For every mile of ocean crossed ☆ (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
outstretched) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thingwithfeathers2012-03-25 10:09 pm
outstretched) wrote in thingwithfeathers2012-03-25 10:09 pm
Entry tags:
Two gym battle stories (Pokémon, Elesa/White and Silver/Leaf, G to PG)
I was going mad from the need to write, so I did some ten-minute writing exercises to scratch the itch. (I cheated on the first one, though.) Barely edited, not beta'd at all.
Chewing on Pearls | Elesa/White | 858 words | PG | Character study, drama | prompt (I did not follow this at all) | foraxolotl
Please note that my Elesa and White characterizations are wildly different from canon and probably fanon, you have been warned. In particular, my White is an orphan who lives in the battle subway, and my Elesa is all fangs and sharp edges. The backstory for this is that a while after the events of B/W, White comes up through the gym challenge to become the next champion after Black. Black and White are not friends in this universe.
"You win," Elesa says, and the challenger bears her teeth.
"I'm White," she says, tossing a Poké Ball in one hand, head cocked, eyes sharp and bright in the neon lighting. "But you knew that, didn't you?"
"I've seen you before," Elesa acknowledges. White tips her head back, laughs up at the ceiling.
"I've seen you with Ingo and Emmet," she says. "In the back room." Elesa's eyes narrow.
"I've seen you sleeping on the benches on the battle subway," Elesa says, and White's smile turns into a snarl. She steps forward, then, uncurls her fist into an open palm facing upward.
Elesa drops the the money and the TM into her hand, but hesitates before giving her the badge. "Congratulations," she says cooly. "Why don't you get yourself something to eat, for once?"
White's grin is all teeth. "I've taken care of myself for ten years, princess," she snaps. "What do you have to show for yourself? Everybody knows this is your daddy's playground you're living in."
Elesa takes in a quick breath. It's true that the theme park is her father's, and will be passed to her in due time.
"Glitter and fancy dresses," White says. "Glamor and pretty boys—you've got a nice set-up here, I'll give you that much." She leans in, snatches the badge from Elesa's hands before she can pull it away.
"Street rat," Elesa whispers.
"Porcelain doll," White hisses back. She turns on her heel and steps into the car that pulls up to the station. The car flies away down the roller coaster tracks, sleek and silent.
--
She sees White again at the afterparty of her championship ceremony, out of her element in a dark dress and stylish hair. Elesa slides into the chair beside her with a glass of champagne. She smiles at White when she looks up, and pointedly drinks from the glass. White's not old enough to drink; Champions almost never are.
"Congratulations again," she says, and White's eyes flicker nervously to the table. Elesa cocks her head, her smile cooling. "Liepard got your tongue?"
White glares at her placemat, glances up at Elesa again but says nothing. Elesa's finger traces the edge of the glass as she notices a dozen things; that she sits with her legs open, that her nails are worn to the quick, that her eyeliner is already slightly smudged. She points this last one out, and White blushes underneath her makeup.
"Excuse me," White says, getting up. Elesa follows her to the bathroom, watches White bristle and hesitate by the door.
"Stop following me."
"It's a free country," Elesa says.
Inside, White fusses at her bangs, trying to ignore the woman who stands with her back to the sinks with her arms crossed, mentally replaying White's shaky walk in three-inch heels.
"You're good at Pokémon battling," Elesa says, and White's hands stop, "but that doesn't mean you're good at everything."
The eyeliner seems to sharpen White's glare. "Shut up," she says.
"Do any of the gym leaders here even like you?" she says. "Or did you leave the same excellent first impression with all of them?"
"I'm the Champion now—"
"So what?" Elesa says.
"So when I tell you to shut up, shut up," White snarls.
Elesa and White stare at each other's reflections. Finally, Elesa takes a step forward, removing a clip from her own hair. She smooths White's bangs back and clips it in place.
"You're a street rat," she says, quietly. White's hand flashes up to grab her hand and yank it away, only to find that even with all her strength, she can't budge Elesa at all. "I didn't finish," Elesa says, almost scolding. "I was saying, you're still a street rat, but that doesn't mean you're worthless. You've proven that."
White's eyes are wary as they linger on her face. Elesa shakes her head.
"How old are you, really?" she asks.
"Sixteen."
"By the time I was your age, I was walking runways on three continents," Elesa says. "And yes, before you say so, some of that was because of my father's influence. But most of that was my own hard work. The modeling world doesn't accept anything less than the best, no matter who you are, or where you're from." She draws her hand away. "The Pokémon world is the same way."
White removes the clip from her hair and holds it, palm up, towards Elesa. "Take it back," she says.
"It's a gift."
"It's a handout."
Elesa shakes her head. She reaches out and curls White's fingers back around the clip.
White puts the clip on the sink counter, defiant. "What do you want?"
Elesa sighs. "All I'm saying is, if you were really strong, you wouldn't keep proving yourself like this all the time."
"Couldn't you say the same for yourself?" White demands.
