FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Grass, trees, and shrubbery covered the area that Cinderace traveled through. The sky began turning a shade of orange as he scanned the area, asking himself, "Where did he get to?" Eventually, in a clearing, he found his target. His friend, Inteleon sat atop the hill, staring out at the Galarian wilderness with a wistful look in his eyes. Suddenly, a jolt seemed to strike him in the chest, stopping him in his tracks. He put a paw to his heart and drew in a deep breath. Not now, he reminded himself as he gently patted his cheeks before approaching. "Hey, been looking for you all over!" he declared as he attracted the lizard's attention.

"Ah, don't mind me," Inteleon began, nodding in his direction. "As long as Hop and Victor are busy conversing, I figured I'd enjoy the scenery."

Cinderace sat down to his right. "So you've just been staring at all of this?" he asked while gesturing to the area.

"Indeed."

"Must be bored outta your mind, then. Not much to look at out here."

"On the contrary, there's a hidden beauty in the stillness. If I immerse myself in the moment, then I begin noticing more and more to my surroundings." He put a finger to his chin, then his eyes got slightly wider. "Look at that tree," he began, pointing to a tree to their right.

"What about it?"

"Just look at it."

"...and then?"

"No, just... " The lizard sighed. "Look at the tree, and keep looking at it. Silently."

Cinderace huffed and stared at the tree. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, his eyes growing half-lidded, when suddenly he heard a flurry of chirps, followed by rustling branches. Through a small clearing in the leaves, he could see an Unfezant moving through the leaves, bringing various berries to a group of Pidoves in a nest. "Whoa..."

"That's what I mean," Inteleon began. "If you ran by this tree, you'd have only seen it as just that; A tree. By taking time to truly sit and observe the world around you, you can see that this tree is so much more. It is a home, protection, sustenance. Nature is a diverse creature, creating a plethora of invaluable assets to the world around us, whether we acknowledge it or not. That's the beauty I see in all things."

A smile slowly grew on Cinderace's face. "You know, you've really grown a lot since we were young."

Inteleon closed his eyes and nodded. "I had to, since those days. As did you, I'm sure."

His smile faded as he laid on his back. "I don't know. I think about the changes you went through, and the changes Rillaboom went through too. You both became huge! Super different from when we were little. Then I think about me..." he paused, staring at the sky. "I just... I can't tell if I've grown that much. Hop's been putting me through practice, sending me to jobs, everything, but..." he sat back up, looking at his paws. "It all just feels the same."

The lizard hummed to himself while studying over Cinderace. "You might not notice it, but you've changed just as much as we have," he replied, earning the hare's attention. "In our younger days, you would rush headfirst into danger. You wouldn't hesitate to find pokemon to battle and to please Hop."

With a chuckle, the hare replied, "Yeah, I would do that, huh?"

"And then your trainer would have us fight."

Memories of water guns and bubble attacks flooded his mind as Cinderace slowly covered himself with his ears.

"Oh, come now, it wasn't that bad."

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

Inteleon froze. "Fair point, but every time we fought, you became an increasingly difficult adversary. Despite your disadvantage, you gave it a valiant effort."

Cinderace peeked out from his cover.

"And since then we've had quite the adventure. The gym challenges, the never-ending string of battles, the dynamax problem, even befriending Zacian and Zamazenta..."

"It... has been a lot, huh?"

"Indubitably." Inteleon lightly patted Cinderace's shoulder. "It would be hard not to grow under those conditions, so try not to think so lowly of yourself."

With a smile, the hare nodded. "Yeah, I guess I am kind of a big deal!"

"There's the arrogance I know so well," the lizard replied with a chuckle.

Cinderace joined Inteleon in silently observing the nature around them. He looked toward his friend, feeling warmth blossom within him. "So," he began after drawing a quick breath, "have you tried hooking up with any of the girls on your team?"

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

"No? Come on, man! We're in our prime here! Gotta strike while the iron's hot!"

"Then I assume you have?"

