“Shooting Your Shot” by Some Person

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You’re listening to The Voice of Dog. I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,

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and Today’s story is

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“Shooting Your Shot”

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by Some Person, who just woke up one day and decided he wanted to write stories about cute boys

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confessing to each other,

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among even spicier things,

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and you can find

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more of his stories

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on SoFurry and Archive Of Our Own.

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“Shooting Your Shot”

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by Some Person Grass,

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trees, and shrubbery covered the area that Cinderace traveled through.

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The sky began turning a shade of orange

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as he scanned the area,

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asking himself, “Where did he get to?”

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Eventually, in a clearing,

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he found his target.

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His friend, Inteleon

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sat atop the hill,

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staring out at the Galarian wilderness with a wistful look in his eyes.

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Suddenly, a jolt seemed to strike him in the chest,

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stopping him in his tracks.

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He put a paw to his heart

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and drew in a deep breath.

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Not now, he reminded himself as he gently patted his cheeks before approaching.

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“Hey, been looking for you all over!”

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he declared as he attracted the lizard’s attention.

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“Ah, don't mind me,"

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Inteleon began, nodding in his direction.

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“As long as Hop and Victor are busy conversing,

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I figured I'd enjoy the scenery." Cinderace sat down to his right.

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“So you've just been staring at all of this?"

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he asked while gesturing to the area.

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“Indeed." “Must be bored outta your mind, then.

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Not much to look at out here.

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here." “On the contrary,

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there's a hidden beauty in the stillness.

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If I immerse myself in the moment,

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then I begin noticing more and more to my surroundings.

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surroundings." He put a finger to his chin,

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then his eyes got slightly wider.

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“Look at that tree,"

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he began, pointing to a tree to their right.

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“What about it?" “Just

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look at it." “...and then?"

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“No, just... “ The lizard sighed.

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“Look at the tree,

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and keep looking at it.

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Silently. " Cinderace huffed

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and stared at the tree.

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Time seemed to slow to a crawl,

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his eyes growing half-lidded,

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when suddenly he heard

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a flurry of chirps,

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followed by rustling branches.

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Through a small clearing in the leaves,

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he could see an Unfezant moving through the leaves,

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bringing various berries to a group of

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Pidoves in a nest. “Whoa…"

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“That's what I mean,"

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Inteleon began. “If you ran by this tree,

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you'd have only seen it as

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just that; A tree.

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By taking time to truly sit and observe the world around you,

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you can see that this tree is so much more.

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It is a home, protection,

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sustenance. Nature is a diverse creature,

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creating a plethora of invaluable assets

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to the world around us,

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whether we acknowledge it or not.

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That's the beauty I see in all things.

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things." A smile slowly grew on Cinderace's face.

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“You know, you've really grown a lot since we were young.

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young." Inteleon closed his eyes and nodded.

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“I had to, since those days.

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As did you, I'm sure.

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sure." His smile faded as he laid on his back.

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“I don't know. I think about the changes you went through, and the changes Rillaboom went through, too.

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You both became huge!

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Super different from when we were little.

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Then I think about me…"

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he paused, staring at the sky.

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“I just… I can't tell if I've grown that much.

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Hop's been putting me through practice,

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sending me to jobs,

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everything, but…" he sat back up,

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looking at his paws.

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“It all just feels the same.

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same." The lizard hummed to himself while studying over Cinderace.

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“You might not notice it, but you've changed just as much as we have,"

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he replied, earning the hare's attention.

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“In our younger days,

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you would rush headfirst into danger.

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You wouldn't hesitate to find pokemon to battle and to please Hop.

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Hop." With a chuckle, the hare replied,

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“Yeah, I would do that, huh?"

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“And then your trainer would have us fight.

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fight." Memories of water guns and bubble attacks

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flooded his mind as Cinderace

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slowly covered himself with his ears.

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“Oh, come now, it wasn't that bad.

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bad." “You didn't constantly lose to someone who just cried all the time.

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time." Inteleon froze. “Fair point,

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but every time we fought,

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you became an increasingly difficult adversary.

