CYOA 2 – To The Victor Go The Spoils – Chapter 28: Electrifying! (Patreon)

Last time: A small detour to Genji's stay with Zenyatta showed he is not just the happy-go-lucky playboy that Hanzo takes him for. Hanzo also managed to get his 5th badge – and a babysitter job?

Content/warnings: Dirty talk texting

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hey babygirl ;) what are u up to today? haven’t heard from u in ages…

Hanzo flushes slightly and quickly looks around to make sure nobody is peering over his shoulder and seeing the inappropriate endearments Cassidy likes to shower him with.

I am about to go out on a babysitting mission, if you have to know.

? what’re you talking about?

I have unwittingly found myself as an escort for Mister Winston as he goes on an investigative outing. We are going to some kind of abandoned factory, if I remember correctly.

He looks up to see how far the preparations are along. Winston is still stuffing equipment into a huge bag, then takes it back out in favor of something else before switching it up again. He’s been doing that for the past half hour and Hanzo can feel his patience running thin. Maybe it is a stroke of luck that he should distract himself for now with Cassidy. He’s quite good at being a distraction, Hanzo had found that out quite early.

Oh Winston? that sounds fun. he’s a good guy. bit mad professor but easy to get along with.

Yes, I am aware. Though I do not appreciate having been strong-armed into this. I would much rather be on my way to the next gym.

I know, babydoll. But it doesn’t hurt to get out of the grind every once in a while. You miss me? ;)

I don’t know what one has to do with the other. I have been ‘out of the grind’ for a while on Akkala Island.

Not really, though, have you? You’ve been training pretty much the whole time. And I notice you haven’t answered me, so I guess you are missing me ;) awww want daddy to come play with you?

Hanzo can feel his flush immediately reaching up into the tips of his ears. He quickly peers up to see whether someone is looking at him, but no. They are still alone in Prism Tower except for their Pokémon roaming about and trying to not die of boredom as they wait.

He has to keep an eye in Kikuri… she tends to get destructive when unsupervised and without anything to get her energy out.

For now she is sitting on King’s ass and seems satisfied being carried around by him as he eyes whatever can be seen in the lobby they’re in.

You are not my daddy. I do not know how you come up with such ridiculous notions. If I recall correctly, the last time we were together, you were quite distraught and begging for release.

Mmmh it gets me all hot when you talk all stuck-up and shit.

Hanzo rolls his eyes.

Maybe you could try behaving more like your age and stop talking like an imbecile?

Ouch. Would that get you going? Want me to wine and dine you all gentleman-like?

Hanzo clucks his tongue and puts his phone away. He does not want to entertain him when he is like that… because he usually has a knack of somehow putting his foot in his mouth and showing Cassidy just how much he enjoys things he definitely shouldn’t be enjoying.

Like the thought of this bumbling fool cleaning himself up nice and taking him out to a nice, ritzy dinner.

“I think… uh… I think I’m ready.”

Hanzo blinks profusely. He’s completely forgotten about the good scientist. Winston has closed up his backpack and put it on his back. It is huge and bulking but he makes it look like it is nothing but a knapsack.

He blinks back at Hanzo through his glasses, both of them just awkwardly staring at each other.

“I am… sorry, did I… interrupt something?” Winston finally mutters, looking about as if waiting for a third person to jump out from somewhere.

Hanzo clears his throat and shakes his head.

“No, of course not, Professor. Please… we should be on our way if we want to get somewhere before dark.

Winston nods, though Hanzo isn’t sure how well he even listens to him. He’s already focused on King and Kikuri and pulling out a notepad from godknewwhere.

He pulls out his phone again and shoots off a little message to Lúcio.

I’m on my way now. I wish you the best of luck with your own endeavor. Please inform me of any developments.

He does not expect a reply any time soon but when he peers onto his phone an hour later, a text from Lúcio is waiting for him already.

Haha you’re so formal oh my god! super cute. Makes me wanna fool around with you ;) thanks, buddy! You’ll be the first to know of anything major, promise! have fun on your babysitting trip. maybe it’ll be fun! we’ll meet up again

Hanzo smiles a little, his cheeks warming up with affection. He had not expected Lúcio to become such a dear friend to him… but then again, there have been a lot of unexpected things happening on his journey.

