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authorialarcanist · 3 years

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Gracidea Blossom Chapter 2: No Contest

(Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, & Platinum x Little Busters!)

Mirror Links: AO3, Pokécommunity, Spacebattles

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The next morning, the Little Busters gather outside Rin and Kyousuke’s house. The siblings are a little late to emerge, their parents having insisted on helping Rin pack after learning about the planned trip. She now has a bag waiting for her by the doorway, stuffed full of travel supplies.

Rin follows Kyousuke out the door, Lennon curled up in her arms. She can feel the Litten’s warmth bolstering her against the chilly morning air.

Once the five friends are all in one place, Kyousuke clears his throat. “Ahem. Good morning, gentlemen. We gather here today to bid farewell to our good city of Hearthome before departing on our trip. As such, I have determined that the day’s activity shall be a specialty which can’t be found elsewhere!”

Rin cocks her head. “We’re going back to Amity Square?”

“No,” Kyousuke replies, “That’s just a daily activity for you! Today has to be something special.”

Masato crosses his arms and pipes up. “Training, then! Super-secret muscle training we can only do here!” He grins, muscles in his arms bulging.

“Woah… does such a thing exist?” Kyousuke affects a shocked expression. “Masato, have you been hiding a secret muscle-training facility from us all along?”

“No, no, no, he just got carried away and invented a place that doesn’t exist,” Riki ripostes.

“Gaaaah!” Masato buries his face in his hands, thrashing back and forth in anguish. “I thought Kyousuke was going to show us a secret training ground! Now I got all excited for nothing!” Rin shrinks back a little. Muscles really are the only thing on that idiot’s mind. Scary!

“Putting the idiot aside…” Kengo glares at Masato’s theatrics. “Shouldn’t we focus on preparing Rin and Riki for the trip?”

“Boring! You’re all boring!” Kyousuke finally shouts. “Any old Trainer would spend the day before a trip packing and training! No, if we want to assert our individuality, there’s only one thing we can do today!” He makes a dramatic flourish in front of himself with his right arm. “That’s why, we’re going to hold a Pokémon Contest!”

“A… Pokémon Contest.” Kengo fixes Kyousuke with a flat look. “Even if we had fancy clothes with us for it, you do realize that the Contest Hall isn’t going to let us just waltz in and take over the stage, right? The judges have official competitions to spend their time on.”

“That’s fine, we can host our own Contest outdoors! I’ll be the judge, while you, Masato, Riki, and Rin are the contestants!”

“What about the fact that the three of us have grown, trained Pokémon? Even when it’s not a head-to-head fight, their conditions are still good enough that Riki and Rin’s new ones wouldn’t be able to compete against them.”

“Hah! It doesn’t matter if you’re amateur or adept, a Pokémon Contest is about heart!” Seeing the unamused faces around him, Kyousuke stumbles for a moment before picking back up. “…And besides, I’m sure I can come up with some house rules as a handicap.”

After a moment, Kengo just turns away with a sigh. “…Wonderful. Well, I hope you have fun. I’m going to go pick up supplies that will be actually useful.”

“Kengo, wait!” Kyousuke chases after him for a few steps, but gives up as he disappears in the direction of the city’s shopping district. “…That… That’s fine!” He rallies! “I still have a plan for how to do this without him!”

Masato takes the bait. “Oh? And what would that be?”

“We’ll just have a Pokémon Contest with the three of you!”

“That’s just the same plan, you idiot!” Rin kicks her brother in the shin, but even through a grimace of pain he refuses to break his heroic pose.

Riki looks uncertain, but… “Well… if you’ve put that much thought into it, then I guess we’ll be happy to try a homebrew Contest. Right, guys?” At that, Rin knows it’s pretty much decided. Riki always folds when her brother is involved.

——

Due to the Little Busters’ late night the day before, most of the city has already woken up by the time the quartet sans Kengo starts making their way to Kyousuke’s chosen stage. The sun is shining down, and the city is alive with its signature gentle bustle. Various residents nod at the group as they pass by, wishing them good morning by name. Just about everyone knows everyone else in Hearthome; still, Rin clings a little closer to her brother. They may not be strangers, but she’s perfectly happy with just the friends she’s got. This holds especially true as they pass the city’s Pokémon Gym, not far from the entrance to Amity Square on the east side of town.

Hearthome Gym is a large building of white stone, jutting out from the city’s ubiquitous brick pathways. Challengers enter through a one-story round vestibule facing the city’s main street, but the bulk of the Gym is behind that: a pair of large semicircles, each twice as tall as the entrance area, overlapping a little at the centers of their arcs like a pair of interlinked rings. One more circular floor rises just above where the arcs connect. Kyousuke has shown Rin pictures of a facility called the Prestige Precept Center in Orre; apparently, Hearthome’s leader modeled her Gym renovations after that building.

