For a day at the Blackthorn City Pokémon Center, this one has been as standard as Minseok can imagine. The first thing in the morning, a few traveling trainers popped in to heal their fleets before challenging Route 45 – only to fly back an hour or two later. Hopeful future pokémon champions came in throughout the morning and early afternoon to heal their fairy and ice type pokémon before challenging Clair, the leader of the city gym. Most of them came back sooner rather than later after overestimating the power of type advantage and underestimating the need for a well-thought-out move set. As a trainer himself, Minseok can only shake his head at the stupidity of some of them. A sweet little Cleffa, despite just how fairy type it is, has no business competing against Clair's fleet.

It's already late in the afternoon and the past hour has been a quiet one. Aside from the guys who always hang around the Center and Nurse Joy's Chansey, Minseok's only company have been a couple of travelers on their way to meet the Move Deleter. The journey through Route 44 and the Ice Path is always a tough one, so their pokémon were in a pretty bad shape. Luckily Nurse Joy's equipment heals an entire fleet of six in mere moments.

It's pleasantly calm. Minseok's can hear the sound of Hoothoots every now and then when the sliding doors open, but most of the time the only noise around him is the humming of equipment and the quiet murmur of the people inside the Center.

That is, until he can hear shouting coming from a distance, getting closer. A distinct “NURSE JOYYYYYYYYYY!!!” approaching the Center at a fast running pace.

The moment the sliding doors open, Minseok is standing ready at the counter to greet the customer: “Welcome to our Pokémon Center!”

He gets no reply from the stranger who has fallen onto his knees on the floor, panting. He is holding a fainted Mime Jr. in his arms, cradling it close to his chest, but instead of bringing the poor pokémon over to the counter he stays still and stares at Minseok.

Minseok tilts his head slightly to the left and stares back at the customer... is he a customer? Customer or not, the stranger is handsome – very handsome. Maybe a little too handsome. Minseok is working and he has no time to admire the people who come in when there are pokémon to nurse.

“Would you like me to heal your pokémon to perfect health? Yes? No?” he asks like he is supposed to. Pokémon Center employees, even the occasional stand-ins like Minseok, need to act according to the proper etiquette.

“I think I...” the potential customer finally says, only to stop to take in a deep breath before continuing. He is still out of breath and Minseok supposes he must have been running for some time. His shorts have wet spots on them, so he may have traveled to Blackthorn City through the Ice Path.

“Yes?” Minseok urges.

“I think I need a Paralyze Heal,” the handsome customer huffs. He is finally getting up from the floor, his knees pink and the Mime Jr. still carefully wrapped in his arms.

“Sir, I can assure you that all status conditions will be fixed when your pokémon returns to full health,” Minseok tells the customer, whose knowledge about his pokémon's condition can't be very good if he thinks even for a moment that a Paralyze Heal is what the Mime Jr. needs right now.

“No, it's for me,” the customer says with a smile and what appears to be a wink. “You're so stunning, Mr. Nurse.”

Minseok nearly chokes on his own spittle and decides it's about time he checked on Chansey, who is wheeling patients in and out of their intensive care unit. When he returns to the counter, the handsome stranger is leaning against it and the passed-out Mime Jr. is lying on the counter top.

“Are there any other pokémon in your fleet that need tending to?” Minseok asks.

“Oh yes,” the stranger tells him and pulls a pokéball off of his belt, “there's also this Drowzee of mine.”

“Would you mind placing your Mime Jr. inside a pokéball, as well?”

“Of course not,” the handsome man tells Minseok. “I'd love to have both my balls in your hands.”

Minseok can feel blood rushing to his face and he can't help but wonder if a Burn Heal could get rid of a blush as efficiently as it deals with fire damage.

“Okay, I'll take your pokémon for a few seconds,” he mutters, perfectly according to the etiquette.

Minseok turns to leave with Mime Jr. and Drowzee on his tray, nestled inside their pokéballs, but then stops in his tracks.

“And just so you know,” he tells the stranger, “even though we're supposed to say that, this is actually going to take closer to twenty minutes or so, so please take a seat while you wait.”

