Pokeshipping/Contestshipping/Ikarishipping: I Don't Want a Fighter

Chapter 1: Tea with a Side of Tears

The teapot began to squeal impatiently, since Hikari was in somewhat of a trance. Her two best friends, Haruka and Kasumi watched curiously, seeing their friend's face not change one bit. It remained as still as stone, not to mention as lifeless. After about a minute of silence, that is, besides the shrill sound coming from the teapot, Haruka spoke up.

"Yoo hoo! Hikari!" She teasingly spoke, waving her hand in front of the blue-haired seventeen-year old face.

"Hikari?" Kasumi asked, being gentler with her words. She had always felt she was the one who looked after the two, considering that Haruka wanted nothing more then to joke around, and whereas Hikari was simply just a kid. A kid who did not make the smartest decisions when it came to her future, and her love life.

Well, according to the whole region of Sinnoh.

Kasumi just sighed and walked over to the teapot, switching the knob to the "OFF" position. The tea's squeals diminished slowly until the steam just gurgled out of the spout.

"I'm a little teapot, here's my spout...!" Haruka began singing until Kasumi threatened to take out her mallet. Haruka sort of groveled and stopped singing, putting her clenched fists into her lap.

"The usual?" Kasumi casually asked, pouring the hot water into three mugs.

"Yupsidoodles!" Haruka cheerfully replied.

Hikari simply nodded.

With that response, Kasumi plopped three Lady Grey tea bags into the grey splattered mugs, and dipped the teabags in the water until all three cups were filled with a dark brown liquid. She poured a bit of milk into two of the three cups, along with sugar and honey. The one without milk was given to Hikari, while the two others were to Haruka and Kasumi. Hikari did or spoke nothing when the mug was placed in front of her.

"So Hikari, since you practically invited us over…" Haruka began.

With that, Hikari slowly looked up at the redhead and brunette. Her royal blue eyes began to tremble, tears making them shine. Both of her small hands cupped the hot mug; she ignored the intense heat. Hikari's eyes were set on the wall as more and more tears collected in her eyes. The morning sunlight made them luster, making them even more beautiful. However Haruka and Kasumi were in no mood to compliment Hikari's inhuman beauty. They waited for her friend to finally to say something.

Judging from the amount of silence from her, there was something big she desperately wanted to say. With a sigh, Hikari adjusted her gaze on both of her friends. Haruka's brow furrowed whereas Kasumi's were curved up, giving her a concerned and sad countenance.

"I'm growing concerned." Hikari said, sighing before she spoke.

"About what?" Kasumi circumspectly asked.

"About Shinji, my husband."

"Yes, we know he's your husband." Haruka asked, except there was no humor in her tone.

No one spoke with humor when mentioning Shinji, (Hikari's husband).

"What about Shinji dear?" Kasumi asked, seeing one tear roll down her face.

Hikari struggled, a small choking sound coming from her throat.

"Take a deep breath." Kasumi consoled as Haruka patted her young friend on the shoulder.

Hikari did so, and looked up at the ceiling light.

"I don't know for how long, I've lost count, Shinji's been disappearing every night. He—He doesn't come back until later in the evening, only to leave the same night. I don't know what he's doing, considering that he refuses to speak, let alone come near me. I just…I just don't know what to think…"

Kasumi narrowed her eyes with anger as Haruka looked upon her friend with sadness. Hikari was just a goddamn kid! What she had gotten herself into was certainly something no seventeen-year old should have to deal with. Haruka looked back to the times when she was seventeen…She had experienced lust countless times with celebrities and boys she knew of, she always went shopping, and hung out with her friends…she never had to deal with…

This.

"Well, what do you think he's doing?" Haruka asked.

Hikari's face scrunched up as more tears rolled down her face.

"I don't know okay? I never know what to think when it comes to Shinji…he could be off figuring a way to get away from me, plus, he is, you know…"

"No, I'm afraid I don't." Kasumi said.

"He's not exactly…bad-looking…" Hikari said in a small, embarrassed voice.

Haruka held back her gag as Kasumi made no visible response. Inside her head though, she was disappointed.

"Is that the only reason you married him?" Kasumi asked.

"NO!" Hikari suddenly bursted out, slamming her fists against the table, causing the mugs to shake. Kasumi and Haruka flinched back, Haruka taking a couple steps back.

Hikari sighed. "I'm sorry guys…but I get asked that all the time…"

"People actually TALK TO YOU NOW?" Haruka asked.

Kasumi was quick with a kick to Haruka's ankle, causing her to wince in pain. Haruka gathered herself together, pursing her lips to suppress the pain as Hikari looked down at her tea.

"Yes, surprisingly." Hikari quietly responded, slowly sipping her tea.

"Well, why don't you find out for yourself?" Haruka suggested.

Hikari dropped her tea, thankfully not being too distant from the small plate beneath it. Kasumi looked over at Haruka as if she were crazy. The sardonic brunette put her hands up, a small smirk on her face.

"What? It sounds like Hikari wants to know what's going on, right? Well, if she's so keen on finding out what's going on with Shinji, she should find out herself!" Haruka explained, biting into a chocolate-covered biscotti.

"She can't do this alone!" Kasumi claimed, then leaning into whisper, "She's just a kid!"

Hikari heard this remark, and she was only slightly insulted. Knowing Kasumi, Hikari knew that she always thought of her friends before herself…a little too much sometimes. Hikari slightly smiled at the thought while her friends consulted with each other a little while more.

"Hikari, we'll help you with this, you're not alone." Kasumi told her.

Hikari smiled.

"For once." Haruka added.

