Trepidation

"Well you said you wanted to meet someone new, right?"

"This is not what I meant and you know it."

Ruby might have known it, but that did nothing to make the situation better for anyone involved. Emerald was in a particularly pouty mood, and it was usually best to simply let those run their course. These always seemed to creep up right around this time- 3 am- but that was the only time to really get him talking. What he had meant is that he wanted to meet someone new that was challenging, that he could battle- his battling scene had been growing stale as of late. What he had not meant was meeting one of Ruby's friends, and he had certainly not implied a desire for all the decorum and politeness that would have to go into that encounter. Previous encounters with his new friends' connections had actually gone mostly well- he warmed to Ruby's father immediately after realizing he was a gym leader, and of course Sapphire's father was a well-known researcher. This time was different. This new person was named first as 'polite,' then as 'nice.' These were not words that Emerald could interact with well.

"I'm absolutely sure you'll like him. He's very likable, in fact!" Ruby's attempts to smooth things over, despite his good intentions, really couldn't be described as helpful. Luckily, Emerald was a bit more forthcoming with information than usual.

"He sounds like a stick in the mud. He sounds boring. …Alright, he sounds like he won't like me."

Ruby was a full year into his friendship with the small blond, but he was still caught by surprise. Emerald, always more guarded than most, was rare to present a moment of weakness at all if he could help it. They came as suddenly as they went- impossible to predict, fleeting but tantalizing glimpses at the truth behind a façade. Ruby learned most of what he really knew about his friend through moments just like this: secretly sensitive, more worried about what other people thought about him than he wanted people to know, offense was his primary means of defense. Ruby sighed, knowing he had his work cut out for him here. He finally ventured into it: "Would it help if I promised that he will like you? I mean, he likes everyone. I'm not sure he has the capacity to dislike anyone, actually."

"As a matter of fact no, that's actually not reassuring in the slightest. That sounds like exactly the kind of person who would end up disliking me, actually." Sighing all around then, as Emerald was just as exasperated. "…But fine, we'll do it your way this time."

"Oh, thank goodness. …You know I'm doing this for you, right?"

"Yeah, I know. That's why I'm doing it, too."

Introductions

"So I look alright, right?" This was surely the first time Ruby had ever heard him ask about his appearance.

"You look just like you usually do, which I suppose is fine. Now that you've started wearing your hair in a reasonable fashion and stepped out of those oversized clothes, I will admit you appear fairly presentable. Of course, if you were to allow me to make your outfit like I offered-"

"Blah blah blah, that's all I needed Rubes." Emerald, despite sounding calm and even dismissive, was pacing. "Okay, I'm all ready for this. Really, the amount of formality we're going through here is a bit ridiculous. You're sure I can't just challenge him to a battle as soon as he gets here?"

"You said we were doing it my way this time, right? If all else fails, you can battle him as a measure of last resort. But not before then!" The stage was set, the curtains rising. The air was warm, the ocean persisting in the background, as the air smelled only of salt water. It was a good day to meet someone.

"It's great to finally meet you! As a formal introduction, my name is Wally. And you are Emerald, yes?"

Here we go, he thought to himself. The least sincere, most formal encounter I have ever been a part of. He's already speaking more formally than I could if I tried. "Uh, yeah, that's me!" was the calculated response he had settled on some time before the meeting. Everything about him was stiff, from the way he spoke to the way he was carrying himself. Stiff and uncomfortable.

And so the conversation went: stiff and uncomfortable. They'd met on the beach, so at least there was some scenery, but even that couldn't help much. Every smile and nod of interest from Wally was fell flat as Emerald tried in vain to get his bearings. Geez, Emerald thought. I'm actually trying, but I'm still doing terribly! Ruby was trying to keep the peace, and mostly failing at the task. Everyone was looking for a way out, or at least something to talk about. It was time for something drastic- finally, a type of action Emerald was good at taking. Sorry Ruby, but this qualifies as "last resort."

The small trainer sprang up, long hair flopping in his face and simultaneously proclaiming his challenge with a squeak: "Wally! Battle me!" Without even waiting for a reaction, he grabbed one of his Pokéballs and threw it.

