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"Bonne Chance" by Outstretched for Memorialrainbow
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memorialrainbow
Title: Bonne Chance
Author:outstretched
Rating: PG
Verse: Pokemon Gameverse – Kanto & Kalos
Characters/Pairings: Green/Serena, hinted Green/Red, Professor Sycamore
Summary: “The famous Professor Oak's grandson came here to the Kalos region to study abroad. He got 'Bonjour' down just fine, but he still always said 'Smell ya later!' when he left!”
Content Notes: Green really disliking Sycamore, super awkward French
Author's Notes: a.k.a. “Sonata's Kalos headcanons: the fic.” Thank you so much tokuruk, avioletqueen, napple, and Mika for the beta/French help.
*
Sycamore's “research” is similar to what Green was doing when he was eleven years old—documenting new pokémon species and their abilities, patterns, and habits. There's no shame in it, he supposes. It's the foundation of the work all researchers do. But it's hard to be impressed when Green pulls a bulbasaur, squirtle, and charmander out of their poke balls—all gifts from his grandfather, of course, first discovered years ago—and watches Sycamore exclaim over them as if he's never seen them before.
“Professor—”
“Please, call me Augustine,” he says, looking up from where he's scratching underneath bulbasaur's chin. The professor's smile supposedly charms ladies across the continent, but Green just raises an unimpressed eyebrow.
“Augustine,” he repeats. “And where did you say you got your degree from, again?”
“I didn't say,” Augustine says. “Let's not waste time on such boring matters! There's so much to do and see!”
“I didn't realize we were on a schedule.” Green recalls his grandfather's pokémon and hands the poke balls to Sycamore. He watches as the man puts them gently on his desk.
“Have you seen much of the Kalos region?” Augustine asks.
“I arrived last night,” Green says dryly. “So, no.”
Sycamore's tour of Lumiose introduces him to a young and brilliant gym leader, a news reporter eager to cover Green's “goodwill visit to Kalos,” and a store with really fantastic galettes.
Maybe Sycamore isn't such a bad guy after all, he thinks.
--
This is not an opinion he holds for long.
“What do you mean, you gave them away?” Green snarls over coffee the next day. They're sitting outside Cafe Soleil, but the fine Lumiose weather is doing nothing to improve Green's mood. “Those pokémon were given to you for research purposes—”
Sycamore just laughs. “Relax, relax! They are with some of my best students.”
From you, that isn't saying much, Green thinks, but he bites his tongue, takes another sip of coffee.
“As we speak, they're trying to discover the secrets of Mega Evolution. Of course, they are also traveling the Kalos region with their pokémon and spending precious moments together!”
“'Precious moments,'” Green echoes, flat.
Sycamore nods, then turns to flag down a waitress for more coffee. By the end of the exchange the girl is blushing, and Green can feel a headache starting to creep into his temples.
“Where are they now?” he sighs, getting to his feet. Maybe it's not too late to fix this.
--
The Battle Chateau isn't a bad place to spend his time while he waits for Sycamore's student to appear. He's made a ton of money and met a bunch of the region's gym leaders. Valerie had been surprisingly tricky, and afterwards they'd had a (slow—considering Green's stilted Kalosian—but very interesting) discussion about the newly discovered Fairy-type.
Why didn't Sycamore tell me about that? he wonders. If he were a researcher, he'd be busy researching a new type instead of that mega stuff Sycamore's so interested in. Apparently he's poured years of research into it and yielded almost no results.
But he's not a researcher, so it's not really any of his business, he thinks to himself. He's just helping Gramps, and trying to be prepared for when Fairy-type pokémon inevitably show up in his gym. Research isn't his area of expertise, or even really an area of interest. Right.
By the time Serena's entrance is announced, Green's almost forgotten why he came to the Battle Chateau in the first place. He's chatting up a Countess when he sees a flash of green out of the corner of his eye, and turns to see a very familiar bulbasaur.
The bulbasaur wins, much to Green's relief.
“Bonjour!” he calls, striding over. The girl looks up at him with confusion, and then a vague sort of interest; immediately Green shakes his head. "No battle, please. Sycamore's student? Serena? Green Oak.”
Serena pauses, processing what he's said, before she asks, “From Kanto?”
“Yeah,” he says, his grin widening. “You've heard of me?”
“I'm Grace's daughter!” she says, surprising him by switching to Green's native tongue. “You know? The rhyhorn racer?”
