"He wants you to take over the Gym?" Kyungsoo asked incredulously, laughing.

Chanyeol glares at him and slips another spoonful of ice cream in his mouth, kicking the other under the table. Kyungsoo yelped loudly, causing heads to turn. Kyungoo's Emolga jumped up on the table in an attempt to protect her trainer, but upon realizing that there was no issue, she grabbed Chanyeol's ice cream instead and snickered, ducking back under the table.

"Emolga is an ," Chanyeol pouted. 

Kyungsoo placed his elbows on the table and leaned toward Chanyeol. "Yeah, I already knew that about her, surprise surprise. Strawberry ice cream is gross. She did you a favor. But really, tell me what's going on with you and this whole Gym Leader thing?"

"Well, you know my dad's been Veilstone City's hero fiery Gym Leader or whatever for years now," Chanyeol started, rolling his eyes, "but he's old and wants me to step up to the plate now, be responsible, get that Park lineage, blah blah blah. Yura should've taken his spot but she ran away to Kalos with her boyfriend."

“Yura's a better trainer than you, too," Kyungsoo smirked.

Chanyeol rested his face in his palms and groaned. "Thanks , I know she is. I didn't even ask to take his spot, Soo. I mean, I'm an okay Trainer and all, but me? A Gym Leader? I can't even back out because it's already official and I even have a battle scheduled tomorrow."

" to be you, man," Kyungsoo giggled, sticking out his tongue. His Emolga flew up on his shoulder and grinned wickedly at Chanyeol.

Yeah, it really did to be him.

***

"Staravia is unable to battle! The winner of the match is Chanyeol!"

Chanyeol cheered, high-fiving his Infernape who was only a tiny bit out of breath. He was anxious the entire morning over his first challenger battle, but the young and obviously inexperienced kid was a piece of cake. Chanyeol was slightly thankful that he was because Chanyeol really couldn't handle the embarrassment of losing his first challenger battle.
Infernape climbed up on Chanyeol's back, wrapping his arms around Chanyeol's shoulders as Chanyeol approached the younger trainer. "You did well out there, man! I bet if you train your Pokémon just a little more you can come back here and win that badge that you want."
"You're the new leader, right? Park Changseok's son?" the boy asked, tilting his head and squinting his eyes at the taller man.

"Yup, that's me," he responded. 

"O-okay. You're uh, really good! I'm Jongdae!" Jongdae stuttered, face flushing. "Um, I-um, I'll see you soon!"

Chanyeol's face scrunched in confusion and Infernape cackled as Jongdae quickly dashed out of the gym, stumbling a bit on his way out.

***

Chanyeol met Kyungsoo in third grade.

Kyungsoo was bullied by the other kids because of his small stature, his funny accent, and his foreignness in general. Kyungsoo often spent his time reading and drawing by himself, often too caught up in his own thoughts to even pay attention to his bullies. Chanyeol mistook this for sadness and decided to play hero and be the first to befriend him. Chanyeol was tall, popular, the son of a Gym Leader, and had his own Pokémon already. Who wouldn't want to be his friend?

Turns out Kyungsoo wasn't looking for someone to be his savior and he promptly kicked Chanyeol's to prove his point. Their friendship bloomed from there.

"Chanyeol, get your nastyass feet out of my lap," Kyungsoo growled, pushing at the taller man's legs to no avail. Infernape pushed Chanyeol's legs down to the ground and Kyungsoo sighed in relief, which quickly turned to a groan as Infernape decided that Kyungsoo was to be his next cuddle victim.

"Infernape, this was much cuter when you were a tiny little Chimchar, but you're a big boy now. No more snuggles," Kyungsoo pleaded. Infernape snuggled closer and Kyungsoo sighed in defeat.

Chanyeol was about to laugh at Kyungsoo's situation when he saw a certain image on the TV out of the corner of his eye, his mouth dropping in shock.

“Next up is our exclusive interview with the undefeatable Kim Jongin, the nineteen-year-old model turned Pokémon Trainer, who just won his seventh Gym Badge from Kim Minseok in Snowpoint City. Stay tuned, and as always, thank you for watching Jubilife TV!"
Chanyeol stared ahead in silence.

"Chanyeol," Kyungsoo started softly, clearing his throat, "has Kim Jongin gotten the Gym Badge from Veilstone City yet?"