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Despite your disadvantage,

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you gave it a valiant effort.

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effort." Cinderace peeked out from his cover.

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“And since then we've had quite the adventure.

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The gym challenges,

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the never-ending string of battles,

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the dynamax problem,

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even befrie nding

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Zacian and Zamazenta...

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Zamazenta..." “It… has been a lot, huh?" “Indubitably." Inteleon lightly patted Cinderace's shoulder.

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“It would be hard not to grow under those conditions,

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so try not to think so lowly of yourself.

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yourself." With a smile, the hare nodded.

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“Yeah, I guess I am kind of a big deal!"

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“There's the arrogance I know so well,"

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the lizard replied with a chuckle.

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Cinderace joined Inteleon

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in silently observing the nature around them.

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He looked toward his friend,

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feeling warmth blossom within him.

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“So," he began after drawing a quick breath,

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“have you tried hooking up with any of the girls on your team?"

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Silently, Inteleon plucked a single blade of grass and studied it.

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“No? Come on, man! We're in our prime here!

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Gotta strike while the iron's hot!"

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“Then I assume you have?"

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Cinderace's ears

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slightly drooped. “W

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-well, we've got a lotta places to visit.

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There are some real lookers on my team,

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but if we screwed up and made an egg, that would just slow us down.

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down." “But I should because an egg wouldn't slow me down?"

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One scrunched face

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and a slow shrug later, the hare replied,

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“Okay, didn't think of that,,

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but still! You should at least find someone.

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I don't want a good friend of mine to go without experiencing one of life's

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biggest pleasures!"

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Inteleon started to twirl the blade in his fingers.

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“I'm actually over the idea, myself.

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myself." Cinderace stared as his enthusiastic demeanor wavered.

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“You what?" “I accepted long ago that I'm not fit for romance.

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My diction and demeanor are seen as

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an air of superiority to others.

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Not only that, but trying to be a romantic doesn't work for me.

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I can certainly play the part,

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but it never feels genuine to me.

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I don't see anyone willing to put up with that,

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and I'm okay with it.

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it." The hare stared for a moment before retorting,

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“So you're just going to give up?" “It's

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not giving up,

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it's-" “No, that's exactly what it is!"

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he shouted with a huff and stood up,

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towering over the lizard.

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“There's a whole world of pokemon out there,

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and you're just going to

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roll over and

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say 'No point trying to change anything'?"

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Inteleon narrowed his gaze.

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“Why are you getting so invested in my decisions?"

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“Because you're not even giving yourself a chance!

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If you didn't like pokemon that's one thing,

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but you're just going to assume no one would like you!"

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With a scoff, the lizard replied,

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“I fail to see how this concerns you,

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but please , continue. Tell me how I should live my life.

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life." “You aren't getting it!"

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Cinderace groaned

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and started pacing around.

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“What's your plan if someone does say they like you?

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Are you just gonna shrug and send them away?

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Do you have any idea how that would feel?"

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“I wouldn't do that!" Inteleon shot back.

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“You act as if I'm tactless!

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Of course I'd consider their feelings!

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It's ridiculous we're even having this conversation!"

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With a shake of his head,

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he stood up. “Hop and Victor are likely done talking by this point.

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Let's just forget this discussion and head back,"

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he added as he began walking away.

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The hare gritted his teeth.

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“I bet you anything there's pokemon who'd be interested in you!

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But you just wanna call it a day, so who cares, right?"

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The lizard continued to silently march,

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causing Cinderace to scowl.

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“There's pokemon on your team who'd wanna date you!"

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he yelled. “And on my team, too, I bet!

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Heck, I would date you!"

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Inteleon suddenly stopped,

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turning around with a slightly

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widened gaze. “I

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-I… I…" Cinderace simmered as he looked to the floor.

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“I mean, if you were a girl, of course. I'd date you if you were a girl.

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Just uh… that's it." He continued averting his gaze,

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lightly clenching his paw as he could feel the blood draining from his face.

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“That's really all that's stopping you?"