Green pauses, thinking for a moment, before his eyes widen. “Grace? No way! I knew she'd left Kanto, but—”
“I can't believe I get to meet you! I always wanted to do the gym challenge at home, but—wow,” she says.
“Yeah,” Green says, similarly stunned, before he gathers his wits. “Um. Do you want to—go somewhere? Get something to eat, or something?”
“Sure!” Serena says, her eyes crinkling.
--
“So what brings you to Kalos?” Serena asks him. They're in Camphier City's cafe, surrounded by people showing off their pokémon to one another. Eevee is nestled contentedly in Green's lap, nibbling on the bits of food that Green slips her. Serena's been watching her but hasn't moved to touch her, which is something Green appreciates.
“Gramps—Professor Oak, I mean—asked me to deliver some pokémon to Sycamore to help him with his research. Speaking of which...I think he gave you one.”
“Oh? You mean Bulbasaur?” She calls the pokémon out immediately. Bulbasaur recognizes him, of course, and comes over to gently touch noses with Eevee. She sniffs him a little before losing interest and turning her attention back to Green.
He reaches down and checks the bulbasaur over. He seems to be in fine health, his leaves glossy and dark green, his skin slightly springy.
Green leans back with a sigh. “I was worried about him,” Green says. “My sister spent years working on his breeding line, you know? I just wanted to make sure he was with a good trainer. I guess it's better that he's with you, though, than cooped up in Sycamore's lab all day.”
She lifts the bulbasaur and puts him in her own lap, scratching gently between his ears. “I really like him,” she says. “I felt like we were already friends before I chose him. He... reminds me of home.” Serena pauses, blinking hard.
Green shifts in his chair. “Um. Sorry.”
“No, it's fine. Kalos is a really interesting region!” she says, perking up. “It's really different, but that's what makes it fun.” She pauses in her petting, and bulbasaur looks up with a soft whine. “I'll take good care of him, I promise.”
He smiles. “I believe you.”
The rest of the conversation is half excitement, half nostalgia—Green telling Serena the latest news from Kanto, and Serena telling him about all the sights she's seen so far in Kalos. When he looks up, the sun's already setting.
“I should probably get going before it's dark,” he says, surprised by how much he actually regrets leaving.
“Where are you staying?” she asks. He pulls a face.
“Sycamore's letting me stay at his house, but I should probably book a hotel, ugh.” Belatedly, he remembers that he's talking to the professor's student. “Uh, I mean. I don't want to...impose.”
Serena just chuckles. “He's a really nice guy,” she assures him, as they settle the check and leave the cafe. “Not as cute as you, though.”
“Yeah, I—wait, what?”
She laughs and waves goodbye over her shoulder, vanishing into the pokémon center before he can close his mouth.
--
You know, Green thinks, lying in bed reluctantly listening to the aria that filters up through the floorboards, there's nothing stopping him from staying in Kalos a little longer. To keep an eye on Gramps' starters, you know? Just until they're settled. Besides, Bonita's watching the gym, it's not like anyone would really miss him if he stayed for another week. Or a month.
He definitely has to get a hotel tomorrow, he thinks. Hell, he'd take sleeping in the pokémon center over staying here and listening to Sycamore warbling along to his old opera records. Anything is better than that.
--
“Bonjour,” Green says after the battle is over. The trainer looks at him, nonplussed. “Um. Shalour? You know, the city. How do I...?” He makes a vaguely hopeful gesture.
“Excusez-moi?” the trainer responds.
He feels a touch on his shoulder, and a familiar voice says beside him, “Désolé, il est de Kanto. Il veut demander, comment est-qu'il va à Shalour City?”
He turns as Serena lifts her hand and smiles at him. She's more tanned than when he saw her last, and her clothing has changed—new shoes, a new hat.
Eevee chirps a hello, wandering over to rub against her legs. Serena kneels down to pet her as she has a quick conversation with the other trainer, and then says, “Come on, this way.”
“Thanks,” he says.
“No problem.”
Eevee leaps back into Green's arms before he follows her. Serena's movements are graceful and relaxed, past the worst of her adolescent gawkiness. Belatedly, he realizes that she's nearly his height. He knew Kalos started their trainers later in their journeys than Kanto does, similar to Unova, but the evidence of it still catches him by surprise.
“I'm surprised you didn't learn any Kalosian before your trip,” she says.
