A Feeling Like This

[Jannistory19]

Author's Notes
​

Soooo..... Valentine's Day is around the corner. I've had this plot for a story simmering in my head for nearly two years, but I haven't sat down and completed it. Maybe now, I can write a little of this thing here.... Just a good sized chapter of my story.

I've never written a romantic story before, so please don't be too harsh on any criticism that you may bestow on me.

P.S. ~~ this is the Pokémon universe..... And the characters are Pokémon. Don't @ me plz ;^;

Enjoy.

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1.
​

"I don't want to go. You can't make me go."

"Come on Shine. All of the girls are gonna go. Linxa's prepping her fur -"

"Like always, it seems." Shine interjected.

A short snort was the response to the comment.
"Nia and Baxi are looking for their friends -"

"Don't they all have friends to be with?"

"Of course they do, but -"

"Well there you go. They have their friends to be with. They don't need me to be around," Shine said as she shifted her head to the side.
All these Luxray events. It was all so annoying. Shine had better things to worry about than to go off and flip her fur around. Like taking care of her mom.

"Shine! You haven't been in this cave for nearly four summers. Believe it or not, your sisters miss you - more than they let on. They want you to enjoy the event with them. And who knows, maybe you'll even meet someone over there to talk to."

Shine lifted her head with a soft growl. Her curled tail flicked irritably; why did that have to be said?

"Mom! You need to stop talking about that. I don't need all that right now. And besides, Nuzzltov isn't for another week."

Shine's mother chuckled softly and shook her head. "True. But this isn't Nuzzltov - this is just a small gathering, for the youth to come together and just interact with one other. If you go, you wouldn't have to hear me talk about it. But since you're staying -"

Shine quickly got up on her paws and went to her mother. "No, no! I'll go. Good Arceus, I'll go insane if I listen to you all day," Shine said with a huff. Just then, multiple footsteps came into the cave. Shine and her mother looked towards the direction of the sounds and walked out of their section of the cavern to see whoever was coming in.

"Mooom! We're back!" A rather excitable voice chirped. Shine sighed as her three younger sisters bounced into the cave, their gleeful attitudes towards this trivial gathering irritating the older female.
The three Luxray sisters giggled to each other, all their furs properly fluffed and groomed. Shine groaned and sat herself down.

"You three are ridiculous. All this nonsense and wasted energy, and for what? The loose possibility of attracting someone to you?" Shine asked with a scoff.

The three sisters looked to each other and looked to Shine as if she was crazy. "Do you even know what we do?" Nia asked. "This whole thing is not just for show - even though it is fun getting our furs primped up. We are all celebrating something that somehow brings us together - the thing that manages to help everyone in mysterious ways...." Nia paused for the effect, which made the other two sisters giggle and snicker.

Shine just growled and shook her head. "What? What is the thing?" she asked with a cocked head.

Nia looked to Shine with a serious look before speaking again.

"Love. At least that's what the clan leaders say. But we do this for something else. Guys! So many guys!" The young Luxray squealed before her sisters joined in, hopping about like they were Buneary.

Shine just growled and shook her head. She didn't even know why she asked at this point. "Humph. Love. So ridiculously complicated. You give it too much credit.... Wait a minute, don't you three have, as you say - boyfriends - already?" Shine asked with a snort. She had recently arrived to her family and previous clan a couple of days ago, so she'd seen some things here and there as she walked around the clan-grounds.

Baxi, Nia, and Linxa all looked to each other before looking to Shine and their mom. "Uuuh, yeah," they all said in unison.

"So why are you flipping out about other males when you have someone with you already? Isn't that, like, betraying them?" Shine asked as if she was making a valid argument. Again, her logical thinking was mocked by her sisters' collective giggles and laughter.

"Shine..... I know you don't know this stuff, but it's called teasing. You gotta look pretty to show everyone how good you look, and if a male happens to look at you too long, you just waltz over to your partner and make the others look on with jealousy. And besides, our partners know tht we still choose them. It's so fun!" Linxa said as she spun around.

Shine snorted and looked to her mother. She couldn't wrap her head around the concept - it sounded like too much work for all that attention. Attention that would make Shine very uncomfortable.

"Soooo? Shine, are you coming along? Maybe you might actually -"

"If you say anything along the lines of what I think you're gonna say I will tackle you and maul you where you stand," Shine growled. Her fur sparked lightly with electricity as her ears flattened against her head. The three sisters shut their mouths relatively quickly.

"Shine..... Don't threaten your sisters. Besides, you're going with them," her mother said with a smirk. Shine gasped and turned her head with a scoff.

"Mooom! You don't have to say that."

"Yes, apparently I do." The mother Luxray turned to her three daughters. "Girls, Shine's coming along, so be nice to her. Make sure she doesn't get lost or anything," the mother said with a small chuckle, prompting the other three to follow suit.

Shine growled and turned her head with a snort of irritation. "Ha ha. Funny." Shine got up and padded past the four Luxray, stepping outside to the green grass and tall trees that surrounded the huge clearing before her.

