Hetalia Crossover: First Flight
TITLE: First Flight
AUTHO lucia2309
GENRE: Adventure/Romance
PAIRING(S): USUK
RATINGS/WARNINGS: PG
SUMMARY: Alfred is determined to fly alongside Arthur. Braviary is determined to make sure that doesn't happen. Pokemon/Hetalia Crossover. USUK
A/N: This is part of a crossover universe that has taken residence in my brain, which refused to be left unwritten. You are warned: the following fanfiction contains an extra dose of silliness and action cliches. If that is your cup of tea, enjoy!
Arthur shielded his eyes as the glowing white light grew stronger and larger, as it surrounded the previously tiny eaglet. Beside him, Alfred stood speechless, shivering just as much as his partner Pokémon.
The light faded, revealing the newly evolved Braviary.
"Woah...!" Alfred shouted, too excited to contain his reaction. The younger blond ran out towards the hovering eagle and promptly trapped the bird's head in a tight embrace. The bird half-wrestled a giggling Alfred into a more comfortable position.
"Whadd'ya think, Arthur?" Alfred exclaimed, as he noticed Arthur's amused look. He let go of Braviary, stood up on a nearby rock and gestured proudly at his newly evolved Pokémon. "Sure took long enough, but now nobody will stand a chance at defeating us!"
"Don't get too cocky now, you've still got some training before you're reading to challenge Yao" Arthur responded, though his wide smile removed any traces of smugness in his statement. He pushed Alfred off the rock and towards the hovering eagle.
"Seems like someone desperately wants to try out those new wings" He replied in response to Alfred's protests. "You wouldn't want to disappoint, now would you?"
"Huh? Me?" Alfred questioned. "You mean-"
"Well he is big enough to accommodate you now." Arthur interjected. "You should train him to fly with passengers, -" Arthur said, as he pushed Alfred onto Braviary. "-and what better way to commemorate his evolution than to ride along."
Alfred's smile grew even wider at the thought. He mounted the eagle, petting the ever impatient Pokemon as he shuffled around, until he found a comfortable riding position.
Braviary spread out its new wings, clawed his way through the field and took off, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.
On the ground, Arthur watched on the scene with a fond look in his eyes, one he wouldn't display if the Pokémon's rider wasn't distancing himself further. Arthur closed his eyes as the flying duo became little more than a small speck in the sky, reminiscing about a similar boy holding on tight to the scales of a Seadra among the islands, away from the cries of his family.
"ARTHUR-!"
Arthur's eyes shot open to find Alfred and Braviary back near the ground, hovering only a few meters in front.
"Come on!" Alfred shouted, gesturing his outstretched hand towards a retreating Arthur. "Get on already! It was hard enough to convince Braviary to get down here. Don't waste any more time."
Arthur stood still, trying his best to will down the growing blush on his cheeks and the speeding heartbeat in his chest. His mouth dried up at that moment, leaving him at a loss for what to respond to this proposition.
"You want me to-"
"Yes, now get on already!" Alfred exclaimed, patting down the space behind him. "Wouldn't want you to miss out on this."
"But isn't it...wouldn't you rather-" Arthur struggled to reason with Alfred, ignoring the part of him that would just follow along on the offer.
"I'd feel like I'm intruding on the two of you." He replied, forcing a neutral expression on his face. "You should carry on without me. We can always fly sometime later on."
But Alfred wouldn't have any of that; he tilted his upper half forward and pulled Arthur from his spot on the ground, lifting him up. Alfred would have had his way, had the eagle not flown upwards as Arthur approached. The Pokémon's movements loosened Alfred's grip, dropping Arthur a about a feet down, back into the meadow.
"Hey! What the hell is up with you?" Alfred scolded the eagle, facing down to check on Arthur. "Dude, are you ok?"
On the ground, Arthur rubbed his back, sore from the fall, once again separated from the pair of fliers.
"Someone's a little touchy" he muttered, before shouting up at Alfred. "Just go on your damn flight before your Braviary decides to drop me off the nearest cliff."
Alfred's smile fell, turning into a pout directed at his partner Pokemon. But neither of them had much time to fight, as they heard a rushed, panting voice come from behind.
"Arthur!"
"Mei!" Alfred responded as he dismounted Braviary and ran towards the distressed girl. "What's going on?"
"Team Plasma appeared in the city! They've captured Makuhita." She screamed, half-heartedly pulling on Alfred's sleeve, leading him closer to the city limits.
"Where's Kiku, then! Is he ok?" Alfred asked.
"Kiku went after them. I tried to chase after him, but I lost him in the middle of the city." Mei responded. She ruffled through her pocket, pulling out her x-transceiver. "Yong Soo told me you were training out here."
"Is he coming as well?" Arthur interjected.
"He went to contact Yao about this." Mei responded. "He agreed to meet me right outside Opelucid. If he hasn't gone ahead already, that is."
"Don't worry about it! Braviary and I can look for him up in the air." Alfred boasted.
"Doesn't that sound familiar?" Arthur replied sarcastically, before focusing back on the road as they approached the city. He noticed a figure waving its arms and jumping up, desperately calling out. "Is that him up ahead?" he asked, huffing as he caught up to the pair.
"Yo, Mei! Alfred!" Yong Soo picked up a laptop from the ground, signaling to his Porygon to descend from its vantage point above the city. He held out the device to the group, which displayed a detailed map of the city's subway system.
