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bonnefoisTitle: Catch As Catch Can (Part two)
Series: TF2(/Pokémon)
Character/pairing: Scout/Miss Pauling, ensemble
Rating: did it finally reach PG-13?
Word count: 8,391
Summary: Pokémon AU. Scout may be an elite member of Team Fortress, but he routinely fails at being a villain.
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 ♥
Previous entries: Catch Me | Catch You | Catch These Hands | Catching Flight | Catch Him | Catch Up | Catch 'em All | Catch As Catch Can (Part One.)
*
She recognized the room immediately, despite the restructuring that Team Machine had done in the short time of their reign. This had been the Administrator's room. Her mouth twisted at the sight of Gray Mann in the Administrator's seat, before the row of large televisions all with surveillance footage over it.
She had come in so many times, to this smoke filled room. The Administrator would give her a glance across her shoulder, as Miss Pauling would read the reports--or whatever was asked.
A cute little girl in a green dress drank out of an impossibly small tea cup. She gave an innocent, gentle smile as they came in.
"Olivia, say hello to our guests," came a reedy voice behind them.
"Did you come to play with me?
Scout smiled. "Oh, hey, kiddo."
"I'm Olivia," she said.
A wary look came over Miss Pauling's face. "Olivia?"
Olivia's sweet smile disappeared into a snarl "I beat Saxton Hale, and I'm going beat you black and blue! Your momma won't even recognize you when I'm done."
"Man, that was a big turn around," Scout said. "But, you know, I won't hold back just because you're little, so don't cry when I wipe the floor with you. I'll take care of this, Miss P."
Olivia gave him a disdainful look. "I've beaten bigger people than you, pipsqueak."
Scout gave her an annoyed look. "Pipsqueak? Who you callin' pipsqueak? Hey, I'm way taller than you, short stuff."
"But are you ta~ll enough to deal with my, big, bad pokémon~?"
"Sure I am," Scout said. "Just because you're a kiddo doesn't mean I'm gonna go light on you."
"Ha! You're pretty smug if you think that you can just beat me like that. I took down Saxton Hale, and I'm gonna take down you!" She pointed one of her little fingers at him. "And he was a lot bigger than you, too!"
"Hey, it ain't an arm wrestlin' contest, this is about pokémon."
"Y'know, I don't usually say this, but I wanna beat up this old guy and his granddaughter. Lemme do this for you, Miss P."
Scout was a ranked champion. Really, the only reason why he hadn't taken an actual championship was his constant distraction. He'd get a few badges from a region and another, but never managed to finish them out. He had a whole collection of half-done projects. He'd leave a region after getting a few badges, (just to show off to her later) and catching a bunch of pokémon and then give half of the catch to kids and other trainers he met along the way.
As much as she loved them, her pokémon weren't nearly as strong as his team. She'd spent most of her time indoors, taking care of issues that pertained to Team Fortress. And she might not have a type advantage, given this would likely be mostly fighting and steel and she'd ended up with a whole bunch of dark types.
"I'll take care of this one, Miss P. Just leave it to me. Let me do this for you. Like one of those--knights, fightin' for their queen, who they also love. I'll beat up this little girl, just for you!" Scout said.
"All right. Kick their butts for me," Miss Pauling said.
"With pleasure," Scout said.
She tossed out a yellow pokéball, and out came a Machamp.
"A fightin' type? Oh, whatever will I do~ Y'know, Miss P, fightin' types are real effective against dark types."
"I'm not in this battle," she said.
"Just sayin'! You got a buncha those. They seem to like you."
"You know what else is great against fightin'? Take a wild guess!"
He threw his pokéball like he was winding up for a big game.
He brought out a pokéball and out came his huge Pigeot. The bird lifted up its wings in triumph, and stared down the four-armed gray muscled pokémon.
"Hey, Pigeot. It's time to fly like you've never flown before."
Pigeot ruffled its feathers, as if to say like I don't always fly hard. It was Scout's Pigeot; it would be a sassy little thing.
Pigeot lifted its massive wings and alighted to the air, with such force that its wingbeats echoed through the room.
"Machamp, brace yourself. Endure!" Olivia said.
Machamp tensed and held its four arms out in front of its face.
Pigeot took a dive, and slammed into Machamp, knocking it off base.
But, even a strike like that didn't take Machamp out.
"Rock throw!"
Pigeot flinched, but took the blow. It looked back at Scout.
He'd caught that Pidgey as his first pokémon. They'd been together for years, and now it pushed on even though it'd been hurt.
The Pigeot had been hit so hard that it couldn't even act immediately. Olivia jumped on the chance.
"Machamp, use crunch!"
The Machamp slammed Pigeot into the ground. Pigeot let out a weak cry.
"That's cheating! I ain't had my turn yet."
"Your Pigeot was clearly flinched. So, your turn is forfeit," Olivia said. She sneered, no longer trying to pretend to be cutesy.
"You sure are using big words for such a little girl."
"I read--you should try it sometime," she said.
"Hey, Pigeot, you ain't some chicken dinner, so don't go eatin' it! Hold on, bud! You can do this! One last strike and that guy is toast."
Pigeot fluffed up its feathers, even though they were dirty now. Pigeot stared down on Machamp with renewed vengeance.
"Fly high, show that Machamp what's what!"
Pigeot flew high above, to the steel-lined stark rafters. Machamp couldn't reach the bird at this rate. With a battle screech, it took a dive and slammed straight into Machamp's chest. Machamp slammed into the ground, and this time, it didn't give up.
Machamp was down with a shudder that left dust in the air from how hard he was hit.
"Machamp, take a rest in your pokéball!"
Olivia gritted her teeth. "It's not fair!"
"Ey, that's just how it is. Told you I wouldn't go easy on you."
She puffed her cheeks out and put her hands on her hips, halfway to a tantrum.
"The next one won't be so easy! You might've gotten lucky that time, but I'll crush you."
She brought out a massive Conkeldurr which balanced itself on huge steel trusses.
"Man, that dude lifts," Scout muttered.
He gave Olivia an appraising glance. "You're pretty young for such high level pokémon, y'know. Somebody else catch it for you? You'd have to stay out pretty late past your bedtime to get one of those."
"Age is only a number. Something you apparently forgot with such small pokémon. Imagine how good you'd be if you actually put any effort or practice instead of constantly running your mouth."
"Hey, I'm the one who just trounced you! And there's nothin' small about my Pigeot. Look at it, if this bird could lift and flex, my Pigeot would."
"You took out one pokémon. I've got plenty more," Olivia said between gritted teeth.
"Bring 'em on, because I've got plenty of pokémon, too."
"Pigeot, c'mon man. You need a break. You fought good."
He called his pokémon back.
"Zebstrika, let's go. Blow that meathead away!"
"Not so fast! Flying Kick!"
Zebstrika reared up and just missed the strike. Conkeldurr kept going and slammed against the wall.
"Now's your chance, man. Flame charge!"
Zebstrika rushed at such incredible speeds that flames danced at its feet and left the ground seared. It
"Hey, Dummy! Here's a lesson. Steel types? Pretty dang weak to fire type moves."
"See? I spoil all my pokémon with real cool accessories. It powers them up in a pinch. You shoul try it sometime."
"And you should try shutting up!"
"Somebody's a sore loser," Scout said.
"You'll be the sore loser in a minute. Scrafty! Let's go! Just try and talk your way out of it. Earthquake!"
The floor split. Zebstrika was slammed hard against the ground with the shockwaves.
"Zebstrika!! Aw fuuuudge. Ill show you!"
"C'mon back and take a break, Zebstrika! Floatzel! Lets sink them six feet under! Underwater, that is! Hydro Canon!
A truly powerful geyser of water erupted from Floatzels mouth.
Floatzel made a pose. Scrafty did not get up. Its eyes closed.
"And bye bye, Scrafty! What you got for me, huh?"
"Grrr, I'll get you! Pangoro! Go!"
Scout leaned in at the sight of the large panda pokémon.
"Oh, thats pretty cool looking. Dark and fighting, eh? I should get one for Miss P."
"Are we battling or not? Ill gladly accept your surrender," Olivia said.
"Oh, we're fightin all right," Scout said.
"Fine, then. Pangoro, use crunch!"
The panda pokémon snapped at the twig in its mouth, and lifted up Floatzel.
"No, Floatzel! Hang in there buddy!"
Floatzel dizzily got up. It tried to give him a thumbs up, but its little arms shook with exertion.
"Ice beam!"
Out from Floatzel's mouth came a frosty blast. It hit Pangoro, and ice already began to form over its body. In seconds, Pangoro was a solid block of ice.
"Ey, My Floatzel is a real champ at makin' ice sculptures!"
Pangoro, fight it out, Olivia said.
The block of ice began to shudder. Finally, a fist pushed through, and the ice shards shattered to pieces.
"That's one well trained pokémon," Scout said admiringly.
"Shame it had to be with a brat like you."
"You! I'll show you. Pangoro--"
"Not so fast. C'mere, buddy."
He tossed a glass of clear water to his Floatzel.
"Drink up, and show that Panda who's boss."
"As I was saying. Pangoro, use slam!"
Pangoro rushed, and slammed into Floatzel. Floatzel flinched at the hit.
"C'mon, Floatzel! You can last this! Just a little more. Put 'em on ice!"
A wintry arctic beam came out of Floatzel's mouth, and this time, Pangoro didn't fight out of its icy prison.
Olivia let out a growl. "Pangoro, take a break now."
She brought out her Throh this time.
"Throh. Use karate chop!"
It was too much. Floatzel was on the brink of passing out. Scout flinched.
"Buddy, no! Not like this! Floatzel! You fought good. Come on back home now."
He called Floatzel back to the pokéball.
Scout began to look down at his pokéballs. In this battle, most of them had been injured.
All the while, Miss Pauling had kept rather quiet to not distract Scout. Because, let's be honest, Scout distracted REALLY easily when it came to her, and he needed to be as focused as possible right now.
"Scout, take this!"
She tossed a pokéball to him.
"Like a favor from a lady..."
He took the pokéball, and kissed the top. "I won't let you down, Miss Pauling."
"You caught and raised so many pokémon for me, and everyone. I think they would be honored to fight by you again."
"Geez....I'm losin' it here," Scout said shakily. His lower lip trembled with emotion.
"You can lose it later. Just beat up that little girl for me," Miss Pauling said.
"Let's go, Miss P's pokémon!"
"You don't even know what she gave you?" Olivia said incredulously.
"Her love and favor. That's what she got."
It was Espeon which came out. Dignified and regal and very lavender, with a flickering slitted tail. Its eyes stared on, unblinking and enigmatic at the scene.
Scout couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, man. This is too easy."
"Hey, that's cheating."
"You literally stole a building, so shaddaup about cheating!"
"I-It doesn't matter. Throh, use Seismic Toss!"
"Espeon, psychic!"
Throh tried to get a grip on the cat pokémon, but Espeon's eyes glowed. A shining force surrounded it as Throh was lifted up, and savagely thrown across the room.
Scout smirked. "You can't beat me. I've got Miss P's love, and ain't nothin' that can stop me now. This building is as good as ours."
