Chapter 12
Chapter 12
While Gabrielle and Xavier indulged in the pleasures of the flesh, the rest of the team had found something else to do.
Daphne watched passively as Luca beat the stuffing out of a punching bag. His eyes were narrowed dangerously and every few moments he would growl something about tearing out Discord’s spine. The Delphox cast her gaze around the gym and saw Amp practicing some of his few physical attacks. The Ampharos preferred to strike at range, but knew he couldn’t rely on that alone.
She of course had no reason to practice any of that, she was confident in her skills and knew that they needed no real improving. How could one improve upon perfection?
“You’ll get soft, Daphne,” Luca muttered.
“Oh please,” she replied with a roll of her eyes. “Like that’ll ever happen.”
“You’ve seen it happen,” Amp noted, unleashing a barrage of burning punches that charred the target dummy.
“I have, but you both seem to be forgetting something very important,” Daphne stated with a smirk as she drew fire to her wand, watching it dance across it. “Nothing gets close to me.”
“Really?” Luca asked, the smirk in his voice obvious.
“Yes, not even you, you musclehead,” the Delphox replied as she pulled up a barrier. The Lucario appeared before her not a moment later, his fist having made contact with the shield.
“It’ll only be a matter of time,” Amp said, spinning around and slamming the ball of his tail into the dummy so hard it shattered. “Whoops.”
“It isn’t as if I’m a twig,” Daphne pointed out with a roll of her eyes as the Ampharos picked up the pieces. “I’m perfectly capable of taking hits, as you should both know.”
“Like when Wikstrom’s Scizor destroyed you in a heartbeat?” Luca suggested.
“One time, I let that happen one time...” she muttered.
“One time that was broadcast all over the world,” Amp pointed out.
“I’ll broadcast little pieces of you all over the world if you keep it up,” she snarled. “Then we’ll see who can or can’t take hits.”
A cold blast of water suddenly swamped her from behind and knocked her to the floor.
“It seems like you still cannot,” Blaster said calmly, his normally stoic face lifted up into a slight smile. “I suggest more practice.”
“Dammit, Blaster, I’ve seen you blast holes through concrete walls!” Daphne screamed as she picked herself up. Luca and Amp laughed at her misfortune. “How am I meant to withstand that!?”
Blaster simply shrugged and returned to the target he’d been hitting with his massive fists. “That may be true, but you must still practice. Cockiness is the first of many steps to defeat.”
As Daphne began to wring herself out, Luca turned to the door. “Those are some very strange auras,” he commented.
“What do you mean by that?” Amp asked with a frown.
“They’re not bad, just… very different.” He tilted his head. “I can’t really describe it.”
He was saved the trouble when he saw the auras’ owners step through the door. “Huh,” Daphne muttered, her tail in her paws as she stop mid-wring. “Well that’s… different.”
“It’s like someone stuck the back half a Pyroar to a Braviary,” Luca commented as he looked over the armoured figures.
“Ehhh, maybe, they have nice wings, that’s for sure,” Razor agreed as he alighted next to the Lucario. “Though they seem a little small. Can’t see how they could possibly provide any sort of lift.”
“I wonder what they want,” Daphne said as she glanced at it.
“Don’t talk to them just yet,” Luca suggested. “Let’s see what happens,” he added, turning back to his punching bag. His punches were slower and less powerful as he focused on the newcomers.
“What are these... things doing here?” Stormtalon asked, cocking his black feathered head to the side as he examined the strange creatures who were using the gym.
“No idea,” Razorbeak replied, frowning faintly as his grey fur lay flat across his back.
“Don’t they know this is our gym?” the Bloodclaw asked indignantly, his red feathers flaring.
“Hmm... it doesn’t look like it,” the Stormtalon stated with narrowed eyes. “Though... they do look pretty strong,” he observed as the Diamond Dog slammed its paws into the punching bag.
“I’ll agree with that,” Razorbeak commented. “Except for that fox one... she looks weak.”
“Yeah,” Stormtalon agreed before turning to Bloodclaw. “What do you think?”
“I like the turtle,” Bloodclaw replied, looking at the massive turtle who was examining them detachedly as it reset a punching bag.
