[FINAL]

 

Junmyeon is sick of Chanyeol.

He doesn’t hate Chanyeol. No, he loves his band mates and wouldn’t trade them for anything. It’s just that Chanyeol always has the right sense of humor, confidence, manages to charm people left and right, and whenever Junmyeon tries he always gets the uneven laughter and the pity smiles that say 'it's okay Suho, we still love you'. He can’t stand the empathy when he has worked for years to become EXO’s leader and feel like he’s not always making the cut. Not only that, but Chanyeol is just good at everything.

Chanyeol aces video games and has the latest grip on new technology and Junmyeon loves it all too but feels leagues behind. He even felt upstaged in their Star Wars promotions, which Suho was particularly excited for. Sure, he made one of the photo shoots but he wasn’t in the music video and really who within their group is the true Star Wars fan? Junmyeon. And it's not only Chanyeol but the rest of his band mates too! He's supposed to be the leader, but he always feels talked over and less articulate in speaking in a way that the fans seem to relate to. He wants to excel in something that will really make Chanyeol jealous. It is something that has been bothering him and while he really should be above such actions, he simply can’t let this go.

Junmyeon has decided to prove that he can be good at something that he knows Chanyeol is interested in. He has looked up hints and suggestions and been secretly playing when no one is paying attention. He feels like he is living this game, but he just wants to beat Chanyeol and have just one thing he can brag about in front of the others. He just wants one thing that they can’t turn around and use against him.

It is late in the evening, but not too late in the night for Junmyeon to be dressing down with a baseball cap on and a scarf tucked around his neck. No one will recognize him, and thank God because he needs to be outside more than Chanyeol if he's going to get ahead. He has a free evening and excuses himself from being around the others by stressing his need for fresh air and some time with his own thoughts. Such requests for peace of mind aren’t out of character for their leader and no one even thinks to doubt his sincerity in the excuse. Junmyeon leaves the others with their free activities for the night. His phone is fully charged and he knows he has a solid hour or two before he should return and either get some sleep or get in some practice.

Shoulders hunched, blending into the already darkening night, Junmyeon makes his way to a popular park that isn’t too far away. It is a place that most of them have taken to in the early hours in the morning for a place to relax and breathe away from their hectic schedules. It is rumored that the game is much more lucrative in the evening and early morning hours, justifying his visit even if he really didn’t have much of a choice due to his schedule. He also knows that these public places yield more that he can use towards his goal rather than sitting around their dorm where nothing ever happens.

It's been about twenty minutes and he is doing decently, but he needs more in the game if he's going to get ahead. There are some people milling about and he wonders if they are doing the same thing he is but he's too afraid to inquire or bring attention to himself. Apparently, the constant walking will help him and while the added exercise is unnecessary, it's also a nice night to enjoy the change in pace.

Junmyeon keeps his phone on silent and tilted down in his hand. The game will vibrate when he needs to pay attention to it and the dimming of the screen saves both his battery and his embarrassment for being noticeably this determined to advance. He walks steadily, not making eye contact and just waiting for his chance to increase his experience points in the game. He is glad that he can do this without his popularity hindering him. No one seems to recognize him and that is definitely a plus to his success this evening.

Suddenly, his phone vibrates. He stops, lifts the device and sees something undoubtedly rare. It's a veritable bragging right on its own lest he not level quite as quickly as he would like. He is about to make a move in the game when he hears an excited gasp next to him. He turns to see a girl with her face lit up by her own phone screen. It's almost like she can feel his stare, for she looks up and blushes at him with a small smile.

She's cute, he thinks. She’s wearing a hoodie and jeans. She is completely casual, but at least protected from the cool night air. She can’t be far from his age, which makes him a little more comfortable at being out playing this game.

He shakes his head and turns back to his screen and begins his move. It only takes three tries and he succeeds. 'Yes!' he breathes, feeling more than elated at the catch, but he hears the same reaction next to him and he turns his attention back towards the girl.

"Did you catch it too?" she asks, with a knowing smile. Her eyes dance over the screen before turning to meet his gaze.

"Mmm," he nods while pulling the scarf a little further up over his face.

"What team?" she asks as though she has had this conversation with multiple people.

"Oh, um, mystic," he replies while verifying that the blue team was what he had chosen at the beginning of the game. Why the teams existed, he hadn’t really figured out. Most of his game play was spent trying to catch anything he could get his hands on.

