~ Meteor Mashed! ~
As the sun set lower in the sky, Lopunny saw the pairings who weren't already in the Dance Zone enter from various directions.
Pairing 1: Breloom x Braixen came from the direction of the Power Zone, the latter seeming to be holding something green in her paws.
Pairing 2: Treecko x Amelia came from the direction of the Cake Zone. Lopunny thought she saw something dark blue tucked behind the Umbreon's ear.
Pairing 3: Oshawott x Lizzy came from the Cake Zone, where they'd popped out of the poster portal from the Beach Cove. They were talking animatedly.
Pairing 4: Staraptor x Tori simply dropped out of the sky in front of Chandelure's tent. Staraptor did a last loop-the-loop before landing, Tori cheering in excitement.
Pairing 5: Roselio x Storm jumped out of the poster portal right in the Dance Zone because they'd taken it from the Arbor Area. After them came Pairing 10: Hypno x Snivy, still chatting up a storm. Behind them trailed Darwin. She was wearing a forlorn expression on her face and had her roses folded in front of her. Her footsteps were heavy and glum.
Pairing 6: Nile x Cleffy also jumped out of the poster portal from the Arbor Area some time later. They seemed to be having fun chatting. Surprisingly, Cleffy didn't look as shy as she had been when she first met Nile.
Pairing 7: Gremlin x Froslass didn't have to go anywhere. They were already waiting in the Dance Zone, still talking about their misadventures in the Dance Inferno. Both were laughing... even Froslass.
Pairing 8: Rem x Lombre came from the direction of the Cake Zone also. Lombre was holding and munching on a cupcake. They were joking around, of course involving a lot of Spanish words, sarcastic comments, and shoulder-punching.
The updated Pairing 9 also didn't need to go anywhere else. Tepig and Altaria were still on their bench - they'd never really left except for the time they'd stood up to grab some popcorn.
Once everyone was there, it was time for Lopunny to end the Meteor Mash-up.
"Welcome back, Meteor Mash-up participants!" she called into the microphone. "Boy, it's been quite an eventful day, hasn't it?"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Everyone was smiling - that is, everyone but Darwin.
Up in front, Lopunny grinned. "I've been watching you guys," she said. "I had my... means. Yep, I saw everything unfold." At this, Lopunny saw Rem and Lombre look at each other meaningfully.
She went on, "But I gotta say, I've totally been loving how you've been spending the day. Most, if not all, started out awkward, but it only took till a bit before midday to make me all gushing and fangirling. Have a round of applause!" She clapped her hands, and everyone followed suit.
"I hope you all learned something about yourselves today, aside from knowing someone new, because that's also what the Meteor Mash-up is about."
Lopunny looked around at all the faces. They all looked happy - that is, everyone but Darwin.
"Finally," she said, "I hope you all had fun today! You may have learned new things about yourself and your Meteor Mash-up friend, but it wouldn't have meant anything if you didn't have fun!"
Everyone cheered and clapped.
"That's all for today!" Lopunny finally ended her speech. "See you all next year!"
Everyone clapped louder - that is, everyone but Darwin. And as Lopunny got off her small stage, this year's Meteor Mash-up officially ended.
...
After that, some of the Pokémon went home after exchanging some last words. They said, "See you next time!" but no one said goodbye.
After a while, the only ones left in front of Chandelure's tent were Team Red Bow, Team Overgrow, Team PokéPark, Darwin, Hypno, and Altaria. Roselio's group was chatting to one another. Hypno was still chatting with Snivy; Altaria with Tepig. Darwin stood in one corner, looking sullen.
The Roserade was staring at the ground with her arms folded in front of her when someone said her name in an annoyingly uncertain way.
"Uh... Darwin?"
She looked up to see Tepig staring up at her. He was shuffling his hooves and looked as if he was wondering what to say next.
For a moment that actually felt like ages, no one said anything.
And suddenly they both blurted out, "I'm sorry."
