(no subject)
This here is a really stupid little fic about Jared and Jensen being Pokemon trainers, only it's not even really about that, it's mostly about them being schmoopy and stupid in the Pokemon world, because I felt like writing schmoop. There are various references to Pokemon in here, clearly, and for the record they're in Sinnoh, which is the region for Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.
Jared sees Jensen for the first time in two years in Mount Coronet, trapped under rocks.
He doesn't know it's Jensen, at first, he just sees someone trapped, with an Electrike next to them, and he thinks Jensen, because Jensen has always had an Electrike. Then he thinks that's stupid, because Jensen's Electrike totally would have evolved already.
Then the Pokemon looks over, sees Jared, and says, "Trike!" with something like recognition, and Jared hears Jensen say, "Hello? Anyone?" in a ragged voice.
"Jensen?" He runs over, and, yeah, that's Jensen, leg and shoulder trapped under rocks.
Electrike butts his head against Jared's leg, nuzzling him a little.
Jensen flushes. "Jared?" He laughs. "Great."
Jared smiles, a little weakly. "Don't worry, just because we're rivals doesn't mean I'm going to leave you to die."
"Thank god," says Jensen dryly. "I was really worried about that."
"You don't have any Pokemon who can help you out?"
"I do," says Jensen, "I just love being crushed so I'm choosing not to call them."
"You could just say, Hey, Jared, I need your help."
"Hey, Jared, I need your help."
"Was that so hard?" Jared grabs a pokeball. "Cranidos, come on."
The two of them and Electrike have Jensen freed up in a matter of minutes. He's still scraped and clearly in pain, and Jared kneels down to check the damage. Electrike licks Jensen's bloody knee, and Jensen smiles at it, stroking its head. "Worried, huh," he mutters, and Jared has to smile too.
"I've got some bandages in my bag."
Jensen blushes darker. "Thanks."
"It's been a while," says Jared, grabbing his first aid kit out of his bag. "What, two years?"
"Something like that," says Jensen.
"I'm hoping you know I'm not letting you challenge me to our traditional duel until you're better," says Jared.
"What makes you think I want to fight you?"
Jared rolls his eyes. "I'm your rival. You always want to fight me."
"Do you even have combat Pokemon anymore? I heard you just did research now."
"Field researcher," Jared corrects. "I catch rare Pokemon and send them back to Professor Beaver so he can study them. I do nothing but fight."
"That's--" Jensen winces as Jared puts some salve on his shoulder. "Ow, fuck. That's actually pretty cool."
"It's not like I'm a gym leader or anything, but I like it." He angles a glance at Jensen. "Thanks for telling me that, by the way."
"What did you want?" asks Jensen. "Dear guy I acted like a jerk to for years, I'm at Sunyshore City now, just thought you should know."
"So that was just acting?" asks Jared, grinning. "I knew you weren't really a jerk."
"The rocks knocked me out and I'm having a nightmare right now," says Jensen.
Jared frowns. "I'm not that bad, am I?"
"No, just--" Jensen laughs a little weakly. "Sorry, I'm doing the jerk thing again, right?"
"Pretty much constantly. Here, put your arm around my shoulder."
"What?"
"You think you can walk on your own?"
"Oh," says Jensen. "I guess not, yeah." He puts his arm over Jared's shoulder and lets Jared help him up.
"So what're you doing here anyway?" asks Jared. "Since you're in Sunyshore now."
"My brother lives in Hearthome, just had a baby. I wanted to visit."
"Josh, really?" asks Jared.
Jensen looks surprised. "You know my brother's name?"
Jared smiles. "Come on, dude. We were rivals long enough I kinda thought we counted as friends."
Jensen surprises him by laughing.
"What?" asks Jared.
"Nothing, just--nothing."
Jared shakes his head. "So we're heading back to Hearthome?"
"I am," says Jensen. "You don't have to come."
Jared snorts. "Yeah, because you can totally walk without help."
"I've got Pokemon," Jensen points out.
"None that could lift rocks."