"Same!!! What level?"

"I'm barely to eighteen,” Junmyeon admits. It’s not the higher level that Chanyeol is at, but he’s sure he can catch up if he just stays determined.

"Oh, I'm at twenty-two. Highest CP?" she asks with a shrug as she does something with her game.

"Um, fourteen hundred I think,” he returns, too curious as to what she’s doing to actually pull up his list in terms of combat points.

"Good enough. Want to go take over the gym?" she nods towards a central area of the park.

"Together?" Junmyeon asks, confused.

"Of course! Once we beat it, two of us can join it immediately. Then we can level it up. I'm sure others will join. If we keep it, we get more coins tomorrow,” she explains.

Junmyeon’s eyes widen. "Really?" He had been playing solo and hadn't realized just what his team’s purpose was at all. "Yeah, let's do it!" he says excitedly.

The girl smiles in return and they both start to walk. “I’m Sky. Short for Skyler,” she offers politely.

Junmyeon pauses mid-step. He hadn’t thought of introducing himself to anyone. He can’t say his name in case of recognition, but he doesn’t like lying either. “Jun,” he replies with a nod.

"So Jun, how many Pikachu have you caught?" Sky asks.

"Only four," he admits reluctantly.

"Ah, shame. I know where there's a spawn in the game for them. I've already caught nearly twenty."

"No way!" Junmyeon shrieks in a way that gives away his eagerness too easily. "Is it nearby?”

Sky shrugs a little bit with a smile. “Somewhat. I still say we conquer the gym. I can always show you it another day?”

“Ah,” Junmyeon starts hesitantly, “my schedule is a bit crazy.”

“Same, honestly. Student and all. I could give you my number and you can text me the next time you plan to go out to play,” she offers.

Junmyeon’s heart races as he thinks about the implications of doing so. It’s just so that I can get ahead in the game, he thinks. “What is your number?”

“Here,” she says, holding out her hand for his phone. Hesitantly, he places his phone in her hand and watches as she quickly exits the game and types something into his phone. A moment later, her phone buzzes and she smiles. Taking out the other screen, she shows him the text to her phone. “Exchanged. Now, let’s hurry so we can get our coins for tonight.”

Junmyeon blinks as his phone goes back into his hand with the game back on the front of the screen. Following a step behind, he stares at the back of her head in admiration. She doesn’t know who he is at all and yet she willingly exchanged numbers just for the sake of the game. Junmyeon finds himself smiling as they walk within range of the gym and he assembles his six best Pokémon to rise to the challenge.

 

 

Junmyeon takes off in the middle of the afternoon on bike. It's still cool enough that the jacket and hat don't make him too warm as he bikes through side streets on a supposed errand that will take him a couple of hours. He's risking things big time by going out in the daylight, but the text he had received from Sky promised a location that wasn't exactly public romping grounds. In fact, she had been sure to warn him that the place they were meeting was somewhat obscure but a sure fire place for not only electric Pokémon, but steel ones as well.

Junmyeon needed to mark more off in his Pokédex, so the chance at anything outside of the ‘normal’ categorized Pokémon were worth the afternoon escape. His band mates still hadn't the slightest clue what he was really up to. Besides, as their leader, they trusted him to be the most responsible and Junmyeon definitely wouldn't go off to do anything that didn't either benefit the group or someone else in his life. Junmyeon only felt the slight twinge of guilt over the fact that he was heading out to help himself.

He set off knowing the status of his game as of late. He was running low on pokéballs, a game necessity if he were really off to catch rare creatures. With the app open, Junmyeon looks for nearby spots where he can ride by and collect from pokéstops. If he can collect about a hundred before meeting up with Sky, he would be set. Junmyeon pushes his bike faster as he rides through back lots and side alleys trying to catch markers that he would otherwise avoid when in route to anywhere.

He rechecks his destination making sure he is on the right path when he realizes what his detour is costing him in terms of time. Stopping to collect from one more stop, he sends a reassuring text to Sky that he is surely on his way. She responds in patient acknowledgement, sating Junmyeon’s worry as he continues on his way. When he reaches the suggested meeting place, he’s slightly confused until he really thinks about it.

