Archive of Our Own

It was easy, most of the time.

Owning Pokemon could be complicated. It could be expensive, time-consuming, scary, heartrending - any number of issues. Particularly, owning one as an idol tended to have its own challenges.

But Chan had never truly minded, was the thing.

It fit with their concept so well.

Eight evolutions, management had said, for eight members.

He had been so happy, to be debuting. So excited, to be doing it alongside these trainees that he had picked himself. Seven boys he had laughed and cried and danced and shouted with.

It was common-place, for an idol to have a Pokemon. Particularly amongst a group - entertainment companies loved to pair each member to a specific one, to help them stand out more and to draw in more fan attention, and JYPE was no exception.

He remembers meeting Creed, for the first time. So small, tottering on delicate legs covered in plush brown fur with cream mixed in. He had been the biggest of the litter, then, but it hadn’t mattered to Chan - his hands had seemed so large when he picked him up, when he looked into delicate amber eyes and cooed at the chirping vee!’s that echoed back at him.

The others had taken to their new partners quickly, the same as him. They’d had a crash course on the care and keeping of their new charges - most of the members had had Pokémon around, while growing up, but some, like Felix and Seungmin, had no experience. It was going to be chaotic, certainly, adding eight more bodies into their already-cramped, already-boisterous dorm.

But still, watching his boys, his members, meet their other partners for the first time was a joy incomparable to any other, except perhaps when they had been confirmed to debut as an eight-person group, hale and whole the way they were always meant to be.

Pokémon were an important part of life in South Korea, like Australia, like any part of the world. But regulations were tighter, here, and there was, of course, space to consider. But JYPE, like most entertainment companies, preferred to appeal to the fans to gain their interest and, more importantly, their dollar.

And pairing idols with cute Pokémon was an easy boon compared to the cost and keeping of them, at the end of the day.

Chan had known this, accepted it, and hoped that the boys would, too. He really shouldn’t have worried about anything, at the end of the day - he knew these boys better than he knew himself, and there had never been anything cute or cuddly that had been safe from them.

They had taken the same approach as Chan, sliding to their knees and cooing at the bundles of fluff that had been released from kennels onto the floor of the practice room, and waiting for one to toddle up to them. The breeders had warned them to be quiet, to let the pups approach them in their own time. They were young, still, had been hatched for a few weeks - long enough to not need around-the-clock care, but not yet old enough that they couldn’t imprint on someone before being caught (professors roundly seemed to agree that bonds forged between human and Pokemon were stronger if begun young, before the artificial partnership facilitated by a pokeball affected them, and JYPE apparently agreed).

Minho held out a calm, steady hand, having fixed his eyes on one of the pups with a lighter-colored coat. This one sat calmly by one of its siblings, deep, dark eyes roving curiously between the boys gathered around them. Changbin had crossed his legs, laughing as a curious little eevee with a particularly fluffy tail struggled to climb its way into his lap. Hyunjin had attracted the attention of a lively little thing, a tuft of fur stuck up on his forehead as the little thing skittered after Hyunjin’s hand in a pounce. Han held a different pup gently in his hands, lifting it to look him in the eye as it squealed at him. Seungmin had sat silent, still, watchful in the way he so often was while a skinny little eevee, careful in its steps, brushed against his leg and settled at his side, letting the boy rest a gentle hand on his back as they watched the others.

It was Felix and Jeongin who were the outliers.

Two of the pups lay separate from the rest - one, comparable to the others in size, though with a fluffier ruff than perhaps his siblings, lay curled around the last eevee, this one noticeably smaller than his siblings. Perhaps it was younger, or perhaps it was the runt - it had been Chan’s understanding that these were all supposed to be from the same litter, but maybe it was difficult, even for a company like JYPE, to source eight eevee cubs with such strict requirements and standards. He hadn’t known that they’d pick eevees, of course, but most Pokemon averaged litters of four to five eggs at a time.

Regardless, this little fellow was considerably smaller than the other pups. He was almost completely enveloped in the circle of his siblings, and fragile, trembling ears perked nervously at Felix and Jeongin. The larger of the two was wary, clearly protective, even in his young age.

But it was Felix, of course, who reached out first.

“Hi,” the gentle boy breathed in English, stretching a nervous hand out. Felix adored Pokemon, Chan knew, but he had had limited interactions with them - this was all new to him. But still, he tried, much like he always did, and Chan felt his heart swell at the rush of affection that filled him. He’d been so close to losing Felix, and having the chance to debut with him now? A prayer he’d never dared dream would be answered.

The larger of the pups didn’t seem impressed, letting out a hrmph of a sort, a grumble verging on a growl, though he didn’t dare snap at the human. These pups were well-bred; careful lineages chosen for health, for looks, for temperament - the company could spare no expense, could take no chances, when sourcing their Pokemon.

Felix was undeterred, though Chan could see how nervous he still was in the shake of his hand. But he wasn’t going for the larger of the two, no. Instead, he let his hand rest just outside the curl of the bigger pup’s body, holding it there gently.

The more vigilant of the two doesn’t seem impressed, but the small, trembling little one? Chan can only smile as he watches the pup stretch out a quivering nose, stretching further and further until he falls out of the protective circle of his brother’s body with a startled vee! The little creature rolls, tumbling head-over-tail until he lands, flat on his back, at Felix’s knees. The two of them stare at each other until Felix lets a quiet smile spread on his face. “Hi, little one,” he whispers down to the pup, reaching a soft hand to pat the creature gently on its stomach, and just like that, their bond is sealed.

Jeongin, on the other hand, is staring at the last pup. The remaining eevee is clearly disgruntled with the abrupt removal of his brother, but eyes their maknae with something approaching curiosity. Chan knew this one couldn’t stay prickly for long - try as it might, these eevee had been bred with personalities that would make them affable to human attention and interaction, and even this startlingly stubborn little thing couldn’t seem to shake that out of his system.

Chan couldn’t help but think they mirrored each other, this little Pokemon and their maknae.
Protective. Fierce on the outside. But soft, maybe, when they could be. When the cameras were off and it was safe to let the walls down for a while and rest, to be a person instead of a persona.

Jeongin crept closer to the eevee that was to be his, and the pup allowed it with a begrudging chrr! that made Chan laugh, his own little one letting out a veevee! that sounded like laughter in its own way, and just like that, Stray Kids was eight members, eight partners, and the brutal world of debuting and fighting for a place in the industry lay in front of them.

***

Evolving their partners had not gone as Minho had expected it to.

Three years past debut, and Stray Kids had settled into a routine of sorts. They had grown - musically, physically, emotionally - and so had their partners.

What had once been awkward, gangly limbs and cracking voices had settled into smooth, rolling tones, and an assurance and awareness of one’s body that pre-debut Minho, dance-leader Minho, would have done nearly anything to make his boys possess.

His partner, his precious Miroh, had grown as well. His eevee had always been calm, content to let his more boisterous siblings chatter at him and pounce on his tail and play chase with each other while he kept watch. Minho wasn’t sure if their own personalities had an effect on the way their partners turned out, but he could only assume they did, for they were all far too much like each other for it to be a coincidence.

Miroh was stoic, calm and steady, always keeping a careful eye on the others, whether it be Minho’s boys or his own siblings. He could often be found with Creed, the pair of them side-by-side as they managed the chaos of eight youngsters and their equally enthusiastic trainers. He had a mischievous side, though he often reserved it for Minho or Creed.

Much like Minho, he had a soft spot for “the babies” - the youngest of their brood, those who needed a gentler touch and a comforting hand from their hyungs.

Stray Kids was doing decently for themselves, and management had finally decided that it had been long enough, and would now be profitable enough, for them to evolve their eevees.

