fic: Catch Me

[bonnefois]

Title: Catch Me
Series: TF2(/Pokémon)
Character/pairing: Scout/Miss Pauling
Rating: PG
Word count: just under 5k
Summary: Pokemon AU.
Author's note: I wasn't going to write this AU, but I ended up finishing a snippet because the notes I had for Miss Pauling's pokémon team were cute.

Happy birthday, Sarah.



Mountains of paperwork greeted her, and the day was soft and warm, and only seen through her windows. She sipped at her coffee to try and push back the sleepiness. All her pokémon were resting quietly, hidden away in corners outside their pokéballs. She tried to give them time outside, even if she rarely battled.

The warehouse was always filled with bustling efforts, but these days all she saw was more and more mind-numbing grind of red tape, that would have to be promptly burned. The rooms were all the same dark gray, without even any decoration. She had begun to dream of a grand heist where she snuck in a flower poster, or maybe something with kittens. Anything to relieve the monotony of the warehouse.

The lazy haze of the afternoon changed when she heard the first door open and several doors down, the sound of his voice. Her Liepard's ears perked up, and she let out several yowls. It wasn't long before there was a knock at her door.

Her heart fluttered just a little as she said come in! (It was almost as traitorous as her pokémon.)

"Yo, Miss Pauling!" Scout all but burst in, full of smiles and energy, he spun around, in case she'd missed the full effect of him. For a moment she thought he might have something special to show, like a badge, or a new coat, but soon she realized it was simply Scout showing off as usual.

He pushed his cap up. "Long time no see, Miss P!" His gray eyes glittered with mirth at his rhyme. Nothing made him laugh more than his own bad jokes.

She searched him for differences. Six months of training had left him leaner, more toned. Or maybe one of his teammates just grabbed him and forced him to actually wear clothes which fit him, as opposed to looking like he'd robbed Grandpas R' Us for their signature 'highest waist pants imaginable' special. Either way, his red shirt was just tight enough to see the definition of muscle underneath. And his smile, oh, photos hadn't done it justice. She'd forgotten just the intensity of him, his kinetic force as he launched into a story, or swung a baseball bat.

Not that she'd been staring at his file late at night after she was done with all the paperwork. It was her job to check up on the files of coworkers. She needed to make sure the photos were accurate, it was really just her being an efficient member of Team Fortress.

Her Espeon had been laying at her feet, sleeping the day away, but at the sound of Scout's voice, her ears perked up and she looked up over the desk with its mess of papers. She leaped up, and all her ordered papers scattered across the room. Her Liepard rose up and stretched, before eagerly bounding up to see him as well.

"I'm always popular with the girls," Scout said. He grinned, and petted her pokémon as they came up to meet him.

Miss Pauling bent down to pick up the paperwork. She couldn't even find herself to be that annoyed; it was the only interesting thing which had happened all day.

"Aren't I? Oooh, you got a real shiny coat, even more so than usual. You get groomed recently?"

Her Liepard rubbed against his leg, and began to purr.

"One of the grunts is secretly brushing all the pokémon. I think she wants to leave and be a pokégroomer," Miss Pauling said.

"Aww, that's great. I hope she gets to follow her dreams." Scout bent down and scratched behind Espeon's ears.

"Hey, there, beautiful."

For a minute, Miss Pauling thought he was referring to her, and blushed accordingly, but no, it was her Espeon. Her Liepard pushed its head against Scout's hands, impatient for attention. Not surprising, considering that he'd caught all of them but the Murkrow which she'd received with her job.

He laughed. "Hey, hey, now, there's enough of me to go around." Liepard almost pushed him over in her determination to be petted.

"I gotcha, I gotcha, no need to headbutt me." The purple cat pokémon crawled into his lap and rolled over. "You want your belly scratched? Sheesh, you're such a big girl now. I can barely hold you in my arms anymore."

Liepard let out several impatient meows.

"All right, all right, I'll rub your belly."

Liepard's purrs grew louder, even as her legs slid off his lap. He smiled up at her. "How's it up in the castle, princess?"