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The hare snapped himself back to reality,

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looking up to see Inteleon staring back with an inquisitive glance

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as he rested a finger on his lips.

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“Well… yeah. We're both guys.

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You know how it is.

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is." “I'm afraid I don't.

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Perhaps you can elaborate.

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elaborate." The lizard slowly approached.

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“Is being male all there is to stop you?

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What about my personality

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or my looks?" “H-hey, come on, man. We're guys,

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it just wouldn't work out.

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out." “There it is again,

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seems it's only because of gender.

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Why is that?" “It's just…

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different." “Have you kissed another man?"

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Another jolt shot through Cinderace's system

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as his eyes went wide and he took a step back.

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“What?!" “You're so certain that it's different,

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so tell me how." Inteleon stopped in his tracks,

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now being directly in front of the hare.

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“I… no. I haven't,"

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he replied with a sigh.

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“I shouldn't even have to explain this to you!

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Guys don't just date other guys.

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guys." “Not normally no, but sometimes they do.

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do." The two pokemon stood silently for a moment

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before Inteleon

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narrowed his gaze.

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“Why don't you show me?"

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Cinderace raised an eyebrow,

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struggling to ignore his increasing heart-rate. “S

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-show you what?" “Show me how different it is.

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is." He got closer to the hare,

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nearly towering over him.

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“Kiss me." As his face grew warmer,

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the hare took another step back. “H

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-hey! This isn't funny, I

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-" “It's not supposed to be funny,"

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Inteleon continued

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walking forward with each step

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the hare took in the other direction.

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“All you have to do

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is make me understand the difference between kissing a man and a woman.

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In fact, pretend I'm a woman.

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If it truly feels different,

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then we can consider your point,

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but if not…" Cinderace was now backed against the tree,

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a blush starting to spread across his face.

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Inteleon planted a hand

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above the hare's shoulder,

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then lowered his head so his gaze met Cinderace's.

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“Then I suppose you have no reason not to try.

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try." Both pokemon stared at each other,

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the breeze died off,

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leaving a suffocating aura around them.

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“What are you waiting for?

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If it's so easy, then kiss me.

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If not, push me away!

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I'm right here, and this is an opportunity to convince me otherwise.

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So what will it be?"

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Cinderace started to tremble,

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his breathing grew faster,

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and the blush on his face spread

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as no coherent thought crossed his mind.

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He dryly swallowed

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the lump in his throat,

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as every breath in and out felt like it were scorching his insides.

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Suddenly, Inteleon sighed and stood up before placing a hand on the hare's shoulder.

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“Not as easy as it sounds, is it?"

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He turned around and took a few steps away,

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then looked back with a gentle smile.

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“Don't get me wrong,

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I do appreciate your concern.

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However, I prefer it this way.

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way." Emptiness. At that moment, it felt as if a pit opened up within the hare.

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His gaze turned towards the floor,

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and his fists had balled up.

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“It goes the same for you.

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There's plenty of pokemon out there, and I'm sure many of them

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would be dying to be yours.

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yours." The lizard stopped

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and gestured towards the landscape while he continued.

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“You should find someone

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who will love you back.

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A Cinderace as charismatic

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and boisterous as you

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is sure to have fans

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and friends willing to fill that position.

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So you don't need to worry about me.

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We'll both be able to live our romantic lives comfortably,

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living how we want to live,

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and loving who we want to love.

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Does that make any sense?"

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It was at that moment

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that Cinderace walked up

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and kicked Inteleon behind his knees.

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He buckled over from the impact,

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falling unceremoniously onto the floor.

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The lizard stared at the sky blinking a few times before jolting upright. “Wh-what?!

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What was that for?"

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he shouted. “Do you

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-" he stopped as he turned around and noticed

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Cinderace staring back at him;

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His fists clenched,

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his brow furrowed,

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and a small stream of tears trailing from his eyes. Inteleon recoiled,

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standing up as he approached the hare,

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craning his neck while looking him over.

