The King's Game
A "Pokemon Special" FanFiction
by Moonlight
Rating: Teen; 'T' for profanity and suggestive themes. Viewer discretion is advised for young children.
Disclaimer: Pokemon Ⓒ 1995-2015 Satoshi Tajiri / The Pokemon Company. All rights reserved.
*I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THIS PROPERTY!
Synopsis: Blue invites the DexHolders over for a party and hilarity ensues when she invites them to play "The King's Game." Does she have ulterior motives under her sleeves? And what about the obvious love in the air? Will everyone start being honest about their feelings?
Author's Notes: "Pokemon Special," otherwise known as "Pokemon Adventures" to american fans, is a series of Pokemon comics published in 1997 and onwards by Hidenori Kusaka. They were created as a parallel to the anime with the intention of staying true to the video games. Unlike the anime, if you read them, you'll notice a much darker story, and heavy violence, suggestive themes, and mild language are present! I like to call them the adult version of Pokemon. Notes are marked with numbers, [1], [2], etc.
I have wanted to write a story about these characters for a long time! I got the inspiration after watching a hilarious episode of Haganai: Next, so if you've seen it, you might notice some similarities! (On a side note, great anime.) But yes, PokeSpe is my favorite manga ever! What I have always loved about it in addition to the incredible story is how creative our main protagonists are: each one, like his/her game counterpart, has a unique personality that is heavily fleshed out over time. If you have not heard of Pokemon Special then get away from this story and don't come back until you've read the first 22 volumes. I'm dead serious. It's that good. As much as I love the Pokemon anime I prefer the manga hands down. The story stays incredibly true to the games and it touches upon darker themes that adults can enjoy!
R&R is appreciated!
-Moonlight
Chapter One: VS Wigglytuff
"Da di dum da di dum dum dum dum…"
The joyful humming of a young woman echoed inside the metal walls of the Celadon City Observation Tower. On Route 8 the structure stood undisturbed for years. Ariados cobwebs dusted the outside while the plates holding the stronghold together remained brown and rusted with erosion. Around the back of the green pillar was the entrance: a door with no handle, chipped paint peeling off the hinges, reading "DO NOT ENTER" in large, noticeable, bubbly red letters. A bucket of empty paint lay on the dead brush surrounding the fort.
Many a trainer passed by on the dirt road leading into the city, but no one dared to venture near it. Occasionally few would notice what appeared to be a pair of eyes staring down at them from the glass windows at the top of the tower. In the end they blamed it on the sun. The tower was so large and the rays of daylight reflecting off the porcelain were extremely blinding. "It has to be a trick of the light," the travelers would say, muttering to themselves while hurrying along. For who would be lurking around such an old and desolate place?
Yet such a location was the perfect living space for the cunning and quick-witted Blue of Pallet Town. She was the last person to be deceived by appearances. The observation tower had made a secluded yet homey residence in her younger days. With it she was able to spy on many and carry out her business strategies. The interior consisted of one large room located at the top of the observatory only to be reached after climbing a spiraling staircase. The area was filled with old machines and computers, a few desks and tables, a sofa, a TV, a cot and a refrigerator. For many years it had been her secret base of sorts, but tonight it was being used for a different purpose.
Skipping across the room, still singing, Blue made her way to the top-right hand corner of the vicinity. A desk with a computer were situated against the wall. She immediately took note of the pair of binoculars lying on the tabletop, scooping them up and sliding them over her neck. At the same time her head cocked in confusion. The object she thought she'd remembered to procure was not on the table. Where did she put it? Placing her knees on her hips a curious sigh escaped from her lips. She drummed her fingers on the wooden surface before turning her head towards the file cabinet to her right. She opened the top drawer to find a bunch of random knickknacks. Hair elastics, staplers, rolls of tape, rulers, broken computer parts, and various writing utensils filled the drawer. She pouted, somewhat agitated. Not there. She slammed the compact shut and dove for the next one in the middle. Stacks of DVDs and a few board games were crammed inside. Scanning the pile her eyes narrowed mischievously as they landed on a red-and-white box labeled "The King's Game."[1] Satisfied, she grabbed her prize and slammed the drawer shut. Her seemingly innocent smile had widened into a sly grin.
"Found you," she pursed her lips.
Box in hand, Blue paced to the long windowsill before whipping out the binoculars. Her gay expression became wider as she noticed a grey blob in the distance. A group of people were slowly approaching the tower. It was the nine DexHolders, her closest and dearest friends. Everything was going according to schedule.
Meanwhile, a pink-and-white blob with pointy ears was floating above Blue's head. Its paws were fumbling with a long, rainbow banner reading "WELCOME DEXHOLDERS." A high pitched cry filled the room as it levitated higher. The Pokemon groaned softly a few times before reaching the desired height on the ceiling. With a flick of a wrist it began tying the edge of the colorful paper to a hole in a nearby ventilation shaft. Taking notice, Blue turned to face her companion.
"That's it! Just a little higher, Jiggly," she winked. "This party is going to be perfect. It'll be nice to finally see everyone in the same room for a change."