Elesa looks at her. "Maybe," she admits.
Before White can say anything, she gestures at the clip. "Keep it," she says again, "as a housewarming gift." Her eyes linger on White's face, considering, before she leaves the bathroom. When White steps outside again, Elesa is gone.
You can find a prequel to this/a White character study here.
Get the Girl | Silver/Leaf | 428 words | G | Character study, romance | prompt (messed up again orz) | forkoyuki
Kyuu has a huge soft spot for this pairing, and I like it too! This one I actually wrote in ten minutes hooray
"Stop worrying about it," Leaf tells him. "Everybody loses to Green."
Silver bites out, "You don't."
"I do sometimes," she says.
"I do all the time."
"You'll get better," she says. "You always do." Silver mutters a little. "I believe in you!" Leaf continues, laughing, and Silver looks at her suddenly. She's grinning up at the sky, her arms high above her head in a lazy stretch.
No one's ever said that to him before.
--
"Of course we believe in you," Ethan says.
"But you never said it," Silver says.
"Well, no? We thought you already knew."
He did, somewhere inside of him, but it's different to hear it leave the lips of a girl who's only known him for two weeks, one who's known Green her whole life.
--
"Green's a jerk," she says matter-of-factly. "He deserves to be taken down a peg."
"But why me?"
"Women's intuition," she says. "I just know these things. You're going to beat him. Aren't you?" she says when she sees the look on his face.
"Yes," he says, without conviction. Leaf rolls her eyes.
"Say it again."
"Yes."
"Again!"
"Yes! God, leave me alone."
Leaf laughs. Silver finds he likes the way it sounds.
--
Leaf sits on the sidelines every time. It makes Silver fight harder, but it makes each loss more painful than the one before.
Every time afterwards, Leaf takes him to the diner and buys him a strawberry milkshake. "I hate strawberry," he grumbles.
"I know. It's punishment," she says. "I'm already punishing you, so now you can't punish yourself."
Silver drinks the milkshake grimly, not commenting when Leaf reaches over and dips her fries in beside his straw.
--
Silver's so focused on the battle that when Arcanine's on the floor and Crobat is still standing, it takes him a minute to realize that he's won. It takes him another moment to realize that Leaf is gone.
He stomps outside after Green's given him his winnings to find her at the entrance, looking at the short list of people who have won the Earth Badge. "What are you doing here?" he says, and she laughs.
"I didn't want him to see," Leaf says, and before Silver can react her arms are around his neck and her lips are on his cheek, softer than he expected.
"What did you do that for?"
"Since you won," she says, "It's your turn to buy me a milkshake."
It's not really an answer, but when she leaves town with him the next day, he decides that's answer enough.
// written 25 Mar 2012
Like what you see? Consider watchingsouthofreality!
Chewing on Pearls | Elesa/White | 858 words | PG | Character study, drama | prompt (I did not follow this at all) | for
axolotlPlease note that my Elesa and White characterizations are wildly different from canon and probably fanon, you have been warned. In particular, my White is an orphan who lives in the battle subway, and my Elesa is all fangs and sharp edges. The backstory for this is that a while after the events of B/W, White comes up through the gym challenge to become the next champion after Black. Black and White are not friends in this universe.
"You win," Elesa says, and the challenger bears her teeth.
"I'm White," she says, tossing a Poké Ball in one hand, head cocked, eyes sharp and bright in the neon lighting. "But you knew that, didn't you?"
"I've seen you before," Elesa acknowledges. White tips her head back, laughs up at the ceiling.
"I've seen you with Ingo and Emmet," she says. "In the back room." Elesa's eyes narrow.
"I've seen you sleeping on the benches on the battle subway," Elesa says, and White's smile turns into a snarl. She steps forward, then, uncurls her fist into an open palm facing upward.
Elesa drops the the money and the TM into her hand, but hesitates before giving her the badge. "Congratulations," she says cooly. "Why don't you get yourself something to eat, for once?"
White's grin is all teeth. "I've taken care of myself for ten years, princess," she snaps. "What do you have to show for yourself? Everybody knows this is your daddy's playground you're living in."
Elesa takes in a quick breath. It's true that the theme park is her father's, and will be passed to her in due time.
"Glitter and fancy dresses," White says. "Glamor and pretty boys—you've got a nice set-up here, I'll give you that much." She leans in, snatches the badge from Elesa's hands before she can pull it away.
"Street rat," Elesa whispers.
"Porcelain doll," White hisses back. She turns on her heel and steps into the car that pulls up to the station. The car flies away down the roller coaster tracks, sleek and silent.
--
She sees White again at the afterparty of her championship ceremony, out of her element in a dark dress and stylish hair. Elesa slides into the chair beside her with a glass of champagne. She smiles at White when she looks up, and pointedly drinks from the glass. White's not old enough to drink; Champions almost never are.
"Congratulations again," she says, and White's eyes flicker nervously to the table. Elesa cocks her head, her smile cooling. "Liepard got your tongue?"