For just a second, no one said anything. Ruby was grumbling, trying to brush off all the sand his friend had just splashed on him, and Wally just looked a bit confused. But suddenly, that changed to a look of recognition: "Grovyle! You've really grown up!" And just like that, Emerald's Pokémon was hugging his new acquaintance. Now it was his turn to be confused. "Oh, Emerald, didn't Ruby tell you? I took care of him for a while, even while he was a Treecko!"

The look Emerald gave Ruby at that moment could have sank an entire fleet. The meaning was crystal clear: WHY would you not tell me that? That is literally the most obvious thing to talk about we could have avoided all of this! Ruby cowled, shrugging and muttering "I thought you already knew!" as if it would help him now.

At last, Ruby was spared by way of Emerald turning his gaze. He looked at Wally once more, with one big difference: this time, he was smiling. Really and truly smiling. "So you know all about what he was like when he was younger, right? Tell me about him!" Now I'm excited, he thought. I think maybe I can manage this after all.

Alternatives

Emerald was beyond angry this time. He was furious. Livid. He stood in front of the sign, daring someone to make the joke. Behind him, the sign's mocking horizontal line poked out just above his head, taunting him mercilessly. The phrase was already being burned into his mind: "You must be this tall to ride this ride." At that moment, he imagined he was a dragon. A dragon who could stomp on and burn down this entire amusement park for daring to refuse someone entry based on height. It didn't help much, but he felt a little better.

He turned to look at his companions. Ruby and Sapphire looked apologetic- but in the way that says: "Sorry, but we're still going on this ride without you." Wally just looked concerned. Someone had to break the silence. "A-actually, in my condition I probably shouldn't be riding this sort of thing anyway. Come on, we can do other things while Ruby and Sapphire do this!"

So Wally's the one who took pity on poor little Emerald, he thought to himself.Guess he got the short end of the stick. Or was that a legitimate excuse? Then a pause, as he realized he'd accidentally made yet another short pun. Then a small groan to himself. One extra pause, just to complain to himself about the bad day he was having. Then back to the main issue at hand: this green enigma of smiles and politeness.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he realized he still hadn't given an answer. There was no real way out of this social contact- he was backed into a corner. "Um, yeah. Okay." As they walked away from the line, all of Emerald's anger gave way to an odd sense of contentment. This is fine, he reasoned. This is fine. At least I'm not on my own. And as long as we're here, I'm going to make the most of it. "So…" he finally broke the silence of their walk, glancing at everything but his travel companion. "What's your opinion on ice cream?"

The response was immediate and pronounced: "I love ice cream! Can we get some right now? Is there ice cream here in the park?"

Now this. This was a fantastic turn of events. And he happened to actually have an answer. "Yeah, yeah I totally saw an ice cream stand while we were walking over. It's close, too!"

So this is where they found themselves, eating ice cream at an amusement park while their friends ditched them in favor of the rides. He had to admit it: Emerald sometimes surprised himself by just how incorrect his assumptions could be. He wasn't sure what he expected, but this was certainly not what he had in mind. The messy green hair, slight head tilt, and the way he closed his eyes a little bit when he smiled made him perpetually look like he had just woken up from a nap. Despite the relaxed appearance, he was extremely polite- and despite his politeness, it was easy to see spots of determination in his eyes. He felt like a melting pot of personalities, and Emerald wasn't sure how to pin him down. He was quite unusual, an unknown variable, and that put most of the dexholder's thoughts on him.

Boy, he thought. This kid is a dork.

Accusations

"Oh? You and Wally are hanging out on your own again?" Emerald thought he heard a hint of accusation in his fashionable friend's lilt, but he couldn't be sure over the phone.

"Um… yes? There's a new ice cream stand opening in Slateport today, so…" And it was true, there were no ulterior motives to be found here. Isn't this what Ruby wanted? He wanted them to be friends, so they were being friends. It had been a few months and, after one too many group outings that went south (quickly devolving into Wally and Emerald making faces at each other while Ruby and Sapphire did a little more than that with each other's faces), the pair had finally started venturing off on their own. And, frankly, that was going much better than he had expected. "Well, you two have fun then~" There it goes again. Emerald was getting suspicious, but the call was ended before he could make any accusations. Well, nevermind that now. He had a date- no, no, not a date- a meeting that he was about to be late for.

