CYOA 2 – To The Victor Go The Spoils – Chapter 16: The Calm Before... (Patreon)

Last Time: Hanzo and Lúcio had a little adventure in the Olivine Café and a run-in with Hana Song, Olivine's gym leader. Hanzo is hung over from getting dick so at least today will be nice and slow, right?

Content/warning: Nothing particularly worrying!

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Hanzo is woken much too early by the incessant buzzing of his phone next to his head and Kikuri’s claw digging into his side uncomfortably. He blinks his eyes open, bleary and out of it, staring at her and the open Pokéball on the little bedside table, then at his phone that just stops buzzing to show him this has been the sixth call from Cassidy.

He groans and rubs his face, fumbling down his side to push away Kikuri’s claw.

“Why are you even out of your ball,” he rasps. His voice is hoarse from last night’s activities and stretching only makes him aware of how his body aches… especially his overworked hole. He feels raw and swollen and… pretty… pretty good, if he is being honest.

He rubs the balls of his hands into his eyes and listens to his phone buzz again. He isn’t in any rush to answer to Cole – especially since he can imagine what might have triggered him enough to be nonstop ringing him.

Hanzo cracks one eye open and peers through the room. None of the trainers from last night are still here. In fact, not even Lúcio is… though before he can start worrying about that, Kikuri suddenly thrusts her beak-like mouth into his face and all but spits a little note at him. It’s from Lúcio, he notes, chest relaxing from where it wanted to get tight with anxiety.

Yo bud, didn’t know how long you’d be out after last night so I got exploring the city without you. Send me a message if you want to meet up somewhere. -Lúcio

His phone rings again and he groans and grabs it, finally answering.

“I hope this is important, Cassidy. I have things to do.”

“Yeah… yeah I saw the things you got to do,” Cole’s deep voice comes through the speaker. It’s a bit more scratchy than Hanzo is used to but after the days spent tormenting him, he knows exactly how he sounds like when he’s horny… and that is definitely the case now.

“Hmm… I don’t remember having to ask you for permission to have fun with others. In fact, I distinctly remember it to be the other way round.”

He can basically hear Cole back paddling as he starts to stutter, trying to make blood rush back into his head.

“I-I mean… of course you are uhm… it’s just… it’s just…”

“It’s what?” Hanzo cuts him off silkily, fingers sliding over Kikuri’s warm, smooth skin until she rolls onto her back and lets him rub her round little belly. “It’s just what, Cassidy?”

He can hear the harsh breathing on the other line. It almost makes him feel sorry for the poor imbecile… almost. Mostly it gets him horny despite his pussy being swollen and raw and reminding him with every little movement of his legs that he got fucked and used last night.

“You just let them fuck you…” Cole finally says with the intonation of a goddamn child; a bit whiney and close to tears or something.

Hanzo huffs half a laugh.

“That’s what got you so pent up? Because I took care of other cocks while leaving you high and dry? Hmmm didn’t take you for the jealous type. It’s cute.”

He really likes the thought of Cassidy being jealous of a bunch of sailors that Hanzo doesn’t even know the names of.

“S-So I can come?”

God, the hope in his voice is adorable.

“No. Not yet. But you can send me a video of you getting off tonight. I want you to be thinking about this all day, alright?”

Cassidy whines like a dog but wisely doesn’t object. In honesty, it is pretty generous of Hanzo to let him come again so soon after getting sucked off… he must be realizing the same, so instead he asks: “What’re you doin’ today?”

“I’ll be taking it easy today. Take a look at the gym and the city…” he trails off when he briefly remembers that he already met the gym leader last night and has to resist the urge of slapping himself in the face with his palm.

“Well that sounds mighty nice at least. You go an’ have fun, will ya? Saw one of my old team scampering around outside. Might as well go an’ say hello.”

That gets Hanzo interested. He says carefully: “Why don’t you get your team back together again? They obviously still want to be around you.”

“Aw well… you know…” Cole sounds reluctant but… not as much as Hanzo would have thought.

“Just think about it. Nobody is forcing you,” he says during a rare moment of empathy.

.oOo.