"Yao's not picking up his phone" he grumbled to Mei, with a large pout on his face. "He's just missing out on my genius plan!"
"Oh, could you stop already?" Mei chided. "Just tell me if you found Kiku!"
"Fine! Calm down already!" Yong Soo replied, now nearly shoving the screen into Mei's face. "Porygon's been keeping data on all the gates surveillance cameras, but none of them show Kiku or the goons leaving."
"And?" Mei demanded, seemingly not content with that explanation. "If they are still in the city it shouldn't be a problem."
"Wait, but this is a map of the subway!" Alfred suddenly exclaimed. "You think they're just wandering on the tracks?"
"Possibly" Arthur quipped in. "But that leaves us with two different tracks out of the city and no way of knowing which one they took."
"Let's split up then!" Alfred proposed, looking ready to run off to the station. "We'll take the Icirrus side"
"Wait! I haven't finished!" Yong Soo yelled. He gripped Alfred's hoodie, effectively stopping his run. "They are headed the other way, towards Village Bridge!"
At that point, Mei bolted off, dragging Alfred behind her to the station. Yong Soo hurried to put away his electronics, eager to race after the pair. Arthur joined in, as his brain raced to plan out a strategy. He grabbed Yong Soo by the shoulders, pulling him away from his bag.
"Where do you think they intend to go?" He asked. "We'll intercept them. The subway tracks all run circles around Unova, they need to come out eventually."
"What do I know!" Yong Soo screamed defensively, still struggling to escape Arthur's grip. "If I knew, I'd go get Kiku myself instead of bothering some strangers."
Arthur persisted, ignoring Yong Soo's outburst. He forced the other boy to face him, as he put on a calm, determined demeanor.
"What's the nearest stop? If Alfred and Mei keep chasing them, they'll be forced out of the subway."
"Lacunosa, not that they'd be dumb enough to go out there so close to nightfall" Yong Soo replied sourly. "Now could you let me go?"
Arthur was about to release the poor boy go, just as the other's eyes widened. "Wait! There's an old subway maintenance outpost near Village Bridge. They might even want to take the river to escape!" He blurted out.
Arthur paused for a moment to consider; if the grunts fled through the river they'd have no way of tracking down either Kiku or Makuhita. Mei and Alfred would keep them at their toes down in the tunnels, so it would be up to him to intercept them at the river banks.
"Where is this entrance exactly?"
"In the middle section of the bridge, one of the suspension platforms holds an entrance to the tracks." Yong Soo answered. "They stopped using it over a decade ago. It should be rusty by now. I'll show you"
"No, you should stay here and make sure nobody suspicious leaves the city. Guard the gym." Arthur ordered, as he broke into a run for the station.
A quick phone call confirmed that Alfred and Mei were both outside the service range, and a hovering eagle outside the station confirmed Alfred hadn't had time to recall the bird to its Pokeball before Mei dragged him past the restricted area limits. He'd just have to rely on the two of them to keep the chase long enough to exhaust the kidnappers and force them out the entrance.
He left a quick text message, hoping Alfred would receive it as soon as he emerged from the subway, before turning to face Alfred's partner. Braviary
"He won't come back unless we chase after him." Arthur explained, though he doubted the eagle would believe much of what he said. Braviary, probably still mad over the flight incident, would take plenty of convincing to help him carry out his plans.
"I'll need to ride you." He said bluntly as he reached his arm upwards, to rest it on the eagle's neck. "Alfred will be expecting us. We cannot let him down." He petted the Pokémon, coaxing it to descend. "He'll need both of us, unless you want him to get into trouble."
The eagle hesitated for another instant, before begrudgingly lowering itself to Arthur's level. Arthur took the opportunity, before the Pokémon changed its mind, and mounted the bird.
Although Braviary was willing to cooperate to find Alfred, it certainly wasn't about to make the ride easy for him. It ascended rapidly, shooting upwards like a missile, though careful enough to assure Arthur would not fall as he clung to the bird's neck. By the time they leveled off, his feet stood dangling over the bird's clawed feet, while his head was burrowed in Braviary's mane.
"Not exactly the smoothest take-off." Arthur muttered out loud, as he pulled himself up into a more comfortable riding position. "You're just as childish as your trainer."
His complaints only served to encourage Braviary to resume its flying antics. The bird seemed to take pleasure in swirling and twirling more erratically than the rides in Nimbasa.
Arthur's feet desperately curled around Braviary's tail feathers, as he clawed his way back up to the neck. He couldn't even manage to free one of his hands to call upon one of his Pokémon, though he doubted either Rapidash or Roselia would be of much help in this scenario. If he wanted to get to the meeting point, he'd have to reason with Alfred's jealousy prone, over-grown Braviary.
"I-I wasn't planning on riding along, in the end." Arthur explained, a regained sense of determination echoing in his voice. His first priority was to avoid any more repeats of those stunts.
"He shouldn't have even offered!"
A brusque stop.
"I should have pushed him back away, when he tried that stunt"
A sharp descent.
"I was about to hop down myself, back in that clearing!"
A quick twirl.
He wanted to scream much more: about how he didn't enjoy flying, about how he knew better than to interfere and about how little he actually wanted to ride alongside Alfred. His throat seemed to grow a lump when he got to then end, leaving him open-mouthed, struggling to gasp for breath
His earlier screams, however, had grown fainter. His throat had dried up from the shouting and the skyline winds, and it threatened to betray him before he could convince Braviary to see things his way. He lowered his voice to a soothing slow note.