Once Minseok is sure the stranger's pokémon are healing up well, he returns to manning the counter. To his surprise, the handsome customer is still leaning against it. He looks around Minseok's age, perhaps he's a trainer who got lost on his way? Although he would have to be a very inexperienced trainer to try to travel through Route 44 and the Ice Path with only a level 7 Mime Jr. and a level 5 Drowzee. But some people start training later than others and there's nothing wrong with that. There's a lot to learn and no one would expect a new trainer to know everything from the get-go. Even though Minseok doesn't consider himself a newbie anymore, he admits he's still got lots to discover about the world of pokémon.

“So, what brings you to Blackthorn City?” Minseok asks, startling the stranger.

“You're back!” he exclaims, beaming at Minseok.

“Yes, I'm happy to inform you that your pokémon are healing up nicely. I would estimate they'll be in perfect condition in about fifteen minutes,” Minseok says while shuffling some of the papers around behind the counter. It's not like he needs to rearrange any files, but doing it makes him feel a bit more calm in front of such a handsome boy.

“You know, if you were ever in a Pokémon Contest, you would totally win first place in the Cuteness category,” the handsome stranger mutters, loud enough for Minseok to hear.

“Excuse me?” Minseok is equally flattered and scandalized. He was just trying to be nice and initiate some idle conversation while the customer waits for his pokémon but now the boy standing on the other side of the counter starts blurting out nonsense.

“I'm no ground type specialist, but I'm sure I could make your earth quake,” the stranger tells Minseok, this time in a more confident tone, looking Minseok straight in the eye.

“What's going on? Is something wrong? Are you having a heat ?” Minseok isn't trained to treat humans, only pokémon, so having a heat patient in the Center would be pretty bad. For some reason nurses who work with humans are much more difficult to find in Johto.

“You're so hot I'm about to reach into my bag and pull out a Burn Heal,” the stranger tells Minseok. His smile is a cross between a hopeful smile and a cheeky grin and Minseok doesn't know what to think. Maybe this person really is sick?

“Can you tell me your name? How about the date?” Minseok asks, rounding the side of the counter to get a closer look at the handsome weirdo.

“The name's Lu Han, born and raised in Silver Town, Kanto, and I'd love to go on a date! In fact let's do that right now, the pokémon can stay here and heal up real good,” the stranger... no, Lu Han says, smiling much wider than he did a moment earlier. He's got kind of an awkward smile and it looks like his chin is disappearing into his neck but for some reason it looks almost charming.

Minseok is now at Lu Han's side, checking his head for any possible bumps or bruises. Lu Han looks far too pleased for someone who might be sick or injured.

“Okay, Lu Han, did you bump your head or maybe have a rock or a branch fall on you recently?” Minseok places his hands on Lu Han's neck to feel his pulse and he's almost certain he hears a satisfied sigh.

“Oh, actually, Mr. Nurse –“

“It's Minseok.”

“Minseok... I like that name a lot,” Lu Han hums before continuing. “Anyway, I did actually have some small pebbles fall on me while climbing here. It's so nice of you to be concerned, Minseok. You should be mine,” Lu Han tells him. “If you say no, I'll get myself a Master Ball and use it on you!”

Minseok doesn't know what to think of Lu Han's odd approaches so he focuses on his possible head injury, instead.

“Can you tell me more about when you went climbing? Was it long ago?” he asks, all the while wondering if it would be okay to scan Lu Han's head in the Pokémon X-Ray Machine.

“No, it was this morning. I had to get here somehow and I didn't have the time to take the long route. I wish I was an Abra, so I could teleport my way to you whenever I want to without having to worry about stupid routes,” Lu Han says, still smiling.

“When you say 'the long route', what exactly do you mean?”

Aside from flying to the city, the only way to Blackthorn is through Route 44 and the Ice Path, and Minseok can't understand how Lu Han would have needed to climb either of them.

“The long route from Cherrygrove City to Blackthorn City, of course!” Lu Han answers. His tone makes it seem like Minseok just asked him something silly and yet Minseok still can't understand what Lu Han means.

“Listen, Lu Han... Would it be possible to hear a longer version of your journey to Blackthorn City?” Minseok knows he's most likely asking to hear the ramblings of a head injury patient but he can't deny that his curiousity has been piqued. A shorter route to his hometown would be nice to have, even if Minseok only needs it until his new Delibird learns Fly.

