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It is a hot sunny day and the breeze is mild off the tropical coast of the Battle Resort. Maxie lays under the partial shade of a beach umbrella soaking up the heat of the sun like a cat, his camerupt napping on the sand next to him. He fixes his prescription sunglasses and is about to try and doze off, when a shadow blocks his sun. He looks over the edge of the shades expecting to see Archie, who has been gone for an interminable about of time. But no, it's...the child.
He groans lightly and leans his head back onto his arms. "OH. It's you. Having fun are we?" He wonders if she has come to gloat. They have not seen one another since meeting on the island dock.
May looks innocent enough. Just...curious. It is a strange sight to see someone who is always so reserved and conservatively dressed laying casually on a lounge chair in swim trunks. He also was apparently hiding some burn scars under that sweater. She tries not to stare. "I was just training. Catching fish pokémon." She says truthfully, showing off her fishing pole slung over a shoulder.
"Hummm?" Maxie's glasses droop again, but less this time. "I'm surprised you didn't just head right for the battle tower. All that power and you go fishing." He grumps, obviously bitter about a kid like this being the one who defeated Archie and outmaneuvered his team Magma. She did help put things right though. His distain is merely pride and a hurt ego.
May bites her lip trying not to giggle. His face is just too amusing. "I was training an eevee team. Well, namely a Vaporeon, Espeon, Jolteon, Leafeon - "
"STOP! My gosh I don't want to know where you even obtained that many strong eevees," Maxie rubs his temples. If he were less scientifically inclined he might think she is a witch.
May turns her attention to the sleeping camerupt. "Does he have a name?" She tries making friendly conversation despite Maxie's best efforts to repel her with snark.
"Her name is Camilla." He replies, still laying in the same position.
The camerupt opens an eye, looks up at May, then grunts and shifts onto her side.
May smiles. "She looks so relaxed! You must be close." She pops a button on her fishing pole and it poofs into a little capsule, then is quickly in her bag.
Maxie restrains himself from more snide remarks and grunts as he sits up to better converse. He reaches into a small red bag next to him and puts his normal glasses back on. It IS polite to look a trainer rival in the eye. He wonders if she wants to battle. He never did get to battle her outright, only watched her curb stomp his counterpart. He is curious and would love a match with someone who defeated the likes of Archie. But they are at the beginning of a vacation, for the moment it's time to rest. "What is it exactly that you want?" He says simply.
"I just wanted to make some friendly conversation, and say thank you for the piece of your Cameruptite." She looks truly grateful for the honor. "That was kind of you."
He humphs and smirks. "Do you even have a camerupt to use it with?"
She blushes, "No, not yet. But hopefully I can go catch a numel over by Mt. Chimney."
Maxie puts a hand to Camilla's fluffy head and the pokémon growls happily as he scratches it. "I remember when this girl evolved. She was so excited, and still thought she was small enough to be a LAP pokémon." He chuckles. He is a bit less defensive as he talks about the memory.
May smiles brightly and has to mention, "I was so excited when I caught a Vulpix on Mt. Pyre, especially one who learned some ghost techniques hanging around the spirits there. I thought you'd appreciate that as you seem to like fire pokémon..."
Maxie's eyes open somewhat wider than normal and he turns quickly. "Ah, your ninetales? The same one?"
She tries to look modest, "Heh, yea." She recalls right away how she did the final blow to Archie's sharpedo with her.
"Of all things you taught it solarbeam. Really," Maxie is thinking of the same battle. He seems interested though. "Was very effective against a water pokémon if you work quickly. Quite a technique, if not a bit of a gamble." Credit where credit is due, he thinks.
"You want to meet her properly?" May pops out a premier pokeball.
She must really baby that pokémon, Maxie thinks, wondering how much she fattens it up with pokeblocks. He doesn't want to look too eager, even if May is kind of a 'friend' now. He is always excited to see rare fire pokémon. He sits up all the way onto the edge of the lounge chair. "Yes," He says quickly. Dammit, too eager.