She pointed towards the paperwork. "That's how."

"Ouch. I got somethin' for you that will brighten your day," he said.

He reached to the side of his belt, and tossed a pokéball her way, and she just barely caught it, awkwardly clasping it to her chest lest it fall to the ground.

She considered it a moment. So far he hadn't given her any giant dragons or rock monsters, but she didn't want to risk the chance that this time he decided to give her a giant beast which would leave her office in shambles before she could get it back in the ball.

"Should I open it outside, in case it messes up my office?"

"It's a surprise--but, no, you don't gotta worry about anythin' like that," Scout said.

She tapped the top of the ball, and in a flash of light a little bundle of white fur. It looked up at her with big brown eyes and sniffed at the air. She gasped in surprise, a hand over her mouth.

"Oh, Scout, it's so precious--" She cleared her throat after realizing her outburst. Her Murkrow perched on the back of her seat made a sound like laughing. She petted its sparkling white tail, and the little Eevee licked at her with a soft little tongue.

"Are you sure it's for me? It's quite rare," she said.

"You kiddin'? Of course it's for you. My team is already flawless as it is, so I ain't got no room. Anyways, you deserve only the best. I'd even give you Legendary pokémon if I could find em," Scout said.

"Well--thank you. Thank you very much."

"From the first time I saw 'em, I knew I had to get one. I searched for ages. Then I started breeding them. I swear, got so many of the little buggers. I started handin' 'em out like party favors. Anybody I passed got a free Eevee or two."

She laughed. "Scout, you're arming the enemy, you know."

"Aww, the preschoolers were so happy, though. Some of them have already picked out how they want to evolve them."

He smiled slyly at her. "If you need somethin' like a pretty stone to make it level up, I'm sure I can find somethin'." He pulled up his duffel bag and began to rifle through it. He held up a chiseled yellow stone, with a lightning bolt in the middle. "Got plenty more where that that came from."

She wrapped her arms about the Eevee and held it to her chest. "I'll think about it. We've got to get used to each other for a while. Then we'll figure out how to evolve it."

"We'll?" Scout smiled. "As far as I can see it, you can't go wrong with any of 'em. That's the thing about these balls of fluff. Anyway you go is great."

The Eevee curled into a little ball on her lap.

"It's so friendly...I'm surprised," she said.

"All the way here I was tellin' it what a pretty girl was gonna be its trainer. I don't blame it for bein' excited. I'd be excited to be in your lap, too," Scout said.

She blushed at his comment, and ducked her head to hide the red in her cheeks. The Eevee let out a little yawn.

"Oh, it's all tuckered out. I sympathize, I'd love to take a nap."

"Then do it, play hookey. I know some trees out a ways that are just perfect for nappin' under," Scout said.

"Oh no--I couldn't possibly. I have so much to do," Miss Pauling said.

"What, the paperwork goin' to miss you? Make up some emergency and go see the fresh air once. I'll help spring you out of the castle anytime, princess," Scout said.

"The job would miss me," she said. "Speaking of which, it's missing me right now."

She carefully set her Eevee on the desk, and bent down to pick up more papers. He rose up, as her Liepard let out an indignant mrow! that sounded more like no! He bent down and picked up more papers, clutching them to his chest. He laid them on the desk in a haphazard, slightly wrinkled stack.

"Ah--thanks for that. All of it, really," she said. It came to mind that he was very close. Only the desk was in front of them, and all it would take for him was to lean enough, and their lips would meet. She pushed back the dark hair which had come undone from her bun.

But Scout stepped away, and broke the almost away. She started to adjust the paperwork with palatable disappointment.

"Anyways, you won't see me for a while, I'm off to the tourneys again, I just stopped by to drop that off and say goodbye."

"You're going again?" she said. Disappointment stole into her voice unbidden.

Her Liepard let out a long, mournful mew and rested her head on the ground.

