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Helping Hand

 

Joy knows she is determined, smart and absolutely gorgeous.

And that all she’s even wanted — ever since little ten-year-old Joy had seen (so-to-be-Champion) Tiffany’s Jigglypuff smack (soon-to be-ex) Champion Hyoyeon’s Salamence into oblivion —  is to become a Pokémon trainer.

Champion Tiffany had inspired her. Joy had figured out her dream that day: to become the Champion of the Hoenn League and looking ridiculous good while doing it! Tiffany’s pink battling outfit is as legendary as her Jigglypuff and all Joy wants to do is be that iconic.

She had chosen Torchic as a starter. She likes hot chicks. And there's nothing hotter than a chicken that can breathe fire.

And now, when she’s finally on her way to becoming somewhat competent, life decides to get in her way. Quite literally.

A rock. A rock has stymied the great Joy Park. And she will not let this insult slide. Desperate times call for unsightly measures and it’s fine, because nobody, nobody will see her like this. Well, nobody human  anyway.

Joy narrows her eyes in concentration and starts army crawling forwards. Dirt is smeared over her face and her clothing is full of tears. That’s fine. There’s grass stains on her elbows and knees and that’s fine too. Some would say that she isn’t being very dignified. That is also fine.

Who needs dignity when you can be the very best, like no one ever was?

“We got this, Yeri!”

“Torchic! Chic!”

Yeri’s usually glossy yellow and orange plumage is dulled with mud and tiny bits of grass. It’d be comical if the fires of determination weren’t burning in her eyes.

“Damn right, we’re the best!”

They creep up on their target from behind and Joy readies a pokeball. Brown and cream fur, zig-zag pattern, black mask around its eyes, the Zigzagoon is sunning itself peacefully on the ground; unaware of its bleak future as Joy’s HM slave.

She rises into a crouch and draws a circle in the air around their unsuspecting victim.

“Go! Ember!”

Yeri spits out small balls of flame and Joy holds her breath in anticipation.

The flames land exactly where they planned and the Zigzagoon is trapped in a ring of fire.

“Yes! Go girl!” Joy leans down to scratch at the crest atop Yeri’s head and is greeted with happy chirping.

“Screeeeee.” They’re interrupted by a screech. The Zigzagoon is glaring at them through narrow eyes and Joy doesn’t like the way it’s pawing at the ground.

“Goooonnn!!!” It opens its mouth and lets loose a torrent of mud and sand.

Joy and drops painfully onto her knees and covers her head with her hands. She closes her eyes and braces for impact.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

She opens an eyes just to see a blur of brown and cream hop over smothered flames and dart towards the Very Tall Grass.

“Oh no you don’t. Take this!” She hurls the pokeball just as its bushy tail disappears into dark green blades.

There’s a flash of red light and a click. Joy blinks. It didn’t struggle at all?

“Chic! Chiiiiiic!” Yeri runs excited circles around her legs as she blinks rapidly.

“Yesss! We did it! Whoooop!”

She sticks her hand into the Very Tall Grass and fumbles blindly. Stick. Stick. Something squishy. Something slimy. Ah, Pokéball.

“Yeri! Let’s meet our new teammate! I can’t wait for them to learn Rock Smash so we can finally be on our way.”

She lazily flicks her hand, “Go! Zigzag—

“Spin??Spin??”

“WHAT!?”

 

 

It’s not a Zigzagoon, that’s for sure. It’s too pink for that. It’s a bear? Joy thinks that it’s a bear. Though its got the ears of a rabbit. It’s pink and cream and has literal swirls for eyes. Swirls. For. Eyes.

It steps toward her, or rather it stumbles toward her. It moves its left foot forward and then it stops and spins in place and then it moves its left foot again. It falls forward with a lurch and Joy leans down to catch it.

It’s very soft.

She brings it up to her face. It’s arms mill wildly about.

“Spin?? Spindaaaa???” It sounds confused. It looks confused.

It’s very cute, even if it’s very confused. Joy cradles it to her chest and rubs soothingly at the top of a pink head.

