor, use night slash!"
Wolf smirked, rolling his eyes. The first two of his battles had been as easy as he'd thought they would be, and now he was enjoying his semi finals match against Paul. The stadium stands were packed, and the square outside the stadium entrance was crowded with people watching the match on the big screen. The matchup of Wolf versus Paul had brought everyone out to watch, the public believing that one of the two would be the overall winner. Sun shining, the crowd chanting his name and calling encouragement for his team and the clear annoyance of his opponent all came together to make sure that Wolf was having a truly enjoyable match. The crowd had initially been divided in their support of each trainer, although the fact that it was now four of Wolf's pokemon against the last two of Paul's had swiftly eroded most of the support for the younger trainer. Pushing all other thoughts aside, he watched calmly as Gliscor closed in on Serenity, the Gardevoir keeping perfectly calm in the face of such a savage attack. It was clear that this was becoming a last ditch effort for Paul; Gliscor had already taken great damage from Ninetales, and Serenity was freshly called out.
"When you're ready," Wolf began, enjoying how Paul's scowl deepened at such a lax approach to the battle. "Use psychic please." Serenity complied, raising one hand in her swooping foes direction. Her eyes began to glow a soft blue, and Gliscor was halted mid-attack as he was caught by her psychic power. He tried to break free, struggling against the invisible force that held him in place to no avail. Serenity was incredibly powerful, and in his weakened state her psychic power seemed almost god-like.
Waving her outstretched hand almost contemptuously, Serenity used her mind powers to fling Gliscor into the wall of the stadium, throwing up a cloud of dust and dirt from the force of the impact. Paul didn't even bother calling out to see if Gliscor could still battle, able to see the raw strength of her attack wouldn't fail to knock out his weakened pokemon. Once the dust had cleared and the result was official, he silently called back his pokemon. For a long moment he stood there, before withdrawing his final pokemon.
"Torterra, stand by for battle!" he yelled, calling out his most powerful pokemon. Wolf frowned as the pokemon appeared, under no illusion that Torterra would be as easy a victory as the first time. Lucky looked up at him, wondering just how he was going to approach Paul's final pokemon.
"Do you want me to go in?" she asked. Wolf smiled briefly at some private thought before shaking his head, looking at the Lucario with a lazy grin.
"Nah, I think Serenity can handle it." He replied, before turning his attention back to the match. Having to make Paul wait longer than necessary was strangely amusing to him. Once Wolf was seen to be paying attention, the referee motioned for the match to begin.
"Torterra, use leaf storm!" Paul called out, once again wasting no time in seizing the initiative. Wolf started at the attack, seeing that Torterra had indeed grown much more powerful since they'd last met.
"Serenity, get outta there!" he countered, trusting the Gardevoir to be able to avoid the attack. She deftly dodged the first pass of the attack, although neither her or Wolf were prepared when the attack curved back around for a second pass. She dodged again, cursing under her breath as the razor sharp leaves passed by much closer than before. Wolf frowned deeply as the process repeated itself yet again, wondering just what the younger trainer's angle was. It was only when he looked over at his opponent and noticed that a smirk had replaced the scowl on Paul's face that he realised what his plan was. By then, it was too late.
"Now use hyper beam!" he commanded, folding his arms in expectation. Wolf looked at Serenity again, seeing that his initial guess was correct. Having been forced to dodge around each pass of the leaf storm, Serenity was now surrounded by a maelstrom of blurred leaves. She had nowhere to go to avoid the incoming beam. Wolf was still in shock at the combination when Torterra launched its attack, the beam of destructive energy heading straight for her.
"Serenity!" he cried out. "Te-"
He couldn't finish the sentence before the hyper beam hit, sending great clouds of dust over the stadium. Wolf and Lucky shielded their eyes, the trainer hoping that Serenity had been able to decipher and react to what he had been able to utter. If not...
Once the dust had cleared, Wolf saw that she had. Able to divine his thoughts, she had reacted not to his command, but rather to his sudden grasp of the trap that had been set. Sensing her own peril, she had taken the only option left to her. She had teleported out of the storm, rematerialising right next to Torterra. Wolf smiled a little sadly. He had wanted to teach the younger trainer to have more respect for his pokemon, but this slaughter was far too one sided.