Blue could feel her excitement growing by the minute. How many times had she tried to set something up between them before someone bailed out on her at the last minute? One too many and by then it was the last straw. Red constantly trained in Mt. Silver, Greenie (she'd adopted that nickname for him because it amused her) frequently attended to the gym in Viridian City, Yellow volunteered at random organizations in Kanto, Crystal assisted Professor Oak with the PokeDex, Gold worked part time at a Breeding Center in Johto, Silver recently disembarked on a solo training journey, and Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, Platinum, Black and White were Arceus knows how many miles away in their respective hometowns. Yes, it was true that each trainer had their own goals and responsibilities (it had only been a year after the incident with Giovanni and Deoxys, after all) but would getting together so often kill them? They weren't going to be young forever. Time was passing by.
Blue stared at the "King's Game" box intently before pivoting towards the center of the room, plopping her burden on the table. She said to herself her motives were innocent and for once they were; she genuinely missed the company and laughter of her friends. Tonight had been planned with those feelings in mind. But, she also thought, what is a party without a little fun and games?
Sooner than expected there was a hard knocking sound from the other side of the door. With an extra spring in her step Blue hopped towards the entrance, curling her fingers around the doorknob and swinging it open. A teen with spiky jet-black hair stood in the doorway. He wore a red vest with a matching pair of blue jeans. He waved casually.
"Yo."
"Heeeeeeeeeey," Blue drawled. She tipped her head to the left and spread out her arms. "Come on innnnnnnn!"
"Thanks," the youth, Red, replied. Several months passed him by since he'd been in contact with his mischievous friend from Pallet Town. As usual Blue gave off a mysterious aura. Her expression remained relaxed and friendly yet her eyes seem to stare right through him. Tonight she was wearing the outfit she'd worn before meeting her parents: a simple blue sleeveless top with a red skirt. Red recognized this poker face all too well, and he wondered for a brief moment why she wanted to gather them together so urgently. Yet as soon as he took a step forward into the brightly lit room the traces of suspicion faded into a rush of awe and amusement. From the vibrant party favors to the neatly arranged buffet table Blue's second home screamed 'party.'
Red shook his head. Surely his mind was overthinking things.
"I can't believe you actually lived up here," he said, eyes darting around the room excitedly. "This place is pretty cool."
Blue placed her hands on her hips. "But of course," she replied, lips curling in a pout-like fashion. "Though I'm living with my parents now, so I don't come here that often anymore."
"Still. That's awesome."
"It doesn't look like it now, but this place was pretty much my base of operations back in the day."
Red raised an eyebrow. "Base of operations?"
She grinned. "Yeah. Remember my Pokemon Item business? I sto...ahem, crafted, all those beautiful pieces up here," the girl blinked innocently before giving her companion a thumbs up. "Genius, no?"[2]
"If you mean stupid and irresponsible, then yeah," he moaned, cupping his left cheek in his hand. He'd never forgotten the time on his journey when Blue had outsmarted him by exchanging his money and badges for a pile of phony Pokemon power-up items. From that moment on he'd known better to believe anything she said firsthand.
Blue playfully swung her arms behind her back. "How do you think I kept my hands in everything? There's a lot of computers and stuff up here. I used them to plant bugs and transmitters." Blue spun around and pointed towards the glass. "Oh, and there's a nice view of the city. We're pretty high up, you know."
It didn't take long for Red to dart towards the windows, pressing his entire face and arms against the cool surface. From as far as the eye could see stretched the vast fields outside Celadon and specks of light from the towering city were peaking on the edges of the horizon. It was twilight now. The sky had darkened rather quickly from when he'd first left. Nonetheless the view was breathtaking, clusters of stars peeking out in the vast blanket of color above them.
"Woah! You're not joking!"
Completely absorbed in his findings the trainer failed to notice the sound of thumping feet trailing behind him. Blue's smile beamed wider at the sight of Green Oak walking into the room. He'd been following Red for some time, much to his annoyance that he was on his way to visit Blue. Something about the woman irked him in ways he couldn't quite place. Was it her loud mouth? Her assertiveness? Her haughtiness?
Yet she was the only woman, let alone person, to officially be able to get under his skin, and that bugged him to no end. No one messed with Green Oak.
Blue was waving her arms up and down. "Greeeeeeeeenie! Yooooo-hoooooo!"
Green, rattled, took a step back. He raised an eyebrow at her. Blue didn't even take her time. Already she was calling him her new pet-name for him while screaming at the top of her lungs. Could her voice be any more high-pitched or annoying? He groaned.
Blue, on the other hand, enjoyed ruffling Green's feathers. No matter what she did or how crazy she acted in front of him she could never illicit a reaction. This had been their little game for months. Green was the epitome of challenge and one of these days she was going to make him crack.
For a moment Blue gazed at him intently. Tonight he was dressed casually. He wore a simple black short-sleeved t-shirt with purple jeans. A matching wristband hung around his left arm. There was no denying how great he cleaned up. Rumors constantly floated around about how girls were throwing themselves at him despite his constant refusal to date. She herself had always wondered about that. Did he simply not find the right girl, or did he just not care? The thought made her cheeks prickle a bit, causing her to fume slightly. Boys were clueless. She would think no more of how good looking he was.
Putting on her greatest, cutest, most sickeningly sweet expression, Blue took a step forward and clasped her hands together. "So glad you could make it."
Green rolled his eyes and averted her gaze. "I only came here because Red begged me to. Said we should catch up every once in a while."
She winked. "Suuuuure, Greenie. Whatever you say."