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“I-I'm so sorry! I didn't…

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I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings,

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I just-" Without wasting another moment,

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Cinderace stepped forward,

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grabbed the lizard by his head,

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and pulled him in

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for a kiss. Both pokemon

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remained in that position,

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Inteleon staring back at his friend

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with wide eyes. Then the hare pulled away with a gasp and said,

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“Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up !

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You listen to me now!

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Maybe there are a lot of pokemon out there that would wanna date me, but I don't care about them! I made up my mind a long time ago, and it's you

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that I want to be with!

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Maybe it wouldn't work out,

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maybe we stop loving each other, maybe you're not interested

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from the start! I would be okay with any of these outcomes, 'cause

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we would've at least tried .

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But you? You just wanna tell yourself

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'No one would deal with me, no one would like me, so why bother?'

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and that's what makes me mad!

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Here's me, already liking you for who you are,

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wanting to give it a try,

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but you won't even give me the chance,

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you stupid asshole!" Both pokemon stared at each other,

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the air feeling thin at that moment.

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Suddenly, tears began pouring from Inteleon's eyes,

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causing Cinderace to take a few steps back. “I

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-I'm sorry!" Cinderace insisted.

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“The words just kept coming out, and

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-" “N-no, no, it's fine,"

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the lizard sniffled as he

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quickly wiped away his tears.

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“I don't know what came over me.

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me." He looked down at his friend,

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who was also drying his eyes.

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That was when he started to chuckle.

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This slowly grew and turned into a boisterous laughing fit

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as the tears continued rolling.

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Cinderace stared with a raised brow,

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but soon found himself laughing as well.

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Both pokemon continued their cacophony,

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eventually lying on the floor

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until they took hold of their senses.

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They both stared at each other

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while on the floor,

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a small smile on both of their faces. Inteleon stood up

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and walked towards the tree,

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sitting down at the trunk

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and patting the grass to his right.

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“I think we have some matters to discuss.

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discuss." The hare got to his feet and approached,

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sitting down next to him.

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“How long have you felt this way?"

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With a sigh, Cinderace rested his head on his paws.

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“I guess… kinda recently?

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It really started when I was still a Raboot.

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Raboot." He paused while slightly rubbing his paws together.

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“I was realizing that I got happier when you were around.

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A lot happier. And I would miss you when we left.

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I wouldn't get like that about anyone else,

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and then the idea just

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hit me. I didn't know what to think of it at first,

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I never thought about liking guys before.

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I panicked and tried getting with other girls I know, and it seemed fine at first.

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But then I just… I started kinda…

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hating myself, I guess.

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I didn't wanna talk to anyone.

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Felt like it was pointless.

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“I was still down on myself when we battled you guys again.

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You'd become an Inteleon,

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and something just

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clicked when I saw

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you…" he started to blush

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while playing with one of his ears.

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“I felt good… like,

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really good. It was like how I felt when I questioned myself.

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myself." “Is that why you stood still when I used Snipe Shot?"

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Inteleon asked with a sly grin.

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Cinderace stopped, slowly looking over with a glare,

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contrary to the smile on his face.

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“Yes… and I still need to get you back for that some day!"

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he replied with a light backhand to the lizard's arm.

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He then sat up straight.

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“I realized that I wasn't going to get anywhere by hating myself,

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so every morning I'd find some time by myself to say

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'I like guys.' It still made me scared at first,

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but it started getting easier.

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I started getting my confidence back,

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I worked hard, and then

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this happened!" the hare exclaimed as he pointed to himself.

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With a smile and a nod,

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Inteleon replied, “You truly have grown since we were younger.

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Make sure you don't lose sight of that.

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that." The hare chuckled,

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staring back before turning away,

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his smile slowly fading. “Sorry about

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getting angry before,"

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he began. “I shouldn't be telling you how to live your life.

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And I… I kinda made it about me.

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me." “It's fine, really," Inteleon stated with a comforting smile.

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“You didn't mean anything truly malicious,

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and I'm glad we had this chance to talk.

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talk." There was a pause

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as Cinderace still looked away.

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“Does anyone else on your team know?"

