EVERYONE: - Complete [Horizons, Liko/Dot] The Time That I Spend With You

[Mialentia]

Content Warnings: None​

Summary:​

After finishing up her latest video, Dot struggles to find Liko anywhere on the Brave Olivine. After a quick phone call which only left the streamer confused by her response, she heads out to meet up with her in the forest…

Tags:​

Writing Challenge, Autumn, Kissing, Fluff

Fic:​

“And… done!”

Dot stretched in her chair as she hit the save button on her video editing software. Another Nidothing vid was in the books now, much to her satisfaction. The subject of this one was more general; she had been trying to branch out from strictly Pokémon-focused content in the past year, and this video about seasons was just another step in that journey. She still related it to Pokémon, of course, mentioning things such as Deerling’s different fur coats, but she also spent some time talking about the effects seasons can have on humans, partly pulling from her own experience. As the streamer began rendering the video, she decided to go for a walk around the ship, as the process took quite a while to complete. Maybe she could look for Liko… she hadn’t seen much of her girlfriend today, and she began to miss her, even though it was only the early afternoon. So, she got up from her desk, and decided to look for her…

…only to not find hide nor hair of her.

Even asking the other Rising Volt Tacklers proved pointless. Roy and Ult spent too much time arguing about one thing or another for her to even ask, Orla had been cooped up in the engine room all day for maintenance, and Mollie and Murdock didn’t seem to know for sure, either, only telling her that the young Trainer headed out right after lunch. Out of options, Dot pulled out her Rotom Phone and gave Liko a call, which she thankfully answered.

“Liko? Where did you go? I was hoping to see you…”
“–ot! I– in the forest– Meowsca–”
“Huh? You’re breaking up. Is everything okay?”
“Wha–? Can’t– r you– aah!”
“Liko? Liko!? Hello!?” Despite the purple-haired girl’s attempts to reach her partner, the call suddenly ended, leaving her in a state of worry. Stopping by her room to grab Quaxwell’s Poké Ball, she rushed out of the ship and headed for the nearby forest, which they had landed next to. Maybe she should have told the adults on the ship, but she was too worried to waste even a second, and so she didn’t look back once as she headed into the woods in search of her love.

--------------------------------------

“Meowwwrrr… meeeeow!”
“Haha, Meowscarada, stop~! That tickles!”

Liko playfully protested as her partner Pokémon began hugging her excitedly. The Magician Pokémon was very excited to be in the forest with her Trainer and her teammates, and after throwing some leaves at the former, she began playing with her, in that way most feline Pokémon like to do. As the two enjoyed this innocent moment, Pagogo and Hattrem looking on with excitement, they suddenly heard a familiar voice ringing through the forest, a worried tone coloring its words.