"I still remember my first ride; of course I surfed the oceans, not the skies mind you." He began to recount, as his spare hand nestled itself in Braviary's mane. "I had been waiting the longest time for her to evolve. As a child it took me a couple of years to train her."
"I fell of course. Seadra had to rescue me from the depths of Sootopolis' bay." he recalled, similar to what had happened today, when the eagle had decided to push him off. "Back then she was my only Pokémon; she was my first Pokémon."
"Eventually I did start training others." Arthur prepared to finish, hoping Braviary would accept his story. "I nearly rode off onto a cliff with Rapidash, and I got cuts from training Roselia."
Braviary descended lightly, though Arthur did not know if it was from amusement at his pain or if it was because the eagle was forgiving him for his trespass.
Arthur stopped talking, as he noticed they approached the bridge. He pulled down his goggles as a shield, ready to search for any signs of Alfred, Mei or the Team Plasma running along the length of the bridge, as he lead Braviary to block the eastern end of the bridge.
It didn't take long for the commotion to break. A loud smash in the middle of town alerted Arthur to the whereabouts of the rest of the group. The confrontation had escalated enough for most of the villagers to dissapear into their homes, as Alfred and Mei fought on the center of the bridge.
Arthur smirked, glad Alfred had lured Team Plasma into a very visible position; it saved them the trouble of calling the authorities.
"Jigglypuff, use Solarbeam!" Mei's voice ran high above the commotion as Arthur approached to see another beam of light.
As the explosion cleared, he found Mei hovering around on top of her Jigglypuff, who'd ballooned several times its usual size. She was fighting a group of Excadrill and Seviper, but had no trouble dodging their attacks. Arthur stared, surprised that the usual cheerful and fretful girl could be so ruthless in battle, as she launched round after round of Solarbeam. From the ground, Alfred supported her with Scraggy, who eagerly cut into the grunt's Herdier with a well-aimed chop.
Deciding the two of them had the situation under control, Arthur focused on rescuing Kiku.
A couple other grunts and a Sawk restrained the researcher. Beside them was the grunt's leader, a stoic, black-haired young woman with a Mienshao. She had her eyes set on Mei, and before Arthur could intervene, she ordered an attack.
"Aerial Ace"
Mienshao leapt in the air, and landed on the bridge's extension cords. It climbed up the cords, then struck from behind as Jigglypuff charged another assault.
The blow sent Mei falling down faster than Jigglypuff could recover. Braviary dived down, with Arthur clinging with one arm circled around the eagle's neck.
Arthur crept closer to the edge, his hand outstretched, as he reached for Mei's foot. He grasped her, just as they were a few meters above ground.
At that time, Braviary began to jerk, cut off from breathing by Arthur's arm. The bird's thrashing left them vulnerable, open to another attack.
Arthur felt the metal reverberate beneath him, numbing his last senses. His strength gave out; he lost his grip on Mei in order to stop himself from falling.
"ARTHUR!"
Alfred's shouts filled him with dread, as he imagined the younger trainer fighting desperately to hold back Mienshao, at the cost of his own safety. If he didn't stabilize himself, he'd have no way of helping Alfred.
Hesistantly, he loosened his grip on Braviary's mane. The next thrust landed him face down on the bird's mane, but the lessened pressure allowed the eagle to finally regain its balance.
It landed next to Alfred, allowing Arthur to rest on firm ground.
"ARTHUR!"
Alfred pulled him into a hug the moment he descended, knocking out Arthur's last breath of air.
"You're alright!" Arthur gasped, still in shock himself. He felt a wave of relief, seeing Alfred unharmed.
"I'm glad you two are alright" A voice chimed in. "But I could use some help here."
Arthur turned to see Mei, crouched next to her fainted Jigglypuff, tending to its wounds. She still fought, directing a Cherrim to unleash a grass attack on the remaining Excadrill. However, the fall left her immobile, cradling her head on the bridge pole.
Mienshao's trainer approached them, ordering the grunts to retreat. She eyed Arthur with malice, as she applied a Full Heal on a rather confused Mienshao.
Alfred smirked. He called a battered Scraggy back to his side, ready to continue fighting.
"No" Arthur whispered. "She intends to hold us here and let the others escape with Kiku. I'll distract her here; you follow the grunts."
Alfred stared him down, not content leaving Arthur alone.
"What if you can't handle it. Then you'll be hurt and she'll take Kiku from us." Alfred argued, serious for once.
"Look at your own Partner! It's hardly in any state to fight a full powered fighting type." Arthur replied. He slipped out a Pokeball. "In fact, it is hardly in a state to chase the grunts. Take Rapidash with you!"
He took Alfred's hand from over his shoulder, and stuffed the Pokeball into his fist.
"Now, I will have to borrow this stubborn eagle of yours. Neither Roselia or Rapidash will be very effective if it insists on fighting from the bridge." He noted, trying to explain his reasoning to a very confused Alfred.
"Be careful, I had to confuse it while you were dangling up there." Alfred relented. Mienshao's trainer was finished healing; soon it would attack again. "It's worn off, and now it has Swagger's attack boost."
Arthur nodded. He remounted Braviary and flew off to face its opponent.
Mienshao propelled itself back in the air, matching Braviary's height.
"Drain Punch!"
"Wing Attack!"