Minho….had his own reservations about it. He had always believed evolution should be natural, should be a result of the bond built between trainer and pokemon, and a mutual agreement between both. His parents’ Pokémon at home - Sooni, Doongi, and Dori, an eclectic collection of eccentric, different regional forms of meowth - had never evolved, and likely never would. His aging parents appreciated their smaller size, particularly in the family’s apartment, and they weren’t battle or performance Pokémon - merely pets, companions, friends.

But management would give them no such choice. Evolving their partners made them more distinct from each other, drew eyes to them, created a stir amongst fans and in the industry alike. Not to mention the marketing opportunities, as Div-1 so often liked to remind them. Type-specific food, accessories, or gyms that could petition them as ambassadors or representatives; the possibilities were limitless, and their managers were chomping at the bit to loan them out to the highest bidders in that regard.

They hadn’t necessarily gotten to choose, either, but it hadn’t been totally JYPE’s decision. They’d talked about it, the eight of them, as a group and separately. They could make guesses, based off the marketing, what they were each being angled for. But they also knew each other inside and out, and for some, there could be no discussion.

Chan and Creed were a match made in heaven. Protective and workaholic until the last, the pair of them were faithful shepherds to their younger brothers, be they eevee or boy. When Chan couldn’t sleep, plagued with anxiety or insomnia or the weight of leading eight young performers through the minefield of the entertainment energy, it was Creed who retreated with him to his studio, providing a listening ear and a peaceful vee until Chan finally felt like he could rest again. They were often gone late into the night, the pair of them, and Minho and Miroh had caught them more than once, sneaking to the roof of their dorm and breathing in the peace and chill of the night.

They had agreed, the eight of them: Creed was destined to be an Umbreon, and Chan had looked so pleasantly surprised, so very pleased, that Minho knew it was what he, probably the both of them, had hoped for, but he hadn’t dared wish it true. Minho was certain that Chan had been fully prepared to let them pick the evolutions of their choosing, to mediate between members who might squabble for the same one, and he and Creed would quietly take what was left.

He could be so dumb, sometimes. So short-sighted. As if Minho, as if his boys, as if their partners, would let him and Creed have anything less than they deserved, what they were destined to be.

(Minho had never been much for fate - that was more Hyunjin’s vibe, or perhaps Seungmin or Jisung’s. But sometimes, he couldn’t help but think they were meant to be entertwined with each other, wound so deeply they could not be separated).

Changbin had been easier. He’d known what he wanted, and Lit was equally as vocal, little churrs and veevee!s that punctuated his partner’s statements. The maknaes had collectively agreed that Flareon was a good match up for their soft, kind, but fiery hyung, and his equally brash but loving eevee. Changbin had never made any secret of his admiration for fire-type pokemon, and he knew how to handle them - a comfort, to Minho. God only knew what would happen if one of his more chaotic dongsaengs ended up with a fire-spitter with the temperament to match. Changbin was nothing if not disciplined, at the end of the day, and Lit was sure to follow his lead.

Hyunjin, too, had been easy. Minho had feared there would be a squabble for sylveon. They were beautiful, after all, and notoriously gentle and eye-catching. Fairy was one of the few types that did not have a natural counter amongst the other evolutions of eevee, and the kids had been known to engage in battles when the time and space provided. Bragging rights were legendary and lorded high over the loser’s head for days, weeks, even, and he’d been worried that alone would appeal to his more competitive brothers.

But again, the kids had proven him wrong - had shown him that, despite being the same vibrant, chaotic, deceptively odd boys they had been since before debut, they had grown and matured in ways he often found himself forgetting about. Hyunjin had spoken his request quietly, a hand stroking Quill gently where he sprawled across his partner’s lap, lax and splay-legged much like Hyunjin when he had the chance to throw himself onto a couch, a bed, a mat - any flat surface that would let him stretch out, cameras or brothers in the way be damned. He had seen a slight pout on Jisung’s face, but he couldn’t help but think it was more for show than any real upset. He just thought sylveon’s colors were pretty, according to Jeongin when their maknae laughed at his half-assed attempt to argue with Hyunjin.

But Felix and Seungmin, in addition to Jeongin and, eventually Hannie, were in agreement - sylveon fit Hyunjin well, with his graceful movements and artist’s hands, gentle and encompassing and full of more depth than many thought possible. He deserved a partner that would be as in tune to his emotions and to the emotions of the team as he was to them.

Minho had kept his peace, and Chan much the same - this was for the kids to work out amongst themselves, as much as they could allow, anyways. He knew Chan would do his best to guide management to the decisions they reached today; would go to bat with Div-1 and their managers and even JYP himself, if it came down to it.

Jisung had been easier, with sylveon removed from the pool. Minho still didn’t think he even particularly wanted the fairy-type - it was almost like he was making a fuss simply to do so, like he often did when he was anxious and trying not to show it. But Felix always knew, and most of the maknae-line did, too, if the way their Yongbok was holding the other’s hand gently, and the way Bug was cradled in his lap, the big, bright eyes of his namesake staring up at Hannie curiously, a paw settled on the boy’s arm where it cradled him close.

“Leafeon,” Seungmin had said quietly, confidently, and Jeongin next to him had nodded his agreement. Minho had wondered if it would be espeon, bright and emotional but perhaps too stern for their vibrant and energetic Jisung. Disregarding Bug’s name (which Minho found quietly amusing, and was sure the others did, too) leafeon were curious and vocal, soaking up sunlight and affection with equal voracity. Green so often reminded him of Jisung, anyways. Perhaps their puppy was on to something.

Felix seemed just as enthusiastic, squeezing Hannie’s hand excitedly when he pouted at the boys, valiantly ignoring Changbin’s poorly-hidden laugh and Hyunjin’s teasing smile. Bug seemed content, letting out soft vrrs as he stretched to butt his head under Jisung’s chin - perhaps voicing his own agreement for their choice in the only way he could.

Rev was harder. Felix’s dedicated partner, the pair of them more attached at the hip than any of them. Even now, instead of lounging in his lap or settled by his side, he stretched out across Yongbok’s shoulders. He was still the smallest of the bunch, centimeters smaller and lighter than the next slightest of their group, Bug. But, much like his partner, he made up for it in his ferocious affection and his capricious stubbornness.

They all loved their eevees. But Rev and Felix had something special.

Perhaps it was how empathetic Felix was, bleeding heart and all. Or maybe it was that Rev had been a sickly little pup, despite the quality of his breeding and the rigorous checks conducted by JYPE before they had been selected as their partners. He was just too small, and had often been lethargic and asthmatic - something Minho hadn’t even known could happen to Pokémon, though SoonDoongDori had begun developing similar breathing issues in their advanced age - and Felix had often carried him absolutely everywhere, tucking the minuscule little thing into his hoodies and sweaters and schedule bags. He rarely put Rev in his pokeball - neither cared much for it, and Felix had clashed with management over it more than once.

He should have seen it coming, really. But he thought it was rather on-the-nose with Felix’s “sunshine” nicknames and personality that he often played up on stage. But Jolteon made sense, truly. Lithe and quick, electric in personality and in energy. It had some of the least physical changes, too, and would likely be easier on Rev’s delicate disposition, though Felix would never hear of that - he was insistent that Rev could do anything his siblings could do.

Seungmin and Jeongin acquitted easily; they were often softer on Felix, prone to giving in to what he wanted - he rarely ever actually asked for anything, usually content to go with the flow and let his group members have their pick of sleeping arrangements or restaurants or whatever it might be that they were deciding.