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“No," he immediately replied.

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“I… I know the others won't care,

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but Hop…" Cinderace paused,

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biting the inside of his lower lip

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as his eyes started to mist over.

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“I don't want him to release me.

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I get scared just thinking about it…"

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Inteleon placed a hand on his shoulder,

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garnering the hare's attention.

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“If Hop is the trainer he seems,

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then I assure you

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that you've nothing to worry about.

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And if he were so cruel,

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I can guarantee Victor and I would beat him to a

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pulp." There was nothing but a perplexed stare from Cinderace,

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up until he started

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to laugh and wiped at his eyes.

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“Didn't expect to hear that from you.

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you." Once he stopped, he turned away again,

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wrapping his arms around his legs.

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“So...do you still think you're not

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cut out for romance?"

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The hare tightened his grip

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as he glanced over towards Inteleon,

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who was staring at the sky in thought.

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“Not entirely." With a perk of his ears,

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the hare lifted his head.

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“I'm still not convinced that I'm

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'dating material',

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and I still feel that it would help avoid any unnecessary turmoil in the future.

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However…" he paused and turned towards Cinderace,

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a smile growing on his face.

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“I wouldn't mind giving it a chance." “...

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“...I'm glad. I'm sure you can find someone,"

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the hare replied,

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smiling as he tightly gripped his legs.

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A sigh came from Inteleon

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as he rested his head on his left hand.

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“I don't think you understand…"

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He raised his right hand to be level with Cinderace's head.

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“I said I'll give it a chance ," he repeated,

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gently tapping the hare on the nose as he said the last word.

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Several moments passed

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Cinderace looked at his nose,

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then back to Inteleon.

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Then he squinted before his eyes started growing

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wider before staring back

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with a blush on his face.

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“Wh… but… you mean… I…"

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“Easy, easy, allow me to explain,"

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the lizard began with a chuckle.

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He leaned back against the tree

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and looked at the plains beyond as he began,

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“Truth be told,

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I've felt something for you for quite some time,

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ever since we first began our journey.

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journey." “That long?!" “Yes,

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but it was a sense of admiration, really.

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You were always so bold,

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so confident, so willing to help others.

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others." He paused to look at his hands.

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“I always felt so weak and helpless,

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that I would just drag others down.

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Trying to fight on Victor's behalf was the most frightening experience.

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When we fought and I won the first time,

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I thought I had seriously injured you,

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but after the battle

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you still were motivated to keep going.

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I wanted to be as confident as you were.

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were." Inteleon turned towards him.

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“I wanted to be just like you, in fact.

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fact." The hare began playing with his ears again.

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“You… you did, huh?" “Of course,

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there were times

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I'd lose terribly

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and wake up in a pokemon center, or I'd break down in a crying fit,

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but I kept working harder and harder.

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I kept thinking of your confidence,

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and how you carried yourself,

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and how I still had a ways to go.

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go." He sighed wistfully

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as he looked out at the plains.

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“I suppose at some point,

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my admiration for you turned into something similar to affection.

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However, I was on the receiving end of one-too-many terrible romantic encounters by that point.

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I believed that there wasn't much else left for me and romance,

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and I still hadn't the courage to declare my feelings.

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And then here we are today.

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today." Cinderace slid an inch closer to Inteleon,

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their sides nearly coming into contact.

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“So… you're really okay with this?"

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he asked, looking the lizard in the eye.

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“I must ask you something first,"

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he began. “There's no guarantee that I'll be completely responsive to romantic gestures.

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Sometimes I may sound standoffish, or even indifferent,

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but I have no ill intentions by it.

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Knowing that I won't be the

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perfect lover… do you still wish to

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give this an honest try?"

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The hare looked away for a moment,

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then looked back up with a smile.

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“Yes, more than anything.

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anything." “Even if it doesn't work out between us?"

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“At least I won't be stuck wondering 'what if?'"

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Inteleon smiled. “In that case…"

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he reached out a hand,

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gently cupping Cinderace's chin

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and placing their lips a hair's breadth away from each other.

