Dreams aren't often something one is born with an aversion for. No, dreams are the escape, the nightly canvas upon which the mind paints fantasy within which our tired psyche explores while we rest. Such wondrous landscapes, however, are often vulnerable to seeds of corruption. Such was the curse Thomas Lower, former Victory Road champion and newest victim of the silent demon known only as insomnia, suffered from.

Life after the Pokemon League had proven to be more than challenging. Once out of the battling spotlight, his team found themselves restless. It pained them to have no direction. They were together sure, but all they had were the memories of victories and loss through which to spend their time now. 

Oh, Thomas had tried... Tried to find ways to keep them and their strength occupied.

Failures, all...

Volunteering at the local gym as an obstacle trainer had been denied outright, his team was simply too strong and they knew nothing of holding their strength back against an upcoming trainer.

None of them had any desire to go join the Rangers.

But... One by one... They found their desires.

Regis, the goofy Riolu turned Lucario he'd received when helping some stranger in a cave, had decided to pursue a new journey in mental health. His ability to read aura and gauge emotions had found a new battlefield and this time would be used to heal. Regis' tearful goodbye, bound for Jubilife City, had opened the other's eyes to the possibility of... Leaving.

Next had been Madame, beautiful Madame the Milotic, looking to become a shining star in Eternal City's contests and enjoy the endless arts that flooded the streets.

Bazo, his loyal Magmortar, left soon after. Snowpoint city was his destination, the harsh living and cold climate a perfect place to test his mettle and drive his skills ever higher in solitude.

So it was with a reluctant but understanding blessing that Thomas released three of his four remaining friends. The fourth being the reason he lied awake in the wee hours of the morning, and could count himself a champion at all.

Unaki...

His powerhouse, his indestructible force of whirling sand and gnashing fangs. A towering mass of muscle and claws and squinted eyes full of rage all directed towards one singular purpose. A Garchomp of no equal, who tore opposition apart with a glee often only seen in monsters told to children around spooky campfires. Unaki had one goal in life, that being victory.

Victory.

His victory, one in which they stood together at the end of Victory Road. It had quickly become apparent however, when her fellow comrades had found interests and journeys anew, that Unaki had faced a deep scarring damage at the hands of her trainer's ambition.

The harsh training regimens, the supplements, the single minded drive backed by violence and merciless dominance... They'd changed her more than any other.

Especially after gym leader Fantina... Especially after Hearthome...

Eyes had been opened in that city, tolls taken, and their hard but successful journey had quickly became a nightmare.

Sun, their star Pokemon and Thomas' starter, a goofy and powerful Monferno, had died right in from of them.

Slaughtered by Fantina's Mismagius that tolerated no weakness. Confused, weakened, left vulnerable...

Thomas could only watch as the life was drained from his oldest friend.

Unaki hadn't been with them back then, hadn't bore witness to the event that led to her becoming the infamous Desert Devil, as her fans had come to call her. But it was the turning point in Thomas' journey that led his training to becoming... Harder.

By the time he found a lovely Gible, wandering among veins of unakite, his team had become a force of nature.

And that force was something the now newly named Unaki wanted. Oh, how dearly she wanted that strength.

Eagerly, with zealous fervor, Unaki threw herself into the harsh regimens her new trainer set before her. Quickly she became stronger than Sun could have ever had hoped to be, devastating the circuits and carving a swath towards the Pokemon League's best.

Then... They were at the top. They were champions... And from those peaks Thomas noticed, finally, Unaki wasn't basking in a hard earned victory... She was looking for an opponent that wasn't going to come. With dread, his champion's badge suddenly felt less like gold and more akin to cheap tin. In his mindless drive for victory, to make his friend's deaths mean something... He'd lost sight of those he still had.

And none paid a higher price for it than poor, scarred, rage filled Unaki.

It had been a year since then, and several months since Bazo had left him alone in his house on the edge of Eterna City, specially built with Unaki in mind featuring wide doors and high ceilings.

Thomas quietly ran a hand through his short black hair, looking to the side of his bed at the enclosure of steel and shredded quilts that housed the aforementioned mountain of a Pokemon.

Unaki...

Currently one would never know the towering Garchomp was a monument to violence, at least, that's what the public thought of her. Thomas wiggled his arm gently, encased as it was in a protective glove to keep it safe from her Rough Skin ability as she held it to her muzzle.

