The next day came by quickly, sun rising over the sky. Jango decided to get up early and use the training room to better his skills. He still couldn't believe that he missed this after the longest time.

Anyway, he was punching a punching bag with destructive force. Every time his fist made contact, the bag would swing up high and come back down fast, only to be hit again. Jango would occasionally use a kick or two to change up his fighting style. He wasn't known for a lot of kicking, but did have a tendency to do it.

He was practically obliterating the bag, leaving fist shaped marks into it. He slammed his elbow into it, followed by a roundhouse kick, then a powerful backhand, ending with a fierce punch. Surprisingly, however, he punched so hard that the bag was ripped off the chains holding it up and crashed into the wall. The bag flopped down onto the ground, sand pouring out of the hole he made with that last punch.

Jango was wide eyed, surprised by the amount of strength he had. He waved his hand and touched it, not even feeling a small sting. "Wow…when did I get this strong?" He looked back at the destroyed punching bag. "Oh, the king is going to kill me."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much." He looked behind him and saw Amanda with a towel tossed over her shoulder. "The bags get worn out over time, so we always make sure to get a replacement. Though, I never expected you to destroy it so quickly."

Jango smiled sheepishly. "Well, if it's any constellation, I didn't expect that either." Amanda giggled and threw him the towel. Jango caught it and observed himself. He certainly worked up a sweat. He rubbed himself down with it before placing it around his neck. "Thanks."

"No problem." Amanda started to drag her foot across the ground in a circle. "So, what are you going to be doing today?"

"Well, the dance is tonight and I need to go into town to buy a suit. I assume you will be doing the same with finding a dress?"

Amanda nodded. "Yeah. Flower said she'll be coming over with some dresses I might like. And, knowing her, that might take awhile." They shared a small laugh with each other. "You going shopping with anyone?"

"Terry and Sphere said they were going to come with me. They needed to get some suits themselves." Jango wiped his head with the towel. "I'm looking forward to the dance tonight. I hope we can…you know…maybe do that slow dance again?" He asked shyly.

His shyness was rubbing off on her. "Oh yeah…that would be…nice." She gave a sweet smile. "Thanks for asking me to the dance."

Jango smiled kindly. "Well, I couldn't have asked for anyone better."

They stared at each other for the longest time, as if they were trapped in each other's gaze. A voice snapped them out of it. "Are you two just going to keep standing there all day or should I get some water to wake you up?"

They shook their heads and turned towards the doorway to reveal Terry, along with Sphere and Flower. Jango chuckled. "Haha, very funny, Terry. Unlike you, I actually have a date to the dance, who just happens to be the princess of Poketopia!" He bragged jokingly, earning a laugh from his date.

Terry rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, stores are going to be packed today, so we need to hurry and get going. The dance starts in ten hours and we still need to get some other stuff done."

"Gotcha!" Jango threw the towel to the side and started to follow him and Sphere out. "I'll see you later, Amanda!"

Amanda waved. "Later!" She heard the front door open up and close. She sighed dreamily, earning a funny look from Flower. Amanda rolled her eyes, knowing where this was going. "Alright, you can-"

"I KNEW IT!" Flower interrupted her and jumped up and down around her. "I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU THAT YOU AND JANGO WERE SOLUMATES! I WAS RIGHT!"

Amanda slapped her paw over her mouth. "Sheesh Flower, cool it. He's just taking me to the most romantic dance of the year…nothing big." She noticed the expression the Sunflora wore, clearing not believing a word she said. "Oh alright…I was so freakin' excited when he asked me! I felt like I was going to faint!"

"Told you he might like you." Flower observed her best friend for a moment before getting a great, if not devious, idea. "Though, I think I might have a way to make him dumbstruck the next time he sees you."

Amanda tilted her head in confusion, yet was curious as well. "How so?"

Flower started to push her upstairs. "I got a bunch of beautiful dresses for you to try on. When Jango sees you in the perfect one, he won't be able to take his eyes off of you." Amanda gulped a little, wondering where this might end up.

Jango grumbled as he, Terry, and Sphere had to wait in a long line. Terry wasn't kidding when he said that a lot of Pokémon were going shopping today. "Ugh, how long do we have to wait here?!" He shouted in annoyance, earning stares from the line.

Sphere poked him. "Uh dude, let's try not to make a scene in front of everyone."

Terry crossed his arms. "Relax, mate. We're just going to have to wait a bit. No need to rush into things."