It was very annoying that she had to tag along with her sisters. Her mother was hurt with some strange injury, but she still wouldn't let anyone worry too much about her. She often had her mate take care of her, while everyone else went out the cave to do their own thing.

While she had no doubt that her papa would be diligent in taking care of her mama, she couldn't help but to be worried about her. She wanted to partake in the recovery.

"Alright! You four have a good time! Tell me all about it when you get back!" Shine's mother's voice chirped. Nia, Linxa and Baxi all strutted out of the cave as they said their goodbyes, passing Shine by just a few inches before nudging her.

"Come on! We got to go and meet with our friends and boyfriends. Mama says to keep close to us," Baxi said before she and the other two sisters padded off.

Shine groaned and followed her three sisters into the forest.

This was going to be a long day.

 

[Jannistory19]

"And then Gigi told Gerald to go bite himself and jump off a cliff! I heard that he was super mad!" Nia concluded.

Baxi and Linxa exclaimed their own opinions and commentary as they walked - which left Shine to be several feet behind. Not due to them neglecting her though. Ears flattened against her head as she followed her sisters with the most bored and annoyed facial expression she could put up. What was the point in all that useless chatter? All they talked about was gossip and rumors and... male Luxray. It made a growl rise in her throat. She wanted to go back to her cave in her forest where she didn't have to worry about any Luxray other than her mother -- whether they be male or female -- or anything that would annoy her as much as this. Even fighting packs of Houndoom was better than this. At least her mind would be focused on something productive... Like surviving.

"Shine! Shine! Pay attention!" Nia's voice broke through Shine's thoughts and sent them to the back of her mind.

"What? What do you want?" Shine growled.

"We have a question. Do you talk to anyone where you live? Anyone else other than yourself?" Baxi asked with a questioning look on her face. Shine flicked an ear with contempt and narrowed her eyes at the three Luxray in front of her.

"I do not talk to myself, thank you very much. I actually have friends believe it or not."

"If you have friends, then why are they not here with you?" Baxi asked. Shine sighed and shook her head.

"Because I didn't want them to travel this far - before I got here, we had gotten out of a situation and they were still recovering. I couldn't let them move when they were still hurt. And besides, it would be preferable for someone to protect our territory. I don't have time to go back home just to find our cave being overrun by wretched Houndoom or some other territory-stealing mongrel," Shine said with unshaking irritation. Just thinking about the possibility of her territory being taken away made her fur bristle with anger.

Nia and the other two sisters looked to each other and blinked. They couldn't quite tell if Shine was lying to cover the fact that she was actually alone, or if she was telling the truth. Shine was hard to read behind that irritated demeanor she constantly put off.

"Well.... That's nice of you... I guess," Nia said with an unsure look on her face. Linxa quipped up quickly, nearly talking over Nia.

"Not so fast Shine. What're their names then? Off the top of your head, tell me what their names are, or else I'm gonna assume you're lying," the sister said with a sneer. Shine scoffed and jerked her head back in disbelief. How dare Linxa question her? Why would she lie? If she didn't have friends she would've said so.

"Humph. I dislike the idea that you don't belive me. But then again, I don't care if you believe me or not; I don't have to prove myself. You'd still question me," Shine said as she glared at the three Luxray ahead of her.

"Aw come on now. That's not true! Just say their names and we'll leave you alone. We just wanna know," Baxi said. Nia nodded her head, but Linxa just stared at Shine with a skeptical look. Her eyes made Shine's claws come out a little, but she wasn't going to lunge at her... Not yet anyway.

"Uuugh. Fine. Their names are Malum and Ashtad. Happy now?" Shine asked. The three sisters stopped walking to take in Shine's answer. Shine stopped herself, and watched the three as she flicked her tail from side to side. What were they thinking about? Were they thinking of some smart thing to say? If so, she was ready to leap at them at a moment's notice. Nobody made fun of her friends when she was around - not even her sisters.

Instead of anything funny to say, Shine heard something else.

"Well. Those are nice names. A little strange, but that's okay. Right girls?" Baxi asked as she turned to Nia and Linxa. Nia quickly concurred, but it took longer for Linxa to eventually say yes. They then resumed their walk through the forest, with Shine following behind in the same distance as before. They were lucky that they didn't say anything clever or smart. Maybe they actually believed her...?

