FA+
Shop
1075
Views
Views
6
Favorites
Favorites
Category
Story / Pokemon
Species Pokemon
Size 120 x 74
File Size 35.4 kB
Report this content
More from The_Lost_One
Listed in Folders
To try and make-up for the sheer lack of posts for so long I put some effort into getting this part done for everybody, so hope you enjoy
As per usual the previous chapters are linked below:
Part 1 - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24052767/
Part 2 - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24166380/
Part 3 - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24721853/
Part 4 - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/25952461/
Part 5 - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/26196031/
Part 6 - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/28433787/
To everyone who followed Teddy through these previous 6 chapters we have now finally come to what you've all been (hopefully) waiting for…
THE FINALE
In this chapter Teddy confronts not only Team Big Top but his own Big Sister Vanessa. Will he manage to break free of them and try to steer his own destiny for once or will he revert to his subservient little kid persona? And what will they do when Teddy's feelings and wants are revealed? All will be reveal in the finale of the Decon/Reconstructing Teddy story!
All drama aside this IS the end for this part of Teddy's story (the next part will have a different name to signify a different story arc) so I hope you enjoy it, I put a great deal of effort into all the emotions and character interactions here =3
As always please enjoy, fav & comment (please PLEASE comment, wanna know if you liked it), and have a great day! ^,^
Characters owned by me
Pokemon NOT owned by me
Teddy took what had to be his seventh deep breath in an attempt to calm his pounding heart and keep from panicking… and like the six that came before it didn't really help much. A few days back when he'd made the decision that he WAS going to quit Team Big Top and try his luck as a solo battler it'd seemed such an easy thing to do. He'd felt confident about it. He'd still felt confident when he'd gone to see Rebecca and told her. When she'd mentioned he might wait a few days so she could try and spend a little more time trying to talk with Vanessa he hadn't felt AS confident as before… but he had still been sure he could do it. Especially when he got the braixen to promised she'd do the bulk of the initial talking to the team. But now…?
Now the litleo just wanted to call the whole thing off and find somewhere to HIDE as he stood in one of the PCA's locker rooms. One of his ears pressed against the door to the gym as he struggled to eavesdrop on what Rebecca was saying to his team… er… former team? Did it count if he hadn't officially filed the paperwork to quit yet? He wasn't sure. Trying to hear the details of what he assumed was Rebecca reading Big Top the riot act over how they'd treated him was leaving him too panicked to think straight. Especially with the knowledge that Vanessa was there with them, knowing all that along with the fact he'd be going out in front of them to personally tell them he was quitting as soon as Rebecca gave him his cue?
The lion cub's nerves were so shot he was worried he might need fresh pull ups. He wasn't even sure what was making him panic. He wasn't scared they'd be upset with him… at least he didn't think that was the issue. Was he scared he'd disappoint them? Was he embarrassed to go in front of them and do this? He didn't have a clue what was making this seem so impossible, so unthinkable for him and that just made the panic harder to fight. He just kept repeating the fact he'd made up his mind to do this again and again in his head as if it was some kind of magic chant and would give him strength. N-now… what were his lines again? Fumbling in his pocket Teddy pulled out the little note cards he'd hastily scribbled out earlier in the day-
"Teddy? They're ready."
And promptly dropped them all over the locker room floor in surprise as Rebecca's call caught him completely off guard. His note cards hit the floor and scattered across the tile as Teddy scrambled to pick them up before realizing it was a lost cause as the slippery paper just slid away as he tried to scoop it up. It'd take too long to get the notes up and back in order and in his panicked state the idea of making everybody wait (or worse have somebody come to check on him) was unthinkable. It felt like his body was moving on autopilot as Teddy found himself toddling out into the gym on shaking legs and coming to stand before the three other members of Team Big Top… his teammates.
Somehow the three sophomores seemed to tower over him even more than usual (even Sophie who, at best, only had a couple inches on him). Standing before them and trying to find his nerve and his voice the reason he was so panicked came into frightening clarity for Teddy. Since he could remember he'd always been little and letting the big people decide everything for him. Whether it was his parents, his aunts and uncles, or his cousin Vanessa (who might as well be his sister since they were raised together) they'd always been dominant. Even now when he'd made up his mind and wanted to decide for himself speaking up and trying to tell his teammates (who were "Big People" as far as he was concerned) seemed like he was doing something against the natural order… something, for lack of a more mature word, naughty and deserving of punishment.
"I… I… I w-wanna…" the litleo squeaked out, pausing to shut his eyes tight and take another deep breath… and a few more while he was at it. "I… wanna… q-quit Team B-Big Top…" Teddy squeezed out, feeling more and more like he'd done something wrong with every word. His mind flashing back to when Vanessa had finished giving him his tour of the PCA and introduced him to Team Big Top. When she'd told him she wanted him to join the group so they could help look out for him. Part of him, probably the same part that (ironically) manifested King Roar earlier, knew he didn't need somebody to look out for him like that since he wasn't a little kid. Despite knowing that the litleo couldn't ignore another, more emotional part of him that yowled in the back of his head that they knew better than he did and he was bad for daring to try and decide for himself. The conflict between the two was pushing him towards another breakdown.
"Er… maybe you wanna do this one on one?" Terrance called out, jarring Teddy from his breakdown as he stopped picturing the sophomores towering over him. "I mean… we've gotten the idea we all at least owe you an apology…" the gurdurr said, rubbing one of his arms bashfully (Teddy tried to remember when he'd seen the fighting type this ashamed for anything other than accidentally breaking something) as he glanced over to Rebecca. "W-we'd at least like to properly tell you good bye before you go…" he added as Teddy glancing around the room. Roy looked just as bashful and apologetic as Terrance did. Sophie… looked cheerfully clueless (which didn't surprise him at all) and was… digging through her coat for some reason? Not unusual behavior for her but still odd. Teddy gaze skipped over the corner where Vanessa was (he didn't need to go back to having a breakdown) and glanced over to Rebecca.
Who was looking at him concerned and confused. Right… he'd told her he'd put together a big speech for this and then he came out here stuttering and mumbling. Feeling even more ashamed now the litleo nodded quickly "O-one at a time works." he mumbled, still looking down at his feet "I-I'll be in the locker room!" He added, trying not to sound like he was panicked or running away (and well aware he was failing badly) as he turned on his paws and scurried back into the locker room. Nearly slipping on his spilled notes. He skidded on the slick tiles. Waiting till he heard the door swing shut behind him the litleo covered his eyes with his paws in shame and let out a pitiful whine.
How was he supposed to do anything for himself, let alone fight by himself in the arena, if he could't even face the big kids and tell them how he felt!? Teddy paused for a moment as he realized what he'd just thought… he slapped his cheeks and shut his eyes tight to try and calm down and clear his head. Older student, OLDER students… his big sister and her friends! Not big kids, he didn't use that term anymore! Letting out a soft sigh Teddy stared at his feet, wondering if there was any reason to try and pick up his note cards at this point-
Just in time to leap away, mentally denying his fur was standing on end from surprise, as the door swung open and smashed into the wall. "Sorry! Sorry!" Terrance quickly said, still standing in the doorway and wincing, one big beefy arm outstretched from where he'd pushed the door. Teddy's heart immediately stopped racing since, for better or worse, this was one of the things he'd gotten used to while on Big Top. "Y-you're going first T-Terrance?" he squeaked, trying and failing to hide his surprise heightened voice pitch. "Y-yeah… sorry for the scare." the gurdurr said, stepping into the locker room and letting the door shut behind him… before looking down as he stepped on some of the note cards "Huh?"
