Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Just to Satisfy ❯ Serious ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: I do not claim any of the Pokemon characters used in this chapter, because they are all property of Satoshi Tajiri and I haven't stolen the rights from him yet. I bet he has people try that all the time, actually; probably has to have bodyguards and stuff.

 

 

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“Excuse me, but what gateway to an alternate universe have you stumbled into?”

 

Sakura rolled her eyes. “I've stumbled into the weird universe.”

 

“I thought that's where you were from?” Kitty smiled when a vine playfully shoved her as they walked side-by-side down the dirt path towards Persian's bank to make a withdrawal. They were going on to a dungeon together this time, and it was going to be a long one; an escort and a rescue in separate parts of Uproar Forest (the umbreon was glad to have protection from the sun once more). The subject matter of their current conversation, however, was far from their mission. “But really, what gave you the impression that Blade worries about me? I mean, he doesn't seem to have any emotions, other than confusion or boredom. Or can you read his mind?”

 

“His mind? No.” She snorted at the idea, and then explained, “But if you look real closely, you can pick up subtle changes in his body language. For instance, he avoids young pokemon like the plague; ergo, I'd assume he's either uncomfortable around them or disgusted with them-or both.”

 

Kitty rolled her eyes, commenting sarcastically, “Wow, way to go, making him seem like a total jerk.” As her partner laughed, her confusion still didn't seem to settle on the matter. “But how can you pick up on that? I wouldn't have ever noticed unless you told me.”

 

The venusaur only shrugged to that, then added as an afterthought, “Maybe I can read pokemon's thoughts more easily than you can? Not to say you're blind or anything,” she quickly amended at her friend's scoff, “but maybe the signs are too subtle for you to find unless you're expecting them.” The conversation was paused as they spoke with the feline banker, and after thanking him wholeheartedly for his services they turned and the discussion continued. “It's like how you're better at seeing in the dark now that you're an umbreon, since your eyes are sort of made for that. Except . . . hm, maybe I've just had more practice. I don't know.” She allowed a sprinkling of mystery onto the topic as she let it slide, feeling they were both enlightened even though they had strayed far from the original point. All of this chatter had brought up more questions to Kitty's mind, though, and she wasn't afraid to voice them to her closest friend.

 

“Were you always good at that? Reading people, I mean.” Her curiosity was so much like the feline they had just parted with that it made the grass-type smile in amusement. “Or did it take a long time to get better at it?”

 

“I'm sure it did,” she allowed, and then explained in further detail when she received a confused look at her answer, “but I didn't notice I had a knack for it until very recently. Actually, it was only a few days after we saved the world that I figured it out consciously, although I've used it unintentionally beforehand to gather information. It's just an acquired social skill, I guess.” After pondering over the past where she had used subtle cues to understand others' motives, her own curiosity peaked as she turned to her friend and asked, “Why? Do you want to learn how to yourself?”

 

“Yes,” she admitted with an aggravated huff, “because then I might have a chance at figuring out what Team Meanies was plotting!”

 

Sakura's lopsided grin could only convey so much of her amusement at her friend's irritation with the ghost-type's advances. “Ah, that would be worth investing time into. After all, if they are planning something, it'd really give you an advantage over them.” When her friend halted suddenly and gave her a bewildered frown, she mirrored it and inquired, “What? It would, wouldn't it?”

 

Kitty instead asked her incredulously as she continued their journey to Uproar Forest, “What do you mean, “if they are planning something?” I think it's kind of obvious they are. I mean . . . come on, Gengar flirting? I'd only be more surprised if he wrote poetry.” They both couldn't help the grins that mental image brought to their faces, but after they died down the umbreon continued seriously, “I just don't have a clue what he'd get out of this. Really, what's the point, other than being weird?” Her contemplative glare aimed at the ground persisted for a long time afterwards, dropping a heavy silence over their heads as they trekked swiftly over the wide plains and meadows that separated them from their destination. The venusaur realized how bothered she really was over this strange turn of events, and she examined the solemn expression on her friend's face before falling into her own contemplation, trying to figure out something to lift the dark-type's spirits. Eventually, though, a stray thought brought about her own amusement and a quiet chuckle, which in turn brought her friend's attention to her. “What?”

 

Sakura shook her head, saying dismissively, “Oh, nothing, Kitty. I was just-haha, I was just thinking of the tiny, far-off and slim chance that perhaps Gengar was being serious about his advances.” She snorted again, wiping an imaginary tear from her eye as she sighed with heavy contentment. “Phewie, that's a funny thought. Imagine that!”

 

What she didn't expect was the umbreon's horrified expression at the suggestion, or the way her voice cracked when she protested, “Oh, God! Why would you ever say something like that? Ugh.” The grimace she made at the idea caused Sakura to cackle evilly at the revulsion she had caused with her random thought. “Oh man, that's gross. Gengar, being serious about . . . yuck!”

 

When the initial amusement had worn off and the silence had started to creep between them once more, Sakura chased it away with a curious question she couldn't stop herself from asking: “If he was serious, though . . . what would you do?” She met her friend's gaze calmly, raising an eyebrow to show she did indeed expect an answer from the umbreon.

 

After a bit of casting about the scenery for clues, Kitty went back to return the stare, and her voice was oddly soft with surprisingly real fear. “What . . . should I do?”

 

 

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Theme: Gateway

 

Lots of dragon-y love (and cookies!),

~DL (“Dragon Lover”)