Jensen slings his bag around to the front. "It was under me. I couldn't get to any of them."
"How come Electrike was out?"
"He's always out," says Jensen, stroking Electrike.
"Why isn't he evolved?"
"Oh," says Jensen. "Yeah. I--like him like this."
Jared grins. "Softie."
"Shut up."
*
The first time Jared met Jensen, they were fourteen, only had one Pokemon each--Jared's Buizel and Jensen's Electrike. By some miracle, Jared won their battle--he still doesn't know how--and Jensen decided they were rivals.
They met up from time to time for three years after that, while they both collected badges from the Sinnoh region gym leaders. And then, after he'd beaten the Elite Four, suddenly nothing. No Jensen anywhere, until a few months ago he'd heard from Chad that Jensen had taken over as leader of the Sunyshore Gym.
He'd missed him, was the stupid part, because it was true--other than Chad and Sandy, who'd come with him on his journey, Jensen was the person he was closest too. Whenever he caught a new Pokemon, he wondered what Jensen would think of it, if Jensen would like it, if it could beat Jensen.
As Chad said, he was a little obsessed.
"You don't have to do this," Jensen mumbles as Jared and Houndoom work on a fire.
"Do what?"
"Help."
"Jensen," says Jared, wearily, "why wouldn't I help you?"
"Of course you're helping me," says Jensen, mostly to himself. "You weren't amazing enough already."
Jared glances over his shoulder and grins. "I'm amazing, huh?"
He can see Jensen's blush even in the darkness. The fire roars suddenly into life and Jared jumps back to keep from getting scalded.
"You're all right," Jensen says grudgingly.
"Amazing," Jared declares. "You said amazing and you don't get to take it back." He glances at Jensen's pack. "Have you got a sleeping bag in there?"
"No," says Jensen, looking shifty."
"You suck at taking care of yourself," says Jared. "We can share mine."
Jensen turns white. "No, we don't--I always just sleep--"
"Dude, you're hurt, shut up and get in the sleeping bag."
"Fine," says Jensen. He settles in next to Jared without further complaint, and Jared wraps an arm around him. There isn't much room, after all.
*
Jared wakes up with Jensen tucked in close, which is--nice.
It's just really nice to see him.
He just lies there, warm and content for a while, and knows exactly when Jensen wakes up, because Jensen jumps up and out of the sleeping bag like he's been burned. Then his leg gives out, and he nearly falls over, but Jared's fast enough to catch him.
"Hi," says Jared, smiling.
Jensen looks like he's ready to bolt. "That wasn't a dream."
"Nope," says Jared. "How're you feeling?"
"Horribly embarrassed," says Jensen. "And sore."
"We should be back in Hearthome in a few hours," says Jared. "Someone with actual medical training can look after you."
"Where were you headed?" asks Jensen. "Before I, you know."
"Hearthome, don't worry. I'm a guest judge at the contests," he says. "You didn't put me out."
"Yeah, I did." He ducks his head. "I appreciate it."
"So you ready to just be my friend?"
"You want to be my friend?" asks Jensen.
"Yeah!"
Jared is everyone's friend. For the first year or so, he was really pissed off that Jensen didn't like him, and then, at some point, he realized they got along in their own way, and it was okay.
Until they stopped seeing each other entirely.
Jensen mutters something.
"Didn't catch that."
"Nothing," says Jensen.
"We can still battle later if you want," says Jared. "Just as friends."
"You usually fight your friends?"
"Me and Chad fight all the time."
"Chad's a dick."
Jared grins. "Does everyone know that?"
"There's a gym leader newsletter," says Jensen, with a sly grin. "Monthly column on how Chad sucks."
Jared laughs. He goes to wrap an arm around Jensen, and Jensen dodges smoothly. "I'm okay to walk," he says.
"You're kind of a dumbass, you know."
"Gee, thanks."
"Part of being friends," says Jared. "You have friends, right?"
Jensen rolls his eyes. "I have friends."
"Other than me?"
Jensen shoves him weakly, and Jared just grins.