It’s good that most of them have been positive.

.oOo.

“Mister Winston… may I ask you a question while we are on the road and have the time?” Hanzo inquires politely some two or three hours later once they have left Lumiose City behind them and are in the surrounding wilderness proper.

He’s let King and Kikuri roam about upon Winston’s request and been watching him out of the corner of his eyes as he filled page after page of his notebook with eager little notes.

Hanzo has no idea what is so unendingly fascinating beyond the fact that King is a shiny, but he is also no scientist and he does not want to be rude.

Winston blinks at him owlishly. He looks like he’s completely forgotten that he is not, in fact, alone on this outing but has Hanzo trudging along at his side.

“Oh… ah… I suppose so. Yes. Yes, of course.”

He has the decency to put away his notebook, though his attention seems to drift back toward the Pokémon as King is standing underneath a tree and peering up into the canopy where Kikuri has vanished into moments prior.

“I have been wondering… and I do not mean to be rude – but you do not seem to enjoy fighting very much. So how did you end up as a gym leader?”

Winston finally stops looking at the other two and puts his attention on Hanzo, his steps slowing down some as he mulls the question over.

“Well, ah… it is a valid question. I suppose I would be confused as well… You see, I have not actually applied for the job at all.”

Hanzo nods quietly. Well, that doesn’t surprise him at all. Winston does not have the… bombastic kind of personality that seemed to come with the job. Or was a requirement for it. Hanzo hasn’t quite figured out yet which came first – he thinks it might be an ‘egg and hen’ kind of situation.

“I think I might have been at the wrong place at the wrong time, I would say. The old gym leader had to resign due to age and I as there have been no suitable candidates come forth at the time, Lumiose City’s mayor just kind of… appointed me. And I guess I did not have the uhm… heart to say no.”

He takes his glasses off and starts to profusely clean them with his shirt again.

“But the position does come with its perks. Such as me being able to empty out Prism Tower so I can conduct my experiments in peace and quiet. It’s done wonders for my various scientific findings, I’ll have you know.”

Hanzo lightly shakes his head. Oh boy.

.oOo.

In the evening, sitting at the campfire, it is apparently Winston’s turn to ask questions. They are sitting across from each other and the fire is painting flickering shadows over the scientist’s face. Hanzo has been watching them for a while idly, just letting his thoughts meander and startles when the deep bumbling voice pipes up.

“How did you… ah… come to such an extraordinary Pokémon? They are quite rare. Quite rare.”

Hanzo’s hand moves behind him where King has laid down and is dozing. His fiery mane and tail have diminished in intensity but the flames are still playfully licking at his fingers as he brushes them along the ridge of the Pokémon’s neck.

“Him, you mean? He was a present of my father’s. To start my journey with.” He knows the answer wouldn’t be satisfying for Winston, though, so he elaborates freely: “My father is the gym leader of Hanamura. He enjoys breeding Pokémon as a hobby, and to scout out potential new candidates for his team. King was a surprise from these breedings. While his parents are exceptional Pokémon in themselves, we have not bred them for color or visuals, so I can say it has been quite random.”

Winston’s face has taken on a pensive look. He reaches up and slowly moves his finger along the edge of his bottom lip as he thinks. Hanzo watches the delicate movement of the thick digit, his insides prickling and warm.

“King… I have known a Rapidash with that name once, but…” he trails off, obvious confusion on his face.

Hanzo hesitates, suddenly feeling… shy, of all things.

“Ah. Well, it is a… long story, I’m afraid – but I have somewhat inherited the name from Co… I mean Mister Cassidy.” It feels clunky to say. The honorific doesn’t really fit to the bumbling fool Hanzo has met and somewhat… fallen into liking.

Winston’s face smooths out curiously. He blinks profusely, then suddenly exclaims with something akin to triumphant shock: “Cole’s Pokémon! Yes, of course! How could I have forgotten- You know Cole? What a coincidence. I have not heard of him in ages. How is he doing? You must be close.”

Hanzo’s back stiffens. His first instinct is to vehemently deny any connection or the insinuation of an affection between them but he realizes that might be a tad redundant now that he unwittingly revealed the depth of their acquaintance. At least in part. He does not know what to feel about that.

