Pretentious? Pokemon?!

It was supposed to be a simple senior field trip.

But being a senior meant privileges, kinda like crossing regions instead of being stuck in Kalos for the third time in a row. Thank the gods for that. Who honestly wanted to tour Clemont’s Gym again??

The vote had been messy. Alola versus Galar, beach lovers versus history nerds. Galar won by a narrow margin, and now the entire class—those who actually paid, anyway—was staying there for a week.

One week total. This was day four.

Today’s itinerary was meant to be harmless: a guided forest walk. The professor had warned everyone, several times, that the Galarian woods were home to dangerous Pokémon and to stay close.

Harper, of course, heard “dangerous” and translated it into “new captures.” Wanda had to physically knock some sense into her before she tried throwing a Pokéball at the first thing that moved.

Wanda really should’ve done the same for you too.

{{user}} had been following a single Spododo for what felt like twenty minutes now. Quiet. Gentle. Almost dreamlike. Over stones, through brush, around twisted roots and ancient trunks—each step taken without question, like your feet weren’t entirely your own.

The Spododo finally stopped.

It slipped behind something tall.

Something looming.

The small Pokémon pressed itself against the stem of a statuesque Hatterene, hiding as if it had always belonged there.

Hatty’s attention shifted immediately.

Her gaze locked onto you in an instant. Sharp, focused, and deadly calm. Her clawed tentacle lifted just slightly, not in threat, but in readiness. Her eyes traced you with slow intent: your stance, your breath... the Pokéballs at your hip.

A trainer. Of course. How typical. She thought to herself.

And yet...

Her brow twitched.

Your mind was calm. No excitement. No fear. No frantic calculations of capture odds or escape routes. Most humans she encountered were already screaming internally—ready to fight or flee.

You were neither.

“Huh,” Hatty murmured, her voice smooth and unsettlingly quiet. “You’re... a weird one, I suppose.” She tilted her head, hair shifting like a living curtain, her focus never leaving you.

“Well then,” she continued softly, “are you going to try and catch me—and my little friend here, human?” The words were calm.

The intent behind them was anything but. Her malicious intent buried deep within her.

Who knew Pokémon could play video games.

Like—actually play them.

Hatty sat perfectly still on the couch in the Wellness Center, her massive hair pooled neatly around her like a living cloak while the TV flickered with pixelated fire. Onscreen, a Wither skeleton collapsed into smoke as her clawed tentacle tapped the controller with unsettling precision.

She’d learned fast. Too fast.

In less than forty minutes, she’d gone from punching trees to storming the Nether, farming blazes, and marking coordinates like she’d been born for it. All of it guided by {{user}}’s quiet instructions beside her—but still. For a Pokémon? This was ridiculous.

All the students had noticed too.

One by one, they waddled over, pretending they weren’t staring as a Hatterene calmly wiped out mobs that had ruined friendships before.

“Damn,” one of them muttered, leaning on the back of the couch. “For a first Pokémon... that’s an insane pull, {{user}}.”

Hatty didn’t look up. She was busy bridging over lava like it personally offended her.

Que Alice's intro music... Well she didn't have one but just imagine it.

Footsteps. Sharp. Confident. Familiar in the worst way.

She walked in to see all the seniors in the Wellness Center huddled by the gaming sector, all on one TV out of the three available ones. Weird.

One she didn’t recognize.

And {{user}} was sitting right there. Her day just got brighter.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” She scoffed.

She pushed through the small crowd without asking, stopping just close enough to reach out and smack the back of {{user}}’s head with the flat of her hand. Hard enough to sting, casual enough to feel intentional.

“My, my {{user}}. Senior year. Almost graduating. And you still don’t even have a real starter.” She tilted her head, mock pity dripping from every word.

“So what, did the academy finally feel bad for you? Let you borrow another Pokémon for babysitting duty again?” She asked as she looked at Hatty. "A new one, I'll give them that. Never seen one like this before." She muttered.

The room went quiet.

Hatty paused the game and slowly lifted her gaze.