"… d-dropped my notes when Rebecca called…"
"Oooooh, so you did have a speech…" the comment was enough to make Teddy hang his head as Terrance quickly tried to backtrack "R-rebecca mentioned it is all a-and… uh… w-wanna sit? I-I'll s-say what I gotta say then you can say your piece." the fighting type gestured to one of the benches as Teddy nodded. Eager for any excuse to try and pull himself together he walked over to the bench and hopped up. Instinctively scooting down and adjusting his position to compensate for the wood sagging a little as Terrance sat down on it. He'd learned pretty quickly that, even if these benches were sturdy enough not to break, they still sagged when heavier mon sat on them. After that one incident of getting bounced int the air when both his bigger teammates sat down at once he'd learned to give them space.
"So…" Terrance sighed softly, rubbing the back of his head and looking like he was struggling to figure out what to say… which Teddy could sympathize with. He knew the gurdurr was a good guy… he just had never gotten the chance to know him really well. Vanessa had told him Terrance had always been a sweetheart and kind and all kinds of other stuff… but Teddy hadn't gotten the chance to meet him before he'd evolved. The guy was still struggling to regulate his new strength (as the latest door incident showed) so he'd kept Teddy at arms length to keep from hurting him.
"So you're quitting the team… I mean, I get why you're quitting the team and everything. We weren't really fair to you were we…? It… it's kinda easy to forget you're a teen I mean… er, y-you know what I mean! I-I know you're a teen, it's just…" Terrance mumbled, shifting awkwardly where he sat and making the bench creak as he did so. About the most he knew about Terrance was the guy had a couple little siblings he was having to do the same with… so he figured Terrance had treated him like one of his little brothers or something. So he didn't really have it in him to dislike the guy (not that he disliked any of his teammates really… he just knew they didn't really didn't think of him like their teammate).
"Yeah, I know what you mean…" Teddy said, giving Terrance a nervous smile… which the gurdurr returned. "R-right…" the fighting type stuttered before taking a deep breath "… s-so a-anyway I wanted to say… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not treating you like you were a proper member of the team, I'm sorry for babying you, I'm sorry for… I'm… I'm just… sorry." he babbled out all at once as if letting out a sigh, hanging his head as he did so. With that said an awkward silence fell over the locker room. Shifting nervouslyly for a moment Teddy debated what he could possibly do that wouldn't make the situation more awkward (if that was possible)… before scooting over and timidly patting Terrances knee, adding a "I-it's okay I forgive you?" to the gesture and hoping it'd come across like he meant it to.
The stare he got in reply left Teddy worrying he might have just ruined it… before Terrance let out a chuckle "Thanks, you're a good kid Teddy. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise." he said, looking genuinely relieved Teddy had forgiven him. A shadow suddenly fell over the litleo's head as he instinctively flinched… and Terrance's hand gingerly came down on his head making his world go dark. There was an brief moment of confusion as Teddy processed this since the gurdurr had gone to great length to avoid touching him before… just in time to squeak as Terrance ruffled his hair. "And I know you'll do fine going solo, so take care of yourself okay?" Terrance added as he finally lifted his hand and got up from the bench.
"See you around." He called, looking extraordinarily proud of himself as he headed for the door. Teddy reaching up to try and straighten out his hair as he watched Terrance go. The litleo blushed since he knew what that probably meant to the fighting type… and cause he didn't have the heart in him to let the guy know he'd been a little too rough. His ears were aching a little from the ruffling… but Teddy didn't really mind. He didn't quite understand it but he somehow felt far calmer than he'd been before. More at ease with the decision he'd made to quit the team and less like he'd done something wrong.
A feeling which distracted him enough he didn't hear Sophie come in till the mime jr had hopped up onto the bench and slid over to bump into him. "Hey there Teddy! So you're going solo too huh? Just like Vanessa~ That leaves my circus short one beast tamer act you know~" she chirped, giggling and grinning as she pressed her cheek to Teddy's. The litleo doing all he could to avoid rolling his eyes since he'd gotten used to this by now. "That's fine though! We've got another act coming for our three rings, so you just focus on your solo debut! You need to be the one getting the crowd's attention now so-" the psychic type continued as Teddy just kinda tuned her out.
While Sophie was the only member of Team Big Top that treated him like an equal she was also the one Teddy was least close to. He was of the personal opinion that the mime jr was some level of insane… he just wasn't sure what that'd be. Not only was she perpetually cheerfully, bubbly, and excited with NO respect for personal boundaries (as he unwelcome cheer rubbing demonstrated), but she also had her compulsive circus obsession she shoehorned into EVERYTHING. Case in point she was currently prattling on about something relating to circus solo acts and the perils and glories of being alone in the spotlight carried. Seriously, she didn't have an off switch when it came to this circus thing of hers.
It'd actually taken him a lot of time, and translations from Terrance (who'd apparently known her for years), for the litleo to even understand her when she started talking like this. So he knew what she was actually saying… "Be careful out there, being a solo battler can be hard… but I'm sure you'll do just fine out there~" As weird and off-putting as the clown could be Teddy had to admit, he admired how positive she always was. Not only did nothing get her down but there wasn't a single set-back she couldn't turn into an opportunity or plan around. That was worth looking up to.
"T-thanks Sophie, so you're o-okay with me quitting-"
"Nope, you're not quitting Big Top~"
"Huh?" Teddy felt his jaw drop in confusion as Sophie giggled and hopped off the bench to stand in front of him "Oh you're leaving the troupe yeah… but you'll ALWAYS be a part of Team Big Top, same as your big sister!" the mime jr declared throwing her arms out dramatically. "So even when you're taking your act to the solo ring always remember, you're ALWAYS welcome to come back and visit~" she continued, not waiting for Teddy to reply "In fact I insist~ You'll definitely come and visit! Especially when Roy's girlfriend finally gets here~ She's gonna join the team and I want you and Vanessa to be there to meet her too!" she cheered, bouncing eagerly on her feet and taking hold of Teddy's paws for emphasis. The litleo just sat there, jaw hanging open a little as he tried to process all this.
He was honestly a little touched by Sophie's offer and feelings of camaraderie… especially since he didn't really consider himself part of the team. Even if he found her weird he had to admit the mime jr had gone out of her way to welcome him into the fold when Vanessa had led him in and formally introduced him. Even if she'd also followed his big sister's request to keep him safe… though… to be honest Teddy wasn't sure if she'd actually been doing it intentionally or if she had just been really bad at working him into the team plans. He actually didn't expect her to apologize for that… or even realize what she'd been doing wrong. With Sophie there was a LOT of things he didn't understand-
Wait, Roy had a girlfriend?
"Oh! Oooooh oh oh oh!" Sophie suddenly squeaked, derailing Teddy's train of thought "I almost forgot~ Where is it, where is it~" she giggled, starting to dig through her coat with the comically exaggerated motions Teddy was used to seeing from her. "Here it is!" she called loudly before he could ask, holding something aloft and, with a quick motion that kept Teddy from seeing what it was, shoved the thing onto the litleo's nose. Squeaking in surprise as the smell of rubber hit him hard both of Teddy's paws went to the whatever it was… and it let out a cute little SQUEAK of it's own as he grabbed at it. Combined with the little orb of red that greeted his vision as he crossed his eyes to look it wasn't hard to figure out what Sophie had done.
She'd put a clown nose on him… why!?
"There~ That's your going away present~" Sophie chirped, looking quite proud of herself as she put her hands on her hips "I gave one to Vanessa when she left the team too, now you two can wear them together!" Teddy just stared blankly at her, the mental image of his big sis wearing a clown nose too distracting to really let him reply, until Sophie reach out and gave the rubber nose a squeeze making it squeak again. "Take care and see you around Teddy~ You were a great little lion lion tamer~" Sophie sing-song, giggling her head off at her own joke, before turning on her heels… and turning again in a showy twirl before skipping out of the locker room.
