Hi! Some name notes!

Matsuba is Morty

Akane is Whitney

Konatsu is Janina

Asuna is Flannery


Fragrance

"So you see, the ground type is weak to the ghost type. All right! That's all for today!" Matsuba waved his hand to his students, and they rose to bow.

"Thank you sensei!" they smiled and ran out, anxious to return home to their parents.

"Wait! Don't forget that next week we're having a guest gym leader come!"

"Yes!" the children called, and Matsuba decided to head home too. He had some time to kill before the guest gym leader came. He sat on a rock, and he let his Rotel spin around.

"Come to think of it, I don't even know who the guest is..." he put his hand to his neck and thought. Would it be Falkner? Maybe, they were best friends, after all. Bugsy? Akane? Nah, they wouldn't bother. Suddenly, he heard a large crushing of rocks coming towards him.

"Wh-What's that?!" he saw a long thing in the distance. It was a Steelix! And on it was none other than Jasmine, gym leader of Olivine City.

"Hi!" she smiled and hopped off, "Am I on time?" HE COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. Why did the Pokemon administration do this to him?! A dazzling, beautiful girl would be staying IN HIS HOUSE. He could handle Akane, she was immature, but Jasmine was like a MODEL!

"Wait... So, are you the gym leader visiting?"

"Can I not?" she looked at him with cute eyes.

"N-No, it's not that...!"

"Don't be embarassed just 'cause I'm a girl. I've been your friend for a while now, haven't I?" she giggled.

"Yeah... You're right, sorry."

"No, it's fine."

"It's good to see you again, Jasmine." he told her. He wanted to get to know her better. He hadn't seen his friend in years. Now was the perfect chance to talk with her again.

"Nee-chan! Wait for me!" a little girl hopped down the Steelix's back. It was Konatsu, Jasmine's little sister.

"Oh, sorry Konatsu. I'll introduce you." she picked up her 8-year old sister and hugged her.

"I'm Konatsu, Jasmine's sister. I'm the future Olivine gym leader."

"Nice to meet you-" he smiled, but she glared at him. She jumped down from her sister's arms and signaled for his ear.

"If you make a move on my sister, I swear I'll destroy you." she whispered. He knew she was serious.

"Haha, Jasmine and I aren't like that! We're childhood friends."

"Oh, really?" Jasmine smiled, "I thought we were more..."

"J-Jasmine!" Matsuba said in surprise, and Konatsu stomped on his foot. He held it in pain.

"Ow ow ow!!" he winced, and she smirked. What was he gonna do? He held Jasmine's bag as they went into his house, and he smelled a strong, flowery scent. It was perfume.

"You like it? Erica gave it to me." she smiled.

"U-Uh!" Man, did she have sharp eyes. The sun was already starting to set by the time Jasmine unpacked.

"Thanks so much, Matsuba." she sat on a cushion, "It was really tiring."

"Yeah, you brought a lot of equipment."

"Oh! I know! I'll make dinner, OK?" Jasmine hopped up and went to the kitchen.

"You sure?"

"I'm positive! Leave it to me!" she tied the apron around her neck. After about half an hour, it was smelling good all around the house.

"By the way," Matsuba asked her, "Where'd Konatsu go?"

"Oh, her? She only came here to make sure I was OK. Sometimes I wonder who's the gym leader." she chuckled and shook something into the pan, "Yay! It's done! Fried rice!" she shaped it into the face of a ghastly, "Let's eat!"

"Wow! Looks great! Thanks for the food!" he took a bite of the fragrant rice, "WOW!" his eyes shined and he ate more.

"Oh, I'm glad it's good. I've been practicing so I could cook for you." she blushed and shook her head when he looked at her oddly, "No, I mean, you're taking me in, so it's the least I can do."

"Thanks Jasmine. You're a great help."

"Do you think I'd be a good wife?" she smiled.

"Oh yeah, totally." the dense Matsuba agreed. She put on a pouty face.

"Do you... Remember when we were kids...?" she asked him shyly.

"Of course I do. My mom introduced me to you at a party."

"Matsuba, this is the Olivine Iron Work's President's daughter, Jasmine." his blonde-haired mother with short hair introduced. A small girl with bright green eyes curtsied to him. She wore a beige dress with a 3/4 length white cardigan.

"It's nice to meet you, Matsuba-kun." she smiled. He blushed a bit.

"N-Nice to meet you, Jasmine." he bowed slightly. Those two played a lot together from then on. They went through happy times of playing together... And also through sad times.

"Mama...!" a 12-year-old Jasmine cried. Her mother was the president, and also her last parent. She fell ill from the fumes at the factory, and then died shortly after.

"Jasmine, cheer up," one of the workers patted her on the back, "At least from your mother's sacrifice, the health standards have been raised-"

"Don't say that!!" she screamed at him and ran off.

"Jasmine!" Matsuba called after her, and he chased her to a playground where she hid under the jungle gym.

"Mama...! Why did you leave me alone...?!" she cried. Matsuba sat down next to her and took out a handkerchief.

"Here," he smiled, "You're prettier when you smile."