The area is mostly covered in concrete, sectioning off an older train station that isn't a very popular stop. It's not near any relative places of interest. It is close to an old skate park that has long been left to crack and become a canvas to the wandering artist more than the sports enthusiast. Junmyeon definitely wouldn't normally visit such a place, but the industrial location does promise both electric and steel finds within the game. Junmyeon’s eyes traverse the area until he sees a girl wearing a small backpack and looking at him expectantly.

“Have you opened the app?” she asks loudly, from a little ways away.

Junmyeon plants his feet at both sides of his bike as he pulls out his phone. It takes a second for the GPS to pick up his location before the device buzzes. He can't exactly hide his smile as a Pikachu is standing right at his feet. Without answering the girl, Junmyeon throws a razz berry and an ultra ball resulting in a sure catch.

“Amazing,” he lets out just as Sky approaches him.

“Told ya,” she smirks.

“Oh and a pokéstop! Thank goodness. I took a detour to collect. I wasn't sure I'd be able to do well if I didn't stock up,” Junmyeon explains, revealing the reason for his late arrival.

“Ah, so that was it. It is a better idea than just buying extra pokéballs. That’s when you know you have a problem,” she states with a wink.

Junmyeon doesn't want to say that it wouldn't really matter if he had. He isn't exactly short on spending money, and he has spent his money on a lot of other more expensive games in the past. Instead, he huffs out a laugh while focusing on the activity in the game. Maybe it is because of the lack of people milling around, but his app is working quickly and when another Pikachu appears within ten minutes, he is entirely ecstatic.

“How did you find this spot?” he asks out of curiosity.

“I live nearby. Popular place when I was younger. Not that I'm old or anything, but you know what I mean. Pokémon makes me feel like I'm nine or something. Brings me back to youth. Same with this place.”

Junmyeon nods. He completely understands. He has been actively training for his career since 2005, and looking towards it since far before that. Much of his youth has been spent being focused and far too driven. Games allow him to feel more carefree and like he didn’t just abandon his youth for a very hectic schedule.

“Jun?” she asks, bringing him from his thoughts.

“Yes?” he asks in reply, looking away from the game at the girl standing next to him.

“The plaza is a good place too. You want to go there tomorrow?”

Junmyeon tries not to openly cringe. The plaza is way too active. Someone would recognize him for sure. Not only that, but tomorrow is Saturday which means that everyone will be out of classes and probably milling around the plaza en mass. “I can't. Not tomorrow.”

Sky’s face drops at the declined invitation. “You're busy on a Saturday?”

“Almost more than during the weekdays,” Junmyeon admits.

“Oh. Well, rain check then? Will you let me know when you can? I don't mind going late. My earliest class is at 9 a.m. It gives me a little time to be out late.”

Junmyeon thinks it is endearing that this girl is so eager to help him out. Just hearing the hope within her request has him wanting to promise things he really shouldn't. Who knows when the next time will be that he can actually go to the plaza? Junmyeon doesn't even know how busy he will be this next week.

Still, when he sees the look on Sky’s face, flirting between hope and impatience, Junmyeon finds that he simply can't say no. “I will let you know. Don't be surprised if it takes a while. I really can get very busy.”

“That's okay. I can wait. No rush at all, promise,” she states with a bright smile.

Junmyeon nods once and lowers his gaze to his phone screen. When silence takes over between the two of them, he looks up to see that Sky is playing as well but that her smile hasn't vanished. Junmyeon shakes his head once and looks back down. He can’t believe that he is out with some random stranger after how careful they always have to be with their fans and anytime they go anywhere as a group. Junmyeon shrugs to himself. No matter what, he is looking forward to finding a gap in his schedule that they can fill.

 

 

Junmyeon walks as fast as he can through the maze of stores to find the boba shop in which Skyler told him that she would be waiting. It had taken a few weeks for them to find an agreeable time to meet up, and even so, Junmyeon had only agreed to meet with Sky in the evening during the last three hours that the plaza was open. She agreed, insisting that nighttime is still better than the afternoon for success in the game. She had suggested the meeting place, justifying that a mocha milk tea sounded nice. Junmyeon just hopes he arrives before she orders. He would prefer taking care of it since she's been so incredibly helpful.

Junmyeon spies the sign for the shop and quickens his steps just a bit more until he is pulling open the glass door that leads inside. He spies Sky standing next to a space of wall sipping on a straw while moving her thumb over the screen of her phone. Junmyeon pouts and walks over to the other.