The first attacks missed, with both sides dodging easily. The bridge left Mienshao enough space to maneuver, reducing Braviary's advantage in the air. Both parties would have trouble landing a hit, but once Mienshao realized Alfred's escape, it would be up to Arthur to delay her.
Unfortunately that put him in range of a overpowered fighting hit; even Braviary's resistance wouldn't prevent it from sustaining major damage.
He changed tactics.
"Could you whip up a Tailwind?" he asked Braviary.
The eagle complied, spreading its wings to propel the winds in its direction. Arthur smiled, hoping they would reach Alfred down below and speed him in his chase.
"You will not outspeed me; Mienshao, use Mach Punch."
The fighting type leapt up once more, but this time it hit Braviary strait on the beak.
The hit caused them to stumble, although the winds propped them back up slightly. The attack, though speedy, still left them with enough strength to fight.
"Hey! Have a load of this!"
Alfred shouts accompanied a flurry of purple flames, which hit Mienshao in mid-air.
"Learning some strategy, aren't we?" Arthur quipped. Alfred shot Arthur a smug grin in response, before departing again in pursuit.
Alfred's tactic had given Arthur the advantage. He was now free to dive in, while Mienshao's burn kept it confined to the ground.
"Now, shall we finish this?" Arthur urged the eagle, feeling the exilaration of battle. "Crush Claw!"
Braviary hit this time, weakening it further. Another round of Wing Attack left it crouching, unable to retaliate.
Arthur approached her, planning to corner her until the authorities could arrive.
"Now, why did you kidnap Kiku?"
She remained silent, advancing towards the river.
"Of what use is he to you?" Arthur continued. "If you wish to liberate Pokemon, why target a researcher instead of the gym leader? Or are you just unable to challenge an accomplished trainer?"
"You speak too much." She answered at last. "Our plans do not concern you, but if you keep meddling in our affairs, then next time we meet I will not be as forgiving."
She recalled her fainted Pokemon, and plunged herself into the river, where Arthur saw the tip of a Jellicent rise up to soften her fall.
He recalled Braviary down, but stopped as he noticed a few other Jellicent had appeared; it was probably the escape party the grunts had set up.
Arthur relented. It would be pointless to chase her now, as the river would lead him away from Alfred and the others. It would be best to let her escape and leave her to Yao, who'd be fully prepared to capture her.
He left her be and went off in search of Alfred, leaving Mei to Braviary's care.
The scene on Route 12 left him astounded.
He found a panting Yong Soo, sitting atop a wrecked bicycle surrounded by the grunts' weakened Herdier. Kiku and Alfred at his side, the latter nursing a bruise. Apparently, Yong Soo had ran down Alfred after losing control of the brakes on a downhill slope.
The group departed to rejoin Mei, where Kiku and Yong Soo bid them farewell, thanking them for the help.
"Hey, since our flight from before got interrupted-" Alfred began, once they were alone. He sneaked a few glances at Arthur. "Do you wanna try again?"
"I don't know. I've had my fill of vomit inducing rides today." Arthur hesitated, glancing at Braviary, so as to seek its approval.
The eagle nudged Arthur playfully with its beak in return for the comment, but made no move to stop him.
"Well look at that! He actually likes you now!" Alfred exclaimed, petting his partner. "I don't think he'll throw you off after all that mess. Come on!"
Alfred motioned him to continue, as he tried to mount Braviary first. However, to Alfred's surprise, the eagle shot him down, as it nudged Arthur forward instead.
"What are you-"
Arthur smiled, amused by their antics. "Well, it seems as if he wants me to lead. Best to indulge him, is it not?"
Alfred snorted, but he complied. They both knew better than to deny the eagle his whims.
The sun started to set as they flew, calmly this time, to Arthur's relief. Alfred had settled in shortly after they left Village Bridge, wrapping his arms tightly around Arthur weight.
Their exhaustion was finally catching up with them.
Alfred leaned his head onto the other's shoulder. His breath ticked the side of Arthur's ear, making his heart race in a way that had nothing to do with the excitement of open-air flight. His cheeks, already red and burning from the cold air, flared up.
"Heh, How'd I end up like this?" Alfred chuckled from beneath Arthur's sweater. "I was supposed to go, kick their asses, get back Kiku and save the day! And then I end up as the damsel in distress!" he continued, now lifting himself higher on Arthur's shoulders and nudging Braviary with his left foot. "What's with you running along and showing off with Arthur. A moment ago you couldn't even stand him!"
Arthur's smile grew larger as he shot a look at the eagle. Braviary shook its head to the side, ignoring Alfred's growing calls for attention. It was at the point Alfred lifted himself over Arthur's shoulders to pet the eagle that Arthur couldn't contain his laughter. He nudged Alfred back, intertwining their hands together, just to move it away from Braviary's mane.
Alfred didn't question him after that, instead choosing to grip Arthur's hand forcefully as he settled back into his previous position.
"So nobody's gonna tell me what went on, huh?" He pouted, even going as far to jut out his tongue to mock Arthur's smirk. Alfred recovered quickly, however, brandishing his trademark smile.
"But you know what Arthur!" he proclaimed, leaning into Arthur's face with a widening grin. "I got you to ride with me."
"So?"
Arthur raised his brows, eager to see where this all would lead. Alfred just kept on grinning, as he leaned into Arthur's ear to whisper.
"So, In the end, I won."
A/N: I apologize for any physical impossibilities that may have occurred from me trying to remain close to the spirit of the Pokemon Games. I doubt this one shot will be enough to satisfy my muse, so please don't hesitate to leave feedback.