Cinderace's ears slightly drooped. "W-well, we've got a lotta places to visit. There are some real lookers on my team, but if we screwed up and made an egg, that would just slow us down."

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

One scrunched face and a slow shrug later, the hare replied, "Okay, didn't think of that,, but still! You should at least find someone. I don't want a good friend of mine to go without experiencing one of life's biggest pleasures!"

Inteleon started to twirl the blade in his fingers. "I'm actually over the idea, myself."

Cinderace stared as his enthusiastic demeanor wavered. "You what?"

"I accepted long ago that I'm not fit for romance. My diction and demeanor are seen as an air of superiority to others. Not only that, but trying to be a romantic doesn't work for me. I can certainly play the part, but it never feels genuine to me. I don't see anyone willing to put up with that, and I'm okay with it."

The hare stared for a moment before retorting, "So you're just going to give up?"

"It's not giving up, it's-"

"No, that's exactly what it is!" he shouted with a huff and stood up, towering over the lizard. "There's a whole world of pokemon out there, and you're just going to roll over and say 'No point trying to change anything'?"

Inteleon narrowed his gaze. "Why are you getting so invested in my decisions?"

"Because you're not even giving yourself a chance! If you didn't like pokemon that's one thing, but you're just going to assume no one would like you!"

With a scoff, the lizard replied, "I fail to see how this concerns you, but please, continue. Tell me how I should live my life."

"You aren't getting it!" Cinderace groaned and started pacing around. "What's your plan if someone does say they like you? Are you just gonna shrug and send them away? Do you have any idea how that would feel?"

"I wouldn't do that!" Inteleon shot back. "You act as if I'm tactless! Of course I'd consider their feelings! It's ridiculous we're even having this conversation!" With a shake of his head, he stood up. "Hop and Victor are likely done talking by this point. Let's just forget this discussion and head back," he added as he began walking away.

The hare gritted his teeth. "I bet you anything there's pokemon who'd be interested in you! But you just wanna call it a day, so who cares, right?" The lizard continued to silently march, causing Cinderace to scowl. "There's pokemon on your team who'd wanna date you!" he yelled. "And on my team, too, I bet! Heck, I would date you!"

Inteleon suddenly stopped, turning around with gaze slightly widened.

"I-I... I..." Cinderace simmered as he looked to the floor. "I mean, if you were a girl, of course. I'd date you if you were a girl. Just uh... that's it." He continued averting his gaze, lightly clenching his paw as he could feel the blood draining from his face.

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

The hare snapped himself back to reality, looking up to see Inteleon staring back with an inquisitive glance as he rested a finger on his lips. "Well... yeah. We're both guys. You know how it is."

"I'm afraid I don't. Perhaps you can elaborate." The lizard slowly approached. "Is being male all there is to stop you? What about my personality or my looks?"

"H-hey, come on, man. We're guys, it just wouldn't work out."

"There it is again, seems it's only because of gender. Why is that?"

"It's just... different."

"Have you kissed another man?"

Another jolt shot through Cinderace's system as his eyes went wide and he took a step back. "What?!"

"You're so certain that it's different, so tell me how." Inteleon stopped in his tracks, now being directly in front of the hare.

"I... no. I haven't," he replied with a sigh. "I shouldn't even have to explain this to you! Guys don't just date other guys."

"Not normally no, but sometimes they do." The two pokemon stood silently for a moment before Inteleon narrowed his gaze. "Why don't you show me?"

Cinderace raised an eyebrow, struggling to ignore his increasing heart-rate. "S-show you what?"

"Show me how different it is." He got closer to the hare, nearly towering over him. "Kiss me."

As his face grew warmer, the hare took another step back. "H-hey! This isn't funny, I-"

"It's not supposed to be funny," Inteleon continued walking forward with each step the hare took in the other direction. "All you have to do is make me understand the difference between kissing a man and a woman. In fact, pretend I'm a woman. If it truly feels different, then we can consider your point, but if not..." Cinderace was now backed against the tree, a blush starting to spread across his face. Inteleon planted a hand above the hare's shoulder, then lowered his head so his gaze met Cinderace's. "Then I suppose you have no reason not to try."