“Jun! Hey! You made it quicker than I expected,” Sky states happily before taking another sip.

“Then why didn't you wait for me?” Junmyeon asks while still pouting.

“Huh?” she asks in confusion.

Junmyeon points at the cup and then looks towards the service counter.

“Oh, no reason. I just wanted to get my drink,” Sky shrugs.

“I would have taken care of one for each of us.”

“You don’t have to.”

“It’s the least I can do.”

Sky smiles at Junmyeon’s seeming traditional behavior. “If you really feel that way, then maybe next time. But for now, why don’t you get something and we can walk around. There are several stops and three gyms here. The night is ours!”

Junmyeon decides not to dwell and approaches the counter. He orders a green tea milk tea with boba and follows Sky out of the shop once it is ready.

Sky is already busy with her game leaving Junmyeon to pull out his phone and wait for the app to load. Once it does, he can see the allure in having come to the plaza. Figuring that it will be a absolute experience point playground, Junmyeon taps on one of his lucky eggs and begins to walk. Every time he spins a stop, not only the items but also the accumulated experience points delight him.

Sky stops suddenly as her phone vibrates merely a few shop fronts down the walkway. “Oh, I haven't caught this one yet,” she murmurs.

Junmyeon waits until his app catches up with hers revealing a Grimer, which he didn't have yet either. The two of them stand off to the side while they throw pokéballs. Sky suddenly expresses success while Junmyeon is having a difficult go at catching the thing.

“Jun, is it a high CP?”

“Twelve hundred,” he confirms. “He won't stay in a ball!”

“Keep trying!” Sky encourages. “You can't let it get away!”

“I know, I know...c’mon!” Junmyeon pleads. He shakes his phone out of frustration and then panicks that the Pokémon is going to make a dash for it.

Sky looks at his phone screen while holding her breath for the Pokémon to stay put. This time it does, allowing both of them to relax back into a comfortable stance. Sky frowns a moment later while her eyes are still fixated on his phone screen.

“Oh Jun, you're not one of those are you?” Sky asks in a disgusted tone.

“What?” he inquires with surprise. “Those?”

“You are running a lucky egg,” she states as though it is the dumbest thing he could do.

“Of course. I'll get double XP from all of these stops and such.”

“No, no, no. Jun, you save the lucky egg for evolves. Think about it! A stop gets you fifty XP and one hundred with the egg. But an evolve gets you five hundred at the lowest, which is one thousand with the egg! In the thirty minutes the lucky egg runs for, if you save thirty Pokémon to evolve that's thirty thousand experience points along with stops and catches you can sneak in before the time runs out!”

Junmyeon stares at Sky in shock. He hadn't done the math, simply having enjoyed earning double points without thinking about how trivial it could be to use it for such small increases. “I didn't know,” he whispers, looking down at what now seems like a wasted lucky egg.

“Okay, let's walk. If we hatch eggs then your XP will go up,” Sky suggests.

Junmyeon can't believe how much potential in leveling he has wasted. Without another word, he lets Sky walk them all over the plaza until the double experience prize wears off. In fact, the two continue their hunting in mostly silence, but it’s not anything Junmyeon finds weird. In fact, it’s a nice contrast to the normal noise he has gotten used to in rooming with his band mates.

 

 

Junmyeon can’t remember the last time he thought about going to an amusement park where the company hadn’t arranged it for filming or arranged for them to go after hours. Being a normal guy walking around in an amusement park hasn’t happened in a couple of years in a casual aspect and he is the most paranoid yet in fear of being recognized. He shows up in a white t-shirt, jeans, black sandals and a black baseball cap. It helps that it is just him without any of the other guys but he still can’t help but feel like this is his riskiest outing yet. He keeps his gaze lowered, hands in his pockets, as he walks to the entrance gate where Sky had promised to wait for him.

His smartphone is stored in his back right pocket while an external battery is stored in the left. Sky had advised that bringing one was wise. Even if they only spend an hour there, she promised that the activity of the game would drain his phone quicker than it ever had before. Junmyeon feels prepared. Well, prepared for the game.