He opened his mouth to answer but his voice caught in his throat as the TV cut to Kim Jongin's interview.

“Kim Jongin, you just won your seventh Gym Badge. How does it feel?"the female reporter asked.

Jongin smiled handsomely and threaded his fingers through his hair. "I'm very thankful, honestly. It doesn't even seem real to me. I was a model who happened to have Pokémon just a year ago and now I'm almost ready to challenge the Champion. I'm so glad to have come this far with the help of my friends, family, and of course my fans as well."

"How pretentious," Kyungsoo snorted, "I have never seen so much fake modesty in my life."

"Shut up, I'm watching," Chanyeol grunted, side-eyeing his friend.

"We know you don’t have a lot of time to chat but may I ask you about how you plan to get your eighth Gym Badge?"

Jongin nodded, staring ahead. "I heard that the Gym Leader of Veilstone recently stepped down just a few days ago and gave the role to his son. I don't know how his son works so I'm going to take a month off to rest, work on new battle strategies, and maybe even introduce a new Pokémon to my team before I challenge the Veilstone Gym. I want to make it a battle everyone will remember."

"Congratulations on winning your seventh Gym Badge today and good luck on your next gym battle! Make sure that you all watch it right here on Jubilife TV!"

"Holy ," Kyungsoo said.

"Holy ," Chanyeol agreed.

Chanyeol was going to be crushed.

***

Kim Jongin’s interview quickly went viral because the token Trainer of Sinnoh was going against the new yet undefeated (Chanyeol saw this as a large exaggeration because he’s only ever had two challengers) Veilstone Gym Leader.

Naturally, Chanyeol’s first reaction was to freak out to his older sister, which ended badly because all she did was laugh at him and told him to it up.

“Yura,” he groaned into his phone, “what the hell do I do? I ing , why didn’t Dad make you the Gym Leader?”

“Chan, weren’t you at the top of your class all four years at Trainer’s School?”

Chanyeol rolled his eyes. “My point is that you’re better than me. Come here and replace me. I don’t have a death wish.”

“I’m not replacing you, idiot. Go train. Now is a good time to talk to other Gym Leaders and get their advice. I’m hanging up on you.”

“Yura, I swear-“ Chanyeol started

“Bye!”

Chanyeol cursed under his breath.

***

The first impression Chanyeol got from Sunyshore City is that it was scorching hot. Veilstone City was farther north and had a constant overcast that kept it a bit cooler, so it would be an understatement to say that Chanyeol was uncomfortable in the humid weather of Sunyshore City.

He made a small phone call to the Sunyshore Gym leader, who he found out was named Junmyeon, and the man happily agreed to help train him for a few days. The man was quite charming; he had a light voice and a calm demeanor that made Chanyeol, who was previously a bit nervous about speaking to him, more comfortable.

Chanyeol was a bit lost and anxious at the crowded pier because he didn't even know what Junmyeon looked like. He felt overwhelmed in the situation; twice he had bumped into someone and muttered a small apology that was probably lost in the noise of the crowd. He jumped as a man grasped his arm and smiled at him.

"Can I… help you?" Chanyeol uttered, surprised and a bit annoyed.

The man, who was quite shorter than Chanyeol and had to tilt his head up to face him, just smiled wider. "You don't recognize me? I'm Kim Junmyeon. I agreed to meet you at the pier, remember?"

Chanyeol was expecting Junmyeon to be older, middle-aged or maybe even elderly like Chanyeol's father, but he surely was surprised that the other Gym Leader was so young. Junmyeon must've been only a few years older than him.

"Oh! Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Yeah, haha, you just- just caught me by surprise a bit," Chanyeol stuttered. Oh god, he was handsome too.

"It's all right, no worries," Junmyeon chuckled, "but anyway, welcome to Sunyshore City! The town where the sun shines, that's our motto!"
"Yeah I've, uh, definitely noticed the sun," Chanyeol responded and forced a smile. Damn, was this man always so ecstatic over everything?
"Okay, you ready to head to the gym? I want to see how you battle."

***

The Sunyshore Gym couldn't be described any other way than majestic. It was decked out in all blue; blue draperies, small decorative cyan pools of water, blue windows that revealed the vast sea behind the gym, and a blue battling field that seemed like a replica of the one at Chanyeol's own Gym. Murals of water-type Pokemon adorned the walls, painted in an elegant and shocking style that fit the aesthetic of Junmyeon's Gym.