It takes him longer than anticipated to finally get out of the Pokémon Center and not limp but eventually he is out and about and enjoying the salty sea breeze that makes Olivine such a prefered tourist destination.

Honestly, the city is not that big. He can see the lighthouse from everywhere and while he wants to visit it at one point, he had promised Lúcio to go see it together so he just wanders the streets for now, looking at the different shops and slowly making his way toward the gym – the second tallest structure in the area next to the lighthouse itself.

He’s dragging his feet a little but the more he lets last night repeat in his head, the more he feels better about the whole encounter.

Hana neither seemed judgemental nor horrified so chances are that he hasn’t just whored himself out of a badge.

Every now and then he sees Politoed wandering around, meaning that Lúcio could not be far off, but for the moment he just wants to decompress and gather his thoughts while his body still feels so very tender…

So of course it is right at that moment that when he starts to move toward the gym, the worst person imaginable throws open its doors and trounces out with a big, shit-eating grin on his face: Genji.

Hanzo is frozen to the spot, his brain still trying to jumpstart and tell him that he should duck behind some foliage even though the damage has already been done. Genji has spotted him and is bouncing toward him with a spring in his step and his arms thrown apart – and behind him is a Pokémon that Hanzo does not recognize but still knows who it is: his Rockruff has evolved.

“Hanzo! You’re here! Are you going to challenge the gym? I just beat it! Look!”

He thrusts his shiny new badge into Hanzo’s face, continuing with the same excited puppy energy: “And Rockruff evolved into a Lycanroc! I heard there are a few forms so I guess I got the Midday form?”

Hanzo is still trying to wrap his head around the sudden slew of words when he feels a touch at his hip. His hand immediately jerks down to keep Genji from grabbing his Pokéballs – the only reason he came so damn close to show him his badge to begin with, he’s sure – but still loses two of them.

“What the… give them back!” He says it but immediately hates how childish it makes him sound. He jerks forward, trying to snatch them out of Genji’s hand, but Genji is already jumping out of his reach while Lycanroc puts its body between the two of them.

“I’ll give them back, don’t worry! But we haven’t seen each other in ages and I’m so curious about your team!”

“Then just ask about it and don’t just steal it like a thief!” Hanzo tries to calm down but he can feel how his ears are starting to get warm with agitation as he watches Genji press the button of one of his Pokéballs to enlargen it. He gets a better look at the ball and pulls a face.

“Aw damn I got Ponyta. Or did you evolve it?” He frees it before Hanzo can reply.

King appears only too readily. He had been vibrating against Hanzo’s hip for a while now, trying to get out from the ball and roam the streets like he has been used to doing.

“Oh… you haven’t. Well I mean… it’s fire at least? I’m sure you can win…” Genji says but the doubt in his voice makes Hanzo bristle.

For some reason, Genji seeing that his own starter Pokémon hasn’t evolved yet makes him feel even more embarrassed, even though intellectually he knows that it makes sense: Rockruff had been at Genji’s side for years even though he hadn’t trained it.

Ponyta had just been a baby.

“The Hell is that supposed to mean? And give me my Pokémon back-” Hanzo lunges forward to grab the second ball out of Genji’s hand but Genji dances out of his reach while smiling at him big.

“Don’t be that way! Just lemme see your haul, Hanzo! I can show you mine too?”

Hanzo flushes. The way Genji says that it sounds more like… he shakes his head and extends his hand again, jaw set tight. Waiting for Genji to give him the Pokéball back while King is keeping his distance from Genji’s Lycanroc. He seems to have immediately recognized the new form and remembered their first meeting.

“I don’t care,” Hanzo lies. He very much would like to see Genji’s team but he can’t show his interest now, he feels like.

“Oh cooome oooon. Are you embarrassed?” Genji lifts his brows at him. For now he just holds the Pokéballs in his hands and has his attention on Hanzo which is better, at least. “You don’t need to be. I meant it; you got a pretty good start with Ponyta. The gym leader here is uh… fun.” Here, Genji’s cheeks color a faint red which… that is new. Hanzo hadn’t known that Genji was even capable of doing that. He always seems so damn reckless and like he doesn’t care…

“She’s got an interesting… side business. Hobby, I guess. Uh… yeah, she likes steel kinda stuff so she got a ton of steel Pokémon. Should be pretty easy for Ponyta.”

