DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN POKEMON

All rights reserved to Nintendo!
Satoshi Taijiri / Ken Sugimori

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"Do you.. Hate your father that much?" The words hit me, and I was almost a little stunned by the question. I had been asked to repair Sapphire's outfit, her bike-shorts had gained a small rip in them and actually.. I was the one who insisted. I lightly sat there on the ground, with Sapphire wrapped up in a blanket several feet away, the question had come out of the blue and in fact was almost disturbing me, usually she'd simply tease me about not being able to fight, being the son of a Gym Leader, but she had never pried this deeply into my personal affairs before.

"Hm..?" I finally found myself asking why, after a moment of looking utterly surprised by the question of course.

"I mean-!" She looked away, almost nervously. That girl was being confusing again, and I tried to make it evident with a certain look of expectancy, not that she was looking at me to begin with. "'Ya always hide and run off from your dad like he's some kind'a wild Pokemon!" .. She thought about it for a moment, something I hadn't ever seen her do, I narrowed my eyes as I tried to get a good look of of the expression I'd probably never see again, Sapphire thinking.. That is.

"He seems like a pretty respectful guy.." She noted, and I cringed. A flinch of hurt I made sure she didn't see, I redirected my sights to her clothes again.. Finally putting on my glasses, I was going to screw up if I couldn't see what I was doing. Sapphire didn't get an answer and it obviously bugged her, she drew her knees a bit closer. "Why won't 'ya answer my question..?" I KNEW it was bugging her, I wanted to snicker at how I always knew what she was about to say, but the thought kept coming into my head, a pretty respectful guy.. Is that a comparison?

I fathomed the idea.. Hating my dad.. No, it wasn't something I had to think harshly of, who COULD hate their dad? He had died for me once already, and our relationship was better, I guess.. Besides, my own feelings didn't even come into play with this kind of relationship, it was all his doing. And I mentioned that aloud, giving Sapphire her answer.

My father had abandoned me and my foolish mother for all these years, knowing without him I would have fallen even worse after that incident. He left me there with these scars as proof of my failure as a trainer without another word, it seemed more like my father just didn't like me over anything else, and I couldn't say I exactly was too fond of him either! After the incident, with him gone.. All I could do was change my ways, the incident was traumatic, and I needed to know even if I was frightful, I could still be like dad.. And then he left me all alone.

I didn't hate my mom either, when that question arose entirely by myself, I pondered lightly at the idea.. But It look less then half the time it did then with my dad, my mom's never done anything wrong, I admit she's stupid for waiting so patiently for him while my hate for his ass grew-Wait.. Did I just use the word 'Hate'?

Before I had known it, Sapphire was only several inches away from my face, she waved her hand. "Ruby, rubby!", she fumed, I snapped back into reality and shook my head a bit, and then looked at her curiously. I couldn't help but look rather afraid, but smirking none the less as she looked utterly rageful, then drooped and scooted backwards, huffing lightly before she sighed, those two things sounded entirely different.. But I knew both of them were of disappointment, she was talking about something.. I couldn't quite understand what, probably that..

Sapphire had confessed to me back there at Mirage Island, I was stunned to find out she was the girl I had risked my life for all those years ago, the girl I liked.. But I couldn't be with Sapphire, and we were plenty fine like this! I had made up something along the lines of the events being so traumatic I lost my memory as to how we made up, on the spot, I have to say it was rather believable.. It wasn't entirely that I couldn't be with her, I was scared.. But It wasn't like I hated Sapphire, or I didn't like her.

I lo-.. Have feelings for her, if I could get that out right. Honestly, sitting there wrapped in a blanket, I really liked the sight of that.. Wait, there're so many mental images in my head right now... IGNORE, IGNORE, IGNORE. Sapphire looked at me weirdly. "What?" I was staring at her, looking a little horrified...

"Nothing!" I looked back to the clothes. "But you know, I think I should make some new shorts for you.", I mentioned off the top of my head. "Why? They fit." She said simply, and I kept my eyes on the clothes for another moment before I smirked and looked back at her from through my glasses, I probably didn't look very cool in them. "Your thighs are getting a little too big for these." I said in a sly tone, she mistook what I had said and I ended up with a massive mark on my face.. And it wasn't from her hand.

I laughed it off, despite the fact Sapphire had now covered her entire body with the blanket except for her face, which was beet red. I liked her when she was flustered, even if it meant making fun of her.. Which I wasn't even doing mind you. I frowned at the mark in a hand-held mirror I kept in my hand. "Aaaa-!" I whined. Maybe I went to far! "This'll leave a markkk!" Maybe it wasn't worth it, but.. Now that I think about it.. it still was. She was so cute when she was flustered. But on the outside, I continued to complain until the end of the day about my precious injured face, bugging her purposefully.

-
I had finally gotten to walk her home, my prize for repairing her clothes, I suppose~ Not like it was put like that on either of our sides, we were just best of friends, it was normal for us to walk home. That and I couldn't help but worry, it was getting late outside, NOT like I would put it that way either..

This walk was usually silent, probably because of what she was talking about earlier.. She kept her eyes on the ground, I couldn't help but look at her repetitively, every few seconds even. It had been about a week since I made up that lie, I guess she was still just a little heart-broken by it.. By a weirdo like me no less, why was she so upset over ME? It bothered me a little, but I was actually just a little happy..

I felt her hand brush against mine as we walked, I made a mental note of it but.. Were we really walking that closely? She didn't look like she noticed it herself. Arceus knows I wasn't going to act on it either..
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Hope you liked it! My first attempt at a full fan-fiction one shot. I'm not very skilled as of yet, but I definitely love the series! I research a lot on the characters but my Sapphire is a little wonky, I hope I did Ruby from Emerald right, since my specialty is him from RS.. Z_Z

Please Review as much as you like~