There would be no midnight trips to the bathroom or three A.M. snacks, in fact he'd had to stop drinking before bed so he could dangle Unaki's sleep aid, his arm, down the side of his bed to her enclosure. For without it, dreams of the arena and battle would have her waking with a roar or a swing of her clawed arm that would result in yet another call to the repair crews. Were it not for the substantial sum of money awarded to Thomas as a champion, there would be no way he could take care of poor Unaki.

Or afford the bi-daily classes he currently took on Pokemon rehabilitation and psychology... Regis had been a great help in jumpstarting his understanding of the Garchomp's mind, and his rare visits were always a treat even if the behemoth of a land shark grumbled at the blue dog's insistence for hugs. He'd even filed down his chest spike to be able to give better embraces.

Nonetheless, it was help Thomas sorely needed.

Help he wished he had today...

It was grocery day, and part of her new training was to be in public with him outside of her Pokeball.

Unaki hated the new training, it was nothing like the old training, and Thomas had changed.

The latter though... The latter was nice. He didn't yell anymore, didn't give those supplements, didn't drive her past her limits... Not that she minded a bit of sweat and panting, in fact a part of her missed those days. Every step forward was a step earned with strength and determination, every spike of pain one that guided her to being the queen of the arena!

Fear in her opponents eyes, the cheers of the crowd, Thomas shouting her name as the announcer declared her the victor!

These were good things!

But... Thomas' gentle words were... Better. His hand gliding along her rough skin felt...

These feelings were new.

Weak.

Yet she wanted to explore them.

But...

They were weak...

Thomas, however, had set up new training. Training meant to soften her, to make her less terrifying, more... Acceptable in public. Nothing that could help in battle. It was stupid! Useless! It made her angry! People got too close! They were meant to be in the stands, cheering for her to tear apart some fat Pokemon...

But Thomas knew better... He could see something she couldn't and it infuriated her! Why wouldn't he just explain the confusion away? She missed the surety of the gym challenges and the elite four.

This new hurdle was annoying.

But Thomas was there...

Unaki stirred as the first beam of sunlight pierced the curtains to disturb her slumber, her nose pressing into her trainer's hand to drag his scent through the protective glove.

Yes, this she knew. Thomas was her trainer, her human, hers and no one else's. She would bite through anyone who even so much as thought otherwise. Were he not so soft and fragile, dumb human that he was, he'd be where he belonged in the nest with her he'd so thoughtfully built.

In fact, he'd thoughtfully built the entire house with her in mind after Bazo had waddled off to the mountains, the dumpy fire ball...

She missed him...

"Good morning, my desert gem."

"Haaaaarrrrr..."

Unaki graced her trainer with an early morning, bleary eyed stare, trying to mentally lambast him with her opinions on the hour. Alas, she was no psychic, and would have to rely on her claws, fangs, and weight to convince him that noon at the earliest it should be when they roused themselves.

"You can rumble like an excavator all you want, up we get." However, the inevitable jerk back down forced him into the confines of his quilt as Unaki let him know how foolish he was being. A warning hiss drifted up from the pile of scales next to his bed, one promising pain and suffering for ten generations to come were he to not only remove his arm from her grasp, but to get out of bed and start the day.

"Hisssssss to you too, you overgrown trash compactor. Up you get." A grin crawled across his face at the lumbering growl that shook the walls. Its meaning was obvious, 'lay back down or face a thousand years of wrath'. Instead, he rolled over, bent below the edge of his mattress, and placed a kiss upon Unaki's forehead, careful to not let his lips slide on her skin.

The promises of a painful death faded away in an instant, replaced with a huff that was halfway between reluctance and a demand for more. Her arms that ended in vicious claws bulged with powerful muscles that held him fast, her hackles rising as he attempted to pull free his trapped arm.

"Can't very well make you breakfast if you keep me in here all day." The hold on him loosened, if only a tad, though the steely glare and trembling hackles remained. He knew they weren't meant for him, but for the shy anger towards herself, at the growing blush pushing through the Pokemon's scales. She was a warrior of infamous strength yet her willpower waned at the slightest touch and gentle word?

That was her weakness? Sweet nothings? Preposterous.

With undeniable strength Unaki pulled her human from his bed and into her enclosure, careful not to rub her skin upon his. Nose to tail, he always said, nose to tail... Never again would she make that mistake.

The sound of his laughter filled the Garchomp with a blooming warmth as he submitted to her demands, as he should, snuggling up against her broad chest. Muscled arms, ones that spread with fin-like appendages, sealed his fate for the next hour as they entrapped him against the hotly blushing land shark.

Thomas said nothing, leaning his head upon her collar bone and enjoying her warmth and the drum rhythm of her powerful heart. Even her stalwart growls ebbed when he began to hum, his gentle hands cupping her nose and rubbing down along her neck in soothing waves.