Hanzo pauses there, torn between being annoyed that Genji told him and already starting to wonder what kind of tactic he could go… especially since he also had Kikuri who was part Fire type.

He doesn’t want Genji to think that he was responsible in any way for Hanzo’s – inevitable – win but the damage is done now so-

Genji suddenly remembers the Pokéball left in his hand and unceremoniously enlargens it, letting the Pokémon inside out into the open.

What materializes is the flopping, gasping form of Magikarp. Of course. Because he could not have grabbed any other ball.

There is a second of stunned silence in which Genji is gaping at the Magikarp before he starts breaking out into howling laughter, one hand pointing at the flopping Pokémon, the other slapped over his eyes.

“Oh my… Oh my God?! What the fuck, Hanzo? Holy… holy shit, a Magikarp oh my… fucking God- did you get that from father too or something? Tell me you didn’t go out of your way to catch one. Are you insane?!”

Hanzo, flushing red hot in embarrassment and anger, jerks forward and snatches the ball out of Genji’s hand.

“He can’t breathe you idiot,” he hisses, calling Magikarp back.

Genji is not impressed, still laughing and leaning forward to brace himself on his knees as he tries to catch his breath, still trying to speak incoherently: “What are you- why- why?! Y-You got more- oh fuck!”

He is still wheezing when a new voice interrupts their bickering.

“Heeeey couldn’t overhear you two making a damn scene in front of my gym! Can I help you out or something? At least share the joke- oh nooo who are you?! Oh you’re gorgeous!”

Hanzo’s attention snaps away from Genji and toward the young woman that has come out of the gym, wearing a weird combination of clothes that are hanging off of her slim frame and are bright candy colors, all topped off with sunglasses on her nose as she makes a beeline for King.

His brain doesn’t want to recognize her for a few seconds until it clicks. It’s the girl from last night. Hana Song… the gym leader of Olivine. Well this is a… piss poor combination of people right now.

Hanzo briefly glances at Genji who is still trying to catch his breath, grabbing King’s open Pokéball out of his lax hand and jogs over to where Hana is rubbing Ponyta’s nose and cooing about his grey blue mane.

“Oh you are just so cute with your wittle mane and your wittle hoovesies- oooh you sparkle!”

Hanzo clears his throat behind her. She does not jerk her hand away from sliding her fingers through King’s cream-colored fur but she does at least pause and glance at him over her shoulder.

He can see her eyes over the rim of her sunglasses; they’re a little bloodshot. He remembers her saying something in the café yesterday about going to an arcade the town over… it must have gotten late.

Hanzo can pinpoint the moment that she recognizes him as she finally turns away from Ponyta to pull her glasses down a little more and look him up and down.

“My, aren’t you looking nice and… relaxed today? Wouldn’t have thought that you’d be out and about already, you looked pretty out of it last night but-”

“Huh? You two know each other?” Genji has wandered over now.

Hanzo can feel himself running hot and cold. He doesn’t know what his face looks like but his expression must convey his horror because Hana just throws him a small glance before saying smoothly: “Sure thing. Saw him and his friend coming to town yesterday. Hmmm what about you, shorty? Don’t you wanna run along? You got that badge, didn’t you?”

There’s a bit of sharpness in her voice; it’s clear that she doesn’t really like losing. It reminds Hanzo of the weird little interaction he’s had with Cassidy once he found out that he would be traveling to this gym next.

He tries to recall the entirety of that conversation while Genji is spluttering, voice going a bit high pitched as he tries to demand why she is calling him ‘shorty’ and to make her say that he definitely, absolutely isn’t short in any way shape or form.

The encounter ends with him pouting and clapping Hanzo on the back of the shoulder.

“Yo, I’ll be on my way, Hanzo. See you later, alright? Good luck with your fight.”

Hanzo, pulled out of his reverie, just nods at Genji. “Thank you.”

“So uh… when will you fight her?”

“I suppose tomorrow. Or maybe the day after.”