Usually he'd spend at least a few hours trying to woo her. She wondered if he'd gone off her. But, then, he'd just given her a rare pokémon and flirted with her a little bit. Surely, that had to count for something.

"Yeah, I haven't had a challenge in ages. The trainers around here are all a huge frickin' disappointment," Scout said.

"Doesn't the company require your presence elsewhere?" She knew exactly what the company did, of course.

"You know how it is. The company don't wanna be seen like those other piss poor teams like Rocket or those Plasma hippies. There was hell to pay when some ten year old took out a whole base earlier this year. The rest of the guys and me haven't even seen each other in months. Well, except that I hear the Doc is hanging with the big guy. They always were pretty tight."

She'd certainly seen the strengthening initiative--she'd drafted the first copy, but she didn't tell him that.

"Well, good luck. You probably won't need it, but I wish you it anyways," Miss Pauling said.

"Aw, thanks, Miss P. Just one thing: Will you watch me and cheer me on?"

"Of course," she said without even a thought.

"All right! Then you'll watch me mop the floor with those guys, 'cause how can I lose with you cheerin' me on?" Scout said. He winked and gave her a thumbs up sign. "Catch you later, Miss P!"

"And you," she said softly as the door closed.

It wasn't until after he'd turned to go that a slow, tender feeling came through her, culminating in a little wistful smile.

It sure would be quiet without him around.

*

She kept telling herself how utterly ridiculous this whole thing was. Her Murkrow was perched on her shoulder, its feathers almost the exact color of her dress. She'd picked out the least romantic paper, just a regular blue bridge, and agonized over what to write.

They were coworkers. Sending him a heart-filled notes would be...well, there was technically no rules against fraternization, but it still somehow smacked of rule breaking.

She'd bought extras, but after two crumpled papers, she'd pulled out regular paper to attempt to draft. It wasn't a love note. It was just a note to wish him luck. Anything less and he'd leave the tournament and go straight back to flirt with her.

And they had work to do. Already she worried he'd be thrown off the team with his constant lackadaisical ways.

In the end, she wrote wipe the floor with them, make us proud. -P

"Are you sure you can make the journey?" She said.

Her Murkrow let out a loud cawing sound. She flapped her wings happily, eager to be out. Yes, technically it was trained as a messenger bird, but only across small spaces. She hadn't had any messages so pressing in quite a while, not with all the nine scattered to the corners of the earth, each training and refining their teams, posing as simple trainers.

"And you'll be right back?"

It let out a muffled choking sound. She bent down with concern, and checked it over. Just the other day, it'd gotten into the trash and smeared old makeup all over its feathers.

She held out her finger sternly. "And you promise to come right back to me, and be extra careful?"

It let out another series of caws, and flapped its wings.

"Take this."

She attached the note to its back and fixed it with some string made just for such events.

Her Murkrow let out another caw and flew up, slowly flapping its wings.

She watched it go, wondering if she'd made a huge mistake.

*

Before the night was through, she heard a tapping on the glass. She groggily woke up. Instead of the usual Murkrows that Team Fortress used to send messages, it was a Pigeot. Scout's Pigeot, in fact. She opened the window and it lifted his head for her to take the message off.

She opened the envelope, a Thanks mail with a cute little minccino holding a pencil.

With you at my back, how can I lose? -S

She held the note close to read it in the low light. It smelled like his cologne.

*

She left work just a little early, and switched on the television first thing. As the announcements began, she grabbed a quick dinner, and kept an ear for when his name was called. Eevee, the newest edition, curled up on on the back of the tartan couch, with Espeon while Liepard lay the floor. Murkrow was perched at the back, and Her company instated apartment was a one-bedroom affair which she kept very clean, save for the clutter of books, with acceptable books of intelligent topics in front of the trashy romance novels she sometimes consumed like a particularly guilty piece of delicious chocolate.

She'd readied the popcorn maker as the first announcements started. As many things, Scout had brought it for her. He'd been talking of movie theaters and shows, but she never quite had time, not with the ten year olds all threatening to topple the company at every turn. So he'd done the next best thing, and brought the theater to her. She smiled at the memory. He was always picking up little things for her along the way. Gadgets, items, even pokémon.