He found him sitting in the sand, staring out at the sea. His new friend looked so peaceful, Emerald wasn't sure if he should interrupt him. But his loud, awkward tromping through the sand- it's amazing how clumsy a person can become with their own legs when they've become used to an extension- alerted the boy almost immediately, and he turned with a smile: "Oh, there you are! I was just watching the waves while I waited for you. I've always thought they were exceptionally beautiful, don't you agree?" He did agree, but wasn't sure how to say it. "Uh, yeah, I guess they are pretty… interesting to look at, at least."

That giggle was going to plague Emerald for the rest of his days. "Heehee, you know that you don't have to pretend to be anything around me, right? Just like I've started to use contractions and less than proper diction around you, you don't have to put up any fronts here!"

"I wasn't-!" Halfway through his objection, he thought better of it. Clearly, he'd underestimated the ability of the other boy to see through an act. Not to mention the half-confession, half-point Wally had made just then. Emerald had noticed a difference, but the details were hard to pinpoint. "Alright, I guess I was. That's. A weird sensation. I'm not used to not pretending, so sorry if I offended you or whatever." The apology may have sounded half-hearted, but it really was genuine.

Still looking out at the sea, Wally's normal slight smile found its way into a bit of a frown. "Emerald," he began slowly, "if you don't like me, you should just say so now."

Well. Straight to the point as always then. It had already been a few weeks since their first meeting, and Emerald felt a bit confused. On the one hand, Wally seemed extremely forthcoming in details about himself. The blond had already learned about his illness, the way he was shut in for the early parts of his life- essentially everything. Of course, Emerald hadn't returned the favor. Even after telling several people, it was still rather tough to talk about his past. And then there was the other hand- why did Wally seem so perfect? He was kind, thoughtful, and social in all the ways that Emerald was not. Sure, he might have a few gripes with this and that, but largely Emerald couldn't find anything he necessarily disliked about the boy.

This was a rarity.

"Wait, I don't-" despite his current thoughts, Emerald was struggling to find the words. He paused for a moment to collect himself, then began in earnest. "No, I don't dislike you. I know I must seem distant… but honestly, I do that to everybody. I'd rather not get into why exactly right now though. Let's just say that certain past experiences have left me a bit guarded." Well, now I've gone and done it, he thought to himself. I've already told him more than I was hoping too, and I'm sure he won't be satisfied with just that.

But then, oddly enough: "Okay Emerald, I'll trust you on that. I hope I wasn't being too intrusive! Thank you for telling me." He was back, smile and all, just like it had never left.

"Wait, that's it? You seemed really concerned there for a second…"

"Yes, that's it! I trust you to give an honest answer, and that's exactly what you did. I don't need to know anything else."

"Wow, that's… weird to me. I think the reason is… you're simple. You know what you want, and you know how to get it. I don't get that."

His smile was smaller than Emerald had ever seen it, but still alive. His laugh, like his voice, was almost a whisper. "Hee hee. I suppose you could think of it that way. Or maybe I'm just pretending I know what I'm doing."

Denial

Now this. This was absolutely not supposed to happen. Out of every possible thing on the "should not happen" list, this was absolutely at the top. With every thought, every action, Emerald tried to refute what he seemed to be telling himself. He had just gotten done hanging out with Wally, and he had a good time. Actually, he had a great time. A fantastic time. Not only was his green-haired friend nice to be around, it also seemed like he really understood him. He wasn't as pushy with his interests as Ruby, and he wasn't nearly as abrasive as Sapphire. And he gave him space when he wasn't ready to talk about something, unlike some of his other friends. Not to mention how calming it is just to be around him, he mused. Objectively speaking, Wally might just fit in the position of the perfect friend.

There was something nagging at Emerald, though, something he didn't want to admit to himself- much less anyone else. He liked Wally a lot, but he had other friends he liked a lot too. So why was he feeling differently than he'd felt getting to know them? He tried his best to objectify it, to characterize his feelings: I feel… interested, there's a good word for it. Not exactly that I like him better or anything like that. There's just that… feeling that I want to get to know him as well as possible, as fast as possible. But… no, I must be overthinking this.

