Boring Christmas Party

Ruby was standing his driveway, staring in disbelief. He had been shoveling snow from his driveway for a good two hours now, and he not even halfway done yet. He wanted to beat himself with the shovel, or his dad for making him do this. "Builds character" Norman says. Ruby couldn't use his pokémon to help him either. He was freezing as well. His dad gave an ugly coat, but the coat was supposed to keep Ruby warm. Ruby denied it, thinking it was too ugly. Instead he wore a little jacket…which he regretted wearing. His jeans were wet from the snow, snow were in his gloves and boots, he was basically miserable. He thought of going back in to get the coat and maybe a change of clothes, but that would be giving in to Norman. But Ruby was also exhausted. The snow was up to almost NINE INCHES! NINE FRIGGIN INCHES! Not to mention the only snow shovel they had was probably the most pathetic shovel ever to be made ever. "A rake can do this faster than this stupid thing can." Ruby said. Norman probably bought this just for the purpose of torturing Ruby.

Flashback

"RUBY!"

"What dad? I'm grooming Nana!"

"That's lovely" Norman said sarcastically. "Now get dressed and shovel the snow from the driveway."

"What? It's like six inches out there!" Ruby said in shock.

" Nine actually, now get out there." Norman growled.

"I have no intention of going out there and freezing to death."

"I'll lend you my old winter coat, and-"

"NO! NO WAY! I'm NOT going to wear that!"

"Then what do you propose to wear? That?" Norman said pointing at Ruby's jacket.

"I guess so. It's in style nowadays…not that YOU would know that." Ruby said.

"I don't care, now wear the coat."

"NEVER! And why do I have to go shovel the driveway? Why can't Slaking do it? Or you?"

"Because I said so. Besides, shoveling snow builds character."

"It'll take FOREVER"

"Nonsense. It took the neighbor girl only an hour to shovel her driveway."

"She probably used her Blaziken to get rid of the snow or something."

"No she did it all by herself. No pokémon. And that's how YOU'LL do it too! ALL BY YOURSELF! NO POKEMON!"

Ruby just growled and mumbled random words under his breath. Before he opened the door, Norman called out to him. Ruby turned around to see that hideous coat again, much to his displeasure.

"When you get too cold, you're welcome to use this." He said placing the coat of on the chair in the kitchen.

End Flashback

This was a challenge from his father, he wouldn't give up! He wouldn't back down. But it was really at the rate he was going; there was no way he'd get finished anytime soon. "Sigh. I'm going to die."

He turned around to begin snowing the other the side of the driveway to see that Sapphire was sitting on a little push swing outside her house. Had she been watching him shovel snow all this time? She was probably making fun of him. He walked over to confront her, but when he stood beside her and said her name, there was no reply. He said her name again, still no reply. He looked at her face; she looked like she was in deep thought. He started to snap his fingers and yelling her name. Still nothing. He began to worry, but then an idea came to his head.

"Sapphire, how 'bout a battle?" Ruby said.

She instantly came back to the world. "YEAH! LET'S GO!"

"Welcome back to the world of the living."

"Wadda ya mean?"

"You were just sitting there a blank expression on your face. Were you thinking about something?"

Sapphire suddenly remembered what she was thinking about, making her go back into her go back to her original state.

"Hey, hey, hey! Wake up !Wake up!" Ruby said shaking Sapphire.

Sapphire woke up again. Ruby looked confused. "What's up?" Ruby asked his friend.

Sapphire sighed before speaking. "I have to go to the Professor's Christmas Party this year…just like every year. And it's the most boring thing ever!"

Ruby just stood there. "Uhhhh…what?"

"Some stupid Christmas party some of the professor's from neighboring regions get together to discuss notes, drink eggnog, etc. And all of the assistant's are asked to come along as well."

"Sounds like something you'd like. It's about pokémon right? You'll fit right in." Ruby said.

"But it's soooo boring! They don't talk about stuff like battling and what not! They talk about stupid stuff like why the Caterpie in Johto are greener than the ones in Kanto, or how many times a Yanmega's wings beat in a minute. I HATE IT! And there's NOTHING to do, no one to talk to, it questions my grip my grip on humanity!" Sapphire kept ranting like this for awhile.

" What about that one girl, Professor Oak's assistant? Crys? Don't you talk to her any?"

"CRYSTAL'S ONE OF THEM! AND SHE'S ONE OF THE WORST ONES THERE!" Sapphire kept ranting and telling stories about her experiences at previous parties.

"Well, sucks to be you. Bye." Ruby turned around to finish the job he started before he went to go talk with Sapphire, but then Sapphire grabbed his shoulder.

"Ruby will you come with us?" Sapphire asked with such pleading eyes.

"Go where?" He asked. "The party?"

"Yes. Please come with us! I NEDD SOMETHING TO HOLD MY SANITY TOGHETHER WHILE I'M THERE!"

Ruby thought about it. If these parties were as boring as Sapphire described them, he also would be miserable, even if Sapphire was going to be there with him.

"Sorry. Busy." Ruby broke free of Sapphire's eyes and turned around and was walking back to his house.

"…I'll be in a dress…" Sapphire said. Those words cut through Ruby like a knife through butter.

Ruby turned around, not believing what he had just heard. "What? A dress? A real dress?"

"Yes…we have to look fancy, another thing I hate about the stupid party." Sapphire looked away in anger of the thought her in a dress.

Ruby's mind then began to attempt to picture Sapphire in a dress. He had attempted to have Sapphire wear dresses in the past, but they always ended with either her destroying them, or wrestling Ruby in the dress. But seeing Sapphire in a dress would be WELL WORTH IT. It would either the funniest thing he had ever seen…or the most beautiful.

"Fine, I'll come along." Ruby said in a voice that he made sounded like he was annoyed.

Sapphire's face lit up. "Really? You will? O thank you, thank you, thank you!" Sapphire said while hugging Ruby, causing him to blush.

"But on one condition." Ruby added.

Sapphire looked up. "You're not picking out the dress I'm wearing."

Ruby grunted. "All right I have another condition."

"What?"

"Help me shovel my driveway. Pleeeease?" Ruby asked with his own pair of pleading eyes.

"Heh, fine. Besides, at the rate you're going, you'll never get done." Sapphire said.

"Hey wait, YOU WERE WATCHING ME SHOVEL THE DRIVEWAY, WEREN'T YOU!" Ruby yelled as Sapphire went into her house to get her snow shovel.