haiyaaaaah
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Hey there! Been a while. I've been really busy these past few months and it wasn't until relatively recently that I got the time to start writing some stuff again. Snooping through every so often, I realized that one of the authors I respect the most here was actually celebrating his birthday on this very day, 4th of December... So I decided to cook a fanfic up to get back into practice and also to deliver something that'll hopefully make it even better for him! So, without further ado... Happy birthday to @RichestAirPirate!
Content Warnings: None.
——————————————————————————————————————————
Far ahead, a golden beacon pierced the horizon—its grandiose radiance gracing the surroundings with a lustrous sheen…
Indeed, no sunny days were as lively as the ones in Saffron City. With a shine to eclipse the skies, stirring with carefree laughs and hurried schedules, it was a place where dreams forever awaited—where skipping hearts lost themselves in bliss, always searching for something… Or someone.
Yet, in the dormant forests around, the only noises that prevailed were the slow, cautious steps of a small boy scurrying through bushes and occasionally prodding the ground with his catching net.
“Man, are Bug Pokémon shy around these parts or somethin’?!” Bugsy grumbled, brushing off some sweat with his shirt, “There must be some really cool bugs somewhere, I can feel it!”
Drooping leaves flowed freely from nestled branches, the nature thriving in peace with the utmost indifference to his growing disappointment…
“Grrrr… Agh, screw it! I think I’m just gonna quit wasting time here and look up for another place to do my research! … Although, in hindsight, maybe rushing off the moment I got here wasn’t the best idea after all, heheh…”
Spinning around his axis, he swiftly began his stroll back, nevertheless still making use of his time to take in the wilderness around—even if the heat made it unbearable…
“Well, at least everything’s calm and quiet as always!” He beamed an ironic smile, trudging through cramped trees. “With the heavy heat and the scratches all around… Feels just like home! Ughhhh…”
…
THUMP!
“Huh?!” Bugsy whipped back, defensively clasping into his net, “Who— Who’s there?!”
A lone rock stood in the way, the once peaceful silence slowly growing cold and tense, almost as if it tested just how familiar were his senses to the environment he found himself in…
“Alright, whoever is there, you can quit messing around with me!” He threatened, glancing around his sides, “I know it may be funny to ya, but if you don’t show up then I have EVERY right to let my Bug ‘mons go loose!”
The forest held its breath, a new life from within taking notice of his presence—the enclosing branches and foliage pressing onto his weary heart like a heavy, judgemental gaze…
“SHOW YOURSELF, INTRUDER!” A sharp voice echoed.
“WAAAAAAAAAH!” He wailed, his net almost jumping out of his grip! “What’s going on?! I— I wasn’t trying to do anything funny, I swear!”
“If it’s really so… Then you shouldn’t be afraid of meeting me.” Then, Bugsy felt his body refusing to obey his motions as a soft purple glow began to envelop his frame… “At least, if your convictions are truly strong…”
“Whaaaaaat?!” He could do little but to feel his feet slowly float up in the air as the trees parted into a wide path that led further deep into nowhere!
And before he could muster his wits to charge head-on into what seemed like his doom, his body was suddenly launched through—the boy pressing his eyes shut in an attempt to avoid meeting the ever encroaching stare of fate…
“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”
…
The soothing laps of water hummed in the vast darkness. Weakly pushing his face up from the dirt, Bugsy found himself flown away to a place that had long wished for a peaceful rest just as much as he did right now…
“Where… Where am I?” He sat up, spitting the remaining blades of grass.
“You’re safe here now,” A subtle female voice honeyed the breeze, “You can go ahead and reveal yourself to me.”
“Huh…?” Bugsy looked up, to where the tune called him from…
There at the edge of the lake stood a faint silhouette, enveloped by the sun’s curtains and splitting the sparkling water in two—almost as if it was the central figure of a masterpiece.
“I…” He stumbled on his words, amazed by how the woman naturally held on to her composure despite his presence… “Who are you? And… Why did you get me here?”
“I was trying to find some peace here in the wilderness, so to notice someone else wandering around for no apparent reason was certainly intriguing.” She dragged her pause, carefully choosing her words. “As for who I am… I don’t feel comfortable saying it just yet. How about you tell me something about yourself first?”
