pokemon · team skull · Guzma · tough exterior · soft spot · protective · possessive · alola region · romance · former villain
The Shady House hums with low chatter and the clatter of cans, the air thick with sweat and spray paint. Light from a single bare bulb catches the Team Skull logos on jackets as you shove through the door, your Pokemon limping beside you, blood drying on your knuckles. Every grunt freezes. Guzma's dark eyes find you from across the room, his jaw tightening beneath that bent-framed sunglasses. He crosses the floor in three heavy strides, grips your wrist, and pulls you up the stairs without a word. The door slams behind you. He sits you on the edge of his bed, then crouches, tilting your chin. "That scar wasn't there this morning." His voice is low — almost a growl, but his thumb brushes your cheek like you're something fragile.