"I'm sorry, but I need something to do. I'm not the type of guy to stand for no reason in a ridiculously long line." He expressed mildly angry.

"Um, you do have a reason. You need a suit, remember?" Sphere reminded him. Jango just sighed out of annoyance. "Oh come on, it won't take that long. The guy who runs the place is pretty quick with getting the measurements needed. We'll be in before you know it."

"So," Terry started up, "I'm quite interested to hear what happened that gave you the courage to ask Amanda to the dance. Did you kiss her?" He ended up teasing lightly.

Jango blushed brightly. "NO…I mean, I want to, but that's not what happened. We were just doing this slow dance thing and…I guess it was just the right moment to ask her…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up a minute!" Sphere exclaimed. "You two slow danced with each other?!"

He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Yeah…she was teaching me how to dance so I could be ready for tonight." He decided to leave the whole tricking Amanda part out so he doesn't get laughed at. "I didn't know what a slow dance was at first, but now…I'm hoping we could do it again tonight." He smiled with a brighter blush.

Terry playfully punched him in the shoulder. "You aren't getting soft on me, right?"

Jango smirked. "Heh, yeah right. I'm as tough as I ever was!" He stomped his foot on the ground for emphasis, but was shocked, along with the other two, that he made a large crack on the ground.

Terry stared at it with the widest eyes Jango has ever seen. "Wha-how did-who the-when were this…" He was at a loss for words.

Sphere helped him out. "Dude, when did you get that strong?"

Jango was just as confused. "I…I don't know. Same thing happened this morning when I was working out. I completely destroyed the punching bag with one last punch."

"That was a punching bag?! I thought it was just a tattered, old tarp with a bunch of sand next to it!" Sphere paused. "Actually, what you said makes more sense than what I thought."

Terry shook off his shock and smiled. "Mate, you clearly have gotten stronger since our last battle with each other. What have you been doing?"

"Nothing, that's what scares me." Jango observed his hand, the same one he used to destroy the punching bag. "I was never capable of doing stuff like this in the past. Why is it just happening now?"

Sphere gulped a little, having an idea. "Maybe…maybe it has something to do with…the Hidden Blaze."

Jango narrowed his eyes in thought and looked back at his hand. Could this have anything to do with it? Why would Scourge carelessly let that untapped power just suddenly start flowing out? What was his gain in this?

Terry cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should drop the matter for now. We don't want you getting freaked out before your big date after all." He smirked when he finished.

Jango shook off his thoughts and returned the look. "You're probably right. Which reminds me, do you two have dates to the dance?"

Terry blushed a bit. "Um, well…no, I don't." Jango chuckled. "Ah, knock it off. I just moved here, remember?"

Sphere spoke up. "Actually, I have a date to the dance."

"You do?!" Jango and Terry exclaimed in surprise.

He nodded. "Yep!"

Jango smiled. "Wow dude, congrats!"

Terry smiled as well. "Yeah, never thought a fella like you could even get a date." Sphere wasn't sure to take that as a compliment or an insult. "Still though, who are you going with?"

That made him start to blush. "Well, here's the thing…"

"No, I don't think that's your color."

Amanda groaned and went behind the screen to take the dress off. This is the eighth dress so far and Flower doesn't agree with how they look. Sure, Amanda appreciates what she is doing, but it's slowly getting on her last nerve. Flower can sometimes be a little indecisive.

"Flower, I appreciate your help, but if this keeps up any longer, I'll end up not going to the dance at all." She said somewhat angrily.

Flower waved it off. "Oh come now, you'll be there. Besides, there's still a whole bunch of outfits we haven't tried yet."

Amanda's eyes widen and she came out from behind the screen, chuckling nervously. "How about we just take a break, instead? It's been awhile since we've chatted without the boys around."

Flower rubbed her chin for a moment before nodding. "You do have a point. Alright then." She sits herself down on Amanda's bed. Amanda sits next to her. "So, what exactly were two doing before he asked you out?"

Amanda twirled the wool on her head coyly. "Well, he needed some help with his dancing-don't ask-and I agreed to help. I first thought he was going with another girl and that kind of upset me. Anyway, I figured out why he couldn't dance and that the only way help him was to…" She gulped and blushed brightly. "…massage him."

Flower squealed. "You massaged him?! That is so cute! Did you start daydreaming when you felt his muscles?"