"Heads or tails?", Junmyeon asked, breaking Chanyeol out of his thoughts.

"Uh, heads?", Chanyeol responded awkwardly, consciously trying not to let his voice crack. Damn, why did Junmyeon have to be so distractingly handsome?

Chanyeol watched as Junmyeon tossed the coin into the air and caught it again in his palms. "Heads it is!"

Chanyeol stepped on the battling platform, hands starting to sweat in a nervous anticipation. He held Infernape's Poke Ball in his hand, biting his lip.

"Infernape, come on out!"

Infernape surged out of his Poke Ball, fists smashing into the ground as he peered at the opposing Trainer, growling lowly.

"C'mon, Prinplup," Junmyeon said calmly. Prinplup ruffled its feathers as he bursted out of his own Poke Ball, nodding in confidence. 

“You make the first move, Chanyeol! Remember, be smart about it. You don’t know how your opponent thinks yet.”

Chanyeol nodded in response, not really comprehending what Junmyeon said but not really caring either. He was aware that the type matchup gave him a bad disadvantage, but Chanyeol knew that Infernape’s speed could make up for the type disadvantage. 

“Infernape, Thunder Punch!”, Chanyeol called out. Infernape dashed forward, fist clenched tightly with an electric charge as he swung at the opposing Prinplup. 

Infernape stumbled forward and ended up hitting the ground as Prinplup dodged the attack easily, giggling to himself. Chanyeol’s stomach dropped as he saw the frustration written on his Pokemon’s face. This was not starting off well. 

“Piplup, Peck! Go while he’s down!”, Junmyeon commanded.

“Infernape, roll away! Get out of there!”, Chanyeol responded, gritting his teeth. 

Infernape jumped to his feet and started to retreat, but Prinplup was too fast. Infernape shrieked and jumped back in surprise as he got hit by Prinplup’s sharp beak. Chanyeol curled his fists in frustration. Suho was too good and saw right through Chanyeol’s speed strategy. 

“Infernape, use Flamethrower!”

Infernape howled as fire blasted out of his mouth, coating the other Pokemon in flames. Chanyeol cheered silently as his attack finally hit, but it was short-lived when he noticed that Prinplup was barely affected. 

“BubbleBeam, Prinplup,” was Junmyeon’s simple response. Chanyeol envied how he seemed to stay so calm during a battle. He himself couldn’t help but get fired up and overly excited.. 

A thick stream of bubbles emerged from Prinplup’s beak, bursting loudly as they hit the opposing Pokemon. Chanyeol had to close his eyes as he heard his Infernape yelp at the contact, unable to bear the sounds of his Pokemon in pain. His attempts to attack during this battle were futile and the sting of oncoming defeat hurt. 

“Chanyeol, you can do it! Don’t give up now!”, Junmyeon shouted from across the battlefield, “Being a Gym Leader isn’t all about winning, it’s about bringing out the potential of you and your opponent! Winning through battle isn’t what constitutes a good Gym Leader, it’s being a Trainer who can lead others through battle to strengthen the bond between them and their Pokemon! You and your Pokemon have to keep your confidence up no matter the situation!”

Chanyeol nodded, blinking back tears. It’s been awhile since he’s felt this cornered in battle and it was just so damn frustrating and humiliating to have the other Gym Leader see him be pitifully defeated like this. 

“Infernape, Thunder Punch!” Chanyeol called out, voice slightly breaking. 

Infernape charged forward and howled as struck Prinplup with his electrically charged fist, shocking the other and causing Prinplup to stumble back. Infernape quickly looked back at his Trainer and gave him a small smile.

“Prinplup, Bubblebeam one more time!”

Prinplup stood back up on shaky flippers, growling as he shot bubbles forward from his beak. Infernape didn’t even make a sound as they struck him and caused him to fall on the ground, defeated. 

Unable to battle. 

“Good job, buddy,” Chanyeol said with a shaky voice, returning Infernape to his Poke Ball. 

“That was a good battle, Chanyeol,” Junmyeon complimented, walking over to the other, “it’s okay to lose every once in a while. You did well.”

“But,” Junmyeon continued, clicking his tongue, “I think you should be here for more than a few days. A week or two, maybe? We… definitely have some practice to do.”

“Y-yeah, that sounds good,” Chanyeol responded quietly.