Sitting there and finding himself appreciating the silence for a moment Teddy chuckled a little and shook his head to get the image of Vanessa as a clown (a proper one, not a scary one like in his dreams) out of it. He wasn't sure if he'd miss this kind of madness or not… but he couldn't deny he was feeling a lot better now. Tugging the nose off and pocketing it he decided he'd figure out what to do with it later. Finding himself kicking his dangling feet absentmindedly as he sat there Teddy waited for the next member of Big Top to come in…
And sure enough Roy ambled in not a moment later. Before Teddy could scoot over the massive sealeo plopped down on the bench… as Teddy was once more bounced into the air a bit. Chucking weakly Roy watched the litleo land with a squeak before giving Teddy an apologetic smile "Well, here we are… gotta admit didn't see this coming… probably should have though." the massive seal said before letting out a sigh "Probably should get to letting you chew me out for how I treated you… but fair warning, Poly already gave me a good telling off for not taking kids like him and Pre-K seriously… just never occurred to me that it applied to you too." Roy gave another weak chuckle as he scratched at one of his whiskers "Sorry about that… about everything. Know that's not much but…"
Poly… that was Roy's name for his azurill cousin Patrice (the little water mouse called his big cousin Roly in return). Teddy sorta knew him… sorta. Roy had tried to set them up on "Playdates" as he'd jokingly called them so they could hang out and get to know each other. It hadn't work… at all. Teddy had been too shy and embarrassed by the whole thing to say much to Patrice and considering how quiet the azurill had been he must have felt the same… but if Roy said Poly already chewed him out? Teddy had no reason to disbelieve it even if Roy was the one member of Big Top he would have wanted to give the biggest piece of his mind to over their treatment of him.
While there was a lot about Roy that was likable (he was optimistic, encouraging, cheerful, lighthearted, and a lot of other stuff that helped him lighten the mood without being weird like Sophie)… Teddy never ONCE felt like the sealeo had taken him seriously. While Terrance put Teddy through a lot of the same patronizing treatment he'd gotten from Roy the gurdurr hadn't managed to make the litleo feel as small and childish as the seleo did (if only cause he kept his distance for fear of hurting Teddy). Roy meanwhile was an omnipresent reminder of how small and childish Teddy was though. Something all his goofy, cheerful, good qualities just magnified. So yeah… Teddy didn't really like the guy…
But he didn't hate him either so there just wasn't a point to holding a grudge. "It's okay, I forgive you… just… don't expect me to really wanna hang out, okay?" he said, not bothering with a reassuring gesture like he'd done with Terrance. "Fair enough, fair enough." Roy replied, his smile still apologetic and regretful "Well I guess I'll see you around the school then? And don't worry, I'm sure you'll do fine in the solo matches. Might take a bit to find your footing but I know you can do it." the sealeo added, his good traits showing again as he managed to give Teddy a grin. Chuckling and struggling not to roll his eyes Teddy smiled back… just a little. He didn't like Roy… and the fact it was so hard to dislike him made that worse.
"Take care of yourself." Roy said, getting up from the bench as Teddy watched the sealeo about to leave… suddenly remembered there was still ONE thing he needed to know before he parted ways with the seal! One big question all of this had left him with that would keep bugging him until he had an answer! "Oh! R-Roy!" he called out, making the massive sophomore stop and turn to look back at him in confusion. Shifting nervously Teddy debated how to properly ask this… then decided to just blurt it out and see what happened.
"Sophie said you had a… girlfriend?"
Unlike certain other cats Teddy's curiosity was rewarded… or at least he considered it a reward to see Roy's cool, calm, cheerful composure immediately crack~ "S-she's just my pen pal!" the flustered and blushing sealeo immediately stammered out before sighing "… s-she's not my girlfriend… s-she's a girl w-who happens to be my FRIEND, okay? S-she's coming to the PCA from Alola soon and she wants to join Big Top…" he explained, still blushing brightly as Teddy nodded. This was the first time he'd heard about this but it sounded rather interesting. He might actually look forward to meeting whoever this mysterious girl was. He'd had promised Sophie he'd be ther-
"W-wanna know more about her?"
"Huh?" Teddy squeaked out, caught completely off guard by Roy's suddenly question. He let out another squeak as the sealeo plopped back down on the bench making Teddy bounce into the air again. "W-well if you r-really wanna know then I'm happy to tell you~" Roy said, not waiting for Teddy to answer "H-her name is Elikapeka but she doesn't mind being called Elisa. She's a brionne a-and-" Roy babbled out as Teddy stared at him in confusion. The sealeo was acting radically different from how Teddy knew him and it honestly had the litleo a little confused and freaked out. At least until he noticed the absolutely dopey grin and look on Roy's face past the blush and he rambled on about what Elisa had told him in her letters and messages and all about her.
Teddy had to actually put his paw to his mouth to keep from giggling. It looked like Sophie had been right after all… if this wasn't love he didn't know what else it could be~ Well he wasn't about to stop Roy from sharing all this… the litleo even kinda hoped it worked out for the guy when this Elisa showed up in person. He could understand wanting somebody special… even if the chances of him getting a girlfriend were kinda low~
****************
Somewhere in the PCA a small shinx girl let out an absolutely adorable little sneeze as she waited in line behind a growlithe to see the nurse.
****************
Teddy wasn't sure how long it'd take for Roy to finish up his rambling (the litleo had tuned him out somewhere around when he mentioned Elisa was from a theater family… or a performing family… or something, it'd been kinda hard to follow) but he was once more alone in the locker room. Sitting in the still silence and waiting. A fact that helped him reflect on what had just happened. How'd he'd managed to more-or-less part ways with Team Big Top as amicably as he could have possibly hoped for. Reflecting on this however also brought what was going to happen next crashing down on his head like a ton of bricks.
There was nobody else left he had to talk to. The next person coming in was going to be Vanessa.
Teddy's heart started hammering as he found himself hyperventilating. He'd been able to make a clean break from Team Big Top. He was amazed he'd managed to do that. But the idea of telling Vanessa that he needed her to let him be his own person and make his own mistakes? That seemed impossible, outright unthinkable to the litleo. The earlier little voice that told him he was naughty for daring to contradict or challenge the bigger kids was back… and it wasn't so little anymore as it boomed in Teddy's head. Telling the fire type off for being such a naughty, disobedient, bad little kitten.
The fact she was his cousin didn't matter, Vanessa was his big sister. They'd been raised together and she'd pretty much ALWAYS been there for Teddy since his earliest memories. She'd been there watching over him, leading him, deciding for him, protecting him… the idea of going against her amounted to heresy second only to contradicting his parents. He had enough mental clarity to realize how absolutely insane these kind of thoughts had to be coming from a teenager but his emotions didn't care one bit about logic or sanity. It just told him he was bad and naughty and he needed to cry and beg for forgiveness and stuff when he saw Vanessa. He-
"Teddy?"
The soft, dainty voice cut through Teddy's breakdown like a knife as his head snapped up. As he found himself staring in Vanessa's familiar blue eyes everything went still. His mind, his emotions, everything… his whole being seemed to freeze from sheer panic and overload as he stared into his big sister's eyes. That stare seemed to go on for an eternity as Teddy waited for what he feared was coming. Vanessa scolding him or saying she was just trying to protect him or saying she loved and cared about him. Anything that would break the litleo's fragile resolve and reduce him back to being her submissive baby bro…
The pause shattered as instead of any of that the vulpix instead wrapped her arms around him, hugged Teddy close, and started to cry softly. For Teddy the response was instinctive. He wrapped his arms around Vanessa as tight as he could and cried into her shoulder. Time blurred for him at that point as the next thing he knew he was sitting next to Vanessa on the bench. She had one arm wrapped around his shoulder pulling him close so his head was resting against her and Teddy could feel the warm of her tails slightly wrapping around him from behind. It was a… familiar warmth. The kind that made him feel safe and loved and small. The kind that had him struggling to remember what he'd needed to talk to his big sister about in the first place.