“Yeah, something that fat’d make a lot of soup…” Razorbeak commented.
“No, I just like turtles,” Bloodclaw replied with a roll of his eyes.
“Whatever, they’re still in our gym when we’re scheduled for practice,” Stormtalon stated. “And personally, I don’t want to fall behind because some strange creatures were using our gym.”
“Maybe we wouldn’t have to...” Razorbeak replied as he looked over at the creatures. “They seem strong enough to give us a good sparring match or two.”
“Oooh, that’s a good idea,” Bloodclaw replied before glancing back at Stormtalon. “Boss?”
“I don’t see a problem with it, long as they agree,” Stormtalon stated before walking forwards and clearing his throat. “Would any of you creatures care to spar?”
“Oh great they’re trying to talk to us.” Daphne commented, sweeping her body with her wand to get rid of the rest of the water.
“What do you think they want?” Amp asked as he wiped a bit of sweat away from his forehead.
“Don’t know, don’t care,” Luca replied as he slammed his fists into the bag a few more times. “They’re getting in the way.”
“Let’s just ignore them,” Razor suggested. “They’ll get bored eventually.”
“I think they’re ignoring us,” Stormtalon reported with a frown.
“Or they can’t understand us,” Bloodclaw replied, frowning. “Aren’t these the aliens we were told about?”
Razorbeak frowned. He was anxious to get started, and didn’t want his CO to find out that they’d been slacking. They’d been playing babysitter for the ambassador for the last week without even the chance to do anything remotely physical and his muscles were screaming for a workout. A thought suddenly struck him. The solution was obvious.
Without consulting his companions he walked up to the Diamond Dog-like creature who was punching the bag and waited until the being turned to look at him, an annoyed look in its eye. Razorbeak took a step back before rising onto his hind legs and assuming a boxer’s position. He gestured between himself and the creature and mimed throwing a few punches, taking care not to actually hit the Diamond Dog.
“Is it trying to be cute?” Luca asked as he watched.
“I think it wants to fight,” Daphne pointed out.
“And I can’t imagine why, you know that I’d take it down without trying,” he growled.
“I think it may want to spar,” Blaster observed placidly.
“Please, it would be a waste of time,” the Lucario replied, returning to his punching bag. He made sure to put enough force into the punch to send it towards the ceiling, but not so much that it flew off its chain. “And energy,” he added.
“Hmm...” Razorbeak frowned at the Diamond Dog who seemed to be ignoring him.
He had a high tolerance for many things, pain, alcohol, whining nobles, but being ignored when he didn’t want to be was not on that list. So he did the obvious. He reached out and tapped the diamond dog’s shoulder. The Dog turned, looking even more annoyed than before, and was greeted by a taloned fist to the stomach.
Luca smiled as the griffon’s expression turned to one of pain. “Persistent, I’ll give them that much,” he conceded. “Still, if punching me does more damage to it than to me, I can’t see the point.”
“Oh, have a heart you cold bastard,” Daphne said angrily. “He wants to fight, the least you could do is give him one. Even if you have to go easy.”
“Fine, if it’ll make you happy then I’ll - ” Luca was cut off as the griffon swept one his powerful leonine legs out and knocked his legs out from under him.
“Then you’ll eat dirt?” the Delphox asked. “I do love it when you do that.”
Luca got to his feet wordlessly. He sized his opponent up, taking careful note of how its armour covered its body. “Next time, you should pick on someone your own size,” he said as his eyes began to glow.
The griffon’s eyes widened just a bit but other than that it made no move to retreat, though it did obviously tense. That was all it could do before Luca launched himself, slamming into the griffon with enough force to move boulders.
The pair tumbled to the ground, but to Luca’s slight surprise, and glee, the griffon took the blow well and landed with ease after a single roll and came out atop him. As it did so, it slammed the side of its hand into the Lucario’s neck.
Its triumphant expression was replaced with one of confusion when his attack seemed to have no effect. “You’ll have to do better than that,” Luca growled as he bunched his hind paws up under the griffon and kicked up, hard.
“Do you think we should help?” Bloodclaw suggested as Razorbeak slammed into the padded ceiling. “It doesn’t look like that dog knows the rules of combat...”
