EVERYONE: - Complete Persian Curl: Three Days (diamondshipping)

[SilveryBeing]

I meant to have this story up ages ago, but due to not being able to figure a title and college midterms this is a little late. This takes place when Giovanni (based off of this picture) and Delia where much younger. The title Persian Curl is from the curl in the cat's tail and would be the series name if I ever intend to write more.

And now on with the story.

Chapter One

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A ship from Cinnabar might not be the most conventional way for a new trainer to arrive in Pallet Town, but when your family had a lot of money you always found a way to go to where you needed to be.

“Let’s see.” The young trainer pulled out a map as he walked over the wet squeaky planks of Pallet Harbor. “This place isn’t very big, the Laboratory should be around here somewhere...”

He brushed back his long black hair that was tousled in the sea breeze as he looked around. The town certainly was small, one sweep of the head could take in all the brightly colored buildings. But there was also a lot of land and trees. A village growing into the forest.

“Not even a PokeMart or Center.” That worried him a little but perhaps the Lab would fulfill both needs.

He pulled a pokeball off his belt. “Persian, come out and help me figure out where the Lab is.”

The light condensed into the form of a persian. The big cat nuzzled against his trainer.

The boy knelt down and seemed to show the map to the pokemon. “It doesn’t seem to look any different from the other buildings.” He gave the cat a rub behind the ears. “So help me find it okay?”

“Excuse me, are you lost?” A feminine voice came from behind.

The trainer looked up curiously. The girl seemed about his age with short brown hair covered in a white bucket hat with upturned brim and carrying a few books in her arms. “I’m not lost, I haven’t gone anywhere yet.”

The girl blinked and then giggled. “I guess that makes sense.”

The boy straightened up and pocketed the map. “I need to find Professor Oak’s Laboratory, would you know where it it?” She seemed to be a local, that would be a huge help.

The girl brightened up. “Oh of course! You must be the trainer the Professor is expecting. I can take you there.” She held out her hand. “My name is Delia.”

He looked at the hand for a moment before taking it. “Thanks, my name is Giovanni.”

“Ooh, an italian!” She blushed a little. “What a pretty name.”

Giovanni was taken back. “Ummm...I guess...about the Lab...”

Delia brought herself back down to earth. “Oh of course, this way. Follow me.”

Giovanni followed behind, his persian at his side. The scent of the sea started to mix with the forest musk, and those brightly colored houses seemed to replicate and expand. Maybe the town was a little larger than he had thought.

“So are you a trainer Delia?” He asked finally.

“Oh no. At least not yet. I want to be someday. Right now I’m one of Professor Oak’s students.”

Another breeze picked up and ruffled his coat and got some more of his hair in his face. His mother always told him to cut it, but that was more reason to keep it.

“But you must be a really good trainer Giovanni.”

Giovanni was struggling with a hair tie he had fished out of his bag and almost didn’t hear her at first. “Why do you say that?” Curious, they had only just met.

Delia looked back and smiled. “Your persian seems to really like you. I hear that they are tough to train.”

There, he managed to put his long raven hair in a ponytail, that was much better. “I guess.” He looked down at his pokemon. The persian smiled and nuzzled against him with a slight mew. Giovanni smiled and petted his companion.

“Alright, we’re here!” Delia said proudly, gesturing up at the lab.

It wasn’t much, just a little bigger than the other houses with a large lawn. But there was scaffolding up the sides. The professor was in the midst of an expansion.

Giovanni and persian kept looking up, trying to figure what the builders where trying to do.

Delia grabbed the young trainer by the sleeve, giving him the proverbial heart attack, and dragged him inside the lab. “PROFESSOR!!!”

Giovanni pounded on his chest to keep breathing though now he was almost deaf. “Do you have to yell?”

Delia ignored him and stood with her hands on her hips. “Professor! He’s here!!”

Professor Oak sidled out of a doorway. “I hear you child. You don’t need to shout so much. Who's here?”

The girl motioned to Giovanni for him to come front and center. “This is Giovanni Professor Oak.” She smiled. “He’s the one you sent for.”

Giovanni wasn’t one to be intimated. But those open features and genuinely kind eyes was something he was not used too and it put him off balance. “Hello sir.” He bowed politely.

Professor Oak laughed. “Well well, I’ve heard you are very intelligent and interested in pokemon research.”

“That is true sir.” He bowed slightly again.

“Then you are perfect.” He gave the trainer a hard friendly slap on the back. “Come this way.”

“Ow...” Giovanni winced and tried to rub his back.