Walking around, he steals glances at the crowd while refusing to commit to keeping his head up. He probably looks completely suspicious but it only takes five minutes before he spots Sky. She is wearing a simple white casual dress that doesn’t quite reach her knees. The print on the dress is black, widely spaced, and that of simply designed roses. She is still wearing her small backpack from which a light blue cord can be seen coming from the corner of the main zippered pouch and connected to the phone in her hand. She is wearing comfortable looking beige flats and Junmyeon thinks he has never seen anyone look so pretty while being obviously entranced by a game.

He quickly approaches the girl while staring at her moving fingers over the small screen. Her nails are baby blue with white daisies that might be hand-painted or simply decals. It matters little to him, actually. They’re pretty and add a detail of innocence to someone that Junmyeon has now labeled as being confident and forward.

“Sky.”

The girl looks over to him quickly. “Hey Jun. Ready?”

“Always,” he smiles.

Sky turns and walks with her gaze on the screen while simply expecting Junmyeon to follow. He does, finally reaching for his own phone and the two amusement park passes that he has in his wallet. This time he made sure to take care of things before she could. He over steps her stride so he can approach the turnstile. Sky follows with a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. It is one that she is trying to hide but that Junmyeon still sees.

Once inside, their phones come to life. Pokéstops accent every walkway with lures attached to nearly every single one. Gyms are available in the most prominent areas of the park and Junmyeon can’t stop the gasp at the sheer number of Pokémon that are popping up on his screen.

“Start collecting,” Sky says playfully. Collecting is all they are here to do, so it is a virtually pointless thing to say, but Junmyeon laughs anyway as his index finger slides over the screen to launch balls and spin signs. They walk steadily but consciously, one eye on the game and the other watching for the crowd around them.

They circle more than half of the park when Junmyeon looks up and realizes how tired his eyes are from focusing. He blinks a few times and stretches his neck. “You want to ride something?” he suggests, if just for a reprieve from the constant attachment to his phone.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Sky replies idly while still staring at her phone. “There are a few stops that are buried within queue lines. It’s not a bad idea to kill some time standing in them.”

Junmyeon nods and looks around at what is nearby. He really isn’t that familiar with where everything is or what there is to offer at this park. He keeps looking around until Sky suddenly sighs beside him.

“Over here, Jun.” Sky’s hand grabs his wrist and she’s pulling him through a crowd towards a sign for a nearby ride.

“Afraid of anything?” she suddenly asks.

“Not really,” he replies, honestly. He’s never been afraid to ride something, even if it has surprised him.

“Good,” Sky simply replies. The two fall into comfortable silence as they wait in the line for their turn to ride. Junmyeon huffs as his game backpack has too many items and he can’t believe just how many potions he has stored up when what he needs is pokéballs. He organizes and clears out his unwanted inventory before the closest stop ticks past five minutes so that he can spin and collect again.

Sky does all of the same things as Junmyeon, but much more silently which makes her amused every time Junmyeon reacts outwardly.

Finally, they are at the ride boarding gate and both take to pocketing their phones for just the few short minutes they’re on the ride. Junmyeon climbs into his seat first before looking to make sure that Sky is seated safely next to him. They exchange a quick smile in anticipation for the ride just before Junmyeon’s grip tightens on the closest handle bar. Within seconds the ride vehicle has launched out over the track. Adrenaline courses through Junmyeon’s otherwise relaxed state of being. He’s screaming along with the twists in the ride, but with a huge smile on his face. He tries to look towards Sky, but the ride is simply too fast and surprising and Junmyeon only hopes she’s not afraid. Of course, she is the one who pulled them into the ride line. Junmyeon yells through the last few turns before the ride’s brakes bring him back down to earth, so to speak.

As they pull into the loading platform, Junmyeon is impressed to see Sky happily waiting for the vehicle to stop and the restraints to be released. She looks fine, content actually. Junmyeon wonders just what kind of girl Sky is. He wonders if she’s always been this daring and easy going. He wonders if she ever feels frazzled or stressed, because it sure doesn’t seem like those are character traits she possesses. After the ride, Junmyeon finds himself asking her questions about herself as they continue on their walk through the amusement park. He asks her about her favorites and things she likes to do. She answers easily, but without a lot of embellishment. Junmyeon doesn’t mind as it allows him to quickly move to his next curiosity about the girl.

“I’m getting hungry,” Sky mumbles as they turn another corner and have to use quick footwork to worm through a crowd.

“What are you hungry for?” Junmyeon asks, thinking this will answer another curiosity about what the girl likes to eat.

