Brock and Ash were making their way to second period, rounding a corner and making a pit stop to their lockers for the correct textbooks.
"This is awful," Brock started. "You've been dissed, trampled, humiliated, stomped on."
The two arrived at their lockers and punched in their combinations. Still, Brock continued to narrate Ash's lament.
"Your heart's just been, like, torn out and ground up in—"
"I get it, okay?!" Ash screamed.
His anger quickly dissipated when an envelope fell from the top of his locker. Ash scanned the hallways for whomever this secret admirer could be. Chocolate eyes stopped when they noticed Misty smiling fondly at him from across the hallway.
"Hey, Misty." She pushed off the wall and made her way over to him.
"You didn't happen to see who put this in my locker, did you?" Ash continued to ask.
Misty had a playful smile on and shrugged. "Why? What is it?"
Ash tore open the flap and pulled out two pieces of paper. "Tickets," he answered, peering closer to read the print. "To see Diantha, Champion of Kalos."
Beside him, Brock piped up. "Oh, Diantha? She's the first champion to use mega evolutions. Super selective though. She picks the trainers she wants to battle. Rumor has it that she purposefully picks trainers weaker than her, so she can keep the champion title. Diantha is more of a primadonna than a champion, in my opinion."
Misty played along. "Yeah, Diantha is a pretty lame Champion. I don't even know why she's fighting against Cynthia—"
"What?"
"What?"
Brock examined the tickets closer to make sure they were legit. "Hold on, how did you know about this? The Pokémon World Tournament hasn't even posted about this match yet and I'm a regular subscriber to their website and newsletter."
Misty shrugged. "Well, my parents are the gym leaders in Cerulean City. They always give me the tournament tickets because they're too busy running the gym to go. Apparently, it's a super lowkey battle. Only those with special connections got tickets."
Ash was still frozen in place, the envelope threatening to slip from his hands. "Oh, my Arceus. Cresselia, pinch me I must be dreaming."
Misty giggled into her palm. "I bet the battle is even more amazing in person."
Brock exclaimed, "Are you kidding? This is the match-up of the decade. Where are our seats?"
Ash and Misty traded glances between each other and Brock.
The rock-type specialist registered the situation and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Ah, I get it. This is like a 'you guys' thing."
Ash was washed away in a tidal wave of guilt.
Brock then clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Just get me a t-shirt or…something."
The raven-haired boy smiled, glad that he had such an understanding best friend like Brock. "Definitely!"
X.X.X
May was spending her study hall in the library. Her Skitty bounced after her as she strolled through the aisles for a book.
"Ugh, do all assigned books have to be so torturously boring?"
May peeked her head around the bookcase and found a boy holding a small paperback. He wore a white bandana and was decked out in black cargo shorts and a burgundy shirt. He looked familiar. Maybe they had gym together?
Her curious blue eyes peeked over his shoulder and saw the classical literature.
"Oof, this is rough. Ethan Frome?" She asked.
The boy turned around and gave her a similar expression. "The worst!" He leaned back on his leg. "Guy falls in love with his wife's cousin, goes sledding with her, she winds up paralyzed." He rolled his eyes. "Snore."
May let out a genuine laugh. "That is an incredibly accurate plot summary."
The two stood in comfortable silence before the bell ringing brought them out of their trance. The boy turned to leave but May quickly stopped him.
"Hey, you don't happen to have a date to prom, do you?"
He looked around for a second before realizing she was talking to him. "Me?"
May nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I know it's a crazy thing to just ask—"
He quickly interrupted her. "No, I think it's cool, especially because you took initiative. Sometimes girls end up in prom alone because they did just ask the guy."
May's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. Could he be the one?
She held out a hand. "I don't think we've ever talked before. I'm May."
He shook her hand. "Brendan."
May wrung her hands in her sleeves before asking, "So, what do you say, Bren? Prom?"
Brendan offered her a small smile. "Well, it could be fun. You seem nice."
May mentally fist pumped.
"But I already have a date."
May mentally stopped.
