FEATURED FIC
the warmth in you
fandom: pokemon sword & shield
rating: teen and up
relationships: sordward & shielbert, sordward & sonia & shielbert
characters: sordward, shielbert, sonia (mentioned)
tags: child neglect, implied/referenced child abuse
summary
a small story about two very isolated children discovering a certain trainer participating in the gym challenge and getting obsessed with watching her matches while their parents are away on a business trip. written for seesawsoni week 2025
Their home was cold, it always was. No matter how many people they had around, no matter how high they had the heating on or if they had the fireplace burning or not. No matter if their parents were actually around or not, their parents didn't bring any warmth to the table. Nor did the staff, though they were certainly warmer than their "main" caretakers.
And today was no different. They were sat inside, alone. Neither of them particularly wanted to be outside, though even if they did it was a given their parents probably wouldn't let them. Something about how it's better for them to mingle only with those their parents specifically approved to do so, something about how the common riff-raff out there would corrupt their sensibilities. It didn't make much sense to them, but their parents were always correct.
At least they had each other.
Though it got to a point where they'd run out of things to do. It wasn't something they did often, watching television. Their parents didn't exactly approve of it, but they specifically hadn't outright forbidden it. Some nonsense was on, some battles that the media had been making a big bravado of the past few days. They'd heard the title "Gym Challenge", though that didn't mean much to them in the grand scheme of things. But it seemed important.
"I wonder when Mother and Father are going to get home..." The one clad in a white shirt, red tie and red shorts hummed, staring up at the ceiling.
"Don't know." The other grumbled, dressed in an identical outfit, all but the colour. The red was replaced with blue. He seemed unconcerned about the matter of their parents. The two of them had gotten used to it after all, being left with maids and butlers for days, sometimes weeks on end as their parents attended to "business."
Whatever that meant.
Though the older of the two's eyes were glued on the TV screen, an eyebrow raised. His gaze stayed locked on the screen, even for long enough that when his younger twin sat up straight he was greeted by his brother's fixation.
"What is it?" He scrambled over, kneeling down next to the other. Excitedly hoping it was something interesting. The television seemed to be the only way they ever got a rush of excitement in their lives.
"That girl." He pointed, as though she wasn't the only trainer on the screen at the moment he was pointing her out. Certainly not being what his younger brother had expected. "There's something about her."
He wasn't sure how to explain it. She looked miserable in the battle, she'd looked miserable in the footage they'd shown before she went in. She looked like she wanted to be anywhere else but there.
But something about her, even with how miserable she looked. She felt warm to look at. He could tell his brother felt the same sensation too, even if he couldn't place why. Maybe it was the warm orange hair, maybe it was how warm and bright her eyes looked even with her sad expression.
Shielbert's eyes scanned the screen, finally speaking up once a name was mentioned. "Sonia Magnolia, huh?"
She was a talented trainer, even despite the determination in that battle being lacking. Her strategies were excellent, or at least from what they could tell it was. Not that they'd gotten much of a chance to battle with anyone outside of each other and their staff. And for the latter, they were basically handed a free win out of obligation.
But Sonia? She was taking on these trainers and winning through her own skill. Not being handed the win, working for it herself. Their eyes had lit up watching the battle, with nobody around to notice how much they were enjoying it.
That didn't matter now though, not to them. They had each other, and this girl on the TV. This stranger who had managed to ignite a spark within them that nothing else really had been allowed to at that point. This "Gym Challenge" thing was interesting, maybe if anything, at least now this had given them something to watch waiting for time to pass until dinner time or until their parents came back, whichever occurred first.
This girl, this complete stranger. She looked to be not much younger or older than them. Someone their age, on live television, just like they were on occasion, whenever their parents dragged them out to talk with whoever it was that week. This was of her own making though.
And that publicity became their fixation for the next week, waiting for their parents to get back. The atmosphere in the house seemed different, it was warm. The maids and butlers seemed happier than usual, even if they stuck to doing their daily tasks as they always would, occasionally helping the two boys figure out how to catch up on what else had been happening in the Gym Challenge.
They watched some matches from other contestants, but nothing seemed to have the same spark for them as Sonia's did. They tried not to mind that too much, it was just a testament to how talented she was. They'd spend hours over that week cheering her on from the comfort of their own home.
And her matches were fantastic, they always were. It was amazing to watch how seamlessly she seemed to be able to strategize with her team on the spot. The way that little electric puppy would manage to have so much of an impact despite being unevolved, even past her other Pokémon evolving. She was something special.
The biggest match they'd seen from her yet, against this old woman. They hadn't been paying quite enough attention to anyone other than Sonia to have picked up on the woman's name. She'd stumbled a bit in the quiz section that served as the challenge before facing the gym leader, but the two of them were sure she'd manage, she always did.
Though before they could find out what the result was…the screen had suddenly gone dark.
Turning to be faced with their father holding the remote, and their mother with her hands clasped together, smiling at them.
"We're home!"
And in a blink the manor had turned cold again.