Chapter 11: VS Blaine
A/N: I can feel the climax waiting just a few chapters away! I'm dancing around in excitement, and so is (insert random name), who's my editor!
Disclaimer: I-
(insert random name), please get rid of that Disclaimer!
(insert random name): Yes, sir/madam (select one)!
Oh, and by the way, please get me a muffin.
...
Three hours after the challenge at the Saffron Gym...
"It's amazing how you just train and train like that," Pearl commented. He was in some open field with Platinum, Diamond, Paka and Uji.
Platinum nodded. "Thank you."
"It's the Cinnabar Gym next, right?" Paka asked.
"Yes," Platinum replied. "And the Gym Leader there, Blaine, specializes in Fire Pokémon."
"Okay..." Pearl thought it over. "Empoelon will be good for the match."
"But be careful," Uji added. "As her other type is Steel."
"Of course, Mr Uji," Platinum said. "Rapidash will be good as well, right?"
"Yes," Diamond replied between bites of his burger. "After all, you'll be fighting fire with fire!"
Paka and Uji chuckled, Platinum tried to hide her giggle (failed) while Pearl fell over.
"Focus on the task at hand!" Pearl said. "Yes, Rapidash will be great. I'll be lending you my Zelhiko too."
"Then let's get this show on the road!" Paka announced.
...
It was half an hour since the fifteenth round of Black Jack, and Blue was still holding onto her shrine of victory.
"What did you get?" she asked Sapphire.
"Blew it," Sapphire mumbled, almost crushing the card if it weren't for the fact that it was Blue's cards.
Blue bent over to see Sapphire's cards. Twenty-five. "Ouch," Blue said sympathetically.
"Eighteen," Red declared.
"T-Twenty-four," Yellow stammered.
"Thirty," Gold said with disbelief.
"Let me guess," Silver said. "You got two cards with each card's value was ten, and then you took another card, which was either a Jack, Queen, King or Ten."
Gold nodded miserably.
"Seventeen," Silver announced without any sort of emotion.
"Twenty-three," Emerald said.
Everyone looked at Blue, wondering if she'll win again or will she lose, for the first time in many rounds.
Of course she'll win. "Nineteen," she said.
...
The five of them found an apartment/hotel to bunk on for the night.
"Ah," Paka said. "Nothing beats lying on a sophisticated couch after a long day at work."
Yelling came from another room.
"This is not relaxing anymore with all this yelling," Paka grumbled. "Uji! Who's making this racket?"
"That'd be Missy Platinum and Pearl," Uji said. "Not that Pearl's a missy anyway," he added hastily.
Paka and Uji sighed in unison, and then turned to see Diamond's reaction. To their surprise, Diamond was peacefully chewing on a piece of garlic bread.
"You're a strong boy if you can tolerate the noise," Paka commented.
Diamond shrugged. "Don't mention it," he said. "Besides, I'm used to it. Hearing it gives me peace knowing some things just won't change. Not hearing it makes me suspicious and insecure."
Paka and Uji exchanged looks, then turned back to Diamond.
"What do you think they're arguing about now?" Uji asked.
Diamond paused his eating and listened carefully. "Something about getting cocky," he answered.
...
"How many times must I clarify this?!" Platinum trilled. "I do not get cocky! Maybe it is because you get cocky, but don't judge others by your proud standards!"
"Was that a touch of cockiness I had just heard?" Pearl shot back, smirking.
Platinum glared at him. "You must have hearing problems!"
Pearl's smirk evolved into a grin. "Ah ah!" he said. "No lying!"
"I wasn't lying!"
"But how can you be so sure?" Pearl asked playfully.
WHAM!
...
Paka, Uji and Diamond, who were outside the noisy room, were eavesdropping on the argument.
WHAM!
Paka and Uji cringed, while Diamond merely blinked. "Ah," Diamond said. "Sounds like Missy had hit Pearl with a pillow!" He sounded awed and impressed.
I didn't think she'd be capable of doing that! Uji thought.