She giggles and obliges, popping open the pokeball. A big fluffy ninetales pops out. She flicks her hair back and shakes off, then dips down her front legs and stretches, looking nonchalant as an aloof cat. She knows this is someone who was up to questionable business. Ninetales' hold grudges.
Not too excited, not too excited... "Hgggnnn she is so fluffy," The words fall out of Maxie's mouth.
Dammit.
The ninetales plays it cool and gives him the cold shoulder.
He inches closer and puts out a hand.
The pokémon glances and gives a little huff, a poof of smoky fire coming out. Maxie flinches away like someone used to such displays from fire pokémon, careful but unphased.
"Be nice Katsumi," May scolds her. "He helped us remember? And he said he was wrong and wants to fix things." Now that she thinks about it where IS the other guy? Those two seemed to really be friends after all was said and done. Heck, closer then that even. To be honest if she didn't know better they seemed like an old married couple.
Maxie is so close to touching the adorable ninetales, who is being good and staying still. She looks so warm and soft. Just a little more. Nice and slow....that's itttt.....
"MAXIE! Maxie freaking hell it's fantastic you GOTTA SEE THIS!!" A man in a blue speedo running up yells and spooks the ninetales.
The Magma leader frazzles in annoyance. Dammit he was so close! He glares at Archie as he runs up, a diveball in his hand raised above his head.
May and her ninetales make way for the large man, stepping to the side as he zooms by. He is beaded with water like he was just swimming in the ocean.
"MAXIE!" He stops in front of him grinning like an idiot.
Maxie takes another moment to blink. "Yes?" The word drips out of his mouth. This better be good I was about to pet that terrifyingly powerful and fluffy ninetales.
"I caught a MANTYKE!" Archie looks happy as a child on Christmas morning. He lets the pokémon out. It's a small manta-ray fish pokémon about the size of a pikachu. It cutely flops it's fins in Archie's grasp, "Mantyke!" It coos looking irresistibly adorable. His eyes sparkle like a proud dad and he looks to see Maxie's reaction.
"Humph, Quite a good catch." Maxie still plays it cool but he can't help but be happy to see that dork being so excited, especially after everything that happened recently.
May stifles an 'awww' and watches silently.
Archie cuddles the floppy little thing and it keeps cooing. "We'll have to think of a good name! I bet it will be so big when it evolves that we could ride it - "
May can't believe these guys nearly destroyed the damn world. She blinks watching in disbelief.
After Archie waxes poetic about the new water pokémon for another minute, he finally calms down and glances up. Him and May share a self-conscious glance.
Ahhh right, he almost drowned the planet. This girl is the one who stopped Kyogre, and sent him back into the wild to be free. He hands the mantyke to Maxie, who makes a face at the wet slimy skin, and walks over to her.
Her ninetales bristles, but stays put. "It's ok Katsumi," she tells her.
"Maxie told me you were here. Not a surprise, but...I just wanted to apologize again for what happened and - "
She puts up a hand and shakes her head. "We already talked back at the Cave of Origin. I trust your word to do good with Team Aqua now. No need to convince me again." It would be too much to hear him feeling sorry for himself any more. He seems like too proud a man.
He smirks, nodding firmly. "You're quite a trainer. But I won't lose to you next time." He smacks his fist into his other palm.
"I'd be honored for a battle if we meet at the tower." She winks sincerely.
"ARCHIE!" Maxie yelps, the mantyke flopping around in his arms because Maxie is terrible at holding wet slimy things. Camilla meanwhile is smelling it and licks it, then regrets the decision.
"You think you would learn how to hold a water pokémon by now...!" Archie takes the poor thing back and recalls it to it's pokeball.
Maxie grumbles and attempts to dry off on a towel. Disgusting. However, the situation immediately improves when suddenly the ninetales is at his side staring up at him with resolve. He freezes, unsure of what the pokémon intends to do. He braces for a sudden flamethrower, he knows far too much about testy fire pokémon to expect otherwise.