"Espeon, finish it off with a Psybeam!"
Right from the circle between its eyes a beam of shimmering purple came out and slammed into Throh. Throh was knocked to the ground. The pokémon tried to push up, but the effort was too much.
"I'-Im not giving up so easily," Olivia said.
"Do you even have any pokémon left? C'mon, pipsqueak. Unless you got a freakin' legendary pokémon hidden away, you ain't getting past Miss Pauling's love. It's just too strong."
Scout held out his arms. "Why dontcha surrender, yeah?"
"S-Sawk, let's go," Olivia said.
Sawk shifted from side to side, ready to kick. In most cases, a Sawk could kick their way through anything.
But faced against a psychic pokémon, they might've as been as durable as a cardboard cutout.
"Go on, Espeon. Finish this. I almost feel bad bullyin' a little kid like this," Scout said smugly.
Sawk didn't even get a single kick in before a psychic blast of Espeon's utterly defeated Sawk.
"That's enough, Olivia. Rest your pokémon a while."
Gray Mann lifted one gnarled hand.
"Now it is our turn to fight, boy."
"All my pokémon are injured. Lemme give 'em some candy or something at least," Scout said.
"Rules are rules. When you are challenged, your only response is to fight."
"I got like fifty-thousand Full Restores, and if my pokémon so much as get a scratch, I'll use 'em up. I will totally be that asshole."
"Language. You are in the presence of a child."
"Now, Olivia. Bring me my pokéballs."
"I'm coming, grandpa."
"Good girl."
She tossed out a pokéball for him.
"Rhydon, let's go."
Out came a towering pokémon, about the size of a mountain.
"Floatzel, I know you're tired, but you gotta fight for just a little more. Floatzel! Kick his butt!"
Floatzel could barely stand, but it gave Scout one shaky paws up.
"Surf!"
And that mountain of a pokémon couldn't withstand an attack like that. The entire room was flooded with water, as if it wasn't damaged enough. Debris and rubble--and the Rhydon itself--were swept away. The large televisions were filled with static now. Some of them sparked and made popping noises.
Miss Pauling flinched as another screen went dark. The pokémon battles weren't good for the electrical system and computers, that was for sure.
"Hunph," Gray Mann said. "Olivia, call the pokémon back."
Floatzel struck a pose, one that she'd seen Scout do. It sort of looked like someone trying to sneeze into their elbow, and then holding up the other arm for balance.
Scout promptly mimicked the same move. But neither seemed to be sneezing. Maybe it was some cool new dance move she wasn't hip enough to understand.
"Our first battle was lucky for you, yes, but your pokémon are injured. You can't fight me forever. I could call much of my team here," Gray Mann said.
"Check again, old man. I called in some friends. Ain't nobody coming to help you."
If she couldn't beat him in a pokemon battle, then... then....
Of course! He was a helpless old man on life support. Why hadn't she thought of this earlier? Scout must've rubbed off on her, and made her be almost honorable for once.
"You took the base from us, and made the Administrator go into hiding. For that, I'll never forgive you," Miss Pauling said.
"Olivia beat Saxton Hale fair and square. You act as if you're such an innocent in this, but I know you helped destroy other Teams."
Miss Pauling lifted her chin defiantly. "They deserved it."
"And your Team Fortress was so innocent? You were so innocent? Then, no matter, it's now Team Rubble, or perhaps Team Ashes?"
He laughed then, until he fell into a hoarse coughing fit. "Really, you're a hypocrite who convinced yourself you're the hero. How sad."
"I never convinced myself of anything," she said between gritted teeth.
Because in the end, it was Scout. Scout who reached out and turned Team Fortress into practically a charitable organization. And in the end, Scout who made her see the beauty of the world, and how it could be.
It wasn't enough to simply remake the team as it once was. Now she had something to protect.
"It's so very funny the delusional thinking that is going on. Team Fortress, a kind place? Do they not know about the stealing, the fraud, and the plans that little Olivia stopped completely. I wonder what would've been like had Team Fortress actually gotten.
"What's this old man ramblin' on about?" Scout said.
"Just rambling," Miss Pauling said quietly.
Scout cupped his hands about his mouth to make his voice carry further. "Hey grandpa, retire already! It's obvious you ain't got two damn brain cells left!"
"She's not an innocent, you know?" Gray Mann said.
"Excuse me? I think you got the wrong lady, maybe a Miss Pearling or Miss Pinking, because Miss Pauling is awesome, you freak! She found the whole rest of the guys. She works her butt off! You don't know anythin' you crusty old creep!"
Scout turned to her.
"Winning, losing. It won't change the truth that I have done better for the world by destroying this world than you could ever imagine. Perhaps I even saved it," Gray Mann said.
She held out her hands to refer to the massive industrial room, now utterly destroyed.
"This is what you call saving? This?"
"Better than your rule," Gray Mann said.
She looked to him.
Of course.
"You know, I thought of the perfect thing."
"Yeah?" Scout said eagerly.
"A brick."
"A brick type pokémon?" Scout said.
"No, just a brick. Somewhere along the way, everyone forgot we're going against an old man and a little girl."
Miss Pauling lifted up the brick and slammed it into the wires of his life support system. He took a large gasp.
"You...do you see now what kind of person she is?"
Scout gaped. She knew it would happen eventually. Even if she'd showed a kinder side, she still had been completely ruthless for the Administrator for much of her life.
"Holy fuck that's hot! God, if you get any hotter, you'd burn up the entire world, holy crap!"
"Here, let's do elderly abuse to save the world!"
"What are you doing?" Gray Mann said, with rising desperation in his voice. "D-Don't come any closer.... Olivia!"
"I'll help, grandpa--"
"Scout, would you do something for me?" Miss Pauling said sweetly.
"Anything, babe."
"Grab that kid so I can beat this old man senseless."
Olivia broke off as Scout lifted her up.
"Nope, kiddo. We got some business with your grandpa and you ain't gonna interrupt it."
"Let! Me! Go! I'm going to bite you!"
"Sheesh brat. I might need a rabies shot when this is all over," Scout said.
"Look, the law of the land most of all is talk shit, get hit. And this guy talks mad shit, like he ate a ton of ex-lax."
Olivia kicked at him. But Scout still held her tight as Miss Pauling sloshed through the water, a brick in hand. Gray Mann could only stare in horror as she came closer and closer.
"You forget, I control this place. And it is me you must answer to," Gray Mann said, though his voice was not quite as confident as it had been before.
"Give it up, or give up your life. That's your choice."
Her dark eyes were dangerous, daring him on.
"I suppose the base is useless in its current state... Let Olivia go and I will retreat," Gray Mann said.
Scout set her down.
She immediately kicked his shins.
"Ow! Frickin' hell, you're a brat!"
Olivia wheeled away Gray Mann.
And this broken down, waterlogged, nearly destroyed rubble was all theirs.
*
"Man, we are gonna have to do a LOT of sweeping," Scout said.
They managed to slip through the doors, which didn't even work anymore and were sparking in an alarming way.
Just past them in the next metal-filled room, they saw a familiar figure.
"Oh, hey, Spy. You look like you got your ass kicked."
Spy coughed. "Undoing the defenses, I ran afoul of some of them. It is...no matter."
The laser had seared his mask.Scout stared in shock, and yes--recognition.
"Wait--you're the guy in ma's picture. Ma always said that."
"Spy you--"
"...Yes?" Spy said guardedly.
"Have a twin that is my dad? You're my uncle?"
"How on earth did you come to that conclusion?"
"Or maybe you're like one of them--doppelgangers," Scout said.
"No, and no. Again, what makes you say that."
"Well, it's logical. You said that my dad is gone, and you look just like my dad, so obviously, you got an identical twin."
"I have no brothers."
Scout looked like he was doing difficult math in his head. "If you're not my uncle, and you look like my dad..."
"Figure it out," Spy said.
"Eh, I got nothin'," Scout said.
"Then, all that was a lie?"
"Better than the truth.'
A rumble and a series of sparks showered down onto the wet floor.
"Not to interrupt your heart-to-heart with your dad, but it's getting unsafe in here," Miss Pauling said.
"My what?"
"We have to get out of here. We can speak later," Spy said.
Spy limped along.
"Leave me; I will be fine."
"Like hell I am! C'mon, we're all gettin' out of here! We got some catchin' up to do, and you got some explainin' to do," Scout said.
And Scout all but dragged him out of there.
*
With a massive series of explosion, the base caved in on itself. She could only hope that the rest got out in time. If not....If not....
"Babe, you okay?"
"I...just need a minute. I'll be okay eventually. Just...a minute."
"All right," Scout said softly. "I'll give you at least five. Maybe more."
Scout looked beyond them.
"Spy disappeared, that asshole. I'm gonna go check on the others."
Miss Pauling stared down at the rubble. In the end, she'd failed. She'd gotten the Team back together, but it hadn't been enough to save the base.
Scout had gone to check on the others. And Miss Pauling had numbly looked at what she had worked so hard to save. The
She almost didn't notice the figure. A purple suit, a hat slung low. But when she looked up, Miss Pauling knew immediately.
"Administrator! You came back!"
"Came back to the rubble," she said. The Administrator lit up a cigarette and cast a disapproving glance.
"I...tried."
"The building? It's worthless; I've dozens more. The Team, however. That is gone forever."
"What are you talking about? Scout and I found them, and brought them back. And he brought so many more people into the Team."
"Yes, sniveling children which he caught creatures for. Exactly the kind of forces we needed. Look at the mockery you've made the team. Friendship and helping children? This is to be your legacy?"
Administrator curled her ruby red lips up in disgust.
She felt a sudden dizziness, like if she'd been slapped. Everything she'd done was to please the Administrator. She'd broken laws, and broken down other teams on command. She'd ruined the dreams of people who simply wanted to continue on their pokémon journey, and helped the Administrator.
She'd looked up the Administrator for so long. All her memories were of this building, of doing The Administrator's dirty work.
And she'd been good at it, this secretary work. Well, secretary work and more. Nobody there could outdo her loyalty, her work ethic. She'd been the right hand of the Administrator for so long. And she'd always thought that maybe, one day she'd get a smile, an acknowledgment. She'd be able to tell he Administrator that she respected her so.
What had you really thought? That she'd be grateful?
But she liked this, she liked Scout's easy smile and how easily he caught pokémon or made friends. Rather than the constant grinding feeling of her job, she'd had fun. And maybe they'd made the world a better place by pairing so many young trainers.
She lifted her chin. "Yes.... I couldn't save the base, but I got the Team back together. And, I've--we've--decided that Team Fortress will leave a legacy of keeping the world safe and happy. If nobody else will take the Team, then that's what it will be."
"You turned my organization into a daycare. You've ruined everything this team stood for, and turned us into a complete mockery," the Administrator said, her voice filled with disdain. "To think you would sully the name of the Team which destroyed a thousand other Teams like this."
She dropped the cigarette to the floor. The ember still burned.
"Obviously I misjudged you. I thought you would make a good heir to the team, and my legacy. But, he put all those stupid ideas in your mind. Love, friendship...in this world, all that matters is in this world is power. And you lost sight of that."