“I’m, uhhhh… I’m Bugsy. Gym Leader of Azalea Town…” Putting on a professional front around such an ominous figure was surprisingly difficult, and he was already feeling like bugs were crawling all over him… “Oh, and I’m a prime Bug Type researcher too! Almost forgot that, heheh.”
“It’d seem like you aren’t feeling comfortable telling me about this,” And yet, it still felt like she always knew all he had to say the entire time… “Trust me, nothing you say will fall into the wrong ears.”
“Well, you ain’t exactly helping, y’know?” Bugsy walked to her side, catching a closer glimpse of her face. “You have a really… Mysterious vibe going on, and considering how I got here in the first place… Well, it shouldn’t be a surprise I’m feeling a bit wiggly around ya!”
“A Bug Type specialist feeling scared around a psychic?” She turned to him for the first time, causing him to nearly stumble down!
“Huh?! So you ARE a psychic!” He nevertheless only recovered his balance in a fluke, feeling sheepish about his display… “I guess that explains all these weird shenanigans I was experiencing!”
“Indeed. Though given my current state, my powers would leave much to be desired…” She turned back to the lake, “So that a Bug specialist like you would be easily befuddled by them is rather interesting, to say the least.”
“Hey, c’mon! Cut me some slack! I didn’t come here to battle or anything, I was just trying to do some field work for my research!”
“I don’t recall there being any Bug Pokémon nearby, so I think you’d have to look somewhere else for that.” However, Bugsy still held his gaze—noticing something mingling in the disappointment that coated her tone… “I must say though, the fact that you immediately rushed off to follow where your passion truly lied in—the very moment you got here—is quite… Inspiring for someone like me.”
“... Really?” He held his heart, touched by the sliver of honesty shed from her lingering vulnerability. “Hey… C’mon, I’m just some guy who loves what he’s doing and somehow manages to balance it into a healthy schedule! I don’t even know how I do it, I just go and try to find my feet around things… So why is it that you find someone like me so impressive?”
She took a deep breath, her strength to glance back at him having ebbed away into the water… “It’s the simplicity of it. For you, it comes out of the heart, and it’s that bliss that makes the world crumble under your stride… When you’re raised in an environment where things never quite made sense to you, where you seem to be the only one to notice it… It’s difficult to handle a situation that will always refuse to go your way no matter what.”
“I… I can’t really try to comprehend what that feels like!” Bugsy closed in, exasperated from worry, “Please tell me off if I’m being pushy, but I think you should be telling me more about who you are if we really wanna dig into the roots of this… I don’t know if you really think I’m capable of helping, but I do!”
Then, she sighed—finally gathering the strength to thrust with her gaze. “I am Sabrina: the Gym Leader of Saffron City. I’ve had psychic powers since I was a child and from then on, I’ve felt deeply enchanted by Psychic Pokémon…
… But I always felt like my calling was somewhere else. I’ve never really protested the dues of being a Gym Leader—and I’ve been thoroughly instructed in them—but if I ever had a chance to be in my own world and pour myself out then I would do it…”
“Y— You’re the Gym Leader?! I— I see then… Well, before we go any further, how ‘bout we sit down so we can loose a little and think about this more clearly?” Bugsy offered, an earnest smile timidly gleaming on his face.
“... If you actually want to, then we can do that, I suppose.”
The two sat down next to each other, the warm air quietly seeping through as their feelings weighed, awaiting to clash…
“Listen, I may be a tad bit younger than ya, but being a Gym Leader too I believe there’s a lot I could help you sort out even if by a little, y’know? Tell me, what’s particularly troubling you about it? Is it the workload, is it the constraints…?”
“These are stressful, don’t get me wrong, but above all I think it’s a more foundational issue.”
“Foundational? What is it then, exactly?”
“It’s something about my entire profession, the passion that I’ve been putting into it… It’s been eluding me for a while.”
“Really?! But… Why?”
“You see, Bugsy… I don’t exactly take battling all that well. I do believe that it’s important to be honing my powers and those of my Pokémon, but only for the sole purpose of protecting what matters in times of need… And, as of late, I’ve been increasingly feeling like that message hasn’t been carrying properly through what I do. The challengers I’ve been facing don’t seem to be taking in anything from these battles—only marvel and amusement as if it was all a spectacle…”
“Hmmmm, I can see why it’s such a big deal for ya… Personally, I see battling more as supplementary to my research. Sure, I have lots of fun coming up with new strategies and other stuff, but in the end all I’m hopeful for is to see just how far-reaching the potential of my Bug Pokémon is! … And I think that’s more or less what you need—something else to be passionate about in case you need to fall back!”