“Anything for you, Minseok,” Lu Han says, staring at Minseok with his pupils dilated. Minseok gets more sure by the second that getting x-rays would be an excellent idea. If they had something that scanned people for drugs and other brain-scrambling substances, that apparatus might prove to be quite useful, too.

“My parents and I are visiting a family in Cherrygrove City, the parents of the family are long-time friends of my parents'. It's really nice and all, being in a sea-side city, but there are only so many times one can watch the son of the family pretend the dining hall table is a runway and strut down it in a leopard onesie with an Eevee in tow, wearing a matching outfit. It got boring and kinda weird,” Lu Han confesses, “and I heard the Ice Path was just a little ways north and I've always wanted to see a Jynx, so yesterday I decided I would get up early the next day, today, and go on an adventure. And that's how I met you, Minseok!”

Lu Han wraps himself around Minseok's left arm and coos: “Minseok~ I'm drawn to your Sweet Scent~”

Minseok is certain Lu Han has a brain injury. He wonders if the Move Deleter has any knowledge of where the people of Blackthorn City go get treated for human health issues.

“Well, at least you'll be less evasive if I attempt to place you in the x-ray machine,” Minseok chuckles. “Lu Han, I feel like you left out the part about climbing?”

“Oh, yes! The climbing! Sorry, I got distracted by how pretty you are. Are you sure you're not using Attract on me?” Lu Han places his cheek on Minseok shoulder and softly rubs his face on it. He looks up at Minseok and Minseok smiles politely at what he assumes was another one of Lu Han awkward pokémon jokes.

“So, you see,” Lu Han speaks again, “I wanted to see the Ice Path and a Jynx but I didn't have the time to start walking through Route 30 and tour all those cities before making it to my destination, so I started from Route 29, instead, and climbed up Route 46. I didn't pass through Dark Cave – that would've been scary since neither of my pokémon has Flash – but instead continued climbing up Route 45. That's where those pebbles fell on me. And then I arrived at Blackthorn City, went to the Ice Path, and instead of spotting a Jynx got my as well as my pokémons' butts kicked by an angry Zubat before I had taken more than five steps inside.”

Lu Han continues rambling on about the Zubat while Minseok wonders if Lu Han's symptoms could be caused by a wild Zubat's poison until he finally realizes what Lu Han told him.

“Wait, you climbed up both Route 46 and 45?” Minseok asks, baffled. “That's supposed to be impossible!”

“When there's a will, there's a way,” Lu Han hums, clearly a little proud of what he has done. “Sadly, Mime Jr. insisted on climbing with me so I had to use all my potions to restore his hit points whenever he got tired and had none left when we got to the Ice Path.” Lu Han quietly chuckles at the recent memory with fondness in his eyes, only this time the fondness isn't directed at Minseok. Minseok can tell Lu Han cares for his pokémon a lot, despite the fact that he seems to have no idea what kind of environments he can take his rather weak pokémon to.

Once silence finally falls between them, Minseok starts feeling extremely awkward by how close Lu Han is standing and tries to think of something, anything, to say to pass the time it takes for Lu Han's pokémon to heal to full hit points.

“So...” It's unfortunate that conversation has never been Minseok's strong suit. “I've never heard about Silver Town before.”

“Don't worry, very few people have,” Lu Han says and finally lets go of Minseok to stand opposite to him and lean on the counter, still close enough to make Minseok's nerves go wild. “It's an anime exclusive location, so it's not very famous and most people have never heard of it. I'm hoping to move to a bigger city sometime soon, actually. What about you, Minseok, are you planning on staying here all your life? 'Cause you could come to Kanto with me and see the world, you know? Or maybe settle down together in a nice little town and become a Day Care Couple? I can mold myself onto you better than any Ditto could.”

“I do see the world, thank you very much,” Minseok retorts.

“I didn't think nurses travel a lot,” Lu Han says. He his head to the side, as if Minseok's statement left him puzzled.

“I'm not a nurse, I'm a trainer,” Minseok huffs. He gets this kind of comments often and he can't wait to become a famous trainer so people will know him by his accomplishments in pokémon battles and not by the fact that he occasionally wears a white apron. “I just stand in for Nurse Joy when she's away”

“You're a trainer? That's so cool!”

Minseok isn't so sure if being a trainer is all that cool since a lot of kids in Johto try their luck at training. A lot of kids in all the regions do. However, the stars in Lu Han's eyes tell him the boy is genuinely impressed so Minseok seizes the opportunity to talk about his passion.