"I have a proper name. I suggest you use it," he scoffed at her.
"I think Greenie suits you better. It's much cuter. Wouldn't you agree?"
He took a deep breath before making an annoyed clicking sound with his tongue. There was no point in arguing with her. "Not really," he huffed, turning away to face the wall.
"I actually think that's a cute name," a voice called behind them.
Sweet-faced Yellow had entered the doorway, smiling brightly. Green offered nothing to the girl's faultless remark so he remained silent. Tonight she was wearing a white sundress with purple flowers that fell to her knees. Her blonde hair had been tied half up half down with a white ribbon. The sight of her dressing in such a feminine manner pleased Blue. She took a quick glance at the young girl before her eyes flickered to Red, still oblivious to her presence, then back to Yellow. A devious grin spread across her dimples. If there was anyone Blue loved to tease more than Green, automatically her next choice would Red and Yellow. Yellow had been pining after Red for as long as she could remember. For a time she stubbornly continued her charade as a boy in front of Red despite Blue's urging to do so otherwise. But the moment the hat was taken off and she saw Red's priceless expression Blue knew where his affections lay. It entertained her to see him so clumsy and awkward around her and vice versa, hence the running joke "you should both live together" she constantly sprung on them.
She cleared her throat. "OH, YELLOW! You're finally HERE!" she shouted in the loudest voice she could muster. "It's SO great to see you, YELLOW!"
Surprised at the sudden outburst Yellow faltered backwards. "Um, Blue?"
"Cch," Green muttered, burying his face in his hands. It was obvious to him what her intentions were. "Obnoxious woman."
As if on cue Red stiffened. He ran a hand through his bangs before shifting his weight slightly towards the group. On the corner of his eye he could see Yellow wasn't wearing her straw hat. This pleased him. It was her gentle femininity that made his heart pound wildly so. He'd never, ever forgotten the moment he'd discovered she was a girl...soft-spoken, fragile, petite, bright, tomboyish Yellow, who had braved many impossible feats, saved his life from the Elite Four, and taken care of Pika, was a girl. To think once they were video-chatting on their computers like brothers. Days passed and he found it harder and harder to stay calm in her presence. She was beautiful in every respect; gentler than a Bellossom, nobler than a Pyroar. He loved that she always cheered him on and how her smile seemed to brighten up a little more when they saw each other (at least in his fantasies). Yet how could a guy like him, whose personality was as average and boring as a leaf, impress such a beautiful butterfly like herself?
Leaning in closer his eyes nearly met hers. Instantly his cheeks went up in flames and his body whipped back towards the window, sweat dripping from the back of his neck. He muttered a curse under his breath for his carelessness; Yellow had almost caught him ogling her. At the sight of this Yellow tipped her head in confusion while Blue snickered loudly. Wanting nothing more to do with the situation Green shoved his fists in his pockets and made a beeline for the empty couch.
Excited, Blue wrapped her arms around Yellow. "Anyway, I'm so glad you came, Yellow. You look so adorable!"
Yellow was easily flustered by such comments as she didn't think she was anything special. "You're too kind, Blue, but I'm really not."
"Don't be so modest," Blue sighed over-dramatically. "A girl's gotta have confidence."
"Heehee. I guess so," she laughed softly.
Blue's gaze fell to Red who was shuffling awkwardly by the windows. She beamed at this, leaning forward into Yellow's ear. "I really like how these days you're not wearing that old straw hat I gave you," she began, speaking in a hushed tone. "It makes you stand out."
Yellow felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She finally mustered up the courage to stop wearing it in hopes he would notice. Was it paying off? Her eyes crept over to Red before quickly turning back to Blue. "O-oh, um, thanks," she mumbled shyly. "You think so?"
"I know so."
Blue paused, smile broadening. "Trying to impress someone?"
"N-no! Of course not!" Yellow arms were flailing excessively.
Blue blinked innocently, all while crossing her fingers behind her back. "Uh-huh. You sure about that?"
"I'm sure, thank you!"
By now Yellow's face had blown up to match a tomato. She shook her head back and forth violently in hopes Red wasn't paying attention. Thankfully he seemed to be struggling with a battle of his own, but as to what it could be about she couldn't tell. It was then that Yellow noticed Blue trying to hold back one of her bellowing laughing fits, making her cheeks puff out like a Quilfish in turn. Her senior was always quick to tease her about these things.
Blue put her arms up and doubtfully and shook her head back and forth. "Whatever you say."
Yellow could only blush.
"But you know," Blue continued, pacing in a circle, "I'm not the only one who's noticed."
"Eh?" squeaked Yellow.
She winked, making slight movements toward Red. "It's like I said. I think someone else in here is thinking about you. Why don't you go and say hello? Besides, this is a party! Lighten up and make some casual conversation! We're here to have some fun!"
Yellow's expression softened a bit. Her senior was right. One of her flaws was that she took everything too seriously. The night was still young. She'd have plenty of time to converse with her seniors and juniors...and in the process they'd be making another fond memory, something she herself appreciated greatly.
She giggled. "Thanks, Blue. I'm really happy everyone's coming. We don't do this too often."
"You can say that again. The boys are a pain in the neck," she huffed. "Always busy with something."
"I think I'm going to go talk to the others now. If you'll excuse me..."