Espeon went to Seungmin. Minho hadn’t been quite sure what to expect, from their resident puppy. Mischievous and cunning, but with more emotional intelligence than half of these boys. Seungmin had, in many ways, always been the more mature of their maknae line, with Jeongin following in his footsteps. Espeon were known for their resilience and careful watch on the mood and feelings of those around them. Perhaps they were a better match than he had previously anticipated. Cinna seemed quite pleased with the turnout, a paw held gently in Seungmin’s large palm as he stroked it absent-mindedly, nodding at each little squeak his eevee made as though he could understand the sounds.

And for Jeongin, that left Vaporeon. Minho had, admittedly, expected one of their aussie-line to campaign for this one. Water-lovers as they were, half-magikarp sometimes, he swore, he thought this one would appeal to them. Vaporeon were smooth and elegant, expressive eyes and bright trills aimed at those they deigned to share it with. But it fit Hallu well, and that would be what mattered most to Jeongin, Minho knew.

Hallu had always been the trickiest of their pups, Rev’s health issues aside. The most standoffish, the most capricious, the hardest to win over. Jeongin had done it, slowly and carefully and with every ounce of the same determination that had carried him to debut with them at only seventeen. Hallu was the largest of the pups, as well, having outstripped Creed and even Lit in the last year as their companions settled true and well into adolescence. Changbin had not been happy about both Jeongin and his eevee ending up larger than he and his, which amused the others to no end.

Hallu had never lost his protective streak, either, particularly towards Rev. When the other pup was ill or struggling, Hallu could often be found right by his side, cuddling with him or cooing at him softly or grooming him while they lay cuddled up with Felix. He would never dream of snapping at their Yongbokkie the way he might the other hyungs - Minho knew he wouldn’t want to upset Rev, and Hallu secretly harbored the same affection for Felix that Jeongin did, despite his protests that he didn’t have a favorite hyung.

Vaporeon were the largest of eevee’s evolution - large, sensitive frills and a long, strong tail that could act as a propellor or weapon in the water. They were often protective and aloof, despite their friendly features. Hallu was already one in all but appearance, truly, for the way he already encapsulated the traits of one. Perhaps some eevee were just more predisposed to one evolution or the either, regardless of environment or upbringing.

As for Miroh? Minho had always known what he wanted. His eevee was not easy to read, and most couldn’t do it at all, but Minho could always tell. Miroh had always loved the snow, the cold, the chill of the wind in Seoul’s desperate winters. Glaceon, ornate and austere by nature alone. Perfect for his watchful Miroh. Hell, it was perfect for Minho. He always thought their personalities might have affected their partners just a tad too much during the imprinting and bonding phase. They were just a little too compatible for it to be a coincidence.

But that was the idea, surely. The intention from the company. Why they had carefully selected expensive, well-bred pokemon for them, and went through the effort of teaching them to bond, care, train, and raise their partners, even when they were little more than children.

Minho gazed at his boys, settled around him in the cramped dorm they shared. A chaotic collection of laughter and shouts and vees! that never failed to make him feel like he was home, and hoped evolution wouldn’t change things too much.

***

Being an idol had risks. Changbin had always accepted this. It was a known hazard of the industry, especially one that relied so heavily on parasocial relationships and encouraging frenzied fans to throw their money right into JYPE’s pockets just for the chance to be near them.

In the beginning, it had been somewhat gratifying. A sign that they were actually making it, in the industry. That they were standing out enough to attract attention, positive and negative. Div-1 never particularly cared which kind came their way as “all exposure was good exposure” at their level, the managers claimed in their meetings.

Chan hadn’t agreed, and neither had Minho.

Changbin hadn’t been sure how to feel. Analytically, he understood where they were coming from. Stray Kids did need exposure. What did it matter what kind, as long as their name was getting out there? They could worry about image later, once they were more secured in the K-POP scene.

But then the incidents began.

Shoving and crowding in airports, cramming the kids and their partners in like sardines. Incidents of harassment and stalking that left his dongsaengs shaking and crawling into his bunk at night, terrified that a rabid fan would be waiting just outside the window in the dark.

He always reminded them that they had their partners and their roommates; they were never truly alone, not in an eight-person dorm that also housed eight very energetic pokemon. Their ‘vees were more performance than battle pokemon, but they still had moves, and Changbin knew they would each leap to the defence of any of them.

He and Lit had made sure of it.

Lit was much like him - firm and brash, but surprisingly soft and gentle behind a rougher exterior. His faithful flareon could often be found cuddling with one of the other pups or one of the boys, allowing them to rest their heads in the softness and warmth of his ruff, a purr often roaring in his throat. They, alongside Chan and Minho, soothed the others the best they could, and Changbin offered for them to join him at the gym - he kept himself strong and fit so that he could protect them should he ever need to.

Lit was the most offensive of the eight of the ‘vees, and he and Changbin had taken on the brunt of battle training with the others. His parents didn’t have personal pokemon, when he was growing up, but the high school he’d attended (a “rich boy’s school” according to the others) had offered electives in battling and pokemon fitness and he’d taken what he could, curious about the creatures they shared so much of their daily life with but that he had spent so little time actively interacting with.

Jeongin and Hallu had taken to it like, well, fish to water. Their maknae was fiercely protective of his hyungs, and Hallu had always had the bite to back up his bark. They were a dream team in battle, smooth and effortless in the way the vaporeon dodged and rolled and dealt damage, following Jeongin’s requests with snarled barks and thwaps! of his powerful tail.

Minho and Miroh were forces to be reckoned with, as well as Chan and Creed. It made sense, to Changbin. They had something to fight for; something to protect. They dedicated themselves to self-defense, to boxing and weightlifting and weekly battle training sessions with Changbin and Lit. It was comforting to know that they were strong enough between the four of them to defend the group, if it was necessary.

The others varied in their proficiency and their interest. Hyunjin was an artist, at heart. He didn’t care for violence and the adrenaline rush of a good battle. He liked the elegance of the dance of it, the splendid light of moves flying back and forth, but he was often sullen and uninterested in the monthly sessions Changbin required everyone to attend - just simple brush-ups on what moves they had and basic defensive formations.

Seungmin and Cinna were quiet. They participated as much as they were expected to, but Seungmin was not a battler, and Cinna was content to follow his lead. As much as their puppy was a pillar of strength to the team, he and Cinna excelled with the more emotional side of the group; neither was particularly interested in physical exertion beyond dancing and Changbin knew even that was too much, sometimes. Their singer was practical, at the end of the day, much like himself. He followed Changbin’s instructions and fulfilled the monthly requirements he asked of him and washed his hands of battle otherwise, and he couldn’t help but respect him for it.

Stray Kids’ “sunshine twins” were his biggest issue. Jisung and Felix had always been softer, than many of the group. Kind and affectionate and deeply emotional, always hanging off each other or whoever was available. Changbin was a popular target, and he enjoyed it when his beloved little brothers would cling to him, chattering about their day or their new music or whatever flitted into their minds.

Jisungie’s Bug was a competent enough battler. He just didn’t have any interest in it. But then again, neither did Jisung. They could be explosive in their tempers, but at his heart Han was peaceful. He simply wanted to love and be loved and Bug took after him the way all of their pups took after them. He knew his moves, knew the defense strategies Changbin and Lit had tried to drill into them month after month - he just didn’t care. Hannie had an alarming amount of faith in his hyungs to take care of any dangerous situations or threats that might appear, and Bug had the same carefree attitude. It frustrated him to no end, but he hadn’t yet found a way to break the pair of them out of their laissez faire attitude.

Rev and Felix were a different case. Evolving had been tough on their smallest ‘vee and Felix had spent heartbreaking days huddled by his partner’s side with Chan and Minho switching off to be with the pair in the pokemon center. The poor thing had the weakest constitution Changbin had ever seen, and he knew it was a constant point of frustration for Div-1. The company had paid top dollar for these pokemon, and to have one struggle so much was a waste of money and resources. But Felix and Rev had perhaps the deepest bond between them, and Chan had hard and fast refused to let management do anything about it - the pair couldn’t be separated, and JYPE couldn’t afford to lose them.