“Anything, as long as it shuts up my stomach,” she laughs.  “Besides, we should have done more than enough to make a thirty minute meal break worth a lucky egg and some evolve XP.”

Junmyeon has almost forgotten about that. He’s been transferring Pokémon to keep his inventory low but hasn’t kept track of how much candy he has stored up. Not to mention what his stardust count must be from all of the catches. If he’s lucky, those he can evolve will also be ones he can further power up with everything he’s managed to collect.

Junmyeon is excited for more than just food now, and it translates easily to Sky who is watching his change of expressions.

“There’s an area towards the east side of the park that has about six different types of food available so we don’t have to chose between anything,” Sky suggests.

Junmyeon is open to anything, seeing as how Sky doesn’t seem to suggest anything he would have determined to be an ill choice by this point. The two happily hunt on their way, Junmyeon now paying attention to what he has done to his inventory and how much experience he needs to get to the next level.

Sky has to bring his attention to the available menu options. Amusement park food usually doesn’t come with a large amount of options, however both of them find something quickly that suits their tastes. Junmyeon only manages to take a sip of his drink before he is anxiously diving into his items in the game to trigger a lucky egg. Empty stomachs forgotten, both of them become intensely focused at the table as they patiently wait through each evolve animation before proceeding to the next.

Junmyeon levels.

Junmyeon practically levels again. He looks at his incubating eggs and sees that they are just steps away from hatching. He has minutes still left to his lucky egg. “I’ll be right back,” he announces before striding quickly away from the table.

Sky simply sits back and laughs. She watches as he walks in the direction of a close stop, gaining the small double points for the marker. Then she watches as he takes to walking around the entire seated area not caring who is staring at his strange behavior. They aren’t the only ones playing the game, but Jun is definitely the only one doing it blatantly at the moment. Sky laughs again as he suddenly stops and brings his fist up in the air in a quick punch showing anyone who is paying attention that he has succeeded at whatever it was he had set out to accomplish.

Junmyeon walks quickly back to the table and anxiously takes a bite of his food.

“So?” Sky asks curiously.

“Level twenty one. Easily. But, I haven’t caught up to you yet,” he says initially excited before the realization sinks in.

“I’m almost at level twenty three. It gets harder to level quickly once you’re over twenty,” Sky comforts.

“I just don’t know if I’ve beat my friend yet or not,” Junmyeon muses aloud, even if he meant to think it instead.

“Is that what this is about? Trying to beat your friend?” Sky asks while somewhat amused.

Junmyeon looks a little embarrassed about his childish desire. “Yes, basically. He’s good at everything. I just want to be good at something that he likes as well.”

“What, is he like some sort of superstar?” Sky asks incredulously.

“You have no idea,” Junmyeon says with a shake to his head. Chanyeol’s charisma can take over an entire room. Even if he thinks the taller is annoying from time to time, he has to admit that he knows how to talk to people. He is decent looking too; of course, they were all picked in part for their looks. Junmyeon has always been told that he is the very textbook definition of handsome so why he feels competitive with the lanky rapper with the big ears - he doesn’t know. Of course, he would never say that to Chanyeol’s face, but he feels inferior every time the taller steals the spotlight.

“You don’t need a game to prove your worth, you know? I’m sure there are things you can do that your friend can’t. There is probably more mutually going on between you than you know,” Sky offers.

Junmyeon stares at Sky for a moment. What she had just said was something that Junmyeon would normally say to someone in the same situation. He smiles softly and nods his head.

“I’ll still help you out though. The game is still fun whether you’re competing with your friend or not.”

Junmyeon laughs. “That means we need to come back more often.”

“What a shame,” she retorts sarcastically.

Junmyeon wouldn’t say he is blushing, in fact, he will flat out deny any accusation of such a reaction.

Sky thinks that pink is a nice color on the other.

 

 

Remember how the Magikarp needed 400 candies to evolve? I have an idea of how to accomplish it.

How?

Let’s go to the beach.

It’s winter.

I’m not asking you to swim, I’m talking about pokéhunting.

 

Sky has a point. If Junmyeon is ever going to get the water Pokémon that he is missing from his pokédex, he needs to get closer to a body of water. He looks over his upcoming schedule until he finds some time where he thinks he can sneak away. Replying, he sets up the day and time with Sky before pocketing the conversation. Junmyeon is waiting until his level is impressive enough before he brings up any hints about what he is up to.