“Hey,” Junmyeon said, sliding an arm around Chanyeol’s waist in an almost intimate fashion, “don’t be too hard on yourself! You’re strong. I’ve just been around a bit longer, just a bit more experienced, but we can get you there!”

Junmyeon felt nice pressed next to him, his muscular arm wrapped around him. Chanyeol really could get used to this even if it came at the expense of losing horribly to the older man. 

“Thanks, man. That really means a lot to me,” Chanyeol responded. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yes! Sounds great,” Junmyeon responded, beaming up at him. “See you then!”

***

“So what’s he like?” Kyungsoo asked, voice a bit grainy over the Holo Caster. 

“Well,” Chanyeol started, his lips, “he’s so hot.”

Kyungsoo laughed. “Why are you saying that like it’s a bad thing?”

“Because I was expecting him to be an old geezer like my dad! It would be so much easier if he was too,” Chanyeol complained, “how am I supposed to focus on training when there’s this hot- man there twenty-four seven? To make it even worse, he’s really ing strong, too. I lost horribly today, man. I nearly cried.”

Kyungsoo laughed even harder. Chanyeol saw Emolga pop up on the screen behind him, laughing at him too. She probably didn’t even know what was going on but if Kyungsoo was laughing at Chanyeol’s demise, she would too. 

“I gotta go now but have fun being awkward around your hot Gym Leader friend,” Kyungsoo teased. Chanyeol groaned.

“This reminds me of Yifan at that battling camp we went to when we were like sixteen. Remember that? And when someone dared you to ask him to his di-”

“Bye, Kyungsoo!” Chanyeol interrupted, ending the call. 

***

The first day training with Junmyeon wasn’t as bad as Chanyeol imagined it would be. They spent most of their morning inside the Gym, discussing battle strategies and getting their Pokemon acquainted with each other. It went along very 
Except for two of them.

“Growlithe, please just eat your lunch,” Chanyeol begged, pulling his Pokemon away from Junmyeon’s Vaporeon.

“They’re not really the best of friends, are they,” Junmyeon chuckled, trying not to laugh as Chanyeol got bitten by his own Pokemon. 

Growlithe pulled out of Chanyeol’s grasp as Vaporeon blew a few bubbles at him, charging after the other Pokemon. Chanyeol sighed in defeat as the two Pokemon scampered around the Gym, resting his face in his palms. 

“I guess not,” he replied. 

***

Chanyeol didn’t quite know how to describe Junmyeon’s training regimen. Junmyeon had called it “Super Training”, saying that, “It’s all about strengthening your Pokemon’s core,” he said, thumping his stomach with a fist. He motioned to the multitude of colorful punching bags lined up in front of him. “Each one has a different weight, so your Pokemon are gonna have to use more than just muscle to really get the full experience.”

Apparently smacking around punching bags is a lot more difficult than it seems, because after about twenty minutes Chanyeol’s team was completely worn out. Infernape was leaning heavily against an annoyed Rapidash, the two panting heavily.

“See?” Junmyeon asked, setting several bowls of Pokemon food in front of Chanyeol’s team. “Not as easy as it looks, right?”

“I guess not,” Chanyeol mumbled, scratching Growlithe behind the ear as the small dog-like Pokemon dug into his food. “Is this how all Gym Leaders train?”

“Only if you wanna be the best.” Junmyeon said with a smile as his Buizel crawled onto his lap, nudging Junmyeon’s palm with his head. 

“‘The best’, huh?” Chanyeol mumbled. He buried his hand deeper into Growlithe’s fur, the warmth and softness of it somewhat comforting. 

Junmyeon smiled at him. “Of course.”

***

“Why did you become Gym Leader instead of your sister?”, Junmyeon asked him after the third day of practice. The two were sitting outside of the Gym, watching the sun set over the ocean. Infernape and Junmyeon’s Buizel chased after each other as Prinplup watched, tired from a day of training even though he didn’t do much. Vaporeon and Growlithe were nowhere in sight once again. 

“She has a life of her own now, I guess. She’s in Kalos with her boyfriend and she landed some fancy job that she didn’t want to give up,” Chanyeol sighed, “I think she should’ve taken over the role. She’s much stronger than me and she’s the first child. I don’t mean to sound selfish, it’s just that I’m not really confident in this role, I guess. It’s supposed to be a huge honor but I just don’t see it.”

Junmyeon nodded, taking in his response. “If you had the opportunity, would you give the role over to her?”