The newest Eevee stirred, as Liepard tried to hop onto the couch. "Now, be good." She tapped Liepard on the nose. "You know I always share."

Hours passed, and the twilight turned to dark, but his name didn't come up. She put the empty popcorn container away with some disappointment as the new champion was crowned. A boy with a Pikachu by his side.

She reluctantly turned in for the night, knotted up with a worry that the next company news would be replacing the missing trainer Scout

*

The shipments had been vetted, she'd finished the paperwork, and lunch was a question she definitely needed to answer. But before she could take her break, Liepard's ears suddenly perked up. She rushed to the door and started yowling up a storm. Miss Pauling opened the door up a crack to check, only to have Liepard push through and run down the hallway. Without a second glance back, Miss Pauling rushed down the the hall after her pokémon.

"Liepard! Liepard, come on---"

Liepard hurtled through the front door, only to let out a series of insistent meows.

His Zebrastrika pawed at the ground. He actually looked rather majestic up there, his cap slightly off, and his cheeks flushed with wind, and the sunlight behind him that gave him a golden, even heroic glow.

"Hey, beautiful! Did you come to see me?"

Before she could stutter out a denial, he dismounted and bent down to Liepard. "You did, didn't you? Aww, I wasn't gone too long! Come to papa!"

He dismounted, and Liepard headbutted his legs, loudly demanding attention. Scout laughed, and bent down to pet her.

Miss Pauling cleared her throat. Her heart beat faster with every step forward.

"Ey, there you are, Miss P! What's up? More paperwork?"

"I watched that tournament, but I never saw you at all," Miss Pauling said. "Did something happen?

Scout pulled off his cap and smoothed back his hair. "Aw, I was going to sign up, but I got a call from headquarters and had to go help move some goods. Some ten year old just completely cleared our guys out. HQ wanted to go somewhere more secure...so I didn't get to put on a good show for you."

She nodded sympathetically. "That's too bad. I hear Team Rocket's new offshoot got hit hard by two toddlers with a pair of Clefaries. It's hard to be a decent world-destroying team company, when there's all these new trainers--"

"--barely out of diapers---" Scout added.

"--That just completely wipe the floor with hardworking teams who want nothing more than to conquer the world."

"Or make more real estate and water parks. It's okay, though. I went on a catchin' spree. Got some new pals for all my group. Speakin' of which, I'm supposed to pull you for some big Team Fortress thing."

"Really? You got that note before I did?"

Scout shrugged. "What can I say? I'm fast like the wind, and my pokémon are even faster."

"Wait...this isn't an attempt at playing hookey, is it?" she said.

Scout chuckled. "Nah, it'd be a brilliant one, but it's full legit. I got the mail and everythin'." He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, complete with dates and time. She recognized the official stationary--and scent of the Administrator's perfume--right off.

""Are you sure it's safe? Wouldn't riding it give you a shock?"

""Course, I ride this little bugger all the time. With all the electric types I work with, I'm real used to it. It does fun things to my hair, too. Makes me look like some kind of superhero. Besides, it won't take long, the ice cream parlor it's takin' place underneath ain't far," Scout said.

"Really, an ice cream parlor?" Miss Pauling said skeptically.

"Yeah, the team that did one under the casino didn't go so well, so the Administrator must be tryin' to branch out," Scout said.

"Hmm... An ice cream parlor... You know...we could stay up top for a while. Say that we didn't want to blow the cover and had to make sure we didn't look suspicious. It'd help keep our cover."

Together, they'd look like any couple out for a date. She could just taste the sweetness on her tongue. His laughter, in that stolen moment.

"Wow, Miss P, are you actually tryin' to get me to play hookey? I'm impressed, I didn't know you had a rebel streak in you!" Scout said.

"It's been way too long since I've had ice cream--or any time off, for that matter," Miss Pauling said.