"My big strong girl, shhhhh... No need for all that growling. We're going to get a good breakfast and go to the store and you'll do just fine."

The statement drew a hiss of quiet worry from the champion Pokemon.

The store...

Public... Crowds... People that knew her... Pictures and those stupid birds that liked to land on her sensory organs on her head! And the dumb human kids! They always wanted to pet her and she had to shoo them away lest they hurt their hands.

Unaki hated going out in public... No, no she had a better idea. They'd stay here. Yes, they'd stay here and cuddle in the enclosure and... Thomas would have to get back in his bed and put the glove on so she didn't tear him up in her sleep...

"Shhhhh... Stop thinking so hard, my desert gem."

And there it was. That soothing voice, those stupid nicknames, those warm eyes that washed away her carefully constructed bulwark of rage that was always ready to rend his opponents limb from limb!

And replaced it with this stupid... Dumb... Warm feeling... That she loved so much... Idiot human, so soft and weak and fragile and warm and perfect...

He was corrupting her.

Another growl, this time all together different, nearly shook the frame of her enclosure, her blush growing as Thomas laughed at her expense. A pang of emptiness filled her stomach and made her paws curl.

"Haaaaaarchomp..."

"Hungry?" Thomas hadn't ceased his petting, Unaki lowering her head to give his wonderful hands better access. All the big Pokemon did was nod, finally releasing her captive.

His damned chuckle only stoked the flames of her burning face more as he left, leaving the wide bedroom door open as Unaki rose to greet the day.

At seven foot four inches, she was a monument of a Garchomp, a whole head taller than most. In addition, her wingspan was a full three feet wider than average, a fact that led to the custom made house with its high ceiling and wide doors with handles her wing claws could manipulate.

There was a bigger reason to leave now than to stay, even beyond her cozy enclosure. Thomas was handling something in the kitchen, and by the sound of the crinkly bag, he was making her Magikarp throat steaks for breakfast! Fat juicy fish steaks!

Unaki's human was well trained in how to please Garchomps, yes. But only her! She would tear apart any Garchomp who tried to steal him! The thought bright a vicious growl up from the depths of her belly, one that made Thomas chuckle as he set out pans and butter and seasoning.

"Peace big girl, the fish is dead already."

He wasn't the smartest human either, he still couldn't decipher her growls and warbles and hisses, even though her pronunciation was exquisite. Either way, none of that mattered, as the smell of salt and cooking meat reached her nose.

Once upon a time she scoffed at the idea of slightly burnt meat with tiny crushed rocks and leafy bits tossed all over it.

Then she begrudgingly tried a bite of Thomas' steak one night... Which meant half of his dinner had vanished in a single nibble.

Unaki had turned her nose up at uncooked meals and poke-kibble ever since.

The sound of a massive plate being set on the counter pulled the Garchomp from her reverie, her eyes falling upon a thick slab of fish steak cut directly from a fat Magikarp and cooked perfectly just for her.

It was gone in two scrumptious bites, her throat rumbling in pleasure as not a single morsel or scale escaped her voracious appetite. Thomas simply shook his head, nursing his own, much smaller, fish steak breakfast. Often he wondered if the big Pokemon even tasted the food he slaved over, but then he'd look in her bliss filled eyes and get his answer.

"So, today's exercise. We'll be heading to the Poke-Mart, stop grumbling at me, and there won't be any hiding in a Pokeball." Thomas chuckled as her grumbles turned to growls, her wing arms out wide in a threat display of displeasure. The man simply walked up to the Garchomp and smiled at her, slowly chewing his fish. "And there won't be none of that either. You'll be my precious good girl and not bite or cut anyone in half. Won't you, Uni?"

Slowly, the growls and display faltered as Unaki fell into begrudging submission to her trainer, her blush returning as the man simply planted a kiss on her chest scales.

"Perfect. I have a surprise for well behaved Garchomps when we get back."

… Surprise?

That was a word that had seeped into Unaki's brain since she was but a snarling Gible. Her predatory eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, the same look life long trained champions saw before their demise under her whirling claws and rending fangs. Unaki was a reward motivated individual. She knew it, Thomas knew it, and they both knew he was using that desire for stuff against her. But damn… if she wasn't a slave to her curiosity.