Genji gets a bit of a weird look on his face but he nods, lifting his hand in farewell one more time and then retreating with Lycanroc trudging along his side.

Hanzo stares after him. He’s not quite forgotten the howling laughter and moves his hand to lightly touch Magikarp’s Pokéball where he put it back at his belt. Genji wouldn’t have laughed like that if he had known that this very Pokémon has earned him the last gym badge.

“Idiot,” he mutters and shakes off the thoughts as he turns back to Hana who has shifted her attention to King again, cooing and petting his neck and face. “I must thank you… for not telling him about last night.”

Hana peers at him out of the corner of her eyes; he can see as much from behind her sunglasses.

“No problem. It’s none of his business, right? It was a private little party, though… I’d suggest that you keep it a bit more private next time if you don’t want unsuspecting visitors, you know?”

Hanzo flushes but there’s really nothing he can say to that. His first instinct is to blurt ‘my friend made me do it’ but that honestly makes it worse, so he just nods and clears his throat.

Hana seems no longer interested in the topic anyway, now asking with a lot more pep in her voice: “Is this your shiny?”

“I… uhm. Yes. Yes, this is King, my Ponyta…” he watches as she slides her fingers over and over through the cream colored fur to watch it give off a few muted sparkles in the afternoon sun of Olivine. They are most notable when King comes out of his Pokéball, but since he is out of it more often than not Hanzo tends to forget that his fur does tend to reflect light in a rather peculiar way.

“Oh, it is gorgeous. Aren’t you? Hmm? Oh yes, you are a gorgeous little Ponyta!” she babytalks King. Hanzo frowns but King seems more than happy with it, his ears pricked as he mouths against her shoulder. Does he enjoy the undivided attention or being called pretty and cute? Maybe both.

Hanzo rolls his eyes and takes a step back, gathering his tattered dignity around himself.

“Well in any case… If you do not mind a fight tomorrow, I would-”

“Where did you get it from?” Hana suddenly interrupts, probably not even having heard him.

Hanzo frowns a little but he doesn’t want to try his luck. She seems happy enough right now to put the awkwardness of their first encounter behind.

“He was gifted to me by my father. As my first Pokémon when I started this journey.”

“Awww you’re so lucky.” She finally takes a step back, though only a little one. Taking off her sunglasses, she starts to round King to look at him from all sides. Her face is a bit pink with excitement. There’s a look in her eyes that Hanzo can’t pinpoint until she continues: “You wanna bet on it?”

He blinks profusely. “...Excuse me?”

“I wondered if you want to bet on it. I like to add a little spice to my matches… and it is such a cute little Pokémon!”

Hanzo blinks slowly. Are all Gym leaders insane?

“What are you talking about? What kind of bet?”

Hana finally stops looking at Ponyta all over and turns toward Hanzo with a little smile that looks worryingly wicked.

“I like games, buddy. All kinds of games. Just a match would be super boring, wouldn’t it? I guess I can do it if you don’t feel lucky but…”

Hanzo, bristling, stiffens his back a little. “I asked what kind of bet,” he repeats, a little put off by her demeanor. It reminds him too much of Genji, whose sudden appearance had smarted more than Hanzo would like to admit. He hates always being second best to his little brother. Genji seems to just always be one step ahead… just that little bit better than he.

“I’ll fight you tomorrow. If you win, I’ll give you the badge and a little surprise from my side business. If I win-” she brushes her hand along King’s back, “I get Ponyta.”

Hanzo doesn’t react immediately, thinking that he must have misheard, but Hana is looking at him with anticipation… as is King whose large eyes are suddenly staring right at Hanzo, apparently waiting for his answer with just as much interest as Hana is.

“I… well…”

Hana tilts her head a little, looking him up and down with a faint little frown between her eyebrows.

“You’re not very sure in your abilities, huh? Think you’re going to lose? Well… I don’t blame you. I fight to win, you know. It’s not just a game for me.”

Hanzo bristles but King’s intense stare has him focus on breathing and not hot-headedly telling her that of course this isn’t just a game for him either. He clears his throat, slowly clasping his hands behind his back.