Scout lifted up his arm in a cheer. "For ice cream and pretty girls!"

Liepard meowed indignantly.

"You were included in the group. Besides, I'm sure we'll get you some ice cream, too," Scout said.

They were joined by her quieter, more mild mannered Espeon, her plucky Murkrow, and Eevee, the newest addition.

"We'll all get ice cream. And important data and meetings," Miss Pauling said.

"But mostly ice cream," Scout said.

It didn't take long to collect her pokémon back into their pokéballs, considering they'd been all too happy to follow her out and greet Scout.

"C'mon, Stripe, bow down, just like I taught you," Scout said. He helped her up, and climbed on himself, right in front. When the Zebrastrika rose to its full height, it was positively dizzying.

"You nicknamed your pokémon Stripe?" she said.

"Course, what else you goin' to call a Zebrastrika? They're covered in stripes! Don't know if they're white on black, or black on white, though."

"The question for the ages," she said.

Scout clicked his tongue, and urged Stripe on. "Hold on, we're about to go into ultimate drive! Stripe, use Agility!"

She wrapped her arms about him, and found herself very aware of the heat, and firmness of his back. The roads, the canyons all blended together as they rushed on, past workers and cars, leaping over rocks.

Suddenly, a brown and white building shaped like a chocolate swirl came into view. The sign said Rocky Road Ice Cream Parlor.

This couldn't have been the Administrator's idea. She'd suspect Saxton Hale, but he was more of a meat and meat topped with meat and a side of meat sort of guy.

"Here we are! Told you, my pokémon are all about the speed. I trained 'em specially. Every mornin' all of us run five miles."

He hopped down, and reached out. "Still a bit dizzy?"

"Just a little," she said.

He grinned mischievously. "You'll wanna grab onto my arm then, so you don't fall over."

She slipped her arm in his.

"Holy crap, you actually did it? Dang," Scout said.

"I'm dedicated to not falling," she said.

And even more, as they stepped into the ice cream parlor. She slipped into the cover, just two people flirting over something sweet. She leaned into him slightly, only to watch his gasp of surprise, turn into a grin.

"This almost feels like a real date. So, you wanna split a banana split with me?" Scout said. He smiled mischievously.

"Knowing how much you eat, I'll get maybe two bites," she said.

"Yeah, I gotta keep my calories up. I always push myself so hard with trainin'," Scout said. He curled his bicep, and patted the muscle. "Whey protein shake every day, and I make up some for my pokémon, too. Can't have them gettin' dehydrated either!"

"I'll pre-game with a couple cones, then we can split," Scout said.

"Don't forget to get some for the pokémon. Liepard will sulk for days if she doesn't get a pokécone of her own," Miss Pauling said.

"Like I'd forget them! I know just what they like."

Scout went off to order. The inside was covered in shiny tiles and shiny, laminated posters of humans and pokémon eating ice cream. A long row of freezers lined the sides, full of things like ice cream sandwiches, and frozen sherbert. A horizontal line of small freezers went from one wall to the other, filled with every variety of ice cream and topping imaginable. She paused to glance over them, catching everything from the rainbow hues of Superman, to Butter Pecan, and the titular Rocky Road.

She'd have to find a way to make ice cream trips a part of her life. With the secret meeting place, it wouldn't be too hard to find a good excuse to slip down and try every single flavor.

And she had no intention of doing it alone, either.

She picked out a seat outside, in the outdoors eating area, covered with little umbrellas and shiny metal tables.

"Now, behave," she said softly to her pokémon as she let them out. She tapped Liepard's nose for good measure. "Especially you. There'll be goodies soon enough."

And true to her word, Scout came out with a truly impressive tower of treats. He could've been an excellent waiter if he ever decided to quit the team.

"Allll right, I got one fish ice cream, one covered in all kinds of bird seed and stuff, hay stuff, somethin' with strawberries, some whipped cream, and a whole lot of other crap."

He pushed the tray out, and held out his arms to frame it, with a ta-da! "Bam, ain't nobody else goin' to give service like this. Only the best for you!"