Blue beamed. Eagerly her eyes followed the bright lass pivoting towards the center of the room. Moments later her mouth widened in shock and disbelief; instead of turning right to approach Red, Yellow was making her way to the couch where Green was sitting. The frazzled host buried her face in her hands at Yellow's denseness. Blue readied a reply before her ears picked up the sounds of screaming.
"GOLD! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" a high-pitched voice bellowed.
"You watch it! You're in my way!" groaned another young man who sounded equally as frustrated.
"Who ever heard of someone using their skateboard to climb a STAIRCASE?!"
"Well, it seemed like the quickest way to get up here," he replied nonchalantly, throwing the skateboard on the floor to the left of the doorway. "Your point?"
"My point is that it could get someone seriously injured," the girl huffed. "Just how many times did you almost stop short and crash into Silver and I?!"
"Cool it already. You're both fine."
"What kind of answer is that?!"
"My answer is that you're a workaholic and a killjoy," he grumbled. "It's no wonder you never want to do anything fun. You're always cooped up in that old geezer's lab."
The girl was fuming now. "I happen to LIKE my job, thank you very much!" she roared.
"Right. Because working all night in a stuffy office until your eyes bleed out is exciting. Have you noticed the wrinkles under your eyes lately?"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
Finally reaching their destination the bickering couple were revealed to be Gold and Crystal. A bead of sweat trailed down Blue's forehead. The two of them were always arguing over the littlest trifles, and she knew better than to try to stop them after the bomb exploded, so to speak. Though passionate and intelligent Crystal had a temperament not to be messed with. Combined with the rash and explosive Gold, whose personality foiled hers, there was bound to be trouble if the two of them were left in the same room. Bouts of yelling would occur instantly.
Blue caught a glimpse of carrot-colored red hair further down the staircase and sure enough the brother she was looking for was making his way to her. Silver, hands in his pockets, was carefully trailing behind Gold and Crystal. By now he knew better than to stay away from Gold's crazy antics yet they still irritated him all the more. How he'd let such an impulsive person influence him so much he didn't know. Despite this he remained silent throughout the entire argument, thoughts lingering to the girl who was like his sister. Such thoughts calmed him in times of wariness, her warm smile and gentle hands always gleaming through his memories. A few moments later he caught her gazing thoughtfully at his companions. Suddenly he felt his cheeks heating up. Bashfully his eyes darted towards the black sneakers on his feet, not daring to reveal his tenderness.
Crystal coughed a few times before turning her attention to Blue. It was rude that Gold was being so difficult when Blue had kindly invited them to a gathering. The golden-eyed teenager next to her drove her crazy to no end...no matter what she said he always found a way to counter her, and it hurt. It was like he couldn't take her seriously. And she...she took him quite the opposite. To her confusion she found herself thinking about him often and there were certain days she couldn't get his charming vivaciousness out of her mind. The thoughts only fueled her anger even more and she bit her lip.
Gold's face brightened instantly as his gaze met with his senior's. "Hey! Looking fine, sexy lady! It's been a while!"
No sooner did he regret those words did a hard force whack him in the nose, sending him sprawling on the wooden floor. While holding up a fist an inconspicuous smile spread across Crystal's face. She bowed. "I'm sorry about him, Blue. He can be so rude."
Gold scowled, raising a hand to his now-reddish cheek. "Ugh. It was intended to be a compliment."
Silver, meanwhile, stood fuming at Gold, giving him the dirtiest, ugliest glare. He hadn't forgotten the time he'd tried to make a pass on Blue's bottom following Pryce's, the ex-leader of Mahogany Town, attack on Johto.[3]
Blue waved it off. "It's fine. Thanks for coming! I see you two are at it again," she pursued her lips. "Teehee. Just like a married couple."
"Me married to him?"
"Me married to her?!"
"No way," they barked in unison, crossing their arms and pivoting in the opposite direction of one another.
"If you say so…" Blue trailed off in a sing-songy tone. She lunged for Silver and wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a playful embrace. Immediately Silver's nerves flew through the roof. "What do you think, Silver? I think they'd make a cute couple."
Gold and Crystal both shot daggers at him, as if to say "Blue's crazy!" yet in Gold's eyes Silver thought he noticed a tiny glimmer of thoughtfulness...or perhaps hope? Surely it was his imagination, and even if it wasn't right now he was at a loss for words. His sisterly idol was squeezing him and that alone bugged him. All he could do was turn away and scowl. Still against his will were his cheeks flaring up. With haste he slapped on an angered expression and shook his head.
"Whatever," he grumbled.
Blue giggled.
"Whatever is right," Crystal huffed. "If you need me, I'll be with Yellow, someone who will actually take me seriously."
And with that the pigtailed trainer stomped over towards the couch area where Red had joined Green and Yellow. Gold thrust his hands into the air and sighed dramatically. Women. They were an absolute piece of work. Girls were supposed to be kind, gentle optimists that made everyone feel good about themselves...but Crystal was the opposite in every respect. She practically had a Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality. One minute she was loud-mouthed and serious and another instant she was sweet and feminine. He rolled his eyes clenched his teeth. Safe to say he enjoyed the latter. What bothered him the most was that he couldn't get her to laugh around him. He was a laid back person by nature; of course he loved to kid around. It seemed like she treated him differently and that irked him. Put her together with someone else and she would light up in the most pleasant way. It was the kind of giddy smile that made his insides shiver. He wanted to be the one to make her happy and he wanted to see a smile exclusively meant for him.