"I-it… it's hard you know… I… I still can picture you being little…" Vanessa said softly as Teddy's blissed out state of familiar comfort died and the reason why they were here came back to him clearly. "I… I can see it so much easier than you being a teen…" the vulpix continued, her voice strained as if she was struggling not to cry (which in turn had Teddy tearing up) "… or… or maybe I just didn't want to… I don't know… maybe I wanted to keep you little so I could keep you safe… or something… I don't know, I just don't know…" Vanessa sniffled and hiccuped as the one armed embrace turned into another hug. Teddy just sat there, too shaken by hearing his always calm, composed, demure, and princess like big sister talking like this to return the hug or even reply.
There was a long pause before Vanessa spoke again and what she said shattered Teddy's heart even if he knew it was true. "But I haven't been protecting you… have I…?" his big sister sniffled "R-Rebecca told me… told me why you did… why… why what HAPPENED happened." she said, avoiding mentioning Teddy's tantrum in the arena in detail "H… how t-the way I'd been t-treating you made you… made you… I'm sorry… I'm so so sorry… I'm… I…" the vulpix hiccuped, words failing her as she started to cry again. This time full on bawling rather than the quiet tears from before.
Teddy wasn't quite sure how it happened but once again something instinctive inside him took over. The next thing he remembered he was sitting half curled up on Vanessa's lap, his arms wrapped tightly around his big sister as he nuzzled into her for all his worth. Being big, being independent, standing up for himself… those could wait. Right now his big sister was crying and he had to try and do SOMETHING to cheer her up. In his current mental state Teddy defaulted to the one thing he'd always done to try and lift Vanessa's spirits for as long as he could remember… cuddle and nuzzle all the bad away. He kept at it even as he felt the vulpix's warm tears dribbling down on his head.
For a moment time and place seemed to blur for Teddy. He was age 4 again, having crawled into his big 6 year old sisters lap to comfort her when she cried about something that happened at kindergarten. He was 7, snuggling 9 year old Vanessa to comfort her when she messed up at her ballet recital. He was all these litleo's and here he was, a 14 year old teen… once again trying to cuddle his big sister's sad away. He wasn't sure how to feel about it… but somehow he didn't feel embarrassed over it. He could remember just as many times he had cried over a broken toy or a skinned knee or being bullied and Vanessa had done the same for him. The best way he could describe it was that it felt… right. Like it was how things were supposed to be.
Finally the sobbing slowed down as Vanessa hiccuped softly, releasing her grip of Teddy just long enough to try and wipe her tears away with her paw. "S-sorry… I'm sorry…" she mumbled, sniffling again "I… I'm o-okay now… I'm…" The vulpix hiccuped before managing a soft giggle and weak smile "I… I guess… I'm not s-setting a good e-example f-for dealing w-with bad emotions, a-am I?" she joked weakly. Teddy struggled to smile back. His big sis talking about being a bad example like this was bitter and painful for him to stomach. He'd looked up to Vanessa (and his parents) as being close to perfect ever since he was small… and he'd just never gotten up the guts or will to grow beyond that. Here he was being dragged out of it whether he wanted it or not…
"Teddy… I… I'm…" Vanessa started, looking like she was gearing up for another round of sorries. Teddy tried to find his voice to tell her to please, PLEASE stop apologizing… but he was still mute from the emotional overload. "I'm… o-okay with you leaving Team Big Top… I'm okay w-with you being a solo b-battler…" Vanessa finally managed to squeeze out, and Teddy all but deflated on her lap. All the tension and stress that'd kept him rigid seemed to just flow out of him at hearing Vanessa openly say those words. Part of him knew he shouldn't be happy at Vanessa's opinion having so much sway over him… but the rest of him couldn't care less. His big sis wasn't mad at him over what he was doing. That's all that mattered.
"B-But…" Teddy tensed back up at that word… which lasted only a moment as Vanessa gathered him up in her arms and cradled him in a familiar manner as Teddy relaxed and laid against her on reflex. "I want you to promise me, p-promise me you won't fight like y-you did against Petie ever again." the vulpix said softly "I KNOW you're better t-than that. If you'll promise me that I… I'll p-promise you I'll stop babying you. I'll treat you your proper age." she finished, letting out a soft sigh as if relieved to have managed to get all of that out and off her chest.
Teddy didn't respond though. Partially due to embarrassment since Vanessa currently had his head resting on her shoulder with one arm around his back and the other cupping his bottom like he was a toddler. She was even rubbing it like you did when you wanted to sooth a little kid off to sleep. He also wasn't sure how to properly point out the irony of her promising to treat him his real age while doing this. Lastly there was actually a small part of him enjoying the comforting hold and sensation (same as when his mom held him like this) which made his embarrassment worse. Luckily Vanessa seemed to realize what she was doing and immediately turned bright red as she sat Teddy back away from her. Squeaking and trying to babbled explanations as she did so.
"I-it might t-take a little time I mean! I-I'm used to… old habits a-are hard to b-break and… I… I'm… I'm s-sorr-"
"I-it's fine." Teddy said, finding enough resolve to cut Vanessa off mid-apology "And I promise, o-okay? I p-promise you.." he mumbled, still blushing, as Vanessa blinked for a moment… before nuzzling him and making him giggle in surprise. Adjusting her grip on him Vanesaa held her now freed paw up and gently took hold of Teddy's opposite paw. He watched in confusion… till she gently hooked their pinky fingers together and gave him a knowing smile. A smile Teddy returned as their silly little pinkie promise ritual from when they were little came back to him. They both broke into giggles as they "shook" on it to seal the deal. No going back on their promises now~
The world might as well have been lifted off Teddy's shoulders as the litleo collapsed back into his big sister for more cuddles (which Vanessa happily provided). Even with his upcoming solo battling career to worry about it felt like having made peace with Vanessa was the biggest achievement he could ever hope for. Teddy felt so blissfully at peace and at ease he knew he had to be purring as Vanessa gently rocked him. He was perfectly content and happy in this one moment and he didn't care what came nex-
""I hope Rebecca's right about these-" Vanessa's said, Teddy's perfectly peaceful moment going up in smoke as she tugged the back of his shorts away to peek at his training pants "and they're just cause of stress. I mean, it took so long to train you the first time." Teddy replied with an indignant yowl that might have sounded like "Vanessa!!" if he'd bothered to try and be coherent as he pouted like a toddler and glared at his big sis. Who just gave a familiar, tinkling bell like laugh (that immediately calmed the kitten down to a mere sulk) as she smiled "Just teasing Teddy, I'm sure you'll be in big boy undies again in no time~ Maybe even before your first match~" the vulpix cooed… as Teddy once again realized, and decided he didn't care, how much power she had over him. One bit of praise and he could feel the pride welling up inside him…
"Speaking of which… Teddy? I have ooooone little request for you, okay?" she cooed as Teddy was IMMEDIATELY wary. Vanessa's "One Little Requests" always but ALWAYS meant the same thing. "Since you're going solo… I'd like to design a new battling outfit for you~ I want my little bro to look his best when he steps into the ring all by his lonesome~" she cooed as Teddy groaned internally. The humiliatingly adorable Beast Tamer outfit she'd made him to wear for Big Top still fresh in his mind. Taking a deep breath the litleo tried to steel his resolve. He'd decided to be more independent, right? Well he was gonna start now. He was gonna tell his big sis a firm, solid NO for the first time in so long! Teddy opened his mouth and-
"S-sure, y-you can… b-but I get to d-decide if I wanna wear it!"