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“Shall we make it an honest kiss, this time?"

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he whispered. The hare could feel his face burn bright,

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savoring the feeling of Inteleon's breath

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hitting his fur. His eyes shimmering,

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he nodded once and softly replied,

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“Yes." He closed his eyes

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as Inteleon gently pulled his head forward,

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locking both pokemon's lips together for a kiss.

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His insides felt like a fireworks display,

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and his lips trembled from the touch.

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A wayward paw felt around for the lizard's free hand,

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which held his upon making contact.

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Inteleon gently broke away,

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staring into his eyes as if studying every line in his iris.

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“I admit, that felt rather pleasant,"

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he admitted, much to Cinderace's amusement.

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The hare pushed forward to kiss once more,

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taking hold of the lizard's face in his paws.

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They continued to kiss,

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taking brief moments to draw in a breath before kissing once more.

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He felt both of Inteleon's hands

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grip his shoulders as he was gently lowered onto the ground.

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With precision and care,

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the lizard crawled over him,

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gently pushing his tongue towards Cinderace's lips.

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A brief moan escaped the hare's lips

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as he felt his tongue being inspected by Inteleon's.

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His breathing started to quicken

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as he tightened his hold on the lizard. Inteleon gently lowered his weight down onto Cinderace,

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their hands now freely feeling each other

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as they continued to kiss,

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caress, and gasp over their mutual pleasure.

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Eventually, he pulled away,

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looking over the

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blushing hare staring up at him.

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The sunset reflected off Cinderace's gaze

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as he reached a hand

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over to gently rub his cheek.

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The hare allowed himself a moment to smile

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and laugh as he leaned upward to kiss him once more.

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However, this time it was brief,

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as both pokemon stared at each other,

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pressing their foreheads together

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and holding each other close.

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“Hey… Inteleon?" “Yes?"

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“Is… is it too fast to say that I love you?"

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A blink. Then slowly pulling back.

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Inteleon briefly glanced away before replying,

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“I do admit it seems fast to say so already.

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However... " Without hesitation, he pulled Cinderace in for a hug.

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“I welcome the sentiment.

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sentiment." Feeling his throat tighten,

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the hare returned the embrace,

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staying in that position as he

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gently dragged his paws along Inteleon's back.

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“Cinderace! Where are you?"

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Both pokemon suddenly jolted,

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pulling their heads back and

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looking beyond a group of trees towards the source of Hop's voice.

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“Inteleon, we gotta go!"

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Victor added, coming from the same direction.

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Cinderace and Inteleon

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looked at each other.

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Both with bittersweet looks on their face.

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“I suppose we'll put this on hold until next time?"

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the lizard began.

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“Yeah… I guess so." Cinderace's ears drooped as he continued to stare at the floor.

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Inteleon planted a kiss atop the hare's head.

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“The next time we meet,

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we'll make plans together.

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Just the two of us.

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us." Slowly, he got to his feet.

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“Let's not keep our trainers waiting,"

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he stated as he began walking away.

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“Come along," he added

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before turning back and waving his hand.

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The hare sighed before standing up and slowly walking in Inteleon's direction.

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As the lizard smiled and walked away,

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Cinderace looked at his paw,

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then towards Inteleon's hand.

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“Wait," he called out,

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causing his companion to stop.

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Stowing away the hesitation in his heart,

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he reached out for the other pokemon's hand.

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Inteleon looked at him with surprise,

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but his look was met with a warm smile.

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He returned the expression

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and gently took hold of the other's paw.

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“I love you," Cinderace murmured.

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After a smile and a nod,

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both pokemon walked,

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hand in hand, towards their awaiting trainers.

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They etched the feeling of each other's touch into their memory banks,

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ready to start the next chapter

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of their journey. It was a dark and stormy night, and this is 16pts Arial with no indents so it’s easy for Khaki to read…

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This was “Shooting Your Shot” by Some Person,

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read for you by Khaki,

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your faithful fireside companion.

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You can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,

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or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

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Thank you for listening

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to The Voice of Dog.