“Sorry about him.” Delia apologized. “He’s just excited about his new invention. He’s been going on nonstop about it.”

Well, that perked the boy’s curiosity. He followed Delia into the lab proper. There where a few students and assistants around, all with their faces buried deep into books. He felt instant curiosity about those books. Maybe some day he’d come here and just go through those stuffed bookshelves on a quiet night.

“Up here Giovanni, Delia you can come too.” Professor Oak motioned. “Right then.” He cleared his throat as if reading for a speech. “Pokemon, as you both know, have inhabited the world along side humans for thousands of years. Hundreds of attempts have been made to catalogue all pokemon. All have had varying degrees of success, but none have truly succeeded in a simple to use and yet complete catalogue.”

The two teenagers could feel their eyes starting to glaze over.

But Oak didn’t notice. “That was until now!” He held out a flat red electronic device.

“What is it Professor?” Giovanni had already figured Oak was a tad eclectic and wasn’t quiet sure what to make of this.

“I call it a Pokedex.” Oak beamed proudly. “It’s a system that holds information on all pokemon in an easy to use format. Here, take a look.” He handed it to the trainer.

Giovanni took the thin item and opened it up. “Hmmm, how does it work?”

Delia looked over his shoulder. “Point it to a pokemon and press this button here.”

“Hmmm...” He turned and looked at his pokemon. “Let’s see.” He pointed at his persian and pressed the button.

Persian: The Classy Cat Pokemon. It is a popular pet due to its glossy fur, but it can be fickle and cruel.

“Oh wow!” The trainer exclaimed as an electronic voice came over the speakers. “Did you hear that Persian? That is so amazing.”

The pokemon huffed. It didn’t think being called cruel was all that great.

Delia smiled. “The pokedex has a lot of info you can get too. See, these buttons here show measurements, here is for a map of where it can be found. And...this one here gives more in depth info on the pokemon and how to care for it.”

“That’s so much better than those dumb cards we have to use.” Giovanni looked at her, impressed. “Wow, you know a lot about this thing.”

The girl blushed. “Well, I did help make it, I typed up a lot of the information.”

Oak chuckled. “Well, glad you like it Giovanni. But this is just a prototype. That’s why I wanted you to come here. I need someone to test it in the field. And since you are interested in research, you are just the one to make sure everything in it is correct and get back to me on it’s use.”

Giovanni blinked. “You mean you want me to have it sir?” He gazed down at the pokedex in new light. “That’s a lot of responsibility sir.”

Oak smiled. “I’m sure you’ll be fine Giovanni.” He nodded to Delia. “And speaking of, Delia, I need you to run to Viridian City for me and drop something off.”

The girl straightened up. “Me sir?”

Giovanni pocketed the pokedex where it wouldn’t get hurt. “I’m from Viridian. That’s the next town from here.”

Oak nodded. “It is. I just have a package to be dropped off at the pokecenter.”

“I know where that is, I bike there often.” Delia said.

“Good. Stop by later and I’ll give it to you.” That business was done. “And you should get started Giovanni, there is no time like the present.”

“N-now sir?” He cast a glance at Delia. “What if I wait and travel with Delia. We are both going to Viridian-”

“Nonsense!” Oak yelled, oblivious to Delia’s blushing. “This is an important event in pokemon research! You can’t wait! Gogogo!” He shooed the boy out.

Within seconds Giovanni and his persian where standing in the grass staring at the Lab’s closed doors.

“Giovanni...?”

“Delia?” The trainer looked around to figure out where she was.

The brown haired girl came out of a side door. “That was really sweet of wanting to come with me.”

“Well,” Giovanni’s face grew warm. “You know a lot about this pokedex thing, you’re pretty smart. And...and you really shouldn’t be wandering the wilderness alone without a pokemon.”

Delia giggled, blushing along with the boy. “It’s okay, it’s not a long trip and it’s safe if you stay on the bike. And the pokedex isn’t hard to use, you’ll figure it out.”

The wind stirred between the two, the only noise in their silence.

“Umm,” Delia twisted her fingers together nervously, finally found the courage to speak her mind. “Maybe we can met up in Viridian. Like I said it’s not far, and we could hang out a little. If that’s okay.”

“That sound like a perfect idea. I’ll be in Viridian in no time.” The trainer smiled and held out his hand. “Let’s shake on it.”

Delia felt so relieved. “Alright,” She took his hand. “I’ll see you in Viridian.”

“See you there.”