Both pokemon stared at each other, the breeze died off, leaving a suffocating aura around them.

"What are you waiting for? If it's so easy, then kiss me. If not, push me away! I'm right here, and this is an opportunity to convince my otherwise. So what will it be?"

Cinderace started to tremble, his breathing grew faster, and the blush on his face spread as no coherent thought crossed his mind. He dryly swallowed the lump in his throat, as every breath in and out felt like it were scorching his insides.

Suddenly, Inteleon sighed and stood up before placing a hand on the hare's shoulder. "Not as easy as it sounds, is it?" He turned around and took a few steps away, then looked back with a gentle smile. "Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate your concern. However, I prefer it this way."

Emptiness. At that moment, it felt as if a pit opened up within the hare. His gaze turned towards the floor, and his fists had balled up.

"It goes the same for you. There's plenty of pokemon out there, and I'm sure many of them would be dying to be yours." The lizard stopped and gestured towards the landscape while he continued. "You should find someone who will love you back. A Cinderace as charismatic and boisterous as you is sure to have fans and friends willing to fill that position. So you don't need to worry about me. We'll both be able to live our romantic lives comfortably, living how we want to live, and loving who we want to love. Does that make any sense?"

It was at that moment that Cinderace walked up and kicked Inteleon behind his knees.

He buckled over from the impact, falling unceremoniously onto the floor. The lizard stared at the sky blinking a few times before jolting upright. "Wh-what?! What was that for?" he shouted. "Do you-" he stopped as he turned around and noticed Cinderace staring back at him; His fists clenched, his brow furrowed, and a small stream of tears trailing from his eyes. Inteleon recoiled, standing up as he approached the hare, craning his neck while looking him over. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't... I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings, I just-"

Without wasting another moment, Cinderace stepped forward, grabbed the lizard by his head, and pulled him in for a kiss.

Both pokemon remained in that position, Inteleon staring back at his friend with wide eyes.

Then the hare pulled away with a gasp and said, "Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up! You listen to me now! 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 that I want to be with! Maybe it wouldn't work out, maybe we stop loving each other, maybe you're not interested from the start! I would be okay with any of these outcomes, 'cause we would've at least tried. But you? You just wanna tell yourself 'No one would deal with me, no one would like me, so why bother?' and that's what makes me mad! Here's me, already liking you for who you are, wanting to give it a try, but you won't even give me the chance, you stupid asshole!"

Both pokemon stared at each other, the air feeling thin at that moment. Suddenly, tears began pouring from Inteleon's eyes, causing Cinderace to take a few steps back.

"I-I'm sorry!" Cinderace insisted. "The words just kept coming out, and-"

"N-no, no, it's fine," the lizard sniffled as he quickly wiped away his tears. "I don't know what came over me." He looked down at his friend, who was also drying his eyes. That was when he started to chuckle. This slowly grew and turned into a boisterous laughing fit as the tears continued rolling.

Cinderace stared with a raised brow, but soon found himself laughing as well. Both pokemon continued their cacophony, eventually lying on the floor until they took hold of their senses. They both stared at each other while on the floor, a small smile on both of their faces.

Inteleon stood up and walked towards the tree, sitting down at the trunk and patting the grass to his right. "I think we have some matters to discuss."

The hare got to his feet and approached, sitting down next to him.

"How long have you felt this way?"

With a sigh, Cinderace rested his head on his paws. "I guess... kinda recently? It really started when I was still a Raboot." He paused while slightly rubbing his paws together. "I was realizing that I got happier when you were around. A lot happier. And I would miss you when we left. I wouldn't get like that about anyone else, and then the idea just hit me. I didn't know what to think of it at first, I never thought about liking guys before. I panicked and tried getting with other girls I know, and it seemed fine at first. But then I just... I started kinda... hating myself, I guess. I didn't wanna talk to anyone. Felt like it was pointless.