Wally had let him in that day on the beach, even if just a little. Into more than his surface-level past, right into all of his inner thoughts. For all Emerald said about himself keeping secrets, he sometimes forgot that everyone else had secrets like that too. The big reveal, really mostly an off-hand comment, was still a bit unnerving for him. But in a way, that trust was actually very flattering. This is what you get for taking forever to connect with people, he complained. You think it's some sort of personal show of solidarity when they tell you the smallest thing about themselves. Besides, what would that sort of flattery even mean to you? It's not as if you-

His very thoughts stopped in their tracks. After a moment, "no" was the word of choice to start back up with. No. No I can't have actually meant where that thought was going. Another beat. The realization was coming for him, whether he wanted it to or not. He only had two words: oh no.

Simple

Emerald had always hated how easily he blushed. It was right up there with an incredibly small comfort zone and a tendency to over-exaggerate on the list of small things he would change about himself in an instant.

Unfortunately for him, all three had come into effect in extremely short order.

They were going swimming. All four of them. Why Sapphire was so insistent on the idea, he couldn't say. It was just one of those things- either they did what she wanted to do, or they'd wish they had. Among other things that he just didn't have the answers for was just how he could have been talked into it. Not that he disliked swimming; like a true Hoenn native, he found it very refreshing. No, this was something else.

It was a size thing. It was always a size thing. Sure, he'd grown older, even grown a little taller. Just a little. And he'd also learned, finally, to not be quite so uncomfortable with his body. He wore his hair naturally now, and his clothes actually fit for the first time in years. He looked at himself in the mirror occasionally. Progress was made.

But that only stretched so far. Swimming meant going without a shirt, and going without a shirt guaranteed that everyone would be able to see him exactly as he was. He had briefly thought about what that usually meant, socially, and he didn't like what he came up with. Judgment was the order of the day. He could impress gawkers with his strategic prowess all he wanted, but he knew that as soon as they saw him there would be a laugh. Maybe just one, just a single person, but at some point someone would stop taking him seriously. And above most other things, he hated not being taken seriously.

So here he was, already cautious about the day's events but going through with them nonetheless. Here he was standing in his room, already changed into his trunks, sighing with his shirt in his hands. And there he was, suddenly: "Hey, Ruby's wondering if you're almost ready to go-" Wally stopped his sentence short as he started to get a feel for how the situation was unfolding. Emerald's surprise, and his equally surprising blush, was enough to make Wally do the same.

Emerald was about as angry about the situation as he was embarrassed. It's bad enough he was going to see me like this at all, but it feels completely different in private! And why did it have to be him? Vaguely, he tried to rationalize to himself that it really is almost the same situation, that this shouldn't be a big deal. Really, it's just a shirt! It's not like it's anything bad, or anything he wasn't expecting. They were going swimming anyway; he would have seen him anyway. By all accounts, it didn't make much sense to make a big deal out of it.

The annoying thing about rationalizing, Emerald mused to himself, is that it tends to fail when you're prone to being irrational.

It was Wally that finally broke the silence of the past few seconds, a simple muttering of "I'll meet you outside I guess…" as a way of getting out of the awkward situation.

"Um. Hold on." It was hard to tell who was more surprised. Only able to shout why would you do that to himself in his head, Emerald carried on: "I'm… sorry that wasn't the best reception. This just isn't very natural for me and I'm still trying to get used to… opening up to people, I mean not just emotionally but physically too-" Get ahold of yourself, you idiot. You ramble when you're nervous. "Okay, anyway I just. Wanted to say that that was a me thing, not a you thing, and-"

Miraculously, he was cut off. "Emerald, if you're uncomfortable, you could just swim with your shirt on! I mean, that's what I'm doing. Anyway, I'll get out of your way."

Then he simply left. As if it were the most natural thing in the world. Emerald was dumbfounded. All of that, the situation that had become so much more embarrassing than was necessary, dispelled in a single sentence. I guess he thinks a lot more simply than I do, he mused to himself. Huh. That was so simple. A pause. Then another thought, completely unbidden: I wonder if he thought I looked cute without a shirt on?

Emerald sat down on his bed and promptly slammed his face into the nearest pillow. This was awful. The absolute worst.