"Yancy," blurts Nate.
"What?" asks Hugh, confused. He has just spent two battles telling this boy about his first fight with Rosa, and this is how he reacts?
"That's her name," says Nate. He bites his lip. "You asked me who was calling. Her name is Yancy."
"Oh-kay?" Hugh is still confused. He wonders why Nate is telling him this. Does he have nothing to say about the story? "And, uh, why are you ignoring her?"
Nate's hands ball into fists. "I have my reasons," he says quietly.
Hugh shrugs. A part of him is dying to know what happened between Nate and Yancy. But another part of him can tell that Nate doesn't want to talk about it. Whatever happened must have really upset him to have him look as sad as he does right now.
"Hey," Hugh places his hand on Nate's shoulder. Together, they walk towards the station at the end of another seven battle streak, bringing their total up to 14. "It gets better. Believe me."
Nate gives Hugh a sideways glance. "Did things get better between you and Rosa?"
Hugh gives him a sad smile. "It did…"
"Yay!" cries Nate happily, jumping in the air.
"…for a while." finishes Hugh.
"Oh." Nate looks crestfallen.
"But the important part is, things did get better." Hugh continues with his story.
Five months ago
Hugh tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his Pokémon to heal. He was leaning against the Pokémon Center counter, watching everyone around with disinterested red eyes. His team had been exhausted taking on grunt after grunt in the Plasma Frigate. Luckily, he had the help of Rosa and Cheren, the Aspertia City Gym Leader.
True to her word, Rosa had had his back whenever he took on Team Plasma. The blue-eyed girl was getting alarmingly strong. Although Hugh was proud of her, he couldn't help wondering when he was going to reach to her level. He worked hard, training his Pokémon whenever he could, but it always seemed like he was never as good as her.
Speaking of the devil, Rosa had entered the Pokémon Center was standing before him, hands on her hips.
He rolled his eyes. "What?"
"I just realized," she said icily. "That you-" she stuck her finger in his chest. "-never showed up to any of my movies!" She moved closer to him so that her nose was inches away from his.
"Uh…" said Hugh, not knowing what else to say. The fact that Rosa was in his face was making him extremely nervous and he couldn't think straight. His face turned red.
"I've been...meaning…to…" he stuttered, his heart thumping in his chest. He hoped she couldn't feel it.
She puffed her cheeks. Even though she was angry, Hugh found it incredibly cute. "Excuses," she snarled. "Well, you're not getting away this time, mister. You're coming with me for the premiere of Full Metal Cop."
Hugh bit his tongue to keep himself from blaring expletives at her. How could he tell her that he had no interest in watching movies? Rosa had invited him to all her movies so far and he had a sizeable collection of unused tickets in his backpack. The reason he didn't watch her movies wasn't that he was busy, as he claimed to be. It was because movies were incredibly lame and a waste of time. He would rather be training then spend two hours with his eyes stuck to a big screen.
Then again, maybe it couldn't hurt to watch one movie. Especially if Rosa was in it.
Besides, it didn't seem like she was going to let him escape this time.
"Fine," he muttered, pushing her away so that he could breathe normally. "When is it?"
She gave him an evil smile. "That's actually the best part. It starts in-" she glanced at the clock on the wall. "-now." Ignoring his open mouth, she said, "You do have a Pokémon that knows Fly, right?"
Half an hour later Rosa and Hugh were ushered into Pokéstar Studios by an irritated-looking producer. His lead actress had shown up late and then had the audacity to brush it off like it was no big deal. Hugh snickered to himself. Sass was gifted to a rare few, and Rosa was one of them.
The movie was much better than he expected. Of course, for someone who didn't watch a lot of movies, Hugh didn't really have anything to compare it to. But this was amazing. Rosa played the antagonist, the Sneasel Ninja, who was trying to steal something called the dynamatronic engine. Veteran actor Brycen played the Mecha Cop who tried to stop her. They were both talented actors, but Hugh found it difficult to concentrate on their performances when the sight of Rosa in her ninja outfit was giving him a nosebleed.
"So? How was it?" asked Rosa, as the two departed from the theater, surrounded by hoards of adoring fans. "Did you like it?"
"It was great," replied Hugh nonchalantly, watching her sign autographs. Some fans had even brought gifts, which she happily accepted. He wiped his nose discreetly. "I didn't know you were this famous."
"Pssh," Rosa waved her hand in his face, pretending to be modest. "I'm doing alright, I guess." She turned towards him, her eyes shining. "Thanks for coming, Hugh. I know you don't really like this stuff, so it means a lot to me that you came."
"Uh, no problem, I guess," said Hugh sheepishly. The producer came and congratulated her, apparently forgetting all about the delay she caused earlier. She turned to him and gave him a sunny smile, which caused him to turn pink. It then occurred to him that she was probably waiting for him to compliment her. "You were amazing. And, um, that outfit looked good on you."