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End Chapter One

 

[SilveryBeing]

Chapter Two

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*Three Days Later*

Giovanni was angry. Very angry. “Three days! Why has it been three days?!” He screamed and pounded his fist on the dirt. “Damn it, Delia probably went back to Pallet Town already.” That thought caused even more anger to boil in his veins.

His persian kept his distance, still sniffing the ground, trying to find the trail. His master somehow got lost, distracted by trying to use the pokedex while walking. And even though he had caught and verified the info on pidgies and rattatas, he wound up way off the trail.

But hope kept him from giving up. Delia had seemed pretty cool, and was really cute, every time he thought of her he started blushing. He couldn’t wait to see her again.

He flopped back down on the grass, staring listlessly at the clouds. They had to be close to Viridian, this section was starting to look a little familiar, but not quiet enough.

“Perrrr!” His persian looked up and called to him.

“You found the trail?” Giovanni scrambled to his feet to join his pokemon. “Are we almost there?”

“Perr perrr.” It nodded.

Giovanni grabbed his pack and made sure none of his camping gear was left behind. “Alright, let’s get out of here!”

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Delia fiddled with the phone, words still echoing in her ears. She was supposed to go back home. Her parents didn’t like her being in a city by herself. Even Professor Oak was showing concern after the second night.

“I’m fine. I’m a big girl.” She told herself. “Giovanni has to show up.”

She knew he hadn’t already arrived. Everyday she checked in with Nurse Joy about a long black haired boy with a persian and wearing a long coat but no one fit that description. She knew logically it would take someone not familiar with the area longer to travel, but still. She was worried.

She looked up hopefully as she heard the pokecenter’s doors open. But it was nothing, just another youngster excited about his small catch.

Every time she would do that. Every opening, every trainer step she would be filled with hope Giovanni would be there. It was crazy really, she had only just met him. But he was very cute and a good trainer. And Professor Oak liked him, and he was Italian.

Delia sighed. It was just a little crush, it didn’t mean anything.

And despite that, she still jerked her head up when she heard those doors open. But for once she wasn’t disappointed. He might have looked worn, with twigs and leafs in his hair, dirt on his face, and tears on his coat. His persian might have lost it’s creamy pelt color under the dust. But there was no mistaking.

“Giovanni!” She leapt out of her seat to greet him.

The trainer was shocked. “D-Delia? You waited for me?”

The girl stopped herself from hugging him, a little color rising to her cheeks. “Of course I waited. We promised to meet up.”

That was new to him. No one has ever gone out of their way to keep a promise to anyone let alone him. Maybe it was only her. “Thank you.”

Delia nodded. “Look, why don’t you get washed up and we can go get some dinner okay? I think I know exactly what will cheer you up.” She smiled.

She certainly had a cute smile. “Alright, I’m starving.”

Giovanni hurried. Neither he nor his persian where hurt so Nurse Joy just led them to the trainers rooms. A shower never felt so good and his clean clothes felt like heaven. He was giving his persian a quick brushing when his phone rang.

He stared at it, watched it have it’s little machine yelling spat that they called ringing. But there was no help for it, he had to answer it. “Hello mother.”

Delia, having not been stuck outdoors for days, didn’t have as much clean up. But she still brushed her brunette hair until it gleamed and pulled out the clothes she had bought the day before. They weren’t too fancy, just a new pair of jeans and a lightly colored top. This wasn’t a date after all.

She finally decided she was ready and grabbed her bag and hat. She almost skipped down the hall to find her new friend. “Giovanni?” She knocked on his door. “Are you ready?”

She was startled back when all she heard was an angry snarl and a slamming phone. She was about to back away and come back a little later but a big paw pulled at the door crack and the creamy persian bounded out to nuzzle her leg.

“Oh hello Persian.” She couldn’t help but smile at the big pokemon and gave him a scratch under the chin. “You are looking a lot better.”

“Hey.” Giovanni said shortly, appearing at the door.

Delia wasn’t sure what to do, the trainer looked tense. “Is everything okay?”

He took a deep breath and closed the door behind him. “Parents. They just don’t let you have your own life.”

Oh, was that all? She could relate to that. “I know what you mean. My parents wanted me to come home already. They didn’t want me to stay here so long.”

Whatever conversation he just had, it flew out of his mind. “You decided to stay anyways? Even though you might get in trouble.” Delia really was a selfless person, and it was for him. He had never known a girl like her.

She looked down bashfully and nodded. “But I have to go back tomorrow. I can’t make anymore excuses.”

Giovanni’s jaw tightened. If it wasn’t for those three damn days... “Well, then we have to make the best of now then.”

Delia looked up and nodded. “Right. Let’s get some dinner.”