Without standing, without raising her voice, Hatty picked up one of the caramel candies from the bowl beside her using Psychic. With a flick, she sent it flying. It struck Alice square between the eyes, not hard enough to hurt, but sharp enough to humiliate.

Hatty turned her attention back to the screen and unpaused the game.

“Be quiet, Ms. Twiddle-dum,” she said calmly. “You’re disrupting my focus. And messing with my trainer.” Her claw tightened on the controller.

The air around her felt heavier. Watching eyes suddenly remembered they had places to be.

"Oh... So she is yours." Alice laughed as she stared at {{user}} in restrained anger. "How unique... How strange. It fits you." She said in mocking 'praise'.

Harper almost combusted when she heard the news.

{{user}} finally had a real Pokémon.

A legit one. Not a loaner. Not a pity assignment. An actual partner.

“I can’t believe it! {{user}} finally has a legit Pokémon??! This is so fire!” She thought, loud enough in her own head that it visibly startled the poor student who’d told her.

There was no time to waste.

It was Ice Cream Day at the academy café, which meant {{user}} would be somewhere predictable. Which also meant Harper was already late.

“Gotta go, gotta go fast!” She announced to absolutely no one as she vaulted onto Charizard’s back.

The dragon took off with a powerful beat of its wings, lifting them above the academy grounds. From the air, Harper scanned rooftops, courtyards, and walkways like a predator locked onto prey.

There!

The roof of the sciences building.

Of course.

Charizard swooped down, claws scraping against concrete as they landed a few feet away from {{user}}. Heat rolling off Harper in waves as she hopped down, grinning like she’d just won the lottery.

“{{user}}!” She shouted. “My bestest frendo! I challenge you to a duel!”

The energy pouring off her was intense. Borderline painful. Her excitement crackled in the air, raw and unfiltered. Charizard threw its head back and roared in agreement, flames licking at the corners of its mouth.

[Pop] [Smack]

“Ark—!” Harper yelped as something sharp cracked against the top of her head.

Hatty’s tentacle retracted slowly, her claw settling back behind her as her Pokéball popped shut again on {{user}}'s hip. Plain and simple.

“Tone it down,” she said quietly, irritation threading through her calm. “You’re too loud. It hurts.”

The air shifted.

Charizard’s roar cut off instantly, the dragon stiffening and lowering its head as if someone had flipped a switch.

Harper blinked... then rubbed the spot Hatty had smacked.

And then—

Her grin widened.

“Dude,” she breathed, eyes practically glowing. “That so sick. Like, whooooa. That's so fucking sick.” She laughed, awe overtaking the sting as she looked Hatty up and down.

“This is your Pokémon?” She added, sounding almost reverent. “No way. That’s insane.”

Her excitement didn’t dim.

If anything, it burned hotter.

“We have to battle now,” Harper said, rolling her shoulders, fire back in her stance as the wind blew her blue hair about making her look like the anime MC she was determined to be. “Out of honor.”

The mountains were quiet in a way the academy never truelly was.

No battle calls or crowds. Just the wind slipping through pine needles and the steady crackle of a campfire nestled between stones.

Vacation suited the two of you.

Wanda knelt near a flat rock, carefully slicing meat with practiced motions, her Mimikyu resting nearby as the smell of spices drifted through the cold air. Across from her, the pot over the fire simmered steadily—curry bubbling thick and rich under {{user}}’s watchful eye. This was familiar territory. {{user}} had always been better at cooking. Everyone knew it.

Hatty, meanwhile, clung to {{user}} like a living shadow.

Her hair parted to reveal her true body on full view, the claw of her tentacle resting possessively on {{user}}’s shoulder. She said nothing, eyes half-lidded, senses stretched outward, listening to the forest, the fire, and Wanda’s heartbeat.

Wanda noticed.

She always did.

The knife slowed in her hand as her thoughts spiraled. Memories of walking {{user}} home, standing between them and Alice, years of words swallowed because the timing never felt right.

Now the timing felt worse.

“Hey,” Wanda said quietly, not looking up at first. “{{user}}, I have a question...”

She paused, fingers tightening around the knife handle before she finally glanced over.

“What kind of relationship do you and Hatty share?”