Miss Pauling stared down as the last ember was snuffed out.
"With all due respect, Administrator, when Saxton Hale was defeated, you let them take Team Fortress. You abandoned everyone and left me to clean up the mess. I was the one who found all the rest of the Team and made the plans to help retake the base. So I guess that makes me the new Administrator now."
Something flickered in the Administrator's cold gaze.
"No matter. Team Fortress is useless to me now. I will rebuild, and make sure to make much better hiring choices in my next Team."
"You'd abandon us?"
"Abandon what? You were all. merely tools in the end. You knew that, Miss Pauling. You did my dirty work. That boy must've rubbed off on you."
"I thought I was different," Miss Pauling said.
"I don't tolerate failure, Miss Pauling. I'll raise up a new second-in-command. One who isn't quite so soft-hearted.
All she'd done for the Administrator, all her work..it meant nothing to the Administrator in the end.
But there were people who it meant something to. Her teammates, Scout, and the many people Scout had befriended. The ones they'd saved along the way.
She balled her fist.
"And we'll be there to stop you," Miss Pauling said. Though her voice shook, she continued on, "Because that's what we're going to be now. Fortress means defense, and that's what we'll do," she said, her voice growing stronger with each word. "We'll keep every pokémon safe, and make sure that nobody ever uses legendary pokémon to threaten the world with."
"I should like to see you try. It would be amusing at best." And with that, without even a goodbye, Administrator left. Or, she should say, the former Administrator.
Her shoulders slumped as the last vision of the Administrator's purple dress, and her large hat that was over her perfectly coiffed, graying hair. In a single moment, her life had changed.
No, she thought. Her life had changed long ago. She just hadn't realized how much those dreams, and those values would shift, and become incompatible with each other.
"It's like you evolved to the Administrator at level 55," Scout said, his voice filled with awe.
Miss Pauling bit her lower lip. "I guess I did."
"What was with that guy back there?"
"What?"
"That creep kept sayin' weird things about you. I kinda wish he were here so I could punch him in. I don't usually want to beat down the elderly, but for him I can make an exception."
"I've done some really horrible things, Scout. I mean, you saw me there. Team Fortress...it did bad things. I helped. You never seemed to realize you were one of the villains. You just kept on catching pokémon and helping children..."
She laughed softly.
"Team Fortress was not a nice organization, to put it mildly. The best I can say is Team Machine stopped many of the Administrator's plans from coming to fruition. Though their own plans were pretty dire, too. There really is no hero here."
"No, there is. You're a hero," Scout said stubbornly.
"I almost beat an old man with a brick, Scout. I threatened his life."
"Epic hero shit. Totally hot."
She broke out laughing. "Only you..."
"Listen, babe, you know none of that changes anythin' about how I feel about you, right? Whatever you done in the past don't change a thing."
"I mean, bricks aside... The truth is, you made me want to become a better person," she said.
"I liked being out in the sunlight and seeing children laughing, of meeting new pokémon. You made me appreciate and see the world in ways I never had before. You made me believe."
She smiled softly.
He took her hand.
The rest of the men had come into the room. She didn't know if they'd seen the exchange. She looked to them, one by one.
"So, you, ahem, made it. I don't know how much you saw, but this is how it is. Team Fortress is doing some major restructuring. If you all want to go join the Administrator's new team, go on now. I know the basis of the Team has...er, changed a bit. It might not be what you're used to, but this is the way I intend to go. From now on, we're going to be protecting the world, saving it, even. And if Scout has any say, I'm sure he'll be giving away pokémon by the dozens to every kid he passes by."
"Oh, damn straight," Scout said.
Pyro made a series of huddas, and gestured with their hands.
"They're saying they want to pet more Ponytas and...maybe they want to pass some out to local kids goin' by? Couldn't quite make out the last one. Either way, I'd say that Pyro is perfectly happy with the way things are goin'," Engineer said.
"We could hand some out together, but you gotta promise not to set the kiddos on fire, okay?" Scout said.
Pyro nodded happily.
"I'm not kiddin'. The lighters get put away when we're goin' past trainers. And yeah, I will be checkin'."
Sniper shrugged. "I'll still take jobs elsewhere, but I can stick around. This kind of namby-pamby charity work might finally get my parents off my case."
A Sandile came up close to his leg, wires in its maw. Sniper bent down and rubbed at its head. "Who's a good boy?"
Engineer smiled. "That the only reason?"
"'course.' Sniper cleared his throat. "I'll be around."
"You goin' to make a whole ranch for that herd of Sandiles you got?" Engineer said.
"Nah, they wouldn't like bein' cooped up. Can barely keep 'em in their pokéballs. They're meant to be free, anyways. But they like stickin' around me. Must be because they loved eatin' my food so much," Sniper said.
"Must be," Engineer said dryly.
"Ach, we ain't about to be abandonin' you, Miss Pauling. But like they said, I'll do other jobs. Not on other teams--I have some morals. But I got a job with demolitions in Celadon City. And Soldier here is goin' to be helpin'."
Soldier stood at attention, and gave a slightly off salute. "I will protect all the pokémon!"
"I go where Doktor goes. That is final," Heavy said.
"Well, this is certainly a change," Medic said. He shrugged then. "Then again, I could use a break. Healing, hurting, it's all fun in the end."
"I suppose it would be a nice break," Spy said. "And I have some catching up to do."
He glanced to Scout. Scout begrudgingly gave him a nod. "Tons and tons of catchin' up to do."
"All right, by unanimous vote, we are Team Fortress again. We'll start working on figuring out where the next base will be another day. I think we all could use some lunch. Though, after that, Medic, there's some sentry pokémon that need to be taken care of," Miss Pauling said.
"Already on it. I been teachin' the Joltik's Scout went and caught to get me my tools. It took a lot of them, but they were able to bring 'em to my dispensers," Engineer said.
"Handy! Oh, and I got some more for you, and a Magnezone that could use some healin'," Scout dug out the little red and white balls and handed them to Engineer by the fistful.
"Much obliged," Engineer said.
"You'll have a whole swarm at this rate," Miss Pauling said. "Is that the correct term for spiders? You know, I don't know."
Engineer chuckled. "They'll happily power my entire workroom at this point. Cleanest energy about."
"I sent out a mass text thankin' everyone who pitched in. Looks like the sentry pokémon that didn't get taken in by Engie some of them already got. They'll have new homes!"
"So, no one was hurt?"
"Everyone's accounted for, and they checked every room. All the pokémon got rescued," Scout said.
"Right," she said. "Look, I'm still new to this whole leader thing, Administrator thing, so could you be a little patient?"
"What are you talkin' about? You're doin' a great job, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise!"
"So, Miss Admin. Does this mean we're Team Fortress 2?"
"I think it does, Mr. Scout," Miss Pauling said.
He gave her a smile with so much promise, and so much hope. And Miss Pauling knew that she had made the right choice.
Epilogue.
Nine years later.
The mantle was covered with pictures.
One was captured, unaware, as Scout knelt before her and offered her a pokéball. He'd
given her many pokéballs. over the years, but in this one was the glint of gold, not a new friend.
"Miss Pauling, I choose you!", he had yelled out as he slipped it on her fingers.
Then, there was one caught early on in the wedding, just in front of the fruit punch as Scout brought up his plans to invite all the friends he'd made along the way--nearly every trainer in the world.
"Can't we broadcast it?"
Engineer had helped pioneer quite a bit of technology for her, and now Team Fortress 2, as Scout liked to put it, was the most technologically advanced Team about.
Then there was a snapshot of her six months along, barely able to fit into her dresses and forced to do all her work via video calls. While not pictured, Scout had been her constant aide, bringing food no matter the hour, and running whatever errand she needed, no matter how irrational. Then there was a picture of her in the hospital, not at her most flattering moment, with a little bundle of joy (and screaming) in her arms.
And today there would be new pictures to add to the ever crowded mantle space. The villa with its beautiful, self-sustaining gardens, had been kept for vacations. But they'd moved into an off-base house, with enough space for how their family had grown.
Today she had notified the members of Team Fortress 2 that she would be busy. Hopefully no disasters would befall the world as she took out some time to spend with her family. If not, she'd trust the local ten year olds with the pokémon Scout caught them to take care of it. By now they were probably honorary Team Fortress 2 members, anyways.
She carried the cake carefully and laid it on the kitchen counter. In icing was written Happy ninth birthday, Alice! It had little pink swirls all about the front and a pokéball at the end.
The table was covered in pokéballs. So much as a nudge threatened to completely send them all crashing to the floor.
Scout counted them out, from a big backpack he'd stuffed to the brim with little red and white balls.
"Someone was busy," she said.
"I had to get a lot of catchin' done in one day. I didn't wanna miss the big day," Scout said.
"You say that like you haven't been catching for months," she said.
"Yeaah, welll, I waaas but then I ended up givin' 'em out. Sad little kiddos on the streets needed new friends, you know?"
She chuckled. Oh, how she knew. They'd had enough years together, and in them he'd caught countless pokémon and managed to give away almost all of them. Team Fortress now was known as a charity among charities, the irony was not lost on her, considering how they'd started.
"I caught a Minnicio, A Lilpup and a Growlithe. Except I ran into some preschoolers on the way and had to give them some hand outs, so I ended up gettin' her somethin' else."
"There's more than that there," she said. She gestured to the overflowing table.
"Oh, I caught somethin' for Nate, Reika, Kenny, Julie, Sandy, Mandy--They're gonna show up pretty soon to give her some gifts, too."
"Sandy and Mandy?"
Scout grinned. "Little pair of twins at the daycare down the way. I got 'em a a pair of Sunkerns. The yellow reminded me of their little hats. Maybe the little kiddo will look like them."
Her back garden had begun to flourish. Scout always left with an egg, and returned with tales of trainers he'd helped along the way.
Her little girl's Herdier yapped away as it ran about her feet. When Alice was born, Scout had tracked down the last relative of that beloved Stoutland and gotten an egg from it, just to have a pup that grew up with his little girl. And Herdier and Alice had quickly become inseparable.
"Mom! It's almost time to go on my pokémon journey!"
Scout scrunched up his nose. "That don't sound right. You know the rule in this household is you don't go on pokémon journeys until you're at least fifty, right?"
"But daaad!" She reached up and tugged on his red shirt. "I'm gonna take that title of Champion right from you."
"Take it from me?" He reached down and grabbed her baseball cap, and held it above her while she laughed and tried to hop up to reach it. Her Herdier clamped down on his jeans and began to tug along as well. "You can't even get your hat back, and you wanna take this crown? C'mon."
They almost ran into the mantle, and toppled over the picture from last year when he'd on a whim, decided to challenge the Elite Four and become a Champion.
"Hey, now. Liam, Alice Pauling-Dempsey, you two settle down right now" she said sternly. "Journeys usually start when you're ten. You're only nine."
They both grinned at her.
"But ten? I don't think that sounds right. I'm pretty sure my baby girl is supposed to hang around a lot longer than then."
"But that's when everyone else is making their pokémon journeys!" Alice protested. "Sandy and Mandy even got to go out and catch bug pokémon today at the bug catching contest!"