Rev had pushed through, thanks to around-the-clock and expensive (as management liked to remind them) care from the top pokemon center in the area. Eventually, evolving had done him some good - strengthening formerly weak tendons in trembling legs, filling out his narrow little frame a little more, lengthening his now glossy coat. But it hadn’t resolved all his issues. He often needed an inhaler when they got too energetic on stage - lasting an entire performance before being hustled off by staff and Felix to have the device placed over his muzzle for several long seconds before they could return to the stage. They both had modified choreo - Felix for his back and Rev with his joint issues and lower stamina - both things that were uncommon, particularly in jolteon, but it was just like one of the Kids to be an exception to what was thought to be a hard and fast rule, and their partners were no exception.

Changbin insisted that they both still attend his monthly mandatory meetings, but never as battlers. He, alongside their security, briefed the pair about contingency plans and escape routes and defensive moves but never went further than that, and they were often relegated to the sidelines while Lit and he took the others through their paces.

Changbin prided himself on his ability to protect his dongsaengs. He thought they had prepared as best they could, trained themselves and their partners and made arrangements for those that required them.

It wouldn’t be enough, in the end. But god, they’d tried.

***

Hyunjin hadn’t expected anything to happen, was the thing.

Several years into their contract now, and Stray Kids was secure in their place in the industry. Things could always change, of course, but Hyunjin was a dreamer before he was anything else - he rather thought they were here to stay.

They’d traveled the globe and performed more concerts than he could care to count. They’d been through hiatuses and sasaengs and fights and things that he’d rather not think about.

But they were here, getting ready to perform their hearts out on stage with each other and with their pokemon and there was nowhere he’d rather be.

Prep rooms were always chaotic. Makeup artists and stylists scurrying to and fro, Div-1 staff scattered around, discussing logistics and timelines and whatever else they busied themselves with when they weren’t nagging Hyunjin or his brothers. And in the remaining spaces, on whatever surfaces they could find, were the members and their partners.

The ‘vees were the only pokemon present backstage. In nearly the entire venue, in fact. Some of the security team employed pokemon to help better detect threats but the fans and other venue staff were prevented from bringing theirs in, for the safety of the members and their pokemon.

It was standard practice throughout the industry, but Hyunjin had always been grateful for it. Some of their partners, like Rev and Lit and even his own Quill tended to be more affable or even downright friendly to strangers. But others, like Hallu or Creed or Cinna tended to be more territorial, more aggressive towards strangers and more defensive of the their trainers and the group as a whole. They’d never had an incident - their partners had been, in part, bred for their temperament - but they had been raised by the members for years, now, and Hyunjin thought it was finally reflecting in their personalities and even how they presented themselves to the public. Their pokemon were expected to put on personas just like the members, but they’d been letting more cracks show, lately, as Stray Kids grew in popularity and fans grew in audacity.

But backstage was their time, as long as the makeup noonas and the stylists were done with them. Quill was splayed over his chest, gentle ribbons stroking over his skin soothingly while others reached out to Rev and Creed and Felix, stretched out beside him on the mats their staff faithfully laid out for them at every stop they made. Stray Kids’ habit of laying on the floor regardless of location or time was well-known and well-prepared for, it seems.

Rev was having a pre-performance nebulizer treatment, aimed at combating the poor thing’s asthma and would hopefully prevent any sort of attacks on stage. The little jolteon looked adorable, frankly, cuddled up to Creed with the special-fitted mask strapped around his lithe little muzzle. He was well-used to the routine and Creed always comforted him - the umbreon absolutely dwarfed the other, but it was common to see them curled up together. Creed was much like his trainer, and he often stayed with Rev (or Felix) through any sort of treatment they required. It seemed to reassure the watchful umbreon, to know they were being taken care of and under his watch. He figured it let Chan rest easier, too - let him run around dealing with last-minute issues and planning and arrangements with the knowledge that his dependable partner would come find him immediately if there was a problem.

Felix was in the middle of his stretching routine, a combination of normal extensions and some modified PT exercises that Minho was helping him through. Hyunjin watched them drowsily, stroking Quill on the head while his sylveon purred and wrapped joyful ribbons loosely around those closest to him, fond contentment in his soft blue eyes.

“Rev’s treatment’s done, Hyunjin-ah,” Minho said quietly, and Hyunjin reached over obediently to unstrap the mask from his face. He stroked the jolteon’s silky muzzle gently, smoothing ruffled fur back into place and praising him for being such a good sport. Creed and Quill seemed equally enthused, the umbreon leaning down to groom the smaller and Quill wrapped a gentle ribbon around his paw, squeaking soft sylvs! at his brother.

Minho helped lever Felix up as he, too, finished his pre-performance treatment, and Rev squirmed out of the grasp of his brothers to bound into his trainer’s lap, butting up against him like an affectionate meowth and letting little churrs rumble from his throat.

Hyunjin exchange a soft look with Minho. They were all soft on each other, but especially Felix. He knew their fans found it rather cute, the gentleness they extended to the Australian. Hyunjin wasn’t sure when it had started, really, but it was just….dififcult to treat him any other way. They got into their fair share of squabbles and upsets, certainly, but Felix was so indomitably present, so hard-working and empathetic and bright that it made it difficult to let bad things linger for long.

“Alright, boys,” Chan called, clapping twice and drawing their attention immediately. Creed stood from where he’d been laying, shaking out his inky coat and padding over to his trainer to sit by his side during their pre-performance meeting. “Standard procedure, okay? Have fun, be careful, keep an eye on each other. Everybody clear? Any questions?”

Hyunjin shook his head, and watched the others do the same. They were old hat at this, truly, though the thrill of performing and the nerves of messing up never did seem to go away. But this really was a standard performance. A quick concert in Seoul, as a thank you and a check-in with their Korean fanbase after having been abroad so much lately - fashion shows and brand deals and international concerts. A wild, crazy ride that Hyunjin wouldn’t give up for anything, and getting to do it with the seven people who meant the most to them, and their pokemon? A dream.

But he knew Div-1 and the company worried about their foothold in Korea and they were always eager to reestablish and reinforce their domestic presence when they could find the chance, exhaustion and insane schedules be damned.

Hyunjin sighed, pushing Quill off of him gently as he sat up with a groan. His back popped as he stretched, and Quill grumbled at him, displeased at his pillow moving without his consent. “Sorry, buddy,” he murmured to the sylveon, scratching gently between one of his soft, pink-tipped ears. “It’s time to get ready for the show. Don’t you want to be brushed?”

As kind as he was vain, Quill brightened at that and jumped to his feet, chirping his excitement and easily forgetting his irritation. Ah, his silly little partner. As flighty and animated as him, he thought. What a match they were.

The hustle and bustle picked up around them and Hyunkin rose to his feet, preparing to throw himself into the fray of stylists and costume changes and makeup artists clamoring to get to them first.

***

Jisung wasn’t sure when everything went wrong, really.

The concert had been fine. Had been fun, had been normal.

The stage was brightly lit, the fans were screaming, and the members were shining.

Looking back, that would be one of the things he’d remember most.

The twinkle of the lightsticks in the dark stadium, the excited shrieks of their fans, and the gleaming that was the others and their pokemon - twirling, dancing, running, and laughing. Performing the way they always did, the way they loved to do.

Bug shadowed him as they raced across the stage to the startling thrums of Chk Chk Boom’s festival version, hyping the members and the crowd up as they came to the last few songs of the show.