With a huff, she left her dirty plate for the human to clean, as it should be, and went to the far wall beyond the comfy couch and cushion filled social pit situated before her favorite wide screen TV for her armband. It was a bright orange affair with the letters R.H. printed on its hardy surface to indicate she was a Pokemon currently going through a rehabilitation program. The thought made her grimace. She felt weak wearing the damn thing… but trainers would leave her alone and not bother her with battling two bit Pokemon when she had it on so…

Thomas' soothing hand on her arm, ensuring he only stroked one way, lifted off completely, then returned to her bicep eased her racing mind as he tied the weathered band just behind her left wing claw.

"I know love, you hate this thing. Your rehab doesn't mean you're broken or weak, it's just a new challenge to overcome." Those same gentle hands beckoned her head lower and she felt her heart flutter as she obeyed without hesitation. A kiss upon her muzzle was her reward. "You've got this, we've got this. I'll be right next to you the whole way."

More than any potion or Poke-center, Thomas' soothing words and warm tone was a balm upon Unaki's anxious mind, gently washing away her worries like an ebbing tide. Yes, she could do this. Her human was with her, after all.

An autumn sun greeted them as they left, Thomas locking the front door as Unaki bellowed into the sky to let the world know she was on the prowl and no foolhardy rapscallions had better set foot or paw upon her territory while she was away. 

"Could you not torture the local bird population?" Thomas chuckled, shaking his head as he started down the hard packed path towards town. Unaki quickly padded after her trainer, huffing at the human's lack of appreciation for her territorial skills. Not once had she seen him roar or mark his perimeter, nor had he thanked her for doing it for him! 

Ungrateful...

The trip was a comfortable one, the sun warm with only sparse clouds to block its rays. Unaki could walk close to her trainer, her human, without threat of anyone seeing her more tender side and releasing it to the world with a social media post...

Maybe her reward would be a snuggly nap under a tree in the forest?

She hoped so...

Eventually the peace ended, the din of people and Pokemon reached Unaki's ears and drove her closer to Thomas' side. A deep growl, half angry and half ashamed, crawled from her gullet as he grabbed her claw and held it. 

It felt good. 

She was a terror on the battlefield, she was a Garchomp meant for the arena where walls and cameras separated her from crowds. But here... They were right next to her. A flex of her wing arm convinced her human to hold her claw tighter. 

"I'm right here. You've got this." Thomas looked up to her, smiling that perfect disarming grin as they stepped off the path and onto the sidewalk. 

The people gave them a wide berth, the locals waving and calling their well wishes. Even here Unaki had support but she cared little for them. They weren't Thomas, after all. 

A Manectric waggled it's short tail at her, whining for play before a deep, gravely growl convinced it to move on.

"Be nice, love." Thomas chided, but it lacked any heat.

Finally they arrived at the Poke-mart, Unaki ducking through the entryway to press against her human as crowds avoided brushing against her rough skin, several snapping quick photos of the infamous Pokemon on their phones.

"Want to hold the basket?" It took a moment for the Garchomp to turn her scarred head down to look at the proffered article, the handles already hung over her claw. It seemed she had little choice.

"G-Gaaarrrr..."

"Good girl."

"Ggggrrrrr."

"I'm joking I'm joking, ha ha ha!" Thomas raised his hands in surrender as he turned down the first aisle, loading down the basket with all sorts of things Unaki didn't care about. No, the big Pokemon was more focused on her training: be aware of where your tail is, keep your wing arms to your side, don't glare or growl at anyone that gets too close, yada yada yada. 

Grocery stores were stupid.

And small.

And stupid.

Thomas should be making her another fish steak and snuggling instead of dragging her out here among all these people and crowds and-

"Shhhhh..." Thomas hand on her neck pulled the champion Pokemon from her thoughts as she realized she was growling, deep and vicious. A blush burned through her scales as Unaki ducked her head, her tail attempting to curl beneath her but only pressing against the cold floor. The humiliation threatened to pull another growl from her belly, her fangs chattering as she buried a hiss, an elderly woman retreating from the aisle as humiliation and rage flooded her. 

This was stupid! 

She didn't belong here! She was a fighter, a champion! She belonged in a Pokeball or an arena not in pub-

"Shhhhh, I've got you."

Thomas' hands and gentle, warm voice banished her thoughts, her world narrowing to the human below her as her eyes drifted down... Down.... Down to his face. 

That face she'd come to associate with home and safety and warmth...

Soon her growls subsided and she nodded, embarrassed at her lack of control. She… did belong in the world outside of the arena… she always forgot that. It was so easy to forget. Thomas was with her…

"I know it's hard, you're doing great!"

She was, wasn't she? She had to be, Thomas said so. Emboldened by his praise, the Garchomp followed her human throughout the store without incident, except for the meat section where she drooled enough that a poor worker had to retrieve a mop. Unaki was so convinced that the rest of their grocery shopping adventure would be uneventful that when it wasn't, she kicked herself for jinxing it. 