The city of Viridian was on it’s last swell of life before settling down for sleep. The sun that was still in the sky was was gradually getting lower and lower.

“So Giovanni, you said you are from here.”

“I am but it’s been awhile. My family moves a lot.” That was the answer he was supposed to give, not that the Headquarters was much of a home.

“Really?” That was so strange to her. “I’ve only ever lived in Pallet.”

“It seems like a nice place.”

She nodded. “It is, sometimes it can get boring, but I do love it there.”

“I can see that.” He smiled at her, causing a little red to appear on her cheeks. But then he got distracted. “What’s all this.”

Delia followed his gaze. A cleared lot with bright yellow construction vehicles sitting like so many giant bugs held his attention. “Oh you don’t know since you’ve been gone for so long.”

“Know what?”

Delia smiled and pointed to a sign. “The gym. Viridian City is getting their own gym.”

Giovanni stared in wonder. He could almost see the building finished, sparkling and giant, towering over young trainers. “Wow, I’d love to be a Gym Leader.”

Delia waved a hand in front of his face. “I thought you like pokemon research.”

He snapped back to reality and the Gym faded back to a dusty lot. “I can do both.” The persian had to tug at his master’s coat to get them moving again.

“I bet if anyone could, you would be it.” Delia smiled. “What kind of pokemon would you use?”

“Strong kind. Be a real challenge for trainers.”

Delia chuckled. “I mean what type.”

“I dunno.” He thought as they walked. “Maybe Ground type. Very sturdy pokemon.”

Delia giggled and clapped her hands together excitedly. “Oh yes, and you could design you’re own badge too.”

Giovanni was having fun and the lights from the busy restaurant section was starting to cast color on the area. “Ya? And I’d be here in Viridian, that way I could be close to Pallet Town.”

The girl turned red. “I-oh look! We’re here!” She pointed excitedly, thankful for the distraction.

A faint smell wafted by Giovanni, a wonderful perfect smell. “Is that-”

“Come on,” Delia laughed and led him inside. “I figured this would be just the thing after that long trip.”

Giovanni wiped his eyes, feeling emotional. “This is so great, thank you. An italian restaurant. Just what I need.”

Delia smiled. The two found their seats with Persian under the table. The smell of garlic and tomato sauce was almost intoxicating. Delia decided to follow her friend’s lead and got a big plate of spaghetti with meat sauce. And a sizable bowl of pokemon food for the cat by their feet.

The food came quickly, hot fragrant pasta with a side of bread and butter, milk, and a delicious salad.

Giovanni stared greedily, or lovingly rather, at the food. He tossed the spoon aside and started to twirl the spaghetti. Delia decided to start on the salad.

“Giovanni, what kind of pepper is this?” A yellowy green pepper sat on top of the greenery. She didn’t want to eat something without being prepared for the heat.

“Hmm?” He took a hard swallow. “That’s a peperoncini, it can be rather hot but I like them.” He gave Delia a curious look. “But why are you eating your salad now?”

Delia stopped with the pepper halfway to her mouth. “What do you mean now?”

Giovanni pointed to her pasta plate. “Well, where I come from the salad is eaten last.”

“Oh.” Delia blushed and set it aside and started on her main course.

The boy didn’t mean to embarrass her and tried to think of something to talk about to get her mind off of it. “So, what do you do when your not studying?”

This food was really good. “Well, my family owns a restaurant, the Pallet House.”

“Wow, I wish I had known, I would have visited.”

Delia smiled, forgetting earlier. “I’m just a waitress there but my dad, he’s the cook, has taught me a lot of recipes. They plan for me to run it someday.”

He nodded. “After your pokemon journey of course.”

“Of course.” She dropped her voice to a whisper and leaned a little over the table. “But I want to be a model too and so I won’t have to run the restaurant.”

“You’re secret is safe with me.” He whispered back in the same fashion.

She chuckled. Giovanni was so cute and charming. She really liked him. “So what about you? What other tidbits is there about you?”

Giovanni took a piece of bread and buttered it. “Well, my mother wants me to to go into the family business too. But if I become a researcher or Gym Leader then hopefully I won’t have too.” He smeared the bread in some of the sauce. He wasn’t really thrilled about Team Rocket. That was his mother’s thing. Research and genetics, and battles...that’s what he liked. “And I’m known for catching good strong pokemon. They call me Catch ‘Em because of that.”

“Ketchum? That’s a weird nickname.”

Giovanni blushed, feeling humbled. “Ya well...” Those Rocket Agents had a strange sense of humor.

