Shinji sat back on the chair, flipping through a magazine, bored. He'd been sitting around all day, with nothing to do. The Pokémon League was over, with no reason to train; a big joy for his pathetic Pokémon. They just lazed around in the background, most of them sleeping except for Weavile who simply watched Shinji, expressionless. Reiji was out doing some shopping while his little brother stayed home. Doing nothing.
Suddenly he heard the click of a key grinding into the door, and the front entrance opened, where Reiji's head popped into the house and stepped in. His arms were filled with bags of breeding supplies and other miscellaneous items, including Pokéchow, a few rolls of toilet paper, and a piece of paper.
"Hey, little bro," the man pushed the bags into his left hand so that he could wave to Shinji with his right. He set everything on the table and sat down next to his brother. "How are you feeling?" Shinji glared up at his from his miserable position on the sofa, unhappy that his brother could be so happy when he was unhappy.
Shinji turned to the other side, his back towards Reiji, and grunted, "I'm bored."
The breeder pressed his lips together, then gasped and snapped his fingers. "Oh, yeah! I found this while someone was giving them out. Look!!" He grabbed the piece of paper he had dropped with the bags, and shoved it into the purple-haired boy's face. It was a green and pink striped flyer, with bold letters striking across it saying, "SINNOH ANNUAL BALL." In one corner, there was a colourful illustration of a beautiful brunette in a rose-coloured, frilly ball gown, and her handsome dance partner, dressed in a black tuxedo, gazing down at her with a loving expression. The sheet was dappled with red rose petals in what appeared to be a romantic, mushy theme.
It made him want to vomit.
"What the hell is this?" The teen asked calmly, but with a cold edge. Reiji's enthusiastic smile remained.
"You know the annual ball dance that holds everywhere in Sinnoh?"
"No."
"Well, now you do. Like I said, it's annual and holds any place in Sinnoh...and this year it's in Veilstone City!" Reiji held himself up on his toes for a few moments, and it looked as though he were jumping for joy. It looked childish in a scary way. "It's coming in a couple of days."
Shinji stared at his brother. Then he answered.
"Your point?"
Reiji played around with his fingers anxiously. Well...I was thinking...maybe...you'd like to go?" He caught sight of his horrified expression and added quickly, "It's better than you lazing around all day. And Sumomo and I are going together, so you don't have to go alone." He seemed as though he'd prepared for this, like he was waiting for this reaction.
Shinji raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay...let me get this straight. You want me to waste my evening with you and your girlfriend..." He stressed on the last word, waiting for Reiji to flinch, but he didn't. "...dancing? I don't even know how to dance. I'd rather sleep all day rather than socializing with you idiots."
He heard a soft growl from behind, and whirled around to see the black and red demon weasel glaring at him from her crouch across the room. Shinji glared back. His Weavile was powerful, but there was one thing he didn't like about the Sharp Claw Pokémon...her attitude. He'd underestimated the whole thing with "Pokémon have different personalities, like humans," but he never expected that she could be so bratty. Like a mother...no, like an overprotective, older sister. An older sister who kept begging him to be more open. Bad enough, it'd already formed a strong friendship with a one of Ash's group's Buneary. Weren't Weaviles supposed to be cold and heartless?
As if Reiji wasn't enough stress to deal with, with this now.
"Oh...but...." Reiji was beginning to look disappointed, but still seeming to be putting on an act. "I already bought you a suit and everything too...and I called Hikari..."
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY??!!" Shinji was caught off guard by the last sentence, and grabbed his older brother's collar. "You called who?!"
Reiji began to form a sheepish, guilty, even amused expression that gave Shinji the urge to punch him. "Well, um, I said...I called Hikari and told her that the ball was being held here. I was kind of hoping she'd be your date." He then put his hands over him in a defensive, frightened stance, as if waiting for something to blow up.
Shinji just looked at him, mouth slightly open, but he didn't react immediately. He drew in a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm himself, and continued it for a few seconds before turning to Reiji again.
"Call her and tell her to keep herself in Twinleaf. I will not be her date." He started walking away. Conversation over.
"Too late. She's already on her way here. I can't tell her to leave."
Shinji didn't need to see Reiji's smug expression to know this was part of his devilish plan; he could hear the triumph in his voice. No wonder Reiji had looked so strange. He started taking breaths again. In, out...in, out...sighing, he picked up the bag which held a dark purple formal outfit. He trudged up the stairs, screwing up his mouth.
Reiji was so going to pay for this.
One more day until the disaster, Shinji thought as he walked up and down the city. It was the usual horde of trainers and coordinators, and a few kissing couples who just came along for the next day's party. The purple haired trainer was relieved to see that that girl was nowhere to be found yet... with any hope, she'd be late for the ball.
Bored as usual, he dodged around people and their Pokémon, ignoring their talking until he reached the outskirts of the city, the few trees and forested areas, where he usually did his training. He was somewhere around the stream, he guessed; he'd always liked going there...It was clear blue, crystallite, like someone's eyes...
HOLD IT.