*
He's grinning even harder when they get to Hearthome and he insists on walking Jensen back to his brother's place, where his whole family is apparently visiting, and they all fawn over Jared and insist he stay with them while he's in town because any friend of Jensen's is always welcome.
"Does he have a lot of friends who visit?" Jared asks innocently, and Jensen glares at him.
"Christian and Steve sometimes visit," says Jensen's mother.
"Are they trainers?" asks Jared, blinking.
"No, they're singers," says Jensen. "Not everyone is Pokemon-crazy like you."
"And you," Jared points out
"We're just so proud of him," says Jensen's mom. "Now, maybe you can help me out and tell me if Jensen has found a boyfriend yet."
"Mom!" says Jensen, blushing bright red.
Jared blinks. "He hasn't mentioned one," he says carefully.
"I don't have a boyfriend," Jensen mutters.
"You're just such a special boy," says Jensen's mom. "I want to see you happy, honey."
"I am happy," Jensen says, still bright red, still looking down.
"Actually," Jared interjects, wrapping an arm around Jensen's shoulders, "he said he was gonna show me around town, so I'm gonna steal him."
Jensen's mom beams. "You boys have fun."
*
"I think I could take out Gardenia's whole gym with your face right now," says Jared.
"Shut up," groans Jensen.
"You don't have to be embarrassed. Every time I go home my mom is telling me how so-and-so grew up so handsome and he'd be so good for me."
Jensen chokes. "He?"
"Yeah," says Jared easily.
"I have got to be asleep," says Jensen. "There is--you can't be like this."
"Like what?" asks Jared.
"You're funny and you're nice and you're good with my parents and you like guys," Jensen says, like all of these are the worst things in the world. "Why couldn't you just be a jerk?"
Jared laces his hands behind his head. He's got a pretty good idea now why Jensen's been freaking out this whole time, and he's having trouble keeping a grin off his face. "I could punch you or something."
Jensen glances over and snorts. "You could not."
"Yeah, I'd start laughing halfway through."
"Pussy," says Jensen.
"So did you always have a crush on me, or did it take you a while to realize that I'm totally awesome?"
Jensen groans.
"Because it took me about a year to notice you were hot."
"You think I'm hot?"
"Totally," says Jared. "Even though you made me cry myself to sleep."
"I did not," Jensen snorts.
"Okay, not quite. But I totally doubted my whole philosophy of pokemon."
"You have a philosophy of pokemon?"
"Don't you?"
"Don't lose," says Jensen. He rubs the back of his neck. "I was going to beat you," he says. "That first day. And then I was going to offer to go around with you, show you the ropes, and we could--anyway. You beat me, and I was fourteen and stupid, and you started going around with Sandy and Chad and--"
Jared leans over and kisses him.
Jensen squeaks a little, and kisses him back, and Jared smiles against his lips. "So, you like me."
"Yeah," says Jensen. "I like you."
*
As it turns out, Jared missed Jensen Ackles because he's apparently in love with him, which isn't a huge surprise once he thinks about it. And Jensen likes him a lot too, even when he's being stupid.
"We could start a day care," says Jared.
"We're not starting a day care."
"Come on, raising little Pokemon, surrounded by Pichus . . ."
"I hate Pichus," says Jensen."
"I'm suggesting this because I think your Electrike knocked up my Buizel," he says, "by the way."
"What?"
"We left them alone and now there's an egg. So we're grandparents. Or parents. Or something. There are going to be babies involved."
"Who's going to raise it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," says Jensen, flushing, "I have to get back to my gym, and you have your whole thing for Professor Beaver--"
"Dude, there are plenty of rare pokemon in Sunyshore," says Jared. "I'll come with you."
"Yeah?" says Jensen.
"Hey, I leave you alone, you're gonna get uppity. Gotta be there to remind you my Buizel can still beat your Electrike."
"Could not," says Jensen.
"Could too."
In fact, they find out, now that they've done whatever Pokemon do to produce eggs (Jared honestly has no idea), Buizel and Electrike refuse to fight each other.