Delia chuckled, finishing her pasta. “But it’s cute.”

The young trainer turned red as he fiddled with his salad, dragging it onto the plate and mixing it with the rest of the pasta sauce. “You think so?”

The brown haired girl just ate her salad normal. “Ya, it has a real ring to it.”

Giovanni smiled. “I guess it does.”

The two sat and talked about nothing and everything for what seemed like hours. But the restaurant needed the table. The two teenagers and pokemon where politely herded out into the Viridian dusk.

Delia adjusted her bag on her shoulder. “Were too now?” The sun was going to set soon but there was still things to do.

Giovanni looked around, the city had changed since he was there last, but he was sure that this street still had their evening street vendors. “Why don’t we just walk?”

Delia could find no fault with that and stayed by her friend’s side. “I’ve never been out here this late before.” Lanterns where being lit and old friends where meeting as vendors set their wears out on tables and blankets. “It’s like a carnival. I don’t know where to look first.”

The persian was getting distracted by some fried fish vendors but had enough sense to not stray from the humans. “This was one of my favorite places Delia.” Giovanni took a deep breath. “You never know what you might find.”

As if to prove his point, something shiny caught Delia’s eyes. “Oh, it’s beautiful.” She had found a jewelry seller. Namely a pair of green earrings.

“What is?” The boy leaned over her shoulder to see what had caught her attention better. “Are those supposed to be feathers?”

Delia didn’t touch the pair, but kept gazing admirably. “No silly. Their plants. Oh I wish I could afford them.”

Giovanni looked at the earrings again and started to feel inside his bag. “Do you really like them?”

Delia turned on him, knowing what he was going to do. “Oh no Giovanni. You payed for dinner, I can’t have you get me these.”

“But-” He glanced at the vendor, hovering to see if there was a sale to be made.

“Nonono, it’s too much.” She tugged on his sleeve, blushing hard. “Let’s keep going.”

The trainer let himself get dragged away, but not before mouthing something to the vendor.

Delia didn’t gush over anything after that though a lot of things caught her attention. It was so nice to know that he would buy something for her, but she wasn’t greedy. Just the knowledge that he would was enough for her.

Giovanni himself had been confused. It wasn’t like money was something he ever had to worry about and he figured most people would be begging to be showered in gifts. She really was different.

So instead of something material, he managed to convince her to let him at least buy a funnel cake. Since they had just ate they split one. They found a small grassy hill overlooking the street as they ate it.

Delia wiped her hands on the grass and leaned back to watch the sky as it glowed red and gold. She took off her hat and unslung her bag from her shoulder and set it aside. But the flap wasn’t secured and something slide out.

Giovanni saw this and caught the item before it tumbled down the hill. “Is this one of your textbooks?” The book was thick with colorful diagrams and small text.

Delia nodded. “Ya, we’re working on genetics.”

The boy flipped through the book. “I love genetics. It’s so interesting. You can breed pokemon in a certain way and their offspring can be stronger just because of how genes work.”

Delia nodded, most of the other students weren’t too interested in stuff like this. Even Spencer was more interested in weird pokemon that might not even exist rather than something that was just as interesting and known to be real. “Oh I know! And evolution, how that can affect genes. I remember we had an eevee in the lab. What kind of genes does it have to have for all those stones to affect it so?”

Giovanni was looking excited. “Pokemon genes are so malleable, stone and items wouldn’t be able to affect them. But I’d love to know why, you know.” That was the one good thing about his mother’s Team Rocket, all those scientists and at least a handful where willing to give them the time of day. “Make you wonder if you could clone or mix pokemon.”

Delia laughed. “I don’t know what the point of cloning would be if you could just breed them stronger. But mixing? What would you mix?”

She had a point about cloning. “Well, cloning could teach us a lot about genes.” He tried to defend the idea. “But mixing...hmmm...a gyrados and zapdos.”

Delia laughed and picked at the few pieces left of the funnel cake. “That would be so weird looking. Like a gyrados with spiky yellow wings.” She laughed some more. “Okay, my turn...hmmm...a nidoking and a...” She glanced at the creamy pokemon laying against his master’s leg. “And a persian! Ya, a big spiky purple persian!”

Giovanni laughed and grabbed his pokemon, rubbing the creature’s chest. “Ya hear that Persian? You’d be real scary looking.”

“Perrrr?” The poor animal had been half asleep and wasn’t sure what was going on.

The two teenagers laughed some more.

“Oh, how about a rhyhorn and a rapidash?” Giovanni laughed out.

