RUMORS OF LOVE
Chapter Four: Group Hug Moments
"A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen." ~Edward de Bono
"Memory... is the diary that we all carry about with us." ~Oscar Wilde
"A day without laughter is a day wasted."-Unknown
-HOTEL: THURSDAY-
"Ahh, it's gigantic!" Dawn squealed as they walked in. Their hotel was filled by fountains and trees. It was split into four parts all with different themes; rainforest, beach, dark romance, and business. They were staying in the rainforest part. She-Witch Shirona gave them their hotel key cards and made an announcement.
"Today we aren't going out of this hotel, get unpack and get settled. We'll be here for week and a half so you'll be able to do everything. Again, no one is to step out of the bounds of this hotel." She gave the students a look as if to say 'I'm watching you'.
"It's so beautiful!" May squealed.
Misty gasped, "Look a parrot!"
Leaf immediately ran over to the parrot to indulge it in conversation.
As the students waited in line, Dawn decided that they should wait until everyone else went upstairs.
"So Misty," May started as they caught up with Leaf, "I assume you saw the text about you and Ash that PG sent around?"
Misty blushed and Leaf started for a jab, but Misty sensing the jab rounded on Leaf. "I saw the text about you and Gary, Leaf! Making out in the train corridor! Have you two been secretly dating?"
"No we have not!" Leaf exclaimed. "That's the most ridiculous notion ever! God, sometimes PG comes up with the most absurd things."
"It's not like we'd judge you Leafy. You can tell us if you like Gary," May said sweetly.
Leaf groaned. "Is no one on my side? Dawn?"
"Well you guys do have chemistry. No one can deny that," Dawn confessed.
"So do you and Paul, but I don't point that out!"
May interjected, "I do believe this conversation started out about Misty and Ash."
Misty, obviously trying to avoid the topic, dragged them to the elevator. "Hey, elevator's free!"
"Thank God! I NEED a shower after that train ride. My pores are getting clogged!" May ran to the elevator.
Dawn smiled. Nice save Mist. Am I the only one that notices that we always get associated with those four?
Drew and Paul both dropped their bag on a bed and then headed next door to Ash and Gary's room.
"What the…" Drew trailed off.
"I think this is a new record for them." Paul was astonished.
In less than two minutes, the room was already a pigsty with food cluttering the table, clothes thrown over the chairs and video games thrown on the floor.
"You know, our room is exactly the way we found it." Drew avoided stepping on a bag of chips as they entered.
Paul sat down on a clean part of the bed, "No wonder maids try to assassinate you two…"
"So I have the perfect plan! I am going to ask Misty to have dinner with me at one of the best restaurants in the hotel tonight and ask her to be my girlfriend!" Ash came out dressed in swimming trunks.
"Dressed like that?"
Ash nodded, "The girls are at the pool. I'm going to steal Misty and ask her to dinner."
Gary stepped out of the closet in orange swimming trunks. Paul raised an eyebrow, "You too?"
"Probably because he heard Leaf would be there," Drew snickered.
"Don't you know anything? Girl plus bikinis plus the pool equals awesome score," Gary smirked.
Ash beckoned them to follow, "So change and meet us downstairs?"
Drew and Paul exchanged a look, until Drew gave a smug look. "You can't argue with that logic."
Dawn sighed as the four of them sat on the two beds in Leaf and Misty's room in their bathing suits, and faced each other. "Leaf, you really should give Gary a chance."
Leaf's eyes clicked over to her, wearily. "Really?"
Dawn drew in a deep breath. "You know what; I'll lay it all out for the three of you. Gary, alright, he gets a lot of girls. Have you noticed he hardly cares for them anymore? But we know him, and we know that he is determined and kind and smart. He's a lot more caring ever since he started doing research like his grandfather. He's not a competitive trainer anymore. You should have seen the way he cared for that Shieldon! Yeah he's arrogant but the four of them strive for the best. We know that Gary is determined to have you as a girlfriend, Leaf. He would never hurt you." Misty and May nodded at her.
Leaf sighed, "One chance, but he has to come get me."
"We know he will," May winked.
She nodded, "Good enough. Now Misty, Ash is one of those guys that stands up for what's right. He's great, morally. But he's a hothead. He is kind but we all know he can sling insults. He used to do it more than he does now. We all know he's determined as hell. He's much smarter than he acts sometimes. You guys tend to argue a lot, I bet you he'll blurt out his feelings for you. And before you say he doesn't, I swear he does. Freshman year, before you all showed up, Ash and I became best friends, not like you guys. He always talked about you."