Rosa blushed, but said nothing. There was an awkward silence.
"Well, I should get going then," said Hugh slowly. He pulled out his Poké Ball. "I'll see you around."
"Wait!" said Rosa suddenly. She bit her lip furiously. "Um, I was thinking, if you aren't doing anything right now, maybe we could hang out?"
Hugh stared at her.
"I mean," Her face was tomato red now. "We hardly see each other anymore, and when we do, it's usually to kick some bad guy's butt. I just though, we never really hang out, you know? Like how we used to back in Aspertia." She put on her puppy-dog look.
"I-" Hugh struggled with a reply. He had actually set aside this day to train some more for the Pokémon World Tournament, but with Team Plasma and the movie, his plans were up in smoke now.
Plus, how could he say no to that adorable face?
"Sure," he found himself saying. "What do you have in mind?"
Her eyes sparkled. "I know just the place."
"You own this place?" said Hugh, his mouth open.
They were standing at the entrance to Join Avenue, the up and coming shopping street between Route 4 and Nimbasa City. The area was bustling with people and Pokémon alike. There was a restaurant, a mart, a beauty salon, a dojo, a flower shop and even a raffle shop. The area seemed quite popular and the visitors looked like they were enjoying themselves. Hugh's eyes bulged out of his head. Rosa owned this?
"It's not much, I know," said Rosa shyly. "I'm hardly around, since I'm so busy traveling and stuff, but-"
"Are you kidding me?" said Hugh incredulously. "This is awesome. Seriously," He turned towards her, his red eyes flashing. "You are the most amazing person I know. You have five gym badges, you're a movie star, you won the Driftveil Regional Tournament and you're a business woman. Not to mention the fact that you've kicked Team Plasma's ass AND mine every time we've battled."
Hugh bit his tongue. What was wrong with him? It wasn't like him to praise people so eloquently like this. Dammit. This girl was messing with his head.
"Hugh," Rosa was gazing up at him with eyes full of something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Admiration? Tenderness? Love? "Everything I've accomplished so far – all those things you mentioned – it's all thanks to you. You've been there for me throughout my journey…even though I haven't always been there for you. You're so passionate about beating Team Plasma and getting Hana's Purrloin back. I don't think I could ever be as dedicated as you. You're the one who's amazing."
He shook his head. This mushy emotional stuff was making him weak, filling his mind with thoughts about Rosa that probably shouldn't be there. Like how brighter everything else looked when she smiled. Like how his knees went weak went he caught a whiff of her scent. Like how the touch of her hand made his heart go thump thump thump, like he was back on the catwalk in the Nimbasa Gym.
He couldn't afford to get distracted. He knew his priorities – defeat Team Plasma and get Purrloin back. Everything else came later.
"Let's go," he said gruffly, trying to snap out of it.
"Over here." Rosa led him to a little restaurant called Deli Jasper. "Jasper makes this thing called the Friendly Drink that's like, the best thing I've ever tasted! Jasper!" she greeted the owner with her characteristic big smile.
"Ma'am," Jasper, who was only slightly older than Hugh, gave Rosa a wink. Hugh resisted the urge to unleash his rage on Jasper's face. "What can I get you today?"
"Two friendly drinks, please," she replied, waggling her fingers at him. "So how are you doing today?"
"It's been a good day, Ma'am," he said, getting their drinks ready. "Great crowd. I'll be able to upgrade the shop soon, I guess. All thanks to your generosity." He gave her a big smile.
"That's great news!" said Rosa happily. Hugh simmered slowly beside her. "Oh, by the way, this is my friend Hugh!" She motioned to the boy, who nodded at Jasper. Jasper stuck out his hand, but Hugh ignored him, instead choosing to grab his drink and walk away.
"Sorry about him," said Rosa hastily. "He's kinda moody. Thanks for the drinks, anyway." She slipped him some money and picked up her drink, before scampering off to join Hugh.
"That was rude," she stuck out her lower lip in annoyance. "You could have at least pretended to be nice!"
"Whatever," said Hugh, sipping on his drink noisily. He wanted to get as far away from Jasper as possible. "What else is there to do around here?"
"Well, we could go to the Raffle Shop, or the Mart, or…" she trailed off as he thought of something. "Wait! I have a better idea!"
"Yeah?" said Hugh, raising his eyebrows.
"I've always wanted to try it," she whispered. Her eyes gleamed. Hugh swallowed nervously.
She grabbed his wrist and sprinted down Join Avenue. "Come on!"
"Isn't it beautiful?" said Rosa excitedly.
There was a long line for the Rondez-View Ferris Wheel. Hugh and Rosa were smack dab in the middle of it, surrounded by simpering couples. The sun was close to setting and there was a romantic atmosphere in the air.