Few things could make the league champion Pokemon's stomach clench, but one of them was a public nuisance complaint. There, at the checkout counter, was the woman from the first aisle where she'd had her episode. 

"I'm telling you, you're about to lose a rewards customer. I want a manager, the store is unsafe." The elderly woman had commandeered an entire checkout line for her crusade, turning to glare at Unaki and Thomas as they approached. "You should have that Pokemon in a ball."

"For someone who feels unsafe, you sure are brazen." Thomas sighed as he set his basket of supplies on the conveyor, the overworked and underpaid cashier mindlessly ringing up his items.

"I'm not going to settle for being intimidated by anyone, champion or not."

"That's fantastic, I'm glad for you."

"Excuse me?"

"You're harassing a rehab Pokemon." Thomas pointed to Unaki's armband, the Garchomp squinting her eyes in discomfort at the discourse growing between her human and this woman. 

On the one claw, she understood what Thomas wanted for her, to be treated as any other Pokemon. 

But... She wasn't some cutesy Pikachu or Eevee... She just wasn't.

And she could understand this woman as well... Unaki was a champion fighter, powerful and intimidating... Why was Thomas getting so worked up… Well, that was a dumb question… he cared for her and wanted her treated right. The thought brought a warm bloom to her chest. He was so preciously dumb… Unaki loved him, not that she'd ever say so out loud in public.

"She's just as much a right as anyone else to be out and about." Thomas' voice was the firm, immovable tone he often used when correcting their behavior back during their journey. The elderly woman however, wasn't backing down.

"Just because you were a champion once doesn't mean you have free reign to harass the rest of us! Oh good, sir, you need to control your customers." At the arrival of the manager, Thomas seemingly became a lesser being. 

This... Was stupid.

The moment the groceries were paid for Unaki hooked the bags with her claws and escaped the situation by simply leaving, turning tail and slowly trundling away. A triumphant huff left the elderly lady, her hands upon her hips. 

"Well, at least the beast has a more sound mind than its train-"

"Shut your damn mouth." Thomas snapped, turning on his heel after Unaki. He found the Garchomp idly waiting for him outside, her eyes turned towards the sky. "Hey, ignore that bitc- ack!" His words were cut short as a fat, wet shark tongue slapped up the side of his face. 

One look was enough to understand the words in his Pokemon's eyes. 

Who cares? The whole thing was silly.

Thomas stared for a moment, his anger fading as Unaki decided the woman wasn't worth the energy.

"Fine, fine... If it doesn't bother you I'll pretend it doesn't bother me. Now give me the bags, a lady shouldn't carry the bags." Unaki held them higher, out of his reach. "Be that way."

Good. 

He was learning.

The walk back was uneventful, and quicker, as Unaki had remembered something vitally important. A dreadfully meaningful thing that would not go ignored for anything, not even food or basking in the sun. Thomas had said something before they left, he'd made a promise.

She'd get a reward. 

The groceries were put away in record time, her nose bumping the man as he laughed and hugged her. 

"Okay okay! Yes, you deserve it. You were better behaved than me in fact. You stayed so calm when that awful lady was mean to you." He smooched her nose over and over, receiving a content rumble from the bipedal land shark.

Eagerly, he led the Garchomp to the extensive back yard where he left her to look after him as he wandered to the shed, returning with a device that had the massive Pokemon acting very out of character.

Unaki's paws stamped, her clawed wings came to her chest, her tail wagged, and her eyes shined like stars.

It was the boom box!

"Awwww yeah you know what time it is!"

You see, Unaki has had a guilty pleasure ever since she was a Gible, and it was music. She loved to dance, and she loved to dance with Thomas.

Her human, her former trainer, her best friend...

Her everything...

As the notes began and he took her claws, the world faded away. Gone was the house he'd had built with her in mind and the warm forest surrounding them.

Gone was the distant cozy town and burbling crowds that both supported and feared her.

Gone were the relaxing sun beams from above that warmed her blood and eased her sleep. 

All that was left was her human, Thomas, and the music that carried them across the soft grass in tiny circles like nobility in a ballroom dance. 

Unaki could see it in her mind. Him in a resplendent suit and her scales covered in a whirling dress while a band played just for them, dancing across the courtyard of a grand palace. 

Here, there were no battles or gyms or badges or... Anything...

Just her and Thomas. 

And that... That was okay. 

For that was all she needed, for she was his precious desert gem and he was her amazing perfect human.