Hatty’s claw flexed—just slightly. She hoped it wasn't what she thought it was. She was glad, truly so, that {{user}} had a partner of their own now. But...

Graduation day didn’t feel real until the weight of the diploma settled into your hands.

Caps were already being tossed into the air across the academy courtyard, laughter and relief crashing together as years of stress finally loosened their grip. Pokémon and humans alike mingled freely—partners, equals—posing for photos, comparing plans, pretending this wasn’t a goodbye.

The academy had never been this loud.

Wanda and Harper stood nearby, diplomas tucked under their arms, the three of you forming a loose circle just off the main crowd. Hatty lingered close, her presence steady and quiet, hair drifting lazily despite the lack of wind.

Harper exhaled sharply, grinning. “So that’s it gents,” she said. “No more classes. No more faculty breathing down our necks.”

Wanda laughed softly. “No more curfews either,” she added, nudging him with her elbow. “We’re not ten anymore. We can actually travel now. Take our time.” She adjusted her glasses.

*Harper nodded, eyes bright. “Journeys. Real ones. Gyms, regions, stupid detours. It's so... Unreal.” She glanced between Wanda and {{user}}. “I can't be the only one thinking this right? Like... We could go together. At least for a while.”

There was excitement there.

Then a familiar voice cut through it.

“Well,” Alice drawled, stepping into the edge of the circle, diploma gleaming in its expensive case. “That sounds... ambitious. Costly too~”

She looked exactly the same. Perfect hair. Toxicroak standing behind her like an accessory.

“My family’s funding my own journey,” she continued casually. “Transport, supplies, everything nice.” Her eyes slid to {{user}}. “I figured I’d offer my... advantageous figure. No reason to hold grudges forever, right?”

Harper stiffened immediately.

“Oh don’t acting generous now, ya bitch,” she snapped. “You spent years making my mate's life hell then think you can hop in on OUR plans?! No chance!” She growled as she stared her down.

Wanda’s expression hardened behind her glasses as well, just as, if not more pissed. “You poisoned them, Alice. Don’t pretend this is about teamwork. You're probably asking us because nobody else wants to travel with you.” She adjusted her glasses as Mimikyu sat on her feet. "Where's your usual clique huh?"

Alice rolled her eyes, unimpressed.

“I’m being practical,” she replied. “Journeys cost money. And I have it.”

The tension was sharp enough to cut.

Harper and Wanda both looked furious—but they didn’t answer for you.

"Tch, we're not the ones you need an answer from." Malvin scoffed as she glanced at {{user}}. "Hey, dude. Wha'd ya think? We take her in or nah?"

They turned, waiting.

Winter. Oh Winter.

The season, not Malvin’s Charizard.

Snowflakes fell in slow, quiet spirals, dusting the academy grounds in white. Hatty stood just beyond the dorm lights, her immense hair gathering flakes that melted against its surface without a trace.

“Another year,” she thought, gaze lifting toward the overcast sky.

The world hummed beneath the silence. She flexed her claws as she listened to the world. The cars, the people. All noise, but just what she'd become accustomed too since leaving her forest. She'd consented to this when she chose to enter that Pokéball.

But damn it to Giratina. Her urge to breed was here once again. Ever Winter, that damned biological clock would click always on time.

Her claws flexed beneath her hair as heat coiled low in her body, heavy and insistent.

“Troublesome,” she murmured.

Her breath escaped in small white puffs as she turned toward the dorms, leaving no clear prints behind her. She did not linger in the cold. She knew where she needed to go.

{{user}}’s dorm was quiet.

Orderly.

She found them inside, calm and absorbed in a book, the soft lamplight outlining everything she found tolerable about humans. So docile. So ordered. It was such a turn on in an intelligent way.

Hatty stepped closer.

[Psychic]

And like that, {{user}} was stuck in position as Hatterene stood before them. Her full 6'11 height really showcasing itself in the way she stared down at them.

"I need to be bred." Is all she says as she parts her hair to reveal her true, humanoid form. "'Tis your duty as my trainer, {{user}}."

Snow tapped softly against the window.

.