“Good, I mean… He is good, I suppose. As far as I am aware he is currently working to gather his team back together.”

Winston’s expression is unreadable other than his bushy brows pulling up in surprise.

“He is? That is… surprising.” He directs his gaze to somewhere just next to the firepit while he thoughtfully scratches his chin. “Good for him. I think. Uh yes. Definitely good.”

Hanzo feels inordinately curious all of a sudden. He bites his tongue, trying to curb his immediate need to ask for clarification and stares into the flames himself until his eyes hurt and he has to blink and look away.

In the end, he can’t keep himself from asking: “What do you mean by that?”

Winston is still slowly scratching through his beard, obviously deep in thoughts. It takes the words a while to register. When they do, he startles and owlishly blinks at Hanzo as if he had completely forgotten about him. He looks around slowly, then relaxes again on the log he had settled down on.

“I mean… I mean just what I said. It’s good he’s moving on. I didn’t think he would, honestly. The loss of a Pokémon hits everyone different. I think. Honestly I thought it would break him.”

Hanzo feels taken aback. He hadn’t noticed anything of the sort… though maybe he had met him just at the tailend of the whole thing. He drags his palms against his thighs, suddenly not wanting to dig deeper… but Winston keeps talking anyway, obviously not noticing Hanzo’s discomfort.

“As far as I am aware, there have been talks about letting him out of his duties as a Champion. Luckily there haven’t been any challengers as of late, but what would the League have done if he had not been able to perform due to depression? I do not know. Maybe they have halted talks of suspending him now…”

Hanzo’s skin is crawling. He slowly sits down on his hands so he wouldn’t start to fiddle and give his anxiety away.

“When was all of that?”

“Uh… the talks? I think I heard of them the first time half a year ago…” He trails off and takes his glasses off to clean while thinking about the situation. “In the end it was a freak accident, if you ask me. Could he have taken better care? Maybe. Perhaps, yes. I have not been there personally. But from the stories I have heard, even an immediate delivery to a Pokémon center might not have been enough to bring his Rapidash back. If fights get especially heated, people and Pokémon can get hurt. That is… the unfortunate truth.”

He puts his glasses on again but is still not looking at Hanzo. “I have met him a few times. He is a uh… a nice guy. I suppose. I just watched from a distance. I’m not too good with those celebrations? I only go because it is mandatory for gym leaders to be present at the auguration of a new Champion. The food was nice. Uh… he fought well when he got the badge from me. It was a pretty quick fight. Shorter than ours. Clean… his Ponyta had evolved by that point as well. Bit bigger than yours, I would say.”

Hanzo rolls his eyes but does not comment on that. He’s over being jealous about things like that. He and King have come a long way, especially if he kept in mind that he had been barely more than a freshly hatched baby Pokémon at that point.

He looks back down into the fire, not expecting Winston to keep talking, but he does. He is rambling now but Hanzo finds himself intrigued with the little snippets of information he can glean from the tales of the scientist.

“I wasn’t really close to him. Gabriel was. Uh… there are not many secrets amongst gym leaders. News travels quickly and all that, but I am not… not really in contact most of the time? I got my experiments to worry about and… yeah. Uh.

“In any case, Gabriel told us the news. And that he’d taken Cole in for a bit. I think it was… dire at some points.”

He’s quiet for a moment before he mutters barely audible: “Depression can be dangerous.”

Hanzo stares at his hands now, watching his own fingers slowly bend and touch his thumb before stretching out again, his thoughts just meandering. He would never have guessed Cole having been in such a deep hole. He had just seemed like a happy-go-lucky idiot from the very beginning.

A flirt that didn’t want anything more than to get his dick wet and have an easy life.

As shameful as it is, it is weird to imagine him as a three dimensional character. As someone who is not just a sidekick to Hanzo and his own journey.

Had there been signs that he had just willingly overlooked? Maybe shadows in his face that should have tipped him off to some inner turmoil or pain? He tries to remember the night in which Cole had told him about his Rapidash, but thinks are a bit fuzzy.