"I guess," said Hugh shortly. He didn't know why Rosa brought him here. What was she trying to tell him? That she liked him? No, that didn't make sense. Rosa had been his friend since forever. She probably didn't think of him as any more than a friend and maybe a rival. And chances were she was dating that Curtis guy anyway. Whoever he was.
Not that he cared, of course.
"Have you been here before?" she asked him, as they inched closer to the gate.
Hugh thought about it. "Well, Hana's been wanting to ride this for while now, but…" He gestured around them, embarrassed. "I don't really think I'm the kind of guy she should be bringing here."
Rosa gazed at him solemnly. "Do you ever think about that? Hana dating someone, I mean."
Hugh shoved his hands in his pockets. This was one of the thoughts he often tried ejecting from his head, along with his unfathomable feelings for his childhood friend. "I don't know. I wouldn't want her to, you know. She's only eleven. But I pity the fool who asks her out. 'Cause he'll have to go through me and my dad first."
Rosa shuddered. Hugh's dad was a black belt and not someone to be messed with.
"I wouldn't worry about that," said Rosa amiably. "If she's anything like you, she probably won't date until she's, like, thirty."
Hugh scowled and then followed her through the Ferris wheel gate. The operator guided them into one of the cars and shut the door. He gulped. The car was a lot smaller than he thought it would be.
Rosa was sitting opposite him. The space in the car was so little that their knees were practically smashed together. He grumbled inaudibly. Whoever designed this had done a really bad job.
"It's a tight fit, isn't it?" said Rosa, watching him. "You seem to be really uncomfortable."
He swallowed hard. What was he supposed to say? That the thought of sitting so close to her was making his stomach do somersaults? What would she make of that, anyway?
Rosa's blue eyes were worried. "We can leave if you want to-"
"No!" Hugh cut her off and shook his head violently. "Sorry. It's fine. I'm fine. It's okay. I can breathe. I can do this."
Rosa moved so that she was seated right next to him. She peered into his eyes. "Hugh," she said seriously. "Do you have claustrophobia?"
Hugh felt his temper rise. "Goddammit, woman, I said I'm fine!" He gripped the edges of the seat hard. The wave of anger disappeared just as suddenly as it came. "Rosa, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." He ran his fingers through his hair.
Instead of getting upset, his companion just nodded at him. "You said you're fine. I'll take your word for it, then." She stood up and moved to observe the view.
The wheel began moving. While Rosa stood by herself, Hugh was extremely confused. Rosa had always been his best friend. She was someone he could be comfortable with, with whom he could be himself. He had never thought of her as anything other than that. Now, it seemed like she was invading everything he did. She was on his mind when he trained. She was on his mind when he battled. She even managed to disturb him when he thought of Team Plasma, something he didn't think was possible.
Surely he didn't like her as more than a friend? It was Rosa, for crying out loud. Even if she did smell like flowers and her hair was as soft as a Minccino's fur and her eyes-
"This. Is. Awesome." breathed Rosa, derailing his train of thought. She turned to him. "Seriously, Hugh, you gotta see this!"
Hugh shrugged and stood up to join her. They were now standing shoulder-to-shoulder (although Hugh was much taller than Rosa) in the extremely cramped car. The complete layout of Nimbasa City was before them, lit up in the evening. It was breathtaking.
"I can't believe I'm finally on this thing," whispered Rosa reverently. "I've been wanting to ride it for so long. Curtis kept saying we'd go together, but he's always busy with work." She pressed her face up against the glass.
He sucked in his cheeks. Here was the window he'd been waiting for. "So, um, what's going on between you and this Curtis guy, anyway?" He tried to sound as casual as possible.
She wrinkled her nose. "Curtis? I don't know. I mean, sometimes I think he likes me. But he never seems to have the time to talk, let alone meet. Honestly? I don't think it's going anywhere." Her arms dropped sadly against her sides.
Hugh tried his best to stop his mouth from spreading out into a big grin. "That sucks," he replied, trying to sound sympathetic.
They were now at the top of the Ferris wheel. The stars were out and looked magical against the lit-up city. An Emolga glided across the park.
She shrugged. "Eh. It wasn't meant to be I guess. Guys are just so complicated. Besides, I don't need anyone right now. I have you, right?" She turned towards him and smiled.
The stars were reflected in her blue eyes, making her look even more beautiful than she already was.
His head was telling him to focus. The goal was simple – get stronger and take down Team Plasma.
"Me?" he whispered. He was now facing her. Everything around them seemed insignificant.
"Sure," she replied. Her eyes crinkled at the edges. "Why would I need Curtis when I have you?"
Do NOT get distracted, warned his head. That's all she is – a distraction.
Her hand found his. Gingerly, she curled her fingers around his. He found himself doing the same. Soon they were holding hands.
This wasn't like the time he held her hand and guided her through the sewers. This was different.
But sometimes, whispered a small voice in his heart. Some things are worth getting distracted for.
That's when Hugh realized it.
He was in love with Rosa.