Weakly mumbled that out as he decided that NEXT TIME would be the time. He'd give Vanessa a firm solid no next time, definitely!
The End~
As per usual the previous chapters are linked below:
Part 1 - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24052767/
Part 2 - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24166380/
Part 3 - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/24721853/
Part 4 - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/25952461/
Part 5 - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/26196031/
Part 6 - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/28433787/
To everyone who followed Teddy through these previous 6 chapters we have now finally come to what you've all been (hopefully) waiting for…
THE FINALE
In this chapter Teddy confronts not only Team Big Top but his own Big Sister Vanessa. Will he manage to break free of them and try to steer his own destiny for once or will he revert to his subservient little kid persona? And what will they do when Teddy's feelings and wants are revealed? All will be reveal in the finale of the Decon/Reconstructing Teddy story!
All drama aside this IS the end for this part of Teddy's story (the next part will have a different name to signify a different story arc) so I hope you enjoy it, I put a great deal of effort into all the emotions and character interactions here =3
As always please enjoy, fav & comment (please PLEASE comment, wanna know if you liked it), and have a great day! ^,^
Characters owned by me
Pokemon NOT owned by me
PCA - Decon/Reconstructing Teddy
Part 7
The FinaleTeddy took what had to be his seventh deep breath in an attempt to calm his pounding heart and keep from panicking… and like the six that came before it didn't really help much. A few days back when he'd made the decision that he WAS going to quit Team Big Top and try his luck as a solo battler it'd seemed such an easy thing to do. He'd felt confident about it. He'd still felt confident when he'd gone to see Rebecca and told her. When she'd mentioned he might wait a few days so she could try and spend a little more time trying to talk with Vanessa he hadn't felt AS confident as before… but he had still been sure he could do it. Especially when he got the braixen to promised she'd do the bulk of the initial talking to the team. But now…?
Now the litleo just wanted to call the whole thing off and find somewhere to HIDE as he stood in one of the PCA's locker rooms. One of his ears pressed against the door to the gym as he struggled to eavesdrop on what Rebecca was saying to his team… er… former team? Did it count if he hadn't officially filed the paperwork to quit yet? He wasn't sure. Trying to hear the details of what he assumed was Rebecca reading Big Top the riot act over how they'd treated him was leaving him too panicked to think straight. Especially with the knowledge that Vanessa was there with them, knowing all that along with the fact he'd be going out in front of them to personally tell them he was quitting as soon as Rebecca gave him his cue?
The lion cub's nerves were so shot he was worried he might need fresh pull ups. He wasn't even sure what was making him panic. He wasn't scared they'd be upset with him… at least he didn't think that was the issue. Was he scared he'd disappoint them? Was he embarrassed to go in front of them and do this? He didn't have a clue what was making this seem so impossible, so unthinkable for him and that just made the panic harder to fight. He just kept repeating the fact he'd made up his mind to do this again and again in his head as if it was some kind of magic chant and would give him strength. N-now… what were his lines again? Fumbling in his pocket Teddy pulled out the little note cards he'd hastily scribbled out earlier in the day-
"Teddy? They're ready."
And promptly dropped them all over the locker room floor in surprise as Rebecca's call caught him completely off guard. His note cards hit the floor and scattered across the tile as Teddy scrambled to pick them up before realizing it was a lost cause as the slippery paper just slid away as he tried to scoop it up. It'd take too long to get the notes up and back in order and in his panicked state the idea of making everybody wait (or worse have somebody come to check on him) was unthinkable. It felt like his body was moving on autopilot as Teddy found himself toddling out into the gym on shaking legs and coming to stand before the three other members of Team Big Top… his teammates.
Somehow the three sophomores seemed to tower over him even more than usual (even Sophie who, at best, only had a couple inches on him). Standing before them and trying to find his nerve and his voice the reason he was so panicked came into frightening clarity for Teddy. Since he could remember he'd always been little and letting the big people decide everything for him. Whether it was his parents, his aunts and uncles, or his cousin Vanessa (who might as well be his sister since they were raised together) they'd always been dominant. Even now when he'd made up his mind and wanted to decide for himself speaking up and trying to tell his teammates (who were "Big People" as far as he was concerned) seemed like he was doing something against the natural order… something, for lack of a more mature word, naughty and deserving of punishment.
"I… I… I w-wanna…" the litleo squeaked out, pausing to shut his eyes tight and take another deep breath… and a few more while he was at it. "I… wanna… q-quit Team B-Big Top…" Teddy squeezed out, feeling more and more like he'd done something wrong with every word. His mind flashing back to when Vanessa had finished giving him his tour of the PCA and introduced him to Team Big Top. When she'd told him she wanted him to join the group so they could help look out for him. Part of him, probably the same part that (ironically) manifested King Roar earlier, knew he didn't need somebody to look out for him like that since he wasn't a little kid. Despite knowing that the litleo couldn't ignore another, more emotional part of him that yowled in the back of his head that they knew better than he did and he was bad for daring to try and decide for himself. The conflict between the two was pushing him towards another breakdown.
"Er… maybe you wanna do this one on one?" Terrance called out, jarring Teddy from his breakdown as he stopped picturing the sophomores towering over him. "I mean… we've gotten the idea we all at least owe you an apology…" the gurdurr said, rubbing one of his arms bashfully (Teddy tried to remember when he'd seen the fighting type this ashamed for anything other than accidentally breaking something) as he glanced over to Rebecca. "W-we'd at least like to properly tell you good bye before you go…" he added as Teddy glancing around the room. Roy looked just as bashful and apologetic as Terrance did. Sophie… looked cheerfully clueless (which didn't surprise him at all) and was… digging through her coat for some reason? Not unusual behavior for her but still odd. Teddy gaze skipped over the corner where Vanessa was (he didn't need to go back to having a breakdown) and glanced over to Rebecca.
Who was looking at him concerned and confused. Right… he'd told her he'd put together a big speech for this and then he came out here stuttering and mumbling. Feeling even more ashamed now the litleo nodded quickly "O-one at a time works." he mumbled, still looking down at his feet "I-I'll be in the locker room!" He added, trying not to sound like he was panicked or running away (and well aware he was failing badly) as he turned on his paws and scurried back into the locker room. Nearly slipping on his spilled notes. He skidded on the slick tiles. Waiting till he heard the door swing shut behind him the litleo covered his eyes with his paws in shame and let out a pitiful whine.
How was he supposed to do anything for himself, let alone fight by himself in the arena, if he could't even face the big kids and tell them how he felt!? Teddy paused for a moment as he realized what he'd just thought… he slapped his cheeks and shut his eyes tight to try and calm down and clear his head. Older student, OLDER students… his big sister and her friends! Not big kids, he didn't use that term anymore! Letting out a soft sigh Teddy stared at his feet, wondering if there was any reason to try and pick up his note cards at this point-
Just in time to leap away, mentally denying his fur was standing on end from surprise, as the door swung open and smashed into the wall. "Sorry! Sorry!" Terrance quickly said, still standing in the doorway and wincing, one big beefy arm outstretched from where he'd pushed the door. Teddy's heart immediately stopped racing since, for better or worse, this was one of the things he'd gotten used to while on Big Top. "Y-you're going first T-Terrance?" he squeaked, trying and failing to hide his surprise heightened voice pitch. "Y-yeah… sorry for the scare." the gurdurr said, stepping into the locker room and letting the door shut behind him… before looking down as he stepped on some of the note cards "Huh?"