Brendan was quick to correct himself. "I mean. We're just friends. We're going as friends, but prom's Saturday. I can't cancel now."
May nodded although she felt utterly defeated. "Yeah, no, I underst…yeah."
Brendan seemed to apologize to her using his eyes. "It's too bad. If only we'd met sooner, you know?"
"Yeah."
Sparing herself further humiliation, she began to walk off.
"Isn't funny how you can go to school with somebody for so long and not even meet them til now?" Brendan pondered out loud.
May stopped in her tracks and smiled at him. "Yeah. Funny."
Brendan held up the book. "Like sledding."
"And getting paralyzed."
X.X.X
*Pacific Blue by Emily Zeck
Misty had just gotten home and had taken a shower after afternoon swimming practice. Her outfit consisted of grey sweatpants and a blue oversized shirt. She was drying her hair with a towel when the doorbell rang.
Opening the door, she was surprised to see absolutely no one, but an empty driveway. She looked down and there was a lone envelope on the floor with her name encircled by a heart. Her hands unfolded the note before reading it:
"Misty:
Prom?
Bring me your answer."
"Togepi!"
"Zzzz…"
Misty glanced to her left and right. An adorable Togepi held a notecard that said 'yes' and a sleeping Snorlax had the notecard that said 'no' taped on its side. She cracked a smile at this clever promposal.
Footsteps made their way up the pavement, causing Misty to glance up.
Red had appeared from his hiding spot behind a car. He was now jogging up her porch steps to meet her in her doorway.
Misty shook her head but had a small smile on her face. "What are you doing?"
Red shrugged. "Can't a guy ask a girl to prom?"
"I thought you were taking Yellow," Misty deadpanned.
"It's over."
Misty had to do a double take and replay the words in her head just so she can truly understand them.
Red continued. "I ended it for real."
Misty was in disbelief. "Red, I—"
"I mean, if you want to think about it, you can just bring your answer to school tomorrow," Red suggested with a playful smile.
Misty crossed her arms as a challenging smirk came on her face. "You do know I can just put them in a pokéball, right?"
"You can't because they're mine. I have their pokéballs here." True to his word, Red pulled out Togepi and Snorlax's red and white spheres. Misty's smirk dropped.
Togepi waddled to Misty's legs and was jumping up and down. The ginger-haired girl allowed a soft smile to appear on her face. Smoothly, she bent down and gathered the Egg Pokémon into her arms.
Red stepped closer to her. "You can keep her," he said, holding her hand and placing the pokéball into her open palm. He added while sincerely looking into her aquamarine eyes, "I'd love to battle you sometime."
Misty allowed a big and bright smile to spread across her face. She gently let the Togepi down on the floor before jumping up to hug Red.
X.X.X
*Come Fly With Me by Frank Sinatra
"I wonder if they'll be too high…" Dawn trailed off. She was standing in front of her full-length mirror with her prom dress held in front of her. On her feet were white 6-inch pumps with a 2-inch platform. It had an ankle strap with a petite, decorative white flower.
Leaf and May smirked at each other from their positions around the room. When Dawn starts thinking about fashion, everything else can wait.
The three girls were hanging out at Dawn's house. Leaf was smoothing out Togekiss' feathers while May laid on her stomach on Dawn's queen-sized bed, engrossed in a magazine. Dawn's stereo was playing soft tunes as the girls gossiped and generally planned out their prom nights.
"I don't wanna be taller than him…" The bluenette murmured.
Leaf and May were about to scoff and say that no matter how tall the heels Dawn wore, she would always be so adorably tiny. That was until they registered what she had said.
"Wait…"
"What?!"
"Taller than who?"
"You got a prom date, and this is the first we're hearing about it?!"
Dawn giggled at her friends' reactions to the bomb being dropped. She turned back to her reflection. "He hasn't asked me yet, but…" she smoothed out the fabric of her dress, "…tomorrow is our last day working together, and I think he's going to."
Leaf looked at May. "Is she talking about Paul Shinji?" She turned her gaze to Dawn. "Are you talking about Paul Shinji?"
May sat up to her knees and squealed, "Wow! Dawn likes bad boys."