“In a heartbeat,” Chanyeol responded quickly. 

Junmyeon sighed and Chanyeol almost jumped as his hand rested on Chanyeol’s thigh. “I wish you would be more confident in your battling skills. I can see your unconfidence written all over your face whenever we train or spar and I wish you could see how amazingly talented you actually are.”

“You dragged me through the dirt the first time we battled.”

Junmyeon laughed. “That’s because I went hard on you and I wanted to see how you could do under pressure. You lost, yes, but I hope you learned something from that battle. I know I did.”

“I guess I just have issues with losing because I get too competitive and people put me on a pedestal because of my dad and expect me to be just as strong as him but I don’t ever think I’ll reach there. It just- it just hurts a bit. I was the star of my school, or whatever, but I’m not the star of my family. Not at all.”

“I think you’re wrong, Chanyeol,” Junmyeon said, “I can tell you have confidence in your Pokemon, but can you find it in yourself?”

“... I don’t know,” he mumbled, worrying with the hem of his shirt to avoid Junmyeon’s scrutinizing stare. “I really don’t know.”

The million-watt smile Junmyeon gave him was blinding. “Well then it’s a good thing that you have me, huh?”

Chanyeol smiled. “Yeah, it really is.”

***

“I have something for you,” Junmyeon told him at the beginning of one of their last training sessions, “just a small gift.”

“You don’t have to give me anything! Just being around you is a gift,” Chanyeol mumbled awkwardly, internally groaning at his poor choice of words after they left his mouth. Park is back at it again. “I mean, just you teaching me and helping me out is, uh, yeah.”

“I think you really deserve it, though,” Junmyeon said, smiling softly, “that is, if you want it?”

Junmyeon reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, almost-transparent orange stone. It shone in the sunlight as Junmyeon weighed it in his hands, turning his focus back onto Chanyeol. 

“It’s a fire stone. For Growlithe.”

“Oh,” Chanyeol gaped, toying at the cotton of his shirt to calm his nerves, “for-for Growlithe? You mean to evolve? You really don’t have to do this, I know how rare those are and I don’t even think I deserve-”

“Stop putting yourself down,” Junmyeon interrupted, “it’s my way of congratulating you for how far you’ve come.”

Junmyeon paused. “Wait, do you not want to evolve Growlithe?”

“No, I do, I do, of course! I know he’s been wanting it for a while, too, but we just never got the opportunity,” Chanyeol said, eyes avoiding the older man. 

Junmyeon smiled, hand settling on the small of Chanyeol’s back. “Let’s go find him, then.”

***

Chanyeol always knew that his Growlithe, now Arcanine, could be cocky and egotistical, but there was no way to compare the smug look on Arcanine’s face after he evolved. And it was all because of one reason. 

The bitter look on Vaporeon’s face as she saw the once-shorter Pokemon tower over her by more than a few feet spurred the other onwards, grinning devilishly as he batted Vaporeon with a large paw. She hissed loudly and bit his leg, causing him to emit a loud roar. 

“Will this ever end,” Chanyeol complained, resting his face in his palms. The rest of their Pokemon got along just fine; Chanyeol could even see Buizel and Infernape playing in the corner of his eye. Vaporeon and Arcanine’s feuds had quickly gone from amusing to exhausting and Chanyeol was just tired of it all. 

Junmyeon just laughed. 

***

“So is this goodbye, then? For now?”, Chanyeol asked, his bag weighing down his shoulder as they approached the pier. He slept in and was running a bit behind schedule; there wasn’t much time for goodbyes. 

“For now,” Junmyeon echoed. The smile he gave Chanyeol was small and sad.

Chanyeol pulled the smaller man in his arms on impulse, sad to leave and sad to see the look strewn on Junmyeon’s face. Junmyeon made a slight noise of surprise at the sudden contact and instead of pushing Chanyeol away like he feared, the other Gym Leader held him even closer. 

“Chanyeol,” Junmyeon whispered, his voice slightly muffled due to his head being pressed into Chanyeol’s chest, “I am so, so proud of you. You’re one of the greatest Trainers -and people- I’ve ever met, and I believe in you one hundred percent.”

He stood back so he could look Chanyeol in the eye. “It’s just a battle, okay? You’ll be fine. Just think of it as just another battle.”