Shinji froze and shook his head desperately, trying to shake out the memory of Hikari's lovely blue eyes, and along with the warm feeling that came along with it. This was not fair, having to keep thinking of her everyday because of one time his hare-brained brother mentioned her...
Suddenly one high-pitched voice sounded high above the rest of sounds in the forest.
...
Damn.
She was here.
Hikari.
"Jeez! Why can't I remember where Reiji and Shinji's house is? This stupid map can't get you anywhere..." Shinji walked a little distance, peered through the trees and thick shrubs, and immediately recognised the young eleven-year old. Her long, shining blue hair was separated into the usual locks in the front and back, held by bright yellow clips, the front of her head hidden by the pink and white hat. She had the same red scarf wrapped around her neck, the black tank top, pink boots, and...Shinji tried his best not to look at her bright miniskirt. Smirking at her bewilderment, he braced himself for her explosions.
"C'mon, map, I wish you could talk like Dora's map," she snarled, "So I could rip you up and listen to you scream!" She was about to start yelling with anger herself before a sneering, gruff voice interrupted her outburst.
"Hn. I didn't know you still watched baby shows. Pathetic."
Hikari turned around and shot a shocked glance at her friend's old rival, which quickly changed to annoyance. "What do you want, Shinji?"
"Weird. I was about to ask you the same question." He glared at her from under his long purple bangs, sending shivers running up and down her spine. Summoning all her bravery to simply look into his eyes, she shot back,
"Well, I believe that Reiji called to tell me that you wanted me to be your date to the ball! I came over Mt. Coronet, just to come here and be yelled at by you!" She snapped with her already high-pitched voice shrill with fury. Shinji's black eyes widened with surprise.
His brother was going to DIE.
She sweat dropped at his sudden silence at what she said.
"S-Shinji?" she asked nervously, until the teenager turned back to her with a wide smirk. He managed to compose enough of his anger to seem like he didn't care.
"Really? Me? Asking you? Please." His smirk grew wider once he saw her face getting as red as anything, her teeth beginning to bare, because he knew he'd gone too far.
He'd always liked getting her mad.
"YOU MEAN I CROSSED A FREAKIN' MOUNTAIN AND NEARLY GOT EATEN BY A GROUP OF SHARPEDO FOR NOTHING??!" She exploded. Shinji could almost see the mental volcano behind her, like she did when she forgot her name a year back. He closed his eyes and slouched while Hikari lunged toward him.
She was looking at Shinji.
Then she was looking at the forest shrubs behind him.
She was looking at the floor.
Then she was looking at the sky.
The blue haired girl blinked in confusion as Shinji hovered over her, watching her sprawled on the floor with a mocking expression.
"Stupid. I just stepped aside and you tripped over my foot," he spoke. "If I were you, I wouldn't try so hard. Don't push it." Hikari frowned, straining her head to glance at him.
Shinji's arrogant face was still above hers, black eyes filled with laughter, and a hot flame coursed through her. Get ready to die, Shinji.
He stepped back to let her get up and brush the dirt off her skirt. Somehow, he enjoyed the fierce fury in her eyes as she stared at him. He snorted when Hikari reached to double-punch him. So, so immature. He grabbed both of her fists, watching as she struggled with him, kicking and screeching with her legs off the ground.
Shinji started the conversation first. "Why'd you even bother coming here, anyway?" he said. Hikari growled, hissing at him.
"It's none of your business," she spat, but her blush gave her away, and she had to turn her head. She continued to kick at Shinji, hoping to reach a weak spot, but he didn't even budge. His iron grip remained as tight as ever.
"Tell me."
Hikari's feet were above the ground now. "Let me GO!!"
"Fine."
Shinji dropped her...while she was still kicking. Hikari stood kicking at mid-air for a few seconds before screaming, then falling to the ground with a thud.
"Back on the floor again." Shinji turned away from her, muttering to himself. "I have to go to a stupid dance with a stupid girl and I don't even know how to dance..."
"You...You don't know how to dance, Shinji?"
Hikari had gotten up, and tapped him on the shoulder when he uttered those words. She had become a little calmer, like she had something to say that didn't fit the mood. He glowered at her happy face, and she realised he was telling the truth. She knew it.
"Well...maybe...I could teach you...so that we'd be able to go together!"
Shinji raised an eyebrow. "Wha...?"
Hikari smiled. "Well, yeah. So you could go with me. I'd hate if I didn't get to do anything here...and you could have some fun dancing, Shinji...you never know."
Dancing...? Just thinking it was nauseating to him. But...seeing the hopeful glimmer in Hikari's blue eyes, he couldn't say no. He also couldn't face her disappointment of saying no.
"Well.....Alright."
Hikari grinned, and suddenly skipped around in a circle around him. "Yay!! Yay!! This is gonna be so much fun! Okay, okay, meet me...right here in the clearing! Tonight! Then we can get started with the basics and then we can to all the kinds of dances they'll bring and....oh, ME! A DANCE TEACHER!! This will be SO great!" She continued to skip around him, crying out her complete joy all the time, throwing across words to him like "tango" and other foreign words.
Shinji sweatdropped, and sighed as Hikari marched, flushed red.
What'd he get himself into this time...?