“Liko? Are you there!? Is everything okay!?”
“Huh…? Dot? Dot! I’m over there!” Liko got up and waved at her girlfriend as she saw her pass by a few dozen meters away.
“Huh– Liko!” Running over to her side, Dot began scolding her. “ I… huff I was worried about you! Don’t just run off on your own like that…!”
“O-Oh, um, sorry… Meowscarada dragged me along here so suddenly that I didn’t have time to tell anybody where I was going… and we don’t get much reception here.”
“S-Still! I thought the Explorers might have found you or something… why are you here, anyway?”
“This one just wanted to play for a while.” The blue-haired Trainer informed her crewmate, pointing to the Grass-type rolling around in a pile of leaves like her life depended on it.
“...Huh.” Dot seemed somewhat surprised at the sight. “I guess we already got farther into autumn than I thought we did. It happened right under my nose…”
“Is that so surprising?”
“Oh, well, um, not really, just…” Dot hesitated. “Isn’t it… a little weird that she’s so happy right now? N-Not that I think she shouldn’t be! I just… if I was a Grass-type and I had to witness all the plant life around me die like this… I feel like I’d be a little sad.”
“Hmm… I think I see what you mean. But it’s not really like that.”
“Oh? How do you mean– eek!” Suddenly, Dot jumped. A big drop of rain hit her neck, the cold startling her.
“Oh, it’s starting to rain…! We should find someplace dry before we get soaked–”
“Haaatt… rem!” Before Liko could react, Hattrem jumped into action, using her Confusion to manipulate nearby branches, leaves, and even a metal sheet into a makeshift shed for her Trainer and her love to hide under.
“Oh! Thank you, Hattrem. Pagogo! Come here so you don’t get dry!”
“Pago!” As the Tera Pokémon waddled over to the newly-made shelter, Liko sat down under it, tapping the ground next to her to invite Dot to sit close, which the streamer was only too happy to oblige.
“I should let Quaxwell out, too.”
“Quax!”
“Go enjoy the rain, buddy. I know you love it!”
“Hehe… no matter how strong or smart they get, our partners are still just a duck and a cat in the end, huh?”
“Yeah… oh, sorry. What were you were saying earlier?”
Liko looked up at the sky, trying to remember what she was explaining, before continuing. “Oh, yeah. About Meowscarada enjoying autumn. Well, you see… the way I see it, there’s nothing to get sad about!”
“...Isn’t there? Every year, hundreds of trees lose their last leaves in the fall. It’s like if dozens of people dropped dead all at once around you in the span of six months…”
“...” Liko thought long and hard about how to best respond. “I can see how you’d get to that conclusion. But, when it comes to trees… it’s part of their cycle of life, you know?”
“...?”
“In my eyes, autumn leaves aren’t dead remains of something living. They’re, like, the next phase of life!” The taller girl smiled as she explained her point of view. “The dead leaves decompose and serve as nutrients for the vegetation around them, and the branches get picked up by bird Pokémon in the spring to make nests. I think that’s why Meowscarada loves autumn so much. She’s celebrating that in her own way, by playing in the leaves and having a good time!”
“...” Dot stayed silent for a while, as she observed the Grass-type and the Water-type dancing in the elements. Even if it had been a long time now since she had began experiencing the outside world firsthand, was there still a part of her than hung on to her old pessimism about the world…? Meowscarada and Quaxwell were having the time of their lives out there, simply enjoying the moment, even play-fighting with their Aqua Cutters and Magical Leaves. “That’s… something I never considered. It’s surprising to hear you talk about things so philosophically, though, haha.”
“O-Oh, um, we talked about the seasons in class recently, and I thought it was pretty interesting… hehe.”
As a soft smile formed on Dot’s face, she let her head rest on her love’s shoulder, as she began to talk more seriously. “You know, to me, autumn always seemed like such a sad season. Everything’s becoming more gray and drab, the weather gets colder, and… well, like I said, the trees lose their color, and even die. Even my own mood, as night started arriving sooner, would… well, that’s neither here nor there.”
“Dot…”
“But… ever since I met you… ever since you started breaking down the walls I put up around me… it’s become easier and easier to look at the bright side. All the little things in the world suddenly got so vibrant and beautiful.” Dot smiled brightly as she spoke. “My allergies in the spring are less of a pain when you’ll burst into my room with medicine and sweet treats, and refuse to leave even if I tell you not to worry.”
“Ehehe… I just wanna take care of you, that’s all…”
“And summer… for a while, it just felt so annoying. I’d sweat buckets, cooped up in my room like that. But now, we can go get ice cream together, or even go swimming. The beach is so much more f”un than I expected when I’m with you…”
Feeling bold, Liko decided to tease her partner. “Because you get to sneak a peek at me in a swimsuit, right?”
“L-L-L-Liko…! Don’t make me sound like a creep…!”
“Hehe, it’s okay, I like looking at you too, Dot~”
“O-Oh, shut up…!” The smaller girl blushed profusely as her girlfriend giggled, before gathering herself and continuing. “A-anyway… you can imagine that I wasn’t a huge fan of winter, either. The cold is not nearly as bad when I can knock on your door and cuddle up next to you in your blanket and watch shows with you.”
“I have to admit, I think winter’s become my favorite season just for that… haha.” It was Liko’s turn to blush, as their conversation only got more and more personal and heartfelt.
“So… maybe, now that I’m here with you… the leaves look a little less dead, and the rain feels a little less cold. Maybe now, I’m seeing a vibrant, happy scenery, next to my girlfriend and surrounded by the Pokémon we love.”
“Dot…”
“...Thank you for bringing so much color into my life, Liko. Truly.”
“I feel the same, you know.”
“Oh?” The former shut-in felt surprised at that. “Is that so?”
“Mhm. The day I met Meowscarada as a Sprigatito… my world suddenly became so very big. Soon enough, that encounter got me to the Rising Volt Tacklers, then to Roy, and finally… to you.” Liko continued, petting a sleeping Pagogo as she did. “In such a short time, my life got turned upside-down in the best way. And I’m so, so grateful it happened. Because now, I get to enjoy a quiet moment like this just with you.”
“...I love you, Liko.” Dot smiled brightly.
“I love you too, Dot.” Liko returned the smile, a flutter in her heart.

As the two girls finished exchanging words, they slowly found themselves moving closer to the other still. Eventually, they stopped talking, letting their gazes do the talking, until finally, their lips found the other’s.

As the quiet noises of the rain hitting the ground backed the sounds of their quickening heartbeats, the two Rising Volt Tacklers shared a passionate, tender kiss. For the rest of the crew, this was simply another rainy day. But for them… this was an unforgettable, magical moment, one that they would surely think back to for many years to come.