Kasai looked up at Abby, a small look of concern on his muzzle and he let out a slight whimper. Abby glanced over at him and gave the Arcanine’s head a pat as the pair walked down the sand strewn gravel path. Kasai was nervous about this, heck, Abby was nervous about it. Honestly, it was probably a stupid way to do things, but screw it, Abby was a Ranger and she was going to do this like a Ranger.
So, with that in mind, she walked up to the door of Cynthia’s beautiful beach house and looked down at her Ranger Uniform. You can do this, she thought to herself with a small mental frown. It doesn’t matter that she’s the Champion. It doesn’t matter that she’s one of your biggest idols. It doesn’t matter that if you screw this up you’ll probably get demoted because she put out a large complaint to the Ranger Union.
Her breath hitched in her throat and she shivered, her arms shaking. Maybe... maybe this had been a bad idea. Maybe she should have just come in her casual camper’s clothes. What if Cynthia tried to drive her off with her Garchomp. What if-
“Arc!” Kasai barked in her ear, giving her face a comforting nuzzle. Abby smiled, gave him a light kiss on the cheek, and then rang the doorbell.
They stood there in silence for a moment before she heard the sound of someone coming to the door. She heard them pause at the doorway and Abby could imagine them looking out the peephole. Then, the locks, three of them if Abby’s ears weren’t mistaken, were unlocked and the door was pushed open to reveal Abby’s idol.
Cynthia stood there, her luxurious blond hair falling around past her shoulders as her keen intelligent eyes analyzed her. It also vaguely occurred to her that Cynthia was also wearing a bikini, though that was the very back of her mind at the moment. She tried to stutter out something but was unable to. The woman in front of her was incredibly imposing, and at the moment, she also looked very irked.
“What is it? Why are you here Ranger?” Cynthia inquired, her voice cold.
“I-I-” Abby was unable to speak for a long moment, Cynthia’s right fingers tapping impatiently against her left arm.
“Well?” the Champion of Sinnoh asked her, raising an eyebrow. “What is it?”
Abby’s mouth was dry as the sandy dunes off to her right as she looked up at Cynthia’s cold eyes, her throat clenching as she tried to speak, a combination of sudden fear and... well... hero worship overwhelming her.
Kasai let out a sigh, rolled his eyes and then leaned over so that his muzzle was in her ear and licked her. Abby jumped in surprise and blushed deeply, Cynthia watching this, clearly bemused by what she was seeing.
The ranger’s eyes closed for a moment and then she let out a breath. “Champion Cynthia, my name is Abby Trombley, I’m a Pokemon Ranger, obviously, and recently I ran into a few friends of yours. Gene told me to tell you about the time a challengers Alakazam tried to get a little too close to Belle, and the lawsuit that almost followed.” Abby fell silent for a moment as Cynthia’s eyes widened with realization before she continued. “I’ve got some a letter for you, Iris, and Shauntal from him and Belle.”
Abby held out the letter to a rather shocked Cynthia and turned her back after they’d been wordlessly taken, beginning to walk away just in case Cynthia reacted badly. Cynthia shook her head and then opened the letter.
Hey guys, bet you weren't expecting to hear from me for a while huh?
... Guys, I'm really sorry for all the trouble I caused you. I should've known she wouldn't accept me but... she was my mom. Anyway, we're all fine, we've had a few close calls but we've always managed to get away. I'm sorry I didn't contact you sooner but I haven't been able to find a way, I can't get through on the video phone without alerting the police.
Belle's fine, by the way, after the wedding she was kinda depressed but she's fine now, Shauntal, tell Cofagrigus that Mage misses playing chess with him, and kicking his shiny metal butt at it, her words, not mine.
We're not sure what our plan is at the moment but we've been playing it safe, staying out of big cities and everything, so don't worry.
We all really miss you guys, and I just want to say thank you for everything you've done for us, and again, sorry for the trouble at the wedding, I know you all worked really hard to make that day special and I guess I kinda ruined it huh?