Delia gave him a playful shove. Little did they know, this would be a game they would play for a long time beyond this day. “How would that even work?”

“It could work. A giant rhyhorn on fire coming at you.” He had a scary face and pretended to pounce Delia. “I wouldn’t want to face that. It would be pretty powerful.”

The girl laughed and gently pushed him off. “Nah, if you want powerful you should go for psychic .” She snapped her fingers and grabbed her book.

“Psychic?” He watched her curiously as she flipped franticly through the pages.

“Here we go.” The pages where getting hard to see as the sun was almost beyond the horizon, but the picture was clear enough. “See, if you want powerful you would want this psychic pokemon.”

The picture looked familiar, something his mother was currently obsessed with. How long would it take her to trample off to something else? “Is that Mew?”

She nodded. “Yep. Just an artist picture, but it’s suppose to be the very first pokemon and very powerful.” She gave him a poke. “This is something I couldn’t fault you for cloning.”

Giovanni looked at the picture closer. “But it’s pink.”

“Oh stop being such a boy! It’s supposed to know every move possible, and yes, it’s pink.” She chuckled. “Oh, I would love one, it’s just so cute.” She pawed at the picture and grinned.

Strange how Delia and his mother where interested in the same thing, but it was comforting that one wasn’t serious. “Do you think it’s still around?” He really wanted to know what she thought.

She thought he was being strangely serious about this, but then again it was related to his interests in genetics in a way. “I don’t know, people seem to think it is.”

His spirits dropped, but it was getting too dark for it to be seen. “But it doesn’t make sense though. If all pokemon came from Mew, why would it still be around? And if it is around why aren’t all pokemon Mew?”

Delia looked at her book. “I guess you have a point. But if so many people believe in it there has to be a reason.”

That wasn’t really what he wanted to hear. “I suppose that’s right.”

The darkness was making it hard for the girl to see the boy. “Giovanni? Are you okay?” She reached over to touch his hand.

The darkness also hid his blush. “I’m fine. I guess I was thinking too much about it.”

She felt more relaxed. “I don’t blame you, it is something we don’t know about. If you want to be a researcher you have to think about such things.” She closed the book. “But I still say it’s really cute no matter what.”

Giovanni chuckled. “Tell you what, if I ever find a Mew, I’ll let you have it.”

She smiled. “What about you?”

“I’ll...clone it. So that way we could both have one.”

“Just not a pink one.”

“Ya, not pink.”

Delia was having a lot of fun. She never knew another guy she could feel so at ease with and laugh so easily.

The streetlights where starting to kick in along with small lighting bugs flickering in the air. “I’m really glad I met you Delia.”

Delia turned red, surprised. Did he just say that or was it her imagination? But he had to have said it. She could see him in the city lights, looking at her so intently. “I...I’m glad I met you too...”

Giovanni scooted closer and brushed a small strand of brown hair away from her face.

Delia turned even redder. Was he going to kiss her? Oh I want him to kiss me. Her heart pounded the words in her chest, loud enough for him to hear. He had to hear it.

The trainer might have heard. His fingers lingered on her hot skin, gradually moving closer and closer to her. His own heart almost stopped in anticipation.

Curfew time! Curfew time! All underage persons should be home or at the pokecenter. Repeat. All underage persons should be home or at the pokecenter.

Officer Jenny’s announcement cut through the warm air like a scalpel. The two teenagers fell backwards into the grass from shock.

“Pers!” Persian yelped as his master toppled over him.

But Giovanni didn’t notice. “Umm...”

Delia shook her head and grabbed her hat. “I guess we need to get back.”

The two teenagers barely looked at each other, both red faced, trying to replay the last few moments in their head.

“Ya.” Giovanni found her book and handed it back to her.

Delia smiled, her heart starting to settle back down to normal. “Thank you.” She quickly packed the book and gathered the paper plate to be thrown away whenever they found a trash can.

Giovanni smiled too. There could have been another moment. They where at the right distance, looking at each other in the right way. But the sound of Officer Jenny’s motorcycle grumbling over the streets cut that off again.

“Let’s go, we don’t want to get caught.” Giovanni motioned for his pokemon to follow.

Delia hadn’t thought about getting caught. “Oh, I’ve never been in trouble with the law before. My parents would never let me go anywhere again!”

“Hey hey.” He put a steadying hand on her shoulder. “We’re not going to get caught. Promise.”

She calmed down, she trusted the black haired trainer. She nodded. “Alright, I’ll follow you.”