Archie stares, unsure of what is going on. Maxie stops him from speaking with a hand to his chest while not taking his eyes off the prize.
He tries again, hand closing the short distance to carefully pet the ninetales on the head. AAhhhh, so soft and warm! Now it's his turn to melt over the cuteness of a pokémon.
Katsumi relaxes soon as she is getting nice scritches. Maxie gets bolder and uses both hands to snuggle her sleek foxy face. "That's a good girl, who's a cute little fire fox pokémon?" The ninetales makes a small sound and wiggles approvingly in his grasp.
Archie bites his lip, nodding in approval. "Yea ok who's the nerd now."
Maxie strikes him a glare. He doesn't have long though as oh no he stopped petting. The ninetales doesn't like that. Maxie yelps as suddenly the large fox is in his lap.
Archie watches holding back laughter. The camerupt pouts thinking 'hey he doesn't let me do that anymore....'
"ARCHIE don't just stand there help me!" It's no use he is buried in tails, you can't see him at all. Katsumi has already laid down on him nonchalantly. "MAY, call back your pokémon!!"
May laughs with the Aqua team leader. "Hey you wanted to see her, now she likes you. Deal with it."
"Don't you have a bunch of eeveeloutions to train or something!?" Maxie attempts an appeal to get back to his beach relaxing. He manages to free an arm and feel somewhat vindicated as he can pet Katsumi's back now. Hgnnnn. She's like a little radiator.
Archie gasps, "Eeveeloutions?!" He turns right to May with sparkly eyes. "Do you have a vaporeon?!"
She can't say no to that. She lets out her vaporeon in training. Within moments it is being gushed over and not knowing what hit it. The pokémon thinks, wow this guy is a lot larger than my trainer as it is cuddled to death.
Katsumi doesn't like how close Maxie is getting to petting her tail tips so she yawns and jumps off. You can hear a big intake of breath as Maxie can actually breathe again. His camerupt huffs but licks at his hand making sure he is ok.
May pets Katsumi as she comes back, "Good girl," she whispers snickering as she recalls her to her pokeball.
"Maxieee I want oneee." Archie is practically crying as he snuggles his bead's scruff against the helpless vaporeon.
Maxie fixes his glasses and groans. You love ALL the water pokemon, he thinks.
"I'm surprised you haven't asked to see the flareon - " May says casually, looking at the Magma leader.
Maxie makes a face at her like 'you and your fancy ass pokémon need to get the fuck out so we can relax'.
Archie finally lets the vaporeon go. There is a promise of a battle later, and May heads off to keep training like the training machine she is.
Maxie is already lying back down. Finally, alone and some privacy.
"She said we could do a trade later, if I wanted." Archie is still beaming as he sits on the side of the lounge chair to join his counterpart.
"For a vaporeon?"
"Yea, but I'll need to find something she wants..." He absentmindedly pets a hand at the smaller man's stomach. He looks at the pokeball of his latest catch. "But I already have a new recruit to train anyway."
"Humph," Maxie smirks like agreeing with him. He then says, "Hey, get the big towel."
Archie complies, knowing what he means. The chair is moved and the towel is spread out in the shade of the umbrella, making a large enough spot for them both to lay down together. Maxie makes Archie dry off some more before they do, even if the sun has taken care of most of it. He doesn't want wet clammy muscles against him.
"Your sharpedo having fun too?" Maxie mumbles as he is half asleep already. Because of his smaller bulk he usually ends up the small spoon.
"Yea zoomin' around the bay."
"Mmmm." Maxie nods in approval.
"What I want to get out of this trip is to see you get a tan. You could blind someone with that skin."
Maxie rolls in his arms to face his chest and grunts again like trying to quiet him. The great Maxie says it's naptime.
Archie almost chuckles but just smiles.
They just wanted to make the world a better place for people and pokémon. Maybe now their teams can do that...together.