“It’s alright. It’s alright. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you. Shhh.”

It nuzzles against her and stares up with swirling eyes. “Spin. Daaa!” It raises both arms toward her. “Spinda!!!”

“I know I talk to Yeri, but I don’t actually understand Pokémon. Oh god. I’m talking to you right now.”

Something sharp jabs at her ankle and Joy yelps. “Ow, what was that for?”

“Torchic! Torrr!”

She puts the Spinda down and watches it teeter towards Yeri.

“Spin!”

“Chic chic chic.”

Yeri dashes into its arms. What.

Joy blinks. Are they hugging?

“Well alright. I’ll take you to the Pokémon Centre and then I’ll let you go.”

Something fluffy hits her knee. Joy blinks again. It hits her knee again.

“D-did you just headbutt me?”

“Spin!!”

“Errrr, I’m guess you wanna come along with me and Yeri then?”

Another soft hit. Alright.

“Ok sure. Lemme get my Pokédex out.”

It takes her thirty minutes, but she finds it eventually. She points it towards their new friend.

“Spinda: the spot panda Pokémon. All the Spinda that exist in the world are said to have utterly unique spot patterns. The shaky, tottering steps of this Pokémon give it the appearance of dancing. This Spinda is female. It’s moveset is as follows: Feint Attack, Psybeam, Dizzy Punch and Teeter Dance.”

“Ok you’re a girl too. Lemme think of girl names. Spindy? Spotty? Sulky? Seulgi?”

“Spinda!”

“Seulgi it is!”

“Daaaaaa!”

“Excellent. Now, come over here and eat this cd.”

“Spin??!!”

 

 

Joy glares at the rock. The rock does not glare back. It is an inanimate object after all.

There’s a pink at the edges of her vision and a tap at her knee.

“Seulgi, later.”

There’s another, more forceful tap at her knee.

“I said later, Seul.”

There’s crackling electricity against her skin and Joy flinches back. She glares down at a pink head and long ears and —

“Plus. Plusle.” It’s very quiet and it may be pink but it’s definitely not Seulgi.

“Spinsspin….Spin…..” She sounds like she’s twirling in circles somewhere.

“Ok. I don’t know what you’re playing at. But it’s rude to just attack people and I am —

It nuzzles against her then. Soft and small and pink. It looks up at her with large, watery eyes and presses a pink cheek against her leg.

It’s really, really cute and Joy can’t find it in her to be mad.

“You’ll play nice now?”

It gives a slow nod and taps a stubby paw against her knee.“Plus.”

“Yes?”

It points at the rock. “Plusle.”

“Did you want me to smash the rock?”

It nods again.

“Ehh. This is weird but alright. Seulgi! Come over here please.”

“Daaaaaaaaa…” The Spinda teeters towards them. “Spin??” She stops when she almost collides with Not-Spinda. It reaches a short arm towards long, bunny-like ears. “Spinda???”

“Plusle.”

“Da.”

Seulgi turns towards Joy and raises a hand in greeting. “Spin!!!”

Joy turns her head from left to right. Pink? Check. Cream? Check. Long ears? Check. Stubby limbs? Check. Tail? Aha! Seulgi has a fluff ball for a tail. And the electric bunny-mouse thing has a red….plus sign????

She whips out her Pokédex. She keeps it in her new fanny pack now. Stylish and practical!

“Plusle: The Cheering Pokémon. When Plusle is cheering on its partner, it flashes with electric sparks from all over its body. If its partner loses, this Pokémon cries loudly. This Plusle is female. It’s moveset is as follows: Nuzzle, Play Nice, Helping Hand, Charm, Fake Tears, Nasty Plot.”

Fake Tears? Nasty Plot? Just what does this Plusle want? It’s best to just go with it.

Joy shrugs and points at the rock, “Seulgi, Rock Smash!”

The rock shatters into a hundred little pieces and Joy smirks. Joy - 1. Rock - 0.

There’s a blur of pink and cream and the Plusle runs off.

“Heyyyyyy, wait up you ungrateful little rat!” She scoops up Yeri and Seulgi and runs after it. She just knows it’s trouble.

