Sugar Rush🍭

Dry.

Nathara's POV:

I closed the rescue for a few days. I sat in my bed, staring at the ceiling. I was heartbroken... It's like we didn't know each other. I tried not to tear up. All my pokémon crowded around me, sensing I was sad. I hugged Eve and sobbed.

"I messed up.."
I checked my phone. No messages. He hated me. I heard he had one last gym left. I was proud of him. I lay, wishing I had him in my hold right now. I pulled out a pack of Reese's pieces and ate many. The sweet chocolate reminded me of him.

The door rang. I walked out, and there was a bag FULL of packages and letters. I picked it up and brought it inside. I started going through it. It was all.. thank you letters, gifts, and appreciation packages? I read a few.

"Thank you for saving my Pawmot. I'll forever be grateful. Take this Dragon Scale as a token of my appreciation."

There was a dragon scale attached. Woah... I'm getting... packages? I opened another one.

"I couldn't be more grateful for you rescuing my drowning Feebas. Take this ice stone as a thank you. I wish I could do more."

There were so many more. I browsed through them, sunstones, more ice stones, all sorts of items, and evolution things and pokéballs. I wish I could call Ayaz and give him the ice stones. I opened another one,

"Thank you for saving that poor wild pokémon. I have a question. Are you gonna adopt out special-need pokémon that can't be released? If so can you notify me if a Maschiff is available?

Thank you,
Gill."

Someone wants to adopt a Maschiff? I mean, yay! But something's missing.

I decided to text Ayaz.

"Hey Ayaz.. I miss you. I heard you got your seventh gym badge! I'm happy 4 u. I wish you were here."

I stared at the text. I thought for a while and sent it. It immediately went to read.

"..." He was typing.

"Yea I miss u 2."

He was being really dry. This is unlike him. I put my phone down and cried.

I wish we could go back to normal.

Ayaz's POV;

"Yea I miss u 2."

I was intentionally dry. I figured she was texting me out of pity, knowing my defeat was all caught live, and most likely recorded for more people to see and laugh at in the future.

The hatred I had towards myself ate at me, my mind a blur. I don't know how long I had been laying in bed, thinking of nothing but how I was defeated in mere seconds, even after all of my hard training. My pokémon hadn't come out of their pokéballs since I got back to my dorm a few days ago. Maybe I could gift them to someone that can give them a good life.

I sighed heavily, and slowly sat up, the warm covers slipping off my body. I could hear my heart pounding and my bones cracking as I stood up, wobbling into the kitchen. How long had it been since I ate? I guess I've let go of myself.

I turned my small radio on, adjusting the volume a bit before tending to the dishes. The dirty plates and cups had left a bad smell in the room. I was usually a clean freak, so this would be surprising to Nathara. The thought of her made me scrunch my face up. Not in disgust, but in anger. How could I let the one I love the most slip away so easily? Once again, I let my emotions get the better of me.

After the dishes were set in the dish strainer I went off to clean my bed area, bathroom, and finally through my closet. Most of the things in there didn't fit me anymore. I noticed a hoodie in there that looked familiar... It was the same hoodie I let Nathara borrow. I didn't realize she put it back.

Once everything was clean, I focused on myself.

As I stepped into the warm water, I felt dizzy. I held onto the wall, slowly sinking to the floor. Everything went dark.

When I awoke, the water was freezing. I couldn't feel my body. I tried to cry out for help. Someone, anyone... A few minutes went by before I could finally feel my fingers, and then my legs. I got up and out of the shower, grabbing a towel out of the closet and wrapping it around my waist. Blue eyes stared back at me in the mirror, and I noticed the dark circles under my eyes, the wrinkles on my face, and the redness on the rest of my body. I looked like shit.

My head was still spinning, but I was able to get a pair of clothes on.

I grabbed my phone to call Nathara. No answer. "That's expected, I guess." I huffed out. "I'll go to the Eatery without her, then." I made my way out of my dorm and to the Treasure Eatery. There I enjoyed a nice, warm meal. It's exactly what I needed to gain some motivation back.

The next day I prepared my pokémon for the final gym. They seemed more motivated than me, especially Arctibax. I smiled at the cute dino-pokémon as it pranced around in the snow.

I redid the gym challenge, completing it just as easily as before. When I saw Grusha, my mind went right back to the last words he said to me.

"Now that you've learned your lesson, I suggest you don't come back until you can beat me. Cockiness is embarrassing unless it's matched with power."

Those words didn't matter now. All that mattered was getting my final badge, and facing the Elite Four.

Grusha sent out his first pokémon, Frosmoth. I let out Arctibax since he was already eager to battle, and was most likely only motivated for revenge. Without me saying a thing, Arctibax tunneled under the ground, popping back up minutes later and grabbing Frosmoth by the wings. I heard Grusha gasp as he saw his pokémon taken underground.

"Auh, Arctibax!" I stepped forward but was stopped by Grusha.

"Don't." I nodded, and as the minutes passed, I got more and more worried. Finally, Arctibax came back up, Frosmoth with him. Frosmoth had been knocked out! Arctibax let out a cry of victory, and I couldn't help but smile.

Grusha returned his pokémon, quickly sending Beartic out next. Arctibax wasn't afraid, and neither was I. This battle would be different.

As we battled, I couldn't help but wonder what Grusha was thinking. He looked so focused. Almost like I was the first time I stepped onto the field. We were both left with one final pokémon.

I released Bisharp, and he released Altaria. We both teralized our pokémon, Altaria turning to an ice-type, and Bisharp keeping his secondary steel-typing.

Swords Dance and Iron Head was all it took to finally win the long-lasting battle. I could feel the relief wash over me.

When I was handed the badge, I heard someone in the crowd squeal. Before I could process what was going on, I was tackled to the ground. I looked down to see Nathara. My smile was wide, and I couldn't help but hug her tight.