Green shrugs. “I didn't expect to stay very long.”
“But you like it here?” she says, smiling.
“I figured I could use a vacation,” he corrects her easily. “But yeah, Kalos is pretty interesting.”
They walk in silence for a few moments, with Serena looking up at the sky thoughtfully. “I could teach you some Kalosian phrases, if you'd like,” she says.
“Really?” Green glances at her and finds himself grinning: her smile is infectious. “I'd appreciate it, yeah.”
“All right, repeat after me. 'Je m'appelle Green. Comment ça va?'”
The words roll so smoothly off of her tongue that for a moment, Green forgets what he's supposed to do; but then he echoes her dutifully.
She hides a smile behind her hand. “Your accent is charming.”
“Yeah, well, I bet yours isn't much better,” he retorts, though even he can hear the difference. She lives here now, after all. “That's 'My name is Green,' right?”
“'My name is Green, how are you?', yes.”
“And what would you say back?”
“Bien, merci. Je m'appelle Serena.”
“How do you say 'Eevee?'” At her name, the pokémon twitches an interested ear.
“Evoli.” She points around the route. “Les fleurs,” she says, pointing at an area of blooming yellow flowers; “L'arbre—” a tree— “Le soleil—” the sun.
“Like Cafe Soleil, right?” he says. “Sycamore took me there once.”
“Lumiose has so many cafes,” she says dreamily. “I'm looking forward to going back and visiting them.”
“I'd go with you, if you were looking for company.”
She gives him a measuring look, and he quirks an eyebrow in response. “Monsieur Oak, are you flirting with me?”
“Is that a problem?” he replies.
A faint blush spreads across her cheeks before she smiles, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “No,” she says, “I don't think that's a problem at all.”
A gaggle of trainers waves at them when they approach the entrance to Shalour City, and Green pauses. “Go on ahead,” he says. “I'd like to catch a few more pokémon on this route, anyway. But hey—I'll give you my number. Call me sometime, all right?”
She enters it into her holo caster and gives Eevee one last headscratch. “À bientôt,” she says, “Until next time.”
--
They meet again in Anistar City, after weeks of video calls and a few long-distance trades. Serena's bulbasaur is now a venusaur, and she rests all of her weight on the railing, her elegance worn down by exhaustion. Next to her, Green's body is a long slouch, hands jammed in his pockets, Eevee curled in a lazy ball at his feet. They don't look at each other.
“I heard about what you did at the Poke Ball Factory,” he says. “Team Flare, right?”
She nods, silent. The huge sun dial casts a shadow over both of them, and Green sighs. He really shouldn't like her as much as he does, he thinks. She's his type, and his type is terrible.
“You're a lot like a friend of mine,” Green says.
She frowns. “A gym leader?”
“No,” he says, then hesitates. “My friend. Red.”
“That's...quite a comparison.”
Green shifts his weight, suddenly irritable. “Yeah, well, neither of you know how to keep yourselves out of trouble.”
She doesn't apologize, of course. Green doesn't expect her to. “Are you going to challenge Olympia?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Battle me first.”
Finally, Serena's head lifts.
“If you're going to go around saving the continent,” he continues, glaring at the railing, “Then a gym leader like me shouldn't be any trouble at all, right?”
--
When Serena's venusaur evolves again, Green's mouth drops. She grins at him and says, “Well, I am Sycamore's student, aren't I?”
Mega Venusaur drops the rest of his team embarrassingly quickly (he set up with trick room; he probably shouldn't have). Eevee, his last pokémon, finally manages to knock him out, but she's wobbly-legged and panting while Serena's last pokemon—Delphox—is at full health. Green forefits, and treats Eevee with a full restore while Serena walks towards him.
“You're something else,” he says, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension from them. He feels better—the battle cleared his head. “That was mega evolution, right? How did venusaur do that?”
“You'd have to ask Professor Sycamore for all the technical details,” she says. “But you need a mega ring,” she gestures to her wrist, “and a corresponding stone for your pokémon, so not everyone can do it.”
“Oh. Well, that's a relief, I guess,” he says, thoughts of an evil team armed with mega evolved pokémon dissipating.
“So, monsieur gym leader,” she says with a grin, “does that mean I can have your badge?”
He laughs. “I left them at home. Come visit me in Kanto sometime.” He winks. “I'll give it to you then.”
