CHAPTER TWELVE
The Rhydon bouncer let us in with no trouble once we had our papers. We slid past the velvet rope and he opened up the grand oak doors.
Everything was beautiful, the wide ballroom decorated with golden streamers and elegantly glittering chandeliers. The marble floor was so clean you could see your reflection and a shiny wooden dance floor took up a sixth of the enormous room, hints of classical musical drifting through the vicinity. Opulent red curtains hung in the back, gold tapestries hanging proudly. Next to the curtains there were two busy doors and a roped off area. A spiral staircase curled around the corner and an important looking Arbok was guarding it.
The most impressive thing, though, was undoubtedly the Pokémon. They were everywhere, covering the whole room like a rainbow. While a majority were from Kanto I saw hundreds from different regions. A Noctowl conversed with a Staravia, an Absol danced with a Pancham, a Minccino lounged under the stairs. They were everywhere and they were innumerable.
"Attention," said a voice on a loudspeaker, "This is your hourly reminder requesting that you refrain from eating other guests. We thank you for your cooperation."
A Seviper spitefully spit out a soggy Sentret.
"It's amazing," I whispered to myself.
I wandered over to the crowded doors and passed a gorgeous fountain, the centerpiece of the ballroom. It was made of marble and pictured a Servine nestling underneath a willow tree. The tree's branches were loaded with Jumpluff, Sunkern, and even Shaymin. A creature who appeared to be half human and half Gogoat merrily played a flute beside them, water gracefully flowing out of the instrument.
Several water types were swimming in the crystal water that surrounded it. Denari curiously eyed the glimmering coins at the bottom and began to reach for them, then jumped back when his paw hit the water.
"Come on," I said with a laugh, "Let's go look at those doors!"
Holding paws, we walked to them together. Upon inspection I saw the paper taped on one door had pictures of meat; the other door's paper depicted vegetables. Strange human marks were written above each.
"Carnivores and vegetarians," Denari told me. Immediately he pulled me into the carnivore room.
A lavish buffet was set up, silver salvers revealing exotic dishes. There was a roasted Tepig with an apple in its mouth, tender Farfetch'd with chopped leeks, sautéed Miltank with wild mushrooms, fillet of Feebas, Vanilluxe ice cream with Cherubi on top and much, much more.
Denari looked like an ecstatic little kid and I tried to hide the blooming repulsion in my stomach. Dead, beady little eyes stared at me from all directions. Denari came back with a tray piled with every kind of fish Pokémon you could imagine.
"Try this!" he said happily, thrusting a slimy lump of meat at me.
"No thanks," I replied, backing out of the doorway.
"What? You're an omnivore, aren't you? You might never get to have this stuff again!"
"After somebody viciously killed a Beedrill I've decided to become a vegetarian."
"You're still hung up about that? It was one Beedrill and I had good reasons!"
"Well," I retorted, "Maybe if you'd tell me these reasons…"
"If you really want to be like that, doll face, then it's your loss."
He resumed his sloppy eating and I irately went into the vegetarian door. There were a lot more Pokémon in this one, yet it was much calmer and a wave of relaxation filled the space. The tables were full of crunchy salads and freshly picked berries.
Much better.
I picked up a particularly large and sweet berry. I was about to eat it when something brushed against my leg. In my surprise I dropped it, pink juice splattering all over the ground.
"I'm sorry," the Rattata who bumped against me said, her voice squeaking in fear.
Behind her I saw two Squirtle. A Butterfree and Pidgey flitted around the room.
A pang of regret washed over me and my appetite slunk away. I ignored the fearful rat and went to look at the fountain.
Where were Kasey and the others now? Did they ever think about me? I may not mention it, but I certainly think about them.
I noticed another Cubone awkwardly shuffling around. He looked hunched over and very uncomfortable.
"Hello!" I said, striding forward to make causal conversation.
The moment he laid eyes on me he ran away, disappearing into the crowd in a panic.
"The heck?" I muttered to myself.
I went to look for Denari and saw a very unpleasant sight. He stood a bit away from the carnivore door… surrounded by throngs of females. He said something I couldn't quite hear and they all laughed.