In the end, Hanzo finds himself pulling out his phone while he and Winston have slipped into their sleeping bags. He finds a message from Cole waiting for him and hesitates to open it. When he finally does he feels silly for his apprehension; it’s just a picture of the bastard’s hairy pecs.

His ears growing warm, he sends back: Why do you send me stuff like that?

The reply comes as if there hadn’t been hours between the pic being sent and him replying to it. I just thought you’d like a little treat ;*

He rolls his eyes but his chest has grown nice and warm almost against his own will. He has to press his face into the pillow for a moment and just breathe deeply to contain himself before he texts back: Don’t send lewd things without me asking. It’s weird.

But he does want him to send pictures. All of them. Many, many times. He doesn’t know how to say it without it being awkward, though.

Cassidy does not appear put off in the least. He just sends back a kissy face emoji.

Hanzo tries to imagine him being the same miserable person that Winston had spoken of, but he just can’t make the connection. He scrolls back through their other conversations and the many inappropriate pictures Cole has sent him.

He feels warmth spreading throughout his chest, less because he’s horny but because he feels… affectionate towards him.

Before he can talk himself out of it, he quickly sends out a message to him: I miss your company. I would wish to meet up again at the next possible opportunity.

It sounds horribly stilted but Cassidy’s answer doesn’t mention it.

T.T aww babe, that’s so sweet of you! I miss you too. Let me know when you dropped Winston off and I think I can make your dream a reality ;)

Hanzo smiles slightly and sends back: I am looking forward to it.

.oOo.

Once he and Winston finally arrive at the abandoned factory, Hanzo realizes that they could have made the trip fairly easily in one day except for two. The sun is already setting again as they step in front of the barred up doors of the huge building.

Winston had spent a lot of time during their journey, just watching Hanzo’s Pokémon and slowing them down considerably in the process. At least Hanzo had learned a few things himself… such as that Goomy apparently was called an ‘Alpha’ Pokémon due to his enormous size; a phenomenon that had only recently been discovered.

“Normally, they are rather aggressive… but it seems your Goomy is a friendly fellow, all in all,” Winston had said and carefully petted one of Goomy’s antennae with the tip of his finger, then quickly wiped the slime off with a handkerchief.

Now that they’ve finally arrived, Hanzo feels a weird sense of… foreboding, looking at the building. The dark, partly destroyed windows stare back at them like the blank eyes of a carcass.

The sounds of the surrounding forest have dimmed to the point of nonexistence, leaving them listening to the occasional electrical buzz from the inside of the factory’s walls.

He can’t see any movement but he gets the feeling that inside it is crawling with Pokémon.

The small hairs at the back of his neck stand at attention.

“We should camp for now and enter once there is proper daylight,” he suggests quietly.

Winston has taken off his huge backpack and is rummaging around in it.

“That won’t be necessary. The lights inside the factory aren’t working anyway, so it would be dark regardless of the time of day. I have helmets with headlamps for the both of us and I am sure your Salandit could offer us a guiding flame as well…”

“I’m sure she would,” Hanzo mutters as he reluctantly takes one of the helmets Winston has procured from his huge backpack, eyes still on the factory ruin in front of them. He does not feel like this is such a good idea but he also does not want to appear as a… scaredycat, so he swallows his trepidation.

If Winston has no qualms toddling in, already fiddling with some equipment or other, Hanzo shouldn’t have any problems as well.

“It’s somewhat of a tradition,” Winston mutters as he stems his weight against the door to start pushing it open. Hanzo quietly watches from the back. Kikuri is at Winston’s feet, impatiently waiting until the crack is just big enough for her to slip through. “I come here every year… just to make sure nothing out of the ordinary is happening. It is close enough to Lumiose City to pose a problem if it were to… say… explode, you know?”

Hanzo shudders and nods. Winston isn’t seeing it but he apparently doesn’t require Hanzo to talk at all. He has finally pushed the old door open far enough that even he can make his way through.

He wipes the first droplets of sweat from his forehead and chuckles nervously.

Hanzo just nods again. He precedes Winston into the factory after an awkward exchange and finds out that he had been completely right about the amount of light found within the building. Despite the numerous windows, they are caked in grime and barely let any of the dimming outside light inside.