White glares at her placemat, glances up at Elesa again but says nothing. Elesa's finger traces the edge of the glass as she notices a dozen things; that she sits with her legs open, that her nails are worn to the quick, that her eyeliner is already slightly smudged. She points this last one out, and White blushes underneath her makeup.
"Excuse me," White says, getting up. Elesa follows her to the bathroom, watches White bristle and hesitate by the door.
"Stop following me."
"It's a free country," Elesa says.
Inside, White fusses at her bangs, trying to ignore the woman who stands with her back to the sinks with her arms crossed, mentally replaying White's shaky walk in three-inch heels.
"You're good at Pokémon battling," Elesa says, and White's hands stop, "but that doesn't mean you're good at everything."
The eyeliner seems to sharpen White's glare. "Shut up," she says.
"Do any of the gym leaders here even like you?" she says. "Or did you leave the same excellent first impression with all of them?"
"I'm the Champion now—"
"So what?" Elesa says.
"So when I tell you to shut up, shut up," White snarls.
Elesa and White stare at each other's reflections. Finally, Elesa takes a step forward, removing a clip from her own hair. She smooths White's bangs back and clips it in place.
"You're a street rat," she says, quietly. White's hand flashes up to grab her hand and yank it away, only to find that even with all her strength, she can't budge Elesa at all. "I didn't finish," Elesa says, almost scolding. "I was saying, you're still a street rat, but that doesn't mean you're worthless. You've proven that."
White's eyes are wary as they linger on her face. Elesa shakes her head.
"How old are you, really?" she asks.
"Sixteen."
"By the time I was your age, I was walking runways on three continents," Elesa says. "And yes, before you say so, some of that was because of my father's influence. But most of that was my own hard work. The modeling world doesn't accept anything less than the best, no matter who you are, or where you're from." She draws her hand away. "The Pokémon world is the same way."
White removes the clip from her hair and holds it, palm up, towards Elesa. "Take it back," she says.
"It's a gift."
"It's a handout."
Elesa shakes her head. She reaches out and curls White's fingers back around the clip.
White puts the clip on the sink counter, defiant. "What do you want?"
Elesa sighs. "All I'm saying is, if you were really strong, you wouldn't keep proving yourself like this all the time."
"Couldn't you say the same for yourself?" White demands.
Elesa looks at her. "Maybe," she admits.
Before White can say anything, she gestures at the clip. "Keep it," she says again, "as a housewarming gift." Her eyes linger on White's face, considering, before she leaves the bathroom. When White steps outside again, Elesa is gone.
You can find a prequel to this/a White character study here.
Get the Girl | Silver/Leaf | 428 words | G | Character study, romance | prompt (messed up again orz) | for
koyukiKyuu has a huge soft spot for this pairing, and I like it too! This one I actually wrote in ten minutes hooray
"Stop worrying about it," Leaf tells him. "Everybody loses to Green."
Silver bites out, "You don't."
"I do sometimes," she says.
"I do all the time."
"You'll get better," she says. "You always do." Silver mutters a little. "I believe in you!" Leaf continues, laughing, and Silver looks at her suddenly. She's grinning up at the sky, her arms high above her head in a lazy stretch.
No one's ever said that to him before.
--
"Of course we believe in you," Ethan says.
"But you never said it," Silver says.
"Well, no? We thought you already knew."
He did, somewhere inside of him, but it's different to hear it leave the lips of a girl who's only known him for two weeks, one who's known Green her whole life.
--
"Green's a jerk," she says matter-of-factly. "He deserves to be taken down a peg."
"But why me?"
"Women's intuition," she says. "I just know these things. You're going to beat him. Aren't you?" she says when she sees the look on his face.
"Yes," he says, without conviction. Leaf rolls her eyes.
"Say it again."
"Yes."
"Again!"
"Yes! God, leave me alone."
Leaf laughs. Silver finds he likes the way it sounds.
--
Leaf sits on the sidelines every time. It makes Silver fight harder, but it makes each loss more painful than the one before.
Every time afterwards, Leaf takes him to the diner and buys him a strawberry milkshake. "I hate strawberry," he grumbles.
"I know. It's punishment," she says. "I'm already punishing you, so now you can't punish yourself."
Silver drinks the milkshake grimly, not commenting when Leaf reaches over and dips her fries in beside his straw.
--
Silver's so focused on the battle that when Arcanine's on the floor and Crobat is still standing, it takes him a minute to realize that he's won. It takes him another moment to realize that Leaf is gone.
He stomps outside after Green's given him his winnings to find her at the entrance, looking at the short list of people who have won the Earth Badge. "What are you doing here?" he says, and she laughs.
"I didn't want him to see," Leaf says, and before Silver can react her arms are around his neck and her lips are on his cheek, softer than he expected.
"What did you do that for?"
"Since you won," she says, "It's your turn to buy me a milkshake."
It's not really an answer, but when she leaves town with him the next day, he decides that's answer enough.
// written 25 Mar 2012
Like what you see? Consider watching
southofreality!