So far, no one has questioned his handful of disappearances for a couple of hours at a time. It seems that Junmyeon is getting away with all of it.

He is currently with the band heading to a commitment they have for the afternoon. It will be makeup and wardrobe for a little while which will afford Junmyeon some time to play should the area provide anything for him to hunt. In the car, he is already checking any stops they pass that he can snag.

“You still playing that?” Sehun asks from the seat behind him.

“Aren’t you?” Junmyeon retorts.

Sehun shrugs. “I’m kind of over it.”

“Playing what?” Chanyeol asks from the front passenger seat.

“Pokémon,” Sehun answers.

“Ah, I got to level twenty one just last night. Awesome, huh?” Chanyeol states from the front seat.

Junmyeon opens his profile page in the app and smiles at the fact that he had just barely stepped over into level twenty-two that morning.

“Hyung, Suho is beating you,” Sehun laughs.

“What?!”

“I’m level twenty-two,” Junmyeon cautiously admits.

“But, how in the hell did you do that?!”

Junmyeon shrugs as though he is actually clueless. He had assumed that Chanyeol would be of a higher level, and the surprise really belongs to both of them.

“What’s your highest CP?” Chanyeol demands. He sticks out his hand, wanting Suho to give over his phone.

“If you transfer my Pokémon or screw up my game, I will kill you,” Junmyeon states in warning as he hands over his phone.

Chanyeol doesn’t do anything so cruel. He clicks to view the Pokémon that Junmyeon has in possession, placing them in order of their combat powers.

“Why is your Vaporeon named Sky?” Chanyeol asks as though it’s the dumbest thing he has seen that day.

Junmyeon shrugs again as though he is clueless as to why he would have nicknamed a Pokémon anything in the first place.

“Weird, but this is amazing. You have like four of these that are right at the 2000 CP level,” Chanyeol continues.

“I guess I just got really into it,” Junmyeon offers.

“I guess so. Nice job.” Chanyeol hands him back his phone. Suddenly, Junmyeon feels a little guilty for the reasons he wanted to excel at the game. The praise is welcome, but he almost feels bad for all the times he was looking forward to gloating about the accomplishment.

“Thanks,” Junmyeon says softly as he stares at the screen, which is still opened to his most powerful Pokémon: a vaporeon that he had indeed named Sky.

 

 

Sky has never been so completely amused by Jun before. He is yelling out water Pokémon names as quickly as he can catch them. Everything from Magikarp, Goldeen, Horsea, Staryu, and even Dratini is named in excitement every few minutes.

The two are walking side by side along a stretch of beach near the still moist stretch of sand, but so that the current waves aren’t close enough to ruin their shoes. Sky is catching things with less enthusiasm than Junmyeon is, but only because she is distracted in watching the other.

It will be sunset soon and the waves are definitely crashing at a distance making the entire scene peaceful, if it weren’t for one over enthusiastic Pokémon trainer.

“Jun! I didn’t realize you’d be so excited for water Pokémon!” Sky exclaims, unable to contain how ridiculous she thinks the other is being.

“Water Pokémon are definitely my thing,” Junmyeon states with a sly smile. First of all, they’re pretty damn powerful in the gyms. Second, they represent Suho’s EXO power, which makes it all the more hilarious in his own eyes.

“It’s obvious,” Sky laughs. “You’re such a nerd, Jun.”

“I know.”

Sky watches him for a moment. Her shoulders fall a little as her eyes travel to the horizon. “No, really. Jun.”

“What?” he asks while only half paying attention.

Sky bites her bottom lip, the nervous action not very like her, but then Jun isn’t looking at her at all.

“Most guys don’t usually go five whole dates without at least trying to kiss a girl. I’m starting to think I have to wait for the sixth,” Sky states a little quietly, but loud enough that she knows he will hear if he is paying the slightest bit of attention to her.

“What?” Junmyeon suddenly asks, whipping his gaze away from his game and up at the girl who is looking at him with half annoyance and half disappointment.

“Do you even realize that I’m standing here next to you?” Sky asks.

Junmyeon’s eyes go wide from shock. “Of course I do!”

Sky smiles as though she’s giving up or surrendering.

“No really, Skyler. I do,” Junmyeon tries.

