Notes: The beginning of a collection of oneshots, depicting interactions between members of Gyms and Elite Four with others of their respective specialties.

Verse: Game - D/P/P
Type: Steel
Characters: Jasmine, Steven Stone
Genre: Friendship, Romance if you wish
Additional: The music is so peaceful and relaxing. Listen to it on YouTube.

[gam·e·lan]

(gām'ə-lān') n. An Indonesian orchestra composed mainly of tuned percussion instruments such as bamboo xylophones, wooden or metal chimes, and gongs.

Tempered Steel

The first time they met was in front of a strange villa.

"I – I'm sorry, I'll leave…" the girl hastily gasped out upon stumbling across the man, leisurely sitting on the marble steps and carefully examining a cleanly-cut slab of gemstone.

Jasmine had previously been visiting cities around the area before hearing of a special club where the Sinnoh Gym leaders would relax and have a quick battle, and the idea intrigued her enough to take a trip up to the special island – however, she soon found herself on quite the opposite end of the isle. Her lack of a map and sense of directions was reasonably upsetting, and ended up completely throwing her off on the route. Disoriented and rather embarrassed, she began meandering around the small area she was currently in, before finding herself standing in front of a man hunched over, seemingly in deep thought. It was when he suddenly looked up with a frown on his face that the girl blurted out her take of leave.

"No, no – it's all right," he replied calmly. The well-suited man slowly pocketed the stone slab before brushing off the legs of his dress-pants and stood up. "Actually, your being here is a good thing," his expression remained blank as he spoke, "This building right here belongs to me, but now I have no more use of it." Jasmine's eyebrows softly lowered, it was an awfully random thing to say to a complete stranger. "I need to make sure it is placed in someone else's possession before I leave – will you take it?"

…

Jasmine was flabbergasted.

"I – I – what?" she sputtered, taking a step back. In return, the strange man took a step toward her, closing the short-lived distance.

"No, no – it's all right," he said, repeating the same sentence he spoke to her at the beginning of their encounter, "It's a very nice villa, really. And the locals are friendly and the restaurants are fantastic."

Jasmine's forehead furrowed as her words got caught in her throat out of shock. Then, "Th-that's not…" she took a small hand and waved it frantically, "That's not impor – you can't be serious…!" she finally exclaimed after stumbling over her words.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Of course I'm serious. The bistro down the street makes a special soup everyday – if you don't take my word for it, you can have a taste yourself."

The girl was positively exasperated. "That's…that's not what I meant!" she held her hands up in discomfort, "I – I can't…just take a villa from a complete stranger," she explained.

"Of course you can – you're doing it right now."

"N-no, I am not…" Jasmine drew a hand to cover her reddening face – from embarrassment or anger, she didn't know. After a few stiff seconds of silence and allowing herself to calm down, the girl lowered her palm and said, "Um…you're trying to give away your personal villa to any soul that walks by…that does not sound a bit ridiculous to you?...At all?"

The man held a hand up and stroked his chin, in deep thought. "So you're saying you don't want my villa?"

"I…I believe I've made that clear…"

The gentleman lowered his hand and gave a smile, "Well, then that's ok if you don't want it. I'll just have to find someone else. But you're here now, and you still have to try the bistro's soup, so let's go have some right now."

Jasmine's eyebrows rose up before the man's suggestion – more like demand – processed in her brain. The past minute had been filled with such absurdity and confusion…and to top it off like a cherry on ice cream, he was asking her to have lunch with him. She really should say no, she really should just take a quick bow and leave the premises as fast as she can…but instead she kept thinking about it. A second later, she burst out laughing – at the man's complete obliviousness, at the fact that she almost had a villa forced on her, and that they were actually going to continue their encounter by dining at a local restaurant. She doubled over grasping her sides when the man began to laugh along with her for no particular reason, not understanding that she was laughing at him.

.o.

"I see…so you're not even from Sinnoh," the man identifying himself as Steven Stone mused, raising a small glass of lemon water to his face. "But wouldn't that be all the more reason to have a vacation home here?"

"I already told you," the petite girl slightly laughed, her eyes downcast, "I don't want the villa. Besides, this is a one-time visit, as far as I know. I don't plan on coming back here anytime soon."

Steven placed the glass back down on the coaster, drawing pictures into the moisture sweating off the ice-cold glass, "That's a real shame, it's a beautiful country."

"…Then you should keep your villa..."

"But I can't," the man laughed.

A few moments later, a tray of piping hot bowls of soup was placed in front of the guests, and few words were spoken as Jasmine quietly sipped on a spoonful before nodding in agreement that the delicacy was truly delicious. The man smiled as he drank away his portion, carefully watching the girl enjoying her meal and company.

…

"Well, that was a nice little break from the day," Steven sighed as he pushed himself up from the barstool and slid his pocketbook over to the waiter.

"Yes…I agree," Jasmine softly smiled at her new strange friend, "I never would have thought to eat here before…so um, thank you for inviting me."