Of course he would never tell Crystal of such ideals; after all, 'Yellow was the only one who would take her seriously.' He groaned, blowing away a loose strand of hair that had fallen over his face. Women.
Silver watched incredulously as his spiky-haired friend stomped after Crystal. Blue had let go of him. He shrugged his shoulders and began to strum his fingers against his thigh.
"They're pretty dense, aren't they?"
Silver's brow widened at his childhood companion. He rolled his eyes after taking a quick peek at Gold, who'd been sticking his tongue out at Crystal behind her back. She turned to say something to him only to start roaring loudly.
"Gold is stupid. Crystal and the rest are okay," he replied nonchalantly.
"Aw, Silver. You're too hard on them."
"And you're not?"
Blue winked. "You know how I like to have fun."
Silver knew Blue's idea of 'fun' meant otherwise. Despite himself he chuckled softly.
"Yeah."
Blue's eyes flickered to the table with the board game. "Just wait until everyone gets here. Then the real amusement will begin."
Silver crossed his arms. "Should I even bother to ask?"
"Let's just say this means I'll get to have fun with you too," she retaliated playfully, lunging for his shoulders and giving him a firm push towards the laughing crowd. "Go on! Don't be shy! Time to make those fuzzy memories I know you're so fond of!"
As fast as Silver's gentle expression came did it once again scrunch up in contempt. He wasn't some touchy-feely pussy who needed to be coddled all the time. Yet he knew once Blue made up her mind it was impossible to reason with her, so with a huff he clicked his teeth and approached the group of laughing DexHolders. In unison the sound of clopping footsteps could be heard trailing up the stairs, signaling the arrival of Blue's last guests, Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald.
With boundless energy Sapphire skipped through the open door and greeted Blue with a wide-toothed grin. Following behind her was Emerald, whistling a happy tune while he paced. Ruby was the last one to appear through the entryway, panting heavily and wiping his forehead. The new outfit he'd purchased for the party was caked with sweat. He scowled impatiently. Why did the Kanto region have to be so urban? He swore his ankles were on fire, the soles of his feet burning under his hard-lathered shoes. The trio had been walking for hours.
"Heya, senior! Thank ya for invitin' us to this fancy place ya got here," Sapphire smiled, the words rolling off her tongue. Cupping her hands in Blue's she rapidly shook her arms up and down. "Yer directions brought us to some cool spots. The Kanto region is a mighty fine place!"
At her junior's words Blue recalled this was the Hoenn trio's first visit to Kanto. She smiled casually. "It's a pretty quiet for the most part, but yeah. It's home. We love it."
"And don't forget all the different wild Pokemon crawlin' around," Emerald chimed in, eyes ablaze. "This region is perfect for training!"
Ruby rolled his eyes impatiently. "Yeah, we get it. Great sights. Lots of Pokemon. No civilization. Woo-hoo," he cheered flatly.
Sapphire perked up at Ruby's unenthusiastic behavior. It was so stupid how Ruby was obsessed with petty trifles. She crossed her arms defensively. "Aw, what's the matter, pretty boy? Ya mad 'cause yer fancy duds got all dusty?"
"As a matter of fact, I am," he countered. "I'm a performer, not a marathon runner. We've been walking for miles and there hasn't been a city in sight!"
Not amused, Sapphire shook her head. "Bah. You and yer flashy dress up shows. You clearly don't care about doin' anythin' excitin.'"
Knowing Ruby and Sapphire's constant feuding Emerald hoped that the latter comment wouldn't escalate into an argument. Normally he didn't pay attention to their antics (his attention span was too short) but the three of them had entered into what was supposed to be a peaceful setting. His eyes darted to Ruby, giving him a 'please just keep it cool' look.
Ruby buffed out his chest. "Contests are exciting. It's battles are boring and undignified.
"Why don't ya say that again?" Sapphire spat.
"Gladly," he heaved. "Don't forget our little bet. I beat you by a long-shot."
"Actually, we tied."
Coming between the two Emerald waved his arms. "Speaking of battling and training, I'm sure Red knows of some cool spots, right, Blue?"
"Yup. He trains for several hours every day," she chimed in.
The thought of Red's legacy with the Elite Four washed away all thoughts of negativity in Sapphire's mind. A surge of excitement bubbled inside. By far Red was the best fighter of the group, hence his nickname 'the fighter.' Like so many she idolized his skills.
"Oh ya! I almost forgot 'bout him! Oy, is he here?" she began excitedly. "It's just amazin' how he went an' won all them battles! Did you know he beat down the notorious worldwide criminal organization Team Rocket AND won the Pokemon league al' in the same month? An' he was only ten! I gotta ask him how he did it! I bet he's got all these strategies, or he read lotsa books...or maybe he had some super-secret trainer! Maybe he'll battle with me if I ask him! Wouldn't that be somethin'? Then I'll be unstoppable!"
And with that Sapphire zipped past the mingling trio, making a mad dash towards her meticulously happy senior. Emerald breathed a sigh of relief. Mention the words 'Pokemon' and 'battling' and that was it. With new-found eagerness Emerald trailed behind, coaxing Ruby to follow. Much to Ruby's disgust he observed in silence as Sapphire practically threw herself at Red. She was already chattering up a storm. Ruby inched closed and began to protest when a loud ringing sound pierced through his train of thoughts. It was Blue. All pairs of eyes turned to face her.