AUTHO lucia2309
GENRE: Adventure/Romance
PAIRING(S): USUK
RATINGS/WARNINGS: PG
SUMMARY: Alfred is determined to fly alongside Arthur. Braviary is determined to make sure that doesn't happen. Pokemon/Hetalia Crossover. USUK
A/N: This is part of a crossover universe that has taken residence in my brain, which refused to be left unwritten. You are warned: the following fanfiction contains an extra dose of silliness and action cliches. If that is your cup of tea, enjoy!
Arthur shielded his eyes as the glowing white light grew stronger and larger, as it surrounded the previously tiny eaglet. Beside him, Alfred stood speechless, shivering just as much as his partner Pokémon.
The light faded, revealing the newly evolved Braviary.
"Woah...!" Alfred shouted, too excited to contain his reaction. The younger blond ran out towards the hovering eagle and promptly trapped the bird's head in a tight embrace. The bird half-wrestled a giggling Alfred into a more comfortable position.
"Whadd'ya think, Arthur?" Alfred exclaimed, as he noticed Arthur's amused look. He let go of Braviary, stood up on a nearby rock and gestured proudly at his newly evolved Pokémon. "Sure took long enough, but now nobody will stand a chance at defeating us!"
"Don't get too cocky now, you've still got some training before you're reading to challenge Yao" Arthur responded, though his wide smile removed any traces of smugness in his statement. He pushed Alfred off the rock and towards the hovering eagle.
"Seems like someone desperately wants to try out those new wings" He replied in response to Alfred's protests. "You wouldn't want to disappoint, now would you?"
"Huh? Me?" Alfred questioned. "You mean-"
"Well he is big enough to accommodate you now." Arthur interjected. "You should train him to fly with passengers, -" Arthur said, as he pushed Alfred onto Braviary. "-and what better way to commemorate his evolution than to ride along."
Alfred's smile grew even wider at the thought. He mounted the eagle, petting the ever impatient Pokemon as he shuffled around, until he found a comfortable riding position.
Braviary spread out its new wings, clawed his way through the field and took off, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.
On the ground, Arthur watched on the scene with a fond look in his eyes, one he wouldn't display if the Pokémon's rider wasn't distancing himself further. Arthur closed his eyes as the flying duo became little more than a small speck in the sky, reminiscing about a similar boy holding on tight to the scales of a Seadra among the islands, away from the cries of his family.
"ARTHUR-!"
Arthur's eyes shot open to find Alfred and Braviary back near the ground, hovering only a few meters in front.
"Come on!" Alfred shouted, gesturing his outstretched hand towards a retreating Arthur. "Get on already! It was hard enough to convince Braviary to get down here. Don't waste any more time."
Arthur stood still, trying his best to will down the growing blush on his cheeks and the speeding heartbeat in his chest. His mouth dried up at that moment, leaving him at a loss for what to respond to this proposition.
"You want me to-"
"Yes, now get on already!" Alfred exclaimed, patting down the space behind him. "Wouldn't want you to miss out on this."
"But isn't it...wouldn't you rather-" Arthur struggled to reason with Alfred, ignoring the part of him that would just follow along on the offer.
"I'd feel like I'm intruding on the two of you." He replied, forcing a neutral expression on his face. "You should carry on without me. We can always fly sometime later on."
But Alfred wouldn't have any of that; he tilted his upper half forward and pulled Arthur from his spot on the ground, lifting him up. Alfred would have had his way, had the eagle not flown upwards as Arthur approached. The Pokémon's movements loosened Alfred's grip, dropping Arthur a about a feet down, back into the meadow.
"Hey! What the hell is up with you?" Alfred scolded the eagle, facing down to check on Arthur. "Dude, are you ok?"
On the ground, Arthur rubbed his back, sore from the fall, once again separated from the pair of fliers.
"Someone's a little touchy" he muttered, before shouting up at Alfred. "Just go on your damn flight before your Braviary decides to drop me off the nearest cliff."
Alfred's smile fell, turning into a pout directed at his partner Pokemon. But neither of them had much time to fight, as they heard a rushed, panting voice come from behind.
"Arthur!"
"Mei!" Alfred responded as he dismounted Braviary and ran towards the distressed girl. "What's going on?"
"Team Plasma appeared in the city! They've captured Makuhita." She screamed, half-heartedly pulling on Alfred's sleeve, leading him closer to the city limits.
"Where's Kiku, then! Is he ok?" Alfred asked.
"Kiku went after them. I tried to chase after him, but I lost him in the middle of the city." Mei responded. She ruffled through her pocket, pulling out her x-transceiver. "Yong Soo told me you were training out here."
"Is he coming as well?" Arthur interjected.
"He went to contact Yao about this." Mei responded. "He agreed to meet me right outside Opelucid. If he hasn't gone ahead already, that is."
"Don't worry about it! Braviary and I can look for him up in the air." Alfred boasted.
"Doesn't that sound familiar?" Arthur replied sarcastically, before focusing back on the road as they approached the city. He noticed a figure waving its arms and jumping up, desperately calling out. "Is that him up ahead?" he asked, huffing as he caught up to the pair.
"Yo, Mei! Alfred!" Yong Soo picked up a laptop from the ground, signaling to his Porygon to descend from its vantage point above the city. He held out the device to the group, which displayed a detailed map of the city's subway system.
"Yao's not picking up his phone" he grumbled to Mei, with a large pout on his face. "He's just missing out on my genius plan!"