"You could always work with the Team!" Scout said brightly.
Alice puffed out her cheeks. "I wanna be a Champion like you, dad," she said.
"Hmmm... Maybe we could go together. Like some dad and daughter bondin' time. But if I go with her, then I'll have to leave the love of my life behind...."
"Did you forget something? Champions have to sit around up in your ivory tower," she said.
"Trust me, I don't forget. I got tons of time in there. I do plenty of laps and push ups. Nobody told me how much bein' the best is just waitin' for somethin' to happen. On the bright side, I look more fantastic than ever. See?" He pulled up his shirt to show her.
She rolled her eyes, but fondly.
"Scout, you showed me that ten times today and it isn't even noon yet."
"Only ten, I gotta up my game," Scout said.
"I'll come in and fight you!" Alice said. Her Herdier yapped as she balled her fists, already to fight. "That'll keep you busy, dad!"
"Eh, I might not even have the title by the time you get there, pumpkin. Had somebody get through 3 of those Elite Four, and only lost it with the last one just yesterday. There's so many great trainers out there, it's only a matter of time that one of those kiddos I gave all those great pokémon to would level up," Scout said.
"But, I gotta beat you and become champion!"
"Well, you better get trainin', pumpkin. Especially as you're gonna have to beat out the next future champ comin'," Scout said.
She patted her baby bulge. Only three months more and they'd have another little one to take care of.
"That's right, if you run off too fast you'll miss bein' a big sister."
"Oh no! I wanna have pokémon battles with them when they finally get here!"
Finding out that she had twins was certainly a surprise on the baby monitor. Scout was not only overjoyed, but also had instantly began to think of the perfect pokémon combos for double battling for what he called 'double trouble.'
Alice tried to hug her mother, but couldn't reach around her big bump. She puffed out her cheeks. "Mooom, I can't hug you right."
"Here, you gotta hug her from the side. Now, look, we'll hug her together. Family hug time!"
Alice giggled, and she was embraced by all sides by her little family.
"Alice, why not just take it slow? There's a couple badges nearby. You could train with your dad when he's off duty."
Alice stared up at her mother like she had just spoke French. She was her father's daughter after all; slow wasn't in her vocabulary.
"Your mom's got real good ideas, pumpkin. We could go take a flight on the Pigeot express and go to the bug catchin' contest next Saturday."
"Really?"
"Sure! You don't need a badge for that. Maybe you can catch yourself a Butterfree," he said.
He grinned at Alice. "But if you're goin' against your old dad, I gotta warn: I'm a master at catchin' pokémon."
Scout rested his hand against her bump. "Just think, I'm gonna have a future champion in just a couple months. Make that champions. They'll be the first duo leader of the Elite Four."
"I'm a future Champion!" Her yell set Herdier to yapping all over again.
"You didn't let me finish! That's Future Champion number two and three. You're gonna be Future Champion number one. That is, if Sandy and Mandy at the daycare don't beat you out."
"C'mon, dad. They have a Pidgey and a Spearow," Alice said.
"That was last week. He's already given them some new pokémon," she said.
"I thought they could use some friends. It's just makin' it a better fight for when you go out and play with your Herdier."
"So, what else do you want for your birthday, other than breakin' your dad's heart?" he said.
"A legendary!"
He pulled out something from his bag.
"That's just a mirror, dad."
"But you're pretty legendary," Scout said.
"Daaaad."
"All right, all right."
He pulled out a package from his bag, which she eagerly unwrapped.
Alice looked starry-eyed down at the presents. "Trainer gear, cool!"
"You gotta be lookin' professional when I take you out to your first gym battle."
"Mom, did you see?"
"Despite the glasses, I'm not blind yet," she said flippantly.
"I'm going to look so great when I go out and battle, dad won't be able to stop talking about me!"
"So, no change?" Scout said.
She laughed.
"And, that ain't all." He handed a little pokéball to Alice.
"Might not be a legendary, but I got somethin' I think you'd like."
She let out a gasp as the shining silvery Eevee sprung out of the ball. "Oh, it's beautiful!" She clutched it to her chest and hugged it tight. Her Herdier sniffed at it suspiciously for a moment, but soon broke into happy yips at its new friend.
"You're a smart girl, like your mom, so I don't gotta tell you the name. See, that pokémon can evolve a ton of different ways. They're findin' new ways all the time. Just like you. You don't gotta feel like you're boxed in to one way. You can do anythin' you want. You could start your journey and learn from the best."
"Even go on my pokémon journey next year?" she said.
"When you got on your journey in five or fifty more years," Scout added.
"Fifty years!" Mooom!"
"Okay, okay, make that forty-nine," Scout said. He rubbed at his chin.
"Thoough, fifty-like whole years of trainin' under your belt? Ugh, you'll destroy me at this rate."
"I sure will! Then I'll be a real champion!"
Scout smirked. "You gotta go through me to get that title, pumpkin. Now, you wanna beat me? Then just try and catch me. Tag, you're it!"
Scout took off at a run through the garden.
Alice tightened her curly ponytail, and rushed after her dad.
All kinds of Butterfrees and grass pokémon filled the back garden, that he had specifically caught for her.
A flock of Ducklett had settled in the pond. Scout hadn't even caught them, they had simply tamed themselves and become a part of their lives. Alice had taken to taking table scraps out to the smallest of the bunch, in an attempt to get her very first water and flying type. Alice's Herdier kept giving them tiny gifts of new ponds and puddles with its digging habit. No Teams had sprung up as of yet, but when they did, Team Fortress would be there to destroy them.
"Woow, look, dad!"
Alice pointed at the small Ducklett that was oh so close.
"I see it, pumpkin. You want me to catch it for you?"
"I wanna try myself. You even put pokéballs in there! But--Dad, do I really have to weaken it to capture it? That's what I heard on TV. I don't want to hurt it."
"Naw. If you're as good as me, you can totally wing it." He winked, and bent down.
"What do I do now?"
"Just talk nice to it. But not too loud, or you'll spook it."
"Hey, Ducklett. You wanna be my friend? If you just get in this pokéball, we can go on adventures together. I'm little too."
The Ducklett slowly and warily swam over towards her.
"Now, bring out the food."
Alice held out her hands, filled with a bit of corn. The Ducklett got even closer. She bumped the pokéball with her knee and shut her eyes tight, not daring to see if the pokémon would break free. The ball shuddered once, twice, three times and then one last time before going still.
Alice dared open one eye.
"You caught it, baby!"
"My first catch, and it wasn't even something stupid like a Rattata!"
"Aww, be nice. Rattata's are good, too."
She puffed out her cheeks. "My Ducklett is still MUCH cooler. Did you know they evolve into Swannas? Those are pretty! Mom has one and I want one too!"
Alice rushed back towards the house.
"Mom! Mom! I caught my first pokémon! I have three now!"
"Trust me, if your dad had his way, you'd have thirty-three by now," she said.
They were interrupted by a phone call. She glared at it.
Of all days.. Though she was tempted to ignore it entirely, she knew if a call came through, something must've truly gone wrong.
"Just a second, I have to take this."
"Administrator Pauling-Dempsey here," she said.
Her brow furrowed.
"Already? I'll let the rest of them know right away. Thank you for letting me know," she said.
She ended the call with a perfunctory goodbye.
"What's up?" Scout said.
"There was a sighting of a legendary pokémon, and other Teams are drooling at the possibility of capturing it. And there's reports of a new Team springing up a few cities away. The last thing we need is some stupid bunch of grunts unleashing havoc on the world because they made some plan to turn the world into land of the fondues."
"We'll curb-stomp those creeps, no worries," Scout said.
"But your job as champion--"
"Ey, it ain't like champions are there all the time. Just look at Cynthia, Wallace, Lance. They sure get around. To say nothing of Red. He was out there in the mountains for how long?"
Even though he'd become Champion, Scout kept close. Occasionally he would go out for runs and come back with ten new friends and twenty new pokémon, half of which had already been given away to trainers along the way. The rest would be offered up to her as gifts.
In fact, she'd ordered another up and coming Team, called Team Stripe, decimated before they could make their vile redecorating and pokémon stealing ways go across the world.
"But, are you sure it's okay to go this soon to the baby bein' born?" Scout said.
She rested her hand on her stomach. Lately, babies two and three were been quite a lively kickers. She had a feeling these two were going to resemble him as well, just as Alice did.
This far along might cause complications if she overworked herself.
"I'll send a message to headquarters to take care of it. If any of the other Teams strike, we'll send in whoever is nearest to defend the pokémon. I think Soldier was closest at this rate," she said.
"I hate to miss the battle, but I'm not leavin' you alone this close," Scout said stubbornly.
She smiled. "It's fine. There'll always be more battles for us to fight at the front lines, I suppose."
"And I'll always be right there, by your side," Scout said.
She leaned into him and gave him a kiss.
Alice made a raspberry and a farting sound at them. She broke apart with a laugh. Alice certainly took after him.
"Hey, pumpkin. You wanna open the rest of your presents I got you? Trust me, you got plenty to look forward to. Sniper's probably gotta get his whole circus of Sandiles in gear to come, so he'll probably be late. Engie's comin' by teleporter so he and Pyro will probably be the first ones here. Who even knows with Demo and Soldier. They'll show up with a bunch of destruction in their wake. And then Heavy and Medic will show up!"
"Yeah!"
Given how Scout would invite every single person he knew to this party, they'd made her birthday a weeks long affair so everyone could fit.
Heavy and Medic in particular had taken to spoiling her, having no children of their own. Well, human children as their pokémon were certainly spoiled.
Though, Medic had a habit of giving Alice the noisy kinds of gifts like a recorder or a harmonica or a little wand which sounded like vomiting the more you shook it. It all felt like a revenge plot, one discordant recorder note at a time.
Scout's mother was set to come along soon enough, with her own bunch of presents. Spy, too, would be sure to be there. He was a surprisingly doting grandfather.
And time had mended some of the distance between Spy and Scout, though they still bickered at times.
Alice eagerly ripped off the shiny paper of the presents, one by one. By her side, her Herdier leaned in to sniff the new pair of running shoes she lifted up.
"Wow, dad! These are super cool! Just like yours!"
He gave Alice a big grin. "We can go runnin' together now. Right through those deep grasses. I bet you'll have tons of pokémon by the time the week is done. Maybe you'll even share with the other kiddos?"
She stuck out her tongue. "Nuh-uh, I wanna get some for myself first!"
"You gotta remember, givin' people pokémon is one of the best parts in life."
"I will but...I wanna make my team first. Is that okay?"
"Of course, pumpkin. You got plenty more to catch, after all," Scout said.
The timer went off in the kitchen.
"Ah, there it is. Now, who's ready for some birthday cake?" she said.
Both of them let out a chorus of Me!
She smiled. "Time to dig in."
"Race you to it?"
"You're on!"
And both her daughter and her husband rushed to the table.
Author's note: This isn't actually connected to kidfic universe aka Something New, but as I was writing this Scout daughter, I realized I was just writing Alice without realizing it. So, Alice has a multiverse? Sounds good to me.