Let's see, what else... oh right, Abby. She's great! They ran into us while we were out camping and the four of us got to talking, me and Belle and her and Kasai, turns out we have a lot in common. If she hasn't already told you about her and Kasai... well, it's not my place to say. I hope I'm not imposing but I told her that she could stay with you for a while if she needed. Hope you enjoy guests, hehehe...
Seriously you guys, other than my team, you're the best friends a guy could have. I love you all.
~With love, Gene and Belle
Cynthia finished the letter and glanced up at the retreating form of the ranger who was leaning ever so slightly against the Arcanine, a small smile crossing her face.
“Abby, wait,” Cynthia called, easily catching up to Abby and putting a hand on her shoulder, turning the surprised girl around and giving her a hug. Abby froze for a moment and then returned it, the fact that she was hugging her idol making her feel rather light headed. It really was a short hug but it left Abby’s entire face red.
“OhmygoshCynthiajusthuggedme!” Abby garbled out, her breath coming in in little gasps. “Ahhhhhhh!”
Kasai looked at Cynthia who was doing her best not to laugh. The Arcanine rolled his eyes and nudged the side of his face into Abby’s head and gave her face a lick. Luckily, that seemed to snap Abby back to reality. She let out a long breath and then looked up at Cynthia.
“Sorry... you’re kind of my idol...” the younger woman said with a deep blush. “I hope I didn’t just make myself look like a total idiot.”
“Oh, you kind of did, but I wouldn’t worry too much,” Cynthia replied with a grin and a chuckle. “It happens all the time and I don’t really care any more.”
“Right... yeah,” Abby looked down and coughed once, her cheeks still rosey. “So... why the hug?”
“Because, you brought me news from two people who I care for very much and have been worrying about the last few months,” the older woman answered with a smile. “I thought that was hug worthy.”
Abby preened under the attention from her idol and blushed a little more.
“Thanks- but you didn’t really have to hug me,” she said before looking at Cynthia. “I’m just doing what I promised them I’d do. It’s no big deal.”
“Well, it is to me,” Cynthia replied with a small chuckle. “Would you like to come inside? Perhaps you and Kasai could stay with me for a day or two if you don’t have any other ranger business to get to? Maybe tell me about yourselves?”
Abby’s eyes widened. “Really? You’d let us stay here? With you?” she asked, the words coming out as a rapid string of questions. Kasai sighed again and leaned over to give Abby’s face a lick.
“Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t offer,” Cynthia said with a small chuckle as she began walking back towards the house. “Besides, any friend of Gene and Belle, even though I suspect that you didn’t mean to become their friends, is a friend of mine.”
The younger woman finally managed to fully pull herself together and followed.
“Actually, I was seriously hoping that I’d become their friends,” Abby said as Cynthia closed the wooden door to the house and she had her first real glance at the interior of the house.
It was actually a lot homier than she’d been expecting, in fact, it looked like Cynthia actually lived there. A few towels were hung on a nearby rack on the door, one clearly wet, while a few odd shoes were strewn about here and there. The rest of the front room was pretty unremarkable aside from one or two framed pictures of Cynthia with several groups of people, including Abby noticed, a picture of herself, Champion Iris, Shauntel, Gene and Belle.
“Give me a moment to change and I’ll be right with you two, feel free to make yourself at home in the kitchen,” Cynthia directed them down the hallway with an arm before she walked up the stairs. Kasai glanced at Abby smugly, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth.
“Oh shush,” Abby replied, leaning forwards to kiss him on the nuzzle. “I told you we’d be fine.”
The Arcanine raised a questioning eyebrow at her. “Arc, Arcanine.”
“I said hush you mutt,” she said jokingly, ruffling his ears before she turned and began to walk into the kitchen, sensing him following at her side without needing to look. She sat down at the table, him sitting down beside her. The Arcanine put his head in her lap, his favorite place for it coincidentally, and she pet him until Cynthia returned wearing a light teal sleeveless shirt and black pants.
“So, why don’t you tell me how you met my friends,” Cynthia suggested, though it sounded slightly more like a direct order then a simple question. “And would either of you care for something to drink?”