“Then I'll claim a suitable replacement,” she says, and Green makes a startled noise when she leans down, places two fingers under his chin to tilt his head up, and kisses him.
--
“I'm going back to Kanto tomorrow,” Green says later that evening, over dinner.
Serena blinks. “Oh, right,” she says quietly. “You were only visiting.”
“Yeah.”
An heavy silence settles over the table. After a moment, Green leans forward and clasps his hand over hers.
“Look, Serena...I like you a lot.” he can feel himself turning red; this sounds so dumb, but he forces the words out. “When you're done challenging the Elite Four, come back to Kanto, all right? You said you always wanted to do the gym challenge. There's no reason you can't, you know.”
“Yes, of course. It'd be nice to go home again,” she says. “And you're a researcher, right?” she says. “Maybe you can come back to help the professor, too.”
Green starts to roll his eyes before stops himself short, thinking. “I would like to learn more about Mega Evolution,” he admits. “It's pretty amazing.”
They lapse into silence again, but this time it's comfortable. Green's thumb runs over the back of her hand unconsciously, thinking about the future.
Outside, the air has taken on a frosty edge. Serena pulls on a heavy black coat and Green admires how its clean lines accentuate her form. All he does is what he's done for years in the cold—tuck Eevee a little tighter around his neck, hearing her delighted burble in response—but it works every time, so he's never seen a reason to change it.
“Well,” she says. “I suppose this is good-bye for now.”
“I'd wish you good luck against Olympia tomorrow,” he says, “but you won't need it.”
She beams at him. “Bon voyage,” she tells him, kissing his cheek.
--
He drops by Sycamore's research lab before he leaves to pick up a sheaf of his papers on Mega Evolution, as well as a few notes on the Fairy-type. Sycamore's as pleased as ever to see him and even escorts him to the airport, telling him to come back anytime, that it's a shame to see him go, to give Professor Oak his regards.
Green thanks Sycamore for his hospitality and help, says he'll definitely stay in touch—but he still can't resist smirking at the professor once he gets out of the taxi. “Hey, Augustine. Do you know how we folks in Kanto say goodbye?”
“How?” Professor Sycamore says, and Green's grin widens.
“Smell ya later!” he says gleefully, and slams the door.
memorialrainbowTitle: Bonne Chance
Author:
outstretchedRating: PG
Verse: Pokemon Gameverse – Kanto & Kalos
Characters/Pairings: Green/Serena, hinted Green/Red, Professor Sycamore
Summary: “The famous Professor Oak's grandson came here to the Kalos region to study abroad. He got 'Bonjour' down just fine, but he still always said 'Smell ya later!' when he left!”
Content Notes: Green really disliking Sycamore, super awkward French
Author's Notes: a.k.a. “Sonata's Kalos headcanons: the fic.” Thank you so much to
kuruk, avioletqueen, napple, and Mika for the beta/French help.*
Sycamore's “research” is similar to what Green was doing when he was eleven years old—documenting new pokémon species and their abilities, patterns, and habits. There's no shame in it, he supposes. It's the foundation of the work all researchers do. But it's hard to be impressed when Green pulls a bulbasaur, squirtle, and charmander out of their poke balls—all gifts from his grandfather, of course, first discovered years ago—and watches Sycamore exclaim over them as if he's never seen them before.
“Professor—”
“Please, call me Augustine,” he says, looking up from where he's scratching underneath bulbasaur's chin. The professor's smile supposedly charms ladies across the continent, but Green just raises an unimpressed eyebrow.
“Augustine,” he repeats. “And where did you say you got your degree from, again?”
“I didn't say,” Augustine says. “Let's not waste time on such boring matters! There's so much to do and see!”
“I didn't realize we were on a schedule.” Green recalls his grandfather's pokémon and hands the poke balls to Sycamore. He watches as the man puts them gently on his desk.
“Have you seen much of the Kalos region?” Augustine asks.
“I arrived last night,” Green says dryly. “So, no.”
Sycamore's tour of Lumiose introduces him to a young and brilliant gym leader, a news reporter eager to cover Green's “goodwill visit to Kalos,” and a store with really fantastic galettes.
Maybe Sycamore isn't such a bad guy after all, he thinks.
--
This is not an opinion he holds for long.
“What do you mean, you gave them away?” Green snarls over coffee the next day. They're sitting outside Cafe Soleil, but the fine Lumiose weather is doing nothing to improve Green's mood. “Those pokémon were given to you for research purposes—”
Sycamore just laughs. “Relax, relax! They are with some of my best students.”