Series: TF2(/Pokémon)
Character/pairing: Scout/Miss Pauling, ensemble
Rating: did it finally reach PG-13?
Word count: 8,391
Summary: Pokémon AU. Scout may be an elite member of Team Fortress, but he routinely fails at being a villain.
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 ♥
Previous entries: Catch Me | Catch You | Catch These Hands | Catching Flight | Catch Him | Catch Up | Catch 'em All | Catch As Catch Can (Part One.)
*
She recognized the room immediately, despite the restructuring that Team Machine had done in the short time of their reign. This had been the Administrator's room. Her mouth twisted at the sight of Gray Mann in the Administrator's seat, before the row of large televisions all with surveillance footage over it.
She had come in so many times, to this smoke filled room. The Administrator would give her a glance across her shoulder, as Miss Pauling would read the reports--or whatever was asked.
A cute little girl in a green dress drank out of an impossibly small tea cup. She gave an innocent, gentle smile as they came in.
"Olivia, say hello to our guests," came a reedy voice behind them.
"Did you come to play with me?
Scout smiled. "Oh, hey, kiddo."
"I'm Olivia," she said.
A wary look came over Miss Pauling's face. "Olivia?"
Olivia's sweet smile disappeared into a snarl "I beat Saxton Hale, and I'm going beat you black and blue! Your momma won't even recognize you when I'm done."
"Man, that was a big turn around," Scout said. "But, you know, I won't hold back just because you're little, so don't cry when I wipe the floor with you. I'll take care of this, Miss P."
Olivia gave him a disdainful look. "I've beaten bigger people than you, pipsqueak."
Scout gave her an annoyed look. "Pipsqueak? Who you callin' pipsqueak? Hey, I'm way taller than you, short stuff."
"But are you ta~ll enough to deal with my, big, bad pokémon~?"
"Sure I am," Scout said. "Just because you're a kiddo doesn't mean I'm gonna go light on you."
"Ha! You're pretty smug if you think that you can just beat me like that. I took down Saxton Hale, and I'm gonna take down you!" She pointed one of her little fingers at him. "And he was a lot bigger than you, too!"
"Hey, it ain't an arm wrestlin' contest, this is about pokémon."
"Y'know, I don't usually say this, but I wanna beat up this old guy and his granddaughter. Lemme do this for you, Miss P."
Scout was a ranked champion. Really, the only reason why he hadn't taken an actual championship was his constant distraction. He'd get a few badges from a region and another, but never managed to finish them out. He had a whole collection of half-done projects. He'd leave a region after getting a few badges, (just to show off to her later) and catching a bunch of pokémon and then give half of the catch to kids and other trainers he met along the way.
As much as she loved them, her pokémon weren't nearly as strong as his team. She'd spent most of her time indoors, taking care of issues that pertained to Team Fortress. And she might not have a type advantage, given this would likely be mostly fighting and steel and she'd ended up with a whole bunch of dark types.
"I'll take care of this one, Miss P. Just leave it to me. Let me do this for you. Like one of those--knights, fightin' for their queen, who they also love. I'll beat up this little girl, just for you!" Scout said.
"All right. Kick their butts for me," Miss Pauling said.
"With pleasure," Scout said.
She tossed out a yellow pokéball, and out came a Machamp.
"A fightin' type? Oh, whatever will I do~ Y'know, Miss P, fightin' types are real effective against dark types."
"I'm not in this battle," she said.
"Just sayin'! You got a buncha those. They seem to like you."
"You know what else is great against fightin'? Take a wild guess!"
He threw his pokéball like he was winding up for a big game.
He brought out a pokéball and out came his huge Pigeot. The bird lifted up its wings in triumph, and stared down the four-armed gray muscled pokémon.
"Hey, Pigeot. It's time to fly like you've never flown before."
Pigeot ruffled its feathers, as if to say like I don't always fly hard. It was Scout's Pigeot; it would be a sassy little thing.
Pigeot lifted its massive wings and alighted to the air, with such force that its wingbeats echoed through the room.
"Machamp, brace yourself. Endure!" Olivia said.
Machamp tensed and held its four arms out in front of its face.
Pigeot took a dive, and slammed into Machamp, knocking it off base.
But, even a strike like that didn't take Machamp out.
"Rock throw!"
Pigeot flinched, but took the blow. It looked back at Scout.
He'd caught that Pidgey as his first pokémon. They'd been together for years, and now it pushed on even though it'd been hurt.
The Pigeot had been hit so hard that it couldn't even act immediately. Olivia jumped on the chance.
"Machamp, use crunch!"
The Machamp slammed Pigeot into the ground. Pigeot let out a weak cry.
"That's cheating! I ain't had my turn yet."
"Your Pigeot was clearly flinched. So, your turn is forfeit," Olivia said. She sneered, no longer trying to pretend to be cutesy.
"You sure are using big words for such a little girl."
"I read--you should try it sometime," she said.
"Hey, Pigeot, you ain't some chicken dinner, so don't go eatin' it! Hold on, bud! You can do this! One last strike and that guy is toast."
Pigeot fluffed up its feathers, even though they were dirty now. Pigeot stared down on Machamp with renewed vengeance.
"Fly high, show that Machamp what's what!"
Pigeot flew high above, to the steel-lined stark rafters. Machamp couldn't reach the bird at this rate. With a battle screech, it took a dive and slammed straight into Machamp's chest. Machamp slammed into the ground, and this time, it didn't give up.
Machamp was down with a shudder that left dust in the air from how hard he was hit.
"Machamp, take a rest in your pokéball!"
Olivia gritted her teeth. "It's not fair!"
"Ey, that's just how it is. Told you I wouldn't go easy on you."
She puffed her cheeks out and put her hands on her hips, halfway to a tantrum.
"The next one won't be so easy! You might've gotten lucky that time, but I'll crush you."
She brought out a massive Conkeldurr which balanced itself on huge steel trusses.
"Man, that dude lifts," Scout muttered.
He gave Olivia an appraising glance. "You're pretty young for such high level pokémon, y'know. Somebody else catch it for you? You'd have to stay out pretty late past your bedtime to get one of those."
"Age is only a number. Something you apparently forgot with such small pokémon. Imagine how good you'd be if you actually put any effort or practice instead of constantly running your mouth."
"Hey, I'm the one who just trounced you! And there's nothin' small about my Pigeot. Look at it, if this bird could lift and flex, my Pigeot would."
"You took out one pokémon. I've got plenty more," Olivia said between gritted teeth.
"Bring 'em on, because I've got plenty of pokémon, too."
"Pigeot, c'mon man. You need a break. You fought good."
He called his pokémon back.
"Zebstrika, let's go. Blow that meathead away!"
"Not so fast! Flying Kick!"
Zebstrika reared up and just missed the strike. Conkeldurr kept going and slammed against the wall.
"Now's your chance, man. Flame charge!"
Zebstrika rushed at such incredible speeds that flames danced at its feet and left the ground seared. It
"Hey, Dummy! Here's a lesson. Steel types? Pretty dang weak to fire type moves."
"See? I spoil all my pokémon with real cool accessories. It powers them up in a pinch. You shoul try it sometime."
"And you should try shutting up!"
"Somebody's a sore loser," Scout said.
"You'll be the sore loser in a minute. Scrafty! Let's go! Just try and talk your way out of it. Earthquake!"
The floor split. Zebstrika was slammed hard against the ground with the shockwaves.
"Zebstrika!! Aw fuuuudge. Ill show you!"
"C'mon back and take a break, Zebstrika! Floatzel! Lets sink them six feet under! Underwater, that is! Hydro Canon!
A truly powerful geyser of water erupted from Floatzels mouth.
Floatzel made a pose. Scrafty did not get up. Its eyes closed.
"And bye bye, Scrafty! What you got for me, huh?"
"Grrr, I'll get you! Pangoro! Go!"
Scout leaned in at the sight of the large panda pokémon.
"Oh, thats pretty cool looking. Dark and fighting, eh? I should get one for Miss P."
"Are we battling or not? Ill gladly accept your surrender," Olivia said.
"Oh, we're fightin all right," Scout said.
"Fine, then. Pangoro, use crunch!"
The panda pokémon snapped at the twig in its mouth, and lifted up Floatzel.
"No, Floatzel! Hang in there buddy!"
Floatzel dizzily got up. It tried to give him a thumbs up, but its little arms shook with exertion.
"Ice beam!"
Out from Floatzel's mouth came a frosty blast. It hit Pangoro, and ice already began to form over its body. In seconds, Pangoro was a solid block of ice.
"Ey, My Floatzel is a real champ at makin' ice sculptures!"
Pangoro, fight it out, Olivia said.
The block of ice began to shudder. Finally, a fist pushed through, and the ice shards shattered to pieces.
"That's one well trained pokémon," Scout said admiringly.
"Shame it had to be with a brat like you."
"You! I'll show you. Pangoro--"
"Not so fast. C'mere, buddy."
He tossed a glass of clear water to his Floatzel.
"Drink up, and show that Panda who's boss."
"As I was saying. Pangoro, use slam!"
Pangoro rushed, and slammed into Floatzel. Floatzel flinched at the hit.
"C'mon, Floatzel! You can last this! Just a little more. Put 'em on ice!"
A wintry arctic beam came out of Floatzel's mouth, and this time, Pangoro didn't fight out of its icy prison.
Olivia let out a growl. "Pangoro, take a break now."
She brought out her Throh this time.
"Throh. Use karate chop!"
It was too much. Floatzel was on the brink of passing out. Scout flinched.
"Buddy, no! Not like this! Floatzel! You fought good. Come on back home now."
He called Floatzel back to the pokéball.
Scout began to look down at his pokéballs. In this battle, most of them had been injured.
All the while, Miss Pauling had kept rather quiet to not distract Scout. Because, let's be honest, Scout distracted REALLY easily when it came to her, and he needed to be as focused as possible right now.
"Scout, take this!"
She tossed a pokéball to him.
"Like a favor from a lady..."
He took the pokéball, and kissed the top. "I won't let you down, Miss Pauling."
"You caught and raised so many pokémon for me, and everyone. I think they would be honored to fight by you again."
"Geez....I'm losin' it here," Scout said shakily. His lower lip trembled with emotion.
"You can lose it later. Just beat up that little girl for me," Miss Pauling said.
"Let's go, Miss P's pokémon!"
"You don't even know what she gave you?" Olivia said incredulously.
"Her love and favor. That's what she got."
It was Espeon which came out. Dignified and regal and very lavender, with a flickering slitted tail. Its eyes stared on, unblinking and enigmatic at the scene.
Scout couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, man. This is too easy."
"Hey, that's cheating."
"You literally stole a building, so shaddaup about cheating!"
"I-It doesn't matter. Throh, use Seismic Toss!"
"Espeon, psychic!"
Throh tried to get a grip on the cat pokémon, but Espeon's eyes glowed. A shining force surrounded it as Throh was lifted up, and savagely thrown across the room.
Scout smirked. "You can't beat me. I've got Miss P's love, and ain't nothin' that can stop me now. This building is as good as ours."