“But… What else could I be passionate for?! The only thing I like doing in my spare time is retreating into a safe space where I can be shielded from the noise and other worldly matters… I try to fit into my image as much as I can, but there’s a limit! If only there was a way for me to contribute something—anything—through other means…”
“Fit into your image, contribute something through other means… Huh…” Bugsy dwelled on before an idea brightened up his face! “Wait, I got something, I got something! How ‘bout, uhhhh… How ‘bout becoming an actress?”
“What?! An actress?!”
“Yeah! You can give new life to a different character and inspire a message you wouldn’t be able to otherwise! I believe it sounds just fine for what you need!”
“But I don’t have any acting skills nor do I have any experience in that industry! What makes you think I would shine if I tried to earn a place there?”
“Well, for one, you’re one of the meanest Gym Leaders in Kanto!” He opened his arms, “That’s gonna be proof you know how to handle ‘mons better than most people out there! And second, you’re also a powerful psychic… Just imagine all the directors who would be begging and tugging atcha to come!”
“I don’t know, Bugsy… It really seems like a reckless pursuit to me. I might consider it, but I should think of something else first…”
“Hey,” He wrapped an arm around her neck—much to her amusement, “If you wanna go with somethin’ that makes you feel more comfortable with doing, I’ll be happy too! I’m just sayin’ that you got lots of potential for it. I believe that if you’re persistent… If you continue to push yourself through… Then you will always find your way. Even if you don’t notice at first.”
“... Do you really say so?”
“Yes, I do.”
Their gazes grew more tender in the silence, the world slowing as they lost themselves into the other’s eyes. Like a bug he crawled to her heart—through gentle steps, unnoticed but never stopping…
… And in the end, only she could tell him whether he finally got anywhere or not.
“OK, it’s starting to get late… How ‘bout we go down to the city and go somewhere to cool off? I got no idea how you can just handle the heat like it’s nothing!”
“Heh, it’s only slightly problematic for me… But you’re right, let’s get going.”
Content Warnings: None.
——————————————————————————————————————————
A Bug Always Finds Its Way...
Far ahead, a golden beacon pierced the horizon—its grandiose radiance gracing the surroundings with a lustrous sheen…
Indeed, no sunny days were as lively as the ones in Saffron City. With a shine to eclipse the skies, stirring with carefree laughs and hurried schedules, it was a place where dreams forever awaited—where skipping hearts lost themselves in bliss, always searching for something… Or someone.
Yet, in the dormant forests around, the only noises that prevailed were the slow, cautious steps of a small boy scurrying through bushes and occasionally prodding the ground with his catching net.
“Man, are Bug Pokémon shy around these parts or somethin’?!” Bugsy grumbled, brushing off some sweat with his shirt, “There must be some really cool bugs somewhere, I can feel it!”
Drooping leaves flowed freely from nestled branches, the nature thriving in peace with the utmost indifference to his growing disappointment…
“Grrrr… Agh, screw it! I think I’m just gonna quit wasting time here and look up for another place to do my research! … Although, in hindsight, maybe rushing off the moment I got here wasn’t the best idea after all, heheh…”
Spinning around his axis, he swiftly began his stroll back, nevertheless still making use of his time to take in the wilderness around—even if the heat made it unbearable…
“Well, at least everything’s calm and quiet as always!” He beamed an ironic smile, trudging through cramped trees. “With the heavy heat and the scratches all around… Feels just like home! Ughhhh…”
…
THUMP!
“Huh?!” Bugsy whipped back, defensively clasping into his net, “Who— Who’s there?!”
A lone rock stood in the way, the once peaceful silence slowly growing cold and tense, almost as if it tested just how familiar were his senses to the environment he found himself in…
“Alright, whoever is there, you can quit messing around with me!” He threatened, glancing around his sides, “I know it may be funny to ya, but if you don’t show up then I have EVERY right to let my Bug ‘mons go loose!”