She chucked the bell she'd grabbed from her pocket behind her shoulder. With a broad twinkle she cleared her throat. "I want to thank everyone for coming today. It means a lot to me that we could all take time from our busy schedules to see each other for one night. I mean this with utmost sincerity when I say that we only have so much time left together...and we should make the most of it. Don't you agree?"
Blue paused. The group nodded. "Glad to hear it. So let's all just enjoy ourselves and have a good time, shall we? And to start off the night together, I've found the perfect game for us all to play..."
With a sickeningly sweet smile she waltzed over to coffee table and scooped up her prize, flashing the contents of the box to her friends. "...The King's Game."
Mixed reactions spread throughout the group. Yellow, Emerald, and Crystal, completely oblivious, blinked and angled their heads. Sapphire eyes were sparkling. Any game or battle of some sort was of interest to her. Silver shrugged his shoulders. Gold and Ruby yawned, presumably indifferent to the idea. Red and Green exchanged skeptical glances.
"The King's Game, huh?" Crystal inquired.
"Never heard of it," Yellow said.
"Party games are always fun. Let's hear it," Sapphire clenched her fists.
Still dubious, Red stepped forward. "Alright. So how does it work?"
Blue opened the box and dumped out its contents: a notepad, several markers, and a package of craft sticks. She grabbed one of the pens and twirled it through her fingers. "We all draw sticks to pick who's the king. If it ends up being you, then you get to make another person do anything you want," she shrugged her shoulders in a bored fashion. "It's simple enough."
Gold spit out his punch, now excited. "Woah! Anything? So if I wanted to tell Silver to lick the dirt off my feet, I could do that?!"
Silver decked him. Blue snickered. "Yup. The king's orders are supposed to be absolute. So you can command someone to do anything you want."
Sapphire was practically drooling. "Hehehe. Alrighty then."
"I'm in," Emerald nodded. "Sounds like it'll be a good laugh."
"You can say that again," Gold replied, twiddling his thumbs mischievously. "I'm going to get that idiot Silver for always mocking me!"
"As if," he hissed. "Fine. You want me to play to this stupid game? Bring it on. You're dead."
"Well, so long as it doesn't get too barbaric, I guess I'll play too," Crystal reasoned, giving off a soft smile. "After all, we're here to have some fun."
"Ah, sure," Yellow said, saying little. The game seemed innocent enough.
As usual Green wasn't amused. The scheme had Blue's tricks written all over it. Why should he have to participate in such ridiculousness? Arceus knew what ideas were swimming in that devilishly pretty head of hers. Green shook his head in pure agitation. That girl was playing mind games with him and he wouldn't have it.
"Hmph. Sounds like a waste of time if you ask me," he snapped, turning his back to everyone's shocked reactions. "Don't bother. I'm sure Ruby and Red will agree with me. Any game suggested by that woman is bad news."
The two trainers remained silent, much to Green's dismay. He spun around, temper flaring. "Well?" he demanded.
Ruby eyes scanned over to Sapphire, who was giggling with the girls. Though appearing stoic, a light blush had spread across his face. He'd always wanted Sapphire to...he cleared his throat, dismissing his own perverse thoughts. "Sorry, but I'm with the others," he replied as calmly as could be. "I'm in."
"Cch. Red?!"
"I think the group has spoken," he grinned playfully. "Come on. Is the mighty Gym Leader of Viridian City backing out?"
"Feh!" Green shoved his hands in his pockets, sighing over-dramatically. "Fine! It's just..." He looked at Blue to see her blinking at him with doe-eyes. "...her. Don't blame me if the world ends tonight."
Red threw an arm over Green's shoulder. "There we go. Don't worry. I've got this."
Though over-theatrical, Green was correct in suspecting Blue. She'd probably rig the game somehow to make everybody miserable.
"Alrighty then. I've got an idea," Red said as he scanned the room. "Hey Blue, do you have an empty box?"
"Yeah, sure," she said, pacing to the computer desk in the back of the room where she'd found the game. She quickly snapped the bottom drawer open, grabbed an empty shoe box and passed it to Red. "Why?"
"We'll play this game under one condition. We're going to draw the orders out of this box. So instead of one person doing it, we'll all write down orders and place them in here. Fair?"
The group bobbed their heads in unison.
"Don't worry Greenie, I won't bite," she winked. Blue aimed to pat him on the forehead only for him to swat her arm away. At this she snickered. He was so terse and serious; she loved it.
Immediately Blue dismissed herself to get more punch from the fridge. An idea had popped into her head when Red suggested using an old shoe box to write down the orders. Their calculating leader probably thought doing so would prevent any potential shenanigans, but she had anticipated such a move from him. In fact his suggestion made her overall intervention easier to accomplish much to her delight. She grabbed the jar of icy red liquid from the refrigerator and placed it on the counter before her fingers crept down to her right heel. With a gentle shake out popped a hidden PokeBall. She brought her mouth to the red-and-white capsule.
"You know what to do," she said in a whisper.
Blue jumped as Red's voice nearly interrupted her. "Blue! We wrote the orders down!" he called from the center of the room. "Are you ready yet?"