He could see Changbin and Lit to the side of the stage, the former waving and cheering and the latter blowing small, harmless balls of embers to illuminate the crowd, his proud tail wagging furiously behind him, ruffling the impeccable grooming the stylist’s had wrangled the mess into. Seungmin and Cinna weren’t far away, their resident puppy laughing and waving with his ever-composed espeon right by his side, ruby gem gleaming in the stage lights. Their Minnie was always more reserved, but Jisung loved to see the brightness of his smile on stage, the twinkle in his eyes when he had fun with the crowd and the members and got to sing his heart out.

Minho and Miroh, on the other hand, were on the opposite end of the stage, out on one of the far platforms that reached into the crowd. His blonde hair - that Jisung still wasn’t used to, truly, gleamed in the lights that were strobing around him, slightly frosted at the tips were Miroh was blowing ice crystals to create a shimmer in the air, entertaining the crowd and looking effortlessly cool, the way they always did. He and Bug were not quite that composed - they tended to be too energetic (“Too impatient,” Minho often said) for such dramatics but his groupmate certainly made it work for him and his pokemon.

Chan wasn’t far from Minho - slightly closer to the central stage, but that did nothing to deter him from spraying water at their fans and waving to them, his eyes crinkled in classic happiness. Creed was, as ever, by his side. The umbreon always looked especially impressive in indoor arenas. His neon-yellow circles glowed faintly, even under the brightness of the stage lights, and the graceful beast gently swayed his tail to the beat of the song, following Chan wherever he went and purring softly during the leader’s lines in the song.

Hyunjin was behind him, dancing smooth and graceful across the middle arm of the platform. Quill was a vision, ribbons twirling elegantly as the sylveon seemed to nearly float in the air, following his partner and raising a dainty paw to wave at the crowd when he let little pink sparks, a much gentler version of dazzling gleam, Han was sure, dance off his ribbons. They were breathtaking to watch, as always, and he couldn’t help but smile when he glanced behind him, so happy and pleased to see him having so much fun, being so carefree, after the difficult year he’d had.

The two remaining members, the one he was slowly making his way back towards now, stood on the edges of the center stage, waving at their fans and spraying water bottles over them at their prompting. Jeongin didn’t need a bottle, though - not when he had Hallu right beside him and it brought the normally stoic vaporeon no greater joy than to spray water at the crowd. Han could always tell when Hallu was pleased - his delicate fins, so righteously sharp (but very thin) quivered just slightly with delight, and that smooth tail swayed to and fro behind him as he alternated between balancing on his back paws and relying on Jeongin to hold him up so he could reach further back in the crowd with his gentle stream of water.

Jisung was sure, too, that some of the vaporeon’s ease came from the proximity of Rev. Yongbokkie and his little golden shadow. They stood a little further back than Jeongin - perhaps trying to avoid being sprayed by Hallu, but the pair were a vision.

Felix was dancing, laughing, his head thrown back and hair wild, gleaming light and auric, almost like a halo around him. Rev was balanced on his shoulders - probably taking a bit of a breather from moving around - and sending sparks shaking off his coat with every movement from Felix. They were adorable together, golden and shimmering in the lights of the stage and the love of the crowd.

There was nowhere their sunshine quite lit up like he did on stage. They all loved to perform but Felix lived for it. Han could hear the excitement in the deep growl of his voice as they started the second chorus of the song, could hear Rev’s excited churrs and jolt!s that the mic just barely picked up on.

That would be one of the other things he remembered - Felix and his partner, forever enshrined in the glow of the lights, doing what they loved together.

Jisung had taken his in-ears, is the thing. To hear the crowd better, to laugh without hearing it echo back at him. That was the only reason he heard it.

It was so loud in the stadium - bass thrumming, guitars whaling, the voices of the members barely audible over the screams of the crowd.

But just below that - he caught something. It was strange, like a whirling……or like something charging up.

He’d frowned, wondering what it could be - some sort of fan? Some kind of mechanism under the stage?

If he didn’t know better, he’d say it sounded like a move charging up. Something high-powered, that took a lot of build-up. But that couldn’t be possible. Pokemon, outside of their own, were strictly forbidden from the arena. They were too vulnerable, on the stage, to sasaengs or people with other ill-intention. South Korea tended to have stricter laws on the owning and keeping of pokemon, anyways, so it was rarely an issue. Not even their security teams employed pokemon within the stadiums, though Han had seen them do so at airports and such before.

The sound persisted, though. It was getting gradually louder, though the members still didn’t seem to hear it. Felix certainly didn’t, his in-ears firmly in place so that Rev didn’t trip on them if he left them dangling around his neck. Jisung kept up his pace, heading back towards his fellow maknae-liners to regroup as they drew closer to the end of the song.

He was paranoid, that was all. It had been a good show - no major mishaps or mistakes, no injuries or technical difficulties, and he was just anxious, surely - looking for problems that weren’t there.

But then he caught a flash of light out of the corner of his eye.

And Bug slowed to a stop, halting him right next to the leafeon. His partner was normally loose and relaxed - the picture of hyperactive ease as long as Jisung wasn’t on the verge of a panic attack. But now he was rigid, limbs locked and lovely amber eyes fixed on a point at the front of the crowd, right by one of the barricades by the main portion of the stage. The curl of his leaf was tight and his tail resembled a blade, a shocking change from the soft curl it had portrayed moments before.

Something was wrong, he realized, but it was already too late.

One of the security guards, the one closest to the light, was stretching out a hand, shouting, “Hey!” as the man in front of him, wearing a large coat, lifted the collar of it to let a Dratini poke its head out, its mouth stretched wide open in a fiery orange hyper beam, fully charged, seemingly aimed directly at the two members closest to them - Felix and Jeongin.

Jisung had just enough time to turn towards the stage, to stretch a desperate hand in their direction, a shout lodged in his throat, before the world around them erupted in fire and smoke with a shaking BOOM!

***

When Jeongin could open his eyes next, it was like the entire world had changed around him. There was smoke billowing across the stage and through the venue, and over the ringing in his ears he could hear the screaming of what must be thousands of people as the fans tried to fight their way out of the arena. The lights were flickering, and several of them must have blown out, if the shattered glass all around him meant anything.

A gentle nudge brushed his shoulder and he lolled his head to the side, catching a hazy glimpse of Hallu. His normally pristine blue coat was stained dark and smudged with soot and, his heart clenched, blood. “Ha-Hallu,” he coughed, the smoke heavy and curling in his lungs and dry throat, “are you okay?”

His vaporeon let out a soothing grumble, his solid tail smacking the ground once, twice, before he nudged Jeongin again, urging him to get up.

Get up. He had to get up. He had to find the other members, make sure they were okay and -
Felix.

They had been closest to the blast, he thinks. On the center stage. It had been righteously strong, and they hadn’t had time to react to anything. He thought he saw Jisung start to run towards them, Bug screeching an alarm at his side, but everything after was just black, faded and obscured by noise and smoke and screams.

With Hallu’s help, he gets to his feet. The vaporeon is a steady presence by his hip, and once he’s made it up, Jeongin can see over some of the smoke. The venue’s still in absolute chaos, but what really takes his attention is the massive light fixture taking up nearly half the stage. It was smashed to pieces, glass and metal all around it and the impressive steel that made up the cross-hairs of it warped and twisted nearly beyond recognition.

How-how had it fallen? Had that been the cause of Jisung’s alarm, of the smoke and light and fire and had sent him flying?

That wasn’t important right now, he decided. He had to find the other members, had to find Felix, and then maybe they could get the hell out of here and go home and rest.

Jeongin moved slowly towards where he had last seen Felix, Hallu supporting him all the while, though he was getting more steady with each step he took. His head pounded and his hands stung from glass cuts and he was so, so tired, but it would have to wait until he knew everyone else was safe.