With that comment, Kasumi slammed Haruka in the head with her mallet, telling her to shut up. Hikari slowly rose to her feet, along with Kasumi. Haruka, on the other hand, decided to stay on the floor.

"What time does he get home?" Kasumi asked.

"Six. Although I never know for sure…definitely around that time." Hikari said while nodding, the trails of tears glinting off her comely face.

Kasumi walked over to the frail girl, and put her hands on her shoulders.

"Call us as soon as he gets home." She informed her, shaking her a tad.

Hikari nodded, a smile of confidence on her face.

The sun had slowly begin to set in Veilstone City as the grandfather clock in the living room rang six times. Hikari was watching the sunset from the window; she had always loved to see the sky venture away from that one color of blue to an array of beautiful colors. As she watched, the house phone was in her hand, ready to be used as soon as Shinji stepped into the house—

A click. The door.

Hikari's head snapped up, her grasp on the phone tightening. She turned away from the window to see her dark husband stand there, not having noticed her. His skin was lightly tanned, the trademark purple hair he had now grew long past his shoulders, giving him a more mature, yet threatening look. That shade of purple was nothing she had ever seen before, it being the only shade that actually looked…scary. The eyes she had fallen in love with a year ago had never changed; piercing, impacting…dark.

Dark. Dark. Dark. That was all that Shinji was. Dark.

"Hi Shinji!" She cheerfully said to him.

"Hn…" He replied in his low gruff voice, his eyes not meeting hers. With that memorable conversation over, he walked out of the room, towards the bathroom. After the day he went through, he really needed a shower.

She longingly looked after him as he walked away. It began to make her feel lost of all hope once again. It had happened about two or three times before that same day. With a sigh, she slowly began to dial Kasumi's number. When the sound of the confident redhead's voice was heard on the phone, Hikari began to feel hope flow through her again. Hikari informed her of Shinji's arrival, and Kasumi thanked her, and told her what she was doing was right. Hikari nodded to herself.

"Oh, and one more thing…" Kasumi said, remembering something.

"What?" Hikari asked.

"Make sure you dress decently. You never know where he might be going. It might be somewhere eloquent. Make sure you tell Haruka."

Hikari HIGHLY doubted that Shinji would ever go anywhere with class, but she took notice of it anyway and thanked Kasumi, ending the call. With trembling fingers as she heard the shower turn on, she dialed Haruka's number. Haruka answered as her usual happy self. Hikari wished she was like that again…

"Hi Hikari! Did he just come in?" Haruka asked quietly.

"Mmhm, just now."

"Wow, you're timing is PERFECT!" Haruka cooed.

Hikari smiled at her rather wacky friend. "Thanks Haruka, meet Hikari behind the house, I'll meet you there after he left…and Haruka…"

"Yes?"

"Make sure you dress, you know, nicely. You never know where we might be going." Hikari informed her, trying to sound firm.

Although a seventeen-year old sounding firm with a twenty-year old didn't exactly sound right.

"All right I will…I'll be over there in a few minutes."

"Okay, thanks Haruka." Hikari added.

"No problem kid."

Click. Hikari pressed the button with the red phone symbol on it, and looked out the window again. She remembered a time when the sunset had been most important to her…one night…

"You know I wanna tell you something, but I can't…"

"Oh come on, you can tell me." She egged him on, poking his shoulder.

With a small smile, he said:

"I love you."

She gasped.

Hikari took a deep breath, and strode into her room, assorting through the many dresses and skirts that she had. She was rather fastidious when it came to picking the perfect outfit…then again, what girl wasn't? She finally settled with a black denim mini and black long-sleeve shirt with a navy blue lacy camisole underneath. She had ditched the old childish bangs she had for longer slanted bangs that complimented her face perfectly. After brushing through her hair about a million times, she was happy with her look. She did not put any make-up on…she felt that make-up simply made a girl look more desperate, and more stupid. She slipped on a pair of dark blue flats accented with an elegant bow, and started walking out the door.

Hope began to shine in front of her.

Kasumi impatiently waited behind a tree, glancing at her watch, oh, every three seconds.

"Come on Hikari!" She mumbled to herself, looking at her watch again.

She was dressed in skinny jeans with a ruffled ocean blue top on. Instead of her trademark side ponytail, her long orange hair flowed down her back. She wore a pair of dolled-up converse, along with gold bangles clinking on her wrists.

Her sisters were definitely involved in this, no doubt about it... (Like, totally!)

She heard running footsteps behind her, and turned around to see a grinning Haruka.

"Hi Kasumi! You like?" Haruka asked, striking way too many poses before the redhead.

Kasumi dropped her head into her hand, and groaned.

"Haruka, you look fine." She muttered.

The ecstatic brunette was dressed in gray skinnies with an "off-the-shoulder" red top. A lighter gray tank top was shown underneath it, along with a small tattoo of a rose on her shoulder. Kasumi decided not to ask, considering Haruka was not only cheerful, but incredibly irritable. She wore a pair of casual red converse, the red color matching the barrette in her hair. Kasumi was glad she had ditched that stupid bandanna for one night.

"Yay!" Haruka shouted out in joy.

"SSHH!" Kasumi warned, covering Haruka's mouth with her hand, hiding her behind a tree. They heard a door open, which made Kasumi begin to reprimand Haruka.

"Now look what you've done!" Kasumi whispered, pouting.

"Oh, are you gonna put me in time out?" Haruka suggested, her voice muffled by Kasumi's hand.

"Guys?" They heard a feeble voice ask.

Kasumi and Haruka turned around, thankful that it was Hikari who spoke those words instead of…well…her husband.

"He just left, we better get a move on." Hikari said, starting to walk forward, Kasumi and Haruka behind her.

That sense of hope began to flow through her, this time, more strongly.