Chanyeol caught a feelio and without thinking, he moved to place his lips on Junmyeon’s but caught himself and pulled away. He hoped it went unnoticed but the twinkle he saw in Junmyeon’s eyes made him wonder.

Chanyeol cringed a bit as the ferry suddenly honked loudly, signaling for the remaining passengers to board.

“I have to go now, I’m so sorry. Thank you for everything, Junmyeon, I- just, thank you,” Chanyeol murmured.

Junmyeon smiled, giving Chanyeol’s shoulder a hearty clap. “You’re welcome, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol turns, walking up the ramp to the ferry, his footsteps feeling heavier the closer he gets to the boat and the farther he gets from Junmyeon. As he steps on board, he turns, and sees Junmyeon still standing by the docks. The older man catches his eye and waves enthusiastically, nearly smacking an old lady standing near him in the face. Chanyeol laughs and the weight on his shoulders lessens just a bit. 

***

A week at home meant a week full of training, training, and more training. 

Chanyeol felt more comfortable in his Gym, and he thinks his Pokemon do as well. Junmyeon’s Super Training method, while extremely tiring, was also extremely effective. He pushed himself and his Pokemon hard, even when he was exhausted and wanted to stop. He kept going because he knew that that was what Junmyeon would’ve wanted him to do.

Being at home also meant being with Kyungsoo, who was always looking for drama and wanted to know every single detail of his relationship to Junmyeon. Chanyeol would’ve opened up more to him, but then Kyungsoo would’ve told Baekhyun and Baekhyun would’ve told everyone.

Kyungsoo let that slide easily to Chanyeol’s suspicion and rather decided that there were moreimportant things to do, like talk about Kim Jongin. 

“You know, I heard his daddy basically bought his entire career,” Kyungsoo said, completely sprawled out on Chanyeol’s couch in a seemingly uncomfortable position.

“Didn’t he start modeling as a kid? Of course he did,” Chanyeol scoffed.

“No, you don’t understand,” Kyungsoo continued, sitting up, “I meant his adult career. Even his Pokemon team isn’t authentic, so I’ve heard. That dickweed thinks he’s the cream of the crop with his fake career and fake team, too.” 

“My point is,” Kyungsoo said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his thighs, “don’t be too down on yourself if you lose. If he was actually authentic, then yeah, that’d kinda , but he’s not. It’s all for the cameras and for the money, honestly. ‘Handsome boy ends up being magnificent Pokemon Trainer’ seems like kind of a stretch, doesn’t it?” 

Chanyeol rolled his eyes.

“You know I’m right!”

***

It’s midnight when Chanyeol dials Junmyeon‘s Holo Caster number. After about four rings, Junmyeon picked up, eyes bleary and hair sticking in different directions. His pale skin looked sallow in the bluish tint of the Caster. “Chanyeol?” He said through a yawn. “Is that you?”

“Oh, were you sleeping? I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you, I’ll just--”

“No, no! It’s fine, just let me…” The screen shakes a few times as Junmyeon sits up in his bed, rubbing his eye. “Is something wrong?”

Chanyeol heaved a big sigh. “I don’t know if I can do it.”

“Do what?”

“Battle Jongin,” Chanyeol said. He grabbed a pillow and hugged it to his chest. “What if I lose? It’ll be so humiliating.”

“Chanyeol,” Junmyeon started, “You’re not going to win every battle, we’ve been over this. It’s a Gym Leader’s job to battle trainers, and part of the job is losing sometimes.”

“Yeah, but--” 

“Chanyeol, listen,” Junmyeon interrupted. “Even if you lose against Jongin tomorrow, that doesn’t mean that you’re any less of a trainer than you already were, okay?”

“Okay,” Chanyeol responded. 

***

The afternoon was blazing hot as the time of the battle crept upon them. The stadium was filled to the brim with spectators, more than he’d ever seen at a Gym battle. It wasn’t only the excitement that it was the last Gym battle for a celebrity Trainer but also because Chanyeol wasn’t really known as a Gym Leader and his style was unpredictable. It drew more attention than he was expecting it to. 

“Trainers, please enter the arena!”, the referee called. Chanyeol drew in a short breath as he walked forward, quickly making eye contact with Kyungsoo who was giving him a thumbs up and mouthing beat his . Chanyeol tried to cough back a laugh, knowing lots of eyes were on him. 

“Let the Veilstone City Gym Battle begin!”