"Oh, could you stop already?" Mei chided. "Just tell me if you found Kiku!"
"Fine! Calm down already!" Yong Soo replied, now nearly shoving the screen into Mei's face. "Porygon's been keeping data on all the gates surveillance cameras, but none of them show Kiku or the goons leaving."
"And?" Mei demanded, seemingly not content with that explanation. "If they are still in the city it shouldn't be a problem."
"Wait, but this is a map of the subway!" Alfred suddenly exclaimed. "You think they're just wandering on the tracks?"
"Possibly" Arthur quipped in. "But that leaves us with two different tracks out of the city and no way of knowing which one they took."
"Let's split up then!" Alfred proposed, looking ready to run off to the station. "We'll take the Icirrus side"
"Wait! I haven't finished!" Yong Soo yelled. He gripped Alfred's hoodie, effectively stopping his run. "They are headed the other way, towards Village Bridge!"
At that point, Mei bolted off, dragging Alfred behind her to the station. Yong Soo hurried to put away his electronics, eager to race after the pair. Arthur joined in, as his brain raced to plan out a strategy. He grabbed Yong Soo by the shoulders, pulling him away from his bag.
"Where do you think they intend to go?" He asked. "We'll intercept them. The subway tracks all run circles around Unova, they need to come out eventually."
"What do I know!" Yong Soo screamed defensively, still struggling to escape Arthur's grip. "If I knew, I'd go get Kiku myself instead of bothering some strangers."
Arthur persisted, ignoring Yong Soo's outburst. He forced the other boy to face him, as he put on a calm, determined demeanor.
"What's the nearest stop? If Alfred and Mei keep chasing them, they'll be forced out of the subway."
"Lacunosa, not that they'd be dumb enough to go out there so close to nightfall" Yong Soo replied sourly. "Now could you let me go?"
Arthur was about to release the poor boy go, just as the other's eyes widened. "Wait! There's an old subway maintenance outpost near Village Bridge. They might even want to take the river to escape!" He blurted out.
Arthur paused for a moment to consider; if the grunts fled through the river they'd have no way of tracking down either Kiku or Makuhita. Mei and Alfred would keep them at their toes down in the tunnels, so it would be up to him to intercept them at the river banks.
"Where is this entrance exactly?"
"In the middle section of the bridge, one of the suspension platforms holds an entrance to the tracks." Yong Soo answered. "They stopped using it over a decade ago. It should be rusty by now. I'll show you"
"No, you should stay here and make sure nobody suspicious leaves the city. Guard the gym." Arthur ordered, as he broke into a run for the station.
A quick phone call confirmed that Alfred and Mei were both outside the service range, and a hovering eagle outside the station confirmed Alfred hadn't had time to recall the bird to its Pokeball before Mei dragged him past the restricted area limits. He'd just have to rely on the two of them to keep the chase long enough to exhaust the kidnappers and force them out the entrance.
He left a quick text message, hoping Alfred would receive it as soon as he emerged from the subway, before turning to face Alfred's partner. Braviary
"He won't come back unless we chase after him." Arthur explained, though he doubted the eagle would believe much of what he said. Braviary, probably still mad over the flight incident, would take plenty of convincing to help him carry out his plans.
"I'll need to ride you." He said bluntly as he reached his arm upwards, to rest it on the eagle's neck. "Alfred will be expecting us. We cannot let him down." He petted the Pokémon, coaxing it to descend. "He'll need both of us, unless you want him to get into trouble."
The eagle hesitated for another instant, before begrudgingly lowering itself to Arthur's level. Arthur took the opportunity, before the Pokémon changed its mind, and mounted the bird.
Although Braviary was willing to cooperate to find Alfred, it certainly wasn't about to make the ride easy for him. It ascended rapidly, shooting upwards like a missile, though careful enough to assure Arthur would not fall as he clung to the bird's neck. By the time they leveled off, his feet stood dangling over the bird's clawed feet, while his head was burrowed in Braviary's mane.
"Not exactly the smoothest take-off." Arthur muttered out loud, as he pulled himself up into a more comfortable riding position. "You're just as childish as your trainer."
His complaints only served to encourage Braviary to resume its flying antics. The bird seemed to take pleasure in swirling and twirling more erratically than the rides in Nimbasa.
Arthur's feet desperately curled around Braviary's tail feathers, as he clawed his way back up to the neck. He couldn't even manage to free one of his hands to call upon one of his Pokémon, though he doubted either Rapidash or Roselia would be of much help in this scenario. If he wanted to get to the meeting point, he'd have to reason with Alfred's jealousy prone, over-grown Braviary.
"I-I wasn't planning on riding along, in the end." Arthur explained, a regained sense of determination echoing in his voice. His first priority was to avoid any more repeats of those stunts.
"He shouldn't have even offered!"
A brusque stop.
"I should have pushed him back away, when he tried that stunt"
A sharp descent.
"I was about to hop down myself, back in that clearing!"
A quick twirl.
He wanted to scream much more: about how he didn't enjoy flying, about how he knew better than to interfere and about how little he actually wanted to ride alongside Alfred. His throat seemed to grow a lump when he got to then end, leaving him open-mouthed, struggling to gasp for breath
His earlier screams, however, had grown fainter. His throat had dried up from the shouting and the skyline winds, and it threatened to betray him before he could convince Braviary to see things his way. He lowered his voice to a soothing slow note.