The gentleman turned over to the shy girl and beamed. "So, are you going to leave here and go off to find your destination, then?"

Jasmine thought about it. Then instead of answering, she asked, "And…what about you? Are you going back to your home now that you have no use of your villa?"

Steven blinked. Then, "I cannot leave until I have successfully given it away."

"…I see…Well, I have quite a trip ahead of me, traveling to the other side of the island…so, um, I should probably stock up on items and prepare myself for leaving…" the girl tucked some hair behind her ear as her gaze fell to her feet.

The man paused for a moment before the corners of his mouth twitched into a grin. "See you later then," was all he offered before turning on his heel and casually walking back to the direction of his vacation house. Jasmine held her hands together and softly smiled to herself, thinking about the unusual events that were just portrayed and this new person that had the ability to actually make her shout within moments of meeting her.

.o.

The second time they met was in front of a familiar villa.

The next morning, the girl timidly made her way over to the now-recognized building, cautiously watching for her new friend. But she was suddenly getting cold feet. Honestly, he was probably out forcing his villa down some poor citizen's throat at this very minute. This…this is silly…she suddenly thought to herself, eyeballing the doorway, I really…should just make my way over to the Leader's Club…

"Hey there, thought you would come back."

The voice emanating from Jasmine's backside made her jump with a start. She slowly twisted her head around to face the gentleman, her face beet-red in embarrassment.

"Now you have to try this café's seafood, over here…"

…

"…And so this kid here, the same kid who delivered my dad's letter to me from who knows how long ago, sets off into the cave…only to emerge hours later carrying this behemoth in his hands. Yes – he caught it, he actually caught it," Steven began laughing after seeing Jasmine's shocked face, "But yes, after that the weather returned to normal and we celebrated on that island for months," he chuckled as he raised the glass of water to his face. "Of course, not long after that I had to battle the hero himself – well, I say 'battle,' but it was more like him using me to mop the floor with."

"…That's amazing…" Jasmine breathed.

The man frowned. "Personally, the fact that he had become so strong in a matter of weeks scares me."

Jasmine quietly sighed. "No, I meant the part about saving the country…"

…

"…I started to think that she just left and wouldn't bother coming back…well, I rather can't blame her – barking orders at her to grab an obscure potion all of a sudden, when she was only exploring the lighthouse…but the trainer did eventually come back…and Amphy healed up in no time," Jasmine gave a soft giggle, "I almost thought, 'Poor girl,' but then she immediately demanded I battle her, and since Amphy was feeling better, I was free to accept her challenge…and then, it did not take her long to swipe through my entire team," she ended the anecdote with a giggle. After concluding her story, Jasmine lightly picked a slice of bread and habitually munched on bits and pieces, waiting for her comrade to finish his drink and share his thoughts.

Once he did, Steven turned to her and asked, "That's pretty funny; we both got wiped out by seemingly-innocent rookie trainers. It's like an onslaught lately, all these prodigies popping up everywhere. By the way, what is your Gym's theme?"

"O-oh," Jasmine replied, "I specialize in the Steel Type," she lowered her gaze bashfully.

A pause.

Then, "I see," he gave her a broad smile. "That's a wonderful type, I think."

…

Dessert ended a long time ago, but the duo remained in their seats, casually talking about all sorts of subjects. About Jasmine's trip around Sinnoh, about Steven's hunt for rare stones, about pokémon battles, and a fair share of silly things as well.

"Have you ever heard of a gamelan?" Steven said one moment after Jasmine's last story concluded and their conversation hung in mid-air.

"A…what, now?" the girl tilted her head upon hearing the strange word.

"A gamelan," the man's lips curved into a smile, "it's a musical style from an exotic archipelago down south. To describe it…" he tried finding the words. Then, "You know what a symphony is, right?" Jasmine nodded. "Well it's similar to a symphony in that there are multiple instruments played at the same time, while a single person conducts the players."

"I see…" Jasmine murmured.

Steven continued, "But a gamelan has instruments that are completely different than what a symphony has. They are all mostly metallophones and gongs – sometimes a flute or some percussion. But the gamelan has a very metal sound with their compositions. Multiple people hit metal bars and gongs with hammers – each tuned to a different pitch."

The girl thought about the strange musical style that was new to her. "Have…have you ever seen one?" she asked.

The gentlemen looked to her and nodded. "Once. When I was down at one of the islands on an expedition for rare gemstones. One of the locals invited our team to a performance after a long day of work. It was…" he leaned back in his chair, a content smile on his face, "…one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard." He closed his eyes and seemed to be drowning in memories. For a few quiet moments, Jasmine sat awkwardly, waiting for him to say something else because she had nothing left to contribute.

"Anyway," he opened his eyes and spoke after some time thinking, "I was just telling you about the gamelan because the things I like most about them are the gongs."

Jasmine blinked.