The forest held its breath, a new life from within taking notice of his presence—the enclosing branches and foliage pressing onto his weary heart like a heavy, judgemental gaze…
“SHOW YOURSELF, INTRUDER!” A sharp voice echoed.
“WAAAAAAAAAH!” He wailed, his net almost jumping out of his grip! “What’s going on?! I— I wasn’t trying to do anything funny, I swear!”
“If it’s really so… Then you shouldn’t be afraid of meeting me.” Then, Bugsy felt his body refusing to obey his motions as a soft purple glow began to envelop his frame… “At least, if your convictions are truly strong…”
“Whaaaaaat?!” He could do little but to feel his feet slowly float up in the air as the trees parted into a wide path that led further deep into nowhere!
And before he could muster his wits to charge head-on into what seemed like his doom, his body was suddenly launched through—the boy pressing his eyes shut in an attempt to avoid meeting the ever encroaching stare of fate…
“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!”
…
The soothing laps of water hummed in the vast darkness. Weakly pushing his face up from the dirt, Bugsy found himself flown away to a place that had long wished for a peaceful rest just as much as he did right now…
“Where… Where am I?” He sat up, spitting the remaining blades of grass.
“You’re safe here now,” A subtle female voice honeyed the breeze, “You can go ahead and reveal yourself to me.”
“Huh…?” Bugsy looked up, to where the tune called him from…
There at the edge of the lake stood a faint silhouette, enveloped by the sun’s curtains and splitting the sparkling water in two—almost as if it was the central figure of a masterpiece.
“I…” He stumbled on his words, amazed by how the woman naturally held on to her composure despite his presence… “Who are you? And… Why did you get me here?”
“I was trying to find some peace here in the wilderness, so to notice someone else wandering around for no apparent reason was certainly intriguing.” She dragged her pause, carefully choosing her words. “As for who I am… I don’t feel comfortable saying it just yet. How about you tell me something about yourself first?”
“I’m, uhhhh… I’m Bugsy. Gym Leader of Azalea Town…” Putting on a professional front around such an ominous figure was surprisingly difficult, and he was already feeling like bugs were crawling all over him… “Oh, and I’m a prime Bug Type researcher too! Almost forgot that, heheh.”
“It’d seem like you aren’t feeling comfortable telling me about this,” And yet, it still felt like she always knew all he had to say the entire time… “Trust me, nothing you say will fall into the wrong ears.”
“Well, you ain’t exactly helping, y’know?” Bugsy walked to her side, catching a closer glimpse of her face. “You have a really… Mysterious vibe going on, and considering how I got here in the first place… Well, it shouldn’t be a surprise I’m feeling a bit wiggly around ya!”
“A Bug Type specialist feeling scared around a psychic?” She turned to him for the first time, causing him to nearly stumble down!
“Huh?! So you ARE a psychic!” He nevertheless only recovered his balance in a fluke, feeling sheepish about his display… “I guess that explains all these weird shenanigans I was experiencing!”
“Indeed. Though given my current state, my powers would leave much to be desired…” She turned back to the lake, “So that a Bug specialist like you would be easily befuddled by them is rather interesting, to say the least.”
“Hey, c’mon! Cut me some slack! I didn’t come here to battle or anything, I was just trying to do some field work for my research!”
“I don’t recall there being any Bug Pokémon nearby, so I think you’d have to look somewhere else for that.” However, Bugsy still held his gaze—noticing something mingling in the disappointment that coated her tone… “I must say though, the fact that you immediately rushed off to follow where your passion truly lied in—the very moment you got here—is quite… Inspiring for someone like me.”
“... Really?” He held his heart, touched by the sliver of honesty shed from her lingering vulnerability. “Hey… C’mon, I’m just some guy who loves what he’s doing and somehow manages to balance it into a healthy schedule! I don’t even know how I do it, I just go and try to find my feet around things… So why is it that you find someone like me so impressive?”
She took a deep breath, her strength to glance back at him having ebbed away into the water… “It’s the simplicity of it. For you, it comes out of the heart, and it’s that bliss that makes the world crumble under your stride… When you’re raised in an environment where things never quite made sense to you, where you seem to be the only one to notice it… It’s difficult to handle a situation that will always refuse to go your way no matter what.”