He and Hallu moved around the light fixture, but he couldn’t see anything. Smoke still curled low around the floor, the screams of the fans fading as they poured out through emergency exits and venue doors. He didn’t know where the staff were, but he hoped paramedics were coming. His heart clenched at the thought of any of the members or their pokemon being hurt, but with the scale of the…explosion? crash? He couldn’t be sure.

In the end, it isn’t him who spots Felix first. No, no, it’s Hallu, and the vaporeon lets out a distressed cry and vanishes from his side so quickly it leaves Jeongin’s head spinning.

Hallu bounds across the space between them and the far end of the fallen light fixture, the part closest to the center of the stage, and he follows as closely behind him as he can.

It’s then that he spots them.

Of course Hallu was right. It was Felix, limp and unresponsive, his blond hair dirtied with soot and blood and laying face-down, not moving. In his arms, half-buried under his chest, was Rev. The little jolteon was just as listless as his partner, his golden fur tarnished by ash and rusted red that almost matched the shade in Felix’s hair.

But neither of them were moving.

It felt like he blinked and then he was kneeling in front of them, desperate hands hovering. He didn’t know where his hyung was hurt - where Rev was hurt - and he didn’t want to make anything worse by touching him but he was so scared, at how still they were.

Eventually, he reached out to pull Rev gently out of his partner’s arms. He was so light, and Jeongin could hear a slight wheeze with every breath he took. Of course, of course. The smoke - the ash - the soot - it would fuck with his lungs. The jolteon was already sensitive to altitude and air quality and exertion and this must be pushing his system beyond its limits.

Hallu licked gently at his brother’s cheek, cooing soft and distressed at him, sounds Jeongin had never heard him make before. He laid Rev gently against Hallu’s side and the vaporeon was quick to curl his tail gently around him, still trying desperately to rouse him with little nudges and chirps.

He still had to check on Felix.

His hyung hadn’t moved, when he’d taken Rev gently from his arms. He had to be unconscious, then, to have not noticed the absence of his precious jolteon. There were small cuts on his face, sluggishly bleeding, and he was pale underneath that and the grime that had been smeared onto his skin. There were bruises already bracketing his arms and hands, half-curled under him from where he’d been holding his partner as they were.

He looked so small.

Jeongin reached out, shaking him gently. “Hyung, Hyung, wake up, Felix-hyung,” he whispered softly, coughing at the scrape against his ruined throat. He had to wake up. They needed to get up, find the other members, get help, get out of the stadium. Felix was so small and cold under his hand, though, and he was terrified of hurting him further.

It made it better and worse, then, when Yongbokkie finally stirred under his chest. A deep, thrumming groan rasped out of him as glazed brown eyes blinked open. Jeongin was becoming concerned he’d hit his head - his hyung didn’t seem to be fully present, but maybe it was the smoke inhalation? Or shock? He was pretty sure shock was something that could happen in traumatic situations like these, but he couldn’t unscramble his brain enough to remember what he was supposed to do for it.

“Can you hear me, Lix-ah?”

“Innie?” Felix whispered, coughing as he tried to shift but couldn’t quite seem to manage it. Jeonging laid a gentle hand on his arm, giving him a watery smile when Felix was finally able to meet his eyes.

“I’m here. Are you okay?”

“I don’t - I don’t know,” he coughed, “I can’t - Innie, I don’t think I can feel my legs.”

Jeongin felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. He lifted his head, slowly, squinting in the fractured light and the smoke that still rose thick and heavy in the air around them.

They were close to the fallen light, sure, but what he’d failed to see before was that one of the far arms of the steel beams that framed the light, surely normally anchored in the ceiling to keep them in place, had fractured off the body of the light, and was currently pinning Felix to the floor, laying heavy over his back and legs.

“Hyung,” he gasped, raising a trembling hand to clasp over his mouth. He was - he was going to throw up. At least one of Felix’s legs was bent at an angle that was just wrong and the steel was right over his back and what about his herniated disks and ohgodwhat was he going to DO, where was Channie-hyung or Minho-hyung or a manager or somebody, ANYBODY who could help them, please, please helphelphelp-

“Jeongin! Snap out of it,” Felix rasped, and it shocked him into taking in a trembling breath, blinking the haze out of his eyes and looking back down at his hyung who was blinking up at him with glossy eyes and a face that seemed paler by the minute. “We have to - we have to get out of here - do you think you could-”

He would never get to finish his sentence.

Hallu growled, suddenly, deep and threatening and so feral that it shocked even Jeongin. He had never, in the nearly six years they had been together, heard his beloved partner sound so menacing, not even when they’d had to go through a haunted house type set-up and an actor had scared his pokemon into trying to climb onto his shoulders, like he didn’t weigh nearly 70 pounds.

In the time that he’d been distracted with Felix, his pokemon had managed to rouse Rev and had been steadily focused on cleaning his brother’s wounds, and had clearly tried using aqua ring to reverse some of the damage, though he doubted it had helped. Healing moves often needed to be used within minutes of an injury and he had no idea how long he’d been out, though it couldn’t have been that long, since there were still fans fleeing when he awoke.

But now Hallu had risen to his paws, his fins sharpened to deadly points and his tail flared aggressively over his spine as he growled into the smoke. Rev was under his paws, trying desperately to get to his feet but couldn’t quite manage it. Instead, the intrepid little jolteon began dragging himself, inch by painful inch, towards Felix.

Jeongin wanted to help him, to do something, but it was then that he could hear what must have set Hallu off, what he’d been trying to warn him of.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the darkness, loud in the relative silence of the stadium, now, and seemingly headed right for them. He wanted to be relieved - surely, this was management or security or paramedics or somebody, but Hallu…Hallu wasn’t acting like this was somebody they knew.

He was acting like this was a threat.

A man stepped out of the smog, far, far too close to them. Jeongin didn’t recognize him. He was tall and broad and intimidating, wearing an expensive trenchcoat-esque jacket and with something gleaming in his hands. And a - was that a pokemon?

An honest-to-god dratini slithered out behind him, unusually large and already hissing at Hallu as they drew closer.

How did they get pokemon in here? Theirs were supposed to be the only ones on the premises. Security was strict and everyone was supposed to be searched - how had they bypassed it?

Another figure slunk out behind the looming giant. This one was smaller, slighter than his compatriot but his face was twisted into an ugly sneer. A liepard shadowed this one, gleaming emerald eyes fixed on Rev, who had finally managed to drag himself over to Felix. The little fellow had collapsed in front of his trainer, who had reached out a shaking hand to rest on Rev’s back while he bared his teeth at the pokemon in front of them, despite the fact that he was heaving for every breath and his front legs trembled beneath them, his back ones refusing to hold him up at all.

So brave, so stupid of him, to try and square off against pokemon and trainers bigger and stronger than him, uninjured and whole, but it was so Rev of him, so Felix of him, that stubborn streak that ran a mile wide in both of them.

“You boys look like you’re in a bit of a predicament.” It was the larger of the two speaking. He was standing casually, hands holding something loosely by his side.

“Who - who are you? What do you want?” Jeongin could hardly bring himself to ask, but he had to know. These people - if they’d had something to do with the explosion, with the light falling and the darkness and ruining their concert and hurting Felix, they must want something.

“Nothing much,” the man laughed, and the hissing of his dratini grew louder, almost like the slimy thing was trying to laugh with its trainer. “Just that jolteon, if you please.”

“You - you want Rev?” Felix slurred from where he was still fucking pinned to the stage, blinking sluggishly at the these maniacs like he could hardly comprehend what was going on. Jeongin couldn’t believe he was still conscious, honestly, but it was nice to not be alone, dealing with these psychopaths who had, apparently, done all of this just to get their hands on Rev.