***

Saying Jongin was tough would definitely be an understatement. Chanyeol had improved a lot, yes, but he wasn’t prepared for how brutal the other man would be. Sweat beads formed on Chanyeol’s forehead, both from the heat of the day and the excessive exhaustion from the battle. 

Chanyeol was taken by surprise by Jongin’s first Pokemon- a Weavile. Ice types were notoriously weak against Fire types and Chanyeol was a bit nervous as he sent out his Arcanine, afraid that the other had some tricks up his sleeve.

Weavile was fast, much faster than Arcanine, but she lacked in defense. Arcanine took her out with only one move, Fire Fang, and Chanyeol was surprised to see the nonchalant expression on Jongin’s face after his Pokemon fainted. 

Jongin’s Lucario, however, was a different story. Chanyeol already knew Lucario could use the move Earthquake, an incredibly powerful move that was even more powerful against his Fire type Pokemon, but he wasn’t expecting for it to be so overused by the other Trainer. It was almost as if Jongin really didn’t have any style other than offense, offense, and more offence. 

Lucario struck down Arcanine after only a few minutes, to Chanyeol’s misfortune. He closed his eyes and sighed. It was down to two to two. He could do this. 

“Rapidash, go!”, Chanyeol called. Rapidash whinnied as she bursted out of her Poke Ball, eyeing the opponent’s Lucario.

“Aura Sphere, now!” Jongin commanded. Lucario closed his eyes, forming a ball of blue aura before hurling it at Rapidash.

“Dodge it and use Flare Blitz, Rapidash!”, Chanyeol called, fists clenching in nervousness. 

Rapidash sped up and charged towards the opposing Lucario, cloaking herself with flames before launching at him. Lucario howled, stumbling back before falling to the ground. Rapidash was damaged from the recoil a bit as well, grunting in pain as she retreated to her side of the arena. 

“Lucario is unable to battle!”, the referee called.

“You really have it in you today, don’t you,” Jongin said, the warmth in his voice nonexistent.

“I try,” Chanyeol joked. 

Jongin rolled his eyes, grabbing his last Poke Ball. “Garchomp, come on out!”

Rapidash backed up a bit, intimidated as the other snarled, his sharp teeth on display. Rapidash was already weakened from the strong recoil from using Flare Blitz earlier; Chanyeol wasn’t sure how much longer she’d last. The intimidation factor didn’t do either of them any good as well. 

“Rapidash, Flame Charge,” Chanyeol called out, trying to hide the nervousness in his tone. 

“Counter it with Brick Break, Garchomp!” Jongin commanded. 

Rapidash was already charging forward the other and couldn’t slow down as Garchomp swung at her with a sharp fin, smacking her to the ground more than a few feet away. Her body heaved heavily as she layed on the ground, unable to get up.

“Rapidash c’mon, you can do it,” Chanyeol pleaded. 

“Rapidash is unable to battle!”, the referee announced. Chanyeol gritted his teeth as he heard Jongin laugh on the other side of the stadium. That bastard. 

“You did a good job, buddy,” Chanyeol whispered as he returned a fainted Rapidash to her Poke Ball. It wasn’t over yet. He still had his strongest, his first friend. The one he hatched from an egg and grew up with. 

“Alright Infernape, let’s go!” 

Infernape bursted from his Poke Ball, looking over his shoulder at his Trainer and giving him a nod of encouragement. Chanyeol smiled and gave him a thumbs-up in response.

“Garchomp, Dragon Pulse!” Jongin called out suddenly, gritting his teeth. 

“Get out of the way, Infernape!” 

Garchomp charged forward as a sheer beam aimed straight for Infernape erupted from his mouth. Infernape dashed to the side, dodging the attack and taking Garchomp off-guard, causing him to fall on the ground.

“Infernape, use Mach Punch! Strike him while he’s still down!” Chanyeol yelled, adrenaline pumping through his veins. 

Infernape struck forward at a lightning speed, hitting Garchomp right across the face with his fist. Garchomp groaned lowly at the contact, struggling to get back up on his feet. 

“Garchomp, get up and use Aqua Tail,” Jongin growled, anger written across his face. 

Garchomp jumped up faster than Chanyeol anticipated and swung his tail at an unprepared Infernape, hitting him hard against his torso. Infernape hissed in pain and snarled at the opposing Pokemon, upper lip twitching in anger. If there’s anyone who loses their cool more than Chanyeol in battle, it’s his Infernape. 