"Yupppp!" she cried flirtatiously. "Coming!"
PokeBall rolling from her fingertips, she pretended to drop something, picking it up before rejoining her friends in the center. Red had taken the slips of paper with the orders and shoved them in the shoe box. A hole had been punctured on the top. Sticks with numbers were placed in a separate metal tin. The trainers were sitting in a circle, ready for action. Blue pranced towards them and plopped herself next to Crystal. She motioned to everyone to get ready and draw a stick. All of them except Yellow and Emerald were sweating. What crazy orders were resting in that brown abyss? What maniacal things would they be doing?
"Okay," Red said, "does everyone have a stick? One, two…"
"...three, show us the king's orders!" The trainers cried in unison, each grabbing a stick from the box.
With anticipation they read their numbers. Gold fist pumped the air.
"Heck yeah! I'm the king! Obviously I'm the best one suited for the title anyway, seeing as how I was picked first," he winked. "Thank you, thank you very much."
Silver clenched his teeth. "Just get on with it already."
"Agreed," Crystal snorted. "Could you get more obnoxious?"
"Uh-uh-uh, watch your mouth. Talking to a king that way could get you in a lot of trouble," he said, pointing his nose in the air. "And the order is...Number one puts on a swimsuit! No one-pieces allowed."
"A swimsuit?! Who wrote that?" Sapphire turned to face Ruby. "Alright Mr. Contest, it was you, wasn't it? You're obsessed with flashy garments an' stuff!"
"No! No! I swear it wasn't!" he shook his head.
"Nope, it wasn't him. That would be yours truly," Gold snickered.
Emerald cocked his head. "Um...why?"
"Because he's a pervert," Silver replied coolly.
"And what if that order was drawn for you?" Sapphire barked. "Would you want to do it?"
"Pft. There's no way I'd ever draw my own order. Nothing to worry about there," Gold replied unconcerned.
There was a moment of silence. A dark presence hung in the air.
"Well, which one of you is it? Who gets to hang around in a teeny-tiny suit with practically your entire body showing while the rest of us sit back fully-clothed judging you?"
"I'll kill you…"
"Huh?"
The color had drained from Crystal's face to match that of a Ghastly. Her fists were crumpled into a ball and shaking madly. Her eyes, normally a pale blue, were dark slits so chilling that looking into them almost pierced your soul. It seemed as if a dark shadow had overtaken Crystal. Her aura was haunting. Gold gulped. He'd known better than to mess with Crystal when she was mad. And she wasn't just mad, she was dead mad. It suddenly hit him that writing such a daring order hadn't been the best idea, as excited as he was to see her in a swimsuit of all people. He turned to his friends in desperation who each gave him the 'nice to have known you' look in return. Gold began to whimper.
"It's me...I'm number one," she stood up.
Acting out of pure terror Gold waved his arms frantically. "Forget it! It can't be Crystal! This order is null and void!"
Blue covered her mouth with her hands, stifling a chuckle. "My condolences. But once a king's order is given it is deemed absolute. Tee-hee. I've got a swimsuit in the closet she can borrow."
Practically swimming in tears Gold turned to Red. "Think you could teach me some battle tricks to get me out of here?!"
He smiled gently. "Sorry. You're on your own for this one."
Gold threw himself in front of Crystal, flailing his head up and down. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Lady Crystal, I beg your forgiveness! This will never happen again!"
Crystal was ready to maim Gold. If there was one thing about Gold she couldn't stand it was that he was a total pervert. It would have been fine if he only had eyes for her; but no, all he could think about was seeing other women...any girl for that matter...in a provocative piece of clothing. She watched as her friends gave her a plethora of expressions, some terrified. But they had every right to be. A wave of pure rage had washed over her. Her cheeks were piercing with heat in embarrassment. Tears were springing from her eyes. It killed her how much she tried but all he cared about was his stupid hormones. Giving him one last look she shook her head and motioned to Blue. The two girls headed towards the bathroom.
(-o-) (-o-) (-o-) (-o-) (-o-) (-o-) (-o-) (-o-) (-o-)
Gold's face, in addition to having a black eye, was covered in bumps and bruises. He groaned as he held an ice pack to his mouth. His cheeks were red and swollen after Crystal had kicked him. After she had came out of the bathroom in a light blue bikini with Blue all he could do was gawk at her. The swimsuit fit perfectly on her slender figure. Of course after drooling for several minutes she'd asked him "how do I look?" to which he'd stupidly responded with "you look hot," giving him a nice big kick in the head.
Silver meanwhile was snickering the entire time at the expense of his friend, having gotten his just desserts. Yellow, sitting to the right of Crystal, tugged her shoulder out of concern.
"Crystal, are you going to be alright?"
"I'm fine, Yellow," she said almost too sweetly. "This is a lot of fun. Let's keep going."
Excluding Yellow, Green, and Emerald, the group's throats tightened at her seemingly pure expression. She was bloodthirsty for revenge. They'd learned a valuable lesson today: never double-cross Crystal or you were a dead man.
Red coughed loudly, trying to divert everyone's attention. "Okay. Moving on. One, two…"
"...three, show us the king's orders!" The trainers repeated, each aiming for a different stick in the can.
They waited with baited breath. Silver's expression widened. He silently turned around the stick that read 'King.'
