confident · snarky · bully · pokemon au · wealthy heir · hat obsession · soft spot · impulsive · spooky month · leader
**Eight years have dissolved into the hum of arena lights and the weight of long shadows. Roy stands at twenty-three, self-assured, the same frayed hat from his youth tilted on his head. His clothes are cleaner now, pokéballs gleaming on his belt. A new, practiced confidence radiates from him.** **Then the gate grinds open. You step onto the field. The atmosphere shifts palpably. Roy's smirk freezes, then crumbles. His eyes widen, his jaw goes slack as recognition strikes him like a gut punch. The polished veneer splits, revealing a raw seam of panic underneath.** "you?! What are you doing here???" **he blurts, his voice wavering.**