“Garchomp, use Aqua Tail once more!”

“Infernape, be fast and use Dig!” Chanyeol hollered, not wanting to risk his Pokemon getting hit once again. 

Infernape buried himself under the ground quickly, causing an eerie silence across the stadium as neither Trainer was sure what to anticipate and Garchomp looked downright frightened, looking side to side as if to find signs of Infernape’s presence. 

Infernape burst from the ground right under Garchomp, sending the larger Pokemon skyward with the brute force coming from his fist. Garchomp tumbled back down hard, dust rising from the small crater it made when it landed on the hard gym floor.

There’s a beat of silence as Chanyeol, Jongin and the rest of the audience waits for Garchomp to get up. Three more beats pass, and when Garchomp stayed still, the referee raised Chanyeol’s flag. “Garchomp is unable to battle! The winner of the Veilstone City Gym Battle is Chanyeol!”

The audience erupted in a deafening roar and Chanyeol found himself tackled to the ground by his Infernape, his arms around Chanyeol’s middle and squeezing the life out of him. From the corner of his eye, Chanyeol sees Jongin return his Garchomp to his Poke Ball with an angry huff. The other Trainer leaves the stadium in quick strides, but Chanyeol’s attention is torn away from him when Kyungsoo and Emolga run from their spots in the front row to congratulate him too. 

*** 

A month later, Chanyeol found himself back in Sunyshore. He immediately made a beeline for the Gym, hoping to see Junmyeon at his usual perch on top of one of the tanks where he does his training. But once he steps through the automatic doors, Junmyeon is gone. 

“Hey, you’re Chanyeol, right?” One of Junmyeon’s Gym Trainers yelled at him from across the room.

“Yeah, I am,” Chanyeol said, his hands instinctively going to the hem of his shirt. “And you…?”

“Sehun,” the kid said. “I saw your battle on TV! Great job by the way.”

“Thanks,” Chanyeol replied, smiling awkwardly.

“So… you’re here to see Junmyeon, right? He’s been expecting you for awhile now,” Sehun said. “It was so cute, he kept looking at the door hoping you’d drop by.”

“W-was he disappointed when I didn’t come?” Chanyeol asked, a bit of anxiety bubbling up in his throat. 

Sehun waved his hand in the air dismissively. “He’s fine, don’t worry. Junmyeon’s a tough guy, he doesn’t mind waiting. He’s just upstairs, by the way.”

Chanyeol thanked Sehun with a nod of his head and a smile, heading to the elevator with anxiety knotted in his stomach. He wrings the hem of his shirt as he feels the elevator rise. The elevator stops with a ding! and the doors open to an empty space at the top of the lighthouse. 

Junmyeon stood by the windows, his face illuminated by the sunset outside. He turned when he heard the elevator doors open, his face splitting into his usual smile. “Chanyeol! I’ve been waiting for you!”

“Yeah, I’m sorry for not coming by sooner…” Chanyeol shuffled his feet. “It’s just, well, y’know after the battle with Jongin, a lot of challengers started coming by, and I just--”

“Chanyeol, Chanyeol, it’s fine.” Junmyeon interrupted Chanyeol’s babbling with a gentle touch on the arm. “I don’t mind, I knew you were gonna come back sooner or later.” Junmyeon sat down, tapping the space next to him and smiling when Chanyeol flopped down beside him.

“So how do you feel?” Junmyeon asked, resting his cheek against his palm. 

“I feel… happy,” Chanyeol said. He looked over at Junmyeon with a smile. “I’m really happy.”

“I’m glad! I’m so glad that you are. You deserve happiness, Chanyeol, you really do,” Junmyeon said. Chanyeol tried to hide his oncoming blush with his palms. 

“So, um,” Junmyeon started, clearing his throat, “How long are you planning to stay in town?”

“How long do you want me to stay in town?”

Junmyeon’s jaw dropped and Chanyeol started to feel a bit of nervousness crawling back inside of him, afraid of the older man’s reaction. “You-you’re here for me, you mean?”

“I mean yeah, I came here for you but- but if that makes you feel uncomfortable or something I can go now. I’m sorry for bothering you, I’ll just-” Chanyeol squeaked as Junmyeon leaned forward and pressed his lips against his own. It was only for a moment, but the impact had Chanyeol internally jumping for joy. 

“Stay.”