"Alright Silver!" Crystal brought her arms together and leaned forward. "Give Gold a good thrashing!"
"No more, please…" he croaked.
"Well, this should be interesting," Ruby remarked.
Silver remained silent. He reached for the orders box and pulled out a slip sticking to the right side. Casually he opened the folded slip and scanned its contents. Instantly his face became a dark shade of cherry-red. Whoever had written such a repulsive order ought to be burned at the stake. There was no way he would read it aloud. Confused, the group stared at him with anticipation. He refused to speak, rapidly shaking his head. He buried his face in his hands.
"Well? What does it say?" Red asked. Hesitantly Silver handed him the note. As Red scrutinized the page he too found his cheeks burning, tipping his head in embarrassment and shoving the note into Silver's hands. No wonder Silver had been at a loss for words.
The group started at Red, wide-eyed. It wasn't like him to be so unsettled. Blue smiled, creating a sly dimple at the corner of her mouth. They must have drawn it.
"Who's number nine?" Red mumbled, cheeks practically white.
Yellow held up her number. "I am."
Red instantly jumped up and thrust an angry finger at Blue. "No way is she reading this," he said fiercely. "Or anyone for that matter."
"Oh, but Red," Blue blinked rather innocently. "Didn't we all decide that the king's orders were absolute? That's the rules. And we can't break the rules."
"But this is just a dumb game," he taunted. "Forget it."
"I'll read it."
Silver and Red merely stared at her, dumbfounded. Clearly she didn't know what she was getting herself into.
"Yellow…" Red protested.
A determined look shone on Yellow's face. "It's not a big deal."
"B-b-but...you can't…"
"If all Crystal had to do was get in a swimsuit, than it can't be that bad," she answered with pride. Yellow felt like everyone acted soft around her sometimes...especially Red, which made her feel slightly peeved. Not to mention they were just playing a game; what ridiculous thing could her friends possibly ask her to do?
She casually strolled over to Red and gave him the brightest smile. It was enough to lower his guard. Swiping the paper out of his hands she took her place next to Crystal, smoothing out the edges of her dress and taking a deep breath.
"Oh, that's so good. Yeah, I'm close. I'm so close. Oh yeah. Right there…give it to me harder. Yeah, harder. Oh yeah. Keep going," Yellow read flatly. She looked up from her fingertips to find a sea of appalled expressions. Sapphire and Crystal's mouths had dropped to match an O while Green and Ruby exchanged blank glances. Blue merely mimicked her female companions, entertained. Red and Silver were blushing profusely. Gold was trying hard to hold back sneering, cupping his lips in his cheeks. Emerald batted his eyelashes intently. He was completely unaware of the true meaning behind the words.
Like Emerald Yellow hadn't the faintest clue of said innuendos. She wondered why the room remained dead silent.
"What's wrong?" she pondered softly. "What did I say?"
More silence.
"Uh...I don't understand...did I say something wrong?"
Recovering from the blow, Sapphire shifted nervously. "Well...no…."
Crystal at once offered her sympathies, giving a gentle pat to Yellow on her shoulder. "Of course you didn't," she replied affectionately. "It's the guys in here we have to worry about, putting such a repulsive thing on paper."
Her voice had morphed into a deadly whisper. "So? Which one of you is the culprit?" She instantly gave Gold the ugliest, most frightening grin, who was laughing under his breath. "Gold?"
"Why do you always think it's me? Just because I think it's funny doesn't mean I wrote it," he half giggled, half snorted. "Besides, I wouldn't put something so bad in there that it would make straw hat girl of all people uncomfortable."
"How shockingly heroic."
"Yeah, well, you don't give me enough credit."
"I still don't get it," Emerald interrupted.
"Neither do I," sighed Yellow.
"Trust me, you don't want to know…" Ruby cleaned the phlegm from his throat. "Let's just move on and forget about it."
The trainers nodded. Green, meanwhile, had chosen not to utter a word, completely repulsed and disgusted by what had occurred henceforth. He muttered to himself as to why he'd let Red coax him to participate in such unruly state of events. He knew, knew, that Blue, that pesky, annoying women, had more up her sleeves. Sure enough he noticed her crossing her fingers behind her back. Sitting beside her he rolled his eyes and tapped her.
She appeared giddy. "Yes?"
"You're so obnoxious," he retorted, voice whispering.
"Oh, Greenie. You know me all too well," she flirted.
One could almost admire her cleverness, and the mischievous way her dimples crinkled up, but rapidly he tried to clear such thoughts from his mind.
"Whatever," was all he could say.
She giggled at this and he growled.
"Just don't include me in your twisted schemes."
"Sorry. I can't promise that."
"Why you…"
"Alright, who's ready for the next one?" Blue shouted loudly, intervening Green's attack. She was eager to move on and so were the others.
"One, two…"
"...three, show us the king's orders!"
No sooner had Green spoken did he sigh with contempt. He held up the king stick and dove for the box. The faster he'd get the ludicrous task out of the way the better. The only saving grace of the night was getting the game over with...and perhaps Blue being shipped miles away to another region for mental insanity.
"Number two gets to go to a store and buy everyone ice cream," he read dimly.
At this everyone perked up. Finally something sensible.
"...while wearing a large cone on their head and repeating the following to the store clerk in the check-out aisle.'"
To be continued...