“This is not a decision I can make on my own. I will have to talk to King first.”

Hana hums thoughtfully but nods. “Yes, sure. Why not.”

“Just out of interest, though… what would happen if I did not take you up on your bet?”

The girl blinks at him with an expressionless face, then puts her sunglasses back on her nose, hiding her bloodshot eyes from view.

“Huh? I don’t know what you mean. Nothing will happen. I am not allowed by the Pokémon League to deny you a fight for my badge. Easy as that. I’ll see you tomorrow with your answer, then. Don’t make it boring, though, okay?”

The last she says with a pleading lilt to her voice.

Hanzo’s instinct is to tell her that she saw him sucking dick underneath a bar that should count for something… but he can’t help feeling that once again compared to his baby brother that might not mean too much to her after last night.

He bows minimally to her and steps to the side to let her wander back into her gym, fuming on the inside from his encounter with Genji and the one he had just now. His lethargy from getting fucked good by strangers has left his body completely, leaving him strangely electrified and in a fighting mood.

“Goddamnit,” he mutters under his breath, idly petting King’s neck.

His phone buzzes. Grabbing it haphazardly and thinking he might be mean if it actually were Cole trying to beg him for an orgasm again, he stares at the screen, noting that it is actually Lúcio who has written him a message.

‘Yo I heard of a swarm of Pokémon that is just outside the city… and apparently one of them is super weird? Wanna check it out?’

Hanzo exhales explosively, rolling his shoulders and trying to relax his muscles. He pets Ponyta again.

“Let us talk about this bet later. Lúcio said…” he holds his phone up for King to see and immediately feels like an idiot. The Pokémon can’t read, of course… but King looks interested all the same and seemingly happy to be involved either way.

“Well. Just… let’s go.”

He sends Lúcio a quick message to meet outside of town.

.oOo.

“Shit you look pretty pissy for a guy that got slammed good just a few hours ago,” Lúcio greets him, the dimples in his cheeks as he smiles somehow softening the blow of his words.

Hanzo grunts and waves him off.

“Don’t ask.”

When Lúcio obediently mimes zipping up, he turns to peer into the woods, arm automatically shooting out to grab King by the mane and stop him from running right in.

“So… a Pokémon swarm? What kind of swarm?”

Lúcio starts wandering into the woods after rearranging the backpack on his shoulders, so Hanzo follows along.

“A Goomy swarm, actually. Pretty weird since they’re usually not native to here, but they might have gotten interested in all the water close by? They’re pretty slimy…”

Hanzo, intrigued by the prospect, quickens his steps a little. He’s always been interested in dragon types, though he’s heard they are notoriously difficult to train.

It’s not like the rest of my team is exactly easy, he thinks sardonically, putting King back into his ball for the time being as they carefully move through the sparse woods, keeping their eyes peeled for a swarm of Goomy.

“So do you want to try and catch one?” he asks Lúcio carefully. They haven’t gotten into any trouble over Pokémon yet, but…

“Hmmm nah, I don’t think so. They’re not really my vibe, I think. I’m still more interested in catching Politoed at this point.”

He gestures vaguely behind them where, sure enough, Politoed is hopping along with the same happy-go-lucky expression it always displays. Lúcio usually has his music going at a low volume but right now he has turned it off, probably to not frighten away the Goomy.

“I see. Well… it is still following you around even now. Maybe it is indeed interested in more than just the music.”

For some reason that gets Lúcio beaming at him, looking genuinely happy about his words.

“You know… you’re right! Maybe it is in it for the long haul!” He turns around, walking backwards as he waves at Politoed.

Hanzo can’t tell whether Politoed waves back, though, as he sees hanging off two tree trunks weird lilac blobs that look like ghostly ulcers until his brain connects them to the Goomy they have been searching for.

“Lúcio,” he says, immediately standing still. “There they are.”

Lúcio twists around again, falling quiet as he peers at the weird sight of the Pokémon hanging off the tree trunks, shivering intermittently but otherwise completely still.

“What are they doing?”