Leaf and Dawn met May on Dawn's bed, plopping down on the plush mattress together.
"Who knew?"
"You rebel!"
"It's more than that!" Dawn started to protest. "I've never felt like this before."
May and Leaf smiled at each other.
Johanna was climbing the stairs up to Dawn's room. She had been watching the contest digest when the oven dinged, signifying the end of the cookies' bake time. She let them cool for 30 minutes before deciding to get her daughter and her friends. Johanna and her Glameow stood before the closed door and were about to knock on the door when she heard the girls talking.
"You and Paul Shinji…I don't believe it."
*Music Fades Out
"Yeah, no one will."
"Why not?"
"Because you're you and he's…"
"And he's not exactly like Lucas."
"He's kind of on the other side of the planet from Lucas."
"Yeah!"
"Well, maybe that stuff isn't important as I thought it was." Johanna held up a hand to her heart. Surely, that couldn't be Dawn saying that! "Maybe there's more to a person than being valedictorian or class president."
"Awww!"
Johanna shook her head. She couldn't let this boy ruin her daughter's future.
With a nod to Glameow, Johanna went back down the stairs and fetched her coat by the door. She had some business to attend to.
X.X.X
Paul felt giddy all throughout his nightshift.
His job at night was working at the Veilstone gym, bringing in supplies such as drinks, mats, punching bags, and anything else that Maylene needed. However, Maylene did allow him to take a short break, so Paul strolled over to the nearest convenience store and bought a candy necklace. It was light blue, pink, and pale yellow. It matched her dress perfectly.
Paul stuffed into the pocket of his coat as he arrived at the back of the gym. His Electivire and Weavile were still carrying the boxes of revives in as Torterra used Frenzy Plant to hoist the heavier materials in. Paul thought it best to help his Pokémon finish the job, so he could get home quicker and rest. Tomorrow would be the last day he and Dawn work on prom. He was going to prompose then.
The purple-haired teen stacked a crate of Super Potions onto a trolley before making his way through the back entrance of the gym.
"Paul?"
He stopped and turned around, surprised to find Mrs. Berlitz there. His Pokémon raised an eyebrow, wary of any trouble. Paul only shook his head and dismissed them.
He placed the trolley on its stand before replying, "Mrs. Berlitz, hey…"
"I came to talk about Dawn," Johanna stated.
Paul came closer. "Is she alright?"
Johanna winced at the obvious concern laced in his tone.
She nodded. "Yes, she's fine. In fact, she's…she's better than fine."
Paul raised an eyebrow, prodding her elaborate and so she did.
"Top of her class, full scholarship next year, big plans."
"I know."
Of course, he knew. She wanted to be a Top Coordinator, but she also considered Poké Styling and Battling. Dawn could do it all. He knew this. He encouraged her. He was…proud of her.
"Okay, you know," Johanna started, "But maybe you don't know how much work she's done to get where she is. She's in the home stretch now," Johanna paused. "And that's where you come in. Right at the end."
Paul shook his head. "You don't even know me."
"No, I…" she trailed off, "I do know you." Johanna steeled herself. She was about to revisit some painful memories. "Dawn's father, he was just like you…struggling to get by, angry at the world. No plans for the future."
Paul cast his gaze at the pavement. That…he didn't know that. Dawn always refused to talk about her father. She mentioned him once during her outburst at him. Never again.
"You might even figure it out," Johanna's voice broke him out of his reverie. She was looking at him with steely eyes. "But it isn't fair to drag Dawn down while you do."
Paul didn't know how to feel. On one hand, he wanted to prove her wrong. He had been using spite as motivation for his entire life and it worked out great. But Dawn was added to this situation, now. If he was going down, he didn't wanna drag Dawn with him.
She belonged in the light, in the sun, where she could do great things and make a difference. And him, he'll stay in cold, dark Veilstone, where he'll waste away into nothing.
"So, if you care about her as much as I think you do," Johanna started, "You won't be the one that holds her back."
She disappeared into the night and Paul was left with a million thoughts about the girl who once meant nothing to him.