“I've got two badges, and soon I'll have three. As soon as Nurse Joy returns, I'll be off to Goldenrod City to challenge Whitney,” Minseok explains. He's been training to battle normal type pokémon for so long, his badge holder looks a bit empty already without the Plain Badge.

“Are you sure you'll be able to win?” Lu Han asks him, shocking Minseok. “I hear the gym leaders are pretty tough opponents. There's a gym in a city close to our town and there's always lots of disappointed youngsters coming from that direction.”

“Are you saying I can't win?” Minseok blurts out. He's trained too hard to have people doubting his skills, especially clueless newbies like Lu Han.

“No, not at all. I'm just saying they're tough, that's all. And there's no Shaymin losing!” Lu Han exclaims with a wink. Minseok has had just about enough of Lu Han's pokémon jokes and puns.

“I know they're tough. That's why I've trained my pokémon into top condition. We've even got move sets planned for several possible battle scenarios. If I want to be a champion one day, I have to learn how to prepare properly for battles, down to the smallest detail,” Minseok explains. His Vanillite and Swinub are in such a fighting shape that they even helped him capture his new Delibird despite the fact that the Delibird was a few levels above them. They're so ready to take on the Goldenrod City Gym.

“So, what's it like training dragons?” Lu Han asks him. Hailing from Blackthorn City, it's a question Minseok gets a lot. Dragons are regarded as the default choice of pokémon by nearly everyone in his city. When he was young and got his Swinub as a present from Pryce, the ice type gym leader from the neighboring Mahogany Town and Minseok's idol-slash-mentor, people were already raising eyebrows at the boy who chose an ice type pokémon over the dragons the entire city seemed to be crazy about. It wasn't until he won his first gym badge that the townspeople began to take his choice in pokémon seriously.

“Actually, I train ice type pokémon,” Minseok tells Lu Han, who looks surprised by the revelation.

“Why did you choose ice type over dragon type?” Lu Han asks, looking very curious. Although he would never admit it, Minseok enjoys the attention. It's not every day someone actually wants to listen to him talk about his career as a pokémon trainer and his choice of pokémon type.

“I guess I've identified with it the most,” Minseok confesses. “Ever since I was a small kid, I didn't really care for all the dragon hype in this city. In fact, it wasn't until I met Pryce from Mahogany Town that I got interested in pokémon. He had all these cool ice type pokémon and I got this feeling of belonging when I met them. Pryce was the one to help my get started when I decided I wanted to be a trainer. He gave me my Swinub, who I've raised from level one, and later helped me buy an egg from a seller in Unova so I could finally get that Vanillite I had been dreaming of for a long time.” Minseok pauses to take a breath. “I think ice type is just... me.”

Lu Han is smiling at him.

“I know how you feel. That's how I've always felt about psychic types. Like, we just belong together in a way that I don't feel with other types,” Lu Han explains. “My parents got me Mime Jr. to keep me company when I was younger and ever since then, I've felt like there's a connection between me and psychic types that I don't have with pokémon of any other type. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who has those kinds of feelings about a certain type.”

“No joke about how you could be my type?”

“Actually, I thought about it, but decided against it. I don't want to put your patience to the test.”

Minseok and Lu Han share a laugh and somewhere in the back of his mind, Minseok wonders how he now feels much more comfortable around Lu Han. He no longer feels the need to organize something, either. Maybe people are able to bond quickly over pokémon types and dumb jokes.

“Actually, you remind me of a psychic pokémon,” Lu Han tells Minseok.

“Really? Which one?”

“Deoxys,” Lu Han says, smiling, “because your hotness is out of this world.”

Minseok rolls his eyes so hard he's a little afraid of injuring himself.

“Do you think I could be a trainer, too?” Lu Han asks Minseok after a moment of silence. So, he's not a trainer, just a guy who travels with pokémon and wants to spot more of them in foreign lands, kind of like a really quirky bird watcher. It's not really a surprise – even a newbie trainer wouldn't be quite as clueless with pokémon as Lu Han is.

Minseok thinks for just a second or two before he finds the perfect thing to say.

“Wynaut?”