"The different sizes you can have for them are amazing. Some of them you can fit in the palm of your hand. Others take as much as five men to lift. But here's the thing that makes them special: they always, always come in pairs."

"…Pairs?" Jasmine repeated the last word. "That's strange; in symphonies they only use one…"

"Exactly," Steven grinned. "But in a gamelan, the gongs come in pairs. See, when they create the instruments, the metal-workers create two identical gongs, but then always tune them so that they're both different. Depending on the difference of the pitch, you can have a sound that wavers rapidly, or a tune that wavers slowly. The closer the pitches are to each other, the faster the wave. But no two gongs can ever be identical, or else the wave is lost. And when you hear someone strike the two different gongs…it almost tickles your skin."

"Wow…" the girl breathed in awe. The way Steven described the experience almost seemed magical. Suddenly, she had a strong desire. "I…I want to hear that…I want to go to a gamelan performance…" she said, each word stronger than the last.

Steven took a sip out of his drink and laughed. "Then I'll take you there sometime," he said. "The next time I go on an expedition there. I'll bring you along."

Jasmine's eyes fell to her lap as a blush swept across her cheeks, realizing that, like the time he invited her to the bistro, he had demanded her to come, instead of properly asking. But, for some reason, she didn't mind.

"…Yes," she softly whispered, "I…I would love to go."

.o.

The third time they met, they were saying goodbye.

"I found someone who's willing to take the villa," was the first sentence out of his mouth upon seeing the girl trotting to his direction. He watched her stop. And watched her face fall.

"Oh…I see…"she softly whispered. "Th-that's right, I've stocked up on supplies…I'm ready to finish my journey, too…"

Steven gave a sigh. "Come on; don't act like it's the last time we'll ever hang out. We'll be having fun again in no time. Have you already forgotten my promise?"

Jasmine's eyes slightly widened before raising her eyes to his. "Promise?"

"The one where we go to the archipelago and watch a gamelan performance together."

Jasmine inwardly sighed. As oblivious as ever…She meant that she didn't realize that his demand to journey there was really a promise he made to her. But still…the word somehow made her feel stronger. As if they made an unbreakable bond. Yes, that's right…it's not goodbye forever. It's just until next time. Suddenly a smile tugged at her lips. "Yes, we'll go to the archipelago…and we'll ring a pair of gongs together, right?"

"That's right." He smiled back at her.

.o.

.o.

.o.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

The woman started at the sharp tones before standing up out of her chair and making a mad dash – tripping over her feet trying to reach the PokéGear. Upon grabbing the phone in her hands, she fumbled with the device before finally pressing the green button and answering.

"O-Olivine City Gym, Leader Jasmine speaking," she said in one fluid breath of air, hand over her heart trying to calm herself down after the ordeal of nearly dying by panic attack.

"He – ah – we – "

"I – I'm sorry, you're breaking up on me…" she turned her head over to the side, propping the phone between her head and shoulders as she made her way back over to the table and began resuming the paperwork she was working on before the call. Honestly, the things the League would make her do now…organizing paperwork of the previous gym challengers? Really now…

"Hey – Jasmine – elan –"

"I…I'm sorry, I still can't hear you…" she grasped the phone once more as she strained her ears, trying to decipher the distorted sentences.

Suddenly the voice became loud and clear…and exasperated. "Hey, Jasmine, it's Steven, I'm calling about our trip."

…

Flat pause.

…

"…Who?"

A loud clank met her ears, as if the person dropped the phone in shock. Then the sounds of hands scuffling around, picking it up. The person then spoke again, "Steven. Steven Stone. Don't tell me you forgot about our promise, because then I'll just have to go to the archipelago without you."

…

"Oh my G –"

This time it was her turn to drop the phone, and the woman hastily grasped it back in her hands. Her heart suddenly began pounding as the words finally registered in her brain. "Steven? Seriously, it's you?" Of course it was him; he was always the only person who could ever get her to shout like this.

"Yes, it's me, Jasmine. Did you really forget that for a moment?" the voice sounded calm, and she could tell – it was definitely her dear friend. His voice had barely changed a bit.

"You…you…" her tone suddenly began to waver. After all this time without a single word to her, and he thought that he could just call out-of-the-blue one day as if only a week had passed? "You…idiot, do you…Do you realize…just how many…" she reached up and wiped away the moisture forming in the corners of her eyes, "…how many years it's been?"

…

"Have you changed your mind since then? You don't want to go anymore?"

…Jasmine honestly doubted she could find another human being with the capability to always completely miss the point.

She sighed, but it was a mixture of frustration and laughter. "No, Steven…of course I'm going." She smiled to herself, and there wasn't a doubt that Steven could hear the grin in her voice as she spoke, "I'm still mad at you, but…Let's go…and let's go ring those gongs…together."

.o.

"But here's the thing that makes gongs special: they always, always come in pairs. The closer the pitches are to each other, the faster the wave. And when you hear someone strike the two different gongs…it almost tickles your skin."

end