From you, that isn't saying much, Green thinks, but he bites his tongue, takes another sip of coffee.
“As we speak, they're trying to discover the secrets of Mega Evolution. Of course, they are also traveling the Kalos region with their pokémon and spending precious moments together!”
“'Precious moments,'” Green echoes, flat.
Sycamore nods, then turns to flag down a waitress for more coffee. By the end of the exchange the girl is blushing, and Green can feel a headache starting to creep into his temples.
“Where are they now?” he sighs, getting to his feet. Maybe it's not too late to fix this.
--
The Battle Chateau isn't a bad place to spend his time while he waits for Sycamore's student to appear. He's made a ton of money and met a bunch of the region's gym leaders. Valerie had been surprisingly tricky, and afterwards they'd had a (slow—considering Green's stilted Kalosian—but very interesting) discussion about the newly discovered Fairy-type.
Why didn't Sycamore tell me about that? he wonders. If he were a researcher, he'd be busy researching a new type instead of that mega stuff Sycamore's so interested in. Apparently he's poured years of research into it and yielded almost no results.
But he's not a researcher, so it's not really any of his business, he thinks to himself. He's just helping Gramps, and trying to be prepared for when Fairy-type pokémon inevitably show up in his gym. Research isn't his area of expertise, or even really an area of interest. Right.
By the time Serena's entrance is announced, Green's almost forgotten why he came to the Battle Chateau in the first place. He's chatting up a Countess when he sees a flash of green out of the corner of his eye, and turns to see a very familiar bulbasaur.
The bulbasaur wins, much to Green's relief.
“Bonjour!” he calls, striding over. The girl looks up at him with confusion, and then a vague sort of interest; immediately Green shakes his head. "No battle, please. Sycamore's student? Serena? Green Oak.”
Serena pauses, processing what he's said, before she asks, “From Kanto?”
“Yeah,” he says, his grin widening. “You've heard of me?”
“I'm Grace's daughter!” she says, surprising him by switching to Green's native tongue. “You know? The rhyhorn racer?”
Green pauses, thinking for a moment, before his eyes widen. “Grace? No way! I knew she'd left Kanto, but—”
“I can't believe I get to meet you! I always wanted to do the gym challenge at home, but—wow,” she says.
“Yeah,” Green says, similarly stunned, before he gathers his wits. “Um. Do you want to—go somewhere? Get something to eat, or something?”
“Sure!” Serena says, her eyes crinkling.
--
“So what brings you to Kalos?” Serena asks him. They're in Camphier City's cafe, surrounded by people showing off their pokémon to one another. Eevee is nestled contentedly in Green's lap, nibbling on the bits of food that Green slips her. Serena's been watching her but hasn't moved to touch her, which is something Green appreciates.
“Gramps—Professor Oak, I mean—asked me to deliver some pokémon to Sycamore to help him with his research. Speaking of which...I think he gave you one.”
“Oh? You mean Bulbasaur?” She calls the pokémon out immediately. Bulbasaur recognizes him, of course, and comes over to gently touch noses with Eevee. She sniffs him a little before losing interest and turning her attention back to Green.
He reaches down and checks the bulbasaur over. He seems to be in fine health, his leaves glossy and dark green, his skin slightly springy.
Green leans back with a sigh. “I was worried about him,” Green says. “My sister spent years working on his breeding line, you know? I just wanted to make sure he was with a good trainer. I guess it's better that he's with you, though, than cooped up in Sycamore's lab all day.”
She lifts the bulbasaur and puts him in her own lap, scratching gently between his ears. “I really like him,” she says. “I felt like we were already friends before I chose him. He... reminds me of home.” Serena pauses, blinking hard.
Green shifts in his chair. “Um. Sorry.”
“No, it's fine. Kalos is a really interesting region!” she says, perking up. “It's really different, but that's what makes it fun.” She pauses in her petting, and bulbasaur looks up with a soft whine. “I'll take good care of him, I promise.”
He smiles. “I believe you.”
The rest of the conversation is half excitement, half nostalgia—Green telling Serena the latest news from Kanto, and Serena telling him about all the sights she's seen so far in Kalos. When he looks up, the sun's already setting.
“I should probably get going before it's dark,” he says, surprised by how much he actually regrets leaving.
