Pokedex Log #013: When Life Gives You Lemons
Title: When Life Gives You Lemons
Length: 1286 words
Fandom: B1A4
Characters: GongChan, JinYoung
Rating: PG
Warning: AU
Summary: GongChan's lost. No real surprise there.
A/N: Part of the Pokemon!AU, new drabble every 2 days. Masterlist/Character List | Request Thread
Requested by mochiism! <3
It was on the third day of seeing nothing but trees that GongChan had to admit he just might be lost.
"Growlithe, does this spot look familiar?" he asked doubtfully, stopping in the middle of a clearing he was sure he'd seen before. Maybe several times before. Looking around, he held the map up. "I thought for sure this was a shortcut..."
The dog Pokemon that had been following him around yipped quietly, sniffing the air. GongChan wasn't sure if that was a yes or a no. Despite being around his parents' Pokemon his whole life, he'd yet to puzzle out his traveling companion. The fact that Growlithe still shied away from him if he moved suddenly wasn't helping. GongChan tried to be careful and gentle around Growlithe, but he was an energetic teenager, he couldn't stay still all the time.
"Maybe I should have brought a compass. We'll never get to Foxglove Cove at this rate." GongChan realized then he'd been holding the map upside-down for the past hour or so. He sighed and sat down on a boulder, pouting. "Break time."
He was about due for his vitamins too. Fumbling for the bottle inside his backpack, GongChan pulled it out and popped the lid, dropping two of the pills onto his palm. He washed them down with some water before looking for a bowl in his bag. Growlithe would be thirsty too.
Except when he looked up, he saw his Pokemon disappearing into the bushes. "Growlithe? Want some water?" GongChan called. When Growlithe didn't reappear, he frowned slightly and stood, dropping everything back into his backpack and slinging it over his shoulders again with a grunt. Where was he going?
"Growlithe!" he called, heading towards the bushes. Maybe he'd found a way back onto the beaten path. "Where'd you go?" Pursing his lips, he followed through the bushes, wincing at the racket of crackling leaves and branches.
He heard a yip not far ahead, and followed it. He wasn't that worried...until the quiet yips turned into growling and snapping noises, then loud whines and yelps.
"Growlithe!" he called, breaking into a run. Suddenly Growlithe came tearing out of the bushes in front of him, darting behind his legs and trembling like a leaf.
"No, no terrorizing other customers, I told you already," a voice floated out of the trees, scolding gently. Blinking in confusion, GongChan looked down at the whimpering Growlithe behind him before cautiously stepping around the tree blocking his way. What he saw on the other side of the tree made him do a double-take.
There was a bunch of Pokemon, all gathered around a stand set up in the middle of the group of trees. A...lemonade stand. In the forest. GongChan had to double-check around himself to make sure he was still in the forest, with no other people for miles.
There was a young man who looked just a bit older than him, looking down at a Spearow who, for a species that was known for their terrible tempers, was looking decidedly apologetic.
Growlithe whimpered again, shaking, and the other man looked up at the noise. "Hey! I'm sorry about that, is your Pokemon okay? I try and keep them in line, but well, some days are better than others."
GongChan still looked totally mystified, but he checked to make sure Growlithe was indeed okay. "Yeah, he's just shaken up. Are these, uh...all yours?" He counted at least twelve Pokemon in the small clearing, saving the oddity of the lemonade stand for his next question.
"No, just that one," JinYoung pointed to the Vulpix curled up on top of the stand, sleeping. "The rest are all wild. I'm sorry about the Spearow, we've been working on his temper. Maybe some lemonade will help Growlithe feel better?"
"Sure," GongChan brightened, fumbling for his wallet. "How much does it cost?"
"Free, for Pokemon. Humans get to pay 1,200 won." The other man was taking a container of lemonade from his cooler, pouring some into a bowl. Looking around, GongChan saw all the other Pokemon drinking from various bowls and saucers. Even Pokemon that didn't normally get along with others, like the Spearow, seemed completely at peace.
It looked like good lemonade. "I'll have some too then," GongChan grinned, handing over the money. For him, the man poured the lemonade in a proper cup. "I'm GongChan, we're on our way to Foxglove Cove but we got lost."
"You're not that far from it. My name's JinYoung." JinYoung dropped into a chair behind the stand with a happy sigh. GongChan looked around and found an upraised root to sit on. Sipping on the lemonade proved his first impression; it tasted as good as it looked. JinYoung set the bowl on the ground for Growlithe, his cautious puppy scooting forward to sniff it warily and lick at the edges of the bowl. After a moment his tail gave a small wag.