"Espeon, finish it off with a Psybeam!"
Right from the circle between its eyes a beam of shimmering purple came out and slammed into Throh. Throh was knocked to the ground. The pokémon tried to push up, but the effort was too much.
"I'-Im not giving up so easily," Olivia said.
"Do you even have any pokémon left? C'mon, pipsqueak. Unless you got a freakin' legendary pokémon hidden away, you ain't getting past Miss Pauling's love. It's just too strong."
Scout held out his arms. "Why dontcha surrender, yeah?"
"S-Sawk, let's go," Olivia said.
Sawk shifted from side to side, ready to kick. In most cases, a Sawk could kick their way through anything.
But faced against a psychic pokémon, they might've as been as durable as a cardboard cutout.
"Go on, Espeon. Finish this. I almost feel bad bullyin' a little kid like this," Scout said smugly.
Sawk didn't even get a single kick in before a psychic blast of Espeon's utterly defeated Sawk.
"That's enough, Olivia. Rest your pokémon a while."
Gray Mann lifted one gnarled hand.
"Now it is our turn to fight, boy."
"All my pokémon are injured. Lemme give 'em some candy or something at least," Scout said.
"Rules are rules. When you are challenged, your only response is to fight."
"I got like fifty-thousand Full Restores, and if my pokémon so much as get a scratch, I'll use 'em up. I will totally be that asshole."
"Language. You are in the presence of a child."
"Now, Olivia. Bring me my pokéballs."
"I'm coming, grandpa."
"Good girl."
She tossed out a pokéball for him.
"Rhydon, let's go."
Out came a towering pokémon, about the size of a mountain.
"Floatzel, I know you're tired, but you gotta fight for just a little more. Floatzel! Kick his butt!"
Floatzel could barely stand, but it gave Scout one shaky paws up.
"Surf!"
And that mountain of a pokémon couldn't withstand an attack like that. The entire room was flooded with water, as if it wasn't damaged enough. Debris and rubble--and the Rhydon itself--were swept away. The large televisions were filled with static now. Some of them sparked and made popping noises.
Miss Pauling flinched as another screen went dark. The pokémon battles weren't good for the electrical system and computers, that was for sure.
"Hunph," Gray Mann said. "Olivia, call the pokémon back."
Floatzel struck a pose, one that she'd seen Scout do. It sort of looked like someone trying to sneeze into their elbow, and then holding up the other arm for balance.
Scout promptly mimicked the same move. But neither seemed to be sneezing. Maybe it was some cool new dance move she wasn't hip enough to understand.
"Our first battle was lucky for you, yes, but your pokémon are injured. You can't fight me forever. I could call much of my team here," Gray Mann said.
"Check again, old man. I called in some friends. Ain't nobody coming to help you."
If she couldn't beat him in a pokemon battle, then... then....
Of course! He was a helpless old man on life support. Why hadn't she thought of this earlier? Scout must've rubbed off on her, and made her be almost honorable for once.
"You took the base from us, and made the Administrator go into hiding. For that, I'll never forgive you," Miss Pauling said.
"Olivia beat Saxton Hale fair and square. You act as if you're such an innocent in this, but I know you helped destroy other Teams."
Miss Pauling lifted her chin defiantly. "They deserved it."
"And your Team Fortress was so innocent? You were so innocent? Then, no matter, it's now Team Rubble, or perhaps Team Ashes?"
He laughed then, until he fell into a hoarse coughing fit. "Really, you're a hypocrite who convinced yourself you're the hero. How sad."
"I never convinced myself of anything," she said between gritted teeth.
Because in the end, it was Scout. Scout who reached out and turned Team Fortress into practically a charitable organization. And in the end, Scout who made her see the beauty of the world, and how it could be.
It wasn't enough to simply remake the team as it once was. Now she had something to protect.
"It's so very funny the delusional thinking that is going on. Team Fortress, a kind place? Do they not know about the stealing, the fraud, and the plans that little Olivia stopped completely. I wonder what would've been like had Team Fortress actually gotten.
"What's this old man ramblin' on about?" Scout said.
"Just rambling," Miss Pauling said quietly.
Scout cupped his hands about his mouth to make his voice carry further. "Hey grandpa, retire already! It's obvious you ain't got two damn brain cells left!"
"She's not an innocent, you know?" Gray Mann said.
"Excuse me? I think you got the wrong lady, maybe a Miss Pearling or Miss Pinking, because Miss Pauling is awesome, you freak! She found the whole rest of the guys. She works her butt off! You don't know anythin' you crusty old creep!"
Scout turned to her.
"Winning, losing. It won't change the truth that I have done better for the world by destroying this world than you could ever imagine. Perhaps I even saved it," Gray Mann said.
She held out her hands to refer to the massive industrial room, now utterly destroyed.
"This is what you call saving? This?"
"Better than your rule," Gray Mann said.
She looked to him.
Of course.
"You know, I thought of the perfect thing."
"Yeah?" Scout said eagerly.
"A brick."
"A brick type pokémon?" Scout said.
"No, just a brick. Somewhere along the way, everyone forgot we're going against an old man and a little girl."
Miss Pauling lifted up the brick and slammed it into the wires of his life support system. He took a large gasp.
"You...do you see now what kind of person she is?"
Scout gaped. She knew it would happen eventually. Even if she'd showed a kinder side, she still had been completely ruthless for the Administrator for much of her life.
"Holy fuck that's hot! God, if you get any hotter, you'd burn up the entire world, holy crap!"
"Here, let's do elderly abuse to save the world!"
"What are you doing?" Gray Mann said, with rising desperation in his voice. "D-Don't come any closer.... Olivia!"
"I'll help, grandpa--"
"Scout, would you do something for me?" Miss Pauling said sweetly.
"Anything, babe."
"Grab that kid so I can beat this old man senseless."
Olivia broke off as Scout lifted her up.
"Nope, kiddo. We got some business with your grandpa and you ain't gonna interrupt it."
"Let! Me! Go! I'm going to bite you!"
"Sheesh brat. I might need a rabies shot when this is all over," Scout said.
"Look, the law of the land most of all is talk shit, get hit. And this guy talks mad shit, like he ate a ton of ex-lax."
Olivia kicked at him. But Scout still held her tight as Miss Pauling sloshed through the water, a brick in hand. Gray Mann could only stare in horror as she came closer and closer.
"You forget, I control this place. And it is me you must answer to," Gray Mann said, though his voice was not quite as confident as it had been before.
"Give it up, or give up your life. That's your choice."
Her dark eyes were dangerous, daring him on.
"I suppose the base is useless in its current state... Let Olivia go and I will retreat," Gray Mann said.
Scout set her down.
She immediately kicked his shins.
"Ow! Frickin' hell, you're a brat!"
Olivia wheeled away Gray Mann.
And this broken down, waterlogged, nearly destroyed rubble was all theirs.
*
"Man, we are gonna have to do a LOT of sweeping," Scout said.
They managed to slip through the doors, which didn't even work anymore and were sparking in an alarming way.
Just past them in the next metal-filled room, they saw a familiar figure.
"Oh, hey, Spy. You look like you got your ass kicked."
Spy coughed. "Undoing the defenses, I ran afoul of some of them. It is...no matter."
The laser had seared his mask.Scout stared in shock, and yes--recognition.
"Wait--you're the guy in ma's picture. Ma always said that."
"Spy you--"
"...Yes?" Spy said guardedly.
"Have a twin that is my dad? You're my uncle?"
"How on earth did you come to that conclusion?"
"Or maybe you're like one of them--doppelgangers," Scout said.
"No, and no. Again, what makes you say that."
"Well, it's logical. You said that my dad is gone, and you look just like my dad, so obviously, you got an identical twin."
"I have no brothers."
Scout looked like he was doing difficult math in his head. "If you're not my uncle, and you look like my dad..."
"Figure it out," Spy said.
"Eh, I got nothin'," Scout said.
"Then, all that was a lie?"
"Better than the truth.'
A rumble and a series of sparks showered down onto the wet floor.
"Not to interrupt your heart-to-heart with your dad, but it's getting unsafe in here," Miss Pauling said.
"My what?"
"We have to get out of here. We can speak later," Spy said.
Spy limped along.
"Leave me; I will be fine."
"Like hell I am! C'mon, we're all gettin' out of here! We got some catchin' up to do, and you got some explainin' to do," Scout said.
And Scout all but dragged him out of there.
*
With a massive series of explosion, the base caved in on itself. She could only hope that the rest got out in time. If not....If not....
"Babe, you okay?"
"I...just need a minute. I'll be okay eventually. Just...a minute."
"All right," Scout said softly. "I'll give you at least five. Maybe more."
Scout looked beyond them.
"Spy disappeared, that asshole. I'm gonna go check on the others."
Miss Pauling stared down at the rubble. In the end, she'd failed. She'd gotten the Team back together, but it hadn't been enough to save the base.
Scout had gone to check on the others. And Miss Pauling had numbly looked at what she had worked so hard to save. The
She almost didn't notice the figure. A purple suit, a hat slung low. But when she looked up, Miss Pauling knew immediately.
"Administrator! You came back!"
"Came back to the rubble," she said. The Administrator lit up a cigarette and cast a disapproving glance.
"I...tried."
"The building? It's worthless; I've dozens more. The Team, however. That is gone forever."
"What are you talking about? Scout and I found them, and brought them back. And he brought so many more people into the Team."
"Yes, sniveling children which he caught creatures for. Exactly the kind of forces we needed. Look at the mockery you've made the team. Friendship and helping children? This is to be your legacy?"
Administrator curled her ruby red lips up in disgust.
She felt a sudden dizziness, like if she'd been slapped. Everything she'd done was to please the Administrator. She'd broken laws, and broken down other teams on command. She'd ruined the dreams of people who simply wanted to continue on their pokémon journey, and helped the Administrator.
She'd looked up the Administrator for so long. All her memories were of this building, of doing The Administrator's dirty work.
And she'd been good at it, this secretary work. Well, secretary work and more. Nobody there could outdo her loyalty, her work ethic. She'd been the right hand of the Administrator for so long. And she'd always thought that maybe, one day she'd get a smile, an acknowledgment. She'd be able to tell he Administrator that she respected her so.
What had you really thought? That she'd be grateful?
But she liked this, she liked Scout's easy smile and how easily he caught pokémon or made friends. Rather than the constant grinding feeling of her job, she'd had fun. And maybe they'd made the world a better place by pairing so many young trainers.
She lifted her chin. "Yes.... I couldn't save the base, but I got the Team back together. And, I've--we've--decided that Team Fortress will leave a legacy of keeping the world safe and happy. If nobody else will take the Team, then that's what it will be."
"You turned my organization into a daycare. You've ruined everything this team stood for, and turned us into a complete mockery," the Administrator said, her voice filled with disdain. "To think you would sully the name of the Team which destroyed a thousand other Teams like this."
She dropped the cigarette to the floor. The ember still burned.
"Obviously I misjudged you. I thought you would make a good heir to the team, and my legacy. But, he put all those stupid ideas in your mind. Love, friendship...in this world, all that matters is in this world is power. And you lost sight of that."