"I still remember my first ride; of course I surfed the oceans, not the skies mind you." He began to recount, as his spare hand nestled itself in Braviary's mane. "I had been waiting the longest time for her to evolve. As a child it took me a couple of years to train her."
"I fell of course. Seadra had to rescue me from the depths of Sootopolis' bay." he recalled, similar to what had happened today, when the eagle had decided to push him off. "Back then she was my only Pokémon; she was my first Pokémon."
"Eventually I did start training others." Arthur prepared to finish, hoping Braviary would accept his story. "I nearly rode off onto a cliff with Rapidash, and I got cuts from training Roselia."
Braviary descended lightly, though Arthur did not know if it was from amusement at his pain or if it was because the eagle was forgiving him for his trespass.
Arthur stopped talking, as he noticed they approached the bridge. He pulled down his goggles as a shield, ready to search for any signs of Alfred, Mei or the Team Plasma running along the length of the bridge, as he lead Braviary to block the eastern end of the bridge.
It didn't take long for the commotion to break. A loud smash in the middle of town alerted Arthur to the whereabouts of the rest of the group. The confrontation had escalated enough for most of the villagers to dissapear into their homes, as Alfred and Mei fought on the center of the bridge.
Arthur smirked, glad Alfred had lured Team Plasma into a very visible position; it saved them the trouble of calling the authorities.
"Jigglypuff, use Solarbeam!" Mei's voice ran high above the commotion as Arthur approached to see another beam of light.
As the explosion cleared, he found Mei hovering around on top of her Jigglypuff, who'd ballooned several times its usual size. She was fighting a group of Excadrill and Seviper, but had no trouble dodging their attacks. Arthur stared, surprised that the usual cheerful and fretful girl could be so ruthless in battle, as she launched round after round of Solarbeam. From the ground, Alfred supported her with Scraggy, who eagerly cut into the grunt's Herdier with a well-aimed chop.
Deciding the two of them had the situation under control, Arthur focused on rescuing Kiku.
A couple other grunts and a Sawk restrained the researcher. Beside them was the grunt's leader, a stoic, black-haired young woman with a Mienshao. She had her eyes set on Mei, and before Arthur could intervene, she ordered an attack.
"Aerial Ace"
Mienshao leapt in the air, and landed on the bridge's extension cords. It climbed up the cords, then struck from behind as Jigglypuff charged another assault.
The blow sent Mei falling down faster than Jigglypuff could recover. Braviary dived down, with Arthur clinging with one arm circled around the eagle's neck.
Arthur crept closer to the edge, his hand outstretched, as he reached for Mei's foot. He grasped her, just as they were a few meters above ground.
At that time, Braviary began to jerk, cut off from breathing by Arthur's arm. The bird's thrashing left them vulnerable, open to another attack.
Arthur felt the metal reverberate beneath him, numbing his last senses. His strength gave out; he lost his grip on Mei in order to stop himself from falling.
"ARTHUR!"
Alfred's shouts filled him with dread, as he imagined the younger trainer fighting desperately to hold back Mienshao, at the cost of his own safety. If he didn't stabilize himself, he'd have no way of helping Alfred.
Hesistantly, he loosened his grip on Braviary's mane. The next thrust landed him face down on the bird's mane, but the lessened pressure allowed the eagle to finally regain its balance.
It landed next to Alfred, allowing Arthur to rest on firm ground.
"ARTHUR!"
Alfred pulled him into a hug the moment he descended, knocking out Arthur's last breath of air.
"You're alright!" Arthur gasped, still in shock himself. He felt a wave of relief, seeing Alfred unharmed.
"I'm glad you two are alright" A voice chimed in. "But I could use some help here."
Arthur turned to see Mei, crouched next to her fainted Jigglypuff, tending to its wounds. She still fought, directing a Cherrim to unleash a grass attack on the remaining Excadrill. However, the fall left her immobile, cradling her head on the bridge pole.
Mienshao's trainer approached them, ordering the grunts to retreat. She eyed Arthur with malice, as she applied a Full Heal on a rather confused Mienshao.
Alfred smirked. He called a battered Scraggy back to his side, ready to continue fighting.
"No" Arthur whispered. "She intends to hold us here and let the others escape with Kiku. I'll distract her here; you follow the grunts."
Alfred stared him down, not content leaving Arthur alone.
"What if you can't handle it. Then you'll be hurt and she'll take Kiku from us." Alfred argued, serious for once.
"Look at your own Partner! It's hardly in any state to fight a full powered fighting type." Arthur replied. He slipped out a Pokeball. "In fact, it is hardly in a state to chase the grunts. Take Rapidash with you!"
He took Alfred's hand from over his shoulder, and stuffed the Pokeball into his fist.
"Now, I will have to borrow this stubborn eagle of yours. Neither Roselia or Rapidash will be very effective if it insists on fighting from the bridge." He noted, trying to explain his reasoning to a very confused Alfred.
"Be careful, I had to confuse it while you were dangling up there." Alfred relented. Mienshao's trainer was finished healing; soon it would attack again. "It's worn off, and now it has Swagger's attack boost."
Arthur nodded. He remounted Braviary and flew off to face its opponent.
Mienshao propelled itself back in the air, matching Braviary's height.
"Drain Punch!"
"Wing Attack!"
The first attacks missed, with both sides dodging easily. The bridge left Mienshao enough space to maneuver, reducing Braviary's advantage in the air. Both parties would have trouble landing a hit, but once Mienshao realized Alfred's escape, it would be up to Arthur to delay her.