“Of course we do,” the giant laughed, and the sallow man behind him did too, high and reedy cackles that echoed around them and made Jeongin nervous. Hallu clearly didn’t like it either, letting another rumbling growl rise from his chest from where he’d moved to crouch in between them and these people and their pokemon.

“He’s a little fucked up, sure. But your boy, there, his trainer? He’s pretty popular these days, y’know? Worth a lot of money. Lottsa people would do a lotta things to get their hands on his partner, his precious little jolteon. We could make millions just by selling his fur. There’s people out there who will pay amounts you can’t even imagine to get their hands on him.

“We’d hoped to take them as a package deal, you know. But we’ll have to settle for just the jolteon, y’know? Your friend looks like he’s a little…..stuck at the moment,” and the man laughed again, his crony following in his league. For a fucking criminal, these guys sure liked to laugh.

But there was nothing funny about this situation. And there was no way they were going to let these oafs take Rev.

Hallu snarled, thick and low and so outwardly aggressive that a lesser man would have flinched. As it was, the two humans and their pokemon didn’t move. The dratini seemed more than prepared to battle Hallu, and the liepard was on the prowl again, drifting on shifty paws closer to where Rev trembled in front of Felix.

He’d never seen the little creature so fierce. Rev was much like Felix - generally happy, stubborn and upbeat, determined to do his best and not to be “a burden” as Felix would call it. He worked just as hard as his partner at modeling shoots or brand deals, even when the exertion of such activities would have him coughing and wheezing for hours, huddling into Felix and letting him fuss over him with broken, rumbling purrs.

His teeth were bared now, though, miniscule fangs gleaming razor-sharp in the fractured light. Sparks, sputtering and half-formed, drifted off his coat. He didn’t have much in him but it seemed he would fight if he had to.

“Liepard,” the sleazier of the two gestured lazily, and the cat leapt.

In a heart-beat, it was on Rev. The jolteon did his best, snarling and sinking his teeth into the cat’s leg, shaking his head savagely, but the liepard only snarled, raising its paw and shaking until Rev dislodged, falling back to the ground with a pained whimper.

Hallu growled, poised to jump into the fray but was stopped by the other poacher’s dratini. It was a sinuous, snaking thing, large and dangerous where it hovered in between Hallu and Rev. Its fins were flared, matching the hiss it spat continuously at his vaporeon.

There was no way out without a fight, then.

“Ready, Hallu?” Jeongin called, and his pokemon shouted back with an enraged cry, and it was on.

“Aqua tail!”

“Dragon rush, dratini.”

The two clashed, snarls and hisses and sloshing water and crackling energy. Jeongin didn’t necessarily have to direct Hallu - the vaporeon was clever, and it felt like this battle would turn into more of a physical push than a contest of moves - but he couldn’t leave his partner to face it alone.

They were dead-locked, one unable to get the upper-hand on the other, but the distraction had been enough.

The liepard had taken the opportunity to pick up Rev, teeth pinched cruelly in the scruff of his neck as the jolteon wriggled, desperate cries whimpering from his throat in-between wheezing coughs that made Jeongin’s heart clench in his chest.

Felix was..barely conscious, it seemed. But he could hear Rev’s cries and it was enough to have him trying to force his eyes open, a curled hand reaching out across the ground, scraping against glass shards and metal fragments as he tried to find the comfort of his partner. “R-Rev? What’s wrong?” he coughed, sounding worse by the minute.

Hallu let out a strangled groan, and he jerked back to the battle to see that the dratini had managed to twist itself around his vaporeon, attempting to put him in a strangle hold as it tightened the muscular coils of its body.

“Hallu!” Jeongin shrieked, but there was nothing they could do.

The men were stronger than he was and they were hurting Hallu and they were going to take Rev and Felix looked so pale, like he was fading by the minute and what were they going to do-

“LET THEM GO!”

***

Chan still wasn’t sure what had happened, exactly, but that didn’t seem to matter, now.

This was some kind of orchestrated attack against his group, his members, and it had him seething. How had security missed this? How had they made it close enough to fire moves at them, to take down an entire light fixture, and then to try and take one of their pokemon?

It was obscene. It was an embarrassment. It was a failure, on his part and the company’s and the stadium’s and-

-heads were going to roll for it, certainly.

He just had to do his best to make sure it wasn’t any of theirs.

He and Creed had been relatively unharmed, after the initial blast. Just choked by smoke and blinded in the smog and overwhelmed by the screaming of the fans and the shouting of staff that had faded quickly, though he couldn’t tell if they were evacuating or if the ringing in his ears was just getting stronger.

He’d found Seungmin, hunched under a curled piece of metal with Cinna crouched by his side. The espeon’s ruby gem gleamed in the dim building, much like Creed’s rings, and it gave them enough light to check each other for injuries, for Chan to fold his shaking brother into a hug, before he pulled him up to his feet and they moved to find the others.

Maybe they were unconscious? Or had been knocked from the stage? But it was hard to see, and they were taking small, shuffling steps, relying on the fragile light provided by their pokemon to not plummet off the stage or stumble into broken pieces of metal or glass that lay all around them.

Eventually, though, he’d heard voices. They didn’t sound familiar, though. Deep, gravely tones - more a smoker’s voice than the comforting lull of Felix’s rasp - and they were laughing.

Why were they laughing, in a situation like this?

He made sure Seungmin stayed behind him, his dongsaeng, normally stern and inflappable, was clearly overwhelmed, shaking and keeping one hand curled firmly in his espeon’s coat, tangling the other in Chan’s tattered jacket that the stylists had been oh-so-pleased to stuff him into earlier. He doubted there’d be any salvaging it now.

It was only as they drew closer to what must be the center stage that he could hear what honest to god sounded like fighting, like snarling pokemon and the physical thwap! of bodies being thrown together.

“Hyung?” Minnie whispered from behind him, his voice heart-breakingly quiet and fearful. It made his heart clench in his chest, that he couldn’t just magically fix this for them, make everything safe and better and okay again. But they had to find out what was going on - they had to find the other members, make sure they were okay, before they could afford to shatter and break and let their fear consume them.

“Stay behind me, Minnie,” he whispered back, and urged them forward again. Creed was on high alert, his ears perked and ruby eyes sharp as they moved closer and closer until-

Hallu appeared. Jeongin’s gruff vaporeon was being viciously strangled by a large dratini, crying out as he struggled hard against the snake-like creature. Two men were, inexplicably, standing far too close to them and grinning, unconcerned with the spectacle around them. Jeongin was much further from them, closer to an enormous light fixture that must have fallen in the blast and - was that Felix?

Their sunshine was trapped, laying half under the metal frame of the fixture and looking far paler than Chan had ever seen him. He didn’t look well, eyes hazy and hand reaching desperately for something and he turned just a bit more, frozen from shock and fear and -

It was Rev.

Held, tight, in the jaws of a liepard, striding towards the two men as he squirmed and mewled desperately, wincing from the pain of being scruffed so harshly, but clearly unable to free himself.

Chan could hardly absorb what was going on, so overwhelmed and confused and angry but when Jeongin’s desperate shout echoed around them, it spurred him into action. He and Creed leapt forward nearly as one, “LET THEM GO!” erupting from his own lungs as they barrelled straight towards the men holding Rev captive.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Seungmin break away with Cinna, sprinting towards Hallu with Cinna’s gem already glowing a fierce pink, and he knew they would be okay.

It was two versus one, now, and they rarely ever lost when they combined forces.

Creed tackled the liepard with a ferocious snarl, paw already reared back with a shadow claw at the ready, and the cat was in no way prepared for his onslaught.

Chan leapt forward to catch Rev, from where he tumbled from the liepard’s mouth, and he couldn’t help but notice how light he was, how small, cradled in his big arms. The golden creature was gasping, struggling to breathe as a thin line of blood dripped from his jaws. “Shh, shh,” he whispered, clutching him tight to his chest and turning back to see how his partner was faring.