“I don’t know… hibernating?” Hanzo frowns. Carefully, they move closer, taking care not to make too much sound… but when they’re three-or-so feet away, the Goomy start to move. Antennae that had been retracted up until now begin to emerge carefully from their heads, waving into their direction awkwardly like someone trying to find their way in the dark.

They come to a standstill again, watching carefully as the Goomy pop their eyes open and slowly rotate to look at them. It is eerie to watch despite them looking quite goofy and vulnerable, their gelatine bodies jiggling with every motion.

“Do you see the ‘weird’ one?” Hanzo asks quietly, one hand on his Pokéballs, the back of his neck prickling.

“Honestly, they all look kinda weird to me,” Lúcio answers softly. He sounds about as uncomfortable as Hanzo feels. One of the Goomy suddenly pops off of the tree trunk with a wet sound and falls to the ground with a thump.

It shouldn’t feel as intimidating as it does, staring at them and slowly inching closer.

“Maybe they… want to be friends?” Lúcio hazards a guess. They watch as the Goomy slowly opens its mouth – wide… it is almost half the size of its body now – and starts to gather some kind of blue energy.

Hanzo’s eyes widen. He jerks his arms to the side, almost at the same time feeling Lúcio hitting him as they push each other out of the way of the black fire that the Pokémon is suddenly shooting at them in self-defense.

Hanzo falls to the forest ground, hitting it after stumbling over a root on the ground. As he struggles to gather himself back up, he can hear a quick staccato of plops as the rest of the wild Goomy start to pop off their tree perch and thump to the ground.

He inhales sharply. Lúcio has managed not to trip so he is still standing, upper body ducked slightly. He looks ready to run but shoots Hanzo a small look before. For now the Goomy are just slowly approaching, none of them have attacked them yet other than the one at the center that is wiggling its antennae in their direction.

“Should we leave?”

Hanzo clicks his tongue, brushing leaves and dirt off his person.

“I’m not going to run from Goomy. And we haven’t seen the ‘super weird’ one yet.” The words have barely left his mouth when there is a rustling coming from the canopy above. Tree branches crack as something… large… moves around, wriggling about until it, too, rushes to the ground – though on the other side of the tree.

The impact when the huge mass hits the forest floor shudders up Hanzo’s legs. Lúcio inhales sharply; he undoubtedly has felt it as well.

“Holy shit… that’s a Goomy.” Lúcio’s strangled whisper has Hanzo’s brain light up. He is right. That is a Goomy – a good three times bigger than the rest, going up to Hanzo’s navel… and fleeing the scene from what it looks like.

Goomy are not particularly fast but it sure is moving at a good walking clip. Hanzo’s chest feels tight with anticipation. He glances at Lúcio who looks back at him for guidance.

“Think you can keep those here entertained while I try my luck?”

“S-sure. Yeah. Yeah, you go, but try not to be too long.”

He didn’t plan on it. He sees Lúcio grabbing the Pokéballs of Kricketot and Lotad, getting ready to fight, so he sprints past the horde of Goomy toward the humongous one trying to get away from them.

He grabs a Pokéball and throws it. It opens just a split second after it left his hand, Kikuri raring to go into action. She races on all fours toward her victim, her short legs going so fast that it looks like she is slithering instead of running.

“Cut its path off!” he calls after her.

Kikuri catapults herself into the air with her tail, her slim beak-like maw opening to spit out a spray of acid landing in a crescent shape in Goomy’s path.

The Goomy stops dead in its tracks with what can only be described as a short screech before it twists on its axis and starts to make its escape to the right.

“Kikuri!” Hanzo barks. She does not need him to say it twice, rushing ahead of the Goomy to blow a thin stream of fire into its face. It is by far not enough to do any actual damage to a dragon type, Hanzo knows that much, but the Goomy once again shrieks and stops dead in its tracks.

He narrows his eyes slightly. What the Hell is up with it?

“Kikuri- slow. Keep your distance,” he advises her, briefly turning to peer behind himself and make sure that Lúcio is not in any trouble.