 

 

Joy runs and runs until she’s out of breath. For something with such short legs, Plusle sure can run fast. There’s sounds of a battle ahead and she puts in one last burst of speed. She bursts into a grassy clearing.

“Tae! Stop. Stop it Tae! Irene, play nice! Guys, please!”

There’s a familiar voice and a familiar Jigglypuff.

“Jigglypuff!!!”

There’s a dull smack and Joy’s jaw drops as the Plusle decks the Champion Jigglypuff in the face.

“Plusle!”

The Jigglypuff faints and falls backwards. Joy can see that it’s eyes are Xs.

“Plus!” The Plusle raises it’s stubby hand and...fistpumps?

It dashes pass the fallen Jigglypuff and runs towards...another Plusle? Ah no. Joy sees that though it looks pretty much exactly the same, it’s blue.

“Dammit, Tae. I told you not to pick a fight with Irene.You know how she gets when Wendy is involved.”

Irene the Plusle grabs a berry out of nowhere and hands it to the blue Not-Plusle. “Plusle~ plus~”

“Minunn. Miiii~” It places both of its hands on blue cheeks and wiggles from side to side. Joy thinks it might be blushing. If Pokémon can blush.

She drops Seulgi and Yeri in shock. They sit down by her feet and stare at the pink and blue rodents.

“Errr...Hello? Champion Tiffany?”

“Oh. Hello there! How can I help you?”

“I think your Plusle is plotting something…”

“Oh. Don’t worry about that. Irene has been part of my team for ages. All my Pokémon are pink! Apart from Wendy, she’s blue! Aren’t they adorable?!”

Joy notices something happening from the corner of her eye.

“She’s….umm..kicking your knocked out Jigglypuff. Oh and now she's dancing with Wendy?”

“Don’t worry about it. Irene is just...competitive. And...a little...possessive. Hahahah.” Tiffany’s laugh is strained.

“Ok. Uhh, it’s nice meeting you. I’m going to go now. Bye.”

Joy picks up Seulgi and Yeri and runs far, far away from crazy pink things.

 

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ShinHye24 1340 streak #1
Chapter 1: Park Sooyoung is really something hahah so fun to read!
FateNdreaM #2
Chapter 1: I love this so much. Awwwwww~
wenderpul
#3
S E Q U E L AUTHORNIM
Pooni30
#4
Chapter 1: This was such a fun read! Didn't know that I would enjoy a pokemonau but I guess I'm willing to read anything if the writing is good. :)
wenrene7743 #5
Chapter 1: Can’t believe I just discovered this masterpiece. Thank you so much for this cute pokemongoau and I’m now going to name my plusle and minun as Irene and Wendy respectively :D
Gr33nPow3r #6
Chapter 1: Lmao this was hilarious!
cjmoo_ #7
Chapter 1: I cannot believe you made Joy name the Pokemons after the names of the members xD So Yeri's a hot chick huh
Too cute! Thanks for this!
8moons2stars
#8
Chapter 1: First off, I'm really sad that I only got like 60% of the Pokemon jargon. T.T I've only watched the series when I was young and never got into the whole Pokemon Go whirlwind years back, so this was a trip. :))) But you had me by the neck the moment you mentioned Tiffany in there cuz...well...I'm legit garbage for her HAHAHA. Now I have the craving to delve back into the world of Pokemon ..but sigh. Time is not my friend.

And also, omg!??!?! WAS THAT JUST SUBTLE WENTAE AND POSSESSIVE IRENE GOING AFTER TAEYEON!? AGHHHH I am such WenTae trash <3 But you know this cuz I did gobble up your omegaverse ongoing with them. And omg I just realized there was a bit of Taeny too. Ah, I've been fed so wellllll~
skyofstars
#9
Chapter 1: You had me at "Tiffany's Jigglypuff" (God, is it just me or it sounds a bit wrong when taken out of context? hm).

AAANYWAY THIS IS SO KYOOOT and the members really match with their Pokemon counterparts. Thank you for this :3