"I was still down on myself when we battled you guys again. You'd become an Inteleon, and something just clicked when I saw you..." he started to blush while playing with one of his ears. "I felt good... like, really good. It was like how I felt when I questioned myself."

"Is that why you stood still when I used Snipe Shot?" Inteleon asked with a sly grin.

Cinderace stopped, slowly looking over with a glare, contrary to the smile on his face. "Yes... and I still need to get you back for that some day!" he replied with a light backhand to the lizard's arm. He then sat up straight. "I realized that I wasn't going to get anywhere by hating myself, so every morning I'd find some time by myself to say 'I like guys.' It still made me scared at first, but it started getting easier. I started getting my confidence back, I worked hard, and then this happened!" the hare exclaimed as he pointed to himself.

With a smile and a nod, Inteleon replied, "You truly have grown since we were younger. Make sure you don't lose sight of that."

The hare chuckled, staring back before turning away, his smile slowly fading. "Sorry about getting angry before," he began. "I shouldn't be telling you how to live your life. And I... I kinda made it about me."

"It's fine, really," Inteleon stated with a comforting smile. "You didn't mean anything truly malicious, and I'm glad we had this chance to talk." There was a pause as Cinderace still looked away. "Does anyone else on your team know?"

"No," he immediately replied. "I... I know the others won't care, but Hop..." Cinderace paused, biting the inside of his lower lip as his eyes started to mist over. "I don't want him to release me. I get scared just thinking about it..."

Inteleon placed a hand on his shoulder, garnering the hare's attention. "If Hop is the trainer he seems, then I assure you that you've nothing to worry about. And if he were so cruel, I can guarantee Victor and I would beat him to a pulp."

There was nothing but an perplexed stare from Cinderace, up until he started to laugh and wiped at his eyes. "Didn't expect to hear that from you." Once he stopped, he turned away again, wrapping his arms around his legs. "So...do you still think you're not cut out for romance?" The hare tightened his grip as he glanced over towards Inteleon, who was staring at the sky in thought.

"Not entirely."

With a perk of his ears, the hare lifted his head.

"I'm still not convinced that I'm 'dating material', and I still feel that it would help avoid any unnecessary turmoil in the future. However..." he paused and turned towards Cinderace, a smile growing on his face. "I wouldn't mind giving it a chance."

"...I'm glad. I'm sure you can find someone," the hare replied, smiling as he tightly gripped his legs.

A sigh came from Inteleon as he rested his head on his left hand. "I don't think you understand..." He raised his right hand to be level with Cinderace's head. "I said I'll give it a chance," he repeated, gently tapping the hare on the nose as he said the last word.

Several moments passed Cinderace looked at his nose, then back to Inteleon. Then he squinted before his eyes started growing wider before staring back with a blush on his face. "Wh... but... you mean... I..."

"Easy, easy, allow me to explain," the lizard began with a chuckle. He leaned back against the tree and looked at the plains beyond as he began, "Truth be told, I've felt something for you for quite some time, ever since we first began our journey."

"That long?!"

"Yes, but it was a sense of admiration, really. You were always so bold, so confident, so willing to help others." He paused to look at his hands. "I always felt so weak and helpless, that I would just drag others down. Trying to fight on Victor's behalf was the most frightening experience. When we fought and I won the first time, I thought I had seriously injured you, but after the battle you still were motivated to keep going. I wanted to be as confident as you were." Inteleon turned towards him. "I wanted to be just like you, in fact."

The hare began playing with his ears again. "You... you did, huh?"

"Of course, there were times I'd lose terribly and wake up in a pokemon center, or I'd break down in a crying fit, but I kept working harder and harder. I kept thinking of your confidence, and how you carried yourself, and how I still had a ways to go." He sighed wistfully as he looked out at the plains. "I suppose at some point, my admiration for you turned into something similar to affection. However, I was on the receiving end of one-too-many terrible romantic encounters by that point. I believed that there wasn't much else left for me and romance, and I still hadn't the courage to declare my feelings. And then here we are today."