Jensen buries his neck in Jared's and laughs, and Jared laughs too.
Fucking figures.
Jared sees Jensen for the first time in two years in Mount Coronet, trapped under rocks.
He doesn't know it's Jensen, at first, he just sees someone trapped, with an Electrike next to them, and he thinks Jensen, because Jensen has always had an Electrike. Then he thinks that's stupid, because Jensen's Electrike totally would have evolved already.
Then the Pokemon looks over, sees Jared, and says, "Trike!" with something like recognition, and Jared hears Jensen say, "Hello? Anyone?" in a ragged voice.
"Jensen?" He runs over, and, yeah, that's Jensen, leg and shoulder trapped under rocks.
Electrike butts his head against Jared's leg, nuzzling him a little.
Jensen flushes. "Jared?" He laughs. "Great."
Jared smiles, a little weakly. "Don't worry, just because we're rivals doesn't mean I'm going to leave you to die."
"Thank god," says Jensen dryly. "I was really worried about that."
"You don't have any Pokemon who can help you out?"
"I do," says Jensen, "I just love being crushed so I'm choosing not to call them."
"You could just say, Hey, Jared, I need your help."
"Hey, Jared, I need your help."
"Was that so hard?" Jared grabs a pokeball. "Cranidos, come on."
The two of them and Electrike have Jensen freed up in a matter of minutes. He's still scraped and clearly in pain, and Jared kneels down to check the damage. Electrike licks Jensen's bloody knee, and Jensen smiles at it, stroking its head. "Worried, huh," he mutters, and Jared has to smile too.
"I've got some bandages in my bag."
Jensen blushes darker. "Thanks."
"It's been a while," says Jared, grabbing his first aid kit out of his bag. "What, two years?"
"Something like that," says Jensen.
"I'm hoping you know I'm not letting you challenge me to our traditional duel until you're better," says Jared.
"What makes you think I want to fight you?"
Jared rolls his eyes. "I'm your rival. You always want to fight me."
"Do you even have combat Pokemon anymore? I heard you just did research now."
"Field researcher," Jared corrects. "I catch rare Pokemon and send them back to Professor Beaver so he can study them. I do nothing but fight."
"That's--" Jensen winces as Jared puts some salve on his shoulder. "Ow, fuck. That's actually pretty cool."
"It's not like I'm a gym leader or anything, but I like it." He angles a glance at Jensen. "Thanks for telling me that, by the way."
"What did you want?" asks Jensen. "Dear guy I acted like a jerk to for years, I'm at Sunyshore City now, just thought you should know."
"So that was just acting?" asks Jared, grinning. "I knew you weren't really a jerk."
"The rocks knocked me out and I'm having a nightmare right now," says Jensen.
Jared frowns. "I'm not that bad, am I?"
"No, just--" Jensen laughs a little weakly. "Sorry, I'm doing the jerk thing again, right?"
"Pretty much constantly. Here, put your arm around my shoulder."
"What?"
"You think you can walk on your own?"
"Oh," says Jensen. "I guess not, yeah." He puts his arm over Jared's shoulder and lets Jared help him up.
"So what're you doing here anyway?" asks Jared. "Since you're in Sunyshore now."
"My brother lives in Hearthome, just had a baby. I wanted to visit."
"Josh, really?" asks Jared.
Jensen looks surprised. "You know my brother's name?"
Jared smiles. "Come on, dude. We were rivals long enough I kinda thought we counted as friends."
Jensen surprises him by laughing.
"What?" asks Jared.
"Nothing, just--nothing."
Jared shakes his head. "So we're heading back to Hearthome?"
"I am," says Jensen. "You don't have to come."
Jared snorts. "Yeah, because you can totally walk without help."
"I've got Pokemon," Jensen points out.
"None that could lift rocks."
Jensen slings his bag around to the front. "It was under me. I couldn't get to any of them."
"How come Electrike was out?"
"He's always out," says Jensen, stroking Electrike.