“Hmmm... I think we should,” Stormwing agreed. The pair moved to join the fray, but were cut off when a strange, shimmering barrier appeared before them.
And what do you think you’re doing? they heard a voice say in their heads. You never get in the way of a one-on-one battle. Besides, there are others who are itching for a fight, it added.
Stormwing froze in place for a moment before closing his eyes and falling back on a bit of training. Your friend there isn’t following the rules of combat, he thought clearly, hoping it would be enough.
Daphne was a little surprised when the creature managed to project a message at her. Unfortunately, it was a little hard to make out. “Rules…? What does it mean by that?”
“What?” Amp inquired, glancing over at her, diverting his gaze from the griffon who had managed to catch his breath and deliver another glancing blow to the Lucario.
“I think it said that Luca is breaking some kind of rule.”
“What!?” Luca snarled. “I would never do that!”
“I wouldn’t bet on that,” Amp said a bit caustically.
“You like having that little light bulb attached to your tail?” the Lucario asked lowly, pushing the griffon away.
“Very much so,” Amp replied, his voice almost uninterested. “Though if you would like to cease violating whatever rules you happen to be breaking, and come over to try and remove it, you’re more then welcome to.”
Luca stomped over and put his snout right up against Amp’s. “I’ll do a lot more than ‘try’, you overgrown lamb chop.”
“Will you? I thought your tricks only extended to retrieving the newspaper and begging for treats,” Amp replied with a smirk. The smirk disappeared when the Lucario’s expression turned murderous.
“I’LL RIP YOUR HEART OUT!”
“Oh bollocks.”
“You okay?” Bloodclaw asked Razorbeak as he helped his friend back to his feet.
“Not too bad... though I don’t think these things have any actual idea of how to spar honorably,” Razorbeak replied with a shake of his head. “I scored more then enough points to have one though, so there’s that.”
“And now they’re fighting each other,” Stormtalon added with a glance over at the dog and the... sheeplike thing. His gaze also drifted over to the fox who was facepawing at the other two. This. Happen. Often?
Xavier will not like having to waste his medical supplies on this… was all he got in response.
“Ah...” Stormtalon frowned and turned back to his squaddies. “Razor, go to the infirmary and make sure that nothing got broken, Blood, go with him. I’m going to do a bit more investigating here.”
The others made to leave, but stopped at the sound of electricity. The sheep-thing, in the middle of a brilliant impression of an overcharged cloud, jumped out of the way of a swing made by the Dog with what looked like a glowing bone. “That’s enough weird stuff for today…”
Gabrielle’s head lay against Xavier’s shoulder, her eyes partially closed, her breathing calm and blissful as her hand drifted over his chest. To Xavier, it looked as if she had just released a huge amount of tension, which of course she kind of had. Though if he had to compare it to something, she looked as if she’d just submerged herself in a hot spring.
The pair lay there in silence for a while, just content to be with each other. Eventually, though, the man voiced the question that had been puzzling him for a while. “Gabby…?”
The Gardevoir just made a trilling noise, letting him know that she was listening.
“Before, when I was a Gallade…” Gabrielle’s eyes opened fully and she looked up at his face.
Yes? she inquired quietly. What about it?
“Why did you seem so… upset when I changed back?”
I was hoping you wouldn’t ask me about this… Gabrielle murmured. I’m not sure if I can explain this without scaring you away.
Xavier couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Gabby, are you being serious? We’ve been around each other for three centuries. I’ve seen you fight gods. I’ve seen you tear a Tyranitar limb from limb because it hurt me - ”
I admit, I did get a bit carried away, the Gardevoir thought quietly.
“ - it’s going to be kind of hard to ‘scare me away’ with just words after all that,” he told her casually as he hugged her tighter. “Now tell me... what’s wrong?”
I… All right. I… Wherever we go, I’ve seen other Pokémon with families. I don’t mean the families of their trainers, she hastily clarified, but with… mates of their own. And babies. I want that.
“You want…” Xavier looked at his lover. “Gabby, how long have you…”
I don’t know. I don’t know when I first started feeling this way, only that I do. she looked away from him for a moment, tears coming to her eyes. I... I love you Xavier, and I always will... but... I want more... I... I want children...