Miss Pauling stared down as the last ember was snuffed out.
"With all due respect, Administrator, when Saxton Hale was defeated, you let them take Team Fortress. You abandoned everyone and left me to clean up the mess. I was the one who found all the rest of the Team and made the plans to help retake the base. So I guess that makes me the new Administrator now."
Something flickered in the Administrator's cold gaze.
"No matter. Team Fortress is useless to me now. I will rebuild, and make sure to make much better hiring choices in my next Team."
"You'd abandon us?"
"Abandon what? You were all. merely tools in the end. You knew that, Miss Pauling. You did my dirty work. That boy must've rubbed off on you."
"I thought I was different," Miss Pauling said.
"I don't tolerate failure, Miss Pauling. I'll raise up a new second-in-command. One who isn't quite so soft-hearted.
All she'd done for the Administrator, all her work..it meant nothing to the Administrator in the end.
But there were people who it meant something to. Her teammates, Scout, and the many people Scout had befriended. The ones they'd saved along the way.
She balled her fist.
"And we'll be there to stop you," Miss Pauling said. Though her voice shook, she continued on, "Because that's what we're going to be now. Fortress means defense, and that's what we'll do," she said, her voice growing stronger with each word. "We'll keep every pokémon safe, and make sure that nobody ever uses legendary pokémon to threaten the world with."
"I should like to see you try. It would be amusing at best." And with that, without even a goodbye, Administrator left. Or, she should say, the former Administrator.
Her shoulders slumped as the last vision of the Administrator's purple dress, and her large hat that was over her perfectly coiffed, graying hair. In a single moment, her life had changed.
No, she thought. Her life had changed long ago. She just hadn't realized how much those dreams, and those values would shift, and become incompatible with each other.
"It's like you evolved to the Administrator at level 55," Scout said, his voice filled with awe.
Miss Pauling bit her lower lip. "I guess I did."
"What was with that guy back there?"
"What?"
"That creep kept sayin' weird things about you. I kinda wish he were here so I could punch him in. I don't usually want to beat down the elderly, but for him I can make an exception."
"I've done some really horrible things, Scout. I mean, you saw me there. Team Fortress...it did bad things. I helped. You never seemed to realize you were one of the villains. You just kept on catching pokémon and helping children..."
She laughed softly.
"Team Fortress was not a nice organization, to put it mildly. The best I can say is Team Machine stopped many of the Administrator's plans from coming to fruition. Though their own plans were pretty dire, too. There really is no hero here."
"No, there is. You're a hero," Scout said stubbornly.
"I almost beat an old man with a brick, Scout. I threatened his life."
"Epic hero shit. Totally hot."
She broke out laughing. "Only you..."
"Listen, babe, you know none of that changes anythin' about how I feel about you, right? Whatever you done in the past don't change a thing."
"I mean, bricks aside... The truth is, you made me want to become a better person," she said.
"I liked being out in the sunlight and seeing children laughing, of meeting new pokémon. You made me appreciate and see the world in ways I never had before. You made me believe."
She smiled softly.
He took her hand.
The rest of the men had come into the room. She didn't know if they'd seen the exchange. She looked to them, one by one.
"So, you, ahem, made it. I don't know how much you saw, but this is how it is. Team Fortress is doing some major restructuring. If you all want to go join the Administrator's new team, go on now. I know the basis of the Team has...er, changed a bit. It might not be what you're used to, but this is the way I intend to go. From now on, we're going to be protecting the world, saving it, even. And if Scout has any say, I'm sure he'll be giving away pokémon by the dozens to every kid he passes by."
"Oh, damn straight," Scout said.
Pyro made a series of huddas, and gestured with their hands.
"They're saying they want to pet more Ponytas and...maybe they want to pass some out to local kids goin' by? Couldn't quite make out the last one. Either way, I'd say that Pyro is perfectly happy with the way things are goin'," Engineer said.
"We could hand some out together, but you gotta promise not to set the kiddos on fire, okay?" Scout said.
Pyro nodded happily.
"I'm not kiddin'. The lighters get put away when we're goin' past trainers. And yeah, I will be checkin'."
Sniper shrugged. "I'll still take jobs elsewhere, but I can stick around. This kind of namby-pamby charity work might finally get my parents off my case."
A Sandile came up close to his leg, wires in its maw. Sniper bent down and rubbed at its head. "Who's a good boy?"
Engineer smiled. "That the only reason?"
"'course.' Sniper cleared his throat. "I'll be around."
"You goin' to make a whole ranch for that herd of Sandiles you got?" Engineer said.
"Nah, they wouldn't like bein' cooped up. Can barely keep 'em in their pokéballs. They're meant to be free, anyways. But they like stickin' around me. Must be because they loved eatin' my food so much," Sniper said.
"Must be," Engineer said dryly.
"Ach, we ain't about to be abandonin' you, Miss Pauling. But like they said, I'll do other jobs. Not on other teams--I have some morals. But I got a job with demolitions in Celadon City. And Soldier here is goin' to be helpin'."
Soldier stood at attention, and gave a slightly off salute. "I will protect all the pokémon!"
"I go where Doktor goes. That is final," Heavy said.
"Well, this is certainly a change," Medic said. He shrugged then. "Then again, I could use a break. Healing, hurting, it's all fun in the end."
"I suppose it would be a nice break," Spy said. "And I have some catching up to do."
He glanced to Scout. Scout begrudgingly gave him a nod. "Tons and tons of catchin' up to do."
"All right, by unanimous vote, we are Team Fortress again. We'll start working on figuring out where the next base will be another day. I think we all could use some lunch. Though, after that, Medic, there's some sentry pokémon that need to be taken care of," Miss Pauling said.
"Already on it. I been teachin' the Joltik's Scout went and caught to get me my tools. It took a lot of them, but they were able to bring 'em to my dispensers," Engineer said.
"Handy! Oh, and I got some more for you, and a Magnezone that could use some healin'," Scout dug out the little red and white balls and handed them to Engineer by the fistful.
"Much obliged," Engineer said.
"You'll have a whole swarm at this rate," Miss Pauling said. "Is that the correct term for spiders? You know, I don't know."
Engineer chuckled. "They'll happily power my entire workroom at this point. Cleanest energy about."
"I sent out a mass text thankin' everyone who pitched in. Looks like the sentry pokémon that didn't get taken in by Engie some of them already got. They'll have new homes!"
"So, no one was hurt?"
"Everyone's accounted for, and they checked every room. All the pokémon got rescued," Scout said.
"Right," she said. "Look, I'm still new to this whole leader thing, Administrator thing, so could you be a little patient?"
"What are you talkin' about? You're doin' a great job, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise!"
"So, Miss Admin. Does this mean we're Team Fortress 2?"
"I think it does, Mr. Scout," Miss Pauling said.
He gave her a smile with so much promise, and so much hope. And Miss Pauling knew that she had made the right choice.
Epilogue.
Nine years later.
The mantle was covered with pictures.
One was captured, unaware, as Scout knelt before her and offered her a pokéball. He'd
given her many pokéballs. over the years, but in this one was the glint of gold, not a new friend.
"Miss Pauling, I choose you!", he had yelled out as he slipped it on her fingers.
Then, there was one caught early on in the wedding, just in front of the fruit punch as Scout brought up his plans to invite all the friends he'd made along the way--nearly every trainer in the world.
"Can't we broadcast it?"
Engineer had helped pioneer quite a bit of technology for her, and now Team Fortress 2, as Scout liked to put it, was the most technologically advanced Team about.
Then there was a snapshot of her six months along, barely able to fit into her dresses and forced to do all her work via video calls. While not pictured, Scout had been her constant aide, bringing food no matter the hour, and running whatever errand she needed, no matter how irrational. Then there was a picture of her in the hospital, not at her most flattering moment, with a little bundle of joy (and screaming) in her arms.
And today there would be new pictures to add to the ever crowded mantle space. The villa with its beautiful, self-sustaining gardens, had been kept for vacations. But they'd moved into an off-base house, with enough space for how their family had grown.
Today she had notified the members of Team Fortress 2 that she would be busy. Hopefully no disasters would befall the world as she took out some time to spend with her family. If not, she'd trust the local ten year olds with the pokémon Scout caught them to take care of it. By now they were probably honorary Team Fortress 2 members, anyways.
She carried the cake carefully and laid it on the kitchen counter. In icing was written Happy ninth birthday, Alice! It had little pink swirls all about the front and a pokéball at the end.
The table was covered in pokéballs. So much as a nudge threatened to completely send them all crashing to the floor.
Scout counted them out, from a big backpack he'd stuffed to the brim with little red and white balls.
"Someone was busy," she said.
"I had to get a lot of catchin' done in one day. I didn't wanna miss the big day," Scout said.
"You say that like you haven't been catching for months," she said.
"Yeaah, welll, I waaas but then I ended up givin' 'em out. Sad little kiddos on the streets needed new friends, you know?"
She chuckled. Oh, how she knew. They'd had enough years together, and in them he'd caught countless pokémon and managed to give away almost all of them. Team Fortress now was known as a charity among charities, the irony was not lost on her, considering how they'd started.
"I caught a Minnicio, A Lilpup and a Growlithe. Except I ran into some preschoolers on the way and had to give them some hand outs, so I ended up gettin' her somethin' else."
"There's more than that there," she said. She gestured to the overflowing table.
"Oh, I caught somethin' for Nate, Reika, Kenny, Julie, Sandy, Mandy--They're gonna show up pretty soon to give her some gifts, too."
"Sandy and Mandy?"
Scout grinned. "Little pair of twins at the daycare down the way. I got 'em a a pair of Sunkerns. The yellow reminded me of their little hats. Maybe the little kiddo will look like them."
Her back garden had begun to flourish. Scout always left with an egg, and returned with tales of trainers he'd helped along the way.
Her little girl's Herdier yapped away as it ran about her feet. When Alice was born, Scout had tracked down the last relative of that beloved Stoutland and gotten an egg from it, just to have a pup that grew up with his little girl. And Herdier and Alice had quickly become inseparable.
"Mom! It's almost time to go on my pokémon journey!"
Scout scrunched up his nose. "That don't sound right. You know the rule in this household is you don't go on pokémon journeys until you're at least fifty, right?"
"But daaad!" She reached up and tugged on his red shirt. "I'm gonna take that title of Champion right from you."
"Take it from me?" He reached down and grabbed her baseball cap, and held it above her while she laughed and tried to hop up to reach it. Her Herdier clamped down on his jeans and began to tug along as well. "You can't even get your hat back, and you wanna take this crown? C'mon."
They almost ran into the mantle, and toppled over the picture from last year when he'd on a whim, decided to challenge the Elite Four and become a Champion.
"Hey, now. Liam, Alice Pauling-Dempsey, you two settle down right now" she said sternly. "Journeys usually start when you're ten. You're only nine."
They both grinned at her.
"But ten? I don't think that sounds right. I'm pretty sure my baby girl is supposed to hang around a lot longer than then."
"But that's when everyone else is making their pokémon journeys!" Alice protested. "Sandy and Mandy even got to go out and catch bug pokémon today at the bug catching contest!"