"Why isn't he evolved?"
"Oh," says Jensen. "Yeah. I--like him like this."
Jared grins. "Softie."
"Shut up."
*
The first time Jared met Jensen, they were fourteen, only had one Pokemon each--Jared's Buizel and Jensen's Electrike. By some miracle, Jared won their battle--he still doesn't know how--and Jensen decided they were rivals.
They met up from time to time for three years after that, while they both collected badges from the Sinnoh region gym leaders. And then, after he'd beaten the Elite Four, suddenly nothing. No Jensen anywhere, until a few months ago he'd heard from Chad that Jensen had taken over as leader of the Sunyshore Gym.
He'd missed him, was the stupid part, because it was true--other than Chad and Sandy, who'd come with him on his journey, Jensen was the person he was closest too. Whenever he caught a new Pokemon, he wondered what Jensen would think of it, if Jensen would like it, if it could beat Jensen.
As Chad said, he was a little obsessed.
"You don't have to do this," Jensen mumbles as Jared and Houndoom work on a fire.
"Do what?"
"Help."
"Jensen," says Jared, wearily, "why wouldn't I help you?"
"Of course you're helping me," says Jensen, mostly to himself. "You weren't amazing enough already."
Jared glances over his shoulder and grins. "I'm amazing, huh?"
He can see Jensen's blush even in the darkness. The fire roars suddenly into life and Jared jumps back to keep from getting scalded.
"You're all right," Jensen says grudgingly.
"Amazing," Jared declares. "You said amazing and you don't get to take it back." He glances at Jensen's pack. "Have you got a sleeping bag in there?"
"No," says Jensen, looking shifty."
"You suck at taking care of yourself," says Jared. "We can share mine."
Jensen turns white. "No, we don't--I always just sleep--"
"Dude, you're hurt, shut up and get in the sleeping bag."
"Fine," says Jensen. He settles in next to Jared without further complaint, and Jared wraps an arm around him. There isn't much room, after all.
*
Jared wakes up with Jensen tucked in close, which is--nice.
It's just really nice to see him.
He just lies there, warm and content for a while, and knows exactly when Jensen wakes up, because Jensen jumps up and out of the sleeping bag like he's been burned. Then his leg gives out, and he nearly falls over, but Jared's fast enough to catch him.
"Hi," says Jared, smiling.
Jensen looks like he's ready to bolt. "That wasn't a dream."
"Nope," says Jared. "How're you feeling?"
"Horribly embarrassed," says Jensen. "And sore."
"We should be back in Hearthome in a few hours," says Jared. "Someone with actual medical training can look after you."
"Where were you headed?" asks Jensen. "Before I, you know."
"Hearthome, don't worry. I'm a guest judge at the contests," he says. "You didn't put me out."
"Yeah, I did." He ducks his head. "I appreciate it."
"So you ready to just be my friend?"
"You want to be my friend?" asks Jensen.
"Yeah!"
Jared is everyone's friend. For the first year or so, he was really pissed off that Jensen didn't like him, and then, at some point, he realized they got along in their own way, and it was okay.
Until they stopped seeing each other entirely.
Jensen mutters something.
"Didn't catch that."
"Nothing," says Jensen.
"We can still battle later if you want," says Jared. "Just as friends."
"You usually fight your friends?"
"Me and Chad fight all the time."
"Chad's a dick."
Jared grins. "Does everyone know that?"
"There's a gym leader newsletter," says Jensen, with a sly grin. "Monthly column on how Chad sucks."
Jared laughs. He goes to wrap an arm around Jensen, and Jensen dodges smoothly. "I'm okay to walk," he says.
"You're kind of a dumbass, you know."
"Gee, thanks."
"Part of being friends," says Jared. "You have friends, right?"
Jensen rolls his eyes. "I have friends."
"Other than me?"
Jensen shoves him weakly, and Jared just grins.
*
He's grinning even harder when they get to Hearthome and he insists on walking Jensen back to his brother's place, where his whole family is apparently visiting, and they all fawn over Jared and insist he stay with them while he's in town because any friend of Jensen's is always welcome.