Giovanni keep his eyes open as they carefully moved through the city. He would motion often for Delia and Persian to be quiet as he listened for Jenny’s motorcycle. Delia did everything he asked whenever he asked. She was almost in awe of him, his senses where almost like that of his persian, quick and sensitive.

The glow from the pokecenter was in sight, just a street or two. “Oh good, we’re almost there.” Delia whispered with a slight clatter to her teeth.

Giovanni looked behind her, concerned. “Are you cold?” The night had settled firmly awhile ago and the temperature was dropped drastically.

She didn’t want to be weak but there was no point in suffering. “Maybe-oh.” She looked up at the trainer as he placed his coat on her shoulders before she had even finished speaking. It was warm and heavily carried his scent. “T-thank you.”

“Don’t mention it. Now just ne-get down!” He hissed and pulled her down to the ground, holding her close.

She didn’t make a noise. She trusted him, he had to have a reason to do this. And of course she didn’t mind being so close to him in the least. He felt so strong. She wished she’d stop blushing.

Giovanni had noticed how soft and smooth Delia felt as he held her, but his other senses where giving off alarms. He had been trained for things like this and his training was telling him he could hear Officer Jenny talk.

“Well Joy, I haven’t seen them. But they shouldn’t be out after curfew.”

Now even Delia could hear them.

“I know Jenny, but they where going out for dinner, you know how young people can get.”

“I know Joy and that is something that worries me.”

The two teenagers stayed still as statues. They could hear the motorcycle kick into life. The headlight grew in their eyes. They clung to each other and pressed against the wall as the noise and light built up stronger. Jenny was coming this way!

“Just hold still.” Giovanni whispered, his lips just barely brushing her ear.

The panic and kitten light touch caused her to body to lock up, she wouldn’t be able to move even if she wanted too.

The motorcycle was deafening. Delia closed her eyes and felt a strong rush of air.

And then it was all quiet.

“She’s gone Delia. It’s okay.” He gently released her.

The girl didn’t realize she was shaking. “Wow..I...”

Giovanni took her hand. “We have to go, Joy wouldn’t have locked the Center yet, but she will soon.”

Delia didn’t think, adrenaline burned in her veins and she just reacted. She leapt to her feet and broke into a run, racing in time with Giovanni.

The Center was much closer and the three focused on it and nothing else.

They didn’t slow down until they where on the other side of those sliding glass doors.

Delia slid to the ground, exhausted. Giovanni was fairing better due to his training but was still gulping air down his dry throat.

The two glanced at each other and couldn’t hold back the laughing.

“Oh my god! I have never done anything like that before!” Delia bubbled. “That was amazing.”

Giovanni chuckled and coughed. “You where pretty good out there.”

Delia’s grin was almost goofy. “You where amazing. And when Jenny went right by us...oh wow!”

The trainer panted some more. “I know.”

“There you two are!!” An angry voice arrived. They had forgotten about Joy. “Coming in after curfew? I was worried sick.”

Delia’s mind drew a blank. This was it, they where so close but now they where in trouble. She could just imagine what her parents would say. She gathered the coat around herself as if it could protect her from the sick feeling in her stomach.

“It’s my fault.” Giovanni stepped forward.

“Gio...what are you...”

But her words fell on deaf ears. “I’m not from around here and wanted to explore. But we just ended up getting lost.” He bowed to Delia. “I’m sorry.”

Joy loosened up. “That is very responsible of you to say young man. But next time you can call the Center and we can arrange something okay?”

Delia looked at Joy in surprise. “Does that mean we aren’t in trouble?”

Joy smiled at her. “Of course not. You two aren’t that late, and I’m not going to call your parents for getting lost when you are safe.” She nodded to Giovanni. “I don’t think your friend here would have let anything happen to you.”

Giovanni nodded. “No madam.”

Joy smiled. “See, nothing is wrong. You two get to bed now.”

Delia sighed in relief. “I really thought we got it there.”

Giovanni smile and held out a hand to help her up. “Didn’t I tell you that I wouldn’t let you get in trouble.”

The girl smiled and took the helpful hand. “Thank you.” She pulled the coat off, she was reluctant to let it go but it wasn’t her’s to keep.. “And thank you for this. It’s rather warm in here.”

Giovanni took his coat back and flung it over his shoulder. “Well, we should get to bed. You are going back to Pallet tomorrow.”

Delia sighed and looked at her shoes sadly. “Yes, unfortunately.”

“I’ll be up to say goodbye before you go.”

Delia felt her heart leap. “Really? Oh that would be wonderful.”

“And this time I promise to not take three days.”