Xavier blinked owlishly at her. “You want... children...” he said slowly. “As in... little Raltses...”
I shouldn’t have brought it up, she muttered as she wiped at her eyes. I’m sorry, it was stupid.
The man started thinking. He couldn’t deny that he was curious about fatherhood. Admittedly, he hadn’t actually imagined that it would happen like this. “Gabby… Are you sure about this?”
Surer than I’ve ever been, she replied, her mental voice full of determination.
“It’s just… Well, we’re immortal.”
And?
“What if… what if any child we have isn’t? Could you… could we live with that?”
I would rather mourn our child after they have lived a happy, fulfilling life if it means not seeing them suffer the same pain we did. We may all have each other, Xavier, but who would our child have? she asked. Parents they would hate for burdening them with this curse. And if they are immortal, then we simply do what we can to help.
“You’ve really thought this through,” Xavier commented after a few seconds.
I’ve been thinking about this for… longer than I can remember. I don’t want children, I need children. There’s this part of me that feels so empty, she said sadly.
“Uhh…”
If you don’t want to do this, then I understand. I just wanted you to know how I feel.
“Woah, woah, woah. Who said anything about not going through with this?” Xavier sat up, knocking his lover from his shoulder. “Gabby, the idea scares me, I’ll be completely honest. But I’ve kinda wanted to know what parenthood’s like. Never thought it’d be like this…” he muttered.
So… you mean… Gabrielle looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes.
“If we can find a way, then we’ll do it. I promise you.” The man chuckled when the Gardevoir rolled over and hugged him tightly, sniffling loudly as she wept happily into his chest.
Thank you. Thank you so much. There was a brief silence. Xavier?
“Yeah?”
We just had a deep, heartfelt conversation. Now you’re rubbing my horn…
“Are you complaining?” he asked as his hand kept rubbing the small red protrusion on her back
... No.
“That’s what I thought.”
The tenderness of the moment was shattered when a momentous explosion sounded. “Oh for the love of Arceus,” Xavier muttered.
Oh great, Gabrielle agreed. She watched as the man got out of bed and walked to the window. She couldn’t help but enjoy the view.
“Gabby, pass me my pants,” he said flatly.
Amp stood over Luca’s unmoving form. “So…” he panted. “Do you… do you give up?”
The Lucario struggled to get to his feet, his arms moving stiffly. “Y-you…” he groaned as sparks ran over his entire body. The Ampharos watched as his opponent tried to fight through his paralysis, ignoring the pain from the numerous burns he had been afflicted with.
“As nice as it is watching you two try and murder each other,” Daphne interjected, “how do you plan on explaining away the damage?” she asked, waving a hand around the room. The floor was covered in scorch marks, the windows were all shattered, and there was a new skylight, courtesy of an aura blast that had missed its mark.
Standing beside the fox and having observed the entire fight was Stormtalon. He was doing his best to squash both his relief that neither of his soldiers had been involved in the fight, and the fact that he now desperately wanted to try his talons against them. The griffon mindset was an odd one.
Most. Impressive. Though. Not. Very. Controlled, he sent towards the fox. They. Lack. Discipline.
I’m getting tired of only getting half of what you’re trying to say to me, Daphne commented. As for them ‘lacking discipline’, what you saw was them going easy. If they really put their hearts into it, there wouldn’t be a building to stand in.
Not. My. Point, Stormtalon replied before shrugging slightly. I. Must. See. To. My. Fellows. A. Pleasure. To. Have. Met. You. He gave her a half bow before he walked away.
“Umm…” Amp looked around the destroyed room. “We did a lot of damage.”
“Weak... building,” Luca managed to say.
“Xavier is going to be angry,” Blaster observed as he walked over to stand beside Daphne. “I am glad I am not either of you.”
“I’m sure he’ll be understanding,” the Ampharos chuckled, wincing as the pain from his burns flared up again.
Daphne, we’re coming, Gabrielle's voice suddenly stated within the Delphox’s mind. Hold them if they try to run.
You had to ask? Daphne asked back as she started smirking. Besides, Luca’s in no state to run.
