Disclaimer: (are those still a thing?) Pokemon is GameFreak and Nintendo's propriety , etc etc.

Characters&ships: Giovanni/Nanu.

Author's notes: who has two thumbs and extremely elaborate headcanons about the common story of two old secondary characters only appearing together canonically for a couple of minutes? Aye, that's me. And this is only the beginning.

Pursuit

It had started as one of their "casual" meetings.

Their relationship had never been stable or friendly enough that they could develop a routine, but there were always old habits sneaking in here and there.

That furtive glance checking for old scars, a swift verbal jab, a sharp retort, the tang of danger under their friendly behaviour, the thrill of fight when one finally took the bait or revealed his hand, the taste of blood, the rush of adrenaline in their veins; never twice the same savour, but always a familiarity they fell back into, just never enough to feel comfortable, keeping each other on their toes. Challenging.

Giovanni had enjoyed the surprise on his old enemy's face when he had appeared here, on his own island, right as he was enjoying his meal in his favourite sushi restaurant. Giovanni had sat down at Nanu's table and no one around had batted an eye at the casual behaviour. Everyone simply bought the easy, uncomplicated explanation of the Kahuna meeting with a friend for lunch.

Giovanni delighted in it. Here he was, the most wanted criminal in several regions, and only Nanu was aware of it-and he took the silent challenge in stride, meeting Giovanni for each of his verbal punches, pushing back against his threats and jabs, as snarky and dangerous as he had always been despite his low, drawling voice. He might fool his folk with his apathy, but Giovanni could see the claws hiding under the fur, ready to strike, and he relished in the risk, prodding and baiting and purring.

Until, after a particularly clever word of Giovanni, Nanu looked at him an unreadable expression on his face.

Curious and anticipating a fight, Giovanni put his head against his fist, his elbow resting on the table, and smirked.

Show me your fangs, old friend.

Nanu took a quiet inspiration, eyes closed, and looked Giovanni dead in the eyes.

"I love you."

A complete silence fell upon them.

Giovanni gaped.

A hundred impulses waged war inside his mind, freezing him on the spot. Incredulity, of course (he didn't hear what he just heard, he couldn't have heard it, but the words were already seated in fire in his brain, circling again and again in a maddening loop), shock, fear, rage, how could he say that, how dare he, desire to sneer and call Nanu on this outrageous bluff right here, but what if it wasn't a bluff? But it had to be, but his face was back to the stone mask he was always wearing but what if it was a bluff, it had to be, but what would he gain, was it a trap, what if it was a distraction , what if, what if...

What if it was true, and he crushed down that traitorous thought along with the impulse to kiss him right there, locked away the voice singing triumphantly he loves me, he love ME, and he couldn't decide on what to do.

He only managed to croak out a "Why?", a hundred silent questions in one.

Why here ? Why now?

Why me?

Nanu -damn him to the deepest hells- only shrugged, as if he didn't just threw away all the rules of their decade-old game in one nonchalant swoop.

It couldn't be true -and yet, an insidious voice whispered in his mind, if there was one thing constant in their relationship, it was how honest they were to each other, in their own way. If they tried to hide anything through their game, it was to challenge the other into tearing down their walls and expose their deepest secrets. The ugly truths no one else was allowed to witness.

But it couldn't be true, it had to be a -a trick. A deception. The Dark Type specialist throwing off his opponent to better strike him down. A trap to distract him while reinforcements surrounded the place.

Yet no one was rushing toward them, earth was still moving and how could it be when he just told me he loved me.

And Nanu was still staring at him, with his cursed blood-red eyes! Anger washed over him, a familiar, comforting emotion, and he was about to act on it when Nanu sighed and picked at his food, unbothered.

"They were wrong, ya know."

Thrown off, Giovanni held back.

"What?"

"Ya don't get used to it."

And he didn't add anything else.

It was a mistake, Giovanni knew it. You don't turn your back, you don't run away from a Dark Type, especially as dangerous as this one.

But he couldn't stay here, this was too much at once and if he didn't retreat, he would do something -something dangerous.

He abruptly stood up, rifled hurriedly in his wallet and slammed down enough money to pay for both of their tattered remains of his long-forgotten education -a gentleman should pay for his date.

He put back on his coat and hat, Nanu still staring at him with this strange expression (was it longing? No, he should not answer this question, he was in too deep as it was), but when Giovanni pushed back his chair and started to walk away, the Kahuna's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"I'll see ya later."

He made another mistake : looking over his shoulder. And there it was, that damn grin, a dare and a promise and a taunt all at once.

Pursuit, his trainer's mind supplied, dark-type move. Inflicts more damage on a fleeing opponent.

He still fled.

He knew Nanu would follow.

AN: They then both proceeded to go home and scream in their pillows without any interruption for entire hours because they're both emotionally stunted assholes.