“Lemonade if you’ve got it for me, and water for Kasai, if he drinks anything else he’ll get fat,” Abby answered, gently tweaking the dog’s ear.
“Arc,” Kasai protested causing Abby to snigger and Cynthia to chuckle lightly as she poured two glasses of lemonade, along with a bowl full of it and set it down in front of Kasai.
“Here you go, I don’t think one bowl full of lemonade is going to put on too many pounds,” Cynthia said with a chuckle, ruffling Kasai’s ears.
“Arc!” he said with a smile, licking her hand before craning his head down and lapping up his drink.
“Heheh now look what you’ve done,” Abby said with a chuckle before she pet Kasai’s neck. “Gotten him all excited and playful.”
“I think he’ll survive,” Cynthia mused, smiling a little smile. “Though, now I think you owe me a bit of an explanation.”
“Right, right,” Abby let out a sigh and closed her eyes before taking a sip of her lemonade. “Well, like I said, my name is Abby Trombley, and I’m a Pokemon Ranger and I’m aspiring to being a Top Ranger.”
“Oh, lofty goals I see,” Cynthia commented with a nod of her head.
“Thanks, I try,” Abby said with a small chuckle. “Anyways, I make it a point to track down people accused of Pokephilia.”
Cynthia’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “I see,” she stated.
“Mostly, because, well, I’m a Pokephile too,” Abby quickly added, glancing down at Kasai to back her up. “Right Kasai?”
Kasai lifted his head and licked his lips clean. “Arcanine,” he said nodding his head to her question, nuzzling into her side lovingly. Abby couldn’t help but return the nuzzle by reaching down and wrapping her arms around his neck, holding him close so that he could lick her face and she could give him a kiss before she remembered who was watching and blushed deeply.
“I see,” Cynthia said, an amused grin crossing her face.
“Err... yeah,” Abby stated lamely, still blushing up a storm as Kasai gave her face another lick and she pushed him away. “Anyways, because I’m a Pokephile, I make it my job to check out all the ‘big names at large’ cases like Gene and Belle’s. I go in undercover, do some looking around, ask a few questions, and see if the relationship is healthy or if it really is as toxic as the reports make it out to be.”
“Ah, and considering that they’re the biggest scandal this side of Orre, you thought you’d look into Belle and Gene to make sure they were on the level,” Cynthia said, nodding her head in understanding. “And what exactly did you find?”
“Two people who love each other very much, fucked over by the system,” Abby stated darkly, shaking her head. “They love each other the same amount as Kasai and I love one another, if not more, and the fact that their being forced to live out in the woods because of it is damned depressing.”
Cynthia nodded her head, a little surprised to hear such language from a Pokemon Ranger of all people. Then again, Abby didn’t seem like a regulation Ranger in the first place.
“I agree,” the Champion said with a sigh as she looked over the other blonde woman. “So, how did you end up getting roped into getting this letter to me?”
“Oh, one thing led to another and I kind of jumped at the chance to meet you,” Abby said, blushing. “Like I said, you’re my idol.” She frowned for a moment before add. “That, and
I feel bad about what the Ranger Union has done to them and thought I’d give them something in return.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Cynthia said, smiling softly at Abby before she took a drink of her lemonade. “Did you ever tell them that you were a Ranger?”
“Nope, and please don’t if you see them again,” Abby answered. “I only came here dressed like this because as comfortable as I’ve become about ‘lying’ as far as my identity is concerned for this profession... well I thought you deserved to know the real ‘me’.”
Kasai still had his head next to her and he glanced over at the Champion, looking pleadingly for a moment before he craned his head to nuzzled Abby’s face.
Cynthia smiled and nodded her head. “I’ll make sure that I don’t mention it,” the woman said. “So Abby, is there anything you’d like to ask your ‘idol’ now that you’ve got her cornered?”
Abby’s eyes widened for a moment before she grinned. Oh yes, she had a long list of questions! Kasai rolled his eyes slightly, knowing full well just what kind of deluge was about to swamp Cynthia. Abby may not have seemed like the super talkative type, but when she got going... she really got going.