“I… I can’t really try to comprehend what that feels like!” Bugsy closed in, exasperated from worry, “Please tell me off if I’m being pushy, but I think you should be telling me more about who you are if we really wanna dig into the roots of this… I don’t know if you really think I’m capable of helping, but I do!”
Then, she sighed—finally gathering the strength to thrust with her gaze. “I am Sabrina: the Gym Leader of Saffron City. I’ve had psychic powers since I was a child and from then on, I’ve felt deeply enchanted by Psychic Pokémon…
… But I always felt like my calling was somewhere else. I’ve never really protested the dues of being a Gym Leader—and I’ve been thoroughly instructed in them—but if I ever had a chance to be in my own world and pour myself out then I would do it…”
“Y— You’re the Gym Leader?! I— I see then… Well, before we go any further, how ‘bout we sit down so we can loose a little and think about this more clearly?” Bugsy offered, an earnest smile timidly gleaming on his face.
“... If you actually want to, then we can do that, I suppose.”
The two sat down next to each other, the warm air quietly seeping through as their feelings weighed, awaiting to clash…
“Listen, I may be a tad bit younger than ya, but being a Gym Leader too I believe there’s a lot I could help you sort out even if by a little, y’know? Tell me, what’s particularly troubling you about it? Is it the workload, is it the constraints…?”
“These are stressful, don’t get me wrong, but above all I think it’s a more foundational issue.”
“Foundational? What is it then, exactly?”
“It’s something about my entire profession, the passion that I’ve been putting into it… It’s been eluding me for a while.”
“Really?! But… Why?”
“You see, Bugsy… I don’t exactly take battling all that well. I do believe that it’s important to be honing my powers and those of my Pokémon, but only for the sole purpose of protecting what matters in times of need… And, as of late, I’ve been increasingly feeling like that message hasn’t been carrying properly through what I do. The challengers I’ve been facing don’t seem to be taking in anything from these battles—only marvel and amusement as if it was all a spectacle…”
“Hmmmm, I can see why it’s such a big deal for ya… Personally, I see battling more as supplementary to my research. Sure, I have lots of fun coming up with new strategies and other stuff, but in the end all I’m hopeful for is to see just how far-reaching the potential of my Bug Pokémon is! … And I think that’s more or less what you need—something else to be passionate about in case you need to fall back!”
“But… What else could I be passionate for?! The only thing I like doing in my spare time is retreating into a safe space where I can be shielded from the noise and other worldly matters… I try to fit into my image as much as I can, but there’s a limit! If only there was a way for me to contribute something—anything—through other means…”
“Fit into your image, contribute something through other means… Huh…” Bugsy dwelled on before an idea brightened up his face! “Wait, I got something, I got something! How ‘bout, uhhhh… How ‘bout becoming an actress?”
“What?! An actress?!”
“Yeah! You can give new life to a different character and inspire a message you wouldn’t be able to otherwise! I believe it sounds just fine for what you need!”
“But I don’t have any acting skills nor do I have any experience in that industry! What makes you think I would shine if I tried to earn a place there?”
“Well, for one, you’re one of the meanest Gym Leaders in Kanto!” He opened his arms, “That’s gonna be proof you know how to handle ‘mons better than most people out there! And second, you’re also a powerful psychic… Just imagine all the directors who would be begging and tugging atcha to come!”
“I don’t know, Bugsy… It really seems like a reckless pursuit to me. I might consider it, but I should think of something else first…”
“Hey,” He wrapped an arm around her neck—much to her amusement, “If you wanna go with somethin’ that makes you feel more comfortable with doing, I’ll be happy too! I’m just sayin’ that you got lots of potential for it. I believe that if you’re persistent… If you continue to push yourself through… Then you will always find your way. Even if you don’t notice at first.”
“... Do you really say so?”
“Yes, I do.”
Their gazes grew more tender in the silence, the world slowing as they lost themselves into the other’s eyes. Like a bug he crawled to her heart—through gentle steps, unnoticed but never stopping…
… And in the end, only she could tell him whether he finally got anywhere or not.
“OK, it’s starting to get late… How ‘bout we go down to the city and go somewhere to cool off? I got no idea how you can just handle the heat like it’s nothing!”
“Heh, it’s only slightly problematic for me… But you’re right, let’s get going.”
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