The Gym itself operates in a somewhat peculiar fashion. Rather than accepting a constant stream of challengers, as most do, Hearthome Gym runs on a strict schedule: it opens to Trainers seeking its badge on rare preordained days, taking all who approach in one big wave, and then closes its doors to them again until the next scheduled opening. Anybody who misses the day or fails their challenge has no choice but to wait and come around again next time. The upshot of this is that because of the Gym, every so often a wave of strangers from all around Sinnoh flood the town, all trying to get their badges at once. Rin hates those days, although she supposes that she can at least follow the publicly released schedule and know when to keep her head down. And, well, the Gym Leader is nice; the older girl likes to stop and chat with Rin about the cat Pokémon they both love from time to time.

Passing by the Gym, the four come to the open square in the middle of town. While the whole city is littered with benches and areas for relaxation, this plaza is a favorite spot for those who want a different experience from that of Amity Square. With the Gym not far to the east, the town’s Pokémon Center on its west side, and the grand half-dome of the Super Contest Hall stationed at its northern end, most foot traffic passes through the plaza sooner or later.

At the very center of the plaza is a great fountain, and Kyousuke wastes no time in clambering onto its rim. Curious spectators gather around, wondering what those crazy kids are getting up to today. “Now, then - Riki! Rin! Masato! The three of you will be the contestants in the Little Busters’ First Unofficial Super Contest!” He raises a sign that reads ‘Applause’, eliciting the desired reaction from a few cooperative passers-by. “As for the rules! Each of you will enter one Pokémon. We don’t exactly have music or accessories for the first two rounds, so we’ll be jumping right into the Appeal round. I will act as your judge,” he bows before sweeping an arm at the gathered residents, “As will our lovely audience. Finally, since Masato has been training his Pokémon for much longer than our other two competitors, they are both allowed to enter a second Pokémon in our Contest. Are these conditions acceptable?” His gaze meets that of each reluctant performer in turn. Riki and Masato nod; Rin doesn’t deign to respond. “Perfect! In that case… let the Contest begin!”

Rin and Riki each send out both of their Pokémon, while Masato takes a moment longer to decide.

“Now then!” For want of a sound system, Kyousuke has pulled a megaphone out from someplace. He gives his best shot at emulating a Super Contest Emcee. “Our contestants today areeeee…! Masato Inohara! With his Beedrill, ‘Beenniku*’!” Caught up in the moment, Masato waves at the motley crowd. “Rin Natsume! With her Chingling, ‘Santa’, and her Litten, ‘Lennon’! Annnnd last but not least, Riki Naoe! With his Bonsly, ‘Sly’, and his Turtwig, ‘Terra’! Your appeals… start… Now!”

The Pokémon leap into action, to the makeshift audience’s cheers. Masato makes the first move, having his Beedrill jab at the air with its stingers to show off the gleam of its chitin. Kyousuke applauds politely, and then it’s Riki’s turn.

“Terra, Tackle! Sly, use Flail!” The Bonsly flails about aimlessly while Terra tackles the air in front of Kyousuke with a burst of strength from its hind legs.

“Not bad, but you’re still missing something! Rin, you’re up!”

Rin has had some time to think of a strategy, so she responds immediately. “Both of you, Growl!” At her command, both Santa and Lennon open their mouths to emit a cry. With nobody following them, the cat’s meow and the bell-like jingle have a moment to mix and echo.

“That’s it,” says Kyousuke, caught up in the energy. “Just like that! Alright, next round! Rin, you’re first this time! Masato, you’re going last!”

At Rin’s command, Lennon breathes a tiny flame onto the pavement while Santa wraps its rope around a lamp post. The flame dances beautifully for a moment before guttering out.

“Sly, use Copycat! Terra, Withdraw!” Riki’s Turtwig pulls its head and limbs into its shell, the leaf on its head still sticking out a little while Sly vibrates for a moment, watching Lennon, and then somehow spits out an ember of its own. The crowd ‘Ooh’s and ‘Aah’s.

Rin glares at Sly for a moment, betrayed. “But he’s not even a cat,” she mutters.

“Alright, Beenniku, use Pursuit!” Everybody pauses for a moment, brought back to the present by Masato’s command. Suddenly, Rin’s Pokémon have lost their composure as the Beedrill chases them around the square. Although Sly is also running from the bee, Terra remains cool as a cucumber in its shell.

“Wh- Is that even legal?!” Rin shouts.

“In Hoenn, it would be! I’ll allow it!” Kyousuke waves his hand dramatically, before shouting, “Good appeals, but startled Pokémon lose points! One more round! Keep it up, you three!”

“And what in the world is going on here?” The Pokémon screech to a halt as a girl with purple twin tails appears in front of them, hands on her hips. She’s wearing a black ribbon in her hair, done up to look like cat ears, and a formal black dress. She’s clearly just come from the Super Contest Hall, and a pair of girls are flanking her, one with green hair and one with red.