“Where are you staying?” she asks. He pulls a face.
“Sycamore's letting me stay at his house, but I should probably book a hotel, ugh.” Belatedly, he remembers that he's talking to the professor's student. “Uh, I mean. I don't want to...impose.”
Serena just chuckles. “He's a really nice guy,” she assures him, as they settle the check and leave the cafe. “Not as cute as you, though.”
“Yeah, I—wait, what?”
She laughs and waves goodbye over her shoulder, vanishing into the pokémon center before he can close his mouth.
--
You know, Green thinks, lying in bed reluctantly listening to the aria that filters up through the floorboards, there's nothing stopping him from staying in Kalos a little longer. To keep an eye on Gramps' starters, you know? Just until they're settled. Besides, Bonita's watching the gym, it's not like anyone would really miss him if he stayed for another week. Or a month.
He definitely has to get a hotel tomorrow, he thinks. Hell, he'd take sleeping in the pokémon center over staying here and listening to Sycamore warbling along to his old opera records. Anything is better than that.
--
“Bonjour,” Green says after the battle is over. The trainer looks at him, nonplussed. “Um. Shalour? You know, the city. How do I...?” He makes a vaguely hopeful gesture.
“Excusez-moi?” the trainer responds.
He feels a touch on his shoulder, and a familiar voice says beside him, “Désolé, il est de Kanto. Il veut demander, comment est-qu'il va à Shalour City?”
He turns as Serena lifts her hand and smiles at him. She's more tanned than when he saw her last, and her clothing has changed—new shoes, a new hat.
Eevee chirps a hello, wandering over to rub against her legs. Serena kneels down to pet her as she has a quick conversation with the other trainer, and then says, “Come on, this way.”
“Thanks,” he says.
“No problem.”
Eevee leaps back into Green's arms before he follows her. Serena's movements are graceful and relaxed, past the worst of her adolescent gawkiness. Belatedly, he realizes that she's nearly his height. He knew Kalos started their trainers later in their journeys than Kanto does, similar to Unova, but the evidence of it still catches him by surprise.
“I'm surprised you didn't learn any Kalosian before your trip,” she says.
Green shrugs. “I didn't expect to stay very long.”
“But you like it here?” she says, smiling.
“I figured I could use a vacation,” he corrects her easily. “But yeah, Kalos is pretty interesting.”
They walk in silence for a few moments, with Serena looking up at the sky thoughtfully. “I could teach you some Kalosian phrases, if you'd like,” she says.
“Really?” Green glances at her and finds himself grinning: her smile is infectious. “I'd appreciate it, yeah.”
“All right, repeat after me. 'Je m'appelle Green. Comment ça va?'”
The words roll so smoothly off of her tongue that for a moment, Green forgets what he's supposed to do; but then he echoes her dutifully.
She hides a smile behind her hand. “Your accent is charming.”
“Yeah, well, I bet yours isn't much better,” he retorts, though even he can hear the difference. She lives here now, after all. “That's 'My name is Green,' right?”
“'My name is Green, how are you?', yes.”
“And what would you say back?”
“Bien, merci. Je m'appelle Serena.”
“How do you say 'Eevee?'” At her name, the pokémon twitches an interested ear.
“Evoli.” She points around the route. “Les fleurs,” she says, pointing at an area of blooming yellow flowers; “L'arbre—” a tree— “Le soleil—” the sun.
“Like Cafe Soleil, right?” he says. “Sycamore took me there once.”
“Lumiose has so many cafes,” she says dreamily. “I'm looking forward to going back and visiting them.”
“I'd go with you, if you were looking for company.”
She gives him a measuring look, and he quirks an eyebrow in response. “Monsieur Oak, are you flirting with me?”
“Is that a problem?” he replies.
A faint blush spreads across her cheeks before she smiles, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “No,” she says, “I don't think that's a problem at all.”
A gaggle of trainers waves at them when they approach the entrance to Shalour City, and Green pauses. “Go on ahead,” he says. “I'd like to catch a few more pokémon on this route, anyway. But hey—I'll give you my number. Call me sometime, all right?”
She enters it into her holo caster and gives Eevee one last headscratch. “À bientôt,” she says, “Until next time.”
--
They meet again in Anistar City, after weeks of video calls and a few long-distance trades. Serena's bulbasaur is now a venusaur, and she rests all of her weight on the railing, her elegance worn down by exhaustion. Next to her, Green's body is a long slouch, hands jammed in his pockets, Eevee curled in a lazy ball at his feet. They don't look at each other.