"… d-dropped my notes when Rebecca called…"
"Oooooh, so you did have a speech…" the comment was enough to make Teddy hang his head as Terrance quickly tried to backtrack "R-rebecca mentioned it is all a-and… uh… w-wanna sit? I-I'll s-say what I gotta say then you can say your piece." the fighting type gestured to one of the benches as Teddy nodded. Eager for any excuse to try and pull himself together he walked over to the bench and hopped up. Instinctively scooting down and adjusting his position to compensate for the wood sagging a little as Terrance sat down on it. He'd learned pretty quickly that, even if these benches were sturdy enough not to break, they still sagged when heavier mon sat on them. After that one incident of getting bounced int the air when both his bigger teammates sat down at once he'd learned to give them space.
"So…" Terrance sighed softly, rubbing the back of his head and looking like he was struggling to figure out what to say… which Teddy could sympathize with. He knew the gurdurr was a good guy… he just had never gotten the chance to know him really well. Vanessa had told him Terrance had always been a sweetheart and kind and all kinds of other stuff… but Teddy hadn't gotten the chance to meet him before he'd evolved. The guy was still struggling to regulate his new strength (as the latest door incident showed) so he'd kept Teddy at arms length to keep from hurting him.
"So you're quitting the team… I mean, I get why you're quitting the team and everything. We weren't really fair to you were we…? It… it's kinda easy to forget you're a teen I mean… er, y-you know what I mean! I-I know you're a teen, it's just…" Terrance mumbled, shifting awkwardly where he sat and making the bench creak as he did so. About the most he knew about Terrance was the guy had a couple little siblings he was having to do the same with… so he figured Terrance had treated him like one of his little brothers or something. So he didn't really have it in him to dislike the guy (not that he disliked any of his teammates really… he just knew they didn't really didn't think of him like their teammate).
"Yeah, I know what you mean…" Teddy said, giving Terrance a nervous smile… which the gurdurr returned. "R-right…" the fighting type stuttered before taking a deep breath "… s-so a-anyway I wanted to say… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not treating you like you were a proper member of the team, I'm sorry for babying you, I'm sorry for… I'm… I'm just… sorry." he babbled out all at once as if letting out a sigh, hanging his head as he did so. With that said an awkward silence fell over the locker room. Shifting nervouslyly for a moment Teddy debated what he could possibly do that wouldn't make the situation more awkward (if that was possible)… before scooting over and timidly patting Terrances knee, adding a "I-it's okay I forgive you?" to the gesture and hoping it'd come across like he meant it to.
The stare he got in reply left Teddy worrying he might have just ruined it… before Terrance let out a chuckle "Thanks, you're a good kid Teddy. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise." he said, looking genuinely relieved Teddy had forgiven him. A shadow suddenly fell over the litleo's head as he instinctively flinched… and Terrance's hand gingerly came down on his head making his world go dark. There was an brief moment of confusion as Teddy processed this since the gurdurr had gone to great length to avoid touching him before… just in time to squeak as Terrance ruffled his hair. "And I know you'll do fine going solo, so take care of yourself okay?" Terrance added as he finally lifted his hand and got up from the bench.
"See you around." He called, looking extraordinarily proud of himself as he headed for the door. Teddy reaching up to try and straighten out his hair as he watched Terrance go. The litleo blushed since he knew what that probably meant to the fighting type… and cause he didn't have the heart in him to let the guy know he'd been a little too rough. His ears were aching a little from the ruffling… but Teddy didn't really mind. He didn't quite understand it but he somehow felt far calmer than he'd been before. More at ease with the decision he'd made to quit the team and less like he'd done something wrong.
A feeling which distracted him enough he didn't hear Sophie come in till the mime jr had hopped up onto the bench and slid over to bump into him. "Hey there Teddy! So you're going solo too huh? Just like Vanessa~ That leaves my circus short one beast tamer act you know~" she chirped, giggling and grinning as she pressed her cheek to Teddy's. The litleo doing all he could to avoid rolling his eyes since he'd gotten used to this by now. "That's fine though! We've got another act coming for our three rings, so you just focus on your solo debut! You need to be the one getting the crowd's attention now so-" the psychic type continued as Teddy just kinda tuned her out.
While Sophie was the only member of Team Big Top that treated him like an equal she was also the one Teddy was least close to. He was of the personal opinion that the mime jr was some level of insane… he just wasn't sure what that'd be. Not only was she perpetually cheerfully, bubbly, and excited with NO respect for personal boundaries (as he unwelcome cheer rubbing demonstrated), but she also had her compulsive circus obsession she shoehorned into EVERYTHING. Case in point she was currently prattling on about something relating to circus solo acts and the perils and glories of being alone in the spotlight carried. Seriously, she didn't have an off switch when it came to this circus thing of hers.
It'd actually taken him a lot of time, and translations from Terrance (who'd apparently known her for years), for the litleo to even understand her when she started talking like this. So he knew what she was actually saying… "Be careful out there, being a solo battler can be hard… but I'm sure you'll do just fine out there~" As weird and off-putting as the clown could be Teddy had to admit, he admired how positive she always was. Not only did nothing get her down but there wasn't a single set-back she couldn't turn into an opportunity or plan around. That was worth looking up to.
"T-thanks Sophie, so you're o-okay with me quitting-"
"Nope, you're not quitting Big Top~"
"Huh?" Teddy felt his jaw drop in confusion as Sophie giggled and hopped off the bench to stand in front of him "Oh you're leaving the troupe yeah… but you'll ALWAYS be a part of Team Big Top, same as your big sister!" the mime jr declared throwing her arms out dramatically. "So even when you're taking your act to the solo ring always remember, you're ALWAYS welcome to come back and visit~" she continued, not waiting for Teddy to reply "In fact I insist~ You'll definitely come and visit! Especially when Roy's girlfriend finally gets here~ She's gonna join the team and I want you and Vanessa to be there to meet her too!" she cheered, bouncing eagerly on her feet and taking hold of Teddy's paws for emphasis. The litleo just sat there, jaw hanging open a little as he tried to process all this.
He was honestly a little touched by Sophie's offer and feelings of camaraderie… especially since he didn't really consider himself part of the team. Even if he found her weird he had to admit the mime jr had gone out of her way to welcome him into the fold when Vanessa had led him in and formally introduced him. Even if she'd also followed his big sister's request to keep him safe… though… to be honest Teddy wasn't sure if she'd actually been doing it intentionally or if she had just been really bad at working him into the team plans. He actually didn't expect her to apologize for that… or even realize what she'd been doing wrong. With Sophie there was a LOT of things he didn't understand-
Wait, Roy had a girlfriend?
"Oh! Oooooh oh oh oh!" Sophie suddenly squeaked, derailing Teddy's train of thought "I almost forgot~ Where is it, where is it~" she giggled, starting to dig through her coat with the comically exaggerated motions Teddy was used to seeing from her. "Here it is!" she called loudly before he could ask, holding something aloft and, with a quick motion that kept Teddy from seeing what it was, shoved the thing onto the litleo's nose. Squeaking in surprise as the smell of rubber hit him hard both of Teddy's paws went to the whatever it was… and it let out a cute little SQUEAK of it's own as he grabbed at it. Combined with the little orb of red that greeted his vision as he crossed his eyes to look it wasn't hard to figure out what Sophie had done.
She'd put a clown nose on him… why!?
"There~ That's your going away present~" Sophie chirped, looking quite proud of herself as she put her hands on her hips "I gave one to Vanessa when she left the team too, now you two can wear them together!" Teddy just stared blankly at her, the mental image of his big sis wearing a clown nose too distracting to really let him reply, until Sophie reach out and gave the rubber nose a squeeze making it squeak again. "Take care and see you around Teddy~ You were a great little lion lion tamer~" Sophie sing-song, giggling her head off at her own joke, before turning on her heels… and turning again in a showy twirl before skipping out of the locker room.