Darwin sighed and sank down until she was at eye level with the fire pig.
"Look, it's my fault," she said. "It's my fault that I believed in such things; my fault that I was so sure I'd get paired up with him. I guess I was immature and I'm really sorry. Can you forgive me for being such a pain today, Tepig?"
Tepig touched one of her roses. "I forgive you," he said. "I understand and I forgive you. I'm also really sorry for having called you by the wrong name earlier." He grimaced.
"That was my fault, too." Darwin laughed bitterly. "I can't expect everyone to know my nickname. You don't have to apologize because that was also my fault and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I was a prick."
"Hey! You can stop apologizing now."
"Huh. OK. I'm sorry," Darwin said softly.
After that, both were silent. Tepig's hoof was still lying on Darwin's red rose. No one said anything for a long time.
The silence was broken by a voice.
"Oi, Darwynette."
Darwin's head snapped up as she automatically wore a glaring expression, which promptly disappeared when she saw who it was.
"Hypno?" she cried out in disbelief, then frowned. "I thought you were having such a lot of fun chatting with Snivy."
The Psychic-type shrugged. "I was wondering whether you'd like to go out tomorrow afternoon."
Tepig's hoof was tapping her rose meaningfully as her face lit up. "Go out...?"
"Yeah," Hypno said nonchalantly. "I'll pick you up at your house at four, then we'll go and stroll in the Pokémon Square. I can show you some of my hypnotism tricks."
Darwin was smiling, but it was nowhere near stupid and fan-girly.
Look at him, she thought. He's been ignoring me all day and now he's acting as if I said I would go out with him.
Her reply surprised both Hypno and Tepig.
"Sorry, I can't." She smiled sweetly. "I'm afraid I already have a date with Altaria tomorrow. We're going to have a picnic at the beach. Maybe some other time?"
"Uh... OK." Hypno seemed to not believe what she'd just said.
Darwin wasn't finished yet. She tilted her head. "Oh, and I'd like to make this clear once again that it's Darwin and not Darwynette, merci!"
Hypno blinked and finally, what Darwin had said seemed to register in his mind.
"OK, so some other time," he said. "I'll call you."
Darwin made sure to act as if she was thinking it over. Finally, she gave in and said, "Oh, all right."
Hypno turned and started to walk away when he suddenly stopped. "Oh, and another thing."
He turned to look back at Darwin. His eyes stared straight into her own.
"I just want to say that I don't understand why you don't like the name Darwynette," he said. "I think it sounds pretty, like the name of a French queen in our history textbook who got beheaded. Darwin sounds like the name of the bearded Alakazam who talked about natural selection and evolution and stuff. I think Darwynette is a pretty name fit for a Pokémon like you. That's all."
He turned around again and walked away.
Darwin was left staring after him, Tepig's hoof tapping away conspiratorially on her red rose.
...
When Darwin and Tepig rejoined the others (minus Hypno), they were talking about what they'd learned during the Meteor Mash-up.
"I learned a new card game. I'm pretty good at it, mind you," Oshawott boasted.
"Boy, how I learned that looks can be deceiving." Breloom shook his head.
"I learned that everyone has knowledge, only that they may be of different things," Froslass concluded. "And that letting go and having fun and laughing out loud once in a while is essential."
"I discovered the beauty of physics," Staraptor sighed with a goofy smile on his face.
"I learned of a different battle strategy," Roselio began, then grimaced. "Oh, and now I know what not to do when interacting with thugs."
Everyone stared at him for a moment with horrified expressions. When he didn't seem to realize anything, they blinked and moved on.
"I finally found an opponent who's my level when it comes to food fights," Lombre said.
Everyone stared again, but Lombre glared back and snapped, "What?"
"Well, what did you learn today, Treecko?" Tepig quickly changed he subject, but the wood gecko only said, "I... I'd rather not say." His face was interestingly redder than green.