They get to walking slowly, trying not to let the other know how much Kikuri freaks them out as she keeps popping in and out of hidey holes and painting flickering shadows onto the walls with her flames.

“I… I must say, I have never met a Pokémon that so delights in uh-”

“...the trainer’s misery? Yes.” Hanzo slowly moves the light of his own headlamp around to try and catch whatever is continuously exuding the buzzing sound that has been following them the whole time.

“I… get the feeling that we are being watched,” he finally admits quietly. Winston, who has paused in his travels to intently peer at the gadget in his hand, looks mildly surprised.

“Why, yes! The factory is home to many electric and ghost type Pokémon!”

Hanzo sighs softly. He elects not to comment on this one way or the other and just keeps on moving with one hand on his Pokéballs, ready to fight if any of the wild Pokémon of the factory decided to jump them after all.

They have just climbed up a dilapidated flight of stairs and are peering into what he assumes have once been offices, when there’s a crash next to them and Winston lets out a surprisingly high-pitched screech.

Hanzo jerks around only to see Kikuri’s shadow quickly disappearing behind a partition again.

“Are you well?” he asks Winston who has a hand pressed to his chest and is breathing fast.

“I… I am, yes. If you would… maybe tell her to stop this nonsense?”

Hanzo sighs and turns back around to throw light on their surroundings. He feels increasingly uneasy. “I would if I thought that she would actually listen.”

“Fascinating,” Winston mutters under his breath.

They keep on walking slowly. The deeper they move into the factory, the more Hanzo can hear scuttling and buzzing around them. Every now and then he sees a metallic body glinting in the light of his headlamp before whatever Pokémon that was quickly moves out of his sight.

He’s sure Kikuri must have found a lot of Pokémon already but for once she doesn’t seem in a mood to fight. Probably just to fuck with their heads. She keeps nice and quiet and just spews out a ball of flame every once in a while to light up the area and startle both humans.

Still, everything gets old after a while and during their second hour inside the factory, Hanzo can feel himself relaxing as he deduces the Pokémon in the area won’t suddenly attack them; and even Kikuri’s shenanigans don’t really pull a reaction from either of them anymore as he dutifully waits next to Winston while the scientist is jotting down whatever readings he is getting.

He wonders if what happens next could have been avoided if he had been more vigilant, but even after all is said and done, he wouldn’t have known how.

After having made their way to the highest part of the factory, they have started moving down. As they are in what he assumes is the cellar, he is idly moving his headlamp to a hole in the ceiling that is letting a dull stream of moonlight through.

Just when he starts to put together that there are holes stacked on top of each other throughout the whole building to allow just such a phenomenon, that which had probably broken through it all in the first place is appearing before them in a flash of crackling electricity:

Hanzo’s heart seizes in his chest as he tries to make heads and tails of the jagged outline of the Pokémon. It is disconcertingly large and its shriek has the blood freezing in his veins.

He can feel Winston’s large hand grabbing his biceps and hear his breathless voice mutter: “What…?!”

“Maybe the guardian of this place,” Hanzo replies grimly. He takes a step back, shielding his eyes from the sharp light of electricity crackling in front of them. There is another blood curdling screech and one of the bolts of lightning slamming into the ground just behind them to keep them from moving back out of the cellar room.

All around them is suddenly commotion. Pokémon that he had assumed were there the whole time are crawling and hopping and levitating out from their hiding places. Hundreds of eyes are on them and their bodies vibrate and buzz with agitation.

The light they emit make the room as bright as if it were daylight, allowing Hanzo and Winston to fully see the large Pokémon they had unwittingly woken up: a huge bird Pokémon with jagged wings and a decidedly unfriendly disposition.

Hanzo can feel cold sweat breaking out over his body. A bird… why did it have to be a bird?

“It can’t be… Zapdos?” Winston whispers next to him. He sounds baffled.

Kikuri suddenly jumps out in front of them, cowering low as if to pounce the huge Pokémon.

Hanzo, heart pumping and suddenly, unhelpfully thinking of Cassidy’s Rapidash, shouts out in a brittle voice: “No! Stop!”

One hand is on his Pokéballs. Who should he send out against such an opponent?

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Next time: Hanzo has never had an opponent like Zapdos before! There are no safety nets!