Lu Han stares at Minseok for a moment before he bursts into laughter. “Did you just make a pokémon joke?” he asks while choking for air. Lu Han's laughing face makes his chin look even more like it's disappearing into his neck. It's kind of cute.

“Now you know how dumb they sound,” Minseok mumbles.

Lu Han cranes his neck so his face is closer to Minseok's. Suddenly Minseok is getting nervous again and he wishes he had some books to alphabetize.

“I thought that sounded super cute. So cute you should change your name from Minseok to Minccino,” Lu Han says and winks at Minseok, who wonders if Lu Han's awkward winks have been this adorable the whole time.

“I actually get that a lot,” Minseok tells him, “but before you everyone's told me it's because I prefer things to be clean and neat.”

“Then they don't see what I see,” Lu Han says. “I'm like a Claydol when it comes to you, Minseok.”

“Where does it say that Claydol has good vision just because it has so many eyes?”

Lu Han blushes a little under Minseok's gaze.

“Nowhere... it was just the first pokémon I could think of that had something to do with eyes or seeing.”

Now it's Minseok's turn to burst into laughter. He can't remember ever warming up to a stranger this fast. If Lu Han lived somewhere closer to him they might become good friends, but sadly Lu Han lives far away in another region.

The soft beeping from behind the counter brings Minseok back from his thoughts. The pokémon have healed up to full health. Minseok rounds the counter again to get to Lu Han's Drowzee and Mime Jr.

Minseok knows he shouldn't feel anything while placing the pokéballs back on the tray but he can't deny he's a little disappointed that Lu Han will leave.

“Thank you for waiting. We've restored your pokémon to full health,” Minseok announces once he's back to standing behind the counter.

“Already?” Lu Han asks him and Minseok hopes he's a little disappointed, too.

One look at Lu Han's face confirms it. He is.

“Yes,” Minseok tells him. “I'm sure your parents are already worried sick, they'll be so glad to see you again. The way down Routes 45 and 46 is much easier to travel, so it shouldn't take long for you to get back to Cherrygrove City.”

In silence, Lu Han reaches for his pokéballs and tucks them onto his belt. Instead of looking at Minseok, he is looking down at his feet when he speaks again.

“Can't you come with me?”

Minseok thinks about it for a moment. A part of him really wants to say yes, to get to know this interesting (and very handsome) boy better. But a much bigger part of him tells him he can't run away with someone he has known for roughly thirty minutes, no matter if he thinks they might have some sort of a connection.

“I'm sorry,” Minseok says. Lu Han finally looks up at him and Minseok knows that the sadness in his eyes is mirrored in Minseok's own. “I have to stay here.”

Lu Han nods and shows Minseok a small smile.

“I'll have to become a trainer, then. So we can meet soon in battle,” he tells Minseok, chuckling. “Come find me in Kanto if you ever travel there, okay?”

Minseok nods and holds tightly onto the edge his desk behind the counter, preparing to watch Lu Han walk out of the Pokémon Center and out of Minseok's life.

Lu Han is three steps away from the sliding doors when Minseok remembers something.

“Lu Han, wait!”

Lu Han turns around and his eyes are so full of hope Minseok feels bad for opening his mouth.

“I... I just remembered, we have a few of the old second generation technical machines lying around and I could give one to you if you'd like. If you still want to spot a pokémon that's part psychic type before you get back, you could teach Headbutt to your Drowzee and use that to see some Exeggcutes on Route 29... how about that?”

Lu Han stares at Minseok from across the Center for a moment before walking back to the counter. His smile could light up the room. For Minseok, it does.

“Any souvenir I could have of you would be wonderful,” he tells Minseok once he's back to standing in front of the counter. “I promise you I'll catch an Exeggcute and cherish it like it was yours as well as mine.”

Minseok is still blushing when Lu Han walks back to the sliding doors with the technical machine in his pocket, shouting something about how he'll soon start practicing for their future days as a Day Care Couple. Minseok is so busy trying to memorize the way Lu Han looks and speaks and moves that he doesn't interject the mandatory 'we hope to see you again' until the doors are already opening for Lu Han.

It is some minutes later when Minseok notices a little folded note on the counter. He picks it up and opens it to find a short message from Lu Han.

Groudon is red, Kyogre is blue.

You're not a pokémon, but I choose you.

Minseok can't wait for the day when he is ready to take on the gyms of Kanto.