"You could always work with the Team!" Scout said brightly.
Alice puffed out her cheeks. "I wanna be a Champion like you, dad," she said.
"Hmmm... Maybe we could go together. Like some dad and daughter bondin' time. But if I go with her, then I'll have to leave the love of my life behind...."
"Did you forget something? Champions have to sit around up in your ivory tower," she said.
"Trust me, I don't forget. I got tons of time in there. I do plenty of laps and push ups. Nobody told me how much bein' the best is just waitin' for somethin' to happen. On the bright side, I look more fantastic than ever. See?" He pulled up his shirt to show her.
She rolled her eyes, but fondly.
"Scout, you showed me that ten times today and it isn't even noon yet."
"Only ten, I gotta up my game," Scout said.
"I'll come in and fight you!" Alice said. Her Herdier yapped as she balled her fists, already to fight. "That'll keep you busy, dad!"
"Eh, I might not even have the title by the time you get there, pumpkin. Had somebody get through 3 of those Elite Four, and only lost it with the last one just yesterday. There's so many great trainers out there, it's only a matter of time that one of those kiddos I gave all those great pokémon to would level up," Scout said.
"But, I gotta beat you and become champion!"
"Well, you better get trainin', pumpkin. Especially as you're gonna have to beat out the next future champ comin'," Scout said.
She patted her baby bulge. Only three months more and they'd have another little one to take care of.
"That's right, if you run off too fast you'll miss bein' a big sister."
"Oh no! I wanna have pokémon battles with them when they finally get here!"
Finding out that she had twins was certainly a surprise on the baby monitor. Scout was not only overjoyed, but also had instantly began to think of the perfect pokémon combos for double battling for what he called 'double trouble.'
Alice tried to hug her mother, but couldn't reach around her big bump. She puffed out her cheeks. "Mooom, I can't hug you right."
"Here, you gotta hug her from the side. Now, look, we'll hug her together. Family hug time!"
Alice giggled, and she was embraced by all sides by her little family.
"Alice, why not just take it slow? There's a couple badges nearby. You could train with your dad when he's off duty."
Alice stared up at her mother like she had just spoke French. She was her father's daughter after all; slow wasn't in her vocabulary.
"Your mom's got real good ideas, pumpkin. We could go take a flight on the Pigeot express and go to the bug catchin' contest next Saturday."
"Really?"
"Sure! You don't need a badge for that. Maybe you can catch yourself a Butterfree," he said.
He grinned at Alice. "But if you're goin' against your old dad, I gotta warn: I'm a master at catchin' pokémon."
Scout rested his hand against her bump. "Just think, I'm gonna have a future champion in just a couple months. Make that champions. They'll be the first duo leader of the Elite Four."
"I'm a future Champion!" Her yell set Herdier to yapping all over again.
"You didn't let me finish! That's Future Champion number two and three. You're gonna be Future Champion number one. That is, if Sandy and Mandy at the daycare don't beat you out."
"C'mon, dad. They have a Pidgey and a Spearow," Alice said.
"That was last week. He's already given them some new pokémon," she said.
"I thought they could use some friends. It's just makin' it a better fight for when you go out and play with your Herdier."
"So, what else do you want for your birthday, other than breakin' your dad's heart?" he said.
"A legendary!"
He pulled out something from his bag.
"That's just a mirror, dad."
"But you're pretty legendary," Scout said.
"Daaaad."
"All right, all right."
He pulled out a package from his bag, which she eagerly unwrapped.
Alice looked starry-eyed down at the presents. "Trainer gear, cool!"
"You gotta be lookin' professional when I take you out to your first gym battle."
"Mom, did you see?"
"Despite the glasses, I'm not blind yet," she said flippantly.
"I'm going to look so great when I go out and battle, dad won't be able to stop talking about me!"
"So, no change?" Scout said.
She laughed.
"And, that ain't all." He handed a little pokéball to Alice.
"Might not be a legendary, but I got somethin' I think you'd like."
She let out a gasp as the shining silvery Eevee sprung out of the ball. "Oh, it's beautiful!" She clutched it to her chest and hugged it tight. Her Herdier sniffed at it suspiciously for a moment, but soon broke into happy yips at its new friend.
"You're a smart girl, like your mom, so I don't gotta tell you the name. See, that pokémon can evolve a ton of different ways. They're findin' new ways all the time. Just like you. You don't gotta feel like you're boxed in to one way. You can do anythin' you want. You could start your journey and learn from the best."
"Even go on my pokémon journey next year?" she said.
"When you got on your journey in five or fifty more years," Scout added.
"Fifty years!" Mooom!"
"Okay, okay, make that forty-nine," Scout said. He rubbed at his chin.
"Thoough, fifty-like whole years of trainin' under your belt? Ugh, you'll destroy me at this rate."
"I sure will! Then I'll be a real champion!"
Scout smirked. "You gotta go through me to get that title, pumpkin. Now, you wanna beat me? Then just try and catch me. Tag, you're it!"
Scout took off at a run through the garden.
Alice tightened her curly ponytail, and rushed after her dad.
All kinds of Butterfrees and grass pokémon filled the back garden, that he had specifically caught for her.
A flock of Ducklett had settled in the pond. Scout hadn't even caught them, they had simply tamed themselves and become a part of their lives. Alice had taken to taking table scraps out to the smallest of the bunch, in an attempt to get her very first water and flying type. Alice's Herdier kept giving them tiny gifts of new ponds and puddles with its digging habit. No Teams had sprung up as of yet, but when they did, Team Fortress would be there to destroy them.
"Woow, look, dad!"
Alice pointed at the small Ducklett that was oh so close.
"I see it, pumpkin. You want me to catch it for you?"
"I wanna try myself. You even put pokéballs in there! But--Dad, do I really have to weaken it to capture it? That's what I heard on TV. I don't want to hurt it."
"Naw. If you're as good as me, you can totally wing it." He winked, and bent down.
"What do I do now?"
"Just talk nice to it. But not too loud, or you'll spook it."
"Hey, Ducklett. You wanna be my friend? If you just get in this pokéball, we can go on adventures together. I'm little too."
The Ducklett slowly and warily swam over towards her.
"Now, bring out the food."
Alice held out her hands, filled with a bit of corn. The Ducklett got even closer. She bumped the pokéball with her knee and shut her eyes tight, not daring to see if the pokémon would break free. The ball shuddered once, twice, three times and then one last time before going still.
Alice dared open one eye.
"You caught it, baby!"
"My first catch, and it wasn't even something stupid like a Rattata!"
"Aww, be nice. Rattata's are good, too."
She puffed out her cheeks. "My Ducklett is still MUCH cooler. Did you know they evolve into Swannas? Those are pretty! Mom has one and I want one too!"
Alice rushed back towards the house.
"Mom! Mom! I caught my first pokémon! I have three now!"
"Trust me, if your dad had his way, you'd have thirty-three by now," she said.
They were interrupted by a phone call. She glared at it.
Of all days.. Though she was tempted to ignore it entirely, she knew if a call came through, something must've truly gone wrong.
"Just a second, I have to take this."
"Administrator Pauling-Dempsey here," she said.
Her brow furrowed.
"Already? I'll let the rest of them know right away. Thank you for letting me know," she said.
She ended the call with a perfunctory goodbye.
"What's up?" Scout said.
"There was a sighting of a legendary pokémon, and other Teams are drooling at the possibility of capturing it. And there's reports of a new Team springing up a few cities away. The last thing we need is some stupid bunch of grunts unleashing havoc on the world because they made some plan to turn the world into land of the fondues."
"We'll curb-stomp those creeps, no worries," Scout said.
"But your job as champion--"
"Ey, it ain't like champions are there all the time. Just look at Cynthia, Wallace, Lance. They sure get around. To say nothing of Red. He was out there in the mountains for how long?"
Even though he'd become Champion, Scout kept close. Occasionally he would go out for runs and come back with ten new friends and twenty new pokémon, half of which had already been given away to trainers along the way. The rest would be offered up to her as gifts.
In fact, she'd ordered another up and coming Team, called Team Stripe, decimated before they could make their vile redecorating and pokémon stealing ways go across the world.
"But, are you sure it's okay to go this soon to the baby bein' born?" Scout said.
She rested her hand on her stomach. Lately, babies two and three were been quite a lively kickers. She had a feeling these two were going to resemble him as well, just as Alice did.
This far along might cause complications if she overworked herself.
"I'll send a message to headquarters to take care of it. If any of the other Teams strike, we'll send in whoever is nearest to defend the pokémon. I think Soldier was closest at this rate," she said.
"I hate to miss the battle, but I'm not leavin' you alone this close," Scout said stubbornly.
She smiled. "It's fine. There'll always be more battles for us to fight at the front lines, I suppose."
"And I'll always be right there, by your side," Scout said.
She leaned into him and gave him a kiss.
Alice made a raspberry and a farting sound at them. She broke apart with a laugh. Alice certainly took after him.
"Hey, pumpkin. You wanna open the rest of your presents I got you? Trust me, you got plenty to look forward to. Sniper's probably gotta get his whole circus of Sandiles in gear to come, so he'll probably be late. Engie's comin' by teleporter so he and Pyro will probably be the first ones here. Who even knows with Demo and Soldier. They'll show up with a bunch of destruction in their wake. And then Heavy and Medic will show up!"
"Yeah!"
Given how Scout would invite every single person he knew to this party, they'd made her birthday a weeks long affair so everyone could fit.
Heavy and Medic in particular had taken to spoiling her, having no children of their own. Well, human children as their pokémon were certainly spoiled.
Though, Medic had a habit of giving Alice the noisy kinds of gifts like a recorder or a harmonica or a little wand which sounded like vomiting the more you shook it. It all felt like a revenge plot, one discordant recorder note at a time.
Scout's mother was set to come along soon enough, with her own bunch of presents. Spy, too, would be sure to be there. He was a surprisingly doting grandfather.
And time had mended some of the distance between Spy and Scout, though they still bickered at times.
Alice eagerly ripped off the shiny paper of the presents, one by one. By her side, her Herdier leaned in to sniff the new pair of running shoes she lifted up.
"Wow, dad! These are super cool! Just like yours!"
He gave Alice a big grin. "We can go runnin' together now. Right through those deep grasses. I bet you'll have tons of pokémon by the time the week is done. Maybe you'll even share with the other kiddos?"
She stuck out her tongue. "Nuh-uh, I wanna get some for myself first!"
"You gotta remember, givin' people pokémon is one of the best parts in life."
"I will but...I wanna make my team first. Is that okay?"
"Of course, pumpkin. You got plenty more to catch, after all," Scout said.
The timer went off in the kitchen.
"Ah, there it is. Now, who's ready for some birthday cake?" she said.
Both of them let out a chorus of Me!
She smiled. "Time to dig in."
"Race you to it?"
"You're on!"
And both her daughter and her husband rushed to the table.
Author's note: This isn't actually connected to kidfic universe aka Something New, but as I was writing this Scout daughter, I realized I was just writing Alice without realizing it. So, Alice has a multiverse? Sounds good to me.