Either way, she would be happier when she got back home.

~~~~~~~~~
​

After a short while longer, the four Luxray finally heard a great amount of voices past the trees. Shine lifted her head up with perked ears, wondering if they had finally made it to this.... Gathering. According to the excited giggles between her sisters, it was safe to assume it was the case.

They began to run towards the sounds, and without much thought, Shine picked up the pace and followed them. She ran until they got past the trees that outlined a massive clearing. The sunlight glared at Shine's eyes, and she squinted for a good minute before her eyes adjusted to the light - her eyes revealed the large amount of Luxray that were attending the gathering - nearly all of them being the same age as each other. Many of then were in groups of various sizes, most likely groups of friends being together as they talked and interacted with one another.

Seeing the large group of her peers made a sort of nervous energy well up within Shine - it was an energy that normally presented itself when she was going to fight a particularly strong opponent, or if she was thinking of something that made her uneasy.

A number of Luxray looked towards the direction that Nia, Baxi and Linxa came from, and made no special gestures to their arrival. Shine stayed in the shadows of the trees, watching with contempt at the scene before her. She couldn't be among them.... Not after what she went through. To her, it wouldn't feel what it's supposed to feel like - like she was amongst her clanmate. That whole idea alone was the point of this gathering, and that was what made her feel uncomfortable. Maybe she should've stayed with her mom, like her instincts suggested. Perhaps she could stay in the shadows. At least she could say she got there.

But of course, one of her sisters had to turn around and call her out.

"Shine! Come on! Mama said you had to come with us! Let's go," Baxi shouted. Shine growled and flattened her ears against her head. They would have to push her out her stiff dead body. She wasn't leaving from her spot. Baxi and Nia turned to each other before sighing and turning around. Apparently they had to push her out to be amongst the others. Great.

They walked behind their larger sister and lowered their heads. Shine growled louder and turned her head. "If you shove me, I'll mess up your fur," Shine threatened. Baxi and Nia backed up a little - they had just gotten their fur done. They couldn't have it messed up right.... Not when they were actually where they needed to be. But then Baxi opened her mouth with a short snort.

"If you mess up our fur, I'll tell Mom! See how happy she'll be when she knows you ruined our fun," Baxi threatened back. Shine's eyes widened a little. The 'I'll tell Mom' threat. It almost never fails. If it was anyone else, she wouldn't have even batted an eye. But this was her mother. The older Luxray snorted. She may be willing to ruin their fur, but she wouldn't be willing to do that at the expense of her own hide. She didn't feel like getting in trouble for something that could've been avoided.

"Uuugh. Fine, fine. I'll get up. Just... Give me a minute," Shine said as she stood up on her paws. She looked out to the sun-kissed grass. It looked rather inviting. But being on the grass practically required for her to talk to someone else to even think about it. The cons outweighed the pros. Shine stared for a little moment longer until she was suddenly shoved into the light. A startled yelp flew out Shine's mouth as she was blinded by the light, and she instinctively backed away again, only for two heads to shove her again. Her paws were planted firmly against the grass, but it was two against one, and Shine wasn't prepared to shove back.

One step. Three steps. Five steps. Then Shine suddenly stopped. The sounds of footsteps flowed to Shine's ears as she opened her eyes.

Everyone was able to see her.

"There we go! You're out here with us now! Was that so hard?" Nia asked with a smile.

Shine felt her heart beat several times faster - she felt a hundred eyes look to her, and she didn't like the expressions the Luxray gave off: some seemed surprised at her size, and others seemed to look on with disgust, whether it was subtle or not.... More notably the females than the males. Shine looked back to the treeline and saw how far she was from those shielding shadows... Baxi and Nia made sure that she couldn't go back so easily. Muscles tensed up and fur bristled as small currents of electricity moved about.

"I hate this. I hate everything about this," Shine said as she took repeated glances at everyone else. She tried not to notice their stares, but it was near impossible to ignore. Nia just scoffed and waved a dismissing paw.

"Shine you're over exaggerating. You just stepped out here. Just talk to someone. Anyone really," The younger sister said. Shine huffed and turned to her.

"Because there's nobody here that I -"

"Niaaa! You finally made it!" A voice quipped over Shine's. The two sisters turned to see a female Luxray approach them. Shine backed away a few inches as the Luxray approached Nia.

"Nia! Ugh, we were beginning to think you wouldn't come! And your fur looks so presentable," The female said with a relieving sigh.

"Haha, you cannot even think that way! I would die if I couldn't get here!" Nia exclaimed before turning to Shine. The female Luxray then turned to Shine as if she didn't see her.

"Oh.... And.... who is this?"

Mia popped up a little before chuckling. "Oh, sorry Charlotte. This is my oldest sister, Shine. Shine, this is one of my friends, Charlotte," Mia said with a smile. Charlotte took a scrutinizing glance at her, which made Shine flatten her ears a little. How did Nia not notice this?

"Hi." Shine simply said with as much restraint as she could muster.

"Hi." Charlotte said back. "So... Who are you here for? Surely you've come here for someone aren't you?" The Luxray asked with a tone of voice that Shine couldn't accurately decipher. She just knew that she felt provoked by it. Like she's being taunted by this Luxray.

Was that a challenge?

"I'm here against my own will. Don't you mind me," Shine said with a small growl.

"Shine! Seriously?" Nia said with an annoyed voice. Shine simply scoffed.

With a shake of her head, Nia got on her paws and turned around. "Sorry about my sister. She just doesn't know how to talk to folks, " Nia said with a sigh. "Let's go! I have to talk to Vicky and the others," Nia said as she took a couple of pawsteps away from Shine.

"Later Shine! Have fun out here," Nia said as she ran into the crowd.

So now Shine was out here alone. Too much to deal with. All these Luxray, and nobody was going to approch her ant just talk to her. Shine growled lowly and began to move. She had to find a place of solitude. Someplace where she'd feel safe to hide in until this horrible gathering ended.

This day was turning out to stretch out even longer.

Shine prayed for Arceus to take her away from this place.