...
"Ouch," Pearl said, wincing.
Platinum dropped the pillow, horrified. "Pearl! Are you okay? I'm sorry I hit you!"
Pearl continued wincing while Platinum removed a tube of cream from her dress pocket. She started applying the cream on Pearl's sore head.
Pearl blushed. "Ah, Missy!" he said. "What're you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Platinum replied. "You saved my life when I had a heart attack, so now I must pay you back by helping you apply cream on your sore head." His hair is quite silky and smooth, she mentally remarked.
...
"She had a heart attack?!" the PUD trio outside exclaimed.
Wait, Diamond thought. That means Pearl saved her by doing CPR on her. And if one does CPR... Diamond's heart clenched at the thought and he was suddenly filled with jealousy.
"Uh..." Paka said, waving his hand in from of Diamond. "Are you okay?"
"Hmm...? Oh yeah, I'm just floaty fine," he said. He placed his Pokéballs on his eyes, and removed his hat.
Paka and Uji chuckled.
...
Platinum quickly got her Empoleon out, after explaining to Blaine the usual stuff and blah blah blah.
"What a magnificent Empoleon you have!" Blaine exclaimed. "I'd expected nothing like that!" He released his Arcanine. "Arcanine! Fire Fang!"
"Ack!" Platinum cried. "Empoelon, use Hydro Pump! Do not hold back."
"Overheat!" Blaine shouted. "That'll evaporate the water in 'Hydro Pump' away, to ensure Arcanine won't take damage."
Platinum frowned. "Two can play at the game, you know!" she trilled. "First! Empoleon, use Mist!"
Great move, Pearl mentally remarked. It'll protect you from status-affecting attacks, or something like that.
"Next!" Platinum shouted. "Empoleon, Hyper Beam!"
"Arcanine, Protect!" Blaine yelled.
That failed?! Paka, Uji and Pearl thought incredulously.
As for Diamond, he was cluelessly drinking a can of soda.
...
"Why don't we play another game?" Blue suggested.
"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!" Emerald, Yellow, Red, Gold, Sapphire and even Silver shouted.
Blue smirked. "This will involve everyone."
Green sighed and walked over. Crystal looked up from the novel she was reading. "Huh?" she said. "Oh, sure." She walked over.
Ruby looked up from his sewing. "As long as it's beautiful."
Sapphire grabbed his wrist and dragged him down next to her. "I won't let you chicken out," she said firmly.
"So!" Emerald said cheerfully. "Senior Blue, what's this game?"
"Truth-or-dare."
...
"I won't give up just because my attack failed!" Platinum trilled.
"That's the spirit!" Pearl yelled encouragingly.
"How're you going to attack?" Blaine was curious. "Oh well... Arcanine! Flamethrower!"
Platinum was ready. "Swords-"
"I won't let you do that!" Blaine exclaimed. "Double Team! Arcanine, then use Flamethtorwer!"
"If that's your strategy," Platinum said. "Guess I'll have to- Ugh!"
She got dizzy! Pearl thought with horror. How can she attack when she's dizzy?!
...
Everyone else started to panic. They realised they shouldn't have agreed to play!
Blue got out a spoon from her bag.
"Is that the Spoon of Destiny?" Red asked cautiously.
"No," Blue replied. "This is an ordinary spoon. Don't tell me you always eat with the Spoon of Destiny?"
"Nah..." Red sweat-dropped at the very notion of the idea.
Blue wasted no time and spun the spoon. "Looks like it's Sapphire," Blue said.
"Who's daring or asking me?" Sapphire asked.
"Me." Blue grinned.
Uh-oh. "I choose... Dare," Sapphire said after a while.
Knew it. "I dare you to..." Blue paused to think. "Wear lipstick for the rest of the day."
To other girls, this dare won't be so bad. But since it's Sapphire who's carrying out the dare, it seemed rather unreasonable.
Ruby's eyes were shining. "Here." He handed Sapphire a tube of lipstick.