"So...why do you have a lemonade stand here GongChan asked, the question driving him crazy. "I mean, not many people must pass through here, and if you don't charge Pokemon, you must not make a lot."
"How do you charge Pokemon? They don't really understand the concept of money." JinYoung took a sip of his own lemonade. "I have a job back in my village, this is just to pass the time. Humans are way too fussy...too sweet, too sour, too watery, too strong...for the small amount of money I'd make from this, I'd rather just 'sell' it to the Pokemon. Instead of fussing about it, they see it as an act of kindness, a treat. They don't look a gift Ponyta in the mouth, so to speak. And they love it."
Looking around at the gathered Pokemon, GongChan had to agree they did look happy.
"I started this when I was little, maybe eight or so? I'd ask each Pokemon for a token, a leaf or stone or something, and at the end of the day I'd bring them back to my dad and he'd give me candies for each one. Life lessons, that sort of thing. Guess I never grew out of it, though I stopped getting candies out of it ages ago."
"Sounds like a good pastime to me," GongChan smiled widely, gulping down the lemonade. JinYoung smiled shyly at him in return.
They chatted idly until Growlithe was done his treat. Chuckling when the puppy stretched out on the ground, GongChan looked up at JinYoung. "So, uh...could you tell me maybe how to get to Foxglove Cove? I've been stuck in this forest for three days, I don't think it was supposed to take this long."
"No, it's about a day's trek from end to end," JinYoung replied, getting up as some more Pokemon arrived in the clearing. "I'll tell you what. If you help me out with this until the sun starts setting, I'll show you the way there myself. My village is just a short detour, so I'll be heading that direction anyways."
GongChan brightened. He hadn't been looking forward to finding his way out by himself. "Sure! What do I do?"
"Well, I'm running out of lemonade for starters," JinYoung grinned, emptying the container into a new bowl. Reaching into the cooler, he pulled out a few lemons. "Time to make it fresh."
It was probably the most fun GongChan could remember having, between all the years in and out of the hospital. He understood what JinYoung meant, why Pokemon were in some ways better customers even if they couldn't pay. It was hard to be sulky about working for free when he was tackled over by a couple of happy Ferret in a warm, furry hug.
Length: 1286 words
Fandom: B1A4
Characters: GongChan, JinYoung
Rating: PG
Warning: AU
Summary: GongChan's lost. No real surprise there.
A/N: Part of the Pokemon!AU, new drabble every 2 days. Masterlist/Character List | Request Thread
Requested by mochiism! <3
It was on the third day of seeing nothing but trees that GongChan had to admit he just might be lost.
"Growlithe, does this spot look familiar?" he asked doubtfully, stopping in the middle of a clearing he was sure he'd seen before. Maybe several times before. Looking around, he held the map up. "I thought for sure this was a shortcut..."
The dog Pokemon that had been following him around yipped quietly, sniffing the air. GongChan wasn't sure if that was a yes or a no. Despite being around his parents' Pokemon his whole life, he'd yet to puzzle out his traveling companion. The fact that Growlithe still shied away from him if he moved suddenly wasn't helping. GongChan tried to be careful and gentle around Growlithe, but he was an energetic teenager, he couldn't stay still all the time.
"Maybe I should have brought a compass. We'll never get to Foxglove Cove at this rate." GongChan realized then he'd been holding the map upside-down for the past hour or so. He sighed and sat down on a boulder, pouting. "Break time."
He was about due for his vitamins too. Fumbling for the bottle inside his backpack, GongChan pulled it out and popped the lid, dropping two of the pills onto his palm. He washed them down with some water before looking for a bowl in his bag. Growlithe would be thirsty too.
Except when he looked up, he saw his Pokemon disappearing into the bushes. "Growlithe? Want some water?" GongChan called. When Growlithe didn't reappear, he frowned slightly and stood, dropping everything back into his backpack and slinging it over his shoulders again with a grunt. Where was he going?
"Growlithe!" he called, heading towards the bushes. Maybe he'd found a way back onto the beaten path. "Where'd you go?" Pursing his lips, he followed through the bushes, wincing at the racket of crackling leaves and branches.
He heard a yip not far ahead, and followed it. He wasn't that worried...until the quiet yips turned into growling and snapping noises, then loud whines and yelps.
"Growlithe!" he called, breaking into a run. Suddenly Growlithe came tearing out of the bushes in front of him, darting behind his legs and trembling like a leaf.