"I'm not pretty...! Mama's prettier...!" she sniffled.

"That's not true. OK, your mom was pretty, but you're different in your own way." he patted the tears away from her face, "You told me before, you wanted to be different from your mom. You didn't want to take over the company."

"Mm." she nodded, "I want to become the gym leader."

"Really?!" he asked excitedly, "Me too!"

"Seriously?!" she started to laugh.

"Good, you're smiling." he pet her on the head.

"Hey... Will you make a promise?" she asked.

"Yeah. What?"

"Since we're both gonna be gym leaders..." Jasmine blushed, "Can I... Be your bride...?!"

"B-Bride...?!" he turned as red as a tomato. She nodded hesitantly. He scratched his head and thought to himself.

"All right. When we're 18, and if you beat me in a pokemon battle, then I'll marry you."

"Really?!" she smiled.

"Mm."

"Do you still remember... That promise...?" she asked him.

"Eh...?" he said in surprise.

"In the match between you and me at your school... If I win-!" she confessed, but the door slammed open, and a red-haired girl walked in.

"Yo! I'm here!" Asuna called, "I'm the guest gym leader!" she smiled, but then saw Jasmine sitting at the table with him, "What... Are you doing here Jasmine?" she asked. Jasmine looked down to the ground. She knew. She had been caught.

"Wait, Jasmine, what does this mean...?" he asked. She jumped up from the table and went outside.

"Jasmine!" he called and ran after her. Asuna just watched him leave.

"I'm... Sorry..." she cried, "Asuna has... A crush on you, and I was scared...!" she placed her hands on a tree.

"Scared... About what...?"

"Don't you remember our promise?!" she yelled at him with tears in her eyes.

"...Yeah." he told her without looking.

"Then don't you understand how I feel...?" she whispered.

"...We'll have our battle tomorrow. If you win..." he lifted up his face, "Then, I'll tell you how I feel."

"Matsuba...!" she started to smile.

"You really are prettier when you smile." he told her, and she blushed, "You can stay here for the night."

"...Thank you, Matsuba..." she closed her eyes and smiled.

The next day, Matsuba got the arena ready right away. All the students were eagerly awaiting the battle, not even knowing what was REALLY at stake.

"I'll judge, OK?" asuna told him softly.

"...Right. Thanks, Asuna."

"In the left corner!" the red hot head yelled, "We have the Ecruteak gym leader, Matsuba!!" all the students cheered for him, "And in the right corner, we have the Olivine City gym leader, Jasmine!!" and everyone cheered just as much for her, to Asuna's surprise.

"Ready... Begin!" she flipped up the flag.

"Go! Magneton!" she threw her Pokeball out, and the giant clump of magnets came out, zapping up a storm.

"I choose you! Gengar!" and so Gengar was summoned, who cackled like a hyena.

"All right, Magneton! Thunder!" she pointed, and Magneton went super fast and tried to zap the ghost, who barely dodged it.

"Something's different..." Asuna thought to herself, "Jasmine's much more violent than usual." The two pokemon kept it up, matching each other's moves, getting hit, then hitting. At the end of about five minutes, both were worn out. Jasmine gritted her teeth. She was determined beyond need. She HAD to win. She HAD to beat him and hear his feelings, even if they were bad.

"Let's finish this, shall we?" she panted, sweat dipping from her temple.

"You got it." he smirked, and they nodded.

"Magneton, thunder ball!"

"Shadow ball!" the two colors of energy collided, and then pokemon tried to keep it up, but the balls exploded! It would have been a draw, but...

"Gengar! Go underground!" So the ghost slipped under the field, and Magneton took all the force of the energy. It slammed to the field, and knocked out.

"This battle is over! The winner is Matsuba!" Asuna lifted the flag, quite happy by the outcome. Jasmine tried to hold it in, but salty water slipped down her cheeks.

"Jasmine!" he chased after her again.

"Wait, Matsuba!" Asuna called. But he always had eyes for Jasmine. She knew that.

"I lost...! I'm not good enough to be your bride...!" she held her face in her hands and sobbed.

"Wait, so I won, right? Then I get to choose." he told her, "I've... I've been in love with you for a long time...!" he confessed, and she swirled around to look at his blushing face, "I mean, we don't have to get married right away..." he scratched his head, "But someday, when we're ready..." he came to her, and she leaned upon a tree.

"So... I'll be kind of like your long term fiancee?" she giggled. He nodded, "How do I know you're telling the truth...?" she whispered, and he put his face close to hers.

"Try this." he pushed his lips softly to hers, and she was in heaven. She felt the warmth of his skin, the beat of his heart... It was so dazzling.

"Then..." she smiled, "Let's be boyfriend and girlfriend until we're ready." she kissed him on the lips gently again, and he smiled.

"Yeah." he hugged her lovingly, "Let's."

"Do you like my perfume?" she put his face to her neck.

"Jasmine. Just like you."

"Right." she put her arms upon his chest, "But you know, a Jasmine can't truly bloom without someone to smell them."

"It's good that I'm here, then, right?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she nodded, "I'm really thankful."

END OF FRAGRANCE