Sapphire made a face and swatted it away. "I don't wanna use your lipstick!" she exclaimed with disgust. "Who knows what has touched it?! Besides, what are you doing carrying lipstick around?" she added.
Ruby puffed up his chest. "To groom my Pokémon."
"That's stupid."
"That's cuz you're a barbarian."
Blue sighed. "Here, Sapphire," she said, handing Sapphire a tube of un-opened lipstick. "Use this."
Sapphire grudgingly took it and stalked to the female bathroom.
Three minutes later, she walked out, wearing a faint hint of the lipstick.
"You're not even wearing any lipstick!" Ruby exclaimed. "That mere hint doesn't count!"
"Senior Blue will be the judge of that," Sapphire said scathingly.
Blue stroked her chin. "I approve!"
...
"Arcanine!" Blaine shouted. It was distant to Platinum. "Use Fire Fang, then Hidden Power!"
Platinum gritted her teeth. I must determine where Arcanine is, before attacking!
"Arcanine!" Blaine yelled. "Step up the heat and use Flamethrower!"
Come on, Platinum! Platinum thought as she gripped her head in agony. You had fought against an opponent whose location you did not know! Think... what had you done?
Platinum managed to recall. "There is a way for me to discern where Arcanine is!"
"Bring it on!" Blaine said.
Platinum arched her arm, stuck her thumb and index finger into the 'loser' sign, and flipped her hand over as though she was playing with the roulette. There it is! The darkest shadow... is where the real Arcanine is! "I see it! Empoleon, Hydro Pump!"
Everyone else gasped and watched Arcanine go down and faint...
"Oh, so you determined where the real Arcanine was by looking at the darkest shadow," Blaine said, sweat-dropping. "Oh well. Since you've won, here's the Volcano Badge! As proof of your strength."
As Platinum pinned the badge to her scarf, a question struck her. "Mr Blaine," she said. "Do you know anything about Team Copper?"
...
"Okay!" Blue said. "Sapphire, you can choose the next person."
Sapphire nodded and spun the spoon. It pointed to Ruby.
"Uh... Um..." Ruby's smile faltered slightly.
"Ruby." Sapphire's voice was like steel. "Truth or dare?"
Best if I play safe. "Truth," he replied.
"Okay," Sapphire said slowly. "Do you remember what happened on Mirage Island?"
...
"Hmm..." Blaine stroked his fake mustache. "Yes, I have..."
"Well?" Platinum was waiting.
"I know their leader!" Blaine said. "The leader is-"
He was interrupted by lava spilling out. "Oops, tell you later!" He rushed out to stop the volcanic flow.
He returned ten minutes later, sweating as he adjusted his fake mustache.
"So, who's the leader?" Pearl asked hastily.
Blaine closed his eyes, trying to recall. "Sorry, kiddo. I must've forgotten while trying to stop the volcanic flow."
"Oh." Platinum's shoulders slumped.
"I must tell you." Blaine looked at her seriously. "The leader is very, very strong. It'd be unwise for you to rush down to battle him or her without undergoing proper training."
"That is exactly why I am challenging the Kanto Gyms," Platinum explained. "If there is nothing I can do but to wait, I will use that time to train!"
Blaine nodded approvingly. "Good..."
...
Ruby froze. "Uh... Um..."
Blue elbowed him. "Come on. You know you remember!"
I should've known better, Ruby thought, his shoulders slumping.
"Well?!" Sapphire shouted. "Is it yes, or no?!"
Ruby took a deep breath. "Er... Yeah... I remember just saying you love me and I love you... Nothing more."
Sapphire's cheeks heated up. She leaned forward and kissed Ruby on the cheek.
...
A/N: This chapter is so long! I love it!
Ooh lala! A Franticshipping hint! I knew Ruby remembered all along. But I'm not sure if he actually remembers in the Manga. Oh well.
Review, and I will tell (insert random name) to buy you some coffee! Wait, you're too young to drink coffee. Oh well.