Unnoticed by everyone, someone else was also standing there with a beetroot red face. Cleffy Clefairy was glad no one brought any attention to herself by asking her what she'd learned.
Oh, but how she'd learned! She'd learned from Nile, then had chatted with Darwin. She'd learned about courage, confidence, and what would happen if you didn't have enough of them to express herself: she'd end up like Darwin, taking the winding route only to realize that what lay at the end of the road wasn't quite what she'd wanted. She had to shoot for the moon, and if she missed, well, at least she'd tried, right?
Just do it, Cleffy.
"Roselio," she'd blurted out before she could fully process what she was doing. To her added horror, it came out louder than she'd expected, causing everyone to turn and look at her. Her face instantly went even redder, and she felt like kicking herself.
Ugh, why do I have to be so stupid as to say it in front of everyone? I could have waited until we're alone.
But it was too late to turn back now.
Just do it.
"Umm... would you mind... y-you know... g-going out to Spinda's Juice Bar to g-get some smoothies with me t-tomorrow?" She played with her fingers and looked down at her feet because she didn't have enough guts to look at him. She quickly added, "Uh, it's OK if you decline, though... I know y-you're b-busy with you being a rescue team leader and all that, so I t-totally understand if you d-don't want to... I'm s-sorry! I d-don't know exactly how busy you are, so... I'm sorry..."
"Sure," said Roselio.
Cleffy was about to apologize again when she froze. "Wh-what...? D-did you just...?"
"Sure, I'll go out with you!" Roselio repeated brightly.
Cleffy's mouth was wide open. She didn't expect him to accept her invitation this easily. OK, she didn't even think he'd accept it in the first place.
Although many thoughts were swirling about in her head, the only thing she could force out was a pathetic "B-but why?"
Roselio frowned in confusion. "Why?" he repeated blankly, followed by a laugh. "You're funny. Why would I not want to go out with you, Clef?"
"...Oh." A goofy smile took over Cleffy's red face. "Uh, OK. N-no reason, I guess... ahaha..." She cleared her throat. "OK, t-tomorrow, then...!"
Meanwhile, the others had been watching the whole scene unfold with eyes as big as saucers and mouths wide open. They certainly hadn't expected this.
...Well, that is, everyone but a certain Roserade. She mostly hung back with her arms folded in front of her, but there was a most meaningful smile playing on her lips.
»̶✽«̶
...
Team Red Bow went back to Treasure Town with Darwin and Altaria. However, Staraptor wished they didn't because the Roserade was skipping more enthusiastically and energetically than a Vigoroth on sugar high. (In short, totally uncool.)
Roselio grinned as he walked beside his sister. "Vous etes super content! You're really happy," he observed.
Darwin did a pirouette. "Oui, oui!" she sang. "He asked me out! Do you know what that means, mon frère très sympa? That means he likes me!" She sighed. "And he said he liked my name! Do you know what that means, my dear brother?"
"Uh... Hypno likes beheaded French queens in history textbooks?"
"No!" Darwin laughed, acting very unlike her usual self. She paused and thought it over. "Actually, he probably does, but that's not the point. My point is, that means he likes me!"
She skipped around Roselio and his friends and Altaria, humming and singing and generally acting like a happy 'mon.
Roselio laughed. "Does that mean we can call you Darwynette now?"
Darwin's skipping and chanting stopped abruptly. She was a few paces ahead of Team Red Bow and Altaria and had her back to them.
When she turned around, she was smiling a wide smile that nearly reached her white rose petals.
"Mon frère très sympa," she sang...
"Don't push your luck."
~ the end ~
And that's the end of my first SYOC fic! I thank those who stuck with this and made it this far. I thank you for your patience.
At first, I planned to make Meteor Mashed! a small writing practice, to see if I can write about characters that aren't mine (I hope I got them right). As you can clearly see, my imagination ran amok. Not that I regret it, though - writing about all of them, my own characters or not, was fun.
Feedback is appreciated!