"Wow, they really are branching out. Even hay treats?" Miss pauling said.

"Oh man, you wouldn't believe the treats they got--" Just as he was about to launch into detail, Liepard let out a loud yowl and went on her hind legs, pawing for attention.

"Hey now, leave some skin on there. I got you some, I got you some."

He tapped the pokéballs at his belt, and let out the rest of his pokémon. Rapidash stood majestically, even princely, with its blazing hard blowing in the slight breeze. Jolteon rushed over to Espeon--and they started to happily groom each other. Pigeot settled on the back of the chair, right next to her Murkrow. Ninjask buzzed up towards the umbrella, while his Watchhog made a beeline straight for the table.

"Not so fast, pally. You'll get your turn. No stealin' the rest of their cones."

He served out each cone.

She took a bite of banana split, sweet chocolate and fruit mixed together with the wonderful cold ice cream bottom. She let out a happy sigh. "It's been so long since I've had any ice cream."

"We gotta change that. Look at all those flavors, that's like ten bucket lists right there," Scout said.

"I'm definitely going to try every single one," Miss Pauling said determinedly.

"Even the hay and seed ones?" Scout said.

"Every single human kind," Miss Pauling said.

He laughed. "The others ain't too bad. Demo bet me a 20 I wouldn't do it, and I ate that hay right down," Scout said. He shook his head and laughed at the memory.

The pokémon had settled down to gnaw on the remains of their cones, the ice cream licked clean. The breeze was soft, and from this angle, the rocky crags and cliffs was almost beautiful, as opposed to the industrial and dark corners she found herself constantly working in.

She checked her watch. Soon enough, this would have to end. She could walk down those stairs and pretend nothing happened and they were just coworkers again.

The wind caught his cap, and he rushed off after it. He leapt over the fence, and caught it just as a larger gust threatened to blow his cap over the cliffs. Caught in sunlight, he looked like hope, like a future she could have, if she just took his offered hand. He returned, laughing and flushed, with the cap held up like a trophy.

"Did you see that? That was the kind of stuff they give out medals for." He sat down, and took a bite of the banana split. "This is real good stuff. But---We probably gotta go in right after this split is done, right?" Scout said.

A choice remained. The stairs back to where she was, or something more. She studied his hands, just a few inches on the table from hers. She moved her hand just a fragment of an inch closer to his.

She cleared her throat. "No, I'd like to stay just for a while longer," Miss Pauling said.

*

For the record, Miss P's team is Liepard, Espeon, Murkrow and the new Eevee. Scout tends to get distracted from his tasks because he's too busy flexing for Miss Pauling and trying to catch her all kinds of things. He especially likes to find her rare things like shinies.

Scout's is Watchog, Rapidash, Zebrastrika, Pigeot, Jolteon, Ninjask. He switches out a lot. He's supposed to help supply the Team, but he keeps giving them to random people because they look lonely. He kind of fails at being a villain, and joined just because he was really into Miss Pauling.

I lost my notes for the entirety of the rest of the Merc's pokemon, so Sniper's isn't listed at all. All I can remember is he had Krookodile and Cacturne.

Soldier: Braviary x 6. SCREAMING EAGLES.
Demoman: Duskclops, Forretress, Feroseed, Cloister, Aegislash, Honedge
Pyro: Charizard, Magby, Mr. Mime, Clefable Wigglytuff, Houndoom
Medic: Mega Audino, Blissey, Pidove, Scyther, Mandibuzz, the team doctor. He worked on the Mewtwo case before he came to Team Fortress
Heavy: Hitmonchan, Conkeldurr Bearcicle, Ursaring, Snorlarx, Medic's guardian.
Engineer: Metagross, Magneton, Klefki, Klinklang, Genesect. the head of research and development, Engineer keeps the place running.
Spy: Ditto, Mimikyu, Serperior, Sneasel, Zoroark Yamask

Administrator: Honchkrow, Gengar, Wheezing, Darkrai, Spiritom, Giritina