Fuming, I stormed over, pushing away the hordes that blocked my path. I'm pretty sure I trampled a young Sandshrew along the way. Eh, you win some you lose some.
I finally made my way down the long hall and could clearly make out a Nidorina getting far too close for comfort. I was about to have a brief word with the vapid competition when a Glameow strutted up, her skinny hips swinging from side to side. Immediately the other girls scurried away.
"Hello," the Glameow said seductively, a faint accent on her silky words. "My name is Rosalinda."
"H-hi," Denari stammered. "Namedenari is name, er, I mean.…yeah."
"Well then, Namedenari, I must tell you that you are unbelievably handsome." She snuggled up against him and purred, causing him to redden, yet tolerate it. Why was he tolerating it? Why was he stumbling on his words?
As Rosalinda rubbed against him she expertly unwound her corkscrew tail and wrapped it around his neck.
Oh no. Oh, hell no.
I marched right over there and yanked the scrawny Glameow away.
"How dare you!" Rosalinda hissed, baring her prissy fangs. "You skull-headed, uncultured, uncivilized—"
I threw back my bone club and slammed it with all the strength I could muster on the top of the bitch's head. She crumpled immediately, like a dainty piece of paper.
"Why… why would you do that?" Denari exclaimed.
"You're right, that was wrong. It would have been much better if I said something witty before hitting her."
"You just knocked her out! In the middle of a fancy party!"
"Oops," I said with a roll of my eyes.
"Summer—I mean, Sparkles, this is serious!"
"Okay, okay, I'll take care of it," I said with a sigh, draping the Glameow over my shoulder. I walked over to a large window. It was next to what looked like a large canvas smeared with random blotches.
"How is this art?" I snorted.
"How is it not art? It's magnificent," a nearby Doduo gushed.
"Simply exquisite," the Doduo's other head added.
"Imported from Johto, straight from the desk of Jose E. Smeargle himself!" the first head said with a dreamy sigh.
"Why do you have an unconscious feline on your shoulder?" asked the second head.
I roughly shook off Rosalinda's body and it slid out of the window.
"What about a feline?" I said, then walked away and ignored the two head's agape beaks.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw an Arbok, the Arbok, watching me. The important looking Arbok. He had clearly seen everything. He was too far away to see facial details, (or in my case, helmet details) but he'd figure out who I was. I was screwed. He would kick me out for misconduct. I would never be allowed in Team Rocket. Any second now he would slither over and tell me I had to leave.
But no.
Instead, out of all things, he smiled, then hissed contently and left. Confused and mildly scared, I scoped out Denari. I found him sitting in the corner with a suspiciously wry smile.
"Are you okay?" I questioned.
Immediately he leaped up. "It's because you're jealous, isn't it? It's because you were jealous of her talking to me."
"What? Don't be insane! I'm classified as the lonely Pokémon, I don't get jealous about that stuff."
"I'm sorry, doll face, we all know you don't act like a regular Cubone. Too talkative, too stubborn to admit I'm truth is… you like me."
"What? W-why would I like you anyway?"
"You stuttered! That proves it!"
My face was going hot under my skull helmet. Did I like him? Subconsciously, without thinking about it, did I honest to Mew like him?
Why would I like you anyway? For starters, he was really attractive. Plus, for no reason whatsoever, he helped me with my journey. He battled beside me and put up with my craziness and stupidity and amnesia. Would any Pokémon not like someone who did that?
There was a very long pause and I slowly lowered my helmet so it would shield my view. Anything but a horrible and awkward eye contact.
"Dance with me, sweetheart," Denari said.
"Huh? I can't dance! I'm a Cubone, not a Bellossom!"
"Please, Sparkles. I've never even tried before. Do it for me?"
He proceeded to make the most adorable begging face I have ever seen. He cocked his head and sagged his ears, expanding his watery eyes. The worst part was that he knew I wouldn't be able to resist it, but he was too cute for me to be pissed.
"Fine," I grumbled. "One dance."
A/N: The description in this chapter was ridiculously fun to write. So there's no answers yet, but next chapter there *might* be. Expect a fast update as a present. Also, don't fret, the romance in this story won't get so corny that you'll want to puke. Sparkles is a strong independent Cubone who don't need no man.