Sitting there and finding himself appreciating the silence for a moment Teddy chuckled a little and shook his head to get the image of Vanessa as a clown (a proper one, not a scary one like in his dreams) out of it. He wasn't sure if he'd miss this kind of madness or not… but he couldn't deny he was feeling a lot better now. Tugging the nose off and pocketing it he decided he'd figure out what to do with it later. Finding himself kicking his dangling feet absentmindedly as he sat there Teddy waited for the next member of Big Top to come in…
And sure enough Roy ambled in not a moment later. Before Teddy could scoot over the massive sealeo plopped down on the bench… as Teddy was once more bounced into the air a bit. Chucking weakly Roy watched the litleo land with a squeak before giving Teddy an apologetic smile "Well, here we are… gotta admit didn't see this coming… probably should have though." the massive seal said before letting out a sigh "Probably should get to letting you chew me out for how I treated you… but fair warning, Poly already gave me a good telling off for not taking kids like him and Pre-K seriously… just never occurred to me that it applied to you too." Roy gave another weak chuckle as he scratched at one of his whiskers "Sorry about that… about everything. Know that's not much but…"
Poly… that was Roy's name for his azurill cousin Patrice (the little water mouse called his big cousin Roly in return). Teddy sorta knew him… sorta. Roy had tried to set them up on "Playdates" as he'd jokingly called them so they could hang out and get to know each other. It hadn't work… at all. Teddy had been too shy and embarrassed by the whole thing to say much to Patrice and considering how quiet the azurill had been he must have felt the same… but if Roy said Poly already chewed him out? Teddy had no reason to disbelieve it even if Roy was the one member of Big Top he would have wanted to give the biggest piece of his mind to over their treatment of him.
While there was a lot about Roy that was likable (he was optimistic, encouraging, cheerful, lighthearted, and a lot of other stuff that helped him lighten the mood without being weird like Sophie)… Teddy never ONCE felt like the sealeo had taken him seriously. While Terrance put Teddy through a lot of the same patronizing treatment he'd gotten from Roy the gurdurr hadn't managed to make the litleo feel as small and childish as the seleo did (if only cause he kept his distance for fear of hurting Teddy). Roy meanwhile was an omnipresent reminder of how small and childish Teddy was though. Something all his goofy, cheerful, good qualities just magnified. So yeah… Teddy didn't really like the guy…
But he didn't hate him either so there just wasn't a point to holding a grudge. "It's okay, I forgive you… just… don't expect me to really wanna hang out, okay?" he said, not bothering with a reassuring gesture like he'd done with Terrance. "Fair enough, fair enough." Roy replied, his smile still apologetic and regretful "Well I guess I'll see you around the school then? And don't worry, I'm sure you'll do fine in the solo matches. Might take a bit to find your footing but I know you can do it." the sealeo added, his good traits showing again as he managed to give Teddy a grin. Chuckling and struggling not to roll his eyes Teddy smiled back… just a little. He didn't like Roy… and the fact it was so hard to dislike him made that worse.
"Take care of yourself." Roy said, getting up from the bench as Teddy watched the sealeo about to leave… suddenly remembered there was still ONE thing he needed to know before he parted ways with the seal! One big question all of this had left him with that would keep bugging him until he had an answer! "Oh! R-Roy!" he called out, making the massive sophomore stop and turn to look back at him in confusion. Shifting nervously Teddy debated how to properly ask this… then decided to just blurt it out and see what happened.
"Sophie said you had a… girlfriend?"
Unlike certain other cats Teddy's curiosity was rewarded… or at least he considered it a reward to see Roy's cool, calm, cheerful composure immediately crack~ "S-she's just my pen pal!" the flustered and blushing sealeo immediately stammered out before sighing "… s-she's not my girlfriend… s-she's a girl w-who happens to be my FRIEND, okay? S-she's coming to the PCA from Alola soon and she wants to join Big Top…" he explained, still blushing brightly as Teddy nodded. This was the first time he'd heard about this but it sounded rather interesting. He might actually look forward to meeting whoever this mysterious girl was. He'd had promised Sophie he'd be ther-
"W-wanna know more about her?"
"Huh?" Teddy squeaked out, caught completely off guard by Roy's suddenly question. He let out another squeak as the sealeo plopped back down on the bench making Teddy bounce into the air again. "W-well if you r-really wanna know then I'm happy to tell you~" Roy said, not waiting for Teddy to answer "H-her name is Elikapeka but she doesn't mind being called Elisa. She's a brionne a-and-" Roy babbled out as Teddy stared at him in confusion. The sealeo was acting radically different from how Teddy knew him and it honestly had the litleo a little confused and freaked out. At least until he noticed the absolutely dopey grin and look on Roy's face past the blush and he rambled on about what Elisa had told him in her letters and messages and all about her.
Teddy had to actually put his paw to his mouth to keep from giggling. It looked like Sophie had been right after all… if this wasn't love he didn't know what else it could be~ Well he wasn't about to stop Roy from sharing all this… the litleo even kinda hoped it worked out for the guy when this Elisa showed up in person. He could understand wanting somebody special… even if the chances of him getting a girlfriend were kinda low~
****************
Somewhere in the PCA a small shinx girl let out an absolutely adorable little sneeze as she waited in line behind a growlithe to see the nurse.
****************
Teddy wasn't sure how long it'd take for Roy to finish up his rambling (the litleo had tuned him out somewhere around when he mentioned Elisa was from a theater family… or a performing family… or something, it'd been kinda hard to follow) but he was once more alone in the locker room. Sitting in the still silence and waiting. A fact that helped him reflect on what had just happened. How'd he'd managed to more-or-less part ways with Team Big Top as amicably as he could have possibly hoped for. Reflecting on this however also brought what was going to happen next crashing down on his head like a ton of bricks.
There was nobody else left he had to talk to. The next person coming in was going to be Vanessa.
Teddy's heart started hammering as he found himself hyperventilating. He'd been able to make a clean break from Team Big Top. He was amazed he'd managed to do that. But the idea of telling Vanessa that he needed her to let him be his own person and make his own mistakes? That seemed impossible, outright unthinkable to the litleo. The earlier little voice that told him he was naughty for daring to contradict or challenge the bigger kids was back… and it wasn't so little anymore as it boomed in Teddy's head. Telling the fire type off for being such a naughty, disobedient, bad little kitten.
The fact she was his cousin didn't matter, Vanessa was his big sister. They'd been raised together and she'd pretty much ALWAYS been there for Teddy since his earliest memories. She'd been there watching over him, leading him, deciding for him, protecting him… the idea of going against her amounted to heresy second only to contradicting his parents. He had enough mental clarity to realize how absolutely insane these kind of thoughts had to be coming from a teenager but his emotions didn't care one bit about logic or sanity. It just told him he was bad and naughty and he needed to cry and beg for forgiveness and stuff when he saw Vanessa. He-
"Teddy?"
The soft, dainty voice cut through Teddy's breakdown like a knife as his head snapped up. As he found himself staring in Vanessa's familiar blue eyes everything went still. His mind, his emotions, everything… his whole being seemed to freeze from sheer panic and overload as he stared into his big sister's eyes. That stare seemed to go on for an eternity as Teddy waited for what he feared was coming. Vanessa scolding him or saying she was just trying to protect him or saying she loved and cared about him. Anything that would break the litleo's fragile resolve and reduce him back to being her submissive baby bro…
The pause shattered as instead of any of that the vulpix instead wrapped her arms around him, hugged Teddy close, and started to cry softly. For Teddy the response was instinctive. He wrapped his arms around Vanessa as tight as he could and cried into her shoulder. Time blurred for him at that point as the next thing he knew he was sitting next to Vanessa on the bench. She had one arm wrapped around his shoulder pulling him close so his head was resting against her and Teddy could feel the warm of her tails slightly wrapping around him from behind. It was a… familiar warmth. The kind that made him feel safe and loved and small. The kind that had him struggling to remember what he'd needed to talk to his big sister about in the first place.