Misty smiled, sadly. "For some reason, I'm afraid that we'll always be best friends."
"Best friends make eternal lovers," Leaf assured her.
"Oh God, you guys should have been there when he called me his brother, I hit him so hard!" Misty recalled.
May laughed, "He told me about the time that your elementary school went on a field trip and Brock fell in love with a Ghastly posing as the ghost of that maiden who sat on the cliff waiting for her lover to return. And when you guys were losing against the Ghastly you came with a cross, garlic, a stick and a hammer and that Ghastly was like 'what do I look like, a vampire?'" Laughter erupted upon the four.
"And May," Dawn smiled. "You and Drew are the classic rival couple. You guys started out as rivals in the contests but you developed feelings for each other."
"Are you kidding? Drew is the most arrogant-" Dawn cut off May.
"He's also smart, caring and honest. Or did you forget the time that he helped you out after Harley tricked you? Or the fact he always gave you insight when you were a rookie coordinator? You must admit that Drew is an amazing coordinator. Or that he was happy when you won your first contest? Or that he tends to ignore everyone else when you are around? And the roses? Face it May, he is much more than just a rival to you."
"Dawn, how did you know about all that?"
"Because May, before you all showed up, I came here freshman year. Ash, Brock, Barry, Paul, Gary and Conway and I used to hang out. Back then Gary was going around researching for his grandfather so he was hardly around and back then, Ash and Paul were major rivals. They couldn't even get along once. But anyway Ash told me stories about Misty and you. He always mentioned Drew when he mentioned you. Like all your stories from your middle school contests. He always used to mention that you would blush every time Drew came around with a rose for you."
May blushed. "He always said they were for Beautifly. Alright, maybe deep, deep down, I've always cared for Drew."
"And that whole situation with Briana involved Drew! No wonder you don't like her!" Dawn suddenly remembered.
"Okay Dawn, THAT'S ENOUGH." May yelled as Leaf and Misty giggled.
Misty confronted Dawn, "What about you and Paul? What's that story?"
A smile tugged at her lips, "Paul hides his emotions, he's mean, but he's respectful and smart. He likes a challenge. Well when Ash and Paul were rivals, I was kind of biased. So Paul and I used to get into a lot of fights. But I learned that he's fighting his emotions. His brother used to be a Pokémon trainer, one of the best, until he lost the Brandon, the Pyramid King. That was the first battle the Reggie ever lost and then he quit and became a lawyer. That's why Paul is obsessed with power. Brandon realized that during their battle. I got to watch Paul's battle with Brandon. It was freshman year when they went to compete in the Sinnoh League; I overheard Paul and Reggie video chatting about the competition. Paul caught me eavesdropping, but he didn't get mad. Instead he started talking to me about how Ash is like Reggie and why he couldn't stand Ash, that conversation made me understand him. Then Ash caught us walking together and it was awkward, but after the Sinnoh League they became friends."
"Gary and Ash didn't become friends after the Silver League Conference," Misty started into her story. "Our last year of elementary school, we all got our Pokémon. Gary and Ash both made it all the way to the Silver League Conference; the tension was intense. Gary's cheerleading team annoyed me to no end. Even after Gary lost, they kept on being rivals. Ash told me that they finally became friends that same day that you met Gary, Dawn."
May giggled. "Gary's Blastoise adores Leaf! That's a sign; because Professor Birch told us that Pokémon often reflect the feelings of their trainers. And Gary's favorite of his Pokémon is Blastoise. He used to kiss the Pokeball before he chose Blastoise to compete in battle!"
Leaf blushed, "Shut up! I didn't even know the guy until I came to this school! I'm really happy that I did come here though. My parents wanted to send me off to Pokémon Tech!"
"Secretly," May confessed, "I was actually excited to come here after Ash told me that he had heard from Drew that he was coming. Our last year in middle school, Drew and I attended the Hoenn Grand Festival. After it was over, Ash said I should come here with him and Brock but Drew told me that he was going to study contests in Jhoto during high school. He told me that I should decide what I wanted to do too. I decided to go to high school in Jhoto, I was so excited to see Drew, but we didn't end up going to the same school."
Misty smiled down, "My sisters bothered me one day when a letter came to the gym from Ash. He told me that he and Professor Oak really wanted me to come here, so I had to come here. But I'm curious, Dawn, what brought all this up?
"Well because I was wondering earlier why we always get put with those four. And how lucky I am to be best friends with you three."
"AWHHHH!" That was one of their group hug moments.