Amanda pulled her wool over her head. "K-knock it off, Flower! I didn't!" She calmed down and removed the wool from her face. "A-anyway, after that, he started to dance a lot smoother than before. When we took a break, he asked about the dance and I told him everything I knew about them, including slow dancing."

Flower gave a funny look. "Did you…?"

Amanda nodded, knowing what she was going to say. "He didn't know what it was, so I taught him. It wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be…it was actually really nice. Then, during the moment, he asked me to the dance."

Flower smiled widely. "Aww, that is so romantic!"

Amanda laughed sheepishly. "Kind of was, I guess." She stared off for a moment before saying, "Hey, do you have a date for the dance?"

This question, for some reason, made Flower freeze up. "Um…no." She got up and went towards the box of dresses.

Amanda wasn't convinced. "You sure about that?"

"So, which dress should we try next? The blue one with sequins or the red one with frills?" She asked, desperately trying to avoid the question.

Amanda closed the box and gently kicked it away. "You do have a date, do you?" Flower was nervously backing up. "You have a date, but you're too embarrassed by it, aren't you?"

Flower ended up hitting a wall, with no escape. "Um, well…maybe."

Amanda tilted her head. "Well, is it anyone I know?" Flower reluctantly nodded her head. "Well, who?"

She gulped, trying to find some sort of diversion, but drew up a blank. She sighed in defeat. "If I tell you, do you promise not to laugh?" Amanda nodded. "Okay." She looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "I'm going with…"

"You're going with Flower?!

Sphere recoiled at the volume of their shouts. "Um…yes." The crowd shortened after awhile. Sphere was stalling with the question of who he was going with, but it finally came out of him. Though, Jango and Terry were definitely surprised by who it was.

Jango blinked in disbelief. "I…you two…what?!"

Terry spoke for him. "Mate, as I recall, you couldn't be in the same room as her without you two starting some pointless argument. Why are you taking her?

Sphere sighed. "Thing is, I wanted to go, but my mom wanted me to go with a date this year rather than alone because she doesn't approve of me going to a social event just to eat at the buffet table. Unfortunately, most of the girls were either taken, sick, or just don't like me. Flower needed a date and, well, we both agreed to go together. We didn't want to tell you guys yet because of how you might react. She thought you'll freak out, I thought you'll be chill with it. Well, that just led to another argument."

Terry chuckled. "Of course."

Jango smiled. "Well, I hope you both have a great time."

"I hope so too." Sphere mumbled under his breath.

"Hey guys, we can finally go in now!" Terry exclaimed. They went into the store to find their clothes for tonight.

"I never would have expected you to go with Sphere."

Flower sighed. "Well, it's true. My mom said I wasn't allowed to go without a date because she thinks all girls have to have a date to events. She means well, but can be annoying. All the cute guys were taken. So, out of desperation, I went with Sphere."

Amanda tapped her chin. "So, Sphere was your only option?"

"Pretty much." Flower got up started to look through the dresses again. "So, should we keep looking for your dress?

"Hang on, how can Sphere be your only choice? Jango told me that Terry didn't have a date. Why didn't you go with him? He's a nice guy after all." This immediately made Flower start to panic. That's when something clicked inside Amanda's head. "Wait, do you-"

"NO! Whatever you're thinking, it's not true!" She hastily interrupted.

Amanda ignored her pleas and asks, "Do you have a crush on Sphere?"

"WHAT, NO! Don't be ridiculous!" She started to laugh loudly and nervously. "Me…have a crush on Sphere…HA, that's funny! Why would I have a crush on that annoying, rude, loudmouthed, sweet, cute, kind-hearted, goofball?" Her eyes widened when she realized what she said. She saw the smirk on Amanda's face. Flower laughed quietly.

"Flower, I think it's cute that you have a crush on him. A little surprising, but cute." She gave a sweet smile. "So, how long?"

Flower sighed. "I guess it kind of started when we were in 7th grade. These two guys came up to me and started hitting on me, making me really uncomfortable. Then, Sphere past by and saw what was happening. He yelled at those guys to leave me alone. When they didn't listen, he started to attack them. He, uh, lost…badly."

Amanda crossed her arms and looks up at the ceiling. "Oh yeah, I remember that. He got beaten up for some reason, though he never told me why."

"He didn't want anyone to know that he got into a fight over me. Anyway, I went over to his house every day to see how he was doing. We talked and…" She started to blush and gave a bashful smile. "…I just couldn't stop thinking about how he got hurt just to help me. I started to develop a small crush on him."