"No, no terrorizing other customers, I told you already," a voice floated out of the trees, scolding gently. Blinking in confusion, GongChan looked down at the whimpering Growlithe behind him before cautiously stepping around the tree blocking his way. What he saw on the other side of the tree made him do a double-take.
There was a bunch of Pokemon, all gathered around a stand set up in the middle of the group of trees. A...lemonade stand. In the forest. GongChan had to double-check around himself to make sure he was still in the forest, with no other people for miles.
There was a young man who looked just a bit older than him, looking down at a Spearow who, for a species that was known for their terrible tempers, was looking decidedly apologetic.
Growlithe whimpered again, shaking, and the other man looked up at the noise. "Hey! I'm sorry about that, is your Pokemon okay? I try and keep them in line, but well, some days are better than others."
GongChan still looked totally mystified, but he checked to make sure Growlithe was indeed okay. "Yeah, he's just shaken up. Are these, uh...all yours?" He counted at least twelve Pokemon in the small clearing, saving the oddity of the lemonade stand for his next question.
"No, just that one," JinYoung pointed to the Vulpix curled up on top of the stand, sleeping. "The rest are all wild. I'm sorry about the Spearow, we've been working on his temper. Maybe some lemonade will help Growlithe feel better?"
"Sure," GongChan brightened, fumbling for his wallet. "How much does it cost?"
"Free, for Pokemon. Humans get to pay 1,200 won." The other man was taking a container of lemonade from his cooler, pouring some into a bowl. Looking around, GongChan saw all the other Pokemon drinking from various bowls and saucers. Even Pokemon that didn't normally get along with others, like the Spearow, seemed completely at peace.
It looked like good lemonade. "I'll have some too then," GongChan grinned, handing over the money. For him, the man poured the lemonade in a proper cup. "I'm GongChan, we're on our way to Foxglove Cove but we got lost."
"You're not that far from it. My name's JinYoung." JinYoung dropped into a chair behind the stand with a happy sigh. GongChan looked around and found an upraised root to sit on. Sipping on the lemonade proved his first impression; it tasted as good as it looked. JinYoung set the bowl on the ground for Growlithe, his cautious puppy scooting forward to sniff it warily and lick at the edges of the bowl. After a moment his tail gave a small wag.
"So...why do you have a lemonade stand here GongChan asked, the question driving him crazy. "I mean, not many people must pass through here, and if you don't charge Pokemon, you must not make a lot."
"How do you charge Pokemon? They don't really understand the concept of money." JinYoung took a sip of his own lemonade. "I have a job back in my village, this is just to pass the time. Humans are way too fussy...too sweet, too sour, too watery, too strong...for the small amount of money I'd make from this, I'd rather just 'sell' it to the Pokemon. Instead of fussing about it, they see it as an act of kindness, a treat. They don't look a gift Ponyta in the mouth, so to speak. And they love it."
Looking around at the gathered Pokemon, GongChan had to agree they did look happy.
"I started this when I was little, maybe eight or so? I'd ask each Pokemon for a token, a leaf or stone or something, and at the end of the day I'd bring them back to my dad and he'd give me candies for each one. Life lessons, that sort of thing. Guess I never grew out of it, though I stopped getting candies out of it ages ago."
"Sounds like a good pastime to me," GongChan smiled widely, gulping down the lemonade. JinYoung smiled shyly at him in return.
They chatted idly until Growlithe was done his treat. Chuckling when the puppy stretched out on the ground, GongChan looked up at JinYoung. "So, uh...could you tell me maybe how to get to Foxglove Cove? I've been stuck in this forest for three days, I don't think it was supposed to take this long."
"No, it's about a day's trek from end to end," JinYoung replied, getting up as some more Pokemon arrived in the clearing. "I'll tell you what. If you help me out with this until the sun starts setting, I'll show you the way there myself. My village is just a short detour, so I'll be heading that direction anyways."
GongChan brightened. He hadn't been looking forward to finding his way out by himself. "Sure! What do I do?"
"Well, I'm running out of lemonade for starters," JinYoung grinned, emptying the container into a new bowl. Reaching into the cooler, he pulled out a few lemons. "Time to make it fresh."
It was probably the most fun GongChan could remember having, between all the years in and out of the hospital. He understood what JinYoung meant, why Pokemon were in some ways better customers even if they couldn't pay. It was hard to be sulky about working for free when he was tackled over by a couple of happy Ferret in a warm, furry hug.