victory_road | video;

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[It's the Indigo Plateau. Still cold, still looking as chilly and mountainous as ever. With a notable exception - namely, a bedraggled-looking Shiro and his equally bedraggled team of pokemon. They're all crowding around him, trying to get a look at the camera.]

[Shiro is... grinning? Widely. He looks happier than he's looked in a long time, with one arm slung around his Aggron's broad neck, the other holding the camera out as far as possible.]

- Okay, okay! Come on. It's recording, guys, get in here.

[Umbreon hops up onto his shoulder, fur a little singed, sticking up in weird places. Marowak peers up from the bottom of the screen - helmet dinged and nicked in places. Gallade wiggles in, Gengar waving delightedly - lifting its hand up over the top of Gallade's head. Which... means Incineroar just flat out picks up Gallade to get in on this too, all of them squishing in with their Trainer like it's a big class photo.]

Hi everyone. Long time no chat. We've been busy up here... had a bad run first off, but the team pulled it together. They pulled it together really well.

[With a chorus of Pokemon agreement.]

And that means?

You're looking at the 13th Champions of the League.

[More loud, boistrous Pokemon cheering. Incineroar ends up dropping Gallade to scoop Shiro up instead. There's not much else he can do - and ends up fumbling the 'gear. It lands face-up, thankfully, for more shots of celebrating Pokemon.]

[Celebrating pokemon and Shiro's bemused, final statement - ]

... guys, we need to go back and apologize to Bruno again. Calm - calm down a minute! You didn't let me say it on the recording - !

[/END FEED.]

[Except for a final text.]

Formal apology goes to Bruno. Again. I swear I can count to four.

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[Another snort.] Nope. No speech necessary.

[She gives him another squeeze before pulling back, just enough so she can get a good look at him and give him a ~~teary~~ cheeky grin.]

I'm not the one who's been on the road for like, a year. [Maybe it's an exaggeration but who's counting.] Of course I'm okay.

Good - because I'm a little tired.

[What?? Shiro? Admitting he's tired? Who is this man?]

[His hands stay on her shoulders - just in case.]

Four months! Ish! I came back for Christmas. [And then left.] Good. I'm glad to hear it.

[Pidge rolls her eyes a little, barely suppressing a chuckle.] Uh-huh. You didn't stay very long, so it doesn't count.

[And just because she can't really help herself, she goes in for another tight hug.] Welcome home, Shiro.

Holidays don't count. Got it.

[He saw that eyeroll. And he's not taking your protest very seriously, Pidge.]

[Especially with that hug.] Good to be back.

[She settles into that hug for just a moment longer, just enjoying the fact that Shiro is back and her little family is a little more complete. And then with one last squeeze, she finally pulls back completely.]

Okay, so we kept the house in one piece. We kept your room clean and the fridge is stocked, but we should order out to celebrate your win! And you guys should get cleaned up if you haven't yet, and I'm sure Lance is dying to inspect your hair.

Wow - I should leave you guys alone more often. Look how responsible you get.

[He is one hundred percent teasing, unable to keep from laughing through the words.]

Yeah, we can do that, sure. I just have to meet with Armin real quick. He needs something at his gym. It'll only take a bit, though, promise.

Don't you dare.

[She can't think of a better threat when she's in such a good mood, so she leaves it at that. But she does mean business, even when she's all smiles.]

You don't have to go right away, do you? At least unload your stuff back at home first.

Okay, okay... but, seriously, proud of you guys keeping things together.

[Maybe it's weird to feel that way. Since they're both very capable people - people he trusts with his life any day of the week. But it somehow feels different? Running a house versus saving the universe.]

I told him I was coming home first. He'll wait a bit longer.

[Her cheeks color slightly in embarrassment and she barely manages to not puff her cheeks in protest.] We're not that bad.

[...Right?]

Okay cool. Let's get you and Kuro inside, then!

No? How's the bedroom horde doing these days?

[He's going to revel in this. Shiro with the power to tease Pidge.]

We're coming, we're coming. [But Kuro will go as far as the porch before flopping down in the nice warm sand. He's too big to fit inside.]

[Instant regrets. Pidge has them.]

It's not a horde. It's a cache. [OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A DIFFERENCE.]

[She chuckles a little when she sees Kuro flop over, even though she's holding the door as wide open as physically possible for both of them.]

There's not a lot to catch you up on from our end. So you can tell me all about the Elite Four battle while you unload!

Uh huh. Have you found a Trubbish in there yet?

[Yeah, he's going to keep going. You just need to admit your room's a mess, Pidge.]

Well... I owe an apology to Bruno for the rest of my days. [As he steps inside, Kuro very definitely making himself comfortable in his sand nest. A brief flash of light - and suddenly Blue is sprinting off to wherever Lance may be. Shiro's Umbreon parks herself on the couch, proceeding to groom herself.]

Har har har. You're hilarious.

[Pidge rolls her eyes as she follows them all into the house. But her straight face breaks a little as she sees Shiro's Pokémon settling back into different spaces around the house, as if they'd never left. There's no helping the way it makes her smile.]

Yeah? What'd you do to him?

No, I'm serious. Have you checked?

[No, he's actually hilarious. Do Trubbish actually move into peoples' houses? Or is that a myth?]

I... may have walked past him. And tried to keep going on the challenge.

You're not serious, and I think I'd know if a Trubbish showed up in my room.

[...Right? Right. Because that is absolutely a myth and absolutely has no foundation in reality. Old wive's tale. Things parents say to scare their kids.

Obviously.

Anyway.]

Wait-- Really?? [If Pidge looks absolutely delighted by this news, that's because she is. Her eyes are bright and there's no fighting the cheeky grin spreading across her face.] You-- You just went right on by like you didn't see him?!

I am so serious! The most serious!

[It's totally a myth. Maybe. Hopefully. Enjoy your Trubbish, Pidge.]

[Shiro may have uh.]

[He may have turned a bit pink.]

Yeah... yeah that's. Pretty much what happened.

[She's just going to ignore this Trubbish talk now. Mainly because there are more important things to pay attention to. Like Shiro's accidental snubbing of one of the friggin Elite Four.]

Takashi Shirogane! [Bustin' out the full name and everything, like a disappointed mother. Even though her eyes are dancing and she's barely managing to hold back her laughter.] For shame!

[Pidge why do you sound like your mom when you say that.]

Blue was poisoned! I wasn't paying attention to doors...

[And he'd gotten an earful from Bruno. And Karen.]

[Good. That's exactly who she was channeling.]

Didn't you have an antidote to use on him??

Why do you think I was paying so much attention to him?

He wouldn't take it.

[Pidge snorts at that, and continues to reign in her laughter by wiping a hand down her face.]

Gosh, I wonder where he got that stubbornness from. Definitely not from his trainer, Mr. "I'm not sick, everything's fine."