“Pokémon Contest,” replies Rin matter-of-factly. “What about you?”

“How could you not recognize Hearthome’s Contest prodigy?” The green-haired girl speaks up with a disbelieving expression. “Our lady Sasami and her Pokémon are always… Smart!”

“Tough!” On her other side, the red-haired girl steps forward. Rin cocks her head. Have they rehearsed this?

“Cute!” Back to green hair.

“Cool!”

The two step aside, speaking in unison as they frame Sasami with their arms. “And, of course…”

At this, the subject of their performance finally steps forward, one hand elegantly in front of her mouth as she speaks. “…Beautiful! So, I’m sure you can see why a Contest pro such as myself is concerned about this parody you’re putting on!”

“Not really,” says Rin. “We’re just playing.”

“Wh- Just playing?” The other girl sputters. “Is a Pokémon Contest a joke to you? I know who you are, Rin Natsume. Don’t think that just because you’re the sister of the Champion, you can get by without applying yourself!” She takes a moment, visibly calming herself down. “Hmph. Well, then, if you want to prove you know how to perform in a real Contest, come to the Super Contest Hall tomorrow. I, Sasami Sasasegawa, will challenge you personally!”

“I can’t,” Rin replies. “It seems I’m going on a journey.”

“…It… Seems? Does it not concern you?”

Rin shrugs. “Sorry, Sasa…” She pauses for a moment, trying to get the other girl’s name down. “…Sashimi.”

A vein bulges in Sa…something’s forehead. “…You’re making fun of me. Of course you are. That’s it, Rin Natsume!” Her voice hits a somewhat hysterical pitch. “If you cannot take this seriously, I challenge you to a battle! Right here, right now! Go, Kuro!” With a studied motion, she throws a Pokéball. When it hits the ground, it bursts open in a swarm of bubbles, and out pops a Litten - like Lennon, but with black fur where Lennon’s is white.

“I don’t get it, but… I guess we’re battling? Come on, Lennon!” The shiny Litten jumps in front of Rin, facing its counterpart.

“So you even mock me with my own Pokémon…” Sasami growls. “Listen well, Rin Natsume! I always aim for nothing less than to win! To offer anything short of 100% is to disrespect both yourself, and your Pokémon! Kuro, use Lick!” The black cat jumps forward and licks Lennon’s face viciously. …At least, Rin thinks it’s viciously, since her Pokémon staggers back, muscles twitching.

“Lennon! Lick him right back!” Rin hesitates when Lennon looks back at her with a plaintive meow. “Wh- don’t you know that yet?”

Sasami gives a high-pitched laugh. “Oh-hoh-hoh! This is why it’s important to train your Pokémon, and not just play around aimlessly!”

“Ugh… Lennon, use Scratch!” Lennon jumps forward, a little slowly, but still manages to rake its claws down the other Litten’s side.

“Scratch him right back, Kuro!” At Sasami’s command, her own cat Pokémon begins to scratch at Lennon in return, and the two cats find themselves scratching back and forth.

On the sidelines, Kyousuke grimaces. “…I have to say, I’ve seen more exciting matches.”

“Shut up!” Rin takes her eyes off of the battle to kick her brother in retaliation, but he jumps smoothly out of the way. “Lennon, use—” Her Pokémon staggers, unable to move for a moment due to the earlier Lick attack, and then falls to the ground with a whine. “No! Lennon, return! Go, Santa!”

“A second Pokémon? No matter! If he’s as poorly trained as the first, this will be… a…” Sasami trails off, and her face goes red as she stares over Rin’s shoulder. Rin twists to look behind herself, and sees Kengo approaching with a pair of heavy shopping bags.

“Oh, you guys are still at it?” Kengo looks surprised. “I’ll admit, I didn’t think you’d manage to draw this much of a crowd.” Since the battle started, the motley observers have grown into a veritable audience, curious what would happen next. Kengo looks past Rin and notices Sasami. “Oh, and you would be miss Sasasegawa from the Contest Hall, right? I didn’t realize that you and Rin were friends.”

“I— Mister Miyazawa, er— can I call you Kengo? I was just— um—” Sasami toys with her hair, flustered. She looks between Kengo and the battle in front of her, where Rin’s Chingling has obliviously wrapped Kuro up, and is squeezing it with its rope. Kuro meows in frustration at its distracted Trainer. “I— that is— ask you to tea? I mean— Ugh! Kuro, return!” Just as Santa starts to nuzzle the captive cat, Sasami pulls out Kuro’s Pokéball and calls it back with a beam of light. “This isn’t over, Rin Natsume! If you’re going away, then— then I’ll just go and challenge the Gyms, myself! I’ll earn all eight badges, and then you won’t get off so easily! Mark my words!” With one final glance at Kengo, she turns and flees, her companions trailing after her with a fading ‘Lady Sasamiiiii…’

“…Odd girl.” Kengo watches her departing form, bemused. “Rin, do you have any idea what that was about?”