"I-it… it's hard you know… I… I still can picture you being little…" Vanessa said softly as Teddy's blissed out state of familiar comfort died and the reason why they were here came back to him clearly. "I… I can see it so much easier than you being a teen…" the vulpix continued, her voice strained as if she was struggling not to cry (which in turn had Teddy tearing up) "… or… or maybe I just didn't want to… I don't know… maybe I wanted to keep you little so I could keep you safe… or something… I don't know, I just don't know…" Vanessa sniffled and hiccuped as the one armed embrace turned into another hug. Teddy just sat there, too shaken by hearing his always calm, composed, demure, and princess like big sister talking like this to return the hug or even reply.
There was a long pause before Vanessa spoke again and what she said shattered Teddy's heart even if he knew it was true. "But I haven't been protecting you… have I…?" his big sister sniffled "R-Rebecca told me… told me why you did… why… why what HAPPENED happened." she said, avoiding mentioning Teddy's tantrum in the arena in detail "H… how t-the way I'd been t-treating you made you… made you… I'm sorry… I'm so so sorry… I'm… I…" the vulpix hiccuped, words failing her as she started to cry again. This time full on bawling rather than the quiet tears from before.
Teddy wasn't quite sure how it happened but once again something instinctive inside him took over. The next thing he remembered he was sitting half curled up on Vanessa's lap, his arms wrapped tightly around his big sister as he nuzzled into her for all his worth. Being big, being independent, standing up for himself… those could wait. Right now his big sister was crying and he had to try and do SOMETHING to cheer her up. In his current mental state Teddy defaulted to the one thing he'd always done to try and lift Vanessa's spirits for as long as he could remember… cuddle and nuzzle all the bad away. He kept at it even as he felt the vulpix's warm tears dribbling down on his head.
For a moment time and place seemed to blur for Teddy. He was age 4 again, having crawled into his big 6 year old sisters lap to comfort her when she cried about something that happened at kindergarten. He was 7, snuggling 9 year old Vanessa to comfort her when she messed up at her ballet recital. He was all these litleo's and here he was, a 14 year old teen… once again trying to cuddle his big sister's sad away. He wasn't sure how to feel about it… but somehow he didn't feel embarrassed over it. He could remember just as many times he had cried over a broken toy or a skinned knee or being bullied and Vanessa had done the same for him. The best way he could describe it was that it felt… right. Like it was how things were supposed to be.
Finally the sobbing slowed down as Vanessa hiccuped softly, releasing her grip of Teddy just long enough to try and wipe her tears away with her paw. "S-sorry… I'm sorry…" she mumbled, sniffling again "I… I'm o-okay now… I'm…" The vulpix hiccuped before managing a soft giggle and weak smile "I… I guess… I'm not s-setting a good e-example f-for dealing w-with bad emotions, a-am I?" she joked weakly. Teddy struggled to smile back. His big sis talking about being a bad example like this was bitter and painful for him to stomach. He'd looked up to Vanessa (and his parents) as being close to perfect ever since he was small… and he'd just never gotten up the guts or will to grow beyond that. Here he was being dragged out of it whether he wanted it or not…
"Teddy… I… I'm…" Vanessa started, looking like she was gearing up for another round of sorries. Teddy tried to find his voice to tell her to please, PLEASE stop apologizing… but he was still mute from the emotional overload. "I'm… o-okay with you leaving Team Big Top… I'm okay w-with you being a solo b-battler…" Vanessa finally managed to squeeze out, and Teddy all but deflated on her lap. All the tension and stress that'd kept him rigid seemed to just flow out of him at hearing Vanessa openly say those words. Part of him knew he shouldn't be happy at Vanessa's opinion having so much sway over him… but the rest of him couldn't care less. His big sis wasn't mad at him over what he was doing. That's all that mattered.
"B-But…" Teddy tensed back up at that word… which lasted only a moment as Vanessa gathered him up in her arms and cradled him in a familiar manner as Teddy relaxed and laid against her on reflex. "I want you to promise me, p-promise me you won't fight like y-you did against Petie ever again." the vulpix said softly "I KNOW you're better t-than that. If you'll promise me that I… I'll p-promise you I'll stop babying you. I'll treat you your proper age." she finished, letting out a soft sigh as if relieved to have managed to get all of that out and off her chest.
Teddy didn't respond though. Partially due to embarrassment since Vanessa currently had his head resting on her shoulder with one arm around his back and the other cupping his bottom like he was a toddler. She was even rubbing it like you did when you wanted to sooth a little kid off to sleep. He also wasn't sure how to properly point out the irony of her promising to treat him his real age while doing this. Lastly there was actually a small part of him enjoying the comforting hold and sensation (same as when his mom held him like this) which made his embarrassment worse. Luckily Vanessa seemed to realize what she was doing and immediately turned bright red as she sat Teddy back away from her. Squeaking and trying to babbled explanations as she did so.
"I-it might t-take a little time I mean! I-I'm used to… old habits a-are hard to b-break and… I… I'm… I'm s-sorr-"
"I-it's fine." Teddy said, finding enough resolve to cut Vanessa off mid-apology "And I promise, o-okay? I p-promise you.." he mumbled, still blushing, as Vanessa blinked for a moment… before nuzzling him and making him giggle in surprise. Adjusting her grip on him Vanesaa held her now freed paw up and gently took hold of Teddy's opposite paw. He watched in confusion… till she gently hooked their pinky fingers together and gave him a knowing smile. A smile Teddy returned as their silly little pinkie promise ritual from when they were little came back to him. They both broke into giggles as they "shook" on it to seal the deal. No going back on their promises now~
The world might as well have been lifted off Teddy's shoulders as the litleo collapsed back into his big sister for more cuddles (which Vanessa happily provided). Even with his upcoming solo battling career to worry about it felt like having made peace with Vanessa was the biggest achievement he could ever hope for. Teddy felt so blissfully at peace and at ease he knew he had to be purring as Vanessa gently rocked him. He was perfectly content and happy in this one moment and he didn't care what came nex-
""I hope Rebecca's right about these-" Vanessa's said, Teddy's perfectly peaceful moment going up in smoke as she tugged the back of his shorts away to peek at his training pants "and they're just cause of stress. I mean, it took so long to train you the first time." Teddy replied with an indignant yowl that might have sounded like "Vanessa!!" if he'd bothered to try and be coherent as he pouted like a toddler and glared at his big sis. Who just gave a familiar, tinkling bell like laugh (that immediately calmed the kitten down to a mere sulk) as she smiled "Just teasing Teddy, I'm sure you'll be in big boy undies again in no time~ Maybe even before your first match~" the vulpix cooed… as Teddy once again realized, and decided he didn't care, how much power she had over him. One bit of praise and he could feel the pride welling up inside him…
"Speaking of which… Teddy? I have ooooone little request for you, okay?" she cooed as Teddy was IMMEDIATELY wary. Vanessa's "One Little Requests" always but ALWAYS meant the same thing. "Since you're going solo… I'd like to design a new battling outfit for you~ I want my little bro to look his best when he steps into the ring all by his lonesome~" she cooed as Teddy groaned internally. The humiliatingly adorable Beast Tamer outfit she'd made him to wear for Big Top still fresh in his mind. Taking a deep breath the litleo tried to steel his resolve. He'd decided to be more independent, right? Well he was gonna start now. He was gonna tell his big sis a firm, solid NO for the first time in so long! Teddy opened his mouth and-
"S-sure, y-you can… b-but I get to d-decide if I wanna wear it!"
Weakly mumbled that out as he decided that NEXT TIME would be the time. He'd give Vanessa a firm solid no next time, definitely!
The End~
Category Story / Pokemon
Species Pokemon
Size 120 x 74px
File Size 35.4 kB
Comments