"We might as well call it here, Paul." He called out, especially since Torterra was still regaining his strength and Serenity was in position to deliver the final blow. Instead of acknowledging his defeat, Paul bristled at the suggestion.
"Who do you think you are?!" he yelled back. "I won't lose to some preening heart like you!" Momentarily taken aback at the outburst, Wolf's expression darkened. Paul could see that he couldn't win, but he simply refused to accept his loss graciously.
"Forgive me for this Torterra." Wolf whispered, feeling a little sick that he would have to knock out the pokemon where it wasn't necessary. "Serenity, use ice punch." She could feel her trainer's emotions as she moved into position, placing one hand on the continent pokemon's shell.
"Sorry." She murmured, before letting the ice punch freeze Torterra where he stood, ice moving from her hand to fully enclose the pokemon. The Gardevoir didn't look back as she returned to her trainer's side, barely listening as the officials called out the final results. As she drew close, Wolf drew her into his arms and held her, and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"I appreciate what you did, Serenity." He murmured, a small sentiment to help her through the bad feelings. She cuddled close while Wolf looked over at Paul, watching as the trainer walked away. Nurse Joy was next to him, and she appeared to be arguing with the trainer. Paul didn't seem to be moved by her attempts until a blonde haired woman jumped from the stands and had a word with him. Finally, Paul handed his pokemon to Joy and she hurried off towards the centre, evidently worried. Paul simply walked off, leaving the woman standing there. She turned towards Wolf and they locked eyes, before Wolf returned to the centre as well.
***
"You certainly have great talent as a trainer."
Quickly taking his fork out of his mouth, Wolf turned to see the blonde woman standing just behind him. Now that she was closer, he could make out more of her features. Wearing a black coat over her matching top and pants, the only things that really stood out were the two slate coloured buttons and the slate zip on her jacket, decorations that matched her own slate grey eyes. Her face was framed by long blonde hair that ran to her thighs, a few black and yellow hair accessories near her temple. She smiled down at Wolf, and he grinned wearily back. His dinner companions also looked up, Ash smiling broadly.
"Cynthia!" he exclaimed, finishing the mouthful of food he had just in time to not spray her with chewed crumbs. "It's been a while."
"That it has, Ash." She replied, waiting patiently while the group shifted to give her room to sit. When they were ready, she slid into the seat in between Ash and Dawn and opposite Wolf. They were eating outside, enjoying the starry sky and gently blowing breeze as it stirred the leaves, the grass and a few stray strands of hair. Even as she joined them, Joy appeared carrying a plate of food and some cutlery for the newcomer. Flannery, on Wolf's right, arched an eyebrow.
"You'd think she planned this." She remarked dryly, getting a quick laugh from everyone except Ash, who was too preoccupied with his food. The pokemon weren't listening, all deep in their own conversations. Serenity was the only one eating at the table, sitting on Wolf's left. Lucky had allowed the Gardevoir to take her place for the night due to the events of the day, something Serenity was grateful for. She felt guilty having been forced to do what she had done to Torterra.
"You can't blame yourself for Paul's actions." Cynthia said abruptly. Everyone looked up at her to find her own soft gaze resting on Serenity, the Gardevoir still not entirely happy. Wolf put one arm around her slender shoulders, holding her close and letting her lean her head on his shoulder. "You did nothing wrong." Serenity quickly wiped her eyes with her hand, giving Cynthia a sad smile.
"Thank you." She replied quietly, feeling much better hearing the sentiment from someone who she didn't expect to give her comfort. She moved closer to Wolf, letting him hold her in a one armed embrace. Cynthia smiled at Serenity for a moment longer before switching her gaze to Wolf.
"Looks like you and Ash will be battling each other in the finals." She said, a look of intrigue on her face as she studied the pair. Wolf glanced at Ash, who had finished a mouthful and was now giving Wolf a confident smile.
"I won't lose this battle." He said, the challenge in his voice easy enough to pick. Wolf merely raised an eyebrow at the younger trainer.
"Funny, most of the opponents I've had over my time as a trainer said the same thing." He remarked, a cocky grin of his own appearing to match the one Ash wore. Nothing more was said on the subject for the night, the group instead spending the time simply as friends.