“I don’t really get it, but… I guess I won?” Rin picks up her Chingling, scratching it gently just behind the nub where its rope-tendrils connect to its head. She glances at Lennon, who meows weakly. “Oh… I’m sorry, Lennon, do you need to go to the Pokémon Center…?”

“R-right.” Kyousuke scratches the back of his head. “Well, I hate to call off our Contest before the final round, but… it looks like that’s about all we can manage today. Let’s just get your Pokémon healed, and then we can pack up Kengo’s supplies. Sound good?” Rin nods, hardly noting the others’ agreement as she returns Lennon and Santa to their Pokéballs. The five turn and make their way to the nearby Pokémon Center, where the nurse at the reception desk takes Rin’s Pokémon with a reassurance that they would be in good hands.

She hands Rin a slip with a number on it. “Your Pokémon should be all refreshed in a couple of hours, so just come back then and show us this, okay? We hope to see you again!”

——

Back at the Natsume residence, Kengo finally unloads his shopping bags. “Alright, then. I’ve got some food for the road, and several Potions, Repels, and a Revive for each of you. I’ve also bought a pair of first-aid kits; while the Routes usually have enough traffic to be safe, if you break a bone with nobody around it can still be dangerous. I also got a sleeping bag for Riki, since he doesn’t have one.”

“You really didn’t have to… How much should I pay you back?” Riki fumbles for his wallet, but Kengo stops him with a raised hand.

“Don’t bother. The three of us have earned enough in prize money that gathering a fund for your supplies really wasn’t an issue.”

“Oh…” Riki hesitates, but accepts the gift. “Oh! I think I have a collapsible portable stove in my room. Should I bring that?”

Kyousuke nods. “It can never hurt to have a way of cooking on the road - you can only live on cold canned food for so long without wanting to break something. Just make sure you remember to bring extra gasoline, too, or it’ll just be a fancy paperweight.”

“Right,” Riki responds.

“Before you go get it, let’s make sure we’ve gone through everything else you need to bring. Do you have an extra pair or two of hiking shoes?” Riki shakes his head. “We’ll have to go and buy you some before the day is out. You and Rin could both stand to buy some good hiking socks while you’re at it, too.”

“Don’t forget warm clothes,” Masato pipes in. “My muscles can keep me warm just about anywhere, but with how little bulk the two of you have, you’d better be ready for the cold.”

“…I don’t think muscles work that way…” Riki grumbles, but he diligently notes down the suggestions nonetheless.

“Let’s get what you already have packed, and then we can go look around for anything else you’re missing.” Kyousuke stands up. “Oh, and we can’t forget a sturdy water bottle. Rin already has one packed, but water is the single most important thing to have when traveling.”

The friends prepare to head to Riki’s place, but he looks a little uncertain. He speaks quietly. “…Isn’t this a lot for just going on a short trip with you? I mean, you three can take care of most of this, can’t you?”

“…” Kyousuke fixes him with a serious look. “It’s important to be fully prepared for a journey. You never know just what might happen when you’re away from home.”

“…Right…” Riki nods, takes a step forward, and then sways. Rin rushes to catch him before he can hit the ground.

She struggles to carry his weight for a moment before Masato comes to help her. It’s clear that Riki is fast asleep.

Narcolepsy.

It’s a chronic disease Riki suffers from, which makes him fall asleep randomly and without warning. He says he’s had it since before they first met him.

Rin looks to Kyousuke, wondering what to do.

“…Well, so much for finishing our preparations right now. Let’s get him to a bed, and then I’ll go pick up what I can.”

The others nod, and they haul Riki to a guest room. Rin’s parents are used to the boy needing to stay from time to time, so the room is set up for his use when they aren’t specifically hosting someone. After getting him onto the bed, Rin sits down in a nearby chair to catch her breath. She closes her eyes.

After a while, Kengo speaks in a low murmur. Rin can barely make out what he’s saying. “…sure this is going to work?”

Kyousuke whispers a reply. “Riki will be okay. He’ll have Rin with him. We just have to believe in them.”

Masato, this time. “…I just hope you’re right.”

Rin can hear the three open the door, leaving her to keep watch over Riki while they gather supplies. Her mind wanders back over the busy day, and her first Pokémon Battle. It was more exhausting than she thought, but it looks like she has a rival now.

Sitting in the dark room, before long, she too falls asleep.

#Little Busters!#Pokemon #Natsume Rin #Naoe Riki #Natsume Kyousuke #Inohara Masato #Miyazawa Kengo #Sasasegawa Sasami #Gracidea Blossom #fanfiction #Sinnoh

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