“I heard about what you did at the Poke Ball Factory,” he says. “Team Flare, right?”
She nods, silent. The huge sun dial casts a shadow over both of them, and Green sighs. He really shouldn't like her as much as he does, he thinks. She's his type, and his type is terrible.
“You're a lot like a friend of mine,” Green says.
She frowns. “A gym leader?”
“No,” he says, then hesitates. “My friend. Red.”
“That's...quite a comparison.”
Green shifts his weight, suddenly irritable. “Yeah, well, neither of you know how to keep yourselves out of trouble.”
She doesn't apologize, of course. Green doesn't expect her to. “Are you going to challenge Olympia?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Battle me first.”
Finally, Serena's head lifts.
“If you're going to go around saving the continent,” he continues, glaring at the railing, “Then a gym leader like me shouldn't be any trouble at all, right?”
--
When Serena's venusaur evolves again, Green's mouth drops. She grins at him and says, “Well, I am Sycamore's student, aren't I?”
Mega Venusaur drops the rest of his team embarrassingly quickly (he set up with trick room; he probably shouldn't have). Eevee, his last pokémon, finally manages to knock him out, but she's wobbly-legged and panting while Serena's last pokemon—Delphox—is at full health. Green forefits, and treats Eevee with a full restore while Serena walks towards him.
“You're something else,” he says, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension from them. He feels better—the battle cleared his head. “That was mega evolution, right? How did venusaur do that?”
“You'd have to ask Professor Sycamore for all the technical details,” she says. “But you need a mega ring,” she gestures to her wrist, “and a corresponding stone for your pokémon, so not everyone can do it.”
“Oh. Well, that's a relief, I guess,” he says, thoughts of an evil team armed with mega evolved pokémon dissipating.
“So, monsieur gym leader,” she says with a grin, “does that mean I can have your badge?”
He laughs. “I left them at home. Come visit me in Kanto sometime.” He winks. “I'll give it to you then.”
“Then I'll claim a suitable replacement,” she says, and Green makes a startled noise when she leans down, places two fingers under his chin to tilt his head up, and kisses him.
--
“I'm going back to Kanto tomorrow,” Green says later that evening, over dinner.
Serena blinks. “Oh, right,” she says quietly. “You were only visiting.”
“Yeah.”
An heavy silence settles over the table. After a moment, Green leans forward and clasps his hand over hers.
“Look, Serena...I like you a lot.” he can feel himself turning red; this sounds so dumb, but he forces the words out. “When you're done challenging the Elite Four, come back to Kanto, all right? You said you always wanted to do the gym challenge. There's no reason you can't, you know.”
“Yes, of course. It'd be nice to go home again,” she says. “And you're a researcher, right?” she says. “Maybe you can come back to help the professor, too.”
Green starts to roll his eyes before stops himself short, thinking. “I would like to learn more about Mega Evolution,” he admits. “It's pretty amazing.”
They lapse into silence again, but this time it's comfortable. Green's thumb runs over the back of her hand unconsciously, thinking about the future.
Outside, the air has taken on a frosty edge. Serena pulls on a heavy black coat and Green admires how its clean lines accentuate her form. All he does is what he's done for years in the cold—tuck Eevee a little tighter around his neck, hearing her delighted burble in response—but it works every time, so he's never seen a reason to change it.
“Well,” she says. “I suppose this is good-bye for now.”
“I'd wish you good luck against Olympia tomorrow,” he says, “but you won't need it.”
She beams at him. “Bon voyage,” she tells him, kissing his cheek.
--
He drops by Sycamore's research lab before he leaves to pick up a sheaf of his papers on Mega Evolution, as well as a few notes on the Fairy-type. Sycamore's as pleased as ever to see him and even escorts him to the airport, telling him to come back anytime, that it's a shame to see him go, to give Professor Oak his regards.
Green thanks Sycamore for his hospitality and help, says he'll definitely stay in touch—but he still can't resist smirking at the professor once he gets out of the taxi. “Hey, Augustine. Do you know how we folks in Kanto say goodbye?”
“How?” Professor Sycamore says, and Green's grin widens.
“Smell ya later!” he says gleefully, and slams the door.
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(Also, that conclusion is A+ gold star perfection.)