Amanda chuckled. "Not so small of a crush now, is it?" Flower responded with a bright red blush. "But, how come you were always arguing with him if you liked him?"

"He's cute and all, but he really is annoying…kind of why I like him."

"Like how I like Jango despite his somewhat rough personality." They paused for a moment, then began to laugh about their little crushes.

Jango, Terry, and Sphere wore annoyed looks as the tailor, who was a Kecleon, has been taking their measurements. However, he was very meticulous and kept rechecking over and over again to make sure they were right.

Jango whispered to his friends, "If we stand here any longer, I won't hesitate to Thunder Punch this guy."

"Agreed." Terry and Sphere groaned.

Kecleon lets out a happy sigh. "Well, I'm finally done looking over your measurements." He looks at Sphere. "You, young man, are quite pudgy."

Sphere's left eye twitch. "Pudgy?" He said with quiet anger. Next thing Kecleon realized, he was on the ground with a large bump on his head.

Jango shows a deadpanned expression. "He's quite…insensitive about others' feelings."

Kecleon got up and gave a wide smile. "Alright you three, what outfit would fancy you?"

"Just a regular tux. I'm not trying to look stunning or anything." Sphere replies truthfully. He doubts that, no matter what he wears, it won't impress Flower the slightest.

Terry rubbed his chin. "I suppose I would like a simple tux. I don't exactly have a date, so I'm not aiming to impress anyone."

Kecleon nodded. "Of course, of course! Now, what about-" When he looked at Jango, he gasped upon realizing who he was. "Wait, I know you! You're the one who has courted Princess Amanda!"

Jango blushed a new shade of red. "Where in Poketopia did you hear that?!"

"Oh, from some boy who announced it in the streets. I think he was…oh yes, it was this fella." He pointed at Sphere, who chuckled nervously.

Jango whacked him over the head, roughly. "Why would you do that?!"

"I couldn't help it. Pokémon here get wild up about interesting news on Amanda. When I heard that you were taking her to the dance, I just had to-" He was interrupted by Jango bonking him on the head, leaving a bump.

"Unbelievable." Jango muttered.

"I suppose you would like something that would impress the young lady?" Kecleon suggested.

Jango glared angrily for a moment, then softened up upon thinking of what he wanted to get. "Well…I guess I want something that I would look good in. Not just some regular, black tux. Something…interesting."

"Something interesting, huh?...ooh, I got it!" He went to the back of the store and came back with a box. "This might look nice on you." He opens it up. Inside was a black dress shirt, black dress pants, a deep blue vest, and a red tie. "What do you think?"

Jango took the box from him and look the suit over. He had to admit, he would look pretty good in it. Maybe it might even impress Amanda. With a small blush and smile, he says, "This is perfect, I'll take it."

"Wonderful!"

Terry and Sphere got their suits as well and paid for them with Jango. They walked down the street with their suits in boxes. "Glad that's over with." Sphere shares out loud.

Terry nods. "Yeah, now we just need to do a few more things before tonight."

"What do you mean?" Jango asked.

Terry winked. "Just a little something that will guarantee Amanda will like you." Jango looked away while blushing. "You know, with the romantic setting for tonight, I think you should confess your feelings for her."

Jango was flabbergasted. "C-confess my feelings?! Terry, I don't know."

"Look, you love her, right?" Jango nodded. "So, it would only make sense that you should finally tell her how you feel. You two are close friends, I'm sure she'll return your feelings."

"I still don't know."

"Jango, she practically screamed yes when you asked her out. Trust me, she will." He and Sphere went up ahead, leaving Jango behind to tend to his thoughts.

I want to tell Amanda, I really do. But, if she ever found out about my assassin background, I'll end up hurting her…and she'll end up hating me. She would hate for the rest of my…NO, what am I thinking?! Amanda would never hate me. Besides, with the security around Poketopia, the chances of any assassins sneaking in are incredibly slim. Amanda will understand, I just know it. Jango puts on a confident smile. It's official! Tonight, I'm gonna-

"Jango, hurry up!" Sphere called out to him.

"Right, sorry!" Jango ran to catch up to them, with the same smile still plastered on his face. Tonight, I'm gonna tell Amanda how I feel about her. If I'm certain that she'll never hate me…He gulps a little nervously…I'll tell her that I'm an assassin.