Creed had not let him down, just like he knew he wouldn’t. The liepard was unconscious on the ground, Creed left snarling over its limp body. It was bleeding from savage scratched torn into its marked flanks, and, strangely enough, a deep bite wound on one of its front legs.

Rev must not have gone down without a fight, then, tenacious thing.

Behind him, Jeongin let out a victorious cry and the dratini he had seen before went arching overhead, hissing in panic as Cinna used psychic to fling it far and hard, clearly giving no mercy for the atrocities that had been committed against his brothers. The espeon was vindictive like that, but he had never been more grateful for it.

The men in front of him, previously smiling, were tense now, faces twisted into grimaces as their pokemon were roundly defeated, now that they had reinforcements. “Useless thing,” the shorter of the two growled, kicking at his liepard that lay limp on the ground.

Creed snarled, baring bloodied fangs as he stepped closer to the two.

“Let’s go, let’s get out of here,” the same man gulped, tugging on the arm of the larger and completely ignoring his fainted pokemon.

“This isn’t over!” The larger one shouted, yanking his arm out of the grasp of his compatriot and turning away, like there wasn’t an enraged umbreon ready to pounce, like Chan wouldn’t be whaling on them with his very fists if he wasn’t holding Rev.

“No, I think it very much is,” a new voice called from the fog, and it was Minho, striding towards them with Miroh and Bug right by his side. Jisung was just behind, limping but on his feet. Behind them were staff, paramedics and police officers and Chan felt like he could breathe again. Finally, help was here.

Maybe everything was going to be okay, now.

“Felix!”

***

Minho ignored the commotion around them, the officers flooding forward with barking orders and handcuffs at the ready to tackle the two fucking idiots who had attacked them, had sabatoged their concert and then had the gall to try and take one of their pokemon.

Felix was more important.

Their Yongbokkie, trapped under hundreds of pounds of metal.

The paramedics moved quickly, nearly tumbling over themselves to crouch by his side, to get a pulse and check his oxygen and wave for more hands, more help, because how were they going to get him out?

Seungmin and Jeongin were already there, and he stumbled over to be close to them, to draw them into a desperate hug and ignore the hot tears that stained his ruined clothes. Jisung was right behind him, nursing an ankle injury but otherwise thankfully unharmed.

He couldn’t take his eyes off Felix, off the fluttering of his tired gaze and the desperate wheezing that defined every breath he fought to pull into his lungs. The paramedics were asking him questions, trying gently to rouse him, but it seemed to be confusing him more. His eyes roved past them, not seemingly able to fix on one solid point, but his hands were still reaching, little fingers fluttering desperately amongst glass shards like he was searching for something.

Minho could see the flexing of his throat, the way he tried to swallow furiously and tried to make words, but he just couldn’t manage it. But Chan stumbled up behind him, breathing loud and frantic, and Minho knew what Felix wanted.

“Chan, take Rev over there. To Felix.”

“Min, I - I don’t know that that’ll help-”

“He’s looking for him, Chan. Let him - let him know that he’s safe, okay? Please.” Minho tore his eyes away from his precious dongsaeng, his little kitten, and met Chan’s square on. He could see the fear, the rage, and desperation in his expression, but he hoped this would be enough to get through to him.

He - he couldn’t bear the thought that Felix might, might fall asleep and never wake up. That he might be injured beyond repair. But Minho could never deny his precious Yongbokkie anything, and…he deserved the chance to know his partner, his cherished Rev, was safe, wasn’t taken away from him forever.

His eyes clouded with tears, and Chan nodded, stumbling past the other members and their ‘vees, where they huddled by the boys’ feet, ignoring the clamor of Hyunjin and Changbin and Lit and Quill finally fighting their way through the crowd of staff to make their way towards them, to join the desperate cradle that Minho held the others in as they cried out at the sight of Yongbok, limp and nearly unresponsive at the paramedics worked furiously around him, calling for somebody, anybody, with some godforsaken fighting type pokemon to get their asses over there to help them lift.

Chan muscled his way through them, ignoring the hands that reached out to stop him, and lowered Rev gently to the ground in front of Felix.

Minho could hear the little whimper the jolteon let out, raising a shaking paw from the cradle of Chan’s arms to touch Felix’s, to let his boy’s wan fingers tighten ever so slightly around him.

“R-Rev?” He could just hear Felix whisper, his low voice so utterly wrecked that Minho couldn’t fathom how he was even talking.

“It’s us, Felix,” Chan whispered back, and Minho could hear the tears in his voice. He tightened his grip on the boys in his arms, finally giving in and letting his own tears stream down his face, burying them in Jeongin’s ash-stained hair and trying not to let the sobs escape his throat.

“Come on, mate, you gotta stay with us,” Chan kept whispering, “we just got Rev back, and he’s going to need you, yeah? We’re going to need you.”

“Yo- you’re all okay?” Felix slurred, Minho looked up, and immediately wished he hadn’t. The paramedics had moved, one staying by Felix to stabilize his neck and shoulders and the others surrounding the part of the frame that kept him trapped. They were mirrored by security and officers and even a fucking pangoro, whoever had snuck that in.

“We’re fine, mate, just worried about you,” Chan whispered back, voice clogged with tears.

They didn’t get the chance to say anymore to each other - the paramedics called out a countdown, and then they were heaving, the grating sound of metal scratching on metal, and Felix was screaming, flailing weakly against the hands holding him steady before they were reaching out and pulling him, sliding him out from under the heavy frame.

He was positively haggard, pale and blanched as he heaved once, twice, and then bile was dribbling from his lips, the paramedic who had moved him barking orders once more as they tried to stabilize him.

Minho clutched his little ones closer while Chan drew back, holding Rev gently to his chest, and prayed to a god he had never believed in that they wouldn’t take their precious Yongbokkie from them.

***

Felix wasn’t sure where he was, or even when he was.

It was nothing but darkness and ricocheting pain that drove him back down towards that sweet river of unconsciousness every time it arched into his bones.

But he caught fragments, here and there.

“-keep him away? They’d feel better if they were together, surely-”

“-want to keep him at the pokemon center, he needs more specialized care than what-”

“He’s whimpering again, Han-ah, call for the nurse.”

“-gonna wake up for us soon, Lix-hyung? We miss you.”

He just couldn’t seem to fight his way out of the gloom that kept him bogged down, lethargic and so, so heavy.

It could have been days, or weeks, or months, and he wouldn’t have known, but one day there was warmth, on his chest and licking his cheeks, little purrs and hums that he hadn’t heard in ages but had been reaching for, day after day.

It gave him the strength to fight, finally, to rise and struggle against the current that kept him bogged down. With startling effort he cracked gummy eyes open, blinking in the dim light of what looked like a hospital room. It was dark, clearly night, and his group members and their pokemon were scattered around, sleeping on couches and the edge of his cot, all except for Chan.

His leader was right by his side, warm hand covering one of his, and smiling so gently at him that Felix could hardly bear it.

And there, on his chest, was Rev.

His best friend, his precious jolteon. His fur was shorter than the last time he’d seen it, trimmed neatly in several places like he’d been singed. There was a thin band of it missing around his left foreleg, like they’d shaved it off for something. He was thin, and his coat was dull, but he was here, purring on his chest with a gravelly voice and licking his cheek like it was just another morning at the dorms.

“Just rest, mate. We aren’t going anywhere,” Chan whispered by his side, thumb rubbing comfortingly back and forth on the back of his hand.

Felix smiled, faint and wispy, and let the darkness rise back up to take him again, but he wasn’t afraid, now. They would be there when he woke up.

It made the darkness seem a little brighter, somehow.