Cinderace slid an inch closer to Inteleon, their sides nearly coming into contact. "So... you're really okay with this?" he asked, looking the lizard in the eye.

"I must ask you something first," he began. "There's no guarantee that I'll be completely responsive to romantic gestures. Sometimes I may sound standoffish, or even indifferent, but I have no ill intentions by it. Knowing that I won't be the perfect lover... do you still wish to give this an honest try?"

The hare looked away for a moment, then looked back up with a smile. "Yes, more than anything."

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

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

Inteleon smiled. "In that case..." he reached out a hand, gently cupping Cinderace's chin and placing their lips a hair's breadth away from each other. "Shall we make it an honest kiss, this time?" he whispered.

The hare could feel his face burn bright, savoring the feeling of Inteleon's breath hitting his fur. His eyes shimmering, he nodded once and softly replied, "Yes." He closed his eyes as Inteleon gently pulled his head forward, locking both pokemon's lips together for a kiss. His insides felt like a fireworks display, and his lips trembled from the touch. A wayward paw felt around for the lizard's free hand, which held his upon making contact.

Inteleon gently broke away, staring into his eyes as if studying every line in his iris. "I admit, that felt rather pleasant," he admitted, much to Cinderace's amusement.

The hare pushed forward to kiss once more, taking hold of the lizard's face in his paws. They continued to kiss, taking brief moments to draw in a breath before kissing once more. He felt both of Inteleon's hands grip his shoulders as he was gently lowered onto the ground.

With precision and care, the lizard crawled over him, gently pushing his tongue towards Cinderace's lips.

A brief moan escaped the hare's lips as he felt his tongue being inspected by Inteleon's. His breathing started to quicken as he tightened his hold on the lizard.

Inteleon gently lowered his weight down onto Cinderace, their hands now freely feeling each other as they continued to kiss, caress, and gasp over their mutual pleasure. Eventually, he pulled away, looking over the blushing hare staring up at him. The sunset reflected off Cinderace's gaze as he reached a hand over to gently rub his cheek.

The hare allowed himself a moment to smile and laugh as he leaned upward to kiss him once more. However, this time it was brief, as both pokemon stared at each other, pressing their foreheads together and holding each other close. "Hey... Inteleon?"

"Yes?"

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

A blink. Then slowly pulling back. Inteleon briefly glanced away before replying, "I do admit it seems fast to say so already. However... " Without hesitation, he pulled Cinderace in for a hug. "I welcome the sentiment."

Feeling his throat tighten, the hare returned the embrace, staying in that position as he gently dragged his paws along Inteleon's back.

"Cinderace! Where are you?"

Both pokemon suddenly jolted, pulling their heads back and looking beyond a group of trees towards the source of Hop's voice.

"Inteleon, we gotta go!" Victor added, coming from the same direction.

Cinderace and Inteleon looked at each other. Both with bittersweet looks on their face.

"I suppose we'll put this on hold until next time?" the lizard began.

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

Inteleon planted a kiss atop the hare's head. "The next time we meet, we'll make plans together. Just the two of us." Slowly, he got to his feet. "Let's not keep our trainers waiting," he stated as he began walking away. "Come along," he added before turning back and waving his hand.

The hare sighed before standing up and slowly walking in Inteleon's direction. As the lizard smiled and walked away, Cinderace looked at his paw, then towards Inteleon's hand. "Wait," he called out, causing his companion to stop. Stowing away the hesitation in his heart, he reached out for the other pokemon's hand.

Inteleon looked at him with surprise, but his look was met with a warm smile. He returned the expression and gently took hold of the other's paw.

"I love you," Cinderace murmured.

After a smile and a nod, both pokemon walked, hand in hand, towards their awaiting trainers. They etched the feeling of each other's touch into their memory banks, ready to start the next chapter of their journey.