*************************
End Chapter Two
Author's Note: to clarify, the earrings are the same design as the Viridian Gym badge

 

[SilveryBeing]

Chapter Three

*****************

Delia fiddled with her bag as she waited in the lobby. “He was supposed to be here already.” She had checked his room but it was empty, awaiting the next trainer stopping through. He couldn’t have left, he did make a promise. And so far he has kept all his promises.

“Delia!” A call came from the front doors.

The girl whirled around as the black haired trainer ran in from the outside, his persian at his heels. “I’m glad you didn’t leave.”

Delia smiled. “Of course I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.” She didn’t ask what he had been doing, trainers did need supplies after all and the PokeMart was well stocked. “Are you going to stay in Viridian? You haven’t seen it in awhile.”

Giovanni shook his head. “No, I’m sure I’ll be back. I’m going to head to Pewter right after you go. I hope to get a badge.”

She smiled. “Well, be careful in Viridian Forest, it’s worse than Pallet to here.”

The trainer winced. “Ya I know. But I can compare the pokedex to the actual pokemon easier when there are pokemon around. And if I get lucky I might get a pikachu.”

She chuckled. “I wish you luck with the pikachu. And with the Gym battle. Make sure you give me a call after, win or lose.”

Giovanni had gotten her number imputed into his pokedex just before leaving Pallet. “Alright, you can help me celebrate if I win or cheer me up if I lose.”

She nodded, that sounded exciting, talking to him on the phone. But then she started to look sad as a thought came to her. “But then you are going further away from Pallet Town.”

Giovanni had thought about it last night. It seemed perfect then. He had an idea but now the prospect of saying it outloud made him nervous. “Well, Professor Oak trusts you to deliver packages and mail for him and your parents have to see you are responsible.”

“As long as they don’t find out about my curfew brushing.”

That was a slight knot in his thought process. “But in general. Maybe you could come visit me on my travels.”

That sounded hopeful. “What do you mean?”

The trainer’s face grew a little warm. “Well, I could call you when I’m in a town or something and maybe Professor Oak would let you use a Flying pokemon on an errand and...”

“And I could come cheer you on in Gym battles and pokemon catching in person.” She smiled as she got what he was saying. “That sounds like a great idea.”

Giovanni felt perked up, the journey couldn’t start soon enough if Delia was something he could look forward too. “Oh, and before you go. I got you something.”

Delia blinked in surprise. What was it that he could have gotten her? She watched as he opened his hands. A pair of green earrings where in his palms.

“Oh Giovanni!” She squealed. “These are the ones I wanted, oh thank you!” She took the jewelry and immediately put them in her ears. “What do you think?”

The trainer’s heart beat fast. “They are beautiful on you.”

Delia smiled. He had gone out of his way for these, it wasn’t her being greedy like if he had bought them last night. These where special. “Thank you so much.” She gushed again. She thanked him even more when she stood on her toes and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

Giovanni was speechless, lightly touching where he was kissed. “I...”

Delia blushed, not as shocked with her boldness as she would have originally guessed. “I’ll wear them everyday.” She smiled, not feeling as sad a before. “But I should go so I can get home.”

The trainer nodded, the dizziness was starting to fade. “I understand, I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

She wandered out of the Center with Giovanni nearby. “So, I’ll see you soon?” She asked as she unchained her bike.

He nodded. “Really soon.”

She mounted her bike and smiled. “Really soon?”

He chuckled. “So long as you don’t take three days.”

Delia laughed as she started to pedal and waved back at her friend.

Giovanni returned that wave. There really was no girl quite like her.

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

“Damn it!”

“Onna Boss?” A subordinate looked up from his paperwork.

The woman dragged her nails across her desk in frustration. “My stupid son was seen in Viridian, getting friendly with some girl!” She made a fist. “I won’t let this happen. I will not have my heir taken from me!!”


******************
End Chapter Three

End Story

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Hmm

Well, on the one hand, I love this pairing and I love the Persian comic.

But on the other hand...I donno. It didn't really seem like Giovanni, especially not rectifying it with his anime personality. He blushes and acts coy, and I can't picture him doing that in the series, even pre-Team.

And it's rife with typos. You say "you're" instead of "your" frequently, and I think I saw a "where" for "were".

Also, at the end, you should be aware that "On'na Boss" just means "Woman Boss". I don't think her agents would call her that--they don't call Giovanni "Male Boss" after all.

And even if he *is* Italian (which should be capitalized, by the way), she's a bit naive to assume he'd love Italian food. But it's Delia so I can forgive that, because as book-smart as she is, she's kind of an airhead.