... wonderful, Gabrielle replied flatly before severing the link.
“Ooh, you are in so much trouble!” Daphne taunted gleefully.
Luca gave up trying to stand and fell onto his rear. Amp joined him soon after, groaning in pain. “I forgot how hard you hit.”
“Heh. You… You got me good too. That Zap Cannon?” The Lucario chuckled.
“I got lucky,” the Ampharos replied, waving away the compliment.
There was a brilliant flash of light as Gabrielle and Xavier appeared from thin air before them. Ah, Xavier, there you - Daphne was rudely interrupted when he hit her on the head with a rolled-up newspaper. What was that for!? she asked loudly, more surprised than hurt.
Xavier hit the Delphox again. “What the hell were you thinking!?” he yelled.
I didn’t do anything! Daphne replied, putting her hands on her head to protect herself.
“That’s just it!” the man shouted. “You let those two do this! How the hell are we meant to explain this!?”
You could have at least tried to stop that from happening, Gabrielle added, pointing at the hole in the roof.
Oh please, like I’m supposed to be able to anticipate what Luca’s going to do when he’s moving at the speed of sound, Daphne shot back caustically. And why aren’t you yelling at them? she asked, waving a hand at the two exhausted Pokémon.
“They look like they’re about to faint. I don’t have to do anything. Much,” he conceded. “But the rest of you? Seriously, guys, this isn’t Hoenn or Kalos. Treat everything like it’s gonna break if you touch it wrong, okay? I’d rather we come across as cautious if it means not destroying some national treasure or something.”
This is a gym! Daphne replied, ducking beneath another swing of the newspaper. It’s not our fault this building wasn’t built to standard!
Blaster grumbled something. “Exactly. Things aren’t the same here, we can’t go around making assumptions,” Xavier said.
So you want us to treat everything like it’s made of glass? Daphne asked. Xavier, just… you do know who you’re talking to, right?
“Yeah, wishful thinking,” the man admitted. “Still, I just want you guys to try. Don’t get into fights inside buildings, keep that to outside. Less collateral,” he added, pointing at the ceiling with the rolled-up paper.
Luca let out a half-hearted grumble, Amp nodding along. I have to agree with them, most of us aren’t built for close-quarters combat. Even if we fight outside, there’s a good chance we might cause collateral damage or injure someone completely by accident. It’s not like the big stadiums back home, Daphne responded.
Okay, a third telepathic voice interrupted, can any of you explain why three griffons are saying that someone went and blew up their gym?
“Great…” Xavier muttered as Silver Spear walked into the building, looking at the destruction in open-mouthed shock. The stallion said something in his own language the man didn’t understand, but he didn’t have to. The tone said it all.
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Sorry about that folks, had to make it pretty and such.
~EDIT~
And just what the hell is this doing in the feature box?
4597617
congrats, you have an intruged possible read.
*read later list*
4597730
I am aware of how the box works. I just didn't see it there last time I updated.
4597737 You might have missed it. :P
THis story is great. :D
More, please, just more, I NEED more...
LOLZ!!!
4601159
Those lines get ten times funnier if you give Luca the voice of Michael 'Rage Quit' Jones, and Amp the voice of Gavin Free.
4601200 True dat!
4601200 Is it strange that, ever since the beginning of this story, I've read Amp's lines with a British accent?
Because now you've given me such a better option with the great and powerful Gavin.
4602493
Giving Amp a British accent last chapter was spur of the moment. (Also, that was the first time you've heard the Ampharos 'speak')
When introducing the antagonistic/snide attitude he displays towards Luca, it just seemed fitting.
4602499 Wait, that's the first time? Huh…
Either I just imagined him having that accent earlier in the story, or I'm smoking something crazy.
It really does seem fitting; it might have something to do with him playing chess with Razor earlier. Or was it checkers? I can't remember.
4603139
It was chess, but then it was just them speaking in animal noises. The mannerisms, though. That's probably what you were thinking of.
4604211 I suppose that would make sense. Although I wouldn't rule out me just being stupid. That does tend to slip out every night…
I was going through my favs and I JUST realized this updated
This was funny and romantic without becoming a romcom torrent of silliness. Congrats on writing a good story so far.