Lúcio looks focused but not alarmed. While he is not exactly a ‘fighter’ and mostly travels the world to see it, both Lotad and Kricketot hold their own against the Goomy quite well. Politoed is just behind Lúcio’s legs, looking as if it is keeping an eye on things. That’s pretty ni-

The huge Goomy screeches again and Hanzo whirls around, seeing that Kikuri has lost patience quickly and is for some reason sitting on the other Pokémon, digging her claws into its soft, wobbly body to keep riding it while biting its head.

It wriggles pathetically, shaking itself from side to side while screeching and keeping its eyes clenched shut.

“Kikuri, off!” Hanzo barks, but she seems in some kind of adrenaline rush just from being able to so thoroughly dominate a Pokémon this huge.

Hanzo’s face twists. He grabs one of his empty Pokéballs and throws it, at this point more to safe the Goomy from his Salandit than out of a desire to catch it.

Behind him, Lúcio calls out in surprise. For a second he thinks that it is because of him catching the Goomy and the ball falling down to the ground with a heavier-than-usual thud to start wiggling about – but a wave of light from behind him alerts him to something big happening.

He turns back around, heart racing, his mind feeding him with all kinds of worse case scenarios – like the horde of Goomy having all simultaneously fired their beams, catching Lúcio and his team with no way to dodge… but instead, the Goomy look cowed and scattered about, trying to wiggle their way back onto the tree trunks while both Lotad and Kricketot are engulfed in blinding white light.

Hanzo’s mind goes still, then, his fingers relaxing from their clenched grip around King’s Pokéball as he mumbles a single word that has somehow made its way onto his tongue: “Evolution.”

Lúcio looks weirdly pale in the light shining from his Pokémon’s distorted forms. The shadows it puts on his features make it difficult to tell quite what he is feeling as he stares helplessly at his two companions, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides.

The evolutions seem to last… longer than normal. Or maybe it is just the adrenaline pumping through his veins. But seconds drag out into hours as they wait and watch.

There’s a long, lilting Pokémon cry signaling the end of the evolution, the forms having settled into something permanent and the light finally dissolving to leave Lotad and Kricketot now as a Lombre and Kricketune respectively.

Kricketune’s body wiggles as it sounds that long, lilting cry again. Lúcio’s face is slack in surprise but after another second, he starts beaming, squatting down and throwing his arms around his new, old Pokémon.

The corner of Hanzo’s mouth twitches a little… but he can’t deny the stab of jealousy at seeing both of Lúcio’s partners having evolved now – apart from the juvenile Whismur, of course.

It’s not that he isn’t happy for him… it’s just that Hanzo has put in so much effort into training his Pokémon for battle whereas Lúcio’s are mostly companions on his travels…

Lúcio’s head suddenly snaps up as if remembering something, eyes focusing on Hanzo.

“What about that massive Goomy?”

Hanzo’s back stiffens slightly. Lúcio is right – what about it? He turns and sees that the Pokéball he had thrown is still there… as is Kikuri who is gnawing around on it something fierce as if trying to break it open so she can bully its occupant some more.

What a troublesome girl.

Hanzo frowns and grabs her Pokéball, calling her back without a word. Clearly, he’d have to put in even more effort to train his Pokémon if they’re still acting out like this…

He moves over and grabs the Pokéball. Now that Kikuri had her way with it, its surface is all scratched up and wild looking. He weighs it in his hand. It feels damn heavy… pressing the button, Hanzo extends his arm and watches as a huge glob of light emerges, showing off Goomy’s form once it dissipates.

It is still cowering, its antennae pressed over its eyes. It’s so damn huge… Hanzo has never seen something like it. Despite its stature, it seems to be incredibly timid, though.

“You don’t need to be afraid,” he says haltingly. He reaches out and touches Goomy’s head. It feels very soft and slick underneath his palm. When he takes his hand away a little it is covered in a thin sheen of slick. He hadn’t really thought about this aspect of the Goodra line…

Sighing, he keeps petting it now that he’s already slimy. “You really don’t need to be afraid. You’re going to go on an adventure now. And I will take care of you, okay?”

In the back of his head he hears a voice sounding like his father: Try it. But can you even take care of yourself?

Next time: Will Hanzo take Hana up on her bet? Can he even win under the special conditions that she is setting? His chances seem slim after a particular phone call got him riled up!