“Because I find you Pokémon…”

“No, that’s not it at all,” he tries to emphasize.

“But it’s nothing more than that, right?”

“It’s because you hunt with me, Skyler. Because you are good at the game but don’t make me feel like I’m bad at it. Because you don’t second-guess what you’re doing or flinch at making a decision. I see every change you’ve made in your nail color and how it never seems to go with your dresses and yet for some reason it goes perfectly with who you are. I see you. I look forward to seeing you.”

Sky stares at Junmyeon while the atmosphere starts to darken to shades of oranges and reds.

“Look, I promise, pull up my Pokémon list by CP order,” Junmyeon says while pushing his phone towards her.

“What on earth is that going to prove?”

Junmyeon shrugs.

Sky fiddles with the app for a moment. Suddenly, she goes completely still. A breath later she starts laughing. Junmyeon smiles while expecting some form of ridicule to follow.

“Oh my god, you really are a huge nerd!”

“Well, what do you expect? You trained me,” Junmyeon retorts quickly.

Sky shakes her head. “I won’t take responsibility for this.”

Junmyeon smiles. In a boost of confidence that doesn’t feel anything like how he feels when he is on stage when he has been told what to say or how to act, Junmyeon relies on instinct. He closes the space between himself and Sky and looks at her for a moment. It’s not a stolen glance or an observation from farther away; he takes in an honest appraisal of the girl in front of him. He doesn’t need any reasons or justifications. He simply leans forward and kisses her.

There is no agenda, no purpose or implied meaning. It’s a simple kiss, but one that Junmyeon hopes communicates his infatuation with the girl.

When their lips part, Sky fights between looking shocked and feigning smug confidence. Being smug protects her, but Jun has just disarmed her.

“I have something to tell you,” he begins, admittedly staring at her lips instead of her eyes. “I’ll understand if you get mad…”

Sky waits, quietly. They really don’t know very much about each other yet, so secrets aren’t necessarily unexpected.

“Have you heard of EXO?”

Sky blinks, wondering why popular culture icons have any place in the conversation they are about to have. “As in the music group?”

Junmyeon nods.

Skyler’s mouth opens slightly in disbelief. “Oh my God,” she breathes.

“I’m not…”

“Are you a fanboy?!” she interupts.

“Wait, what?” Junmyeon asks, head snapping back a bit in an echo of her own shock.

“You didn’t have to kiss me if that was the-”

“No! No. That’s…” Junmyeon knows that there isn’t any room for assumptions at this point. “No. I’m in the group. My name is Junmyeon, Kim Junmyeon. My stage name is Suho.”

“Suho?”

“EXO’s leader,” he states hesitantly. His hands are up, palms forward as if he can physically push away the initial fanboy label.

Sky runs through a small wave of relief before watching the man in front of her start to lose his confidence. A small smile spreads until she is positively beaming. “You’re really cute when you feel like you have to be embarrassed. It’s okay. It’s not like I don’t understand the need for anonymity. Or understand why you didn’t just come up to me and blab who you were from the get go.”

“You’re not mad?”

“What is there to be mad about? You could have any career path or any number of reasons as to why your schedule is hectic. It’s not like I had asked yet. You told me before things got too deep,” Sky states reassuringly.

“You’re amazing,” Junmyeon breathes.

“Wait a minute,” Sky pauses while a small tidbit of information prods at her brain. She doesn’t follow k-pop much, but it’s not like she lives under a rock either. “Out of curiosity, what is your ‘EXO power’?”

“Water,” Junmyeon answers, knowing the exact implication of his admission.

“Ah, now it makes sense.”

Junmyeon laughs.

“Can I still call you Jun?” Sky asks with a shrug.

“Sure.”

“Good.”

Before Junmyeon can mentally prepare, two slender arms wrap around his neck as the wind pushes her longer hair to touch lightly against his cheekbones and jaw. Her lips press against his in eagerness, confirming the strong-willed nature of the girl he really has become entirely infatuated with.

Chanyeol can have all the fans he wants. Every single one of his band mates can be three times more successful than him. As long as Sky is solely Junmyeon’s, everything else simply pales in comparison.

 

---

 

A/N-

This was legitimately a random idea in which the first section was roughly written in about, what..... 40 minutes after the initial suggestion was made.

I'm sorry if it .... but I couldn't not write this idea.