"Does he have a lot of friends who visit?" Jared asks innocently, and Jensen glares at him.
"Christian and Steve sometimes visit," says Jensen's mother.
"Are they trainers?" asks Jared, blinking.
"No, they're singers," says Jensen. "Not everyone is Pokemon-crazy like you."
"And you," Jared points out
"We're just so proud of him," says Jensen's mom. "Now, maybe you can help me out and tell me if Jensen has found a boyfriend yet."
"Mom!" says Jensen, blushing bright red.
Jared blinks. "He hasn't mentioned one," he says carefully.
"I don't have a boyfriend," Jensen mutters.
"You're just such a special boy," says Jensen's mom. "I want to see you happy, honey."
"I am happy," Jensen says, still bright red, still looking down.
"Actually," Jared interjects, wrapping an arm around Jensen's shoulders, "he said he was gonna show me around town, so I'm gonna steal him."
Jensen's mom beams. "You boys have fun."
*
"I think I could take out Gardenia's whole gym with your face right now," says Jared.
"Shut up," groans Jensen.
"You don't have to be embarrassed. Every time I go home my mom is telling me how so-and-so grew up so handsome and he'd be so good for me."
Jensen chokes. "He?"
"Yeah," says Jared easily.
"I have got to be asleep," says Jensen. "There is--you can't be like this."
"Like what?" asks Jared.
"You're funny and you're nice and you're good with my parents and you like guys," Jensen says, like all of these are the worst things in the world. "Why couldn't you just be a jerk?"
Jared laces his hands behind his head. He's got a pretty good idea now why Jensen's been freaking out this whole time, and he's having trouble keeping a grin off his face. "I could punch you or something."
Jensen glances over and snorts. "You could not."
"Yeah, I'd start laughing halfway through."
"Pussy," says Jensen.
"So did you always have a crush on me, or did it take you a while to realize that I'm totally awesome?"
Jensen groans.
"Because it took me about a year to notice you were hot."
"You think I'm hot?"
"Totally," says Jared. "Even though you made me cry myself to sleep."
"I did not," Jensen snorts.
"Okay, not quite. But I totally doubted my whole philosophy of pokemon."
"You have a philosophy of pokemon?"
"Don't you?"
"Don't lose," says Jensen. He rubs the back of his neck. "I was going to beat you," he says. "That first day. And then I was going to offer to go around with you, show you the ropes, and we could--anyway. You beat me, and I was fourteen and stupid, and you started going around with Sandy and Chad and--"
Jared leans over and kisses him.
Jensen squeaks a little, and kisses him back, and Jared smiles against his lips. "So, you like me."
"Yeah," says Jensen. "I like you."
*
As it turns out, Jared missed Jensen Ackles because he's apparently in love with him, which isn't a huge surprise once he thinks about it. And Jensen likes him a lot too, even when he's being stupid.
"We could start a day care," says Jared.
"We're not starting a day care."
"Come on, raising little Pokemon, surrounded by Pichus . . ."
"I hate Pichus," says Jensen."
"I'm suggesting this because I think your Electrike knocked up my Buizel," he says, "by the way."
"What?"
"We left them alone and now there's an egg. So we're grandparents. Or parents. Or something. There are going to be babies involved."
"Who's going to raise it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," says Jensen, flushing, "I have to get back to my gym, and you have your whole thing for Professor Beaver--"
"Dude, there are plenty of rare pokemon in Sunyshore," says Jared. "I'll come with you."
"Yeah?" says Jensen.
"Hey, I leave you alone, you're gonna get uppity. Gotta be there to remind you my Buizel can still beat your Electrike."
"Could not," says Jensen.
"Could too."
In fact, they find out, now that they've done whatever Pokemon do to produce eggs (Jared honestly has no idea), Buizel and Electrike refuse to fight each other.
Jensen buries his neck in Jared's and laughs, and Jared laughs too.
Fucking figures.