Unfortunately that put him in range of a overpowered fighting hit; even Braviary's resistance wouldn't prevent it from sustaining major damage.
He changed tactics.
"Could you whip up a Tailwind?" he asked Braviary.
The eagle complied, spreading its wings to propel the winds in its direction. Arthur smiled, hoping they would reach Alfred down below and speed him in his chase.
"You will not outspeed me; Mienshao, use Mach Punch."
The fighting type leapt up once more, but this time it hit Braviary strait on the beak.
The hit caused them to stumble, although the winds propped them back up slightly. The attack, though speedy, still left them with enough strength to fight.
"Hey! Have a load of this!"
Alfred shouts accompanied a flurry of purple flames, which hit Mienshao in mid-air.
"Learning some strategy, aren't we?" Arthur quipped. Alfred shot Arthur a smug grin in response, before departing again in pursuit.
Alfred's tactic had given Arthur the advantage. He was now free to dive in, while Mienshao's burn kept it confined to the ground.
"Now, shall we finish this?" Arthur urged the eagle, feeling the exilaration of battle. "Crush Claw!"
Braviary hit this time, weakening it further. Another round of Wing Attack left it crouching, unable to retaliate.
Arthur approached her, planning to corner her until the authorities could arrive.
"Now, why did you kidnap Kiku?"
She remained silent, advancing towards the river.
"Of what use is he to you?" Arthur continued. "If you wish to liberate Pokemon, why target a researcher instead of the gym leader? Or are you just unable to challenge an accomplished trainer?"
"You speak too much." She answered at last. "Our plans do not concern you, but if you keep meddling in our affairs, then next time we meet I will not be as forgiving."
She recalled her fainted Pokemon, and plunged herself into the river, where Arthur saw the tip of a Jellicent rise up to soften her fall.
He recalled Braviary down, but stopped as he noticed a few other Jellicent had appeared; it was probably the escape party the grunts had set up.
Arthur relented. It would be pointless to chase her now, as the river would lead him away from Alfred and the others. It would be best to let her escape and leave her to Yao, who'd be fully prepared to capture her.
He left her be and went off in search of Alfred, leaving Mei to Braviary's care.
The scene on Route 12 left him astounded.
He found a panting Yong Soo, sitting atop a wrecked bicycle surrounded by the grunts' weakened Herdier. Kiku and Alfred at his side, the latter nursing a bruise. Apparently, Yong Soo had ran down Alfred after losing control of the brakes on a downhill slope.
The group departed to rejoin Mei, where Kiku and Yong Soo bid them farewell, thanking them for the help.
"Hey, since our flight from before got interrupted-" Alfred began, once they were alone. He sneaked a few glances at Arthur. "Do you wanna try again?"
"I don't know. I've had my fill of vomit inducing rides today." Arthur hesitated, glancing at Braviary, so as to seek its approval.
The eagle nudged Arthur playfully with its beak in return for the comment, but made no move to stop him.
"Well look at that! He actually likes you now!" Alfred exclaimed, petting his partner. "I don't think he'll throw you off after all that mess. Come on!"
Alfred motioned him to continue, as he tried to mount Braviary first. However, to Alfred's surprise, the eagle shot him down, as it nudged Arthur forward instead.
"What are you-"
Arthur smiled, amused by their antics. "Well, it seems as if he wants me to lead. Best to indulge him, is it not?"
Alfred snorted, but he complied. They both knew better than to deny the eagle his whims.
The sun started to set as they flew, calmly this time, to Arthur's relief. Alfred had settled in shortly after they left Village Bridge, wrapping his arms tightly around Arthur weight.
Their exhaustion was finally catching up with them.
Alfred leaned his head onto the other's shoulder. His breath ticked the side of Arthur's ear, making his heart race in a way that had nothing to do with the excitement of open-air flight. His cheeks, already red and burning from the cold air, flared up.
"Heh, How'd I end up like this?" Alfred chuckled from beneath Arthur's sweater. "I was supposed to go, kick their asses, get back Kiku and save the day! And then I end up as the damsel in distress!" he continued, now lifting himself higher on Arthur's shoulders and nudging Braviary with his left foot. "What's with you running along and showing off with Arthur. A moment ago you couldn't even stand him!"
Arthur's smile grew larger as he shot a look at the eagle. Braviary shook its head to the side, ignoring Alfred's growing calls for attention. It was at the point Alfred lifted himself over Arthur's shoulders to pet the eagle that Arthur couldn't contain his laughter. He nudged Alfred back, intertwining their hands together, just to move it away from Braviary's mane.
Alfred didn't question him after that, instead choosing to grip Arthur's hand forcefully as he settled back into his previous position.
"So nobody's gonna tell me what went on, huh?" He pouted, even going as far to jut out his tongue to mock Arthur's smirk. Alfred recovered quickly, however, brandishing his trademark smile.
"But you know what Arthur!" he proclaimed, leaning into Arthur's face with a widening grin. "I got you to ride with me."
"So?"
Arthur raised his brows, eager to see where this all would lead. Alfred just kept on grinning, as he leaned into Arthur's ear to whisper.
"So, In the end, I won."
A/N: I apologize for any physical impossibilities that may have occurred from me trying to remain close to the spirit of the Pokemon Games. I doubt this one shot will be enough to satisfy my muse, so please don't hesitate to leave feedback.